A Goodly Heritage

For your better understanding of the scriptures, especially of the new Testament; for the forearming you against errors, which, through the ignorance or diverse acception and taking of terms or words used and written of the holy apostles, might happen; and for your consolation in the conflicts you are cumbered with in this present life; I am purposed, my dearly beloved, to write unto you some things (as God shall lend me his grace, the which I ask for his Christ's sake now and for ever) hereabout. Take it in good part, I pray you, at least for my good will's sake towards you in Christ. In reading the scriptures, and especially Paul's epistles, we very often do see these words, "flesh" and "spirit." When therefore this word "flesh" is set against "the spirit" by the way of contrary, as Gal. 5, and almost everywhere, then must we know that it comprehendeth all and every of the natural powers, gifts, and qualities of man: yea, it compr...

God's foresight is not the cause of sin, or excusable necessity to him that sins; the damned therefore have not nor shall have any excuse, because God foreseeing their condemnation, or through their own sin, did not draw them, as he does his elect, unto Christ. But as the elect have cause to thank God for ever for his great mercies in Christ, so the others have cause to lament their own wilfulness, sin, and contemning of Christ, which is the cause of their reprobation, and wherein we should look upon reprobation as the goodness of God in Christ is the cause of our election  and salvation, wherein we should look upon God's election . He that will look upon God or any thing in God, simply and barely as it is in God, the same shall be stark blind. Who can see God's goodness, as it is in God? Who can see his justice, as it is in him? If therefore thou wilt look upon his goodness, not only look upon his world, but also upon his word; even so if thou wilt look upon his justice, ...

  A Meditation of the Presence of God There is nothing that makes more to true godliness of life, than the persuasion of thy presence, dear Father and that nothing is hid from thee, but that all to thee is open and naked, even the very thoughts which one day thou wilt reveal and open, either to our praise or punishment in this life, as thou did David's faults, which he did secretly; ( 2 Sam. xii. ;) or in the life to come ( Matt. xxv. ) For nothing is so hid that it shall not be revealed; therefore the prophet says, Woe to them that keep secret their thoughts, to hide their counsel from the Lord, and do their works in darkness, saying, "Who sees us?" Grant to me therefore, dear God, mercy for all my sins especially my hidden and close sins; enter not into judgment with me, I humbly beseech thee; give me to believe truly in thy Christ, that I may never come into judgment for them, and that with David I might so reveal them and confess them unto thee, that thou w...

Because thou, Lord, would have us to love thee, not only dost thou will, entice, allure, and provoke us, but also commands us so to do, promising thyself unto such as love thee, and threatening us with damnation if we do otherwise; whereby we may see both our great corruption and naughtiness, and also thine exceeding great mercy towards us. First, concerning our corruption and naughtiness, what a thing it is that power, riches, authority, beauty, goodness, liberality, truth, justice, all which thou art, good Lord, cannot move us to love thee! Whatsoever things we see fair, good, wise, mighty, are but sparks of that power, beauty, goodness, wisdom, which thou art. For that thou might declare thy riches, beauty, power, wisdom, goodness, &c. thou hast not only made, but still dost preserve, all creatures to be declarers and setters forth of thy glory, and as a book to teach us to know thee, as David says of the heavens.  Ps. xix. How fair thou art, the beauty of the sun, ...

 in the New Testament, how great was the affliction of Mary, of Joseph, of Zacharias, of Elizabeth, of John the Baptist, of all the apostles and evangelists, yea, of Jesus Christ our Lord, the dear Son and darling of God! And since the time of the apostles, how many and great are the numbers of martyrs, confessors, and such as have suffered the shedding of their blood in this life, rather than they would be stayed in their journey, or lodge in any of Satan's inns, lest the storms or winds which fell in their travellings might have touched them! And, dearly beloved, let us think what we are, and how far unfit to be matched with these, with whom yet we expect we are to be placed in heaven. But with what face can we look for this, who are so fearful and unwilling to leave that, which will we nill we, we must leave, and so shortly that we know not the time when? Where is our renouncing and forsaking of the world and the flesh, which we solemnly took upon us in baptism? Ah! shameless ...