IN the beginning GOD crea­ted the Heaven & the Earth Gen. 1.1. And the Earth was without Forme, and void and Darkness was up­on the face of the deep and th [...] [...] GOD moved on the sac [...] [Page 2] the waters, and said, Let there be Light, and there was Light. And God saw the Light that it was good. And God divided the Light from the darknesse. And God called the Light Day, and the Darkness he called Night, and the evening and the morning was the first day, no it follows in the fifth verse.

The second day God made the firmament, and divided the waters from the dry Land, and he called the Firmament Heaven, as it is in the 8 verse of the same Chapter.

The third day God having divided the wa­ter, God made the Earth, that it should bring forth Grasse, and the Trées that they should b [...]ing forth fruit whose seed was in it self; and God saw that all that was done was good.

The fourth Day God made the two great Luminaries or Lights, which are called the Sun and the Moon. The great Light he ap­pointed to rule by day, and the lesser by night. He made the stars also, and placed them in the Firmament of heaven, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day, and over the night, that it was good.

The fifth day God made the fishes of the sea, the Fowls of the air; the Beasts of the earth, [Page 3] and every créeping worm and Creature, that was then upon the ground, and God saw that it was good, ver. 25. but all this while man was not yet made. Then God the Father said, as we may conceive, to God the Son and the Ho­ly Ghost, Let us make man in our own Image, after our own likeness, Gen 1.26. and so uhen the sixth day God created man, in his own I­mage and likeness created he them M [...]le a [...]d Female.

Moreover, when the Lord had made man in that goodly form and fashion of his own Like­ness, he loved him, and took such affection to him, that he made him Lord and ruler over all that he had made before, both of the Fishes of the Sea, the Fowls of the Air, the Beasts of the field and the like. And thus dear friends, have I expressed the manner of the beginning of the world, according as it was set down by Moses the Pen-man of the holy Ghost.

And now let us draw into consideration, to know wherfore God made man, why thus cer­tainly it is to be believed, that as God made all other Creatures to serve and obey man, so he made man to obey his Lord and Master.

Therefore my counsel is this, that every man and every Woman that is living and breathing upon the face of the Earth, may [Page 4] with unfeigned hearts, and with all reverence and humility lift up their hands and eyes to­ward heaven, where Gods throne is, and ren­der him thanks for the manifold and number­less gifts that he hath already bestowed upon us, and to praise his Name for the Blessings which we enjoy at this present time; and with­al, to make our continu [...] prayers and suppli­cations unto the Lord God of heaven & earth, that he will never be unmindfull of no, and let his blessings be part from us, while the Sun, Moon and Stars give ligh [...] and [...]ill the whole world shall be dissolved. Furthermore we are to consider, that when God created man, be formed him of the dust of the earth, and brea­thed in his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, Gen. 2.7.

Here is a plain and caste rule whereby to know what the Soule of man is, for before that the LORD had breathed into him the breath of life, man was not said to be a living soul, but after God had breathed in him the breath of life, man became a living soul; by which we may assure our selves, that the soul of man is the breath of God in part, ano­ther thing to be considered, felloweth, and th [...]s it is, When God created Man he made him two ears to hear, two eyes to sée, two [Page 5] hands to work, two féet to walk, or go upon: but one Soul, and that Soul of man is of more value than ten thousand Worlds. Therefore my counsell is to every one that they have a great care of that precious Iewell which is held at so high a rate; I mean the Soule of man, it is the breath of God, therefore kéep it safe. It is that which preserves thy bodies life, whilst thou liv'st on Earth; therefore use it well, it is that which our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ shed his most precious blood to save us; therefore take héed thou lose it not. In a word, the Soul is that part of man and woman that first goes to Heaven, if ever they come there; therefore remember what is said and bear it in mind unto your lives end.

Thus having in small time laid open part of my great purposes, I will with spéed break off from my former discourse, and hasten the finishing of the rest of my exercises, which is called, Good Counsell, which are severall yet all very useful and necessary: I doubt not but that they will give good content to them that will either read or hear them: and first of all I shall begin with Conscience.

A clear Conscience said to be a continuall [...]e [...]st and so indéed it may very well be called, and ten times happy is that man or woman, [Page 6] that hath got a convenient Room to entertain so good a Guest. He that injoys a good Con­science, although he be péer in the eye of the world, he is rich in the sight of God. A good conscience may be compared with the chiefest Iewels that can be spoken of in the world. It is like the Trée in Arabia, which is called Melt which Trée affords Food for the belly, Ray­ment for the back, and weapons of Defence for the body. It is li e the Noble pine Trée, which was never known to be rotten-hearted, although it be never so old, neither can any poysonous Wasp, nor venemous Spider come néer it, nor can any Canker eating worm once come néer it. The very leaves whereof conti­nueth fresh and gréen both Summer and win­ter, so that the scorching heat of summer burns them not, nor can the piercing cold and nipping Frosts of winter do them any kind of harme. Again a good conscience is like that excellent Adamant stone, which is so hard that it wil cut glasse, whom neither stroke of hammer nor heat of fire can pierce or dissolve.

To be brief, this good Conscience is like unto the bright sh [...]ning splendor of the Sunne when he is to full glory, whom no mortall eye is able to b [...]hold; so farre it excéeds all other [Page 7] Lights. On the other side an avid and cor­rupt conscience is over at war within it selfe, and can never be at rest sléeping or waking, it is alwayes plodding to doe mischief, alwayes doubting what will follow, but never intend­ing to amend. Dissimulation and gréedy De­sire are the Ring-leader of his Enterprize. Wrath and Revenge are his Waiting-men. Pride and Malice are babes of his bréeding, Sedition and Double dealing are the staves he walks by, which when they once begin to fall, he is like to have such a dangerous fall that he will be never able to recover.

This evil and guilty conscience may be fitly compared to a Rotten hedge, placed on a péece of false hallow ground, which although it séems fair in the outside, the inside affords nothing but ugly Snakes, Toads, Adders, and such di­perous Creatures which are ready every hour to eat, throw the very bowels of that Dam that gave them suck.

Such a conscience had Pharaoh when he opposed himself against the Commandements of God and would not let the children of Israel passe, Exod. 5.2.

Such a Conscience had Absalon, when he sought to destroy his own Father, Samuel 2 [...]8.

Such a conscience had Jezabell the Quéen who for lucre sake and thirst of gain, bore false witnesse against her righteous Neighbour Naboth, as you may read in the first book of Kings 19.2.

Such a Conscience hsd Judas, which after he had betrayed the Innocent went and hang­ed himself.

And such a Conscience had the Rich glut­ton, which denyed poor Lazarus the Crumbs that fell from his Table, and after, being in hell torments, cryed out for one drop of water to cool his Tongue, Luke 16.

By these Examples dear Friends, my counsell is, that you take notice, and in the Name of God the Father and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, let every man strive to kéep a good conscience: for Conscience is that Pylot that will divert you either to eternall blisse or everlasting destruction.

The next matter that I am to put you in mind of, is to beware of Cursing, Swearing, and Blaspheming Gods holy Name.

Our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ in his New Testament, Gave us a new Com­mandem nt, which was to love one another, and withall, he gives us a strict charge to [Page 9] pray for our Enemies, and them that hate us. And furthermore he sayes. Blesse them that curse you. But how many in these our times do we sée that are willing to doe good for evill: why surely the greater sort of peo­ple now a dayes will rather repay evill for good, then doe good for evill, and will rather curs [...] their Friends, then pray for their Ene­mies: but the fruits of Cursing and Swear­ing are as followeth. A Curse procéeding out of the mouth of an ugly Creature, is like an Arrow shot against a plate of Stéele, which having no power to enter, reboundeth back and woundeth him that shot it unto the very heart; and as for swearing, be that rays out a néedlesse Gath, displeaseth God to please the Divell.

Therefore dear Christians, my Counsell is to every one, That you forbear Cursing and Swearing, and all other Vngodly quali­ties whatsoever. And with the New Year begin a New Life. And as the dayes do wax every day longer than other, so let us Endeavour to be every day better and better, and let Pride be Exchanged into Humility, Envy into Love, and Covetousnesse into Bounty, and Wrath into Patience: and as [Page 10] you begin the year well, so I desire you to continue, For blessed are they that continue to the end.

There are many, and too many that are now living, that never think of death, as may appear by their lives and conversations. Do we not sée many Young men and others, gi­ven so much to Ryot, that they spend that in their youth, which should kéep them when they are old: Who having wasted all, and spent their whole patrimony, are afterwards glad to Feed with the Swine, like the prodi­gall child, Luke 15.

My counsell therefore is this to all men, That they take Example by wise Joseph, who in the time of seven years plenty, laid up in store for seven yeares of scarcity. By which means through the blessings of God, he preserved the life of his good old Father Jacob and the rest of his brethren, and many thousands more besides, which else had perisht through want, as you may read in the book of Genesis.

Patience is the gift of God, and Armour of Proof, He that can obtaine this gift, is sufficiently armed against all the fiery darts and Tryalls, which the world, the Flesh, and [Page 11] the Divel can throw at him. But if the Ar­mour of patience be wanting, he is a lost man. For no sooner comes the smallest blast of per­secution that can be spoken of, but presently it pierceth through the very Brain-pan of the Skull, and Rankles to the Heart and Reins, and at last it will destroy the whole body and indanger the Soul.

Therefore my Counsell is, That you do make patience one of your chief companions, whether your company be many or few, and to follow the Apostles rule, who saith, Be ye patient brethren untill the comming of the Lord. James 5.4.

There are many that are become Market-makers for the Divel; and withall perswades the simple sort of people, that there is no hell. Others there are that desire to know where hell is, but I think there's done desire to go thither.

But this I am perswaded, That they that are most diligent to inquire for it, may the soonest know where it is. The Lord in his mercy keep all good Christians from it.

Is it not Impudent madnesse in People, to séek after such a place which was prepa­red [Page 12] for none but the Divell and his Angels, Matth. 13. And where there is nothing but weeping, and howling, and gnashing of teeth.

Good Christians, my Counsell is, that you imploy all the faculties of your Souls and Senses to séek after Heaven and Heavenly things, and remember the words of our Sa­viour, who saith, Seek, and ye shall find. To which place of endlesse joyes, the Lord that made our Souls, re­ceive and bring us to his ever­lasting Kingdom. Amen.