and may bee mingled with worldly imployments that they may bee almost innumerable every day and what they want in their magnitude they may have in number an Hair is but a small thing yet because of their multitudes they keep us very warm Misers feasts they say use to bee very great but very seldome but in his daily constant expences hee is very frugal and omits not the smallest gain and it is not such seldome extravigances that impoverish 3. Smaller duties and smaller sins do make way for greater as the point of the needle doth for the rest of it nemo repente fit turpissimus generally wee begin with lesser sins as omissions of duties as friends first begin to bee estranged and then they may easily become enemies for frequent committing of lesser sins harden the heart so that that sin which if it had been propounded at first would have startled one yet the heart being prepared by the omissions of duties and running into the occasions and temptations of the sin they come at last from being so far from abhorring of it that they commit it Davids murther of his friend began with his neglect to fight against his enemies and his adultery began with idleness with sleeping and gazing so you shall see by what degrees hee came to commit murther 1. Hee neglects the duty incumbent upon him at that season and so having little to do hee did nothing went to sleep when hee should have been meditating Gen. 24.63 his unseasonable sleep made him unfit for any thing that was good but fit for any thing that was evil one act of idleness puts him upon another and both of them fits him for adultery and that ingages him to murther to satisfie his lusts he commits adultery to conceale his lusts hee commits murther Sin is modest at first Solomon would not build his Wives house neer the Temple afterwards built an Altar for an Idol Eccles 10.13 4. If the sin bee so little or the duties so small is it not the greater sin for thee to offend God for such trifles If the love of God bee not strong enough to perswade them to do or abstain from that which is small how weak is thy heart towards God 5. Is it not a great sin in thee to offend God in small things It is a great sin for thee to stand out against God in small matters CHAP. XIV The next impediment is our ignorance and senselesnesse of the sins of Omission THe next great impediment is the not considering the sinfulnesse and the mischief that sins of omission do us few there are but make conscience of slandering their neighbour but make not conscience enough of preserving his good name more make conscience of sinful words than of sinful silence more make conscience of doing evil than of doing nothing therefore that you may bee more sensible of the sinfulness and sins of omission consider 1. That the greatest sins in the world except the sin against the Holy Ghost are sins of omission viz. ignorance infidelity impenitency 2. That at the day of Judgement the sins that Christ shall condemn wicked men for are sins of omission 3. Thy sins of omission are far more than thy sins of commission for every sin of commission includes in it sins of omission not è contra Consider how ma-many precious thoughts of God thou mightest have had the last hour which thou hadst not and so many thoughts not had so many sins of omission nay every holy duty has more sins of omission than it hath goodness of performance for there are three kindes of sins of omission one in omitting the duty it self the other in omitting debitas circumstantias and the third in omitting debitos gradus So that though you do perform the duty either you omit doing it for that end c. and so want sincerity or else do it not with such a high degree of love c. CHAP. XV. The next impediment is not to come fully off for God THe eleventh great impediment is that wee do not come off fully and wholly for God wee would fain have both the World and God which will never bee it is impossible to have ones treasures in heaven and in earth too This halting betwixt two opinions betwixt God and Baal and serving two Masters God and Mammon is that which hinders us from doing either effectually for while wee are thinking and endeavouring to enjoy the world the thoughts of heaven make us that wee cannot freely enjoy that and when wee are about to serve God the thoughts of the world take us off from him great mischiefes come by our thus having an heart for God and an heart for the world and the truth of it is 1. It is impossible as it is impossible for any body to have two centers either of magnitude or weight so it is for the soul to have two centers God and the world for as the first cause of all things can bee but one so the last end of all our desires and endeavours can bee but one subordinate end wee may have many but not co-ordinate 2. Hence comes all our mischiefes all our troubles and distractions come from hence For as it is in a Kingdome when it is divided and there are two which would strive for soveraignty there must needs bee continually civil wars so that soul can have no peace but must bee in continual war and disquiet when the world and God strive who shall rule From whence come wars and fightings within you Come they not hence of your lusts that war in your members 't is our lustings after the world that make all our inward perturbations in our services of God 3. This makes us that wee cannot run the Race that is set before us as not with joy as already hath been said so not with speed just as one that halts runs neither with that speed nor ease nor comeliness So hee that halts betwixt God and any thing else goes but slowly on in the waves of God therefore if God bee God follow him if the world bee God follow that Hee that is going from Sodom and looks back must needs make many a stop in his journey 4. Take heed for thy hearkening after the world though for the present it may bee they onely hinder thee in Gods service yet it will come to pass at last that they will hinder thee from Gods service thy sinning and praying will not last long for either thy sin will make thee leave off praying or thy praying will make thee leave off sinning So thy love of the world will either make thee leave off loving of God or the loving of God will make thee leave off loving the world For God will so order it by his providence that thou shalt bee forc'd to chuse one as it befell the young man that would needs know what hee must do to bee saved hee thought hee might love riches and follow Christ but it would not bee 5.
assisting and supervening act of the Spirit to be enabled to give our consent to the conclusion for as in natural actions as in moving ones hand walking c. if we have the will we have the deed also but as for Spirituals it is God that gives both the will and the deed of his good pleasure not the will of his good pleasure and the deed of our good pleasure or the deed of common providence and the will of free-grace but both of free-grace or which is all one of his good pleasure and as God keeps both our will and deed in his own hand and dispenseth them severally so that when he hath given us the will he keeps the deed still in his hand that we may know that we have not a power to do good even when wee have a will so that the good which wee would wee do not and the evill which wee would not that wee do that free-grace may have all the glory so as to our faith the Spirit of God gives light and satisfaction as to the premises and yet keeps our assent to the conclusion in his own hand as it 's evident in divers that are in desertion though they confess whosoever love the brethren are past from death to life and that they do love the brethren yet cannot yeeld to the conclusion viz. that they are past from death to life For as God did by his power cause his fire to burn their cords Dan. 3. and yet not to singe a hair of their head or as he made light in Goshen and darkness in Egypt So many times God gives light to premises and suffers his children as in Egyptian darkness to the conclusion and yet abundantly satisfied as to the premises but to return because convictions may be communicated as to the grounds of them and those grounds upon which one is convinc'd another may be convinc'd also therefore I shall set down one of many reasons which may convince one of the excellency of Christ as for experiences in many cases it is not lawful and in none possibly fully to be exprest therefore thus That Christ was God and Man I take it for granted for if the devil should say it were so and I know him to be the Father of Lyes yet I hope I should not doubt it and though the Socinians say it 's not so yet I lay this as a foundation having recourse to experience finding those precious joyes that grow from the high prizeings of Christ and thus build upon it I see and clearly perceive what singular beauty comeliness and activity and rare operations the Soul that is but a creature gives unto the body so that the eye sees and hand works and feet walk the hand and tongue make rare musick and body lives and moves and continues in health and strength fourty eighty yeares and when I see the self-same body dead and observe what gastly look instead of beauty and that it neither moves hand nor foot and how quickly it putrifies and rots when the Soul is gone I conclude all these excellencies that the body had when living were communicated to it from the Soul For as if I should hear some rare musick and yet when I came into the room should see a Lute lye on the Table but not see any one in the room I should conclude that this Lute did not make the musick of it self without a hand to move it and that the Lute did not give skill to him that plaid for let one that hath no skill have never so well a tuned instrument he can make no musick therefore if the Soul that is but a poor creature can inable the body to do what of it self it is so unable to do and this by its union with the body what must we think what rare excellencies must necessarily be imparted to the Humane Nature of Christ by that union which the Deity hath with it and doubtless as much as a living body as to beauty and operations doth exceed a dead so and much more did Christ as man exceed all men being united to the God-Head especially the union of the Deity with the Humane Nature of Christ being neerer than that of the Soul with the body I leave these things to the consideration of any spirituall understanding Christian but this I shall adde that one never shall be satisfied fully unless to that conviction which wee have from arguments wee have that also which is to bee had from experience CHAP. III. In living contrary to Providences 3. THe third thing wherein the Power of godliness consists is living contrary to providences I mean not only above but contrary to the temptations which accompany Providences So wee read in Job when God had taken away from him all that he had the temptation that was natural considering our corruptions which Satan pretended and he doubted not but would certainly follow upon this Providence was that Job would curse God but Job did not only not curse God but he blessed him which was quite contrary to Satans expectation and to the temptation that was incident to that Providence if Job had been only patient under his affliction it had been different but not contrary to that carriage which in such a Providence one is generally tempted to blessing and cursing are the two extremes not to murmure or repine if one goeth no further is not to curse nor yet to bless but of a middle nature and a Christians aimes should bee higher than onely not to repine and murmure when God afflicts or not to revenge whenmen injure or persecute us it is not enough not to curse but wee must bless them that curse us it is not enough not to dispair in the time of persecution but we must rejoyce in tribulation and bee exceeding glad when wee suffer for righteousness sake The Apostle bids us to add to our patience godliness if that with which our patience is exercised be afflictions if injuries from men brotherly kindness It was a rare carriage of a good woman who taking up her childe dead whom she had laid down well instead of murmuring fell a blessing and admiring the goodness of God that all her children were not so this was quite contrary to the carriage of carnal men in such a Providence that was also a singular carriage of one who having had extraordinary joyes in her sickness finding that she was a recovering fell a trembling exceedingly and being ask'd whether her joyes were gone she answered no not so much as abated but that she trembled to think that she should live to dishonour her God that gave them CHAP. IV. In mortifying Temptations 4. THe fourth thing wherein the Power of Godliness consists is in this that we mortifie temptations if I may so call it when few things are temptations not that a growne Christian has fewer temptations yet fewer things are temptations to him 't is one thing to conquer a temptation so as to put it to
that which God requires of them that they should love us but if wee know that it is no way in reference to God wee ought also to disrelish it upon that account Those that preach Christ out of envy the Apostle sayes hee did rejoyce and would rejoyce but it was that Christ was preached not that hee was preached out of envy that doubtless was some trouble to him one may delight in the love of Wife Children Friends c. but it should be a grief to us that it should be any way proportionable to that love which they should bear to Christ Indeed thus farre we may rejoyce in their love viz. because by that meanes wee have a great advantage to make our spirituall advises and instructions and discourses of the things of God more pleasant Hence it is that the Apostle doth endeavour captare benevolentiam to gain the hearts of those to whom hee wrote or preach'd but it was that hee might gain them not to himself but to Christ From hence it is that Ministers ought accordingly to endeavour to gain the hearts of those over whom God hath placed them that hee entring in and having a place in their hearts himselfe may have the better opportunity of letting in Christ also The second high degree of love is rather to be acted by then to act love when wee have love as wee are said to have an ague or a fever which rather indeed have us than wee them and the Spouse doth call it being sick of love not that Love is a distemper or a disease but that as a disease to our hurt so the love of God rules us and over-powers us for our good so that to say properly Love is not so truly in us as wee in love when love is turned into ravishments of spirit and therefore the third excellency of love is when it constrains us as the Apostle speaks when wee neither can nor will stand out against the power of Love 't is said of Christ that hee was driven into the Wilderness by the Spirit in one Evangelist in another that hee was led to shew that hee went willingly yet with so much speed as if hee had been driven As long as thou canst rule thy love to God thy love as yet hath not come to that height and paroxisme that it ought to do for wheresoever the love of God is it ought to rule the soul in which it dwells for as before regeneration corruption gives laws to the whole man and carries it whether soever he pleases so that hee cannot so much as bridle it so after regeneration love should be the chief Monarch The fourth excellency of Love is when it makes us to triumph in and over difficulties and dangers and sufferings It was an high act of Christs love to us when his love made him more complain until he suffered than when hee suffered upon the Crosse I have a Baptisme to bee baptized withal and how am I streightned until it be accomplished Hee thought it long while hee suffered not when hee suffered Wee read of those that rejoyced more in the spoiling of their goods than others do in great spoils So the Apostles that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ they took an holy pride in their shame and pleasure in their pains When dangers and sufferings threaten us in the wayes of God we should do as the Saints did in the Primitive Church when the wilde beasts were let loose upon them they came with stretch'd-out armes to meet and as it were imbrace them Wee should bee glad of having any opportunity to express our love to God 't is a poor thing when we serve God onely of that which cost us nothing Wee read of a woman who in the time of persecution came running all undrest and they ask'd her what shee meant and shee said 't was for fear she should come too late to suffer Martyrdome for that day there were divers that were put to death for Christ and shee came lest shee should loose that Crown 5. Then love is strong when wee can love God when there is nothing else to love but God when hee strips us of all his blessings and let 's Satan loose upon us as hee did upon Job nay when hee does not so much as leave us his love to love him for but takes away the sense of that also shuts out our prayers runs on us like a Giant as Job speaks when wee see nothing but his frowns his wrath when our enjoyments are gone our hopes gone nothing left but a sad expectation and fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery wrath of God for a soul in this case yet to love God as those in desertion do they will not sin against God for a world nay that which makes Hell terrible to them is that if they go thither they shall blaspheme him there I have heard of one that when God delivered her out of her desertions shee acknowledged that when shee was in them as shee has been going along in the street shee expected every step to sink down into hell yet if shee had heard but an oath sworn shee was ready to fall down dead it was such an horror and abomination to her to hear God dishonoured 'T is reported of another who being ask'd what hee would do if God should cast him down into hell hee answered that hee had two armes the one of faith the other of love and hee would imbrace him so that hee would carry him with him and then Hell would bee Heaven 6. Another great act of love is when one hath all things and God with God yet to love nothing but God this is that excellent frame of spirit that they in heaven have that though there be so many rare and wonderful enjoyments such as the least whereof would astonish and ravish us yet they no way divert the thoughts or abate the love of those that are in Heaven and indeed therefore it is that God hath reserved those joyes in abundance for that place for if God should vouchsafe us to see and hear those things that they see and hear they would bee temptations to us instead of blessings and wee should fall in love with Heaven more than God or else wee should bee past hope or some other way be distempered for so it had been with Paul if God had not sent him a messenger of Satan to buffet him it had been better for him to have wanted those revelations but they in Heaven are able to bear that weight of glory which would sink us but it is but their balast and makes them more steady in their joyes That wine that does but refresh a Giant would distemper a childe that which makes him more active will lay a childe asleep and wholly disable him It seems it may bee to some an harder matter to bee patient and holy under great afflictions but doubtless it requires more grace to be so in the time of prosperity
CHAP. XI Wherein the Power of Godlinesse consists as to Knowledge or the high acts and effects of Knowledge 4. COncerning our knowledge of God the signes of its perfection are these 1. When wee are rather passive than active in our knowledge when the thoughts of God alwayes end in admirings and adorings of him and in such a case the understanding rather suffers than acts as it were ceasing from its opperations and suffering it self to be overcome by the object It is quasi silentium intellectus or admiration When the truths of God are to us alwayes like a great Ocean whereof wee can neither fathom the bottom nor see the shore 2. Then our knowledge is excellent when it never comes with light alone but alwayes comes with flames when our hearts are as much ravish'd with the extasies of love as the understanding is filled with admiration of the truths Those that are in love seldome speak or think of their beloved without flames and shall wee bee such Tinder to the dark beauty of the world and shall wee lye frozen in the midst of the glowing coales of his mercies and the flame of his love and excellency Then 3. The truths of God have wrought a perfect work in us when the doors of our hearts are not only opened by understanding of them but are lifted off from their Hinges by admiration so that they stand open now and wee neither can nor will think of any thing but God so that wee need not set our selves solemnly to think of him or else wee can have no thought of him that affect us but our hearts are so fixt upon the thoughts of him that nothing can divert us as Mary Magdalen not the Angels of Heaven no nor Christ untill hee appeared to bee Christ could have any thing from her But they have taken away my Lord That soul is in a good frame that has its door shut to the world so that the thoughts thereof must first knock and ask leave before they can enter but open to God so that the thoughts of him may come in when they please 4. Than the Knowledge of the things of God has obtained a considerable degree of perfection when temptations cannot stand before it but if in the midst of a temptation the thoughts of any divine truth comes in the temptation flies before it The Truths of God have never yet attained to any considerable degree of that authority they ought to have over us when temptations and they can both be in the soul together when a temptation can go on inticing the Soul to sin while the truths of God look it in the very face when a Father cannot by his looks or threats or calling for or shaking of the rod rule his children unless hee chastise them it shewes hee hath either lost or never had that authority over them that hee should So when the consideration of the truths and the mercies of God will not keep us in awe but wee go on sinning in the presence of such truths it shewes they have little power over us 5. Then our Knowledge is as it should bee when the truths wee know have that weight with us that they sink down into our hearts nay when wee care to have nothing to do with such truths as have nothing to do with the heart but are meerly speculative and float in the understanding Some have that vaine and sinful art of beating the weighty truths of God so thin and fine that it cannot sink down into their hearts as one may beat lead so thin that one may make a boat of it that it shall not onely float it self but shall keep other things from sinking CHAP. XII Wherein the Power of Godlinesse consists as to Humility or wherein Christian Humility chiefly consists 5. FOr Humility the excellent degrees of that are these 1. When wee stand wondring at the goodness of God even in the least mercies when wee can admire and blesse God for having so much which others of our degree having murmure against God for having no more when wee are so sensible of our own vileness that the least temporal blessings seem wonders of mercy to us and when God layes upon us never so great a weight of affliction yet even then wee can admire his mercies and blesse him more that wee are not in a worse condition than murmure that wee are so bad and cry out it is his mercy that wee are not consumed when Gods mercies humble thee and Gods afflictions fill thee with his praises when thou canst see thine own vileness in the midst of Gods mercies and Gods goodness in the midst of thine afflictions and bee powerfully affected with them then thy heart is in a right frame A sinner that murmures on this side of Hell if hee were truly sensible of his own vileness were as great a prodigy and would argue as much impudency and arrogancy as for a pardoned Traitor who had deserved to be tortured to death with the exquisitest tortours to complain of the Kings cruelty because hee did not feed him and cloath him deliciously sumptuously every day so for a living man to complain c. 2. When wee are unwilling that any one should have good thoughts of us or at least in reference to our selves and if it were not for the duty wee owe to truth the glory of God and the edification of our brethren wee would never vindicate our selves from any slander or aspersion that is laid upon us Many do with so much violence and impetuousness vindicate themselves that they doe wound their own consciences and bring a greater scandal upon Religion by their unchristian carriage in vindicating themselves than the crime which was unjustly laid to their charge would have done had they been guilty of it like one that going about to rub off a spot of dust cast on his face should rub off the skin also and so leave behinde a greater blemish than he removed Wee ought humbly and quietly to deny those crimes which are unjustly laid to our charge this duty wee owe to Truth and to Religion which may also suffer by our sufferings this way but then wee must also remember to perform that duty wee owe to Humility and patience which is quietly and willingly to be content that any or all should think as ill of us as they please and think thus with our selves that the shame that lights on us by being supposed to have committed the crimes wee are guiltless of is not to be compared to that which is due to us for those sins which wee are guilty of though men know them not 3. Another singular Act of Humility is to bee troubled at all unjust praises as much as others are at unjust slanders Surely the one is as much against truth as the other nay though the praises be due to us if they be given us upon a wrong ground or from a wrong end wee ought to reject them So our Saviour
very bodies will receive alterations in the combate If so bee Religion bee such an easie thing as some lazy persons will make it let them answer mee these few Queries 1. Why does the Scripture speak otherwise of it Why does Christ say Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter in but they shall not bee able if wee may bee lazy in this work Why are wee commanded to stir up the grace of God that is in us 2 Timothy 1.6 Why doth God by his Prophet complain that no man stirs himself up Isai 64.7 Why does the Scripture speak of following hard after God and of our life as a continual war-fare 2. How comes it to pass that most eminent Saints have found so much ado Do wee not read how Jacob wrastled all night with teares and supplications Hosea 12.4 How did that blessed Apostle Paul fight not as one beating the ayr How did hee presse forwards towards the mark forgetting the things that were behinde and beat down and keep in subjection his body How hee was in fastings often in perils by Sea c. passed thorough good report and ill report and how comes it to pass that thou thwarting one corruption or denying thy self in any thing thou givest thy flesh what ease what diet what pleasure soever it desires If it bee but a little cold rather than thou wilt endure it thou wilt leave Ordinances duties as much Religion as may stand with the praise of men the ease of thy body the saving nay the increasing of thine estate if that will save thy soul O how far art thou from leaving hating Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters yea thine own life for his sake Flatter not thy self if thou wilt not cross a lust nor leave a sin in the time of peace thou wilt not leave thy life in time of persecution for his Namessake 3. Why does the Scripture say that the righteous shall scarcely bee saved And bee thou sure that if ever thou comest to heaven thou shalt wonder how it was possible but that then thou shalt see the infinite wisdome and power of God ordering things how it was possible that thou shouldest escape such imminent dangers Thou wilt see that thousands of times in thy life what with thy back-slidings thy gross carelesness of duties and in duties by the victories that temptations have gotten of thee that thou hast been at the very brink of the pit of hell and that there has been but an haires breadth betwixt thee and destruction Alas the senslesnesse of thy dangers temptations corruptions makes thee so careless and so little to wonder at thy safety like him that in a dark night rid over a very narrow long plank that was laid over a great bridge that was repairing when they who knew the danger ask'd him how hee came into the City that way Hee said why what should ail him hee came and rid over the bridge But the next day when hee saw the danger hee had escaped the apprehensions of the danger though past made him fall down for dead Surely if thou comest to heaven with lazy wishes and performances it must bee by some other way than ever the Word of God hath spoken of it must bee by some Gospel that Paul never preach'd nay such an one that if hee or an Angel from heaven should preach they should be accursed 4. Go and enquire of all the Saints of God of the most experienced Christians and ask them that have twenty thirty sixty yeares experience of the wayes of God and power of godlinesse and they will tell thee that though Religion and keeping of strict communion with God has more delight in it than the world can know and such that if they had ten thousand worlds they would give all to enjoy him whom their soul loves yet they will tell you also that it has cost them many a fervent prayer many a strong cry many a doubtful conflict many tears sighs and groanes nay they will tell you that they have so strange and strong temptations still to grapple withal and that not any corruption is so fully vanquish'd but that it sometimes troubles still and that as long as they have an heart so full of corruptions and live in a world so full of temptations and Satan is so full of malice they do not nor can expect to put off their armour and think to sleep upon a bed of Roses generally 't is peoples ignorance and want of experience that makes them have such light and slight thoughts of the great businesse of Religion Indeed if they think it easie from their sense and conference in the power of God that 's something Men generally in the matters of Religion do as presumptuous persons do in their confidence of the pardon of their sins they think sin displeases God no more than themselves and from their senslesnesse of the sinfulnesse greatnesse and number of their sins proceeds their easinesse of their carnal belief of the pardon of them So from their senssesnesse and ignorance of the greatnesse of the work and labour of love and the number and impetuousnesse of their own corruptions and Satans temptations proceeds their carnal confidence of their easinesse to bee saved Is it so then that the established Decrees of God and the experience of all Saints shews that the way to heaven is up hill it is not to bee attained without fightings without and fightings within and must thou have a private way made for thee only to go to heaven in must the Rock of God his Decrees bee removed and the experience of all the Saints on the earth be altered for thee Job 18.4 May wee not say in this case as it is in the matter of poverty that which makes one live contentedly is that ones minde and ones estate agree Wee generally desire that God would bring our estates to our mindes and God requires of us that wee should bring our mindes to our estates as to our content it is all one which of these two are done and is it not much more reason that wee should yeeld to the desires of God than that hee should yeeld to ours So in this case Is it not much more reason that we should make the work of Religion easier and easier by multiplying holy duties for the more wee pray the easier and the better wee pray than that God should make it easier by abating our work For as in the other instance if God should give us according to our desires in earthly things there would bee no end for that which wee desire to day would as little satisfie us to morrow as that which wee desired yesterday doth satisfie us to day so if that our duty should bee abated there would bee no end unlesse God would bee satisfied that wee should do nothing at all in his service for hee that is unwilling to pray thrice a day will bee more unwilling to pray twice within
profit if wee love the impediments more than the things they keep us from as if wee love a multitude of worldly imployments more than grace How justly may God give us up to our owne hearts desires And it were better for us bee given up to Satan by way of excommunication for that is but for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord But whosoever is given up to his owne hearts desires is given up to them both for the destruction both of body and soul THE THIRD PART Wherein are set down Severall meanes and helps For attaining The Power of Godlinesse CHAP. I. The first thing that is necessary for a godly life is faith THE first thing that is necessary to an holy life is Faith for without that 't is impossible to please God 't is the foundation of things hoped for and the foundation of our love I have many times seriously thought what is the true reason why so few believe the Scripture assuring my self that if they did firmly believe it were impossible that their lives should bee so contrary to it For although as I have said conviction does not necessarily work conversion yet it would work reformation or at least it would not suffer them to go on with so little fear and dread upon their spirits as they do Now though divers pretend that it is because divers speculative truths that are set down in the Scripture are so contrary to or at least above their reason that they cannot assent to them yet I am very confident that it is the practical truths of the Scripture that they stop at which they being loth to obey they are fain to pretend or by the just judgment of God they are dis-inabled to believe those truths that are more speculative that this is the reason seems to me evident because that they cannot but confess if not all most of the practicals of the Scripture not to bee against nor above reason but such as whosoever shall obey and live according to them that their very enemies cannot but approve of their lives And this was it that made the Christians both in respect of their charity and love one among another and to their enemies to bee admired and commended even by their persecutors amongst whom they lived The very Heathen could see a beauty in Holiness therefore since the glorious light and lustre of the holiness of the commands of God in Scripture is so clear that men cannot but be convinc'd and yet will not obey no marvel that those saving truths of the Gospel which cannot bee seen by the light of nature I say 't is no marvel that God does not give them of that light which is supernatural since they resist and make no better use of their natural light living quite contrary to those things that teacheth them And it is observed that one reason why God has not made all his truths so clear and demonstrative as mathematical natural truths are is that he would order matters so that those that were of corrupt mindes might finde some pretences for not believing of them for to such people God may justly send strong delusions and it may bee it is much better even for the people of God that all wicked men are not fully convinced of divine truths for that would make them much more outragious and malicious for those whom the truths of God convince but not convert they do inrage as they do Satan who believes and as it does those who commit the sin against the Holy Ghost who hating the truth they know are the greatest and most malicious persecutors nay and indeed 't is a mercy in some kinde even to the wicked also for it is better that they should not know the truths of God since if they did know them they would not obey them therefore if thou wilt believe obey that is if thou wilt believe the mysterious truths of the Gospel obey the holy commands of the Gospel do what thou knowest and thou shalt know what as yet thou art ignorant of I have also considered with my self what truth is the most difficult to believe and to mee it seems that to believe that God hath given his only beloved Son to die for sinners is that truth which we hardliest yeeld to For first our pride is utterly against it for by nature we love to go to heaven by our own merits and to bee justified wholly from another and for our own works not so much as to bee one ingredient in our justification and our own free will to have no hand in our regeneration and our own good works in our glorification by way of merit the pride of man will not stoop to And then secondly it is utterly against humane reason partly because wee think with our selves that God might have forgiven us our sins without so much ado as to have his own son suffer so much for us but wee little consider that wee many times do many things our selves with a great deal of trouble out of love which may bee done as well without us so the mother nurseth her own childe and dresseth it and doth many other things which shee might have done by others as effectually though shee were only a Spectator And further wee must understand that there are two special reasons why God gave his Son and Christ gave himself to die for us chiefly to satisfie his justice as also to satisfie us of his love and it is not easie to say which are hardest to bee satisfied for 't is true that hee that injures forgives not wee therefore having so much offended God can hardly forgive him that is believe that hee will forgive us hee therefore to satisfie and cure our infidelity gives us his only son to die for us to give us an infallible testimony of his love the sufferings of Christ did satisfie the Justice of God by way of merit and our infidelity by way of motive the sufferings of Christ did reconcile God to us and the Spirit of Christ doth reconcile us to God It was necessary that hee that satisfied Gods Justice should bee God and it is as necessary that hee that satisfies us of Gods love should bee God also Another thing that hinders our belief of this mystery is because the goodness and love of God is so exceeding great that wee cannot believe it for wee are subject to judge of God by our selves and therefore because we should never suffer our onely beloved childe to die a miserable shameful death to save an enemy therefore wee judge that God cannot do so neither Hence it is that the more patient meek long-suffering wee grow by the grace and Spirit of God the more easily do wee believe his love to us but if wee truly consider that which makes this mystery of love incredible should make us believe it viz. the greatness of it for since God hath said in his Word that herein
gods do remain in confirming this testimony And when Origen had said all this hee forthwith began there and disclosed the answers of Apollo made at Delphos affirming Jesus to bee God and afterward hee recited and declared the Prophecies as well of the Hebrewes as of the Sybils and other Last the promise of God to the Patriarks by the which it manifestly appeared that Jesus was Christ and God and that by his temporal nativity he was King of Israel and that the Jewes were his natural Subjects which declaration of Origon was so evident and plain and set forth with such wonderful eloquence devotion and learning that it perswaded the Emperour and divers others that were present to imbrace the profession of Christian Faith and Doctrine and for that time the Emperour licensed Origen to return to Alexandria And when this Emperour on a time perceived some to wonder at the learning of Origen whereby they were induced to imbrace the Christian Profession Truly quoth hee the humility and charity of the Christian people which I have heard of and do daily behold doth much more stir mee to believe that Christ is God than his arguments And another time when two Christians contended proudly together and accused each other for speaking reproachful words against the Emperour hee called them before him and prohibited them to name themselves Christians saying Your pride and malice do declare that you bee not the followers of him whom yee profess wherefore though yee finde lack in mee which I will gladly amend yet will I not let you against Justice reprove him by your acts whose life and doctrine you all do affirm to be uncorrupted and without lack Thus was this Noble Emperour and his Mother with divers others by the learned speech of this man agreeing with the simplicity and singleness of his life void of all pride and pomp and the humility and charity used in those daies among Christians induced to imbrace Christian profession It is storied of a certain Doctor who seeing a poor beggar that had his feet filthy fowl and naked whose cloaths were not worth a half penny and hee saluted him on his sort God give you good morrow my friend The poor man answered him Sir I do not remember that ever I had an evil morrow The Doctor said unto him God give you a good and happy life wherefore say you that quoth the beggar to him for I was never unhappy which the Doctor not understanding said unto him again God bless you my friend I pray you speak what you mean Then the poor beggar answered him Good Mr. Doctor I shall do it willingly You know you bad mee good morrow whereunto I replied that I had never any ill morrow for when I have hunger I praise God if it freeze hail snow rain bee it fair or fowl I give praise to God though I bee poor miserable and despised on earth I give thanks unto God and therefore I never had any evil morrow You did wish unto mee also a good and happy life whereunto I made you answer that I was never unhappy because I have learned alwayes to resign my self to the will of God being certain that all his works cannot bee but very good by reason whereof all that happeneth unto mee by his permission bee it prosperity adversity sweet or sower I receive it as from his own hand with great joy and comfort and therefore I was never unhappy for I never desired any thing but the good pleasure of God which the poor man having said the Doctor answered but what would you say if God damn you If God would damn mee said the poor man verily I have two arms to imbrace him viz. of faith and love by which I would imbrace him in such sort that hee should bee constrained to descend with mee to hell and I had rather without comparison bee in hell with God than without him in Paradise The Doctor learned in this communication that a true resignation accompanied with profound humility of heart is the shortest way to attain unto the love of God After that hee asked of him from whence he came unto whom hee made answer that God had sent him The Doctor enquired yet of him where hee had found God I found him quoth hee so soon as I had renounced all creatures and my self And where didst thou leave him replied the Doctor I left him answered the poor man with the pure and clean of heart and amongst men of good will But who art thou my friend quoth the Doctor unto him The poor man made him anlwer that hee was a King and hee asking him where his Kingdome was It is quoth hee in my soul for I can so well rule and govern my senses as well outward as inward that all my affections and passions do obey grace which Kingdome is without doubt more excellent than all the Kingdomes of this world Moreover the foresaid Doctor demanded of him who it was that had brought him into so great perfection It was silence answered the poor man and my high and lofty meditations and the union which I had with God I could take no repose nor comfort in any creature of the world by meanes whereof I found out my God who will comfort mee world without end I have sometimes considered the great prudence of Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium and the great success that God gave to it for hee having formerly delivered a Petition to Theodotius for the calling in of his Edicts whereby hee gave leave to the arrians publickly to preach hee took this way to accomplish that design Theodotius having made Arcadius his Son Caesar and co-Emperour with him as divers of the Roman Emperours did establish their Successors with equal honour and power with themselves during their lives divers Bishops and other Ministers came to shew their respects and to salute Theodotius and Arcadius the new Emperour with whom Amphilochius came also a man of great piety but for gifts and other excellencies of small account all the rest of the Bishops having shown their several respects to Theodotius and Arcadius Amphilochius only saluted Theodotius but took no notice of his Son Arcadius who sat there in all his Robes of Majesty and received equal honour of all others Theodotius supposing that hee had forgot himself told him that his Son was made Emperour with him and so imminded him of his duty Amphilochius upon Theodotius his speech went to Arcadius and stroaking him upon the head said it is a very pretty hopeful boy Theodotius being wonderfully incensed with this contemptible carriage in a great deal of rage commanded him to bee carried away to prison when hee was gone a little way he turned back and spake thus to Theodotius Are you thus incensed because I do not give the same honour to your Son whom you have made equal to your self by your Edicts And do you think that God will bee will pleased with you that suffer the Arrians so to
of the Priests being cloathed all in white which he doing Alexander as soon as he saw him fell prostrate before him his Army wondering at his carriage Parmenio asked him what he meant to worship the High-Priest when all others worshipped him He answered he did not worship the High-Priest but that God whom the High-Priest served For saith Alexander when I was in Dio considering what to do in my wat 's God appeared unto me in this very artire and wished me to go on and hee would prosper me and I never since saw any in that attire before now and therefore it is that I do shew that respect to the High Priest and then giving the High-Priest his hand was conducted by him into the Temple and offered Sacrifice according to his directions who also did shew him the Prophesie of Daniel wherein he told him it was prophesied that one of the Grecians should destroy the Persians and hee supposed that hee was the person meant by the Prophecy of which Alexander was very joyful and bestowed great favours both on the High-Priests and the rest of the Jewes Now because of all the stories of the Martyrs either in the time of the Primitive Church or since by the far greater cruelty of the Popish persecution I do not know that ever I read any story equal to this which is recorded by Josephus of the Martyrdome of the seven sons of one Mother I thought good to insert this story which though as for the substance of it it is in the book of Macchabees yet being exceeding more large in Josephus I have transcribed it out of him and the rather do I set down this story because generally Expositors do think that the Apostle in Hebrewes 11.35 hath relation to the sufferings of these worthy Martyrs and it was thus Antiochus whom the Prophet Daniel calls a vile person Dan. 11.21 after he had Martyr'd Eleazer a man of great age reverence piety and constancy caused seven brethren who were brought up and instructed by that blessed fore-named Martyr Eleazer to be brought forth to Martyrdome the Tyrant beholding them and their Mother amongst them with merry and gladsome countenance hee thus spake unto the children I wish your good O admirable young men for so both your beauty of body and Noble parentage perswade mee do not therefore like mad men resist my command avoid not only torments but death also for I desire not only to exalt you unto honour but also to encrease your riches and possessions contemn the superstitious and superfluous belief of your Countrymen and imbrace our Religion which if you refuse to do as I hope you will not I will devise all torments whereby I may by a lingring and painful death consume you and to the end hee might terrifie them the more hee commanded all instruments of torments to bee presented to their view so wheels rods hooks rakes racks cauldrons cages gridirons were brought forth and engines to torment the fingers and hands gauntlets bellowes brazen pots and frying pans Then Antiochus said Consent unto mee O prudent young men for if that I command you to commit a sin yet do not you offend in doing it seeing you commit it only upon compulsion But the young youths guided by a Divine Spirit contemned so many kindes of torments and despised the Tyrants threats and flatteries and with one consent denied to eat of the Sacrificed Swines flesh as they were commanded wherefore said they doest thou persecute us that are innocent wee both desire and wish to die and will until such time as death expelleth life firmly keep that which God commanded and Moses taught us and do not thou seek to seduce us by protesting feigned love towards us the pardon which thou dost offer is to us more dangerous than punishment we are arm'd with contempt of death and esteem not thy words as being by our late Master Eleazer taught to despise them Why then dost thou think such pusillanimity to bee in us young men seeing of late thou foundest such courage in an old man we follow him thou canst not try and know our mindes except by tearing our bodies thou search them out Wee will safely and securely suffer for our God any thing and leaving this earth we shall bee entertained into heaven and thou for so tyrannizing most cruelly upon innocent souls shalt bee reserved unto hell fire Antiochus being greatly moved to see that hee could neither prevail by fair promises nor threatnings hee caused them to bee beaten with Bulls Pisles and first hee commanded the eldest of the seven brethren to be stript and stretched out upon a rack and his hands to bee bound behinde him and then to bee most cruelly beaten who wearied his tormentors by his sufferings so that they more desired to leave beating him than hee desired they should leave This done hee was put upon a wheel and a weight hang'd upon his feet and so stretched round about it that his sinews and intrals brake and so his pains encreased yet for all the pain his mouth was not hindred from calling upon God who beheld all and reproving the Tyrant that devised those torments for the innocent hee cryed out after this manner O thou that persecutest the Majesty of God I whom thou thus tormentest am no Conjurer nor Murderer but one that dies for the truth and observing of the Lawes of God Then the Tormentors wishing him to yeeld Your wheels said hee are not so sharp and cruel that I thereby will bee forced to forsake heaven whereon my minde is fixed tear my flesh yea if it so please you roast it at the fire torture each part of my body with several cruelties you shall for all this finde your selves unable to force us young men to sin As hee thus spake a fire was kindled and hee as hee was upon the wheel racked was so thrown into the fire And thus hee was so burned that his bowels appeared he being nothing moved though his flesh was out of the midst of the fire cryed thus to his brethren O beloved brethren learn by mee an example of constancy contemn and despise the alluring baits of this world and rather obey God than Antiochus who can if hee please humble the proud and mighty and exalt the lowly and dejected As thus he spake hee was taken out of the flame and flean alive his tongue was pull'd out of his mouth and hee put into a Frying-pan and so hee ended his dayes After him the second Brother being haled by the Souldiers Antiochus before hee asked him whether hee would relent caused all those instruments of torments to bee shown him also thereby to terrifie him but hee nothing thereat moved and denying to eat of their foresaid Sacrifice his hands were bound with iron chains and hee being hang'd up by them the Skin of his body was flean from the Crown of his head unto his knees so that the intrals in his brest appeared naked yet in such manner
as he might abide great torments for hee was cast before a cruel Libbard thirsting most extremely after blood to the intent that he might devoure with his teeth the rest of his body but the beast smelling of him forgat his cruelty and turning away his face hee did no hurt to the Martyr but hereat the Tyrantsrage encreased and the Martyr by suffering such torments was made more constant crying aloud O how pleasant is that death unto me which is caused by all sorts of torments for Gods sake yea so much the more pleasant for that I assuredly hope to finde reward for it in heaven Let these torments inflicted upon mee O Tyrant satisfie thy cruelty for my pain is not by thy tortures encreased but rather my pleasure as thou shalt finde by my patience in this agony more willing am I to suffer than thou to punish yea my pain in suffering is less than thine by inflicting the same upon me I am tormented for the truth and observing the Law and the Justice of God shall banish thee from thy Regal Seat thou by tormenting art tormented and almost consumed thy wrath and fury being almost spent upon mee in vain thou shalt not escape the Day of Judgement eternal pains are there prepared for thee which neither thy profane minde is able to endure nor thy cruelty of power to decline thy sinful soul being condemned to eternal punishments Thus hee remaining constantly in his Faith and animated by his Brothers example departed unto heaven Then the third Son was brought whom all pittied for the death of his two Brethren and many exhorted him by his Brothers examples to desist from his opinion and so avoid punishment but hee being hereat angry thus replyed One Father begot us one Mother did bear us one Master instructed us wee are all of one mind and all alike affected do therefore no longer prolong the time in vain I came hither for to suffer and not to speak use all your tyranny possible against this body for you have no power at all over my soul The Tyrant hereat moved to see this third nothing relent by his brothers deaths he devised more cruelty than humane wit alone could invent wherefore hee commanded a Globe to bee brought and tied the holy Martyr about it in such sort that all his bones were set out of joynt and displaced whereat the holy Martyr was nothing dismaide the skin also of his head and face was pulled off and then hee was put upon the wheel but hee could not bee racked any worse for that all his bones were displaced and did hang one separated from another in most pitiful manner And when blood issued from him abundantly hee was deprived of the use of his hands and feet but perceiving his life to bee spent hee spake thus and died Wee O Tyrant endure this torment for the love of God and thou the Author of such unjust cruelty shalt suffer everlasting pain then his tongue being cut out of his mouth hee was put into a Frying-pan and so amidst those torments yeelded up the Ghost Next after followed the fourth Brother whom all the people perswaded and entreated to obey the King but hee contemning their exhortations said thus with all constancy Your fire shall not separate mee from the Law of God nor from my Brethren who instead of this mortal life enjoy life everlasting I denounce unto thee O Tyrant destruction and overthrow but to such as believe salvation Make tryal of mee therefore and see if God will forsake me who hath with open and stretched out armes received my three brethren that are gone before mee and whom the Womb of so holy a Mother at several times brought forth unto glory The cruel Tyrant hearing this was much moved and leapt down from his Chair to torment this Martyr himself that so hee might overcome him and in his fury commanded his tongue to bee cut out but hee hereat not terrified said unto Antiochus This cruelty will nothing avail thee neither shalt thou hereby as thou supposest conquer mee our God needs not by voice to bee awakened but rather by secret cogitation to bee prayed unto to help his servants and our God knoweth all things before wee ask and before wee our selves enter into cogitation thereof hee understandeth our necessity cut out my tongue thou canst not cut out my minde while my life remaineth Those prayers which by it I have uttered to Almighty God have taught it to suffer Would God thou wouldst so sanctifie all parts of my body by punishing them for thou therein inflictest punishment upon thy self and reward upon mee and think not that thou shalt thus escape long unpunished When hee had thus spoken his tongue was cut out of his mouth and hee bound to a stake and there hee was beaten with ropes ends and hee did patiently endure this notwithstanding the colour of his face became dead and wan being loosed from thence hee was put upon the wheel and then praying for the Church of God hee by death went unto the rest of his Brethren Then the fifth Brother before hee was haled to torments spake in this manner Behold I come to bee punished before thou command mee hope not therefore any jot to alter his minde who as thou seest desireth to bee tormented the blood of my four innocent brethren which thou hast shed hath condemned thee to hell fire I am to make them up the number of five that by it thy pains may bee encreased Tell mee for what offence by us committed dost thou thus punish us For what impiety dost thou so persecute us What villainy have wee committed What wickedness what naughtiness have wee attempted This is all thou canst alledge against us that wee honour God our Creatour and live justly in obedience of his Lawes and therefore do not esteem thy punishments but they are to us honour and salvation and not punishment we shall bee greatly rewarded by God if no part of us bee left free from torment Whilst thus hee spake his Executioners by the Kings command took him and cast him into a brazen pot and was prest down in it his head to his feet and afterwards hee suffered all other torments which his Brethren had endured yet not amazed hereat hee suddenly started up and thus hee said Cruel Tyrant how great benefits doest thou against thy will bestow upon us yea the more thou art incensed against us the more acceptable to God shalt thou make us yea I should bee sorry if thou shouldst shew mercy upon mee this short affliction gaineth us life everlasting if this temporal death should not betide mee everlasting life could not befal mee and thus hee finished his agony and died Then the Tormentors laid hands upon the sixth Brother who was permitted either to chuse honour or else punishment but hee aggrieved at his offer said although I be younger in my years than my Martyr'd Brethren yet my constancy of minde to theirs is not