The Heavenly Conversation and Natural Mans Condition, Text 1 – Title page

The Heavenly Conversation and Natural Mans Condition · Text 1 – Title page

p. 1THE HEAVENLY Converſation.

PHIL. 3. 20.

foreign

Our Converſation is in Heaven.

THe Learned Origen being at the Church in Ieruſalem, was requeſted to Preach there; but opening the Booke for that purpoſe, p. 2he fell upon thoſe words of the Pſalme; But unto the wicked, ſaith God, what haſt thou to doe to take my words into thy mouth, ſeeing thou hateſt to be reformed, and haſt caſt my Commandements behinde thee, &c. which awakned more the memory of his ſin, which was this; He being apprehended, and put to his choiſe by his perſecutors, whether hee would offer ſacrifice to their Idols, or ſuffer his body to be defiled with a moſt ugly Blackmore, (one hee muſt of force) ſhunning the latter, hee yeelded inconſiderately to the former: his conſcience now as it were thundering from heaven againſt him; he could not goe on, but cloſed the Booke againe, and ſate him downe with bitter weeping and lamentation; all the people alſo out of a tender affection, and ſympathy of his ſorrow, giving, as the Father ſpeakes* a charitable contribution of foreign.teares towards the reliefe of his miſery, and bearing a part in the p. 3burden of his ſad Song, and dolefull Ditty, the briefe whereof they had then heard and ſeene.

Beloved, I feare that wee muſt either cloſe the Booke, or diſcloſe our owne ſhame; for this Text upbraides our times; and Saint Paul, for ought that I ſee, is reſolved, and ſpeakes enough to ſhame us all. For where are the Chriſtians now that can ſay the Reſponſall after him, Our converſation is in heaven, without bluſhing outward for ſhame, or bleeding inward for griefe? Who can behold the deformitie of his Chryſtall life, in this Chryſtall glaſſe without teares, ſuch as may truely be ſtiled, Sanguis animae, the blood of the ſoule?

It is reported of one, that hee was ſo luſty and quarrel ſome, that hee was ready to fight with his owne Image ſo often as hee ſaw it in a glaſſe: let us fall out with our ſinnes, the ſpots that deface the Image of God in us: but God p. 4forbid that any ſhould picke a quarrell with the glaſſe of Gods Word, by which wee may dreſſe our ſelves to perfection of beauty: wiſely Socrates, who commendeth the uſe of a glaſſe to all ſorts, as if the friend in it gave faithfull counſell in all caſes: Art thou beautifull and comely? Cave ne animi improbitate corpus tuum dehoneſtes: Art thou homely, and deformed? Fac…ut animus virtute corpus ſuum conſecret: Art thou faire? take heede thy body bee not like an Aegyptian Temple, ſtately without, but having within a ſoule as blacke as a Gypſie with vice: Art thou foule? ſee that thy ſoule within make amends for thy body without, being like a rich pearle in a rude ſhell.

But moſt true is this of this Glaſſe, which of all other knowes not how to flatter: and who knowes, whether there be not that vertue in this divine ſpeculation, to reſtore a man to himſelfe p. 5as hee that was transformed into an Aſſe, returned to his owne ſhape, when hee came to behold himſelfe in a Glaſſe, the ſtrength of the charme being wholly evacuated.

Well then let us behold our ſelves here in this Glaſſe, if not what wee are, at leaſt what wee ought to be. foreign,Our converſation is in Heaven.

The words looke backward to the former, and that ambiguouſly, either, as part of a Collation to what is in the immediately precedent verſes, if you read them with the Adverſative, foreign, But, Illi ſic, nos, autem non ſic: They do thus, But we doe not thus: or as a ground of Illation to the 17. Verſe, if you read them with the Cauſall, foreign, For, Nos ſic, vos ergo etiam ſic, wee doe thus, and therefore doe yee alſo thus; Be yee followers of me, p. 6and ſuch as tread in our ſteps, For

Our coverſation is in Heaven.

The word foreign, though it may be diverſly rendred,

Firſt, Our Citie, and ſo it ſuits beſt with the latter part of the 1.Verſe, wherein otherwiſe there will be an incongruitie of Language, if you referre foreign, from whence wee looke, a ſingular Relative, to foreign, in the Heavens, a plurall Antecedent, which may be ſalved, if you referre it to foreign, as it may wel ſtand in that ſenſe.

Secondly, Our municipall ſtate, and dignity, our Burgesſhip.2.

Thirdly, Our politique bent, aime, & fetch, for I ſuppoſe foreign may 3.ſignifie the ſame in civill affaires, that foreign doth in warlike.

Fourthly, Our Politicall, and Civill Adminiſtration, and managing 4.of things.

Fifthly, our Carriage, deportment, and behaviour, as we are 5.Citizens, &c.

p. 7Yet I confine my ſelfe to the laſt, which I ſee our learned Interpreters have expreſſed alſo, whoſe judgement and authoritie I willingly follow, not troubling my ſelfe, or you, with any further anxious diſputes, or curious Criticiſmes: the ſtones were hewed and ſquared in the mountaines, there was no noiſe of hammer in the building of Salomons Temple, which yet was ſo compact, they ſay, as if it had bin but one ſtone without any joynting or ciment.

The Aſtronomers cut the heaven into many circles, and plough up many barren furrowes by their ſuppoſitions, as lightly as the Mathematicians draw lines in the duſt: but wee ſhall not neede many Hypotheſes to ſalve the foreign, or appearances of theſe heavens.

Obſerve alſo with mee in the whole Frame, but one line which you ſee written in legible Characters, as it were with a Sun-beame. p. 8The converſation of a Chriſtian is in Heaven.

In which notwithſtanding it will be uſefull to conſider, and diſtinguiſh three imaginary Points.

Firſt, foreign, Converſation, 1.the Axel-tree, upon which the whole ſpheare is turned.

Secondly, foreign, Our, the 2.inferior Pole, and

Thirdly, foreign, In Heaven, 3.the ſuperior Pole.

Theſe ſhall be my Ecliptique Line, with in which, my Diſcourſe ſhall bound it ſelfe.

Firſt, I will explaine Quid ſit, foreign. what it is, and how a 1.Chriſtian hath his Converſation in Heaven.

Secondly, I will examine Quale 2.ſit foreign, Whether the life of ordinary Chriſtians be according to this Rule, or not, and

Thirdly, I will ſuggeſt Quantum 3.ſit foreign, How forcible motives may provoke us to this p. 9Heavenly converſation.

Firſt, Let no man ſay, who ſhall 1.give me Elias Chariot, in which I may mount up to heaven aaforeign.here needs no change of place, but a change of minde, which may lift it ſelfe up to heaven, while the body lies upon the earth, as Abraham went into the Mount, while the Servants and Aſſes ſtaid below in the Valley.

Let no man ſay, what muſt I be like the prophane Gyants, which heaped mountaine upon mountaine to ſcale heaven (although the violent take the kingdome of heaven by force, as our Saviour ſpeakes in another ſenſe) or like proud Lucifer who made his neſt among the ſtarres?

No, bbforeign.bleſſed is he who hath a Low minde, in an high Converſation, God is high, as Auſtin ſweetly, and yet the more we lift our ſelves up, the further we are from Him; the more we humble our ſelves, the nearer: the ſwelling leaven of p. 10pride can never doe it, the true growth and ſtature of Grace, and Vertue, makes a Chriſtian as high as heaven, makes him in heaven many wayes.

Firſt, Affectu, in affection. A friend of Cyrus in Xenophon being asked where his treaſure was which might enable him to beſtow his daughter honourably, according to his ranke and place; made this anſwer aaforeign.Where Cyrus is my friend: and a ſhame it is for a Chriſtian, if hee either know not, or profeſſe not that his treaſure is there, bbforeign.where the Lord is his friend. Where the body is, thither the Eagles, where Chriſt is, thither ſharp-ſigh ted and lofty ſoules will reſort: for according to our Saviour, Where the Treaſure is, there is the heart alſo: and according to the Philoſopher, Animus eſt ubiamat, non ubi animat, the minde is where it loves, not where it lives.

No marvell then, if in this reſpect, we ſay, The converſation of p. 11a Chriſtian is in heaven, though you ſee his perſon here upon earth: ſo you ſee the ſtarres ſometime in the water, you ſee them move, which notwithſtanding you know are fixed above in the Firmament: ſo the Chriſtian, though he ſeeme to flote up and downe in the troubleſome waves of the lower world, yet there is he faſtened with the Anchor of Hope, and thither is he carried with the ſailes, and oares of deſire: for ccVt radi ſolis continguntquidem terram, ſed ib ſunt, unde mittuntur: ſic animus magnus ſacer converſatur quidem nobiſ cum ſedhaeret Origin ſuae.as the raies of the Sunne touch the earth, yet ſtill are there from whence they are darted; ſo a lofty and pious, heart is familiarly converſant withus, but remaines fixed in his Originall; as Seneca makes the compariſon, where being mounted like Saint Paul in Gregory Nyſſen, ^d He lets fall a looke c foreign.upon theſe lower things from a loft, not without ſome ſcorne; they ſeeme little or nothing in his eyes: and no wonder; for as heavenly things ſeeme ſmall to an earthly man, as the ſtarres to him that beholds them p. 12from earth, appeare but as a point, (a gliſtring point indeed, a golden point, and yet but a point) ſo by a farre better reaſon to a godly man, whoſe affections have raiſed him to heaven, when hee beholds it from thence, the whole earth is contracted to a Point, or rather appeares like as they call a ſhadow nigrum nihil, a little blacke; and darke nothing: So a Chriſtian indeed during the time of his Pilgrimage, uſeth theſe earthly things as neceſſaries, though hee accounts them but as Acceſſaries; like the haires upon our heads, they are but an excrement, yet they are an ornament; and as Auſtin ſpeakes of Maries, with which ſhe wiped the feete of our Saviour, eeCapiti quidem ſuperſlua, ſed pedibus Chriſti neceſſaria.They were ſuperfluous for her owne head, yet they were neceſſary for the feet of Chriſt. The Church in the Revelation hath a crowne of ſtarres upon her head, and the Moone is under her feete: The Spirit in the Acts deſcended upon the Head (they p. 13thinke) of the Apoſtles, the Diſciples caſt the money at their feete: Heavenly bleſſings, ſpirituall graces are the crowne of a Chriſtian, earthly things he tramples under his feete, according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Bleſſings are upon the head of the righteous, that is, heavenly, Thou haſt put all things under his feete, that is, all earthly: Heavenly bleſſings they are Bona throni, the goods of the throne; Earthly, they are Bona ſcabelli, the goods of the footeſtoole (as Auſtin tearmes them) in the account of a Chriſtian, who in this is like God himſelfe, of whom the Scripture ſpeakes, Heaven is his Throne, and the earth is his Footestoole: for ſo a Chriſtian uſeth all earthly bleſſings but as helps, as a footeſtoole to climbe into the throne of Heaven: and this uſe is lawfull; for as Tertullian ſaith, a Chriſtian may make a Noſe-gay of flowers to ſmell to, but hee may not make a crowne of flowers to ſet upon his p. 14head: ſo God allowes the ſweetneſſe of outward bleſſings to his ſervants for a refreſhing, alwayes provided, they ſet them not in the higheſt place, in the higheſt price. In a word, **Res illi temporalis in uſu eſt, aeterna in deſiderio.Temporall bleſſings are for his uſe, but eternall, for his deſire and affection, as Gregory ſpeakes.

Anaxagoras being asked whether he cared not for his countrey, with the ruine whereof he ſeemed to be little moved; yes, ſaid he, there is none of you that cares more than I doe for my countrey, pointing with his finger up to heaven, as though heaven were his countrey: and ſo it is a Chriſtians indeed: for if the propoſition of the Philoſopher be true, aaPatria eſt ubicunque bene.that is our country where wee have the beſt fare, and entertainement, then his concluſion is infallible, therefore heaven is my countrey, without which I cannot live well, for bbforeign. Eſt quia non potuit dicere, dixit, erit.there is a plenty of all good things. Let then the Philoſopher comfort p. 15himſelfe that he was not baniſhed (though out of his countrey) and that he was not confined to any place, like a Snaile to her ſhell, becauſe he was a ccforeign.free denizan, and a Citizen of the world; the Chriſtian is not aſhamed to confeſſe the whole worlds libertie to be but a baniſhment to him, who is but a Pilgrim in a ſtrange Land here, becauſe he is a free Denizan, and Citizen of Heaven.d foreign.

Nay more, he ſtayes in the world, as in ſome more free and noble Priſon, where you muſt pardon him, if he cannot be in love with his fetters, though perhaps of gold: Hee is in the body as a child in the wombe, in a eeforeign.walking Sepulcher, his delivery from thence ſhall be his Nativity, from whence he meanes to begin the account of the tearme of his Life: To live with God is the onelyonly life, to raigne with Chriſt, the onelyonly libertie according to that of Simeon, ffforeignNow letteſt thy ſervant depart, p. 16ſo that the body is as the ggforeign.Bridewell and Priſon of our life, as Baſil interprets it, this is that hee ſighes and breaths after, Woe is me that I am conſtrained to dwell in Meſhech: I deſire to be diſſolved and be with Chriſt; Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly: How long Lord, for ever! Chriſt was borne in an Inne to teach him to make the world but a throwfare, where if hee take his reſt, yet he muſt not ſet up his reſt.

Secondly, Conatu, in Endeavour, without which affection is like Rahel, beautifull but barren, hhforeignneither doth a woman without a man, neither doth the Affection of hope, produce any thing ſerviceable without Endeavour.

Pythagor as was wont to ſay that he had another errand to the Olympick games, then the moſt that frequented them: ſome came for pleaſure, and to pot it in a knot of good fellowes, which were like to meet there; ſome for gaine, and p. 17to vent their commodities at a good rate in ſuch a faire of people; ſome for Glory, and hope to be crowned conquerours, and win the Garland for valour, and activitie in thoſe ſports and exerciſes; but he profeſſed that hee came onelyonly as a looker on: pleaſure, and gaine and glory are the Trinitie which the world adores, and the behaviour of the moſt is ſuch, as though they came into the world upon no other errand, but to ſcramble for ſome of theſe.

They ſmile perhaps when they ſee children ſo fond, and buſie and eager about their toyes, making Houſes, and Pies of dirt, kiſſing their babies of clouts, blowing bubles into the ayre out of a ſhell, and running after them; and when they reade that Domitian the Emperour perſecuted the poore Chriſtians abroad in his Empire, and perſecuted the poore flies at home in his Palace, they would take reſpit perhaps to decide p. 18the controverſie, whether that act had more crueltie, or this idleneſſe more folly: but let them looke to it, whether they be not carius ineptis, haunted with a more tragicall and coſtly folly, who being placed by God in this Auguſt Palace of the world, where the Heaven is the ſieling, the Earth the floore, can finde no better employment.

The carriage of a Chriſtian I am ſure hath paſſed this ſentence upon them already, which is ſuch, as though he repined that he was forced to be ſo much as a looker on at theſe Apiſh Anticks: which in, a ſcornefull ſilence he checkes with the ſeveritie of his frowne, and confutes with the majeſtie of his countenance, in which you may reade his minde written in Hieroglyphicall letters, that he thinkes with Anaxagoras, that he was borne to contemplate heaven, & obſerve which way he may get thither: and therefore he followes p. 19the ſuite for theſe earthly things ſomething coldly, & negligently as one that cares not much which end goes forward, or rather generouſly and nobly, tanquam Candidatus Caeſaris, as a Favorite of Caeſare (as they were wont to ſay at Rome) and if he ſpeed, enjoyes his conqueſts moderatly, uſing them, as the dogs drinke at Nilus; or as Gidions Souldiers, lap and away, leſt if hee ſhould let looſe the reines, he might be guiltie in the uſe of his lawfull libertie, as a man (they ſay) may commit adultery with his owne wife; in a word, uſeth them as though he uſed them not, tanquam aeternitatis Candidatus, as Tertullian ſpeakes, as one that is a favorite of eternitie.

But for heavenly things (good Lord) what alacritie ſhewes he! what diligence! what reſolution?

They report of Mahomet an ordinary Turke that this was the firſt ſtep of his advancement to p. 20the Empire, his Maſter Solyman the great, let fall a letter out of a window, which while the reſt to approve their diligence to their Lord ran about for Ladders, he without any more deliberation, or circuit leapt out of the window and returned preſently: This is the nature of Love and Zeale to overlook all danger, to forget themſelves to pleaſe God, and theſe are they that came to preferment, to be favorites in the Court of Heaven, when they that are ſo wiſe to looke before they leape, may look long enough before they riſe, and a foole he is that lookes for any other ladder to climbe to Honour beſides his Maſters favour.

What diligent? The Ancients were wont to paint fortune taking Cities in a net, for one Timotheus an Athenian Captaine whom they drew ſleeping by: but our Timothy knowes the new Ieruſalem, the Citie above cannot be taken otherwiſe, and therefore p. 21plants a ſtreight ſiege about it with an army of vertues, plies the battery with the ordinance of prayer, caſts up mounts againſt it, giving all diligence that he may adde to faith vertue, and to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godlineſſe, and to godlineſſe brotherly kindneſſe, and to brotherly kindneſſe, mountaine upon mountaine as the Gyants did, that at laſt he may ſcale heaven.

What reſolution? the famous Artificer Phidias adviſed the Athenians, to make the ſtatue of Minerva the Tutelary goddeſſe of the Citie, of Marble rather then Ivory, alleadging two reaſons.

Firſt, becauſe Marble was more durable and this paſſed with allowance.

Secondly, becauſe Ivory was more chargeable: at the mention whereof, with infinite indignation they commanded him ſilence: baſe wretches, that ſtudy to beate p. 22downe the price of heaven, and will not deale, except they may have it under foot: the ancients were wont to call an Holocauſt prodigam hoſtiam, the prodigall Sacrifice: but a Chriſtian thinkes it the beſt thrift, and moſt ſaving bargaine, when he can offer himſelfe wholly to God a living Sacrifice, pleaſing and acceptable in his ſight: and therefore reſolves with David, I will not ſerve the Lord of that which coſt me nothing, and followes our Saviour whoſe counſell it is, Let not thy right hand know what thy left hand doth, doe not anxiouſly compute the charge of a good worke, as men doe ſome Summe upon the fingers end, conſult not with fleſh and blood, for what can be ſo bard, that hee is affraid to undergoe? or what ſo ſweete, that he is not reſolved to forgoe, that he may gaine heaven? The way is aaforeign. Sic Clemens Alexandrinus.ſtraight and narrow, yet he will ſtrive to enter, for the way to heaven is not eaſie, he is like p. 23to meete ſcoffes, and ſcarres, and a Non eſt ad aſtra, mollis é terris via.thouſand Scarcrowes (for many thwarting inconvenience, and diſcouragements lie croſſe in foreign.the way to heaven) but hee accounts theſe the glory of his triumph, foreign I have fought the good fight, ſaith the Apoſtle Paul as a word in a boaſting; it is a goodly thing to goe to heaven any way, lame, maimed, or blind, even the right foote, the right hand, the right eye, if it offend him, cut it off, plucke it out, foreign, it is a goodly thing. **foreign.Burne my foote if you will, that it may dance everlaſtingly with the bleſſed Angels in heaven, ſtil'd the Martyr in Baſel nobly. He is a wiſe Merchant, that can purchaſe heaven at any price.

To conclude, hee knowes this life is but a way to life, as the Spartan mother comforted her ſonne, who in a battell where hee fought valiantly, had received a p. 24wound, of which he was like to limpe ever after, that his halting would but make him remember vertue every ſtep: ſo the worſt that can happen to him, doth but make him remember vertue every ſteppe, that every ſteppe may ſet him ſo much nearer to heaven: hee thinkes hee is placed in this world as in a royall Theatre: the Earth, the Stage, the Heavens the Scaffolds round about: the ſpectators, God, men, and Angells, himſelfe an Actor, his part, Piety; his reward, Eternity; his conſcience alwayes prompting him behinde the Curtaine; it skils not what the ſpectators thinke, or ſay, looke to the Iudge, aaforeign, ſaith a Father.be ambitious to pleaſe God who beholds thee: and therfore reſolves bbPopulus me ſibilat, at mihi plaudo.though the world hiſſes me, yet I heare, I eare not, ſo I may heare a plaudite from him, Well done good ſervant, enter into thy maſters joy: O bleſſed plaudite, he ſtirres his hands to clappe them, and droppes a crowne of p. 25life from betweene them upon my head.

Thirdly, Actu, In act; for hee cannot be out of heaven, whoſe converſation makes that place heaven, whereſoever he is, and that by a double Analogie, and conformity with heaven, of ſanctity and felicitie, of happineſſe and holineſſe.

Firſt, Conformit as ſanctitatis, a conformity of ſanctitie, which appeares in every part of his life, as the light of the candle breakes out at every ſide of the Lanthorne, and as the leaven in the Goſpell, which the woman put into three pecks of meale, inſinuates it ſelfe into his thoughts, words, and deedes, all which it makes to riſe and ſwell toward heaven: for what ſhall wee ſay of his Heavenly Meditations, in which methinkes hee reſembles a Bird of Paradiſe, ſo called, which is reported by the Naturaliſts to flie continually without any reſt, and was never p. 26obſerved ſo much as to touch upon the earth: no more doth this bleſſed Bird of Paradiſe, but is alway upon the wing in divine medi…tious, unleſſe perhaps you may thinke he comes nearer the Phoenix, which is ſaid to beget her heire of her owne aſhes, to which ſhe is reſolved in her bed of ſpice, her neaſt being nothing elſe but a pile of the moſt precious ſpices of Arabia, curiouſly collected by her afore for that purpoſe, and kindled by the heate of the Sunnebeames: as a Chriſtian kindles by frequent meditation the ſweete notes that hee hath collected in reading or hearing, which like the Angel in the ſacrifice of Manoach, carries him up to heaven in a flame of heavenly affection, and leaves her ſelfe an heire behinde of her owne aſhes, a never failing ſucceſſion of the like heavenly meditations.

I know this practiſe is not vulgar, or eaſie; for the Monke ſaid truely, that to be **foreign.a Monke in p. 27outward ſhew, was eaſie, but to be a Monke in inward reality, was hard; it is no hard matter in compariſon to make the outward man, the viſible man a Monke, immure him in a Cloyſter, and retire him from worldly diſtractions: nor is it any eaſie matter to circumſcribe the infinite libertie of the inward man.

But a Chriſtian labours to be the ſame without, that he is within, like the beautie of a Diamond, not skinne deepe onelyonly, like the ordinary beauty; for if you could have a window in his breaſt, you ſhould ſee nothing within but heavenly thoughts: hee breathes not oftner than hee thinkes on God, according to the Father: he climbs often into Mount Nebo, the mount of Meditation, for a proſpect of the land of Promiſe, from whence his bleſſed eyes of Faith and Hope; like Calib, and Joſhua, the faithfull Spies, animate him to a noble reſolution by their p. 28happie tidings, The land is good, let us goe up and fight for it: and if he chance to ſtep aſide ſometime among worldly affaires, you muſt underſtand he is there, not as a aaTanquam explorator, non ut Transfuga.turne-coate Traytour, but as a wiſe Intelligencer, as a Spie: was the Spies that went to Iericho to avoid being ſnared by any ambuſh, he returnes by the Hill-countrey, that is, as I interpret it, improves even humane occurrences to ſome divine expedience, and reduceth temporall occaſions, to ſpirituall uſe: Wherefore ſaith Chryſoſtome very ſweetly, bbforeign.The literall foules of the heaven have wings, and theſe myſticall foules of the heaven have wiſedome to flie aloft, that the ſnares and lime-twigges of the world may not entangle them; & ſurely in vaine is the net ſpread before the eye of all that hath wings, as Salomon ſpeakes.

Such in the ſecond place is their Converſation, for as our Saviour after his Reſurrection converſing p. 29with his Diſciples, ſpake of ſuch things, as concerned the Kingdome of God: and Moſes deſcended from the Mount, where he had conference with God, brought the Tables of the Law to the people: ſo the Law of Grace is in his lippes, and out of the Abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh. As the posts of the doore of the houſe without were ſprinkled with the blood of the Lambe which was eaten within; ſo the heart that is waſhed with the blood of Chriſt, cannot be aſhamed to have their lippes painted with the ſame. It is Nazianzens compariſon; for this is the beauty of the Spouſe in her Lords eye, who like ſome elegant Lover, makes this a great part of her commendation, Thy lippes are like a threed of ſcarlet: this is the ſafetie of the Spouſe, as the blood ſprinkled upon the Poſts, was the Iſraelites, as the ſcarlet thread in the window was Rahabs; for with the heart man beleeveth unto p. 30righteouſneſſe, and with the mouth man confeſſeth to ſalvation.

The Latines call the roofe of the mouth, Coelum, Heaven, and the lower part, Solum palati, the ground of the palate: The moſt mens ſpeech is altogether of earth, as though they had no heaven in their mouth, they daſh all their words againſt the earth, like the fiſh in the Goſpel, either dumbe, or nothing but gold in their mouth: It is cleane contrary with S. Pauls Chriſtian, who not content to be a ſilent, and dumbe ſpectatour of heaven, like the fiſh ſo called foreign and ſo to ſuffer the conceptions of his minde to die there, like abortive birthes ſmothered in the wombe, but labours to bring them to the light, and deliver them to others, that they may alſo partake of his ſweetneſſe, and ſo dividing himſelfe betweene ſolitarineſſe, and company, meditation and communication, thoughts, and ſpeech, that p. 31one may make the other profitable, aaforeign. 3.the one being begunne, and inducted into the ſoule by the Spirit, and the other having inſtructed others in the way of godlineſſe, as the Father hath it.

See in the laſt place, his operation, for what is his whole life, but an Angels worke, a continuall attendance upon God. The Church is, as the Father ſtiles it, an bbforeign.heaven upon earth, the preſence Chamber of the great King: how often doth hee waite there? with what devotion? like David, according to Saint Austins Gloſſe, I will goe into the houſe of the Lord, as ccTanquam lapis, cre… do in aedificium dictum eſt.a ſtone in his building, ſaith the Father: like Chriſt himſelfe, his parents ſought him in vaine, in cognatione carnis, among his kindred, but found him imployed in domo Patris, in his Fathers houſe.

The Sabbath is the Lords day, our reſt, and employment, then a ſhort abridgement of the long p. 32ſtory of eternitie is ſeaſonable, how truely doth Hee call this Day his delight: how cheerefully doth he welcome in? Hee commeth forth of his chamber like a Bridegroome, and rejoyceth as a Gyant to runne his race: like the Jew, that was wont to put on his beſt apparell, to expect the approach of this day, and haſten it forward, wooing with theſe words, Veni ſponſa mea, Come my Spouſe; like the Spouſe in the Canticles, rather, untill the day breake, and the ſhadowes flee away, I will get me to the mountaines of Myrrhe, and to the hill of Frankincenſe: he hath eſpouſed his ſoule to the beauty of holineſſe in theſe bleſſed ordinances; and therefore his eyes will prevent the morning watch, that hee may adorne, and prepare himſelfe be times, and meete theſe ſolemnities with the ſweete perfume, and incence of meditation and prayer.

Prayer, and the reſt of the works p. 33of Piety are the Ladder to Heaven; how often may you ſee him like the Angels in Iacobs viſion, aſcending and deſcending by this? It is a received maxime in Philoſophy, that Oratio is Quantitas diſcreta, but it is a certaine truth in Divinitie, that Oratio debet eſſe Quantitas continua, according to that of the Apoſtle, Pray continually: Too 1 Theſ. 5. 17.1 Thess 5:17much diſcretion in the world hath brought too little devotion, and unjuſtly cenſured the heate of devotion, for want of diſcretion: But 'tis not either the virulence of the tongue, or violence that can make a Chriſtian intermit this courſe. The Angel that ſtrove with Iacob ſaid, Let me goe, for the morning approacheth, forſooth afraid, as the Rabbins would have it, that if he were deteined any longer, he ſhould incur…e ſome cenſure of irregularity, or be injoyned ſome pennance for tardineſſe at his Mattins: But a Chriſtian ſaith indeede to his deare ſinnes, Let p. 34me goe, ſollicitous to prevent all intanglements, to ſhake of all impediments, which might hazard the leaſt interruption of his ſweet intercourſe with God in prayer.

And (to make no more particular inſtances) the heavenly Hierarchies of Angels, are they not all miniſtring Spirits, ſent forth to miniſter for them that ſhall be heires of ſalvation? or is not this the very trade and occupation of a Chriſtian? the magnificence of Piolomaeus Philadelphus, I ſuppoſe gave originall to the phraſe, in which all noble and magnificent workes are called opera Philadelphia: I dare ſay a Chriſtian eſteemes that his moſt honorable imployment, when he may provoke the glory of God, in the good of his brethren, eſpecially in the matter of heaven and ſalvation, theſe are his opera Philadelphia, workes of Charity: For he holds the common truth in Philoſophy, aaPropriſſimum opus viventis, eſt generare ſibi ſimile.the moſt proper worke of a living creature is to beget one in p. 35his owne likeneſſe, to be a certaine truth in Divinitie, the moſt ſpecificall, and characteriſticall act of a living Chriſtian is (at leaſt to endeavour) to beget another in his owne likeneſſe: to draw many to God, and therefore that which Plato ſaid divinely, was the end of marriage, that when out race ſhall be ended, and we muſt …radere Lampada, give up our borrowed light, wee may have thoſe bbVt Deo poſt nos Cultores relinquamus.that may riſe up in our place, that may ſtand up in ſtead, to ſerve God, that the fire of his Altar may never goe out: this may be truely ſaid, the end of all his commerce, and converſe with others.

Neither is he thus in theſe great things of the Law only, but as carefull in the leſſe ccNe que enim auri… tù …aſſas tollunt, ſed & bract eolas.men will not lightly loſe the leaſt ends of Gold: the leaſt Commandement obſerved, brings a great reward, and the leaſt ſinne cannot bee committed without great danger: even the ſecret luſts, and motions of the heart p. 36which cannot bee diſcerned for ſinne (otherwiſe when motes, and atomes) in the tenth Commandement, as it were in the Sun-beames: the point of the ſpeare pierced our Saviours ſide, ſo did the prickes of the thornes wound his ſacred head: and therefore though counterfeit Chriſtians make no bones of leſſer ſinnes, make no conſcience of leſſer duties, like Pharoahs Magicians, whoſe art could not reach to make ſuch things as were leſſe then a Barly-Corne, and therefore failing in the production of Lice were forced to acknowledge the finger of God, as the Rabbins give the reaſon; yet a currant Chriſtian is the ſame in great and leſſe matters, in both like himſelfe, if not like God himſelfe, of whom Auſtin elegantly, ddIta magnus Artifex in magnis, ut minor non ſit in minimis.he is ſo great an Artiſan in great matters, as that hee is not leſſer in the ſmalleſt.

He did all with the ſame care, and by the ſame rule: the Iewes have a p. 37Law, which enjoynes them to take up any paper which they ſee lying on the ground, and the reaſon is, leſt happily the Name of God be written in the paper, and ignorantly troden under foote: the Chriſtian is free from ſuch ſuperſtitious curioſitie, yet full of religious care, obſerves every title in Gods Word, leaſt unawares hee might diſhonour the name of God, and trample upon any of the leaſt of his Commandements: and therefore he hath reſpect to this in all his wayes; this is the Card and Compaſſe, without this, (as there be few men that can draw a ſtreight line, or a circle, without a Rule or compaſſe) none can leade their life aright, or make ſtreight ſteps to heaven: with this they may, for as while one line of the Compaſſe is firmely faſtned upon the Card, the other goes ſteadily the true circuit: So while the mind of man is fixed upon the Word by contemplation p. 38and obſerves it, he may keepe his life and actions within compaſſe, and run ſafely the way of Gods Commandements.

A man may huddle up a mudwall, a banke of earth in haſte of that which comes next to hand, ſaith the moraliſt, but 'twere madneſſe to attempt to build a Palace, a Temple without choice ſtones, without line and levels: Now a Chriſtian by a holy life labours to build himſelfe up a Palace for the great King, a Temple for the living God, and therefore thinkes hee can never be choice enough of the ſtuffe, or workemanſhip, whereas any rubbiſh, traſh, or any ſlovenly ſlubbering over is good enough for another uſe.

Socrates was ſaid to have cald Philoſophy downe from heaven to earth, ſo doth he draw the practiſe of Divinitie even to his earthly and domeſticall, and daily affaires, and by this heavenly p. 39courſe rather then he ſhould not bee in heaven, makes his houſe wherein he walkes before God in the uprightneſſe of his heart, and ſinceritie, be it never ſo meane a Cottage ccforeign.a very heaven, as Chryſoſtome ſpeakes.

To conclude this: That which the Ruffians in Seneca ſcoffe at in the ſober young man, is true of him in a ſenſe more divine ddIta laborat, ita ludit, ita coenat, ita votat, ita loquitur, ita vivit, ut qui ephemerides patri eſt approbaturus.hee ſo workes, ſo recreates him ſelfe, ſo ſups, ſo drinkes, ſo ſpeakes, ſo lives as one that is to give a juſt account to his heavenly Father, wherein hee would not faile or bee taken tripping for all the world: and in a word, he paſſeth his life in this world, as in a royall Temple, which God hath built for his owne ſervice, eeforeign.the world is a ſacred Temple to thoſe that ſtudy perfection, the moraliſt acknowledgeth, appointing man his Prieſt; every day of whoſe life is marked in the Calender of truth, for an holy day, upon which all other p. 40worke is unlawfull: this onelyonly we muſt labour, that we may ſerve our courſe, and keepe our foreign, or turnes ſo faithfully in the Temple of vertue here, that through it we may aſſuredly paſſe and be preferred to the Temple of honour, which God hath prepared for us in heaven, to which (God hath framed it ſo) there is no acceſſe but by the former, as it was alſo ſignified at Rome in the two Temples, which were ſo contrived, and ſo called.

Secondly, conformit as felicitatis. 2.A Chriſtian is an heaven by a conformitie of happineſſe, which is ſo great, that the Father calls it, ffforeign.an heaven, before we come to heaven, not without reaſon. There be two things indeede, that make a broad difference, ſinne and miſery, which we are ſubject to here, but ſhall be from hereafter, and yet theſe two deprive us rather of the degree, than of the truth of the perfection, rather than of the poſſeſſion p. 41of happineſſe. The preſent tenſe in Grammer is accompanied with the imperfect: the future with the pluſquam perfectum, and ſuch is the condition of our preſent, and future happineſſe; our future is more then perfect, our preſent is imperfect indeed, but yet true happineſſe.

Miſery may eclipſe it here perhaps, but cannot extinguiſh it: they may kill me ſaid a Philoſopher to the Tyrants, but they cannot hurt me: they may take away my head, but they cannot take away my crowne, ſaith the Chriſtian: and divinely Tertullian, aaNihil ſen…t crus in nervo, quā do animus eſt in coelo.the thigh feeles not the paine in the ſinew, when the ſoule is in heaven: the heire of heavenly joyes may paſſe through the vaile of teares, and goe mourning all the day, going weeping all the way, ſcattering his precious ſeede with his teares, but you know the ſaying, bbHaeredis fletus, ſub perſona, riſus eſt.an Heires teares are laughter under his mourning cloathes.

p. 42Sinne is infinitely the worſe of the two; and yet ſinne doth not ſeparate us from Chriſt, it drives us cloſer to him rather, and he cannot bee farre from heaven that is ſo neare Chriſt, ^c For where Chriſt foreign.is, there is heaven, ſaith the Father. Sinne doth not ſeparate us from God, who reconciled in Chriſt, beholds us, not as a Judge, guiltie malefactours, but as a father, weake children, and he is not farre from heaven that is ſo neare God: for where the King is, there is the Court, is our common ſaying; ſinne doth not ſeparate us from the communion of the holy Spirit, who dwells in us, and makes us living Temples of God: and what difference I pray betweene the Temple of God and Heaven?

To end this in a word: a Chriſtian is in this world like Adam in Paradiſe, which as ſome imagine was ſituate above the clouds, and therefore not defaced in the univerſall p. 43Deluge of waters: in the Paradiſe I ſay of a good conſcience, the Garden of God, which is ſituate above the clouds of all miſery, where the Tree of Life, is continually watered with the Torrent of pleaſure, which never leaves running, till it ends his courſe in his Ocean of Eternitie.

Such is the Converſation of a Chriſtian in Heaven; but is Ours ſuch? That was the ſecond Point we propounded.

2.

I am afraid that ſome may ſay after this character of a Chriſtian, as Linacer, when he had heard our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount, aaProfecto aut hoc non eſt Evangelium, aut nos non ſumus Chriſtiani.Either this is not Goſpell, or we are not Chriſtians, our Saviour asked who toucht him then when the multitude preſſed about him: many throng about Chriſt in profeſſion, and a forme p. 44of godlineſſe, but few touch him to draw any vertue from him, and power of godlineſſe: many beare the name of Chriſtians ^b to their judgement, and condemnation, not to a Ad judicium, non ad remedium.their ſalvation and remedy, as the Father ſpeakes, to whom we may ſay, as Alexander did to a ſouldier, who was called Alexander by his name, but played the coward egregiouſly, either fight better, either live better, or elſe preſume not to uſurpe the glorious name: many flie to that of the Jewes, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, and thinke to take Sanctuary, and ſave themſelves there from all danger; as the Jewes fable, that Og the King of Baſhan eſcaped in the floud by riding aſtride upon the Arke without; though they never enter, as if they thought with Martius, that they could not poſſibly be condemned within ſight of the Capitoll, the Temple.

p. 45For to point at theſe in a word, are there not many Prophane perſons, whoſe converſation is in Hell? like the Demoniacke in the Goſpell, whoſe abode was in the graves: and how farre are they from hell, thinke you, who will goe rather to an Alehouſe, Whorehouſe, Playhouſe, then to the Houſe of God? Vbi fuiſti? Where haſt thou beene? apud Inferos, in Hell, ſaith Eraſmus merrily, comparing Tipling Cellars to Hell. Her feete goe downe to death, her ſteppes take hold of Hell, ſaith Salomon of the Harlot: bbEſt de Eccleſiâ Dei, in Eccleſiam diaboli tendere, de coelo quod aiunt in caenum, ſaith Tertul.to leave a Sermon to goe to a Play, is to forſake the Church of God; to betake ones ſelfe to the Synagogue of Satan, to fall from Heaven, to Hell.

And what are they, who doe nothing elſe all their life, but warre againſt heaven; more properly than the barbarous Scythians, who thought they did it valiantly, when they ſhot their arrowes againſt heaven, which fell p. 46upon their owne pates, the true Antipodes of God, and all goodneſſe? that by a new found Art of memory, never remember the Name of God that made them, but in their oathes and blaſphemies, and by a new found Art of forgetfulneſſe, ſeeme to have forgotten their owne name, (as they ſay Meſſala did) that they are called Chriſtians: that rather than faile of ſinning, with mutuall emulation, like unhappie boyes, ſtrive who ſhall goe furtheſt in the dirt: **Nolunt ſolita peccare, ſaith Seneca. Et pudet non eſſe impudentes, ſaith Auſtin.they thinke it a foule ſhame, to be aſhamed of ſinne, and their ambition is, who ſhall be moſt famous for infamy.

The Jewes obſerve that the ſame word diverſly pronounced, Bethſheba, with foreign Shibboleth, ſignifies the well of Oath, and Bethſaba with foreign Sibboleth, the well of plentie. I am ſure, for Oathes the Land mournes, of which there is ſuch ſtore, as if men by an eaſie miſtake of the point, uſed to draw and p. 47drop oathes (as it were) out of the well of plentie.

But I ſhall ſhew you greater abominations then theſe, it is the Apoſtles exhortation, foreign, follow peace and holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee God: the word indeede is ambiguous, and ſignifies ſometime to follow, and ſometime to perſecute: the Apoſtle delivers this with the right hand, and would have us follow, and purſue holineſſe, as it were withdrawing our ſelves from earth, and retiring to heaven, and that apace, for feare we overtake them not; but many take this with the left hand, and running upon a wrong ſent, follow neither peace nor holineſſe; but breake the peace by proclayming open warre and perſecuting holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee God, the tongue is ſet on fire on hell, and they ſet their mouths againſt heaven and blaſpheme the Saints.

p. 48Good Lord, that ever the reformed Church ſhould verifie that which the Poet wrote once of Rome!

Omnia cùm licet, non liceat eſſe pium.

When it is lawfull to bee all things, but to be piouſly diſpoſed, and theſe times to be the propheſie of the morall Philoſopher, when **Quando vitio honos habebiturHonour is attributed to vice! Gideon received thoſe for his Souldiers, that bowed not the knee to drink, but lapt like a Dog, and Iephta made that the tryall of life, or death, if they could pronounce Shibboleth: and is not now ſwearing a ſufficient paſport for entertainement in the world, and drunkenneſſe, as good as letters of Commendation for preferment? he that is ſo preciſe hee cannot kneele to Bacchus, and carouſe it ſo, hee that liſpes at an oath Sibboleth, and cannot thunder them out thicke and threefold with a full mouth Shibboleth, diſmiſſe him for a coward, he is an Ephramite, and as p. 49he was wont to doe, note him in your Calendar, for a Priſcillianiſt, a Puritan, but they that can do both, and with a grace, he is a brave lad, a true trojan, a Gileadite: For thoſe two (for the moſt part) are companions in evill, Simeon and Levi, as though wine ſprung out of the earth from the blood of the Gyants that fought againſt the Gods (as they in Plutarch imagined) ſo it armes the Tongue againſt God & all his Saints, whoſe perſons becauſe they are out of reach, they rend and teare their names.

Poore blind men, that offer violence to the Saints, as Sampſon laid hand upon the Pillars, to plucke the houſe upon their owne heads: For this I feare will be the end of this ſport, and I would to God onelyonly the Princes of the Philiſtims (as indeede they doe) ſate and laught at this: the Poets ſay, Iupiter never throwes his thunderbolt, but when the Furies wreſt it out of p. 50his hand, I feare theſe Furies will draw Gods judgements upon us.

I know not what aaforeign.vaine hopes, like falſe guides, which ſet a man out of the way, beare us in hand, that we may goe by ſinne and hell to holineſſe, and ſhut our eyes againſt the light of the Goſpell, and yet at laſt come to heaven: the way indeede to hell is eaſie, for as Bias ſcoffed, the dead goe thither blindfold, with their eyes cloſed: but let no man thinke, any life will bring a man to heaven, as though Chriſt ſent blood out of his ſide to redeeme us, and not water alſo to purge his redeemed, and waſh them from their ſinnes? As though thoſe, whom the divell drives headlong to hell, as once hee did the Gadarens hogs into the deepe, had any reaſon to conceive, they were mounting to the pinacle of the Temple, to ſome high place in heaven, who, if there were as many heavens as there be p. 51dayes in the yeare, as the Baſilidians fooliſhly dreamed, are not like to come to the loweſt point of the loweſt, without more then ordinary repentance?

Secondly, wordlings, whoſe converſation is in earth; who degenerate ſo far from all noble thoughts that they had rather be Terrae filii, ſonnes of the earth, then heires of heaven: which deface the Image of the heavenly Father, ſtamped in the ſoule (not in their coines) with continuall rubbing againſt the earth. Wormes and no men, that doe not walke upright to heaven, but crawle upon the earth: the ſeede of the Serpent, inheriting his curſe, to creepe upon their belly, and licke the duſt, and like that better then the choice delicates, the foode of Angels: like the Iſraelites of whom Tertullian, whoſe bbQuorum palato, caepe magis ſapiunt, quam coelum'.pallats relliſh Garlick or an Onion of the Aegyptian earth, better than the Angelicall viands of heaven: whom the earth hathwholly ſwallowed p. 52up, as once it did Corah: who lulled aſleepe with the flattering blandiſhment, and faire entertainement they meete with in the world, are nayled to the earth, as Siſera was by Iael; and will not ſo much as lift their eyes to heaven, unleſſe it be as the moraliſt obſerves, that Hogs doe, who goe nodling downe, and rooting in the earth all their life, and never looke upward, till being ready to be kild, they are laid flat upon their backe, and forced: ſo thoſe men are all their life ſcraping in the dunghill, and never thinke upon God or heaven, till wraſtling with the pangs of death, they are even overcome, and laid flat upon their backe, then they that were prone to earthly cares like Martha, like the woman in the Goſpel, that had a ſpirit of infirmitie and was bowed downeward, and careleſſe, and ſupine to all heavenly things are forced to thinke of heaven: but perhaps can brook p. 53them little better then Cerberus did the light at which he ſtartled, and ſtrugled ſo, when Hercules had brought him ſo farre, that he had well nigh twitcht him downe backe againe to hell, if the hand, and the chaine that held him, had not beene the ſtronger: or as the noble King Richard, the firſt of the name, who when the reſt of the Princes, and Gallants travailing in the Holy Land, where they then warred, were come to the foote of an hill, from whence they might view Jeruſalem, the holy Citie (then poſſeſſed by Saracens without hope of recovery for the preſent) and therefore put Spurs to their Horſes, every one in a youthfull contention who ſhould be the firſt, and have the maidenhead of that proſpect. Hee puld downe his Beaver over his eyes, and would not gratifie them with the vaine pleaſure of ſo ſad a ſpectacle; for God forbid ſaid he, that I ſhould be hold that Citie, though p. 54I could, which though I would, I know not how to reſcue: ſo is it but cold comfort to ſuch to thinke of heaven, whoſe life gives ſo weake evidence for their Title to it, whoſe poſſibilities are ſo remote, upon I know not what reverſion, after ſuch, and ſuch, and ſuch a thing done, which they finde then too late, that they are not likely to have either ſpace, or grace, or place to doe.

Fooliſh men that lay the greateſt burthen upon the weakeſt horſe, and leave that one thing which is neceſſary to their bed, when they are fit to doe nothing: God called to them to haſten in their life, to day if yee will heare my voyce, harden not your hearts, then they were loath to forſake their ſweete ſins, as Lot to goe out of Sodome, till the Angel pluckt him out: then they anſwer coldly, as Auſtin reports of himſelfe, **Da Domine, ſed non modo.Give Lord, but not yet; then they deviſe a thouſand ſhifts to delay: let Salomon p. 55bid them remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, they are ready to ſay (to thinke at leaſt) as the Devills to our Saviour, Art thou come to torment us before our time? Whereas they are afraid, if they ſhould beginne too ſoone in Religion, they might be Saints; and happie before their time: but when death comes, they change their note, their pulſe then beates quicke, and faint, a dangerous ſymptome of Death, O Lord make ſpeede to heare us, O Lord make haſte to helpe us.

Then in haſte the Miniſter, the Sacrament, their prayers, then Lord have mercy upon me; and ſo like Gallants that have loſt their time in the Alehouſe, to make amends, ride all upon the ſpurre ſuriouſly, (right Jehues march) ready to overrunne the ſober traveller: ſo theſe runne upon the ſpeede at laſt, and thinke to be at heaven before thoſe who have travelled ſoberly thitherward all their life: but p. 56what if God ſhould anſwer their foreign, it is not yet time in their life, with foreign, at their death: what if God ſhould ſay to him, as the Crabbe in the Fable to the Serpent, when hee had given him his deaths wound for his crooked conditions, and then ſaw him ſtretch himſelfe out ſtreight, At oportuit ſic vixiſſe; It is too late now, you ſhould have lived ſo? What if the ſword of Gods Iuſtice ſeaze upon him? that flies ſo to the Sanctuary of his Mercy, as Joab was ſlaine even at the hornes of the Altar? May not a man receive unworthily, not diſcerning the Lords body, by the eye of faith (for according to the Father, this is the food of aaforeign.Eagles, not of Dawes) and ſo eate damnation to himſelfe? for in this caſe, it bbNon cibus eſt, ſed gladius.is not meate but a knife, or ſword, ſaith Cyprian: The Emperour was poyſoned in the Hoſtie: and at laſt a man may die notwithſtanding the Sacrament, as the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſſe, p. 57died with Manna in their mouthes.

Baſilides the Emperour of Ruſſia refuſed a Coeleſtiall Globe of gold (wherein the cunning Artificer, as it were in emulation of God, had curiouſly framed a modell of heaven, nothing was wanting of the number of the ſpheares, or of the life of the motion) which was ſent unto him as a rare preſent from the German Emperour; for, ſaid he, I doe not meane to buſie my ſelfe in the contemplation of heaven, and in the meane time, did loſe the poſſeſſion of the earth, as the German Emperours doe daily to theſe Turkes; it may be wiſely: and a m…id laught at her maſter Thales, the great Aſtronomer, who gazing on the Starres on a ſudden fell into a ditch: … thinke juſtly: and the Iew is little pittled, who let goe the helme of the ſhip, which he ſteered at the firſt approach of the Sabbath, and ſo ſuffered ſhipwracke, p. 58for ought I know, deſervedly: For our Converſation muſt he in Heaven indeede; but it is not a Iacobs ſtaffe, but a Iacobs ladder will bring us thither; we muſt behold the heaven, but wee may hold the helme alſo, and guide our courſe the better, as Pilots doe; we may looke to our eſtate, and walke in the labours of our calling with diligence, and if wee doe this with conſcience, every day is ccforeign.a Sabbath, as Clemens ſpeakes: what then is to be done as Baſil in a like caſe? ddforeign.Let not all thy delight befor earth, but minde alſo heaven: ſo here, we muſt not be all for the world, nothing for heaven: Suffer not the world to take up the beſt roomes in the heart, while Christ by that meanes, is ſhuffled into the ſtable: but as the Aethiopian Indges in all their meetings, reſerve the higheſt ſeat empty for Felix domus, ubi de Maria, Martha conqueritur.God: ſo doe you ſeeke the kingdome of Heaven in the firſt place. ^e That houſe is happy, where wordly Martha p. 59complaines of heavenly-minded Mary, ſaith the Father. Happy is that ſoule, which is ſo tempered, that though it run betweene both, yet the by as is alway drawing toward heaven, that abounds ſo much in expreſſions of love that way, that the world may have cauſe to be jealous, and complaine of ſome neglect: that feares not the feare of the worlding, that if he ſhould follow holineſſe toofaſt, he ſhould not be able to live by the trade, like the Athenians, who in the Conſulation, whether they ſhould admit Alexander the Great into their Calender, and Canonize him for a God, which he ſued for; at firſt were very zealous againſt his impious ambition, but were ſoone cold upon the poli…icke ſuggeſtion of a crafty companion, who put them in minde of the power of Alexander, and wiſhed them to conſider, **Ne dum Coelum defendimus, terram amittamus.leſt while they ſtood ſo much for Heaven, they were likely to loſe earth: ſo theſe had p. 60rather forgoe heavenly, than undergoe any hazard af the loſſe of earthly thinga; but the Chriſtian not ſo, but reſolves, Viderit utilitas, let the world looke to that, let the world goe as it will, I will doe according to the command of my Saviour, and build upon his Promiſe; Seeke the Kingdome of God, and all theſe things ſhall he caſt upon you.

Hypocrites, whoſe converſation is betweene heaven and earth: like Eraſmus, as the Papiſts paint him: like the flying Angel in the Revelation; which **In parabolâ ovis, capras ſues quaerunt.in the Parable of the Sheepe, ſeeke out their goates: under the cloake of Religion, Gods Livery which they weare, as though they ſerved him, doe but ſerve their owne turne: like the Eagles which ſoares aloft, not for any love of heaven, her eye is all the while upon the prey, which by this meanes, ſhe ſpies ſooner, and ſeizes upon better: as Thales ſometime contemplated the heaven for p. 61no devotion I wiſt, but to picke ſome gaine out of it, as hee did indeed: for re ading thus much in the volumne of heaven, that there was like to follow a ſcarcity of Olives, he got all that hee could into his hands, and ſo having the monopoly, ſold them at his own price.

Who would not have admired, and honoured him as one ſent from heaven, and **Deo de proximo amicum.Gods neare familiar, or intimate friend, according to the phraſe of Tertullian, who not content to fit in the Temple of God; unleſſe hee were alſo pearcht upon the higheſt pinnacle of the Temple, were not the fetch long ſince tranſparent to the world, that he is mounted ſo high, onelyonly for the love of the ſituation and goodly proſpect, it hath of all the kingdomes of the world, and to bargaine with the devill for them, the Vicar of Chriſt, thought he was not well adviſed to refuſe ſo faire an offer at which his fingers itched: as p. 62Gahazies teeth watered after the Talents and the change of raiment: and I ſuppoſe he would not be troubled to weare the keyes of heaven at his girdle, but that hee hath found that they will open to him the Treaſures of the earth: and wherefore… doth hee ſhrowd himſelfe under the ſhadow of Peter, but as they did, ſometime to heale, and cure diſeaſes? ſo at leaſt to hide, and obſcure the deformitie of his ſwelling pride, and infinite ambition.

They ſay, when Aſtraea (Iuſtice, and Piety ſuppoſe) betooke her ſelfe from the unworthy world to heaven, her veile fell from her, (or maske I know not well whether) the onelyonly relique and monument, the earth can produce ſhe once had her abode among men: and you may remember when Elias was taken up, and rode thether in his Triumphant charriot, his mantle dropt from him, and ſince that, how many have masked under the veile of Piety, and cozen'd p. 63the world with the mantle of Elias, (as the Devill once Saul with Samuels) as though they came from heaven, or were left ſole heires to him: whereas God knowes, they have not the leaſt part of the Spirit of Elias, they are nothing akin unto him: they never came neare heaven, but aſcend out of the earth, as the counterfeit Samuel that cozen'd Saul, the true devill under his mantle.

For what are their letters of credence? but faire ſhewes, good words, cheape ceremonies: pellucidae technae; ſhining and perſpicuous juggling, who cannot ſee thorough theſe trickes? the Iewes obſerve, that the ſecond temple came ſhort of the glory of the firſt in this eſpecially, in ſtead of U…im and Thummim, it had nothing but Bach Col, the daughter of a voyce: and who ſees not the glozing of the tongue, how ſhort it falls of the glory of truth of ſinceritie? when one Alexander gave it out p. 64that he was Herods ſonne, Auguſtus to diſcover the impoſtor, felt his hand, and by his hard rough skinne, eaſily found that there was no gentle blood ran in thoſe veines, no noble ſpirit did be at in that pulſe, he was ſome handycrafts man, he was not his craftſmaſter: and who but blind Iſaac would bleſſe him for the firſt borne of God, the heire of heaven, whoſe voice is indeed ſmooth, the voice of elect Jacob, but his hands are rough with ſinne, the hands of reprobate Eſau?

Theſe Juglers cannot play their trickes ſo cleanly, but they are perceived: they dance in a net, the world ſees their diſſembling, and accounts them but like thoſe Images which you ſee ſometimes underpropping the beames of ſome great building, they ſweat, they ſtoop, and bow under the burden they lay their hands upon their head as it were to eaſe themſelves as though the whole weight p. 65of the roofe lay upon them, like to fall (you may make children perhaps beleeve ſo) if they ſhould remoove never ſo little and not ſupport it: ſo theſe men are ſo buſie, ſo zealous, ſo hot, a man would thinke the Church, the truth, the Goſpel, all religion could not ſtand without them: when indeed they doe no more then theſe Images: like Atlas, whom the Poets feigne (for his skill in Aſtronomy) to beare up the heaven upon his ſhoulders: ſo every one of theſe would make the world beleeve he were a Pillar, an Atlas of the Church: and ſo he is indeede an Atlas, but according to the Anagrammatiſme of his name, foreign, a miſerable prop and pillar of the Church of God.

Miſerable man in truth, whoſe diſſembling, and doubling God ſees, and will one day unmaske to all the world: and canſt thou thinke fooliſh hypocrite to be ſaved by thy booke at that triall: yes, get a p. 66faire Bible, bind it in a Velvet caſe, gild the leaves, make much of it, let all the world take notice of this in the meane time, live as thou liſt without booke; but know that booke is not ſubject to the Orators foreign to bee flattered or bribed with ſuch a ſimple fee, not ſo much as to be ſilent: for though thou thinkeſt to ſtop the mouth for pleading againſt thee with ſuch idle courteſies; and content that it ſhould countenance thee before the people, as Saul would have Samuel, as if it were of this familiar acquaintance, whereas thou keepeſt it ſhut at home, and muzzled for feare it ſhould worry thy darling ſinnes; yet the bookes ſhall be opened one day, and thou ſhalt be judged by that booke and condemned. Or wilt thou hope to take ſanctuary at the Church? yes no doubt, becauſe thou haſt beene diligent there to play the part of a Chriſtian in ſeeming devotion, and mocke p. 67God to his face: becauſe thou haſt cheated the world in the Church with the ſhew of Pietie, that thou mighteſt the better cheat them in thy ſhop, thou art like to ſcape well enough: ſhall I tell you how? Xerxes deſtroyed the Temples of the Grecians, becauſe by building them, they ſeemed to overthrow the infinitneſſe of God, and circumſcribe him within the roofe of a Temple: and God will ſmite thee, thou whited wall, whoſe religion is circumſcribed within the walls of the Church, and goes no farther.

All theſe according to the common ſimilitude of the ferryman, looke one way, and goe another: they looke to heaven when they are going to hell: though their forces, and their footeſteps ſeeme to ſtand toward heaven, yet the divell drawes them to hell, when foreign that wicked one, as the Poets ſay Cacus uſed to draw the Oxen he ſtole, by the tailes backward p. 68into his men, that ſo men being ſet at a nonplus in their ſearch, by this ſophiſtry his theft might remaine undiſcovered.

3.

The third thing propounded, was to ſhew the ſeverall motives which may provoke us to this heavenly converſation.

Firſt, The excellency of heaven.1.

Jacob for the love of Rachel, covenanted to ſerve an apprentiſhip of ſeaven yeares to Laban; and when bleare-eyd Leach was thruſt upon him, he refuſed not her nor ſeaven yeares more, that he might enjoy his beloved Rachel. God hath two daughters, eternall happineſſe the ſairer, but the younger: and ſineere holineſſe the elder indeed, but not ſo lovely; becauſe ſhe is ſomething tender ey'd with the teares of repentance, & the exerciſes of mortification, p. 69which yet wee muſt not refuſe, if we love the other: The beautie indeede of celeſtiall happineſſe like Rachel firſt woves a man to the ſervice of God: but this is the Law of the place, the younger ſiſter cannot be beſtowed in marriage before the elder, a man cannot enjoy beautifull Rachel, unleſſe hee bee content to imbrace bleare-eyd Leah, a man cannot enter the joyes of heaven, till hee have firſt paſſed through the valley of teares, neither is the condition hard: I ſuppoſe Iacob buried all his cares at laſt in the boſome of his beautifull Rachel, and forgot all his labour in her ſweete embraces, as if hee had taſted a cup of Nepenthe, or drunke the whole River of Oblivion.

And how much more ſhall a Chriſtian in heaven? They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſſe of thy houſe, and thou ſhalt make them drinke of the river of thy p. 70pleaſures, or as the old tranſlation hath it aaInebriabuntur in ebrietate domus tuae.they ſhall be drunken with the plentie of thy houſe, upon which Saint Auſtin thus deſcants, bbQuaeſitum verbum, & exquiſitum, inebriabuntur.it is a moſt requiſite, and exquiſite word, they ſhall be drunken with the fatneſſe of thy houſe. I, with this cup the Apoſtles were drunken, and therefore being beaten with rods, they went away from the councell, rejoycing that they were counted worthy to ſuffer for the Name of Chriſt, with this cup were the Hebrewes drunken, and therefore ſuffered the ſpoyling of their goods with joy, expecting a City in the Heavens: with this cup were althe Martyrs drunk, who therefore) as we ſay a drunken man will take no hurt) ran to meet death, kiſſed the ſtake, ſang in the midſt of the flames, and felt no harme, being farre from feare or paine.

Euagrius in Cedrenus bequeathed three hundred pound to the poore in his will, but tooke a bond before hand of Syneſius the p. 71Biſhop for the repayment of this in another life, (according to the promiſe of our Saviour) with an hundred fold advantage; and the very next night after his departure, appearing to him in his ſhape, delivered in the bond cancel'd, as fully diſcharged. Beloved, one day in the preſence of God, one day will make amends abundantly, abundantly for an hundred yeares trouble: you will not aske my bond for this, I know you will take Gods word: but then, according to the Arabick proverbe, ccObſtrue quinque feneſtras, ut luceat domus, et qui ſunt in eâ.ſhut your five windowes, that the houſe and all that are therein may ſhine, conſult not with your ſenſes, with carnall reaſon, which like Sarah laughs at heavenly promiſes, looks onelyonly to earthly poſſibilities: and as the Sunne whoſe riſing diſcovers the Terreſttiall Globe to our ſight, but hides the ſtarres, and the coeleſtiall: but beleeve theſe things, beleeve them firmely, and meditate on them freequently: and as Antaeus p. 72overcome by Hercules, renewed his ſtrength, by falling to the earth: ſo let us quicken our ſelves to an heavenly converſation, when wee finde the world hath dul'd us, by raiſing our mindes to the conſideration of the excellencie of Heaven.

Uanity of the world. Quod hic facio? What do I here, ſaid Monica, Auſtins mother, when ſhe had heard an excellent diſcourſe, of the incomparable joyes of Heaven? What doe wee here ſay I, poring and loſing our time about earthly things, who are invited to heavenly? What doe wee, I will tell you, like the young man at Athens, who fell in love with the Image of aaforeign.Good Fortune, an elegant ſtatue that ſtood in the Senate houſe, and becauſe hee could not obtaine her for his wife of the Senate to whom hee commended his ſute, ſet a crowne, a garland of flowers upon the head of it, and put a rope about p. 73his owne necke, and ſo died: and they are not like to make much the better match, who dote upon the glory of the world, ſcarce a picture, a counterfeit, a ſhadow of true happineſſe.

For what true content can all the world affoord a Chriſtian? They ſay it is not the great Cage, that makes the Bird ſing: I am ſure, it is not the great fortune, the greate eſtate, that brings alway the inward joy, the cordiall contentment: therefore bbQui vult ſecurus gau…ere, i…lo gaudeat, qui non poteſt perire.he who would ſeriouſly rejoyce, let him take comfort in that which will never periſh: many times great eſtates, like the Camels bunch will not ſuffer men to enter the ſtraitegate, no more than that creature can goe through an eye of a needle: and like long garments, a thouſand to one, if they doe not trippe up the heeles, at the leaſt, if they doe not hinder our ſpeede in the race of godlineſſe, whereas a meaner condition makes us ſeeke the way to p. 74heaven, and ſecures us in it: for as we ſee at London, becauſe they are ſtraited for roome, they build more in height; and as ſouldiers are defended in their Tents, by a trench dig'd round about, which is nothing elſe but an hollowneſſe, and want of earth, as Pariſienſis, whoſe compariſon this is: ſo for the moſt part, want of earthly things, puts us upon a neceſſitie of ſeeking heavenly, and withall, is our beſt ſecurity againſt our ſpirituall enemies. Glaſſe keepes out the winde and raine, but lets in the light, and therefore is uſefull in building; and a moderate eſtate is not much unlike it in nature or uſe, and therefore is moſt deſirable, which is neither ſo meane as to expoſe a man to the injuries, nor ſo great, as to exclude a man from the influence of heaven.

His left hand is under my head, and with his right hand, he ſhall embrace me, ſaith the Spouſe of her welbeloved p. 75in the Canticles: and this is the dealing of God with his Church for the moſt part, he beſtowes the bleſſings of the left hand upon her in ſuch a meaſure, as to ſupport her from periſhing with want, or extremity, he holds her up by the other hand to keepe her from drowning: his left hand is under my head: but ſo ſtill, that ſhe may be kept hungry, and longing for the bleſſings of the right hand, and account them the principall.

With his right hand, he ſhall embrace me: and while ſhe is in this ſtate, ſhe is ſo farre from murmuring, that ſhe ſings this as a ſong of triumph: and will be contentented, not troubles her ſelfe about many things, but in the words of Salomon, Uanitie of vanities, all is but vanitie, bids adieu to the vanitie of the world, and as the Father gloſſes upon theſe words, to raile upon them, and chide, and raile them away.

p. 76Dignity of man: They that looke towards the earth onelyonly, are but equivocall men; ^c men in name, but foreign.not in minde, to uſe the words of Chryſostome: for what is there even in our nature which doth not lift us up to God, to Heaven: the frame and fabricke of our bodies ſo upright, that it compels us to tread, to trample upon the earth, to looke up to heaven, and for this purpoſe, Anatomiſts obſerve, that beſide foure muſcles in the eyes, common to us with bruite creatures, there is a peculiar one in mans to lift it upward; the head is therefore round, a fit ſeat for the minde, and withall, that it may be put in minde to thinke upon heaven whence it is, and whereof the figure is a reſemblance: the heart is both a triangle, and a Pyramis, a Triangle, becauſe the world cannot ſatisfie it, no more than a round can fill a Triangle, but there will be empty corners ſtill, onelyonly the bleſſed p. 77Trinity can fill the capacitie of the heart, whoſe Pallace and Chamber of Preſence it ſhould be, according to the Initiall letters of the Latine word COR, which makes Camera Omnipotentis Regis, The Chamber of the Omnipotent Ruler, as ſome have ſeriouſly obſerved, and an inverted Pyramis, narrow below, almoſt ſharpened to a point, that it might touch the earth no more than needs muſt, Tota in puncto, in Ieroms phraſe, the whole ſtands in a narrow point, and broad above to receive the influence of Heaven.

The Rabbins alſo have obſerved, that there be juſt ſo many bones in a mans body, as there be letters in the Decalogue: and juſt ſo many joints and members, as there be dayes in the yeare, teaching us to offer up a double Holocauſt of all our ſtrength, and all our time wholy to God, in the obedience of his commandements:

p. 78And the whole man is Inverſa planta, a tree turned upſide downe, (as the Philoſopher hath noted long agoe) whoſe rootes are towards heaven, from whence it derives all the ſappe and juice of Grace, which makes the branches towards earth flouriſhing, and be fruitfull in good workes: My welldoing extends not unto thee, ſaith the Pſamiſt, but unto the Saints that doe excell in vertue: and therefore to conclude, this in a word (becauſe I know theſe are but alluſions, and aaSymbolica Theologia non eſt argumentativa foreign.Theologicall compariſons are not Syllogiſticall to enforce an argument to prove) is a worke moſt proper, and peculiar to the heavenly Ieruſalem, Plant even Chriſt himſelfe, who is God-man bleſſed for ever in heaven, as Clemens ſpeakes.

And though the fall of man hath defaced the Image of God in him, yet the very reliques of his Nature doe teſtifie, that hee was framed for him, for heaven: for as p. 79the ſtatue of Olympian Iupiter was framed lying all along upon the ground, out of that vaſtneſſe of proportion and ſtature, that any one might eaſily diſcerne that if it were ſet upright, the roofe of the Temple could not conteine it: ſo man, the Image of God, though his fall hath layd him groveling on the earth, yet even ſo we cannot but perceive, that if Grace ſhould pleaſe to raiſe him, there is a royall capacitie in him, for which all the world is too little.

For if nature hath not conferd ſo much dignitie upon man, that he cannot ſtoope to the earth without abaſing himſelfe: I am ſure Grace hath: Chriſt hath redeemed him with his owne blood, and made us Kings and Prieſts to God; and therefore 'tis not amiſſe before we be ſerviceable for the world to put Alexander queſtion to his follower that perſwaded him to runne at the Olympicke p. 80games, Doe Kings uſe to run at the Olympicks? and to follow the inſtruction of the Philoſopher to a Prince, for a direction how hee ſhould carry himſelfe at a banquet, in ſaying no more but this, Remember thou art a Kings ſonne.

Fourthly, brevitie of life: wee reade in Salomons Ephemerides, there is a time to be borne, & a time to dye; the time to live is ſo ſhort as ſome obſerve, that hee skips it over, and vouchſafeth not once to name it: The Philoſopher affirmes, that man is therefore the wiſeſt of all creatures, becauſe hee alone can number, and they note this as an eſſentiall difference betweene them, that Bruta non numerant; brute creatures cannot number; I am ſure this is moſt true of that divine Arithmetick which the Pſalmiſt prayes for, Lord teach us ſo to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts unto wiſedome, then wee may not ſpend our precious time upon trifles: the Italian proverbe p. 81is, he that will lodge well at night, muſt ſet out early and take up his Inne betimes. Beloved we cannot beginne too ſoone to ſet onward upon our journey toward the new Ieruſalem: the Iewes tell of Ben Syra yet a child, that he begged of his maſter to inſtruct him in the Law of God, who defer'd it, and put him off; ſaying, he was to young yet to be entered into divine myſteries: then hee replyed, but maſter, ſaid he, I have beene in the Churchyard, and perceive by the graves which I have laine downe by and meaſured, and finde ſhorter then my ſelfe that many have dyed younger than I am, and what ſhall I doe then? and if I ſhould die before I have learned the Law of God, what would become of me then maſter? The conſideration of our ſhort life ſhould cauſe us to make haſte to learne to know, and ſerve God, and to thinke wee cannot begin to ſtudy that leſſon too p. 82ſoone, that can never be learned too well.

And withall to uſe all ſpeede and diligence, leſt ſo, as Chrildren have uſually torne their books, we have ended our lives, before wee have learned our leſſons: let us therefore tranſlate our care, and greedineſſe from earth to heaven, and as ſome doe cut off their horſes tailes to make their backes ſtronger, and fitter for burden, 'tis the Rabbins compariſon which they apply to liberalitie, ſo let us cut off all ſuperfluous expences of time, that wee may afford to bee more liberall towards neceſſary and noble uſes: leſt if wee let much water goe beſide the mill, wee ſpend much time beſide the maine buſineſſe, as it was obſerved of Demoſthenes, that his breaſt was too ſhort for his periods, ſo wee finde it true in a caſe of the greateſt importance, that the period of our dayes be ended before we come to the period of our deſires, the comfortable p. 83aſſurance of eternall happineſſe.

At leaſt, let us not thinke much to doe as much for heaven as we doe for earth. Percute quâ aratrum, beſtirre thy ſelfe as if thou wert at plough, ſaid a father to his ſonne Glaucus, when he ſaw him overcome by his Antagoniſt at the Olympick games, where hee had forced him to contend in hope of gayning great glory, becauſe he had obſerved great experiments of ſtrength in his ploughing: So may I ſay with the ſame diligence that men uſe in plowing the earrh, if they would imploy it that way, men might purchaſe heaven; why then are we ſo fooliſh to refuſe a motion ſo equall? a bargaine ſo advantageous? why doe wee ſticke to bid a point of Time to buy a Circle, a Crowne of eternitie: eſpecially ſeeing we cannot but know it better then the heathen Philoſopher did, that pronounced all that reſolved it, p. 84**Niſi ad haec admitterer non fuerat operae pretium naſci.Vnleſſe I had beene admitted to partake of theſe, it had beene no great matter to be borne: unleſſe wee get a part of heaven, it was not worth the while for us that wee are borne.

Fourthly, Neceſſitie double of ours times and place.4.

Firſt, Times; for ſend your meditations abroad as Noah did 1.the Dove out of the Arke, and they will finde no place to reſt, but returne and tell you of an univerſall deluge of affliction, which hath well nigh overwhelmed the Church of God, unleſſe as the Duke of Alva told the King of France, who asked him, whether he had obſerved the late great Eclipſe, no ſaid he, I have ſo much to doe upon earth, that I have no leaſure to behold the heaven: ſo wee are ſo buſied in the world, that we thinke not on Gods kingdome, or be ſo rude and barbarous to thinke the ſtate of the Church is nothing to us abroad, while we p. 85at home feele nothing. But what if our ſelves be in more danger, the more ſecure we are? Have we any priviledge above our neighbours? May not God juſtly take away his Goſpel, and his mercies from thoſe that abuſe them? I read it obſerved in the Scriptures, that when the Iſraelites came to eate of the fruites of the land, de frugibus terrae, the Manna ceaſed: aaSi amicus tuus mel fuerit, ne comederis totum.If Hony be thy friend, doe not ſwallow all, ſaith the Arabick proverbe; Let us take heed we abuſe not the gentleneſſe of God toward us, leſt if we grow earthly minded, God take away his heavenly Manna, bbQuò generoſius vinum eò acrius acetum. O foreign.the richer the Wine is, the ſowrer is the Vineger ſaith the German, and ^c if his love hath beene ſo unſpeakeable towards us, his hatred of our lewdneſſe will be infinite like himſelfe, being voyd of limits and bounds, ſaith a father, and how ſhall we prevent our owne danger, or relieve the miſeries of our brethren? When Ieruſalem was taken, p. 86there was heard (they ſay) a voice from heaven, Migremus, Let us depart hence, let us doe ſo, betake our ſelves to God, to Heaven for helpe in theſe dangerous times, an heavenly converſation; leſt Gods judgements ſeaſe upon us, as the Souldier ſlew Archimedes while he was drawing lines in the duſt ſo buſily.

Firſt, Be zealous for Religion.1. ….

A Lacedaemonian woman delivered her ſonne going to the warre his fathers Buckler, with this mothers bleſſing, either let me ſee thee bring ddH foreign.this backe to me my ſonne with life, and victory, or let me ſee thee brought back againe upon this dead with honour: either fight victoriouſly, or die valiantly. The Serpent (ſay they) if he be ſo invironed, that hee muſt of neceſſitle paſſe thorough one of them, will ſooner adventure upon the flame, or fire, then the ſhadow of the Poplar p. 87Tree: Let us reſolve either to live with the Goſpel, or dye for the Goſpel, and the faith of our Fathers, the Buckler that defended them from all dangers: and let us feare more the black ſhaddow of Roman ſuperſtition, then the bright flames of a Marian perſecution.

There is a propheſie reported in Teleſphorus, that Antichriſt ſhall never overcome Venice, nor Paris, nor the royall city of London. But we have a more certaine word, and let us take heed we be not lukewarme in Religion, leſt God ſpue us out of his mouth.

Secondly, be zealous in Religion.

To this end let us then practiſe,

Firſt, Serious repentance, and ſincere reformation.

If the booke of the Law chance to fall upon the ground, the Iewes cuſtome is preſently to proclaime a faſt: why ſhould not wee doe ſo, who have let the Law of God fall to the ground many times, p. 88and trample upon it too by diſobedience: I have heard ſometime that one of the wiſeſt Stateſmen that ever ſate at the ſterne of this Kingdome had this verſe written upon his Study dore.

Anglica Gens est optima flens, & piſſima ridens.

The Engliſh nation is moſt healthfull when it ſwimmes in teares, and more dangerous to fall into a ſickneſſe, when it overflowes with laughter. The truth whereof, our late experience hath confirmed: In the Plague, what ſhewes of devotion? what faire promiſes? but ſome have well obſerved a double fault in our nation concerning the ſtate of their bodies, which may be better applyed to the ſtate of their minds, that the Engliſh are not ſicke ſoone enough, and they are well too ſoone: to correct both which let mee give but one word of advice. Let aaCurrat Poenitentia ne prae currat ſententia.our repentance be ſwift and currant, leſt Gods decree outrun it; and let our p. 89faſts be according to an old Canon, which defines their continuance, even bbUſ que dum ſtellae in Coelo appareant.untill the ſtarres appeare in the Firmament; and let us humble our ſelves betimes before the decree come forth, and let us goe thorough ſtill with the worke when it is begunne, and reſolve with Iacob, I will not let thee goe, untill thou bleſſe me.

Secondly, Let us be ſervent and earnest in Prayer.

The Jewes have a blaſphemous fable, that our Saviour found out the right pronounciation of the name of God, the Tetragrammaton, and that wrought all his miracles; but the right invocation of the name of God will indeede worke miracles; and doe wee thinke much to aske and have?

There was one at Rome offered the booke of the Sibyls to ſale entire and whole: a rare monument, but ſet a round price, which the King would not adventure p. 90upon; then burning the halfe of the bookes, and doubling the price of the whole for the remainder, he made a ſecond offer, and that was alſo refuſed: hee made no more adoe, but burnt againe the halfe of the halfe, and doubled againe the whole price of the whole, and ſo once more he offered the reliques the third time, and then the King at laſt (bethought himſelfe, and) bought.

Beloved, God offers us now his Goſpell, his ſonne, with peace, and proſperity) all bleſſings are as it were let downe from heaven to us in the ſheet which Peter ſaw) and that at no great price, our prayers onelyonly: if wee make nice and dainty to purchaſe theſe bleſſings when the Lord is ſo willing to make ſale, I feare the time will come, when wee would be content to bid teares, and ſweate, and blood, and our very ſoules for the leaſt part of them, and yet may goe without: p. 91Let us pray earneſtly then for our ſelves, for our brethren, let us not thinke much to weepe for them, that bleede for Chriſt. The Iewes have a ſaying, that ſince the deſtruction of the Temple of Ieruſalem, the doores of Prayer have beene ſhut: but the doore of teares was never ſhut; **Filius lacrimarum perire non poteſt.a ſonne of teares cannot periſh. Let us knocke at that doone. Our place and Calling.

It is one of Ieremiahs Lamentations, that they that are brought in ſcarlet, ſhould embrace the dung; and the Lapwing is made an Hieroglyphicke of infelicitie, becauſe it hath as a Coronet upon the head, and yet feedes upon the worſt of excrements: it is a pittifull thing that any child of God redeemed, and waſhed in the blood of Chriſt, ſhould bedable his ſcarlet Robe in the ſtinking puddle of the world: but moſt lamentable it is that the fowles of the heaven, by the inchantments p. 92of the world, ſhould be metamorphoz'd into the beaſts of the earth: that they ſhould degenenerate ſo low, whom God hath advanced ſo high, as to be his Ambaſſadours; and more, to be Kings and Prieſts to him, in a more peculiar manner.

I will be ſanctified in thoſe that come neere Mee, ſaith God himſelfe: eeforeign.The ſoules of prieſts muſt be purer than the Sun-beames, ſaith. Chryſoſtome: when I am lifted up, ſaith our Saviour, I will draw many after me: The Miniſter is not like to draw many thither, unleſſe himſelfe be firſt lifted up to heaven. Let us then leave the plough, as Eliſha did to follow Eliah; leave the nets, as the Diſciples did, to follow our Saviour: caſt off the cares of the world, that we may be free for the Lords Worke. They ſay, Swallowes will lade and clogge their wings with dirt, that with it they may build theis neaſts: and Falconers doe this with their p. 93Hawkes, ſometime clippe… their wings (Ierre in the phraſe) to impe out their traines: I wiſh many did not ſo ſpend their excellent wits and parts, which as with wings they might flie to heaven, by doing Gods faithfull ſervice in his Church, to nothing but that they may heape thicke clay together, and ſit warme in their neſts at home, or goe ſooping in a ſilken coat, and Ruffe, with a goodly traine after them in the ſtreete: they doe not remember, it ſeemes, that the Peacocke hath the more painted plumes, gayer traine, and yet the Eagle is the Queene of Birds, they ſay, becauſe ſhee flies neareſt heaven.

Divines contend earneſtly that bbDecimae debentur jure divino.Tythes are due by the Law of God, and I blame them not, but then methinks, they ſhould not contend ſo earneſtly, that the ccSabbatum obſervatur jure humano.Sabbath is obſerved by the law of man, leſt the world thinke they play faſt and p. 94looſe; faſt for themſelves, and looſe for God, when they would have the people tyed to their pay, and would not themſelves be tyed to their paines: ddforeign.to muzzle the truth in ſilence, is to bury gold under ground, is moſt true in our caſe, and a fearefull crime you know it is in the Parable, to bury the Lords Talent in a Napkin: it is our duty eePlantare verbis, rigare lacrimis, alere exemplis.to plant with Instruction, to water with teares of Repentance, and nouriſh by Examples, as Auſtin excellently, to preach in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon: Inveniat me ſtantem Chriſtus, & praedicantem, ſaid a worthy Biſhop of ours, I pray God, that when Chriſt comes to judgement, he may find me ſtanding, and preaching. Beatus ſervus, Bleſſed is the ſervant, whom his maſter when he comes, ſhall finde ſo doing.

Let us then draw others to heaven by diligence in preaching, and goe to heaven by holineſſe of life: methinkes, Auſtin is affectuall ffSurgunt indocti, & coelum rapiunt, & nos cum doctrinâ, &c.the p. 95unlearned ariſe, and take heaven by violence: and ſhall wee periſh with all our Learning? who if we ſeeke not heaven in the firſt place, are like of all other to lie loweſt in Hell.

But better I goe like a Candle, ſo that I leave a ſweete farewell, though all you burne day-light: I will rather therefore put my ſelfe upon your wiſedome, and end haſtily, then preſume upon your patience, and not ſeaſonably.

FINIS.

THE NATVRALL MANS CONDITION.

OR, THE ENMITY OF THE NATVRALL MAN TO GOD.

AND THE ENMITY OF GOD To the Naturall Man.

By IOHN STOVGHTON, Doctor in Divinitie, and Late Preacher of Gods Word in Aldermanbury LONDON.

Printed at London by T. G. for John Bellamie, and Ralph Smith, and are to be ſold at the three Golden Lyons neere the Royall Exchange. 1640