The Saints Sure and Perpetual Guide, Appendix

The Saints Sure and Perpetual Guide · Appendix

p. 189AN APPENDIX OR ADDITION to this Treatiſe of the WORD.

PROV. 13. 13.

He that deſpiſeth the Word, ſhall be deſtroyed.

BY the occaſion of which words, let our Chriſtian meditations be a little faſtened upon the greatneſſe of the ſinne of contemning and deſpiſing of the Word. My meaning is, not to handle it as a Text, but onelyonly to take a hint, to begin to lay downe the danger of this epidemicall and ordinarie diſeaſe, that ſo exceedingly ſpreads in theſe dayes; and then to adde ſome meanes and directions, to make us to be preparedly and profitably converſant about ſo great an Ordinance as the hearing of the Word.

WE of this Land (let us now open our eyes to ſee it) have certainely moſt fearefully and curſedly ſinned againſt God, and provoked his fierce wrath againſt us, by p. 190contempt of his holy Word; by ſhutting our eyes againſt the heavenly Light of the Goſpel, which hath beene brought amongſt us; by not prizing the Miniſterie which we have now enjoyed a long time, nor profiting by it: nay, by wicked oppoſing it, with ſecret perſecution at the leaſt, and cruell mockings.

In the firſt place, conſider the crie of this ſinne, and the curſes it brings, from ſuch places as theſe.

Firſt,1 Iſa. 29. 11. and both before, and after: And the viſion of all (ſaith the Prophet) is become unto you as the words of a Booke that is ſealed, &c. So may I juſtly ſay: All the viſions, revelations, diſcoveries of the myſterie of Chriſt, opening of all Gods counſels; all the expoſitions, interpretations, applications of the Miniſtery of moſt places, have beene unto the moſt of us; a fearefull thing I ſpeake, but moſt true, and to be lamented with teares of bloud; as the words of a Booke that is ſealed, which they deliver to one that can reade, ſaying, Reade this, I pray thee: Then ſhall he ſay, I cannot; for it is ſealed. And the Booke is given to him that cannot reade, ſaying, Reade this, I pray thee: and he ſhall ſay, I cannot reade. That is, all the Sermons they ſhall heare, and all the heavenly Meſſages are brought them from God, ſhall be as a ſealed Booke to a learned man, or an open Booke unto an Ideot. They ſhall ſtare in the face of the Miniſter, when he is clearely unfolding the great myſterie of godlineſſe, and ſhall not be able to underſtand him; they ſhall have their owne Conſcience unript to the quicke, p. 191by the power of the Word, and ſhall not perceive it; they ſhall have their ſweet ſinne diſcovered, and damned unto the pit of Hell, by evident and unanſwerable demonſtration out of the Booke of God, and yet have no power to leave it: For the viſion of the Prophets (ſaith the Prophet in the forecited Chapter) is become unto them as the words of a Booke ſealed up. And therefore, all the Doctrine of ſalvation, though it drop upon them as the raine, and ſtill as the deaw, ſhall be but unto their hearts as unto the hardeſt rockes; all holy admonitions and reproofes, as arrowes ſhot againſt a ſtone-wall; all ſacred Leſſons offered and urged upon their Conſciences, be as a Seale ſtampt upon water, which receives no impreſſion. O moſt wofull and fearefull eſtate!

Secondly,2 Iſa. 28. 9. Whom ſhall he teach knowledge, &c. This is not as many underſtand it, That people muſt have a little by little preached unto them, but it is a curſe upon them. As if he ſhould ſay: They are nothing fitter to the diſcipline of the knowledge of God, than infants newly weaned, to receive any inſtruction. For Precept muſt be upon Precept, &c. Verſ. 10. As if he ſhould ſay: They muſt be taught as little children, a little at once, and have oft repeated over and over; and yet they can learne nothing to doe them good, chiefely concerning their repentance, and eſcaping Gods Iudgements: I would to God it were not too evident, by long and dolefull experience; That our Miniſterie hath done leſſe good amongſt the elder ſort, and men of much worldly wiſedome, for p. 192bringing them to any ſound and comfortable knowledge in Gods Word, than amongſt little children.

Thirdly,3 Ezech. 33. 30, 31, 32, 33. And loe, thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleaſant voice, &c. And is it not ſo with us? That even to ſome that ſeeme to be friends, and to delight in the Miniſterie, the Word is become as if it had loſt all power to turne them from their ſinne, to the holy way; from plauſible formalitie, to ſaving forwardneſſe. Heare a Character of them, Iſa. 58. 2. Yet they ſeeke me dayly, and delight to know my wayes, as a Nation that did righteouſneſſe, and forſooke not the Ordinance of their God: they aske of me the Ordinances of Iustice, they take delight in approaching to God. They may heare the Word gladly, as Herod did, and perhaps obſerve the Meſſenger, &c. but they will not ſtirre an ynch further from ſinne, and neerer to God: ſay what he will, let him preach out his heart, they will ſtill hugge their boſome-ſinne, and hold exactly their heartleſſe formes and formall faſhions in Religion, after five thouſand Sermons: They are all unto them, as a lovely Song of one that hath a ſweet voice; and leave no more impreſſion upon their Conſciences, than a pleaſant Leſſon upon the Lute, upon the eare, when it is ended.

Fourthly,4 Ier. 23. 33. And when this people, or a Prophet, or a Priest ſhall aske thee, ſaying, What is the burthen of the Lord? &c. Nay, hath not the curſed ſinne of loathing this heavenly Manna, beene found among us? Hath not our much Preaching p. 193beene accounted a burthen, a weariſomeneſſe, and a trouble? yea, as here it was once unto the Iewes; a matter of ſcorne, and reproach? The Lord complaines grievouſly, in the quoted place, of this ſinne; how they tooke up this cuſtome amongſt them, concerning the faithfull preaching of all the true Prophets, to aske ſcoffingly; What is the burthen of the Lord? Thus making a ſcorne of all the right diſcoverie of their ſinnes, and the ſound denunciation of Gods Iudgement, calling it by the name of a Burthen; the Lord chargeth them moſt ſeverely, that they ſhould not uſe that diſdainefull ſpeech any more. Hee tells them, how that they had perverted and abuſed the holy Word of the ever-living God, the Lord of Hoaſts: and withall directs them, what phraſe of ſpeech they ſhould uſe, when they ſpeake of his Word ſent unto them by his true Prophets; That thus each ſhould demand, in reverence of his Majeſtie: What hath the Lord anſwered; or, What hath the Lord ſpoken? And to leave off thoſe reproachfull taunting tearmes, What is the burthen of the Lord? Or otherwiſe, hee would ſurely be avenged of them for this ſinne; as we may ſee in the denunciation following.

Fifthly,5 Ier. 7. 4, 8, 9, 10, 11. Trust not in lying words, ſaying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, &c. They reſted upon the outward formes of Gods worſhip, without reformation. It is juſt our caſe. Many amongſt us ſatisfie themſelves, and thinke it will ſerve the turne for ſalvation, if they reſt upon the Sabbath, heare the p. 194Word, receive the Sacrament, and conforme to the outward exerciſes of Religion; though they abide in their ſinnes, and have no acquaintance at all with the power of the Word, the Myſterie of Chriſt, converſion to God, or holy converſation.

Sixtly,6 Iſa. 6. 9, 10. Goe tell this people; Heare yee indeed, but underſtand not; ſee yee indeed, but perceive not: make the heart of this people fat, and make their eares heavie, and ſhut their eyes, lest &c. Oh, this is heavie, that a Miniſter ſhould be ſent to a further hardening of a people! And yet it is juſt with God, and they ſhall feele it on their Bed of Death. The Theefe on the Croſſe was converted with a piece of a Sermon, they are not wrought upon after many yeeres: therefore it is juſt with God, as an act of judgement, becauſe they would not come in, after ſo long a time, to give them over to ſuch judiciall hardneſſe.

Conſider theſe things, and tremble all yee that have any wayes ſtrucke at the face of Chriſt, by contempt of his Miniſterie. For the humbling of your ſoules into the duſt, for this horrible ſinne; peruſe in bleeding hearts, in ſecret, that blacke and bloudie Catalogue of fearefull provocations, which are ordinarily to be found in, and certainely ſet upon the Score of ſuch as hate to be reformed under a conſcionable Miniſterie. Which made Chriſt ſay, Ioh. 15. 22. If I had not come and ſpoken unto them, &c.

1 Deſpiſing it; ſhutting their eyes againſt that glorious Light,1 erected in their faces, to p. 195leade them to Heaven. See Math. 10. 14. Whoſoever ſhall not receive you, nor heare your words, when yee depart out of that houſe, or Citie, ſhake off the dust of your feet.

Here is a notable place, to affright all thoſe that are unworthie partakers of the Miniſterie. For the underſtanding whereof, take notice of theſe five points.

1 It is as if they ſhould ſay; Here I have gone a long journey, and have contracted duſt and ſand by my travell, and taken a great deale of paines; and loe, here I ſhake off this duſt, in witneſſe, that you had Chriſt offered you, and you would not accept him.

2 To intimate unto them; I care not for any of you, or yours, but onelyonly I ſeeke the good of your ſoules, I reſpect not ſo much as the duſt; I prize more the converſion of any of your ſoules, than all yours: and this duſt ſhall witneſſe it.

3 They ſhooke off the duſt, as a witneſſe: I will have nothing to doe with this Citie; for I know, the Plagues and Iudgements of God will ſeize on this place, as it was with Sodome and Gomorrah; I will have no communion and ſocietie with theſe wicked people.

4 They did ſhake off the duſt, to intimate that deſtruction ſhould come upon them. For it is ſaid, Pſalme 1. That they ſhould be driven away as the duſt: As that is ſhaken with the winde, ſo ſhall they be with the wrath of God.

p. 1965 In teſtimonie and witneſſe againſt them: This very duſt ſhall be witneſſe againſt them. Doe you thinke then, that their Sermons and Catechiſing ſhall not? If the duſt that they gathered by their paines, will be witneſſe; what will all their Sermons, and praying, and ſuch paines be? Now this ſinne of deſpiſing the Word, is a ſinne above that of Sodome, Verſ. 15. Verily, it ſhall be more eaſie for Sodome and Gomorrah, in the Day of Iudgement, than for that Citie.

22 Murmuring againſt it, Iob. 6. 41. Luk. 15. 2.

3 Cavilling againſt it,3 Act. 13. 45.

4 Contemning it,4 Ier. 44. 16. Act. 17. 18. What will this Babbler ſay? They accounted Pauls precious preaching, vaine babbling.

5 Mocking and ſcorning it,5 2 Chron. 36. 16. Act. 2. 13.

6 Perſecuting it,6 Math. 10. 23. And ſo they become like mad Dogges throwne into a River, or tyed up in a Chaine, which doe ſnarle at, bite, and teare thoſe that put out their hands to helpe, and ſet them free; fearing, they come to torture and to trouble them more. Iuſt ſo it is with many prophane wretches, which lye drowned in ſinne, and chained in Sathans fetters: If a man put out his hand, by the Miniſterie of the Word, to ſave them from ſinking into Damnation, and to free them from the Snares of everlaſting death; they rage and rayle, they barke and bite like mad Dogges, holding themſelves to be diſquieted, diſgraced, and tormented before their time.

p. 197Thus you have ſeene the ſixe Curſes, and the ſixe Sinnes, that the not profiting by the Word doth bring upon a people.

2 Now,2 in the ſecond place, let me tender to your moſt ſerious thoughts ſome quickening Motives, for the ſtirring of you up to profit by the Word.

1 Some taken from the Word it ſelfe,1 the Miniſterie whereof you have ſlighted.

What then is the bleſſed thing you have ſo wickedly abuſed? It is,

1 The Word of Salvation, Act. 13. 26. No other Word, or created Power, can ſave your ſoules from Hell.

2 The Word of Truth, Eph. 1. 13. There is error in all other Truths, whether Naturall, or Morall, or Politicall: and goe to any Art, there is weakeneſſe and infirmitie in the braine of man, that there can be no certaintie; but here is all Truth, and here is infallibilitie, you need not doubt of any.

3 It is called the Word of Life, Phil. 2. 16. All other Learning whatſoever, when it hath furniſhed you with ornaments and parts, it leaves your ſoules ſtarke dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes. But this is a Word of Life, it inſpires ſpirituall Life, and brings eternall Life.

4 It is called a Word of Reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Let the Sea runne nothing but Gold, and let Heaven and Earth be turned into Gold and Silver, and offered unto God, it could not reconcile us. If all the creatures would loſe their being, p. 198be annihilated, and come to nothing; yet this could not ſave Iudas, or any one reprobate: but the Word hath beene a bleſſed inſtrument, for reconciling many ſoules to God.

5 It is,Quid autem eſt Scriptura ſacra, niſi quaedam Epiſtola Omnipotentis Dei ad Creaturam ſuam? Greg. Epiſt. lib. 4. Epiſt. 84. as it were, an Epiſtle or Letter (as one of the Fathers calls it) written from God Almightie unto us miſerable men; wherein hee writes his Will and Word, and ſends it to us: the Miniſters are the readers of it, and they bring the newes from Heaven. And what is the matter of it? Concerning eternall life, or eternall death, concerning the good of your ſoules. Now, if you had a private Letter come from the King, concerning your advancement, or your deliverance and forgiveneſſe for ſome dangerous Treaſon, or both; how would you take this Letter, and how often would you reade it, with what willingneſſe of affection? Now, here is an Epiſtle ſent from Heaven, to adviſe you, that you are all Traitors and Rebels againſt Heaven, and yet here in this Letter, God offers the bloud of his Sonne, and you may be reconciled: and will you neglect it? This is the matter of this Epiſtle; it brings matter of deliverance from the greateſt Curſe that can befall the creature, and the greateſt advancement.

6 It is the bottomeleſſe Treaſurie of all high, ſweet, and excellenteſt things: The Myſterie of the Trinitie, the Majeſtie of God, the Love of God, and of Chriſt; this ſufferings, the Spirits workings, the happineſſe of the Saints, and the glory of Heaven, &c.

p. 1997 It muſt be our Iudge at the laſt day, Ioh. 12. 48. Every honeſt Sermon, is but the Word of God unfolded; and a bunch of Arrowes wrapped up, and unfolded, are all one.

8 It onelyonly can cure a wounded Conſcience, the greateſt calamitie that ever the heart of man was acquainted with; and that which no Arme of fleſh, or created Power, no man or Angel, can eaſe at all.

9 In it onelyonly are to be had Deeds and Evidences, to ſhew for eternall Life; and Acquittances, for diſcharge from eternall Death.

10 It hath ſaved all the ſoules that are in Heaven, Rom. 10. 13.

11 It onelyonly is the object of divine and infuſed Faith.Muſcul. in Ma…. p. 365. Humane teſtimonies and authorities beget onelyonly humane Faith: Therefore you muſt reverence this Word.

2 Some Motives taken from the moſt fearefull and curſed eſtate of thoſe who neglect and reject the Miniſterie of the Word,2 hating to be reformed by it. Marke and take to heart thine unſpeakable miſerie, whoſoever thou art, that deſpiſeſt the Miniſterie: Take a taſte of it, in theſe paſſages.

1 They are deprived by this meanes of the love and favour of God, the onelyonly fountaine of all comfort, peace, and glory; which is infinitely the deareſt and moſt unvaluable loſſe, that can be imagined.

2 Of their part and portion in the bloud of Chriſt; one drop whereof, is incomparably more p. 200worth than Heaven and Earth, men and Angels, or the creatures of a thouſand Worlds.

3 Of the fatherly protection, care, and providence of the bleſſed Trinitie, the glorious guard of Angels, the comfortable communion of the bleſſed Saints, and all the ſweet contentments that follow thence.

4 Of the quiet joy and tranquilitie of a good Conſcience; a Iewell farre more worth than the whole World, were it all turned into one unvaluable Pearle of unvaluable price: and of all the heavenly illuminations, cheriſhments, and comforts, wherewith the Holy-Ghoſt is wont to viſit and refreſh the hearts of holy men.

5 Of the ſweet peace and true contentment in this life, and of all comfortable right and religious intereſt to any of the creatures: For, without a good Conſcience, there was never found joy in any mans heart, or ſanctified enjoyment of any thing in the World; and never ſhall any man have a good Conſcience, that gives allowance to any Luſt, or lives delightfully in any ſinne.

6 Of a Crowne of Life, the unſpeakable joyes of Heaven, that immeaſurable and endleſſe comfort that there ſhall be had with all the children of God, Patriarkes, Prophets, Apoſtles, Martyrs, all our Chriſtian acquaintance; yea, with the Lord himſelfe, and all Angels, with Chriſt our Saviour and Lambe, ſlaine for us; the Prince of Glory; yea, the Glory of Heaven and Earth, and brightneſſe of the everlaſting Light, &c.

p. 201To theſe privative conſequents, adde a ſerious conſideration upon thoſe terrible flaming places; Deut. 29. 19, 20. Prov. 1. 23, 24. Iſa. 6. 9, 10. 1 Sam. 2. 25. Act. 13. 46.

By continuing thy contempt, and rejecting the Light of the Goſpel, thou mayeſt come, thou knoweſt not how ſoone, to ſinne againſt the Holy-Ghoſt, as the Phariſes did, Math. 12. 24, 31.

For ſinne againſt the Holy-Ghoſt may be committed as well,

1 By thoſe, who although they doe acknowledge and confeſſe the Truth, which they doe blaſpheme; yet they have not yet profeſſed it, or given up their names to it, as were thoſe Scribes and Phariſes: and there are many ſuch in theſe dayes, who have not as yet given their name to the Truth, which yet notwithſtanding being well knowne and acknowledged, they doe blaſpheme.

2 As thoſe, who have not only acknowledged in themſelves the Truth that they blaſpheme, but have profeſſed the ſame before others, that are the favourers of Truth; as Iulian, Porphyrius, Alexander the Copper-ſmith, and many others: of which, you may ſee Heb. 6. & 10. So, many amongſt us at this day.

3 Some taken from the ſurvey of thoſe judgements,3 which contempt of the Miniſterie may bring upon the place where it is planted.

1 It may remove the Candlesticke, and be plagued with the utter loſſe of the Miniſterie. Conſider, Math. 8. 34. & 10. 13. & 21. 41.

p. 2022 They may have Prophets, but ſuch as are fooles; they may have men of the Spirit, but thoſe that be mad, Hoſ. 9. 7. By a foole, is meant not a naturall, but ſpirituall foole, Prov. 1. 8. Ier. 4. 22. Iſa. 5. 20. By mad, is underſtood not a man out of his wit, or diſtracted in minde, but he that like a mad Dogge rageth and rayleth againſt the Truth of God, and ſinceritie of his Saints; which is a great judgement.

3 They may enjoy faithfull Teachers, but to their further hardening, as the Iſraelites did Iſaiah, Iſa. 6. 9, 10. Which of all other judgements that God can inflict in this life, is the moſt fearefull.

4 By this meanes, they may make ſad the heart and affections of their Teachers, that they cannot with that chearefulneſſe as they deſire, performe the offices of their Miniſterie: Which as it diſcourageth the Teachers, (and will one day light heavie on the cauſers and procurers thereof) ſo it is unprofitable for the hearers, and deprives them of much good they might otherwiſe enjoy; as appeares, Heb. 13. 17.

4 Some from conſideration of thoſe confuſions and deſolations,4 which it pulls with great violence even upon whole Kingdomes. Looke upon ſuch places as theſe: 2 Chron. 36. 16, 17, &c. Ier. 25. 3. &c. & Cap. 35. 15. Rev. 6. 4. &c.

The glorious Light of thoſe ſeven Candleſtickes in Aſia, mentioned in the Revelations, was long ſince, for their unfruitfulneſſe, coldneſſe, and contempt of the Word, turned into the darke p. 203Midnight of Hereſie, Apoſtaſie, and Mahometiſme. Rome, that was anciently the glory of the Weſterne Churches, lyes now drowned in Superſtition, ſoaking in damnable Idolatry, and plunged over head and eares in the Doctrine of Devils. Many ſtrong and noble Limbes of the reformed Churches in high Germanie have lyen for ſome yeeres in their teares of bloud, groaning under the mercileſſe tyrannie of the bloudie Antichriſtians, and have wofully received the marke of the Beast againe. Now aſſuredly, it was the loathing the heavenly Manna, which made the Lord to utter his Voice before the Armie of the enemies at Prague,Joel 2. 11.Joel 2:11 and other places. It was their ſpirituall coldneſſe, which ſharpened the Papiſts ſwords againſt them: It was their not entertaining the Truth, with the love and power of it, which gave the Imperialliſts power over them.

3 In a third place, take ſome helpes and remedies,3 to become profitable hearers and ſaving proficients by the Miniſterie your enjoy; which hath thus long beene (it is a reproachfull and rufull thing I ſpeake) the ſavour of death unto death unto the moſt.

1 Be perſwaded to beleeve and obey the bleſſed Commandement of our Saviour himſelfe,1 Math. 6. 32. Seeke ye first the Kingdome of God, and the righteouſneſſe thereof, in the firſt place; and all other things ſhall be added to you. To which bee quickened, by conſidering,

1 To what end wee came into this World. p. 204What a wofull and bewitched people are they, who being reaſonable creatures, having an underſtanding Light, like the Angels of God; having eyes in their heads, to fore-ſee the wrath that is to come; hearts in their bodies, that can tremble as the leaves of the Foreſt, which are ſhaken with the winde; Conſciences, that are capable of unſpeakable horror; bodies and ſoules, which can burne in Hell for ever: and yet ſome have lived twentie, ſome thirtie, ſome fortie, ſome ſixtie yeeres; and yet to this day, have not learnt one ſound ſpirituall Leſſon, for the true good of their ſoules, either out of the Booke of God, the Booke of Nature, the Workes of God, or any other way? Why, to what end doe you thinke were you created, and put into this World? To eate, and drinke, and ſleepe; to lye, and ſweare, and root in the Earth; to Dice and Card,See Whately, pag. 123. and goe in the Faſhion; to contemne the Miniſterie; ſhamefully to belye, ſlander, and rayle upon Gods people, as too preciſe; to die, and then not to be damned? Aſſuredly, thou waſt not borne, and placed upon the Earth, for to ſerve thine owne turne, to pleaſe thine owne heart, to follow thine owne wayes, to live for a while like a Beaſt in ſenſuall contentments, and then to goe to Hell. Certainely, thou waſt ſent into this World for ſome other end, for ſome greater buſineſſe and important affaire; even for that One neceſsarie thing, Luke 10. 42. to know, ſerve, and obey thy God, and to ſave that precious Soule of thine in the Day of Chriſt; to ſeeke firſt the Kingdome of Heaven, to know and feele the vertue p. 205of Chriſts death and reſurrection. This, I ſay, is that One neceſsarie thing: All other things are but reſpectively neceſſarie, ſo farre as they further this end; ought onelyonly to be ſubordinate, and contributorie; nay, to be accounted but droſſe and dung, to this, Phil. 3. 10.

2 Conſider,See my Booke of walking with God, pag. 158. that upon this moment depends eternitie.

3 What is a man profited, if he ſhall gaine the whole World,See Chryſoſtome upō the place. and loſe his owne ſoule? Math. 16. 26.

4 The difference of the life and death of the Chriſtian and Carnalliſt.About which, ſee Chryſ. tom. 5. ſerm. contra Gulam, p. 828, 829.

2 Take the counſell of the holy Apoſtle, Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly,2 &c.

1 By hearing it in ſeaſon, 1 See Auſtin. conf. lib. 6. pag. 16….and out of ſeaſon, 2 Tim. 4. 2. Preachers and hearers, are relatives. Chriſtian hearers in ancient times heard their Paſtours day after day.

(1)aaQuoniam heſterno die de latrone ſecimus. mentionem, &c. Ambroſ. de ſancto latrone, ſerm. 44. Becauſe yesterday wee made mention of the Theefe, &c. ſaith Ambroſe. Which implyes his preaching the day before.

(2)bbQui heſterno d…e affuiſtis, &c. Auguſt. in Pſ. 33. Conc. 2.Ps 33 You that were here yesterday, &c. Which implyes his preaching the day before. In another place: ccQuouſque heſterno die diſputatum fit, credo meminiſſe charitatem veſtram, ex ipſo loco hodie ſumamus exordium. Idem in Pſal 34 Conc. 2.Ps 34I ſuppoſe, you remember how farre me diſcourſed yeſterday: from that very place, let us to day begin. Elſewhere he ſaith: ddƲnde hesterno die multum locuti ſumus. Idem Expoſ. in Johan. pag 12.From whence we ſpake much yeſterday. Againe; eeHeſtern… die perveneramus autem uſque ad iſtum verſum, &c. Idem in Pſal. 48. Conc. 2.Ps 48Yeſterday we came even to that Verſe, &c.ffHeſternus ſirmo protractus, &c. Idem in Pſal. 58. Conc. 2.Ps 58 Yeſterdayes Sermon was protracted, &c. p. 206ggPoſterior pars Pſalmi, de quo heſterna die locuti ſumus, &c. Idem in Pſal. 78. Conc. 2.Ps 78The latter part of the Pſalme, of which wee ſpake yesterday, &c.hhHeſterno die Pſal. brevior tractabatur, &c. Idem in Pſal. 142.Ps 142 Yesterday a ſhorter Pſalme was handled.

(3)iiPrimùm igitur perſuadeamus, ut iuramentorum fuga in melius mutationem faciat: etſi enun hert & nudius tertius de hāc vobis locutus ſum ma…eriâ, neque tamen bodie deſiſtam, neque cras, neque perendie, eadem perſuadere. Chryſoſt. ad Pop. Antioch. Hom. 5. First therefore let us perſwade you, that you would amend and abandon your Oathes: For although I ſpake of the ſame matter yesterday, and the day before that; yet notwithſtanding, I will not ceaſe to day, nor to morrow, nor the day after that, to perſwade the ſame things. Whence it appeares, that hee preached the day before, and the day before that; and would preach the day following, and the day after that.

(4)kkMovent me quide…s (fratres) ad hunc ſermonem vespertina ſpectacula, &c. Bafil the great, Serm. in ebriet. & luxum, quibu… die Paſchae populum affectum …idit, pag. 331. Yesterdayes ſight (Brethren) provoked me to this Sermon, &c. This Sermon was made upon Eaſter Monday; and no doubt, he had preached on Eaſter day.

(5)llHeſterno die &c. bodie de Baptiſmo ac beneficio inde ad nos promanante, breviter diſseremus. He…ternâ luce nos oratio praeterfluxit, tum qui… tempus urgebat, tum ne fastidium ſatietatemque ſermonis prolixitas pareret. Sermonis quippe ſatietas non minus auribus inimica est, quam cibus immodicus corpori. Nazianzen. Tom. 2. Orat. 40. in ſanctum Baptiſma, pag. 614. Yesterday, &c. To day wee will diſcourſe briefely of Baptiſme, and the benefits that flow from thence to us: Although yesterday our ſpeech did flow more hastily from us, both becauſe the time did urge, as alſo least length of ſpeech ſhould beget diſdaine and ſatietie:See him in Math. 15. Hom. 53. pag. 304. at *Matt 15 for the ſatietie of ſpeech is no leſſe an enemie to the eares, than too much meate is to the body. Theſe Orations were divine, and as Sermons; and this was made on the day immediately after an holy-day. The Greeke Church at that time celebrated the day of Chriſts Baptiſme.

p. 207(6)mmSi meministis heſterno ſermone, &c. Bernard. in Pſal. Qui habitat. &c. Serm. 12. pag. 546. If you remember, in yesterdayes Sermon, &c. Chryſostome in his tenth Homily upon Geneſis, expoſtulating with his people, becauſe they were ſo few, tells them, That every houre of the day is ſeaſonable to heare a Sermon; nay, the very night is not unſeaſonable, for ſuch a purpoſe: urging for proofe thereof, the place I preſt before, 2 Tim. 4. 2. and Pauls practice, Act. 20. preaching untill midnight. Theſe are his words. nnQuidnam ſibi vult, quod minor eſt hodiè veſt…r conventus & infrequens theatrum eorum qui ad nos confluunt? Non enim ut humanae res, ita & ſpirituales ad definita tempora diſtinctae ſunt. Sermoni ſpirituali omne diei tempus idoneum fuerit. Et quid dico diei tempus? Neque ſi nox ingruat, ſpirituali doctrinae praeiudicat. Propterea & Timotheo Paulus ſcribens diccebat, Inſta tempeſtivè, intempeſtivè, &c. Et iterum audi beatum Lucam, dicentem: Diſceſſurus craſtino Paulus, &c. Sermonem produxit ad mediam noctem. Num tempus obfuit, dic quaeſo? Num propt…reà doctrinae ſermo impeditus?What meanes it, that there is a leſſe aſsembly of you to day, and not ſo frequent a multitude of thoſe, who flocke to us? For it is not ſo with ſpirituall things as with humane, which are divided to determined times: Every time of the day is fit for a ſpirituall Sermon. And what doe I ſay, the day time? yea, if the night ſhould come upon us, it doth not prejudice or hinder ſpirituall teaching. For both Paul writing to Timothy, ſaid: Be inſtant in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, &c. And againe, heare bleſsed S. Luke, ſaying: Paul being about to depart on the morrow, prolonged his Sermon to the middle of the night. Tell mee, I pray thee, did the time hinder? Was therefore his word of Doctrine hindered?

Austin ſometimes preached thrice upon the ſame day. ooNon miremini, fratres chariſſimi, ſi bodiè … ſermonem, Deo au…iliante perſocero. Accidit bodiè terribitis caſus, &c. Tom. 10. part. 2. ad fratres in Eremo, Serm. 33.Doe not wonder, deare Brethren, if I have preached thrice to day, God aſſisting me: There hath happened to day a fearefull chance, &c.

p. 208Chryſostome in the Evening, as we may ſee in his eleventh Homily upon 1 Theſſ.Quemadmodum ſiquis lucis huius lychnaeo aquam inspergeret, aut oleum duntaxat eximeret, lucem extingueret: Ita habet & donum Spiritus. 5. ſaith hee: Even as, if any one ſhould cast water on the wicke of this Candle, or ſhould onelyonly take away the Oyle, hee would put out the Light; ſo is it with the gift of the Spirit. He tooke his example from the Lampe that burnt by him when he was preaching, and ſayes; You may quench this Lampe, by putting in water; and you may quench it, by taking out the Oyle.

And great Baſil alſo the like. Facta est igitur veſpera, inquit, & factum eſt mane, dies unus. Sed hi nostri de illâ vesp…râ ſermones ab hâc vespera iam occu…ati, hic orationi noſtra finem imponunt. Hexam. H…m. 2. ad finem.The Evening and the Morning (ſaith he) is made one Day. But theſe our Sermons concerning that Evening, now begun from this Evening, doe here put an end to our words.

Chryſostome almoſt in all his Homilies upon Geneſis, ſaith in the beginning of his Sermon: Heri, &c. Yesterday I handled this or that, or the like. See 1. Hom. 7. 2. Hom. 14. 3. Hom. 17. 4. Hom. 18. 5. Hom. 24. 6. Hom. 27. 7. Hom. 28. 8. Hom. 31. 9. Hom. 34. 10. Hom. 40. 11. Hom. 44. 12. Hom. 46. 12. Hom. 48. 13. Hom. 52. 14. Hom. 53. 15. Hom. 54. 16. Hom. 55. 17. Hom. 56. 18. Hom. 57. 19. Hom. 58. 20. Hom. 59. 21. Hom. 63. 22. Hom. 65.

Austin preached twice a day.See Conc. 2. in Pſal. 88.Ps 88

Object. Except perhaps they preached every day onelyonly in Lent, &c. or beſides the Lords day, but onelyonly upon holy-dayes, and their Eves.

Anſw. Heare Chryſostome ſpeaking generally. **Vnde Epiſcopū neceſſe eſt in fingulos ut ſic dicam dies ſementem facere, ut ipſa ſaltē aſſuetudine doctrinae, ſermonē auditorum animi retinere poſſint. De Sacerd. l. 6.It is neceſſarie, that a Biſhop ſhould ſowe his Seed every day, as I may ſo ſay; that at the least, by that dayly custome of Teaching, the mindes of his hearers may retaine his words.

p. 209Austin hath the like. Ʋerbum Dei quod quotidiè nobis aperitur & quodam modo frangitur, panis quotidianus eſt: & quomodo illum panem ventres, ſic iſtum eſuriunt mentes. Auguſt. Hom. 42. Ex. 50.The Word of God, which is dayly opened unto us, and after a ſort broken to us, is our dayly Bread: And as our bellies hunger for that Bread, ſo doe our mindes for this.

Object. If former and Primitive Times were ſo full of Preaching, how commeth it to paſſe, that our dayes will ſcarce downe with twice a Sabbath? Sith the ancient Fathers preached dayly, how happeneth it, that many reputed great Schollers in theſe Times, preach ſo ſeldome? &c.

Anſw. Firſt, one Reaſon may be an affected humour of man-pleaſing, or ſelfe-preaching; which is ambitiouſly purſued, and mightily prevailes abroad in the World.

This, King Iames out of his deepe and Princely wiſedome, conceived to be the cauſe of ſo many dayly defections from our Religion, both to Poperie and Anabaptiſme. He calls it a light, affected, and an unprofitable kind of Teaching, which hath beene of late yeeres too much taken up in Vniverſitie, Citie, and Countrey: In which (ſaith he) there is a mustering up of much reading, See Instructions of comforting afflicted Conſciences, pag. 154.and a diſplaying of their owne wits, &c. Theſe are his owne words, in the Reaſons of his direction for Preaching.

Now you muſt know, that to the ſcraping and patching together of the gariſh and gawdie paintings and unprofitable Pompe of a ſelfe-Sermon,See Auſt. Conf. lib. 6. cap. 6. there is required and ordinarily expected ſuch a deale of curioſitie, varietie of extraordinarie conceits, and trickes of wit; that it puts the Pen-man to a great deale of paines, and tortures his wit extremely. He dives with much adoe into the dung-hill p. 210of many a Popiſh Poſtiller, and phantaſticall Erier, &c. For ſuch, as Tully ſaid of Anthony, do magno conatu magnas nugas agere; they ſweat at it, with much vexing anxietie: And what then? Parturiunt montes, &c. they detaine & delude the itching eares of unjudicious hearers with a little ayrie nouriſhment, as the King ſpeakes in the fore-cited place.

The painfulneſſe then of this unprofitable way of Preaching; the irkeſome tediouſneſſe of committing of it ſo punctually and preciſely to memorie; the fearefulneſſe of deliverie, and danger of being out; vaine-glorious doubting, that they ſhall not be applauded as they were wont;Perlatum ad nos eſt Reverendiſſ. ſiatrem noſ…rum Baſihum, Epiſcap. velut unum, de Laicis, &c. Greg. ep. l. 8. c. 11. & in Evang. Hom. 17. Col. 381. & Paſt. Cur. p. 2. Col. 1248. feare, leſt the next time they ſhould leſſen their former reputation of wit and reading, &c.

Secondly, another Reaſon may be, becauſe Miniſters doe not ſo much meditate and ſtudy divine and heavenly things, but trouble themſelves too much in the affaires of the World. Therefore the ancient Fathers,Rogatus quoque, (ſpeaking of Auſtin) à non…llis in eorū temporalibus cauſis, Epiſiolas ad diverſos dabat; Sed hanc ſuam à melioribus rebus occupationē tanquam angariā deputabat, ſuavem ſ…m…cr habens d… ijs, quae Dei ſunt, vel allocutionem vel collocu…nem fraternae ac den…eſticae familiaritatis. Poſſid. de vit. Aug. ſpending their time, wits, and underſtanding wholly upon heavenly things, diving continually into the myſteries of Gods Booke, and preaching dayly, were able to preach often, and excellently: by their Miniſteriall diligence and faithfulneſſe, they attained ſuch a happie readineſſe and habit, and ſo enriched themſelves with heavenly ſtore, that they were able, as occaſion was offered, to bring forth out of their Treaſure things new and old; whereupon they were enabled to preach ſometimes upon ſhort warning: So Baſil preached his two Sermons upon the ſixe dayes worke, when he had but that morning for meditation. Sometimes, p. 211without any premeditation; ſo it ſeemes he preached his ſecond Sermon.De Baptiſmo reſerente D. D. Donne. And ſo did Auſtin his Sermon, upon Pſal. 95. It ſeemes there, his Brother Severus failing to come, he preached himſelfe. And I have told you heretofore of a Sermon which he made upon a ſudden,See ad fratres in Eremo, Serm. 33. occaſioned by an heavie accident. And theſe Sermons were ſuch, that they have bin thought worthy by the Church from time to time, to be conveyed and communicated to poſterity. For in all my diſcourſe, I am ſo farre from giving any allowance to idle, impertinent, or any way unſubſtantiall Preaching; that I hold it a very irkſome, and loathſome, and wicked thing, lyable to that heavie Curſe; Curſed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently. But let a man be well grounded before he begin, be godly himſelfe, ply faithfully and painefully his Miniſteriall charge, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon; and it is incredible to what he may attaine in the Point I purſue, by his much exerciſe, and Gods bleſſing upon it.

But yet ſome ſay,

Firſt, That a man cannot preach well, under a quarter of a yeeres proviſion. See the truth hereof, in the fore-going Reaſons.

Secondly, That often Preaching will make it too cheape, and contemptible; which to affirme, is a baſe and carnall wrangling, and confuted by the practice of the Fathers.

Thirdly, That Reading is to be preferred before Preaching.

Wee doe not denie, but that the Word read, is the rule of holineſſe, may convert, the Spirit accompanying p. 212companying his Ordinance; and therefore is to have place, and due reſpect in the Congregation: but wee will not equall it to Preaching. If Reading were more excellent, and of greater force to convert, than Preaching; why are not the people converted, that have a Reader? To what end then ſerve Schooles of the Prophets? Wherefore ſhould men ſtudie the knowledge of Tongues, and Arts, to divide the Word aright, and to diſtribute to every mans preſent neceſſities? And why ſhould Sathan rage more againſt Preachers, than Readers; except the Word powerfully delivered did not the more batter and beat downe his Kingdome? Beſides, why did not Chriſt ſend out his Apoſtles with this charge, Goe, readè; but, Goe, preach to all Nations? Wherefore doth Paul pronounce a Woe to them that preach not the Goſpel? And why did hee not charge his ſonne Timothy before God, to reade in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon?

Yea,Object. but may ſome ſay, The ancient Fathers were extraordinarie men, and therefore no Patternes for our Preaching, &c. They were glorious Lights, and wee but Glow-wormes; they were Cedars, wee but Shrubs, &c.

Let them be what they were,Anſw. I as much reverence and reſpect them, as any man alive, if wee take truth and diſcretion with us. And therefore at this time, I will ſuppoſe (I ſay ſo, becauſe I doubt not, but our Age hath brought forth as worthy Divines, if not worthier, as any of the ancient Fathers;) I ſay, I will ſuppoſe them to be as it were Gyants, and wee Dwarfes: Yet ſet a p. 213Dwarfe upon a Gyants ſhoulders, and hee will ſee further, and ſo might certainely wee, but for Slouth, Idleneſſe, Worldlineſſe, Ambition, and other ſuch baſe and vile degenerations of theſe later Times.

It may be further objected,Object. That there was more neceſſity of the Fathers frequent Preaching, eſpecially in thoſe Primitive Times, for more plentifull publiſhing and propagation of the Goſpel, &c. and ſuppreſſing Hereſies, &c.

Paſſingly weake,Anſw. and untrue. There is farre more need of much Preaching now, than in former times. For wee live in the last dayes, wherein thoſe perillous times are come upon us, which Paul fore-tells 2 Tim. 3. 1. &c. and wherein iniquitie abounds, and the love of many waxeth cold, &c. Math. 24. 12. And at this day wee oppoſe the Hydra of all Hereſies, Poperie; which oppoſeth even the whole Body of Chriſtianitie. Againe, their Homilies are againſt Drunkenneſſe, Pride, Swearing, Luxury, Covetouſneſſe, love of the World, Vſury, painted Faces, falſe Haire, Anger, Envie, Ambition, &c. All which ſinnes, and many more, reigne and rage at this day with more hainouſneſſe, and an higher hand, than heretofore.

2 A ſecond meanes whereby the Word may dwell plentifully in us,2 is, by a conſtant and conſcionable reading the Booke of God. This Exerciſe is commanded to Kings and Captaines, Deut. 17. 17, 18, 19. Ioſh. 1. 8. who may ſeeme moſt priviledged, by their intanglement in many and weightie affaires.

p. 214Chriſt bids the Iewes, Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures, as the well-ſpring of eternall life. The Holy-Ghoſt commends the Iewes of Berea, as more noble than they of Theſſalonica, becauſe they received the Word with all readineſſe of minde, and ſearched the Scriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo, Act. 17. 11. See Deut. 6, 7, 8, 9. See many Motives to this dutie, before: It is the Word of Salvation, of Truth, of Life, of Reconciliation, a Letter from Heaven, a Treaſurie of all excellent things: it ſhall judge us, it onelyonly can heale a wounded Soule; it containes all our evidence for Heaven, and it is the object of divine Faith, &c.

Nay, and becauſe the Papiſts have wickedly dammed up this Fountaine of Life from the common people, heare the judgement and zeale of Antiquitie, in preſſing this dutie.

Firſt, heare Chryſostome.

**Audite, obſecre, ſeculares omnes, Comparate vobis Biblia, animae Pharmaca, &c. Omnia humeris noſtris injicitis. Vos operlebat duntaxat à nobis inſtitui, uxores vero à vobis & liberos. Nunc vero Satanicas cantiones ac ſaltationes praeferunt pueri veſtri, quemadmodum Coci, & Obſonatores, & Chorearum ductores; Pſalmum autem nemo novit ullū. Chryſoſt. in 3. ad Coloſſ. Hom. 9. Col. 1054.Heare, I pray you, all yee Lay-men, (ſaith Chryſoſtome) get yet Bibles, a Medicine for your Soules, &c. You caſt all upon our ſhoulders. You ought onelyonly to be inſtructed of us, but your Wives and Children ſhould be by you, &c. But now adayes, your Children preferre divelliſh Songs and Dancings, even as Cookes, and Caters, and leaders of Dances, but none knowes any Pſalme.

The ſame Chryſostome, to ſtirre up men to diligent reading the Scriptures, maketh good this aſſertion; There is no affliction or miſerie of body or ſoule, but may receive a Medicine out of Gods Booke.

1 A man heavie-hearted, and of a ſad ſpirit, (ſaith hee) takes the Bible in his hand; after hee p. 215hath met with that place, Pſal. 42. 11. (Why art thou caſt downe, O my ſoule, and why art thou ſo diſquieted within me? hope thou in God, &c.) he is refreſhed.

2 Another (ſaith he) is oppreſſed with extreme povertie, beholds the wicked wallow in worldly wealth, and flouriſh like a greene Bay-tree: But after hee hath caſt his eye upon that, Pſal. 55. 22. (Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and hee ſhall ſustaine thee, &c.) he is comforted.

3 Another is hunted with calumnies and inſidiations, &c. and no humane helpe will be had; the Prophet (ſaith hee) doth teach him what to doe, in theſe words:**Ipſi detrah… bant mihi, ego autem orabam. They did ſpeake againſt me, but I prayed.

4 Another is forſaken even of his friends and kinſmen, and contemned of thoſe who were moſt beholding to him: Heare how the Prophet behaved himſelfe in ſuch a caſe, Pſal. 38. 11. &c. 13. &c.

He concludes thus: **Vidiſti quomodo, quacunque calamitate humanam naturam premente, conveniens ex Scripturis antidotum accipere liceat, & omnis huius vitae repellatur cura, ne que ab ullo quod accidit gravemur? Propterea obſecro, ut ſubinde huc veniatis, & divinae Scriptura lectionem diligenter auſcultetis; non ſolum cum huc veniatis ſed & domi divina Biblia in manus ſumite, & utilitatem in illis poſitam magno ſtudio ſuſcipite. Inſuper, quod ad augendas vires corporis ſenſibilis ille cibus facit, id anima lectio facit. Spirituale enim alimentum eſt, & fortem reddit animam. Chryſoſt. Hom. 29. in Gen. pag. 150.Thou haſt ſeene, whenſoever any calamitie doth oppreſſe a man, how convenient an Antidote he may take from the Scriptures, and all care of this life may be driven backe; neither ſhould we be grieved for any thing that falls out. Therefore, I beſeech you, that you would come hither, and diligently attend to the reading of the holy Scriptures; not onelyonly when you come hither, but even at home take the holy Bible into your hands, and goe reape the profit that is in them with great earneſtneſse. Moreover, what that ſenſible Bread doth to encreaſe bodily ſtrength, that Reading doth to the ſoule; for it is ſpirituall nouriſhment, and makes the ſoule vigorous, &c.

p. 216But wee may adde to Chryſoſtomes Antidotes, theſe 16. more.

1 Art thou wearie of the wayes of vanitie, and comming on with a grieved and ſorrowfull heart for thy ſinne, to meet thy deare Redeemer; and doth the conceit of the number and hainouſneſſe of thy tranſgreſſions, croſſe and confound thy hopes of being received to mercy? Why then looke upon Paul; he ſhed the bloud of the Saints with extraordinarie rage and furie, Act. 9. 1. upon Manaſseh, a man of prodigious impietie, 2 Chron. 33. 6. upon ſome of Peters hearers, who crucified the Lord of Life, Act. 2. 23. If theſe will not ſerve the turne, looke upon Adam; who caſt away himſelfe, and undid all, and was the cauſe that all that iſſued out of his loines, unto the Worlds end, fell into the damnation of Hell: and yet all theſe, upon repentance, were received unto merciemercy. And therefore, if thou canſt now heartily repent, feare no former ſinnes.

2 Haſt thou by the violence of Sathans temptations, the ſlie enticements of thine owne ſinfull nature, and the cunning inſinuations of thy former boſome-ſinne, beene fearefully overtaken with ſome ſcandalous fall, ſince thou waſt converted, and gave thy Name unto Grace; and upon illumination of thy conſcience, remorſe, and meditation of returne, thou art aſhamed to look Chriſt Ieſus in the face, becauſe thou haſt ſo ſhamed thy profeſſion; and thou art ſo troubled with horror and conceit, that thy caſe is ſingular, that thou canſt find no eaſe to thine humbled and ſorrowfull p. 217heart? Why then looke upon David, Peter, &c. tranſcendent inſtances, that thou may not ſinke into deſpaire.

3 Art thou plunged into the perplexities and fearfull apprehenſions of a ſpiritual deſertion? Art thou deprived of thy former comfortable feelings of Gods favorable countenance? Haſt thou no comfort in prayer? &c. Looke upon David, Pſ. 77.

4 It may be, upon thy Bed of Death,**See Sathans depth in this point, Helpe to Devotion, p. 155. when Sathan will make thy ſinnes appeare farre more ugly and horrible to the eye of thy Conſcience, than ever hee did before; and will perſwade thee all he can, that all thy holy ſervices unto God, and new obedience, was quite marred with Pride, Hypocriſie, and by-reſpects; I ſay, it may be then thy heart will quite faile thee, and thy conceit of Gods wrathfull and angry countenance for thy ſinne, may ſo oppreſſe and confound thy ſoule, that thou mayeſt feare leſt thou be forſaken: Why then thinke upon thy Saviours mournfull cry upon the Croſſe; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me?

5 It may be thou art a true-hearted Nathanael, in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile; hates all ſinne heartily, both in thy ſelfe and others, deſireſt and laboreſt to pleaſe God in all things, and to keepe a good conſcience before all things in the World; and yet thou findeſt and feeleſt in thy breſt many times a heavy, ſad, and unchearefull heart: why then, heare David, a man after Gods owne heart, of a more excellent ſpirit, and eminent graces, than thou art, complaining Pſal. 43. 5. Why art thou ſo heavie, O my ſoule, and why art thou ſo diſquieted within me? p. 2186 Art thou grievouſly troubled with the haunt and horror of ſome ſpeciall ſinne, of which thou canſt not be ſo eaſily rid; and doeſt thou therefore goe mourning all the day? Why then looke alſo upon David, Pſal. 32. In ſuch a caſe, he roared all the day, his bones were conſumed, and his native moiſture was turned into the drought of Summer.

7 Art thou vexed to the heart, and fearefully haunted with ſome horrible and hatefull injections of Sathan; thoughts framed by himſelfe immediately, and put into thee; perhaps tending to Atheiſme, or to the diſhonour of God in ſome high degree, or to the diſgrace of his Word, or ſelfe-deſtruction, &c. or the like: thoughts which thou canſt not remember, without horror; and dareſt not reveale, or name, for their ſtrange and prodigious hatefulneſſe? Why then conſider, how this malicious Fiend dealt with the Sonne of God: He ſuggeſted unto his moſt holy and unſpotted imagination, theſe propoſitions: firſt, Murther; Make away thy ſelfe, Math. 4. 6. ſecondly, Fall downe and worſhip the Devill, Verſ. 9. What more fearefull and horrible apprehenſions? And yet theſe were ſuggeſted to our bleſſed Saviour; to him perhaps more ſenſibly, to thee more ſecretly.**See Dike, of Chriſts temptations, p. 219. His pure and holy heart, uncapable of ſinne, did reject them with infinite contempt; and himſelfe did utterly conquer and confound the Tempter, and that for thee, and thy ſake too. And if thine heart riſe againſt, abominate, abandon, grieve, and be humbled for them, they ſhall never be layd to thy charge, but ſet on p. 219Sathans Score. For all them, thou mayeſt goe on chearefully and comfortably in the courſe of Chriſtianitie: And ſo doe. And let not Sathan attaine his divelliſh end by them; which is, to worke aſtoniſhment in thy minde, horror in thy conſcience, heavineſſe in thy heart, diſtractions in thy thoughts, &c. that thereby thou mayeſt be disheartened and diſabled for the chearefull diſcharge and performance both of thy particular and generall calling. Or elſe, art thou long after thy converſion, aſſaulted with perhaps ſorer ſpirituall pangs, and more horror, than at thy change? Conſider David, Iob, Hezekiah.

8 Haſt thou loſt thy goods, or children? Doth the Wife that lyes in thy boſome, ſet her ſelfe againſt thee? Doe thy neereſt friends charge thee falſely? Art thou diſeaſed from top to toe? Doe the Arrowes of the Almightie ſticke faſt in thy ſoule? Thy affliction is grievous enough, if thou haſt any of theſe. But doe they all, in the greateſt extremitie, concurre upon thee at once? Haſt thou loſt all thy children, and all thy goods? Doth thy Wife afflict thy afflictions? &c. If this be not thy caſe, thou commeſt ſhort of Iob, a moſt juſt man, and high in Gods favour.

9 Haſt thou given thy Name to Religion, and art a Profeſſor of Grace; and art thou therefore villanouſly traduced with many ſlanderous nicknames, and odious imputations? Art thou called Puritan, Preciſian, Hypocrite, Humorist, Diſſembler, &c? Why, graceleſſe wretches, when hee was p. 220upon Earth, called Chriſt Ieſus, Devill. See Math. 10. 25. Ioh. 7. 20. Contemne thou therefore for ever, the utmoſt malice of the moſt ſcurrill tongue.

10 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted Mother unto thy Children, and haſt thou loſt thy deareſt? Why, the bleſſed Mother of Chriſt ſtood by, and ſaw her owne onelyonly deare innocent Sonne, the Lord of Life, moſt cruelly and villanouſly murthered upon the Croſſe, and die a ſhamefull death before her eyes, Ioh. 19. 25.

11 Art thou a woman, who in the time of thy travaile art preſſed with many wants; with want of comfortable companie, deſired helpes, a fairer roome, and other worldly comforts and conveniences? Why yet comfort thy ſelfe with this; That holy Virgin, which brought into the World the Worlds Saviour, brought forth that bleſſed Babe in a Stable, and laid him in a Cratch, Luke 2. 7. It is very like, farre more poorely, in reſpect of worldly comforts, than the pooreſt ſort of women amongſt us; with leſſe comfortable helpers, and in a leſſe ſeemely and commodious place, for ſuch a purpoſe.

12 Hath thy Faith loſt its feeling; and beſides, doth God looke upon thee with an angry countenance, and is thy heart filled with heavineſſe and horror? Yet for all this, let the hand of Faith by no meanes looſe it hold-faſt upon the precious ſufferings and ſaving bloud-ſhed of thy deare Redeemer. Thou haſt before thee, a matchleſſe and tranſcendent precedent in this point. p. 221Thus cryes holy Iob, having, beſides his unparalelled varietie and extremitie of outward afflictions, the Arrowes of the Almightie ſticking faſt in him, and drinking up his ſpirits; Though hee kill me, yet will I truſt in him, Cap. 13. 15. So Abraham, Rom. 4. 18.

13 Doeſt thou, day after day, poure out thy ſoule in prayer before the Throne of Grace, with all the earneſtneſſe and inſtancie thou canſt poſſibly; and doeſt thou ſtill riſe up dull and heavie, and uncomforted, without anſwer from God, or comfortable ſence of his favour and love ſhed into thine heart? Why, yet pray ſtill; aſſuredly, at length thou ſhalt be gloriouſly refreſhed, and regiſtred in the remembrance of God, for a Chriſtian of excellent faith. See a patterne of rare and extraordinarie patience this way, Math. 15. 23. &c.

14 Doth the World, Sathan, carnall men, thine owne friends, formall Teachers, ſuppoſe and cenſure thee to be a diſſembler in thy profeſſion, and will needes concurrently and confidently faſten upon thee the imputation of Hypocriſie? Why, yet for all this, let thy ſincere heart, conſcious to it ſelfe of it owne truth in holy ſervices, like a ſtrong Pillar of Braſſe, beat backe and reject with noble contempt and glorious diſdaine, all their impoyſoned Arrowes of malice and ſlander this way. Thou haſt a right worthy patterne in the Booke of God, for this purpoſe. Iob had againſt him not onelyonly the Devill, his enemie, puſhing at him with his poyſoned weapons; but even his owne friends, ſcourging him with their p. 222tongues; yea, his owne Wife a Thorne, pricking him in the eye; yea, his owne God miſerably laſhing his naked ſoule with Scorpions; powerfull motives, to make him ſuſpect himſelfe of former halting and hollow-heartedneſſe in the wayes of God: yet notwithſtanding all this, his good and honeſt heart having beene long before acquainted with and knit unto his God with ſinceritie and truth, makes him boldly and reſolutely to proteſt; That untill he die, Job 27. 5, 6.Job 27:5Job 27:6he will never take away his innocencie from himſelfe; that he would keepe his righteouſneſſe, and not forſake it, and that his heart ſhould not reprove him for his dayes.

15 Haſt thou an untoward Wife, that is a continuall dropping and a perpetuall Goade in thy ſide? Heare Iobs complaint, Cap. 19. 17. My breath is ſtrange to my Wife, though I entreated for the childrens ſake of mine owne body.

16 Art thou vexed with a prophane dogged Husband? Abigail, a Wife, and precious woman, had a Nabal to her yoke-fellow.

Thus theſe patternes and precedents in the Booke of God, purpoſely regiſtred for the refreſhing and recoverie of his choſen, in ſpirituall or temporall ſtraits, are ordinarily propoſed in a tranſcendent and matchleſſe degree; that in their greateſt extremities, by reflecting their eyes upon ſuch examples, they may be preſerved from deſpaire, have the ſtronger conſolation, and not thinke their caſes to be comfortleſſe and ſingular. Let theſe conſiderations move us to be well read in theſe holy myſteries, and day and night exerciſed p. 223in reading and meditating on them. But to our purpoſe, heare further what others ſay in this Point.

Secondly, heare Gregorie the great.

aaQuid iſ…a Scriptura, niſi quaedam Epiſtola omnipotentis Dei ad creaturā …? & certè ſicubi eſſet gloria veſtra alibi conſtituta, & ſcripta iam Imperatoris accipe…t, non ceſſaret, non quieſce…et, ſomnū oculis non daret, niſi prius quid ſibi Imperator terrenus ſcripſiſſet agnoviſſ…t. Imperator Coeli, Dominus hominū & Angelorū, pro vita tuā tibi ſuas Epiſtolas tranſmiſit, & tamen, glorioſe fili, eaſdem Epiſtolas ardenter legere negligis. St…de ergo quaeſo, & quotidiè Creatoris tui verba meditare. Diſce cor Dei in verbis Dei, ut ardenti…s ad aeterna ſusp…res, ut mens▪ vestra ad coeleſtia regna maioribus deſideriis accendatur. Greg. tom. 2. Ep. lib. 4. c. 84. Col. 808▪What is the ſacred Scripture, but a certaine Epistle of the omnipotent God to his creature? And ſurely, if a man ſhould receive writings from his Emperour, he would not rest, he would not be quiet, he would give no ſleepe to his eyes, unleſſe he had first knowne what that earthly Emperour had written to him. The Emperour of Heaven, the Lord of men and Angels, hath ſent his Letters to thee, concerning thy life; and yet (my vaine-glorious ſonne) thou doeſt neglect earneſtly to reade thoſe Letters. Studie them therefore, I pray thee, and dayly meditate upon the words of thy Creator: Learne the minde of God in the Word of God, that thou mayest aſpire more earnestly to eternall things, and that your minde may with greater deſire be inflamed to the heavenly Kingdome.

Thirdly, bbHom. 4. in Lev.Origen teacheth, That the people ſhould learne the Scriptures without booke.

Fourthly, ccIn Eccleſ. c. 10.Eccl 10Ierome. counſelleth, That by dayly reading the Scriptures, wee ſhould get wiſedome: His words import ſo much.

Fifthly, Read the Scriptures (ſaith ddIn Pſal. 33.Ps 33Auſtin) for that they were written to the end we ſhould be comforted.

Sixtly,eeDiſcat memori…r Pſalterium, & uſque ad annos pub…rtatis libros So…omonis, Evangelia, Apostolos, & Prophetas, ſui cordis th…ſaurum faciat. Hier…n. par. 3. tract. 15. Ep… ad Gaudent. Ierome writing to Gaudentius about the education of a yong maid, would have her at ſeven yeeres old, and when ſhe begins to bluſh, to learne without book the Pſalter; and until ſhe come to be marriageable, to make the treaſure of her heart the Books of Salomon, the Goſpels, Apoſtles, and Prophets.

p. 224Object. 1. But the Scriptures are hard to be underſtood, &c.

Anſw. Heare,

(1) Chryſostome.ffOmnia clar… ſunt & plana ex divinis Scripturis. Quae…unque neceſſaria ſunt, manifesta ſunt. foreign. In 2. ad Theſſ. Hom. 3. All things are cleare and plaine out of the holy Scriptures. Whatſoever things are neceſſarie, are manifest.

(2) Ierome.ggDomin…s per Evangelia ſua locutus eſt, non ut pauci inte…igerent, ſed ut omnes. Plato ſcripſit in Scripturā, ſed non ſcripſit populis, ſed paucis vix enim intelligunt tres homines. In Pſal. 86.Ps 86 The Lord hath ſpoken by his Goſpel, not that a few, but that all ſhould underſtand it. Plato wrote his writings, but not to the people, but to a few; ſcarce three underſtand him.

(3) Cyrill.hhcontra Julian. lib. 7. medium circiter libri. The Scriptures are profitably recommended unto us in an eaſie ſpeech, that they ſhould not goe beyond the capacitie of any.

(4) Againe, Chryſostome, who having ſaid much for often reading, and plaineneſſe of the Scriptures, concludes: iiCui enim non ſunt manifeſta, q…aecunque in Evangelio ſcripta ſunt▪ Quis autem audiens, Beatos eſſe mites, beatos miſericordes, beatos mundi-cordes, caeteraque huiuſmodi, deſiderabit praeceptorem, ut aliquid eorum diſcat, quae dicuntur. Tom. 2. de Lazar…, Con…. 3. pag. 876. See abundantly for this purpoſe, in Polan. Symphoniâ, pag. 38. &c.Who is there, to whom whatſoever is written in the Scriptures, is not manifeſt? Who is there, who hearing, that the meeke are bleſſed, the mercifull bleſſed, the pure in heart bleſſed, and the like, ſhall want a Master, that he ſhould learne any of thoſe things which are ſpoken?

Object. 2. But I am intangled with varietie of buſineſſes, I have no leiſure to ſpend time in reading Scripture, as you adviſe: I am ſtill buſied in my Trade, Husbandry, Merchandiſe, in ſome high roome, &c. I have a great charge, Wife, children, and family to care for: Let Schollers, Miniſters, Gentle-folkes, &c. that have more time and leiſure, ply ſuch buſineſſes, for I cannot.

p. 225Anſw. Who are more buſied than Kings and Captaines? and yet they are commanded to be diligent readers of Gods Booke. See Deut. 17. 18, 19. Ioſh. 1. 8.

But Chryſostome makes this Objection, and anſwers it himſelfe excellently: kkQuid ais homo? Non eſt tui negotij Scripturas evolvere, quoniam innum…ris curis diſtraheris? Imò tuum magis eſt quàm illorum, &c. De Lazaro, Tom. 2. Conc. 3. p. 874.What ſayest thou, Oh man? Is it not thy dutie to reade the Scriptures, becauſe thou art distracted with innumerable cares? Yea, it is thy dutie rather than others, &c. In which Sermon alſo, he lets fall this confident aſſertion: **Neque unquam fi…ri poteſt: non poteſt, inquam, fieri, ut quiſquam ſalutem aſſequatur, ni perpetuò verſ…tur in lectione ſpirituali.Neither now can it be, it cannot be, I ſay, that any man ſhould attaine unto ſalvation, unleſse he be continually converſant in ſpirituall reading.

Object. 3. But, alas, I cannot reade.

Anſw. Heare then Auſtin:

llNec ſolùm vobis ſufficiat, quòd in Eccleſiâ divinas lectiones auditis; ſed etiam in domibus veſtris aut ipſi legite, aut alios legentes r… quirite, & libenter audite.Neither let this be ſufficient for you, that in the Church you doe heare divine reading; but alſo in your houſes, either doe you your ſelves reade, or get others that can reade, and doe you willingly hearken.

And he ſtirres them up to it, with theſe conſiderations:

(1)mm(1) Recolite, fratres, ſententiam Domini noſtri, quâ dicit; Si totum mundum lucr…tur homo, &c. Remember, Brethren, (ſaith he) the ſaying of our Lord, in which hee ſaith; If a man ſhall gaine the whole World, and loſe his owne ſoule, what will it profit him?

(2)nn(2) Quid autem permanet in homine, niſi quod quiſque aut legendo, aut orando, aut bona opera faciendo, pro animae ſalute, in theſauro conſcientiae ſuae recondiderit. De Tem. Serm. 55. See Gregor. Moral. Dialog. lib. 4. cap. 14. What remaineth and abideth in a man, but that which every one, either by reading, or praying, or doing good workes for the ſalvation of his ſoule, hath layd up in the treaſure of his Conſcience?

p. 226Object. 4. But will not publike reading in the Houſe of God ſerve the turne?

Anſw. By no meanes. Heare Chryſostome:

ooEtque creb…ò vobis praedicimus multis ante diebus argumentum de quo ſumus loquuturi, ut bis in medio di…bus, ſumpto libro, perpenſaque rei ſummâ totā, poſteaquam intellexeritis, quid dictum ſit, quid reſtet dicendum, mentem veſtram inſtructiorem reddatis ad audienda quae poſt diſſerentur. Idque ſemper hortor, & hortari non deſinam, ut non hic tantùm attendatis ijs quae dicuntur, verum etiam cum domi fueritis, aſſiduè divinarum Scripturarum lectioni vacetis. Quod quidem & ijs, qui privatim mecum congreſſi ſunt, non deſtiti inculcare. Tom. 2. de Lazaro, Conc. 2. pag. 874. See to this purpoſe in the Anſwer to the third Objection, a little before.Therefore often doe I tell you before-hand, many dayes before the argument of which I ſhall ſpeake, that in the dayes in the meane while, taking a Booke, and weighing the whole ſumme of the matter, after yee have understood what hath beene ſaid, and what remaines to be ſaid, you may make your minde more fit to heare thoſe things which afterward ſhall be declared; and that I alwayes exhort to, and will not ceaſe to doe it, That you doe not onelyonly attend here to thoſe things which are ſpoken, but alſo when you ſhall be at home, you may dayly attend to the reading of holy Scriptures. Which thing I have not ceaſed to preſſe upon thoſe who privately have talked with me.

Object. 5. But from this libertie of reading Scriptures, ſpring many Hereſies.

Anſw. ppSee Pol. Symphon. pag. 60. where he proves this Aſſertion.The ſacred Scripture is not the cauſe of Hereſies, but the ignorance of the holy Scripture. Heare Chryſostome:

qqforeign. Chryſoſt. in praefat. in Epiſt. ad Romanos.Hence aroſe ſo many thouſand evils, from the ignorance of holy Writ: Hence ſprung up ſo great a plague of Hereſies.

rrOf which, ſee Rogers ſeven Treatiſes, pag. 289. The Epiſtle Dedicatorie to the Practice of Chriſtianitie.Godly Bookes alſo, with which this Age is abundantly and plentifully enriched, muſt be diligently and profitably read.

p. 2273 Another meanes by which the Word may dwell plentifully in us,3 is Conference. See Deut. 6. 7. Luke 24. 19. That of Austin before, pag. 210. in the ſecond Reaſon of our ſeldome Preaching: That of Chryſostome, Walking with God, pag. 248. Rogers ſeven Treatiſes, pag. 364. &c. my Walking with God, pag. 86. &c.

4 A fourth meanes,4 is Meditation. Of which, ſee Rogers ſeven Treatiſes, pag. 235. &c.

Matter of Meditation.

Wee may meditate upon any part of Gods Word, on God himſelfe, his Wiſedome, Power, his MercieMercy; or on the infinite varietie of good things, which wee receive of his free bountie; upon his workes, and judgements; upon our ſinnes, and the vileneſſe of our corruption, that wee yet carry about us; upon our mortalitie, and changes in this World; upon our manifold afflictions of this life, and how wee may in beſt manner beare and goe through them, and the benefit thereof; upon the manifold and great priviledges which wee enjoy dayly, through the ineſtimable kindneſſe of God towards us; upon the foure laſt things, but eſpecially of thoſe things that wee have moſt ſpeciall need of.See Practice of Chriſtianitie, p. 289, &c.

Of the thing meditated upon, conſider,

Firſt, The definition, or deſcription.

Secondly, The diſtribution, ſorts, kinds, or parts.

Thirdly, Cauſes eſpecially efficient, and finall.

p. 228Fourthly, The fruits and effects which it bringeth forth.

Fifthly, The ſubject wherein it is, or about which it is occupied.

Sixtly, The qualities or properties adjoyned. And know, that oftentimes, in common practice, theſe three, the finall cauſe, the fruit or the effect, the uſe or propertie of a thing, are often confounded.

Seventhly, The contrarie.

Eightly, The compariſon.

Exemplifie in the joyes of Heaven; of which, ſee Hall: In ſinne; of which, ſee Practice of Christianitie, pag. 293. VponUpon this occaſion, let us peruſe, in this manner, Faſting, and the Plague.

5 A fifth meanes to profit by the Word,5 is Teaching, Praying with, and Catechizing your children and ſervants.

To which Dutie, be ſtirred up and ſtrengthened, by

Firſt, Scriptures; Deut. 4. 9. & 6. 7. & 11. 19. Pſal. 78. 5, 6. Exod. 12. 26, 27. & 13, 14. Ioſh. 4. 6, 7, 21, 22. Deut. 6. 20, 21. Eph. 6. 4.

Secondly, By the patterne and practice of holy Parents, from time to time. Conſider for this purpoſe, the carriage of Abraham, Gen. 18. 19. David, Prov. 4. 4. Bathſheba, Prov. 31. 1. Lois and Eunice, 2 Tim. 1. 5.

Thirdly, By the authoritie of the ancient Fathers.

p. 229(1) Heare Austin.

aaVeruntamen, chariſſimi, in tantâ morum diverſitate & tam deteſtabili corruptelâ, regite demos veſtras, regite ſilios veſtros, regite fam…lias veſtras. Quomodo ad nos pertinet in Eccleſiâ loqui vobis: Sic ad vos pertinet in domibus veſtris agere, ut bonam rationem reddatis de his qui vobis ſunt ſubditi. In Pſal. 50. pag. 596.Ps 50Notwithstanding, my deare friends, in ſo great a difference of manners, and ſuch abominable corruption, governe your Houſes, governe your Children, governe your Families: As it behoves us to ſpeake to you in the Church, ſo it pertaines to you to doe in your Houſes; that yee may be able to give a good account of thoſe who are under you. Againe; bbQuaeſo, mi frater, quaeſo, omnibus tibi ſubiectis, & bonae voluntatis, in domo tuâ à maiore uſque ad minimum, amorem & dulcedinem regni Coelestis, amaritudinem & timorem Gehennae annuncies, & de eorum ſalute ſolicitus & pervigil exiſtas, quia pro omnibus tibi ſubiectis qui in domo tuâ ſunt, rationem Domino reddes. Annuncia, praecipe, impera, ſuade ijs ut caveant ſe à Superbiâ, à Detractione, ab Ebrietate, à Fornicatione, à Luxuriâ, ab Ira, à Periurio, à Cupiditate, quae eſt radix omnium malorum. Lib. de Salutar. Documentis, pag. 541.I pray thee, my Brother, I pray thee, ſhew to all under thee, of meere good will, from the least to the greatest in thy Houſe, the love and ſweetneſſe of Heaven, the bitterneſſe and feare of Hell; and be thou ſolicitous and watchfull, becauſe thou ſhalt render an account to the Lord for all thoſe under thee, that are in thy Houſe. Declare, charge, command, perſwade them, that they would take heed of Pride, of Slandering, of Drunkenneſſe, of Fornication, of Luxurie, Anger, Perjurie, Covetouſneſse, which is the root of all evill.

(2) Nazianzen.ccInfans tibi eſt? Ne anſam & occaſionem arripiat improbitas: ab infantia ſanctirate imbuatur, ab ipſis unguiculis Spiritui conſecretur. Orat. 40. in S. Bapt. Hast thou a Child? Let not wickedneſſe take advantage and occaſion: Let it be endued with ſanctitie, and conſecrated to thy ſpirit from the very Cradle.

I know he meanes it immediately of Baptiſme: but by Analogie, that binds alſo to have a care of religious education.

p. 230Fourthly, by Reaſons.

Firſt,Reaſon 1. Thy Children ſprung from thy Loines, and came into the World,From the end of their being. to encreaſe the number of Gods people, to learne the way to Heaven, and walke in it; not onelyonly to uphold thy Houſe, inherite thy Poſſeſſions, and convey thy Name to future Generations. The glorifying of our God, ſerving our Brethren in love, ſalvation of our owne Soules, are the chiefe ends why we live a little while in this World. Now Parents ſhould be moſt ſolicitous to further their Children, for the attainement of the maine end, and moſt ſoveraigne good.

Secondly,Reaſon 2. Neglect of this Dutie, makes Parents worſe to their Children,Neceſſitie. than to their Beaſts: For,

1 They provide for their Beaſts all things neceſſarie for them; but in their owne deare Children, they neglect that One neceſsarie thing.

2 They procure for, and put their Beaſts to all things of which they are capable. Their Children are capable of Grace, and Immortalitie; and they never meddle, nor move them to looke that way, or lay hold upon eternall Life.

Thirdly,Reaſon 3. Let the remarkable and rufull example of Eli, Example of Eli.be for ever a keene ſpurre in the ſides of ſlouthfull Parents, to quicken them to this Dutie.

Fourthly,Reaſon 4. Thou art farre more cruell than the Oſtrich and the Dragon,Equitie. and mayeſt be ſaid to have ſuckt the breſts of Tygres, and to be hewed out of the hardeſt Rocke; if having brought thy p. 231Children forth into this World, limbes for the Devill, and fewell for Hell-fire, thou labour not might and maine, to get them new-borne the members of Chriſt, and freed from everlaſting flames.

Fifthly,Reaſon 5. Grace onelyonly is able to make thy Children truly obedient,Profit. ſerviceable, and everlaſtingly thankfull; having now a double tye; firſt, birth; ſecondly, new-birth. Then onelyonly, and never before, doe they begin to pray for their Parents, to deale faithfully in their buſineſſes, not to long for their death.

Sixtly,Reaſon 6. A conſcionable and conſtant performance of this Dutie in their life time,Comfort. will fill Parents hearts full of ſweeteſt joy and heavenly comfort upon their Beds of Death; when they ſee, by their care and zeale for their ſpirituall good, that holy knowledge and wiſedome planted in their Childrens hearts, which will bring them after them to eternall bliſſe: or how ſoever, conſciouſneſſe of a conſcionable diſcharge of their Dutie in this reſpect, will infinitely refreſh them.

Seventhly,Reaſon 7. It is the way to make thy poſteritie truly honourable,Honour. and to meet thee in Heaven. Thoſe Children which are taught by thee, may teach the ſame things unto theirs, and thoſe to others, &c.

Eightly,Reaſon 8. Thy Children neglected in this point, and ſo dying impenitently,Hurt. will curſe thee everlaſtingly in Hell, for thy bloudie inexpiable crueltie towards them in this kind.

p. 232Ninthly,Reaſ. 9. Beſides innumerable ſinnes of thine owne, (the leaſt of which, merits eternitie of Helliſh torments) thou haſt juſtly**Sed plerique homi…um haec non reminiſcuntur, qui filios ſuos ab infantiá exterminant; qui filios ſuos & frias ſuas ab incurabulis non erudiunt, non corripiunt à iuventute; non prohibent mala, non odiunt peſſ…a, non coercent illicita, non admonent timorem Dei, non comminantur iudicium Gehennae, non vitae aeternae introitum decent; non enim edacunt eos in diſciplina, atque eruditione Domini, quia non egerunt curam pro animabus eorum, neque ſoliciti ſunt pro ſalute, vel perditione filiorum. Huiuſmodi cum non …rudiunt neque corripiunt filios ſuos, & ipſorum animam igni inextinguibili in introitum tradunt, & ſemet ipſos in furorem iudicij demergunt; omnia enim quae deliquerint filij, de parentibus requiruntur, qui non erudierint, neque corripuerint filios ſuos. Huius evidens exemplum in Heli oſtenditur, & in filijs eius, atque in alijs alibi. Origen. in lib. Job. 1.Job 1 ſet upon thy Score, by this unconſcionable murthering negligence, the ſinnes and ſinnefull courſes of thine owne Children; which will lye full heavie upon thy Conſcience, when it ſhall be ragingly enlightened by the long provoked wrath of God.

6 The next meanes,6 is Prayer, Prov. 2. 3, 4, 5.

7 The ſeventh meanes,7 is Practiſe. See Iohn 7. 17.

8 The eight,8 is Experience. See Dike of the heart, pag. 69.

3 Be none of the reprobate grounds,3 Math. 13. of which, ſee Dike, Taylor.

4 Be none of thoſe,4 See Muſculus and others upon the place. who invited to the Marriage of the Kings Sonne, Math. 22. either, firſt, wilfully contemne, Verſ. 3. ſecondly, or careleſly diſ-eſteeme, Verſ. 5. thirdly, or cruelly perſecute, Verſ. 6.

5 Reject all thoſe Helliſh temptations,5 which doe mightily keepe off the dint and power of p. 233the moſt piercing Word; and being entertained, will cauſe the Word preached to be but as the breath of the Miniſter ſcattered in the Ayre, and as Water ſpilt upon the Ground, which cannot bee gathered up againe. They are like thoſe ſtrong Holds of Sathan, mentioned 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. which being ſet up in any heart, will blunt the edge of this ſpirituall weapon, that it will doe no good. They be theſe that follow.

1 In the firſt place,1 and higheſt ſtraine of impietie, the depth of our corrupt nature deſireth, That there were no God: The foole hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God, Pſal. 14. 1. That is, hee labours for a reſolution, and perſwaſion in his owne heart, That there is no Tribunall in Heaven, before which hee ſhall hereafter be arraigned; no Treaſurie of Plagues, and Woes in Hell, with which he ſhall hereafter be everlaſtingly fettered and enchained.

2 But if it ſo be,2 this ſpirituall foole cannot ſo aboliſh and extinguiſh thoſe ſecret notions and apprehenſions of a ſacred and infinite Deitie, which are naturally implanted in the bowels of the moſt deſperate and damned miſcreant; but that the terrors of the laſt Iudgement, and plagues of Hell, doe eftſoones vexe and bite his Conſcience with reſtleſſe remorſe and ſtingings: Why then, in a ſecond place, that hee may procure ſome eaſe and quiet to his wallowing in ſenſuall pleaſures, hee labours might and maine to harden his for-head againſt Heaven, p. 234to make his heart like the nether-Milſtone, with his owne Soule-murthering hand to put a hot Iron to his Conſcience; that ſo, if hee cannot blunder and blot out of his minde thoſe naturall impreſſions of a God-head, yet at the leaſt hee may extinguiſh and baniſh out of his heart all feare of that God, of his Iudgement-Seat, and vengeance againſt ſinne: That ſo hee may ruſh like a wilde Horſe into the Battaile, furiouſly and deſperately upon all villanies and vanities, without all checke of Conſcience, and controlement, from the terrors of the Iudgement to come. In this deſperate and furious mood, he joynes himſelfe with theſe Gyants of Babel, Iſa. 5. who outragiouſly reare up Towers of Treaſon and defiance againſt Heaven, and throw mountaines of pride and contempt one upon another, that they may climbe up to the Seat of God, and pull him out of his Throne, crying aloud towards Heaven; Let him make ſpeed, let him hasten his worke, that wee may ſee it; and let the counſell of the holy One of Iſrael draw neere, and come, that wee may know it.

3 If this will not be,3 and that he finde no ſucceſſe in ſetting himſelfe againſt Heaven, (Who ever oppoſed himſelfe against God, and proſpered?) but that hee is cruſhed and confounded with the majeſtie and terror thereof: Why then, in a third place, hee faſtens the fangs of his malicious and wrangling wit, and the furie of his prophane Atheiſme, upon his true and holy Word: And that,

p. 235Firſt, Either by entertaining or harbouring a reprobate and blaſphemous conceit, that the ſacred Word of God is but a politike invention, and device of State, to keepe men in order, and moderation; to maintaine Order and peaceableneſſe in Cities and Societies; and to preſerve the World, and mankinde, from wildneſſe and Barbariſme.

Secondly,See my diſcourſe of true happineſſe, pag. 58. Or by proportioning his carnall conceit of Gods pure and undefiled Law, to that which hee holds of the Decrees and Conſtitutions of men.

And if it be either ſo, or ſo, it is well enough; hee can, in the meane time, therewith ſtill the cryes of his Conſcience, and ſtop the mouth of that Worme that never dies, that it gnaw not too eagerly, and fiercely, to the diſ-ſweetning of his carnall contentments, and the making of his ſenſuall pleaſures more unpleaſant.

Now, would it not vexe a man, to have the meat pulled out of his mouth, his chayne from his necke, his clothes from his backe, his limbes from his body, his right arme from his ſhoulder, his eyes out of his head? So it is with every unregenerate man, and ſuch is his torture, when that two-edged Sword, the Word of God, ſtrikes at his ſweet ſinne, and ſenſuall pleaſures: And therefore no marvell, though hee ſtrive and ſtruggle, ſhift and ſhield himſelfe, by any meanes. Nay, the Luſts of the unregenerate man, are his very life. For, as every godly man liveth a double life; one of Grace, by the ſanctifying power of p. 236the Spirit; another, of Nature: So every wicked man hath a double life; one, of Nature; and another, of corruption, by the curſed influence of Hell.

Nay, the ſenſuall delights of the ſinfull man are dearer unto him than his life. Hence it is, (as wee may obſerve by experience) that ſometimes a covetous man loſing the Life of his life, the Wedge of Gold,See Bu…ton of Melancholy, pag. 214. and Hoords of Wealth, makes an end of himſelfe. That the Wanton, becauſe hee is rejected, and diſcarded from the object of his luſtfull pleaſures, findes no pleaſure in life; but cuts off himſelfe, by a violent and untimely death. That Ahitophel being diſgraced, and over-topt in a point of Policie, (the crowne and pride of his worldly happineſſe) put his houſehold in order, and hanged himſelfe.

Nay, and yet further, the prophane man preferres the ſenſuall pleaſures of his heart, before the loſſe of his immortall Soule. For, how oft may wee ſee the honour of God, and everlaſting bleſſedneſſe, put as it were in the one Scale of the Ballance, and a little tranſitorie Pleaſure in the other? And in this caſe, the unſanctified man ſuffering one ſweet ſinne or other to weigh downe the exceeding weight of heavenly bliſſe, the unvaluable treaſure of a good Conſcience, the infinite glory of God, and the ſalvation of his owne deare Soule, in that great Day.

This groweth out of our corrupt nature: For wee have all, even in the beſt of us, the ſource and ſeeds of all ſinne. If the Lord ſhould leave and p. 237abandon us, to the full ſwing and ſway of our owne corruption, and not either bridle us by his reſtraining Spirit, or bleſſe us with his ſanctifying Spirit; wee might every one of us become as bad as Iulian the Apoſtata, who did maliciouſly abjure Chriſt; and as Iudas, who did perfidiouſly betray him. Naturally wee would wallow in ſinne, without checke of Conſcience, or controlment by the terror of the Iudgement to come.

4 But if hee cannot arme himſelfe againſt the terrors of God,4 and truth of his Word; but that he muſt needs acknowledge the one, and beleeve the other: Why then, in a fourth place, with much ſpight and malice, he flyes in the face of Gods Miniſters, Embaſſadours, which are his tormentors before his time: And that,

Firſt, Either againſt his Preaching, or againſt his Perſon: as, too obſcure, or too plaine; too cold, or too boiſterous; too particular, too perſonall, too preciſe, too imperious; too tart, and terrible; too full of Iudgement; tending to Sedition, againſt the State, or the like. And therefore he labours, not onelyonly with his owne heart, to breed within himſelfe a diſtaſte and diſconceit of it; but alſo puts to his helping hand, to ſtay and ſtop the free courſe and current of it from others. He cannot abide to have his ſweet ſinne ſtrucke at ſtill, and ſtill to have his Conſcience grated upon, by the Miniſterie of the Word; and therefore he does what he can, to abandon and aboliſh it. When Ieremies Sermon, denouncing p. 238Gods Iudgement againſt Iudah and Iſrael, were brought unto the King, Ier. 36. 23. Iehudi had not read past three or foure ſides before him, but the King ſtamped and raged, hee preſently tooke the Roule, and cut it with a Pen-knife, and cast it into the fire that was on the Hearth, untill all the Roule was conſumed in the fire, that was on the Hearth. In the 38. of Ieremie, when the Princes and Courtiers were nettled and ſtung with the downe-right dealing and holy ſeveritie of Ieremies Preaching; they preſently ranne unto the King, and traduced the bleſſed Prophet, to be a tranſgreſſor of Policie, and an enemie to the State. Therefore the Princes ſaid unto the King: Wee beſeech you, let this man be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of Warre that remaine in this Citie, and the hands of all the people, in ſpeaking ſuch words unto them: For this man ſeeketh not the wealth of this people, but the hurt. And there you ſee what was the iſſue.

Thus Prophaneneſſe and Policie doth ever interprete the Doctrine of Life, and powerfull application of the word, to be the Source and Seeds of Faction and Sedition; to be incompatible with the civill State, and the very cutthroat of Kingdomes and States imperiall. Paul, as wee may ſee in the 24. of the Acts, for his upright dealing, was nick-named a Seditioner, and a troubler of the State. Certainely (ſaith Tertullus) wee have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of Sedition among all the Iewes throughout the World, and a chiefe maintainer of the Sect of the Nazarites. p. 239Thus the Word of Life, and newes of ſalvation from Heaven, is many times charged with Noveltie, Sedition, and Hereſie. But that which by the conſtruction of carnall conceits, may be tearmed Hereſie, Factious, and Preciſe, is the very right way to Heaven. I confeſſe (ſaith Paul) that after the way (which they call Hereſie) ſo worſhip I the God of my Fathers, &c. So may many good Chriſtians, and godly Miniſters, ſay in theſe Times to the men of this World; After the way, which you call Preciſeneſſe, Singularitie, and Faction, doe wee truly ſerve the living God, and ſave our ſoules.

Secondly, Or if the authoritie and power of his Preaching doth ſo aſtoniſh and confound him, that hee hath no heart to meddle that way, or oppoſe againſt it; yet at leaſt, rather than not be malicious, hee will diſcharge his furie againſt his perſon.

Hence it is, that a faithfull and conſcionable Miniſter commonly, whereſoever hee lives, is an eminent marke whereat Prophaneneſſe and Policie, Malice and Crueltie, Hell and the World, diſcharge the utmoſt of their rage and poyſon. Hee above all others, is ſure to be wrongfully loaden with ſlanders, diſgraces, lying imputations, and all manner of foule indignities; and many times by the baſer ſort, which is more intolerable. If hee be but halfe ſo honeſtly carefull, in providing for his family, as the carnall worldling is curſedly carking, hee is covetous: If powerfull in his Preaching, hee is imperious: p. 240If hee oppoſe againſt the ſinnes of the Time, hee is factious: If hee be faithfull in his Miniſterie, hee is too preciſe, and plaine: If hee comes home to mens Conſciences, hee is too particular, and undiſcreet. In a word, if hee were Paul, hee ſhould be a pestilent fellow; if CHRIST IESVS, bleſſed for ever (a horrible thing!) hee ſhould be Belzebub: For ſo that glorious Lord, and bleſſed Servant, was nick-named and branded by the prophane World.

Hence it is, that the generation of the prophane and wicked Crue doe ever furiouſly band themſelves together, to tranſplant and root out a conſcionable Miniſter, whenſoever God brings him amongſt them. Like an unquiet and raging Sea, they continually foame out ſpightfull ſpeeches, filthie and ſhamefull ſlanders, and lay things unto his charge, hee never knew: That ſo, by diſcouraging him in his Miniſterie, weakening his hands, and breaking his heart, they may any wayes be rid of him: Or elſe, by picking unneceſſarie Quarrels againſt him, they labour by Authoritie, and ſtrong hand, to throw him out of his place. For their malice againſt a powerfull Miniſter, is endleſſe, and implacable.

It is ever the propertie of un-ingenuous prophaneneſſe, to hate and feare a faithfull and conſcionable Preacher as ill as the Plague, and ſo to eſteeme of him. This appeares, by Tertullus cenſure of Paul; Certainely (ſaith hee) wee have found this man a pestilent fellow: When indeed p. 241himſelfe was a pernicious Orator,foreign. and abuſed his curſed Eloquence, to the confuſion of Goodneſſe. In the Originall, the word ſignifies, the Plague. The Plague, that great affrighter, and terror of the ſonnes of men, is not halfe ſo terrible and vexing, as is that man to a carnall heart, which preaches with power and authoritie, and not as the Scribes and formall Doctors; and no marvell. The Plague threatens but onelyonly the feares and pangs of a temporall death, and takes but away the naturall Life; but the powerfull Word, from the mouth of a conſcionable Miniſter, doth ſtrike to the very heart of a carnall man, the terrors of Hell-fire and everlaſting Vengeance, and doth labour to bereave him of his Life of Corruption, and Pleaſures; which, as I told you before, is more ſweet and deare unto him, than his Life of Nature.

And hereupon it is, that as you ſee Townes and Cities buſily beſtirre themſelves, watch and ward, diligently enquire, and examine paſſengers, to keepe out the Plague; ſo it is the policie and practice of thoſe places, where Drunkards, Swaggerers, Worldlings, and prophane men ſwarme, joyntly to conſpire and band together, for the baniſhing of godly Miniſters, and driving them out of their Coaſt. CHRIST IESVS himſelfe, who ſpake as never any man ſpake, was ſo uſed by the Swiniſh Gadarens; as you may reade in the fifth of Luke. Paul and Barnabas, that glorious paire of worthy Paſtors, were ſo uſed by the rebellious and ſtiffe-necked Iewes, Act. 13. whereupon p. 242they told them to their faces, That thereby they judged themſelves unworthie of everlaſting life. Then Paul and Barnabas (ſaith the Text) ſpake boldly, and ſaid; It was neceſſarie, that the Word of God ſhould have first beene ſpoken unto you: But ſeeing you put it from you, and judge your ſelves unworthy of everlaſting life, loe wee turne unto the Gentiles. The Booke of God, Eccleſiaſticall Stories, experience of our Times, doe plentifully verifie and confirme this Point.

5 But if ſo be,5 this Spirituall Foole, whom wee have carried along through ſo many ſteps of impietie, cannot have his will againſt the Preaching and the Perſon of the Miniſter; but that he ſees the Power of the Word, which he cannot decline, is like continually to vexe him, to ſtrike through his loynes, with feare and trembling ſtill to grate upon his Conſcience for his ſweet ſinne, to diſcerne and diſcover the very thoughts and imaginations of his heart; or that hee is more ingenuous and faire-conditioned than other unregenerate men (for ſometimes ſweetneſſe and lovingneſſe of naturall diſpoſition doth bridle men from raging againſt the power of holy Doctrine, and ſinceritie of an honeſt man:) Why then, in a fifth place, hee

Firſt, Either reſolves (as many doe) to give the Preacher hearing indeed, and perhaps reverent attention too; but with this ſecret reſervation, That hee ſhall not ſtirre and move him with all his Preaching; That ſay what hee will, hee ſhall never perſwade him, that this or that ſinne p. 243is ſo hainous as hee makes it; hee ſhall never drive him from the Faſhions of the Times, and Cuſtomes of his Fore-fathers; hee ſhall never bring him out of conceit with good-fellowſhip. So, that as the deafe Adder ſtoppeth his eares againſt the Enchanter, charme hee never ſo wiſely; ſo ſhuts hee the eares of his heart againſt the Word of Life: and though it ſounds dayly lowd and ſtrongly in his eares, yet will he by no meanes ſuffer it to ſinke feelingly and powerfully into his ſoule. Thoſe men which reſt upon this ſtep of impietie, and in this degree of prophaneneſſe, though they heare Sermon upon Sermon, yet are they ſtill the ſame men: They are Lyers ſtill, they are Drunkards ſtill, they are Vſurers ſtill, they are Swearers ſtill, they are luke-warme Profeſſors ſtill, &c. they are ſtill as they were. Though theſe ſinnes have againe and againe been cryed againſt, and many times reproved, and their Conſciences convinced; yet the Word which is preached amongſt them, hath no more power, nor wrought more alteration upon them, than upon the Seats where they ſit: Though the glorious Light of the Goſpel ſhine faire and bright upon them, yet they lye ſtill hard frozen in their dregs, and ſtarke blinde in matters of Heaven: Though the Hammer of the Word beat often upon their hearts, yet it doth not breake and bruiſe them, but more and more harden and emmarble them, like an Anvill and Adamant: Though they be waſhed with many plentifull Showers from Heaven, yet they ſtill continue p. 244blacke Moores, and Leopards; ſtill full of the blackneſſe of Hell, and ſpots and pollution of Sathan.

Let thoſe that are ſuch among you, in the Name of God beware in time: for aſſuredly, the Damnation ſleepeth not, the Day of Reckoning and every mans particular Iudgement is very neere; and then we muſt be anſwerable and countable for every Sermon wee have heard: Every Sermon will then ſtand up, either to witneſſe for us, or againſt us; for every one wee heare, either advanceth us a ſtep neerer towards Heaven, or throwes us a ſtayre lower downe towards Hell.

Secondly, Or if hee cannot ſo fence himſelfe againſt the keene edge of the Word, that twoedged Sword, which day after day is layd to the root of his corruption; nor ſo hide his head from the heat of that glorious and ſacred Sunne of Truth, which every Sabbath ſhines on his face; but that the ſharpe Arrowes of the Word of Truth and Righteouſneſſe doe pierce his heart, and Sword of Spirit gets ſo farre within him, that it ſtrikes and aſtoniſheth his Conſcience: Why then hee,

Firſt, Either ſtrives and ſtruggles againſt it, by ſhifting and ſhielding himſelfe with Diſtinctions, Exceptions, Excuſes, carnall Reaſons, Reſtrictions, Limitations, falſe Gloſſes, private and partiall Interpretations, and oppoſing one place of Scripture, in his owne falſe and enforced Senſe, againſt the true meaning and naturall power of p. 245the Word in another place, as I have told you largely before. So wretchedly and unhappily is hee wedded to the ſinfull pleaſures of this vaine World, that hee will wreſt his wit, the Word of God, or any thing, to wreſt out of his heart thoſe piercing Arrowes of the Word of Truth, ſhot by the hand of a skilfull Archer; which if he would ſuffer to ſearch and ſinke, would fetch out the poyſon of his naturall corruption, mortifie his luſt, and ſave his ſoule.

Secondly, Or if hee have not wit and underſtanding to furniſh himſelfe fitly with probable Interpretations, formall Diſtinctions, and plauſible Exceptions, (for this abilitie onelyonly befalls prophane men of better parts, and more underſtanding:) Why then, being reſolved not to ſubmit to the power of the Word, nor to forſake his carnall contentments, hee takes this courſe; hee ſurfets ſo immoderately, and drinkes ſo deepe of ſenſuall pleaſures of that boſomeſinne to which hee is ſo much wedded, that hee caſts his Conſcience aſleepe, drownes his heart in earthly delights, and ſo goes on at all adventures, and throwes himſelfe upon Gods mercies, without all ground or warrant, with ſuch conceits as theſe: That hee hopes hee ſhall doe as well as others, who are farre worſe and more wicked than himſelfe: That God, no doubt, will be mercifull to one ſinne: That all his other good parts and good deedes will countervaile and make amends for one infirmitie, (for ſo hee will call it, and conceive of it, though it be a groſſe and grievous p. 246ſinne:) That one ſinne will not require ſo great repentance, but that it may be well enough done on his death-bed, and ſuch like.

Thus I have acquainted you by the way, with the ſteps of impietie, and degrees of prophaneneſſe, wherein unregenerate men, which hate to be reformed, and refuſe to yeeld up themſelves to bee maſtered and guided by the Power and Light of the holy and heavenly Word of the true and ever-living God, doe unhappily reſt and repoſe themſelves, to the eternall confuſion both of their ſoules and of their bodies: Which you muſt take heed of, if you would profit by the Word.

6 Diſcover and defeat all thoſe Snares of Sathan,6 that wee have formerly mentioned to you in this Diſcourſe, pag. 83. under the fourth Vſe.

7 Deject and demoliſh thoſe two ſtrong Holds of Sathan; firſt,7 Carnall Reaſon; ſecondly, Corrupt Affection; which I thus define: It is the actuated ſtrength and rage of originall pollution, which furiouſly executes the ſenſuall and unreaſonable determinations of corrupted Carnall Reaſon; ſtands at open defiance, and profeſſes open hoſtilitie againſt Grace, goodneſſe, and good men, and courſes of ſanctification; feedes upon ſo long, and fills it ſelfe ſo full with worldly vanities and pleaſures, that growing by little and little incorrigible and untameable, it breedes and brings forth, as it naturall iſſue, Deſpaire, Horror, and the Worme which never dies.

p. 247By Carnall Reaſon, I underſtand the whole ſpeculative power of the higher and nobler part of the Soule, which wee call the Vnderſtanding, as it is naturally and originally corrupted, and utterly deſtitute of all Divine Light; and doth afterward, through it owne ſinfull working and ſenſuall diſcourſe, grow wiſe in the World and earthie affaires, but diſconceitfull and oppoſite to the wayes of God, and heavenly wiſedome, by concluding and commending to it ſelfe falſe Principles, from deluded ſence, and deducing falſe concluſions from true Principles, and by a continued exerciſe and experience in contemplation of Earth,8 and paſſages of worldly Policie.

By Corrupt Affection, I meane and compriſe all the active inferior powers of the Soule, Will, Affections, Sence, as they are polluted and empoyſoned in the puddle of originall corruption; and afterward being fleſhed in ſenſuall pleaſures, and enfierced by Sathans ſuggeſtions, become the furious executioners of all the ſinfull decrees and unſanctified determinations of the miſ-guided underſtanding and wiſedome of the fleſh.

8 In hearing the Word, be ſure,

Firſt, aaforeign. Adh…ere animum, advertere animum.To give earnest heed, Heb. 2. 1.

Secondly, bbforeign. Mente agitare, in animo verſare.To conſider ſeriouſly, 2 Tim. 2. 7.

Thirdly,ccforeign. Nequando per fluamus, ut Terentianus ille Parmeno, ſe plenum eſſe rimarū dicit, qui huc & illuc perfluat. That wee be not in this reſpect like leaking Veſſels, and have Sieve-like memories, Heb. 2. 1.

Fourthly,ddforeign. Notanda eſt vis huius vocabuli, quo ſignificatur, non ſine magno certamine poſſe iſtud bonum ſe…n aſſervari, luctante carne, ac Diabol… adverſus ſpiritū Dei, novum hoſpitem, & capitalem ipſorum inimicū. To keepe the Word with much adoe, with great contention and colluctation, Luke 8. 15.

p. 2489 Suffer the Spirit of Bondage to have its worke upon thee.9 See Perkins, Vol. 1. p. 455. Conclude horror upon thy heart, by the working of the Law, from ſuch places as theſe; Deut. 29. 19, 20. 2 Theſſ. 1. 8, 9. Rev. 21. 8.

10 When thy Conſcience is once throughly wounded by the preparative worke of the Spirit of Bondage,10 and all thy ſinnes, even thoſe in which thou haſt taken greateſt delight, become heavie and a grievous burthen upon thy heart; then let that heavie heart of thine receive ſpirituall warmth, refreſhing, and life,

Firſt, By peruſing the Lord Ieſus in all the paſſages of his Love, Sufferings, and Satisfactions, from his comming from the Boſome of his Father, untill his returning unto his right hand againe; eſpecially hanging upon him, bleeding and dying, and crying under the burthen of our ſinnes,Joh. 19. 30.John 19:30 My God, my God, &c. and ſo conquering and concluding, It is finiſhed.

Secondly,See Marrow of the Oracles of God, p. 228, &c. By a feeling ſurvey and ſure ſetling upon all the Promiſes of Life, ſealed with his righteous bloud.

Thirdly,See Ibid. p. 376, &c. By cleaving to Gods ſweeteſt Name, which is to forgive iniquitie, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne, Exod. 34. 6, 7.

Fourthly,See Randalls Cygn. Cant. p. 28. My Walking with God, p. 10. By reſting with all thankefull and joyfull acknowledgement, and rejecting reſolutely all ſcrupulous and fearefull injections, upon that bleſſed Myſterie of Gods free grace, which reacheth from everlaſting to everlaſting.

p. 24511 Then ever after walke watchfully and fruitfully in the path which is called holy.11

Now for continuall growing and profiting by the Miniſterie, in that new and bleſſed courſe; and for thriving by the food of the Word which thou enjoyeſt, take theſe directions, looke unto theſe things.

Firſt,See Chryſoſt. Tom. 2. p. 682. Looke to the dreſſing of it; that thy ſpirituall Cooke be cunning, and conſcionable. Otherwiſe, it may ſometimes turne into ranke poyſon unto thy Soule, fill thee with winde, and puffe thee up with a cauſeleſſe good conceit of thy ſelfe; impaire thy ſpirituall health, keepe thee ſtinted, as it were, and at a ſtay, &c. Nay, an ill ſpirituall Cooke, by his jugling Trickes, may make thee beleeve all thy life long, that thou groweſt in Grace, and ſhalt goe to Heaven; and thou art ſtarke dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, and ſhalt be damned.

Secondly,See Rollocke in Johan. p. 377. The emptying and disburthening of the Stomacke of thy Soule, of all Humours, Paſſions, Prejudice, Croſſes, Troubles, Temptations, &c. or any thing that will hinder the puritie and power of the Word from taking poſſeſſion of thy Soule: even the Honey-combe, the ſweeteſt thing in the World, is loathſome, as the Wiſe-man ſayth, to a full ſtomacke. Thou muſt bring an Heart and Head, like two emptie Buckets, to draw with greedineſſe and joy the Water of Life out of the Wells of Salvation.

Thirdly, To procure and rayſe an Appetite p. 250before thou come: from conſideration; firſt, of its Neceſſitie: Where the Word of God is not preached, the people periſh; as you had it in the former Treatiſe. Secondly, Excellencie: It is farre more precious than pureſt Gold, dearer than thouſands of Gold and Silver. Thirdly, Sweetneſſe: It paſſes the Honey, and Honeycombe. David, in his abſence from the meanes, holds the Swallow and Sparrow happle Birds. Fourthly, Profit: It builds up the inner man, &c.

Fourthly, The Reception of it; That it ever be entertained with farre more attention and reverence, than if wee were hearing the mightieſt Monarch in the World ſpeaking immediately unto us, by perſonall compellation, about the weightieſt affaire, and neerelieſt concerning us: That it be ever heard as the Word of the mightie and ever-living God.

Fifthly, Retention. The moſt wholeſome and ſoveraigne meat, if preſently voided, nouriſheth not at all; many fall into a Conſumption of Grace, by reaſon of weakeneſſe this way. They are hot and fierce to get unto a good Sermon, and they doe well, to be carefull thereabout; but their forwardneſſe and fervencie cooles and expires, when the Sermon is done. They after, have little more to doe with it, ſave onelyonly to ſay it was a good Sermon: As, many have an unſatiable appetite in devouring meat, who cannot keepe it for any ſpace of time.See Chryſoſt. Tom. 2. Hom. 41. Incer to Authore. The retentive power of the Soule then muſt be ſtrengthened, p. 251and exerciſed, or elſe the attentive and attractive addes but more deadneſſe to a ſpirituall Atrophie.

Sixtly,See Chryſoſt. in Johan. Hom. 31. pag. 103. Concoction. By repetition▪ either in way of conference, with our neighbours, and Chriſtian friends;Let us ruminate (of the Scripture, viz.) and as it were chew the cud, that wee may have the ſweet juice, ſpirituall effect, marrow, honey, kernell, taſte, comfort and conſolation of them, 11. Homily for reading Scriptures. or in way of examination, without Wives, Children, Servants, Schollers, or other inferiours. But principally, by that, firſt, excellent Exerciſe of Meditation, which is the very life of profitable Hearing; and the want of it, the death of all good Leſſons: It inflames the heart with a kindly heat, to practiſe; as in brooding, the Hen inſpires heat, and begets life: ſecondly, and by the heat of Prayer; that both warmes the heart, fits the food, and brings a bleſſing upon both.

Seventhly,Wee muſt, Iterum de memoriā quaſi de utero, revocare & ruminare, & retractare. Chryſoſt. or rather the uncertaine Author, in Matth. Hom. 41. Digeſtion. By application of the points unto our owne particular; by ſorting the particulars of the Sermon, unto our owne neceſſities; for the conquering of this Luſt, ruling of that Paſſion, leaving this Sinne, performing that Dutie, &c.

Eightly, Practice. Walking in the ſtrength of it afterward; which makes it our owne, and keepes the Soule in health, and growth, and comfortable temper.

And thus wee may conſtantly grow by the Miniſterie of the Word; which is the principall publike Banquet, which the Lord hath provided for feeding his Childrens Soules.

The Sacraments are a ſecond Service.

Even by the firſt, that is, Baptiſme, wee may p. 248grow, not onelyonly when wee feele it in our owne bodies; but alſo, when wee ſee it adminiſtred unto others. And therefore, the cuſtome which hath prevailed in moſt places, of neglecting and contemning this part of the Food of our Soules, is to be ſeverely cenſured, and ſharpely reproved.

By the ſecond, that is, the Lords Supper, wee may thrive excellently, if wee follow thoſe Directions in my Preparative to it: To which I referre you, in the ſucceeding Treatiſe.

FINIS.