A Care-cloth: OR A TREATISE OF THE CUMBERS AND TROUBLES OF MARRIAGE: INTENDED TO ADVISE THEM THAT MAY, TO shun them; that may not, well and patiently to bear them.  
By WILLIAM WHATELY, Preacher of the Word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.  1. Cor. 7.39, 40. 
The Wife is bound by the Law, as long as her Husband liveth: but if her Husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.  
But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgement, and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.  
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man. 1624.   

TO THE COURTEOUS READER.  
GOod Reader: Most gravely doth our Communion Book admonish such as come to be married, that they ought to enter into this estate, not rashly, lightly, unadvisedly, to satisfy their carnal lusts and appetites, like bruit beasts, that have no understanding; but discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Needful it is, that this counsel be sounded often in the ears of the unmarried, and not alone in that instant, when they are now about to consummate marriage. For want of heeding this counsel, how common is it, and withal how mischievous? For men to offend in an over-sudden and overhasty undertaking of Marriage, without the due meditation of two special things (namely, what be the duties of Marriage, and what the difficulties,) it is as impossible to be well prepared for that estate, as to fly without wings, to go without legs, or to see without an eye: yet scarce one man or woman of a number will put themselves to the pains of informing themselves beforehand, of either of these two things. Thus having blindly and headlongly cast themselves into marriage, either not at all (or with no firm and settled knowledge) knowing, what belongs unto it, what services they are called to perform, what burdens to sustain in it: it follows (as needs it must) that with much hazard to their own souls, and much unquietness to themselves, families and neighbours, they prove utterly careless of their duties, and extremely impatient under their crosses. Hence it comes to pass, that marriage proveth to many, just as the stocks unto the drunkard; into which, when his head was warm with Wine or Ale, he put his foot laughingly, and with merriment: but a little after (having slept out his Wine, and cooled his head with a nap,) he longs as much to get it out again. Hence it is, that diverse houses are none other, but even very Fencing-Schooles, wherein the two sexes seem to have met together for nothing, but to play their prizes, and to try masteries. Hence it is, that many husbands and wives do far almost always, as job fared, when the Devil had smitten his body with boils and ulcers, cursing their Wedding-day, as much as he did his Birthday, and thirsting after divorce as much, as ever he did after death. Hence it is, that many wedded people brook their wedlock in none other fashion, than a dog doth his Chain, at which he never ceaseth snarling and gnawing, that he may break it asunder, and set himself at liberty. Hence it is, that the little child is no more weary of his fine new guilded book, now a little overworn & sullied (yea, that the prisoner is no more weary of his gyves, nor the Galleyslave of his oars) than many an husband of his wife, and she of him, within an year or two, and sometimes within a month or two, after their wedding. In a word, from this fountain, such a stream of bitter waters do issue, as make the lives of a number in marriage, like the sojourning of Israel in Marah, where almost nothing could be heard, but murmuring and complaining. To redress or prevent, if it might be, at least, some of these many mischiefs, I have been bold (as once Moses did cast a piece of wood into the waters of Marah to sweeten them, so) to publish already to the World, some few directions about the duties of the married, and do now adventure again, to put forth some other advertisements, about the troubles of Marriage. Neither let it seem superfluous to give men tidings of troubles before they come, seeing they are always so much the better borne, by how much they are more expected. Men are indeed desirous to please themselues rather, with the sweet thoughts of comfort, then to embitter their minds with fore-fearefull conceits of misery. Also, to a mind fully bend upon a course, dissuasions prove tedious; and he that foretelleth inconveniences, may seem to dissuade. But let it be observed withal, that likely none do meet with more crosses in marriage, or bear their crosses more untowardly, than those that most dream of finding it a very Paradise: For they strange above measure at the cumbers they never forethought of, and are put out of all patience, by being so fare disappointed, as to find thick mire and dirt there, where they would tell themselves of nothing, but fair and pleasant way. And indeed none show themselves less resolute in under-going misery, than those that make themselves most resolute to rush upon it. The same vices that breed stiffness in ones course, will breed impatiency under the crosses that he meets with in his course. Wilfulness and frowardness, grow like two evil branches, out of one root of folly. But wariness of mind, in foreseeing, and forefearing evil, brings quietness of mind, in bearing and sustaining evil: and the expectation of misery makes it, at least, seem lighter, because the mind is somewhat acquainted with it by contemplation. When Israel would needs have a King to rule over them, as other Nations, the Lord commandeth Samuel to testify unto them, what should be the manner of their King, and so he tells them, what heavy burdens their much-desired Monarch should lad them withal. No doubt it is as needful for marrying persons, to know what burdens their wedded condition is like to bring upon them. Wherefore I will make bold to foretell those that will enter into Marriage, that they must make account in changing their estate, to change for the less easeful; and will advice him that will follow mine advice (if not, let him follow his own mind, and say ten years after, whether was the better counsel) To go unto Matrimony with fear of the worst, and to know beforehand, that there grow Briers and Thorns in this way, whereon he must needs tread, that will travail in it. Yet is not this written by me, to make any man forbear marriage, whom God calleth unto it; nor to make men hazard themselves to wickedness, for fear of the cumbers of Matrimony: but alone to make those willing to want marriage, that may want it without sin, or hazard of sin; and to make men careful not to marry, before God calls them to it; and withal, being called, to fit themselves for it; lest if they marry sooner, or with less wariness, they discredit Marriage after a while, as most do that are married, by wishing themselves single again. Some man, perhaps, upon occasion of these words, may desire to have this demand satisfied, When doth God call a man to Marriage? I answer: First, when he sets him in such a condition, that he may marry, without wronging any other person, that is, when he is now become his own man, not bound by covenant to continue another man's servant: for God never crosseth himself: whom he hath called for a certain time to be servant unto a Master, him he doth not call, during that time, to break from that service, without his Master's liking; and to think of making himself a Master, before he have fulfilled the duty of a servant. Secondly, when God furnisheth a man with some convenient means to maintain a Wife and Family, and not before: for God calleth no man to any place, until he have granted him some means of discharging the duties of that place; and it is one part of an householders duty to provide for them of his household. The Lord sends not soldiers into the field to fight, without some weapons, nor men to house-keeping, without some means to keep house. Lastly, when a man, after diligent labour, convenient watching, due abstinence, earnest prayers, and a careful shunning of all times, places, companies, exercises, that may provoke ill affections, doth yet still find his heart so restlessly possessed with these desires, that he cannot withhold his will, at least, from often consenting unto them; and so is disabled from serving God in duties of Religion and his calling, with comfort and cheerfulness: to whom God, after all these means used, vouchsafeth not the power of containing, him he calls, to enter into Matrimony. But he that is so tied in other respects, that he cannot marry without wronging another, or wants all fit means to maintain a wife, or in regard of any other let, cannot attain a wife, shall without fail attain the gift of continency, if he be careful to use the forenamed means, and the like, that God hath appointed to subdue lust. Indeed if men force themselves to an unmarried life, either by superstitious vows, or incredulous fears, or the like, the Lord will likely punish their presumption or diffidence, by not yielding his powerful help, and so will make them find their own folly and weakness. But such is the wisdom of God to proportion his own actions to his own ends, and cause, that all his deeds shall hold agreement each with other; and such is his truth and goodness to them, that faithfully call upon him that whom himself debarreth from Matrimony, him he will enable to live chastely and purely out of matrimony, upon condition of his upright and careful endeavours to get this ability. Wherefore whosoever is yet a servant to another, or is wholly destitute of all means, to provide for a wife and children, or is otherwise so hindered, that he cannot have a wife, must say to himself thus; God hath made me a single man, & would have me so to continue as yet; I will not be wanting to myself in striving for continency, and God's blessing shall not be wanting to mine endeavours, in giving continency. And he that is at his own disposing otherways, and enjoyeth convenient means of providing for a Family, shall, for all that, do best to forbear Matrimony, as I suppose, if he perceive no need of marriage for the preventing of sin, or other important consideration. For albeit in such case the Lord hath left a man's conscience at liberty (so that he sins not either by abiding in his present estate, or altering it, which he likes best) yet it may seem the wisest way to make choice of that part, which the Scripture rather of the twain doth seem to commend, saying, 1. Cor. 7.1. It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 7. I would that all men were even as I myself. 8. I say to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them, if they abide, even as I, that is, single. 27. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. 38. He that giveth her in marriage, doth well; but he that giveth her not, doth better. 40. The Widow is happier, if she abide so, that is unmarried, after my judgement, and I think that I also have the Spirit of God. But yet if God lead any man to marriage, let him follow him, yet so, that he follow him with prudence and discretion. He whom God shall will to fight with an enemy, must furnish himself with fit weapons. David gate himself a sling, and smooth pebbles out of the valley, when he went to encounter Goliath. So men must arm and furnish themselves for marriage, that they may not dishonour this honourable estate, by turning back from it, in their minds and wishes. Specially, he that will be married, must arm himself with patience against the troubles of that kind of life, and resolving, that he shall meet with them, must determine, that he will behave himself, not alone quietly, but even cheerfully, though they come apace about him. Digest in the serious consideration of thy mind, the cause of trouble, sin; the use of trouble, the healing of sin; the Sender and Moderator of trouble, God; the end and issue of trouble, glory; that thine heart may neither faint nor fret, because of trouble; yea, though some heavy and more than ordinary calamity should betide thee; much less, if thou meet alone with those usual matters, which (like spirtlings in a dirty way) will surely come to the lot of every man, in every Family. For to see a man so foolish and absurd, that having made himself the Governor of an household, he can bear no disorder of wife, children, servants; no disaster in goods, cattles, dealings; without chase, and fuming, and storms, and without those pangs of a base and feeble mind, vain wishes of having never known this wife, or so forth, is a spectacle of that nature, as may justly move disdain, as well as pity in the wise beholder. What was he, trow you, a reasonable man, or a bruit creature, that rushed so foresightlesly into marriage, as never to say to himself, that some of these things must needs befall all that are wedded: And if a man do know, that such things must needs happen to all that will marry, is it not a strange indiscretion to take on, that they have happened to himself, who would needs marry? Make reckoning therefore of crosses in thy matrimonial condition, and then be careful to prevent them so much as may be. For which end, let me commend unto thy consideration, these two things following: When thou art married, if it may be, live of thyself with thy wife, in a family of thine own, and not with another, in one family, as it were, betwixt you both. And in all thy worldly dealings, trust no more than thou must needs; nor otherwise, then upon due security. The mixing of governors in an household, or subordinating or uniting of two Masters, or two Dames under one roof, doth fall out most times, to be a matter of much unquietness to all parties: Youth and Age are so far distant in their constitutions, that they will hardly accord in their conditions; and how to make the young folks so wholly resign themselves unto the elder, as not to be discontented with their proceed; or to make the elder so much to deny themselves, as to condescend unto the wills of the younger; or to make both so moderate themselves, as to meet in the midway (without one of which three things, there is no maintaining of concord) is a matter in the best natures, & most discreet persons, exceeding difficult; and in the common sort of people altogether impossible. Wherefore, as the young Bees do seek unto themselues another Hive; so let the young couple another house, that they may learn to live of a little, to know what is their own, and how it becomes their own, and to use their own to their own best advantage, that whatsoever come, they may never fall into that unhappiest of all unhappinesses, of either being tormentors of their Parents, or tormented by them. And for one's worldly affairs, let him trust as little as is possible, and then also upon God's assurance. It is most certain, that the most of those with whom a man shall deal, will always be , and unrighteous, serving themselves altogether, and ready to advantage themselves by deceit. It were an uncharitableness, to say before trial, Such a man will deceive me, therefore I will not trust him: but it is wisdom to think before trial, This man may deceive me, therefore, if I may, I will forbear to trust him; if not, I will trust him on such terms, as he may not be able, if he should be willing to beguile me. Boldness to borrow, boldness to lend, boldness to trust, and to be trusted (which likely come from this original, that men would over-faine, either to be rich, or seem so,) have plunged many families into great misery, which else might have sailed through the World with a constant tenor of prosperity. Let a man therefore be willing to lay his foundation low, to content himself with the employment of his own portion, not delighting to make himself a servant, by making himself a borrower, nor to hazard himself (more than he must needs) upon the doubtful honesty of such slippery servants, as most times borrowers prove to be. But forbearing to give further counsel, I commit the book following to thy censure, praying thee to read it with judgement and favour, and to be the same to the writings of another, that thou wouldst another should be to thine. So with my best wishes to God, to make the troubles of thy marriage (if thou be'st, or shalt be married) as easy as is possible (and the more easy, by means of that advice which this Treatise will give thee, if thou wilt vouchsafe to read and consider it) I leave thee to the guidance of him, that giveth his gifts to every man as seemeth best to himself, and remain  
Banbury, Feb. 19 1622. A well-willer to the peace of thine heart and house, William Whately.   

AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.  
Understand, good Reader, that in a former Treatise about the duties of the married, entitled, A Bride bush, I did occasionally deliver two positions: One this; The sin of adultery dissolveth the bond, and annihilateth the covenant of Matrimony. Another this; The sin of wilful desertion doth likewise dissolve the bond of Matrimony. Give me leave now to advertise thee of such reasons, as have been objected unto me against these two positions. Against the first thus: Whatsoever man and woman may lawfully converse together in matrimonial society, betwixt them the bond of matrimony remaineth undissolued: for upon this bond, the lawfulness of that society depends, as upon the next and immediate cause thereof. Now man and wife, even after the sin of adultery committed by one, or both of them, may lawfully converse together in matrimonial society: For who can think, that David sinned, in knowing any other of his wives, after his offence with Bathsheba? Or if any man or woman having transgressed in this kind so secretly, that none doth know of it, shall after forsake the sin, and without revealing it to the yoke-fellow, continue to render due benevolence; who can say, that such society is unlawful? Therefore betwixt man and wife, even after the sin of adultery, the bond of marriage remaineth undissolued, and therefore the contrary position ought not to be holden. Against the second thus: He that puts away his wife not for whoredom, and marries another, is guilty of wilful desertion, (yea, and of adultery too:) For, is it not all one to departed from ones wife, with a mind of never returning, and to put away his wife from him, with a mind of never reaccepting her? Now after such putting away of a man's wife, and marrying another, the bond of matrimony remaineth undissolued: for our Saviour saith, That he which marries a woman so put away, 
Mat. 19.9.  commits adultery; which could not be, unless the bond betwixt her, and her former husband remained undissolued. Therefore at least after some desertion (yea, and adultery too) the bond of matrimony remaineth undissolued; and therefore the contrary position must be denied. Sweyed by these arguments (to which, I confess, that I cannot make a satisfying answer) I depart from these opinions, wishing that I had not written them, and that no man, by what I have written, would embolden himself, in such cases, to take at least a doubtful, and an hazzardfull liberty. So praying God to give us a right understanding in all things, I bid thee farewell.   

A Care-cloth: OR A TREATISE OF THE CUMBERS AND TROUBLES OF MARRIAGE, intended to advice them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to bear them.  1. Cor. 7.28. 
If thou marriest, thou sinnest not; and if a virgin marry, she sinneth not, but such shall have trouble in the flesh.  

CHAP. I. The opening of the Text.  
THe Apostle, in this Chapter, makes answer to some questions, which the Corinth's had by Letter propounded unto him, and that specially concerning matter of marriage: and he gives his directions, first, indefinitely, to the unmarried, married; and all sorts of persons in the former part of the Chapter; then specially and particularly to Virgins, from the 26. Verse to the 39 to Widows in the two last Verses. To Virgins he addresseth his counsel in this order, first, in a brief preface, declaring the purport of his words, viz. that he did not give a precise Commandment, as of a thing that bond the conscience strictly, but alone advice and counsel, as of a thing most fit and commodious. Secondly, he propoundeth his counsel in the 26. Verse, which comes to this purpose; That it is good for a man and woman, in regard of the necessity and distress, to which in this present life they are subject, to forbear marriage, and to continue in Virginity. Lastly, he amplifieth and enlargeth this matter, more fully explicating himself, which explication he gins in the former Verse and this, interrupts by a pertinent digression in the three following Verses: and lastly, goes on in, and finisheth in the five next.  
Here then the Apostle is about to make his meaning so manifest (in that dissuasion from marriage, which formerly he had used) that no occasion of hurt might grow from the mistaking thereof. And as in the former Verse he had advised men, neither to be weary of marriage, if they were married; nor yet to be covetous of it, if they were lose; so here he shows, in what respects he discounselleth it, viz. (first, negatively) not as a sin (nay, he plainly confesseth the lawfulness of it, saying, If thou (being a man) shalt marry, thou sinnest not; and if a Virgin marry, she sinneth not) but (secondly, affirmatively) as a matter of more outward and bodily trouble; for such, saith he, shall have trouble in the flesh: but, saith he, I spare you; that is, I will not use more earnestness to dissuade you from that, that most men are unwilling to be dissuaded from. To spare, is not to press them overhard to that, whereto they would not be drawn, without some backwardness. The thing then that the Apostle delivers in this verse, is in effect this, That marriage is not to be forborn, as a matter sinful, but troublesome, and virginity to be embraced, not as a state of life more holy, but alone more easeful; and that he dissuadeth marriage, not as if it were in any sort to be reputed unlawful to marry, but alone, because it is commonly attended upon with more difficulties then single life; in which regard also he forbeareth to urge the forbearance of it any thing earnestly. Now we have Paul's meaning, let us see what instructions his words will yield us.   

CHAP. II. Containing the first instruction.  
Doct. 1 ANd first, from Paul's so plain and precise disavowing of any conceit of the unlawfulness of matrimony, and endeavouring carefully and expressly to prevent such an opinion, we may inform our selves thus much, That it behoveth men to take heed of accounting those things sinful or unlawful that be not so. No man must make more faults than God makes. Our judgement should be always so clear and sound, that we might esteem of things as they be, and call that lawful which is lawful, as well as that wicked which is wicked: and as in the tribunal of humane justice, a guiltless man must not be sentenced as guilty: So at the bar of humane reason, a faultless action must not be wrongly burdened with the censure of faultiness. Whosoever reads this text, will yield this point: yet we shall have it made good by a voice from Heaven, 
Acts 19.15.  viz. that that was spoken to Peter in his trance, That that God hath cleansed, call not thou common. The Lord had removed the distinction of meats (in regard of conscience to himward) which was of force under the Leviticall Law. That Peter might be informed of this needful truth, whereof he was yet ignorant, he is bidden (in a Vision wherein all manner of beasts were offered to him being hungry) to kill and eat: he refuseth, because the things were such as the Law condemned for unclean and common. The voice tells him the second time, that it was not for him to make that common, which God had made clean. Lo how the cleanness or uncleanness of things is not to be ordered by man's authority, no, not by the authority of Peter himself, so that a man would wonder how he that calleth himself the successor of Peter, should adventure to do that, which to Peter himself is prohibited. And what was the sin for which the Pharises are taxed by the Lord? 
Matt. 15.2. etc.  was it not this? that they would needs deem it a great fault and pollution, to eat meat without washing of hands first; whereas the Lord in his Law, had never forbidden such eating. The point is undeniable, and needeth no more proof; there is a negative superstition (consisting of Touch not, taste not, handle not, etc. that is, Do not this and that, for fear of offending God, and hurting your soul, though the Lord have never condemned it) as well as an affirmative superstition, standing in Do this, or do that, that you may please God, and benefit your soul. That we may be more careful to avoid the fault of coining faults, let us consider, what evils will ensue from such mistaking.  
Reas. 1 First, by this means a man shall unnecessarily cumber himself, and by fretting his own conscience, make his life uncomfortable, and his soul more unable to serve God with joyfulness in a good conversation. If a servant put gyves or irons upon his own legs, he cannot go forward nimbly in his Master's business: So if a Christian do shackle his own conscience, he cannot with cheerfulness perform the will of God in holiness of living: For to him that accounts a thing sinful, to him it is sin, as the Apostle faith, Rom. 14.14. And so it will often come to pass, that if he do it not, he shall sinne in one regard; if he do it, he shall sinne in another regard, as being persuaded that it is sinful. Thus doth a man cast himself inevitably upon a necessity of sinning, and so upon unquietness, perplexity, and much inavoydable misery, to the great trouble, not of himself alone, but of others also, with whom he liveth, to whom his entangled conscience will not suffer him to perform his duty with love and readiness, as he ought to do.  
Secondly, by this means a man shall feed his own self-conceitedness, and cause his heart to be still swelling bigger and bigger in high imaginations of himself: and unless the Lord bestow some pains to keep him down by diverse adversities and temptations, he will quickly grow to such a dotage, as to be little less than enamoured of himself, admiring and applauding his own ability to judge and discern of things above other men, whom he will repute, as very dim-sighted or stark blind, because they cannot see so fare, as he conceits himself to see. Error in this kind, must needs nourish pride, because in not knowing, a man thinks he knows more than other of his neighbours.  
Thirdly, by so mistaking, a man is made apt (which is a necessary consequent of pride) to censure other men, to think hardly of them, to condemn them, as persons utterly reckless and unconscionable, as if they regarded not at all what they did, because it stands not with their minds, to run in so narrow a line, as himself runneth in. Thus in Paul's time, the men that would not eat, were always forward to judge and condemn those that would eat. For when a man, out of an erring conscience, forbeareth those things, in which another useth his liberty, he must either condemn himself, or another, or else leave another wholly to God: self-love will not suffer men to blame themselves, self-conceitedness will not suffer them to refer the matter wholly to God: wherefore of necessity (in the most part of men) judging, condemning, censuring, and hard conceits must follow thereupon.  
Last of all, this making of new sins doth offer most palpable violence to Christian liberty, and is as direct an impeachment of that inward spiritual freedom, which Christ hath procured to the consciences of his people, as any can be in the world. These erroneous opinions enthral the conscience, and bring it in slavery; they tie it, where God ties it not; they do as it were, hedge and ditch in a part of that Commons, which God would have lie open, and suffer not the conscience to enjoy so large a walk as God hath allowed: they do, in a sort, impale, or imparke the soul, and after a sort, cub it up, that it cannot in many cases enjoy that content, peace, and comfort, nor perform that service, homage and duty, which it ought to enjoy or perform. So hath Christ wrong, in that his servants are not permitted to partake of the freedom that he hath allotted them; and God is wronged also, in that error takes upon it to be wiser and juster than he; and darkness will make itself believe, that it hath discovered more, than light itself did discover; and a blind person will bear himself bold, in the place of a guide and leader in the way. All these mischiefs ensue, upon the reputing of sinless things sinful, and therefore it is not without just reason, that our Apostle is so plain and express in this matter; He sinneth not: She sinneth not.   

CHAP. III. Containing the use of the point.  
Use. LEt us therefore be admonished, to take heed to ourselves that we offend not in this hand. Beloved, there are two extremities much to be shunned, and happy (most happy) were we all, if the Lord would vouchsafe to assist us with so much light and grace, that all of us might be able to shun both twain of them. The one extreme is (out of a vast, wide, retching, and extending conscience) to deem any thing lawful, unless it be as palpable (as the Proverb hath it) as the nose in a man's face, and as manifest, as the Sun shining in his brightness. This looseness, this licentiousness, this striving to make all things seem lawful, that any way please affection, and may bring with them, ease, pleasure, and commodity, is the much more dangerous extremity, causing some men to defend, and practise they care not what, worshipping of Images, common swearing, the use of Enchantments, travelling and profane sporting on the Lord's day, and diverse more abominations against every Commandment. But there is also another extremity, which clogs a man with scrupulousness, so as he starts back almost from every thing, as if it were a sin, and becomes so timorous and doubting, that he dares scarce adventure upon any action, if it be not on the other side as clear, as the Sun in his Noone-height. The one of those is like a careless man, that believes every man who speaks him fair, though be a very coozener; the other is like a suspicious and distrustful man, that will believe no man, be he never so plain and upright. Though this latter be the less dispraiseable extreme, yet without doubt it is a great fault, the breeder of many woeful evils, being commonly the testimony of an vnstayed, and insufficient judgement, overruled by prejudice and by passion. Therefore you are as well to be dehorted from the one of these evils, as the other; which though you have not, perhaps, so well considered of heretofore, yet now let the Apostles words make you take diligent heed unto it. It is an offence against God, a wrong to thyself, an hindrance to thy comfort and serviceableness, a gawling to thy conscience, and a procurer of much unhappiness: to conceive falsely within thyself of any thing, This is not lawful; If I do this, I shall sin against God, when indeed thou shalt not sin; as to conceine falsely, This is lawful for me; This I may do, when indeed thou mayest not do it. Know now, that both these are by-paths, both are outstrayings, and that in the wilderness of this World, thou mayest as quickly, and well-near as dangerously wander in the one of these ways, as the other; and therefore be thou as careful and desirous, not to step awry in the one, as in the other path. I press this the rather, because I have observed in experience, that many men become irreclaimeable, in regard of this scrupulousness, out of a conceit they have, that there is little or no danger in it. But they are deceived; A man may hurt himself, offend his brethren, dishonour God, trouble the world, and cast himself to hell, by straining at Gnats, as well as by swallowing Camels. To do a thing, in many cases is no sin, neither is it a sin to forbear; but to condemn a thing not worthy to be condemned, to stretch one's wits, to make a lawful thing seem wicked, and to be stiff in such a forbearance, this is always naught, and always dangerous. What mischief hath come into the world, by making marriage a sin to some men, to whom it was no sin? How hath the world been pestered with troubles and contentions about things of no moment, because some men would not, or could not see, that lawful things were lawful? In a word, I know not whether the Church of God do not as much smart and bleed, by the wounds that scrupulousness gives her, as by those which unconscionableness gives her. Oh that once she might be cured of both at once!  
And that you may the better preserve yourselves from such mistaking, 
Directions to keep ourselves from making no sins, sins: first, general.  I will deliver some few directions; first general; then special. In general observe these five Rules:  
First, in judging of points controverted, let a man place his mind in a flat indifferency, and make it merely neutral; for if a man shall bend his will and affections one way, desiring for some respect, to have this part rather true, then that in a matter questioned; this desire will carry him away, as the bias doth the bowl, many times against the truth. Unequal balances will do wrong in weighing, though the weights be equal.  
Secondly, when the mind is brought to this perfect neutrality, pass not sentence hastily, but upon serious deliberation, taking advice (if by any means occasion serve) whether by reading or conference, as well, as much, as often, with those that hold on the one side, as on the other. He that speaketh first, is commonly righteous, but his neighbour cometh after, and findeth him out: He shall never be an indifferent judge betwixt party and party, that is loath to hear the allegations of the one side, and willing to hear all that can be alleged on the other; neither shall he ever discern aright betwixt opinion and opinion, that is glad to be acquainted with any reasons that may make for the one opinion, but if discontented (at least not very well pleased) if he hear that contradicted, and the contrary maintained.  
Thirdly, Harken to all such distinctions and limitations, as have ground and warrant out of Scripture: for as the cause of licentiousness is, for the most part, a boldness to frame distinctions or limitations, without ground from the written Word; so scrupulousness doth commonly arise from hence, that men either heed not, or will not yield unto those distinctions and limitations, which God himself hath led us unto in his Word.  
Fourthly, let nothing be counted a sin, which Scripture doth not condemn as a sin, and what the Word (the rule of truth and falsehood) doth not show us to be unlawful, that let us hold to be lawful. Safely may one conclude in all manner of actions, I will take that as warrantable, against which I find nothing written. Yea verily, it is more than a probable reason, the Word of God hath left a thing in such doubtful sort, that many godly, virtuous, and learned men do think it lawful, and therefore I will incline rather to think it lawful, then otherwise: for hardly would it stand with God's goodness, to leave sins so doubtfully discovered, as that wise and godly men, when the matter cometh to discussing, should not be able to see the sinfulness thereof.  
Fifthly, beware of suffering prejudice, example, humour, to sway you, in judging the lawfulness or unlawfulness of things. Be ready in matters controverted, to change opinions, to think otherwise then thou hast thought, otherwise than thou hast been long known to think, otherwise then men of great esteem with thyself have thought; and beware that choler and melancholy do not dazzle thine eyes; and to that end, if thou be'st inclined to either of these humours, be afraid of them, and yield less to thine authority because of them: for stiffness in opinions (a fruit commonly of the three forenamed things) is nothing praiseworthy. Constancy in express truths is a notable virtue; peremptoriness in matters not plainly revealed, is a vice, and not a virtue.  
And these be five general Rules, which will conduce much to the true freedom of the judgement. I will add as many more special Rules, which are these.  
first, 
2. Special.  example of good men in Scripture do not bind conscience, but only (supposing them not contradictory to precepts) warrant it; they do not make a thing needful, or sinful, but alone declare it indifferent and lawful: so, what I can show some godly man in Scripture to have done before me (no precept being for, or against it) that (not I must do, or else I sin, but) I may do without sin. Abraham made a great feast at the weaning of Isaac; yet is no father bound so to do, though any wealthy father may do so, if he please. Our Saviour being invited to a Wedding feast, did go to it; yet is no man tied to do so, but alone allowed. When our Saviour preached solemnly in the Synagogue at Nazareth, it is noted, that he stood up to read, opened the book, read the portion of Scripture out of the book which he minded to speak of, than shut the book again, and sat down, and spoke unto them: yet to these particularities is no man's conscience bound in preaching, but he may, if he will, sit in reading his Text, or if he will, he may say it without book, and not read it, and may stand up and interpret, and apply it. So in many other particulars. In this case the Scriptures are clear; 
Rom. 3.20, 4.15.  By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin. And again: Where there is no Law, there is no sin. Now the Law is a commandment of some person, that hath power to command, and not an action of any man under authority. This rule is of admirable use, in judging of things: for many a man doth clog up his conscience, by binding himself to mere examples, 
1. Cor. 15.56.  whereas the strength of sin is the Law.  
Secondly, humane inventions are not therefore unlawful in the forms, order, circumstances, solemnity of Divine Service or worship, because they are mere humane inventions, unless in some other respect, some sinfulness be found in them, no, nor though some kind of signification be aimed at in them. For example, In some Churches I have seen a Flower set up by the hourglass on the Pulpit, to express this conceit, that the preaching of the Word is even the Flower of the place, yet cannot think any man so scrupulous, as to think it unlawful. In other Churches, hath a Lantern been fairly engraven over the Pulpit, with this word above, Thy Word is a Lantern to my feet; yet I hope no sin committed. In most Churches of great Towns, you shall see the Bible held up with an Eagle; (no question, at the first this was done, to express some conceit of Gods carrying his Word upon eagle's wings) yet I never heard man that found fault with that Image in the service of God. So in swearing, we use to lay our hands upon the Bible, and to kiss the Bible, in token of that reverence we own to him, by whom we swear according to the contents of that Book; yet no man that I know, hath picked a quarrel with this usage, although an oath be well known to be a worthy service of God, if it be duly performed. So you may note a solemnity in swearing, used by Abraham and jacob, of putting the hand under the thigh. So there was a solemnity accustomed in reading the Law, Nehem. 8.5, 6. which the Law itself did never prescribe. For when the Priest opened the book, all the people stood up, then did Ezra bless God with a loud voice, than did the people bow down their heads and worship: surely such standing up, such blessing, such bowing down is no where commanded in the books of Moses, neither any where else, yet no man will say, they were sinful. So had the jews Synagogues in their Cities, and portions to be read out of the Law and Prophets, some on such a day, some on such a day; yet for these the Law taketh none order at all, neither for all that did the jews sin in having Synagogues, and the Word in such order read in them. So in the manner of celebrating the Passeover, the jews had diverse orders, by name these; first, that they should neither stand, nor sit upright, but lie along upon beds, to signify their present security, that eat it at leisure, not in haste, as at the first; secondly, that the Master of the feast in the end of the Supper, should take a loaf and break it, and bless, & them distribute to all those that were present, and also should take Wine, and bless, and distribute to all that were present; thirdly, to wash their feet in that supper; fourthly, to sing an Hymn (with some others.) Now our Saviour Christ did use all these rites, and from one of them, took occasion to institute his last Supper our holy Sacrament; and yet none of all these is prescribed or mentioned in the Law, but rather the seeming contrary, an eating in haste with staffs in their hands. So Neh. 5.13. when that holy man pronounced the curse against exactors (in the making of a solemn covenant that they should cease their extortion) he shaken his lap, and said; So let God shake him that doth not perform this covenant, out of his house and labour. No manner of precept for this sign and solemnity in pronouncing a curse: yet doubtless it was lawful. So Nehem. 11.27. He ordained a solemn dedication of the wall of jerusalem, and performed it with solemn Procession, of two troops of the holy Musicians with their Instruments, going one troop one way, the other another, and meeting both in the Temple. Surely no such thing was appointed in the Law, yet no man blamed this as a sin. So David in removing the Ark, used diverse solemnities: for himself followed, clothed in a linen Ephod, all the Musician attended also, clothed in linen Ephods; and when the Livites that bore the Ark, had gone six paces, he offered Oxen and Fatlings, even seven Bullocks, and seven Lambs, as appeareth, comparing 2. Sam. 13. with 1. Corinth. 15.27. the Law required no such number, or order of offering, no such garments, either for him or them. It is manifest then, that if humane inventions of these kinds, be not made parts of worship by any false doctrine, or false opinion about them, and neither be such as for multitude, or other consideration, do darken and obscure the service of God, rather than add any solemnity or celebrity to it, they are not to be accounted unlawful.  
Thirdly, things in themselves lawful, but abused to superstition or Idolatry, are not by the such abuse of them, made unlawful to be used (of those that know the truth, and are free from such abusive conceit of them) either in civil life, or in the solemnities of Divine Service. For example: Churches built and dedicated to Idols, may lawfully be converted to the service of the true God, and there is no necessity of pulling them down, and building other in their rooms. Lying along on beds, and feasting in that manner, was greatly abused of the Romans in their public Idolatry, called Lectisternia, yet the jews did keep that gesture in their Passeover, and our Saviour conformed thereto, yea, though then, many of the Romans lived among them, and they were under the government of the Romans. Meat offered to Idols, might be eaten at any feast (save in the Idols Temple) yea, at their Love-feasts, which were accustomed to be made, when they met to receive the Lords Supper: for now to the pure, 
Tit. 1.15.  all things are pure, and now it is lawful to become all things to all men, yea, to him that is without Law, 
1. Cor. 9.21, 22  to be made as without Law; which could not be, if his abusing of a lawful thing to superstition, made it unlawful for me to conform with him in that thing. For indeed, the strict and precise commandment, whereby God did enjoin the jews to shun the customs of the Gentiles, even in things otherwise lawful, because by them abused, was proper to the times of the Law, as being part of that partition wall which Christ hath broken down, that he might make of both one.  
Fourthly, scandals, offences, inconvenient effects and consequents, do not prove any thing to be unlawful, but alone inexpedient, and cannot conclude, that such and such a thing may not lawfully be done, but alone; may not in such a place, at such a time, before such a person, be conveniently done: and so not the thing is unlawful, but the doer sinneth in doing a lawful thing unexpediently. Eating meat offered to Idols, would scandalise some weak ones, yet the Apostle never condemns it as a sin to eat meat offered to Idols (yea, he allows to eat whatsoever is set before a man,) but he saith, To him that eateth with offence, to him it is sin. 
Rom. 14.20.  Therefore consideration of such scandals cannot bear a man out, in not doing what the Magistrate commandeth. Scandal should cause me to forbear alone, in things left to mine own will and choice; but in things commanded by a Governor, I must not so fare heed scandals, as not to submit myself; for this (at least appearance of) disobedience, is worse than any scandal. A scandal is properly the abuse of Christian liberty, through undiscreet and uncharitable doing of a thing, in itself lawful, without regard of my neighbour's hurt that may come thence. Now, when I am commanded by authority of Governors, to do a thing lawful, then do I not, either undiscreetly, or uncharitably, use my liberty, but according to the bond of conscience laid upon me by God: wherefore to be offended at my so doing, is an undiscreet and uncharitable part of him that is offended.  
Fifthly, things that have a general allowance by God's Word, without restraint or limitation, may lawfully and warrantably be applied by men's appointment to any particular time, place and action, that they shall see fit so to apply them. For example: To sing a Psalm, is sufficiently warranted in Scripture: therefore it is lawful to ordain, that a Psalm shall be usually sung before or after Sermon: neither can any man find fault with such order, as if it were will-worship. So to pray, is warrantable by the Word; therefore to make an order, that Ministers shall make a prayer before or after their Sermons, or both, is not sinful, nor cannot be blamed, as a matter of voluntary Religion, though in all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, we never read, to my remembrance, that either Christ himself, or any Prophet or Apostle did so. So to adore Christ, by bowing of the knee unto him, is lawful, and hath general warrant out of the Word of God, as all yield (for to me shall every knee bow, is a thing that God hath sworn;) therefore it cannot but follow, that to bow the knee to him, in the act of receiving the Sacrament, is also lawful; for generals not limited by God, do give our consciences warrant to their uttermost generality, so fare as they may not dash against some other Commandment.  
These directions (Brethren) I am bold to propound unto you, as undoubted truths, so fare as my judgement reacheth; and, O that God would please to settle you in your just freedom of conscience! the enjoying whereof, would be no less comfortable & profitable unto your souls, than the walking at large, without having chains upon your legs, is delightful and beneficial to your bodies. And (Lord) now guide all our minds in such sort, by thy good Spirit, that we may know what cheerful liberty thou dost vouchsafe us, and may not sin against thy sovereignty, by false-imprisoning our consciences, without thy warrant.   

CHAP. IU. Containing the second doctrine.  
Doct. 2 But Igoe forward, to note what the Apostle principally teacheth, and that is plain enough in express words. Marriage is a lawful ordinance for all sorts: no unmarried man shall sinne by marrying; no maid shall sin in taking a husband. Any bachelor may make himself a husband; any virgin may make herself a wife: and for the act itself, no sin shall be imputed unto them, though for the manner of doing, and such common circumstances, as  all actions, they may behave themselves sinfully. Offend not in the manner and circumstances, and in the thing itself thou shalt not offend, if thou contract matrimony, whosoever thou be. Paul is always of the same mind, and therefore saith agreeably in another place; 
Heb. 13.4.  Marriage is (not alone lawful, but which is more) honourable among all men. It is not alone such a thing as may be done without sin, but without any the least disparagement; nay, of the two, being well performed, it rather winneth more respect than otherwise. 
1. Tim. 4.1, 2.  For this cause Paul doth elsewhere condemn the forbidding of marriage, as a doctrine of Devils. Never any heretics did forbid marriage universally to all men; he must needs therefore point at them, who forbidden it to some sort of men. And if the condemning of marriage be from the Devil, the allowing of it is from God, and so have all sorts of men universally a full allowance from God to take the benefit of this estate.  
Reas. 1 Reason is manifest in this point: First, is it not an ordinance of God, instituted for such purposes, as do generally concern all men? The Author of Nature hath appointed this union betwixt one man, and one woman (as for the comfort of themselves, and increase of mankind, so) for the preventing of inordinate desires, and unlawful mixtures. And seeing there is no sort of men which can be assured (otherwise then by this help) to be freed from those desires, more than their neighbours; it must needs follow, that God would have it common to all sorts, and equally lawful for all. Adam in his best estate (when he stood as a common father to all mankind) did marry, and by Gods own appointment did marry; and therefore it must needs be lawful for any of this posterity to marry.  
Furthermore, this is a most necessary ordinance, of exceeding great use in the world: It is the seminary of mankind, and the nursery of the Church. Take it away, and the world must needs either come to an end within one age, or else be replenished with bastards. From this fountain flow all the clear streams of legitimate children, of whom alone, all good and worthy hopes may be entertained: from this root, spring forth all the strait and fruitful branches, of an honest and unblemished posterity. Debar marriage, and you bring the being of the World to a full point, yea, to a final conclusion. Debar marriage, and you shall have no families kept, no names maintained amongst men, but either this great habitation, the world, must fall, for want of lawful heirs, to beasts and birds alone to possess it, or else, which is worse, be intruded upon by base and misbegotten men. We must have to World, or but a beastly and confused world, if marriage were not; therefore it must needs be lawful. And let it be taken away from any sort of men, and that sort of men will grow, by little and little, full of filthiness and uncleanness, and all viciousness; by being forced to forbear beyond strength, they are driven to yield to corruption beyond measure; and in affecting an inattaineable purity, they fall into a most extreme impurity. Solomon saith, that to eat too much honey, is not good: for why, it will breed the bitterest choler; and to affect too much cleanness, will breed the foulest uncleanness: for when men cannot marry, be they are forcibly hindered, nor cannot contain, because they are forcibly tempted, they must needs burn at least, if not flame forth into all execrable villainies. This therefore must be held for certain. No man or woman, in any kind or condition of life, may be blamed as sinners, because they have ceased to live singly.   

CHAP. V Containing the first use of the point.  
Use. 1 NOw from this point, we have something to infer for the use of the unmarried, 
To the unmarried.  and also of the married. To the unmarried we have a double instruction: the first is this; that he prefer not a sinful single life, before a finlesse marriage, as some have (foolishly and filthily) done, either our of a covetous mind, or of a licentious mind, or both. Many a man looking with an over-carnall eye, upon the troubles that attend matrimony, & considering the many adversities which do commonly tread upon the heels of this estate (whereof also we shall speak at large anon) do choose rather to poison their souls with the deadly poison of whoredom, then to be a little encumbered in this present life. But I pray you my brethren, be not so over-warie for your carnal ease: Take not leave to yourselves to live in frequent pollutions and impurities, rather than in honest matrimony, for scare forsooth, of those diverse inconveniences, with which marriage, because of sin, is usually accompanied. Marriage is no sin, whoredom is. He that takes a wife, offends not God, endangers not himself to hardness of heart, and eternal damnation: but he which takes an harlot, or defileth himself with other pollutions, both provokes God's wrath against himself, and also casts himself into the very pit of hell, so much as in him lieth. Wherefore if any man's necessity be such, that he cannot restrain his desires, nor keep his wishes within compass, but that in spite of all his earnest endeavours to the contrary, they work and boil within him, let him pray unto God, to make convenient provision for him, and embrace marriage with some misery, rather than sweet sin, that is to say, deadly poison, because it pleaseth in the taste. None inconveniences, none encumbrances, are answerable to the grievousness of sin. It is Gods wonderful goodness, that (knowing the temper and disposition of men in this kind) he hath debarred no man from this ordinance, but hath allowed them a remedy against sin, which itself is no sin. Remember the Apostles saying in this place, He that marries, sinneth not; and compare it with other disorders, which men fall into for want of marriage. He that commits fornication, sinneth; he that commits adultery, sinneth; he that defileth himself with other more unnatural commixtures, sinneth; yea, he that burneth (that is to say, life's in perpetual strong and masterfull desires, prevailing against all his resolutions, and carrying away his will, though not his body, he also) sinneth: but he that marrieth, doth not sin, Therefore it is better to marry, then commit fornication; it is better to marry, then to commit adultery; it is better to marry, then to commit uncleanness; it is better to marry, then to burn; it is better to adventure upon trouble without sin, then upon sin without trouble. I speak not this, to make any man less carefll, in striving against his own desires, and in using all virtuous and holy means of beating down his lusts, neither would abate any whit of a man's earnest endeavours, to live chastely in single life, and so to continue single: but I speak it, to show, that if any man find his passions too strong for him, and perceive that he cannot, but either marry or sin, he should rather marry without sin, than sin without marriage. It is no wise course to rush upon hell hereafter, to avoid trouble for the present. But, if the fear of trouble, should not make a man forbear matrimony (that cannot otherwise continue chaste,) how much less should the unwillingness to be confined to one person, make a man continue unyoked, that he might more freely give over himself to his wand'ring and unsatiable appetite? This were a notable cntempt of God's ordinance, and a selling of one's self over to work uncleanness with greediness. He that of purpose forbears the medicine, because he would not have his disease cured, must needs perish by the disease, when God alloweth all men to marry, that cannot contain; he that refuseth marriage, because he would nor contain, doth yield himself so fare at length, to the power of incontinency, that even marriage itself will be unable to repress his unruly desires; and thus he brings upon himself extreme hard-hearrednesse, even so, that he is without feeling, as the Apostle speaketh, and by selling himself up to sin, causeth God in justice to give him wholly over to the lusts of his own heart, and to the effectual working of Satan's temptations, till at the end, his lust be beyond remedy, because at first he refused the remedy, for the love of lust. O let none amongst you be so wicked, as to forbear to live a married person for the nonced, that he may live a beast. But whosoever he or she be, that is not of power to contain, let him acknowledge and enjoy the goodness of God, and prevent sin, by that which is no sin, even by marrying.   

CHAP. VI Containing the second use.  
Use 2 ANd this is one use to the unmarried, arising from the consideration of this point, 
To the unmarried.  that they may lawfully marry, from which also there followeth unto them a secnd instruction, to wit, that seeing they may lawfully marry, they take care to marry lawfully: for even a sinless action, may be made sin, to him that doth it in a sinful manner. When Paul affirmeth; If thou marriest, thou sinnest not: He meaneth this, of marriage itself; in itself considered, nor also of the manner and other circumstances of marriage: for in these, whosoever disorders themselves, doth sin grievously, though marriage itself be not sin. Let us therefore propound some necessary directions, which if the unmarried observe, in the making of their marriage, they may be sure to do this lawful work lawfully. And, forbearing to mention those, which are common to all actions (viz. that the doer be in Christ, do them in faith, aim at the right end, and such like) let us name alone those that do particularly concern this present matter. 
Two things necessary, that a man may marry lawfully: first, in the persons to be married: secondly, sufficient distance of blood.  Whosoever then is yet unmarried, and would be sure to marry lawfully, must have special care of two things: First, that he marry with a fit person: Secondly, that if he have parents, he take their consent with him. Now, in the persons to be thus joined, three properties are requisite; the first two being so absolutely needful, that without them, marriage is no marriage, but alone in name: the third, in such a degree needful, that it cannot be neglected, without great sin against God. Of these three, the first is, sufficient distance in blood and affinity; the second entire freedom from all other persons; the last, agreement in the same true Religion. For the first of these, the Lord hath expressly prohibited men and women, to come near any the kindred of their flesh. Whosoever therefore presumeth to be joined to any such, doth nothing else, but cloak the foul sin of Incest, with the fair title of Matrimony. And because affinity is a shadow and resemblance of kindred (for by marriage, two become one flesh) therefore also, some are debarred marriage together, in that respect. Now this matter of consanguinity and affinity will be cleared, by the due observation of these brief and plain rules following. 
Rules for the clearing of the questions about affinity and consanguinity.  First, No man or woman may lawfully marry any of those, that touch them in a direct line upwards or downward, to all generations. As Adam, if he were alive, and a Widower, might not lawfully marry any woman in all the world, neither might Euah, if the were alive and a widow, be lawfully married to any man. The reason is, because in all these, the same blood doth run along still undivided, and so they are properly the kindred of their flesh. Secondly, No man or woman may lawfully marry the brother, or sister of any his successors, or predecessors in a direct line, to all generations. So Abel, being Seths' brother (of whom all the women in the world are directly proceeded) might not, if he were alive, marry any woman in the world. So the brother of a woman's father or grandfather, or great grandfather, may not lawfully marry that woman. The roason of this is also plain: for the brother and sister of ones father or mother, is to him or her in place of a father and mother. And in these also the same blood remaineth undivided; for brothers and sisters are one and the same blood. Thirdly, No man or woman may lawfully marry his or her natural brother, or sister, either by the whole, or by the half blood. As neither Reuben that had the same father and mother, nor joseph that had alone the same father, might lawfully marry Dinah their sister.  
Fourthly, What man is so near in blood to the husband, that he might not lawfully marry him, if the sex did serve; him neither may the wife marry after her husband's death; and so contrarily. So I might not marry mine uncle (if I were a woman;) therefore if I were dead, my wife might not lawfully be married to mine uncle: so my wife, if she were a man, might not lawfully marry her sister; therefore if my wife were dead, I might not lawfully marry her sister, of which the reason is plain, husband and wife are one flesh, and therefore with what persons kindred would not suffer one of them to marry, neither will affinity suffer the other. But whatsoever persons are not by these four rules debarred from matrimony each with other, they may lawfully marry together without scruple, so fare as I can discern. Only for this matter, I refer every man, to the table of degrees authorized by our Church, and publicly set up in every of our Churches. And so much of the first thing required in the persons that shall be linked in wedlock.  
The second is likewise to be spoken of, 
Secondly freedom from all other persons.  and it is the freedom of both parties from any other: for if any man take a woman, who is either espoused, or wedded to another man, is it not plain, that he takes his neighbour's wife? and therefore in show, life's in marriage, but indeed life's in adultery. The Lord would have men and women enter into matrimony, as it were leisurely and with deliberation: and for this cause it is his ordinance, that the covenant should be perfected betwixt them in two degrees; the one is Espousal, or betrothment, which they call, Making sure, and is nothing else but a giving the right of each others bodies, by a solemn and serious promise of marriage hereafter to be consummated: the other is Wedding, called also by the name of Marriage, and is nothing but a giving of the possession of each others bodies, by a solemn and serious promise to live together during life.  
Now the Scripture, in the two and twentieth Chapter of Deuteronomie, 
Deut. 22.22, 23, 24.  doth as well call the betrothed woman, a wife of him that betrothed her, as the wedded woman, of him that wedded her; and doth appoint a betrothed maid to die for violating her espousals, by lying with another man afterwards, as well as the wedded wife, for violating wedlock: so it is manifest, that if any man or woman have betrothed him, or herself to any one person, it is become now utterly unlawful for them, to marry with any other person, unless the contract be lawfully dissolved (by the falling out, or revealing of some thing after the contract, which may disannul it:) as joseph supposing Marie to have been with child by some other (before his espousing her) now that he found her to be big-bellyed, resolved to put her away. And it is much more manifest, that he or she which have been married to another person, are bound by the Law, so long as such person liveth: so that if they marry any other, they shall commit adultery, as the Apostle tells us in express terms. But thirdly, 
Rom. 17.2.3. Identity of Religion.  no man or woman of the true Religion, may lawfully marry together, with those of a false; 
1. Cor. 7. last.  as Christians with Turks or Pagans: as Paul also telleth the woman, whose husband is dead, that she is at liberty to marry whom she will, but only in the Lord; and she marries not in the Lord, if she marry one that is not of the true Religion of our lord 
2. Cor. 6.14.  Yea, Saint Paul doth absolutely forbid the being unequally yoked with Infidels, ask, What communion the Temple of God can have with Idols? Which prohibition, if it be not to be understood only of being yoked with them in matrimony, yet at least, as a general, must include that particular, and principally that, as being the principal yoking together that is. It is not good ploughing with an Ox and an Ass, as also the Law did typically forewarn. And these things are required, in regard of the persons contracting matrimony.  
It is further necessary, 
Secondly, that if they have Pa rems, they have Parents consent.  that such single persons as have Parents, and are under their tution, be matched together by their consent. A son or daughter honour not their Parents, if they presume to match themselves, without the privity or good liking of their Parents, unless their Parents forfeie this part of their authority, by abusing it, in not suffering them to marry in the Lord, but offering to force them marry against the will of God, or else to abide unmarried. No gift of any thing is good, unless all those persons that are interessed into the thing given, do give their consent, as reason doth evince: for no man can pass away another's right, without his liking. Now, the father hath interest into his child, as into his goods: for God allowed, that the children also should be sold to pay his debts; which had been a most unjust thing, if the Parents had not had as much interest into them, as to any other part of their substance. Therefore marriage being a contract of giving and receiving, the child's giving of himself, me thinks, should be of small force, without the Parents good will, who have so chief a right into him. Surely those whom God hath not joined, are not lawfully joined. Now God joineth men alone two ways, either mediately, or immediately. Immediately he joineth not any in our times, therefore if they be not by him joined mediately, they be either unjoined, or ill joined. Now, unless their Parents give consent, they cannot be said to be joined by God mediately: for why, when God hath put any person, as it were, in his room, as his assigns to doelany thing, it is not done by him, unless that person do it, whom he hath so authorized. And the Scripture doth manifestly give this power to Parents, when it saith to them, Give your daughters to sons, and take daughters for your sons. And again: You shall not give your sons to their daughters, nor take their daughters to your sons. Therefore, me thinks, it follows undeniably, that whom the Parents join not, God doth not join; and so their marriage is sinful, and their living together very filthiness and uncleanness, until by submission they have procured an after-consent, to ratify that, which ought not to have been done before the consent. And these be the things which unmarried men and women must principally look unto; all which we sum up in this brief manner: A man or woman, with the consent of Parents (if there be any alive) marrying a free person of the same true Religion, not touching him or her in too near degrees of kindred or assinitie, marrieth lawfully, and may say, as Paul, I have married, and not sinned. Thus the unmarried have heard their instructions.   

CHAP. VII. Containing a third use to them that are married.  
Use 3 WE must say something also to those that are already married, 
To the married.  whom it behoveth sowel to inform themselves by this and other Scriptures, of the lawfulness of their society, that they may both holily and with good conscience, enjoy this ordinance, and also fence themselves so much the more strongly against all wand'ring and inordinate desires. All creatures must be sanctified to the users, by the Word of God, and by Prayer: and how sinless soever any thing is in itself, yet doth he sinfully abuse it, that careth not in this sort to sanctify it. Now that is sanctified to a man by the word, whereof his conscience is truly informed by the testimony of the Scriptures, that it is warrantable & well-pleasing unto God, so that he can do it with an heart, resting itself in this assurance, that God is not offended the rewith. And by prayer that is sanctified, for the using of which, a man doth humbly beg the favourable and gracious leave of the Lord, that he may not by his sins, be excluded the comfort of God's benefits; but through the grace of God forgiving his sins, may enjoy his liberty, and the comfort of the creature. And that is sanctified by thanksgiving, for which the user (taking notice of God's goodness and wisdom, and other excellencies) doth return the tribute of praise unto him, ascribing all honour and greatness to him, as to the fountain of all comfort. Now seeing he that is married, hath not sinned in marrying, let him sanctify this lawful ordinance unto himself, that he may be sure to find the blessing of God upon it, and upon himself. A man may truly say, He that eateth, sinneth not; yet if any man eat profanely (not considering that God hath vouchsafed him the freedom of partaking in his benefits; not praying God for his blessing; nor returning praise unto him for his goodness,) he shall sinne in so eating. The like must needs be said of marriage, which being a lawful ordinance, is much abused, if it be not used (as all lawful things should) in an holy manner: for sinless things unsanctified, do become sins. And this is the rather to be pressed upon men's consciences, because the neglect of it is very dangerous, causing matrimony to be ineffectual for its proper ends, for want of God's blessing; which, how can we have, if we do not crave it? A profane and licentious taking of good things at God's hand, doth as much offend him, as we are offended at the rude and unmannerly behaviour of our servants, when they come to receive a good turn or gift from our hands, whereby we are caused so to give them the thing, as that we do also sharply rebuke them for their undecent carriage. Things are not truly comfortable to the soul, neither do they afford that spiritual fruit to a man's heart, which else they would, when his heart is so carnal, that he regardeth not to use them spiritually. If marriage be loosely used, it will dispose a man to more looseness, and inflame those passions, which it should quench: it will breed a satiety and dislike of each other in the married, and make their affections to straggle, so as they would rather accept of strangers than themselves. If marriage be holily used, it will endear the yoke-fellowes each to other, it will keep their desires in order, and cause that they shall be well satisfied each in other, as in God's gifts. Neither can there be any one truer reason rendered, of the little good affection that passeth betwixt many husbands and wives, and of the little comfort they take each in other, then because they abuse God's ordinance; and why should he bless it? Let it therefore be observed (by all those that would keep a good conscience in all things, and do desire to approve themselves honourers and fearers of God in their very souls) that as well marriage as food, must be made lawful and profitable to them, by the Word and Prayer. And let it be also further urged upon the conscience of the married, (that which nature itself will teach them,) that seeing the Lord is pleased to allow them marriage, they should obediently accept of his allowance, and not embolden themselves, for their filthy lust's sake, to take forbidden pleasures. If God, having planted in man that natural inclination which he hath planted, for the increase of the world, should have debarred him matrimony, it had been doubtless an unjust rigour in God, and would have much extenuate man's offences in that kind: but when he hath given an husband and a wife each to other, and commanded them to leave all others, and cleave unto themselves; now what excuse have they to allege for their sin? Therefore let all married persons resolve to live chastely, else shall the lawfulness of matrimony extremely aggravate the sinfulness of their impurity: for why shouldst not thou (O man) be satisfied with thine own wife, and thou (O woman) with thine own husband? By taking God's gift in marriage, thou neither rebellest against him, nor woundest thy conscience, nor defilest another, nor pollutest thyself, nor breakest thy covenant, nor wrongest thy family, nor transgressest the Laws of men, nor dishonestest thy name, nor procurest any other evil: But in embracing a stranger, thou bringest infamy one thy name, a curse upon thy posterity, a sin upon thy soul, and wrongs at once, God, the Church, the Commonweal, thy yoke-fellow, thyself, and many others more. Ah, why should a foolish and unreasonable fancy, so fare transport a man that hath understanding, as when the Lord affords him an honest, lawful, blameless, harmless, content; he should neglect that, and prefer before it, a reproachful, dishonest, wicked, and baneful pleasure? As if a man, seeing two cups of wine, and know the one to be wholesome and unmixed, should let that stand still, and drink of another, which himself did know to be poisoned alone, because the cup, perhaps, that contained the poison, were finelier wrought on the outside. Or as if a man having sufficient store of money in his own thest, would not make use of that to buy necessaries, but go and rob for it by the highway side, that he might spend another man's money. The adulterer is a needless thief, to whom it is no reason that any favour should be showed. He may be compared to the man, that having stoe of Deer in his own Park, would yet needs steal a Buck out of his neighbour's ground, because he was so foolish as to glory in his shame, and to brag, that he durst steal one: What pity could a man show to such an one, if either he should miscarry in his stealing, or be severely punished for his stealing? So the adulterer, that having a lawful wife at home, shall give his unlawful lust's scope to range abroad, to the wines or daughters of other men, is worthy all sharpness of punishment, as a man that hath harkened to the oration of foolish folly, which persuades her guests, saying, Stolen waters are sweet, and hidden bread is pleasant. But fare, fare be it from any Christian man or woman, to poison and destroy themselves with such pleasant bread, or sweet waters. The pleasures of filthiness are like the bread of deceit, which giveth a delightful relish in the mouth, but is nothing else but very gravel in the belly. Thou hast solemnly promised before God, the Angels, and the Church, that forsaking all other, thou wilt keep thee only to thine own yoke-fellow. Seeing God hath allowed thee this comfort, wallow not sinfully in forbidden pleasures. And for the lawfulness of marriage, so much. I come now to speak of its troublesomeness, which few will believe, till they find; and few can bear, when they have found.   

CHAP. VIII. Containing the third point.  
Doct. 3 Hear then what the Apostle foretelleth to you that will marry; Such shall have trouble in the flesh. First, in their whole outward estate. Whosoever marries, must look for more trouble and adversity, then in single estate. Mark all, and be persuaded; for it Paul were not deceived, you shall all find it true. The married estate is more encumbered with troubles and afflictions, than the unmarried. The man and woman that join themselves in matrimony, shall commonly meet with more adversity outward, then whilst they continued without Matrimony. The Apostles words are evident; he doth in manner engage his word, affirming and foretelling prophetically, Such shall have trouble in the flesh. You must conceive him to write as a reasonable man, to such as were also reasonable, and therefore to mean comparatively; else it were easy to reject his argument in this wise: Paul, you dehort us from marrying, not because it is sin, but because we shall find trouble in it; why, do you not know, that the single life hath also its thorns and briers? I do (would Paul answer) but my meaning was, that this estate doth outwardly bring more trouble, for else I had used an unforcible argument, and spoken little to the purpose. You must therefore conceive the Apostles meaning to be, as hath been said, if the state of marriage, and of single life be compared together in such respect, the former is the more troublous. Proofs are needless in a manifest and express truth: but, I will show you the cause why it is so, and after, stand a little o'er largely in describing unto you the chief troubles of marraige.  
Reas. The cause than is sin; sin (I say) the makebate betwixt God and man, which withdrawing the creature from his loyalty to the Creator, causeth the Creator in justice to withdraw his favour from the creature, and in stead thereof, to pursue him with his curse. This curse, as it made the frutifull earth to bring forth briers and thorns (which else should never have afforded such unprofitable and hurtful increase) so hath also filled all estates with stirs and confusions, as it were, brambles. Wherefore as any estate doth occasion any person to intermeddle with more businesses, and with more persons; so is it also molested with more troubles, through the unhappy working of the actual corruptions of all parties (to the annoyance of each other) unreasonably discovering themselves. If man had continued in his due loyalty towards his King and Maker, neither Matrimony, nor any other condition of life should have disquieted him with any the least touch of misery. But justice requireth, that Rebels and rebellion be punished. Sin is the sore sauce that distasteth all our comforts; this is like the Coloquintida in the pot of pottage, which the Prophet's servants had made, that caused the eaters to cry out, Death is in the pot. This is that stinking weed, which dissavours all our sweet flowers: This is the imbitterer of all estates, bringing forth such, and so many disorders in men and women, as make them to bring forth trouble each to other. In marriage, a man is engaged to more businesses and duties, than before; occasioned to deal with more humours, than before; and to stand in need of more things, than before; so will sin and corruption show itself more, than before; and so must he meet with more affliction, than before. This I speak, to free both God, the Author of Marriage; as also Marriage, his ordinance, from all manner of blame and accusations. For if all the hardness wherewith we be molested, do grow from our sin, and our sin arise from Satan's temptation, and the abuse of our own free will, as all these things are most undoubted and certain, why should God be faulted for our misery, seeing he made us not miserable, till we had made ourselves sinful? And why should any estate of life be blamed for our misery, seeing if we were not sinners in it, we should not reap any misery from it?  
Take notice then of the true cause of all the cumbers, 
An explication to the point.  which encumber married people; and secondly, let me inform you also, at least of some, and the chief troubles of marriage, which you must know, that you may expect them; and expect them, that you may prepare for them; and prepare for them, that you may not be made impatient by them; and by impatiency, make them much more cumbrous, then else they need to be. These do all arise from four main heads: The persons married, their children, their servants, and their estates; of all which a man might spend more than four days in speaking, it taking counsel of experience, he would borrow a little help of Rhetoric, to set out the matters to the full; but I will alone touch them, and away. Every man and woman have their faults: those will breed trouble: they may be sick, and that is another trouble: one of the two die first, and leave the other behind, and that is to some the worst of all troubles. In the souls of men there breed vices; in their bodies, diseases; and at last, death; and the fruit of all these must needs be grief and sorrow each to other. Some men are churlish, sour, & unkind; some, wrathful, passionate, and furious; some hard, miserable, and niggardly; some wasteful, riotous, and unthrifty; some unclean, unsatiable, and ranging after other women; some suspiciious, mistrustful, and jealous of their own wives; some rash and harebrained; some fond and giddy; some simple; some subtle; some idle; some toilsome; some carking; some careless; yea, twenty, and twice twenty sinful and offending dispositions, show themselves in all the sons of Adam; and what woman can meet with a man in all the world, in whom some or other of these disorders do not dwell? Nature and education may hide them out of the way, that they shall not be seen; Grace and sanctification may in part subdue them, that they shall not reign: but neither nature, nor grace, shall quite and clean abolish them, that they shall not be; and to obtain an husband free from all of them (yea, not subject to more than one, two, or three of them,) it is altogether impossible; and as impossible to live with one that hath them (though never so much mortified, as the state of men on earth can reach) and not be troubled, & exceedingly troubled with them, as to go barefoot upon a rick of thorns or furs, and not be pricked and pained with them.  
In like sort, some women are proud, arrogant, and scornful; some, violent, headstrong, and masterfull; some, sullen and dogged; some, scolding and snappish; some, talkative; some, tonguetied; some, light; some, coy; some, finish; some, sluttish; some, overspending; some, oversparing; some, lewd and unchaste; some, raging and jealous: yea, an hundred, and a thousand faults, do lie hid in the painted box of the bosom of every of Euahs' daughters. Good bringing up may conceal them; good instructions may diminish; and good nature, for a while, may keep them under, and keep them secret: yea, the work of grace may mortify, quell, and overmaster them; but nothing can altogether root them out, so long as flesh and spirit do strive together in one soul; that is, so long as soul and body do live together in this life. A woman void of some, yea, diverse of these faults and follies, no care, no pains, no diligence, can help a man unto; and from trouble by these faults, where they have a being, and a working: no wisdom, no love, no piety, can altogether free him, more than from being stung by the handling of Nettles with naked hands. It were good therefore for the woman that is to marry, to put herself in mind of these things beforehand, and to demand of herself in these, or the like questions: What if mine husband should prove unkind, and disregardfull of me? What if he should be bitter and rageful towards me? What if he should rate me with words of disgrace, more than ever my Father or Master have done? What if he should lay upon me with his unmanlike fist? and that when I seek to give him all content? Or what if he should strike me with a more painful and mischievous weapon, though I gave him no cause? How should I bear railing, taunting, or cutting terms, at his mouth? How cruel, fierce, and causeless blows at his hand? But yield that he prove not so mad, and mankind; How if it fall out yet, that he be careless and unkind? What if he deny me the reasonable liberty which I desire, and should enjoy? and will not suffer me to have my will in things convenient? How if he show me a lowering countenance, and an estranged carriage, and that also undeservedly? How if he grumble and grudge at mine expenses, though fare from being lavish and immoderate? What if he be toilsome himself, and put me also to harder labour, than ever I endured, being a daughter or a servant? What if he think much to allow me necessary helps and comforts, in my weakness, sicknesses, and lying in, and be then most unkind, when I need most kindness, because his niggardly humour can bear no charges? Or what if he be diverse, and tetchie, so that nothing in the world can please him, but he will still be brawling, chiding, and finding fault, though I be as careful as I can, to ekepe myself from faults? Or what if he prove a voluptuarie, a drunkard, an epicure, spending that riotously, and wastefully, which were better saved, to provide for me and his children? What if he be an haunter of Alehouses, or Taverns, and come home half drunk, half mad, and pour forth all his rage upon me and my innocent children? What if he consume himself in sports, pastimes, and gaming, and make us all beggars by his unthriftiness? How could I suffer all, or any of these troubles, in the flesh? How tedious? How bitter? How terrible would they seem unto me? Or, What if out of an hateful over-lovingnesse, he make himself suspicious of mine honesty, and (in a furious and blind apprehension of, I know not what, slender probabilities) be ever upbraiding me with being such a man's whore, and such a man's whore? How keen? How cutting? How stinging? How piercing would these terms be unto me? But, ah, what if he should become unclean and filthy? given to whoredom, embracing the bosom of strangers, and bringing home unto me the fear, if not the feeling of loathsome diseases? How should I undergo this heavy burden, which yet I see many compelled to undergo without remedy? Thus should the woman consider beforehand in her thoughts, the evils that may be fall her in marriage.  
So like wise should the husband bethink himself in his most serious thoughts: What if my wife should prove careless, and unhuswifely, wanting forecast and skill to make the best of things, and so become an hindrance, rather than an helper to mine estate? What if she be dainty and lavish, and will not content herself with mine attire and my fare? What if she be sluttish and uncleanely, and work loathing in me, by the ill ordering of those things that should give me most comfort? What if she be froward and snappish, and return my words unto me with advantage? What if she prove a blab, and withal inquisitive, so that she will be ignorant of nothing, and yet can keep no counsel? What if she be sullen, and sour, and will give me no good counenance, unless she have her unreasonable will performed in all things? What if she waste my goods in vain, costliness of attire, and in idle meetings amongst her Goffips? What if she be lose and wanton, and discredit my family with an evil name? What if she be a very harlot, and defile my bed, and fill mine house with bastards, so that I be fain to breed up the seed of an adulterer, in stead of mine own offspring? What if she be mischievously jealous, and think that I am naught with all I speak to, laying whoredom to my charge, when I never meant it, and almost enforce me to be wicked, by putting that into mine head, which I never dreamt of? How should I brook this life? How should I sustain this burden, and undergo this trouble to the flesh? And this for the vices of the mind, whereby many times a bad husband, or a bad wife, do vex and torment their yoke-fellow.  
But if the mind be not infected with these inward diseases, yet may the body prove weak and sickly, and become little less trouble some. Wherefore of this also should the woman consider well beforehand, and so should the man. What if mine husband should languish away in pain and sickness, so that my life must be spent in attending a body still dying, and as it were, underpropping a rotten house always falling? What if he lie thus by me groaning, and tossing, many days, weeks, months, and some years? How shall I undergo the watching, attendance, charge, grief, discomfort of an husband, neither dead nor alive, but betwixt both? Or for mine own part, What if breeding be roublesome, so that I scarce enjoy an healthy day from conception to quickening, from quickening to travail? What if bringing forth be so tedious and painful, that I never become a mother, but by going thorough the torment of an hundred deaths in one, besides a long weakness after? What if God multiply my sorrows this way, and give me an evil stomach, pale cheeks, a wan counenance, faint legs, and a feeble body, liker a carcesse, than a living woman? How shall I bear headache, heart-ach, back-ach, stomack-ach, etching, casting, longing, loathing, quawmes, pangs, swoundings, and twenty deaths a day?  
The husband also should think thus: How if my wife become infirm and feeble, lame, impotent, powerlesse, able neither to got, nor keep, to labour, nor over-fee, nor to do any thing, but groan, and sigh, and hold her sides, and keep her bed, to mine excessive charge and grief, without being any way able to be an help and comfort unto me? With what patience should I hear her groans? With what quietness should I look upon her pangs, and even be sick in her sickness? But in conclusion, death will approach, and divorce the husband and wife each from other, of which, either should think before it come to either, yea, before themselves come together: How can I tell (may the wife say,) but that if I be married to this husband, he may leave me the mother of some children, and nwo great with another, and (sending his soul to heaven) give me alone his cold corpse to put into the earth? How shall I do to see the breath go out of that beloved body? How shall I endure to see those eyes clozed, and all those limbs and joints now under the arrest of death? How should I bear the desolate name of a widow? of one that had an husband? where the cross is aggravated by the goodness of him, whom I have lost?  
So must the husband think: What if either in travail, or otherwise, the Lord do take away my dear wife from my side? What if she live with me but a few days, and then death come and make an irrecoverable separation? How shall I behold those cheeks wan, those lips black, those hands cold, that body breathless and liveless, and fit for none other habitation, but that of worms, the dark grave, the Kingdom of corruption, the territory of rottenness? How shall I lay that beloved body, forsaken of the more beloved soul, into the bowels and entrails of the all devouring sepulchre? Indeed, brethren, so fare as I see, now adays men and women can well enough answer to these questions: for they can bury and marry, and all in a month, an hastiness deserving to be deeply censured. But if thou love thine husband; if thoulove thy wife, how canst thou brook this final separation? But we go forward, to show you the troubles you may meet with, in respect of children.  
Sometimes barrenness doth close up the womb, and suffers not the married persons to become parents. Sometimes the fruit of the body is granted indeed, but blasted with sickness, and with speedy death. Sometimes they live but a few days, or a few years, and then leave the parent more sorry for the less, then glad at the receiving of them. Sometimes they live to man's age, and outlive the parents, but only to be their parents tormentors and murderers, by their evil and lewd conditions, so disquieting their hearts, that they would count it an advantage to have been barren, and do often wish they had laid them in their graves, before ever they had used a tongue to speak. Many a child puts his mother to after-throes more terrible, than those with which she brought him into the world at first. Many a father is in travail of his old child, that knew not the labour of his first bringing forth. Sometimes they prove stubborn, sometimes riotous, sometimes unclean, sometimes false, and sometimes bring themselves to infamous punishments, and untimely deaths. Sometimes they belewd before marriage, and vex the parents, with beholding a bastard of their names. Sometimes they be wilful inmarriage, and will make their own foolish choice, against the knowledge or consent of parents. Set them to learning, they learn nothing but vanity: set them to labour, they labour for nothing, but to undo themselves; running away from their Masters; it may be also robbing them; and having run themselves out of breath, come home ragged, and miserable, but not penitent, ready to do as bad again, and put their parents to extremity of care; so that they are even distraced, and at their wits ends, not knowing what course in the world to take with them, because both fair means and foul means have been used, and none will avail. Sometimes again, a child seeming towardly, so wins away the parents affection, that he gives him almost his whole estate, and is content to be at his finding; and then lo, the monstrous Viper begrudgeth his parent's food and attire, is weary of his old age, and counts his weakness over-cumbrous, and sticketh not to show by words and deeds, that he wisheth his death with all his heart; than which (I think) no cross in a child can be more stinging.  
Think of these things, you that are, or would be married: What if you prove dry Kyes, and bear no fruit? How could you brook a life wanting issue, the most  fruit of marriage? Or, What if God give thee children to look upon for a week, or two? or to play with for a year or two? or to be charged withal for a dozen, or a score of years, and then send death to fetch them to himself again? With what quietnese of mind couldst thovi resign these gifts into the hand of him that gave them? How couldst thou endure, to see the sickness of thy sons or daughters, to see them burn, toss, tumble, waste, consume, languish, and pine away? to hear them groan, sigh, complain, cry out, and roar, and screech, and fill thine ears with rueful lamentations? How canst thou frame thyself, to see thy branches, as it were withering, half cut off, and ready to fall from the body of thy family? What shift couldst thou make to bury two, three, four, half a dozen, half a score sons or daughters, some at a day, some at a week, some at a year, some at a dozen, some at twenty, or more years old? Or if thou scape these petit crosses, in thy children, how couldst thou brook a stubborn, rebellious son, or daughter, that will interchange words with thee, and snap thee up short, and chide faster than thyself? that will cast upon thee a leering, horselike, contemptuous eye? and will stab thy soul, with a lowering, pouting, scornful look? with a dogged, barking answer? yea, that will steal thy goods from thee, and consume it in ill company, whores, and drunkenness? that wastes all that thou hast gotten, and given to him? and takes such untamed courses, as do deeply threaten thine heart and eyes with that worse than deadly spectacle, to see him one day preaching upon a ladder, with a rope about his neck, because such a life can hardly conclude in a better death? How wilt thou suffer this corzie of a wicked, riotous, ungracious, ungrateful Viper in thine house? who doth nothing else, but strive with abominable words and deeds, as it were with poisonful teeth, to gnaw out thy very heart, and devour thy bowels and entrails; for whom, thou canst neither eat, or sleep in quiet; nor be at home nor abroad in peace; a very Absalon, that would kill his father, to get his Kingdom? With what resolution could you parents undergo the burying of a good child, or the living of a bad? But let it be granted, that a man's children shall prove at least indifferent and tolerable; there is yet another necessary member of a family, which may make the hear of the family ache exceedingly; these are servants of both sexes, men and maids. Some servants be idle, and slothful, and will do little; some be hollow and deceitful, and will do nothing but when the governor's eye is upon them; some be rude and rebellious, and will do what they lust themselves for all their governor's speeches; some be false and untrusty, and will purloin their goods if they can; some be careless and forgetful, and procure exceeding loss by their negligence; some be riotous and wasteful, have a sweet tooth, and will have their good cheer of their Master's cost, but without his privity; some be stragglers, licentious, out-lyers, that lodge not in their Master's families on nights, but frequent their meetings in the time of sleep, and take their sleep in the time of working; some he surly and saucy, and will deserve reproofs oft enough, but will never recerue them with patience. Some are soft and slow, and though they seem to be willing, yet are able to dispatch little; some be simple and indiscreet, and will be doing, but without foresight and wisdom, and so do little to the purpose; some be quarrelsome and snarling, and always making brawls with their fellow servants, which needs must end in their master's loss on both sides. Now let all that affect marriage, ask themselves, What shift should I make to bear with a slow, drumbling, lazy servant, whose work is not worth his meat, but he goes about his business, even just like as a tired horse, fair and softly? Or how should I break a servant, as nimble of his tongue, as of his hands, that will be my master, and have his own way in all things, or else he will dispatch nothing? that will be as loud as myself, if I begin to reprove, and tell me plainly, that he will not mend for chiding, and I see plainly, that he will not mend without it? How should I live with an unprovident, heedless servant, that will lose more on a day, than his labour is worth in a month? and let's all things go to wreck and ruin under his hands, only for want of pains and care, that is ever grumbling at his work, and disliking of his diet, and still thinks that his labour is too painful, and his fare too hard; that will prig, steal, and lie, and cares not how he cousins me, so that he can either impudently outface, or craftily beguile me? In a word, How could I bear slothfulness, sullenness, wastefulness, carelessness, whereof some are in all, and all in most servants? How could I suffer this affliction in the flesh, which those that are married, can hardly escape? And now leaving the persons in the family, let us consider the things thereof, even the whole estate of men, and see what burdens may thence be cast upon the shoulders of the married couple.  
Who doth not know, how troublesome a thing it is to want necessaries; and withal, how common of those, which when they lived in single life, abounded in all things, and never knew (nor thought they should know) what it was to need a penny, but have fared abundantly, and been attired comelily, and had still something to spare, for the satisfying of their own desires? Very many after marriage, be put into the close stocks of misery, want, and necessity, not having wherewithal to provide convenient food and raiment for themselves, and for their charge, which unawares, and without foresight, is now grown heavy upon them. It is an easy thing to fill one belly, and  one back, and keep something in the purse, when but one hand must fetch out of it: but to provide diet and attire for a wife, for many small children, for some servants; to pay for house-rent, and fuel, and candle; to disburse the compelled charges of the weakness of a wife, of children, of servants, and to bring up many with the fruit of one man's labour and industry; this doth oftentimes prove fare less easy, than men in imagination can deem it to be. Neither doth this necessity attend alone upon persons of lower rank, that must get their living by their finger's ends, and live upon their hard and toilsome labour; but many a man also, that flourisheth at first, with a good stock of his own, and a good portion of his wives, at last, by means of crosses and losses in diverse kinds, doth run thorough all, and (proving bankrupt,) ends his days in a prison, and leaveth his wife and children to be poorly provided for, by the cold bounty of friends, or the common stock of the Town or Parish: yea, many a man that hath house and land of his own in good quantity, and promiseth himself a liberal maintenance, doth yet meet with so many hindrances, by loss of cat-tail, ill bargains, ill debtors, ill servants, or his own fore-sightlesnesse, that before he thinks of it, even on a sudden, he runs into debt and danger, and sticks so fast in the Usurer's Wax, that he cannot wind himself out again, until his dying day? How often is it seen in the world, that riches prove like wildfowl, to him, on whose bushes they sat for a little time, and (taking the advantage of his carelessness, or other inavoydeable crosses) do fly quite from him, and never return again? yea, even of those which are not absolute beggars, yet many run so fare in debt, and are so entangled with borrowing and lending, that their entangled estate doth become extremely troublesome, because they want things necessary to maintain themselves according to their own rank; though for a man of another condition of life, the things they possess, would even more than suffice. Run thorough an whole Town and Country, inquire into all the households, and search into all the estates of the greater number, and you shall find them broken, encumbered, low, dejected, and even sticking fast in the mud and mire of want and penury. Need then fighteth against the sons of men with eagerness, and (like an harnessed man) doth use violence, & will not be repelled, but by great labour, & great care, and continual diligence; in which strife, though a man get the better, and save himself from falling into the hands of poverty, yet (as it were a bloody victory) it gives him little cause to rejoice in the conquest. Married men must care for the things of this world, how to please their yoke-fellowes, how to maintain their families, how to live amongst their neighbours, how to pay every man his own; how to get something for their children; in which care, though they prosper so much, as to bring to pass the thing cared for, yet is the labour great, and the burden heavy, and the trouble much unto the flesh. Wherefore the single person must use his eyes to look, before he leap, and muse thus with himself: Now I am a child, or servant, I have all things in store and plenty; I have none to care for, but myself, or scarce myself to care for, being maintained rather by the care of others, then of myself: when ever I shall marry, the case will be much altered; I must take pains, and use forecast for myself, and for many others, besides myself: I must get food for children, and wages for servants; I must look that nothing be lost, but that something may be gotten; mine head must guide all, mine eyes must see all, mine hand must be set to every chare, and nothing will go well forward, unless myself do put a finger, or rather a shoulder to it. What should I do, if God should cross me, and the World frown upon me? How should I suffer such extreme penury, as such and such have done before me? How should I go (as it were in a  too strait for my foot) in a state too little for my mind and education, as such and such have done? How should I descend to coorser fare, to meaner attire, to smaller attendance, to lesser respect, than what I was wont to enjoy, in the house of my Master, or my Parents? How should I do to make hard shifts, to borrow of one, to pay another, to labour, and toil, and buy, and sell, and live by the loss? and to see mine estate still tumbling lower & lower, as one, whose foot hath slipped on the side of a steep hill, that can never recover himself, till he come to the bottom? Oh, how painful is it to strive with a broken estate, yea, or to keep an whole estate from breaking? If the wife be not huswifely, if the servants be not trusty, if neighbours be not honest, if success be not happy; how easily will the sea of wants break in upon me? and how much ado shall I have to swim against the stream, and save myself from being even drowned in penury and need? To see the state go back ward, is a great trouble; to make it stand at a stay, or go forward, is a great trouble: How shall I be able to wrestle with all these difficulties? And so at last (my Brethren) have I passedover this rugged way, and in going along, have pointed you at a few of the many encumbrances, that, like evil waiting-men, do press themselves in with the state of Matrimony: and know you, that this which we have spoken, is but, as it were, a Map before your eyes, or as an imperfect narration, of a dangerous and troublesome voyage, which your experience will make you feel, to be ten times more troublesome, than any words can describe it. And now I will go on to give you some instructions, from this most approved, and most plainly manifested truth.   

CHAP. IX. Containing the first use of the former point.  
ANd this troublesomeness of marriage, gives cause of giving counsel to the unmarried persons, as also to the married. The former must be advised to use wariness afore marrying, and to provide themselves well for each of these troubles, when they do marry. The other must endeavour so fare as is possible, to prevent the troubles, and to be thankful, if his lot have been to meet but with few, or at least, the easiest of them. Now then, those amongst you that are yet single, must be taught to lay this point well to heart, that they may keep themselves from an unnecessary hastiness to enter upon this ordinance; I mean, before they be called of God thereto; that is, before they have carefully used all other means of overruling themselves. It falls out many times, that rash and undiscreet Youths (finding a little trouble, in being subject to their Parents and Masters) entertain a strong conceit, how happily they should live, if they were married. Hence, having so shallow and silly a brain, as not to be able to conceive of more, in discourse of reason, than they can see and feel with their bodily senses, by and by they run together, come of it what will, and afterwards wish bootelesly, that they had entertained their former estate with more contentedness: yea, some that have lived long in virginity, and see almost all their youngers married before them, and therefore also set above them in meetings, and more familiarly entertained then themselves (not knowing how hard a pennyworth this honour is to them, that have paid for it) are moved with envy, to become wives or husbands, and (as if it were a disparagement for them, to have lived virgins) do but even long for an offer, to make an ill bargain, and sell away their own rest, for a thing of nothing. And there are found also in the world some persons, that no sooner feel a little moving of natural desires to the wedded condition, but that they yield strait to their own luxurious fancies, & will never be at pains to resist such motions, because they desire rather to satisfy them. Now all such persons should be persuaded to take into their thoughts, & to consider most advisedly of these words of the Apostle; Such shall have trouble in the flesh. Marriage is a Rose indeed, of sweet smell, of goodly hue; but it wants not its Briars, to fetch blood of their fingers, that are over-eager to crop it. It is a day not all our so fair and sunshine, but that a man may be wet to the skin, with the storms that arise in it before the evening. Wherefore before a man resolve upon an entrance into this estate, let him lay both ends together, as they use to speak; let him cast all things into the balance of his judgement, and then judge indifferently, and out of the direction of reason take that course, which shall be most for his comfort. Thou are now weary of being under the command of a governor; If thou be a maid, take heed thou meet not with a worse governor, and more hasty, though bearing a fairer title; If thou be a man, beware thou meet not with one to govern, whom it shall be ten times more hard and troublesome to rule, then to please almost any ruler. It is tedious to thee, that those are now wives, which were girls when thou wast marriageable; and husbands which were boys, when thou wast grown to man's estate; thou thinkest it much, that they carry away the account from thee, and are in show more set by. Well, take heed, lest in catching after such honour, thou stumble not upon so many troubles, as shall make thee wish again, to sit at the lower end of the board, and to give place to thy youngers in such compliments, rather than to be equal with them in such cumbers. Thou findest it a war within thyself to keep down lust; take heed it be not a greater war, when marriage hath assuaged lust, to keep down impatient rise at the troubles of marriage, or to hold up thine heart against sinking, and discouragement under those troubles. This estate (as sure as Paul was a wise man, and a true speaker) hath as much sour as sweet; as many bitter morsels, as pleasant; as much tribulation, as contentment: try it whoso well, have shall never find the Apostle false. Therefore be not a fool, to take up thyself with an over-greedie thinking of the benefits thou lookest for, not troubling thyself to consider the miseries also, that will affront thee: but look well to both, and take notice of both, and accept of that, which judgement shall most incline thee to, not which passion. I confess, brethren, it is a certain truth, that our Apostle hath before delivered in this Chapter; Better marry, then burn: That is to say, be perpetually molested with an inconquerable desire of marriage. And therefore I pray you conceive of these my words, as nothing contrary to those I spoke in the former point; for this exhortation and that, belong to different kinds of men. If thou be'st one that feelest in thyself a necessity of marriage, if thou be'st one, whose bodily constitution is such, that the best means will not otherwise keep thy mind in a well-contented chastity, then lay aside all the fear of troubles; and pray to God to provide thee of a fit yoke-follow, fellow, and accordingly endeavour (after his counsel, and with his blessing) to enter into this estate. But if thou find power over thyself, and canst be master of thine own will, and hast the ruling hand over thine own affections, so as though some motions do arise within thee, yet they be neither many, nor violent, nor any, but such, as quickly with a little abstinence, and fervent prayer, thou canst quench and keep down from breaking forth into a flame of sinful wishes or attempts; now do thou consider of Paul's speeches, embrace the more easy kind of living. Gallop not into a brake of thorns, from which thou canst find no way out; and be not overventurous to rush upon trouble. Let not a certain foolish weariness to be under government; let not a fond conceit, that it is a reproach to thee, to continue so ancient a Maid, or Bachelor; let not a vein of envy to see others wedded, and thyself (their elder) living single; let not the desire of accomplishing thine own desires, or of following the example of others; let not a loathness to labour for the gift of continency; let none of all these things, nor any like to them, persuade thee to fly to marriage; that is to say, to leave rest and ease, and run upon trouble. Beware, my brethren, of accounting that a carnal reason, which you see to be God's reason. Saint Paul argues thus; Better be single (if you can without sin) because marriage is a state of more affliction.) It is (you see) a godly, holy, spiritual reason, beseeming the pen of him that was inspired from above, we may well take boldness to enforce it upon your thoughts, and to tell you, that you err exceedingly, if you count it either a weak, or a fleshly reason: for we all confess, that the God of Heaven useth neither false nor weak reasons. You may, perhaps, tell me, that Paul meant it of those times of persecutions, and not of all times indifferently. But I can certainly tell you, that you shall find, he meant it of all times indifferently, though it be principally true of such times. The present necessity is not to be restrained to the days of open persecution, but enlarged to the distresses of this present life: for else the argument had been unfitly framed for the state of the Corinthians, seeing at this time they were not assaulted with any such tempestuous weather. Wherefore I will be bold to undertake, to persuade all you unmarried people, Widows, Maids, Bachelors, Widowers, if you can, without the fare greater mischief of burning; that is to say, of being carried away with unsubduable wishes of this kind, to keep you as you be, and not to procure misery to yourselves by a needless change of your estates. You may, perhaps, imagine, that the comforts of marriage will abundantly requite the troubles. So all things seem fair afar off, which are not so nearer hand: but if you will be well advised before you conclude, you shall find, that indeed the comforts are not worth the troubles. For I pray you, what be the comforts you talk of? A wife, children: these two be all, and yet I have told you before, that often these two be the greatest cumbers of marriage; so that these are but uncertain comforts, and may prove otherwise. But say that they prove in the best sort; yet I assure you, that they are fare too light, to over-weigh all the leaden weights of trouble that lie in the other scale. If a wife be unto thee a remedy against sin, and a preservative against fornication; I yield indeed, that the good that thou hast by her, doth fare more than recompense all the miseries that marriage bringeth with it: and if thou have lawful children in Wedlock, to save thee from having misbegotten children in whoredom; now thy children do sufficiently requite all thy pains, care, trouble about them, and thine estate for them. But if thou hast the ability of containing, and couldst without danger of sin forbear Matrimony, I am in mind, that all the comfort which the best husband, or the best wife, and the best children can afford thee, by their best love, duty, and good affection, can no more countervail the troubles of marriage, than the child's smiling and laughing in the morning can countervail the Nurse's breach of sleep all night. If it were otherwise, Paul's argument were not good: He dissuades marriage to them that can contain, because it is more troublous. If it brought comforts beyond the single estate, which did exceed the cumbers it bringeth beyond that estate, our Apostle had made a feeble and ineffectual reason: for who cannot say, that what brings more profit, than loss, must be done, though it bring some loss? And what brings more comfort, than trouble, must rather be done, though it bring some trouble. Indeed, you must conceive, that the Apostle here doth speak of things, as most times, and usually they fall out; not intending to point at every particular pair of wedded people, that ever shall be; but, for the most part, for the far greater number of men. Marriage is a sea, that yields more tossing, than the land would do by fare. You may think then; How cometh it to pass, that so many do marry continually? I answer, First, because the most are led by example, or passion, and do that in haste, which they repent by leisure. And again: The Lord (that intends to store the World, and made man, not to take ease, but to do service, though it be with trouble) doth not afford to most men, the gift of continency. But all those men or women, to whom this singular and excellent gift is afforded, let them take their rest, when God gives them leave, and not bear a yoke when they may go free.  
Some will object, that we seem to set God's honour below troubles; for Marriage increaseth mankind, the increase whereof, is more to God's glory.  
I answer these persons, That Paul was as careful of God's glory, as they can be, and yet he dissuadeth Marriage, and forbore it. And I answer again; That what children shall be borne in the World, or what increase of men shall store the World, is one of the secret things, that I am not to care for, but may enjoy the rest that God allots me, though thereby I forbear to increase his number: only if he call me to marry, then am I with willingness to seek his honour in that kind of life. Wherefore again and again, let Virgins remember Paul, and keep them where they be; where they have no cursed or unkind husbands, or wives; no sick or stubborn children; no slothful or froward servants; no needs and cares of estate to afflict them. And this is the counsel we give to them that can receive it. But if any for all this, find his need and desire such, that he must, and will marry: good leave let him have from us, and good speed from God alone; so that he take the following instructions with him, which are two.   

CHAP. X. Containing a second use.  
Use. 2 THe first is, that he enter discreetly and religiously upon marriage, 
For the unmarried.  observing such due care therein, that he may in his very entrance cut off the root, and stop the fountain of very many troubles. They say, the beginning of a business being well performed, is as good as one half thereof; and the most important matter in buildings, is to lay a good foundation. Doubtless it is so in this matter of marriage, whereinto he that makes a godly, and wise entrance, shall find his proceeding to be much more easeful and comfortable, than any after-care could make it, without this first care. Now in setting about marriage, wisdom and piety both, command these two principal things: first, that the younger people, sons and daughters, do take the counsel and consent of their Parents and Governors. Secondly, that they labour to make a due choice of their yoke-fellowes.  
For the first, God's blessing is largely and firmly promised unto those children, that do honour their Parents; but his curse must needs follow them (by the law of contraries) that shall dishonour them. If therefore a man, in the very Preface, as it were, to his Marriage, shall thrust the blessing of God from him, in refusing to honour, and shall pull the curse of God upon him, in dishonouring his Parents (the chief instruments of his being, under God, the conduit Pipes, by which God hath derived all the benefits of Nature unto him, and to whom he stands most deeply, and unrequiteably engaged, by the receiving beforehand, of many and great comforts and good turns;) how is it possible, but that he must create a world of mischief to himself? He goes to marry without, and against God's liking, that goes to marry without, and against the liking of his Parents, only so, that his Parents do not abuse their power over him against the will of God. For it is abundantly plain by the Scriptures, that God hath committed his power, of giving a daughter to a son, or taking a daughter for a son, unto the Parents of that son or daughter, saying to the Parents of Israel; Thou shalt give, or not give thy daughter; thou shalt take, or not take a daughter to thy son. Wherefore a child's duty in this case, is not to suffer his, or her affections to be wedded unto any person, before the Parent have showed his good liking; or if any affection to any particular person shall arise in them, then to do as Samson did, go unto the Parent, and request their consent, and help. Yea, even the son of Hamar, an Heathen, had learned this lesson, and caused his father to be his spokesman to jacob for Dinah. Yea, that child that shall find a need of marriage, ought not to conceal his need from his Parents, no more then from God, whose deputy the Parent is in that behalf, but to crave of God first, and then of the Parent, to provide a remedy for his disease. Religion and Discretion, Nature and Grace, do all concur, in requiring of children this duty, and prescribing this rule unto them in marrying. If crosses come, whither must the afflicted person run for comfort, but to Parents and friends? Which, how can he do, if he have refused their direction in marrying? When sorrows pinch, what ease is there, but in craving help of God? which how can one do, without a sting to his soul, if in entering upon that state, he have neglected the commandments of God? So he shuts up Heaven and Earth against himself, that wrongs his Father in Heaven, and father in Earth, by a rash and preposterous rushing into Matrimony, & leaves himself no harbour to enter into, against a storm arise. Be wise therefore, and be godly, ye children; let judgement rule you, and not passion; neither give your affections, nor yourselves, nor follow your passions in bestowing yourselves, but with the privity and good allowance of those, from whom you had yourselves. Not one marriage in an hundred hath thriven well, that was not ordered according to this rule; an error (such so gross an error) in the beginning of an action (and such an important action) can hardly, or not at all, be corrected afterwards.  
But, secondly, a fit person must be chosen with whom to couple one's self. Though all the griefs of marriage come not from the vices and disorders of the yoke-fellowes, yet the most grievous, and most bitter of them do. To have a fit yoke-fellow, will prevent many matrimonial troubles, and will make all easier. Now in a yoke-fellow, the main matter to be desired, is virtue and godliness; and he that in choosing, vouchsafeth that the first place, shall surely be blessed in his choice: but whosoever setteth other, and base things before that, doth deal preposterously and foolishly, and setting the Cart before the Horse (as the Proverb hath it) can never drive comfortably forward in the way that he would go. A virtuous, godly person, will allow no sin, will hearken to counsel, will receive admonitions and reproofs. In a word, such an one hath no incorrigible fault, all his diseases be curable. But a wicked and  person hath a deaf ear, a wilful heart, an incurable soul; nothing will make him mend his faults. The curse of God pursues the wicked man, how can any thing, but cumber, and attend such a person into the family? Who would therefore admit such a companion, though laden with precious Pearls, or painted with the fairest painting in the World? Beauty is but painting, age and sickness will wear it away, why should any man make that his guide in choosing a wife? No soldier would choose a leaden sword, because the scabbard is Velvet, and the hilt guilded. A fair countenance will no more help to the happiness of a married couple, if grace and virtue be away, than a fine Haft will make a knife cut well, if it be of evil metal. Wherefore follow not the eye, the most fickle and fond of all senses, in a matter of so great consequence, as the choice of a wife or husband. And surely for wealth, what is it but luggage? If wisdom and virtue be absent, it burdens, and doth not comfort? Better a man without money, than money without a man; could the Heathen say. Should Christians be less judicious? Let not covetousness conduct thee into marriage: It is a blind vice, and will surely lead the man into the pit, that will wink and follow it. A virtuous woman is above Pearls. Solomon said so, that knew the worth of all Pearls. A virtuous man must needs be as worthy as a virtuous woman. The holiness and good conditions of a companion, are ten times more available for the comfort of those, with whom he must converse, than the colour of his skin, or stuffing of his purse. He or she shall live worse than poorly, that liveth with a rich Nabal. Parents, destroy not your children, by matching them to miserable riches. Young men and women, destroy not yourselves, by seeking a good outside, but let both parents and children judge, as God judgeth, and follow his counsel, that saith, Not the rich, not the fair, but, The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour. He takes the best course, to gain content in marriage, that chooseth not the finest body, the sweetest face, the greatest state, the largest portion, but the holiest heart, the richest soul, the beautifullest spirit, and the most virtuous man or woman. This is the foundation of welfare in marriage; lay this at first, thou canst never else rear up a comfortable building. Secondly, in other things (if with the former it may be), an equal yoke-fellow would be taken, of due proportion in state, birth, age, education, and the like, not much under, not much over, but fit and correspondent. Those matches do seldom prove but uncomfortable, where this rule is not observed. The rich and noble will likely despise, or set light by the poorer and meaner: so will younger do the aged; and there is nothing but misery in marriage, if the yoke-fellowes neglect one another. David was hardly drawn to be a King's son in Law, being himself a mean man in Israel. His wisdom made him not hasty to over-preferre himself. Disproportioned marriages are seldom made, but out of sinister and corrupt intentions, and such intentions do never, almost, fail, to bring wretchedness to such, as are led by them. God himself hath set us the best copy of marriage that can be: he made Euah meet for Adam; she answered him, and he her in age, birth, and all things: he shall speed best, that follows nearest, this first precedent of Matrimony. We cannot have a wiser counsellor, than the Author of all wisdom; and he is surely deceived, that thinks to do better than God. Take therefore a yoke-fellow meet for thee; for the agreement of the married folk, is the best help against all troubles, and this is the surest way to procure agreement. And so you have heard the first instruction, concerning a discreet entrance to prevent trouble.  
The second follows, and that is as necessary, even to expect trouble, and prepare for it. When God foretells any thing, we should make account of it. Future things are known to him that disposeth all things; wherefore it is folly to flatter one's self with hopes, contrary to his predictions. Expectation of an enemy, is half an arming; but suddenness adds terribleness unto a cross, and makes it insupportable. Say then to, and within thyself: I find that God doth lead to marriage, and I will follow him; but he forewarns me also, of what I shall find in marriage, and I will believe him. I know I shall have more trouble, then before I had; but by Gods help I will bear it with all quietness. And, Lord, seeing this world is a world of trouble, and all estates are full of briers; now that thou hast called me to Matrimony, give (I beseech thee) a willing and able mind, to brook well the adversities of Matrimony. Most folks run into marriage, as boys into a crowd, to fee some sport, never forethinking how troublesome it is to stand in a throng; and when they be almost pressed to death by the press of people, then do they cry out, and would fain get out, if they knew which way. Oh (saith one) if I had known before, that I should have met with such a deal of sorrow, I would never have married! Why, thou improvident fool: How was it that thou knewest not that before? This Scripture was not kept from thee, was it? The Apostle speaketh plainly enough; thou mightest have read, or heard it, if thou wouldst thyself, Such shall have trouble in the flesh. Didst thou never read this Scripture? or never mark it? or never believe it? If thou readdest it not, it was thy profaneness; if thou markedst it not, it was thine heedlessness; if thou didst not believe it, it was thine infidelity: every way it was thy folly, not to know before, what God had told thee before, that marriage would be more full of afflictions, then single life. Now you that are to marry, rush not thus headlongly into Marriage, that you may not afterwards make bootless complaints against it. Feed not yourselves with windy hopes (this feeding will breed no strength;) I hope mine husband will prove a very kind man; my wife a very dutiful wife; I hope I shall not breed and bear with so much pain and grief, as such, and such; I hope I shall not have such weakly and sickly children, and so forth. Fond body! Where be the grounds of thine hopes? Upon what props are they built? To hope without ground, is to play the merry fool. No, it is better, as the Proverb hath it, to fear the worst, that the best may save itself, and to arm up thyself in this wise: Like enough I shall have as many crosses as such, and such: But what if I have? I do not run rashly upon them, God leads me, my Parents guide me, I follow sure directors, God will also strengthen me; and by his mighty help, I will go cheerfully under these troubles: for why should not I be subject to the decrees & statutes of the King of this world? If he will send trouble, shall I murmur? Shall I faint? No, I will not, but sue to him for strength, and stay upon him for help, and comfort myself in him, in all these cumbers. Think of trouble, look for trouble, resolve to be quiet under troubles, and pray for strength to be so; and then marry if thou see good; then shall thy troubles exercise and increase thy patience and other graces, not corrupt and overthrew them, as else they will.   

CHAP. XI. Containing one use to the married.  
Use 3 WE have finished our speeches to the single folk. 
To the married.  Now you that are married, hear your part of instructions. And first, be advised to take the best course that may be, of preventing so many as may be prevented, of the troubles of marriage. I know, you will all confess at first hearing, that this is good advice: but straight you will ask further counsel, and say, How shall I do this? I will therefore show you the way, see that you walk in it. The first means to prevent the troubles of marriage, is this, to fear God, and walk in his ways. This is a common help to make all estates comfortable: for the blessing of God attendeth them that fear him, and comfort attends his blessing. The man that feareth God, hath this promise from God, that his wife shall be like the fruitful Vine, comfortable aswell as fruitful: His children like the Olive plants, profitable and beneficial, as well as many. Godliness is good for all things; it hath the promises of this life, and of that which shall be, and these promises must needs be fulfilled. An holy conversation of life, a well ordered and religious carriage, in the whole frame of life, this makes life sweet, & all the comforts of life comfortable. If thou walk in God's ways, he hath undertaken to make all you do, prosperous. Lo, a sure way of attaining as much happiness, as this lower world can yield. For why doth God send troubles, but to correct sin, and to redress disorders, and to draw men to godliness? If they follow godliness of their own accord, by harkening to the counsel of his Word, fewer afflictions will be needful, and fewer shall be sent: for he corrects not willingly, but as Parents give bitter draughts to their children, even for the health & profit of their children. But secondly, the man & wife that would live cheerfully, must love each other tenderly and plentifully. Much, hearty, and holy love to one another, will sweeten all crosses, and keep out the worst and greatest crosses. Let the husband love his wife, as Paul enjoineth, and let wives be lovers of their husbands, as the same Apostle prescribeth, charity will cover all things, and hope all things, & believe all things, and suffer all things, and so will mend very many things, that else would surely go amiss. Wherefore strive more to store thine heart with love to thine yoke-fellow, then to fill thy coffers with gold and silver: for grace is more available to felicity then wealth; and charity is the King of graces. And that you may love each other in large quantity, and after a spiritual manner, pray often each with other, and each for other, & that will breed much love. Do much good to the souls of each other, and you shall not choose, but be kindly affectioned one to another. Thirdly, instruct your children and servants in the fear and knowledge of God, labouring to make them Gods children and servants, and then they will prove to you good children and servants; or if they prove otherwise, the testimony of your consciences, that your diligence hath not been wanting to make them such, will comfort you much in their badness. Dutifulness and obedience to God, will come attended with dutifulness and obedience to you: care of pleasing God, will breed care of pleasing you: a good conscience towards their chief Governor, will beget a good carriage to you their inferior governors. If piety dwell in your hearts and houses, it will chase the greatest troubles out of doors, & keep the rest from breeding much vexation. And if you seek to plant and water it in your families, it will likely grow there; or if it should not, yet the doing of duty will comfort the hart, though success be wanting to endeavour. Lastly, for your estates, let your hearts be moderate, & your hands diligent. Labour about the things of the world, else an idle person must walk upon an hedge of thorns. Love not the things of the world, else a person greedy of gain, shall trouble his own house. The diligent hand will bring sufficiency, and the moderate heart will bring contentment, and then the troubles of a man's estate must needs be made few and easy. He that, for God's sake, applieth his calling, and not for wealth's sake, shall have God's favour in his calling, and either shall not be crossed, or shall not be vexed by crosses. So have we shown you, as good directions as we could, to keep afflictious out of doors. But no care will altogether shame them. You must therefore set yourselves in the second place, to bear them patiently, and not to faint under them, nor to be distempered by them. Never unwish marriage for the cumbers of marriage. Had-I-wist, is seemly in no man's mouth. O that I had never married, is a most undecent thought in an husband's hart, & a fond word in his lips! Why should our wills oppose God's will, when he hath made it known unto us? Paul saith before; Art thou joined to a wife? seek not to be loosed. A valiant soldier doth never repent of the battle, because he meets with strong enemies; he resolves to be conqueror, and then the more and stronger his foes, the greater his honour. So must the husband and wife resolve to conquer the troubles of marriage, and use the buckler of patience against the blows of adversity, that they may conquer. But here also you will ask how? and I must tell you how. The means to get patience in the cumbers of the wedded estate, are chiefly these: first, to resolve, you must and will be patiented: secondly, to pray that you may be patiented: thirdly, to consider your comforts, as well as your crosses: and fourthly, to look up to God, as the Author, and Heaven, as the end of your troubles. A firm purpose of will to do, or suffer any thing, doth greatly fortify the soul. He that often thinks, I am bound to bear my part of trouble quietly, seeing every man alive hath his portion in troubles; and seeing we have brought troubles upon ourselves; and seeing these troubles are but short and light in comparison of those we have deserved; and therefore I will even buckle my shoulders to the burden, and not give way to shrinking; this man shall find, that an hard load will lie lighter upon a resolute heart, than an easier burden, upon an irresolute spirit. Whatsoever a Christian man doth constantly tell himself, that he hath great reason to do, shall have much good by doing, and must needs do, or do worse; and therefore inacts this statute in his mind, By Gods help I will do it; that shall he be able to do in good measure, and God will pass by his failings. Do thus much for the matter of patience, inure your minds to think much of the reasons that should induce you to it, and upon those reasons to conclude, that through the gracious assistance of God, you will be patiented, and you shall be so. But resolutions without prayer are presumptuous, and God doth use to chastise presumption, by making it find its own weakness. Wherefore you must pray much and often, as well as resolve. Strong resolutions, joined with strong supplications, cannot be in vain. Lord, must thou say, by nature I am impatient, apt to fume and fret, or else to faint and quail: but, O, let me be strengthened with all might, according to thy glorious power, unto all long-suffering and patience with joyfulness. Lord, strengthen me against all infirm and impotent fall of heart, against all furious and violent rise of spirit: and seeing thou hast brought me into marriage, enable me to bear the burdens of marriage. The frequent renewing of such acknowledgements of our own feebleness, and petitions to be fortified by the might of God's Spirit, will cause, that we shall find the grace of God to be sufficient for us in the bearing of trouble, as well as in the resisting of temptation. But thirdly, taste of the sweet, as well as of the sour of thine estate. Call to mind what contents and benefits thine estate affordeth, as well as what calamities. Doubtless, brethren, the comforts of marriage are very desirable. Many benefits are found in this estate, that are wanting in the other. We must reckon as well our gains as losses, as well our profit as pains, and this will help to make the losses and labour to seem little. job said, Shall we receive good at God's hand, and not evil? Lo, the speedy remembrance of what prosperity he had enjoyed, enabled him to be quiet in his present tribulation: so must the married persons do in their estate, for job is our precedent for patience. Thine yoke-fellow is often froward, but is he not kind sometimes? Some children die, or are sick; are not some & more alive and healthy? so in the rest. Wrong not God & thyself so much, as to forget what good he hath done for thee; or if haply the contents of Marriage will not (as think in most they will not) answer the troubles; yet refer thy thoughts (for I speak to men that fear God) to those spiritual and celestial privileges that thou dost now in part, and shalt hereafter more largely enjoy. Look to thy Father, chastising thee in this world, but ready to crown thee in the other world. I have a bad wife or husband, but a good God, and a rich inheritance in Heaven. My children be naught, but God hath made me his child. My servants evil, but myself admitted into God's service. My state low and penurious here, but my sins pardoned, and a most glorious, honourable, and happy estate laid up for me hereafter. The Lord that now doth exercise me with these trials, will afford me so much the more glory in Heaven, by how much I have more trouble in earth; and shall I not manfully, and cheerfully bear that affliction, which will add to mine heavenly bliss? Not only troubles suffered for righteousness sake, do make the Crown of glory more bright and weighty, but all troubles patiently suffered, are the seed of great rewards to come. job did not suffer persecutions for righteousness sake, yet his miseries have wonderfully augmented his happiness. Not only, though principally, are they blessed that suffer for Religion and well-doing, but if we suffer patiently for God's sake, blessed are we in these sufferings, whatever be the occasion of them. Lo, now I have taught you how to be patiented in the adversities of Matrimony. I have one word more to say unto you, and so an end. These whom God hath pleased so to prosper in Matrimony, as that their troubles have been but very few and light, in comparison of the general case of men in this respect, must be earnestly admonished, to be hearty and often thankful. Benefits lose their chiefest fruit, if they come not into our hearts and mouths, as matter of praise. A greater outward blessing, than a peaceful and prosperous living in marriage, what think you, can God give unto a man or woman? Let not this goodness be slighted, if God have vouchsafed it to any of you. We cry out for anguish, if we be crossed; Why do we not also shout forth into praises and thankes, when we are comforted? If God have given thee a virtuous yoke-fellow, in whom there are few vices, and those so sound mortified, that they break forth but little to thy grief: wilt thou not give thankes for this? What would he that hath a shrew, a waste-good, an harlot, give to have a wife of such conditions as thine? What would she that hath an unthrift, a tyrant, a whoremonger, part with, for an husband of thine husband's qualities? Thinkest thou that little worth, which another that wanteth, would prise at so high a rate? O, let us not forfeit God's benefits, or the comfort of God's benefits, for want of esteeming, for want of acknowledging them. I have instanced in case of husbands & wives; enlarge you your own thoughts to children, servants, estates, and all other like particulars, and when you see that in any, or all of these, the Lord hath spared you from much of that anguish, which matrimony hath laden others withal, then break forth into his praises, and say: Lord, the most that will marry, do meet with much cumber in marriage; but such hath been thy goodness to me, that this yoke hath been very easy to me, and my comforts have been as great, my crosses as few, as I could well expect in marriage: O, therefore make me more obedient to thee then others, because thou hast made my Matrimony more easeful to me then many others. True thankfulness must be rooted in the heart, and blossom in the tongue, and fructify in the actions.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   
FINIS.   

Mortification.  
A SERMON PREACHED UPON THE THIRD TO THE COLOSSIANS, THE fifth Verse; Mortify therefore your members that are on earth.  
By WILLIAM WHATELY, Preacher of the Word of God in Banburie.  Apoc. 3.21. 
To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his Throne, saith the Amen, the true and faithful Witness, the beginning of the Creation of God.  
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man. 1623.   

TO THE VIRTUOUS AND RELIGIOUS Lady, the Lady JOAN HERICK, all health and happiness.  
MAdam: This simple Treatise is yours in all right; therefore it offers itself and its service unto you: But at your request, it had not been preached, where it was; But for your importunity (you know well) it had much less been printed, as it is. Seeing it is yours, I beseech you accept it, and make much of it, and (if it be fit for so good a purpose) make much use of it. Howsoever, I pray you continue to wish well to him that sends it, who doth much approve of your graces, and respect your person, and will always continue to pray for the welfare of yourself, and all yours, resting ever,  
Your Ladyships in all Christian duties much bounden, William Whately.   

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.  
GOod Reader: to deal plainly with thee, I was long afraid and ashamed to put pen to paper, about this theme of Mortification. Not because the point is not exceeding necessary to be handled; but because I found myself very unworthy and unfit to entreat of it. Being guilty to myself, of being fare from having done any thing worth the naming, in the practice of the duty, I thought it scarce likely, that I should do any great good in writing of it, and I was even ashamed to publish any thing of mortification, finding myself, alas, so little mortified. At last yet, I resolved to adventure on this work for two reasons: One, because I am privy to myself, of having endeavoured (in some poor degree, and with some truth,) to perform myself, what here I have taught, and that also, not without some little success, though fare short of what I ought, and (but for mine own carelessness) might have attained. Another, because I conceived, that as a man, which having but a small stock, can himself make but small gains of its return, may yet give husband like directions to him that hath a larger stock, by which he may improve his ten talents to more advantage, than else he could do: so a man, that having but a small quantity of grace, can do little himself, may yet give sound directions to those that have received a greater measure of Grace, to further them much in their spiritual thrift. And as he that by some disease or wound, is half lame, and can go but a slow pace in the known right way, may yet direct others to the right way, and quicken their pace, by calling upon them; so may he, whose corruptions suffer him to proceed but slowly in the ways of holiness, show that way to others, and hasten them therein. In a word, he may be a good Drummer or Trumpeter in the war, that hath but a weak body, and feeble limbs to fight. Hinder not thyself therefore, from profiting by this Work, by looking on the weaknesses of him that wrote it; strive thou to run apace in this path, I will either follow after thee, or bear thee company, or, if I can, go before thee, as fast as I can. Fight thou valiantly at the sound of this Trumpet, and I will also strive to use the hand, aswell as the mouth; and the Sword, aswell as the Trumpet. So committing myself and thee, to the good favour and grace of our common Father, and requiring a few of thy prayers for myself in special, I rest  
A well-willer to thy victory against thy spiritual foes, William Whately. Banbury, Feb. 17. 1622.   

MORTIFICATION.  Coloss. 3.5. 
Mortify your members which are upon the earth.  

CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and showing the Doctrine.  
IN this brief precept (to omit all speech of the coherence, because the meaning is plain enough without it) the Apostle delivers a most necessary point of Christian doctrine. 
Three things observable in the Text.  For the better explanation of his words, we must in them consider three things. An action to be done. The object of this action, and the persons to whom the action appertaineth. The action is, Mortify, or to speak in plain English, Put to death. 
First, an action to be done, Put to death.  In this phrase the holy Ghost seemeth to allude unto the ancient sacrifices, whereof, so many as consisted of things having life, were appointed to be slain by the Priest, afore they were offered up upon the Altar, as a type of our killing the old man, before we can become an acceptable sacrifice unto God. Now to slay sin, is nothing else, but to labour with all our might, utterly to subdue it, that it may have no command, vigour, working, no, nor being in us. It is a constant endeavour of causing our corruptions to cease to stir, to move, or to abide in our hearts, as a dead man is no longer a man, nor can perform the actions of a man, and is said no longer to be amongst men. We must not surcease striving against sin, till we have utterly abolished it; our desire and endeavour must be to use it, as a venomous creature, even to knock it on the head, and make a clean riddance of it. We must not account it sufficient to fine our corruptions (as it were) or to confine them, or to imprison, or to bind them, or to hurt, or to maim them (as some kind of inferior offenders are chastised) but as a capital offender, a mortal enemy, an irreclaimeable traitor, we must see execution done upon it, and make a final and an utter dispatch of it.  
2. 
2. The object of the action, Your members on earth.  This is the action enjoined. The object of the action is, your members that are upon earth. By these earthly members, he meaneth our manisold, corrupt, and sinful dispositions, according as himself doth make manifest, by instancing in some for all, saying, Fornication, uncleanness, etc. There are in every man's soul, an innumerable company of disordered inclinations, contrary to the will of God and our duty, as ignorance, unbelief, pride, folly, worldliness, filthiness, and all that rabble of evils, which we commonly call vices. Now all and each of these must be pursued with a mortal hatred, and assailed with the same earnestness and fury, as we would do an enemy in the fields, even with an intention of slaughtering him if we can. It will not be amiss to consider of some reasons, why our corrupt lusts should be called members, and why members upon earth. There seemeth to be a threefold reason of this name.  
3. First, the whole corruption of our evil nature, 
Why Lusts are called, Members.  is in Scripture compared to a man's body, and called, The body of death; wherefore the several corruptions are fitly termed members, or parts, concurring to the full constitution of the whole body. You know, that Nature hath prepared for man, head, shoulders, arms, breast, belly, thighs, legs, feet, and the rest; in the fit and apt joining together of which, the being of the humane body doth consist. So doth our wickedness consist in many particular disorders, pride, unbelief, rebellion, impatiency, hypocrisy, carnal sorrow, carnal confidence, wrath, uncleanness, earthly-mindednes, and diverse others as bad as these; the joining of which together, doth make up the universal sinfulness of our nature, called, The flesh & the old man. Again, they are called members upon the same consideration, wherein our Saviour (enjoining the same duty that here the Apostle) is pleased to use this figurative kind of speech; 
Mark. 9.43, etc.  If thy eye offend thee, pull it out, and cast it from thee: if thy foot offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: and if thine hand offend he, cut it off, and fling it from thee. Because to a man now corrupted, his corruptions are as natural as his members; he brings them into the world with him, together with his hands, eyes, feet; they begin and grow in him, with the beginning and growing of his limbs, and, in his account, they are as necessary, useful, pleasing, and as dear and tender to him, as his arms, or his legs, or his very eyes, yea, the apple of his eye. Nothing in the world is more precious to the unsanctified and unregenerate man, than his lusts; he could as easily part with the joints of his body, as with them, yea, with his whole hart, he would be content to redeem the liberty of following them, by the loss of his eye. Well are they termed members, because to the carnal man, they are as well-beloved, as his members; and he will as loathly part with them, and as il spare them, as his members; yea, a man already in part sanctified, finds it as much to do to wrestle against them (till they be not thoroughly mastered, as it were a member mortified and deadned) as if he were to wound and mangle his own flesh, and with the right hand to chop off the left. Lastly, they are called members, because they do as it were dwell, and work in our members, showing their wicked force and strength in them, and striving by them to break forth into act, carrying them captives, as weapons of unrighteousness. For example: Fleshly lust shows itself in the eye, in the hand, in the foot, in the tongue, stiving to come to that strength, till it may drive a man to speak, or work something in the parts of his body, that maketh for the expressing, feeding, pleasing, satisfying of the same. Because our corruptions have their residence and operation in our members, therefore have they justly borrowed their name, 
james 4.1.  as being the lusts which war in our members, and that other law in our members, which fights against the law of our mind, and leadeth us captive to the law of sin, 
Rom. 7.23.  which is in our members, as elsewhere the scripture speaketh.  
4. Moreover, 
Why members upon earth.  they are termed our members upon earth, because they are exercised upon things of this earth, as their proper object, drawing and carrying our minds to these matters, that are here below, base, trifling, vain, and terrene, but hindering and diverting us, from raising up our souls, to the pursuit of the things that are high, heavenly, celestial, excellent, above with Christ our head, there where he sitteth in glory. All, or in a manner, all the disordered inclinations that are in us, tend to the making of us earthly-minded (eager to attain these miry, dirty things, that may be had in this lower region of the world, as pleasure, profit, credit, ease, and the like,) fitly therefore are they named earthly. And in another regard is this title duly given to them, because they will continue with us, during our natural life and abode upon the earth; nor ever shall they be quite separated from us, till we be translated to a more noble and glorious habitation in the Heavens. The vices that are in us, all the while that we are in this world, will hang like Lead, or some other weighty thing, upon us, and with a kind of violence, pull and hale us downward, to the sensual and corporal good of this present, short, and momentany being, which the Apostle well knowing, called them our members upon earth. And this is the object of the action.  
The persons that are enjoined to perform this action, 
3. The persons that must perform the action.  upon this object, are the Colossians; men already called to the knowledge of our Lord jesus Christ, and to the belief of his glorious Gospel; and men already sanctified, and regenerate in part, yet had they need (and therefore so have all Christians also) to continue wounding, and thrusting thorough these lusts, which have (as the Proverb speaketh) nine lives, and will not be killed with one blow, or with one dart. So the meaning of Saint Paul is, as if he had without all figure, taken up a larger exhortation in this wise: O ye Colosians, Professors of the true Religion of our Lord, know ye, that it is your duty (whereof I enjoin you to be mindful and careful) not alone to make some slight and slender opposition to those corrupt and vicious inclinations of your hearts, which you shall find still stirring in your members, and always thrusting you forwards, to the seeking of the transitory, and momentany things of this life; but also with all your might and power, to strive to overcome them utterly, with a mind and purpose to continue so striving, till you have totally freed yourselves from their loathed and troublesome working.  
Doct. 6. You see then, that these words do require at our hands, the practice of a most needful duty. 
All Saints must study mortification.  All the Saints of God, must with all earnestness, study their mortification. Those that profess the Gospel of Christ jesus, must take uncessant, and unweariable pains, with constant and perpetual endeavours, more and more to subdue, beat down, and vanquish all and every of these wicked, sinful, and unlawful affections, lusts, inclinations and habits, which are in them (drawing them to things terrene and earthly) till they have even pulled them up by the roots, and cast them quite out of their hearts. Scarce any point is more plainly and frequently required, not an Epistle almost, wherein it is not commended to the Saints: 
Rom. 8.13.  If ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, ye shall live, saith the Apostle in one place. Lo, without it there is no living, it is a necessary condition, required to the attainment of salvation. And again, They that are Christ's, 
Gal 5.24.  have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. He takes it as a thing granted, that all true Christians have in part performed this work, and therefore will go forward to bring it to more perfection. 
Ephes. 1.22.  And in another place, he saith; Put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceivable lusts. These lusts are like to unclean and filthy rags, which the children of God must fling from them. It is for Rogues and Vagrants, to wrap up themselves in rotten and foul clouts; the Sons and Daughters of Nobles and Kings, must array themselves with costly, clean, and sightly garments, befitting the honour of their birth and place. A beggars dirty, patched cloak, doth no more beseem a Prince's back, than the practice of sinful lusts doth become a Christian. We must not shame ourselves with such vile, and base things, but cast them fare away from us. 
1. Pet 2.11.  Another Apostle also willeth us, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against our souls. As men that are wise, will not converse with their mortal enemies: (specially strangers travelling in a fare country, will not willingly associate themselves with those that hate them, and conspire their death;) so the people of God, must have nothing to do with sinful lusts of any sort; for these do nothing else but seek the ruin of their souls, what ever flattering show they may make.   

CHAP. II. Declaring some reasons of the point from the necessity of the duty.  
But what should I heap up Texts of Scripture, to confirm a most confessed truth? 
reasons of the point.  only for the better provoking of your souls to the practice of the duty, let it not seem amiss, that I stand somewhat largely, to acquaint you with store of sound reasons, why you should do it. Know then, that this work of mortification, is a work needful, profitable, equal, and successful. Need compelleth, profit allureth, equity convinceth, and success encourageth. You must do it, or do worse; you shall be gainers by doing it; it is most righteous that you do it; and in labouring about it, you shall not lose your labour; therefore about it with all speed, and with all diligence.  
2. First, 
1. Fromthe necessity of it.  for the necessity of mortifying our earthly members. This ariseth partly from God's commandment, partly from the great danger that will surely befall us, upon our negligence herein. We all yield, that the commandment of a superior, doth tie those that are under his authority, 
In regard of God's commandment.  and makes that thing needful for them to do, which before was left to their own pleasure and liking. His commandments therefore, that is the highest Superior, do lay the most absolute necessity upon his inferiors. Must is for the King, we say; How much more for the King of Kings? His commandment binds our consciences, & imposeth upon our souls, a necessity of doing, what he commands: so nothing can be thought more needful, then to do what God requireth; and we have showed you before, that God hath often, and expressly required you, to ply this work. Unless therefore you will become extremely rebellious against the manifest will of the greatest Commander that is, or can be; you must endure the pains (though a painful pains it will prove) of putting your lusts to death. This is none of the things which you may do, if you please; if not, it is at your liberty; the matter is not great, if it be left undone. Nay, the strongest bond in the world doth oblige you to it; the bond of your duty to God, that made you. We may make use of Paul's words in this matter; Necessity lieth upon you, and woe unto you if you do it not; for the commandments that require this duty, will never admit of a dispensation.  
3. 
In regard of the danger that will else ensue.  But if God did not command it, yet the mischief that will follow, if we be careless of it, will make a wise man to perceive a necessity of doing it. We say in our common speech, That we must needs do that, the notdoing whereof will procure us such inconveniences, as a man of understanding should not be willing to hazard himself unto. Now doubtless, if we set not forward the work of mortification with constant care, the mischiefs that will ensue, are insufferable; for we have a whole world of corruptions in us, which, if we fight not against them continually, will gather strength, and become mighty, to the great disquietness of our souls. He that findeth many diseases growing upon him, saith, He must needs take physic to cure those diseases: he that hath diverse deadly wounds in his body, thinks he cannot choose but use plasters to heal those wounds: and we that have many corruptions, must needs take care to keep under those corruptions. For though the servants of God, at the time of their regeneration, do receive power over their corruptions, yet they be not wholly ride of them. The dominion of sin is taken away, at the conversion of our souls to, God, the presence of them is not taken away: they rule no longer in us, but still they remain in us; and that so, as, if they be not with daily labour kept under, they will grow violent and headstrong, and go near to recover their ancient sovereignty, at least, to bring us into great thraldom, as the remnant of the Canaanites did the Israelites, that were slack in rooting them out. As therefore they that have many enemies, must fight, so must we; the case standing with us here, as with soldiers in the field, or with combatants in the lists, that must kill or be killed, at least kill, or be wounded. For, besides the aptness of our lusts to gather strength, we have the devil also (a crafty, and a watchful enemy) always seeking after all occasions of increasing and stirring up our corruptions, and labouring both to put fuel to the fire (as it were) and also to blow the coals too; that, if it be possible, he may make them flame forth into some noisome disorder. Wherefore, if we do not use some proportionable care to keep down sin, it cannot go well with us. A King that hath not alone many mutinous persons in his Kingdom, but also a strong enemy without his Kingdom, ready to take all advantages of invading his dominions, and to draw those Rebels together unto his party, for the conquering of his Kingdom, must needs be at the cost and labour, to maintain an Army and Garrisons, to resist such an enemy, and repress such seditious persons. Doubtless, our case stands in such terms. It is all Satan's business to make our lusts grow mighty, he cannot hurt us but by them, and therefore it is his greatest labour to strengthen them, by all the ways he can invent. What can betide us then, but much misery, if we be slack to perform on the contrary, what in us lieth, to enfeeble them? Doubtless, those many disordered passions that are in us, through the manifold devices of Satan used for that purpose, will gain to themselves a great deal of strength, and from their growth in strength, will do us a great deal of hurt, unless we follow the Apostles counsel, to mortify them.  
4. 
Grieving the Spirit.  Amongst, and above many other, four evils will spring from hence: First, we shall grieve and quench the Spirit of God that is in us, and cause it to withdraw itself (as it were) and to forbear those comfortable operations, which it once did work for our good; in so much, that at length, we shall have no feeling of it, and scarce be able to discern, whether it be within us at all, yea, or no. The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrary one to the other: now the growth of one contrary, is the diminishing of the other; so when the Saints are careless to resist the flesh, they perceive little or no power of the Spirit in them, and sometimes also come to that pass, that they be in a great fear and doubt, whether ever they had the Spirit, because they think it is now so quite departed from them. If we fight mafully on the spirits side against carnal lusts, than the Spirit of Grace will work, and show itself mighty in us; if we sit still, and give the flesh leave to have its way, than the Spirit will leave us, and alas, it is woe with us, when that is caused to forsake us: for then our comfort, our peace, and our very life is gone.  
5. But besides this (and immediately upon it) our communion with God will be interrupted, 
Interrupting our communion with God.  and that comfortable sense of his love (wherewith he was sometimes pleased to cheer up, and revive our hearts,) will be taken away from us. It is sin alone, that can make a separation betwixt God and us, and (as a very makebate) sets us against him, and him against us. So long as we continue, to use some good measure of care, to quell our wicked lusts, the Lord doth give himself (as it were) to be seen and felt of us; our souls enjoy him, and do taste the unspeakable sweetness of his grace, resting abundantly assured of his love, and satisfied in it; and finding him ever and anon, sending messages of kindness unto our souls, as a General that comes amongst his soldiers, when they fight valiantly, and heartens them up with his presence and his speech: but if the Lord find us dealing falsely, and treacherously with him, entering parley (as it were) with that Enemy, that he doth irreconcilably hate, and detest, and ready to make a truce with that foe, with whom he would have no truce taken, no, not for a moment; then doth he cease to speak friendly unto us (as there is great cause) and gins even to chide, and reprove, and threaten, and send us tidings of great displeasure. And ah, what soul can conceive a more grievous loss in this world, than the loss of the light of his countenance?  
6. 
Committing of gross sins.  But sometimes there follows a fare greater mischief, namely, that he which gave sin leave to get head through carelessness, is at last so foiled by the wicked lusts of his heart, that he falls to commit some gross and grievous sins, very foul, very loathsome, very disgraceful. For you must not think, that the man regenerate, is out of the danger of being overtaken with heinous offences. Indeed, whilst he is earnest, in beating down his unruly passions, though he find trouble, yet he enjoys safety; and though his lusts struggle and annoy him, yet they cannot break forth in extremity; but if he once become heedless, and think it too much, to be at the pains of continually mortifying them, than they raise up themselves, and carry him captive, and cause him to give his members as weapons of unrighteousness, prevailing so fare at length, that if God himself did not (out of his unchangeable love) come in to his rescue, he would be brought back again into Egypt (as it were;) his soul would be quite slain, the life of Grace would be quite extinguished, and he would return the second time to be dead in sins. And, ah, what wise man would suffer his sins to become so violent, as to carry him into such enormous deeds, as David, and Solomon, and Asa, and Vzziah, fell into, and all for want of mortifying these members? A man once sanctified, may assure himself upon his faithful and constant endeavours in mortification, that he shall escape such fowls: but if he grow slack in this duty, he can expect nothing, but to have his conscience thus wounded. Is it not more then needful for us to look to ourselves?  
7. For lastly, 
Sore afflictions.  to the preventing of fare greater evils, our not-sufficiently mortified lusts, will bring upon us exceeding sore afflictions, because the goodness of God is such, that he will not see us perish by them, as we should perish, if he did not apply such corrosives to cure them. If afflictions come not betwixt, neglect of the duty of mortification will produce the evil effect I last named, viz. the perpetrating of some vile and notorious wickedness; sometimes the Lord makes haste to strike us, for the preventing of such falls: but if we be once fall'n, then is there no way of recovery, but by some bitter cross, either inward or outward, or most times both ways. So we do enforce the Lord of necessity to afflict us (unless we would have him lose us quite) when we wax careless of seeking, to prevail more and more against sin. A crazy body, having disordered himself in diet, must needs have very sick fits, and some sicke-making physic he must needs take, or else death would follow his intemperancy. So our weak and crazy souls, being brought to strange distempers by our folly, in not resisting the sinful and inordinate dispositions of our souls, could never be brought again to any tolerable soundness, if God did not, by heavy calamities, help to purge out those evil humours, which we had suffered to pester up our souls, as we may see in David and Asa, after their sins. And certainly, the fare greater number of crosses which befall the people of God, do come from hence, that their heavenly Father is fain (unless he would see them damned, which he will never do) by misery to keep down lusts, which they might (but will not, without misery) keep down, by the careful exercise of mortification, and to draw them to repentance for those loathsome sins, which for lack of mortifying their earthly members, they have fall'n into, and would never repent of otherwise: so that if we will not be content to put ourselves to the labour of working out our salvation, by crucifying the flesh, God will put us to the pains of bearing heavy crosses, that shall help to crucify them (in a manner) whether we will or no. And do we not see a necessity of mortification?   

CHAP. III. Showing the profit of the duty.  
NOw because necessity going alone, 
2. From the good will follow, if we doeit.  doth drag rather then lead, and so (as an hard and rigorous commander) is obeyed indeed, but backwardly, and against the hair; therefore let us discourse a little of the fruit that will arise from our labour in the work of Mortification, that seeing profit as well as need, the difficulty may not hinder us from doing it, even with cheerfulness. Now the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh will ring with it four exceeding great, and  benefits.  
2. The first is, 
Great peace.  unspeakable peace and quietness of soul. The heart will be at one with God itself and all men, so long as it holdeth variance with sin. He that is at war with his lusts, shall not be at war with his Maker. If we fight his battles against our corruptions, he will not fight against us. Nothing causeth the God of Heaven to frown upon man, but sin; while the World was free from sin, it was also free from all tokens of God's displeasure; therefore it must needs follow, that the surest way to keep ourselves in even terms with God, is to be diligent in resisting sin. He is not of so ill a nature, as to pick quarrels against us without a cause; himself tells us, that he corrects not willingly, 
Lament. 3.33.  nor of his own accord. Sin then, being the sole cause of moving him against us, we shall be sure to find him so fare loving towards us, as we are careful to preserve ourselves from sinning against him, which is best and most attained, by the study of mortification: so all will be well above our heads in Heaven, if we follow Paul's direction. Now the conscience is God's officer and deputy, and that, that will make him gentle and quiet to us, will make it also quiet and gentle. The conscience never should (and seldom doth) rise up in arms against a man, but when he hath given leave to some corruption to grow headstrong, for want of opposing it in due season and order. As there is no distempered motion in the body, till the humours be immoderately stirred, by some inward or outward occasions; so neither is there likely terror, amazement, disquietment, in the conscience, till the lusts of the soul have disordered it, for want of holding them under. so that as war abroad, is found to be a present remedy, against civil dissensions of subjects; so war with sin, is the cause of our tranquillity with ourselves. When clouds are dispelled, the beams of the Sun will shine comfortably upon the earth, and then the earth is richly garnished with pleasant and profitable herbs; so when sin is chased away, the warm beams of God's favour do sweetly refresh the conscience, and the conscience so refreshed, doth bring forth the sweet and wholesome flowers of unspeakable consolation. The Spirit of God will tell our spirits, and our spirits will tell us, that God is our Friend and Father, that he love's us, and delights in us, so long as we be have ourselves to sin, as to an enemy, hating, loathing, and resisting it. Thus are we most friends to ourselves, when we be most foes with our corruptions. And this fight with sin, will make us live quietly also with our neighbours. He that is busy in finding out, and subduing his homebred corruptions, shall have little or no leisure, to take causeless unkindnesses, to pick needless quarrels, and to provoke others against him by injurious behaviour; so shall he shun the greatest company of jars and brawls, that use to set men together by the ears. Saint james saith; 
james 4.1.  That wars and fightings amongst men do come from their lusts, which war in their members. We may, if we will, deceive ourselves, and attribute things to false causes; but the Spirit of God, that understandeth all things aright, and cannot be deceived, points to lust, fight in the members, as the most true, proper, and immediate cause of contentions & stirs betwixt man and man. Therefore the more any man doth quell, subdue, vanquish, weaken, and beat down these lusts, the more calmly shall he pass thorough the sea of the world, and the fewer storms of discord. and enmity, shall he meet withal. When soldiers lie idle, and are not employed in marching against the common foe, than they mutiny, and fall out with each other: so when men set not their grief and hatred, and other affections ou work, to make war upon sin, than they quickly take occasion to grieve at each other, to sigh one against another, to hate one another, and to vex and gall each other, and trouble themselves most of all. But soldiers agree among themselves, whilst they lend their powers against a common foe; so when we have strongest and hottest war with the devil and sin, then do we nourish most concord with one another. Thus shall the soul enjoy unutterable quietness every way within and without, from God, and from man, and one week's life, led in such comfortable and happy concord and amity with a man's own soul, and all about him, is more worth, than the lasting of a whole twelvemonth, torn and rend asunder with the civil broils and commotions of a grudging, froward, and distempered heart. Who would not do that, that will make his soul to dwell at rest?  
3. Again, the study of mortification, 
Patience and loy in affliction.  will enable a man with inconceiveable patience, yea, and cheerfulness, to bear any affliction that God shall lay upon him; yea, to look death itself in the face, though it come clothed in never so terrible attire, and with never so terrible weapons; for the sting of death, and consequently of all crosses, is sin: now, pull the sting from out of the Serpent's mouth or tail, and then there is little fear, or danger in encountering her. What was the cause that the Apostle Paul was so exceeding quiet and joyful in all his calamities? but because he had in great measure subdued, and was more and more busy in subduing the corrupt lusts of his body, knocking it down, 
1. Cor. 9 last.  and bringing it in subjection, as himself speaketh. He that holdeth strong fight against the evils of his own heart (out of that peace with God and his own soul, which we said before that he should enjoy) hath freedom of Spirit, to pray unto God in his afflictions; he can run boldly to the Throne of grace (as having allowed nothing within him, that should grieve the Spirit of Grace) he can fly to the tower of God's name (as having kept himself in the paths of righteousness, whic those that do, know themselves to have all good allowance, to come thither) and when a man can freely pour forth his hart before God in crosses, then doth he also comfortably enjoy God, and then the sharpness of the cross is gone. The thing that makes crosses intolerably bitter (so that the soul cannot endure the bitterness of them) is the admixture of the gall of God's displeasure; so fare as we are entire and resolute in fight against sin, our crosses are pure from this admixture, and so they be not (to himself that bears them, howsoever they may seem to the lookers on) by the hundreth part so tedious and troublesome, as that composition would make them. So the mortified man gains this by his trouble in mortification, that the Lord will suffer him to escape many troubles, and those that he must (for his own good) suffer, he shall be able to go under with ten times more quietness, and gladness, and contentedness; as an whole shoulder bears the same burden with more ease, than a sore, or swollen shoulder. It is therefore a very profitable labour that we bestow in mortifying the members on earth; that is to say, in healing the sores and diseases of our souls.  
4. Thirdly, 
Certain freedom from gross sins.  the man that applies the work of mortification aright, shall attain certain freedom from foul, gross and scandalous sins. A sanctified man may assuredly promise to himself (upon his constant and diligent endeavours, to abate and hold under his sinful affections and dispositions) to be (for his whole life long) so kept and sustained by God, that he shall not rush into any loathsome, palpable, disgraceful, soule-wasting wickedness. We are never overtaken with those kind of evils, but upon our very palpable carelessness of mortifying the deeds of our flesh. Whilst we do that, that God bidsus, to slay sin, he holds it under, according to his promise, and it hath not dominion over us, neither doth reign in our mortal bodies; so that we are sure enough, that sin shall not bring forth the fruits of shame and reproach unto us, until we begin to be remiss in following Gods directions, to purge out the old leaven. And, Oh, what a benefit is this, to escape those blemishes and stains, wherewith many of God's children (perhaps also of greater strength than ones self) do defile and disgrace themselves? What a privilege is it to be so supported, that never in all his life, he shall run into any witting, enormous, & presumptuous crime, after God hath called him to the knowledge of his truth? What an ease and comfort, to live always free from those blows and strokes of our spiritual enemy, wherewith some of God's people are wounded almost to death? Doubtless, the remembrance of such foils, doth bring so much shame and sorrow to the hearts, and often blushing and paleness both (successively) to the cheeks of diverse of God's people, that they now account freedom from such blots, a thing of more worth, than all the riches and honour in the World, and wish with all their souls, that they had taken any pains, and suffered any misery outward, to have been delivered from such inward wretchedness? Why should we not be wise beforehand now? and by labour, win to ourselves the comfort of having prevented that, which if once we should feel, we shall wish (but all in vain) that we had laboured night and day to prevent.  
5. Lastly, 
Good esteem from man.  much true credit and good esteem will follow to the Saints of God, from the work of mortification, both with the household of faith, and with strangers also. The mortified man affects the hearts of all that behold him, with admiration, and the less he covets the credit of men, the more he wins it. Who is he, that seeing a man able to hold down anger, unjustice, revenge, lust, when strong occasions do provoke them to work, doth not find his soul cleaving to him, at once loving and wondering at him? Heathen men, that have for their credit sake, so fare dissembled mortification, as, in something a notable fashion, to forbear evil doing, have been more famous for that in aftertimes, then for all their wealth and victories: for it is more truly praiseworthy to be good, then great; and therefore an high degree of goodness, will more honour a man in the hearts of men, than the highest degree of greatness. The soul will not stoop to other things, though the knee do crouch; but the very soul of the highest person that is, will even bow to the name of a man, that is excellent in mortification. What made Herod honour john Baptist? but this, that he saw him so thoroughly mortified. Every man is enforced by his conscience, to esteem worthily of one, whom he sees doing that, which he knows himself should do, but finds he cannot. Now every man's soul (in a manner every man's) is convinced, that he should conquer ambition, revenge, covetousness, lust; and his experience tells him, how little he is able to perform in this business; wherefore, when he sees another ever conquering that sin, whereto himself is a perpetual vassal, and of which he is ever conquered, he strangeth at him, and looks upon him, as upon some extraordinary, and miraculous person. Indeed sinners are many times so transported with the love of sin, that (as Owls hate the light which they cannot look upon, so) they nourish in themselves, even enmity, against these excellencies, which they cannot imitate: but then, when they are out of their mad and drunken fits, when they are themselves, when they know what they do and say, as in the day of affliction, of sickness, of death, they cannot but show themselves, to bear more hearty reverence, and unfeigned respect to him, whom they have seen careful and able to mortify the deeds of the body, then to all the rich and mighty men on earth. Brethren, you might well save the cost of hanging your backs, with over-gorgious attire, and making so much ado, to trim up your bodies; the careful fight against sin, and prevailing against it (which will follow fight) would do you more honesty amongst all your neighbours, than all the fine  under heaven. If thou couldst thrust thyself into a garment, made all of gold and Diamonds, and come garnished also Kinglike, with a Crown and Sceptre, the hearts of men would not entertain thee with so much esteem, as if they see thee (as it were godlike) in overcoming the sins, that overcome the greatest of the sons of men. A good name is a precious ointment, and a precious jewel, which nothing will get so soon, or so surely, as goodness. Wherefore fight against sin, that thou mayest have honour in the consciences of men, and some kind of authority and command in them (as I may say) by virtue of this honour.   

CHAP. IU. Showing the equity of the duty.  
WE have heard how needful, 
Thirdly, from the equity of the duty.  and profitable mortification is: let us see also how equal it is. No need, nor profit should draw us to that, which is unequal; but when equity is joined to profit and necessity, then should the work be done, without further delay. Now it is most equal that we kill our sins, whether we consider God, or Christ, or ourselves, or sin itself. 
For sin is God's enemy.  First, for God; He is our Sovereign Lord and King, and sin is his most mortal enemy: wherefore it is most equal, that we should fight against it; for subjects must oppose the enemies of their Prince, with all their power. The Scripture tells us, 
Duet. 13.6, 7, 8, 9  that if father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or kinswoman, or friend, should go about to draw a man from God, his hand should be first against them, to put them to death. Now sins of all sorts, do seek to draw us from God, wherefore our eye must not spare them, neither must we favour them, but we must be severe against them, and as it were, stone them with stones, until they be dead. It is a most righteous and equal thing, that notorious Rebels and malefactors should be slain without pity; and lusts are the grossest of all malefactors, which do most provoke God, and oppose themselves against his honour. Therefore if we have any regard of his honour, what should we do, but lay hold upon them, and pursue them to the very death? Should we spare, or forbear to kill the foes and adversaries of the Lord our God? were not this to make ourselves his enemies also?  
2. Again, hath not our sin slain Christ, 
Sin is a murderer of Christ.  and shall not we, in an holy revenge, be eager against it, to kill it? If any man have slain our Parent, or Brother, or Sister, or Child, we think it our duty to follow after him, and persecute against him, till we have brought him to a well-deserued end. The next of Kin in the Law, was always the avenger of blood, and to him it appertained to hunt after the murderer, to bring upon his head, the innocent blood that he had shed. If therefore we will show ourselves brethren, or sisters of Christ, or any thing of Kin unto him, we must even be avengers' of his blood upon sin; for, for our sins was his blood shed, and these are the things that have slain him, and for which he made his soul a sacrifice. A thief, a traitor, a murderer, aught in all reason to be executed, and every man will think it fit to lend his helping hand, to the dispatching of one, that hath so many ways deserved death. Sin is a thief; for it robs God of his honour and glory. It is a traitor; for it strives to thrust God from his regal authority and dominion. A murderer; for it slew Christ jesus our elder brother, and seeks to slay our own souls; for these be the lusts that fight against our souls, as Peter tells us. What can be more equal, then that we strive to destroy utterly, and to root out, and make a clean riddance of so vile a thing as this?  
3. And for ourselves, doth not equity require, that a man should faithfully keep all good and lawful promises and covenants? Now we have covenanted with God in our Baptism, 
We have vowed to forsake sin.  to fight against the devil, and all sinful lusts. In that Sacrament we did bind ourselves (as by a solemn military oath) to be the soldiers of jesus Christ, and to fight under his Banner, against the Devil, the World, and the Flesh: Shall we become foresworn & perjured persons, as it were soldiers, forsaking their Colours, casting down their weapons, and running away from their Captain? God forbidden. Do we not often renew in the Lord's Supper the Covenant we made in Baptism? It is certainly one part of the duty, whereto we tie ourselves in that holy Sacrament, to seek the death of sin in us that procured the death of Christ for us. Seeing we have often reiterated our Covenant of God, of fight against these lusts, let us be ashamed to be found breakers of so many, and so just promises. Seeing we have taken Christ's livery upon us, and have given our names to him, to be soldiers in his Camp, it is most fit and equal, that we should be true and valiant soldiers, manfully resisting his, and our enemies, the greatest, and principallest of which, we know to be these members upon earth. Let us therefore arm ourselves to this battle, and make no peace with the things, with which God will never be at peace, and abhor to show ourselves either perfidious and false, or timorous and faint-hearted soldiers.  
4. Last of all, let us consider what sin is, 
Sin is an unreasonable thing.  and we shall find it most righteous to subdue and destroy it. Sin is a most vile and absurd thing, contrary to all right, and to all true reason, alluring us to itself, with none but false, vain, and counterfeit enticements; nothing therefore can be more equal, then that a thing so most unequal be resisted, and striven against, with utter dislike. Sin doth a man no good at all, but much harm and mischief: it is like a disease, good for nothing but to vex and torment him, in whom it breedeth. It allureth us with shows of profit, pleasure, credit, ease, and the like: but it is a mere coozener and deceiver, and evermore beguileth us in the end, and we shall utterly miss of our hopes, if we trust to its offers, and follow its allurements. It will bring us loss, in stead of profit, even the loss of an heavenly Kingdom. It will reward us with torment, in stead of pleasure, even with the torment of eternal fire. It will requite us with shame, in stead of credit, even with everlasting reproach and confusion; in stead of ease, it will procure anguish; for tribulation and anguish shall for ever lie upon the soul of every one that worketh wickedness, upon the jew first, and also upon the Gentile. Can any thing be thought more equal, then that so egregious a coozener, so errand a liar, so false a companion, that is made all of lies, guile, fraud and imposture, should be even apprehended, and hanged up out of the way (as we use to speak) that it may beguile us no longer.   

CHAP. V Showing the certainty of good success in fight against our lusts.  
But let us hasten to an end, 
Fourthly, from the certainty of good success.  and consider, in the last place, what success we shall be sure to meet with, in this fight, if we arm ourselves with a constant resolution to continue fight, and never, for any fear, or any cause to give over. 
We shall lose nothing by mortifying the flesh.  First, we shall lose nothing at all, that is worth having. A man may enjoy all lawful conents, profits and pleasures, and whatsoever is truly needful to the comfort and welfare of his body, mind and state; though he follow God's direction, and mortify these members that are upon the earth: and nothing shall we get by following, feeding, and nourishing them, but that which for the present is idle, vain, needless, superfluous, and might better be spared then had; and for the time to come also, will prove mischievous and baneful. A man may see well enough without that eye, that Christ bids him pull out, and cast from him; he may well enough walk, and live, and perform all actions of life for his benefit, without that foot and hand, which our Lord doth bid us to cut off, and fling from us. If it seem to bring blindness, lameness and maimedness, it is but a conceited and imaginary lameness, blindness, and maimedness, that appeareth so to us, and is not; as he that is borne a monster with six fingers, might very well cut off one, and yet still have a perfect hand, and better for use, then that that had such superfluity of members. Adam and Euah might have filled their bellies in Paradise, though they had never come near to the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; God had provided them store of fruit to please their eye and taste, and feed their bodies, though they had utterly forborn that forbidden fruit. So doth the Lord allow to the sons of Adam, sufficient store, and variety of lawful and warrantable things to enjoy; so that we may have as much good, as our souls can wish, though we cast from us all sinful lusts, and refuse to follow the inclinations of them. The inordinate affections of our soul, are like the unnatural desires of the stomach, when it longeth for things that are sour, and naught, and unwholesome, as it were for raw flesh, unripe fruit, or things fare worse than these. There is wholesome and necessary food enough in he world, though a man should never eat dirt and coals, as some have longed after. So we can be no losers, by healing ourselves of these diseases of the mind, which carry us after nothing that is worth the having, if we did measure things by a well-ordered judgement.  
2. But moreover, 
God will accept our labour to mortify sin.  we shall be sure to find acceptance with God, in this our endeavour of mortification, though we come fare short of perfection, so long as we do hearty and sincerely strive to perfection. He that fights resolutely against sin with spiritual weapons, shall be accounted a good soldier, though he be wounded in the battle, and knocked down, and taken prisoner, and the Lord will redeem and ransom him again, and not suffer him to perish, or be made a bondslave in that captivity. If we cannot make our corruptions grow so weak as we would, yet if we be still drawing forth the weapons of our Christian warfare, and using them so well as we can, to fight against our lusts, we shall enjoy the esteem and reputation of faithful subjects, and God and our consciences will give us this comfortable and honourable title of good soldiers of Christ jesus. And what an encouragement ought this to be, that we are certain, our Lord and King will take well our pains, in fight these battles of his, so well as we can, though in many things we come too short? The will and endeavour in this spiritual combat, is taken for the deed; he that earnestly desireth, and hearty labours to conquer his beloved corruptions, is accounted a conqueror, even though, as yet, he be none. He that resolves, he will never give over the fight, but will up again after all foils, and buckle his harness to him again, though the law of his members do sometimes draw him captive, after the law of sin that is in his members; he, I say, that so resolveth, and so reneweth his resolutions and endeavours, is reputed by the mercy of God in Christ, to have done that he would have done, and to have accomplished that, that he desired to accomplish. Assurance of good acceptance of the weakest endeavours, so long as they be true, may make the weak, as the Prophet speaketh, to say he is strong, and forgetting his weakness, to set upon the work as if he were strong, because even his weakness shall be accounted strength, if his desires, purposes, wishes, and resolutions be strong. There is nothing that can animate a man more to march after Christ, than this consideration. 
1. Sa. 30.21, 25.  David had two hundred soldiers that were faint, and could not follow the Amalekites that had burnt Ziglag, but were fain to stay behind, and do a meaner service, of attending on the stuff and carriages. Some of those that fought, and vanquished the Amalekites, would have had these faint ones, to have been turned off, without any part of the booty. But David's answer was; Who will hearken to you in this? And he made it a law in Israel, that he which tarried by the stuff, should share of the spoil of the enemy with him that fought in the battle. Our King, our David, keeps this law, If a man's heart be good to follow, and kill these Amalekites, though his body faint, and he be driven to stay by the stuff, he shall enjoy the prey, and divide the spoil. O, who would not serve such a General with all his might, where an unvoluntary fainting, an unpurposed weakness, shall not deprive him of the honour, or comfort of the victory!  
3. Further, 
God will reward our pains taken in mortifying sin.  we shall be rewarded, as well as accepted, if we fight these battles with an upright heart. Sin is like a traitor, whose head is set to sale; he that can bring it, shall have a large recompense. The Lord hath set a great price upon the head of our lusts; kill them, and we shall be greatly comforted here, and have so much more glory and happiness in heaven, by how much we have taken more labour and pains here. Pay will make any soldier's fight: If Christ's soldiers will but stick to it courageously, they shall want no pay of comfort, glory, immortality; and if they fight, they shall be crowned. When Caleb fought against Debir, he made this Proclamation among his soldiers; 
judg. 1.22.  To him that smiteth, and taketh the City, will I give Achsah my daughter to wife: and quickly Othniel was encouraged, and took it. Now how much more excellent are the promises which the Lord hath made, to encourage us in this spiritual battle, saying? If you mortify the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, ye shall live? What wife, or what portion with a wife, is comparable to this blessed and glorious life, which God hath promised, and will give to those, that take their lusts and smite them? Why then should we not animate ourselves, and do valiantly, to take and kill these spiritual Canaanites, and to destroy all the Cities of them? If any say, This promise is made alone to those that overcome, and how shall we be certain of victory? The answer is, that it is true indeed, those alone that overcome, shall obtain this reward; but every one that will fight resolutely in this battle, shall overcome. And that is the last encouragement, in respect of our success; as we shall lose nothing, and be accepted, and be rewarded; so we shall prevail also, and get the better of our foes.  
4. Sin shall surely be slain, 
We shall surely overcome sin, if we fight against it.  and fall down dead before us: It cannot possibly defend or save itself against the blows, which by the weapons of God are given unto it. It hath already received its death's wound from the death of Christ; we fight against an enemy that is more than half discomfited, and slain unto our hands. Through God we shall do valiantly, and he will tread down our enemies under our feet. When Israel fought against the inhabitants of Canaan, the Lord fought for them; and though their enemies were strong in body, and many in number, and had Cities fenced and walled up to heaven, yet they prospered whithersoever they went, and none was able to stand against them. This was a figure of our good success in fight against the lusts of our flesh. They cannot escape our hands, if we give them not leave to recover themselves. So mighty is the Word of God, so strong the Spirit of God, so certain the divine assistance, that we are sure of an happy victory, if we clothe ourselves with courage and confidence, and persist in the battle to the end of our lives. The Lord that fought for Israel, will fight for us, and work great salvation. The land of Canaan was inhabited with Giants, and men of huge stature, but all these fell before the Host of God; our Giantlike sins shall be but meat for our swords, and we shall prevail against them, though they be never so many and strong. Wherefore let us conclude with the words of joshua to the men of Ephraim, 
Iosh. 17.18.  Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron Chariots, and though they be strong: And with the words that the Priests were appointed to use unto the people in the day of battle; Hear O Israel, 
Deut. 20.3.  you approach this day unto battle against your enemies, let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified, because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies and to save you. And thus have we cleared the point, and laid before your eyes abundance of good reasons, to induce you to this battle. Now that we may make way for the uses, and that you may better practise the duty, we must give you some directions about it, showing you three things. First, the degrees of mortification. Secondly, the means of mortification. And lastly, the manner of using these means that we may speed by them.   

CHAP. VI Showing the degrees of Mortification.  
FOr the first of these, 
Two degrees of mortification.  we will show both the lowest degree of mortification, (that without which no man can be saved) and also the highest degree of mortification, beyond which a Christian cannot reach, in this present life: and these two being known, the middle degrees betwixt these, will appear of themselves. Know then, that the lowest degree of mortification is that, which hath attained two things, which whosoever hath not attained, is not at all mortified; he that hath attained them, is in truth mortified, and then must strive forward, for greater perfection.  
The first thing is, 
1. To forbear the usual practice of gross sins.  to forbear the ordinary practice of gross sins, such as are expressly condemned by the letter of the Word, and by the light of nature, and such, wherein the members of the body are given as weapons of unrighteousness. No man can say he is truly mortified, till he have gotten so much power against his corrupt lusts, that he be not usually and commonly overtaken with those palpable deeds of the body, swearing, cursing, lying, railing, drunkenness, wantonness, revenge, deceit, and the like to these: for those that do such things, 
Gal. 5.21. Ephes. 2.3.  shall not inherit the Kingdom of God: and the Apostle saith, That in time past, when we were dead in sins, we had our conversation in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the mind, and of the flesh, and were by nature, 
Titus 3.3.  children of wrath. And again, We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice, and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 
1. Pet 4.3.  And again, Peter saith, The time passed of our lives may suffice us; to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revel, banquet, and abominable Idolatries. And Saint john saith, 
1. joh. 1.6.  If we say we have fellowship with him, (as every mortified man hath) and walk in darkness, (as he that life's in the usual practice of such things doth) we lie, and do not the truth. 
Colos. 3.6.  For as the Apostle saith, For these things sake, the wrath of God doth come upon the children of disobedience. It is plain enough, you see, that he which is a worker of wickedness, and doth give himself leave to go on in the common practice of these abominable evils, is not translated from darkness to light, he is not made partaker of the virtue of the death of Christ, he is not buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, nor made conformable unto his death; so that it is in vain to flatter ourselves with a false opinion of our being good Christians, so long as these things do so strongly bear rule in us, hat we give our members as servants unto them ordinarily: for the good man must not walk in the counsel of sinners, nor stand in the way of the .  
2. But secondly, 
2. And the allowance of the least sin.  a godly man must prevail yet further against sin, even so fare, as not to allow, defend, excuse, extenuate, and carelessly let pass the smallest known sin, yea the first rise, and motions of sin; but must constantly observe, oppose, confess, bewail, and be humbled for them, before God: 
Math. 5.8.  for no man can be blessed, till he be pure in heart; and he that must ascend into the hill of the Lord, and stand in his holy place, 
Psal. 24.4.  must have (as clean hands, so) a pure heart also, as David saith. Now the heart is not pure, so long as any the least sin is winked at, allowed, maintained, covered and made light of. Therefore the Apostle saith, (not alone, 
Rom. 6.12, 13.  that we must not give our members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but also) that we must not obey it, no not in the lusts of it. Now he that gives way to evil motions in his heart, and makes nothing of them, nor lamenteth and resisteth them, doth serve sin in the lusts of it; as well as he that rusheth upon the gross and external acts of evil usually, doth give his members as instruments of wickedness. It is therefore apparent, that grace must so fare change us, and subdue our corrupt disposition, as that we must crucify the flesh, with the very affections and lusts, or else we are not planted with Christ into the similitude of his death, nor can truly take to ourselves the name, or enjoy the privileges of men that do mortify the deeds of the body. And this is the least degree that will serve to entitle a man to the comfort of one that is truly mortified.  
3. Now the highest degree that is in this life attainable, 
2. The highest degree of mortification.  stands also in two things; first, in preserving one's self so much and constantly against sin, 
To be ever kept from any gross sin.  as never to commit any gross, or palpable sin; never to curse, rail, swear, lie, deceive, revenge, dally, or any other like manifest and notorious offence either in word or deed. 
jam. 3.4.  And Saint james tells us, That he which offends not in word, is a perfect man. This perfection, by the help of grace, a godly man may reach to in this life; and O how beautiful and happy a life were it, to go, even thus fare, in the subduing of sin, that one should be wholly and altogether free from all blemishfull and reproachful sins! But a good man may proceed to somewhat an higher degree of perfection, even to keep his heart free from any settled liking of any evil motion thereof, 
To be free from any settled liking of an ill motion.  so that he shall never take any stayed or deliberate content in any of the sinful inclinations, & dispositions that do stir in him. I do not say only not to give any consent unto them, or to yield his will to them, but not to have his imagination settledly and deliberately pleased and delighted with them; but that he shall presently quench, reject, and detest them; but to be void of all evil motions arising from the flesh, or of all sudden passions within, or of all sudden delight in them, or of all deadness or backwardness to good things by reason of them; that is, so far as I can learn out of Scripture, an higher pitch than that any man can touch it in this present world. For surely, whilst we live, the law of our members will be working, and the flesh will be lusting, and every man shall find cause to complain of a body of death; every man shall find cause to say, Who can say his heart is free? And he shall but deceive himself that saith he hath no sin.   

CHAP. VII. Showing the natural means of Mortification.  
YOu have heard how much you must needs do in this matter, as also how very much you may do, if you be not careless and slothful. Now let me show you, by what means both these degrees must be attained, and a godly man must pass forward, from the former, to the latter. The means of mortification are of two sorts, some natural, some spiritual, and both are requisite, if we purpose to kill our lusts; the former must make the latter more effectual, and be helpful to our good success in them. 
Moderation in things indifferent, a means of mortifying sin.  The one is, moderation in the use of natural delights and contents. The other, discretion, in the shunning of outward occasions of evil, though the things in themselves be not evil.  
2. For the first, he that is not moderate in things indifferent, can never prevail against his lusts, to any purpose; for at the excess of these lawful things, do our natural corruptions begin to take advantage, and to feed themselves, and to gather head. He that will hold under his lusts therefore, and put them to death, must be sparing in meat, drink, attire, sports, and must even cut himself shorter in many of these things, then that which he persuadeth himself (and perhaps also truly) that he might lawfully do, even of purpose to keep himself, that he may not be brought under the power of any thing, as the Apostle speaketh. We must learn of the Apostle himself this means; for he telleth us, that he did keep under his body, 
1. Cor. 6.12. 1. Cor. 9 last.  and bring it in subjection. The corruptions of the soul find great furtherance from the humours of the body, as a man doth find from a good and fit tool or instrument: we must keep the tools of sin dull, (as I may so speak) that sin itself may do us less harm by its working. If the body be still humoured and pampered, by letting it have all the ease, fine fare, gay attire, sensual pleasures and pastimes, that it wisheth (and that a man can make to appear lawful and warrantable,) it will not be kept in subjection, it will not be held in order. We are therefore in these thins to call upon ourselves, to be very temperate. Be a little more mean in thy garments, than thou thinkest it absolutely needful to be: use a little less liberty in games and pastimes, than thou conceivest that in strictness of conscience thou oughtest to do. So I say for fare, ease, sleep; If thou dost not, from the utmost confines of lawful liberty, there is but a small step to the border of unlawful delights, and soon mayst thou be drawn to step that step, and when thou hast once transgressed, thou shalt find it hard to come into the right way again. He that goes in a river, where he knows that a deep pit is, will not come so close to it as he may, but by keeping himself upon sure ground a good way off, will be sure to save himself from being overwhelmed therein. It is much more safe, in things of this nature, to keep ourselves a good deal within compass, then to stand upon the edge of our liberty (as I may so speak.) By abridging ourselves of some thing that we are allowed, we cannot likely receive any hurt: by taking all that is allowed, we may soon slip into excess, and well-near mischief ourselves, and by doing all we may do, so engage ourselves to our affections, that they will carry us away, to that we should not do. Austereness is not necessary to mortification, moderation is. To go woollward, or in haircloth, is a foolish destroying of the body; to go in less costly attire than one might, is a due keeping under of the body. To make one's self lean and won with fasting, is to tyrannize over ones self; to far less delicately, and eat less liberally, for the most part, than one might, is to prevent the advantages of sin in the body. The hypocrite, often, doth place all his mortification, in being cruel to his body; wherefore he keeps no measure this way; and because it is a thing much looked after, and easily seen, it is a fit thing for an hypocrite, to beguile both the world and himself withal. The godly man doth make his abridging of the body, a furtherance to the cutting off of his lusts: wherefore he is not excessive in his rigour to his body, nor will offer violence to nature, but alone deny her that, which she may well spare, and scants and mints himself in the use of his liberty, not as not knowing it, but as knowing how easy it is to abuse it, and by abusing, to take harm. And thus, by keeping his body in order, he finds it more easy to keep the mind in frame also, which doth much make use of (and as some think follow) the temperature of the body. And let any man under heaven be so wise, as to observe himself, and he shall find, that unless he deny himself some lawful liberty, he shall quickly grow sensual: and sensuality is an enemy to mortification.  
3. A second natural means of mortification is, a careful shunning of the occasions of sin. 
Shunning the occasions of sin, necessary to mortification.  Opportunity of time, place, company, and the like, doth greatly incense and provoke corruption: and he that will not, (for every man in this matter, because it is but natural, can if he will) deny himself in such things, can never prevail against his corruptions. He hath not gone yet so fare as nature may go, and how then should he look to find the help of grace? The withdrawing of a man's self from these things, is a pulling of the fuel from the fire, and then it will surely go out. The adventuring upon these things, doth blow the coals, and administer fuel also, and then must sinne of necessity, both burne and flame. In these occasions, the senses have strong allurements offered unto them, and they be vehement in their workings, burying the understanding for a time, and captivating the thoughts to their present pleasing objects, so that a man can think of no good thing, that may serve to resist bad desires; and when the soul is so disarmed, how should sin but prevail against it? He that doth thus hazard himself, thrusts himself out of God's protection, for he walketh not in his own place, therefore he can look for nothing but ruin. Satan assureth himself of victory, when he sees men so careless of themselves, and so becomes vehement in tempting, (as hope of success encourageth every one to labour) and then how soon is a man foiled? Indeed, the heart hath given a secret consent to the desire of evil doing, so soon as ever it consents to adventure upon the occasions of evil doing, and it is but the very guile and dissimulation of the soul, (whereby it is apt to cousin itself,) that makes one think, I will go where I shall meet with strong provocations to sin, but yet I will not sin. Now the consent which was secret, and as it were implicit before, so soon as occasion and tentation have stirred corruption, grows manifest and open, and shows itself, and so a man sins, when he thought (but he thought amiss) that he was resolved not to sin. Betwixt a resolution to do a thing, whereby the will doth choose, and a resolution not to do it, whereby the will doth refuse, there is a middle kind of action, an irresolutenesse, a suspense, neither choosing, nor refusing, but betwixt both. Now this indifferency of the will, is half a yea; and he that makes half a grant, when none importunity doth press him, will make a full and total grant, when he shall be (as upon such occasions he shall be) importunately urged: and it is sure, that a man never doth wittingly put himself upon occasions of evil, until he be at least irresolute whether to do it or not. Wherefore every Christian man must be wise for his soul, and not alone determine to forbear all things that are sinful and flatly condemned; but if he have found by his own experience, that such and such things (in themselves indeed lawful) are, to his corruption, strong provocations to evil; he must also determine to deny himself in these things also. In one word, this direction is so necessary, that all the labour in the world will not subdue sin, if it be not backed with this part of circumspect walking. For if the heart be hollow, nothing will make it strong against sin: and every man's heart is so far hollow, as he is willing to play with the occasions of sin.   

CHAP. VIII. Showing two spiritual means of Mortification: Prayer, and Meditation.  
THese are the natural means of mortification, which of themselves will repress sin, and a little abridge it of its liberty of walking abroad; but kill it, of themselves, without the spiritual, they cannot. These spiritual helps are four: Prayer, Meditation, Fear of ourselves, and Watchfulness. By Prayer, we get strength from God; by Meditation, we become Gods instruments, to work strength in ourselves; by Fear and Watchfulness, we put to use the strength which we have gotten. 
Frequent and fervent prayer needful to mortify sin.  First then, if we will kill sin, we must be frequent and fervent in prayer unto God against sin; and what particular sins we are most molested with, and had most need to beat down, those we must assail most often and earnestly with our prayers. Now when I say prayer, I mean prayer, and all the parts and additaments of it. If a man had never sinned, he should need only petitions and thanksgivings; but having sinned, he needs also confession and lamentation, to be joined with the former, as it were buttresses to the wall of the house, to make it stand stronger, and a staff to a weak leg, to make one go the more steadfastly. So all these parts of prayer must be used.  
2. We must plainly acknowledge, and heartily bemoan ourselves in God's bosom, for our sinfulness, and wickedness of heart and life, and with all due aggravations, and condemnings of ourselves, must lay open before the Lord, the corruptions and vices that we find in ourselves, confessing withal, that we are weak and feeble, and slaves to sin, and of ourselves cannot subdue them, and so, with the heaviest hearts that we can, lament our miserable weakness. Look what jehoshaphat did, when he heard of the coming of the Lubims and Ethiopians against him and his people; the same must we do, when we see the innumerable troops of corrupt lusts, that do seek the destruction of our souls: 
2. Chron. 20.12  We have no might (saith that worthy King) against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. So must the Christian soul sigh out its complaints before the Lord, often, O I have no might to overcome all these strong lusts, (and by name such and such) that fight against me daily, and I cannot tell what to do, but, Lord, mine eyes are to thee.  
3. Then must he take to him petitions and requests, begging help from heaven, crying earnestly for the Spirit of God to help him, (for by the Spirit alone can we mortify the deeds of the body) urging and enforcing upon the divine Majesty, all his comfortable promises which he hath written in his Word: 
Rom. 6.14.  (Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. 
jer. 32.40.  I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not departed from me. 
Rom. 8.2.  The law of the Spirit of life in Christ, hath freed me from the law of sin and death. And specially, that excellent branch of the new Covenant, 
Heb. 8.10, 11.  They shall all know me, from the least to the most, and I will put my law in their hearts, and in their minds will I write them,) and so, suing with the greatest fervency of desire that he can attain, say, O Lord, perform these promises: O let no wickedness have dominion over me: O make me sound in thy precepts: O incline mine heart unto thy testimonies, and not to such a sin. When God is thus importuned by the cries and prayers of his servants, he cannot but stir up himself, and come and help them, and hear the voice of their prayers when they cry unto him. When Israel felt the oppression of their outward enemies, and cried unto the Lord, (as it is often noted in the book of judges) the Lord had pity upon them, and raised them up a judge and a deliverer: shall he not be much more attentive to the voice of their supplications, when they cry unto him, against pride, vainglory, lust, wrath, and those spiritual enemies that seek to oppress them? Certainly the Lord will remember, and will up, and help, and set them at liberty, whom sin and Satan had ensnared.  
4. And to the two former must be added, praises and thankes for the help already received. If one find that he hath gotten some power against his sin, that he hath more ability to oppose the lusts of it, that he is seldomer overtaken with any breaking forth of it then before, that he hath been able to withstand some notable tentations to it: in a word, that the force of it, is in any measure abated; he must return with the praises of God in his mouth, and triumph in God, that hath helped him so fare against his spiritual foe. The Lord deserveth praise, and looks for praise of his Saints, for treading down those lusts that rise against them: and it is a service very pleasing unto him, when we offer the sacrifice of thankes. Yea, it doth exceedingly animate ourselves to this battle, if we take notice that we have in some degree prevailed, and with the voice of joy and thanksgiving do run before the Lord, and give away all the praise from ourselves to him. There is nothing can more rejoice the spirit of a Christian, than this heavenly joy will do. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Sorrow, 
Nehem. 8.10.  when we have been foiled, is no more available to confirm us against sin, then holy reioycin, when we have stood fast and resisted. It is a more sign of self-love, to grieve for that we are weak, but a greater sign of true love to God, to rejoice in him when he makes us strong. Wherefore, as a godly man, if he find himself any day to have yielded to sinful desires in any sensible degree, must humble himself, and confess and cry out against himself: so if he find that any day he hath not been foiled, but hath been able to repress and destroy evil motions, especially if having occasion or tentation, he have been strengthened to resist, he must then lead his captivity captive, and at night sing a new song of praise unto the Lord, and even ride in triumph over his corruptions, boasting himself in God, and setting up his banner in the name of the most High, and with as cheerful a soul as he can, offer up humble and hearty thankes to his heavenly Father, that hath made him to do valiantly. The prayers of God's servants, thus confessing their sins, craving power against them, blessing God for the beginnings of help, are weapons so mighty through God, that they will wound the strongest corruption, and pierce the soul of any lust: and whosoever will begin and continue, thus to resist and pursue his sins, shall find them (as the Philistims before Samson) to fly, and fall down dead before him.  
5. 
Holy meditations to mortify sin.  After Prayer, or with it, holy Meditations must come in, both to quicken, as also to back it: and amongst all matter of mditation, against particular sins, we must accustom ourselves specially to four general meditations, that are indifferently and equally forcible against every sin. 
Of God's holy nature.  First, of the most holy and pure nature of God, how great, wise, just, true, merciful he is, that he hath an allseeing eye, and an all-hearing ear, in every place beholding the evil and the good, and pondering all the paths of the sons of men, that he hateth sin with a perfect hatred, as being contrary to his most holy will and Commandments: that he will punish it with most severe punishment, as being the righteous judge of all the world, who cannot endure iniquity, nor will hold the wicked innocent: that he is most gracious and loving to the penitent sinner, and will spare him as a father doth his child: that he will keep all his promises, and make good all his threatenings, with all faithfulness, and not suffer one tittle of his Word to fall to the ground. In a word, that he is every way most holy, and most excellent, and will reward all that seek to him, and obey him; and avenge himself upon all that stubbornly rebel against him, and forsake the ways of his Commandments, to walk after their own crooked devices and inventions.  
2. Secondly, 
Of God's terrible threats.  we must often call to mind the most terrible threatenings of God against sin in general, and specially, against that special sin, which most molesteth us. Ho much evil God hath denounced against the committers of it; and how much woe and misery it hath brought upon others, and will bring upon ourselves, if we take licence to live in it. We must consider sin in the evil effects of it, and so convince ourselves of its vileness, and mischievousness: for God hath from Heaven manifested so much wrath against the workers of iniquity in general, and against each particular lust and sin that men live in, that if we could press these things upon our own souls, and cause our hearts steadfastly to believe the same; we could not but hate wickedness, and tremble before the Lord, and so abate the power of corruption, and even drive ourselves out of the evil courses of sin. Wrath and anger, tribulation and anguish, 
Rom. 2.8, 9  shall be upon every soul of man that worketh wickedness, upon the jew first, and also upon the Gentiles. For these things sake, 
Ephes. 5.6.  the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience: upon the wicked God will rain snares and tempest, fire and brimstone, and storm, 
Psal. 11.6.  that shall be the portion of their cup. 
Mark 9.46.  Their worm never dyeth, and their fire never goeth out, their smoke shall ascend for evermore: 
Deut. 27.26.  And cursed is every man, that continueth not in the whole Law to fulfil it. So horrible, so grievous, so intolerable are those things, that God hath menaced in his Word against all the sons of Belial, and all the workers of unrighteousness, that whosoever will even bind these things to the tables of his heart, and apply them to himself by faith, shall stand in awe, and not sin, and shall find the judgements of God so terrible unto him, as that they will beat down his corruptions, and make him to fear and departed from wickedness: for the end of these things is death.  
3. 
Of God's gracious promises.  Thirdly, we must often call to mind the gracious promises that God hath made to those that leave sin, and the admirable comforts, that both here and hereafter, the God of truth hath undertaken to reward them withal, that for his sake deny themselves, and crucify their sinful lusts. Then shall we see, how vain and frivolous the pleasures and profits of sin are, and by tasting the fruit of holiness, should be well enabled, to despise the offers of sin. What comparison betwixt the good we get by doing evil, and the unspeakable joy of the holy Ghost, and the immortal joys of Heaven? What made Moses to set light by the honours and delights of Pharaohs Court; but that he considered the rebuke of Christ to be greater riches? What made Paul to count all dung, that he might win Christ; but because he looked to the fare most excellent weight of glory? We must not suffer ourselves to be forgetful of the wonderful benefits, which the Lord will bestow upon us, if in obedience and love to him, we can be content to cast away our sinful lusts. He that forsaketh any profit, or credit, or comfort, for Christ's sake, shall be rewarded an hundred fold. The man that refuseth to walk in the paths of the , shall be blessed upon earth, his soul shall dwell at ease, the Lord will deliver him out of the hands of his enemies, God will be a Sun and shield unto him, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. His heart shall delight itself in God, and he shall see the shining of the loving countenance of his Father. His soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, and he shall become like a watered garden. If man forsake him, the Lord will stand for him; and though parents cast him off, yet God will gather him up: the Lord will cover his head in the day of battle, the Lord will feed him in the time of famine, the Lord will turn his bed in the time of his sickness, he shall see the face of God in righteousness, and when he awaketh, shall be satisfied with his Image. O how excellent is the loving kindness of God to them that wait upon him! they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house, and he will make them to drink of the Rivers of his pleasure: he shall delight himself in the Lord, and God will give him the desires of his heart. Let us often renew these meditations in ourselves, and say with David; O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that fear thee, before the sons of men! Surely the sight of this goodness of God, will make the labour of mortification seem easy. If those that try masteries, be continent in all things, for a mortal Crown, what should we be for an immortal? If the hope of booty will make a soldier hazard his heartblood, what should we do in this battle, where the favour of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven are ascertained to him that fights and conquers? If the man that is in some degree mortified, did often contemplate the felicity that God hath provided for him, both present and to come, he would not, he could not faint. These meditations would so disgrace the pleasures of sin, and so commend unto him the reward of piety, that he would even scorn to serve so base a thing as sin, which gives no wages, but chaff and dirt; when he might be entertained in the service of Christ, who (besides his being so infinitely excellent) gives the joy of his salvation to his soldiers for their stipend. Put yourselves in mind often, O ye servants of God, of the consolations of the Word and Spirit, of the joy unspeakable and glorious, of the Peace that passeth all understanding, and of the hidden treasures, which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor man's heart conceived, but God hath provided for you, by his Grace, and revealed to you by his Spirit, and will reach unto you with his hand. If you will reject the pleasures of sin which are but for a season, and endure the pains of fight the good fight of fiath: you cannot faint in this battle, if you lend your thoughts to these encouragements, you cannot but account all your labour easy, if you consider the reward and end of your labour.  
4. Last of all, we must much and often ponder upon the death of Christ: who he was, 
Of Christ's sufferings.  what he suffered, why, and for whom, with the matter, cause, effect, and end of his sufferings, that so we may work in ourselves a love and fear of God, a base esteem of ourselves, with an holy sorrow and indignation against sin. The death of Christ, must be the death of our sin, and upon his Cross must we crucify these lusts of our flesh, that they may wax faint and feeble, and be quite and clean abolished in us. Here we shall see the exceeding hatefulness, and mischievousness of sin; here we shall see how odious it is to God, and how harmful to ourselves. Here we shall fee the infinite love of God unto us, and his most gracious readiness to forgive and help us. This thought will be most available, to overthrew the power of all ungodliness in us. The Son of God, the King of Heaven and earth, was abased and humbled, and smitten, and wounded for our transgressions. They lay heavy upon his soul, they pressed him down to the dust of death: he died for us, that he might redeem us to himself, and make us a peculiar people, zealous of good works. O shall we not abhor and detest that, which was so unspeakeably grievous to our Saviour? Shall we not show our love to him, in casting from us those things, that caused him to be a man of furrows, and to have experience of infirmities? How bitter and tedious was sin unto him, and shall it be delightful unto us! How did it make him sigh, and cry, and groan, and bleed, and shall we take pleasure in it? Shall we not show ourselves thankful to him, that was so pitiful to us, that he had rather himself endure the curse, then that we should be overwhelmed with it? Let us often look to him whom we have pierced; often consider of his torment and agony, and often renew in ourselves, the remembrance of his cursed and reproachful death, and wean our hearts from the love of unrighteousness, and make us conformable unto his death. We cannot be hold to do evil, if we consider well, how much evil he suffered for our evil doings. Now these thoughts (if we accustom ourselves unto them, and do many times sequester ourselves from all worldly cogitations, to enlarge our hearts in them) will be as a sword in the throat of our lusts, and prevail mightily to wound them to the death, and as it were, to let out the heartblood of them.   

CHAP. IX. Showing two more spiritual means of Mortificetion: Fear, and Watchfulness.  
NOw to these holy meditations and prayers, let us add also an holy fear & misdoubting of ourselves, 
Fear of ourselves, a means to mortify sin.  suspecting our own weakness, and even trembling to think, that we may be grossly overtaken. Blessed is he that feareth always, for this fear will be the cause of safety to him. Whiles a soulier feareth his enemy, he keeps his harness upon him, and will not disarm himself, so long as he mistrusteth the approach of an enemy: But security makes a man lay his weapons aside, and give himself to pleasure, ease, and sleep, and then if an enemy assault him, he is soon slain, or put to flight. he that is afraid of falling into some deadly sickness, will easily be persuaded to look to his diet, and to take some necessary physic. Say therefore in thyself, O if I grow careless, sin will quickly grow strong in my weakness, and quickly raise up itself against me, and do my soul more mischief than tongue can express! how have many of God's Saints been foiled, that were fare and fare better than myself? shall not their misery be my warning? If such Worthies were overthrown and wounded, what will become of me? If I grow foolishly bold, and make too fair promises to myself: fear lest one shall fall, will keep him upright, even in a very slippery way: but soon are his feet caught from him, that looketh about, and never suspecteth a fall. A moderate doubting of our own strength, will quicken us to prayer and meditation. This virtuous jealousy and suspicion of our weakness, will make us shun the occasions of sin, and so preserve us in safety, when others that are more venturous, shall be sooner foiled, though they be more strong: when we fear ourselves most, we pray most to God, and most trust in him; and prayer and confidence will keep us in safety. Indeed, we never cast off this wariness, and cautelousness, till we be first beguiled with the deceitfulness of sin; and when it hath deceived us, it will easily do us a mischief. Look about, therefore, see how thou standest environed with enemies, see what an ill nature thou hast within thee, what a violent adversary without thee. Thou art like a besieged City, full of traitors, the wise men in such a City, will quickly mistrust and doubt the worst; they will ever suspect, that mischief is plotting against them, and by fearing, they become careful to prevent it. There is an excessuie fear that infeebles the knees, and weakens the hands, when a man casts off hope, through fear, and will not persuade himself that he can be safe by all his endeavours. Courage is gone, when such fear enters; and what soldier can do any thing, when his heart fails? But a moderate fear, that still causeth a man to cast the worst with in himself, but alone conditionally, (unless he be very diligent to prevent it:) this awakens courage, and by telling of the danger before, doth call up the care of the soul, to prevent it. Fear was placed by God in the soul, as a Watchman or Sentinel, to discover neere-approching dangers: and if we wake this Sentinel, to keep his standing place, and to hold his eyes from sleeping, we shall be safe from the danger that will overwhelm the careless. Fear of man breeds a snare, fear of poverty, fear of death, fear of disgrace in the world, puts us further into the danger; but fear of sin, fear lest we should provoke God, wound our consciences, and rush upon such courses in our folly, which we shall have cause to rue ever after: this breedeth safety, and by this fear, we shall happily fulfil our salvation.  
2. Last of all, we must be watchful, 
Watchfulness necessary to mortification.  which will surely follow from our being fearful; for fear will hold the eyes open a great while together. The more waking eyes in an army, the more safety; but if all be asleep, all may be surprised and killed, afore they be ware. When Saul, 
1. Sam. 26 7, 8, 9, 10.  and all his host were seized upon with sleep, David and Abishai came into the midst of the Camp, to the Pavilion of the King, and then it was easy, with one blow, to have dispatched the King, and discomfited the army. Spiritual watchfulness is as necessary against spiritual enemies, as natural wakefulness against natural. When Samson slept, than the wicked flattering harlot Dalilah, did rob him of his locks, and of his strength, because, against his vow of Nazariteship, a Razor had passed on his head. The Saints of God be Nazarites, sin cannot put a Razor to their heads, till they fall asleep on its knees, till their mind slumber, and the eye of the mind wink, they can hardly be drawn to taste of forbidden delights or profit: but when they are heedless and careless, then is their vow broken, and they think not of it; then their strength becomes weakness, and then the Spirit is driven from them. O let Samson warn us, and let us take heed that our minds be not rocked asleep in the lap of the world! 
Prou. 4.23, 24, 25, 26, 27.  This watchfulness is an attentiveness of mind to all our actions and our ways; a looking to our hearts, eyes, ears, tngues, hands, feet, and whole man. A due considering what corruptions we are troubled with, what things hurt us, what do help us, whether we grow stronger or weaker, whether corruptions decay or increase, and how our foul fareth. A looking to the motions that arise within, to the words and deeds that come forth. A marking, what we think, say, do, whither we go, to what end, upon what warrant, upon what calling, that we be not found lose and wand'ring, and going, we cannot tell why, nor whither, ourselves. The soul is said to be awaken, when the eye of the mind is thus observative of itself; and so long as it is thus with us, the least striving of lusts is noted, and resisted, and so the greater disorders are prevented; but when this observation of ourselves is absent, sin gets head by little and little, and we find ourselves in the hands of it, all of a sudden, and know not how to get out. Wherefore, to all the parts of Christian armour, watchfulness must be joined: for what good can weapons do to a sleeping man? and how can a sleeping body fight, though he be never so well armed? When we forget that godliness is the main business, and that our chief work is, to keep our selves unspotted of the world, and walk worthy of the calling whereto we are called, and so suffer our minds to be drawn away with other things, and never take care whether the things we do be good or evil for our souls, nor whether they please God or no, but let the thoughts and words run at random, as it were; O how soon shall we be drawn into sin, and how quickly will the members that are on earth grow big within us! Wherefore, as an eye must be had still to mutinous and treacherous subjects, and they must be observed what meetings they have, to what places they go, and what countenance they bear; so must we do with our sins. The eye of the mind must bend itself to these things, and not suffer any less needful matter to divert it. A man in a sleep is little different from a dead man; and a Christian and sanctified soul, if it fall asleep in a careless neglecting, and reckless disregarding of its own ways, will behave itself for the time but a very little better, than one that is dead in sins and trespasses. Now let your eyes be always open, and bend upon your own ways, and then you shall walk like living men indeed. Thus now have I shown you the best means I can gather out of God's Word, to make you prosperous in your spiritual battles. Be moderate in the use of bodily contents: Fly fare from the occasions of sin: Pour forth your hearts often before God in confessions, requests and Praises. Busy your minds continually, in thinking of God's holy nature, fearful threats against sin, and gracious promises to the upright, and of the bitter Passion of your blessed Saviour. Be always fearful of yourselves, be always watchful over yourselves. These things do, and your souls shall thrive, and your lusts shall die, and you shall happily mortify your members which are on earth, if alone you take another direction with you, concerning the manner of using these helps.   

CHAP. X. Showing, in what manner we must use all the helps to mortification.  
FIrst then, 
We must use all helps to mortification in a good manner.  these things must be done seasonably; we must oppose our corruptions by prayer and meditation, when they begin to arise, and use all the other means against sin, afore sin have gotten too much head, 
Seasonably.  when corrupt inclinations do even begin to stir, and be troublesome, then must we resist them, then must we fly from the occasions of increasing them, then must we revive holy fears, and stir up ourselves to watchfulness, then must we call forth holy thoughts, and stir up holy requests; we must not feed on such thoughts, weemust not let them lie quietly in the soul, we must not give them a little rest, as it were, a time of truce; for if we do, they will slily steal away the delight of our imaginations, and so the consent of our wills, and then shall we be faint in resistance, and like enough be foiled. Every harmful beast is easiliest killed, when it is youngest. The Whelps of a Lion or a Bear, are soon and safely dispatched; let them grow longer, they will wax stronger, and cannot be slain without more trouble, and more peril. The first motions to sin, are like Lion's Whelps, let them continue a while, they will be as young Lions, let them have liberty to get out at the tongue, they will prove ramping and roaring Lions. Instance in fleshly lust: When a motion that way first ariseth, oppose it by prayer and meditation, it is soon quelled, and dies. Let a man content and please his fancy in that motion, and nourish the desire, by being satisfied in it, and at last give way to some wanton words, and some degrees of dalliance, his prayers will not be available, unless they be very fervent, and then he shall hardly be able to pray fervently. We must be wise therefore, and quench the fire, afore it have taken the beams and rafters, and be flaming forth out of the roof of the house.  
2. 
Constantly.  Secondly, we must be constant in fight against sin, even day by day, and hour by hour without intermission. If we give it truce for a day or two (as it were, a putting of the Canaanites to tribute only) it will recover so much strength, as after, we shall far more hardly keep it under, yea, it will go near to make us tributaries. A grievous sore must be dressed every day, and every day have new tents and plasters applied to it; if it be neglected one or two days, it will be the worse for it, perhaps a week or a month after. We must make it our chief work to be warring against sin; we must not only skirmish against it occasionally, but fight against it purposely. There is no business so much concerns us, as this of mortification; it should be set before our trades, and our studies, and food, and our sleep, and all the things of this life: we must follow it, as the Day-labourer doth his labour, day by day; and we must give ourselves no leave to make a loitering day: yea, we must be constant in holding out to oppose sin, though we may find but small success at first. The Israelites fought against Benjamin the third day also, though they had lost two battles before. We must not suffer our little prevailing to dishearten us, but pray again, and agine meditate, and set the battle in array again, for all our losses. What saith David to joab? 
2. Sam. 11.25.  The sword devoureth on both sides; let not this thing trouble thee, but make the battle more strong against the City, and overthrew it. So must we encourage ourselves against sin: Great Captains have continued the siege of a City for many years together, though they have lost many men, & spent much money, and seemed little to prevail. We must resolve to continue this siege so long as we live, and to make hot assaults upon our corruptions daily, though sometimes we seem to ourselves but to lose our labour; and he that holdeth out the combat, shall conquer.  
3. Thirdly, 
Orderly.  we must use order in our spiritual warfare. It is discretion in a Captain, to begin his conquest in the fittest place, and to know which enemy to deal against first. We must in the first place, and with the chief care, oppose our chief sin. In invading the Country of an enemy, it is wisdom to begin first with the weakest; but in invading sin, we must begin with the strongest lust first. That corruption to which, in regard of bodily temper, or custom, or place, or state of life, a man is most subject to, that he must first, and most resist and weaken: for if the greater sin be suffered, the less will shelter themselves under it. Take the General of the Army, and the whole host will be discomfited: if he scape away, he will wage more soldiers, and make more work. 
2. Sam. 17.2, 14.  Achitophel counselled to kill David, and then should all the people return in safety. It is good counsel the holy Ghost saith, that is, commodious. Hushai's words were set out with more flourishing shows; but Achitophel gave the sounder advice for Absaloms' profit. Lo, the King of our lusts must be smitten, then shall the victory be easy against the rest. He that sets not himself against his most beloved sin first and most, doth but prevaricate (as they term it) that is, object in jest against other sins, he seems to fight with sin, but he is not in good earnest. Till the Lord did smite the firstborn, Pharaoh would never yield to let Israel go. We must kill the firstborn, else shall we never pull our necks from under the yoke of spiritual bondage. Know therefore, what is the chief corruption of thine heart, whether it be pride, sullenness, carnal sorrow, anger, revenge, lust, worldliness, deceit, or whatsoever else. Consider what sin is most common in men of thy calling, rank, age, condition temperature. Consider what sin thou hast most delight in, & most profit from, and are in thy carnal inclination, most willing to follow, and most loath to leave. Now having found this, here begin thy warfare, here continue it with most heat and earnestness, make all expedition, without all delays, to cut off this member on earth, and use all diligence, and all constancy, to pull out this eye of the flesh. What ever conquest thou seemest to get in other matters, Satan will soon draw thee captive again, if this sin remain unmortified. An enemy that over-runnes a Country, and leaves some principal Forts untaken, undemolished, is as soon beaten out, as he got in: so he that on a sudden gins to turn godly, and seems to make a conquest of many disorders, but leaves the chief Fort unpulled down, shall soon lose more than he hath gooten, and cause his latter end to be worse than his beginning, because he had not truth in the inwards, nor was taught wisdom in the secret of his heart. Begin therefore at the right end.  
4. And last of all, 
Spiritually.  use all the means thou usest against sin spiritually, and in faith, not depending upon the things done, nor upon our own worth or strength in doing, but upon the Spirit of God, and his blessing for success. We must look up unto God for the fruit of all his ordinances, and of our labours, promising ourselves good speed, but from God, not from ourselves. In his strength we must be strong, performing all the things that he commandeth in obedience, but still acknowledging, that without him we can do nothing. The Lords soldiers must make mention of the name of the Lord their God, and say, Through him we shall do valiantiy, and he will tread down our enemies under our feet. Our feet must tread them down, but God must tread them down with, and under our feet. Therefore the Apostle, 
Ephes. 6.10.  before he sets down any part of the Christian Armour, gins his directions, and makes entrance thus: Finally my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. We must be strong, but not in our own strength; we must be powerful, but not in the power of our own might. 
Rom. 8.11.  He that raised up Christ from the dead, must quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us, saith the Apostle. This is the most important consideration of all the rest in the point of our spiritual war, to know whence our success, and strength to get success, and all, must come; that so we may be full of assurance to prevail, not through the sufficiency that is in us, or the excellency and prayse-ablenesse of our endeavours, but through him that enableth us. It must be a power by mere and free Grace, created in us, continued in us, renewed in us, by which we must oppose ourselves to these deadly enemies of our salvation. Let the Christian be as full of hope, yea, assurance, as is possible, but let him build his hope and assurance without himself, even upon the mere favour and goodness of God, that hath promised to fight for us. The use of spiritual means thus spiritually, is the mortifying of the deeds of the body by the Spirit. And thus we may say to ourselves assuredly, as David to that Philistian Champion, 
1 Sam. 17.45, 46, 47.  I come against thee in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and we shall prevail against you; for God will give you into our hands. Thus I have informed you of the most pertinent things that you ought to know, for your better help in the work of mortification; the degrees of it, the means of it; and the manner of doing it. Now I will make some use of all, and so conclude.   

CHAP. XI. Containing the first use of the point, for examination of ourselves in regard of the time past, how we have performed this duty.  
Use 1 FIrst then, 
To examine ourselves whether we have moritified sin, yea or no.  I must make bold to require every one of you to examine himself, whether he hath thus fought against the lusts of his flesh to crucify them, yea or no? The Lord hath sounded the Trumpet to battle, and as a General, hath given the signal; have you prepared yourselves, and been forward to fight like good and valiant soldiers, or have you not? When such a point as this, concerning our duty, is taught, we can never apply it with fruit unto ourselves, unless we begin thus to search and inquire into ourselves, how we have performed our duty. No sound humiliation, no true comfort, will arise to the soul from hearing the Word of God, unless we consider our own ways, and rightly inform ourselves of our carriage, in what sort we have practised that, that God hath enjoined us. This duty, you see, is plainly enjoined, many sound reasons do confirm it, many evident texts do bind our consciences unto it. God's will is manifest, we should therefore demand of our own souls, Have I been obedient to these commandments, or have I not? Have I been careful of doing Gods will, or have I not?  
2. Many men remain ignorant of their own estates, and live in the continual neglect of good duties, and yet perceive not their own faultiness, because they never take pains to look unto their ways, and to do that, that David saith, would cleanse their ways, even to take heed unto them, according to the Word of God. There be a number, which please themselves in a good opinion of themselves, and take it for granted, that they be good Christians; when indeed they are nothing less than that, for which they do account themselves; and the cause of this mistaking, is ignorance and heedlessness, either they know not what is the duty of a good Christian, or they never ask of themselves, how they have discharged that duty. We have done our best, to help you against ignorance in this matter, and to make you see plainly what you should do. We are now to persuade you to help yourselves against carelessness, by trying yourselves at the true touchstone, that you may rightly discern of your own estates, and not be guilty of negligent omission, without knowing it. I pray you Brethren, what shall it profit yourselves, to call yourselves after the name of Christ, if you have no good assurance, that that honourable Name doth of right appertain unto you? It is easy to cloth one's self with the outward habit of true religion, and to put on the garments of external profession of piery: but all these must be pulled from us at last, we must be stripped of forms and show, and found to be such as we are indeed, and not such as we have barely appeared. If thou have carried the name and face of a soldier of Chrit jesus, and yet have not fought for him according to the military oath and Sacrament, wherein thou hast tied thyself unto him, he will give thee no praise, nor no wages, for having abused his name and his colours, and made a fair show to no purpose.  
3. Well then, Brethren, it is altogether needful as to do, so to know whether we have done the part of good soldiers; and this we cannot know aright, unless we do well consider of ourselves. The soul of man if fare in love with itself, and will soon justify itself without cause, and beguile itself with vain words, saying, I have not sinned, when he hath sinned; and, I have done my duty, when I have not. Saul boasted, 
1 Sam. 15.  that he had gone the way which God had sent him to, and done the work which God had set him about, and would not be convinced by the bleating of those Sheep, and lowing of those Oxen, that should have been past bleating, and past lowing, if he had done according to his sayings: yet he did but cousin himself with a very false conceit. Many a man spareth his lusts and corruptions, and they bleat and low in the ears of all men, and yet themselves will not hear them so, as to be driven from a fond conceit of themselves, that they be mortified men indeed. We see how easy it is for a mortal and corrupt man, to entertain a good opinion of himself without ground. But now let me be bold to use the words of the Apostle in another case, let no man deceive his own self, and be not deceived; for God is not mocked. How is it then, my Brethren? Be you mortified men, or be you not? Know well what this thing is, afore you say, you are mortified, or the contrary. A won countenance, a look cast down, niceness in some external forms of divine Service, a rough censuring of others, a busy finding fault with every man, austerity of carriage, and sour censoriousness, these are not points of mortification; it is the kill of our own sins, by the power of the Word of God and Prayer. It is to sear ourselves, and watch over ourselves with such vigilance, till we have been able at least to forbear the practice of gross faults usually, and the allowance of all, it is this, I say, that is meant by mortification.  
4. Now let me examine each of your souls in God's stead. What pains hast thou taken, and dost thou take, against thy secret and most beloved Lusts? What Prayers? What Meditations? What fear? What care? What watching? What abridging of thyself? What circumspection hast thou used to make sin dye? What cost and toil, as it were (for without cost and toil, war can never be maintained) hast thou been at, in warring against the enemies of God, and of thine own soul? Where be thy victories against pride and vainglory, against envy and revenge, against wrath and bitterness, against lust and wantonness, against worldliness and covetousness, against guile and deceit, and the other troop of lusts that do swarm in the lives of men? Show me some of these sins lying dead at thy feet, or bleeding, and ready to die, much mangled, and much wounded. Where are thy heaps upon heaps, as once Samson said, seeing thy weapons are fare sharper, than the jawbone of an Ass, that he was driven to make a weapon of? Thou professest to be a Christian, that is to say, a fouldier of jesus Christ our Lord: Go to then, if thou wouldst be counted a valiant and a good soldier, canst thou say of thyself, as they sang of David once; Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand? At least, Canst thou bring me to one Sisera, whose head thou hast pierced, and made to lie grovelling upon the ground before thee? Brethren, consider whether you have done any such spiritual exploit, or no, and think not well of yourselves without cause. It is not using big words, and making frays, that makes a good soldier, but killing the enemies of the Prince. What one or more of these mortal foes of God, and of thy soul, have lost their lives by thine hands? A man may, if he will, know whether he have killed his sins, yea or not. It is not so overhard to find, whether sin have received its death's wound, by our skilful and valiant using of the spiritual weapons, wherewith Christ hath furnished us; or whether it yet do walk healthily, lively, and at liberty within us. I say, this is not so hard a thing to find, but that we may find it, if we will not wittingly beguile our own selves.   

CHAP. XII. Containing the second use of the point for humiliation of them, that have not performed this duty at all, or not in due measure.  
Use 1 ANd in the next place, 
The careless reproved, and humbled.  so many as have been negligent in this warfare, must suffer themselves to be reproved, and to be humbled by reproof: for which purpose you must know, that there are two degrees of offending in this matter. There are some that have no care at all to kill sin, but rather strive to save it from death. There are others that have too little care.  
2. Among those that go for good Christians in their own esteem, there are many that count it enough to keep themselves from the blame and shame of such crimes, as the world condemneth, though they never war against the lusts of their heart, and the inward corrupt affections of their evil souls, and the inordinate motions of their own minds. Alas, this is to take sin prisoner a little, and to keep it alive for a ransom; this is not to kill it, this is far from mortification. There are some that content themselves in a few things to walk orderly, but for other faults, they excuse them, and defend them, and soothe them, and keep them warm, and so fight for sin, and do not fight against it. There be some, that if to civil righteousness, they add a form of piety, coming to Church at times appointed, receiving the Sacrament, when others do, saying their prayers morning and evening, and now and then reading a Chapter in the Bible; if, I say, they do thus much, they count themselves excellent Christians, though they never did know what it meant, to be in fight against their own distempered lusts and affections, nor ever took any pains in that kind, wherein mortification consisteth. There are some, that if they can outstrip the common sort a little, and keep a course of religious exercises in the families, and flock to hear good Sermons, and then be hot and sharp against Bishops and Ceremonies, and cry out against the faults of the times, and blame Magistrates and Ministers, and every man's faults, with a great storm of words, that then do count themselves Standerd-Bearers in the Camp of Christians, whereas they are not able to show any sinful lust and affection mortified in them, whereas they neither see nor care to see nor resist the wrath, pride, envy, bitterness, worldliness, unmercifulness, contempt of their brethren, and other foul vices, wherewith their lives are made to stink in the nostrils of all that can smell any thing.  
3. All these, my Brethren, all these, whatever they may say and dream of themselves, be unmortified, and void of sanctity. And whosoever amongst you is such an one, we assure him, that Christ will never acknowledge him for a good servant, nor crown him as a good soldier. Whatsoever man he be, of what wit and learning soever, of what tongue and speech soever, of whatsoever forwardness in religion otherwise, and of whatsoever strictness in outward matters, if the corrupt lusts of his heart lie quiet within him, if the foul vices which original sin have planted in him, do live at peace within his soul, and he neither observeth nor bewaileth, nor subdueth them; I dare boldly say, that man is but a whited tomb, and a painted sepulchre. Many men please themselves much, because they have a quarrel to other men's faults: but deal blows as freely that way as thou wilt, if thou do not strike as fiercely at thine own members, thou art no better than jehu, though in thy wrath against others, thou showest as much fury, as did jehu in his marching against Ahab, and as much (as thou countest it) zeal, as he did against Ahabs' Family, and Baal's Priests.  
4. But there are some of God's Saints that fight in this battle, but with a very faint hand, pursuing their lusts, as Israel did the Philistims, 
1. Sam. 14.24.  when saul's rash oath had made them almost to starve themselves for hunger, as it were, with a languishing foot and hand. They set against fins, sometimes, but not often, not continually; they do not count it the main matter, as soldiers do, and let all other things give place to that: they are more eager against the faults of others, then against their own faults, though some pains they take this way too. They see some corruptions, and resist; but they are not diligent enough, in striving to find out all their evil inclinations, and to set against them. I know not how you may better find it, than words can express it, but they fight against many sins, but by the haules. Hence it comes to pass, that they do catch many wounds, and break out diverse times, into many such words and deeds, that do both blemish them, and vex them much, and yet they cannot take warning, but because other things do divert them from the study of mortification, they grow slack and remiss again. Doubtless, my Brethren, he that behaves himself coldly in this fight, is but a weak Christian, whatever knowledge he have gotten, and whatever name of forwardness he hath attained. And sure, many that are of great note, because they can speak well, are yet hereby proved not to be strong men, but even babes in Christ at best: for alas, how fare are they from having put to death pride, passion, envy, lust, worldinesse, and other corruptions; yea, how much and often do these sins prevail against them? O, let us see our weakness in this: for not as we know and can speak, so is our goodness, but as we can mortify the members that are upon the earth. It is not bravery of speech that makes a good soldier, but the blood of his enemies falling before him.  
5. Now therefore to both these neglecters of mortification, to him that neglects, it altogether, and to him that neglects it very much, let me turn my speech as sharply as I can, but differently according to their different offences. To thee that satisfiest thyself, in keeping sin a little close, or at best, a little under, and to thee, that makest a formality in Religion thine utmost mortification, and to thee that makest a little flash of heat against those, that thou callest the corruptions of the times, the highest degree of thy striving against fin, giving not truce alone, but peace, to pride, vanity, earthliness, idleness, bitterness, revenge, and other like sins; thou art but an errand dissembler, I pray thee know it, and I pray thee be ashamed of it. If thou comest to the Word, and it do not show thee the foul sins of thine heart, and make thee strive against them; If thou prayest with others, or by thyself, and thy prayers do not procure light to see, and strength to overcome thine own inward corruptions; believe it, whatever thine own self-love, or the false opinion of others may tell thee, thou art but an hypocrite. O, now take it to heart, and be grieved and ashamed, that thou hast all this while lived in show a Christian, indeed a Gentile; in show a child of God, indeed a child of the devil; in a show an heir of Heaven, indeed an heir of perdition.  
6. And all you that have been somewhat careful of mortification, but that somewhat hath been fare too little, and therefore you find your lusts yet very strong within you, because your pains hath not been very earnest and constant to subdue them, I pray hear, and receive reproof. What mean you to deal so foolishly for yourselves, so unthankfully with God? What mean you to live lives so uncomfortable and distracted, so unheavenly, so unhonourable, when you might gain comfort, settlednes, honour, and a little heaven to yourselves by mortification? For the most part, your sharpness unduly against other men (sometimes for these things that be faults, and sometimes also for those that be not) is the chief cause of your remaining so much unmortified, because you fight too much abroad, therefore you fight too little at home, and lose so much at home. What, mean you to be many masters? What mean you to be teaching every body, more than you selves? What mean you to be prying into your Governors, & your neighbours, & every body but yourselves? and by being busybodies in other men's matters (as it most times falls out) to hinder the thrift of your own souls? Faultfinding abroad is one of the greatest enemies to mending of faults at home. Now, I say, what mean you to deal so foolishly for yourselves, as to keep so much ado about that, that less (if at all) concerns you; and to be so remiss in your own bosoms, that your own sins be as strong as other men's, and perhaps, stronger, though you see them not? What, to bring water to quench another man's house, when thine own doth burn as fast as his? And now why dost thou deal so evil with the Lord they God, as not to pursue these enemies to death, which he hath given thee to pursue? Thy chief work is, to mortify thine own sins. Hath God promised thee comfort here, and glory hereafter, if thou wilt crucify thine own lusts? Hath he called thee to be his child, inroled thee into his book, given thee the earnest of his Spirit, and the pay of some present joy in hope, and all this to hearten thee, in cutting off the members upon earth, and wilt thou be still so careless in it? O, now humble thyself before the Lord, and be greatly sorry, 
joel 2.1, 2.  that thy lusts be yet so strong within thee. God sent a Prophet to Israel to chide them, for that they had not destroyed the Canaanites, according to his Commandment, by the hand of Moses, and they finding themselves guilty, lift up their voices, and wept, and the place from thence was called Bochim, that is, The place of weepers. I come in God's name to reprove thee, for that thou hast not with due care rooted out the evil brood, the natural inhabitants, as it were, of thine own evil heart; now therefore at leastwise be humbled, and mourn for this thy carelessness.   

CHAP. XIII. Containing the third use of the point, an exhortation to reform the former negligence hereafter.  
Use. 3 But let it not suffice you to be sorry for your faults a little for the present, 
Exhortation to more diligence.  make your humiliation so thorough and sound, that it may bring forth reformation. All you that haue hitherto gone along in your sins without any care at all to mortify them, now be entreated to buckle on your harness, and to learn to fight. It will not serve the turn for your soul's health, that you repress your sins from breaking out scandalously to the eye of the World. It will not serve the turn, that you cast out such faults from your lives, as would scarce be tolerated in Heathens; you must fight against all sins, inward sins, secret lusts, hidden corruptions, and those that most men count nothing; you must fight against the sins that are most dear to you, and that you have loved best, and followed most, and that Nature makes you most unwilling and unable to resist; you must fight against the sins of your own age, and your own constitution, and your own estate, and your own condition.  
2. Now, I pray you, set to the works, learn of God to know your right enemies, and to fight against them. Be not afraid, because we talk of fight the fight shall be without danger, for in this case the only peril is, not to fight. In other battles, he that runs away, doth often scape better, than he that stands to it: but in this battle, whosoever flies, dies, and he alone escapeth with life, that fights it out to the last. It is a noble quarrel, to fight for life and liberty against a mere usurper, that hath no manner of title, and yet would make you slaves. Sin hath none interest to you; the Devil is not your Creator, that he should make himself your your Prince and your God. These lusts against which we exhort you to fight, they are the devil's armies or garrisons, by which he holds you down under his most unjust and tyrannical government. O, rebel, rebel against the devil, kill his Garrisons, set yourselves at liberty. Fight against worldliness, envy, malice, pride, hypocrisy, wantonness, wrath; fight against them; resolve, that thou wilt never be made a drudge by them, as thou hast been; that they shall not have the command of thine heart, and thy tongue, and thine hand, as they have had, but that now through the Grace of God, thou wilt cast away all these things. How thou shouldest fight, I have showed thee before: remember those directions, and use them, and be happy. O that any reasonable man, much more any Christian, should be so baseminded, and of such a servile disposition, as to be content to make himself a slave to any wicked passion, to any sinful lust, to any filthy vice, to any of the deputies of the Devil, that rule for him, and under him. What say you, men and brethren, will you now set in to fight in good earnest, against all your sins? If you will, the Lord be with you, the Lord assist you, the Lord beat down your foes before you, and we bless you in his Name, in whose Name we have exhorted you. If you will not, then hardly live and die in thraldom for ever: for without this fight, there can be no liberty.  
3. But now to those that have been slack and careless in this duty, let me sound an alarm, 
Numb. 10.9.  as the Priests with the silver Trumpets in the Law, to revive their spirits, and put new hart into them, that they may with more zeal, and better courage, address themselves to this most honourable war. Now, my Brethren, give more diligence to the mortifying of your earthly members, and let nothing daunt you, or withdraw you from this battle. Remember the words that joab spoke to Abishai his brother, 
2. Sam. 10.12.  and make use of them for this purpose: Let us play the men for our People, and the Cities of our God, and let the Lord do that, this is good in his sight. It is not for your Country, and for your Countrymen that you fight, but for your own immortal souls that you must play the men; and here the battle is not yours, but Gods; and the success is not doubtful, but most certain. Nothing can afford thee more comfort, than a constant resolution in this fight; nay, without such resolution, nothing can afford thee true comfort. By this thou shalt show and know thyself to be a true Christian, and procure to thyself an eternal Crown of glory. Remember the equity of the cause, the necessity of the war, the fruit that shall redound from it, and the certain assistance, acceptance, and reward, that God himself will afford thee from Heaven. That prosperity that thou hast already met with in this war, hath done thee more good, than all the world beside can do. Wouldst thou for a World be in the same servitude, which once thou wast, before thou tookest in hand the mortifying of these earthly members? More diligence shall bring thee a fuller victory; and a fuller victory shall bring thee larger consolation.  
4. All that hot breath which men do spend, rather in blasting the names, then healing the faults of their Brethren (when they are bitter and tart in judging and condemning them) will be no whit at all beneficial to themselves; nay, neither themselves, nor others, are the better for this warring. Turn your edge another way, and enter freshly into the fight against your own sins, and let other men alone. Indeed in this war, as in the natural, every one must be ready to lend aid, by seasonable admonitions, unto his fellow-soldiers also, but the main work is, no make good each his own standing, and to repel the enemies which himself is most assailed by. What words shall I use to persuade you to this duty? Your Captain is Christ jesus; your fellow-soldiers are all the Saints on earth, and the Saints in Heaven have all given you an honourable example of fortitude and constancy; and your enemies be base Rebels, and vile Runaways. March on then valiantly, and under such a Captain, with such fellow-soldiers; aghast such adversaries, be ready to spend your utmost endeavours. You have but three enemies, that seek to keep you out of Heaven, and the other two may do you some trouble, but hurt they can do you none at all, if you keep the flesh down, and put to death these members upon earth. All the wicked men on earth, and all the wicked Fiends in Hell, cannot make us guilty of one evil word, or one evil thought, further than the corrupt flesh within doth take their part, and join with their temptations and sollicitaion. These be the traitors that betray us unto Satan and the World. O, therefore use them as traitors, pursue them, apprehend them, execute them. And so much for those, that in trying themselves, shall be found either wholly, or in great part careless of this work.   

CHAP. XIV. Containing a consolation and encouragement to those that have been, and are painful in the duty of Mortification.  
Use. 4 THere are also some, 
Comfort and encouragement to all truly mortified men.  I make no question, which have done the office of valiant men, and can look upon the carcases of sins, as Samson did once of the dead Philistims. This work, I know well, hath proved painful to them. It is a tedious business to fight against the things that corrupt nature loveth so well. But as any duty that God requireth, doth stand us in more labour, so shall it afford us more comfort here, and more bliss hereafter. He that hath begun the work of mortification so fare (as I told you before, in speaking of the first degree of it) that now those sins which once reigned in him, are put down from their regency; and those corruptions that once have was a slave unto, are now deposed from their throne, as it were, and do cease to command in his members, as once they did, hath much cause to rejoice in the salvation of GOD, although he find these lusts still striving, and labouring to recover their ancient sovereignty.  
2. It is certain, that the Spirit of GOD doth rule in him, in whom sin hath ceased to rule. Every man is under the command of the flesh, or of the Spirit: every man is subject to the Lord, ruling in him by Grace, or to the Devil ruling in him by lust. Satan is a very strong man, and our own lusts are his weapons, none can bind this man, and cast him out: but the Spirit of strength, of which Saint john saith, Stronger is he that is in us, 
1. john 4.4.  than he that is in the world. Wherefore if any man that was once under the yoke of wrath, lust, revenge, covetousness, or any other vile affection, do find now, that by fervent prayers to God, by the power of the Word in holy meditations applied to him, and by virtue of the death of Christ, and other like spiritual means by him used, the Lord hath pleased to pull this yoke from off his neck, so as now, in stead of taking delight in the evil motions of sin, he is grieved in his soul, when such thoughts do stir in his soul, and ceaseth not to cry to Heaven, till he find them beaten back again, and doth not now yield up himself to follow these things with greediness, but is usually able to forbear the palpable practice of sin; and if he be overtaken in any gross manner, he is greatly humbled and abased, and recovers himself with speedy confession, and lamentation, and renewing of his resolutions: If any man, I say, do find the case to stand thus with him, he hath in some measure fought and prevailed; and now blessed be he of the Lord, let him look upon the dead bodies of his lusts with much comfort, and let him triumph in God, that hath conquered for him; and let him encourage himself still to continue fight, that still his soul may increase in strength, as the House of David is said to have done, and his sins may grow weaker and weaker, as it was said of the House of Saul.  
3. My Brethren, this war whereinto you are entered, must last for term of life. The flesh and Spirit can never be reconciled, there is no thinking of any peace, but that which will be worse than dishonourable, even damnable; and a sure war, is much rather to be chosen, than an unsure peace, much more than a peace, which will be surely mischievous. Now by how much the war will prove of longer continuance, by so much had you need to put on more strength, that you may endure; and a great part of your strength must grow from your comforts in your good beginnings. Wherefore now, let every true mortified man (according to the riddle that Samson once propounded to his companions) fetch sweetness out of the strong, and meat out of the eater; let them find an Honiecombe in the carcase of the Lion which they have slain, and go eating; let them, I mean, take great consolation in the sight of their happy proceed in this heavenly work.  
4. There be some Worthies of Israel, that have lifted up their spears against many hundreds (as it were) and left them all dead in the place: the hearts of such do unto much need to be wished to take comfort. The content they find, in perceiving the strength of sin so much abated in them, is unspeakable. David was no more full of joy, when he saw Goliath come tumbling to the ground, then are their souls, when they look upon this slaughter, that God hath enabled them to make among their lusts. No man is able to set forth in words, the joy that grows to a man, who is hard set to by a cruel enemy, (of whom he looks for nothing but death, unless he prevent it by giving death) when he sees him fall down wounded, and gasping for breath. O, with what a countenance and cheer, did jael run to meet Barak, and to bring him to the sight of dead Sisera? Surely the content of a spiritual man, in his spiritual victories, when now his sins are even breathing their last (as I may so speak) is no whit less; yea, it is much more solid, then that of such a conqueror. Those that have happily passed the brunt of this battle, and have their enemies in the flight, rather than the conflict, are (and have cause to be) the chearefullest of all men, they be like soldiers pursuing their foes with that joyful shout of victory, victory in their mouths, and they enjoy the comfort of their former labour with much thankfulness.  
5. But there are other some, that have not yet attained so much strength, nor gotten so much ground against their foes. They are now, as it were, in the very hottest of the skirmish, the bullets fly about their ears, as I may so speak, and their corruptions are violent within them, and do often with great strength hale them, and draw them captive to the law of sin, which is in their members. They do sometimes get the better, and beat back evil desires, and find themselves mightily resolved to sin no more: at other times, evil desires do mightily afflict them, and they are well-near ready to faint and fall, scarce able to retain their purpose of goodness, scarcely able to hold out in their resolution of not sinning; yea, it may be contrary to their resolutions, pulled by the flesh to do the evil that they hate; but then feeling themselves wounded, they smart, and bleed, and struggle with their foe, and get up again, and again betake themselves to their weapons of prayer and meditation, which were almost wrested out of their hands for a time, and come crying and mourning before the Throne of Grace, begging pardon, begging help, and so again confirm their Faith, and renew their repentance, and make up the breaches of their new obedience. These poor Saints (like soldiers, whose enemies do yet hold their own, and make strong resistance) are often full of fear, and care, and doubt, their hearts often droop, and they mistrust sometimes, lest they shall be vanquished, rather than overcome. Let me therefore apply my speech to he encouragement of those that need encouragement. I say unto thee whosoever; that art in this case, that thy case is good and happy, and that thou hast much cause of rejoicing in God, notwithstanding all the trouble and cumber that thou findest with thy sins. It is a blessed thing, and a great and unspeakable favour of God, that to what lust's thou didst once do service with all thy might, those thou now opposest with all thy might; what corruptions thou didst follow with greediness, thou dost as it were with greediness resist; what thou didst once place thine happiness in doing, now it is thy greatest unhappiness, that thou art inclined to do. This, I say, is an estate that should give thee much comfort. Once thou didst serve sin; now thou fightest against sin: once thou wast a willing slave to it; now thou art a resolute soldier against it. Thou fallest into sin very seldom, which thou didst run into very usually. Thou fallest into fare less evils of that kind, wherein thou didst once commit fare more grievous; and now the least degrees of sin do more disquiet thee, then once the highest did; and now thou lettest not so much as the thought of that go unconfessed and unlamented before God, the grossest act of which thou wast wont to hide, and cover, and excuse, and not to confess. Take courage to thyself therefore, and enjoy the beginnings of victory, and be assured of the conclusion. Thou art now in kill sin, and thou shalt kill it; thou art now busy in the conflict, and thou shalt divide the spoil.  
6. Now, all ye suldiers of Christ jesus, that find in yourselves the beginnings of mortification, and a firm purpose of soul to continue, resisting, striving, fight, bless God, that hath given you his Spirit of liberty in some measure, and apply yourselves now with all your might, to consummate the work begun: Let not your hands wax feeble, nor your hearts faint. Remember the words of the Apostle, 
1. Cor. 16.13.  Watch ye, stand fast, quit you like men, be strong. He that continueth to fight, shall surely overcome. Let no doubt seize upon you, to weaken your hands: the Lord your God he fighteth for you: believe his promises, give credit to his Word, and you shall prosper. Take comfort in your estate that have entered into the battle. The young men and the babes in Christ, which have not yet so mightily prevailed in this war, are happy, as well, though they do not so fully feel their happiness, as the old beaten soldiers, and ancient Captains, to whom a larger measure of success hath given a larger sense of comfort. The weakest and feeblest of all Christ's soldiers, that lays at sin with as much strength as his weak arms can, that bears a spite to it in his soul, that resolves never to yield to it, whatever come of him, and that will never make peace with it, though he may take foils by it, nor never yield up himself into its hands, thought he may be wounded, he doth mortify the members that are upon earth, and he is, and let him know himself to be happy, that comfort may make him more courageous, and courage may make him more comfortable.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   
FINIS.   

Charitable Tears: OR A SERMON SHE WING HOW NEEDFUL A THING IT IS FOR EVERY GODLY man to lament the common sins of our Country.  
Preached in Banburie.  Isaiah 22.12, 13, 14. 
In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:  
And behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and kill sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine. Let us eat and drink: for tomorrow we shall die.  
And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts; Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.  
LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man. 1623.   

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.  
THe relics of good nature remaining in man since the fall, (by the work of a common Grace preserving them) have taught Heathen men to know, and enabled them to practise many worthy duties. Among the rest, some of them have abounded in a most affectionate love to their Country, the welfare of which, they have preferred before their own lives; and the ruin whereof, they have been careful to prevent, even with their own ruin. Many worthy sayings have they written to this purpose, but scarce any more divine, and more deserving admiration have I met withal, then that one of Tully, in his book of Scipio's Dream, where he brings in a dead father (now in Heaven, as he supposed) encouraging his son to do service to his Country, (wherein himself had given him a most noble and notable example) with this most worthy sentence: There is a most sure and certain place in Heaven for every man, that shall procure the weal of his Country, either by freeing it from peril, or increasing the happiness of it any way. To hear a Gentile tell of Heaven, as of a thing certain; to hear him tell of certain places provided there for those, that should do virtuously; to have the service of ones Country pressed on his soul with so celestial an argument; sure it proveth, that sometimes the light of Nature doth reach further, than many which live in the bosom of the Church, do attain. But the purpose for which I thought of this sentence, is, to let it appear, how great a reckoning reason doth tell every man, that he ought to make of his Country's welfaere, how careful he should be to preserve it from dangers, to adorene it with all benefits, and to continue, and augment the flourishing estate thereof. It must needs be an happy pains, from which a multitude do reap commodity; and that one man deserveth very well of all men, for whose cares or labours, all do far the better. Now if Nature and Philosophy can give so good instructions to those that will attend them, how much more perfectly should we be able both to learn, and follow the same lessons? It is a great reproach to him that goes by daylight, if another travelling alone with a candle, or a torch, shall see the way better than himself: and without doubt, that eye is very dim, which discerneth less by the help of the Sunbeams, than another may do by the help of a Lamp or Taper. O, then how just both blame and shame must be cast upon us, that are nothing so regardful of our Country's welfare (the most of us) as were some Inhabitants of Heathen Rome and Athens! I would to God therefore, that I could inflame the souls of those, that shall read these few lines, with a fare more feruents zeal to the prosperity of this our Church and Nation, then that they had before. If the fire of love did burn warmer and lighter in our hearts; it would not dry up the fountain of tears, to which the book following persuadeth, but would even melt and dissolve our now-frozen hearts into tears. Those that stand in places of eminency, may perform many good services for their Country: we shrubs that sit in the shade below, can do nothing worth the naming, but earnestly to pray for the bark, in which we sail, and to lament the things that we see, to threaten a miserable shipwreck thereof. He that will judge of things by appearance (and make carnal wisdom his only Loadestarre in judging) can hardly mistrust so much evil, as those, that make faith in God's threatenings a counsellor to their forecast, must needs most evidently foresee now ready to come against us. The huge increase of vices amongst us, the noisome swarms of wicked men, and wicked deeds, do assure every one that believeth, there is a righteous judge in Heaven (who thence beholdeth all the sons of men) that he will not long forbear to scourge us sound, for our unthankfulness to him, and rebellion against him. Lay all things together, and I think, there neither is, nor ever was a Nation more beholding to the Divine Majesty. What peace? What plenty? What deliverances? What brightness of heavenly light have we enjoyed now for the space of more than threescore yceres? Again, lay all things together, and, I think, there neither is, nor ever was a Nation more wicked and ungrateful, and that did worse requite the loving kindness of God. What profaneness? What blasphemy? What contempt of God & his Word? What sins of all sorts do abound and reign amongst us? We seem to have entered into a contention with the Almighty, whether he shall be more merciful, or we more sinful; whether he shall be more constant in doing us good, or we more obstineate in sinning against him. I doubt not but that the same faults are found in other Nations, that are in ours, and in places further off from the light, perhaps also grosser faults: but a people so long and happily enjoying the Gospel, and so poorly answering the seed that hath been sown amongst us, I cannot think there is any. What shall we do then? and what will be the issue of our not bringing forth fruit worthy the pains and cost that God hath bestowed upon us? We may flatter ourselves, as it is usual for men to do, and promise to ourselves as much good, as our hearts can wish: but it is sure, God's threatenings shall be fulfilled, and public sins shall bring in judgements after them, answerable to themselves in greatness, and inpublikenesse. Mine intention therefore, in setting abroad this Sermon, is, to do the best good that I can to my poor Country, in stirring up those that are not stark dead in sins, to set their endeavours on work, for the preventing of her woes. There is no way left for us to defend ourselves against God's hand, but prayers and tears. Man's wisdom is folly with God: It hurts itself often, in seeking to help itself, and lies snared in its own subtlety, as in a grin. Man's power is weakness with God, and often casts itself down, by seeking to establish itself, falling with its own weight. No, my brethren, no: Not our wisdom, not our power, but our prayers and tears; I say, our prayers and tears; these are the best fences against the calamities, to which our Country stands exposed. These will pacify God, these will make him say, as once he did to the Prophet; 
Amos 7.3, 6.  It shall not be, saith the Lord. To the end that I might provoke some to apply themselves to this so needful a service for their Country, I have held up the example of a most worthy man of God, whose example, if we would imitate, no doubt but we should procure as much prosperity to our Nation, as Israel enjoyed in his time. Set about it therefore, O ye Christian souls: You Country hath interest into you: It challengeth at your hands, all the good you can afford it: It justly claimeth the utumost impreovement of all your abilities. It stands in danger of God's hand, by reason of the sins wherewith it is defiled. Not your blood (which would you deny?) but your tears are now called for, to wash away those stains. Heathen men have fought for their Country, shall not we sight for it? They have given their whole bodies, shall not we give our tears? They have laid down their lives, shall not we lay down our mirth? They have encountered all perils, shall not we endure the labour of mourning and lamentation? I call upon you in jeremies' words: 
Lam. 3.18, 19  Let your tears run down like a River day and night: give yourselves no rest, let not the apple of your eyes cease. Arise, cry out in the night, in the beginning of the night watches, pour out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord, lift your hands towards him. If misery come, you will surely cry, when crying will avail but little; cry before it come with such a crying, as may prevent it. O, defer not to afford this Island another sea of tears for its safeguard, and that a better too, than this wherewith it stands surrounded. The multitude are so metamorphosed into stones, that all words are cast away, which may be spent in calling them to sorrow, But if there be (as sure there is) in our Nation, any small remnant left, of those that have hearts of flesh, now let them witness their loves to their Country, in taking up a bitter lamentation against those crimes, that make a clamour in heaven against it. Cry aloud (I pray you) and outcry the crying sins of England. God from Heaven hath spoken aloud by diverse corrections; He, as a Father loath to strike, hath given us many a fair warning. Let us not show ourselves to be wanton children, that will take no warning, that will not believe their parents threats, that will needs continue their untowardness, till the rod be held up over them, yea, till their skin begin to smart with stripes. There are many that mourn for crosses, penury draws tears from the eyes of many. We weep to no purpose, in weeping for such things. Let our hearts be filled with ruth, for the faults that fill this Kingdom: Let the Lord see, that some are fit to be spared, if for their sakes, perhaps, he may spare all. I pray thee, Reader, be a true friend unto thy native soil. Help her with thy humble requests and earnest lamentations. Intercede to God for her with a beneded knee, and a broken heart, and moistened eyes. Not thy money, not thy toil, not thy fight, not thine hazard, but thy sorrows are called for. These vouchsafe to thyself, and to thy Country, and we shall all be safe. All enemies here or elsewhere, all Papists at home or abroad cannot hurt us, if our sins hurt us not; they shall not hurt us, so long as they be pursued with cries and lamentations. God is our King, sin is treason against him: if many commit it, and none bewail it, he must and will avenge it: but if we spare not to grieve for sin, he will surely spare to punish it. Happy grief, blessed tears, joyful sorrow. The heart of fools is in the house of laughter, the heart of wise men in the house of mourning. Fellow the worthy Prophet into this house, imitate him in it, do as he hath done, and thy Country shall enjoy thy tears, more than it could do thy labour, thine hazard, thy substance. But I must not forestall the following Discourse. I hope it will cause the good amongstus, to pity their Mother, and to mourn for her, that they themselves may rejoice with her in the fruit of their mourning. Now I commit thee to the following leaves, and them to thee. I would thou wouldst read them; I would thou wouldst consider them; I would thou wouldst practise them: and so wishing thee a much good sorrow, as in other cases thou couldst wish thyself joy, I leave thee to his blessing, who will accept thy sorrow, and remain  
A desirer of thy tears, William Whately. Feb. 19 1622.   

CHARITABLE TEARS, etc.  Psal. 119.136. 
Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Testimonies.  

CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and showing, and proving the doctrine, viz. that we ought to lay to heat the sins of others.  
THE Prophet of God, the Author of this most heavenly Psalem, inthiss part of it, proceedeth in his meditations after this order. First, he makes way to his petitions, by professing his diligent care of God's Law, Vers. 129, 130, 131. Secondly, he propounds his petitions; for mercy, Vers. 132. direction, 133, deliverance, 134. feeling of God's favour, 135. Lastly, he concludes his petitions, with professing his sorrow for other men's sins in these words. And this he puts also for a confirmation of his faith, to assure himself, and (as one may say) to persuade the Lord, that he should speed inhiss suits: For it is great reason, that God should mercifully guide, deliver, and comfort him, that doth take so heinously the dishonour done to God by other people. We have here then to make the grief of David, set out by the quantity and cause of it. The quantity is expressed in that hyperbolical phrase, Rivers of waters run down mine eyes. Whereby is meant, that his sorrow was very great, and withal comstant, in that it did show itself by continual and abundant streams of tears. The cause is in these words; Because they keep not thy Law. Not wrongs and persecutions against himself, but sin and wickedness against God, did procure his great sorrow: or if he wept for the molestations and injuries offered unto himself, yet not so much considered in the nature of injuries, as of sins. Let me therefore at this time be bold to press upon you a most needful and excellent duty, from the example of this holy man, 
we ought to lay to heart the sins of other men.  viz. Doct. To lay to heart the sins of other men. All the servants of God should imitate this one servant of God in the cause, course, quantity, constancy of his sorrows, and set themselves to mourn hearty, earnestly, daily, for the transgressions of others, which their eyes do see, and their ears do hear. It should be a corrozive to our souls, and an anguish to our spirlts, to behold, and know the dishonour that is done unto our Maker, by the offences of our neighbours. Every good subject is troubled, to see his fellow subjects prove Rebels; neither can any good and dutiful son or daughter, behold without sorrow, the rudeness or undutifulness of their brethren or sisters: nay, a servant that is loving and obedient to his Master, is also sorry at the heart, if his fellow-servants show themselves stubborn, careless, and disobedient: so should it be with the faithful subjects, dutiful children, and obedient servants of the living God, their very souls should be filled with anguish, and their countenances with sadness, for the rebellion, disobedience, wickedness of those amongst whom they live. Not alone our own offences, but those of our brethren also, should be as a load and burden upon our souls. Thus it is reported of Lot, 
2. Pet. 2.8.  that he vexed his righteous soul from day to day, with seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds; speaking of his behaviour, when he dwelled in Sodom. The impurities and uncleannesses of those brutish creatures, were even as a rack unto his soul, and he could not look upon their foul and lathsome, and yet common and usual abominations, but that it did even torture and torment his hart, no less than a rack would hjave done his body. So when Ezra was informed of the sin of them, 
Ezra 9.2, 3, 5, 6, etc.  that had returned out of captivity; he sits down confounded, and fasts, and weeps, and mourns, and in the agony of his soul, pulls off the hair of his own beard for grief, and at last breaks forth into a most lamentable and mournful confession of that sin. This Prophet also had professed before in the 53. verse of this Psalm, saying; Horror hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked which forsake thy Law. And jeremiah professeth to the people, that if they would not hearken unto him (to amend their lives according to the Word of God, which he should speak, and had spoken) than his soul should weep in secret places for their pride; 
jer. 13.17.  yea, his eye should weep sore, and run down with tears. The Apostle Paul likewise hearing of the incestuous Corinth's abominable crime, and the great connivency of the Church of Corinth towards him, did write a letter unto them about this matter, as himself saith, 
2. Cor. 2.4.  out of much affliction and angish of heart, and with many tears. Lo, how bitter to the soul of the holy Apostle, the tidings of the Corinthian disorders were. He that for scourging, stocking, imprisonment, stoneing, and all heau persecutions, was scarce ever filled with anguish (but rather rejoiced in the same, and seemed to gather new life by the coming on of new miseries) is now exceedingly cast down, and put into bitter weeping, and lamentation, for the wickedness committed by one of that Church, and by the rest tolerated. Yea, our Saviour Christ himself (the best pattern of all holiness and obedience) did look upon the Pharises (as the Gospel tells us) angrily indeed, 
Mark. 3.5.  as their perverseness and wilfulness did well deserve, but withal, mourning for the hardness of their hearts. And it is also observed of him, that coming to jerusalem, he did even weep over it in great compassion, 
Luk. 19.41.  because they had carelestly neglected the day of their visitation. You see proof enough of the point: let us further make it good unto your souls, by clear and evident reasons to be taken from four heads: First, from the graces that ought to be in every Christian heart, which cannot but procure this sorrow. Secondly, from the nature of sin, which is to be sorrowed for. Thirdly, from the good effects that will grow from this sorrow. And lastly, from the evil effects, that will follow upon the want of this sorrow.   

CHAP. II. Containing one reason of the point, from the graces which ought to be found in every godly man, and being found, cannot but work this sorrow: these are three; Love to God, Love to men, Hatred of sin.  
IT is agreed upon by all, 
Reasons: first, from our love to God.  that the hearts of God's Saints, aught to abound in fernent love to the divine Majesty, in regard both of those infinite excellencies which are in his holy nature, and the innumerable demonstrations thereof, as also of those great and many benefits, which they themselves do receive from him. This love cannot be separated from an earnest desire, that he may be honoured, served, obeyed, and in word and deed acknowledged and respected, according to his own worth and greatness, and the multitude and greatness of his mercies. Now there is such a natural sympathy betwixt the affections of man's heart, and they are so mutually subordinated each to other in their workings, as it is not possible, but that love to any person, and desire that he should be well dealt withal, must needs raise up grief and sorrow upon the beholding of the quite contrary: For love must needs beget hatred, and abhorring of those things, that tend to thy hurt, and dishonour of the party loved, because he that loveth, cannot choose but esteem and account them evil, yea, and very evil, and if that thing be present with any man which he hateth, and reputeth evil, it must of necessity stir up in him a measure of sorrow proportionable to his hatred. Wherefore this grief must bear witness to the truth of that love, which, we say, we bear unto the living God, and must justify all those protestations, which we are ready to make, of having abundant good will unto him. For it is in vain to say, we love, if we bring not forth the effects of love. It is but painted and imaginary fire, which yields forth neither heat nor light: so it is but tongue-love, and lip-affection (which is good for nothing but to beguile ourselves, and make us better conceited of ourselves, than there is cause) that produceth not the true and proper fruits of love.  
Furthermore, we do know and confess, 
Love to men.  that our love to God, must always be joined with the love of our brethren, even of all that are made of the same flesh with ourselves. I mean, our hearts must be settled in a liking of them, and desire of their welfare, as of God's creatures, to whom he hath pleased to unite us in many bonds. For though the Lord do allow, yea, and command us, to hate the workers of iniquity (as they well deserve, because they commit hate-worthy actions,) yet this hatred must not be any habitual inclination, or motion of the will to their hurt, but alone a stirring up of the affection of dislike against them, or not brooking them, in regard of the evil which they commit; which may well stand, and must ever be joined with the virtue of Christian charity, whereby out of a liking of them, as God's creatures, we are always prompt, and ready to wish and seek their good. Now if we do thus love them, must it not needs grieve us to see that, which we know to be harmful and mischievous to them? Love cannot choose but breed a fellow-feeling compassion, a sympathising commiseration, and sensibleness of the loss, evil, damage, misery, of the party loved. Wherefore sin being (as in the next reason we are to show) a most dangerous and hurtful thing to the souls of them that commit it, it cannot but call for our sorrow, yea, much sorrow, and many tears, whensoever we behold it.  
Again, 
Loathing of sin.  every Christian man should have his heart possessed with a loathing, detestation, and hatred of sin, that being indeed the first and principal, and most immediate object of hatred, we may call it the chief odious thing, in regard of which alone, it is lawful to hate other things, neither is any thing further hateful, then as it doth some way or other participate of sin: misery being alone hateful so fare, as it is an effect and concomitant of sin, from which if it be separated (as in the case of suffering for welldoing) it is even lovely and ; but whatsoever doth savour of sin, in as much as it is sinful, is hateful also; and therefore the Word of God commands us, to be haters of evil. And if a man do never so much forbear sin out of other considerations of the inconveniences that ensue it, not out of a loathing of it, in as much as it is a contrariety to the will and glory of God, the chief good: (for indeed sin alone is properly contrary to God, as having no manner of dependence upon him, nor similitude of him, nor any other relation to him, but alone as contraries be relatives, and as crimes have reference to the judge that is to punish them,) I say, if in this respect of loathing sin as sin, we forbear it not, our forbearance of it, is not a thing formally good, it is not truly nor sincerely good, but alone good inshew, a practice of hypocrisy, a carcase or painting of goodness. It being then a thing so absolutely needful to hate sin, as that we cannot say, we have God's Image, unless we resemble him in this (for he hateth sin with a perfect hatred,) it is therefore also necessary, that we grieve for sin: for the presence of a thing loathsome and detested, cannot be separated from grief; grief being nothing else but a contraction and paining of the heart at an evil thing present, and that must needs be confessed evil, which is accounted hateful. So then we shall falsely affirm, that we hate evil, if we sorrow not to see it committed. There are some things, which in nature a man abhorreth, and cannot away withal (as some cannot endure a Cat, some a Mouse, some a Frog, or the like;) now when such a loathed thing, doth of force, and whether he will or no, draw near to any person; experience will tell us, how grievous it is unto him; he cries, and shrieks, and starts, and shows an extremity of the passion of sorrow; and if he cannot fly from it, his whole body will weep, as it were, in a kind of cold sweat, as if the weeping of the eye were too little. So if sin be amongst the number of things, that we cannot away withal, that we do loath, detest, and have in abomination, we shall surely testify our abhorring it, by a sadness, heaviness, dejectedness, contraction, contrition, troubledness, falling, melting and mourning of our spirits, when we cannot choose but see it committed; for betwixt grace and sin, there is as true an antipathy, as betwixt a man's nature and a toad. And therefore so much grace (I mean, sanctifying Grace) as we have in us; so much sorrow must we needs have for sin. So have you the first reason of the point, consider the second, which we fetch from the nature of sin.   

CHAP. III. Containing another reason of the doctrine, gathered from the nature of sin.  
Reas. 2 Sin is, of all things in the World, the most and greatest evil, 
From the nature of sin, which  separating the person in whom it ruleth, from the Sea and Fountain of goodness. We may call it, after a sort, the first and chief evil, by participation with which, all that is evil, doth become evil; as God himself is the first and chief good, by participation with whom, all things that are good, do become so. For first, sin doth most of all things (yea, solely and alone) cross, thwart, contradict, 
dishonours God.  and so wrong and dishonour, and so offend, provoke and anger; yea, and after a sort, grieve, trouble, and vex the Lord God of Heaven: for God himself is not afraid to tell us, that he is grieved with men's wickedness; that he is laden with them, as a Cart with Sheaves; yea, that men do weary him with their iniquities; yea, that it grieved him at his heart that he had made man, when he saw his wickedness. It is certain, that the Lords excellency is such, and so infinite, that no perturbation cna befall him, to the diminishing of his happiness and bliss, let all the sinners in the World both do and say, whatever wickedness they can. But yet still sin is a thing of that nature, as doth directly tend to the disquieting, troubling, and hurting of him, by casting him out of his throne, by wresting his authority out of his hands, by setting his creature in his room, and preferring the will and pleasure of the creature (which is less than nothing) before his will and pleasure, that is more than all things. All this the sinner doth, as it were, proffer and assay to do, though he cannot effect it: For sin is nothing but an opposition of the reasonable creature, to the authority and commanding will of the Creator. And therefore if it were not, because the Lord out of his endless and unmatchable power, is able to ease, content, honour, and glorify himself on the sinner, by a just and deserved punishment of the sin, and by causing the way of the wicked to perish, as the Psalmist speaketh, it would certainly prove, even a very vexation, misery, and hurt unto him. So sin is the foulest thing in all the World, offering and attempting to do the greatest mischief in the World, even to put the Lord besides his Kingdom, and to rob him of his Sovereign authority and power; and should not a Child of God be grieved to see such a thing as this committed? If we see a man offering to wound, cut, stab, kill a child, a friend, a neighbour, a stranger; grief doth amaze us, we cry out, and our heart bleeds with grief. The sinner (especially by gross and presumptuous sinning) doth, as it were, strike at God, endeavours to pierce, wound, and (let it be spoken with reverence, to show the horrible evil of sin) after a sort, to kill him: for his Being and Sovereignty must needs both stand and fall together, and sin doth directly set against his Sovereignty: so that if a sinner could have his will, the Lord should be King of all the earth no longer. O hateful and horrible thing! And shall this horrible wrong be offered to the Divine Majesty, in the sight and hearing of one of his children and subjects, and he not cry out againstit, and be pained at the very soul for it?  
Furthermore, sin is the most baneful and mischievous thing to the creature, that can be imagined, both to the persons self that doth commit it, and also to the place and Nation, in which it is committed. 
Hurts the sinner.  Upon the committers soul (not to name inferior punishments) it bringeth avoidable (unless grief and sorrow come betwixt) the intolerable torment of God's infinite and unconceivable wrath, and indignation; causing, that so sure as there is a God, so sure shall the soul of every man that adventureth upon it, be for ever tortured and fried in the fiery and unquenchable flames of Hell, unless repentance (that is, an hearty sorrow for it, and a careful amendment of it) do prevent to danger. Christ hath said it long ago; These shall go into everlasting fire, and in Hell their worm dyeth not, nor their fire goeth out. David affirmed as much before in substance, saying; Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup. Paul hath confirmed as much, saying; Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish shall be upon every man that doth evil. And again: For these things sake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. Shall we see a man offer to tear out his own bowels, to cast himself into the midst of the Sea, to leap into an hot fiery furnace, and not be heartily sorrowful at it? Now what doth every sinner, but prepare an huge fire, by piling on huge heaps of wood, wherein his soul and body must afterwards be burnt for ever; the anger and justice of God, turning all into a flame, that never shall be quenched? Can any man know, believe, and consider all this evil to follow from sin, and not bewail bitterly, to see his brother rush into it?  
Moreover, 
Hurts the land where sin is committed.  for the whole Land where sin is committed, it is thereby made obnoxious to all the miseries, that this world can bring forth; Sword, Famine, Pestilence, all these come after to purge away sin, if tears do not first wash away the stains thereof. This is that, that sets open the floodgates of God's vengeance, and causeth it to empty itself upon a Nation, and maketh it to break in upon them, like the breaches of the Sea, which cannot be stopped. This causeth the Lord in wrath to turn men over to civil and open discord, whereby they fall a killing each other, till the streets do swim with gore blood, and the earth be hidden, and as it were, buried with carcases. Hence it cometh, that the Sword hath commission to destroy, and devour; that the ancient man is pierced thorough, the young child tossed upon a spear, and his brains dashed out against the stones; and the virgin first ravished, and after hath her guts ripped out. War, with all the bloody mischiefs and insufferable insolences thereof, do follow upon sin, till a City be turned into a ruinous heap, and a populous Country changed into a Wilderness, and put over to Owls and Hedgehogs, and unclean birds and beasts to inhabit: and never was there Town, City, or Country, where sin was boldly and impenitently committed, but sooner or later, God's glittering Sword was sheathed in the bowels of it. Hence are all the stirs and tumults that all Nations have groaned under. This hath made the earth to stagger like a drunken man, and the inhabitants thereof to reel up and down, like men overcome of wine. This is that which casts the World into a very frenzy, and puts the sons of men upon the mad humour of quarrelling and killing each other by thousands, and ten thousands at a time. This also causeth the Lord to send the destroying Angel against a Country, and give him charge to lay about him fiercely, smiting and killing (as it hath befallen, even in our own times and sight) diverse thousands in one week, within the compass of one City? How many more than in the whole Nation? The sweeping Pestilence, and other infectious diseases, do come in pursuit after sinful men, and sinful deeds; and flying in at the windows, do empty the houses of men, and Towns of inhabitants, till none be left to walk in the streets, and travail in the highways thereof. And never yet was there, never shall there be a sinful and wicked Nation, but (one time or other, in the fittest season, when their sins are grown ripe) the Lord hath, or will dispatch his Messenger, riding upon the pale Horse of Plague, together with him that rides on the red Horse of War, to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant upon it: yea, for this also, the black Horse of Famine is appointed to join himself with the other two, to make yet a more full riddance, and take a more full vengeance. Dearth, famine, and scantness, want of bread, cleanness of teeth and emptiness, and the lingering consumption and pining away of the body, for want of victual: these tormenting evils do come on the World, to punish the wickedness of the World. The bellies and backs, and all the limbs and joints of men's bodies, must wring, and be pinched for it, because all did join together, and abuse themselves in committing it. Sin doth sometimes shut up the bottles of Heaven, and make the Sun (as it were in an anger) to burn up Corn and Grass, and the necessary provision for man's sustenance. Sometimes again, it doth open the same bottles overlong, and causeth the clouds as in a rage, to drown up the fruits of the earth, that men and beasts should feed upon. This also makes the earth itself, as it were, hardhearted to mankind, and (even quite and clean against her proper disposition) to refuse to yield her increase for their use. Neither was there ever a Nation under Heaven, of what profession soever, Christian or Heathen, but that the Lord hath taken his fit times, to discover his anger against their sins, by withholding from them the fruits of Nature, and pinching them with scarcity, in stead of abundance. And that is often fulfilled, which the Psalmist singeth; A fruitful Land is made barren for the transgressions of them that dwell in it. Sin hath slaughtered, poisoned, starved millions of millions of men, and sent to violent and untimely ends, innumerable thousands of reasonable creatures and beasts. Sin turns lose Fire, and Water, and Heaven, and Earth, Sun and Moon, and Beasts, and all Creatures, and makes them all to fight against Man to destroy him; and (which is more mischievous) it turns them lose one upon another, to employ their reason and strength to their mutual ruin and overthrow. What was that, that drowned the old World?  up Sodom, and the Cities adjoining? consumed the Canaanites out of their good Land? laid waste Babel, Edom, Moab, Ammon, and all the other Countries, yea, of jewrie and jerusalem too? and often (to come nearer to ourselves) the Cities and Countries of this our own Nation? Was it not sin? What, I say, hath burnt up so many houses and towns, spoiled so much goods and treasure, murdered so many men and women, and done such unspeakable mischief in the World? But even this foul, loathsome, odious, and abominable thing, which we call sin, the very proper parent and grand-dame of all that evil, that all creatures lie under. For lying, and swearing, and whoring, and murder, and fraud, and oppression; for ignorance and profaneness; for idolatry and superstition; for swearing, and cursing, and other abominations, the God of Heaven hath a quarrel with the men on earth, and empties his quiver of arrows, and sends out all his Hosts and Armies, to cut them in pieces, fight against their bodies, goods, lives, souls, and all, till he have spoilt them of all comforts here, and sent them to yell, and roar, and cry, and weep, and gnash their teeth in Hell hereafter, where their sins shall be no longer a grief unto him, because he hath avenged, and, as it were, comforted himself in the execution of his infinite and perfect justice upon them. O my Brethren! have we not said enough, to make you perceive, that it was not without cause, that David made his eyes to gush out rivers (and that you should make your eyes do the like) for such a thing as this?   

CHAP. IU. Containing a third reason of the doctrine, from the good effects of this mourning.  
Reas. 3 But let us go forward, to provoke you yet with more reasons, 
From the good effects of mourning.  to this holy and hearty mourning. These Rivers of tears do give so good content to God, and so refresh his soul, wearied with sin (to speak after the manner of men,) that so long as there be but even a few of them running, his anger cannot wax hot to burn against a Nation. Amongst what people there are found a competent number of men that do wail, 
Preserves the Land.  mourn, and lament for the common sins, this holy exercise of theirs doth (as we may speak) tie the hands of God's justice for the time, that he will not strike that people with great severity. He is so abundantly pitiful and large in compassion, that he cannot but defer the execution of his wrath (so long as it may possibly stand with righteousness to defer it) upon the fervent and humble petition of his poor servants, that with sad hearts, and bended knees, do cry unto him, saying; O Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed; and, O Lord God, forgive and cease, we beseech thee; for who shall raise up jacob, for he is small? Let sin be as open and great, and crying, and clamorous as it will, yet if there be a convenient number, fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, or perhaps but ten in a City, that cry, and weep, and make bitter lamentation for it; none extremity of public judgements likely shall come: Seldom doth God break in upon a people, till there be none, or in a manner none left to stand in the gap; and when the time approacheth, that he hath a full purpose to do a fearful execution on a Land, then doth he take away the mourners, and deliver the survivors up to hardness of heart, and carnal mirth and jollity, that so he may have a full blow at it, when there is none to hinder, and without let power forth all the vials of his wrath, when there is none stands up to deprecate. O excellent fruit of lamentation for public sins! it gets a reprivall of an whole Town or Country, and causeth, that the Lord will not suffer his furious indignation to overflow. So a man is a great benefactor to his Country, by pouring forth his tears in this wise; and should not Christians, as well as (yea, more than) Heathens, show themselves true lovers of their Country? But, 
Keeps the soul from infection.  it doth likewise preserve the mourner's self from infection of sin, causing that it cannot seize upon his soul, to poison it, as else the nature of it is to do, so long as he continues to weep and groan for it. In common plagues, there is great enquiring after preservatives. One commends Rue; another, Wormwood; a third, Holy-thistle; some this, some that, as their judgement leads them. But beloved, the worst of all diseases, the most catching, the most contagious, the most apt to lay hold upon all, that come within the breath of them that are overrun with it, is sin. The plague itself, and the most desperate of all plagues, is nothing so apt to leap from man to man, and house to house, as sin is. The scabs among sheep, the murrain among , do not more speedily overrun the whole flock and Herd, than wickedness will do an whole house, town, and Country. Only there is one most notable preservative, which every man carries about with him, which he need not take pains to seek elsewhere, but in himself, nor be at cost to buy of any but himself, and that is sorrow, grief, tears, the same that the Psalmist here speaks of. And whosoever he be, that can take but a reasonable draught of his own tears, morning and evening, or but twice or thrice a week, yea, or seldomer, for the sins of the men, with whom he liveth, shall never be infected with them, nor drawn by imitation, to like and practise them: for the soul will never agree to do that itself, which it is pained in itself to see another do. Will you not now make for yourselves, and take this sovereign medicine against this pestilent sickness? Oaths, lying, cursing, bribery, simony, cozenage, oppression, usury, idleness, voluptuousness, pride, revenge and filthiness, shall never catch you by the example of other men, if you mourn for them, and behold them committed of others, with grief and anguish of spirit. Will you not therefore stir up your sorrows, and save yourselves from the peril of an evil generation? Especially, seeing this sorrow will do yet more good, by making them, 
Makes one careful to redress sin.  in whom it is, careful of seeking the reformation of others, so fare as lies in them, and their duty and power extendeth. As godly sorrow for a man's own sins, will bring forth repentance not to be repent of, and cause him to amend his own evil ways: so godly sorrow for other men's sins, will also make him seek to draw them to repentance and amendment. This will cause him to contend and contest against sin and sinners, and with all his might (according to his place and calling) to oppose and resist both it and them. If he be a Minister, this sorrow will set open his mouth to cry out against it, and cause him to lift up his voice like a Trumpet, to pronounce defiance, and sound war against it, on God's behalf. If he be a Magistrate, it will arm his heart with courage and constancy, and all due severity, so that he shall unsheathe the Sword of authority, and lift up his arm, and smite the wicked doers sound, with an heart virtuously hardened against the vices of foolish pity, and of fearful cowardice. If he be but a private person, it will make him admonish, reprove, complain, and solicit Magistrate and Minister, and all he can, to procure a redress. Sorrow is a thing so much against the good liking of Nature, and a burden of which, every one that stands under it, is so truly and earnestly desirous to be eased, that it will stir up his care to shake off the burden, and remove away that, that doth procure his sorrow. So shall a godly man not alone save himself from sin, but be made an instrument also (so fare as is possible for him, if it may be) to save others from sin, he shall preserve himself from the contagion, and be enabled, if the disease be not past cure, to heal them that are diseased. Thus when Paul had heard with bitter grief the disorders of Corinth, he could not be well, till he had sent a letter unto them, and dispatched Titus thither also, to see things better ordered. And when Ezra had fasted and wept for the sin of Israel, how careful was he (with the help of the Princes) to redress that abuse?  
And from this good effect, 
Saves one from the common punishment.  will follow another no less , as a fruit of this; namely, that the mourner shall save himself from partaking in the common punishment, if it must needs come. Lot's righteous soul was vexed, as you heard, with the impure conversation of the Sodomites; wherefore the Lord sent his Angel, and delivered him from those flames of brimstone that consumed the Sodomites. And the Apostle concludeth hence, that God knows how to deliver his: and so it must needs hold, chiefly in the like case, the Lord will rather even miraculously deliver those of his people, that set themselves against the sins of the times with bitter lamentation, then that they shall not be safe, even then when others are smitten. jeremiah wept for the pride of the people: and did not the Lord perform his promise, and make the enemy to entreat him well in the evil day? Baruch and Ebedmelech also were among the few mourners for jerusalem: and had they not their lives given them for a prey, whither ever they went, though the Sword of the enemy raged in the house, and in the streets? Yea, do we not read that excellent vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, how that before the City was given up to destruction, 
Ezek. 9.1, 2. etc.  he saw the Lords Angel appointed to go forth with a pen and inkhorn by his side, and passing thorough jerusalem, to set a plain mark upon the foreheads of all those, that had lamented and mourned for the sins of the City, and that no plague was permitted to break forth upon the rest, till these were marked to escape? Lo, how those that sigh, and cry for the abominations committed in a City, shall surely escape the miseries that must come upon that City. Tears are able to procure safety to a man, even in a general and common overthrow, where wealth, friends, wit, strength, and all other helps will fail him: for either the Lord will graciously, and in mercy take them away from the evil to come, and gather them to their fathers, that they may not see the misery which is to overwhelm the people, or else he will hide them under the shadow of his wings, and by his Fatherly providence for them, take some order, that they may go safe in the common desolation. Behold hold a way of safe-guarding yourselves in the hardest times, and of procuring that blessing to yourselves, which  men do falsely promise to themselves from the vanity, and lies, under which the Prophet saith, they think to lie hid, namely, that when a scourge doth overflow, it shall not come near you; and that is nothing else but to do, as our Prophet hath done before, send up sighs and groans unto the Lord, for the public sins; and whosoever bewaileth the general wickedness, shall also be delivered from the general punishment. Therefore if any man desire to be pulled, as a brand out of the fire, and to be one of the two or three berries in the utmost boughs, that must hang upon the tree, when all the rest are beaten off, let him provide for his own peace and welfare betime, by making his heart to ache, and his eyes to weep for the common abominations. And so you see what good this mourning will do, in regard of the public State, by proroging the punishment so long as is possible, and in regard of his own self that mourneth, by keeping him from the infection of sin, making him careful to seek the amendment of others, and so saving him from participating in the public plagues.   

CHAP. V Containing the fourth reason of the point from the evil that will ensue for want of mourning.  
Reas. 4 Carry your thoughts a little further, 
From the ill effects of not mourning. The soul will be infected.  and let them consider of the evils, that will necessarily follow from the absence of these tears. It is certain, that no man can shun the infection of other men's sins, unless he mourn for them; as no mourner is infected, so none but mourners can be free from infection. He that grieves not for a sin that others commit, will easily be induced to commit it himself, if occasion serve, at least he will soon be drawn to like it, and think well enough of it, and then the infection hath taken the heart, and hath possessed the spirits and vital parts, as it were, of his soul, and that is enough to kill a man, though it should be kept from breaking forth in outward action. Some men, by virtue of a good constitution, escape the Plague in the hottest and forest of all plagues, and that also, though they use few or none antidotes or remedies. It is not so with our inward man, in regard of sin: For of so ill a complexion, as it were, and so unsound and healthless a constitution are all our souls, since the defiling of our nature by the first sin of Adam, that any sin almost doth easily, speedily, avoidable, cleave unto the same. The driest Touchwood or Tinder that is, doth not more readily take fire by any little spark, than our souls will catch a sin by bad example. And sin itself is so strong and vehement in the working of it, and withal so deceitful, close, and insinuating, that it doth almost insensibly convey itself into our inward bowels, even almost before we are ware: so that unless we do moisten ourselves often, by the tears of godly sorrow for sin; we cannot live amongst others, that do even glow with the fire of it, but we shall also burn and glow for company; neither is there a man under Heaven so sanctified, but he shall become wicked with wicked men, if his soul mourn not for their wickedness. Lot would sure have been unclean in Sodom, if their uncleanness had not vexed his righteous soul. Therefore to prevent a mischief otherwise unpreventable to ourselves, namely, the being polluted with other men's faults, let us see it a duty (and follow it) to wash ourselves with tears from that pollution.  
Otherwise, 
A men shall be careless of seeking of redress of evils.  we shall also pull another evil upon ourselves, even make ourselves slack, careless and remiss, in the endeavour of reforming the sins of our brethren. hardheartedness, in not feeling the burdensomeness of sin, will cause, that a man shall sit still, and let it take its course, and bestow no pains to redress it: for that that one doth not feel to be evil, why should he bestir himself to amend? And surely he feels it not evil, that doth not mourn for it. What was the cause that the Corinthians did so carelessly tolerate the incestuous person among them? Hath not the Apostle taxed it in one word, saying; And you have not rather grieved, that such an one might be taken from amongst you. Lo, they mourned not for the sin, and therefore they chastized not the sinner in good manner, as they ought to have done, for his amendment. And so will it ever be in all places and times. In what measure sorrow for sin is wanting, care of amending it will be wanting also: little of this, if little of that; and if none of that, none of this will be seen in men's lives. This unsensibleness of sin, is joined with too much sensibleness of other things; it makes one so timorous, that he dares not speak against wickedness, for fear of offending such and such: it makes a man foolishly pitiful, and cruelly compassionate, that he cannot find in his heart to hurt the offender, even by due executions of justice. He, whose heart and eyes cannot perform their office, in grieving for, and lamenting sin, neither will his hand and tongue do their offices, in speaking and striving against it. The same corruptions that make the hart short in grief, and the eyes in tears, will also make the tongue short in reprooving, and hand in punishing. Neither will any man lay a plaster to that sore, which he thinks not worth grieving for; for if it were dangerous, why is not he sorry? If it be not dangerous, what need a plaster? And so it will follow, that sin having none enemy to resist it, none to oppose and fight against it, will mightily prevail (as a fire which no man seeks to quench,) and so get the upper hand, till at last it grow so high, crying, and insufferable, 
Public plagues will come.  that the justice of God can no longer forbear it, but he himself must take the matter into his own hand. Then follow sore and heavy calamities upon the Church and Commonwealth, and the whole Nation groans under God's blows, because few or none did groan for the sins that provoked him. When many commit evil, and none lament it, than the wrath of God will surely arise, then is sin gotten to his full ripeness, and then the evils abovenamed, sometimes singly, sometimes altogether at once, are appointed to destroy a Nation. All the policy of Governors, all the valour and courage of soldiers, all the wealth of Citizens, and the love and friendship of neighbours, shall not keep a Nation in welfare, nor mound it from grievous and fearful plagues, if once the voice of sadness and mourning, and of those that cry and weep for the abominations of it, be put to silence. Then will God change their wisdom into folly, & catch them in the snares of their own craft; and if other means should fail, will make them, even to undo themselves. Then shall power be turned into weakness, and courage into cowardice; for God will fight from Heaven against them, as the Prophet tells the jews; and if their enemies were but dead carcases, yet should they rise and overcome. When all cease mourning, then shall all begin suffering, for that is a sure proof, that sin is come to his full growth, and that the measure of man's wickedness, is replenished even to the brim. Indeed, what is there then remaining, that can in any reason be thought able to move the mercy of God to longer forbearance? When none bewaileth, or as good as none; when none supplicateth, when none plead the causeat the bar of his mercy, how can justice but raise itself up, and smite the abusers of former mercies, with so much greater severity, by how much they have been longer borne withal?  
And further, 
They shall perish in the common destruction.  it will come to pass from this letting sins slip away by them without sorrow, that the children of God (if any few grains of Wheat be found hidden in the huge heap of chaff) shall perish in the common destruction, and be smitten with the rest, because they mourned not for the rest, but did rather partake of their sins, by not opposing them: for none is in mercy marked for the day of deliverance, but a mourner. Though a man be for the general, upright and godly, yet if in that particular, he do so fare degenerate from the rules of godliness, that he remain sorrowless, for the dishonour done to God by others, this ungrieving disposition hath so deeply engaged him into the guilt of those sins, that it will very hardly stand with the truth and wisdom of God, to let him go free; but he must cause him (for the good of his own soul) by the smart of crosses, to grieve for such evils, as else he would not grieve for. So mischief upon mischief breaks in, when tears and mourning stand not up to prevent the same. A man's self is infected, he becomes careless of reforming evil, God smites the whole society, for the sins now committed by all, and lamented by none; and then he that mourned not, must himself also smart for company. Shall we not seek to stop the way against all, and each of these evils, by entrenching ourselves, as it were, within these Rivers of waters?  
And so, Brethren, you have reasons great store, to prove the duty, and persuade unto it. If you love God, whom sin grieveth; if you love your neighbour, whom sin hurteth; and if you hate sin itself, which all aught to hate that love God and their neighbour; if you consider, how loathsome and grievous a thing sin is, how offensive to God, yea, and injurious, how harmful also to mankind, both to him that dares practise it (whose soul it tumbleth to the bottom of hell, besides other crosses of all sorts, which attend it for the present,) and also to the Country, where it is suffered, causing the Lord to send out Sword, Pestilence, Famine, and all manner of doleful miseries against it: If you consider, that this mourning will surely cause the Lord to reprieve the whole Country, and that it will keep the soul of the mourner free from infection, and stir him up to all due means of redressing sin, and so save his own soul, at least, from the common calamity, when it can now be longer no deferred. And lastly, if you remember, that where this mourning is absent, a man's soul will surely be infected, he will grow careless of doing that which he ought to do, for redress of evil, and so sin growing mighty, will infallibly and inevitably procure a common judgement, in which himself shall also, as a man not signed for deliverance, be taken away among the rest. If, I say, you do acknowledge and confess all these things, as they are all manifest, and do seriously lay them to heart, you cannot choose but yield in your very consciences, that you all aught to do, as the Prophet here professeth to the Lord, that himself was wont to do, even cause Rivers of waters gush out of your eyes, because men keep not the Law of God.   

CHAP. VI Containing the first use of the point, a reproof of them that do neglect this duty.  
Use 1 But alas, alas, my Brethren, 
Reproof of those that mourn not for common sins.  how slow and backward have we all been, to this so plain and needful a duty? Ah, it is most evident, that we deserve most sharp reprehension for being so scant in tears for that, for which this man of God did weep so abundantly. For where is there, my brethren, alack, where is there to be found one man amongst us, that hath imitated so precious, and withal so manifest example? Where is his dwelling, whose face is covered with these tears, and cheeks made wet with this weeping? In what corner may we meet with him, or her, that is able to profess in truth before the Lord, and his own soul: O Lord, Rivers of water have run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Law? O, no, no; we are sold over to mirth and jollity. Behold, slaying of Oxen, and killing of sheep, eating and drinking, and calling to hang sorrow, as once among the jews. Behold; piping and dancing, and minstrelsey; behold, making out hearts fat and jovial, as in a day of slaughter. But alas; Ah, alas; the sins of the Land are not laid to to heart by (almost) any of those that inhabit the Land, and for a thousand sinners, hardly have we one weeper. As for the common multitude, why, they would think him even quite out of his wits, whose face they should see blubbered with weeping in a corner: And why forsooth? Because his neighbours be wicked and ill living men, and keep not Gods precepts. Why (would they think and say) what is that to him? Shall he bear other men's burdens, or answer for other men's sins? Or can he mend their faults by sighing and weeping for them? Why then should he vex himself for that, which will bear never a whit the better, if he should vexed his heart out, at it? This would be the censure of the common and ordinary man, of such a mourner, as the Text speaks of, they would count his tears ill spent, and himself a fool for his labour. And as is their judgement, such is (and such needs must be) their practice. They never in all their lives wept one tenth part of a tear, for all the sins and abominable deeds that ever they heard of, or saw committed: unless it have fall'n out, that the same thing have been an hurt unto themselves, or some other man, whose case they have tendered, and so bemoaned the person, not bewailed the sin; been sorry for it as an injury against man, not as a transgression of God's precepts. But this neglect is not found alone with the vulgar sort of men. Nay, those that have gotten some good measure of knowledge and of virtue, and do exercise themselves with some due care to keep themselves unsported of the wicked world, even these also, for the most part, have eyes altogether dry and tearless, in regard of other men's offences. Who of those that seem to know and fear God, & to delight in his ways, is careful to wipe away the stains of his neighbour's sins with his own tears? Brethren, I demand of each of you; Can you say, & affirm, and that truly and sincerely in the presence of God, that your eyes do yield forth streams of water for the public sins?  
Again, I propound this question to every of your consciences: Art thou able to take up David's words here, and with the good leave of thine own conscience to affirm, as he affirmed, Rivers of waters, etc. Doubtless there are but very few, if at all there be any of us, that may affirm thus much of himself, without a manifest accusation of falsehood in his own soul. If we lament our own sins, we think it abundantly sufficient, though we lend no tears at all to bewail our neighbour's faults. Indeed it must not be denied, that the greater number of tears, and those the most earnest and bitter, must be bestowed by every man, in lamenting the sins of his own heart and life: but yet seeing God is dishonoured also by the faults of others, and the souls of our brethren, as well as our own souls, aught to be dear unto us; neither can it be denied, that it is a sin, and a fruit of our not sufficiently hating sin, and loving God and our brethren, that we are so exceeding defective in sorrowful tears for their misdeeds, and cause enough there is, that each of us should take up a grievous complaint against himself, and say, O Lord, how unlike have I been to thy servant David? No floods, no drops of tears, scarce half a score tears, scarce five, scarce two, scarce one, scarce half an one, doth proceed from mine eyes for the many and heinous transgressions, that I do daily see with mine eyes. Where was my love to thee, Lord? Where mine hatred of sin? Where my charity to my brethren? O how justly mightest thou sweep me away with the Bosom of the common destruction, and bring thy fearful plagues upon all of us, even myself amongst the rest, because they sinned, and I wept not for their sins? We are bound, brethren, even to be angry, and to fall out with ourselves, when we find in ourselves a manifest neglect of a plain duty, so evidently enjoined by God, by others so plentifully practised, and grounded also upon so good, and undeniable reasons as this is: and therefore now charge thy soul before the Lord, with a great sin of omission, in that thou hast forgotten, or nor regarded to weep in secret for the public sins. There want not men amongst us, that can eagerly inveigh against the Words naughtiness, and aggravate the offences of others in words, and with a satirical bitterness, set out the greatness of their folly. Yea, there are some, that can make matters worse than they be, and set a deeper and dirtier colour upon the sins of others, than they ought to do: but among these witty and sharp reproovers, of these vehement and clamorous accusers, is there any one, trow you, that may be called a weeper, a mourner, a lamenter? It is easy to exercise one's wit upon the sins of others, by making them ridiculous, to move the spleen with laughter. It is easy to exercise one's stomach upon the sins of others, by violent invectives, to make the offenders odious; but it is hard, yea, hard indeed, to exercise one's sorrow upon the sins of others, to make ourselves careful of not offending in the like kind, and of seeking to stop them also from offending. divers may say, I beheld the transgressors, and laughed at them: diverse also, I beheld the transgressors, & chafed at them: but few (alas, how few?) can use another sentence of David in this Psalm, and say; I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy Word. Let us therefore earnestly condemn ourselves in our hearts, that have eyes so dry, and void of tears, when we have a Land so naught, and full of sin. For Brethren, how stands the case with us? Can we justly excuse ourselves, and say, The cause of our not weeping, is the want of cause to weep, for that amongst us, the commandments of God are diligently kept, so as there is no just reason of digging up Fountains of tears, to bewail the contrary? Are we able in truth to defend ourselves with this Apology, which were the only due Apology, that would defend us from blame for not weeping? I would to God, even heartily I would, that it were so, and that it were nothing but our, either too much zeal, or too much aptness to find fault, that made us in this manner to accuse and condemn ourselves, and you. But alas, the contrary is most manifest and undeniable. Sin aboundeth with us as much, as ever it did (I think) in the streets of jerusalem; and (as it is foreprophecyed, that knowledge should, so it is fulfilled, that) wickedness doth even overflow, like the waves of the Sea. Oaths, and blasphemies, and cursed speakings, breaking of the Lords day, & unhallowed profanation of God's hallowed Time, contempt of God's Word and Ordinances, and a shameful turning of Religion into a mere form & fashion, disobedience against Governors, murder, whoredom, theft, fraud, usury, bribery, simony, all sins, almost, of all sorts, in all estates, all places, all ages, all conditions, all sexes, do swarm round about, and fill the World, like the Frogs of Egypt, or the Flies. The face of our Nation is covered over with a Leprosy and Tetter, of most odious and loathsome wickedness. Who can walk the streets in a Market, or a Faire-day, and not hear a thousand oaths, and a thousand curses, a thousand lies, and a thousand perjuries, even wilful and gross false swearing, even for a very trifle? With us they despise Father and Mother; with us they oppress the poor and fatherless; with us, they defile every man his neighbour's wife; and with us, they take usury, and lend for increase. Amongst us, there is lying, swearing, whoring, stealing, kill, and in a manner, no mercy, nor truth, nor knowledge, nor fear of God in the Land: so that it is nothing else but very blindness, that makes us not to see, if we see not, our Country to be even buried almost, in a Sea of wickedness, and yet lo, we weep not, nor mourn; our dead hearts and dry eyes drop down no tears for all this. O blockish and senseless souls of ours! O consciences hardened and deadened, and little less than seared with an hot Iron! O that we could be greatly discontented with ourselves, for having been so exceeding hard-hearted this way, and for having bestowed so little time and pains in labouring, to make ourselves softer. We have not only not wept, but not striven to weep, not alone have we omitted sorrow, but even the endeavouring after sorrow hath been fare from us, and that of the two is the much more faulty; for he that labours to perform a Christian duty, and yet failkes of it, for all his labour, is a fare less offender, than he that doth utterly forbear all pains to perform it. Now so it is with most of us (I think, I may say with most of us) we have bestowed no pains, nor time, to dig up these fountains of tears, we have not set our thoughts that way, nor laboured the matter with our own hearts, to make them grieved and sorrowful in this behalf. Again, and again therefore, let us compare ourselves with this Prophet, and wonder at the difference, that he had floods of tears, and we have scarce at all one tear, to shed for the breach of God's Law, which is so notoriously broken amongst us. There is, I acknowledge, a generation of faultfinding men, that make us fare worse than we be, their sharp-sighted eyes can see no lawful Ministry, no true Word, Church, Sacraments, nor prayer amongst us, and yet of these captious People, and carping Nation, that overlash so much in accusing, there is scarce any that mourneth for the things he carpeth at: for they so spend themselves in false accusing, that they have no leisure to bestow in true bewailing of our sins. But though we may not, nor must not acknowledge ourselves so bad as they would make us (for a body may live, though he be sick and diseased; and job was a true and living man, though covered over from head to foot with boils and Ulcers, that his friends knew him not,) yet neither can we deny ourselves to be a people very wicked and disordered, to whom the Prophet's words may fitly be applied; Ah sinful Nation! Ah people laden with wickedness, a corrupt Seed. And again; We have deeply revolted from the Lord, and our sins are gone over our heads, and they reach up to Heaven. And in another sense we may say as he; The whole head is sick, the whole heart is heavy, from the crown of the head, to the soles of the feet, there is little to be seen but wounds, and swellings; and yet, ah yet, we lament not; those that fear God, lament not; those that come to Church, and love the Word, lament not; those that desire otherwise to walk uprightly and conscionably, lament not; so that it may well be a question, whether most of us ever read this sentence, or heard it read with any consideration and advisement. If the eyes of sinners were only found dry, if tears were absent alone from the cheeks of those that work wickedness, it were not much: who could expect any thing but stony hardness, from stonyhearted men? But even the people of God, his own children, that should have hearts of flesh within them, these also have continued hard, in regard of other men's faults, and even forgotten that it is a duty, to make Rivers of waters descend from their eyes, because men keep not Gods statutes. Now Brethren, if this were a fruit of a kind of natural unfitness to mourn, because we were made of a firmer mettle, than that sorrow could melt us: we might then lay the blame upon the body, rather than the mind. And yet if nature had denied us tears, it hath not denied us sighs, & groans, it hath not denied us the power of sitting in heaviness, and of making ourselves sad and pensive. Though we could not weep so plentifully as this Prophet, yet we might end our hearts, and earn in our bowels, and ache within, and sigh, and grind our very souls to powder, which yet alas we neither do, nor strive to do. As the outward demonstrations of sorrow, I mean, wet eyes, are absent from us, so is also the substance thereof, I mean, the inward tumbling of the soul up and down disquietly, the hearts beating itself, as it were, against itself, and causing itself to be pained. So then we neither mourn outwardly, nor yet inwardly; we neither weep with our eyes, nor grieve with our hearts; and what can we say in our own defence? For certainly, brethren, it is not the want of aptness to weep, that makes us not to weep, for our eyes are ready enough in other cases, and for other matters, to yield forth even Rivers of waters. Let but an husband, or wife, or child, or friend lie sick, and be ready to die; let but fire come and consume some part of our goods; let any man but cousin and deceive us of some sums of money; yea, let any friend show himself unkind, and disrespectful of us; yea, let any enemy reproach us with froward and bitter speeches; yea, let a Governor chide and shent us, as we think, without our fault; or but an equal take us up over-cuttedly in terms, or any, almost, the least thing befall, that wrongs us, in body, goods, or name: O then how we melt like wax before the fire? What floodgates be our eyes? How do tears push themselves forward (like a breach of the sea) and will not be stopped? Then we cannot speak, but we weep, and sob, and hardly can speak for weeping. O foolish man and unwise! Canst thou have while and heart to weep so much for the evuill words spoken against thee, for the discourtesies offered unto thee, for the losses and crosses that do befall thee, and canst thou not weep at all for the sins committed against God, for the thousands and ten thousands of oaths, and blasphemies that are darted at his Name, for the woeful sacrilege committed against his Church, for the ignorance, blindness, hypocrisy, profaneness of the multitude, and in a word, for all the numberless abominations, that are daily, hourly, minutely committed amongst us? O heart possessed with self-love, and prising its own ease and welfare above God's honour and glory, and making more account of its self, then of its Maker! Here now if in any thing we should enlarge ourselves, in speaking against ourselves, and in reprooving, shaming, condemning ourselves; and this, if any thing, we should most vehemently press upon ourselves, as an extreme and unansweerable aggravation of our hardness, which by this we know, not to be natural, but sinful. Say to thyself, I came to such a place, such a time, and found the countenance of my parent, brother, sister, or friend, estranged from me; and his words and carriages unloving towards me: It put me in my dumps for a day or two after, and made me water my plants, and moisten mine hands and handkerchief with tears. I went, not long after, into another place, and heard forty foul oaths, and a number of horrible execrations and raylings, and one or two dry sighs served the turn at this wickedness, or scarce so much was done by me, to show my sorrow. O Lord, O Lord, how aboundeth mine heart with over-high conceits of myself? How do I overvalue myself, and undervalue thee? What, to be more troubled at a cross word or two against myself, at the denying of some small request, at any discourtesy, any injury, then at so many oaths, lies, curses, raylings, as I have heard without trouble? I know not whether I should be more ashamed of mine excessiveness of tears in the one case, or my defectiveness in the other; but both laid together, do make up the measure of mine hardheartedness to the full. If I could sigh, mourn, weep for nothing, it were not so much, that I did it not for the sins of others; but when I have such store of tears for other things, now to be so scant of them for that that deserveth the fare greater quantity, what shall I say of myself? Sure this deserves a degree of sorrow, beyond tears, and so fall upon thine own heart, and crush it too pieces with dislike of thyself, that hast been so extremely isensible in God's behalf, so overtender in thine own. O that these words of mine might so fare prevail with myself and you, brethren, that we may at leastwise acknowledge ourselves to be greatly faulty, for not having discovered our detestation of sin, our good will to God and Man, our religious care of the public welfare and our own, by taking out the lesson of David, and of jeremy, and by following the worthy pattern of holy Ezra, and blessed Paul and our most blessed and worthy Saviour himself. Doubtless it will do some good, to know our sins, and to confess against ourselves, saying, I am in truth exceedingly oo blame, for my lavish and prodigal casting away such a multitude of tears for nothing, and bestowing so very few or none in that case, wherein they would have been (as precious seed in a good ground) exceeding profitable to myself and others, I mean, in bewailing the sins both of myself and of the times.   

CHAP. VII. Containing the second use, viz. an exhortation and direction to this duty, of mourning for the faults of others.  
Use 2 But now, hoping that you do all both fee and feel, 
Exhortation to mourn.  this omission of tears to be sinful, I must turn my speech unto your hearts for another purpose, requiring you in God's name to reform this fault, by turning your laughter into tears, and your joy into sorrow, as Saint james adviseth. Ignorance of a duty required, though it cannot wholly excuse the neglect of it, is yet some mitigation of the fault: but when a man is plainly told of a duty, convinced that it is a duty, reproved for omitting it, and yet is careless to perform it, now his carelessness is notorious and inexcusable. Perhaps, my Brethren, some of you that have now been taught the needfulness of these tears, did never consider the matter so well before, but now that the thing is made plain unto you; and your souls must needs confess, that you also, as well as David, aught to be moved with the faults of others: continue not to omit a known duty, lest your consciences accuse you of wilful disobedience. Not alone to do what God forbids me, when I know his will to the contrary, is a fruit of wilfulness; but also to neglect what he enioynes, when his good pleasure is made manifest unto me.  
We have taken from you the excuse of ignorance; we have made your hearts to confess, that you ought to have wept some of David's tears: we have, I hope, made you sorrowful for not weeping them; now, we pray you, let us make you careful, to shed these tears more plentifully hereafter. I know, that the same David that here tells of rivers of tears, doth also tell of his songs in the night, and great rejoicing. But there is no such opposition or feud betwixt such songs, and such tears, that both may not well be done in their seasons. The day is long enough for both, at least, our life is long enough, and every Christian must find while to mourn for his own and others faults, that he may be comforted: he must sometimes make his tears his drink, that he may be fitted for the cup of consolation; and put himself in ashes, that he may be ready to receive the garments of gladness. Wherefore, brethren, frame yourselves to mourning and lamentation, lift up your voices, and weep, and draw forth water, and pour it out here before the Lord, for an acceptable drinke-offering, as once it is reported of the people in the days of Samuel: A fit season to mourn, we need not seek for. The Text fits well with the time. Oh that our hearts would fit with both! God hath mourned, will not ye mourn? Be not among the generation of men, that mourn not when they are wept unto; we come now to tell you, that God would have you weep. He calls for your tears, and he looks for them: and let him not look in vain. Take up the words of the Prophet, and say; O that our heads were Fountains, and our eyes Well-springs of tears, that we might weep day and night, for the sins of the Daughters of our People! Yea, let every man say with him; My belly, my belly, depart from me, comfort me not, look away from me, for I will weep bitterly, because (not of the slain, but) of the sins of the Daughter of my People: for it is a day of wickedness and abomination, and a time of extreme dissoluteness. My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at the heart; I cannot hold my peace, mine heart makes a noise within me; for I have heard the voice of swearing and cursing, sin upon sin, iniquity upon iniquity; the people is a foolish people, they have not known God, they are sottish children, and will receive no instruction; they are wise to do eiull, but to do good they have no knowledge. Imitate the good Prophet in these words of his, and labour to put on his affections, and then proceed more particularly, and say: Oh the oaths and blasphemies in our Nation! O, the contempt of God's Word and Gospel in our Nation! O, the pride and idleness in our Nation! O, the drunkenness, whoredom, and filthiness in our Nation! If Rome, or Constantinople abounded with swearing and cursing, who could look for better there? If France and Italy were full of whoredoms, who could expect other in those corners of Popish darkness? But England, Ah England! God's Signet, God's jewel, which he hath fostered as tenderly, and adorned as graciously, as ever he did judea. England, the one only Nation, almost, that doth openly and solely profess the true Religion of God: I say, England aboundeth in all these sins. What shall we say or do? Whither shall we turn ourselves? And how shall we comfort ourselves for this, when even England is full of all wickedness? What? Swearing in England? Cursing in England? Lascivious dancing, dallying, and wantonness on the Lord's day in England? Contempt of God's Word, drunkenness, pride, idleness in England? Even in England, where there is so much preaching, and so much hearing? Where the Gospel hath banished Popery for so many years? Where the Scriptures have so long time been read and published, and where God hath used so many means for so great space of time to recall us? O, break our hearts within us, and let our eyes drop down tears to think of it! But what mean I thus to strive with you for tears, and to wrest and extort them out of your heads by force? To weep a little at a Sermon, is nothing to speak of: there is a further matter required of you. In secret, I say, in secret, when you be all alone, and may more freely do it, then do it more abundantly; or else to do it here a little by compulsion of earnest words & persuasions, is little worth, and will do little good. I confess, that in meditating these things with myself, I found mine eyes great with tears, and mine heart within me swollen with sighs, and I hope that the uttering of them, may have also power to fill some of your hearts, and of your eyes also. But, ah, there is yet a greater and secreter mourning which I call you to. He weeps in truth, that weeps without witness. 
Trepare to the work.  Take thou some time this day, or some other day, to get alone by thyself, and press these things upon thyself, that have been so earnestly beaten upon thee in the preaching of the Word; and there bowing the knees of thy soul before God, begin with an acknowledgement unto him, that now thou confessest this mourning: for the public sins is a duty, which he doth justly require at thine hands, & which thou hast sinfully neglected heretofore, but now art sorrowful for that neglect, and desirous to perform hereafter; and then humbly beseech him to thaw, by the sweet and warm beams of his Grace, this frozen heart of thine, and so to smite this rocky soul, that it may yield forth, as once the natural Rock did, even Rivers of water. Pray him, according to his most free and gracious promise, to pour upon thee the Spirit of Grace and supplication, and removing the heart of stone, to put within thee, in stead of it, an hart of flesh, that thou mayst now do, what David did, and what thyself by his example art called upon by the Ministry (and art accordingly desirous) to do.  
Having thus prepared thyself, 
Begin to weep for thine own sins first.  then set about the work itself, and first, begin to weep for thine own sins; for assure thy soul, it shall be all in vain, for any man to labour to bewail the faults of others, that doth not in the first place bewail his own faults. Think and say thus then to thyself in thy meditations: Ah, what a vile and wretched sinner am I? What a Childhood have I spent? What an Youth? What a Middleage? And (if thou be'st come so fare) what an Old-age? What thoughts have I harboured in mine heart? What words have I uttered with my tongue? What deeds have I done with mine hand? This tongue of mine hath sworn many a vain, passionate, and outrageous oath: This tongue hath cursed, and railed, and spoken profanely: It hath spoken wantonly and filthily, and told many a lie and false tale. This hand hath used cruelty, revenge and dalliance. This heart hath swollen against Governors, and boiled away in envy and malice. This heart hath been fearless and careless of God, and hath forgotten him and his Word, and even doubted of his Being. O wretched tongue, wretched hand, & wretched hart! O, would that I could mourn for all these abominations of my life! O, that all the tears which ever I wept in all my life, for crosses, losses, wrongs, injuries, unkindnesses, and the like, were now all unwept, and gathered together at once in mine eyes, that I might pour them forth in godly sorrow before the Lord for my sins! Be thou humbled and cast down, O my soul, and be thou troubled within me! wallow thyself in the dust, and tumble thyself in ashes. Thou hast offended against thy Maker, and sinned against thy Redeemer, the holy Son of God Thou hast wronged thy neighbours, and hurt thyself, and deserved damnation; and, Ah wretch, thou hast showed thyself ungracious and ungrateful, against that heavenly, careful, and tenderhearted Father, that gave his only Son to death to ransom thee. What Father ever so loving? What child ever so rebellious? Why are you dry, O mine eyes? And why art thou stony, O mine heart? Why doth sorrow fly from me? And why are tears departed hence? O that I could weep! O that I could weep! O that I could even be melted and dissolved into kindly tears, and with blessed Peter, weep bitterly; and with godly Marie, wash the feet of my Saviour with my tears! Thus strive and take pains with thyself, to make thy soul sad for thine own sins first; and having softened thyself somewhat by such endeavours, then begin for thy Country also, and think in this sort: Ah Lord, if I had sinned alone, I alone would weep mine own tears. But I am a man of polluted lips and life, and I dwell amongst a people of polluted lips and life. We have all gone astray, we all have done an abominable deed, there is none that doth good, no not one. This Nation, this Christian and baptised Nation, wherein thy Gospel of truth hath so long shined brightly, is yet still for all that, a wicked and a sinful Nation. O, that thou wouldst please to help me mourn for these common sins! Is not thy Spirit as able to soften a man's heart now, as in former times? 
Proy to God to soften the heart.  Is not an heart of the posterity of Abraham naturally as hard, as one of another offspring? O thou that gavest David store of tears, stir up in me also the spirit of grief, for the public sins. 
Consider the grievous sianes of our Land.  And now begin to represent unto thy soul, the many monstrous crying sins that are daily (and with impunity many) committed in our Country. Lose thy thoughts a while, in this great Thicket and wilderness of abominations, that hath overgrown us, and say; What could God do more for a people, than he hath done for us? and he looked for Grapes, and behold, wild Grapes; and for Figs, and behold, rotten Figs; for judgement and righteousness, and behold, sin & wickedness? What monstrous ignorance and profaneness and hellish Atheism doth cover the multitude? What monstrous pride, and idleness, and fullness of bread, and abominable uncleanness, do cover the Gentry? How full of oaths and blasphemies are the Court, the City, the Towns, the Country with us? Great men swear, and mean men swear; Ministers swear, and people swear; men swear, and women swear; boys swear, and girls swear; & almost babes and sucklings swear; and if every oath were but a drop of water, it were enough to make a flood to drown the whole Land withal. The Lord's Day is every where violated and profaned. The Word and Sacraments are made a very jest, and all God's services are turned into a mere customary piece of work. The children are every where stubborn and rebellious against their parents. Much murder and bloodshed is committed; and for envy and malice, the Land aboundeth with them, whoredom and filthiness stinks in every corner; theft, oppression, usury, simony, sacrilege: where shall a man stir, but he shall meet with them? Lying, deceit, fraud and guile are become amongst the necessary ornaments of a good chapman, and one cannot live without them nowadays. Presumption, stoniness of heart, and turning God's Grace into wantonness, are every day's faults. O Lord God, we are a most wicked and sinful Nation and people, and should not my soul mourn for this? O, how art thou dishonoured, and thy Laws broken, and thy Spirit grieved! and should not my soul weep bitterly for this? 
Consider the grievous punishments that must come, if mourning prevent not.  And when thou hast thus called to mind the sins of the Land, represent also to thyself the judgements that must come upon us for them, and say; Lord, what shall we do in the end thereof! Thy patience will not always last, thy grace will not ever strive with us, justice will not suffer thee to bind thine hands for ever with the cords of long suffering; yea, the Lord must needs arise at length in fury and indignation, and stir up himself in wrath, to come and comfort himself, and ease his soul, by taking vengeance on such a Nation as this. He must give our Cities to the spoil; our houses and Churches to the fire; and all our goods to the devourer. He must hisse for his Fly against us, & bring upon us, as he threatened and brought upon judah, his four great Armies to destroy, Sword, Famine, Pestilence, and the teeth of evil beasts to devour. He must lay us waste and desolate, and cause us to dye of grievous deaths, and cast our carcases into the open streets, as dung on the face of the earth, that there should be none to bury, or to lament. He must fill us full of wailing and howling, and bitter lamentation. Did not judah escape, that had less light, and fewer means? and can England escape, that hath the light of the Gospel, as much exceeding that of the Law, as the Sunshine doth the Moonlight? And now think with thyself, that thou beholdest God, sending scarceness amongst us, and every body feeble and languishing. Think that thou sawest the Pestilence leaping in at our houses, and sweeping away whole Families and Towns, till there be no buyer. Think that thou seest the insolent foe breaking in upon us, and with drawn Sword, filling every place with fear, slaughter, death, and desolation, and then say; O the slain of the Daughter of my People! the Waster wasteth; without, the Sword; within, Famine and Pestilence: for all these things must as assuredly come upon England, as ever they came upon jerusalem. If enough do take up the task of mourning, we may escape them in our days: but if we do not preconceive them by the power of faith in God's threats, we shall surely feel them in the execution; and when the generation of mourners for sin is gone, then will the time of howling for the punishment of sin be here. Think it not therefore a needless thing to anticipate a cross, and to make it present in imagination beforehand. For particular afflictions, we must not drown ourselves in cares, before they come: but because we know, that God hath denounced this vengeance, and executed it on others, and that his justice is the same still, therefore we are sure it will come on this Nation also, and that speedily, if rivers of tears prevent it not. Wherefore our best way is, in the foresight of it, to lament the sins that would procure it, that so we may not be forced to feel it, when all lamentations will be bootless. 
This was preached upon a Tuesday in Whitson-weeke.  Brethren, will you spend some hour or two this day, this idle day, when others pipe, and howte, and drink, and dally, and dance, and add to the heap of sins (as you know the season bears,) will you I say, thus meditate, and pray, and mourn, and sigh, and strive to send forth rivers of tears? If you will, blessed be those tears! they shall do good to your souls, and good to your Countries, good to the King, and good to the Commons, good to the Commonweal, and good to the Church, and good to the whole Land, and all that dwell in it. But alack, I fear you will not, I fear we lose our labour. Business, business, sports, pastime, company, some one or other such thing, will steal your hearts away, I fear: for so it is usually seen, out of the Church, into your houses and shops, you go some to your works, and some to your sports, and never so much as think of what you have heard, never set upon the practice of what you are exhorted to; and so we preach in vain, and you hear in vain, and we get nothing but our labour for our pains. Now for the Lord jesus sake, do not so this day, but covenant with thyself, that afore thou sleepest, thou wilt forcibly break thorough all occasions, and find some one hour to take pains with thine heart, and to frame it to some tenderness of remorse, that thou mayst be able once to say with David; Rivers of waters have run down mine eyes, because they kept not thy Law. Say, thou shouldest hear of the death of wife, husband, child, friend: would it not affect thine hart with some sorrow? Let the tidings, yea, the hearing & beholding of so many sins committed (which do more dishonour God, than any cross can hurt thee) have some power over thy griefs, and show, that thine affections are not altogether carnal. One or two tears, shed for sin voluntarily, in the day of prosperity, out of a true desire to show our hatred of it, and love to God; and out of a serious consideration of its spiritual filthiness, and heinousness, is more worth, than twenty tears shed in the day of affliction, when a man cannot tell, whether it be the sin or the cross that procures his tears. Now therefore address yourselves to that unwelcome task of mourning (to Nature, I say, unwelcome, but to Grace most welcome,) and if you cannot at first onset, get floods of tears, yet if you can get but two or three tears, or a few hearty sighs (till another time that you may get more) know, that it is worth your labour; good duties are done likely with much weakness and difficulty at first: custom and continuance of doing, must bring us to more perfection; be not discouraged, because thine heart will be hard, and full, unapt to mourn, when thou addressest thyself first unto it; but know, that a good beginning is requisite in all businesses, and he shall never finish any thing, that will sit still and do nothing, because he finds not all things answerable to his desires at first: yea, that man that laboureth to set his will upon a pitch of sadness, by offering to his mind fit thoughts for that purpose, and so makes his soul heavy with the apprehension of that that is evil and naught, shall be well accepted with God, though he attain not that melting, that dropping, that teare-flowing, and sensible sorrow, that David here speaketh of. And he that accustometh himself to that habitual grief of the will (taking displeasure against an evil thing, making itself averse from it, and wishing that it had never been) shall in due season be blessed by God, with the spirit of tenderness, which shall most kindly and gently soften his heart, and cause his soul to be so mellow, and easy to be wrought upon, that he shall even sweetly and freely pour forth this his Drinke-offering before the Lord, and most sweetly water his soul with these April showers of tears, which shall make it fertile, not alone in he flowers of presently ensuing comforts, but also in the rich harvest of virtue and godliness, and the plentiful rewards thereof. Wherefore carry this short sentence home in your minds, and give not over striving by times and turns, till you have made yourselves in case, to join David's request with David's reason, and to say; Lord, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, and teach me thy Statutes: Rivers of tears do drop down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Law.   

CHAP. VIII. Containing the third and last use of comfort to them that have done, or shall begin and continue to do this service.  
Use 3 ANd lastly, if there be any that have performed, 
Comfort to them that do mourn.  and continue to perform, or shall now begin, and proceed to perform this excellent duty, we must also speak peace to their souls, and preach unto them the glad tidings of good things, to comfort them withal. O, it is a great happiness, to tread in the steps of those, concerning whom we are perfectly assured, that they are now in Heaven: well may we assure ourselves, that we shall be where they are after our death, if we have walked in the ways, wherein they walked, during their lives. Thou knowest, David was a child of God, a true regenerate man, a man after Gods own heart; thou knowest, he had all his sins pardoned, died an happy death, now reigneth in Heaven, and hath attained eternal salvation. It would do thine heart good, to have an infallible token, that thou also art such an one as David, that thou hast interest into the same good things which he enjoyeth, and shalt have possession of them at last, as sure as he hath. Then compare thy behaviour and carriage with David's; when he saw men wickedly to break the Statutes of God, when he saw wickedness committed in every place, and knew not how to help it, what did he do? He wept, and sighed, and lamented, and cried, and took on very pitifully, even as if some great cross had befallen himself, and as if his own person had received harm. Canst thou likewise affirm before the Lord, that the same cause hath produced in thee the same effects? Doth the breach of God's Law break thine heart? Doth the sinfulness of others make thy soul sorrowful? Dost thou sigh and groan, and bewail, and mourn for those things, which it is not in thy power to redress? Lo then, thou art a David, a man after God's heart also, a sound and sincere Christian, an Israelite within, before God, a lover of God, a lover of thy Brethren, an hater of sin, and thou also shalt be saved with David, and rejoice with the same heavenly joy, wherewith he now rejoiceth. Those that are like the Saints of God in duty, shall be also like them in glory; those that have followed them in holiness, shall follow them in happiness. The same Spirit worketh in them, the same Christ dwelleth in them, and the same Crown shall be set upon them. Blessed therefore are these mourners, for they shall be comforted. Whatsoever thing David did ask in the former verses (and now in this verse doth lay, as it were, the foundation of his hopes to attain the same, upon the remembrance of these his tears before God) that are we bold in God's name to promise assuredly to every one that can speak the same thing of himself. Dost thou mourn for the sins of other men? Then will God look upon thee, and be merciful unto thee, as he useth to do to them, that love his name; for thou also lovest his name. Doth thine eye drop down tears, because men keep not God's Law? Then will he order thy steps in his Word, neither shall any iniquity have dominion over thee. Doth thy soul lament bitterly the common sins? Then will he deliver thee from the oppression of men, that thou mayest keep his precepts? Doth thine heart mourn for the public offences of those, with whom thou livest? Then will God make his face to shine upon thee his servant, and will teach thee his Statutes. In a word; Strivest thou to perform this service, of which, David maketh profession in this verse? Then shalt thou certainly obtain all those benefits, for which he made his humble petition in the former verses. Wherefore let these Rivers of tears become streams of comfort, wherein thy soul may bathe itself, with much content. Godly sorrow is the mother of sound joy; these tears are the proper seeds of heavenly comfort, whereas carnal joy doth end in sorrow, and that crackling mirth of sinners being extinguished, shall leave them frozen in horror and amazement. Wherefore reap you the comfort of the seed you have sown, and as the seed was precious, so let the crop be; and as the seed was abundant, so let the harvest. From this duty mayest thou infallibly collect, that thy charity was sound and plentiful. This duty will prove certainly, that thine hatred of sin was hearty and earnest, and, I suppose, it may go in the reckoning of one of the most infallible notes of God's child.  
To mourn for the general calamities of the Church, 
Two sure signs of sanctity.  when one's self is at peace; and to mourn for the general sins of the Church, though himself be free; these are two most happy signs of true holiness, and this latter I think to be the surer of the twain, as more sensibly and manifestly testifying true zeal of God's glory. Yea, whosoever sorrows hearty for the common sins, may, in some respect, take more sure hold of that mourning to confirm his faith, and assure himself of his uprightness, then of his sorrowing for his own particular faults. We have examples of damned hypocrites, that have been sad and heavy, for their own sins, in some cases, as Ahab, judas, Saul, and he rest: but we have never any example of any, that lamented the public and common wickedness of the Church or Nation, where he lived, and of the persons amongst whom he conversed (unless accidentally, when the sins have fall'n out to be injurious and troublesome to themselves, or to their friends,) but of those which we are well assured, to have been truly sanctified, and now to be eternally glorified. Is not Lot in Heaven? Is not David in Heaven? Is not Ezra in Heaven? A not jeremiah, Baruch, Ebedmelech, and the rest of these mourners all in eternal glory in Heaven? Name me a man that is noted to have bewailed the sins of others, and I will bring you a ground out of Scripture without doubt or question, that he is saved: so can it not be said of those that have mourned for their own sins. For in truth, the fierceness of an evil conscience, terrifying the soul with the fear of hell fire, may stir up such grief, and make an unsanctified man complain bitterly, that he hath sinned in such or such a thing, as judas in betraying innocent blood. That natural affection which we bear unto ourselves, may also make us sorrowful fort that, which we cannot but see, will be harmful to ourselves, even where no grace at all doth dwell: But to sorrow for public offences, and for the sins of those, that are no way near unto us (but as the common bands of Humanity and Christianity have united them) there can be no motive at all imagined, except the true hatred of sin, and the true love of God and man, which no man can have, but from the Spirit of our Lord jesus Christ dwelling in him. Desperation and horror without Grace, may procure tears for ones own faults, nothing but holiness can procure them for others. A man may lament his own sins, and not hate them; he cannot lament the common sins, but out of an hatred of them. Wherefore let the people of God make much of these tears, and preserve them (as it were some hot and comfortable liquour) for their use, against the day of temptation; that when the weak faith shall be assaulted with manifold objections, it may have this token of truth to allege for itself, against which, there can be none exception; and let the people of God endeavour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sins, that they may abound in comfort afterwards, and be filled with joy, in stead of sorrow; for always holy sorrow ends in joy. We may not make ourselves so careless of our spiritual estate, as to lose a good duty, but must put all the Graces that God hath given us, and the effects of them to the best use, improouing them all to the increase of our faith in God, and our spiritual rejoicing in the assurance of his love. It will make us constant in good duties, if we shall find them to do us much good. Let these sorrows be much profitable and comfortable unto them (O Christian soul,) as indeed they ought, and out of these weeping promises, gather these gladsome conclusions. I am sure I am God's child: I am sure I am a member of the same body, that David was a member of: I am sure, I partake of that Spirit that dwelled in him: I am sure, that sin shall not mortally infect me; that I shall not be drowned in the public judgements; that God will either spare the Land for the sake of myself, and other like mourners; or at least, that himself will make provision for my welfare in the common woes. I shall laugh, when others are punished for sin, because I wept, when they committed sin. God will be my shelter and refuge in the time of trouble, and he will not give me over to the destroyer; for often have I caused, and often do I purpose hereafter to cause, that streams of tears shall descend from mine eyes, because the sons of men do tread his Statutes underfoot. I have not only wept for mine own sins (which fear of shame in the World, or damnation in Hell, hath made many a dissembler do:) I have not alone wept for the faults of my children, and near friends (which also carnal affection hath made many a carnal man to do in some cases:) I have not only wept for the faults of others, that were harmful to myself and my friends, (as self-love will make any man to do,) but I have wept for the general sins of the whole Land, for the sins of the high and low, for the sins of strangers that knew me not, and enemies that love me not; for the sins of any of Adam's sons, that I knew to have sinned, because they kept not Gods Precepts. Blessed be the Lord, that hath made main heart, in such a measure, soft and tender: I am in his Covenant, seeing he hath created an heart of flesh within my body; and I am sure, that none but a fleshy hart will make the eyes to shed tears, for the violation of God's testimonies by other men.  
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FINIS.   

Errata.  
Page 5. line 20. for, fretting, read fettering. p. 17. l. 13. f. 1. Corinth r. 1. Chron. p. 23. l. 30. f. be, r. because p. 28. l. 5. f. disorder, r. disorders. ead. f. doth. r. do. p. 38. l. 22. f. know, r. knowing. p. 40. l. 1. f. First, r. that is. p. 51. l. 2. f. less. r. loss. p. 52. l. 15. f. kyes, r. trees. p. 55. l. 6. f. break. r. brook. p. 56. l. 3. f. common of those, r. common. Of those. l. 8. f. desires? Very, r. desires: very. p. 68 l. 18. f. God alone; r. God; alone, p. 70. l. 16. f. Hamar, r. Hamor. p. 72. l. 9 f. cumber, and attend, r. cumber attend. p. 78. l. 2. f. thou, r. you. p. 80. l. 5. f. shame, r. shun. p. 112. l. 19 f. lend, r. bent. p. 119. l. 22. f. persecute, r. prosecute. p. 121. l. 2. f. of God, r. with God. p. 134. l. 13. f. them. The one, r. them. The natural means are two, the one. p. 164. l. 28. f. selves, r. souls. p. 170. l. 19 f. have. r. hath. p. 176. l. 4. f. works, r. work. p. 204. l. 15 f. thy, r the. p. 229. l. 3. f. longer no, r. no longer. p. ●44. l. 6. f. him, r. himself. p. 251. l. 17. f. us, and every, r. making all faces black, all knees weak, and every body. l. 19 f. houses, r. windows. l. 20. f. buyer, r. buryer. p. 252. l. 24. f. souls, r. selves. l. 25. f. countries, r. Country.