goodnesse and shal continue in your sinne thereby provoking the eyes of his glory is a terrible and revengefull God who if you still erre in heart and will not walke in his waies hath sworne in his wrath that you shall not enter into his Rest who in his wrath is a consuming fire and is ready and able to destroy body and soule in the eternall vengeance of Hell fire Fistly Consider sinne in the evill effects of it namely it brought a curse upon the whole Creation for mans sake whereby the â—…reatures are become defective â—nd unserviceable nay hurtfull 〈…〉 you from your sinnes come 〈…〉 manner of diseases and crosses â—â—at ever befell you This your â—…ne untill it be repented and â—…rdoned maketh you hatefull 〈…〉 God separateth between you â—…d God causing him to withâ—â—ld good things from you and 〈…〉 inflict evill upon you even in â—is life It defileth the whole â—…an and every renewed act of â—…ne doth strengthen the body 〈…〉 sinne and worketh a decay of â—…ace in you though you be reâ—â—nerate And if it be grosse if it 〈…〉 not benumme and feare your â—â—nscience yet it will wound it â—â—d break the peace thereof if it â—…ender vexing it as motes do â—…ur eye or thornes your feet â—…sing terrors and doubtings of â—…vation God withdrawing his â—our and loving countenance â—…m you And if you be nor in Christ it will in the end bring upon you everlasting damnation Sixtly Consider the ransome 〈…〉 sinne who paid it and what waâ— paid consider Christ Iesus who he was and what he did and suffered to take away your sinne He the onely sonne of God very God did lay downe and veile 〈…〉 glory for â—rime yea came dowâ— and left heaven to dwell in the Tabernacle of humane flesh taking upon him the estate of servant was poore despised 〈…〉 men persecuted from the cratâ— to the crosse made to shed teaâ— abundantly yea so tormenteâ— with the sense of Gods wrath foâ— your sinne that for very anguiâ— he did sweat as it were dropâ— bloud He was accused condemned spit upon mockt buffetteâ— and scourged by wicked meâ— made to beare his owne crosse till oh oppressed and afflicted soule for very faintnes he could beaâ— it no longer Then he was hanged amongst theeves dying the most accursed death And which to him was more then all the rest hee in his humane apprehension was forsaken of God crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now you may be assured that if the iustice of God could have beene satisfied and your sinne expiated and done away by a lesser price Iesus Christ his onely Son should never have beene caused â—o poure out his soule a sacrifice for your sinne This looking by the eyes of your faith upon Christ whom you have pierced will at once shew you the greatnes and hatefulnes of your sin which required such â—n infinite ransome and the infinite love of God and Christ to you-ward euen when you were his enemie in providing for you a sure remedie which will free you from both guilt and power of this sinne The thoughts hereof will if any thing will even melt the heart into godly sorrow for sinne and withall give hope in the use of the means of mercy and forgiuenesse That the former Aggravations may bee more pressing observe these directions You must consider sinne in the particulars one after another for generalls leave no impressions Therefore David cryeth out of his bloudy sinne in particular You must iudge the least sinne to be damnable untill it bee pardoned and repented in particular if knowne unto you at least in generall if not knowne The greater any sinne is the greater you must judge the guilt and punishment to be Sinnes committed long since unrepented and the punishments deserved but deferred are to bee judged to bee as neare lying at the doore dogging you at the heeles as if committed at the present so that you may looke for Gods hand to be upon you this present moment they like the bloud of Abell or sinnes of Sodom cry as loud to God for vengeance now as the first day they were committed nay louder because they are aggravated by * impenitencie and by the abuse of Gods long suffering Your humiliation must in your endevour proportion your guilt of sinne the greater guilt the greater humiliation Know therefore that sinnes against God of the first Table considered in equal comparison are greater than those of the second The more grace hath beene offered by the Gospell and the more meanes any have had to know God and his will the greater is their sinne if they be ignorant and disobedient The number of sinnes according as they are multiplied doe increase the guilt and punishment The more bonds are broken in sinning as committing it against the Law of God of Nature and Nations against Conscience promises and vowes the greater the sinne and punishment All these things knowne and considered now iudge your selfe passe a condemnatorie sentence against your selfe whence will through the grace of God follow affliction of soule Now you will see that you are base and vile and that you may justly feare Gods iudgements Now you will see cause to be grieved ashamed yea even confounded in your selfe and to conceive an holy indignation against your selfe You will now thinke thus Ah that I should be so foolish so brutish so mad to coÌ„mit this to commit these sinnes think of particulars to breake so holy a Law to offend grieve and provoke so good and so great a Maiestie so ill to requite him so little to feare him vile wretch that I am that I should commit not onely sinnes of common frailty but grosse sinnes many and oft against knowledge conscience c. but still minde particulars Iesus Christ my Sauiour shed his precious bloud for me to redeeme mee from my vaine conversation and doe I yet againe and againe transgresse oh miserable man that I am What am I in my selfe at best but a lumpe of sinne and durt not worthy to be loved worthy to be destroyed one that may justly look to have mine heart hardned or my coÌ„science terrified and that if God be not infinitely merciful he should powre upon me all his plagues Wherfore remembring my doings that they are not good but abhominably evill I doe loath my selfe for mine abhominations and doe abhorre my selfe and repent as in sackcloth and ashes Now set upon the worke of Reformation and of Reconciliation Generall if you finde there be neede Particular as you finde there is neede It is not enough to search out and consider your wayes nor yet to lament them if withall you doe not turne againe unto the Lord and turne your feet unto his Testimonies and withall seeke grace and forgivenesse The Gospell openeth a
unconceivable so the time of it is indeterminable it is everlasting and hath no end Consider this with the former and it cannot be denyed but that the peace of God doth every way passe understanding CHAP. XV. Touching the removing of presumption an impediment to Peace IF you would enjoy this happy Peace you must first remove and avoyd the impediments Secondly you must use all helps and furtherances which serve to procure and keepe it I reduce the impediments unto two heads First A false opinion and hope that all is well with a man and that all shall be well with him in point of his Salvation when yet indeed God is not reconciled to him Hence will follow a quietnesse of heart somewhat like to peace of Conscience which yet is but a false peace Secondly Causelesse doubting and false feare that a mans estate touching his salvation is not good albeit God be indeed at peace with him Hence followeth trouble and anguish of heart some-what like unto that of Hellish despaire disturbing his true peace Either of these doe hinder peace The first hindereth the having The second hindereth the feeling and comfortable enioying of peace It hath beene an old device of Satan when he would keepe any man from that which is true to obtrude upon him that which shall seeme to be true but is false Thus he did in the first calling of the Iewes and to mee is more than probable will doe at their second calling When hee saw they had an expectation of the true Christ he to divert and seduce them from the true Christ setteth up false Christs Even so in the matter of peace If he can so delude men that they shall content themselves with a false Peace hee knoweth that they will never seeke for that which is true It is a common practice with the Devill to endevour to make all that are not in state of grace to presume that they are Also such is his cunning and malice that when any man is in the state of grace he will cast all the doubts and perils hee can to make that estate doubtfull and discomfortable to vexe and to wearie him if hee cannot drive him to despaire knowing that if he could drive him into hold him in utter despaire he were as certainly in his power as if hee did presume Now the Heart of man so farre as it is Vnsanctified being deceitfull above all things is most apt to yeeld to Satan in both these cases Whence it is that there are very many which bragge of much peace and yet have least of it And many feare they have no peace who yet have much of it Wherfore the Rule is Beleeve not either your deceitfull heart or the Devill when they tel you either that you are in state of salvation or in state of damnation But beleeve the Scripture what it saith in either You may know when these perswasions come from your deceitfull heart or from the Devil thus First If the meanes to perswade you to either be from false grounds or from misapplication of true grounds Secondly If the conclusions inferred from either perswasion be to keep you in a sinful course and to keep you or to drive you from God as to make you think that you need not be so strict in godlinesse or that now it is in vaine or to late too turne seek unto GOD then it is from Satan and from a deceived heart and you must not beleeve them But if these perswasions be from a right applicatioÌ„ of true grounds and doe produce these good effects to drive you to God in prayse or prayer and unto a care to please God they are from his gracious Spirit The false Peace and evill quiet Conscience doth arise from these three causes First from Grosse ignorance of the danger wherein a man lyeth because of sinne whence followeth a blind Conscience Secondly from Groundlesse security and presumption that all shall be well with him not withstanding that hee knoweth hee hath sinned and knoweth that sinne is damnable whence hee hath a deluded Conscience Thirdly from Obstinacy through delight and custome in sin whence commeth senslesnesse of Conscience which is a seared Conscience Wheresoever any of these evils raigne albeit God hath said there is no peace to the wicked that is no true peace yet such feare no evill but promise to themselves peace and safetie like those of whom the Prophet spake who had made a covenant with death and with Hell were at an agreement Yea though they heare all the Curses against Sinners which are in Gods booke denounced against them yet will blesse themselves in their owne heart and say they shall have peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their hearts But whosoever is thus quiet in himselfe through a false peace it is a signe that the strong man keepeth the house and that he continuing in this fooles Paradise is not farre from sodaine and fearefull destruction from the Almighty Whosoever therefore would have true peace of GOD must beware of these three impediments First Hee must know and be throughly convinced that by nature by reason of Adams first transgression which is justly imputed to him and because of his owne inherent wickednesse of concupiscence and of actuall sinnes of omission and commission both inthought word and deed he is in state of sinne and condemnation having God for his enemie yea is an heire of wrath and of eternall vengeance of Hâ—lâ— fire According to that of the Apostle All have sinned and are become guiltie before GOD and have come short of the glorie of God Ignorance of danger may give quiet to the mind for a time but it can give no safetie Is not he foolishly secure that maketh himselfe merry in a ruinous house not knowing his danger untill it fall upon him Whereas if he had known it he should have had more feare and disquiet but should haue beene in lesse perill Secondly let no man presume upon weake and false grounds that he shal escape the vengeance of hell or attaine to the joyes of heaven Now how weakely and vainely many doe ground their hopes and from thence their peace shall appeare by that which followeth 1. Some thinke that because God made them surely hee will not damne them True if they should have continued good as hee made them God made the Devil good yea an excellent creature yet who knoweth not that he shall be damned If God spared not his holy Angels after that they became sinfull shall man thinke that hee will spare him A sinfull man shall be judged at the last day not according to what he was by Gods first making but as hee shall bee found marred and made naught by the Devill and by his owne lusts When Iudah became a people of no understanding it is said He that made them will shew
strength and meanes be fully imployed in some lawfull businesse 5. Out of the fit the party thus affected must not oppresse his heart with feare of falling into it againe any more then to quicken him to prayer and to cause him to cast himselfe upon God 6. Out of the fits and in them also if the partie distempered be capable spirituall counsell is to be given out of GODS Word wisely according as the partie is fit for it whether to humble him if he hath not beene sufficiently humbled or to build him up and comfâ—â—â— him if he be already humbled 7. Lastly remember alwayes that when the troubled person is himselfe that he be moved to prayer and that others then pray much with him and at all times pray much for him When these troubles are mixt comming partly from naturall distemper and partly from spirituall temptation then the remedie must be mixt of helpes naturall and spirituall What the natural helps are hath bin shewne also what the spirituall in generall and shall be shewed more particularly in removing false feares rising from spirituall temptations The feares which rise for the most part from distemper of body may be knowne from those which for the most part or onely rise from the spirituall temptation thus When the first fort are clearely resolved of their doubts and brought unto some good degree of chearefulnesse and coÌ„fort they will yet it may be within a day or two sometimes within an houre or two upon every slight occasion and discouragement returne to their old complaints and will need the same meanes to recover them againe But those whose trouble is meerly out of spirituall temptation and trouble of conscience although for the time it is very grievous and hardly removed and sometimes long before they receive a satisfying answer to their doubts yet wheÌ„ once they receive satisfaction and comfort it doth hold and last untill there fall out some new temptation and new matter of feare This is because their Phantasies and memories are not disturbed in such sort as the others were The seeming grounds of feares that a man is not in state of grace when yet he is are for varietie almost infinite I have reduced them into this order and unto these heads First they who are taken with false feares will say their sinnes be greater than can be pardoned Secondly when they are driven from that they say then that they feare GOD will not pardon When they are driven from this by causing them to take notice of the signes of Gods actual love to them which give proofe that he will save them Then Thirdly they will question the truth of Gods love and favour But being put upon the ttyall whether God hath not already justified them and given them faith in Christ which are sufficient proofes of his love then Fourthly they will seeme to have grounds to doubt whether they have faith from which they are driven by putting them to the tryall of their Sanctification then Fifthly they doubt and will obiect strongly that they are not sanctified which being undeniably proved then Sixthly and lastly they feare they shall fall away and not persevere to the end Which feare being taken away also and all is come to this good issue they shall have no cause of disquiet feare This is the easiest most familiar and the most naturall method so farre as I can conceive both in propounding and in removing false feares SECTION 2. Removing false feare rising from thoughts of the greatnesse of punishment and sinne FIrst some in their fits of despaire speake almost in Cains words saying that their punishment which they partly feele and which they most of all feare is greater than they can beare or than can be forgiven I answer such If sense and feare of wrath and punishment be your trouble I would have you not to busie your thoughts about the punishment but divert them and pitch them upon your sinnes which are the onely cause of punishment for get your sinnes off and in one the same worke you get off and free your selfe from the punishment Labour therefore that your heart may bleed with godly sorrow for sin cry out as David did against his sinne so doe you against yours confesse them to GOD strike at the root of sinne at the sinne of your nature wherein you were conceived aggravate your actuall sinnes hide none spare none finde out arraigne accuse condemne your sinnes and your selfe for them grow first into utter detestation of your sinnes which have brought present punishment and a sense and feare of the eternall vengeance of hell fire then likewise grow into a dislike with your selfe for sinne loath your selfe in your owne sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Now when you are as a prisonerat the barre who hath received sentence of condemnation when you are in your owne apprehension a damned wretch fearing every day to be executed Oh then it concerneth you and it is your part and duty to runne to GOD the King of Kings whose name and nature is to forgive iniquity transgression and sinnes and that you may be accepted goe to him by Iesus Christ whose Office is to take away your sinnes and to present you without sinne to his father whose Office is also to procure and sue out your pardon Wherefore in Christs name pray and aske pardon of God for his Sonne Iesus Christs sake and withall bee as earnest in asking grace and power against your sinne that you may serve him in all well-pleasing Doe this as for your life with all truth and earnestnesse then you may nay must beleeve that God for Christs sake hath pardoned your sinne and hath done away the punishment of your sinne For this is according to the Word of Truth even as true as God is who hath Commanded you to doe thus and to beleeve in him But some will Reply this putting me unto a consideration of my sinnes breedes all my woe and feare for I finde them greater and more than can be pardoned Oh Say not so for you can hardly commit a greater sinne than indeed to thinke and to say so It is blasphemy against GOD yet this sinne if you will follow GODS Counsell and all other may and shall be pardoned I intend not to extenuate and lessen your sinne but you must give me leave to magnifie Gods truth and mercy and to extoll Christs love and merit Howsoever it is true that because sinne is a transgression of a law of infinite holinesse and equity in respect of the evil disposition of the heart is of infinite intention would perpetuate it selfe infinitely if it had time and meanes and because God the object and Person against whom sinne is committed is infinite therefore sinne must needes contract an infinite guilt and deserve infinite punishment which the very least sinne doth yet because the subiect of sinne the man that sinneth is
that God will not call you before you dye It were a farre wiser and better course for you that will bee thus hasty in judging your selves to be Reprobates to busie your selves first with other things Acquaint your selves with Gods revealed will in his Word Learne to know what God hath commanded you to doe and do that also what he hath threatned and feare that and what hee hath promised and beleeve and rest on that After you haue done this you may looke into your selves and you shall reade your Election written in golden and great Letters For God never intended that the first lesson which a Christian should learne should be the hardest and highest lesson that can be learned taken out of the book of his eternall counsell decree and so to descend to the A. B. C. of Christianity Which were a course most perplexed and preposterous But his wil is that his schollers children should learn out of his written Word here on earth first that God made all things and that hee made man good and how that man hearkening to Sathan they found out evill devices and so fell from grace and from God and so both they and the whole world that came of their loynes became guilty of eternal dānation Next God would have you to learne that hee in is infinite wisdome goodnesse and mercy thought of and concluded a new covenant of Grace for the effecting whereof hee found out and appointed a way and meanes to pacifie his wrath by satisfying his justice punishing sin in mans nature by which he opened away unto his mercie to shew it to whom he would namely Hee gave his onely Sonne very God to become very man and being made a common person and surety in mans stead dyed and endured the punishment due to the sinne of man and rose againe and was exalted to sit at Gods right hand to raigne having all authority committed vnto him Thus he made the new covenant of grace established in his Sonne Iesus Christ the tenour and condition whereof required on mans part is that man accept of enter into this covenant beleeving in Christ in whom it is established then whosoever beleeveth in him shall not dye but have everlasting life This God did in his wisedome justice mercy and love to man that hee himselfe might be inst and yet a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus And hath therefore given his Word and Sacraments and hath called and hath given gifts to his Ministers thereby to beget and increase faith in men by publishing this good newes and by commanding them as in Christs stead in Gods name to beleeve and to be reconciled to God and to live no longer according to the will of their old Masters the Divell the World and the Flesh under whom they were in cursed bondage but according to the will of him that redeemed them in holinesse and righteousnesse whose service is a perfect blessed freedome Now when you have learned these lessons first and by looking into your selves can finde faith and new obedience then by this your effectuall calling you may as by safe stayres ascend to that high point of your Predestination which will give you comfort through assurance that you shall never fall away When you observe this order in learning your Election to life it will not minister vnto you matter of curious and dangerous dispute either with God or man thereabout but of high admiration thankesgiving and unspeakeable comfort causing you to cry out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. And Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should bee holy and without blame before him in love having Predestinated us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in his well-beloved c. There are yet some who having heard that there is a sinne against the holy Ghost and that it is unpardonable are full of feares that they have committed that sinne thence conclude that they are Reprobates for they say that they have sinned willingly against knowledge conscience since they received the knowledge of the truth and tasted of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God If you who thus object have sinned against knowledge and conscience you have much cause of griefe complaint against your selfe and have much cause of humbling your selfe before God confessing it to him asking pardon of him and grace to beleeve and repent both which you must endevour by all means Yet I see no cause why you should conclude so desperately that you have sinned against the holy Ghost and are a Reprobate For as few in comparison though too many commit this sinne so few know what it is All sinne against knowledge and conscience is not this sinne Nor yet all wilfull sinning It is not any one sinne against the law nor yet the direct breach of the whole law nor every malicious opposing of the Gospell if it be of ignorance neither is it every blasphemie or persecution of the Gospell and of those that professe the truth if these be done out of ignorance or passion Nor yet is it every Apostacie and falling into grosse sinnes of diverssorts though done against knowledge and conscience yet this sinne against the holy Ghost containeth all these and more It is a sinne against the Gospell and free offer and dispensation of grace and salvation by CHRIST through the Spirit Yet it is not any particular sinne against the Gospell nor yet a rejecting of the whole Gospell if in ignorance nor yet every denying of Christ or sudden revolting from the outward profession of the Gospell when it is of infirmitie through feare such like temptation Neither is it called the sinne against the holy Ghost and is unpardonable because it is committed against the Essence or Person of the holy Ghost for the essence of the three persons in Trinitie is all one And the person of the holy Ghost is not more excellent than the person of the Father and the Sonne but it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost and becommeth unpardonable because it is against the Office of the holy Ghost and against the gracious operations of the holy Ghost and therein against the whole blessed Trinitie all whose works out of themselves are consummate and perfected in the worke of the holy Ghost Moreover know that it is unpardonable not in respect of GODS power but in respect of his will Hee having in his holy wisedome determined never to pardon it And good reason why he should will not to pardon it in respect of the
questioning the truth of his being and of his Word denying his Providence Power or some other of his Divine Attributes Have I not been ignorant of God and of his will and erroneous and mis-beleeving if not hereticall in my conceits concerning God the Father Sonne or holy Ghost Have I not beene over-curious in prying into the nature and secret counsels of God beyond the rule of the revealed wil of God Have I not set up false Deities or put my selfe or any other creature in the place of God through pride preferring and resting upon mine owne way and will before Gods or by making my selfe mine utmost end professing God and his Religion onely to serve mine owne ends or by seeking to the creature as to Angell Saint Devill or Witch instead of the Creator Have I not beene forgetfull of God and of his will Is not my Conscience impure blinde deluded or seared and my will perverse obstinate impatient and murmuring against God and ful of dissimulation Have I not set mine affections upon the World rather than upon God loving that which is evill hating that which is good yea God himselfe if not directly yet in his Holines shining in his Ordinances and in his children or as hee is a severe inflicter of punishment Fearing man more than God trusting in the Creature making something besides God my chiefe joy Have I not presumed when I had cause to despaire and despaired after that I had cause to hope Have I not â—empted God many wayes And have I not in the matters of God beene either cold lukewarme or blindely or preposterously zealous Hath there not beene a pronenesse in my whole outward man to rebell against God The second Commandement concerneth all such lawfull worships of God which he onely hath appointed whereby he communicateth himselfe to man and man againe maketh profession of him forbidding under one kinde all such as are not by him ordained Thinke thus Have I worshipped God in spirit and truth in all the kindes and parts of his Worship publike or private ordinary or extraordinary as by hearing reading and meditating of his Word by praying praising and giving thankes to him by a right use of his Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and by Religious Fasting Religious Feasting and making of vowes according as I have had speciall occasion And have I done what did belong to me for the setting forth and maintaining of Gods true Worship and have I according to my place executed aright or submitted unto the government and discipline of the Church Or besides the omission of the former duties Am I not guilty some way or other of Idoll-worship conceiving of GOD in my mind or representing him to my sense in the likenes of any creture Have I not added to or detracted from any part of Gods Worship Have I not run into the appearances and occasions of Idolatry as by presence at Idoll-service by marriage and needlesse â—amiliarity with Idolatrous persons by reserving undefaced monuments of Idolatry At least is â—ot my heart guilty of not hating but rather lingering after Idolatrous worship Have I not been guilty of superstition or Will-worship c. The third Commandement concerneth the glory of Gods holy Name shining forth in his Titles Attributes Religion Word Ordinances People or any thing that hath in it any print of his holinesse or excellency forbidding the taking of it in vaine and that in all actions religious or common Have I glorified God by answering my holy profession with an holy and unblameable conversation by performing all holy duties with due preparation knowledge and devotion also by thinking and speaking of the Names and holy things of God with holy reverence and in particular by fearing an Oath Or have I not caused the Name Religion and People of God to be ill thought of and dishonoured by my evill course of living or at least by committing some grosse sinâ— Am I not guilty of rash unprepared heedlesse forgetfull and fruitlesse reading hearing receiving the Sacraments or performance of any other the worships of God Have I not thought or spoken blasphemously or contempiuously of God or of any the things of God Have I not used the Name of God needlesly rashly wickedly or falsly in swearing or lightly in my Salutations Admirations or otherwise in my ordinary communication Have I not abused the Name of God his Scriptures his Ordinances and Creatures using them for other purposes then hee alloweth as for sports spels charms or any sorcery luxury or the like Have I not passed by the great workes of Gods power mercy and judgements without due observation and acknowledgement of God therein The fourth Commandement concerneth the ordinary solemne time of the service and worship of God requiring that the seventh day now our Lords day be kept with an holy rest Have I upon the six dayes Remembred the Lords day that I might dispatch all my worldly businesse and prepare my heart that when it came I might keep an holy Sabbath to the Lord according to the Commandement Did I according as my health would permit rise early on that day Have I performed my daily both morning and evening exercises of Religion alone and with my family that day in private Have I caused all under my authority according to my power to rest from all manner of workes and worldly sports also my selfe not onely from the labour of my body but of my mind in all worldly businesse except about the things that concerne common honestie and comelinesse workes of mercy and such workes of necessitie as could not be done before or stay to be done afterwards Have I alwayes prepared my heart before I went into the house and presence of God by meditation of Gods Word and Workes and in particular by examination and reformation of my wayes also by prayer thankesgiving and holy resolution to carry my selfe as in Gods presence and to heare and obey whatsoever I should bee taught out of the Word of God Have I caused my family to goe with me to the Church And did I with them come in due time and being there did stay the whole time of prayer reading and preaching of the Word singing of Psalmes receiving and administring the Sacraments even that of Baptisme when others are Baptised and did attend diligently and joyne with the Minister and the rest of the Congregation in all those holy exercises Did I spend the day after the Morning and Evening Prayers Sermons or Catechisings in meditation and as I had opportunitie in conference and repetition of what I had heard also in visiting the sicke and other workes of mercy and so from the beginning to the end of the day have beene imployed in holy thoughts words and deeds and all this with spirituall delight Or Am I not guiltie of forgetting it before it came and of neglecting and prophaning it when it came as by meere idlenesse or by taking opportunity of leisure from busines of my calling to be
also in praying much for peace unto him who is the God of peace the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation then shall you have peace and much good shall be unto you For it is GOD that speaketh peace to his people wherefore assuredly his answer to him that asketh peace will be an answer of peace even this peace which passeth all understanding GOD shall give you peace and with it glory even a glorious peace Thus having directed my Pen not onely to you in particular in this tract of peace but sith it is judged fit to be publike both in this and the other directions to a daily walke unto all other that need and desire it you may see the excellency of peace together with the impediments furtherances and meanes of peace Shâ—nne the Impediments improve the furtherances and I dare assure you that albeit in this life you may still feele a conflict betweene faith and doubting betweene hope and feare and betweene peace and trouble of minde yet in the end you shall have perfect peace and in the meane time though I cannot promise you to have alwaies that peace which will afford you sense of ioy yet God hath promised that you shal have that which shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ And what would you have more Thus I have endevoured to satisfie your godly desire I have of purpose written much in as few words as the points in hand would well beare I did it the rather not onely because writing is tedious to mee but because I know that you are established already in these truths wherefore these may be sufficient to helpe you unto distinct notions of the most necessarie things that belong to a Christian life and to put you in remembrance I have omitted many allegations of Scriptures and have forborne to write out most that are alleaged It was partly for haste partly for mine owne ease and partly because it would have made this Booke to be too big for a vade mecum to carry about with you but I considered that you are much conversant and well read in the Scriptures and you may turne to the places both in the line and in the marâ—ent for you will finde that for the most part the life of each point in hand lyeth hid in the Text of the Scripture alledged I thanke God I have reaped much benefit to my self in studying and Penning these directions I pray God that â—ou may reap much good in reading of them Now the God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving And the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheepe by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen A Table of the chiefe things observable in this BOOKE A DOubts of Gods love because of grievous Afflictions removed 554 In what cases God usually doth not Afflict his children 559 The ends why God doth grievously Afflict his children 563 A Caution in becomming All things to all men 215 How to walke with God Alone 184 Fit meditations when we Apparell our selves 21 Rules how to Apparell our selves 22 Cautious to the directions about Arising and apparelling 27 How to Awake with God 19 Fit meditations when wee Awake and arise 21 22 B Fit meditations at going to Bed before sleepe 180 When a man loveth Brotherly 234 Benefits of Brotherly love 233 How Brotherly love is expressed 235 Meanes to live and love Brotherly 239 Motives to Brotherly love and communion of Saints 242 C How a man should carry himselfe as before God in his particular Calling 55 Difference betweene Care and Carefulnesse 384 Adescription of lawfull Care ib. A description of Carefulnesse ib. True properties of provident care whereby it is differenced from Carefulnesse 387 c. When Cares of this life are inordinate 393 Gods children should not take thought or be carefull about any thing 396 Disswasives from carefulnesse 399 Why no man should be Carefull about earthly things ibid Why no man must care about successe in any thing 401 The evill effects of Caring about successe in any thing 405 Meanes to be free from Carefulnesse 409 The condition of a true Christian even when he hath sinned differeth from that of a formal Christian when he sinneth 688 How a man should be have himselfe in all Company 213 How a man should make good use to himselfe by all Company 218 Meanes of good speech and carriage in all Company 225 Rules wherby a man may well order himselfe in evil Company 228 How to be kept from infection of sin by bad Company 231 How to demeane a mans selfe in good Company 234 What is to be done after a man hath beene in Company 244 Motives to Brotherly love and Communion of Saints 242 How a man may know that he hath beene sufficiently humbled and prepared for Conversion 630 None can know that the time of his Conversion is past 542 None must bee troubled though they know not when nor by whom they were Converted 631 What grace God giveth in the first Conversion 686 What Conversion and true repentance is 474 Men over-gone with trouble of Conscience are most unfit to iudge of their owne estate 767 An excellent helpe to peace of Conscience in the former câ—se 765 c. When the Conscience is troubled it is good to lay it open to some faithfull and skilfull Christian ibid Rules touching opening a mans state to others when the Conscience is troubled ibid How to keepe the Conscience tender 480. 679 How to walke as in Gods sight under Crosses in all adversity 273 Rules how to passe by or beare lighter Crosses 274 Rules how to beare all Crosses 275 Of bearing Crosses thankefully 313 Of bearing Crosses fruitfully ib D How to begin the Day well 28 29 How to walke in the sequell of the Day after it is well begun 53 How to end the Day well 179 Reasons why naturally all are unwilling to Dye 585 Reasons why some are more fearefull to Die than others ibid Causes why Christians are too unwilling to Dye 587 Helpes against feare of Death 588 Difference betweene the sinning of the regenerate and unregenerate 688 E Rules for Eating and drinking 64 In what order a man should ascend to the knowledge of his Election 518 Whence it is that the Elect may backeslide aud how farre 685 The Elect never fall from the first infused grace 688 Some thinke they Endevour to doe well yet doe not 324 What Endevour is in generall ibid Some thinke they Endevour not when yet they doe 326 What is true Endevour ibid A mans Endevour in some caseâ— may be as true when yet he cannot performe it as in some other cases when he can performe it to the full 327 The