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<DATE>2012-05-09</DATE>
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<NAME>Geremy Carnes</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A96335">
<STC T="W">W1743B</STC>
<STC T="C">R42718</STC>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN ESSAY To Promote VIRTUE <HI>By Example,</HI> IN A COLLECTION OF Excellent Sayings (Divine and Moral) OF <HI>Devout</HI> &amp; <HI>Learned Men,</HI> In all Ages, from the Apo&s;tles Time, to this pre&s;ent Year, 1689.</P>
<P>By <HI>William Whitcombe,</HI> Gent.</P>
<P><HI>Licen&s;ed,</HI> March 2d. 1688/9.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for the <HI>Author:</HI> And are to be Sold by <HI>Edw. Evets,</HI> at the <HI>Green Dra|gon,</HI> in St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s <HI>Church-yard,</HI> 1689.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="collector to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.</HEAD>
<P><HI>I</HI> Here pre&s;ent to thy Peru&s;al and Con&s;ide|ration the&s;e Serious Sayings, following; Spoken and Delivered not Ra&s;hly, but upon the Ex|perience of whole Lives; and
<PB REF="3">that too in tho&s;e mo&s;t &s;eri|ou&s;ly Reflecting Moments, the Clo&s;e of Life, and Ap|proach of Eternity. And moreover, not by any one Party, or Per&s;wa&s;ion, or of any one Age; but of all Men, of all Per&s;wa&s;ions, of all Ages: Spoken too, when they were &s;o di&s;intere&s;ted and di&s;obliged from the World, as neither to be deluded or abu|&s;ed thereby; nor by any the mo&s;t tempting Baits of Ho|nour or Wordly Profit what|ever.</P>
<PB REF="3">
<P>With this Authentick &s;tamp upon them, they are offered to thy Reading, and retired Thoughts; and for this Great End, That the&s;e Memoirs, and Reliques of the Learned and Pious in all Ages, together with what other Examples of the like Kind thy farther Conver&s;a|tion with Good Books, or Good Men may afford thee; may, in &s;ome Mea&s;ure, excite thee, by a Zealous Imitation of their Lives, to endeavour to arrive to the Comfort and
<PB REF="4">Peace of their Deaths; and that Eternal Glory that Crowns them. And con&s;i|dering how certainly, and very &s;hortly we mu&s;t Die, as they did, thou may'&s;t there|fore Labour to Die as happy too. The De&s;ign of the&s;e Collections, of &s;o many War|ning-pieces from departed Saints, being no other, than making the Dead an In&s;tru|ment towards the Salvation of the Living.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>W. W.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>Excellent Sayings OF DEVOUT AND Learned-Men, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Alphabetically Dige&s;ted.</HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Abby-Lands.</HEAD>
<P>THE <HI>Pope,</HI> by a <HI>Bull,</HI> would confirm <HI>Abby-Lands;</HI> but who (&s;aid <HI>Burleigh</HI>) can confirm the <HI>Pope's Bull?</HI></P>
<P>In the Secret Judgment of <HI>God,</HI> it is to be Admired and Adored, in that tho&s;e <HI>Hou&s;es</HI> and <HI>Abbies,</HI> that were &s;o full of all Abominations, (as appeared to the <HI>Kings Commi&s;&s;ioners,</HI> upon Ex|amination, and remains upon Record) &s;o Horrible to be heard, &s;o Incredible
<PB N="2" REF="5">to be believed, that it is a Wonder <HI>God</HI> would &s;uffer them unpluck'd up: So that we may &s;ay with <HI>Mat. Paris, Cujus foetor u&s;que ad Nubes fumum toter|rimum exhalabat, i. e.</HI> Who&s;e filthy Stink did Breath a mo&s;t Pe&s;tiferous Fume, even to the Clouds of Heaven; and, with <HI>Sodom</HI>'s Sins, cryed aloud for Vengeance, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Accu&s;ation.</HEAD>
<P>IF <HI>God</HI>'s People be <HI>Accu&s;ed fal&s;ly, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI></HI> will <HI>Iu&s;tifie</HI> them: If they have Sinned, and truly Believe, Re|pent and Amend, He will Pardon them, thro' His Meritorious Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and Sacrifice; and will make them, and pronounce them, Ju&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Adver&s;ity.</HEAD>
<P><HI>PRo&s;perity</HI> is not without many <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ears and Di&s;ta&s;tes, and <HI>Adver|&s;ity</HI> not without many Comforts.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="5">
<P>The Vertue of <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> is <HI>Tem|perance,</HI> the Vertue of <HI>Adver&s;ity</HI> is <HI>Fortitude: Pro&s;perity</HI> doth be&s;t di&s;co|ver <HI>Vice;</HI> but <HI>Adver&s;ity</HI> doth be&s;t di&s;|cover <HI>Vertue: Pro&s;perity</HI> is the Ble&s;&s;ing of the <HI>Old Te&s;tament, Adver&s;ity</HI> of the <HI>New,</HI> and the clear Manife&s;tation of the favour of <HI>God.</HI> The good things of <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> are to be Wi&s;hed; the good things of <HI>Adver&s;ity</HI> to be Ad|mired.</P>
<P>My Lord <HI>Cook</HI> would &s;ay, <HI>That no Wi&s;e Man would do that in Pro&s;perity, whereof he would Repent in Adver&s;ity.</HI> His <HI>Motto</HI> was, <HI>Prudens qui Patiens.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Advi&s;es.</HEAD>
<P><HI>EDward</HI> Earl of <HI>Rutland</HI> left the&s;e <HI>Four Advi&s;es</HI> behind Him, <HI>viz. Fir&s;t,</HI> Be always Imploy'd: <HI>Secondly,</HI> Look to the I&s;&s;ue: <HI>Thirdly,</HI> Be Fur|ni&s;hed with a Friend: <HI>Fourthly,</HI> Reflect on thy Self, <HI>Vita e&s;t in Reflectione.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="4" REF="6">
<HEAD>Affections.</HEAD>
<P>OB&s;erve this Rule, That we never give this <HI>Affection of Love</HI> leave to run out alone, without <HI>Judg|ment</HI> and <HI>Con&s;ideration</HI> going before it, and along with it: That we &s;uffer not our <HI>Pa&s;&s;ions,</HI> which are, <HI>Love, Ha|tred, Anger, Joy, Grief, Fear,</HI> or <HI>Hope,</HI> to deal out their own Mea&s;ures, but our <HI>Judgment</HI> and <HI>Deliberation:</HI> That we always keep this <HI>Affection of Love,</HI> e&s;pecially under Di&s;cipline and Go|vernment, and &s;uffer it not to run a|way from us, as an unruly Bea&s;t with|out a Chain; for it is certain, the due Government of this <HI>Affection</HI> governs all the re&s;t. <HI>Vae Soli.</HI> If any <HI>Affection</HI> come alone, I will ask him for his Fel|low: If Love to <HI>God</HI> or <HI>Good</HI> come a|lone, I will ask him, Where is Hatred for Sin? If <HI>Grief,</HI> or outward <HI>Cro&s;&s;es,</HI> come alone, I will ask him, Where is thy Fellow? that is, <HI>Joy in the Lord,</HI> and in <HI>Spiritual Mercies.</HI> If <HI>Fear of
<PB N="5" REF="6">Evil</HI> come alone, I will ask, Where is thy Fellow? that is, <HI>Hope in the Lord,</HI> in his Promi&s;es, and in his Providences.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Afflictions.</HEAD>
<P><HI>NIciphorus</HI> &s;aith, <HI>God</HI> &s;o moderates our Actions, u&s;ing the Scourge of <HI>Affliction</HI> for our Ca&s;tigation and Conver&s;ion; and, after due Correction, &s;hews his Fatherly Affection to tho&s;e that Tru&s;t in him for Salvation. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> asked <HI>Peter</HI> Three times, whether he Loved him, not for his own Informa|tion, but that for his Threefold Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, he may help and heal his Threefold Negation.</P>
<P>Among the many Preparations for <HI>Afflictions,</HI> patiently take this one, which includes the re&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> Labour to get thy Peace made with <HI>GOD,</HI> through <HI>Je&s;us CHRIST</HI> our Lord: When this is once done and attain|ed, thou art above the Love of the
<PB N="6" REF="7">World, and fear of Affliction, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t an A&s;&s;urance of a greater than this World can give, or take a|way; a Kingdom, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.2, 9. an Hope, an Expectation, that is above the reach and Region of Affliction; and renders the greate&s;t and &s;ore&s;t Afflictions as they are; namely, Light and Momentany: And yet, notwith|&s;tanding, becau&s;e thou art in this glo|rious Expectation, yet but in this low|er Region, and &s;o &s;ubject to Pa&s;&s;ions, Perturbations, and Fears. The Mer|ciful <HI>God</HI> hath engaged his Promi&s;e to &s;upport thee under them, to Better and Improve thee by them, and carry thee thro' them by his All-&s;ufficient Grace and Mercy, 119. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 74. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.13. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.17.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians, under your greate&s;t Af|flictions lies your greate&s;t Trea&s;ure: Afflictions are Good, but not Plea&s;ant; Sin is Plea&s;ant, but not Good; there's more Evil in a Drop of Corruption, than in a Sea of Afflictions: <HI>God</HI> &s;epe|rates
<PB N="7" REF="7">the Sin he Hates &s;o deadly, from the Soul He Loves &s;o dearly. By the greate&s;t Afflictions, <HI>God</HI> Teacheth us the &s;weete&s;t In&s;truction.</P>
<P>A Believer, when he lies under the Hand that doth <HI>Afflict</HI> him, he lies in the Heart that doth <HI>Affect</HI> him. Be|lievers are Crucified by the World, that they may not be Crucified in the World. The Fle&s;h is an Enemy to Sufferings, becau&s;e Sufferings is an Enemy to the Fle&s;h: It may make a Man an Earthly Courtier, but it will never make a Man an Heavenly Mar|tyr. They that carry not the Yoke of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> on their Neck, will never carry the Cro&s;s of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> on their Backs: but the Believer Studies more how to A|dorn the Cro&s;s, than how to avoid the Cro&s;s: None &s;o Couragious as tho&s;e that are Religious. A Believer never falls a&s;leep for Je&s;us, till he falls a&s;leep in Je&s;us. Some Glory in that which is their Shame, and &s;hall we be a&s;ha|med of that which is our Glory. It's
<PB N="8" REF="8">an Honor to be Di&s;honored for <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Tell me, Believer, Is not <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Cro&s;s better than the Worlds Crown. Fiery Tryals make Golden Chri&s;tians; Sin hath brought many a Believer into Sufferings, and Suffer|ings hath kept many a Believer out of Sin, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 39.9.119.71.61.67. we always expecting &s;ome trou|ble or other to interrupt our outward Peace and Re&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Non prode&s;t Medicamentum dum ferrum in vu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nere,</HI> Until Sin, which is the Cau&s;e, be removed, the Effect, which is Trouble, Afflictions, will not cea&s;e.</P>
<P>The <HI>Neopolitans</HI> are wont to &s;ay, <HI>They had nothing to trouble them, but than they are troubled at nothing.</HI></P>
<P>The vigorous perpetuating of the remembrance of our Afflictions and Deliverances, will be an effectual means to perpetuate the due Fruit of them in their Life, Vigor, and Inten|tion.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="8">
<P>A Worthy Divine, lying on his Death-Bed, being asked whether his Pains were great, he an&s;wered, <HI>That he did not e&s;teem that a Pain which would be to him the end of all Troubles, and the beginning of Eternal Joys.</HI></P>
<P>Saint <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Not to be without, but to Overcome Afflictions, is Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Saunders,</HI> the Martyr, being in Pri|&s;on, Writ to his Wife, <HI>That Riches have I none to endow thee with, but that Trea|&s;ure of ta&s;ting how &s;weet</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>is to hun|gry Con&s;ciences (whereof I do feel part) that I Bequeath to Thee, and the re&s;t of my Beloved of</HI> Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Fini rerum Caput,</HI> as one Wittily &s;aid, <HI>Begin therefore at the End, judge nothing, but hope well, till thou &s;ee&s;t the Conclu&s;ion.</HI></P>
<P>One was wont to &s;ay, <HI>He was not always Merry that Laughed.</HI></P>
<P>Afflictions undo many Plea&s;ures more.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="10" REF="9">
<HEAD>Alms.</HEAD>
<P>SAint <HI>Cyprian</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let not that Sleep in thy Trea&s;ury that may be profi|table to the Poor.</HI></P>
<P>He &s;aith likewi&s;e, <HI>That which we mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily part withal, it's Wi&s;dom for us to di&s;tribute, &s;o that</HI> God <HI>may ever|la&s;tingly Reward us.</HI> And al&s;o, <HI>He that gives an Alms to the Poor, offers a &s;weet &s;melling Sacrifice to God.</HI> Vide <HI>Charity.</HI></P>
<P>Works of <HI>Charity</HI> do good, both to him that Relieveth, and him that is Relieved; but he that doth Good, gets more Relief by it than he to whom it is done, <HI>For it is better to Give than Re|ceive,</HI> Acts 20.35. Giving Charitably is a ca&s;ting of Seed, bringing an ever|la&s;ting Harve&s;t: It's a &s;ending up &s;weet Vapours into Heaven, which are thick|ned there into a Rain of Ble&s;&s;ings. <HI>Vid.</HI> Charity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="11" REF="9">
<HEAD>To Attribute too much to Ones Self.</HEAD>
<P><HI>G&V;&s;tavus Adolphus,</HI> three days be|fore his Death, &s;aid, <HI>Our Affairs an&s;wer our De&s;ires, but I doubt</HI> God <HI>will Puni&s;h me for the folly of my People, who</HI> Attribute <HI>too much to me, and e&s;teem me as it were their God; and therefore he will make them &s;hortly know, and &s;ee that I am but a Man: I &s;ubmit to his Will, and I know he will not leave this great Enterpri&s;e of mine Imperfect:</HI> And &s;oon after was Slain, yet with Victory over his Enemies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>An Apology for the Chri&s;ti|ans by</HI> Ju&s;tin Martyr.</HEAD>
<P>IN his Fir&s;t <HI>Apology,</HI> he defended the <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> again&s;t the Senate of <HI>Rome,</HI> and purged them from tho&s;e
<PB N="12" REF="10">Crimes which were fal&s;ly charged a|gain&s;t them by the <HI>Ethnicks.</HI></P>
<P>The Second to <HI>Antonius</HI> the Philo|&s;opher, (among&s;t many other things) he &s;aith, <HI>Other Men that are Appeached in Judgment, are not Condemned till they be Convicted; but for us, you take the very Name for a &s;ufficient Crime; where|as you ought to &s;ee Ju&s;tice done rather on your Accu&s;ers: So that if a Chri&s;tian that is Accu&s;ed, deny his Name, him you Relea&s;e, not being able to charge him with any other Offence; but if he &s;tand to his Name, you Condemn him: where|as it were your Duty rather to Examine their manner of Life, and &s;o according to their Demerits, to &s;ee Ju&s;tice done upon them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Ambition.</HEAD>
<P><HI>BErnard</HI> &s;ays, <HI>It is a gilded Mi&s;ery, a &s;ecret Poy&s;on, an hidden Plague, the Engineer of Deceit, the Mother of
<PB N="13" REF="10">Hypocri&s;ie, the Parent of Envy, the Ori|ginal of Vices, the Moath of Holine&s;s, the blinder of Hearts, turning Medi|cines into Maladies, and Remedies into Di&s;ea&s;es.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Anger Sinful.</HEAD>
<P>TO keep thy Heart patient under Provocations to <HI>Anger, <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI></HI> again&s;t Humble and Low Thoughts of thy &s;elf; and then thou wilt have a Meek Spirit, and Peaceable Deport|ment towards others. <HI>Secondly,</HI> Be often Sweetning thy Spirits with <HI>God,</HI> and they will not be ea&s;ily Imbittered with <HI>Wrath</HI> towards Man. <HI>Thirdly,</HI> Get due Apprehen&s;ions of the Evil Nature, and Effects of <HI>Sinful Anger,</HI> as that <HI>Anger</HI> is a &s;hort Madne&s;s; <HI>Anger</HI> is the Fever of the Soul, the Eclip&s;e of Rea&s;on, <HI>&amp;c. Fourthly,</HI> Con&s;ider how &s;weet a thing it is for Chri&s;tians to Conquer their Corruptions, and to
<PB N="14" REF="11">carry away the Spoyl of them, <HI>Prov.</HI> 16.32.</P>
<P>Shame your &s;elves by &s;etting be|fore you tho&s;e mo&s;t eminent Patterns for Meekne&s;s; <HI>Learn of me,</HI> &s;ays Chri&s;t, <HI>for I am Meek and Lowly in Spirit,</HI> Mat. 11.29. and <HI>Mo&s;es, Num|bers,</HI> 12.3.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider more helps again&s;t it, <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> By con&s;idering our own Failings, e&s;pecially in reference to Almighty <HI>God,</HI> and our Duty to him, <HI>&amp;c. Secondly,</HI> By con&s;idering the unrea&s;onablene&s;s of that Di&s;temper in re&s;pect of our &s;elves; It puts thee into Perturbations, it gra|tifies thy Adver&s;ary, <HI>&amp;c. Thirdly,</HI> Is in re&s;pect of others, even of the Per|&s;ons provoking; It may be they are In&s;truments permitted by <HI>God,</HI> either to Correct or Try thee, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Expedients again&s;t it, even when oc|ca&s;ion is offered. <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Take this peremptory Re&s;olution and Practi&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> I will not be Angry tho' an occa|&s;ion be offered. <HI>Secondly,</HI> Take this
<PB N="15" REF="11">Re&s;olution, never to give thy &s;elf leave to be <HI>Angry,</HI> till thou &s;ee any &s;uch thing is done or no, <HI>&amp;c. Thirdly,</HI> In ca&s;e of Provocation to <HI>Anger</HI> by Words, con|&s;ider this, that nothing &s;o much grati|fies an Ill-Tongue, as when it finds an <HI>Angry</HI> hearer; and nothing &s;o much di&s;appoints and vexeth it, than Calm|ne&s;s and Undi&s;turbedne&s;s: It is the mo&s;t innocent and exqui&s;ite Revenge in the World, to return gentle Words, or none at all to Ill-Language: But, on the other &s;ide, <HI>Anger</HI> and <HI>Perturba|tion</HI> do not only produce what thy Ad|ver&s;ary de&s;ires, but al&s;o puts Di&s;com|po&s;edne&s;s and Impotency upon thee, that thou become&s;t unable to keep &s;i|lence, or to &s;peak with that Rea&s;on or Advantage thou &s;hould'&s;t. <HI>J. Hale.</HI></P>
<P>Give diligent Ear unto <HI>CHRIST</HI>'s Words, and thou &s;halt little regard Ten Thou&s;and Words &s;poken by Men. <HI>De Kempis.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I &s;trive with my own Spirit,</HI> &s;ays De|vour Mr. <HI>Corbet, to &s;ubdue it to the
<PB N="16" REF="12">Will of</HI> God, <HI>and in what&s;oever I am tempted to be Impatient, therein I labor mo&s;t for Patience. My great Care,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>is that I may not Sin again&s;t my</HI> God, <HI>in any kind; and more e&s;pecially that I may not Sin by a Rebellious Impa|tiency, under his Correcting Hand.</HI> Ibid.</P>
<P>Anger <HI>doth langui&s;h by Suppre&s;&s;ion, but flows higher by Expre&s;&s;ion.</HI> Beda.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Athei&s;m.</HEAD>
<P><HI>THe Fool hath &s;aid in his Heart, There is no GOD,</HI> It is not &s;aid, <HI>The Fool hath thought in his Heart there is no GOD:</HI> So that he rather &s;aith it by Wrote to him&s;elf, as that he would have, than that he can throughly be|lieve it.</P>
<P><HI>The great Athei&s;ts indeed, are the Hypocrites, who are ever holding Holy things without feeling.</HI> Bacon.</P>
<P>If <HI>Athei&s;ts</HI> &s;ay, The World or its Materials were Made, they mu&s;t grant
<PB N="17" REF="12">a <HI>GOD</HI> that made it? If they &s;ay, They were not Made, they then a&s;|&s;ert an Eternal Being of it &s;elf; that is, they allow the Difficulties for which they pretend to deny a <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Cares.</HEAD>
<P>WHen Men Believe weakly, and Love <HI>GOD</HI> but little, they can &s;carce find whether they Believe or Love at all; and therefore remain in doubt. To Remedy which, follow your Duty till Grace be encrea&s;ed, ply your Work, wait upon <HI>God</HI> in the u&s;e of his pre&s;cribed Means, and he will undoubtedly ble&s;s you with Increa&s;e and &s;trength of Grace. If you would lay out tho&s;e &s;erious Affections in Praying and Seeking unto <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and for more Grace, you would, in time, Believe &s;trongly, and Love fervently; and thereby put it out of doubt, whe|ther you Believe or Love or not. <HI>Mrs.</HI> B.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="13">
<P>If by moderate and due Care we would re&s;ign up our Selves and Con|cernments into the Hands of <HI>God,</HI> He would charge him&s;elf with us; but if we will Immoderately <HI>Care,</HI> and be &s;o peremptory in our <HI>De&s;igns,</HI> and will not &s;ubmit them to him, then <HI>God</HI> is di&s;charged, and we mu&s;t look to our &s;elves.</P>
<P>You need not fetch the Mi&s;ery of another Day and put to this; it hath enough for its own.</P>
<P>Let them con&s;ider, that fear Want, that they want nothing &s;o much as Faith: A little more tru&s;ting in <HI>God,</HI> and a little le&s;s &s;inful Fore&s;ight and needle&s;s Care, would do well.</P>
<P>Our daily Defects and Di&s;appoint|ments procure <HI>Mi&s;ery</HI> and <HI>Vexations.</HI></P>
<P>He that would make Earth &s;ure, mu&s;t fir&s;t of all make Heaven &s;ure: Shall I, by taking thought what I &s;hall Eat, and what I &s;hall Drink here, never fear Wanting or Begging a drop of Water hereafter? Shall I be Solicitous
<PB N="19" REF="13">for Cloaths, and do not know but my Soul and Body may lie naked in the &s;corching Flames of the Wrath of <HI>God</HI> to all Eternity? Be&s;ides that, I have a Promi&s;e of <HI>God</HI> for outward things, if I make it my bu&s;ine&s;s to look after Heavenly; Its a very needle&s;s <HI>Care: God</HI> provides Meat for me, that I may not be taken off my Work to &s;eek tho&s;e things that are Heavenly, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.33.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Chri&s;t Crucified; the know|ledge of it.</HEAD>
<P>IT is a kind of <HI>Catholicon</HI> of univer|&s;al U&s;e and Conveniency, in refe|rence to this Life. Am I in Want, in Pri&s;on, in Contempt, in Bani&s;hment, in Sickne&s;s, in Death? this <HI>Know|ledge</HI> gives Contentedne&s;s, Patience, Chearfulne&s;s, Re&s;ignation of my &s;elf to his Will, who hath Sealed my Peace with him, and Favor from him, in the great Covenant of his Son: I could
<PB N="20" REF="14">live upon this, tho' I were ready to Starve, when I am a&s;&s;ured that it is for my Good, and the glory of his Name, I &s;hall be delivered; if not, I can be contented if my Jewel, the Peace of <HI>God</HI> and my own <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> by the Blood of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> be &s;afe, if not in Wealth, Honor, greatne&s;s in E&s;teem in the World. This <HI>Knowledge</HI> teacheth me Humility, as knowing of whom I have received it: Fidelity, as know|ing to whom I mu&s;t account for it; and in all, it teacheth me not to over|value it, nor to value my Self the more by it or for it: It makes Death not Terrible, becau&s;e a mo&s;t &s;ure Pa&s;&s;age to Eternal Life. Here I find a way to get my Sins Pardoned; whereas, all the World, without this, cannot con|trive a Satisfaction for me: I find &s;uch a Way to obtain &s;uch a Righteou&s;ne&s;s as is valuable with <HI>God,</HI> and perfect before Him, even the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of <HI>God</HI> in <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> and here I find the means, the only means, to avoid the
<PB N="21" REF="14">Wrath to come, the Terror of the Judgment of the La&s;t-Day. Ever|la&s;ting Life to all Eternity, which the ble&s;&s;ed <HI>God,</HI> and the Lord <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> all the ble&s;&s;ed Angels, and the Spirits of Ju&s;t Men made perfect.</P>
<P>The knowledge of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> above all other <HI>Knowledge,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> Crucified above all other <HI>Knowledge</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> being the highe&s;t manife&s;tation of his Love. <HI>J. Hale.</HI></P>
<P><HI>With all my Heart</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Calvin</HI>) <HI>I embrace the Mercy of</HI> God, <HI>which he hath u&s;ed towards me, for</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t's <HI>&s;ake, recompencing my Faults with the Merits of his Death and Pa&s;&s;ion, that &s;atisfaction being made, by this means, for all my Sins and Crimes, and the re|membrance of them may be blotted out. I witne&s;s al&s;o, and profe&s;s, that I humbly beg of him, that being wa&s;hed and clean|&s;ed in the Blood of that highe&s;t Redeemer, &s;hed for the Sins of Mankind, I may &s;tand at his Judgments-Seat, under the Image of my Redeemer.</HI></P>
<PB N="22" REF="15">
<P>Had <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> been <HI>God</HI> only, he could not have Suffered; had he been Man only, he could not have Merited. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Blood was &s;hed as well for Oblution, as for Ab&s;olution.</P>
<P>Diffidence of ones Self and Depen|dance of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Motto of a Chri&s;tian.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Coun&s;el.</HEAD>
<P>THe greate&s;t Tru&s;t between Man and Man, is the Tru&s;t of giving <HI>Coun&s;el. <HI>For in our Confidences</HI></HI> (&s;aith our Lord <HI>Bacon</HI>) <HI>Men commit the parts of Life, their Lands, their Goods, their Children, their Credit, and &s;ome parti|cular Affairs; but to &s;uch as they make their Coun&s;ellors, they commit the whole, by how much the more they are obliged to Faithfulne&s;s and Integrity.</HI></P>
<P>There is no &s;uch <HI>Flattery</HI> as of a Mans &s;elf; and there is no &s;uch Re|medy again&s;t that <HI>Flattery,</HI> as the Li|berty
<PB N="23" REF="15">of a Friend: <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> is of Two &s;orts, The one concerning <HI>Manners,</HI> the other concerning <HI>Bu&s;ine&s;s:</HI> For the fir&s;t, The be&s;t Preparative to keep the Mind in Health, is the faithful Admonition of a Friend: The calling of a Man's &s;elf to a &s;trict Account, is &s;ometimes too piercing and corroding. Reading good Books of Morality is a little Flat and Dead. Ob&s;erving our Faults in others, is &s;ometimes impro|per for our Ca&s;e; but the be&s;t Re|ceipt (be&s;t, I &s;ay, to work, and be&s;t to take) is the Admonition of a Friend.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Conviction.</HEAD>
<P>IF you be troubled for <HI>Sin,</HI> ob&s;erve whether your trouble for it be in|ward as well as outward, and reaches not only to open Sins, but to &s;ecret Lu&s;ts; to Inward and Spiritual Sins, &s;uch as <HI>Hypocri&s;ie, Formality, Luke|warmne&s;s, Deadne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Hardne&s;s of
<PB N="24" REF="16">Heart;</HI> and if &s;o, this is a &s;ure &s;ign of the Work of the Spirit, becau&s;e the Trouble occa&s;ioned by the&s;e Sins, bears a more immediate Relation to the Holine&s;s of <HI>God,</HI> who only is offen|ded by them; they being &s;uch that none el&s;e can &s;ee or know.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Covetou&s;ne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>HE that is <HI>Covetous</HI> when he is Old, is as a Thief that Steals when he is going to the Gallows.</P>
<P>Bags of Gold to us when Saints, will be but as a Bag of Pebbles, when Men.</P>
<P><HI>Alexander</HI> of <HI>Hales,</HI> &s;ays, <HI>That Co|vetou&s;ne&s;s de&s;erves the Hate of all, for the&s;e Rea&s;ons:</HI> Fir&s;t, <HI>It is a Sin again&s;t Nature, making the Soul Terre&s;trial, which &s;hould be Heavenly.</HI> Secondly, <HI>For the many Cur&s;es again&s;t it in the Scripture;</HI> Wo to them that joyn Hou&s;e to Hou&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Thirdly, <HI>For
<PB N="25" REF="16">the many Evils it &s;ubjects them unto: It is the Root of all Evil.</HI> Fourthly, <HI>It makes a Man a Fool;</HI> O Fool this Night, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Fifthly, <HI>It can&s;es Strifes, from whom are Strifes.</HI> Sixthly, <HI>It brings Men into Snares, which drown Men in Perdition.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fulgentius</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, <HI>CHRIST Died for Men and Angels; for Men, that they may ri&s;e from Sin; and for Angels, that they may not fall into Sin. And if they go to Hell that do not Feed the Hungry, Cloath the Naked,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>If want of Charity be Tormented in Hell, what will become of the Covetous.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Gold to many Men, is much better than their Faith and Hone&s;ty; And the Love of it makes many &s;o Covetous, as if they were to Live here for ever.</HI> Avarice is not the Vice of Gold, but of Men that u&s;e it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="26" REF="17">
<HEAD>Con&s;cience.</HEAD>
<P><HI>THe Two main Principles that guide Human Nature</HI> (&s;aith Judge <HI>Dod|deridge) are <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> and <HI>Law;</HI> by the former we are obliged, in refe|rence to another World; by the latter, in reference to This.</HI></P>
<P>St. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>A clear</HI> Con&s;cience <HI>&s;hould not regard &s;lan|derous Speeches; nor think, that they have more Power to Condemn him, than his own</HI> Con&s;cience <HI>hath to clear him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Aquinas</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>That Day will come, when Fair-Dealing will be found a Jewel; when a good</HI> Con&s;cience <HI>&s;hall be better than a good</HI> Pur&s;e; <HI>when the Judge will not be put off with fair Speeches, nor drawn a&s;ide with hopes of Reward.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I&s;idore</HI> &s;aith, <HI>All things may be &s;hun|ed but a Man's own Heart; a Man cannot run from him&s;elf; a guilty</HI> Con|&s;cience <HI>will not leave him where&s;oever he goes.</HI></P>
<PB N="27" REF="17">
<Q><P>It is very dangerous to quiet <HI>Con|&s;cience</HI> with any thing but the Blood of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> It's bad being at Peace till <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaks Peace: Nothing can truly &s;atisfie <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> le&s;s than that which pacifies <HI>God;</HI> and that is, the Blood of the Lord Je&s;us <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI><BIBL><HI> Mead.</HI></BIBL></P>
<P>Who&s;o will keep the Peace of his <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> and his Confidence in <HI>God,</HI> mu&s;t carefully keep him&s;elf from all tho&s;e things that di&s;plea&s;e his Holy Eyes, and turn away his Gracious Countenance; le&s;t that when need of our Duty calls us to draw near him by Prayer, we feel our &s;elves pulled back by Guilty Fears. <BIBL><HI>Du Moulin.</HI> 63.</BIBL></P></Q>
<P>The Glory of a good Man, is the Te&s;timony of a good <HI>Con&s;cience.</HI></P>
<P>A good <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> is able to bear very much, and is chearful in Adver|&s;ities. To walk inwardly with <HI>God,</HI> and not to be po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with any out|ward Affection, is the State of a Spiri|ritual Man.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="18">
<P>Have a good <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> and thou &s;halt ever have Joy.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Charity.</HEAD>
<P><HI>CHri&s;ologus</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let not thy Care be to have thy Hands full, when the Poors are empty; for the only way to have full Barns, is to have Charitable Hands.</HI></P>
<P>St. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> &s;aith, <HI>It is not &s;o much to be enquired, how much thou Give&s;t, as with what Heart. It is not Liberality, when thou take&s;t by Oppre&s;&s;ion from one, and give&s;t to another.</HI></P>
<P>St. <HI>Cyril</HI> &s;aith, <HI>It is the be&s;t way for a Rich Man, to make the Bellies of the Poor his Barn; to &s;uccor the Fatherle&s;s and Naked, and thereby to lay up Trea|&s;ure in Heaven, that he may be received into the Heavenly and everla&s;ting Ha|bitations.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="29" REF="18">
<HEAD>Cha&s;tity.</HEAD>
<P>A Woman is truly <HI>Cha&s;t</HI> that hath Liberty and Opportunity to Sin, and doth not.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Commands.</HEAD>
<P><HI>GOD</HI> comes to us, not a Naked <HI>GOD,</HI> but Cloathed with His <HI>Commands;</HI> and if we Love Him, we mu&s;t receive Him &s;o Cloathed.</P>
<P><HI>GOD</HI> hears our <HI>Prayers</HI> according as we keep his <HI>Commands.</HI> What&s;o|ever <HI>God</HI> forbids in the Act, he for|bids likewi&s;e in the Thoughts.</P>
<P><Q>If <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be not our King to Rule and Govern us, he will neither be our Prophet to Fore-warn, nor our Prie&s;t to Expiate: If <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath freed us from the Damnation of Sin, he hath al&s;o freed us from the Dominion of Sin. If, with his Blood,
<PB N="30" REF="19">he hath quenched the Fire of Hell for us, he hath al&s;o quenched the Fire of Lu&s;t in us. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Ju&s;ti|fying Blood is given by his Sancti|fying Spirit. <BIBL><HI>Touch&s;tone of a Chri&s;tian.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Conver&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P>LAbor after, and Pray for a through <HI>Conver&s;ion;</HI> beg of <HI>GOD</HI> that he would make a &s;aving <HI>Change</HI> in your Souls, that you may be altogether Chri&s;tians; all other <HI>Changes,</HI> below this &s;aving <HI>Change,</HI> this Heart change make us but almo&s;t Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>Morality and Civility may com|mend us to Men, but not to <HI>God,</HI> they are of no moment or value to the pro|curement of Eternal Salvation. The &s;ober Man, not being renewed through|out by the Spirit of <HI>God,</HI> &s;hall as &s;urely go to <HI>Hell</HI> as the bea&s;tly Drunkard.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="31" REF="19">
<HEAD>Corruptions.</HEAD>
<P><Q>WHil&s;t Grace is Imperfect, <HI>Cor|ruptions</HI> will be &s;trong. The great <HI>Corruptions</HI> that the Godly find in them&s;elves, keep them from being Proud, and de&s;pi&s;ing of others. <BIBL><HI>Hilder&s;am.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Cu&s;tom.</HEAD>
<P>THe <HI>Hal&s;ion Days</HI> of the Go&s;pel pro|voke Hypocri&s;ie, but the Suffer|ings for Religion prove Sincerity. He that is a Profe&s;&s;or of Religion, meerly for <HI>Cu&s;tom,</HI> when it Pro&s;pers, will never be a Martyr for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s &s;ake, when it Suffers.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Covenant the Second.</HEAD>
<P>THe Son of <HI>GOD</HI> came to make known unto us the Will of his Father; in performance of which, we
<PB N="32" REF="20">&s;hall be &s;ure to be Accepted and Re|warded by Him: And this was one great part of his Bu&s;ine&s;s, which He performed in tho&s;e many Sermons and Precepts we find &s;et down in the Go|&s;pel; and herein He is our Prophet, it being the Work of a Prophet of Old, not only to Foretel, but to Teach. Our Duty, in this particular, is to hearken diligently to Him, to be mo&s;t ready and de&s;irous to learn that <HI>Will of God</HI> which He came from <HI>Heaven</HI> to Reveal to us. The &s;econd Thing He was to do for us, was, To &s;atisfie <HI>GOD</HI> for our Sins; not only that <HI>One</HI> of <HI>Adam,</HI> but all the Sins of Mankind, that truly Repent and Amend, and by this means to obtain Forgivene&s;s of Sins, and the Favour of <HI>God;</HI> and &s;o to Redeem us from <HI>Hell,</HI> and Eternal Damnation, which was the Puni&s;h|ment due to our Sins: All this He did for us, by his Death; He offered up Him&s;elf a Sacrifice for the Sins of all tho&s;e who heartily bewail and for&s;ake
<PB N="33" REF="20">them; and in this He is our Prie&s;t, it being the Prie&s;ts Office to Sacrifice for the Sins of the People. Our Duty in this particular is truly and heartily to Repent, and for&s;ake our Sins, without which, they will never be Pardoned us, altho' <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath Died. <HI>Secondly,</HI> Stedfa&s;tly to Believe, if we do that, we &s;hall have the Comforts of this <HI>Sacrifice</HI> of His; all our Sins, how great, or how many &s;oever, &s;hall be Pardoned, and we &s;aved from tho&s;e Eternal Puni&s;hments which were due to us for them. And for that other part, <HI>viz.</HI> That of Praying, that he not only performed on Earth, but conti|nues &s;till to do it in Heaven: He &s;its on the Right-Hand of <HI>God,</HI> and makes Reque&s;ts for us. <HI>Rev.</HI> 8.34. Our Du|ty herein, is not to re&s;i&s;t this un&s;peak|able Ble&s;&s;ing of His, but to be willing to be thus Ble&s;t, in being turned from our Sins; and not to make void and fruitle&s;s all his Prayers and Interce&s;&s;i|ons for us, which will never prevail
<PB N="34" REF="21">for us, whil&s;t we continue in them. The third thing that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was to do for us, was, To enable us, or give us &s;trength to do what <HI>God</HI> requires of us: This He doth, <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> by taking off from the hardne&s;s of the Law given to <HI>Adam,</HI> (which was, <HI>Never to com|mit the lea&s;t Sin upon pain of Damnation</HI>) and requiring of us only, an hone&s;t and hearty Endeavor to do what we are able; and where we fail, accept|ing of &s;incere Repentance. <HI>Secondly,</HI> By &s;ending his Holy Spirit into our Hearts, to Rule and Govern us; to give us &s;trength to overcome Tem|ptations to Sin; and to do all that He requires of us: And in this He is our King, to Govern, Rule, and Subdue our Enemies. Our Duty in this par|ticular, is, To give up our &s;elves Obe|dient Subjects of His, to be Governed and Ruled by Him; to Obey all his Laws; not to take part with any Re|bel; that is, not to cherri&s;h any One Sin, but diligently to Pray for his
<PB N="35" REF="21">Grace to enable us to Subdue them all, and then carefully to make u&s;e of it to that purpo&s;e. <HI>La&s;tly,</HI> He hath purcha&s;ed, for all that faithfully Obey Him, and Eternal and Glorious Inheri|tance in the Kingdom of <HI>Heaven,</HI> whither He is gone before to take Po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion for us. Our Duty herein, is, <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> To be exceeding careful, that we forfeit not our Parts, which we &s;hall certainly do, if we continue Im|penitent in any Sin. <HI>Secondly,</HI> Not to fa&s;ten our Affections on this World, but to rai&s;e them, according to the Precept of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.2. <HI>Set your Affections on things above, and not on things below;</HI> longing to come to the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of that Inheritance of ours; in compari&s;on of which, all things here below &s;hould &s;eem Vile and Mean. <HI>Whole Duty of Man.</HI></P>
<P><Q><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> indeed hath freed us from the Impo&s;&s;ibilities of the <HI>Covenant</HI> of Works, and from the Burthen and Yoke of the Legal Ceremonies, but
<PB N="36" REF="22">not from the Difficulties and Pains of Go&s;pel Duties. <BIBL><HI>Baxter</HI>'s <HI>Re&s;t.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Comforts.</HEAD>
<P><Q>FEtch thy <HI>Comforts</HI> from Hea|ven, and not from Plea&s;ures or Hopes here below. <BIBL><HI>De Kempis.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P>What profit can it be for thee to bewail that Sin which thou wilt not for&s;ake? What Reward can&s;t thou expect for that Obedience which &s;o &s;oon fainteth? What <HI>Comfort</HI> in that Joy that is but Temporary?</P>
<P><HI>How truly &s;weet</HI> (&s;ays St. <HI>Au&s;tin) is the lo&s;s of tho&s;e Earthly Sweetne&s;&s;es tho&s;e Tran&s;itory Joys, which I was for|merly afraid to lo&s;e, and rejoyce now to Bani&s;h: It is Thou, O Lord, who ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> entred in, who art &s;weeter than a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> Sweetne&s;s,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><Q>As thou ha&s;t rai&s;ed me by thy Power, &s;o Rule me by thy Providence that thy Grace may be far &s;weete<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="37" REF="22">with my Sufferings, than my Plea|&s;ures with my Sins. <BIBL><HI>Mr.</HI> Corbet.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P><Q>When I walk in Darkne&s;s, and &s;ee no Light in outward <HI>Comforts,</HI> Human Helps, and vi&s;ible Means, I will Tru&s;t in the Name of the Lord, and &s;tay my &s;elf upon my <HI>GOD.</HI></Q> Ibid.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Contentation.</HEAD>
<P><Q>BE not troubled if this Man lives in Tranquility, and thou in Tri|bulation, <HI>God</HI> will have it &s;o: He puts thee in the Combat; thou therefore mu&s;t Sweat before thou come&s;t off with Victory, whereas he that comes forward in the World, goes back in Grace. His E&s;tate is mi&s;erable that goes Laughing to De&s;truction; As the Fool in the Stocks for Correction. <BIBL><HI>Theophilact.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P>He that &s;ets his entire&s;t Love on <HI>God,</HI> yet hath Liberty to I&s;&s;ue a Sub|ordinate
<PB N="38" REF="23">Portion of Love to other good things; as, Health, Peace, opportunity to do Good, Wife, Children, Friends, and in the&s;e he may be cro&s;&s;ed and di&s;appointed; but the predominant Love of <HI>God,</HI> delivers the Soul from Di&s;content and Impatience, even un|der the&s;e Lo&s;&s;es; becau&s;e the Soul is &s;till a&s;&s;ured of what it mo&s;t values; the Love of <HI>God</HI> returned to the Soul, which compen&s;ates and drowns tho&s;e other Lo&s;&s;es, and the Di&s;content that may ari&s;e upon it.</P>
<P>Trouble makes every &s;ad Accident a double Evil, Contentedne&s;s none at all.</P>
<P>When we lo&s;e our E&s;tates, let's not lo&s;e our Con&s;tancy and Chearfulne&s;s. If thou ha&s;t lo&s;t thy Health, do not lo&s;e thy Patience al&s;o. If thou Die a little &s;ooner than thou expected'&s;t, do not Die unwillingly. If thou have no Friend, be not al&s;o thy own Enemy. If others Vex thee, do not withal Vex thy &s;elf. If thou be Ill to Day, be
<PB N="39" REF="23">not &s;olicitous for to Morrow, &s;uffici|ent to the Day, is the Evil thereof.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>De&s;pair.</HEAD>
<P><HI>FRancis Spira,</HI> about the Year, 1548. &s;aith this of him&s;elf: <HI>I was exce&s;&s;ively Covetous of Money, and accordingly I applyed my &s;elf to get it by Inju&s;tice, Corrupt Judgment, Deceit, Inventing Tricks to delude Ju&s;tice; Good Cau&s;es I either defended Deceit|fully, or Sold them the Adver&s;aries per|fidiou&s;ly. Ill Cau&s;es I maintained with all my Might. I willingly oppo&s;ed the known Truth and Tru&s;t committed to me, either Betrayed or Perverted: And for the Inordinate Love of the things of this World, I wholly Wounded my Con&s;cience by an Infamous Abjuration of the Ble&s;|&s;ed Truth, which I formerly Profe&s;&s;ed, upon the &s;erious Con&s;ideration of what I had done in cold Blood, acknowledging my &s;elf utterly undone for ever.</HI> This
<PB N="40" REF="24">poor Man became a Spectacle of &s;uch Spiritual Mi&s;ery and Woe to the whole World, that there is not any thing left to the Memory of Man more Re|markable: his Spirit was &s;uddenly &s;mitten with the dreadful Sence of Divine Wrath for his Apo&s;tacy, and &s;plitting in pieces (as it were by &s;o grievous a brui&s;e) his Heart fainted fearfully, and failed him quite, and fell a&s;under in his Brea&s;t, like drops of Water: Hear &s;ome ruful Expre&s;&s;ions (out of his De&s;perate State) from his own Mouth: <HI>O that I were gone from hence; that &s;omebody would let out this weary Soul of mine: I tell you, there was never &s;uch a Mon&s;ter as I am; ne|ver was there a Man alive &s;uch a Spe|ctacle of exceeding Mi&s;ery. I now feel</HI> God<HI>'s heavy Wrath, that burneth like the Torments of Hell within me, and afflicts my Soul with Pains unutterable. Verily,</HI> De&s;peration <HI>is Hell it &s;elf, the gnawing Worm of unquenchable Fire, Horror, Confu&s;ion; and which is wor&s;t of
<PB N="41" REF="24">all,</HI> De&s;paration <HI>continually Tormenting me: And now I count my pre&s;ent State wor&s;e, than if my Soul were &s;eparated from my Body with</HI> Judas: <HI>The Truth of it is, never had Mortal Man &s;uch ex|perience of</HI> God<HI>'s Wrath and Hatred again&s;t him as I have: The Damned in Hell, I think, endure not the like Mi|&s;ery. If I could conceive the lea&s;t &s;park of Hope in my Heart of a better State hereafter, I would not refu&s;e to endure the mo&s;t heavy Wrath of the great</HI> God, <HI>yea, for Two Thou&s;and Years, &s;o that at length I could get out of Mi&s;ery. O that</HI> God <HI>would loo&s;e his Hand from me; and that it were with me as in times pa&s;t, I would &s;corn the Threats of mo&s;t Wicked Tyrants, bear Torments with In|vincible Re&s;olution and Glory in the out|ward Profe&s;&s;ion of</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>till I were choaked with the Flame, and my Body turned into A&s;hes.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="42" REF="25">
<HEAD>Di&s;cre&s;&s;ion.</HEAD>
<P><Q>IT's more <HI>Di&s;cre&s;&s;ion</HI> to hold the Stile of Mi&s;erable, which begets an Infamy without Hatred, than to de&s;ire that of Liberal, which being maintained by nece&s;&s;itous Cour&s;es, procures an Infamy with Hatred. <BIBL><HI>Machiavil.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Death.</HEAD>
<P><Q>THe Young-Man hath <HI>Death</HI> at his Back, the Old-Man before his Eyes. That's the more dangerous Enemy that Pur&s;ues thee, than that which Marches before thy Face. <BIBL><HI>Aquinas.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P>Set <HI>Death</HI> into your Minds, and it will put Life into your Actions.</P>
<P>St. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, <HI>There's nothing more abateth Sin, than the frequent Me|ditation of</HI> Death. <HI>He cannot Die Ill
<PB N="43" REF="25">that Lived Well; and &s;eldom doth he Die Well, that Lived Ill.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Death is the Burial of all Vices.</HI></P>
<P>To be willing to Die, con&s;ider the harmle&s;ne&s;s of <HI>Death</HI> to the People of <HI>God,</HI> tho' it keeps its Dart, yet it hath lo&s;t its Sting.</P>
<P>Thy Heart may be kept from &s;hrinking back, in time of Sickne&s;s, by con&s;idering the nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Death,</HI> in order to the Fruition of <HI>God,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.6. <HI>Whil&s;t we are at home in the Body, we are ab&s;ent from the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Another Argument to this unwil|lingne&s;s to Die, is, <Q>The immediate Succe&s;&s;ion of a more excellent, and a more glorious Life; it is but Wink, and you &s;hall &s;ee <HI>God, Rom.</HI> 8.10, 11. At <HI>Death</HI> you will be freed from Trouble here, and have Communion with <HI>God,</HI> and Communion of Saints. <BIBL><HI>Flavel.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P>Cardinal <HI>Richleu,</HI> being Tempted to doubt and disbelieve a <HI>God,</HI> another
<PB N="44" REF="26">World, and the Immortality of the Soul; and by that Di&s;tru&s;t, to relieve his aking Heart, but in vain, <HI>So &s;trong,</HI> he &s;aid, <HI>was the Notion of</HI> God <HI>on his Soul, &s;o clear the Impre&s;&s;ion of him upon the frame of the World, &s;o unanimous the Con&s;ent of Mankind, &s;o powerful the Conviction of his own Con&s;cience, that he could not but ta&s;te of the Powers of the World to come, and &s;o Live as one that mu&s;t Die; and &s;o Die as one that mu&s;t Live Eternally:</HI> And being asked one day, Why he was &s;o &s;ad? he an&s;wered, <HI>Mon&s;ieur, Mon&s;ieur, the Soul is a &s;erious thing; It mu&s;t be either Sad here for a moment, or Sad hereafter for ever.</HI></P>
<P>Cardinal <HI>Mazarine,</HI> when he came to Die, &s;aid, <HI>O my poor Soul! Whither wilt thou go?</HI> &s;aying, one Day, to the Queen Mother, <HI>Madam, your Favors have undone me; and were I to Live again, I would rather be a</HI> Capuchine, <HI>than a</HI> Courtier.</P>
<P>Sir <HI>Francis Wal&s;ingham,</HI> towards the latter end of his Life, grew very Me|lancholy,
<PB N="45" REF="26">and Writ to the Lord <HI>Bur|leigh,</HI> to this purpo&s;e, <HI>We have lived long enough to our Country, to our For|tunes, and to our Soveraign: It is high time to live to our Selves, and to our</HI> God. <HI>In the multitude of Affairs that pa&s;s through our Hands, there mu&s;t be &s;ome Mi&s;carriages; for which a whole Kingdom cannot make our Peace.</HI> Where|upon &s;ome Court Humori&s;t being &s;ent to Divert Sir <HI>Francis: Ah!</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>whil'&s;t we Laugh, all things are &s;erious round about us;</HI> God <HI>is &s;erious when he Pre&s;erveth us, and hath Patience to|wards us;</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>is &s;erious when he Di|eth for us; the</HI> Holy Gho&s;t <HI>is &s;erious when he &s;triveth with us; the Holy</HI> Scripture <HI>is &s;erious when it is Read to us; the</HI> Sacraments <HI>are &s;erious when they are Admini&s;tred unto us; the whole</HI> Creation <HI>is &s;erious in &s;erving</HI> God <HI>and us; they are &s;erious in</HI> Heaven <HI>and</HI> Hell; <HI>and &s;hall a Man that hath one Foot in the Grave, Je&s;t and Laugh?</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="27">
<P>Dr. <HI>Dunn,</HI> a Man of as great Parts and Spirit, as any in this Nation, being on his Death-Bed, taking his &s;olemn leave of all his mo&s;t con&s;iderable Friends, left this with them, <HI>I Repent of all my Life, but that part of it I &s;pent in Communion with</HI> God <HI>and doing Good. That Per&s;on, in a Dying hour, &s;hall wi&s;h him&s;elf not a Man, that hath not been a good Chri&s;tian.</HI> When Queen <HI>Mary</HI> Died, Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> that Writ the Book of Martyrs, was Preaching Comfort to the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Exiles in <HI>Geneva,</HI> at which time, he did tell them, <HI>That now was the time come for their return into</HI> Eng|land, <HI>and that he brought them that News from</HI> God; for which Words, many of the Grave Divines Rebuked him greatly for the pre&s;ent, but after|wards excu&s;ed him by the Event, for it appeared that Queen <HI>Mary</HI> Died but the Day before he &s;o &s;pake to them.</P>
<P>Judge <HI>Nichols</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, <HI>That he knew not what they called</HI> Puritan
<PB N="47" REF="27">Preaching, <HI>but</HI> (he &s;aid) <HI>that Preach|ing which went next his Heart;</HI> and &s;pake (as Attorney General <HI>Noy</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay of Doctor <HI>Pre&s;ton</HI>) as if they knew the Mind of <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Selden,</HI> that Univer&s;al Scholar, being &s;u&s;pected by many, to have too little Affection to Religion, a little be|fore he Died, &s;ent for the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Armagh,</HI> and Dr. <HI>Langbane,</HI> and told them to this effect, <HI>That he had Sur|veyed mo&s;t part of the Learning that was amongst the Sons of Men: And that he had his Study full of Books and Pa|pers, of mo&s;t Subjects in the World, yet at that time could he not recollect any Pa&s;&s;age out of tho&s;e many Books and Ma|nu&s;cripts he was Ma&s;ter of, whereon he could re&s;t his Soul, &s;ave of the Holy Scriptures; wherein the mo&s;t remarkable Pa&s;&s;age that lay upon his Spirit was,</HI> Titus <HI>the</HI> 2. <HI>ver.</HI> 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.</P>
<P><HI>Grotius,</HI> one of the greate&s;t of Scho|lars, concluded his Life with this Pro|te&s;tation, <HI>That he would give all his
<PB N="48" REF="28">Honor and Learning for the plain Inte|grity and harmle&s;s Innocency of</HI> Jean Urick, <HI>who was a Devout Poor Man, who &s;pent Eight hours of his Time in Prayer, Eight in Labor, and but Eight in Sleep and other Nece&s;&s;aries.</HI> And with this Complaint, to another who admired his A&s;toni&s;hing Learning and Indu&s;try, <HI>Ah Vitam perdedi opero &s;e nihil Agendo:</HI> And this Direction to a Third, that de&s;ired, in his great Learn|ing and Wi&s;dom, in brief, to &s;hew him what to do; who bade him, <HI>Be Serious.</HI></P>
<P>Count <HI>Gundomer</HI> was as great a Wit and State&s;man as ever <HI>Europe</HI> knew, and took as much Liberty in point of Religion; till drawing towards his latter end, he would &s;ay, as they &s;ay of <HI>An&s;alem; I fear nothing more in the World than Sin;</HI> often profe&s;&s;ing, <HI>That if he &s;aw Corporally the Horror of Sin on the one hand, and the Pains of Hell on the other, and mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be plun|ged into the One, he would choo&s;e Hell
<PB N="49" REF="28">rather than Sin; yea, that what liberty &s;oever he had taken, he had rather be torn in pieces with Wild Hor&s;es, than wittingly, or willingly run into any Sin.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Above all</HI> (&s;ays Sir <HI>Philip Sidney,</HI> at the time of his Death) <HI>govern your Will and Affections by the Word and Will of your Creator; and in me behold the end of this World.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Damnation.</HEAD>
<P><HI>PEter Lumbard</HI> &s;ays, <HI>GOD Con|demns none before he Sins; nor Crowns any before he Overcomes.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Di&s;re&s;pect.</HEAD>
<P>IF any de&s;pi&s;e thee, do not bear a grudge again&s;t him for it: And be not offended with any, meerly be|cau&s;e they do not Honor thee. If any neglect or &s;light thee, care not for it, yet ob&s;erve it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="50" REF="29">
<HEAD>Di&s;tru&s;t.</HEAD>
<P><Q>IT is <HI>Di&s;tru&s;t</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> to be trou|bled about that which is to come; Impatience again&s;t <HI>God,</HI> to be trou|bled for what is pre&s;ent; and An|ger at him, to be troubled at what is pa&s;t, <HI>Vid.</HI> Afflictions and Sufferings.</Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Doubting.</HEAD>
<P>ONe cau&s;e of uncomfortable Living is, That <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> look more at their pre&s;ent Cau&s;e of Comfort or Di&s;comfort, than they do at their fu|ture Happine&s;s, and the way to attain it. Another cau&s;e of <HI>Doubting,</HI> is, The weakne&s;s, and &s;mall mea&s;ure of your Graces, a little Faith and Love in and to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> is next to none at all, and therefore not ea&s;ily di&s;erned as they will be when they are &s;trong; labor therefore, by Prayer, for more.</P>
<P>What thou Doubte&s;t, do not.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="51" REF="29">
<HEAD>Duties.</HEAD>
<P>INternal Acts of <HI>Duty</HI> put a Good|ne&s;s into Externals. It is our Faith, Fear, and Love of <HI>God,</HI> that makes our <HI>Duties</HI> good. The <HI>Almo&s;t-Chri|&s;tian</HI> can Pray, but cannot Love <HI>God;</HI> can Teach or Hear, but he cannot take delight in <HI>God, Job</HI> 17.10. for Delight ari&s;es from a &s;uitablene&s;s between the Faculty and the Object. Now, none more un&s;uitable than <HI>God</HI> and a Car|nal Heart: Al&s;o Delight ari&s;es from having what we de&s;ire, and from en|joying what we have. How then can he delight in <HI>God,</HI> that neither en|joyeth, nor hath, nor de&s;ireth Good. Delight in <HI>God</HI> is one of the highe&s;t Exerci&s;es of Grace; and therefore how can he delight in <HI>God</HI> that hath no Grace.</P>
<P>Would you be a Chri&s;tian indeed, then be much in the u&s;e and exerci&s;es of Religious Ordinances; but much
<PB N="52" REF="30">more on Faith, and dependance on <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s. The Profeffor re&s;ts in Duties, and &s;o is but almo&s;t a <HI>Chri&s;tian;</HI> but ye mu&s;t be &s;ure to re&s;t upon the Lord <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> This is the way to be altogether a <HI>Chri&s;tian;</HI> if you believe that you are <HI>Abraham</HI>'s Seed, and Heirs according to the Promi&s;e.</P>
<P>Let me Pray now, as if I &s;hould ne|ver have Time to Pray more; Hear now, as if this were the la&s;t opportu|nity to of Hearing. Leave nothing to do till to Morrow, that may po&s;&s;i|bly be done to Day. What true <HI>Chri|&s;tians</HI> &s;hould we be, if we did not reckon of a Morrow? but &s;ee what a grand Deceit lies here; by putting it off till to Morrow, we gratifie our Con&s;cience in this, That we intend to do it hereafter; but mo&s;t of all plea&s;e Corruptions, in this, That we do it not to day.</P>
<P><Q>If thou would'&s;t keep thy Heart from vain Excur&s;ions, realize to thy
<PB N="53" REF="30">&s;elf, by Faith, the Holy and Awful Pre&s;ence of <HI>God</HI> in <HI>Duties.</HI> Flavel.</Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Delays.</HEAD>
<P><Q>THe <HI>Ripene&s;s</HI> of the Occa&s;ion mu&s;t ever be well weighed: there is &s;urely no greater <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> than well to Time the fir&s;t on&s;et of things. If a Man watch too long for Dangers, it is ods but he will fall a&s;leep.&mdash;On the other hand, to be deceived with too large Shaddow, as &s;ome have been, when the Moon was low, and &s;hone on their Enemies Back, and &s;o to &s;hoot before the time. To teach Dangers to come on by too early buckling to them, as another extream. <BIBL><HI>Bacon</HI>'s <HI>E&s;&s;ays.</HI> 195.</BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Di&s;paragement.</HEAD>
<P><Q>CErtainly, he that <HI>Di&s;parages</HI> ano|ther by a Satyrical Wit, as he makes others afraid of his Wit, &s;o he
<PB N="54" REF="31">hath need to be afraid of others Me|mories. <BIBL><HI>Ibid.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Di&s;&s;imulation.</HEAD>
<P><Q>THe be&s;t Di&s;po&s;ition and Temper, is, to have opene&s;s in Fame and Opinion, &s;ecre&s;ie in Habit, Di&s;&s;imu|lation in &s;ea&s;onable u&s;e, and a Power to feign, if there be no Remedy, <BIBL><HI>Ibid.</HI> 31.</BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Doctrine.</HEAD>
<P><Q><HI>CHRIST</HI> came down from <HI>Hea|ven</HI> for this very end; namely, To teach us the way to Eternal Life, and therefore &s;aith of him&s;elf, <HI>I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I come to Teach all the&s;e things unto you, and all the World. </HI><BIBL>B. of <HI>Hereford.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="55" REF="31">
<HEAD>Dignities.</HEAD>
<P>SOme that lived commendably be|fore they attained to <HI>Dignity,</HI> being &s;et on the Candle&s;tick of the Church, turn their Light into Dark|ne&s;s; It had been better for &s;uch Lights &s;till to have been under a Bu&s;hel.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Drunkenne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P><Q>AS the Clouds darken <HI>Heaven,</HI> &s;o Intemperate Banqueting the Mind: As the Violence of Winds and Waves &s;inks a Ship; &s;o <HI>Drunken|ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Gluttony</HI> &s;inks our Souls and Bodies into <HI>Hell.</HI><BIBL><HI> Chri&s;ologus.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P><HI>Qui peccat ebrius luat &s;obrias,</HI> If thou Offend when thou art <HI>Drunk,</HI> thou mu&s;t be Puni&s;hed when thou art Sober.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="56" REF="32">
<HEAD>Delights.</HEAD>
<P><HI>THeodoret</HI> &s;ays, <HI>The</HI> Delights <HI>of the Soul are to know her Maker, and to know her own State.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Devils Power.</HEAD>
<P><Q>THe <HI>Devils,</HI> without <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s leave, had no Power over the <HI>Gaderan</HI>'s Swine; much le&s;s have they Power over <HI>GOD</HI>'s Sheep. <BIBL><HI>Tertullian.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Equity.</HEAD>
<P>EQUITY without Goodne&s;s, is Severity; and Ju&s;tice without Piety, Cruelty.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="57" REF="32">
<HEAD>Earthly Things.</HEAD>
<P>COn&s;idering the Vanity of <HI><HI>Earth|ly Things</HI> Iraeneus</HI> &s;aith, <HI>What is that Honor that is &s;o &s;hort lived, as that perhaps it was not of Ye&s;terday, neither will be to Morrow: And &s;uch Men that labor &s;o much for it, are but like Froth, which, tho' it be uppermo&s;t, yet is unprofitable.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Evidences.</HEAD>
<P>WHen thou ha&s;t <HI>Evidences</HI> of thy Sincerity, which cannot in rea&s;on be gain-&s;aid, hold to them and take Comfort in them; yet &s;till endeavor, by reviews, and diligent &s;earchings, to clear it more and more. We keep our <HI>Evidences,</HI> by keeping our Graces in lively Exerci&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="58" REF="33">
<HEAD>Election.</HEAD>
<P><HI>GOD</HI> by his Word calleth all; but his Secret <HI>Election</HI> appointeth who &s;hall hear with Fruit.</P>
<P><HI>GOD</HI> hath, according to the Tenor of his Covenant, procured Salvation for all, if they will Believe; but he hath procured for his Cho&s;en, even this condition of Believing.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Envy.</HEAD>
<P>OF all other Affections, it is mo&s;t Importune and continual; for of all other Affections, there is an oc|ca&s;ion given but now and then; but <HI>Envy</HI> is ever working on &s;ome or other: And it is al&s;o noted, that <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Envy</HI> make a Man Pine, which other Affections do not, becau&s;e they are &s;o continual: It is al&s;o the vile&s;t Affection, and mo&s;t depraved; for
<PB N="59" REF="33">which cau&s;e, it is the proper Attri|bute of the Devil, who is called the <HI>En|vious Man,</HI> that &s;oweth Tares among the Wheat by Night; as it always cometh to pa&s;s that <HI>Envy</HI> worketh Subtilty, and in the Dark, and to the prejudice of good things, &s;uch as Wheat. <HI>Bacon</HI>'s <HI>E&s;&s;ays.</HI> 49.</P>
<P><HI>Pro&s;per</HI> &s;aith, <HI>The Envious Man hath &s;o many Tortures, as the Envied hath Prai&s;es. It is the Ju&s;tice of Envy to Torment and Kill the Envious.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Examination.</HEAD>
<P>THe end of <HI>Examination</HI> is to bring a Man to &s;uch a &s;ight of his Sins, as might truly humble him, and make him &s;en&s;ible of his own danger, that hath provoked &s;o great a Maje&s;ty, who is able &s;o &s;adly to revenge him&s;elf upon him: and that will &s;ure|ly, even to the mo&s;t Carnal Heart, appear a mo&s;t rea&s;onable ground of
<PB N="60" REF="34">Sorrow. But that is not all, It mu&s;t likewi&s;e bring him to a &s;ence and Ab|horrency of his Ba&s;ene&s;s and Ingra|titude, that hath thus offended &s;o good and Gracious a <HI>God;</HI> that hath made &s;uch unkind and unworthy Returns to tho&s;e tender Mercies of his. <HI>Whole Duty of Man.</HI> Vide <HI>here|in Humility.</HI></P>
<P>It's &s;aid of Sir <HI>Thomas More, That the Government of his Family was, ex|act enjoyning all his Children to take Vertue for their Meat, and Play for their Sawce.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Encouragement.</HEAD>
<P>ONe Writ to the Duke of <HI>Bucking|ham, That</HI> Di&s;incouragements <HI>would deter Men of Parts, whom <HI>En|couragements</HI> might make Servic|able.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="61" REF="34">
<HEAD>Elegancy.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>Francis Bacon</HI>'s Axiom was, <HI>Words &s;hould wait on Things, and not Things on Words.</HI> And his Re&s;o|lution was, <HI>That all affected Elegance was below the Gravity and Maje&s;ty of a publick Di&s;cour&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>FAITH.</HEAD>
<P>I Have One Definition of <HI>Faith,</HI> which is the be&s;t: <HI>Faith,</HI> &s;aith Lord Chief Ju&s;tice <HI>Hales, is a firm a&s;&s;ent to the Sacred Truths, whe|ther the Truths relate to things pa&s;t; as, that</HI> God <HI>made the World; that</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>the</HI> Me&s;&s;ias, <HI>is come in the Fle&s;h,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Or to Things pre&s;ent; as, That Almighty</HI> God <HI>knows all I do, and knows all I think; or, That he is a re|conciled Father unto me, in</HI> Chri&s;t Je|&s;us;
<PB N="62" REF="35"><HI>Or Things to come, which principal|ly excite tho&s;e Two great movers of the Soul, <HI>Hope</HI> and <HI>Fear,</HI> in relation to the future Life of Rewards and Puni&s;h|ments.</HI> Hale.</P>
<P><HI>Faith</HI> worketh by Love, con&s;umeth our Corruptions, and Sanctifieth the whole Man throughout.</P>
<P>I come to <HI>God,</HI> by <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and as I believe in <HI>God,</HI> &s;o I believe al&s;o in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and rejoyce and glory in Him, acknowledging my own un|worthine&s;s and &s;infulne&s;s: I re&s;t en|tirely on Him, as the ground of my Ju&s;tification to Life, and of all favour and acceptance with <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>I mo&s;t heartily take <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> accor|ding to the offers of the Go&s;pel; not only to be Ju&s;tified from my Sins, and delivered from the Wrath to come, by his Merits, but al&s;o to be Sanctified by his Word and Spirit; and to be Go|verned by his Law, and to be brought by him unto Fellow&s;hip with <HI>GOD.</HI> Corbet<HI>'s Self-Imployment.</HI></P>
<PB N="63" REF="35">
<P>Tho' there be not a co-operation of <HI>Faith,</HI> and other Graces to Ju&s;tifie, yet there is a co-exi&s;tence of <HI>Faith</HI> and other Graces in the Per&s;ons Ju|&s;tified.</P>
<P><HI>Faith</HI> cannot be the Hand to take <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but Love will be the Warmth to heat our Affections to <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> they always go together like Mother and Daughter, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.6. <HI>Phil.</HI> 5.</P>
<P><HI>Faith</HI> is required as an Hand which we &s;hould put forth to receive Pardon for our Sins. <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> At <HI>God</HI>'s Hands, as a Free-Gift, for he blotteth out our Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions for his own &s;ake. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 43.25. <HI>Secondly,</HI> At <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Hands, as a purcha&s;ed Commodity bought for us, with his own precious Blood, and given to you.</P>
<P>There is <HI>Fir&s;t</HI> an Heart mollifying <HI>Faith. Secondly,</HI> An Heart purifying <HI>Faith. Thirdly,</HI> A fruitful <HI>Faith. Fourthly,</HI> An Heart Praying <HI>Faith. Fifthly,</HI> A Victorious <HI>Faith.</HI></P>
<PB N="64" REF="36">
<P><Q>Tho' we are Ju&s;tified by <HI>Faith,</HI> yet it is by <HI>Faith working by Love,</HI> Gal. 5.6. And he that <HI>Loves</HI> God, <HI>keeps his Commandments,</HI> John 14. <BIBL><HI>Bi&s;hop of</HI> Hereford<HI>'s Legacy,</HI> 66, 67.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P>As to <HI>Faith</HI> Ju&s;tifying, and the Me|rit of Good-Works, Bi&s;hop <HI>Cranmer</HI> concluded with this, <HI>That our Ju&s;tifi|cation was to be a&s;cribed only to the Me|rit of</HI> Chri&s;t Je&s;us; <HI>and that tho&s;e that are Ju&s;tified mu&s;t have Charity as well as</HI> Faith; <HI>but that neither of the&s;e is the Meritorious Cau&s;e of our Ju&s;tification.</HI></P>
<P>When ever we read of our Ju&s;tifi|cation by Faith, it is meant of our Ju|&s;tification in a Go&s;pel way; and that is by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> alone Meritoriou&s;ly, and by what he hath done and Suffered: <HI>Faith</HI> being but the conditional means. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Satisfaction contrived, provi|ded, accepted, and the Conditions per|formed, then every Saved Per&s;on will appear Righteous before <HI>God;</HI> and it will be very apparently a Righteous thing with <HI>God,</HI> to bring &s;uch to Glo|ry,
<PB N="65" REF="36">who have <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Righteou&s;ne&s;s by way of Satisfaction, to an&s;wer for them in re&s;pect of the Law, and their own <HI>Faith,</HI> and &s;incere (tho' imper|pect) Obedience to an&s;wer the terms of the Go&s;pel.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Faith, to Live by it.</HEAD>
<P>IT is an Heavenly and Dutiful com|mitting our whole Per&s;ons, and of our whole E&s;tates upon <HI>God,</HI> with a Pious dependance on <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> for &s;uit|able and &s;ea&s;onable Supplies in all our Exigencies, Occurrences, and Changes what&s;oever. When the Soul is in any Exigence, and comes to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and puts it &s;elf upon him, and tru&s;ts to him for help: This is to <HI>Live by Faith;</HI> and this <HI>Faith</HI> extends it &s;elf both to our Spiritual and Temporal E&s;tate. The Ju&s;t &s;hall Live by his <HI>Faith, Gal.</HI> 3.11. &s;peaking of the <HI>Tem|poral</HI> State; <HI>And Live by Faith of the
<PB N="66" REF="37">Son of</HI> God, (&s;ays St. <HI>Paul</HI>) Gal. 2.2. &s;peaking of the <HI>Spiritual</HI> State.</P>
<P><Q>By rea&s;on of the Dignity of <HI>Chri&s;t's</HI> Per&s;on, his Obedience and Sufferings being performed in our Nature, and wholly upon our account, <HI>God</HI> by an Infinite Gracious Statute, in <HI>Heaven,</HI> accepts them for us; (tho' not as done by us) and reckons all the Ef|fects and Advantages of them by way of Imputation to us. <BIBL><HI>Ju&s;tification Evangelical.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P><Q>We &s;hould not try Mens <HI>Faith</HI> by their Per&s;ons; but their Per&s;ons by their <HI>Faith.</HI> <BIBL><HI>Tertullian.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
<P><HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom</HI> &s;aith, <HI>As a Rock, tho' the Winds blow, and the Waves beat again&s;t it, is Immovable; &s;o</HI> Faith, <HI>grounded on the Rock</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>holds out in all Temptations, and Spiritual Com|bats.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chry&s;ologus</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Neither in the Steel alone, nor in the Flint alone, any Fire can be &s;een, nor Extracted, but by Conjunction and Colli&s;ion; &s;o, nor by</HI>
<PB N="67" REF="37">Faith <HI>alone, nor by Works alone is Sal|vation to be attained, but by joyning both together.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Alexander</HI> of <HI>Hales</HI> &s;aith, <HI>What the Eye is to the Body, Faith is to the Soul, it's good for direction if it be kept well. And as Flies hurt the Eyes, &s;o little Sins, and Ill-Thoughts do the Soul.</HI></P>
<P>Says <HI>Luther</HI> to <HI>Melancthon, Who feared to Profe&s;s the Truth, If the Cau&s;e be bad, lets revoke it, and fly back; but if it be good, why do we make</HI> God <HI>a Lyar, who hath made us &s;uch great Promi&s;es,</HI> viz. <HI>Ca&s;t thy Care on the Lord, and be of good Comfort, I have Overcome the World. If</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>be the Conqueror of the World, why &s;hould we fear it, as tho' it would Over|come us? therefore be not afraid, but Couragious and Chearful, &s;olicitous for nothing, the Lord is at hand to help us.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Calvin</HI> &s;aith, <HI>With all my Heart I embrace the Mercy which</HI> God <HI>hath u&s;ed towards me, for</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t<HI>'s &s;ake, recompencing my Faults with the
<PB N="68" REF="38">Merits of his Death and Pa&s;&s;ion, that Satisfaction may be made, by this means, for all my Sins and Crimes, and the re|membrance of them may be blotted out.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I have not lived &s;o, that I am a&s;ha|med to live longer, neither do I fear to Die, becau&s;e I have a Merciful Lord, in that a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s is laid up for me:</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>is my Righteou&s;ne&s;s. Father, let thy Will be done, thy Will, I &s;ay, and not my own, which is imper|fect and depraved. This Day let me &s;ee the Lord</HI> Je&s;us, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Jewel.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fall of Man.</HEAD>
<P><HI>An&s;elm</HI> &s;aith, <HI>O hard hap! What did Man lo&s;e? What did he find? He lo&s;t the Ble&s;&s;edne&s;s to which he was made, and found Death, to which he was not made.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="69" REF="38">
<HEAD>Fortune.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>William Saint James</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>That none Fought well, but tho&s;e that did it for a <HI>Fortune.</HI></HI></P>
<P><HI>Fortune</HI> (&s;aith Sir <HI>Ralph Winwood) may begin a Man's Greatne&s;s, but Ver|tue mu&s;t continue it.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Friend&s;hip.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Friend&s;hip</HI> (&s;aith my Lord <HI>Bacon) ea&s;eth the Heart, and cheareth the &V;nder&s;tanding, making clear Day in both; partly by giving the pure&s;t Coun|cil, or partly from our Intere&s;t and Pre|po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, and partly, by allowing op|portunity to Di&s;cour&s;e, and by that Di&s;|cour&s;e to clear the Mind, to recollect the Thoughts, to &s;ee how they look in Words, whereby Men attain to the highe&s;t Wi&s;|dom, which</HI> (Dioni&s;ius Aeriopagitus <HI>&s;aith) is the Daughter of Reflection.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="70" REF="39">
<HEAD>Forgivene&s;s.</HEAD>
<P><HI>IF a Man</HI> (&s;aith Sir <HI>David Brooke) wrongeth me once,</HI> God <HI>forgive him; If he wrong me the &s;econd time,</HI> God <HI>forgive me.</HI></P>
<P>O <HI>God</HI> Forgive me my Ten Thou|&s;and Talents: I come to <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who hath made &s;atisfaction, and lay this heavy Reckoning to his Account. Lord forgive me mine Iniquity, for it is very great. <HI>Vid.</HI> Pag. 70.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Frugality.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Frugality</HI> is the Left-Hand of Fortune, and Diligence the Right.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fa&s;ting.</HEAD>
<P><Q><HI>FA&s;ting,</HI> and other Holy Revenges upon our &s;elves for our Sins, are very acceptable to <HI>God;</HI> yet we mu&s;t
<PB N="71" REF="39">not think, that either tho&s;e, or any thing el&s;e we can do, can make &s;a|tisfaction for our Offences; for that nothing el&s;e but the Blood of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> can do: And therefore, upon that, and not upon any of our Performan|ces, we mu&s;t depend for Pardon; yet, &s;ince that Blood &s;hall never be applied to any but Penitent Sinners, we are as much concern'd to bring forth all the fruits of Repentance, as if our Hopes depended on them wholly. <BIBL><HI>Duty of Man,</HI> 126.</BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Fear.</HEAD>
<P><Q>THe Man that <HI>Fears <HI>GOD</HI></HI> is the Wi&s;e&s;t Man; and he that upon that account departs from Evil, is the Man of greate&s;t Under&s;tanding. <BIBL><HI>Hales</HI>'s <HI>Contemplations,</HI> 15.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P><Q>When Trembling is the Fruit of a Spirit broken for Sin, and the Law in its own Eyes, there <HI>God</HI> will look. <BIBL><HI>Mead.</HI> 72.</BIBL></Q></P>
<PB N="72" REF="40">
<P><Q>How great a Madne&s;s is it to <HI>Fear</HI> Man, will &s;oon appear, if we do but compare what Man can do unto us, and what <HI>God</HI> can do: And <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> It is &s;ure, it is not in the Power of Man (I may &s;ay, Devils too) to do us any hurt, without <HI>God</HI> permit and &s;uffer them to do it: So that if we do but keep him to be our Friend, we may &s;ay with the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, The Lord is on my &s;ide, I need not fear what Man can do unto me;</HI> for let their Malice be ne|ver &s;o great, he can re&s;train, and keep them from hurting us: Nay, He can change their Minds towards us, ac|cording to that of the Wi&s;e-Man, <HI>Prov.</HI> 16.7. <HI>When a Man's Ways plea&s;e the Lord, he can make his very Enemies to be at Peace with him.</HI> A notable Example of this, we have of <HI>Jacob, Gen.</HI> 32. Who, when his Bro|ther <HI>E&s;au</HI> was coming again&s;t him, as an Enemy, <HI>God</HI> wonderfully turn|ed his Heart; &s;o that he met him with all the loving Expre&s;&s;ions of
<PB N="73" REF="40">Brotherly kindne&s;s, as you may read in the next Chapter. But <HI>Secondly,</HI> Suppo&s;e Men were left at liberty to do thee what Mi&s;chief they could; alas! their Power goeth but a little way; they may perhaps rob thee of thy Goods, it may be they may take away thy Liberty, or thy Credit, or perchance thy Life too, but that thou knowe&s;t is the utmo&s;t they can do. But now <HI>God</HI> can do all this when he plea&s;es; and that which is infinitely more, his Vengeance reach|es even beyond Death it &s;elf, to the Eternal Mi&s;ery both of Body and Soul in Hell: in compari&s;on of which, Death is &s;o incon&s;iderable, that we are not to look upon it with any dread. <HI>Fear not them that Kill the Body, and after have no more that they can do,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Luk.</HI> 12.4. and then immediately adds, <HI>But I will forewarn you whom ye &s;hall fear; fear him, which after he hath Killed, hath Power to ca&s;t into Hell; yea, I &s;ay
<PB N="74" REF="41">unto you, fear him.</HI> In which words, the Compari&s;on is &s;et between the greate&s;t Ill we can &s;uffer from Man, the lo&s;s of Life, and tho&s;e &s;adder E|vils <HI>God</HI> can inflict on us: And the latter are found to be the only dread|ful things, and therefore <HI>God</HI> only to be Feared. <BIBL><HI>Duty of Man.</HI> 20.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P>Let your Fear of Men, &s;tir up an Holy Fear of <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Grace and Merits.</HEAD>
<P>CArdinal <HI>Pool</HI> was wont to &s;ay, (tho' a <HI>Papi&s;t) We cannot give too much to</HI> God<HI>'s Grace, nor too little to our own Merits.</HI> He &s;aid, when he returned into <HI>England, I came hither not to Condemn, but to Reconcile; not to Compel, but to De&s;ire.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="75" REF="41">
<HEAD>God's People.</HEAD>
<P>THey are a &s;mall part of lo&s;t Man|kind, whom God hath from Eternity Prede&s;tinated to the Glory of Heaven, for the Glory of his Mer|cy, and given to his Son, to be by him in a Spiritual manner Redeemed from their lo&s;t E&s;tate, and advanced to this higher Glory; all which Chri&s;t doth in due time accompli&s;h accordingly for them, and by his Spirit upon them: But this is but a piece of their De&s;crip|tion concerning God's Work for them and upon them. Lets &s;ee al&s;o what they are to do in regard of the work|ing of their own Souls towards God and their Redeemer again, <HI>viz.</HI> The&s;e People of God are that part of the Externally called, who having been by the Spirit of Chri&s;t throughly, tho imperfectly Regenerated, and hereby Convinced, and &s;en&s;ible of the Evil
<PB N="76" REF="42">in Sin, that Mi&s;ery in them&s;elves, that Vanity in the Creature, that Nece&s;&s;ity, Sufficiency, and Excellency of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; that they abhor that Evil, be|wail that Mi&s;ery, and turn their hearts from that Vanity, and mo&s;t affectio|nately accepting of Chri&s;t for their Saviour and Lord, to bring them to <HI>God</HI> their chief Good, and pre&s;ent them perfectly ju&s;t before him: Do accor|dingly enter into a Cordial Covenant with him, and herein per&s;evere to their lives end. <HI>Baxter.</HI></P>
<P>A Godly Man is one of tho&s;e who&s;e Conver&s;ation is in Heaven, his Hopes and Heart are likewi&s;e there, for his Riches, his Hou&s;e, and his Relations are in Heaven, a Godly Mans All is there; ask him what he hath on Earth, and he will tell you nothing, or le&s;s than nothing: Ask him then, wherein are his Ble&s;&s;ings? he will tell you, where his Father is, there are my de&s;ired Ble&s;&s;ings, there are my hopes, there is my All, there
<PB N="77" REF="42">I wi&s;h that I my &s;elf were with them. <HI>Wad&s;worth</HI> on <HI>Phil.</HI> 12.</P>
<P>I would not only have God here|after, but in this World for my chief good; for, as far as I am able to di|&s;cerne my heart and ways, I have cho|&s;en the Lord for my Portion, I take my re&s;t in him, and not in the Crea|ture; to Love, Fear, Admire, and Ble&s;s him, and to have my Communion with him, is my Joy: an Eternal Vi&s;ion and Fruition of God, is my great hope, he is even now better than the whole World. Mr. <HI>Corbet</HI>'s <HI>En|quiry,</HI> pag. 6.</P>
<P><HI>Lactantius</HI> &s;ays, Godline&s;s Enriches the owner.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Grace.</HEAD>
<P>GRace flowing from the Spirit of God, makes the Soul like a Fountain, who&s;e Waters are pure and whole&s;ome; for Grace Beautifyeth, Clean&s;eth, and Saveth the whole Man. <HI>Ignatius.</HI></P>
<PB N="78" REF="43">
<P>When a Man de&s;ires Grace from a right &s;ence of his natural State, when he &s;ees the vilene&s;s of Sin, and the woful, defiled, and loath&s;ome condi|tion he is in by rea&s;on of Sin, and there|fore de&s;ires the Grace of Chri&s;t with unce&s;&s;ant earne&s;tne&s;s, to renue and change him, this is Grace. <HI>Mead</HI> 68.</P>
<P>Grace is a comprehen&s;ive Word, and includes in it not only favour and acceptance with God, but al&s;o tho&s;e other acce&s;&s;aries of the Gifts of Boun|ty and Goodne&s;s, which comes from the great Giver of every good and perfect Gift, as Wi&s;dom, Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, Purity of Heart, and the like. <HI>Hales.</HI></P>
<P>Grace is precious, it &s;uffereth not it &s;elf to be mingled with External things, nor with Earthly Comforts; thou oughte&s;t therefore to ca&s;t away all hindrances of Grace, if thou de|&s;ire the Infu&s;ion thereof. <HI>De Kempis.</HI></P>
<P>The lea&s;t Grace gives a full Intere&s;t in the Blood of Chri&s;t, whereby we
<PB N="79" REF="43">are fully and throughly Purged; and it gives a full Intere&s;t in the &s;trength and power of Chri&s;t, whereby we &s;hall be perfectly pre&s;erved. <HI>Mead.</HI></P>
<P>To quicken your Graces, you mu&s;t fir&s;t quicken your Humility, by con|&s;idering your many Sins repeated. Secondly, you mu&s;t quicken your Faith, by Meditating on the Promi|&s;es to all Penitent Sinners. Thirdly, by quickening your Love to God, by con&s;idering his Mercies, e&s;pecially tho&s;e remembred in the Sacrament; his giving Chri&s;t to Die for us, and your Love to your Neighbour, nay, to your very Enemies, by con&s;idering that great Example of his Suffering for us, when we were Enemies to him.</P>
<P>You mu&s;t know, that it is not gifts but Grace that makes a Man a Chri|&s;tian; a Man may Preach like an A|po&s;tle, and Pray like an Angel, and yet have the Heart of a Devil: It is Grace only that can change the heart, a gracele&s;s Profe&s;&s;or may have more
<PB N="80" REF="44">gifts than the mo&s;t &s;ound Believer; he may out-Pray, out Preach, and out-do them; but they in Sincerity, and Integrity, out-do him.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Good and Wicked Men, and Hypocrites.</HEAD>
<P>THey are like True and Counter|feit Money, the one &s;eems to be good, and is not; the other both &s;eems and is good. <HI>Ignatius.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Goodne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>GOod things of this life, if they be our only Portion, we are in a &s;ad Condition; &s;o <HI>Gregory</HI> the Great thought, for he could never read tho&s;e words: <HI>Son, remember thou in thy life time received thy good things,</HI> without Horror and A&s;toni&s;hment, lea&s;t hav|ing &s;uch Dignities and Honours as he
<PB N="81" REF="44">had, he &s;hould be excluded from his Portion in Heaven.</P>
<P>The &s;igns and parts of goodne&s;s are the&s;e; If a man be Courteous to Strangers, it &s;hews he is a Citizen of the World, and that his heart is no I&s;land cut off from other Lands, but a continent that joyns to them: If he be Compa&s;&s;ionate towards the Affli|ctions of others, it &s;hews his Heart is like the noble Tree, that is Wound|ed it &s;elf, when it gives the healing Balm: If he ea&s;ily pardons and re|mits Offences, it &s;hews his Mind is planted above Injuries, &s;o that it can|not be &s;hot: If he be thankful for &s;mall Benefits, it &s;hews he weighs mens Minds, and not their Tra&s;h: But above all, if he have St. <HI>Pauls</HI> affecti|on, That he could wi&s;h him&s;elf <HI>Ana|thematized</HI> from Chri&s;t for the Salvati|on of his Brethren, it &s;hews much of a Divine Nature, and a kind of Con|formity to Chri&s;t him&s;elf. <HI>Bacon</HI>'s <HI>E&s;&s;ays.</HI> 70.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="82" REF="45">
<HEAD>Grandees.</HEAD>
<P>It is &s;aid that <HI>Great Men</HI> are the fir&s;t that find their own Griefs, and the la&s;t that find their own Faults: The Lord <HI>Rich</HI> was quick in both, and hath taught us this, that certainly Men of great Fortunes are &s;trangers to them&s;elves, and while they are in the puzzle of Bu&s;ine&s;s, &amp; have no time to attend the Welfare either of Body or Soul; and that they mu&s;t with|draw from this World, before they re|tire to another.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Happine&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>THe way to attain to it in &s;hort is, by the con&s;tant and &s;incere en|deavours of a holy Life, in and through the Merits of Je&s;us Chri&s;t: Chri&s;t in|deed is the Author of Eternal Salva|tion, but Obedience is the Condition of it; &s;o the Apo&s;tle tells us, That
<PB N="83" REF="45">Chri&s;t is the Author of Eternal Sal|vation to them that Obey him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.1.</P>
<P>I long to enjoy thee, O Lord, mo&s;t inwardly, but I cannot attain unto it; my de&s;ire is, that I may be given up to Heavenly things; but unmortified Pa&s;&s;ions and Temporal things weigh down my Mind. I would be above all things, but with the Fle&s;h I am forced to be &s;ubject again&s;t my will. Thus unhappy Man that I am, I fight again&s;t my &s;elf, and am grievous to my &s;elf: Whil&s;t my Spirit &s;eeks to be a|bove, my Fle&s;h &s;eeks to be below.</P>
<P>Say not that we are unable to &s;et our Hearts on Heaven, this mu&s;t be the Work of God, and therefore all your Exhortations are in vain; for I tell you, though God be the chief di&s;|po&s;er of your Hearts, yet, next under Him, you have the greate&s;t Com|mand of them your &s;elves; and a great power of ordering your own thoughts and determining your
<PB N="84" REF="46">own Wills in their choice; tho' with|out <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> you can do nothing, yet un|der him you may do much, and mu&s;t do much, or el&s;e it mu&s;t be undone, and you undone thro' your own neg|lect. Do your own Parts, and you will have no cau&s;e to Di&s;tru&s;t whether <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> will do his: Do not your own Con&s;ciences tell you, when your Thoughts are abroad, that you may do more than you do, in the re&s;train|ing of them; and when your Hearts be flat, and neglect Eternity, and &s;el|dom mind the Joys before you, that is mo&s;t wilful. If you be to &s;tudy a &s;et Speech, you can force your Thoughts to the intended Subject. If a Mini&s;ter be to Study a Sermon, he can force his Thoughts to the mo&s;t &s;aving Truths, and that without any &s;pecial Grace. Might not a true Chri&s;tian then, mind more the things of the Life to come, if he did not neg|lect that Authority over his own Thoughts, which <HI>God</HI> hath given him;
<PB N="85" REF="46">e&s;pecially in &s;uch a work as this, where he may more confidently ex|pect the A&s;&s;i&s;tance of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who u|&s;eth not to for&s;ake his People, in the work he &s;etteth them upon. <HI>Mr.</HI> Baxter<HI>'s Re&s;t. Part the Fourth.</HI> 53.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Heavenly Sayings.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Robert Rollock</HI> &s;aith, <HI>I ble&s;s</HI> God <HI>I have all my Sen&s;es entire, but my Heart is in Heaven; and Lord</HI> Je&s;us <HI>why &s;hould'&s;t not thou have it? It hath been my Care, all the Day long to Dedicate it unto thee: I pray thee take it, that it may live with thee for ever.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Hooper</HI> Martyr, &s;aid, <HI>Impri&s;onment is painful, but Liberty upon Evil Con|ditions is wor&s;e: The Pri&s;on &s;tinks, yet not &s;o much as &s;weet Hou&s;es, where the Fear of</HI> God <HI>is wanting. I mu&s;t be a|lone, and Solitary; it is better be &s;o, and have</HI> God <HI>with me, than to be in the Company of the Wicked. Lo&s;s of
<PB N="86" REF="47">Goods is great, but the lo&s;s of Grace and</HI> God<HI>'s favour is greater: I cannot tell how to an&s;wer before Great and Learned Men; yet it is better do that, than &s;tand Naked before</HI> God<HI>'s Tribunal. I &s;hall Die by the hands of Cruel Men: He is Ble&s;&s;ed that lo&s;eth his Life, and finds Life Eternal. There is neither Felicity nor Adver&s;ity in this World is great, if it be compared with the Joys of the World to come.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Bilney</HI> the Martyr being going to be Burnt, was, by a Friend, Exhorted to take his Death patiently: to whom he &s;aid, <HI>I am Sailing, with the Mariner, thro' a boi&s;terous Sea, but &s;hortly &s;hall be in Heaven; help me with your Pray|ers.</HI></P>
<P>Bi&s;hop <HI>Ridley</HI> Writing to Mr. <HI>Brad|ford,</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be</HI> God, <HI>notwith|&s;tanding our hard re&s;traint, and the E|vil Reports rai&s;ed of us, we are Merry in</HI> God, <HI>and all our Care is and &s;hall be (by</HI> God<HI>'s Grace) to plea&s;e and &s;erve him; from whom we expect (after
<PB N="87" REF="47">the&s;e Temporary and Momentany Mi&s;e|ries) to have Eternal Joy and Felicity with</HI> Abraham, I&s;aac, <HI>and</HI> Jacob, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And Writing to Mr. <HI>Latimer,</HI> in Pri|&s;on, he &s;aid, <HI>Good Father, let me have &s;omewhat more from you to Comfort my Stomach; for unle&s;s the Lord a&s;&s;i&s;t me, in his Service, I &s;hall play the White|liver'd Knight; but he can make a Cow|ard in his Cau&s;e to Fight like a Man.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Jerom</HI> of <HI>Prague</HI> being ready to be Burned, the&s;e were his la&s;t words, <HI>This Soul of mine, in Flames of Fire, O</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>I offer unto thee.</HI></P>
<P>Sir <HI>Thomas More</HI> &s;aid, <HI>We go to Hell with more pain than we may go to Heaven with.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Honor.</HEAD>
<P>IT is <HI>Machiavils</HI> Rule, <HI>That they that ri&s;e very high &s;hould de&s;cend timely, to quit the Envy, le&s;t they lo&s;e the Ho|nor of their Greatne&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="88" REF="48">
<P>Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> asked Sir <HI>Nicholas Bacon, Why his Hou&s;e was &s;o little;</HI> he an&s;wered, <HI>My Hou&s;e is not too little for me, but you have made me too big for my Hou&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Heavenly Country.</HEAD>
<P>HOw Worthy, yea, how nece&s;&s;ary a thing it were that they (that is, the Lord <HI>Burleigh,</HI> and Sir <HI>Francis Wal&s;ingham</HI>) &s;hould at length bid fare|wel to the Snares, one of a Secretery, and the other of an Amba&s;&s;ador, and &s;hould both of them &s;et their Minds upon their <HI>Heavenly Country;</HI> and by Repentance, ask Mercy of <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Human Affairs.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Human Affairs</HI> are &s;o uncertain, that he &s;eemeth the Wi&s;e&s;t Man, not who hath a Spirit to go on, but
<PB N="89" REF="48">he that hath a Warine&s;s to come off: And that &s;eems the be&s;t Cour&s;e that hath mo&s;t Pa&s;&s;ages out of it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hatred.</HEAD>
<P>THe World perhaps doth not Love us, have we not rea&s;on to thank it, if it make us place our Affections on Heaven.</P>
<P><HI>Epiphanius</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, <HI>That he ne|ver let his Adver&s;ary Sleep; not that he di&s;turbed him in his Sleep, but becau&s;e he agreed with him pre&s;ently, and would not let the Sun go down upon his Wrath.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pro&s;per</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt neither</HI> Hate <HI>the Man for his Vice; nor</HI> Love <HI>the Vice for the Mans &s;ake.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Heart and Tongue.</HEAD>
<P><HI>CYprian</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Two things never wax Old in Man, the <HI>Heart</HI> ever ima|gining new Cogitations, and the <HI>Congue</HI> uttering vain Corruptions of the Heart.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="90" REF="49">
<HEAD>Hearing the Word.</HEAD>
<P>Cyril &s;aith, <HI>Some came to Church to &s;ee Fa&s;hions, others to meet their Friends; yet it is better come &s;o, than not at all: In the mean time, the Net is laid, and they that intend nothing le&s;s, are drawn into</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>who catches them not to de&s;troy them, but that being Dead, he may bring them to Life Eternal.</HI></P>
<P>St. <HI>Bernard,</HI> when he came to the Church Door, u&s;ed to &s;ay this to him|&s;elf; <HI>Stay here all my Worldly Thoughts and Vanity, that I may entertain Hea|venly Meditations.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hereticks.</HEAD>
<P><HI>IRaeneus</HI> was wont to compare the <HI>Hereticks</HI> and <HI>Schi&s;maticks</HI> of his Time, to <HI>E&s;op</HI>'s Dogg, that lo&s;t the Sub&s;tance of Religion, whil'&s;t they gaped too earne&s;tly after the Shaddow.</P>
<PB N="91" REF="49">
<P>It was St. <HI>Hierom</HI>'s &s;aying, <HI>Dead Fle&s;h is to be cut off for fear of Gangrene.</HI> Arias <HI>at fir&s;t was but a Spark, but be|ing not &s;uppre&s;&s;ed betimes, proved the Incendary of the whole Church.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Holine&s;s.</HEAD>
<P><HI>ISodore</HI> faith, <HI>Knowledge and a Good Life are both very profitable; yet if both cannot be attained, a Good Life is rather to be &s;ought than much Know|ledge.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hope.</HEAD>
<P>WE will never part comfortably with our Enjoyments on Earth, till we have comfortable Thoughts of better in Heaven.</P>
<P>That <HI>Hope</HI> of Salvation that is not accompanied with Heart Purification, is vain <HI>Hope.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="92" REF="50">
<HEAD>Humility.</HEAD>
<P>IT is a lowly frame and habit of Spi|rit, ari&s;ing from a due &s;ence of the glorious Excellency of Almighty <HI>God,</HI> and our own Frailties and Infirmities, and upon our Infinite dependance on his Bounty, Goodne&s;s, and Mercy, whereby we are under a con&s;tant, firm, and &s;ound Conviction; that all that is in us, or that is Injoyed, or can be expected by us, is from the free and un|de&s;erved Liberality of that glorious <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An Humble Man</HI> (&s;ays <HI>Alexander</HI> of <HI>Hales) is like a good Tree; the more fuller of Fruit the Branches are, the lower they bend them&s;elves.</HI></P>
<P>It is the empty Soul (I mean, one empty of Pride, Self-conceit, and Vain-Glory) that is capable of Satisfaction with the Divine Goodne&s;s.</P>
<P><Q>If an Humble Man doth any Good, Noble, or becoming Action, he
<PB N="93" REF="50">checks the fir&s;t motions of Pride and O&s;tentations in him&s;elf, and receives not the Applau&s;e of others, but di|rects all to the Prai&s;e and Glory of it to that <HI>God</HI> that hath done it for him, and by him, <HI>Not unto us, but unto thy Name give the Glory.</HI> <BIBL>C. J. <HI>Hales.</HI> 141.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P>And Ju&s;tice <HI>Hales</HI> &s;aid, <HI>I can call my own Experience to witne&s;s, that even in the external Actions, Occurrences, and Incidencies of my whole Life, I was ne|ver di&s;appointed of the be&s;t Guidance and Direction, when in</HI> Humility, <HI>and the &s;ence of my own deficiency and diffidence of my own Ability to direct my &s;elf, or grapple with the difficulties of my Life, I have with Humility and Sincerity em|ployed the &s;ecret Directions and Gui|dance of the Divine Providence; and I dare therein appeal to the vigilant and &s;trict Ob&s;ervance of any Man's Experi|ence, whether he hath not found the &s;ame Experience in relation to him&s;elf, and his own Actions and Succe&s;&s;es, whether
<PB N="94" REF="51">tho&s;e Coun&s;els and Purpo&s;es which have been taken up, after an humble Invocation of the Divine Direction, have not always been mo&s;t &s;ucce&s;sful in the end.</HI> 146, and 130.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Hypocri&s;ie.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Hypocri&s;ie</HI> is to do the outward Acts, without the inward Since|rity; now, to do them without Sin|cerity, is to do them without Love; for to do a thing in Love, is to do it in Sincerity; that is the be&s;t way to know it by: A man that doth much to God, but not out of Love, all that he doth is out of Hypocri&s;ie. Doctor <HI>Pre&s;ton.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Hypocrite</HI> hath a Profe&s;&s;ion that he may not &s;eem Wicked, but it is but a Profe&s;&s;ion, and therein he is Wicked. He that pretends to God|line&s;s by a &s;pecious Profe&s;&s;ion, and yet doth not practi&s;e Godline&s;s by an
<PB N="95" REF="51">holy Conver&s;ation, he hath a Form, but doth deny the Power. <HI>Mead.</HI></P>
<P>It is &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s and earne&s;tne&s;s a|bout fle&s;hly Vanity, and want of &s;e|riou&s;ne&s;s about things Spiritual and Eternal, which is the temper and Character of the Hypocrite.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Je&s;ts.</HEAD>
<P><HI>ARche</HI> made King <HI>James</HI> &s;en&s;ible of the danger the Prince was in in <HI>Spain,</HI> by telling him he would change Caps with him; <HI>Why, (&s;aid the King?) becau&s;e thou ha&s;t &s;ent the Prince into</HI> Spain, <HI>from whence he is never likely to return;</HI> But &s;aid the King, <HI>What wilt thou &s;ay, if thou &s;ee him return back a|gain; Marry,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>I will take off the Fools Cap which I now put on thy head for &s;ending him thither, and put it on the King of</HI> Spains <HI>for letting him return.</HI></P>
<PB N="96" REF="52">
<P>Secretary <HI>Baurus</HI>'s Son kept a Gen|tlemans Wife in <HI>Shrop&s;hire,</HI> and when he was weary of her, cau&s;ed her Hu&s;|band to be dealt with to take her home again, a&s;&s;uring him of 500 <HI>l.</HI> for Reparation: The Gentleman went to Sir <HI>Henry Sidney</HI> to take his Advice, telling him, That his Wife promi&s;ed him to live a new Life, and to &s;ay the truth, 500 <HI>l.</HI> would be very &s;ea|&s;onable at that time: <HI>By my troth,</HI> &s;aid Sir <HI>Henry, take her home and the Money with her, and then whereas other Cuckholds wear their Hornes plain, you may wear yours Guilt.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Injuries.</HEAD>
<P><HI>INjuries</HI> of Evils pre&s;ent, are to be neglected for hopes of things to come. St. <HI>Cyprian.</HI></P>
<P><HI>You mu&s;t</HI> (&s;aith St. <HI>Jerom</HI>) <HI>be a Dove and a Serpent, the one not to do hurt to others, the other not to be hurt by others.</HI></P>
<PB N="97" REF="52">
<P><HI>He knows not how to live, that kno<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> not how to bear Wrongs.</HI> David Chiterus.</P>
<P>The Mercies and Forgivene&s;s that I find and hope for, at the Lords hands, engageth and di&s;po&s;eth me to forgive <HI>Injuries</HI> and <HI>Abu&s;es</HI> done to me: And I &s;hould not think it much, that I, who am &s;o &s;inful, &s;hould bear &s;ome Contumelies and Abu&s;es from Men. <HI>Corbet.</HI></P>
<P>The more Men Wrong thee, the more watchfully maintain thy Love to them. <HI>Ibid.</HI></P>
<P>When that another hath &s;poken to thy Di&s;grace, beware of a tran&s;port of Anger, that thou &s;peak not har&s;hly and unadvi&s;edly again&s;t him, or too Pa&s;&s;i|onately, or as too much concerned for &s;elf. <HI>Ibid. Vid.</HI> Wrongs.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Incarnation.</HEAD>
<P>TO believe the Incomprehen&s;ible Mi&s;tery of our Saviour's <HI>In|carnation,</HI> that the omnipotent Di|vine
<PB N="98" REF="53">Nature, and the weak Nature of Man are united in one Per&s;on of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> is &s;ure a very hard thing of Belief, and requires the expre&s;s Word of <HI>God</HI> to &s;ubmit to and captivate our Under&s;tandings, in Obedience to it, for the Union of the Divine Nature. <HI>Vid.</HI> John 1.1.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Idlene&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>HE is a Sluggard that would raign with <HI>God,</HI> and will not labor for <HI>God.</HI> In the promi&s;ed Reward he takes delight, but the Commanded Combats affright him. <HI>Bead.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Ingratitude.</HEAD>
<P>ST. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> called <HI>Ingratitude</HI> the <HI>Devils Spunge, whereby he wipes out all the favours of the Almighty.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="99" REF="53">
<HEAD>Integrity.</HEAD>
<P>SAint <HI>Cyprian</HI> &s;ays, <HI>There can be no <HI>Integrity</HI> whereby they that &s;hould Condemn the Wicked are ever wanting; and they only which &s;hould be Condem|ned, are ever pre&s;ent.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Judgment.</HEAD>
<P>SAint <HI>Jerom</HI> &s;aid, <HI>What&s;oever he did he &s;till thought that that Voice was &s;till in his Ears, Ari&s;e ye Dead, and come to Judgment.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Intere&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>THey who lea&s;t con&s;ider Hazard in the doing of their Duty, fare be&s;t &s;till: The &s;ure&s;t way to Safety is, to have one Intere&s;t e&s;pou&s;ed firmly, as never to be changed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="100" REF="54">
<HEAD>KINGS.</HEAD>
<P>IT is a Maxim, that <HI>KINGS</HI> are like the Sun; and U&s;urpers like Falling-Stars: for the Sun, tho' it be Effu&s;cated, or Eclip&s;ed with Mi&s;ts and Clouds, yet at length becomes reful|gent; whereas the others are but Fi|gures of Stars to the view, and prove no more than Exhalations, which &s;ud|dainly di&s;&s;olve and fall to the Earth, where they are con&s;umed.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t, Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is his Enemies <HI>King. Secondly,</HI> His Saints <HI>King. Thirdly,</HI> His Fathers King. The Fir&s;t he Rules <HI>Over;</HI> the Second he Rules <HI>In;</HI> and the Third he Rules <HI>For.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Knowledge.</HEAD>
<P>ST. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> &s;aid, <HI>To know thy &s;elf is ve|ry difficult; for as the Eye can &s;ee all things but it &s;elf; &s;o &s;ome can di|&s;cern all Faults but their own.</HI></P>
<PB N="101" REF="54">
<P>There is a common <HI>Knowledge,</HI> and there is a &s;aving <HI>Knowledge,</HI> common <HI>Knowledge,</HI> is that which floats in the Head, but doth not Influ|ence and affect the Heart: This <HI>Know|ledge</HI> Reprobates may have, <HI>Numb.</HI> 23.10. but then the &s;aving <HI>Knowledge</HI> of <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which doth include the a&s;&s;ent of the Mind, and con&s;ent of the Will: This is <HI>Knowledge</HI> which im|plies Faith, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.8. <HI>By his Knowledge &s;hall my Righteous Servant Ju&s;tifie many.</HI></P>
<P>For us to know, but to know, that's Curio&s;ity; to know, to be known, that's Vain-Glory; but to know, to Practi&s;e what we know, that's Go&s;|pel-Duty.</P>
<P>He only knows <HI>GOD</HI> aright that knows how to Obey him; and Obeys according to his <HI>Knowledge</HI> of him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 111.10. a good Under&s;tanding have all they that keep his Com|mandments.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="102" REF="55">
<HEAD><HI>Law of</HI> GOD.</HEAD>
<P><HI>E&V;&s;ebius</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>Wrote the</HI> Old Law <HI>in dead Tables of Stone; but</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>did write the lively and perfect Documents of the</HI> New Law, <HI>in Tables of the New-Te&s;tament, in liv|ing Souls.</HI></P>
<P>One Law Executed, is worth Twenty Made.</P>
<P>No Laws, &s;o no good could be done by a Governor that was not Ab&s;olute, without either re&s;traint or a Compe|titor. <HI>Machiavil.</HI></P>
<P>Law and Equity have Two Courts, but Law and Equity &s;hould dwell in one Brea&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Light Gold.</HEAD>
<P>THe Ma&s;ter of a Company affirm|ed, That they had a pair of Scales that would turn with the Two hun|dredth
<PB N="103" REF="55">part of a Grain: I &s;hould be loath &s;aid Mr. Attorney General <HI>Noy,</HI> &s;tanding by, that all my Actions &s;hould be weighed by tho&s;e Scales. We are all but <HI>Light Gold.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Liberty.</HEAD>
<P>A People accu&s;tomed to live under a Prince, if by accident they be|come free, are like Bea&s;ts let loo&s;e, and have much ado either to main|tain their Government or their Li|berty. <HI>Machiavil.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Love.</HEAD>
<P><HI>LOve</HI> is nothing but a di&s;po&s;ition of the Will, whereby it cleaves or makes forward to &s;ome good thing that is agreeable to it &s;elf. <HI>Pre&s;ton.</HI> 216.</P>
<P>St. <HI>Jerom</HI> u&s;ed this excellent &s;aying, <HI>If my Father &s;tood Weeping on his Knees
<PB N="104" REF="56">before me, and my Mother hanging on my Neck behind me, and all my Bro|thers, Si&s;ters, Children, and Friends howling on every &s;ide, to retain me in a &s;inful Life, I would run over my Father, fling my Mother to the Ground, de&s;pi&s;e my Kindred and fling them under my Feet, that I may run to</HI> CHRIST. Heres Love and Fortitude!</P>
<P>St. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Love is &s;trong as Death; as Death killeth the Body, &s;o Love of Eternal Life kills Worldly De|&s;ires and Affections.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Love</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> being predo|minant in the Soul, deadens the Af|fections to any thing el&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> asked <HI>Peter</HI> Three Times, <HI>Love&s;t thou me,</HI> not for his own Infor|mation, but that by his Threefold Profe&s;&s;ion he might help his Three|fold Negation of him. <HI>Nicephorus.</HI></P>
<P>To Love <HI>God,</HI> and to be conforma|ble to him, is that which I mo&s;t of all de&s;ire &s;hould be in me. <HI>Corbet</HI>'s <HI>Enquiry.</HI></P>
<PB N="105" REF="56">
<P><HI>God</HI> will never Damn in Hell any Soul, that hath the habitual Predomi|nance of the Love of <HI>God</HI> in his Soul, tho' culpable or otherwi&s;e &s;inful whil'&s;t remains &s;uch; yea Hell and &s;uch Love are incon&s;tant. <HI>Ibid.</HI> 30.</P>
<P><HI>I</HI> Love <HI>to</HI> Love <HI>GOD</HI> (&s;ays Mr. <HI>Corbet</HI>) <HI>and de&s;ire this Love, not only as an evidence of my Salvation, but for it &s;elf: I had much rather have an Heart to</HI> Love <HI>him perfectly, than to have all the Honors, Riches, and Plea|&s;ures of this World.</HI> Ib. 17.</P>
<P><HI>Love</HI> to <HI>God</HI> is the Fountain and Spring of all true Obedience; mo&s;t of the Hypocrites <HI>Love,</HI> empties it &s;elf in Vain-Glory. <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.2, 5. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10.1.</P>
<P><HI>We know that we have pa&s;&s;ed from Death unto Life, becau&s;e we love the Brethren,</HI> John 3.14, 10. there we un|der&s;tand <HI>Brethren by Grace, and not by Nature,</HI> or otherwi&s;e; to love <HI>God</HI> for Godline&s;s &s;ake, the Saints for Saint|&s;hips &s;ake; this is a &s;ure Te&s;timony of our Chri&s;tianity.</P>
<PB N="106" REF="57">
<P>A Sinner cannot Love a Saint, <HI>Quatenus</HI> a Saint; neither can a Saint love a Sinner, <HI>Quatenus</HI> a Sinner. <HI>John</HI> 15.19. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 57.4.</P>
<P>It is a true Rule, That Love is ever Rewarded, either in the Recipoque, or with an Inward or &s;ecret Contempt. Watch again&s;t all &s;ecret Plea&s;ure, in the le&s;&s;ening of another for advancing of thy &s;elf.</P>
<P><HI>Divine Love</HI> (&s;ays <HI>Ba&s;il</HI>) <HI>is a never failing Trea&s;ure; he that hath it is Rich, and he that wanteth it is Poor.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;o&s;tom</HI> &s;aith, <HI>A Bulwark of A|damant is not more impregnable than the</HI> Love <HI>of Brethren.</HI></P>
<P>We can hardly &s;pare time for <HI>God,</HI> becau&s;e we Love him too little; but we have abundance of &s;pare time for our Idle Aver&s;ions, only becau&s;e we love them too much.</P>
<P>Sir <HI>Thomas Howard</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>That the le&s;s others &s;et by him, the more he would &s;et by him&s;elf.</HI></P>
<P><HI>God</HI> makes his Love &s;en&s;ible to the
<PB N="107" REF="57">faithful Soul, and &s;aith to it, by the Pre&s;ence of his Spirit, <HI>Soul I am thy Salvation;</HI> and the Soul &s;aith to him, <HI>Lord thou art my</HI> God, <HI>I am thine, &s;ave me, teach me to do thy Will:</HI> God Com|muneth with the Soul, by his Word and Spirit, that is by Prayer and Ho|ly Meditations. <HI>Pe. Du Moulin.</HI> 39.</P>
<P>All the Deliverances that <HI>God</HI> &s;end|eth his Children, all the Ble&s;&s;ings that <HI>God</HI> poureth out upon them, they take them as Productions of the Fatherly love of <HI>God,</HI> who hath Adopted them in his Son; they ta&s;te that love in the Enjoyments of pre&s;ent Goods; they breathe that love in hope of future and eternal Good; they re&s;t upon that love, when they &s;leep; they re&s;t upon that love in the Occurrences of their Life, with what face &s;oever the World looks upon them; they &s;ee thro' them the evident love of <HI>God,</HI> being certain that nothing happens to them but is directed by the good hand of their loving Father. <HI>Ib.</HI> 37.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="108" REF="58">
<HEAD>Life to come.</HEAD>
<P>THe Life to come is ble&s;&s;ed Eter|nity, certain Security, a &s;ecure Quietne&s;s, quiet Joyfulne&s;s, happy E|ternity, and Eternal Felicity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Lyes.</HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Lye,</HI> as <HI>Mountane</HI> &s;aith, is only to brave it towards <HI>God,</HI> and to be a Coward towards Man; for a <HI>Lye</HI> faceth <HI>God,</HI> and &s;hrinketh from Man.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Lu&s;ts.</HEAD>
<P>AS a great &s;hower of Rain puts out the force of Fire, &s;o Meditations of <HI>God</HI>'s Word puts out the Fire of Lu&s;ts in our Souls.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="109" REF="58">
<HEAD>Maxims.</HEAD>
<P><HI>VIdeo &amp; Rideo</HI> is <HI>God</HI>'s Motto on Affronts. <HI>Video &amp; tacio,</HI> was Queen <HI>Elizabeths.</HI> And <HI>Prudens qui Patiens,</HI> Sir <HI>Edward Cooks.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Melancholy.</HEAD>
<P>A Mind, in the dark of Melancholy and Trouble, feareth every thing.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Mi&s;takes in Divinity.</HEAD>
<P>THere will be <HI>Mi&s;takes</HI> in <HI>Divinity</HI> whil'&s;t Men Preach: And <HI>Errors</HI> in <HI>Government</HI> whil'&s;t &s;uch Govern.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Mirth and Vanity.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>Edward Fines</HI> would &s;ay, <HI>That he that would be Merry for a Day, let him be Trim'd; He that would be
<PB N="110" REF="59">Merry for a Week, let him Marry: He that would be Merry for a Year, let him Build: And he that would be Merry for Ages, let him Improve his Land.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Marriage.</HEAD>
<P><HI>HOly</HI> Marriage (&s;ays St. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI>) <HI>is better than proud Virginity.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Meekne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P><HI>THeodo&s;ius</HI> Senior, Commanded, <HI>That he that Reviled and &s;poke Evil of him &s;hould not be Puni&s;hed, be|cau&s;e if it proceeded from levity, it is not to be regarded; if of Madne&s;s, it was to be pittied; if of Injury received, it is to be Pardoned in them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="111" REF="59">
<HEAD>Malice.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Origen</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That Gods Providence hath ordered all things for &s;ome End or Purpo&s;e:</HI> He made not Ma|lice, and tho' he can re&s;train it, yet he will not; for if <HI>Malice</HI> were not, <HI>Virtue</HI> &s;hould not have a contrary, and &s;o &s;hould not &s;hine &s;o clear: For the Malice of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI>'s Brethren was the means whereby God brought ma|ny admirable works of his Provi|dence, as the Story &s;heweth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Ma&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>AT <HI>Rome,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther,</HI> I heard them &s;ay Ma&s;s in &s;uch a man|ner, as I dete&s;t them: For at the Communion Table, I heard Curte&s;ans laugh and boa&s;t of their Wickedne&s;s. And others, concerning the Bread and Wine on the Altar, &s;aying, <HI>Bread thou art, and Bread thou &s;halt remain:
<PB N="112" REF="60">Wine thou art, and Wine thou &s;halt re|main.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Martyrdom.</HEAD>
<P><HI>IGNATI&V;S</HI> &s;aid of his Tormen|tors, That the Lions Teeth are but like a Mill, for tho' it brui&s;eth yet wa&s;teth not the good Wheat, on|ly prepares and fits it to be pure Bread: <HI>Let me</HI> (&s;ays he) <HI>be broken by them, &s;o I may be a pure Manchet for Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Latimer</HI> being ready to be burnt, &s;aid, <HI>God is faithful, that will not &s;uffer us to be Tempted above that we are able,</HI> &amp;c. When the Fire was brought, he &s;aid to Bp. <HI>Ridley, Be of good Comfort, Brother, and play the Man, we &s;hall this day light &s;uch a Can|dle by Gods Grace in</HI> England, <HI>I tru&s;t &s;hall never be put out.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>John Philpot,</HI> in a Letter which he wrote to Mr. <HI>John Careles,</HI> then a Pri&s;oner in the <HI>Kings-Bench,</HI> he thus
<PB N="113" REF="60">writes, <HI>I am in this World in Hell, and in the &s;hadow of Death, but he that for my de&s;erts hath brought me down into Hell, &s;hall &s;hortly lift me up into Heaven, where I &s;hall continually look for your coming, and others of my faith|ful Brethren in the</HI> King's-Bench. <HI>And tho' I tell you I am in Hell in the judg|ment of the World, yet I a&s;&s;uredly feel in the &s;ame, the Con&s;olation of Heaven: Prai&s;ed be God, their loath&s;om and hor|rible Pri&s;on is plea&s;ant to me.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Mercy.</HEAD>
<P><HI>CHri&s;o&s;tom</HI> &s;ays, God had rather Men &s;hould love him, than fear him; to be called Father, rather than Ma&s;ter: He wins by Mercy, that he may not peri&s;h by Ju&s;tice.</P>
<P>Only a Godly Man knows how to make u&s;e of Mercies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="114" REF="61">
<HEAD>Neatne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>SIr <HI>Edward Cook</HI> was wont to &s;ay, It is profitable to be <HI>Neat,</HI> that the outward Neatne&s;s of the Body may be a moniter of the purity of our Souls.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Negotiating.</HEAD>
<P>USE &s;uch Per&s;ons as affect the Bu&s;i|ne&s;s wherein they are to be Em|ploy'd, for that quickneth much, and &s;uch are fit for the matter: As bold Men for Expo&s;tulation; fair &s;poken Men for Per&s;ua&s;ion; crafty Men for Enquiry, and Ob&s;ervation; Fro|ward and Ab&s;ur'd Men for Bu&s;ine&s;s that doth not well bear out it &s;elf: U&s;e &s;uch as have been Lucky, and prevailed before in things wherein you have employed them; for they
<PB N="115" REF="61">will endeavour to maintain their Pre|&s;cription: It is better &s;ound a Per|&s;on with whom he deals a far off, than to fall on the Point at fir&s;t, except you mean to &s;urpri&s;e him by &s;ome &s;hort Que&s;tion. <HI>Lord Bacon's E&s;&s;ays.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Nobility.</HEAD>
<P>NObility without Virtue is a Di&s;|grace; Virtue without Nobility is low; but Nobility adorned with Virtue, and Virtue embelli&s;hed by Nobility, rai&s;eth a Man as high as Nature reacheth; and he in whom the&s;e two Concur, have all the Glory a Man can attain unto (that is) both an inclination and a power to do well. <HI>In the Life of</HI> Francis Talbot, <HI>Earl of</HI> Shrewsbury.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="116" REF="62">
<HEAD>Obedience.</HEAD>
<P>LET it be thy &s;erious and fixed pur|po&s;e every Morning (through the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of Grace) not willing|ly or knowingly to commit any Sin, or to do any thing, thy Con&s;cience &s;hall tell thee is di&s;plea&s;ing to God; but if contrary to thy &s;erious inten|tion through Infirmity, &s;udden Sur|pri&s;al, violence of Temptation, or In|cogitancy, thou do'&s;t at any time fall, humble thy &s;elf before the Lord, be|wail and confe&s;s thy Faults with &s;or|row and grief, and &s;peedily recover thy &s;elf by a &s;erious Repentance, by flying to the Blood of Chri&s;t for Par|don.</P>
<P>Our Natures mu&s;t be renued before the Command can be rightly obeyed, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.18.</P>
<P>What&s;oever a Mans performances are, they cannot be called Obedience
<PB N="117" REF="62">whil&s;t the Heart remains unregene|rate, becau&s;e the Principle is fal&s;e and un&s;ound: Every duty done by a Be|liever is accepted of God, as part of his Obedience to the Will of God, tho' it be done in much weakne&s;s; be|cau&s;e, tho' the Believers hand is weak, yet his Heart is right; the Hypocrite may have the mo&s;t active Hand, but the Believer hath the mo&s;t faithful and &s;incere Heart.</P>
<P>Our applying to God, through Je|&s;us Chri&s;t; <HI>(id e&s;t)</HI> our addre&s;s to the Father, through his Son (begetting in us a &s;en&s;e of that Love which our Saviour had for us) cannot but kindle returns of Love &s;uitable to it; and that mu&s;t needs reform the inward Man; upon which, purity and holi|ne&s;s of Life, will certainly follow.</P>
<PB N="118" REF="63">
<P>Right Obedience to Chri&s;t: Fir&s;t, It mu&s;t be Evangelical. 1&s;t. For the Matter of it, <HI>Ye are my Friends, if ye do what&s;oever I command you,</HI> John 15.14. 2ly. To the manner of it, according to what God requires of us: <HI>God is a Spirit, and they that wor|&s;hip him, mu&s;t wor&s;hip him in Spirit and Truth,</HI> John 4.24. 3ly. The ground of it; <HI>This is a faithful &s;aying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chri&s;t Je&s;us came into the World to &s;ave Sinners; of whom I am chief,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.15. Secondly, It is an Univer&s;al Obedience, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.24. <HI>But thy &s;ervant</HI> Caleb, <HI>becau&s;e he hath another Spirit with him, and hath followed me fully; him will I bring into the Land,</HI> &amp;c. P&s;al. 119.6. <HI>Then &s;hall I not be a&s;hamed, when I have re&s;pect to all thy Commandments.</HI> Thirdly, It is a con|tinual Obedience, P&s;al. 119.112. <HI>I have enclined my Heart to perform thy Statutes always, even unto the end.</HI></P>
<PB N="119" REF="63">
<P>God is never ab&s;ent, tho' the wic|ked have him not in their Thoughts; where he is not by Favour, he is by Puni&s;hment and Terror. <HI>Greg. the Great.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Painting of Faces.</HEAD>
<P>THey that love to Paint them&s;elves in this World, otherwi&s;e than God hath made them, may ju&s;tly fear, that at the Re&s;urrection, their Creator will not know them. <HI>Cyprian.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Pa&s;&s;ions.</HEAD>
<P>IT is the greate&s;t Slavery in the World, to be &s;ubject to ones own Pa&s;&s;ions. <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="120" REF="64">
<HEAD>Patience.</HEAD>
<P>OTher Graces are but the parts of a Chri&s;tians Armour, but <HI>Pati|ence</HI> is the whole Armour of the Man of God; the Enemy foils us without it, but we foil him with it, <HI>Ignatius.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O that I could live</HI> (&s;ays Mr. <HI>Cor|bet) by Faith, in this time of Affliction; I endeavour to pre&s;s upon my Soul tho&s;e Arguments which the Scripture affords with Patience, and Long-&s;uffering, with Joyfulne&s;s; but this will not do the Work, except the Spirit of Faith and Patience be given from him, from whom comes down every good and perfect Gift: I do pray, I do cry to my Father, that he would give me the gracious Spirit, according to his Promi&s;es, that I may &s;hew forth the Power of his Grace, and that I may not Di&s;honour him.</HI></P>
<P>A Soul patient when Wrongs are offered him, is like a Man with a
<PB N="121" REF="64">Sword in one hand, and a Salve in the other; could wound, but will heal, <HI>Alexander of Hales.</HI></P>
<P>Do not promi&s;e to thy &s;elf that which God never promi&s;ed thee. This heals the evils that ari&s;e from vain hopes, and cools the anger of tho&s;e Sores that are cau&s;ed by fru&s;tration of our Expectations. It is lawful to de&s;ire &s;everal things which are uncer|tain, if God &s;ees them good for us; but let us not promi&s;e to our &s;elves any of them. Do not entertain thy thoughts with promi&s;es of Content|ment in &s;uch a relation, in &s;uch a con|dition, nor &s;ucce&s;s in &s;uch an Enter|pri&s;e, no, tho' thou goe&s;t about it wi&s;ely; but promi&s;e to thy &s;elf par|don of Sin and Eternal Life, if thou do thy Duty, and the Grace of God to do it, if thou pray for it and wilt u&s;e it; for this our Merciful Father hath promi&s;ed. And if we will hope for any thing, let it be (as I &s;aid be|fore) in the days of our Sorrow and
<PB N="122" REF="65">Adver&s;ity, to &s;upport our Heavine&s;s; but not in the days of our Pro&s;peri|ty, to plea&s;e our Fancies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Parents.</HEAD>
<P><HI>PArents</HI> ought to offer the&s;e things to their Children, as In&s;tructions both in God's Word, and Human Arts, which pre&s;erves them from Idlene&s;s and Folly, gives them Wi&s;|dom, and learns them Subjection and Obedience to their Superiours. <HI>Ju|&s;tin Martyr.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Peace.</HEAD>
<P>WHat will it avail thee to Di&s;pute &s;oundly of the Trinity, if thou be void of Humility, and art thereby di&s;plea&s;ing to the Trinity: high Words &s;urely never make a Man, neither Holy nor Ju&s;t; but a Vertuous Life
<PB N="123" REF="65">makes him dear to <HI>God:</HI> I de&s;ire rather to feel Compunction, than to under|&s;tand the Definition thereof. If thou do&s;t know the whole Bible, and the Sayings of all the Philo&s;ophers by Heart, what would that profit thee, without the Word of <HI>God:</HI> Vanity of Vanity, all is Vanity; but to fear <HI>God,</HI> and him only, this is the highe&s;t Wi&s;dom, by contempt of the World, to attend the Kingdom of Heaven. It is Vanity then to tend after Peri&s;h|ing Riches, to hunt after Honors, to climb to high Dignities, and to labor after that, for which we afterwards &s;uf|fer more grievous Puni&s;hments. Vani|ty it is to wi&s;h to live long, and care|le&s;sly to live well. Vanity it is to mind only this pre&s;ent Life, and not to fore|&s;ee the&s;e things that are to come. Vanity it is to &s;tay and &s;et thy love on the&s;e fading and Peri&s;hing things here below, and not to ha&s;ten thither where everla&s;ting Joy is permanent.</P>
<PB N="124" REF="66">
<P>Call often to mind that Proverb, <HI>The Eye is not &s;atisfied with &s;eeing, nor the Ear with hearing;</HI> endeavor there|fore to withdraw thy Heart from the&s;e Vi&s;ible things, and turn thy &s;elf to the Invi&s;ible; for they that follow their Sen&s;uality &s;hame their own Con&s;ci|ences, and lo&s;e the favor of <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>Thou mu&s;t labor to break thy Will in many things, if thou wilt have Peace and Concord with others. It is no &s;mall thing to live in Chi&s;tian Communion. It is no &s;mall thing to dwell in Religious Communion, and to conver&s;e therein without Com|plaint, and per&s;evere therein faithfully till Death. Ble&s;&s;ed is he that hath then lived well, and per&s;evered there|in till Death.</P>
<P>The Kingdom of <HI>God</HI> is within you, (&s;aith the Lord) turn thee with thy whole Heart to <HI>God,</HI> and for&s;ake this wretched World, and thy Soul &s;hall find re&s;t. Learn to de&s;pi&s;e Exterior things, and to give thy &s;elf Inferior,
<PB N="125" REF="66">and thou &s;halt perceive the Kingdom of <HI>God</HI> to come into thee; for the Kingdom of <HI>God</HI> is Peace; and within, the Holy Gho&s;t, which is not given to the Wicked: <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> will come unto thee, and &s;hew thee his Con&s;olations, if thou prepare for him a worthy Man&s;ion within thee: All his Beauty and Glory is within, and there he plea&s;eth him&s;elf; the Inward Man he often Vi&s;iteth, and hath with him &s;weet Di&s;cour&s;es, much Solace, much Peace, and wonderful Familiarity.</P>
<P>O faithful Soul, make ready thy Heart for this Bridegroom, that he may vouch&s;afe to come into thee, and dwell within thee: <HI>If any love me he will keep my Words,</HI> and we will come and make our Abode with him: Give therefore admittance to <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and de|ny entrance to all others. When thou ha&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> thou art Rich, and he will &s;uffice thee; he will be thy faithful and provident Helper in all things, &s;o that thou &s;halt not need to tru&s;t in
<PB N="126" REF="67">Men; for Men are quickly changed and quickly fall; but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> remain|eth firm, and &s;tandeth &s;ure unto the end.</P>
<P>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that under&s;tandeth what it is to love <HI>Je&s;us:</HI> Thou ought'&s;t to leave thy beloved Creature, which is not worthy of thy Heart, and &s;et it on <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who hath the only right to it: for if thou fix thy Love on the Creature thou wilt find it de|ceitful, and to fail thee then when thou &s;tande&s;t in mo&s;t need of help: whereas <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> will never fail thee of help at all times, but e&s;pecially when there's mo&s;t need; who hath &s;aid, <HI>I will never leave thee nor for|&s;ake thee.</HI></P>
<P>I will hear what the Lord will &s;peak in me; Ble&s;&s;ed is the Soul that hear|eth what the Lord &s;peaketh in her, and receiveth from his Mouth the Word of Comfort: Ble&s;&s;ed are tho&s;e Ears that receive the &s;ound of the Di|vine Voice, and li&s;ten not to the Voice
<PB N="127" REF="67">of the World: Ble&s;&s;ed are tho&s;e Ears which hearken not to the Voice that &s;oundeth outwardly, but to the Truth that &s;oundeth inwardly: Ble&s;|&s;ed are tho&s;e Eyes that are &s;hut to out|ward things, and open to tho&s;e things that are Internal: Ble&s;&s;ed are they that enter into the Inward Man, and en|deavor to prepare them&s;elves more and more by daily Excellencies to the at|taining of Heavenly Secrets: Ble&s;&s;ed are they that delight to conver&s;e with <HI>God,</HI> and rid them&s;elves of all Worldly Impediments. Con&s;ider the&s;e things, O my Soul, and &s;hut the door of thy &s;en&s;ual De&s;ires, that thou might'&s;t hear what thy <HI>God</HI> &s;aith unto thee. What&s;oever I can de&s;ire or imagine for my Comfort, I look for it not here, but hereafter; for if I &s;hould alone have all the Comforts of the World, after that his Ma&s;ter hath forgiven him Ten Thou&s;and Talents to for|give his Fellow Servant an Hundred Pence.</P>
<PB N="128" REF="68">
<P>It is in vain to come to the God of of Peace, without Peace; or to Pray for the Remi&s;&s;ion of our own Sins, without Forgivene&s;s of others; we mu&s;t not come to make an Attone|ment with <HI>God,</HI> without Forgivene&s;s of others; we mu&s;t not come to make an Attonement with <HI>God</HI> at the Altar, before we have made Attone|ment with our Brother in our Hearts.</P>
<P><HI>God</HI> giving us <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Content,</HI> we mu&s;t give him <HI>Content,</HI> by Obey|ing him, or el&s;e we do not love him. A Man is well-plea&s;ed with Him&s;elf and his own Actions, when he doth that which his own Con&s;cience tells him he ought to do; and is then of|fended with him&s;elf, when he goeth again&s;t the Light of his own Mind, neglecting his Duty, or doing that which is contrary to it. <HI>Tillot&s;on</HI> on <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 159.156.</P>
<P>O how good is it, and tending to <HI>Peace,</HI> to be &s;ilent of others Faults, and not to believe promi&s;cuou&s;ly of them,
<PB N="129" REF="68">all that's &s;aid, nor ea&s;ily to repeat what we have heard, to lay our &s;elves open to Fear. <HI>De Kempis,</HI> 257.</P>
<P>U&s;e not Animo&s;ity and Contention in any matter that may be brought to a good I&s;&s;ue, in the way of Peace. We are apt to hinder our Peace, by dreading and fearing tho&s;e Troubles it may be he never intended to bring upon us. <HI>Mr.</HI> Butler, <HI>our Mini&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P>He that &s;eeketh Liberty and Ea&s;e, &s;hall ever live in Di&s;quiet; for one thing or other will di&s;plea&s;e him. <HI>De Rempis,</HI> 82.</P>
<P>As far as is lawful, let us become all things to all Men, that we may live in Peace and Quietne&s;s; And let's not, by a Tumultuous handling of any Matter, give them occa&s;ion to oppo&s;e them&s;elves unto us.</P>
<P>It is true, that to lift up our Hands pure unto <HI>God,</HI> we had need to wa&s;h them in a better Innocency than our own; and the pure&s;t have need to be wa&s;h'd in the Blood of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t.
<PB N="130" REF="69">David</HI> him&s;elf having &s;aid he would wa&s;h him&s;elf in Innocency, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 36. And &s;oon after, <HI>But as for me, I will walk in mine Integrity;</HI> Immediately upon that, to Redeem and have Mer|cy upon him; yet <HI>God</HI> requires our Innocency, which he examines as a Gracious Father, not as a &s;evere Judge. He looks more to the Sincerity of our Hearts, rather than the Perfection of our Actions, giving Peace to the Pe|nitent Soul void of <HI>Hypocri&s;ie, P&s;al.</HI> 32.2, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity; and in who&s;e Spirit there is no Guile;</HI> that walk|eth before him, knowing his Infirmi|ties, and together with Confidence, knowing <HI>God</HI>'s Mercy, and the cer|tainty of his Promi&s;es. <HI>Peter Du Moulin,</HI> 65.</P>
<P>Our Confidence in <HI>God,</HI> by the Me|rit of his Beloved Son, is the Ground of <HI>Peace</HI> and <HI>Content;</HI> but that Con|fidence is fed by Works, we bear Te|&s;timony by our Faith; as by the Re|&s;piration,
<PB N="131" REF="69">we know that a Man is a|live; &s;o the exerci&s;e of Good Works, is together the Work of Faith, and the way to maintain the Spiritual Life.</P>
<P>Doctor <HI>Edward Fox</HI> Di&s;cour&s;ing one Day, (when Emba&s;&s;ador of terms of Peace) he &s;aid, <HI>Honourable ones la&s;t long, but Di&s;honourable ones no longer than Kings have Power to break them: The &s;ure&s;t way therefore to Peace,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>is a con&s;tant preparedne&s;s for War.</HI></P>
<P>The only Foundation of the Peace of the Soul, and contentment of Mind, is that Peace made for us, which <HI>God</HI> by his only Son <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who hath taken our Sins upon him&s;elf, and in con&s;equence the Puni&s;hment; giving us in exchange his Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and con&s;equently the Reward of it; &s;ince by it we appear Righteous before <HI>God.</HI> This is the Summary of the Go&s;pel; it is the only Comfort of the Faithful, that being Ju&s;tified by Faith, we have Peace with <HI>God,</HI> through <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> our Lord. Without that Per|&s;wa&s;ion,
<PB N="132" REF="70">all the Moral Precepts, and all the Rea&s;ons of <HI>Philo&s;ophy,</HI> cannot &s;et the Mind at re&s;t, much le&s;s the Riches, Honors, Plea&s;ures, and Pa&s;times of this World: for who can have Peace with him&s;elf, whil'&s;t he is in Di&s;&s;ention with <HI>God;</HI> and who can have Peace with <HI>God,</HI> but by the Mediation of his Be|loved Son, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> there being no other Name, under <HI>Heaven,</HI> by which we mu&s;t be Saved.</P>
<P>What tho' my Sins be great; yet they are le&s;s than the Merit of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> no Sin &s;o great that it ought to take away the Confidence of <HI>God</HI>'s Promi&s;es; no Sin &s;o great that it may Damn a Soul beaten down with Con|trition, but together rai&s;ed by Faith, and wa&s;h'd in the Blood of the Son of <HI>God:</HI> Indeed the remembrance of my Sins mu&s;t be bitter unto me; yet that Bitterne&s;s mu&s;t be Drowned in the Joy of Salvation, and my Repentance mu&s;t be a &s;tep, and not an hindrance to my Confidence: And to maintain
<PB N="133" REF="70">this Peace, we mu&s;t fir&s;t make it our earne&s;t task to make our &s;elves &s;ure of our Peace with <HI>God,</HI> by a lively Faith, whereby our Hearts may be Purified from Evil Works, and made Fertile in all Fruits of Holine&s;s; for hereby we &s;hall have Peace with our &s;elves, and &s;hall be Ma&s;ters at home: Al&s;o this Peace with <HI>God,</HI> brings Peace with our Neighbour; for he that hath a Comfortable feeling in his own Con|&s;cience, that <HI>God</HI> is reconciled with him, will ea&s;ily be reconciled with his Brethren, holding it a point of E|quity, Genero&s;ity, and Gratefulne&s;s, after that his Ma&s;ter hath forgiven him <HI>Ten Thou&s;and Talents, to forgive his Fellow Servant an Hundred Pence.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Perfection.</HEAD>
<P>AS to the &s;trict, ab&s;olute, and legal knowledge of <HI>Perfection,</HI> &s;o there is none perfect in this Life: for as <HI>Prov.</HI> 20.9. <HI>Who can &s;ay, I have
<PB N="134" REF="71">made my Heart clean and pure from my Sin:</HI> In this &s;ence there never was in the Earth one perfect Man except <HI>Adam,</HI> before his Fall, and that Man <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us:</HI> But then there is an E|vangelical Perfection, that &s;peaks Per|fection in a qualified and Go&s;pel &s;ence; and thus every good Man is a Perfect Man, even whil'&s;t he is here upon Earth: Take this in Five things, 1. He is Perfect as to his Ju&s;tification, in the fir&s;t moment of a Sinners Believ|ing, 2. He is perfectly Ju&s;tified, 3. His Sins being fully Pardoned, 4. His Guilt fully Expiated, 5. His Per&s;on made com|pleatly and perfectly Righteous, thro' the Imputation of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s perfect Righteou&s;ne&s;s, imputed unto him (for he that hath perfect Righteou&s;|ne&s;s upon him, hath perfect Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s.) Sanctification is a Pro|gre&s;&s;ive Act, that goeth on by little and little, &s;tep by &s;tep, by degrees: But Ju&s;tification is of a different Na|ture, that is a continued, but not a
<PB N="135" REF="71">Progre&s;&s;ive Act: We are not Sanctifi|ed all at once, but are Ju&s;tified all at once; and all the Succe&s;&s;ive Pardons that we have for Sin, are but the ef|fect of one continued Ju&s;tification, as that is particularly applyed and drawn forth. Ju&s;tification is, <HI>Simul &amp; &s;emel,</HI> altogether at once, as the Schools &s;peak.</P>
<P>Little Grace is perfect, in as much as it is continually growing up to Per|fection, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.22. <HI>Prov.</HI> 4.18. Dr. <HI>Jacomb.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Spencer Compton,</HI> Brother to the Right Honourable the Earl of <HI>Nor|thampton,</HI> calling to him&s;elf Reve|rend Per&s;ons, as Bi&s;hop <HI>Morley,</HI> and Dr. <HI>Earls,</HI> when he was on his Death-Bed at <HI>Bruges,</HI> he rai&s;ed him&s;elf on his Pillow, and held forth his Hands, as tho' he were embracing one, &s;aying, <HI>O my Je&s;us!</HI> Intimating the Comforts that flowed in and from the Holy Je&s;us into his Soul. After which ho|ly Exta&s;ie, compo&s;ing him&s;elf to a
<PB N="136" REF="72">calm and &s;erious Di&s;cour&s;e, he &s;aid to the Standers by, <HI>O! do good, and keep clo&s;e to the Principles of the Chri&s;tian Religion.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Publick Good.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>John Fines</HI> &s;aid, <HI>He is High that &s;erves a Princes private In|tere&s;t:</HI> He is always &s;o, that is Care|ful of the Publick Good.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Parents and Children.</HEAD>
<P>THree things there are (was Sir <HI>Anthony Cook</HI>'s &s;aying) before whom I cannot do ami&s;s. 1. <HI>My Prince.</HI> 2. <HI>My Con&s;cience.</HI> 3. <HI>My Children. Seneca</HI> told his Si&s;ter, <HI>That he could not leave her a great Portion, but he could leave her a good Pattern.</HI> Sir <HI>Anthony</HI> would write to his Daughter <HI>Mildred, My Example is your Inheri|tance, and my Life is your Portion.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="137" REF="72">
<HEAD>Prophecy.</HEAD>
<P>HE that will &s;ee what &s;hall be, let him con&s;ider what hath been: As Sir <HI>Richard We&s;ton</HI> &s;aid, <HI>There is the &s;ame de&s;ires of Honour and Intere&s;t in every Age, that were before it.</HI> So that, as <HI>Machivel</HI> ob&s;erves, <HI>It is very ea&s;ie with him that u&s;eth Diligence, and examineth pa&s;t Occurrances, to &s;erve him|&s;elf of tho&s;e Remedies which were in u&s;e among the Ancients; or if they fail, to devi&s;e what is mo&s;t like them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Per&s;everance.</HEAD>
<P><HI>EPhraim Sims</HI> &s;ays, <HI>That the re&s;olute Traveller knows his Journey to be Long, and the Way Dirty; yet goes on in hopes to come to his Hou&s;e.</HI> So let a Chri&s;tian, tho' the way to Heaven be narrow, tho' it be &s;et with Trou|bles and Per&s;ecutions, yet let him go
<PB N="138" REF="73">on till he hath fini&s;hed his Cour&s;e with Joy, for Heaven is his Home.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Plea&s;ures.</HEAD>
<P>WE mu&s;t deal with <HI>Plea&s;ures,</HI> as we do with Hony; only touch it with the tip of the Finger, not with the whole Hand, for fear of a Surfeit. <HI>Bead.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Poverty Spiritual.</HEAD>
<P>HE is poor who&s;e Soul is void of Grace, and not who&s;e Coffers are empty of Money: Contented Pe|verty is true Riches. <HI>Greg. the Great.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Pro&s;perity.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>John Fineux</HI> &s;aid, <HI>That no Man Thrived, but he that Lived as if he were the Fir&s;t Man in the World, and
<PB N="139" REF="73">that his Father was not Born before him.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Protection.</HEAD>
<P><HI>DEfend me</HI> (&s;aid <HI>Luther</HI> to the Duke of <HI>Saxony) with your Sword, and I will Defend you with my Pen. Maintain my Power</HI> (&s;ays the Mini&s;ter of State to his Soveraign) <HI>and I will Support your Maje&s;ty.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Prote&s;tant and Papi&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>Henry Wotton,</HI> being in a Po|pi&s;h Chappel, a Merry Papi&s;t that knew him, &s;ent a Paper to him with this Que&s;tion: <HI>Where was your Religi|on before</HI> Luther? Under which he writ, <HI>Where yours is not; that is, in the Written Word of God.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="140" REF="74">
<HEAD>Preaching and Preachers.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>Augu&s;tine Nicols,</HI> loved plain and profitable Preaching, being wont to &s;ay, <HI>I know not what you call Preaching, but I like them that come neare&s;t my Con&s;cience.</HI> The Speech of <HI>Julius Cae&s;ar</HI> is commonly known: <HI>Oportet eim parutarem &s;tantem mori.</HI> Which Bi&s;hop <HI>Jewel</HI> alter'd, and ap|ply'd to him&s;elf; <HI>Decet Epi&s;copum con|cionantem &s;tantem mori.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Pilgrim.</HEAD>
<P>A Chri&s;tian at home in his Hou&s;e, mu&s;t think him&s;elf a Stranger; and that his Country is above, where there be no Strangers. <HI>Au&s;tin.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="141" REF="74">
<HEAD>Providence.</HEAD>
<P>REmember always that God Rules the World, and tho&s;e things that are Accidents with us, are <HI>Providence</HI> with Him; and let this quiet thy Heart.</P>
<P>The Earl of <HI>Arundel,</HI> when the re&s;t of the Council were for the Dealing with the Queen of <HI>Scots</HI> underhand at a di&s;tance, he was to Deal with her plainly, and &s;aid to the Queen: <HI>The Wi&s;dom of the former Age was &s;o</HI> Pro|vident, <HI>that it needed not; and &s;o plain, that it admitted not</HI> Shifts.</P>
<P><HI>Peter Lumbard</HI> &s;aid, <HI>The in&s;truction of Words, is not &s;o Powerful as the Ex|hortation of Works; for if they which Teach well neglect to do well, they &s;hall hardly profit their Auditors.</HI></P>
<P>That in a great number of People of &s;everal Ages and Conditions (who are like an Harp with many Strings) it is hard to give every one &s;uch a
<PB N="142" REF="75">Touch, as may plea&s;e all, and offend none. <HI>Nazian&s;en.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Preaching.</HEAD>
<P>LET none Glory in the Gift of Preaching, in that they Edifie more by them; for they are not Au|thors of Grace, but Mini&s;ters.</P>
<P>It is hard to be Serious in hearing him, whom I think is not Serious in him&s;elf who Preacheth it; if I ap|prehend he Trifles, it is a great Temp|tation to me to do &s;o too.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Pride.</HEAD>
<P>REmember that they that <HI>Pride</HI> them&s;elves in Silk Apparel, can|not lightly put on the Holy Je&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>Cyprian.</HI></P>
<P>Thou boa&s;te&s;t thy &s;elf of thy Wealth, Honour, Strength, Beautiy; con&s;ider what thou art by Sin, and
<PB N="143" REF="75">what thou &s;halt be in the Grave, and thy Plumes will fall; for every Proud Man forgets him&s;elf.</P>
<P>He that begins to grow Better, let him beware lea&s;t he grow <HI>Proud;</HI> lea&s;t Vain-glory give him a greater over|throw than his former Vices. <HI>I&s;edore.</HI></P>
<P>To be Content, have a little E|&s;teem of thy &s;elf: <HI>Superbus &amp; aracus nunquam quie&s;cunt:</HI> No Man Whi&s;pers, but a <HI>Proud</HI> Man is di&s;turbed; where|as the ob&s;ervance of this Rule, will make us &s;ay when we are Contemned and Di&s;pi&s;ed, that they cannot think &s;o low of us, as we of our &s;elves, and then we &s;hall not be moved: It will help us in Poverty, Sickne&s;s, and all Misfortunes, whil&s;t we &s;ay le&s;s than the lea&s;t of God's Mercies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Prayer.</HEAD>
<P>THat <HI>Prayer</HI> that is pure and holy, entereth into the Heavens, and re|turneth not empty: It is a &s;helter to
<PB N="144" REF="76">the Soul, a Sacrifice to God, and a Scourge to the Devil.</P>
<P><HI>Au&s;tin</HI>'s Prayer was, <HI>Lord, fir&s;t give me what thou require&s;t, and then require what thou wilt.</HI> And he that Prayeth well, cannot choo&s;e but Live well.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Perkins,</HI> upon his Death-Bed, &s;aid to his Friends, praying for the ea&s;e of his Pain, <HI>Pray not for the ea&s;e of Torments, but for the encrea&s;e of my Patience.</HI></P>
<P>He that Prays for the good Things that he hath not, doth not &s;eek for that which is good, but that which &s;eems to be good.</P>
<P>Oh! what do I inwardly &s;uffer, when in my Mind I con&s;ider Hea|venly Things; and pre&s;ently in my Prayers, a multitude of Carnal Ima|ginations pre&s;ent them&s;elves before me. My God, be not far from me; depart not in thy Wrath from thy Servant; ca&s;t forth thy Light and &s;catter them; &s;end forth thy Darts,
<PB N="145" REF="76">and break all the Imaginations which the Enemy ca&s;ts in: Gather in, call home my Sen&s;es unto thee, make me forget all the things of this World; grant me to ca&s;t away &s;peedily the imaginations of Wickedne&s;s. Suc|cour thou me, thou everla&s;ting Truth, that no Vanity may move me; come Heavenly Sweetne&s;s, and let Impuri|ty fly from before thee: Pardon me al&s;o, and mercifully forgive me, as often as I think of any thing el&s;e be|&s;ides thee in Prayer. I do humbly confe&s;s I am wont to be &s;ubject to many Di&s;tractions, for I confe&s;s I am not there where I do corporally &s;tand or &s;it, but there am I, whither my Thoughts do carry me; where my Thoughts are, there am I. There are oftentimes my Thoughts where my Affections are, that offer them&s;elves quickly unto me, which is naturally delightful, and by cu&s;tom plea&s;ing. <HI>Tho. de Kempis,</HI> 268.</P>
<PB N="146" REF="77">
<P>If thou be in God, Chri&s;t is thy Father; and therefore in Prayer, thy Applications are to thy Father, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.7.</P>
<P>If we being evil, know how to give good things, what&s;oever thou can&s;t expect from thy Earthly Father; &s;o much, and much more, may'&s;t thou ex|pect from thy Heavenly Father, pati|ence to bear with thy Infirmities and Failings, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.18. compa&s;&s;ion to pity thy Sufferings, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103. Good|ne&s;s to &s;upply thy Wants, Ju&s;tice to revenge thy Injuries, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 105.14.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e Prayers that are from the workings and &s;ighings of God's Spirit in us, from &s;incere Hearts lifted up to God, through the &s;en&s;e of our own Emptine&s;s, and from God's infinite Fulne&s;s, that are &s;uited to God's Will, and the great Rule of Prayer, that are for Spiritual things more than Tem|poral, that are accompanied with Faith and dependance; the&s;e Prayers &s;peak a Man altogether a Chri&s;tian. <HI>Mead.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="147" REF="77">
<HEAD>A Prayer for Purging the Heart, and for obtaining Heavenly Wi&s;dom.</HEAD>
<P><HI>STrengthen me, O God, by the Grace of thy holy Spirit; give me to be &s;trengthened in the inward Man, and to empty my &s;elf of all unprofitable Care and Angui&s;h, not to be drawn away by &s;undry de&s;ires, either mean or precious, but looking upon all things as pa&s;&s;ing a|way together with them; for nothing is permanent under the Sun, where all things are vanity and vexation of Spi|rit;</HI> Oh, how wi&s;e is he that con&s;i|dereth of them! <HI>Tho. de Kempis,</HI> 112.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>A Powerful Letter.</HEAD>
<P>IN a Letter to King <HI>Henry</HI> the VIII. it is concluded thus: Wherefore Gracious King, have pity on your
<PB N="148" REF="78">Soul, and con&s;ider that the Day is e|ven at hand, when you &s;hall give an Account of your Office, and the Blood that hath been &s;hed with your Sword. In which day, that you Grace may &s;tand &s;tedfa&s;t, and may have your <HI>Quietus e&s;t</HI> &s;ealed with the Blood of our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which will only &s;erve at that day; is my daily Prayer, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Our Per&s;ecutors.</HEAD>
<P>FRet, Fume, and Gna&s;h the Teeth, to hear that we under the&s;e grie|vous Afflictions, can be &s;o Merry; let us Pray in&s;tantly, that this Joy may never be taken from us, for it pa&s;&s;eth the Delights of this World: <HI>This is the Peace which pa&s;&s;eth all &V;n|der&s;tanding.</HI> This Peace, the more it is cho&s;en, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with, the more they feel it; and therefore cannot faint, neither by Fire nor Water.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="149" REF="78">
<HEAD>Pro&s;perity.</HEAD>
<P>HEre lies the danger of a plea&s;ing Condition, in regard of Plea|&s;ures, Credit, Delights, Riches, Friends, Habitation, Health, or any inferiour thing, the more of Good that &s;eem|eth to be in them, (as di&s;tinct from God) the more Dangerous; for they are more like to &s;tand up in Competi|tion with him, and carry it with our partial and blinded Souls in the Com|petition. Remember this, if you love your &s;elves, when you would have all things about you more Plea&s;ant and Lovely, here lies the danger of a pro&s;perous Condition and State. On the contrary, here lies the ble&s;&s;ed be|nefit of Adver&s;ity, which if Men were not Bruti&s;h and Unbelieving, they would heartily welcome it as the &s;ure&s;t Condition. Mr. <HI>Baxters Re&s;t</HI> 3d <HI>Part,</HI> 216.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="150" REF="79">
<HEAD>Papi&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>MY Lord of <HI>Worce&s;ter</HI> (being a <HI>Papi&s;t</HI>) had this Maxim, <HI>That he would not be Di&s;ordered within him|&s;elf; only becau&s;e things were out of Or|der without him.</HI></P>
<P>Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>That my Lord of</HI> Worce&s;ter <HI>had Re|conciled what &s;he thought Incon&s;i&s;tent; A &s;tiff Papi&s;t to be a good Subject.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Puni&s;hment.</HEAD>
<P>WHen&s;oever God Puni&s;heth, he doth it for ju&s;t Cau&s;e, and the Godly never accu&s;e him of Ri|gour as the Wicked do; but acknow|ledge, that in them&s;elves is ju&s;t cau&s;e why they &s;hould thus intreat them, <HI>Dan.</HI> 9.7. <HI>Why &s;hould a Living Man complain, for the Puni&s;hment of his Sins.</HI> Hale, 130.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="151" REF="79">
<HEAD>Rea&s;on.</HEAD>
<P>IT's Human to u&s;e <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> rather than Force; and a Chri&s;tian to &s;eek Peace and en&s;ue it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Reformation.</HEAD>
<P>IT would be an ea&s;ie matter (&s;ays <HI>Malvezzi</HI>) for Favourites to Re|form Kings Palaces, if it were not an hard thing to Reform their own Hou&s;es.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Regiment of Health.</HEAD>
<P>TO be chearfully di&s;po&s;ed at Hours of Meat, Sleep, and Exerci&s;e, is one of the be&s;t Exerci&s;es of long la&s;ting: As for the pa&s;&s;ions and &s;tud|dies of the Mind, avoid Envies, Anxi|ous
<PB N="152" REF="80">Fears, Anger, fretting Inward, &s;ubtile and knotty Inqui&s;itions, Joys and Exhilerations in Exce&s;s, Sadne&s;s not Communicated; entertain Hopes and Mirth, rather than Joy; variety of Delights, rather than Surfeit on them. <HI>Lord</HI> Bacon<HI>'s E&s;&s;ays,</HI> 188.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Rejoycing at Death.</HEAD>
<P>MR. <HI>Edward Deering</HI> &s;aid, <HI>As for my Death, I ble&s;s</HI> God <HI>I feel and find &s;o much inward Joy and Comfort in my Soul, that if I were to make my Choice, whether to Live or Die, I would a Thou&s;and times rather choo&s;e Death than Life, if it may &s;tand with the good Will of</HI> God: And &s;hortly after he Died, in the Year of our Lord <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> 1576.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="153" REF="80">
<HEAD>Religion.</HEAD>
<P><HI>REligion,</HI> and the Practice of its Vertues, is the Natural &s;tate of the Soul, the condition to which <HI>God</HI> de&s;igned it: As <HI>God</HI> made Man a rea&s;onable Creature, &s;o all the Acts of Religion, are equal and &s;uitable to our Natures, and our Souls are then in Health, when we are what the Laws of Religion require to be, and to do what they Command us to do. Dr. <HI>Tillot&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>The great Principals of <HI>Religion,</HI> are, <HI>Knowledge, Faith, Remembrance, Love,</HI> and <HI>Fear;</HI> by all which, the Scriptures expre&s;s the <HI>Whole Duty of Man:</HI> Now, why the&s;e are put for the whole of Religion, is, Becau&s;e <HI>Remembrance, Love,</HI> and the <HI>Fear</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> are &s;uch Powerful In&s;truments for to make them Religious, that where any one of the&s;e really is, all the re&s;t, together
<PB N="154" REF="81">with the true and genuine Effects, are &s;uppo&s;ed to be.</P>
<P>The Earl of <HI>Leice&s;ter,</HI> in Queen <HI>Mary</HI>'s Days, although allowing him|&s;elf in &s;ome things very incon&s;i&s;tent with Religion, came at la&s;t to this Re|&s;olution: <HI>That Man differed not from Bea&s;ts, &s;o much in Rea&s;on, as in Religion, and that Religion was the highe&s;t Rea&s;on; nothing being more Rational, than for the &s;upream Truth to be Believed; the high|e&s;t Good to be Embraced; the fir&s;t cau&s;e and Almighty Maker of all things to be Owned and Feared; and for tho&s;e that were made by</HI> God, <HI>and live wholly upon him, to Improve all for him, and live wholly to him, according to the Apo&s;tle,</HI> Give up your Souls and Bodies to him, which is your rea&s;onable Service.</P>
<P>It is a great Deceit to mea&s;ure the Sub&s;tance of our Religion by the Bulk of our Profe&s;&s;ion; and to judge of the &s;trength of our Graces, by the length of our Duties. The Scripture &s;peaks of &s;ome that <HI>having a form of Godli|ne&s;s,
<PB N="155" REF="81">deny the Power;</HI> that is, do not live in the Practi&s;e of tho&s;e Graces they pretend unto in their Duties.</P>
<P>He that pretends to Godline&s;s, by a &s;pecious Profe&s;&s;ion, and yet doth not Practi&s;e Godline&s;s by an Holy Con|ver&s;ation, he hath the <HI>form of Godli|ne&s;s, but denies the Power,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.5.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Repentance.</HEAD>
<P>IF thou be backward in thoughts of <HI>Repentance,</HI> be forward in the thoughts of <HI>Hell;</HI> the burning Flames whereof, only the Tears of a Penitent Eye can extingui&s;h. <HI>Tertullian.</HI></P>
<P>When Gold is offered to thee, thou u&s;e&s;t not to &s;ay, <HI>I will come again to Morrow and take it,</HI> but art glad at the pre&s;ent Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; but Salvation being offered to our Souls, few Men ha&s;t to embrace it. <HI>Ambro&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Remember that <HI>God</HI> promi&s;ed For|givene&s;s to Repentant Sinners; yet
<PB N="156" REF="82">he doth not promi&s;e that he &s;hall have time till to Morrow to Repent. <HI>Aquinas.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Corbet</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>That upon the be&s;t Judgment I can make of the Nature of Sin, the frame of mine own Heart, and cour&s;e of Life; I know no Sin lying upon me, which doth not con&s;i&s;t with Natural Repentance, and with the hatred of Sin, and with an un|feigned con&s;ent, That</HI> God <HI>be my Savi|our and Sanctifier, and with the loving of</HI> God <HI>above all.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I have done what in me lies to call to remembrance all my remarkable Sins, from my Childhood and Youth till now; and, as far as I can judge, I have re|pented of them generally and particu|larly, and now repent of them all, from the bottom of my Heart, with a &s;elf Ab|horrency, if I know my own Heart, and by the &s;tricte&s;t and mo&s;t Impartial &s;earch that I can make.</HI></P>
<P>What profit can it be to thee, to bewail that Sin which thou wilt not
<PB N="157" REF="82">forego? What Reward can'&s;t thou ex|pect for that Obedience which &s;o &s;oon fainteth? What Comfort in that Joy that is but Temporary? <HI>Vid. Sorrow.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>THe <HI>Righteous</HI> doth follow the Lamb, becau&s;e they are wa&s;hed in the <HI>Blood of the Lamb, Rev.</HI> 1.1.17.14. 1 <HI>John</HI> 17. for as &s;oon as we are united with <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> our Sins are upon him, and his Righteou&s;ne&s;s upon us, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Dier 153. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 61.10. <HI>That he may pre&s;ent to him&s;elf a glorious Church,</HI> Eph. 5.21.</P>
<P>There is but one Sun in the World, and but one Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and one Communion of Saints: If I were the mo&s;t Excellent of all Creatures in the World: If I were equal too in Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s to <HI>Mo&s;es, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Jacob,</HI> yet had I rea&s;on to confe&s;s my &s;elf a Sinner, and that I could expect no
<PB N="158" REF="83">Salvation but by the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> for we all &s;tand in need of the Grace of <HI>GOD.</HI></P>
<P><HI>I would fulfil all</HI> Righteou&s;ne&s;s (&s;ays Mr. <HI>Corbet) and owe nothing to any Man but Love: I had rather an hun|dred-fold &s;uffer Wrong, than do Wrong.</HI></P>
<P>As <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> is &s;aid to &s;ave us, &s;o o|ther Duties too, our <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> which the Law of Works requires, and by which it is &s;atisfied, is wholly in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and not one grain in our &s;elves; nor mu&s;t we dare to think of patching a Legal <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s and our own together; that is, that our Doings can be the lea&s;t Satisfaction for our Sins or proper Merit; yet our &s;elves mu&s;t perfectly fulfil the Conditions of the New Co|venant, and &s;o have a Per&s;onal Evan|gelical Righteou&s;ne&s;s. <HI>Baxter</HI>'s <HI>Re&s;t.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="159" REF="83">
<HEAD>Revenge.</HEAD>
<P>COn&s;ider how you daily wrong <HI>God,</HI> and you will not be ea&s;ily en|flamed with Revenge again&s;t others that have wronged you.</P>
<P>Keep down thy Heart by this Con|&s;ideration, that by Revenge thou can'&s;t not &s;atisfie a Lu&s;t; but by Forgive|ne&s;s, thou can'&s;t Conquer a Lu&s;t. <HI>Flavel,</HI> 123.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Re&s;ignation.</HEAD>
<P>I Will Tru&s;t <HI>God</HI> in his Way; I will &s;trive again&s;t an over-timerous Solicitation for my Salvation, and will commit my &s;elf to <HI>God,</HI> who is the Infinite Goodne&s;s and Love, and I will lye down and take my Repo&s;e therein. <HI>Mr.</HI> Corbet<HI>'s Enquiry.</HI></P>
<PB N="160" REF="84">
<P>I will labor in the Work of Re&s;ig|nation, that my Will may be confined to, and included in the Will of <HI>God. Ibid.</HI></P>
<P>It will never be well with us, till we Cordially re&s;ign up our &s;elves, and all our Relations; yea, and all our Intere&s;ts and Concerns to <HI>God</HI>'s di&s;|po&s;e, and &s;ay, <HI>Not my Will, but thy Will be done.</HI></P>
<P>Lay thy Heart to re&s;t in the Will of <HI>God,</HI> for there is no other re&s;t for the Soul to be thought of.</P>
<P>It is not fit or likely, that our Wills &s;hould be the Rule of <HI>GOD</HI>'s Actions.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Reward.</HEAD>
<P>MY <HI>Alms-Deeds</HI> &s;hall be Graciou&s;ly <HI>Rewarded,</HI> not for my Works &s;ake, but for thy Promi&s;e &s;ake; not for my own &s;ake, but for my Savi|our's &s;ake: Lord, I can Merit nothing
<PB N="161" REF="84">at thy hands, but by thy own Mercy. <HI>Vid. Tit.</HI> Fa&s;ting.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Riches.</HEAD>
<P>OF <HI>Riches,</HI> there is no real u&s;e, unle&s;s it be in the di&s;tribution, the re&s;t is but Conceit: &s;o &s;aith <HI>Solo|mon,</HI> where much is, there are many to con&s;ume it; and what hath the Owner but the &s;ight of it with his Eyes. <HI>Lord</HI> Bacon.</P>
<P>Remember that thou ha&s;t nothing of thy own, but all is the Lords, and &s;o accordingly u&s;e all thou ha&s;t to no Carnal Intere&s;t, but to &s;erve him, as being wholly Devoted to him.</P>
<P>I made it my choice, rather to be Poor here, and Rich in the Life to come, than to be Rich here, and Lo&s;t in the Life to come.</P>
<P>As a Boat over-laden &s;inks, &s;o much Wealth drowns a Man in Perdition. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome.</HI></P>
<PB N="162" REF="85">
<P>If a Man wants Wealth, it is not to be unju&s;tly gotten: If they have it, they ought by Good Works to lay it up in <HI>Heaven. Au&s;tin.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Bradford</HI> an&s;wered <HI>Gardiner,</HI> concerning the Sacrament, <HI>My Lord, I do not believe that</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>is Corpo|rally pre&s;ent in the Sacrament, but that he is pre&s;ent there to the Faith of the due receiver.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Satisfaction.</HEAD>
<P>WE are every where in Scrip|ture &s;aid to be <HI>Ran&s;omed, Redeemed, Purcha&s;ed, Bought with a Price;</HI> and that mu&s;t needs be by a valuable Con&s;ideration made. <HI>Ju&s;tification Evangelical,</HI> 88. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.18, 19.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="163" REF="85">
<HEAD>Scripture.</HEAD>
<P>WHen the <HI>Scripture</HI> wants a Tongue of Expre&s;&s;ion, we need not an Ear of Attention; we may &s;afely knock at the Council Door of <HI>God</HI>'s Secrets; but if we go further, we may be more Bold than Welcome. <HI>Cyril</HI> of <HI>Alexandria.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> when he had read the Bible over, he &s;aid, <HI>It was a Phy&s;ician's Shop of Pre&s;ervatives again&s;t Poy&s;onous He|re&s;ies; a Pattern of profitable Laws again&s;t Rebellious Spirits; a Trea&s;ure of mo&s;t profitable Jewels again&s;t Beg|garly Elements; and a Fountain of mo&s;t pure Water, &s;pringing to Eternal Life.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Sanctification.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Sanctification,</HI> and the <HI>New-Crea|ture,</HI> are no le&s;s than for a Man to be brought into an Intire Re&s;ignation
<PB N="164" REF="86">of his Will, to the Will of <HI>God,</HI> and to live in the offering up his Soul con|tinually in the Flames of Love, a whole Burnt-Offering to <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> And how little, &s;ays he, are many of tho&s;e who profe&s;s Chri&s;tianity, experimentally acquainted with this Work on their Souls. <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> U&s;her.</P>
<P>The Work of <HI>Sanctification,</HI> that is true and effectual, is a Work of the Spirit of <HI>God</HI> on the Soul, enabling it to the Mortification of all Sin, and to the Obeying of every Command to work with <HI>God</HI> in all well-plea&s;ing. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.13. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.2. <HI>Heb.</HI> 23. Mead.</P>
<P>There is an Inward and an outward <HI>Sanctification;</HI> Inward <HI>Sanctification</HI> is that which deals with the Soul and its Faculties, as Under&s;tanding, Con|&s;cience, Memory and Affections. Out|ward <HI>Sanctification</HI> is that which deals with the Life and Conver&s;ation; both the&s;e concur to make a Chri&s;tian in|deed. <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.23.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="165" REF="86">
<HEAD><HI>The Sacrament of the Bo|dy and Blood of</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HEAD>
<P><HI>This is my Body,</HI> by the Word <HI>[This]</HI> our Saviour meant, <HI>This Bread,</HI> is Infinitely plain to any that is unprejudiced. What did he take? the Text tells you, he took <HI>[Bread:]</HI> What he took, he al&s;o Ble&s;|&s;ed, Broke, and Gave <HI>[This;]</HI> he &s;aid, <HI>Take, Eat,</HI> and then adds, <HI>[This] is my Body;</HI> this will be put out of doubt, if by the following <HI>[This,]</HI> in tho&s;e Words <HI>[This is my Blood,]</HI> by <HI>[This]</HI> be meant <HI>[This Cup,]</HI> no rea&s;on can be a&s;&s;igned why <HI>[This]</HI> in <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.26. &s;hould not denote <HI>[This Cup,]</HI> if <HI>[This]</HI> ver. 28. denote <HI>[This Cup:]</HI> It is true, that St. <HI>Matthew</HI> and St. <HI>Mark,</HI> having mentioned the <HI>[Cup,]</HI> which <HI>Je&s;us</HI> Took, Ble&s;&s;ed, and Gave, tell us, that
<PB N="166" REF="87"><HI>Je&s;us</HI> &s;aid, <HI>[This is my Blood;]</HI> and tho' it be plain, from what goes be|fore, that by <HI>[This]</HI> be meant <HI>[This Cup:]</HI> Yet we have further proof of it &s;till; for, whereas St. <HI>Matthew</HI> and <HI>Mark</HI> &s;ay only <HI>[This,]</HI> St. <HI>Luke</HI> and St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ay, <HI>[This Cup,]</HI> and having this Warrant for <HI>[This]</HI> in the latter words to under&s;tand <HI>[This Cup,]</HI> where lies the Blame, when by the former <HI>[This Bread.]</HI></P>
<P>But I proceed, This Verb <HI>[IS]</HI> is Interpretable according to the &s;ubject Matter; but where it is u&s;ed of a Sacrament, and joyns the &s;ign, and the thing &s;ignified together; and where another &s;ence contended for is de&s;tructive to our Sen&s;es, and a|gain&s;t Rea&s;on and other Scripture, 'tis rea&s;onable to under&s;tand it to Import the &s;ame with the Word <HI>Sig|nifie,</HI> and this is the pre&s;ent Ca&s;e. There are many more Rea&s;ons, but what hath been here &s;aid may &s;atisfie any unprejudiced Per&s;on.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="167" REF="87">
<HEAD><HI>Of the Real Pre&s;ence ac|knowledged by</HI> Prote|&s;tants <HI>in the Holy Sa|crament, made appear by a plain and familiar Example,</HI> viz.</HEAD>
<P>A Father makes his la&s;t Will, and by it bequeatheth his E&s;tate, and all the Profits of it to his Child. He delivers it into the hands of his Son, and bids him to take there his Hou&s;e and Lands, by this his la&s;t Will he delivers to him. The Son in this ca&s;e receives nothing but a Roll of Parchment, with a Seal to it from his Father: But yet by vertue of this Parchment, he is Intitled to his E&s;tate, performing the Condition of his Will, and to all the Benefits and Advantages
<PB N="168" REF="88">of it. And in that Deed, he truly and effectually received the very Hou&s;e and Lands that were conveyed to him.</P>
<P>Our Saviour Chri&s;t, in like manner, being now about to leave the World, gives this holy Sacrament as a final Beque&s;t to us, in it he conveys to us a right to his Body and Blood, and to all the Spiritual Ble&s;&s;ings and Graces that proceed from them. So that as we receive the holy Euchari&s;t as we ought to do, we receive nothing but a little Bread and Wine into our hands; but by the ble&s;&s;ing and promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, we by that Bread and Wine, as really and truly become partakers of Chri&s;t's Body and Blood, as the Son by the Will of his Father, was made Inheriter of his E&s;tate. Nor is it more nece&s;&s;ary for this, that Chri&s;t's Body &s;hould come down from Heaven, or the outward Elements which we receive, be &s;ub&s;tantially turned into it, than it is nece&s;&s;ary in that other ca&s;e, that the very Hou&s;es and Lands &s;hould
<PB N="169" REF="88">be given into the hands of the Son, to make a real Delivery or Conveyance to them; or the Will of the Father be truly and properly Changed into the very Nature and Sub&s;tance of him.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Soul.</HEAD>
<P>THat which the <HI>Soul</HI> is in the Bo|dy, that are Chri&s;tians in the World; for as the Soul is in, and not of the Body; &s;o Chri&s;tians are in, but no part of the World. <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr.</HI></P>
<P>He that fea&s;ts his Body but &s;tarves his Soul, is like him that fea&s;ts his Slaves, but &s;tarves his Wife. <HI>Ephra|him Cirus.</HI></P>
<P>As the <HI>Soul</HI> is the Life of the Body, &s;o the Life of the Soul is God: When the Soul departs, the Body dies; when God departs, the Soul dies. <HI>Pro&s;per.</HI></P>
<P>The rea&s;onable Soul made in the likene&s;s of God, may here find much Di&s;traction, or no full Satisfaction; for it being capable of Good, can be &s;a|tisfied
<PB N="170" REF="89">with nothing but God. <HI>Au&s;tin.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Soul of Man</HI> (&s;ays St. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI>) <HI>is a Spiritual or Incorporeal Sub&s;tance; Sen&s;ible, Invi&s;ible, Rea&s;onable, Im|mortal.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Sinful Ab&s;urdities.</HEAD>
<P>Saint <HI>Cyprian</HI> ob&s;erves Twelve Ab|&s;urdities in the Life of Man.</P>
<P N="1">1. A Wi&s;e Man without good Works.</P>
<P N="2">2. An Old Man without Religion.</P>
<P N="3">3. A Young Man without Obe|dience.</P>
<P N="4">4. A Rich Man without Alms.</P>
<P N="5">5. A Woman without Shamfaced|ne&s;s.</P>
<P N="6">6. A Guide without Virtue.</P>
<P N="7">7. A Poor Man that is Proud.</P>
<P N="8">8. A King that is Unju&s;t.</P>
<P N="9">9. A Bi&s;hop that is Unju&s;t.</P>
<P N="10">10. A Bi&s;hop that is Negligent.</P>
<PB N="171" REF="89">
<P N="11">11. People without Di&s;cipline.</P>
<P N="12">12. Subjects without Law.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Sin.</HEAD>
<P>GOD Condemns none before he <HI>Sins,</HI> nor Crowns any before he over|comes. <HI>P. Lumbard.</HI></P>
<P>It is be&s;t not to <HI>Sin,</HI> and next that, amend upon the Puni&s;hment. <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr.</HI></P>
<P>Our <HI>Sins</HI> being Sins again&s;t the In|finite Maje&s;ty of God, none but our Saviour, who al&s;o is an Infinite Ma|je&s;ty, both God and Man, can make Satisfaction for them. <HI>Bi&s;hop of He|reford's Legacy.</HI></P>
<P>When Sinners have no &s;ence of their Spiritual Condition, it is plain they are dead in Sin; the Tokens of Eternal Death are upon them. <HI>Mead.</HI></P>
<P>In <HI>Deut.</HI> 5.25, 28, 29. <HI>They promi&s;e to fear God, and keep his Command|ments;</HI> but they wanted a new Heart,
<PB N="172" REF="90">to perform what an un&s;anctified Heart had promi&s;ed.</P>
<P>There is a &s;trife again&s;t <HI>Sin</HI> in one and the &s;ame Faculty: The Will a|gain&s;t the Will, Affection again&s;t Af|fection. And this is that the Apo&s;tle calls, <HI>The lu&s;ting of the Fle&s;h again&s;t the Spirit:</HI> That is, the &s;triving of one Unregenerate part again&s;t the Re|generate part; and this ever in the &s;ame Faculty: But &s;triving again&s;t Sin may be in &s;everal Faculties; as be|tween the Will and Con&s;cience, as for fear of Hell; which Wicked Men may have, <HI>Acts</HI> 7.15.</P>
<P>It is impo&s;&s;ible for a Man to for&s;ake Sin, except he for&s;akes all that he knows to be Sin: To hate Sin, as it is an offence to <HI>God,</HI> and wrong to his Maje&s;ty; to hate Sin as it is a breach of his Commandments: a wicked controuling of God's Will, which is the only Rule of Goodne&s;s; To hate Sin as being a di&s;ingenuous Tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion of that Law of Love, e&s;tabli&s;h|ed
<PB N="173" REF="90">in the Blood and Death of Chri&s;t, and &s;o in a degree a Crucifying of Chri&s;t afre&s;h; to hate Sin as being a grieving and quenching of the Spirit of God, as all Sin in its nature is. Thus to hate Sin is Grace; and thus every true Chri&s;tian hates Sin, and not for the Shame that attends it, nor as it is contrary to &s;ome other Sin, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I do not cea&s;e to lament the more hainous Sins of my Life, and cannot forbear continually to implore the Pardon of them: I do not again re|turn unto them, and re&s;olve never &s;o to do; I watch and pray again&s;t all <HI>Sin,</HI> but e&s;pecially again&s;t tho&s;e <HI>Sins</HI> to which I e&s;pecially am enclined; my Conflicts are daily, and I am hard put to it, but I do not yield up my &s;elf to any <HI>Sin,</HI> nor lie down in it: Yea, I do not &s;uffer <HI>Sinful</HI> Thoughts or Cogitati|ons to lodg in me; howbeit, I am much di&s;compo&s;ed and damped in Spi|rit, deadned in Duty, di&s;tracted in
<PB N="174" REF="91">my Studies, and mole&s;ted and hin|dered every way by Sin that dwel|leth in me: But I re&s;olve that Sin &s;hall never have re&s;t in my Soul; and that I will never enjoy it. I cannot keep Sin out of my Heart, yet it doth not raign in my Mortal Bo|dy; nor do I yield my Members to the Service of it. <HI>Mr.</HI> Corbet<HI>'s En|quiry.</HI></P>
<P>It is a le&s;s Evil to do Sin, and not to love it, than to love Sin, and not to do it; for to do Sin may argue weakne&s;s of Grace, but to love Sin argues &s;trength of Lu&s;t. What I hate, that I do, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.14.</P>
<P>A Man may for&s;ake the Life of Sin, and yet retain the Love of Sin. True Mourning for Sin, is more for the Evil that is in Sin, than the Evil that comes by Sin; more becau&s;e it di&s;honoureth <HI>God</HI> and Wounds <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and grieves the Spirit, and makes the Soul unlike <HI>God,</HI> than becau&s;e it Damns the Soul, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.11.</P>
<PB N="175" REF="91">
<P>O Lord, when I confe&s;s Sin unto thee, grant that I may feel the bur|then and weight of it upon my Con&s;cience, that it may not be a cu&s;tomary Confe&s;&s;ion. Where Con|fe&s;&s;ion is right, it will be di&s;tinct, e|&s;pecially of tho&s;e which were our chief Sins. Confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould come like Water out of a Spring, which runs freely; not like Water out of a Still, which is forced by Fire.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Salvation by <HI>CHRIST</HI>'s Blood.</HEAD>
<P>TAke it for granted, there is no Man under <HI>Heaven,</HI> whereby we can be &s;aved, but <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> all Grace for this Life, and for that which is to come, mu&s;t come to you, through the Channel of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Blood. <HI>Acts</HI> 16.30, 31.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="176" REF="92">
<HEAD>Sorrow.</HEAD>
<P>I Could have born any <HI>Sorrow</HI> ra|ther than this I am under; this is a good &s;ign, <HI>GOD</HI> hath let me Blood in the right Vein, he will have me part with all manner of Sin without exception.</P>
<P>It is doubtle&s;s our Sin to di&s;able our &s;elves by our <HI>Sorrow,</HI> for our ge|neral or particular Callings.</P>
<P>Let us be heartily <HI>Sorrowful,</HI> that we have &s;o Carnally, &s;o Hypocritical|ly, &s;o Covetou&s;ly, &s;o Vain-gloriou&s;ly Profe&s;&s;ed the Go&s;pel. Let the Plagues and Anger of <HI>GOD,</HI> mo&s;t ju&s;tly fallen upon us, be applyed to our Sins; that, from the bottom of our Hearts, every one of us may &s;ay, It is I Lord that have Sinned again&s;t Thee: It is my Wickedne&s;s that cau&s;eth &s;ucce&s;s, and encrea&s;e of Authority to my Enemies. <HI>M. Bradford.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="193" REF="92">
<HEAD>Speech.</HEAD>
<P>THERE is no Man that talks, but I may gain by him; and none that holds his Tongue, but I may lo&s;e by him.</P>
<P>As <HI>Henry Wotton,</HI> being bound for <HI>Rome,</HI> asked his Ho&s;t in <HI>Vienna,</HI> a Man well ver&s;ed in Men and Bu&s;ine&s;s, What Rules he would give him for his Port, Conduct and Carriage? He an&s;wered, There is one &s;hort Re|membrance, which will carry you Safe throughout the whole World, and that is nothing but this, <HI>Keep your Thoughts clo&s;e, and your Countenance loo&s;e.</HI> He that knoweth to &s;peak well, knoweth al&s;o where he mu&s;t hold his Peace: Said that Old <HI>Gre|cian, Think an Hour before thou &s;pea|ke&s;t, and a Day before thou Promi&s;e&s;t.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="194" REF="93">
<HEAD>Spirit.</HEAD>
<P>SPirit in the un-erring Sen&s;e, is no|thing but Rea&s;on illuminated by Revelation out of the Written Word; for when the Mind and Spirit hum|bly conform and &s;ubmit to the Writ|ten Will of God, then are you &s;aid to have the Spirit of God, and to walk according to the Spirit, and not according to the Fle&s;h. Mr. <HI>Hales</HI> of <HI>Eaton</HI> College.</P>
<P>There is an Having of the Spirit, which is a &s;ure Work of Saint&s;hip: Where the Spirit is an effectual pre|vailing Principle of Grace and San|ctification, renewing and regenera|ting the Heart: Where the Spirit is as a potent Worker, helping the Souls Infirmities, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.26. Where the Spirit is &s;aid to abide for ever. <HI>John</HI> 14.16.</P>
<PB N="195" REF="93">
<P>The true Believer hath &s;o much of the Spirit, &s;uch a work of it in him, that he cannot &s;in that Sin unto Death; <HI>He that is born of God, &s;inneth not;</HI> to wit, that Sin unto Death; for that is meant. 1 <HI>John,</HI> 7.16, 1.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Smith,</HI> in a Sermon &s;aid to this purpo&s;e: <HI>If God be our Father in Chri&s;t, he lays hold of us by his Spirit, and we lay hold of Him by Faith.</HI> Now it is his Hold-fa&s;t of us that &s;aves us; &s;o that tho our Faith be as it were a &s;leep, yet the Fathers Hold-fa&s;t con|tinues firm.</P>
<P>Many when they hear that Spiri|tual Comforts are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, pre&s;ently conceive them|&s;elves to be meerly Pa&s;&s;ive therein; and that they have nothing to do, but wait when God will be&s;tow them: Notwith&s;tanding, tho the&s;e Comforts are Spiritual, yet they are rationally rai&s;ed up on the Under&s;tanding's Ap|prehen&s;ion of the Excellency of God,
<PB N="196" REF="94">our Happine&s;s, and our Intere&s;t in Him; and by the rolling of the&s;e ble&s;|&s;ed Objects, in our frequent Medita|tions, the Spirit doth advance, and not de&s;troy our Rea&s;on; it doth ra|tifie, and then u&s;e it as its ordinary In&s;trument, for the Conveyance of &s;uch things to our Affections, and Exciting them accordingly, and not lay it a&s;ide, and affect us without it: Therefore our Joys are rai&s;ed di&s;|cour&s;ively, and the Spirit fir&s;t re|vealeth the Cau&s;e of our Joy, and then helps us to rejoice upon tho&s;e revealed Grounds; &s;o that he rejoy|ceth groundedly, who knoweth why he rejoiceth ordinarily. Mr. <HI>Baxter</HI>'s <HI>Re&s;t,</HI> 3d. part. p. 159, 160.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Sufferings.</HEAD>
<P>I May be Poor, but &s;till I may be Ju&s;t and Contented; I may be Evil &s;poken of, but &s;till I can do Well; I may be Sick, but &s;till I may be Pa|tient;
<PB N="197" REF="94">I may be in Pri&s;on, but there I may Pray, and Sing P&s;alms, as <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> did; That which can|not hinder our Duty, &s;hould not be &s;o &s;adly lamented, <HI>Baxt. Hearts Ea&s;e.</HI> The World perhaps does not love us; have we no rea&s;on to thank it, if it make us place our Contentment and Comfort in God, and a pure Con|&s;cience? <HI>Ibid.</HI> 17.</P>
<P>It is our grand Fault, that we are affected pre&s;ently, according as eve|ry thing appears in the Face, and we &s;tay not till it turn the other &s;ide.</P>
<P><HI>I &s;aw not my Children when they were in the Womb, yet there the Lord fed them without my knowledge; I &s;hall not &s;ee them when I go out of the Body, yet they &s;hall not want a Father. Mr.</HI> Cooper.</P>
<P><HI>Au&s;tin</HI>'s u&s;ual Wi&s;h was, <HI>That Chri&s;t, when he came, might find him either Praying or Preaching.</HI></P>
<P>When the <HI>Donati&s;ts</HI> upbraided him unworthily with Impurity, and
<PB N="198" REF="95">Impiety of his former Life: <HI>Look,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>how much they blame my for|mer faults; by &s;o much more I commend and prai&s;e my</HI> Phy&s;itian.</P>
<P><HI>Beli&s;arius</HI> having been the Thun|derbolt of War, &amp; made the Ea&s;t, We&s;t, and South to tremble, the mighty Power of the Earth crawling in the Du&s;t before him; he that drew the whole World in throngs after him, was for&s;aken, and walked through the Streets of <HI>Con&s;tantinople,</HI> with two or three Servants, as a man that had out-lived his Funerals, to &s;erve as a Spectacle of pity; and having his Eyes put out by the Emperour <HI>Ju&s;tinians</HI> Widdow, &s;he being a <HI>Ne&s;to|rian,</HI> went up and down the Streets of <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> begging, <HI>Date quae&s;o obelum</HI> Beli&s;ario.</P>
<P>This &s;ad Example, and others of the uncertainties of humane Affairs, and the nece&s;&s;ity of yielding to Religious Thoughts, made <HI>Carolus Magnus,</HI> at the Crowning of his Son,
<PB N="199" REF="95">utter the&s;e &s;erious words: <HI>My dear Son, It is to day that I die in the Em|pires of the World, and that Heaven makes me born again in your Per&s;on; If you will Rule happily, fear God, who is the Force of Empires, and So|veraign Father of all Dominions; Keep his Commandments, and cau&s;e them to be obeyed and ob&s;erved with unviolable Fidelity: Serve Him fir&s;t of all, for an Example of the World, and lead an holy Life before God and Man Irreprovable.</HI></P>
<P>A young Gallant, that vi&s;ited Saint <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> lying on his Death Bed, &s;aid to his Comrade then with him: <HI>O that I might live with thee, and Die with</HI> St. Ambro&s;e.</P>
<P>Danger is better then Safety, a Storm more eligible than a perpetu|al Calm, if before our fears we were the Worlds, but after them became God's. <HI>Nazianzen.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="200" REF="96">
<HEAD>Sickne&s;s.</HEAD>
<P><HI>J&V;nius</HI> being Sick, one asked him, How he did? &s;aid, <HI>That he had quiet|ed him&s;elf in God, who would do for him that which was mo&s;t for his Glory, and his own good.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Serving of God.</HEAD>
<P>WHen Mr. <HI>Calvin</HI> was Bani&s;h|ed, he &s;aid; <HI>Truly, if I had &s;erved Men, I &s;hould have had but an ill Reward; but it's well, I have &s;erved God, who doth always perform to his Servants that which he hath once promi&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P>See the Difference betwixt Him, and Cardinal <HI>Wol&s;ey;</HI> who &s;aid, <HI>Had I been as diligent to &s;erve my God, as I have been to plea&s;e my King, he would not have &s;or&s;aken me now in my Gray|hairs.</HI></P>
<PB N="201" REF="96">
<P>One of the Kings of <HI>Sweeden</HI> thought, &s;aid, <Q>That he &s;hould not live long, becau&s;e the people did over-value him for his many Victories:</Q> Who was &s;lain a little after in Battle, but with a great Victory.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Superstition.</HEAD>
<P>THe School-men have framed a Number of intricate, and &s;ub|tile Actions and Theorems, to &s;erve the Practice of their Super&s;titious Church. Lord <HI>Bacon.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Su&s;pition.</HEAD>
<P>THere is nothing makes a Man more to &s;u&s;pect, than to know little; and therefore men would remedy that, by procuring to know more, and not to keep their Su&s;picion in &s;mother. <HI>Bacon's E&s;&s;ays.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="202" REF="97">
<HEAD>Secrecy.</HEAD>
<P>SIr <HI>John Cooke</HI> broke an Affair to a <HI>Parti&s;an,</HI> that kept him under all his days; and he that entertains a dangerous de&s;ign, puts his Head into an Halter, and the Halter into his Hand, to whom he fir&s;t imparts it.</P>
<P>The Habit of <HI>Secrecy</HI> is Policy and Virtue.</P>
<P>Speak no more than thou can&s;t &s;afely retreat from without danger, or fairly go through without oppo|&s;ition.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Thoughts.</HEAD>
<P>WHen a &s;en&s;ual Thought breaks in, then excite and ta&s;te the Powers of the World to come, and labour to recover the Divine Frame.</P>
<PB N="203" REF="97">
<P>Abhor every Thought, Word, or Deed, which is contrary, and tends to the hurt of others.</P>
<P>Evil Thoughts are Natures Ki&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>Thoughts being neither free from God's Knowledge, Judgments, Pu|ni&s;hments, Laws, nor from Chri&s;t's Government, nor from the power of Con&s;cience; &s;urely Thoughts are not then free to think what we plea&s;e. <HI>Reynard.</HI></P>
<P>Thoughts are roving and re&s;tle&s;s, till they come to their Center or pro|per place; as a &s;tone to the Earth, &s;o are our Thoughts, till we pitch them upon God, and acquie&s;ce in Him; and they will be unquiet, till they re&s;t in God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.7.</P>
<P>So before a Prayer again&s;t Evil Thoughts. <HI>De Kempis</HI> 201.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Temptations.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Chry&s;tome</HI> &s;aith, <HI>The Devils a&s;&s;ault us violently; re&s;i&s;t the fir&s;t, and the
<PB N="204" REF="98">cond will be weaker; and That being re&s;i&s;ted, he becomes a Coward.</HI></P>
<P>The Devil runs with open Mouth upon God's Children, to devour them; if they manfully re&s;i&s;t him, he thinks to weaken their Faith, and they by his A&s;&s;aults are made &s;tronger; he fights again&s;t them, but they get Ground upon him; and &s;o what he intends for their De&s;truction, (full &s;ore again&s;t his Will) makes for their Advantage. <HI>Cyril</HI> of <HI>Alexandria.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Time.</HEAD>
<P>SAys <HI>Aquinas,</HI> <Q>Make much of Time, e&s;pecially in that matter of Salvation: Oh! how much would they that now lies Frying in Hell rejoyce, if they might have the lea&s;t moment of Time, whereby they might get God's favour.</Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="205" REF="98">
<HEAD>Troubles and Afflictions.</HEAD>
<P><HI>VIctorinus</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <Q>There is a time to &s;ay nothing, there is a time to &s;ay &s;omething; but there is never a time to &s;ay all things.</Q></P>
<P><HI>I have not Reigned to Day,</HI> &s;aid the Emperor, when he had done no good; <HI>To day I have not lived,</HI> &s;aid Judge <HI>Fineux;</HI> and that we &s;hould not com|plain we have little time; but that we &s;pend much in doing evil, or in doing nothing to purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>Secretary <HI>Wal&s;ingham</HI> would &s;ay, My Lord, &s;tay a while, and we &s;hall have done the &s;ooner. Secretary <HI>Cecil</HI> &s;aid, It &s;hall never be &s;aid of me, that I do defer till to morrow, what I can do to day: And Sir <HI>Richard Morri|&s;on</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, Give me this day, and the next take your &s;elf.</P>
<P>The Martyr, Mr. <HI>Bradford,</HI> account|ed that hour ill &s;pent, wherein he
<PB N="206" REF="99">did not not &s;ome good either with his Pen, Study, or Exhortation of others.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Tru&s;t.</HEAD>
<P>AT what time I am afraid, I will put my Tru&s;t in thee; let us be confident he will di&s;po&s;e of us there, where it is mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary for us to be either in this World, or the other. Mr. <HI>Patrick.</HI></P>
<P>I tru&s;t God with my chiefe&s;t out|ward Concernments, even that which I am mo&s;t Solicitous in; and therein to be &s;atisfied is of great Moment un|to me; for that it hath as great an Influence on my Spirit, as any in|ward thing hath; and I believe God will provide for me herein, or other|wi&s;e &s;upply the want of it: My earne&s;t reque&s;t therefore to God is, That my outward Condition may be &s;o &s;tated, by his wi&s;e and gracious Providence, as may be lea&s;t expo&s;ed
<PB N="207" REF="99">to Temptations, and be&s;t di&s;po&s;ed and furthered as to Duty. Mr. <HI>Corbet.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Truth.</HEAD>
<P><HI>DIoni&s;ius Areopagitus,</HI> &s;aid, <HI>That he de&s;ired Two Things of God,</HI> 1&s;t. <HI>That he might know the Truth him|&s;elf.</HI> 2d. <HI>That he might Preach it as he ought to others.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Help me, O Lord, that I may exa|mine my Self in the Evening, how I have born the Troubles and Cro&s;&s;es of the Day? Did I not Murmur, Vex and Sink? Did I not Entertain hard Thoughts, nor utter hard Words again&s;t God?</HI></P>
<P>One being de&s;igned an Agent, waited on the knowing Lord <HI>Went|worth,</HI> for &s;ome Directions for his Conduct and Carriage; who delivered him&s;elf thus, To &s;ecure your &s;elf, and &s;erve your Country, you mu&s;t at all Times, and upon all Occa&s;ions,
<PB N="204" REF="100">&s;peak Truth; and by this means Truth will &s;ecure your &s;elf, if you be que|&s;tioned; and tho&s;e you deal with (who will &s;till run counter) to a lo&s;s in all your Di&s;qui&s;itions, and Undertakings.</P>
<P><HI>Theodo&s;ius Junior</HI> &s;aid, <HI>That Em|perors of all other Men were mo&s;t Mi|&s;erable, becau&s;e commonly the Truth of Bu&s;ine&s;s was concealed from them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>&V;ntowardline&s;s.</HEAD>
<P>SIR <HI>Edward Fox,</HI> in his Fir&s;t years, none more untowardly; in his la&s;t, none more &s;taid. The untoward Youth make&s;t the able&s;t Man; he that hath Mettle to be Extravagant, when he cannot govern him&s;elf, hath a Spirit to be eminent when he can.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="207" REF="100">
<HEAD>&V;&s;urpation.</HEAD>
<P>THE Earl of <HI>Strafford</HI> u&s;ed this Maxime, <Q>That there is no dan|ger &s;mall, but what is thought &s;o: This was his great Principle, U&s;urp|ed Royalty was never laid down by Per&s;wa&s;ion from Royal Clemency for with Tirants, <BIBL><HI>Omne, Jus Regni.</HI></BIBL></Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Vain-Glory.</HEAD>
<P>I Have an Inclination to &s;eek Self particularly in vain Applau&s;e, and that in Religious Services; and here|in I have been highly Guilty; but I &s;hame my Self for it before God, and am willing to be &s;atisfied with the Prai&s;e that comes from Him alone. I tru&s;t through his Grace, that I my &s;elf in matter of Reputation &s;eek to do his Will. <HI>Corbet</HI>'s Enquiry.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="208" REF="101">
<HEAD>Victory.</HEAD>
<P>THere is a compleat Victory, and an incompleat, over the World, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.3. <HI>If we &s;ay, we have no Sin, we deceive our Selves, and the Truth is not in us;</HI> The compleat Victory our Saviour only performed, <HI>John</HI> 14.30. <HI>The Prince of this World hath nothing in me;</HI> which cannot be &s;o with us, <HI>until our Change come;</HI> for until then we carry about with us Lu&s;ts, Pa&s;&s;ions and Corruptions; which without Vigilancy kept under, and daily impaired in their Power and Malignity, will hold Core&s;pon|dency with the Prince thereof, and be ready to betray and deceive us, tho never to regain their Empire and So veraignty; and the Rea&s;on is &s;igni|ficantly given by the Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.9. <HI>For his Seed abideth in him, and he cannot Sin, becau&s;e he is born of God:</HI> Indeed he may, and &s;hall have Sin,
<PB N="209" REF="101">as he hath Fle&s;h about him, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.3. <HI>If we &s;ay, we have no Sin, we de|ceive our &s;elves, and the Truth is not in us;</HI> for tho we have Sin &s;till abi|ding in us, and like the Byas of a Bowl warping us to the World; yet that Vital Seminal Principle of the Grace of God in Chri&s;t, always keeps its Ground, its Life, its Tendency towards Heaven, and wears out, and gradually &s;ubdues the contrary Ten|dency of Sin and Corruption. <HI>Hales</HI> 101.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Vertues.</HEAD>
<P>TO &s;et out Vertues, and by Words to de&s;troy the &s;ame, are nothing worth: All the Vertues are &s;o linked together, that he that hath one, hath all; and he that wants one, wants all.</P>
<P>Vertues &s;eparated are annihillated. <HI>Chry&s;ologus.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="210" REF="102">
<HEAD>Heavenly Sayings.</HEAD>
<P><HI>SEneca,</HI> a man of great Parts, Pru|dence and Experience, after a &s;erious Study of almo&s;t all the Phi|lo&s;ophy then in the World, was al|mo&s;t a Chri&s;tian in his &s;evere Re|proofs of Vice, and Excellent Di&s;|cour&s;es of Vertue; (and <HI>Jerom</HI> rec|koning him for his &s;uppo&s;ed Epi&s;tle to St. <HI>Paul,</HI> and St. <HI>Paul</HI>'s to him;) be|ing read by them that &s;tudy (&s;aith Mr. <HI>Gattater</HI>) Divinity, as they that &s;tudy other Learning; came to that Excellent Temper by the Con|&s;ideration of his reduced years (which is to be &s;een in his Excellent Preface to his Natural Que&s;tions;) <Q>What a pitiful Thing is Man, were it not that his Soul &s;oared above the&s;e Earthly Things?</Q> yea, and was &s;ome|what dubious, as to the future Con|dition of the Soul: Yet he could tell his dear Friend <HI>Lucilius,</HI> <Q>With what
<PB N="211" REF="102">Plea&s;ure he could think of it;</Q> and at la&s;t, he was &s;ettled in his Opi|nion of an everla&s;ting State; with thought, That the Soul had the mark of Divinity in it, That it was mo&s;t plea&s;ed with Divine Speculations, and conver&s;ed with them, as matter that did not merely concern it; and when it had once viewed the Dimen|&s;ions of the Heavens, it was a&s;ham'd of the Cottage it dwelt in: Nay, were it not for the&s;e Contemplations, it had not been worth the while for the Soul to have been in the Body, (as he goes on.) Whence come &s;uch amazing Fears, &s;uch dreadful Appre|hen&s;ions, &s;uch &s;tartling Thoughts of their Future Condition in Mind, that would fain ea&s;e them&s;elves, be|lieving that Death would put an end or period to Soul and Body? When, on the other &s;ide, come &s;uch encouraging Hopes, &s;uch confident Expectations, comfortable Prepo&s;e&s;|&s;ions of their future State, in the
<PB N="212" REF="103">Souls of Men, when their Bodies are neare&s;t the Grave? and whil&s;t the Soul is kept in its Cage, it is coutinually fluttering up and down, and de|lights to look out now at this part, and then at the other, to take a view by Degrees of the whole Univer&s;e. To the&s;e Notions of the future State, it was, that <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> owed that Opinion of Death, That it was better to die once, than to lo&s;e his Life in conti|nual Expectations of Death; being troubled with that Unhappine&s;s of Men, mentioned in <HI>Atheneus,</HI> That he had done his Work, as if it had been his Play; and his Play, as if it had been his Work.</P>
<P><HI>Daniel Hen&s;ive,</HI> Hi&s;toriographer at <HI>Leyden,</HI> Secretary and Bibliotheatory of that Famous Univer&s;ity, appoint|ed Notary of the Synod at <HI>Dort,</HI> &s;aid at la&s;t; Ah, as to Humane Learning, I may u&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI>'s Expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>That which is crooked, cannot be made &s;treight.</HI></P>
<PB N="213" REF="103">
<P>Methinks, &s;aith the &s;ame <HI>Hen&s;ive,</HI> (and Mr. <HI>Baxter</HI> out of him:) I can bid the World farewel, Immure my &s;elf among my Books, and look forth no more, (were it a Lawful Cour&s;e) but &s;hut the Door upon me, as in the lap&s;e of Eternity; and among tho&s;e Di|vine Sages, employ my &s;elf with Con|tent, and pitty the Rich and Great Ones, that know not this Happine&s;s. Surely, then, it is true Delight in|deed, which in the true Lap of Eter|nity is enjoyed.</P>
<P><HI>Francis Junius,</HI> a <HI>Gentile,</HI> and Inge|nious Per&s;on, who hath written his own Life; as he was reading <HI>Tully de Legibus,</HI> fell into a Per&s;wa&s;ion, <HI>Ni|hil curare Deum, nec &s;ui, nec alieni;</HI> till in a Tumult at <HI>Lyons,</HI> the Lord wonderfully delivered him from emi|nent Death; &s;o that he was compel|led to acknowledg a Divine Provi|dence therein; his Father &s;eeing the dangerous ways his Son was led into, &s;ent for him home; where he carefully
<PB N="214" REF="104">and holily in&s;tructed him, and cau|&s;ed him to read over the New-Te&s;ta|ment, of which he him&s;elf writeth thus: When I read over the New-Te&s;tament, I fir&s;t lighted on the Fir&s;t Chapter of St. <HI>John, In the beginning was the Word,</HI> &amp;c. I read part of the Chapter, and was &s;uddenly convin|ced, that the Divinity of the Argu|ment, and the Maje&s;ty and Authori|ty of the Writing, did exceedingly excel all the Eloquence of Humane Writings; My Body trembled, my Mind was a&s;toni&s;hed, and &s;o affected all the Day, that I knew not where, or what I was: Be thou mindful of me, O my God, according to the Multitude of thy tender Mercies; call home thy lo&s;t Sheep, into thy Fold: And as <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr</HI> of Old, &s;o he of late profe&s;&s;ed, that the Power of Godline&s;s, in a plain &s;imple Chri&s;tian, wrought &s;o upon him that he could not but take up a &s;trict and &s;erious Life.</P>
<PB N="215" REF="104">
<P>Mr. <HI>Howard.</HI> afterwards the learn|ed Earl of <HI>Northampton,</HI> being trou|bled with Athe&s;tical &s;ugge&s;tions, put them all off this way; <HI>viz. If I could give any account how my &s;elf, or any thing el&s;e, had a Being without God; how came there &s;o uniform, and con&s;tant a Con&s;ent of mankind, in all Ages, Tempers, and Educations (otherwi&s;e differing in their apprehen&s;ions) about the Being of God, the Immortality of the Soul and Reli|gion, in which they could not likely come &s;o many; or being &s;o many, could not be deceived, I could be an Athei&s;t:</HI> And when he was urged, that Religion was a State-policy, only to keep men in awe; he replyed, <HI>That he would believe it, but that the greate&s;t Politici|ans have &s;ooner or later felt the Pow|er of Religion, in the grievous la&s;hes of their own Con&s;ciences, and dreadfulne&s;s of their own apprehen&s;ions, about that State wherein they mu&s;t live for ever.</HI></P>
<PB N="216" REF="105">
<P>Sir <HI>John Ma&s;on,</HI> having been im|ployed much in State-Affairs, &s;aid; <HI>I have learned this, after &s;o many expe|riences, that Seriou&s;ne&s;s is the greate&s;t Wi&s;dom, Temperance the be&s;t Phy&s;itian, and a good Con&s;cience the be&s;t E&s;tate; and if I were to live again, I would leave the Court for a Cloy&s;ter, my Privy Councellors Bu&s;tles, for a retired Life; and the whole Life I lived in the Palace, for one Hour Enjoyment of God in the Chappel; all things for&s;ake me, be&s;ides my God, my Prayer, and my Duty.</HI></P>
<P>Sir <HI>Henry Wotton,</HI> after &s;o many years Study, with proficiency and applau&s;e of the Univer&s;ity; his being a Favorite of <HI>Robert</HI> Earl of <HI>E&s;&s;ex;</HI> his intimacy with the Duke of <HI>Tu&s;cany,</HI> and <HI>James</HI> the 6th. of <HI>Scotand;</HI> his Emba&s;&s;ies into <HI>Holland, Germany,</HI> yet de&s;ired to retire with this Motto, <HI>Tandem didicit animas &s;apientiores fi|eri quie&s;cendo.</HI> He was very Am|bitious of the Provo&s;t-&s;hip of <HI>Ea|ton,</HI> that there he might enjoy his
<PB N="217" REF="105">beloved Study, and Devotion; &s;ay|ing, <HI>That that day he put on his Gown, was the happie&s;t day of his Life; that being the utmo&s;t happine&s;s a man could attain to</HI> (he &s;aid) <HI>to be at lea&s;ure, and to do good;</HI> never reflecting on his former years, but, with Tears in his Eyes, he would &s;ay, <HI>How much Time have I to repent of, and how little to do it in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Charles</HI> the <HI>Fifth,</HI> Emperor of <HI>Ger|many,</HI> King of <HI>Spain,</HI> and Lord of the <HI>Netherlands;</HI> after 23 Pitch-fields, 6 Triumphs, 4 Kingdoms won, and 8 Principalities added to his Domi|nions, and 14 Wars fini&s;hed, he re|&s;igned his Empires and Kingdoms; retiring to his Devotions in a Mo|a&s;tery, and had his own Funeral Ce|lebrated before his Face, leaving this Te&s;timony of the Chri&s;tian Religion; That the &s;incere Profe&s;&s;ion of it had in it Sweets and Joys, that Courts were &s;trangers to.</P>
<PB N="218" REF="106">
<P><HI>Salma&s;ius,</HI> that excellent <HI>French</HI> Scholar, whom the Learned men of his Time never mention, without &s;uch Expre&s;&s;ions as the&s;e; <HI>Vir nunquam &s;atis laudatus;</HI> went out of this World, with the&s;e words in his Mouth: <HI>Oh! I have lo&s;t a World of Time, that mo&s;t precious thing in the World; whereof, had I but one year more, it &s;hould be &s;pent in</HI> David's <HI>P&s;alms, and</HI> Paul's <HI>Epi&s;tles. Oh! Sirs,</HI> (&s;aid he to tho&s;e about him) <HI>Mind the World le&s;s, and God more; all the Learning in the World, without Piety, and the true Fear of God, is nothing worth; The Fear of the Lord, that's whol&s;ome, and to depart from Evil; that's under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Robert Rollock</HI> &s;aid at the time of his Death: <HI>Ha&s;te, Lord, and do not tarry; I am a weary both of Nights and Days: Lord Je&s;us that I may come to Thee, break the&s;e Eye-&s;trings, and give me others: I de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olved, and to be with Thee: Ha&s;te, Lord Je&s;us, and defer no longer: Go forth my weak
<PB N="219" REF="106">Life, and let a better &s;ucceed. Oh my Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, thru&s;t Thy Hand into my Body, and take my Soul to Thy Self. O Lord Je&s;us, &s;et my Soul free, that &s;he may enjoy her Husband.</HI></P>
<P>The Earl of <HI>Strafford</HI> &s;aid; <HI>Oh tru&s;t not in man that &s;hall Die, nor to the Son of Man, as &s;hall be made as Gra&s;s; there is no Confidence in Princes; the only things that &s;tands by a man, are the Blood of Chri&s;t, and the Te&s;timony of a good Con&s;cience.</HI></P>
<P>An Excellent Per&s;on having writ exqui&s;itly for the Chri&s;tian Religion, hath this Di&s;cour&s;e of the Nature of it; <HI>viz. Doth now the Conque&s;t of Pa&s;&s;ions, forgetting of Injuries, doing Good, Self-denial, Patience under cro&s;&s;es, which are the expre&s;&s;ions of Piety, abound to the &s;upport of a Luxuri|ous, Malitious, and Impatient Spirit? Is there nothing more becoming Malitious, Proud, and Impatient Soul of Man, in examplary Piety, and an Holy and well ordered conver&s;ation, than in the
<PB N="220" REF="107">Lightne&s;s and Vanity; not to &s;ay, in Rudene&s;s, and Debauchery in them, which the World accounts the greate&s;t Gallants? Is there nothing more grace|ful and plea&s;ing in the Sweetne&s;s and Ingenuity of a truly Chri&s;tian-temper, and di&s;po&s;ition, than in the revengeful Spirit of &s;uch, who&s;e Honour lives, and is fed by the Blood of their Enemies? Is it not more truly Honourable and Glorious to &s;erve that God, that Com|mandeth and Ruleth the World; than to be a Slave to tho&s;e Pa&s;&s;ions and Lu&s;ts, that put men upon continual hard Service, and torment them for it, when they have done it? Is there no|thing el&s;e to Commend Religion to the Minds of men, be&s;ides that Tranquility and Calmne&s;s of Spirit, that Serene and placable temper, which follows a good Con&s;cience, where &s;oever it dwells? it were enough to make Men to welcom that Gue&s;t, which brings &s;uch good En|tertainment which it: wherefore the Horrors, Anxiety, and Amazement of
<PB N="221" REF="107">Mind, which brings at one time or other, which pro&s;titute their Con&s;ciences to a Violation of the Laws of God, and of the Rules of rectified Rea&s;on, may be e|nough to per&s;wade any Rational Per&s;on, that Impiety is the greate&s;t Folly, and Irreligious Madne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Sir <HI>Thomas Smith,</HI> after he had &s;er|ved Queen <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> as Secretary of State, and done many good Services, to the Kingdom; e&s;pecially, in &s;etling the Corn-Rate for the Univer&s;ities; Di&s;charged him&s;elf of all publick Affairs and Attendants a quarter of a year before he died: De&s;iring the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Winche&s;ter</HI> and <HI>Worce|&s;ter,</HI> to draw him out of the Word of God the plaine&s;t and exacte&s;t way of making his Peace with God in this pre&s;ent World; adds, That it was great pitty, that Men know not to what end they were born into this World, until they were ready to go out of it.</P>
<PB N="222" REF="108">
<P>My Lord <HI>Bacon</HI> hath &s;aid, at the latter end of his Life, <HI>That a little &s;mattering in Philo&s;ophy would lead a Man into Athei&s;m; but a thorough In|&s;ight into it, would lead a Man back again unto a fir&s;t Cau&s;e;</HI> and that the fir&s;t Principle of Right Rea&s;on, is Re|ligion; in Reference to which, it was the wi&s;e&s;t way to live &s;trictly and &s;everely; for if the Opinion of ano|ther would not be one, yet the &s;weet|e&s;t thing in this World is Piety, Ver|tue and Hone&s;ty. If it be true, none are &s;o mi&s;erable as the Loo&s;e, the Carnal, and Profane Per&s;ons, who live a Di&s;|honorable and Ba&s;e Life in this World, and are like to Fall into a mo&s;t wo|ful State in the next.</P>
<P>The E. of <HI>Arundel,</HI> lying on his Death. Bed, &s;aid, <HI>My Fle&s;h, and my Heart fail me;</HI> and his Chaplain an|&s;wered the next Words, <Q>That God was the &s;trength of his Heart, and his portion for ever; he would never
<PB N="223" REF="108">fail him. He an&s;wering, tho all the World hath failed, He will never fail me.</Q></P>
<P>Sir <HI>Tho. Coventry,</HI> Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, hearing &s;ome Gal|lants je&s;ting with Religion, &s;aid, <HI>That there was no greater Argument of a Foo|li&s;h and Incon&s;iderate Per&s;on, than to droll at Religion: It is a &s;ign, he hath no regard of him&s;elf, and that he is not touched with a Sence of his own Intere&s;t, who playeth with Life and Death, and makes nothing of his Soul. To examine &s;evere|ly, and debate &s;eriou&s;ly of Religion, is a thing worthy of a wi&s;e Man: Who&s;oever turns Religion into Railery, with two or three bold Je&s;ts, rendreth not only Re|ligion, but him&s;elf Ridiculous in the Opi|nion of all Wi&s;e and Con&s;iderate Men, becau&s;e he &s;ports with his own Life:</HI> For a good Man &s;aith, <HI>If Principles were doubtful, yet they concern us &s;o nearly, that we ought to be &s;erious in the Exami|nation of them.</HI></P>
<PB N="224" REF="109">
<P><HI>Carolopator</HI> relateth, how the excel|lent Painter <HI>Methoclius</HI> Drawing the la&s;t day, the Heavens black, the Earth on Fire, the Sea in Blood, the Throne of God environd with An|gels in the Clouds, wrought &s;o upon <HI>Bogaris</HI> the barbarous <HI>Prince</HI> of <HI>Bul|garia,</HI> that in a &s;hort time he yielded him&s;elf to God, by an happy Conver&s;ion; for he dreaming of the whole proceedings of that day, a|mong&s;t other things, &s;aw the things he made &s;o light of, by &s;peaking thus: <HI>I am the plea&s;ure thou ha&s;t obeyed, I am the Ambition who&s;e Slave thou wa&s;t: I am the Avarice, which was the aim of all thy Actions: Behold &s;o many Sins, that are thy Children; Thou begotte&s;t them, thou belove&s;t them &s;o much; as to prefer them before thy Saviour.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>John Bruen</HI> &s;aid, <HI>At his Fune|ral, he would have no Black; for I love not,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>any proud nor pom|pous Funeral; neither is there any cau&s;e of Mourning, but Rejoycing rather in
<PB N="225" REF="109">my particular.</HI> Immediately before his death, lifting up his Hands, he &s;aid; <HI>The Lord is my Help, my Portion, and my Tru&s;t; His Ble&s;&s;ed Son Je&s;us is my Saviour and Redeemer,</HI> Amen. <HI>For &s;o &s;aith the Spirit to my Spirit: Then come Lord Je&s;us, and Ki&s;s me with Ki&s;&s;es of thy Mouth, and embrace me with the Arms of thy Love: Into thy Hands I commit my Spirit; Take me to thy own &s;elf. Come Lord Je&s;us, come quickly; O come, O come, O come.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Brown</HI> of <HI>Norwich,</HI> Phi&s;itian, entertained one Attribute of God, to recreate his Devotion, and that is <HI>Wi&s;dome; In which,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>I am Happy; for the Contemplation of this on|ly, I do not Repent me, that I was brought up to Study; the advantage I have over the Vulgar, with the content and happine&s;s I conceive therein, is an ample Recompence of all my endeavours, in what part of Knowledge what&s;oever; Wi&s;dom is his mo&s;t glorious Attribute, no man can attain unto it; yet</HI> Solo|mon
<PB N="226" REF="110"><HI>plea&s;ed God, when he de&s;ired it; he is wi&s;e, becau&s;e he knoweth all things, and he knoweth all things, becau&s;e he made them all: Yet his greate&s;t know|ledge is, in comprehending, what he made not, Him&s;elf; and this al&s;o is the greate&s;t Knowledge in man; for this I do ho|nour my Profe&s;&s;ion, and Embrace the very Council of the Devil him&s;elf. Had he read &s;uch a Lecture in</HI> Paradice, <HI>as he did at</HI> Delphos, <HI>we had better known our &s;elves; neither had we need to &s;tand in fear of him: I know he is Wi&s;e in all things; he is Wi&s;e in all, and Wonderful in what we conceive; but farmore in what we comprehend not; for we behold him but a &s;quint up|on reflex or &s;hadow: Our &V;nder&s;tand|ing is dimmer then</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>his Eye; we are Ignorant of his Back-parts, and his lower-&s;ide of his Divinity; there to pry into his Councels, is not only Folly in Man, but Pre&s;umption even in Angels; like us, they are his Servants, not his Senators; he holds Councel but with that
<PB N="227" REF="110">my&s;tical One, the</HI> Trinity, <HI>where tho there be three Per&s;ons, there is but one Mind, that decrees without contradicion; nor needs he any of his Actions to be begot with deliberation; his Wi&s;dom knows naturally what's be&s;t; his Intellect &s;tands fraught with the &s;uperlative and pure&s;t I|deas of Goodne&s;s; Con&s;ultation and Electi on, which are two Motions in us, make but one in Him; his Actions &s;prung from his Power at the fir&s;t touch of his Will: There are Contemplations metaphy&s;ical; my hum|ble Speculations have another Method, &amp; are content to trace and di&s;cover tho&s;e Expre&s;&s;ions, he hath left in his Creatures, and the obvious effects of Nature: there is danger to confound the&s;e My&s;teries; no</HI> Sanctum Sanctorum <HI>in Philo&s;ophy; the world, to be Inhabited by Bea&s;ts, but Study'd and Contemplated by Men. It is the debt of our Rea&s;on to Owe unto God the Homage we pay, for not being Bea&s;ts; without this, the World is &s;till as though it had not been, or as it had been before the &s;ixth day, when as yet there was not
<PB N="228" REF="111">a Creature, that could conceive or &s;ay, there was a World. The Wi&s;dom of God receives &s;mall Honor from the Vul|gar Heads, that u&s;ually &s;tare about with gro&s;s Ru&s;ticity, &amp; admire his works. Tho&s;e highly magnifie him, who&s;e Judicious Enquiry into his Acts, and deliberate Re&s;earch into his Creatures, return the duty of a Learned and Devout Admi|ration.</HI></P>
<LG>
<L>Therefore &s;earch whil&s;t thou wilt, and let thy Rea&s;on go,</L>
<L>To ran&s;om Rea&s;on even to the Aby&s;s below;</L>
<L>Rally the Scattered cau&s;es, and that line,</L>
<L>Which Nature twi&s;ts, be able to un|twine.</L>
<L>It is thy Makers Will; for unto none,</L>
<L>But unto Rea&s;on, can he e're be known.</L>
<L>The Devil knows thee, but tho&s;e Damned Metors,</L>
<L>Build not thy Glory, but confound the Creatures.</L>
<PB N="229" REF="111">
<L>Teach my endeavours, &s;o thy Work to read,</L>
<L>That learning them, in Thee I may proceed.</L>
<L>Give thou my Rea&s;on, that In&s;tin|ctive flight,</L>
<L>Who&s;e weary Wings, may on thy Hands &s;till light.</L>
<L>Teach me to &s;oar aloft, yet &s;o,</L>
<L>When near the Sun, to &s;top again below.</L>
<L>Thus &s;hall my humble Feathers &s;afe|ly hover,</L>
<L>And tho' ne'er Earth, more than the Heavens di&s;cover.</L>
<L>And then at la&s;t, when homeward I &s;hall drive,</L>
<L>Rich with the Spoils of Nature to my Hive;</L>
<L>There will I &s;it like that Indu&s;trious <HI>Flie,</HI></L>
<L>Buzzing thy prai&s;es, which &s;hall ne|ver Dye.</L>
<L>Till Death abridge them of exceed|ing Glory,</L>
<L>Bid me go on in a more la&s;ting Story.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="230" REF="112">
<HEAD>Will of God.</HEAD>
<P>SOME have &s;atisfied them&s;elves with this &s;ingle Thought, that 'tis in vain to be troubled, &s;ince things mu&s;t not be as we will, but as the Almighty Being plea&s;es. Cold comfort! But God be thanked, we have much better to Comfort us. <HI>viz.</HI> That the World is not governed meerly by God's Will, but by his Wi&s;dom; he di&s;po&s;eth of all things, according to his good Plea&s;ure, but it plea&s;eth him to di&s;po&s;e of all things to the be&s;t: He ruleth the World, not only as an ab&s;olute Lord, but as a loving Father.</P>
<P>It is a poor center of a Man's Acti|ons, Him&s;elf, it is Earth; for that only &s;tands fa&s;t upon its own Center; where, all things that have Affinity with the Heavens, move upon the Center of another, which they be|nefit. L. <HI>Bacon.</HI></P>
<PB N="231" REF="112">
<P>Seeming wi&s;e Men may make &s;hift to get Opinion, but let no Man cho&s;e them for Employment; for certainly, you had better take for Bu&s;ine&s;s, a Man &s;omewhat ab&s;urd, than over for|mal. <HI>Bacon</HI> 148.</P>
<P>A Noble Lord, at the time of his Death, told his Son, That he would leave him a Legacy out of <HI>David</HI>'s P&s;alms: <HI>Lord, lead me into a plain Path</HI>; for, &s;aid he, <HI>I would have you a plain Hone&s;t Man.</HI> To which I may add that excellent &s;aying, of the &s;ame No|ble Lord, <HI>The Wi&s;dom of tho&s;e young Men is mo&s;t Excellent, who by Provi|dence and Di&s;cour&s;e of Rea&s;on, do &s;o Order their Affairs, that they &s;tay not till Nece&s;&s;ity and Experience force them to that Order, which fore-&s;ight would much &s;ooner have taken.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="232" REF="113">
<HEAD>Wrongs.</HEAD>
<P>WRongs many times make way for better Fortune: If Men &s;light us, and de&s;pi&s;e us, and &s;peak evil and unju&s;tly again&s;t us, and take away our good Name; yea, if they take away our E&s;tates, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> if we be not angry, nor fill'd with De&s;pight, nor retaliate their wrongs, then it is not we, but they that ought to be troubled.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The Word.</HEAD>
<P>HE that Delights in the Word, becau&s;e it is Spiritual, he is a Chri&s;tian indeed; the more Spiritual the Ordinances, the more Spiritual they are, the more doth a gracious Soul delight in them; when the word comes clo&s;e to the Con&s;cience, rips up the Heart, and di&s;covers Sin, and yet delights in it; notwith&s;tanding
<PB N="233" REF="113">this is a &s;ign of Grace: Al&s;o, when Delight ari&s;es from that Communion, that is to be had with God there, this is from a Principle of Grace, in the Soul. <HI>Mead</HI> 73.</P>
<P>The Word was made Fle&s;h, to teach Patience, and to per&s;wade to Vertue. <HI>Vide</HI> Scripture.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Knox</HI> was tempted by Satan, to think, that he merited for his great Ser|vice, until God brought into his mind that of St. <HI>Paul, What ha&s;t thou, that thou ha&s;t not received? Not I, but the Grace of God that is in me. &V;nle&s;s,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Luther, My Adver&s;aries can convince me by &s;ound Arguments, taken out of the Word of God, I cannot &s;atisfy my Con&s;ci|ence; for I can plainly prove, that both Pope and Councel have often erred grie|vou&s;ly; and therefore it would be an un|godly thing in me, to a&s;&s;ent unto them, and to depart from the Holy Word of God, which is plain and cannot err.</HI></P>
<PB N="234" REF="114">
<P><HI>Cromwel,</HI> from K. <HI>Henry</HI> the Eighth, advi&s;es the Covocation,</P>
<Q><P>That they conclude all Differences by the Word of God; neither will his Ma|je&s;ty &s;uffer the Scriptures to be wre|&s;ted by fal&s;e Glo&s;&s;es, Papi&s;tical Laws, or by any Authority of Doctors or Councels; much le&s;s, will he &s;uffer any Articles not contained in Scrip|ture, but only founded on a Conti|nuance of Time and Cu&s;tom, or by unwritten Verities, as you were wont to do: But the only way to Unity, is to determine Acts and Things, by the Rule of Gods Word, as him&s;elf requireth.</P>
<P>In thy Zeal again&s;t others, be mindful of thy own exceeding Sin|fulne&s;s; call to mind thy great Of|fences, which when they are unfeig|nedly repented of, give thee to un|der&s;tand what Cau&s;e thou ha&s;t to be Meek, Humble and Patient towards all Men; for Right Zeal is a Coele|&s;tial Fire, the true temper and heat
<PB N="235" REF="114">of all the Affections to God and Chri&s;t, <HI>Qui non Zelat, non Amat;</HI> It is a Zeal kindled in the Soul, by the Spirit of God, who fir&s;t knows it, and then &s;ets it on work: It is a Zeal, that hath the Word of God for its Guide, directing it in its wor|kings, both in regard of its Object, and End, in Manner and Mea&s;ure: It is a Zeal that checks Sin, and fur|thers an Heavenly Life: It is a Zeal, that makes God, and the Glory of God its chief end, and &s;wallows up all by-ends: <HI>The Zeal of thine Hou&s;e hath eaten me up.</HI></P></Q>
<P>The Emperor <HI>Valence</HI> &s;ent a Me&s;|&s;age to St. <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> promi&s;ing him great Preferment, if he would turn <HI>Ne&s;&s;orian</HI> but he replied, <HI>i.e.</HI> <Q>The&s;e Speeches are fit to catch little Children, that look after &s;uch things; but we that are nouri&s;ht by the Holy Scriptures, are readier to die a thou&s;and Deaths, rather than to &s;uffer one Syllable or Tittle of the Scriptures to be al|tered.</Q></P>
<PB N="236" REF="115">
<P><HI>Theodo&s;ius</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <Q>That he accounted it a greater Honour, that he was a Member of the Church, than that he was the Head of the Empire.</Q></P>
<P>It is reported, That a Mini&s;ter ha|ving reproved a Gentleman's Ten|nant, for many Di&s;orders, yet would not forgo them; for which, he com|plained of him to his Landlord, who advi&s;ed him to admoni&s;h him once more; and that if he did not then a|mend, <HI>That he &s;hould then &s;anctify his Hand, and give him a Box on the Ear.</HI></P>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><L>Full quickly waxeth cold Religious Fame.</L>
<L>Unle&s;s by Zeal, we do uphold the &s;ame.</L></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="115">
<PB REF="116">
<PB REF="116" MS="y">
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
