said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live then washed I thee with water yea I throughly washed away thy blood and anointed thee with oyl Eccles 16. 6 9. compared with Chap. 36. 11. Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations Here by comparing our estate with Israels estate we may read our danger with Israels danger who being apt to forget the condition God found them in and redeemed them from are charged to remember their own evil wayes This Remembrance was that that wrought such high admiration in St. Paul 1 Tim. 1. 12 13. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious Clearly noting that Pauls remembrance of Christs goodness to him in misery encreased his esteem of Christs mercy Secondly A second Cause may be this Actual withdrawing from that wonted familiarity we use to have with Christ once if it were well with us he must know it and be praised for it if it were evil with us he must be told of it and at the least absence you could cry with the Spouse Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and causest thy flock to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside from the flocks of thy companions Cant. 1. 17. Thus in a holy friendly intimacy claims his company if now such discover strangeness to him in being strangers to his Fould in a word at every Christians service now seldome though once often thus neglecting the means of encrease must needs cause decrease Thirdly The third Cause may be this Deep declinings to heart acquaintance The watch now over the heart is not so strict as once it was so tender in times past that every comer in and goer out must be under strict examination who they were for whether or no they went Christ Jesus earand but now the door of the heart is set open too too often at hours too unseasonable for reasons too slender to the entertaining many a strange face that never was wont to come there since the King of Glory had taken his possession for this Jeremiah complains against Jerusalem How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee They kept not their heart with all diligence knowing that out of it are the issues of life But trusting it too much were deceived and turned aside thereby Fourthly A fourth Cause may be this Decaying in love to Christs Children once your chief delight was with the Saints and especially those that excelled in vertue now dayly decaying in your love to them and acquaintance with them This Christ Jesus maketh an unerring reason He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him 1 John 2. 10. If any man say I love God and hates his Brother he is a lyer for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can be love God whom he hath not seen Chap. 4. 20. Plainly asserting the impossibility of loving the greater if we love not the lesser so that to what degree there is decay in one there is the same in the other Fifthly The fifth Cause may be this Encrease of affection to perishing things At your first acquaintance with Christ the world and its offers was contemned by you now it is esteemed you had once a holy carelesness for the things of this life now an unholy carefulness for them then you sate at Jesus feet hearing his word but now cumbered with much serving Love not the world nor the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Meaning whosoever loves the world at such a rate as to be more thoughtful after its vanities than Heavens excellencies For the love of Money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 10. Lastly A sixth Cause may be this The withdrawings of the holy Spirit that was once pleased and did then visit you often but now is grieved and visits you seldome that once helped you much against temptations laying for dead the deeds of the body now lets you alone to be beaten and baffled with every evil motion and this as the effect of the Spirits withdrawing whose work where ever it is being to greaten the esteem of Jesus Christ and foil temptations of every kind if not discouraged grieved and hindred for fear of which are those high Christian Precepts given not to vex it quench it or grieve it and that because as our natural body without life is voyd of action so without the holy Spirit is a Christian man dry and barren at best but like the Fig-tree something only in shew yet cursed by Jesus Christ for want of fruit When the Apostle Jude comes to speak of some that in the last dayes should turn Mockers walking after their own ungodly lusts mark how they are charactrized out These be they who separate themselves sensual Having not the Spirit Jude reckons them among the Sodomites for filthiness calls them Raging Waves Wandring Stars Murmurers Complainers worse than natural Bruit-beasts and the sum of all As being destitute of the Spirit In the midst of all Davids languishings for fear of so high a loss is not this one of his most bitter cries Cast me not away from thy presence and Take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51. 11. I have now done having cast my poor Mite into Gods publick Treasury as one Lift if God will to encourage the growing Christian and reduce the decaying Christian if any be bettered by it I have my end let God have the Honour To whom through Jesus Christ by the help of the Holy Spirit be all due Praises ascribed in Heart with Tongue and Conversation for ever and ever Amen ERRATA EPistle Dedicatory Page 6. Line 25. read your heart p. 9. l 1. r. Isa 55 p. 25. l. 23. for a Sign r. assigned p. 34. l. 4. f. ye r. we p. 72. l. 15. f. Reprobate r. Reproach p. 48. r. Ajâ—lon p. 51. r. Mat. 5 p. 53. r. Zech. p. 58 midle r thou wast p. 61. l. 3. 71. l 8. f. was is r. were are p. 82 l 5. f. even r noon p 92. l. 1â— f. now is r. now are p â—1 l. 14. r. observe and f Eâ—hes 2. 12. r. 2 Cor. 12. 21. p. 93. l. 6. r. of it p. 94. l 5. r. Sign p. 1,6 l. 27. f. shin r. skin
come not in company with them yet if you must then rebuke them for any among their great friends kindred or any other by whom perhaps they have great gain to bear with swearing blaspheming deriding at religion or other vain communications plainly argues a great slavish fear to have possessed them Secondly another Cause of this may be an impotent love that is your love to God proves weak or lame There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear hath torment Thirdly Unskilfulness in the Doctrine of self-denyal may prove a great Cause of this decay Whosoever doth not take up his Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple behold I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so I may finish my course with joy Fourthly A doubtful mind of Gods All-sufficiency and certainty to make up what damage may come through our care to his name and credit both in this life and that to come Gods All sufficiency is never so seen as in the time of greatest scarcity or under the highest straits Then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and as Gods sufficiency is never so seen as then in like manner he is never so obliged as then When persons are suffering through his grace for his name-sake They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you and bring you before Rulers for my names-sake but I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say Luke 21. 12. 13. CHAP. XVII Shewing that sinning through impatience under Offences is a certain mark of deep decay with Objections and Answers proving the degrees of anger and three Causes why Christians are impatient unto sin SIGN XVII VVHen at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin It is not possible to live without offences giving or taking real or seeming and such is mans frailty in common that even under small provocations they are apt to yield to too deep an impression But for better understanding it may be necessary to make some Observation upon this Sign First As to the meaning of small Offences Secondly As to the kind of impatience here intended First By small Offences is meant either small with respect to the little occasion that is given perhaps but seemingly or if real yet so slender as it would be wisdome to wink at it and but folly to be moved by it Secondly Small as coming from the smallest occasions viz. earthly an error of life as to the things of heaven though small being that that is greater by many degrees than some error that may arise from the things of this life which by God are called the smallest matters A Christian may be easily read more or less strong or spiritual as he is more or less affected with the offences that this life minister to him Whereas there is envyings debate and strife among you are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. 2. Now the kind of impatience here intended is for offences to be so moved or inraged as to run beyond the bounds of Gods alowance Be angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Intimating a great aptness in persons when provoked to be so inraged as to continue and boyl in wrath seeking for revenge contrary to Gods counsel Be in malice as Children Object But it may be Objected whether an allowance of anger or impatience under provocation may not be Answ There is anger in good part and in bad part so to take offence or be angry or impatient as to thirst after personal revenge or requital surely is not good He that is so angry with his brother shall be in danger of Judgment for in their anger they slew a man and in their wrath they digged down a Wall cursed be their anger for it was fierce Gen. 49. 6 7. Here Impatience is taken in ill part and by Christians to be abhorred and avoyded it being not of that kind Exod. 32. 19. And Moses anger waxed hot full of zealous and sore displeasure not simply against their person but against their sin Thus God is said to be angry with his people when by their sins they provoke him Numb 11. 10. But Impatience and anger in ill part is such as runs out to the breaking the hedge of Government running into cursing swearing tumults fighting or brawling Object 2. But it may be again Objected that the Sign it self seems to give an allowance of great anger or impatience under great Offences for it saith When at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin Answ Doubtless under great Offences greater displeasure may be manifested but let the growing heaven-born Christian set up his standard here that at no offence small or great he may dare at any hand to break down the wall in a word Be angry and sin not Ephes 4. 26. By this means we make our quarrel Gods whose vengeance is and he will righteously repay otherwise that is when impatience carries us into the path of sinning we make the quarrel our own and take Gods work from him and so incur his displeasure upon us The good Lord give in wisdome and strength to Christians here under all provocations whether great or smal in Church or Family from friend or enemy that they let patience have its perfect work rather to the suffering any wrong than committing the least sin how like our Head the Lord Jesus would this declare us to be Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not took it most meekly and committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Object 3. But it may be objected again whether by this Superiours as Governours Parents or Masters may or not be angry with their Inferiours Answ Yes and correct them to but it must be as their drinking was in Esthers time according to the Law of Gods allowance Read for our rule in this case and let us live and die by it Nehem. 5. 6 7 9. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words then I rebuked the Nobles and Rulers saying It is not good that you do ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies O let Christians make this their rule under all provocations to keep within the fear of God because of the reproach of the Adversary yea let your provocation be what it will or from whom it will friend or enemy child or servant them that have most cause or least cause still remember and keep to this it is better ten thousand times ten thousand patiently to suffer than impatiently to
SYMPTOMES OF GROWTH DECAY TO GODLINESSE IN LX. SIGNS OF A Living and Dying Christian With the Causes of Decay and Remedies for Recovery By Francis Smith Job 17. 9. But the Righteous will hold his way and he whose hands are pure shall encrease his strength Revel 2. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love LONDON Printed by G. Dawson for F. S. at the Elephant and Castle near Temple-Bar 1660. IMPRIMATUR William Jeffery Benjamin Morley Thomas Munck Joseph Wright TO Every Judicious and Considerate READER Christian Reader THere was never more need from the beginning of the Creation to this day for persons professing Godliness to enter into their Closets and to retire into their most secret Chambers there to Commune with themselves and most seriously and narrowly to search their hearts and try their wayes whether they be such as can abide the strictest and severest scrutiny according to the ballance of the Sanctuary and the Touch-stine of the Scriptures and it may be a Fiery Trial which is coming upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth Let thâ—se things be seriously considered in such a day as this is wherein such a multitude of Professors of all sorts do abound who have enjoyed so long a time of peace and prosperity which are apt in themselves through our carnal hearts to lull us fast asleep in the bed of sloath and carnal Security and to be get a spiritual Lethargy in the Soul To awaken us and to provoke one another to this great duty let us call to mind our former dayes when we were first illuminated how great a zeal did then possess us what care what diligence that we might be found approved of in the sight of God who judgeth the hearts and tryeth the reins It is the sad complaint of discerning Christians this day and is there not a cause that there is a lamentable Decay and decrease of Godliness in the power and life thereof among professors This is a Lamentation and it shall be for a Lamentation It does therefore exceedingly concern all Christians of what rank soever seriously to search and examine their own hearts and to cry what have we done what is the matter surely the dispensation that is upon us at this day is to try and to purge and to make white that they which are upright might be made manifest when the Hypocrite and formal professor that cannot abide the tryal shall stumble and fall and the shame of their nakedness shall appear Our lot is certainly fallen in the last dayes upon whom the ends of the World are come and our Lord himself hath expresly foretold that in the last dayes among Professors iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold and that then the wise Virgins as well as the foolish will all slumber and sleep Mat. 24. 13. and 25. 1 2 3. So likewise the Apostle Paul fore-telling the evil of the last times sets down a black Catalogue of sins that will be found not among the prophane only as in all ages but in such persons having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. beginning Formality and Security abounding among Professors is the sin and sign of the last dayes And herein we may discern gray and hoary hairs more than here and there upon the head of this old World We are fallen into the lees and dregs of time and the World the older it grows the worse declining now into its dotage Blessed is that Servant that in such a day as this is keeps his Garment unspotted and his conscience undefiled that hath his Lamp burning and his light shining and his Loyns girded and is alwayes expecting and prepared for his Lords coming Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing The design of this ensuing Treatise which we recommend unto thy serious perusal is to set forth the sad estats of a Dying and Decaying Christian shewing the Symptomes Causes and Cures of the Decay of Godliness Together with the Benefit and Means of the Growth and Increase of Godliness As thou maist see in the Title and Frontispiece of this Book A Subject certainly never more suitable and seasonable than at this day when as Godliness it self in the power and life of it is at so low an ebb and grows every day more than other into a sensible Decay and Consumption And therefore this Piece needs not our Commendation but a greater than we are hath Avouched this whose Wisdome and Authority we must adore A Word fitly spoken or spoken in season is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver For the Author by that acquaintance we have with him we judge him to be an experienced Christian and one who hath made it his business to discern the Signs of the Times and we doubt not but the savoury Christian upon the through reading of his Book will judge the same with us Reader we shall detain thee no longer in the Porch enter the House it self Come and see whether it perform not more than we speak Now the blessing of God go along with it and with thee in the reading of it and he that gives seed to the sower and blesseth the encrease thereof grant unto us all that we may remember our first wayes and do our first works and more abundantly that our last dayes may be our best dayes and our last works may be more than our first that we may be Trees of Righteousness of the Lords own planting that we may bring forth most and best fruit in our old age when all other Trees cease to yield their encrease In a word that we may not be found wanting nor too light when our Lord shall come again to Judge every man according to his Works Shall be the dayly Prayer of Thy Servants for Christs sake Henry Jessey Henry Denne John Gosnold To all that are called to be Saints especially my dear Relations in Yorkshire West-Riding Together with my Brethren and Companions in the Faith in and about the City of London Grace and Peace be multiplied My dear Fellow Travellers HOwever it is with you now as to your spiritual state I am bold to affirm that the dayes of your first Espousal as in themselves so in your own estimation were very happy and joyful dayes and you so afflicted for your own former Mis-doings and so affected with what gracious change God through his rich Grace then made that with all your might you did willingly render up your selves to Christ Jesus for your Saviour and with all free affection and humble submission chose him or rather closed with Gods own Appointment that this his Son should become your King to Rule you your Priest to make Attonement for you and also your Prophet to Teach you in a word your All in All Thus at the sight and sense of what Sin and Satan had been and what now Christ Jesus
prepare you upon the most acceptable terms for future Glory is the true desire of Your unworthy Brother in the dear Concernments of the Gospel Francis Smith A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. COntaining in it a Sign of Dying to Christ with three causes of its coming which being avoyded may serve as remedies against its ruin with profitable Objections answered 1 Chap. 2. Containing three Causes of weariness to spiritual Worship and the principal Reasons thereof 19 Chap. 3. Briefly shewing the cause of weariness to hear any truth often 23 Chap. 4. Briefly shewing how want of Charity in hearers causeth them dislike what is preached 27 Chap. 5. Containing five Causes of deceitfully thinking we know enough with four marks to know when we are under that deceit 31 Chap. 6. Containing in it Christians aptness through weakness to neglect coming to Christs Table with a short discription of offences that seemingly may hinder three Causes of this Decay 38 Chap. 7. Shewing the great decay to Christianity when mindless to prayer with a plâ—â—â— discovery of the Necessity Excellency Let Helps to prayer in sixteen particulars 46 Chap 8. Shewing the great Decay to Christianity when mindless to Reading and meditation in the holy Scriptures with six calamities very observable which Scripture Ignorance brings 54 Chap. 9. Shewing that an itching ear in Christians after Novelties bespeak them decaying to godliness with four Remedies against it 65 Chap. 10. Proving us dying to Christ when others sinnings are not our sorrowings with two Remedies against this Decay 69 Chap. 11. Shewing that unsavoury talking among Christians when they meet proves them earthly-minded with three Causes of this Decay 74 Chap. 12. Proving unpreparedness to hear the word of God a Sign of Dying to Christ with three sorts of hindrances which must be laid aside what must be our work before Hearing in Hearing and after Hearing 81 Chap. 13. Proving the state of such to be sad who assemble together more for fear of mans eye than Gods with four Discriptions how such may be known or know themselves with two Causes of this decay 89 Chap. 14. Shewing our state dying when we are more troubled at the decayes in our House than in Christs House with four marks to know when we are so dying 89 Chap. 15. Shewing that want of weeping in some when others of Christs Children with grief are stooping declares such to him a dying shewing also in four respects how we are to pitty with four Remedies against this decay 94 Cap. 16. Shewing that when the name of Christ credit to his Gospel is not so dear to us as personal sufferings wâ— are then surely on the dying hand that in estate body and life we ought to submit if called to suffering with four Causes of Decay here 99 Chap. 17. Shewing that sinning through impatience under Offences is a certain mark of deep decay with Objections Answers proving the degrees of anger and three Causes why Christians are impatient unto sin 104 Chap. 18. Proving those Christians to be almost dead that make it more their business to get the Form than the Power of Religion with its Causes and Remedies 111 Chap. 19. Containing in it a description of a decaying Christian by his light trouble at Miscarriages though known to Gods eye while kept from mans eye with two special Causes of this Decay 115 Chap. 20. Shewing the heart very bad when under faults it cannot bear plain dealing with three Causes of this badness 120 Chap. 21. Proving the condition of the rich as well as the poor to be a condition of trouble that whether it be common or more than ordinary to be answerable in prayer with a description of the different kinds of trouble with profitable Objections answered 125 Chap. 22. Containing in it an Assertion of the Causes of Affliction and that without great provocation God is not wont to afflict his people though provoked very unwilling to extremity With four Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Answered 132 Chap. 23. Proving those Christians under great Decay that pray more in Affliction to have it removed than sanctified with three Causes of this Decay 143 Chap. 24. Containing in it six Seasons in which Christians ought to humble themselves by fasting proving those under great decay that in times of calamity can find no necessity for fasting 152 Chap. 25. Containing in it the evil of Ignorance in not knowing wherefore Gods Rod is come nor what good it hath done with three Directions how to know when persons are under this Decay and three Remedies against it 159 Chap. 26. Shewing where sin takes its beginning and how by degrees if hearkned to it works ruin with six special marks how persons though pardoned may know when God will suffer them to fall into sin anew 164 Chap. 27. Shewing Satans way by which he gets in our day most advantage upon Churches and a plain discovery of the first rise of the Quakers shewing also the great Law of Edification to be preferred in all Doctrine with Cautions to such as live out of all Church way 177 Chap. 28. Shewing the necessity of humble waiting and confident depending upon the holy Spirit to help in the great work of mortification the necessity whereof is shewed in seven particulars with six directions how to get and keep this holy Spirit 189 Chap. 29. Treating of Spiritual Ignorance of our everlasting condition and five Scriptures tending to reducement from carnal security and three special Causes of such a damning Decay 205 Chap. 30. Shewing the miserable estate of such as after longer acquaintance with Christ are less in love to him with six Causes of this Decay 218 SIGNS OF A Living and Growing CHRISTIAN SIGN I. VVHen thy chief Delight is with the Saints epecially them that excel in virtue SIGN II. When the smites of the Righteous are not a burthen to thee thou canst hear of thy faults with affected attention SIGN III. When Jesus Christ in the midst of temptation is more to thee than all the World SIGN IV. When thou matterest not how dear it cost thee so thou make Corruption weary SIGN V. When increase of time in the use of Gods Ordinances works increase of affection to them SIGN VI. When length of time in Christs House works in thy heart increase of hatred to all sin SIGN VII When thou carriest about with thee a constant jealousie over thy heart proving its affectedness to God and goodness SIGN VIII When every known new mercy begets new thankfulness and that with delight SIGN IX When known calamitie in Gods House begets deep sorrow in thy heart SIGN X. When Gods afflicting thee for thy sin makes thee love God the better SIGN XI When the same care and travail thou labourest once in to get Christ thou as much if not more labours in to keep Christ SIGN XII When by thy labouring in Gods Vineyard thou art little grieved though outwardly
of his burthen were so unsensible that God complains against them Amos 6. 6. They were not grieved at the affliction of Joseph they were so far from easing him or freeing themselves from provoking of God to bring them into such like trouble that they were not so much as grieved had no burthen upon them were therefore fit matter to be indeed deservedly brought themselves into the like condition a most remarkable and profitable example if heeded by Christians we have to this very purpose in Daniel that holy man Chap. 9. vers 2. when he understands by reading that there were a number of years for Jerusalems captivity how was he burthened that he might know it is evident if you read but what he did vers 3. I set my face to seek the Lord God by prayer and supplication with fasting and sack-cloth and ashes behold here a gracious pattern for Christians that want to know great things from God Daniel sets his face unto the Lord with such qualifications attending this performance as though Daniel would be content with no denial so Chap. 10. 2 3. A thing was revealed to Daniel but the time appointed was long In those dayes I Daniel was mourning three full weeks I eat no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth till three whole weeks were fulfilled That such manner of burthen and trouble as this at the sense of ones ignorance is not only the way to get profit but indeed a most acceptable way with God and so liked as to speed presently Let us see then what is written in Dan. 9. 23. At the Beginning of thy supplication mark that the Commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee therefore understand the matter and consider the vision Had not Daniels supplications fasting sackcloth ashes proved a prevailing cause with God to send an Angel to make him understand Wherefore serves this thus written At the beginning of thy supplication so Chap. 10. 12. An Angel said in a vision Fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and chasten thy soul before thy God thy words were heard and I am come forth because of thy words Doth not all this call upon Christians to do three things First to get a mighty sense of their ignorance which is the grand cause they do not profit Secondly to be greatly burthened that it is so with them Thirdly to set their faces towards the Lord God by prayer and supplication without ceasing both to be and to abide otherwise Is not the Prophet Daniels Writing for our learning and to encourage us to take the same course God sorely dislikes the contrary Isa 32. 9. Rise up ye women that are at ease not troubled or burthened hear my voyce ye careless Daughters and be troubled Thus much may serve to inform a willing mind how to get from under the power of this Dying Sign of indifferency to Assemble and so pass to the second third and fourth Signs of Dying to Christ in which I shall be somewhat brief they having some kind of dependance upon this first Sign CHAP. II. Containing three Causes of weariness to spiritual Worship and the principal Reasons thereof SIGN II. VVHen in your purest Worship you are quickly weary It is possible to come to this pass at but a seeming occasion and persons create some kind of pretence why they are weary if it happen that at some time they are not so particularly and personally concerned in that part of Gods Worship where they are present It so falling out that the matter God is intreated about they are not so at want in or what is preached they to some considerable degree are informed in already This may fall out in numerous Congregations where different conditions ministers different occasions as to the manner of carrying on their Worship and though at such a time for a growing Christian there is no room to be weary he being as well delighted occasionally to hear or pray over again what he knows as he is to hear what he knows not in the one he takes occasion to praise for what was in the other to praise for what is yet declining persons will in such a case as this when they are not so nearly concerned take advantage not only to be weary but from hence plead their justification so to be but this Sign speaks to persons under a further consideration such as in their purest Worship are quickly weary in their most intimate private personal closet performances retired from company and set to the most intimate Worship of God in fasting praying self-examining and the like yea from a sense of mighty Need drawn to this and yet quickly weary must needs argue them deep in this decay and that in such there is a very strong combate who shall now gain the field they being a weary in their purest Worship It is evident hence that the enemy hath got more than ordinary advantage and strikes now at the very root of their Religion aiming at once as it were to make a speedy end and puts such Christians instead of Worshiping faintly to cease Worshiping at all its high time therefore at the first sight of such declining which in our dayes is not the portion of a few for surely surely many there are in Churches that in their purest Worship are quickly weary I say again its high time that those that find the case thus with them do even like the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah They beleived God proclaimed a fast from the greatest to the least Jonah 3. 5. Even so let such go to their knees humble themselves and cry mightily that they perish not Now the Causes of this decay seems to be these three First Self-conceitedness that they know enough Secondly Luke-warmness in their Religion Thirdly Unaptness to personal Duties Which may serve as helps to remove it where begun or prevent it where like to come First Self-conceitednesse that they know enough Now this comes to pass either First Through ignorance of what they ought to know or Secondly Through Carlesness to put in practise what they do know Let the Law of God as the Law of a Nation be never so plain in it self lâ—â—d down yet without studious industry to understand what is Gods own injunction we may remain ignorant of the same and that ignorance prove a sin to us it being the effect of sloathfulness contrary to Prov. 2. beginning If thou seek for wisdome as for silver and search mark that for it as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledg of God Psal 1. 2. Secondly Through carelesness to put in practice what they do know persons are very apt to complain of their ignorance of plain duties yea as though they were holden and hindred when as all experience speaks the only way to know more is to put in practice what we do know already Thou oughtest
to them now they loath it while it remans the same from Gods own continued institution yet they are a weary of it calling it light bread An unsetled people taken with new things because new and a weary of this though true bread The Author to the Hebrews chap. 13. 8 9 seems to rebuke such a Spirit as this Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Be not carryed away with diverse and strange Doctrines clearly noting that they were ready to hearken after something or other that would have tended to their subverting That we henceforth be no more Children tossed too and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine note that by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but growing up into him in all things which is the head even Christ All which premised bespeaks professors care to be how they may stand unmoveable abiding and abounding in the way of the Lord and not to be soon moved in their minds from their standing because of some new spirit that seems to proffer it self As a help therefore against this disease I would humbly offer three or four directions so conclude this Sign 1 That you would pray often for Gods leading before ye take upon you his Religion Secondly As well hear as duly consider what can be said against what you are about to receive as what can be said for it Thirdly That you be able to warrant every principle of your practice at least by two or more texts of Scripture Fourthly That you labour as far as you are knowers by striving to be doers negligence here provokes God to suffer a Spirit of error and deep sleep to fall upon many CHAP. X. Proving us dying to Christ when others sinings are not our sorrowings with two Remedies against this Decay SIGN X. VVHen you can hear of foul miscarriages in others with little or no heart remorse That is When the knowledge of others sinning proves not thy sorrowing where the name and honour of God lies near a heart a deep wound must needs come at the tydings of miscarriage and by this most certainly may a growing or declining Christian be read and read himself if heeded for answerable to the spiritual sense or feeling of things will their behaviour be A man that is wounded in his body is more or less astonished at it and amazed by it as he more or less retains his senses want whereof lessens not the wound it rather shews the danger of such to be the greater Three or four things considered must needs declare and prove such Christians not only dying but near dead as can hear of others sining and by no means they themselves toucht with sorrowing First the great dishonour that sin brings to God the sin of no people dishonours God so much as the sin of professors You have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Amos 3. 2. Secondly The great reproach it brings upon the Gospel A man that never profest any thing better than making it his trade to sin though his estate be miserable yet he professes not better but for such as take upon them the name or profession of Jesus Christ and not depart from or again turn to iniquity provokes the enemies of God to blaspheme 1 Sam. 1. 12. Thirdly The lamentable misery that such bring upon themselves There is more hope of one that never made any profession the sin of this is next door to impossibility of redemption from final hardning It had been better they had never known the way of truth then after depart from the holy commandement 2 Pet. 21. 4. The evil World by seeing such sin are not only tempted to remain in their sinful state but to glory in it for they may think they do but sin and serve and please themselves if professors so do why may not they Thus the Devil secretly laughs at them openly gets advantage by them Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Elies Sons that was in the Priest-hood is singled out with marks of Gods displeasure as sinners of a deep dye insomuch that want of suitable indignation against them for their evil in their Father Eli who in other things was a good man brings upon him that that makes the ears of all Israel that heard of it to tingle 1 Sam. 2. 3 4. What a plague was brought upon those that did evil before the Lord in Moses time twenty four thousand slain til Phineas in his zeal to the Lord stood up and made an attonement Numb 25. It is without all question that the Nations round about were as to the act more wicked and abominable as to the same and such like wickedness yet we do not read of such severity in God towards them as to those his own people that had seen his miracles and his wonders were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and say our hand is high and the Lord hath not done this I would scatter my people among the Nations but for tempting the wicked to do more wickedly Gods severity should be set out against his own people in bitter characters this must needs render such very much dying to Christ that can hear of soul miscariages in other professors and not themselves taken with horrour and astonishment My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart because thou hast heard Oh my soul in Jerusalem the sound of the Trumpet the Alarm of War Set a mark upon the fore-heads of the men that sigh and weep for the abominations that are done in the midst thereof Zekiel 9. 4. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assemblies who are of thee to whom the reprobate is a burthen Zeph. 3. 18. Doth not the Scrptures with one consent discribe the growing declining Christian by this very mark one is sorrowful the other mourns not it is reported there is fornication amongst you 1 Cor. 5. and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned clearly noting that this was none of their vertues but indeed an evident token of spiritual loss in them the contrary being so honorable in Gods account viz. a sorrowful spirit at others misdoings plainly proving that if a wanting a certain character of great decay I shall come now to offer briefly some Causes of this spiritual decay and some Remedies to remove or prevent it and so conclude this Sign First want of zeal that burning shining Grace which when accompanied with judgment cannot bear to see or hear of Miscarriages in others without personal horror As soon as Moses came nigh the Camp and saw the Calf and dancing that was there his anger waxed hot and he took the Calf which they had made and burnt it with fire ground it
grows yea or nay and what value he puts on fellowship with God and injoying the light of his countenance what all this is and what its worth when it shines when it s clouded but if instead of such Communings as these time be vainly spent in hearing and telling some new thing complaining rather of hard times than hard hearts this and the other outward loss instead of true losing if the case be thus it must needs proclaim you dying Christians for that in your comings together your talk is not savoury and heavenly Thirdly A third Cause may be this Negligence to a plain duty Heb. 10. 24 25. And let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhort one another dayly while it is called to day that is certainly to be upon doing the work of the day and so much the more as you see the day appreaching Clearly impying that we should be so far from neglect to spiritual and profitable talking when we meet that it should be our care so to consider one another wherein they begin to grow faint weary flow remiss and wantiâ—g as to be provoking or seeking occasion to pâ—rswade and put forward such to that thâ—t they ought not to be backward in This was the trade of Gods Children as you may read Acts 15 36. And some dayes after Paul said to Barnabas Let us go again and visit our Brethren in every City where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do Acts 18. 27. Who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace This certainly is as true in Paul and Barnabas as in Apollo let then I pray you what hath been said in this Sign serve for caution thus far that you will all be careful when you feast when you fast when you sit by your fire walk by the way lie down rise up for the avoyding precious times mispending to be talking of the Lord and his Laws consider what you read and pass to the next CHAP. XII Proving Vnpreparedness to hear the Word of God a Sign of Dying to Christ with three sorts of Hindrances which must be laid aside and what must be our work before Hearing in Hearing and after Hearing SIGN XII VVHen you are so little prepared for the solemn Assemblies that they come before you think of them or long for them When Persons suffers themselves to be so taken up with common or worldly business as that they leave no room for solemn Prayer and Preparation to meet in Gods Ordinances at dayes appointed it s an evident token of little reverence besetting the heart and as little consideration who they are to meet Now to come before the Lord in his Assembly where he is wont to be and hath promised to be there doubtless remains a work upon us to be done by us by way of Preparation and that because of Gods presence being there as in the Temple the Type of Gods Assembly or Gospel Church Kings 1. 3 9. I will put my Name there and my heart and my eyes shall be there perpetually his power presence and goodness shall be there and he ever was and is wont to meet his People there Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest and makest thy flocks to rest at even if thou knowest not go thy way and feed thy Kids by the shepheards tents Cant. 1. Now that great preparation as to this and that by way of duty ought to be will appear by what may follow want to prepare therefore must needs be a character of spiritual decay and the rather if we consider how strict the Lord was as to them that drew nigh him when he gave out the Law Exod. 19 10. And the Lord said unto Moses go and sanctifie the people to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloaths and let the Priests also which come near to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord break forth upon them Nadab and Abihu for not sanctifying the Lord when they drew nigh him there went out a fire from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord Levit. 10. 2. Most remarkable is that passage in good Joseph Gen. 41. 14. Before he will come into the Kings presence he shaves himself changeth his rayment layeth aside his prison garments How much rather should those prepare and lay aside that come into the presence of the King of Kings Hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word Isa 66. 5. Persons may hear from day to day and remain much like the same rather worse than better which must needs argue some defect in themselves by unduly approaching near so solemn a Service I shall therefore in humility offer some Directions what we may do in order to our profit before hearing in hearing and after hearing First Before Hearing pray God bless his Word unto you and lead you in his way Psa 25. 4 5. Shew me thy way O Lord teach me thy path lead me in thy truth Teach me for thou art the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day Exod. 33. 15. If thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence This is as true in one case as another Secondly Go to the Assembly with reverent considerations that you are to meet God Amos 4. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel King Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 12. 14. compared with Chap. 19. 3. There are good things found in thee in that thou preparest thy heart to seek God Thirdly Before you go to hear you must lay aside all superfluity 1 Pet. 2. 1. Wherefore laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness receive with meekness the ingrafted Word There are three sorts of Superfluities to be laid aside which else will hinder you from profitting First All those doubtful carping cares for the things of this life you are incident to Mat. 13. 22. Mark 4. 19. Secondly You must lay aside all those vexatious frets of this life you are incident to Judges 16. 16. compared with 1 Sam. 1. 6 7. Thirdly You must lay aside all those pleasant pleasing pleasures of this life you are incident to Psal 45. 10 11. All or any of these being carried with us and heeded by us will so load us that there will be no room for the Word to profit Fourthly When you come to hear come with hungring and thirsting Mat. 5. 6. Psal 42. 1 2. The second Direction as to Hearing is what you must do in the time of Hearing First You must hear with reverence as Gods Embassage Psal 2. 11. compared with 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence
by all that are about him Secondly You must hear as Gods Word Isa 66 2. 1 Thes 2. 11. Thirdly You must hear with attention and godly fear Isa 55. 2. Nehem. 8. 3. Luke 29. 48. And all the people were very attentive to hear him Fourthly In Hearing you must mix what you hear with faith Heb. 4. 1 2. But the word preached did not profit it being not mixt with faith in them that heard it 2 Chron. 20. 26. Fifthly You must receive what you hear in the love of God 2 Thes 2. 10. Psal 119 97. Sixthly and lastly You must hear with resolution to obey Deut 5. 27. Josh 1. 16. Now what must you do after Hearing First You must remember what ye have heard 2 Pet. 3. 1 2. Secondly That you may remember you must meditate upon it Josh 1. 8. Psal 1. 2. Thirdly of all the Sermons you hear pick out something most profitable and confer about it Mark 4. 10. Fourthly You must put into practise what you hear Eccles 9. 10. Jam. 2. 25. Luke 11. 2. I shall now hint three Reasons of this great Care thus to Assemble and hear Gods word and then proceed to the Thirteenth Sign First Because it is the great Ordinance of Conversion Secondly The means of a Christians growth and Sanctification Thirdly Negligence in it a great aggravation of Condemnaton CHAP. XIII Proving the state of such to be sad who assemble together more for fear of mans eye than Gods with four Discriptions how such may be known or know themselves with two Causes of this decay SIGN XIII VVHen you come to the Assembly more for fear of brethrens eye than Christs eye That is you are so indifferent as to coming that would none miss you nor question you for it you could well dispence with absence and that without any material hinderance 't is much to be feared that this decay prevails strongly with many professors who have neither hungring or thirstingat least at that early rate they once had and still doubtless ought to have were they not losing their relish to Ordinances and the fellowship that they have had with God through them for now they begin to cease looking at things with an eye of faith and have all or most of their recourse to things after an eye of carnal sense and so no fear holds them to the outward order of Gods House but what is taught by the precept of men and were they not lyable to censures both from the assembly and others who have taken notice of their being professors could as to the eye censure of Jesus Christ quit all wherefore the Lord said Isa 39. 4 13. For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me note that it is far to many degrees alienated and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men it is from hence very evident that they though they did come together yet it was not from aright principle their person and their heart was asunder and God is pleased to note them out as people fearing him only with an outside fear therefore he will proceed to do a marvellous work upon them the Prophet Ezek. 33. 30 31. meets with such a people as are still a quarelling with the Prophets words and talking against him in the doors of their houses yet would say Come I pray and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord coming as his people come sit before him as his people do hear his word and with their mouth shew much love but their heart runs after covetousness So in the time of the Prophet Mal. 4. 3. there you have a description of a decaying and growing professor one is so weary that they are ready to throw all profession off crying It is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is it that we keep his Ordinances at the same time those truly spiritual that feared Gods eye more than mans they spake the oftner one to another fearing him and thinking upon his name I shall give two or three descriptions how such may know themselves or be known and so pass to the next Sign First Such when by more or less weighty occasions they are hindered from the assembly you will not find them troubled whereas a truly growing Christian though hindered even by God yet he is thirsting hungering and thinks it long saying with David O when shall I come and appear before thee Psal 42. 1 2. Secondly Such may be known and know themselves by this they are of all others most apt to be discontented it is seldome but one thing or other troubles them and goes not as they would have it whereas the more spiritual dwells so much in charity with every one that they are ready to construe every thing to the best so neither much troubling nor much troubled Thirdly If any Schisme or faction rise you 〈…〉 these more apt than any other to close with it and so zealous for a while as passes but it holds not long Fourthly you shall find such very forward at propagating some lesser matters of Gods Law while the more weighty they themselves live strangers to a chief cause of all this is First large zeal but shallow judgment Secondly a too much prying into the wayes of others and too little into their own CHAP. XIV Shewing our state dying when we are more troubled at the decayes in our House than in Christs House with four marks to know when we are so dying SIGN XIV VVHen the decay in Christs House less troubles you than the decay in your own House This decay wherever found notes a man very far gone on the dying hand If trade decayes then nothing but complaining if loss by fire or sickness or death then all is out of order it breaketh their rest they cannot sleep by night disturbs their worships they cannot pray read or meditate by day It is evident with such the affaires of their own house lyeth nearer their heart than the affairs of Christs House far from a truly growing Chrian who is all out of order when it goeth not well with the Church of God Now by decay here in the Sign I would be understood of persons in Christ Jesus profession who dye in their zeal love and fear c. that begin to walk faintly after Christ Jesus flat to prayer to reading to hearing cold and careless to spiritual visitings one another seldome and little in spiritual talk when they meet together not now as once make it their trade business to be making the name of Christ great wherever they come but either say nothing or that that comes to nothing having no spirit or savour in it yet once was early at the Ordinances quickly troubled if things went amiss much joyed when all werein a holy Harmony but now being discovered to have lost most of their spiritual relish to those
blind a light to them in darkness at the same time under the dominion of Sin But what may be the Causes of this that persons should take such pains in Religion and at the same time be but meer painted Sepulchres Answ First gross ignorance Secondly Carnal security First Gross ignorance that God did never institute Laws for Laws sake but for his Name sake and sinners saving never placing happiness in them but in him that is the Author of them O then what ignorance and madness is it for people to content themselves with flesh-circumcision God will punish such with the uncircumcised Jer. 9. last Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish the circumcised with or as truly as the uncircumcised for the one hath it not in the flesh and the other not in the heart Secondly Carnal security That is dream they shall be accepted because great Prayers great Preachers great goers to Church though this be good in it self yet this is filthy and bad when either it is alone or rested in When they shall say peace and safety then suddain destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5. 3. CHAP. XIX Containing in it a description of a decaying Christian by his light trouble at Miscarriages though known to Gods eye while kept from mans eye with two special Causes of this Decay SIGN XIX VVHen you are not much troubled at your own Miscarriages while they are kept from publick view By Miscarriages here I would be understood the failings and fallings of Gods Children not wilfully nor altogether willingly but through infirmity being overtaken or as it were insnared before they are aware yet truly privy to what they have done and not ignorant they have gone out of the way Nevertheless if their going thus far in sight and sense of uneven walking be found without much trouble it is most evident then their case is very sad Now who is he that lives and sins not 1 King 8. 46. And who is he that can hide what he doth from an All-seeing eye Psal 139. 7. And what is it that puts distinction between a good mans sinning and a bad mans sinning but that the one sins with all his will the other with scarce any of his will to the one what he doth is matter of delight to the other what he doth is his sickness though it is true he doth it yet his heart is grieved for it now the more or less a good man is troubled upon this score the more or less is his decay where the awful fight of Gods eye is much reverenced there all Miscarriages are soon discerned and much avoided but the lesser any man is beset with this grace lessens his fear to the greater and heightens his fear to the lesser that is Gods eye is not so much run from as mans eye one of the highest temptations to sin being secresie and one of the greatest seasons to try whether a man hath good will to do amiss or no it having in it no kind of let to touch his sensitive part with care or fear to eschew it because that visible shame that sin brings in all probability cannot come then Satan is at work mightily having the highest opportunity unless the Conscience be found very tender to strike the heart into a trembling sense of that piercing eye of the Almighty saying with Job Doth not he see my wayes and count all my steps chap. 31. 42. What else can hinder closing with temptation to a high degree now such misdoing as this of secret sinning found in any and they not much troubled because it is not made known let the sin they have committed be never so small in account yet a sin doth prove such very desolate of the grace of God Amnon one of Davids Sons being evil disposed towards Tamar his Sister is not thoughtful at all of Gods secret eye but careful how to avoid mans eye as this saying proves Have all men out from me 2 Sam 13. 9. none but Tamar must stay with him towards home he is wickedly designed running into Gods eye without all fear so he may run from mans eye It was not thus with good Joseph Jacobs son when he had as much if not more secresie and the temptation without very strong to have drawn him into high miscarriages at such a time in a resisting way gives this reply How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. In like manner Annanias and Saphira that sold their possessions under pretence of giving the price as a Free-will Offering to the Lords use but when required to speak the truth whether or no they kept any thing back in fear to mans eye rather than Gods eye sins at a high rate Lying as the Scripture gives it to the Holy Ghost Acts 5. 1 2 3 4. But as it is the practise of decaying Christians to be most careful to keep their miscarriages from mans eye in like manner their sorrow at the sight of sin is distinguishable to be different from the sorrow of the growing Christian though his miscarriage may be only known to God saying with David Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this wickedness in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest clear when thou judgest On the contrary as Jeremiah complains I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his evil saying what have I done every one turneth to his course as the Horse rusheth into the battail But I shall proceed to the Causes of this Decay Now the Causes of this which being avoyded may serve also as Remedies against this Dying Sign and they may be these two First want of fear to God Secondly want of love to God First want of fear to God he whose heart is possessed with the fear of God as knowing his greatness and his goodness his mighty power and arme to save or destroy though such a one wants no power or secresie to offend this God by committing actual evil a-against this God yet dare not cannot will not do it But were it not for the fear of God could and would do what they cannot nor dare not this held good Joseph Gen. 29. 7. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Nehem. 9. 15. But so did not I because of the fear of God these persons wanted neither power nor secresie to have complyed with the temptations before them yet they are held by this precious grace the fear of God Secondly want of love to God is a Cause of this decay did we so love him as we ought we would not so wound him by our sinning as we do Had they known him indeed it may be said had they loved him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 2 Cor. 2. 10. If any man love me he will keep my sayings and my father will love him
and we will make our abode with him John 14. 23. CHAP. XX. Shewing the heart very bad when under faults it cannot bear plain dealing with three Causes of this badness SIGN XX. VVHen you love least those Brethren that deal most faithfully with you in the opening your soars and tendering your Remedies It is a strong evidence of a bad Spirit when persons come to this pass either they must be unsensible of their bad state or else willing to continne in it through a hardned heart but may be easily discerned in a Church either by their itching at most plain soul-searching Doctrine or their estrangedness to the most zealous spiritual Brethren and if there be a luke-warm Christian in the Church a thousand to one but he is most of their society they may also be known by this they are greatest strangers to the difficultest duties 't is hard to bring them to early duties and as hard to hold them at late services in a word you may have their company but it must be at services most easie when some outward credit may accrue to them by their profession then none shall seem more apt and active than themselves and God that best knows this greatly abhors this and will chastise such Chruches as are not careful to remove and will also in due time make such persons by one means or other so manifest that he that runs may read them but as there are such that will not like them that deal faithfully with them even so there are some that out of personal respect to such and for fear to lose their favour will not tell them so nakedly of their sores but in love to their persons speak faintly of their sins and so hate their souls In shew these are a mans greatest friends but in truth his greatest enemies witness the false Prophets 1 Kings 22. 6. Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battel or shall I forbear and they said go up for the Lord hath delivered it to thy hand And when a Prophet of the Lord one Micaiah is called for vers 13. They would fain have seduced him to speak good words as they called it that is pleasant promises though they were lyes Thus we may see the property of false Prophets that for an angel will cry up a person as if he were almost an Angel it was even so in Jeremiahs time chap. 8. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly crying peace peace when there was no peace When God would not nor righteously could not speak peace but war because of their misdoings yet these false Prophets make promises of peace to them though in their sins that as God by the Prophet Ezekiel complains Chap. 13. Sow pillows under arm-holes for pieces of bread handfuls of barly Sparing what he would have destroyed and destroying what he would have spared it is a very great Judgment upon a Church or people to have such amongst them as will speak peace to any out of the way of peace it is as bad a judgment upon those persons that love not those that speak war to them when their impenitency speaks the same yet of such the Apostle St. Paul complains Gal. 4. 15 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Doubtless these Galathians speaks in their hearts as much as others speak of the Prophet Amos Chap. 10. who say The land is not able to bear his words once this same Church could have pulled out their eyes if it had been possible to have done this same Apostle good Now counts him their enemy for telling them the truth But I shall briefly speak of two or three Causes of this Decay which being avoyded may serve as so many Remedies against this dying Sign First A first Cause is shaking hands again with our old sins falling in love with what once we loathed very burthensome to Israel was Moses when once they began to grow affected with the Fish the Cucumbers and the Mellons that they had in Egypt not only then good plain dealing Moses comes out of request but even Gods Manna though Angels food Numb 11. 5 6. We remember the Fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Mellons and the Leeks and the Onyons and Garlick but now our soul is dryed away and there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes and this we loath as light bread chap. 21. But Secondly a second Cause may be this a losing the relish we once had to heavenly things Jer. 2. 23. Iremember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown then thou wast holiness to the Lord and the first fruits of his increase but now be astonished Oh heavens at this and be horribly affraid yea very desolate saith the Lord for my people have forsaken the Fountain of living waters and hewn out to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water But I have a few things against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen or else I will come and remove thy Candlestick except thou repent Revel 2. 11. Thirdly A third Cause may be this a too too much complying with the friendship of this World which in its latitude is enmity with God Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you or as the margin reads drive you back that you should not obey the truth or hold on your way This perswasion comes not of him that calleth you If any come to me and hate not his Father and his Mother Wife Children Brothers Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14. 26. Demas hath forsaken me and hath imbraced this present World Read and consider CHAP. XXI Proving the condition of the rich as well as the poor to be a condition of trouble and that whether it be common or more than ordinary to be answerable in prayer with a discription of the different kinds of trouble with profitable Objections answered SIGN XXI VVHen under more than ordnary trouble afflictions or straits you are not more than ordnary in Prayer For the opening of this Sign First what is meant by troubles it is something that in it self is not nor cannot be pleasant But something that opposeth and withstandeth the desire and delight of the mind and therefore in Scripture called a burthen Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee were trouble a matter of pleasure and profit in it self there would not be that proper need of prayer and calling for help from one that is stronger So that as the word is universal in an ordinary case it takes in those cares fears and sorrows in common that we are dayly incident to Job 5. 6 7. Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward That is it is as natural for man to meet with
upon him by pouring out their wants before him Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Mat. 6. What hath been said may teach two things First the lamentable condition of such as neither can nor will pray that are as unaccustomed to it as the Heifer to the yoak living absolute Athiests in the World saying in their heart if not in their actions too there is no God Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen and families that call not upon thy name Secondly This teacheth to strengthen the hearts and hands of such as fear God to this service of prayer it being part of their defence or Armor Ephes 6. Praying alwayes with all prayer and suppliaction in the spirit watching thereunto with all perseverance c. When thou saidest seek my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek thou wilt hide me in thy Pavillion Psal 27. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Read and consider so pass to the next Sign CHAP. XXII Containing in it an Assertion of the Causes of Affliction and that without great provocation God is not wont to afflict his people and though provoked very unwilling to extremity With four Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Answered SIGN XXII VVHen you are mighty careless to Inquire after the spiritual cause of Affliction and mighty careful to Inquire after the natural cure The more or less spiritual any man is may be easily discovered under this Tryal Affliction being of that piercing kind that other tryals are not because of the great influence it hath upon the sensitive part of man where ever it comes while sense remains it makes the person restless either to find out cause or cure or both We may therefore first inquire after the word Affliction what that meaneth to afflict is to lay some burthen upon a person that is not ordinary Gen. 15. 13. There they shall afflict you four hundred years this is opened in Exod. 1. Israel is made to serve with rigor Lam. 1. 4. 5. The wayes of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn feasts all her gates are desolate her Priests sigh her virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt by reason of his task-master Acts 3. 34. By these Texts it appears that affliction meaneth any grief or trouble that cometh upon soul or body name or estate for the punishment of sin or the tryal of faith so that sickness and diseases as feavor and ague consumption inflamation the like are all comprised under this word affliction it will therefore be necessary to open the word Spiritual cause it being in the Sign oposed to natural cure by spiritual cause is to be understood some provoking God in the subject afflicted to the procuring this affliction nothing some cause or other why the Spirit suffers it to come upon us Now every body will be ready to grant that these things before promised may be truly called affliction but not grant that there can be such a spiritual cause in themselves and so make the Sign of no force Now to clear up this doubt let us make this inquiry whether any affliction or death it self come upon any man but for some cause or other from the man active or imputive that is he either so acted in his particular person or some body else in his general relation and on him it is righteously come For the resolution of this question let us inquire what causes in Scripture the righteous God assigns afflictions or death unto Gen. 3. 9 10 11 12 13. Who told thee thou wert naked hast thou eaten of the Tree I commanded thee not to eat the things in this Chapter considerable are these vers 14. the Serpent must go upon his belly eat dust and be curst above every beast of the field vers 16. to the woman he saith I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and to Adam he saith Cursed is the Ground for thy sake Thornes and Thisles it shall bring forth to thee dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return you see in these verses misery both upon the woman and the man is brought the reason by God assigned vers 17. Because thou hast done this in hearkning to thy wife cursed is the ground for thy sake so also Josh 7. 7. Israel Gods prevailing people that by day had a pillar of a cloude and by night a pillar of fire ministring unto them now cannot stand before their enemies Joshua that at another time commands the Sun and Moon and they obey him now by prayer cannot prevail for Israel Gods people against the cursed Nation But what is the matter vers 11 12. Israel hath sinned and cannot stand neither will I be with them any more except they put the accursed thing from among them Lam. 3. 1 13. I am the man that have seen affliction vers 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin 1 Cor. 11. 3. For this Cause many are sick and weak and many sleep 1 Thes 2. 11. For this Cause God shall send them strong delusion that they all might be damned that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness and let all the House of Israel know that without a Cause I have not done all that I have done saith the Lord Ezek. 14. 23. Much more might be said as to afflictions that attend both the body and mind together with the Causes and this left to consideration whether if Hell condemnation the highest of affliction be the fruit or reward of sin and unbelief much rather sickness and diseases with death it self which are the least afflictions must come from Creature Causes now if any man can assign any other Cause than God doth here assign let him do it if not by all this comparing of it with the eighth Sign of dying to Christ in which I have been more large upon affliction inward and outward with their Causes I shall therefore proceed to some Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Object 1. The first Objection is grounded upon 2 Sam. 12. 14. The Child that is born to thee shall surely die David is threatned with death in the child that hath not offended contrary to this Doctrine Answ This act of God to take away Davids Child if considered will be found mercy mixt with justice David by the Law was to die for the matter of Vriah now God in respect he bare to David for what good he had done and further were like to do being a man so after Gods own heart goes out of the ordinary way spares the person of David and imputes it upon the relation of David viz. his Child so in Davids seed he punished Davids person this is Gods usual way in Scripture and sets his Majesty out to be full of mercy in the middest of Justice
and learned their works and served their Idols therefore was Gods wrath kindled in so much that he abhorred his Inheritance Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and did pitty them Hosea 6. 4. compared with Chap. 11. 7 8. How shall I give the up what shall I do to thee What less doth all this signifie than thus much that though God be so provoked that nothing but Judgment must come yet like a tender Father to an unruly Child mourns over him while he corrects him We shall leave what hath been said to consideration and pass to the Twenty third Sign of dying to Christ CHAP. XXIII Proving those Christians under great Decay that pray more in Affliction to have it removed than sanctified with three Causes of this Decay SIGN XXIII VVHen you pray more for Afflictions being removed than sanctified That is not only mindless of Afflictions Cause but indeed mindless of Afflictions end it is easie and ordinary for persons under Affliction to be brought to their knees to prayer not only good men but bad men in affliction will be ready to cry for help In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. 15. That is one of their first works then they will mind to be doing till then God is forgotten they having lost much their spiritual feeling but now being touched in their outward senses they will cry for relief Then wicked Pharaoh that in Exod. 5. 2. could say Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go in Chap. 8. 8. When his Land was ful of Frogs cries to Moses to pray to this God for him he had but little before disdained See that known text for this Jonah 1. 5. Then every man that is when they was in affliction cries to his God the tempest being great and they all like to perish not only cries to their God but with a high hand saith to Ionah What meanest thou O sleeper arise and call upon thy God that we perish not So 2 Chr. 33. 12. Manasseh when he was in affliction sought the Lord his God By all which compared it is very usual both with good and bad men in affliction to be early at prayer to God Now Affliction you know we have in the last Sign proved is Gods Furnance to try the Nature of every Mettal by so that you may truly pass judgment upon your selves whether or no you are of the dying hand not by your praying here you may deceive your selves though you pray mightily for it is easie to do so in Affliction but if you pray more for Afflictions being removed than sanctified that is put up strong cries to be eased of the trouble but scarce possest with faint wishes to answer Gods design in the trouble never inquiring What have I done or saying I must be more humble more thankful more pittiful more fearful more careful all my dayes What shall I do saith the zealous man to get good by this Affliction his voyce cries louder for spiritual advantage than his pain for natural freedome Let us think of this and deal plainly with our own hearts and see what way the pulse beats most for as the staff you set up will fall one way or other so persons being more or less spiritual will easily discover it in Affliction Israel of old might be read in this and you know how God dealt with them of six hundred thousand there was but two namely Joshua and Galeb that entered the good Land of promise they early begun to show how carnal they was Exod. 12. 13 14. When they enjoyed their great deliverance from Egypts bondage Chap. 15. then sang they Gods praise but being put into some strait they murmur presently and wish to God they had died in the Land of Egypt as Psal 106. shews at large where we may read of Gods dealings with them at large and their dealings with God while they had what they wanted they were pleased and liked the Lord should be their God but when though for their own good they were straitned and did miss their wonted fulness then they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desart vers 14. We do not read it was upon their hearts to make any spiritual use or advantage of Gods different dealings with them when they had not what they would have instead of learning to cease to murmur they strengthened themselves in murmurring against the Lord who was graciously careful for them and suffered not any more straits to befal them than what was in order to their truest good although they were as many now are full of complaints yet their greatest want was slackness to those strong cries that ought to be found in Christians for a sanctified use of whatsoever doth befal them taking care to the one thing needful without which all Order is Disorder all Mercies Miseries all Blessings but Cursings What shal it profit a man whatsoever he hath of fulness or scarcity health or sickness desire or want of desire if Gods end in all and our happiness in all be not gotten to wit that eternal Salvation that freeth from everlasting Damnation that being the great work that all other works ought and must give way unto But I shall proceed to the Causes why persons pray more to have Afflictions removed than sanctified First Ignorance of the Cause of Affliction Secondly Ignorance of the Necessity of Affliction Thirdly Ignorance of the End of Affliction First Ignorance of the Cause of Affliction No chastening for the present is joyous but grievous bitter and sharp having with it an unpleasant taste to whomsoever it comes therefore in it self certainly not welcome to any although they bring it upon themselves who is it that runs not from pain naturally and will part with what is outwardly dear to them rather than expose themselves to that torturing that attends some kind of Affliction Now if as plainly and as certainly it appear there is unwillingness as well in God to Afflict as there is in the creature to chuse Affliction then it will naturally follow that there is a Cause Ignorance of which is a main reason why we pray more to have it removed then sanctified For the proof of this that there is as great unwillingness in God from whom Affliction comes to give it as we to receive it mind a little some texts of Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 8. And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good in the words going before you have it thus written But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil That is his favourable countenance is set against such and their portion is bitterness Levit. 26. 17. But if ye be followers of that which is good who will harm you Here seems to be a holy challenge to whatsoever may harm us as if the Spirit should have said
What indeed can harm you if God be for you and God will not be against you if you are followers of that which is good For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth Lam. 3. 33 34. Wherefore then may it be said Doth the living man complain the holy Spirit gives the answer For the punishment of his sin The joy of our heart is ceased our dance is turned into mourning the Crown is fallen from off our head Wo unto us for we have sinned Lam. 15. 16. A multitude of Scriptures might be urged further to prove both unwillingness in God to afflict and that the very Cause of all our Wo both temporal and eternal is our misdoing O that my people had hearkened to my voyce and walked in my wayes I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries Psal 81. 13 14. Now in reason were the Cause of Affliction considered to be only from our selves procured by our misdoing and sent with tendency to our mending we should surely pray more to have it sanctified than removed Secondly Ignorance of the Necessity of Affliction is a Cause of this Decay the very unwillingness of God to bring it and the creature to indure it fully proves that there is Necessity for it there cannot be more undelightfulness in the creature to undergo languishing than there is in God to put him under languishing How shall I give thee up O Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Idma How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Hos 11. 8. When he was come near and beheld the City he wept over it Luke 19. 41. Now Gods unwillingness proves the creature cannot live at any spiritual rate without it and indeed Experience proves the same Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Psal 119. 67. David wandred from the Fould and were like to continue till Affliction spoke to him he forgot himself and what he was a doing The wicked saith the Psalmist are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men therefore pride compasseth them about as a Chain violence covereth them as a garment and what use do they make of it they say how doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High This clearly notes that a condition freest from trouble or affliction generally is attended with carnallest behaviour God-ward When I had fed them to the full they then committed Adultery and assembled by troops into Harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. By all this it appears that it is from ignorance of Afflictions necessity if we pray more to have it removed than sanctified Thirdly Ignorance of the End of Affliction is a Cause of this Decay now the Cause being Sin and the Necessity being to humble the End is to save Now all Gods dealings are mercy whatsoever he doth to the creature is like himself and in it self is mercy if he give us all we desire and would have it is Mercy if he keep us without it it is Mercy Health from him is Mercy so is Sickness Plenty from him is Mercy so is Poverty Health Life Strength and such like Favours temporal every body will acknowledge to be Mercy but their contrary few or none will account Mercy yet this is Mercy also for this Checquer work the World is made of some at the same time are wringing their hands for sorrow while others are clapping their hands for joy some with straitâ— through Sickness and Poverty are Weeping others through Health and Plenty rejoycing Now the great difficulty is how to bring the heart to look upon the state of Weeping as truly Mercy as the state of Rejoycing For which end consider why we do account Health Plenty and such like Injoyments Mercy but because they have in them an esteeming and desirable good a seasonable and sutable good it is the same with the contrary they are as seasonable and as sutable could our frail hearts so receive them for they are as truly from the Lord as the other and as truly have the same end in them There are two great Ends in all God doth one is his Honour the other is our Salvation now if God give us what we would have his End is the same and if he give us the contrary his End is the same and Christians certainly misconstruing his End to be Mercy is the Cause they misconstrue his Actions to be Mercy That both are Mercy read Exod. 13 17. There God led them through the wilderness an unbeaten way where they wanted both bread and water and yet both End and Action Mercy to bring them to Canaan and deliver them from harm by the Philistines Remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years through that great and terrible wilderness wherein was fiery Serpents and Scorpions and Drought and no Water that he might humble thee and prove thee to the good at thy latter end It is too evident that Israel construed this hard dealing from God but it was great Mercy as the text fully proves Ignorance therefore of the End of Affliction is a Cause why we pray more to have it Removed than Sanctified CHAP. XXIV Containing in it six Seasons in which Christians ought to humble themselves by fasting proving those under great decay that in times of calamity can find no necessity for fasting SIGN XIV WHen under Gods Calamity you can neither find necessity nor excellency to humble your selves by fasting As prayer rightly put up to God is a way and means by which he many times is prevailed with both to remove judgments and sanctifie them even so fasting is Gods way in which he hath often been found and it is the more prevailing with him in so much as it hath in it a gratious tendency to abase and humble the soul and make it more fit to receive the kind impression of his precepts in opening of his promises together with the reverencing him because of his threatnings it being a season not only of laying the soul low in its own eyes at the sensible sight of his own vileness but a marvellous exalting the gratious and long-forbearance of God forcing the heart to cry out what manner of love is this that we should be called the Children of God who was before wallowers in the works of darkness that leads to the Chambers of death but now by his grace though once far off made nigh of an Alien made a home dweller All these things are brought to remembrance very fresh in fasting Seasons that being a time of calling to mind things past and though calamity be as truly Gods mercy as the contrary having in it the same design of Salvation good yet it is more properly sent in order to reducing from those straings it finds such persons
into sin anew SIGN XXVI VVHen the thoughts of thy dearest Lust or any other sin is pleasing to thee Thoughâ— is the first door of the mind inwardly as the eye and ear are of the body outwardly here sin takes first place and if here it be not first slain it will increase to conception and from thence to action the eye and ear carry things to the thought and the thought carries things to the conception and conception to affection and affection to consent and consent to action and thus you may behold how great a fire a little spark kindles Now every good man hath had a dearest lust and every wicked man hath a dearest lust that he most hugs loves and serves though evil men do obey fance to any sin that suits with their liking yet there is some particular sin to which they have most single regard and the best of Gods people are under more particular inclination to some one particular sin than other and in danger to fall and be overcome thereby 1 King 8. 38. there the Scripture notes this under the name of heart-plague also Psal 18. 23. Ah mine iniquity Now this comes to the thoughts for entertainment and there is greatest possibility of finding entertainment for which cause Gods word so much inveighs against thoughts when they are about evil exercises Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thought of his heart was evil and only evil Jer. 4. 14. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Prov. 24. 9. The thoughts of foolishness is sin Thought is the least motion of the mind and whether it be wicked or good is not hid from God nor from Gods Vice-gerent even Conscience No thought can be with-held from thee Job 42. 2. No secret design though in the very heart of man can be so carried on as that God cannot be privy to it Amos 4. 13. That declareth to man what is his thought Now thought though the least motion of the mind yet being imployed with continual good objects as the Resurrection and Judgement to come thinking still what shall be the estate of the saved and damned hath blessed force both upon the heart and conversation to regulate things there and by all possible means labours to work such up to Gods likeness that they may have boldness in judgment even so and let conscience how speak letting the thoughts have to do so as to like of those vain shady delights that the hearts of men are apt to set up to themselves as Uncleanness Covetousness c. hath as great force on the conversation to carry it Hell-ward It highly concerns Christians therefore to be upon the examination of their state as to thriving or decaying and to see to the Thought what branch it bears the beginnings of sin inwardly being there and be certain to pass this judgment upon your selves that if to your thoughts your former dearest lust in any branch of it or any other sin be pleasant to you that is tall lovely comely or desirable and not rather hateful frightful burthensome black and hellish you are a dying or decaying to heaven and heavenly things and very seasonable to such may the counsel of Peter be Repent of this thy wickedness and pray God the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee I shall from hence take occasion to give you six Marks by which you may know when God will suffer your Return back to your old dearest lust or some other sin and they may by Gods blessing and your caâ—e slay iniquity in its first motion First The first Mark may be this when after God hath pardoned the sins you once lived in you are not so abased in your own eyes so as to walk humbler with God all your dayes Now this is Gods great end in forgiving all sin Ezek. 16. 62 63. I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou maist remember mark that and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee So Ezek. 36. 29 30 31. I also will save you from all your uncleannesses both guilt and filth then shall you remember your own evil wayes and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations So that you see God expects to receive fruit from the pardoned But Secondly When because of your graces you are in any measure lifted up to admire grace more than giver By grace here I mean the Graces of Gifts as ability to pray or preach c. distinct from the Graces of Humility Meekness and Charity for a man may be rich in the one and yet poor in the other Now Gods usual measure of bestowing the Graces of Gifts at such times and to such persons as have been very rebellious yet are returned to the Shepheard of their souls Now again you must distinguish between Graces and Gifts with what allowance the Scripture gives otherwise ye will confound hoth by mixing them together for though Graces be Gifts and Gifts be Graces yet are they not such as prove that of necessity where the Gifts or Graces of Preaching or Praying or Knowledge or Tongues are there will be the Graces of Humility and Thankfulness though it will prove there should be such Graces the reason I conceive lyeth here and it may be worthy our noting thus The Graces of Gifts in the sense we distinguish are more properly given of God for the benefit of others as he gave his Spirit to Saul for the benefit of Israel Now other Graces are most properly given for the profit of our selves because with the one we may perish without the other we cannot be saved Now both this dying Sign and the distinction may be of use if considered among Churches for experience tells us while the humble in heart have stood with their low and mean parts in the mean time those tall in Gifts have fallen like Dagon before the Ark and it is good none here be secure for though Gifts be Graces and that from God the giver yet may a person fall in love with the Gift and himself for the Gift as to be lifted up to the forgetting God the Giver 2 Chron. 26. 15 16. compared with Chap. 32. 25. Thirdly A third sign of Gods suffering persons to fall into sin may be this When signal favours from God given you are not minded but forgotten There is none that lives but are more or less tryed by God in this very kind some time or other of their life for they are not only sharers in Gods common favors that he dayly bestows upon all as Rain fruitful seasons food rayment health strength and the like but also signal and special favors as Redemption from the Grave when at the very brinck to visible view even favours of such like kind as Israel had when the first-born in Egypt dyed not a Dog barks against Israel when Plague or Sword
with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darkness May we not tremble to read this text with self-reflection that from the East and West such as in all probability never had the Tyth of that means we have had neither heard nor seen what we have heard and seen yet to their measure had walked so like what they had heard and what they had seen that they shall be counted worthy by the Lord to sit with Abraham and Isaac in the Kingdome and the Children of the Kingdom cast out namely such as had his Name and Ordinances among them making visible show of his Religion and promised themselves lack of nothing because they would cry Lord Lord and were great nominal Christians pleasing themselves in giving Christ good words and thinks none shall be saved so soon as they they being beset with such salvation priviledges Mat. 7. 22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy Name and cast out Devils Then will I say Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you Let none therefore trust in lying words which cannot profit saying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these that ye throughly amend your wayes and your doings then will I cause you to dwell safely Jer. 7. beginning But alas how few lay to heart the great good Salvation and deliverance from the great hurt Damnation eying with all trembling the road way in which God will both give the one and with-hold the other surely surely this carnal security the souls damning sin would never so possess persons rocking them asleep did they but with all diligence consider that security of all kinds about hereafter Glory without these marks of hearty designing and actual endeavouring the new creatures life in the measure called for as attainable and to be attained in the Scripture of truth nothing being more evident then that such make it their whole business to be conversant about those soul-searching texts that speak out salvation by Christ Jesus upon no less terms than hearty designing with actual endeavouring to live like Christ Jesus in Scripture conformity to his will I shall beg of God there may be by them that read this these five following Scriptures duly weighed which with the help of his grace may serve as a deliverance or tend to the rouzing up of the soul from this damning sin of carnal security The first is Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life or alive because of or unto righteousness 2 Cor. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Gal. 5. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 1 John 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked Chap. 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Doth not these great Scriptures with one mouth tell you the high road way to hereafter Glory and prohibit any man from daring to promise himself the same upon any other terms or in any or her way wherefore my brethren seeing that ye or if you look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3. 14. Secondly A second Cause of persons being so senseless is Contentment with out-side Christianity that is frequent in the performance of those Services that relate to the Worship of God but the thing designed by God to be reached after and obtained is not pursuied It is evident both from Scripture and Experience that persons have been and are frequent in hearing Sermons in Prayer in Reading in Fasting and such like performances yet they remain very carnal and unmortified Now Gods gracious End in giving such spiritual priviledges to persons being by him designed to beget them to his spiritual likeness and his End not brought about must needs argue such not or little further than out-side performances contenting themselves with their Services so done that leaves three parts of four yet to do for what pleasure can God take in those that after long standing under the opportunities of getting both inward and outward excellency in that that makes Christianity honourable while they still remain as fruitless as the Figg-Tree having a great show at distance and nothing but leaves at hand Doth not Jesus Christ in so many words except against such as not rightly qualified for his Kingdome Mat. 5. 20. But I say to you except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Their righteousness will not do and yet they are known to be a People much in prayer Fasting and giving Alms which are in themselves good things and yet they not accepted of God but for all this his Woes goeth out against them May it not be feared that hundreds in our dayes content themselves with scarce going thus far in outward acts yet retain a strong opinion that all shall be well with them hereafter as though such confidence of being saved as they that act it are content with would content God but let not such deceive themselves and they may find that confidence about hereafter safety not being acted by penitent subjects whose hearts can witness a through change will return to themselves back again charged with presumption notwithstanding all their outward performances And it is most sure as hath been premised in the last Sign that the holy Spirit bears not witness with such spirits that they are Gods Children that because while they remain thus content with out-side Christianity Reformation reacheth not the heart and then is a wanting that awful reverence of God and of Christ within that commands without the tongue so to talk the eyes so to look the hands so to act the feet so to walk in the likeness of God as to be truly deemed his workmanship Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ But we shall leave this to consideration and pass to the third and last Head Thirdly Persons are so senseless of their spiritual estate by not being conversant about things to come Now things to come are reduceable in special to these four heads Death Judgment Salvation Damnation all which are matters not of show but of certainty and may be called the four last things which every man ought to make his four first things that he furnisheth his heart withal because indeed they are Religions great cause and bounds Heavens great Argument to call us to duty our great Argument to submit to Heavens