The Christian mans teares and Christs comforts. Delivered at a fast the seventh of Octob. An[n]o. 1624. By Gilbert Primerose minister of the French Church of London.

CHAP. I.

ALl men have a naturall knowledge and desire of

blessednesse.

2. But no man can tell, without speciall revelation from God, wherin it consisteth.

3. Thence is the great di∣versitie of opinions, concer∣ning them who are blessed;

4. As Kings.

5. Courtiers.

6. Rich men.

7. Voluptuous men.

8. There is no blessednesse in any worldly thing.

I. AS all men have a na∣tural impres∣sion, wher∣by they acknowledge, that there is one Soue∣raigne and chiefe God, who should bee wor∣shipped

with heart, words, and deedes; so they have a naturall light, whereby they know that there is a So∣veraigne and chief good, which should bee desi∣red, and sought with much endeavour, and great might; as the chief end of their lives, and the onely blessednesse whereby they are to be perfected, and wherein all their desires and af∣fections must rest, as in their centre. For bles∣sednesse is the perfecti∣on of man; and no man can say, that he is bles∣sed,

till he say,a It is e∣nough.

Thence it is, that as all men worship God, so they doe all desire to bee blessed by the en∣joying of the Sove∣raigne good; the onely naming whereof rejoy∣ceth the heart, and is unto it a restorative, when it is sorrowfull and faint.b Aske of all men together, (if it were possible); aske of them a part, whether they desire to be happy and blessed: and doubt not but they shal all an∣swer with one voice;

that is our desire. what∣soever wee attempt, whatsoever wee prose∣cute, whatsoever we be∣stow our time in, we do it for that end. Blessed∣nesse is our great busi∣nesse: all our cogitati∣ons are of it, all our cares are for it, all our delight is in it. Tis not so in other things. Take but two men, andc aske of them, if they will go to the warres; it may be, that one of them answers, he will; the o∣ther; that hee will not. Aske of them againe, if they desire to bee hap∣py:

foorthwith they shall answer, what else? neither will one of the two goe to the warres, and the other lurke at home, but to bee bles∣sed. So deepely is the sense and desire of bles∣sednesse rooted in all mens hearts.

II. But, alas!d The light shined in darke∣nesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not. For what is the naturall knowledge which men have of God, and of the soveraigne good wher∣in their blessednes con∣sists, but as a lightning,

which in the twinkling of an eye is extingui∣shed and drowned in the dimme cloudinesse of a darke night? To speake of blessednesse apart, because it is the principall matter of my text: all men know ge∣nerally, and in grosse, that thereis such a thing which is called blessed∣nesse, and have a confu∣sed desire thereof; but which of them all can tell what it is, wherein it consists, which is the way to attaine unto it? In that knowledge they are as blind as Moles,

till they bee enlightned with a more excellent light than that which nature doth afford. Fore though there bee ma∣ny which like to de∣ceive and cousen o∣thers, and not one at all who can abide to be de∣ceiv'd; whatsoever they love besides that which is blessednesse indeede, they call it their bles∣sednesse, and will have others to thinke so of it.f And because they shunne to be deceived, they cannot suffer to be convinced of their er∣ror.

III. Whereof if yee desire to have a cleere tryall, yee need not to drive your thoughts backward, and to searchg into the reasons which distracted the ancient Philosophers into two hundred, fourescore and eight opinions, concer∣ning this one and one∣ly point of mans bles∣sednesse in this misera∣ble world.

Let us fixe them up∣on those things which our eyes see, and our eares heare, and aske of so many men, which are much busied, wal∣king

abroad, going and comming thorow the streetes, passing by the high wayes, playing, sporting, eating, drin∣king, trading by sea, by land, sitting in their shops, plotting, musing, meditating in their clo∣sets; what they thinke of felicitie, and which is the blessed end wher∣about they spend so much time, and take so great paines: we shall find them to be like un∣to the builders of Ba∣bel, and their language so confounded, that they understand not

one anothers speech.

IV. Begin at Kings: Aske of the great king Nebuchadnezzar, wher∣in consists his beati∣tude. Hee shall speake and say,h Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Ma∣iestie? But when his kingdome shall bee ta∣ken frō him, when the heart of a beast shall be giuen him, when hee shall bee driven from men, when his Palace shall be changed into a

denne, his fare and dainties into grasse, his wine into muddie wa∣ter, he shall say to God, as David saide in the Psalms to another pur∣pose, When I spake so,i I was a beast before thee.

Letk Solon come to Croesus the rich King, and tell him that Tellus, Cleobes, & Biton, poore men, but honest, are more blessed than he, he shall stand amazed, and wonder how such a Philosopher can by a∣ny apparant reason be∣reave such riches, as his,

of the glorious title of beatitude, & deck with it three unknowne and needy wretches. But when Cyrus shal dispoil him of his mountaines of gold, when hee shall bee tied to the post, when the wood shall be put on the fire; when, in the midst of a smoky flame, he shall be made to his enemies a most pleasant spectacle of a pitifull Tragedy, then he shall cry, but too too late, O Solon, Solon, So∣lon! then he shall know how truly it is said,l Let him not trust in vanitie,

which deceiveth him: for vanitie shall be his re∣compense.

When the Emperour SEVERUS was on his death-bed, what avay∣led the memorie of all his riches, honors, pow∣er, delights, but to make him, upon the trebble string of his melancho∣lick hart, tune this dole∣full Song;m I have been all things, and nothing a∣vaileth?

To returne to the Scriptures: Did notn Salomon acquaint him∣self with wisdome, and with folly? Did he not

give himself to women and to wine? Did hee not make great workes, build Houses, plant Vineyards, Gardens, & Orchards, gather silver and gold? Made he not silver to be in Ierusalem as common as stones? Saith he not, thato what∣soever his eyes desired, he kept it not from them? that he with-held not his heart from any ioy? Was not that blessednesse? Oh no! The Catastro∣phe, the shutting up of all was,p Behold, all is vanity, and vexation of spirit. He saith as Seve∣rus

said, There is no profit under the Sun.

V. Cannot Kings finde blessednesse in the pleasures, riches, power, glory of a Kingdome? and shall Courtiers, who wade but in shal∣low water, who dare not adventure to swim in the Ocean of royall pleasures, who eat but the crums and leavings of their Master's Table, call their life blessed∣nesse? Yea that will some of them, I warrant you, as being most like unto the Flie; whereof it is written in the Apo∣logues,

that, preferring it self, with much brag∣ging and ostentation, to the Ant, who hath no dwelling-place but in the holes of the earth, it said; I am ever with the King at table, I drink in his cup, I eat of his best dainties, I sleepe in his purple gown, I kisse the Queen's face; & consi∣derd not, that it was but a troublesome worme, which by and by should bee favoured with the cheer which the Empe∣rour Domitian gave to the Flies of his Bed∣chamber, as the proverb

saith; To-day glad, to∣morrow dead.

Goe to Ahasuerus Court; cast your eyes there upon the King's Minion, Haman: ye see him betimes in the morning waitingf at the outward Court of the King's house, to pre∣sent his sute against Mordecai: aske of him, wherein hee placeth his blessednesse.g He shall make you a long Roll of the glory of his riches, of the multitude of his children, of all the things wherin the King hath promoted him a∣bove

all the Princes & servants of the Court, of the Queene's most speciall kindnes and fa∣vour unto him: he will assure you, that blessed∣nes it self goeth to bed, & riseth with his Grace; that nothing is wanting to make it up thorowly, but the King's cōmand to hang Mordecai, w^ch shall presently bee dis∣patched; not thinking, that the next day all his blessednes shall be han∣ged with him on the gallows which hee had prepared for Mordecai: as if it had been written

of him,h Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be as a spiders web. Hee shall leane upon his house, but it shall not stand: hee shall build it fast, but it shall not en∣dure.

VI. Goe to the rich men of the Land: aske of them, as Croesus did of Solon, Who is the happiest man of the world? They shall an∣swer, as Croesus thought Solon should have an∣swered to him, and if need bee fetch their an∣swer out of the Scrip∣tures; Our blessednesse

is, thati our sonnes may be as plants growne up in their youth; that our daughters may be as cor∣ner-stones polished after the similitude of a Pa∣lace; that our Garners may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheepe may bring foorth thousands and ten thou∣sands in our streets; that our oxen may bee strong to labour; that there bee no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no com∣plaining in our streets: happy is that people that is in such a case: After this maner did the rich

man in the Gospel bless his soule; saying,k Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres: take thine ease: eat, drink, and be merrie. But God said unto him; Thou fool, this night thy soule shall bee required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast prepa∣red?

Go to the Exchange, goe to the shops, goe to the ships, go to all kinde of worldlings; ye shall heare them all saying, It is a good and blessed thing to dwell with goods: They will deafe

you with their continu∣all sighing and crying,l Who will shew us anie good? When their ri∣ches are increased, yee shall see them setting up in the Temple of their hearts,m the Idol of iea∣lousie,n making of gold their hope, and saying to the fine gold, thou art my confidence.

Say thou unto them, that the holy man Iob, though richer than they are, thought it a most heinous crime to trust in riches; that David, a most rich King, faith to al rich men in the name

of God, and with au∣thoritie from heaven,o If riches increase, set not your heart upon them: that the Apostle rendereth a most pe∣remptorie reason of this exhortation, ta∣ken fromp the uncer∣tainetie of riches; that either wee must leave them by death, as the rich man of whom I have spoken, did; or they willq make them∣selves wings, and flye a∣way as an Eagle towards heaven, and leave us, ere we dye: they will an∣swer, There is no such

matter; That Salomon, the wisest of all men, said most truely, thatr money answereth all things; that therefores they must, they must have money, because without mony nothing that must bee done, can bee done: money must they have, and in mony will they trust.

VII. Goe, I pray you, to the Comedians, to the houses of ga∣ming, of tippling, and of joy: goe to the Un∣thrifts and Ale-knights of the country: demand in what schoole they

have been brought up. They will answer, In the schoole of Epicurus, with two royall fel∣lows, Sardanapalus and Heliogabalus; where they have learned a short, but most excellēt Compendium of Philo∣sophie,t Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die: whereof, the words which Salomon speaks in the behalfe of such disciples of ryot, are an ample Commen∣tary;u There is nothing better for a man, than to reioyce, and to do good to himselfe in his life; and

also that every man should eat and drink, and enioy the good of his la∣bour, it is the gift of God.

This was the Philo∣sophie of another rich man in the Gospell,x who was clothed in pur∣ple and fine linnen, and fared sumptuously everie day; and, ere hee was a∣ware, was buried in the bottomelesse pit of hel: where one drop of that sweet water, wherein poore Lazarus doth swim, would bee more welcom to him to cool his tongue, than all the deceiving pleasures

which hee enjoyed du∣ring the flying dayes of his short life. That is the place ordained to all his school-fellows: where then, if not till then, they shall con∣demne all their former courses, and with Salo∣mon,y say of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, what doth it?

VIII. Oh that the force of reason could move them, if they will not be moved with the authority of Scriptures. How can riches bee mans blessednes?a Mans blessednesse cannot bee

worse than man himself. Are not the best riches worse than the worst man? What are they butb thick clay, as Haba∣cuc cals thē? whichc if ye possesse, they are a heavy load unto you: which if yee love, they defile you: which if yee lose, they are a crosse unto you. Surely, if they could speake, they would say,d Man is not made for us, but wee are made for man: as it is written,e Thou hast put all things under his feet. Therefore man is our end and blessed∣nesse: but wee are not

the end, wee are not the blessednesse of man.

How can honour bee mans blessednes?f Bles∣sednes is in him who is happy: but honour is not in him who is ho∣noured, it is rather in him who doth honour. Moreover,g honour is given to some excellen∣cie: there is no excel∣lencie to be compared with blessednes, where∣of all kinde of excellen∣cie is a part: wherefore honor is a publike testi∣mony rendred to bles∣sednes, & is not so good as blessednesse is. The

same may bee saide of glory & of good fame, which follow mans blessednesse, such as he may have in this world; but are no part of it.

How canh Power and Authoritie bee mans blessednesse? Is it not particular to some few? And among all men, are there any so vexed with troubles without, with cares and griefe within, as such men are? In blessednesse there is no care, no vexation of spirit, but full content.

Who will say, that

i mans reasonable and immortall soule can∣not come to blessed∣nesse, but by wallow∣ing like a sow in the muddye pleasures of the mortal body? They like Scorpions have stinging tailes, as Salo∣mon, who knew them better than any man, saith, affirming thatk the end of mirth is heavines?

I might run through all the faculties and gifts both of body and soule, and shew you, that blessednesse is not in any of them apart, nor in thē all together:

but that which I have said, is sufficient to con∣vince all them which hold for Principles and Maximes of their faith, that blessed are they that are rich, that are full, that laugh, &c. and cry, Woe, woe, woe unto them that are poore, that are hungry, that mourne, &c.

Notes

• a

  August. Confess. lib. 10 cap. 20. Vita beata non est mihi, donec dicam, satest.
• b

  Ibid. una. voce, fi inter∣rogari pos∣sent, utrum beati esse vellent, fine ulla dubita∣tione, ve••le responderent.
• c

  Ibid. ca, 21.
• d

  Ioh. 1.5
• e

  Aug. Con∣fess. lib. 10. ca. 23. Multos expertus sum qui velint fallere, qui autem falli neminem.
• f

  Et quia falli nolunt, nolūt convinci quod falss sunt.
• g

  Idem de Civit. dei, lib 19. cap. 1. & ••.
• h

  Dan. 4.30.
• i

  Psal. 73.22.
• k

  Herodot. Clio.
• l

  Iob 15 ••1.
• m

  Spart. in Seneio. Hac omnia fui, & nihil expedit
• n

  Eccles. 2.3.
• o

  ver. 10
• p

  ver. 11
• f

  Esth. 6.4
• g

  Esther 5.11.
• h

  Iob 8.14, 15
• i

  Psa. 144.12.
• k

  Luk. 12.19.20
• l

  Iob 31 24.
• m

  Ezech. 8.3.
• n

  Iob 31 24
• o

  Psal. 62 10
• p

  1. Tim. 6.10.
• q

  Pro. 23.5
• r

  Eccles. 10.19
• s

  Demost. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ete Opus, opus sunt opes: nam sine his nihil fit quod opus.
• t

  1. Cor. 15.32
• u

  Eccles. 3.12
• x

  Luke 16 19
• y

  Eccles. 2.2.
• a

  Aug. de mor. Eccles. cathol. Ho∣minis optimū deterìus esse quàm ipsae homo, non potest.
• b

  Hab. 2.6
• c

  Bern. Qua possessa, one∣rant; aemata, inquinant; amissa, cru∣ciant.
• d

  Thom. 12a. q. 2. art. 1. in conclus.
• e

  Psal. 8.6
• f

  Arist. 1 Aethic. c. 5
• g

  Thom. ib. art. 2. in con∣clus.
• h

  Ibid. Art. 4.
• i

  Ibid. 6. Conclus.
• k

  Pro. 14.13.