intreat them to joine science and conscience together to live up to their knowledge and duty by burning inwardly with a well-grounded well-guided zeal for God and by shining outwardly towards men with sobriety innocency sanctity Since great gifts parts and abilities without honesty and grace are great snares temptations mischiefs and plagues both to themselves and others And since without a holy diligent careful improvement of them both to Gods glory and the good of others all those whom God hath honoured and enriched with them will by him be greatly and grievously punished for abusing or not using and imploying of them And as for those who are yet in the petty school and lower forms that have not overgrown nor travailed beyond their A. B. C. in understanding and religion nor as yet rightly learned to know themselves sin the world or their Christs crosse that great work duty and comfort of true Christians there are lessens offered and set by me very necessary for them to be acquainted with instructed in imminded of and seasoned withall 5. Lastly because I know that although many instead of accepting my poor indeavours and receiving the truth in the love of it will not only reject and disregard it but also censure yea bite and revile the Author with their invenomed teeth and frothy filthy tongues yet my labour will not shall not be in vain because it 's in the Lord and for the Lord. In his name and fear this plain not mosaick or carved work was undertaken to his glory it was and is intended directed and by his assistance it is finished I do not I dare not say perfected His blessing his powerful gracious fruitful influence I do therefore most humbly beg upon it And do only desire these few very reasonable things and favours of my Readers First that they would instead of carping snarling or barking at my book which I confesse hath too much Alloy and drosse but no poison in it communicate their own more pure and better refined labours to the world It will be I assure them my joy and contentment not envy or sorrow to see and their own not only honour but comfort to build marble and magnificent fabricks where such low mudwalâ—'d Cottages as mine is are erected 2. Secondly that they would prize welcome and imbrace truth though it curb crosse or kill their carnall Joies profane waies and worldly interests 3. Thirdly That they would seriously consider that Jewels are both as precious and resplendent in a woodden box or in an earthen pot as in a cabinet of Pearl That there may be usefull wholesome and savoury herbs in that Garden which wants the bravery beauty glories and the gaudey embroidery of curious flowers And that sweet meats may do well for sauce or to taste of but are not fit or safe to be made our daily bread 4 Fourthly that they would not be their own murderers and Executioners by loving vice and hating vertue by adoring earth and trampling Heaven under their feet by forsaking Christ to follow the world by poisoning their souls to please their senses by deferring their repentance and an holy Life till death or by leaving the safe and pleasant ways of truth and righteousnesse to walk in the dangerous destructive paths of error heresies and wickednesse 5. Lastly I do earnestly intreat them to read what I have written without partiality passion prejudice and prepossession that Maxim being most true here Intus existens prohibet altenum For vessels top full of earth cannot receive without being emptied either gold or gemms And the most precious cordial the most soveraign Julep must needs be lost and spilt if it be put into a dish that is brim-ful of dung or muck-hill-pit water Read them then once more I do importunately pray and request you with hearts willing desirous and resolved to be informed imminded convinced reformed confirmed and if you receive any good by my weak labours remember to give God the glory of his own work and mercy and instead of your praises Crown me with your prayers But if you do not profit by them consider That bad disaffected and distempered stomacks do turn the best meats into ill humours and into dangerous if not mortall diseases That none are more either sure to languish or likely to die then those that refuse loath and cast away the Physick that should cure them That those who hate the light shall one day when 't is too late clearly see their folly sin and misery in outerdarknesse That glorified Saints would be Gaolers Angels tormentors and heaven it self an hell to those that are unholy unheavenly unregenerated on earth That they who have forgotten forsaken left and lost God and Jesus Christ shall never without humbling their souls mourning for their sins and returning to the Lord find or feel any true comfort peace or happinesse either in life or death That they who do not with the spiritual eye of a justifying faith stedfastly behold the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ as 't is said the eagle can with her natural eyes the sun of heaven will and do like the kite with the eyes of sense corrupt reason look earnestly yea longingly at stâ—op eagerly unto and feed greedily upon the carrion and garbage of creature-comforts which do only fit and fat the wicked as the richest soil doth beasts for the day of slaughter vengeance and damnation That they who do not impâ— the wings of their knowledge and reason with the golden feathers of vertue and piety will never be able to soar above the World or to mount up to Heaven a Solus vir bonus est revera prudens Arist Ethic. 6. Contrae inquit alius stolidi et imprudentes sunt mali Keck syst Ethic. lib. 1. c. 3. p. 148. That they only are really wise and good who are sincerely religious because discoursing learnedly is but the bark the shell of knowledge and because professing zealously is but the husk the leaf of sanctity for only honesty and piety are the kernell fruit head heart bloud spirits light heat soul and body of true wisdome and saving grace That therefore Christians ought to conform their practise to their principles their works to their words and their Lives to their light That they whose actions are eccentrick to Gods honour word and will will never without repentance and reformation be found weight in the ballance of the sanctuary That it 's infinitely more both honour and happiness to be a truly holy Christian than it is to be a victorious Caesar a famous Scipio a renowned Castriot or an invincible Alexander That it 's transcendently unspeakably yea unconceiveably more both glory comfort and felicity to and for Christians to morâ—ifie their sins lusts and passions then to overcome own or command the whole world Praeclarum quidem est inquit b Xevoph in Orat. de Agâ—filio Agesilaus inexpugnabiles hostium muros superare multo verum praeclarius animum parare suum
this eminent sweet excellent blessing by luxury by idlenesse ' gluttony drunkennesse and wantonnesse Ingage and indear our hearts by thy Love to thee make us carefull to imploy and improve all our Talents to thy Glory and grant that we may both fear scorn and hate to consume our precious time to spend our marrow to waste our strength and to destroy our health in drudging for Satan and in pleasing fewelling feeding our vain vile carnal and cursed Lusts Let our hearts be sound in thy Statutes that thou moist not punish us with rottennesse in our Bones Make us O Lord sick of sinne that sicknesse which is the fruit and punishment of sin may either be withheld or removed from us or however sanctified unto us And be thou blessed to heal our diseased souls and make us holy for otherwise healthfulnesse of Body will not be a Comfort or Mercy but a Crosse and Judgment to us Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Salus et Sal Sol est humanae vitae XI Of saving Faith and Sincere Love FAith t is a Diamond set in the Ring of the soul by the spirit of God other graces and vertues enamell beautifie it this gives worth and value to it 'T is the uppermost link in the Golden chain of Grace joyning uniting espousing a true believer to Jesus Christ 'T is the hand whereby he takes the long white Rayment of Christs Righteousnesse out of the glorious wardrobe of his infinite merits to cloath his soul withall which is stript stark naked by Adams fall and become both ugly and filthy through actual sins that so God may not behold the spots and deformity thereof to loath and abhorre it And 't is the hand also which not only receives but applies that Soveraign Plaister made of Christs precious heart-bloud to the soul for ease cure comfort 'T is the mouth that sucks the full and sweet Breasts of Divine promises to refresh feed nourish and strengthen the inward man a One saith of humane learning that if the faceâ— thereof could be seen it is fairer then the morning and evening star Aeneas Silvius in an Epistle to Sigismond Duke of Austria How infinitely more amiable delightful and beautiful then will the sight of Jesus Christ who is white ruddy yea altogether lovely Cantic 5. 10-16 by Faith here and for ever in glory hereafter be to a believing glorified Soul And saith Aug. Habet fides Oculos suos quibus quodammodo videt verum esse quod nondum videt Aug. Epi. 222. 'T is the eye by which a true beleever sees God through the thickest cloud of sin in the blackest mid-night of affliction yea in the darkest dungeon of tentation or desertion smiling upon him in the most amiable face of Jesus Christ 'T is the wing that carries Prayer to the Throne of grace and the usher that leads the soul home to Heaven and there leaves it 'T is a Peter catching hold of Christ when ready to sink in a Sea of perplexitie It 's a Sun that may be misted with fears and darkned with doubtings but can never be totally or finally eclipsed by despair for a Christian may lose his feeling but it 's impossible for him to lose his * Josuah 1. 5. compared with Hebr. 13. 15. union He may indeed want for a time the lustre but he cannot for ever be deprived of the light of Gods countenance Like a tree in winter he may seem to others yea and to himself too to be dead yet even then his root is full of sap and alive his heart hath saving grace in it for his life is hid in Christ he hath an immortall seed in him which cannot perish though like fire under ashes it may be couered and for a time not discerned either to grow or burn and therefore he will certainly like * Psalm 1. Davids tree be both green well liking and fruitful again These being truths to me like the Sun-beams when most radiant equally clear and comfortable 1. That where true and saving grace is once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God it may indeed decay but is cannot die For this Lamp will alwaies be fed with that Oyl from Heaven it may be hidden but it shal not be lost it may be wounded but it cannot be killed For though sin may blurre and fully a Christians evidences yet it cannot cancell them nor shall it ever pull off that seal which the holy Spirit hath set unto them and stampt upon them 2. That those whom God once loves with his peculiar his speciall love shal never become the eternal objects of his hatred and wrath Because whom God once loves loves he * John 13. 1. saith Saint John to the end that is for ever 3. And that none of those who by a justifying faith are espoused to Jesus Christ though they may provoke him to frown chide threaten yea punish them shall ever have a Bill of divorce given unto them by him Because all such though they be not so sanctifyed as to have no roots that bear Gall and the bitter fruits of sin in them nor so washed as to have no filth stains or soil adhere in this world unto them are fully acquitted of and discharged from that infinite debt they owed unto God by their Al-sufficient surety Jesus Christ who paid it for them so that it will never be required of them And although they be not perfectly yet they are sincerely pure and holy here and therefore shal most certainly be saved hereafter Saving faith 't is the only Receipt to cure the dead palsy of Atheisme in heart and life the Apoplexy of security and the best Aqua Coelestis the best cordial water to revive and cheer up a Soul that droops or faints under the sad apprehensions of Gods displeasure and for want of a Comfortable assurance of his Love It 's Alcinous his tree in realitie for it bears precious fruit continually 'T is like a Rod of Myrtle which saith Pliny will keep a travailer while he holds it in his hand from being faint or weary 'T is alwaies attended with her cheerful Sister and most faithful Companion Hope These two are to the Soul what Maroellus and Fabius Maximus was said to be unto Rome The Sword and the Buckler thereof b They are called uniones because they alwaies grow together by couples Heylyn Goerg p. 805. And like those Gemms called Vniones they alwaies grow together in it Faith and Hope are as it were the Breasts that nourish comfort and support the Soul affording it et tutamen et solamen as that Masculine Martyr Agatha said to Quintianus by whose barbarous command her Breasts were cut off both safety and solace in the midst of all dangers and miseries A true beleever is that beautiful * Esther 8. 4. Esther to whom Ahasuerus the great King of Saints God Almighty holds out the Golden Scepter of Mercy that he may come
Loyall and impenitent truly sorrowfull for all our transgressions 3. It quickens and breatheth Life into us that were by nature dead and buried in trespasses and sins 4. It both inspires and stirreth up good motions in our soules 5. It helps our infirmities makes c Rom. 8. 26. intercession for us indites our prayers inables us to pray fervently faithfully prevailingly to God for Grace pardon and salvation 6. It comforts quiets and supports mourning doubting drooping hearts 7. It leads and keepeth Christians into and in the way of holinesse till they come to heaven and enjoy eternall happinesse 8. It sanctifieth and maketh Gods ordinances effectuall for the conviction and conversion of sinners Lastly to name no more it dwelleth and abideth in all those that truly repent believe love obey fear and serve God The Holy Ghost is compared and resembled in Scripture to divers things First it 's compared to d Jere. 23 29. Acts 2. 3. fire and that in these respects Fire first heats 2. shines 3. ascends 4. softens and 5. refines drossy and hard things so the Holy Ghost 1. inflames our frozen hearts with love to God and zeale for God 2 It makes Christians shine in works of piety justice charity mercy and in holinesse of life 3. It raiseth their naturally low-flying or rather crawling affections from earthly things and maketh them to mount and fix them upon God Christ and heavenly things 4. It turneth a heart of Adamant into a soft and tender heart of flesh 5. It purgeth away a Christians drosse it purifies him from his corruptions and filth Secondly the Holy Ghost is compared to e Ezech. 36. 25. water for as water 1. refreshes 2. quenches 3 cleanses 4. fructifies So the Spirit of God comforts cheares and reviveth troubled weary languishing hearts 2. It quencheth Gods fiery wrath kindled and flaming out against transgressors in their terrors spiritual desertion trouble anguish of soul and conscience for their sins 3 It cleanseth them from all filthiness both of flesh spirit 4. It makes them fruitful in every good work Thirdly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * John 3. 32. Dove As Doves are 1. meek for they have no gall 2. innocent and harmlesse creatures 3. Lovers of and delighted with white houses to sit and roost in Amant alba tecta Columbae So those Christians that have the spirit of God are 1. free from malice hatred sinfull anger envy or however they mourn and are exceedingly displeased with themselves for being otherwise 2. The Holy Ghost makes them not only carefull to do no hurt or wrong to any but also willing and desirous to do good unto others especially spiritually that is to their soules 3. It makes their hearts pure and white by sprinkling the bloud of Christ upon them and working godly sorrow in them without which it will neither delight nor dwell in them because sin unrepented of makes the soul black ugly and filthy Fourthly the holy Ghost is compared to * Acts 2. 3. cloven fiery tonguâ—s to teach us that our tongues must be cloven with Charity and fervency in our prayers for 1. we must not only beg earnestly for mercy but we must also praise the Lord most heartily for his mercies petition and thanksgiving must cleave them 2. We must pray for both spirituall and temporall mercies these must again divide our tongues 3. We must pray and â—ry mightily not only for pardon of sin for the removal or sanctification of afflictions for grace and prosperity to and for our selves but for all others also 4. We must pray not only that God would give us and others glory hereafter but also that we and they may honour and glorifie God here And certainly all those that have this glorious Spirit have also not only their tongues but their hearts too thus cloven with zeal I mean for God and love to their own and others souls Fifthly the Holy Ghost is compared to a * Ephes 1. 13. Seal because as Deeds and Conveyances are unable and ineffectual to settle and assure those things conteined in them being null and voyd in Law till they be fealed So we can have no sound good or clear Evidences that our sins are forgiven us that God is reconciled to us that the Lord Jesus is our Jesus and that our souls shall be saved till we be sealed by the Spirit of God Sixthly the Holy Ghost is compared to * 2 Cor. 1 22 and ch 4. v. 5. Earnest for as Earnest is an argument and proof of an agreement betwixt man and man for something to be delivered and given by one to another and also an assurance that some other and greater thing shall be made good and received when that is given and taken So by having the Earnest of the Spirit Christians are assured that now the Lord and they are agreed and reconciled that they shall undoubtedly have his favour blessing grace here and that they shall hereafter injoy eternall joy and blisse with him for ever Seventhly the Holy Ghost is compared to †John 16. 13. a Guide because as Guides do 1. Comfort 2. direct 3 defend 4. keep those they travail with from wandring 5. accompany them and bring them to their Journeys end So the spirit of God doth 1. wonderfully solace and rejoyce the hearts of tru Christians in their pilgrimage on earth 2. It directs and sheweth them which is the sure good and best way for them to go in 3. It secures and delivers them from those enemies and dangers that lye in Ambush to surprize them and are ready to seize upon them 4. It keeps them from erring and straying in the broad dangerous yea deadly ways of sin and leads them forward in the narrow but safe and happy path of life And lastly the Holy Ghost never leaves them finally but conducts them with safety joy and comfort to their earnestly longed for and desired home Heaven These and such like are the bright beautiful and refreshing Beams that ray from his glorious Sun and dart consolation exultation peace and felicity into the hearts of Gods people These are the pure reviving and pleasant streams that flow from this Fountain or rather Ocean into the fouls of true Christians These are the radiant rich yea precious and inestimable Jewels that embellish and adorn the Holy Spirits Mansion a truely Gracious heart Let us then sincerely desire fervently beg highly prize this Holy Spirit and when ever it knocks at the door of our hearts by any holy motions say as †Genes 24. 31. Laban did to Abrahams Servant Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without for I have prepared a room for thee The Prayer O Eternall infinite and incomprehensible Lord God who art Three in One and One in Three most glorious Persons distinguished but not divided grant I humbly beseech thee that the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Light Truth and Life may illuminate all
those that are darkened with Ignorance and benighted in Superstition with the glorious Beames of saving knowledge Let it guide all those that wander in the by paths of Errour and Wickednesse into the safe way of Verity and Holinesse And let it quicken such as are dead in Trespasses and Sins that those dry bones those stinking Lazarusses may rise live and praise thee Let it O Lord convince convert humble purifie and regenerate those that are secure profane carnall and unclean that so being sanctified by the Spirit of Christ they may be comfortably assured they are justified by the Merits of Christ Let good God thy Holy Spirit excite perswade inable Christians to try discern and judge which is the true Spirit the Spirit of Truth that so they may not be deluded but infallibly directed by it to choose and to walk under the Câ—nduct thereof in the way of Holinesse that leads to happinesse And do thou O Lord who art the Father of Spirits give us all thy Holy Spirit whereby we may be inabled to cry Abba Father for thy Sons and our alone Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sine Spiritu Sancto nec lux pax puritas Sanctitas nec gloria IV. Of Sinne and Sinners T is the true and fruitfull mother of miseries A Pandoras Box full of all reall deadly plagues and curses T is the poyson of the soul rack of Conscience the Bellows fewell oyle that blow kindle and continue the fiery wrath of God burning against all obstinate perpetrators thereof a Ho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 632. Like Homers Thersites it's ugly without as well as within having like the subtile cruell Panther a deformed head as well as a destructive deadly paw Like Judas it kisses and betrayes us Like Ioab it embraces stabâ— and kills at once b Quint Curtius lib. 8. p. 154. Sin is like to the River Nilus whose streams do cause and produce a fruitfulnesse even to wonder but yet it abounds with crocodiles wickednesse is sometimes prosperous but it s always dangerous and without Repentance deadly It 's like the Caspian Sea which affords the sweetest waters but breeds the greatest Serpents The Preface of sin may be pleasure its Exordium delight but the Finis thereof will be punishment At sins table the first course may be contentment but the second will be death It may appear to our dim eyes a Dove but if we once lodge it in our bosomes or imbrace it we shall finde it a serpent that will both sting and kill us T is a Siren which allures us to our ruine a Thiefe that robs us of our chiefest treasures our choycest mercies Gods favour a saving interest in Christ pardon of sin peace of Conscience grace glory It 's the souls both Leprosie and murderer Like the stone by the river Maeander called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sober stone which put into a mans bosome would make him mad it distracts us Like that deaf-stone which I have read is in Scotland that one standing at one end of it can not hear what another saith standing at the other end thereof it stops the ears of the Lord that our Prayers cannot find audience or acceptance with him * Esay 59. 1. 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear c Plutarch in ejus vitâ— What Phociâ—n the Athenian once said to the people of Athens viz. All that ever you say and do dislikes me God * Prov. 15 8 9. 26. saith and declareth to all wicked persons whose both prayers wayes and thoughts are abominable to him yea and their civill actions too †for the ploughing of the wicked is sin * Prov. 21. 4. Sin it blots out all the characters of beauty comelinesse and amabilitie which God at first engraved upon the soul it covers also the face of the soul which was most fair and lovely till sin did spoil blast and soil it with a black vail of deformity and renders it loathsome and ugly in the pure eye of God It defaces yea ruins the rarest piece of the whole Creation the Epitome of the Universe the wonder of Nature the miracle of the world Man It not only poysons the lower springs of earthly injoyments turns blessings into curses but like Pharaohs lean kine it devours consumes those sat ones riches health greatness peace plenty and all * Read Deut. 28. chapt worldly prosperity It also which is a mischief infinitely greater then the other dams up the current of those upper springs grace mercy speciall love salvation so that the soul like the mountains of Gilbea hath no celestiall showres of holinesse or reall happinesse rained upon it It turned Paradise into a wildernesse and makes the world a Pest-house when that too pregnant womb the heart hath conceived Sin by the Devill who is the true Father thereof it nourishes seeds and keeps it till it falls in travail of those cursed dreadful monstrous Twins Guilt and Misery and then it 's carried and laid down by death and judgment in a bed of fire and attended only with Devils and Reprobates without all possibility or hope of ever being delivered It grieves Heaven but makes Hell triumph It 's a tree that bears no other fruit but shame sorrow wrath and death Doe but wipe your eyes and behold the ugly face of sin in the Crystall glass of Gods word and also in those red mirrors the fearfull judgements the dreadful vengeance of the Lord upon those pillars of salt those miserable standing monuments of Gods hatred and detestation erected both in his word and in the world Impenitent transgressors And lastly in the bloudy sufferings of Jesus Christ and then if your hearts be not harder then an Adamant or like the * Job 41. 24. Leviathans as firm as a stone yea as hard as a piece of the nether milstone they will relent and you will mourn confesse forsake yea loath all sin †Numb 32. 23. It 's the souls bloud-hound which will hunt pursue overtake and as Acteon was killed by his own dogs as Haman was hanged upon his own Gibbet as Holofernes was beheaded with his own sword destroy it T is that Jonas in the ship of the soul which raises a terrible tempest of divine wrath against it whereby it will be not only restlesly tossed upon the briny bitter Billows of fear anguish dejection and perplexity but also before the stone cease unlesse it be thrown over board cast out of the heart and life by godly sorrow and unfained repentance it will most certainly and miserably be wrackt and perisht without hope or help in a boyling Sea of fire and brimstome which hath neither banks nor bottome For as d Leigh choyce observat in the Life of Claudius p. 102.
them with their Bloud not only under the ten Roman most barbarous persecutions by those Heathenish Monsters when so many of them were slaughtered that there were for every day in the year saith St. Jerom 5000 Martyrs But this was also the judgment and practise of our English Martyrs in Queen Macies dâ—ies The fire of Loyalty burned in their hearts and flamed out at their mouths in Christian exhortations and perswasions of the Spectators to Allegiance and obedience unto the King and Queen when they were unjustly by their Authority Command or permission condemned sentenced to be burned and when that cruell Sentence was ready to be executed by remorsless men or rather Tygers upon them b Fox Book of Martyrs vol. 3 p. 665. Bishop Cranmer a little before his Martyrdome in his last words to the people said thus I exhort you that next under God you obey your King and Queen viz. Philip and Mary willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for fear of them only but much more for the fear of God Knowing that they be Gods Ministers appointed by God to rule and govern you and therefore whosoever resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God Authority is Gods creature Monarchy is a divine Institution not the work or Child of men Loyalty therefore is our duty and at once the comfort and the character of Christians and reall piety The spirit of truth hath joined Fear God and honâ—ur the King together true Christians therefore dare not attempt eiâ—her to divide or divorce them And as they have no warrant for it but a plain a peremptory Commâ—nd against it so neither is thâ—re any either wisdome or safety in doing of it For Loyalty is not only the Mother but the Nurse of Peace And peace is the Magazine the Mine Root and Spring of plenty safety prosperity and all temporall felicity Rebellion is the source of desolation Succâ—sâ—full Traitors are usually most cruell Tyranâ—s * Nemo unquâ—m imperium malâ—â— artibus quaesitum bene exercuit Tacit. Vsurpâ—rs are commonly Oppressors Their victories make them bloudy and miserable Captives to their brutish lusts and passions which overcome and enslave them Ira Superbia Crudelitas Furor Rabies sunt victoriae Comites victorum hosteâ— a quibus saepâ— Clarissimi victores turpissime victi sunt saith Petrarch and we can sadly say we have found his words most true Can we expâ—ct or hope that those Wolves which worrey the Shepherd will love spare or defend the Sheep That such as thirst for bloud struggle for Thrones and court the possessions of others will desire peace execute Justice or delight in mercy If conscience then do not prudence should perswade us not only to hate Treason but also to decline yea to detest all Communion Concurrence and correspondency with Traytors By wofull experience we now know though the widest broadest words and the highest the most eloquent language are too narrow low and flat fully to expresse it how great how grievous a Judgment Calamitie it is to have no King in Israel Have we not seen since the Crown did fall from our head because we had sinned against the Lord such things acted amongst us as we cannot but tremble to hear and abhor to think of Have we not had such Nero's as did with delight inhumanity and impiety rip up the Bowels of their Mother murder their gracious Father and endeavour with cunning cruelty and indefatigableness to ruine at once both the Church and State So that we may say of some of their Fathers as the Romanes did of him when he commanded a Boy to be so cut as to make him an artificial Woman Would Nero's Father had had such a Wife Since c Speed Chron. p. 103. what was said of Lucius the King of Britain may be too truly affirmed of them namely That they had been happy if they had not left a Son behind them because their Children as Lampridius said of Commodus hâ—ve livâ—d for the Subjects mâ—schiâ—f and their own shame We have been taught but we have paid exceeding dear for our Learning the difference betwixt being governed by Lâ—mbs and Lions Let us therefore prize Gods mercies whilest we enjoy them lest our sufferings and sorrows show ns the hainousnesse of our Sinne in sâ—ighting and rejecting of them And let us not only professe Loyalty with our lips but let us carefully really constantly express it in our Lives to our Sacred Soveraign it being both pleasing to God and profitable to our selves to be obedient faithfull Subjects For Allegiance is the faithfull Liâ—e-â—uard the invincible Râ—mpart both of King and people 'T is that sweet smell * 'T is said â—hat swâ—et smels wil kâ—l Vultures and revive Dâ—ves Aâ—ms are the defence of Tyrants and therefore â—he unsavory 〈◊〉 of Gunpowder is delightful but the odoâ—iâ—erous savour of peâ—ce is distastâ—ul yea deadly to them which kills Vultures I mean forraign and Domestick Enemies 'T is that Hoop that Ring which keeps Cormorants Avaritious Ambitious men fâ—om devouring of us 'T is that Muzzle tâ—at Chain which ties up and hinders those cruell wilde Beasts Factious Aspiâ—ing Traitâ—rous Incendiaries from tearing in peeces preying on and kindling amongst us the consuming fearful fire of Civil Warre which e like the Trojan horse hath ever an Army of Plagues Miseries and Calamities in the Belly of it 'T is that musick which drives away the evill spirit of Division from us The King is the Head Husband Father Lord of his people 'T is therefore against Piety Nature Law Reason Gratitude for those that are his Members Wife Children Subjects Servants to injure resist or Rebell against him 'T is an odious infamous damnable Crime to conspire against him that protects us to endeavour his Ruine that is exposed to daily yea hourly cares dangers troubles to screen shield preserve us and wickedly to violate those Sacred Oaths which we have solemnly taken to expresse our Aâ—legiance by a Christian sincere obedience unto him Tbough he be a bad King that rules us yet we ought to be good dutiful loyal Subjects For whether he be Merciful or Cruell Righteous or Impious Just or Tyrannical God doth †Rom 13. 1. ordain send set up and * Dan. 4. 32. give him his Kingdome He that gave Soveraignty to Augustus gave it also to Nero. He that gave it to the Vespasions Father and Son sweetest Emperors gave it also to Domitian that bloudy Monster In a word he that gave it to Christian Constantine gave it also to Juâ—ian the Apostate saith St. Augustine We are therefore strongly obliged He being Gods Vice-gerent on earth whether he be good or evill to reverence not resist him to * 1 Tim. 2. 1. pray for him not to plot against him to fear not to fight him Yea so tender jealous and careful is the Lord of Kings that in his holy Word he doth not only forbid us †Exod. 22 28. to speak evill of our
weep and gnash his teeth without all possibility of ease or end An Hypocrite then is both a self-destroyer and a self-deceiver Patroclus exultabat Armis Achillis sensit Hector nihil aliud esse quam Patroclum For although with his glittering shewes of piety like a Jugler he may delude the eyes of men yet he cannot cast a mist before * Jerem. 17. 10. nor draw a curtain betwixt the the All-seeing eye of God and his soul because the Lord both searches tries knows and weighs the heart and spirit and the darkest angles together with those darling corruptions that lurk the closest in them What was said of Cicero Linguam omnes fere mirantur pectus non ita is true of an Hypocrite most men may admire his tongue even whilest God abhorreth his heart that may be most eloquent and pious while this is most unclean impious n Speed He is like Tiberius aliud ore aliud mente omnia dissimulans And like o Guicciardine Pope Alexander the 6th who was so cunning a dissembler that he never spoke as he meant And therefore he is abominable to God who loves and requires truth in the inward parts being non corticis sed cordis Deus the God of the heart and not of the bark An Hypocrite deals with Christ as * Ruth 1. 14. 17. Orpah did with Naomi he kisses and leaves professes and forsakes him And therefore God will both reject him eclipse or rather kill his Joyes in * Job 20. 5. a moment * Matth. 22. 13 14 15 16. and inflict eternall woes †upon him But a sincere Christian carries himself towards his Saviour as Ruth did to Naomi he forsakes all for him cleaves stedfastly to him and resolves nothing shall part divide or divorce him from him and therefore God will both own honour and crown him with felicity and glory to all eternity For that with Galba the Emperour of Rome once said to his Souldiers may both most comfortably and truly be affirmed of Christ and all true Nathaniels Zachary's and Elizabeths I mean all sincere Christians viz. ego vestor vos mei Jesus Christ is and * Hosea 2. 19. will be theirs faithfully yea everlastingly and they are his most intirely cordially constantly My beloved is mine and I am his saith the spouse of Christ her Husband The Prayer O LORD since thou hast acquainted those that enjoy thy Gospell wherein thy will and their own duties comforts priviledges and happinesse are revealed to them that a double heart is an evil heart Let us not I beseech thee be contented much lesse well-pleased or resolved like Solomons Harlot to have that Child divided betwixt thee and our Lusts Vnder the Law thou didst command that the Altar upon which thy people sacrificed unto thee should be made of whole Stones But under the Gospell thou requirest that the Spirits of those who serve and seek thee be contrite fleshie tender yet intirely devoted to thee O Let not blessed God our hearts who sit under the droopings of the Sanctuary be stonehard barren sensless dead hearts but take them into thine own hands O Lord and mould fashion form and frame them so that they may be soft broken and yet wholly only and sincerely thine And that so thou mayst delight in them take possession of them set up thy glorious Throne and dwell in them O let us remember that sincerity will be our Comfort in the midst of our sorrows and a welspring of Joy peace gladnesse hope and happinesse to us hath in life and death whereas Hypocrisie will both bring us unto and leave us in eternal woes and horrour Let us also consider that the paint of Hypocrisie and the varnish of formality will not cannot either hide our loathsome deformity from the 〈◊〉 pure All-seeing eye or abide and stick on when we shall appear before our God by death and judgment who is a consuming 〈…〉 us not therefore O thou that requirest truth in the inward parts to content our selves with shewes of goodnesse and a form of Godlinesse but grant that we may labour to get the life and power of Religion into our hearts to depart from all iniquity to walk in all the Commandements of our God without reproof and cordially to serve the Lord that so living here without Guile we may dye in the Lord and after death riegn with the God of truth in Glory Amen Sinceritas pietatis est medulla anima Gratiae Antidotum contra desperationem XV. Of Afflictions T Is the * Esay 48. 10. Ier. 9. 7. Furnace into which God casts his people to refine them his enemies to consume them It 's a comfortable pillar of fire to lead his Israel towards Canaan but a fearfull flame like that from Heaven upon Nadab and Abihu to destroy the wicked 'T is a Scullion a file to make Christians bright and clean 'T is the gall and Wormwood that God layeth upon those breasts of the world power pleasure honour profit to wean his children from it 'T is the hand the friend that pulleth them out and will not suffer them to dabble soile drown themselves in the puddles sinks or streams of earthly vanities carnall pleasures or creature comforts 'T is the Kings professor of Divinity in the Academy of the World 'T is the a Scholacrucis â—ehola lucis Calamitas virtutis est occasio Seneca dedivin provident School of Christ where a Christian learns to take out lessons of patience humility submission to Gods will contempt of the World Repentance and dependence upon God It gives a tongue to the heart and as the extream danger Croesus was in by Cyrus and his enemies in the battle made his till then dumb Son cry out b Rex est caeve ne â—ccidas Heyl. Geogr. p. 528. O do not kill King Croesus maketh men and women both to break open and knock off all the doores locks barres and obstructions of speech and also to * Hosea 5. 15. cry out for mercy acceptance forgivenesse deliverance safety and salvation although they had never before spoken one word to God by prayer for the lives of their indangered wounded dying souls What the barren women of Rome did foolishly conceive of and vainly expect from the Priests of Mars when they danced stark naked up and down the streets with whips in their hands to keep off Doggs from biting them namely that if they were lashed by them it would make them fruitfull Christians find it experimentally to be most true of the Rod of God for it makes them * Psal 119 67â— 71. bring forth fruit meet for repentance Affliction like Aloes is bitter in tast but sweet in operation for it kills sin that Cancer that cruell deadly worm which doth so dangerously wound so grievously pain and so intolerably torment the Soul 'T is to an Israelite a Jordan but a Red sea to an Egyptian A child of God may say of Troubles as
all transgressions pardoned and exiled persons were recalled Whoever cometh to this holy Sacrament clothed with the new and rich apparell of Christs righteousnesse and can with the hand of a justifying faith touch Jesus Christ shall be sure to find and receive comfort favor acceptance a discharge from the debt of sin liberty and inlargement from the slavery of his own Lusts and from the captivity of Satan communion with Christ here and admission into the Kingdome of Heaven out of which man was justly excluded exiled for sin and Rebellion hereafter For when by death a true Christian doth put off the Rags of his mortality God will invest him with the Robes of Glory to all Eternity The Prayer EVer blessed God such are thy tender mercies unspeakeable Love and matchlesse Bounty to thy Children upon earth that as thou hast prepared and provided for them both Mansions and a feast a Supper of Glory with the Lamb in the Kingdome of Heaven so hast thou also provided a spirituall Banquet and furnished thy Table with most exquisite curious precious and delicious dainties to refresh nourish comfort strengthen and unite them in their journey and whilest they are upon their way thither this Blessed Sacrament O Lord let not I beseech thee this Soul-feeding heart-chearing Grace-strengthening and increasing communion and Supper be neglected undervalued contemned or denyed through the corruptions contentions differences carelesnesse or ungrounded scrupulousnesse of Men. â—ut let Ministers O Lord carefully obey thy command and conscientiously discharge their own Duty in rightly and frequently administring of it to their people that thy bitter thy bloudy Death O Blessed Saviour may be constantly and thankfully remembred thy wonderful unparalleled undeserved love pity goodnesse acknowledged and thy great Name praised and glorified And let Christians O Lord come to this Holy Sacrament so qualified and prepared that their Graces may be strengthened their Souls as with marrow and fatnesse satisfied their interest in Christ cleared and confirmed their joyes and comforts multiplied their Affections inseparably united and their mutuall love to one another mightily increased Grant this O Lord for his sake who is both the maker of the Feast and the Feast himself Jesus Christ Amen Coena Domini cibus est Animae alimentum Gratiae Nutrix pietatis solaminis canalis pignus amoris condonationis sigillum et corroborationis Sacramentum XIX Of Preaching THE sacred word of God purely rightly and powerfully preached is that Bethesday wherein Mephibosheths souls lamed in their feet their affections by the fall which they had out of the arms of Adam and Eve are cured and thereby inabled to run the ways of Gods commandements 'T is the * Cantic 4. 16. and 7. 5. Garden the Gallery where Christ meeteth speaks to and walks with his people 'T is the mount of blessings conduit of faith Golden Scepter of mercy and the spirituall seed of Grace and Life 'T is the Chariot in which Christ rideth triumphantly into the Soul 'T is the hammer that breaks open the iron door of the heart the key that unlocks it T is the fire that consumeth all Satans strong holds in the spirit 'T is spirituall eye-salve that gives a blind Bartimeus his sight And 't is the voice that awakens the most drouzy deaf secure sinner a Rainold Orat. 1. p. 41. What the Orator saith de Oratione is true de praedicatione Morbis inquit animi medicinam facere debet praedicatio facit comprimendo quae tument roborando quae languent quae inflammant leniendo coercendo quae diffluunt expurgando quae redundant 'T is an Ark alwaies bringing blessings with it Nathan which wil rouse convince and humble Davids relapsing Saints T is a Peter pricking the hearts of great and grosse sinners to their conversion sanctification Salvation 'T is a messenger sent from God and bringing with it those three wonderfull glorious instimable Jewels and blessings to the soul sense of sin assurance of pardon and a through reformation both of the Heart and life It s the means which God hath promised commanded owned blessed and sanctyfied by the inward powerfull and effectual operation of his holy Spirit speaking home to the conscience stirring those healing waters of the sanctuary and accompanying the outward administration of the word most ordinarily and efficaciously to instruct the ignorant confirm the weak to warm the cold mollifie the hard melt the frozen comfort them that mourn to awaken those that are drowsie resolve those who doubt incourage and quiet such as fear guide them that erre bind up the broken hearted and to quicken those that are dead in trespasses and sins T is a Cornâ—copia of all those excellent spirituall mercies and comforts 'T is the granary of celestial food and Manna the silver trumpet of peace and the white flag of mercy to a people It 's a Nilus that softens refresheth and fructifieth barren hard and languishing hearts T is a Mary with Christ in the womb of it an Angell instructing a Philip a light in the thickest saddest darknesse and a comfortable seasonable rain in a drought 'T is both meat to the hungry water to the thirsty physick to the diseased milk to the weak a Lamp to them that wander and wine to the sorrowfull In Asia it was a custome that the Child which was not nursed by his mother should not have the goods of his Mother Those who are not nursed by that Mother the true Church of Christ with the breasts of Gods word and ordinances faithfully and duly administred are never like to have God for their Father nor to be heires of the Churches estate I mean the love promises protection grace and blessing of the Lord nor to enjoy the glorious inheritance of her Children eternall felicity hereafter The Prayer O LORD thou art so farre from desiring or delighting in the eternall Damnation of the vilest greatest grossest sinners that thou hast commanded the Gospell of Salvation to be preached to every creature both to Jews and Gentiles Yet since even this word of Life is both a dead and a killing Letter without the quickening sanctifying influence and efficacy of thy holy Spirit Grant blessed God that the Holy Ghost may both teach and speak effectually convincingly convertingly savingly to the ears and hearts of unregenerated Sinners that so the dead may both hear and feel the voice and power of the Son of God and live And be thou pleased most merciful God so to own blesse and prosper thine own Labourers in thy vine-yard that the Consciences of those who are enemies to thine own ordinances and Ministers may be convinced their spirits grieved and humbled their mouths stopped their sin and errours discovered to them hated by them and forsaken of them And that the understandings of those who hear and enjoy them may be savingly enlightened their hearts graciously changed their Lives throughly reformed and their souls everlastingly saved Let him who is the Word Jesus Christ be ushered
before all time and created the world was yet born in the fulnesse of time and became man in the world That he who fils both Heaven and earth and can neither be included nor excluded any where was shut up and confined within the narrow womb of a Virgin That he who is the Omnipotent and can do whatever pleaseth him could neither go nor stand That he who is Wisdome it self could not understand That he who is the Word could not speak That Christ was killed before he was alive and slain before he was born That he who is Almighty was held in the Arms and bound in the hands of a weak Woman That the Mother of Christ was both his Daughter Creature Spouse and a pure Virgin even after her Son was born And that if Jesus had not been slain for her from the beginning of the World Mary had not lived 3. A true beleever is both a Pebble and a Diamond a Pillar and a Troubler of the World He is both the honour and scorn the love envy and hatred of men In the Arithmetique of the wicked he standeth but for a Cypher but in the account of an holy God he is a Summe In the scales of the World he is drosse but in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Gold 4. A true Beleever is a merry mourner one cheerfully sorrowfull And as sometimes the clouds and Sun do rain and shine together So while Rivers of penitent griefe and tears spring up in his heart and run out at the floud-gates of his eyes celestiall beams of unknown joy comfort gladnesse dart upon irradiate and revive his dark troubled drooping Spirit 5. He riseth by falling Humiliation is his exaltation He goeth to Heaven by Hell And is never so high and precious in Gods eyes as when he is vilest and lowest in his own 6. A true Beleever is cured by sicknesse being never so well as when he fainteth is even ready to die of love for Christ Affliction is his physick Julip happinesse He is saved by ship-wrack landed by stormes and deeply rooted by winds and shakings 7. He beeleveth God to be most just and yet that the Lord from all eternity decreed that the innocent should be condemned and suffer to acquit the guilty And also that the greatest sinners should be saved by one should dye for sin and yet never committed any sin He beleeveth himself to be freely pardoned and yet knows that a price was paid for his redemption worth more then ten thousand Worlds He beleeves God to be most mercifull most loving and yet knows that God delivered up his own his only Son and suffered him to suffer not only the most bitter painfull and cruell but also the most shamefull Death And likewise that the Lord poured out upon him the fullest vials of his fiercest wrath and that all this was done endured and suffered for those who were both Enemies and Traytors to God and his Son 8. A true Beleever hateth all the World yet is no mans Enemy He is implacable yet without malice inexorable yet easy to be perswaded He prayeth for and heartily forgiveth his very Murderers His worst enemies are friends to him and do him good He sinneth least when he is most angry Taketh revenge on no body but himself And never pleaseth God more then when he is most offended and displeased with himself 9. A true Beleever is the most ambitious man in the World For nothing can satisfie or bound his aspiring mind but a Kingdome and Crown yet he is the most Loyall Subject and the greatest contemner of all sublunary things He wageth and maintaineth with courage resolution delight and constancy perpetuall Warrs and yet he is the greatest lover of peace lives in peace is the most quiet man and dies in peace He is victorious yea invincible yet fights without men against both men and Devills And though he be plundered beggered and lose all yet he groweth rich and great by wars without pay or pillage 10. He is born both alive and dead He dies twice and lives a threefold life of Nature Grace Glory He hath one resurrection before another after he is dead 11. He studieth with delight and diligence to know that which he is assured will both grieve and trouble him being known He is never so wise as when he knoweth himself to be a Fool. He is never so likely to get safe to shore as when he is most fearful of being cast away He is never beautifull untill he see and acknowledge himself to be ugly and deformed and the more he loaths himself the more God loves him 12. He is born of mean and base Parents and yet he is the only truly noble Man For he hath the Royallest bloud greatest alliances and relations highest titles choycest honours honourablest Attendants and the best estate of any man For God is his Father Christ is his Husband Heaven is his mansion Saints are his Brethren Angells are his Servants and Glory is his inheritance 13. A true Beleever is born both a Begger and an Heir He often lives poor yet is alwaies Rich and dies wealthy though without Lands money goods He keepeth his estate by sending it away and increaseth it by spending of it when others not only lessen but lose theirs by sparing and saving it And he taketh his treasure with him to his Grave and beyond it 14. He is never whole till he hath been broken He is never rightly throughly cured until he hath been deeply wounded He is never on earth more really happy then when he seemeth to be truly miserable Injuries are favours to him losses gain calamities mercies afflictions consolations The breaking of his bones setteth them and makes them both straight and strong 15. A true Beleever liveth in Heaven whilest he sojourns upon Earth he speaketh in company without being heard receives answers which no man can either intercept demurre or perceive enjoyes the best company though alone He walks while he lies still and is not there where men behold him 16. He hath a continuall feast without flesh and eating A Banquet without sweet meats melody without musick and Joy in the middest of sorrow He is dear beloved owned when he thinks himself despised rejected hated He beleeves he shall find pleasure in pain honey in gal life in death and doth so 17. He hath all things in the midst of his extreamest wants yet is beholding to the World for nothing for he fetcheth his meat drink clothes mercies comforts and whatever he possesseth from Heaven He sends by faithful frequent fervent prayers to Christ for them bids patience wait and appoints hope to bring him an answer which believing he shall receive it cometh indeed either according to his desires and expectation or beyond them He alwaies speeds and obtains even when his suit is denyed He hath what he will because he will have but what he may and therefore he sits down both contented and thankfull though he be crossed 18. A