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A35823
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Devout reflections on time, and eternity with various considerations and counsells, to assist our victory over this present world, and help us to prepare for an everlasting state. An introduction is prefixt concerning the first day of the year: how it was observ'd by the Jews; and in what manner à [sic] serious Christian may employ it to the best advantage. Most of the following meditations are suited to that purpose.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing D1245A; ESTC R216345
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99,201
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364
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DEVOUT REFLECTIONS On TIME And ETERNITY With various Considerations and Counsells to assist our Victory over this Present World and help us to prepare for an Everlasting State. An Introduction is prefixt concerning the First Day of the Year how it was observ'd by the Jews and in what manner a Serious Christian may employ it to the best Advantage Most of the following Meditations are suited to that Purpose AMSTERDAM Printed for Jacob vande Velde Bookseller In the Year 1687. TO THE READER THe visible Decay of Piety and Evangelical Holiness is a common subject of Complaint and hardly ever was it more justly so then now with respect to the Generality of Churches and parâ—â—cular Christians All serious â—â—d considering Persons must needs reckon themselves obliged on that account both to Mourn and Fear The causes 〈◊〉 serious Mourning are too many and too notorious to be unobserved by Those who have any Knowledg of the preâ—â—â—t State of the Christian Religâ—â—n in Europe even among the most Reformed The general unacquaintedness with the Mysteries of the Gospell the Reproach of the solemn Assemblies by the Corruption of its Doctrines and Worship and the dishonour cast upon its most sacred institutions the late terrible Desolations of the Temple and Sanctuary and grievous sufferings of our Brethren in several parts of the World the shamefull Apostacy of so many Thousands from the doctrine and worship of the Gospel to Popish Idololatry and other considerations of this kind which might be nam'd do carry with them a loud Call to Humiliation and mourning But the Practical Degeneracy of Professing Christians unto Worldliness Profaness and Sensuality doth not only afford matter of Lamentation for the present but too much ground to Fear that the bitterness of Death is not past God's Anger is not turned away or his Controversie ended with the Protestant Churches And after we have known so many Thousands to renounce and abjure their Religion in an Hour of Temptation and see so many more yea the far greatest part in a preparedness to Revolt on the like or lesser Trials by reason of their vicious Lives and estrangedness from the Power of Religion because they receive not the Truth in the Love of it what can we reasonably expect but farther Tokens of Divine Displeasure And how little of any encouraging prospect is there by the serious Reformation of Persons Families and Churches to turn away his wrath where are there any Symptoms of the Recovery of the Power of Godliness from whence in our Age there is so undeniable a Declension and acknowledg'd by all Parties that there is so How little is to be seen of any such thing among those who are most forward and zealous in espousing the Reformed interest ev'n such as would be thought of all Others to be most concern'd for its Preservation and have suffer'd not a little for it The distressed case of our Brethren especially in France cannot but move our Bowells of Compassion when we read or hear from time to time the Relation of the barbarous proceedings of their Persecutors But the sensual wicked Lives of professedly Reformed Christians is certainly a more dreadfull object to be considered and ought so to be regarded by us as the consequences of it are much more to be feared then of the feircest Persecution by open and avowed Enimies For the Curch of Christ never lost either Truth or Holiness that way it hath rather been a considerable outward Means for the preservation and encrease of Both. Tho this cannot be said but the direct Contrary concerning Protestants persecuting one another for lesser differences And what ever Expectations we may and ought to have from the unfulfill'd Prophecies of God's rebuilding Sion in the latter days destroying her Enimies wich we have no reason to question but he will most gloriously effect and ought dayly to pray that he would hasten it for his Names sake yet can we never hope to see any thing considerable of that kind in our Time without a great Repentance and Reformation and the more Plentifull Pouring out of the H. Spirit for the healing os the Nations I therefore wish that the confident Expectations of a speedy deliverance of the Church may not divert us from the present Duty we are call'd to as the proper appointed Means to which God hath directed us for that end And are there any hopefull Beginnings of such a Thing within view is there any thing on foot to be observ'd like such a Retrieving of Gospel Holiness in the Hearts and Lives of men Doth not the Name and Thing grow more and more into Contempt every day and who can tell how far it may proceed to procure Judgment upon any particular Place or Country that is guilty of so general and provoking a Defection It concerns us therefore every one to look to himself to Repent and do our first Works and make our Peace with God that we may be found within the smal number of those who shall be thought worthy to escape the allmost Epidemical infection and to stand before the Son of Man. On which Account any thing that is likely to awaken Men to the Consideration of the great acknowledg'd Principles of Religion cannot be unseasonable Yea in such a case the meanest and weakest Endeavors may be of some use The subjects of the following Reflexions are most of them of that kind necessary to be attended to by all sorts of Persons and so cannot be too often prest tho in different Manners The usefullness of the subject Matter and the smallness of the Bulk are two things which are wont to recommend a Book to most Readers For which reason I may Hope this will be read by several who suffer much better because bigger books to ly by them neglected Some may possibly give it the reading as a New-years Gift And who even shall be so far persuaded by it as to set a part some Time in the beginning of the Year for Self-examination Confession of Sin Repentance Thanksgiving and solemn renewall of his Covenant with God which several of these Reflexions may not only excite to but are intended to direct and assist him in I am persuaded he will thank me for putting him in mind at least of so seasonable an Exercise The greatest part of these Meditations were begun on a New-years Day tho some others are thought fit to be inserted as tendign to promote the same design But knowing how much easier it is to stirr up other mens Devotion then to command and keep alive my own 't is desir'd that some of the most devout Thoughts contained in these papers may be lookt upon as what the Author aims at and would persuade to rather then what he hath allready attain'd as what he knows he ought to be and do and doth seriously endeavor rather then what he is and hath been heartily lamenting wherin he hath been faulty or defective in such Duties as these and the like Reflexions
Life in order to Thankfullness The last section of thes Papers may giue you some assistance therin and consider what Retrun's you have made to God for all his Kindnesses You may do well to consider your self also in the Relations you have stood to others as Inferior Equal or Superior in family Church or State in your Calling profession imployment c. And examine in what more notorious Instances you have been faulty in your Relative Duties How you did ordinarily Carry it in your Place and station for that is the best the truest Picture of a man which is like him in his ordinary every-day's habit Perticularly reflect upon the sins you have committed in Company with Others By whose Example you have been drawn to sin who may probably have been tempted by yours and bewail it and if the persons are living admonish them to Repent and if you have injur'd and wrong'd any acknowledg your fault and to the utmost of your power make speedy Restitution If any of your Companions in sin are dead and you fear dyed without Repentance humble your self particularly before God for hauing contributed to their Damnation I know of some who have made such a Catalogue of their Sins with the most observable agravations of them which they constantly preseru'd and frequently review'd to keep them Humble Penitent Watchfull and Thankfull and on some occasions of secret Humiliation have spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah that of his enemy Covering them selves with shame and Confusion of Face by considering what they have been and thence admiring the Riches of free Grace in the forgiveness of such Crimes thro the Bloud of Christ Examine me o Lord and prove me try my Reins and my Heart for thy Loving kindness is before mine Eyes and I will walk in thy Truth Thou hast searched me o Lord and known me thou knowest my Thoughts a far off all my secret Sins are in the Light of thy Countenance and thou art acquainted with all my ways set my Sins in order before me that I may Repent and for sake them Show me mine Infirmities and weaknesses that I may watch against them And teach me to Judge and condemn my self that I may not be judged of the Lord. XXV How Christians ought to examine their Decays of Grace and Piety The greatness of their Sin and of their Losse under such a Declension God's displeasure and departure from them considered to awaken present Endeavors of a Recovery In what manner the Faith of Adherence may be acted by one who hath no Assurance IT cannot but be of use to Believers also at stated Times to examine themselves concerning their Languishings and Decays in Grace Falling from their first Love to a spirit of in differency and Lukewarmness disorderly walking or unfruitfullness wither Gray Hairs are not here and there upon them and they know it not For God may withdraw by degrees so that his departure may not presently be perceiv'd and some kind of Activity in Duty may be continued upon false Principles and from Common Assistance while a Christian as to his spiritual State may be under a dangerous Consumption 'T is not difficult for others to observe it some times and would be visible enough to themselves would they spare a few hours to examine the matter The Punishment of such Backslidings the loss of the quickning and comforting presence of the H. Spirit deserues likewise to be inquir'd into in order to a speedy remedy and should enforce the Counsell I mean not barely the ebbing of Affections in the duties of Religion or the want of life and quickning from sensible Consolations which new Converts especially such as have been reclaim'd from a course of notorious Impiety have more of at first then afterwards Which doubting Christians should particularly take notice of by the Instance of the Prodigal who was extraordinarily feasted at his first return but was doubtless contented afterwards with the ordinary Provisions of his Fathers house Neither doth God dispence the same measure to all alike nor to any alike at all Times some who are called to greater services and sufferings then others or had greater Conflicts before Conversion may have a greater share then the rest of their Brethren Neither will the same degree of Grace imparted to some persons so discernably moue and comfort as it will do some others of a different Temper 'T is not therfore so much to be the matter of our Enquiry if at all it need to be so wither we have more or less of sensible joy in the performance of duty But Wither we are not fallen and declin'd as to the inward vital Acts of Grace and in the outward Fruits of Holiness Wither we have such clear convincing Apprehensions of divine and spiritual Truths and the mysteries of the gospel as formerly wither our minds are not become more vaine and heedless wither our knowledg of God and of the Revelations of his will be as powerfull and efficacious upon our Hearts and Lives as heretofore wither there be not less frequency less Consistency less inward satisfaction in holy serious thoughts then formerly You were wont to pray and endeavor that God might be first and last in your thoughts every day and by frequent Ejaculations in civil affaires to maintaine a dayly converse with God but now you mind not wither it be so or not yea you cannot but know that it is not thus with you still It was once your Burden to be pester'd with foolish filthy wordly vaine Thoughts especially on the Lord's Day or in the worship of God you rejected and disown'd them you lamented and pray'd against them do so much as examine wither it be thus still Consider all your Affections and their several objects and see wither a criminal Lukewarmness hath not diffus'd it self in to every of them Examine every Grace and see wither your Faith Hope Love holy Desires and Delight in God be not miserably abated as to the strength and vigor the efficacy and frequent exercise of every of them so that your Thoughts of God are few cold and lifeless without desire delight and love Consider the Opportunities and solemn Occasions of approaching the divine Presence Are they as much the Desire of your souls and the rejoycing of your Hearts as once they were Are you not more easily diverted from them less satisfy'd and refresht by them are not all Gospel Ordinances less powerfull and quickning and your profit and advantage therby unspeakably less then formerly Doe you hunger and thirst and pant as the Hart after the water brooks to draw nigh to God and come into his Courts doe you make Conscience of preparing before hand do you come with a real desire and design and expectation of profiting and bettering your Spirits do you joyn in every part of divine worship with that attention seriousness and composure of mind and taste the sweetness and benefit of such solemnities as formerly are such services performed with