THE VANITY OF Self-boasters. OR, The Prodigious madness of tyrannising saul's, mis-leading Doegs (or any others whatsoever) which peremptorily go on, and atheistically glory in their shame and mischief. IN A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of John Hamnet, Gent. late of the Parish of Maldon in Surrey. BY E. H. Minister of the same, and late Fellow of Merton College in Oxford. Sen. Hyppol. Act. 1. Quod non potest, vult posse, qui nimium potest. LONDON: Printed by R. Bishop for S. GELLIBRAND at the Brazen Serpent in Paul's Churchyard. 1643. Amicissimo juveni joanni Hamnet Generoso, ornatissimi viri joannis Hamnet nuperrimae de Maldon apud Regnos Suthreios Gen. filio unico & haeredi, S. ROgasti ut a me concio haec (rogo & ego ut a te pater tuus) exscriberetur, optatum jam habes, utinam & ego pariter felix, hoc enim mihi unicum in votis, juxta & precibus, at ipsissimum patris prodeas exemplar, ut sis non rei familiaris tantum, sed & virtutum haeres, ut emorituri parentis, jam jamque ultimum emittentis spiritum, coelestibus planè oraculis & fidem habeas & morem geras; sic te tibi reddas, sic tecum vivas, sic proprio sinu, domique senatum, aerarium, & exercitum habeas, sic Deo proximior fias, sic amico. E. H. Mald. pridiè Calend. jul. An. salutis, 1643. THE VANITY OF Self-boasters: OR, A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of John Hamnet Gent. late of the Parish of Maldon in SURREY. PSAL. 52.1. Why boastest thou thyself, O mighty man in mischief? the goodness of the Lord endures for ever. IT was much folly in the Stoics, to hold that all sins were equal, none of a greater stain or poison then another; but 'tis stupidity in the Papists, to make the gap so wide as to affirm, some to be venial only, and the other mortal; If the Papists were in the right, than every soul which sinneth should not die, (a) Ezek. 11.20. if the Stoics, then should it not have been easier for Sodom and Gomorrah, then for that City: (b) Mat. 10.15. Every sin doth lineam transilire (as Cicere expresses it) is a transgression of the Law, and that is death; then none is venial; thus the Papists err: and if every sin is a transgression of the Law, then Longè progredicum semel transieris, auget transeundi culpam (as the same Orator:) and reason tells us, the growth and continuance of sin make an inequality, and thus the Stoics err. Nay, every virtue being a quality, hath its latitude, whose medium is not [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] a strict Arithmetical means, but [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] a Geometrical means, which proportionably varies its distance according to the diversity of circumstances: (c) Arist, Ethie. 2. What differences then and disproportions are there between vices, which are therefore vices because they have no mean? Yes (doubtless) an ill suggestion quickly stifled is not so bad as that which is nourished into a thought, nor this thought as bad as such a one, which grows up into the mouth, and breaks out in words; nor this neither so sinful, as that which sets the head a plotting, and the hand a working mischief; nor this plotted, active mischief so black and sinful, as a wicked habit wallowed and delighted in; nor hath this wicked habit so much death and wormwood in it, as when it is swollen to such a bulk, come to such a non ultra as to be boasted of; for lower than this canst thou not sink, unless thou sinkst into hell and takest jobs wives advice, cursest God and diest. Again, not to love and pray for our enemies is a very sin, a breach of our Saviour's injunction, (d) Mat. 5.44. but a greater sin is it to withhold our love and prayers from God's best Children, and holiest servants; but worse is it to hate them; but yet fare worse, to be an instrument of their ruin; but worst of all, (and horror to imagine) to triumph that thou wast thus mischievously employed, to boast that thou didst hatch the plot that ruind them, dischargedst the Cannon that tore them, madest the pill that poisoned them, wast a Doeg (a knight of the Post) which didst accuse and butcher them. Lastly, of all sins, pride and boasting have the blackest brand, and of all boastings a boasting in mischief; and of all boastings in mischief, a boasting (O thou mighty man, or) that thou art mighty in mischief Well then may David in wonder and amazement, or I in his person, ask Saul the persecutor, or Doeg his informer, and executioner, his bloody misleading instrument, or any other incarnate Devil peremptorily triumphing in the blood or fall of God's people, Why dost thou boast thyself O mighty man in mischief? the goodness of the Lord endures for ever. This paraphrase for the explanation of the words. Take another, whereby we may know the occasion of them. David was now an innocent persecuted Dove (as you have the History, (1 Sam. 21, 22.) who willingly would have returned with an Olive branch in his mouth, for he sought peace, but they would have war (e) Psal. 120.7. Wherefore finding the floods still up, the waves encompassing him on every side, which made him afraid (f) Psal. 18.4. And having no quiet place, no whereto rest his foot on, he returns like Noah's Dove to the Ark, betaked himself to Abimeleth the Priest of the Lord for advice and succour; who believing him fast both to God and the King (though the king was not pleased to think so) did not stick, in case of necessity, to break a ceremony, gives him the hallowed bread and Goliahs' sword: But see the mischief, the Devil (as usually it falls out) had sent a Doeg (who even in God's Temple was his Chapel) to gather pretence of slander and death against them, who presently carries and aggravates the business to Saul; Saul being before heated, was now on fire, turned his former rage into madness, (so quickly doth a bloody tyrannical nature kindle at the least hint) he forth with sends for Abimelech, and making his will his Law, becomes himself: both the accuser and the judge, and makes Doeg his informer his speedy executioner, who forth with falls on Abimelech, and for the relief he afforded the Lords servant and his own faithful subject, ruins both him, his family and City. Had not David then, think you, just cause to be thunderstruck at the confident and peremptory proceeding of the tyrant Saul, or his bandog Doeg, and in amazement to cry out, Why dost thou boast thyself O mighty man in mischief? the goodness of the Lord endures for ever. This the occasion of the words. I will not raise a quarrel by telling you how Expositors wrangled and are divided about my text, how they turn and alter both the sense and words, because though they ring as it were changes on them, and set the words several ways, yet (like skilful Musicians) they keep the Music still sweet, and the tune good. Notwithstanding I should much wonder how the Papists so constant to their old Translation, which they call St. Hieromes, should here leave it and follow the Septuagint, did I not know they gladly take any occasion to balk the Original. The words are, as you already guess, a Question by way of admiration, Why dost thou boast thyself O mighty man in mischief? and the ground or reason of that question [for the goodness of the Lord endures for ever.] The Question naturally and of itself falls into these 3. Questions: 1. Why dost thou boast thyself? 2. Why dost thou boast thyself in mischief? 3. and lastly, Why dost thou boast thyself in mischief O thou mighty man? or that thou art mighty in mischief? all which the ground and reason of the general Question doth make good; and severally answer: so that the burden of the 136. Psalm might very well be the burden and keeping of my discourse; Thus: 1. Why dost thou boast thyself in any thing? for the mercy of the Lord endures for ever: whatsoever thou hast, 'twas his mercy that gave it thee, and 'tis the enduring of his mercy that continues it. 2. More especially I wonder, Why thou dost boast thyself in mischief, glory in thy shame, to see thee thus daring I am at a loss, scarce myself, for know again, the mercy of the Lord endures for ever: 'tis the enduring, the continuance of his mercy that thou art not blasted in the midst and heat of thy pride and mischief. 3. I most especially wonder, why thou dost boast in mischief O thou mighty man, or that thou art mighty in mischief; to see thee so desperate I leave to be man, have almost as little of reason in me as thou hast of God; for once more know, that the mercy of the Lord endures for ever: notwithstanding the blood and Cross of the Saints be thy thirst and pride, yet know, as for Israel, as for them, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord is their memorial, the great and constant love of God will in the fittest time relieve his sheep and repay their wrongs. (g) Hos. 12.5. But I must suit my discourse to the sad occasion of our meeting, nor will the short warning for my meditations, or the scantling of time allowed me for their delivery, suffer me to be thus exact. For the general Question broken into these particulars doth justly challenge more than an hour for the handling of each of them severally. At this time therefore only of the 2. former Questions. And (truth is) I have been therefore the larger in paraphrasing and opening the words, that you might be the better contented to give me leave to defer the last Question to some other opportunity. Now for the first Question, besides the ground and Reason in the Text, which (to speak truly) doth more properly make good the two other Questions; we have 3. other grounds and reasons, according to which this 1. Question will also multiply. The 1. ground and reason is the lowness, weakness and nothingness (as I may so speak) of the party boasting, whether Saul, Doeg, or any other; and then the 1. Question will be, Why dost thou poor, frail, nothing man why dost thou boast thd self? The 2. ground and reason is the uncertainty, emptiness, and vanity of that which necessarily must be the subject of self-boasting; and then our 2. Question will be, Of what dost thou boast thyself? The 3. and last ground and reason, is the fondness and foolery of the end of self-boasting, viz. the frothy applause of the giddy multitude; and thus our 3. and last Question will be, To which end dost thou boast thyself? Of these in their order, and first of the first, Why dost thou poor, frail, nothing man, why dost thou boast thyself? Quest. 1 If we truly weigh ourselves, what have we which might either justify a fools boast, or tempt a wise man's? No creature doth itself so little good when first it comes into the world, nor so much harm, whilst it continues in it, as man: Caetera animalia mihi natur â potiùs quàm ratione artem aliquam exercere videntur, ut formicae & apes; homo verò sicut corpus armis nudum sic & animum artium destitutum habet, (h) Ga'en de usu partium l. 1. (as the Physician.) Other creatures seem naturally to exercise a kind of art, as the Bee and Emmet, but man, as he hath a body void of natural weapons, so also a mind void of natural arts; and although Galen immediately adds [Quòd pro corporis nuditate manus, & pro artium imperitiâ rationem accipit] that his hands supply the want of weapons, and reason recompenseth the want of arts, yet his reason (though naturally [sanissima] never so sound and acute (say Socinus what thou wilt) if not first [sanata] bend and rectified by the Holy Ghost, is no better than a sword in a mad man's hand, wherewith whilst he lives he doth himself more harm than any other creature is capable of. Hark what low thoughts my kingly Prophet had of man, Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity, (i) Psa. 39.5. He says not that man is vain only, but vanity itself: and [Abstracta sunt significantiora] Abstracts are weightier and come more home. 2. He excepts none from being vanity itself, Every man is vanity: Neminem excipit, ne quem decipiat, saith a Father (k) Austin. He excepts none, because he would deceive none. 3. Not every man only, but man in every estate and degree, is vanity itself; yes at his best estate he is so. 4. He is vanity itself in every both part and faculty of soul or body, for he is vanity (saith he) altogether. 5. and lastly, all this (it seems) is a very certain truth, otherwise he would not have affirmed it with this serious asseveration (surely) surely man is vanity itself, every man is vanity itself, every man at his best estate is vanity itself; Yes, every man at his best estate is altogether vanity itself. I know not what might be more said to cool and damp the swell and excrescencies of proud man. Our sad and miserable condition in this world caused (as some have well conceived) that fond opinion [of men's souls] to get within the wisest of Philosophers; which, say they, had from the beginning their creation and being in heaven, and for certain faults there committed, were sent hither to be imprisoned in flesh, to be wracked with its passions, and to undergo the multitudes of miseries, which unavoidable seize us. Nay, the thought and knowledge of the poor and wretched estate of man brought also this error into Divinity; for I have read of a sect of Heretics, called Origenists, who were of the same opinion with the Philosophers, who we may well think were so called from Origen the Father, because I find Austin bringing him in speaking almost the same words (l) Animas fuisse olim in coelo angelos, qui in coelo peccantes, dejiciuntur in haec corpora quasi in se pulchra; & tot in coelo ruinae, quot in terra nativitates, Ep. Tom. 2. p. 124. This consideration also made the (m) Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 63. Naturalist conclude it an argument of nature's bounty afford us such diversity of poisons, whereby we may free ourselves from the world and its crosses. And though Religion allows not of this atheistical exchange of misery, of leaping out of the Frying-pan, as we speak, into the fire, even Hell-fire; yet the miserable condition of man hath made some of the Fathers to bestow large-commendations on death; that known speech of Ambrose is most remarkable, Mors remedium potiùs poenae, quàm vindicta culpae; Death was brought on us rather for the ending of our punishment then for the punishment of sin: For a punishment, saith he, was it said unto man (n) Gen. 3.19. In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread; but for his comfort was it added, till thou return to the earth: And even in this respect also is it truly affirmed by our best Divines, that though death considered according to its own nature, be a punishment; yet as it is considered with relation to the faithful, it is not, because to them the nature of it is changed, and from a curseit is turned into a blessings for the sting of it Sin is taken away, in which its hurt and punishment consisted; and whereas Arminius would therefore prove death properly a punishment even to the faithful, because though the right of holding them captive be taken a way from death by Christ, yet from the actual dominion of death we are not freed till the resutrection, I could tell him (might I stay so long) that death hath not this actual dominion over the faithful (he speaks of) seeing by Christ we have gotten the victory over it; so that we may not crouch to it as captives to their Governor, but rather as Conquerors over a captive may we triumph (O death where is thy sting? t 1 Cor. 15.55. thy punishment, thy dominion?) thought thou art an enemy, the last enemy to be destroyed, and art though by the Arminians to help forward our afflictions, yet abundantly hast thou helped forward our good, the good not only of our souls, which hereby fly to heaven, are made infinitely and eternally happy, but of our bodies also, which hereby have a thrice happy deliverance. First, they are delivered from the sense of misery, from the pains of sickness, the troubles of old age, the crosses of the world, and the misusages of persecutors. Secondly, they are delivered from the society of wicked men; they are taken from sojourning in Mesech, and from dwelling in the Tents of Kedar, which in this world is so loathsome, so burdensome unto them, Thirdly, & lastly, they cease from their labours, not only from their sufferings, under which they unavoidably labour, but from their labours of sin, they rest from their works of wickedness: sin by death loseth not only its dominion, but its habitation, it shall not only not reign, but no longer dwell in their mortal bodies, and the reason is, because their bodies shall be no longer mortal. 'Twas well asked, why is earth & ashes proud? u Ecclus 10.9. so true is that common etymology, [homo quasi ex humo] man is so called, because his foundation is in the dust, x Psal. 108.9. our first parents had no other materials, nor ever since have we: nay the bowels whence we sprang are nothing else [Wonderfully and fearfully (says the Psalmist y Psal. 133▪ 15. ) hast thou made me in the nethermost parts of the earth] i. in my mother's womb, and so (truth is) the Chaldee Paraphrast reads it: hence the Hebrews call women plainly earth; so truly, so verily earth are we, not only made of earthy materials, but cast also in an earthy mould. So earthy and mouldering, that that which we call life, is itself but a wasting and dying, a continual flux and decaying, no part of it being our own, nay no part of it being but [punctum continuationis] the [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] the present moment, which too is so near nothing, that (as the Philosopher) desinit esse antequam est; it gins almost not to be, before it is. What is passed of this we call life, is lost, what is to come is not gained, this present instant only remaining, which was so fleet to that 'twas gone assoon as I could tell you 'twas come, is vanished, whilst 'twas spoke of. Be not mistaken, death consists not in the last gasp, last groan, or fit; these do not name or cause death, but finish it: just as it is not the falling of the last sand in this glass, which makes or names this hour, but the falling of all the sand; and the hour might be then said to make toward an end, when the glass was first turned. 'Tis not, you know, the last blaze of a Candle, spends him, because he is spending all the time he burns, and may truly be said even then to begin to go out, when he was first lighted. No otherwise is it with us, death consists not in the last breath or sickness, no, 'tis now upon you, even upon the best and healthiest constitution, every breath you fetch, every step you move, and every journey you take, 'tis towards the grave, thither were you tending, when you first set out, even the first minute of your birth; all of you beginning then to die, when you first began to be. But men resolving to be proud, A Cavil answered. and therefore willing to forget they are but dust and ashes; may reply, 'Tis a very truth, that in these times and places of War and sickness, our earthy frail condition plainly appears; but at other times, and in other places, we know 'tis otherwise. Have there not been, and are there not even now amongst us many aged people? Answ. 'Tis confessed, but yet there is scarce any of these aged ones, which you call now living, which on serious thoughts and recollection dare say they truly live, that only being true life which hath joy and contentment individual with it, which the cares and thorns of the world, the weaknesses and infirmities of old age denying them, denies them also truly to live. So true is that of my Psalmist, s Psal. 90.70. The days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength they be eigthy years, then is their strength labour and pain. If joy and content did not only speak us truly and properly alive, than they in hell may be said to be alive, but on them the second death hath seized. Aged men (by reason of the troubles and cares the world hath brought on them) are like those on the seas, bend for a short voyage, but vexed and hindered by contrary winds and tempests: for as such cannot be said [multum navigare, but multum jactari,] not to fail fare, but to be much tossed: so old people may not so properly be said to live long, as to be troubled long. But grant that some old men have been so healthy and happy, that they never yet tasted the bitter of cross or sickness, and grant that with Wine, good Company, Cards, and a careless self, loving heart they can merrily pass over the fears and miseries of Church and State: grant that in such frantic jollity they attain to 80.100. years, yet that life is but [vapour aliquanto diuturnior] (saith the Father) a better lasting vapour; t Austin in Psal. 6. nay, [sitoto illo tempore viveres, ex quo Adam è paradiso emissus est usque in hodiernum diem, videres vitam tuam (says he) non fuisse diuturnam, quae sic avolasset] if thou hadst been borne when sin slung Adam out of Paradise, and lived to this present moment, thou must necessarily confess, thy life may not properly be called long, which is so swift-winged. Seeing then our life is so short, miserable, and uncertain, may we not stand amazed at the general pride that overspreades and oppresseth the whole Kingdom, and ask almost every man we meet, Why dost thou poor miserable nothing-man, why dost thou boast thyself? And thus much suffice for the proof and illustration of the first branch of our first question; let's in the next place apply what hath been said. Application. No better use can we make of this first question, and of the ground and reason of it thus opened, nor any likelier means to take us off from pride and boasting, then by often and serious meditation of our earthy, frail, and miserable condition to lay up against and to provide for death. If our life at the best, peaceablest, and healthiest times be but a hands breadth u Psal. 39.5. , then certainly in these bleeding sick and worst times, we are fallen on, 'tis not only before God, but in itself nothing. All of us now (as David complains x Psal. 119.109. ) carry our souls in our hands; or, as our Divines y Ainsworth in locum. with the Chaldee Paraphrast expound him, being every day, nay every hour through the destroying angels of War, and the sickness raging amongst us, in jeopardy of our lives, it should make us again with David, (as Lorinus z Lorin. in lib. Sapient, 6.4. v. 7. and others expound him) to carry our souls in our hands i. with meditation of the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of its coming [animam velutmanibus gestare, ut Domino ad nutum offeramus] so to carry our souls in our hands, that we be ready, willingly and preparedly to yield them up unto the Lord, let him call for them never so suddenly. And, here bethinking myself both of the misery and carelessness of our times, I am lost in the comparison. If ever England were inhabited by people of Laish, if ever we were lost in a Leathargie, buried in security, dulled and deadened in a senseless course of sinning, then now especially. What alatums and warnings have we had, and even now are bellowing in our ears? and yet, Behold joy and gladness, slaying of Oxen, and killing of sheep, eating of flesh, and drinking wine a Psal. 22. ] At such a carelessness the Prophet stands amazed, even when judgement was threatened, and for it the Lord assures the Jews that they should be utterly destroyed, [this iniquity should not be purged away until you die, verse 14.] Oh my Brethren, how justly may we be lost then with the apprehension of the deadness, & senseless stupidity of our times? and what a fearful and utter destruction may we expect at God's hands, whose judgements are not only threatened, but in execution? Oh! they fall thick and heavy on us, and yet are we still the same constant and careless trudgers on in the old sins of our nature, custom and crimes: nay, we hate to be reform, accounting those our enemies and misusers, who would recall and better us. War, Civil war (the most bloody and lasting of any) and the sickness rage amongst us: the sad breach between the King and his great Council, not made only, but proclaimed, the gap grows daily wider, the Drum speaks louder, and the sword drinks blood thirstier than ever, massacres, burn, batteries, besieges, (things not heard of for many, (many years in our Island) are our familiar misery, and discourse: yet (alas, alas!) as if we could neither see, nor hear, we continue the same careless indifferent Christians. We often hear and read of the cruel suffering of our Brethren, both with us and beyond the Seas, especially in bleeding and dying Ireland, such sufferings that 'twould make the heart ache to think of them, the ear tingle to hear them, and the tongue falter to relate them? and yet (still taken with the sins and courses of the world, with the vanities, idolatries, and superstitions of pastimes) you never set about the making up of your accounts between God and your souls, of the making even with heaven; the Lord knows how soon (sooner 'tis to be feared then the Devil will let us believe) we may be made to drink the dregs of that cup, which our poor Brethren have begun unto us. 'Tis much to be wondered at, that you, which have so many arguments for praying against sudden death, should make such no-preparation against it,. But do you know what in that short ejaculation you pray for? In it you do not so much pray against thiefs, bloody persecuters, the Pestilence, Impostumes, Apoplexies, Palsies, Fire, Water, Thunder, Earthquakes, the hazards and dangers of Civil War only, the usual messengers of untimely deaths: but that you may by a blessed use of the means (such as praying, hearing, meditation, conference, sanctified afflictions, etc.) so confirm your faith, and perfect your repentance, that you may at all times be armed and provided against death: which means if you neglect, you live contrary to your own pretended desire, and consequently your prayer is vain, and hypocritical, an abomination to the Lord. But if your prayer be hearty, and your endeavours answerable, that thereby you are prepared to meet the Lord, whensoever he shall call for you, death then can never be sudden, let it come when it will, and how it will, or by whom it will. So much truth hath that of solomon's in it, c Wisd 4.7. Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be at rest,) though he be taken away sooner, than after the ordinary course of nature he might expect, in his youth (, happily) full strength, or best complexion, yet being took so doing, standing on his watch, and guard, by faith and repentance having made Christ his, and by a continual circumspection living in a constant expectation of death, he dies in full assurance of rest and happiness: whereas wicked d Psal. 55. vit. bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days i, either as a judgement on their hard hearts, which cannot repent, they shall be cut off in the midst of their strength and sins, (as most interpret the words) or wicked men, though they die feeble, and aged, yet are they said [dies dimidiare] not to live out half their days: because they are so deeply in love with the world, and greedy of life, that they would willingly live as long again, as already they had: or lastly, are so careless of their walking, so little knowing how the precious time passes away, that they are at their journeys end, ere they think they have gone half way: thus being took away before they expected death, they are taken away also ere they could half provide for it. Whereas if we consider how frail and brittle even naturally, how subject to variety of casualties, the frequent instruments of sudden death, we are; how many continually fall on every side of us; what store of bloodthirsty Papists, and desperate Libertines rage, and swarm in our land, each whereof [suae vitae incuriosus, tuae dominus] grown careless of his own life, becomes master of thine; and upon these considerations always keep e Sen. Ep. 66. in our view and mind, approaching death, we should never be unprepared for it. Non subito moriuntur, qui semper se morituros cogitaverunt.] i.e. those which with Saint Paul, die daily f 1 Cor. 15.31. (for so also may he be understood) cannot die suddenly. If therefore thou art resolved to pray, From sudden death good Lord deliver us, pray also with David g Psal. 92.12 Teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, i.e. bring them to wisdom, make them wise: Now a wise man's heart (saith the Preacher h Eccles. ●. 5. ) discerneth both time and judgement; the last time death, and the last judgement at Christ's second coming: not that he punctually knows the time when he shall die, or when Christ shall in flaming fire be revealed from heaven; no, these times and seasons belong unto God alone; but that he so well discerns the one and the other, that neither of them shall take him unprovided, to this purpose (as it becometh a wise son) [he gathereth in summer l Prov. 10.5. ] In the long days of peace, and the glorious sunshine of the Gospel, he lays up against Winter, i.e. either against times of blindness and persecution, when the means shall be denied him, or else against death, when his strength, like that of Plants, returns to the earth, there to be kept until the Resurrections spring. You therefore which desire to be freed from sudden death, and by your prayer will witness this your desire, witness it also, I beseech you, by your careful endeavour to prepare for its coming: pray that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom, and manifest yourselves to be wise sons by gathering in Summer. O gather therefore (gather apace) whilst it may be (yet) said to be Summer: For ought I know, our Sun may be declining, and our Summer drawing towards an end, darkness and spiritual blindness may be coming faster on us, than the years Winter. We have (truth is) at this time a great shine, great store of excellent and faithful Preachers, but this may be but Vltimus lucernaefulgor, the last blaze of a dying candle, greatest at last. The times are dangerous, full of tears and dismal expectations (what bloody and desperate designs are continually hatched and discovered!) strange talk and projects abroad, (God knows whether the Jesuits many years plot may now have issue) the scales may turn; (sure I am our sins and hardened hearts deserve it) nay, do we not see them swagge, and much ado to keep even? and did not the prayers and humiliations of some few good souls amongst us, which sigh and cry both for their own, and the abominations of the land, add weight unto the right scale, we were utterly lost. O how suddenly may the freedom and liberty of enjoying God in his Ordinances, for want of valuing and rightly using them, be taken from us! Let therefore you, and me, and him, let every one of us resolve with his Saviour, [ m john 9.40. To work the works of him that sent us, whilst 'tis day, because the night comes, when no man can work;] the works of him that sent me, not of my Father, obligationem faciendi ipso missionis nomine declaret n Maldon. in locum. , that he might show the necessity of performing these works, from his purposely being sent for their performance. So ought we whilst 'tis called to day, the time of our life, the time of our liberty, or the time allowed us for coming in, let us ply the businesses breeding faith, and perfecting repentance, not only because they are the works of our Father, works tending to his glory, but also because they are the works of him that sent us: to this end hath he sent us into the World that we might repent and believe. It concerns us therefore carefully to use all the means to attain to this perfection ere we are took out of the world, ere the night of death come on us, when no man can work. And for aught I know to the contrary, this night wherein no man can work, may as well include our last sickness, the time of dying, as that after it. Death is a harder task, and there is more to do in it then most men think of. How much business we may then have, and how little time allowed for its dispatch, God only knows. A careless man going on in the sins and courses of the world, who thinks it not worth the while in times of health and content, to trouble himself with the melancholy of repentance, will find it employment more then enough on his deathbed for his weak heart and giddy head to set his house in order, (the chief thing in these troubles cared for by worldly Achitophel's) with patience to undergo his present pains, or to make the little and spiritless flesh, God shall leave him, willing to departed: What no time then (my brethren) and quiet will he have to make even with God, having run on 30, 40, 50. or more years in horrible arrearages? what little leisure than will he have to resist the Devil, quiet his conscience, or answer his clamorous sins? I shall in a word show you what a toil, and trouble, almost invincible, 'twill be for that man to die well that hath lived ill, acquainting you with these 2. things; 1. How hard it is for such a one to be willing to die. 2. How hard it is for him dying to resist the Devil. First, see how hard it will be for him to be willing to die. Whatsoever is destructive to being or life, nature abhors, the continuance and preservation of this, being its only appetite. Such a one then, as yet being in the state of nature, cannot but mightily dread death. Nay, there hath been in the dearest of God's children this unwillingness to die; in Jeremiah, (i) ●r. 37.20. Therefore hear me now I pray thee, and let my supplications be acceptable unto the King, my Lord, that thou cause me not to return to the house of jonathan the Scribe, lest I die there. Our Saviour foretelling Peter that bold professor, [Though all should be offended, yet not I k Mat. 26.37. ] of his death, foretold him also how unwillingly he would undergo it, Thou shalt be carried whither thou wouldst not (l) john 21.18. And thus unwilling have the Saints been to die, not only when wealth and pleasures would have made them in love with life, but even in such times as these, when sin and misery did abound in the world; yet even then loath have they been to be took out of it: just as Lot, who though his righteous soul was vexed day by day whilst he lived in Sodom (m) 2 Pet. 2.8. , although he knew that a fearful destruction was falling on it suddenly, yet how strangely did he linger when God would take him out of it? insomuch that the two Angels were constrained, laying their hands on him, to force him out. So weak was the purest and best flesh that was ever made, even our Saviour's, though united to the Godhead, that it begged, If it be possible let this cup pass from me, Ipsa vox non exauditi magna est expositio Sacramenti, (n) Leo in Mat. 26.39. The mystery that Christ should be God, and not be heard, is to tell us, that nature, flesh and blood would not willingly purchase any good thing at so dear a rate as the price of its life, and being: Man then, yes the best man, nay God himself, as he was a man, being not able without some struggle and reluctancy to undergo the last and sad departure of the soul from the body (these dear, intimate and ancient friends:) with what heart-breaking then and tormenting unwillingness doth a man formerly careless and customary in Religion yield up his soul? Again, take notice how hard 'twill be for him to resist the Devil, who then especially recollects what malice and poison is within him, and vents it with most violence? Vltimum magno scelus animo patrandum (as Medea of herself (o) Sen. Med. Sad and present experience will tell you that when the besiegers of a Town hear that the siege is shortly to be raised by the relief of approaching succours, whereby it must necessarily be for ever rescued out of their hands; how fast and loud will the Ordnance than thunder? what undermine, what stratagems, what force will be then used? then will they recollect whatsoever is man in them; not a brain, heart, or hand which shall not be then employed, that their former hopes may not fail, or their former labour be lost. And can the Devil (think you) who hath besieged a soul for 30, 40, 50, or 60. years, and all this while hath more than hopes of taking it, be forced to remove siege ere he hath tried his utmost strength, fury, and policy? And as the Devil will on our deathbeds use his utmost endeavours; so shall we (formerly careless) be utterly disenabled for resistance, Alas! we have not in time of health got unto ourselves the whole armour of a Christian, which is very improbable, I will not say impossible, to begained in the last sickness; for the armour, the chiefest whereof is the shield of Faith, comes by hearing (p) Rom. 10.17. God therefore seldom, very seldom bestows his graces on those who in their health have not thrived by this Ordinance. And this is the reason why many careless ones die either without a Minister, or happily having an ignorant lose one, which knows not how to awaken a soul out of its damnable lethargy; or lastly, having a faithful one cannot by reason of their present pains or fear of hell, reap any profit by him; and if any seemingly to us are by God's blessing on a faithful Minister brought to repent, their repentance is scarce acceptable, or sound; 1. Not acceptable. May not God say to such, as he in the Comedy, [Cum nemini obtrudipotest, itur ad me,] you make me your refuge, not your choice; nay, you come not only last unto me, but you reserve that which is worst for me: As in a barrel long drawn, [Non tantum minimum, sed & pessimum relictum,] what is left is not only little, but grownes and dregs, the worst of all; so offering yourselves unto me on your deathbeds, you give me only that little of your life that is left, and this little is the worst part too, made up of pains, weaknesses, fears, and agonies; nor this neither would you give me, knew you how otherwise to bestow it. What thankworthy is it to be willing to leave your sins, when you can keep them no longer? to renounce the world and its vanities, when you must be took from them? to give means to the poor, when you yourselves cannot make use of them? to forgive your enemies, when you are disenabled to return their injuries? or to persuade your wife and children to rely on my providence, because you can no longer lay up for them? 2. 'Tis usually unsound. Many at their last gasp with tears in their eyes, groans in their hearts, and confession in their mouths miscarry and go to hell, which we assuredly conclude to be in heaven, and have oft with joy related what good ends they have made, looking only at their last pensiveness, and not at their former lives, by which only may we guess what follows death, death being the Echo to life, so we usually die as we live. This sad truth my own reason and experience makes good. Some have I known in extremity of sickness, being as they thought the last, have made large confessions of their past errors, and have professed strong resolutions of amendment for the future, in supposition of recovery. Oh! said they, if it would please God to spare me, suffer me to recover my strength ere I go hence, add unto my years, mightily would I manifest, how the Lord hath sanctified his visitation unto me, by a reclaimed, strict, and exemplary life: yet being restored again to their former strength and liberty, (Dogs and Sows as they are) have suddenly returned to their vomit and mire; this my experience tells me: now my reason tells me, that had these wretches died in this their repentance, which the devil made them believe, and they us was sound and true, they must necessarily have gone to hell, because their after relapses, and wallowings proved them to be counterfeits. Thus are we necessitated to fear the miscarrying of all these careless ones, though they are permitted to die in their beds with a long and ordinary sickness Oh then in what danger do they live? and how do they walk upon the brink of hell, which care not through repentance and humiliation to make their peace with God in these dismal, bloody, dying times of ours, when probably this benefit of dying by a long sickness in the bed, being denied them, they may be suddenly cut off with a head full of Wine, hands full of oppression, eyes full of uncleanness, and a heart full of malice; and think (Oh think) what then! Object. I know the jolly customary sinners ordinary objection, (no great decision, sure I am, no disprofit to answer it) Though we as yet take our swing in the ways and courses of the world, and death may overtake us ere we are prepared for it; yet God can make us do much in a little time, and that as much in as little time too, as the thief on the Cross did. Sol. 'Tis truth, to God nothing is impossible, much less can any thing be hard to him, yet know, that the LORD is infinitely just, as well as omnipotent, and I know not how it can stand with his infinite justice miraculously to work faith and repentance in a man on his deathbed, distracted with sickness, weeping friends, a clamorous conscience, and a misgiving heart, which in time of strength and quiet, wilfully did shut his eyes against light, counted the preaching of the Word foolishness, 1 Cor. 1.19. by which foolishness, as he and such like count it, it pleaseth God to save them that believe; he hath appointed as a means to work faith in them whom he intends to save. Rep. But did he not make the thief on the Cross much repent and believe in a little time? and why may he not take the same course with me too? Resol. This Example of the Thief only proves, that if thou dost as truly repent, and believe on thy deathbed, as the Thief did on the Cross, though thou hast been formerly never so desperately wild and careless, and canst manifest the truth of thy faith and repentance by as lively fruits as he did, thou art called, though at the last hour, and art assured of heaven: but it does not prove that God chooseth the last hour to call souls in; though faith and repentance, be it given when it will, cannot miss of heaven: yet seldom or never, never but once, have we read or heard of, God bestows these graces on them, which till then never thought them worthy the seeking. The Fathers and modern Divines afford store of answers to this careless Objection. First, that of Augustine is very good, Verum quidem dicis, quod Dous poenitentiae tuae indulgentiam promisit, sed huic dilaetioni tuae diem crastinum non promisit; s Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 16. ; That merciful God which hath promised pardon upon repentance, hath not promised to morrow to him that defers it. Whensoever therefore thou art called, come, do not defer thy coming till the eleventh hour, because you have heard of the Thief then called: 'tis very likely in these bleeding, dying times, that thou shalt not live to the sixth. Secondly, t Bolton Comfort. Walk. from the Creation to this present hour, we have read but of one so miraculously snatched out of the fire: 'twas a miracle wherewith God honoured the passion of his Son, and we may then only look for the like miracle, when Christ is again to suffer. Thirdly, and lastly, u Down. Warf. part. 1. lib. 2. c. 32. Princes now and then, though very seldom, as tokens of their clemency, pardon some man at the block, yet if any shall in hope hereof wilfully offend, and having offended, delay suing for a pardon, till he be led forth to execution, certainly he richly deserves to suffer, not only for his offence, but for his presumption: just so the Lord to manifest the riches of his mercy, pardoned the thief, when death (death eternal) was seizing on him: now those which hereupon shall take occasion by continuing in their old and sinful courses, fearfully to displease his Majesty, or having fearfully offended, yet shall defer by faith and repentance to sue for pardon, utterly unworthy are they of grace and mercy, and as probably as deservedly shall perish in their sins, and be delivered up to the black tormentor. To conclude therefore this first application (the suitableness whereof both to our times and sad occasion hath lengthened it a great deal beyond my intention) considering how hard, almost impossible, it is to repent in our last sickness, and how probable it is that the last and usual leisure of a long sickness, will by reason of our natural frailties, the raging of infectious and violent diseases, together with the thousand casualties of a bloody Civil war, be utterly denied us, Let us speedily set about working forth our salvation with fear and trembling: Let's forthwith endeavour to make our calling and election sure: Now, now, in this breathing time of health and liberty, let's make good our title to heaven, confirm our evidence, our Faith, which is the evidence of things not seen, (u) Heb. 11.1. and have in readiness our witness, which is a good conscience. The Scripture will not give you any encouragement or allowance for the least delay. 'Tis to day if you will't hear his voice, harden not your hearts, (w) Psal. 95.7, 8. not to morrow, if you will hear it; a day's procrastination doth harden the heart. 'tis now is, not hereafter will be, the acceptable time: Behold now is the day of salvation, (x) 2 Cor. 6.2. The glorious time of the Gospel, wherein peace and reconciliation through Christ is tendered on condition of faith and repentance, is expressed by the present time and this day, to tell us (as I conceive) that there is a certain time allowed for every man to come in, which nick and opportunity, through a desperate carelessness o'reslipping, he is irrecoverably lost. And therefore ought we to make so thrifty a use of this day, nay of this present time, of this present hour of my discourse, as though this glass were now turned up upon you, and that the time allotted for your, and your coming in did expire with the falling of the last sand. For therefore (faith a Father (y) Austin. is our last day concealed from us, that we may believe every day to be the last. Oh that the Lord would make me a blessed instrument to move, melt, and soften but one heart here present, with the apprehension of that horror and trembling, which seizes a foul impenitent and unprovided sinner suddenly death-strucken, and with the blow having his conscience awakened; or into what everlasting burn and torments he sinks being never awakened. But I have already trespassed too much in the length of the use of the first branch. I shall recompense your patience in the shortness of the other uses. I go forwards therefore to the second branch. Branch 2 Of what dost thou boast thyself? i. e. what hast thou which might be a just subject for boasting? whatsoever thou darest own, or call thine, are either the good things of thy body, fortune, or thy mind, (as they are commonly distinguished) we will make our examination severally. First then, the good things of thy body are either beauty or strength; but neither of these can justify the least pride or vaunt: Not beauty, which is Flos floris, the flower of a flower: Man at the best is but a Flower suddenly gone, (z) Ps. 103.15.16. As for man his days are as grass, as a Flower of the field so he flourisheth, for the wind passeth over it, and so it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more; but beauty is that which soon fades and altars in man, nay 'tis only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (*) sch Aen. the flower of colour, or the colour of a flower, which soon fades in a flower. Add to this, that Scripture, experience, Chronicles, and most Histories tell us, that those sins and miseries can scarce be equalled, which this fond thing (we call beauty) hath produced. And even this might take off from boasting of it, because 'tis (as Pindarus terms it) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the wanton Goddesses Ambassador. Nor can strength, health, or manhood justify thy boast; for know, especially in the times of war and sickness know, that the healthiest, ablest men fall thickest: Strong and able men are daily called to the dangers and hazards of the war, and the purest and best complexions soon yield to the infection and cruelty of raging diseases; and most Physicians affirm, that Temperamentum ad pondus (as they call it) the exactest constitution hath most danger in it, because it cannot long consist in its perfection and excellency: Et quia non potest in melius progredi, labitur in deterius, (as Galen somewhere) because it cannot grow better, grows worse: And that Aphorism of Hypocrates (a) Hippoc. sect. 2. Aphor. 30. 〈◊〉 will hinder your boasting, pains and diseases are easiest in youth and age, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,] of more force against the strongest complexion. A sudden tempestuous sickness, a fever, the Stone, or wind in the Stomach (as a tempest deals with sturdy Okes) soon plucks up and overturnes the strongest, when weak creeping wretches come off easier. And if thou hast no just cause to boast of the good things of thy body, much less cause hast thou to boast of the things we call the good things of Fortune, because they are less thine own, longer winged, and fly away sooner. First, no cause hast thou to boast of thy riches, for nec verae sunt, nec tuae (b) Bern. Ser. 49. , they are neither truly wealth, nor thine own: so fare are they from being thine own, that we are forbidden to gather them for ourselves. Lay not up (saith our Saviour) for yourselves treasures upon earth (not that we are forbidden with honest and moderate carefulness to endeavour an increase of our stock and talon: (c) Mat. 6.19. No, the hand of the diligent maketh rich, saith Solomon, (d) Prov. 10.9. their growing rich is made the reward and encouragement to moderate and honest carefulness; but that we should not lay up treasures for ourselves; that we should not therefore cark, spare, and pine, that we may purchase a propriety in wealth, that we may have heaps of gold and store of lands that we may call our own, that we may have what to set our hearts on with that fool in the Gospel singing lullaby to our souls, Soul take thy rest, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, (e) Luke 12.19. thou hast goods laid up, the goods are thine, and for thee only are they laid up: Well might this fool by the Psalmist (f) Psal. 39 6. be said to be disquieted in vain, because he stored up riches, and knows not who shall enjoy them: So fare is he from knowing who shall enjoy them, that he knows not for whom he gathers them. Even in this sense also that charge of the Apostle (g) I Cor. 10.24. requires obedience, Let no man seek his own, but every one another's wealth, Let him not seek wealth for himself to make it his own, but for others, either for his children, friends, Commonwealth, especially for God, for the upholding of his cause, or the relief of his servants. And oh that men would consider what no propriety, what no right they themselves have to their wealth, what no masters themselves are of their own purse, when God's cause calls for't, and bids them deliver! Again, the deceitfulness of riches (as our Saviour calls it (h) Mar. 4.19. which especially fails us in our greatest necessity, should keep us from boasting of them; when age or sickness throws thee on thy deathbed, thy full barns and crammed bags will afford thee little comfort, thy corn will not then be nourishing, nor thy gold restorative. In this needful time they deal with us as Hagar did with Ishmael (i) Gen. 23.16. , being not able then to comfort us with the waters of refreshment, they depart from us, they yield us up unto death; and after death thy comfort will be least of all, thine I mean, which pridest thyself in thy wealth: for in that last and great day they will but increase thy onus, add to the score, and make thy accounts deeper and more intricate. This misery riches bring with them though well got, but if ill got, got by oppression, the trade of Usury, or other unlawful gains, what no cause hast thou to boast of them? especially in thy last sickness, when their deceivableness plainly appears: this heavy straight wilt thou be brought to, if thou make restitution, as God and thy conscience requires, thou must then leave thy children beggars; if not, thy soul sinks into hell: Coelum undique, & undique pontus. Secondly, no just cause hast thou to boast of thy honours, which though in themselves good, not only as they are Gods gifts: [He it is that raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the beggar from the dunghill, to set them amongst Princes, and to make them inherit the seat of glory k 1 Sam. 2.8. ] but also as they are rewards to those that stick for his Honour [He will honour those that honour him l 1 Sam. 2.30. ]. Yet to those that desire to pride themselves in them are just cause of dread and shame, for these reasons: First, such will desire honour fare above their desert and place: Thus Alexander, who gloried much in his height and Victories, willingly accepted of divine respect; when some of his base Courtiers persuaded him he was a God, then presently became he violent against the few faithful friends of his that gainesayed it, so violent, that the faithfullest of them was murdered; and no wonder, for thinking himself a god, 'twas easy for him afterwards to conceive that he was not bounded by Law or duty. Secondly, such will not only affect honour fare above them, but whatsoever honour they affect, they are eager in the pursuit of it, and it cannot easily be guest, what variety of sins and dangers such will run thorough to satisfy their lust; they care not how dishonest the means be, how base the instruments, nor how foul the way, so they may get to their journey's end. God grant that we own not our present sufferings, nay our present sins, our hideous lyings, oaths, perjuries, bloody stratagems, murders, and oppressions to such inordinate desires. Thirdly and lastly, they which desire honour merely that they may vaunt and glister, they will not desire that which neither God nor man hath thought fit for them, and with a strange eagerness, and hazard pursue this desire, until they have either lost themselves or gained their unjust honour, but into these straits are they also cast, viz. to be as base and sinful in keeping their Honour, as they were in the obtaining of it (according to that rule of the Historian m Sallust. , [jisdem artibus retinetur gloria, quibus parta fuit] glory is to be kept upon the same terms it was got; if thou by sinful courses and base instruments gottest up, the same finnefull courses and base instruments are necessary to the keeping of thy height, otherwise they which set thee up will pull thee down again, ex. gr. if by flattery and dissembling thou gottest so high, then (O misery!) must thou still be base and flatter: if by bribing, then must thou still be sending and giving, otherwise 'twill be with thee as with a Comet, which (say Astronomers) continues its blaze and lustre no longer than it hath matter to feed and maintain it; nor will thy glory, if thus come by, last longer than thou hast oil to foment it, base smooth language or gifts; but when these fail, thy great friend will begin to frown, and then down thou must, and wilt fall like a spent exhalation. Put these together then, and tell me. Have those which are so unjust in their desires, and so violent in the pursuit of them, so violent (I say) that they oft run through any sin, and venture on any danger, rather than they'll be hindered, yes and are forced for the most part to a necessary continuance in the sins, by which, and liableness to those dangers, through which they waded to their height: have these (I say) just cause of boasting of their honour thus got and enjoyed? Alas! my brethren, did you feel and know the stings and burn, the throws and cuttings of their guilty consciences, if they have any, you would not be long in giving in your answer. But one step further, that they (Atheists as they are) have no consciences, for none but Atheists would be so violent and sinful in the pursuit of honour, and that they can gloriam ●sdem artibus retinere, quibus parta fuit, keep their height and glory with the same sins and strength wherewith 'twas got; yet all this will but make them great and glorious sinners, whose end is horror to imagine. And then for the best honours which are to be gained the best and most innocent way, though offered and forced on thee; labour thou mayst indeed to deserve them, but never to make them matter of thy boast: Hence our Saviour, the people crying, Blessed is he which cometh King of Israel n Luk. 19.38.40. , would by no means be brought to rebuke them; but understanding their intention was to make him King, he withstood them o joh. 6. ●5. , whereupon Hilarius, [Insinnat quod statum regium, & mundi honores volebat mereri, & contemnere] he thereby willed the desert, and contempt of worldly honours: Magne fortuna est magna servitus, high place is but an honourable servitude, and will stand in little stead at last: it cannot stave of deaths arrest, though happily it may the Laws; Even of the greatest of mortal, saith the Psalmist p Psal. 146.4. , his breath gooth forth, he returneth to his earth, (the earth from whence he came) and then all his thoughts (not good thoughts certainly, for such are gloriously satisfied, but his bad thoughts, his thoughts of soaring, revenge, rioting, etc.) shall perish: Then (as Lucretius wittily q Lib. 3. Eripitur persona, manet ves, the play will be done, his exiit come, and his robes took off, he will appear an arrant man, not of better earth or mould then the poorest beggar. Thirdly and lastly, no just cause hast thou to boast of thy great friends, thy dependency or mighty relations, and that for these reasons; First, because most are false, they dive and wind themselves into thy bosom; and being got into thy innermost closet, acquainted with thy natural bent and inclination; they will accordingly so bend and crook their words and actions, and therewith as with a false key, they will unlock and open thy heart, that they may deal with thee as Latiaris in Tacitus did with Sabinus r Annal. 1.4. , sound and pump thee until they have got enough out of thee to undo thee. They will s Eccl. 13.11, 12. smiling on thee get out thy secrets, lay up thy words, will not spare to do thee hurt, or to put thee in prison: There are I am confident plenty of such friends storing up against a black day. How usual a way of poisoning is it to profess Physic? Who would not have took joab to have been Amasa's friend? see his friendly greeting, Art thou in health my brother? Takes him by the beard to kiss him, but nothing less; this only to make way for more surely murdering of him; for hereby (saith the Text) Amasa took no heed to joabs' sword, so he struck him therewith on the fifth rib and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again t 2 Sam. 20.9.10. Secondly, suppose thy friends not such wretched Caitiffs, as to intent to build themselves a fortune out of thy ruins, or rise the higher by treading on thee (though the discovery of many bloody undermine tell us, there are store of such amongst us) notwithstanding few are there which do truly intent the good of their friends. Many will be friends to thy wealth, thy power, wisdom, or hospitality, which will not be so to thee; such as the Philosopher says, [qui eo usque oleum infundunt, donec lucernâ opus est] which put oil into the Lamp no longer, than they make use of its light: But when thy candle is put out, as job phrases it u job 18.6 , when thou art disenabled from affording them comfort and relief, then presently will they fall off, and (as he complains of his friends x job 6.15. ) deal deceitfully with thee as a brook, in summer, in the heat of thy afflictions, when thou hast most need of them, fail thee, and like David's kinsfolk stand afar of y Psal. 8. 1●. Thirdly, grant thy friend true, and for the time fast, yet how soon may another creep into his bosom, and thrust thee out? I need not to go so fare back as to tell you that Haman (but now Ahasuerus his great Favourite, the only man privy to his sports, and businesses) was on a sudden forced to be an instrument of Mordecai's honour, whom erewhile he would not suffer to sit covered before him, and immediately afterwards hanged on that Gallows he reared for him z Est. 7. How suddenly the scales have turned, and good carding altered, our own Chronicles will tell you, yes, our own times (very late times) will tell you how a long imprisoned person hath been took out of the prison, judged, and censured his but now mighty adversary: 'Twere loss of time to show you those many, whom sympathy and conversation have been long a twisting, which in a thrice have been as famous for they enmity, as ever they were for their friendship. One instance shall serve, Sejanus had but now so much of the bosom of Tiberius (as the Historian tells us (a) Tacitus , that he styles him [consors curarum,] partnet in his cares; and so much of his dignity, that he styles him [Collega imperii] partner in his Empire: but how suddenly and fatally did the Scene alter, next day, nay next hour [Calcamus Caesaris hostem;] Macro a new pellet, but his old Adversary, thrust him out of Tiberius his favour, brought men and Authority to the Senate to spoil him of his life, and (which was worse to an ambitious man) of his honours too: then those, which but this hour were his Idolaters, became with the hearing of six lines read, proud to be his executioners, and made him the sacrifice, which but this morning was their God. Fourthly and lastly, suppose thy friend (thy greatest friend) true and fast, as constant too, as the three pairs the Heathens boast of: let him be as close and sure to thee as jonathan was to David; nay further, suppose him as close and as fast to his God too, yet he is still but God's instrument: if thou dost ill, he neither will, nor dares stick to thee; if thou dost well, yet can he be nor more nor longer thine, than God shall suffer him. Nay let me tell you, if high friends, great dependence, or mighty relation be that which you pride yourselves in and boast of, God may (and 'tis probable he will) so crush and humble thy great friend, that thou mayst gladly make use of Peter's [I know not the man:] 'twas I believe somewhat in the cause why the Lord lesus so left Peter, that he denied, forswore, and wept, because he relied too much upon the man Christ jesus. Read we not that 'twas usual amongst the ancient to attach and accuse friends as accessories, and conclude every traitors friend a conspirator? and that humour is not yet quite worn out: For though judgement doth not so peremptorily (as in old times) seize the friends of the accused, or guilty, yet suspicion sticks close to them; and if jealous, suspicious eyes are about thee, 'tis as bad as moss about a tree; 'twill for the present hinder thee from thriving, and at last by degrees whither thee. No sooner was our Saviour betrayed, but present enquiry was made after his friends and followers; then presently thou also Peter wast with jesus of Galilee * Matt. 26.69.71. and again, this fellow also was with jesus of Nazareth: (b) And though the Disciples fell not presently with their Master, yet his cause was their death, and because they persecuted him, they persecuted them much more. This have I said, not that I would have you leave your Saviour, or fear to profess friendship to his cause and servants, but than you might know that friendship, and relation only, be they never so innocent, may cause your overthrow. Hence the Athenians Photion ask them why others (he only being thought guilty) should be accused, answered only [quod amici fuerint] because they were his friends. Thus Alexander (as Curtius tells us) sought the death of all Parmeno's friends and allies; and to Sejanus his friends [amicitia objecta est] they were accused of friendship: Nay (as Tertullian witnesseth of him * Apoloz. , [portati sunt in carcerem emorituri puberes, qui mortem nesciebant, & sub cultro ridebant] 'twas sufficient fault for his children to be his, who (tender wretches!) were put to death, ere they know what it meant, and sported with that axe that was to end both their mirth and life: So suddenly may the wind turn and times change, that you may with a heavy heart say of your great friend, what Evodius does of Sejanus, [Aequè illum amasse quàm offendisse periculosum] his friendship is now as dangerous as before his anger was. To put this together then, if some friends are basely treacherous many selfe-ended, others inconstant, and all but men frail, and uncertain in their persons and condition, subject to the miscarriages of state and change of times; yes so subject, that thy former friendship, and relation with them may utterly ruin thee, though thou and thy great friend be never so innocent. This being so, doubtless thou hast no just cause to boast of thy friends, though I bate thee the sinfulness of it. But were we not ear and eye-witnesses to the contrary, we could not think that any one which hath not left to be man can be so very a craven as to crow on these dunghills, boast of mere froth, of these low, worldly, gaudy nothings: a Heathen could say a Sen. prae. sat in ratural. quested. [quagrave; m contempta res est homo, si non supra humana so exercuirit!] man is a very inconsiderable thing if the things here below only take up his time and thoughts: yet there are [bona animi] the good things of the mind, somethings within man, such as knowledge, sweet and affable dispositions, moral virtues, together with reason, and other gifts, and natural endowments, which a man may better call his own, and therefore the Heathens have so strangely boasted of them, which some, even Christians have thought may enable them [expuris naturalibus] merely of themselves to lay hold and keep fast their Saviour, to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (as proud nature misconstrues, that place of the Apostle;) and therefore some, even Christians have boasted of these natural, and moral endowments. But for my part so sensible am I (and the Lord continue me so) of these wretched fruits, which (radix ista damnata) (as the Father calls her o) nature that danable root brings forth, b Austin. ●. contia juian. that I cannot but in respect of these good things of the mind also (as they are called) continue my wonder and question, and ask the richest endowed, the compleatess man, that nature or industry hath made, Why boastest thou thyself in these? And first, what just subject of boasting can the wisdom and knowledge of the experientest learnedst man afford him, which some have thought at the best to be but opinion: that whatsoever we are capable of, is not only uncertain in its possession, but in its knowledge also: nay, this Tenet of theirs, That nothing can be truly known, is not sufficiently known unto themselves: as Lucretius well; Nil sciri quisquis putat, id quoque nescit An sciripossit, quod semel scire fatetur c Lib. 4. But grant our knowledge may be sure and certain, yet what just matter of boasting can that be, which is purchased with so much ado, and may be lost so easily? How much money, travel, sickness, patience, and study (though vulgar ignorance think otherwise) go to the making of a wise knowing learned man, whom an Apoplexy, Lethargy, Palsy, or discontent, in a moment besots, or strikes lunatic? Thus Eccius, Luther's great adversary (as great for his learning, as his malice, as Osiander d In Epit: Cen. 16. e. Com. lib. 23. & Cardinal Cressentius, the Pope's Nuntio, at the Council of Trent, as Sleiden relates) were struck with a sudden frenzy: and Calius Rhodiginus will tell you that Aristotle the Fountain and Conduit of almost all learning and wisdom, was by a violent surprisal of grief suddenly cut off f Antiq. lect. l. 29. c. 8. The Stoi●es the the greatest Idolaters that ever wisdom and learning had, have set too low a rate upon them that they stick not to affirm that Heraclitus and Pherecides (men oraculously wise amongst them) would have changed their wisdom for health, if thereby they might have been rid of their pains and Sickness for health (a good so common to us and beasts, that some have therefore preferred riches before it. — Et divitem optare podagram Non dubitant— g juven, satire. ) Thus many have there been (and thrse none of the weakest neither) that have preferred a child's simplicity, and a fool's ignorance before it, lest by a forethought, and miserably wise anticipation, they might suffer afflictions before they fall, and being fallen, add to the load by a punctual comparison of past happiness and present misery. Truly in this respect spoke the Greek Poet [Ev 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] the sweetest life is in knowing nothing h Sophoc. Ajax. of which Solomon gives the reason; because in much wisdom is much sorrow i Ecclesu. And if thou hast so little cause to boast of knowledge and wisdom, then much less cause hast thou to boast of a towardly disposition, natural ingenuity, pleasantness of wit, yes or of the full chain of moral virtues, which all put together, are but [semina & radices prudentiae] but the roots and groundwork of wisdom. Know therefore that in the second place, sweetness and ingenuity of Nature, nor the greatest stock of morality, can justify thy boast; (i mean still, though we abstract from boasting its sinfulness) Though these happily are in themselves good, God's gifts, and challenge thy thankfulness, yet not so absolutely good, or thine own, as to justify a boast For these are at the best but home-made garments, which may perchance serve to keep out wet in the world, get name and repucation amongst men, yet is it not a fit dress for the Spouse to meet her Bridegroom in: and if thou art not better clad at the great marriage-feast, thou wilt be found without thy wedding garment. Agains, do not these endowments, if not seasoned by the Holy Ghost, make us more yielding and liable to temptation? witness these common phrases, which oft, out of a fond irreligious charity, we bestow on swine, Alas! he is a man of a very good nature, An enemy only to himself, You see the worst of him,) the worst, quoth you! God forbidden I should ever see any of you so bad: for happily sober and himself, he never swore; cheated, lied, quarrelled. etc. and may on the Lord's day pass with most for a very good Christian: but on Monday there comes a Messenger from the Devil, one of the drinking crew, has him abroad, where, after a Catowse or two, he loseth both his sense and goodness, and then his lascivious gesture, and profane language, confess that his former acted civility was not grace, but some towardly seeds of morality, which vainglory and imitation had fostered into a custom. Yet this is not all, these naturally sweet dispositions and virtues make a man not only more pliable to temptation, but (though I dare not say, as some, that they are at the best a hindrance to Religion) yet certainly may I say with a Divine of ours, if they are not rectified by the good Spirit, they cannot but block up the way to the power of godliness; and upon this his reason too: because many, when they have perceived that natural sweetness, and civil uprightness have got them name and credit in the world, and that it will consist with the profit and pleasure which some bosom sin affords them, then presently stop they here, contenting themselves with a probable being in the right way, when (to speak truth) 'tis but a plausible way to eternal death. And if the best of natural dispositions, nay, if the best of our moral habits which are [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] properly called virtues, are no just matter for boasting, then certainly neither is our reason, or sharpness of judgement, which is only [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] a natural virtue, and improperly so called. Know Socinus in the third place, that thy reason, though naturally never so deep or sharp, cannot make good thy pride and strange boasting of it: which by nature, and of itself is darkened, a Ephe. 4.18. Nay, darkness itself b Eph. 5.8. , and this is that darkness which could not comprehend the light, c john 1.5 that vessel which is not able to comprehend the way of the Highest d 2 Fsdr. 4.11. Though I cannot well side with them, who make reason an absolute enemy to Religion, e Hook. Eccles. pol. l. 3. Sect. 8. and that the way to be ripe in faith, is to be raw in wit and judgement. Though there is on the other side, Sapientia Dei in aperto (as Saint Austin expresses it) the wisdom of God legible in the creature, though the veriest Heathen hath a Law written in his heart sufficient for conviction, yet there is [sapientia Dei in mysterio] the mystery of godliness, (as Saint Paul speaks) f 1 Tim. 3.6. which is fare beyond the reach and ken of natural reason: which when I fasten my thoughts on, I cannot but think and say, nay, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] with the ancient Father, Shall I cry out [ g justin. Mart de trinit. p. 388. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] that these points of Christianity are above our understanding, above our reason, and above the capacity of created nature, and therefore a little before he affirmeth, that the interpretation of them ought not to be [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] according to humane reason P. 375. [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but according to the sense and will of the doctrine of the Spirit, especially (saith he) [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] with the sons of the Church. Once therefore well spoke. Tilenus, Syntag. l. 1. cap. 3. thes. 30. though since miserably he fell (rationem extinguit fides ut ducem, & dominam, adhibet ut pedissequam) faith refuseth reason, as judge or guide, but not as follower, or servant. Hence excellently Saint Austin, (Noli quarere intelligere ut credas, sed crede ut intelligas) labour not to understand that thou mightest believe, but believe that thou mightest understand. This natural reason of ours, if it hath any light, 'tis in itself no better in respect of the mysteries of godliness, then that of an ignis fatuus, which miserably misleads: or at the best, it is but as a star to guide us (like that of the shepherds) to Christ: now as a star, the Sun and Moon withholding their shine, yields no light or comfort: So if the Word of God, or the Spirit which enlightens the Word withhold their light, we shall, notwithstanding the strength of natural reason, be enwrapped in perpeturall night: and (truth is) such 2 star hath it proved to many in Polonia, and Racovia, even the star mentioned by Saint john, and called Wormwood, which made rivers so bitter, that men tasting of them died, died thereof. Rev. 8.1. To go forward then, if natural reason (the richest jewel in nature's Cabinet) is so blind in matters of Religion, that it cannot make good a Socinian boast, we may justly go further and conclude: that nature bestowing her gifts with never so broad a hand, cannot afford her greatest darling, matter sufficient for one self-boast. Let me therefore in the next place ask thee, Why dost thou boast thyself in any gifts, excellency, or strength of Nature whatsoever? Is't not a contest vanity of the poor to boast of their wealth, the broken hearted of their jollity, the Captives of their liberty, the blind of their quick sight, or a bruised Cripple of his legs? If so, what fond madness is it for us to boast of our natural abilities? For poor and blind Captives are we, bruised and broken Cripples by nature, and this we must know, and acknowledge too, ere we can reap any benefit by Christ's coming: Witness that of the Prophet, Isai. 61.1. Luke 4.18. which our Saviour affirms to be spoken of himself; The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, to preach the Gospel, but to whom? to the poor, (i.e.) those which through the sight and acknowledgement of their own natural poverty were poor and low in their own thoughts; he sent him to heal, but whom? the , (i.e.) those whose hearts are almost broken with the discovery of their wretched estate, both by actual transgression and natural pollution, to preach deliverance to the captives only, those which seriously confess, what slavery is bequeathed them from Adam to sin, and the Devil, recovery of sight to the blind, (i.e.) those which are truly sensible of their natural ignorance and advernesse unto saving truths, and to set at liberty those which are bruised, which are sufficiently sensible of that allover bruise they had by their first Parents fall; he fell with us in his arms, we were equally crippled with him; but alas, this was not all, we were not only maimed in the fall, but struck dead; for as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive * 1 Cor. 15 15. ; For ought I know to the contrary, the Apostle here excludes all these from having life in Christ, which will not acknowledge that by nature they are dead; and what reason think you, hath a dead man to boast of his natural abilities? Be we advised rather by Prosper * Lib. de libera arbitrio ad Ruffin. , (agnoscat se humana debilitas, & cum mortui vivificantur, cum caeci illuminantur, impii justificantur, confiteantur & vitam, & lumen, & justitiam jesum Christum) let humane weakness acknowledge itself, and since the dead are restored to life, the blind recover their sight, and sinners are justified, let them acknowledge that Christ above is their life, their light, and their righteousness; and (as the Father goes on) qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur, qui cum esset impius, caecus, & mortuus, à liberatore suo gratis accepit & justitiam, & lumen, & vitam; he that doth glory, let him glory in the Lord * 2 Cor. 10 17. , not in himself, who a sinner, blind, and dead received gratis, (i.e.) without desert present or fore-seen; of his Saviour light, life, and righteousness. I must wonder therefore that some like Philotas in Curtius * Curt. l. 5. (meruisse mortem consiteri pudet,) scorn to acknowledge that even by nature they deserve to die and (as there the Historian of him,) mallent injuriam accepisse quàm vitam; had rather die, and that for ever, so thereby God may be accused of injustice, then accept of salvation merely through Christ. These with Bonaventure a Lib. quarto distinct. 14. qu. 2. ar. , boast that (qui facit quod inse est, cogitans bonitatem Dei & justitiam, qui malum edit, & revertentibus misericors est,) he that does what he can, (as his disciples have Englished him) bethinking himself of the goodness and justice of God, which hates iniquity and is merciful to penitents, and hereby begets fear in himself from the thoughts of the justice of God, and hope of pardon from the thought of his mercy, who thus gins to think (says he) and then (faciendo quod in se est) doing what he can, is of himself disposed for justification. Thus our late pretending Defender of the Protestant Religion (who descended our Religion, as the Colonel did Ports-mouth, that it might be more assuredly yielded up, undertook its defence himself to hinder others from more safely keeping of it,) thus may I say, this pretending Defender says, men are to use their best endeavours, to believe the Scriptures in their true sense, and to live according to it; this if they do (as I hope many do on all sides) truly and sincerely, it is impossible but they should believe aright b Chilling. Relig. Protest. ansiv. to the Prefat. p. 18. , (it had been modestly spoken had he said 'twas probable they should believe, aright; so might he have meant, that this their honest care and endeavour is an argument that God intends good unto their souls; but to say it is impossible but they should believe aright, makes this use of their best endeavours, either of itself to cause belief, or else to deserve it at God's hands:) this doubtless his proud meaning, otherwise he had not affirmed in the following page, that God hath no reason to be offended with those, which using their best endeavours are mistaken; and more hideously to this purpose in the following lines c I say plainly & clearly, for he that speaketh obscurely and ambiguously, and now declares himself plainly, surely he hath no reason to be much offended if he be mistaken. : which I wonder not so much at, when I consider from whom they come, from a Sceptic in Divinity, and a changeling in Religion; a just judgement on him, which so much relies on the strength of reason, and the use of his own best endeavours; but this my wonder, (or grief rather) what great ones he hath (great (I mean) for their then esteem in the Christian world) ready pressed as it were to be his seconds: What else mean such large approbations, making way for his Socinianism? Lament may we with David d 2 Sam. 1.19. , The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places, how are the mighty fallen? (Non homo voluntate suâ (saith Austin) adhuc in vitio liberi arbitrii claudicantis praevenit Deum, ut cognoscat & quarat eam gratiam, e Lib. 7. contra Pelag. ) man's will faltering, through the mis-use of his former freedom doth not prevent God, by use of his best endeavours by doing what he can, his using such a measure of industry in finding of truth, his humane prudence, and ordinary discretion, (as our Defender would make us believe in his forequoted passage) doth not, I say, prevent God in knowing or seeking his grace, which deservedly he may challenge, (sed praecedit miscricordissimâ gratiâ suâ Deus hominis ignorantis, & nondum se quaereutis voluntatem liberi arbitrii, ut eam se scire & quarere faciat,) but God with his most free grace makes the will of man willingly to find and know him, which naturally and of himself is ignorant and careless of him: And as 'tis the free mercy of God which gins this great business of conversion in man, so 'tis also his free grace which furthers and perfects it. In this respect may we say, what in another God himself says f 1 Sam. 3.12. When he gins he will also make an end, for 'tis he alone which of his good pleasure worketh in us both to will and to do g Phil, 2.13. Know therefore in the last place, that graces though never so many and glorious, cannot afford just matter of self-boasting; let me therefore in the last place ask thee, Why dost thou boast thyself in thy spiritual graces? What if in many assaults thou hast got the better of the field, become more than Conqueror, yet remember 'twas through Christ only, which loved you h Ram. 8.37 , and if the Lord had not been on thy side, mayst thou now say, if the Lord had not been on thy side, when not men only, but when the World and the Devil, nay when thou didst rise up against thyself, thou hadst been swallowed up quick. Again how knowest thou whether or no the Lord owes thee a forsaking; and 'tis more than probable he doth and will pay it too, if thou too much pridest thyself, and turnest his graces into wantonness: When joh so securely and so proudly too, My root is spread out by the waters and the dew lays all night upon my branch, my glory is fresh in me, and my how is renewed in my hand i job. 29.19 and so triumphantly to the end of the Chapter: see how sadly the next chapter gins, Now they that are younger than me have me in decision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock: Thus David too, no sooner had boasted that in his prosperity, he should never be moved, Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong, but presontly it follows, thou didst hid thy face from me, and I was troubled k Psa. 30.6.7. , Now if God once withdraw himself, suffers thee to fall in a skirmish, let David's tears and groans and sighs tell thee, how strong throws 'twill cost ere thou recoverest thyself or thy right station. Once more, 'Twere better to have no grace at all (as the Father thinks) then that thou shouldst make it matter of self-boasting, [Audeo dicere (saith he) superhis continentibus expedit caders, ut in eo ipso in quose extollunt humilientur] I dare affirm it greater safety for the chaste to fall, then to be proud of their chastity, that they might be humbled in that wherein they prided themselves: and the reason is good he gives, [quid enim prodest continentia si dominetur superbia?] what doth continency advantage a man whom pride swells l Aust. Serm. 57 in Mat. ? He who thinks out of grace freely bestowed to get glory to himself, labours to the utmost to pull down what God was building, and to rebuild what God was pulling down, (i) he is proud of his humility, humility being that which God seeks chief to erect, and pride that which he seeks chief to pull down. A man in this case like Lot's wife looks back on what the Lord was destroying, and 'tis the Lord's mere mercy, that for an example he leaves not such a one as he left her at the half-wayes end, even in the midst of his journey to heaven; that it befalls not him, as it did Eleazar who in fight first killed an Elephant, and afterward unhappily by its fall was killed by the Elephant: so 'tis I say God's goodness, that whosoever having conquered pride, and afterwards is proud of his conquest (of his humility) is not at last overcome by this pride. But me thinks the sad consequences of Peter's boasts should sufficiently fright us from being guilty of the like; for as of him, so of others also is it generally observed both by Divines and Soldiers that the greatest Braggadochio's are the first which revolt and deny; nay rather than they'll hazard life or goods, the first that will forswear too: Wots you not that Peter which ere whilst made that great vaunt, Though all men should be offended because of thee, ye will I never be offended m Malth. 26.33. , immediately afterwards, ourst and swore he knew him not n Vers. 76. ? and pray observe that 'tis plain from the content that this his revolting was not so much an argument of his weak faith, as a punishment of his presumption: There are a sort of Thrasonical Professors always boasting how fare they dare go in a good cause, which either ruffile it in a bad, or will not venture a being wershod in a good, men much like these Galli Insubros (Florus speaks of o Lih. 2. ) which had [corpora plus quàm humana] boar a good bulk and show, [quorum primus impetus iis major quâm virorum crat, sequens verò minor quàm foeminarum] who at the first onset were valiant almost beyond men, but in the heat of the battle cowards below women: So these forward men (as they seem) at the first like thorns make a great blaze and noise, yet suddenly go out: notwithstanding some small penalty or disgrace they swelled and bufled, yet now, now, when there is happily a necessity of endangering, if not leaving off all that we may follow Christ, now there is laying down of lives for his sake: now (as that Histerian speaks of these Galli) they have [quaddam simile oum nevibus,] like soow they quickly dissolve and are lost, either they go beyond Sea, thereby to quit themselves of trouble and expense, or else (like Metius Fuffetius in Florus) they stand aloft and indifferent, resolving at last to side with the uppermost, or else [in malum otium resoluti] (as Tacitus of Tiberius p Annal. l. 4. ) prising their own ease and quiet before the welfare of the State, they do with Tiberius betake themselves [in insulam Capreas] into some nook or by-corner of the Country, caring not, so they may sleep in a whole skin, what become of Liberty, or Religion: and of these we may safely say, what Alexander of Darius his soldiers, [Temeritas est quam adhuc pro virtute habuistis, quae ubi primum impetum effudit, velut quaedam animalia amisso aculco, torpet q Qu. Curt. b. 4. ], this fierce entrance, which some vainglorious and hasty men have made, was not (as fond it was imagined) virtue and Religion, but pride and headiness; when their first heat and prancing was past they suddenly flagged, like bees having lost their stings become drones: In vain therefore did such beat the ears of men wise and religious with that bold boast of Jehu's, [Come see my zeal for the Lord of hosts] for who with half an eye sees not that therefore they went from us, because they were never of us? And so fare of the second branch of the first question, its ground and reason; a word only of application, and I shall forward to the last. Applic. From what hath been laid against priding ourselves in any thing we call our own, we may gather just matter of humiliation: be then persuaded not only from the consideration of the frailty of the good things of the body, and the vanity, emptiness, and uncertainty of the good things (we call Fortunes,— neat quaesiveris extra) that thou makest not conclusions of thyself according to thy flourishing in the world (thus fare the Heathen could go) but also from the consideration of that miserable, dead and ignorant condition thou art in by nature, renounce thyself, (all carnal props and stays) and seek the Lords favour with an humble soul, that if thou wilt glory thou mayst glory in the Lord, that thou mayst have wherewithal truly to hug and glad thyself. Nothing will more humble us then the meditation of our own wretchedness by nature, 'twill allay our pride in us, 'tis like the Peacock's looking on his feet, it pulls down our plumes, to consider on what we are bottomed; our foundation is not only in the earth, but in rotten putrified earth, we are not only frail but corrupted flesh. Tell me, could the proud and stour heart of Nabuchadnezzar be still soaring and swell, when from a King he was turned into a beast? and can we be then proud and vainglorious boasters of our own natural abilities, when we shall call to mind this miserable consequence of Adam's fall, that from being Kings of the whole earth, we are turned into beasts, yes worsethen beasts, witness such hideous corruptions continually breaking forth which the worst of beasts were never guilty of? Shall Mephibosheth from the consideration of his lameness; and the fall of his parents be so humbled, that he bowed himself unto David and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am r Sam. 9.8. ? And can we, when we shall consider that we are all of us more lame spiritually, then ever Mephibosheth was corporally, and infinitely more endamaged by the fall of our Parents, than he by his, continue still confident of our natural strength? For, first, our lameness is much more than his; he maimed in one part only, we bruised all over; he from the cradle only, we from the womb; he procured his maimedness from his Nurse, we from our first Parents: For as Austin of Adam s Tom. T.P. 276. A. , [Omnes ille unus fuere] all of us were he, and he was all of us. Again, infinitely more are we endamaged by their fall; he by the fall of his Parents lost only an Inheritance to a little patch of earth, to a temporary kingdom, to an uneasy uncertain crown: but we our right to the whole world, to an heavenly Kingdom, and an eternal weight of glory. Once more, if Leah by reason of her bleared eyes, and the little favour she thereby found in the sight of jacob, was afflicted, (surely saith she, the Lord hath looked upon my affliction t Gen. 29.32. ,) how will it afflict our souls then, when we shall truly know that we are not only as tender eyed as Leah, but as blind as Bartimens'? For being alienated from the life of God (as by nature we are) We have our understandings darkened through the ignorance that is in us by reason of the blindness of our hearts u Ephes. 4.18. : and if the light that is in us be dark, how great is that darkness w Matt. 6.23. ? Nay, herein lies the great cause of our misery and humiliation, that we are not only naturally blind, but giddy and unruly, notwithstanding this our blindness: by the reason of the disobedience of Adam, that curse is fallen on us, which was threatened to the disobedient Israelites x Deut. 28.28. , we are smitten not only with blindness, but with madness too: and as a man sober and blind understands his misery, and therefore by keeping within or sitting still, is always out of dangers and whereas one mad and blind exposes himself to variety of dangers and miseries: Even this our case, we are absolutely by nature blind, nay blindness itself; (Ye were sometimes darkness (saith S. Paul y Ephes. 58. ) in the state of nature before you were called by the Word and Spirit, ye were not only blind, but in the abstract blindness itself) and yet so mad are we that we strive by our natural endeavours, by our strength of reason, and humane prudence and ordinary discretion, (I shall never make that passage of our Defenders sufficiently odious) to find out the truth, in so much that the Lord (we conclude) is unreasonable, if saving truths are not understood by us, of if we are punished for not savingly understanding of them z This conclusion took from the Pelagians vid. Aust. Tom. 7. p. 458. D. And this misery we bring on ourselves, even the misery following madness joined with blindness, a groping at noonday a Deut. 28.28.29. , even now when the light of the Gospel is gloriously and plentifully afforded us, when the Sun is at its full shine and heigh: even now there is groping up and down for the truth, from Protestantisme to Popery they go, and from Popery to Protestantisme, and thence are posting back again, and meetly because they are mad as well as blind, whereas were they truly sensible of their natural blindness and darkness, in stead of venturing abroad thus blind, they would with Bartimens, sit still, be quiet, and betake themselves wholly to Christ, crying out him b Mar. 10.47.51. , jesus thou Son of of David, have mercy on me; This Lord I will, that I might receive my fight: Then shall it be with them, as 'twas with him, their faith shall make them whole, they shall receive their sight c Vers. 52. , then only may they venture abroad, and be able to follow jesus on the way. Lastly, can we imagine that the curse of Elisha on Gehezi d 2 King. 5 ult. , not bow and sink him, The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and thy seed for ever, and he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow? How can it then but humble us, to consider that as a just punishment of our first sin, God hath said the leprosy of Adam shall cleave unto us and our seed for ever, and we are ever since borne leprous all over, no part of us free from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot e Is. 1.6. ? In primopeccato (saith Tilenus') persons corrupit naturam, in originali natura corrumpit personam f Syntag. li. 1. cap. 56. Thes. 1. , in the first sin man corrupted nature, but since in original sin, out hereditary leprosy, nature corrupts the man; children even of the best and holiest Christians are borne covered with this leprosy, (quomodo preputium manet in 'tis quos genuerint circumcisi, & palea in fructu qui de purgato tritico nascitur g Aust. Tom. 7. p. 276. c. just as children begot by circumcised Parents bring notwithstanding their foreskin with them, or as the fruit of the best winnowed wheat spring up wrapped in chaff: In a word, to consider what lameness and blindness, what bruises and leprosy, what crushing and depravedness, as a just consequence of our first fall is brought on us, should mightily humble us, because God's judgements are not laid on us so much to punish as to humble us for sin, to bring us to the knowledge of that death and shame which is in sin by afflicting us for it, [Thus saith the Lord, I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible h Is 13.11. ,] as if the Lord should say, to this end men shall suffer, not only that they might be punished, but that they might be humbled, that their arrogancy might cease, and that their haughtiness might be laid low. God forbidden, that the Church of Laodicea's case should be ours, either that we should be ignorant of our miserable condition by nature, should not know that we are wretched and miserable, poor, & blind, & naked, and not knowing thus much, should think ourselves sufficiently rich and wanting nothing; and upon these false thoughts swell and extol ourselves, build castles in the air, promise ourselves safety, and salvation to be got by our own natural strength and abilities, when truth is, these will prove castles in the air indeed, weak and nothing: And so much of the second branch of the first Question, the third follows. Branch 3 Quest. 1 To what end dost thou boast thyself? it being already manifested that there is no just reason why thou poor frail nothing man shouldst boast thyself, and secondly, that thou hast nothing whereof thou mayst justly boast. We shall have the less labour to prove, thou canst have no right end in thy boasting; let me therefore in a few words ask thee, to what end dost thou boast thyself? But alas, I may not expect an answer to my question, for I am confident that the veriest Captain, the highest crested of this proud Regiment would blush to acknowledge the empty fond end their vaunting aims at, and I wish that they would blush also to hear it, that the rest may discover and laugh at them; for I purpose to speak truth for them, and try whether their guilty faces will confess what their tongues dare not: (Harken) the whole only main end of these selfe-boasting men is mearely and nothing else but the Euge, and the Bellè, the popular, Oh brave, oh admirable, oh honest! The clap and cry, the throat and applause of the giddy multitude of wondering ignorants, (risum teneatis amici?) 'Tis a just complaint of the French man's i Mountaig. Essay l, 2.6.16. that we usually empanel and select a jury of men out of a whole County to determine of an house or an acre of Land, but the judgement, and determination of ourselves, we refer to the idle breath of common people, [An quicquam stultius, quèm quos singulos contemns, eos aliquid putares esse universos?] can their be a greater folly then to esteem of their full cry, whose particular mouths thou wouldst scorn? Gloria quantalibet quid erit, si gloria tantum? What is glory if thou hast nothing else to make it good? nay if thou hast a substance whereof that is the shadow, yet still may it be asked, Gloria quantalibet quid erit? What is the praise and esteem which men afford thy virtues, which is so blind and unequal, that well may it be termed a shadow: For as the shadow is never justly proportioned to the dimensions of thy body; so nor this to thy desert: the world's esteem like the shadow in the morning and beginning of thy Sun when thou first appearest, and art cried up, is farrelarger than thy desert, but in the midst and prime of the day, when thou art best and most deserving, then usually this thy shadow comes fare short of thee, thou shalt not have half the glory thou meritest: and as a shadow sometimes goes before the body, and sometimes follows after, so many steal glory from the ignorant world ere their desert calls for't, and some again whose lives have been excellently good & exemplary have died in disgrace, yet their works and glory have followed them k Rev. 14.13. , and their names smell sweet upon earth. Let then children, and Poets, Players, and Painters, hunt after the clap and cry of the times; let light tottering Christians follow the fashion even in religion too; let Popelings hug and vaunt themselves in their outside boasting and merely ceremonious devotions: but let us, us whose hope and aim 'tis to be those little ones, (our Saviour speaks of l Malli. 18.6. ) little in our own conceits, and little in the worlds; let, I say, us neglecting the vain empty glory the world affords, earnestly seek after the massy and weighty glory, humility shall enjoy in heaven, a glory of that bulk and substance, that where David says, [thou O Lord art my glory m Psal. 3.3. ] the original signifies his weightiness and gravity; which place I believe, S. Paul had respect unto, when he called it an exceeding eternal weight of glory n 2. Cor. 4.17. And here I thought to make the application of this third branch, the continuance of this exhortation, hoping to have some of these tinkling Cymbals, these outside men hereby to be persuaded off from their affectation of vainglory, but I have considered that there is more good to be done upon these fawning Curs by a knock then by a gentle put-off; I shall therefore change my intended exhortation into a reproof. Applic. There are a sort amongst us, that sail only with a popular wind, they continue not good and fast out of the sound of a Bellè or an Euge, which they so greedily thirst after, that they had rather have an O brave, bellowing in their ears by the ignorant rout, than a Well done good and faithful servant, sounded to their consciences by their Saviour: and this our misery, that not some few of the lower form only, but those of the highest, some otherwise fit for the stern, great ones ('tis to be feared) live by this air. To see a little Spaniel or Tumbler with his sneaking and fawning to beg a commending clap on the side, or spitting in the mouth is somewhat tolerable; but to see a great old Mastiff riggle for it, after the same ridiculous gesture is extremely odious. In like manner to see a Player or Fencer to expect or take courage from the clap or shout of giddy Spectators, 'tis as pardonable as usual; but to see this old Statesman, or t'other great Soldier, which ought to be serious and in earnest, Chamelion-like to live by the common air, to wax cold or hot in their weighty employments according to the cry of vulgar Ignorants, 'twould make a man lose both patience and modesty; and tell this great Lord or t'other great man, that the Compass he steers by, is unworthy either his blood place, honour, or calling, and that this common air he now lives by, is of all airs most uncertain and altering, and may through sudden dislike become sufficiently thick and noisome to stifle or poison him, and that happily not undeserving. For to speak truth, the vain glorious ones of our times, are the lowest and unworthyest that ever I read or heard of. History will tell you that Scevola burned his own hand off; Zeleucus suffered one of his own, and another of his Sons eyes to be boared out; Decius fling himself into the midst of a bloody and raging Army, intending thereby to become a sacrifice for his Country; and Brutus too whipped and beheaded his two Sons in one day, and all these moved by the same ground and principle, even as the Historian reports of that act of Brutus his (favore civium o Flor. lib. 2. ) to gain favour from the people: and what spirit and resolution this spark of vainglory put into some Christians in the Primitive times, Doctor Donne tells you p Pseudomart. , whereas he excellently discovers, and rightly blames their inordinate affectation of Martyrdom. But alas, the vaine-glory-hunters of our times, though that only byasses them, yet can it not thus strongly bias them; though (favour civium) be the thing they only aim at, and the wheel these puppets only move by, yet base as they are, base below Christians in the infancy of the Church, nay base below Heathens, yet will they not venture on any danger or hazard any loss to gain or continue it Let these take home that of Tertullias, [haec ethnicorum exempla non sine causâ Dominus in seculum admisit, sed ad nos & nunc exhortandos, & in illo die confundendos, si reformidaverimus pati pro veritate in salutem, quae alii affectaverunt in perditionem q Lib. ad Martyr. ], these forenamed examples of the Heathens God did not in vain, but for us admit of, both for our present encouragement, and for our shame and confusion, if we shall through sca●e shrink from under-going these miseries for the truth unto eternal salvation, which they for vainglory only affected unto their condemnation. The necessary brunts, hazards and troubles, these our present distractions put good men upon, abundantly discover these empty quelque choses. Now, even now, our Saviour says unto them, If you'll follow me, show yourselves my Disciples, go and venture all that you have for me, and you shall have treasures in heaven: like the young man in the Gospel upon the like injunction and trial, they are not only sorrowful, begin to flag and to be discontented, to repent that they have gone so fare, stickled so much for Christ, but with the young man too, they begin to departed, (shame to them) and forsake him, and upon the same ground too, as the young man there did r Ma● 2.19.21.22. , because they have great possessions: when their store of Land, or great Houses come in question, then farewell reputation and popularity, these shall no longer keep them in trouble or danger, they will then tell you, as the Spaniard says truly of such s Fanse●. serm. 37. , [That obligation of Religion is not so precise a thing that we should for the same adventure either our goods, persons, or peace of the State: That which a Statesman is most interested in, is the profit and benefit of the people, and by no means ought he to draw too much envy upon them for cause of religion:] So true is that of S. Paul's, [Not many wise men after the flesh, not many noble are called t Cor. 1.26. ]: And that of our Saviour's, [Arich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven u Matt. 19.23. ]. And so much be spoken of the first part of the question in general, and of its three particular branches; in the last place fall we upon its second part, I say in the last place, because my meditations on the first question have enlarged themselves so much farther than at first was intended, that I shall have no time to handle the last question, unless I touch on it in the application of the second. Quest 2 Why dost thou boast thyself in mischief? To justify this earnest expostulation of my Psalmist, I shall show you out of the sacred History what a fearful and hideous mischief this boaster, whether Saul the Tyrant, or Doeg the bloody misleading informer, was guilty of, and leave it to your after meditations to make the conclusion, whether or no they have just cause to boast of it, or the Psalmist to be amazed and lost at their boasting. David was so much in the people's eyes, [Saul hath slain his thousand and David his ten thousands w 1 Sam. 18.7. ,] that he therefore became less in Saul's, [and Saul eyed David from that day forward x vers. 9 ,] This emulation, or rather envy bred wrath, the wrath a murderous intention, [and Saul cast a javelin, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it y vers. 11. ,] So much danger did David find, there was in deserving and being thought well of by the people; the King's violence thus missing its aim, he turns his rage into wiles, of an Ajax becomes an Ulysses, drops preferment to ensnare him z vers. 21. ; afterwards upon jonathans' plain dealing pacification is made and the King binds it with a solemn Oath, [As the Lord liveth he shall not be slain a 1 Sam. 21.6 ,] and immediately breaks that Oath and Pacification, and through the evil Spirit that was upon him, sought again to smite him to the wall with his Javelin b vers. 10. ; anon after David being certified by jonathan of his Father's murderous intentions c 1 Sam. 20. à ver. 37. ad 41. , was forced to fly for his life, and in his flight betook himself to Ahimelech the Priest for relief and succour, and so well told he his tale, that he got of him the Shewbread, and Goliah's Sword d 1 Sam. 21 àver. 6. ad 9 But see the ground and Author of this great mischief, Doeg was then in the Temple, and heard all, (as 'tis the peculiar lot of God's people to fall into the hands of Doegs, treacherous and deceitful people) this sneaking Parasite carries and aggravates the business to Saul, [I saw the Son of jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the Priest, and he enquired of the Lord for him e Sam. 22.9.10. ], and what of that? 'twas after treason and conspiracy the King enquired, [sed ea ratio est adulatorum, ut si principem calentem videant, velint eum incenderc, & ex stulto prorsus insanun facere f Pet. Martyr in loc. ,] but such is the condition of flatterers that they'll blow a heated Tyrant into a flame, and turn his folly into madness; Upon this false information Ahimelech and the rest of the Priests with all of their Families were sent for g ver. 11. ; they come, Saul becomes both the accuser and the Judge, and presently falls upon the trial, [Hear now thou Son of Ahituh, and he answered, Here am I: and Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me h ver. 12.13. ?] But wherein laid the conspiracy? in relieving a man faithful to his God and Prince? [And who is so faith full amongst all thy Servants as David, which is the King's Son in Law? [Conjuratio est consensus aliquorum contra rempub: i Pet. Martyr, Ib. ]. The conspire, which mischievously plot against the Commonwealth: [he goeth at thy bidding and is honourable in thy house]; did he then begin to inquire of God for him k vers. 14.15. ? i.e. is this the first time I enquired for him? or being thy Son-in-law, and thy faithful Servant, I did not so much inquire of God for him, as for thee. At last knowing he was to deal with a Tyrant, whom reason, law or right would nothing move, he gives over pleading and falls to begging, [Let not the King impute any thing to thy Servant, for thy Servant knew nothing of this more or less l ver. 15. ]: What if you had Ahimelech? would you not therefore have relieved him, because the King unjustly persecuted him? would that have been fair dealing (think you?) If others had been of this mind, he had never overcome the Tyrant's cruelty. But now I see that our Priests (as they desire to be called) are not the first that would rather renounce a just cause, then displease an unjust man: Our cruel Highpriest, violent and peremptory as he was, did with his power so browbeat and dare all the rest (as one of themselves lately and publicly confessed) that they had but one voice amongst them all, the rest being but his ecchoes, his dictates out-noised those of their conscience: for woe had been to them who had done otherwise, who had relieved any though never so innocent and religious, whom his Grace had slung his javelin at, sent his Citation for, or once called Puritan— Rubet auditor, cui frigida mens est.] But to go forwards, would this Priest his closing with Saul serve his turn? no certainly, [For the King said, Thou shalt surely die Ahimelech, thou and all thy Father's house m ver. 16. :] The sentence is past, between which and execution some respite ought to be, but no such matter now, he immediately says unto the footmen that were about him Turn and slay the Priests of the Lord n ver. 17. , fearing happily lest cooling and coming to himself he might on better consideration not have been guilty of so much innocent blood: But wherefore should they be slain? Because they knew when David fled and told it not unto me: but where is the witness? Doeg you'll say did affirm it: but is not this against the known Law o Deut. 17.6 , [At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death, die, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not die?] But see, the honest Guard fare honester than their master, would not put forth their hand to fall upon the Priests of the Lord p vers. 17. , they well know he was but God's Minister for their good, & mandatorius siquid vult facere contra mandatum, id jubet esse irritum q et. Martyr, Ib. , and whatsoever a Commissioner enjoins beyond his Commission is void, and ought not to be obeyed. But if one won't another will, the Devil will always supply Tyrants with suitable instruments; Doeg seems to be glad of the office, and resolute to do whatsoever the King should command him, never interposing that honest condition of the Israelites to joshua, [only the Lord be with thee r Iosh. 1.17. ] and forthwith he falls to work, fell on the Priests of the Lord, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons, that wore a linen Ephod s 1 Sam. 12.18. : he slew the Priests, the Priests of the Lord, he slew men unarmed, men consecrated to God, he slew old men and women, he slew children and sucklings, to whom Scythians and Parthians have shown mercy in the time of the cruelest war; and to make up the sum, he slew so many innocents', he slew them, he their informer was their executioner; first belied them with his tongue, and then butchered them with his hand: choose which you will now, either Saul or his instrument, and you cannot but confess there is cause more then enough of my Psalmists question and exclamation, [Why dost thou Saul, thou envious, malicious, unjust, bloody Tyrant, or why dost thou Doeg, thou sneaking base informing Parasite, thou cruel murdering butcher, why dost thou boast thyself in this so unheard of a mischief?] But happily, & on good grounds, David's wonder may be that any whatsoever should boast in any whatsoever mischief, & therefore I shall endeavour to make good the question in general. And now (me thinks) I am brought into a wilderness, the subject I am fallen on, is so large and fearful; should I let fly my Meditations, with that bitterness and liberty wherewith such mad and prodigious boasters ought to be took up, I should lose both you and myself. But the suitableness of my first questions business, both to our times and our present occasion, tempted me to so much over-largenesse, that I could not but in equity promise brevity in the following questons: that therefore I may be as good as my word, I shall not keep you long in this wilderness. Mad and prodigious boasters have I called them, and truly both these they are. First, they are mad, for who but a mad man would boast that he had given himself his death's wound? [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] sin is the death of the soul t Ezek. 33.12.13. Who but a mad man would boast of that heavy burden, he is forced night and day to sink under? [a heavy burden are my iniquities (faith David) they are too heavy for me u Psal. 38.4. ]. This heavy burden the Prophet calls a Talon of Lead w Zach. 5.7. ; yes, heavier and more intolerable than Hell or the Devil himself, for 'twas sin made Hell, and 'twas sin sunk the Devil into it; without it he cannot add a dram weight to depress or keep us from making towards heaven; nay, though unwillingly, he furthers us in the way; but 'tis sin alone, and only which keeps us down. Again, who but a mad man would boast in what arrearages he runs with his Creditors, vauntingly publish, how all he hath is mortgaged, and that Usury eats him up apace? 'tis truth indeed some may, and many do, (base and unworthy as they are) pretend poverty, say, that they are ready to starve, that thereby they might starve Christ's cause. But I cannot deem that man truly himself, which really boasts how bravely he is undone. Now to obey God's law is a debt due from us to him, [Cursed is he that continueth not in all the words of the Law to do them x Deut. 27.26. and all the people shall Amen:] that obedience is our debt we cannot deny, our consciences seal to this bond, the counterpane of it is wrote even in every natural man's heart y Rom. 2.15 ; every sin then being a transgression of the Law is an arrearage, and upon this arrearage the soul is mortgaged, and without repentance lost and forfeited, the sinner is utterly undone, he shall be delivered up unto the tormentor until he hath paid all his debt z Mat. 18.34. Once more, who but a mad man will boast that he is a loathsome creature? a wicked man is a loathsome man (saith Solomon a Pro. 13.5. ) loathsome in God's eyes, [my soul loathes him, saith the Lord, b Zach. 11.8. ] loathsome in the eyes of goodmen; and not only loathsome, but infectious too: the Prophet therefore resolved not to be in a wicked man's company c Psal. 26.5. : Lastly, it makes him loathsome and contemptible in the eyes of his nearest friends, yea of those friends which ought according to the Laws of God & nature not only to love, but to reverence him. Thus the Prophet of Icrusalem, by reason of sin, [Icrusalem hath grievously sinned d Lam. 1.18 therefore they that honoured her despised her;] and though for want of faith, and by reason of the weakness of spiritual judgement we cannot discover the filth and ugliness of sin, yet doubtless at Christ's second coming, when he shall be revealed from Heaven, this also shall be revealed, even what an ugly noisome creature an impenitent sinner is; then (saith the Prophet speaking of Doomsday and sinners) they shall be an abhorring to all flesh e Is. 66. ult. Again, as these boasters in mischief are mad, so are they also prodigiously wicked; for who but a man prodigiously wicked would boast that God is fallen out with him? such a boaster is he which boasteth in sin, for 'tis sin that separates between us and our God f Isa. 59.2. : secondly, every sin is a contempt against God (quo ejus pracepta contemnimus) temnimus] saith Bernard g Serm. 31. de mod. been viven. di. : how prodigiously then doth he contemn God, which boasts that he hath contemned him? Thirdly, sin is that which excludes us heaven, and flings us into hell, that which deprives us of all that we call good, and brings on us all that is miserable; 'tis the greatest of curses, and the worst of judgements. Hence Saint Paul labouring to express how much Christ had suffered for us; says [he was made sin for us h 2 Cor. 5.21. :] How prodigiously wicked than is he which boasts of the greatest misery that man is capable of? Lastly, sin being that alone which crucified the Lord of life, which tore our Saviour's head with thorns, pierced his side, & nailed his feet, which made him sweat blood & water, which put the gall and vinegar to his mouth, and wrung from him that bitter complaint, [My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me] Tell me then, sadly tell me, is not he prodigiously wicked which boasts in that which after so cruel and shameful a manner crucified our Saviour? Nor is this boaster in mischief mad only and prodigiously wicked, but which must necessarily follow, and be supposed, is in a desperate and forlorn case: and for these two reasons. First, because such a one sins with the fullest swing and willingness, without any reluctancy and scruple, nothing hath he of the Spirit in him, which might cause opposition, or pawces, (The words of his mouth are intquity and deceit, as my Psalmist of him, he hath left off to be wise and to do good, he deviseth mischief upon his bed, he setteth himself. i e. gladly goes on; in a way that is not good, i Ps. 36.3. who being past feeling, hath given himself over to work all uncleanness and greediness k Ephes. 4.19. Secondly, because these of all men are farthest from Christ and heaven, being farthest from repentance, whose sins are so fare from being a load and heavy burden unto them, that they glory in their shame. 'Tis with these boasters as with men dived to the bottom of the water, as long as they lie in the water, they are nothing sensible of its weight, but once recovering out would be overwhelmed with a small quantity of it: So these boasters being sunk to the bottom, almost as low as hell, and lying there under never so many and hideous sins, are never senfible of their load and burden, whereas to a man by God's grace recovering out of them, one and the least sin will be a talon of Lead. And so much of this second Question; a short application, and I have done. Applic. And here let's pause a while, & with our best and serious thoughts admire and lament the miserable condition of our land, wherein so many of these madmen, of these prodigies, of these desperately forlorn wretches swarm and spread amongst us. Go abroad and listen, and you shall hear the Drunkard boast how many swine he made the last night: you shall hear the Ruffler boast what a new handsome full-mouthed oath he hath got: the Goat, how many women he hath abused: and the Fox, how many he hath overreached and cozened: — Fiunt, Fiunt ista palam cupiunt & in asta referri. But alas! these, though miscreants, are but novices and bunglers in respect of some closer workers, and deeper instruments of the devil, who first gild over sin with the name of virtue, and boast of it under that name. Take some instances. Such are those, which lest they should lose friends or credit, dare not openly profess how good they are at lies, yet will they affirm, that hand some lying is but policy, and boast how many they have overreached with thy their policy; Perjury by no means will they justify, yet will they tell you that it is the part of a wise Statesman, in case that the keeping of an oath hinders a project, to invent some cleanly shift, whereby it may be eluded, and boast how excellent they are at these shifts. Lukewarmnesse, a Laodicean temper, may not be countenanced, yet this will they call moderation, & boast themselves in this their moderation. Obstinacy in a wrong way, 'ttwere shame to patronise, yet this will they call a brave spirit, and boast of their own stout hearts: they will praise a josiah for going on peremptorily in a way contrary to God's command, though he gets nothing thereby but his own death, and their empty commendation (l) 2 Chron. 35. v. 21.22 23. Conspiracy, which is a plot against the Commonwealth, (as Peter Martyr hath defined it) this they call fight for the Protestant Religion, and yet impudently affirm what Augustine of Heretics [Nihilaliud laborant, nisi non invenire quod quaerunt m August. Tom. 1. p. 516.1. ] that the end of their sweat, expense and hazard, is not to enjoy what they seem to fight for, viz. the Protestant Religion in its truth, purity and universality: and there are (I dare say) many thousands of Papists and Libertines now in arms, which were they put to their oaths would confess thus much. 'Twas madness, say they, and barbarous in Nero to set Rome on fire, and afterwards sing and rejoice at the flames, yet these very same men, jesuites happily and jesuited persons, have of late set three Kingdoms on fire, and whether they laugh at the flames I know not, sure I am they continually add fuel to them: yet this combustion they call a pretended reconciliation, and boast themselves in it. To delude and misuse a sweet and fast friend, hath somewhat of judas in it, say they, yet so to entangle their best and greatest friend, as Darius his base Courtiers entangled him, (quod eo rerum ventum est, ut tam periculosum non credere suis, quam falli (n) Q. curt. l. 5. That it is equally dangerous to him not to believe them, and to be deceived; this they call their masterpiece of wisdom, and boast themselves in it; these, these are they which are come to such a height of Atheism, which a re so much beaten and hardened in their subtle hypocritical maxims, that they will not move one step out of the way, which the Devil & Machiavelli have chalked out to them; and so resolute and petemptory too in that way, that we may say of them as Erasmus of Heretics (facilius eos vinci quàm persuaderi (o) prasad ad Hier. lib contra Lucif. 'Tis easier to overcome, then altar them. Thus have I made some discovery, greater might have been, had I not promised brevity, of the mad, prodigious, desperately for lost boasters of our land, that you might admire, and lament the miserable condition of our times. But oh! take heed that you be not so lost in admiration, that you forget to lament, like a gazing child made forgetful of his chiefest errand, for to this end was the discovery made, (God knows my conscience) not to make them a laughing, but a mourning stock, that you might be humbled in behalf both of them, and our land. For hereby shall you secure yourselves however they escape, or the Kingdom for their sakes (p) Ezek● 14. ad 6. And so much of the second Question, I should now forward to the third and last, but the time hath much overrun me, let us therefore take up here from this Text & forward, to that other before me, a Text like wise speaking the frailty and nothingness of man. For if you desire farther ground for these questions, Lo this spectacle of mortality may be it; a wise, able, strong Gentleman suddenly cut off, which tells you, that our footing in this world being so slippery, 'tis folly for such frail weak men as we are, to boast; which tells you, that wealth, wit, and friends in the last, & needfullest times failing, 'tis folly to boast of them; which tells you that now he is gone, the common voice, neither hurts nor pleasures him, neither lessens nor adds to his joy; 'tis folly therefore to hunt after it. Saint Paul wishes us so to run that we may obtain, so to run, not as one that beateth the air in vain, for the applause of the giddy multitude, but for a prize, for an incorruptible Crown r v. 25. Again so run, our life here compared to a reace, not only for its shortness, which is a few paces, but for its trouble someness also, 'tis a running, which is no ordinary pain and toil: Truly therefore spoke the Patriarch not only few but evil also are my days (s) Gen. 47.5. : this race some give over at their first setting out, children dying in their Gradles: others after a pace or two past, in their youth: some in the midway, in their best manhood are cut off: most, as this our friend, are out of breath ere they reach the stayed paces of threescore years. Let us not therefore boast [canere ante victoriarn] vaunt as though we had obtained the prize, ere we come to our journey's end: but let us so run, so zealously, and so humbly, working forth our salvation with fear and trembling, that we may obtain. If you are not yet satisfied, but desire more ground for my Questions, Lo here a spectacle of humility before you. And thus am I fallen upon my last message, a message I am confident God wished me to deliver; namely, to recall and make known somethings excellent, and exemplary from the life and death of my worthy friend, I say it again, my worthy friend. I may not boast, my Text forbids it, but I joy in our past relation * Amabatur a me plurimùm nec tamen vicius. Plin. l. 2. Ep. 13. And here I would not be mistaken, conclude not so unworthily of me, that his wealth, place, or friends, put me on this discourse, though to speak truly, so runs the fashion of the world: if a man be poor, though never so good and holy, yet shall he pass away in silence, as we find nothing said of Lazarus, but that he died, whereas it is said there of the rich man, not only that he died, but that he was buried too t Luk. 16.22. , saith a Commentator of ours, there was noise and pomp, much done and said at his Funeral: So many [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] shall you have, many Hackney praisers in black, which at the Funerals of great and rich men, though they departed as gluttonous, as merciless as Dives, never leave prating till they have placed them in heaven. But I know where I am, I know not only in whose presence, but in whose stead I stand, of what therefore I am to speak, let me use jobs words. Lo mine eyes have seen all this, mine ears have heard and understood it, what you know, the same do I know also u job 13.1.2. And as in my following discourse I am resolved to be true, so am I necessarily forced to be brief, & for these reasons. First, because of my present weakness; Secondly, the scantling of time allowed me as for meditaton, so now for delivery; Thirdly and lastly, to be otherwise, I should much injure my go friend, who was a professed enemy to multitude of words; and alas, why should we with an overlarge discourse keep our griefs awake, & wounds a bleeding? Why should we speak much of him whom we can no longer enjoy, unless it be the more to trouble us that we cannot enjoy him? Briefly and truly then thus much. I intent not here a genealogy, to acquaint you with his birth & descent, this is the Herald's business, & it were a disparagement to so much worth to be beholding to Ancestors for a commendation, for arms, and titles,— Vix ea nostra voco— they may not well be called our own, nor think I it matter of weight to acquaint you with his breeding, since his conversation confessed how ingenuous it was: No, nor need I tell you, how dear a husband he was, how tender a father, or how sweet a neighbour: behold this peal of groans, and missed of sighs, tells me so much. And to deal truly, this I purposely omit (though he was excellently glorious in all these Relations) lest I might bethought like the Orators Pliny speaks of (w) Panegy. ad Traian. , to upbraid the living of their vices, whilst I commemorate the virtues of the dead. These five more eminent excellencies I shall commend to your memories and imitations. The first is humility, which considering his breeding, parts, place, and calling was admirable: I cannot call to mind that word, look, or action that ever spoke him proud: nor was he one of our cunning boasters, who oft in their own dispraises notably vaunt it, challenge the lowest place, that they may be forced to the highest, unawares often speak truth, cry [alas they are nobody,] even then tempting some base Sycophant with the expense of a lie or two to make them Somebody. Nor was he like him, of whom Tacitus speaks, [arte quâdan ostentator] an artificial boaster. For this I counted his great fault, even (celata virtus) that through a natural reservedness he did not so shine forth before men, as justly he might, and was required of him. The second, his true heartedness; a fit man to make a friend of I never yet knew; oh, he was wise, and faithful, he did not quickly knit the knot, not easily familiar, and intimate, but once having made it, he was sure and fast: not only was his mouth open to his friend in advice, comfort, and just encouragement, but his hands and purse too for relief and succour; no nor his mouth and purse only, but his heart also, willing was he to enlarge his joys by communicating them, and ease his grief by venting; and this, this openness especially speaks a true friend, whence our Saviour to his Disciples, Henceforth I call you not Servants, for the servant knoweth not his Lords will, but I have called you friends; and mark the reason; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you x john 15.15. : The other two offices of friendship may be dissembled; I may through a self-end teach my tongue Parat-like to prate the language of love, when my heart swells and repines at what it says. I may again, through a self-end hazard my goods and credit, and my life too seemingly in the behalf of my friend, when 'tis nothing so; as there are some, I am confident, at this present which pretend the honour and safety of their deceived friend, and under this pretence merchantlike venture both lives and fortunes, when in truth and indeed their only aim is liberty for their profaneness and toleration, if not admittance, for their heresy: as Hierome of Jovinians Disciples, (non tam te loquentem sectantur, quam vitiis suis favent) so I of these, they do not so much adhere to their friend, as favour their own vices. But I cannot dissemble either my own friendship, or suspect another, when I freely open my bosom unto him; and this did he often unto his friend, this to myself not only in his sickness, as to his Minister, but in his health as to his friend: He left it to weaker less knowing men, who skilled not to choose a friend, to make use of Bias his wise advice, (ama tanquam osurus) to love so reservedly, that in chance of a breach, you may not lie at the mercy of your supposed friend, lest when he proves a knave, you prove yourself a fool in being so grossly mistaken in him. The third, his temperance; and that in meat, drink, and recreations; the covenant job made with his eyes y job 31.1. , he made with his appetite also, to keep himself unspotted of uncleanness, gluttony and drunkenness; the fear job had of his sorrows z job 9.28. , he had of all his passions; even in sickness, even in his extremest fits I could not discover the least token of fear or anger, except it was the fear of God, & an holy indignation against himself for sin. This virtue was most eminently exemplary in him, and God forbidden, that the neglect of so excellent a pattern should aggravate both your sins and judgement, yours especially, to whom by reason of your near relations, this grace shined out most gloriously. For my part it is my wish, and shall be my prayer, that his example may be of like force with Amaziah's, of whose Son it is Registered a 2 Kings 15.3. , That he was right in the sight of the Lord, and did according to all that his father Amaziah had done before him. The fourth, his providence, care, and industry in the employment of that stock, talon, and calling the Lord had given him. To prove this I have a double argument, the voice of the Court, whereof he was a grave member: And this it was, of which I have been an earwitness, none more exact, more careful, more faithful than he: secondly, the blessing of God upon his honest endeavours, the Lord crowned it with a large portion, and his lot fell in a fair ground. But envy may object; this rather an argument of covetousness than providence; 'tis to be feared he made too much hast to be rich, and therefore could not be innocent, getting so much in so little time. Into this snarling mouth I fling these answers. First, his time of thriving was not little time, he was a long gatherer, and ever frugal; and secondly, he had many occasional additions to his estate," and is well known to you all: This to free him from making too much haste to be rich. Again that he was not covetous, these reasons prove: First, he disliked, sure I am, ever since I knew him, the unjust griping trade of usury: Secondly, he never made purchase, as I have heard not himself only, but some neighbours affirm, wherein he gave not of the most: Thirdly and lastly, he was liberal at his door, and hospitable in his house: Whosoever shall be apt to condemn him out of this opinion, that thrift and providence, and the Lords blessing on these, a joining house to house, and land to land, cannot be without covetousness, this man is much out of the way: The truth doutblesse is quite of the otherside, those which are careless of their own estates are most covetous of their neighbours, witness Catiline, of whom Sallust [sui profusus, alieni appetens,] men oft spend that wit and time in taking from others, which should have been employed in keeping or increasing their own, becoming thus at the same time thiefs, and loiterers: Some the desire of others goods, and skill in cheating, leaves them careless of their own; others again wasting their own estates become covetous of their neighbours. The fifth, as the last and chiefest; his constancy in the observation of religious days and duties; never since God sent me to you, do I remember, that ever he absented himself from our holy meeting, unless sickness or some undeniable and lawful occasion detained him; constantly did he observe set times of prayer in his Family. And so punctual was he in the observation of the Lords own day, that when the violent danger of a fit, and the earnestness of his friends (his Minister urging reasons for it) could not be persuaded that a Messenger should on that holy day travel for a Physician, no not after our public devotions were ended. But his Religion will more brightly appear, when as in the last and next place, you shall hear how religiously and thriftily he husbanded the time of his sickness. Which was almost nothing else but a continued prayer, a praying always, a praying without ceasing. For his sickness seized him with such violence, & deadly symptoms, that it told him at first what he was to look for, wherefore he presently pronounced [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] unto himself, resolved for death, and thereupon forthwith betook himself unto God in a long and serious prayer, and unless it were in some necessary intermissions of rest, of receiving either spiritual or temporal food and Physic, he continued in the same posture and action until his last fit, which took him away praying: Nay, when he was quite tired with the extremity of his fit, & sleep offered itself, he would oft refuse it, saying, he could not spare so much time from his devotions; and when I answered him that by rest he would be the better fitted and quickened for prayer, he replied, but (oh!) I shall have ill thoughts get within me even in my sleep to my great hindrance: at last when I told him that such ill thoughts, that seized on him thus unwillinly, and were suddenly sorrowed for, awaking would as soon vanish and be pardoned; he was with much difficulty brought to admit of an hour's intermission for that rest, which he so much wanted: Yet even then too did he manifest himself part of the Church (of Christ's Spouse) who though she slept, yet her heart waked b Cant. 5.2. for seemingly to us asleep, yet many times the up-moving of his hands showed his heart was awaked unto God. But when he was perfectly awaked, with such earnestness even in his extremest fits did he fasten his eyes, and hands, and heart too, (I dare say) towards heaven, that I believe 'twas with him as with Stephen c Acts 7.56. By faith he saw the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God, whom he then so earnestly plied to pray the Father for him. He came at last to such a delight in prayer, that spending one whole almost even a terrible night of many threatening fits in this heavenly Colloquy and familiarity with God; and I ask him the morrow following, how he had sped that night: Oh said he, I have had many brave fits, and told me withal that God would not let him lose one fit, but ever after it he found his faith and comfort increasing, The Lord by them does work me (said he) and by degrees I creep unto him. When we first sat about the great business of preparation for death, which truth is, aught to be the business and task of our whole life, I could not take the course usual with me on the like occasions: first, to administer the Law, its exactness, terrors and curses on the disobedience, allowing some certain time and days for the working of it, ere I administered the Gospel: but by reason of the danger his fits threatened, I was forced to make a confection of the Law and Gospel, to administer them mingled, and compounded, acquainting him at the same time with terrors and comforts, threats and promises, hell and heaven, lest he might have been suddenly cut off in a desperate sorrow, or a false joy. And (God be praised) accordingly it wrought with him; now you should have his eyes fastened on the ground in token of humiliation, anon piercing the Heavens in token of confidence; now you should have his hands wrung in token of grief, anon again, held up in token of hope; now a tear in token of sorrow, and then a smile in token of joy; just like this Month of April, rain and Sunshine, storms and calm. But towards his end, these enter changes ceased, the calm begun to be full and glorious; he might have cried out with the Church d Cant. 3.11 12. , Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, the voice of the Turtle is heard. For I ask him whether or no his comfort did increase, he answered me, excellently, greatly; and how faith held out, he replied, strongly, even then when I could scarce hear him: Whereupon demanding of him (loath I was the the Devil should at last gull him) whether he could at the present resist unto blood, be burnt, undergo the fiery trial for his Saviour's cause and glory; he answered me, gladly, gladly. Lastly, the Lord so much showed himself unto him, gave him so full a view of his treasures, such a largetaste of those joys that were laid up for him in heaven (as we are charitably given to believe) that he underwent the extremity of his fits not with patience only, but with comfort, and left the world, (his wealth, friends and pleasures) not out of a dull sense of the pain and agony of his sickness or a prophetic sensibleness of the miscries falling on this Kingdom, (which he would oft lament) nor made he in this respect a virtue of necessity, carelessly left it because he could no longer enjoy it: this were like a condemned thief or traitor, who seem willing to lay down their lives, because they can no longer keep them: not in this, or that, or the other false respect did he welcome death, but therefore was with joy and cheerfulness dissolved, because his faith assured him he should be with Christ. FINIS.