is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares
evill conscience attends the one of which eats out their heart when we expect an harvest The other seizes upon the Soule in the time of sorrow and sinks it into the lowest hell And as Men of GOD and Sonnes of Wisdome to mount our thoughts and raise our spirits and bend our affections to things above which are as farre from diminution and decay as the Soule from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken than the Seat and Omnipotency of GOD surprised For besides that they infinitely surpasse in eminency of worth and sweetnesse of pleasure the comprehension of the largest heart and expression of any Angels tongue they also out-last the dayes of heaven and run parallell with the life of GOD and line of Eternity As we see the Fountaine of all materiall light to powre out his beames and shining abundantly every day upon the world without wearinesse emptinesse or end so and incomparably more doth joy and peace glory and blisse spring and plentifully flow every moment with fresh streames from the face of the Father of Lights upon all His holy ones in heaven and that everlastingly O blessed then shall we be upon our beds of death if following the counsell of our dearest LORD who shed the most precious and warmest bloud in His heart to bring our soules out of hell we treasure ap now in the meane time heavenly hoards which will ever happily hold out a stocke of grace which never shrinks in the wetting but abides the triall of the spirit and touch-stone of the Word in all times of danger and Day of the LORD even that accurate circumspect and precise walking pressed upon us by the Apostle Eph. 5. 15. Though pestilently persecuted and plagued by the enemies of GOD in all ages And that purity which Saint Iohn makes a property of every true-hearted Professour 1 Iohn 3. 3. So much opposed and bitterly opprest by the world and yet without which none of us shall ever see the face of GOD with comfort If while it is called To Day we make our peace with His heavenly Highnesse by an humble continued exercise of repentance by standing valiantly on His side by holding an holy acquaintance at His mercifull Throne with a mighty importunity of prayer and godly conversation above by ever offering up unto Him in the armes of our Faith when he is angry the bleeding Body of His owne crucified SONNE never giving Him over or any rest untill He bepleased to register and enroll the remission of our sinnes in the Booke of Life with the bloudy lines of CHRISTS Soule-saving sufferings and golden characters of His owne eternall love If now before we appeare at the dreadfull Tribunall of the euer-living GOD and little know we whose turne is next we make our friends in the Court of Heaven the blessed Angels in procuring their joy and love by a visible constancy in the fruits teares and truth of a sound conversion The Spirit of comfort by a ready and reverent entertainment of His holy Motions and inspirations of grace the Sonne and Heire of the King of glory the Foundation and Fountaine of all our Blisse in this world and the world to come from whose meritorious bloud shed and blessed mediation arise all those flouds of mercy and favour which refresh our Soules in this vale of teares and also those unknown bottomlesse seas of pleasure peace and all unspeakable delights which will superabound and overflow with new and fresh sweetnesse for ever and ever in the Paradise of GOD. Blessed are they that ever they were borne who have already got Him their Advocate at the right hand of His Father For besides many other glorious priviledges thereby in all their exigents and extremities they may be ever welcome to the Seat of mercy and be sure to speed If a man had a suit unto the King it were a comfortable and happy thing to find a friend in Court But if the Kings speciall and choisest Favourite nay His own only Son were his Intercessour how confident would he be to prevaile and prosper to conquer his opposites and crowne his desires Why then should any poore Christian be discomforted and cast downe nay why should he not be extraordinarily raised and ravished in spirit with much joyfull hope and sweet assurance when he throwes himselfe downe at the Throne of grace sith the dearest Sonne of the eternall GOD the Heire of heaven and earth the Mediator of the great Covenant of endlesse salvation is his Advocate at the hand of His All-mighty Father in the most high and glorious Court of Heaven Wherefore when an humbled soule and trembling spirit is sore troubled and almost turned backe from his purpose of prayer and prostration at the foot of heavenly Majesty by entertaining before hand a feeling apprehension of his owne abhorred vilenesse and the holy purity of GODS all-seeing and searching eye which cannot looke on iniquity let this consideration comfort and breed confidence that IESVS CHRIST the Son of GODS love doth sollicite and tender the suit who out of His owne sense and sympathy of such like troubles and temptations doth deale for us with a true a naturall and a sensible touch of compassionatenesse and mercy Shall that blessed Saviour of ours call and cry for a pardon to His Father for those which put Him to death who were so farre from seeking unto him that they sought and suckt his bloud and shall He shut His eares against the groanes of thy grieved spirit and heavy sighes of thy bleeding soule who values one drop of His bloud at an higher price than the worth of many worlds It cannot be Thus that saying of Salomon and this counsell of CHRIST makes good the truth of the Point which may further appeare by these Reasons 1. Taking this counsell betime and hoarding up heavenly things in this harvest time of grace mightily helps to asswage the smart mollifie the bitternesse and illighten the darknesse of the evill Day It is soveraigne and serves to take the venime sting and teeth out of any crosse calamity or distresse and so preserves the heart from that raging hopelesse sorrow which like a devouring Harpie dries up dissolves and destroyes the bloud spirits and life of all those who are destitute of such a divine Antidote What vast difference may we discerne betweene Iob and Iudas David and Achitophel in the daies of evill The two men of God being formerly enriched with his favour and familiarity so behaved themselves the one in the ship-wracke of his worldly happinesse the other in the hazard of his Kingdome as though they had not beene troubled at all The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away saith Iob when all was gone blessed be the name of the LORD If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD saith David He will bring me againe and shew me both it and His habitation But if He thus say I have no delight in thee behold here
the longest line of eternity In which respect also our condition is a thousand times more happy and glorious than if we had stood still with Adam in his innocency and felicity If so he could but have conveighed unto us bodies immortall potentiâ non moriendi ex Hypothesi as they say that is endowed onely with power of not dying if so and so but now they shall be immortall impotentiâ moriendi that is shine for ever in the highest heavens with impossibility of ever perishing 2. Incorruptiblenesse 1 Corinth 15. 42. 54. For every glorified body shall for ever be utterly impassible and un-impressionable with any corruptive quality action or alteration Whether 1. By the power of some peculiar glorifying endowment implanted in the body or redounding from the soule upon the body for that purpose Or 2. From an exquisite temper and harmony of the Elementary qualities freed everlastingly from all possibility of any angry contrariety and combate Or 3. Which seemeth most probable and approoved by the learned'st Schoole-men from an exact subjection of the body to the soule as of the soule to GOD I say whether so or so I doe not here enquire or contend but leave all alterations in this kinde to the curious disquisitions of such idle and ill-exercis'd Divines The testimony of GODS never-erring Spirit in the cited place is more than infinitely sufficient to assure every Christian heart that our raised bodies reformed by the All-mighty glorious hand of GOD shall never more be exposed to violence or hurt from any externall agent or obnoxious to the least disposition towards any inward decay putrefaction or dissolution 3. Potency 1 Corinth 15. 43. Our soules are in nature substance and immateriality like the Angels of GOD One of which killed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand 2 Kings 19. 35. And therefore little know we though the edges excellency and executions may be dul'd and drown'd in our heavy fraile sinfull bodies of what might and power they may be originally But then when to the soules native strength there is an addition of glorifying vigour and GODS mighty Spirits more plentifull inhabitation and it shall also put on a body which brings with it besides its owne peculiar inherent power an exact serviceablenesse and sufficiency apted and apportion'd to the soules highest abilities and executions how incredibly powerfull and mighty may we suppose a Saint in heaven shal be 4. Spiritualnesse 1 Cor. 15. 44. Not that our bodies shall be turned into spirits but imployed spiritually Or more fully thus 1. Because they shal be fully possessed with the Spirit which dwelling primarily and above measure in CHRIST our head is communicated from Him to us His members so that then we shall no more live by our animall faculty nor need for preservation of life meat drinke sleepe clothing physicke or the former naturall helpes In which respect they cease to be naturall bodies being freed from those animall faculties of nourishing increasing and multiplying by generation They shall no more live by vertue of food and nourishment thrice concocted first in the stomach c. but shal be spirituall and heavenly living without all these helpes as the Angels in heaven do 2. Because they shall in all things become subject to the Spirit of GOD and be wholly perfectly and willingly guided by Him with a spirituall Angelicall most absolute and free obedience As the spirit serving the flesh may not unfitly be called carnall so the body obedient to the soule saith Austin is rightly termed spirituall 3. By reason of their activenesse nimblenesse agility whereby they shal be able to moove from place to place with incredible swiftnesse and speed not being at all hindered by their weight An heavy lumpe of lead that sinkes now to the bottome being wire-drawne as it were by the workman into the forme of a boat will swimme saith Austin And shall not GOD give that ability to our bodies which the Artificer doth to the lead c. Here some of the Schoolemen moove an idle unnecessary question to wit Whether glorified Bodies moove from place to place in an instant For they may well know out of the Principles in Philosophy and Rules of sound reason that it is utterly impossible and implies contradiction That a body should in an instant be in many places at once But if a glorified body moove from place to place in an instant it will necessarily follow that the same body is in an instant In termino à quo locis intermedijs termino ad quem simul in the beginning middle and end of the space thorow which it passeth at once which is more than utterly impossible and quite destroyes the nature of a true Body I would rather interpret those words of Austin Certè ubi volet spiritus ibi protinus â—…rit corpus the body will presently be there where the soule would have it of extraordinary speed and incredibly short time Aquinas cals it imperceptible So that I doubt not but that a glorified Saint desiring to be in such or such a place a thousand miles off after the very first bent of his will that way would be there in an incredibly lesse time than thou wouldest imagine 5. Glory 1 Corinth 15. 43. The bodies of the Saints in heaven shal be passingly beautifull shining and amiable Two things according to Austin concurre to the constitution of beauty 1. A due and comely proportion an apt and congruent symmetry and mutuall correspondency of all the parts of the body or in a word well-favourednesse 2. Amiablenesse of colour a pleasing mixture of those two lively colours of white and red I add a third 3. A cheerfull lively light some aspect When the two former materials as it were are pleasantly enliv'd and actuated by a lively quicknesse and modest merrinesse of countenance Whereupon saith the Moralist it is not the red and white which giveth the life and perfection of beauty but certaine sparkling notes and touches of amiable cheerefulnesse accompanying the same In beauty saith another that of favour is more than that of colour and that of decent pleasing motion more than that of favour That is the best part of beauty which a picture cannot expresse c. All these concurre in eminency and excellency in glorified bodies 1. An exquisite feature and stature beautified by GODS owne blessed all-mighty hand with the utmost of created comlinesse and matchlesse proportion 2. Not onely sweetest mixture of liveliest colours but also a bright shining splendour of celestiall glory 3. And both these actuated to the life preserved in perpetuall freshnesse and oriency and quickened still with new supply of heavenly activenesse and amiablenesse by a more glorious soule for if the brightnesse of the body shall match the light of the Sun what do you thinke will be the glory of the soule and by an infinitely more glorious spirit which shall plentifully
more Our mutuall knowledge one of another in heaven shall not be in outward and worldly respects but divine and spirituall as we know them in CHRIST by the illumination of the Spirit 5. We shall know the spirituall substances offices orders excellencies of the Angels the nature immortality operations and originall of our owne soules c. In a word all things knowable 6. We shall be beatifically illightened with a cleare and glorious sight of GOD Himselfe which Divines call Beatificall Vision About which the Schoolemen audaciously discoursing fall upon differing conceipts 1. Some say GOD shall then be knowne by a Species representing the divine Essence and by a Light of glory elevating the understanding by a supernaturall strength 2. Others That the divine Essence shall be represented to the glorified understanding not by any Species but immediately by It Selfe yet they also require light of glory to elevate and fortifie the understanding by reason of its weakenesse and infinite disproportion and distance from the incomprehensible Deity 3. Others hold that to the cleare vision of GOD there is not required a Species representing the divine Essence as the first sort suppose nor any created light elevating the understanding as the second sort think but onely a change of the naturall order of knowing It is sufficient say they that the divine Essence be immediately represented to a created understanding Which though it cannot be done according to the order of nature as experience tels us For we so conceive things first having passed the sense and imagination Yet it may be done according to the order of divine grace c. But it is sufficient for a sober man to know that in heaven we shall see Him face to face Upon my Patron And here by your good leaves I will be bold to make benefit of the instant occasion because it is very seasonably coincident with the Point And presse from that the practice of this last mortifying motive These artificiall Formes of sadnesse and complementall representations of sorrow in blacks and mourning weeds are nothing for my purpose neither do I desire to stirre up or renew in any man thoughts of heavinesse or griefe of heart which he might conceive and nourish by reason of some particular interest in the bounty love person and worthy parts of the departed many times men are too forward and overflowing in those tender offices and last demonstrations of natural affection And therfore my counsel in such cases is that we would shew our selves Christians and by the sacred rules of Religion ever prevent that unseasonablenesse and excesse which many times with a fruitlesse torture doth tyrannise over the hopelesse hearts of meere naturall men The Point that I would principally presse and perswade unto is a Christian and compassionate taking to heart the publike losse that every one of us may upon that occasion be truly humbled in himselfe and bettered in his owne soule And I tell you true especially in these times this losse is great He was a revexend and learned Iudge a Prince and a great Man in Israel nay a God upon earth for so are Iudges stiled by the Spirit of GOD Psal. 82. 6. Though he be departed this life like a man and fallen as one of the Princes But these are nothing they are but bare titles in respect of any true worth He was really remarkable and renowned for very speciall judiciary endowments and sufficiencies and those aided and attended with many worthy additions of morality and subordinate abilities As first 1. Such calmnesse in his affections and moderation of his passions as I never saw even in his ordinary cariage He might have been a mirrour me thinks in this point even amongst the exactest Moralists And they say that appeared most eminently in his publike passages and executions of justice And how needfull a vertue this is to a Iudiciall Place those may best conceive who either feele or but consider what a cruell and intolerable thing it is for an ingenuous man to stand before a Iudge who is prejudicately and passionately transported with anger malice or hatred against the party to be sentenced 2. Patience to heare the basest both parties all they could say And unwillingnesse to lend his eare to the one without the others presence 3. A great and happy memory 4. Singular sagacity in searching and diving into the secretest and utmost circumstances so farre as was possible of the causes that came before him that he might give the more righteous judgement 5. A marvellous tendernesse and pitifull exacttnesse in his inquisitions after bloud Holding on the one side the life of a man very precious and yet on the other side perswaded of the truth and terrour of that place Numb 35. 33. For bloud that defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it But yet all these whatsoever you apprehend in my conceipt had not beene much worth though good in their owne nature neither to tell you true should I have so much as nam'd them had they not been aided as it were and managed with three other most noble and necessary vertues especially in these times which actuated them as it were and gave them their life and lustre 1. A love to integrity the right and truth in all his judiciall courses which for any thing I know or could ever heare no man living upon just ground can or will contradict 2. With a constant and resolute heart-rising against bribery and corruption the cursed bane of all goodnesse honesty and good conscience wheresoe'er it comes And to this that high place he worthily held about the Prince can give royall attestation where he qualified fees to his owne losse and protested his resolution and all possible opposition to all offers for offices with this reason he would have them come in clearehanded that they might deale honestly in their places And his owne followers to whom he gave a charge at his first entrance to a judiciall place that they should not meddle nor make any motions to him that he might be secur'd from all appearance of corruption And as I am credibly inform'd his ordinary reading of great letters and rejection of gratuities after judgement given 3. With a noble and unshaken resolution and mighty opposition of Popery and that without respect or feare of any greatnesse as we have evident demonstration Now of this we need no further testimony though there be very pregnant and plentifull besides than the present triumph of the Papists and barbarous insultations of that bloudy and murdrous generation And especially in yonder Country of Lancashire and those Northerne Parts where he shooke the pillars of Popery more valiantly and succesfully than any these many yeares Officers in those Parts observ'd that in his two or three yeares he convicted confin'd and conform'd moe Papists than were in twenty yeares before And that last
be driven from his hold by the power of the Word and how he playes the Devill indeed when the light of the Gospell begins to shine in a place which himselfe hath long kept in darknesse and errour by those twofold fiends ignorance and prophanenesse Perhaps at the very first rising of that glorious sun of the Word of life unto a people that hath sit in darknesse and under the shadow of death it breeds onely astonishment and amazement they are for a while onely dazelled with the glory and beauty of so rare and extraordinary a light but when after some little space they be thorowly heated and it begin to burne up their noy some lusts to gall their guilty consciences to sting their carnall hearts to vexe and disquiet their covetous affections then begins all the stirre and Satan to play his part the sudden infliction of a wound is not so very painefull and while it is greene it is not so grievous but after when it comes to be searched in cold bloud to have tents put into it and corrasives applied then it goeth to the heart When the sword of the Spirit first strikes the carnall heart it may perhaps beare away the blow reasonable well but if the Chirurgion of the soule I meane the Minister of the Word follow his cure faithfully and open the wound wider as he sees need apply spirituall corâ—…osives to eat away the ranknesse of the flesh and the poyson of sinne then begins the prophane man if the LORD give him not grace to suffer his soule to be saved to rage and rave with the smart of it and perhaps with malice and fury to fly into the face of his soules Physitian See the humour of prophane men against the power of a conscionable Ministery Ier. 44. 15 c. Acts 13. 8. and Cap. 14. 2 c. and Ver. 19. and Cap. 16. 19. and Cap. 17. 5. and Ver. 32. and Cap. 19. 2â—… and 24. 5. This spite and malice of Satan against sincerity and grace is to be seene also in private families if the governours of the house the children and servants be all prophane as it is very true of very many in most places then they are passing well met for matter of Religion and were there nothing amongst them to breed difference and dissention but GODS service they would never fall out for they are all content to heare no more or more often of the affaires of heaven judgements for sin the wayes of GOD and reformation of their life than they must needs they are all willing and forward to prophane the Sabbath in one kind or other some by absenting themselves from the house of GOD some by worldly talke all the day long some by idlenesse some by sinfull sports c. They are well content to lie downe at night like wild beasts in their dens without lifting up their hearts together unto that mercifull GOD which hath preserved and prospered them all the day to rise up also in the morning prayerlesse or onely with formall prayers They all joyne in malice against the Ministry of the Word in slanderous lies against the messengers of GOD in base and reviling speeches against the professours of Christianity The reason is they are all possessed with the same spirit of prophanenesse love of pleasures hatred to be reformed and carnality of heart But if it once please the LORD to plant grace in the heart of the Master of the family so that he begin to plant in his house reformation houshold instruction prayer sanctification of the Sabbath and other holy orders and godly exercises then presently begins the Devill to stir in the hearts and tongues of their prophane servants they begin to be furiously impatient of such precisenesse strictnesse and restraints for so they wickedly and wrongfully call the pleasures of grace and way to heaven they can by no meanes digest such new fashions they 'l not be troubled with giving account of Sermons they heare they 'l have their recreation on the Sabbath that they will they 'l not be mew'd up at home when other mens servants are at their sports abroad c. Nay perhaps even their owne children except the LORD season them with the same grace may grow stubborne and refractory and very rebellious and disobedient to the best things so that in a holy sense CHRISTS words may be there truly verified Matth. 10. 34 35. Thus was zealous David troubled with the vanity of a scornefull proud and prophane wife 2 Sam. 5. 20. Abel with a bloudy brother Gen. 4. 8. Iacob with a prophane Esau Gen. 27. 41. Isaac with a mocking Ishmael And many a gracious heart in families where grace beares not sway with the lewdnesse malice and ungodly oppositions of those among whom they live Or if it so fall out that the power of grace seaze on the heart of a servant or sonne so that he begin to be sensible of the ignorance disorders prophanenesse and sinfull confusions of the house where he dwels desires to spend the Sabbath as Christians use to do then presently begins Satan to put rage into the heart and frownings into the face of the father or master of the family he then takes on tels him that such precisenesse is not for his profit hee 'l have no such inferiour fellow to be a reformer of his family hee 'l not be controlled and contradicted in his owne house hee 'l governe his people in the old fashion as his father did before him c. so that there is no longer biding for that new convert under such a crabbed master without a very great deale of patience All this and a thousand more mischiefes are the blacke broods and bloudy effects of Satans malice against the power of the Word and the plantation of grace GOD Himselfe is the GOD of peace CHRIST IESVS the Prince of peace and the blessed Spirit is the fountaine of peace that passeth all understanding the holy Word is the Gospell of peace the faithfull Ministers are the Messengers of reconciliation and peace the Saints of GOD are the children of peace The Divell and the rebellious corruptions of prophane men are indeed and truth the true causes of all these stirs and strong oppositions which are raised any where at any time any waies in the case and cause of Religion The fault I confesse and imputation of troublesomenesse is lai'd upon GODS children by the lewd tongues of gracelesse men See Ier. 15. 10. utterly without cause 1. Kings 18. 17. Act. 24. 3 c. but these and the like are lies hatch't in Hell and managed by the malice of carnall men And that was most true which the blessed Prophet of GOD Elijah and the holy Apostle Saint Paul answered in such cases 1. Kings 18. 18. Act. 24. 13 14. and so proportionably may all Christians answer all prophane wretches amongst whom they liue It is you and your prophane families your proud ignorance hatred to be reformed malice
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being
good Minister at the appearing of that great day and herein GOD wonderfully honoured his Ministery in making him an aged father in CHRIST and to beget many sonnes and daughters vnto righteousnesse for I may truely say many hundreds were either absolutely converted or mightily confirmed or singularly comforted in their grievous agonies by his Ministery for he had such an art in this kinde of relieving afflicted consciences which hee acquired partly by great paines and industry in searching into that skill but chiefly by that manifold experience he had in himselfe and others that he was sought to farre and neare and divers from beyond the seas desired his resolution in divers cases of Conscience which was the onely cause that made him put forth that last learned and godly Treatise of his which he stiled Instructions for a right comforting afflicted consciences And though in his manner of preaching he was a Sonne of thunder yet unto bruised reeds and those that mourned in spirit hee was as sweete a sonne of Consolation as ever I heard and with a very tender and pitifull heart powred the oyle of mercy into their bleeding wounds He as was said of Luther was a mighty opposite to the Divels kingdome and had a singular skill to discerne his sleights and that cunning craftinesse whereby hee lies in wait to deceive He ever thought that there was no such way to cast downe the strong holds of Sathan and to batter his kingdome then after the steps of Iohn the Baptist to lay the axe close to the roote of sinne and to set it on with such power as that the Divell and all his agents were not able to resist it By this meanes he got ground of Satan and wasted his kingdome and there were daily added to his Ministery such whose hearts were softned thereby And in all his Sermons he ever used to discover the filthinesse of sinne and to presse very powerfully upon the conscience the duties of Sanctification in expression whereof three things were remarkeable in him 1. Such courage and resolution of spirit as is scarcely to be found in any I am perswaded that in the cause of GOD he could have beene contented with Martin Luther totius mundi odium impetum sustinere to have undergone the rage and violence of the whole world whereby he gave such vigour unto the truth he delivered that it pierced betweene the very joynts and the marrow 2. Impartiality he would spare none in their sinnes either great or small he knew he was to deliver his Masters will with whom was no respect of persons 3. His wisedome as he was of high courage so was it excellently tempered with wisdome descryed in these foure things 1. In all his denunciations against sinne he never personated any man whereby to put him to shame unlesse his owne inward guiltinesse caused him to apply it to himselfe 2. Hee would never presse upon the conscience the guiltinesse of sinne but he would forâ—…ifie it by Scripture by the ancient Fathers in which he was ripe and ready and the concurrence of the best Orthodoxe Writers to stop the mouth of all slanderers that should accuse his doctrine either of novelty or of too much precisenesse 3. When he had searcht the conscience to the very quicke as he would doe he ever offred CHRIST in all his beauty and sweetnesse and powred it forth upon the conscience with such a torrent of Eloquence as would haue melted the hearts of any but those which obstinately refused the voice of that powerfull charmer 4. He would alwaies protest unto his people that it was a trouble and griefe to him to preach against their sinnes hee delighted not to vexe any of their consciences he should be glad the case was so with them that hee might only preach the riches of the mercies in CHRIST all his dayes But he knew no other way to pull them out of the snare of Satan and state of darkenesse then the way he tooke without drawing the horrible sin of Bloud-guiltinesse upon his soule But that which made his preaching more illustrious was that burning and shining light which appeared in his life and conversation in these five particulars 1. His Piety wherein I need not say much for that second booke of his concerning directions for walking with GOD were framed out of the pious Meditations of his owne heart as a guide for himselfe for the ordering of his steps in the waies of righteousnes which he so strictly observed throughout the course of his life that allowing to him his frailties and infirmities which the holiest men while their flesh is upon them shall not be freed from hee could not bee justly taxed by any no not his very enemies if he had any such of any grosse and scandalous sinnes since his first conversion from them And no marveile if hee attained to such a height of holinesse when he was lifted up thither by the wings of prayer His constant course was to pray sixe times a day twice by himselfe in private twice in publique with his family and twice with his wife Besides many daies of private humiliation and prayer ever before the receiving of the Communion and many daies besides for the miseries of the Churches in France and Germany c which he performed with such ardencie of spirit that as was said of Martin Luther He used such humility as in the presence of Almighty GOD but such fer vencie and faith as if he had beene talking with his friend And GOD heard his prayers for to the comfort of his soule a litle before his death he heard of the mighty victories obtained by the King of Sweden against the Emperour to the astonishment of all the world that those eyes which now behold it with joy doe scarce beleeve themselves in the fruition of it When the LORD saith the Psalmist turned againe the captivity of Zion wee were like them that dreame So indefatigable were the paines of this godly man in his private devotions and publike preaching that being advised by Physitians for his healths sake to breake off the strong intentions of his studies he rejected their counsell accounting it greater riches to enjoy CHRIST by those fervent intentions of his minde then to remit them for the safeguard of his health Much like the speech of that famously learned D â— Reynolds to the Doctors of Oxford comming to visit him in his last sickenesse contracted meerely by his exceeding paines in studie by which he brought his body to a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who earnestly perswading him that he would not peraere substantiam propter accidentia i. e. â—…o loose his life for learning he with a sweete smile finely answered out of the Poet. Nec propter vitam vivendiperdere causas Nor yet for love of life loose that dare I Which is the cause I live my industry 2. For his Gravity he was of a very comely presence he had a
time they suffer many sowre apprehensions to arise in their hearts against us in a much altered tune and temper Then would they with much amazednesse and terrible feare yell out those now too late hideous complaints We fooles counted his life madnesse c. we wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction c. What hath pride profited us c. Then would they curse all dawbers and justifie all downe-right dealers contempt of whose counsell would now cut in peeces their very heart-strings with restlesse anguish and horrour and mightily strengthen the never-dying worme whereby the enraged soule will thrust its owne hands as it were into its owne bowels and teare open the very fountaine of life and sense to feed upon it selfe For the worme of conscience say Divines is onely a continuall remorse and furious reflexion of the soâ—…le upon its owne wilfull folly and thereby the wofull misery it hath brought upon it selfe 2. This may serve to stirre up all the sonnes and daughters of wisdome to hoard up with all holy greedinesse instead of earthly pelfe transitory toyes and shining clay the rich and lasting treasures of divine wealth and immortall graces For these heavenly jewels purchased with CHRISTS bloud and planted in the heart by the omnipotent hand of the HOLY GHOST will shine comfortably upon our soules with beames of blessednesse and peace amid all the miseries and confusions the darknesse and most desperate dangers of this present life nay in the very valley of the shadow of death their splendour and spirituall glory will not onely dissolve and dispell all mists of horrour which can possibly arise from the apprehension of hell the grave those last dreadfull pangs or any other terrible thing but also illighten conduct and carie us triumphantly thorow the abhorred confines of the King of feare upon the wings of joy and in the armes of Angels to unapproachable light unknowne pleasures and endlesse blisse It may be as yet thou standest upright without any changes unstir'd in thy state by any adverse storme supposing thy mountaine so strong that thou shalt never be mooved Thus long perhaps the Allmighty hath beene with thee His candle hath shined upon thy head and His patient providence rested with all favour and successe upon thy Tabernacle so that hitherto thou hast seene no dayes of sorrow but even washed thy steps with butter and the rocke hath powred thee out rivers of oyle c. Yet for all this the day may come before thou die that thou maist be stript of all and become as poore as Iob as they say by fire robbery suretiship ship-wracke the destroying sword desolations of war or by the hand of GOD in some other kind Even A day an houre a moment saith one is enough to over-turne the things that seemed to have beene founded and rooted in adamant Labour therefore industriously before-hand so to furnish and fortifie thine heart with patience noblenesse of spirit Christian fortitude the mightinesse of Iobs faith Cap. 13. 15. And his manifold integrities Cap. 31. That if such an evill day should come upon thee and who can looke for exemption when he lookes upon Iobs affliction thou maist with an unrepining submission to GODS good providence and pleasure take up his sweetest resolution and repose Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD Though as yet by a miracle of rarest mercy calmnesse and serenity rest upon the firmament of our state yet who knowes how soone especially sith many of GODS dearest servants beyond the seas have lyen so long in teares and bloud some dismall cloud and tempestuous storme may arise out of the hellish â—…ogs of our many hainous sinnes and crying abominations and breake out upon us and that with greater terrour and farre more horribly by reason of the unexpectednesse and our present desperate security Though the Sun of the Gospell and glory of a matchlesse Ministry shine yet full faire among us in the Meridian of our peace and prosperous daies yet little know we how soone and suddenly it may decline and set in a sea of confusion calamity and woe And therefore hoard up greedily in the meane time and while the Sun shines a rich treasury of saving knowledge grace and good life that if need require thou maist then resolutely reply with blessed Paul against all contradictions and temptations to the contrary I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the LORD IESVS Though at this present thou doest perhaps with much sweet contentment enjoy thy GOD comfortably and His pleased face many heavenly deawes of spirituall joy glorious refreshings and abundance of spirituall delights fall upon thy soule from the Throne of mercy every time thou commest neare Him Thou canst say unto thy Dearest out of thy present feeling I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine and in some good measure keepe a part with the Saints of old in such victorious and triumphant Songs as these Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. We will not feare though the earth be remooved and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof Selah I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. Yet for all this that onely wise GOD of thine may hereafter for some cause seeming good to Himselfe and for thy good with-draw from thee the light of His countenance and sense of His love and leave thee for a time to the darknesse of thine owne spirit and Satans â—…orest temptations c. Ply therefore in this prosperity of thy soule all blessed meanes the Ministry Sacraments Prayer Conference Meditations humiliation-dayes holinesse of life clearenesse of conscience watching over thy heart walking with GOD sanctified use of afflictions experimentall observation of GODS dealings with thee from time to time workes of justice mercy and truth c. Thereby so to quicken fortifie and steele thy faith that in the bitterest extremity of thy spirituall distresse thou maist be able to say with Iob Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him Iob 13. 15. A thousand crosses moe calamities and troubles may over-take thee before thou takest thy leave of this vale of teares It will be thy wisdome therefore now in this calme to provide for a storme to treasure up out of GODS Booke many mollifying medicines and soveraigne antidotes against all slavish and vexing fore-thought of them in the meane time and their bitternesse when they shall come upon thee Thou maist be assured if thou be a sonne thy
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
mends them not as they say and a soule day paires them not As they are peremptorily consident the Pearle wil be had at their price so they are constantly peremptory never to become more precise And if it fall out sometimes that they meet with some faithfull man of GOD who hiâ—…s right upon their humour discovering the insufficiency of their present spirituall state for future happinesse and perswading them upon a necessity of salvation to an universall resignation of themselves with unreservednesse and zeale to all the world and will and waies of GOD they are wont to put it off thus or in the like manner The man is a good man and of good parts one whom I love well but a little too hot too boisterous and rough and pinches too much upon precisenesse and particularizing mens spirituall states that is all his â—…ault I must confesse I am of such a nature and disposition that I shall be more mooved with milder sermons and calmer cariage in the Pulpit I do not see how this Ministeriall severity and roughnesse sharpnesse of reproofe and such searching into and peremptory censuring mens state to GOD ward doth so much good c. My whole Discourse of true Happinesse is a touchstone and looking glasse for a triall and discovery of the unsoundnesse and spirituall selfe-deceit and therefore thither I remit them 10. A serious and fruitfull meditation upon the foure last things hath been ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill Day Give me leave therefore to select and propose some profitable Considerations thereabouts and Conclusions thence which may serve to mortifie our affections to the world take off the edge and eagernesse in pursuit after earthly things mollifie and make fit our hearts for a more easie entrance and effectuall entertainment of all saving impressions and motions of the Word and Spirit for our spirituall good that in times of terrour we may stand like Mount Zion unmooveable and magnanimous About DEATH Consider 1. That all the pleasures treasures and comforts of this life wife children goods gold great friends lands livings possessions offices honours high roomes brave situations faire prospects sumptuous buildings pleasant walkes and even the world it selfe upon which thou hast lost so much labour time care thought-fulnesse and doted so long holding a divorce as death it selfe must all upon the stroke of death which not heaven and earth or any created power can any wayes possibly prevent divert or adjourne be suddenly utterly and for ever left never more to be minded medl'd with or enjoyed in this world or the world to come When our breath goeth forth and we returne to our earth all our thoughts perish Even the thoughts of the greatest Princes and mightiest Monarchs upon earth who happily may have in their heads whole common-wealths and the affaires of many kingdomes Put not your trust in Princes saith King David nor in the sonne of man in whom there is no helpe His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish And therefore let it be thy wisdome to rent and weane thine affections from the world with an holy resolute violence in the meane time Disdaine and scorne to set thine heart upon those things here which thou canst not thou must not have in the second life And there is good reason for it For they are all as I said before at the best and in the height 1. But vanity And 2. Vexation of spirit 3. They cannot satisfie the soule 4. They will not profit in the day of revenge 5. They reach not to eternity 6. There is no man so assured of his honour wealth or any worldly thing but he may be depriued of them the very next moment 7. Thou needs to feare no want There is no man saith CHRIST that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Of eternall life the point is cleare But how shall they be so manifoldly remunerated in this life 1. In the same kind sometimes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say Abraham at GODS command left his countrey kindred and fathers house and he was afterwards as you know crowned with riches and honour abundantly and became a great and mighty Prince Iob for the glorifying of GOD and confounding of Satan bore patiently and blessed GOD for the losse of all and how richly was he after repayed with a large and singular addition and excellency of goods and children Valentinian the Emperour was put from his place of command in the army by Iulian and banished for the profession of CHRIST but afterward was called backe from banishment and with much honour and applause advanced to the height of the Imperiall dignity The Apostles forsaking all for CHRISTS sake had afterwards for one poore cottage the houses of all the faithfull Christians in the world to which they were farre more welcome than ever any Haman was to his proudest palace and so all godly Ministers in all ages ever find heartier entertainment amongst the Houshold of Faith truly so called than ever any naturall father mother sister or brother could possibly affoord because as yet they can see no beauty in the image of CHRIST in others or in their feet who bring glad tidings nor love spiritually 2. Or in equivalence by contentment which doth incomparably both in sweetnesse and worth surpasse and over-weigh all worldly wealth Witnes that worthy reply of the most famous Italian Marquesse Galeacius Caracciolus having left the rich and pleasant Marquesdome of Vico all Imperiall Popish Princely Courtly favours and other proportionable felicities attending upon such humane greatnesse for the Gospels sake to a wicked Iesuite tempting him with a great summe of gold to returne out of Zion to Sodom from Geneva into Italy Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the gold in the world worth one daies society with IESVS CHRIST and His HOLY SPIRIT I make no doubt but to any of our learned and holy men exiles for CHRIST in Queene Maries time of whom many after returned and received an hundred fold according to the letter of the Text browne bread and the Gospell in Germany during that bloudy five yeares were infinitely more sweet and deare than all the Bishopricks of ENGLAND with Subscription to the six Articles 3. Even in an overflowing and transcendent manner in a pressed and heaped and even over-inlarged measure by spirituall joy peace of conscience contentment of soule more familiarity with GOD nearer communion with IESVS CHRIST fuller assurance of His love and our portion in Him more sensible
experience of His all sufficiency extraordinary exercise of faith sweeter taste in the Promises closer cleaving to the Word clearer sight of divine excellencies heartier longing for heavenly joyes c. One drop of which spirituall refreshing deawes distilling upon the soule even in greatest outward distresse one glimpse of such glorious inward joyes shining from the face of the Sun of salvation into the saddest heart in the darkest dungeon doth incredibly surpasse all the comfort which wife children wealth or in a word any worldly good or mortall greatnesse can possibly yeeld 4. Or in posterity by a very remarkable if not miraculous providence and care for them Consider for this purpose that GOD-fearing Prophet 2 Kings 4. who upon the matter and in the true meaning denied himselfe and forsooke all for GODS sake For he doth so also who preferres the glory of GOD the Gospell the cause of CHRIST and keeping of a good conscience before any or all earthly things holding fast unfainedly a resolution if he be put to it and times require really and actually to leave all for CHRIST This good man might have applied himselfe to the present served the times sought the Court and sate at Iezabels Table with her other temporizing trencher-chaplaines But it is said in the Text that he feared the LORD and so disdained and abhor'd to gaine by humouring greatnesse to grow rich and rise by basenesse and flattery And therefore did chuse rather to die a begger to leave his wife in debt and expose his children to the bondage of cruell creditours than any waies to make ship-wracke of a good conscience or consent and concurre to the adulterating of GODS sincere and purer worship But mark what followes rather than the wife and children of such a man who preferred GODS glory before his owne preferment shall suffer want they must be relieved by a miraculous supply as appeares in the story 5. Or in good name which is rather to be chosen than great riches saith Salomon For instance compare together Bradford and Bonner The name of that blessed man shall be of most deare and glorious memory to all that love our LORD IESVS CHRIST in sincerity untill His second comming and it is like we shall looke upon him and the rest of that royall Army of Martyrs in Queene Maries time with thoughts of extraordinary sweetnesse and love in the next world thorow all eternity But now the remembrance of that other fellow who like a bloud-thirsty Tyger made such horrible havocke of the Lambs of CHRIST shal be had in a most abhorred execrable and everlasting detestation The name of the fore-named noble Marquesse who left and and lost all with a witnesse for the Gospels sake shall be infinitely more honoured of all honest men so long as any one heavenly beame of GODS eternal truth shall shine upon earth than his uncles Paul the fourth or all that Rope of Popes from the first rising to the finall ruine of that Man of sinne Nay theirs shall rot everlastingly but his shall re-flourish with sweetnesse and fresh admiration to the worlds end 2. That to die is but to be once done and if we erre in that one action we are undone everlastingly And therefore have thine end ever in thine eye Let all our abilities businesses and whole being in this life let all our thoughts words actions referre to this one thing which as it shall be well or ill ended is attended either with endlesse plagues or pleasures with eternity of flames or felicity 3. That thou maist looke upon thy last bed tobe full sorely terribly assaulted by the king of feare accompanied with all his abhorred horrours and stinging dread by the fearefull sight of all thy former sinnes arrayed and armed in their grisliest formes and with their fieriest stings with the utmost craft and cruelty of all the powers of darknesse and the very powder-plot of the prince of hell that roaring Lion who hath industriously laboured to devoure thy soule all thy life long with the terrour of that just and last Tribunall 〈◊〉 which thou 〈◊〉 ready to passe to reckon precisely with Almighty GOD for all things done in the flesh What manner of man ought thou to be 〈◊〉 iâ—… the meane time in all holy care fore-cast and casâ—…g about to give up thine account 〈◊〉 comfort at that dreadfull houre Be so farre from deserring repentance in this Day of visitation and patting off till that time For how canst thou possibly attend so great a busines when thou art beset with such a world of wofull worke and hellish rage That â—…hou â—…hould est in this thy day like a sonne of wisdome constantly ply and improove all opportunities occasions offers every moment Ministry mercy motions of the Spirit checks of conscience corrections temptations c. To store thy selfe richly with spirituall strength against that last encounter and of highest consequence either for eternall happinesse or unconceiveable horrour 4. That thy body when the soule is gone wil be an horrour to all that behold it a most loathsome and abhorred spectacle Those that loved it most cannot now find in their hearts to looke onâ—… by reason of the griesly dâ—…formednesse which death will put upon it Downe it must into a pit of carions and confusion covered with wormes not able to wagg so much as a little finger to remoove the vermine that feed and gnaw upon its flesh and so moulder away into rottennesse and dust And therefore let us never for the temporary transitory ease pleasure and pampering of a râ—…inous and rotten carkasse bring everlasting misery upon our immortall soules Let us never for a little sensuall short and vanishing delight flowing from the three filthy puddles of the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life drowne both our bodies and soules in a dungeon shall I say nay in a boyling sea of fire and brimstone where we can see no banks nor feele no bottome 5. That when the soule departs this life it carries nothing away with it but grace GODS favour and a good conscience The Sun of all worldly greatnesse prosperity and joy then sets for ever Even Crownes Kingdomes Lands Livings and all earthly Possessions are everlastingly left And what will an immortall soule destitute of divine grace do then Then will that now newly-separated soule finding no spirituall store or provision laid up in this life against the evill day with an irksome and furious reflexion looke backe upon all its time spent in the flesh and beholding there nothing but abominations guiltinesse and sinne Presently awakes the never dying worme which having formerly had its mouth stopt with carnall delights and musâ—…'d up with outward mirth will now feed upon it with horrour anguish and desperare rage world without end O then let these precious deare everlasting things breath'd into our Bodies for a short abode in this Vale of teares by the
All-powerfull GOD scorne with infinite disdaine to feed upon Earth or any earthly things which are no proportionable object either for divinenesse or duration for so noble a nature to nestle upon But let them ply and fat themselves all the dayes of their appointed time with their proper native and celestiall food At that great Supper made by a King at the mariage of a Kings sonne Luke 14. 16. Mat. 22. 2. And therefore must needs be most magnificent and admirable At that Feast of fat things that Feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa. 25. 6. The founder and furnisher whereof is the LORD of Hosts He that made Heaven and Earth makes it and therefore it must needs be matchlesse and incomparable At the Well-head of Wisdomes richest Bounty who hath killed her beasts mingled her wine and furnished her table Prov. 9. 2. In and by these and the royallest â—…east that can be imagined are shadowed but infinitely short and represented unto us but nothing to the life all those inexplicable divine dainties delicates sweetnesses those gracious quicknings rejoycings and ravishments of spirit which GOD in mercy is wont to communicate and convey thorow all the ordinances and meanes of grace to truly humbled soules for a mighty increase of spirituall strength and invincible comfort O how deliciously may a heavenly hungry heart feed and fill it selfe 1. In the powerfull Ministry unfolding all the sacred sense and rich mines of GODS owne meaning in His blessed booke 2. In the precious promises of life by the applications and exercise of Faith 3. In the LORDS Supper by making the LORD IESVS surer to our soules every time and every time by feasting afresh upon His body and bloud spiritually with exultations of dearest joy and sweetest glimpses as it were of eternall glory 4. In fruitfull conferences and mutuall communications of gifts graces prayers duties with GODS people which the LORD doth usually and graciously water with the deawes of many sweet and glorious refreshings and quickning much increase of Christian courage and an holy contentation in the good way 5. In meditations upon the mystery of CHRIST the miracles of mercy upon us for our good all our life long and the eternity of joyes and blisse above 6. Upon the LORDS Day when showers of spirituall blessings are accustomed to fall from the Throne of grace all the day long upon those who sincerely endeavour to consecrate it as glorious unto Him 7. Upon those soule-fatting daies of humiliation which who ever tried either secretly privately or publikely either by himselfe alone with his yoke-fellow in his family or congregation and found not GOD extraordinary according to the extraordinarinesse of the exercise About the last IVDGEMENT Consider 1. How cuttingly and how cold the very first sight of the Son of Man comming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory will strike unto thine heart who hast refused to turne on His side and take His part all the time of thy gracious visitation Then wilt thou begin with extremest griefe and bitternesse of spirit to sigh and say within thy selfe Oh! He that I now see sitting downe upon yonder flaming white and glorious Throne is that IESVS CHRIST the mighty GOD the Prince of Peace that sweetest Lambe whose precious bloud was powred out as water upon the earth to save His people from their sinnes And He it was who so fairely invited and wooed me as it were by His faithfullest Messengers and intreated me with termes of dearest love all my life long but even to leave my lusts and biâ—… the Devill adieu and He even He would become my all-sufficient and everlasting Husband and now as at this time have set an immortall crowne of blisse and glory upon my head with His owne all-mighty hand But I alas like a wilfull desperate wretch did not onely neglect so great salvation forsake mine owne mercy and so judge my selfe unworthy of everlasting life but I also a bloudy butcher to mine owne soule all my few and evill dayes basely and bitterly oppos'd His blessed kingdome the purity power and holy precisenesse thereof as quite contrary to my carnall heart and that current of pleasures and worldly contentments into which I had desperately cast my selfe I indeed wretchedly and cruelly against mine owne soule persecuted all the meanes which should have sanctified me and all the men which should have sav'd me Happy therefore were I now if I could intreat the greatest Rocke to fall upon me or be beholding to some mighty mountaine to cover me there to lie hid everlastingly from the face of Him that sâ—…teth on the Thâ—…one and from the wrath of the Lambe O that I now might be turned into a beast or bird or stone or tree or aire or any other thing Blessed were I that ever I was borne if I could now be unborne That I might become nothing and in the state I was before I had any being Ah that my immortall soule were now mortall that I might die in hell and not lie eternally in those fiery torments which I shall never be able either to avoid or abide Let us then betime in the name and feare of GOD kisse the Son lest he be angry at that Day and so we perish everlastingly Let us now while the day of our visitation lasts before the Sun be sâ—…t upon the Prophets addresse our selves unto Him 1. With hearts burdened and broken with sight of siâ—…ne and sense of divine wrath Mat. 11. 28. 2. Prize Him infinitely and above all the world Matth. 13 46. 3. Sell all part with all sinne Ibid. Out of Egypt quite leave not an hoofe behind Exod 10. 26. 4. Take Him as our Husband and LORD whereby we become the sonnes of GOD Iohn 1. 12. 5. Take his yoke upon us and learne to be meeke and lowly Matth. 11. 28. 6. Enter into the way which is called the way of holinesse Isa. 35. 8. 7. And there continue Professours of the Truth and of the power of the Truth and of the power of the Truth in truth For otherwise thou mayest be a Professour and perish eternally That CHRIST may owne thee at that Day Many professe the Truth and not the power of the Truth some professe both the Truth and the power of it but are false-hearted Where then shall the non-Professour appeare Nay the Persecuter of the Sect which is spoken against every where Acts 28. 22. 2. That thou must presently passe to an impartiall strict the highest and last Tribunall which can never be appeal'd from or repeal'd there to give an exact account of all things done in the flesh For every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thine eye every moment of thy time every omission of any holy duty or good deed every action thou hast undertaken with all the circumstances thereof every office thou hast borne and
the discharge of it in every point and particular every company thou hast come into and all thy behaviour there every Sermon thou hast heard every Sabbath thou hast spent every motion of the Spirit which hath been made unto thy soule c. Let us then while it is called To Day call our selves to account examine search and trie thorowly our hearts lives and callings our thoughts words and deeds let us arraigne accuse judge cast and condemne our selves and prostrated before GODS Mercy-Seat with broken and bleeding affections lowlinesse of spirit and humblest adoration of His free grace upon the same ground with the Aramites 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sack cloth on our loines and ropes on our heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life Let us there give our mercifull GOD no rest untill we have sued out our pardon by the intercession of the LORD IESVS c. And then we shall find the reckoning made up to our hand and all matters fully answered before-hand And which is a Point of unconceiveable comfort He that was our Advocate upon earth and purchased the Pardon with His owne hearts bloud shall then be our Iudge 3. That all the beastly and impure abominatitions of thine heart all thy secret sinnes and closet-villanies that no eye ever looked upon but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun shall all then be disclosed and laid open before Angels Men and Devils and thou shalt then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed Thou now acts perhaps securely some harefull and abhorred worke of darknesse and wickednesse not to be nam'd in thine owne heart or one way or other in secret which thou wouldst not for the whole world were knowne to the world or to any but thy selfe or one or two of thy cursed companions curbed by their obnoxiousnesse but be well assured in that Day at that great assize thou shalt in the face of heaven and earth be laid out in thy colours to thine eternall confusion Never therefore go about or encourage thy selfe to commit any sinne because it is mid-night or that the doores are lockt upon thee because thou art alone and no mortall eye seeth thee neither is it possible to be reveal'd And yet I must tell thee by the way secret villanies have and may be discovered 1. In sleepe 2. Out of horrour of conscience or in time of distraction For suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy fore-head as if it were writ with the brightest starres or the most glittering Sun beame upon a wall of Crystall 4. In what a wofull case thy heavy heart will be and with what strange terrour trembling and desperate rage it must needs be possest and rent in peeces when thou shalt heare that dreadfull sentence of damnation to eternall torments and horrour pronounced over thine head Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Every word breathes out nothing but fire and brimstone vengeance and woe bites deeper and terrifies more than ten thousand Scorpion stings To depart from that glorious presence were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse nor onely so but into fire and that must be everlasting fed continually with infinite rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fiercenesse by the unquenchable wrath of the most just GOD thorow all eternity And in that horrible dungeon and fiery lake thou shalt never have other company or comforters but wicked devils and they insulting over thee everlastingly with much hellish spite and stinging exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation all thy life long and losing heaven for some base lust and believing their lies If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodome with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out cries How infinitely transcendent to all possibility of conceipt expression or beliefe will the confusions and tremblings of that Day be when so many millions of men shall be drag'd downe with all the Devils of hell to torments without end and past imagination There was horrible scryking when those five filthy cities first felt fire and brimstone drop downe upon their heads when those rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs go downe quicke into the pit when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shal be in heaven or earth in this world or the world to come will be then when all the forlorne condemned reprobates upon sentence given shal be violently and unresistably haled downe to hell and pulled presently from the presence not onely of the most glorious GOD the LORD IESVS Angels and all the blessed Ones but also of their Fathers Mothers Wives Husbands Children Sisters Brothers Lovers Friends Acquaintance who shall then justly and deservedly abandon them with all detestation and derision and forgetting all nearenesse and dearest obligations of nature neighbourhood alliance any thing rejoyce in the execution of divine justice in their everlasting condemnation So that no eye of GOD oâ—… man shall pitie them neither shall any teares prayers promises suits cries yellings calling upon rocks and mountains wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing c. be then heard or prevaâ—…e iâ—… their behalfe or any one in heaven or earth be found to mediate or speake for them to reverse or stay that fearefull doome of eternall woe but without mercy without stay without any farewell they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast downe into the bottomlesse pit of easelesse endlesse and remedilesse torments which then shall finally shut her mouth upon them Oh! What then will be the guawings of the never dying worme what rage of guilty consciences what furious despaire what horrour of mind what distractions and feares what bitter looking backe upon their mis-spent time in this world what banning of their brethren in iniquity what cursing the day of their birth and even blaspheming of GOD Himselfe blessed for ever what tearing their haire and gnashing of teeth what wailing and wringing of hands what desperate roaring what hideous yellings filling heaven and earth and hell c. No tongue can tell no heart can thinke Be fore-warned then in a word To thirst long and labour infinitely more to have IESVS CHRIST in the meanetime say in the Ministry to thy truly humbled soule I am thy salvation than to be Possessour iâ—… it were possible of all the riches glory and pleasures of moe worlds than there are starres in
charge he gave at Lancaster in his last Circuit but one for I meddle not with the last of all for lawlearning earnestnesse and excellency against Popery prophanenesse non-residency and other corruptions of the times and for the extraordinary heartning and encouraging all good men and godly Ministers was such that I am perswaded it wil be remembred with dearenesse and love while any honest man that heard it or heard of it is alive in those Parts To go no further then and this I now say I speake of him as he was growne in his latter time and out of hope he would have continued and I speake it also in compassion of mine owne countrey which I know by too good experience how pitifully it lies bleeding under the insolency of Papists and multitude of Priests and then I say the redemption of the life of such a Iudge in such times as we live for the good of such a country if we go no further if that had consisted with GODS pleasure had beene worth a Kings ransome I lay these things thus together upon purpose to aggravate the losse that a compassionate consideration of the greatnesse thereof in those respects I have told you may be as powerfull in begetting a godly and profitable sorrow and taking it to heart in all truly religious and loyall hearts as I know rejoycing in his fall will create in the insolent spirits of the enemies to GOD and the King I meane the Papists barbarous insultations and triumph I am perswaded if we get as much humiliation out of the sense of a true losse as the Papists hardning and obduration by apprehension of their imaginary gaine we shall make a good use of his death I am a little more earnest because I perceive the Papists begin already to calumniate and slander Here is yet another Point of profitable consideration from the present occasion When any worthy man in a State especially who takes a faithfull discharge of his place and the publike good to heart is cut off by the hand of GOD it is in a Christian jealousie and out of spirituall wisdome to be holden as a presage of some more fearefull generall judgement to succeed I have my ground Isa. 3. 1 2 3 c. And therefore my counsell is and in the present case for one when any good Patriote which in some high place like a strong Pillar opposes the corruptions and Popery of the times or any faithfull Pastor which by his prayers like a Moses stands in the gap against the indignation of GOD is taken away that we take it to heart as a Mâ—…mento to make our selves ready against an evill day And to tell you my mind I am much afraid some heavy thing is preparing for us our sinnes are growne unto such a height I am no Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet yet out of a comparative contemplation of GODS proceeding with His owne people in all former ages I cannot but concurre with the judgement of a great Doctor delivered in an high place The sinnes of this Land are come to that elevation that there is scarce left any roome for the mercy of GOD to helpe us They are even full ripe for His revenging Hand To his foure reasons I add two more his are taken 1. From the greatnesse and crying of the sinnes which are very horrible Atheisme whoredome Sodomy bloud-shed oppression sayes he I add pride drunkennesse usury c. 2. From the generality of them All sorts are wrapt in them 3. From their impudency with brazen browes and whorish foreheads they out-face the Sun 4. From their impatiency of admonition and reformation they grow so upon us that all the Pulpits in ENGLAND cannot beat them downe Adda 5t. from 2 Chron. 36. 16. And a 6t. from Isa. 3. 1 2 3. seq I meane the dropping away of many worthy men and few take it to heart or consider that they are taken away from the evill to come We have lost many a godly man within this few yeares The Princes Court was not many yeares since disrob'd and bereft of one of the noblest men that ever trod upon English mould besides other noble ornaments his eminency of grace made him so For Christian Nobility is best and truest where GOD Himselfe is top of the kin and Religion the root in regard whereof all the rest I meane that of riches birth learning or morality are but shadowes and shapes of noblenesse And the other yeare a very worthy Doctor and triumphant Champion against the Giants of Rome Against whom they have since sent out an illiterate libell cal'd White dy'd Black fit for the foule and black mouthes of such railing Rabshekaes And now of late to say no more of a Chancellour of rare and remarkable integrity in his Place I have not yet done and yet the time is done onely a word or two therefore and so I 'le make an end And yet let no man thinke that I am come hither 1. Either to smooth and mollifie any faults or frailties any falls or infirmities any personall sinnes or imperfections that might be in this great Man I dare not go about to cover them that 's not my office I leave that to the precious bloud of the Son of GOD and tender-hearted mercies of our gracious Father I would rather in this point advise great men to walke warily For their greatnesse makes their sinnes greater and their mightinesse will make them mightily tormented except they stand constantly on GODS side Height of Place ever adds two wings unto sinne Example and Scandall whereby it soares higher and flies much further If the Sun be ecclips'd and obscur'd a thousand eyes gaze upon it a lesser Starre may be darkned and no man take notice 2. Or to fasten upon him any false praises in a flattering funerall Panegyrick I dare not dawbe for a world of gold Himselfe abhor'd that And not long before his last sicknesse complain'd much against slattery as a grievous iniquity of the times 3. Or to make a solemne and formall narration of all his noble commendable parts When I undertooke this businesse first I studied onely and bethought my selfe how I might speake most profitably and make the best use of the present occasion to my living Auditors And had I not found pregnant matter for that purpose I had not beene here this day And therefore for conclusion and as the last and best service I can now do unto him to whom I owed as much as any man alive I will labour from the occasion to work some heavenly good if GOD so please upon the hearts presented here this day as a selected and choice number of his worthiest and dearest friends And to this end give me leave to single out and propose for imitation some worthy and noble parts of his and onely those which I conceive may be most seasonable and suitable to the exigency of my Auditory And I must also crave the aid of your loves
whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3. 16. 2. Iohn 7. 47 48. Are yee also deceived have any of the Rulers or Pharisees beleeved on him Heere the chiefe Priests and Pharisees boyling with much envie and indignation against CHRISTS preaching for he preached with power and not as the Scribes And because the people so flocked after him for there followed him great multitudes of people had sent officers to apprehend him and bring him before them Who when they came to him and heard him preach they were so strucke and astonished with the most piercing Majesty of his Ministry that they had no power to lay hands or hold upon him at all Upon their returne these great men gathered together in counsell against him like so many morning Wolves thirsting eagerly for his bloud calls hastily and impatiently unto them before their officers could say any thing Why have yee not brought him They doe not examine them about his doctrine or inquire whether he be guilty or no but like unjust and tyrannicall wretches they labour to lay hold upon him though most innocent to stop his mouth and make him sure But the Officers answered Never man spake like this man Whereupon the spirit of prophane malice being yet further enraged in them they reply Are yee also deceived What Are you turned Gospellers too Will yee also gad with the giddie multitude after this new Master c. And then being frighted least they should fall from them goes about to take them off with a very foolish argument saith Theophylact though the Minor would be true and is the sinew of my proofe Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeved on him Alas No. They are so blinded with an opinion of their devout and deeper learning so puft up with the pride of their high places so swolne with selfe-conceitednesse of their owne formes and false glosses and so possest with prejudice against the spirituall and heavenly Doctrine of CHRIST that the very Publicans and Harlots goe into the Kingdome of GOD before them That is when they goe not And thus it is in all ages of the Church There is a Lecture I will suppose To which many of the meaner sort especially resort for spirituall foode as to the Market for corporall Some of which happily wrought upon by the saving influence of that Ministery begins to blesse GOD for the benefit and magnifie his mercy for such meanes but some By-standers like pestilent opposites interpose yea but which of the great men of the Countrey come to it when doe you see any of the Nobles Knights or Gentlemen there No alas They are afraid of hearing of their sins being made Melancholicke and to be tormented before their time and therfore they most wretchedly neglect so great salvation forsake their owne mercies and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Bowling-greenes gaming-houses horse-races hunting-matches Their curs and their Kites their cock-pits and their covetousnesse or something doe too often eate up and devoure that blessed fat and marrow of time those golden and goodly opportunities which GOD in great mercy affords them in the Ministry to make their peace with him before they goe into the pit and bee seene no more For one houre whereof to heare but one Sermon after the irrecoverable day of visitation is past and expired they would be content to live as precisely and mortifiedly as ever man did upon earth so long as the world lasts but it shall not be granted A thousand worlds will not purchase it againe And besides when your soules shall then furiously reflect upon their owne wilfull folly in this respect and the wofull misery they have brought upon themselves thereby it will sharpen infinitely the bitings of the never-dying worme and torment moreterribly than ten thousand Scorpions stings Remember this I pray you all ye that forget GOD before that wrath be kindled in His bosome against you which will burne unto the very bottome of hell and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines before He gird about Him those arrowes which will drinke bloud and that sword which will eat flesh and come against you as the Prophet speakes like a beare robbed of her whelpes and rent the very caule of your hearts and teare you in peeces when there is none to helpe 3. Nehem. 3. 5. But their Nobles put not their necks to the worke of the LORD Others as you may see in that place were industriously busie in building up the wals and repairing the holy City for the wonted worship and service of their GOD but the Nobles would do just nothing And thus it hath beene in all times and is just so in our dayes Meane men many times contribute very liberally and farre above their ability to the procurement and maintenance of a profitable and powerfull Ministery but the rich worldly-wise and gentlemen thereabouts will not part with a penny for any such holy purpose Such great men as these will by no meanes put their neckes their power and their purses to any such blessed worke of the LORD though it be for the erecting of the Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST amongst them for the illumination and refreshing of a darke and barren place with the light of the Gospell and waters of life where both their owne soules and many more about them are starving and bleeding to eternall death for want of heavenly food and ministeriall helpe Nay too many of them detaining the Churches Patrimony will neither restore it to the proper native use and end nor which is very lamentable part with a little portion of a large revenew in that kind towards a competency Before you receive encouragement to go on in this course with comfort I pray you procure us from your partakers if there be any such Answers to those many learned Treatises extant upon this argument and for any thing I know utterly unanswered especially Mr. Bernards Dr. Sclaters and Dr. Fields I know well some excellent spirits of late meerely out of the gracious freenesse of their truly noble dispositions to their great honour and adorning profession have given backe to the Church for ever I meane nothing about buying in Impropriations one of the most glorious works in that kinde for any thing I know that ever was undertaken in this Kingdome diverse Church-livings some an hundred pound per annum some sixe or seven score some threescore some one so many as amount to the value of above seven hundred pounds yearely But I must tell you also they are onely such as you mis-call Puritan-gentlemen for I neither heare nor know of any other that stirs this way and how few such are to be found in a Countrey every eye spiritually illightened may clearely see and heartily bewaile For I meane none but such as are in true search and censure GODS best servants and the Kings best subjects I come in a second place to make the
point appeare yet further by reasons And first such as are peculiar to the severall sorts of greatnesse all which once for all I understand such secundum mundum secundum bominem secundum carnem according to the world according to man according to the flesh And first for excellency of learning understood still after the flesh implyed also by the Apostle in this place as appeares by the former words Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Where are the learned Rabbins of the Iewes Where are the profound Philosophers of the Gentiles Let us take notice that learning of it selfe is a very lovely and illustrious thing which made Aeneas Silvius in his Epistle to Sigismund Duke of Austria say If the face even of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the morning or the evening-starre But notwithstanding bent the wrong way and spent upon private and pernicious ends it becomes the fowlest fiend the Devill hath upon earth and his mightiest agent to do a world of mischiefe No corruption is worse than of that which is best mis-imployed it is of wofull consequence proportionable to its native worth And the longer and more prosperously it is imployed as an instrument of all and in the service of Satan ever the more pestilently which is for my purpose doth it harden and enrage the heart against all means of grace the power of godlinesse and possibility of conversion Secondly men of this world for the most part in the attainement and exercise of learning and knowledge propose to themselves and finally rest upon many bastard base and degenerate ends as pleasure of curiosity quiet of resolution refining and raising the spirit ability of discourse victory of wit gaine of profession ornament and reputation inablement for imployment and businesse Thus whereas variety and depth of knowledge should properly and principally serve to prepare fit and furnish the soule wherein it is seated First for a higher degree and agreater measure of sanctification in it selfe secondly to do GOD more excellent and glorious service Thirdly to do more nobly in Ephratha and be more famous in Bethlehem I meane by an edifying and charitable influence to illuminate and better all about them The most learned men have these worthy ends and comply exactly with the world hunting onely after by their knowledge and aspiring towards as their utmost aimes certaine second prizes as though they laboured onely by their learning to find as one sayes well a cowch whereupon to rest a searching and a restlesse spirit or a tarrasse for a wandring and variable mind to walke up and downe with a faire prospect or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise it selfe upon or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention or a shop for profit or sale and not a rich store-house for the glory of the Creator and the reliefe of mans estate And so by the abuse and misapplying of it they put their great engine very powerfull either for excellency of good or excesse of ill as it takes into the Devils hands for the enlarging and advancement of his kingdome and turne the edge of it to the dangerous hurt of others and so by consequent and by accident it prooves a mighty barre to keepe CHRIST and His kingdome out of their hearts Let me in a word by an instance intimate unto you the traines and temptations to which they expose themselves the snares and curses which they incurre who bend their abilities of learning closing with the corruptions of the time to raise and enrich themselves the two maine ends of the most in these covetous and ambitious dayes First there is a plant in the nurceries of literature of great expectation and hope which being watered and warmed at the well-heads of Academicall learning and with the fruitfull heat of Polemicall exercises and agitations in the Schooles wherein the true worth and excellency of a Scholler consists growes ripe and becomes remarkable so that he heares after him in the streets a secret murmuring This is the man Dignum est monstrarier dicier Hic est Now by this time he begins to reflect with the eye of selfe-love and many vaine-glorious glaunces upon his personall worth and publike applause and then casts about what course to take GODS principle and path is It is better to be good than great religious than rich And therefore He would have him imploy and improove all his naturall and acquired endowments all the powers and possibilities of body and soule upon His glory and service that gave them and where they are more than infinitely due And that when the good hand of divine providence shall bring him to any place for the exercise of his gifts and ministeriall imployment he would there spend himselfe like a shining and burning lampe in the illumination and salvation of GODS people and so hereafter shine as the brightnesse of the firmament in the highest heavens and as the starres forever and ever Nay saies the Devill that 's a sowre strict precise way It is not meet that such admired eminency of learned parts should be confined to such obscurity that such rare gifts and depth of knowledge should be lost upon high shoes and amongst a number of rude ignorant and uncapable clownes and therefore he labours to raise his spirit to higher hopes and would have him plunge presently into the current of the times and become somebody in the world Hereupon his heart already ravisht with the pleasing apprehension of worldly glory and humane greatnesse represented by Satan in the most alluring formes to his ambitious imagination he resolves fearfully against his owne soule to follow the streame to ply the present and plot all meanes and wayes of preferment after which ordinarily every step towards an high roome or to be hastily rich is a snare and curse unto him and therefore at the height he must needs be holden fast in the clutches of Satan He now begins upon all occasions to disclaime all things that tend to precisenesse and in his deportment drawes nearer to good fellowship he remits and interrupts his care and constancy in study and studies how to understand the world negotiate for advancement and humour the times He merrily derides Doctrine and Vse as they scoffingly call it all edifying plainnesse and foolishnesse of preaching and now he digs with much adoe perhaps a whole quarter of a yeare into the rotten dunghils of Popish Postillers and phantasticall Friers and from thence patches together many gayish and gaudy shreds of painted bables and frothy conceipts and tricks of wit and at length comes out with a selfe-seeking Sermon just like that discourse which King IAMES compares to a corne-field in harvest pestered with red and blew flowers which choake and eat up all the good graine For he well knowes this is the way to ingratiate himselfe into the times and gratifie those great ones who desire farre more to
in pursuit be unto him a counterpoyson to uphold his heart in comfort and contentment against the vanity and venome of such endlesse ambitions and if men be so infinitly ventrous for an earthly crowne which as one sayes if wee well weighed with what feares jealousies cares insidiations c. it is thick set if we found it before us in the way we would not take it up I say then how eager should wee bee after the glory of Heaven 2. If corrupt affection fall in love with riches and the wedge of gold it begets covetousnesse the vilest and basest of all the infection of the soule as ambition haunteth the haughtiest spirits so covetousnesse lodgeth in the most dunghill disposition it turnes the soule of man that noble and immortall spirit into earth and mud whereas it might live in heaven upon earth and by holy meditation by a sweet familiarity and acquaintance as it were with GOD and conversing above and in that everlasting heaven of endlesse happinesse hereafter It lies in hell upon earth and by restlesse torture of unsatiable greedinesse makes way by it rooting to descend into the hell of wicked devils in the world to come This devouring gangrene of greedinesse to get riches doth not onely by a most incompatible antipathy keepe out grace and GODS feare but also by it venomous heat wast and consume all honest and naturall affection both to man and beasts to parents kindred friends and acquaintance Nay it makes a man contemne himselfe body and soule wilfully to abandon both the comfortable enjoyment of this short time of this present mortality and all hope of thâ—… length of that blessed eternity to come for a litâ—…le transitory pelfe which he doth neither enjoy or use except it be for use which enlargeth his covetous thirst as mightily as it brings forth money monstrously Besides covetousnesse pierceth thorow the soule with a thousand torments and the riches of iniquity ingender in the heart of man many tortures envies and molestations as their proper thunderbolt and blasting And of all other vile affections it is most sottishly and senslesly unsatiable Eccles. 4. 8. For how is it possible that earth should feed or fill the immateriall and heaven-borne spirit of a man It cannot be and the Spirit of GOD hath said it shall not be Eccles. 5. 9. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Hence it is that the deeplier the drowsie heart of this covetous man doth drinke of this golden streame the more furiously it is inflam'd with spirituall thirst Nay it is most certaine that if the covetous man could purchase a monopoly of all the wealth in the world were he able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and silver and the East of pearles and jewels should he enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to the other and heape his hoards unto the starres yet his heart would be as hungry after more riches as if he had never a penny and much more Such is GODS curse upon that man which makes his gold his god And this insatiablenesse in the covetous man begets cruelty and oppression of others and perpetual want of contentment and comfort in that he hath already Sweetnes of gaine makes him many times drinke the bloud eat the flesh of the oppressed He begins first if he be of power and place to grind the faces of the poore then to pluck of their skins then to tear their flesh then to break their bones and chop them in peeces as flesh for the pot and at last even to eat the flesh of GODS people That is first to weary them out with petty wrongs and extraordinary occasions to vexe them with new conditions and unconscionable encroachments and at last to wring their pensive soules from their wasted and hunger-starv'd bodies with extremity of oppression and cruelty of covetousnesse And that which is a just curse upon the covetous man he is ever infinitely more tormented with the want of that which he doth immoderately and unnecessarily desire than contented and comforted with the enjoyment of those things he doth presently possesse The ambitious man if he be disgrac'd and over-top'd by any grand opposite and counterfactionist or derided and revil'd with baser and inferiour contempt or neglected by omission of some due observance and ceremony of state he I say is more griev'd if he want grace for some such little default in the attributions of his place and want of complementall respect in that measure and of such men as he desires than he hath glory and pompe in his highest place This is cleare in Haman though he was compassed and crown'd with such undeserved and extraordinary precedency and pompe yet this one little thing because Mordecai would not bow the knee and do reverence to him at the Kings gate did utterly marre and dissweeten all the other excellencies of his new advancement and extraordinarinesse of the Kings favour See Hester 5. 10 11 12 13. And Haman told his wife and friends of all his glory c. But all this saith he doth nothing availe me as long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate As it is thus in ambition and in great men that are gracelesse they many times take more to heart out of the pride of their hearts the want of some one circumstantiall observance and of reverence from some one man than they heartily enjoy all the other glory of their place so it is also with the covetous man though already he hath more than enough yet some greedy wish of a new addition doth more torture his heart than the rowing amongst al his other wealth can rejoyce it Ahab though he had already in his hand the riches glory pleasures soveraignty of a kingdome yet after he had cast his covetous eye upon poor Naboths vinyard which was near his palace his heart did more afflict and vex it self with greedy longing for that bit of earth than the vast and spacious compasse of a kingdome could counter-comfort He could take no joy in the beauty of a crowne and largenesse of his royall command because his poore neighbour would not deprive himselfe and all his posterity of the inheritance of his fathers which his ancestors had enjoyed time out of mind For a counterpoyson against the greedy gangrene of hoarding up riches consider in what stead thy riches will stand thee upon thy bed of death consider that speech of a poore distressed woman afflicted in conscience whom I heard thus say in the agony of her grieved spirit I have husband goods and children and other comforts I would give them all the treasures of the earth if I had them and all the good I shall have in this world or in the world to come to feele but the least taste of the favour of GOD in the pardon of my sinne she would in this case with all her heart haue giuen the warmest
incorporated into the rock of eternity IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever you will stand like unmooveable rocks against the corruptions of the times and all ungodly oppositions and never before For in the meane time say Ministers what they will you will not be moved but you heare our discourses of a faithfull discharge of your places as ye would heare a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice they leave no more impression upon your consciences than a sweet lesson upon the Lute in the eare when it is ended for then both the vocall and instrumentall sweetnesse dissolve into the aire and vanish into nothing It is too truly so with our Sermons upon your soules Heare your character in GODS own words unto the Prophet They come unto thee as the people commeth and they sit before me as my people and they heare thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they heare thy words but they do them not Let us lift up our voices never so high or cry never so lowd and â—…ll Iudges That they ought not to be afraid of the face of man for the judgement is GODS that in judgement they must neither respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty that they should not onely hold their hands from grosse bribes with Epaminondas who as the story tels us refused great presents sent unto him although he was poore saying If the thing were good he would do it without any bribe because good if not honest he would not do it for all the goods in the world But they must also be of Austins judgement that not onely money gold and silver or presents as they call them are bribes but the guilt of bribery also may be justly imputed even to any exorbitant affection which sways a man aside from an impartiall execution of justice as love feare hatred anger pusillanimity worldlinesse desire of praise and applause which is Austins instance c. That they beware of bringing more bloud upon the Law by sparing the spiller of bloud For bleâ—…d saith GOD it desileth the land and the land cannot be cleaâ—…sed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it that they must not looke upon the caâ—…ses which come before them only through the spectacles of a favourite c and tell Iustices of Peace that they must be true-hearted patriots and not servers of themselves and their owne turnes that they must be serious reall and grave not onely formall not cyphers not unnobly light in their behaviour on the Bench that they must ever aime at the publike good and never at their owne particular and private ends that they should disdaine and scorne at any time to combine factiously or for a petty bribe to uphold a rotten cause apestilent alehouse or lewd companion and ever joyne with an unanimous magnanimity to honour GOD and do their Country good And tell the Lawyers that they should not make hast to be rich for so saith Salomon they shall not be innocent nor swallow downe gold too greedily least it turne to grauell and the gall of asps within them and they be enforced to vomite up the riches as Iob speaketh they have heaped together so hastily either by remorse and restitution in the meane time or with despaire and impenitent horrour here after that to oppose and wrangle against a good cause or undertake the defence of a bad are both equally most unworthy the very morall vertue of an honest Heathen that they must not learn to spin out the causes of their clients from Terme to Terme and wire-draw their suits untill they be utterly undone that they should not now be taking instructions from their clients when they should themselves here in the House of GOD be instructed to the kingdome of heaven had they this morning received a message from the Almighty that at night they should appeare before that high and everlasting Iudge to give an account for all things done in the flesh if they be not Atheists or Papists O with what eagernesse and violence would they have attended addrest and applied themselves to the present opportunity and little do we know what the evening may bring forth For assure your selves there is no man so assured of his riches or life but that he may be deprived of one or both the very next day or houre to come And tell the jurors and sworn-men that they should rather die than draw the bloud of any mans life livelihood or good name upon their owne consciences either by acquiâ—…ting the guilty or betraying the innocent Here had I time I would intimate unto you a mysticall but mischievous packing sometimes in choice of jâ—…ry-men I have seene I speake of that which was long since and at a Sessions some of the choicest drunkards in a Country chosen for that service Now is it not a pitifull thing that Country businesses should be put into the hands of such as labour industriously and with equall cunning to plague an honest man and deliver a drunkard I say now all this while we thus discourse unto you earnestly endeavouring and with a thirsty desire to do you good and direct you aright and by a divine rule in the severall duties proper to your places we do but plow in the sea and sow in the aire as they say except the immortall seed of the Word hath first moulded you anew and ye be brought by the foolishnesse of preaching out of the warme sun into GODS blessing and from the fooles paradise of worldly wisdome into the holy path of sincere professours and thereupon prize and preferre the peace of a good conscience before all the gold in the West and preferments in the world which blessed change from nature to grace is wrought by such stirrings of the soule and footsteps of the spirit as these lend me I beseech you while I passe along them something more than ordinary attention for I know they will seeme strange things to all such great ones as are intended in my Text and those who live at rest in their possessions and have nothing to vex them The naturall stoutnesse of their spirits will disdaine and scorne to stoupe to such uncouth humiliations and this mighty change And the more they are men of the world and wise according to the flesh the greater repugnancy and reluctation shall they find in their affections against these spirituall workings which makes the point good which was proved before But yet without them in truth and effect I define not the measure and degree GOD is a most free agent they can never become either gracious men or good Magistrates They must upon necessity become such fooles or they
causes natures beginnings of-springs and ends of all creatures and created things 2. We shall clearely see and comprehend the vanity and rottennesse of all Hereticall cavils Antichristian depths Popish imposture the very bottome of that most wicked and abhorred Mysterie the true full and sweet meaning of all GODS blessed Booke whether Iobs wife bid her husband blesse or curse GOD whether Iphtah sacrific'd his daughter or onely consecrated her to virginity whether Naaman was a true or unfound convert what is the meaning of that place 1 Corinth 11. 10. And that 1 Cor. 15. 29 c. 3. We shall with wonderfull ravishment of spirit and spirituall joy be admitted to the sight of those sacred secrets and glorious mysteries 1. Of the holy Trinity into which some Divines may audaciously dive but shall never be able to explicate 2. Of the Vnion of CHRISTS humanity to the divine nature and of the faithfull to CHRIST 3. Of the causes of GODS eternall counsell in Election and Reprobation 4. Of the Angels fall 5. Of the manner of the creation of the world c. 4. We shall know one another For 1. All comfortable knowledge shall be so farre from being abolished that it wil be inlarged increased and perfected But c. Therefore Our knowledge shal be perfected For We shall know as we are knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. Which is set out by comparison of the lesse That our knowledge then shall differ from that now as the knowledge of a child from that of a perfect man by a glasse from seeing the thing it selfe that of a plaine speech from a riddle Why then should we doubt of knowing one another especially sith our Saviour CHRIST setteth forth the state of the blessed by the knowledge one of another Mat. 17. And as the knowledge is perfect so the memory In nothing must our knowledge be empair'd but better'd 2. We shall then enjoy every good thing and comfortable gift which may any way increase and inlarge our joy and felicity But meeting there knowing then and conversing for ever with our old deare Christian friends and all the glorious Inhabitants of those sacred Palaces will mightily please and refresh us with sweetest delight Therefore c. Society is not comfortable without familiar acquaintance Be assured then it shall not be wanting in the height and perfection of all glory blisse and joy Nay our minds being abundantly and beatifically illuminated with all wisdome and knowledge we shal be enabled to know not onely those of former holy acquaintance but also strangers and such as we never knew before even all the faithfull which ever were are or shall be We shall be able to say this was Father Abraham this King David this Saint Paul this was Luther Calvin Bradford c. this my Father this my Sonne this my Wife this my Pastour this the occasioner of my conversion c. as may be gathered by proportion out of GODS Booke 1. If Adam before the fall had that measure of illumination that he knew Eve and from whence she came at the first sight much more shall our knowledge in heaven and highest happinesse be enlarged in this kind 2. If the Apostles accompanying CHRIST in His transfiguration and vouchsafed but a taste and glimpse as it were of glorification were able thereby to know Moses and Elias whom they had never seene how much more shall we being fully illuminated and perfectly glorified in heaven know exactly all the blessed ones though never acquainted with them upon earth 3. CHRIST tels the Iewes Luke 13 28. That they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the kingdome of GOD and therefore know them And Dives is said to know Abraham and Lazarus in so great a distance Luke 16. Whence I argue thus if the damned know those who are saved though they have never seene them much more shall the glorified Saints now plentifully endued with all knowledge and supernaturally illightened by the HOLY GHOST Many of the ancient Fathers are of the same mind Whose authority I never urge for necessity of proofe GODS blessed Word is ever more than infinitely all-sufficient and super-abundant for any such purpose but onely either 1. Somtimes in some singular Points to shew consent or 2. In our controversies against the Antichristians Antinomists Neopelagians c. Or 3. When somehonest passage of sanctification or seasonable opposition to the corruption of the times is falsely charged with novelty singularity and too much precisenesse 1. There was a Widow in Austins time who craved very importunately both by word and writing some consolations from him to support her under that incomparable crosse of her husbands losse and widow-hood and as it may seeme she desired to know whether she should know him in the second life For the first he hits upon the sweetest mightiest and most soveraigne comfort which could possibly be imagined You can by no meanes saith he thinke your selfe desolate who enjoyes the presence and possession of IESVS CHRIST in the inmost closet of your heart by faith About the other he answers peremptorily This thy husband by whose decease thou art called a widow shal be most knowne unto thee And tels her further that there shall be no stranger in heaven c. 2. In the Elect saith another there is somthing more admirable because they do not onely acknowledge those whom they knew in this world but also as men seene and knowne they know the good whom they never saw 3. There saith Anselm All men shal be knowne of every severall man and every severall man shal be knowne of all Againe Conceive if thou canst how comfortable that knowledge wil be by which as thou of all others so all others shal be knowne of thee in that life Yet let me tell you before I passe out of the Point that this for the most part is the curious Quaere of carnall people who feeding falsly their presumptuous conceipts with golden dreames and vaine hopes of many future imaginary felicities in the world to come whereas in the meane time they have no care at all use no meanes take no paines to enter into the holy path which leades unto that blessed place It is even as if one should busie himselfe much and boast what he will do in New-England when he comes thither and yet poore man he hath neither ship nor money nor meanes nor knowledge of the way nor provision before hand for his comfortable planting there To coole and confront such lazie idle and vaine curiosities take notice that we shall not know our old acquaintance by former stature feature favour so vast a distance and difference will there be betweene a mortall and glorified body neither in a worldly manner In which respect saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 16. Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne CHRIST after the flesh yet now henceforth know we Him no