and eminently holy Mr. Joseph Allein that when but a School-Boy he was observed to be so studious that he was known as much by this Periphrasis the Lad that will not [p] Bibentibus colludentibus aliis ipse sumto libro iâ— sylvulam vicinam sese proripuit tantisper in illa vel ad legendum considens vâ—l ad meditandum deambulans donec ipsum hora coenae domum revocaret Melch. Adam in vit Musculi p. 369. Bishop Andrews from his first going to Merchant-Taylor's School accounted all that Time lost that he spent not in his Studies He studied so hard when others plaied that if his Parents and Masters had not forced him to play with them also all the Play had been marr'd His late studying by Candle and early rising at four in the Morning procured him Envy among his equals yea with the Ushers also because he called them up too soon The Serm preached at the Fun. of Bp. Andrews p. 17. play as by his Name And when in the University he so demeaned and carried himself that he deserved to be called the Scholar who by his good Will would do nothing else but pray and study Yea so early as about the eleventh Year of his Age he was noted to be very diligent in private Praier and so fixed in that Duty that he would not be disturbed or moved by the coming of any Person accidentally into the Places of his Retirement And 't is remarkable what is storied [q] Mr. James Janeway's token for Children p 30 35. of a young Child who died about five or six Years old that he would so beg and expostulate and weep in Praier that sometimes it could not be kept from the Ears of Neighbours so that one of the next House was forced to cry out The Praiers and Tears of that Child in the next House will sink me to Hell because the forward Piety and Devotion of the Child did reprove and condemn his neglect of Praier or his slight Performance of it And to what a Degree of good Understanding and holy Affection had [r] Mr. White 's little Book for little Children p. 106 107. that child of Mr. Owen the Minister arrived who was but about fourteen Years old when he died and in his Life time would often write very serious Godly Letters to his Brother which shewed his great Piety and happy improvement And how savourily and spiritually he exerCised himself in Meditation notably appear in this Instance that though he much delighted in young Lambs yet one Day his Mother bringing a Lamb newly fallen of an Ewe of his and shewing a little Displeasure that he should take no more notice of her bringing it to him He told her that as he saw the Lamb in her Arms he was thinking of the Lamb of God how he presented him to the Father and that the Lamb his Mother brought him was but a poor thing for him to rejoice in for he had far higher Matters for his Joy Some young ones have redeemed the Time of their Youth O do you so too Be able to say upon better Grounds than the young Man in the Gospel that all God's Commands you have kept from your Youth up The Time of Youth is a special Season of doing and receiving good That 's the first The second Particular Opportunity to be redeemed 2. As the Mâ—rning of our Age so the Morning of the Week the first Day of the Week is a special Time to be redeem'd Let this Day be religiously observed by us which was applied and consecrated separated and appropriated to sacred Uses and holy Offices by the blessed Apostles who were either commanded by Christ to do it when for forty Daies after his Resurrection he instructed the Apostles and * Acts i. 3. spake to them of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Or having received the holy Ghost Christ's Agent or Advocate promised and sent to inspire their Minds to teach and shew them how to manage Affairs and order Matters relating to the Church were extraordinarily guided and divinely directed by the Spirit of Christ in this weighty Business of the Surrogation and Substitution of the first Day in the place of the Jewish seventh Day Sabbath which was partly a Ceremonial Rest and was joined with the Ceremonial Law [a] Lawson's Theo-Polit p. 182 183. the Services and Rites whereof were to be observed in the Tabernacle and Temple upon this Day and was a distinguishing Sign and Part of that Partition-wall whereby the Jews were separated from the Gentiles and was therefore fit to be now removed and laid aside And were moreover plainly lead to it by the Providence of God which imprinted and put a most not able Character and signal Honour on this Day and made it more excellent than any other by Christ's Resurrection and Apparitions and the Spirit 's Mission upon it which were a remarkable pointing and special singling out of this Time and a clear Intimation that this very Day should be publickly kept and universally observed in perpetual Honour of the Lord Christ [b] Words that have their Termination in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify actively As the Sacrament is called * 1 Cor. 11.20 23 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Supper not only because it is kept in Remembrance of the Lord's Death till his coming again but because it was instituted by the Lord himself So the first Day of the week is expresly stiled †Rev. i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Day not only because it is observed by the Church in Memory of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ but because it was appointed by the Lord Christ because he was the Author and Ordainer of it either immediatly by himself or mediatly by his Apostles And we cannot imagine that there shall ever occur a sufficient Reason for the [c] VVho that is well instructed would endure to hear of a Pope Sy vester that durst presume to alter the Day decreeing that Thouâ—dâ—y thould be kept for the Lord's Day through the whole Year because on that Day Christ ascended into Heaven and on that Day instituted the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood Bp. Huâ—â— Peace-maker p. 198. ex Hospinian de festis Christ Alteration of this to any other Day for we can never look to receive a richer Benefit in this World than Redemption by Christ who rose from the Dead and Sanctification by the Spirit sent down from Heaven on this very Day We can never have greater Blessings to remember on another Day and therefore the Sanctification of this Day must be perpetuated to the End of the World On this Day especially the Apostles performed those Offices which are most proper and most agreeable to a Sabbath-Day * Acts 20.7 There was a Convention and Congregation of the Disciples on the first Day of the Week to break Bread and St. Paul preacht to them the same Day And
measure it by Work and not by Time Wouldst thou know the Difference between him that spent so few and another that hath passed over many Years The one lives even after Death the other perished before Death Let us therefore praise him and place him in the Number of happy Persons who how little Time soever he enjoyed was careful to bestow it well Why do you inquire how long he lived he liv'd to the Memory and Benefit of Posterity As there may be a perfect Man in a less Habit of Body so there may be a perfect Life in a less Measure of Time Do you demand what is the largest Space of Life it is to live till we attain to Wisdom He that arrives to that is come not to the longest End but the greatest He liv'd not so many Years as he might why a Book may contain but a few Verses and yet be very laudable and useful He that attains the End of Life though his time be short yet his Life is long because he lives [u] In quantolibet tempore bona aeterna consummant Sen. Ep. 92. much in a little Like him that writes small thick and close having much to write and but a little Paper to write in When the Ninivites had but forty Dvies allowed them they made use of that Space to exercise a notable Repentance in Our Time is short and very uncertain let our Improvement therefore be as speedy and as great as may be Let our Care be to live alwaies holily that we may never fear dying suddenly nor dread the Thought of being surprised and taken unprovided If we cannot be certain of longer enjoying this present mortal transitory Life Oh let 's not be contented to be as uncertain of our obaining a better being and an endless Life when this is concluded and expired 3. Our special Particular Opportunities are much shorter than our Time and more uncertain Though the Stalk remain the Flower may be gone though somewhat of Time may be left yet Opportunity may be slipt But this I say Brethren the * ◠Cor. 7.29 TIME IS SHORT the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contracted or shortened It is an Allusion to Sea-faring Men that have almost done their Voyage and begin to strike Sail are ready to roll and fold up their Sails together to put into Harbour and to go to unlade their Goods Our special Seasons are very short and uncertain Things We may quickly be laid upon Sick-Beds and unfitted by a Disease for the Performance of those Duties which now we are free to the Exercise of We may suddenly fall into so weak a Condition that an earnest Care and working Thoughts about the final Estate of our Souls would hinder the Cure and Recovery of our Bodies and will be apt to be laid aside upon that Pretence In a Time of Sickness our Heads may be distempered or our Hearts may be straitned that we cannot pray We may possibly lose our Estates that we cannot hereafter give to the Poor so liberally as now we may It may be for the future we may not be excited and suscitated by such good Motions as now we are We may never be entrusted with such rich Talents nor have such precious Opportunities any more afforded us as are at present vouchsafed to us Let 's therefore now improve them to the utmost let us make the best of them and lose none of them Especially considering that as our Time is short and uncertai and our special Opportunities shorter and more uncertain So 4. The Work we have to do is very great 'T is no slight and trifling Work above all keepings to keep our Hearts to prevail with our selves to make a Covenant with our Eyes and perform it to turn away our Eyes from beholding Vanity and from gazing on alluring Objects to learn habitually to govern our Tongues to set a Watch over our Lips that we offend not with our Tongues nor speak unadvisedly with our Lips to take heed unto our Feet and to make streight Paths to walk circumspectly * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5.15 accurately exactly to strive to enter in at the strait Gate to watch for our Souls to work out our Salvation to make our Calling and Election sure to procure and preserve a Right and Title to the heavenly Kingdom to get our Evidences for Heaven sealed and to keep them so clear from Blots and Blurs that they may be plainly read It is no facile Thing to repent of so many thousand Sins and Follies to believe with all our Hearts to obey the several Laws and Commands of Christ and to discharge and perform our particular respective Duties both towards God towards our Neighbour and towards our selves 'T is no such easy matter to become able to resist the Devil to tread Satan under our Feet to get Victory over the World to subdue our own Flesh to deny our selves To reach and attain to such a Degree of spiritual Niceness as not to endure the Impurity of a Dream nor to allow our selves in so much Anger as would disorder and disturb a Child Sin is not mortified on a suddain Our old Man is not crucified in a Moment The strong Man is not disarm'd and cast out in an instant The Plague of our Heart is not so soon cured our spiritual Leprosie so quickly healed nor our Issue of Blood so presently dried up A corrupt Nature is not so easily changed [w] Malá consuetudine obsessis diu rubigo animorum essricanda est Sen. ep 95. Ill Habits and Customs are not so readily broken and laid aside A craving Appetite is not immediatly drawn off from sensual Objects nor our Inclinations to the Things below vanquish'd and conquer'd with a single and short Conflict Strength is not so speedily gotten against Temptations nor Power over our Passions nor Conquest obtain'd over our Corruptions It is not a Thing of so quick a dispatch to six and settle our Resolutions to remove strong Prejudices to resolve our Doubts to answer Objections and satisfy many weighty and difficult Questions which will arise concerning our Souls and spiritual Estates 'T is a great Work sure Employment and Business enough for all our Time to get a Change of Mind and Heart and Life To get Pardon of Sin and Purity of Heart To recover the Favour and Friendship of God and to regain the glorious Image and Likeness of God To procure the Reconciliation of our Persons and Natures to God To get a Participation of the divine Nature a Participation of God's Holiness To attain a blessed Conformity in a Spirit and Practice to Christ our Head To get an affective transformative Knowledg of God and Christ and a deep Impress of the holy Gospel upon our Hearts and Lives To know the Gospel to know God and Christ so as to become Gospel-like God-like Christ-like Creatures To gain a good Measure of grace and Holiness a rooted Love to God and Goodness a
wilfully wicked and impenitent have reason to determine that you have not long to live How can you hope that God should put another Talent and trust a new Stock of time in the Hands of such Prodigals as you have been That he should give such Rebels longer Time to affront and dishonour him That he should suffer you to live who know not how to live and care not how you live who do not understand or consider for what it was you came into the World That he should allow you one Day more who never yet knew how to spend and improve any one Day as ye ought You have Ground enough to expect that the continuing and lengthening out of your Sins will extremely diminish and lessen curtail and shorten your Daies You have reason to fear every Hour the Loss of your Lives and of all Possibility of Repentance that you shall be removed and room made for worthier Persons to stand up in the Places which you so unprofitably and perniciously take up in the World Our Time is short and therefore let us lay present hold upon that small Remnant of [o] Cum celeritate temporis utendi velocitate certandum est velut ex torrente rapido nec semper casuro cito hauriendum est Sen. de brev vit cap. 9. hasty Time which posteth away whether we work or play Let 's take with us Words and say to God with the devout Herbert [p] Repentance O let thy Height of Mercy then Compassionate short-breathed Men. Oh! gently treat With thy quick Flow'r thy moment any Bloom Whose Life still pressing Is one undressing A steady aiming at a Tomb. Let 's daily prepare to die by earnest importunate Pleading with God for Pardon of Sin and Sanctification and Sence of Pardon and of our fitness for Heaven and Happiness that so we may certainly die safely and comfortably And by the Help of God let 's double our Diligence and Activity and endeavour to do a great deal of Work in a little Time You know Nature at the Approach of Death usually acts a double Part and puts forth all its Strength Bells when about ceasing strike thicker than before A Stone the nearer it comes to its Center the faster it moves When Night draws on the Traveller mends his Pace Considering we have but a few Daies let 's labour to live them all to lose none of them So to lead our Life that we may be able to enjoy our past Life by making sweet and comfortable Reflections upon it which is in a manner to [p] Ampliat aetatis spatium sibi vir bonus hoc est Vivere bis vitá posse priore frui Epigrammatograph Latin enlarge our Age and after a Sort to live twice [q] Nemo quà m bene vivat sed quam diu curat cùm omnibus possit contingere ut bene vivant ut diu nulli Sen. ep 22. in fine Quomodo fabula sic vita non quà m diu sed quà m bene acta sit refert Id. ep 77. Discendum quà m bene vivas refrie non quà m diu Id. ep 101. We have but a little while to live let us therefore study and strive to live well Our Life is just like a Comedy saies Seneca it matters not so much how long as how well it is acted [r] Let us account that the oldest Life which is most holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch conjol ad Apollon A long Life is not the best but a good Life As we do not commend saith he him that hath playâ—d a great while on an Instrument or made a long Oration but him that hath played and spoken well and as we account those Creatures best that give us most profit in a short Time and every where we see maturity preferred before length of Age so it ought to be among our selves They are the worthiest Persons and have lived longest in the World who have brought the greatest Benefit unto it and made the greatest Advantage of their Time to the Service of God and of Men. Let our Conscience therefore be the Ephemeris or Diary of our Life Let us not reckon by the Almanack but by the Book of God how much we live And let us account that he who lives Godly lives long and that other Men live not at all D. Patrick's Div. Arithm. p. 34 35. He lives long that lives well who in a few Years is very useful and serviceable unto God and geatly profitable and beneficial to the World The Author of the Book of Wisdom says concerning Enoch who was the shortest liv'd of the Patriarchs before the Flood but an eminent Pattern of Piety and a rare Exemplar of walking with God that he being perfected or consummated in a short Time fulfilled a long Time Chap. 4. Vers 13. For as the same Author a little before does well express it Vers 8 9. Honourable Age is not that which standeth in length of Time nor that which is measured by Number of Years But Wisdom is the gray Hair unto Men and an unspotted Life is old Age. Lucilius having in an Epistle to Seneca sadly lamented the immature untimely Death of Metronactes the Philosopher who might and in his Conceit ought to have lived longer The grave Moralist seasonably checks his causeless unjust Complaint of [s] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Poctas Minor p. 513. Providence and takes Occasion in his Answer to discourse usefully and excellently in this manner [t] Octoginta annis vixit nisi fortè sic vixisse eum dicis quomodo dicuntur arbores vivere Quemadmodum in minorâ— corporis habitu potest homo esse perfect us sic in mâ—nore temporis modo potest esse vita perfecta Qâ—aeris quod sit amplissimum vitae spatium Vsque adsapientiam vivere qui adâ—â—â—m pervenit attigit non longissimum sinem sed maximum Nem tam multis vixit annis quà m potuit Et paucorum versuum liber est quidem laudandus atque utilis Sâ—n. ep 93. Multis ille bonis slebilis occidit Horat. carm l. 1 Od. 14. de morte Quintilii Our Care should be saies he not to live long but to live enough Life is long if it be full What good do eighty Years do him that spends them all idly such a Person did not live but only linger in Life nor did he die late but was a long Time dead But you make your moan that he died young and green yet he performed the Offices of a good Citizen a good Friend a good Son he was deficient in no part that properly belonged to him Though his Age was imperfect his Life was perfect He liv'd yea he was here eighty Years unless you will reckon he liv'd no otherwise than Trees are said to live I pray thee my Lucilius let us endeavour says he that as precious Things so our Life though it be not of any great Extent and Length yet may be of much Weight and Worth Let us
Nuncupat ad G. Varam praesix Epist D. Hieron Erasmus gives this notable Testimony of St. Jerome Who saies he did ever learn by heart the whole Scripture imbibe concoct handle it meditate upon it as he did This very learned and holy Father did moreover [o] Has omnes Hierontmus ad divinae Scripturae studium inflammavit inflammatas suâ doctrina provexit Hieron vita per Erasm contexta inflame and stir up diverse noble Matrons of his Acquaintance at Rome to an earnest and constant Study of the divine Scriptures exhorting and urging those holy Women not to lay the Bible out of their Hands until being overcome with Sleep and not able any longer to hold up their Heads they bowed them down as it were to salute the Leaves below them with a Kiss And by his instruction of them and interpretation of the Scriptures to them he assisted and promoted their pious Endeavours in those sacred Studies [n] Quò saediùs essâ—t ab ipsis Episcopis sacros libros negligi quos sexus insirmtor amplecteretur Id. ib. that it might be the greater shame for any Bishops in any wise to neglect those sacred Books which were so often read and so well understood by the weaker Sex And he attests particularly Marcella's Industry and great Proficiency in his Epitaph of her expressing himself in these Words concerning her Because I was at that Time of some Repute and Note saies he for the Study of the Scriptures [o] Nunquam me convenit quin de Scripturis aliquid interrogaret Id. ib. she never met with me but still she would be putting some Questions to me about the Scriptures And he further adds there [p] Quicquid in nobis longo fuit studio congregatum meditatione diuturnâ quasi in naturam versum hoc illa libavit didicit atque possedit ita ut post profectionem nostram si in aliquo testimonio Scripturarum esset oborta contentio ad illam pidicem pergeretur Id. ib. Inserant in aures margaritas verbi Tertullian de cultu foemin Whatever by long Study was gathered by me and turn'd as it were into my Nature by continual Meditation all that she pick'd out tasted learn'd and possess'd So that after my departure if any Controversy arose about the Testimony of the Scripture in any Matter they had recourse to her as a Judg therein Prosper was assiduous in reading the Scripture and usually had the four Evangelists in his Hands Venerable Bede read the Scripture with such Devotion and Affection that he would often weep in the reading of it and would conclude his reading of Scripture with Prayer The good Emperour Theodosius Senior wrote out the whole new Testament with his own Hand and read some Part of it every Day [o] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niceph. Acclehast Historia l. 14 c. 3. Theodosius the second dedicated and consecrated a good Part of the Night to the Study of the Scriptures to which end he had as Nicephorus relates a Lamp so artificially made that it constantly supplied it self with Oil that none of his Servants might suffer any Trouble upon those Occasions He learned much of the holy Scriptures without Book and when he met and confer'd with the Bishops he expounded and explain'd obscure and knotty Places of Scripture as if he himself had been a Person in holy Orders Maccovius reports of George Prince of Transylvania that he had read over the Bible seven and twenty times And it is storied of Alphonsus King of Arragon that notwithstanding all his Princely Affairs he read over the Bible with a large Comment some say ten others affirm fourteen times Bonaventure wrote out the Bible twice with his own Hand and had most of it by heart Antonius Walaeus in his younger Years imprinted much of the Scripture in his Mind and when he was [p] Vit. Ant. VValaei ante Oper. Tom. 1. old could repeat without Book the Epistle to the Romans the second to the Corinthians to the Galatians Ephesians and Philippians Zuinglius wrote out St. Paul's Epistles and got them by heart [p] Fox Act. and Mon. 2 v. p. 1075. Thomas Cromwel afterward Earl of Essex in his Journey going and coming from Rome learned the Text of the whole New Testament of Erasmus's Translation without Book which was a Means of bringing him to the Knowledg and Savour and Love of the Truth [q] Id. ib. p. 1609 1610. Bishop Ridley in his Letter of Farewel to his Friends bidding farewel to Pembroke-Hall does thus attest his own Practice with the comfortable Fruit and Effect of it In thy Orchard saies he the Walls Buts and Trees if they could speak would bear me witness I learned without Book almost all Paul 's Epistles yea and all the Canonical Epistles save only the Apocalypse of which study although in time a great part did depart from me yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven for the Profit thereof I think I have felt in all my Life-time ever after [r] His Life inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of so em Div. p. 97 98. Dr. Gouge did tye himself to reade every Day fifteen Chapters in English out of the Bible five in the Morning five after Dinner before he fell upon his other Studies and five before he went to bed which course he first took up when he was a young Student in King's Colledg in Cambridg He was often heard to say that when he could not sleep in the Night time he used in his Thoughts to run through divers Chapters of the Scripture in order as if he had heard them read to him The like Practice he used in the Day time when he was alone whether within Doors or abroad for which end he wrote in a little Book which he alwaies carried about him the distinct Heads of every Particular Passage in every Chapter of the Bible that so when in any Place he meditated on the Word of God and was at a loss he might presently find help by that little Book By this means he made himself so expert in the Text that if he heard any Phrase of Scripture he could presently tell where it was to be found And besides all this he had his set Times of Study for understanding the meaning of the more difficult Places of Scripture [s] His Life ib. p. 163. Mr. Jeremy Whitaker usually read all the Epistles in the Greek Testament twice every fortnight [t] He had read that voluminous Book of the Acts and Monuments of the Church seven times over In his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives in 4. Mr. Ignatius Jurdain read the Bible above twenty Times over and that with special Observation as appeared by the Asterisks and Marks in the Bible which he used making particular Application to himself [u] His Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 22. Bp. Vsher had two Aunts who by reason of their blindness from their Cradles never
very comely and handsome Man Thou hast as much business upon thee says he to heal the Distempers of Mens Minds and Manners as a Physician has in a Plague-time and art thou imployed about Words be glad if thou canst be sufficient for things I have not studied for great Words nor labour'd for high Language but only sought out * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 sound wholsome healing words It may be some candid courteous Reader if he see Occasion may make the same or like Apology for me as Seneca once did for Fabianus Papyrius when Lucilius had taken no small Prejudice against certain Books of that Philosopher because his Style was not elaborate and polite but seem'd to him to be [h] Effundi verba non fingi low and mean [i] Mores ille non verba composuit animis scripsit ista non auribus c. Electa verba sunt non captata Ad profectum omnia tendunt ad bonam mentem non quaeritur plausus Sen. ep 100. He formed Manners not Words says Seneca and wrote to the Minds not Ears of Men. It does not become a Philosopher to be studious and solicitous about Language He was not negligent in his Style says he but only not over-careful about it and therefore you will find nothing sordid or slovenly in it His Words are chosen not affected His Discourses are not flat and low but pleasing and plain Look on the whole Body of the Book though it be not trim 't is honest Would you have him set himself to so small a thing as Words He addicted himself to the Greatness of Things And you may perceive by what he has perform'd that he felt what he wrote What ever he delivers tends all to Profit and a good Mind Applause is not sought for or look'd after by him I shall only speak for my self in the Words of Salvian [k] Nos qui rerum magis quà m verborum amatores utilia potiùs quà m plausibilia sectamur In scriptiunculis nostris non lenocinia esse volumus sed remedia quae scilicet non tam oriosorum auribus placeant quà m aegrotorum mentibus prosint Salvian Praefat. ad libros de Gubern Dei We that are greater Lovers of Things than of Words follow what is profitable more than what is plausible nor do we seek that the empty Ornaments of the Age but that the wholsome Emoluments of things may be commended in us We would have our Writings contain not Enticements but Remedies which may not so much please the Ears of the idle as profit the Minds of such as are sick The Design and Aim of this Discourse in its composure was not to tickle the Ear and strike the Fancy but to warm the Heart and reach the Conscience and direct the Life to teach Men how to live and how to die and how to attain a blissful Life after Death I here present you with a plain Discourse in a very learned Age. I have prepared and provided for you not fine Manchet but rather Barley Bread such as [k] Fox Acts and Mon. 2 vol p. 1456. Bucer encouraged holy Bradford for want of better to give unto the People As St. Peter said to the lame Man * Acts 3.6 Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have give I thee In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk I say to you in like manner I have no rich Present to offer you but such as I have give I unto you I would under God be a means to help you to find your Feet and walk in the way of God's Commandments and run the Race that is set before you I was induced to make these Papers publick not only to satisfy the Desires of some Friends but because I found so very little perform'd by others on this Subject which I thought deserved a larger and fuller Handling And that by my own appearing in it I might oblige my self above all others to a greater and stricter care of my own Time and might leave some wholsome Counsels and seasonable Helps to a holy Life to my own Children Friends and Acquaintance and do some lasting Service to your Souls and when I shall be dead may be these Papers continue to speak to you and yours * Phil. 1.7 8. For God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the Bowels of Jesus Christ. I have you in my Heart and †Rom. 10.1 my Heart's Desire and Prayer to God for you is that you might be saved I shall only here crave your leave to put you in mind of a few very necessary things 1. Let me earnestly exhort and beseech you that you would worthily and becomingly act the parts of Men and Christians Live as those that have rational Souls noble and immortal Spirits within you and do nothing repugnant to the Light of your own Minds and Consciences Yea live as those that have the benefit and advantage of Divine Revelation Let none that name the Name of Christ allow themselves in the constant confident Practice of any notorious scandalous Sin or Vice directly and expresly contrary to the holy Word and righteous Law of God proceeding upon a false imaginary Supposition venturing upon a fond ungrounded foolish Presumption that the Mercy of God will at last prevail against his Wisdome Holiness Justice and Truth perswading promising slattering themselves in any evil Way that God according to their Idea and Model of a Deity will never find in his heart to punish the unreclaimable Sinner and obstinate final Impenitent with everlasting Misery and eternal Torment though he has over and over threatned it in the Gospel and though it stands with * See p. 439 440 441. good and great Reason that he should do it Walk closely according to the Rule and maintain a †Phil. 1.27 Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ. 2. If any of you upon search and enquiry into your selves shall find in your selves any decay of Piety declining in Godliness abatement of Strictness neglect of Watchfulness any slackness and remisness in Duty any vanity of Mind and carelesness of Spirit growing upon you if you can perceive you have * Rev. 2.4 5. left your first Love * Rev. 2.4 5. Remember from whence you are fallen and repent and do the first works recover maintain encrease the old Warmth †3.2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die Fortify natural Principles suscitate your natural Power stir up the Gifts and Graces of God in your selves [l] Herb. Poem Employment p. 71. Man is no Star but a Quick Coal Of Mortal Fire Who blows it not nor doth controll A faint Desire Le ts his own Ashes choke his Soul Look up to Heaven continually for the help and benefit of Divine Influences Illuminations Impressions and receive not the Grace of God in vain but up and be doing
Will you make them labour for you six Daies together and will not you cause them to serve God one Day in seven Be at least as much concern'd in Case of neglect of God's Service as you are at any Time when your own Work and Family-business is neglected Do it for God's sake Shew that you love the Honour of God and not only respect your own Commodity and look to your own Advantage Do it for your Servant's sake Make it their Business to do God Service that they may be approved and rewarded by him Yea do it for your own sake Make your Servants God's faithful Servants that so they may prove more faithful to you and that God may bless them in your Service and that your Work may thrive and succeed in their Hands On this Day especially call thy Family thy whole Family to Family-duties prepare them for and hasten them to the publick Ordinances It is reported of [w] M. Clark in his Life Dr. Chaderton the first Master of Emmanuel-Colledg that he was married three and fifty Years and yet in all that Time he never kept any of his Servants from the Church to dress his Meat saying that he desired as much to have his Servants know God as himself And it was the Custome of the Reverend and pious [x] See his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten Em. Div. Dr. Gouge to forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before that Servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit uplate neither would he suffer any [y] Die Dominicâ ut in festis licet etiam ciborum lautiorem apparatum habere quamvit in eis parandis ne majora impediantur servorum animae detrimentum non necessarium iucurrant summopere curandum est Baxter Meth. Th. part 3. c. 14. p. 172. Servant to stay at home for dressing any Meat upon the Lord's-day for the Entertainment of Friends whether they were mean or great few or many Take your Family to Church along with you and when you return home again examine catechize inform instruct them recapitulate the Sermon read the Scripture and good Books to them whet practical profitable necessary saving Truths on them sing Psalms among them and pray most heartily and affectionately with and for them And you that are Servants who have little leisure most of you on other Daies and who live too many of you in such profane and ungodly Families where you hear not so much as one Praier put up to God nor one Line of the Word of God read nor one serious Word spoken of God all the Week long what reason have you carefully to redeem the Lord's-day to redeem it in publick by devoutly attending to the Prayers that are made and the Word that is both read and preacht in the publick Congregation And to redeem it in private by taking all possible Occasions to retire and go aside by your selves to consider in secret the needs of your Souls to examine your Hearts and States to review your Lives and Actions to humble your selves in Confession of Sin and to pour out your Souls in Prayer for Pardon and Grace to read the Bible and some instructive practical Writings of the most judicious experimental Divines apt to inform your Judgments and to work and prevail upon your Affections to set your selves to meditate of God to draw out and engage your Hearts to God rather than to lavish out and throw away those precious Hours in foolish Talk and frothy Discourse or in gadding abroad and walking idly in the Fields and recreating your Bodies rather than your Souls and in thrusting God and turning Religion wholly out of your Minds and Hearts and nourishing your selves in Ignorance of God and Unacquaintance with him and in Encreasing the Atheism of your Hearts and Lives and hardening your own and others Hearts through the Ensnarements of the World and the Deceitfulness of Sin But it may be you will say you are hard wrought all the Week long and you have reason to take your ease and pleasure and to rest and recreate your tired Bodies one Day in seven that so you may endure your Labour and go through all your Work the better I answer that your very Cessation in any measure from your wonted Labour is an ease and relief to your weary Bodies and that the very change of your Work and Occupation from secular servile Employment to spiritual divine Worship and Service and the Diversion of your Minds from worldly Businesses to the Offices and Exercises of Religion if you would but acquaint your selves with them and use your selves to them would be delightful and refreshing to you And the Peace and Quiet Joy and Comfort of a good Conscience in the faithful Discharge of your Duty to God and a tender Care of your immortal Souls would strengthen and hearten you to bear all the Burthen of the hardest Labours of your domestick Ministeries in consideration that your heavenly Father Lord and Master will accept and reward your Works of Piety and bless and prosper the Works of your Hands in the Houshold-businesses and Family-employments incumbent on you and belonging to you Rather break your Sleep to rise the earlier than lose the Opportunities of that Day Or chuse to leave and live out of those Families in the which you are forced to live without God are debarr'd from his Service and can have no Liberty allowed you to mind God and your Souls on a Day that was purposely ordained and appointed for your spiritual Proficiency and Improvement Let the Poor of this World redeem this Day by taking this Opportunity to labour spiritually for the Meat which perisheth not but endureth to everlasting Life and by hearing the Gospel preach'd in this Season to them to become rich in Faith rich in Grace to know and to partake of the Grace and Favour the Love and Kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor that we through his Poverty might be made rich You that are poor and mean and low in the World and who cannot take so much Time as others to worship and enjoy God on the Week-Daies see that you well improve this Day Now you are released from secular Businesses and common Services and your Bodies rest from their hard Labours be sure that you spiritually busie and holily employ your selves in the Service of God Let me likewise charge them that are rich in this World to redeem this choicest Part of their Time and in it to endeavour to be rich toward God rich in God to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven to obtain the true certain durable Riches which when they fail will never leave them but when they remove will bear them company into the other World And here let me hint to you of the Gentry what [z] Fuller's Church-Hist B. 11. p. 146. Dr. Paul Michlewait once urged and pressed in a Sermon at the Temple that Gentle-folk of all
Do you spend your Time as religiously at home as you might do at Church Do you catechize read and pray and sing Psalms at home in the mean Time If you do you do it unseasonably and plainly break the Lord's-day by ordinarily performing private Duties in the Time of publick Ordinances The Lord's-day being chiefly appointed for the publick Worship and Service of God The most [d] The sixth Council at Constans decreed That whosoever was absent from the Congregation three Lord's-daies together without necessity If he was a Minister should be put from the Ministry and if he was a private Man he should be cast from the Communion of the Church publick Worship being the highest Honour that can be done to God and Christ Reading a Sermon or some Catechistical Doctrine at home in the Time of publick Preaching or Catechising though in it self it may be a better composed Sermon or Exposition yet is not so good as hearing a Sermon or Exposition at Church For the publick Ministry of the Word is a divine Ordinance which has a special Promise of God's gracious Presence Matth. 28. last Go teach says Christ lo I am with you alway even unto the End of the World You are therefore bound to frequent and attend upon it You must not mis-time and mis-place Duty You must not read at home in private when God calls you to hear in publick You must not use one Ordinance in contempt or neglect of another You cannot hope to profit if you do You can't expect not hope to profit if you do You can't expect God's Presence and look for the Gift of God's Grace in a way of Disobedience to his Command and Neglect of his appointed Means When God sets up the Ministry of the Word in any Place his Spirit then opens his School and expects that all who would be taught for Heaven should come thither Now whether is it most fitting that a Scholar should wait on his Master at School to be taught or the Master should run after his truant Scholar at Play in the Field to teach him there as the accurate Preacher [e] Christ Armour 2 part p. 552. in quarto Mr. W. Gurnal does well illustrate it Moreover in Attendance upon publick Preaching there are the Praiers of the [e] Deus pluris facit preces in ecclesia quà m domi factas non ob locum sed ob considerationem multitudints fidelium Deum communi consensu invocantium Rivet Cath. Oath whole Congregation put up for a Blessing upon the Word that is spoken and heard which is an Advantage that can't be enjoyed in private Reading There is also somewhat in this that the lively Voice of the Preacher is more affecting and powerfully working than private Reading And as for reading the Scripture and Books of Theology it is to be feared that they care but little for reading who pretend such reading to excuse their Absence from publick hearing But grant you do read yet certainly the Scripture and good Books were never written to divert and hinder you from publick Hearing so long as you are able to go to the publick but to fit you for it and help you in it Nay the Bible and good Books forbid you to stay at home in Time of publick Worship and Service and command you to be present at publick Praier Baptism the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Catechising Preaching * Heb. 10.25 Not to forsake the Assembly of your selves together as the manner of some is Take notice further that if you then every one as well as you may stay away and read a Book at home and so what will become of all publick Assemblies Once more consider you know not how much you may lose by but once neglecting a publick Ordinance [f] Joh. 20. from 19 to 29. †Thomas meritò privaetur communi fratrum suorum gratia quod tanquam vagus aut erraticus males ab unitatis vexillo discesserat Calv. ib. in vers 19. Thomas by reason of his Absence when Christ appeared to the Disciples that were assembled together lost the Advantage of receiving Satisfaction concerning the Truth of Christ's Resurrection and lay a whole Week in Unbelief That may be spoken in thy unnecessary Absence so agreeable and congruous to thy Condition as it may be thou maiest not meet with the like for a long time after if ever after The Devil may be busie to detain thee from the publick that very Day or Hour when he knows well enough that is provided and prepared which is most suitable to thee and apt to work upon thee Obj. But he that preaches is a Man of weak Parts mean Gifts and very ordinary Abilities Answ But if he be an approved ordained Minister be conscionable in his Place and unblameable in his Life and if what he delivers be sound and profitable blame your own Hearts if you do not profit by him and take more Pains with them in hearing and see that your Carelesness or Prejudice cause not your unprositableness It is a remarkable Saying of the Reverend and Holy [g] Hilders on John p. 241. Mr. Arthur Hildersam I am perswaded saies he there is never a Minister that is of the most excellent Gifts if he have a Godly Heart but he can truly say he never heard any faithful Minister in his Life that was so mean but he could discern some Gift in him that was wanting in himself and could receive some profit by him You know a Torch may be sometimes lighted by a Candle and a Knife be whetted and sharpned by an unhewn and unpolish'd Stone And it is considerable which the same judicious Author adds there that the Fruit and Profit that is to be received from the Ministry depends not only nor chiefly upon the Gifts of the Man that preacheth but upon the Blessing that God is pleased to give unto his own Ordinance and God does oft give a greater Blessing to weaker than to stronger Means and therefore despise not any sound Ministry because of the meanness of it Obj. But some may say The Exercise is too long and the Season is too hot or cold to come twice a Day Answ But let me ask you Could not you willingly stay in any Season of the Year as long again at a Play 'T is the Coldness of your Hearts and your frozen Affections that make you plead either the Heat or Coldness of the Weather in excuse of your Absence from Church-Assemblies and I pray seriously consider whether Hell at last won't prove too hot for wilful careless causeless Sabbath-breakers I shall further offer two Things to your Consideration to move and provoke you to a careful and diligent Redeeming of the Lord's-day Mot. 1. The right Redemption of the Lord's-day is an apt and likely means of redeeming the whole Week following Of redeeming it as to Temporals Of redeeming it as to Spirituals 1. As to Temporals They that serve God sincerely on the Lord's-day
is the sincere Milk and strong Meat by which you may grow and be daily nourished the Wine with which you may be refreshed when weak the Physick with which you may be cured when sickâ— the Sword of the Spirit with which you may defend your selves when assaulted and resist and repel your spiritual Enemies Will you not readily and gladly repair to the Precepts which counsel you in all your Doubts and quicken you in all your Deadness and get and keep a spiritual Acquâ—lâ—tance with those exceeding great and precious Pronâ—â—ses that strengthen and stay relieve and refresh support and comfort you in all your Sorrow and Afflictions Troubles and Trials Dejection and Heart-breakings Disquietments and Discouragements Me-thinks a Man should never take up the Bible when he reads in private but with the greatest Comfort and Joy that can be and should say within himself Here 's that which very plainly proposeth the most excellent End and withal the most proper and sure Means to reach and attain it which clearly holds forth a sufficient Rule of Faith and Life which plentifully affords me most admirable Precepts and most select exact Patterns of exercising Graces and performing Duties most rare Exemplars of strong believing and holy Living Here 's that which contains the grand Charter of all my Spiritual and Heavenly Priviledges Here 's that that keeps me from Horrour and Despair notwithstanding all my Sin and Guilt Here 's that that teaches me how to live and that makes me able to think of Death without sinking and dying at the Thoughts of it Here 's that that makes me hold my Head above Water in the blackest Hour and saddest Condition that can befal me Love and delight in the Scriptures chiefly and especially for their Sanctity and Purity because they reveal and discover the holy Nature and Law of God the Necessity and Beauty of Holiness the Evil and Folly and Danger of Sin and are apt to win and draw us off from Sin and to bring us to a real universal Conformity to the Will of God and to a Participation of the Divine Nature an happy Participation of God's Holiness And apply thy self to the daily reading and diligent studying of the holy Scriptures with a sincere Desire to [b] This is the thankful Glass that mends the Lookers Eyes this is the VVell that washes what it shews Herb. Poem H. Script be made really holy in Heart and Life by them to be transform'd and renewed assimilated and made like to God by them to be conformed to Scripture-Precepts and Examples and to gain a Frame of Heart and a Conversation and Course of Life every way becoming the Gospel of Christ Whenever thou takest the Bible into thy Hand to reade a Chapter or any Portion of Scripture lift up thy Heart to God and say Now let me be made * Jo. 15.3 clean through the Word which thou shalt speak unto me Now let me be †17.17 sanctified through thy Word of Truth and Holiness Now let me gain some Degree of Grace and make some Improvement and Proficiency in Holiness by thy holy Word by this sacred Writ Allot and allow and ordinarily employ some Portion of Time every day for reading and considering the holy Scriptures If we don't in a manner task our selves usually to observe some certain set Times for this Use and Purpose our slothful Hearts will easily admit yea catch at any trifling Excuse to put by the Performance of this Duty and by Degrees we shall be drawn to an habitual Neglect of it We should therefore charge and enjoin our selves not to dispense with our stated Hours but upon very necessary and just Occasions and in such Cases be very careful that what we were forc'd to omit at such a Time we faithfully and honestly endeavour to supply and make up another It is convenient to reade commonly if it may be some portion of Scripture every Morning and every Evening [c] Luxin's Introduct to the holy Script p. 28. A worthy Divine well observes that our reading some Scripture in the Morning will be a good Antidote against the Infection of those Corruptions which we live amongst and is apt to fortify us against the Temptations of the ensuing Day as those who live where there is any Contagion do usually drink something in the Morning to prevent Infection And our reading Scripture in the Evening will be a means to compose our Minds and furnish us with matter of Meditation for the Night-season as Cattel feed towards the Evening that they may have something to ruminate or chew over again when they lie down to take their Rest That nothing may prove an Hindrance and impediment in this Employment 1. Redeem the Time from unnecessary wordly Businesses Nay let no ordinary Occasions of your Calling make you generally careless and negligent of the sacred Scriptures Do not idly pretend want of Leisure to reade the weightiest Matters in the World things of greatest Importance and nearest Concernment to your immortal Souls They that enjoy much Leisure from worldly Assairs God expects that such should employ and bestow more of their Time in this spiritual Exercise Yet they that have fullest Business and fewect Spare-hours cannot wholly be exempted from this Duty 'T is very remarkable that the * Deut. 17.18 19 20. King himself was expresly commanded to write him a Copy of the Law in a Book to write out the Book of Deuteronomy which is a Compendium of the Law yea to write out the whole Pentateuch saies [d] Totum Pentateuchum tenebatur describere primùm ut Israel ta quivis deinde iterum ut Rex ut sciret in privatis in publicis negotiis Legem sibi sequendam Sic legere eam debebat sibi peivatim in Templo audiente populo ut sciret populus neminem à lege excipi Grot. in loc Grotius to write it with his own Hand saies Philo that the divine Precepts might be the better imprinted and fastened in his Mind It was to be with him and he was to reade therein all the Daies of his Life notwithstanding the Multiplicity and Greatness of the Affairs of his Kingly Office 2. Redeem the Time from fruitless Pleasures from Play-Books Romances Fansyful Poems feigned Stories common Histories witty or elegant Speeches Never suffer these or the like to fill your Hands to entertain your Eyes to please your Phansies to get into your Hearts so as to keep the sacred Scriptures and divine Oracles out of your Hands and Hearts Alexander would find Time to reade Homer even in the Camp and chose to lay up Homer's Poems in a most precious Casket taken out of the Spoils of Darius And the Emperour Aelius Verus was so in love with Ovid de arte amandi as to reade it in his Bed and to lay it under his Pillow when he went to sleep But these were utterly ignorant of the Scriptures O let not us Christians have
which are of so strange and weighty an importance that the * 1 Pet. 1 1◠Angels themselves desire [o] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is an Allusion to the Cherubims which were made with their Eyes looking down towards the Mercy-Seat slooping down to look to peep and pry into them In gaining Knowledg and Understanding of the Wisdome Counsel Mind and Will of God In acquainting our selves with the Rule of our Lives in learning the Laws of the Kingdome and studying the Statutes of Heaven in using the Means of getting and growing in saving Grace in opening and reading our Elder Brother's Will and Testament in sucking those full Breasts of strong Consolation and in drawing the refreshing Water of Life out of those Wells of Salvation Let it be the shame and sorrow and trouble of our Souls that we have been careless of the Scriptures in any part of our whole Lives [p] In his Life written by Mr. W. Durham p. 2. Dr. Robert Harris President of Trinity-Colledg in Oxford was not a little afflicted to his dying day that even in his Childhood he was more willing of play than of reading the Scriptures to his pious Parents at their Call And let 's lament and sadly lay to heart the slight Thoughts that too many have of the holy Scriptures and their gross neglect and great disregard of the precious and venerable Book of God Mr. Fuller in his [p] Pag. 148. History of the University of Cambridge does give us a Relation of an excellent Meditation of the Reverend Dr. Richard Holdesworth which the Relater himself heard drop from him a little before his expiring I admire saies he at David 's gracious Heart who so often in Scripture but especially in the 119th Psalm extolleth the Worth and Value of the Word of God and yet Quantillum Scripturae how little of the Word had they in that Age the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses the Book of Job and some of the Hagiography a little of other holy Writ How much have we now thereof since the accession of the Prophets but especially of the New Testament and yet alas the more we have of the Word of God the less it is generally regarded Lastly let 's do our honest and utmost endeavour to win and draw others on to the Love and Liking to the Reading and Studying of the sacred Scriptures * Deut. 6.6 7. Let them be in thine Heart and teach them diligently unto thy Children and talk of them when thou sittest in thine House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thon risest up †4.9 Teach them thy Sons and thy Son's Sons ‖ Gen. 18.19 Command thy Children and engage thy Houshold and Servants to reade the Scriptures and to mind what they reade and allow them Time for so necessary a Duty and let not any in thy Family want a Bible for their Use and Benefit [q] The Life of Dr. Rob. Harris written by Mr. W. Durham pag. 57. In all the Wills made by the forementioned Dr. Robert Harris this Legaey was alwaies renewed Item I bequeath to all my Children and their Childrens Children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ The eighth Direction If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious [a] Meditatio soror lectionis nutrix orationis directrix oporis emntumque pariter perfectio consummatrix Gerson Meditation Meditation is more excellent than mere Study for the End of Meditation is not the filling our Heads with Notions but the quickening of our Affections and strengthning of our Resolutions the warming of our Hearts and putting them upon Duty the bringing them to an inward lively Sense of God to the Love and Fear of God to Thankfulness and Obedience to him to the Enjoyment of him and Fellowship and Communion with him Let 's use and inure our selves [b] See Dr. T. Goodwin of the Vanity of Thoughts pag. 8 9 10. to raise and extract holy Observations and spiritual Considerations from all ordinary Occurrences and Occasions and as the Bee sucks Honey out of every Flower let 's endeavour to distil heavenly and savory sweet and useful Meditations out of all God's Dealings with us and Dispensations towards us out of all Accidents that befall us or any about us out of the Things we see hear or hear of and out of all the Objects that any way come into our Thoughts This was the Practice of our blessed Saviour when he came to * Joh. 4. a Well he took occasion to discourse of the Water of Life And this has likewise been the Vsage of the most eminent practical Christians The Reverend and holy [c] His Life among Clark's Lives of ten em Div. p. 166 167. Mr. Jeremy Whitaker as he was riding with one of his intimate Friends by Tiburn which he had not seen or not observ'd before he asked what that was and being answered that it was Tiburn where so many Malefactors had lost their Lives he stop'd his Horse and utter'd these Words with much Affection O what a shame is it that so many thousands should die for the Satisfaction of their Lusts and so few be found willing to lay down their Lives for Christ Why should not we in a good Cause and upon a good Call be ready to be hanged for Jesus Christ It would be an everlasting Honour and it is a thousand times better to die for Christ to be hanged or to be burn'd for Christ than to die in our Beds When we are riding walking sitting alone in the day time or when we are awake in the night season let us commune with our own Hearts and fill up such spaces of Time and employ such Spare-Hours in holy Thoughts of the best Things yea let us set some Time apart for the solemn Duty of Meditation That which comes into our Souls by Meditation is like a Shower of Snow which falls soft and sinks deep 'T is a good Saying of St. Austin Intellectus cogitabundus principium omnis boni A thinking Mind is a Principle productive of all good [d] Dr. Annesly M. E. Serm. i. p. 9. The Father of a Prodigal lying on his Sick and Death-bed straitly charg'd his only Son that he would spend a Quarter of an Hour every day in serious solitary Thoughts leaving to himself the particular Subject of his retired Meditation The Son accordingly following this Advice at last cast in his Thoughts what might be his Father's Intention in such Injunction He concluded that his Father being a wise and a good Man designed to direct and lead his Thoughts to the consideration of somewhat of Religion which did so mightily operate upon him that he quickly became rationally religious Upon all Occasions particularly and especially often meditate and frequently think of the four last Things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell the serious Thoughts of which
Rel. p. 170. rule and govern the rational World by giving notices of future Rewards or Punishments which all must unavoidably be adjudged to And that God may one day salve the Honour of his own Attributes that though Things seem to be carried very unequally here in this World and Judgment be never fully executed here but the Wicked are often suffered to escape and the Good and Upright are frequently afflicted and evil-intreated yet all may be rectified and regulated at last and God may openly and evidently appear to be just in punishing the Wicked and Ungodly and good in owning and rewarding every truly vertuous and righteous Person And so may not only vindicate and right himself but justify and right his People too in the Eye and Face of all the World And then go on to think of Scripture-evidences and Testimonies That * Heb. 9.27 after Death the Judgment immediatly after Death a particular Judgment Think of that awakening startling Summons †Luke 16.2 Give an Account of thy Stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Alcibiades in Plutarch coming to Pericles his Door and hearing that he was busie and solicitous about making his Accounts to the Athenians [c] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Apophthegm p. 180. said It rather concer'd him to study how he might best put by his Accounts and avoid the giving of them up But assure thy self there is no declining of it here Consider that God has * Acts 17.31 appointed a Day a Day of general Judgment in the which he will judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained And that we †2 Cor 5.10 must all appear and ‖ Rom. 14.10 stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ not only appear in Person as those do that are cited into a Court but be laid open and made manifest as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies have our Heart and Life ript up and all our Thoughts Words and Works presented to our own view and expos'd to the view of others disclosed and discovered before Men and Angels That (*) Rev. 20.12 the Books shall then be opened the Book of God's Omniscience and the Book of every Man 's particular Conscience That the Rolls or Records of all our Actions shall be produc'd and we shall be judg'd out of those Things that are written in the Books That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the Things done in his Body that is the due Reward of the Works done in his Body or in the State of Conjunction with the Body according to or by way of Retribution to what he hath done whether it be good or bad The sober serious Consideration of a most impartial Judicature and Tribunal will mightily awe thy Soul Felix himself trembled when St. Paul reasoned (†) Acts 24.25 of a Judgment to come I have read a [d] M. Marshal's Serm. on 2 Kings 23 25 26. p. 20 21. Story of a certain King of Hungary who being on a Time marvellous sad and heavy his Brother would needs know of him what he ailed Oh Brother saies he I have been a great Sinner against God and I know not how I shall appear before him when he comes to Judgment His Brother told him they were but melancholy Thoughts and made light of them The King replied nothing at the present but in the dead Time of the Night sent an Executioner of Justice and caused him to sound a Trumpet before his Brother's Door which according to the Custome of that Countrey was a Sign of present Execution This Royal Person hearing and seeing the Messenger of Death sprang pale and trembling into his Brother's Presence beseeching the King to let him know wherein he had offended O Brother replied the King thou hast loved me and never offended me and is the sight of my Executioner so dreadful to thee and shall not I so great a Sinner fear to be brought to Judgment before Jesus Christ The frequent Meditation of a Judgment to come will exceedingly move and affect thee and cause thee to live and act suitably and answerably to thy belief of it 'T will keep thee from spending thy Time and talk in rashly judging others * Mat. 7.1 lest God severely enter into Judgment with thee 'T will awaken thee to endeavour to do every Thing as one that is [e] Semper it a vivamus ut rationem reddendam nobis arbitiemur Tussius apud Lactant. de veto coltu l. 6. §. 24. accountable for all he does 'T will put thee upon examining and calling thy self to an Account and cause thee to get all thy Accounts ready against the great Audit 'T will help thee to judg thy self here that thou maiest not be judged and condemned hereafter at the great and last Day It will excite and stir thee up to Repentance and provoke thee to the Performance of a course of new and sincere Obedience to make that Law the Rule of thy Life which God will make the Rule of his Judgment The Wise Man makes this an Argument to induce Men to * Eccl. 12.13 fear God and keep his Commandments that God will bring every Work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil St. Paul very earnestly press'd the Athenians to Repentance by this most powerful and cogent Argument drawn from the Certainty of a future Judgment †Acts 17.30 31. God now commandeth all Men every where to repent because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World in Rigteousness And this was the Reason of the Apostles Labour of all his Ambition and Design to be ‖ 2 Cor. 5.9 10 11. acceptable to God whether living or dying because we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ Yea this was the Ground of all his Industry and Painfulness in the Ministry Knowing therefore the Terrour of the Lord we perswade Men saies he Considering the Dreadfulness of this Appearance of God we strive to bring Men to embrace the Truth and to live as those that are thus to be judged And in Hope of a Resurrection to a Judgment of Absolution (*) Acts 24.15 16. herein did he exercise himself to have alwaies a Conscience void of Offence toward God and toward Men he knew if Conscience absolv'd him in this Life it would also under God acquit him in the other Thy †Tit. 2.12 13. earnest looking for the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ is apt to engage and prevail with thee to deny Vngodliness and worldly [f] Nec me revoeabat à profundiore voluptatum carnalium gurgtte nisi metus mortis futuri judicit tut qut per varias quidem opiniones nunquam tamen recessit de pectore meo Aug. Conf. l. 6. c. 16. § 1. Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godlily in
and endeavour to make one another nigh to God Let Christian Yoke-fellows exhort and encourage one another to take Christ's Yoke upon them and to bear his Burden Let Christian Servants stir up one another to work out their Salvation to do the Business and to finish the Work which their heavenly Master has given them to do Consider exhort provoke one another and look what becomes of all the Labour Care and Pains that you take with any Friend or Acquaintance and if it obtain not at present its much desired Fruit and Effect yet be not disheartened nor [t] Angor iste qui pro amico saepe capiendus est non tantum valet ut tollat è vita amicitiam non plus quà m ut virtutes quia nonnullas curas molestias afferunt repudientur Lael apud Cic. de Amic desert your Duty and give over this necessary Office and excellent Part of Friendship though you find it difficult and uneasy though you seem to any carnal Friend as one that mocks as * Gen. 19.14 Lot did to his Sons-in-law †2 Tim. 2.25 4 2. In Meekness instruct those that oppose themselves ‖ 1 Thess 5.14 Reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering which will be a becoming Imitation of God who you may remember endured you with much long-suffering who did not leave you to your selves when you first rejected his heavenly Admonition who called you often before you would hear and often provoked you before you would stir who suffers sinful Men so long till at last he suffers for his Suffering who is so patient till at last he loses by his Patience whose extream Patience as Tertullian excellently observes seems to [u] Vt sua sibi patientia detrahat plures enim Dominum idcirco non credunt quia seculo iratum tamdiu nesciunt Teit. de patientia detract and derogate from his Power for many believe saies he that there is no Governour of the World because they do not see him angry with the World Patiently continue thy Consideration and Care of thy Friends for though they do not consider what you say at present they may consider it hereafter Consider them because this will be a comfortable Consideration that though you do no good upon them yet you did your honest faithful and best Endeavours to do them good and are therefore clear from their Blood Think how greatly you will gain in your own Experience by considering your Acquaintance and dealing in a spiritual way with them and how much you will heighten and strengthen your own good Affections by exhorting provoking and exciting your Friends by rubbing and chasing your Companions you will not only get warmth into them but will with the same labour make your selves a great deal hotter than you were before The more you perswade and stir up them to the Love and Fear of God the more your own Heart will be warmed and inhamed with the Love and filled and possess'd with the Fear of God The more you quicken and stir up them to good Works you your selves will become much more ready to every good Work And as this will increase and improve your own spiritual Gifts and Graces so it will enlarge your Joys and Comforts and be matter of Satisraction and Pleasure to you to see some of their Souls spiritually prosper whom you have taken a special care of What a comfort will it be at last to consider that you have done much good by considering your Associates that by your consideration of them you have brought them to consider God and themselves that under God you have been the happy Instruments of awakening convincing strengthning and quickning your Acquaintance of * Mat. 18.15 gaining your Brethren of gaining them to God and gaining and endearing them more and more to your selves and of saving some precious Souls from Death which are more worth than the whole World How will they be your †1 Thess 2.19 20. Glory and Joy and Crown of Rejoicing who shall confess and acknowledg that you were the blessed means of working upon them and prevailing with them that under God they ow their spiritual Light and Life their Growth and Thriving in Grace their Progress and Procedure in Faith and Holiness their Stedfastness and Advancement in Religion and Godliness to your cure and pains with them your compassionate Consideration of them and watchful Circumspection over them yea will not this increase the Joies of Heaven and heighten the Pleasures of Paradise to you to meet with those Acquaintance there whom you were a means of helping thither by prompting and encouraging them to do those Works which are the way to the heavenly Kingdom Consider moreover that your considering your Friends and Neighbours will be consider'd and accepted by God though they should never consider any thing at all that your Labour of Love shall not be in vain to your selves though it should be ineffectual to others But if by dealing with them you do some real considerable good upon them that then very great will be your Reward in Heaven that if you * Dan. 12.3 turn many to Righteousness you shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever That if from a Principle of the Fear of the Lord you †Mal. 3.16 17. speak often one to another to animate one another to Faith and Obedience to Courage and Constancy the Lord will hearken and hear it and a Book of Remembrance shall be written before him concerning it and you shall be his in that Day when he maketh up his Jewels his peculiar Lot Inheritance choice Portion chief Treasure and he will spare you as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him If you consider one another for good God will consider you for good If you provoke one another to Love this will provoke God to love you for it If you provoke your Acquaintance to good Works this will provoke God to reward you as well as them for all the good Works that are done by them by means of your Exhortations and [w] Quantoscunque aliquis exemplo sanctae vitae aedificaverit cum tantis pro tantis mercedem beatae vitae retributionis aceipiet Aug. tom 10. p. 209. Paris Examples But if you provoke not them to do good Works you shall one Day be found guilty of all the evil Works done by them which you might have hindred by any means and any way prevented the Commission of Neglect not the serious Exhortation loving Consideration and zealous Provocation one of another for surely when you come to die your own Hearts will not condemn you for labouring too hard in the grand concernments of the Souls of your Friends who are as * Deut. 13.6 your own Souls But you will be ready to challenge your selves for want of Care and Diligence in that Performance and to grieve and mourn that you have been so useless in your Friendship and Society that