cal'd are men of meane estates My Soule 's a Sister but of low degree If such may serue this Lord then well may Shee One's here first call'd neither for wit nor wealth For hee 's both simple and a Fisherman Yet when he heares the voyce of sauing health Leaues all and followes with all speed he can My soule will all but him for him reiect Who emptied himselfe for his elect The Lord inquiring of his owne repute Since others misse demands his seruants dâ—â—me This Seruant whilst the rest are flow or mute With ready answer giues him true esteems My soule thinke not his fellowes were so weake That he spoke first because they could not speake Forthwith the Master doth the Seruant blesse For 's good opinion to him giues the Keyes To shut to open vnto more and lesse To whose iust censure heauen and earth obeyet My soule sayes he was not alone here blest Nor had the power before aboue the rest The Seruant-being highly thus rewarded For 's Masters sake he vowes to spend his breath But when he should his Master most haue guarded Then shrinkes for feare of danger and of death My Soule takes it a lesson of humility Not to presume 〈…〉 ability Traytours assault his Lords him smite and scoffâ— As Lyon Lambe to den so him they hale For feare of such he followes a farre off His promise he forgets his heart â—iâ—e failâ—â— My soule the strength is Gods in us is showne But weakenesse we haue nothing of our owne Ere long it so fals out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Sexe Age Office impotent and weake Yet as ' gainst Champion stout his courage quaiks She vrges him the truth he dares not speakâ— My soule obserues weake motiues spurre apace To sinne in breast where feare is voyd of grace Thrice in a fraile taxation him she tryes Thy voyce Quoth she bewrayes that thou art one Through feare as fraile thrice he againe denyes Cursing and swearing sayes he I am none My Soule when sinne 's on foot each prouocation Besides increase of sinne is aggrauation While thrice hee 's tempted and while thrice he sinnes Thrice claps the watchfull Bird wakes him from sleepe His Master to him beckes and he beginnes To call his fault to minde goes out to weepe My soule 〈◊〉 He fell himselfe PRACTIQVE THEORIES OR Votiue Speculations Vpon Sauls Cruelty Pauls Conuersion By IOHN GAVLE LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Robert Allot and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Blacke Beare 1630. Practique Theories OR Votiue Speculations VPON Sauls Cruelty SAtan ere he fell thought none since his fall would none better then himselfe His venome boyled and brast out vpon vs because we stood and fell not we fell and rose againe sith himselfe sanke vtterly and past recouery Whether of Deuils or Men Malice and Sinne are equally aged and semblably euill Both haue the same Name and Guise as if there were no sinne but malice Malice is as much as sinne in generall and as if malice were a sinne by it selfe there is a malice which is a particular sinne Briefely they borrow and repay each other in a mutuall loane Malice is not but sinfull nor sinne but malicious All euill is enuious The Good which a bad man will not imitate hee cannot but enuy Alwayes either doe our owne vices irke vs or else the vertues of another And who grieues not because himselfe is euill he commonly repines because another is good I wonder not at such enuy inraged when I consider the enmity foretold I will put enmity betwixt thee Gen. 3.15 and the Woman and betwixt thy seed and her seed God himselfe hath prouoked and proclaimed open hostility and euerlasting enmity betwixt Satan and the Saints The quarrell pertained not to our Fore-father alone but his successions It was no more theirs betwixt whom it first began then ours to whom it is still deriued God indeed loues and likes loue and vnity in his creatures but preferres a iust warre before an vniust peace betwixt them Betwixt whom peace and familiarity hath beene dangerous and euill there warre and hostility is both good and profitable Better a pious warfare then a vitious couenant My God was my friend in making me and the Deuill foes I were his foe then should I seeke or grant to be reconciled against my God If God bee with mee who can be against me I but scatter if I gather not with him So God loue me let the Deuill enuy me Oh let me haue peace and amity with God in Christ warre and enmity with the Deuill and sinne It was sinne that separated betwixt God and man that put enmity betwixt the Deuill and man but it can combine and make friends betwixt man and man How soone are we sworne Brethren in iniquity The most froward and thwarting spirits will easily agree to be euill If it be to drinke iniquity like water Lord how wee draw all at the same Well! if it be to draw sinne with cartropes and iniquity with cords of vanity how wee toyle together and sweate and blow vnder one yoke There is no peace to the wicked within themselues yet haue they a kinde of couenant one with another How the Serpents claspe and climbe together Euen Iayes and Crowes take pleasure to bee birds of a feather euen the Wolues will flocke and Apes hugge The wicked haue their mutuall and malitious imbracements And which is the worst confederacy their agreement is not so much amongst themselues as against the godly The wicked conspire not so much in being as in doing euill Euill men arride not onely in this that they are so themselues as that they would doe so to others Beware the flocke when the Foxes consult or Wolues come together It is alwayes against the true-man that the theeues shake hands Iudas consulted with the Priests against Christ So consents Saul to the people against a Christian Not onely the people stone Steuen Act. 8.1 but Saul was also consenting to his death The onely agreement with euill men is to consent vnto their euill And this is euermore the first entrance into euill to consent vnto it Sinne creeps on by consent It is bold indeed to insinuate with vs but so as it askes our admission Sinne intrudes not but with our leaue nor are we guilty of any temptation but so as we yeeld vnto it No man is euill against his will nor doe we at any time sinne against our owne consent Our owne euill is not ours if we consent not to it and to consent vnto iâ— makes anothers euill our owne Oh my God! am I not wicked vnlesse I will Alas Lord none but thou can dispose my will to any thing but wickednesse I cannot shunne Lord strengthen mee to resist Temptations Sinne would daily intrude into my soule my God giue mee grace not to admit of sinne To behold euill and not forbid it is to consent vnto it For he confesses
doubt out of a deuotion but he should haue considered his owne condition To lay down his life for Christ is not of humane will and weakenesse but of diuine power and disâ—â—â—sing Neither considers he now his owne frailty how subiect he is to such a thing nor Christs truth that hee hauing said it it cannot but come to passe Euen now he denyes the truth in that he will not be perswaded he shall deny him No falshood more manifest then to gainesay the truth But since he will not beleeue his words the euent shall proue it Since he will by no meanes yeeld to be wary to his ouerthrow he is suffered to gainesay He that so contradicts his Sauiour shall anone gaine-say himselfe Rather shall Peter proue a Denyer then Christ be found a Lyar. Both the Prophet Zach. 13.7 Mat. 26.31.34 and Christ foretold of Peters offence and denyall The Prediction was a caueat rather then a cause of his offence seruing rather to admonish him of it then inforce him to it Was the sinne therefore foretold to impose a necessity vpâ—â— the Agent or an ineuitability vpon the act God forbid Peter did not therefore fall because Christ forespake but Christ therefore forewarned because Peter would fall Euill cannot take euent without Gods knowledge though against Gods Will. His prescience neither layes constraint vpon our worke nor takes away liberty from our will When wee wilfully doe the worst he knowes it permits it yea concurres with it to direct the action to correct the prauity in all which he is no lesse good then we are euill Let dissolute and reprobate spirits accuse God as enuyous because foreknowing their iniquities he could but would not preuent them or as impotent because he would but could not or as both because he neither would nor could I will wonder at his Wisedome in his Mercy in his Iustice and not dare to censure where I cannot vnderstand Now is it as he foretold The sheepheard is no sooner smitten then loe the sheepe are scattered Yea the fore-man of the flocke is left behinde Euen Peter followed a farre off Mat. 26.38 That hee followed was his loue that led him it was his feare forbad him that hee followed a farre off Through Piety he followes and through Frailty but a farre off That he followes is Graces good motion that hee followes a farre off is Natures preuarication The Disciples deuotion is to follow his Lord onely it is the mans infirmity makes him follow but a farre off He neuer comes neare Christ that followes betwixt Desire and Feare Faith and Vnbeliefe Hope and Despaire Peter followes with desire to see what would happen to his Master but a farre off for feare what might befall himselfe We would so farre professe Christ and Religion as thereby not to preiudice our selues We loue Christ a little and so we follow him in word and shew but we loue our selues better and therefore in deed and truth wee follow but a farre off That he followed was more then the other Disciples for they fled but to follow him a farre off was little better then as they did to forsake him It is to be feared that man will quite forsake Christ in the end that contents himselfe onely to follow him a farre off Peter followed a farre off Had he kept close to his Sauiours person great like he had not denyed his profession The nighnesse of our God expels temptations The very distance now disposes to a Denyall To swarue from Grace is that inclines a man to sinne Euen Peter followes Christ but a farre off What Saint comes neere his Sauiour Lord he that goes fastest and furthest followes thee but a farre off Wee are weake Lord and cannot goe with thee we are lame and lazy and shall neuer ouertake thee We are Snailes in the wayes of thy Commandements So slow we follow thee and slenderly as as if we either did feare or did not care to set one foot before another Euery difficulty is as a Lyon in the way to deterre vs from our duty and but the thought of an inconuenience serues to slacken our pace Wee are sluggish in the performance of Religion O Lord make haste to helpe vs we are slow toward the attainement of saluation O God make speed to saue vs. Lord be not thou farre from vs that cannot follow thee but a farre off Trauelling betwixt Desire and Feare Peters slow pace at length brings him to the very place where his Master was It was not his haste that ouertooke him but Christs stay to expect him there Not all our speed can approach our Sauiour vnlesse hee tarry to expect vs. Neither is it enough that hee stands to looke for vs except he returne to setch vs. Stayes my Sauiour till I come to him Alas when shall I be able to ouertake him Nay nay come thou to me my Sauiour and bring mee to thee I will waite my Lords leisure and pleasure it is not for thee to expect my Power and Time Peter was as the weather was somewhat cold in body for his slow pace could not get him heate with walking But Peter was starke frozen in mind for his following a farre off had let the sunne of righteousnesse both for warmth and light to set vpon him Beside the body there is a coldnesse that contracts depresses slowes benummes the soule there is a chattering next to the gnashing of teeth Peter was now not more cold in sense then deuotion and yet while hee starues inwardly Luk. 22.55 he sits him downe by the fire to get him outward heate and lets his heart coole the while he warmes his hands Such is our blindenesse wee are carefull of the body aboue the soule and commonly preferre corporall refreshment vnto spirituall redresse Euill fire and vnprofitable whose smoake offends more then heate refreshes that scorches so vehemently without and luffers so benummedly to freeze within How vnlike is Peter to a Rocke a Rocke stiffe and stable Neuer was he more neare a stone then now now when as cold as a stone How cold is our earth when the Sunne of heauen once sets vpon vs Cold are we in Compassion cold in Deuotion and thinke we haue attained to a good degree of warmth in either when we are now neither hot nor cold If thou Lord take away our sewell our fire is quenched if thou withdraw thy light our Candle is put out Thou art our Sunne to inlighten vs thou art our fire to inflame vs. A frozen heart a frozen conscience who may abide that Frost My heart as * 1 Sam. 25.37 Nabals is cold as a stone and almost dead within me Oh quicken me by thy free spirit Come Lord Iesu and conferre with me about thy Truth and Life and my heart as did thy * Luk. 24.32 Disciples the while shall burne within me It seemes Peters heart was cold as yce within him since but the chill blast of a weake womans breath could
repentance hath alwaies annexed a leauing and loathing of the sinfull Mat. 26.75 and their sinne Peter went out and wept bitterly Had hee not gone in amongst them perhaps hee had not sinned and hee must come out from them if he will repent for sinne Denyed he his Master on the Mount or in the Temple no but in the High Priests Hall When hee was with the other Disciples he confessed his Sauiour while he was amongst lewd Companions he denyed his Master Nothing corrupts so as ill company The Deuill is sooner resisted a mans owne lusts subdued then are bad complices denyed Resist the Deuill and hee flees deny but lusts and they are vndone onely these naughty Copemates are more violent for resistance more importunate vpon deny all Their familiarity hath preuailed to allure a man euen vnwillingly to euill and drawne him to doe it rather vpon their occasions then out of his owne inclination A man is hardly innocent among Euill-doers There is little hope to amend amongst such as not onely daily practise euill but perswade it Good motions haue no processe but are soone extinct among euill prouocations A man cannot be at once more sinfull and truely sorrowfull for sinne He did well therefore that hee went out and wept Get thee out of Sodome O my soule escape I say for thy life and liberty be not thou vnited to such their assembly touch not their Pitch lest thou be defiled handle not their Fire for it will burne It is not their mudde and puddle will cleanse thee thou canst not be safe in the midst of danger thou canst not repent amongst Temptations Therefore O thou my soule goe out to 〈…〉 most borderâ— and where 〈◊〉 maist no more set one foot before another there sit downe and weepe when thou remembrest thy losse or lacke of Sion Peter was bold in presuming was weake in failing wherein he presumed but was quicke in bewayling wherein he failed At once he went out and wept No sooner went out from sinning but wept bitterly for sinne True repentance is both speedy and early Not he that slipâ— on the sudden but he that so long couches is the 〈…〉 heart after a 〈…〉 hastily and redoubles his force It is worse to lye still then to fall into euill and he is the rather to be blamed that he hastens not his Recouery then that he 〈◊〉 not his fall Peter was suddenly drawne to sinne and 〈◊〉 soone he repented One and the 〈◊〉 night saw him denying and weeping saw him fallen and risen againe saw him sicke vnto death and restored to sauing health Repentance is measured not according to the time but truth thereof Remission attends not the length but manner of repentance In the moment wee haue repented our God will be reconciled It is his goodnesse not easinesse so soone to forgiue vs. For hee delights not yet more to expect but is willing euen now to accept our contrition Wee men suddenly pull downe and but slowly build vp againe Our God is slow to destroy but is ready to restore He is long prouoked ere hee punish but no sooner intreated then hee remits then hee rewards Psal 103.8.9 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindenesse Hee will not alwayes chide neither keepe his anger for euer Psal 30.5 He 〈…〉 Weeping 〈…〉 because of our sinnes 〈…〉 commeth in the morning through our Repentance What order and processe of his Repentance He went out and wept Modesty and Discretion Pitty and Compunction commonly all restraine to weepe and wayle in presence but of all in priuate is fittest for a Peuitent to acknowledge and deplore â—e they because of our misery or Sinne God then most regards them when there is no other witnesse of our Teares Hâ—â—ing but 〈◊〉 his â—â—oke vpon those inticers who now to haue seene his face bewraying a Gâ—â—â—â—an indeed would haue wrought him both further violence and derision Hee now feales his spirit more free and his teares more fluent Now sayes hee nothing but weepes Nothing but weepes For hee would onely bewaile not excuse his sinne would purge him of his filthinesse by teares rather then in words plead for his offence Words cannot alwayes expresse the force of teares teares haue often the force of words Teares are silent prayers they make confession shew contrition got absolution Sinne is a fire is a flame which not the showring clouds but the distilling eyes can quench Sinne is a staine a blot which not all the water in the sea but our teares can wash away Teares are the onely Lauer and Purgatory of a sinfull soule Good God! Teares had neuer beene but for sinne and sinne had euer beene but for Teares Sinne occasions teares teares dissolue sinne But for sinne wee had not beene borne in teares but for teares wee had dyed in sinne True Disciple and now againe turned to himselfe his Eyes how they gush to weepe his Heart how it groanes to weepe bitterly Hee weepes and weepes bitterly for it is not the rigation of his eyes that is enough but compunction of his heart Sinnes haynous in the commission are heauy in the repentance A little water washes not a foule spot For the seruant to forsweare his Master for the Apostle to deny the truth was no small offence Wherefore his eyes like two distilling Fountaines gush out euen riuers of waters and all is little enough to wash him throughly from his wickednesse to cleanse him from his sinne Since there is such helpe then what need is there yea what lacke of teares Ah! this is cause enough of weeping that wee cannot weepe Woe to vs that we sinne daily with hard hearts and dry eyes and prouoke our GOD to plague vs not so much for sinning as not sorrowing for sinne Alas alas teares of compassion teares of compunction nothing sooner dry then teares So weepe wee for our sinne as if wee meant to sinne and weepe againe So slowly come our teares and slenderly that our sinnes rather preuaile to defile our teares then our teares auaile to wash away our sinnes Ah my Soule my Soule considerest thou Peters sinne and Teares Alas alas thy Sinnes I know haue beene more but fewer I feare thy teares It will both warne and incourage thee to thinke how Peter hath sinned and repented Peter hath sinned how then darest thou presume Peter hath repented why then shouldest thou despaire Peter 〈…〉 ned and Repented and 〈◊〉 happy eschew thou the first neglect not the next and 〈◊〉 seare to fayle in the last The Monodie OR Soliloquie TO be mans Sauiour Gods eternall Sonne Leaues Heauens attendance the Angellicke traine Whilst he considers on earth may be wonne A seruing troupe he counts his losse his gaine My soule praise him who left high heauent transcendence Himselfe abasing low to earths attendance He being Lord of Lords and King of Kings Could vassals make of greatest Potentates Yet makes he choyce of vile and foolish things The first are