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<DATE>2012-05-16</DATE>
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<NAME>Jayne Henley</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>THE PLAIN-MANS PATH-VVAY TO HEAVEN.</P>
<P>Wherin every man may clearly &s;ee whether he &s;hall be &s;aved or damned.</P>
<P>Set forth Dialogue-wi&s;e, for the bet|ter under&s;tanding of the &s;imple, By <HI>Arthur Dent,</HI> Preacher of the Word of God at South-Shoobery in E&s;&s;ex.</P>
<P><HI>The &s;ix and twentieth Edition:</HI> Corrected and amended; With a Table of all the principall matters, and three pray|ers, nece&s;&s;ary to be u&s;ed in private fami|lies, hereunto added.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Zephaniah</HI> 3.5.</BIBL>
<P>Every morning the Lord bringeth his judg|ment to light, he faileth not: but the wic|ked will not learn to be a&s;hamed.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Ja. Young,</HI> for <HI>G. Lathum,</HI> in Pauls Church-yard, at the &s;igne of the Bi&s;hops-head. 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Wor&s;hipful Sir <HI>Julius Cae&s;ar,</HI> Knight, one of the Ma&s;ters of the Reque&s;t to the Kings Maje&s;ty, Judge of the high Court of Admiralty, and Ma&s;ter of S^t. Ka|therins: <HI>A.D.</HI> wi&s;heth all good things in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HEAD>
<P>_HAving fini&s;hed (Right Wor|&s;hipfull) and made ready for the Pre&s;&s;e this little Dialogue, I bethought me (&s;ith the common manner of all that write any books in this age is to dedicate the &s;ame to one or other of great place) to whom I might dedicate th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e my poor labours. At la&s;t, I did re&s;olve with my &s;elf, none to be more fit then your Wor&s;hip: bo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h in regard of &s;ome affinity in the fle&s;h, as al&s;o be|cau&s;e of tho&s;e manifold good parts wherewith the Almighty hath endued you. Having therefore none other thing to pre&s;ent your Wor&s;hip withall (in token of a thankefull heart for your courte&s;ies &s;hewed towards mee)
<PB REF="3"> behold, I doe here &s;end unto you this third fruit of my labours publi&s;hed; mo&s;t humbly be&s;eeching you to take it in good worth: not weighing the va|lue of the thing (which is of no value) but the &s;imple and good minde and meaning of the giver. This work doth &s;harply reprove and evict the world of &s;in, and therefore is like to find ma|ny deadly enemies, which with cruell hatred will mo&s;t eagerly pur&s;ue it un|to death. <HI>Zoilus</HI> al&s;o and his fellows, I know, will bitterly carp at it: there|fore it &s;lieth unto your Wor&s;hip for protection, and humbly de&s;ireth to take &s;anctuary under your wings. Wherefore I humble intreat you to take upon you the patronage and de|fence of it, that by your means it may be delivered both from the calumni|ous obloquies of evill di&s;po&s;ed per&s;ons, and al&s;o from the worlds malignity, &s;o as it may take no injury. And con|cerning this little volume, the &s;um of the matter of it you &s;hall find it in <HI>the Epi&s;tle to the Reader.</HI> As con|cerning the maner, here is no great matter of learning, wit, art, eloquence,
<PB REF="3"> or ingenious invention, (for I have herein &s;pecially re&s;pected the ignorant and vulgar &s;ort, who&s;e edification I doe chiefly aime at:) yet &s;omewhat there is which may concern the lear|ned, and give them &s;ome contentment. What&s;oever it be, I leave it with your Wor&s;hip, be&s;eeching you to give it en|tertainment. And &s;o I doe most humbly take my leave, commending both your &s;elfe, your good wife, and your whole family to the mercifull pro|tection of the everliving God.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>From <HI>South-Shoobery in E&s;&s;ex,</HI> <DATE><HI>April 10.</HI> An. Dom. <HI>1601.</HI></DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your W^p^s to command in the Lord, ARTHUR DENT.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="6">
<HEAD>The Epi&s;tle to the Reader.</HEAD>
<P>_GEntle Reader, &s;eeing my little Sermon of Repen|tance, &s;ome few yeeres &s;ince publi&s;hed, hath been &s;o well accepted of I have for thy further good publi&s;hed this Dialogue, being the third fruit of my la|bour: wi&s;hing it the like &s;ucce&s;&s;e, that God thereby may have the glory, &amp; thou, who are the Rea|der, comfort I have in one part of this Dialogue produced &s;ome of the ancient Writers, and &s;ome of the wi&s;e Heathen al&s;o, to te&s;tifie upon their oath in their own lan|guage, and to bear witne&s;&s;e of the ougline&s;&s;e of &s;ome vices, which we in this age make light of: which I wi&s;h may not be offen|&s;ive to any. In other parts of this work I do in a manner relinqui&s;h them. But in this ca&s;e I have in my weake judgement thought them to be of &s;ome good u&s;e, to
<PB REF="6"> &s;hew forth thus much, That if we doe not in time repent, for&s;ake our &s;innes, and &s;eek after God, both the ancient Chri&s;tian Fa|thers (who&s;e eys &s;aw not that we &s;ee, nor their ears heard what we hear) yea, the very Heathen al&s;o &s;hall ri&s;e up in judgment again&s;t us. Let none therefore &s;tumble at it. But if any man do, let him remember, I am in a Dialogue, not in a Sermon. I write to all of all &s;orts; I &s;peak not of &s;ome few of one &s;ort. But that which is done herein is not much more then that of the Apo&s;tle, (<HI>As &s;ome of your owne Poets have &s;aid, Acts</HI> 17.) which is warrantable. One thing, dear Chri&s;tian, I pray thee, let me beg of thee; to wit, that thou woulde&s;t not read two or three leaves of this book, and &s;o ca&s;t it from thee; but that thou woulde&s;t read it throughout, even to the end. For I doe a&s;|&s;ure thee, if there be any thing in it worth the reading, it is be&s;tow|ed in the latter part thereof, and
<PB REF="7">
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<PB REF="8"> mo&s;t of all towards the conclu|&s;ion. Be not di&s;couraged therfore at the har&s;hne&s;&s;e of the begin|ning: but look for &s;moother mat|ter in the mid&s;t, and mo&s;t &s;mooth in the perclo&s;e &amp; wind up of all. For this Dialogue hath in it, not the nature of a Tragedy, which is begun with joy, and ended with &s;orrow: but a Comedy, which is begun with &s;orrow, &amp; ended with joy. This book meddleth not at all with any controver&s;ies in the Church, or any thing in the &s;tate Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, but onely entreth into a controver&s;ie with Sathan and &s;in. It is contrived into &s;ix principall heads: Fir&s;t, it &s;hew|eth mans mi&s;ery in nature, with the means of recovery. Secondly, it &s;harply inveigheth again&s;t the iniquity of the time, &amp; common corruptions of the world. Third|ly, it &s;heweth the marks of the children of God, and of the repro|bates; together with the appa|rent &s;igns of Salvation and Dam|nation. Fourthly, it declareth
<PB REF="8"> how hard a thing it is to enter in|to life, and how few &s;hall enter. Fifthly, it layeth open the igno|rance of the world, with the ob|jections of the &s;ame. La&s;t of all, it publi&s;heth and proclaimeth the &s;weet promi&s;es of the Go|&s;pel, with the abundant mercies of God to all that repent beleeve, and truely turn unto him. The Author of all ble&s;&s;ing give a ble&s;|&s;ing unto it. The God of peace, which brought againe from the dead our Lord Je&s;us, the great Shepherd of the &s;heep, through the bloud of the everla&s;ting Co|venant, make us perfect in all good works, &s;anctifie us thorow|out, amend all our imperfections, and keepe us blamele&s;&s;e untill the day of his mo&s;t glorious ap|pearing. Amen.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Thine in the Lord,</HI> A. D.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>The Contents of this Dialogue.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>FIr&s;t, it &s;heweth mans mi&s;ery by nature, with the means of recovery.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, it &s;harply inveigheth again&s;t the iniquity of the time, and common corruptions of the world.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, it &s;h weth the marks of the chil|dren of God, and of the reprobates, with the apparent &s;igns of Salvation and Damna|tion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fourthly, it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life, and how few &s;hall enter.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fifthly, it layeth open the ignorance of the world, with the objections of the &s;ame.</ITEM>
<ITEM>La&s;t of all, it publi&s;heth and proclaimeth the &s;weet promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, with the abundant mercies of God to all that repent, beleeve, and truly turn unto him.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="dialogue">
<PB N="1" REF="9">
<HEAD>THE PLAIN-MANS PATH-WAY TO HEAVEN.
<LIST>
<HEAD>Interlo|cutors.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Theologus,</HI> a Divine.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Philagathus,</HI> an Hone&s;t man.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>A&s;unetus,</HI> an Ignorant man.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Antilegon,</HI> a Caviller.</ITEM>
</LIST></HEAD>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Philagathus.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>_WEll met good ma&s;ter <HI>Theolo|gus.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What? mine old friend <HI>Philagathus!</HI> I am glad to &s;ee you in good health.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Are you walking, Sir, here all alone in this plea&s;ant meadow?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol</SPEAKER>
<P>Yea, for I take &s;ome plea|&s;ure at this time of the yeer to walk abroad in the fields for my recreation, both to take the fre&s;h air, and to hear the &s;weet &s;inging of birds.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Indeed, Sir, it is very comfo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">+ble, e&s;pecially now in this plea<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="4 letters">
<PB REF="10">
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<PB N="1" REF="10">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="2" REF="11"> moneth of May; and thanks be to God, hitherto wee have had a very forward &s;pring, and as kindly a &s;ea&s;on as came this &s;even yeer.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>God doth abound towards us in mercies; Oh that wee could abound towards him in thank&s;-gi|ving!</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, Sir, what a clock hold you it?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I take it to bee a little pa&s;t one, for I came but even now from dinner.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But behold, yonder come two men towards us, what be they, I pray you?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They be a couple of neigh|bours of the next Pari&s;h; the one of them is called <HI>A&s;unetus,</HI> who in very deed is a very ignorant man in Gods matters: and the other is called <HI>An|tilegon,</HI> a notable Athei&s;t, and caviller again&s;t all goodne&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If they be &s;uch, it were good for us to take &s;ome occa&s;ion to &s;peak of mat|ters of religion: it may be wee &s;hall doe them &s;ome good.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have made a good moti|on: I like it well. If therefore you will mini&s;ter &s;ome matter, and move &s;ome que&s;tions, I will be ready to an|&s;wer in the be&s;t &s;ort I can.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But &s;tay, Si, lo here they come <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">on us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="3" REF="11">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Welcome good neighbours, welcome. How do you, <HI>A&s;unetus?</HI> and you, <HI>Antilegon?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, God be thanked: and we are glad to &s;ee your Ma&s;ter&s;hip in good health.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What make both of you here at this time of the day? There is &s;ome occa&s;ion, I am &s;ure, draweth you this way.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Indeed, Sir, we have &s;ome little bu&s;ine&s;&s;e; for we came to talk with one of your Pari&s;h about a Cow wee &s;hould buy of him.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Hath my neighbour a Cow to &s;ell?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wee are told hee hath a very good one to &s;ell; but I am affraid at this time of the yeer wee &s;hall find dear ware of her.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>How dear? What doe you thinke a very good Cow may bee worth?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>A good Cow indeed at th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> time of the yeer is worth very neer four pound, which is a great price.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is a very great price indeed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, M. <HI>Theologus,</HI> leave off this talking of kin<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, and worldly matters, and let us enter into &s;ome &s;peech of matters of religion, whereby we may doe good, and take good one of another.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="4" REF="12">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;ay well. But it may be the&s;e mens bu&s;ine&s;&s;e requireth ha&s;te, &s;o as they cannot &s;tay.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>No, Sit, wee are in no great ha&s;te; wee can &s;tay two or three houres, for the dayes are long: if we di&s;patch our bu&s;ine&s;&s;e by night, it will &s;erve our turn well enough.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then if it will plea&s;e you to walk to yonder Oak tree, there is a goodly arbour, and hand&s;ome &s;eats, where wee may all &s;it in the &s;hadow, and confer of heavenly matters.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>With a good will, Sir.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Come then, let us go.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This is a goodly arbour indeed, and here be hand&s;ome &s;eats.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Sit you all downe, I pray you. Now, friend <HI>Philagathus,</HI> if you have any que&s;tions to move of mat|ters of Religion, wee are all ready to hear you.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It may be the&s;e men are &s;ome|what ignorant of the very principles of Religion; and therefore I think it not ami&s;&s;e to begin there, and &s;o to make way for further matters.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I pray you do &s;o then.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t then, I demand of you in what &s;tate all men are born by nature.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In the &s;tate of condemnati|on; as appeareth, <HI>Ephe&s;. 2.3. Wee are by nature the children of wrath as well as others.</HI> And againe, it is written:
<PB N="5" REF="12"> <HI>Behold, I was borne in iniquity, and in &s;in hath my mother conceived mee, P&s;al. 51.5.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is it every mans ca&s;e? Are not Dukes and Nobles, Lords and Ladies, and the great Potentates of the earth ex|empted from it?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No &s;urely: it is the com|mon ca&s;e of all, both high and low, rich and poor; as it is written: <HI>What is man, that he &s;hould be clean; and hee that is born of a woman, that he &s;hould be ju&s;t?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>From whence cometh it that all men are born in &s;o wofull a ca&s;e?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>From the fall of <HI>Adam,</HI> who thereby hath not onely wrapt him&s;elfe, but all his po&s;terity in extreme and un&s;peakable mi&s;ery, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith: <HI>By one mans di&s;obedience many were made &s;inners.</HI> And, <HI>By the offence of one, the fault came on all men to con|demnation, Rom. 5.1.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What rea&s;on is there that we all &s;hould thus be puni&s;hed for another mans offence?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Becau&s;e wee were then all in him, and are now all of him: that is, wee are &s;o de&s;cended out of his loins, that of him wee have not only received our naturall and corrupt bodies, but al&s;o by propagation have inherited his foul corruptions, as it were by heredi|tary right.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="6" REF="13">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But for as much as &s;ome have dreamed that <HI>Adam</HI> by his fall hurt him&s;elfe onely, and not his po&s;terity; and that wee have his corruption deri|ved unto us by imitation, and not by propagation: therefore I pray you &s;hew this more plainly.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as great per&s;onages by committing of trea&s;on, doe not on|ly hurt them&s;elves, but al&s;o &s;taine their bloud, and di&s;grace their po&s;te|rity (for the children of &s;uch Nobles are di&s;-inherited, who&s;e bloud is at|tainted, till they be re&s;tored again by Act of Parliament:) Even &s;o our bloud being attainted by <HI>Adams</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, we can inherit nothing of right till we be re&s;tored by Chri&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Doth this hereditary infection and contagion over-&s;pread our whole nature?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes truly, it is univer&s;all, extending it &s;elfe throughout the whole man, both &s;oule and body, both rea&s;on, under&s;tanding, will, and af|fections:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2.1. Col. 1.2. &amp; 3.2.</NOTE> for the Scriptures avouch, that <HI>wee are dead in &s;innes and tre&s;|pa&s;&s;es.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How under&s;tand you that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Not of the deadne&s;&s;e of the body, or the naturall faculties of the &s;oule, but of the &s;pirituall faculties.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Did <HI>Adam</HI> then lo&s;e his nature, and de&s;troy it by his fall? or is our
<PB N="7" REF="13"> nature taken away by his fall?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Not &s;o: our nature was corrupted thereby, but not de&s;troied: for &s;till there remaineth in our na|ture, rea&s;on, under&s;tanding, will, and affections, and we are not as a blocke or a &s;tocke; but by <HI>Adams</HI> di&s;obedi|ence we are blemi&s;hed, maimed, and &s;poiled of all ability to under&s;tand a|right, or to will and doe aright: as it is written;<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Col. 5.3.</NOTE> <HI>Wee are not &s;ufficient of our &s;elves to think any thing as of our &s;elves: but our &s;ufficiency is of God.</HI> And again:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">. 2.3.</NOTE> <HI>It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed, e|ven of his good plea&s;ure.</HI> And as con|cerning the other point,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 3.9.</NOTE> St. <HI>James</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That all men are made after the &s;imilitude of God:</HI> meaning thereby, that there remain &s;ome reliques and parts of Gods image even in the mo&s;t wicked men: as rea&s;on, under|&s;tanding, &amp;c. &s;o that our nature was not wholly de&s;troyed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Then you thinke there be &s;ome &s;parkes and remnants left in us &s;till of that excellent image of God, which was in our fir&s;t creation.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I thinke &s;o indeed: and it may plainly appeare unto us in the wi&s;e &s;peeches and writings of heathen Poets and Philo&s;ophers: in all which we may, as by certaine ruines, perceive what was the excel|lent
<PB N="8" REF="14"> frame and building of mans crea|tion.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Can a man plea&s;e God in any thing which he doth, &s;o long as he conti|nueth in the &s;tate of nature?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, not in any thing: for till wee be in the &s;tate of grace, even our be&s;t actions are &s;infull, as preach|ing, prayer, alme&s;-deeds, &amp;c. as it is written: <HI>Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean? Job 14.4.</HI> The Apo&s;tle al&s;o &s;aith: <HI>They that are in the fle&s;h cannot plea&s;e God, Rom. 8.8.</HI> that is, &s;uch as are &s;till in their natu|rall corruption. And our Lord Ie&s;us him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>Doe men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thi&s;tles? Matth. 7.16.</HI> meaning thereby, that meer naturall men can bring forth no fruits accepta|ble to God.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This is a very har&s;h and hard &s;aying: I pray you, for my further in|&s;truction make it more plaine.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Men in the &s;tate of nature may doe tho&s;e things which of them|&s;elves are good, but they do utterly fail in the manner of doing them; they doe them not as they &s;hould be done: that is, in faith, love, zeal, con&s;cience of o|bedience, &amp;c neither yet with any cheer|fulne&s;&s;e, delight, or feeling; but then as it were forcing them&s;elves to doe the outward actions. Thus did <HI>Cain</HI> &s;acrifice, the P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ri&s;ces pray, <HI>Ananias</HI>
<PB N="9" REF="14"> and <HI>Sapphira</HI> give alms, and the Iewes offer up their oblations and burnt-offerings.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Have men any true &s;ight, or lively and &s;ound feeling of this mi&s;ery and wofull e&s;tate, &s;o long as they bee meerly naturall?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No &s;urely, but are altoge|ther blinded and hardened in it, being nothing de&s;irous to come out of it, but doe greatly plea&s;e them&s;elves in it, and can hardly be per&s;waded that they are in any &s;uch wofull ca&s;e: as ap|peareth plainly in the example of that Ruler, who being commanded, or ra|ther required of our Saviour Chri&s;t to keep the commandements, an&s;we|red, <HI>All the&s;e have I kept from my youth, Luke 18.21.</HI> And againe, al|though the Church of Laodicca was wretched, mi&s;erable, poor, blinde, and naked; yet &s;he thought her &s;elfe rich, increa&s;ed with goods, and wanting nothing. It followeth then, that &s;o long as men are in the &s;tate of nat<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">e, they have no true &s;ight and feeling of their mi&s;eries.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Doe you not think that all men, being meerly naturall, are under the c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;e of the Law?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes certainly: and not on|ly &s;o, but al&s;o under the ver<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">onny and dominion of Sathan, though they know it not, feel it not, &s;ee it
<PB N="10" REF="15"> not, or perceive it not: for all that are not in Chri&s;t are under the cur&s;e of the Law, and the power of dark|ne&s;&s;e, and the Divell: as appeareth, <HI>Ephe&s;. 2.2.</HI> where the Divell is called the Prince that ruleth in the aire, e|ven the Spirit that now worketh in the children of di&s;obedience. In an|other place hee is called the god of this world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 4 4.</NOTE> who blindeth the eyes of all unbeleevers. And againe, it is &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.26.</NOTE> that all men naturally are in his &s;nare, being taken captive of him at his will.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Few will be per&s;waded of that; they will &s;ay, They defie the divell, and thank God they were never troubled with him.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Their hot words doe no|thing amend the matter: for the divell is no more driven away with words, then with holy water: but he &s;itteth in the tongues and mouthes, nay, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth the very hearts and intrals of thou&s;ands, which &s;ay, They defie him, and are not troubled with him: as appeareth manife&s;tly by their par|ticular actions, and the whole cour&s;e of their life.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Me thinks, if the divell do &s;o in|wardly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the hearts and con&s;cien|ces of men, they &s;hould have &s;ome &s;ight and feeling of it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The working of the divell
<PB N="11" REF="15"> in mens &s;oules (being an invi&s;ible &s;pirit) is with &s;uch unconceivable &s;leight and crafty conveyance, that men in the &s;tate of nature cannot po&s;&s;ibly feele it, or perceive it: for how can a blind man &s;ee, or a dead man feel?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew this more plainly.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as a crafty Iuggler doth &s;o pre&s;tigiate and blind mens outward &s;en&s;es by the delu&s;ions of Sathan, that they think they &s;ee that which they &s;ee not, and feele that which they feel not: even &s;o the divell doth &s;o delude and bewitch our inward &s;en&s;es, and the naturall fa|culties of our &s;ouls, that wee, ha|ving a mi&s;t ca&s;t before our eyes, think wee are that which wee are not, &s;ee that which wee &s;ee not, and feel that which wee feele not. For the deep cunning of Sathan lieth in this, that hee can give us our deaths wound, and wee &s;hall never know who hurt us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Few will beleeve this to bee true.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed: for few will beleeve the Scriptures: few will be|leeve this, becau&s;e few feel it. Where it is not felt, it can hardly be belee|ved. Onely the elect doe feel it, and therefore onely the elect doe beleeve it. As for all others, they are the very
<PB N="12" REF="16"> prenti&s;es and bond-&s;laves of the divell. which is a thou&s;and times wor&s;e then to be a galley-&s;lave.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How long doe men continue in this wofull &s;tate of nature, being under the cur&s;e of the Law, and the very &s;lavery of Satan and &s;in?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Till they bee regenerate and born againe, and &s;o brought into the &s;tate of grace; as our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith:<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3 3.</NOTE> <HI>Except a man be born againe, hee cannot &s;ee the kingdome of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Do not many die, and depart this life, before they be born again, and con&s;e|quently, before they be brought into the &s;tate of grace?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes, no doubt, thou&s;ands: for many live forty or three&s;core yeers in this world, and in the end die, and goe out of this life, before they know wherefore they came into it, as it is written:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 4.6.</NOTE> <HI>My people peri&s;h for want of knowledge.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What may we think of &s;uch?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I quake to &s;peak what I think: for &s;urely I doe not &s;ee how &s;uch can be &s;aved. I &s;peak not now of infants and children, whereof &s;ome, no doubt, are &s;aved by vertue of the promi&s;e and covenant, through the ele|ction of grace.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It &s;eemeth then that you think none can be &s;aved, but tho&s;e onely which are born again.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="13" REF="16">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I think &s;o indeed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you tell mee what the &s;ame regeneration and new birth is, whereof you &s;peak.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is a renewing and repai|ring of the corrupted and decaied e&s;tate of our &s;ouls: as it is written, <HI>Be yee changed by the renewing of your mind, Rom. 12.</HI> And againe: <HI>Be renewed in the &s;pirit of your mind, Eph. 4.23.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Explain this more fully.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as the wild olive re|taineth his old nature, till it be graffed into the &s;weet olive, but afterward is partaker of a new nature; &s;o wee, till wee be graffed into Chri&s;t, retain our old nature, but afterward are turned into a new creature: as it is written, <HI>If any man be in Chri&s;t, he is a new crea|ture, 2 Cor. 5.17.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I under&s;tand not what you &s;ay.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You mu&s;t know this, that as there is a naturall birth of the whole man; &s;o there is al&s;o a &s;pirituall birth of the whole man.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How is that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>When as the naturall facul|ties of the &s;oule, as rea&s;on, under&s;tan|ding, will, and affections, and the mem|bers of the body al&s;o are &s;o &s;anctified, purged, and rectified by grace, that we under&s;tand, will, and de&s;ire that which is good.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Cannot a man will and de&s;ire
<PB N="14" REF="17"> that which is good before hee be born again?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No more then a dead man can de&s;ire the good things of this life. For mans will is not tree to con&s;ent unto good, till it be enlarged by grace: and an unregenerate man doth &s;in ne|ce&s;&s;arily, though not by con&s;traint. For mans will is free from con&s;traint (for it &s;inneth of it &s;elf) but not from thral|dome unto &s;in.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You &s;peak, as if a man could do no other thing but &s;in till the new work be wrought in him.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That is mine opinion indeed. For a man and his fle&s;h are all one, till hee be regenerate: they agree toge|ther like man and wife, they join toge|ther in all evill, they live and die toge|ther: for when the fle&s;h peri&s;heth, the man peri&s;heth.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is not this regeneration a chan|ging, or rather de&s;troying of humane nature?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nothing le&s;&s;e: it is neither an aboli&s;hing, nor changing of the &s;ub|&s;tance of body or &s;oul, or any of the fa|culties thereof, but only a rectifying and repairing of them by removing the corruption.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is then our naturall corrupti|on &s;o purged and quite removed by the power of grace, as that it re|maineth not at all in us, but that
<PB N="15" REF="17"> wee are wholly freed of it?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Not &s;o: For the reliques and remnants of our old nature, which the Scripture calleth the old man, do hang about us, and dwell in us even untill our dying day; as it is plainly proved in the ten la&s;t ver&s;es of the &s;eventh to the <HI>Romans.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Then you affirme, that this new man, or new work of grace and regene|ration is unperfect in this life.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yea: for the new creature, or new work of grace can never be fully fa&s;hioned in this life, but is alwayes in fa&s;hioning. And as our faith &amp; know|ledge in this life are unperfect; &s;o is our regeneration and &s;anctification.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You &s;aid before, that the regene|ration or new birth is of the whole man: which &s;peech &s;eemeth to imply, that the new wo k of grace is entire and perfect.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You mi&s;take the matter. For although the new birth is univer&s;all, and of the whole man, yet it is not en|tire, perfect, pure, and without mixture or corruption: for it is written, <HI>The fle&s;h lu&s;teth again&s;t the &s;pirit, and the &s;pi|rit again&s;t the fle&s;h.</HI> The Apo&s;tle al&s;o prayeth that the The&s;&s;alonians may be &s;anctified throughout, in &s;pirit, &s;oule, and body.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This &s;eemeth very ob&s;cure, I pray you make it more plain.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You mu&s;t note this, that the
<PB N="16" REF="18"> new work and the old, fle&s;h and &s;pi|rit, grace and corruption are &s;o inter|mingledly joyned together in all the faculties of the &s;oul and body, as that the one doth ever fight again&s;t the o|ther.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But tell me, I pray you, how you under&s;tand this intermingling of grace and corruption in the &s;oul. Do you mean, that grace is placed in one part of the &s;oul, and corruption in another, &s;o as they be &s;undred in place?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, that is not my meaning: but this, that they be joyned &amp; mingled together (as I &s;aid) in and throughout the whole man. For the mind or under|&s;tanding part is not one part fle&s;h, and another part &s;pirit; but the whole mind is fle&s;h, and the whole mind is &s;pirit, partly one, and partly another. The &s;ame is to be &s;aid of wil and affections.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Ph.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, expre&s;s it more plainly.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as the air in the dawn|ing of the day is not wholly light, or wholly dark, as at mid-night, or at noon-day; neither is it in one part light, and in another part dark: but the whole aire is partly light, and partly dark thorowout: and as in a ve&s;&s;ell of luke-warm water, the water it &s;elf is not only hot, nor only cold but heat and cold are mixed together in every part of the water; &s;o is the fle&s;h and the &s;pirit mingled together in the &s;oule of man.
<PB N="17" REF="18"> And this is the cau&s;e why the&s;e two contrary qualities fight together.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Out of doubt this doctrine of re|generation is a very great my&s;tery.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes certainly, it is a &s;ecret of &s;ecrets, which the wi&s;e of this world cannot comprehend.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Some think that courte&s;ie, kind|ne&s;&s;e, good nurture, good nature, and good education are regeneration; and that courteous and good natured men mu&s;t needs be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They are generally deceived: for the&s;e things doe not nece&s;&s;arily ac|company &s;alvation, but are to be found in &s;uch as are altogether profane and irreligious: yet wee are to love &s;uch good outward qualities, and the men in whom we find them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What &s;ay you then to learning, wit, and policie? are not the&s;e things of the e&s;&s;ence of religion, and prove a rege|neration?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, no: for they be externall gifts, which may be in the mo&s;t wicked men; as in Papi&s;ts, heathen Poets, and Philo&s;ophers: yet we are greatly to reverence learned and wi&s;e men, al|though the new and inward work be not as yet wrought: for that is onely of God, that is from above.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The common people doe attri|bute much to learning and policie: for they will &s;ay, Such a man is learned and
<PB N="18" REF="19"> wi&s;e, and knoweth the Scripture as well as any of them, and yet hee doth not thus and thus.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is one thing to know the hi&s;tory and letter of the Scriptures, and another thing to beleeve and feel the power therof in the heart, which is only from the &s;anctifying &s;pirit, which none of the wi&s;e of this world can have.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It is a common opinion, that if a man hold the truth in judgment, be no Papi&s;t or Heretick, but leadeth an ho|ne&s;t civill life, then hee mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That followeth not: for ma|ny come &s;o far, which yet notwith&s;tan|ding have not the inward touch.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>That &s;eemeth &s;trange. For many will &s;ay, As long as they be neither whore nor thiefe, nor &s;potted with &s;uch like gro&s;&s;e &s;innes, they tru&s;t in God they &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They erre, not knowing the Scriptures. For many thou&s;ands are in great danger of lo&s;ing their &s;ouls for ever, which are free from &s;uch notori|ous and horrible vices: nay, many which in the world are counted good hone&s;t men, good true dealers, good neighbours, and good town&s;-men.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, Sir, give mee leave a little. I have heard all your &s;peech hi|therto, and I like rea&s;onable well of it; but now I can forbear no longer, my
<PB N="19" REF="19"> con&s;cience urgeth mee to &s;peak: For mee thinks you goe too far, you goo beyond your learning in this, that you condemn good neighbours, and good town&s;-men. You &s;ay, many &s;uch men are in danger of lo&s;ing their &s;ouls; but I will never be|leeve it while I live: For if &s;uch men be not &s;aved, I cannot tell who &s;hall.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>But you mu&s;t learn to know out of the Scriptures, that all out|ward hone&s;ty and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, with|out the true knowledge and inward feeling of God, availeth not to eternall life: As our Saviour Chri&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 12.</NOTE> <HI>Except your righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e exceed the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the Scribes and Phari|&s;ees, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.</HI> It is al&s;o written, that when <HI>Paul</HI> preached at <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 17.18.</NOTE> many hone&s;t men and women did beleeve: that i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, &s;uch no were outwardly hone&s;t, or ho|ne&s;t to the word only: for they could not be truly and inwardly hone&s;t before they did beleeve. Therefore you &s;ee that this outward hone&s;ty &amp; c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">vility, with|out the inward regeneration of the &s;pi|rit, ava<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;eth not to eternall life: and then con&s;equently, all your hone&s;t worldly men are in great danger of lo|&s;ing their &s;ouls for ever.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What &s;ound rea&s;on can you yeeld, why &s;uch hone&s;t men &s;hould be condemned?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Becau&s;e many &s;uch are ut|terly
<PB N="16" REF="20">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="17" REF="20">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="18" REF="21">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="19" REF="21">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="20" REF="22"> void of all true knowledge of God and his word. Nay, which is more, ma|ny of them de&s;pi&s;e the word of God, and hate all the zealous profe&s;&s;ors of it. They e&s;teem Preachers but as prat|lers, and Sermons as good tales: they e&s;teem a Preacher no more then a &s;hoe|maker: they regard the Scriptures no more then their old &s;hooes. What hope is there then, I pray you, that &s;uch men &s;hould be &s;aved? Doth not the holy Gho&s;t &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 2.5.</NOTE> <HI>How &s;hall we e&s;cape if we neglect &s;o great &s;alvation?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You go too far; you judge too hardly of them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Not a whit. For all experi|ence &s;heweth, that they mind, dream, &amp; dote of nothing el&s;e day and night, but this world, this world, lands &amp; lea&s;es, grounds and livings, kine &amp; &s;heep, and how to wax rich. All their thoughts, words, and works are of the&s;e &amp; &s;uch like things. And their actions do mo&s;t manife&s;tly declare, that they are of the earth, and &s;peak of the earth, and there is nothing in them but earth, earth. As for Sermons, they care not how few they hear: And for the &s;criptures, they regard them not, they read them not, they e&s;teem them not worth the while, there is nothing more irk&s;ome unto them: they had rather pill &s;trawes, or doe any thing, then hear, read, or con|ferre of the Scriptures. And as the
<PB N="21" REF="22"> Prophet &s;aith:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 8.1.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>The word of the Lord is as a reproach unto them, they have no delight in it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I marvell much that &s;uch men &s;hould live &s;o hone&s;tly to the world|ward.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No marvell at all: for many bad men, who&s;e hearts are worm-ea|ten within, yet for &s;ome outward and carnall re&s;pects doe ab&s;taine from the gro&s;&s;e act of &s;in: as &s;ome for credit, &s;ome for &s;hame, &s;ome for fear of law, &s;ome for fear of puni&s;hment; but none for love of God, for zeal of con&s;cience, or of obe|dience. For it is a &s;ure thing, that the wicked may have that &s;pirit which doth repre&s;&s;e, but not that which doth renew.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It &s;eemeth then by your &s;peeches, that &s;ome which are not regenerate do in &s;ome things excell the children of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Mo&s;t certain it is, that &s;ome of them in outward gifts, and the out|ward carriage of them&s;elves doe goe beyond &s;ome of the elect.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew me, I pray you, in what gifts?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In learning, di&s;cretion, ju|&s;tice, temperance, prudence, patience, li|berality, a&s;&s;ability, kindne&s;&s;e, courte&s;ie, good nature, &amp;c.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Me thinks it &s;hould not be po&s;|&s;ible.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes truly: for &s;ome of Gods dear children, in whom no doubt the
<PB N="22" REF="23"> inward work is truely and &s;oundly wrought, yet are &s;o troubled and in|cumbred with a crabbed &amp; crooked na|ture, and &s;o clogged with &s;ome ma&s;ter &s;in, as &s;ome with anger, &s;ome with pride, &s;ome with covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;ome with lu&s;ts, &s;ome one way, and &s;ome an|other; all which breaking out in them, do &s;o blemi&s;h them and their profe&s;&s;ion, that they cannot &s;o &s;hine forth unto men, as otherwi&s;e no doubt they would; and this is their wound, their griefe, and their heart-&s;mart, and that which co&s;teth them many a tear, and many a prayer: and yet can they not get the fu l victory over them, but &s;till they are le&s;s in them as a prick in the fle&s;h to humble them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Ph.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet love &s;hould cover a multitude of &s;uch infirmities in Gods children.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It &s;hould do &s;o indeed: but there is great want of love, even in the be&s;t: and the wor&s;t &s;ort e&s;pying the&s;e infirmities in the godly, runne upon them with open mouth, and take upon them to condemne them utterly, and to judge their hearts, &s;aying, They be hy|pocrites, di&s;&s;emblers, and there is none wor&s;e then they.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But do you not think, that there be &s;ome counterfeits even among&s;t the greate&s;t profe&s;&s;ors?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes, no doubt there be, &amp; al|wayes have been &s;ome very hypocrites
<PB N="23" REF="23"> in the Church; but we mo&s;t take heed of judging &amp; condemning all for &s;ome. For it were very much to condemne Chri&s;t and his eleven di&s;ciples, becau&s;e of one <HI>Judas;</HI> or the whole Primitive Church for one <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Sapphira.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But I hope you are of this mind, that &s;ome regenerate men, even in out|ward gifts, and their outward carriage, are comparable with many others.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e very many. For they being guided by Gods &s;pirit, and upheld by his grace, doe walk very up|rightly and unblamably towards men.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet there re&s;teth one &s;cruple: for it &s;eemeth very &s;trange unto me, that men of &s;o di&s;creet carriage as you &s;peak of, and of &s;o many good parts, &s;hould not be &s;a|ved. It is great pity &s;uch men &s;hould be damned.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It &s;eemeth &s;o unto us indeed, but God is only wi&s;e. And you mu&s;t note, that as there be &s;ome infirmities in Gods children, which hee correcteth with temporall cha&s;ti&s;ements, and yet rewardeth their faith, love, and inward &s;ervice and obedience with eternal life; &s;o there be &s;ome good things in the wicked, and them that are without Chri&s;t, which God rewardeth with temporall ble&s;&s;ings, and yet puni&s;heth them eternally for their unbeliefe and hardne&s;&s;e of heart.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now you have rea&s;onably well
<PB N="24" REF="24"> &s;atisfied mee touching the doctrine of regeneration, and the manifold errours and deceits that are in it, and of it. I pray you let us now proceed: and fir&s;t of all tell mee by what means the new birth is wrought.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol</SPEAKER>
<P>By the preaching of the word, as the outward meanes:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1 2.3. John 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.3. Acts 10.44. Ephe&s;. 4.3.</NOTE> and the &s;e|cret worke of the &s;pirit, as the inward means.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Many hear the word preached, and are nothing the better, but rather the wor&s;e: what, I pray you, is the cau&s;e of that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Mens own incredulity and hardne&s;&s;e of heart: becau&s;e God in his wrath leaveth them to them&s;elves, and depriveth them of his &s;pirit, without the which all preaching is in vain. For except the &s;pirit doe follow the word into our hearts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 16.14.</NOTE> wee can finde no joy, ta&s;te, nor comfort therein.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Cannot a man attain unto rege|neration and the new birth without the word and the &s;pirit?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No verily. For they are the in&s;truments and means whereby God doth work it.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Why may not a man have as good a faith to God-ward that heareth no Sermons, as hee that heareth all the Sermons in the world?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Why may not he which eateth no meat, be as fat and as well liking
<PB N="25" REF="24"> as hee that eateth all the meat in the world? For is not the preaching of the word the food of our &s;ouls?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I like not &s;o much hearing of Sermons, and reading of the Scriptures, except men could keep them better.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Faithfull and hone&s;t hearers do therefore hear, that they may be more able to ob&s;erve and do. For a man can|not do the will of God before he know it, and hee cannot know it without hearing and reading.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I marvell what good men doe get by gadding to Sermons, and poring &s;o much in the Scripture; or what are they better then others? There are none more full of envie and malice then they: They will doe their neighbour a &s;hrewd turn as &s;oon as any body; and therefore in mine opinion, they be but a company of hypo|crites, and preci&s;e fools.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You judge uncharitably. Full little doe you know what they feel, or what good Gods people get by hearing of the word. For the work of the &s;pi|rit in the hearts of the elect is very &s;e|cret and altogether hid from the world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.8.</NOTE> as it is written: <HI>The wind bloweth where it li&s;teth, and thou heare&s;t the &s;ound thereof, but can&s;t not tell whither it goeth, or whence it cometh; &s;o is eve|ry man that is born of the &s;pirit.</HI> And a|gaine, <HI>The things of God knoweth no man, but the &s;pirit of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="26" REF="25">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Amil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Tu&s;h, tu&s;h, what needs all this ado<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">? If a man &s;ay his Lords prayer, his ten Commandements, and his Beleefe, &amp; keep them, and &s;ay no body harme, not doe no body harm, and doe as hee would be done to, have a good faith to God|ward, and be a man of Gods beliefe, no doubt hee &s;hall be &s;aved without all this running to Sermons, and pratling of the Scripture.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now you powr it out indeed: you thinke you have &s;poken wi&s;e y. But, alas! you have bewrayed your great ignorance. For you imagine a man may bee &s;aved without the word, which is a gro&s;&s;e errour.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It is no matter; &s;ay you what you will, and all the Preachers in the world be&s;ides, as long as I &s;erve God, and &s;ay my prayers duly and truely, mor|ning and evening, and have a good faith in God, and put my whole tru&s;t in him, and doe my true intent, and have a good mind to God-ward, and a good mean|ing, although I am not learned, yet I hope it will &s;erve the turn for my &s;oules health. For that God which made mee mu&s;t &s;ave me. It is not you that can &s;ave me, for all your learning, and all your Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You may very fitly be com|pared to a &s;ick man, who having his brain di&s;tempered with heat, raveth, and &s;peaketh idly, he cannot tell what.
<PB N="27" REF="25"> For the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o. 18.9.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that tur|neth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer &s;hall be abominable.</HI> And again,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 13.15.</NOTE> <HI>He that de&s;troyeth the word &s;hall be de&s;troyed.</HI> So long therefore as you de&s;pi&s;e Gods word, and turn away your ear from hearing his Go&s;pel prea|ched, all your prayers, your fanta&s;ticall &s;erving of God, your good meanings, and your good intents are to no pur|po&s;e; but mo&s;t odious and loath&s;ome in the &s;ight of God: as it is written, <HI>My &s;oule hateth your new moons,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 1.14.</NOTE> <HI>and your appointed fea&s;ts, they are a burthen unto mee, I am weary to beare them: When you &s;tretch out your hands I will hide mine eye from you; and though you make many prayers, I will not hear: For your hands are full of bloud.</HI> And again, the Lord &s;aith by the &s;ame Prophet; <HI>He that killeth a bullock,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 66.3.</NOTE> <HI>is as if he &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">w a man: hee that &s;acrificeth a &s;heep, as if hee cut off a dogs neck: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered &s;wines bloud: hee that remembreth incen&s;e, as if hee ble&s;&s;ed an idol.</HI> Where you &s;ee the Lord telleth you his mind touching th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e matters; to wit, that all your prayers, &s;ervices, good meanings, &amp;c. are abomi|nable unto him, &s;o long as you walk in ignorance, profanene&s;&s;e, di&s;obedience, and contempt of the Go&s;pel. For hee &s;aith in the words immediately going before: <HI>To him will I look, even to him
<PB N="28" REF="26"> that is poor, and of a contrite &s;pirit, and trembleth at my words.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I grant indeed, for them that are idle, and have little to do, it is not ami&s;&s;e now and then to hear a Sermon, and read the Scriptures: but wee have no lea&s;ure, we mu&s;t follow our bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, we cannot live by the Scriptures; they are not for plain folk, they are too high for us, wee will not meddle with them. They belong to Preachers and Mini&s;ters.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol</SPEAKER>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">J<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> 10.</NOTE>Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>My &s;heep heare my voice, and I give unto them eternall life.</HI> If therefore you refu&s;e to heare the voice of Chri&s;t, you are none of his &s;heep, neither can you have eternall life. And in another place our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 8.47.</NOTE> <HI>He that is of God, heareth Gods word. Ye therefore hear it not, be|cau&s;e ye are not of God.</HI> Saint <HI>Paul</HI> writing to all &s;orts of men, both rich and poore, high and low, men and wo|men,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 3.1</NOTE> young and old, exhorteth, <HI>that the word of Chri&s;t may dwell plenteou&s;ly in them all, in all wi&s;dom.</HI> You &s;ee there|fore that the Apo&s;tle would have all &s;orts of people that have &s;ouls to &s;ave, to bee well acquainted with the Scri|ptures. Therefore you may as well &s;ay you will not meddle with God, with Chri&s;t, nor with everla&s;ting life, as to &s;ay, you will not meddle with the Scriptures.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, I cannot read, and there|fore
<PB N="29" REF="26"> I cannot tell what Chri&s;t, or what Saint <HI>Paul</HI> may &s;ay; but this I am &s;ure of, that God is a good man (wor&s;hipped might he be) hee is mercifull, and that we mu&s;t be &s;aved by our good prayers, and good &s;erving of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peak fooli&s;hly and ig|norantly in all that you &s;ay, having no ground for any thing you &s;peake, but your own fancy, and your own conceit: and yet you will beleeve your own fan|cy again&s;t all preachers, and again&s;t all that can be &s;poken out of the word: But I pray you give me leave a little: If a man dream that he &s;hal be a King, and in the morning when he is awake, per&s;wadeth him&s;elfe it &s;hall be &s;o, may he not be ju&s;tly laughed at, as having no ground for it? Even &s;o may all they which beleeve their own dreames and fanta&s;ies touching &s;alvation. But it is true which <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 14.15.</NOTE> <HI>A fool belee|veth every thing:</HI> That copper is gold, and a counter an angel. And a&s;&s;ured|ly great rea&s;on there is that he which will not beleeve God, &s;hould be given over to beleeve the Divell, his dream, and his fancy.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you in&s;truct mee better then.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You had need indeed to bee better in&s;tructed: for the Divell hath &s;lily deluded your &s;oul, and ca&s;t a mi&s;t before your eyes, making you beleeve
<PB N="30" REF="27"> the crow is white, and that your e&s;tate is good before God, whereas indeed it is mo&s;t wofull and mi&s;erable.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Nay, I defie the Divell with all my heart. But, I pray you, tell me how it comes to pa&s;&s;e that I am thus deceived.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This it is that deceiveth you and many others: that you mea&s;ure your &s;elves by your &s;elves and by o|thers, which is a fal&s;e met-wand. For you &s;eem to lie &s;traight &s;o long as you are mea&s;ured by your &s;elves and by o|thers; but lay the rule of Gods word unto you, and then you lie altogether crooked.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What other thing is there that deceiveth me?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Another thing that deceiveth you is your own heart: for you know not your owne heart, but are alto|gether deceived therein:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 17.9.</NOTE> <HI>For the heart is deceivable above all things.</HI> Hee is a wi&s;e man, and greatly inlightened, that knoweth his own heart. But you are blind, and know not what is within you; but dimly imagine you &s;hall be &s;a|ved, and hope you know not what of eternall life. And becau&s;e blindne&s;&s;e maketh you bold, you will &s;eem to bee re&s;olute in words, and &s;ay, It is pity hee &s;hould live which doth any whit doubt of his &s;alvation. And a&s;&s;uredly you &s;peak as you think, and as you know. For, for ought that you know
<PB N="31" REF="27"> to the contrary, it &s;eemeth &s;o: though indeed and in truth it is not &s;o: for you are deluded with a fal&s;e light. And &s;ometimes no doubt you have pricks, gripes, terrours, and inward accu&s;ati|ons of con&s;cience, for all your bold and re&s;olute &s;peeches.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Truly I never heard &s;o much before.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That is becau&s;e you &s;hut your eyes, and &s;top your ears again&s;t God and all goodne&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 58.47.</NOTE> You are <HI>like the deaf Adder, which heareth not the voice of the charmer, though hee be mo&s;t expert in charming.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well then, if it be &s;o, I would be glad now to learn, if you would teach me. And as you have &s;hewed mee the meanes whereby the true birth is wrought, &s;o now &s;hew mee the certain &s;ignes and to|kens thereof, whereby all men may cer|tainly know that they are &s;anctified, rege|nerate, and &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be eight infallible notes &amp; tokens of a regenerate mind, which may well be termed the eight &s;ignes of &s;alvation; and they are the&s;e:
<LIST>
<ITEM>A love to the children of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Right infal|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ble &s;ignes of &s;alvation</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>A delight in his word.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Often and fervent prayer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Zeal of Gods glory.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Deniall of our &s;elves.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Patient bearing of the Cro&s;&s;e with profit and comfort.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Faithfulne&s;&s;e in our calling.</ITEM>
<PB N="32" REF="28">
<ITEM>Hone&s;t, ju&s;t, and con&s;cionable dealing in all our actions among&s;t men.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now that you have &s;hewed us the evident &s;ignes of mans &s;alvation, &s;hew us al&s;o the &s;ignes of condemnation.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The contraries unto the&s;e are manife&s;t &s;ignes of damnation.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">R<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">gh<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">gn<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">nd<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">m|na<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">on.</NOTE>No love to the children of God.</P>
<P>No delight in his word.</P>
<P>Seldome and cold prayers.</P>
<P>Coldne&s;&s;e in Gods matters.</P>
<P>Tru&s;ting to our &s;elves.</P>
<P>Impatience under the cro&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Vnfaithfulne&s;&s;e in our calling.</P>
<P>Vnhone&s;t and uncon&s;cionable dealing.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>No doubt, if a man be infected with the&s;e, they be &s;hrewd &s;ignes that a man is extremely &s;oul-&s;ick, and in a very dangerous ca&s;e. But are there none yet more evident and apparent &s;igns of con|demnation then the&s;e?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily. There be nine very cle<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r and manife&s;t &s;igns of a mans condemnation.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, let me heare what they be.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>Pride.</ITEM>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nine mani|fe&s;t &s;ignes of damnati|on.</NOTE>Whoredome.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contempt of the Go&s;pel.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Swearing.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Lying.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Drunkenne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Idlene&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<PB N="33" REF="28">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e be gro&s;&s;e things indeed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They may not unfitly be ter|med the nine <HI>Beclzebubs</HI> of the world; and he that hath the&s;e &s;ignes upon him is in a mo&s;t wofull ca&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What if a man be infected with &s;ome two or three of the&s;e?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Who&s;oever is infected with three of them, is in great danger of lo|&s;ing his &s;oule. For all the&s;e be deadly venome, and rank poy&s;on to the &s;oul: and either the three fir&s;t, or the three la&s;t, or the middle three are enough to poy&s;on the &s;oule, and &s;ting it to death. Nay, to &s;ay the truth, a man were as good gripe a toad, and handle a &s;nake, as meddle with any one of the&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is every one of them &s;o dange|rous?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e: For they be the very plague-&s;ores of the &s;oule. It any man have a plague-&s;ore upon his body, wee u&s;e to &s;ay, Gods tokens are upon him, Lord have mercy on him: So we may <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ri<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ly &s;ay, If any man, be throughly and totally infected at the heart with any one of the&s;e, Gods to|kens are upon his &s;oule, Lord have mercy upon him.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Many doe not think the&s;e to be &s;uch dangerous matters as you make them, and many there be which make light of them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed, for the mo&s;t
<PB N="34" REF="29"> part of men are altogether &s;hut up in blindne&s;&s;e and hardne&s;&s;e of heart, ha|ving neither &s;ight nor feeling of their &s;ins, and therefore make light of them, thinking there is no &s;uch danger.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It is mo&s;t certain, that men are given to le&s;&s;en and extenuate their &s;ins: or el&s;e to hide them, and dawb them over with many cunning &s;hifts and vain ex|cu&s;es. For men are ever ready to take co|vert, and will writhe and wreath (like &s;nakes) to hide their &s;ins: yea, if it were po&s;&s;ible, to make &s;in no &s;in, to make ver|tue vice, and vice vertue. Therefore I pray you lay open unto mee out of the Scrip|tures the grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e and ugline&s;&s;e of their &s;ins.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The &s;tinking filthine&s;&s;e of the&s;e &s;ins is &s;o great and horrible, that no tongue or <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> is &s;ufficient|fully to <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> and lay open the &s;ame, according to the proper nature and be|ing thereof: yet notwith&s;tanding, I will doe my indeavour to lay them o|pen in &s;ome mea&s;ure, that all men may the more loath them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you then fir&s;t of all begin with pride.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;ay well: for that indeed may well &s;tand in the fore-front, &s;ith it is a ma&s;ter-divell, and the ma&s;ter-pock of the &s;oule.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew mee out of the Scriptures that pride is &s;o grievous and loth&s;ome.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="35" REF="29">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 16.5.</NOTE> <HI>Every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord:</HI> which plainly &s;heweth, that God doth dete&s;t and abhorre proud men. And is it not a fearfull thing, think you, to be abhorred of God? And in the &s;ame Chap. Ver. <HI>18.</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>Pride goeth before de&s;truction, and an high mind before the fall.</HI> Wherein he &s;hew|eth, that pride is the for-runner of &s;ome deadly downfall, either by di&s;|gracing or di&s;placing. For it is an old and true Proverb, <HI>Pride wil have a fall.</HI> And oftentimes, when men are mo&s;t lifted up, then are they neere&s;t, unto it: as the examples of <HI>Haman, Nebuchad|nezzar,</HI> and <HI>Herod</HI> doe plainly declare. When the milt &s;welleth, the re&s;t of the body pineth away; even &s;o when the heart is puft up with pride, the whole man is in danger of de&s;truction. More|over, the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 15.24.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord will de&s;troy the hou&s;e of the proud.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 11.5.25. Job 28.26.</NOTE> <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith of &s;uch kind of men, <HI>The &s;park of his fire &s;hall not &s;hine: fear &s;hall dwell in his hou&s;e, and brim&s;tone &s;hall be &s;cat|tered upon his habitation.</HI> And in ano|ther place hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 23.13.</NOTE> <HI>The fire which is not blowne &s;hall devoure him.</HI> Mee thinkes therefore, if there were any &s;park of grace in us, the&s;e terrible &s;peeches of the holy Gho&s;t might &s;erve to humble us, and pull down our pride: e&s;pecially, &s;ith the Scriptures doe af|firme,
<PB N="36" REF="30"> that God re&s;i&s;teth the proud, and &s;etteth him&s;elf <HI>ex profe&s;&s;e</HI> again&s;t them, and therefore wo unto them; for if God take again&s;t a man, who can reclaime him? for he doth what&s;oever he will.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But tell me, I pray you, when you &s;peak again&s;t pride, what pride is it that you mean?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I mean all pride, both that which is inward in the heart, and that al&s;o which breaketh out in mens fore|heads: I mean, that which apparent|ly &s;heweth it &s;elfe in mens words and works.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Do you mean pride al&s;o of mens gifts?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes &s;urely: for there is no pride wor&s;e or more dangerous then that. Beware, &s;aith one, of &s;pirituall pride: as to be proud of our learning, wit, knowledge, reading, writings, &s;er|mons, praiers, godline&s;s, policy, valour, &s;trength, riches, honour, birth, beauty, authority. For God hath not given &s;uch gifts unto men, to the end they &s;hould make &s;ale-ware of them, and &s;et them a &s;un-&s;hining to behold; &s;eeking only them&s;elves with their gifts, the vain prai&s;e of the multitude, and ap|plau&s;e of the people: &s;o robbing God of his honour, and proudly arrogating to them&s;elves that which is due unto God, which is the prai&s;e of his gifts: but he hath given his gifts to another
<PB N="37" REF="30"> end, namely, that wee &s;hould u&s;e them to his glory and the good of others (ei|ther in Church or Common-wealth) e&s;pecially of tho&s;e which doe mo&s;t con|cern us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet wee &s;ee commonly men of greate&s;t gifts are mo&s;t proud.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed: for the fine&s;t cloth is &s;oone&s;t &s;tained. And as worms ingender &s;ooner in &s;oft &amp; tender wood, then in that which is more hard and knotty; and as moths do breed &s;ooner in fine wooll then in cour&s;e flocks: even &s;o pride and vain glory do &s;ooner a&s;&s;ault an excellent and rare man in all kind of knowledge and vertue, then another of meaner gifts: and therefore pride is &s;aid to &s;pring out of the a&s;hes of all vertues. For men will be proud, be|cau&s;e they are wi&s;e, learned, godly, pa|tient, humble, &amp;c. Pride therefore may very fitly bee compared to the crab|&s;tock &s;pines, which grow out of the root of the very be&s;t Apple-tree. There|fore to &s;ay the truth, this is one of the la&s;t engines and weapons which the Divell u&s;eth for the overthrowing of Gods own children, even to blow them up with pride, as it were with gun-powder. For, as we &s;ee it come to pa&s;&s;e in the &s;iege of &s;trong holds, when no battery or force of &s;hot will prevaile, the la&s;t remedy and policy is to under|mine it, and blow it up with traines
<PB N="38" REF="31"> of gun-powder; &s;o when Sathan can no way prevail again&s;t &s;ome excellent &s;ervants of God, his la&s;t device is to blow them up with pride, as it were with gun-powder.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I &s;ee it is a &s;peciall grace of God, for men of great gifts to bee humble minded: and hee is an odd man of a thou&s;and, which excelling in gifts, ex|celleth in humility; and the more gifts he hath, the more humbly he walks: not contemning others, but e&s;teeming them better than him&s;elfe. For commonly wee are the wor&s;e for Gods gifts, becau&s;e we have not the right u&s;e of them; and a|gaine, becau&s;e they engender &s;o much proud fle&s;h in us, that we had need daily to be co<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">zied. Therefore God &s;heweth great favour and mercy to that man, whom he humbleth and taketh downe by any afflictions or infirmities what|&s;oever. For otherwi&s;e, it is &s;ure, proud fle&s;h would altogether over-grow us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12.</NOTE>You have &s;poken the truth: for the Apo&s;tle him&s;elfe confe&s;&s;eth, that hee was tempted &amp; troubled this way, &amp; had like to have been puffed up out of mea&s;ure with the abundance of his re|velations, but that God in great mercy &s;ent him a cooler and a rebater; to wit, a prick in the fle&s;h (which hee calleth the me&s;&s;enger of Satan) whereby the Lord cured him of his pride. And even &s;o doth hee cure many of us of our
<PB N="39" REF="31"> pride, by throwing us to Sathan, lea|ving us to our &s;elves, and giving us over to commit &s;ome gro&s;&s;e evill, even to fall downe and break our neckes: and all, to the end hee may humble us, tame us, and pull downe our pride, which hee &s;eeth wee are heart-&s;ick of. It is good for us therefore to be hum|ble in the abundance of grace, that wee bee not proud of that which wee have, or that which we have done. For humility in &s;in is better then pride in well-doing.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Herein &s;urely appeareth the great wi&s;dome and mercy of God: that hee &s;o graciou&s;ly bringeth go d out of evil, and turneth our afflictions, infirmi|ties, falls and down-falls; to his glory and our good.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is mo&s;t true. For even as of the fle&s;h of a Viper is made a &s;overaigne medicine to cure tho&s;e which are &s;tung of a Viper; and as Phy&s;icians expell poy&s;on with poy|&s;on: &s;o God, according to his mar|vellous wi&s;edome, doth, of the infir|mities which remaine in us after re+generation, cure other more dange|rous di&s;ea&s;es; as pride, vain-glory, and pre&s;umption. O ble&s;&s;ed therefore be his name for ever, which thus mer|cifully cau&s;eth all things to work to|gether for the good of his owne peo|ple; of whom the&s;e things are
<PB N="40" REF="32"> &s;pecially to be under&s;tood.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is there no cau&s;e why men of great gifts &s;hould glory in their gifts?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No &s;urely none at all. For the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Who &s;eparateth thee? And, what ha&s;t thou that thou ha&s;t not received? If thou ha&s;t received it, why boa&s;te&s;t thou, as though thou hadde&s;t not received it?</HI> Where the Apo&s;tle plainly &s;heweth, that no man is to be proud of his gifts; becau&s;e they are none of his own: he hath but received them to u&s;e. We count him worthy to be laughed at as a fool, who having borrowed brave apparell of others (as a &s;ilk gown, a &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">tten doublet, a chain of gold, velvet breaches, &amp;c.) &s;hould proudly jet it in the &s;treets in them, as if they were his own: even &s;o are they worthy to be chronicled for fools, which are proud of good gifts, which are none of their own. Therefore the Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 25.3.</NOTE> <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, Let not the wi&s;e man glory in his wi&s;dom, not the &s;trong man in his &s;trength, neither the rich man in his riches: but let him that glo|rieth glory in this, that he under&s;tand|eth and knoweth me.</HI> To this point al&s;o well &s;aith the heathen Poet:<NOTE PLACE="marg">T<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">eo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ti<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">us.</NOTE> <HI>No man can e&s;cape the puni&s;hment of pride; therefore in greate&s;t pro&s;perity be not puffed up.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet it is a world to &s;ee how proud,
<PB N="41" REF="32"> &s;urly, haughty, &s;tately, in&s;olent, and thra|&s;onicall &s;ome be, becau&s;e of their gifts: they think they touch the clouds with their heads, and that the earth doth not beare them: they take them&s;elves to be petty angels, or &s;ome wonderfull wights: they contemne and di&s;daine all others which have not the like gifts: they doe contemptuou&s;ly over-look them, as a li|on &s;hould over-look a mou&s;e, a King a begger; or, as we &s;ay in a proverb, as the Divell looked over Lincoln.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Oh proud du&s;t! Oh haughty wormes meat! If they would bring their hearts before God, and their con|&s;ciences thoughts, and affections to be judged by his law, it would &s;oon cool them, and take them down well enough; they &s;hould &s;ee their wants and imperfections to be &s;o great, that they indeed &s;hould have no more cau&s;e to boa&s;t of their gifts, then the Black|moor, hath of his whitene&s;&s;e, becau&s;e his teeth are white. The holy Gho&s;t ours all our combs, and plucketh down all pride of fle&s;h, when he &s;aith, <HI>Job 26.14. How <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">mall a thing doth man under&s;tand of God?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you let us proceed to &s;peak of the outward and gro&s;&s;e pride of the world: and fir&s;t of all, tell me what you think of pride in apparell.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol</SPEAKER>
<P>I think it to be a vanity of all vanities, and a folly of all follies.
<PB N="42" REF="33"> For to be proud of apparell, is as if a thiefe &s;hould be proud of his halter, a beggar of his clouts, a child of his gay, or a fool of his bable.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet wee &s;ee how proud many (&s;pecially women) be of &s;uch bables. For when they have &s;pent a great part of the day in tricking and trimming, pricking and pinning, pranking and pouncing, gir|ding and lacing, and braving up them|&s;elves in mo&s;t exqui&s;ite manner, then out they come into the &s;treets with their pedlers &s;hop upon their back, and carry their cre&s;ts very high, taking them|&s;elves to be little angels, or at lea&s;t &s;ome|what more then other women. Where|upon they doe &s;o exceedingly &s;well with pride, that it is to bee feared they will bur&s;t with it as they walk in the &s;treets. And truly we may think, the very &s;tones in the &s;treet, and the beams in the hou&s;es doe quake and wonder at their mon|&s;trous, intolerable and exce&s;&s;ive pride. For it &s;eemeth that they are altogether a lump of pride, a ma&s;&s;e of pride, even al|together made of pride, and nothing el&s;e but pride, pride.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;eeme to be very hot in the matter.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Marry, Sir, I like him the better: for the world was never &s;o full of pride as it is now adayes.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Alas, alas: indeed who can hold his peace at the pride of this age!
<PB N="43" REF="33"> What a thing is it that fle&s;h and bloud, worms meat, du&s;t and a&s;hes, dirt and dung, &s;hould &s;o brave it out with their <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> clouts, and that in the &s;ight of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">od, Angels, and men? For the time will come, when both they and all their gay clouts &s;hall be buried in a grave: Yea, as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 12.13,14</NOTE> <HI>The grave &s;hall be their hou&s;e, and they &s;hall m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ke <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">heir bed in the dark. And <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ey &s;hall &s;ay to corruption, Thou art my Father: and to the worm, Thou are my Mother and my &s;i&s;ter.</HI> What then &s;hall it availe them thus to <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e r<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">|fled it out in all their bravery, w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o as &s;uddenly they &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;truction? What did it prove t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e ri<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h man to bee &s;umptuou&s;ly clothed, and fare deliciou&s;ly every day, when his bo|dy was buried in the du&s;t, and his &s;oul in hell fire?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, Sir, what &s;ay you to the&s;e great ruffes, which are born up with &s;upporters and rebatoes, as it were with po&s;t and rail?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;hould I &s;ay? but God be mercifull unto us. For &s;uch things doe draw down the wrath and vengeance of God upon us all: and, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.6.</NOTE> <HI>For &s;uch things &s;ake the wrath of God cometh upon the chil|dren of di&s;obedience.</HI> And truly, truly, we may wel fear, that God wil plague us for our abominable pride.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="44" REF="34">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What &s;ay you then to the&s;e doubled and r doubled ruffes, (which are now in common u&s;e) &s;trouting fardin|gales, long locks, fore-tufts, &s;hag hair, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">nd all the&s;e new fa&s;hions which are de|vi&s;ed and taken up every day?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol</SPEAKER>
<P>I &s;ay they are far from that plainne&s;&s;e, &s;implicity, and mode&s;ty, which hath been in former ages: our fore-fathers knew no &s;uch things. It is recorded of <HI>William Rufus,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Graftous <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">4.</NOTE> &s;ome|time King of this land, that when his Chamberlain on a time brought him a new pair of ho&s;e, he demanded of him what they co&s;t: who an&s;we|red, three &s;hillings: Whereat the King, being &s;omewhat moved, com|manded him to prepare him a pair of a mark. If Kings were then thought to exceed, that be&s;towed a mark upon a pair of ho&s;e, what is it to be thought of many mean men in the&s;e our dayes (yea &s;uch as have no living, and are &s;carce of any good calling) which be&s;tow as much up|on a pair as the King did upon two, when he was thought mo&s;t of all to exceed? But alas, alas, we have pa&s;&s;ed all bounds of mode&s;ty and mea|&s;ure; there is no hee with us. Our Land is too heavie of this &s;inne. For the pride of all Nations, and the fol|lies of all countries are upon us; how &s;hall we bear them? And as
<PB N="45" REF="34"> for the&s;e new fa&s;hions, the more new they be, the more fooli&s;h, and as fooli&s;h they that u&s;e them. For with our new fa&s;hions we are grown clean out of fa|&s;hion. If we had as many fa&s;hions of our bodies as we have of our attire, we &s;hould have as many fa&s;hions as fingers and toes. But vain men and women do apparently &s;hew their vain minds, by following &s;o greedily &s;uch vain toyes and fa&s;hions.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It was never a good world &s;ince &s;tarching and &s;teeling, busks and whale-bones, &s;upporters and rebatoes, full moons and hobby-hor&s;es, paint|ing and dying, with &s;elling of favour and complexion, came to be in u&s;e. For &s;ince the&s;e came in, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, op|pre&s;&s;ion, and deceit have increa&s;ed. For how el&s;e &s;hould pride bee maintained? and &s;ure it is, within the&s;e thirty yeers the&s;e things were not known, nor heard of. And what &s;ay you then to painting of faces, laying open of naked bre&s;ts, dying of hair, wearing of peri|wigs, and other hair coronets, and top-gallants? And what &s;ay you to our artificiall women, which will be better than God hath made them? They like not his handy-work, they will mend it, and have other complexions, other faces, other hair, other bones, other bre&s;ts, and other bellies then God made them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="46" REF="35">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This I &s;ay, that you and I and all the Lords people have great and ju&s;t cau&s;e of mourning, weeping, and lamentation, becau&s;e &s;uch abomi|nation is committed in <HI>I&s;rael. Da|vids</HI> eyes gu&s;hed out with rivers of teares,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 9</NOTE> becau&s;e men kept not Gods lawes, and an horrible feare came up|on him, becau&s;e men for&s;ook the law of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 5 1.</NOTE> <HI>J remie</HI> did &s;igh in &s;ecret, wi&s;hing that his head were full of water, and his eyes a fountain of teares, becau&s;e of the &s;innes of the people. <HI>Nehemiah</HI> mourned for the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of Gods people.<NOTE PLACE="marg">N<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">hem. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Lots</HI> ju&s;t &s;oul was vexed with the unclean conver&s;ation of the Sodomites: and &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ll wee mo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rne nothing at all for t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;e things? &s;hall wee be no whit grieved for the pride of our land? &s;hall wee &s;hed no teares for &s;uch hor|rible and intolerable abominations? They are odious in the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ght of God and men: the aire &s;tinketh of them. It is Gods marvellous patience that the Dwell doth not carry them away quick, and rid the earth of them: or that fire and brim&s;tone doth not come downe from heaven and con&s;ume them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You are too hot in the&s;e mat|ters of attire: you make more of them then there is cau&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I con him thank: Gods ble&s;|&s;ing
<PB N="47" REF="35"> on his heart, I &s;hall love him the better while I know him, becau&s;e he is &s;o earne&s;t again&s;t &s;uch &s;hamefull and de|te&s;table pride. Is it not a &s;hame that wo|men profe&s;&s;ing true religion, &s;hould make them&s;elves &s;uch pictures, puppets, and peacocks as they doe? And yet I hear few Preachers in the pulpit &s;peak again&s;t it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I marvell you &s;hould be &s;o ear|ne&s;t in matters of apparell. You know well enough that apparell is an indiffe|rent thing: and that religion and the kingdome of God doth not con&s;i&s;t in the&s;e things.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I know right well that ap|parell in its own nature is a thing indifferent: but lewd, wanton, im|mode&s;t, and offen&s;ive apparell is not indifferent. For all &s;uch abu&s;e taketh away the indifferency of them, and maketh them &s;infull and evill, by c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r|cum&s;tance. For otherwi&s;e why &s;hould the Lord threaten by his Prophet, that he would vi&s;it the Princes, and the Kings children, and all &s;uch as were cloathed with &s;trange apparell, that is, the fa&s;hions of other coun|tries? <HI>Zephan. 1.8.</HI> Againe, why &s;hould the Lord &s;o plague the proud dames, and mincing minions of <HI>Jeru|&s;alem,</HI> for their pride and vanity in at|tire, if there were no evill i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;uch kind of abu&s;e? The Lord &s;aith thus
<PB N="48" REF="36"> in the third of <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e brave and gallant dames, <HI>Becau&s;e the daughters of Sion are haughty, and walk with &s;tretched-out necks, and with wandring eyes, walking and mincing as they goe, and make a tinkling with their feet: therefore &s;hall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Sion bald, and the Lord &s;hall di&s;cover their &s;ecret parts. In that day &s;hall the Lord take away the ornament of the &s;lippers, and the calls, and the round tires, the &s;weet balls, and the bracelets, and the bon|nets, the tires of the head, and the &s;lops, the head-bands, and the tablets, the ea|rings, the rings, and the mufflers, the co&s;tly apparell, and the veiles, and the wimples, and the cri&s;ping pinnes, and the gla&s;&s;es, and the fine linnen, and the hoods, and the lawns. And in &s;tead of &s;weet &s;avour there &s;hall be &s;tink: and in &s;tead of a girdle, a rent: and in &s;tead of dre&s;&s;ing of the haire, baldne&s;&s;e: and in &s;tead of a &s;tomacher, a girding of &s;ack|cloth: and burning in &s;tead of beauty. Then &s;hall her gates mourn and lament: and &s;he being de&s;olate &s;hall &s;it upon the ground.</HI></P>
<P>Thus we &s;ee how terribly the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of <HI>Jeru&s;a|lem,</HI> for their exce&s;&s;ive and abomina|ble pride. And this may well be a mir|rour for the proud minious of our age: which a&s;&s;uredly may well fear
<PB N="49" REF="36"> the Lord will bring &s;ome &s;uch judge|ment upon them, as he did upon the daughters of <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> For their &s;in is as great in this kind, as was the daughters of <HI>Sion,</HI> and God is the &s;ame God now that he was then to pu|ni&s;h it.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Tu&s;h, never &s;peak &s;o much of the&s;e matters of apparell; for we mu&s;t do as others do, and follow the fa&s;hion, or el&s;e we &s;hall not be e&s;teemed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If you follow them not, you &s;hall be more e&s;teemed of God, of his Angels, Saints, and all good men. As for all others, if you e&s;teem them more then the&s;e, you &s;hew what you are.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, for all that, &s;ay you what you will, pride is in the heart, and not in the apparell: For one may be proud of plain apparell, as well as of co&s;tly. And &s;ome are as proud of their falling bands and little &s;ets, as others are of their great ruffes.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peak fooli&s;hly, for how know you that? Can you judge mens hearts and inward affections? Can you &s;ay, when mens and wo|mens apparell is &s;ober, mode&s;t, and Chri&s;tian like, that they have proud hearts, and are proud of that attire? You goe very farr indeed, to judge the heart. You ought to judge chari|tably of &s;uch as goe &s;overly and mo|de&s;tly
<PB N="50" REF="37"> attired, even that their heart is according to their attire. And for you, wee may rather think your heart is vain, light, and fooli&s;h, becau&s;e your attire doth &s;trongly argue it: And, as the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>The triall of your countenance te&s;tifieth again&s;t you: you declare your &s;innes as Sodom, and hide them not, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 3.9.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you then &s;et downe &s;ome rules for apparell out of the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I may well &s;et down what I will: but &s;urely mo&s;t men and wo|men will doe what they li&s;t. For veri|ly it may be thought, that many of this age have for&s;worne God and his word, and all goodne&s;&s;e. For they are come to this point, let God &s;ay what he will, they will doe what they li&s;t. For as the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>They have made a covenant with hell, and with death, and are grown to an agreement, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 28.15.</HI> And I doe verily think, if God him&s;elfe &s;hould come downe from heaven in his own per&s;on, and di&s;&s;wade men and women from this vanity of apparell, yet would they &s;till u&s;e it, as it were in de&s;pight of God, and as it were to anger him the more. For they are &s;o extraordinarily enamoured, and &s;o immoderately de|lighted with it, and doe &s;o continu|ally, and altogether dote on it, and are &s;o wood-mad of it, that they will have
<PB N="51" REF="37"> it, though men and Angels, and all the world &s;ay nay: nay, which is more, though they &s;hould goe to the Divell quicke with it. And therefore it is but lo&s;t labour to &s;peake again&s;t it, preach again&s;t it, or write again&s;t it. It is but even to plough the &s;ea, or knock at a deafe mans door; for there is no hope of any reformation. Onely this we gaine, that the world is reproved and convicted of &s;in. And the&s;e things &s;hall &s;tand in a record a|gain&s;t them, in the la&s;t day: &s;o that they may &s;ay, they had a fair warning, and that there was a Prophet among them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all this, I pray you &s;et us down &s;ome directions and rules, out of Gods holy Book, concerning attire. For albeit &s;ome be very bad, and outra|gious in the&s;e things, yet there be &s;ome others which are well di&s;po&s;ed, and will (no doubt) make &s;ome con&s;cience to frame them&s;elves according to the rules of Gods word.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Well then, for their &s;akes which are well di&s;po&s;ed, I will &s;et downe &s;ome few directions. Saint <HI>Paul</HI> in <HI>1 Tim. 2.9.</HI> willeth, that wo|men &s;hould array them&s;elves in come|ly apparell, with &s;hamefa&s;tne&s;&s;e and mode&s;ty, as becometh women that profe&s;&s;e the feare of God: and not with broydered haire, or gold, or
<PB N="52" REF="38"> pearls, or ca&s;tly apparell. The Apo&s;tle Saint <HI>Peter</HI> giveth like rules al&s;o:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3.3.</NOTE> for he &s;aith, &s;peaking of Chri&s;tian ma|trons, and profe&s;&s;ours of holy religion, That <HI>their apparell mu&s;t not bee out|ward,</HI> that is, not con&s;i&s;t &s;o much in outward bravery; as <HI>broidered hair, gold put about, &amp;c. as it mu&s;t be inward, that the hid man of the heart may be clo|thed with a meek and quiet &s;pirit, which is a thing before God much &s;et by. For after this manner,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>in times pa&s;t the holy women which tru&s;ted in God did attire them&s;elves;</HI> as <HI>Sarah, Rebeica, Rachel,</HI> and &s;uch like ancient and grave matrons.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wherein doth this inward clo|thing &s;pecially con&s;i&s;t?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In four things, which are &s;et down in the fore-named places, to wit, &s;hamefacedne&s;&s;e, mode&s;ty, a quiet &s;pirit, and a meek &s;pirit.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e be &s;ine &s;uits of apparell indeed: I would all women would put them on, and never put them off, but wear them continually: for they are the better for wearing, though all other ap|parell be the wor&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If women would deck them|&s;elves inwardly with the&s;e afore&s;aid vertues, they would be unto them as ornaments of gold, and jewels of pearl. <HI>For the woman that feareth the Lord &s;hall be prai&s;ed.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 30.1.</NOTE></P>
</SP>
<PB N="53" REF="38">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But now, I pray you, Sir, &s;et downe your judgement for outward attire.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is all that I can &s;ay touching that point, That it mu&s;t be as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, comely, decent, hand&s;ome, neat and &s;eemly: not light, not wanton, not la&s;civious, not immo|de&s;t, not offen&s;ive.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But who &s;hall judge what is comely, &s;ober, hand&s;ome, mode&s;t? &amp;c. For every man and woman will &s;ay, their apparell is decent and cleanly, how gallant, brave, and flanting &s;oever they be.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Herein the examples of the mo&s;t godly, wi&s;e, grave, and mode&s;t men and women are to be followed: for who can better judge what is comely, &s;o|ber and mode&s;t, then they?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But wee &s;ee &s;ome, even of the better &s;ort, in this matter are a little infected, run out, and goe beyond their bounds.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The more is the pity. But alas, wee &s;ee the &s;way of the time, and rage of the &s;tream is &s;o violent, that it carrieth before it what&s;oever is not &s;etled, and very deep rooted. And &s;ome godly and well di&s;po&s;ed per&s;ons, who&s;e hearts are not with the&s;e things, but with God, are notwith|&s;tanding perforce carried away with the violence of the winde and tide;
<PB N="54" REF="39"> who&s;e ca&s;e, though it cannot well bee defended or excu&s;ed, yet it is much to be pitied and lamented.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Have you any further directions touching this point?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There is one thing yet more to be added: to wit, that attire be ac|cording to mens places, callings and degrees. For that is not &s;eemly for one, that is &s;eemly for another; that becomes not one mans place, that be|cometh anothers: For that is not meet for poor men, which is meet for rich men: nor that meet for mean men, which is meet for men of note and great place.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Then you think it is lawfull for Kings, Princes, and great Per&s;ona|ges, to wear pearl, gold, &s;ilver, and velvet, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e it is lawfull for &s;uch, in &s;ober manner and mea&s;ure, to weare the mo&s;t co&s;tly and precious things which the earth can afford: and that to &s;et out the magnificence, pomp, and glory of their places: and there|fore &s;uch things are in them mo&s;t come|ly and decent.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But now-adayes few will keep within compa&s;&s;e, few will know their places: But the mo&s;t part run beyond their bounds, and leap quite out of their &s;ockets.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed: For now|adayes
<PB N="55" REF="39"> mean Gentlewemen, yea &s;ome Gentlewomen of their owne making, will ruifle it, and brave it out in their attire like Counte&s;&s;es and Ladies of honour. Plain folk al&s;o in the coun|trey will flaunt it like Courtiers, and like good Gentlemen and Gentlewo|men: and they &s;eem to &s;ay in their hearts, Fie of this plainne&s;&s;e, we will no more of it: we will not take it as we have done. So that now the old proverb is verified: <HI>Every Jack will be a Gentleman, and Joan is as good as my Lady.</HI> For now we cannot, by their ap|parell, di&s;cerne the maid from the mi|&s;tre&s;&s;e, nor the waiting Gentle-wo|man from her Lady. And thus we &s;ee in this matter of apparell how all is out of joint.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is there any more to be &s;aid in this ca&s;e?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">14.</NOTE></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There is yet another thing to bee re&s;pected in this matter of at|tire.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What is that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That it bee according to mens abilities. For it is lamentable to con&s;ider how poore men and wo|men, poore hired &s;ervants, milke-maides, and &s;uch like, goe quite be|yond their ability. And more lamen|table to &s;ee what wretched and ill-fa|voured &s;hifts they make to com|pa&s;&s;e the&s;e things: &s;o &s;harpe and
<PB N="56" REF="40"> &s;o eagerly are they &s;et upon them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well Sir, now you have &s;uffici|ently rolled the &s;tone, and at large &s;ati&s;|fied us touching the matter of pride; which is the fir&s;t &s;igne of condemnation. Now proceed to the &s;econd, which is whoredome; and unfold unto us out of the Scriptures the danger thereof.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Solomon,</HI> in his Proverbs, &s;aith:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 32.14.</NOTE> <HI>That the mouth of a &s;trange wo|man [or an harlot] is as a deep pit: hee that is a dete&s;tation to the Lord, &s;hall fall therein.</HI> Wherein he plainly &s;hew|eth, that the&s;e whom God dete&s;teth and is exceeding angry with, are gi|ven over to this vice. And in another place hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">13.17.</NOTE> <HI>A whore is as a deep ditch, and as a narrow pit.</HI> Noting thereby, that if a man be once fallen in with an harlot, hee &s;hall as hardly get out again, as a man that is plun|ged into a very deep and narrow pit, where hee can &s;cant &s;tirre him&s;elfe. The &s;ame <HI>Solomon,</HI> in the book of <HI>Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> yeelds us the rea&s;on hereof: namely, becau&s;e &s;hee is as nets, &s;nares and bands, wherein, if a man be once taken, hee is fa&s;t enough for getting out.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.28.</NOTE> <HI>I finde,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>more bitter then death the woman who&s;e heart is as nets, and &s;nares, and her hands as bands. Hee that is good before God &s;hall bee deli|vered from her: but the &s;inner &s;hall be taken by her.</HI> Wee doe therefore plainly
<PB N="57" REF="40"> &s;ee in what a labyrinth and dangerous ca&s;e they be that are left of God, and given over to whoredome and har|lots: and therefore it is &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6.5.</NOTE> <HI>De&s;ire not her beauty in thine heart, neither let her eye-lids catch thee: for by a who|ri&s;h woman a man is brought to a mor|&s;ell of bread; and the adultere&s;&s;e hunt|eth for life, which is precious.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 5.3, 4.</NOTE> Againe hee &s;aith, <HI>Albeit the lips of an harlot drop as an honey-comb, and the roofe of her mouth is &s;ofter then oyle: yet her latter end is bitter as wormwood, and as &s;harp as a two-edged &s;word.</HI> All the&s;e prudent &s;peeches of the holy Gho&s;t doe mo&s;t evidently &s;hew unto us what a fearfull thing it is to com|mit whoredome, and &s;o to fall into the hands of whores and harlots. There|fore <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith of the wicked,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 36.14.</NOTE> <HI>Their &s;oul dieth in youth, and their life among the whoremongers.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have very well &s;hewed out of Gods book, the great danger of whore|dome and adultery. And it is greatly to bee lamented, that men in this age make &s;o light of it as they do, and that it is &s;o common a vice: nay, that &s;ome (a|las, with griefe I &s;peak it) do profe&s;&s;e it, live by it, and pro&s;titute them&s;elves wholly unto it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Such men and women may ju&s;tly fear the plaguing hand of God: for the Lord &s;aith by his Prophet;
<PB N="58" REF="41"> <HI>Though I fed them to the full,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 5.7.</NOTE> <HI>yet they committed adultery, and a&s;&s;embled them&s;elves by companies in harlots hou&s;es. They ro&s;e up in the morning like fed hor&s;es: for every man neighed after his neighbours wife. Shall I not vi&s;it for the&s;e things, &s;aith the Lord? Shall not my &s;oul be avenged on &s;uch a nation?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Me thinks, if men were not al|together hardened in this &s;inne, and even pa&s;t feeling, and pa&s;t grace, this threat|ning and thundering of God him&s;elfe from heaven &s;hould terrifie them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>A man would think &s;o in|deed: but now we may take up the old complaint of the Proph<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ie<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 8.6.</NOTE> <HI>I hearkened and heard, and loe, no man &s;pake aright: no man repented him of his evill; &s;ay|ing, What have I done? Every one tur|neth to their race, as the hor&s;e ru&s;heth in|to the battell.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Tu&s;h, whoredom is but a trick of youth; and we &s;ee all men have their in perfections.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peake profanely and wickedly: For &s;hall wee count that but a tricke of youth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.8.</NOTE> for the which the Lord &s;mote three and twenty thou|&s;and of his owne people in one day? Shall wee count that but a tricke of youth, for the which the Lord threat|ned <HI>David</HI> his owne &s;ervant,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 12.10</NOTE> that the &s;word &s;hould never depart from his
<PB N="59" REF="41"> hou&s;e? Shall wee count that but a tricke of youth, for the which <HI>Hamor</HI> and <HI>Sechem,</HI> the father and the &s;onne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 34.25.</NOTE> and many other, both men, women, and children, were cruelly murdered by <HI>Simeon</HI> and <HI>Levi</HI> the &s;onnes of <HI>Ja|cob?</HI> Shall wee count that but a trick of youth, for the which the Lord &s;lew <HI>Hophni</HI> and <HI>Phineas,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 4.11.</NOTE> the two &s;onnes of <HI>Eli</HI> the Prie&s;t, in the battell of the Phili&s;tines? Shall we thus &s;et all at &s;ix and &s;even, and make light of &s;uch horrible villanies? Doth not the &s;eve|rity of the puni&s;hment &s;hew the great|ne&s;&s;e of the &s;inne? Doth not the Apo|&s;tle &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 10.11</NOTE> <HI>The&s;e things came unto them for our examples, upon whom the ends of the world are come?</HI> And yet you pa&s;&s;e it over with a tu&s;h, and a trick of youth, as if God were to be dalli|ed with. No, no, be not deceived; God is not mocked. They which will not bee moved now in hearing, &s;hall one day bee cru&s;hed in pieces in feeling. And they which now call whoredome a tricke of youth, &s;hall one day howle and cry, yell and yelp for &s;uch tricks, with woe and alas that ever they were born.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Oh Sir, you mu&s;t beare with youth: youth you know is fraile; and youth will bee youthfull, when you have &s;aid all that you can.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yea, but God doth allow no
<PB N="60" REF="42"> more liberty unto youth then unto age: but bindeth all upon paine of death, to the obedience of his comman|dements.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Titus 2.6.</NOTE> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith: <HI>Let yong men be &s;ober minded. David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Wherewith &s;hall a young man cl an&s;e his way?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.9.</NOTE> <HI>In taking heed thereto accor|ding to thy word.</HI> The wi&s;e man &s;aith, <HI>Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 12.1.</NOTE> And further addeth; that if they will needs follow their lu&s;ts, their plea&s;ures, and their own &s;winge, yet in the end hee will bring them to judgement, arraigne them, condemn them, and tame them in hell fire well enough.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet wee &s;ee men are &s;o violent|ly carryed after their lu&s;ts, and &s;o de&s;pe|rately bent, that they will have the pre|&s;ent &s;weet and plea&s;ure of &s;in, come of it what will. Come &s;ickne&s;&s;e, come death, come hell, come damnation, they are at a point; they will pay the highe&s;t price for their lu&s;t. They will purcha&s;e their pl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;ures with the lo&s;&s;e of their &s;oules. O wofull purcha&s;e! O damna|ble plea&s;ures!</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER><HI>Th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ol.</HI></SPEAKER>
<P>Sweete meate will have &s;owre &s;auce, and a dram of plea&s;ure a pound of &s;orrow. Such cur&s;ed c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">i|tifes &s;hall at la&s;t pay a deare &s;hot for their plea&s;ures. Such de&s;perate wret|ches &s;hall one day know (to their everla&s;ting woe) what it is to pro|voke
<PB N="61" REF="42"> God, and to &s;in with &s;o high an hand again&s;t him. They &s;hall well know, in &s;pight of their hearts, that vengeance is prepared for the wicked, and that there is a God that judgeth the earth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.4.</NOTE> Let all men therefore take heed in time; <HI>for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.</HI> And the A|po&s;tle &s;aith flatly, <HI>That whor<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">mong<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rs and adulterers &s;hall not inherit the king|dome of God, 1 Cor. 6.9.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12.</NOTE> <HI>Let therefore no fornicator, or unclean per&s;on be found among us, as was <HI>E&s;au:</HI> but let us ab|&s;taine from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts, which fight a|gain&s;t the &s;oul.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1.2.</NOTE> <HI>And let every one know how to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e his ve&s;&s;ell in holine&s;&s;e and honour, and not in the lu&s;t of con|cupi&s;cence, as the Gentiles which know not God, 1 The&s;. 4.5</HI></P>
<P>Herein let us con&s;ider the wi&s;e &s;peech of an ancient Father: <HI>Sinne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chry&s;o&s;t. in Matth.</NOTE> <HI>while it is in doing, mini&s;treth &s;ome plea|&s;ure, but when it is committed, the &s;hort ple<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ure thereof vani&s;heth away, and long &s;orrow cometh in &s;tead of it.</HI> Nei|ther let us here reject the &s;aying of a wi&s;e Heathen:<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ocrat. ad Demon.</NOTE> <HI>Shun plea&s;ure for fear of &s;mart. Sowr things follow &s;weet, and joy heavine&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all this you &s;hall not make mee beleeve, that whoredome is &s;o hainous a matter. You make more of it then it is.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed: for you, and
<PB N="62" REF="43"> &s;uch as you are will beleeve nothing again&s;t your lu&s;ts and fle&s;hly delights: and that is the cau&s;e why you are deafe on this care. I will therefore adde a word or two more (out of the Oracles of God) to that which hath beene &s;poken.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 6.31. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"></NOTE> The wi&s;e King &s;aith, <HI>Hee that committeth adultery with wo|men, de&s;troyeth his owne &s;oule:</HI> and &s;o is acce&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ry to his owne death; which is no &s;mall matter. For we u&s;e to &s;ay, if a man hang him&s;elfe, drowne him|&s;elfe, or any manner of way make away him&s;elfe, that he was cur&s;ed of God, that Gods hand was heavie a|gain&s;t him, that the Divell ought him a &s;hame, and now he hath paid it him. And all the countrey rings of &s;uch a &s;trange accident, when, and where it falleth out: and the Crowner of the countrey doth &s;it upon it. How much more may all the world wonder at this; that a man &s;hould de&s;troy his owne &s;oule, and wittingly and willingly ca&s;t away him&s;elfe for ever? Now the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith, The a|dulterer doth &s;uch an act, giveth &s;uch a venture, and willingly murthereth him&s;elfe. Oh therefore woe unto him that ever hee was borne! for &s;ure it is, that the great Crowner of heaven, that crowns whom hee will crowne, &s;hall one day &s;it upon it, and give judgement. Moreover, as the adul|terer
<PB N="63" REF="43"> &s;inneth again&s;t his &s;oule, &s;o al&s;o hee &s;inneth again&s;t his bodie, after a &s;peciall manner,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 6.13.</NOTE> as witne&s;&s;eth the A|po&s;tle. Al&s;o hee &s;inneth again&s;t his goods and outward e&s;tate, as the holy man <HI>Job</HI> te&s;tifieth, &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 5<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.12.</NOTE> <HI>Adulterie is a fire that devoureth to de&s;truction, and it will root out all our increa&s;e.</HI> Furthermore, hee &s;inneth again&s;t his name,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6.33.</NOTE> <HI>For the Adulterer &s;hall finde a wound, and di&s;honour: and his re|proach &s;hall never be put away.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Item,</HI> hee &s;inneth again&s;t his wife, <HI>who is his companion,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> 14, &amp; 15.</NOTE> <HI>and the wife of his covenant:</HI> And God &s;aith in the &s;ame place: <HI>Let none tre&s;pa&s;&s;e again&s;t the wife of his youth: keep your &s;elves in your &s;pirit, and tran&s;gre&s;&s;e not.</HI> La&s;t of all, hee &s;inneth again&s;t his children and po&s;terity, as the Lord &s;aid to <HI>Da|vid, Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t de&s;pi&s;ed mee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 S<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. 12 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>and done this, therefore the &s;word &s;hall ne|ver depart from thy hou&s;e. Behold, I will rai&s;e up evill again&s;t thee out of thine owne hou&s;e.</HI> Now therefore, to conclude this point, wee may &s;ee how many deadly wounds men make them&s;elves by committing of adulterie. They wound them&s;elves in their &s;oules: they wound them&s;elves in their bodies: they wound them&s;elves in their goods: they wound them|&s;elves in their names: they wound them&s;elves in their wives, and in
<PB N="64" REF="44"> their children. What man, except hee were &s;tark mad, would thru&s;t in him|&s;elfe in &s;o many places at once? The Adulterer, with his one &s;inne of adul|tery, maketh all the&s;e deadly wounds in him&s;elfe: and it is an hundred to one hee will never get them cured, but will die, and bleed to death of them. Lo, thus you &s;ee the dangerous qua|lity and condition of this &s;in. Shall wee now therefore make light of it? Shall wee &s;ay, It is but a trick of youth? Shall wee &s;mooth over the matter with &s;weet words, when the holy Gho&s;t maketh it &s;o hainous and capitall? Shall wee make nothing of that which draweth downe Gods wrath upon the &s;oule, body, goods, name, wife and children? That were an intolerable blindne&s;&s;e, and mo&s;t extreme hardne&s;&s;e of heart. An anci|ent Writer hath long agoe pa&s;&s;ed &s;en|tence upon us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ba&s;il in E|pi&s;t.</NOTE> who make &s;o light of this &s;inne: for (&s;aith hee) <HI>Adultery is the very hook of the Divell, whereby hee draweth us to de&s;truction.</HI> And another godly Father &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gregor.</NOTE> that <HI>adul|tery is like a furnace, who&s;e mouth is gluttony, the flame pride, the &s;parkles filthy words, the &s;moak an ill name, the a&s;hes poverty, and the end &s;hame.</HI> And &s;o wee plainly &s;ee, that how&s;oever wee regard not this &s;inne, but flatter our &s;elves in it, yet tho&s;e who&s;e eyes
<PB N="65" REF="44"> the Lord hath opened, have in all ages condemned it as mo&s;t flagitious and horrible: yea, the very Heathen wil ri&s;e up in judgment again&s;t us, who have &s;poken and written many things a|gain&s;t this filthy and bea&s;tly vice.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now indeed you have &s;uffici|ently branded the vice of adultery, and laid out the ugline&s;&s;e thereof, that all men may behold it &s;tark naked, and abhorre it. If any man (notwith&s;tan|ding all this) will venture upon it, hee may be &s;aid to be a mo&s;t de&s;perate mon|&s;ter. For what doth hee el&s;e, but (as it were) put his finger into the Lions mouth, and (as it were) take the Beare by the tooth? and they may well know what will follow, and what they may look for. Let all men therefore in time take heed to them&s;elves, and to their own &s;oules, as they will an&s;wer it at their uttermo&s;t perill at the dreadfull day of judgement, when the &s;ecrets of all hearts &s;hall bee di&s;clo&s;ed. But now one thing re&s;teth; to wit, that you &s;hould &s;hew us the &s;peciall roots and cau&s;es of adul|tery.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be five &s;peciall cau|&s;es of it: The fir&s;t is our naturall cor|ruption: for the very &s;pawne and &s;eed of all &s;inne is our corrupt nature: and this, of all other, is a mo&s;t inherent &s;inne, as witne&s;&s;eth the Apo&s;tle <HI>James,</HI> &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 1.15.</NOTE> <HI>When lu&s;t hath con|c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ived,
<PB N="64" REF="45">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="65" REF="45">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="66" REF="46"> it bringeth forth &s;inne: and &s;in when it is perfected bringeth forth death.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd is gluttony, and ful|ne&s;&s;e of bread: for when men have filled their bellies, and crammed their paunches as full of good cheere, wine, and &s;trong drinke, as their skinnes can hold; what are they meete for, or what minde they el&s;e, but adultery and uncleanne&s;&s;e? And therefore well &s;aith one, <HI>Great nouri&s;hment and gro&s;&s;e food is the &s;hop of lu&s;t.</HI> The Heathen Poet could skill to &s;ay, <HI>Sine Cerere &amp; Baccho &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ige<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> Venus, <HI>without meat and drinke lu&s;t waxeth cold.</HI></HI> And to this effect the wi&s;e King &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov 23 <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. &amp; 35</NOTE> that <HI>their eyes &s;hall behold &s;trange women, who&s;e hearts are &s;et upon wine and belly cheere.</HI> And therefore he advi&s;eth all men, <HI>not to looke upon the wine when it appear|eth red, when it &s;heweth his colour in the cup,</HI> or &s;tirreth very kindly: and that for feare of this after-clap. An ancient writer &s;aith to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gregori<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s N<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">an<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that delicately pampereth his belly, and yet would overcome the &s;pirit of fornication, is like to him that will quench a flame of fire with oyle.</HI></P>
<P>Therefore to clo&s;e up this point, &s;ure it is, though men pray, heare, and read much, and be otherwi&s;e well di&s;|po&s;ed: yet except they be ab&s;temious in diet, they will bee much troubled with lu&s;t.</P>
<PB N="67" REF="46">
<P>The third cau&s;e of adultery is Idle|ne&s;&s;e: for when men are lazie, luski&s;h, and idle, having nothing to doe, they lye wide open to adultery; and lu&s;t creepeth into them. Some Hi&s;torio|graphers write, the Crab-fi&s;h is very de&s;irous to eate Oy&s;ters: but becau&s;e &s;hee cannot perforce open them, &s;hee watcheth her time when they open them&s;elves unto the &s;un after the tide, and then &s;hee putreth in her claw, and pulleth out the Oy&s;ter: Even &s;o Sa|tan watcheth his opportunity again&s;t us, that hee may infect and breathe into us all filthy lu&s;ts, and adulterous de|&s;ires, when wee lye open unto him by idlene&s;&s;e. Wi&s;ely therefore to this point &s;aith the Greeke Poet:<NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;iodus.</NOTE> <HI>Much re&s;t nouri&s;heth lu&s;t.</HI> And another Poet &s;aith:
<Q><L>Quaeritur Aegy&s;tus quare &s;it factus adulter:</L>
<L>In promptu cau&s;a e&s;t; d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;idio&s;us erat.</L></Q></P>
<P><HI>Slothfull lazine&s;&s;e is the cau&s;e of a|dultery:</HI> And therefore another &s;aith, <HI>E&s;chew idlene&s;&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Our <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE> <HI>and cut the very &s;i|news of lu&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth cau&s;e of Adultery, is wanton apparell: which is a min&s;trel|le&s;&s;e, that pipes up a dance unto whoredome. But of this enough be|fore.</P>
<P>The fift and la&s;t cau&s;e of adulterie,
<PB N="66" REF="47">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="67" REF="47">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="68" REF="48"> is the hope of impunity, or e&s;caping of puni&s;hment. For many being blin|ded and hardened by Sathan, think they &s;hall never bee called to any ac|count for it: and becau&s;e they can blear the eyes of men, and carry this &s;inne &s;o clo&s;ely under a cloud, that it &s;hall never come to light, they thinke all is &s;afe, and that God &s;eeth them not. And therefore <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 24.15.</NOTE> <HI>The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twi-light, and &s;aith, No eye &s;hall &s;ee mee.</HI> And in another place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 23.13.</NOTE> <HI>How &s;hall God know? Can hee judge thorow the dark cloud?</HI> But verily, ver&s;ly, though the adul|terer do never &s;o clo&s;ely and cunning|ly convey his &s;inne under a canopy, yet the time will come, when it &s;hall be di&s;clo&s;ed to his eternall &s;hame. <HI>For God will bring every work to judge|ment,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 12.24.</NOTE> <HI>with every &s;ecret thought, whe|ther it be good or evill.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 9<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>For hee hath &s;et our mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;innes in the &s;ight of his countenance.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.</NOTE> <HI>And hee will lighten the things that are hid in darkne&s;&s;e, and make the coun&s;els of the heart manife&s;t.</HI> For this cau&s;e <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 10.</NOTE> <HI>When I &s;inne thou watche&s;t mee, and wilt not purge me from my &s;in.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now you have &s;hewed us the cau&s;es of adultery, I pray you &s;hew us the remedies.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be &s;ix remedies for adultery, which no doubt will great|ly
<PB N="69" REF="48"> prevail, if they b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> well practi&s;ed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Which be they?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Six reme|dies of a|dultery.</NOTE></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>Labour.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ab&s;tinence.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Temperance.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Prayer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Re&s;traint of our &s;en&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Shunning of womens com|pany, and all occa&s;ions what&s;oever.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well Sir, now you have waded deepe enough in the &s;econd &s;igne of damnation: I pray you let us proceed to the third, which is Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. And as you have laid naked the two former, &s;o I pray you, &s;trip this &s;tark naked al|&s;o, that all men may &s;ee what an ugly mon&s;ter it is, and therefore hate it and abhor it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I would willingly &s;atisfie your minde: but in this point I &s;hall never doe it &s;ufficiently. For no heart can conceive, nor tongue &s;ufficiently ut|ter the loath&s;omene&s;&s;e of this vice. For covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is the foule&s;t fiend, and blacke&s;t Divell of all the re&s;t. It is even great <HI>Beelzebub</HI> him&s;elfe. Therefore I &s;hall never be able fully to de&s;cribe it unto you: but I will doe what I can to &s;ttip and whip it &s;tark naked. And how&s;oever the men of this earth and blind worldlings take it to bee mo&s;t &s;weet, beautifull, and a|miable, and therefore doe embrace it,
<PB N="70" REF="49"> entertaine it, and welcome it, as though there were &s;ome happine&s;&s;e in it: yet, I hope, when I have &s;hewed them the face thereof in a gla&s;&s;e (even the true gla&s;&s;e of Gods Word) they will be noe more in &s;uch love, but quite o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t of conceit with it. I will therefore hold out this gla&s;&s;e unto them.</P>
<P>St. <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Timothy</HI> brandeth this &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ne in the forehead, and boareth it in the eares, that all men may know it, and avoyd it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 T<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> when he &s;aith, <HI>Cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e is the root of all evill.</HI> Our Lord Ie&s;us al&s;o giveth us a watch|word to take heed of it, &s;aying, <HI>Take heed and beware of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 12.15.</NOTE> As if hee &s;hould &s;ay, Touth it not, come not neare it, it is the very breath of the Divell, it is pre&s;ent death, and the very rat&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">bane of the &s;oule. The Apo|&s;tle layeth out the great danger of this &s;inne, and doth exceedingly grinde the face of it,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">il. 5 19.</NOTE> when he &s;aith, <HI>That the end of all &s;uch as mind earthly things is damna|tion.</HI> Let all carnall worldlings, and mucki&s;h minded men lay this to heart, and con&s;ider well of it, le&s;t they &s;ay one day, Had I wi&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Good Sir, lay open unto us the true nature of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and what it is, that wee may more perfectly di&s;|cerne it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is an immo|derate de&s;ire of having.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="71" REF="49">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I hope you do not think frugali|ty thriftine&s;&s;e, and good husbandry to be covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nothing le&s;&s;e: For they be things commanded; being done in the feare of God, and with a good con|&s;cience.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Doe you not thinke it lawfull al&s;o for men to doe their worldly bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e, and to u&s;e faithfullne&s;&s;e and dili|gence in their callings, that they may p<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ovide for them&s;elves and their fami|lies?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes, no doubt. And the ra|ther, if they doe the&s;e things with cal|ling upon God for a ble&s;&s;ing upon the workes of their hands, and u&s;e prey|er and thank&s;giving before and after their labour, taking heed all the day long of the common corruptions of the world: as &s;wearing, cur&s;ing, ly|ing, di&s;&s;embling, deceiving, greedy get|ting, &amp;c.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wherein I pray you, doth co|vetou&s;ne&s;&s;e e&s;pecially con&s;i&s;t?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In the greedy de&s;ire of the mind. For we may lawfully doe the workes of our calling, and play the good husbands and good hu&s;wives: but wee mu&s;t take heed that di&s;tru&s;t|fullne&s;&s;e, and inward greedine&s;&s;e of the world doe not catch our hearts. For then wee are &s;et on fire, and ut|terly undone.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="72" REF="50">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sith covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is e&s;pecially of the heart, how may we know certainly when the heart is infected?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be four &s;peciall &s;ignes of the hearts infection.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Which be they?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The fir&s;t is an eager and &s;harp &s;et de&s;ire of getting. Therefore the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">8.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that ha&s;teth to be rich &s;hall not be unpuni&s;hed.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o. 20.2.</NOTE> And againe, <HI>An heritage is ha&s;tily gotten at the beginning: but the end thereof &s;hall not be ble&s;&s;ed.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">|nes in O|linth. 2.</NOTE> The heathen man al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>No man can be both ju&s;tly and ha|&s;tily rich.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd is a pinching and nig|gardly keeping of our owne: that is, when men (being able to give) will hardly part with any thing, though it be to never &s;o holy and good u&s;e. And when at la&s;t, with much adoe, for &s;hame they give &s;omething, it com|eth heavily from them (God wot) and &s;cantly.</P>
<P>The third is the neglect of holy du|ties: that is, when mens mindes are &s;o taken up with the love of earthly things, that they begin to &s;lack and cool in matters of Gods wor&s;hip.</P>
<P>The fourth and la&s;t is a tru&s;ting in riches, and &s;taying upon them, as though our lives were maintained by them, or did con&s;i&s;t only in them: which thing our Lord Ie&s;us flatly denyeth,
<PB N="73" REF="50"> &s;aying, <HI>Though a man have abundance,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 12.15.</NOTE> <HI>yet his life con&s;i&s;teth not in the things that he hath.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e then are four evident &s;ignes and tokens whereby wee may cer|tainly di&s;cerne, that mens hearts and entralls are infected with covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have very well &s;atisfied us in this point. Now let us under&s;tand the originall cau&s;es of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be two &s;peciall cau&s;es of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Two cau&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s of cove<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ou&s;|ne&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> The one is the ig|norance and di&s;tru&s;t of Gods provi|dence.</P>
<P>The other is the want of ta&s;ting, and feeling of heavenly things. For till men ta&s;te better things, they will make much of the&s;e: till they feel hea|ven, they will love earth: till they be religious they will be covetous. There|fore the cau&s;e is &s;oon e&s;pied, why men are &s;o &s;harp &s;et upon the&s;e outward things, and do &s;o admire riches, world|ly pomp plea&s;ures and trea&s;ures: Be|cau&s;e they know no better, they never had ta&s;te nor feeling of tho&s;e things which are eternall.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now as you have &s;hewed us the cau&s;es of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;o let us al&s;o hear of the effects.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If I once enter into this, I &s;hall be entangled, and wound up in a maze, where I know not how to
<PB N="74" REF="51"> get out againe. For the evill effects of this vice are &s;o many, and &s;o great, that I know not almo&s;t where to be|ginne, or where to end. Notwith|&s;tanding, I will enter into it get out how I can.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If you do but give us &s;ome ta&s;te of them, it &s;hall &s;uffice.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then will I briefly di&s;patch things in order. And fir&s;t of all, I rea&s;on from the words of the Apo&s;tle before alledged, That if covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the love of money be the root of all evil, then it is the root of idolatrie, the root of murther, the roote of theft, the root of lying, the root of &s;wearing, the roote of &s;ymony, the roote of bribery, the roote of u&s;urie, the roote of law|ing, the roote of all contentions in the Church, and the roote of all brabbling and brawling in the Common-wealth. Moreover, it &s;preadeth farre and neare, it dwelleth in every hou&s;e, in e|very towne, in every <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ttie: it pryeth in|to every corner, it creepeth into every heart: it annoyeth our Phy&s;icians, it infecteth our Divines, it choaketh our Lawyers, it woundeth our Far+mers, it baneth our Gentlemen, it murthereth our Trade&s;men, it be|witcheth our Merchants, it &s;tingeth our Mariners. O covetou&s;nes, cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e! It is the poy&s;on of all things, the wound of Chri&s;tianity, the
<PB N="75" REF="51"> bane of all goodne&s;&s;e. For covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e marres all: it marreth all every where, in all places, in all degrees, among all per&s;ons. It marreth mar|riages: for it coupleth young to old, and old to young. It marreth ho&s;pi|tality, it marreth all good hou&s;e-keep|ing, it marreth alme&s;-deeds, it mar|reth Religion, it marreth Profe&s;&s;ors, it marreth Mini&s;ters, it marreth Ma|gi&s;trates, it marreth all things. And therefore, what &s;in &s;o grievous, what evill &s;o odious, what vice &s;o enormous as this? For this cau&s;e it was pret|tily &s;aid of one, That all other vices are but factors to covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &amp; &s;erve for Porters to fetch and bring in her living. Shee maketh &s;ymony her drudge, bribery her drudge, u&s;urie her drudge, deceite her drudge, &s;wearing her drudge, lying her drudge. O what a Divell incarnate is this, that &s;etteth &s;o many vices a work, &amp; hath &s;o many factors and underlings to &s;erve her turne! Are they not in a pretty ca&s;e, thinke you, that are infected with this &s;inne? Oh they are in a mo&s;t mi&s;e|rable ca&s;e. It had beene good they had never beene borne. For being alive, they are dead: dead, I meane, in their &s;oules. For covetou&s;nes is &s;oules poy|&s;on and &s;oules bane. Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is the &s;tronge&s;t poy&s;on to the &s;oul that is. It is a confection of all the Spiders,
<PB N="76" REF="52"> Toads, Snakes, Adders, Scorpions, Ba&s;ilisks, and all other the mo&s;t ve|nemous vermine of the whole world. If the divell can get us to take downe but one peny weight of it, it is e|nough, hee de&s;ires no more, for pre|&s;ently we fall down &s;tark dead. There|fore the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>They that will be rich</HI> (hee meaneth in all ha&s;te, by hook or by crook) <HI>fall into temptations and &s;nares, and into many fooli&s;h and noy&s;ome lu&s;ts, which drown men in de|&s;truction and perdition.</HI> For as cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e is rank poy&s;on to the &s;oul: &s;o the Apo&s;tle compareth it to a deep gulfe, wherein thou&s;ands are drowned. And therefore hee addeth in the &s;ame place, <HI>But thou, O man of God, flie the&s;e things.</HI> In which words he doth mo&s;t gravely advi&s;e all the Mini&s;ters of the word of God to take heed of it. For as it is dangerous in all men: &s;o is it mo&s;t dangerous and offen&s;ive in Preachers of the Go&s;pel.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Indeed it mu&s;t needs bee gran|ted, that covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e is a very grie|vous &s;inne: yea, even a Mon&s;ter with &s;even heads. Yet for all that, wee &s;ee in this our iron age, how many of all &s;orts are infected with it, and how few will give any thing to any holy u&s;e. Mo&s;t men now adayes have nothing to &s;pare for Chri&s;t, nothing for his Go&s;|pel, nothing for his Church, nothing
<PB N="77" REF="52"> for the poor children of God, and nee|dy members of Chri&s;t. Chri&s;t is little beholden unto them: for they will doe nothing for him, no not &s;o much as &s;peake a good word in his cau&s;e, or the cau&s;e of his poore &s;aints. Every little thing with them is too much for God and good men. For when they come to giving unto holy and nece&s;&s;ary u&s;es, then they will &s;tick at a peny, and grudge at a groat, and every thing is too much: But to be&s;tow upon them&s;elves, nothing is too much. Nothing is too much for lu&s;t, for plea&s;ure, for back, belly, and building, for cards and dice, for whores and harlots, for rioting and revelling, for tavernes and brothel-hou&s;es. Hun|dreds and thou&s;ands are little enough, and too little for their expences this way. It is lamentable to con&s;ider, what ma&s;&s;es of money are &s;pent and be&s;towed upon the&s;e things. But alas, alas, how heavie an account are they to make in the day of the Lord, which &s;o &s;pend their lands, livings, and revenues! I quake to think what &s;hall become of them at la&s;t. It were well for them, if they might be in no wor&s;e ca&s;e then a Crocodile, or a Cur-dog.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is mo&s;t certain that you &s;ay: and wee all have great cau&s;e to lament it, and to take up the old com|plaint of the Prophet <HI>Jeremy,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>From the lea&s;t of them even unto the
<PB N="78" REF="53"> greate&s;t of them, every one is given unto Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e: and from the Prophet e|ven unto the Prie&s;ts, they all deale fal&s;ly.</HI> And another Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mich. 3.22.</NOTE> <HI>They build up Sion with bloud, and Jeru&s;alem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for re|wards, and the Prie&s;ts thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof prophe&s;ie for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and &s;ay, Is not tho Lord among&s;t us? No evil can come unto us</HI> But the&s;e holy Prophets, &amp; men of God do fully de&s;cribe unto us the &s;tate of our time: wherein, though all be corrupted, yet wee bear our &s;elves &s;toutly upon God, we pre&s;ume of his favour, becau&s;e of our outward profe&s;&s;ion, and &s;ay in our hearts, No evill can come unto us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You &s;ay very true, Sir. The world was never &s;o &s;et upon covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and men were never &s;o greedily given to the world, as now adaies. And yet (in truth) there is no cau&s;e why men &s;hould bee &s;o &s;harp-&s;et upon this world. For this world is but vanity: and all is but pel&s; &amp; tra&s;h. F<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e on this muck.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Many &s;uch men as you are can skil to give good words, and &s;ay, Fie on this world, all is but vanity: &amp; yet for all that in your daily practice you are never the le&s;&s;e &s;et upon the world, nor never the more &s;eek after God. You hear the word of God no whit the more, you reade no whit the more, you pray never the mo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e,
<PB N="79" REF="53"> which evidently &s;heweth, that all your faire &s;peeches, and prote&s;tations are nought el&s;e but hypocri&s;ie and lea&s;ing. Your heart is not with God, for all this. All is but words, there is no &s;uch feeling in the heart. And therefore I may ju&s;tly &s;ay to you, as God him&s;elfe &s;aid to his people, This people have &s;aid well all that they have &s;aid. Oh,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D ut 5.28.</NOTE> <HI>that there were an heart in them to feare me, and keepe my commandements!</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>His words indeed are good, if his heart were according. For all things con&s;idered, there is no cau&s;e why men &s;hould bee &s;o given to this world: for they mu&s;t leave it when they have done all that they can. As wee &s;ay, To day a man, to morrow none. And, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Wee brought nothing into this world: and it is cer|taine, wee &s;hall carry nothing out.</HI> Wee mu&s;t all dye, wee know not how &s;oon: why therefore &s;hould men &s;et their hearts upon &s;uch uncertainties, and deceiveable things? for all things in this world are more light then a fea|ther, more brittle than gla&s;&s;e, more fleeting than a &s;hadow, more vani&s;hing than &s;moake, more uncon&s;tant than the winde: <HI>Doubtle&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet <HI>David, man walketh in a &s;hadow,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 6.</NOTE> <HI>and di&s;quieteth him&s;elfe in vaine: hee heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who &s;hall gather them.</HI> I wonder
<PB N="78" REF="54">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="79" REF="54">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="80" REF="55">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="81" REF="55">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="80" REF="56"> therefore, that the&s;e moles and muck|worms of this earth &s;hould &s;o minde the&s;e &s;hadowi&s;h things, and &s;o dote on them as they do. If they were not al|together hardened and blinded by the Divel<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, they would not be &s;o neerly knit to thee <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">od and the penny as they are; thinking, and alwayes imagining, that there is no happine&s;&s;e but in the&s;e things, which are but dung and dro&s;&s;e: and at la&s;t they will give us the &s;lip, when wee think our &s;elves mo&s;t &s;ure of them.</P>
<P>The wi&s;e King, who had the grea|te&s;t experience of the&s;e things that ever man had (for hee enjoyed what&s;oever this world could afford, upward and downeward, backward and forward) yet could he finde nothing in them but vanity and vexation of &s;pirit. More|over, hee fl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y avoucheth, That all the&s;e things, riches, wealth, honour, plea&s;ures and trea&s;ures, will mo&s;t notably deceive us in the end, give us the &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">p, and be gone. For he compareth riches and all the glory of the world to an Eagle or Hawke, which a man holdeth upon his fi&s;t, &s;troketh her, maketh much of her, taketh great de|light and plea&s;ure in her, and &s;aith, hee will not take ten pounds for her, yet all on the &s;udden &s;hee taketh her flight, and flyeth up into the aire, and hee ne|ver &s;eeth her more, nor &s;hee him. The
<PB N="81" REF="56"> words of the holy Gho&s;t are the&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 25.5.</NOTE> <HI>Wilt thou cau&s;e thine eyes to flie after them</HI> (meaning riches)? <HI>Thou maie&s;t: but they will not be found. For they wil make them&s;elves wings like to the Eagle, which &s;lieth up to heaven.</HI> From thence wee may learne, that though wee &s;et our hearts never&s;omuch on any thing here below, yet at the la&s;t it &s;hall bee taken from us, or we from it.</P>
<P>Therefore all worldly men doe but weave the &s;piders web, and may fit|ly bee compared to the &s;illy &s;pider, who toyleth her &s;elfe, and laboureth all the weeke long to flui&s;h up her web, that &s;hee may lodge her &s;elfe in it as in her owne hou&s;e and free-hold. But, alas, at the weeks end, a maid, in a moment, with one bru&s;h of a broom, di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth her of her inheritance, which &s;hee had purcha&s;ed with great labour and much adoe. Even &s;o, when the men of this world have with much care and travell purcha&s;ed great lands and revenues, and gathered all that they can: yet on the &s;udden death (with one &s;troke of his <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">refull dart) will make them give up the gho&s;t: and then where are they? It was prettily therefore &s;aid of a man in the light of nature,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Seneca.</NOTE> <HI>No man hath ever lived &s;o hap|pily in this life, but in his life time ma|ny things have befallen him, for the which hee hath wi&s;hed rather to die
<PB N="82" REF="57"> than to live.</HI> And a&s;&s;uredly, I thinke there was never any man lived any one day upon the face of the earth, but &s;ome griefe or other either did, or ju&s;tly might invade his minde ere night: either in the temptations of the World, the Fle&s;h, or the Divell; or in regard of &s;oule, body, goods, or name: in regard of wife, children, friends, or neighbours: in regard of dangers to Prince, Staie, Church, or Common|wealth: in regard of ca&s;ualties, and lo&s;&s;e by water, by fire, by &s;ea, or by land. What a life therefore is this, that hath not our good day in it? Who would de&s;ire to dwell long in it? For it lieth open every day to manifold mi|&s;eries, dangers, lo&s;&s;es, ca&s;ualties, re|proaches, &s;hame, infamy, poverty, &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e, di&s;ea&s;es, cholicks, ague<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, tooth|ache, head-ache, back-ache, bone-ache, and a thou&s;and calamities.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have very well de&s;cribed unto us the vanity of this life, and that no day is free from one &s;orrow or o|ther, one griefe or other: the which thing our Lord Je&s;us ratifieth in the rea&s;on which hee bringeth why men &s;hould not di&s;tru&s;tfully care for to mor|row. For, &s;aith hee, &s;ufficient to the day is the evill thereof: Or, as &s;ome read it, The day hath enough with his owne griefe. Wherein hee doth plainly &s;hew that every day hath his &s;or|row,
<PB N="83" REF="57"> his evill, his griefe, and his thwart. But I pray you proceed further in this point.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This I &s;ay further: That when men have &s;winked &amp; &s;weat, car|ked and cared, mo&s;led and turmo&s;led, drudged and droiled, by night &amp; by day, by &s;ea and by land, with much care and &s;orrow, much labour and griefe, to rake together the things of this life; yet at la&s;t all will away againe, and wee mu&s;t end where wee began. For as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Naked wee came into the world, and naked wee mu&s;t go out.</HI> For even as a winde-mill beateth it &s;elfe, maketh a great noi&s;e, whi&s;tleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yeare long, yet at the yeares end &s;tandeth &s;till where it begunne, being not moved one foote backward or for|ward: &s;oe when men have blu&s;tered and blowne all that they can, and have even runne them&s;elves out of breath, to &s;crape up the commodities of the earth, yet at la&s;t they mu&s;t (&s;pite of their beards) end where they began; end with nothing as they began with nothing: end with a winding &s;heet, as they began with &s;wadling clouts. For what is become of the greate&s;t Mo|narthes, Kings, Princes, Poten|tates, and Magnificoes, that ever the World had? Where is <HI>Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, Alexander, Cae&s;ar, Pompey,
<PB N="84" REF="58"> Scipio</HI> and <HI>Hannibal?</HI> Where are the valiant <HI>Henries,</HI> and noble <HI>Edwards</HI> of England? Are they not all gone downe to the hou&s;e of oblivion? Are they not all returned to their du&s;t, and their thoughts peri&s;h? Though they were as gods, yet have they dyed as men, and are fallen like others.</P>
<P>Who now careth for them? who talketh of them? who feareth them? who regardeth them? do not beggers tread upon them? Yet while they li|ved, they were the lords of the world; they were as terrible as lions, feare|full to all men, full of pomp and glory, dignity, and maje&s;ty. They ploughed up all things, they bare all before them, and who but they? But now they have given up the gho&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 30.23.</NOTE> <HI>and are</HI> (as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith) <HI>gone down to the hou&s;e appointed for all the living.</HI> Their pomp is de|&s;cended with them, and all their glory is buried in the a&s;hes. They are now covered under a clod, ca&s;t out into a vault, made companions to toads, and the worms do eat them: and what is become of their &s;ouls, is mo&s;t of all to be feared.</P>
<P>Thus wee &s;ee, how all fle&s;h doth but make a vaine &s;hew for a while upon this Theatre of mi&s;ery, fetcheth a compa&s;&s;e about, and is pre&s;ently gone. For, as the Poet &s;aith, <HI>Seri&ugrave;s aut ci|ti&ugrave;s &s;edem properamus ad unam:</HI> Fir&s;t
<PB N="85" REF="58"> or la&s;t wee mu&s;t all to the grave.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have made a very good &s;peech, it doth me good to hear it. I wonder, all the&s;e things con&s;idered, that men &s;hould be &s;o wholly given to this world as they are. I think the Divell hath bewitched them: for they &s;hall carry nothing with them when they die, but their good deeds and their ill.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The drudges and &s;nudges of this world may very fitly be compa|red to a Kings Sumpter-hor&s;e, which goeth loaden all the day long with as much gold and trea&s;ure as he can bear, but at night his trea&s;ure is taken from him; hee is turned into a &s;orty dirty &s;table, and hath nothing left him but his galled backe: Even &s;o the rich Cormorants and Caterpillers of the earth, which here have trea&s;ured and hoorded up great heaps of gold and &s;ilver (with the which they travell loaden thorow this world) &s;hall in the end be &s;tript out of all, let downe into their grave, and have nothing left them but their galled con&s;ciences, with the which they &s;hall be tumbled down into the dungeon of eternall dark|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wherein doth the &s;ting and &s;trength of this world e&s;pecially con&s;i&s;t?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as the great &s;trength of <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> lay in his haire, &s;o the great &s;trength of the world lyeth in her two
<PB N="86" REF="59"> brea&s;tes; the one of plea&s;ure, the o|ther of profit. For &s;hee, like a notable &s;trumpet, by laying out of the&s;e her brea&s;ts, doth bewitch the &s;ons of men, and allureth thou&s;ands to her lu&s;t. For if &s;hee cannot win them with the one brea&s;t, yet &s;hee gaineth them with the other: if not with plea&s;ure, then with profit; if not with profit, then with plea&s;ure: Hee is an odde man of a thou&s;and, that &s;ucketh not of the one brea&s;t or the other. But &s;ure it is, which &s;oever hee &s;ucketh hee &s;hall bee poy&s;oned. For &s;hee giveth none other milke but ranke poy&s;on. The world therefore is like to an alluring <HI>Jael,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 4.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.</NOTE> which &s;itteth at her doore to en|tice us to come in, and eat of the milke of her plea&s;ures: but when &s;hee hath once got us in, &s;hee is ready (even while wee are eating) with her ham|mer and her naile, to pierce thorow our braines.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I &s;ee plainely, this world is a very &s;trumpet, a &s;trong baite, and a &s;naring net, wherein thou&s;ands are ta|ken. It is very bird-lime, which doth &s;o belime our affections, that they cannot a&s;cend upward. It is like the weights of a clocke, hanged upon our &s;oules, which draw them downe to the earth; it nail|eth us fa&s;t downe to the ground: it mor|tereth us into clay: it maketh us abo|minable unto God. For I remember
<PB N="87" REF="59"> God made a law, That who&s;oever goeth with his brea&s;t upon the ground,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hould be abominable unto us. How much more the&s;e carnall worldlings, which are fa&s;t &s;odred to the earth!</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Apo&s;tle Saint <HI>James,</HI> &s;eeing into the deep wickedne&s;&s;e of this world, and knowing right well how o|dious it maketh us in the &s;ight of God, cryeth out again&s;t it, terming it adul|tery, and all worldings adulterers, becau&s;e they for&s;ake Chri&s;t their true husband, and whori&s;hly give their hearts to this world.<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 4.</NOTE> <HI>O yee adulterers and adultere&s;&s;es,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>know ye not that the amity of this world is the enmi|ty of God? who&s;oever therefore will be made a friend to this world, makes him|&s;elfe the enemy of God.</HI> And who dare &s;tand forth and &s;ay, I will bee the e|nemy of God? who therefore dares be a worldling? for every worldling is the enemy of God: what then will become of you, O yee wicked world|lings?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It appeareth then plainely by the Scriptures, that the exce&s;&s;ive love of this world, and un&s;atiable de&s;ire of ha|ving, is a mo&s;t dangerous thing: and men doe they know not what in &s;eeking &s;o greedily after it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Heathen man will <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;e up in judgement again&s;t us; for hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sophocles.</NOTE> <HI>Un&s;atiablene&s;&s;e is the foule&s;t e|vill
<PB N="88" REF="60"> among mortall men.</HI> But many of our &s;ea-gulfes and whirl-pools make no con&s;cience of it. They think it is no &s;inne, they devour and &s;wallow up all, and yet are never &s;atisfied. They will have all, and more then a l, and the Divell and all. The whole world cannot &s;atisfie their mind, but God mu&s;t create new worlds to content them. The&s;e men are &s;ick of the golden drop&s;ie: the more they have, the more they de&s;ire. The love of money in|crea&s;eth as money it &s;elfe increa&s;eth. But the Scripture &s;aith, <HI>Hee that loveth &s;ilver &s;hall not bee &s;atisfied with &s;ilver.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 5.9.</NOTE> Oh therefore that wee would &s;trive earne&s;tly to get out of this gulfe of hell,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 12.2.</NOTE> <HI>and tread the Moon</HI> (that is, all worldly things) <HI>under our feet,</HI> as it is &s;poken of the Church: and that wee would &s;et our affections on the things that are above, and not on the things that are beneath: that wee would flie an high pitch, and &s;oare a|l<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ft as the Eagles, looking downe at this world, and all things in it, as at our feet, contemning it, and treading the very glory of it under our feet, that it may never have more power o|ver us!</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>O happy, and twice happy are they that can do &s;o! and I be&s;eech the Almighty God to give us his holy Spi|rit, whereby wee may be carried above
<PB N="89" REF="60"> this world, into the mountaines of &s;pi|ces. For, how happy a thing is it to have our conver&s;ation in heaven! that is, to have an inward conver&s;ation with God, by much prayer, reading, medita|tion, and heavenly affections. This in|deed is to climbe up above the world, and to conver&s;e in the chambers of peace. O therefore that wee would &s;e|riou&s;ly and throughly conceive and con|&s;ider of this world as it is! that wee would well weigh the vanity of it, and the excellency of that which is to com<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">; that &s;o wee might loath the one, and love the other; de&s;pi&s;e the one, and im|brace the other; love God more then ever wee did, and this world le&s;&s;e! For what is this world but vanity of vani|ties?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You do exceedingly aba&s;e that which &s;ome make their god. You &s;peak contemptuou&s;ly of that which mo&s;t men have in greate&s;t price and admiration. You di&s;grace that which multitudes would grace. You make light of that which numbers make greate&s;t account of. Let us therefore heare your rea&s;ons. Shew us more fully what it is; de&s;cribe it unto us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The world is a &s;ea of gla&s;&s;e, a pageant of fond delights, a theatre of vanity, a labyrinth of errour, a gulfe of griefe, a &s;tye of filthine&s;&s;e, a vale of mi&s;ery, a &s;pectacle of woe, a river of
<PB N="90" REF="61"> teares, a &s;tage of deceit, a cage full of Owles, a den of Scorpions, a wil|derne&s;&s;e of Wolves, a cabbin of Bears, a whirle-winde of pa&s;&s;ions, a fained Comedy, a delectable phren&s;ie, where is fal&s;e delight, a&s;&s;ured griefe, certain &s;orrow, uncertaine plea&s;ure, la&s;ting woe, fickle wealth, long heavine&s;&s;e, &s;hort joy.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now you have indeed de&s;cri|bed it to the full, and layed it out (as it were) in orient colours. And a man would think he were bewitched, or &s;tark mad, which hereafter &s;hould &s;et his minde on it. But yet I am de&s;irous to heare a little more of that which I asked you before: wherein the &s;trength and poy&s;on of the world doth e&s;pecially con&s;i&s;t.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In this lyeth a great &s;trength of the world, that it draweth down the &s;tars of heaven, and maketh them fall to the earth, as it is &s;aid of the Dragons taile,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 12.</NOTE> which is ambiti|on, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the love of this world. For wee may wonder and la|ment, to &s;ee how the love of the&s;e things hath wounded and over-borne many excellent &s;ervants of God, both Preachers and Profe&s;&s;ours of the Go&s;pel: which thing doth plainely argue the &s;trength of it. For it is the &s;tronge&s;t, and the very la&s;t engine that Sathan u&s;eth to impugne us withall,
<PB N="91" REF="61"> when none other will prevaile. For when no temptation could fa&s;ten up|on Chri&s;t, hee bringeth forth this la&s;t weapon, which never faileth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 4.</NOTE> <HI>All the&s;e things will I give thee;</HI> &s;hewing him the glory of the whole world. So then, hee (having experience of this, that it never faileth) thought to have over|come Chri&s;t him&s;elfe with it. Here therefore lyeth the very &s;ting and &s;trength of the world and the Divell. For whom hath hee not taken with, <HI>All the&s;e things will I give thee?</HI> whom hath hee not wounded? whom hath hee not deceived? whom hath hee not overthrowne? With this hee enticed <HI>Balaam:</HI> with this he beguiled <HI>Achan:</HI> with this hee overthrew <HI>Judas:</HI> with this hee bewitched <HI>Demas:</HI> with this in the&s;e our dayes hee deceiveth many of excellent gifts. For a&s;&s;uredly hee is a <HI>Phoenix</HI> among&s;t men, which is not overcome with this. He is a won|derment of the world that is not mo|ved with money.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am now fully &s;atisfied for this matter. But one thing cometh often into my mind; to wit, that the&s;e mi&s;erable worldlings can have no &s;ound comfort in their plea&s;ures and profits, becau&s;e they have no comfort in God, nor peace in their own con&s;ciences.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;ay very true. It is impo&s;&s;ible that men, loving this
<PB N="92" REF="62"> world, &s;hould have any &s;ound com|fort in God. For no man can &s;erve two ma&s;ters, both God and riches. Their ca&s;e therefore is very dange|rous and fearfull, though they never &s;ee it, nor feele it: as I will &s;hew you by a plaine example. Put ca&s;e one of the&s;e great rich worldlings &s;hould bee cloathed in velvet and cloth of gold in mo&s;t &s;tately manner, and al&s;o &s;hould bee &s;et at his table, furni&s;hed with all the dainties of the world, &s;hould bee attended and waited upon by many in mo&s;t lordly and po<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">pous manner, &s;hould &s;it in his goodly dining cham|ber, all glittering like gold, &s;hould have his fir&s;t, &s;econd, and third &s;ervice &s;erved in with min&s;trels and in&s;tru|ments of mu&s;ick in mo&s;t royall &s;ort, hee &s;itting in his chaire like a King in his throne: yet for all this, if a dag|ger &s;hould bee held to his heart all this while, ready to &s;tab him; what plea|&s;ure, what joy, what comfort could he have in all the re&s;t? Even &s;o, what|&s;oever pomp and plea&s;ures wicked worldlings have here below, yet their guilty and helli&s;h con&s;cience is as it were a dagger held alwayes hard to their heart, &s;o as they can have no found comfort in any thing. Or let mee give it you thus: Put ca&s;e a man hath committed high trea&s;on, and were therefore apprehended, ar|raigned,
<PB N="93" REF="62"> and condemned to be hanged, drawne, and quartered; what then can comfort a man in this ca&s;e? can mirth, can mu&s;ick, can gold, can &s;ilver, can lands, can livings? No, no, none of all the&s;e can help him, or give him any comfort: For the continuall thoughts of death doe &s;o gripe him at the heart, that none of all the&s;e can doe him any good, or any whit mitigate his griefe. What then is the thing that can com|fort him in this ca&s;e? Only a pardon &s;ealed with the Kings broad &s;eale, and &s;ub&s;cribed with his owne hand. For a&s;&s;oone as hee hath got this, his hea|vie heart reviveth, and lea<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">eth for joy. This then a&s;&s;uredly is the very ca&s;e of all profane Athei&s;ts and world|lings, who are not a&s;&s;ured of the King of heaven his pardon for their &s;inne: and then, what joy can they have ei|ther in their meat, drink, goods, cat|tell, wives, children, lands, revenues, or any thing what&s;oever? For the dreadfull thoughts of hell doe e&s;t|&s;oones cro&s;&s;e them inwardly, and quite damp and da&s;h all their mirth. Their owne con&s;ciences will not bee &s;tilled; but in mo&s;t terrible manner ri&s;e up and give evidence again&s;t them, tel|ling them flatly, they &s;hall bee damned, how merry and jocond &s;oever they &s;eeme to bee in this world, &s;etting a good face on the matter. For &s;ure it
<PB N="94" REF="63"> is, that inwardly they have many a cold pull, and many heart-gripes. And all their mirth and jollity is but a giggling from the teeth outward: they can have no &s;ound comfor<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> with|in. And therefore the wi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e King &s;aith, <HI>Even in laughter the heart is &s;orrow|full:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 14.12.</NOTE> <HI>and the end of that mirth is hea|vine&s;&s;e.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 27.20.</NOTE> Likewi&s;e &s;aith the holy man <HI>Job, Terrours of con&s;cience come up|on the wicked man like waters: in the night a whirle-wind carrieth him away &s;ecretly. Eliphas</HI> the <HI>Temanite</HI> avou|ched the &s;ame point,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 15.20.</NOTE> &s;aying, <HI>The wick|ed man is continually as one that travel|leth of childe, a &s;ound of fear is in his ears, &amp;c.</HI> Thus then we &s;ee, that how|&s;oever many carnall Athei&s;ts, and un|godly per&s;ons &s;eem outwardly to float aloft in all mirth and jollity, bearing it out (as wee &s;ay) at the brea&s;t: yet inwardly are they pinched with ter|rours, and mo&s;t horrible convul&s;ions of con&s;cience.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have &s;poken many things very &s;harply again&s;t covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e: but in my mind, &s;o long as a man covets no|thing but his own, hee cannot be &s;aid to be covetous.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes that he may. For not onely is hee covetous, which greedily de&s;ireth other mens goods; but even hee al&s;o which over-niggardly and pinchingly holdeth fa&s;t his owne, and
<PB N="95" REF="63"> is &s;uch a mi&s;er, that hee will part with nothing. Wee &s;ee the world is full of &s;uch pinch-pennies, that will let nothing goe, except it be wrung from them perforce, as a key out of <HI>Hercules</HI> hand.</P>
<P>The gripple muck-rabers had as leeve part with their bloud as their goods. They will pinch their owne backs and bellies, to get their god into their che&s;ts. And when they have once got him there, will they ea&s;ily part with him, trow yee? No, no: a man will part with his god for no mans plea&s;ure. Hee will eat pea&s;e|bread, and drinke &s;mall drink, rather then he will dimini&s;h his god. There|fore the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 31.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Eat not the meat of him that hath an evill eye: and de&s;ire not his dainty di&s;hes. For as hee grudgeth his owne &s;oule, &s;o will hee &s;ay unto thee; Eat and drink, when his heart is not with thee. Thou &s;halt vo|mit thy mor&s;els which thou ha&s;t eaten, and lo&s;e thy plea&s;ant &s;peeches.</HI> The old &s;aying is, The covetous man want|eth as well that which he hath, as that which he hath not; becau&s;e he hath no u&s;e of that which hee hath. So then you &s;ee, there is a great &s;trength of co|vetou&s;ne&s;&s;e in the niggardly keeping of our own.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all this, men mu&s;t fol|low their worldy bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and lay up to
<PB N="96" REF="64"> live. For it is an hard world, and goods are not ea&s;ie to come by. Therefore men mu&s;t ply their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, or el&s;e they may go beg and &s;tarve.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I deny not, but that you may follow the works of your calling dili|gently, &s;o it be in the fear of God, and with a good con&s;cience, as I told you before: but this greedine&s;&s;e and grip|plene&s;&s;e God doth condemne, and al&s;o this exce&s;&s;ive love of money.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Beleeve mee, I know no body that hates it: I cannot &s;ee but that all men love gold and &s;ilver.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is one thing to u&s;e the&s;e things: and another thing to love them, and &s;et our hearts upon then&s;. For the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2.</NOTE> <HI>If riches in|crea&s;e, &s;et not your hearts upon them.</HI> Saint <HI>John</HI> al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>Love not this world, nor the things that are in this world.</HI> Hee &s;aith not, U&s;e not this world; but, Love not this world: For u&s;e it wee may: love it wee may not.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7.</NOTE> Therefore the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that, <HI>They which u&s;e this world &s;hould bee as though they u&s;ed it not.</HI> Where hee alloweth a &s;ober and moderate u&s;e of the things of this life in the fear of God. Wee mu&s;t u&s;e this world for ne|ce&s;&s;ities &s;ake, as wee u&s;e meat and drink, taking no more of this world then needs mu&s;t, for fear of &s;urfeiting. The holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13.5.</NOTE> <HI>Let your conver|&s;ation
<PB N="97" REF="64"> be without covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and be content with things pre&s;ent.</HI> Happy is that man therefore that is well con|tent with his pre&s;ent e&s;tate what|&s;oever, and carrieth him&s;elfe mode|rately and comfortably therein. For the Spirit &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 2.24.</NOTE> <HI>There is no profit to a man under the Sun, but that he eat and drink, and delight his &s;oul with the pro|fit of his labours. I &s;aw al&s;o this, that this is the hand of God.</HI> In which words the prudent King &s;aith thus much in effect: That this is all the good wee can attain unto in this world, even to take a &s;ober and comfortable <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the things of this life, which God be&s;toweth upon us. And further hee avoucheth;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 18.19.</NOTE> <HI>That thus to u&s;e them a|right, and with &s;ound comfort is a very rare gift of God.</HI> For, as one &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Greg. N 1.</NOTE> <HI>He is a wi&s;e man that is not grieved for the things which hee hath not; but doth re|joyce in the things that hee hath, u&s;ing them to Gods glory and his owne com|fort.</HI> So then I conclude this point, and return to you an an&s;wer, thus: That wee may, in &s;ober and godly manner, u&s;e gold, &s;ilver, and the things of this life: but at no hand to over|love them, or give our hearts unto them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well: Yet for all this I cannot &s;ee, but that the&s;e Preachers and Pro|fe&s;&s;ors, the&s;e learned men and preci&s;e
<PB N="98" REF="65"> fellowes, are even as eager of the world, and as covetous as any other.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now you &s;hew your vene|mous &s;pirit again&s;t better men then your &s;elfe. And I have a foure-fold an&s;wer for you. Fir&s;t, I an&s;wer, that although godly men may be &s;ome|what overtaken this way, and over-&s;pirt a little, yet they break not out &s;o gro&s;&s;ely as others. Secondly, if God leave them &s;ometimes to be overcome of the world, yet hee, in his great wi&s;edome and mercy, turneth it to their good. For thereby hee fir&s;t hum|bleth them, and afterwards rai&s;eth them up againe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.</NOTE> And &s;o all things work together for good to them that love God. Thirdly, I an&s;wer, wee mu&s;t live by rules, and not by ex|amples. For even the be&s;t of Gods people have had their wants and weakne&s;&s;es. Therefore wee may not frame rules to live by out of the in|firmi ies of the mo&s;t excellent &s;er|vants of God. Wicked therefore and impious is their allegation, who al|ledge <HI>Davids</HI> adultery, <HI>Lots</HI> drunken|ne&s;&s;e, <HI>Peters</HI> fall, <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;lips, <HI>So|lomons</HI> weakne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. for a &s;helter and defence of them&s;elves in the like &s;ins. La&s;tly, I an&s;wer, that you greatly wound your &s;elf in your own &s;peech: &s;o far off are you from mending your market any whit thereby. For if
<PB N="99" REF="65"> Preachers and other godly men (af|ter many prayers, teares, and much meanes u&s;ed, cannot e&s;cape &s;cot-free, but &s;ometimes are wounded, and al|mo&s;t overthrowne by the world and the Divell; what then &s;hall become of you, which u&s;e no meanes at all, nor any gain-&s;triving, but willingly give place to the Divell? If the Divell did over-ma&s;ter <HI>David, Lot, Sam&s;on, Solomon,</HI> and other &s;uch excellent worthies; alas, what &s;hall become of meer worldlings and Athei&s;ts? If the mo&s;t valiant men, and chiefe Cap|taines in a battell goe downe, what &s;hall become of the faint-hearted &s;oul|diers? And as S. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 4.18.</NOTE> <HI>If the righteous &s;carce be &s;aved, where &s;hall the wicked and ungodly appeare?</HI> So then I take you at the rebound, and returne your owne weapon upon your &s;elfe; That &s;ith godly men cannot e|&s;cape through this world without blowes, what &s;hall become of them that know not what godline&s;&s;e mea|neth?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet I &s;ay once again, that men mu&s;t live, men mu&s;t lay up for this world: we cannot live by the Scriptures. And as for that which you call covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, it is but good husbandry.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I thought wee &s;hould have it at la&s;t. Now you have paid it home: you are come to the old byas, and as
<PB N="100" REF="66"> a Hare to her old fourm, and hee old covert. For this is the very covert and thicket of the world, wherein they would hide covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e: but I will doe what I can to hunt you out of it by the Scriptures.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 11.14.</NOTE>Fir&s;t, <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Hee that &s;pa|reth more then is right, &s;hall &s;urely come to poverty.</HI> So then you &s;ee, that covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e bringeth poverty. Thus therefore I rea&s;on: That which brin|geth poverty is no good husbandry: but covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and too much &s;pa|ring bringeth poverty; therefore it is no good husbandry. The &s;ame <HI>So|lomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Hee that is given to gaine, troubleth his owne hou&s;e.</HI> That is, the covetous man is an occa&s;ion of many evils in his e&s;tate and family. From Scripture I doe thus rea&s;on: That which troubleth a mans hou&s;e is no good husbandry: but covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e troubleth a mans hou&s;e; therefore it is no good husbandry. La&s;t of all, the old Proverb &s;aith. <HI>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e brin|geth nothing home:</HI> And therefore it is no good husbandry. For often|times wee &s;ee, that men for covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of more, lo&s;e that which other|wi&s;e they might have had. One of the wi&s;e Heathen &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;iodus.</NOTE> <HI>Evill gaine is as bad as lo&s;&s;e.</HI> But the covetous man doth &s;eek after wicked gaine, and therefore &s;eeketh lo&s;&s;e; and con&s;e|quently
<PB N="101" REF="66"> is no good husband. Another &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phocilides.</NOTE> <HI>Unju&s;t gain bringeth forth lo&s;&s;e and mi&s;ery.</HI> And therefore it is far e|nough off from vertue and all good hu&s;|bandry. Thus then, I hope, you are &s;o hunted both by God and men, that this covert cannot hide you. And ther|fore you mu&s;t out of it, and &s;eek &s;ome other &s;helter: for this will not &s;erve your turn.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now I mu&s;t needs &s;ay, you have fully &s;topt his mouth, and throughly ferreted him out of his deepe burrow. And it is mo&s;t certain that you &s;ay, that the wi&s;e Heathen hath condemned cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e and all unju&s;t gains; which we both practice and defend: and therefore &s;hall they ri&s;e up in judgement again&s;t us. But now let us leave this caviller, and proceed in our matters. There is one thing yet remaining, wherein I de&s;ire to be &s;atisfied.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What is that?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I would gladly know which be the &s;peciall remedies again&s;t covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There be two &s;peciall reme|dies again&s;t covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e: to wit, con|tentation, and the meditation of Gods providence.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us hear &s;omewhat of conten|tation out of the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 7.9.</NOTE> <HI>Having food and raiment, wee mu&s;t be therewith
<PB N="102" REF="67"> content.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 7.9.</NOTE> <HI>For wee brought nothing into this world: and it is certaine wee &s;hall carry nothing out.</HI> The Spirit al&s;o &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12.5.</NOTE> <HI>Let your conver&s;ation bee with|out covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and bee content with your pre&s;ent e&s;tate.</HI> Againe, the A|po&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Hee had learned in what e|&s;tate &s;oever hee was, therewith to bee content.</HI> Note that hee &s;aith, He had learned: for hee had it not of him&s;elfe. For contentation is the &s;ingular gift of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 13 25.</NOTE> as it is written, <HI>The righ|teous eateth to the contentation of his &s;oule,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cyril. in Jo|an. 12.</NOTE> <HI>but the belly of the wicked &s;hall want.</HI> An ancient Father &s;aith, <HI>Wee ought to accu&s;tome our &s;elves to live of a little, and to be content; that wee may doe no wicked or filthy thing for lucres &s;ake.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chry&s;o&s;t. hom. 51.</NOTE> Another &s;aith, <HI>Hee is not poor that hath nothing, but hee that de&s;ires much. Neither is hee rich that hath much, but hee that wanteth no|thing: for contentation never wanteth. There is no griefe in lacking, but where there is immoderate de&s;ire of having. If woe will live after nature, we &s;hall ne|ver bee poor: if after our owne appe|tite, we &s;hall never be rich.</HI> Well there|fore &s;aid the Poet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Euripides.</NOTE> <HI>Wax not rich un|ju&s;tly, but ju&s;tly: Be content with thine own things: ab&s;taine from other m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ns.</HI> Thus then wee &s;ee, that both God him&s;elfe (the fountaine of all wi&s;e|dome) and men al&s;o, both in the &s;tate
<PB N="103" REF="67"> of nature and grace, doe all joyntly ad|vi&s;e us to &s;trive for contentation: and then we &s;hall have a &s;overaign remedy again&s;t Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us hear &s;omewhat of the &s;e|cond remedy again&s;t Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>An earne&s;t thinking upon the providence of God is a pre&s;ent remedy again&s;t the mo&s;t fooli&s;h and pining carefulne&s;&s;e of men for this life. For if we would &s;eriou&s;ly weigh, and deeply con&s;ider the provident care that God hath had for his children in all ages, touching food and raiment, and how &s;trangely hee hath provided for them; it might &s;uffice to correct this evill in us, and mini&s;ter unto us a notable pre&s;ervative again&s;t Cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>We read how wonderfully the Lord did provide for his Prophet <HI>Elijah,</HI> in the time of the great dearth and drought that was in I&s;rael.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 17.</NOTE> Did not the Lord command the Ravens to feed him by the River <HI>Cherith?</HI> Did not the Ravens bring him bread and fle&s;h in the morning, and bread and fle&s;h in the evening, and he drank of the River?</P>
<P>What &s;hould I &s;peak how mira|culou&s;ly God provided for <HI>Hagar</HI> and her infant,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 12.25.</NOTE> when they were both ca&s;t out of <HI>Abrahams</HI> hou&s;e, and brought to great extremity; even both of them
<PB N="104" REF="68"> ready to give up the Gho&s;t for want of food.</P>
<P>Did not God help at a pinch, as his manner hath alwayes been?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 15.5.</NOTE> Did he not &s;end his Angel unto them, and both comfort them, and provide for them? What &s;hould I &s;peake how &s;trangely God provided for his Church in the wilderne&s;&s;e? Did hee not feede them with <HI>Manna</HI> from hea|ven,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 17.6.</NOTE> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 78.</NOTE> and gave them water to drinke out of the rock? Hath not our hea|venly Father made many royall and large promi&s;es, that hee will provide nece&s;&s;aries for his children? Shall wee not think that hee will be as good as his word?<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34.1.</NOTE> Doth hee not &s;ay, <HI>The lions lack and &s;uffer hunger: but they that &s;eek him &s;hall want nothing that is good?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84.11.</NOTE> Doth hee not &s;ay, <HI>Fear him all yee his Saints, for nothing is wan|ting to them that feare him?</HI> Doth hee not &s;ay, <HI>No good thing &s;hall be with|held from them that walke uprightly?</HI> Doth hee not &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6.33.</NOTE> <HI>Our heavenly Father knoweth that wee have need of the&s;e things, and that all the&s;e things &s;hall bee ca&s;t upon us, if wee earne&s;tly &s;eeke his kingdome?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5.7.</NOTE> Did hee not bid us, <HI>Ca&s;t all our care upon him, for hee careth for us?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> Doth hee not bid us, <HI>Take no thought what wee &s;hall eat, or what wee &s;hall drink, or wherewith wee &s;hall be cloathed?</HI> Meaning thereby, no
<PB N="105" REF="68"> di&s;tracting or di&s;tru&s;tfull thoughts. Doth hee not &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13.5.</NOTE> <HI>Hee will not leave us, nor for&s;ake us?</HI> Doth hee not &s;ay, <HI>The Lord is at hand,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.5.</NOTE> <HI>in nothing be care|full?</HI> Are not the&s;e large promi&s;es &s;uffi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ient <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o &s;tay up our faith in Gods providence? &s;hall wee thinke God je&s;teth with us? &s;hall wee think hee meaneth no &s;uch matter? &s;hall wee i|magine hee will not keep touch? Oh, it were bla&s;phemie once to thinke it. For God is true, and all men lyars. Hee is faithfull that hath promi&s;ed. His word is more then the faith of a Prince; more then ten thou&s;and ob|ligations. Why then doe wee not re&s;t upon it? why goe wee any further? why doe we not take his word? why doe wee not depend wholly upon him? why are wee &s;till covetous? why are we &s;till di&s;tru&s;tfull? why doe we di&s;|&s;emble and deceive? Oh wee of little faith! Our Lord Ie&s;us knowing right well the di&s;tru&s;tfulne&s;&s;e of our nature, and the deep root it hath in us, is not only content to make the&s;e great and royall promi&s;es unto us, which were enough, but al&s;o &s;trengthen|eth and backeth us with many &s;trong rea&s;ons, to &s;upport our weakne&s;&s;e in this behalfe. He therefore bringeth us back to a due con&s;ideration of things. <HI>Con&s;ider</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>the Ravens:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 12.</NOTE> <HI>con|&s;ider the fowles of the heavens: for they
<PB N="104" REF="69">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="105" REF="69">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="106" REF="70"> neither &s;ow not reap, nor carry into barnes, and yet God feedeth them;</HI> they want nothing. <HI>Con&s;ider the lillies, how they grow; they neither labour, nor &s;pinne; yet Solomon in all his roy|alty was not clothed like one of the&s;e.</HI> Oh therefore that wee would con&s;ider the&s;e <HI>Con&s;iders!</HI> Oh that wee would con&s;ider, that our life is more worth then meat, and our bodies then rai|ment! Oh that wee would con&s;ider, that with all our carking and caring wee can doe no good at all, no not &s;o much as add one cubite to our &s;tature! Truely, truely, if wee would deeply ponder the&s;e rea&s;ons of our Savi|our, and apply them to our &s;elves, they might &s;erve for a bulwark and &s;ure defence again&s;t covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. If men would con&s;ider, how that great King of heaven (who hath his way in the whirle-wind,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nahum 1.3.</NOTE> and the clouds are the du&s;t of his feet) careth for the lit|tle Wren and &s;illy Sparrow, how hee looketh to them, how he tendreth them, how hee provideth for them every day both break-fa&s;t, dinner, and &s;upper: it might &s;erve to correct our di&s;tru&s;t|fulne&s;&s;e. For who ever &s;aw the&s;e, or any other fowle &s;tarve for hunger? &s;o good a Father, and &s;o good a Nur&s;e have they. And are not wee much bet|ter then they? Hath not God more care of us, then of them? Yes verily,
<PB N="107" REF="70"> a thou&s;and times. For he loveth them but for our &s;akes: how much more then doth he love our &s;elves? There|fore I &s;ay again, and againe, If wee would con&s;ider the&s;e things, and lay them to heart, they would nip cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e on the head, and drive it quite out of our hearts. Let us con&s;i|der therefore, that God provided for man before man was: then how much more will hee provide for man now that hee is? Is hee our Father, and will hee not provide for us? Is he our King, and will he not regard us? Is hee our &s;hepherd, and will hee not look to us? Hath hee provided heaven for us, and will hee not give us earth? Hath hee given us his Sonne Chri&s;t, and &s;hall hee not with him give us all things? Doth hee provide for his e|nemies, and will hee not provide for his friends? Doth hee provide for whoremongers, and will hee neglect his cho&s;en? Doth hee &s;end his rain, and cau&s;e the &s;unne to &s;hine upon the unju&s;t, and &s;hall hee not upon the ju&s;t? Doth he provide for them which are not of the family, and will hee not provide for his owne family? Will a man feed his hogges, and not care for his &s;ervants? Or will hee care for his &s;ervants, and not regard his own children? Oh, then let us con&s;ider the&s;e rea&s;ons: let us remember, that
<PB N="108" REF="71"> our heavenly Father hath as great care for the pre&s;ervation of his crea|tures, as once hee had for their creati|on. Let us therefore remember, that he which giveth the day, will provide for us the things of the day. Let us re|member, that God alwayes giveth for &s;u&s;tentation, though not for &s;atiety. Let us remember,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">v. 10.28.</NOTE> that <HI>God will not fa|mi&s;h the &s;ouls of the righteous.</HI> Let us remember how God never faileth his. For who ever tru&s;ted in the Lord, and was confounded?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What then is the cau&s;e that many do want the&s;e outward things?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;e is in them&s;elves, becau&s;e they want faith. For if wee had faith, wee could want nothing; <HI>For faith feareth no famine,</HI> as &s;aith an ancient Father.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hieron ad Heliodo|rum. Cypr. in o|ratione Do|minica.</NOTE> Another &s;aith, <HI>Fora&s;much as all things are Gods, hee that hath God can want nothing, if him&s;elfe bee not wanting unto God.</HI> Therefore to have God, is to have all things: for if we have him our friend, wee have enough, we need goe no fur|ther. For hee will make men our friends: yea, hee will make Angels and all creatures to bee &s;erviceable unto us, hee will give them &s;peciall charge to looke to us, to guard us, and to doe continuall homage unto us. Therefore let us make God our friend, and then have we done all at
<PB N="109" REF="71"> once, that may concerne our good both for this life and a better. But if hee &s;tand not our friend, if wee have not him on our &s;ide, if hee back us not, then all other things what&s;oever can doe us no good: All is not worth a button: For,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>Quid prode&s;t &s;i omnia habes, cum tamen qui omnia dedit non habeas?</HI> What is a man the better, though hee have all things, and bee without him which is the author of all things.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Herein you &s;peak very truly, no doubt. For we &s;ee many have great plenty of outward things: but becau&s;e they have not God, they can have no true comfort in them, or ble&s;&s;ing with them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed: For,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Man li|veth not by bread only,</HI> (&s;aith our Lord Ie&s;us) <HI>but by every word that pro|ceedeth out of the mouth of God.</HI> And again he<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">L<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ke 12.</NOTE> <HI>Though a man have a|bundance, yet his life con&s;i&s;teth not in the things that hee hath.</HI> For without Gods ble&s;&s;ing there can bee no &s;ound comfort in any thing. Wee &s;ee by dai|ly expe<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ience, how the Lord cur&s;eth the wicked though they have abun|dance. For &s;ome having abundance, yet are vi&s;ited with continuall &s;ick|ne&s;&s;es. Some having abundance, pine away with con&s;umptions. O|thers having abundance, dye of &s;ur|feiting. Others are &s;natched away
<PB N="110" REF="72"> by untimely death, in the mid&s;t of all their jollity. Others are vi&s;ited with great lo&s;&s;e both by &s;ea and by land. O|thers are vexed with cur&s;t wives, and di&s;obedient children. Some a|gaine commit murthers and trea&s;ons, and &s;o lo&s;e all at once. Others are wa&s;ted and con&s;umed by the &s;ecret cur&s;e of God, no man knoweth how. Some having great riches, are given over to the murtherer, &s;ome to the thiefe, &s;ome to the poy&s;oner. There|fore the wi&s;e King &s;aith, <HI>There is an evill &s;ickne&s;&s;e under the &s;un: riches re|&s;erved to the owners thereof for their e|vill, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 5.12.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Zophar</HI> al&s;o the <HI>Naamathite</HI> &s;aith, <HI>When the wicked &s;hall have &s;ufficient and enough,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 20.23.</NOTE> <HI>hee &s;hall be brought into &s;traits: The hand of every trouble&s;ome man &s;hall be upon him. When hee &s;hall fill his belly, God will &s;end upon him his fierce wrath; which hee &s;hall rain upon him in &s;tead of his meat.</HI></P>
<P>Thus then it is cleere, that mans life and good e&s;tate dependeth not up|on the abundance of outward things, but onely upon the ble&s;&s;ing and provi|dence of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 10.12.</NOTE> For, <HI>his ble&s;&s;ing onely maketh rich, and it doth bring no &s;or|row with it.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 37.16.</NOTE> For, <HI>better is a little to the ju&s;t, then great abundance to ma|ny of the wicked.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 25.26.</NOTE> <HI>Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, then great trea|&s;ure,
<PB N="121" REF="72"> and trouble therewith. Better is a little with righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 16.8.</NOTE> <HI>then great re|venues without equity.</HI></P>
<P>Thus then I conclude this point: Man liveth not by bread, but by a ble&s;|&s;ing on bread: not by outward means, but by a ble&s;&s;ing upon meanes. For how can bread, being a dead thing, and having no life in it &s;elfe, give life to o|thers?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do not well under&s;tand the meaning of the&s;e words, By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Thereby is meant the decree, ordinance, and providence of God, which upholdeth all things, even the whole order of nature.</P>
<P>For the Scripture &s;aith, <HI>Hee &s;pake,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 33.9.</NOTE> <HI>and it was done: hee commanded, and they were created.</HI> In which words wee plainly &s;ee, that God doth but &s;peake, and it is done; hee doth com|mand, and all creatures are pre&s;erved. For God doth all things <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> a word. Hee created all with his word: hee pre&s;erveth all with his word: hee &s;peaketh, and it is done. His words are words of power and authority. What&s;oever he &s;aith, what|&s;oever hee calleth for, it mu&s;t be done pre&s;ently, without any delay: there is no with&s;tanding of him. Hee calleth for famine, and behold famine. Hee cal|leth
<PB N="122" REF="73"> for plenty, and behold plenty. Hee calleth for pe&s;tilence, and behold pe&s;ti|lence. He calleth for the &s;word, and be|hold the &s;word. All Angels, all men, all bea&s;ts, all fi&s;hes, all fowls, all creatures what&s;oever mu&s;t obey him, and be at his beck. He is the greate&s;t comman|der his word commandeth heaven and earth, and the &s;ea. All creatures mu&s;t bee obedient to his will, and &s;ubject to his ordinance.</P>
<P>This is the cau&s;e why all things, both in heaven, earth, and the &s;ea, doe keep their immutable and unvariable cour&s;es, times and &s;ea&s;ons, even be|cau&s;e hee hath charged them &s;o to doe. And they mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity alwayes, at all times, and for ever obey; for the creatures mu&s;t obey the Creator. This <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ct of Parliament was made the fir&s;t week of the world, and never &s;ince was or can be repealed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But to call you back againe to the point wee had in hand: Re&s;olve mee, I pray you, of this; whether many of the deare children of God doe not, in this life, &s;ometimes want outward things, and are brought into great di|&s;tre&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ki<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">g. 17.</NOTE>Yes certainely. For <HI>Elijah</HI> did want,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 C<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.8. 2 Cor. 11.25</NOTE> and was in di&s;tre&s;&s;e. <HI>Paul</HI> did want, and was in many di&s;tre&s;&s;es. The holy Chri&s;tians mentioned in the <HI>Hebrewes</HI> did want,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> and were
<PB N="123" REF="73"> in marvellous di&s;tre&s;&s;es. Many of Gods dear ones have in all ages wan|ted, and at this day al&s;o doe want, and are greatly di&s;tre&s;&s;ed. But this is a mo&s;t infallible truth, that how&s;oever Gods children may want, and be low brought, yet they are never utterly for|&s;aken, but are holpen even in greate&s;t extre<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ie: yea, when all things are de&s;perate, and brought even to the la&s;t ca&s;t.</P>
<P>To this point mo&s;t notably &s;peaketh the Apo&s;tle, &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 4.8.</NOTE> <HI>We are affl cted on every &s;ide, but yet wee de&s;paire not: wee are per&s;ecuted, but not for&s;aken; ca&s;t downe, but wee peri&s;h not.</HI> The Pro|phet <HI>Jeremie</HI> al&s;o &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">L<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. 3.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord will not for&s;ake for ever: but though hee &s;end affliction, yet will hee have compa&s;|&s;ion, according to the multitude of his mercies: For hee doth not puni&s;h wil|lingly, or from his heart, nor afflict the children of men.</HI> The kingly Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 94.4.</NOTE> <HI>Surely the Lord will not fail his people, neither will hee for&s;ake his inhe|ritance.</HI> The Lord him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">a. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">5.8.</NOTE> <HI>but with everla&s;ting mercy have I had compa&s;&s;ion on thee.</HI> So then wee may fully a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves, and even write of it (as a mo&s;t undoubted and &s;ealed truth) that Gods children &s;hall never be utterly for&s;aken in their troubles.</P>
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<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sith the care and providence of God is &s;o great for his children, as you have largely declared: what then, I pray you, is the cau&s;e why God &s;uffereth his to bee brought into &s;o many troubles and nece&s;&s;ities?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Their profit and benefit is the cau&s;e, and not their hurt. For he loveth them, when hee &s;miteth them. Hee favoureth them, when he &s;eemeth to be mo&s;t again&s;t them. Hee aimeth at their good, when hee &s;eemeth to bee mo&s;t angry with them. He woundeth them, that hee may heale them. Hee pre&s;&s;eth them, that hee may ea&s;e them. Hee maketh them cry, that afterward they may laugh. Hee alwaies meaneth well unto them, hee never meaneth hurt. Hee is mo&s;t con&s;tant in his love towards them. If he bring them into nece&s;&s;ities, it is but for the triall of their faith, love, patience, and diligence in prayer.</P>
<P>If he ca&s;t them into the fire, it is not to con&s;ume them; but to purge and re|fine them. If he bring them into great dangers, it is but to make them call upon him more earne&s;tly for help and deliverance.</P>
<P>He pre&s;&s;eth us, that wee might cry: wee cry, that wee may be heard: wee are heard, that we might be delivered. So that here is no hurt done: we are wor&s;e &s;cared than hurt.</P>
<PB N="125" REF="75">
<P>Even as a mother, when her childe is way-ward, threateneth to throw it to the Wolfe, or &s;careth it with &s;ome poker, or bul-begger, to make it cling more unto her, and be quiet: So the Lord oftentimes &s;heweth us the ter|rible faces of troubles and dangers, to make us cleave and cling fa&s;ter un|to him, and al&s;o to teach us to e&s;teeme better of his gifts when wee enjoy them, and to bee more thankfull for them; as health, wealth, peace, li|berty, &s;afety, &amp;c. So then &s;till we &s;ee, here is nothing meant on Gods part but good: as it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5.</NOTE> <HI>All things worke together for good to them that love God.</HI> For,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12 10. Heb. 12.14.</NOTE> even the afflictions of Gods children are &s;o &s;anctified unto them by the Spirit,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 1.6.</NOTE> that thereby they are made partakers of the holine&s;&s;e of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6.14. Phil 3.10.</NOTE> Thereby they enjoy the quiet fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Thereby they attaine unto a greater mea&s;ure of joy in the holy Gho&s;t.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 11.32</NOTE> Thereby the world is crucified to them, and they to the world.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5.3, 4.</NOTE> Thereby they are made con|formable to the death of Chri&s;t. There|by they are kept from the condemnati|on of the world. Thereby they learne experience, patience, hope, &amp;c. So that all things con&s;idered, Gods chil|dren are no lo&s;ers by their afflictions, but gainers. It is better for them to have them, than to be without them:
<PB N="126" REF="76"> they are very good for them. For when Gods children are cha&s;ti&s;ed, it is as it &s;hould be. For to them the cro&s;&s;e is mercy, and lo&s;&s;e is gain. Afflictions are their &s;chooling, and their adver&s;itie their be&s;t Vniver&s;ity.</P>
<P><HI>It is good for mee</HI> (&s;aith the holy man of God) <HI>that I have been afflicted,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 118.</NOTE> <HI>that I might learn thy &s;tatutes.</HI> By his af|flictions therefore hee learned much, and became a good &s;chollar in Gods booke, and well &s;een in his &s;tatutes and lawes. Hee grew to great wi&s;e|dome and judgement by his cha&s;ti&s;e|ments. All things turned about in Gods mercifull providence, to his e|verla&s;ting comfort. For I &s;ay againe and againe, That all things tend to the good of Gods cho&s;en people. And therefore that e&s;tate which God will have his children to be in, is alwayes be&s;t for them: becau&s;e he who can be&s;t di&s;cern what is be&s;t, &s;eeth it to bee be&s;t for them: whether it bee &s;ickne&s;&s;e or health, poverty or plenty, pri&s;on or liberty, pro&s;perity or adver&s;ity. For &s;ometimes &s;ickne&s;&s;e is better for us then health, and poverty then plen|ty. Are therefore the children of God &s;ick? It is be&s;t for them. Are they poore? It is be&s;t for them. Are they in any trouble? It is be&s;t for them: becau&s;e their good Father will turne it to the be&s;t. Hee will oftentimes cut
<PB N="127" REF="76"> us &s;hort of our lu&s;ts and de&s;ires, be|cau&s;e hee &s;eeth we will bane our &s;elves with them. Hee in fatherly care will take the knife from us, becau&s;e hee &s;eeth wee will hurt our &s;elves with it. Hee will keep us &s;hort of health and wealth, becau&s;e hee knoweth wee will bee the wor&s;e for them. Hee will not give us too much ea&s;e and pro&s;perity in this world: for hee knoweth it will poy&s;on us. Hee will not allow us con|tinuall re&s;t, like &s;tanding ponds: for then hee knoweth wee will gather &s;cum and filth. Hee dealeth fatherly and mercifully with us in all things; even then &s;eeking our greate&s;t good, when wee thinke hee doth us mo&s;t harme.</P>
<P>And to &s;peak all in a word: he bring|eth us into troubles and &s;traits to this end e&s;pecially, that hee may hear of us. For he right wel knoweth our nature, he is well acquainted with our di&s;po|&s;ition; hee knoweth we will not come at him, but when wee &s;tand in need of him: we care not for him, &s;o long as all goeth well with us. But if wee come into di&s;tre&s;&s;e, or want any thing that we faine would have, then hee is &s;ure to heare of us: as he &s;aith by the Prophet;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 3.15.</NOTE> <HI>In their affliction they will &s;eek me early.</HI></P>
<P>And another Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Lord,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 26.26.</NOTE> <HI>in trouble have they vi&s;ited thee: They
<PB N="128" REF="77"> poured out a prayer when thy cha&s;ti&s;e|ment was upon them.</HI> So then now, I hope, you do plainly &s;ee the cau&s;e, why the Lord bringeth his children into &s;o many troubles and nece&s;&s;ities.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do &s;ee it indeed, and am very well &s;atisfied in it. But yet let mee aske you one thing further: Are Gods chil|dren alwaies &s;ure to be delivered out of their troubles?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily: and (out of doubt) &s;o farre forth as God &s;eeth good for them. For it is written, <HI>Great are the troubles of the righteous,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34.19.</NOTE> <HI>but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.</HI> Saint <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> 1 9.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tempta|tion.</HI> As if hee &s;hould &s;ay, Hee is well beaten to it, and well &s;een and experi|enced in it, &s;o as hee can doe it ea&s;ily, and without any trouble at all. It is &s;aid of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> being in pri&s;on, <HI>That when his appointed time was come,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 105.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">.</NOTE> <HI>and the coun&s;ell of the Lord had tryed him, the King &s;ent and loo&s;ed him, the Ruler of the people delivered him.</HI> And againe the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34.</NOTE> <HI>The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him, and delive|reth them.</HI> And in another place, the Lord him&s;elfe &s;aith, concerning the righteous man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 91.17.</NOTE> <HI>Becau&s;e he hath loved
<PB N="129" REF="77"> me, therefore I will deliver him. I will exalt him, becau&s;e hee hath knowne my name. He &s;hall call upon me in trouble, and I will heare him. I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and glo|rifie him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 5.</NOTE> So al&s;o &s;aith <HI>Eliphas</HI> the <HI>Temanite, Hee &s;hall deliver thee in &s;ix troubles, and in the &s;eventh the evill &s;hall not touch thee. Come, my people,</HI> &s;aith the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 25.22.</NOTE> <HI>enter thou into my Chambers, and &s;hut the doores after thee: hide thy &s;elfe for a very little while, untill the indignation pa&s;&s;e over.</HI> And the Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Obad. 27.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"></NOTE> <HI>Upon Mount Sion &s;hall be deliverance, and it &s;hall be holy: and the hou&s;e of Jacob &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e their hereditarie po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions.</HI> Almo&s;t innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpo&s;e; but the&s;e may &s;uffice. There|fore let us know for a certainty, that &s;o &s;ure as trouble and affliction are to the children of God; &s;o &s;ure al&s;o is deliverance out of the &s;ame. As we may write of the one, and make recko|ning of it, as &s;ure as the coat on our backe; &s;o may wee al&s;o in Gods good time, write of the other, and make full account of it, as &s;ure as the Lord is true. <HI>Abraham</HI> was in trouble, but delivered. <HI>Job</HI> in trouble, but deli|vered. <HI>David</HI> in great trouble, but de|livered. The three children in the fur|nace, but delivered. <HI>Daniel</HI> in the
<PB N="130" REF="78"> Lions den, but delivered. <HI>Jonas</HI> in the Whales belly, but delivered. <HI>Paul</HI> in in|numerable troubles, but yet delivered out of all.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>All this being true that you &s;ay, it followeth, that Gods children are cha|&s;ti&s;ed only for their good, and evermore &s;ure of deliverance in his appointed time. Which thing being &s;o, mee thinks there is no cau&s;e at all why they &s;hould bee o|ver-heavie, or too much ca&s;t down in their afflictions.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>A&s;&s;uredly there is no cau&s;e at all, but rather cau&s;e why they &s;hould rejoyce, clap their hands, and &s;ing, Care away. For can a father for&s;ake his children? a King his &s;ubjects? a ma&s;ter his &s;ervant? or a &s;hepherd his &s;heep? Doth not <HI>Jehovah</HI> &s;ay, <HI>I will not leave thee nor for&s;ake thee?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13.</NOTE> Doth not our heavenly Father know wee have need of the&s;e things? Hath not God given us his word, that we &s;hall not want outward things? Hath hee not &s;aid, they &s;hall bee ca&s;t up|on us? Why then &s;hould wee bee di&s;|mayed? Why &s;hould wee hang down our heads? Why doe wee not plucke up good hearts, and be of good cheere? God is our dear Father: hee is our be&s;t friend: hee is our daily Bene|factor: or: hee keepeth us at his own co&s;t and charges: he grudgeth us nothing: he thinketh nothing too much for us:
<PB N="131" REF="78"> hee loveth us mo&s;t deadly: hee is mo&s;t charie and tender over us: hee can|not endure the winde &s;hould blow upon us. hee will have us want no|thing that is good for us. If we will out gold, wee &s;hall have it. He hath gi|ven us his faithfull promi&s;e, that as long as wee live, we &s;hall never want Let us therefore rejoyce and be merry. For heaven is ours, earth is ours, God is ours, Chri&s;t is ours, All is ours: As the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3.21.</NOTE> <HI>All is yours, and you are Chri&s;ts, and Chri&s;t is Gods.</HI> The world clap their hands, and crow long before it be day, &s;ay|ing. All is theirs: but the children of God may &s;ay, and &s;ay truly, All is ours. For they have a true title, and proper intere&s;t, through Chri&s;t, in all the creatures. Many are their privi|ledges, great are their prerogatives. They are free of heaven, and free of earth. They are the onely free Deni|zens of the world: Chri&s;t hath pur|cha&s;ed them their freedome: Chri&s;t hath made them free, and therefore they are free indeed. They are free from &s;inne, free from hell, free from damnation. They are at peace with God, Men, and Angels. They are at peace with them&s;elves. They are at peace with all creatures. They are young Princes, Angels fellowes, de|&s;cended of the highe&s;t hou&s;e, of the
<PB N="132" REF="79"> bloud royall of Heaven, States of Paradi&s;e, and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne. Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them, being &s;uch young Princes as they are: yea, hee hath given a very &s;trait charge to all his creatures to looke to them, to &s;ee to them, that they want nothing, that they take no hurt: &s;o jealous, &s;o chary, &s;o tender is he of them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.2. Jonah 2. 1 King. 17. Jo&s;. 10.</NOTE> The Angels mu&s;t comfort <HI>Ja|cob.</HI> The Whale mu&s;t re&s;cue <HI>Jonas.</HI> The Raven mu&s;t feed <HI>Elias.</HI> The Sun and Moone mu&s;t &s;tay for <HI>Jo&s;hua.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 14.</NOTE> The Sea mu&s;t divide it &s;elfe, that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and his people may pa&s;&s;e thorow. The fire mu&s;t not burne the three Chil|dren. The Lions may not devoure <HI>Daniel.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. &amp; 6.</NOTE> All the creatures mu&s;t change their nature, rather then Gods chil|dren &s;hould not be holpen and delive|red. Oh therefore how great is the happine&s;&s;e of Gods cho&s;en! Who can expre&s;&s;e it? who can utter it? They know not their owne happine&s;&s;e: it is hid from them. Afflictions doe cloud it: troubles doe over-&s;hadow it: cro&s;|&s;es doe dim it: and there is an inter|po&s;ition of the earth betwixt their &s;ight and it. But this is mo&s;t certaine and &s;ure, that the be&s;t is behind with the children of God: all the &s;weet is to come. Their happine&s;&s;e doth not appeare in this world.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>Their life is
<PB N="133" REF="79"> hid with Chri&s;t in God. When Chri&s;t &s;hall appeare, then &s;hall they al&s;o ap|peare with him in glory. It doth not yet appeare what they &s;hall be, but when he cometh, they &s;hall be made like unto him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.3, 4.</NOTE> Their names are already taken, and entred into the booke of life: and one day they &s;hall be crowned. One day it &s;hall be &s;aid unto them, <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI> One day they &s;hall enjoy his pre&s;ence, <HI>where is fulne&s;&s;e of joy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 16.</NOTE> <HI>and at who&s;e right hand there is plea&s;ure for evermore.</HI> Therefore let all Gods &s;ecret ones rejoyce, &s;ing, and be mer|ry. For how&s;oever in this world they be contemned, troden under the foot, made no-bodies, &amp; walk as &s;hadowes; being counted as the very rags of the earth, and the objects of the world: yet the time will come, when their happine&s;&s;e and felicity &s;hall be &s;uch as never entred into the heart of man: it is endle&s;&s;e, un&s;peakable, and uncon|ceivable.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe now plainly &s;ee, that there is no cau&s;e why Gods people &s;hould be too heavie and dumpi&s;h in their afflicti|ons. I &s;ee, that though they be not free from all afflictions, yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions. For no rod, no cro&s;&s;e, no cha&s;ti&s;ement is hurtfull un|to them, but all, in the conclu&s;ion, cometh to a ble&s;&s;ed i&s;&s;ue.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have uttered a great
<PB N="134" REF="80"> and a mo&s;t certain truth. For there is no affection or triall, which God im|po&s;eth upon his children, but if they endure it quietly, tru&s;t in his mercy firmly, and tarry his good plea&s;ure obediently, it hath a ble&s;&s;ed and a com|fortable end. Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the mid&s;t of their &s;orrowes. They may with pa|tience and comfort &s;ubmit them&s;elves to their Fathers corrections, taking them patiently, and even ki&s;&s;ing his holy rod, and &s;aying in them&s;elves, Sith my Father will have it &s;o, I am content; &s;eeing it is his mind, I am willing withall. As old <HI>Eli</HI> &s;aid, <HI>It is the Lord,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 3.18.</NOTE> <HI>let him do what he will.</HI> And as <HI>David,</HI> in like &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, &s;aid in a certaine ca&s;e, <HI>Behold, here am I: let him doe to mee as it &s;eemeth good in his owne eyes.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 15.16</NOTE> And againe hee &s;aith, <HI>I was dumb,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 29.</NOTE> <HI>and opened not my mouth: becau&s;e thou Lord ha&s;t done it.</HI> Be|hold here then the patience of Gods Saints, and their humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion unto his mo&s;t holy will. They know all &s;hall end well, and that maketh them glad to thinke of it. I conclude then, that the children of God are hap|pie, in what &s;tate &s;oever they are: hap|pie in trouble,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 28.</NOTE> happie out of trouble; happie in poverty, happie in plenty; ble&s;&s;ed in &s;ickne&s;&s;e, ble&s;&s;ed in health; ble&s;&s;ed at home likewi&s;e, and abroad;
<PB N="135" REF="80"> and every way ble&s;&s;ed. But on the contrary, the wicked are cur&s;ed, in what &s;tate &s;oever they are: cur&s;ed in &s;ickne&s;&s;e, cur&s;ed in health; cur&s;ed in plenty, cur&s;ed in poverty; cur&s;ed in pro&s;perity, cur&s;ed in adver&s;ity; cur&s;ed in honour, cur&s;ed in di&s;honour. For all things work together for their de|&s;truction. Nothing doth them any good. They are not any thing the bet|ter, either for Gods mercies or judge|ments. All weathers are alike unto them. They are alwayes the &s;ame, in pro&s;perity and adver&s;ity: they are no changelings. And, as we &s;ay, A good yeer doth not mend them, nor an ill yeer pair them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have long in&s;i&s;ted upon this point. Now proceed to the fourth &s;ign of a mans damnation, which is the con|tempt of the Go&s;pel: and lay open both the greatne&s;&s;e of the &s;in, and the danger of it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This &s;inne is of another na|ture then the former. It is a &s;inne a|gain&s;t the fir&s;t Table. It toucheth the per&s;on of God him&s;elfe. For to con|temne the Go&s;pel, it is to contemne God him&s;elfe, who&s;e Go&s;pel it is. If to contemne the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;|pel, hee to condemne <HI>God</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> (as our Lord Ie&s;us avoucheth) how much more then,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10.10</NOTE> to contemne the Go&s;pel it &s;elfe? Therefore it is dan|gerous
<PB N="136" REF="81"> meddling with this &s;inne. It is to meddle with edged tooles, to med|dle with Princes matters, to touch the Ark, to come neer the holy Moun|taine, which all were things full of great perill and danger. Yea, it is to &s;pill the Sacrament. It is <HI>Noli me tangere.</HI> It is to raile at a King. It is to &s;pet God in the face. It is high trea&s;on again&s;t the King of glory. Therefore this &s;inne, of all other, can never be endured, and may at no hand be borne withall. For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes? Can he put up the contempt of his own per&s;on? Can hee abide any to &s;pet at his Scepter, or to throw a &s;tone at it? No &s;urely, hee will not. Therefore the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Hee that de&s;pi&s;eth Mo&s;es lawes, dieth with|out mercy, under two or three witne&s;|&s;es. Of how much &s;orer puni&s;hment &s;uppo&s;e ye &s;hall hee be worthy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 20.28.</NOTE> <HI>which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God, and counteth the bloud of the Te&s;ta|ment as an unholy thing</HI> (wherewith hee was &s;anctified,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 2.5.</NOTE>) <HI>and doth de&s;pite the Spirit of Grace?</HI> And againe, <HI>If they were puni&s;hed which obeyed not the word &s;poken by Angels; how &s;hall wee e&s;cape, if wee neglect &s;o great &s;alva|tion?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>If they e&s;caped not, which refu&s;ed him that &s;pake on earth, how &s;hall wee e&s;cape, if wee turne away from him that
<PB N="137" REF="81"> &s;peaketh from heaven?</HI> Therefore our Saviour Chri&s;t &s;aith, That <HI>it &s;hall be ea&s;ier for Sodom in the day of judgment,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10.12</NOTE> <HI>than for the contemners of the Go&s;pel.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover hee &s;aith, <HI>The Queene of the South &s;hall ri&s;e up in judgement <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|gain&s;t all froward de&s;pi&s;ers of his word.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 12.</NOTE> <HI>For &s;hee came from the uttermo&s;t parts of the earth, to heare the wi&s;edom of So|lomon: and behold a greater than Solo|mon is here.</HI> For <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is greater than <HI>Solomon;</HI> his doctrine and wi&s;edome far more excellent. And therefore their &s;inne is the greater which contemne it. They &s;hall never be able to an&s;wer it. For the Spirit &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 13.13.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that de|&s;pi&s;eth the word &s;hall bee de&s;troyed.</HI> S. <HI>Peter</HI> al&s;o telleth us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3.9.</NOTE> that the old world, and men of the fir&s;t age, are now in hell-fire, becau&s;e they both de|&s;pi&s;ed, and were di&s;obedient to the doctrine of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5.10.</NOTE> <HI>which</HI> (though not per&s;onally, yet in his divine Spirit) <HI>he &s;pake by Noah.</HI> So then wee &s;ee cleer|ly, God will never take it at our hands, that his glorious Go&s;pel &s;hould be &s;o univer&s;ally and openly contemn|ed as it is.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have &s;poken mo&s;t truly, and al&s;o &s;hewed it out of the Scriptures, that the contempt of the Go&s;pel is a mo&s;t hainous &s;inne: yet for all that, it is mo&s;t lamentable to con&s;ider, how little men e&s;teeme it, and how light they make of
<PB N="138" REF="82"> it. Many regard it no more then an egge-&s;hell, they thinke it not worth a galley halfe-penny: they will not goe to the doore to heare it; they take it to bee a breath from us, and a &s;ound to them, and &s;o the matter is ended. They e&s;teeme it but as a noi&s;e, or empty &s;ound in the aire; or as a voice a farre off, which a man under&s;tandeth not: they never felt the power of it in their hearts. Therefore they preferre their &s;heep, their farmes, their oxen, their profits, their plea&s;ures, yea every thing before it; they know it not to bee any &s;uch precious jewell, as it is. Al|though our Lord Je&s;us him&s;elfe com|pare it to a hid trea&s;ure, and a mo&s;t precious pearle, yet the&s;e filthy &s;wine of the world tread it under feet: for they know not the price of it. Though Solomon the wi&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 3.</NOTE> <HI>&s;aith, All the mer|chandi&s;e of gold and &s;ilver, pearle and precious &s;tones, are not to bee compared to it: yet the&s;e bea&s;ts, the&s;e dogs and hogs of the world, contemne it: They e&s;teeme a cow more then Chri&s;ts mo&s;t glorious Go&s;pel. They are like E&s;ops cocke, which made more account of a barley corne, then all the precious &s;tones in the world: they are like little children, that e&s;teeme their rattle more then a bagge of gold; they are like the Gadarens, which e&s;teemed their hogs more then Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel: they
<PB N="139" REF="82"> make nothing of it: they thinke it not worth the while. Many of them &s;it idle in the &s;treets, even upon the Sabbaths: while the Go&s;pel is preached in their Churches, many are at cards and tables in the Ale-hou&s;es. Many on the Sabbath &s;leep upon their beds all the Sermon while in the afternoon. Many will heare a Sermon in the forenoon, and they take that to be as much as God can re|quire at their hands, and that hee is &s;omewhat beholden to them for it; but as for the afternoon, they will heare none: then they will to bowls or ta|bles. The&s;e men &s;erve God in the fore|noon, and the devill in the afternoon. Some runne after whores and harlots on the Sabbath, &s;ome runne to dancing and bear-baitings, &s;ome &s;it upon their &s;talls, &s;ome &s;it in their &s;hops, &s;ome by the fire &s;ide, &s;ome &s;it idle in the &s;treets, &s;ome goe to the &s;tole-ball, and others look on. O mi&s;erable wretches! O cur&s;ed cai|tiffes! O mon&s;trous hell-hounds, which &s;o gro&s;ly and openly contemne the Go&s;|pel of Chri&s;t! What will become of them in the end? A&s;&s;uredly their dam|nation &s;leepeth not. A thou&s;and deaths wait for them: they lie open on all &s;ides to the wrath of God. And we may won|der at his marvellous patience, that hee doth not throw downe balls of wilde|fire from heaven, to con&s;ume and burne up both them, their &s;hops and hou&s;es,
<PB N="140" REF="83"> and even make them &s;pectacles of his vengeance, for &s;o notorious contempt of &s;uch &s;acred, holy, and high things.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken very truly, zealou&s;ly, and religiou&s;ly; and I doe greatly commend you for it. And I mu&s;t needs affirme the &s;ame things, for they cannot bee denied. And for mine owne part, I thinke the Go&s;pel was never &s;o openly contemned in any age (of a people living under the pro|fe&s;&s;ion of it, and under a godly and Chri&s;tian Prince) as it is in this age. For how&s;oever &s;ome make a &s;hew of religion, yet they have denied the pow|er thereof. They turne the grace of God into wantonne&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude 4.</NOTE> as St. <HI>Jude</HI> &s;aith. They make the Go&s;pel a cloak for their &s;innes. They receive it, and embrace it, as it will be&s;t &s;tand with their profits and plea&s;ures, their lu&s;ts and likings, their credits and policies, and not a jot further. They will pra|cti&s;e it at their lea&s;ure.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 1.16.</NOTE> <HI>The&s;e men pro|fe&s;&s;e they know God: but by their works they deny him, and are abomina|ble, di&s;obedient, and to every good worke reprobate.</HI> This age is full of &s;uch carnall Prote&s;tants.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This age indeed aboundeth with many hollow-hearted hypocrites, di&s;|&s;emblers, and time-&s;ervers; which how|&s;oever they make a face and beare a coun|tenance as though they loved the Go&s;|pel,
<PB N="141" REF="83"> yet their heart is not with it. Their heart is with Athei&s;me, their heart is with Popery; they have a Pope in their belly: they bee Church-papi&s;ts. How|&s;oever now and then they come to the Church, and heare a Sermon, and &s;hew a good countenance to the Preacher; yet their heart goeth after covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. The Lord complaineth of this by the Prophet, &s;aying;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 33.32.</NOTE> <HI>This people will &s;it before thee, and heare thy words: but they will not do them. For with their mouthes they make je&s;ts: and their heart goes after covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. God com|plaineth of this al&s;o by the Prophet Jeremie, &s;aying; Will you &s;teal, murder,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 7.9.</NOTE> <HI>and commit adultery, and &s;weare fal&s;ly, and &s;tand before me in this hou&s;e where|upon my name is called, and &s;ay, Wee are delivered, though wee have done all the&s;e abominations? Is this hou&s;e be|come a denne of theeves, whereupon my name is called? Where wee &s;ee how the Lord doth chide his people, and &s;harply reprove them for abu&s;ing of his temple, wor&s;hip and &s;acrifices, making them a cloake for their &s;innes: and making his hou&s;e a denne of theeves, which &s;hould be an a&s;&s;embly of Saints. Now all this is a lively de&s;cription of our time, where|in many u&s;e the exerci&s;es of the word, prayer, and &s;acraments, not to kill and mortifie &s;inne, but to nouri&s;h and &s;helter their &s;ins. For they blindly imagine, that
<PB N="142" REF="84"> if they come to the Church and pray, and hear the Sermon, they are di&s;char|ged of their &s;ins, though they leave them not. They imagine they have given God his full due; and that therefore they may be the more bold to &s;in after|ward. The&s;e kind of hypocrites are like rogues, which u&s;e medicines not to cure &s;ores, but to make &s;ores. The&s;e are like the Papi&s;ts, which thinke if they heare Ma&s;&s;e in the morning, they may doe what the li&s;t all the day after.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I &s;ee now you have very well profited in the knowledge of God and true Religion. You have &s;poken &s;oundly, and like a man of knowledge in Gods matters. For the common &s;ort of people thinke in|deed, that all Religion con&s;i&s;teth in the outward &s;ervice of God, though their hearts be farre from him. To whom God may ju&s;tly &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 15.8.</NOTE> <HI>This people draw|eth neere mee with their lips, but their hearts are farre from mee.</HI> Of whom al&s;o God may ju&s;tly take up all his ju&s;t complaints of his people <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah,</HI> which are &s;o frequent in all the Prophets: to wit, That hee did abhorre their &s;acrifices, loath their oblations,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 66.3.</NOTE> dete&s;t their incen&s;e, de&s;pi&s;e their new moones, di&s;daine their rains, lambs, and goats; accounting them all but as mans bloud, dogs bloud, &s;wines bloud; and all becau&s;e
<PB N="143" REF="84"> their hands were full of bloud; be|cau&s;e they executed not ju&s;tice and judgement in the gate; becau&s;e they were not obedient to his will; be|cau&s;e their hearts were not with him; becau&s;e they u&s;ed, or rather abu&s;ed, all the&s;e things as &s;helters for their &s;ins.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The great contempt of the Mi|ni&s;ters of the Go&s;pel in this age doth &s;trongly argue the contempt of the Go&s;|pel it &s;elfe. For a man cannot love the Go&s;pel, and hate the faithfull Mini&s;ters thereof. But wee &s;ee by lamentable ex|perience, that the mo&s;t grave, godly, and learned Mini&s;ters are had in deri&s;ion of very ba&s;e and vile per&s;ons. And, as Job &s;aith, They who&s;e fathers I have refu&s;ed to &s;et with the dogs of my flocks, they were the children of fooles, and the children of villaines, which were more vile then the earth. For now every ra&s;|call dares &s;coffe and &s;corne at the mo&s;t grave and ancient Fathers and Pa&s;tours of the Church, dares flout them as they walk in the &s;treets, and as they ride by the high-wayes. And though the holy Gho&s;t giveth them glorious and lofty titles (as the Stewards of Gods owne hou&s;e, di&s;po&s;ers of his &s;ecrets,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 1.7. 1 Cor. 4.1. Mat. 16.19. 2 Cor. 5.20. Rev. 3.7.24. 2. Cor. 8.2.</NOTE> <HI>disbur|&s;ers of his trea&s;ure, keepers of the broad &s;eal, keepers of the keyes of heaven, Gods Secretaries, Gods Amba&s;&s;adors, Angels; yea, the very glory of Chri&s;t: and all
<PB N="144" REF="85"> this, to expre&s;&s;e the excellency of their calling) yet the&s;e vile varlets, and vene|mous vermine of the earth, dare call them proud Prelats, pild Par&s;ons, pel|ting Prie&s;ts. O mon&s;trous and intoler|able impietie! Now it is come to pa&s;&s;e that this mo&s;t &s;acred function (which is glorious in the &s;ight of God and his Angels, and in it &s;elfe mo&s;t honourable) is had in greate&s;t contempt of all cal|lings. For now the earth is full of rank Athei&s;ts, and mock-Gods, which &s;coffe at the Go&s;pel, and bleat out their tongues at all religion. The&s;e kinde of fellowes never di&s;&s;emble for the matter, they make no &s;hew at all, they are no hypocrites, they hide not their &s;ins, but declare them openly like Sodom. They care not if they never come to the Church; they are too full of it They live like brute bea&s;ts. They think the Scriptures are but fables. They rail at the Mini&s;ters and Preachers; they make flat oppo&s;ition again&s;t them, and are notorious mockers and pa&s;t-graces.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Of &s;uch the Apo&s;tle Saint <HI>Peter</HI> foretold, that <HI>in the la&s;t daies &s;hould come mockers, and &s;uch as would live after their owne lu&s;ts, &amp;c.</HI> Of &s;uch a godly Writer &s;aith, <HI>Verbum Dei &s;ecur&egrave; contemnitur, promi&s;siones inanes e&s;&s;e creduntur, minae pro fabulis haben|tur.</HI> That is, <HI>The word of God is care|le&s;ly contemned; his promi&s;es are coun|ted
<PB N="145" REF="85"> vaine, and his threatnings fables.</HI> Of &s;uch the Poet &s;aith,
<Q><L><HI>Heu! vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla &s;equatur,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Aut velut infernus fabula vana foret.</HI></L>
<L>Alas! men live as they &s;hould never die,</L>
<L>Or as though &s;peech of hell were a &s;tark lie.</L></Q></P>
<P>Now is al&s;o the time, wherein the world &s;warmeth with Papi&s;ts and Athei&s;ts: and mo&s;t men live as if there were no God. For now Religi|on is hated, true godline&s;&s;e de&s;pi&s;ed, zeale abhorred, &s;incerity &s;coffed at, up|rightne&s;&s;e loathed, Preachers con|temned, Profe&s;&s;ors di&s;dained, and al|mo&s;t all good men had in deri&s;ion. For now we may ju&s;tly complaine with the Prophet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 39.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Judgement is turned backward, and ju&s;tice &s;tandeth a farre off. Truth is falen in the &s;treets, and e|quity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth, and he that refraineth from evill, ma|keth him&s;elfe a prey.</HI> The Prophet <HI>Mi|cah</HI> bewaileth the times, &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 7 2.</NOTE> <HI>The good man is peri&s;hed out of the earth, and there is none righteous among men. They all lye in waite for bloud: every man hunteth his neighbour with a net.</HI> The Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> complain|eth of the &s;ame evill in his time; name|ly, that the people were come to be
<PB N="146" REF="86"> pa&s;t &s;hame in &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">nning;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">8.12.</NOTE> <HI>Were they a|&s;hamed</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>when they had com|mitted abomination? Nay, they were not a&s;hamed, neither could they have any &s;hame.</HI> This is a lively picture, and a very counterpane of our time: for now we have put on a brow of bra&s;&s;e: wee are become i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">pudent in &s;inne. We cannot blu&s;h, wee cannot be a&s;hamed. We are almo&s;t pa&s;t &s;hame and pa&s;t grace. O Lord, what will this geer grow to in the end!</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wee may ju&s;tly fear &s;ome great judgement of God to bee neere unto us: yea, even to hang over our heads. For the Lord will never leave the contempt of his Go&s;pel and his Mini&s;try unpu|ni&s;hed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken a truth, And wee have heard before how the old world was plagued for it. And wee read how grievou&s;ly the Iewes were afflicted by the Romans for this &s;inne: as our Lord Ie&s;us did plainly foretell. We read al&s;o, that after the Lord had preached the Go&s;|pel him&s;elfe, and &s;pread it abroad by his Apo&s;tles, conquering the world thereby (which things was &s;ignified by the white hor&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Re<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 6.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> his rider, his bow, and his crowne) end yet &s;hortly after, &s;aw that the &s;ame began to be contem|ned in the world, and made light of; then hee did in mo&s;t fearfull manner
<PB N="147" REF="86"> plague the earth with warres, bloud|&s;heddings, tumults, dearth, famine, and pe&s;tilence: which are all &s;ignified by the red hor&s;e, the black hor&s;e, and the pale hor&s;e, which did appeare at the opening of the &s;econd, third, and fourth &s;eale. So likewi&s;e undoubted|ly, God will &s;everely puni&s;h all in|juries, wrongs, and contempts done to his faithfull Emba&s;&s;adors; as ap|peareth <HI>Revel. 11.5.</HI> where it is &s;et downe, That, <HI>If any would hurt the two witne&s;&s;es with their two olives, and two candle&s;ticks,</HI> (whereby is &s;ignified the faithfull Preachers of the Go&s;pel, with all their &s;pirituall trea&s;ures and heavenly light) <HI>fire &s;hould proceed out of their mouthes, and devoure their adver&s;aries;</HI> that is, The fire of Gods wrath &s;hould con&s;ume all that had op|pre&s;&s;ed them, either by mocks, flouts, railing, &s;landers, impri&s;onment, or any other kinde of indignity. Of this wee have a plaine example or two in the Scripture. Fir&s;t, we read how fire came downe from heaven, and con&s;u|med the contemptuous Captaine and his fifty,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 1.10.</NOTE> at the threatning and calling for of <HI>Eliah.</HI> Secondly, how two Beares came out of the Forre&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 2.23.</NOTE> and tare in pieces two and forty yonkers which mocked <HI>Eli&s;ha,</HI> the Prophet of God, calling him bald-head, bald-head. So then by the&s;e examples it is
<PB N="148" REF="87"> manife&s;t, that how&s;oever the Lord may winke at the&s;e things for a time, and make as though hee &s;aw them not, yet the time will come, when hee will raine fire and brim&s;tone upon all the &s;coffers of his faithfull mini&s;ters, and contemners of his Go&s;pel. All this is plainly declared in the fir&s;t chapter of the Proverbs of <HI>Solomon:</HI> where is &s;hewed how the wi&s;edome of God, e|ven Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the highe&s;t wi&s;e|dome, doth cry aloud all abroad in the world, and manife&s;t him&s;elfe in the open &s;treets; but yet is contemned of wicked worldlings, and &s;coffing fools. Therefore &s;aith Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 1.24.</NOTE> <HI>Becau&s;e I have called, and yee refu&s;ed, I have &s;tretched out my hand, but none would regard: yee have hated knowledge, and de&s;pi&s;ed all my coun&s;ell; therefore I will laugh at your de&s;truction, and mock when your feare cometh upon you, like a &s;udden de&s;olation; and your de&s;truction like a whirl-winde. Then &s;hall they call upon mee, but I will not an&s;wer; they &s;hall &s;eeke mee early, but they &s;hall not find me</HI> Here then wee &s;ee his terrible wrath and vengeance, threatned from heaven, again&s;t all profane contem|ners of Chri&s;t and his everla&s;ting Go&s;pel, or any of the faithful <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="5 letters">+&s;hers and proclaimers therto <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="4 letters">|hold therefore, yee de&s;pi&s;ers, and won|der: con&s;ider well what will become
<PB N="149" REF="87"> of you in the end. Do not think that the mo&s;t ju&s;t God will alwayes put it up at your hands, that yee &s;hould &s;o manife&s;tly contemne both his word and the mo&s;t zealous Preachers and Profe&s;&s;ors thereof. No, no: a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, hee will bee even with you at la&s;t. Hee will &s;mite you both fideling and overthwart: hee will dogge you, and pur&s;ue you with his judgements: and never leave following the cha&s;e with you, till hee hath de&s;troyed you, and con&s;umed you from off the face of the earth. For remember, I pray you, what hee &s;aith in <HI>Deuteronomie;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 32.41, 42.</NOTE> <HI>If I whet my glittering &s;word, and mine hand take hold of judgement, I will exe|cute vengeance on mine enemies, and I will reward them that hate mee: I will make mine arrowes drunke with bloud, and my &s;word &s;hall eat the fle&s;h of mine adver&s;aries.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Truely, Sir, we may ju&s;tly feare, that for our great contempt of the Go&s;|pel, and generall coldne&s;&s;e, both in the profe&s;&s;ion and practice thereof, God will take it from us, and give it to a peo|ple that will bring forth the fruit there|of.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Wee may well feare indeed, le&s;t for our &s;innes, e&s;pecially our loa|thing of the heavenly <HI>Manna,</HI> the Lord remove our candle&s;ticke, take a|way our &s;ilver trumpets, let us no
<PB N="150" REF="88"> more heare the &s;weet bels of <HI>Aaron,</HI> cau&s;e all vi&s;ion to faile, and our Sab|baths to cea&s;e, and bring upon us that mo&s;t grievous and &s;ore famine of not hearing the word of the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 8.</NOTE> &s;poken of by <HI>Amos</HI> the Prophet. Then &s;hall our <HI>Halcion</HI> dayes and golden yeares, be turned into weeping, mourning, and lamentation. God for his infinite mercy &s;ake turne it away from us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Amen, Amen: and let us all pray earne&s;tly night and day, that tho&s;e fearfull judgments may, according to Gods infinite mercy, bee held backe, which our &s;innes doe continually cry for: and that his mo&s;t glorious Go&s;|pel may bee continued to us and our po|&s;terity, even yet with greater &s;ucce&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>No doubt it is a very great &s;in to de&s;pi&s;e the word of God: and I think there is none &s;o bad that will doe it. For wee ought to love Gods word: God for|bid el&s;e. He that loveth not Gods word, it is pity he liveth.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The&s;e are but words of cour&s;e: It is an ea&s;ie matter to &s;peak good words: and very many will &s;ay as you &s;ay. But both you and they in your practice, doe plainly &s;hew that you make no reckoning of it: you e|&s;teeme it no more than a di&s;h-clout. I thinke, if the matter were well tryed, you have &s;cant a Bible in your hou&s;e. But though you have one, it
<PB N="151" REF="88"> is manife&s;t that you &s;eldome reade therein, with any care or con&s;cien<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e, and as &s;eldome heare the word preach|ed. How el&s;e could you be &s;o ignorant as you are?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I grant that I and &s;ome others are &s;omewhat negligent in the hearing and reading of the word of God; but you cannot &s;ay therefore wee do con|temne it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily, your continuall negligence and carele&s;ne&s;&s;e doth argue a plaine contempt. Sure it is, you have no appetite nor &s;tomack to the holy word of God. You had rather do any thing, than either reade or me|ditate in it: it is irk&s;ome unto you: you read not two chapters in a weeke. All holy exerci&s;es of religion are mo&s;t bitter and tedious unto you: they are as vinegar to your teeth, and &s;moake to your eyes. The immoderate love of this world, and of vanity, hath took away your appetite from all heavenly things. And whereas you &s;hift it off with negligence, as though that would excu&s;e you; the Apo&s;tle hits you home, when he &s;aith, <HI>How &s;hall we e|&s;cape if wee neglect &s;o great &s;alvation?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reb. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.3.</NOTE> Marke, that he &s;aith, <HI>If we neglect.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Belike you think men have no|thing el&s;e to do; but to reade the Scrip|tures, and hear Sermons.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I do not &s;ay &s;o: I do not
<PB N="152" REF="89"> &s;ay you &s;hould doe nothing el&s;e. For God doth allow you, with a good con|&s;cience, and in his feare, to follow the workes of your calling, as hath beene &s;aid before. But this I condemn in you and many others, that you will give no time to private prayers, rea|ding and meditation in Gods word, neither morning nor evening; neither before your bu&s;ines, nor after. And al|though you have often vacant time e|nough, yet you will rather be&s;tow it in vanity: and idle pratling, and go&s;|&s;ipping, than in any good exerci&s;e of Religion. Which doth plainely &s;hew, that you neither delight in holy things, neither is there any true feare of God before your eyes.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I tell you plainly, we mu&s;t tend our bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, we may goe beg el&s;e; we cannot live by the Scriptures. If wee follow Sermons, we &s;hall never thrive. What? do you thinke every man is bound to reade the Scriptures? Have we not our five wits? Doe wee not know what we have to doe? you would make fooles of us belike. But we are neither drunke nor mad.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That every man (of what condition &s;oever) is bound in con&s;ci|ence to heare and read the word of God, hath been &s;hewed, and proved in the beginning of our conference: but as for your five wits, they will not
<PB N="153" REF="89"> &s;erve your turne in the&s;e matters, though you had fifteene wits. For all the wit, rea&s;on, and under&s;tanding of naturall men, in Gods matters is but blindne&s;&s;e and meere fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3.15. Rom. 8.7.</NOTE> That the wi&s;e|dome of the mo&s;t wi&s;e in this world is not onely fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e with God, but indeed very enmity again&s;t God. And againe he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2 14.</NOTE> That the naturall man (with all his five wits) under&s;tandeth not the things of the Spirit of God, becau&s;e they are &s;piritually di&s;cerned. Mo&s;t prudently to this point &s;peak|eth <HI>Elihu,</HI> &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 32.2.</NOTE> <HI>There is a &s;pirit in man, but the in&s;piration of the Almighty giveth under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I under&s;tand not the&s;e Scriptures which you do alledge: they do not &s;inke into my head.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I thinke &s;o indeed: for the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 24.7.</NOTE> <HI>Wi&s;edome is too high for a foole.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What? do you call me foole? I am no more foole then your &s;elfe.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I call you not fool: but I tell you what the Scripture &s;aith; which calleth all men (though otherwi&s;e ne|ver &s;o wi&s;e, politick and learned) very fooles, till they be truly enlightened and inwardly &s;anctified by the Spirit of God: as appeareth, <HI>Tit. <HI>3.3.</HI></HI> where the Apo&s;tle affirmeth that both <HI>Titus</HI> and him&s;elfe, before they received the
<PB N="154" REF="90"> illuminating Spirit of Gods grace, were very fooles, without wit, and without all &s;en&s;e in Gods matters.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you good M^r. <HI>Theologus,</HI> let him alone; for hee will never have done cavilling. I &s;ee hee is a notable ca|viller. Let us therefore proceed to &s;peake of the fift &s;igne of condemnation, which is &s;wearing.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It may well indeed be called a &s;igne of condemnation. For I think it more than a &s;igne; it is indeed an evi|dent demon&s;tration of a Reprobate. For I never knew any man truely fearing God in his heart, that was an u&s;uall and a common &s;wearer.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am flat of your mind for that. For it cannot bee, that the true feare of God and ordinary &s;wearing &s;hould dwell together in one man; &s;ith &s;wearing is a thing forbidden by flat &s;tatute: And God addeth a &s;ore threat to his Law, That hee will not hold him guiltle&s;&s;e that takes his name in vaine; but will mo&s;t &s;harply and &s;everely puni&s;h that man.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;ay true. And God &s;aith moreover, that if wee do not feare and dread his glorious and fearfull Name <HI>JEHOVAH,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 18.53</NOTE> he will make our plagues wonderfull. He &s;aith al&s;o by his Pro|phet <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">lachy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 35.</NOTE> that hee will bee as a &s;wift witne&s;&s;e again&s;t &s;wearers. The Prophet <HI>Zachary</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zach. 5.24.</NOTE> that the fly|ing
<PB N="155" REF="90"> booke of Gods cur&s;e and venge|ance &s;hall enter into the hou&s;e of th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;wearer, and he &s;hall be cut off.</P>
<P>Therefore let all &s;wearers take heed and look to them&s;elves in time: for we &s;ee there is a rod in pi&s;&s;e laid up in &s;tor for them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e threatnings being &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> great and grievous, and that from th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> God of heaven him&s;elfe, a man woul<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> think &s;hould cau&s;e mens hearts to quake and tremble, and make them affraid to nap out &s;uch oathes as they do, if they were not altogether hardned, pa&s;t feeling, and pa&s;t grace.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed. But yet wee &s;ee by lamentable experience, how men are given over both to &s;weare and for|&s;weare. For at this day there is: no &s;inne more common among&s;t us than &s;wearing: for many there bee which cannot &s;peak ten words, but one &s;hall bee an oath. And numbers have got &s;uch a wicked cu&s;tome of &s;wearing, that they can by no meanes leave it, no more than a Black-moore can change his skinne, or a Leopard his &s;pots: For it is, made naturall unto them through cu&s;tome, and they have got the habit of it. I do verily think, if it were high trea&s;on to &s;weare, yet &s;ome could not leave &s;wearing. And &s;ure I am (as light as we make of it) that it is high trea&s;on again&s;t the
<PB N="156" REF="91"> Crowne of heaven: yea, it is a &s;inne immediatly again&s;t God, even again&s;t his owne per&s;on: and therefore he hath forbidden it in the fir&s;t Table of his law.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e this vice of &s;wea|ring is, of all other &s;innes, mo&s;t rife in this Land. For you &s;hall have little boyes and children in the &s;treetes rappe out oathes in mo&s;t fearfull manner. It would make a mans heart quake to heare them. Wee may think, they have &s;ucked them out of there mothers brea&s;ts: but &s;ure wee are, they have learned them from the evill example of their parents. And now adayes wee cannot almo&s;t talk with a man, but (in ordinary &s;peech) he will belch out one oath or another.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I will tell you a &s;trange thing, and with great grief I &s;peak it; I do verily thinke there are &s;worn in this Land an hundred thou&s;and oathes every day in the yeere.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>No doubt, Sir, you are within compa&s;&s;e. For now almo&s;t &s;o many men &s;o many oathes; excepting &s;ome few in compari&s;on, Nay, I know divers, of mine owne experience, which if they may be kept in talke, will &s;weare every day in the yeare an hundred oathes for their parts.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>O what a lamentable thing is it; wee may well take up the old complaint of the Prophet <HI>Jeremy,</HI> who
<PB N="157" REF="91"> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 23.20.</NOTE> that in his time <HI>The land did mourne, becau&s;e of oathes.</HI> And wee may well wonder, that the Land &s;ink|eth not becau&s;e of oaths. For if God were not a God of infinite patience, how could he endure his mo&s;t &s;acred and glorious Name to bee &s;o many thou&s;and times bla&s;phemed in one day, &amp; that by &s;uch mi&s;erable wretches as we be!</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wee may indeed admire and wonder at the patience and long-&s;uffer|ing of God, that he &s;pareth us &s;o long, &amp; giveth us &s;o large a time of repentance. But &s;ure it is, that the Prophet &s;aith, That how&s;oever the Lord is &s;low to an|ger, yet hee is great in power,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nah. 1.3.</NOTE> <HI>and will not &s;urely cleare the wicked. Though he may winke at their mon&s;trous oathes for a time; yet hee forgetteth them never a whit, but &s;coreth them up, and re|gi&s;treth them in his book of accounts: &s;o as they &s;tand in record again&s;t them. And when the great day of reckoning &s;hall come, hee will fet them all in order before them, and lay them to their charge.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Let not the wicked &s;wearers and bla&s;|phemers therefore thinke that they &s;hall alwaies &s;cape &s;cot-free, becau&s;e God letteth them alone a while, and defer|reth their puni&s;hment. For the longer God deferreth, the more terrible will his &s;trokes bee when they come. The
<PB N="158" REF="92"> longer an arrow is held in the bow, the &s;tronger will be the &s;hot when it com|eth forth. Though God have leaden feet, and cometh &s;lowly to execute wrath, yet hath hee an iron hand, and will &s;trike deadly when hee cometh. Though God giveth the wicked &s;ecu|rity for a time (&s;aith Job) yet his eyes are fixed upon all their waies.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 24.23.</NOTE> <HI>And in another place hee &s;aith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 21.30.</NOTE> <HI>The wicked are re&s;erved unto the day of de&s;truction, and they &s;hall bee brought forth unto the day of wrath. So then, the holy man Job plainely affirmeth, that the &s;tate and condition of all the rich and wealthy worldlings, is as the condition of an Oxe, that is fatted up again&s;t the day of &s;laughter.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 21.13.</NOTE> <HI>For hee &s;aith, They &s;pend their dayes in wealth, and &s;uddenly goe downe to hell. But now I pray you no|minate the oathes which are &s;o rife and common among&s;t us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>There bee &s;ix oathes which are (of all other) mo&s;t rife and com|mon in every mans month; and they be the&s;e:
<LIST>
<ITEM>By my faith.</ITEM>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">Six com|mon oaths.</NOTE>By my troth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>By our Lady.</ITEM>
<ITEM>By S. <HI>Mary.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>By God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>As God &s;hall judge me:</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For you cannot lightly talke with a man, but he will fla&s;h out &s;ome one
<PB N="159" REF="92"> of the&s;e in his ordinary &s;peech.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Do you count it &s;o great a mat|ter for a man to &s;wear by his faith, or his troth.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes indeed do I. For our faith and our troth are the mo&s;t preci|ous Iewels wee have. Shall wee then lay them to gage for every word we &s;peake? it &s;heweth we are of &s;mall credit; nay, very bankrupts. For who but a bankrupt will lay the be&s;t Iew|ell in his hou&s;e to pledge for every &s;mal trifle?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I know a man that will never &s;wear but by Cock, or Py, or Mou&s;e-foot. I hope you will not &s;ay the&s;e be oathes. For he is as hone&s;t a man as ever brake bread. You &s;hall not hear an oath come out of his mouth.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I do not thinke hee is &s;o hone&s;t a man as you make him. For it is no &s;mall &s;inne to &s;weare by crea|tures. The Lord &s;aith by the Pro|phet <HI>Jeremy, They have for&s;aken mee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 5.7.</NOTE> <HI>and &s;worne by them that are no gods.</HI> So then to &s;weare by creatures, is to for&s;ake God: and I trow you will not &s;ay, he is an hone&s;t man which for|&s;aketh God.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do not beleeve, that to &s;wear by &s;mall things is a for&s;aking of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You, and &s;uch as you are, will beleeve no more of the Word of God, than will &s;tand with your fan|ta&s;ie.
<PB N="160" REF="93"> But, what&s;oever you beleeve, or beleeve not, the Word of God &s;tan|deth &s;ure: and no jot of it &s;hall ever bee proved fal&s;e. But this I wi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">l &s;ay unto you, becau&s;e you think it &s;o &s;mall a matter to &s;weare by Crea|tures; That the more vile and ba&s;e the thing is which you &s;weare by, the greater is the oath: bicau&s;e you a|&s;cribe that unto a ba&s;e creature, which is onely proper to God: namely, to know our hearts, and bee a di&s;cerner of &s;ecret things. For what&s;oever a man &s;weareth by, hee calleth it as a witne&s;&s;e unto his con&s;cience, that he &s;peaketh the truth, and lyeth not: which thing onely belongeth unto God. And therefore in &s;wearing by creatures, we do robbe God of his honour. Therefore to &s;weare by the cro&s;&s;e of the money, or by bread, or by mou&s;e foote, or the fire, which they call Gods Angel, or any &s;uch like, is a robbing of God of his honour, and an a&s;cribing of that to the creature, which is proper only to the Creator.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What &s;ay you then to them that &s;weare by the Ma&s;&s;e, and by the Rood?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Their &s;inne is as great as the other: For it is an hainous thing to &s;weare by Idols; as St. <HI>Mary</HI> our Lady, by the Ma&s;&s;e, by the Rood, &amp;c. The Prophet <HI>Amos</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">8.4.</NOTE> <HI>They that
<PB N="161" REF="93"> &s;weare by the &s;inne of Samaria; and that &s;ay, Thy God, O Dan, liveth: even they &s;hall fall, and never ri&s;e up againe.</HI> To &s;weare by the &s;inne of <HI>Samaria,</HI> is to &s;weare by Idols: for <HI>Samaria</HI> was full of Idols.</P>
<P>Moreover the Lord threatneth by the Prophet <HI>Zephanie,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zeph. 1.5.</NOTE> That he will cut off them that &s;weare by the Lord, and by <HI>Malcham,</HI> or by their King. For the Idolaters called their Idoll <HI>Molech</HI> their King.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Seeing you condemne both &s;wearing by creatures, and &s;wearing by Idols; what then mu&s;t we &s;weare by? You would have us &s;weare by nothing belike.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In our ordinary communi|cation wee mu&s;t not &s;weare at all, ei|ther by one thing or another: but (as our Lord teacheth us) <HI>our communi|cation mu&s;t be Yea, yea; Nay, nay: For what&s;oever is more than the&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.37.</NOTE> <HI>com|meth of evill.</HI> And S. <HI>James</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5.22.</NOTE> <HI>Be|fore all things, my brethren, &s;weare not: neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath: but let your Yea be Yea, and your Nay Nay, le&s;t you fall into condemnation.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It &s;eemeth you are an Anabap|ti&s;t. You condemne all &s;wearing, you will have no &s;wearing at all.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Not &s;o: for though I con|demne &s;wearing by creatures, &s;wea|ring
<PB N="162" REF="94"> by Idols and vaine &s;wearing: yet I do allow of &s;wearing before a Ma|gi&s;trate, and privately al&s;o, in matters of weight and importance, for the fur|ther bolting out of the truth.</P>
<P>This is warranted from Gods own mouth, where he &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt &s;wear, The Lord liveth in truth,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 2.</NOTE> <HI>in judgement, and in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> And in the&s;e ca&s;es onely the name of God is to bee &s;worn by, as it is written, <HI>Thou &s;halt fear the Lord thy God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.20</NOTE> <HI>and thou &s;halt &s;erve him, and &s;halt cleave unto him, and &s;halt &s;wear by his Name.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>May wee not &s;weare by God in our common talke?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>At no hand. For that is to take the name of God in vaine, which you know is forbidden.</P>
<P>And one of the wi&s;e heathen could &s;ay thus, <HI>When an oath is laid upon thee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ocr. ad Dem.</NOTE> <HI>undertake it for two cau&s;es: either to deliver thy &s;elfe from &s;ome grievous crime and accu&s;ation, or el&s;e to pre&s;erve thy friends from danger.</HI> So then that Heathen man in common talke will not allow any oath, much le&s;&s;e to &s;weare by God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phocilid.</NOTE> Another &s;aith, <HI>Avoid an oath, though thou &s;weare truly.</HI> So then we &s;ee vain &s;wearing condemned, even by Heathens.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yea, but for all that, wee mu&s;t &s;wear; men will not beleeve us el&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Neither yet will they be|leeve
<PB N="163" REF="94"> you any whit the more for your &s;wearing. For it doth manife&s;tly ap|peare, that thou&s;ands make no con|&s;cience at all of it. They make no more con&s;cience of it than of cracking of nuts: and therefore what wi&s;e man will beleeve them, though they &s;weare never &s;o much? But if you would make con&s;cience alwayes to &s;peak the truth from your heart, with|out any oathes at all, you &s;hall be bet|ter beleeved of all hone&s;t and wi&s;e men, than otherwi&s;e with a thou&s;and oathes.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It is the cu&s;tome to &s;weare.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>But a wicked and divelli&s;h cu&s;tome.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I hope, Sir, wee may &s;weare, as long as we &s;wear truly, and &s;wear by no|thing but that which is good.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It hath beene an&s;wered be|fore, that in vain matters you may not &s;wear at all.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As long as wee do no wor&s;e than that, I hope God will hold us ex|cu&s;ed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>God will not hold you ex|cu&s;ed, when you break his commande|ments, and continue &s;o doing.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What &s;ay you then to them that &s;weare wounds and bloud, and &s;uch like, in a bravery, thinking that it &s;etteth out their &s;peech very well?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Hell gapeth for them: and
<PB N="164" REF="95"> they &s;hall know one day what it is to bla&s;pheme God.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What may wee thinke of &s;uch as &s;weare by Gods life, Gods &s;oule, Gods body, Gods heart?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That their ca&s;e is mo&s;t wo|full and dangerous; and I quake at the naming of them. They are mo&s;t horrible, mon&s;trous, and outragious bla&s;phemies: enough to make the &s;tones in the &s;treet to cracke, and the clouds to fall upon our heads. And wee may thinke that all the Divels in hell are in a readine&s;&s;e, to carry &s;uch bla&s;phemous villaines headlong into that lake, which burneth with fire and brim&s;tone for ever.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Do you find in Scripture, that God will &s;o &s;everely puni&s;h &s;wearers?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily. For be&s;ides that which hath beene &s;poken before, wee have diver&s;e other examples: Fir&s;t of <HI>Senacherib,</HI> the King of <HI>A&s;hur,</HI> who for his outragious bla&s;phemies a|gain&s;t the God of Heaven, was in mo&s;t fearfull and tragicall manner &s;laine by his owne &s;ons, <HI>Adramalech</HI> and <HI>Sharezor,</HI> and that in the temple, when hee was wor&s;hipping his Idol-god <HI>Ni&s;roch.</HI> And yet behold a more fearfull example of Gods wrath a|gain&s;t bla&s;phemers.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 19.37.</NOTE></P>
<P>Wee read, that an hundred thou&s;and of the Aramites were &s;laine by the
<PB N="165" REF="95"> I&s;raelites in one day for bla&s;phe|ming God, <HI>1 King. 20.29.</HI> and &s;even and twenty thou&s;and being left, and flying into the city of <HI>Aphek</HI> for re|fuge, were all &s;laine by the fall of an huge great wall. What &s;hall I here &s;peake how the &s;even &s;onnes of <HI>Saul</HI> the King of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> were hanged up before the Lord in mount <HI>Gibeah,</HI> for the breach of the oath made to the <HI>Gi|beonites</HI> long before?<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 S<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.</NOTE> In the&s;e exam|ples we may plainly &s;ee, that the ju&s;t God, even in this life, &s;omtimes will be revenged of bla&s;phemers and oath|breakers. And therefore the very hea|then in all ages have beene very care|full for the performing of oathes: as <HI>Pharaoh</HI> King of <HI>Egypt</HI> willed <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> to go up into the land of <HI>Canaan</HI> to bu|ry his father according to his oath made to his father.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Mee thinketh the&s;e &s;o terrible and fearfull examples of Gods vengeance again&s;t &s;wearers and bla&s;phemers, &s;hould &s;trike &s;ome terrour into the hearts of our bla&s;phemers.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>One &s;hould think &s;o indeed, if any thing could do it. But, alas, they are &s;o hardened in it, and in all other &s;inne, that nothing can move them: except peradventure there were a law made, that every &s;wearer and bla&s;phemer &s;hould hold his hand a quarter of an houre in boyling lead.
<PB N="166" REF="96"> This or &s;ome &s;uch like &s;evere law might peradventure curb them a little, and make them bite in their oathes. But otherwi&s;e they will never feare any thing, till they are in hell fire, when it will be too late to repent.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What may be the cau&s;e of this &s;o often and great &s;wearing? for &s;urely it is no inherent and inbred &s;in in our nature, as &s;ome of the other &s;innes be.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No verily. But the&s;e three I judge to be the cau&s;es of it:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Cu&s;tome.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Want of admonition.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Want of puni&s;hment.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What then are the remedies of it?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The remedies are the&s;e:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Di&s;u&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Prayer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Friendly admonition.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some &s;harpe Law.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well Sir, now wee have heard enough of &s;wearing: I pray you proceed to the next &s;ign of condemnation, which is lying.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Swearing and lying bee of very neere kindred. For hee that is a common &s;wearer, is for the mo&s;t part a common lyer al&s;o: For hee that maketh no con&s;cience of &s;wearing, will make no con&s;cience of lying. And as the Lord hateth the one, &s;o al&s;o he hateth the other: And as he puni&s;heth the one, &s;o will hee puni&s;h the other.
<PB N="167" REF="96"> Therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 12.23.</NOTE> <HI>Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 21.25.</NOTE> St. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Without &s;hall be dogges, enchanters, whore-mongers, murther|ers, and who&s;oever loveth or maketh lyes.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.8.</NOTE> Againe the &s;ame holy man of God &s;aith, <HI>The lyers &s;hall have their part and portion in the lake which burn|eth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e Scriptures which you al|ledge doe manife&s;tly declare that God abhorreth lyers, and hath re&s;erved great torments for them. Therefore the Prince|ly Prophet David &s;aith, that hee would bani&s;h all lyers from his hou&s;e.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 101.7.</NOTE> <HI>He that telleth lyes (&s;aith hee) &s;hall not remain in my &s;ight.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6.16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>A lying tongue is one of the &s;ix things which God doth hate, and his &s;oule abhorre. Yet for all this, we &s;ee by lamentable experience, how ma|ny have even taught their tongues to lye (as the Prophet &s;aith) and there is no truth in their lips.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 9.</NOTE> <HI>This vice is al|mo&s;t as common as &s;wearing. For it is hard to finde a man that will &s;peake the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth from his heart, in &s;implicitie and plainne&s;&s;e, at all times, in all places, and among&s;t all per&s;ons, without all glozing or di&s;&s;embling, either for feare gaine, flatterie, men-plea&s;ing, hiding of faults, or any &s;ini&s;ter re&s;pect what|&s;oever. Where, I &s;ay, is th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s man to bee
<PB N="168" REF="97"> found? I would faine &s;ee him, I would faine looke upon &s;uch a man: it would doe my heart good to behold him: I would rejoyce to &s;et mine eyes upon &s;uch a man.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Such a man as you &s;peake of, is hardly to bee found among the &s;ons of men. They bee b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ack Swans in the earth, they bee white Crowes, they be rare birds. For there bee very few that will &s;peake the truth from their heart: yet &s;ome &s;uch I hope there be. But for the mo&s;t part, and among&s;t the greater &s;ort, lying, di&s;|&s;embling, and fraud, doe beare all the &s;way. There is no truth, no hone&s;ty, no con&s;cience, no &s;implicity, no plaine dealing among&s;t men in the&s;e mo&s;t corrupt times. Faith and truth are parted cleane away. And as the King|ly Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>The faithfull are failed from among the children of men. They &s;peake deceitfully every one with his neighbour; flattering with their lips, and &s;peaking with a double heart.</HI> Men now adayes &s;tudy the art of lying, flattering, fawning, glo|zing and di&s;&s;embling: they have a heart and a heart. They have honey in their mouth, and gall in their heart. Their tongues are as &s;oft as butter and oyle: but their hearts are full of bitterne&s;&s;e, poy&s;on and worme-wood. They are full of outward courte&s;ie
<PB N="169" REF="97"> and civility, full of Court-holy-wa|ter, when there is no truth nor plain|ne&s;&s;e in their inward affection. They will &s;peak you faire, when they would cut your throat. They will &s;hew you a good countenance, when they would eat your heart with Garlick. In out|ward &s;hew they will carry them&s;elves plau&s;ibly, when their hearts are full of venome and malice. This viperous brood doe but watch their times and opportunities, till they can get a man upon the hip; and then they will &s;ting him, and worke their malice up|on him. The&s;e fawning curs will not bark till they bite; they will lurk and lye clo&s;e, till they &s;pye their van|tage, and then they will &s;hew them|&s;elves in their kinde: then they will hoi&s;t a man, and turne him over the perk, if they can. The&s;e men are like the waters, which are mo&s;t deep when they are mo&s;t calme: like a dangerous rocke hid under a calme &s;ea; or as the Heathens &s;ay, like the Syrens &s;ong, which is the Sailers wrack: like the Fowlers whi&s;tle, which is the birds death: like the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> bait, which is the fi&s;hes bane: <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> the Harpies, which have Virgins faces, and Vul|tures talons: or like <HI>Hyena,</HI> which &s;peaketh like a friend, and devoureth like a foe: or, as the Scripture &s;aith, like <HI>Joab,</HI> the Captaine of the hoa&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">0.10</NOTE>
<PB N="170" REF="98"> which &s;pake kindly to <HI>Ama&s;a</HI> another Captaine, and ki&s;&s;ed him, when pre|&s;ently hee &s;tab<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d him; or like unto the <HI>Herodians</HI> and Phari&s;ees &s;ervants, which came to our Lord Ie&s;us with many fawning in&s;inuations, calling him good Ma&s;ter, and telling him that hee was the plaine truth, that hee taught the way of God truly, he re|garded no mans per&s;on, and many good morrowes, and all this geere, when as in very deed their purpo&s;e was to entangle him in his words, and to entrap him, that they might catch advantage again&s;t him, and &s;o cut his throat, and give him pap with a hatchet. This is it which the wi&s;e m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 29.5.</NOTE> <HI>A man that &s;tattereth his neighbour &s;preadeth a net for his feet.</HI> And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.23.</NOTE> <HI>As &s;ilver, dro&s;&s;e over-laid upon an earthen pot; &s;o are fawning lips, and an evill heart.</HI> And in another place hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro 26.25.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that beareth hatred will counterfeit with his lips: but hee layeth up deceit in his heart: When hee &s;hall &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">w his voice favourably, tru&s;t him not. For there are &s;even abomina|tions in his ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">&punc; He will cover hatred by deceit: <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> malice &s;hall be di&s;|covered in the congregation.</HI> In ano|ther place hee pronounceth a cur&s;e up|on all the&s;e hallow-hearted hypo|crites, and meal-mouthed flatterers. For,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro 27.4.</NOTE> &s;aith hee, <HI>Unto him that ble&s;&s;eth
<PB N="171" REF="98"> his friend with a loud voice, betimes in the morning, ri&s;ing up early, a cur&s;e &s;hall be imputed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have very w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ll de&s;cribed the conditions of the men of this age, which have faces, countenances, and tongues, but no hearts; which prof<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e lying and di&s;&s;embling; which &s;ay, Hee cannot live that cannot di&s;&s;emble; which have faire faces, and fal&s;e hearts; which have forgotten, that pl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ine hone&s;ty is deep policie.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The holy Gho&s;t often in the Proverbs of <HI>Solomon</HI> calleth all un|regenerate men fooles: or, as it is in the Hebrew, men without hearts: Be|cau&s;e they have no heart to God, no heart to his word, no heart to his chil|dren, no heart to godline&s;&s;e, no heart to any thing that good is. They are without an hone&s;t heart, an upright heart, a plaine heart. They are all in words, nothing in deeds. They pro|mi&s;e mounraines, and performe mole|hils. They wil &s;peak well of Religion, and practi&s;e nothing. They will give faire words to their friends, and doe ju&s;t nothing for them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The world is full of the&s;e mask|ed counterfeits: and lying and di&s;&s;em|bling did never more abound.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is too true, that lying and di&s;&s;embling are mo&s;t ri&s;e, and over|common vices among&s;t all &s;orts of
<PB N="170" REF="99">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="171" REF="99">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="172" REF="100"> men: but e&s;pecially it doth overflow and &s;uperabound in &s;hop-keepers and &s;ervants. For both the&s;e make a trade and occupation of it: they can doe no other but lye, It cleaveth unto them as the naile to the doore.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do certainly know &s;ome &s;hop-keepers, which (to utter their bad wares, and to blinde the eies of the &s;im|ple) do trade in lying all the day long: from Sun to Sun, from the opening of the &s;hop and windowes, to the &s;hutting of the &s;ame. And what is their life (if cu&s;tomers come in apace) but &s;wearing, lying, di&s;&s;embling, and deceiving? They will lye as fa&s;t as a dog will trot, as wee &s;ay. It is wonder that their &s;hops and all their wares do not fire over their heads, for their &s;o common, &s;o lewd, and &s;o abo|minable lying: and that again&s;t their owne knowledge, again&s;t their con&s;ci|ence, again&s;t God, again&s;t their neigh|bour, again&s;t heaven and earth, men and Angels.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True it is, we may marvel at the long-&s;uffering of God in this behalfe. But this is to be noted, that God doth not immediatly puni&s;h all notorious &s;inners in this life, but re|&s;erveth thou&s;ands to the judgment of the great day. In this life he only cul|leth out &s;ome few, whom he &s;miteth for the example of others, that they might feare and tremble, and learne by o|ther
<PB N="173" REF="100"> mens harmes to beware.</P>
<P>Therefore, even in this life, wee &s;ee before our eyes, &s;ome lyers, &s;ome drunkards, &s;ome whore-mongers, &s;ome &s;wearers, &s;ome mi&s;ers of the world, &s;ome ruffians and cut-throats, &s;tricken downe by the revenging hand of God: But whereas God &s;miteth one of the&s;e in this life, hee letteth an hundred e&s;cape. For if hee &s;hould puni&s;h all offenders in this life, to what purpo&s;e &s;hould the judgement to come &s;erve? If hee &s;hould puni&s;h none, then we &s;hould think there were no God, or that hee were &s;hut up idle in heaven, and would do neither good nor evill, nor once meddle in the mat|ters of the earth; as &s;ome Epicures have dreamed. Therefore to avoid both the&s;e extremities, God in his heavenly wi&s;edome hath thought good to meete with &s;ome, even in this world.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am of this mind, that the goods which men get by &s;wearing, lying, and deceit, will never pro&s;per.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are not therein decei|ved. For God will blow upon all &s;uch kinde of evill gotten goods, and they &s;hall be put in a bottomele&s;&s;e pur&s;e, as the Prophet &s;aith. The holy Gho&s;t in the book of the Proverbs hath many excellent &s;ayings to this effect, as chap. <HI>13.11.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hag. 1.6.</NOTE> <HI>The riches of vanity &s;hall be dimini&s;hed; but hee which laboureth
<PB N="174" REF="101"> with the hand, &s;hall increa&s;e them.</HI> And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 10.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that dealeth deceitfully, &s;hall become poore: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.</HI> In another place he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 14.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">7.</NOTE> <HI>The deceitfull man ro&s;teth not that which hee hath caught in hunting.</HI> That is, hee &s;hall not long enjoy or ta&s;te the prey, which he hath gotten by fraud. For either one trouble or other will come upon him, that he &s;hall not be able to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e, or take delight in the &s;poyle. Therefore it is &s;aid, <HI>The bread of deceit is &s;weete to a man: but after, his mouth &s;hall be filled with gra|vell.</HI> That is, in the end the crafty per&s;on &s;hall meete with many troubles. For either his con&s;cience will upbraid him and check him, or vengeance will plague him for his deceit. The feares, cares, and &s;orrowes which hee &s;hall have, &s;hall be as it were &s;o many &s;harp &s;tones, to &s;et his teeth on edge, and to vex him. Wherefore in &s;tead of meat, hee &s;hall feed on gravell: and in &s;tead of wheat, on pebble &s;tones. Small plea&s;ure is takes in the end in goods ill gotten, or livings unlawfully come by. For the holy Gho&s;t hath pa&s;&s;ed &s;entence upon them, that they &s;hall ne|ver pro&s;per.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It &s;ometimes falleth out, that they pro&s;per for a time: but, as wee &s;ay, The third heire &s;hall never enjoy them. For God will cur&s;e them in our po&s;te|rity:
<PB N="175" REF="101"> and our childrens children &s;hall feele the &s;mart of our &s;innes. Therefore the holy man Job &s;aith;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 27.14.</NOTE> <HI>The off-&s;pring of the wicked &s;hall not be &s;atisfied wi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> bread: for out of doubt God will bl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e that onely which is got with a good con|&s;cience, in the works of our calling, and it &s;hall remaine ble&s;&s;ed unto us, and our po&s;terity. Therefore the Spirit &s;aith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 2.7.</NOTE> <HI>The ju&s;t man that walketh in his up+righ<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e is ble&s;&s;ed, and bl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ed &s;hall h s children be after him. But God will <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ot ble&s;&s;e, but cur&s;e that which is, or with an evill con&s;cience: as &s;wearing, lying, di&s;&s;embling, deceiving, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Some ancient Writers have &s;poken very prudently to this point. For one &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">J<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> <HI>Inju&s;ta lu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ra breves ha|bent voluptates, long<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s autem dolores.</HI> That is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>Unju&s;t gaine hath long &s;or|row, and &s;hort joy.</HI> Another &s;aith, <HI>Eli|gas damnum poti&ugrave;s qu&agrave;m turpe lucrum: illud enim &s;emel tantum te dolore afficet, hoc ver&ograve; &s;emper.</HI> That is, <HI>Chu&s;e lo&s;&s;e rather than filthy lucre: for the one will grieve thee but once, the other for <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ver.</HI> A third &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Bernard.</NOTE> <HI>Melius e&s;t hone&s;t&egrave; pauperem e&s;&s;e, qu&agrave;m turpiter divitem Hoc enim commi&s;erationem, illud vero reprehen&s;ionem ad&s;ert. <HI>It is better to be hone&s;tly poore, than wickedly rich. For the one moveth pitty, the other re|proofe.</HI></HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rip. P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">eni&s;.</NOTE> One of the wi&s;e Heathen al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>Wee may not wax rich unju&s;tly,</HI>
<PB N="176" REF="102"> but live of ju&s;t things, which he calleth holy things.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Have wee not examples in the Scriptures of &s;uch as have been puni&s;hed for lying?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes: for wee read how the <HI>Gibeonites</HI> for their lying and di&s;&s;em|bling were made drudges and &s;laves to the <HI>I&s;raelites;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo&s;h. 9.23. 2 King. 5.</NOTE> <HI>Gehezi</HI> al&s;o, the &s;er|vant of <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> the Prophet, for his lying and covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e together, was &s;mitten with a mo&s;t grievous le|pro&s;ie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5.5.</NOTE> <HI>Annanias</HI> and <HI>Sapphira</HI> his wife, for their lying and di&s;&s;embling, were &s;tricken downe &s;tark dead by the immediate hand of God at the rebuke of <HI>Peter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Zophar,</HI> one of <HI>Jobs</HI> friends, &s;peak|ing of the&s;e kind of men,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">0.16, 24.</NOTE> &s;aith, <HI>They &s;hall &s;uck the gall of A&s;pes, and the V<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|pers tongue &s;hall &s;lay them. They &s;hall &s;lie from the iron weapons, and a bow of &s;teele &s;hall &s;trike them thorow.</HI></P>
<P>Now then by all the&s;e examples we may plainly &s;ee, how greatly God ab|horreth lying and di&s;&s;embling.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>O therefore that we could follow the coun&s;ell of the Apo&s;tle, who &s;aith, Lye not one to another:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.9.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ith you have put off the old man, with his workes. And againe,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4.25.</NOTE> <HI>Ca&s;t away lying, and &s;peak very one the truth to his neighbour. The manner of &s;peech which the Apo|&s;tle u&s;eth is very forcible, implying
<PB N="177" REF="102"> thus much: That wee &s;hould in a kinde of di&s;daine or dete&s;tation ca&s;t it away, and throw it from us, as a filthy &s;tink|ing and berayed clout, hanging about a mans necke, which hee doth &s;uddenly &s;natch away, and hurle into the fire; as being a&s;hamed that ever it &s;hould be &s;eene or knowne. Would to God there|fore that we were come to &s;uch a de|te&s;tation and loathing of lying, that we would even &s;pattle at it, and cry, Fie upon it, and all that u&s;e it! O that wee could hate it as the Divell, which is the father of it; and as hell fire, which is the reward of it! O that we were come but &s;o farre as the Heathen man, who &s;aith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Homer. Iliad. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>I hate him as the gates of hell who hath one thing in his tongue, and another in his heart.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all this, wee finde in the Scriptures, that even &s;ome of the godly have been taken tardy in lying, and yet have not &s;inned in &s;o doing, as Abraham, Jacob, Rahab, the Midwives of Egypt: and therefore why may not we do &s;o too?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I told you before, that you may not make the infirmities of Gods people, rules for you to live by. And further I an&s;wer, that all the&s;e did offend in their lying. Some of them indeed, I grant, are commended for their love to the Church and chari|table affections to Gods people, but
<PB N="178" REF="103"> none of them &s;imply for lying: which is a thing condemned even of the Heathen. For &s;aith one of them, <HI>Ly|ing doth corrupt the life of man:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 paragraph">.</NOTE> <HI>and every wi&s;e and godly man doth hate lying.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But may wee not lye now and then for advantage?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No verily, neither is there any good vantage to be got that way. For when you have made up your ac|counts, all charges deducted, and all expences defrayed, your cleare gaines will be very &s;mall. For by your wil|full and cu&s;tomary lying you gaine in|ward griefe, and lo&s;e true joy: you gain &s;hort plea&s;ure, and lo&s;e perpetuall glo|ry, you gain hell, and lo&s;e heaven, you make the Divell your friend, and God your enemy. Now then reckon your gaine.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you let us grow towards a conclu&s;ion of this point: and &s;hew us briefly the chief cau&s;es of lying.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The chief cau&s;es of lying are the&s;e: <LIST>
<ITEM>Cu&s;tome.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Feare.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Divell.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What be the remedies?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The remedies be the&s;e:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Di&s;u&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Godly boldne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<PB N="179" REF="103">
<ITEM>Contentation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Earne&s;t prayer.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have &s;poken enough of this vice to cau&s;e all &s;uch to abhorre it, and for&s;ake it, as have any drop of grace, or &s;park of Gods feare in them: but as for them that are filthy, let them be more fil|thy. Now I pray you &s;peake your judge|ment of the &s;eventh &s;igne of condemna|tion: which is drunkenne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is &s;o bruti&s;h and bea&s;tly a &s;inne, that a man would thinke it &s;hould not neede to be &s;poken again&s;t: but that all rea&s;onable men &s;hould even abhorre it, and quake to thinke of it. For it is a mo&s;t &s;wini&s;h thing: it ma|keth of a man a bea&s;t: it taketh away the heart of man from all goodne&s;&s;e, as witne&s;&s;eth the Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea, chapt. 4.11.</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Whoredome, wine and new wine take away the heart.</HI> For what heart, what &s;tomach, what appetite can whoremongers and drunkards have to any thing that is good? either to heare, or read the word of God, or to pray, or to meditate in the &s;ame? Alas, they are farre from it, far from God, and farre from all grace and goodne&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joel. 1.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> Therefore the Prophet <HI>Joel</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Awake ye drunkards: weepe and howle ye drinkers of wine.</HI> Yea, the mighty God of heaven doth pro|nounce a woe again&s;t them, &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 5.11.</NOTE> <HI>Woe unto them that ri&s;e up ea<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ly to
<PB N="180" REF="104"> follow drunkenne&s;&s;e: and to them that continue untill night, till the wine doe enflame them.</HI> Our Lord Ie&s;us giveth us a cabeat to take heed of it:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 21.24.</NOTE> <HI>Take heed,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>that your hearts be not overcome with &s;urfeiting and drunken|ne&s;&s;e, and the eares of this life, and &s;o that day come upon you unawares.</HI> Thus you hear how both Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe, and &s;undry of the Prophets doe thunder downe from heaven again&s;t this gro&s;&s;e bea&s;tline&s;&s;e, which now a|boundeth and reigneth among&s;t the &s;ons of men.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>True indeed. But yet almo&s;t nothing will make men leave it, for it is a mo&s;t ri&s;e and over-common vice. Wee &s;ee many that thinke them&s;elves &s;ome bodies (and, as wee &s;ay, no &s;mall fooles) which yet will be overtaken with it, and thereby lo&s;e their credit and reputa|tion with all wi&s;e men: yea, doe prove them&s;elves to be but &s;wine, and brute bea&s;ts, as the holy Gho&s;t avoucheth, &s;ay|ing, Wine is a mocker, and &s;trong drinke is raging.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">0.1.</NOTE> <HI>Who&s;oever is deceived therein, is not wi&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The wi&s;e King in the &s;ame booke doth mo&s;t notably and fully de|&s;cribe unto us the inconveniences and mi&s;chiefes which doe accompany drun|kenne&s;&s;e, and follow drunkards at the heeles.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 25.29.</NOTE> <HI>To whom</HI> (he &s;aith) <HI>is wo? to whom is alas? to whom is &s;trife? to
<PB N="181" REF="104"> whom is babbling? to whom are wounds without cau&s;e? to whom is the redne&s;&s;e of the eies? Even to them that tarry long at the wine: to them that goe and &s;eeke out mixt wine.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 23.21.</NOTE> In the &s;ame chapter he &s;aith, <HI>Bee not of the number of them which are bibbers of wine, or of them which glut them&s;elves with fle&s;h: for the drinker and the fea&s;t|er &s;hall become poore: and the flee|per &s;hall be cloathed with rags.</HI> More|over, he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 23.33.</NOTE> <HI>Their eyes &s;hall behold &s;trange women; and that they &s;hall bee like him that lyeth in the mid&s;t of the Sea, and &s;leepeth in the top of the ma&s;t.</HI> In all the&s;e &s;peeches the holy Gho&s;t doth, in mo&s;t lively manner, de&s;cribe unto us the properties of drunkards; even their &s;taggering, their reeling, their &s;norting, their &s;en&s;le&s;&s;e &s;en&s;uali|ty. Behold then what be the cur&s;ed fruits &amp; events of drunkennes: Even the&s;e which follow; woe, alas, griefe, mi&s;ery, beggary, poverty, &s;hame, lu&s;ts, &s;trife, babbling, brawling, fightings, quarrelling, &s;urfeiting, &s;ickne&s;&s;e, di&s;|ea&s;es, &s;wini&s;h &s;leeping, &s;ecurity, and &s;en&s;uality. So then I conclude, that drunkenne&s;&s;e is a vice more be&s;eeming an hog, than any rea&s;onable man. And as one &s;aith, It is the Metropolitan City of all the province of vices.</P>
<P>Well therefore &s;aith the Heathen Writer, <HI>When the wine is in,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">D<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">mo&s;t. Olinth.</NOTE> <HI>a man is
<PB N="182" REF="105"> as a running coach without a coachman.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us hear what executions have beene done upon drunkards in former ages, that now men may learne to take heed by their examples.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 13.29</NOTE><HI>Ammon,</HI> one of <HI>Davids</HI> un|gracious children, being drunk, was &s;laine by his brother <HI>Ab&s;olom.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 K<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n. 20.20</NOTE> <HI>Benha|dad,</HI> King of <HI>Syria,</HI> being drunk, was di&s;comfited by <HI>Ahab</HI> King of <HI>I&s;rael. Elah,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin. 16.10</NOTE> King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> being drunke, was &s;laine by <HI>Zimri</HI> his &s;ervant, and captaine of his Chariots: who al&s;o &s;ucceeded him in the Kingdome. <HI>Lot,</HI> being drunke,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 19.37.</NOTE> committed ince&s;t with his owne daughters; and therefore was puni&s;ht in his po&s;terity. Thus wee &s;ee what executions have beene done, even upon Kings, for this kind of &s;in. Therefore let men learne once at la&s;t to &s;hun v<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ce, and embrace ver|tue, and, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, to make an end of their &s;alvation i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> feare and trembling. For all our &s;hifts and &s;tar|ting-holes will &s;erve <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> to no purpo&s;e in the end: but when we have asked hither and thither never &s;o mu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h, yet at the la&s;t we mu&s;t be fain to be &s;hut up in Gods wrath.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What, I pray you, do you make it &s;o great a matter if a man be a little o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ertaken with drinke now and then? There is no man but he hath his faults: and the be&s;t of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s all may be amended.
<PB N="183" REF="105"> If neighbours meete together now and then at the Ale-hou&s;e, and play a game at Maw for a pot of Ale, meaning no hurt: I take it to be good fellow&s;hip, and a good meanes to increa&s;e love a|mong&s;t neighbours; and not &s;o hainous a thing as you make it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I &s;ee you would faine make faire weather of it, and &s;mooth over the matter with &s;weete words; as though there were no &s;uch great evill in it. But how&s;oever you mince it, and blanch it over, yet the Apo&s;tle &s;aith &s;tatly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6.</NOTE> That <HI>Drunkards &s;hall not inherit the Kingdome of God.</HI> I think this one &s;entence is enough to amaze and &s;trike through the hearts of all drunkards in the world: for it is as much in effect, as if the Apo&s;tle had &s;aid, All drunkards are notorious re|probates and hell-hounds; branded of Satan, and devoted to perpetuall de|&s;truction and damnation.</P>
<P>But you &s;ay you meane no hurt. I an&s;wer, what&s;oever you meane, your actions are naught, and your fellow|&s;hip as bad. For what good meaning can you have, or what good fellow&s;hip call you it, for poore labouring men, artificers, and &s;uch like to &s;it idle all the day long in Tavernes, and Ale-hou&s;es, mi&s;-&s;pending their time, and their money in gaming, rioting, &s;wea|ring, &s;taring, &s;willing, bezzelling, bib|bing,
<PB N="184" REF="106"> brawling and brabling? There is no true fellow&s;hip in it: it is meere impiety, if wee may call it impiety; for poore men do live idlely, di&s;&s;olutely, neglecting their callings, while their poore wives and children fit crying at home for bread, being ready to &s;tarve, to beg, or to &s;teal. I pray you &s;peake your con&s;cience, what good fellow&s;hip is there in this?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all that, there be &s;ome which ab&s;taine from Ale-hou&s;es, and yet are as bad as any other. For they will back-bite and &s;lander their neigh|bours: they will doe them a &s;hrewd turne, as &s;oone as any other: they are envious, they cen&s;ure us, and di&s;daine our company: yet wee thinke our &s;elves as good as they, for all their &s;hewes of ho|line&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peake more than you know, or can ju&s;tifie, again&s;t &s;ome bet|ter than your &s;elfe. But if it were &s;o, you &s;hould not ju&s;tifie one &s;in by ano|ther, a le&s;&s;er by a greater: which is to no purpo&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Will you then condemn all good fellow&s;hip?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, no: I do greatly allow godly and Chri&s;tian fellow&s;hip; and acknowledge it to be one of the chief|e&s;t comforts wee have in the world. I know wee are commanded to <HI>love brotherly fellow&s;hip.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2.11.</NOTE> But as for your
<PB N="185" REF="106"> pot-companion&s;hip, I hate it, and ab|horre it. For it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 28.19</NOTE> <HI>Hee that followeth the idle, &s;hall bee filled with poverty.</HI> And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.7.</NOTE> <HI>He that keepeth company with banqueters, &s;hameth his father.</HI> And in another place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 28.17.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that loveth pa&s;time, &s;hall bee a poore man: and hee that loveth wine and oyle, &s;hall not be rich.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Good M^r^. <HI>Theologus,</HI> talke no more with him: but let us draw neer to the winding up of this matter; and tell us, in a word, which be the chiefe cau&s;es of drunkenne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;es are the&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cau&s;es of Drunken|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Ill company.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ale-hou&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Idlene&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>A wicked humour.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Which be the true remedies?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The remedies are the&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Remedies for Drun|kenne&s;&s;e.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Avoiding of evill company.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Shunning of Ale-hou&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Labouring in your callings.</ITEM>
<ITEM>A good cour&s;e of life.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well Sir, you have waded farre enough in this point: Let us now come to the eighth &s;igne of condemnation, which is idlene&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Concerning idlene&s;&s;e, this I &s;ay briefly: that it is the mother of all vice, and the &s;tepdame of all ver|tue: yea, it is the very bel-dame of all enormities. It is the mother of
<PB N="186" REF="107"> whoredome, the mother of pride, the mother of theft, the mother of drun|kenne&s;&s;e, the mother of ignorance, the mother of error, the mother of pover|ty, the mother of flandering and back|biting, pratling and go&s;&s;iping, braw|ling, &s;colding, quarrelling: and what not? Ydlene&s;&s;e was one of the princi|pall &s;innes of <HI>Sodome,</HI> as the Pro|phet <HI>Ezekiel</HI> te&s;tifieth, &s;aying, <HI>Pride, fulne&s;&s;e of bread,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 16 19</NOTE> <HI>and abundance of idlene&s;&s;e was in her, and in her daugh|ters. Solomon</HI> is very plentifull in this matter:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 13.4.</NOTE> For, &s;aith hee, <HI>The &s;luggard lu&s;teth, and hath nought.</HI> And againe, <HI>The &s;luggard is wi&s;er in his own con|ceit,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>then &s;even men that can give a &s;en&s;ible rea&s;on:</HI> That is, he taketh him|&s;elfe the wi&s;e&s;t of many, becau&s;e hee &s;pareth his body, when others take paines:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 24.3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> hee &s;aith, <HI>Yet a little &s;leep, yet a little &s;lumber, yet a little foulding the hands: and his povetty commeth like a traveller;</HI> that is, unawares: <HI>and his nece&s;&s;ity, like an armed man;</HI> that is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 4.5.</NOTE> &s;trongly. Then <HI>hee fouldeth his hands together, and eateth his owne fle&s;h.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.15.</NOTE> For, <HI>Hee hideth his hand in his bo&s;ome, and it grieveth him to put it to his mouth againe.</HI></P>
<P>In another place the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith, <HI>The &s;loathfull man will not plough becau&s;e of Winter: therefore hee &s;hall beg in Summer, and have nothing.</HI>
<PB N="187" REF="107"> Againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 9.18.</NOTE> <HI>The &s;loathfull man is brother to him that is a great wa&s;ter.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, it is &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.14.</NOTE> that <HI>the &s;lug|gard turnes him&s;elfe upon his bed, as the doore doth upon the hinges.</HI> That is, he keepeth his bed, as if he were fa&s;t|ned to it.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e the Spirit will abound in this point, it is further written of the &s;loathfull man, that he &s;aith, <HI>An huge Lyon is in the way:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.13.</NOTE> <HI>I &s;hall be &s;laine in the &s;treets:</HI> That is, when any good matter is in hand (as prea|ching, praying, reading, giving to the poore, &amp;c. (then hee draweth back, hee &s;hrinketh into the &s;hell, he findeth one let or other, one excu&s;e or other. Then profit and plea&s;ure, bu&s;ine&s;&s;e and idle|ne&s;&s;e, matters at home, and matters abroad, company, and a thou&s;and oc|ca&s;ions will lye in his way, as &s;o ma|ny Lions, to let and hinder him. So then wee &s;ee how lively and plentifully the holy Scriptures do paint out the lazie lubbers of this world, and &s;onnes of idlene&s;&s;e: which are as hardly drawne to any good thing as a Beare to the &s;take. As for the duties of Re|ligion, they go as lively and as cheer|fully about them, as a theefe goeth up the ladder to be executed for his theft.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do plainly &s;ee, that this &s;inne of idlene&s;&s;e is a very gro&s;&s;e evill, and the root of many vices: yet for all that,
<PB N="188" REF="108"> there be a great number which thinke they were borne to live idlely; as many young Gentlemen, and &s;uch like: which imagine they came into the world for no other purpo&s;e, but to hunt and hawke, card and dice, riot and revell; and &s;o &s;pend their daies in plea&s;ure and vanity. Againe, there be many lazy lo|zels, and luski&s;h youths, both in townes and villages, which doe nothing all the day long but walke in the &s;treetes, &s;it upon the &s;talles, and frequent Taverns and Ale-hou&s;es. Many rich citizens, e&s;pecially women, do ordinarily lye in bed till nine of the clock, and then for|&s;ooth ri&s;e, and make them&s;elves ready to goe to dinner. And after they have well dined, they &s;pend the re&s;t of the day, and a good part of the night al|&s;o, in playing, prattling, babling, cack|ling, prating and go&s;&s;iping; fie on this idle life. Many profane &s;erving-men al&s;o doe fal&s;ly &s;uppo&s;e, that they were borne onely to game, riot, &s;wear, whore, ruflle it and roi&s;t it out, and to &s;pend their time in meer idlene&s;&s;e. But, of all the&s;e well &s;aid the Heathen Philo&s;opher, <HI>Illos pariter indignantur &amp; dii &amp; homines,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ari&s;tot.</NOTE> <HI>qui&s;quis otio&s;us:</HI> Both God and men do hate the idle per&s;on.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is a lamentable thing to &s;ee &s;o many men and women live &s;o idlely, and &s;o unprofitably as they do. For alas, there be too many which
<PB N="189" REF="108"> follow no hone&s;t calling, live to no u&s;e; no body is the better for them. They doe no good, neither to the Church or common-wealth. They are like Drone-Bees: they are improfi|table burthens of the earth. God hath no u&s;e of them; the Church no good, the Common-wealth no benefit; their neighbours no profit; the poore no reliefe. They imagine they came into the world to do nothing but eat, drinke, and &s;leep, and ri&s;e up to play. They thinke they would &s;pend their time in diceing and dancing, in whor|dome and bravery, in gluttony and belly-cheere, in ma&s;ting them&s;elves like Hoggs of <HI>Epicurus</HI> Heard, in pampering their panches, and cram|ming their bellies: in fatting them|&s;elves like Boares in a Franke, till they bee well brawned;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 15.27. &amp; 21.12.</NOTE> and (as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith) <HI>till their bones run full of mar|row, their faces &s;trout with fatne&s;&s;e, and they have collops in their flanke.</HI> Oh, what a bea&s;tly life is this! Fie upon it, fle upon it. It is more meet for Epi|cures than Chri&s;tians; for &s;wine than for men; for <HI>Sardanapalus</HI> and <HI>Helioga|balus,</HI> and &s;uch like belly-gods, than for the profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel. But of all &s;uch <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith enough,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 11.</NOTE> <HI>They &s;pend their dayes in plea&s;ure, and &s;ud|denly go downe to bell.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But may it not be allowed unto
<PB N="190" REF="109"> Lords and Ladies, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, and other great ones, to live idlely, &s;ith they have wherewith to maintaine it?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>God doth allow none to live idlely: but all, great and &s;mall, are to be employed one way or other: either for the benefit of the Church, or Com|mon-wealth; or for the good govern|ment of their owne hou&s;holds; or for the good of townes and pari&s;hes, and tho&s;e among&s;t whom they doe con|ver&s;e; or for the &s;uccour and reliefe of the poore; or for the furtherance of the Go&s;pel, and the maintenance of the mini&s;tery; or for one good u&s;e or other. To the&s;e ends, our wits, our learning, our reading, our skill, our policie, our wealth, our health, our wi&s;edome, and authority, are to be referred: knowing this, that one day wee &s;hall come to give an account of our Bailywick, and to be reckoned withall for the employments of our Talents.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 5.7.</NOTE> For this cau&s;e <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith, that <HI>Man is borne to travell, as the &s;parkes flie upward.</HI> And God hath laid this upon <HI>Adam</HI> and all his po&s;terity,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.</NOTE> <HI>In the &s;weat of thy browes thou &s;halt eat thy bread.</HI> Some do &s;et downe foure cau|&s;es why every man &s;hould labour dili|gently in his calling.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to beare the yoke laid upon all mankind by the Lord.</P>
<PB N="191" REF="109">
<P>Secondly, to get the nece&s;&s;aries of this life.</P>
<P>Thirdly, to live to the profit of hu|mane &s;ociety.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, to avoid evill thoughts and actions.</P>
<P>St. <HI>Paul</HI> findeth great fault with &s;ome in the Church of <HI>The&s;&s;alonica,</HI> becau&s;e they walked inordinately, that is, idlely, and out of a lawfull calling; and therefore concluded, That &s;uch as would not labour, &s;hould not eat. So then, wee do plainly &s;ee, that God alloweth idlene&s;&s;e in none. For, when we are idle (as hath been &s;hewed before) wee lie open to the Divell and his temptations, and he gets within us, and prevaileth again&s;t us. While <HI>David</HI> tarried idlely at home in the beginning of the yeare, when Kings u&s;ed to go forth to the battell, hee was &s;oone overtaken with tho&s;e two &s;oule &s;innes of adultery and man|&s;laughter. So long as <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> war|red with the Phili&s;tines, hee could never be taken or overcome: but af|ter hee gave him&s;elfe to idlene&s;&s;e and plea&s;ure, he not onely committed for|nication with the Strumpet <HI>Dalilah,</HI> but al&s;o was taken of his enemies, and his eyes mi&s;erably pulled out. The&s;e examples doe &s;hew what a dangerous &s;inne wicke&s;&s;e is. Therefore the holy Gho&s;t &s;ends us to &s;chools to the little
<PB N="192" REF="110"> Creature, the Ant, to learne of her both to avoid idlene&s;&s;e, and al&s;o to u&s;e wi&s;edome and providence in our acti|ons.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6.6.</NOTE> <HI>Go to the Pi&s;mire, O &s;luggard, behold her waies, and be wi&s;e: For &s;hee, having no guide, task-ma&s;ter, nor ruler, prepareth her meat in the &s;um|mer, and gathereth her food in the har|ve&s;t.</HI> And in good &s;ooth it is wonder|full to ob&s;erve, what infinite paines, and unwearied labour, this &s;illy crea|ture taketh in Summer, that &s;he may be well provided for again&s;t Winter. Let us therefore learne wi&s;edome from her example: and let us &s;et before our eyes the looking-gla&s;&s;e of all Crea|tures. Let us con&s;ider how the birds flye, the fi&s;hes &s;wimme, the wormes creep, the heavens turne, the elements move, the &s;ea ebbeth and floweth un|ce&s;&s;antly: yea the earth it &s;elfe, which is the mo&s;t heavie and unweildy crea|ture of all other, yet never cea&s;eth his working, bringeth forth his burden in Summer, and labouring inwardly all the Winter, in concocting, and di|ge&s;ting his nouri&s;hment for the next &s;pring. Thus wee &s;ee how all crea|tures are diligently and painfully ex|erci&s;ed in their kinds. And therefore it is a great &s;hame for us to live idle|ly carele&s;ly, and di&s;&s;olutely. Let us therefore learne once (at la&s;t) to flie &s;loath, and every one to live faithfully,
<PB N="193" REF="110"> diligently, and indu&s;triou&s;ly in our &s;everall callings. So &s;hall we both keep Satan at the &s;taves end, and al&s;o much &s;inne out of our &s;oules, which otherwi&s;e idlene&s;&s;e will force in upon us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e that idle|ne&s;&s;e is a gro&s;&s;e vice, in whom&s;oever it is found. But &s;pecially, in my judgement, it is mo&s;t odious in Magi&s;trates and Mi|ni&s;ters.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That is &s;o in truth. For they ought to be the guides, governours, &s;hepherds, and watch-men over the people of God. And therefore for them to neglect their duties and charges, is a mo&s;t horrible thing, &s;ith it concern|eth the hurt of many. Therefore well &s;aid the Heathen Poet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hom. l. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>A Magi&s;trate or Mini&s;ter may not be lazie or &s;loth|full, to whom the nur&s;ing of the people is given in charge, and of whom many things are to be cared for.</HI></P>
<P>What a lamentable thing therefore is it, when Magi&s;trates are profane, irreligious, popi&s;h, vicious, and negli|gent in the duties of their calling? And how much more lamentable is it, when Mini&s;ters neglect their &s;tudies, &s;lacke preaching and prayer, and give up them&s;elves, &s;ome to covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;ome to pride, &s;ome to husbandry, &s;ome to other worldly affaires, and &s;ome to &s;pend their time idlely in Ta|vernes,
<PB N="194" REF="111"> Ale-hou&s;es, gaming, rioting, and lewd company? Would to God therefore that both the&s;e kinds of publike per&s;ons would ca&s;t off idle|ne&s;&s;e and &s;loath, and with diligence, faithfulne&s;&s;e, care and con&s;cience, per|forme the duties of their places. For it is an excellent thing for any to be a good man in his place: As a good Magi&s;trate that ruleth well, that go|verneth wi&s;ely, which favoureth good men, and good cau&s;es, and defendeth them: which al&s;o &s;etteth him&s;elfe a|gain&s;t bad men and bad cau&s;es, and puni&s;heth them &s;harply and &s;everely: which moreover maintaineth vertue, even of a very love hee beareth unto it in his heart: and puni&s;heth vice, of a very zeale and hatred again&s;t it: and not for his credit onely, or to plea&s;e &s;ome, or becau&s;e he mu&s;t needs doe it, and can doe no le&s;&s;e, or for any &s;uch &s;ini&s;ter re&s;pect: but even of a love to God, a care of his glory, a con&s;cience of duty, and a fervent zeale again&s;t &s;in. So likewi&s;e, it is a notable thing for a Mini&s;ter to be a good man in his place: to be &s;tudious in the Law of God, diligent and painfull in preach|ing; and that out of a love of God, a zeale of his glory, deep pity and com|pa&s;&s;ion toward the &s;oules of the peo|ple, &s;eeking by all meanes po&s;&s;ible to win them unto God; carrying him|&s;elfe
<PB N="195" REF="111"> in all his actions among&s;t them wi&s;ely, religiou&s;ly, unblameably, and inoffen&s;ively. So againe, it is a wor|thy thing to be a good rich man, which doth much good with his riches, which keepeth a good hou&s;e, relieveth the poore, mini&s;treth to the nece&s;&s;ities of the Saints, and giveth cheerfully and with di&s;cretion, where need is. So al|&s;o, it is a commendable thing to be a good neighbour, a good Town&s;man, by whom a man may live quietly, peace|ably, joyfully, and comfortably.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, to be a good poore man: that is, humble, lowly, dutifull, pain|full, ready to help, and ready to plea&s;e. Oh, I &s;ay, this is a mo&s;t excellent and glorious thing, when every man keepeth his &s;tanding, his range, and his ranke; when all men, with care and con&s;cience, performe the duties of their places: when the husband doth the duty of an husband; and the wife of a wife: when the father doth the duty of a father; and the childe of a childe: when the ma&s;ter doth the duty of a ma&s;ter; and the &s;ervant of a &s;ervant: when every man &s;etteth God before his eyes, in doing tho&s;e things which e&s;pecially belong unto him. For herein con&s;i&s;teth the honour of God, the glory of the Prince, the crowne of the Church, the fortre&s;&s;e of the Common-wealth, the &s;afety of
<PB N="196" REF="112"> Cities the &s;trength of Kingdoms, and the very pre&s;ervation of all things.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have &s;aid well in &s;ome things: but yet I do not &s;ee, but that rich men and women may live idlely, &s;ith they have enough wherewithall to main|taine it. For may not a man do with his owne what he li&s;t?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No verily. For you may not take your owne knife, and cut your owne throat with it: neither may you take your owne axe, and kill your owne childe with it. Therefore that rea&s;on is naught. Albeit therefore wealthy men and women have great plenty of all things, &s;o as they need not labour, yet let them be profitably employed &s;ome way or other: let them exerci&s;e them&s;elves in one good thing or other. If they can find nothing to doe, let them give them&s;elves much to private prayers, and reading of the Scriptures, that they may be able to in&s;truct and exhort others. Or el&s;e let Ladies and Gentlewomen doe as that good woman <HI>Dorcas</HI> did, that is, buy cloth, cut it out, worke it, &s;ew it, make &s;hirts, &s;mocks, coats and garments, and give them to the poore, when they haue &s;o done. For it is &s;aid of <HI>Dorcas,</HI> that <HI>&s;hee was a woman full of good workes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 9.36.39.</NOTE> <HI>and alme&s;-deeds which &s;he did.</HI> She was a mercifull and tender-hearted woman, &s;he was the
<PB N="197" REF="112"> poore mans friend, &s;he clothed the poore and naked, &s;he knew it was a &s;acrifice acceptable to God. Oh that the wealthy women of our Land would follow the example of <HI>Dorcas!</HI> But (alas) the&s;e dayes bring forth few <HI>Dorca&s;es.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As you have &s;hewed us the cau&s;es of the former evils: &s;o now, I pray you, &s;hew the cau&s;es of this al&s;o.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;es of idlene&s;&s;e are,
<LIST>
<ITEM>Evill examples.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cau&s;es of idlene&s;&s;e.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>Bad education.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Living out of calling.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew us al&s;o the remedies.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The remedies are,
<LIST>
<ITEM>Good education.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Remedies again&s;t idlene&s;&s;e.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>Labour in youth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Good examples.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Diligence in a lawfull calling.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now then let us come to the la&s;t &s;igne of damnation, which is oppre&s;&s;ion. And I be&s;eech you, good Sir, &s;peak your mind of it out of the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is &s;o infinite a matter, that I know not where to begin, or where to make an end of it. It is a bottomele&s;&s;e &s;inke of mo&s;t grievous enormities. I &s;hall enter into a La|byrinth, where I &s;hall not know how to get out againe. But &s;ith you are de&s;irous to heare &s;omething of it, this I &s;ay; That it is a mo&s;t cruell mon|&s;ter, a bloudy vice, a mo&s;t ugly and
<PB N="198" REF="113"> hideous fiend of hell. The Scriptures in very many places doe <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ry our upon it, arraigning it, adjudging it, and condemning it downe to hell. They doe al&s;o thunder and lighten upon all tho&s;e which are &s;tained and corrupted with this vice, calling them by &s;uch names, and giving them &s;uch titles, as are taken from the effects of this &s;inne, and mo&s;t fit for oppre&s;&s;ors: as namely,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 3.15. Amos 8.6. Micah 3.2.</NOTE> that <HI>They g<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ind the faces of the poore;</HI> that <HI>They plucke off their skins from them, and their fle&s;h from their bones:</HI> that, <HI>They eat them up as they eat bread.</HI> The&s;e are they which &s;trive to devoure all (like &s;a|vage bea&s;ts) and to get the whole earth into their hands,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 14.4.</NOTE> either by hook or by crook, by right or by wrong; by oppre&s;&s;ion, fraud and violence. The&s;e Caterpillers and Cormorants of the earth, are like unto the Whale fi&s;h, that &s;walloweth up quicke other little fi&s;hes. They are like a Lion that de|voureth other bea&s;ts. They are like the Falcon, which &s;eizeth, plumeth, and preyeth upon other fowles. The&s;e greedy Wolves devoure all, and &s;wal|low up the poore of the Land. There|fore the Prophets of God doe thun|der out many great woes again&s;t them.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> &s;aith, <HI>chapt. 5.8. Woe unto them that joyne ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e to
<PB N="199" REF="113"> hou&s;e, and field to field, till there be no place for the poore to dwell in, that they may be placed by them&s;elves in the mid&s;t of the earth.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, the Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 12.13.</NOTE> <HI>Woe unto him that buildeth his hou&s;e by unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and his chambers with|out equity.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, the Prophet <HI>Micah</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mich. 2.2.</NOTE> <HI>Wo unto them that covet fields, and take them by violence; and &s;o oppre&s;&s;e a man and his hou&s;e, even a man and his he|ritage.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2.12.</NOTE> the Prophet <HI>Habakkuk</HI> crieth out, &s;aying, <HI>Woe unto him <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">hat buildeth a Towne with bloud, and erect|eth a Citie by iniquity. Sa nt James</HI> al&s;o mo&s;t terribly threatneth the&s;e kind of men, &s;aying, <HI>Goe to now, yee rich men,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5.1, 2</NOTE> <HI>weep and howle for your mi&s;eries that &s;hall come upon you. Your gold and &s;il|ver is cankered: and the ru&s;t of them &s;hall be a witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, and &s;hall eat your fle&s;h as it were fire.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, <HI>S. Paul</HI> &s;aith flatly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 8.10.</NOTE> that <HI>Extor|tioners &s;hall not inherit the Kingdome of God.</HI> Thus we &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e, how many fear|full woes and threats are denounced from heaven again&s;t the pe&s;tilent cut|throats of the earth.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>And all little enough. For they are &s;teeped in their &s;inne, and the &s;taine of it is &s;oked into them, as it will hardly ever be wa&s;hed out. True
<PB N="200" REF="114"> it is that you &s;aid, that the&s;e cruell op|pre&s;&s;ing bloud-&s;uckers are the mo&s;t pernicious and pe&s;tilent vermine that creep upon the face of the earth; and yet I thinke there were never moe of them then in the&s;e dayes. For now the wicked world is full of &s;uch as doe &s;un|dry waies bite, pinch, and nip the poore, as we &s;ee by every dayes lamentable ex|perience. But you can &s;peake more of it then I: therefore, I pray you, lay open the &s;undry kinds of oppre&s;&s;ion u&s;ed in the&s;e daies.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theo.</SPEAKER>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;undry kinds of oppre&s;&s;ions</NOTE>There is oppre&s;&s;ion by u&s;ury.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by bribery.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by racking of Rents.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by taking exce&s;&s;ive fines.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in bargaining.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in letting of le<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in letting of hou&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in letting of grounds.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in binding poore men to unrea&s;onable covenants.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in thru&s;ting poore men out of their hou&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in hiring poore mens hou&s;es over their heads.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion in taking of fees.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by Lawyers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by Church-officers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by engro&s;&s;ers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion by fore-&s;tallers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion of the Church.</ITEM>
<PB N="201" REF="114">
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion of the Mini&s;tery.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion of the poore.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion of widowes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion of Orphans.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>And thus we &s;ee how all &s;warmes with Oppre&s;&s;ions; and nothing but Oppre&s;&s;ions, Oppre&s;&s;ions.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>In truth, this is a mo&s;t cruell and oppre&s;&s;ing age wherein wee live; yea, a very Iron age. It &s;eemes that the great ones mind nothing el&s;e; they are altogether &s;et upon oppre&s;&s;ion: they dote and dreame of it: they find &s;weet in it, and therefore they are mad of it: As Solomon &s;aith, Oppre&s;&s;ion maketh a wi&s;e man mad. It &s;eemes therefore, that this vice is of &s;uch marvellous force, that it can bereave men of their wits, and make them &s;tarke mad of get|ting goods by hooke or by crooke, they care not how, not from whom, &s;o they have it. Yet no doubt the mo&s;t wi&s;e God hath enacted many good lawes for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of this evill, and threatneth the execution of them in his owne per|&s;on: and e&s;pecially his Law doth provide for the &s;afety of the poore, the father|le&s;&s;e, the widow and the &s;tranger. But you, Ma&s;ter <HI>Theologus,</HI> can repeat the Sta|tutes better then I, becau&s;e you are a pro|fe&s;&s;ed Divine: therefore, I pray you, let us heare them from you.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In the <HI>22.</HI> chapter of <HI>Exodus,</HI> God made this Law following, <HI>You
<PB N="202" REF="115"> &s;halt not trouble any widow or father|le&s;&s;e child: If thou vex or trouble &s;uch, and &s;o hee call and cry unto mee, I will &s;urely heare his c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ie. Then &s;hall my wrath be kindled, and I will kill you with the &s;word; and your wives &s;hall be widow<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 12.</NOTE> <HI>and your children father|le&s;&s;e.</HI> Againe he &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt not oppre&s;&s;e an hired &s;ervant that is needy and poore: but thou &s;halt give him his hire for his day; neither &s;hall the Sunne goe downe upon it (for hee is poore, and therewith &s;u&s;taineth his life) l<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t hee cry again&s;t thee unto the Lord, and it be &s;inne unto thee.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 22.</NOTE> Moreover, the Lord &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt doe no injury to a &s;tranger: for yee were &s;trangers in the and of Egypt.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 3.</NOTE> And God him&s;elfe threatneth, that hee will be a &s;wift wi ne&s;&s;e again&s;t tho&s;e which keep backe the hirelings wages, and vex the widow and the fathe le&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 4.6.</NOTE> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Let no man opp<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;&s;e or defraud his brother in any matter. For the Lord is an avenger of all &s;uch things.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 5.6.</NOTE> <HI>Solomon</HI> al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>It in a coun|trie thou &s;ee&s;t the oppre&s;&s;ion of the poo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e, and the defrauding of ju&s;tice and judgement; be not a&s;tonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highe&s;t, regardeth, and there be higher then they.</HI> All the&s;e holy Statutes and Lawes, enacted and provided a|gain&s;t oppre&s;&s;ors, doe plainly &s;hew
<PB N="203" REF="115"> what care the Lord hath for his poore, di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, no de&s;olate people.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But the&s;e oppre&s;&s;ing hell-hounds are &s;uch as care for nothing. No law of the Almighty can bridle them: nothing can feare them: nothing can re&s;traine them: they have made a covenant with hell and death. They are frozen in their dregs, they are pa&s;t feel|ing. And, as Job &s;aith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 24.14.</NOTE> <HI>The&s;e are they that abhorre the light: they know not the waies thereof, neither continue in the paths thereof. Their hearts are as hard as the Adamant. Nothing can move th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">m, nothing can worke upon them. There is great crying out every where of the &s;tone in the reines, which ind<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ed is a great torment to the bodie: bu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> th re is no complaining of the &s;tone in the heart, I meane, a &s;tony heart, which is the &s;ore&s;t di&s;ea&s;e that po&s;&s;ibly can fall into the &s;oule of a man: and yet in th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e times it groweth very rife. For mens hearts are as hard as bra&s;&s;e, and as the neather Mill-&s;tone, as the Scri|pture &s;peaketh. For many, e&s;pecially of the&s;e unmercifull and oppre&s;&s;ing ty|rants, &s; y in their hearts, God will doe neither good nor ev<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ll.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zeph. 1.23.</NOTE> <HI>Therefore they put the evill day far from them, and ap|proach to the &s;eat of iniquity. They are at <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;e in Sion: they lye upon beds of I vorie, and &s;tretch them&s;elves on their beds, and eat the Lambs of the flocke,
<PB N="204" REF="116"> and the calves out of the &s;tall. They &s;ing to the &s;ound of the Viol:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 6.3, 9.</NOTE> <HI>they invent in&s;truments of mu&s;ick, like David: they drink wine in bowles, and no man is &s;or|ry for the affliction of Jo&s;eph, that is, the troubles of Gods people. The Prophet E&s;ay al&s;o complaines of the&s;e kinde of men,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5.12.</NOTE> <HI>&s;aying, They regard not the work of the Lord, neither con&s;ider the worke of his hands. And another Prophet &s;aith,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 10.11.</NOTE> <HI>They &s;ay in their hearts, God hath forgot, he hides away his face and will never &s;ee. They are &s;o proud, that they &s;eek not for God. They thinke alwayes there is no God: his Judgements are farre out of their &s;ight, their wayes al|way pro&s;per, and therefore they &s;ay in their hearts, Tu&s;h, wee &s;hall never bee moved, nor come in danger.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken very well touching the &s;teeline&s;&s;e and hardne&s;&s;e of the&s;e mens hearts, who are &s;o un|mercifull to their poore neighbours that almo&s;t none can live by them They doe &s;o di&s;turbe and di&s;quiet all things, that poore men can dwell in no re&s;t by them. Therefore truly &s;aith the wi&s;e King, <HI>A mighty man mole&s;t|eth all, &amp; both hireth the foole &amp; hires tho&s;e that pa&s;&s;e by: but the poore man &s;peaketh with prayers,</HI> That is, by the way of entreaty and &s;upplications. For the poore are affraid <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">im: they quake when they &s;ee them, as the
<PB N="205" REF="116"> bea&s;ts quake at the roaring of a Lion. Many poore Farmers, poore Hu&s;|bandmen, poore Herds, poore Labou|rers, poore Widowes and Hirelings, doe<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> quake and tremble when the&s;e greedy Wolves come abroad. And (as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith) <HI>The poore of the earth hide them&s;elves together.</HI> For (<HI>alas!</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 24.4.</NOTE> in their hearts they cannot abide the &s;ight of them) they had as leeve meet the Divell as meet them, for feare of one di&s;plea&s;ure or another. For either they feare that they will warne them out of their hou&s;es, or parley about more Rent, and &s;traiter covenants, or beg away their be&s;t kine, or borrow their hor&s;es, or command their carts, or require a weeks work of them, and never pay them for it, or a twelve-months pa&s;ture for a couple of Gel|dings, or that they'le make one quar|rell or another unto them, one mi&s;|chiefe or another. So that the&s;e poore &s;oules cannot tell what to doe, or which way to turne them, for feare of the&s;e cruell Termagants. They are even weary of their lives. For they have no remedy for the&s;e things, but even to beare it off with head and &s;houlders. Therefore they often wi&s;h they were out of the world, and that they were buried quicke. They &s;ay, it any will knock them on the head, they will forgive him. O mo&s;t piteous ca&s;e!
<PB N="206" REF="117"> O lamentable hearing! The&s;e poore &s;illy creatures are faine to drudge and moile all the yeare long, in Winter and Summer, in fro&s;t and &s;now, in heat and cold, to provide their Rents, that they may be able to pay their cruell Land-lord at h s day. For el&s;e how &s;hall they be able to loo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e him in the face? Yet their Rent is &s;o rack't, that all they can doe is little enough to pay it: and when that is paid (alas) the poore man, and his wife and children have little left to take to, or to main|taine them&s;elves withall: they are faine to gnaw of a cru&s;t, to fare hard|ly, and goe t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">inly clad. Sometimes they have victuals, and &s;ometimes none. The poore children cry for bread. Poore widowes al&s;o, and poore father|le&s;&s;e children are found weeping and mourning in their hou&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s, and in their &s;treets. So that now we may, with <HI>Solomon,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 4.1.</NOTE> <HI>Turne and con&s;ider all the oppre&s;&s;ions that are wrought under the Sunne.</HI> We may behold the teares of the oppre&s;&s;ed, and none comforteth them. For the mighty ones doe wrong the weaker, even as the &s;tronger bea&s;ts doe pu&s;h and harme the feebler. The&s;e giuing oppre&s;&s;ors doe pinch the poore even to the quicke. They pluck away from the fatherle&s;&s;e &amp; wi|dowes that little which they have. If there be but a cow, or a few &s;heep left,
<PB N="207" REF="117"> they will have them. If there be a little commodity of hou&s;e or land; oh what devices they have to win i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> in, and to wring it away! Tho&s;e tyrants will goe as nigh as the bed they lye upon. They know well enough, the poore men are not able to wage law with them: and therefore they may doe what wrong they will, and &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">w what cruelty they li&s;t. Hence come the teares of the oppre&s;&s;ed: hen<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">m|meth the weeping and wailing of the poore. But alas, poore &s;oules! they may well weep to ea&s;e their hearts a little; but there is none to comfort them: remedy they can have none. But yet, a&s;&s;uredly, the everla&s;ting God doth looke upon them, and will be revenged. For the cries of the poore, the fatherle&s;&s;e, and the widowes, have entred into the cares of the Lord of Ho&s;ts, who is an avenger of all &s;uch things; yea, a &s;trong re|venger, as <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro 23.14.</NOTE> <HI>Enter not into the field of the fatherle&s;&s;e: for their revenger is &s;trong: hee him&s;elf<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> will plead their cau&s;e again&s;t thee.</HI> And a|gaine he &s;aith, <HI>Rob not the poore,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 22.6.</NOTE> <HI>be|cau&s;e hee is poore: neither tread downe the affl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">cted in the gate: for the Lord pleadeth their cau&s;e, and will &s;poile their &s;oule that &s;poile them.</HI> We &s;ee then, that the mo&s;t ju&s;t God will <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e revenged of the&s;e unmerciful tyrants.
<PB N="208" REF="118"> He will not alwayes put up the&s;e wrongs and injuries done to the poore.</P>
<P>In the eighth Chapter of the Pro|phet <HI>Amos, he &s;weares by the excellencie of Jacob, that he will never forget any of their works.</HI> And againe he &s;aith by his Prophet <HI>Jeremy, Shall I not be avenged on &s;uch a nation as this?</HI></P>
<P>Surely he will &s;et his face again&s;t them to root them out of the earth. For indeed they are not, worthy to crawle upon the face of the earth, or to draw breath among the &s;ons of men. It is written in the booke of P&s;almes, that God will &s;et the&s;e fel|lowes oppo&s;ite again&s;t him, as a But to &s;hoot at:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 21.12.</NOTE> that <HI>hee will put them a|part, and the &s;trings of his bow &s;hall hee make ready again&s;t their faces.</HI> Be a&s;toni&s;hed at this, O ye heavens, and tremble, O thou earth. Heare this, O ye cruell Land-lords, unmercifull op|pre&s;&s;ors, and bloud-&s;uckers of the earth. You may well be called bloud-&s;uckers: for you &s;ucke the bloud of many poore men, women, and chil|dren: you eat it, you drink it, you have it &s;erved in at your &s;umptuous tables every day,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 24.5.</NOTE> you &s;wallow it up, and live by it. And, as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith, <HI>The wilder|ne&s;&s;e gives you and your children food:</HI> that is, you live by robbing and mur|dering. But woe, woe unto you that ever you were borne. For the bloud
<PB N="209" REF="118"> of the oppre&s;&s;ed, which ye have eaten and drunken, &s;hall one day cry for &s;peedy vengeance again&s;t you; as the bloud of <HI>Abel</HI> cryed again&s;t <HI>Cain.</HI> Their bloud &s;hall witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you in the day of judgement: and the teares of many poore &s;tarved children, or|phans and widowes, &s;hall cry out a|gain&s;t you.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin. 21.</NOTE> Was the Lord revenged of <HI>Ahab</HI> for his cruell and unju&s;t deal|ing with poore <HI>Naboth,</HI> and &s;hall hee not be revenged of you? Did the Dogs lap the bloud of <HI>Ahab,</HI> and &s;hall you e&s;cape? No, no: you &s;hall not e&s;cape. The Lord will be a &s;wift witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, as he &s;aith in <HI>Malachie.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 3.</NOTE> Was the Lord angry with the rich of the people for oppre&s;&s;ing the poore (&s;o as the cry of the people, and of their wives,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Neh. 5.</NOTE> again&s;t their op|pre&s;&s;ours, was heard of the Almigh|ty) and do you thinke you &s;hall e&s;cape &s;cot-free? Doth not the like cau&s;e bring forth the like effect? the like &s;in, the like puni&s;hment? Know there|fore for certainty, that the Lord hath co&s;ters full of vengeance again&s;t you, and one day he will unlocke them, and bring them forth into the &s;ight of all men.</P>
<P>Know al&s;o that the timber of your hou&s;es, and the &s;tones of your walls, which you have built by oppre&s;&s;ion and bloud, &s;hall cry again&s;t you in the
<PB N="210" REF="119"> day of the Lords wrath, as the Pro|phet <HI>Habakkuk</HI> telleth you.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2.</NOTE> <HI>The &s;tone</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>&s;hall cry out of the wall: and the b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ame out of the timber &s;hall an&s;wer it.</HI> Where the Prophet telleth you, that the walls of your hou&s;es built in bloud, &s;hall cry out loud and &s;hrill, and play the Chori&s;ters in that behalfe, &s;o as they &s;hall an&s;wer one another on either &s;ide. The one &s;ide &s;ingeth, Behold bloud; the other, Be|ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d murder. The one &s;ide Behold deceit; the other, Behold cruelty. The one, Behold pilling and polling; the other, Behold covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. The one, Behold robbery; the other, Be|hold perjury. And thus you &s;ee how the &s;tones and timber of your hou&s;es &s;hall de&s;cant upon you. And how&s;o|ever you put on your br<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">zen browes, and harden your hearts again&s;t the&s;e threatnings of the mo&s;t terrible God and Lord of Ho&s;ts; yet one day you &s;hall (&s;pice of your hearts, will ye, nill yee) be brought forth<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">nes judge|ment: you &s;hall once come to your reckoning: you &s;hall at la&s;t be appre|hended, convented, and arraigned at the barre of Gods Tribunall &s;eat, be|fore the great Iudge of all the world. Then &s;entence &s;hall pa&s;&s;e again&s;t you, even that mo&s;t dreadfull &s;entence, <HI>Goe yee cur&s;ed into hell fire,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25.</NOTE> <HI>there to be tormented with the Divell and his An|gels
<PB N="211" REF="119"> for ever.</HI> O then, woe, woe unto you:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.</NOTE> <HI>For what &s;hall it profit a man to winne the whole world, and lo&s;e his owne &s;oule?</HI> &s;aith our Lord Ie&s;us. Surely, even as much, as it one &s;hould winne a farthing, and lo&s;e an hundred thou&s;and pound. For if he &s;hall be ca&s;t into hell fire, which hath not given of his owne goods righte|ou&s;ly gotten, as our Saviour avouch|eth; where then &s;hall he be ca&s;t, that hath &s;tollen other mens goods? And if hee &s;hall be damned that hath not clothed the naked: what &s;hall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed? Oh, therefore repent in time, O yee cruell oppre&s;&s;ors: &s;eeke the Lord while hee may be found: call upon him while hee is neere: lay a&s;ide your &s;avage cruelty: vi&s;it the father|le&s;&s;e and widow in their di&s;tre&s;&s;e: dea<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e your bread to the hungry: help them to their right which &s;uffer wrong: deale mercifully with your Tenants: Rack not your rents any more: pinch not the poore &s;oules for whom Chri&s;t di d: pity them, I &s;ay, but pinch them not: deale kindly and friendly with them: remember your great ac<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s: con&s;ider the &s;hortne&s;&s;e of your dayes, and the vanity of your life: rent your hearts, and not your clothes. Turne unto the Lord with all your heart, with weeping, fa&s;ting, and mourning:
<PB N="212" REF="120"> prevent Gods wrath with a &s;acrifice of teares: pacifie his anger with the calves of your lips, and with a con|trite &s;pirit: be grieved for that which is pa&s;t, and amend that which is to come: &s;tand it out no more at the &s;words point again&s;t God: for it will not boot you to &s;trive; he is too &s;trong for you. Your onely wi&s;edome is to come-in. Come-in therefore, come-in, yee rebellious generation: &s;ubmit your &s;elves to the great King: humble your &s;elves under his mighty hand: ca&s;t downe your &s;words and targets: yeeld unto our God. So &s;hall you e&s;cape the vengeance to come: &s;o &s;hall God accept you, have mercy up|on you, receive you to favour, grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions, and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall &s;ubjects.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I conceive by divers &s;peeches which you have alledged, that goods got by oppre&s;&s;ion and cruelty, will never pro&s;per long. For oppre&s;&s;ors coine their money upon their neighbours skins. How then can it be ble&s;&s;ed?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken a truth, For, as it hath been &s;hewed before, that tho&s;e goods which are got by &s;wearing and lying, are cur&s;ed; &s;o all the&s;e that are got by oppre&s;&s;ion and violence, are more cur&s;ed. Therefore
<PB N="213" REF="120"> the Lord &s;aith by his Prophet <HI>Jeremy, As the Partridge gathers the young which &s;he hath not brought forth;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 17.11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;o hee that gathers riches, and not by right, &s;hall leave them in the mid&s;t of his daies; and at his end &s;hall be a foole, and his name &s;hall be written in the earth.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Would to God our Magi&s;trates and Governours would take &s;peedy or|der for the remedying of the&s;e things, and for the redre&s;&s;ing of &s;uch grievous enormities as are among us; or that they them&s;elves would &s;tep in, and deli|ver the oppre&s;&s;ed from the hand of the oppre&s;&s;our.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Job</HI> was an excellent man for &s;uch matters. For, it is &s;aid of him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 29.27.</NOTE> that <HI>He brake the jawes of the un|righteous man, and pluck't the prey out of his teeth.</HI> Where we &s;ee how <HI>Job</HI> was a meanes to deliver the innocent, and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes. Moreover,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 29.25.</NOTE> it is written of him in the &s;ame Chapter, that the ble&s;&s;ing of him that was ready to peri&s;h came upon him, and that hee cau&s;ed the widowes heart to rejoyce; that he was the eye to the blind, the feet to the lame, and the father to the poore: and when he knew not the cau&s;e, he &s;ought it out diligently. O what a notable man was this! O that we had many <HI>Jobs</HI> in the&s;e daies!
<PB N="214" REF="121"> Wi&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> doth mo&s;t gravely ad|vi&s;e us all to follow <HI>Jobs</HI> example in this behalfe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">4.12.</NOTE> <HI>Deliver</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>them that are oppre&s;&s;ed and drawne to death: for &s;houlde&s;t thou withdraw thy &s;elfe from them which goe downe to the &s;laughter?</HI> Would to God this coun&s;ell were well weighed and practi&s;ed a|mong&s;t us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I marvell much with what face the&s;e cruell oppre&s;&s;ors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray, and offer up their &s;acrifices unto him. For we &s;ee, many of them, though they have &s;uch fowle hands, and fowle hearts, as wee have heard; yet for all that, will mo&s;t impudently pre&s;ume to come to the Church and pray: or at lea&s;t, when they are laid in their beds at nights, and halfe: &s;leep, then will they mumble over their praiers, or be pattering &s;ome Pater|no&s;ters.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Alas, alas, poore &s;oules! all that they do in matters of Gods wor|&s;hip, is but hypocri&s;ie and di&s;&s;imulati|on. For in truth they are not for God, they love him but from the teeth outward: their mouths are with him, but their heart goes after covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, and their hands are full of bloud. And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers. For, &s;aith he,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1.15.</NOTE> <HI>Though they &s;tretch out their hands, yet will I hide mine eyes from them: and
<PB N="215" REF="121"> though they make many praiers, yet will I not heare them. For their hands are full of bloud.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 28.9.</NOTE> <HI>He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law, even his praier is abominable.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 66.18.</NOTE> <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>If I regard wickedne&s;&s;e in my heart, God will not heare my praier.</HI> Our Lord Ie&s;us al&s;o affirmeth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 9.31.</NOTE> that <HI>God heares not &s;inners,</HI> that is, &s;tub|borne and carele&s;&s;e &s;inners. So then we may cleerly &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e (by all the&s;e te&s;ti|monies of holy Writ) what <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ccount God makes of the praiers of oppre&s;|&s;ors, and all other profane and ungodly men: namely, that he doth hate them, and abhorre them as loath&s;ome and o|dious in his &s;ight.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now in conclu&s;ion, &s;hew us the cau&s;es of oppre&s;&s;ion.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;es are the&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cau&s;es of oppre&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ion.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Cruelty.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hard heartedne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>An evill con&s;cience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Divell.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us heare al&s;o the remedies.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The remedies be the&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Remedies of oppre&s;sion.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Pity.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contentation.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Tender affections.</ITEM>
<ITEM>A good con&s;cience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Much prayer.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now, Sir, you have at large ut|tered
<PB N="216" REF="122"> your mind concerning the&s;e gro&s;&s;e corruptions of the world, and have plain|ly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poy&s;on of the &s;oule: &s;o al&s;o, I pray you, &s;atisfie us in this, whether they be not hurtfull al&s;o to the body, goods, and name.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I have dwelt the longer in the&s;e common vices of the world, be|cau&s;e almo&s;t all &s;orts of men are &s;tain|ed with one or other of them: and therefore they can never be enough &s;poken again&s;t. For the whole world lyeth in them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 5.</NOTE> as Saint <HI>John</HI> te&s;tifi|eth. If men therefore could be reco|vered of the&s;e di&s;ea&s;es, no doubt there would be a ready pa&s;&s;age made for the abundance of grace; and wee &s;hould have a mo&s;t flouri&s;hing Church and Common-wealth: but as long as the&s;e doe lye in the way, there is &s;mall hope of greater mercies and ble&s;&s;ings to be poured upon us; or that ever we &s;hall come to have an inward conver&s;ation with God. For the&s;e vices blind our eyes, burthen our hearts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 5.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">5.</NOTE> and (as the Prophet <HI>Jere|my</HI> &s;aith) <HI>hinder good things from us.</HI> But touching your petition; I mu&s;t needs grant, that as the&s;e vices are the very bane of the &s;oule, and mo&s;t certaine &s;ignes of condemnation; &s;o are they very dangerous to the body, goods and name: yea and to the
<PB N="217" REF="122"> whole land, both Church and Com|mon-wealth.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew us out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Lord our God &s;aith, that if wee will not obey him, nor keep his commandements (but break his covenant) hee will appoint over us ha&s;tie plagues, con&s;umptions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Levi. 26.16.</NOTE> and the burning ague, to con&s;ume the eyes and to make the heart heavie. So al&s;o hee &s;aith, that if wee will not obey his voice, to ob&s;erve all his commandements and ordinances, that then hee will make the pe&s;tilence cleave unto us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 28.21.</NOTE> untill hee have con&s;u|med us: that hee will &s;mite us with the Feaver, with the botch of <HI>Egypt,</HI> with the Emrods, with the Scab, and with the Itch; that al&s;o hee will &s;mite us with madne&s;&s;e, and with blindne&s;&s;e, and with a&s;toni&s;hment of heart. So then you &s;ee what great evills the Lord threatens to inflict upon our bodies in this life, for the&s;e and &s;uch like &s;innes. But on the con|trary, the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 5 7.</NOTE> <HI>Feare God, and depart from evill: &s;o health &s;hall be to thy navell, and moi&s;ture to thy bones.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What evill do the&s;e forenamed &s;ins bring upon us in our goods and out|ward e&s;tate?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They cau&s;e God to cur&s;e us
<PB N="218" REF="123"> in all that wee &s;et hand unto, as plen|tifully appeareth in the forenamed chapter: where the Lord &s;aith thus, <HI>If thou wilt not obey the commande|ments of the Lord thy God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 38.</NOTE> <HI>cur&s;ed &s;halt thou be in the towne, cur&s;ed al&s;o in the field: cur&s;ed &s;hall be thy basket and thy &s;tore: cur&s;ed &s;hall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the increa&s;e of thy kine, and the flocks of thy &s;heep. Cur&s;ed &s;halt thou be when thou come&s;t in, and cur&s;ed al&s;o when thou goe&s;t out. The Lord &s;hall &s;end upon thee cur&s;ing, trouble and &s;hame, in all that thou &s;ette&s;t thy hand unto.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 27.</NOTE> And further he &s;aith, <HI>That he will breake the &s;taffe of their bread; that ten women &s;hall bake their bread in one oven, and they &s;hall deliver their bread againe by weight, and they &s;hall eat and not be &s;atisfied.</HI> You do therefore apparently &s;ee, that the&s;e &s;ins will draw down Gods wrath upon us, and all that we have.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What hurt do the&s;e &s;innes to our good name?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They bring reproach, &s;hame, and infamy upon us, and cau&s;e us to be abhorred and contemned of all good men. They do utterly blot out our good name. For as vertue makes men honourable and reverend: &s;o vice makes men vile and contempti|ble. This is &s;et downe, where the
<PB N="219" REF="123"> Lord threatens <HI>I&s;rael,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 197.</NOTE> that for their &s;innes and di&s;obedience hee will make them a proverb and common talke, yea, a reproach and a&s;toni&s;hment among all people.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 5.5.</NOTE> In &s;undry other places of the Prophets hee threatens, for their &s;ins, to make them a reproach, a &s;hame, an hi&s;&s;ing, and nodding of the head to all Nations.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do verily thus think, that as &s;inne generally doth &s;taine every mans good name, which all are chary and tender of: &s;o e&s;pecially it doth blot tho&s;e which are in high places, and of &s;peciall note for learning, wi&s;edome and godline&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken mo&s;t tru|ly, and agreeable to the Scriptures. For the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E cle&s;. 10.1.</NOTE> <HI>As a dead Flie cau&s;eth the Apothecaries oynt|ment to &s;tinke: &s;o doth a little folly, him that is in e&s;timation for wi&s;dome and for honour.</HI> Where <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;heweth, that if a Flie get into the Apothecaries box of oyntment, and die, and putrifie in it, &s;hee marreth it though it be never &s;o precious: even &s;o, if a little &s;in ge<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> into the heart, and breake out in the forehead of a man of great &s;inne for &s;ome &s;ingular gifts, it will blurre him, though hee be never &s;o excellent.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew me this, I pray you, more plainly.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="220" REF="124">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Wee ob&s;erve this, in oll ex|perience, that if a Noble-man be a good man, and have many excellent parts in him of curte&s;ie, patience, hu|mility, and love of Religion; yet if he be covetous, the common people will have their eye altogether upon that: and they will &s;ay, Such a Noble-man is a very good man but for one thing: hee is exceeding covetous, op|pre&s;&s;eth poore men, and dealeth hardly with his Tenants, keepeth no hou&s;e, doth little good in the Countrie where he dwelleth. And this is it that marreth all.</P>
<P>Moreover, let a Iudge, a Iu&s;tice, or a Magi&s;trate, be endued with ex|cellent gifts of prudence, policy, tem|perance, liberality, and knowledge in the low: yet if they be given to anger, or taking of bribes, oh how it will di&s;grace them among&s;t the people! for they will &s;ay, He is a worthy man indeed, but there is one thing in him that marreth all: hee is an exceeding angry and furious man, hee is as an|gry as a wa&s;pe, he will be in a pelting cha&s;e for every trifle: he will fret and fume, if you do but blow upon him. And be&s;ides this, hee is a very corrupt man: he is a great taker of bribes: hee loveth well to be bribed: hee will do a|ny thing for bribes.</P>
<P>Furthermore, if any Preacher be a
<PB N="221" REF="124"> man of great gifts, the common peo|ple will &s;ay of him: Oh, he is a wor|thy man indeed, an excellent Scho|lar, a profound Divine, a &s;ingular man in a Pulpit: but yet for all that, he hath a &s;hrewd touch which marreth all; he is an exceeding proud man: he is as proud as <HI>Lucifer.</HI> He hath very great gifts indeed, but I war|rant you he knoweth it well enough: For hee carrieth his cre&s;t very high, and looketh very &s;ternly and di&s;|dainfully upon all other men. He is unmea&s;urably puft up with over|weening, and thinketh that he touch|eth the clouds with his head. Thus therefore w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">re, how the dead Flies marre all, and how &s;ome one &s;inne doth di&s;grace a man that otherwi&s;e doth excell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What is the cau&s;e why &s;ome one &s;in doth &s;o blot and &s;mut the mo&s;t excel|lent men?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The rea&s;on hereof is, be|cau&s;e &s;uch men are as a candle &s;et up|on a candle&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">icke, or rather upon a &s;caffold or mountaine, for all men to behold and looke upon. And &s;ure it is, they have a thou&s;and eyes upon them every day; and that not onely gazing upon them, but al&s;o prying ve|ry narrowly unto them, to &s;py out the lea&s;t mote, that they may make a mountaine of it. For, as in a cleane
<PB N="222" REF="125"> white paper, one little &s;pot is &s;oone e|&s;pied; but in a piece of browne paper, twenty great blurs &s;cant di&s;cerned: even &s;o in Noble-men, Iudges, Ma|gi&s;trates, Iu&s;tices, Preachers and Profe&s;&s;ors, the lea&s;t &s;pot or &s;peck is &s;oone &s;eene into; but among the ba&s;er &s;ort, and mo&s;t gro&s;&s;e livers, almo&s;t no|thing is e&s;pied or regarded.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sith the eyes of all men are bent and fixed upon &s;uch men as are of &s;ome note, therefore they had need very heed|fully to look to their &s;teps, that they may take away all advantage from them that &s;eek it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily. And further|more, they had need to pray with <HI>Da|vid</HI> alwaies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.13.</NOTE> <HI>Direct my &s;teps, O Lord, in thy word; and let no iniquity have dominion over mee.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 41.12.</NOTE> And againe, <HI>Or|der my goings, that my foot-&s;teps &s;lip not: uphold mee in my integrity.</HI> For if &s;uch men be never &s;o little given to &s;wearing, to lying, to drinke, or to women, it is e&s;pied by and by: and therewithall their credit is cracked, their fame over-ca&s;t, their glory ecclip|&s;ed, and the date of their good name pre&s;ently expired.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now as you have &s;hewed what great hurt the&s;e &s;ins doe bring upon our &s;oules, bodies, goods and name: &s;o al&s;o, I pray you, &s;hew what danger they bring upon the whole Land.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="223" REF="125">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e, they pull downe the wrath of God upon us all, and give him ju&s;t cau&s;e to break all in pieces, and utterly to &s;ubvert and o|verthrow the good e&s;tate both of Church and Common-wealth; yea, to make a finall con&s;umption and de&s;o|lation of all. For they be the very fire-brands of Gods wrath, and, as it were, touch-wood to kindle his an|ger and indignation upon us. For the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 6.</NOTE> <HI>For &s;uch things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of di&s;obedience.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Declare unto us out of the Scrip|tures, how the Lord in former times hath puni&s;hed whole nations and King|domes for the&s;e and &s;uch like &s;ins.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In the fourth of <HI>Ho&s;ea,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 4.1.</NOTE> the Lord telleth his people, that hee <HI>hath a controver&s;ie with the Inhabitants of the Land:</HI> (and the rea&s;on is added) <HI>becau&s;e there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the Land. By &s;wearing, lying, killing, &s;tealing, and whoring, they breake out, and bloud toucheth bloud. Therefore &s;hall the Land mourn: and every one that dwel|leth therein &s;hall be cut off.</HI></P>
<P>Here then wee &s;ee what it is that will incen&s;e God again&s;t us, and cau&s;e us all to mourne. So likewi&s;e the Lord threatneth by his Prophet <HI>A|mos,</HI> that for the cruelty and oppre&s;|&s;ion
<PB N="224" REF="126"> of the poore, he would plague the whole Land.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 3.8.</NOTE> <HI>Shall not the Land trem|ble for this</HI> (&s;aith the Lord) <HI>and every one mourne that dwells therein?</HI></P>
<P>Againe, the Lord &s;aith by the Pro|phet <HI>Jeremy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 7.19, 1.</NOTE> <HI>Doe they provoke mee to anger, and not them&s;elves, to the con|fu&s;ion of their owne faces? Therefore thus &s;aith the Lord, Behold, mine an|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">r and my wrath &s;hall be poured upon this place, upon man and bea&s;t, upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground: and it &s;hall burne, and not be quenched.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.5.</NOTE>Againe, the Lord &s;aith; <HI>If yee will not heare the&s;e words, I &s;weare by my &s;elfe (&s;aith the Lord) that this hou&s;e &s;hall be wa&s;te, and I will prepare de|&s;troyers again&s;t thee, every one with his weapons, and they &s;hall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar-trees, and ca&s;t them into the fire.</HI></P>
<P>Likewi&s;e the Lord threatneth by his Prophet <HI>Ezekiel,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 5.7.</NOTE> &s;aying: <HI>Be|cau&s;e you have not walked in my Sta|tutes, nor kept my Judgements: there|fore behold, I, even I, come again&s;t thee, and will execute judgement in the mid&s;t of thee, even in the &s;ight of the Nations: and I will doe in thee that I never did before, neither will I doe any more the like, becau&s;e of all thine abominations. For in the mid&s;t of thee, the fathers &s;hall eat their &s;ons,
<PB N="225" REF="126"> and the &s;ons &s;hall eat their fathers.</HI> A|gaine, by the &s;ame Prophet the Lord &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 7.23, 27.</NOTE> <HI>The Land is full of the Judge|ment of bloud, and the Citie full of cru|eltie. Wherefore I will bring the mo&s;t wicked of the Heathen, and they &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e their hou&s;es. I will al&s;o make the pompe of the mighty to cea&s;e, and the holy places &s;hall be defiled. When de&s;truction cometh, they &s;hall &s;eeke peace, and not have it. Calamity &s;hall come upon calamity, and rumour upon rumour. Then &s;hall they &s;eek a vi&s;ion of the Prophet: but the Law &s;hall pe|ri&s;h from the Prie&s;t, and coun&s;ell from the Ancient. The King &s;hall mourne, and the Prince &s;hall be clothed with de&s;olation, and the hands of the peo|ple in the Land &s;hall be troubled. I will do unto them according unto their waies, and according unto their judge|ment I will judge them: and they &s;hall know, that I am the Lord.</HI> La&s;t of all, the Lord &s;aith by his Prophet <HI>Jeremy, Heare, O earth: Behold,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 4.19.</NOTE> <HI>I will cau&s;e a plague to come upon this people, even the fruit of their owne imaginations, becau&s;e they have not taken heed to my words and to my Law, but ca&s;t it off.</HI></P>
<P>Almo&s;t innumerable places to this purpo&s;e are to be found in the wri|tings of the Prophets: but the<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> may &s;uffice to prove the maine point;
<PB N="226" REF="127"> to wit, that the ju&s;t God doth puni&s;h whole nations and kingdomes for the &s;ins and rebellions thereof.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sith all the&s;e &s;ins (for the which the Lord did execute &s;uch univer&s;all puni&s;hments upon his owne people) doe abound and over-flow in the Land, may wee not ju&s;tly feare &s;ome great plague to fall upon us? And the rather, becau&s;e our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions doe increa&s;e daily, and grow to a full height and ripe|ne&s;&s;e; &s;o as it &s;eems, the harve&s;t of Gods vengeance draweth neere, and approach|eth?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>We may indeed ju&s;tly feare and tremble. For if God &s;pared not the Angels that &s;inned, how &s;hall hee &s;pare us? If he &s;pared not his owne people, what can we looke for? If he &s;pared not the naturall branches, how &s;hall hee &s;pare us that are wilde by nature? Are we better then they? Can we looke to be &s;pared, when they are puni&s;hed? Are not our &s;innes as many, and as great as theirs? Doth not the &s;ame cau&s;e bring forth the &s;ame effect? Is the Arme of the Lord &s;hortned? Or is not God the &s;ame ju&s;t God to puni&s;h &s;in now, that hee was then? Yes, yes a&s;&s;uredly. And therefore we have great cau&s;e to mourne and lament, to quake and tremble, becau&s;e there is a naked &s;word of vengeance hanging over our
<PB N="227" REF="127"> heads. Thus did <HI>Jeremy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 4.19. Amos 5.6. Hab. 3.16.</NOTE> thus did <HI>Amos,</HI> thus did <HI>Habakkuk,</HI> when they plainly &s;aw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I thinke wee may the rather doubt and feare, becau&s;e the puni&s;h|ment of the&s;e fore-named vices is neg|lected by the Magi&s;trate. For com|monly when they that beare the &s;word of Ju&s;tice, doe not draw it out to puni&s;h notorious offendors and malefactors, the Lord him&s;elfe will take the matter into his owne hands, and be revenged in his owne per&s;on: which is mo&s;t dreadfull and dangerous. For,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">H<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">b. 10.3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken a truth: For if tho&s;e which are Gods Depu|ties and Vicegerents in the earth, doe their duties faithfully in puni&s;hing vice, and maintaining vertue; in &s;mi|ting the wicked, and favouring the godly: then a&s;&s;uredly evill &s;hall be taken out of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> Gods wrath pre|vented, and his judgements inter|cepted: as it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 109.32.</NOTE> <HI>Phineas</HI> &s;tood up and executed judgement, and the plague was &s;tayed. But if they (for feare, favour, affection, gaine, flatte|rie, bribery, or any other &s;ini&s;ter re|&s;pect) will be too &s;paring and remi&s;&s;e in puni&s;hing of gro&s;&s;e offenders, and
<PB N="228" REF="128"> be rather ready to &s;mite the righteous; then doe they exceedingly provoke Gods wrath again&s;t the Land, and a|gain&s;t them&s;elves.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>One thing I do greatly lament: that there be either none at all, or very &s;lender cen&s;ures, either by the Civill, or Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall authority, for divers of the&s;e fore-named vices: as pride, cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e, oppre&s;&s;ion, lying, idlene&s;&s;e, &s;wearing, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is a thing to be lamented indeed. For where doe we &s;ee a proud man puni&s;hed, a covetous man pu|ni&s;hed, an oppre&s;&s;or puni&s;hed, a &s;wearer puni&s;hed, a lyer puni&s;hed, an idle per&s;on puni&s;hed? Now, becau&s;e they know they cannot, or &s;hall not be puni&s;hed, therefore they are altogether hardened, and imboldened in their &s;ins, as the Wi&s;e man &s;aith: <HI>Becau&s;e &s;entence again&s;t an evill worke is not executed &s;peedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully &s;et in them to do evill.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>One thing I doe much mu&s;e at, wherein al&s;o I de&s;ire to be further &s;ati&s;|fied, <HI>viz.</HI> what is the cau&s;e, that under &s;o godly a Prince, &s;o many good lawes, and &s;o much good preaching and teach|ing, there &s;hould notwith&s;tanding be &s;uch an exce&s;&s;e and over-flowing of &s;in in all e&s;tates?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;es hereof are di|vers
<PB N="229" REF="128"> and manifold. But I will no|minate foure e&s;peciall ones in my judgement: The fir&s;t is, mans natu|rall corruption; which is &s;o &s;trong, as almo&s;t nothing can bridle it. The &s;e|cond is, ill pre&s;idents, and externall provocations to evill. The third is, the want of teaching in many congre|gations in the Land: by rea&s;on whereof, many know not &s;in to be &s;in. The la&s;t rea&s;on is, the corruption and negligence of &s;ome &s;uch as are in au|thority.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Doth nor this inundation and over-flowing of &s;in, with the impunity of the &s;ame, progno&s;ticate great wrath again&s;t us?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes undoubtedly, as it hath in part been &s;hewed before. And there be divers other pre&s;ages of wrath, though not of the &s;ame kind: which are the&s;e;
<LIST>
<ITEM>Vnthankfulne&s;&s;e for the Go&s;pel.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nine pre|dictions, or &s;ore-&s;ignes of wrath.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>The abu&s;e of our long peace.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our &s;ecret Idolatries.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our generall &s;ecurity.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our ripene&s;&s;e in all &s;in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our abu&s;e of Gods mercy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our abu&s;e of his long patience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The coldne&s;&s;e of Profe&s;&s;ors.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Our not profiting by former judgements: as pe&s;tilence, fa|mine, death, and the &s;haking of the &s;word.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<PB N="230" REF="129">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This la&s;t I take to be a &s;peciall token of approaching vengeance: that wee have not profited by former warn|ings.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed. For it is an ordinary thing with GOD, when men will not profit by milde correcti|ons, and common puni&s;hments, then to lay greater upon them. And when a former trouble doth us no good, we are to feare a finall con&s;uming trou|ble. For &s;o we reade in the Prophecy of <HI>Ho&s;ea,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 3.12.</NOTE> that at the fir&s;t <HI>God was to Ephraim as a moth, and to Judah as rottenne&s;&s;e:</HI> but afterward, when as they profited not by it, he was to <HI>E|phraim as a Lion, and to Judah as a Lions whelp.</HI> So the Lord &s;aith in another place, that if they will not come in, and yeeld obedience at the fir&s;t call of his wrath, then <HI>he will pu|ni&s;h them &s;even times more:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 26.18.</NOTE> but if they continue in their &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e, then hee threatneth to bring <HI>&s;even times more plagues upon them,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 21.</NOTE> <HI>accor|ding to their &s;ins.</HI> If by all the&s;e they would not be reformed, but walke &s;tubbornly again&s;t him, then hee threatneth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 24.</NOTE> <HI>yet &s;even times more for their &s;innes:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 28.</NOTE> and the fourth time, <HI>yet &s;even times more.</HI> The proofe hereof we have in the booke of the Iudges: where wee reade how the people of I&s;rael for their &s;ins were in &s;ubjection
<PB N="231" REF="129"> to the King of <HI>Aram Naharaim</HI> eight yeares: afterward,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 3.8.</NOTE> becau&s;e they pro|fited nothing by it, but returned to their old &s;innes; therefore they &s;erved <HI>Eglon</HI> King of <HI>Moab</HI> eighteen yeares.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 3.</NOTE> After that againe, for their new &s;innes and provocations, the Lord gave them up into the hands of <HI>Midian</HI> &s;even yeares. After all this,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 6.1.</NOTE> for the renew|ing of their &s;ins, the Lord &s;old them into the hands of the <HI>Phili&s;tims</HI> and the <HI>Ammonites,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 10.7.</NOTE> which did grievou&s;ly vexe and oppre&s;&s;e them for the &s;pace of eighteen yeares. La&s;t of all wee reade, that when neither famine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 103.3.</NOTE> nor pe&s;tilence could cau&s;e them to returne unto him, then he delivered them up to the &s;word of their enemies, and held them in bondage and captivity three|&s;core and ten yeares. After all this, when they were delivered out of cap|tivity, and returned home &s;afely to their owne Nation, and enjoyed &s;ome good time of peace and re&s;t, yet at la&s;t they fell to the renewing of their &s;ins: and therefore the Lord plagued them mo&s;t grievou&s;ly, by the divided Greeke Empire, even <HI>Magog</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Se|leuciae</HI> and <HI>Lagidae,</HI> and that by the &s;pace almo&s;t of three hundred yeares. And this is it that the Prophet <HI>Ho|&s;ea</HI> did fore-tell,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 3.4.</NOTE> that <HI>the children of I&s;rael &s;hould remaine many dayes with|out a King, and without a Prince, with|out
<PB N="232" REF="130"> an Offering, and without an Image, without an Ephod, and without a Tera|phim.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have very largely laid open this la&s;t token of vengeance: to wit, that God at the fir&s;t doth but beat us upon the coat, but if wee continue in &s;inne, he will whip us on the bare skin: and if men will not yeeld at the fir&s;t gentle &s;trokes, then hee will &s;trike har|der and harder, till hee have broken our &s;tout &s;tomackes, and made out great hearts come downe. Therefore it is good yeelding at the fir&s;t: for wee &s;hall get nothing by our &s;turdine&s;&s;e a|gain&s;t him. Wee doe but cau&s;e him to double his &s;trokes, and &s;trike us both &s;ide-long and over-thwart: for hee can|not endure that wee &s;hould gruntle a|gain&s;t him with &s;tubborne &s;ullenne&s;&s;e. But now to the point. Sith there are &s;o many pre&s;ages and fore-&s;ignes of Gods wrath, I pray you &s;hew what it is that &s;tayeth the execution and very down|fall of the &s;ame.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The prayers and teares of the faithfull are the &s;peciall meanes that &s;tay the hand of God from &s;trik|ing of us. For the prayers of the righteous are of great force with him: even able to doe all things. S. <HI>James</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5.11.</NOTE> that <HI>the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, if it be fervent:</HI> and bringeth the example of <HI>Elias</HI> to prove
<PB N="233" REF="130"> it. For, &s;aith he, <HI>Though Elias was a man &s;ubject to the like pa&s;&s;ions that wee be, yet was hee able by his prayers both to open and &s;hut the heavens.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 18.</NOTE> <HI>Abra|ham</HI> likewi&s;e prevailed &s;o farre with God by his prayers for <HI>Sodome,</HI> that if there had been but ten ju&s;t men found in it, it had been &s;pared. The Al|mighty God &s;aith by his Prophet, <HI>Though Mo&s;es and Samuel &s;tood before mee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 15.1.</NOTE> <HI>yet mine affection could not be toward this people.</HI> Which doth plain|ly &s;hew, that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Samu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">l</HI> might have done much with him, had he not been &s;o fully bent again&s;t his people for their &s;ins as he was. So likewi&s;e hee &s;aith in the Prophecie of <HI>Ezekiel,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 14.14.</NOTE> <HI>Though the&s;e three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were among&s;t them, they &s;hould deliver but their owne &s;oules by their righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> Which al&s;o &s;heweth, that if there had been any po&s;&s;ible en|treating of him for the Land, the&s;e three men might have done it: but now hee was re&s;olutely determined to the contrary. In re&s;pect therefore that the zealous Preachers, and true Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel doe &s;o much prevaile with God by their prayers, they are &s;aid to be the defence and &s;trength of Kingdoms and Countries, of Churches and Common-wealths: as it is &s;aid of <HI>Eliah,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 2.12.</NOTE> that hee was the Chariot of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and the Hor&s;e|men
<PB N="234" REF="131"> thereof,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin. 6.17.</NOTE> <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> al&s;o was enviro|ned with a mountaine full of hor&s;es, and chariots of fire. And &s;ure it is, that <HI>Eliah</HI> and <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> are not onely the Chariots and Hor&s;emen of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but al&s;o by their prayers they doe cau&s;e God him&s;elfe to be a wall of fire round about it: as the Lord &s;aith by his Prophet;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 22 30.</NOTE> <HI>I &s;ought for a man a|mong them, that &s;hould make up the hedge, and &s;tand in the gap before mee for the Land; that I might not de&s;troy it: but I found none.</HI> Which &s;heweth, that if there had been but &s;ome few to have &s;tood in the breach, hee would have &s;pared the whole Land. This al|&s;o appeareth more plainly in the Pro|phecie of <HI>Jeremy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 5.</NOTE> where the Lord &s;aith thus: <HI>Run to and fro by the &s;treets of Jeru&s;alem; behold and enquire in the open places thereof, if yee can find a man, or if there be any that executeth Judgement, and &s;eeketh the truth: and I will &s;pare it.</HI> Oh then marke and con&s;ider, what a man may doe: yea, what one man may doe: what an <HI>Abraham</HI> may doe: what a <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> may doe: what an <HI>Eliah</HI> may doe: what a <HI>Daniel,</HI> what a <HI>Samuel,</HI> what a <HI>Job,</HI> what a <HI>Noah</HI> may do! Some one man (by rea&s;on of his high favour with the Eternall) is able &s;ometimes to doe more for a Land by his prayers and teares, then many prudent men
<PB N="235" REF="131"> by their coun&s;ell, or valiant men by their &s;words. Yea, it doth evidently appeare (in the &s;acred Volumne of the holy Gho&s;t) that &s;ome one poore Preacher, being full of the Spirit and Power of <HI>Eliah,</HI> doth more in his Study (either for offence, or de|fence: either for the turning away of wrath, or the procuring of mercy) then a camp royall, even forty thou|&s;and &s;trong: yea (as the Spirit &s;peak|eth) <HI>Though they all have their &s;words girded to their thighs,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 3.7.</NOTE> <HI>and bee of the mo&s;t valiant men in I&s;rael.</HI> And this is cleerly proved in one ver&s;e of the booke of P&s;almes, where the Pro|phet, having reckoned up the &s;innes of the people, addeth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 106.23.</NOTE> <HI>Therefore the Lord minded to de&s;troy them, had not Mo&s;es (his cho&s;en) &s;tood in the breach, to turne away his wrath, le&s;t hee &s;hould de&s;troy them.</HI> See therefore what one man may doe with God. Some one man doth &s;o bind the hands of God, that when he would &s;trike, he hath no power to doe it: as it is &s;aid of <HI>Lot,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 29.30.</NOTE> <HI>I can doe nothing till thou be come out.</HI> See how the Lord &s;aith, <HI>hee can doe nothing,</HI> becau&s;e hee will doe nothing: Hee doth wittingly and willingly &s;uffer his hands to be ma|nacled and bound behind him, for &s;ome fewes &s;ake, which he doth make more account of then all the world
<PB N="236" REF="132"> be&s;ides; &s;o precious and deare are they in his &s;ight. Likewi&s;e it is writ|ten, that the Lord was exceedingly incen&s;ed again&s;t the I&s;raelites for their Idolatrous Calfe which they made in <HI>Horch:</HI> yet hee could doe no|thing, becau&s;e <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> would not let him. And therefore he falleth to en|treating of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> would let him alone, and entreat no more for them. <HI>Oh</HI> (&s;aith the Lord to <HI>Mo&s;es) let mee alone,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 32.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>that my wrath may wax hot again&s;t this people, and that I may con&s;ume them.</HI> Thus we &s;ee, that except <HI>Lo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> goe out of the City, and <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> let him alone, he can doe no|thing. O the profoundne&s;&s;e and alti|tude of Gods mercy toward man|kind! O the height and depth, length and breadth of his love toward &s;ome! O that the mo&s;t glorious and invi|&s;ible God &s;hould &s;o greatly re&s;pect the &s;ons of men! For what is man, that he &s;hould be mindfull of him; or the &s;on of man, that he &s;hould regard him? Let us therefore that are the Lords Remembrancers, give him no re&s;t, nor let him alone, untill we have &s;ome &s;ecurity and good a&s;&s;urance from him, that he will turne away from us the wrath which we mo&s;t ju&s;tly have de&s;erved; that he will &s;pare us, and be mercifull unto us. Yea, as the Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 62.7.</NOTE> <HI>Let us never leave him,
<PB N="237" REF="132"> nor give him over, till hee repaire and &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t up Jeru&s;alem the prai&s;e of the world:</HI> le&s;t for default hereof, that be charged upon us, which was charged upon the head of &s;ome of the Prophets in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that they were like the foxes in the wa&s;te places, that they had not ri&s;en up in the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ez<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">k. 13.4, 5</NOTE> For now adaies (alas) wee have many hedge-breakers, few hedge-makers; many openers of gaps, few &s;toppers; many makers of breaches, to let in the flouds of Gods wrath upon us, but very few, that by true repentance go about to make up the breach, and to let downe the &s;luces, that the gu&s;h|ing &s;treames of Gods vengeance may be &s;lopt and &s;tayed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do now plainly &s;ee, that there be &s;ome in high favour with God, and, as wee &s;ay, greatly in his books: <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">th his love is &s;o great unto them, that for their &s;ake he &s;pareth thou&s;ands.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is written in the Pro|verbs of <HI>Solomon,</HI> that the righteous in a land are the e&s;tabli&s;hment of the Kings throne; and the wicked the overthrowing of the &s;ame. The words are the&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 25.4.</NOTE> <HI>Take away the dro&s;&s;e from the &s;ilver, and there will proceed a ve&s;&s;ell for the finer. Take away the wicked from the King, and his Throne &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI>
<PB N="238" REF="133"> Likewi&s;e in another place the wi&s;e|man affirmeth that the righteous are the &s;trength and bulwarks of Cittes, Townes, and Corporations: but the wicked are the weakening and undo|ing of all.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 27.8.</NOTE> <HI>Scornfull men</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>&s;et a City on fire, but the wi&s;e turne a|way wrath.</HI> To this purpo&s;e mo&s;t ex|cellent is that &s;aying of <HI>Eliphas</HI> in <HI>Job,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 21.30.</NOTE> <HI>The innocent &s;hall deliver the I|land, and it &s;hall be pre&s;erved by the purene&s;&s;e of their hands.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chro. 11.14, 16, 17.</NOTE> Wee read in the booke of the <HI>Chronicles,</HI> that when the Levites and the Prie&s;ts were ca&s;t out by <HI>Jeroboam,</HI> they came to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and all &s;uch as &s;et their hearts to &s;eeke the Lord God of <HI>I&s;|rael</HI> came with them. And then after|ward it is &s;aid, they &s;trengthened the Kingdome of <HI>Juda,</HI> and made <HI>Rehobo|am</HI> the &s;onne of <HI>Solomon</HI> mighty. By all the&s;e te&s;timonies it is evident, that Princes, Kingdomes, Cities, Towns, and Villages, are fortified by the righteous therein: and for their &s;akes al&s;o great plagues are kept back. Which thing one of the Heathen did well &s;ee into; as appeareth by his words, which are the&s;e; <HI>When God meaneth well to a City, and will doe it good, then hee rai&s;eth up good men: but when hee meaneth to puni&s;h a City or a Country, and do ill unto it, then he taketh away the good men from it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="239" REF="133">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It is very manife&s;t, by all that you have alledged, that the wicked fare the better, every day in the yeare, for the righteous that dwell among&s;t them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>All experience doth teach it, and the Scriptures do plentifully a|vouch it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ge<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 30.2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> For did not churli&s;h <HI>Laban</HI> fare the better for <HI>Jacob</HI> his kin&s;man? Doth hee not acknowledge that the Lord had ble&s;&s;ed him for his &s;ake? Did not <HI>Potiphar</HI> fare the better for godly <HI>Jo&s;eph?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 39.5.</NOTE> Doth not the Scrip|ture &s;ay, that the Lord ble&s;&s;ed the E|gyptians hou&s;e for <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> his &s;ake? and thee the Lord made all that hee did to pro&s;per in his hand?<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 6.1.</NOTE> Did not <HI>Obed-Edom</HI> fare the better for the Arke?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 27.24.</NOTE> Did not the &s;eventy and &s;ixe &s;oules that were in the &s;hip with <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peed all the better for his &s;ake? Did not the Angell of God tell him in the night, that God had given unto him all that &s;ailed with him? for o|therwi&s;e a thou&s;and to one they had beene all drowned. Therefore the children of God may very fitly bee compared to a great piece of corke, which though it be ca&s;t into the &s;ea having many nailes fa&s;tned in it, yet it beareth them all up from &s;inking, which otherwi&s;e would &s;ink of them|&s;elves. What &s;hall we &s;ay then, or what &s;hall wee conclude, but that the
<PB N="240" REF="134"> ungodly are more beholden to the righ|teous than they are aware of.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do thinke if it were not for Gods children, it would goe hard with the wicked. For if they were &s;orted and &s;hoaled out from among&s;t them, and placed by them&s;elves, what could they looke for but wrath upon wrath, and plague upon plague, till the Lord had made a finall con&s;umption, and &s;wept them like dung from the face of the ca<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Sure it is, all creatures would frowne upon them. The Sun would unwillingly &s;hine upon them, or the Moone give them any light. The &s;tarres would not be &s;eene of them, and the Planets would hide them&s;elves. The bea&s;ts would de|voure them. The fowles would pick out their eyes. The fi&s;hes would make warre again&s;t them, and all creatures in heaven and earth would ri&s;e up in armes again&s;t them. Yea, the Lord him&s;elfe from heaven would raine downe fire and brim&s;tone upon them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all this, it is a wonder to con&s;ider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous, and almo&s;t in every thing oppo&s;e them&s;elves again&s;t them and that in mo&s;t vivulent and &s;pitefull manner. They ruile and &s;lander, &s;eoffe and &s;corne, mock and mow at them, as
<PB N="241" REF="134"> though they were not worthy to live upon the earth. They e&s;teeme every pelting ra&s;call, and preferre every vile varlet before them. And though they have their lives and liberty, their breath and &s;afety, and all that they have el&s;e by them, yet for all that they could be content to eat their heart with gar|lick: &s;o great, &s;o fiery, &s;o burning and hi&s;&s;ing hot is their fury and malice a|gain&s;t them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They may very fitly be com|pared to a Moth that fretteth in pie|ces the &s;ame cloth wherein &s;he is bred: or to a certaine worme or canker, that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the tree that nouri&s;heth her: or unto a man that &s;tandeth upon a bough in the top of a tree where there is no more, and yet with an axe choppeth to off, and therewithall falleth down with it, and breaketh his neck. Even &s;o the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop a&s;under the bough that up|holds them, but they may know ea&s;ily what will follow.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I &s;ee plainly they be much their owne foes, and &s;tand in their owne light, and indeed know not what they doe. For the benefit which they receive by &s;uch is exceeding great; and therefore by their maligning of them, they doe but hold the &s;tirrup to their owne de|&s;truction.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="242" REF="135">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now to apply the&s;e things to our (&s;elves, and to returne to the fir&s;t que&s;tion of this argument: may we not marvell that our Nation is &s;o long &s;pared, con&s;idering that the &s;ins thereof are &s;o horrible and outrageous as they be?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>We may ju&s;tly marvell at the wonderfull patience of God: and wee may well thinke that there be &s;ome in the land which &s;tand in the breach, be|ing in no &s;mall favour with his High|ne&s;&s;e, &s;ith they doe much prevaile.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The mercifull pre&s;ervation of our mo&s;t gratious King, who is the breath of our no&s;trils, the long continuance of our peace, and of the Go&s;pell, the keeping back of the &s;word out of the land, which our &s;ins pull upon us, the fru&s;trating of many plots and &s;ubtill devices which have beene often invented again&s;t our State, yea, and the life of his Maje|&s;ties mo&s;t royall per&s;on, make me to thinke that there be &s;ome &s;trong plea|ders with God for the publike good of us all.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You may well thinke &s;o indeed: for by our &s;ins wee have forfeited (and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King, our Country, our Peace, our Go&s;pell, our lives, our goods, our lands, our livings, our wives, our children, and all that we have: but only the righ|teous
<PB N="243" REF="135"> (which are &s;o neere about the King, and in &s;o high favour) doe &s;tep in, and earne&s;tly intreat for us, that the forfeitures may be relea&s;ed, and that we may have lea&s;e (in parley) of them all againe, or at lea&s;t a grant of further time. But, I pray you Sir, are not wee to attribute &s;omething concerning our good e&s;tate to the policie of the Land, the Lawes e&s;tabli&s;hed, and the wi&s;dome and coun&s;ell of our prudent Gover|nours?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes a&s;&s;uredly, very much, as the ordinary and outward meanes which God u&s;eth for our &s;afety. For though the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> had a grant from God for the &s;afety of his owne life, and all that were with him in the &s;hip, yet he &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 28.31.</NOTE> <HI>Except the Mari|ners abide in the &s;hip, wee cannot be &s;afe.</HI> Shewing thereby, that unto faith and prayers the be&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t meanes mu&s;t be joyned. We are there|fore upon our knees every day to give thankes unto God for &s;uch good meanes of our &s;afety as hee hath gi|ven us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well then, as the prayers of the righteous have been hitherto great meanes both for the hindering and turning away of wrath, and the conti|nuance of favour; &s;o &s;hew, I pray you, what is the be&s;t cour&s;e to be taken, and what in &s;ound wi&s;dome is to be done,
<PB N="244" REF="136"> both to prevent future dangers, and to continue Gods favours and mercies &s;till upon us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The be&s;t and &s;ure&s;t cour&s;e that I can con&s;ider or conceive of, is, to repent heartily for &s;ins pa&s;t, and to reforme our lives in time to come, to &s;eek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is neer, to for&s;ake our owne wayes, and our owne imaginations, and to turn unto him with all our hearts, with weep|ing, with fa&s;ting, and with mourn|ing, as the Prophet <HI>Joel, chap. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> advi|&s;eth. <HI>For our God is gracious and mercifull, &s;low to anger, and of great kindne&s;&s;e, and repenteth him of the e|vill.</HI> All the Prophets doe coun&s;ell us to follow this cour&s;e, and doe plainly teach, that if we all (from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t) doe meet the Lord with unfeigned repentance, and offer him the &s;acrifice of a contrite &s;pi|rit, undoubtedly hee will be pacified towards us, and be mercifull to our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions. This is mo&s;t plainly &s;et downe in the &s;eventh Chapter of <HI>Jeremy,</HI> where the Lord &s;aith thus to his people,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">er. 7.</NOTE> <HI>If you amend and redre&s;&s;e your wayes, and your workes: If you ex|ecute judgement betwixt a man and his neighbour, and oppre&s;&s;e not the &s;tran|ger, the fatherle&s;&s;e, and the widow, and &s;hed no innocent bloud in this place,
<PB N="245" REF="136"> neither walke after other gods, to your de&s;truction; then will I let you dwell in this place, even in the Land which I gave unto your fathers for ever and ever.</HI> So likewi&s;e he &s;aith by the &s;ame Prophet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 22.5.</NOTE> <HI>Execute yee judgement and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and deliver the oppre&s;|&s;ed from the hand of the oppre&s;&s;or, and vexe not the fatherle&s;&s;e, the widow, or the &s;trangers: doe no violence, nor &s;hed innocent bloud in this place. For if you doe this thing, then &s;hall the King, &s;itting upon the Throne of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> enter in by the gates of this hou&s;e, and ride upon chariots, and upon hor|&s;es, both hee and his &s;eruants, and his people.</HI> And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 3.22.</NOTE> <HI>O ye di&s;obedient children, returne, and I will heale your rebellion.</HI> The Lord al&s;o &s;aith by his Prophet <HI>E&s;ay, If yee con&s;ent and obey,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 1.19.</NOTE> <HI>yee &s;hall eat the good things of the Land: but if yee refu&s;e, and be rebel|lious, yee &s;hall be devoured with the &s;word. For the mouth of the Lord hath &s;poken it.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1.</NOTE> The Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Come, let us returne to the Lord for he hath &s;poiled, and, he will heale us: hee hath wounded us, and hee will bind us up.</HI> And againe, <HI>O I&s;rael,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 13.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> <HI>returne unto the Lord (for thou ha&s;t fallen by thine iniquity) and I will heale thy rebellion and will love thee freely: for <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="4 letters">ed away from thee. I will be as the dew unto
<PB N="246" REF="137"> I&s;rael: hee &s;hall grow as the Lilly, and fa&s;ten his root as the trees of Lebanon. His branches &s;hall &s;pread, and his beauty &s;hall be as the Olive tree, and his &s;mell as Lebanon.</HI></P>
<P>The Prophet <HI>Micah</HI> telleth us what is good for us, and what is our be&s;t cour&s;e, and what the Lord requi|reth at our hands; namely, the&s;e foure things,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah 6.8.</NOTE> <HI>To doe ju&s;tly, to love mercy, to humble our &s;elves, and to walke with our God.</HI> The Prophet <HI>Amos</HI> giveth the &s;ame coun&s;ell, &s;aying, <HI>Seeke the Lord,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> 5.38.</NOTE> <HI>and ye &s;hall live. Seeke good, and not evill. Hate the evill, and love the good, and e&s;tabli&s;h judgement in the gate. It may be that the Lord of Ho&s;ts will be mercifull unto the rem|nant of Jo&s;eph.</HI> And the Lord him|&s;elfe &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 16.8.</NOTE> <HI>If this Nation, again&s;t whom I have pronounced, turne from their wickedne&s;&s;e, I will repent of the plague I thought to bring upon them.</HI> Thus we doe plainly &s;ee what advice and coun&s;ell the Prophets and holy men of God doe give unto us. The &s;umme of all is this, that if wee doe truly repent, and turne unto him with all our hearts (&s;tudying to obey him, and walke in his wayes) then he will grant us any favour that wee will require at his hands. For even as a wooll-pack, or other &s;oft matter, beateth backe, and dampeth the force
<PB N="247" REF="137"> of all &s;hot; &s;o penitent, melting, and &s;oft hearts doe beat backe the &s;hot of Gods wrath, and turne away his vengeance from us. Moreover, wee may ob&s;erve, in all experience, that when Potentates are offended, or any great man hath conceived a di&s;plea|&s;ure again&s;t &s;ome poore man, then he mu&s;t runne and ride, &s;end pre&s;ents, u&s;e his friends, breake his &s;leep, and never be quiet untill hee have pacified him: Even &s;o mu&s;t wee deale with our God, &s;eeing hee hath taken a di&s;plea|&s;ure again&s;t us. O therefore that wee would &s;peedily u&s;e all po&s;&s;ible meanes to pacifie his wrath! Oh that wee would with one heart and voice, eve|ry one of us (from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t) humble our &s;elves before our God, for&s;ake our former evill wayes, be grieved for that wee have done, and purpo&s;e never to doe the like againe! Oh that it might goe to the hearts of us, that wee have &s;o often and &s;o grie|vou&s;ly offended &s;o loving a God, and &s;o mercifull a Father! Oh that wee would awake once at la&s;t, and row&s;e up our drow&s;ie hearts, and ran&s;acke our &s;leepie con&s;ciences, crying out a|gain&s;t our &s;innes, that our &s;ins might never cry out again&s;t us! Oh that wee would judge our &s;elves, accu&s;e our &s;elves, indite our &s;elves, and condemne our &s;elves! &s;o &s;hould wee
<PB N="248" REF="138">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="249" REF="138">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="248" REF="139"> never be adjudged, accu&s;ed, endited, or condemned of the Lord. Oh that all hearts might &s;ob, all &s;oules might &s;igh, all loines might be &s;mitten with &s;or|row, all faces gather blackne&s;&s;e, and every man &s;mite him&s;elfe on the thigh, &s;aying, What have I done? Oh that both Magi&s;tracy, Mini&s;try, and Com|monalty, would purpo&s;e and vow, and even take a bond of them&s;elves, that from henceforth, and from this day forward, they would &s;et their hearts to &s;eeke the Lord, and wholly give up them&s;elves to his obedience! Oh that all men, women, and children would feare God, and keep his Commande|ments; would e&s;chew evill, and doe good; would &s;tudy to plea&s;e God in all things, and to be fruitfull in all good workes, making con&s;cience to perform the duties of their generall callings, and duties of their &s;peciall callings; duties of the fir&s;t Table, and duties of the &s;econd Table: that &s;o God might be &s;incerely wor&s;hipped, his Name truly reverenced, his Sabbaths re|ligiou&s;ly ob&s;erved: and that every man would deale kindly, mercifully, ju&s;tly, and uprightly with his neighbour, that there might be no complaining, no crying in our &s;treets! Oh, I &s;ay againe and againe, that if all of us, of what e&s;tate, degree, or condition &s;oever, would walke in the paths of
<PB N="249" REF="139"> our God, then doubtle&s;&s;e wee &s;hould live and &s;ee good dayes, all future dan|gers &s;hould be prevented, our peace prolonged, our &s;tate e&s;tabli&s;hed, our King pre&s;erved, and the Go&s;pel con|tinued. Then &s;hould wee &s;till enjoy our lives, our goods, our lands, our livings, our wives, our children, our hou&s;es and tenements, our orchard<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> and gardens: yea, as the Prophet &s;aith, wee &s;hall eat the good things of the Land, &s;pend our daies in much comfort, peace, and tranquility, and leave great ble&s;&s;ings unto our chil|dren and po&s;terity, from age to age, from generation to generation.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You have fully an&s;wered my que&s;tion, and well &s;atisfied mee therein out of the Scriptures: yet, I pray you, give mee leave to adde one thing to that which you have at large &s;et downe. The Lord &s;aith by the Prophet Amos,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 4.6, 7</NOTE> <HI>that for their &s;innes and rebellions hee had given them cleanne&s;&s;e of teeth, that is, dearth and &s;carcitie: and yet they did not turne unto him. Al&s;o hee with-held the raine from them, and puni&s;hed them with drought, and yet they did not turne unto him. More|over, hee &s;mote their Corne, their great Gardens, their Orchards, Vineyards, Fig-trees and Olive-trees, with bla&s;t|ing and mildew, and the Palmer-worme did devoure them: and yet they did
<PB N="250" REF="140"> not returne unto him. La&s;t of all hee &s;mote them with pe&s;tilence, and with the &s;word, and overthrow them, as hee overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah, and they were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning: yet for all this they did not turne unto him. Yee have not turned unto mee, &s;aith the Lord. But now to come to the point. Out of this I gather, that if wee multiply our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, God will multiply his plagues upon us: but on the contrary, if wee would unfainedly turne unto the Lord our God with all our hearts, all plauges &s;hould bee &s;tayed, all dangers prevented, and no evill &s;hould fall upon us. For becau&s;e they would not turne, therefore he &s;mote them. If therefore they had turned, hee would not have &s;mote them. But now, I pray you, briefly conclude this point, and declare in few words what it is that doth mo&s;t ma|terially concerne our peace and publike good.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The&s;e few then briefly I take to be the things which belong to our peace.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ten things concerning our peace.</NOTE>Let <HI>Solomon</HI> execute. <HI>Joab</HI> and <HI>Shi|mei.</HI></P>
<P>Let <HI>Achab</HI> and <HI>Eliah</HI> &s;tay the Prie&s;ts and Prophets of <HI>Baal.</HI></P>
<P>Let <HI>Aaron</HI> and <HI>Eleazer</HI> mini&s;ter before the Lord faithfully.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Jonas</HI> be ca&s;t out of the &s;hip.</P>
<PB N="251" REF="140">
<P>Let <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;tood fa&s;t in the gap, and not let downe his hand.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Jo&s;uah</HI> &s;ucceed him.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Cornelius</HI> feare God with all his hou&s;hold.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Tabitha</HI> be full of good works and alme&s;deeds.</P>
<P>Let <HI>Deborah</HI> judge long in I&s;rael, pro&s;per, and be victorious.</P>
<P>Let us pray that the light of I&s;rael may not be quenched.</P>
<P>And this I take to be the &s;umme of all that belongs to our peace.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The &s;umme of all our confe|rence hitherto, as I remember, may be reduced unto the&s;e few heads: Fir&s;t, mans naturall corruption hath beene laid open. Secondly, the horrible fruits thereof. Thirdly, their evill ef|fects and workings both again&s;t our &s;oules and bodies, goods, name, and the whole Land. La&s;tly, the remedies of all. Now therefore I would grow to &s;ome conclu&s;ion of that which you touched by the way, and made &s;ome mention of; namely, the &s;ignes of &s;alvation and damnation: and declare unto us plainely whether the &s;tate of a mans &s;oule before God may not by cer|taine &s;ignes and tokens be certainly di&s;|cerned in this life.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Be&s;ides tho&s;e which befor<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> have beene mentioned, wee may odde the&s;e nine following.</P>
<P><LIST>
<PB N="252" REF="141">
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nine &s;ignes of a &s;ound &s;oule.</NOTE>Reverence of Gods Name.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Keeping of his Sabbaths.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Truth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sobriety.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Indu&s;try.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Compa&s;&s;ion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Humility.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cha&s;tity.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contentation.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e indeed, I grant, are very good &s;ignes, but yet all of them are not certaine: for &s;ome of them may be in the reprobates.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you then to Saint <HI>Peters</HI> &s;ignes, &s;et downe in the fir&s;t chapter of his &s;econd Epi&s;tle? which are the&s;e eight:
<LIST>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">Saint Peters eight &s;ignes of &s;alvation 2 Pet. 1.8.</NOTE>Faith.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Vertue.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Knowledge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Temperance.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Patience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Godline&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Brotherly kindne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Love.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Saint <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith, <HI>If the&s;e be in us and abound, they will make us neither idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Je&s;us.</HI> Which is as much as if hee had &s;aid, They will make us &s;ound and &s;incore Profe&s;&s;ors of the Go&s;pel.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="253" REF="141">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>All the&s;e, I grant, are exceeding good &s;ignes and evidences of a mans &s;al|vation: but yet &s;ome of them may de|ceive, and a hole may be picked in &s;ome of the&s;e Evidences, I would therefore heare of &s;ome &s;uch demon&s;trative and infallible Evidences as no Lawyer can finde fault with. For I hold that good Divines can as perfectly judge of the a&s;&s;urances and evidences of mans &s;al|vation, as the be&s;t Lawyer can judge of the a&s;&s;urances and evidences, whereby men hold their lands and livings.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken truly in that. And would to God all the Lords people would bring forth the Eviden|ces of their &s;alvation, that wee might di&s;cerne of them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Set down then which be the mo&s;t certaine and infallible Evidences of a mans &s;alvation: again&s;t which no excep|tion can be taken.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I judge the&s;e to be mo&s;t &s;ound and infallible.</P>
<P>A&s;&s;ured faith in the promi&s;es.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Seven infal|lible &s;ignes of &s;alvation Act. 16.31. Pro. 1.20. Job. 1.41. Rom. 8.14. Job. 4.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1 The&s;. 4.5. Rom. 5.1. Col. 1.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">3. Mat. 24.13.</NOTE></P>
<P>Sincerity of heart.</P>
<P>The Spirit of adoption.</P>
<P>Sound Regeneration and San|ctification.</P>
<P>Inward peace.</P>
<P>Groundedne&s;&s;e in the truth.</P>
<P>Continuance to the end.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now you come neere the quick indeed. For in my judgement, none of
<PB N="254" REF="142"> the&s;e can be found truly in any reprobate. Therefore I thinke no Divine can take exception again&s;t any of the&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, I a&s;&s;ure you: no more then a Lawyer can finde fault with the Tenure of mens lands and fee-&s;imples, when as both the title is good, and &s;trong by law; and the e|vidences thereof are &s;ealed, &s;ub&s;cri|bed, delivered, conveyed, and &s;uffici|ent witne&s;&s;e upon the &s;ame, and all o|ther &s;ignes and ceremonies (in the delivering, and taking po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion thereof) according to &s;trict law ob&s;er|ved. For if a man have the&s;e forenamed evidences of his &s;alvation, &s;ure it is, his title and intere&s;t to heaven is good, by the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Pro|phets, I meane the word of God. God him&s;elfe &s;ub&s;cribeth to them: Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t delivereth them as his owne deed: the holy Gho&s;t &s;ealeth unto them: yea, the three great witne&s;&s;es, which beare record in the earth (that is, water, bloud, and the &s;pirit) do all witne&s;&s;e the &s;ame.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now you have very fully &s;ati&s;|fied mee touching this point. And one thing more I doe gather out of all your &s;peech, to wit, that you doe thinke a man may be a&s;&s;ured of his &s;alvation even in this life.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I doe thinke &s;o indeed. For hee that knoweth not in this life that
<PB N="255" REF="142"> he &s;hall be &s;aved, &s;hall never be &s;aved after this life. For St. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 3.2.</NOTE> <HI>Now we are made the &s;ons of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But becau&s;e many doubt of this, and the Papi&s;ts do altogether deny it, therefore, I pray you, confirm it unto us out of the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;aith;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.2.</NOTE> <HI>Wee know, that if our earthly hou&s;e of this Tabernacle be de&s;troyed, wee have a building given us of God; that is, an hou&s;e not made with hands, but eter|nall in the heavens.</HI> Marke, that hee &s;aith, both hee, and the re&s;t of Gods people, did certainly know that Hea|ven was provided for them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.15, 16.</NOTE> For the &s;pirit of adoption beareth witne&s;&s;e with our &s;pirits, that we are the chil|dren of God. And againe, the &s;ame Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>from henceforth is laid up for mee the crown of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> Tim. 4.8.</NOTE> <HI>which the Lord, the righteous judge, &s;hall give me at that day; and not to me onely, but to all them that love his ap|pearing.</HI> Here wee &s;ee, that he knew there was a crowne prepared for him, and for the Elect. And the &s;ame Spi|rit which did a&s;&s;ure it unto <HI>Paul,</HI> doth a&s;&s;ure it al&s;o to all the children of God. For they have all the &s;ame Spirit, though not in the &s;ame mea|&s;ure. Saint <HI>John</HI> &s;aith al&s;o, <HI>Herein wee are &s;ure wee know him,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2.3.</NOTE> <HI>if we keep his commandements.</HI> In which words
<PB N="256" REF="143"> St. <HI>Iohn</HI> telleth us th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> much, th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> if wee do unfainedly endeavour to obey God, there is in us the true knowledge and feare of God: and con&s;equently we are &s;ure we &s;hall be &s;aved. Saint <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1.10.</NOTE> <HI>Give all diligence to make your calling and election &s;ure.</HI> Where|fore &s;hould the Apo&s;tle exhort us to make our election &s;ure, if none could be &s;ure of it? In the &s;econd of the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> the Apo&s;tle &s;aith flatly, that <HI>in Chri&s;t Je&s;us wee doe</HI> already <HI>&s;it to|gether in heavenly places.</HI> His mean|ing is not, that wee are there alrea|dy in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; but wee are as &s;ure of it, as if wee were there already. The rea&s;ons hereof are the&s;e: Chri&s;t our head is in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion: Therefore he will draw all his members unto him, as he him&s;elfe &s;aith.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 12.22. John 24.13.</NOTE>Secondly, wee are as &s;ure of the thing which wee hope for, as of that which wee have: but wee are &s;ure of that which wee have, which is the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> of grace: therefore wee are &s;ure <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> wee looke for, which is the crowne of glory. Many other places of the holy Scriptures might be al|ledged to this purpo&s;e: but, I &s;up|po&s;e, the&s;e may &s;uffice.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As you have &s;hewed this by the Scriptures: &s;o al&s;o &s;hew it more planly by evident rea&s;on out of the &s;ame.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>How can a man in truth call
<PB N="257" REF="143"> God his Father (when hee &s;aith, <HI>Our Father which art in heaven</HI>) and yet doubt whether hee is his Father, or no? For if GOD indeed be our Fa|ther, and we his children, how can we peri&s;h? how can we be damned? Will a Father condemne his owne children? &s;hall the children of GOD be con|demned? No, no:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> <HI>There is no condem|nation to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.33, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">4</NOTE> <HI>Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? it is God that ju|&s;tifieth, who can condemne?</HI> It is therefore mo&s;t certaine and &s;ure, that all &s;uch as doe in truth call God their Father, and have God for their Fa|ther, &s;hall be &s;aved. Againe, how can a man &s;ay, in truth and feeling, that he beleeves the forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;innes, and yet doubt whether he &s;hall be &s;a|ved? For if he be fully per&s;waded that his &s;innes be forgiven, what letteth why he &s;hould not be &s;aved? Moreo|ver, as certainly as we know we are called, ju&s;tified and &s;anctified; &s;o cer|tainly we know we &s;hall be glorified. But we know the one certainly, and therefore the other.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I will never beleeve, that any man can certainly know, in this world, whether hee &s;hall be &s;aved or damned; but all men mu&s;t hope well, and be of a good beliefe.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nay, we mu&s;t goe further
<PB N="258" REF="144"> then hope-well: We may not venture our &s;alvation upon uncertaine hopes. As if a man &s;hould hope it would be a faire day to morrow; but hee can|not certainly tell. No, no: wee mu&s;t in this ca&s;e, being of &s;uch in|finite importance as it is, grow to &s;ome certainty and full re&s;olution. Wee &s;ee worldly men will be loth to hold their lands and lea&s;es uncer|tainely, having nothing to &s;hew for them. They will not &s;tand to the curte&s;ie of their land-lords, nor re&s;t upon their good wils. They will not &s;tay upon uncertaine hopes. No, they are wi&s;er then &s;o. For the chil|dren of this world are wi&s;er in their generation then the children of light.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 16.</NOTE> They will be &s;ure to have &s;omething to &s;hew They will have it under &s;eale. They will not &s;lay upon the words and promi&s;es of the mo&s;t ho|ne&s;t men, and be&s;t land-lords. They cannot be quiet till they have it in white and black, with &s;ound coun|&s;ell upon their Title, and every way made as &s;ure unto them, as any Law of the land can make it.</P>
<P>Are then the children of this world &s;o wi&s;e in the&s;e inferiour things, and &s;hall not wee be as wi&s;e in matters of ten thou&s;and times more importance? Are they &s;o wi&s;e for earth, and &s;hall not wee be as wi&s;e for heaven? Are
<PB N="259" REF="144"> they &s;o wi&s;e for their bodies, and &s;hall not wee be as wi&s;e for our &s;oules? Shall we hold the &s;tate of our im|mortall inheritance by hope-well, and have no writings, or evidences, no &s;eale, no witne&s;&s;es, nor any thing to &s;hew for it? Alas! this is a weake Tenure, a broken Title, a &s;imple hold indeed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all that a man cannot be certaine.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes: Saint <HI>John</HI> telleth us we may be certaine. For hee &s;aith, <HI>Hereby we know we dwell in him,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 4.13.</NOTE> <HI>and he in us, becau&s;e he hath given us of his Spirit.</HI> He &s;aith not, we hope, but we know certainly. For he that hath the Spirit of God, knoweth certainly he hath it; and he that hath faith, know|eth that he hath faith; and he that &s;hall be &s;aved, knoweth he &s;hall be &s;aved. For God doth not worke &s;o darkly in mens hearts by his Spirit, but that they may ea&s;ily know whether it be of him or no, if they would make a due tryall. Againe, the &s;ame Apo|&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 5.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">6.</NOTE> <HI>He that beleeveth in the Son of God, hath the witne&s;&s;e in him&s;elfe:</HI> That is, he hath certaine te&s;timonies in his owne con&s;cience, that he &s;hall be &s;aved. For we mu&s;t fetch the war|rant of our &s;alvation from within our &s;elves; even from the worke of GOD within us. For looke how
<PB N="260" REF="145"> much a man feeleth in him&s;elfe the in|crea&s;e of knowledge, obedience, and godline&s;&s;e, &s;o much the more &s;ure he is that he &s;hall be &s;aved. A mans owne con&s;cience is of great force this way, and will not lye, or deceive. For &s;o &s;aith the wi&s;e man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 27.19.</NOTE> <HI>As water &s;heweth face to face; &s;o doth the heart, man unto man:</HI> That is, the mind and con&s;ci|ence of every man telleth him ju&s;tly, (though not perfectly) what he is. For the con&s;cience will not lye; but accu&s;e or excu&s;e a man, being in &s;tead of a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 2.11.</NOTE>The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>No man knowes the things of man, but the &s;pirit of man that is in him.</HI> And againe the Scri|pture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.29.</NOTE> <HI>Mans &s;oule is as it were the candle of the Lord, whereby he &s;earch|eth all the bowels of the belly.</HI> So then, it is a cleere ca&s;e, that a man mu&s;t have recour&s;e to the worke of Gods grace within him, even in his owne &s;oule: and thereby he &s;hall be certainly re&s;olved one way or other. For even as <HI>Rebecca</HI> knew certainly, by the &s;triving and &s;tirring of the twins in her wombe, that &s;he was conceived and quick of childe; &s;o Gods children know certainly, by the mo|tions and &s;tirring of the holy Gho&s;t within them, that they have con|ceived Chri&s;t, and &s;hall undoubtedly be &s;aved.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="261" REF="145">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you let us come to the ground-worke of this certainty of &s;alva|tion, and &s;peak &s;omewhat of that.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The ground-worke of our &s;alvation is laid in Gods eternall e|lection; and, in re&s;pect thereof, it &s;tandeth fa&s;t and unmoveable; as it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.16. 1 The&s;. 5.24.</NOTE> <HI>The foundation of God &s;tand|eth fa&s;t.</HI> And againe, <HI>Hee is faithfull that hath promi&s;ed:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.13.</NOTE> <HI>Though wee can|not beleeve, yet hee abides faithfull.</HI> So then, as we know it certainly in our &s;elves, by the con&s;equence of e|lection: &s;o it &s;tandeth mo&s;t firme in re|&s;pect of God, and his eternall and immutable decree. And a thou&s;and in|firmities (nay, all the &s;innes of the world, nor all the Divels in hell) can|not overthrow Gods election. For our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 6.34.</NOTE> <HI>All that the Father hath given mee, &s;hall come unto mee.</HI> And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 6.39.</NOTE> <HI>This is the Fathers will that hath &s;ent mee, that of all which hee hath given me, I &s;hould lo&s;e nothing; but &s;hould rai&s;e it up againe at the la&s;t day.</HI> And in another place our Saviour Chri&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 10.17.</NOTE> <HI>My &s;heep heare my voice, and I know them, and they follow mee, and I give unto them eternall life: and they &s;hall never pe|ri&s;h, neither &s;hall any plucke them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them mee, is greater then all: and none is able to take them out of my Fathers
<PB N="262" REF="146"> hand.</HI> We ought therefore to be as &s;ure of our &s;alvation, as of any other thing which God hath promi&s;ed, or which we are bound to beleeve. For to doubt thereof, in re&s;pect of Gods truth, is bla&s;phemous again&s;t the immutabi|lity of his truth.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But are there not &s;ome doubts, at &s;ome times, even in the very elect, and in tho&s;e which are growne to the greate&s;t per&s;wa&s;ion?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily. For he that ne|ver doubted, never beleeved. For who&s;oever beleeveth in truth, feeleth &s;ometimes doubtings and waverings. Even as the &s;ound body feeleth many grudgings of di&s;ea&s;es, which if hee had not health hee could not feele; &s;o the &s;ound &s;oule feeleth &s;ome doubt|ings, which if it were not &s;ound it could not &s;o ea&s;ily feele. For we feele not corruption by corruption, but we foole corruption by grace. And the more grace we have, the more quicke we are in the feeling of corruption. Some men of tender skins and quick feeling will ea&s;ily feele the lighte&s;t feather, in &s;ofte&s;t maner, laid upon the ball of their heads; which others, of more &s;low feeling and hard fle&s;h can|not &s;o ea&s;ily di&s;cerne. So then it is certaine, that although the children of God feele &s;ome doubtings at &s;ome times, yet the &s;ame doe no whit im|peach
<PB N="263" REF="146"> the certainty of their &s;alvation; but rather argue a perfect &s;oundne&s;&s;e and health of their &s;oules. For when &s;uch little grudgings are felt in the &s;oule, the children of God oppo&s;e a|gain&s;t them the certainty of Gods truth and promi&s;es, and &s;o do ea&s;ily overcome them. For the Lords peo|ple need no more to feare them then he that rides through the &s;treets upon a lu&s;ty Gelding, with his &s;word by his &s;ide, needs to feare the barking and bawling of a few little curs and whap|pets.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Shew yet more plainly how or in what re&s;pect the child of God may both have doubtings, and yet be fully a&s;&s;ured.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Even as a man &s;et on the top of the highe&s;t &s;teeple in the world, and &s;o fa&s;t bound unto it that hee can|not fall though hee would, yet when he looketh downward he feareth, be|cau&s;e mans nature is not acquainted nor accu&s;tomed to mount &s;o high in the aire, and to behold the earth &s;o far beneath: but when hee looketh upward, and perceiveth him&s;elfe fa&s;t bound, and out of all danger, then he ca&s;teth away all care: Even &s;o, when we looke downward to our &s;elves, we have doubts and feares; but when we look upward to Chri&s;t, and the truth of his promi&s;es, we feele our
<PB N="264" REF="147"> &s;elves cock-&s;ure, and cea&s;e to doubt any more.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Declare unto us what is the ori|ginall of the&s;e doubts and feares, and from whence they &s;pring in the children of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They &s;pring from the im|perfection of our regeneration, and from that &s;trife which is in the very mind of the elect, between faith and infidelity. For the&s;e two doe mightily fight together in the mo&s;t regenerate, and &s;trive to over-ma&s;ter and over-&s;hadow one another. By rea&s;on whereof &s;ometimes it cometh to pa&s;&s;e, through the prevailing of unbe|liefe, that the mo&s;t excellent &s;ervants of God may fall into fits and pangs of de&s;paire, as <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>David</HI> in their temptations did. And even in the&s;e dayes al&s;o &s;ome of Gods children at &s;ome times are &s;hrewdly hindled this way, and brought very low, even unto deaths doore: but yet the Lord in great mercy doth recover them both from totall and finall de&s;paire. Onely they are humbled and tried by the&s;e &s;harp fits for a time, and that for their great good. For as we u&s;e to &s;ay, that an ague in a young man is a &s;igne of health; &s;o the&s;e burning fits of temptations in the elect, for the mo&s;t part, are &s;ignes of Gods grace and favour. For if they were not of
<PB N="265" REF="147"> God, the Divell would never be &s;o bu&s;ie with them.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is it not meere pre&s;umption, and an over-much tru&s;ting to our &s;elves, to be per&s;waded of our &s;alva|tion?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nothing le&s;&s;e. For the ground of this per&s;wa&s;ion is not laid in our &s;elves, or any thing within us, or without us; but onely in the righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, and the merci|full promi&s;es of God. For is it any pre&s;umption for us to beleeve that which God hath promi&s;ed, Chri&s;t hath purcha&s;ed, and the holy Gho&s;t hath &s;ealed? No verily, it is not any pre&s;umption, but a thing which wee all &s;tand bound unto, as we will an|&s;wer it at the dreadfull day of judge|ment. As for our &s;elves, wee doe freely confe&s;&s;e, that in Gods &s;ight we are but lumps of &s;inne, and ma&s;&s;es of mi&s;ery, and cannot of our &s;elves move hand or foot to the furtherance of our &s;alvation. But being ju&s;tified by faith, we are at peace with God, and fully per&s;waded of his love and favour to|wards us in Chri&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Cannot the reprobates and un|godly be a&s;&s;ured of their &s;alvation?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No. For the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>There is no peace to the wicked.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 57.22.</NOTE> Then I rea&s;on thus: They which have not the inward peace cannot be a&s;&s;u|red:
<PB N="266" REF="148"> But the wicked have not the inward peace; Therefore they can|not be a&s;&s;ured. Stedfa&s;t faith in the promi&s;es doth a&s;&s;ure: But the wic|ked have not &s;tedfa&s;t faith in the pro|mi&s;es: Therefore they cannot be a&s;|&s;ured. The Spirit of adoption doth a&s;&s;ure: But the wicked have not the Spirit of adoption; Therefore they cannot be a&s;&s;ured.</P>
<P>To conclude: When a man feeleth in him&s;elfe an evill con&s;cience, blind|ne&s;&s;e, profanene&s;&s;e, and di&s;obedience, he &s;hall, in de&s;pight of his heart, &s;ing this dolefull &s;ong; I know not whether I &s;hall be &s;aved or damned.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is not the doctrine of the a&s;&s;u|rance of &s;alvation a mo&s;t comfortable doctrine?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes doubtle&s;&s;e. For except a man be per&s;waded of the favour of God, and the forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins, and con&s;equently of his &s;alvation, what comfort can hee have in any thing? Be&s;ides this, the per&s;wa&s;ion of Gods love towards us is the root of all our love and cheerfull obedience towards him: For therefore wee love him and obey him, becau&s;e we know hee hath loved us fir&s;t, and written our names in the Booke of life. But on the contrary, that generall doctrine of the Papi&s;ts, which would have men alwayes doubt and feare in a &s;ervile
<PB N="267" REF="148"> &s;ort, is mo&s;t helli&s;h and uncomforta|ble. For &s;o long as a man ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ds that, what encouragement can he have to &s;erve God? what love to his Maje&s;ty? what hope in the promi&s;es? what com|fort in trouble? what patience in ad|ver&s;ity?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Touching this point I am flat of your mind. For I thinke verily a man ought to be per&s;waded of his &s;aluation: and for mine owne part I make no que|&s;tion of it. I hope to be &s;aved as well as the be&s;t of them all. I am out of feare for that. For I have &s;uch a &s;tedfa&s;t faith in God, that if there &s;hould be but two in the world &s;aved, I hope I &s;hould be one of them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are very confident in|deed. You are per&s;waded before you know. I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence. But who is &s;o bold as blind Bay|ard? your hope is but fancy, and as a &s;icke mens dreame. You hope you cannot tell what. You have no ground for what you &s;ay. For what hope can you have to be &s;aved, when you walke in no path of &s;alvation? What hope can a man have to come to <HI>London</HI> &s;peedily, that travelleth no|thing that way, but quite contrary? What hope can a man have to reap a good crop of corne, that u&s;eth no meanes, neither ploweth, &s;oweth, nor
<PB N="268" REF="149"> harroweth? What hope can a man have to be fat and well liking of his body, that &s;eldome or never eateth a|ny meat? What hope can a man have to e&s;cape drowning, which leapeth in|to the Sea? Even &s;o what hope can you have to be &s;aved, when you walke nothing that way, when you u&s;e no meanes, when you doe all things that are contrary to the &s;ome? For (alas) there is nothing in you of thou things which the Scriptures doe af|firme mu&s;t be in all tho&s;e that &s;hall be &s;aved. There be none of the fore|named &s;ignes and tokens in you. You are ignorant, profane, and carele&s;&s;e. God is not wor&s;hipped under your roofe. There is no true feare of God in your &s;elfe, nor in your hou&s;hold. You &s;eldome heare the Word preached. You content your &s;elfe with an igno|rant Mini&s;ter. You have no prayers in your family, no reading, no &s;inging of P&s;almes, no infirmitions, exhorta|tions, admonitions, or any other Chri&s;tian exerci&s;es. You make no con&s;cience of the ob&s;ervation of the Sabbath. You u&s;e not the name of God with any reverence. You breake out &s;ometimes into horrible oathes and cur&s;ings. You make an ordinary matter of &s;wearing by your faith and your troth. Your wife is irreligious, your children di&s;&s;olute and ungrati|ous,
<PB N="269" REF="149"> your &s;ervants profane and care|le&s;&s;e. You are an example in your owne hou&s;e of all Athei&s;me and con&s;cience|le&s;&s;e behaviour. You are a great game|&s;ter, a riotour, a &s;pend thrift, a drin|ker, a common ale-hou&s;e-hunter, a whore-hunter; and, to conclude, given to all vice and naughtine&s;&s;e. Now then, I pray you, tell me, or rather let your con&s;cience tell me, what hope can you have to be &s;aved, &s;o long as you walk and continue in this cour&s;e. Doth not St. <HI>John</HI> &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2.6.</NOTE> <HI>If wee &s;ay we have fellow&s;hip with him, and walke in darkne&s;&s;e, we are liers?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 3.4.</NOTE> Doth not the &s;ame Apo&s;tle avouch, that &s;uch as &s;ay they know God, and keepe not his commandements, are lyers?</P>
<P>Againe, doth hee not &s;ay, <HI>Hee that committeth &s;in, is of the Divell?</HI> And,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.18.</NOTE> <HI>Who&s;oever doth not righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, is not of God?</HI> Doth not our Lord Ie|&s;us flatly tell the Iewes (which brag|ged that <HI>Abraham</HI> was their father) that they were of their father the Di|vell, becau&s;e they did his workes? Doth not the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"></NOTE> <HI>His &s;ervants wee are to whom we obey, whe|ther it be of &s;inne unto death, or of obe|dience unto righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e?</HI> Doth not the Scripture &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.7.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that doth righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e is righteous?</HI> Doth not our Lord Ie&s;us affirm<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, that <HI>Not every one that &s;aith, Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter
<PB N="270" REF="150"> into the Kingdome of Heaven,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7.21.</NOTE> <HI>but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.</HI> Therefore I conclude, that fora&s;much as your whole cour&s;e is carnall, carele&s;&s;e, and di&s;&s;olute, you can have no warrantable hope to be &s;aved.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe verily think that this mans ca&s;e (which now you have laid open) is the ca&s;e of thou&s;ands.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yea doubtle&s;&s;e, of thou&s;and thou&s;ands, the more is the pitie.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Soft and faire, Sir, you are ve|ry round indeed. Soft fire maketh &s;weet malt. I hope you know wee mu&s;t be &s;aved by mercy, and not by merit. If I could doe all my &s;elfe, wherefore &s;er|veth Chri&s;t? I hope that which I cannot doe he will doe for mee. And I hope to be &s;aved by Je&s;us Chri&s;t as well as the be&s;t of you all.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Oh, now I &s;ee which way the game goeth. You would faine make Chri&s;t a cloak for your &s;innes. You will &s;in that grace may abound. You will &s;in frankly, and &s;et all upon Chri&s;ts &s;core. Truly there be many thou&s;ands of your mind, which hear|ing of Gods aboundant mercy in Chri&s;t, are thereby made more bold to &s;in. But they &s;hall know one day, to their co&s;t, what it is to abu&s;e the mer|cie of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 2.4.</NOTE> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>The mercy and loving kindne&s;&s;e of God
<PB N="271" REF="150"> &s;hould lead us to repentance.</HI> But we &s;ee it leads many to further hardne&s;&s;e of heart. The Prophet &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 13.4.</NOTE> <HI>With him is mercy, that hee may be feared.</HI> But many thereby are made more &s;e|cure and carele&s;&s;e. But to come nea|rer to the marke: You &s;ay, you hope to be &s;aved by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. I an|&s;wer, If tho&s;e things be found in you which the Scripture avoucheth to be in all that &s;hall be &s;aved by him, then you may have good confidence, and a&s;&s;ured hope, otherwi&s;e not. Now the Scriptures do thus determine it, and &s;et it down, that if a man be in Chri&s;t, and look to be &s;aved by him, he mu&s;t be endued with the&s;e qualities follow|ing:
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, he mu&s;t be a new creature.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.27. Nine things required of all that &s;hall be &s;aved by Chri&s;t.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, hee mu&s;t live, not after the lu&s;ts of men, but after the will of God, <HI>1 Pet. 4.2.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirdly, hee mu&s;t be zealous of good workes, <HI>Tit. 2.14.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Fourthly, hee mu&s;t die to &s;in, and live to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>Rom. 6.14.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Fifthly, he mu&s;t be holy and unblame|able, <HI>Col. 1.23.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Sixthly, hee mu&s;t &s;o walke as Chri&s;t hath walked, <HI>1 John 2.6.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Seventhly, he mu&s;t crucifie the fle&s;h, with the affections &amp; lu&s;ts, <HI>Gal. 5.24.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Eighthly, he mu&s;t walk, not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pirit, <HI>Rom. 8.1.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="272" REF="151">
<ITEM>La&s;t of all, he mu&s;t &s;erve God in righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e and true holine&s;&s;e all the dayes of his life, <HI>Luk. 1.75.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Loe then what things are requi|red of all that &s;hall be &s;aved by Chri&s;t. Now therefore if the&s;e things be in you in &s;ome mea&s;ure of truth, then your hope is currant, &s;ound, and good; otherwi&s;e it is nothing worth. For in vaine doe men &s;ay, they hope to be &s;aved by Chri&s;t, when as they walke di&s;&s;olutely. The rea&s;on here|of is, becau&s;e the members mu&s;t be &s;utable to the head; but Chri&s;t our head is holy, therefore wee his mem|bers mu&s;t be holy al&s;o: as it is writ|ten,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2.15.</NOTE> <HI>Be ye holy, for I am holy.</HI> Other|wi&s;e, if wee will joyne profane and ungodly members to our holy head Chri&s;t, then we make Chri&s;t a mon|&s;ter. As if a man &s;hould ioyne unto the head of a Lion, the necke of a Beare, the body of a Wolfe, and the legs of a For, were it not a mon&s;trous thing? would it not make a mon&s;trous crea|ture? Even &s;uch a thing they goe a|bout, which would have &s;wearers, drunkards, whoremongers, and &s;uch like, to be the members of Chri&s;t, and to have life and &s;alvation by him. But &s;ith you doe &s;o much pre&s;ume on Chri&s;t, I pray you let me aske you a que&s;tion.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What is that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="273" REF="151">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>How doe you know that Chri&s;t v&s;ed for you particularly, and by name?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t dyed for all men, and therefore for me.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>But all men &s;hall not be &s;aved by Chri&s;t. How therefore do you know that you are one of them that have &s;pe|ciall intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and &s;hall be &s;a|ved by his death?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This I know, we are all &s;inners, and cannot be &s;aved by any other than by Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>An&s;wer directly to my que|&s;tion. How do you know in your &s;elfe, and for your &s;elfe, that you are one of the elect, and one of tho&s;e for whom Chri&s;t died?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I know it by my good faith in God, becau&s;e I put my whole tru&s;t in him, and in none other.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>But how know you that you have faith? or how &s;hall a man know his faith?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I know it by this, that I have alwayes had as good a meaning, and as good a faith to God-ward, as any man of my calling, and that is not book-learned. I have alwayes feared God with all my heart, and &s;erved him with my prayers.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Tu&s;h, now you go about the bu&s;h, and hover in the aire: an|&s;wer mee to the point. How doe you
<PB N="274" REF="152"> know certainely and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> that Chri&s;t dyed for you particularly and by name?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You would make a man mad. You put mee out of my faith: you drive mee from Chri&s;t. But if you goe about to drive me from Chri&s;t, I will never be|leeve you. For I know we mu&s;t be &s;aved onely by him.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I goe not about to drive you from Chri&s;t, but to drive you to Chri&s;t. For how can I drive you from Chri&s;t, &s;eeing you never came neere him? How can I drive you out of Chri&s;t, &s;eeing you were never in him? But this is it that deceiveth you and many others, that you thinke you beleeve in Chri&s;t, becau&s;e you &s;ay you beleeve in Chri&s;t: as though faith con&s;i&s;ted in words; or as though a man had &s;aith, becau&s;e hee &s;aith &s;o. If every one that faith he hath faith, therefore hath faith; and every one that &s;aith hee beleeveth in Chri&s;t, doth therefore beleeve; then who will not have faith? who will not beleeve? But in very deed, your faith, and the faith of many others, is nothing el&s;e but meere imagination. But all this while you have not an&s;wered my que|&s;tion touching your particular know|ledge of Chri&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I can an&s;wer you no otherwi&s;e then I have an&s;wered you. And I thinke
<PB N="275" REF="152"> I have an&s;wered you &s;ufficiently.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No, no: you faulter in your &s;peech: your an&s;wer is not worth a button: you &s;peak you wot not what: you are altogether befogged and be|nighted in this que&s;tion. But if there were in your heart the true know|ledge and lively feeling of God, then I am &s;ure you would have yeelded another and a better an&s;wer: then you would have &s;poken &s;omething from the &s;en&s;e and feeling of your own heart, and from the worke of Gods grace within you. But becau&s;e you can yeeld no found rea&s;on that Chri&s;t died for you particularly and by name, therefore I &s;u&s;pect you are none of them which have proper intere&s;t in him, and in whom his death takes ef|fect indeed.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I think this que&s;tion would gra|vell a great number: and few there be that can an&s;wer it aright.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is mo&s;t certaine, I know it by lamentable experience, that not one of a hundred can &s;oundly and &s;ufficiently an&s;wer this que&s;tion; none indeed, but onely tho&s;e in whom the new worke is wrought, and do ty the inward worke of the Spirit feele Chri&s;t to be theirs. I have talked with &s;ome, which are both witty, &s;en&s;ible, and learned, who notwith|&s;tanding, when they have beene
<PB N="276" REF="153"> brought to this very point and i&s;&s;ue, have &s;tuck &s;ore at it, and &s;taggered very much. And how&s;oever they might by wit and learning &s;huffle it over, and in a blundering &s;ort &s;peak rea&s;on, yet had they no feeling of that which they &s;aid, and therefore no a&s;|&s;urance: and con&s;equently as good never a whit, as never the better. It is the &s;anctifying Spirit, that giveth feeling in this point: and therefore without the feeling of the operation of the &s;ame &s;pirit, it can never be &s;oundly an&s;wered. Thus then, I doe clo&s;e up this whole matter: As the Vine-branch cannot live and bring forth fruit, except it abide in the Vine: no more can wee, except wee abide in Chri&s;t, and be truly graffed in him by a lively faith: None can have any be|nefit by him, but they onely which dwell in him: None can live by Chri&s;t, but they which are changed into Chri&s;t: None are partakers of his body, but they which are in his bo|dy: None can be &s;aved by Chri&s;t cru|cified, but they which are crucified with Chri&s;t: None can live with him being dead, but tho&s;e which die with him being alive. Therefore let us root downward in mortification, that wee may &s;hoot upward in &s;anctification: let us die to &s;inne, that we may live to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: let us die while wee
<PB N="277" REF="153"> are alive, that wee may live when wee are dead.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If none can be &s;aved by Chri&s;t, but onely the&s;e which are &s;o qualified as you &s;peake of, then Lord have mercy upon us: then the way to heaven is ve|ry &s;trait indeed, and few at all &s;hall be &s;aved. For there be few &s;uch in the world.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are no whit therein deceived. For when all comes to all, it is mo&s;t certaine, that few &s;hall be &s;aved: which thing I will &s;hew unto you both by Scripture, rea&s;ons, and examples.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t then let us heare it proved by the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7.10.</NOTE> <HI>En|ter in at the &s;trait gate. For it is the wide gate, and broad way that leads to de&s;truction; and many there be which goe in thereat: becau&s;e the gate is &s;trait, and the way narrow, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that finde it.</HI> Againe hee &s;aith, <HI>Many are called,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 20.16.</NOTE> <HI>but few cho&s;en.</HI> In another place we reade of a certaine man which came to our Saviour Chri&s;t, &amp; asked him of pur|po&s;e, whether few &s;hould be &s;aved: To whom our Saviour an&s;wered thus:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 13.14.</NOTE> <HI>Strive to enter in at the &s;trait gate. For many (I &s;ay unto you) will &s;eek to enter in, and &s;hall not be able.</HI> In which an&s;wer, albeit our Saviour
<PB N="278" REF="154"> doth not an&s;wer directly to his que&s;ti|on, either negatively or affirmatively; yet doth hee plainly in&s;inuate by his &s;peeches, that few &s;hall be &s;aved. For fir&s;t hee bids us &s;trive earne&s;tly: no|ting thereby, that it is a matter of great griefe again&s;t the World, the Fle&s;h, and the Divell. Secondly, hee affirmeth that the gate is very &s;trait; noting, that none can enter in with|out vehement crowding, and almo&s;t breaking their &s;houlder-bones. La&s;t|ly, hee &s;aith, that many which &s;eeke to enter in, &s;hall not be able; noting thereby, that even of them that &s;eek, many &s;hall &s;tep &s;hort, becau&s;e they &s;eeke him not aright. <HI>E&s;aias</HI> al&s;o &s;aith, <HI>Except the Lord of ho&s;ts had left us a &s;eed,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 1.9.</NOTE> <HI>wee had beene as Sodome; and had beene like to Gomorrah.</HI> The Apo&s;tle al&s;o alledgeth out of the Pro|phet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9 28. E&s;ay 10.22</NOTE> that <HI>the Lord will make a &s;hort account in the earth, and gather it in|to a &s;hort &s;umme with righteou&s;n<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e.</HI> The&s;e Scriptures, I thinke, are &s;ufficient to prove that few &s;hall be &s;aved.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now let us hear your rea&s;ons.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If wee come to rea&s;on, wee may rather wonder that any &s;hould be &s;aved, than that few &s;hall be &s;aved. For wee have all the lets and hinde|rances that may be, both within us, and without us. Wee have (as they
<PB N="279" REF="154"> &s;ay, the Sun, Moone, &amp; &s;even Stars again&s;t us. Wee have all the Divels in hell again&s;t us, with all the<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> hornes, heads, marvelous &s;trength, infinite wiles, cunning devices, deepe &s;leights, and methodicall temptations. Here runs a <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ort &s;treame again&s;t us. Then have wee this pre&s;ent evill world again&s;t us, with her innu|merable baits, &s;nares, nets, gins, and grins, to catch us, fetter us, and en|tangle us. Here we have profits and plea&s;ures, riches and honour, wealth and preferment, ambition and cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Here comes in a Campe-royall of &s;pirituall and invi&s;ible ene|mies. La&s;tly, we have out fle&s;h, that is, our corrupted nature again&s;t us: wee have our &s;elves again&s;t our &s;elves. For wee our &s;elves are as great enemies to our &s;alvation, as either the World, or the Divell. For our under&s;tanding, rea&s;on, will and affections are altogether again&s;t us. Our naturall wi&s;edome is an enemy unto us. Our concupi&s;cences and lu&s;ts do mini&s;ter &s;trength to Sa|tans temptations. They are all in league with Satan again&s;t us. They take part with him in every thing a|gain&s;t us and our &s;alvation. They fight all under his &s;tandard, and re|ceive their pay of him. This then goeth hard on our &s;ide, that the Di|vell
<PB N="280" REF="155"> hath an inward part again&s;t, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> and wee c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> alwaies within <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> greate&s;t en<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">y, which is ever rea|dy, day and night, to betray us into the hands of Satan; yea, to unbolte the doore, and let him in to cut our throats. Here then wee &s;ee on huge army of dreadfull enemies, and a ve|ry legion of Divels, lying in ambu&s;h again&s;t our &s;oules. Are not wee therefore poore wretches in a mo&s;t pitifull ca&s;e, which are thus betray|ed and be&s;ieged on every &s;ide! All things then con&s;idered, may wee not ju&s;tly marvell that any &s;hall bee &s;av<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">d? For who &s;eeth not, who knoweth not, that thou&s;and thou&s;ands are carried headlong to de&s;truction, either with the temptations of the World, the Fle&s;h, or the Divell? But yet further, I will &s;hew by another very manife&s;t and apparent rea&s;on, that the num|ber of Gods Elect upon the face of the earth, are very few in compari&s;on; which may thus be con&s;idered: Fir&s;t, let there be taken from among&s;t us all treacherous papi&s;ts, athei&s;ts, and here|tickes. Secondly, let there be &s;ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|led out all vicious and notorious evill-livers; as, Swearers. Drun|kards, Whore mongers, Worldlings, Deceivers, Co&s;eners, Proud men, Rioters, Game&s;ters, &amp; all the profane multitude. Thirdly, let there be re|fu&s;ed
<PB N="281" REF="155"> and &s;orted out all Hypocrites, carnall Prote&s;tants, vain Profe&s;&s;ors, Back-&s;liders, Deceivers, and cold Chri&s;tians. Let all the&s;e, I &s;ay, be &s;e|parated, and then tell mee how many &s;ound, &s;incere, faithfull, and zealous Wor&s;hippers of God will be found a|mong&s;t us. I &s;uppo&s;e we &s;hould not need the Art of Arithmetick to num|ber them. For I think there would be very few in every Village, Town, and City: I doubt they would walk very thinly in the &s;treets, &s;o as a man might ea&s;ily tell them as they go. Our Lord Ie&s;us askes a que&s;tion in the Go&s;pel of S. <HI>Luke,</HI> &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 18.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Do you think when the Son of man cometh that he &s;hall find faith on the earth?</HI> To which wee may an&s;wer, Surely very little.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now, according to your promi&s;e, &s;hew this thing al&s;o by examples.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>In the fir&s;t age of the world all fle&s;h had &s;o corrupted their wayes, that God could no longer beare them, but even vowed their de&s;truction by the over-flowing of waters. When the Floud came, how few were found faithfull? Eight per&s;ons onely were &s;aved by the Arke. How few righte|ous were found in <HI>Sodome,</HI> and the Cities adjoyning? But one poore <HI>Lot</HI> and his family. How few belee|vers were found in <HI>Jericho?</HI> But one <HI>Rahab.</HI> How few of the old <HI>I&s;ra|elites</HI>
<PB N="282" REF="156"> entred into the Land of Pro|mi&s;e?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 3.19.</NOTE> But two, <HI>Caleb</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua:</HI> the re&s;t could not enter in, becau&s;e of their unbeliefe. The true and vi&s;ible Church was &s;mall during the go|vernment of the Iudges, as appear|eth plentifully in that Booke. In <HI>Eliahs</HI> time the Church was &s;o &s;mall, that it did not appeare.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin. 17.</NOTE> In the reigne of the Kings of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah,</HI> the &s;incere wor&s;hippers were very few, as appeareth by all the Prophets. Du|ring the Captivity, the Church was as the Moon under a cloud, &s;he was driven into the wilderne&s;&s;e, where &s;he hid her &s;elfe. During the per&s;ecutions of the Greek Empire by <HI>Gog, Ma|gog,</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI> they were fewe&s;t of all. In Chri&s;ts time what a &s;illy company did he begin withall? How were all things corrupted by the Prie&s;ts, Scribes, and Phari&s;ees? In the beginning of the Apo&s;tles preaching there were but few belee|vers. After the fir&s;t &s;ix hundred yeers, what an Eclip&s;e was in the Church, during the height of Antichri&s;ts reigne? How few true wor&s;hippers of God were in the world for the &s;pace almo&s;t of &s;even hundred yeares? Since the Go&s;pel was broached and &s;pread abroad, how few doe beleeve? And, as the Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Lord, who hath beleeved our report?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 53.1.</NOTE> Thus then
<PB N="283" REF="156"> you &s;ee it is apparent (both by Scri|pture, rea&s;on, and examples of all ages) that the number of the Elect is very &s;mall, and when all comes to all few &s;hall be &s;aved.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you tell us how few, and to what &s;cantling they may be reduced; whether one of an hundred, or one of a thou&s;and &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No man knowes that; nei|ther can I give you any direct and certaine an&s;wer unto it. But I &s;ay, that in compari&s;on of the Reprobate, there &s;hall but a few be &s;aved. For all that profe&s;&s;e the Go&s;pel are not the true Church before God. There be many in the Church, which are not of the Church.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How do you prove that?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Out of the ninth to the <HI>Ro|mans,</HI> where the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.6.</NOTE> <HI>All are not I&s;rael that are of I&s;rael.</HI> And again, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> crieth concerning <HI>I&s;rael, Though the number of the children of I&s;rael were as the &s;and of the &s;ea, yet but a remnant &s;hall be &s;aved, Rom. 9.27.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How doe you ballance it in the vi&s;ible Church, or in what compari&s;on doe you take it? let us heare &s;ome e&s;ti|mate of it, Some thinke one of an hun|dred, &s;ome, but one of a thou&s;and &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Indeed I have heard &s;ome learned and godly Divines give &s;uch
<PB N="284" REF="157"> conjectures: but for that matter I can &s;ay nothing to it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.27.</NOTE> But onely let us ob|&s;erve the compari&s;on of the holy Gho&s;t betwixt a remnant and the &s;and of the Sea, and it will give &s;ome light into the matter.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Doth not the knowledge of this doctrine di&s;courage men from &s;eeking af|ter God?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nothing le&s;&s;e. But rather it ought to awake and &s;tirre up in us a greater care of our &s;alvation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2.12.</NOTE> that we may be in the number of Chri&s;ts little flock, which make an end of their &s;al|vation in feare and trembling.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Some make light of all the&s;e matters. Others &s;ay, As for the life to come, that is the lea&s;t matter of an hun|dred to be cared for. As for that matter, they will leave it to God, even as plea|&s;eth him: they will not meddle with it. For they &s;ay, God that made them mu&s;t &s;ave them. They hope they &s;hall doe as well as others, and make as good &s;hift as their neighbours.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It is lamentable that men &s;hould be &s;o carele&s;&s;e, and make &s;o light of that which (of all other things) is mo&s;t weighty and important. <HI>For what &s;hall it profit a man though hee &s;hould win the whole world, if hee lo&s;e his &s;oule?</HI> as the Author of all wi&s;e|dome te&s;tifieth, <HI>Mar. 16.26.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, Sir, under correcti|on,
<PB N="285" REF="157"> give mee leave to &s;peake my mind in this point. I am an ignorant man, par|don mee if I &s;peake ami&s;&s;e: for a fooles bolt is &s;oon &s;hot.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Say on.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe verily thinke that God is &s;tronger then the Divell. Therefore I cannot beleeve that he will &s;uffer the Di|vell to have more then him&s;elfe. He will not take it at his hands. He loveth man|kind better then &s;o.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You doe carnally imagine that God will wre&s;tle and &s;trive with the Divell about the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">ter. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s for Gods power, it doth never cro&s;&s;e his will: for God can doe nothing again&s;t his will and decree, becau&s;e he will not.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yea, but the Scripture &s;aith, God will have all men &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>That is not meant of every particular man, but of all &s;orts &s;ome; &s;ome Iewes, &s;ome Gentiles, &s;ome rich, &s;ome poore, &s;ome high, &s;ome low, &amp;c.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t died for all: therefore all &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Chri&s;t died for all in &s;uffici|encie of his death, but not in efficacie unto life. For onely the Elect &s;hall be &s;aved by his drath: as it is written, <HI>This is my bloud in the New Te&s;ta|ment, which is given for you;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 22.26.</NOTE> meaning his Di&s;ciples and cho&s;en children. And againe, Chri&s;t being con&s;ecrated,
<PB N="282" REF="158">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="283" REF="158">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="284" REF="159">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="285" REF="159">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="286" REF="160"> is made the <HI>Author of &s;alvation to all that obey him.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>God in mercifull, and therefore I hope hee will &s;ave the greate&s;t part for his mercy &s;ake.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The greate&s;t part &s;hall pe|ri&s;h: but all that &s;hall be &s;aved, &s;hall be &s;aved by his mercy: as it is written, <HI>Hee will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.</NOTE> <HI>and whom he will he hard|neth.</HI> And againe, <HI>It is not in him that willeth, or him that runneth, but in God that &s;heweth mercy.</HI> Therefore though God be infinite in mercy, and Chri&s;t infinite in merit, yet none &s;hall have mercy but only the ve&s;&s;els of mercy.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Can you tell who &s;hall be &s;a|ved, and who &s;hall be damned? Doe you know Gods &s;ecrets? When were you in heaven? When &s;pake you with God? I am of the mind that all men &s;hall be &s;aved. For Gods mercy is above all his worke. Say you what you will, and what you can, God did not make us to con|demne us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are very peremptory in|deed: you are more bold then wi&s;e: for Chri&s;t &s;aith, Few &s;hall be &s;aved: you &s;ay, All &s;hall be &s;aved. Whether then &s;hall we beleeve, Chri&s;t or you?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If there &s;hould come two &s;oules, one from heaven, and another from hell, and bring us certain newes how the ca&s;e &s;tood then I would beleeve it indeed.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="287" REF="160">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Put ca&s;e two &s;oules of the dead &s;hould come, the one from heaven, the other from hell, I can tell you afore-hand certainly what they would &s;ay, and what newes they would bring.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What, I pray?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They would &s;ay, there be few in heaven, and many in hell: heaven is empty, and hell is full.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How know you that? how know you they would &s;ay &s;o?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I am &s;ure, if they &s;peak the truth, they mu&s;t needs &s;ay &s;o.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Mu&s;t they needs? Why, I pray you, mu&s;t they needs?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Becau&s;e the Word of God &s;aith &s;o. Becau&s;e <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Pro|phets &s;ay &s;o. If you will not beleeve <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Prophets, neither will you beleeve though one, though two, though an hundred &s;hould ri&s;e from the dead.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes but I would.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I pray you let me aske you a que&s;tion: Whether doe you thinke that God and his Word, or the &s;oules of dead men, are more to be credited?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If I were &s;ure that God &s;aid &s;o, then I would beleeve it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If his Word &s;ay &s;o, doth not he &s;ay &s;o? Is not he and his Word all one?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet for all that, if I might
<PB N="288" REF="161"> heare God him&s;elfe &s;peake it, it would move me much.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;hew your &s;elfe to be a notable Infidell. You will not beleeve Gods word without &s;ignes, and mira|cles, and wonders from the dead.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You &s;peak as though you knew certainly that Hell is full: you doe but &s;peake at randome: you cannot tell: you were never there to &s;ee. But for mine owne part, I beleeve there is no Hell at all, but onely the bell of a mans con&s;cience.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now you &s;hew your &s;elfe in kind what you are. You &s;ay you be|leeve no Hell at all. And, I thinke, if you were well examined, you beleeve no Heaven at all, neither God nor Di|vell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, I beleeve there is a Heaven, becau&s;e I &s;ee it with mine eyes.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You will beleeve no more be|like then you &s;ee:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 20.28.</NOTE> but, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that beleeveth, and &s;eeth not.</HI> You are one of the ranke&s;t Athei&s;ts that ever I talk|ed withall.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You ought not to judge: you know not mens hearts.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth &s;peaketh, <HI>Mat. 12.34.</HI> You have &s;ufficiently bewrayed your heart by your words: For the tongue is the key of the mind. As for judging, I judge you onely by your
<PB N="289" REF="161"> fruits: which is lawfull. For we may ju&s;tly &s;ay, It is a bad tree which bringeth forth bad fruit: and hee that doth wickedly, is a wicked man. But it is you, and &s;uch as you are, that will take upon you to judge mens hearts. For though a mans outward actions be religious and hone&s;t, yet you will condemne him. And if a man give him&s;elfe to the Word and Praier, reforme his family, and ab&s;taine from the gro&s;&s;e &s;ins of the world, you will by and by &s;ay, Hee is an Hypocrite. And thus you take upon you to judge mens hearts, as though you knew with what affection the&s;e things are done.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I confe&s;&s;e I am a &s;inner: and &s;o are all other for ought I know. There is no man but hee may be amended. I pray God &s;end us all of his grace, that we may plea&s;e him, and get to Heaven at la&s;t.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now you would &s;huffle up all together, as though you were as good as the be&s;t, and as though there were no difference of &s;inners? but you mu&s;t learne to know that there is a great difference of &s;inners. For there is the penitent and the impenitent &s;inner; the carefull and the carele&s;&s;e &s;inner; the &s;inner who&s;e &s;ins are not imputed, and the &s;inner who&s;e &s;ins are imputed; the &s;inner that &s;hall be
<PB N="290" REF="162"> &s;aved, and the &s;inner that &s;hall be damned. For it is one thing to &s;in of frailty, another thing to live in it, dwell in it, and trade in it, and (as the holy Gho&s;t &s;peaketh) to &s;uck it in, as the fi&s;h &s;ucketh water,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 5.18.</NOTE> and to draw it unto us with cart-ropes and cords of va|nity.</P>
<P>To conclude therefore; there is as great difference betwixt a &s;inner and a &s;inner, as betwixt light and dark|ne&s;&s;e. For though Gods children be &s;inners in re&s;pect of the remnants of &s;in within them, yet the Scriptures call them ju&s;t and righteous, becau&s;e they are ju&s;tified by Chri&s;t, and &s;ancti|fied by his grace and holy Spirit. And for this cau&s;e it is that S. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Hee that is borne of God &s;inneth not, 1 John 4.6.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What, I pray you, did you never &s;in?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes, and what then? what are you the better?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You Preachers cannot agree among&s;t your &s;elves: one &s;aith one thing, and another &s;aith another thing, &s;o that you bring the ignorant people in|to a mammering, and they know not on which hand to take.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Preachers, God be thanked, agree very well together in all the main grounds of Religion, and principall points of &s;alvation. But
<PB N="291" REF="162"> if they di&s;&s;ent in &s;ome other matters, you are to trie the &s;pirits, whether they be of God or no. You mu&s;t trie all things, and keep that which is good.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How can plaine and &s;imple men trie the &s;pirits and doctrines of the Preachers?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes. For the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>The &s;pirituall man di&s;cerneth all things.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2.15.</NOTE> And S. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith to the holy Chri&s;ti|ans,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2.26.</NOTE> <HI>You have received an ointment from that holy One, and know all things;</HI> that is, all things nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvati|on. Tho&s;e therefore which have the Spirit of God, can judge and di&s;cerne of doctrines, whether they be of God, or no.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am not book-learned, and therefore I cannot judge of &s;uch mat|ters. As for hearing of Sermons, I have no lei&s;ure to goe to them, I have &s;ome|what el&s;e to doe. Let them that are booki&s;h, and heare &s;o many Sermons, judge of &s;uch matters. For I will not meddle with them, they belong not un|to me.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yet for all that you ought to reade the Scriptures, and heare the Word of God preached, that you may be able to di&s;cerne betwixt truth and fal&s;hood in matters of Religion.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Belike you thinke none can be &s;aved without preaching, and that all
<PB N="292" REF="163"> men &s;tand bound to frequent Sermons: but I am not of your mind in that.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith, <HI>My &s;heep heare my voice.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 10.2.</NOTE> And againe hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">hn 8.47.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that is of God heareth Gods Word. Ye therefore heare it not, becau&s;e yee are not of God.</HI> You &s;ee therefore how Chri&s;t Ie&s;us maketh it a &s;peciall note of Gods children to heare his Word preached.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But I thinke we may &s;erve God well enough without a Preacher. For Preachers are but men, and what can they doe? A Preacher is a good man &s;o long as he is in the Pulpit: but if hee be out of the Pulpit, hee is but as another man.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peak contemptuou&s;ly of Gods me&s;&s;engers, and of Gods &s;acred ordinance. But the Apo&s;tle doth fully an&s;wer your objection, &s;aying, <HI>Faith comes by hearing,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.</NOTE> <HI>and hearing by the Word of God: and how can they heare without a Preacher?</HI> In which words the Apo&s;tle tels you flatly, that you ca<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ver have faith, nor &s;erve God a|right without Preaching.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>When you have preached all that you can, you can make the Word of God no better then it is: and &s;ome put in and put out what they li&s;t. The Scriptures are but mens inventions, and they made the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>We preach not to make the
<PB N="293" REF="163"> Word better, but to make you better. As for putting in and putting out, it is a meere untruth. And whereas you &s;ay, The Scriptures were made by men, it is bla&s;phemy once to think it, and you are worthy to receive your an&s;wer at Tiburne.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now I &s;ee you are hot. I per|ceive for all your godline&s;&s;e you will be angry.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I take it to be no &s;in to be angry again&s;t &s;in. For your &s;in is very great, and who can beare it?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>All this while you &s;peake much for preaching, but you &s;ay nothing for prayer. I think there is as much need of prayer as preaching. For I find in the Scriptures, Pray continually; but I find not, Preach continually.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No man denieth but that Prayer is mo&s;t needfull alwaies to be joyned unto Preaching and all other holy exerci&s;es: for it is the hand-maid to all. But yet we preferre Preaching above it, becau&s;e Preaching is both the director and whet-&s;tone of Prayer; yea, it &s;teereth us aright in all &s;piritu|all actions and &s;ervices what&s;oever: without the which we can keep no certaine cour&s;e, but are ever ready to erre on this hand or that. Now whereas you &s;ay you find, Pray con|tinually, but not, Preach continually, you might (if you were not wilfully
<PB N="294" REF="164"> blind) find al&s;o, Preach continually. For the Apo&s;tle &s;aith to <HI>Timothy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3.1.</NOTE> <HI>Be in&s;tant, preach the Word in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on;</HI> that is, alwaies, as time and occa&s;ion &s;hall &s;erve.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You extoll preaching, but you &s;ay nothing for reading. I beleeve you condemne reading.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Doth hee that highly com|mendeth gold condemne &s;ilver? I doe ingenuou&s;ly confe&s;&s;e, that both publike and private reading of the Scriptures is very nece&s;&s;ary and profitable, and would to God it were more u&s;ed then it is: for it is of &s;ingular u&s;e both to encrea&s;e knowledge and judgement, and al&s;o to make us more &s;ir to heare the Word preached. For &s;uch men as are altogether ignorant of the Hi&s;tory of the Bible, can heare the Word with &s;mall comfort.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It &s;eemes that this man neither regards the one not the other: becau&s;e, for ought that I can &s;ee, hee cares not greatly if the Scriptures were burnt.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Oh &s;irrah, you &s;peak very ma|lapertly: you may &s;peake when you are bidden. Who made you a Judge? You are one of his Di&s;ciples, and that maketh you to &s;peak of his &s;ide.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>No, Sir, I hope I am Chri&s;ts Di&s;ciple, and no mans. But a&s;&s;uredly I cannot hold my peace at your vile cavil|ling, and mo&s;t bla&s;phemous &s;peeches.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="295" REF="164">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I cry you mercy, Sir, you &s;eeme to be one of the&s;e Scripture-men: you are of the Spirit: you are &s;o full of it that it runneth out at your no&s;trils.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You do plainly &s;hew your &s;elf to be a &s;coffing I&s;maelite.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>And you doe plainly &s;hew your &s;elfe to be one of the folk of God which know their &s;eats in heaven.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray God be mercifull unto you, and give you a better heart: For I &s;ee you are in the gall of bitterne&s;&s;e, and in the bond of iniquity.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You thinke there is none good but &s;uch as your &s;elfe, and &s;uch as can plea&s;e your humour. You will for&s;ooth, be all pure. But by God there be a com|pany of pure knaves of you.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now you do manife&s;tly &s;hew of what &s;pirit you are. For you both &s;weare and raile with one breath.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>God forgive mee. Why did hee anger mee then? There be a company of &s;uch controllers as he in the world, that no body can be quiet for them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I perceive a little thing will anger you, &s;ith you will be angry with him for &s;peaking the truth.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What hath he to doe with mee? He is more bu&s;ie then needs. Why doth hee &s;ay I am in a bad ca&s;e? I will not come to him to learne my duty. If I have faults, he &s;hall not an&s;wer for them. I &s;hall an&s;wer for mine owne faults, and
<PB N="296" REF="165"> every Fat &s;hall &s;tand on his owne bot|tome. Let him meddle with that hee hath to do withall.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are too impatient: you take matters at the wor&s;t. We ought friendly, and in love, to admoni&s;h one another: for we mu&s;t have a care one of anothers &s;alvation. I dare &s;ay for him, that he &s;peakes both out of love and compa&s;&s;ion towards you.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I care not for &s;uch love. Let him keep it to him&s;elfe. What doth he thinke of mee? doth hee &s;uppo&s;e that I have not a &s;oule to &s;ave as well as hee, or that I have no care of my &s;alvation? I would hee &s;hould know that I have as great care of my &s;alvation as hee, though I make not &s;uch outward &s;hewes. For all is not gold that gli&s;ters. I have as good a meaning as hee, though I cannot ut|ter it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The&s;e words might well be &s;pared: I hope you will be pacified, and amend your life, and draw neere to God hereafter.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Truly, Sir, you may thinke of mee what you plea&s;e; but I a&s;&s;ure you, I have more care that way then all the world wonders at: I thanke God for it, I &s;ay my prayers every night when I am in my bed: And if good prayers will doe us no good, God help us. I have al|waies &s;erved God duly and truly, and had him in my mind. I doe as I would
<PB N="297" REF="165"> be done to. I keepe my Church, and tend my prayers while I am there: and I hope I am not &s;o bad as this fellow would make mee. I am &s;ure, if I be bad, I am not the wor&s;t in the world, there be as bad as I. If I goe to hell I &s;hall have fellowes, and make as good &s;hift as others.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You think you have &s;poken wi&s;ely, but I like not your an&s;wer. For your words &s;mell &s;trongly both of ignorance, pride, and unbeliefe. For fir&s;t, you ju&s;tifie your &s;elfe in your faithle&s;&s;e and ignorant wor&s;hip of God. And &s;econdly, you ju&s;tifie your &s;elfe by compari&s;on with others, be|cau&s;e others are as had as you, and you are not the wor&s;t in the world.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now I know you &s;peake of ill will: for you never had a good opinion of mee.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I would I could have as good an opinion of you as I doe de|&s;ire, and that I might &s;ee that wrought in you which might draw my love and liking towards you. And as for ill will, the Lord knoweth I beare you none. I de&s;ire your conver&s;ion and &s;alvation with my whole heart, and I would thinke my &s;elfe happy if I might &s;ave your &s;oule with the lo&s;&s;e of my right arme.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I hope I may repent. For the Scripture &s;aith, At what time &s; e<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">er a
<PB N="298" REF="166">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="299" REF="166">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="298" REF="167"> &s;inner doth repent, God will have mercy on him. Therefore if I may have &s;pace and grace, and time to repent before death, and aske God forgivene&s;&s;e, and &s;ay my prayers, and cry God mercy, I hope I &s;hall do well enough.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;peake as though re|pentance were in your power, and at your commandement, and that you can put it into your owne heart when you li&s;t: and that makes you and many others pre&s;ume of it three houres before death. But you mu&s;t know that repentance is the rare gift of God, and it is given but to a few. For God will know him well that hee be&s;toweth repentance upon, &s;ith it is proper onely to the Elect. It is no worldly matter. It is not attained without many and frequent prayers, and much hearing, reading, and medi|tating in the word of God. It is not &s;o ea&s;ie a matter to come by as the world judgeth. It is not found but of of them that &s;eeke it diligently, and beg it earne&s;tly. It is no ordinary three houres matter. Cry God mercy a little for fa&s;hion will not do it. Cur|&s;ory &s;aying of a few prayers a little before death availeth not. For though true repentance be never too late, yet late repentance is &s;eldome true. Here|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n delayes are dangerous: for the longer wit deferre it, the wor&s;e is our
<PB N="299" REF="167"> ca&s;e. The farther a naile is driven in with a hammer, the harder it is to get out againe. The longer a di&s;ea&s;e is let run, the harder it is to cure. The deeper a tree is rooted, the harder it is to plucke up againe. The longer wee deferre the time of our repen|tance, the harder it will be to repent And therefore it is dangerous dri|ving it off to the la&s;t ca&s;t. For an anci|ent Father &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;tine.</NOTE> <HI>Wee reade but of one that repented at the la&s;t, that no man &s;hould pre&s;ume; and yet of one, that none might de&s;paire.</HI></P>
<P>Well then, to conclude this point: I would have you to know that the pre&s;ent time is alwaies the time of re|pentance. For time pa&s;t cannot be recovered, and time to come is uncer|taine.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sir, in mine opinion you have <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ttered &s;ome very dangerous things, and &s;uch as were enough to drive a man to de&s;paire.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What be they I pray you?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>There be diver&s;e things. But one thing doth mo&s;t of all &s;ticke in my &s;tomack, and that is the &s;mall num|ber that &s;hall be &s;aved, as you &s;ay. But I can hardly be per&s;waded that God made &s;o many thou&s;ands to ca&s;t them away when hee had done. Doe you thinke that God hath made us to condemne us? Will you make him
<PB N="300" REF="168"> to be the Author of condemnation?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nothing le&s;&s;e. For God is not the cau&s;e of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> condemnation, but them&s;elves. For every mans de|&s;truction cometh of him&s;elfe: as it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">3.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>O I&s;rael, thy de&s;truction is of thy &s;elfe.</HI> As for God, he doth (in great mercy) u&s;e all po&s;&s;ible meanes to &s;ave &s;oules, as hee <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ith by the Pro|phet, <HI>What could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done unto it?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 5.4.</NOTE> But to come neere to your que|&s;tion: I deny that God hath created the mo&s;t part of men onely and &s;olely unto pardition, as the proper end which he did <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 words"> in <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> them: but hee hath created all things for the prai&s;e of his glory: as it is written, <HI>Hee hath created all things for him&s;elfe,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.4.</NOTE> <HI>and the wicked al&s;o for the evill day.</HI> Then it followeth, that the cau&s;e and end why the wicked were created, nei|ther was, nor is the onely de&s;truction of his creature, but his owne prai&s;e and glory, that that onely might ap|peare and &s;hine forth in all his workes. Yet certaine it is that God for ju&s;t cau&s;es (albeit unknowne and hid to us) hath rejected a great part of men. The cau&s;es, I &s;ay, of reprobation are hid in the eternall coun&s;ell of God, and knowne to his godly wi&s;edome onely. They are &s;ecret, and hid from us, re&s;erved in his eternall wi&s;edome
<PB N="301" REF="168"> to be revealed at the glorious appear|ing of our Lord Ie&s;us.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 36. Rom. 11.</NOTE> <HI>His judge|ments</HI> (&s;aith the Scripture) <HI>are as a great deepe, and his wayes pa&s;t finding out.</HI> It is as po&s;&s;ible for us to compre|hend the Ocean in a little di&s;h, as to comprehend the rea&s;on of Gods coun|&s;ell in this behalf.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What rea&s;on, ju&s;tice, or equi|tie is there that &s;entence of death &s;hould be pa&s;&s;ed upon men before they be borne, and before they have done good or evill?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I told you before, that we can never comprehend the rea&s;on of Gods proceeding in this behalfe: yet wee mu&s;t know that his will is the rule of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and mu&s;t be unto us in &s;tead of a thou&s;and rea|&s;ons. For what&s;oever God willeth, in as much as hee willeth it, it is to be holden ju&s;t. Wee cannot conceive the rea&s;on of many naturall things, and things &s;ubject to &s;en&s;e, as the motion of the cele&s;tiall bodies, their uncon|ceiveable &s;wiftne&s;&s;e, their matter and &s;ub&s;tance, their magnitude, altitude, and la<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">itude. Wee cannot throughly finde out the cau&s;es of the thunder, lightne&s;&s;e, winds, earth-quakes, eb|bings and flowings of the &s;ea, and ma|ny other things under the Sun: how then can wee po&s;&s;ibly a&s;cend up into the privie Chamber and Councell-hou&s;e
<PB N="302" REF="169"> of God, to &s;ift and &s;earch <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> the bottome of Gods &s;ecrets, which no wit or reach of man can any w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> attaine unto? Let us therefore learne in Gods feare to reverence that which we cannot in this life comprehend.</P>
<P>This one thing I mu&s;t &s;ay unto you, that what&s;oever God dec<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">eth, yet doth he execute no man till he hath ten thou&s;and times de&s;erved it. For betwixt the decree and the execution thereof, cometh &s;inne in us, and mo&s;t ju&s;t cau&s;es of condemnation.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If God have decreed mens de|&s;truction, what can they do withall? who can re&s;i&s;t his will? why then is he angry with us? For all things mu&s;t needs come to pa&s;&s;e according to his de|cree and determination.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Fir&s;t, I an&s;wer you with the Apo&s;tle:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.22.</NOTE> <HI>O man, who art thou that pleade&s;t again&s;t God? Shall the thing formed &s;ay to him that formed it, Why ha&s;t thou made me thus? Hath not the Potter power of the clay, to make of the &s;ame lumpe one ve&s;&s;ell to honour, and another to di&s;honour?</HI> Moreover, I an&s;wer, that Gods decree doth not enforce the will of man, which wor|keth and moveth of it &s;elfe. It hath in it &s;elfe the beginning of evill m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|on and &s;inneth willingly. Therefore, though the decree of God impo&s;eth a nece&s;&s;ity upon all &s;econdary cau&s;es (&s;o
<PB N="303" REF="169"> as they mu&s;t needs be framed and di&s;po&s;ed according to the &s;ame) yet no co<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ction or con&s;traint; for they are all carried with their voluntary moti|on. Even as we &s;ee the plumbe of a clock, being the fir&s;t mover, doth cau&s;e all the other wheeles to move, but not to move this way or that way: for in that they move, &s;ome one way, and &s;ome another, it is of them&s;elves; I meane, of their owne frame: &s;o Gods decree doth move all &s;econdary cau&s;es, but takes not away their owne proper motion. For God is the Au|thour of every action, but not of any evill in any action. As the &s;oule of man is the originall cau&s;e of all moti|on in man, as the Philo&s;ophers di|&s;pute, but yet not of lame and impo|tent motion, for that is from another cau&s;e, to wit, &s;ome defect in the body: &s;o, I &s;ay, Gods decree is the root and fir&s;t cau&s;e of motion, but not of defe|ctive motion, that is from our &s;elves. Likewi&s;e, that a bell &s;oundeth, the cau&s;e is in him that ringeth it: but that it jarreth, the cau&s;e is in it &s;elfe. Againe, that an in&s;trument &s;oundeth, is in him that plaieth upon it; but that it jarreth, is in it &s;elfe; that is, in its own want of tuning. So then, to &s;hut up this point: all in&s;truments and middle cau&s;|es are &s;o moved of God being the fir&s;t Mover, that hee allwayes doth
<PB N="304" REF="170"> will holily and ju&s;tly in his moving. But the in&s;truments moved are car|ried in contrary motions, according to their owne nature and frame: If they be good, they are carried to that which is good: but if they be evill, they are carried unto evill. So that according to the double beginning of motion and will, there is a double and divers work and effect.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But from whence comes it that man of him&s;elfe, that is, of his own free motion, doth will that which is evill?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>From the fall of <HI>Adam,</HI> whereby his will was corrupted.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What was the cau&s;e of Adams fall?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Divell, and the depra|vation of his own will.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How could his will incline unto evill, it being made good, and hee being made good?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>He and his will were made good, yet mutably good. For to be immutably good is proper onely to God. And <HI>Adam</HI> did &s;o &s;tand, that he might fall; as the event declared.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Was not the decree of God the cau&s;e of Adams fall?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No: but the voluntary in|clination of his will unto evill. For <HI>Adams</HI> will was neither forced nor by any violence of Gods purpo&s;e com|pelled
<PB N="305" REF="170"> to con&s;ent: but he of a free will and ready mind left God, and joyned with the Divell.</P>
<P>Thus then I doe determine, That <HI>Adam</HI> &s;inned nece&s;&s;arily, if you re&s;pect the decree or event: but if you re&s;pect the fir&s;t mover and inherent cau&s;e, which was his owne will, then he &s;in|ned voluntarily and contingently. For the decree of God did not take away his will, or the contingency thereof, but only order and di&s;po&s;e it. There|fore (as a learned Writer &s;aith) <HI>Volens peccavit, &amp; proprio m<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">tu;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">B<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"></NOTE> <HI>He &s;inned wil|lingly, and of his owne motion.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore no evill is to be attri|buted unto God, or his decree.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How then doe you conceive and con&s;ider of the purpo&s;e of God in all the&s;e things?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Thus: That God decreed with him&s;elfe, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">no actu,</HI> at once,</P>
<P>That there &s;hould be a world.</P>
<P>That <HI>Adam</HI> &s;hould be treated per|fect.</P>
<P>That he &s;hould fall of him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>That all &s;hould fall with him.</P>
<P>That he would &s;ave &s;ome of the lo&s;t race.</P>
<P>That hee would doe it of mercie through his Son.</P>
<P>That he would condemn others for &s;in.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How doe you prove the
<PB N="306" REF="171"> decree of reprobation; to wit, that God hath determined the de&s;truction of thou|&s;ands before the world was?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Scripture calleth the Reprobates,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.22.</NOTE> <HI>The ve&s;&s;els of wrath, pre|pared to de&s;truction:</HI> The Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 5.</NOTE> <HI>God hath not appointed us unto wrath:</HI> Therefore it followeth, that &s;ome are appointed unto wrath. The Scripture &s;aith of the Reprobates, that <HI>they were even ordained to &s;tum|ble at the Word.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2.8.</NOTE> The Scripture &s;aith, <HI>They were of old ordained to this con|demnation, Jude 4.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">. 18.</NOTE><HI>But how an&s;wer you this? God will<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> not the death of a &s;inner: therefore he hath prede&s;tinated none to de&s;tructi|on.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>God wils not the death of a &s;inner &s;imply and ab&s;olutely, as it is the de&s;truction of his creature; but as it is a meanes to declare his ju&s;tice, and to &s;et forth his glory.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>God did fore-&s;ee and fore-know, that the wicked would peri&s;h through their owne &s;in: but yet he did not prede|&s;tinate them unto it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Gods pre&s;cience and fore-knowledge cannot be &s;eparated from his decree. For what&s;oever God hath fore-&s;eene and fore-known in his eternall coun&s;ell, he hath determined the &s;ame &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e. For as it appertaines to his wi&s;dome to fore-know
<PB N="307" REF="171"> and fore-&s;ee all things: &s;o doth it appertain to his power to moderate and rule all things according to his will.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What doe you call pre&s;cience in God?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Pre&s;cience in God is that whereby all things abide pre&s;ent be|fore his eyes: &s;o that to his eternall knowledge, nothing is pa&s;t, nothing to come; but all things are alwaies pre&s;ent: and are they &s;o pre&s;ent, that they are not as conceived imaginati|ons, formes and motions; but all things are alwaies &s;o pre&s;ent befo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e God, that he doth behold them <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> their <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> and perfection.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>How can God ju&s;tly determine of mens de&s;truction, before they have &s;inned?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This objection hath been an&s;wered in part before: For I told you, that God condemneth none but for &s;in, either originall onely, or el&s;e both originall and actuall. For how|&s;oever he doth in him&s;elfe, before all time, determine the reprobation of many, yet he proceeds to no excecuti|on, till there be found in us both ju&s;t de&s;ert<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> and apparent cau&s;e. There|fore they deale un&s;oundly and fooli&s;h|ly, which confound the decree of re|probation with damnation, it &s;elfe; &s;ith &s;inne is the cau&s;e of the one, and
<PB N="308" REF="172"> only the will of God of the other.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, Sir, &s;ith we are &s;o far pro|ceeded in this que&s;tion, by the occa&s;ion of this mans objections and cavile, I pray you now, as you have &s;poken much of reprobation, and the cau&s;es thereof; &s;o let us heare &s;omewhat of election, and the cau&s;es thereof: and &s;hew us out of the Scriptures, that God hath be|fore all worlds cho&s;en &s;ome to eternall life.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Touching the decree of e|lection, there are almo&s;t none that make any doubt thereof: therefore &s;mall proofe &s;hall &s;erve for this point. Onely I will con&s;truct it by one or two te&s;timonies out of holy Scrip|ture. Fir&s;t, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1.3.</NOTE> <HI>even the Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who hath ble&s;&s;ed us with all &s;pirituall ble&s;&s;ings in heavenly things in Chri&s;t, as hee hath cho&s;en us in him, before the foundation of the world, that wee &s;hould be holy, and without blame before him in love.</HI> You &s;ee the words are very plaine and pregnant for this purpo&s;e. Another confirmation is taken out of the eight chapter to the <HI>Romans,</HI> in the&s;e words: <HI>Tho&s;e whom hee knew before, did he al&s;o prede&s;tinate to be like to be like to the image of his owne Sonne, that hee might be the fir&s;t-borne of many bre|thren.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="309" REF="172">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Which be the cau&s;es of election?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The cau&s;es of election are to be found onely in God him&s;elfe. For his eternall election dependeth nei|ther upon man, neither yet upon a|ny thing that is in man, but is pur|po&s;ed in him&s;elfe, and e&s;tabli&s;hed in Chri&s;t, in whom we are elected. This is fully proved in the&s;e words,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1.5, 6.</NOTE> <HI>Who hath prede&s;tinated us to be adopted through Je&s;us Chri&s;t in him&s;elfe, ac|cording to the good plea&s;ure of his will, to the prai&s;e of his glory, where|with he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved.</HI> Where we &s;ee the A|po&s;tle telleth us, that his free grace, and the good plea&s;ure of his will, are the fir&s;t motives or moving cau&s;es of our election.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But the Papi&s;ts fetch the fir&s;t mo|tive of election out of mans merits, and fore-&s;een workes. For, &s;ay they, God did fore-&s;ee who would repent, beleeve, and doe well: and therefore he made choice of them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>But they are greatly decei|ved: For I &s;ay againe and againe, that there is nothing in us which did ever move God to &s;et his love upon us, and to chu&s;e us unto life: but he ever found the originall cau&s;e in him|&s;elfe; as it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.</NOTE> <HI>Hee will have mercy upon whom hee will have mercy, and whom hee will hee hardneth.</HI> And
<PB N="310" REF="173">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="311" REF="173">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="310" REF="174"> againe: <HI>It is neither in him that wil|leth, nor in him that runneth: but in God that &s;heweth mercy.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 7.7.</NOTE> The Lord him|&s;elfe al&s;o te&s;tifieth, that hee did chu&s;e his people not for any re&s;pect in them, but onely becau&s;e he loved them, and bare a &s;peciall favour unto them. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> then it is a certaine truth, that Gods eternall prede&s;tination excludeth all merits of man, and all power of his will, thereby to attaine unto eternall life: and that his free mercy, and un|de&s;erved favour, is both the beginning, the mid&s;t, and the end of our &s;alvation: that is to &s;ay, All is of him, and no|thing of our &s;elves.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Whether then doth faith depend upon election, or election upon faith? That is, whether did God chu&s;e us, be|cau&s;e we doe beleeve? or whether doe we beleeve, becau&s;e we are cho&s;en?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Out of all doubt, both faith and all fruits of faith do depend upon election. For therefore we beleeve, be|cau&s;e we are elected; and not therefore elected, becau&s;e wee beleeve: As it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 13.41.</NOTE> <HI>So many as were ordained to e|verla&s;ting life, beleeved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If men be prede&s;tinate before they be borne, to what purpo&s;e &s;erve all precepts, admonitions, lawes? &amp;c. It &s;or|ceth not how wee live. For neither our godly or ungodly life can alter the pur|po&s;e of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="311" REF="174">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is a very wicked and carnall objection, and &s;heweth a vile and di&s;&s;olute mind in them that u&s;e it. But I would wi&s;h &s;uch men to con&s;ider the end of election; which is, that we &s;hould lead a godly <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">: As it is plainly &s;et down in the fir&s;t chap|ter to the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> ver. <HI>3.</HI> where the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>God hath cho&s;en us be|fore the foundation of the world.</HI> But to what end? that wee &s;hould live as wee li&s;t? No, no, &s;aith hee; <HI>But that wee &s;hould be holy and, unblameable before him.</HI> Againe he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.16.</NOTE> <HI>Wee are prede&s;tinate to be made like the image of his Sonne,</HI> that is, <HI>to be holy and righteous.</HI> For mo&s;t certaine it is, that wee can judge nothing of pre|de&s;tination, but by the con&s;equents: that is, by our calling, ju&s;tification, and &s;anctification. For when once we feele the work of grace within us, (that is, that wee are wa&s;hed by the new birth, and renued by the holy Gho&s;t, finding in our &s;elves an un|feigned hatred of &s;inne, and love of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e) then are we &s;ure, and out of all doubt, that we are prede&s;ti|nated to life. And it is even as much is if God had per&s;onally appeared unto us, and whi&s;pered us in the eare, and told us that our names are taken, and written in the Booke of life. For <HI>whom hee hath prede&s;tinate,
<PB N="312" REF="175"> them hee hath called:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.30.</NOTE> <HI>and whom hee hath called, them hee hath ju&s;tified: and whom he hath ju&s;tified, them he hath glorified.</HI> Now therefore, till wee feele the&s;e markes of election wrought in us, we can be at no cer|tainty in this point; neither are wee to take any notice of it, or meddle in it: but we mu&s;t &s;trive, according to that power and faculty wee have, to live hone&s;tly, and civilly, waiting when God will have mercy on us, and give us the true touch. As for them that are carele&s;&s;e and di&s;&s;olute, letting all at &s;ix and &s;even, there is &s;mall hope that they are elected, or ever &s;hall be called.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I thinke the preaching and publi&s;hing of this doctrine of prede&s;ti|nation hath done much hurt: and it had been good it had never been knowne to the people, but utterly con|cealed. For &s;ome it driveth to de&s;paire, and others it maketh more &s;ecure and carele&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You are in a great errour: for this doctrine is part of Gods re|vealed Truth, which hee would have knowne to his people. And in good &s;ooth, it is of very great and comfor|table u&s;e to the Children of God, a|gain&s;t all the a&s;&s;aults of the Divell, and temptations of de&s;peration what|&s;oever. For when a man hath once
<PB N="313" REF="175"> in truth felt, by the effects, that God hath cho&s;en him to life, then though the Divell lye &s;ore at him, and the con&s;cience of &s;inne and his owne frailties doe vehemently a&s;&s;ault him; yet he knoweth certainly, that the eter|nall purpo&s;e and coun&s;ell of God is immutable, and that becau&s;e his &s;al|vation is not grounded upon him|&s;elfe, or his owne &s;trength, but upon the unchangeable decree of GOD, which is a foundation immoveable, and alwayes &s;tanding &s;ure and firme: therefore doe the Divell and &s;in what they can, yet he &s;hall be upheld in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and truth, and even (as it were) borne up in the armes of God even to the end. For whom God loveth, to the end he loveth them. Moreover, when once the Lords peo|ple perceive (by their &s;anctification and new birth) both that the Lord hath re|jected and reprobated &s;o many thou|&s;and thou&s;ands, and made choice of them to be heires of his mo&s;t glorious Kingdome, being in them&s;elves of the &s;ame mould and making that others are, and that he hath done all this of his free grace and unde&s;erved mercy towards them: oh how doth it ravi&s;h their hearts with the love of him! Againe, how frankly and cheerfully doe they &s;erve him! how willingly and faithfully doe they obey
<PB N="314" REF="176"> him! Yea, how are they wholly rapt, and inflamed with the de&s;ire of him! For it is the per&s;wa&s;ion and feeling of Gods love towards us, that draw|eth up our love to him againe; as St. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, <HI>1. John 4. We love him, becau&s;e he hath love us fir&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, it is &s;aid of <HI>Mary Magda|len,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7.</NOTE> that &s;he loved much, becau&s;e much was forgiven. For after &s;hee felt her many &amp; great &s;ins freely pardoned, her affections were kindled with the love and obedience of Chri&s;t. So likewi&s;e the Church in the <HI>Canticles,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.5.</NOTE> after &s;hee had beene in the banquetting hou&s;e of all &s;pirituall grace, and felt the ban|ner of Chri&s;ts love di&s;played upon her, forthwith &s;hee was rape there|with, and cryed out (as it were in a &s;woun) that &s;hee was &s;icke of love. So againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5.5.</NOTE> when Chri&s;t put in his hand by the hole of the doore (that is, touched the very inward parts of her heart by his &s;pirit) then her heart yearned, and her bowels were affecti|oned towards him. This is it which St. <HI>Paul</HI> prayeth for upon his knees,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 18, 19</NOTE> that it may be granted to the <HI>Ephe|&s;ians,</HI> that they may bee able to comprehend with all the Saints, what is the breadth and length, height and depth of Gods love to|wards us, and to know the love of Chri&s;t (which pa&s;&s;eth knowledge)
<PB N="315" REF="176"> and to be filled with all fulne&s;&s;e of God. Thus then you &s;ee the great and comfortable u&s;e of this doctrine of election, both in that it mini&s;treth &s;trength &amp; comfort again&s;t all tempta|tions, as al&s;o becau&s;e it con&s;traineth us to love God, and of very love to feare him, and obey him.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, Sir, I think now you have &s;pent time enough in an&s;wering the objections and cavils of <HI>Antilegon.</HI> In all which I doe ob&s;erve one thing; that there is no end of cavilling and ob|jecting again&s;t the truth: and that a man may object more in an houre, then a learned man can well an&s;wer in a day.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You &s;ay truth. And the rea|&s;on hereof is, becau&s;e men have &s;in in them out of mea&s;ure, and the Spirit of God but in mea&s;ure. Therefore they can by the one object and conceive more again&s;t the truth, then by the o|ther they &s;hall be able to an&s;wer and &s;ay for it.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It appeareth indeed, that er|rours be infinite, and objections innu|merable, and that there is no end of mens cavilling again&s;t Gods &s;acred truth. It is good for us therefore to be thorowly &s;ettled in the truth, that we be not entangled or &s;nared with any cavils or &s;ophi&s;tications what&s;oe|ver. And I doe verily thinke (notwith|&s;tanding
<PB N="316" REF="177"> all his objections, and excepti|ons) that he doth in his con&s;cience de&s;ire, with <HI>Balaam,</HI> to dye the death of the righ|teous, and to be as one of them whom he &s;eemeth to de&s;pi&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I am &s;o per&s;waded too. For this is the triumph that vertue hath over vice, that where &s;he is mo&s;t ha|ted, there &s;he is often de&s;ired and wi&s;h|ed for. And this is the great puni&s;h|ment that God bringeth upon the wic|ked; <HI>Virtutem ut videant, intabe&s;cantque relicta,</HI> as &s;aith the Poet; <HI>That they &s;hall &s;ee vertue, and pine away, having no power to follow it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>But now let us returne to the point wee were in hand with, before wee fell into the&s;e objections and cavils: which was concerning the &s;mall num|ber of them which &s;hall be &s;aved: and as you have &s;hewed us many rea&s;ons there|of, &s;o proceed to &s;peak yet more unto that point.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>As I have &s;hewed you of &s;undry lets, both within us, and with|out us, which doe keep us backe from God, and hold us fa&s;t in our &s;innes; &s;o now, unto all that hath been &s;aid before, I will adde nine great hinde|rances unto eternall life, which may not unfitly be termed nine bars out of Heaven, and nine gates into Hell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Which be they?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>They be the&s;e:
<LIST>
<PB N="317" REF="177">
<ITEM>Infidelity.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nine gates into Hell.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>Pre&s;umption of Gods mercy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Examples of the multitude.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Long cu&s;tome of &s;in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Long e&s;caping of puni&s;hment.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hope of long life.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Conceitedne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ill company.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Evill examples of Mini&s;ters.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The&s;e indeed be &s;trong bars out of heaven, and wide gates into hell. I pray you therefore prove them of the Scri|ptures, and lay them forth &s;omewhat more largely.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The fir&s;t, which is Infide|lity, is proved out of the fourth chap|ter to the <HI>Hebrewes,</HI> ver&s;e <HI>2.</HI> where it is written, <HI>Unto us was the Go|&s;pel preached, as unto them: but the word which they heard, profited them not, becau&s;e it was not mixed with faith in tho&s;e that heard it.</HI> And again,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>They could not enter in, becau&s;e of unbeliefe.</HI> Here we &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e, that unbe|liefe did bar out the old people from entring into the Land of Promi&s;e, which was a figure of Gods eternall Kingdome. And &s;ure it is, that the &s;ame unbeliefe doth barre out thou|&s;ands of us. For many will beleeve nothing but their owne fanta&s;ies. They will not beleeve the Word of God: e&s;pecially when it is con|trary to their lu&s;ts and likings,
<PB N="318" REF="178"> profits and plea&s;ures. Though things be manife&s;tly proved to their faces, and both the Chapter and the Ver&s;e &s;hewed them, yet will they not beleeve; or though they &s;ay they beleeve, yet will they never goe about the practice of any thing, but reply again&s;t God in all their actions. And, for the mo&s;t part, when God &s;aith one thing, they will &s;ay another: when God &s;aith yee, they will &s;ay nay, and &s;o give God the lye. Some againe will &s;ay, If all be true that the Preachers &s;ay, then God help us. Thus you &s;ee how infi|delity doth bar men out of Heaven, and ca&s;t them into Hell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us heare of the &s;econd gate, which is, <HI>Pre&s;umption of Gods mercy.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is &s;et downe in the <HI>29.</HI> Chapter of <HI>Deuteronomie,</HI> where the Lord &s;aith thus, <HI>When a man heareth the words of this cur&s;e, and yet flattereth him&s;elfe in his heart, &s;aying, I &s;hall have peace, although I walke according to the &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e of mine owne heart, thus adding drunkenne&s;s to thir&s;t (that is, one &s;inne to anot<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">er) the Lord will not be mercifull unto him, but the wrath of the Lord and his jealou&s;ie &s;hall &s;moake a|gain&s;t that man, and every cur&s;e that is written in this booke &s;hall light upon him, and the Lord &s;hall put out his name from under Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>Here we &s;ee how the mighty God
<PB N="319" REF="178"> doth thunder downe upon &s;uch as goe|on in their &s;ins, pre&s;uming of his mer|cie, and &s;aying in their hearts, If I may have but a <HI>Lord have mercy upon mee</HI> three houres before death, I care not. But it is ju&s;t with God, when the&s;e three houres come, to &s;hut them up in blindne&s;&s;e, and hardne&s;&s;e of heart, as a ju&s;t plagne for their pre|&s;umption. Therefore the Prophet <HI>David,</HI> &s;eeing the grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e of this &s;inne, prayeth to be delivered from it:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 19.</NOTE> <HI>Keep me, O Lord</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>from pre|&s;umptuous &s;ins, let them not reigne over mee.</HI> Let all men therefore take hood of pre&s;umptuous &s;ins. For though God be full of mercy, yet will hee &s;hew no mercy to them that pre&s;ume of his mercy. But they &s;hall once know, to their co&s;t, that ju&s;tice goeth from him as well as mercy.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us come to the third gate, which is, the <HI>Example of the multitude.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is proved in the <HI>23.</HI> of <HI>Exodus, ver&s;e 22.</HI> where the Lord &s;aith flatly, <HI>Thou &s;halt not follow a multi|tude to do evill.</HI> In another place the Lord &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 18.3.</NOTE> <HI>After the doing of the Land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, &s;hall ye not doe; and after the manner of the Land of Canaan, whither I will bring you, &s;hall ye not doe, neither walke in their ordinances.</HI></P>
<P>Again&s;t this Law did the children
<PB N="320" REF="179"> of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> offend, when they &s;aid in the &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e of their heart to the Prophet <HI>Jeremie, The word that thou ha&s;t &s;poken unto us in the name of the Lord wee will not heare, but we will do what&s;oever goeth out of our mouth, and we will do as we have done, both we and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, in the Cities of Judah, and the &s;treets of Jeru&s;alem, Jer. 44.16.</HI></P>
<P>Note here how they doe altogether refu&s;e the Word of the Lord, and how they follow the example of the multi|tude. Wee &s;ee in the&s;e our dayes by lamentable experience how thou&s;ands are violently carried downe the &s;tream, and for defence of it &s;ome will &s;ay, Do as the mo&s;t men do, and the fewe&s;t will &s;peak ill of you: Which is a very wic|ked &s;peech. For if we will follow the cour&s;e of the mo&s;t, we &s;hall have the reward of the mo&s;t, which is eternall perdition.</P>
<P>Let us therefore take heed of bend|ing with the &s;way: for the &s;way of the world doth weigh down all things that can be &s;poken out of the Word of God, and openeth a very wide pa&s;&s;age into hell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Proceed to the fourth gate in|to hell, which is, the <HI>Long cu&s;tome of &s;inne.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is noted by the Pro|phet <HI>Jeremy</HI> to be a very dangerous
<PB N="321" REF="179"> thing. For hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 13.23.</NOTE> <HI>Can the Black moore change his skin, or the Leopard his &s;pots? Then may yee al&s;o doe good, which are accu&s;tomed to doe evill.</HI> No|ting thereby, that it is as hard a mat|ter to leave an old cu&s;tome of &s;inne; as to wa&s;h a Black-moore white, or to change the &s;pots of a Leopard; which becau&s;e they are naturall is mo&s;t im|po&s;&s;ible. So when men through cu|&s;tome have made &s;wearing, lying, a|dultery, and drunkenne&s;&s;e (as it were) naturall unto them, oh how hard it is to leave them! For cu&s;tome maketh another nature, and taketh a|way all &s;en&s;e and feeling of &s;in.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us heare of the fifth gate, which is, the <HI>Long e&s;caping of puni&s;h|ment.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is avouched by the Wi&s;e man in the&s;e words,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;. 8.11.</NOTE> <HI>Becau&s;e &s;entence again&s;t an evill worke is not executed &s;peedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are &s;et in them to doe evill.</HI> Where hee &s;heweth, that one cau&s;e why men are &s;o hardened in their &s;innes, is, becau&s;e God wink|eth at them, and letteth them alone, not puni&s;hing them immediatly after they have &s;inned. For if God &s;hould forthwith &s;trike downe one, and raine fire and brim&s;tone upon another, and cau&s;e the earth to &s;wallow up a third, then men would feare indeed. But
<PB N="322" REF="180"> it hath beene &s;hewed before, that God taketh not that cour&s;e, but though he meet with &s;ome in this life, yet he lets thou&s;ands e&s;cape; and that makes them more bold, thinking they &s;hall never come to their an&s;wer: even as an old theefe, which hath a long time e&s;caped both pri&s;on and gallowes, thinkes he &s;hall alwaies &s;o e&s;cape, and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts. But let men take heed: For, as the Proverb &s;aith, <HI>Though the Pitcher goeth long to the Well, yet at la&s;t it cometh broken home.</HI> So though men e&s;cape long, yet they &s;hall not e&s;cape alwaies: for there will come a day of reckoning, a day that will pay it home for all. Thus you &s;ee how impunity leadeth numbers to de&s;tructi|on: that is, when men are let alone, and neither &s;mitten by the hand of God, nor puni&s;hed by the Law of the Magi&s;trate.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us come to the &s;ixth gate, which is the <HI>Hope of long life.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is affirmed by our Lord Ie&s;us concerning that rich worldling, who, when hee felt the world come in upon him with full &s;treame, &s;aid he would pull d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">wne his barnes, and build greater, and &s;ay to his &s;oule, <HI>Soule, thou ha&s;t much goods laid up for many yeares:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 12.19.</NOTE> <HI>live at ea&s;e, eat, drinke, and take thy pa&s;time.</HI> But
<PB N="323" REF="180"> our Saviour calleth him foole for flattering him&s;elfe in &s;ecurity and pro|mi&s;ing unto him&s;elfe long life. More|over, hee plainely told him that the &s;ame night hee &s;hould make a helli&s;h and mi&s;erable end. Note, I pray you, how Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, the fountaine of all wi&s;edome, c<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">lleth this man a foole, and yeeldeth a rea&s;on thereof; to wit, becau&s;e hee gathered riches to him&s;elfe, and was not rich in God: hee had great care of this life, and none at all for that which is to come. So then it followeth that all &s;uch are right fooles indeed, and may be chronicled for fooles (how wi&s;e &s;oever they be taken and reputed in the world) which have much care for their bodies, and none for their &s;oules; great care for this life, and little for that which is to come. well, let all &s;uch profane worldlings as dreame and dote of long life (and therefore deferre the day of their repentance and conver&s;i|on unto God) take heed by this mans example, that they reckon not with|out their ho&s;t, and he &s;uddenly &s;natcht away in the mid&s;t of all their plea|&s;ures and jollitie <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">s <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 22.13.</NOTE> <HI>Some die in their full &s;trength, being in all ea&s;e and pro&s;perity: Their brea&s;ts run full of milke, and their bones run full of marrow.</HI> Wee &s;ee therefore how dangerous a thing it is for men to
<PB N="324" REF="181"> flatter and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ooth up them&s;elves with hope of long life.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Proceed to the &s;eventh gate, which is, <HI>Conceitedne&s;&s;e.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is indeed a very broad gate into hell. For the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 16.12.</NOTE> <HI>See&s;t thou a man wi&s;e in his owne conceit? There is more hope of a foole than of &s;uch a one.</HI> And againe, <HI>The foole is wi&s;er in his owne eyes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 26.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">6.</NOTE> <HI>then &s;even men that can give a &s;en|&s;ible rea&s;on.</HI> The holy Gho&s;t wee &s;ee affirmeth, that &s;uch as are puft up with an overwe<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ning of their owne gifts, are farthe&s;t of all other from the Kingdome of Heaven. For they de&s;pi&s;e the wi&s;edome of God to their owne de&s;truction. They hold &s;corne to be taught: they will &s;ay they know as much as all the Preachers can tell them. For what can all the Preachers &s;ay more then this? Wee are all &s;inners, wee mu&s;t bee &s;aved by Chri&s;t, wee mu&s;t do as wee would be done to. There is no more, but doe well, and have well, &amp;c. Alas poore &s;oules, they looke <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">loft, they are de&s;perately hoven up with con|ceitedne&s;&s;e, not knowing that they are poore,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 3.17.</NOTE> naked, blind, and mi&s;e|rable.</P>
<P>The&s;e men tru&s;t altogether to their owne wit, learning, policie, riches, and great reputation in the
<PB N="325" REF="181"> world. And becau&s;e all men crouch to them, and clap their hands at them, therefore they &s;well like Tur|ki<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">-Cocks, &s;et up their feathers and draw their wings upon the ground with a kind of &s;nuffe and di&s;daine of all men, as if they were the one|ly wights of the world. Moreover when men doe prai&s;e them for their naturall gifts, &s;oothe them, and ap|plaud them, then it is a wonder to &s;ee how they &s;treake them&s;elves, as though they would forthwith take their flight, and mount unto the clouds. But let all in&s;olent and conceived men hearken unto the woe that is pronounced again&s;t them by the eternall King of glory, &s;aying, <HI>Woe unto them that are wi&s;e in their owne eies,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 5.21.</NOTE> <HI>and prudent in their owne &s;ight.</HI> Againe, let them hearken to the coun&s;ell of God, which &s;aith, <HI>Tru&s;t unto the Lord with all thine heart,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 3.5.</NOTE> <HI>but leane not unto thine owne wi&s;edome. Be not wi&s;e in thine owne eyes, but feare God, and depart from evill.</HI> The&s;e &s;illy conceited fooles thinke that becau&s;e they have the ca&s;t of this life, and can cunning|ly compa&s;&s;e the things of this world and goe through &s;titch with them, therefore they can compa&s;&s;e heaven al&s;o by their fine wits, and deepe de|vices: but alas, poore wretches, they
<PB N="326" REF="182"> are greatly and gro&s;&s;ely deceived. For the wi&s;edome of the world is fooli&s;h|ne&s;&s;e with God, and hee cotcheth the wi&s;e in their owne craftine&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.19.</NOTE> And againe the Lord &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1.19.</NOTE> <HI>I will de&s;troy the wi&s;edome of the wi&s;e, and will ca&s;t away the under&s;tanding of the prudent.</HI> Let not the&s;e men therefore &s;tand too much in their owne light, let them not tru&s;t to their owne policies: for they are all but as an ice of one nights freezing, which will deceive them that tru&s;t unto it. Let them therefore become fooles in them&s;elves, that God may make them wi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. Let them denie them&s;elves, that God may acknow|ledge them. Let them be humbled in them&s;elves, that God may exalt them. For a&s;&s;uredly, there is no u&s;e, after this life, of the mo&s;t exqui&s;ite wi&s;e|dome of fle&s;h, it endeth all when wee end.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 2.16.</NOTE> <HI>For how dieth the wi&s;e man? <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">|ven as dieth the foole,</HI> &s;aith the holy Gho&s;t. And where all worldly wi&s;e|dome endeth, there all heavenly wi&s;e|dome beginneth. Thus therefore we &s;ee what a wide gate into hell Con|ceitedne&s;&s;e is, and how many enter in thereat:</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now let us under&s;tand of the eighth gate into hell, which is, <HI>Ill Company.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Spirit of God fore|&s;eeing the great danger of this, and
<PB N="327" REF="182"> knowing how ready wee are to be car|ried away with ill company, doth give us mo&s;t earne&s;t warning to take heed of it as a mo&s;t dangerous thing.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 4.14.</NOTE> <HI>En|ter not</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>in the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of evill men. Avoid it, goe not by it, turne from it, and pa&s;&s;e by.</HI> The rea&s;on hereof is yeelded in another place, where it is &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 13.20.</NOTE> <HI>A companion of fools &s;hall be made wor&s;e.</HI> Let men therefore take heed of ill company, for many thereby have beene brought to the gallowes, and have confe&s;&s;ed upon the ladder, that ill company hath brought them unto it, and therefore have admoni&s;hed all by their example to take heed and beware of lewd com|pany. Moreover the Scripture &s;aith, <HI>Hee that followeth vaine companions &s;hall be filled with poverty.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 18.19.</NOTE> And again in the &s;ame chapter, <HI>Hee that keepeth company with banquetters &s;hameth his father.</HI> Let us therefore &s;ay with <HI>David,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 119.63.</NOTE> <HI>I am a companion of all them that feare God, and keepe his com|mandements.</HI> And on the contrary let us &s;ay with him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2.6.</NOTE> <HI>I have not haunted with vaine per&s;ons, neither kept com|pany with the d<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;emblers. I hate the a&s;&s;embly of the evill, and have not ac|companied with the wicked.</HI> Let us therefore by <HI>Davids</HI> example &s;hun the company of the wicked: for as a man
<PB N="328" REF="183"> is, &s;o is his company. It is the &s;ure&s;t note to di&s;cerne a man by. For as all unlike things are un&s;ociable, &s;o all like things are &s;ociable. Herein let us beware wee deceive not our &s;elves with vaine words, and an opinion of our owne &s;trength, as if wee were as &s;trong as Chri&s;t, and could not be drawne away with any company. No, no, wee are more apt to be drawne than to draw; to be drawne to evill by others, then to draw others to good: therefore God &s;aith by his Prophet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 15.16.</NOTE> <HI>Let them returne unto thee, but returne not thou unto them.</HI> Vndoubtedly hee is an odde man that is not made wor&s;e with ill company. For can a man touch pitch, and not be defiled therewith? Can a man carrie coales in his bo&s;ome, and not be burnt? Daily and lamentable experience &s;heweth, that many of them which thinke them&s;elves &s;trong, are this way mo&s;t grievou&s;ly &s;mut|ted. Let a man thinke therefore hee never abandoneth evill, till hee aban|don ill company. For no good is concluded in this Parliament. For ill company is the &s;uburbs of hell. Furthermore, it is to be ob&s;erved, that &s;ome, upon admonitions and &s;ome inward compunctions of their owne con&s;cience, do leave their &s;innes untill they have new provocations, and un|till
<PB N="329" REF="183"> they come among&s;t their old cope&s;|mates and &s;in-companions, and then are they carried backe againe to their old byas, and returne to their folly, as a dog returneth to his vomit. For we &s;ee &s;ome, which otherwi&s;e are of good natures and di&s;po&s;itions, mo&s;t pitiful|ly and violently carried away with ill company.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.11.</NOTE> For even as gr&eacute;en wood of it &s;elfe is unapt to burne, yet being laid on the fire with a great deale of &s;eare wood, it burneth as fa&s;t as the re&s;t: So many toward youths, which of them&s;elves are not &s;o prone unto e|vill as others, yet with this violent &s;treame and blu&s;tering tempe&s;t of ill company are carried away.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Let us come to the la&s;t gate, which is, the <HI>Evill examples of Mini|&s;ters.</HI></HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It grieveth me, and I am almo&s;t a&s;ham'd to &s;peak of this point: for is it not a wofull and lamentable thing, that any &s;uch &s;hould be found among&s;t the &s;ons of <HI>Levi?</HI> Is it not a cur&s;e, that the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t &s;hould be of a &s;candalous conver&s;a|tion? For if the eye be darke, how great is the darkne&s;&s;e? If they be ex|amples of all evill to the flocke, which &s;hould be patternes, lights, and exam|ples of all goodne&s;&s;e, mu&s;t it not needs &s;trengthen the hands of the wicked, &s;o as they cannot returne from their
<PB N="330" REF="184"> wickedne&s;&s;e? But this is an old di&s;|ea&s;e and evill &s;ickne&s;&s;e, which hath al|wayes been in the Church. The Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> doth mo&s;t grievou&s;ly complaine of it in his time,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 23.24.</NOTE> and &s;aith, That <HI>from the Prophets of Jeru&s;alem is wickedne&s;&s;e gone forth into all the Land. For both the Prophet and the Prie&s;t doe wickedly. I have &s;een</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>in the Prophets of Jeru&s;alem fil|thine&s;&s;e. They commit adultery, and walke in lies: they &s;trengthen al&s;o the hands of the wicked, that none can re|turne from his wickedne&s;&s;e: they are all unto mee as Sodome, and the inhabi|tants thereof as Gomorrah.</HI> And in the ninth ver&s;e of the &s;ame Chapter he &s;heweth, that it was no plea&s;ure or joy unto him &s;o publikely to reprove them, but that he did it with excee|ding griefe, as being forced thereunto, both in regard of Gods glory, and the good of the Church. His words are the&s;e, <HI>Mine heart breaketh within mee, becau&s;e of the Prophets, and all my bones &s;hake.</HI> Moreover, in the &s;ame Chapter is &s;et downe how the Lord would feed them with wormwood, and make them drinke the water of gall, and &s;undry other wayes plague them for their flatteries, &s;educements, corrupt doctrine, and evill example of life.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Mo&s;t certaine it is that the evill
<PB N="331" REF="184"> example of Mini&s;ters, and e&s;pecially of Preachers, is very dangerous and of|fen&s;ive: for thereby thou&s;ands are har|dened in their &s;innes. For men will &s;ay, Such a Mini&s;ter, and &s;uch a Preacher doth thus and thus, and therefore why may not we doe &s;o too? They are lear|ned, and know the Word of God, there|fore if it were evill, I hope they would not doe it: for they &s;hould be lights unto us, and give us good examples. Therefore &s;ith they doe &s;uch things, wee cannot tell what to thinke, or what to &s;ay to the matter: they bring &s;uch &s;imple folke as wee are into a mamme|ring.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Oh that I could with the Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> quake and &s;hake to thinke of the&s;e matters! Oh that I could mourn as a Dove in penning of it! Oh that I had in the wilderne&s;&s;e a cottage, and could with <HI>Job</HI> be a bro|ther to the Dragons, and a compani|on to the O&s;triches, while&s;t I have any thoughts of the&s;e things! Oh that I could weep and mourne with|out &s;in, before I yeeld you an an&s;wer! For weep indeed I may, but an&s;wer I cannot. Alas (with much griefe I &s;peake it) all is too true that you &s;ay, and herein the people have a van|tage again&s;t us, if I may call it a vantage. But let this be my an&s;wer: <HI>If the blind lead the blind, both &s;hall
<PB N="332" REF="185"> fall into the ditch.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.14.</NOTE> Blind guides and blind people &s;hall peri&s;h together. If becau&s;e we are wicked, they will be more wicked, then both they and we &s;hall burne in hell fire together. Then let them reckon their gaines, and &s;ee what they have got. They have &s;mall cau&s;e to triumph over us: for thereby their market is never a whit amen|ded. Let them take this for an&s;wer. And let us that are the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, and Preachers of the Go&s;pel, looke narrowly to our &s;elves, and make &s;traight &s;teps to our feet: for if we tread never &s;o little awry, we may &s;ee how many eyes are upon us. Let us therefore with <HI>David</HI> pray continually, <HI>Order my goings, O Lord, that my foot-&s;teps &s;lip not: for when my foot &s;lipped they rejoyced a|gain&s;t mee.</HI> And as for the people, let them follow the examples of tho&s;e which walke unblameably (as God be thanked &s;ome &s;uch there be) and let them flye the examples of &s;uch as are offen&s;ive. So &s;hall God have more glory, and they more peace in their owne hearts. Thus have we heard what a wide gate is opened into Hell by the evill example of Mi|ni&s;ters, and e&s;pecially of Preach|ers.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, &s;ith there be &s;o many bars out of Heaven, and &s;o many gates into
<PB N="333" REF="185"> Hell, it is a very hard matter to break thorow all the&s;e bars, and to enter in|to life; and as hard a matter to mi&s;&s;e all the&s;e gates, and to e&s;cape Hell. He quits him well that can doe it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>True indeed. And as hard a thing as that is, &s;o hard a thing is it for fle&s;h and bloud to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. And yet mo&s;t men make light of it, and thinke it is the ea&s;ie&s;t matter of an hundred.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As hard as it is, yet I hope by the grace of God I &s;hall be one of them that &s;hall enter in. For &s;o long as I doe as I would be done to, and &s;ay no body no harme, nor do no body no harme, God will have mercy on my &s;oule. And I doubt not but my good deeds &s;hal weigh again&s;t my evill deeds, and that I &s;hall make even with God at my later end. For, I thank God for it, I have alwaies lived in h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s feare, and &s;erved him with a true in|tent: Therefore I know that &s;o long as I keep his commandements, &amp; live as my neighbours doe, and as a Chri&s;tian man ought to do, he will not damn my &s;oule.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Can you then keep Gods Commandements?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As neere as God will give mee grace.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Nay, but I aske you whe|ther you keep them or no?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe a&s;&s;ay to keep them as neere as I can. I doe my true intent.
<PB N="334" REF="186"> Though I keep them not all, yet I am &s;ure I keep &s;ome of them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Becau&s;e you &s;ay you keep &s;ome of them, I pray you let me be &s;o bold with you as to examine you in the particulars. You know the fir&s;t Commandement is this: <HI>Thou &s;halt have none other Gods in my &s;ight.</HI> How &s;ay you, doe you keep this?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am out of all feare of it. For I never wor&s;hipped any God but one. I am fully per&s;waded there is but one God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the &s;econd Commandement? <HI>Thou &s;halt not make to thy &s;elfe any graven image, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I never wor&s;hipped any images in my life, I defie them, I know they cannot help me, for they be but &s;tocks and &s;tones.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the third Commandement? which is this, <HI>Thou &s;halt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Nay certainly, I was never counted a &s;wearer in my life, but I have &s;erved God alwaies of a child, and have had a good faith in him ever &s;ince I could remember; I would be &s;orry el&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you then to the fourth Commandement? <HI>Remem|ber that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="335" REF="186">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Nay, for that matter I keep my Church as well as any man in the pari&s;h where I dwell, and mind my prayers as well when I am there. I thanke God for it (though I &s;ay it my &s;elfe) I have beene alway well given, and have loved Gods word with all my heart; and it doth mee good to heare the Epi&s;tles and Go&s;pels read every Sunday by our Vicar.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Tell me, what &s;ay you to the fift Commandement? which is; <HI>Ho|nour thy Father and thy Mother, &amp;c.</HI> Doe you keepe this?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I have alwayes loved and obeyed my father and mother from my heart. I hope there is no body can accu&s;e me for that: and I am &s;ure, if I keepe any commandement, it is this. For when I was a boy, every body &s;aid that I was well given, and a toward child. There|fore if I &s;hould not keep this Comman|dement, it would be a great griefe to mee, and goe as neere my heart, as any thing that came to mee this &s;even yeeres.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the &s;ixt Commandement: <HI>Thou &s;halt not kill?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>It were &s;trange if I &s;hould not keep that.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the &s;eventh: <HI>Thou &s;halt not commit adultery?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I thank God for it, I was ne|ver given to women. God hath alwaies
<PB N="336" REF="187"> kept mee from that; and, I hope, will &s;o &s;till.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the eighth: <HI>Thou &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">t not &s;teale?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am neither whore-ma&s;ter nor thiefe.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the ninth: <HI>Thou &s;halt not beare fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e? &amp;c.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I defie all fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e bearing from my heart.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you to the la&s;t: <HI>Thou &s;halt not covet?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I thank God for it, I never co|veted any mans goods but mine owne.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Now I perceive, you are a wonderfull man: you can keep all the Commandements. You are like the blind Ruler, which &s;aid unto Chri&s;t, <HI>All the&s;e things have I kept from my youth.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19.20.</NOTE> I perceive now indeed, that it is no marvell though you make &s;o light of Preaching: for you have no need of it. You are whole, you need not the Phy&s;ician: you feele no mi&s;ery, and therefore you care not for mercy. For where mi&s;ery is not felt, there mercy is not regarded: but I &s;ee you need no Saviour.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>You <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">y not well in that, I need a Saviour: and i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> is my Lord Je&s;us that mu&s;t &s;ave me; <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> he made me.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What need you a Saviour, &s;ith you are no &s;inner?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, beleeve mee, I am a &s;inner.
<PB N="337" REF="187"> We are all &s;inners: there is no man but hee &s;inneth.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>How can you be a &s;inner, &s;ith you keepe all the Commande|ments?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, I am a &s;inner for all that.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Can you both be a &s;inner, and be without &s;inne too? for hee that keepeth the Commandements, is without &s;inne: which thing you &s;ay you doe. But I &s;ee how the ca&s;e &s;tandeth; that a great number of &s;uch ignorant and &s;otti&s;h men as you are, will in generall &s;ay you are &s;inners, becau&s;e your con&s;cience telleth you &s;o; but when it cometh to particu|lars, you know not how you &s;inne, nor wherein. I pray you therefore, let mee lead you thorow the Comman|dements againe, and deale with you in particulars, that I may bring you to the &s;ight of your &s;innes. How &s;ay you therefore, doe you upon your knees, every morning and evening, give God thankes for his particular mercies, and manifold favours to|wards you? And doe you call much upon him privately, and much al&s;o with your family? An&s;wer me plainly and &s;imply.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I cannot &s;ay &s;o.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then you have broken the fir&s;t Commandement, which chargeth us to give God his due wor&s;hip;
<PB N="338" REF="188"> whereof prayer and thank&s;giving are a part. So then here, at the very en|trance, you are found guilty. Further, I demand of you, whether you never had any by-thoughts in your prayers, and your heart hath not beene upon o|ther matters, even then while you were in prayer?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I cannot deny that: For it is a very hard matter to pray without by-thoughts.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then (by your owne con|fe&s;&s;ion) you have broken the &s;econd Commandement, which doth com|mand the right manner of Gods wor&s;hip: that is, that as wee mu&s;t wor&s;hip God, &s;o wee mu&s;t doe it in faith, love, zeale, and pure affections. So that here you are guilty al&s;o; becau&s;e when you pray, your minde is of other matters, and you doe it not in &s;incerity and truth. Further, I de|mand of you, whether you did never &s;weare by your faith, or troth, or by our Lady St. <HI>Mary,</HI> and &s;uch other oathes?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes by S. Mary have I: I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Wee need no further wit|ne&s;&s;e, your very an&s;wer proveth it; for your an&s;wer is an oath: therefore, here al&s;o are you guilty, becau&s;e you &s;weare by idols. Further, I demand of you, whether you did never travell
<PB N="339" REF="188"> to Faires on the Sabbath day, or make bargaines on that day, or take journies, or talke of worldly matters, neglecting holy duties.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, God forgive me, I have.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then are you guilty of the breach of the fourth Commandement, which chargeth us, on paine of death, to &s;pend the Sabbath day in holy and religious duties, both publikely and privately. Further, I demand whe|ther you in&s;truct your wife, children, and &s;ervants in the true knowledge of God, and pray with them or no?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am &s;ure you would have mee &s;peak the truth. I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e, I do not, neither am I able to do it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then are you guilty of the breach of the fifth Commandement, which commandeth all duties of &s;u|periours towards their inferiours, and of inferiours towards their &s;upe|riours, whereof prayers and in&s;tructi|ons are a part. Moreover, I demand whether you were ever angry or no?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, an hundred times in my dayes: and I thinke there is no body but will be angry at one time or other, e&s;pe|cially when they have cau&s;e.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then you have broken the &s;ixth Commandement, which chargeth us to avoid wrath, anger, malice, de&s;ire of revenge, and all &s;uch like
<PB N="340" REF="189"> forerunners unto murder. Further|more, I aske you, whether you did ne|ver look upon a woman with a lu&s;t in your heart?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes, for I thinke there is no man free from thoughts that way. I had thought thoughts had beene free.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>No: thoughts are not free before God; for God knoweth our thoughts, and will puni&s;h us, arraign us, and condemne us for thoughts. Men know not thoughts; and there|fore can make not Lawes again&s;t thoughts: but becau&s;e God is privie to all our mo&s;t &s;ecret thoughts, there|fore hee hath made Lawes again&s;t them, and will condemne them. Therefore I conclude, that if you have nouri&s;hed adulterous thoughts in your heart, you are guilty of the breach of the &s;eventh commandement, which forbiddeth all &s;ecret thoughts and provocations what&s;oever to adultery. But further, I de|mand, whether you did never pilfer, purloine, and &s;teale &s;ome &s;mall things from your neighbour: as pa&s;ture, poultry, conies, apples, and &s;uch like?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I cannot cleere my &s;elfe in the&s;e things: for I had thought they had been no &s;inne.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then have you broken the
<PB N="341" REF="189"> eight Commandement, and &s;tand guil|ty of eternall death. For God in this Commandement chargeth us to have as great care of our neighbours goods, as of our owne: and not to injure him any manner of way, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> thought, word, or deed. Therefore all deceit, pilfring, oppre&s;&s;ing, and all unju&s;t dealing with our neighbours goods, is here condemned. More|over, let me ask you, whether you did never lie or di&s;&s;emble?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yes a&s;&s;uredly.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then have you broken the ninth Commandement: wherein God chargeth us, both in witne&s;&s;e bearing, and all other matters, to &s;peake the plaine truth from our heart: without lying, or di&s;&s;embling.</P>
<P>La&s;t of all, I demand, whether you did never in your heart de&s;ire &s;ome|thing that was not your owne: as your neighbours hou&s;e or ground, kine or &s;heepe, &amp;c. therein bewraying the di&s;contentment of your heart.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am as guilty in this as in any thing: For God forgive me, I have often de&s;ired and lu&s;ted after this and that, which was none of mine owne, and &s;o have bewrayed my di&s;contentment.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Then I perceive (by your owne confe&s;&s;ion) that you are guilty of the breach of all the Commande|ments.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="342" REF="190">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e it: for I &s;ee now more into that matter then ever I did. I never heard &s;o much be|fore in my life, nor was ever asked any &s;uch que&s;tions, as you aske mee. I had thought many of tho&s;e things, which you asked mee, had been no &s;innes at all.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I could have convicted you in a thou&s;and other particulars, wherein you doe daily and hourely breake the Law of God. But my purpo&s;e was onely to give you a ta&s;te of &s;ome parti|cular tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, and therewithall &s;ome little light by the way into the meaning of the Law: that thereby you might be brought to &s;ome better &s;ight of your &s;elfe, and might a little perceive in what ca&s;e you &s;tand before God; and by that little conceive a great deal more.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well: now I do plainly &s;ee, that I have been deceived, and am not in &s;o good e&s;tate before God, as I thought I had been. Moreover, I &s;ee that thou|&s;ands are out of the way, which thinke they are in a good ca&s;e before God: whereas indeed they are in blindne&s;&s;e, and in their &s;innes. But Lord have mer|cie upon us. I doe now plainly &s;ee, that I am farre from keeping the Commande|ments: and I thinke no man doth keep them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You may &s;weare it, I war|rant
<PB N="343" REF="190"> you. For neither Saint <HI>Paul, David,</HI> or the Virgin <HI>Mary</HI> could ever keep any one of the Commandements. I am glad you begin to &s;ee into the Law of God, and to have &s;ome ta&s;te that way. For as a mans knowledge and in-&s;ight is into the Law, &s;o is hi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> knowledge and in-&s;ight into him&s;elfe. Hee that hath a deep in-&s;ight into the Law of GOD, hath al&s;o a deep in-&s;ight into him&s;elfe. Hee that hath no in-&s;ight into the Law, can have no in-&s;ight into him&s;elfe. For the Law is that gla&s;&s;e, wherein we doe behold the face of our &s;oules before GOD. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>By the Law com|eth the knowledge of &s;inne.</HI> There|fore tho&s;e which are altogether igno|rant of the Law, and never behold them&s;elves in this gla&s;&s;e, doe com|mit an hundred &s;innes a day, which they know not of; and therefore are not grieved for them. For how can a man be grieved for that which hee knoweth not? But now further, I pray you to give mee leave to aske you &s;ome moe que&s;tions of the principle<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Religion, to the end, that you, knowing and feeling your ignorance, may be humbled therewith, bewaile i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> in time, and &s;eek after the true know|ledge of God. But yet, by the way, I will aske <HI>Antil<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">gon</HI> a que&s;tion or two; becau&s;e I de&s;ire to under&s;tand
<PB N="344" REF="191"> what knowledge hee hath in the grounds of Religion. Tell me there|fore, <HI>Antilegon,</HI> what was the rea|&s;on why Chri&s;t was conceived by the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I could an&s;wer you, but I will not. What authority have you to exa|mine me? Shew your commi&s;&s;ion. When I &s;ee your warrant, I will an&s;wer you: in the meane time, you have nothing to doe to examine mee. Meddle with that you have to do withall.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I perceive you are not onely ignorant, but wilfull and ob&s;tinate, and refu&s;e all in&s;tructions. Therefore I will leave you to God, and to your gal|led con&s;cience. But I pray you, <HI>A&s;u|netus,</HI> an&s;wer this que&s;tion. What thinke you, what was the rea&s;on that Chri&s;t was conceived by the holy Gho&s;t?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Bel<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">eve me, Sir, that is an hard que&s;tion. You may aske a wi&s;e man that que&s;tion: For I cannot an&s;wer it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What &s;ay you then to this? Who was Chri&s;ts mother?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Marry, Sir, that was our ble&s;|&s;ed Lady.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What was <HI>Pontius Pilate?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am &s;omewhat ignorant, I am not book-learned: but if you will have my &s;imple opinion, I thinke it was the Divell. For none but the Divell would put our &s;weet Saviour to death.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="345" REF="191">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What is the holy Catholike Church which you do beleeve?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The communion of Saints, the forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What do you pray for, when you &s;ay, Thy Kingdome come?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I do pray that God would &s;end us all of his grace, that wee may &s;erve him, and doe as wee ought to doe, and keep us in a good minde to God-ward, and to have him much in our minde. For &s;ome (God ble&s;&s;e us) have nothing but the Divell in their minde: they doe nothing a Gods name.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What is the Sacrament?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The Lords Supper.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>How many Sacraments be there?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Two.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Which <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> they?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Bread an <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What is the principall end of your coming to receive the Sacra|ment?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>To receive my Maker.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What is the principall u&s;e of a Sacrament?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The body and bloud of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>What profit and comfort have you by a Sacrament?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>In token that Chri&s;t died for us.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I can but pitty you for your ignorance: for it is exceeding gro&s;&s;e and palpable. Your an&s;wers are to
<PB N="344" REF="192">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="345" REF="192">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="344" REF="193">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="345" REF="193">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="346" REF="194"> no purpo&s;e, and bewray a wonderfull blindene&s;&s;e and &s;en&s;ele&s;ne&s;&s;e in matters of Religion. I am &s;orry that now I have not time and lei&s;ure to let you &s;ee your folly and extreme ignorance; as al&s;o to lay open unto you the &s;en&s;e and meaning of the Articles of the Faith, the Lords prayer, and the Sa|craments, and all other the grounds of Chri&s;tian Religion.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What cour&s;e would you wi&s;h me to take, that I may come out of igno|rance, and attaine unto the true know|ledge of God?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Surely I would wi&s;h you to be diligent in hearing of Sermons, and reading the Scriptures, with prayer and humility. Al&s;o that you would peru&s;e Catechi&s;mes, and other good bookes, and e&s;pecially <HI>Virels</HI> grounds of Religion, and the workes, of the two worthy &s;ervants of God, Ma&s;ter <HI>Giffard,</HI> and Ma&s;ter <HI>Perkins;</HI> and other mens, that have done great &s;ervice to the Church, and for whom thou&s;ands are bound to give God thankes. If you take this cour&s;e, you &s;hall by Gods grace, within a &s;hort time, grow to &s;ome good mea&s;ure of knowledge in all the main grounds of Chri&s;tian Religion.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I had not thought any man had beene &s;o ignorant as I now perceive this man is.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="347" REF="194">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Yes verily, there be thou|&s;ands in his ca&s;e. And I doe know by experience, that many will u&s;e the very &s;ame an&s;wers, or at lea&s;t very little differing.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I warrant you, if you had que|&s;tioned with him of kine or &s;heepe, pur|cha&s;ing of land, taking of lea&s;es, or any other matters under the Sun, you &s;hould have found him very ripe and ready in his an&s;wers.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I am &s;o per&s;waded too: For let a man talke with worldly men of worldly matters, and their an&s;wer is never to &s;eeke. They will talke very fre&s;hly with you of &s;uch matters, if it be all the day long. For they have a deep in-&s;ight into earthly things, &amp; doe wholly delight to talk of them, being ne|ver weary. For it is their joy, their meat, and their drink But come once to talk with them of Gods matters (as of faith, repentance, regeneration, &amp;c.) you &s;hall find them the verie&s;t dullards and dunces in the world. For when &s;peech is had of the&s;e things, they are &s;o b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|fogged that they cannot tell where they are, nor what they &s;ay.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>In my judgement, &s;uch mens ca&s;e is very pitifull and dangerous: and &s;o is this mans ca&s;e al&s;o, if God doe not very &s;peedily pull him out of it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Que&s;tionle&s;&s;e. For God &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"></NOTE> <HI>My people peri&s;h for want of
<PB N="348" REF="195"> knowledge.</HI> Our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith, that ignorance is the cau&s;e of all er|rours.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">2 15.</NOTE> <HI>Ye erre,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>not knowing the Scriptures.</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that ignorance doth alienate us from the life of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ep<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> 4 <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">8.</NOTE> For, &s;aith he, <HI>the Gentiles were darkened in their cogi|tation, being &s;trangers from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them.</HI> So then it is cleere that igno|rance is not the Mother of devotion, as the Papi&s;ts doe avouch; but it is the Mother of errour, death, and de|&s;truction, as the Scripture affirmeth. Our Lord fore&s;eeing the great dan|ger of ignorance (how thereby thou|&s;ands are carried headlong into hell) doth admoni&s;h all men to &s;earch the Scriptures, which doe te&s;tifie of him, that &s;o they might get out of the mo&s;t dangerous gulfe of ignorance, where|in multitudes are implunged. There|fore the Noble men of <HI>Berea</HI> are com|mended by the holy Gho&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 17.11.</NOTE> becau&s;e they received the Word with all readi|ne&s;&s;e, and &s;earched the Scriptures daily, whether tho&s;e things were &s;o. Oh therefore that men would earne&s;t+ly &s;eeke after the knowledge of God in time, and (as the Prophet &s;aith) <HI>&s;eeke the Lord while&s;t he may be found, call upon him while&s;t hee is neere. E&s;ay 55.6.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe &s;ee that all ignorance in
<PB N="349" REF="195"> matters of faith is dangerous, but I thinke wilfull ignorance is of all other mo&s;t dangerous.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Wilfull ignorance (no doubt) is a plaine progno&s;tication and demon|&s;trative argument of eternall death for it is a mo&s;t horrible and fearfull thing for men to refu&s;e in&s;truction, de&s;pi&s;e coun&s;ell, harden their hearts, &s;top their eares, and clo&s;e up their eyes again&s;t God. This is the very up&s;hot of our decay.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, what call you hard|ne&s;&s;e of heart?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>An hard heart is that which is neither moved with Gods mercies, nor &s;cared with his judgements; nei|ther feareth the Law, nor regardeth the Go&s;pel; neither is holpen by threatnings, nor &s;oftened by cha&s;ten|ings; whis is unthankfull for Gods benefits, and di&s;obedient to his coun|&s;els; made cruell by his rods, and di&s;|&s;olute by his favours; un&s;hamefac't to filthine&s;&s;e, and fearle&s;&s;e to perils; uncourteous to men, and wretchle&s;&s;e to God; forgetfull of things pa&s;t, negli|gent in things pre&s;ent, and improvident in things to come.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Lay forth yet more plainely the &s;tate of ignorant and hard-hearted men, and &s;hew how lamentable it is.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If a man bee outwardly blind, wee do pitty him, and &s;ay, There
<PB N="350" REF="196"> goes a poore blind man; but if hee be both blind and deafe, doe we not more pity him, and &s;ay, Oh in how mi&s;erable a ca&s;e is that man! but if hee be both blind, deaf, and dumb, do we not mo&s;t of all pity him, and &s;ay, Oh that man is in a mo&s;t wofull taking, and in a mo&s;t pitifull plight!</P>
<P>How much more then are they to be pitied, which, as concerning their &s;ouls, are both blind, deafe, and dumb: For the di&s;ea&s;es of the &s;oule are farre more dangerous and more to be pitied then tho&s;e of the body.</P>
<P>Would it not pity a mans heart to &s;ee a poore &s;heepe in a Lions mouth, while&s;t hee teareth him, rendeth him, and puls out his guts? Even &s;uch is the ca&s;e of ignorant men in the clawes of the Divell. For the Divell hath them under him, rideth them at his plea&s;ure, and teareth their &s;oules in pieces.</P>
<P>Oh that wee had eyes to &s;ee the&s;e things, hearts to feele them, and af|fections to be throughly moved with them, even unto mourning and teares!</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Few doe thinke that ignorant men are in &s;o wofull a ca&s;e as you &s;peake of; for they thinke ignorance will ex|cu&s;e them. And &s;ome will &s;ay, they are glad they have &s;o little knowledge. For if they &s;hould have much know|ledge
<PB N="351" REF="196"> of their Ma&s;ters will, and do it not, they &s;hould be beaten with many &s;tripes; but now, being ignorant, they thinke all is &s;afe.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>God willed his people to offer &s;acrifice for their &s;innes of igno|rance, therefore ignorance is a &s;in, and excu&s;eth no man. And as for the &s;tate of their &s;oules before God, it is mo&s;t mi&s;erable, if wee could &s;ee into their &s;oules as w:e &s;ee their bodies. For a&s;&s;uredly there be multitudes which ruffle it out in velvets and &s;ilkes, and mo&s;t brave and glittering out&s;ides, but inwardly are full of fil|thine&s;&s;e and &s;in: they have fine delicate bodies, but mo&s;t ugly, black, and filthy &s;oules: if a man could &s;ee into their &s;oules as hee doth into their bodies, hee would &s;top his no&s;e at the &s;tink of them. For they &s;mell ranke of &s;in in the no&s;trils of God, his Angels, and all good men.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Then I p rceive by your &s;peech that the ca&s;e of all ignorant and profane men is fearfull in the &s;ight of God, and that all good men are to pity them, and to pray for them.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>If two blind and deafe men &s;hould walk in a <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">ten path that leads to a great deep pond, wherein they are like to be drowned if they goe for|wards, and two men farre off &s;hould whoope unto them, and will them not
<PB N="352" REF="197"> to goe forward le&s;t they be drowned, yet they neither &s;eeing any man, nor hearing any man, goe forward, and are drowned: were not this a lamen|table &s;pectacle to behold? Even &s;o is it with all the ignorant, blinde, and deafe &s;oules of the world, for they ca&s;t no perils, but walke on boldly to de&s;truction. And though the Prea|chers of the Go&s;pel whoop never &s;o loud unto them, or give them never &s;o many warnings and caveats to take heed, yet they, being inwardly blinde, &s;ee nothing, &amp; &s;piritually deaf, hear no|thing, and therefore goe on forward in their &s;ins and ignorance, till they &s;ud|denly fall into hell pit.</P>
<P>Put ca&s;e al&s;o two great Armies &s;hould pitch a field, and fight a main battell upon a plaine, and that &s;ome man &s;hould &s;tand upon the top of a mountaine hard by, and behold all, and &s;hould &s;ee with his owne eyes how thou&s;ands, and ten thou&s;ands went to wrack, and fell downe on every &s;ide as thicke as haile, the whole plaine &s;wimming in bloud: and &s;hould al&s;o heare the groaning of &s;oul|diers wounded, and the dolefull &s;ighs and groanings of many Captaines &amp; Colonels giving up the gho&s;t: were not this a mo&s;t wofull &s;pectacle? E|ven &s;o, when wee doe cleerely &s;ee Satan wound and murder thou&s;and
<PB N="353" REF="197"> thou&s;and &s;oules, is it not a farre more tragicall and lamentable &s;ight? and ought it not even to kill our hearts to behold it? but (alas) men have no eyes to &s;ee into the&s;e things. And yet certaine it is, that Sathan doth con|tinually, and in mo&s;t fearfull manner ma&s;&s;acre innumerable &s;oules. Thus have I &s;hewed you the wofull e&s;tate of profane and ignorant men.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>If it be &s;o, you that be Mini|&s;ters and Preachers of the Go&s;pel, and have taken upon you the cure and charge of &s;oules, have need to looke about you, and doe what in you lieth to &s;ave &s;oules; and, as good &s;hepherds, in great pitie and compa&s;&s;ion, to la|bour to pull them out of the pawes of this roaring Lion, which goes a|bout continually, &s;eeking whom hee may devoure.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It &s;tandeth us upon indeed very &s;eriou&s;ly and carefully to looke to it, as we will an&s;wer it at the dreadfull day of Iudgement. For it is no &s;mall matter that we have taken in hand, which is, to care for the flocke which Chri&s;t hath bought with his bloud. Would to God there|fore that wee would leave &s;triving about other matters, and &s;trive to|gether all about this, who can pull mo&s;t out of the Kingdome of Sa|than, &s;inne, and ignorance; who can
<PB N="354" REF="198"> win mo&s;t &s;oules; and who can per|forme be&s;t &s;ervice to the Church. This were a good &s;trife indeed; and would to God that wee might once at la&s;t with joyned forces goe about it, and with one heart and hand joyne together to build up Gods hou&s;e. If through our owne follies the worke hath been hindered, or any breach made, let us in wi&s;dome and love la|bour to make it up againe: if there have been any declining and cold|ne&s;&s;e, let us now at la&s;t revive, let us &s;tirre up our &s;elves, that we may &s;tirre up others: let us be zealous and fervent in &s;pirit, that we may through Gods grace put life into others, and rouze up this dead, declining, and cold age wherein we live. So &s;hall God be glorified, his Church edified, his Saints comforted, his people &s;aved, his throne erected, and the kingdome of the Divell overthrowne.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What thinke you were the be&s;t cour&s;e to effect this which you &s;peake of?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>This is a thing that mu&s;t be exceedingly laboured in of us which are the Mini&s;ters and Prea|chers of the Go&s;pel. And here is required diligence, and (as wee &s;ay) double diligence: for the people are every where very ignorant. Some are &s;tones, altogether uncapable of
<PB N="355" REF="198"> in&s;tructions: others are froward and wilfull: &s;ome will receive the doctrine, but not the practice: &s;ome againe are altogether &s;et upon peevi&s;hne&s;&s;e and cavilling. So that a man were better take upon him the charge of keeping Wolves and Beares, then the charge of &s;oules. For it is the harde&s;t thing in the world to reforme mens di&s;or|ders, and to bring them into order; to pull mens &s;oules out of the King|dome of Satan, and to bring them to God. It is, as wee &s;ay, an endle&s;&s;e piece of worke, and infinite toile, a labour of all labours: I quake to thinke of it. For men are &s;o ob&s;tinate and irrefragable, that they will be brought into no order: they will come under no yoke. They will not be ruled by God, nor bridled by his Word. They will follow their owne &s;winge. They will runne after their owne lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures. They will rage and &s;torme if you goe about to curb them, and re&s;traine them of their wills, likings, and liberties. They will have their wills, likings and liberties. They will have their wills, and follow their old fa&s;hions, &s;ay what you will, and doe what you can.</P>
<P>Is it not, thinke you, a bu&s;ie piece of worke to &s;mooth and &s;quare &s;uch Timber-logs, &s;o full of knots and
<PB N="356" REF="199"> knobs? Is it not a tedious and irk&s;ome thing to thinke upon? And would it not kill a mans heart to goe about it? For how hard a thing is it to bring &s;uch into frame, as are &s;o far out of frame?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, Sir, you can but doe your endeavour, and commit the &s;ucce&s;&s;e to God. You can but plant and water: let God give the increa&s;e. You are Mini|&s;ters of the Letter; but not of the Spi|rit. You baptize with water; but not with the holy Gho&s;t. If you therefore preach diligently, exhort, admoni&s;h and reprove publikely and privately, &s;tudy|ing by all good example of life, and &s;eeking with all good zeale, care and con&s;cience, to doe the uttermo&s;t that in you lyeth, to reduce them from their evill wayes: I take it, you are di&s;|charged, though they remaine &s;tub|borne and incorrigible. For you know what the Lord &s;aith by his Prophet,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.9.</NOTE> <HI>If you do admoni&s;h them, and give them warning, then you &s;hall be di&s;charged, and their bloud &s;hall be required at their owne hands.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You have &s;poken the truth. And therefore, &s;ith &s;ome mu&s;t needs take upon them this &s;o great a charge, it will be our be&s;t cour&s;e, to labour much with them in Ca|techizing, and private in&s;tructions, and that in mo&s;t familiar and plain
<PB N="357" REF="199"> manner. For much good hath beene done, and is done, this way. The ignorant &s;ort mu&s;t be much labour|ed upon this way: and &s;o no doubt, much good may be done.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 14.23.</NOTE> For in all labour there is profit. Herein wee (that are the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t) mu&s;t be content to be aba&s;ed, and to teach the poore ignorant people in mo&s;t plaine manner; asking them many ea&s;ie que&s;tions, and often que|&s;tioning with them in mo&s;t plaine and loving manner, till wee have brought them to &s;ome ta&s;te and &s;macke of the principles of Chri&s;tian Religion. Wee mu&s;t not be a&s;hamed to u&s;e repetitions and tautologies, an to tell them one thing twenty times over and over againe, here a line and there a line, here a little and there a little, precept upon pre|cept: as the Prophet &s;peakes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 18.10.</NOTE> I know right well, nothing goes more a|gain&s;t the &s;tomack of a Scholar, and him that is learned indeed, than to doe thus. It is as irke&s;ome and tedi|ous as to teach A B C. Some can at no hand endure it. But truely, truely, I finde now, after a long ex|perience that if wee will doe any good to the&s;e &s;imple and ignorant &s;oules, wee mu&s;t enter into this cour&s;e: and wee may not be a&s;ha|med of it. For it will be our crown
<PB N="358" REF="200"> and our glory to win &s;oules, how&s;o|ever wee be aba&s;ed. Let us therefore be well content to &s;toop downe, that Chri&s;t may be exalted: let us be aba|&s;ed, that God may be honoured: let us doe all things in great love to Chri&s;t, who hath &s;aid, <HI>If thou love&s;t mee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 21.15.</NOTE> <HI>feed, feed, feed my flocke.</HI> Let us therefore te&s;tifie our love to him by feeding his flocke. Let us doe all things in great love and deep com|pa&s;&s;ion towards the poore &s;oules that goe a&s;tray: as it is &s;aid, that our Lord Ie&s;us was moved to pitie, and his bowels did yerne to &s;ee the people as &s;heep without a &s;hepherd. Let it likewi&s;e move us throughly, and make our hearts to bleed, to &s;ee &s;o many poore &s;heep of Chri&s;t wandring and &s;tray|ing in the mountains and wilderne&s;&s;e of this world, caught in every bram|ble, and hanged in every bu&s;h, ready to be devoured of the Wolfe. Thus have I &s;hewed you what cour&s;e (in my judgement) is be&s;t to be taken for the delivering of poore ignorant &s;oules out of the captivity of Sathan and &s;inne.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now as you have declared what cour&s;e is be&s;t to be followed on your part which are Mini&s;ters and Preachers of the Go&s;pel, &s;o, I pray you, &s;hew what is be&s;t to be done of us which are the people of God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<PB N="359" REF="200">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The be&s;t coun&s;ell that I can give you, if it were for my life, is, to be much exerci&s;ed in the Word of God, both in hearing, reading, and meditation thereof, and al&s;o to pur|cha&s;e unto your &s;elfe the &s;incere Mi|ni&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, and to make con&s;cience to live under it; e&s;teeming your &s;elfe happy if you have it, though you want other things; and unhap|py if you have it not, though you have all other things. For it is a peer|le&s;&s;e pearle, an incomparable jewell. For the purcha&s;ing whereof wee are advi&s;ed by our Lord Ie&s;us to &s;ell all that we have,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.44.</NOTE> rather then to goe with|out it. Againe, our Saviour Chri&s;t gives the &s;ame coun&s;ell to the Church of <HI>Laodicea,</HI> in the&s;e words,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 3.18.</NOTE> <HI>I coun&s;ell thee to buy of mee gold tried by the fire, that thou mai&s;t be rich; and white rai<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ent, that thou mai&s;t be clothed, and that thy filthy nakedne&s;&s;e doe not appeare; and anoint thine eyes with eye-&s;alve, that thou mai&s;t &s;ee.</HI> Where you &s;ee the Word of God is compared to mo&s;t precious gold, whereby wee are made &s;piritually rich; and to glit|tering attire, wherewith our naked &s;oules are clothed, and to an eye-&s;alve, wherewith our &s;pirituall blind|ne&s;&s;e is cured. We are adverti&s;ed al&s;o by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, who&s;e coun&s;ell is e|ver the be&s;t, to buy the&s;e things, what|&s;oever
<PB N="360" REF="201"> they co&s;t us. The &s;ame coun&s;el al&s;o giveth wi&s;e <HI>Solomon,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Buy the truth,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.13.</NOTE> <HI>but &s;ell it not.</HI> So then you &s;ee the coun&s;ell which herein I give you is not of mine owne, but the coun&s;ell of Ie&s;us him&s;elfe, and <HI>Solo|mon</HI> the wi&s;e: and who can, or who dare except again&s;t their coun&s;ell?</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Is your meaning that men mu&s;t of nece&s;sity frequent preaching of the word? will not bare reading &s;erve the turne?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I told you before that rea|ding is good, profitable, and nece&s;&s;a|ry: but yet it is not &s;ufficient. Wee mu&s;t not content our &s;elves with that onely, but wee mu&s;t goe further, and get unto our &s;elves the &s;ound preach|ing of the Go&s;pel, as the chiefe&s;t and mo&s;t principall meanes which God hath ordained and &s;anctified for the &s;aving of men. As Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>when as the world (by wi&s;edome) knew not God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 1.21.</NOTE> <HI>in the wi&s;edome of God it plea&s;ed God, by the fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e of preaching to &s;ave them that beleeve.</HI> The meaning of it is, that when as men, neither by naturall wi&s;edome nor the contemplation of the crea|tures, could &s;ufficiently attaine to the true knowledge of God; the Lord ac|cording to his heavenly and infinite wi&s;edome thought of another cour&s;e, which is, to &s;ave men by preaching:
<PB N="361" REF="201"> which the world counteth fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e. And by the way note, that the preach|ing of the Word is not a thing of hu|mane invention, but it is Gods owne device, &amp; came fir&s;t from him, &amp; is the next &amp; neere&s;t way to &s;ave mens &s;ouls.</P>
<P>Wi&s;e <HI>Solomon</HI> al&s;o in the Booke of the Proverbs telleth us, that the preaching of Gods Word (which hee calleth Vi&s;ion, u&s;ing the word of the Prophets, which called their Ser|mons Vi&s;ions) is not a thing that may be &s;pared, or that wee may be at our choice whether we have it or no: but he maketh it to be of ab&s;olute ne|ce&s;&s;ity unto eternall life. For he &s;aith, <HI>Where Vi&s;ion faileth, the people are left naked.</HI> So indeed it is in the Ori|ginal<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 29.18.</NOTE> but the old Tran&s;lation giveth us the &s;en&s;e thus, <HI>Wh re the Word of God is not preached, there the people p ri&s;h.</HI> Thus you &s;ee that <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;triketh it dead, telling us, that all they which are without Preaching of the Word, are in exceeding great danger of lo&s;ing their &s;oules. Oh that men could be per&s;waded of this! Saint <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.14.</NOTE> that faith cometh by hearing the word preached: for hee &s;aith, <HI>How can they heare without a Preacher?</HI> If faith cometh by hearing the Word preached, then I rea&s;on thus: No Preaching, no faith: no faith, no Chri&s;t: no Chri&s;t, no eter|nall
<PB N="362" REF="202"> life: for eternall life is only in him. Let us then put them together thus: Take away the Word, take away faith: take away faith, take away Chri&s;t: take away Chri&s;t, &amp; take away eternall life. So then it followes: Take away the Word, and take away eternall life.</P>
<P>Or wee may reade them backward thus: If wee will have heaven, wee mu&s;t have Chri&s;t: If wee will have Chri&s;t, wee mu&s;t have faith: If wee will have faith, wee mu&s;t have the Word preached. Then it followeth thus: If wee will have heaven, wee mu&s;t have the word preached. Then I conclude, that preaching generally, and for the mo&s;t part, is of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity unto eternall life, as meet is of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity for the pre&s;erva|tion of our bodies, as gra&s;&s;e and fod|der are of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity for the up|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="6 letters"> of the life of bea&s;ts, and wa|t<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> of <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity for the life of fi&s;hes. Then this being &s;o, men are with great care and con&s;cience to hear the Go&s;pel preached, to frequent Sermons, to re&s;ort much to Gods hou&s;e and habitation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.4.</NOTE> where his ho|nour dwelleth: with <HI>David</HI> to &s;ay, <HI>One thing have I de&s;ired of the Lord, that will I require, even that I may dwell in the hou&s;e of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the be<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">utie of the Lord, and to vi&s;it his holy Temple.</HI>
<PB N="363" REF="202"> With godly <HI>Mary</HI> to &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 14.41.</NOTE> <HI>One thing is nece&s;&s;ary,</HI> and &s;o chu&s;e the better part. With the poore Cripple at <HI>Bethe&s;da,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 5.7.</NOTE> to wait for the moving of the waters by the Angel, that his impotency may be cured: I meane, that we &s;hould tye our &s;e ves to the fir&s;t mo|ving of the &s;pirituall waters of life by the Preachers of the Go&s;pel, that our &s;pirituall impotency may be hol|pen and relieved. For the mini&s;try of the Go&s;pel is that golden pipe where|by and where-through all the good|ne&s;&s;e of GOD, all the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, and all heavenly graces what|&s;oever, are derived unto us. Which thing was &s;hadowed in the Law by the Pomegranates in the skirts of <HI>Aarons</HI> garments,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> 33.</NOTE> and the golden Bells between them round <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">bout, that is, a golden Bell and a <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> granate, a golden Bell and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> granate. The golden Bells <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> g<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|nifle the preaching of the Go&s;pel, and the Pomegranates, the &s;weet &s;a|vour of Chri&s;ts death: Noting there|by, that the &s;weet &s;avour of Chri&s;ts death, and all the benefit of his pa&s;&s;i|on, &s;hould be &s;pread abroad by the preaching of the Go&s;pel. Thus you &s;ee, that if ever men purpo&s;e to be &s;a|ved, they mu&s;t make more account of the preaching of the Go&s;pel then they have done, and not thinke (as mo&s;t
<PB N="364" REF="203"> men doe) that they may be without it, and yet doe well enough: and &s;ome had as l&eacute;eve be without it as have it; for it doth but di&s;quiet them, and trouble their con&s;ciences: but wo be unto &s;uch.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Yet wee &s;ee where the Word is &s;oundly preached, there be many bad peo|ple: and the rea&s;ons thereof, in mine o|pinion, are two: The one, that GOD taketh his holy Spirit from many in heat|ing the Word, &s;o that their hearing is made unfruitfull: The other, that the Divell hath an hundred devices to hin|der the effectuall working of the Word, &s;o as it &s;hall doe no good at all, nor take any effect in multitudes of men. But you, Ma&s;ter <HI>Theologus,</HI> can better lay open this matter then I, I pray you therefore &s;peak &s;omething of it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The &s;leights of Sathan in this behalfe are more, and more &s;lie, then I or any man el&s;e can po&s;&s;ibly di&s;cover. For who is able to de&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">rie, or in &s;ufficient manner to lay open the deep &s;ubtilties, and mo&s;t &s;ecret and &s;infull &s;ugge&s;tions of the Divell in the hearts of man? Hee is &s;o cunning a craft&s;-ma&s;ter this way, that none can perfectly trace him. His work|ings in the hearts of men are with &s;uch clo&s;e and hidden deceits, and mo&s;t methodicall and crafty convey|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">nces, that none can &s;ufficiently find them out. But yet notwith&s;tanding, I
<PB N="365" REF="203"> will bewray unto you &s;o much as I know, or can conceive of his dealings with them that heare the Word, that hee may &s;teale it out of their hearts, and make it fruitle&s;&s;e and unprofita|ble. Fir&s;t of all he be&s;tirreth him, and laboureth hard to keep men fa&s;t a&s;leep in their &s;ins, that they may have no care at all of their owne &s;alvation, and therefore di&s;&s;wadeth them from hearing or reading the Word at all, le&s;t they &s;hould be awaked. If this will not prevaile, but that they mu&s;t needs heare, then h<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s craft is to make their hearing unprofitable, by &s;leepi|ne&s;&s;e, dulne&s;&s;e, by-thoughts, conceited|ne&s;&s;e, and a thou&s;and &s;uch like. If this will not &s;erve the turne, but that the Word doth g<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t within them, and worke upon them (&s;o as thereby they grow to &s;ome knowledge and under|&s;tanding of the truth) then he practi|&s;eth another way, which is, to make them re&s;t them&s;elves upon their bare knowledge, and &s;o become altogether con&s;ciencele&s;&s;e. If this will not &s;uf|fice, but that men fall to doing, and leave &s;ome &s;innes, e&s;pecially the gro&s;&s;e &s;ins of the world, and doe &s;ome good, then he per&s;wadeth them to tru&s;t to tho&s;e doings without Chri&s;t, and to thinke them&s;elves well enough, be|cau&s;e they doe &s;ome good, and leave &s;ome evill. If this be not enough,
<PB N="366" REF="204"> but that men attaine unto the true ju&s;tifying faith, which apprehendeth Chri&s;t, and re&s;teth upon his merits, then hee devi&s;eth how to blemi&s;h the beauty of their faith, and weaken their comfort through many frailties and wants; yea, gro&s;&s;e down-falls and ran<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e evils; &s;o as they &s;hall be but &s;potted and leprous Chri&s;tians. If this weapon will not worke, but that Chri&s;tians doe joyne all good ver|tues with their faith, and aboun|dantly &s;hine forth in all the fruits of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, then hee ca&s;teth about another way, which is, to daunt and damp them with di&s;couragements, as poverty, nece&s;&s;ity, &s;ickne&s;&s;e, re|proaches, contempt, per&s;ecutions, &amp;c. If none of all the&s;e will doe the deed, but that men con&s;tantly beleeve in Chri&s;t, and patiently and joy|fully endure all afflictions, then his la&s;t refuge is, to blow them up with gun-powder; that is, to puffe them up with a pride of their gifts, graces, and &s;trength, and &s;o to give them an utter overthrow, while&s;t they doe not walke humbly, and give God the prai&s;e of his gifts.</P>
<P>Thus have you a little ta&s;te of Sa|thans cunning, in making the Word unfruitfull among&s;t us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER><HI>A&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n.</HI></SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, good Sir (&s;eeing I an ignorant and unlearned) give mee
<PB N="367" REF="204"> &s;ome particular directions out of the Word of God, for the good guiding and ordering of my particular actions, in &s;uch &s;ort as that I may glorifie God in the earth, and after this life be glorified of him for ever.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>It were an infinite thing to enter into all particulars: but briefly doe this; Fir&s;t, &s;eeke God ear|ne&s;tly in his Word, pray much, in all things give thankes: e&s;chew evill, and doe good: feare God and keep his commandements: reforme your &s;elfe and your hou&s;hold: love vertue and vertuous men: keepe company with the godly, and avoide the &s;oci|etie of the wicked. Live &s;oberly, ju&s;tly, and holily in this pre&s;ent e|vill world. Speake alwaies graci|nication. Recompence no man evill for evill, but recompence evill, with good. Be courteous and pitifull to|wards all men. Take heed of &s;wea|ring, cur&s;ing, and banning. Beware of anger, wrath, and bitterne&s;&s;e. Prai&s;e your friend openly, reprove him &s;ecretly. Speake no evill of them that are ab&s;ent, nor of the dead. Speake evill of no man: &s;peake al|waies the be&s;t, or at lea&s;t not the wor&s;t. Reverence Gods Name, and keepe his Sabbaths. Avoide all the &s;ignes of condemnation, and labour
<PB N="366" REF="205">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="367" REF="205">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="368" REF="206"> after all the &s;ignes of &s;alvation. Above all things take heed of &s;inne, for that is the very out-throat of the &s;oule, and of all goodne&s;&s;e. Tremble therfore, and &s;in not: for if you &s;in, mark what follow|eth:
<LIST>
<HEAD>Six great dangers in &s;inne.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>God &s;eeth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>His Angels beare witne&s;&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Con&s;cience pricketh.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Death threatneth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The Divell accu&s;eth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Hell devoureth.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>You &s;ee then that &s;inne is no &s;car|crow or je&s;ting matter. Every &s;inne that a man committeth is as a thorne thru&s;t deep into the &s;oule, which will not be got out againe, but with many a &s;igh, and many a &s;orrowfull Oh, oh. Every &s;inne is <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> Iron,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">er. 17.1.</NOTE> and the point of a Diamond, upon the con&s;cience, and &s;hall in the la&s;t day (when the Booke &s;hall be o|pened) accu&s;e us, and give in evidence again&s;t us.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note this.</NOTE> If a man commit &s;in with plea&s;ure, the plea&s;ure po&s;&s;eth away, but the con&s;cience and &s;ting of the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> abideth, and tormenteth deadly: but if a man doe well, though with labour and painfulne&s;&s;e, the paine pa&s;&s;eth a|way, yet the con&s;cience of well-doing remaineth with much comfort. But the be&s;t end of &s;inne is alwaies repen|tance, if not in this life, then with we
<PB N="369" REF="206"> and was when it is doe late. There|fore take heed in time; take heede, I &s;ay, of &s;in: for
<LIST>
<HEAD>Six mo&s;t hurtfull effects of &s;inne.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Sinne hardens the heart, Heb.</HI> 3.13.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sin gnawes the con&s;cience,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sin fights again&s;t the &s;oule,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.11.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sinne brings forth death, James</HI> 1.15.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sinne makes a&s;hamed, Rom.</HI> 6.21.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Sin procures plagues of bo|dy and &s;oule, Deut.</HI> 28.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Behold therefore the evill effects of &s;inne. For this cau&s;e <HI>Zophar</HI> the <HI>Na<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">|mathite</HI> &s;peakes very wi&s;ely to <HI>Job,</HI> &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 11.</NOTE> <HI>When thou &s;halt life thy face out of thy &s;in, thou &s;halt be &s;trong, and &s;halt not feare: thou &s;halt forget all &s;orrow, thou &s;halt remember it as the waters that are pa&s;t.</HI> Where <HI>Zophar</HI> pleinely &s;heweth, that the avoiding of &s;inne is our &s;trength, and the commit|ting of it, our wo<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">ing: according to that of <HI>Solomon,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>The way of the Lord is the &s;trength of the upright man.</HI> Therefore w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">e in the way of God, and take heede of the wayes of &s;inne: for God puni&s;heth every &s;in his way, &s;ome one way, and &s;ome ano|ther; and no &s;in can e&s;cape unpuni|&s;hed. For becau&s;e God is ju&s;t, there|fore
<PB N="370" REF="207"> hee mu&s;t needs puni&s;h &s;in in all men, though in divers manners; as the wicked in their owne per&s;ons, the godly in Chri&s;t. Beware of it there|fore, and flatter not your &s;elfe in your &s;ins. Remember how every di&s;obedi|ence and every tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion hath had a ju&s;t recompence of reward.<NOTE PLACE="marg">N<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> how God in all ages hath p<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">hed the breakers of his <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">w. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">od. 32.10.</NOTE> God hath in all ages matched the cau&s;e with the effect, that is, &s;in with the puni&s;hment of &s;in. The I&s;raelites, for breaking the fir&s;t Commandement, in making other gods, were often &s;mitten by the hand of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">v. 10.2.</NOTE> <HI>Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abibu,</HI> the &s;ons of <HI>Aaron,</HI> for the breach of the &s;econd Commandement, in of|fering &s;trange fire upon Gods Altar, were con&s;umed with fire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Numb. 15.</NOTE> Hee that bla&s;phemed, and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the third Commandement, was &s;toned to death.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 15.52.</NOTE> Hee that brake the fourth Com|mandement, in gathering &s;tickes on the Sabbath, was likewi&s;e &s;toned. <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the fift, was hanged in his owne haire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 18. G<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. 4.15.</NOTE> <HI>Cain</HI> tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ing the &s;ixt, in &s;laying his brother <HI>Abel,</HI> was branded with the marke of Gods wrath.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 34.26.</NOTE> <HI>Sichem</HI> the &s;on of <HI>Hamor,</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the &s;eventh, in defiling <HI>Dinah</HI> the daughter of <HI>Jacob,</HI> was &s;lain by <HI>Simeon</HI> and <HI>Levi</HI> the &s;ons of <HI>Jacob.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo&s;. 7.25.</NOTE> <HI>Achan</HI> &s;inning again&s;t the eighth Commandement, in &s;tealing the wedge of gold, and the Babylo|ni&s;h
<PB N="371" REF="207"> garment, was &s;toned to death <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Sapphira</HI> &s;inning again&s;t the ninth, in lying and di&s;&s;embling,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">5.6.</NOTE> were &s;uddenly &s;mitten with death <HI>Ahab</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing the tenth Com|mandement,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">. 21.24</NOTE> in coveting and di&s;con|tentment, was devoured of dogges. Or if you will have originall &s;inne therein onely forbidden, then in|fants are therefore puni&s;hed with death, <HI>Rom. 5.14.</HI></P>
<P>Thus wee &s;ee there is no dally|ing with God; but if wee &s;in, wee are as &s;ure to be jerkt for it as the coate is on our backe. Therefore let us not deceive our &s;elves, nor make light of &s;inne: for &s;in is no &s;car-bug, and wee &s;hall one day finde it &s;o. And how&s;oever wee make light of &s;ome &s;ins, yet in very deed all &s;in is o|dious in the &s;ight of God: yea, all &s;in is hainous and capitall in this re|&s;pect, that it is again&s;t a per&s;on of infinite being, it is again&s;t God him&s;elfe, it is again&s;t the highe&s;t Maje&s;tie. For the greatne&s;&s;e of the per&s;on offended doth inhaun&s;e and increa&s;e the greatne&s;&s;e of the &s;inne.</P>
<P>As for example: If a man rail at a Ju&s;tice of Peace, he &s;hall be &s;tocked: if he ca&s;t at one of his Maje&s;ties privy Councell, he &s;hall be impri&s;oned: but if hee raile at his owne Maje&s;tie, hee
<PB N="372" REF="208"> &s;hall be hanged. So then you &s;ee how a &s;in is increa&s;ed by the dignity of the per&s;on offended. Now then, &s;ith all mortall Princes are but du&s;t in the &s;ight of God (and hee is a per&s;on of infinite and incomparable Maje&s;tie) how hainous and how &s;lagitious a thing is it, in any wi&s;e, or after any &s;ort, to &s;in again&s;t his mo&s;t royall and &s;acred per&s;on? Well then, to grow to &s;ome conclu&s;ion, this I doe advi&s;e you, as to &s;hunne all vice, &s;o to em|brace all vertue; as to put off the old man, &s;o to put on the new man. Re|member often and alwaies what &s;hall become of you after this life, where you &s;hall be forty yeers hence in Hell, or Heaven. Looke well to that in time; and therefore to live, that you may live alwaies. Con&s;ider often is your &s;erious cogitation,
<LIST>
<HEAD>Nine profita|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">le con|&s;iderati|ions.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>What you have been.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>What you are.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>What you &s;hall be.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>What God hath done for you.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>What he doth.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>What he will do.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gods judgements pa&s;t.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gods judgements pre&s;ent.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gods judgements to come.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Awake at la&s;t, and take care for your &s;alvation. S<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">s no longer in &s;inne,
<PB N="373" REF="208"> le&s;t yes peri&s;h eternally. For verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtle&s;&s;e there is a God that judges the earth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 58.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> And this is the be&s;t coun&s;ell I can give you.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Your coun&s;ell is very good. I pray God give me grace to follow it, and &s;o to live, that I may plea&s;e God, and go to heaven in the end.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>You mu&s;t take heede you &s;peake not the&s;e words of cour&s;e, and for fa&s;hion &s;ake, having no &s;ettled purpo&s;e in your heart to follow tho&s;e directions. For there be numbers that can skill to give good words, but they will doe nothing. They thinke they highly plea&s;e God with their good words, and that God will take them for payment, as though God regarded words. They would faine goe to heaven, but they will take no paines, they will leave no &s;innes, they will not forget their lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures. They would have the reward of Gods children,<NOTE PLACE="marg">This is mo&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> ca&s;e.</NOTE> but they will not doe the workes of Gods children. They would have the &s;weete, but they will none of the &s;owre. They would have the Crowns, but they will &s;ight never a &s;troke. They would faine come to <HI>Canaan,</HI> but they are loth to travell that long and dangerous way which leadeth unto it. Therefore tho&s;e men
<PB N="374" REF="209"> being the &s;ons of idlene&s;&s;e will &s;tep &s;hort (in the end) of that they looke for.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.4.</NOTE> For the Spirit &s;aith, <HI>The &s;lug|gard lu&s;ts, but his &s;oule hath nought.</HI> Wee mu&s;t therefore leave bare words, and come to deeds. For our Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.</NOTE> <HI>Not every one that &s;aith, Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter into the King|dome of heaven: but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in hea|ven:</HI> Where wee &s;ee Chri&s;t (in plaine termes) excludes out of his king|dome all tho&s;e who&s;e Religion con|&s;i&s;teth only in good words and &s;mooth &s;peeches; but make no con&s;cience to practi&s;e the Commandements of God.</P>
<P><HI>David,</HI> having made &s;ome good preparation for the building of the Temple, and perceiving his &s;on <HI>Solo|mon</HI> to have &s;tuffe &amp; provi&s;ion enough to perfect and fini&s;h it, doth mo&s;t wi&s;e|ly encourage him to the wor<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">, in the&s;e words:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 C<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">. 12.16</NOTE> <HI>Up and be doing, and the Lord &s;hall be with thee.</HI> Oh that men would follow this coun&s;ell of <HI>David,</HI> that they would up, and be doing, and not fit &s;till and doe nothing; that they would leave words and countenan|ces, and &s;et upon the practice of Gods Law, and &s;tudy with all care and con&s;cience to be obedient to his will. Then a&s;&s;uredly God would be with them, and ble&s;&s;e them, and
<PB N="375" REF="209"> much good would come of it. For the Scripture &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 14.32.</NOTE> <HI>In all labour there is profit or increa&s;e: but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Mo&s;t mens minds are &s;o wholly drowned in the love of this world, that they hav<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> no heart to obey God, nor any delight in his commandements.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The greate&s;t part of men are like to the <HI>Gadarens,</HI> which e&s;teemed their Swine more than Chri&s;t. As wee &s;ee in the&s;e our daies, how many make more account of their kine and &s;heepe, than of the mo&s;t glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t. They highly e&s;teeme dung, and contemne pearle. They are carefull for trifles, and re|gard not the things of greate&s;t mo|ment; and therefore may very fitly be compared to a man, who having his wife and children very &s;icke, doth utterly neglect them, and is altoge|ther carefull for the curing of his hogs eares.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Wee are &s;omewhat digre&s;&s;ed from the matter wee had in hand. I pray you therefore, if you have any more matter of good coun&s;ell to give to <HI>A&s;unctus,</HI> that you would pre&s;ently deliver it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I have little more to &s;ay, &s;ave onely I would advi&s;e him often to remember, and much to mu&s;e on the&s;e things:
<LIST>
<PB N="376" REF="210">
<ITEM><HI>The evill he hath committed.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nine things much to be thought of.</NOTE><HI>The good he hath omitted.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The time he hath mi&s;pent.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;hortne&s;&s;e of this life.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The vanity of this world.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The excellencie of the world to come.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Death, then the which nothing is more terrible</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The day of judgement, then the which nothing is more fearfull.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Hell fire, then the which nothing is more intolerable.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>This is &s;hort and &s;weet indeed. You have touched &s;ome of the&s;e points before, in this our conference. But I am very de&s;irous to heare &s;omewhat more of the two la&s;t, which yet have not been &s;poken of.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Sith you are de&s;irous, I will briefly deliver unto you that which I have received from the Lord. Fir&s;t, concerning the day of judgement. I finde in the volume of Gods booke, that it &s;hall be very terrible and breadfull For <HI>the Son of man &s;hall come in the clouds of hea|ven,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24.3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>with power and great glory. St. Peter</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2.10.</NOTE> <HI>The day of the Lord &s;hall come as a theefe in the night, in the which the heavens &s;hall pa&s;&s;e away with a noi&s;e, the elements &s;hall melt with heat, and the earth, with the workes that are therein, &s;hall be burnt
<PB N="377" REF="210"> up.</HI> The Apo&s;tle tells us, that at Chri&s;ts coming the whole world &s;hall be of a light <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">re; and that all ca&s;tles, towers, goodly buildings, gold, &s;ilver, velvets, &s;ilkes, and all the glittering hue, glory, and beauty of this world, &s;hall be con&s;umed to powder and a&s;hes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 3 7.</NOTE> For hee &s;aith plainly, <HI>The heavens and the earth, which are now, are re&s;erved to fire again&s;t the day of Judgement, and of the de&s;truction of ungodly men.</HI> More|over, hee &s;trongly proves, that as the world was once de&s;troyed by water; &s;o the &s;econd time, in the end thereof, it &s;hall be de&s;troyed with fire. The Apo&s;tle S. <HI>Paul</HI> witne&s;&s;eth the &s;ame things, for he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hall come from Heaven, with all his mighty An|g<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">s in naming fire.</HI> And in another place he notes the terrour of his com|ing to Iudgement, &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 4.10.</NOTE> <HI>Hee &s;hall come with a &s;hout, with the voice of the Arch-angel, and the Trumpet of God.</HI> We &s;ee by experience, that the coming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pomp and glory. They have great traines and troups behind them and before them. They are accompanied with many Nobles: goodly Lords, and gallant Ladies doe attend upon them. The Sword|bearer, Trumpetters, and Harben|gers goe before: many &s;launting and
<PB N="378" REF="211"> &s;tately Per&s;onages follow after. Now then, if the coming of mortall Princes be &s;o pompous and glorious: how much more glorious &s;hall the coming of the Sonne of man be, in who&s;e &s;ight all mortall Princes are but du&s;t? The Scriptures doe affirme, that his &s;econd coming un|to judgement &s;hall be with &s;uch re|&s;plendent and un&s;peakable glory, that even the mo&s;t excellent creatures &s;hall blu&s;h at it. For <HI>the Sunne &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e darkned:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> 24.29</NOTE> <HI>the Moone &s;hall not give her light: and the Stars &s;hall fall from hea|ven.</HI> Meaning thereby, that the mo&s;t glorious and bright-&s;hining Creatures &s;hall be clouded and ob&s;cured by the unconceiveable brightne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;ts coming.</P>
<P>Moreover, the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> Chri&s;ts coming is noted unto us in this, that immediately before it, the very Sea &s;hall quake and tremble, and in his kinde crie out. For it is &s;aid, that <HI>the Sea &s;hall roare</HI> (and make a noi&s;e in mo&s;t dolefull and lugubrious manner) <HI>and mens hearts &s;hall faile them for feare,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 21.25.</NOTE> <HI>and for looking after tho&s;e things which &s;hall come on the world: for the powers of heaven &s;hall be &s;haken.</HI> O what &s;hall become of &s;wearers, drunkards, whoremon|gers, and &s;uch like in that day! They &s;hall &s;eeke to creepe into an anger|hole
<PB N="379" REF="211"> to hide their heads. They &s;hal then cry, Woe and alas that ever they were borne. They &s;hall wi&s;h that they had never been borne, or that their mo|thers had borne them toads. And, as it is in the <HI>Apocalyps, They &s;hall &s;ay to the mountaines and rockes, Fall on us, and hide us from the pre&s;ence of him that &s;itteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who can &s;tand?</HI></P>
<P>We &s;ee therefore, that the coming of Chri&s;t &s;hall not be ba&s;e and con|temptible, as in his fir&s;t vi&s;itation: but it &s;hall be mo&s;t terrible, princely, and glorious. And, as the Scriptures doe affirme, that his coming &s;hall be with great terrour and dread: &s;o al|&s;o they doe &s;hew, that it &s;hall be very &s;udden and unlooked for.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 P<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t. 3.10.</NOTE> For <HI>the day of the Lord &s;hall come as a theefe in the night:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 5.1. Luk. 21.35.</NOTE> as the travell that cometh upon a woman. <HI>As a &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">are it &s;hall come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth.</HI> That is, it &s;hall &s;uddenly catch and intangle all men, where&s;o|ever they be in the world. As the earth-quake, which was neere thirty yeares agone, did &s;uddenly take the world tardy, they not thinking of any &s;uch matter: So &s;hall the coming of the Son of man to judgement, take the world tardy and unprepared:
<PB N="380" REF="212"> for few there be that think of any &s;uch matter. Sith therefore the &s;econd appearing of Chri&s;t &s;hall be with &s;uch &s;uddenne&s;&s;e, let us feare and trem|ble: for all &s;udden things are to be feared.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, Sir, as you have &s;hewed us the terrour and &s;uddenne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;ts coming, &s;o &s;hew us the purpo&s;e and end of his coming.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The principall end of his coming &s;hall be to keep a generall audit, to call all men to an account, to have a reckoning of every mans par|ticular actions, and to reward them ac|cording to their de<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ds: as it is writ|ten,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26.27.</NOTE> <HI>The Son of man &s;hall come in the glory of his Father, with his Angels, and then &s;hall hee give to every man accor|ding to his deeds.</HI> Againe, the Apo&s;tle &s;aith to the <HI>Corinthians,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.10.</NOTE> <HI>Wee mu&s;t all appeare before the Judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t, that every man may receive the things which are done in his body, ac|cording to that which he hath done, whe|ther it be good or evill.</HI></P>
<P>Here wee doe plainly &s;ee, that the end of Chri&s;ts coming &s;hall be to judge every man according to his workes; that is, as his workes &s;hall declare him, and te&s;tifie of him, and of his faith.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 1.9.</NOTE> In another place the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that the end of his com|ing &s;hall be <HI>to render vengeance un|to
<PB N="381" REF="212"> them which know not God, and that obey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall be puni|&s;hed with everla&s;ting perdition from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.</HI> Woe then unto two &s;orts of men, the ignorant, and the di&s;obedient: for the Apo&s;tle &s;aith flatly, they both &s;hall be damned. Me thinkes both the ignorant and di&s;|obedient, and all other profane men, &s;hould tremble to thinke of this, that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to render vengeance unto them. If wee did certainly know that a forreign enemy &s;hould in|vade our Nation, over-run it, and make a conque&s;t of it, that he &s;hould &s;hed our bloud, de&s;troy us, and make a ma&s;&s;acre among&s;t us; yea, that wee &s;hould &s;ee our wives, our children, our kindred and deare friends &s;laine before our faces, &s;o as their bloud &s;hould &s;treame in the &s;treets, what a wonderfull feare and terrour would it &s;trike into us? wee would quake to thinke of it. Shall wee not then be much more affraid of the damna|tion of our &s;oules? &s;hall wee not quake to thinke that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to take vengeance? If the Lion roare, all the bea&s;ts of the field trem|ble: and &s;hall not wee be affraid of the roaring of the Lion of the Tribe of <HI>Judah?</HI> But alas, we are &s;o hard|hearted,
<PB N="382" REF="213"> and &s;o rockt a&s;leep in the cra|dle of &s;ecurity, that nothing can move us, nothing can awake us.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now as you have &s;hewed us the terrour a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> end of Chri&s;ts coming: &s;o al&s;o declare the manner of it.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The manner of it is this: that the whole world &s;hall be cited to appeare per&s;onally at the generall A&s;&s;i&s;es, before the great Iudge. No man &s;hall be admitted to appear by his Atturney: but all mu&s;t appeare per|&s;onally. None &s;hall be &s;uffered to p<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> in &s;ureties: but all mu&s;t come in their owne per&s;ons, without baile or main|pri&s;e; as it is written, <HI>Wee mu&s;t all appeare,</HI> high and low, rich and poore, king and begger, one and another: as it is plainly &s;et downe in the twenty Chapter of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> where the Spirit &s;aith, <HI>I &s;aw the dead both great and &s;mall &s;tand before God: and the &s;ea gave up the dead which were in her, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.</HI> So then it is cleere, that all without excepti|on, &s;hall make their appearance at the great and dreadfull A&s;&s;i&s;es. O what a great day will that be, when as the whole world &s;hall appeare together at once! If a King marry his &s;onne, and bid other Kings, Emperours, D<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">kes, and Nobles to the mar|riage, with all their pomp and tr<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ine,
<PB N="383" REF="213"> wee u&s;e to &s;ay, O what a marriage, what a meeting, what adoe, what a great day will there be? but when the univer&s;all world &s;hall be a&s;&s;em|bled together, not onely all Monarkes, Kings and Princes, but all other, that ever have beene from the beginning of the world, all that are, and &s;hall be, what a day will that be? No mar|vell therefore, though the Scriptures call it the day of God, and the great day of the Lord. Now then when all fle&s;h is come together, to make their per&s;onall appearance, then &s;hall the Sonne of God a&s;cend unto his tri|bunall &s;eat, with great maje&s;ty and glory. For <HI>a fiery &s;treame &s;hall i&s;&s;ue and come forth before him: thou&s;and thou&s;and Angels &s;hall accompanie him, and mini&s;ter unto him: and ten thou|&s;and thou&s;and &s;hall &s;tand before him: he judgement &s;hall bee &s;et, and the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">k s opened.</HI> All the Saints al&s;o and true wor&s;hippers of God &s;hall attend him, and accompany him un|to his judgement &s;eat. And not onely &s;o, but they &s;hall &s;it upon the Bench and Throne with him: as it is written, <HI>1 Corinth. 6.2. The Saints &s;hall judge the world: they &s;hall judge the Angels:</HI> that is, the Divels, the Angels of dark|ne&s;&s;e. Our Lord Ie&s;us him&s;elfe did avouch the &s;ame thing, when
<PB N="384" REF="214"> he &s;aid to his Di&s;ciples, and in them to all true Chri&s;tians,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19 28.</NOTE> <HI>Verily I &s;ay unto you, that when the Sonne of man &s;hall &s;it in the Throne of his Maje&s;tie, yee which followed mee in the regeneration, &s;hall &s;it upon twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael.</HI> That is, the Saints of God &s;hall beare wit|ne&s;&s;e that the judgement of Chri&s;t, and &s;entence of condemnation which hee pa&s;&s;eth again&s;t all, unbeleevers, is ac|cording to ju&s;tice and equitie. Thus then wee &s;ee how Chri&s;t &s;hall be ac|companied to his Throne, and with what glory and maje&s;ty he &s;hall a&s;cend unto it. Experience teacheth, that when mortall Iudges hold their Se&s;|&s;ions and generall A&s;&s;i&s;es, they are brought unto the Bench and Iudge|ment-&s;eat with pomp and terrour. For the Sheriffe of the Shire, and Halberd-men, with many Iu&s;tices of Peace, and traines of others, doe ac|company them unto the Bench. Then with how much more glory and ma|je&s;ty &s;hall the Son of God be brought unto his royall Throne? Thus then Chri&s;t being &s;et upon his Iudgement &s;eat, all the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">dly &s;hall be conven|ted before him, and he &s;hall &s;tand over them <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> a naked &s;word in his hand; The Divell <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;tand by them on the one <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">, and <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters">ir owne con&s;cie<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">
<PB N="385" REF="214"> the gaping gulfe of Hell underneath them, ready to devoure them. Then &s;hall the bookes be opened, not any books of paper and parchment, but the books of mens con&s;ciences: For every mans &s;ins are written and recorded in his con&s;cience, as it were in a Regi|&s;ter book. Then will God bring every work to judgement, with every &s;ecret thought, and &s;et them in order before all the Reprobates.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4 5.</NOTE> Then <HI>will God ligh|ten the things that are hid in darkne&s;&s;e: and make the coun&s;els of the heart ma|nife&s;t.</HI> Then &s;hall all the ungodly be arraigned, convicted, and hold up their hands at the Barre of Chri&s;ts Tribunall Seat, and &s;hall cry guilty. Then &s;hall that mo&s;t dreadfull &s;entence of death and condemnation be pro|nounced again&s;t them by the mo&s;t righteous Iudge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">5.4<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Goe yee cur&s;ed into everla&s;ting fire, which is prepared for the Divell and his Angels.</HI> Oh dolefull &s;en|tence! Oh heavie hearing! Who&s;e heart doth not tremble at the&s;e things? Who&s;e haire doth not &s;tand up on their head? For then &s;hall thou&s;ands, which in this world have flouri&s;hed as the Cedars of <HI>Libanus,</HI> be ca&s;t down for e|vermore, and &s;hall drinke (as a ju&s;t re|compence for their iniquity) of the bit|ter cup of Gods eternall wrath and in|dignation in the kingdome of darknes, and in the fearfull pre&s;ence of Satan,
<PB N="386" REF="215"> and all the cur&s;ed enemies of Gods grace.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Well, now as you have declared unto us the terrour, the &s;uddenne&s;&s;e, the end, and the manner of Chri&s;ts coming to judgement, &s;o la&s;tly, &s;hew us the right u&s;e of all the&s;e things.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Saint <HI>Peter</HI> telleth and teach|eth us the right u&s;e of all: for &s;aith he, <HI>Seeing all the&s;e things mu&s;t he di&s;&s;ol|ved,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3 11.</NOTE> <HI>what manner of per&s;ons ought we to be in holy conver&s;ation and god|line&s;&s;e?</HI> As if hee &s;hould &s;ay: Sith the Heavens &s;hall pa&s;&s;e away with a noi&s;e, the Elements &s;hall melt with heat, and the Earth, with the workes that are therein, &s;hall be burnt up: &s;ith al&s;o the coming of Chri&s;t &s;hall be with great terrour, to a fearfull end, and in a fearfull manner; O how ought wee to excell in goodne&s;&s;e? So then Saint <HI>Peter</HI> telleth us, that the true u&s;e of all is this: that hereby we be brought neerer unto God, then to be more obedient to his will, and to walke in all his commandements, making con&s;cience of all our wayes, and &s;tudying to plea&s;e GOD in all things, and to be fruitfull in all good workes, living &s;oberly, ju&s;tly and ho|lily in this pre&s;ent evill world, and &s;hewing forth the vertues of him which hath called us out of darkne&s;&s;e to this marvellous light: that &s;o wee
<PB N="387" REF="215"> may be prepared again&s;t the day of his appearing, that it may not take us tardy. For our life ought to be a continuall meditation of death: wee &s;hould alwayes live as if wee &s;hould dye, or that our bed &s;hould be our grave: wee mu&s;t live continually as if Chri&s;t &s;hould come to judgement pre&s;ently: as it is reported of a godly man in the Primitive Church, that whether hee ate or dranke, or what&s;o|ever he did, he thought alwayes he heard the Trumpet of the Lord, with the&s;e words: <HI>Ari&s;e, yee dead, and come unto Judgement.</HI> Put ca&s;e it were certainly knowne, that Chri&s;t would come to Iudgement the next Mid-&s;ummer day; O wh<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">t an alteration would it make in the world! how would men change their mindes and affections? who would care for this world? who would &s;et his heart upon riches? who would regard brave apparell? who dur&s;t deceive or oppre&s;&s;e? who dur&s;t be drunke? who dur&s;t &s;weare, lye, and commit a|dultery? Nay, would not all men give up them&s;elves to the obedience of God? would not all &s;erve him di|ligently? would not all men and wo|men flocke to Sermons? would they not give them&s;elves to prayer and reading? would they not repent them of their &s;ins? would they not crie for
<PB N="388" REF="216"> mercy and forgivene&s;&s;e? See then what the knowledge of a certaine day approaching would effect. And ought wee not to doe all the&s;e things with as great care and zeale, &s;eeing the day is uncertaine? For who know|eth whether Chri&s;t will come this moneth or the next, this yeare or the next?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 14 44.</NOTE> Hee him&s;elfe &s;aith, <HI>Be ready, watch, for in the houre that yee thinke not of, will the Sonne of man come.</HI> Wee thinke hee will not come this yeare, nor next yeare, nor this hundred yeares. It may be there|fore that he will come &s;uddenly upon us, wee know not how &s;oone: For in an houre that wee little thinke of will he come. Therefore our Savi|our &s;aith in the thirteenth Chapter of <HI>Marke,</HI> Ver&s;e <HI>33. Take heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is.</HI> And in the Go&s;pel of Saint <HI>Luke</HI> hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> <HI>Take heed that your hearts be not overcome with &s;urfeiting and drunkenne&s;&s;e, and the cares of this life; and &s;o that day come upon you unawares. For as a &s;nare &s;hall it come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the earth.</HI> We heare therefore how many watch-words and caveats our Saviour giveth us, when hee &s;aith, Be in a readine&s;&s;e, awake, take heed, watch and pray, and looke about you, le&s;t that day come &s;uddenly
<PB N="389" REF="216"> upon you, and take you napping. It &s;tandeth us all therefore upon to be at an houres warning, upon paine of death, and as we will an&s;wer it at our uttermo&s;t perill.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Proceed to &s;peak of the torments of Hell.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Concerning the torments of Hell I doe note three things, which I will briefly &s;peake of, and they be the&s;e: The extremitie, perpetuitie, and remedile&s;ne&s;s thereof. Fir&s;t, touch|ing the extremitie thereof: it &s;tand|eth &s;pecially in the&s;e three things: Fir&s;t, that it is a &s;eparation from all joy and comfort of the pre&s;ence of God. Secondly, that it is an eter|nall fellow&s;hip with the Divell and his Angels. Thirdly, it is a feeling of the horrible wrath of God, which &s;hall &s;eize upon body and &s;oule, and &s;hall feed on them (as fire doth upon pitch and brim&s;tone) for ever. The Scriptures doe note the extremity of it, in calling it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 11.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>A lake that burnes with fire and brim&s;tone for ever:</HI> in &s;aying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.</NOTE> <HI>There &s;hall be weeping and gna&s;h|ing of teeth:</HI> in affirming,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 1 44.</NOTE> that <HI>their worme dyeth not</HI> (meaning the worme that gnaweth their con&s;cience, or the torment of con&s;cience) <HI>and the fire never goeth out:</HI> in terming it, <HI>Tophet, which is deep and large, and the burning thereof is fire and much
<PB N="390" REF="217"> wood:</HI> and that <HI>the breath of the Lord, as a river of brim&s;tone, doth kindle it.</HI> All the&s;e things be terrible to our &s;en&s;es: and yet can they not fully expre&s;&s;e the thing as it is in|deed. For no heart can conceive, or tongue expre&s;&s;e the greatne&s;&s;e and ex|tremity of the torments of Hell. As the joyes of Heaven never entred in|to the heart of man: no more did the torments of Hell. All the torments and troubles that fall upon men in this life, are but the &s;parkles of the furnace of Gods totall wrath. All fires are but as it were pictures of fire, in compari&s;on of Hell fire. For, as one writeth, Hell fire is &s;o ex|tremely hot, that it will burne up a man &s;even mile before hee come at it. Yet the Reprobates, being alwayes in it, &s;hall never be con&s;umed of it. As the Salamander is alwayes in the fire, and never con&s;umeth; &s;o the wic|ked &s;hall be alwayes in the fire of Hell, and never con&s;ume. For Hell is a death alwayes living, and an end al|wayes beginning. It is a grievous thing to a man that is very &s;icke, to lye long upon a feather bed: how much more upon a hot gridi<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">on? but how mo&s;t of all to burn alwaies in Hell fire, and never be con&s;umed? Another extremity of it con&s;i&s;teth in this, that the torments of Hell are univer&s;all:
<PB N="391" REF="217"> that is, in every member at once; head, eyes, tongue, teeth, throat, &s;tomacke, back, belly, heart, &s;ides, &amp;c. All puni&s;h|ments of this life are particular: For &s;ome are pained in their head, &s;ome in their backe, &s;ome in their &s;tomacke, &amp;c. yet &s;ome particular paines are &s;uch as a man would not &s;uffer to gaine all the world. But for a man to be tor|mented in all parts at once, what &s;ight more lamentable? who could but take pity of a dog in the &s;treet in that ca&s;e? Thus then we &s;ee, that the extremi|tie of Hell torments is greater then can be conceived or uttered. For who can utter that which is incomprehen|&s;ible? Wee can goe no further in com|prehending that which is incompre|hen&s;ible, then to know it to be incom|prehen&s;ible.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>As you have &s;hewed us the extre|mity of Hell torments, &s;o now proceed to the perpetuity.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Scriptures doe &s;et forth the perpetuity of Hell torments, in &s;aying, they are for ever. The wicked &s;hall be ca&s;t into the Lake that burneth with fire and brim&s;tone for ever. The fire never goeth out. When as many hundred thou&s;and yeares are expired as there be &s;tones by the Sea &s;ide, yet &s;till there be &s;o many more to come. For that which hath no end, can never come to an
<PB N="392" REF="218"> end. If all the Arithmeticians in the world were &s;et a worke to doe no|thing but number all the dayes of their life, even the greate&s;t numbers that they could po&s;&s;ibly &s;et downe, and &s;hould in the end adde all their num|bers together, yet could they never come any thing neere to that length of time wherein the wicked &s;hall be tor|mented. If the whole circumference of the Heavens were written about with figures of Arithmeticke, from the Ea&s;t to the We&s;t, and from the We&s;t to the Ea&s;t againe; yet could it not containe that infinite time, and innumerable yeeres, wherein all un|beleevers &s;hall &s;uffer eternall torture. For in things infinite, time hath no place. For time is the mea&s;ure of tho&s;e things which are &s;ubject to mea|&s;ure. Therefore becau&s;e hell torments are infinite, they cannot be mea&s;ured by any time: neither can that which is infinite be dimini&s;hed. For if you &s;ub&s;tract from that which is in|finite ten thou&s;and thou&s;and millions of millions, yet it is thereby no|thing dimini&s;hed or made le&s;&s;e. Put ca&s;e a man &s;hould once in an hun|dred thou&s;and yeeres take a &s;poon|full of water out of the great O|cean Sea, how long would it be ere he had &s;o emptied it? Yet &s;hall a man &s;ooner empty the Sea, by taking
<PB N="393" REF="218"> out a &s;poonfull once in an hundred thou&s;and yeares, then the damned &s;oule &s;hall have any ea&s;e. There|fore a certaine Writer &s;aith, <HI>If a damned &s;oule might be tormented in Hell but a thou&s;and yeares, and then have ea&s;e, there were &s;ome comfort in it: (for then there would be hope it would come to an end) but,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>this word <HI>Ever</HI> killeth the heart.</HI> O con&s;ider this yee that forget God. O yee carnall worldlings, thinke on this in time. For if you will not now be moved in hearing, you &s;hall then be cru&s;hed in pieces in feeling. What availeth it to live in all po&s;&s;ible plea&s;ures, and carnall de|lights here for &s;ome &s;ixty yeares, and then to &s;uffer this eternall torment? what &s;hall it profit a man to win the whole world, and lo&s;e his &s;oule? They be more then mad, which will hazzard their &s;oule for a little profit, and a few &s;tinking plea&s;ures. But this is the manner of men: they will have the pre&s;ent &s;weet (come of it what will) though they pay never &s;o deare for it: though they goe to the highe&s;t price: though they lo&s;e their &s;oules for it. Oh the un&s;peakable blindne&s;&s;e and madne&s;&s;e of the men of this world! The Divell hath put out their eyes, and therefore leadeth them whither he li&s;ts. For who cannot lead
<PB N="394" REF="219"> a blind man whither he li&s;ts?<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 11.2.</NOTE> <HI>Naha&s;h</HI> the <HI>Ammonite</HI> would make no cove|nant with the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> but upon con|dition that he might put out all their right eyes. So the Divell doth cove|nant with all the wicked, to put out both their eyes, that he may lead them directly into Hell.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Now, Sir, a word or two more of the remedile&s;ne&s;&s;e of Hell fire.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Scriptures do affirm, that as the torments of Hell are ex|treme, &s;o they are without all hope of remedy:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.8.</NOTE> as it is written, <HI>A man can by no meanes redeem his brother: hee cannot give his ran&s;ome unto God: &s;o precious is the redemption of the &s;oule, and the continuance for ever.</HI> To this purpo&s;e <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;aid to the rich man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16.16.</NOTE> being in Hell torments, <HI>Betwixt you and us there is a great gulfe &s;et, &s;o that they which would goe from hence to you cannot, neither can they come from thence to us.</HI> Our Lord Ie&s;us al&s;o &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">. 19.</NOTE> <HI>What &s;hall a man give for the recompence of his &s;oule?</HI> Where our Saviour doth plainly affirme, that there is no ran&s;ome or recom|pence, though never &s;o great, to be gi|ven for a damned &s;oule. For the &s;oule being in Hell, can never be relea&s;ed, it is pa&s;t remedy, no meanes what&s;oe|ver can doe any good: no gold, no &s;il|ver, no friends, no riches, no power,
<PB N="395" REF="219"> no policy, no flattery, no bribery, no reach, no fetch or device what&s;oever, can prevaile one jot: for a man being once in Hell hath no remedy, hee is in clo&s;e pri&s;on, he is &s;hut up under the hatches for ever, there is no getting out againe, he mu&s;t &s;uffer perpetuall impri&s;onment. Hee cannot bring a writ of fal&s;e impri&s;onment, becau&s;e he is laid in by the mo&s;t righteous and ju&s;t Iudge, who cannot po&s;&s;ibly doe any wrong; but hee mu&s;t lye by it. For being there once, he is there for ever. If all the Angels of Heaven &s;hould intreat for a damned &s;oule; if <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;hould make great &s;uit; if all the Prophets, Apo|&s;tles and Martyrs &s;hould be conti|nuall &s;olicitors to Chri&s;t for relea&s;e; if the father &s;hould make reque&s;t for his &s;on, or the mother for the daugh|ter, yet can none of the&s;e be heard, they mu&s;t all have the repui&s;e. For the &s;entence of Chri&s;t cannot be rever&s;ed, his decree is unrepealeable. The due con&s;ideration of the&s;e things may make all hearts to quake, and all knees to tremble. In the troubles and afflictions of this life, though a man come in never &s;o great danger, yet hee may wind out againe by one meanes or another, by mony, or friend|&s;hip, or rewards, or &s;uch like meanes: but in Hell-fire, this is it that gripes,
<PB N="396" REF="220"> and maketh the heart de&s;paire, that there is no remedy at all to be u&s;ed. If wee &s;hould aske of a damned &s;oule, or an afflicted con&s;cience, what they would give for the ea&s;e and redempti|on of their &s;oules; they would an&s;wer, the whole world: how&s;oever &s;ecure worldlings and wicked Athei&s;ts (which &s;ee nothing, or feele nothing) make nothing of it.</P>
<P>Here, by the way, let us con&s;ider the greatne&s;&s;e of the lo&s;&s;e of a mans &s;oule; which we &s;hall the better per|ceive and &s;ee into, if we can aright value and prize the &s;oule. If there|fore it be demanded, what is the price of the &s;oule, or what is it worth? Our Lord Ie&s;us an&s;wereth, that it is more worth then all the world. For, &s;aith hee,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>What &s;hall it profit a man <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">o win all the world, and lo&s;e his &s;oule?</HI> Therefore the &s;oule of the poore&s;t beggar is more worth then all the world. Then I rea&s;on thus: If the &s;oule be more worth then all the world, then the lo&s;&s;e of it is grea|ter then the lo&s;&s;e of the whole world. For indeed it is a lo&s;&s;e of all lo&s;&s;es, an unrecoverable lo&s;&s;e. If a man &s;hould have his hou&s;e burnt over his head, and all that hee hath con|&s;umed in one night, it were a great lo&s;&s;e. If a Merchant-venturer &s;hould lo&s;e twenty thou&s;and pounds
<PB N="397" REF="220"> in one venture, in one &s;hip, or (as they &s;ay) in one bottome, it were a very great lo&s;&s;e. If a King &s;hould lo&s;e his Crowne and Kingdome, it were an exceeding great lo&s;&s;e: But the lo&s;&s;e of the &s;oule is a thou&s;and times more then all the&s;e, it is a mat|ter of infinite importance. If a Te|nant be ca&s;t out of the favour of his Land-lord, it is a matter of griefe. If a Noblemans Secretary be ca&s;t out of favour with his Lord, &s;o that he taketh a pritch again&s;t him, it is a matter of great &s;orrow. If a Nobleman him&s;elfe be di&s;countenan|ced, and ca&s;t out of all favour with his Prince, that was in great fa|vour, it is a cor&s;ie, a heart-&s;mart, and a matter of exceeding grievance. But to be eternally &s;eparated from God, to be &s;hut out of his favour, and to be ca&s;t away from his pre&s;ence, and the pre&s;ence of his Angels, is a matter of infinite more dolour and torment. Marke then and behold what a thing it is for a man to lo&s;e his &s;oule. Oh therefore that men would be wi&s;e in Gods feare, that they would looke out in time, and make provi&s;ion for their &s;oules. Now then, to clo&s;e up this whole point: the &s;umme of all that hath been &s;aid is this, That the torments of Hell are endle&s;&s;e, ea&s;ele&s;&s;e, and remedile&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<PB N="398" REF="221">
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The laying open of the&s;e do|ctrines of Hell fire, and the judgement to come, makes me quake and tremble: I am much thereby perplexed, I feele great terrour in my con&s;cience, I am affraid I &s;hall be damned.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Damned, man! What &s;peake you of damning? I am a&s;hamed to heare you &s;ay &s;o. For it is well knowne that you are an hone&s;t man, a quiet liver, a good neighbour, and as good a towne&s;-man as any in the Pari&s;h where you dwell, and you have been alwayes &s;o reputed and taken. If you &s;hould be damned, I know not who &s;hall be &s;aved?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I regard not your flatteries. I beleeve God, I beleeve his Word, I be|leeve tho&s;e things which Ma&s;ter <HI>Theolo|gus</HI> hath alledged out of the holy Scrip|tures, pointing mee both to the Chap|ter and the Ver&s;e: and whether it be more meet that I &s;hould beleeve the Scriptures, or your &s;oothings, judge you. No, no: now I doe cleerly &s;ee, by the gla&s;&s;e of Gods Law, that my &s;tate is wretched and mi&s;erable. For I have lived in &s;inne and ignorance all the dayes of my life, being utterly void of all Re|ligion and true knowledge of God. I am not the man indeed that you and others take mee for. For though out|wardly I have lived hone&s;tly to the world-ward, yet inwardly I have
<PB N="399" REF="221"> not lived religiou&s;ly to God-ward.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Tu&s;h, tu&s;h: now I &s;ee you are in a melancholy humour. If you will goe home with mee, I can give you a &s;peedy remedy, for I have many plea|&s;ant and merry bookes, which if you &s;hould heare them read, would &s;oone remedy you of this melancholy pa&s;&s;ion. I have the Court of <HI>Venus,</HI> The Palace of Plea&s;ure, <HI>Bevis</HI> of <HI>South-hampton, Ellen</HI> of <HI>Rummin,</HI> The merry je&s;t of the Friar and the Boy, The plea&s;ant Story of <HI>Clem</HI> of the <HI>Clough, Adam Bell,</HI> and <HI>William</HI> of <HI>Cloude&s;ly,</HI> The odde tale of <HI>William, Richard,</HI> and <HI>Humfrey,</HI> The pretty conceit of <HI>John Splinters</HI> la&s;t Will and Te&s;tament, which all are ex|cellent and &s;ingular bookes again&s;t heart-qualmes, and to remove &s;uch dumpi&s;hne&s;&s;e as I &s;ee you are now fallen into.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Your vaine and frivolous bookes of tales, je&s;ts, and lies, would more in|crea&s;e my griefe, and &s;trike the print of &s;orrow deeper into my heart.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Nay, if you be of that mind, I have done with you.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, if a man may be &s;o bold with you, how came you by all the&s;e good books? I &s;hould have &s;aid, &s;o much tra&s;h and rubbi&s;h.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>What mattereth it to you? What have you to doe to enquire? But I pray you, Sir, what doe you meane
<PB N="400" REF="222"> to call them tra&s;h and rubbi&s;h?</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Becau&s;e they be no better. They be goodly geere, trim &s;tuffe; They are good to kindle a fire, or to &s;coure a hot oven withall. And &s;hall I tell you my opinion of them? I doe thus thinke, That they were devi&s;ed by the Divell, &s;eene and allowed by the Pope, printed in Hell, bound up by Hobgoblin, and fir&s;t publi&s;hed and di&s;per&s;ed in Rome, Italy, and Spaine, and all to this end, that thereby men might be kept from the reading of the Scriptures. For even as a Lapwing with her bu&s;ie crie draweth men away from her ne&s;t, &s;o the Popi&s;h generation, by the&s;e fabulous devices, draw men from the Scriptures.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Ah Sir, I &s;ee now a fooles bolt is &s;oon &s;hot. You are more preci&s;e then wi&s;e. The Vicar of Saint Fooles &s;hall be your gho&s;tly father. What tell you mee of your opinion? I would you &s;hould wel know, I neither regard you nor your opi|nion. There be wi&s;er men then you, who both reade, allow, and take plea&s;ure in the&s;e bookes.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Let him alone, good <HI>Philaga|thus,</HI> for you &s;ee what he is; there is no end of his cro&s;&s;ing and cavilling. But he that is ignorant, let him be ig|norant; and he that is filthy, let him be more filthy. Let us now turne our &s;peech to <HI>A&s;unetus,</HI> for I &s;ee he
<PB N="401" REF="222"> is heavie-hearted, and troubled in his mind. How doe you, <HI>A&s;unetus?</HI> how doe you feele your &s;elfe? Me thinkes you are very &s;ad.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am the better for you, Sir, I thanke God: I never knew what &s;inne meant till this day. It hath plea&s;ed God now to give mee &s;ome &s;ight and feeling thereof. I am greatly di&s;tre&s;|&s;ed in my con&s;cience to thinke what I have been. The remembrance of my former &s;innes doe &s;trike an horrour in|to mee. When I con&s;ider how igno|rantly and profanely, and how farre off from GOD I have lived all my life, it &s;tings and gripes mee to the heart. I doe now &s;ee that which I never &s;aw, and feele that which I never felt. I doe plainly &s;ee, that if I had died in that &s;tate wherein I have lived all my life, I &s;hould certainly have been condemned, and &s;hould have peri&s;hed for ever in my &s;inne and ignorance.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I am very glad that God hath opened your eyes, and given you the &s;ight and feeling of your mi|&s;ery: which indeed is the very fir&s;t &s;tep to eternall life. It is a great favour and &s;peciall mercy of God towards you, that hee hath &s;o touched your heart: you can never be thank|full enough for it. It is more then if you had a million of gold given you. It is the onely rare priviledge
<PB N="403" REF="223"> of Gods elect to have the eyes of their &s;oules opened, that they may &s;ee into heavenly and &s;pirituall things. As for the world, it is ju&s;t with God to leave them in their blindne&s;&s;e.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I doe feele the burthen of my &s;innes: I am greatly grieved for them. I am weary of them. I am &s;orry that ever I &s;inned again&s;t God, or that I &s;hould be &s;uch a wretch, as to incurre his di&s;plea&s;ure, and provoke his Ma|je&s;tie again&s;t mee. But I pray you, good Ma&s;ter <HI>Theologus,</HI> &s;uch you are a &s;pirituall Phy&s;ician, and I am &s;ick of &s;inne, that you would mini&s;ter unto me, out of Gods Word, &s;ome &s;pirituall phy&s;icke and com|fort.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Truly, I mu&s;t needs thinke, that the promi&s;es of mercy, and for|givene&s;&s;e of &s;inne made in the Go&s;pel, doe belong unto you, and that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t is yours: that you are truly intere&s;&s;ed in him, and have a proper right unto him. For hee came not to call the righteous, but &s;inners to re|pentance. You doe now feele your &s;elfe to be a &s;inner: you are grieved for your &s;ins: you are weary of them: therefore Ie&s;us Chri&s;t is for you: all the benefits of his pa&s;&s;ion belong to you.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 9.12.</NOTE> Againe he &s;aith, <HI>The whole need not the Phy&s;ician, but they that are &s;icke.</HI> But you doe acknowledge your &s;elfe to be &s;ick of &s;inne: therefore
<PB N="402" REF="223"> Ie&s;us Chri&s;t will be your Phy&s;ician: he will &s;waddle you: he will lap you: hee will bind up all your &s;ores: hee will heale all your wounds: hee will anoint them with the oyle of his mercy: hee will &s;mile upon you, and &s;hew you a joyfull countenance: hee will &s;ay unto you, Your &s;ins are for|given.</P>
<P>In him you &s;hall have re&s;t and peace to your &s;oule. Through him you &s;hall have ea&s;e and comfort. For hee takes pitie of all &s;uch as mourne for their &s;innes, as you doe. Hee biddeth you, and all that are in your ca&s;e, to come unto him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11.28.</NOTE> and hee will helpe you. <HI>Come unto me</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>all yee that are weary and heavie laden, and I will ea&s;e you.</HI> You are one of them that are bidden to come: for you are weary of your &s;innes: you feele the burthen of them: Chri&s;t is altogether for &s;uch as you are. Hee regardeth not the world, that is, the profane and unregenerate men. Hee bids not them come: hee prayeth not for them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 18.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>I pray not for the world</HI> (&s;aith hee.) They have no part nor intere&s;t in him. They have no|thing to doe with him, or with his merits and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. Hee is onely for the penitent &s;inner, and &s;uch as mourne for their &s;innes. He is a Pillow of Down to all aking heads,
<PB N="404" REF="224"> and aking con&s;ciences. Be of good comfort therefore, feare nothing: for a&s;&s;uredly Chri&s;t and all his righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e is yours. He will clothe you with it. Hee will never impute your &s;ins unto you, or lay any of them to your charge: though they be never &s;o many, or &s;o great, hee will forget them, and forgive them; as hee &s;aith by the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ay 1.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Though your &s;ins were as cr<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">m&s;on, they &s;hall be made as white as &s;now: though they were red like &s;carlet, they &s;hall be as wooll.</HI> And againe he &s;aith by the &s;ame Pro|phet,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">ay 4.2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>I have put away thy tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|ons as thicke as clouds, and thy &s;innes as a mi&s;t.</HI> By another Prophet he &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah 7.19.</NOTE> <HI>Hee will lay a&s;ide our iniquities, and ca&s;t all our &s;innes into the bottome of the &s;ea.</HI> Againe he &s;aith by the Pro|phet <HI>E&s;ay,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 43.25.</NOTE> <HI>I, even I, am he that put away thine iniquities, for my owne &s;ake, and will not remember thy &s;innes.</HI> And yet more &s;weetly hee &s;peakes to us by the Prophet <HI>Jeremy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 3 12.</NOTE> &s;aying, <HI>Turne a|gaine unto mee, and I will not let my wrath fall upon you. For I am merci|full, and will not alway keep mine an|ger.</HI> And againe by the Prophet <HI>Ho|&s;ea</HI> hee &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 11.6.</NOTE> <HI>I will not execute the fiercene&s;&s;e of my wrath, I will not return to de&s;troy Ephraim: for I am GOD, and not man.</HI> Be of good cheere there|fore, comfort your &s;elfe with the&s;e pro|mi&s;es:
<PB N="405" REF="224"> you have cau&s;e to rejoyce, &s;eeing GOD hath wrought in you a di&s;like and a griefe for your &s;ins, which is a certaine token that your &s;ins &s;hall ne|ver hurt you: for &s;innes pa&s;t cannot hurt us, if &s;innes pre&s;ent doe not like us. You are growne to an hatred and di&s;like of your &s;ins, you mourne under the burthen of them, therefore you are ble&s;&s;ed. For ble&s;&s;ed are they that mourne. Why therefore &s;hould you be &s;o heavie and &s;ad? Remember what Saint <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, <HI>If any man &s;inne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh 1.</NOTE> <HI>we have an Advocate, Je&s;us Chri&s;t the righ|teous, and he is the reconciliation for our &s;innes.</HI> Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.13.</NOTE> that <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t is &s;et forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud.</HI> Againe the holy Gho&s;t &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Hee is perfectly able to &s;ave all tho&s;e that come unto God by him, &s;eeing hee ever liveth to make interce&s;&s;ion for us.</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Hee is made of GOD for us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 1.3<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>wi&s;e|dome, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;anctification, and redemption.</HI> Marke that hee &s;aith, All is for us, all his for his Church, for every member of his Church, and therefore for you. Chri&s;t is made of God righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;anctification, and redemption for you: Chri&s;t is your Mediator, and your high Prie&s;t, and hath offered up the everla&s;ting &s;a|crifice, even for you, that he might pay your ran&s;ome, and redeem you from
<PB N="406" REF="225"> all iniquity.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 9.1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>By his owne bloud hath hee entred once into the holy place, and obtained eternall redemption for you.</HI> Chri&s;t is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands, which are &s;imilitudes of the true Sanctuary, but is entred into the very Heaven,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 9.</NOTE> to appeare now in the &s;ight of God for you. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5.21.</NOTE> <HI>He hath made him to be &s;inne for you, that knew no &s;inne, that you might be made the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of GOD in him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal 3.13.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t was made a cur&s;e for you, that he might redeeme you from the cur&s;e of the Law.</HI> Oh therefore how happy art thou that ha&s;t &s;uch a Medi|atour and high Prie&s;t! Re&s;t therefore wholly upon him, and upon that per|fect, eternall, and propitiatory Sacri|fice which he hath once offered. Apply Chri&s;t, apply his merits, apply the promi&s;es to your &s;elfe, and to your owne con&s;cience, &s;o &s;hall they doe you good, and bring great comfort to your &s;oule. For put ca&s;e you had a mo&s;t ex|cellent and &s;overaigne &s;alve, which would cure any wound, if it were laid to; yet if you &s;hould locke it up in your che&s;t, and never apply it to your wound, what good could it doe you? Even &s;o the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and merits of Chri&s;t are a &s;pirituall &s;alve, which will cure any wound of the &s;oule: but if wee doe not apply them
<PB N="407" REF="225"> to our &s;oules by faith, they can doe us no good. You mu&s;t therefore apply Chri&s;t, and all the promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, to your &s;elfe by faith, and &s;tand fully per&s;waded, that what&s;o|ever hee hath done upon the Cro&s;&s;e, hee hath done for you particularly. For what is ju&s;tifying faith, but a full per&s;wa&s;ion of Gods particular love to us in Chri&s;t? The generall and confu&s;ed knowledge of Chri&s;t and his Go&s;pel availes not to eternall life. Labour therefore to have the true u&s;e of all the&s;e great and precious promi&s;es, and &s;ticke fa&s;t to Chri&s;t: for through him onely wee have remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, and eternall life.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 10.45.</NOTE> <HI>To him all the Prophets give witne&s;&s;e</HI> (&s;aith Saint <HI>Peter) that through his Name all that beleeve &s;hall receive remi&s;&s;ion of their &s;ins.</HI> Where the Apo&s;tle tells us, that if a great Iury of Prophets were pannelled to te&s;tifie of the way and meanes to eternall life, they would all, with one con&s;ent, bring in a ver|dict, that remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins and eternall life are onely in Chri&s;t. Let us heare the Fore-man &s;peake, and one or two of the re&s;t: for in the mouth of two or three witne&s;&s;es &s;hall every word &s;tand. The Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 54.5.</NOTE> <HI>He was wounded for our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, he was broken for our iniquities: the cha&s;ti&s;ement of our peace was upon
<PB N="408" REF="226"> him, and with his &s;tripes wee are healed.</HI> This great Prophet we &s;ee plainly affirmes, that Chri&s;t &s;uffered for our &s;ins, and by his &s;uffering we are &s;a|ved. The Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> te&s;tifies the &s;ame thing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 23 5.</NOTE> &s;aying, <HI>Behold, the day is come (&s;aith the Lord) that I will rai&s;e to <HI>David</HI> a righteous branch, and a King &s;hall reigne and pro&s;per, and &s;hall execute judgement and ju&s;tice in the earth. In his dayes <HI>Judah</HI> &s;hall be &s;aved, and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall dwell &s;afely: and this is the name whereby they &s;hall call him, The Lord our righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> This Prophet jumps with the other. For he &s;aith, that Chri&s;t is the righ|teous branch, and that he is our righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e: which is all one, as if hee had &s;aid, our &s;innes are pardoned onely through him, and through him we are made righteous. Moreover hee af|firmes, that <HI>Juda</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that is, the Church, &s;hall be &s;aved by him. The Prophet <HI>Zachary,</HI> that I may &s;peake it with reverence, telleth the &s;ame tale word for word. He avoucheth the &s;ame thing with the other two Prophets: for hee &s;aith, <HI>In that day a fountaine &s;hall be opened to the hou&s;e of <HI>David,</HI></HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zach. 13.1.</NOTE> <HI>and to the inhabitants of Je|ru&s;alem, for &s;inne, and for uncleanne&s;&s;e.</HI> The meaning of the Prophet is, that in the dayes of Chri&s;ts Kingdome, the fountaine of Gods mercy in
<PB N="409" REF="226"> Chri&s;t, &s;hould be opened and let-out to wa&s;h away the &s;innes and unclean|ne&s;&s;e of the Church. So then we &s;ee, that the&s;e three great witne&s;&s;es doe all agree in this, that through Chri&s;t onely we are wa&s;hed from our &s;innes, and through him onely wee are made righteous. Seeing then that eter|nall life is onely in the Sonne, there|fore he that hath the Sonne, hath life. Be of good courage therefore, O <HI>A|&s;unetus:</HI> for no doubt you have the Sonne, and therefore eternall life. Feare not your &s;innes, for they cannot hurt you: for as all the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Jacob,</HI> and all the mo&s;t righteous men that ever lived on the face of the earth, if it were yours, could doe you no good without Chri&s;t: &s;o all the &s;inne in the world can doe you no hurt, being in Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> <HI>For there is no condemnati|on to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Plucke up a good heart therefore: be no more heavie and &s;ad: for if you be found in Chri&s;t, clothed with his per|fect righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e (being made yours through faith) what can the Divell &s;ay to you? what can the Law doe? They may well hi&s;&s;e at you, but they cannot &s;ting you: they may grin at you, but they cannot hurt you. For who &s;hal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that ju&s;tifies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.33.</NOTE>
<PB N="410" REF="227"> who &s;hall condemne? It is Chri&s;t which is dead, or rather which is ri&s;en againe; who al&s;o &s;itteth at the right hand of God, and makes re|que&s;t for us.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.4.</NOTE> Rejoyce in the Lord therefore; againe, I &s;ay, Rejoice: for greater is hee that is in you, then hee that is in the world: Our Lord Ie&s;us is &s;tronger then all. None can pluck you out of his hands: hee is a &s;trong Mediator: hee hath conquered all our &s;pirituall enemies: hee hath over|come hell, death, and damnation: hee hath led captivity captive:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1.15.</NOTE> hee hath &s;poyled principalities and powers, and hath made an open &s;hew of them, and triumphed over them on his cro&s;&s;e. Hee hath mo&s;t triumphantly &s;aid, <HI>O death,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 13.14.</NOTE> <HI>I will be thy death: O grave, I will be thy de&s;truction. O death, where is thy &s;ting?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15.55</NOTE> <HI>O hell, where is thy victo|ry?</HI> Seeing then you have &s;uch a Me|diator and high Prie&s;t, as hath con|quered the helli&s;h army, and &s;ubdued all infernall power, what need you to doubt? what need you to feare any more? Moreover, you are to under|&s;tand, and to be per&s;waded, that Gods mercy is exceeding great towards pe|nitent &s;inners, and all &s;uch as mourne for their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions: according as hee &s;aith, <HI>At what time &s;oever a &s;inner doth repent him of his &s;innes from the bottome of his heart,</HI> hee <HI>will put them
<PB N="411" REF="227"> all out of his remembrance.</HI> The Pro|phet <HI>David</HI> doth mo&s;t lively and fully de&s;cribe unto us, the mercifull na|ture of God, in the <HI>103.</HI> P&s;alme, where hee &s;aith, <HI>The Lord is full of compa&s;sion, and mercy, &s;low to anger, and of great kindne&s;&s;e: hee will not alwaies chide, neither keepeth his anger for ever: hee hath not dealt with us after our &s;innes, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heaven is above the earth, &s;o great is his mercy towards tho&s;e that feare him. As farre as is the Ea&s;t from the We&s;t, &s;o farre hath hee removed our &s;innes from us. As a Father hath compa&s;sion on his children, &s;o hath the Lord compa&s;sion on them that feare him. For he knowes whereof wee be made, he remembreth that wee are but du&s;t.</HI> The Hi&s;tory of the lo&s;t &s;onne doth mo&s;t notably &s;et forth the wonderfull mercy of God towards penitent &s;inners. There is &s;hewed how the Lord doth embrace, tender,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 1<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.20.</NOTE> and made much of &s;uch poore &s;in|ners, as have broken and contrite hearts for their &s;innes: for it is &s;aid, that when the Father &s;aw his repen|ting Sonne a great way off, hee had compa&s;&s;ion on him, and ranne, and fell on his neck, and ki&s;&s;ed him, and cloath|ed him with the be&s;t robe, put it on him, put a ring on his hand, and &s;hooes
<PB N="412" REF="228"> on his feet, and cau&s;ed the fat calfe to be killed for him. Even &s;o the ever|la&s;ting Father doth rejoyce at the conver&s;ion of any of his lo&s;t &s;onnes. Yea, there is joy in the pre&s;ence of the Angels of God for one &s;inner that converteth. Moreover, the Lord mo&s;t lively expre&s;&s;eth his mercifull nature and di&s;po&s;ition in this, That he is very loth we &s;hould peri&s;h, and willingly ca&s;t away our &s;elves. There|fore often in the holy Scriptures he mournes for us, bewailes our wretchedne&s;&s;e, and takes up many pi|tifull complaints and lamentations for us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">1.13.</NOTE> &s;aying, <HI>O that my people had hearkened unto mee, and I&s;rael had walked in my waies.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 48.18.</NOTE> And againe, <HI>O that thou had&s;t hearkened unto my commandements: then had thy pro|&s;perity been as the floud, and thy righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e as the waters of the &s;ea.</HI> A|gaine, hee mourningly complaines by his Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>O Ephra|im, what &s;hall I doe to thee? O Judah, how &s;hall I intreat thee?</HI> And in ano|ther place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5.</NOTE> <HI>What could I doe more to my Vineyard that I have not done?</HI> Marke here how compa&s;&s;ionately the Almighty God doth yerne over us, and even as it were blood upon our wounds. The Apo&s;tle al&s;o notes the rich mercy and marvellous love of GOD to mankind, in this, that
<PB N="413" REF="228"> hee doth be&s;eech us, and pray us by the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, that wee would be reconciled unto him. The words are the&s;e, <HI>Now then are wee Emba&s;&s;adours for Chri&s;t; as though God did be&s;eech you through us, wee pray you in Chri&s;ts &s;tead, that you be reconciled unto God.</HI> Is it not a &s;trange thing, that the omnipotent God &s;hould fall to entreating of us poore wretches? It is all one, as if a King &s;hould intreat a begger, whom hee may will and command. But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth mo&s;t of all con&s;i&s;t in this, That hee hath given his onely Sonne for us, when wee were his enemies: as it is written, <HI>God &s;o loved the world, that hee hath given his onely begotten Sonne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>that who&s;oever beleeves in him, &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life.</HI> A|gaine, <HI>Gods &s;ets out his love towards us, &s;eeing that while we were yet &s;inners, Chri&s;t died for us: much more then be|ing now ju&s;tified by his bloud, wee &s;hall be &s;aved from wrath through him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5.1.</NOTE> <HI>For if when wee were enemies, wee were re|conciled to God by the death of his Sonne: much more being reconciled, we &s;hall be &s;aved by his life.</HI> In all this then wee may cleerely behold the infi|nite mercy of God towards us poore &s;inners. For is it not a great matter,
<PB N="414" REF="229"> that the Son of God &s;hould take our nature upon him, &s;hould be &s;o aba&s;ed as he was, and &s;hould humble him|&s;elfe to death,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2.<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> even to the death of the cro&s;&s;e? For as the &s;hadow of the Di|all went backe ten degrees, that <HI>Eze|chias</HI> might receive length of dayes and much happine&s;&s;e; &s;o Chri&s;t, the Sonne of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, hath gone backe many degrees, that we might have eternall life. His humiliation therefore is our exaltation, his &s;uffe|rings our joy, his death our life. For wee have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteou&s;nes. He is our City of refuge, whither we mu&s;t flie, and where wee mu&s;t take &s;anctuary.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 9.</NOTE> He is the balme of <HI>Gilead,</HI> whereby our &s;oules are cured. He is that poole of <HI>Bethe&s;da,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.2.</NOTE> where every man may be cured of what di&s;ea&s;e &s;o|ever he hath.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 5.</NOTE> He is the river of <HI>Jordan,</HI> where <HI>Naaman</HI> may wa&s;h away all his lepro&s;ie. He is that Pelican, who by pecking a hole in his owne brea&s;t, doth re&s;tore his young to life againe by his bloud. Yet one thing wee mu&s;t note by the way, which hath been partly touched before, That all the mercies of God, and merits of Chri&s;t, are to be re&s;trained only to the Elect, only to the true members of the Church; as plainly appeareth in <HI>P&s;al. 103.</HI> where the mercies of God, which are there
<PB N="415" REF="229"> largely de&s;cribed, are re&s;trained onely to them that feare him, keep his Co|venant, and thinke upon his Com|mandements to doe them. And touch|ing Chri&s;t it is &s;aid, that hee is a Prince and a Saviour unto <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and that he &s;hall redeem <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from all his iniquities. Againe it is written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 130.</NOTE> that Chri&s;t being con&s;ecrate, was made the <HI>Authour of eternall &s;alvation to them that obey him.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.6.</NOTE> None doe or can obey him but only the Elect, therefore hee is the Authour of &s;alvation onely to the Elect. And con&s;equently, the profane world, what&s;oever they &s;ay, what&s;o|ever they brag and boa&s;t, have no true title, or intere&s;t in him. This thing was figured in the Law, in this, that the Mercy-&s;eat, which was a type of Gods mercy in Chri&s;t; and the Arke, which was a figure of the Church, were, by the expre&s;&s;e commandement of GOD, fitted each to other,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 25.10.</NOTE> both in length and breadth. For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long, and a cubit and a halfe broad; ju&s;t &s;o was the Mercy-&s;eat. No|ting thereby, that the mercy of God in Chri&s;t &s;hould onely be fitted to his Church, and belong onely to the Church; &s;o as not one without the Church &s;hould be &s;aved. For hee that hath not the Church for his Mother, cannot have God for his
<PB N="416" REF="230"> Father. La&s;tly, we are to ob&s;erve, that as God is infinite in mercy, and of great compa&s;&s;ion toward penitent &s;inners: &s;o al&s;o is hee mo&s;t con&s;tant in the cour&s;e of his mercies towards his children. And therefore one of the P&s;almes carries this foot,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 156.</NOTE> <HI>His mercie endureth for ever, his mercie endureth for ever, his mercie endu|reth for ever.</HI> Noting thereby both the con&s;tancie and eternitie of Gods mercy. To the &s;ame purpo&s;e it is thus written,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 3.2<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>It is the Lords mer|cie that wee are not con&s;umed, it is becau&s;e his compa&s;&s;ions faile not.</HI> Let us know therefore that God, as touching his mercy to his children, is of a mo&s;t con&s;tant and unchange|able nature. As hee &s;aith, <HI>I am the Lord, I change not.</HI> For if GOD were of a changeable nature, as we are, and &s;ubject to pa&s;&s;ions, then were wee in a mo&s;t mi&s;erable ca&s;e, then mu&s;t hee needs &s;mite us downe, and take vengeance of us every day, and every houre in the day, becau&s;e wee provoke him every day, and e|very houre in the day. But the God of Heaven is not as a man, that hee &s;hould be &s;ubject to pa&s;&s;ions and af|fections: hee is of a mo&s;t con&s;tant and immutable nature. For though we provoke him every day with new &s;ins, yet is he &s;o farre off from take|ing
<PB N="417" REF="230"> revenge, that the next day hee rewardeth us with new mercies, and breaketh through all our unkindne&s;&s;e to &s;hew kindne&s;&s;e unto us; and through all our naughtine&s;&s;e to doe us good. All our infirmities cannot make him breaks off with us, or cea&s;e to love us. Hee is content to take us with all faults, and to love us dearly, though wee have great faults. Hee regardeth not our infir|mities: though wee be oftentimes wayward and elvi&s;h, yet for all that hee loveth us neverthele&s;&s;e. Even as a loving Mother, though her young &s;uckling cry all the night, and be exceeding trea&s;e and wayward, &s;o as &s;hee cannot re&s;t on houre in the night; yea, though &s;hee endure much loth&s;omene&s;&s;e and trouble with it, yet in the morning when &s;hee ri&s;eth &s;hee loveth it never the le&s;&s;e, but dand|leth it, playeth with it, &s;mileth and laugheth upon it: &s;o the God of all mercies, who&s;e love towards us farre pa&s;&s;eth the love of mothers, though we grieve him with our infirmities conti|nually, yet loveth us neverthele&s;&s;e, and is content to put up all, to forget and forgive all; for hee is a mo&s;t con&s;tant lover. Where he once &s;ets and &s;ettles his love, hee loveth mo&s;t con&s;tantly, no|thing can alter him, nothing can remove him. Even as a Father, when his
<PB N="418" REF="231"> little childe catcheth a fall, breaketh his &s;hinnes, and hurteth his face, is &s;o farre from beeing offended or di&s;|plea&s;ed with him therefore, that hee doth pity him and bemoane him, &s;eek|ing remedies for his hurt: &s;o our mercifull Father is &s;o farre off from being angry and di&s;plea&s;ed with us for &s;ome &s;lips and falls, that hee doth the more pitie us, and lament our ca&s;e. Even as a loving, and wi&s;e husband, although his wife have many infirmities, yet being a&s;&s;ured &s;hee loves him dearly, and that her heart is with him, hee is well con|tent to winke at all her faults, to hide them, to beare with them; yea, and to make nothing of them; loving her no whit the le&s;&s;e for them: &s;o our deare husband and Spou&s;e, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, becau&s;e hee knoweth wee love him, and that hee hath our hearts, is content to beare with all our infir|mities, and to make light of them. For this cau&s;e it is that hee &s;aith to his Spou&s;e in the <HI>Canticles,</HI> though &s;hee was black and full of infirmities, <HI>Behold thou art all faire,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">C<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">nt. 4 1, 7.</NOTE> <HI>my Love: Behold, thou art faire: thou art all faire, my Love: there is no &s;pot in thee.</HI> Mark, that hee calleth his Church faire, all faire, and without &s;pot; not becau&s;e &s;hee was &s;o in her &s;elfe, but becau&s;e &s;hee was made &s;o in
<PB N="419" REF="231"> him: and a&s;&s;uredly the eternall God, beholding her in his Sonne, doth &s;o e&s;teeme and account of her. For, as hee that beholdeth any thing through a red gla&s;&s;e, doth take it to be red, as is the colour of the gla&s;&s;e: &s;o God the Father, beholding us in his Sonne, doth take us to be of the &s;ame nature and quality that hee is; that is, per|fectly righteous. For this cau&s;e it is that hee loveth us, and &s;etteth his heart upon us, and will not be remove|ed from us. For his love to his chil|dren is alwaies one and the &s;ame, al|though we have alwaies the like &s;ight and feeling of it; as the Moone is al|waies the &s;ame in &s;ub&s;tance and quan|tity, though &s;ometimes it &s;eemeth unto us to be wa&s;ted into a very &s;mall &s;cant|ling. Let us know then, to our great comfort, that the love of God towards us, in his deare Sonne, is con&s;tant, and alwaies alike: and that he will not di&s;countenance us, or &s;hake us off for &s;ome infirmities, no nor yet for many infirmities: for the mercifull God doth accept of his children, be|cau&s;e their generall care is good, and the univer&s;all tenour of their life tend|eth unto righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e how&s;oever they may greatly faile in many particular actions. Two or three fits of an ague doe not prove a di&s;ea&s;ed body; nor two or three good daies a found
<PB N="420" REF="232"> body: then &s;o &s;ome few infirmities do not argue a wicked man; nor two or three good actions, a good man: but we mu&s;t have an eye to the certain <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;ettled cour&s;e of a mans life. Even a<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters"> men are truely &s;aid to walke in a way, when they go in it, although &s;ometimes they trip and &s;tumble: &s;o Gods chil|dren do walk in the way of righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, although &s;ometimes they &s;tum|ble and &s;tep out of it, or &s;ometimes be violently haled out of it by theeves. For Satan and the violence of our lu&s;ts do often hale us out of the way: but wee mu&s;t get into it againe as &s;oon as wee are e&s;caped. Now then, to con|clude and draw to an end: Sith God is &s;o infinitely mercifull, and con|&s;tant in his mercy: &s;ith &s;uch great and precious promi&s;es are made to us in Chri&s;t: &s;ith the Lord doth not re|gard our infirmities when our hearts are with him: therefore, O <HI>A&s;une|tus,</HI> be of good cheere, let nothing trouble you; feare not the a&s;&s;aults of the Divel, regard not his tempta|tions: for a&s;&s;uredly your &s;innes are forgiven. Chri&s;t is yours: heaven is yours: and all the promi&s;es of life and &s;alvation belong unto you. So as you need not doubt; you cannot mi&s;carry: your name is written in the Book of life.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I am greatly comforted and
<PB N="421" REF="232"> cheered up with your words. Your preaching of the Go&s;pel, and laying open of Gods abundant mercy in Chri&s;t, and of the promi&s;es, doe exceedingly revive me, and even as it were put new life in|to me: they are as Sacke and Sugar un|to my &s;oule, and &s;weeter then the honey and the honey-combe: they are as Phy|&s;icke to my &s;icke &s;oule, and as ointment to my &s;pirituall wounds. I do now begin to &s;ee what mi&s;ery is in man, and what mercy is in God. And I know by wo|full experience, that where mi&s;ery is not felt, there mercy is not regarded: but now it hath plea&s;ed God to give mee &s;ome feeling of mine owne wretchedne&s;&s;e and mi&s;ery, and yet with good comfort in his mercy. For I thanke God for it, I begin now to grow to &s;ome per&s;wa&s;ion, that the promi&s;es do belong unto me, my &s;ins are forgiven, and that I am one of them that &s;hall be &s;aved.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>I doe greatly rejoice, that God hath, according to his rich mercy, wrought this good worke in you. I do, from the bottome of my heart, give him the prai&s;e and glory of it. Happie are you that ever you were borne, in whom the Lord hath wrought &s;o graci|ous a work. It is his high favour and &s;peciall mercy towards you: for it is the onely priviledge and prerogative royall of Gods owne children, truely to repent and de<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">eve. I be&s;eech God
<PB N="422" REF="233"> therefore to encrea&s;e your faith, and to fill you full of joy and peace in beleeve|ing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Antil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>The Sunne drawes low: <HI>A&s;u|netus,</HI> it is time for you and mee to be going.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Indeed the night will approach by and by, and therefore we mu&s;t of ne|ce&s;&s;ity break off.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Sith it is &s;o, wee will here &s;urcea&s;e, and go no further.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>A&s;un.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>Sir, I will now take my leave of you: I can never be thankfull enough for all the good in&s;tructions and com|forts which I have heard from you this day: I hope I &s;hall remember &s;ome of them while&s;t I live. I do therefore prai&s;e God for you, and for your coun&s;ell, and for this day, which I hope &s;hall be the fir&s;t day of my repentance and true con|ver&s;ion unto God.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>The Lord for his infinite mercies &s;ake grant it. And I mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech the Almighty God to e&s;tabli&s;h you with his free &s;pirit, that you may proceed and go forward in a Chri&s;tian cour&s;e unto the end.</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Phil.</SPEAKER>
<P><HI>I pray you, good M. <HI>Theologus,</HI> pardon my boldne&s;&s;e, for you &s;ee I have been very bold to propound many que|&s;tions unto you, wherein you have fully &s;atisfied me, to the great joy and comfort of my &s;oule. I do therefore prai&s;e God
<PB N="423" REF="233"> for you, and I hope I &s;hall never forget &s;ome things you have uttered. But I will now commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build us further.</HI></P>
</SP>
<SP>
<SPEAKER>Theol.</SPEAKER>
<P>Farewell good <HI>Philagathus.</HI> The Lord ble&s;&s;e you and keepe you in all your wayes: and the God of heaven pre&s;erve us all, and continue us in his feare unto the end.</P>
</SP>
<TRAILER>All glory be given to God.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="234">
<HEAD>A Table containing all the principall matters handled in this Booke, and directing to the Page where they are &s;et down.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>MAns naturall corruption. pag. 5</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mans mi&s;ery in nature. pag. 6</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mans nature corrupted, but not de&s;troy|ed, by Adams fall. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some &s;parks of Gods image &s;till remain after the fall. pag. 7</ITEM>
<ITEM>Man in the &s;tate of nature cannot do any thing that plea&s;eth God. pag. 8</ITEM>
<ITEM>Man naturally neither &s;ees nor feeles his mi&s;ery. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Man in nature is under the tyrannie of Satan, and cur&s;e of the Law. pag. 10</ITEM>
<ITEM>Man growne to yeeres, living and dying in the &s;tate of nature, peri&s;heth for ever. pag. 12</ITEM>
<ITEM>Man continueth cur&s;ed till he be borne againe. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>None can be &s;aved but onely the Rege|nerate. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Regeneration, what. pag. 13</ITEM>
<ITEM>The quality of Regeneration. pag. 14</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remnants of &s;in after Regeneration. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Regeneration unperfect in this life. pag. 15</ITEM>
<ITEM>Meanes of Regeneration. pag. 24</ITEM>
<ITEM>Eight infallible &s;ignes of &s;alvation. pag. 30</ITEM>
<ITEM>Eight &s;ignes of damnation. pag. 31</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine manife&s;t tokens of damnation. ib.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pride de&s;cribed. pag. 33</ITEM>
<PB REF="234">
<ITEM>Pride of gifts condemned. pag. 35</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pride in apparell condemned. pag. 42</ITEM>
<ITEM>Rules of the Word for apparel. pag. 52, 53, 54</ITEM>
<ITEM>Whoredome, and the dangers thereof. pag. 58</ITEM>
<ITEM>Excu&s;es of whoredome. pag. 59</ITEM>
<ITEM>The fearfull effects of whoredome. pag. 60</ITEM>
<ITEM>The puni&s;hment of whoredome. pag. 61, 62</ITEM>
<ITEM>The cau&s;es of whoredome. pag. 65, 66</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies again&s;t whoredome. pag. 69</ITEM>
<ITEM>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, what. pag. 70</ITEM>
<ITEM>Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Foure notes to di&s;cerne the inward cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the heart by. pag. 72</ITEM>
<ITEM>The evill effects of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. pag. 74</ITEM>
<ITEM>The vanity of this world, and all world|ly things. pag. 77</ITEM>
<ITEM>Excu&s;es of covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e. pag. 94</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies again&s;t covetou&s;ne&s;s. pag. 101, 102</ITEM>
<ITEM>Gods providence for his children in the things of this life. pag. 103</ITEM>
<ITEM>For the things of this life, Gods ble&s;&s;ing is all in all. pag. 119</ITEM>
<ITEM>Outward meanes alone doe not uphold us. pag. 120</ITEM>
<ITEM>Gods children &s;ometimes are brought to great di&s;tre&s;&s;e. pag. 123</ITEM>
<ITEM>Gods children alwaies &s;ure to be delive|red out of trouble. pag. 128</ITEM>
<ITEM>The great priviledges of Gods children. pag. 129</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contempt of the Go&s;pel a grievous &s;in. pag. 135, 136</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contempt of the Go&s;pel puni&s;hed. pag. 137</ITEM>
<PB REF="235">
<ITEM>Contempt of the Go&s;pel the &s;in of this Age. pag. 138</ITEM>
<ITEM>Contempt of the Go&s;pel a &s;ure &s;igne of wrath to the Land. pag. 147</ITEM>
<ITEM>Swearing, and the puni&s;hment thereof. pag. 154</ITEM>
<ITEM>Excu&s;es for &s;wearing. pag. 163</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cau&s;es of &s;wearing. pag. 166</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies again&s;t &s;wearing. pag. 167</ITEM>
<ITEM>Lying, flattering and di&s;&s;embling. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Puni&s;hments for lying. pag. 175, 176</ITEM>
<ITEM>Excu&s;es for lying. pag. 177</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cau&s;es of lying. pag. 178, 179</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies again&s;t lying. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Drunkenne&s;&s;e, and the evil effects there|of. pag. 110, 181</ITEM>
<ITEM>Excu&s;es of drunkenne&s;&s;e. pag. 184</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cau&s;es of drunkenne&s;&s;e. pag. 185</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies of drunkenne&s;&s;e. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Idlene&s;&s;e, and the wofull effects thereof. pag. 190</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cau&s;es of idlene&s;&s;e. pag. 197</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies again&s;t idlene&s;&s;e. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Oppre&s;&s;ion, a mo&s;t horrible &s;in. pag. 198</ITEM>
<ITEM>Many woes denounced again&s;t oppre&s;|&s;ours. pag. 199</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sundry kinds of oppre&s;&s;ion. pag. 200, 201</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cau&s;es of oppre&s;&s;ion. pag. 215</ITEM>
<ITEM>Remedies of oppre&s;&s;ion. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sinne hurts men in their bodies, goods, and name. pag. 216</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sinne brings great danger to the whole Land. pag. 224</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine predictions of wrath to the
<PB REF="235"> Land. pag. 229</ITEM>
<ITEM>The prayers and teares of the faithfull keep back the wrath of God from the Land. pag. 322, 323</ITEM>
<ITEM>Prayers of the Elect of great force. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The wicked fare the better for Gods children. pag. 242</ITEM>
<ITEM>The be&s;t cour&s;e to prevent Gods judge|ments, and to keep backe his wrath from our Land. pag. 244</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ten &s;peciall things concerning the con|tinuance of our peace. pag. 250, 251</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine &s;ignes of a &s;ound &s;oule. pag. 252</ITEM>
<ITEM>Saint Peters eight markes of &s;alvation. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Seven infallible tokens of &s;alvation. pag. 253</ITEM>
<ITEM>A&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation in this life pro|ved. pag. 254, 255</ITEM>
<ITEM>Objections again&s;t the a&s;&s;urance of &s;al|vation, an&s;wered. pag. 259</ITEM>
<ITEM>The ground-worke of our &s;alvation. pag. 261</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some doubts may &s;tand with the a&s;&s;u|rance of faith. pag. 262</ITEM>
<ITEM>It is no pre&s;umption to be per&s;waded of our &s;alvation. pag. 265</ITEM>
<ITEM>The wicked cannot be a&s;&s;ured of their &s;alvation. pag. 266</ITEM>
<ITEM>The &s;ecurity of &s;alvation which the wicked brag of, is vaine. pag. 267, 268</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine things required of all that &s;hall be &s;aved by Chri&s;t. pag. 271, 272</ITEM>
<ITEM>Many &s;ay they hope to be &s;aved
<PB REF="236"> by Chri&s;t, but few can give a rea&s;on why Chri&s;t died for them particularly, and by name. pag. 273</ITEM>
<ITEM>Few &s;hall be &s;aved, proved by Scriptures, rea&s;ons, and examples. pag. 277, 278</ITEM>
<ITEM>But few, even in the vi&s;ible Church, &s;hall be &s;aved. pag. 284</ITEM>
<ITEM>Objections again&s;t the &s;mall number of the Elect an&s;wered. pag. 285</ITEM>
<ITEM>Objections of Athei&s;ts and unbeleevers an&s;wered. pag. 286</ITEM>
<ITEM>Reading of the Scriptures much com|mended. pag. 294</ITEM>
<ITEM>Deferring of repenting dangerous. pag. 299</ITEM>
<ITEM>God no Authour of mans condemnati|on, but him&s;elfe. pag. 300</ITEM>
<ITEM>Objections again&s;t Prede&s;tination an|&s;wered. pag. 301, 302</ITEM>
<ITEM>Gods decree no cau&s;e of Adams fall. pag. 305</ITEM>
<ITEM>The decree of reprobation proved. pag. 306</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pre&s;cience in God, what. pag. 307</ITEM>
<ITEM>The decree of election proved. pag. 308</ITEM>
<ITEM>The fir&s;t motive of election is in God him&s;elfe. pag. 309</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fore-&s;een faith and fore-&s;een workes no motives of &s;alvation. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Faith dependeth upon election, not ele|ction upon faith. pag. 311</ITEM>
<ITEM>A rea&s;on yeelded why there is no end of cavilling and objecting again&s;t the truth. pag. 315</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine bars out of heaven. pag. 316</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine gates into hell. ibid.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The ignorance of the world. pag. 32<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></ITEM>
<PB REF="236">
<ITEM>The an&s;wers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion. pag. 334</ITEM>
<ITEM>The meanes to get out of ignorance. pag. 346, 347</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ignorance a mo&s;t dangerous thing. pag. 348</ITEM>
<ITEM>The charge of Mini&s;ters exceeding weighty, and mo&s;t carefully to be looked unto. pag. 353</ITEM>
<ITEM>What is the be&s;t cour&s;e for Mini&s;ters to take to bring the people out of igno|rance. pag. 357</ITEM>
<ITEM>What is the be&s;t cour&s;e for the people to take, that they may be brought out of the bondage of &s;inne, and captivity of Sathan. pag. 358, 359</ITEM>
<ITEM>Preaching a matter of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity unto eternall life. pag. 363</ITEM>
<ITEM>Without preaching the people are in great danger of lo&s;ing their &s;ouls. pag. 364</ITEM>
<ITEM>Satans cunning in fru&s;trating the hearing of the Word, and making all preach|ing utterly unprofitable. pag. 365</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Preachers coun&s;ell to the ignorant man. pag. 367</ITEM>
<ITEM>Six great dangers of &s;in. pag. 368</ITEM>
<ITEM>Six mo&s;t fearfull events of &s;in. pag. 369</ITEM>
<ITEM>God in all ages hath &s;everely puni&s;hed the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of his Law. pag. 370, 371</ITEM>
<ITEM>Every &s;in, though never &s;o little in our eyes, is hainous and capitall, becau&s;e it is again&s;t a per&s;on of infinite Ma|je&s;ty. pag. 371</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine profitable con&s;iderations. pag. 372</ITEM>
<ITEM>If men would leave words, and fall to
<PB REF="237"> doing, great good would come of it. pag. 374</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nine things much to be thought upon. pag. 376</ITEM>
<ITEM>The de&s;cription of Chri&s;ts comming to judgment. pag. 376, 377</ITEM>
<ITEM>The terror, the &s;uddenne&s;&s;e, the end, the manner, and the u&s;e of Chri&s;ts &s;econd coming de&s;cribed. pag. 378, 379</ITEM>
<ITEM>The torments of hell, with the extremity, perpetuity, and remedile&s;ne&s;&s;e thereof, de&s;cribed. pag. 389</ITEM>
<ITEM>The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open, is pricked in his con&s;cience, be|wailes his former life, repents earne&s;t|ly for his &s;in and ignorance, and de|&s;ires &s;pirituall phy&s;icke and comfort of the Preacher. pag. 398</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Preacher mini&s;ters unto him much &s;pirituall comfort, and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the &s;weet promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, and the infinite mercy of God, in Chri&s;t, to all true penitent and broken-hearted &s;inners. pag. 402, 403</ITEM>
<ITEM>The ignorant man being afflicted in his con&s;cience, is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him, and there|upon gathers great inward peace, converts unto God with all his heart, and exceedingly ble&s;&s;eth God for the Preachers coun&s;ell. pag. 422</ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="237">
<HEAD>A Morning Prayer to be u&s;ed in pri|vate Families.</HEAD>
<P>_O Lord our God, and heaven|ly Father, we thy unwor|thy children do here come into thy mo&s;t holy and heavenly pre&s;ence, to give thee prai&s;e and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold ble&s;&s;ings toward us, e&s;pecially for that thou ha&s;t pre&s;erved us this night pa&s;t from all the dangers and fears thereof, ha&s;t given us quiet re&s;t to our bodies, and brought us now &s;afely to the beginning of this day, and do&s;t now afre&s;h renew all thy mercies upon us, as the Eagle reneweth her bill; gi|ving us all things abundantly to enjoy, as food, raiment, health, peace, liberty, and freedome from many mi&s;eries, di&s;|ea&s;es, ca&s;ualties, and calamities which we are &s;ubject to in this life every minute of an houre: and not onely &s;o, but al&s;o for vouch&s;afing unto us many good things, not onely for nece&s;sity, but even for de|light al&s;o. But above all (dear Father) wee prai&s;e thy name for the ble&s;sings of a better life, e&s;pecially for thy mo&s;t holy Word and Sacraments, and all the good wee enjoy thereby; for the continuance of the Go&s;pel among&s;t us, for the death of thy Sonne, and all that happine&s;&s;e
<PB REF="238"> which wee have thereby; al&s;o becau&s;e thou ha&s;t cho&s;en us to life before wee were, and that of thy meere goodne&s;&s;e and unde&s;erved favour toward us; and ha&s;t called us in thine appointed time, ju&s;tified us by thy grace, and &s;anctified us by thy Spirit, and adopted us to be thine owne children, and heires apparent to the great Crowne. O Lord, open our eyes every day more and more, to &s;ee and con&s;ider of thy great and marvel|lous love to us in all the&s;e things; that by the due con&s;ideration thereof, our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee, even more to love thee, feare thee, and obey thee: that as thou art enlar|ged towards us in mercy, &s;o we may be enlarged towards thee in thank&s;giving: and as thou do&s;t abound towards us in goodne&s;&s;e, &s;o we may abound towards thee in obedience and love. And &s;ith (deare Father) thou art never weary of doing us good, notwith&s;tanding all our unworthine&s;&s;e and naughtine&s;&s;e, there|fore let the con&s;ideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindne&s;&s;e towards us, even as it were force our hearts, and compell us to come into thy mo&s;t glori|ous pre&s;ence, with new &s;ongs of thank&s;|giving in our mouthes. Wee pray thee (O mo&s;t mercifull God) to forgive all our unthankfulne&s;&s;e, unkindne&s;&s;e, pro|fanene&s;&s;e, and great abu&s;ing of all thy mercies, and e&s;pecially our abu&s;e and
<PB REF="238"> contempt of thy Go&s;pel, together with all other the &s;innes of our life, which we confe&s;&s;e are innumerable, and more then can be reckoned up, both in omi&s;&s;ion of good things, and commi&s;&s;ion of evill. We mo&s;t humbly entreat thee to &s;et them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Chri&s;t hath made up for them upon his Cro&s;&s;e, and never to lay any of them to our charge, but freely forget all, and for|give all. Naile down all our &s;innes and iniquities to the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, bury them in his death, bathe them in his bloud, hide them in his wounds, let them never ri&s;e up in judgement again&s;t us. Set us free of the mi&s;eries that are upon us for &s;in, and keep back the judgements to come, both of &s;oule, body, goods, and good name. Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters pa&s;t, not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniqui|ties, but accept us as righteous in him, imputing his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e to us, and our &s;ins to him. Let his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;atisfie thy ju&s;tice for all our unrighte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, his obedience for our di&s;obedi|ence, his perfection for our imperfecti|on. Moreover, wee humbly be&s;eech thy good Maje&s;ty to give us the true &s;ight and feeling of our manifold &s;ins, that we may not be blinded in them through de|light, or hardened in them through cu|&s;tome, as the reprobates are: but that we
<PB REF="239"> may be even weary of them, and much grieved for them, labouring and &s;triving by all po&s;&s;ible meanes to get out of them. Good Father, touch our hearts with true repentance for all &s;inne. Let not us take any delight or plea&s;ure in a|ny &s;inne, but how&s;oever we fall through frailty (as wee fall often) let us never fall finally, let us never lye downe in &s;in, nor continue in &s;in: but let us get up on our feet againe, and turne to thee with all our hearts, and &s;eek thee while&s;t thou mai&s;t be found, and while&s;t thou do&s;t offer grace and mercy unto us. O Lord, increa&s;e in us that true and lively faith, whereby wee may lay &s;ure hold on thy Sonne Chri&s;t, and re&s;t upon his merits altogether. Give us faith a&s;&s;uredly to beleeve all thy great and precious pro|mi&s;es made in the Go&s;pel, and &s;treng|then us from above to walk and abound in all the true and &s;ound fruits of faith. Let us walke, not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pirit. Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing &s;in in our mortall bodies, and the power of his re|&s;urrection rai&s;ing us up to newne&s;&s;e of life. Let us grow daily in the &s;anctifica|tion of the Spirit, and the mortification of the fle&s;h. Let us live holily, ju&s;tly, and &s;oberly in this pre&s;ent evill world, &s;hewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions, that wee may a|dorne our mo&s;t holy profe&s;&s;ion, and
<PB REF="239"> &s;hine as lights in the mid&s;t of a crooked and froward generation among&s;t whom wee live, being gainfull to all by our lives and conver&s;ation, and offen&s;ive to none. To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit, and all &s;pirituall graces, as love, wi&s;dome, patience, contentment, meekne&s;&s;e, humility, temperance, cha&s;ti|tie, kindne&s;&s;e, and affability, and &s;tirre us up to u&s;e prayer and watchfulne&s;&s;e, reading and meditation in thy Law, and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly ver|tues. Ble&s;&s;e us in the u&s;e of the meanes from day to day, make us &s;uch as thou woulde&s;t have us to be, and &s;uch as wee de&s;ire to be: worke in us both will and deed, purpo&s;e and power: For thou, O Lord, art all in all, thou wilt have mer|cie upon whom thou wilt have mercie, and whom thou wilt thou hardene&s;t. Have mercy upon us therefore (deare Fa|ther) and never leave us to our &s;elves, nor to our owne wills, lu&s;ts, and de&s;ires, but a&s;&s;i&s;t us with thy good Spirit, that we may continue to the end in a righteous cour&s;e; that &s;o at length wee may be re|ceived into glory, and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou ha&s;t laid up for all that love thee, and truly call upon thee.</P>
<P>Further, wee intreat thee, O heaven|ly Father, to give us all things nece&s;&s;a|ry for this life: as food, raiment, health,
<PB REF="240"> peace, liberty, and &s;uch freedome from tho&s;e manifold mi&s;eries which we lie open unto every day, as thou &s;ee&s;t meet. Ble&s;&s;e unto us all the meanes which thou ha&s;t put into our hands for the &s;u&s;tenance of this fraile life. Ble&s;&s;e our flocke and &s;tore, corne and cattell, trades and occupations, and all workes of our hands: for thy ble&s;&s;ing onely makes rich, and it bringeth no &s;orrowes with it. Give us therefore &s;uch a com|petencie and &s;ufficiencie of the&s;e out|ward ble&s;&s;ings, as thou in thy heavenly wi&s;dome &s;ee&s;t mo&s;t needfull for us. Moreover, wee humbly be&s;eech thee (mo&s;t loving Father) in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church, and every member of it. Be favourable unto Sion, and build up the walls of Jeru&s;alem. Behold with the eye of pitie, the great ruines and de&s;olation of thy Church. Heale up the wounds, and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations. Regard it as thine own flocke, tender it as thine own family, dre&s;&s;e it as thine owne Vineyard, love it as thine owne Spou&s;e. Thinke thoughts of peace to it, and alwayes looke upon it in deep compa&s;&s;ion. Ble&s;&s;e it with thy grace, guide it with thy Spirit, and defend it &s;till with thy mighty power: &s;catter the devices, con|&s;ound the coun&s;els, and overthrow the forces of all that fight again&s;t it. Spe|cially
<PB REF="240"> wee intreat thee, deare Father, to &s;et thy &s;elfe again&s;t that Antichri&s;t of Rome, that man of perdition, which &s;etteth him&s;elfe again&s;t thee, and again&s;t all thy people. In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly down|fall: Beat downe all his power and au|thority daily more and more; give free pa&s;&s;age to thy Go&s;pel in all Kingdomes, that Babylon may fall, and never ri&s;e up againe. The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome, the more let it fall downe, even as <HI>Dagon</HI> before the pre&s;ence of thine Arke. Poure downe the Vials of the fulne&s;&s;e of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Bea&s;t; and let their riches, wealth, credit and au|thority dry up every day more and more, as the river Euphrates. Let it pitie thee, O Father, to &s;ee thine owne Spou&s;e &s;it as a deformed and forlorne woman here below, weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke, having lo&s;t all her beauty and comeline&s;&s;e: Cheere her up (deare Father) glad her with the joy of thy countenance, and &s;o decke her, and trim her up, that thou mai&s;t delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride. Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land: intend good unto us, and not evill: Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies, as our &s;innes have de&s;erved.
<PB REF="241"> Scatter we pray thee, O Lord, the devi|ces, and breake the plots of all &s;uch as have plotted the overthrow and utter &s;ubver&s;ion of this Church and Com|mon-wealth. Ble&s;&s;e this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion among&s;t us: for thy great Names &s;ake, and infinite mercies &s;ake, deale graciou&s;ly and favourably with us and our po&s;terity. Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our &s;innes. For thou &s;ee&s;t how iniquity prevaileth, and the wicked goe away with the goale. Athei&s;me over-&s;preadeth every where, and Popery &s;eemeth to get a head againe. Now therefore (deare Father) we mo&s;t humbly be&s;eech thee to take order &s;peedily for the remedying and repre&s;&s;ing of the&s;e manifold di&s;or|ders and grievous enormities that are among&s;t us. Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this Engli&s;h Nation. Heare the cries of thine E|lect: heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion. Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the &s;ins of the Land, and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy com|pa&s;&s;ions; that &s;o thou mai&s;t &s;till con|tinue a mo&s;t mercifull protectour of this thine Engli&s;h Vineyard. Wee pray thee (good Father) &s;hew &s;peciall mercy to our mo&s;t Noble and gracious King <HI>Charles,</HI> thine anointed Servant, ble&s;&s;e
<PB REF="241"> him and keep him in all his wayes, ble&s;&s;e his government unto us. Let thine Angels encamp about him, and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from trea&s;ons, and deliver him from the treacheries of his ene|mies: give him to &s;ee what belongs to his peace, and give <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> a heart earne&s;t|ly bent to &s;et upon the practice of the &s;ame: give him all graces nece&s;&s;ary for his place, and nece&s;&s;ary for his &s;alvation: continue his government peaceable and pro&s;perous among&s;t us: and as thou ha&s;t made him the breath of our no&s;trils, and a gracious in&s;tru|ment for the &s;aving of many thou&s;and &s;oules, &s;o let his owne &s;oule be &s;aved in the day of thy Sonne Chri&s;t. Ble&s;&s;e his Maje&s;ties mo&s;t honourable privie Coun&s;ellours, and give &s;uch good &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e unto all their coun&s;els and po|licies in matters of State, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty. Ble&s;&s;e all the Nobility, worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places; make them faithfull to thee, and faithfull to the Land. Direct with thy good Spirit all &s;uch as beare the &s;word of Ju&s;tice, that they may draw it out to puni&s;h the wicked, and to defend the godly, and that they may with all good care and con&s;cience di&s;charge the duties of their places. Increa&s;e the number of faithfull
<PB REF="242"> and zealous Mini&s;ters in this Church. Send thy Go&s;pel to tho&s;e places where it is not, and ble&s;&s;e it where it is. Remem|ber them in thy mercy, O Lord, that are under any cro&s;&s;e or affliction what&s;oe|ver: be comfortable unto them, heale up their wounds, bind up their &s;ores, put all their teares into <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> bottle, and make their bed in all their &s;orrowes, and put &s;uch a good end to all their troubles, that they may redound to thy glory, and the furtherance of their owne &s;alvation. In the meane time give them patience and con&s;tancie to beare what&s;oever it &s;hall plea&s;e thy mercifull hand to lay upon them. La&s;t of all, in a word, wee pray the<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> ble&s;&s;e the Magi&s;tracie, Mini&s;try, and Commonalty. Ble&s;&s;e all the people, doe good to all that are true and upright in their hearts. And &s;o (deare Father) we do commit and command our &s;elves, our &s;oules and bodies into thy hands, for this day and the re&s;t of our life, praying thee to take care and charge of us. Keep us from all evill, watch over us for our good, let thine Angels encamp about us, let thy holy hand be over us, and keep us in all our waies, that we may live to thy prai&s;e and glory here on earth, keeping faith and a good con&s;cience in all our actions; that after this life wee may be crowned of thee for ever in thy King|dome. Grant the&s;e things (good Fa|ther) to us here pre&s;ent, and to all thine
<PB REF="242"> ab&s;ent, praying thee in &s;peciall favour to remember an our friends and kin&s;|folkes in the fle&s;h, all our good neigh|bours and well-willers, and all tho&s;e for whom wee are bound to pray, by na|ture, by de&s;erts, or any duty what&s;oever, for Je&s;us Chri&s;ts &s;ake our onely Media|tour: to whom, with thee, and the holy Gho&s;t, be given all prai&s;e and glory, both now and for evermore, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="243">
<HEAD>An Evening Prayer to be u&s;ed in pri|vate Families.</HEAD>
<P>_O Eternall God, and our mo&s;t loving and deare Fa|ther, wee thy unworthy children do here fall down at the foot of thy great Maje&s;ty, acknowledging from our hearts that we are altogether unworthy to come neere thee, or to look towards thee, be|cau&s;e thou art a God of infinite glory, and wee are mo&s;t vile &amp; abominable &s;in|ners, &s;uch as were conceived and borne in &s;in and corruption, and &s;uch as have inherited our Fathers corruptions, and al|&s;o have actually tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed all thy holy Statutes and Lawes, both in thoughts, words, and deeds, before wee knew thee and &s;ince, &s;ecretly and openly, with our &s;elves and with others, our particular &s;ins are moe then can be numbred; for who knoweth how often hee offendeth? but this wee mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e again&s;t our &s;elves, that our hearts are full of pride, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the love of this world, full of wrath, anger, and impatience, full of lying, di&s;&s;embling, and deceiving, full of vanity, hardne&s;&s;e, and profanene&s;&s;e, full of infidelity, di&s;tru&s;t, and &s;elfe-love, full of lu&s;t, uncleanne&s;&s;e, and all abomi|nable
<PB REF="243"> de&s;ires: yea, our hearts are the very &s;inkes of &s;inne, and dunghils of all filthi|ne&s;&s;e. And be&s;ides all this, we doe omit the good things we &s;hould doe: for there are in us great wants of faith, of love, of zeale, of patience, of contentment, and of every good grace; &s;o as thou ha&s;t ju&s;t cau&s;e to proceed to &s;entence of judgment again&s;t us, as mo&s;t damnable tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ours of all thy holy commandements, yea, &s;uch as are &s;unk in our rebellions, and have many times and often committed high trea&s;on again&s;t thy Maje&s;tie; and therefore thou mai&s;t ju&s;tly ca&s;t us all downe into Hell fire, there to be tormen|ted with Sathan and his Angels for ever. And wee have nothing to except again&s;t thy Maje&s;ty for &s;o doing, &s;ith therin thou &s;houlde&s;t deale with us but according to equity, and our ju&s;t de&s;erts. Wherefore, deare Father, wee doe appeale from thy ju&s;tice to thy mercy, mo&s;t humbly in|treating thee to have mercy upon us, and freely to forgive us all our &s;innes pa&s;t what&s;oever, both new and old, &s;ecret and open, knowne and unknowne, and that for Je&s;us Chri&s;ts &s;ake our onely Mediatour. And wee pray thee touch our hearts with true griefe, and un|feigned repentance for them&punc; that they may be a matter of continuall &s;or|row and heart-&s;mart unto us, &s;o as nothing may grieve us more then this, that wee have offended thee, be<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ng
<PB REF="244"> our &s;peciall friend and Father: Give us therefore (deare Father) every day more and more &s;ight and feeling of our &s;innes, with true humiliation under the &s;ame. Give us al&s;o that true and lively faith, whereby we may lay &s;ure hold on thy Son Chri&s;t, and all his merits, applying the &s;ame to our owne &s;oules; &s;o as we may &s;tand fully per&s;waded, that what&s;oever hee hath done upon the Cro&s;&s;e, hee hath done for us particularly as well as for others. Give us faith (good Father) con|&s;tantly to beleeve all the &s;weet promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel, touching remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in, and eternall life, made in thy Sonne Chri&s;t. O Lord increa&s;e our faith, that wee may altogether re&s;t upon thy promi|&s;es, which are all Yea and Amen. Yea, that wee may &s;ettle our &s;elves, and all that wee have wholly upon them; both our &s;oules, bodies, goods, names, wives, children, and our whole e&s;tate: know|ing that all things depend upon thy pro|mi&s;es, power, and providence, and that thy Word doth &s;upport and beare up the whole order of nature. Moreover, we en|treat thee, O Lord, to &s;trengthen us from above, to walke in every good way, and to bring forth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions, &s;tudying to plea&s;e thee in all things, and to be fruit|full in good workes, that wee may &s;hew forth unto all men by our good conver|&s;ation who&s;e children we are: and that
<PB REF="244"> we may adorne and beautifie our mo&s;t holy profe&s;&s;ion, by walking in a Chri&s;ti|an cour&s;e, and in all the &s;ound fruits and practice of godline&s;&s;e and true reli|gion. To this end we pray thee &s;anctifie our hearts by thy Spirit yet more and more: &s;anctifie our &s;oules and bodies, and all our corrupt naturall faculties, as rea&s;on, under&s;tanding, will, and affecti|ons, &s;o as they may be fitted for thy wor|&s;hip and &s;ervice, taking a delight and plea&s;ure therein. Stirre us up to u&s;e pray|er, watchfulne&s;&s;e, reading, meditation in thy Law, and all other good meanes, whereby wee may profit in grace and goodne&s;&s;e from day to day. Ble&s;&s;e us in the u&s;e of the meanes, that we may daily dye to &s;inne, and live to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: draw us yet neerer unto thee, helpe us again&s;t our manifold wants. Amend our great imperfections, renew us inwardly more and more, repaire the ruines of our hearts, aide us again&s;t the remnants of &s;in. Enlarge our hearts to run the way of thy Commandements, direct all our &s;teps in thy Word, let none iniquity have dominion over us. A&s;&s;i&s;t us again&s;t our &s;peciall infirmities and ma&s;ter-&s;ins, that we may get the victory over them all, to thy glory, and the great peace and com|fort of our owne con&s;ciences. Strengthen us, good Father, by thy grace and holy Spirit, again&s;t the common corruptions of the world, as pride, whoredome, co|vetou&s;ne&s;&s;e,
<PB REF="245"> contempt of thy Go&s;pel, &s;wearing, lying, di&s;&s;embling, and decei|ving. O deare Father, let us not be over|come of the&s;e filthy vices, nor any other &s;infull plea&s;ures &amp; fond delights, where|with thou&s;ands are carried head-long to de&s;truction. Arme our &s;oules again&s;t all the temptations of this world, the fle&s;h, and the Divell, that wee may overcome them all through thy help, and keep on the right way to life; that wee may live in thy feare, and dye in thy favour; that our la&s;t dayes may be our be&s;t dayes, and that wee may end in great peace of con|&s;cience. Furthermore, deare Father, we intreat thee not onely for our &s;elves, but for all our good brethren, thy deare children, &s;cattered over the face of the whole earth, mo&s;t humbly be&s;eeching thee to ble&s;&s;e all them, to cheere them up, and glad them with the joy of thy countenance, both now and alwayes. Guide them all in thy feare, and keep them from evill, that they may prai&s;e thy Name. In the&s;e dangerous dayes, and declining times, wee pray thee, O Lord, rai&s;e up nur&s;ing Fathers and nur|&s;ing Mothers unto thy Church. Rai&s;e up al&s;o faithfull Pa&s;tours, that thy cau&s;e may be carried forward, Truth may pre|vaile, Religion may pro&s;per, thy Name onely may be &s;et up in the earth, thy Sons Kingdome advanced, and thy will accompli&s;hed. Set thy &s;elfe again&s;t all
<PB REF="245"> adver&s;ary power, e&s;pecially that of Rome, Antichri&s;t, Idolatry, and A|thei&s;me; cur&s;e and cro&s;&s;e all their coun|&s;els, fru&s;trate their devices, &s;catter their forces, overthrow their armies. When they are mo&s;t wi&s;e, let them be mo&s;t fooli&s;h: when they are mo&s;t &s;trong, let them be mo&s;t weake. Let them know that there is no wi&s;dome nor coun|&s;ell, power nor policie, again&s;t thee the Lord of ho&s;ts. Let them know that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> hath a God, and that thou which art called <HI>Jehovah</HI> art the onely Ruler over all the world. Ari&s;e there|fore, O mo&s;t mighty God, and maintain thine owne cau&s;e again&s;t all thine ene|mies, &s;mite thorow all their loines, and bow downe their backes: yea, let them all be confounded and turned back|ward that beare ill will unto Sion. Let the patient abiding of the righteous be joy, and let the wicked be di&s;appointed of their hope. But of all favour wee in|treat thee, O Lord, to &s;hew &s;peciall mer|cie to thy Church in this Land wherein wee live. Continue thy Go&s;pel a|mong&s;t us yet with greater &s;ucce&s;&s;e, purge thy Hou&s;e daily more and more, take away all things that offend. Let this Nation &s;till be a place where thy Name may be called upon, and an har|bour for thy Saints. Shew mercy to our po&s;terity, deare Father, and have care of them, that thy Go&s;pel may be left unto
<PB REF="246"> them as a mo&s;t holy inheritance. De|fend us again&s;t forraigne inva&s;ion, keep out Idolatry and Popery from among&s;t us. Turne from us tho&s;e plagues which our &s;ins cry for. For the &s;ins of this Land are exceeding great, horrible, and out|rageous, and give thee ju&s;t cau&s;e to make us &s;pectacles of thy vengeance to all Na|tions, that by how much the more thou ha&s;t lifted us up in great mercy and long peace, by &s;o much the more thou &s;houlde&s;t pre&s;&s;e us downe in great wrath and long warre. Therefore, deare Father, woe mo&s;t humbly intreat thee, for thy great Names &s;ake, and for thy infinite mercies &s;ake, that thou woulde&s;t be re|conciled to this Land, and di&s;charge it of all the horrible &s;ins thereof. Drown them, O Lord, in thy infinite mercy through Chri&s;t, as it were in a bottomle&s;&s;e gulfe, that they may never ri&s;e up in judgement again&s;t us. For although our &s;ins be ex|ceeding many and fearfull, yet thy mer|cie is farre greater. For thou art infinite in mercy, but wee cannot be infinite in &s;inning. Give us not over into the hands of the Idolaters, le&s;t they &s;hould bla&s;pheme thy Name, and &s;ay, Where is their God in whom they tru&s;ted? But rather, deare Father, take us into thine owne hands, and correct us according to thy wi&s;dome: for with thee is mercie and deep compa&s;&s;ion. Moreover, wee mo&s;t heartily be&s;eech thy good Maje&s;tie
<PB REF="246"> to ble&s;&s;e our mo&s;t gracious Soveraigne King <HI>Charles,</HI> Queene <HI>Mary,</HI> Prince <HI>Charles,</HI> and the re&s;t of the Royall Proge|nie. We be&s;eech thee al&s;o to ble&s;&s;e his Maje&s;ties mo&s;t honourable privie Coun|&s;ellors, coun&s;ell them from above, let them take advice of thee in all things, that they may both con&s;ult and re&s;olve of &s;uch cour&s;es as may be mo&s;t for thy glory, the good of the Church, and peace of this our Common-wealth. Ble&s;&s;e the Nobility, and all the Magi&s;trates of the Land, giving them all grace to execute judgement and ju&s;tice, and to maintaine truth and equitie. Ble&s;&s;e all the faithfull Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, increa&s;e the number of them, increa&s;e thy gifts in them, and &s;o ble&s;&s;e all their labours in their &s;everall places and congregations, that they all may be in&s;truments of thy hand to enlarge thy Sons Kingdome, and to win many unto thee. Comfort the comfortle&s;&s;e with all needfull comforts. Forget none of thine that are in trou|ble, but as their afflictions are, &s;o let the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit be unto them, and &s;o &s;anctifie unto all thine their afflictions and troubles, that they may tend to thy glory, and their owne good. Give us thankfull hearts for all thy mercies both &s;pirituall and corporall, for thou art very mercifull unto us in the things of this life, and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better
<PB REF="247"> life. Let us deeply ponder and weigh all thy particular favours toward us, that by the due con&s;ideration thereof our hearts may be gained yet neerer unto thee, and that therefore we may both love and obey thee, becau&s;e thou art &s;o kind and loving unto us: that even thy love towards us may draw our love towards thee, and that becau&s;e mercy is with thee thou mai&s;t be feared. Grant the&s;e things, good Father, and all other needfull gra|ces for our &s;oules or bodies, or any of thine throughout the whole world, for Je&s;us Chri&s;ts &s;ake: in who&s;e Name wee further call upon thee as he hath taught us in his Go&s;pel, &s;aying, <HI>Our Father which art in Heaven, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="247">
<HEAD>A Prayer to be u&s;ed at any time, by one alone privately.</HEAD>
<P><HI>O</HI> Lord my God and heavenly Fa|ther, I thy mo&s;t unworthy childe do here in thy &s;ight freely confe&s;&s;e that I am a mo&s;t &s;infull creature, and dam|nable tran&s;gre&s;&s;our of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements: that as I was born and bred in &s;in, and &s;tain|ed in the womb, &s;o have I continually brought forth the corrupt and ugly fruits of that infection and contagion, wherein I was fir&s;t conceived, both in thoughts, words, and workes: If I &s;hould goe about to reckon up my par|ticular offences, I knew not where to begin, or where to make an end. For they are more then the haires of my head; yea, far more then I can po&s;&s;i|bly feele or know. For who knoweth the height and depth of his corrupti|on? Who knoweth how oft he offend|eth? Thou only, O Lord, knowe&s;t my &s;ins, who knowe&s;t my heart; nothing is hid from thee: thou knowe&s;t what I have been, and what I am: yea, my con&s;cience doth accu&s;e mee of many and grievous evils, and I doe daily feele by wofull experience how fraile I am, how prone to evill, and how untoward unto all goodne&s;&s;e.
<PB REF="248"> My mind is full of vanity, my heart full of profanene&s;&s;e, mine affections full of deadne&s;&s;e, dulne&s;&s;e, drow&s;ine&s;&s;e in matters of thy wor&s;hip and &s;ervice: Yea, my whole &s;oule is full of &s;piritu|all blindne&s;&s;e, hardne&s;&s;e, unprofitable|ne&s;&s;e, coldne&s;&s;e, and &s;ecurity. And in very deed, I am altogether a lump of &s;in, and a ma&s;&s;e of all mi&s;ery, and there|fore I have forfeited thy favour, in|curred thy high di&s;plea&s;ure, and have given thee ju&s;t cau&s;e to frowne upon me, to give me over, and leave me to mine own corrupt will and affections. But (O my deare Father) I have learned from thy mouth that thou art a God full of mercy, &s;low to wrath, of great compa&s;&s;ion and kindne&s;&s;e to|wards all &s;uch as groane under the burthen of their &s;ins. Therefore ex|tend thy great mercy towards me poor &s;inner, and give me a generall pardon for all mine offences what&s;oever: &s;eale it in the bloud of thy Son, and &s;eale it to my con&s;cience by thy Spirit, a&s;&s;u|ring me more and more of thy love and favour towards me, and that thou art a reconciled Father unto me. Grant that I may all time to come love thee much, becau&s;e much is given, and of very love feare thee, and obey thee. O Lord, increa&s;e my faith, that I may &s;tedfa&s;tly beleeve all the promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel made in thy Son Chri&s;t, and
<PB REF="248"> re&s;t upon them altogether. Enable me to bring forth the &s;ound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions. Fill my &s;oule full of joy and peace in beleeving. Fill me full of in|ward comfort and &s;pirituall &s;trength again&s;t all temptations: give me yet a greater feeling of thy love and mani|fold mercies towards me; work in my &s;oule a love of thy Maje&s;ty, a zeale of thy glory, and hatred of evill, and a de&s;ire of all good things. Give mee victory over tho&s;e &s;innes which thou knowe&s;t are &s;tronge&s;t in me. Act me once at la&s;t make a conque&s;t of the world and the fle&s;h. Mortifie in mee what&s;oever is carnall: &s;anctifie mee throughout by thy Spirit: knit my heart to thee for ever, that I may feare thy Name: renue in mee the Image of thy Son Chri&s;t daily more and more. Give mee a delight in the reading and meditation of thy Word. Let me rejoyce in the publike Mini|&s;tery thereof. Let me love and reve|rence all the faithfull Mini&s;ters of thy Go&s;pel. Sanctifie their doctrines to my con&s;cience, &s;eale them in my &s;oule, write them in my heart; give me a &s;oft and melting heart, that I may tremble at thy words, and be al|wayes much affected with godly Ser|mons. Let not my &s;ins hold back thy mercies from me, nor mine unworthi|ne&s;&s;e
<PB REF="249"> &s;top the pa&s;&s;age of thy grace. O|pen mine eyes to &s;ee the great won|ders of thy Law. Reveale thy &s;ecrets unto me: be open-hearted toward mee thy unworthy &s;ervant. Hide nothing from me that may make for thy glory, and the good of my &s;oule. Ble&s;&s;e all meanes unto me which thou u&s;e&s;t for my good. Ble&s;&s;e all holy in&s;tructions unto my &s;oule. Ble&s;&s;e me at all times, both in hearing and reading thy Word. Give me the right u&s;e of all thy mer|ci<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> and corrections, that I may be the better for them. Let me abound in love to thy children. Let my heart be very neerly knit unto them, that where thou love&s;t mo&s;t, there I may love mo&s;t al&s;o. Let me watch and pray, that I enter not into temptation: give mee patience and contentment in all things. Let me love thee more and more, and the worldle&s;&s;e and le&s;&s;e. So draw my mind upward, that I may de&s;pi&s;e all tran&s;itory things. Let mee be &s;o rapt and ravi&s;hed with the &s;ight and feeling of Heavenly things, that I may make a ba&s;e reckoning of all earthly things. Let me u&s;e this world as though I u&s;ed it not. Let me u&s;e it but for nece&s;&s;ity, as meat and drinke. Let me not be carried away with the vaine plea&s;ures and fond delights thereof. Good Father, worke the good worke in me, and never leave
<PB REF="249"> mee nor for&s;ake mee till thou ha&s;t brought mee to true happine&s;&s;e. Oh deare Father, make mee faithfull in my calling, that I may &s;erve thee in it, and be alwayes carefull to doe what good I may in any thing. Ble&s;&s;e me in my outward e&s;tate. Ble&s;&s;e my &s;oule, body, goods, and name. Ble&s;&s;e all that belong unto mee. Ble&s;&s;e my goings out and comings in. Let thy countenance be lifted up upon mee now and alwayes, cheere me up with the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit: make me thankfull for all thy mercies. For I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e that thou art very kind to mee in all things. For in thee I live, move, and have my being; of thee I have my welfare and good being; thou art a daily friend and &s;peciall good benefa|ctour unto mee. I live at thy co&s;t and charges, I hold all of thee in chiefe, and I find that thou art never weary of doing me good: thy goodne&s;&s;e towards me is unchangeable. Oh, I can never be thankfull enough unto thee for all thy mercies both &s;pirituall and corpo|rall. But in &s;uch mea&s;ure as I am able I prai&s;e thy Name for all, be&s;eech|ing thee to accept of my thank&s;gi|ving in thy Son Chri&s;t; and to give me a profitable u&s;e of all thy favours, that thereby my heart may be fully drawne unto thee: give me, O Father,
<PB REF="250"> to be of &s;uch a good nature and di&s;po&s;i|tion, that I may be won by gentlene&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> and faire meanes, as much as if thou gave&s;t me many la&s;hes. Pardon all mine unthankfulne&s;&s;e, unkindne&s;&s;e, and great abu&s;ing of thy mercies, and give me grace to u&s;e them more to thy glory in all time to come. Strengthen me, deare Father, thus to continue prai&s;ing and glorifying thy Name here upon earth, that after this life I may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome. Grant the&s;e petitions, mo&s;t mercifull God, not onely to mee, but to all thy deare children through|out the whole world, for Ie&s;us Chri&s;ts &s;ake: in who&s;e name I doe further call upon thee, &s;aying as he hath taught mee; <HI>O our Father, which art in Heaven, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="250">
<PB REF="251">
<PB REF="251">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
