he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh gives delight to the soule crossing us in our wils that he may advance our benefit The Man sicke of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke he pities him but does not satisfie him he gives him proper physicke but not drinke A man is sick of a Plurisie the Physitian lets him blood he is content with it the arme shall smart to ease the heart The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches God lets him blood by poverty let him be patient it is a course to save his soule But we are so sensuall that no reason can prevaile Wee are sorry to lose the proper cause of our sorrow we are like whiâ—ing Children that will not stay untill their milke be cold but must have it though they be scalded with it Yea it fares with many as with the mother of Nero let them be damd so they may be dubd But our heavenly Father will doe us good though we desire the contrary Wherefore if he scourge us any way so we bleed not or till we bleed so we faint not or till we even faint so we perish not let us be comforted for if the Lord prune his Vine he meanes not to root it up if he minister physicke to our soules it is because hee would not have us dye in our sinnes all is for salvation What if Nâ—ah were pent up in the Arke so long as he was safe in it what if it were his prison so long as it was his Fort also against the waters I might illustrate the point and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons We know one naile drives out another one heat another one cold another yea out of admirable experience I can witnesse it that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy for a Cold in the head or extreame tendernesse as a frequent bathing it especially the temples in cold water I can justly say I am twenty yeares the younger for it Yea one sorrow drives out another one passion another one rumour is expelled by another and though for the most part contraries are cured by contraries yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge they will bleed a Patient in the Arme. to stop a worse bleeding at Nose Againe in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease Even so deales God with us he often punisheth the worser part of man saith Saint Hierome That is the body state or name that the better part to wit the soule may be saved in the day of judgement Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule than medicines are for the body many a man had been undonâ— by prosperity if they had not been undone by adversity they had perished in their soules if they had not perished in their bodyes estates or good names It is probable Naamans soule had never been cleansed if his body had not beene leaprous but his leaprous flesh brought him to a white and cleane spirit and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man yet the sheepe of Christ know that to feed upon this salt March is the onely preservative against the Rot the experienced Christian knowes that it is good for the soule that the body is sometime sick and therefore to have his inward man cured hee is content his outward man should bee diseased and cares not so the sinnes of his soule may be lessened though the soares of his flesh be increased It is better saith Saint Hierome to have a sick stomack than a grieved mind Yea hee desires with Saint Austin that God will send him any plague rather than the plague of the heart And why is it not so with thee I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all and thou knowest the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours Of what kinde soever thy sufferings bee it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery or else God the onely wise Physitian would not appoint it Now who would not be willing to bleed when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented Yea it is a happy blood-letting which saves the life which makes Saint Austin say unto God Let my body be crucified or burnt or doe with it what thou wilt so thou save my soule And another let me swimme a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally â—appy rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to bee damned after death CHAP. XI That it makes them humble 8. EIghtly that â—e may have an humble conceit of our selves and wholly depend upon God We received the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle because we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth us up from the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. When Babes are afraid they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother A Hen leading her Chickens into the Sunne they fall a playing with the dust she may clock them to her long enough they will not come But when they see the Kite then they come without calling And so it fares with Gods Children till affliction come The Prodigall never thought of his Father till hee wanted huskes the Peroniâ— never made out to Christ till all her money was gone The Widow that is left alone trusteth in God saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 5. who while she had an husbaâ—d leaned too much upon him The poore man depends not upon the reliefe of others untill hee â—inds nothing at home Till our meanes is spent wee are apt to trust in uncertaine riches but after in the name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. Asa bore himselfe bold upon his forces as being five hundred and fourescore thousand strong till hee was overmatcht with an Army of a thousand thousand Ethiopians this made him cry helpe us O Lord our God for we rest on thee 2 Chron. 14. God crosseth many times our likelyest projects and makes the sinâ—ws of the Arme of flesh to crack that being unbottomed of the creature wee may trust in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. The people of Layish because they wanted nothing would have businesse with no man Judg. 18. 7. Where is no want is much wantonnesse and to be rich in temporals hastens poverty in spirituals The Moone is never eclipsed but in the full but the fuller she is still the more remote from the Sunne I thought in my prosperity saith David I shall never be moved But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Then turned I unto thee c. Psal. 30. 6 7 8. It is high time to humble them that doe not find themselves to stand in need of God When a stubborne Delinquent being committed was no whit mollified with his durance but grew more perverse than he was before one of the Senators said to
the Lord by this evill of Chastisement for sinnes past preventeth the evills of sin and greater punishments for the time to come The Lord saith Elihu correcteth man that he might turne away from his enterprize and that he might keepe backe his soule from the Pit and that his life should not perish by the sword Job 33. 17 18. This salt doth not onely preserve from Corruption but also eate out Corruption We are chastened of the Lord saith the Holy Ghost that we might not be condemned with the world 〈◊〉 Cor. 11. 32. If we be not chastned here we shall be condemned hereafter Erring soules bee corrected that they may be converted not confounded If Paul had not beene buffetted by Sathan and wicked men he had been exalted out of measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. Pride is so dangerous a poyson that of another poyson there was confected a counterpayson to preserve him from it God would rather suffer this chosen Vessell to fall into some infirmity then to be proud of his singular priviledges Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelations there was the poyson of Pride insinuating it selfe I had a Thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buâ—â—et me There waâ— the Counterpoyson or Antidote which did at once make him both sick and whole And this is no unusuall thing with God who in mercy doth so use the matter that he cures one sinne by another how many proud men have beene healed by the shame of their uncleannesse how many furious men by a rash bloudshed and so in many other cases one Devill being used for the ejection of another Yea we gain strength by every new fall for hence issues deeper humility stronger hatred of sinne fresh indignation against our selves more experience of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts renued resolutions untill sinne bee brought under c. 2 Cor. 7. 11. The Lord sets some messenger of Sathan and our lusts together by the eares as the Aegyptians against the Aegyptians that while two poysons wrestle we may live But my purpose is to speak of affliction not sinne Bodily sicknesse saith S. Gregory clenseth away sinnes committed and curbeth and hindereth those that in health might have beene committed The flesh indeed is nourished by softnes but the spirit by hardnes that is fed by delights and pleasures this groweth by bitternes And hereupon when a Religious man as Rufinus relates prayed John the Ankorite to free him of a certaine Ague he answered him truly thou desirest to have a very necessary companion cast out of doores for saith hee as cloathes are washed with sope so is the minde purified by diseases And the same may be averred of all kindes of crosses For is it not commonly seene that the pleasures of the body are the poysons of the soule heape riches and â—onours upon an evill man you doe but minister wine to him that hath a feaver saith Aristotle hony to one oppressed with choler and meat to one troubled with morbus cealiacus which increaseth the disease saith Plutarch For as Noah was drunk with his owne wine so the cup of prosperity hath intoxicated many a soule and God hath no worse servants in our Land than they that can live of their Lands and care for nothing else Commonly where is no want is much wantonnesse And as we grow rich in temporals we grow poore in spirituals Naball cannot abound but hee must surfeit Turtullus cannot be cloquent but hee must turne the edge of his wit against the Gospell Many cannot have beauty but they must love their faces more than their soules Wee use Gods blessings as Jehu did Jehorams messengers David Goliahs sword We turne them against their owner and giver and fight against Heaven with that health wealth wit those friends meanes mercies that wee received thence abusing peace to security plenty to ease promises to presumption gifts to pride for commonly so much the more prâ—â—d idle secure wanton scornefull impenitent by how much the more we are inriched advanced and blessed And it is just with God to make us know what we had by what we want But I proceed The enjoyment of the Worlds peace might adde to my content but it will indanger my soule how oft doth the recovery of the body state or minde occasion a Relaps in the soule Turne but the Candle and that which keepes me in puts me out The younger brother shall not have all his portion least he run Ryot All the life of Salomon was full of prosperity and therefore we find that Salamon did much forget God but the whole life of David had many enemies and much adversity and therefore we see by his penitentiall Psalmes and others that David did much remember God And indeed if God did not often visit us we should serve him as the Women of Tartary doe their husbands who marry if they be absent but twenty dayes But the fire of correction eates out the rust of corruption And as Vineger with its shaâ—pnesse keepes flowers from corrupting so their malice keeps our soules from festering Bees are drowned in Honey but live in Vineger Now if sweet meates breed surfets it is good sometimes to taste of bitter it is good somewhat to unloade when the Ship is in danger by too liberall a ballast I will tell you a Paradox I call it so because few will beleeve it but it is true many are able to say they have learned to stand by falling got strength by weaknesse The burnt Child dreads the fire and a broken bone well set is faster ever after Like Trees we take deeper root by shaking And like Torches we flame the brighter for bruizing and knocking God suffered Sathan to spoile Job of his substance rob him of his Children punish him in his body Yet marke but the Sequell well and you shall find that he was crost with a blessing As the Physition in making of Triacle or Methâ—idâ—te for his Patient useth Serpents Adders and such like poyson that he may drive out one poyson with another Even so our spirituall Physition is pleased to use the malice of Sathan and wicked men when hee tempereth to us the Cup of affliction that hereby he may expell one evill with another Yea two evils with one namely the evill of sinne and the evill of punishment and that both temporall and eternall Perhaps this byting plaister burneth thee but it healeth thee He suffers us to be afflicted because he will not suffâ—s us to be damned such is the goodnesse of our heavenly Father to us that even his anger proceeds from mercy he scourgeth the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 5. 5 Yea Joseph was therefore abased in the dungeon that his advancement might be the greater It is true in our thoughts we often speake for the flesh as abraham did for Ismael O that Ismael might live in thy sight No God takes away Ismael and gives Isaac
his God banish him his Countrey hee hath his conversation in Heaven kill his body it shall rise againe so he fights with a shadow that contends with an upright man Wherefore let all who suffer in their good names if conscious and guilty of an enemies imputations repent and amend if otherwise contemne them owne them not so much as once to take notice thereof A wicked heart is as a Barrell of powder to temptation let thine bee as a River of water Yea seeing God esteems men as they are and not as they have been although formerly thou hast beene culpable yet now thou mayest answer for thy selfe as Paul did for Onesimus Though in times past I was unprofitable yet now I am profitable and oppose to them that sweet and divine sentence of sweet and holy Bernard Tell me not Satan what I have beene but what I am and will be Or that of Beza in the like case Whatsoever I was I am now in Christ a New Creature and that is it which troubles thee I might have so continued long enough ere thou wouldest have vexed at it but now I see thou dost envy me the grace of my Saviour Or that Apopthegme of Diogenes to a base fellow that told him he had once beene a forger of money whose answer was T is true such as thou art now I was once but such as I am now thou wilt never be Yea thou mayst say by how much more I have formerly sinned by so much more is Gods power and goodnesse now magnified As Saint Augustine hearing the Donatists revile him for the former wickednesse of his youth answered The more desperate my disease was so much the more I admire the Physitian Yea thou mayst yet straine it a peg higher and say the greater my sinnes were the greater is my honour as the Divels which Mary Magdalen once had are mentioned for her glory Thus if we cannot avoid ill tongues let our care bee not to deserve them and t is all one as if we avoyded them For how little is that man hurt whom malice condemnes on Earth and God commends in Heaven let the World accuse mee so long as God acquits me I care not CHAP. XVIII That it is more laudable to forgive than revenge 2. BEcause it is more generous and laudible to forgive than revenge certainely in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy but in passing it over he is superiour to him for it is a Princes part to pardon yea qouth Alexander There can be nothing more noble than to doe well to those that deserve ill And Saint Gregory it is more honour to suffer injuries by silence than to overcome them by answering againe Princes use not to chide when Embassadours have offered them undecencies but deny them audience as if silence were the way royall to correct a wrong And certainely he injoyes a brave composednesse that seats himselfe above the flight of the injurious claw Like the Emperour Augustus who though of a most tenatious and retentive memory would forget wrongs as soone as they were offered Or Agathocles Antigonus and Caesar who being great Potentates were as little moved at vulgar wrongs as a Lyon at the barking of Curres yea the Orator gives it as a high praise to Caesar that he could forgeâ— nothing but wrongs remember nothing but benefits and who so truely noble as he that can doe ill and will not True it is not rare to see a great man vex himselfe at the neglect of a peasant but this argnes a poore spirit A true Lyon would passe it by with an honourable scorne You 'l confesse then t is Princely to disdaine a wrong and is that all No forgivenesse saith Seneca is a valiant kind of revenge and none are so frequent in pardoning as the couragious Hee that is modestly valiant stirs not till he must needs and then to purpose Like the Flint he hath fire in him but it appeares not untill you force it from him who more valiant than Joshua and he held it the noblest victory to overcome evill with good for the Gibeonites tooke not so much paines in comming to deceive him as he in going to deliver them And Cicero more commends Caesar for overcomming his owne courage in pardoning Marcellus than for the great victories he had against his other enemies Yea a dominion over ones selfe is greater than the Grand Signiory of Turkie For as the greatest knowledge is truely to know thy selfe so the greatest conquest is to subdue thy selfe he is a wise man that can avoid an evil he is a patient man that can indure it but hee is a valiant man that can conquer it And indeed for a man to overcome an enemy and be overcome by his owne passions is to conquer a petty Village with the losse of a large City What saith a Father miserable is that victory wherein thou overcommest thine enemy and the Divell in the meane time overcoms thee thou slayest his body the Divell thy soule now wee deeme him to have the honour of the warre that hath the profit of it But as an Emperour said of the meanes prescribed him to cure his Leprosie which was the blood of Infants I had rather be sicke still than bee recovered by such a medicine so wilt thou in this case if thou hast either Bowels or braines Yea if the price or honour of the conquest is rated by the difficulty than to suppresse anger in thy selfe is to conquer with Hercules one of the Furies To tame all passions is to leade Cerberus in chaines and to indure afflictions and persecutions strongly and patiently is with Atlas to beare the whole World on thy shoulders as saith the Poet. It is no shame to suffer ill but to doe it to bee evill we are all naturally disposed to be holy and good is the difficulty Yea every Beast and Vermine can kill It is true prowesse and honour to give life and preserve it Yea a Beast being snarled at by a Cur will passe by as scorning to take notice thereof I but is it wisedome so to doe Yes first the ancient received opinion is that the sinewes of wisedome are slownesse of beleife and distrust Secondly none more wise than Salomon and he is of opinion That it is the glory of a man to passe by an offence Pro. 19. 11. We fooles think it ignominy and cowardise to put up the lye without a stab a wrong without a challenge but Salomon to whose wisedome all wise men will subscribe was of another judgement and to this of Salomon the wisest heathen have set their seale Pittacus the Philosopher holds That pardon is better than revenge inasmuch as the one is proper to the spirit the other to a cruell Beast But how Socrates whom the Oracle of Apollo prâ—nounced the wisest man alive and all the rest of Philosophers approved of it both by judgement and practice We shall have occasion to relate in the reasons insuing No truer
heare it or this tongue utter it or this heart conceive it it must needs follow that they were translated already thither Now if this be so how acceptable should death be when in dying we sleepe and in sleeping we rest from all the travels of a toylesome life to live in joy and rest for evermore Let us then make that voluntary which is necessary and yeeld it to God as a gift which wee stand bound to pay as a due debt saith Chrysostome Yea how should we not with a great deale of comfort and security passe through a Sea of troubles that wee may come to that haven of eternall rest How should we not cheere up one another as the mother of Melitho did her sonne when shee saw his legges broken and his body bruised being ready to yeeld up his spirit in Martyrdome saying O my sonne hold on yet but a little and behold Christ standeth by ready to bring helpe to thee in thy torments and a large reward for thy sufferings Or as Jewell did his friends in banishment saying This world will not last ever And indeed we doe but stay the tyde as a fish left upon the sands Ob. I but in the meane time my sufferings are intollerable saith the fainting soule Sol. It is no victory to conquer an easie and weake crosse these maine evills have crownes answerable to their difficulty Rev. 7. 14. No low attempt a star-like glory brings but so long as the hardnesse of the victory shall increase the glory of the triumph indure it patiently cheerefully 2. Secondly as patience in suffering brings an eternall reward with it in Heaven so it procureth a reward here also suffer him to curse saith David touching Shâ—mâ—i here was patience for a King to suffer his impotent subject even in the heat of bloud and midst of warre to speake swords and cast stones at his Soveraigne and that with a purpose to increase the rebellion and strengthen the adverse part but marke his reason It may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do me good Why even for his cursing this day 2 Sam. 16. 12. And well might he expect it for hee knew this was Gods manner of dealing as when he turned Balaams curse into a blessing upon the children of Israel Num. 23. And their malice who sold Joseph to his great advantage Indeed these Shemeis and Balaams whose hearts and tongues are so ready to curse and raile upon the people of God are not seldome the very meanes to procure a contrary blessing unto them so that if there were no offence to God in it nor hurt to themselves we might wish and call for their contempt cruelty and curses for so many curses so many blessings I could adde many examples to the former as how the malice of Haman turned to the good of the Jewes the malice of Achitophel to the good of David when his counsell was turned by God into foolishnesse the malice of the Pharisees to him that was borne blinde when Christ upon their casting him out of the Synagogue admitted him into the Communion of Saints John 9. 34. The malice of Herod to the Babes whom he could never have pleasured so much with his kindenesse as he did with his cruelty for where his impiety did abound there Christs pittie did superabound translating them from their earthly mothers armes in this valley of teares unto their heavenly Fathers boso 〈…〉 e in his Kingdome of glory But more pertinent to the matter in hand is that of Aaron and Miriam to Moses when they murmured against him Numb 12. where it is evident that God had never so much magnified him to them but for their envy And that of the Arians to Paphâ—â—tiâ—s when they put out one of his eyes for withstanding their Heresie whom Constaâ—tine the Emperour even for that very cause had in such reverence and estimation that hee would often send for him to his Court lovingly imbracing him and greedily kissing the eye which had lost his owne sight for maintaining that of the Catholike Doctrine so that we cannot devise to pleasure Gods servants so much as by despighting them And thus you see how patient suffering is rewarded both here and hereafter that we lose what ever wee doe lose by our enemies no otherwise then the husbandman loseth his seed for whatever we part withall is but as seed cast into the ground which shall even in this life according to our Saviours promise returne unto us the increase of an hundred fold and in the world to come life everlasting Marke 10. 29 30. But admit patience should neither be rewarded here nor hereafter yet it is a sufficient reward to it selfe for hope and patience are two soveraigne and universall remedies for all diseases Patience is a counterpoyson or antipoyson for all griefe It is like the Tree which Moses cast into the wateâ—s Exod. 15. 25. for as that Tree made the waters sweet so Patience sweetens affliction it is as Larde to the leane meate of adversity It makes the poore beggar rich teacheth the bondman in a narrow prison to enjoy all liberty and society for the patient beleever though he be alone yet he never wants company though his diet be pe 〈…〉 y his sawce is content all his miseries cannot make him sicke because they are disgested by patience And indeed it is not so much the greatnesse of their paine as the smalnesse of their patience that makes many miserable whence some have and not unfitly resembled our fancies to those multiplying glasses made at Venice which being put to the eye make twenty men in Armes shew like a terrible Army And every man is truely calamitous that supposeth himselfe so as oftentimes we die in conceit before we be truly sicke we give the battell lost when as yet we see not the enemy Now crosses are either ponderous or light as the Disciples or Scholers esteeme them every man is so wretched as he beleeveth himselfe to be The taste of goods or evills doth greatly depend on the opinion we have of them and contentation like an old mans spectacles makes those characters easie and familiar that otherwise would puzzle him shrewdly Afflictions are as wee use them there is nothing grievous if the thougâ—t make it not so even paine it selfe saith the Philosopher is in our power if not to be disanulled yet at least to be diminished through patience very Gally-slaves setting light by their captivity finde freedome in bondage Patience is like a golden shield in the hand to breake the stroke of every crosse and save the heart though the body suffer A sound spirit saith Salomon will beare his infirmity Prov. 18. 14. Patience to the soule is as the lid to the eye for as the lid being shut when occasion requires saves it exceedingly so patience intervening betweene the soule and that which it suffers saves the heart whole and cheeres the body againe And therefore if you marke it when you
in body goods or good name for of necessity there must bee in that man that can patiently beare such a losse somewhat more than man I know there are some men or rather two legged Beasts that esteeme no more of Bookes and Notes than Esops Cocke did of the Pearle hee found and these accordingly will say this was nothing in comparison of what they suffer as when once a Hot-spur was perswaded to be patient as Job was he replyed What doe you tell me of Job Job never had any suits in Chauncery Yea indeed the meanest of Christs royall Band for patience puts down all the generations of naturall men as even their enemies will confesse Consalvus a Spanish Bishop and Inquisitor wondred how the Protestans had that Commandement Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe so indelibly Printed in their hearts that no torture could blot it out and make them confesse and betray one another And indeed how should it be otherwise for First if Morall Principles cherished and strengthened by good education will inable the soule against vitious inclinations so that though some influence of the heavens doe worke upon the aire and the aire upon the spirits and the spirits upon the humors and these incline the temper and that inclines the soule of a man such and such wayes Yet breeding in the refineder sort of evill persons will much prevaile to draw them another way what may wee thinke of grace and faith and Gods spirit which are supernaturall Secondly every Christian suffering for Christs sake and for righteousnesse sake hath Gods mighty power to support him and Christ to suffer with him and beare a part in his misery whereas the naturall man suffers all himselfe as a delinquent or malefactor whose guilty conscience addes weight to his punishment A woman called Fâ—licitas whom Saint Austin much praiseth being brought to bed in the time of her imprisonment for the truth and by reason of the great paines shee had in her labour that she could not forbeare schreâ—ching one of the Officers hearing her cry out tauntingly mockt her thus Ah woman if thou canst not beare these sorrowes without such cryingâ— how wilt thou endure when thou shalt be burnt or cut in peeces or torne asunder What thou now sufferest is but sport but the Tragedy is to follow whom shee answered Now said shee I suffer for my selfe and for sinne but then Christ is to suffer in me and I for him And it fell out as she said for when she was thrown to the wild beasts she neither sent out screechings nor so much as a sigh or groane but entertained death with so merry and cheerfull a countenance as if she had beene invited to a Feast And thus you see in the first place that Nature hath but a slow foot to follow Religion close at the heeles that grace and faith transcends reason as much as reason doth sense that patience rightly so called is a Prerogative royall peculiar to the Saints It is well if Philosophy have so much wisedome as to stand amazed at it 2. That it is not true Christian patience except it flow from a pious and good heart sanctified by the Holy Ghost 2 Be done in knowledge of and obedience to Gods command 3 That wee doe it in humility and sincere love to God 4 That it be done in faith 5 That wee ayme at Gods glory not our owne and the Churches good in our sufferings 6 That we â—orgive aswell as forbeare yea love pray for and returne good to our enemies for their evill which being so what hath the Swashbuckler to say for himselfe And what will become of him if he repent not who can afford no time to argue but to execute Yea what hath the more temperate worldling to say for himselfe who hath some small peece of reason for his guide arguing thus I would rather make shew of my passions than smoother them to my cost which being vented and exprest become more languishing and weake better it is to let its point worke outwardly than bend it against our selves and in reason Tallying of injuries is but justice To which I answer it is not reason especially â—arnall reason but Religion which all this while hath beene disputed of which is Divine and supernaturall and that teacheth how good must be returned for evill and that we should rather invite our enemy to doe us more wrong than not to suffer the former with patience as our Saviours words doe imply If saith hee they strike thee on the one cheeke turne to him the other also If they sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coate let him have thy Cloake also Mat. 5. 39 40. He speakes comparatively as if he should say rather suffer two wrongs than doe one Indeed the difficulty of the duty the seeming danger and want of Faith in carnall men weakneth the force of the strongest reasons for no more among Ruâ—â—ins but a word and a blow among civill men a word and a writ can you expect But as thrice Noble Nehemiah said to that false Belly-god betraying-Priest Shemaiah should such a man as I flee So the true Christian will encounter all discouragements and frightning Alarums thus should such a man as I feare to doe that which my Master King and Captaine Christ Jesus hath commanded me which is of more necessity than life it selfe Yea seeing Heathens could goe so farre as to subdue their passions for shame let so many of us as would be accounted Christians goe further even to the mortifying of ours or if we goe not before Publicans and Sinners in the Kingdome of grace Publicans and Sinners shall goe before us into the Kingdome of Heaven And seeing the duty of the Childe is the Fathers honour let us that are Christians bee knowne from Worldlings by our practice as once the Grecians were knowne from the Barbarians by their vertuous lives as Quintus Curtius notes Shall a wild Olive Tree growing upon the barren mo 〈…〉 s of Gilboa and nature where neither dew of the spirit nor rayne of grace faleth bare such fruit and shalt not thou a green Olive Tree in the house of God planted beside the waters of comfort bring forth this fruit of the spirit We see that civill honesty severed fâ—â—m trâ—e piety humility saving knowledge sincere love to God true obedience to his word justifying faith a zeale of Gods glory and desire to edifie and win others God accepts not as proceeding from the love of our selves and other carnall respects namely to obtaine praise or profit thereby So that to suffer as the Heathen did without observing other circumstances is but to imitate that foolish Patient who when the Physitian bade him take that prescript eate up the paper Wherefore doe not onely subdue thy passions but sayle with that contrary breath of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 12. We are reviled and we blesse and with that of Saint Steven who rowed both against winde and tyde
thou who hast so ind 〈…〉 d us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thâ—e with thiâ—e owne gifts We no sooner lived then we deserved to 〈◊〉 neither nâ—â—d we any more â—o cond 〈…〉 e us thâ—n w 〈…〉 t we brought into 〈◊〉 worâ—d with 〈…〉 spared us to this 〈◊〉 to try if we 〈…〉 〈◊〉 thee 〈…〉 we 〈◊〉 turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by sinne yet 〈…〉 séemes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 to no end for wh 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by thy Word we would not â—uffer if in 〈…〉 many â—â—ve 〈…〉 â—â—t we would not suffer it 〈…〉 movâ—d by thy ben 〈…〉 s but 〈◊〉 woâ—ld not suffer them to 〈…〉 with the Devill that we Devill that we would 〈…〉 so fast as they come thy 〈…〉 thy riches covetous thy â—â—ace wanâ—on thy 〈◊〉 â—â—temperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve 〈◊〉 but as weapons to rebell against thee We have propâ—aned thy dayes contemned thy ordinances resisâ—ed thy Word gréeved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecuted thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours op 〈…〉 ed the mouthes of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and farre weaker meanes have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospell who may justly rise up in iudgement against us Besides which makes our case farre more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we doe we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we deferre untill we he old men and when we be old men we shall defer it untill death if thou prevent us not and yet we looke for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Thus while we looke upon our selves we are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto thee yea we are ready to despairâ— with Cain yet when we thinke upon thy Son and the rich promises of the Gospell our feare is in some measure turned into ioy while we consider that his righteousnesse for us is more then our wickednesse against our selves onely give us faith we b 〈…〉 ch 〈◊〉 and settle it in thy beloved that we may draw vertue from his death and resurrection whereby we may be enabled to dye unto sinne and live unto righteousnesse and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmities It is true O Lord as wée were made after thine owne Image so by sinne we have turned that Image of thine into the Image of Satan but turne thou us againe and wee shall be turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Sonne And what though our sinnes bee great yet thy mercy is farre greater then our sinnes either are or can be wée cannot be so bad as thou art good nor so infinite in sinning as thou art in pardoning if wée repent O that wée could repent O that thou wouldest give us repentance for we are weake O Lord and can no more turne our selves then we could at first make our selves yeâ— we are altogether dead in sinne so that we cannot stirre the least joynt no not so much as féele oâ—â— deadnesse nor desire life except thou be pleasâ—d to raise and restore our soules from the death of 〈◊〉 and grave of long custome â—o the life of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are to all evill but reprobate and 〈…〉 sed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the meanes thereof Wée are altogether of our seâ—ves unble to resist the force of our mighty advers 〈…〉 but doe thou frée our wils and set to thy 〈◊〉 hand in 〈◊〉 â—owne by thy Spirit our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by thy grace subdue our unt 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wée â—â—all henceforth as much honour 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 our wickednesse we have â—ormerly disho 〈…〉 Wherefore of thy 〈◊〉 and for thy great names sake we besâ—â—ch thee tâ—ke away our stony hearts and 〈…〉 of â—lâ—sh enable us to repent what we 〈◊〉 done and never more to doe what we have once repented not fostering any one sinue in our soules reforme and change our mindes wils aâ—d affections which we have corrupted remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thée and direct all our thoughts spéeches and actions to thy glory as thou hast 〈…〉 ted our eternall salvation thereunto Let not Satan any longer prevayle in causinâ— us to deferre our repentance sicce we know that late repentance is seldome sincere and that sicknesse is no 〈◊〉 time 〈◊〉 so great a worke as many have found that are now in Hell Neither is it reasonable thou shouldest accept of our féeble and decrepit old age when we have spent all the fâ—ower and strength of our youth in serving of Satan not once minding to leave sinne untill sinne left us Yea O Lord give us firmely to resolve spéedily to begin and continually to persevere in doing and suffering thine holy will Informe and reforme us so that we may neither misbeléeve nor mis-live subdue our lusts to our wils submit our wils to reason our reason to faith our faith our reason our wils our selves to thy blessed word and will Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sinnes which corrupt our soules and darken our understandings separate them from us which would separate us from thee Yea remove them out of thy â—ight also we most humbly beséech thee aâ— farre as the East is from the West and in the merits of thy Sonne pardon and forgive us all thâ—se evils which either in thought word or déed we have this day or any time heretofore committed against thee whether they be the sinnes of our youth or of our age of omission or commission whether committed of ignorance of knowledge or against conscience and the many checks and motions of thy Spirit And because infidelity is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse nor are we Christians indeed except wee imitate Christ and squâ—re our lives according to the rule of thy Word Give us that faith which manifesteth it selfe by a godly life which purifyeth the heart worketh by love and sanctifyeth the whole man throughout Yea since if our faith be true and saving it can no more be severed from unfained repentance and sanctification then life can be without motion or the Sunne without light give us spirituall wisedome to try and examine our selves whether we be in the faith or not that so we may not be deluded with opinion onely as thousands are Discover unto us the emptinesse vanity and insufficiency of the things here below to doe our poore soules the least good that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soule of our soules considering that if we have him we want nothing if we want him we have nothing Finally O Lord give