These Fathers that feared these great charges, were resolved to preach every day, twice a day sometime thrice a day; and they did take to heart aforehand that account, they must give for the souls committed to their charge: the terror of that commination, saith Chrysostom, Heb. 13.17. For they watch over your souls, as they that must give account, makes me quake and tremble. From such grounds as these, men of innocency, and true worth, especially enjoying the comforts of a good conscience, and communion with JESUS CHRIST, are well enough content to continue in a private estate, and would not willingly stir, except by a direct and comfortable calling, GOD would have them to do him service, in a more public employment, and higher place; and they ordinarily undertake them with much fear, self-distrust, and extraordinary prayer. Full little do you know, who in the meantime stop the cries of your guilty consciences with gold, good-fellowship or great place, what ⟨p. 97⟩the pleasures of an appeased conscience are; had you ever truly tasted their sweetness, and soundly smarted with the anguish of a troubled one in conversion, I dare say you would not by your good wills wound it for a Kingdom, for a world. A good conscience (saith one well) is of the same mind with the trees in Jotham's Parable Judges 9. It will not with the Olive loose its fatness, nor with the Fig-tree loose his sweetness, nor with the Vine, its wine of cheerfulness, to have the fattest, and sweetest preferments, and pleasures of the world: no though it were to reign and domineer over all the trees in the forests. Only the Bramble as you know, the most base, and contemptible, a dry sapless kex and weed, will needs up into a high room. Weak, and worthless men, ordinarily are the only men, old excellent, as they say, most active, and pragmatical to serve themselves by bribes, and base tricks into benefices, Offices, and other undeserved places of preferment. For they want honest wit to conceive & fore-see the weight of the charge, and conscience to discharge it faithfully, their only aim, and aspiration out of an ambitious itching humour, is to advance their own particular private ends, & although they be many times as empty of all true worth, as the vainest Idol, yet they desire to sit aloft, and be adored above others.
These Fathers that feared these great charges, were resolved to preach every day, twice a day sometime thrice a day; and they did take to heart aforehand that account, they must give for the soules commited to their charge: the terrour of that commination, saith Chrisostome, Heb. 13.17. For they watch over your soules, as they that must give account, makes me quake and tremble. From such grounds as these, men of innocency, and true worth, especially enjoying the comforts of a good conscience, and communion with IESUS CHRIST, are well enough content to continue in a private estate, and would not willingly stirre, except by a direct and comfortable calling, GOD would have them to doe him service, in a more publicke employment, and higher place; and they ordinarily undertake them with much feare, selfe-distrust, and extraordinary prayer. Full little doe you know, who in the meanetime stop the cries of your guilty consciences with gold, good-fellowship or great place, what ⟨p. 97⟩the pleasures of an appeased conscience are; had you ever truly tasted their sweetnesse, and soundly smarted with the anguish of a troubled one in conversion, I dare say you would not by your good wills wound it for a Kingdome, for a world. A good conscience (saith one well) is of the same mind with the trees in Iothams Parable Iudges 9. It will not with the Olive loose its fatnesse, nor with the Fig-tree loose his sweetnesse, nor with the Vine, its wine of chearefulnesse, to have the fattest, and sweetest preferments, and pleasures of the world: no though it were to raigne and domineere over all the trees in the forrests. Onely the Bramble as you know, the most base, and contemptible, a dry saplesse kexe and weed, will needs up into a high roome. Weake, and worthlesse men, ordinarily are the onely men, old excellent, as they say, most active, and pragmaticall to serue themselves by bribes, and base tricks into benefices, Offices, and other undeserved places of preferment. For they want honest wit to conceive & fore-see the waight of the charge, and conscience to discharge it faithfully, their onely aime, and aspiration out of an ambitious itching humour, is to advance their owne particular private ends, & although they be many times as empty of all true worth, as the vainest Idoll, yet they desire to sit aloft, and be adored above others.
