forth her fruit Yea as all Samsons strength lay in his hair so all our strength lyeth in Praier Praiers and tears are the Churches Armour Praiers and patience her weapons and therefore when Peter was imprisoned by cruel Herod the congregation joined their forces to pray for him and so brake his chains blew open the Iron Gates and fetch'd him out Act. 12.4 to 18. Arma Christianorum in adversis alia esse non debent quam patientia precatâ—â— saith Salmeron Yea praier is so powerfull that it commandeth all things in Heaven and Earth It commandeth all the four Elements Air Iam. 5.17.18 Fire Ecclesiasticus 48.3 Dan. 3.27 Water Exod. 14.21 and 15.25 Earth Num. 16.31.32.33 Nay the Praier of one devouâ— man is able to coâ—quer an host of enemies in battell Exod. 17.11 What shall I say it hath made the Sun stand still in the Firmament one while go back another fetch fire and hail-stones from heaven thrown down the walls of Iericho subdued Kingdoms stopt the mouths of Lyons quencht the violence of fire c. Yea Praier is so potent that it raiseth the dead 1 King 17.21 overcometh Angels Gen. 19.22 casteth our Devills Matth. 17.21 and that which is yet more wonderfull overcometh him that cannot be overcome and mastereth even God himself for doth not the Lord say to Moses let mee alone And Moses would not let him alone till he had obtained his petition Exod. 32.10.14 And again to Iacob wrestling with him let mee go and Iacob would not let him go untill he had prevailed Gen. 32.16 Wherefore Pray upon all occasions and that without doubting say not to God as the Leper said to Christ If thou wilt thou canst make me clean for hee both can and will as that very text Matth. 8.2 3. proves Yea I would to God wee were but so willing as hee is for hee desires to bee desired Neither hath hee his own will except wee have ours Christ doth ask no more of us but onely that wee would vouchsafe to ask him True the fainting heart that hath waited some time may with the Psalmist mutter out some such speech as this Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Psal. 77.9 But if hee forgets any of his he hath lost his old wont for who can nominate one that ever came to Christ with any lawfull suit that received a repulse Who ever asked any thing of him which was profitable for him to receive and did not obtain his suit Did not the sick ever receive their health The lame their limbes the blind their fight Did ever any sinner implore the forgiveness of his sins which did not receiv full remission and pardon Yea did not this our gracious King and Redeemer prevent his poor miserable subjects with his grace in giving before â—hey had the grace to ask or more then they desired The sick of the Palâ—â—â— asking but cure of his disease received not onely that but the remission of his sins also Matth. â— Zacheus desired but to see his face he became his guest and gave him salvation to boot Luk. 1â— The Woman of Samaria requested but elementary and common water hee offered unto her the water of life Ioh. 4. The people followed him to bee fed by miracle with corporall food hee offered unto them the bread of life Ioh. 7. The poor blind man desired but his bodily sight Christ illuminated the eye of his soul Ioh. 9. Neither hath honours changed manners with him as is usuall amongst men for hee is a God immutable in goodness and without change or shadow of turning Iam. 1 17. so that if thou speak hee will hear and answer thy suit in supporting thee so that thou shalt bee sure to persevere and hold out unto the end Section 11. Object But I have no evidence of divine assistance nor can I pray for it to purpose Answ. Wee have the presence of Gods Spirit and grace many times and feel it not yea when we complain for want of iâ— as Pilate asked Christ what was truâ—h when the truth stood before him The stomach findes the best digestion even in sleep when wee least perceive it and whiles wee are most awake this power worketh in us either to further strength or disease without our knowledge of what is done within and on the other side that man is most dangerously sick in whom nature decays without his feeling without his complaint To know our selvs happy is good but woe were to us Christians if wee could not bee happy and know it not As touching Praier every one is not so happy as Sâ—even was to bee most fervent when they are most in pain yea many in time of sickness by reason of the extremity of pain can hardly pray at all whence Saint Iames wisheth us in affliction to pray our selvs but in case of sickness to send for the Elders that they may as those in the Gospell offer up the sick person to God in their praiers beeing unable to present their own casâ— Iam. 5.13.14.15 Yea it were miserable for the best Christian if all his former Praiers and Meditations did not serve to aid him in his last straights and meet together in the Center of his extremity yielding though not sensible relief yet secret benefit to the soul whereas the worldly man in this case having not layed up for this hour hath no comfort from God or from others or from himself Besides thou art happy in this there is not the poorest and meanest of Gods Children but as hee hath the benefit of Christs intercession in heaven Rom. 8.34 Ioh. 16.26 so hath hee also the benefit of the Praiers of all the Saints on Earth wee have the graces and gifts each of other in common Yet because thine own Praier is most proper and seeing it is the mindes Embassadour tâ— God and never faileth of success if it bee fervent as if our prayers want success they want heart their blessing is according to their vigor pray that thou mayest pray better If thy Leg â—â—e beâ—â—â—mâ—d go upon it a little and it will come to it self again To which if thou join fasting thou shalt do well for prayers are made â—at with fasting as Tertullian speaks Yea pray oft though thy prayers bee the shorter weak 〈…〉 which cannot digest large 〈◊〉 feed 〈◊〉 and lâ—â—tle O! saith holy Bernard most sweetly How oft hast thou meaning praier found mee lamenting and despairing and lest mee rejoycing and triumphing And what though thou canst not powr out thy soul in a flood of words The Woman diseased with an issue of blood said but within her self shee did not speak to bee heard of others and yet Christ heard her and answered her request Matth 9.21.22 The Lord esteemeth the will for the deed and the affection for the action Man sees the countenance God the heart man the deeds but God the meaning Hast thou but thoughts and desires and canst thou onely express them with sighs and groans these speechless
Abrahams faith Iobs patience Pauls courage and constancy if they had not been tried by the fire of affliction their graces had been smothered as so many lights under Bushel which now to the glory of God shine to all the World Yea noâ— only their vertues but the gracious lives of all the Saints departed dâ— still magnifie him even to this day in every place we hear of them anâ— move us likewise to glorifie God for them wherefore happy man thaâ— leaves such a president for which the future Ages shall praise him and praise God for him And certainly if God intends to glorifie himself by his graces in us he will finde means to fetch them forth into the notice of the World Who could know the faith patience and valour of Gods souldiers iâ— they alwayes lay in Garrison and never came to the skirmish Whereaâ— now they are both exemplary and serve also to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 Yea without enemies valour and fortitudâ— were of no use Till we have sinned Repentance either is not or appearâ— not Neither is patience visible to others or sensible to our selves till we are exercised with sufferings whereas these vertues in time of misery and exigents shine as stars do in a dark night And what more glorious than with Noahs ' Olive-tree to keep our branches green under water Or with Aarons Rod to bring forth ripe Almonds when in appearance we are clong and dry Or with Moses's Bush not to consume though on a lighâ— fire One Iupiter set out by Homer the Poet was worth ten set out by Phidiaâ— the Carver saith Philostratus because the former slew abroad through all the World whereas the other never stirred from his Pedistal at Athens so at first the honour and splendour of Iobs integrity was confined to Uz a little corner of Arabia yea to his own Family whereas by means of the Devils malice it is now spread as far as the Sun can extend his beams or the Moon her influence for of such a Favourite of Heaven such a Mirrour of the Earth such a wonder of the World who takes noâ— notice Who could know whether we be vessels of gold or dross unless we were brought to the Touchstone of temptation Who could feel the odoriferous smell of these Aromatical Spices if they were not pounded and bruised in the Mortar of affliction The Worlds hatred and calumny to aâ— able Christian serves as bellows to kindle his devotion and blow off the ashes under which his faith lay hid like the Moon he shines clearest in the night of affliction If it made for the honour of Saul and all Israel that he had a little Boy in his Army that was able to encounter that selected great Giant Goliah of the Philistims and overcome him how much more doth it make for Gods glory that the least of his adopted ones should be able to encounter four enemies The World 1 John 5.4 The Flesh Gal. 5.24 The Devil 1 John 2.14 and The Death Rom. 8.36 37. The weakest of which is 1 The Flesh 2 The World Now the Flesh being an home-bred enemy a Dalilah in Samsons bosome a Iudas in Christs company like a Moath in the garment bred in us and cherished of us and yet alwayes attempting to fret and destroy us and the world a forreign foe whose Army consists of two Wings Adversity on the left hand Prosperity on the right hand Death stronger then either and the Devil stronger than all And yet that the weakest childe of God only through faiâ—h in Christ a thing as much despised of Philistims as Davids â—â—ing and stone was of Goliah should overcome all these fourâ— wherein he shews himself a greater Conquerour then William the Conquerour yea even greater then Alexander the Great or Pompey the Great or the Great Turk for they only conquered in many years a few parts of the World but he that is born of God overcometh the whole World all things in the World 1 Joh. 5. And this is the victory that overcometh the World even our faith Vers. 4. And makes not this infinitely for the glory of God Yea it makes much for the honour of Christians For art thou born of God Hast thou vanquished the World that vanquisheth all the wicked Bless God for this conquest The King of Spains overcomming the Indies was nothing to it If Satan had known his afflicting of Iob would have so advanced the glory of God manifested Iobs admirable patience to all Ages made such a president for imitation to others occasioned so much shame to himself I doubt noâ— but Iob should have continued prosperous and quiet for who will set upon his Adversary when he knoweth he shall be shamefully beaten This being so happy are they who when they do well hear ill but much more blessed are they who live so well as that their backbiting Adversaries seeing their good works are constrained to praise God and speak well of them CHAP. 4. That God suffers his children to be afflicted and persecuted by ungodly men that so they may be brought to repentance NOw the Reasons which have chiefly respect to the good of his children in their sufferings being thirteen in number are distinguished as followeth God suffers his children to be afflicted by them 1 Because it Brings them to repentance 2 Because it Works in them amendment of life 3 Because it Stirs them up to prayer 4 Because it Weans them from the love of the World 5 Because it Keeps them alwayes prepared to the spirituall combate 6 Because it Discovers whether we be true beleevers or Hyprocites 7 Because it Prevents greater evils of sinne and punishment to come 8 Because it makes them Humble 9 Because it makes them Conformable to Christ their head 10 Because it Increaseth their Faith 11 Because it Increaseth their Ioy and Thankfulness 12 Because it Increaseth their Spiritual Wisdome 13 Because it Increaseth their Patience First the Lord suffers his children to be vexed and persecuted by the wicked because it is a notable means to rouze them out of carelesse security and bring them to repentance He openeth the eares of men saith Elihu even by their corrections that he might cause man to turn away from his enterprizo and that he might keep back his soul from the pit Job 33.16 17 18. The feeling of smart will teach us to decline the cause Quia sentio poenam recogitâ— culpam saith Gregory the Great punishments felt bring to my consideration sins committed Those bitter sufferings of Iob toward his latter end made him to possess the iniquities of his youth Iob 13.26 whereby with Solomons Eves-dropper Eccles. 7.21 22. he came to repent of that whereof he did not once suspect himselfe guilty it made him not think so much of what he felt as what he deserved to feel in like manner how do the clamours of Satan our own consciences and the insulting World constrain us to possess
this nothing Yea others bleed we sleep others beg we abound others starve we surfet others groap in the dark our Sun still shines and shall not we rejoyce and be thankful Bless saith our Saviour when ye are cursed and shall not we bless when thus blessed Yet wo is me we forfeit many of Gods favours for not paying that easie Rent of thankfulness like those nine Luk. 17.12 to 19. we are more apt to pray then to give thanks because we are more sensible of our own wants then of Gods glory We can open our mouthes when we want any thing either to pray or at least to murmur and why should not our thanksgivings be as frequent as our blessings are The Lâ—pers voice was not more loud in his suit then in his thanks It were happy for us Christians if we could but learn of this Samaritan And thus we see that good things then appear of most worth when they are known in their wants When we have lost those invaluable comforts which we cannot well be without the minde hath time to recount their several worths and the worths of blessings appear not till they are vanisht No wonder then that our estates and conditions are so variable like the face of the Heavens or the Sea or like the weather about Michaelmass which is now fair and presently again foule or rather the hard Winter which for one fair Sun-shine day hath oftentimes ten â—oul For God sees that it is very good for us for as seeds that are deepest covered with snow in Winter flourish most in the Spring or as the winde by beating down the flame raiseth it higher and hotter and as when we would have some fires flame the more we sprinkle water upon them even so when the Lord would increase our joy and thankfulness he allayeth it with the tears of affliction misery sweetneth joy yea the sorrows of this life shall like a dark veil give a lustre to the glory of the next when the Lord shall turn this water of our earthly afflictions into that wine of gladness wherewith our souls shall be satiate for ever We deceive our selves to think on earth continued joys would please Plenty of the choicest daintie is no dainty When Pearls grew common at Rome they wore them on their shoes and they had much ado to save themselves out of the dirt as Tertullian speaks Nothing would be more tedious then to be glutted with perpetual jollities were the body tied to one dish always though of the most exquisite delicates that it could make choice of yet after a small time it would complain of loathing and satiety and so would the soul if it did ever Epicure it self in joyes I know not which is the more useful Ioy I may chuse for pleasure but adversities are the best for profit I should without them want much of the joy I have Well then art thou vexed persecuted and afflicted by some cruel and malicious Saul and is it grievous to thee for the present Why that which hath been hard to suffer is sweet to remember at last our Songs shall be louder then our cries CHAP. 15. How it increaseth their spiritual Wisdom 12 OUr sufferings make us teachable and increase in us spiritual Wisdom He delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth their ear in trouble Job 36.15 And again He openeth the ears of men even by their corrections Job 33.16 We are best instructed when we are most afflicted Pauls blindness took away his blindness made him see more into the way of life then could all his learning at the feet of Gamaliel And what saith Naaman upon the cleansing of his Leprosie Now I know there is no God in all the Earth but in Israel O happy Syrian that was at once cured of his Leprosie and his misprision of God The prodigal son regarded not his Fathers admonition so long as he enjoyed prosperity when we smart not we believe not God is not feared till felt but that which makes the body smart makes the soul wise It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted that I may learn thy Statutes We grow wise by evils whereas prosperity besots us Even to lose is some ways profitable it makes a man wary Yea St. Basil calls want penury the inventor of all Arts And St. Augustine the Mistress of all Philosophy The best wisdom is dearest bought Algerius the Martyr could say out of experience he found more light in the dungeon then without in all the World The Scottish King prisoner in Mortimers hole learnt more of Christ then in his Palace he could all his life Gaspar Olevianus a Germane Divine sayes I never learned how great God was nor what the evil of sin was to purpose till this sickness taught me There is a great deal of difference saith Luther between a Divine in outward pomp and a Divine under the cross neither could he understand some Psalmes till he was in affliction the Christs-cross is no letter yet it taught him more learning then all the letters in the rowe The cross opens mens eyes as the tasting of honey did Ionathans Yea what will not affliction teach us when even the savagest Beasts are made quiet and docible with abating their food and rest or by adding of stripes That Beef-brain'd Fellow in Scaliger had his eare bored with thunder when nothing else would do it Yea saith Molineus Bonifacius his silly reasons for the Popes Supremacy did well enough being propounded with a sword in the hand Even as the Clay with Water and the Iron with fire are made pliable and apt to receive impression from the workman even so when we are soaked in the floods of sorrow and softened in the fire of affliction we are aptest to receive the impression of Gods Law into our hearts when he speaks unto us by his Ministers If the Lord breaks us in pieces with the Plough of his Iustice then let the Seedsmen his Ministers sow the seed of his Word we shall receive it through the surrows of our eares into the ground of our hearts and grow up in wisdome and saving knowledge Or when the hard heart is grown'd to powder between the upper and the nether Milstone of the two Tables it will see and imbrace that counsel which before it slighted We heare and read much of the corruption of our natures odiousness of our sins necessity of a Saviour sweetness of Gods love in Christ c. but we never fully apprehend these things or taste how good the Lord is till some sharp affliction comes A man knows not where his house is ill covered tâ—ll Winter Crosses are like pinching Frosts that will search us we learn to know our selves by that wâ— suffer Yea Affliction so brings down our stomachs that we can see even matter of thankfulness where our former pride sound matter of complaining And that which formerly had no more taste then the white of an Egg viz. the
them drink whereas they stript him of his party-coloured-coat he gave them all change of rayment whereas they sold him for twenty pieces of money he would not sell them Corn but gave it them freely and put their money again into their sacks whereas they cast him into a pit without either bread or water he brought them into his own lodging and feasted them sumptuously with delicate fare and gave them of the best wine Thus he gave them a good measure pressed down and shaken together yea running over into their bosomes of kindnesse for unkindnesse And thus holy David 〈◊〉 in the steps of good Ioseph Psal. 38.12 to 15. 1 Sam. 26.20 For when Saul had bent his howe and made ready the arrowes within his quiver to shoot at this upright in heart and sweet singer of Israel Yea when this Fowler hunted him like a Partridge to the mountains so that his soul was â—ain to ask for the wings of a Dove that he might fly away and be at rest Yet see when his mortall foe was delivered into his hand in the Cave he would not lay hands on his enemy nor suffer his blood-thirsty followers to fall upon him but only to give him notice what he could have done cut off the lap of his garment and rendred him good for evill as Saul himself confessed 1 Sam. 24.18 Yea again when he found him asleep in the field he spared his life which was in his hand and to give him a second warning only took away his pot of water and his speaâ— â—â— Sam. 26. And lastly of Stevâ—n who when the Iews were stoning him to death kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord â—ay not this sinne to their charge Acts. 7.60 A true Scholer of CHRIST For first He prayed for enemies Secondly For mortall enemies that stoned him Thirdly In hot blood at the time when they wronged him most â— as being more sorry for their ryot than for his own ruin Now what is it that we suffer being compared with their sufferings Even nothing in a manner Ye have not saith St Paul to the Hebrews yet resisted unto blood we have passed saith the Prophet through fire and water not fire only as the three Children nor wâ—ter only as the Israelites but fire and water all kinde of afflictions and adversities For shame then let us passe through a little tongu-tryall without the least answering or repining In which take M â— Calvin for a pattern who said Though Luther call me a Devill yet I will honour him as a dear servant of God Now all ye scoffers behold the patience of the Saints and stand amazed That which you not for want of ignorance esteemed base sottish and unworthy ye see hath sixteen solid Reasons as so many pillars to support it and these hewen out of the Rock of Gods Word Ye see the Childe of God is above nature while he seems below himself the vilest creature knowes how to turn again but to command himself not to resist being urged is more then Heroicall Here then is matter worth your emulation worthy your imitation Again Behold the Reasons why God suffers you to deride hate and persecute his people which are likewise declared to be sixteen in number and those no lesse weighty of which three concern his own glory thirteen our spiritual and everlasting good benefit and advantage Yea reflect yet further you seed of the Serpent and see the Originall continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of your devillish enmity against the seed of the Woman And then you will acquit the Religious with Christ and his Apostles for well doing or confesse that you condemn Christ and his Apostles with them as Erasmus said in his own defence But if of the two you will choose to go on and perish your blood be on your own heads and not on mine I have discharged my duty CHAP. XXXII Rules to be observed touching Thoughts Words and Deeds when we are wronged I Must needs confesse may some say you have shewn sixteen solid and substantiall Reasons of Patience sufficient to perswade any reasonable creature to imbrace it at least in affection but is it therefore in all cases necessary we suffer injuries without righting of our selves or being angry No he that makes himself a Sheep shall be eaten of the Wolfe In some cases tolerations are more than unexpedient they inspire the party with boldnesse and are as it were pullies to draw on more injuries bear one wrong and invite more put up this abuse and you shall have your belly full of them Yea he that suffers a lesser wrong many times invites a greater which he shall not be long without As how doth Davids patience draw on the insolence of Shimei Evill natures grow presumptuous upon forbearance In good natures and dispositions injury unanswered growes weary of it self and dies in a voluntary remorse but in those dogged stomacks which are only capable of the restraints of fear the silent digestion of a former wrong provokes a second Neither will a Beef braind follow be subdued with words Wherefore mercy hath need to be guided with wisdome lest it prove cruell to it self Neither doth Religion call us to a week simplicity but allowes us as much of the Serpent as of the Dove It is our duty indeed to be simple as Doves in offending them but we are no lesse charged to be wise as Serpents in defendiâ—g our selves lawfull remedies have from God both liberty in the use and blessing in the successe no man is bound to tender his throat to an unjust stroak Indeed when the persecuted Christians complained against their adversaries to Iulian the Emperour desiring justice he answered them as some of our scoffers may do in the like case It is your Masters commandment that you should bear all kinde of injuries with patience But what did they answer It is true he commands us to bear all kindes of injuries patiently but not in all cases besides said they we may bear them patiently yet crave the Magistrates ayd for the repairing of our wrongs past our present rescue or for the preventing of what is like to ensue But to make a full Answer to the Question propounded There are Rules to be observed 1 touching our Thoughts 2 touching our Words 3 touching our Actions First Touching our Thoughts He that deceiveth me oft though I must forgive him yet Charity bindes me not not to censure him for untrusty and though Love doth not allow suspicion yet it doth not thrust out discretion it judgeth not rashly but it judgeth justly it is not so sharp sighted as to see a moat where none is nor so purblinde but it can discerne a beam where it is the same spirit that saith Charity beleeveth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 saith also that a fool beleeveth all things Prov. 14.15 and Charity is no fool as it is not easily suspicious so neither lightly credulous It is neither simple
when the seventy years are accomplished I will visit the King of Babel and that Nation for their iniquities and will make it a perpetual desolation c. Ier. 25.11 12. and 30 16. even the greater sinners may punish the lesse and prosper for a time Ezekiel 7. I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their Houses vers 24. When iniquity hath plaid her part vengeance leaps upon the Stage the Comedy is short but the Tragedy is longer We use rubbish to scoure our vessels when those vessels are cleared we fling away the rubbish Bridges that help men over the stream at last themselves rot and sink in When Balaams Asse had done speaking humana voce she lived an Asse and died an Asse So when God hath sufficiently afflicted the righteous by the rod of the wicked he will fling the Rod into the fire which is unquenchable Isa. 33.1 And it stands with the strength of reason for if God saith Saint Gregory strike so smartly those whom he spareth how heavie will his blows be on them whom he condemneth and with what severity shall Cast-awayes be pâ—nished when his own children are so visited and afflicted If Gods own Children who are as dear and near to him as the Apple of his eye or the signet on his right hand suffer fo many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell undoâ—btedly when the Patient is made whole he shall be preserved but the Plaister shall be thrown away For as God doth tâ—rn evil to good to them that love him so â—e turnes good to evil to those that hate him Again secondly if the wicked are punished for doing wrong to the wicked much more for wronging the just and innocent But wee have many examples of the former as that of Adonibeâ—eck who having cut off the Thumbs and great Toes of Seventy Kings 〈◊〉 were wicked like himself had also hiâ— his own Thumbs and Toes cut off Iudg. 1.5.7 And Moab of whom the Lord saith hee hath burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime therefore will I send a fire upon Moab and it shall devour c. Amos 2.1 2. If the greater Serpent devours the less there is a Dragon to devour him therefore the enemies of Gods Church have no hope to escape The everlasting punishments of the ungodly are deferred not remitted But all the evill thou doest to the godly is with thy tongue Answ. That 's bad enough the Serpents hissing betrays his malice and Ishmael's tongue made him a Persecuter as well as Doeg's hands hee did but stout Isaac yet Saint Paul saith hee persecuted him Gal. 4 2â— â—ham onely scoft at Noah yet it brought upon him his Fathers curse and Gods upon that The Athenians but scoft once at Silla's wife and it had well nigh cost the razing of their City he was so provoked with the indignity And whatever thou conceivest of iâ— let this fault bee as far from my soul as my soul from Hell For assuredly God will one day laugh you to scorn for laughing his to scorn and at last despise you that have despised him in us CHAP. 35. Other grounds of comfort to support a Christian in his sufferings And first that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allayes their grief THis rub being removed and the pâ—ssage made clear proceed wee to other grounds of comfort which the Word of God affords in this case for the better upholding and strenghtening of a weak Christian in his sufferings Wherein that wee may not exceed I will select out onely five because instructions if they exceeâ—â—â—re wont like nails to drive ouâ— one another First wee shall bear the Cross with the more patience and comfort if wee consider that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allays their grief The troubles of a Christian are very great for number variety and bitterness yet there is one ingredient that sweetens them all the promise of God I will bee with thee in trouble and deliver thee Psal. 91.15 And thou shalâ— not bee tempted above thy strength 1 Cor. 10.13 Again fear not for when thou passest through the water I will bee with thee and through the floods that they do not over-flow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the â—lame kindle upon theâ— Isa. 43.1 2. Lo here are promises like Flaggons of Wine to comfort the distressed soul. Wherefore as Câ—sar said to the trembling Marriner 〈◊〉 not afraid for thou carriest Caesar so O Christian bee not afraid for hee that is in thee for thee with thee that guides thee that will save thee is the invincible King Iehova And upon this ground David was so comforted and refreshed 〈◊〉 his soul Psal. 94.19 that hee was able to say Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill Why For thou art with mee thy Rod and thy Staffe shall comfort mee Psal. 23.4 Yea our Enemies can no sooner assault us with their tongues but God coms in to our rescue If yee bee railed upon for the name of Christ saith Saint Peter blessed are yee for the Spirit of God resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 God is never so much injoyed of us as when we are in the deep with David Psal. 130.1 and when wee are worst of all bestead with Iehosaphat a Chron. 20.12 When did Iacob see a Vision of Angels but when hee fled for his life making the cold earth his bed and a stone his pillow or when was his heart so full of joy as now that his head lay hardest When was Paul wrapp'd into the third heaven to hear words from Christ not fit to bee uttered 2 Cor. 12.2.4 but as some of the learned conceive when hee was bereaved of his sight Stephen saw great happiness by Christ in his peace but under that shower of stones hee saw heaven it self open Act. 7. When wee are slain all the day long for his sake with the Martyrs then wee are given to see him with our eyes as Iob did who till that time had onely heard of him by the hearing of the ear Then wee come to know that the Lord hee is God with Manasses 2 Chron. 33.13 and that he is our hope and strength and refuge and a very present help in troubles ready to bee sound of all that seek to him 2 Chron. 15.4.15 Psal 9.9 10 and 46.1 The Israelites never fared so well as when they lived at Gods immediate finding and at night expected their morrows break-fast from the clouds When they did daily ask and daily receive their daily bread Yea even when they were wandering in a forlorn wilderness how did God as it were attend upon them in their distress to supply their wants They have no guide therefore God himself goes before them in a
Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Habbak 3.17 18. Thou wouldest 〈◊〉 that thy name is written in the book of life as our Saviour injoines Luk. 10.20 though thou hâ—dst nothing else to rejoice in But it is nothing to be blessed untill we understand our selvs to be so wherefore Thirdly wait Gods leisure with patience and hold fast to him in all pressures Time saith Seneca is the best Physick for most diseases for the body and so likewise for the soul if it bee an afflicted conscience waiting Gods leisure for the assurance of his love is the best remedy and so in all other cases Section 10. Ob. Buâ— when will there bee an end of this long disease this tedious affliction this heavie yoake of bondage c. Answ. It is a signe of cold love scarce to have begun to suffer for Christ and presently to gape for an end It was a far better speech of one Lord give mee what thou wâ—lt as much as thou wilt when thou wilt Thou arâ— Gods Patient prescribe not thy Physiâ—ian It is the Gold-Smiths skill to know how long his gold must bee in the Crusible neither takes hee it out of that hot bath till it bee sufficiently purified What if the Lord for a time forbear coming as Samuel did to Saul that hee may try what is in thee and what thou wilt do or suffer for him that hath done and suffered so much for thee as why did God set Noah about building the Ark an hundred and twenty years when a small time might have finished it It was for the triall of his patience Thus hee led the Israelites in the desarts of Arabia forty years whereas a man may travell from Ramesis in Egypt to any part of Canaan in forty days this God did to prove them that hee might know what was in their hearts Deu. 8.2 Hee promised Abraham a son in whom hee should bee blessed this hee performed not in tâ—irty years after Hee gave David the Kingdom and anointed him by Samuel yet was hee not possessed of it in many years 〈◊〉 so much that hee said Mine eyes fail for thy Word Psal. 119.123 Ioseph hath a promise that the Sun and Moon should do him reverence but first hee must bee bound in the Dungeon This God doth to try us for in these exigents we shew oâ—r selvs and our dispositions What saith God to his people in their misery Psal. 75. When I see convenient time I will execute judgment ver 2. hee doth not say when you think the time convenient Let us tarry a little the Lords leisure diliverance will come peace will come joy will com in mean while to 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ient in misery makes misery no misery Again secondly hee may delay his coming for other ends of greater consequence Martha and Mary send to Christ as desiring him to come and resâ—â—re Lazarus their sick brother to health Ioh. 11.3 expecting him without delay now hee loved both Martha and her Sister and Lazarus 〈◊〉 5. yet hee neglects coming for many days lets him die bee put in the grave untill hee stank but what of all this he that would not restâ—re 〈◊〉 Lazarus to health restored dead Lazarus to life which was a greaâ—eâ—â—â—â—â—cy than they either did or durst ask Neither did this onely increase 〈◊〉 joy and thankfulness give them occasion ever after to believe and 〈◊〉 above and against all hope but it made many of the Iews believe in him which before did noâ— ver 45. Thirdly and lastly hee delaies thee the longer that when hee coms he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bring with him the greater recompence of reward for hee will comfort us according to the days wee have been afflicted and according to the years that we have seen evill Psal. 90.15 Neither will hee stay over-long for behold saith he I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall bee Rev. 22.12 and suffering is accounted none of the meanest works So that the harder the conflict the more glorious the conquest Wherefore hold out yet a little and help shall not bee wanting to the combatants nor a crown to the conquerours Yea fight to the last minute for the eye of thy Saviour is upon the if thou faint to cheer thee if thou stand to it to second thee if thou conquer to crown thee whereas no combate no conquest no conquest no triumph Object But my sufferings are so great that if they continue I shall never bee able â—o hold out Answ. True if thou trustest to thine own strength for perseverance is the gift of God yea it is hee that worketh in us both to will and to do at his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 For first mans will is a fugitive Onesimus and God must call home that runagate subdue that rebell before wee can chuse that which is good Neither when wee have begun can we continue perficit qui efficat Hee that begun a good work in us will perform it Phil. 1.6 Jesus is the founder and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Neither can wee of our selvs suffer for him Datur pati it is given to us to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 Without mee yee can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 not parum but nihil But in him and through him all things I can do all things through him that strengthens mee Phil. 4.13 In our selvs wee are weak Captives in him wee are more than Conquerours Rom. 8.37 Whence it is many sick men undergo patiently such pressureâ—â— as when they were in health they would not have beleeved they could have born The truth of grace bee the measure never so small â—s always blest with perseverance because that little is â—ed with an everlasting spring Yea if grace but conquer us first wee by 〈◊〉 shall conquer all things else whether it bee corruptions within us or temtations without us for as the fire which came down from heaven in Elias time licked upâ— all the water to shew that it came from God so will this fire spend all our corruptions No affliction without or corruption within shall quench it Wherefore do but thy endeavour to hold out I mean with patience 〈◊〉 that Spirit which came in the likeness of a Dove will not com but 〈◊〉 Dove and pray for divine assistance this sadness shall end in gladneâ—â— this sorrow in singing But above all pray unto God for Praier is the key of heaven as 〈◊〉 Austin tearms it and the hand of a Christian which is able to reach from Earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of 〈◊〉 Lords Treasury Did not Elias by turning this Kâ—y one way lock up the whole Heaven from raining for three years and six months and another while by turning the same Key of prayer as much another way in the turning of a hand unlock all the doors and windows of heaven and set them wide open that it rained and the earth brought
for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy selfe that thou shouldest dye to save us VVhich salvation stands in two things First in freeing and delivering us from Hell Secondly In the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the law merits the second The parts of our justification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereby we have freedom from all evill here and the perfection of all good and happinesse in heaven Insomuch that all those Millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall enjoy to eternity Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us with the price of his own precious blood For which see Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Hear this all you that care to be saved God will pardon all your sins he will give you an eternall crown of glory in heaven if you unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation by a lively faith and that because he is just for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is eternal death Rom. 6.23 death in the person if not in the surety Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid their dept even to the utmost farthing as is evident by Isai. 53.4 5. 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25 26. 1 Ioh. 1.7 9. and sundry other places As are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law Christ performed it for us VVetâ— we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law he died in our stead an ignominious 〈◊〉 Did we deserve the anger of God he endured his Fathers wrathful displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his Father and set us at liberty He that deserved no sorrow felt much that we who deserved much might feel none And by his wounds we are healed Isai. 53.5 Adam eat the apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever we owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self-same punishments for he being God could not suffer the eternal torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his Person he being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell For it is more for one that is eternal to die then for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God and therefore was he both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man he had been too weak to satisfie God And so much for explication of the Third Principle mentioned in the beginning Sect. XX. But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses that he will be never the better for what hath been told him yea he will decoct all even the mercy and goodness of God into poyson For what will such a one suggest to himself the Devil helping forward Let it be granted will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable a great sinner both originally and actually and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life and of that to come yet I thank God I am well enough so long as Christ hath paid my ransom and freed me from all by a new Covenant the tenure whereof is Believe and Live whereas at first it was do this and live to which I answer In Covenants and Indentures between party and party there are alwayes articles and conditions to be performed on the one side as well as promises to be fullfilled on the other as saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted and bound himself by his word and Seal to remit thee thy sins adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the Kingdome of Heaven and eveâ—lasting life by and for his sons sake so Christ hath for and on thy behalf undertaken yea thou thy self didst for thy part bind thy self by covenant promise and vow in thy baptism that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments the better thereby to expresse thy thankfulness towards him for so great a benefit 1 Pet. 3.21 Psal. 116.12 13 14. And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the Conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force VVhereby millions Magus like after the water of baptism which is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace go to the fire of Hell Yea except we repent and believe the Gospel threats and precepts aswel as promises that holy Sacrament together with the 〈…〉 to us our salvation will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation Therefore the main question is VVhether thou art a believer For although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large and precious promises there are none so general which are not limited with the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained repentance and each of them are so tied and entailed that none can lay claim to them but true believers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 As for instance Our Saviour hath made publick Proclamation Mark 16.16 That whosoever shall believe and be baptised shall be saved but mark what withal is added he that will not believe shall be damned Again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.15 16. And that none may deceive themselves he addeth He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light John 3.19 20. And again As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1.12 Again Heb. 5.9 He is said to be the Author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness and never submit themselves to be ruled by the scepter of
joy and with the Holy Ghost Acts 13.52 And as their afflictions do abound so their consolations abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 For these are comforts that will support and refresh a Child of God in the very midst of the flames as the Martyrs found for maugre all their persecutors could do their peace and joy did exceed their pain as many of them maniâ—ested to all that saw them suffer Sect. 3. Where observe before we go any further what sots they are that cry out It is in vain to serve God and unprofitable to keep his Commandments as it is in Malachy 3.14 For had these fools but tasted the sweet coâ—forts that are in the very works of piety and that Heaven upon earth the feast of a good conscience and joy of the inward man they could not so speak Yea then would they say there is no life to the life of a Christian. For as the Priests of Mercury when they ate their figs and honey cryed out O how sweet is truth So if the worst of a Believers life in this world be so sweet how sweet shall his life be in that Heavenly Ierusalem and holy City where God himself dwelleth and where we shall reign with Christ our Bridegroom and be the Lambs wife which City is of pure gold like unto clear glass the walls of Iasper having twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones the first foundation being Iasper the second Saphir the third a Chaleedony the fourth an Emerauld the fifth a Sardonyx the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth a â—eryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Iacinth the twelfth an Amethyst having twelve gates of twelve Pearls the street â—hereof of pure gold as it were transparant glass In the midst of which City 〈◊〉 a pure River of the water of life clear as Cristal and of either side the â—ree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits yielding her fruit every moneth the leaves whereof serve to heal the Nations Where is the Throne of God and of the Lamb whom we his servants shall for ever serve and see his face and have his Name written in our foreheads And there shall be no night neither is there need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Into which nothing that defileth shall enter but they alone which are written in the Lambs Book of life As is exprest Rev. 21 22 Chap. The Holy Ghost speaking after the manner of men and according to our slender capacity for otherwise no words can in any measure express the transcendency of that place of pleasure Onely here we have a taste or earnest penny one drop of those divine dainties of those spiritual supernatural and divine pleasures reserved for the Citizens of that heavenly Ierusalem some small smack whereof we have even in the barren desert of this perillous peregrination God letting out as it were a certain kind of Manna which in some sort refresheth his thirsty people in this wilderness as with most sweet honey or water distilled from out the Rock As what else are those â—ubilees of the heart those secret and inward joyes which proceed from â— good conscience grounded upon a confident hope of future salvation 〈…〉 do these great clusters of grapes signifie but the fertility of 〈…〉 Land of Promise Sect. 4. True it is none can know the spiritual joy and comfort of a Christian but he that lives the life of a Christian Joh. 7.17 As none could learn the Virgins Song but they that sang it Rev. 14 3. No man can know the peace of a good conscience but he that keeps a good conscience no man knows the hid Manna and white Stone with a new name written in it but they that receive the same Rev. 2.17 The world can see a Christians outside but the raptures of his soul the ravishing delights of the inward man and joy of his spirit for the remission of his sins and the infusion of grace with such like spiritual Priviledges more glorious than the States of Kingdoms are as a covered messe to men of the world But I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted the powers of the world to come To him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost in whose soul the light of grace shines whether his whole life be not a perpetual Hallelujah in comparison of his natural condition Whether he finds not his joy to be like the joy of harvest or as men rejoyce when they divide a spoil Isa. 9.3 Whether he finds not more joy in goodness than worldlings can do when their wheat wine and oyl aboundeth Psal. 4.7 53.17 Yea he can speak it out of experience that as in prophane joy even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull so in godly sorrow even in weeping the heart is light and cheerfull The face may be pale yet the heart may be calm and quiet So St. Paul as sorrowing and yet alwayes rejoyceing 2 Cor. 6.10 Our cheeks may run down with tears and yet oâ—â— mouthes sing forth praises And so on the contrary Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is onely in the face 2 Cor. 5.12 Well may a careless worldling laugh more as what will sooner make a man laugh than a witty jest but to hear of an Inheritance of an hundred pounds a year that is faln to a man will make him more solidly merâ—y within Light is sown to the righteous and joy for the upright Psal. 97 1â— My servant saith God shall sing and rejoyce but they shall weep c. Isa. 65.14 Indeed we are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough because sin is a cooler of our joy as water is of fire And like the worm of Ionah his gourd bites the very root of our joy and makes it wither Yea sin like a damp puts out all the lights of our pleasure and deprives us of the light of Gods countenance as it did David Psal. 51 1â— 4.6 So that the fault is either First in the too much sensuality of a Christian that will not forgo the pleasures of sin or the more muddy joys and pleasures of this world which are poysons to the soul and drown our joyes as Bees are drowned in honey but live in vinegar Men would have spiritual joy but withall they would not part with their carnal joy Yet this is an infallible Conclusion There is no enjoying a worldly Paradise here and another hereafter Or Secondly The fault is in the taste not in the meat in the folly of 〈…〉 To taste spiritâ—al joyes a man must be spiritual for the Spirit relisheth onely the things of the Spirit and like loveth his like Between a spiritual man and spiritual joyes there is as mighty an appetite and enjoying as
easily know by their language For Swearing and Cursing is the very language of the damned as you may see Revel 16.1 21. Onely they learn it 〈◊〉 before they come in Hell As whence do 〈…〉 Devils learn this their damnable Cursing and Swearing Are not their tongues fired and edged from Hell as St. Iames hath it Iames 3.6 And doth not experience shew that the language of hell is so familiar with many of them that blasphemy is become their mother tongue Trâ—e these poor simple souls know none of all this as those four hundred of Ahabs Prophets in whom this â—vil Spirit spake did not know that Satan spake by them 1 King 22.22 Neither did Iudas know when he eat the sop that Satan entered into him and put it into his heart to betray Christ Iohn 13.2 Nor do Magistrates when they cast the Servants of God into Prison once imagine that the Devil makes them his Iaylors but he doth so They are his Instruments but he is the Principal Authour as is plain by Rev. 2.10 Neither did Annanias and Sapphira once think that Satan had filled their hearts or put that lye into their mouthes for which they were strook dead Act. 5. yet the Holy Ghost tells us plainly that he did so vers 3. Nor Eve in Paradise had not the least suspition that it was Satan that spake to her by the Serpent Nor Adam that it was the Devils mind in her mouth his heart in her lips when tempted to eat the forbidden fruit Nor did David once dream that it was Satan who moved him to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 Much less did Peter who so loved Christ imagine that he was set on by Satan to tempt his own Lord and Master with those affectionate words Master pitty thy self For if Christ had pittied himself Peter and all the world had perished Yet it was so which occasioned Christ to answer him Get thee behind me Satan Matth. 16.22 23. Much more is it so with you who tare Heaven with your blasphemies and bandy the dreadfull Name of God in your impure and poluted mouthes by your bloody Oathes and Execrations For how else could you Swear and Curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Korah and his company He who smote Aegypt with so many plagues overthrew Phoraoh and his host in the Red Sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their Land for an Inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into Hell for your odious unthankfullness yea it is a mercy beyond expression that he hath spared you so long When a dog flyes in his Masters face that keeps him we conclude he is mad Are you then rational men that being never so little crost will fly in your Makers face and tare your Saviours-Name in pieces with Oathes and Execrations which is worse than frenzy No you are demoniacal obsessed or rather posessed with a Devil and more miserable than such an one because it is a Devil of your own choosing as Basil speaks Or if you have any spark of reason left oâ— do in the least love your selves leave off your damnable and devilish Sweating and 〈…〉 God hath made and set down in his Word against this horrid sinne and against all those that so daringly and audaciously provoke him lest you be plagued with a witness and that both here and hereafter for God who cannot lie hath threatened that his curse shall never depart from the house of the Swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your body by sâ—nding some foul Disease or in your estate by suddenly consuming it or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your mind by darkening it or in your heart by hardening it or in your conscience by terrifying it or will in your soul by everlastingly damning it if you repent not Wherefore take heed what you do before it prove too late Yea my Brethren bethink your selves what God and Christ hath done for you It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breathe the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloathes that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that chear us the bâ—asts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in Hell there to fry in flames never to be freed that we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in Heaven hereafter we are onely beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us Shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledg and conscience I wish that you would a little think of it Neither object that ye are so accustomed to Swearing that you cannot leave it for this defence is worse than the offence As take an instance Shall a thief or murtherer at the Bar alledge for his defence that it hath been his use and custome of a long time to rob and kill and therefore he must continue it Or if he do will not the Judge so much the rather send him to the Gallows And so much the rather for that of all other sins this sin of Swearing is the most inexcusable First Because it is a sin from which of all other sins we have most power of abstinence For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every Oath you swear as the Law enjoyns or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iam. 5.12 you both could and would leave it Secondly Because it is a sin to which of all other sins we have the fewest temptations for all thou canst expect by it is the suspicion of a common Lyar by being a common Swearer or that thou shalt vex otheâ—s and they shall hate thee for it bringeth not so much as any appearance of good unto us to induce us For whereas other sins have their several baits to allure us some the bait of profit some of honour some of pleasure this sin is destitute of them all and onely bringeth much loss here namely of Credit and a good Conscience and the loss of Gods Favour and the Kingdome of Heaven hereafter which 〈◊〉 of more value than ten thousand Worlds which shews that thou lo 〈…〉 lice to
heaven earth nor hell could have yeelded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then The eternall God would dye viz. so far as was possible or necessary that we might not dye eternally Iohn 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men o◠〈…〉 were his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan as now you doe not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto 3. § O my brethren bethink your selves It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breath the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloaths that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that cheer us the beasts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in hell there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in heaven hereafter we are only beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledge and conscience I wish you would a little think of it 4. § For favours bestowed and deliverances from danger bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings requires retribution of thanks or will bring distribution of judgments And certainly if a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient And in reason Hath God done so much for us and shall we denye him any thing he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our sins most of all this sottish and damnable sin in which there is neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor any thing else to provoke or intice us unto it as in other sins for all you can expect by it is the suspicion of common Lyers by being common Sweaâ—ers Or that you shall vex others and they shal hate you Whereas if we could give Christ our Bodyes and Souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them Yea swearing and cursing are sins from which of all other sins we have the most power to abstain For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every oath and curse you utter as the Law enjoins or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin â— damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iames 5.12 you both could and would leave it which alone makes it altogether inexcusable And this know that the easier the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injuncâ—ion the heavier the transgression as Austin speaks and Adams eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves So that it is evident you love this sin meerly because it is a great sin and blaspheme out of meer malice to and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgresse without a cause Psal. 25.3 And no marvell that this fearfull imprecation should fall from the Prophetâ— mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerly because 〈…〉 digious damnable wretch who rather then not die will anger God on set purpose Wherefore looke to it and think of it you cursing and cursed Swearers You swear away your salvation curse away your blessing Howling and Cursing shall be your chief ease in Hell to whom blasphemy was an especiall recreation on Earth 5. § Argue with all the world and they will conclude there is no vice like ingratitude And meer ingratitude returns nothing for good but you return evill yea the greatest and most malicious evill for the greatest and most admired love It was horrible ingratitude for the Iewes to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies inlightned their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably among them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sinke the only ship that could save them but you are more ingratefull to God and Christ then they were or can be exprest by the best Oratour alive For which read more in a Treatise intituled Gods goodnesse and Englands unthankfulnesse from Chapter 4. to Chapter 7. 6. § O that you would but consider that the Lord Iehovah who is a God great and terrible of most glorious majesty and infinite purity hears and beholds you in all places and in every thing you think speak or do who is a just Judge and will not let this cursed sin go unpunished then would you keep a narrower watch over your thoughts then any other can do over your actions yea you would assoon stab a dagger to your hearts as let such oaths and execrations drop from your mouths whereas now you swear and curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world râ—â—â—ed down fire and brimstone upon Sodome commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Corah and his companie he who smote Egypt with so many plagues overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their land for an inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into Hell for your odious unthankfulnesse yea it is a mercie beyond expression that he hath spared you so long Consider of it I beseech you lest you swear away your part in that bloud which must save you if ever you be saved yea take heed lest you be plagued with a witnesse and that both here and hereafter for God who cannot lie hath threatned that his curse shall never depart from the house of the Swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your bodie by sending some foul disease or in your estate by suddainly consuming iâ— or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your minde by darkning it or in your heart by hardning it or in your conscience by
succession shall reap them and we shall be happy in making them so so on the contrary wicked men leave their evill practises to posterity and though dead are still tempting unto sin and still they sin in that temptation they sin so long as they cause sin This was Ierobâ—ams case in making Israel to sin for let him be dead yet so long as any worshiped his Calves Ieroboam sinned Neither was his sin soon forgotten Nadab his son and Baasha his successour Zimri and Omri and Ahab and Ahaziah and Iehoram all these walked in the wayes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sin and not they alone but millions of the people with them So that it is easie for a mans sin to live when himself is dead and to lead that exemplary way to Hell which by the number of his followers shall continually aggravate his torments As O what infinite torments doth Mahomeâ— indure when every Tuâ—k that perisheth by his jugling does dayly adde to the pile of his unspeakable horrors And so each sinner according to his proportion and the number of souls which miscarry through the contagion of his evill example And look to it for the bloud of so many souls as thou hast seduced will be required at thy hands and thou must give an account for the sins perhaps of a thousand Thou doest not more increase other mens wickednesse on Earth then their wickednesse shall increase thy damnation in Hell Luk. 16. 9. § It were easie to goe on in aggravating thy sinne and wretchednesse and making it out of measure great and the souls that miscarry through the contagion of thy evill example numerous For is not the Gospell and the name of God blasphemed among the very Turks Iews and Infidels and an evill scandall raised upon the whole Church through thy superlative wickednesse and other thy fellows Yea does not this keep them off from embracing the Christian Religion and cause them to protest against 〈…〉 and all such wicked and prophane wretches are not like dirt in the house of God thrown out into the street by excommunication Or as eâ—â—ovements and bad humours in mans body which is never at case till it be thereof disburthened as Austin well notes That they are not marked with a black coal of infamy and their company avoided as by the Apostles order they ought Rom. 16.17 2 Thess. 3.6 14. Eph. 5 5 7. 1 Cor. 5.5 11. 1 Tim. 1.20 That they are not to us as Lepâ—rs were among the Iews or as men full of plague sores are amongst us We well know the good husband man weeds his field of â—urtfull plants that they may not spoil the good corn And when fire hath taken an house we use to pull it down lest it should fire also the neighbours houses Yea the good Chirurgion cuts off a rotten member betimes that the sound may not be endangered Nor will the Church of England ever flourish or be happy in her Reformation until such a course is taken MEMB. 4. Swearer Sir I unfainedly blesse God for what I have heard from you for formerly I had not the least thought that swearing by faith â—roth or any other creature was so grievous a sin â—s you have made it appear from the Word And I hope it shall be a sufficient warning to me for time to come 1. § Messenger If so you have cause to blesse God indeed For all of you have heard the self-same Word but one goes away beâ—tered others exasperated and inraged wherein Will only makes the difference And who makes the difference of Wills but God that made them He that creates the new heart leaves a stone in one bosome puts flesh into another 2. § Of hearers there are usually four sorts Mat. 13.19 to 24. as first an honest and good heart will not return from hearing the word unbettered Yea he will so note what is spoken to his own sin that it shall increase his knowledge and lessen his vices As who by looking in a Glasse shall spy spotâ— in his face and will not forthwith wipe them out A wise man will not have one sin twice repeated unto him And these may be resembled to wax which yeeldeth sonner to the seal then steel to the stamp But 3. § Secondly others are like Tullies strange soil much rain leaveâ— them still as dry as dust Or the Wolfe in the emblem which though she suckt the Goat kept notwithstanding her wolvish nature still For speak what can be spoken to them it presently passes away like the sound of a Bell that is rung Let testimonies and examples nâ—ver so much concern them they prove no other then as so many characters writ in the water which leave no impression 〈◊〉 hinde them Who may be resembled to an Hour-glasse or Conduâ—t that which in one hour runneth in the same in another hour runneth out again Or the Smiths Iron put it into the fire it is much sofined again put it into the water 't is harder then before Yea let them never so much smart for their sins they will return to them again untill they perish Resembling some silly flye which being beat from the candle an hundred times and oft singed therein yet will return to it again untill she be consumed Prov. 23.35 All those Beasts which went into the Arke 〈◊〉 came likewise ou◠〈◊〉 4. § Thirdly another sort will very orderly hear the Word and delight in it so long as the Minister shall rove in generalities preach little or nothing to the purpose But if once he touch them to the quick drive an application home to their consciences touching some one sin of theirs as John Baptist served Herod then they will turn their backs upon him and hear him no farther as those Jews served our Saviour Ioh. 6.66 The Athenians Paul Acts 17.16 to 34. and Ahab Micaiah 1 King 22.8 5. § Sore eyes you know are much grieved to look upon the Sun Bankrupts cannot abide the â—ight of their counting books nor doe deformed faces love to looke themselves in a true Glasse For which read John 3.19 20 2â— But let such men know that to flye from the light and reject the means puts them out of all hope That sin is past cure which turns from and refuseth the cure Deut. 17.12 Prov. 29.1 As what is light to them that will shut their eyes against it or reason to them that will stop their Ears from hearing it If those murtherers of the Lord of life Act. 2.23 had refused to hear Peters searching Sermon in all probability they had never been prickt in their hearts never been saved ver 37 38. And take this for a rule if ever you see a drowning man refuse help conclude him a wilfull murtherer 6. § Fourthly and lastly for I passe by those blocks that goe to Church as dogs do only for company and can hear a powerfull Minister for twenty or thirty years together and minde no more what they hear then the seats they
in ill designes and ungracions courses to go on in sin uncontrouled for he that useth to do evil and speeds well seldome rests until he come to that evil from which there is no redemption Besides Forbearance is no acquittance the wickedness of the Old World is as abundant in the New World yet is not the World drowned with water But why because God hath ordained for it a deluge of fire The sins of Sodome are practised every where in our City and Kingdome yet do the committters escape fire and brimstone on earth because they are reserved to fire and brimstone in Hell Do not many persecute the Church as violently as Pharaoh with Chariots and Armies who yet escape drowning there is a reservation of a deeper and bottomless Sea for them divers murmur at the passages of Gods providence in these times of retribution and Reformation who are not stung with fiery Serpents as the Israelites because they are reserved to a fiery serpent in Hell Many yea the most that can come by them take Bribes like Gehazi without a Leprosie because of that eternal Leprosie which waits for them How many a deceitful Executor and Trustee sayes and swears with a little inversion of Ananias his lie I received but so much I disbursed so much yet are not stricken with death temporal because they are reserved to death eternal Have not many Monopolists with us done as bad as those Philippians Act. 16.16.19 who compounded with the Devil for a Pattent to bring them in gain and yet grow rich and prosper and leave a great deal of substance to their heires whose gain will be found losse when Satan shall seize upon their bodies and soules and hurry them to Hell And so of other Sinners for the like is appliable to the whole Nation except some few despised ones and he is a rare man that does not either mis-believe or grosly mislive that is not a worshipper of one of these three the lust of the flesh voluptuousness the lust of the eyes covetousness or the pride of life ambition which is all the Trinity the world worships But of all the rest let all envious Cains scoffing Ishmaels reviling Goliahs bloody-minded Hamans and Doegs cursing Shimeis railing Rabshake's flouting Tobiahs and Sanballats cruel Herods all the like God-â—aters that carry an aking tooth against every good man they know and will even hate one for his being holy though poor ignorant souls they know it not look for a whole volume of plagues in the next life though they escape in this if they repent not For it hell-fire shall be their portion that obey not the Gospel how can they look to escape that oppose it Or if at the great day men shall be bid Depart into everlasting torments for not feeding clothing visiting what shall become of those that maliciously scoffe at Religion and persecute Christ in his members which is the depth of sin For he that despiseth traduceth or any way wrongs one that believes in Christ especially one of his Ambassadors of the Ministery strikes at the Image of God in him by whose Spirit he both speakâ— and acts And God takes it as if it were done to himself for proof of both seâ— Psal. 44.22 74.4 10 18 22 23. 83.2 5 6. 89.50 51. 139.20 Prov. 19. â— Rom. 1.30 9.20 Matth. 10.22 25.45 â— Sam. 17.45 Isai. 37.4 22 23 28. 54.17 Acts 5.39 9.4 5. Iob 9.4 1 Thes. 4.8 Iohn 15.20 to 26. Numb 16.11 1 Sam. 8.7 Mark 9.42 Ier. 17.18 Psal. 79.12 2 Kings 2.24 O that my old acquaintance the Formal Hypocrite and my feigned friend the Civil Iusticiary and my well-meaning neighbour the Loose Libertine with millions more would but seriously consider these Scriptures and he warned by them before the Draw-bridge be taken up For if the bountifulness and long-suffering of God do not lead us to repentance it will increase our condemnation Besides God owes that man a grievous payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together CHAP. IV. § 1. BUt admit mens unbelief impenitency and prophanenesse in such glorious times of light and means of grace as ours is were not enough to provoke God to inflict this heavy grievous judgement upon them how well do they deserve this and much more for their horrible and abominable ingratitude to so good a God so gracious a Saviour and Redeemer that hath done and suffered or would do more for them then can either be expressed or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea As mark well what I the meanest of a million shall but paint or draw ouâ— as it were with a cole of his unspeakable goodnesse to sinners I will according to my slender ability but give you a drop to taste out of that ocean Touching what God and Christ hath done for us In the first place he gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledg of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse but this was nothing in comparison for when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this our selves when by sin we had turned that image of God into the image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not onely without asking but even against our wills so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal. 4.7 Here was a fathomless depth a wonder beyond all wonders § 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither heaven earth nor hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodness did not onely finde out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Son his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 The very thought of which death before he came to it together with the weight and burthen of our sins put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to
sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore ô wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse then lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesâ—â— Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally ô the deepness of Gods love ô the unmeasurable measure of his bounty ô Son of God who can sufficiently express thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us § 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world then to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six dayes to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the World he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderful things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater then the making of the whole World In every new creature are a number of miracles a blinde man is restored to fight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with § 4. But the better to illustrate this love consider that salvation stands in two things First in freedome and deliverance of us from Hell Secondly in the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the Law merits the second The parts of our Iustification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse And to this would be added first Conversion which comprehends both Faith and Repentance Secondly Sanctification the Parts whereof are Mortification that is dying unto sin and Vivification which is living unto righteousnesse Thirdly Glorification begun and perfected which is freedome from all evil here and the perfection of all good and happiness in heaven § 5. What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and 〈◊〉 great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we finde our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breath in Fire to warm us Water to cool and cleanse us Clothes to cover us Food to nourish us Fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whithersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence We are bound to praise him above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoyes so much light or so many blessings as we above any creature c. God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castaways for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse for whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blinde deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For if the whole Heaven were turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace mercie given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was faâ—â— asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwayes raised us Now if we are so bound to blesse God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits what praise do we owe for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be which shall be the next thing treated of Now what should we render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies for favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binde to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of thanks or wil bring distribution of plagues Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives For in reason hath he contrived so many wayes to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him hath he done so much for us and shall we denie him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowâ—ls if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again
fire of Hell or that our names are writ in Heaven it is enough to make us both patient and thankful though the trifles we delight in be taken from us But most men are so far from this that if God does not answer their desires in every thing they will take pleasure in nothing they will flight all his present mercies and former favours because in one thing he crosses them Liâ—â— Ahab they are more displeased for one thing they want or rather fain and pretend they want or at least have no right unto than they are thankfull for a thousand things they enjoy though the least mercy they injoy is beyond their best merit They are ready to receive all while they return nothing but sin and disobedience wherein they more than abound for they have done more against God in one week than they have done for him ever since they were born Yea such sotts they are that if another displease them they will be revenged on themselves grow melancholy and discontent like foolish Children who will forbear their meat and gâ—â—w sick of the sullens if never so little crost Yea though men have all â—heir hearts can wiâ—h and might if they would and had but the wiâ— and grace be as happy as any men alive yet some small trifle shall make them weary of themselves and every thing else as it fared with foolish â—â—man Esther 5.13 More particularly if their purses grow light their â—earts grow heavy yea as if men did delight to vex themselves how many are there that of happy make themselves miserable or more miâ—serable than they need by looking upon miseries in multiplying glasses the opinion onely of being poor or fear that they may be so when they are old makes them never injoy a merry day when they neither want nor are like to doe and every man is so miserable as he thinks himself The raft of goods or evils does greatly depend on the opinion we have of them SECT 2. Thus millions are miserable melancholy discontent by their own concelt when thousands would think themselves happy had they but a piece of their happiness Which discontent or melancholy occasions more murmuring amongsts us than ever there was among those Israelitos in the wilderness an unthankfulness able to make or keep them poor and miserable and that everlastingly Indeed because judgement is not executed speedily Eccles. 8.11 they think it no sin at all such is their ignorance Otherwise they might know that as the Israelites was so their murmuring is against even the holy One of Israel as Isaiah affirmed of Sensâ—â—â—erib 2 King 19.22 And David of Goliah 1 â—am 17.36 45. The Lord sâ—yes Moses to the people when they grumbled for want of bread and also to Daâ—hau and Abiram heareth your murmuring against him and what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 Numb 16.15 21. Onely this is the difference multitudes of them were destroyed suddenly even fourteen thousand and seven hundred at a clap yea they had all been consumed in a moment for their murmuring had not Moses stood up in the gap and interceded for them Numb 16.41 to 50. and 32.10 to 14. and 26.64 65 and 11.12 33. and 14.12 22 23. and 21.5 6. Whereas millions among us do the like and are not stung with fiery Serpents as they were because they are reserved without repentance to a fiery Serpent in Hell Nor stricken with death temporall because reserved to death â—ternal But God is the same God still and as just now as ever though now under the Gospel instead of corporall judgements he inflicts many times spirituall as blindness of mind hardness of heart and finall impenitency the fore-runner of eternal destruction of body and soul in that burning lake Revel 19.20 For why is their ruine recorded but for our learning and warning â— Cor. 10 11. Neither is forbearance any acquittance yea to be let go on in a continual repeating of so great a sin under such meanes of light and grace uncontrouled is the greatest unhappiness the heaviest â—urle because such seldom rest untill they come to that evill from which there is no redemption God owes that man a greivous payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together O that men 〈◊〉 but seriously consider this before it proves too late â— and before the draw-bridge be taken up for favours bestowed and deliverances from dangers bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of obedience or will bring distribution of judgements Yea argue with all the world and they will conclude that there is no vice 〈◊〉 ingratitude and meer ingratitude returnes nothing for good but these return evill for good yea the greatest evill for the greatest good being more ingrateful to God and Christ than can be exprest by the best Oratour alive Our Redeemer hath done and suffered more or would do did we not so daily provoke him for which read Gods goodness and Englands unthankfulness more for us than either can be exprest or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea Yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination And were the whole Heaven turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us As consider if we are so bound to bless God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits as food rayâ—â—nt friends fire air water health wealth life limbs liberty senses and a thousand the like what praise do we owe him for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivers us as for the great and many mercies he hath bestowed upon us Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives Besides which would also be thought upon what should we have if we did truly love and serve Christ who hath done all this for his enemies neglecting and dishounouring him SECT 3. Now can any one in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerable thankful demeanour yet as if all that Christ hath done for us were nothing to move us we are so far from being thankful that our whole life language and religion is nought else but one continued act of muttering and murmuring this is the case and it is the case of almost who not And is this a small matter Is it Gods unspeakable mercy that we are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed and do we complain for want of a
hearken to this all you self-lovers that are only for your own ends Do you indeed love your selves and your souls would you be rich indeed and that both here and hereafter then be charitable to the poor even to the utmost of your ability for this giving is not only an act of charity but also of Christian policie since we shall not only receive our own again but the same also with great increase for as it fared with the widow of Sarepta whose handfull of meal and cruse of oil with which she relieved the Prophet the more she spent the more it increased and the more she had so shall this precious oil bestowed on the poor for Christs sake be returned upon our heads ' in great measure as some that I could name can say out of admirable experience and others should finde would they but so far forth believe the Lord as to try him Which makes Saint Augustine say That the charitable man is the greatest â—surer in the world I know this is such a paradox to misers and men of the world that nothing seems to them more absurd and ridiculous what perswade them that giving away their goods is the way to increase them You must make me a fool will such an one say before I can believe it and therein he speaks truer then he is aware of for these are the very words of St. Paul He that will be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 The wisdom of God is foolishness with the world and so is the wisdom of the world foolishness with God 1 Cor. 2.14 3.19 To carnal reason it is as unlikely a thing as that which Elisha told to the King of Israel 2 Kings 7. that whereas the Famine was so great in Samaria one day that mothers act their own children yet the next day there should be such plenty that a measure of fine flower should be sold for a sheckle and two measures of barley for a sheckle As improbable as that Abraham should have a son being almost an hundred years old and Sarah past child-bearing As impossible as that Lazarus should again live after he was stark dead buried and stanke again Yet as unlikely improbable and impossible as they seemed to be yet they came to pass and God did not break his promise nor disappoint the hopes of such as had the wit and grace to confide in him no more will he in this case which is by fat the easier to be performed And what though carnall mindes like that Noble-man who was trodden to death in the gate of Samaria for his incredulity will not believe yet truth is truth as well when it is not acknowledged as when it is And I wish men would take heed of unbelief and giving God the lie for as there is nothing he so abhors as that his own houshold servants should not dare to trust him as we may see in that example of the Noble man 2 Kings 7.17 2. likewise in those Israelites Psal. 78. when they said Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness He smote the Rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed but can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his people Yes he could and did it to their small comfort that made the exception For because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them He gave them flesh even quailes in his wrath until they were choaked Psal. 78.10 to 38. and Numb 11.33 34. But admit God should not answer thy greedy desire in multiplying thy estate yet if he do that which is better for thee viz. give thee a competency together with a more contented minde then now thou hast or ever wouldst have wert thou as rich as Crassus would it be ever the worse or hadst thou any cause to complain no but greatly to rejoyce as I have shewn in the foregoing part Wherefore trust God with Abraham who above hope believed under hope Rom. 4.18 to 22. For Faith is to God as Bathsheba was to Solomon so in favour that the King will deny her nothing that good is This is the second means which God hath appointed for the improvement of our outward estates for the second step to riches and as outward prosperity viz. bounty and liberality to the poor CHAP. XXXI THe third and fourth are thankfulness and humility which are no way inferiour to the former Thankfulness and humility are the only means to enrich us with Gods blessings but pride and unthankfulness is the only way to make God withdraw and take from us both himself and his blessings Because the King of Assyria said By the power if mine arme have I done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent therefore saith the Lord I have removed the borders of the people and have spoiled their treasures and have pulled down the Inhabitants like a valiant man Isay 10.13 Aesops Crow not content with her own likenesse borrowed a feather of every bird and she became so proud that she scorned them all which the birds observing they came and pluckt each one their feather back and so left her naked even so does God deal with all proud and ingrateful persons There is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have then humility and thankfulness Yea to the humble and thankful soul nothing shall be wanting God will sowe there and there only plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sowe those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to lose both their seed and labour Yeâ— fools as we are we forfeit many of Gods favours for not paying that easie quit-rent of thankfulness Ingratitude forfeits mercies as Merchants do all to the King by not paying of custome Because Pharaoh saith The River is mine own therefore God saith I will dry up the River Ezek. 29.3 to 13. Isaiah 19.5 6. Deut 11.9 10. Tamberlain having overcome Bajazet he asked him whether he had ever given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour he confest ingenuously he had never thought of it to whom Tamberlain replyed that it was no marvel so ingrateful a man should be made such a spectacle of misery When the people sought themselves only and how to have their houses ceiled and sumptuous neglecting the house of God and his honour thus it fared with them Ye have sowen much and have reaped little and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes Ye looked for much and lo it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it I called for a drought upon the land and upon all that it bringeth forth and upon all the labour of the
advanced to a vast estate and as one vexed with an evil spirit or troubled with a tormenting conscience to such a blessed peace as the world can neither give nor take away John 14.27 As thus Would you quiet your clamorous conscience that will not be friends with you unlesse you be friends with God The ayer is not so cleer when the clowde is dissolved by rain as the mind is when the clowdes of our iniquities are dissolved by the rain or tears of true repentance These waters are the red sea wherein the whole Arm of our sinnes is drowned As O the calm spirit of a godly man his very dreams are divine When Ptolomy King of Aegypt had posed the Seaventy Interpreters in order and asked the nineteenth man what would make one sleep quietly in the night he told him the best way was to have divine and celestial Meditations and to use honest actions and recreations in the day time The godly man enjoyes Heaven upon earth peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 1.6 Nor is joy lesse when it is least expressed as it fares with grief but as the windowes of the Temple were narrow without but broad within so is the joy of our hearts greater than it does outwardly appear to the world Again It is as false a slander as common that when once a man imbraceth Religion farewell all joy and delight For virtue hath neither so crabbed a face nor so stern a look as men make her Pleasure is not gone when sinne is gone It is not Isaac that is sacrificed that is our laughter and mirth but the Ramme that is the bruitishnesse of it The soul of joy lies in the souls joy What saies holy David Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyfull all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 32.11 It was not the Eunuchs riches nor honours but his faith which set him on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 In this rejoyce not saith our Saviour that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Yea there is even joy in grief where the sorrow is for sinne Besides how can men partake of that fountain of joy and rejoyce not He is no good Christian that is not taken with the glory he shall have and rejoyce that his name is written in the Book of life The worldly man hath joy in prosperity the Child of God in adversity The believing Hebrews suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Yea let the worst that can come they are still merry and joyfull as hath been observed in sundry of the Martyrs who clapt their hands for joy even in the midst of the flames And reason good when all things shall work to their good that are good and when the very draught and abridgment of Heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth Then live religiously and thou shalt both live and die comfortably For live in grace and die in peace is a rule that never fails Only this hinders our joy our love to spiritual things is too defective of worldly things too excessive Earthly goods are earnestly and eagerly sought after Heavenly not once thought upon Much travell taken for the body little or no care used for the soul. It would be otherwise if with Paul at his conversion they had those scales taken away from their eyes by some godly Ananias some faithfull Minister of the Gospel which during their natural condition covers their eyes from seeing things spiritual It is a sad thing to see what fools men are that walk according to the flesh and how they are gulled by the God of this world and their own deceitfull hearts The covetous man is like a mad man that loves and is unmeasurably delighted with the sight and gingling of those chains wherewith he is fettered and tormented He hugs them I mean his money and adores them and even makes them his god that occasion him all his grief But had he once tasted how good and bountifull the Lord is to those that set their delight on him 1 Pet. 2.3 If he did grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 If the Lord would once incline his heart unto his testimonies and not to covetousnesse Psal. 119.36 he should soon know and find that things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shaddows only That wicked men injoy whatsoever they have viz. wealth honour wisdome pleasure c. but as it were in a dream They dream they are rich wise happy and the like as a begger may dream he is a King Or one that is ready to starve that he is richly furnished with all manner of meats and drinkes but when once he is awake he findes himself grossely mistaken All worldly happinesse hath its being only by opinion whence St Luke calls all Agrippa's pomp but a fancy Act. 25.23 a meer conceit or supposition The sweetnesse of sinne is but as the sweetnesse of poyson sweet only in the mouth in the belly bitter and deadly Stolen bread is sweet sweet in the obtaining bitter in the account and reckoning Yea this last dish will spoyl all the feast and make it but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure Whereas whatsoever the godly feel is but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory CHAP. XI The way of Wisdome and Holinnsse is the way of Pleasure Prov. 3.17 As O that all covetous miserly muckworms did but know what pleasure is in the peace of conscience which passeth all understanding and the joy of the Holy Ghost what a sollace it is to be the Sonne of God an Inhabitant of Heaven to live by faith amp c. Then would they think it more worth than all the worlds wealth honour and pleasure multiplyed as many times as there be stars in the firmament that any thing that every thing were too small a price for it Then would they change these broken wormeaten and poysonfull pleasures of sinne for the pleasures of Gods House of Gods Spirit and those other pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 God made the world of â—aught because men should set it at naught as did the Apostle the better to prevail with others who after he had been wrapt up into the third Heaven reckoned of all earthly things riches honours pleasures but as drosse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified And what saith holy David a man of a most brave and divine Spirit I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches They are more to be desired than gold yea than fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal. 19.10 And again How sweet are thy words unto my mouth
three and thirty years In the Creation of the world he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderfull things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater than the making of the whole world In every new creature are a number of Miracles a blinde man is restored to sight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we find our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breathe in fire to warm us water to cool and cleanse us cloathes to cover us food to nourish us fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all 〈…〉 we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castawayes for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse For whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blind deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace and mercy given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 145.15 16. 75.6 7 Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was fast asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwaies raised us CHAP. XV. But the better to illustrate and set out this Love it will be good to branch it out into some more Particulars As First Call to mind all these external inferiour earthly and temporal benefits as that your being breathing life motion reason is from God That he hath given you a more noble nature than the rest of the creatures excellent faculties of mind perfection of senses soundnesse of body competency of estate seemlyness of condition fitnesse of calling preservation from dangers rescue out of miseries kindnesse of friends carefulnesse of education honesty of reputation liberty of recreations quietnesse of life opportunity of well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to his Spiritual favours though here on earth and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts Blesse God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your profession of the truth for the honour of your vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benefit of their prayers the aid of their counsels foot-steps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Peace Ioy conscionablenesse for any desire of more Then let your soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from Shame Death and Hell of the Intercession of her Saviour of the Preparation of her Place And there let her stay a while upon the meditation of her future Ioyes This or the like do and it will teach you where to beg blessings when you want them and whom to thank when you have them For as the Sea is that great Cistern to recieve the confluence of all waters as first from that large and vast pond water is derived into all parts of the earth by veines and springs those springs run into rivers and those rivers empty themselves again into the Sea so all blessings come from God and all praises must be returned to him If we have any thing that is good God is the giver of it If we do any thing well he is the Authour of it God is Alpha the fountain from which all grace springs and Omega the sea to which all glory runnes All blessings come from him like so many lines from the center to the circumference therefore we must return all praises to him like so many lines from the circumference to the center Rom. 11.36 1 Cor. 10.31 His wisdom he communicates and his justice he distributes and his holinesse he imparts and his mercy he bestowes c. 1 Cor. 1.30 31. but his glory he will not give to another Isai. 42.8 But this is not all yea what can we think of that can be thought sufficient to render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies For in reason hath he contrived so many waies to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lamb cannot soften them stony bowels if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again Now the meditation of what God and Christ hath done for thee will wonderfully inflame thee with the love of God and thy Redeemer and withall make thee abhor thy self for thy former unthankfulnesse It will make thee break out into some such