let Religion be your business for he is most capable of rejoycing in the evening that watcheth his words thoughts and deeds in the day To despise the world is the way to enjoy heaven and blessed are they who delight to converse with God by Prayer What folly can be greater than to labour for the meat that perisheth and to neglect the food of Eternal Life God or the World must be neglected at the parting-time for then is the time of Tryal then shall the Righteous continue Righteous and be Blessed To seek your self in this world is to be lost and to be humble is to be exalted First study to believe there is a life of Blessedness hereafter then will you be the better strengthned to hunger and thirst after Righteousness If you would have the Lord receive you into Heaven you must give your self unto Prayer Prayer is defined by Gregory Nyssen to be a Discourse between the Soul and God it is of two sorts Vocal and Mental that is outward expressions of the Voice and an inward lifting up of the Mind to the Throne of Grace Before you enter into Prayer ask your Conscience these Questions with a resolution to return an Answer 1. To what end O my Soul art thou retired into this place 2. Art thou not come to discourse with the Lord in Prayer 3. Is he present will he hear thee 4. Is he merciful will he help thee 5. Is thy business slight is it not concerning the welfare of thy Soul 6. What words and reverence wilt thou use to move him to Compassion Let these Interrogatories be considered Discoursing with thy self will prepare thee the better to discourse with God To make thy preparation compleat consider thy condition thou art but dust and ashes and he the great God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that cloatheth himself with Light as with a Garment Remember these or such like devout expressions O let my Prayer enter into thy presence Let my Prayer be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the Evening Sacrifice As the clay is in the Potters hand to fashion it at his pleasure so man is in the hand of him that made him to render to them as liketh him best I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth thy marvellous works The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. If your hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Such Expressions as these from a devout Soul open the windows of Heaven and prevail with God to hear its Prayers In your Prayers or Meditations beware of Satan's devices of which these are some He endeavours to intice sinners to presumption by lessening a sin and making it seem to be slight On the other side he studies to betray some to the sin of despair insinuating such a crime is Haynous and beyond pardon But thus saith the Lord Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow Though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wooll He shewed to our Parents a golden Cup but discovered not the Poyson hid therein when he said God doth know in the day that ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Thus he attempted to betray Christ when he tempted him with the glories of the World saying All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He hath likewise the art to put false glosses on particular sins as Pride that he pretends is Neatness Covetousness is good husbandry Drunkenness he calls good fellowship and Extravagancies the effects of a liberal Spirit He extenuates sins by whispering to the credulous wretch To be Drunk to Swear c. are but little sins and repentance is no hard task it is but to ask pardon and cry Lord have mercie upon me He insinuates these delusions into the sinner You may walk by the Harlots yet not enter you may drink with the Drunkard yet not be drunk you may handle a bag of Gold yet not steal it He assures the Soul that the wicked man is happier than the devout Soul for the former enjoys all the delights of the world whilst the others are Persecuted Imprisoned and oftentimes undone One chief designe of Satan to delude the Soul is to conduct him into evil company Beware of false Teachers that lead your Judgment astray They reproach the Embassadors of Christ so did Korah Dathan and Abiram to Moses and Aaron Good Michaiah was likewise aspersed by Ahabs false Prophets They are devisers of false Prophesies The Lord said The Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spake I unto them they prophesie unto you a false Vision and Divination a thing of nought and the deceit of the heart They are stiled blind guides That strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel They are counterfeit and unclean Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites that make clean the outside of the cup and platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness They endeavour to delude men to their opinions rather to carry on their own Interests than to better their Conversations Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the Child of Hell than your selves Wo unto you blind guides which say Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the Gold of the Temple he is a debtor Ye fools and blind whether is better the Gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the Gold He that sweareth by the Temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein False Prophets privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Since then Satan is so busie what remains but that we Arm our selves with spiritual Weapons Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day For the Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal but Mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds David said to the Philistin Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Sheild but I come unto thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Let a Christian keep his Faith firm for that will carry his Heart through many difficulties Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God prepareth for them that love him The
must be just as well as orthodox Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath go not to bed in anger lest you have a tempter to your bedfellow Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious but who is able to stand before envy One of the blessings of the Old Testament was Prosperity and one of the blessings of the new Testament is Affliction Let not sin intice you to forsake God lest it urge God to forsake you It is Solomon's advice My Son if sinners intice thee consent thou not Conversion is a fit application for the wounds of a wicked man and strengthening likewise is very apt for the converted Saith David In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul A devout Soul should not think himself secure when he is safe nor should he fear when in the greatest danger but distrust himself and always trust in God Say with Iob Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Act not against the light of Conscience lest your Light be darkned and your Conscience shipwrack't Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Vertue and Vice that is Charity and Lust divide the whole life of man they are the two Trees of the Gospel that produceth fruits good and evil Study not to live long but to live well for an hour mis-spent is not liv'd but lost No man is perfect for there is none so good but he may mend Iesus said unto the young man If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt receive treasure in heaven and come and follow me The sins of a mans life are innumerable Who can understand his errours saith David cleanse thou me from secret faults The changes of a Saints condition are but so many exchanges of mercie if he thrives God is bountiful to him if he hath troubles in this world God is careful of him and provides him a portion in a better world When David was in the Cave all his comfort was in Prayer unto God I cryed unto thee O Lord I said Thou art my refuge and portion in the land of the living Troubles or Sickness when sanctified is much better than unsanctified Prosperity It is not talking of God but walking with God that makes a Christian compleat See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil Beware of superstition for that will not teach a man to fear God but to be afraid of him Study to have Christ rather in your heart than your house for with such Habitations he is best pleased Rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness The being of the Soul is rather where it loves than where it lives Let us study to love God though we do not see him rather than to see him and not love him All the pleasure of our days is grief when there is not an inward peace in the Conscience and with that all the griefs imaginable are turn'd into delight for a good Conscience is a continual feast It is good to be Learned but it is better to be Religious for Learning is but an Ornament to Religion but Religion is a Blessing to Learning One may be ever learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth A man may have knowledge and no grace but he cannot have grace and no knowledge Jesus answered the Sadduces saying Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God He that is truly Religious delights in the service of God and had rather be shortned in the comforts of his life than neglect the performance of his duty towards him Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart To profess Religion is good but to practice Religion is better to profess and not to practice is to dissemble with God and Man and a cunning course it is for man to destroy his own Soul The godly man may apply the promises to himself but the wicked man may apply himself to the promises Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God If we would have God hear our Prayers we must have the sence of feeling them our selves Sin brought death into the world and death carried sin out of the world He that would not have Time pass swiftly away should not use much Pastime The way to understand the sweetness of God's mercie is to get a sence of the bitterness of our own misery In all concerns let God be concerned the work will be the better done and the blessing will be the larger No man can do an evil action well but a good action may be spoiled in the management The tongue is an evil member for he that hath no reputation himself is master of another man's Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile The delight which a gracious Soul hath in mercies is not in the hearing of them or talking of them but in the possessing and enjoying of them God is a God that pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercie The delight of a gracious Soul is to long to be dissolved and to go to his long'd-for home that he may be with Christ. A day in thy Courts O God is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tent of wickedness It is God's appearing gracious to our Souls that makes him appeaâ— so glorious to our eyes To the praise of the glory of hiâ— Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved It is not in our power to imagine the power of God it converteth Souls and raiseth dead Bodies The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Iesus cryed with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths and his face was bound about with a napkin Iesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go The Soul cannot be converted by the word that man speaks nor by the man that speaks the word For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God By the Scriptures we learn what God hath done for us and what we are to do for God All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness When a gracious Soul desireth a mercie of
of Gospel-worship I confess it is a sad sight to see a bad man do that which is bad or a wicked man do that which is wicked yet I say it is a sadder sight to see a bad man continuing in his state having no spiritual principles to go on doing good God often declares himself very highly against such as do good themselves continuing evil The good that you do will not profit you 't will not advantage you 't will be no plea at the Great Day You may have Iehu's Penny a deliverance from an outward Judgment but there is no deliverance from Wrath and Eternal Judgment Thus those that are not far from Heaven shall never come there yet I would exhort the worst of men to do good though they please not God in doing it yet they displease him in not doing it And thus faln man if he neglect to do good sins If he doth good he spoils it in the doing of it Hence we see the necessity of regeneration we are not born with a pure Heart A pure Heart a good Conscience Faith unfeigned are the Issues of the new birth Education cannot make the Heart pure it must be Revelation which makes the Heart pure Education may change a mans Course but it cannot change his Nature that 's only done by Regeneration He must be good before he can do good spiritually God works us before we can work for him he makes us good before we can do good We by Union to Jesus Christ come to have a spiritual Principle to carry us out in the doing of all good works Here 's your way you must be Gods workmanship before you can do Gods works As we are grafted into Christ he changes the Branch Then all your Fruits are sweet Fruits and pleasant Fruits they are well-tasted Why It is done first from a Principle of life in Christ. And secondly It is done from a Principle of love unto Christ. The Heart of man is the greatest cheat in the world The Heart of man received such a crack in the fall that there is no mending of it It must be new made The Heart is made wholly new by the power of God Meritoriously by the Blood of Christ that cleansing Blood it is made pure by the Spirit of Christ the Spirit is a purifier The Word of God is a purifier Instrumentally Applicatorily the Heart is made pure by Faith When the command of every sin When the custom and practice of every sin And when the love of every sin is gone such a Heart is free from these powers that Soul is Evangelically pure He that indeed hath this pure Heart is really sensible that once his Heart was very impure And also is as sensible that to this day there remains much impurity in his Heart He also that hath a pure Heart loves every thing that is pure and the more pure it is the more he loves it A pure Heart will be full of pure thoughts a pure Heart converses with God in purity of thoughts Whereas the wicked they have not the Pure God nor the Holy God in all their thoughts A pure Heart is full of pure desires he desires to be more good to be better he desires to know more of God and to honour God more he desires to enjoy God more he hungers and thirsts after God A pure Heart hath pure purposes and pure resolves and by resolves the Heart is more settled and fixt Resolution is the establishment of the Soul He resolves let the Winds blow high or low to cleave to Christ. There is a purpose in a pure Heart against all that 's evil He will neither defile his Heart nor his Life and these purposes he carries quite thorough all unto the end A pure Heart hath pure ends in all it doth a holy aim a single eye not self-profit not self-applause not pleasure but he purposes the profit of many that they may be saved Weigh it well whether you have this pure Heart The hardest thing that we have to do and the greatest kindness which God can do to us is to cleanse our Hearts Our hearts are the filthiest part of us If there be impurity in the hand there 's much more in the Heart Till the Heart be made pure nothing can be pure God is a friend indeed to those who have a pure Heart Keep pure Hearts with all diligence for the Devil comes a Heart-stealing continually unless you wash it weed it sweep it Cobwebs will grow Spiders will creep in they will be weaving their Webs To the impure Heart there is nothing pure Holy Ordinances honest Callings great Possessions all these to an impure Heart are not pure The pure in Heart are onely fit for Communion with God they onely are fit to call upon God who have a pure Heart Onely the pure in Heart shall see and enjoy God Impure eyes cannot behold God they cannot bear the Glory the excellence of his Presence THE HEART ANATOMIZED THe wicked search out Iniquities they accomplish a diligent search the inward thoughts of their Hearts are deep The Heart is commonly hard Harden not your Hearts as in the provocation in the day of Temptation in the Wilderness The heart of a godly man may be said to be perfect for David saith of himself I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way Oh when wilt thou come unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart The heart is said to be sound A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones The heart is sometimes merry sometimes melancholy A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken The heart hath many devices Nevertheless the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand The heart of an Holy man may be said to be pure He that loveth pureness of heart or hath grace in his lips the King shall be his friend The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Who can know it The heart is said to be stony I will give them one heart saith the Lord and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh The heart is the chiefest Jewel which the Lord requires of a Christian My Son give me thine heart and let thine eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Laws He that keepeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord shall be 〈…〉 Law of his God is in his 〈…〉 none of his steps shall side Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart Mr. Caryl's DIVINE SENTENCES OR A GUIDE TO An HOLY LIFE HE prepareth a fit Habitation for the Lord whose Reason is neither deceived nor Will perverted nor Memory defiled Happy is that Soul
Beast Curst let him be with Sister lies Or Mother though in law Such sins do make those horrid cries That dreadful curses draw Cursed be he that secretly His silent Neighbour smites Murtherers too that cause to dye When a reward invites The wicked shall be curst at home And likewise in the field His Basket and his Store at last Shall Blessings fail to yield Cursed be all his sinful Fruit Of Body and of Land His Kine and Flock though they are mute And all he takes in hand Cursed be he when going out And curst when coming in That happy 't were for him no doubt If he had never been An ELEGIE ON THE DEATH of that much Lamented And no less wanted Industrious Labourer in GOD's VINEYARD The Reverend Mr. RALPH VENNING Who quitted this Vale of Tears And put on Immortality The 10th day of this Instant March 1673 4. Fretum vitae gaudeate Carina Tranavit Tutum tenet Anchorà portum Nunc hilaris ventos ridet tumidasque Procellas HArk how our Sion with Heart-piercing Groans Her Chariots her Horsmen's loss bemoans See! how each Pious blubber'd Cheek doth wear The sad Ennamel of a Briny Tear Each Soul turns a Close Mourner in its Cell And ev'ry Tongue becomes a Passing-Bell Must good Men still dye first and is there gone Another Cedar in our Lebanon Are Holy pow'rful Preachers snatch'd so fast They 're Pretious Death Oh! do not make such wast Well may the Scarlet Whore begin her Tricks Such Lights pust out threatens our Candlesticks And we may fear that God intendeth wars When he thus fast calls home's Embassadors Sweet Pious Venning could no longer stay Caryl in Glory beckon'd him away Whilst Heav'n to lend more moysture to our Eyes At his remove in Tears did Sympathize But Love and Zeal appear'd so I hill below They soon congeal'd each falling drop to snow Yet that white Robe the Earth put on did prove But a black Foil to what he wears above Go happy Saint I knew 't was not a Shrine Of Flesh could lodge so pure a Soul as thine I saw it labour in a holy scorn Of living dust and ashes to be sworn A heavenly Quirister it sigh'd and groan'd To be dissolv'd from Mortal and Enthron'd Amongst his fellow-Angels there to sing Perpetual Anthems to his Heavenly King He was a stranger to his house of Clay Scarce own'd it but that necessary stay Mis-call'd it his and only zeal did make Him love the Building for the Builders sake Amongst the throng that croud to Sacrifice To 's Memory the Torrents of their Eyes Let me although a Stranger unto those That Weep in Rhyme though oft I Mourn in Prose Water his Herse since my Big-bellied eyes Long for deliv'ry at his Obsequies Wherein what Art and Nature both deny Grief and the Subjects Merits may supply For who e're writes but truth of him will be Slander'd by Ignorance with Poetry And those that speak not half his worth in Verse The Sensual crew may think Idolaters But flattery can never reach his State We only praise to make men Imitate And so must speak in sober terms for know If Saints in Heav'n can hear things here below A Lye though in his Praise would make him frown And chide us when in Glory he comes down With his dear Lord to Iudge the World and pay Each Soul Rewards according to its way He was no Iingling Drolster of the times That as on Stage up to a Pulpit climes To trifle out an hour Tickle the Ear And Lullaby their Heads to sleep that hear Whose Preachments are but a Romantick Clatter A Sea of words but scarce a drop of matter Some Pye-bald scraps of new Philosophy Or Dough-bak'd Dictates of Morality Nor was he of that rash unpolisht Race Whose Sluttish hands do Sacred things disgrace Knowledge and Zeal in him so sweetly met His Pulpit seem'd a second Olivet Where from his Lips he would deliver things As though some Seraphim had clap'd his Wings His painful Sermons were so neatly drest As if an Antheme were in Prose exprest Yet quick and pow'rful that without controul They reach'd the Heart and pierc'd the very Soul Oh! what an excellent Surgeon has he been To set a Conscience out of Joynt by sin He at one blow could wound and heal whilst all Wondred to finde a Purge a Cordial His Manna-breathing-Sermons often have Given our good Thoughts new Life our bad a Grave His life was th' use of 's Doctrine still annext And all his Actions Comments on his Text. He made a Christian Frame of Heart appear So Imitable that Preach'd ev'ry where Nor owe we less to his Ingenious Quill Whereby although now Dead he Preaches still The way to Happiness he plainly show'd And how Canaan with Milk Hony flow'd To things worth thinking on he did apply And still sought to promote true Piety Sins dreadful Plague-sore which none should endure He soon discovers and prescribes a Cure And when 's quaint wit brought forth a Paradox His Christian Spirit made it Orthodox In life he taught to dye and now did give In death a great example how to live Fond Earth then cease and let thy childish eyes Ne'r weep for him thou ne'r knew'st how to prize But if you needs must weep Oh come come in Ye multitudes his pains have heal'd of Sin If you 'll be grateful Debtors pay him now Some of those Tears which he laid out for you SENTENTIAL TRUTHS Written and Delivered BY Mr. IAMES IANEWAY Not long before his Death THe world in its best estate is made up of Vanities troubles The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World Faith Hope and Patience desire help to lead the Soul out of Egypt and conduct it through the Red-Sea and Wilderness The Spies are sent into Canaan and bring good news out of that Land Faith sees Sihon Og and Amaleck discomfited and their powers broken Faith goes to the Borders of the promised Land to the very top of Pisga and upon Mount Nebo it sends love into Heaven to dwell there with the Lord for ever What shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon of Barak of Samson of Iephthah of David Samuel and of the Prophets Who through faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lyons Quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Christians Let us be zealous in our private and publike Prayers in our Closet and Family-devotions so shall we not only enter into rest our selves but shall teach the way to our Children our Servants and our Friends Be strictly careful that the gain of the world prove not the loss of your Souls Let your hearts be early and late with God Time is pretious
the neglect of that Soul-saving duty will rise up in Judgment against you The Righteous and the Wicked will be tried by their Consciences and that will discover the whole truth Study that Lesson which the Apostle Paul hath set before you To have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man The powers that are are of God therefore be subject for Conscience sake Let your rejoycing be in the Testimony of a good Conscience Put on Charity out of a pure Heart a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Justice hath leaden feet but iron hands and it is but just that they that encourage one another to sin should at last condemn each other It will be but cold comfort at the great Tribunal for sinners to remember their past follies Satan that now spreads abroad his temptations will then witness to their neglect of wholesom exhortations The holy Quire of Angels will point to the sinners Conscience and that will answer I am acquainted with all your sins The Spirit of Christ will testifie how often that hath moved the ungodly to repent The abused creatures that have been forced to promote sin will continue in the hearts of sinners the Beast of the field will rise up against the Glutton and the Wine against the Drunkard Pray often for Prayer is a sheild to the Soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to Satan Shun all appearances of evil resist the Devil and he will flie Seek not after Riches they have wings and flie away but study for Wisdome it 's price is above Rubies To seek after the Riches of this World is vanity But the fear of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdome and instruction What can be more pretious than Wisdome for it is the gift of God Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding What can be stronger than Wisdome that buildeth houses and heweth out its pillars Who can be more pious than the wise man He that getteth Wisdom loveth his own Soul What can be more clear than Wisdome for that excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness The wicked mans fate is to be wise too late The Veil of Hypocrisie cannot hide our sins from God he will make us know that it is his Christ that we resist What is gotten by resisting our Saviour Or what shall a man gain if he get the whole World and lose his own Soul What are the Riches of this life to the Joys of heaven And who is a better Guide to that happy place than the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World And why should not we love God since he so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Was one Guest found out that had not a Wedding-garment and will not God then find out every unholy Soul The Righteous themselves are pardoned sinners but the wicked are impenitent Each Soul that labours in the Lords Vineyard shall receive his reward according to his merit Let your acquaintance be few and good Cousins Country-men and School-fellows are spenders of money and time Let your study be furnished not with many but with choice books Let wisdom direct your actions the wise man takes care for necessaries not for superfluities Wisdom is Riches indeed it teacheth a man the Art of contentment in all conditions It makes a man not onely Master over others but Conquerour of his own passions Premeditation is commonly accompanied with Wisdom The wise man sees his own faults by the follies of others He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a Citie Wisdome is more useful in a City than the strength of mighty men So true is that of Solomon This Wisdom have I seen under the Sun and it seemed great unto me 14. There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great King against it and besieged it and built Bulwarks against it 15. Now there was in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the City yet no man remembered that same poor man 16. Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor mans wisdom is despised and his words are not heard However he that getteth wisdom loveth his own Soul and he that keepeth understanding shall find good 18. For Wisdom is better than Weapons of war but one sinner destroyeth much good Ingratitude is the Epitomy of Impiety To render a good deed for a good deed becomes a man to give evil for good is diabolical to repay evil for evil becomes a sinner but to return good for evil is the Quality of a Saint Injuries should be wrote in dust but Kindnesses in marble Nothing more spurs a man on to be ungrateful than the sin of covetousness Set not your heart upon wealth For the love of money is the root of all evil The wicked borroweth and payeth not again but the righteous sheweth mercie and giveth To be always begging or borrowing and never paying is the disposition of a covetous and ingrateful man and doth oftentimes set the dearest friends at variance Nature excuseth the follies of a fool but the ungrateful man hath no Apology To be courteous to one that is ungrateful is like ones hiding his treasure in the Sea Neer Relations that are strongly bound by the bonds of Affinity and Consanguinity are oftentimes divided by this black sin of ingratitude He that will forget a kindness is ungrateful but he that renders a discourtesie for a courtesie is impious And blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Wo be unto the covetous rich man that hath his heart fixt upon his heaps the poor man is happier than he For the Lord heareth the poor The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever There is an evil under the Sun saith Solomon and it is common among men A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and an evil disease He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase 12. When goods increase they are increased that eat them and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes The poor mans labour rocketh him to sleep but the cares of the rich man keepeth him awake 13. There is a sore evil under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt 14. Those riches perish by evil
that cleanseth his heart from the filth of sin and so stores it with Pious works as that it may delight the Almighty God to dwell therein Lay aside the cares of this world and take into your minds the Joys of heaven Empty your heads of all other things and prepare that upper Room to entertain your Lord. Consider ye are framed according to the Image of the Lord adorned with his Similitude espoused unto him by Faith endowed with the Holy Ghost redeemed with the pretious Blood of a dear Saviour assigned to be Fellow-Citizens with the Holy Angels capable of Eternal Happiness Heirs of Goodness stock't with Sence and Reason What have ye to do with the flesh then slight not those opportunities and advantages that are set before ye but Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all other things shall be added to ye Keep your Souls in a flying posture towards your Inheritance above For where can ye finde more Riches to invite ye The Lord is called The faithful God and will take an account of each ones faith Without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to him must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Adam was a sinner and begot sinners and they must work out their Salvation with fear and trembling What am I A man that had my beginning from a thing unseemly in the moment of my conception I was conceived of Humane seed afterwards that froth changed into curds and by encreasing became flesh With weeping I was exposed to the miseries of a wretched world and behold I am full of sin and shall suddenly be presented before the strict Judge to render an account of all my works Wo be to me wretch when that day shall come and those Books shall be opened wherein are Registred all my thoughts words and works and shall be read before the Lord Then with a trembling Conscience I stand before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ full of fear and anguish calling to remembrance my manifold offences And when it shall be said Behold the man and his works then Oh then shall I see all my sins and abominations presented before mine eyes To prevent which Misery observe these Directions Since your whole life is a Race and a Battel a Merchandise and a Journey prepare against night a Rosary of good works to present unto the Lord. Let your sleep be no more than Nature and Necessity requires and remember as he that starts first is most like to win the Race so he that first offers his petition to Almighty God hath the more early title to a blessing Change not day into night and night into day be not addicted to idelness and sleep for that is the way to turn your blessing to a dream Let not that imagination seize you that you may lie in bed having no business immediately to do for he that hath a Soul and would save that Soul hath enough to do to make his calling and election sure Meditate Pray and Read Repent and do acts of Charity to others If you have little to do you have the more time to provide for a Crown of Glory When you open your eyes think upon some act of Piety Thank God for your last good rest and preservation Give thanks to the Lord for your creation and the many mercies you have received from his hands When you arise pay your devotion to the holy Trinity Be silent when you dress your self and fix your thoughts upon some act of Piety If you speak let it be in the praise of God of his Goodness his Mercies or his Greatness Always let the first-fruits of thy Reason be presented to the Lord that so the whole harvest of thy conversation may be Sanctified Let your habit be neither careless nor curious though men may respect you for your outward habit God doth expect that your inward garment should be Righteousness Let your ejaculations suit with your actions in the morning as when you clean your hands Pray to God to cleanse your Soul from sin or when you cloath your body Pray to him to cloath you with the Armour of Faith and a good Conscience This done betake your self to your Closet-Devotions or to Family-Duties as your condition is capacitated Having finished your Prayers consult with your self about your Occasions that day and resolve against any thing that may seem opposite to the Service of God or the Rules of Good manners If you have Children or Servants it is your Duty to Pray with them and for them or especially to be careful that they shall Pray for themselves After this betake your self to your Affairs avoid idleness and take heed of being too earnest after wordly goods be Prudent Temperate Diligent Humble and Charitable Harbour no idle Persons in your Family let your Servants have moderate Work and Meat if they deserve Reproof let it be without Passion advice with some Natures may do more than Correction Be not busie to inquire after the Concerns of your Neighbour but carry your self with this Caution that in all your Actions you mix the ingredients of Justice and Charity Be in Charity with all men Avoid Backbiting and Slandering he that delights in either of them shall never be beloved or innocent When you dine lift up your heart in an holy Ejaculation to the Lord thank him for your Temporal Food and crave for Spiritual After dinner return thanks for Mercies received He doth not deserve to eat that doth not desire to thank In your Recreations be moderate and be sure to secure your heart for God left your affections settle upon a false Basis Let not your Recreations be tedious lest if you dwell with them long you may be inticed to sin When you enter into Discourse be pithy and as often as you can devout but if your occasions shall be so urgent that you cannot conveniently discourse of God however be sure to think of him When you Read let it not be much at once let your Reading be little and your Meditation large for little Reading and much thinking little Speaking and much Hearing brief Prayer and firm Devotion is the surest way to be Wise and to be Devout In the Evening let your Meditations be on the hours of the day past how they have been spent if your Conscience be clear it is the sooner examined but if any thing extraordinary hath happned then take time to recollect your self with diligence Thank the Lord for his benefits of the day and crave a pardon for your errours and if any duty hath been omitted endeavour to redeem that fault the next day Let your last Prayers be applied to the concerns of your Conscience and forget not to thank the Lord for all his mercies to you and your relations that day When you enter into your Bed fix your Meditations upon Death and the Grave In the whole course of your life
though to your familiar Friend Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envyeth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up Keep your Vertues secret rather than your Vices and be ever ready to hear another man praised rather than discommended Let your Discourse be of few words and those compounded of Truth and Piety If any person discoursing with you proposeth impertinent Questions cut off his discourse as soon as you can and divert your speech to other matters Shun prophane and vain Bablings for they will increase unto more ungodliness Whatsoever doth happen to your friend or to your self be neither grieved nor over-joyed but praise God and be content for godliness with contentment is great gain When you see any thing in another which misliketh you mark whether the same be in your self and amend it But if you observe any thing which pleaseth you mark whether that be in you if so retain it if not assume it By this means you shall make all things as a mirrour or a looking-glass to your self Prove all things hold fast that which is good Never affirm or deny any thing with over-much eagerness but let your assertions and denials be always seasoned with the salt of doubtfulness Abstain from immoderate laughter Sorrow is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better When sloath or idleness doth surprize you stir up your Spirits with reading some part of Scripture or some other book of Devotions When you are in Tribulation consider that they that are in Heaven feel no such things for there are pleasures for evermore Choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season When you are merry and joyful remember those which are in Hell feel no comfort at all Consider the words of Solomon I said in my heart Go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity I said of laughter It is mad and of mirth What doth it Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment Death doth daily threaten us the Devil waits to seize our Souls as soon as they depart our bodies but the Lord is above them both He is faithful to those that hope in him neither doth he forsake them unless they forsake him O love the Lord all his ye Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Be faithful unto death saith the Lord and I will give you a Crown of Life Have God often in your mouth but more often in your heart and manners Lest the Lord should say of you as of the Jews For as much as this people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their hearts far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Therefore behold I will do a marvellous thing among this people for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid If with your Tongue you speak and with your Heart you meditate on the Law of God all the day long and your works do contrary to the same your zeal is counterfeit and blind The days of man are as a shadow upon the earth and there is no abiding and when he seemeth to be most firm then he is properly nothing Why then doth man heap up Treasures upon earth since that which is gathered and he that gathereth passeth away and perisheth Therefore labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life What profit hath man in his labour whose fruit is Ruine and whose end is death O that men were wise and that they understood this and would prudently provide for their latter end Know ye not that to day you are at the brink of danger then let not your Repentance be deferred that you may be preserved by the hand of your Mediator To day you are in the way to Hell Repent that you may finde the way to Heaven Repentance and Conversion are the Fabricks of Salvation Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance But what do these admonitions avail unless you blot out of your Conscience the spots of sin and iniquity Apply your heart therefore to an inward reading of your Conscience that so you may come to understand your self Study the practice of that great Apostle of the Gentiles Paul To exercise your self to have a Conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards man Study to say as Simon Peter said to Jesus Behold we have left all things and followed thee So shall you eat and drink at the Table of the Lord Iesus and sit on a Throne of Glory judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Obedience certainly is a most faithful and familiar help to Salvation To obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams It is a Vertue which our Saviour himself preferred before his life choosing rather to yield that than not to fulfil his obedience The great opposer of Obedience is Pride and that is not onely the Original of all Vices but the Ruine of all Vertues It is the worst of sins for it captivateth the minde of man Other Vices assault those Vertues only by which they are destroyed as Lasciviousness Chastity Anger Patience c. but Pride like a contagious Plague corrupts every Vertue of the mind Pride goeth before Destruction and an haughty Spirit before a Fall He that feareth the Lord must hate Pride and Arrogancy And those that walk in Pride he is able to abase Pride is never found in a noble nature nor Humility in an unworthy mind It is a sin that our Saviour abhor'd for in his Birth Life Death he was all Humility nothing of Pride The fear of the Lord is the instruction of Wisdome and before honour is Humility Wherefore O Lord teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom LONDONS LOSS OR An ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF THAT Reverend Servant of God AND Minister of Christ's Gospel Mr. IOSEPH CARYL Late Minister at Magnes London-bridge ROom for our Tears for here are thousands come To vent our Founts at his commanding Tomb. But oh what Mortals Genius can devise A decent Flood for such a Sacrifice His Pious worth must in our Hearts be writ For 't is above the reach of Head or Wit Happy 's that earthly Closet keeps in trust The Reliques of a Saint now turn'd to dust 'T is one whom flatt'ry knows not how to paint Londons Divine and Londons Magnes Saint
thy Saviour is willing to save thee but it is thy sin and Satan that studieth to destroy thee When Satan's malice had produced mischief in our first Parents mischief brought forth misery and misery cried to heaven for mercie The God of mercie promised mercie unto mankind The seed of the woman shall break the Serpent's head When the fulness of Grace was come he that was covered in the Law became discovered in the Gospel When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a woman made under the law that we might receive the adoption of Sons The Son of man had sinned against God and the Son of God satisfies for the sin of man Let admiration produce amazement that God should send his Son to suffer death for sinners that rebelled against him But man must dye unto Eternity unless the Son of Eternity would dye for him Therefore Christ the Messiah was slain but not for himself He was delivered to death for our offences He was delivered by his Father in Mercie by himself in Compassion by Iudas for Covetousness and by the Jews in Malice And all this to the end that God might effect what the Jews could not conjecture The Redemption of his people Israel He that was typified by the brazen Serpent is exalted on the Cross between two Thieves with this Title superscribed Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews Thus Christ the immaculate Lamb refused no shame that he might purchase Glory to his faithful ones He that was the God of Glory becomes the Son of shame He that is the Righteous Redeemer was counted an Unjust Usurper He that is the Lord of Life was condemned to Death He that is honoured with the Acclamations of Angels was dishonoured with the Exclamations of Jews Pilate disgracefully shewed him to the people with an Ecce Homo Behold the man Stand O my Soul and with admiration bless the Author of all Blessedness Christ who to prevent thy shame suffered himself to be numbred among the wicked He was accounted sinful to purchase thy Salvation Adam by eating of the forbidden Tree made thee accursed had not Christ by dying on the cursed Tree restored thee to blessedness Christ's Cross is thy Comfort his dishonour is thy honour Christ's Cross is to the Iews a stumbling-block to the Gentiles foolishness But to thee O my Soul it is the power and the wisdome of God Then if Christ hath done this for thee follow thy Redeemer with a Cross at thy back and say with Paul God forbid that I should glory in any thing but in the Cross of Christ. But wo unto us sinners we run on in a course of pride though he humbled himself unto death even the death of the Cross. Pilate could not add to our Saviour's honour or dishonour in calling him Iesus for it was a name given him from Heaven for the Angel said unto Ioseph Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins It was a sweet saying of an Antient Father The name of Jesus is Mel in Ore Melos in Aure Iubilus in Corde Honey in the Mouth Melody in the Ear and a Jubily or Joy in the Heart Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved This name is light unto the Soul Ye were darkness saith the Apostle but now ye are light in the Lord. This name is health to the Body In the name of Iesus of Nazareth rise up and walk All spiritual food is dry saith the aforesaid Father if this Oyl be not poured into it if it be not seasoned with this Salt There are several Titles that proclaim Christ's Glory but the name of Iesus imports our Redemption By others we know him to be God by this we know him to be our Mediator It is great misery to see man so proud and greater mercie to see God so humble God was the Creditor man was the Debtor but he that was both God and man the Pay-Master Wherefore Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him there is plenteous Redemption There is no sinner so great but after conversion he makes as great a Saint Though his sins be red as Scarlet Grace makes them white as Snow Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll There is more pleasure in suffering than in sinning for a Saint of God may suffer and not sin but he cannot sin and not suffer If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf To walk as a Heathen walks only by the light of the Rush-candle of Nature is no better than to walk in darkness If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not but if he walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him God never made a good promise but he made good that promise For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen We should prize mercie if we knew its price Thy mercie O Lord is great unto the Heavens and thy truth unto the Clouds 'T is true that Christ is every where Then Hell 's no Hell if Christ be there In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures for evermore A Righteous man hates sin because it is opposite to God and Goodness Fools make a mock at sin but among the Righteous there is favour That Saint that grows in grace grows more a man and more than a man For with him Where sin aboundeth grace doth much more abound A rich man is poor without God but with him a poor man is rich Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you The pride of self-love is a folly in ones self For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted If a man would be ever good he should believe he was never good There is none good but one that is God God takes care of his Saints and they take care to be be cared for by him Cast your care upon him for he careth for you He that hath God hath all things for God is all in all A grain of Grace is of more value than many pounds of Gold God Created us and left us to our selves afterwards he Redeemed us and left himself to us Take heed of being self-conceited For the way of a fool is right in his own eyes True Christians are all for Christ and Christ is all-sufficient for them and their salvation It is the saying of holy Paul For me to
Praise him ye heavens never fade Praise him for ye by him were made Praise ye the Lord ye Dragons fell Praise him ye Deeps his wonders tell Praise him Fire Hail Vapour and Snow Praise him ye Stormy Winds that blow Praise him ye Cedars Beasts o' th' Field Praise him all things can Praises yield Praise him ye Kings of highest birth Praise him ye Iudges of the Earth Praise him ye Rulers whom he rais'd Praise for he 's greatly to be Prais'd Praise ye the Lord both great and small Praise him that did Create us all Praise him within his Holy Tower Praise him for his Almighty Power Praise him for what he to us gave Praise Iesus Christ that did us save Praise ye the Holy Spirit too Praise each with all Devotions due Praise all strive who shall praise the most Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost Praise each with pious Harmony Praise ye the blessed Trinity Praise ye the Lord with Trumpets sound Praise him that heal'd us with his Wound Praise him with Harp's loud Melody Praise him with Song and Psaltery Praise him with Timbrel let the flute Praise him with Organ Pipe and Lute Praise him with instrumental String Praise him with Cymbals loudly sing Praise him with Ioy and skilful Voice Praise with new Songs the chief and choyce Praise him that is our Guide our Light Praise him because his Word is right Praise him whose works are done in truth Praise him that no injustice doth Praise him all people great and less Praise him that loveth Righteousness Praise him whose goodness fills the earth Praise him with Zeal and pious Mirth Praise him the Antient is of days Praise him that gives us pow'r to praise Praise him whose Word the Heavens made Praise him whose Breath requir'd no Ayd Praise him that doth the Wind command Praise him that makes the Waters stand Praise him whom Sun and Moon obey Praise him doth Heavens Scepter sway Praise him that doth the Heathen awe Praise him whose ev'ry word 's a law Praise him who doth from Heav'n behold Praise him ye Rich Poor Young and Old Praise him that fashions all our hearts Praise him alone can heal our smarts Praise him that is the King of Kings Praise him in grief that comfort brings Praise him that governs Sea and Coasts Praise him that is the Lord of Hosts Praise him who can the Lyon tame Praise him that mighty is by Name Praise him that guards us day and night Praise him the God of Peace and Fight Praise him that makes the stoutest yield Praise him that is our help and shield Praise him both with the heart and mouth Praise him in Age in Strength and Youth Praise him who are with sorrows sad Praise that the humble may be glad Oh let the Nations all accord To Praise and Magnifie the Lord. BLESSINGS of the Righteous As they are denoted in the HOLY SCRIPTURES HEarken unto the Lord thy God His Covenants observe So will he kindly spare his Rod And not afflict a Nerve Blest shalt thou in the City be Thy God will blessings yield At home abroad at bed at board And likewise in the field Blessed shall be thy bodies fruit And that upon the ground The wicked be they lowd or mute Shall neither of them wound Thy Cattle shall enrich thy store The increase of thy Kine And Sheep shall still wax more and more Thy Grapes shall yield thee Wine Blest shall thy store and basket be Blessings shall thence accrew Comings and goings shall agree To make thee blessed too The Lord shall smite thine enemies And put them to disgrace The chiefest he will make to flie And that before thy face Thy foes one way shall thee attempt But flee before thee seven From Iudgment none shall be exempt But as the Wind be driven Thy store-houses the Lord will bless And all thou tak'st in hand And give to thee a large increase Of plenty in the land The Lord as he himself hath sworn He shall establish thee And farther to exalt thy horn His people ye shall be Keep thou the Lord's Commandements And all the earth shall see That thou art great in Innocence And stand in fear of thee The Lord he shall his treasures ope The Heav'ns shall give thee Rain If head or hand with business cope It shall be for thy gain No discontent shall thee attend As free from grief or sorrow To many Nations thou shalt lend But have no need to borrow Blessed are they that in him trust He will them bless with speed For do they hunger do they thirst He is their help at need Blessed is he whose sin is hid He may with gladness smile Whose errours all are covered Whose spirit hath no guile Blessed are they that now lament As being poor in spirit For they are promis'd by the Lord His Kingdom to inherit Blessed are they that now do mourn Thinking their joys are fled For though as yet they seem forlorn They shall be comforted The meek are blessed too for they That love not strifes increase Shall on the earth bear happy sway Delighting much in peace The hungry too and they that thirst For Righteousness as Meat They shall be fill'd when those accurst Shall nothing have to eat Blest be the merciful to those Whom they observe in pain For he that mercily bestows Shall mercie reap again Thrice-blessed are the pure in heart Whose Souls and hands are free From Vanity and wicked Oaths For they their God shall see Blest the peace-makers are for they His Children shall be call'd And he that loves and doth obey Shall never be enthrall'd Blessed are they for Righteousness Do persecution bear Their great reward none can express But Heav'n it lieth there Blessed are they that are revil'd Because they seek the Lord Let them not fear although exil'd His Grace will strength afford Rejoyce and be exceeding glad For great is your reward The Prophets by such usage bad Did get into regard Curses of the VVicked He that doth hear a poor man's cry Shall never fare the worse But whoso turneth back his eye Shall never want a curse He that himself hath others curst His Servant curseth him The blessings of his flowing purse Shall him to ruine swim He that blasphemeth God his Lord Ought to be ston'd to death And cursed be that man abhorr'd Serves other God beneath Cursed be he that setteth light By Father or by Mother The people shall him daily slight And none his curses smother Cursed be he that doth remove His Neighbours Land-mark then The people shall him curse none love But each one cry Amen Cursed be he that leads the blinde In an erroneous way The Lord for him will torments finde And be the blind man's stay Cursed be he that doth pervert The Widow Fatherless Or Stranger from an upright heart Curses shall him oppress Cursed thrice cursed shall he be Covets his Father's Breast And that man curst shall be as he That lieth with a
and of greater value than Gold Wherefore let it be thy business and the delight of thy Soul to seek and to serve God To seek and to serve here is the way to be glorified in rejoycing and enjoying hereafter Wherefore begin betimes and be not weary of well doing for great is your reward Take hold of this present opportunity lest the sloath of your heart or the cares of this world cause you to neglect and forget the prize that is set before you Unhappy are those poor Souls whose Portion is only in this world If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable The Cross of Christ is the Christians Crown the Reproach of Christ is the Christian's Riches and the Shame of Christ is his Glory God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world In all your actions let it be your practice to have a respect to your ends Talk not proudly let not arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him actions are weighed Strive to live above this lower Region that no accidents may put you out of frame nor disquiet your Soul Set your affections on things above and not on the earth If I had the wings of a Dove I would flie from the Winds the Storms and Tempests of this wicked world and rest my self in the bosom of my Father There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest To disparage Sin and to incourage Holiness is none of the least Works of a Minister of Christ. The wicked may drink roar and swagger and sell their pretious Souls for a moments joy and make light of Damnation but let them know for all these things God will bring them to Iudgment an eternity of intolerable sorrows must pay for their short pleasures Hence it is that the serious Christian makes it his business to avoid this dreadful misery let the wicked please themselves in their sorrows he knows 't is but a little while and all will be mended and their minds changed He is willing to stay for his happiness and joys till he come to another world and he doth not envy the wicked what they do enjoy let them make the best of it The unseen world which most forget is always in the Christians eye and if he may but live happily there he passeth not if he run through reproaches injuries and a thousand Deaths to that glorious and endless Life This is the grand Reason of the Christians patience this makes him judge it no folly but the greatest wisdom to keep the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus Those which live like Devils are not like to dye like Saints that count all their time lost they do him no service in which make a jest of Damning and are as merry within a step of Hell as if it and a Tavern were alike And yet how well are wicked men pleased and contented with their own condition and laugh at the Godly as if it were a dangerous and mad thing to go to Heaven and the truest happiness to be miserable for ever The Devil himself may as well expect to shake off his chains and be restored to his lost glory as they O be not deceived as you sow so you must reap God gives this world oftentimes to his greatest Enemies he gives glory in another world to none but his Friends and Children Nay let me speak it freely They which gain this world with their negligence of Heaven shall at their death lose both Many that would be counted wise drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing and that lay in no better provisions than Gravel Clay or Dung when they are bound for Eternity They think they make a very wise Bargain when they sell their Conscience God and Heaven for a little of that which some call Riches O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things and raise the things of that other world to their true worth Think not meanly of Holiness it 's the most excellent thing it is the greatest Riches and man's highest Dignity He that knows the worth of Christ and the nature of his own Soul let him not envy those that swell like bladders upon water for a moment and God puffs them off and where are they How can they look for Heaven when they dye that thought it not worth their minding whilst they lived Whatsoever men pursue below Christ will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world Not every one that wears Christ's Livery shall have his Wages How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death but a thorow knowledge of their own folly O please not your self with fancies Sickness and Death is coming and then you will know better the reason of my earnest pleading with you in this matter He that hath not got more than ever any Hypocrite could attain or shall will miss of Heaven The best of God's Children are most suspicious of themselves and afraid of their own deceitful hearts and their great request is that God would deliver them from mistakes in matters of everlasting consequence It 's a common thing for wicked men to carry their false peace along with them to the Grave How many thousands are there that dye like Lambs that are but Swine and have the Devils brand upon their foreheads Many are carried very quickly to Hell and fear nothing till they feel and are not brought to their sences till unspeakable horrour and anguish doth it It hath not a little puzled some as well as David to see the wicked dye quietly and the godly to have a strange death but God will shortly resolve this Riddle That Soul which hath seen the death of Sin is a person fit for death That man is like to be a gainer by Death who contemns Earth and makes Heaven his choice He that counts nothing worth the having except Christ and for Christ cannot be miserable when he is lodged safe in his imbraces God is oftentimes better but never worse than his word The running Christian shall at last obtain the Prize and the Crown he fights for he shall wear What though the Vessel be tost and broke it shall come safe with its rich Lading to the desired Harbour O you foolish world condemn not these spiritual wise Merchants till you know what their returns are when their burden is delivered He that is willing to dye for Christ shall live as long as Christ lives in happiness and rest Those Souls are out of Gun-shot that are instrumental for the shaking the Kingdom of Satan and weakning the interest of Hell in the world Who would not be a Christian in good earnest sure none but a mad-man or a fool The highest Worldlings are below the meanest and lowest Child of
have received their wages will say that the service of God is not unprofitable But heaven is not got with a wet finger few run so as to obtain few fight so as to conquer Lazie wishes and a hazard will not do for Heaven They that dye in sin must be buried in Hell Who would be afraid of everlasting rest It is our trifling with God that makes the thoughts of our appearing before him to be so dreadful How can you live within a few inches of Death and look the King of Terrour in the face every day without some well-grounded evidence of your Interest in God's love What will become of the careless ones of the world that think little of Death and less of Eternity Mr. RYTHER's SAYINGS Concerning Mr. IANEWAY MY dear and reverend Brother deceast was delightful to me and to all that knew him when living and so desirable when dying O how often have we taken sweet counsel together his thoughts his time his study was how he should get sinners bands broken off and themselves brought into the liberty of the Sons of God Under a bodily Consumption he laboured to build up Saints that they might be kept from soul-consumption It 's high time for the world to awake out of sleep and to minde the state of their Souls God is now gathering in his labourers then who shall gather in his harvest He is putting out the lights and who shall guide them to Emanuel's land Two famous lights in one week not put under a Bushel but under a Grave-stone This present life we enjoy here is but a Voyage all Christians are homeward bound Believers when their Voyage is finisht and compleated they are with Christ. Believers are venturers their immortal pretious Souls are their ventures Onely poor sinners so living and dying make lost Voyages Alas for that Gain where estates are got and souls lost you will weep and mourn over these Gains to all Eternity In this present Voyage poor Souls meet with seas of Troubles Satan's storms of Temptation as well as storms of Affliction Do not we sail through many a Red-Sea before we arrive at our port In this Voyage you must steer by your Compass the Rule of the Word is your Compass to sail by to live by and must be your Compass to dye by and to put into your Port by In this Voyage you are accountable at your returns wicked persons must account for every idle word and for every evil action You carry necessary Provision for a Voyage O how many of us are but poorly laid in for our Voyage who knows what the latter part of our Voyage may be fill'd up withal Do we know what storms and tempests may attend our very putting in to Port Was it not so with him that is now safely arrived had not he his storms before he harboured O poor Souls you see how fast you sail down the River of Time to put into the Ocean of Eternity Paul desired to ankor and finish his Voyage Where Christ is there is no sin Saints are hous'd when they are once got to Heaven To be with Christ is to be in safe harbour When God hath in this life filled the Water-pots of his people with affliction he takes that time to take them to Heaven and turn it into the wine of Consolations Consider God hath taken away a Shepherd from his Flock that gently led the Burthened that faithfully fed the Hungry heal'd the Diseased and diligently lookt to the state of his Flock He was a faithful Watchman God's Gardens take a great deal of dressing When Dressers are taken away what danger are Vineyards in of becoming like the field of the sluggard How did this Labourer spend himself in his Masters Harvest He was a Guide in the way to Heaven And is this a small loss Is not house breaking up when a Father goes O what a stroak is this for many poor Souls to lose a Spiritual Father You have lost a Minister we who knew him have lost a fellow-labourer in the Gospel You have lost a faithful Shepherd that are his Flock we a faithful Brother that are in the Ministry the Nation a faithful Wrestler with God God pulls out stakes in Zions hedge but few are put in God did renew the Bow in his hand day by day and it abode in strength He was no dauber with untempered Morter nor sower of Pillows under Christians or Sinners Elbows He Preached to you as one in an heavenly Extasie of Love to win Souls to Christ. He lived and shone out of the Pulpit as well as in it He was not only a burning zealous light in his Doctrine but also a shining light in his Conversation SIN the Plague of PLAGUES AND The worst of EVILS But sin that it might appear sin worketh death THe Doctrine of Repentance supposeth that man hath done amiss The Doctrine of Faith is another for Righteousness and Hope concludes man to be without Righteousness and Hope in himself 'T is not the Law but Sin that works man's death and ruine Sin is contrary to God Carnal men are Enemies to God rebels and despisers of God resisters fighters blasphemers and atheists against God Sinners are actors of High-Treason against the Majesty of God and will not that he shall reign over them More particularly Sin is contrary to God's Nature he is Holy he is so and cannot but be so he is all Holy and always Holy altogether Holy And sin is sinful all sinful onely sinful altogether sinful Sin is contrary to God's Attributes it will not that the King of Kings should be in the Throne and govern this World which he hath made sin attempts to dethrone God Sin denies God's all-sufficiencie Every Prodigal that leaves the Fathers house doth practically say so Sin dares the Justice of God and challengeth God to do his worst it provokes the Lord to jealousie and tempts his wrath Sin disowns God's Omniscience Tush cry sinners God sees not Sin despises the riches of God's goodness Sin turns God's grace into wantonness Sin is the dare of God's justice the rape of his mercie the jeer of his patience the slight of his power and the contempt of his love And further 't is the upbraid of his providence the scoff of his promise the reproach of his wisdom and opposeth and exalts it self above all that is called God Sin is contrary to the works of God sin may be impleaded for all the mischiefs and villanies that have been done in the world 't is the Master of Mis-rule the Author of Sedition the Builder of Babel the Troubler of Israel and all Mankinde Sin is contrary to God's Law to all his Orders and Rules to his Appointment 'T is not onely a Transgression of but a Contradiction also to the Will of God 'T is an Anti-Will to God's Will David in fulfilling the will of God was said to be a man after God's own heart And they that obey the will of