the first-fruits of their ears of corn, early, about Easter; the second was primitie panum, the first-fruits of their loaves, and that was somewhat early too, about Whitsuntide; and the third was primitia frugum, the fruits of all their latter fruits in general, and that was very late, about the fall of the leaf, in September. In the two first payments, which were offered early, God accepted a part for Himself, but in the third payment, which came late, God would have no part at all. Even so, if we offer the first fruits of our young years early unto God, He will accept of them as seasonably done; but if we give our best years unto Satan, sacrifice the flower of our youth unto sin, serve the world, and follow after the lusts of our flesh while we are young, and put all the burden of duty upon our weak, feeble and decrepit old age, give our first years to Satan, and the last unto God, sure it is, that as He then refused such sacrifices under the law, He will not easily receive them now in the time of the Gospel. Steph. Menochius de Repub. Hebræorum, Lib. ii. cap. 16. nocuit differe paratis. Lucan. Tolle moras; semper 2286. Why it is that Late Service done unto God is seldom Accepted. It would seem preposterous, nay, ridiculous, that some inferior man should present his prince with a horse that were lame, a clock out of order, or a book that were torn and imperfect. Yet thus all of us do, our flesh is our beast, the course of our life is our clock, and the history of our actions is our book. And shall we offer then our flesh unto God, when it is lame and tired out with excess of wantonness? shall we commend our lives unto Him, when all the whole course thereof is out of order? or shall we present the story of our actions unto Him, when as a thousand sins of our own, (for which we should be sorrowful,) and a thousand blessings of God, (for which we should be thankful,) are quite defaced and rased out of our memory? or if we should offer such unto God, why should we think it strange that He should reject them? We cannot, for continency, abstinency, temperance, and such like, are in old age no virtues, but a disability to be vicious; as to leave good fellowship when we are sick, and many other sins when we are old, is not so much a leaving of sin as sin leaving us; and surely such service will be but hardly accepted. Gr. Williams, ut antea. Pænitentia sera, raro vera. Ph. Bosquieri Tab. 2287. Honesty the Best Policy. THEMISTOCLES, at a meeting of the Athenians, told them that he found out a way, which would make very much for the advance of their glory and dignity, but it was not fit to be published to all the people. The Senate thereupon determined, that it should be revealed only to Aristides, and if he approved thereof they would all receive it; so Themistocles told Aristides, that the burning of all the naval stations, that is, all the shipping and haven-docks of the Grecians, would prove a notable design to make the Athenians masters of all Greece. Aristides having his errand, told the Athenians in brief, Themistoclis consilio nihil esse utilius, sed, &c., that there could not be a more profitable counsel for them than that of Themistocles, but withal there could not be a more dishonest; whereupon the people charged Themistocles that he should never speak of it any more. A most excellent example of a virtuous, though heathen people, that would utterly refuse all profit that came not in by the way of honesty, hearken to no counsel that tended to any kind of turpitude, nor lend an ear to any advice that was not just. And it is heartily to be wished, that all such as profess themselves to be Christians, would learn so much of the heathen, as not to do evil that good may come of it, not to make religion a stalking horse to policy, not to raise themselves by the ruin of others, nor to make use of their weaker brother as a stirrup to mount them into the saddle of their so much desired greatness; but to be honest, to do righteous things, do as they would be done by, always remembering that proverb of our English Solomon (King James), Honesty will prove to be the best policy in the end. Diodorus, Lib. xi. Jos. Shute's Serm. at St. Plutarch in Vita Aristidis. INDEX. A. Active Christian the best Christian, Adversity, few or no friends to be found in time of, Affliction (not to wait for God's good pleasure in), very dangerous, Affliction, if anything, will make us seek God, Afflictions (not to be troubled at) because God intends good by them, Afflictions (when lighter) will not serve the purpose God will send heavier, 112 Afflictions of this life, the comfortable use that is to be made of, Page 499 148 441 186 24 164 356 Afflictions, how it is that they be ofttimes so heavy, Afflictions, not to be altogether taken up with the sense of, 480 481 530 Anabaptistical spirits, their madness, 121 Angry words spoken against us, not to take notice of, Atheistical wicked men at the hour of death forced to confess God's judgments, 221 : Boasters (the greatest) the smallest doers, Body (care for the) more than the soul, reprovable, 552 382 520 220 446 50 236 448 413 ... Body and soul sinning together liable to be punished together, Calling, great danger of our taking up a false persuasion of our, 18 241 Calling (time and place of a man's spiritual) very uncertain to be Ceremonies of the church not to be any cause of separation, 161 Charity, men to be careful of what they promise to God in the matter of, Child (only), parents not to be too much dejected for death of an, 109 34 : Children to be religiously educated, Children, God's great blessing to have male and female, Children not to marry without their parents' consent, ... Children to submit to their parents' correction, Children to be carefully educated by their parents, 195 205 216 229 230 Children to set their hands to all honest employment, Children to be fruitful is a great blessing of God, Children, a great fault in women not to nurse their own, 138 Children's (little) dumb shows, &c., how men may be said to learn of, 109 |