preserved Object But we are so provoked and have such wrongs as are very great and absurd c. Sol. Else it were no great praise to be quiet a Mastive a Bare a Lyon it may be can bee quiet sometimes if they be not stirred or provoked There is nothing from without us can make us vicious without the working of a vile nature in our soules The use should be first for instruction I may say of meeknesse and quietnesse as Christ said of humility If you beare these things blessed are you if you doe them Iohn 13. Now there are many reasons should move us to be very carefull to expresse a meek quiet spirit in our behaviour at home and abroad as first Gods commandement Hee requireth this at our hands earnestly as appeareth by the places before quoted and other Scriptures Prov. 4.24 Secondly wee have an excellent example for it in Christ and hee chargeth us of all the things which be immitable in him to learne meeknesse and lowlinesse of him Mat. 11.29 Thirdly it will be a signe of our election and true sanctification and that God loves us Col. 3.12 Psal. 147.6 and that wee have attained the wisedome that is from above Iames 3.17 Fourthly it is a great ornament to a man as this Text imports and that both in the sight of God and man A meek behaviour is very lovely and comely Pro. 19.11 5 Hereby we shall bring much rest to our soules Mat. 11.29 Our hearts and consciences will bee at great peace whereas there are many occasions of trouble to our consciences which flow from passion and an unquiet and contentious course of life 6 Meeknesse is uncorruptible It will last for ever both in the habite of it and in the comfort and fruit of it and besides it will keepe the spirit from such putrifaction and corruption as passion and unquietnesse useth to breed in the spirits of other men 7 Meeknesse makes the heart very capable of grace of the Word of God The heart is fit to have the Word graffed upon it when it is meek and quiet Iames 1.21 and the Lord teacheth the humble his way Psal. 25. Pro. 3.32 and he will give more grace to the humble Iam. 4.7 8 God will be the protection of the meek hee will relieve them and make them glorious by deliverance Psal. 76.8.9 147.5.6 149.4 Zeph. 2.3 Yea a meek spirit is a great advantage to a mans outward estate for the meeke shall inherite the earth God loves no Tenants better than such nor grants longer leases to any than to them Mat. 5.6 Secondly this discourse of a meeke and quiet spirit should greatly humble such Christians as are froward and passionate and unquiet and in particular such wives as are guilty of these or the like faults Now that this use may bee more profitable to these Christians I would adde two things first reason to disswade them from frowardnesse and unquietnesse secondly I would shew them remedies how to help themselves against these faults There be many things observed in Scripture and which they may feele in themselves which should move them to hearty repentance for this unquietnesse and frowardness as to consider 1 The causes of frowardnesse unquietnesse which are in generall their ill nature and in particular Pride idlenesse want of love to those with whom they converse ignorance and love of earthly things From these or some of these roots proceeds this vice 2 That the Scripture maketh this fault to bee a signe of a wicked and naughty person Pro. 6.12.14 21.24 especially where one is guilty of it in the power and custome of it and besides reckons it among the faults of which there is little hope of cure Pro. 29.20 3 It causeth many and vile effects for 1 It is a great affliction and vexation to such as converse with them that are guilty of it as these places shew Pro. 17.1 21.9.19 27.3.15 2 It is very hurtfull to the party that is guilty for it makes him runne into many sinnes as these places shew Pro. 17.19 22.8 29.22 Psal. 37.8 and besides it brings upon him great misery for it makes a breach in his spirit within Prov. 15.4 and brings much mischiefe upon him without Pro. 17.20 and further it makes him abominable in the sight of God Pro. 3.32 8 13. 11.20 and shames him almost incurably amongst men Pro. 12.8 25.9 10. and further no body that is wise will make any friendship with them but every body will avoide them asmuch as they can Prov. 22.24 Wives that be so froward and peevish and hard to please and unquiet should much thinke of these things And yet besides it interrupts praier 1 Pet. 3.7 and is a great hinderance to the power of the Word Iames 1.19 20. 21. lastly if it bee not repented of it will bring damnation of body and soule Mat. 5 22. 3 It grieves the spirit of God Eph 4.30 Now Christian men or women that desire to mend this fault of frowardnesse and unquietnesse may attaine unto reformation if they will carefully observe these rules following 1 They must study to be quiet 1 Thes. 4.12 They must not trust their owne conceits of things but with good conscience study how to prevent occasions of unquietnesse and how to carry themselves discreetly and with meeknesse It doth require much study to live quietly 2 They must bee sure they meddle with their owne businesse as it is further added in the same place They must bee sure to place their greatest care in learning how to discharge their owne dueties to others and not allow themselves liberty to suspect or censure the waies of others with whom they converse Such wives as are so diligent to study their husbands dueties and to finde fault with them in their callings seldome or never live quietly with their husbands whereas the Apostle here would have such wives as have ill husbands to lay the ground of a quiet life in the care of sound discharge of their owne dueties to their husbands 3 They must heartily repent for their faults of unquietness frowardnesse past not only humble their soules in secret before God for such sinnes but also shew their repentance to those with whom they coverse by an humble acknowledgement of their vile nature and froward behaviour even in the particulars of it Repentance for known trespasses can never bee sound if it bee secret and not made knowen to the parties grieved 4 It will wonderfully helpe them if they pray constantly to the Lord Iesus that left such a patterne of meeknesse and to entreat him by influence of his grace to quiet and sweeten their natures Beseech the Lord Iesus even by his meeknesse to make us meek and able to expresse his vertue in a quiet conversation 5 They must not give place to wrath but if they perceive their hearts rising and inclined to passion and provoking and censorious words
admonished as a brother 2. Thes. 3.6 15. 3 Servants are charged to looke to it that they be obedient and subject notwithstanding this doctrine that their Masters are brethren 1. Tim. 6.1 Pittifull The word rendred Pittifull in the Originall signifies rightly bowelled or such as have true or right bowels and so it is to bee referred to mercy and is more than other Scriptures expresse when they require bowells of mercy for here it is required that these bowells be right In Mat. 25. men are sentenced to condemnation for not shewing mercie In other Scriptures it is shewed that though they doe shew mercy yet if some things be not looked to it will not be accepted as Mith. 6.8 there is required not only mercy but the love of mercy and Mat. 6. the Pharisees did workes of mercy and yet our Saviour findes fault with them because they were done to be seen of men in 1. Cor. 13.2 the Apostle saith If a man give all that hee hath to the poore and want love it is nothing So here the Apostle requires not mercy onely but that their bowells bee right in mercy and about this rule therefore two things are to be explicated 1 What bowells of mercy meanes 2 What right bowells imports For the first Bowells of mercy imports 1 Truth in shewing mercy that it bee not in ceremony or word onely but in deed that the heart shew mercy as well as the tongue 2 Love That our mercy proceede from hearty and christian affection to the partie 1. Cor. 13.2 not of constraint nor with wicked thoughts or griefe of heart Deut. 7.7 8. to 12. 3 Tendernesse of affection That wee bee affected as if our selves were in want Rom. 12.16 4 Chearefulnesse in expressing our mercy to such as are in misery who are sometimes as much refreshed with the respect wee shew to their persons as with the supply wee bring to their estates Men in misery should be comforted as well as relieved 5 The practise of secret mercy as well as open even to thinke of them and provide for them and to provoke others to mercy and to pray for them when they know not of it even when we are gone from them still to shew them mercy For the second our Bowells are right in shewing merc 1 If we be prepared unto such good works and so both our eares should bee prepared that they may bee open to the cry of the poore Prov. 21.13 and the matter of mercy should be made ready And to this purpose it were an excellent course if Christians would lay up weekely a part of their gettings which they would consecrate to God that it might bee ready when there were neede 1. Cor. 16.1 2. and further if wee be as God is mindefull of mercy and doe exercise it speedily without delay Prov. 3.27 28. 2 If wee looke not for too much beholdingnesse from them that are relieved The rich must not rule over the poore nor the borrower become a servant to the lender Prov. 22.7 3 If wee have a good eye Prov. 22.9 and shew it by dispensing of our mercy to such as have most need and to such as are best affected in religion if there be choise 4 If wee doe workes of mercy out of goods well gotten else God hates robbery though it were for burnt offerings Esay 61.8 5 If it be for right ends as not for merit or the praise of men Matth. 6.2 Cor. 9.19 6 If we be full of mercie rich in mercie much in mercie abundant in mercie not only to our power but sometimes and in some cases beyond our power We must open our hands wide Deut. 15.8 1. Tim. 6.18 2. Cor. 8.2 9. good measure and pressed downe Luke 6.8 if we give not sparingly 7 If we be discreet so to ease others as wee burthen not our selves 2. Cor. 9.14 15. 8 If we exercise our selves in everie kind of mercie both spirituall and corporall in giving lending visiting clothing feeding instructing admonishing comforting c. 9 If we be constant and not grow wearie of well-doing Gal. 6. The use may be first for reproofe and confutation of diverse sorts of men 1 Of the Papists that brag of their good workes in this kinde to whom it may be granted that they shew workes of mercy perhaps have bowels of mercy but they are not right bowells both because with the Pharisees they doe their works to be seene of men and with opinion of justification and salvation by the merite of their workes and beside though they shew compassion to the bodies of men yet are they without all true compassion to the soules of men 2 Of the house keeping of many Protestants that brag of their great hospitalitie good house keeping when their entertainment is either spent upon the rich or else in the prophane abuse of the good creatures of God by drunkennesse or else in the entertainment of disordered and lewd persons 3 Of the great neglect of mercy in the most men that either shew not mercy at all or not bowells of mercy or not according to the rules given before especially such as hide themselves from the poore Esay 58.7 and use shifts and excuses to avoide such supplies as are necessary for the furtherance of the reliefe for the poore in such places as they live Prov. 24.11 12. But judgement mercilesse shall bee to them that shew no mercie Iam. 2.13 4 Diverse of the better sort are to be rebuked about this point many Christians spend a great deale of zeale about lesser matters and in the meane time neglect the greater things of the Law such as are judgement and mercie for few Christians are sufficiently instructed or inflamed in the estimation of the worth of the workes of mercie or the necessitie of them to the glorifying of God and the profession of Religion Matth. 23.23 Secondly for instruction and so this doctrine should worke in us a great impression of desire to shew forth the fruits of mercie with all tendernesse and sinceritie and to this end wee should shew that wee desire in practise to obey this doctrine as neere as we can I say we should shew it by accepting the exhortations of others that move us for anie workes of this kinde 2. Cor. 8.17 especially we should strive to answer the expectation of our Teachers herein willingly give our selves first to the Lord then to them suffering them to direct our workes herein with all readinesse 2. Cor. 8.5.24 and to this end we should use all good meanes to stir up our selves to good workes of this kinde all our daies and therefore we should plow up the fallow ground of our hearts by praier and confession of our naturall barrennesse herein and indisposition Hosea 10.12 and withall thinke much of all the motives might stirre us up hereunto And so wee should thinke of the matchlesse patterne of Gods mercy and in particular of his mercy to us Mat. 5. Luk.
blesse them that curse us Mat. 5 44 Rom. 12.14 1. Cor. 4 12. And this we doe 1 By gracious communication in generall when wee use such words as may not only expresse to the life the power and truth of the gifts of grace in us but also may minister grace to the hearers if it be not their owne fault 2 By acknowledging the just praises of others 3 By praying for them Mat. 5.44 Psal. 109.4 4 By giving soft answers Pro. 15.23 and entreating them to avoid strife Gen. 13.8.9 5 By a discreet reproofe of their sinne for as he that flattereth curseth so he that wisely reprooveth blesseth Pro. 27.14 Psal. 141.5 The use should be to stirre up all true Christians to practise true vertue of blessing and to carry themselves so as all their words and actions may be blessed and a blessing to them that converse with them and may appeare to bee so even to their enemies It is a hard lesson but yet if wee seeke constantly to God for this helpe it may bee attained in some acceptable manner Knowing that ye are thereunto called Manie things may be here observed Doct. 1. That a Christian should be vehemently affected with the consideration of his calling and that for diverse reasons 1 Because of the cause of it which was Gods purpose election and free grace in Iesus Christ We were sinners and we were not called for any workes of ours Rom. 8.28 9.11 2. Tim. 1.9 The winde bloweth where it listeth wee are taken and others refused And this is the more to be thought on because this grace was given us in Iesus Christ before the world began 2. Tim. 1 9. It could not be had but by a Mediator and it was granted from all eternitie 2 If we consider from what we were called from grosse darkenesse 2. Pet. 1.9 from this present evill world Gal. 1. from the lumpe of forlorne mankinde from innumerable sins and curses from the danger of eternall damnation of body and soule for ever 3 If we consider the wonder of the meanes of our calling which is by the Gospell which is the voice of Christ raising us out of the graves of sinne even that voyce that shall make mens dead bodies rise at the last day doth now raise the dead soules of men in this world One resurrection in this life another at the day of judgement Eph. 2.1 2. Thes. 2.14 4 If we consider that it is a high calling the most honourable and most holy of any calling in the world No greater dignitie than to be the called of Iesus Christ greater in it selfe than to be an Apostle Phil. 3.14 5 If we consider to what we are called viz. to be partners and companions with Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 1.7 and to great and precious promises Acts 2.3 9. and to obtaine the glorie of the Lord Iesus and a kingdome with him for ever Phil. 3.14 1. Tim. 1.6 The called are vessels of Gods mercie and upon them hee will make knowne the riches of his glory Rom. 9.24 6 Because the gifts and calling of God is without repentance Rom. 1 1.29 This a linke in that chaine can never bee broken this takes hold before the world of election and after the world of glorification Rom. 8.30 7 Because the great wise noble and mightie men of the world are not called and God hath looked upon such poore and weake creatures 1. Cor. 1.26 The use should be to teach us with all possible affections to magnifie Gods grace in our calling and to strive to walk worthie of our calling Ephes. 4.1 and to pray hard unto God to fulfill the worke of his grace in our calling that we may live to his glory and abound in all faith and well-doing 2. Thess. 1.11 12. The second use may be for great reproofe of mens wickednesse in neglecting the voyce of Christ in the Gospell and in intertayning so many excuses delayes hardning themselves in their evill wayes and suffering the Divell to keepe them without this high preferment Matth. 22. Doct. 2. From the coherence it is plaine That all Gods servants are called to holinesse of life aswell as to happinesse Their calling is a holy calling they are called to be Saints Rom. 1.7 so also 2. Thes. 2.14 13. 1. Pet. 1.15.1 Thes. 4.7 The use is to discover false Christians from true by their fruits you shall know them Such as make not conscience of their waies to serve God all the daies of their lives in holinesse and feare are not right Christians And therefore as men desire to have comfort in their calling they must take heed that they abuse not their liberty to licentiousnesse Gal. 5.13 Doct. 3 The calling of a Christian is a hard calling to flesh and bloud he is called to hard worke As in the coherence here to be so humble and unmoveable and holy disposed as when he is grossely abused and wronged in words deeds yet not onely to be patient but to blesse So it is in other parts of their worke as when a man must deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow Christ For a man to forsake every thing his heart naturally desireth and to bee daily crossed is a hard taske The use should bee to raise up the hearts of Christians to a care to live above the course of this world and to presse forward towards the marke not caring for the difficulty of the race but looking to the price of his calling Phil. 3.14 Doct. 4. A true Christian may know his calling Know it I say that is hee may be infallibly assured of it And this is true in two respects first he may know that he is truely called and converted elected of God secondly he may know his calling in respect of the warrant of all his particular actions as here he may know what is required of him in his carriage towards his enemies Now that everie true Christian may be sure of his calling election and may know his conversion is most apparant by these Scriptures 2. Cor 13.5 1. Cor. 3.16 2. Tim. 1.12 Heb. 8.11 1. Iohn 2.3 3.14 4.16 5.13.19 And that everie Christian is bound to seeke this assurance and knowledge is apparant by many reasons As first from Gods commandement He requires it of us that wee should with all diligence seek to make our calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1.10 Secondly many reasons may be gathered from the effects and benefites such knowledge and assurance will bring to us Assurance is profitable for many things In generall it is our best riches on earth Col. 2.2 and in particular 1 It estates us in all the promises of God when wee know wee are truly called then wee know our right to all the promises of Gods word 2 It purifyeth the heart and life of man Act. 15.9 for when wee know we are the children of God wee are thereby stirred up to the greater care to please
it is required of the husband also and the like may bee said of other things But subiection is a thing God so stands upon as if they had other praises as that they were wise provident chaste rich faire yea religious yet if he may not prevaile with them in this point he is not pleased with the rest Secondly because this duty soundly performed doth imply the rest and in the practice of it causeth the practice of other dueties Thirdly in that the Apostle doth reduce all their dueties into one word he doth it thereby to cut off all excuse for if they cannot remember one word they can remember nothing and if they will not obey in one commandement it shewes that they are governed by a very spirit of prophannesse as being persons that resolve to live as they list Fourthly it would bee considered in what things they must be subiect and so wives must bee subiect to the husbands commandements to doe in all things what he appoints or desires to be done They must shew a minde desirous to please their husbands in obeying the directions hee gives in matters of the family or any other things may concerne his profit or contentment As the Church is ruled by the word of Christ so must the wife bee ruled by the word of her husband His will must be her law to live by so likewise she must be subiect to his reproofes to amend what he dislikes and to avoyde what is displeasing to him so likewise she must be subiect to his restraints and to the order he gives about her labour dyet apparell companie or the like striving in all things to please her husband 1. Cor. 7.34 Eph. 5.23 and this subiection extends also to that due benevolence the Apostle requires 1. Cor. 7.3.4.5 Fifthly we must consider in what manner wives must be subiect and so divers things are required of them for their subiection must have in it care honor and sincerity First they must be subiect with care and study to doe and dispose of all things so as the husband may not be displeased or disquieted A wise woman is said to build her house Prov. 14.2 which notes that she studies in every business how to set every thing in order as the Carpenter doth study how to set every part of the frame in jointe Oh that this word Studie could bee carved upon the hearts of women that they might never forget it what a world of unquietnesse and inconveniences might bee prevented if care and study did enter into their hearts Secondly they must be subiect with honor to their husbands now wives honor their husbands and shew it divers waies as by giving them reverent titles as Sarah called her husband Lord and by modest and shamefast behaviour in her husbands presence her husband should bee the covering of her eyes and by striving to imitate what is excellent in her husband so shee should bee his image and his glory as man is the image and glory of Christ and by avoyding all company that is suspected or disliked by the husband and by concealing and hiding his infirmities as much as she can Thirdly the sincerity of her subiection must appeare many wayes as first by being subiect to him not in some things but in all things as the Church is subiect to Christ. Secondly by being subiect at all times and in all places at home aswell as abroade and alwayes aswell as for the first quarter of the yeare Thirdly by practising this subiection not in outward shew only but in her very spirit Mal. 2.15 and that not for feare or shame but for conscience sake and willingly out of the love and honor she beares to her husband performing this subiection to her husband as it were to the Lord himselfe Eph. 5.12 Finally shee must make conscience to obey and be subiect though the husband did not finde fault or much require it even because God doth require it Sixthly it would be considered negatively in what cases or respects the wife is not subiect to the will of the husband and so her subiection is qualified and lymited or lightned divers wayes First in the quality of her subiection shee is not to be subiect with a servile subiection as a servant or vassall is subiect to his Lord but in a sweete and familiar kinde of subiection as the body is subiect to the head and as one that is partner with him in many priviledges both temporall and eternall they remaine still companions and yoake-fellowes Secondly in the matter of subiection shee is not subiect to his will in matters of her soule and religion when his will is contrary to Gods will Wives must bee subiect but it must bee in the Lord Colos. 3.15 The unbeleeving husband must not compell the beleeving wife to change her religion or to neglect the meanes of her salvation and againe she is not so subiect but shee may admonish or advise her husband with certaine cautions as if she bee sure the thing she speakes against bee sinfull and hurtfull and withall that shee speake without passion or contempt with reverence and without frowardnesse or imperiousnesse Thus Abraham is bidden to heare his wife Gen. 21.12 Againe her subiection doth not binde her to consent to or conceale his whoredomes wherein he breakes the Covenant betwixt them and defiles the marriage bedde nor is shee bound to obey him in any thing she knowes to bee a sinne nor am I of their minde that think she is subiect to her husbands blowes and stripes for that doth import a servile subiection and not a free subiection I meane that I doe not thinke it any part of the husbands power over his wife to correct her by blowes her vices that cannot be corrected by wordes must be committed either to the Magistrate or to the Church censures to reform Likewise I conceive that she is not bound to deliver her body to her husband when she is apart for her disease Lev. 18.19 Ezech. 18.6 Seventhly the sinnes by which wives transgresse against this subiection to their husbands be many viz. Vsurping authority over the man by teaching him in matters of religion 1. Tim. 2.12 or by busying her selfe in directing or finding fault with him in matters belong to his calling and are out of her reach Impatience and frowardnesse passion brawling chiding crying c. Idlenesse and slothfulnesse especially when they disappoint usually the trust or desires of the husbands in things wherein they might and ought to bee helpefull in their labours or in the oversight of the workes of their servants Vile estimation of their husbands though but in the heart but much more when it is shewed by unreverent tearmes or nicknames or words of reproach or by complaining of the infirmities of their husbands and finding fault with them before others Suspitious and base interpretations of the actions of their husbands as when Michol so censured David for his dancing before the Arke
Wastefulnesse either by improvidence or vaine expences Prov. 14.1 especially when they are so impudently monstrous as to professe they will not bee ruled by their husbands but will be masters And thus of the dutie charged upon the Wives The parties to whom they owe this duety followes and they are their owne Husbands To your owne Husbands Two things may be noted 1 That all husbands have the same right and authority over their wives Wives must be subiect though their husbands be poore yea though they bee froward and perverse yea as the Coherence shewes here though they be carnall and wicked persons and so though they bee ignorant and not able to dwell with them as men of knowledge though they be diseased and in great affliction as Iob was 2 That wives are to be subiect onely to their husbands not to their children or servants much lesse to a strange woman if the wicked husband should bring any into the family and she must be subiect to her owne husband to be directed and ordered by him not by the husband of another woman Thus of the proposition the explication of it followes where the Apostle requires three things of the wife 1 Amiablenesse in her carriage that shee might winne her husband if it were possible vers 1. 2 A chaste conversation with feare vers 2. 3 Meeknesse and a quiet spirit vers 3.4 For the first part wee are to note two things about the amiablenesse of her behaviour First the fruite to bee hoped for by it viz. the winning of the husband Secondly the meanes how it should be done viz. by conversation Might be wonne What kinde of winning doth hee here meane I answer first an obedient carefull wife may winne her husband to be a good husband that was before a froward unruly unkinde violent or injurious husband But I thinke 〈◊〉 is not that which is here meant or not all the Apostle mâ—anes for he meanes it of winning of the carnall husband to religion Quest. But can any man be made a religious man without the Word can a man be saved and finde the way to Heaven without the preaching of the Gospell Answ. I take it the Apostle doth meane only of a winning by way of preparation in generall as the good conversation of the wife may winne the husband not to thinke so ill of the religion she professeth as he did and may winne him to bee contented to goe to the meanes to heare the Word by which meanes he may be effectually called and sanctified For the better understanding of this point you must understand that men are said to bee wonne in Scriptures by divers meanes as some have beene wonne to beleeve for the miracles they saw and yet Christ did not trust many of them Iohn 2. Some have been wonne by private admonition but that is to be understood of perswading them to some good duetie or to receive some truth or to forsake some sinne or error Iames 5. ult Some have been wonne by judgementes and afflictions as the Israelites many times came crying to God for mercie when the hand of God was upon them and yet fell away againe afterwards Some have been wonne by the faire conversation of others as here but the only ordinanary meanes to winne a soule effectually to God is the Word of God preached Rom. 10.14 17. But one thing we may note here That a man may be wonne and yet not effectually A man may convert and change and suffer much alteration and yet not be a new creature yea other Scriptures shew that a man may be wonne by the Word it selfe so as in his owne judgement and the hope of others it seemes his soule is indeed wonne and yet it will come to nothing in the end Wicked men have sometimes great remorses much touched promise reformation consent for the time to enter into the profession of religion like of the way of God in the generall resolve to heare the Word constantly c. and yet all this comes to nothing but vanishent and they returne to their old courses The causes of their revolting are in divers men or times divers Some flye off againe because of reproach Some for want of meanes to nourish what is begun Some are driven backe because they had not cast up their accounts what it would cost them to build the Tower of godlinesse or what would be necessary to overcome so many enemies Some are choaked with worldly cares and lusts but in all the reason is because they were not soundly converted The old heart would never hold out to doe the taske of godlinesse Quest. But being wonne so farre as to like of religion to feele remorse to resolve to become religious c. what did they want of sound conversion Answ. In those that are wonne only to a temporary kind of grace or generall preparation divers things appeare to be wanting as either they had no sound sorrowes for their sinnes or never soundly turned from the love of the world or could not forsake particular beloved sinnes or were never throughly perswaded to forsake carnall dependancies or did not thinke of hyring themselves to doe the worke of godlinesse for ever or had no hearty love to such as feare God or the like The consideration hereof should awaken all sorts especially such as newly entred into the profession of religion to looke to themselves and trye their estates soundly whether they be wonne effectually or no. Quest. But how may I know that I am wonne effectually now at this time of remorse or now that I resolve to take a new course Answ. Thou art right and effectually converted if these things following be true of thee 1 If thou be inwardly abased and humbled in the sight of thine owâ—e viâ—eâ—esse if in thine owne eyes thou discerne thy selfe to be a foole and unapt for Gods kingdome and if thy sinnes be a sensible loade and burthen unto thee of which thou art weary Mat. 5.3 11.29 1. Cor. 3.18 and thy pride and conceitednesse be subdued 2 If thou have overcome the world 1. Iohn 5.4.5 2.15 and canst shew it by forsaking the fellowship of ungodly persons 2. Cor. 6.17 and canst deny the carnall counsell of carnall kindred Mat. 10. and canst hold on this course notwithstanding the reproaches will bee cast upon thee and others Esa. 8. 59.15 1. Pet. 4.5 and dost finde that thy taste in earthly things is marred so as thou dost not finde that favour in them thou wast wont to doe Rom. 8.5 3 If nothing can heale thee of those remorses thou feelest but the Word and Ordinances of God Hosea 6.1.2 If merry company carnall counsell or time will heale thee without spirituall medicine thou art not right 4 If thou have attained to an estimation of Iesus Christ above all things accounting him only pretious and findest that thy heart striveth to settle it selfe in the trust upon him and his merits Phil. 3.8 Gal. 6.14 1
Pet. 2.6 5 If thou have a spirit without guile Psal. 32 2. and that will appeare 1 By thy desire to be godly and religious more than to seem so Rom. 2.26 2 By thy desire to be ridde of all sinne and to be turned from all thy transgressions Ezech. 18.30 setting thy selfe against thine owne iniquity 2. Sam. 22.24 If thou feele a combat within thee the spirit striving against the flesh aswell about inward sinnes as outward against the very evill that cleaves to thy best workes and against those sinnes that thou hast most loved or have been most gainefull or pleasing to thee Gal. 5.17 3 This will be clearer if thou desire to forsake thy sins in thy youth or prosperity while thou couldest yet securely commit them 4 If thou keepe thy goodnesse in all companies aswell when thou art absent farre as when thou art present with such as are religious Phil. 2.12 doing righteousnesse at all times Psal. 106.2 6 If thou love the house of God above all the places in the world and that thy thirst after the meanes continue and last and bee renewed after the foode of thy soule as thy stomacke is after thy bodily foode Psal. 26.8 84. Iob 23.12 Psal. 119.20 7 If thou honour them that feare the Lord and are religious above all the people in the world discerning betweene the righteous and the wicked contemning vile persons and joyning thy selfe to the godly as the people thou wilt live and dye with and as the best companions of thy life Psal. 15. Mal. 3.17 Psal. 16.3 1. Iohn 3.14 8 If the vaile be taken off thy heart so as thou canst heare as the learned and understand spirituall doctrine that before was harsh and foolishnesse to thee 1. Cor. 2.14 2. Cor. 3.15.16.18 Esa. 51.6 9 If thou finde that thou canst not sinne Marke it the Apostle Iohn saith he that is borne of God cannot sinne hee meanes he cannot sinne as he was wont to doe for either God crosseth him still and hinders him or hee findes that hee cannot affect his sinne so heartily or commit it with his full consent or with his whole heart as hee was wont to doe 1. Iohn 3.9 the power of sinning is marred and dissolved in him Now that this worke may prosper if you find your selves any way effectually wonne be advised then to look to these rules following 1 Take heede of smothering of doubts aske the way to Heaven and seeke resolution in things of so high importance as your Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Salvation are Ier. 50.4 2 Looke to it what teachers and what doctrine you heare choose that foode for your soules that is most wholesome be not carryed away with the inticing words of mans wisedome 3 Be carefull to humble your soules in secret judging your selves for your sins before the Lord. Be not sleighthie in this great worke though you have repented yet repent still till your hearts be fully setled and the power of your corruptions broken rest not upon common hopes or probabilities or the good opinion others have of you but lay a sure foundation for your owne faith and hope Ier. 31.20 4 Come constantly to the light that it may be manifest that your workes are wrought in God and let the Word of God be the light to your feete and lanthorne to your pathes Iohn 21.22 Psal. 50. Gal. 6.16 What remaines uow but that I should beseech you to turne unto God withall your hearts Give your selves to God he will keep that which you commit to him till the day of Christ. Let not our words be as water spilt upon the ground Oh that the Lord would bow the Heavens and come downe amongst you and take possession for himselfe and perfect the worke he hath begunne in some of your hearts Remember the covenant you have made with God in the Sacrament made it I say over the dead body of your Saviour Now is the axe laid to the roote of the tree now or never bear fruite This is the day of salvation say you This is the day the Lord hath made for our conversion God is gracious if you turne to him with all your hearts and just if you prove false in his covenant Though grace in you be but as the smoaking flaxe yet it shall not be quenched the Lord establish his worke If you hold out to the end you shall be saved That they which obey not the Word The persons that may be wonne are described by these wordes as a Periphrasis of carnall persons men that are not in Christ and so may note either such husbands as were Gentiles or such husbands as were carnall Christians If by those Husbands be meant unbeleeving Gentiles a question may be asked viz. how the Gentiles are said to disobey the Word of Cod seeing it was never given unto them For answer we must understand that at this time the Word was brought among the Gentiles by the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospel and therefore now they are bound to obey it aswell as any others and this was the condemnation of a world of them that light was come amongst them and they loved darknesse rather than light Otherwise considering the Gentiles without the Law brought to them they shal be judged not by the Law written which they had not but by the Law of nature which they had in their hearts Rom. 2.15.16 Now if by these wordes bee meant carnall Christians that had turned from Gentilisme and received the profession of Christian religion but yet followed their carnall courses wee may then note That the bare change from a false religion to the profession of the true is not sufficient to salvation A man that hath professed a false religion had neede of two conversions the one is from his false religion to the true and the other from profanenesse to sincerity in that religion The corne must bee fetched from the field into the barne but that is not inough for so is the chaffe but it must then be taken from the barne into the garner To leave Popery and turne Protestant is not in it selfe sufficient unlesse a man turne from the profanenesse that is in the multitude in true Churches to embrace the sincere profession of the Gospel And there is reason for it for in changing from a false religion to a true a man doth but change his profession or his minde at best but hee that will bee changed effectually must change his heart and whole conversation and become a new creature So that then these words describe a carnall man viz. that he is such a one as doth not obey the Word of God By the word hee meanes here the doctrine published by the Prophets and Apostles and now contained in the Scriptures Many doctrines may be hence observed 1 The Scripture is God's Word because God thereby doth expresse the sense of his minde as men doe by their wordes The Scripture is not the word which God the
to bee noted that the Apostle useth fâ—ire language when hee speaketh even of carnall men Hee gives not these carnall husbands reproachfull words but onely faith They obey not the Word and the reason may be because the conscience of a man is noâ— wonne by the terror of words but by the evidence of the matter And besides the Apostle did not thinke it fit that wives should bee humoured in the violent dispraises of their husbands It is not profitable for inferiours to conceive much of the hatefulnesse of the sinnes of superiours 12 Religion doth not binde wives to account carnall husbands to bee religious They may know that they are carnall and yet not sinne against their husbands in such judgement so as they judge by infallible grounds for though the wife must love her husband with matrimoniall love above all other men yet shee is not bound to beleeve that he is the best man in the world Lastly it is a great affliction to a Christian wife to have a carnall husband Till shee have wonne him she is but in a distressed estate for other wicked men shee might shunne and so avoide the discomfort ariseth from seeing and hearing their wickedness but an evill husband she cannot nor ought not to depart from him though she must avoide his sinne 1. Cor. 7. and from such a husband she cannot have the helpes shee should have from a husband that could dwell with her as a man of knowledge Besides the many waies in which such a husband may or will hinder her in the course of golinesse besides it cannot but bee a great griefe to her to thinke of their parting out of this world that the one of them must goe to hell and that the companion of her life when he dyes if he repent not must be an eternall companion of devills 13 Good wives may have ill husbands such wives as are truly religious and obedient may have husbands that will not obey the Word of God and that ariseth sometimes from the improvidence or ill providing of parents Many parents that have children that obey them and will be ruled by them doe dispose of them for carnall ends to carnall or ill disposed husbands Sometimes from the hypocrisie of such men as feare God but prove not so when their wives enjoy them Sometimes from an unruly affection in good women who though they know the men they choose to be carnall yet they will have them though it prove to their owne continuall woe and affliction Sometimes from a speciall corruption of nature in some husbands who either are loving husbands and yet but carnall men or are good men but bad husbands Sometimes it ariseth from the speciall grace of God to the wife who though she was carnall when she marryed the carnall husband yet afterwards is converted and effectually called and this was the case of such women as the Apostle seems here to write to Sometimes it falls out by a speciall and unavoideable providence of God though all meanes have been used to try or prevent this evill in the husband for marriage being to bee reckoned amongst outward things God for reasons knowen to himselfe and alwaies just will give ill husbands to good wives And contrariwise it may be God knowes that if some good wives had better husbands they would prove worse wives or both husband and wife would be more unapt to the kingdome of God 14 Vnequall matches ought to bee avoided as much as may be and that may be gathered from the manner of the Apostles speaking in that hee saith If any obey not the Word If any as if he would import that it is a case he desired might be very rarely found amongst Christians They also may be wonne We reade in Scripture of divers kinds of winnings there is a spirituall winning or gaining and there is a wordly winning About the spirituall winning we read of the winning of Christ Phil. 3.8 which is the worke of a particular beleever labouring and wrestling with God in the use of his ordinances to obtaine by the gift of his free grace Iesus Christ for his justification sanctification finall salvation Likewise we read of the winning of grace and spirituall gifts and so godlinesse is called gaine and the good servants are said to winne or gain more Talents to the Talents they had And this gain is gotten by a spirituall trading in the diligent imploiment of the gifts the godly have to get them encreased Wee reade likewise of the winning of other mens soules in many places and that is done either by the Preachers of the Gospel conquering the hearts of their hearers to the obedience of the VVord of Christ and unto sound conversion or else it is done by private persons that by their examples and good carriage or by their admonitions or counsells doe perswade and incline others to a liking of a new life or to humiliation and reformation of some particular faults VVee reade likewise of worldly gaine and winning when men by their sports strive for prizes or in their trades labour for lucre and gaine Now this latter kinde of gaine differs greatly from the former both in the matter of the gaine and in the manner of seeking it for there is no comparison betweene the gaine of grace and godlinesse and the gaine of riches and honour the one is transitorie the other eternall the one is true riches and gaine and serves for the best uses the other is but in shew and serves for the meaner uses of a corporall and temporall life the one doth alwayes doe us good the other doth often doe men hurt and therefore is called filthie lucre And in the manner of getting or holding these gaines there is difference we may covet the best gifts and long after them and love them and joy in them but wee are forbidden the coveting or loving of worldly things But in this place the Apostle speakes of the winning of soules about which the Etymologie affoordeth matter of profitable consideration The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies gaine and withall the joy and delight of the heart in gaining this gain being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it pleaseth delighteth the heart And it signifieth craft or policie and therefore in that language a Fox is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath his name from this word which may teach three things 1 To winne a soule is a great gaine which must needs be so because to winne a soule is more than to gaine the whole world for what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his owne soule saith our Saviour 2 It is a marveilous joy to the heart of man to winne soules to God no man that understandeth the worth of the gaine can bee pleased with any thing more than with that The people never comforts the hearts of their godly Teachers more than when they they are
God still supplies their Auditories with new generations that rise up by degrees in the roome of those hardned ones And withall they must thinke that all the yeare is not harvest they are Gods husbandmen and must not think much to labour and toile many dayes and weekes before they see the fruite of their labours as hoping that in the end God may grant them a comfortable harvest and if Israell should not be gathered yet their reward is with God Thus of the first point imported in this word Also Secondly we may hence gather further That the Apostle would have us to account all that are wonne to religion to be safe He implies so much in that he treats about winning of more to them as if he accounted them safe that were wonne already And it is true of such as are wonne to the outward profession of religion that in charity we are bound to hope the best of each one particularly but for such as are wonne to sound sanctification the signes whereof were noted before it is certaine of them they can never be lost which is cleare by these proofes 1. Cor. 1.8.9 Phil. 1.6 Rom. 8. ult 1. Pet. 1.5 Iohn 6. 10.29.30 And it must needs be so for God will not cast off the people whom he hath chosen Psal. 94.14 Rom. 11. And besides Christ lives in the hearts of those that are truly sanctified Gal. 2.20 and Christ can dye no more Rom. 6.10 He may aswell dye at the right hand of his Father as dye in the heart of a Christian. And further God hath given us his spirit as the earnest of our eternall salvation sealing to us thereby all the promises he hath made us Eph. 1.14.15 and it is a knowen principle that whom God loveth he loveth to the end and finally Gods decree is unalterable 2. Tim. 2.29 Object This may be true of the most but alas how know I that God will looke so carefully to mee in particular I may be lost Sol. Gods promise is vniversall Not one of them saith the Prophet shal be lacking Ier. 23.4 and God hath charged Christ to see to the keeping of the bodies and soules of every true beleever Iohn 6.39.40 Object It is true God will never depart from us but we may depart from him and so perish Sol. The Lords covenant is that neither he will depart from us nor we shall depart from him for hee will put his feare within us to that end Ier. 32.41 Object But I feele my selfe so weake and ignorant I cannot hold out Sol. The smoaking flaxe shall not be quenched nor the bruised reede broken Esa. 42. Object But we are in such coutinuall danger by reason of temptations within and infections of all sorts from without Sol. God is faithfull and will keepe you from evill for all that 2. Thes. 3.3 and Christ hath made intercession to his Father for that very thing that you may bee kept from those evills Iohn 17. and God hath put his Spirit within you of purpose to make you keep his statutes and to hold on your way Ezech. 36.27 Object But the Apostle Iohn seemes to say that we may lose what we have wrought 2. Iohn 8. Sol. The words of the Apostle Iohn are these Lookâ— to your selves that wee lose not those things which weâ— wrought but that wee receiue a full reward Which words may bee understood as spoken to such as were hypocrites and had but temporary grace and not sound sanctâ—fication for hee saith in the next words Hee that transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God They never had God then that lose what they have wrought and so this toucheth not such as are sure now they have God in that they have saving grace Againe it is true that the godly may lose what they have wrought when they fall into scandales or by weaknesse fall from the profession of the truth I say they may lose what they have wrought in those sins first in respect of the praise of men all their former honour may bee laid in the dust secondly in respect of the inward sense comfort of what good they have done and thirdly in respect of the fulness of the reward in heaven for their glory may be much lessened by their falls but it doth not therfore follow that they may fall finally away from God for they will recover again Object But wee see that Christians of greater gifts than we have fallen away and never recover againe but dye in their Apostacie as Hymeneus and Philetus did in the Apostles times Sol. The Apostle in that place answers that Gods foundation remaines sure and hath this seale he knoweth who are his which evedently importeth that God did never know them to bee his what shewes soever they made amongst men and therefore their fall need not discourage such as are sure by the former markes that they are Gods Object But wee see that the godly themselves doe fall as David and Peter did Sol. First they did recover againe and so were not lost Secondly though they fall they shall not be utterly cast downe for God slaies them from falling wholly away thoughâ— they fall away in some particular act Psal. 37.23 Thirdly in the worst falls of the Saints there is ever still an holy seed of grace faith and knowledge that abideth in all that are borne of God though in respect of outward fruites and the power or joy of inward gifts they may be said to lose 1 Iohn 3.9 Without the Word God hath divers meanes to further the salvation of men and he is pleased sometimes to worke by one meanes and sometimes by another sometimes by the Word preached sometimes by the Word read sometimes by Praier sometimes by the Sacraments sometimes by the example of his Servants So that God doth worke our good sometime by one ordinance and not by another in the same thing and at the same time sometimes hee will cure a man of a particular trespasse by the admonition of some private Christian Mat. 18.15 Iam. 5. ult sometimes he will bring a man to feele legall terrors by the doctrine of the Law and sometime hee will worke it by afflictions sometimes he will prepare a man to receive the grace of Christ by praier as hee did Cornelius sometimes hee winnes him to it by the example of his servants as here And the reason is partly because God would shew the vertue that is in each ordinance and partly to teach us not to despise or neglect any of the meanes and partly to shew his owne power that workes freely by what meanes hee will as being not tyed to any And therefore they deale very corruptly and perversely that under pretence of commending one ordinance of God labour to abase the respect of another as they do that say the house of God is a house of praier therfore there needs not so much preaching not considering that our Saviour Christ himselfe
that alleadged that place out of the Prophet to condemne buying and selling in the Temple yet did spend his greatest paines in preaching in the Temple and out of it thereby shewing the prime ordinance of God for the conversion of the soules of men was the preaching of the Gospel to them By the conversation of the Wives Great heed ought to be taken by such as professe Religion in looking carefully to their conversation especially towards such as are without Col. 4.5 Ephes. 5.15 1. Pet. 2.12 It is not enough to doe good dueties but we must doe them as becommeth godlines Tit. 2. and so as may allure and winne the verie ungodly and therefore it is required that our workes should shine Matth. 5.16 for by our practise wee resemble God himselfe and by our workes professe to shew not onely what Gods Word is but what Gods Nature is Our life must have the image of God printed upon it and therefore they doe fearefully that professe Religion amongst wicked men and by their workes order themselves so foolishly deceitfully conceitedly wickedly that they cause the name of God to be blasphemed Quest. But what should wee doe to our practise that by our conversation wee might allure and winne wicked men to a love of the truth Answ. 1. First we must avoide such things in our conversation as may irritate them as scandalous behaviour in anie particular offence as deceit lying filthinesse drunkennesse pride covetousnesse passion or the like and withall take heed of mis-spending our zeale about such things whereof demonstration cannot be made to the conscience And besides in the good things we doe we must take heed of conceitednesse and ostentation but in meekenesse of wisedome have our conversations amongst men Iam. 3.13 and further wee must take heed of judging and censuring of others even of those that be without Iam. 3.17 2 Mortification doth shine effectually into the consciences of wicked men it doth move them much if they see we be such as doe heartily judge our selves for the faults that hang upon us and doe not allow our selves in any sinne Isa. 61.3 3 A sound contempt of this world and the things thereof doth much affect the verie natural consciences of men if they see that not in words but in deed the love of this world and the glorie thereof be not in us and contrariwise it much vexeth them that we should professe the hope of heaven and contempt of the world and yet be as full of cares feares covetousnesse and such like ill affections as the very men of the world 4 Meekenesse and softnesse of nature exprest in our behaviour is verie amiable as the coherence in this Text shewes and Tit. 3.1.2 5 Mercie to the poore especially if we doe abound in it and be ready and cheerefull to it doth justifie us much before men Iam. 1.26 Doct. 2. A good example even in inferiours may win men to Religion True Religion expressed in practise is amiable in all sorts of Christians women aswell as men inferiours as well as superiours servants aswell as Masters children aswell as parents Tit. 2.3.9.10 Luke 1. and the reason is because the true grace that is expressed by any Christian hath the likenesse of God printed upon it and so is amiable for his sake whom they by their workes resemble And this may be a great encouragement to inferiours and should breede in them a great care of well-doing But the maine thing intended in this Text is That religious wives ought to strive to winne their husbands if they have such as are not religious or not in such soundnesse as they ought Quest. But what should a wife doe to winne her husband Answ. Shee must in generall resolve to doe it not by her words but by her conversation as this Text shewes It is not her talking to her husband will doe it no not her talking of religion to him that in it selfe is like to prevaile It concernes women very much to remember this point of the Apostle to seek the reformation of their husbands by their conversation not by their words Object But Abraham was willed to heare his wife Gen. 16. Sol. What then hath every wife such an husband as will heare her as Abraham did his wife Besides the question is not what husbands should doe but what the wives should doe when the husbands are not such as they should be Ob. But how shall a woman know when to speake to her husband and when not Sol. She must not speake to him no not of religion 1. when in the matter she would speak of she is not furnished to speak as becomes the oracles of God 2. when by experience shee hath found that her husband is irritated and provoked by â—her words 3 when shee is not her selfe free from some faâ—lt as apparent in other things as that is shee mislikes in her husband Quest. But what things must shee looke to in her conversation that she may by her workes winne her husband Answ. The first thing is that she be in all sound subjection obedient to her husband in all thingâ— or else God may win him but she must have no part of the praise of it And this is strongly imported in the very scope of this place In generall she must strive to bee to him even for conscience sake that he may see it comes from the force of religion in her a good wife discreet provident carefull to please meeke such a one as his heart may trust in her and delight in her Wives that be foolish wastfull idle froward or busie-bodies if they had never so much shew of religion yet they are not fit for this worke to winne any body much lesse their husbands Secondly she must look to her conversation in things of her religion that therin she behaveth her self as becommeth religion Tit. 2.3 and so she must take heede of conceitednesse and contempt of others or neglect of her calling upon pretence of dueties of her religion and looke to it that shee bee not her selfe guilty of any knowen fault unreformed and withall must strive to shew the power of her godliness in good fruits labouring to abound in good workes 1. Tim. 2.10 both at home and abroad being pittifull mercifull ready to helpe them that are in misery according to her power and in the things she hath liberty to dispose of Other things follow in the three next verses Verse 2. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with feare IN these words is contained the second thing the Apostle chargeth upon them wives in his exposition viz A chast conversation with feare so ordered as their husbands may daily behold it and observe it in them Where the Apostle implies what the husbands will doe viz. they will observe the conversation of the wives and expresseth what the wives ought to doe viz. in conversation to shew chastitie coupled with fear First then we are to consider of that which
so farre as it may fall into the observation of carnall men and so it comprehends of the former senses chiefly Inoffensivenesse separation from impure men freedome from grosse impurities and dissimulation a Christian and wise strictnesse of life and devoutnesse and well ordered zeale in matters of religion Now for the use of it If these be applied to these times it shewes first how wicked and prophane those sorts of people are who reproach godly men for the care and practise of these things as if to be a Puritane even in these senses were to bee some vile man not worthy to live amongst men Secondly it shewes that worlds of people that beare the name of Christians are not true Christians because their conversations are not pure for their swearing or drunkennesse or whoredomes or sinnes of deceit or dissimulation or fashioning themselves to this world or the liberty they take to live as they list testifies against them to their faces that their workes are not pure and therefore unlesse they repent they will all perish Rev. 3.1.2 and the rather because they cause by their evill lives not onely the hearts of the good to be grieved but the mouthes of the enemies of religion to bee opened to blaspheme Thirdly godly men that finde these cares in them should comfort themselves much in the testimonies of their owne consciences and the gracious acceptation of God who will shew himselfe pure with them that are pure 2. Cor. 1.12 Psal. 18. Thus of Purity in generall Now of Chastity as a part of a pure conversation and it may well bee that which is chiefely here intended Chastitie is either of the minde or of the body and it is a most certaine truth that God requires a chast minde aswell as a chast body and doth forbid unchast thoughts and desires aswell as unchast words or deeds For unchast thoughts and desires are first foolish and noiâ—ome 1. Tim. 6.9 secondly they hinder the power of religion and true knowledge and grace 2. Tim. 3.4 thirdly they fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 A man were as good have his body wounded with weapons as his soule wounded with lusts fourthly they cause many times many and monstrous sinnes in the life which arise at first from the nourishing of fowle desires and thoughts in the heart The wickednesse that was in the lives of the Gentiles did many of them spring from the lusts which they harboured in their hearts Rom. 1. lastly if men repent not of them in time they will drowne men in perdition 1. Tim. 1.9 But it is the chastitie of the body which is especially here intended our Saviour Christ divides those chast persons into three sorts some are termed Eunuches from their mothers womb and so are disabled for bodily fornication some are made so by other men who by violence for their owne service made some men Eunuches Now the third sort are they that made themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of Heavens sake Of this third sort are all chast persons who by a godly care watchfulness keep themselves from the sinnes of filthinesse aswell as naturall Eunuches doe Mat. 19.12 Now these persons that are made chast for the kingdome of Heavens sake are either single persons or married persons of chastity in single persons other Scriptures intreat as 1. Cor. 7. of chastity in married persons this place intreats Now this vertue of chastity is of purpose imposed upon godly Christians by the Apostle because the sinnes of fornication were so rise and common among the Gentiles who oftentimes defended their filthinesse to be either no sinne or a very small sinne But before I come to speake of chastity in particular some doctrines would be in generall observed as first Doct. 1. A godly Christian must shew the proofe of his religion especially in keeping himselfe free from the sinnes that are most common and rise in the world and even the more sinne abounds in the world the more strict they should bee in resisting sinne as here even the more filthie the lives of others were the more chast should the conversation of godly Christians bee Because their love to God should constraine them the more to be zealous for his glory by how much the more God is dishonoured by other men and because they are flatly forbidden to follow a multitude to sinne and because God hath chosen them out of all other sorts of men to beare his Name and to hold forth the light of the Word in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation and because thereby the conscience of wicked men may bee the more effectually convinced and prepared to repentance Thus Lot is righteous in Sodome and Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord though all the Nation serve Idolls This point as it should inflame the zeale of the godly to contend for the truth more earnestly and to resist all the vices of the time so it shewes that they can hardly have any truth of grace in them that are so easily borne downe with the stream of evill example and are so apt to follow the fashion of the world Doct. 2. Chastity may be in married persons aswell as in single persons as here wives are said to bee chast in conversation though they withhold not due benevolence from their husbands God himself hath freed the comming together of man wife from the aspersion of impurity in that hee hath said that marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled And this shewes the wonderfull indulgence of God that for the respect he bears to his own institution of marriage and for the necessitie of marriage for the propagation of mankind and prevention of fornication is pleased to beare with and cover and not impute the many frailties follies vanites and wickednesses are found betweene man and wife And withall wee may hence see reason to condemne their doctrine as a doctrine of devills that forbid marriage as an impure thing and such as hinders holiness and the blemish will never bee wiped away from some of the Ancients who to establish their owne Idol of I know not what virginity have written most wickedly and most basely against marriage Quest. But what then doth God allow any kinde of comming together so it be between man and wife Answ. No he forbids comming together in the time of the womans separation for her courses Ezech. 18.6 Nor doth hee allow of brutish sensuality though it passe betweene man and wife for though God beare with many things yet the chastitie hee imposeth doth not onely restraine forraine beds but moderateth even the excesses of concupiscence in married persons so as in those things their conversation ought to be a conversation with feare Doct. 3. The practise of the duties of the second Table adorne religion aswell as the dueties of piety in the first Table Doct. 4. Some observe That a chast conversation is especially charged upon the woman which must be warily understood for God
hates whoâ—edome in men aswell as women But yet it is true that some sinnes as they are abominable in any so they are much more in women as wee see in swearing and drunkennesse so it is true of filthinesse in the woman and therefore the whorish woman is called a strange woman in the Proverbs But I thinke it is not safe to restraine the sense of this place or other the like places so but I take the meaning of the Apostle to be so to commend chastity in the wife as that which is necessary in all both men and women And so I come to consider of Chastity and so would shew first the motives to it secondly the meanes to preserve it and thirdly the way how Chastity may be manifested and made knowen to others For the first many things should perswade with a Christian to preserve chastity and to avoide whoredome and bodily lusts First it is the speciall will of God and a speciall part of their sanctification to avoide fornication 1. Thes 4.3 Secondly the promises of God all of them should allure men to perfect their holinesse and to avoide all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit 2. Cor. 7.1 Thirdly the hatefulnesse of the nature of the sinne of fornication and whoredome should deterre Christians from the committing of it This is an hainous crime an iniquity to bee punished by the Iudges Iob 31.11 These lusts are lusts of the Gentiles 1. Pet. 4.3 A sinne not so much as to be named amongst Christians Eph. 5.3 A sinne that utterly corrupts naturall honesty Pro. 6.27.29 It is a sinne not only against the soule but against the bodie of a man even that body that was bought with the blood of Iesus Christ and was made for God and is the Temple of the holy Ghost and is a member of Christ's mysticall body 1. Cor. 6.15 to the end Fourthly the consideration of the cause of this sin should abash men it is a work of the flesh even a fruit of a corrupted and filthy nature Gal. 5.22 Fiftly the effects of whoredome are very fearefull for it is a sinne that defiles a man Mat. 15. and it makes a man unfit for the company of any Christian 1. Cor. 5.9 It brings dishonour and a wound can never bee blotted out Prro 6.33 and it causes the fearefull curse of God upon men Heb. 13.4 and that both upon their states and soules in this life By meanes of a whorish woman a man may bee brought to a morsell of bread Pro. 6.26 It is a sin will root out all a mans increase Iob. 31.11.12 And upon the soule it brings a fearefull senselessenesse and disability to make use of the meanes of salvation Whoredome and wine take away the heart Hosea 4.11 and God casts them many times into a reprobate sense Rom. 1. so as they are past feeling Eph. 4.18 so as the adulterous person goeth about like a Foole â—o â—he slocks or like an Oxe to the slaughter Pro. 7.22 In a word the adulterous person destroieth his owne soule Pro. 6.32 yea which is worst of all it deprives men of the kingdome of Heaven 1. Cor. 6.9 and casts both body and soule into the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Pro. 9. ult Rev. 2â— 8 22.15 For the second the meanes to preserve chastity in married persons are these First they must labour to excite and nourish matrimoniall love one to another Pro. 5.18.19 Secondly they must doe as Iob did make a covenant with their eyes and not carelesly give liberty to their senses to wander about after vaine objects Iob. 31.1 Thirdly they must store their heads and hearts with Gods words especially such words of God as doe give reasons and motives to disswade from this sinne Pro. 2.1.3.4.11.12.16.17 Psal. 119.9 Fourthly they must continually meditate of their mortality and that they are but strangers and pilgrims here and must come to judgement 1. Pet. 2.11 Eccles. 11.9 Fiftly they must by confession and godly sorrow and prayer crucifie these first risings of inward lusts and so by repentance for the lust of the heart prevent the filthinesse of the flesh Gal. 5.24 Sixthly they must walke in love that is exercise themselves in a Christian and profitable society with such as feare God Eph. 5.1.3.4 Lastly they must with all care and conscience avoide all the occasions of this sinne such as are 1 Idlenesse that sinne of Sodome Exech 46.49 2 Fulnesse of bread and drunkennesse as is noted in the same place They must beat downe their owne bodies 1. Cor. 9.27 3 The desire to be rich for the love of money breeds noisome lusts 1. Tim. 6.9 4 Ignorance of God and his truth Eph. 4.17.18 5 Evill company especially the society of such as are filthy 6 Lascivious attire and filthy dressing such as are strange colours and naked breasts This is whoredome between the breasts Hos. 2. 7 Lascivious pictures and prophane representations of filthie practises such as are exprest by those wicked Stage-Plaiers against which the very light of nature pleadeth 8 Chambering and wantonnesse and all provocations to lusts Rom. 13.13 For the third point if you aske how those huâ—bands could behold the chast conversation of the wives I answer they might know that they were chast boâ—h by their modesty in secret in the use of the marriage bed by their strict care to behave themselves modestly soberly abroad in the family or in other places by their great conscience to avoide all occasions of evill when they discerned that they did abhorre the society presence of light vain persons detested all the provocations to lust of what kind soever The next verse shewes one way how they may know they were chast even by their care to avoide pride and vanity in attire Such men as have wives that are proud and follow the fashion of the world in attire or delight in vaine company and haunt stage-plaies are fooles if they bee over-confident of their wives chastity unlesse it be in case of necessity where they want either beauty or temptation or opportunity And it is a probable argument of a chast minde in the wife when she keepes house and is diligent and carefull and painefull in the businesse of the family and desires to please her husband in all things and willing to be subject to his will Thus of a chast conversation A conversation with feare followes Some refer this fear to the carnall husbands make the sense thus While they with feare behold your chast conversation It is true that wicked men feele a great deale of feare many times in themselves when they look upon the godly and get the feare as the fruit of their watching and prying and observing That wicked men are smitten many times with feare many Scriptures shew as Deut. 28.10 1. Sam. 18.15 Psal. 102.15 The reasons why they are afraid are divers 1 Naturall conscience doth homage to the image of God stamped upon
the natures and workes of the godly when they see in them that which is above the ordinary nature of men or their expectation they are affraid of the Name of God which is called upon by them Deut. 28 9.10 2 They feare when they see that they behave themselves wisely and religiously and that God is with them and they prosper notwithstanding all the oppositions are made against them 1. Sam. 18.12.15.19 Nehe. 6.16 Psal. 48.4 Zach. 9.5 3 They feare because the good conversation of the godly doth rebuke their ill conversation the chaste conversation of the Wives amazeth the hearts of the Husbands when they thinke of their owne unchaste conversation so the piety patience mercy and goodnesse exprest by godly men makes the hearts of wicked men ake within them 4 They feare extreamly because the goodnesse of the conversations of the godly is to them a very token of their owne perdition if they continue in the state they are in Phil. 1.28 Quest. But what doe wicked men doe when they feele these feares Answ. Eyther they strive to drive them out and forget them or else they strive to imagine scandalous and vile things to oppose their wicked surmises or false accusations against the glory of the godly life of such as are good as the Pharisees did against Christ the wicked Courtiers against David or else they use all meanes to remove the godly further off from them as Amaziah did to Amos and Saul to David in the place quoted before or else they increase in hatred and malice as their observation of the good hand of God upon his servants doth increase 1. Sam. 18.15.29 or else as men conquered by the truth they give glory to God and confesse the wickednesse of their owne estate and be wonne as the Husbands here by the conversation of the Wives The use should be to stirre up godly Christians to look to their owne salvation the more and to hold on and doe good still and walke wisely towards them that are without and keepe their way for hereby they shall not only convince and confute carnall persons but so daunt them as their good lives will often make their very hearts to ake within them and the rather because this effect may follow the conversation of women aswell as men and servants aswell as masters inferiours aswell as superiours Thus of feare as it is referred to the Husbands But the most Divines doe referre this feare to the Wives as they were Christians and so thereby is â—oted a second thing in their conversations which did much affect their unbeleeving husbands and that was their holy feare which they exprest in their lives Now this conversation with feare may two waies bee considered the one as it was common to these women with other Christians and so it belongs to other Christians aswell as to them and the other was as it was particularly required in them as wives For the first a conversation with feare is required in all the godly so saith Salomon Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies and Paul saith Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. and againe Be not high minded but fear Rom. 12.3 This conversatton with feare was in Paul 1. Cor. 2.3 It is required that the mighty men of the earth should serve the Lord in trembling Psal. 2.12 this is a fruit of godly sorrow 2. Cor. 7.11 Now in our conversations we are to expresse both the feare of men and the feare of God There is a feare of men to bee shewed by other Christians aswell as wives in their conversations as children must feare their parents Levit. 19.3 and subjects must converse with feare and shew it in their carriage towards their rulers and so all inferiours must expresse a conversation with feare towards their superiours Hence the Apostle saith Give feare to whom feare belongeth Rom. 13.7 so such as have lesser gifts must submit themselves to such as have greater gifts in fear Eph. 5.21 But the speciall feare wee should shew in our conversation should be the feare of God and so a conversation with feare doth import more than barely to feare God for it imports that it must be by such a fear as doth appear to the view of others and such a feare as is continuall We reade of a Spirit of the feare of God Esa. 11.3 and there bee other phrases of Scripture that expresse this conversation with feare as where wee are charged to bee in the feare of God all the day long Pro. 23.17 and the godly are said to walke in the feare of God Acts 11.31 God was said to bee the feare of the Patriarches Gen. 31.42.53 so also Eccles. 8. 10. Mal. 2.5 Quest. But what cause have Christians to shew so much fear in their conversations Answ. They have reason to feare alwaies 1 Because of their owne insufficiency to performe those holy dueties are required of them in such a holy manner as they desire or ought to doe this made Paul so fearfull 1. Cor. 2.3 2 Because of the danger that the godly themselves are in if this feare be not in them as we see by the miserable instance of the Apostle Peter who fell shamefully when he shooke off this feare and grew bold and confident of his owne strength and therefore they that stand are charged to feare lest they fall Rom. 11. 3 Because of the many and fearfull adversaries our soules and religion have in this world Wee bee to wrestle with principalities powers and spirituall wickednesses Eph. 6.10 2. Cor. 11.3 and our taske is to overcome the world and the flesh which hath many difficulties in it considering the multitudes of evill examples and scandals are in the world and the great treachery of our owne flesh 4 Because of the lamentable reproach of the Heathen and such as are without God and Christ of all sorts and all places which would be powred out if we should misse it in our conversation if our foote should but slippe Neh. 5.9 5 Because of the dreadfull relation in which we stand unto God who hath authority over us and is our Master and Father Mal. 1.6 and is able to kill both body and soule Mat. 10.28 and is the Lord God Almighty and the King of Saints and hee is onely holy and of most pure eyes and hath power over all Nations Revel 15.3.4 and doth wondrous things Hee hath placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it though the waves thereof tosse themselves and roare yet they cannot prevaile Ier. 5.22 Hee is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not bee able to abide his indignation Ier. 10.7.10 so Iob 31.23 David said his flesh trembled for feare of God Psalm 119. vers 120. 6 Because of the fearefull falling away and rejecting of many Churches and particular persons
it was sinne brought in raiment If Adam had never sinned he had never needed raiment 2 Because curiosity and cost is against the first institution of apparell God himself made the first garments were made and left a patterne to follow Now he clothed our parents with the skinnes of beasts shunning of purpose eyther cost or superfluous ornaments and I suppose yee will grant they were as great and as good as any of us God attired them in a habit became sorrow and the estate of banished men 3 Because God hath forbidden this curiosity of dressing in women at all times and in all places of his worship for when the Apostle 1. Tim. 2. had commanded to men to pray in all places and given them in charge divers things they must looke to at the time of Gods worship hee then turnes to women and chargeth them to looke to the cloathes they weare when they worship God expressely prohibiting rich and vaine apparell ver 9.10 And good reason for such as eyther publickly or privately come to worship God should come to him in the habit of suppliants and petitioners seeing they come or should come to beseech God to forgive them their sinnes which they should aske with teares and groanes as such as know no happinesse if God be not reconciled to them Would any man regard a Beggar if he came to aske almes in rich cloathes and can any man be so over-growne with dotage as to thinke God doth not care in what colours or fashions we worship or entreat him Besides wee come not into the house of God to shew our selves to men but unto God amongst men Yea in private how dare fantasticall women stand before God to pray when they carry upon their backeâ— such Ensignes of pride and vanity And hereby wee may discerne the horrible wickednesse of these times which are just Apostle to Pauls direction for wee see men and women cloath themselves with the greatest cost and vanity when they are disappeare before God in his house what saith a Father to such creatures as these What 〈…〉 into this place this is the house of God 〈…〉 come onely to shew your selves to men this is no dancing schoole nor wedding house nor yet any play-house that you should come hither in these histrionicall and strumpet-like attire Crhisostome upon this second chapter of the first of Timothie 4 Because our bodies we are so curious about are but houses of clay and were made of the dust or myre of the earth and will bee shortly dissolved and therefore wee should not so sinne against our pretious soules as to mispend our cares cost and affections upon that which in it selfe is so vile and the apparell we put on the body will last but awhile whereas the dressing of the soule will last for ever 5 Because of the absence of the Bridgrome our Lord Iesus Christ. Is the Husband so farre from home and can a chaste Spouse bee taken up with such affectation of curious and vaine dressing What more evident signe of a strumpet than for to dresse her selfe curiously and for the shew to men when her husband is farre from home Shall we so sinne against the Lord Iesus now absent from us in the body and to minde earthly things and set our affections upon the vanities of the world as if wee had no sense of his absence and did not care for him now he is gone 6 Because these vanities in apparell are so grievously threatned by the Lord. Hee will visit them that weare strange apparell Zepha 1.8 and what woman can reade the third of Esay and not tremble at the wrath of the Lord if she be guilty of any such vanities and the Prophet was but a Novice in discribing vaine fashions if that discription were to bee applied to our times for those vanities are now become the dressing of such as are more sober Oh what a world of wicked devises are there now beyond that Catalogue Those were wicked women but now they exceede the wickednesse of the wicked Let these creatures take heed of vaine interpretations of that place They may deceive themselves but they shall finde that God will not bee mocked they dawbe with untempered morter that tell them that those things condemned were not sinfull or that God was not displeased with them 7 Because the excesse and vanity in apparell hath been condemned by the greatest lights in the Christian world and that with great bitternesse of censure I will give instance in some of their censures Cyprian said They that put on vaine and gorgeous apparell cannot put on Christ. Gregorie said Let no man thinke that in the study of pretious apparell sinne can be wanting Ambrose saith That proud attire obtaines nothing of God and causeth that men never thinke well of the partie using it for saith hee what wise man doth not abhorre a woman proudly drest and therefore much more God their Creator cannot abide to see that bodie which hee made free to be chained to mettals He meanes gold and pearles and such like and adds The more they are liked of some men the more they are hated of God Tertullian and Cyprian have written whole Treatises against the apparell of women Yea Cyprian and Augustine say That superfluous apparell is worse than whoredome and they give this reason because whoredome onely corrupts chastity but this corrupts nature What Ierome thinkes of it you shall heare afterwards What should I reckon more testimonies seeing in all ages of the Christian Church these things in the apparell of women have been bitterly condemned yea the very Popish Writers doe bitterly inveigh against vain and superfluous apparell yea the very Heathen men did so also 8 It should the more disswade women from following foolish vanities in adorning themselves because usually where these things are noted by way of description in Scripture the parties of whom it is written were notorious wicked persons and usually Whores as it is noted of Thamar and Iezabell and the Whore in the Revelation Rev. 17.3 and for notable wickednesse as the woman Esay the third and Dives Luke 16. 9 This care about the adorning of the body doth not agree to the simplicity that is in Christ Iesus Godly Christians have their beauty within they are not such as will contend wiâ—â— the men of the world about finenesse or greatnesse or worldly praises or any outward ornaments Nor doe they walke with a right foot to the Gospel that are conformable to the men of this world there is great dissimulation to professe so strict a life as the Gospel doth require and yet take such libertie in the things of this world 10 About the abuse of apparell many sinnes meet together as vanity pride evill concupiscence contempt of others immodesty and the like 11 There are many evill effects of vanity and excesse in apparell both in respect of God and themselves and others in respect of God and his service vaine and proud apparell
such as are the fashions of Whores or debauched creatures and such a beginning it is said commonly Yellow had What fellowship betweene light and darkenesse righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse Christ and Beliall If wee would have God to love us we must separate and come out from amongst them and touch no uncleane thing 13 When such apparell is worne as is contrary to the wholesome lawes of men for wee are bound to submit our selves to every ordinance of man for Gods sake 1. Pet. 2.13 14 Lastly when the partie that useth such apparell or dressing is condemned in himselfe and hath his owne conscience accusing or disliking it or is not fully assured that he doth not sinne Whatsoever is not of Faith in those things is sinne Rom. 14. Vers. 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart c. HItherto of that adorning they should not be curious or costly in Now in this verse he shewes in the affirmative what apparell or dressing they should be carefull of and that is the adorning of their soules and the apparelling of the inward man In the words three things may be noted 1 What must be apparelled viz. the hidden man of the heart 2 With what it must be adorned Which hee shewes both in generall and in particular in generall it must be with incorruptible things in particular it must be with a meeke and quiet spirit 3 The reason viz. because such apparell is very rich in Gods account The first thing then is what must be apparelled viz. the man of the heart The man of the heart This is a kinde of speaking not used in any place of Scripture but this onely this Apostle only useth this kinde of expressing himselfe Now concerning the man of the Heart I would consider of sixe things 1 What he is 2 Whence he is or his originall 3 In what he excells the outward man 4 What condition he is in by nature 5 How he may be mended or made better 6 How we may know when the man of the heart is right For the first by the man of the Heart he meanes the same the Apostle Paul doth by the inward man 2. Cor. 4.16 and the inward man is the soule or heart of man Thus he speakes of a Iew that is outward and a Iew that is inward Rom. 2.28.29 Now the Heart is and may well be called the man for diverse reasons 1 In respect of definition For the definition of a man agrees to the heart of man though there were no bodie for God was the God of Abraham and Abraham was and was a living man many hundred yeares after his bodie was in the grave Matth. 22. And hence it is that unto the soule or heart of man in Scriptures is attributed all things that the outward man can doe as life Psal. 22.27 language Eccles. 9.1 Psal. 14. 1. 36.1 praying to God Psal. 37.4 receiving messages from God as when the Prophet is bidden to speake to the heart of Ierusalem Isa. 40. serving of God c. 2 In respect of dominion The Heart is the man because it disposeth the way of man Prov. 16.9 and ruleth the outward man for out of the aboundance of the Heart the mouth speaketh And therefore Salomon saith that from the Heart comes life Pro. 4.23 3 In respect of acceptation The Heart is that which God especially respects in man it is the Heart hee lookes upon 1. Sam. 17.7 He tryes the heart and as Salomon saith bee weighes the hearts of the children of men Prover 21.2 and hee wil be served with our hearts Ioshua 24.14 and in all holy dueties it is with us in Gods account according as he seeth the heart 1 Kings 8.39 so he requires the Heart in repenting 1. Sam. 7.3 in praying 2. Tim. 2.22 Hos 7.14 in hearing the Word Luke 8. and so in every good duty Thus of the first point For the second The man of the heart hath his originall from God himselfe He is the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 8. and it was his especiall glory to forme and fashion the heart in man as divers Scriptures shew Zach. 12.1 Psal. 33.15 and is therefore called the God of the heart Psal. 37. For the third The man of the heart excells the outward man exceedingly and that both in substance and in priviledges As for substance in the outward man wee agree with beasts but in the inward man wee agree with Angels inasmuch as the man of the heart consists of a spirituall and immateriall essence aswell as the Angels And as in substance so in properties there is great difference for first the man of the heart is hidden it can bee and doe all his worke and yet be invisible God himselfe hath variety of conversation with the man of the heart that no creature else knowes Secondly hee is free and subject onely to the God of his heart properly No man can come at or governe or command the heart of man Thirdly he is properly the seate of Gods image We are not properly like God in our bodies because God hath no body but in our spirits though it be true that the glory of Gods image shines through the body of man as the light doth through the lanthorne in respect whereof the outward man is said to be made after Gods image but else properly only the man of the Heart is capable of that preferment to be made like God For the fourth point The man of the Heart by nature is in a most wofull condition though in those generall things before mentioned hee excels the outward His miserie will appeare if we throughly consider either what he is in his qualities or what he doth in his worke or what he suffers in that estate If you inquire after his qualities by nature first he is vaine Ephes. 4.18 yea so vaine as the outward man dares not act what the man of the heart entertaines Secondly hee is foule as Salomon saith Who can say I have made my heart cleane yea he is so foule that it is as hard a worke to make the heart of one man clean as to create a world anew Hence David said O Lord create in me a cleane heart Psal. 51. Thirdly he is uncircumcised and altogether indisposed to matters of Religion he is slow and hard to beleeve uncapable and unteachable and makes not use of the very first businesse in the entrance into Religion Ier. 9.26 1. Cor. 2.14 Fourthly he is deceitfull above all things he can be trusted in nothing Ier. 17.9 Fiftly he is verie unquiet and never enjoyes any sound peace nor is pleased with any condition and oftentimes hee is like the raging Sea Isa. 57. These are his qualities some of them His workes he doth are most abominable for 1 He is alwayes imagining mischiefe the whole frame of his thoughts is only evill continually Gen. 6. There is a world of wickednesse in him every day 2 That he may be wicked the
Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God aveâ—ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.
and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
the knowledge of Prophets or Apostles on earth The fift difference is in the effects of our Knowledge for from our knowledge and this celestiall light flowes righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost which the Apostle Paul makes to bee the parts of the kingdome of God and so both in this life and in heaven Rom. 14.17 And unto these three heads may bee referred all things that concerne the glory of eternall life and all these are held with great difference in each degree of eternall life For though wee have righteousnesse and peace and joy now in the truth of them yet we have them not as wee shall have them in heaven as will appeare if we consider of them distinctly First for righteousnesse Here it is the greatest burthen of life unto the godly that they are not able to serve God as they desire the imperfections of their gifts the corruption of their natures the daily infirmities that discover themselves in their conversations make life many times more bitter than death would be to them as appeareth by Saint Paul Rom. 7. But there all that is imperfect shall bee done away there shall be no danger of displeasing God for wee shall be made perfect in all parts and degrees of holinesse our nature shall be perfect like the nature of God our members shall never more be servants unto unrighteousnesse and our soules shall exactly resemble God in all perfection of goodnesse and gifts Here the glory of mans inheritance lyeth in the goodnesse of things without them there it shall consist principally in an everlasting goodnesse confirmed upon themselves We shall be without spot and wrinkle Eph. 5.27 Wee shall be as hee is in holinesse 1. Ioh. 3.2 Here is our griefe that our hearts cannot be so filled with the love of God and the godly as they should bee there our hearts shall burne with an eternall inflamation of affections towards God and the blessed ones without any interruption or decay wee shall never more be troubled with hardnesse of heart discouragement feare distractions inordinate desires and perturbations Yea our holinesse shal be better than Adams in Paradise for he had a power not to sinne but we shal have no power at all to sin Yea in relation to Christ it shall be better with us then than it is now for now we are reckoned just men only by the benefite of Christs righteousnesse imputed to us but then we shall be made so perfectly holy by inherent righteousnesse that wee shall stand everlasting righteous before God by the righteousnesse that is in us Imputation shall there cease for ever when Christ hath delivered up the kingdome to God the Father and when Faith shall bee done away Lastly the difference in this point may further appear in the freedome of our will In this life many times our wills are not free to desire to doe the good we should doe and most an end want power to execute what we desire but there shall be all libertie so as we shal never want either desire or power to accomplish what may be for Gods everlasting glory or our owne felicity Secondly for peace there is great difference for first in this life we have but little peace in respect of the miseries of life Somtimes we have but little inward peace our hearts being unquiet with fear or grief or discouragement or passions or else our consciences are unquiet eyther because God fights against us to try us or to humble us or we fight against our selves through ignorance unbeleef or distresse for sin Somtimes when our spirits are quiet and there is a truce from inward warre we then want outward peace eyther men are unreasonable molest us without cause in our estates or names or else God afflicts us in body with paine and weakenesse or in estate sometime with easie crosses like small raine sometimes with greater crosses like some fierce stormes Now in heaven there shall be an eternall cessation of all miserie there shall be no curse and affliction shall be cast into the Sea Rev. 22.3 Secondly our Sabbath or dayes of rest which God hath consecrated and blessed to us as the chiefe joy of our lives proves many times dayes of sorrow and affliction because eyther our bodies are molested with paine or our soules distressed for want of powerfull meanes or for want of abilitie to keepe a Sabbath unto God or for want of joy in our soules But in heaven we shall have an eternall Sabbath not one day in seven but all our dayes rest without labour and solace of heart without any difficultie in our selves or interruption without us God and the Lambe will be an eternall Temple to make our rest for ever glorious We shall be freed from all the labours of life from all pain difficultie in serving God and our workes shall be all easie and full of delight even the praising of God for ever Rev. 14.12 Heb. 4.9 Thirdly for Ioy there is great difference both in the causes and in the measure and in the continuance of it The causes of our Ioy shall be the highest can befall a creature Here while we are present with the bodie and the blessings of life we are absent from the Lord the infinite life of our lives but there we shall enjoy him as fully as our hearts can desire 2. Cor. 5.8 Here we want our crown whatsoever else we enjoy but there our honour and glory and majestie shall be so great as if all the Kings of the earth did bring their glory to one man it would not equall what every one shall have there 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 2.24 3.21 wee shall raigne in life Rom. 5. And this Crowne is the more glorious because it shall not consist of some precious thing without us but of royall excellency with which our soules and bodies shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament our very bodies in qualitie being altered to such an expression of majestie and beautie and angelicall excellencie as now exceeds all mortall language being rather like spirits than earthly bodies And for the measure now we have but little tastes of joy and if these tastes be unspeakeable and glorious what are those rivers of joy at Gods right hand Psal. 16. ult And for continuance they are for evermore as the Psalmist there speakes whereas now they are gone from us like lightning in an instant and our lives are afterward assaulted almost continually with causes or occasion of sorrow so as the world in the best place is but like a vale of teares but there shall be no sorrow no death no crying nor paine but God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes for ever Revel 21.4 6 Thus of the differences of life on earth and life in heaven What men must doe that they may enter into life followes And about this point our Saviour tells us two things beforehand First that the way to
the Church of God in generall to prosper Psal. 128.5 6. when God keeps his Church as his Vineyard and waters it every moment and watcheth it night and day and destroyeth every thing that might annoy it Esay 27.2 3. In particular a Christian finds divers sorts of good daies as first the Sabbath daies well sanctified are good daies above all other daies of the week when his body enjoyes rest his soule is blessed according to Gods promise with spiritual rest and grace in Iesus Christ. Secondly the dayes in which the soule of a Christian after sinne and the judgment of God for it is humbled soundly and anew admitted into Gods presence and reconciled to God those daies when God entertaines the repenting sinner that praies unto him especially at the first reconciliation are wonderfull good daies Iob 33.25 26. with the coherence 36.11 Psal. 90.14 Luk. 4.21 with Esay 61.1.2.10 Thirdly all the daies in which a Christian thrives and prospers in the knowledge of Gods word and growes in the spirituall understanding in the mysteries of Gods kingdome are all good daies for this knowledge is that wisedom Salomon speakes of whâ—ch makes a man so happy Pro. 3.18.2.16 Thus of the good daies that are so in the judgement of the inward man God is pleased also to grant such good daies as are or ought to be so accounted in the judgement of the outward man and so First the daies of youth in which a man hath strength of body and vigour of minde to fit him not onely for the comforts of life but for the service of his creator are good daies Eccles. 12.1 it being a blessed thing to beare Gods yoake in a mans youth Secondly the daies of speciall prosperity in the world which sometime God grants unto his people are also good daies when God gives his people abundance of blessings in their families and estates and withall publike honour and respect withall sorts even the great ones of the world as was in the case of Iob which hee describes in the whole 29 Chapter of his booke but then it must have this indeed that in this prosperity the godly man be imployed in all well doing and get himselfe honour by the flourishing of his gifts and good workes as is shewed in that Chapter by Iob. Thirdly such daies in which a man enjoyes a quiet estate free from all trouble or vexation or contumely at home or abroad being free from Gods aflicting hand or mans injurious dealing are good daies and such as perhaps are specially meant in this place Thus of the sense of the words Divers doctrines may bee observed from hence 1 That the daies of men usually are evill which is true not onely of the wicked but of the godly also This Iacob said long agoe his daies were few and evill Gen. 47.9 but of this point before Only this may serve for great reproofe of those that so little minde a better life and so wilfully love this life that though they live in much misery are loath to thinke of dying take no course to provide for a better life 2 It is evident from hence that the life of man is but short whether hee live happily or miserably yet his life is reckoned by daies not by longer measures of purpose to signifie the shortnesse of our lives This is expresly affirmed in other Scriptures Iob 10.20 Iob saith his daies were few and of all men that are borne of women that they have but a short time to live Iob 7.1 And this is resembled by divers similitudes so our life is compared to a Weavers shuttle Iob 7.6 to a Post for swift running out Iob 9.25 to the grasse of the field Iob. 7.12 Esay 40.6 to an hand breadth so as he saith his age is as nothing Ps. 39.5 to a watch in the night Psal. 90.4 to a sleepe vers 5. to a tale that is told vers 9. Thus the life of man is said to bee short either as he is in Gods sight with whom a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past Psal. 90 4. or in his owne account if he measure time to come as hee measures time past and in plaine reckoning let the life of man be improved according to mans utmost strength ordinarily a mans yeares are threescore and ten and if hee live to fourescore it is but labour and sorrow to him Psal. 90. Quest. But what should bee the cause that mens lives are so short Ans. If there were no other cause but the will of him that hath the disposing of the times seasons in his owne power yet that might satisfie us but we may ghesse at other causes as both the mercy and justice of God This world is so bad to the godly that it is Gods mercie to take them quickly out of it and contrariwise it is so good to the wicked considering their deserts that it is justice in God to take them hence and send them to their owne place which is hell Besides many men bring speedy death upon themselves by their own il courses or by sinning against their own bodies by lewd courses by eating up their owne hearts with worldly cares and sorrowes or by living in any grosse sinne to provoke God to cut them off or by falling into such disorder as the Magistrate cuts them off or by laying of violent hands upon themselves or by getting their goods unlawfully to bring upon themselves that curse Ier. 17.11 Finally in this last age of the world there may bee this reason assigned that the Lord makes hast to have the number of his elect fulfilled and therefore he dispatcheth away the generations one after another and so shortneth the daies of man for his elect sake Now for the uses Are our lives so short then it should teach us divers lessons 1 To pray God to make us able to thinke so and so to number our daies that we may not make any reckoning of any long continuance here Psal. 39.3 90.12 2 To make hast and dispatch our repentance and all the businesses that concerne our sound reconciliation and so to walke while wee have the light and to use all good meanes while we enjoy them 3 To redeeme the time and save as much of it as wee can for the uses of a better life Ephs. 5. and to worke the harder to fulfil thy measure and dispatch that taske God hath set thee to doe 4 To lay fast hold upon eternall life 1. Tim. 6. and to make that sure 5 Every day to provide for our departure even all the daies of our appointed time to waite when our changing shall come Iob 14.14 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index of the most Principall things handled throughout the whole Booke A ADoption the glory of it 133 How it is attained 136 Markes thereof 136 Amazement in wives 109 Causes thereof 109 Antiquity when ill pleaded 91 Apparell See Attire Attire reasons against the vanity