HOW FAR EXAMPLES ARE To Be Followed.

RVTH. 1.15.
And Naomi said, behold thy sister in Law is gone
backe unto her people, and unto her gods, returne
thou after thy sister in Law.
IN these words Naomi
seekes to perswade
Ruth to returne, alleaging
the example
of Orpah, who as she
saith was gone back to
her people, and to her
gods; where first wee
find that all the Heathen,
and the Moabites amongst the rest did
not acknowledge one true God, but were the

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Worshippers of many gods; for they made
every attribute of God to be a distinct Deity.
Thus in stead of that attribute, the wisedome
of God, they fained Apollo the God of wisedome;
in stead of the power of God, they
made Mars the God of power; in stead of that
admirable beauty of God, they had Venus the
Goddesse of beauty: But no one attribute
was so much abused, as Gods Providence. For
the Heathen supposing, that the whole world,
and all the creatures therein was too great a
Diocesse to bee daily visited by one, and the
same Deity; they therefore assigned sundry
gods to severall creatures. Thus Gods Providence
in ruling the raging of the seas, was
counted Neptune; in stilling the roaring wind
Æolus in commanding the powers of Hell
Pluto; yea sheep had their Pan, and Gardens
their Pomona; the Heathens then being as fruitfull
in faigning of gods, as the Papists since in
making of Saints.
Now because Naomi used the example of
Orpah, as a motive to worke upon Ruth to returne;
wee gather from thence, Examples of
others set before our eyes, are very potent and
prevalent Arguments, to make us follow and
imitate them, whether they bee good examples,
so the forwardnesse of the Corinthians
to beleeve the Iewes, provoked many: or whether
they be bad, so the dissembling of Peter
at Antioch, Drew Barnabas and others into the same
fault: But those examples of all others are
most forcible with us, which are set by such
who are neer to us by kindred, or gracious
with us in friendship, or great over us in
power.
Let men in eminent places, as Magistrates,
Ministers, Fathers, Masters, so that others
love to dance after their Pipe, to sing after
their Musick, to tread after their tract endeavour
to propound themselves examples of piety,
and religion to those that be under them.
When wee see any good example propounded
unto us, let us strive with all possible
speed to imitate it: what a deale of stirre is
there in the world for civill precedency and
priority, every one desires to march in the
Fore-front, and thinkes it a shame to come laging
in the Rear-ward. Oh that there were such
an holy ambition, and heavenly emulation in
our hearts, that as Peter and Iohn ran a race, who
should come first to the grave of our Saviour,
so men would contend, who should first attain
to true mortification; and when we see a good
example set before us, let us imitate it, though it
be in one, which in outward respects is far our
inferior: shal not our Masters be ashamed, to see
that their men, whose place on earth is to come
behind them, in piety towards Heaven to goe
before them? shall not the Husband blush
to see his Wife, which is the weaker vessell
in nature, the stronger vessell in grace?

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shall not the elder Brother dye his cheeks with
the colour of vertue, to see his younger Brother,
who was last borne, first reborne by
faith, and the Holy Ghost? yet let him not
therefore envie his Brother, as Cain did Abel,
let him not be angry with his Brother, because
hee is better than himselfe, but let him be angry
with himselfe, because hee is worse than
his brother, let him turne all his malice into
imitation, all his fretting at him into following
of him. Say unto him, as Gehazi did of
Naaman; As the Lord liveth I will run after him:
and although thou canst not over-run him, nor
as yet over-looke him; yet give not over to
run with him, follow him, though not as Azael
did Abner, hard at the heeles; yet as Peter
did our Saviour, a farre off; that though the
more slowly, yet as surely thou mayest come
to Heaven; and though thou wert short of
him while hee lived, in the race, yet thou shalt
be even with him when thou art dead, at the
marke.
When any bad example is presented unto
us, let us decline and detest it, though the men
be never so many, or so deare unto us. Imitate
Micaiah, 1 King.22. to whom when the Messenger
sent to fetch him, said, Behold now the
words of the Prophets, declare good unto the King
with one mouth, let thy Word therefore I pray thee
be like to one of them; Micaiah answered, As the
Lord liveth, whatsoever he Lord saith unto me, that

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will I speake. If they be never so deare unto us,
wee must not follow their bad practise: so
must the sonne please him that begot him, that
hee doth not displease him that created him;
so must the wife follow him that married her,
that she doth not offend him that made her;
wherefore as Samson, though bound with new
cords snapt them asunder, as tow when it feeleth
the fire; so rather then we should be led by
the lewd examples of those, that be neere and
deare unto us, let us breake in peeces all their
engagements, relations whatsoever.
Now here it will be a labour, worthy discourse,
to consider how farre the examples,
even of good men in the Bible are to bee followed.
For as all examples have a great influence
on the practise of the Beholders, so especially
the deeds of good men registred in the
Scripture the Kalender of Eternity are most
attractive of imitation.
Wee find in Holy Writ nine severall kinds
of examples. First Actions extraordinary, the
doers whereof had peculiar strength, and dispensation
from God to doe them. Thus Phineas
in an heavenly fury killed Cozbi and
Zimri, Samson slew himselfe, and the Philistims
in the Temple of Dagon; Elias caused fire to
descend on the two Captaines of fifties; Elisha
cursed the children, the children of Bethel.
These are written for our instruction, not for
our imitation, if with Elisha thou canst make a

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Bridge over Iordan with thy cloake, if
with him thou canst raise dead children,
then it is lawfull for thee, with Elisha to curse
thy enemies. If thou canst not imitate him in
the one, pretend not to follow him in the other.
When men propound such examples for
their practise, what is said is imputed to
Phineas for righteousnesse, will bee imputed
to us for Iniquity, if being private men
by a Commission of our owne penning, wee
usurpe the Sword of Iustice to punish Malefactors.
Actions founded in the ceremoniall Law, as Abrahams
circumcising of Isaac, Hezekiahs eating
the Passeover, Solomons offering of sacrifices,
&c.
We are to be thankful to God, that these shadows
in Christ the substance are taken away.
Let us not therefore superstitiously faine, that
the ghosts of these Ceremonies may stil walk,
which long since were buried in Christs grave.
By those who still retaine them. Excellently
Ignatius, Epist. ad Magnesios, NoValue. Yea, wee must forfeit the
name of Christians, if we still retaine such old
Rites. Let those who are admitted in the
Colledge of grace, disdaine any longer to goe
to the schoole of the Ceremoniall Law, which
truly may bee called the Schoole of Tyrannus.
Actions which are founded in the Iudiciall
Law, as punishing theft with foure-fold
Restitution, putting of Adulterers to death,
and raising up seed to the Brother, &c.
These oblige men, to observe them so
farre, as they have in them any taste or tincture
of a Morall Law; and as they beare
proportion with those Statutes, by which
every particular Countrey is governed.
For the Iudiciall Law was by God calculated
alone, for the elevation of the
Iewish Common-wealth. It suted onely
with the body of their state; and will
not fit any other Common-wealth, except
it be equall to Iudea in all Dimensions.
I meane in climate, nature of the soyle,
disposition of the people, quality of the
bordering Neighbours, and many other particulars,
amongst which the very least is considerable.
When men out of an over Imitativenesse
of Holy Presidents, seek to conforme
all Countries to Iewish Lawes. That
must needs breake, which is stretched further,
than God intended it. They may
sooner make Sauls Armour fit David,
and Davids Sling and Scrip become Saul,
then the particular Statutes of one Countrey,
adequately, to comply with another.
Actions founded in no Law at all, but
onely in an ancient Custome, by God winked
and connived at; yea, tolerated
at the least wise not openly forbidden in precept,
or punished in practise. As Poligamy, in the
Patriarkes having many wives. Indeed when
God first made the large volume of the world,
and all creatures therein, and set it forth, Cum
regali privilegio,
Behold all things therin were
very good, hee made one Eve for one Adam.
Poligamy is an Erratum, and needs an Index expurgatorius,
being crept in, being more than
what was in the maiden coppy: It was the
Creature of Lamech, no worke of God.
We are herein to wonder at, and praise the
goodnesse of God, who was pleased herein to
winke at the faults of his deare Saints, and to
passe by their frailty herein, because they lived
in a darke age, wherein his pleasure was not so
plainely manifested.
If any in this bright sun-shine of the Gospel,
pretend as a plea for their lust, to follow
their example.
Doubtfull examples, which may so be termed,
because it is difficult to decide, whether the
Actors of them therein did offend or no: so
that should a Iury of learned Writers be empannelled
to passe their verdict upon them,
they would bee puzzelled, whether to condemne
or acquit them, and at last be forced to
find it an Ignoramus. As whether David did
well to dissemble himselfe frantick, thereby
to escape the cruelty of Ashish, King of Gath.
Whether Hufhai did well, in counterfeiting
with Absolom, or whether therein hee
did not make Heaven to bow too much
to earth, I meane Policie to entrench
upon Piety; and so in this act was so
good a States-man, that hee was a bad
man.
Let us not meddle with imitation of these
actions, that are so full of difficulty and danger,
that our judgements therein may easily
bee deceived: The sonnes of Barzillai, EZr.2.63
Because their Genealogies were doubtfull and uncertaine,
were put by the Priest-hood, till a Priest
should rise up with Vrim and Thummim, by
which wee may understand some especiall
man amongst them, who by Gods Spirit might
be able to decide the controversies, which
were questioned in their pedigrees. So let us
refraine from following these doubtfull
examples, till which in this world is
not likely to bee there arise an infallible
Iudge, which can determine in these
particulars, whether these actions were well
done or no.
By such who though they have roome
enough besides, yet delight to walke on
a narrow Banke, neere the Sea, and have
an itch to imitate these doubtfull Examples,
wherein there is great danger of miscarrying.
Mixt examples which containe in them a
double action, the one good, and the other

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bad, so closely couched together, that it is
a very hard thing to sever them. Thus in
the unjust Steward, there was his wisedome
to provide for himselfe, which God doth
commend; and his wickednesse, to purloyne
from his Master, which God cannot but condemne.
Thus in the Hebrew Midwives, Exod. 1.
when they told the lye, there was in them,
Fides mentis, & fallacia mentientis, the faithfulnesse
of their love to their Countreymen,
and the falsenesse of their lying to Pharaoh.
Behold, here is wisedome, and let the man
that hath understanding, discreetly divide betwixt
the Gold and the Drosse, the Wheat
and the Chaffe; what hee is to follow and
imitate, and what to shun and avoyd. In the
first yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth,
the students of Christ-Church in Oxford,
buried the bones of Peter Martyrs wife
in the same Coffin, with the ashes of Fridswick
a Popish Saint, to this intent, that if
Popery, which God forbid should ever
after over spread this land, Papists should bee
puzled to part the ashes of a supposed Heretike,
from one of their canonized Saints.
Thus in some actions of Gods Saints in the
Bible, which are of a mixt nature; wickednesse
doth so insensibly unite and incorporate
it selfe with that that is good, that it is
very difficult to sever and divide them
without a sound, and well advised Iudgement.
In such as leave what is good, take what is
bad, follow what is to bee shunned, shunne
what is to bee followed.
Actions absolutely bad, so that no charitable
Comment can bee fastned upon them, except
wee will incurre the Prophets curse and
woe, To call good evill, and evill good; such
were the Drunkennesse of Noah, the Incest
of Lot, the lying of Abraham, the swearing
of Ioseph, the Adultery of David, the Deniall
of Peter.
Let us reade in them first a Lecture of our
owne Infirmity: who dare warrant his Armour
for proofe, when Davids was shot
through? Secondly, let us admire and laud
Gods mercy, who pardoned and restored
these men on their unfained Repentance.
Lastly, let us not despaire of pardon our
selves, if through Infirmity over taken,
God in like manner is mercifull to forgive
us.
When men either make these their patterns,
by which they sin, or after their sinning
alledge them for their excuse and defence.
Thus Iudith did, Iudith 9. 2. For whereas that
murder, which Simeon and Levi did commit
upon the Shechemites, Gen. 34. 12. was
cursed by Iacob, as a most hainous and horrible
sinne; yet shee propounds it as an heroicke

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act, and the unworthy President for
her imitation: O Lord God of my Father
Simeon, to whom thou gavest the Sword to
take vengeance on the strangers, which opened
the wombe of a Maid, and defiled her, &c.
Well, if the Arme of Iudith had beene as
weake as her judgement was herein, I should
scarce beleeve, that shee ever cut off the head
of Holophernes.
Actions which are onely good, as they are qualified
with such a circumstance, as Davids eating
the Shew-bread in a case of absolute necessity;
which otherwise was provided for the
Priests alone. Such are the doing of servile
workes on the Lords day, when in
case of necessity they leave off to bee
Opera servilia, and become opera misericordiæ.
Let us bee sure, that in imitating of
these, to have the same qualifying circumstance,
without which otherwise the deed is
impious and damnable.
In those which imitate the example without
any heeding, that they are so qualified,
as the action requires.
The ninth and last sort remaines, and
such are those, which are eminently good;
as the Faith of Abraham, the Meeknesse of
Moses, the Valour of Ioshua, the Sincerity
of Samuel, the plaine Dealing of Nathaniel,
&c. Follow not then the Infidelity
of Thomas, but the Faith of Abraham;
the Testinesse of Ionah, but the Patience
of Iob; the Adultery of David, but the
Chastity of Ioseph; not the Apostasie
of Orpa, but the Perseverance
of Ruth here in
my Text.

HOW FARRE GRACE CAN BE ENTAILED.

2 TIM. 1. 5.
When I call to remembrance, the unfained faith,
which is in thee, which dwelt first in thy
Grand-mother Lois, and thy Mother Eunice;
and I am perswaded that it is in thee also.
WHEN I call to remembrance.
It is good to
feed our soules on the
memories of pious
persons: Partly that
we may be moved to
prayse God in, and
for his Graces, given
to his Saints; and
partly that we may bee incited to imitate the
vertues of the deceased. Ahaz was so taken

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with the Altar at Damascus, 2 King.16.10. that
hee would needs have one at Ierusalem, made
according to all the worke-manship thereof.
When we call to mind the vertues of the deceased,
and cannot but be delighted with their
Goodnesse; let us labour to fashion our selves
after their frame, and to erect the like vertues
in our owne soules.
Godly Children occasion their Parents to bee
called to memory: Saint Paul beholding Timothies
Goodnesse, is minded thereby to
remember his Mother, and Grand-mother
Eunice and Lois; they can never bee dead,
whiles hee is alive. Good children are the
most lasting monument, to perpetuate their
Parents, and make them survive after death.
Dost thou desire to have thy memory continued?
Art thou ambitious to be revenged of
death, and to out-last her spight? It matters
not for building great houses, and calling them
after thy name, give thy children godly education,
and the fight of their goodnesse will
furbish up thy memory, in the mouthes and
minds of others, that it never rusts in oblivion.
Which dwelt first,
That is, which was an Inhabitant in their
hearts: Faith in temporary Believers, is as a
Guest, comes for a night, and is gone, at the
best is but as a Sojourner, lodges there for a
time; but it dwelleth, maketh her constant
residence, and aboad in the Saints, and servants
of God.
Grand-mother Lois, and Mother Eunice.
Why doth not Saint Paul mention the Father
of Timothy; but as it were blanch him over
with silence?
First, it is probable that Saint Paul had not
any speciall notice of him, or that hee was
dead before the Apostles acquaintance in that
Family.
2. Likely it is, he was not so eminent, and
appearing in Piety; the weaker vessell may
sometimes be a stronger vessel of honour:
yea, the Text intimateth as much, Act.16.1.
Behold a certaine Disciple was there named Timotheus,
the sonne of a certaine woman, which was a
Iewesse, and beleeved, but his Father was a Greeke.
Let women labour in an holy Emulation, to
excell their husbands in Goodnesse; it is no
trespasse of their modesty, nor breach of the
obedience they vowed to their husbands in
marriage, to strive to bee Superiours, and above
them in Piety.
3. Eunice and Lois, the Mother and Grand-mother,
are onely particularly mentioned, because
deserving most commendation for instructing
Timothy in his youth; as it is in the
Chap. 3. ver. 16. Knowing of whom thou hast

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learned them, and that from a Child thou
hast knowne the Holy Scriptures. For
the same reason the names of the Mothers
of the Kings of Iudah, are so precisely recorded
for their credit, or disgrace, according
to the goodnesse or badnesse of their
sonnes. Let Mothers drop instruction into
their children with their milke, and teach
them to pray, when they beginne to
prattle.
Though Grace bee not entayled from Parent
to Child; yet the Children of godly
Parents have a great advantage to Religion;
yea that five-fold.
1. The advantage of the promise; yea
though they come but of the halfe blood,
much more if true borne on both sides
if one of their Parents bee godly, 1 Corinth.
7. 14. For the unbeleeving Husband is
sanctified by the unbeleeving Wife; and the unbeleeving
Wife is sanctified by the Husband, else
were your Children uncleane, but now they are
holy.
2. Of good Precepts, some taught them in
their Infancy, so that they can easier remember
what they learned, then when they learned
it, Gen.28.19. For I know Abraham that hee will
command his children, and his Houshold after him
to feare the Lord.
3. Of good Presidents, Habent domi unde
discant; whereas the children of evill Parents
see daily what they ought to shun, and avoyd,
these behold what they should follow, and
imitate.
4. Of Correction, which though untoothsome
to the palat to taste, is not unwholsome
to the stomacke to digest.
5. Of many a good prayer, and some no
doubt steept in teares, made for them before,
some of them were made, Filius tantarum
lachrymarum non peribit, said Saint Ambrose
to Monica, of Saint Augustine her son;
Disdaine thou then out of an holy pride, to bee
the vitious sonne to a vertuous Father, to bee
the prophane Daughter of a pious Mother; but
labour to succeed, as well to the lives, as to the
Livings, the Goodnesse, as the Goods of the Parents.
Yea, but may the Children of bad
Parents say; This is but cold comfort for
us, and they may take up the words of the
Souldiers, Luke 3. 14. And what shall wee
doe?
First, if thy Parents be living, conceive not
that their badnesse dispenceth with thy duty
unto them, thou hast the same cause, though
not the same comfort, with good children to
obey thy Parents; this doe labour, to gaine
them with thy conversation. It was Incest,
and a fowle sinne in Lot, to bee Husband
to his Daughters, and beget children on
them; but it would bee no spirituall Incest

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in thee, to be Father to thy Father, to beget
him in grace, who begat thee in nature; and
by the Piety and Amiableness of thy carriage,
to be the occasion by Gods blessing, of
his Regeneration; and what Samuel said to the
people of Israel, 1 Sam.12.23. God forbid that
I should sinne against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for
you; so God forbid thou shouldest ever leave
off to have thy knees bended, and thy hands
lifted up, for the conversion of thy bad Father.
Moreover, labour more especially to
shun and avoyd those sinnes, to which thy Father
was addicted; and chiefly such sinnes, the
Inclination whereto may depend from the
temper and constitution of the body; so that
a pronenesse thereto, may in some sort seem to
be intayled to Posterity. Was thy Father notorious
for wantonnesse? strive then to be noted
for chastity; was hee infamous for Pride?
Labour thou to be famous for Humility. And
though thou must not be dejected with griefe,
at the consideration of the badnesse of thy Parents;
yet mayest thou make a Soveraigneuse
thereof, to bee a just cause of Humiliation to
thy selfe.
If thy Parents bee dead, and if thou canst
speake little good of them, speake little of
them. What Sullennesse did in Absolon,
2 Sam.13.22. Hee spake to his Brother Amnon,
neither good nor bad: Let Discretion do in thee,
seale up thy lips in silence, say nothing of thy
Parents: he is either a Foole, or a mad man,
who being in much company, and not being
urged thereunto, by any occasion will tell
others, My Father lyes in the Fleet, my Father
lyes in Prison, in the Counter: More
witlesse is hee, who will speake both words,
Vncharitable, and Vnnaturall, concerning the
finall estate of his Father, in an eternall bad
condition.
And I am perswaded, there is a three-fold
kind of Perswasion, whereby one may be perswaded
of good in another man.
1. The perswasion of Infallibility, and this
onely God hath, Act. 5. 18. Knowne unto God
are all his workes from the beginning of the World,
hee alone searcheth and tryeth the hearts and reines.
And they also have it to whom God immediately
reveales it. Thus Ananias knew that Paul
was a true servant of God, after it was revealed
to him, Act. 9.15. For hee is a chosen Vessell
unto me, to beare my name, before the Gentiles, and
Kings, and the children of Israel. And in this
sense of infallible perswasion, we may understand,
Saint Paul in the Text, because it is
said 1 Tim. 1. 18. This Commandement write I
unto thee, sonne Timotheus, according to the prophecies
which went before upon thee, that thou by
them shouldst fight a good fight.
2. The perswasion of Charity, and this I
must confesse is but weake, and rather a presumption,
than a perswasion. Charity, 1 Corinth.
13.17. Thinketh no evill, it beleeveth all
things, hopeth all things; And in this kind of
Perswasion wee conceive that all men have
faith dwelling in them, of whom wee
know no just reason to conceive the contrary.
3. The Perswasion of a well, and strong
grounded opinion, to make which, these three
things must concurre; first the party that conceives
this opinion, must have a good judgement,
and discerning Spirit, well to dive and
pierce into the natures and dispositions of men.
Secondly, He must be long acquainted with
that person, of whom hee hath such an opinion,
that faith dwelleth in him. Too bold
are these men, who upon a superficiall knowledge,
and short conversing with any, dare
peremptorily pronounce, that such an one
hath saving grace and sanctity in him. These
are Professors of spirituall Palmestry, who
thinke that upon small experience they can see
the Life-line the Line of Eternall life in the
hands of mens souls where as for all their skil
they often mistake the hands of Esau, for the
hands of Iacob: Lastly, they must have intimate
familiarity with them, and be not onely
their acquaintance large, but in Ordinary.
Te intus & in cute novi. Put all these three together,
that one hath a discerning Spirit, long
and intimate acquaintance with one, and hee
may arrive at Saint Pauls perswasion in my
Text, to be perswaded of faith dwelling in
him, with whom hee hath beene thus
long, and intimately acquainted. And in
this sense though it may bee of the infallible
Perswasion by Revelation understand
wee that, 2 King. 4. 1. Now there
cryed a certaine Woman, of the Wives of the
sonnes of the Prophets unto Elisha, saying;
Thy Servant, my Husband is dead; and
thou knowest that thy Servant did feare the
Lord.
Yet for all this we may set this downe for
a true Position; that the wisest of men
easily may, and sometimes are deceived
in counting them good, which are very
counterfeits, and especially in these cases.
First, in close natured men, such as lye in
at a close Guard, and offer no play, whose
Well is deepe, and men generally want
Buckets to measure them; so that one may
live twenty yeares with them, and bee never
a whit the wiser, in knowing their disposition.
2. In various, and inconstant men, which
like Proteus, never appeare twise in the same
shape, but differ as much from themselves,
as from other men, and are onely
certaine in uncertainty; so that one can
build no certaine Conclusion on such
floting, flitting Sands; and even know

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not what to make of them.
3. In men of an excellent nature, such as Titus
Vespatian, was called Deliciæ humani generis.
This Euphuia presents it selfe in all
outward signes and Symptomes; So like to
Grace that it is often mistaken for it. Whereas
on the other side, men of a rugged,
unbrusht nature, such as were never lickt,
hewen, or polisht, may bee slaundered in
many mens judgements, to bee altogether
devoyd of Piety.
4. In affected Dissemblers, Hypocrisie is
as like Piety, as Hemlocke to Parsley;
and many one hath beene deceived therein.
To conclude, if wee desire to passe a
rationall Judgement on Faith in others, and
Piety in their hearts: Let us first labour
to have true Sanctity in our owne. One
complayned to a Philosopher; that it was
an hard thing to find a wise man. It is
true said hee for hee must first bee a wise
man that seekes him, and knowes when
hee hath found him: So that on the matter,
it is not one wise man, but two wise
men, must meete together. So it is an hard
thing to know true Sanctity in another
man; because hee must have true Piety in
himselfe, that knowes it, or else hee is an
Incompetent Iudge, to passe a Verdict on
another. Let us therefore labour first to
have true Grace in our hearts, that so with
Saint Paul, wee may bee perswaded
of Grace that dwels
in another.