of their breath The person traduced Themselves and the party they make report to The first in his fame Themselves in their souls And the last also in the like by drawing him to communicate with them in their sin 100 Covetousnesse doth so farre estrange a man from the power of the excellency of grace that it degrades him of all the sweetnesse of nature 101 The world hath set adultery in a white sheet but God himselfe hath stamped a black brand on covetousnesse calling it Idolatry 102 The upper roofe of the mouth is called coelum but many men have no heaven in their mouths no upper part but all lower never speaking but of these base and low things 103 All vices are subtile and sly and can borrow habits and dresse themselves in the attire of vertues 104 He that drives the trade of breaking promises though he may for a time fairely spread his train yet hee will moult his feathers soone after 105 None can be fledge in wickednesse at the first hatching 106 The Devils last stratagem is if hee cannot beat us downe to sinne to blow us up with pride 107 Corruption is apt to turne learning into leaven to infect the heart with pride which being armed and seconded with wit breakes forth into perverse disputes and corrupts the mind 108 Men testifie their pride in their lookes and fashions in their eyes and tongues ' it s the deepest the closest and yet one of the openest sins as a great Oake that spreadeth much in sight and yet is deep under ground too 109 Ordinarily men would not be at such a distance in tenents if they did not too much concur in the pride and vaine glory of an opinionative mind 110 Pride in a Christian is like the spleene in the body that groweth most when other parts wast and decay 111 Pride and selfe-conceit is a Bastard often begotten betwixt a learned head and an unsanctified heart which being once conceived in the soule causeth it to swell till it burst in sunder 112 Its strange yet true that God sitting a loft in heaven the higher that a man lifteth himselfe the farther he is from him and the lower that a man stoopeth the nearer hee is to him as appeareth in the Pharisee and Publican 113 As an whole City will soone be faire if every one will sweepe but before his owne doore so a whole State would soone be reformed if every one would looke home and mend one 114 As warre with the world procureth peace with God so sorrow for sinne procureth joy in God the way to joy is by griefe as the way to health is by physick 115 A mans sorrow may be sincere though hee can weepe more for the losse of some deare friend then for his sinne because nature and grace concurre in the first whereas nature and grace crosse in the second 116 Nothing will make Gods children so faire as to wash themselves every morning in their teares 117 As wee see stars in cleare waters so the stars of true joy appeare in the crystall water of repentant teares 118 Repentance is the younger brother to innocency it selfe 119 Without sound humiliation sinne is not accounted the greatest evill nor Christ the greatest good 120 If God hath cured the stone in our hearts dissolving it by gentle draughts when hee hath bound others cut them and put them to much paine in taking it from them we should remember that we are engaged to the more thankfulnesse 121 Repentance with man is a change of the will but repentance with God is the willing of a change Aquin. 122 Comforts and chastisements joy and sorrow make checker-work in our lives sorrow bedewes our eyes with teares and joy wipes them off againe 123 A Christian in regard of that spirituall conflict that is within him may say good is before me the glory the service the wayes of God I see it but I cannot love it I love it but I cannot doe it I doe it but yet I cannot finish it I will but yet I rebell I follow but yet I fall I presse forward but yet I faint flag I wrestle and yet I halt I pray and yet I sinne I fight and yet I am a Captive I crucifie my lusts and yet they revile me I watch my heart and yet it runs away from me 124 As true valour is more encreased by opposition so the more a child of God fals into sinne the more grace is strengthened and Satan gets the lesse ground for as water where it finds a stop grows more violent so grace where it finds resistance growes more strong and intent 125 The soule of a man naturally in regard of grace and goodnesse is in grace and goodnesse is instar codicis depravati as a a booke blurred blotted and mis-printed that must have much rased and done out ere it can be well corrected 126 Gods grace and good things in us are like a dull sea coale fire which if it be not often blowne and stirred up though there be no want of fuell yet wil of it selfe at length dye and goe out 127 It s a sure signe of grace to see no grace and to see it with griefe 128 There may be spirituall life without sense of paine or griefe as it is with the Saints in heaven but there can bee no sense of paine and spirituall griefe where there is not some beginning of spirituall life 129 The greatest part of a Christian mans perfection in this life consisteth rather in will then in work and in desire and endeavour more then indeed 130 As hunger is a signe of health in the body so is spirituall hunger of health in the soule 131 As the eye can see other things but it cannot see it selfe so Christians many times better see how others grow in grace then how themselvs do though they grow as fast or faster then others 132 As a worke-man hath neither lost nor lessened his skill because hee either wants and cannot worke or hath bad tools and therefore cannot work so well as if he had better so neither doth it follow that grace is abated in the soule because it s not so vigorous able and active the body being by age sicknesse or feeblenesse decayed and disabled as it was when the parts and functions of it were fresh and lively 133 As broths meats medicines though they delight not the taste of a sicke person yet they may preserve life and by degrees strengthen him so holy actions though performed weakly yet with holy diligence may much benefit the soule though for the present it find little spirituall relish in them or comfort by them 134 As a woman that hath felt her child stirre concludes that shee hath conceived though shee doth not alwayes feele it stirre so if upon good grounds wee have found Gods grace and favour by the powerfull work of the spirit upon our souls wee may be assured of spirituall life though we find it not so sensibly
darknesse to cause if it were possible blacknesse of darkenesse even utter despaire in them 406 When men goe about to extinguish and darken the light of direction which God hath put into their hearts to guide their paths by hee putteth out the light of comfort and leaves them to darkenesse 407 Other afflictions are but the taking some stars of comfort out of the Firmament when others are left still to shine there but when Gods countenance is hid from the soule the Sun it selfe the Fountaine of light is darkened to such and so a generall darkenesse befals them 408 God in afflicting of his children proportioneth the burthen to the back and the stroke to the streÌ„gth of him that bears it 409 One Sonne God had without sinne but not without sorrow for though Christ his naturall son was sine corruptione without corruption yet not sine correctione without correction though hee was sine flà gitio without crime yet not sine flagello without a scourge 410 As two peices of Iron cannot bee foundly souldred together but by beating and heating them both together in the fire so neither can Christ and his brethren bee so nearly united and fast affected but by fellowship in his sufferings 411 God by affliction separateth the sinne that hee hates from the sonne that hee loves and keepes him by these thornes that hee breake not over into Satans pleasant pastures which would fat him indeed but to the slaughter 412 A Torch burnes after a while the better for beating a young tree grows the faster for shaking Gods vines beare the better for bleeding his spices smell the sweeter for pounding his gold lookes the brighter for scouring God knowes that wee are best when wee are worst and live holiest when wee dye fastest and therefore frames his dealing to our disposition seeking rather to profit then to please us 413 As winds and thunders cleare the ayre so doe afflictions the soule of a Christian 414 Good men are like glow-wormes that shine most in the darke like Iuniper that smels sweetest in the fire like spice which savoureth best when it is beateâ— like the Pomander which becomes most fragrant by chafing like the Palme tree which proves the better for pressing like Cammomile which the more you tread it the more you spread it and like the Grape which comes not to the proofe till it come to the â—resse 415 Affliction like Lots Angels will soone away when they have done their errand like Plaisters when the sore is once whole they will fall off 416 Hard knots must have hard wedges strong affections must have strong afflictions and great corruptions great crosses to cure them 417 Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his scourges our Schoole-masters and his chastisements our advisements Isa. 26.9 418 The Christians under the ten Persecutions lasting about one hundred and 8. yeares had scarce a leape yeare of peace in which some as too ambitious of Martyrdome rather woed then waited for their deaths 419 There is in Christ erected an office of salvation an heavenly Chancery of equity and mercy not onely to moderate the rigour but to reverse and revoke the very acts of the law 420 Though we be still bound to all the law as much as ever under the perill of sin yet not under the paine of death which is the rigour of the law 421 Gods children are as fully bound to the obedience of the law as Adam was though not under danger of incurring death yet under danger of contracting sinne 422 The Law is spirituall therefore it s not a conformity to the letter barely but to the spiritualnesse of the law which makes our actions to be right before God 423 The Law of it selfe is the cord of a Iudge which bindeth hand and foot shackleth unto condemnation but by Christ it s made the cord of a man and the bond of love by which he teacheth us to go even as a Nurse her Infant 424 The Law for the sanction is disjunctive either do this or dye for the injunction its copulative doe both this and that too 425 Gods children are not under the Law for Iustification of their persons as Adam was noâ— for satisfaction of divine Iustice as those that perish are but they are under it as a document of obedience and a rule of living 426 When the Law was once promulgated to Adam and put into his heart as the common Arke of mankind though the Tables be lost yet our Ignorance doth not make the Law of none effect 427 They who seeke to put out the truth of Gods word by snuffing of it make it burne the brighter 428 All like well to have Gods word their comforter but few take care to make it their counsellor 429 When wee reade the Scriptures if wee cannot sound the bottome we should admire the depth kisse the booke and lay it downe weepe over our ignorance and send one hearty wish to heaven oh when shall I come to know as I am knowne 430 To alledge Scripture in favour of sin is to entitle God to that which he hates worse then the devill and to make him a Patron and Patterne of wickednesse and his Word a sword for Satan his sworn Enemy 431 Plain places of Scripture are for our nourishment Hard places for our exercise these are to bee masticated as meat for men those to be drunke as Milke for Babes by the former our hunger is staid by the latter our loathings 432 As the Lapidary brightens his hard Diamond with the dust shaved from it selfe so must wee cleare hard places of Scripture by parallell texts which like glasses set one against another cast a mutual light 433 When men are sick though they cast up al they eate yet we advise them to take something for something will remaine behind in the stomack to preserve life So we should heare the Word though wee forget almost all wee heare for some secret strength is gotten by it 434 When the body is sick we use to forbeare our appointed food but when the soule is sick there is more need of spirituall food then ever for its both meat and Medicine Food Physick Cordials and all 435 It s better to loose the Sun of the Firmament then the Sunne of the Gospel 436 The glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse shining upon one that is dead in sinnes causeth him to stinke the more hatefully both before the face of God and man 437 Ministers that have good parts should labour to adorne the same by holinesse of life without which the other are but as pearles in the head of a filthy Toad a Pearle in the head and the body all poyson 438 Some deale with their Ministers as Carriers doe with their horses lay heavy burthens upon them and exact worke enough but afford them but easie commons and then to recompense this they shall have bels hung about their necks they shall bee commended for able
THE SAINTS NOSE-GAY OR A POSIE OF 741. Spirituall Flowers Both Fragrant and fruitfull Pleasant and profitable Collected and composed by SAMVEL CLARK Pastor of the Church in Alcester The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of Truth The words of the wise are as goods and as nailes fastned by the Masters of the assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Eccles. 12.10 11. LONDON Printed by I. D. for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his shop entring into Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard-street 1642. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LADY KATHERINE BROOK Wife to Right Honourable ROBERT Lord BROOKE Baron of Beuchampen-Court Much honoured Madam KING Solomon the wisest of men having tyred himselfe in seeking to obtaine happinesse by the studies of learning and knowledge and at last finding that hee that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow hee turnes himselfe another way and seeing the knowledge of the creatures could doe him no good he thought to try what delight the use of them could bring unto him in the pursuance whereof hee gave not himselfe over to brutish and unmanly pleasures but to the free use of such creatures as the Lord hath bestowed upon the sonnes of men for their refreshing and delight amongst which hee reckons up gardens and Orchards stored with all sorts of fruits and flowers these hee might have enjoyed with much profit and comfort if hee had used them aright but seeking for happinesse in them no such honey could be sucked out of the daintiest of those flowers no such wine out of the fruitfullest of those grapes and therefore hee concludes looking upon all the workes which his hands had wrought that all was vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles. 2.11 Now as the Lord afforded unto him such choise delights so he hath bestowed upon your Ladiship a confluence of outward felicities and amongst them Gardens if I may guesse not farre inferiour to Solomons and those beautified and inameld with variety of the choisest flowers whose lively verdures and fragrant smels if I mistake not your Ladiship is much pleased with yet herein I presume in a much different way from Solomons as not seeking happinesse in them but rather desiring by those objects to raise up your soule to such contemplations as may truly further your eternall happinesse and if your Ladiship shall find such heavenly odours in those flowers whose purest matter is the earth and whose freshest beauty is so fading what will you doe in a Nose-gay of flowers whose matter is divine and whose smell and beauty will never decay Such anone I doe here humbly present unto your Ladiship you may use it summer and winter without feare of withering yea herein are flowers both for food and physick for meats and medecine Length of time will no whit impaire either the beauty or Vertue of them and therefore they doe most transcendently excell all earthly flowers whatsoever Indeed I must ingenuously confesse that few of them grew upon mine owne soyle yet before I could bind them together in this handfull my labour was not small in walking through so many Gardens out of which I have selected them neither as I hope will it be offensive or prejudiciall to the worthy Planters and Owners of them some of which are with God others now living that I thus disperse them abroad themselves having first made them common If your Ladiship please to vouchsafe your favourable acceptance of them I doubt not but they will take the better with others and if God may receive the glory and his People benefit by these my labours I shall have mine end whose ambition it is to be esteemed Alcester Septem. 20. 1641. Your Honours humble servant and remembrancer at the Throne of Grace SAMVEL CLARKE To the Christian READER Christian Reader IF ever that prophecie of Habakkuk 2.14 was yet fulfilled that the earth should bee filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Certainely it is in our times and nation wherin the bright Sun-shine of the Gospel hath enlightned our whole Horizon and that not as at the first dawning of the day but as risen up to his Noone-point and our Ministers as bright Starres fixed in their severall orbs and receiving light from it doe communicate it to others and if ever time and place since the Apostles might glory in a knowing learned godly and painefull Ministery ours much more A taste whereof this ensuing worke will afford unto thee wherin thou shalt find a collection of such golden sentences precious for matter and beautifull for composure as will shew the Authors of them to be men endowed with singular abilities conferred upon them by God for the edificatiō of his church and that I may speake my mind freely most of them are worthy to bee written in Letters of gold upon pillars of Marble that they may remaine to all future posterities Indeed towards the latter end I have inserted some flowers of humanity amongst those of divinity dealing therein as most doe with their Gardens in which here and there they afford some room for French flowers in regard of their beauty to the eye though the smell please little or as Solomon in his Proverbes many of which are not only divine but Morrall Ethicall Politicall c. And howsoever the whole worke consists of sundry briefe sentences yet thou shalt find them not altogether without method for that usually such as might bee ranked under an head are conjoyned togther as first of sinne in generall both originall and actuall then of sundry particular sins then of Repentance Grace Faith c. And indeed there are few heads in Divinity of which something may not be found herein and towards the latter end there are many Miscellanies which could not be so well reduced to an head In all my aime hath beene to mixe profit and pleasure together that such Readers as affect either whiles they seeke for the one might find the other Also which being done I have mine end which next after Gods glory was thy soules good and in Recompence of my paines desire thy prayers for him who is Devoted to the service of thy faith SAMVEL CLARK A POESIE OF Spirituall Flowers 1 THE sinne of man because he was Lord and Head of the world was a spreading and infectious evill which conveyed poyson into the whole frame of nature and planted that seed of universall dissolution which shall one day deface with darkenesse and horrour the beauty of that glorious frame which wee now admire 2 Pride Ambition Rebellion Infidelity Ingratitude Idolatry Concupiscense Theft Apostacy unnaturall affections violation of the Covenant an universall Renunciation of Gods mercy promised and the like were those wofull Ingredients of which the first sinne was compounded in the committing whereof we were all sharers because Adams person was the Fountaine of ours and his will the representative of ours 3 Sinne in the Faculty is
scourge and a salue a curse and a Saviour is the best way to humble and convert a sinner 37 As a body in the grave is not pained nor dis-affected with the weight and darknesse of the earth the gnawing of wormes the stinke of rottennesse nor any violence of dissolution because the principle of sense is departed So though wicked men lie in rotten and noisome lusts and have the guilt of many millions of sins lying on their soules yet they feele nothing because they have no spirit of life in them 38 If Gods grace prevent sinners before repentance that they may returne shal it not much more preserve repenting sinners that they may not perish 39 As the sweetest wine in an aguish palate tasts of that bitter humour which it finds there So lusts and curses interweaving themselves in a wicked mans hands take away the sence of their simple goodnesse turne their table into a snare and the things which should have bin for their good into an occasion of falling 40 As in vntilled ground there are ill weeds of all sorts yet commonly some one that growes rifer and ranker then all the rest So in the soule of man there are spirituall weeds of all sorts yet usually some one pestilent humour more predominant then all the rest which if once mastered in us the other petty ones will bee the easilier subdued 41 Every one say some hath his owne Balsome in him but it s most sure that every one hath his owne bane in him 42 As the earth though but a Center or point to the heaven yet is a huge body of it selfe So there is no sin though but a mote in comparison of some other yet is a beame in it selfe 43 Though sinne in the Godly bee plucked up by the root yet it s not wholly pulled out though dejected in regard of its regency yet not ejected in regard of its inherence 44 As when wine is poured out of a cup the sides are yet moist but when it s rinsed and wiped there remaines neither tast nor tincture so that glimmering of divine light left in a naturall man is so put out by obstinacy in an evill course that not the least sparkle thereof appeareth 45 As the spider sucks poison out of the most fragrant flowers or as a foule stomacke turns good food into ill nourishment so wicked men make ill conclusions of good promises and perverse application of wholsome precepts 46 All the dirt in the world cannot defile the sun all the clouds that muffle it it dispells them all yet sin hath defiled the soule that as farre passeth the sun in purenesse as the sun doth a clod of earth yea the least sinne defiles it in an instant totally eternally 47 The deluge of waters which overflowed all the world washed away many sinners but not one sin and the world shall be on fire yet all that fire and those flames in hell that follow shall not purge one sin 48 Though the old wals and ruinous palace of the world stand to this day yet the beauty the glosse and glory is soiled and marred with many imperfections cast upon every creature by mans sin 49 All the evills in the world serve but to answer and give names to sin It s called poison and sinners serpents it 's called a vomit and sinners dogs the stench of Graves and they rotten sepulchers sin mire and sinners sows sin darknesse blindnes shame nakednesse folly madnesse death whatsoever is filthy defective infective or painfull 50 By how much the soule exceeds all other creatures in excellency by so much sin which is the corruption poison sicknes and death of it exceedeth all other evils 51 When Eudoxia the Empress threatned Chrysostom goe tell her saith he nil nisi peccatum timeo I feare nothing but sinne 52 As bring one candle into a roome the light spreads all over and then another and the light is all over more increased So every sin in us by a miraculous multiplication inclineth our nature more to sin then it was before 53 All things in the world if they bee great then are but few if many then are but small the world is a big one indeed but yet there is but one the sands are innumerable but yet small but our sins exceed both in number and nature infinite and great 54 Wicked men live upon the creame of sin and having such plenty then picke out none but the sweetest bits to nourish their hearts withall Iames 5.5 55 As the killing of a King is amongst men a crime so hainous that no tortures can exceed the desert of it all torments are too little any death too good for such a crime so sin which is Dei cidium a destroying of God so much as in us lies is so hainous that none but God himselfe can give it a full punishment 56 As a cloth is the same when its white and when died with a scarlet colour yet then it hath a tincture given it that is more worth then the cloth it selfe So when a man sins not knowing the law the sinne is the same for substance it would be if he had knowne it but that knowledge makes it of a scarlet colour and so far greater and deeper in demerit then the sinne it selfe 57 A sinne against knowledge is when knowledge comes and examines a sin in or before the committing of it brings it to the law contests against it cōdemnes it and yet a man approveth and consenteth to it 58 As nature elevated by grace riseth higher then it so being poisoned with sin it is cast below it selfe 59 To sinne against mercy of all other increaseth wrath for such must pay treasures for treasures spent as lavishly they spend riches of mercy so God will recover riches of glory out of them 60 Gods servants are noble and free though fettered in chaines of Iron as the slaves of sinne are base prisoners though frollicking it in chaines of gold 61 Sinne is the spawne of the old Serpent the birth of hell and the vomit of the Devill 62 Sinne is more hatefull to God then the Devill for hee hates the Devill for sinnes sake not sin for the Devils sake 63 Sinne is like a Serpent in our bosoms which cannot live but by sucking out our life blood 64 Hee that is under the dominion of his lusts never yet resolved to part with them 65 One little hole in a ship will sinke it into the botome of the sea and the soule will be strangled by one little coard of vanity as well as with all the cart roaps of iniquity 66 When a man dives under water hee feeleth not the weight of it though there bee many tuns of water over his head whereas halfe a tub of it taken out of its place and set upon his head would bee burthensom so whilst a man is over head and eares in sinne he is not sensible of nor troubled with the weight of it but when hee begins to
Christians which are drawing lines in the dust with Archimedes till destruction seaze upon them 269 As the Lapwing hath a Crowne upon the head and yet feeds upon dung so to be crowned with honour from God and yet to feed upon the dung of the world as basely as other men doe is unseemly for a Christian 270 Earthly things must neither be sought with the height of designe nor height of desires which like a precious box of oyntment must not bee powred out upon those things nor with height of devoir spinning out our soules as the Spider to catch a fly nor spending the first borne of our thoughts upon them 271 There is a prodigious property in worldly things to obliterate all notions of God out of the heart of man and to harden him to any abominations 272 Christians should beware of plunging themselves into a confluence of many boisterous and conflicting businesses as Pauls ship where two seas met lest the Lord give over their soules to suffer ship-wrack in them or stripping of them of all their lading and tackling breake their estate al to peices and make them get to heaven upon a broken planck 273 Too much eager love and attendance upon the world robs many Christians of golden opportunities of encreasing the graces of their soules with more noble and heavenly contemplations on Gods truth and promises on his name and attributes on his word and worship of rouzing up their soules from the sleepe of sinne of inflaming their spiritual gifts of enjoying communion with God of mourning for their sinnes of besiegeing and besetting heaven with their more ardent and retyred prayers of bewayling the calamities the stones of Syon of deprecating and repelling approaching judgements and of glorifying God in all their wayes 274 A man comes to the world as to a Lottery with an head full of hopes and projects to get a prize and returnes with an heart full of blanks utterly deluded in his expectation 275 The world useth a man as the Ivie doth an Oake the closer it gets to the heart the more it clings and twists about the affections and though it seeme to promise flatter much yet it indeed doth but eate out his reall substance and choake him in the embraces 276 He who lookes stedfastly upon the light of the sunne will be able to see nothing below when hee lookes downe againe and the more a man is affected with heaven the lesse will hee desire or delight in the world 277 As a cloud exhaled by the sun hides the light of the sun which drew it up so the great estates and temporall blessings of God to eviâ—l men serve but to intercept the thoughts and to blot out the notions and remembrance of him that gave them 278 If there were no earth there would bee no darkenesse for its the body of the earth that hides the sunne from our view and the light of Gods word and graces would not bee eclipsed if earthly affections did not interpose themselves 279 As boyes that steale into an Orchard stuffe their sleeves and pockets with fruit hoping to get out with it but when they come to the doore meet with one that searcheth them and sends them away empty so many hoard up riches and thinke long to enjoy them but ere long goe hence and meet with death which strips them and suffers nothing to passe with them but a sorry shirt which yet they have no sense of nor are better for it 280 When the body hath a wen or a wolfe in it al the nourishment is drawn to that and the body growes leane and poor so when a mans heart is taken up with the world it eats up and devoures all the good thoughts and intentions of the mind and the hidden man of the heart is starved and pin'd in the meane time 281 Gold can no more fill the heart of man then grace his purse 282 When we see a servant follow two Gentlemen wee know not whose man he is but their parting will discover to whom hee belongs so when death shall sever the owner from the world then will riches revenues c. and all outward bravery cleave to the world and leave him as poore a wretch as when he first came into the world 283 Worldlings houses are alwayes better ordered then their soules and their temporall husbandry is alwayes better then their spirituall 284 The deeplier that the drowsie heart of a covetous man doth drink of the golden stream the more furiously its inflamed with spirituall thirst 285 They do extreamly befoole themselves which thinke to have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come or to weare two crownes of Ioyes whereas Christ himselfe had the first of thorns 286 God puts money into earthen boxes covetous misers that have only one chinke to let in but none to let out with purpose to breake them when they are full 287 On the banks of the dead sea grow those hypocriticall apples and well complectioned dust the true emblems of the false pleasures of the world which touched fall to ashes 288 Most men use their knowledge in Divinity as some doe artificiall teeth more for shew then service or as the Athenians did their coine to count and gingle with onely striving rather to be able to talke of it then to walke by it 289 In some Christians the spring is too forward to hold and the speedy withering of their religion argueth that it wanted root 290 Hypocrites are like the Egyptian Temples painted without and spotted within varnisht without and vermine within 291 None are so mad as to keepe their Iewels in a Sellar and their coales in a closet and yet such is the profanenesse of wicked men to keepe God in their lips only and Mammon in their hearts to make the earth their treasure and heaven but an appendix or accessary to it 292 As a peice of gold may be shaped into a vessell of dishonour for sordid uses so a worke may be compounded of choise ingredients the materials of it commanded by God and yet serve for base purposes and directed to our owne ends it may stinke in the nostrils of God and be jected 293 Men that take upon them the name of Christ and a shew of religion and yet deny the power therof are not only Lyers in professing a false love but theeves too in usurping an interest into Christ which indeed they have not 294 Though nothing but the Evangelicall vertue of the word begets true and spirituall obedience yet outward conformity may be fashioned by the terrour of the law as in Ahab 295 Many who will not doe good obedientially with faith in the power with submission to the will with aime at the glory of him that commands it will yet doe it rationally out of the conviction and evidence of their owne principles 296 An unfruitfull Christian is the most unprofitable creature that is as a Vine is either for fruit or for fuell and
improper and unprofitable for all other uses Ezek. 15.3 297 Some come unto Christ as to a Iesus for roome and shelter to keepe them from the fire not as to a Christ for grace and government in his service 298 Many deale with Christ now in glory as Ioab did with Abner they kisse and flatter him in the outward profession of his name and worship when they stab and persecute him in his members 299 As in flaying of a beast the skin comes away with ease till you come to the head so many are well enough content to conform to good courses til it come to the master corruption and head-sin and then ther they stick 300 The Pharisee in the Gospell exults arrogantly in himselfe insulting insolently over others and deceiveth himselfe alone whom alone hee excepteth whiles he contemneth and condemneth all besides himselfe 301 As inequality in the pulse argues much distemper in the body so unevenesse in Christian walking argueth little soundnesse in the soule 302 Wicked men in affliction are like iron which whiles in the fire it melts but after it hath beene a while out it groweth stiffe againe 303 He was never good indeed that desireth not to be better yea hee is starke nought that desireth not to be as good as the best 304 Peace and prosperity hide many a false heart as the snow drift covers many a heape of dung 305 None are so desperatly evill as they that may be good and will not or have beene good and are not 305 As our ordinary fire heats but the outward man but it heats us not within so common righteousnesse contents it selfe with bodily exercise and a performance of duties publike and private but fire from heaven heats our hearts also 306 A woman may think that she is with child but if she finds no stirring nor motion it s a signe that shee was deceived so hee that thinkes hee hath faith in his heart but finds no workes proceeding from it it s an argument that hee was mistaken for faith is operative 307 A Man that commits adultery with any thing in the world hee would willingly bee freed from the service of God were it not for the losse of heaven and going to hell but he that serves him out of love would not goe free if hee might 308 As a crasie body cannot indure the tryall of the weather nor a weake eye the light so an unsound heart cannot endure searching and examination 309 A Merchant may cast out his goods when in a storme he is in danger and yet not hate his goods so a man may cast away sinne when it puts him in danger of sinking into hell and yet not hate his sinne 310 As we deceive children taking away gold or silver and giving them countets to quiet them so Satan quiets the consciences of many with bare formes of piety who are not able to distinguish betweene precious duties and the right performance of them and formall and empty performances 311 Hypocrites may counterfeit all outward duties and abstaine from sins but they cannot counterfeit to love the Lord 312 Silla surnamed Faelix accounted it not the least part of his happinesse that Metellus sirnamed Pius was his friend godlinesse is alwayes the best friend to happinesse 314 As the Cardinal made his Embleme a beech tree with this inscription Take off the top and its the ruine of all the trees So its true of the purity of religion tamper with and take away that and all other blessings will be gone 314 So materiall is the union of religion with justice that wee may boldly deeme that there is neither where both are not 315 It s better to leave religion to her native plainenesse then to hang her eares with the counterfeit pearles of false miracles 316 Religion dyed in fear never long keepes colour but this dayes converts wil be to morrow's apostates 317 As tame foxes if they breake loose and turn wild will doe ten times more mischiefe then those which were wild from the beginning so Renegado Christians rage more furiously against Religion then any Pagans 318 Some turne conscience into questions and controversies so that whiles they are resolving what to doe they doe just nothing 319 It s a blessed institution of younger yeares when reason and religion are together moulded and fashioned in tender minds 320 As the very act fits a man for the exercise of any bodily labour so the best preparation unto prayer is the very duty it selfe 321 The duty of prayer is spirituall and our hearts are carnall and therefore it s no easie thing to bring spirituall duties and carnall hearts together 322 A man in a ship plucketh a Rocke it seemes as if hee plucked the rocke nearer the ship whereas the ship is plucked nearer the rocke so when wee draw nearer to the Lord in prayer there is a spirituall disposition wrought in our hearts hereby whereby we draw nearer to him but his purposes alter not 323 Naturall affections may adde wind to the saile of praier and make it more importunate though holinesse may guide the rudder and keepe the course and make the sterage 324 As an Angler when he hath throwne in his bait if it stay long and catch nothing hee takes it up and amends it and then throwes it in againe and waits patiently so if wee pray and pray long and obtaine not the thing we pray for wee must looke to our prayers see they be right amend what is amisse and so continue them till God heares 325 As the Fisher draws away the bait that the fish may follow it the more eagerly so God with-holds blessings that we might desire them more pray more eagerly for them and prize them more when wee obtaine them 326 The husbandman looks not only to the grain that he hath in his Garner but to that also which he hath sowne yea it may be as to the better of the two so prayers sowne it may be many yeares agoe are such as will bring in a sure increase 327 As members that are benummed by using them they get life and heat and become in the end nimble so when the heart is benummed and thereby unfit for prayer the very use of it will make it fit for the duty 328 As a Physician puts many ingredients into a thing but its owne principall ingredient that hee makes most account of to cure the disease so we must use both prayer and other lawfull means yet we must know that prayer is the principall effecter of the thing and therefore wee must put most confidence therein 329 The blood of sheep and swine are both alike yet the blood of swine was not to be offered because it was the blood of swine so the prayer of an unregenerate man may bee as well fram'd both for the petitions and every thing that is required immediatly to a prayer and yet not bee accepted because of the heart and person from whom it comes 330 Though prayer
Ministers great pains-takers but like ignoble and hoggish Gadarens they will grumble at every penny expended for the maintenance of the divine candle that wasteth it selfe to give light to them 439 As a little Barke in a small river may doe farre better service then a greater ship so a Preacher that hath but meane gifts may serve meane capacities as well or better then one that hath greater 440 Gods Ministers are Vines that bring forth grapes but Magistrates are the Elms that underprop them Ministers defend the Church with tongue and pen the Magistrates with hand and power Ministers are Preachers of both Tables Magistrates the Keepers the executive power of the word and Sacraments belongs alone to Ministers but the directive and coactive for the orderly and well performance belongs to the Magistrate 441 A Minister is to desire rather to enflame then enforme his Auditors 442 Iacob would not have misliked the corne though the silver had not beene brought in the sacks mouth so a Sermon should not be misliked if it bring corne to feed hunger though the Preachers mouth bring not gold to feed the humour of every wanton Auditor 443 Luther speaking of the Clergy sets a Probatum est upon a most desperate conclusion Nunquam periclitatur Religio nisi inter reverendissimos 444 It s better to loose the lights of heaven then Ministers which are lights to guide to Heaven 445 He that makes use of the light of the Ministery to worke by its hard if hee cannot get so much by his worke as will pay for his light 446 Bishops should bee Lamps to set up light in the Church not Damps to put it out 447 Paradise was the first Parish that had a Sermon in it and Adam was the first Auditors that heard it and the fall of man was the first text and God was the first Preacher upon that text 449 Solon Lycurgus Numa in publishing their Lawes brought many things against the rule of reason but nothing above the reach of nature but Gods Ministers in preaching the Law of God teach nothing against the rule of nature but many things above the reach of reason 450 When Paul preached to Faelix the accused party triumphed and the Iudge trembled but if touched with affecting words he had turned to Christ Faelix had beene happy indeed 451 The Apostles were like fishermen catching many at one draught The succeeding Ministers like Hunâ—smen with much toile clamour running up down al day scarse take one deer or hare ere night 452 The liveless letter forvivacity efficacy comes far short of the living voice 453 As Zenophon saith of Cyrus court that though a man should choose blindfold hee could not misse of a good man â—here so neither can one misse of a good text in the whole Bible wherein there is not a word but it hath its weight not a syllable but its substaÌ„ce 454 Many which will give their Physician leave to tell them of the distempers of their bodies and their Lawyer of the flawes in their deeds yet will not give their Minister leave to tell them that their soules are bleeding to eternall death 453 Many English Ministers may preach of hospitality to their people but cannot goe to the beast to practise their own doctrine 454 Those Ministers that are informed or inflamed rather with the heavenly heat of zeale have a double property 1 Positive for the furtherance of Gods glory and the salvation of others 2 Oppositive against al errour and corruption both in Doctrine and Practise Errores mores 455 Gods Ministers must upon every opportunity use importunity for the raising of sinners out of that dead Lethargy whereinto Satan and an evill custome hath cast them 456 Ministers should be as the Cedars of Lybanus tall and that admit not of any worms yea as the tree of Paradise sweet for tast and faire to look upon 457 The Ministers life is the life of his ministery and Teachers sins are the Teachers of sins 458 Though soules of men be light because materiall yet they will prove an heavy burthen to carelesse Pastors who must answer for them 459 As God is said to hold his peace though hee doe speake when hee doth not punish Psal. 50.21 So hee is said to preach though he speake not when hee doth punish his judgements being reall Sermons of reformation and repentance Mich. 6.9 460 The church here is not in a state of perfection but like the Israelites in the wildernesse the blackest night had a Pillar of fire and the brightest day had a Pillar of cloud 461 The more the Church is afflicted for Christ the more she is affected to Christ 462 Its wisdome for those that are but of the House of Commons to grant a subsidy of sighes for those that are but of the common Councell to take order for a presse of prayers for those that are but private subjects of the Kingdome of Grace to contribute a benevolence of teares towards the quenching of those flames with which the Church of God is on fire 463 As in a paire of Ballances when one scale is up the other must needs bee downe and when one is downe the other is up So if Babell get aloft Ierusalem lyeth low and if Ierusalem rise Babell must fall 463 As the Sonne of Croesus that never spake before seeing one going about to kill his Father through vehemency of tender affection cryed out O man wilt thou kill Croesus So when our Mother the Church is in danger if we have beene dumbe all our life time before yet then wee should have a mouth to open in Prayer for her 464 The Romans lost many a Battell and yet were conquerours in all their warres so it is with Gods Church she hath and may loose many a Battell but in the conclusion the Church shall conquer 465 A man brought many bookes of the Sybils to a King of the Romans and asking a great price for them the King would not give it then the man burnt one halfe of them and asked double the rate for the rest the King refused again and he did the like with halfe of those that remayned and doubled the price againe and then the King considering the valew of them gave him the price he asked so if we forbeare to bid Prayers for the peace of the Church the time may come that wee may be content to bid blood and our whole estates and yet not to doe the Church one quater so much good as wee may now by our prayers 466 As the light of the Sunne doth by reflection from the Moone enlighten that part of the earth or by a glasse that part of the roome from which it selfe is absent so though the Church bee here absent from the Lord yet his spirit by the word doth enlighten and governe it 467 If the people of God fall to remissenesse in life with Ely and from thence to open profanenesse with Phineas then Icabod will follow
Devils Martyr 505 Marriage is rather a fellowship of the dearest amity then disordered love and Love and Amity differ as much as the burning sick heat of a feavet from the naturall kindly heat of an healthfull body 596 We may often see a little golden glew to joyne fast in the dearest bonds of pearles and clay but noble miseries and golden fetters are fit enough for such couples 507 They never want yeares to marry who have a Kingdome for their portion 508 Some as for childrens sake they marry once so for childrens sake they will marry no more 509 Man is a creature of the kind not of those which love only to flock and feed and live together as Dawes and Stares doe but of those which desire to combine and worke and labour also together as Bees and Pismires doe 510 The Rabbins observe that if you take the letters of the name Iehovah out of Ish and Isha Man and Woman there remains nothing but Esh Esh fire fire to note that where marriage is not in the feare of God there is nothing in it but the fire of contention 511 Man misseth his rib and seekes to recover it againe by marriage and the woman would be in her old place againe under the mans arme or wing from which at first she was taken 512 It s the greatest judgement that can befall a man to have that turned to his evill that was at first ordained for his good to have his table made a snare his bread his bane his raising his ruine his delights his destruction the wood of his house a Gibbet to hang him on and his wife which should bee the light of his eyes the joy of his heart to be a continuall eye-sore and a perpetuall heart-sore unto him 513 A good wife is to her husband as a Physician to tend him in his sicknesse and as a Musician to cheere him up in his heavinesse 514 As the Trumpeters owne voice is nothing so loud or strong of its selfe as the sound that it yeeldeth when it presseth through the Trumpet so every action in the family gaines more weight and procures more credit when it passeth through the husbands hands and comes from him 515 Man and Wife are as those two branches in the Prophets hand enclosed in one barke and so closing together that they make but one peice and the same fruit comes of either Ezek. 37.17 516 He that iâ— free from a wife may frame his choise to his mind but hee that hath chosen must frame his mind to his choise before hee might conforme his actions to his affections now hee must endeavour to frame his affection according to his action 517 Among the Heathen the gall of that sacrifice which was lame and offered at weddings was throwne out of doores to shew that married persons should be each to other like Doves without gall 518 The Pythagoreans set a note of infamy upon the number of two because it was the first that durst depart from â—nity for nothing is so diabolicall as division and therefore the devill among the vulgar is knowne by his cloven foot 519 There is a three fold Vnity 1 Of persons in one nature 2 Of natures in one person 3 Of natures and persons in one quality In the first is one God In the second is one Christ In the third is one Church Christ his church being spiritually united to make up one mysticall body 520 Honour is but the raising the rate and value of a man it carries nothing of substance necessarily along with it 521 Great men are but the greater Letters in the same volume and the poor the smaller though they take up more roome yet they put no more matter and worth into the word which they compound 522 Every dignity hath some duty annexed to it and it s no reason that they which refuse the latter should expect the former yea the greater the honour is the greater is the dishonour if the duty bee not done that that honour exacteth 523 Rising men shall still meet with more staires to raise them as those which are falling with stumbling blocks to ruine them 524 Corrivals in honour count themselves eclipsed by every beame of state which shines from their competitour 525 A godly froitfull life hath a fairer prospect towards honour then all the advantages in the world besides 526 There is a divine and supernaturall Nobility wherein God is the top of the kin and Religion the root in regard of which all other nobility is but a meere shadow 527 Much hurt and mischiefe is usually done when a wicked wit and wide conscience weild the sword of authority 528 It is so soveraigne that when authority countermands what God hath commanded wee must refuse the will but still reverence the power of a lawfull Magistrate 529 Government is the prop and pillar of all States and Kingdoms the cement and soule of humane affaires the life of society and order the very vitall spirits whereby so many millions of men doe breath the life of comfort and peace and the whole nature of things subsist 530 That State will never excell in vertue in which there is an high price set upon riches 531 The Ancients placed the Statues of their Princes by their fountaines to shew that they were fountaines of the publike good 532 The very circle of the crowne upon a Kings head tels him that his power is bounded and that he must keepe his thoughts within compasse 5â—3 Regiment without Righteousnesse degenerateth into tyrannie it s but robbery with authority 534 The Heathen subject serveth God for his Prince but the Christian subject serveth his Prince for God 535 It s the subjects shoulders that supporteth Princes as the lower stones in a wall doe those that lye aloft over them 536 Tyrants corps have seldome any other balme at their buriall then their own blood 537 The Common-wealth may grow fat but never healthfull by feeding on the Churches goods 538 Royall goodnesse is wont to make or find loyall subjects of all noble spirits 539 The freest and greatest liberty of ingenuous subjects speaks their Soueraigne the compleatest Monarch ruling not onely bodies with feare but soules with love 540 There is a time when publike good calling for Iustice leaves no roome nor place for any mercy but that only which some mis-call Severity 541 Subjects should bee Adjectives not able to stand without much lesse against their Princes or else they will make but bad construction 542 Though bookishnesse may unactive yet learning doth accomplish a Prince makes him sway his Scepter the steadier 543 Princes who make their subjects over great whet a knife for their owne throats 544 Iealousie if it be fire in private persons it is wild-fire in Princes who seldom rase out their names whom once they have written in their black bils 545 Princes doe not love to see them to whom they owe themselves and their kingdomes so unwelcome are those curtesies