37. 9 10 Out of their lands and possessions for some providence or other as Flaâ—ius Vespasianus served his proling Officers will press such Spunges hard and squeeze out all their impure water which they have so greedily sucked in Out of their Shops and all earthly comforts for such wealth is bâ—t like the flesh which the Eagle fetcht from the Altar with a coal in it which fires and consumes the whole nest Hab. 2. 9. And which is worst of all their counsel will at last cast them out of heaven God himself hath lockt the gate of bliss against them and with all their craft and counsel they shall not be able to pick it open 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God It w as a true saying of Bishop Latimer when one told him The Cutler had cozened him in making him pay as much more for his Knife as it was worth No saith he he hath not cozened me but his own conscience That Knife cut deep into the poor Cutlers soul and made wider gaps then he was aware of O how foolish is man to conceive that by fraud he shall keep himself up when God himself saith that his own counsel shall cast him down Reader If thou art one that like Balaam lovest the wages of unrighteousness bethink thy self speedily for thy wealth unjustly gotten will like Achans wedge of Gold cleave thy soul in sunder Righteousness in thy works must appear both in buying and in selling Be righteous in buying Take heed lest thou layest out thy money to purchase endless misery Some have bought places to bury their bodies in but more have bought those commodities which have swallowed up their souls Injustice in buying is a Canker which will eat up and waste the most durable wares An unjust Chapman like Phocion payeth for that poison which kills him and buyeth his own bane A true Christian will in buying as well as selling use a conscience Austin relates a story of an Histrionical Mountebank who to gain spectatours promised if they would come the next day he would tell them what every ones heart desired When they all flocked about him at the time appointed expecting the performance of his word he told them This is the desire of every of your hearts to sell dear and buy cheap but it s a sign he was an Emperick by the falseness of his bill for a good man would buy as dear as he selleth His buying and selling are like two scales that hang in an equal poize In buying do not work either upon the ignorance or the poverty of the Seller Do not take advantage by the Sellers ignorance This would be as bad as to lead the blind out of the way 1 Thes. 4. 6. Let no man go beyond or over reach another in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all-such Mark Reader Those that over-reach men are within the reach of a sin-revenging God Some persons will boast of their going beyond others in bargains but they have more cause to bewayl it unless they could go beyond the line of Gods power and anger It s an ordinary saying but sinful A man may buy as cheap as he can Austin tells us A certain man himself I suppose he meaneth was offered a book by an unskilful Stationer at a price not half the worth of it he took the book but gave him the just price according to its full value Sure I am those wares which are half bought through a cunning Chapmans out-witting the silly tradesman are half stolen It is naught it is naught saith the buyer but when he is gone his way then he boasteth Pro. 20. 14. but hath more reason to weep for his subtle words how cheap soever he buyeth will make it an hard pennyworth in the end He makes the best Market that like holy David payeth the full just price Nay saith he of Ornans threshing floor but I will buy it for the full price 1 Chron. 21. 22 24. Ahab never bought a dearer purchase then Naboths Vineyard for which he paid not one penny Do not work upon the Sellers poverty This is to grind the faces of the poor and great oppression It is no mean sin in many rich Citizens who take advantage on the necessity of poor tradesmen The poor man must sell or his Family starve the rich man knoweth it and will buy but at such a rate that the other with all his labour shall not earn his own bread God made the rich to releive but these I must be bold to say rob the poor It s an ill way for any to raise themselves higher in the world by trampling poor men under their feet God hath sometimes made their houses as high and as firm as they were to fall down upon their heads who have thus sucked out the blood of poor mens hearts Some will tell us They do no wrong herein for if poor men will not take their money they may let it alone they do not force them Reader if thy soul be died with this crimson sin I shall onely ask thee this question Is this to love thy Neighbour as thy self If thou hadst a Wife and several small Children and the providence of God had called thee to this poor mans condition wouldst thou be contented to work hard a whole week and when thou wast compelled to fell thy wares to buy food for thy family to receive the money for materials deducted but six pence or twelve pence for all thy pains Let thy own conscience be judge in this ease Is not this for men to live like fish the greater devouring the lesser I have heard a Country Mercer say who is now in heaven that several times when poor men have brought lace or ribands or other ware to him he hath tried how low he could beat the price and because of their necessities he hath brought them to allow their commodities for less then the very materials cost them but after he had so done he durst not but give them a just equitable price his conscience would not suffer him to make them suffer because their poverty necessitated them to sell. And truly where men act otherwise though their consciences may be quiet because asleep yet they have no true rest and the time will come that conscience will awake to their wo. When some of the Jews had bought Lands and Vineyards of their brethren at an under rate they being forced to Mortgage them to get bread Nehemiah rebukes them severely for working upon others extremity and desires God to shake every man out of his possession who did not make restitution Nehem. 5. 2 3 4 12 13. Such wealth to a man is like Ionah to the Whale though he swallow it down yet he will finde it too hard a Morsel to digest and have no ease till he hath restored and vomited it up again Be righteous in thy payments Pay what thou
swell never so much by unlawful means yet t is but like the swelling of the dropsie a presage of death O my soul what will it avail thee to be rich here and to be a beggar hereafter and that for ever Thou pretendest to purity but thy God tells thee that holiness and righteousness are like Husband and Wife joyned by him together and none may part them asunder Thou art unsound in all thy sacred duties if thou art unrighteous in thy civil dealings When the unjust dealer is cast into the unquenchable fire what will become of the great Professour What is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God shall take away his soul Iob 27. 8. When the Thief is taken and carried to the Goal all the money he hath stollen is taken from him When Death seiseth thee and sendeth thee to the Prison of Hell all thy ill gotten goods must be left behind When thou art lost eternally what will become of thy unjust gains Thy Children may be ranting with it on Earth and thou art roaring for it in Hell Ah! what dear contracts dost thou make to sell thy present peace and thy future endless joy for a little perishing pelfe The comfort of thy life now consisteth in communion with thy God but he that saith He hath fellowship with God and walketh in darkness is a lyar 1 Ioh. 1. 6. Thy God hates to taste of those Waters which run out of such musâ—y Vessels Muchless will he suffer any of such rotten hearts and stinking breaths to draw neer to him in Heaven Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. No such Cattel shall ever come into the Celestial Court Unrighteous Heathens shall be shut out of Heaven and surely then unrighteous Christians shall be cast into the lowest Hell O let the fear of thy God ever possess thee that the love of this World may never pollute thee Manifest thy love to thy Saviour by loving thy Neighbour as thy self Blessed God who lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a righteous Scepter who wilt render unto every man his righteousness and who hast appeared to me by that grace which teacheth me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously in this present evil world Let thy good Spirit fill me with all the fruits of righteousness Do thou so lead me in the paths of equity for thy names sake that I may follow after righteousness and inherit a â—ure reward I Wish that I may be righteous in every relation wherein I stand and towards all persons with whom I deal that I may give to Superiours the things that are theirs to Inferiours the things that are theirs lest by denying either I rob all My God is no respecter of persons but just in all his ways and righteous in all his works When shall I imitate his blessed Majesty He tells me Blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doth righteousness at all times If I expect the blessing propounded I must mind the righteousness enjoyned and that is to be righteous at all seasons O my soul what encouragement hast thou to do justly upon all occasions thy righteousness shall have a large recompence Thy Children may fare the better The just man walketh in his integrity and his Children are blessed after him Nay thy whole Family The voice of joy and Salvation is in the Tabernacle of the righteous Whereas thou mayst fear that thy plain dealing may bring thee and thine to poverty thou bast his promise that he will make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous Above all thou thy self wilt have the greatest solace Thy righteousness shall answer for thee in time to come and whereas the dishonest wealth of others is a corroding worm to gnaw their consciences thy justice will afford thee present comfort In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare but the righteous doth sing and rejoyce Prov. 29. 6. Ah! who would not sow righteousness when he shall certainly reap so much mercy Though others as if they had pitchy hands take to themselves whatsoever they touch to the defiling of their own souls and like whirlpools suck in all that comes neer them to their own destruction do thou mete out all thy dealings by that royal measure Whatsoever thou wouldst that men should do to thee do the same to them for this is the Law and the Prophets When thou art buying or selling or about any bargain with thy Neighbour reflect upon thy self Would I be glad to be thus dealt with Were I in this mans case would I be willing that he should serve me as I serve him Am I as plain-hearted as true as just in my carriage towards him as I would desire him to be in his trading with me Would I be contented to be defrauded should I take it well to be defamed Is this action of mine such as I could be contented to receive the like Do I in this business love my Neighbour as my self Lord who hast promised that the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance in this world and shall shine as the Sun in the other world and who hast put the unrighteous and lovers of themselves in the front of that black list which is for the unquenchable fire do thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies that I may serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life I Wish that I may mind righteousness in my words as well as in my works and not dare to hide deceitful and foul intentions under fair and fawning expressions To say what is true and to be true to what I say is the property of a true Christian My God is a God that cannot lye his people are a people that will not lye If I therefore be found a lyar how unlike am I both to God and his people Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are his delight Though lying lips may be perfumed with sweet words to men yet God smells the stench and loatheth the ill savour of those rotten inwards whence they proceed And though truth may beget hatred from men such sweet breath is his love and delight He is the God of truth His Law is the truth His Gospel is the word of truth His Son is the true and faithful Witness O that truth of heart truth of words and truth in deeds may be all in me which are so agreeable to the true God and so acceptable to the God of truth Can that tongue lye so loud to men which even now called so loud on God Shall those hands be filching in my Neighbours pocket which were so lately lifted up to Heaven in prayer Is my speech given me for my glory and shall it be the driveling of a Divel that father of lyes Lord let
cometh such pride and carnal confidence in prosperity but because men beleive not the meanness and vanity and emptiness of riches and that divine mercy not the merits of men are the original of them There is no sin so monstrous but unbeleif will venture upon it He that beleiveth not will never be allured by divine promises nor affrighted at divine threatnings nor obey divine precepts nor submit to divine providences As Cicero said of Parricide I may say of Unbeleif It s a teeâ—ing vice a well of wickedness many sins are bound up in it No wonder the Apostle gives such a serious warning and so strict a charge against Infidelity as the mother and nurse of all Apostacy Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif whereby ye depart away from the living God Heb. 3. 12. The superstitious Pagans thought that their Idol Vibilia kept them from erring out of their way The religious Christian knoweth by experience that his faith keeps him within the limits of his duty Faith ingrafts the soul into Christ and into the fellowship of his death by which the old man is crucified and the body of sin destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6. 5,6,7,8 For therefore did Christ bear ouâ— sins in his body on the tree that we might become dead to sin 1 Pet. 1. 24. Faith enableth the soul to conquer sin by enabling it to overcome the three grand provocations to sin The World the Flesh and the Wicked one There is neither of these enemies but Faith hath wounded mortally 1. Faith enableth to overcome the World the World indeed hath conquered millions the greatest Souldiers have been slain by it Alexander could subdue the Nations in it but could not subdue his Affections to it As great a conqueror as he was over it he was its slave and vassal for his ambition was still larger then his Dominions But faith cloathing the Christian with the Sun helps him to trample this Moon under his feet This is your victory over the world even your Faith 1 Joh. 6.4 The World hath two faces the oneâ— ugly and deformed toâ—affright the Saint the other comely and painted to allure him to sin but Faith seeth how pittiful onely touching the body her threatnings are and how poor onely skin-deep her promises are and makes the soul to disdain both It was by Faith that Luther could say Contemptus a me Romanus favor furor I scorn both Romes favour and Romes fury The worlds Furnace and Musickâ— are much alike to a Beleiver he is blind and deaf nay dead to both The special object of Faith is the Cross of Christ whereby saith the Apostle I am crucified to the world and the world to me Tickle a dead man or lance him it s all one he is sensible of neither As Fabricius the Noble Roman told Pyrrhus who one day tempted him with Gold and the next day sought to terrifie him with Elephants I was not yesterday moved with your money nor to day with your beasts So Basil when first offered preferment and afterward threatened with imprisonment if he would not deny Christ and turn Arrian to this purpose answered the Messenger Such babies of preferment are fit to catch Children with and such bug-bears of bonds and imprisonment may fright your tender Gallants and Courtiers Faith enableth the Christian to mount up to heaven and thereby secures him from the baits and shots the snares and lime-twigs which attend him on earth Homer saith Vlisses caused himself to be bound to the Mast of the Ship and every one of his fellows ears to be stopped with Wax that they might not hearken to the Songs of the Syrens and so be drowned in the Sea Faith fastens the soul to Christ and so ravisheth iâ—s ears with the glad tidings of pardon and peace and eternal life that it is deaf to the worlds musick 1. Faith enableth the soul to overcome the affrightments of the world Faith like blown bladders keepeth the soul from sinking in deep waters It s a Target under which a soul is free from the hurt though not from the smart of evil It s the Ark wherein he rides triumphing when the windows from above are opened and poure down and the floods from beneath are broken up In this strong Tower the soul finds shelter Faith like Ioseph layeth up in a time of plenty against a time of scarcity in a day of prosperityâ— against a day of adversity and so feareth it the less Faith sheweth the Christian a place of refuge in the time of trouble He shall hide thee saith Faith in the secret of his presence i. e. cover thee with the warm wings of his providence he shall keep thee secret in his Pavilion An allusion to Princes retiring rooms which are sacred and secure places for their Favourites Nature teacheth all creatures to run in distress to that which they count their defence The Conies run to the Rocks the Goats to the Hills the Ravenous Beasts to their Deâ—s the Child to his Mothers Armes This grace discovereth to the soul a Rock a Refuge a Fort a Fortress an High Tower which makes him fearless of the worlds threatnings and bugbears The lame and the blind those most shiftless creatures when they had got the strong hold of Sion over their heads scorned the Host of David 2 Sam. 5. 6 7. The Egyptians that dwell in the fens are much troubled with Gnats therefore they sleep in High Towers whither those Insects cannot flye The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run unto it and are safe Prov. 15. Such a soul is like a strong Tree which no wind can shake or like Mount Sion which cannot be moved Therefore he can sing when unbeleivers quake and tremble Though the Earth be troubled though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the Waters roar and the Mountains shake yet we will not fear The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Psa. 46. 56. and 91. 2 3. Faith is like the Cork in the Net when the Lead wound sink the Net the Cork keeps it above water This Faith is the Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfact entering into that within the vail and so stayeth the Saint against all the winds and waves of affliction Faith or beleif of the resurrection and that happiness which then should be enjoyed was that which enabled Paul to dye daily and to fight with Beasts at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15. 30. In the greatest distress Faith can see deliverance and when it is at the greatest distance salute it as Abraham did Christs day afar off When the weather is cloudy it can see the Heaven begin to clear and notwithstanding his present pain and poverty cause the Christian to rejoyce in his hope of bliss and glory The eye of Faith looking to the recompence of reward seeth afflictions with the Israel of
as in his Gods presence and in all aimeth at his praise As the Sap of a Tree riseth up from the root not onely to the body but also to the branches of the smallest twigs so grace in a Saint springeth up from his heart and floweth out not only in his spiritual and higher but also in his civil and lower actions How the Saint may make godliness his business in Religious Actions as in praying hearing receiving the Lords Supper and Sanctification of the Lords day in natural Actions in his recreations in his particular calling and in the government of his family I have largely discovered in the First Part of The Christian-Mans Calling The Second Part will help believers in the Relations of Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants and in the Conditions of Prosperity and Adversity Reader The design of this Treatise is to direct thee further in this continual exercise of Piety it divideth it self into these particulars I shall herein First Endeavour to discover wherein the nature of Godliness consisteth 1. In thy Dealings with all men 2. In all Companies whether Good or Bad and therein I shall speak both to thy Choice of Companions and Carriage in Company 3. In Solitariness 4. On a Week-day from morning to night 5. In Visiting the sick 6. On a Dying Bed Secondly I shall offer thee some Means which will be helpful to thee in this business Thirdly I shall annex some Motives to stir thee up to this high and gainful Calling I begin with the first CHAP. I. How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Dealings with all men As also a Good Wish about that Particular FIrst Thy duty is to make Religion thy business in thy Dealings with all men True Godliness payeth its dues to men as well as its duty to God nay it cannot do the latter without the former Upon these two poles all Religion turnes and upon these two feet it walketh That Mans holiness is lame which always keeps home and doth not walk abroad and visit his Neighbours It s a sign of a sickly temper for a man to sit always brooding in a Chimney-Corner and not to dare to stir out of doors Sure I am thy Religion is of a sad distempered constitution whatsoever hopes it may give of healthiness in Family duties if it goeth no farther and doth not appear in the open air of thy converses with strangers Religion bindeth the Christian to his good behaviour towards all men True holiness will provide things honest not onely in the sight of God but also in the sight of all men 2 Cor. 8. 21. The Kings Coin hath his superscription without the ring as well as his Image within it The Saints civil as well as his spiritual actions have divine impression stamped on them and he is walking with God in his trading with men As thy heart must be pure so thy hands must be clean or thou canst never reach heaven Psa. 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart To be voyd of conscience in thy civil actions speaks thee to have no right to the beatifical vision he that comes short of Heathens must needs come short of Heaven And truly to be careless in making Godliness thy business in them will very much hinder thy progress in holiness If all the passages of the body be not open there is no thriving in health The Ostrich is very swift and said to outrun the horse He mocketh the Horse and the Rider but what is the reason truly this he hath two helps of speed his Wings and his Feet whereas other creatures have but one the Hawk hath wings the Hare and Horse have feet but he hath and useth both Wings and Feet and hence is so nimble in his flight The right Christian maketh haste and runneth the way of Gods commandments because he doth use not only the wings of Religious performances for that end but also the feet of his ordinary actions When some are only for holy duties and others onely for honest dealings he outstrips them all marrying them both together and making them like Husband and Wife serviceable each to other T is true his piety is the Husband which hath the command and dominion but his dealings with men as a dutiful wife further his weal by their obedience and subjection No Christian ever made more haste in Heavens way then Paul I laboured more abundantly then they all saith he but how came it about VVhy through divine assistance he exercised himself to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards all men The stream must needs be the swifter for the meeting and uniting of the waters of grace out of both those channels The bark which covereth the tree seemeth to be of little worth compared with the body of the tree yet if that be peeled off the tree dyeth Though righteous dealings seem to be but the bark and outside of Religion yet if once thou castest them off thy Religion as thriving as thou thoughtst it to be will quickly wither and come to nothing the heart-blood of thy godliness may be let out by a wound in thy hand I shall lay down a Motive or two to quicken thee to conscienciousness in thy dealings with all men and then acquaint thee wherein it consisteth SECT I. FIrst Consider It s a sure sign of Hypocrisie to be unrighteous and careless in civil dealings how consciencious soever thou mayst seem to be in sacred duties He that seems righteous towards men and is irreligious towards God is but an honest Heathen and he that seems religious towards God and unrighteous towards men is but a dissembling Christian To make Conscience of one duty and not of another is to make true conscience of neither The soul that ever had Communion with God above comes down like Moses out of the Mount with both Tables in his hands the second as well as the first and the first as well as the second One stone in a Mill one oare in a Boat will do little good there must be two or no work can be done A perfect man consisteth of two essential parts a Soul and a body though the soulâ— be the principal and doth specificate the compound yet the body is so necessary that without it none can be a compleat man A Christian that is evangelically perfect is also made up of these two parts Holiness and Righteousness though holiness be the chief as that which doth difference the Saint yet righteousness is so requisite that there can be no true Christian without it The holy Apostle argueth the purity of his conscience from the honesty of his conversation We trust that we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly The goodness of the Fruit will commend the Tree 1. Their honesty was visible
agreest and pay it in good money Pay what thou contractest for If thou buyest wares with an intention not to pay thou stealest them and truly such wealth will melt away like Wax before the Sun Such ill gotten goods will as commodities in a damp Cellar moulder and come to nothing He that hath any such riches saith Chrysostom must speedily away with it or else he locketh up a Theif in his Counting-house which will carry all away and if he look not the better to it his precious soul also He is notoriously unrighteous that like the Harpie which hath its name in Hebrew from injustice seizeth upon all he can meet with as prey Mark Reader how pious honest Iacob was in this particular when the Patriarchs had bought Corn in Egypt and given their money to them that sold it yet when upon their return he found the money in their sacks Take saith he the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks carry it again in your hands peradventure it was an oversight Gen. 43. 12. How many would have concealed the money stopt the mouth of their consciences with the first payment and have kept it now as lawful prize but Iacobs conscience was more tender mouthed Let thy payments be in good Money It s Treason against the King to make bad money and its Treason against the King of Kings knowingly to pay brass money If thou dischargest thy debt in adulterate coyn thou contractest a greater debt on thy soul and defilest thy conscience He that putteth God off with false service is a spiritual Hypocrite He that puts men off with false silver is a civil Hypocrite Such a mans conscience is farther from being currant then his Coin And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the Sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant money with the Merchant Gen. 23. 16. He that makes light payments may well expect heavy judgements SECT III. Be righteous in selling Be careful whilst thou sellest thy wares to men that thou dost not therewith sell thy soul to Satan Believe it thou wilt follow thy calling to sad purpose if thou forgoest thine inward peace for a little outward profit Be righteous in the substance of what thou sellest and that in regard of its quality and quantity In regard of its quality Put not bad ware for good into any mans hand God can see the rottenness of thy stuffs and heart too under thy false glosses and for all thy false lights Thou sayst Caveat emptor Let the buyer beware but God saith Caveat venditor Let the seller be careful that he keep a good conscience To sell men what is full of flaws and defective for what is sound and sufficient will make a greater flaw in thy conscience then thou art aware of If thou partest with thy goods and thy honesty together though for a great sum thou wilt be but a poor gainer Thou wilt ask possibly whither every man be bound to reveal the faults of what he selleth supposing that he knoweth them I Answer that every man is bound either to discover them or else to take no more for his wares or beasts then they are worth at a Market-price with those defects It s clear that its sinful to use tricks and arts to hide those faults from the eyes of the Chapman for such deeds are done purposely to deceive I would also know Reader whether thou dealest herein as thou wouldst willingly be dealt with Wouldst thou be glad to pay double or half as much more as a commodity is worth Be righteous in the substance of what thou sellest in regard of its quantity We have a common saying Weight and Measure are Heavens treasure It s certain A false ballance is abomination to the Lord a just weight is his delight Prov. 11. 1. The righteous Lord hateth unrighteousness but his countenance beholdeth the just They wrong themselves most who rob others of their right He hatcheth a Cockatrice egge who sits brooding on ill-gotten goods and like Agrippina to Nero bringeth forth and gives life to that which will be his death The jealous God is very punctual in this particular Ye shall do no unrighteousness in Iudgement in Mete-yard in Weight or in Measure Iust Balances just Weights a just Ephah and a just Hin shall â—e have I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Egypt Lev. 19. 35 36. God is pleased to count up all in his command that they might not have the least colour of excuse for cozening in any thing Nay he loatheth so much false Weights and Measures in their hands that he will not allow them to be in their houses Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a small Thou shalt not have in thy house divers Measures a great and a small But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have Deut. 25. 13 14 15. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers Weights in the Hebrew it is a stone and a stone because the Jews did not make their weights of Iron or Lead or any Mettal that would canker and wax too light but they made them of the clear stony Rock or of Glass They might not have an unjust Weight or Measure in their Houses because some not knowing them to be defective might use them and deceive others The face of Ephraims sin was visible under all the Masks which he used to hide it He is a Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress And Ephraim said Yet I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labour they shall finde none iniquity in me that were sin Hos. 12. 7 8. Here is 1. His Calling that was Honourable He is a Merchant When some accused a young Gentleman for staining his Family by his employment and dishonouring the Noble house of which he descended Apollonius stood forth in his defence Ye talk saith he of a dangerous Trade and truly such is the life of Merchants they travail into forraign parts run great hazards make many ill bargains and sometimes are bought and sold themselves and all this they venture to serve their Country and ought they not to be highly esteemed Ephraim was a Merchant but how unsutable were his practices to his high and honourable Profession for observe 2. His Cozenage that was abominable The ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress When a buyer comes for a commodity he weigheth it out fairly in the ballance but he hath a deceitful bag of weights or a deceitful beam He dares not cozen openly for shame but he doth covertly with the sleights and mysteries of his calling but to rob by fraud in a Shop or Ware-house is as bad as to rob by force upon the road Both are Thieves and the former in some respect the greater as more dissembling
with incest Revenge is a Thief that steals away a mans estate for the Lawyers It is of the nature of the Viper and eats out the bowels of that wealth which gave it birth What a fool am I to defame my self That rancour and spleen which I spit at others is like his that spits against the wind driven back into my own face to the besmearing of my credit amongst all that are judicious What a fool am I to destroy my own grace my own peace What flowers of holiness will grow where such locusts abound What fruits of righteousness can thrive in such a scorching Climate What good work can be done within doors if the house be in a flame How unfit is a man in a passion to go to God in prayer surely no more then a person that comes reaking and sooted from a kell is for the presence of his Prince I must not expect to meet God in a duty if my spirit be in a fury A righteous man falling down before the wicked is like a troubled Fountain Prov. 25. 26. I seldom fall down more fouly before wicked men then when I render reviling for reviling and revenge for revenge but then how unfit am I to fall down in holy duties before my God! for I am as a troubled fountain and if men will not drink of the water of a fountain though in it self pure and wholsom when it is troubled and muddy can I think that my God will drink of that vessel that runs thick O that I might never because others are my enemies in defaming me become my own enemy in defiling my own soul and hindering it of that comfort which it might have in divine communion Lord who art the God of peace let me be known to be one of thine by being a Son of peace Enable me to pass on like a wise Travailer in the way of thy Commandements and not to be stirred at the barking of those Dogs that pursue me with open mouth My confident neglect will soonest make them quiet let me never break the peace but in the quarrel of truth Give me for peace sake sometimes to part with my right but never with my righteousness Let the same mind be in me which was in Christ Jesus Teach me from him to be meek and lowly in heart and yet to be eaten up with the zeal of thy house Make me willing to suffer but not to have thy name suffer Grant me to follow peace with all men and holiness O bestow on me that wisdom from above which is first Pure then Peaceable Gentle and though hardly provoked yet easie to be intreated I Wish that those beautiful children of righteousness courtesie and meekness in my carriage may have the Spirit of God for their Parent I mean that the fear of my God may be the principle from which they flow I shall lose the race how well soever I run if I do not set out at the right place Men look onely to my practices and accordingly judge of my principle if my life be without fault their charity tells them that my heart is without fraud but Gods eye is on my principle and accordingly he judgeth of my practices if my affections be not gracious he knoweth that my actions cannot be righteous My God knoweth me thorough and thorough He spieth the rottenness and crawling vermine that are in the bowels of a painted Sepulchre If I be like a Peach with a craggy stone in my heart under the cover of a velvet Coat he understandeth it altogether I may cozen the dark eyes of men who when they behold the inoffensiveness of my life and the height of my profession are ready to cry out of me as Samuel of Eliab when he saw the comeliness of his countenance and the height of his stature Surely the Lords annointed is before him but I cannot deceive God he seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Alas if I have no more to shew for my title to Heaven then a fair outside what have I more then an Hypocrite nay then some Heathen A few flourishes in a Paper or Parchment is but a poor evidence for an inheritance How many be there in the World who as some revelling Gallants by their gay cloaths and gaudy attire speak that they are worth thousands when they have not a penny in their pockets who by their outward conversations seem to be rich in grace when indeed like Laodicea they are poor and miserable and blind and naked O that all my fruits of righteousness might grow upon the root of holiness and spring from a renewed nature then and not till then they will be acceptable to my Saviour then my beloved will come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits I would be mindful of these moral duties because my God commandeth them and as knowing that I caâ—not be religious if I be not righteous Though the sensitive soul may be without the rational as in Beasts yet the rational soul is never without the sensitive Though righteousness towards men may be without holiness yet holiness before God is never without righteousness before men Lord thou expectest and commandest that I should act both for thee and from thee Thou valuest the Vessel not by the ballast of a few good actions which an Heathen may gather up at any Port but by the fraught of a sanctified heart which is peculiar to thy chosen Let my obedience to the second Table arise from my Conscience of the first table that whilst the righteous friendly and meek carriage of others that runneth along amongst those with whom they converse is little better then puddle water in thine esteem because it proceedeth from the sinks of their natural and defiled hearts justice may not onely in my actions run down like water and meekness in my conversation like a mighty stream but be so fed with and flow from the Spring of thy holy Spirit dwelling in my heart that it may be delightful and of worth in thy sight I Wish that I may design somewhat for my God in all my dealings with men and carry my self the more sweetly and circumspectly that I may gain their affections and thereby win them to the greater love and liking of Religion Christianity is my calling and where-ever I go my duty bindeth me to be always furthering it It was one Article which I sealed to when I first entred my self Christs servant to endeavour the making others Proselytes to his service and if I neglect it I am unfaithful to my Master and forfeit my Indenture My Pattern may with some be very prevalent If I shine with a vertuous life I am as a light-house set by the Sea-side whereby Mariners sail aright and avoid dangers but if I pretend high and walk loosely as a false Lanthorn I shipwrack those that trust me My holy life is a good Lecture of holiness to
spoke The Drunkards mind and stomach are alike neither can retain what they receive Solomon likewise sets a brand at this mans door to discourage every sober man from coming there Be not amongst Winebibbers amongst riotous eaters of flesh Always he hath some lust or other lording it over him and according as their interests lead him so he acteth that his friend must expect no more of him then they can spare and is such a person like to prove a Cordial friend He may abound in frothy words but I must expect no faithful deeds from him if ever I come to sufferings like a Drum in a Battel he may make a great sound but will act nothing for my succour like a Cipher though now in my prosperity he stands for thousands in my adversity he will stand for nothing Such a friend will be like a familiar Devil which forsakes the Witch when she is in Fetters How much shall I miss of my expected help from him when I am brought into hardships As a Lemon he may be hot without but is altogether cold and cooling within O that I might never manifest so much folly as to choose him for my friend whose principles will teach him to be false He so often changeth his dwelling for his own end and interest that I shall not know where to find him when I stand in most need As a Flie he will tarry no longer in the Kitchen then there is grease to feed him I am but his Pond which he will use whilst there is any water but when dry I shall hear no more of him Lord how far would thine end of society be frustrated and my hopes of comfort in companions be disappointed should I choose him who is ruled neither by Religion nor Reason I beseech thee let my lot fall amongst those persons that are filled with the fruits of thy Spirit for they onely will be faithful to the true and holy ends for which thou hast ordained friendship Preserve me from walking in the counsel of the ungodly and standing in the way of sinners lest being found in their Company I come to inherit their curses I Wish that I may like Paul joyn my self to the Disciples and be in League onely with them who are joyned to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant never to be forgotten I profess my self to be a follower of God My God hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psa. 4. 3. If the godly man be the object of my Gods choice he may well be of mine If he be separated for his service he is without question worthy of my society Surely there is some value in those vessels which are meet for the Masters use Common and ordinary things are not fit for a Princes Table Neither is every person meet for a Kings presence They are specially qualified with parts and abilities that stand before Great men Pharoah would have none but men of activity to serve him in tending his Cattel Nebuchadnezzar would have Children in whom was no blemish but well-favoured and skilful in all wisdom and cunning in knowledge and understanding sciences and such as had ability in them Dan. 1.4 to stand in the Kings Palace What manner of men are those then whom the glorious God hath chosen to wait upon him There cannot but be rare perfections in them that are set a part to shew forth all his praise He is infinitely wise and would not honour them so much that are not of eminent worth O my soul what a Loadstone is here to draw forth thy love towards the Saints Thy constant thy loving thy best friend sets an high price upon them All the world bâ—sides is a wild Wilderness to him they onely are his Garden wherein he delights and wilt not thou walk there with him amongst such fragrant Flowers and pleasant Fruits He esteems others but as dust they are his jewels Observe what he tells thee The heart of a wicked man is little worth but the tongue of the righteous is as choice silver The heart of man includes the understanding will and affections the soul and all its faculties and is the noblest part of man it is the fountain of life the spring of motion the seat of his Empire and Regiment nay the Commander in chief that ordereth and disposeth of all at pleasure yet this heart which is the most excellent part in a wicked man is of small price it is little worth nay is worse then naught but the tongue a far inferiour member of the righteous is no mean mettal as choise silver and makes a most delightful sound Wilt not thou joyn thy self to these excellent ones If their tongues be as choice silver surely their hearts do infinitely excel fine gold Nay are more precious then rubies The Topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal them neither shall they be exchanged for jewels of fine Gold Who would not be greedy of acquaintance with men of such surpassing eminence It would bewray extream want of wisdom not to be ambitious of communion with persons of such worth Besides Should I joyn with others I choose them that are my Gods enemies It is not onely ingratitude but treason to countenance them that are traytours against the Crown and Dignity of Iesus Christ. T was a sharp and cutting reproof which Jehu gave to King Jehosaphat I Wish I may never give cause for the like to me Shouldst thou help â—he ungodly and love them that hate the Lord My God counts my enemies his enemies and hates them that hate me and shall I esteem his enemies my friends and love those that hate him Wicked men are a generation of Vipers they hiss at godliness and spit their poison at God himself They stretch out their hands against God and strengthen themselves against the Almighty Iob 15. I shew but small kindness to the God of all my comforts if I take his foes to be my friends Once more I disgrace my birth my breeding I dishonour my profession my Prince if I accompany with wicked persons It s below a great Heir to company with beggars It s a discredit to a King to be taken up with Porters A Companion of riotous men shameth his Father on Earth Prov. 28. 7. A companion of vicious men shameth his Father in Heaven It speaketh his education to be very mean and his expectation to be low both which reflect upon his Father O that I might never disgrace my Gods goodness in the cost and charge he hath been at with me by choosing the scullions and filth of the World to be my companions nor disparage my own judgment in refusing the excellent of the earth and them that are Princes in all Lands Lord thy people are thy portion Jacob is the lot of thine inheritance they are precious in thy sight and honourable for thou hast loved them they are fair in thine eyes and altogether lovely Help thy poor servant to resemble thy Majesty Give me spiritual eyes
endeavour it and leave as little a scar as possibly he can Pliny tells us of one Martia who had the Child in the womb kill'd by lightning and yet she her self was unhurt It s excellent when a Boanerges can so cast forth lightning as to kill sin in his conscience and not hurt the sinner in his repute To avoid this it was ordained among the Lacedemonians that every transgressour should be his own corrector for his punishment was to compass the Altar finging an invective made against himself It s a singular credit to the Christian if he can open and so heal mens sores as not to leave any brand upon their persons We read that God appointed Snuff-dishes as well as Snuffers for the Lamps of the Tabernacle and both to be of pure gold Exod. 37. 23. The Snuffers noted that those who check any fault in others should be free themselves The Snuff-dishes noted that those crimes which we reprove we should forgive and remit The Râ—bbies say that those Snuff dishes were filled with Sand to bury the Snuffs in He who snuffs a Candle and throws the snuff about the Room gives offence to more by the ill savour he makes then content by his care and diligence There is hardly any work of Christianity which requires more wisdom then this of Admonition The temper and quality of the persons the nature and difference of the crimes the manner and way of delivering the reproof the fittest season for it ought all to be seriously and diligently considered The rebuke of sin is aptly resembled to the fishing for Whales the mark is big enough one can hardly miss hitting but if there be not Sea-room enough and line enough and a dexterity in letting out that line he that fixeth his harping-iron in the Whale endangers both Himself and his Boat Reproof strikes an Iron as it were into the conscience of the Offendour which makes him struggle and strive to draw the Reprover into the Sea to bring him into disgrace and contempt but if the line be prudently handled and not pull'd too strait nor too qâ—ick the sinner may be drâ—wn to the Reprover and saved I confess this duty of reproving is an hard and unpleasing task because truth ordinarily begets hatred but it s far better that men should hate thee for the discharge of thy duty then that God should hate thee for the neglect of it It s much easier to endure their rage for a short time then the Lords wrath for ever If the perfons reproved have any true love to themselves they will love thee and truly that mans love is little worth who hath none for his own soul. Therefore Reader obey Gods precept and leave the event to his providence Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes. 5. 11. If thou canst advantage and gain their souls they will give thee thanks if not thy God will and surely his thanks are not to be esteemed at a low rate It hath many times been experienced that faithful reprehensions have procured though present ill-will yet respect afterwards Dean Colet for delivering his conscience by way of reproof before Henry the eighth at the siege of Tourney was questioned by the Privy Counsellors but within a short time he got a large interest in the Kings heart by the discharge of his duty He that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour then he that flattereth with his tongue Prov. 28. 23. The sick patient who at present wrangleth with his Physitian for his bitter potions doth afterwards when he findeth the happy effect of it in his healâ—h and recovery both thank and reward him Though thou meetest with an ungrateful return in his passion yet thou mayst when that cloud is dispersed expect a more serene and pleasing requital However the best way to lose a friend if thou canst not keep him and a good conscience too is by seeking by thy love and faithfulness to save him Sixthly Mourn for those sins which thou canst not amend Those sins which thou canst not beat down with a stream of truth do thou overcome with a flood of tears When others kindled a fire of lust David drew water and poured it out before the Lord Rivers of tears run down mine eys because the wicked forsake thy law Psa. 119. 135. Mark the intension of Davids passion upon the disobedience of wicked persons Sighs are an ordinary sign of grief but tears a far greater What sorrow was then in Davids heart when not onely tears but rivers of tears ran down his eyes Sâ—rely the Fountain of sorrow was very full and deep when the streams did run so fast and freely Others guilt calleth aloud to thee for grief Do they wound their souls by sin do thou wound thy own soul with sorrow Alas how is it possible thou canst be amongst them that dishonour the blessed God grieve his holy Spirit and break his righteous Commands and not have thine heart broken Lot vexed his righteous soul with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 8. Unless thou hast lost thy spiritual sent thou canst not endure the stench of their filthy unsavoury breath without much perplexity and trouble I remembred the transgressors and was greived because they kept not thy Law Psa. 119. 158. He that hath any part of the new man in himself must needs be offended at the old man in others It s presumed he is of a dishonest mind who is not offended at the cheats and thefts of others Every creature is disturbed at that which is contrary to its own nature If grace be the object of my joy and delight sin must needs be the object of my grief and sorrow My soul shall weep in secret for your pride saith Ieremiah Jer. 13. 17. Reader If thou lovest thy God with all thine heart thou cast not but mourn that others should hate him and walk contrary to him We grieve as truly for wrongs done to those whom we sincerely affect as for injuries done to our selves When one of Darius his Eunuches saw Alexander the Gâ—eat setting his foot and trampling upon a Table that had been highly esteemed by his Master he fell a weeping Of which when Alexander asked the reason he answered I weep to see that which my Master esteemed at so high a rate made thy foot-stool A gracious person cannot hear or see the Son of God the Word of God and the People of God which his God prizeth at an high rate vilified trampled under foot and slighted by wicked men but he falls a weeping My tears have been my meat day and night while they say unto me continually Where is thy God Psa. 42. 3. The dishonour of his God went nearer to his heart was very sad at that season Because others did eat the bread of violence and drink the wine of deceit he did eat his bread with tears and mingle his drink with weeping As
commodities make the most of their Markets and buy their wares while a fit time of buying them serves and having possibly had great losses formerly or spent their time idly do by their diligence seek to redeem and as it were to buy back again the time that is past The Lacedemonians were penurious of their time and spent it all about necessary business not suffering any Citizen either to play or be idle When their Ephori heard that some used to walk in the afternoons for their recreation they forbad it as savouring too much of pleasure and commanded them to recreate their bodies by some manly exercise which might breed them to be serviceable to the Common-wealth Reader the time of thy life goeth post thou art hastening to thy last stage whether thou art eating or drinking walking or sitting buying or selling waking or sleeping death is always making speed towards thee the time of thy departure hence is concluded and resolved beyond which it is impossible for thee whether thy work be done or undone to stay one day no not one hour nay not one moment and shouldst thou waste thy time upon toys and trifles as if thou hadst nothing to do no God to make peace with no Redeemer to lay hold on no soul to take care of He that hath a great way to go or much work to do and that upon pain of death and but a little time for it hath little reason to laze or loyter When we have but a little paper and much to write we write small and thick O how much work hath every Christian to do in this world which if he neglect he is lost for ever how many head-strong lusts to subdue how many duties towards God and men to perform how many graces to exercise providences and ordinances to improve and can all this be done in a little time The Candle of our lives burns low if like foolish Children we play it out we may thank our selves if we go to bed in the dark without the light of comfort to our graves It is one of the most irrational yet ordinary action of the children of men especially persons of estates and quality to waste time in Dicing or Carding or hawking or Hunting or Chambering or Revelling and yet to murmur that they want time and tell us Its pitty mans life is so shortâ— that it is not spun out to a longer thread I must tell such that they complain of God when they should of themselves He is not penurious but they are prodigal in mispending it I must ask them Why would they have more time Is it to be more riotous and prophane and vicious The shortest moment is too much for the service of sin He that sinneth but once sinneth too much by once If it be that they might honour God and get grace and lay hold on eternal life why do they not set about it and make it their business Every one would accuse him of folly that were condemned one Assize to be hanged but was reprieved till the next and had that time allotted to sue out his pardon if he should in the interim give himself wholly to gaming and drinking and take no care about his pardon yet complain to all that came to him that his time was short and he had not enough to get his pardon in or prevent his Execution Our days are sufficient for our duties had we grace to number them and to apply our hearts to wisdom but there is no overplus of time to be abused to fleshly or worldly lusts or to be lavished away in idle and unnecessary things A good man that liveth all the day long in the fear of his God and husbands his time to the best advantage of his soul finds it so sufficient for his work that he is always ready to be called to an account and when ever he dieth he dieth full of days and hath had his fill of living but men waste their time in vanity and folly sacrifice their youth to frowardness and unprofitableness their manhood to pleasure and passion their old age if they live so long to earthly-mindedness and Atheism nay they will set down and contrive sports or send for or go into idle company to pass away the time and then complain that time is little and life is short and they have not enough to provide for death and eternity in The Moralist observeth truly Non exiguum temporis habemus sed multum perdimus It is not a little time that we have but it is much which we waste God iâ— bountiful in allotting us time but we are laviâ—h of it and then grumble that it is no more The largest possessions in a Country though worth thousands per annum are nothing in the hands of a Prodigal Heir who useth to throw away thousands at a cast and must pay the Bills which Pride and luxury and gluttony send him in daily but a twentieth part of those revenues were a large estate in the hands of a frugal person The vast incomes of Egypt and all the Eastern Provinces were but a small sum when they were gathered to maintain the pomp and ambition of Antony and the riot and fleshly lusts of Cleopatra when some prudent provident Emperours have lived freely and nobly a whole year with less then they consumed in a day Foolish men that are riotous and prodigal of their time as if it were given them onely to sport and play and roar and revel in pine and whine at last that they are lost because their time is so short but wise and gracious persons that deny themselves and crucifie the flesh that can redeem time from toys and idle talk and foolish sports and unnecessary diversions to pray and hear and read and examine their souls and bemoan their sins and provide for heaven these grow rich in good works and find the days of their pilgrimage sufficient for them SECT V. FIfthly Call thy self to an accauut at evening Take a review of thy carriage the whole day how thou didst behave thy self Begin with the morning consider whether thou didst awake with God what was the frame of thy Spirit in closet and family duties in company and solitude Reflect upon thy actions thy passions thy speech thy silence thy behaviour at table in thy shop whether thy affections were heavenly above the world when thy actions were earthly about the world whether thou wast righteous in thy particular calling and didst set upon it out of conscience to Gods precept and with an eye to his glory whether thou didst not lose an opportunity of advantaging thy brothers soul and doing thy God service whether thou hast not failed in thy thoughts or words or deeds in thy demeanour towards thy relations or neighbours or strangers whether thou didst in all walk according to that rule which thy God hath prescribed thee This is the way to make the day more pious and the night more pleasant Conscience
with fear Didst thou receive thy meat as in Gods presence and hadst thou an eye therein at his praise How didst thou behave thy self in thy Particular calling Did it no way incroach upon thy general Was thy conversation in heaven whilst thy dealings were about earth Wast thou diligent in the exercise of it righteous in thy dealings in it depending on God for a blessing on it What was thy carriage in company was thy life holy spotless exemplary profitable to others Mightest thou not in such a place have done thy God more service and thy Brothers soul more good May I not say to thee as God to Jonah Didst thou well to be angry at such a time upon no cause what were thy thoughts in solitude how wast thou imployed Had God any true share in thy thoughts hast thou watched thy self this day and kept thy heart with all diligence Hath none of thy precious time been lavisht away on unnecessary things Answer me faithfully to all these particulars that I may be able to return an answer to him that sent me O that I could but imploy one half hour every day with seriousness and uprightness in such soliloquies Lord thou didst create the world in six days and thou wast pleased to loâ—k back on every days work and behold it was very good and then ensued thy Sabbath Cause thy â—ervant to be a follower of thee as a dear child in minding every day the work thou hast given me to do that I may every night review it with comfort finding it good in thy Christ at the end of all my days looking back upon all my works I may see them very good through the acceptation of thy grace and with joy enter into my eternal Sabbath I Wish that I may end every day with him who is the beginning and first born from the dead That I may every night go to bed as if I were going to my grave knowing that sleep is the shadow of death and when the shadow is so near the substance cannot be far off Though lovers cannot meet all day yet they will make hard shift but they will find an opportunity to meet at night Should my devotion set with the natural Sun I may fear a dreadful night of darkness to follow That bed may well be as uneasie as one stuft with thorns that is not made by prayer If the soul lye down under an heavy load of sin the body can have no true rest Jacob could sleep sweetly upon an hard stone having made his peace with God when Ahashuerus could not though on a bed of down I cannot sleep unless God wake for me and I cannot rationally expect his watchfulness over me unless I request it My corruptions in the day call for contrition in the night How many omissions commissions personal relative sins heart life wickedness am I daily guilty of and â—hould I lye down under their weight for ought I know they may sink me before morning into endless wo. Whilst blood is in my veins sin will be in my soul. The weed of sin may be cut broken pulled up yet it will spring again I shall as soon cease to live as cease to sin Though I should be free all the day long from presumptuous enormities and onely defiled with ordinary humane infirmities yet these if not bewailed are damning The smallest letters are most hurtful to the eyes and far worse then a large Character Those sins which are comparatively little if not lamented are far more dangerous then Davids Murther and Adultery which were repented of When the soul like Thamar hath notwithstanding its utmost endeavours to preserve its chastity been ravished and by force defiled it must with her lift up the voice and weep If the Sun may not go down upon my wrath against man much-less may I presume to lye down under the wrath of God Besides how can sin be mortified if it be not confessed and bewailed Arraignment and Conviction must go before Execution The favours of the day past are not to be forgotten but to be acknowledged with thankefulness I receive every day more considerable mercies then there are moments in the day and when I borrow such large sums the principal of which I am unable ever to satisfie shall I be so unworthy as to deny the payment of this small interest which is all my Creditour requireth Whatsoever gain I have got in my calling whatsoever strength I have received by my food whatsoever comfort I have had in my Relations or Friends whatsoever peace liberty protection I have enjoyed all the day long I must say of all 〈◊〉 Jacob of his Venison The Lord hath brought it to me Surely the hearer of my morning prayers may well be the object of my evening prayses Aâ— how unreasonable is it that I like a whirl-pool should suck in every good thing that comes near me and not so much as acknowledge it Should any one be the thousandth part so much indebted to me as I am to God how ill should I take it if he should not confess it If a Beggar at my door receive a small almes from God by my hands I look for his thanks How often have I complained of the baseness and unworthiness of some that are engaged to me O what tongue can express what heart can conceive how much I am indebted to my God every moment though I am less then the least of all his mercies and doth not all his goodness merit sincere thankefulness Lord I confess there is not a day of my life wherein I do not break thy Laws in thought word and deed Sin is too much the element in which I live and the trade that I drive I find continually a law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and captivating me to the Law of sin and death Ah wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Since I am no day innocent make me every night penitent As my sins abound let my sorrow abound and thy grace much more abound Though I can never requite thy favours help me to admire and bless the fountain of them Suffer me never to go to bed till I have first asked thee my heavenly Father blessing Let the eyes of my soul be always open to thee in prayer and prayse before the eyes of my body be shut And O be thou always pleased so to accept my confessions petitions thanksgivings my person and performances in thy dear son that I may lay me down in peace and sleep because thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Finally I Wish that every day of my life may be spent as if it were the day of my death and all my time employed in adorning my soul in trimming my lamp and in a serious preparation for eternity Whilst I am living I am dying every moment my sand is running and my Sun is declining I am as Stubble before the Wind and as
Beasts he often wished by the way that he were in the midst of those Beasts that were to devour him and that their appetites might be whetted to dispatch him fearing lest it should happen to him as to some others that the Lyons out of a kind of reverence would not dare to approach them being ready he said rather to provoke them to fight then that they should suffer him to escape Bradford being told by his Keepers Wife that his Chain was a buying and he was to die the next day pulled off his Hat and thanked God for it When some wondered that Adam Damplip could eat his food so well when his end was so near he told them Ah Masters Do you think that I have been Gods Prisoner so long in the Marshalsey and have not yet learned to die Yes yes and I doubt not but God will strengthen me therein Ann Askew subscribed her Confession in Newgate thus Written by me Ann Askew that neither wisheth for death nor feareth his might and as merry as one that is bound towards Heaven Indeed it s said of a wicked man that his soul is required of him and that God takes away his soul Luk. 12. Job 27. 10. but of a godly man that he giveth up the Ghost and he cometh to his grave Gen. 25. 8. Job 4. ult Nature will teach the Heathen that death is the end of all outward miseries to all men hence some of them drank of its cup with as much constancy and courage as if it had been the most pleasant Julip but grace will teach the Christian that death is not onely a remedy against all his bodily and spiritual maladies as Sir Walter Rawleigh said of the sharp Ax that should behead him this will cure all my infirmities but also an inlet into fulness of joy and felicity Reverend Deering said on his death-bed I feel such joy in my spirit that if I should have the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather a thousand times chuse the sentence of death since God hath appointed a separation then the sentence of life Tiâ—us Vespation the mirror of mankind being a stranger to Christ was very unwilling â—o leave the world being carried in an Horse-litter and knowing that he must dye lookt up to Heaven and complained pittifully that his life should be taken from him who had not desired to dye having never committed any sin as he said but onely one Socrates and some of the wiser Heathenâ— comforted themselves against the fear of death with this weak Cordial that it is common to men the way of all the earth Hence it was when the Athenians condemned Socrates to dye he received the Sentence with an undaunted spirit and told them they did nothing but what nature had before ordained for him But the Christian hath a greater ground for a holy resolution and a stronger Cordial against the fear of death even his hopes of eternal life and surely if he that exceeds others in his Cordials be excelled by them in Courage he disgraceth his Physitian Aristippus told the Saylers who wondred that he was not as well as they afraid in the storm Ye fear the torments due to a wicked life and I expect the reward of a good one It s no marvail that they who lived wickedly should dye unwillingly being frighted with the guilt of their past sins and with the fears of their future torments therefore the holy Ghost saith of such a one The wicked is driven away in his wickedness as a Beast that is driven out of his den to the slaughter or as a Debtor driven by the Officers out of his house wherein he lay warm and was surrounded with all sorts of comfort to a nasty loathsom prison But that the righteous who hath hope in his death should even dye almost with fear of it before-hand is matter of wonder Lots soul is exceedingly vexed with Sodom yet he is loth to leave it This world is a wilderness a purgatory a step-mother a persecutor to all the Saints and yet some of them when called to leave it sing loth to depart and would linger behind partly from nature which dreads a dissolution and partly from the weakness of grace To fear death much argueth sometimes wickedness always weakness 3. Repentance It s said of St. Augustine that he dyed with tears in his eyes in the practice of repentance and Posidonius saith of him that he heard him often say in his health that it was the fittest disposition for dying Christians and Ministers Laudatos saith he Chistianos sacerdotes absque digna competenti paenitentia exire de corpore non debere We dye groaning iâ— regard of our bodies why should not our souls sigh that ever they sinned against so good a God! Beasts bite their enemies with more venome and indignation when they are ready to dye Maxime mortiferi solent esse morsus morientium animaliâ—m The Christian should give sin his most deadly bite his greatest abhorrency and grief and shame when he is dying and shall never see sin or sorrow or shame more As its noble and excellent to dye forgiving sinners so also taking revenge upon sin Moses a little before his death is commanded to avenge the Children of Israel of the Midianites and then he is gathered to his people Numb 31. 1 2. Samuel takes vengeance on Agag when he was old and knew not the day of his death David could not dye with comfort till he had charged Solomon to execute that justice on Ioab which he had omitted The last time the Judge seeth the Felon he passeth sentence of death upon him O how should the soul of a dying Saint be inflamed with anger against sin when he considers the rich love that it abuseth the glorious name that it dishonoureth the blessed Saviour that it pierceth and that vast happiness which he is going to possess of which without infinite grace and mercy it had deprived him Some persons when they have been to take their last revenge on their enemies have done it to purpose The beleiver on his dying bed takes his last revenge on sin he shall never have another opportunity to shew his love to his God and Saviour in his spite at and hatred of sin therefore then he should do it to purpose as dying Sampson put forth all his strength and beg divine help that he may utterly destroy it and be avenged on it for all the defilement and bondage it hath brought on his soul and dishonour to his Saviour Dying Iacob cursed the sins of his own Sons Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their anger for it was cruel O my Soul enter not thou into their secrets The dying Child of God should curse his passions his pride his unbeleif his selfishness even all his lusts for disobeying such righteous Laws and displeasing such a gracious Lord. When David Chrytaeus
ready by him The loving Husband let him come when he will is ever welcom to a faithful Spouse The actual unpreparedness of some holy persons hath caused their Petitions for a longer stay when God seemed to call them hence Psa. 39. 13. As a Nobleman who is a Loyal Subject and affectionately desires his Princes presence and company at his house may wish that it may be deferred when his house is out of repairs till it is in a better order The habitual unpreparedness of sinners I mean their predominant impenitency and unbeleif hath made death cutting to them indeed The Pismire fears not the Winter having laid in her provision against that season but the Graâ—hopper being unprepared is starved therein Let thy whole life be but a preparation for death He that would dye but once I mean escape the second death must dye daily live in a constant expectation of it and preparation for it Pliny calleth a sudden death the greatest fortune of a mans life Iulius Caesar the day before his death in discourse with Marius Lepidus upon that point what was the best end of a mans life preferred that which was sudden and unlookt for which was his fate the next day Augustus his Successor was of the same judgement and desired Mortem celerem insperatem But the Christian findeth by experience that death to be the best which was most expected and prepared for Meditatio mortis vita perfectissima The Meditation of death is the holiest life â—aith the Father Tota vita meditatio mortis discendum est mori The whole life is but a learning to dye saith the Philosopher Wise Princes lay up ten years for one days Battel A wise Christian will lay up every day somewhat for his last day knowing that if he win that combat he is made for ever Invasions or Insurrections like a sudden breach of the Sea carry all before them when pitcht Battels give equal advantage and cause less terror on each side Evils premeditated are often prevented always mitigated the mind gathering reason and strength together wherewith to encounter them But unthought of troubles like fire in the night are most frightful startling the secure sinner from his quiet repose In order to this preparation I shall mention two or three particulars but briefly having spoken to them else-where 1. Keep a clear conscience in thy health Remember that sin is the sting of death therefore be afraid of sin if thou wouldst not be afraid of death T was Nero's answer to Seneca when he advised him to desist his wicked courses that he might please the Gods Verâ—or ego deos cum talia facio Do you think I fear the gods who dare run upon such actions But he who did not dread the Gods found death dreadful to him for the Historian observeth that he cried pittifully like a Child when he was called forth to be killed T is the righteous onely that is bold as a Lion because the rigâ—teous onely hath a conscience sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb and a conscience void of offence towards God and Man When Hilarion was nigh death Depart my soul saith he depart what dost thou fear thou hast served Christ almost seventy years and art thou afraid of death Bernard observeth of Gerrard I beheld him exultantem in morte hominem insultantem morti exulting in death and insulting over death St. Ambrose undauntedly encountred his last enemy saying I have not so lived that I am afraid to live any longer neither do I fear to die because we have a good Lord. The Testimony of a good conscience was the great Apostles comfort in the midst of his trials and troubles 2 Cor. 1. 12. T is guilt which makes us shie of a severe and Holy Gods presence It is no marvail that Alexander the Conqueror was struck almost dead at the sight of Cyrus Tomb that Sigismond when dying should forbid his servants to mention the word Death that Lewis the eleventh should while in health enjoyn his Courtiers not to speak of Death and when sick prohibit the naming it upon pain of death I do not wonder that Saul upon the news of his approaching danger and death falls groveling on the ground and hath no strength left in him nor that Belteshazar upon the tidings of this Serjeants coming to arrest him fell into an Ague Quaking and Shivering so violently that all the wine which he drank so plentifully in his golden Bowles could not chear his heart nor fetch blood into his cheeks The Malefactour may well dread the thoughts much more the approach of an Assize knowing that he is bound over to it and must appear to be arraigned condemned and executed The entry of death may well be forcible upon them whom it ejects out of all their happiness and whole lives have been made up of unholiness T is vice that paints death with such a formidable countenance with a whip and flames in its hand Friend let thy conversation be pious if thou wouldst dye in peace Such as a mans life is usually such is his death An unholy life is ordinarily followed with an unhappy end A filthy Adulterer mentioned by Luther expired in the armes of an Harlot So also Tigillinus Cornelius Gallus Ladislaus King of Naples one of the Popes died in the embraces of strange flesh A great swearer when he came to dye saith Mr. Bolton swore apace and as if he had been already in Hell called upon the standers by to help him with oaths King Henry the second on his death-bed cursed his Sons the day wherein he was born and in that distemper departed the World saith the Historian which himself had so often distempered We read of one who lived well that died ill and of but one in the whole Book of God who lived ill that dyed well A sinner may presume upon peace at death and bespeak in the language of Iehoram to Iehu Is it peace Jehu Is it peace death or as the Elders to Samuel Comest thou peaceably but the Answer will be the same with that of Iehu to him What peace can there be so long as the whordoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her witch-crafts are so many What peace can there be so long as thy lâ—sts and atheism and ignorance and prophaness abound and thy abominations are so many It s no wonder that such persons like Owles are never heard but at night the close of their days and then they screech horribly What shall we call a mocking of God saith a learned person if they do not mock him who think it enough to ask him forgiveness at leasure with the last drawing of a malicious breath these find out a new God make one a leaden one like Lewis the eleventh of France And again Let us not flatter our immortal souls to neglect God all our lives and know that we neglect him trusting upon the peace we think to make at parting for this is no
I love them how can I manifest it better then by commending them to God in prayer Should I leave them thousands of silver and gold if I were able it would not all amount to the price of one fervent prayer My riches might wrong them through the deceitfulness of their hearts and cause them to be contented short of Heaven but my prayers cannot prejudice them but may much further their eternal welfares Men whose natures are crabbed and cruel have granted the requests of their dying children when they have been contrary to their own humours How much more will God the Father of mercies whose nature is Love whose bowels are infinite satisfie the desire of his dying children when they fall in with his own design and desire If Joab had hopes to speed in his supplication for Absolom because he knew the Kings heart was more for it then his own may not I be confident to speed when I beg that he would pay my debts in spirituals with interest to those who have bestowed carnals on me for his sake when I ask that my Children and Relations may love and fear and worship his Majesty and be his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works and when I intreat that he would accomplish all the great and good things which he hath promised to his Church the purchase of his Christ knowing that his heart is infinitely more for these things then mine can be Lord when I dye I shall no more put up prayers for my self or other particular persons My natural obligations to my Kindred and Relations my civil ingagements to my Friends and Benefactours besides my spiritual bonds to them and thy whole Israel may well provoke me to be fervent and instant with thy Majesty at such an hour on their behalves My Redeemer before his death wrought hard at this duty He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Ah how should I pray for my self and others when I am taking my leave of prayer O let thy spirit of supplication be so poured down on me that I may poure out my spirit in supplication unto theeâ— for my own and others souls through thy Son with the greatest success I Wish that the night of my death may shine gloriously with the sparkling stars of divine and heavenly graces In particular I desire that when the time of my combat with my last enemy and my last combat with any enemy shall come I may above all take the shield of Faith whereby I shall be sheltered against the sting of death and quench the fiery darts of the wicked one The wise Mariner perceiving a storm approaching makes hast to fasten his Vessel with Anchors that it may be steady and not altogether at the mercy of the winds I must expect the greatest tempest when I am entering into my eternal Haven then all the powers of darkness will conjure up their strongest winds if possible to shipwrack the vessel of my soul Ah how much doth it concern me to put forth this grace the anchor of my soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail and thereby to fasten on the rock of Ages If I fail in this I fall I miscarry for ever God is a severe judge to condemn all guilty Malefactours Without his Son I am cloathed with guilt and so under his boundless wrath When Adam had disrobed himself of original righteousness by disobeying the law he fled from God and dreaded the summons of offended justice There is no appearing in the Fathers sight with acceptance but in the garments of his Son None can have boldness to enter into the holy of holies but by the blood of Iesus It s Faith onely that interesteth in this blood I know that through the red Sea of this blood I pass may safely though enemies pursue me hard into the Land of promise Lord I confess through an evil heart of unbeleif I have many a time departed away from the living God yet Lord I believe help mine unbeleif O Lord of life be not far from me when Devils and death are near me Help me with thy servant Stephen to see Heaven open by faith and the Son of man at thy right hand Enable me to disclaim whatsoever duties I have performed or graces I have exercised and to rely alone on a crucified Christ for pardon and life Though thou killest me let me dye trusting and clinging on and cleaving to Iesus Christ Let this Pilgrims staff of faith be never out of my hand till I come to my joâ—rneys end Thou art the Lord of Hosts and the Captain of my salvation O help me to put on the whole armour of God grant me such skill to use it that I may be able to stand in the evil day Teach thou my hands to war and my fingers to fight that through thee I may do valiantly and through thee may tread down mine enemies Grant me so to finish my course to fight the good fight of faith that at death I may receive the crown of righteousness which the righteous judge shall give to all that love his appearing I Wish that my faith may ripen into full assurance that thereby I may depart with joy and an abundant entrance may be ministred unto me into the Kingdom of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Moses and Simeon could sing at their own funerals The great Apostle could call to be put to Bed expecting thereby his sweetest eternal rest How many Martyrs have gone more joyfully to dye then ever Epicure did to dine and leaped when they drew near the Stake believing that they drew near their home their happiness their heaven What is it O my soul that makes thee start and flinch back at the sight of this bug-bear What is there in death that is so dreadful to thee Is it the sweetness of life or the pain of death or thy future estate after death Consider them all seriously and then judge rationally whether any of these should make the sigh so loath to depart First The love of life need not make thee so backward to obey the call of death If all thy time were made up of Holy-days death would bring thee greater advantage The Garlick and Onions of Egypt are nothing comparable to the Clusters of Canaan But alas its far otherwise thy whole life is a civil death Thou art born to sorrow as the sparks flye upward Thy days are few but full of trouble The earth to thee is a valley of tears the cross is thy daily companion which accompanieth thee where-ever thou goest The sufferings of thy flesh are neither few nor small How many diseases in thy body losses in thy estate how much disgrace ignominy slander oppression art thou liable to The sufferings of thy spirit are more and greater Thine own sins the provocations of others the dishonour of thy God the wants and weaknesses and oppression and persecution of the Church
with Mithridates they were so eager after their prey that thereby they missed taking the King who could not otherwise have escaped their hands Ah! how foolish art thou if through thy violent pursuit of a perishing world thou shouldst lose an eternal kingdom As Constantinople was lost through the covetousness of the Citizens so is the crown of life and glory the City that hath a foundation through mens eager endeavours after earthly things The beloved Disciple doth not unfitly represent all the beauties and glories and excellencies of this lower world under the name and notion of the Moon which is ever in changes and never looks upon us twice with the same face and when it is at the fullest is blemished with a dark spot and next door to declining Rev. 12. 1. An old man of Brasil discoursing with the Merchants of France and Portugal and perceiving the long and dangerous voyages which they took to get riches asked them If men did not dye with them as well as in other Countries They told him Yea. He asked them who should possess their riches after their deaths They said their Children if they had any if not their next kindred Now saith the old man I perceive ye are fools for what necessity is there for you to pass the troublesome Seas wherein so many perish and to run so many hazards Is not the earth that brought you up sufficient to bring up your children and kindred also We have children and kindred that are likewise dear to us but when we consider that the earth which nourisheth us is sufficient to nourish them we rest satisfied That busie Bee and great trouble-world Alexander had a tart yet wise reproof from Diogenes when being taken with the Philosophers witty answers he bade him ask what he would and he would give it him The Philosopher desired him to grant him the smallest portiou of immortality Alexander said that is not in my power to give Then saith the Philosopher Why doth Alexander take such pains and make such sâ—ir to conquer the world when he cannot assure himself of one moment to enjoy it Ah! why should thou neglect thy God and Christ and soul and eternal good and tyre and weary thy self night and day for these unsatisfying comforts which may leave thee to morrow and of which thou canst not secure the enjoyment of one moment If God complain of wicked men and threatens them with fierce wrath and fiery indignation for selling the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes and would make them know that he valued his people at an higher price and would not suffer them to be sold at such a rate What will become of thee if thou shouldst sell thy soul thy salvation thy God thy Christ for silver for vain unsatisfying corruptible silver when their value is above millions of worlds O take heed that thou dost not cast away thy self for such transitory trifles Let not the Worlds venison cause thee to lose thy Fathers blessing T was a poor change of Glaucus to exchange gold for copper but O what a sad exchange wilt thou make to exchange heaven for earth the endless fruition of the blessed God for a moments enjoyment of creatures Thou wouldst condemn that Mariner of folly who seeing a Fish in the water should leap into the Sea to caâ—ch it which together with his life he loseth What a fool art thou for mortal comforts to lose an immortal crown The women of Corinth saith an ancient Father did set up Tapers at the birth of every child with proper names upon each of them and that Taper which lasted longest in burning had its proper name transferred to the Child God himself gives the highest and richest though conceited worldling his name Thou fool this night c. Nabal is his name and folly is with him The plain truth is the world is the ruine and destruction of men Its pleasures and honours make the sinner merry and jolly as the hearb Sardonia the eater who eating dyeth They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares and many hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9. The world serveth its darlings as that tyrannous Emperor did his servants let them through a sliding floor into a Chamber â—ull of Roses that being smothered in them they might meet the bitterness of death in sweetness O do not spend thy strength for that which is not bread but hearken to Christ and thou shalt eat that which is good and thy soul shall delight it self in fatness Isa. 55.3,4 Secondly Consider the brevity of thy life He who hath but a little time and a great task must work hard or his work will not be done The Birds know their time and improve it in some Countries the shorter the days are the faster they flye Heathen have been sensible of this Theophrastus cryed out on his dying bed Ars longa vita brevis Time was short and not sufficient for humane arts and sciences Seneca saith of himself Nullus mihi per otium exiit dies partem noctis studiis devovi I lose no day through idleness but even devote part of the night to my studies The very Devils follow their cursed trade with the greater diligence knowing that their time is short Rev. 12. 12. Now Reader Consider how few thy days are What is your life even a vapour a coming and a going a flood and an ebbe and then thou art in the Ocean of eternity I have read of one that being asked What life was was answered answerless for the party of whom the question was demanded onely turned his back and went away We come into the world and take a turn or two about in it and God saith Return ye Children of men A little child may number the days of the oldest man We project high things and lay foundations for an earthly eternity but the longest life is less then a drop to that Ocean Yet alas the most are blown off in the spring and few continue to fall off in Autumn Plutarch compareth Galba Otho and Vitellius in regard of their short reign to Kings in Tragedies which last no longer then the time in which they are represented on the Stage The River Hypanis in Scythia bringeth forth every day little bladders out of which come certain Flies which are bred in the morning fledg'd at noon and dye at night Man cometh up like a flower and is cut down he fleeth as a shadow and continueth not Job 14. 2. This short time posteth away with speed How soon do our days vanish Iob tells us that his little time made great haste to be gone My days are swifter then a Weavers shuttle Job 7. 6. The Weavers shuttle is an instrument of very swift motion and so swift that it is used for a Proverb for all things that are swift and speedy Radius Textoris dictum Proverbiale Radio velocius The Latines express it by a beam of the