which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For the which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Before he had declared how hard 't was with them troubled perplexed persecuted cast down always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Notwithstanding saith he we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen Brethren look on the things not seen and take from them both direction in your way and encouragement to go in it 1. Take Direction from Heaven when you are travelling and see the place before you whither you are going your eye will tell you your way When you are entring upon any Course then look up and consider Is this my way to God When you are eagerly and greedily pursuing the world ask your hearts Is this my way to Heaven Am I now working out my salvation When you are walking in the way of carnal pleasure or liberty then look up to the Lord and look in upon your heart and say if you can Now Lord I am hastening to thee now Soul I am taking care for thee my sports and my pleasures and my lusts are the way to mak God sure and Heaven sure to me Can you say so Will not your own heart tell you that is not the way If Heaven be it that I intend if Salvation be it I mind sure then I am not out of my way 2. Look Heaven-ward and take encouragement thence to go on View the glory that is above and consider what happy men you would be if you were once safely there and let such thoughts press you to hasten on and encourage you against all the labours and difficulties you must first pass through Think with your selves when you are setting upon any duty If I can get well through this duty I shall be one step nearer Heaven When you come to the beginning of every day well I shall this evening be gotten one dayes journey nearer home when you are falling into any trouble or affliction if I can cut my way well through this wave I shall be so much nearer Harbour Every new degree added to your grace is another stone laid up upon the building of glory every holy Duty you have rightly performed you are gotten one round higher in Jacob's Laddeâ— look how many dayes you have walked with God so many dayes journey you are nearer your rest Look how many troubles and temptations you have gotten Christianly through so many gulfs have you shot so many rocks have you passed by towards your harbour Oh! if such thoughts and considerations were continually upon your hearts and before your eyes how strangely would they quicken you and encourage you on your way Consider Christians and thence take courage after a few dayes more a few duties more a few wayes more you will be safely landed in your Countrey Lift up your eyes and see and then lift up your heads and rejoyce to see how by every duty and difficulty your redemption draweth nigh A traveller in his journey that 's almost spent and tired if he once comes within sight of home and be almost there this adds new strength and life and on he goes again amain Let your eye be more on your home and there will be less loytering or weariness in your way II. Walk on your way in the name of Christ Or live by faith Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God The strength of a Christian is his Faith the strength of Faith is Christ the strength of Christ is put into the Promises If you would live to God live by Faith if you would live by Faith go often to the Promises 1. Study the Promises the freeness of them there 's Grace in the Promise The fulness of them there 's Christ in the Promise and with him all things there 's wisdom righteousness strength there 's bread and cloaths and lands and friends and safety study the sureness of the Promises there 's an Yea and Amen set to them All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Set thy Seal to them Believe that God is true 3. Clear up thine interest in them and thereby make it out that they are sure to thee 4. Treasure up in thy memory a stock and store of particular promises which may answer every case of thy life that so thou may'st have a word alwaies at hand to rely upon And then 5. Upon the credit of that word venture on after thy Lord in any duty through any sufferings he calls thee to whatsoever difficulty thou seest in thy work whatsoever danger thou seest in thy way whatsoever want or weakness thou seest growing upon thee go on resting upon Christ for success in thy duties and support under thy trouble and supply of thy wants according to his Word It may be when thou lookest before thee upon an holy life thou wilt say This is indeed a beautiful and blessed life if I could attain to it but oh I see there is so much to be done and so much to be born that I am in great doubt how I shall ever be able to go through it The Lord requires me if I will come after him to deny my self This first step puts me to a stand I doubt I shall stumble and fall at the very Threshold of Christianity Deny my self Alas I cannot deny my friend or companion I cannot deny mine Enemy that entices me to sin If Satan do but speak a word to me to draw me aside to iniquity he presently prevails and must I yet deny my self when I see how unable I am to deny mine enemies I cannot I câ—â—not do it Why here thy faith if thou wilt conâ—lit with it will furnish thee with this encouragement Though thou art able to do nothing of thy self yet though may'st be able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4. 13. Again thou sayest The Lord requires me to make me a clean heart to purge my conscience to crucifie my lusts But who am I that ever I should think of doing such great works I could as easily make a new world as a new heart I can as well stop the Sun in its course as stop my lusts in theirs I can as easily dry up the fountains of the great Deep as cleanse the fountain of my corrupt heart and purge my self from an evil conscience I but now thy faith will tell thee He that bids thee cleanse thy heart hath said to thee Ezek. 36. 25. That he will sprinkle clean water upon thee and thou shalt be clean from all thy filthiness Thy faith will carry
testimony of their own Consciences This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Consciences 2. A witness in the world Ye are witnesses your eyes have seen what our lâ—fe hath been be but true witnesses and then be you witnesses speak but what you have seen and speak the worst among you that believe the world will be ready to say you are too crafty to let us know what you do in secret when you are amongst your selves I but says he let them that believe speak those that have been with us publickly and privately what our conversation hath been if it be said they are of your own party and will not speak all they know then he appeals to a third witness a Witness in Heaven and God also he that seeth things before whom are all our ways he that seeth all things seeth our integrity and blamelesseness But here that I be not mistaken I must distinguish betwixt their aims or what they are pressing and reaching towards and their attainments or what they have reached to The aims of these cricumspect Christians in their whole course are at perfection Phil. 3. 14. I press towards the mark they would keep their way without the least wandring they would not tread one step awry they would not speak one word amiss they would not think one thought amiss they would not neglect any one duty nor commit any one sin but would be what the Apostle would have them to be Holy and harmless the children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked generation These are their Aims and as to their Attainments though they fall short of their desires they cannot do as they would The good that I would I do not yet they do their best they follow the Lord with the best of their understanding serve the Lord with the best of their strength and when they have done their best they mourn and grieve that 't is no better That I may more distinctly open this exact and upright walking in the way of the Lord which their hearts are set upon I shall consider it 1. As it hath respect to the Commandment 2. As it hath respect to Conscience 1. Their exact walking as it hath respect to the Commandment stands 1. In having respect to every Commandment to the whole Word of God Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you The life of a Christian is a busie life the Words of God finds us much work to do we have work for every faculty and member our understandings have their work our wills affections consciences tongues ears eyes hands have all their particulars works assigned them every grace hath its work faith hath its work love hath its work patience hath its work every lust makes us work to restrain deny watch crucifie them these are weights and clogs that will hang on and will hinder us from all other works if we let them alone these are working against us continually and apt to set us on work against our selves a working mischief and ruine to our souls if they be not continually looked to and kept under We havâ— work against us for every condition our prosperity finds us much work to keep our selves humble heavenly watchful in an holy fear and jealousie lest the contentments and pleasures of this life make an invasion and inrode upon our hearts and spoyle us of our graces and comforts Our afflictions find us work to keep our spirits from sinking and fainting from murmuring and envying at those whose way doth prosper We have all the set and solemn duties of Religion to attend upon we have praying work and hearing work and Sacrament work and reading work and heart-searching work and meditating work We have work to be done for others our neighbours and acquaintance our friends and our enemies our families our servants our children we have not only work to do for them as men but work to do for God with them God hath work for us to do among our neighbours God hath work for us to do in our families and for our friends and enemies instructing work reproving work praying work works of mercy and charity c. we have a continual succession of work every day hath its businesse Christians must have no sleeping dayes their very Sabbaths must be working dayes we must be at work for our souls even on those dayes wherein we must do no bodily work There remains a rest for the People of God such a rest wherein they shall work no more nor be weary any more wherein all their work shall be to eat of the fruit of their doings but on this side that rest there is no rest but we must be full of labour You see the Word hath provided much work for Christians now those that are circumspect and upright and in the way will be through pac'd and stick at nothing the Word requires they 〈◊〉 for any service ready for every good work they will not pick and choose they will not halt or baulk with God but as the Apostle Col. 4 10. Endeavour to stand compleat in all the Wills of God Those duties that have most pain in them those duties that have most hazard attending them those duties that have the greatest contrariety to their natural temper and dispositions if they be duties if the word sayes This must be done this is that which the Lord requires an upright heart will yield and stoop to them Brethren if there be any one thing required in the whole Book of God that you cannot consent to but allow your selves in the ordinary neglect of concerning which you say with Naaman The Lord spare me in this one thing whatsoever else you do you can have no comfort that your hearts are upright 2. In having respect to the most spirituall and inward part of the Commandment the Commandment contains fugienda and facienda sins to be avoided and duties to be performed and both these are either outward or spiritual 1. As there are outward sins to be avoided sins of the mouth sins of the eyes ears hands so there are inward sins spiritual wickednesses evil thoughts Jer. 4. 14. unclean lusts Mat. 5. 28. inordinate affections an evil conscience and the like now sincere Christians have an eye to and hold a strict hand upon these spiritual wickednesses 〈◊〉 to have their consciences purged their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience their affections and lusts mortified Gal. 5. 24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections an lusts their care is not only that they be no drunkards or swearers nor lyars nor railers nor oppressors nor of proud froward fretful impatient carriages and behaviours but they would not covet they would not lust they would not be of proud impatient fretful envious unpeaceable hearts they would not that an evil thought not a vain thought should
Vindiciae Pietatis OR A VINDICATION OF Godliness In the greatest Strictness and Spiritualitâ— of it From the Imputations of FOLLY FANCY Together with Several Directions for the Attaining and Maintaining of a Godly Life By R. A. London Printed in the Year 1665. To my dearly Beloved in Christ the inhabitants of the Parish of B. in the County of S. My dearly beloved Brethren THe ensuing Sermons as they had their Birth for your sakes so are they now offered into your hands and they come unto you upon the same important errand upon which their Authour hath been sent among you viz. to shew you the Path of life and to bring you into and establish you in that holy state and way that leads to everlasting Blessedness The chief hindrances of Sinners eternal Happiness next to that innate enmity against God and Godleness which is rooted in their hearts are their prejudices against and their ignorance of the good wayes of the Lord. Sathan and his Instruments have made it their businesse by those vollies of reproaches and unreasonable calumnies which they are continually discharging against holinesse to render it in the judgement of the World an empty and contemptible thing Two things there are amongst many others which they lay to the reproach of it The one that it is folly whatever there may be in this Godlinesse yet it is attended with so many difficulties dangers and hazards and will be such an unsufferable prejudice to all that will have much to do with it that it is a foolish thing upon such hazards and disadvantages to adventure upon it If this will not do but the consciences of Men whilst they apprehend the real worth and excellency of it stand convinced that it is not Folly but wisdom to adventure on any difficulties to run any hazards for so glorious a prize then comes in the second reproach That it is but a device a specious contrivance to take up eager heads to amuse and divert the busie and keep in awe weak souls when if it be enquired into notwithstanding its glorious pretences it will be found nothing else but imagination meer fancy and no reality at all in the heart of it These impressions I have endeavoured according to my might to wipe away from your hearts and the hearts of such as read what you have heard in the ensuing discourses where I hope you will see both sufficient reason whence to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men to establish your hearts in the firm belief and resolved embracing of it and abundant encouragement to hold on your holy course to the end The other hindrance of a Godly Life is mens ignorance They walk not in the way of the Lord because they know not the way of the Lord some rude and dark notions of Religion possibly they may have but wherein the Spirit and life of Godliness stands and how to set upon an holy and heavenly course they cannot tell This hindrance I have in part prevented in that Description I have given of a godly man and more fully removed in those Directions which I have subjoyned for the obtaining and carrying on a godly Life Brethren my hearts desire and Prayer for you is that what I have done may be successful to your souls that you may be saved as the Apostle speaks that you may be brought into and established in the way of truth and may be found walking in the way of Righteousness And if the Lord shall be pleased so to follow these my endeavours with his Blessing that they may contribute any thing to this end if the Lord shall so animate these otherwise dead words by his quickening Spirit that any souls of them that are without may be added to the Church that any cubits may be added to the stature of those that are within it shall be a Crown to me and exceeding Cause of rejoycing Let the Lord Almighty have the praise for ever as from all such who shall reap any benefit hereby So from the soul of Your Servant in the Gospel R. A. The Contents of the Sermons on Ephes 5. 15. THe Text opened Page 2 The Doctrine propounded Precisians are no fools ibid. The Doctrine explained 1. Precisians are described 1. Negatively to be 1. No Pharisee 3 2. No Phanatick ib. 3. No Phrenetick ib. 2. Positively 1. By their make or constitution They are formed after the image of God 5 2. By their way or conversation Where is considered 1. The end of their conversation Where they are described to be men that are travelling to another world 8 2. Their course I. They take the right way Which is 1. Described to be The Old and Good The New and Living The Strait and Narrow Way ib. 2. Proved to be the most excellent Way It is 1. The way of Truth 14 2. The way of Holiness 15 3. The way of God 16 4. The way of the Kingdom 17 II. They are upright in the way 19 Their uprightnesse is considereed as it hath respect To the Commandement To Conscience 21 Their uprightness as it respects the Commandment stands 1. In their having respect to every Command 23 2. In having respect to the most spiritual and in ward part of every Command 24 3. In the endeavour to observe every Command to the utmost 25 1. They endeavour to get up to the highest pitch of affection care and activity ib. 2. They study and seek out after opportunities for service 26 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin 27 4. They obstain from all appearance of evil 28 Two things added 1. When they have done all that they can they acknowledge themselves unprofitable servants 30 2. Whatever they have done they dare not trust upon it or be found in their own righteousness 32 Their uprightness as it respects Conscience exprest in two particulars 1. They take great care of Conscience 34 1. About the instructing and informing conscience ib. 2. About keeping Conscience tender 35 2. They give good heed to Conscience hearkning to and following in without turning aside 1. To the right hand either 1. By putting Religion in those things wherein God hath put none 43 2. By putting more Religion in any thing than God hath put in it ibid. 2. To the left hand 45 1. By making sins no sin duties no dutie ib. 2. By making bold with known sins and duties ib. III. From this way they will not be drawn aside by any fears or dangers on the one hand or by any flatteries or advantages on the other 46 1. A Summary description of these Precisians 51 2. Precisians are proved to be no fools from four Reasons Reas 1. God accounts them no fools 54 Reas 2. They will not be accounted fools at last neither by God nor men 55 Reas 3. The properties of wise men are found in them 58 1. They understand themselves aright They understand 1. Their Interest ib. 2. Their way 60 2. They build sure 64 Reas 4.
evil company to venture themselves among frothy and vain persons especially when they have proved what a snare such have been again and again to them it is a sign that they have little fear of sin care of their souls or consciences or regard to God or godlinesse a circumspect Christian dares not venture so prophane men wonder at them why they will be no more free nor familiar with them not so much as to fit and be merry with them They think it strange saith the Apostle that you run not with them Oh the reason is they are afraid of the hook and therefore dare not meddle with the bait 4. They abstain from all appearance of evil that is the command 1 Thess 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil they would live not only sine crimine but sine labo not only without any fault but without any flaw or scar upon them Oportet Caesaris uxorem absque suspitione vivere To the end they may cut off all occasion from them that seek occasion against them they would do not only things honest but things of good report too they enquire concerning what they are about to do not only a Liceat but a Deceat not only whether it be lawful but whether it be comely there may be divers things that may be lawful in themselves which are yet unseemly may look with an evil face All things are lawful saith the Apostle but all things are not expedient A circumspect Christian endeavours both to keep a good Conscience and to keep a good Name he would keep a good Conscience for his own sake and a good Name as far as may be for his Brethrens sake his desire is both to hold up the power of Religion and to keep up the credit of Religion and therefore it is he herein exercises himself both to keep a conscience void of guile in the sight of God and a conversation void of offence in the sight of men The Servants of Christ see that there are many eyes upon them that will espy the least spot upon them and therifore their care is to keep themselves unspâ—tted of the World to carry themselves so that if it be possible the World may have nothing to spot them withall they are sensible how obnoxious they are to the severe and rigid censures of the World and that all the reproaches that fall on them fall on the Lord and his Gospel what an out-cry is there in the World against those that fear God as if they were bryars and thorns the fire-brands of the World and the troubles of Nations that run the World upside down as if there were no Lions in the world but Christs Lambs as if Christs Sheep were all Wolves and therefore to prevent this and to put to silence the ignorance and malice of evil men they endeavour as much as may be to gain upon the hearts and to get the good opinion of all men to walk so that they may not only profit but please others and render the Gospel the more lovely with them they would not only wrong no man defraud no man provoke no man but they would displease no man give no many any occasion of offence or distaste at them and their way Sinners as much as the poor Saints are cryed out against for troublesom and unquiet yet they are desirous rather to please than provoke you they would please all the world as far as they may without hurting themselves or them indeed they would not sin against God to please men they would not wound their consciences to save their credits they would not lye nor dissemble nor flatter nor connive at you nor comply with you in sin to gain your good will but as far as they can in order to your good they are willing to become all things to all men let them alone but to do their duty to God to your and their own Souls and if that do not displease you they are willing in all things to do their best that they may not offend you And thus have I given you the description of these men by the exactnesse of their walking according to the Scriptures which stands in their endeavour to have respect to every command to the most inward and spiritual part of every Command and to observe every command to the utmost to this I shall add two things 1. When they have done all that they can after this care and circumspection they will acknowledg themselves unprofitable Servants they are thankful and blesse God for helping them on in his way but yet they are humble they are so far from boasting that they have done so much that they are ashamed that they have done no more Whilst they admire the Grace of God towards them they abase and abhor themselves in dust and ashes 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I no thanks to me but to the Grace of God that was with me Some comfortable difference there hath been blessed be God betwixt my Conversation and the wayes of many others but who hath made me to differ from another or what have I that I have not received and if I have received it why should I boast as if 〈◊〉 received it not Something through the Grace of God hath been done some service hath been performed but what 's all this to what I might have done what 's all this I have done to what I have left undone How small is my service if it be compared with my sins How few are my duties if compared with my neglects Wha's all I have done for God to what I owe to the Lord to that which he hath done for me who hath redeemed my life from death and crowned me with loving kindnesse But oh What 's all I have done to what God hath promised to do for me What 's my Work to my Reward What 's my Race to my Crown Such humbling self-abasing thoughts as these do Christians exercise themselves in to lay them low even in the dust before the Lord. The prophane World brand them for a proud Generation who say to their Brethren Stand aside I am holier than you What more common in suc'h mouths precise but as proud as the Devil It 's true and Christians will freely acknowledge it and take the shame of it upon them that this pestilent Evil Pride is a weed that is apt to spring up in the Richest Gardens we can hardly be lifted up to an holy course but we are apt to be puft up with a vain conceit we can hardly do well but we are apt to think too well of what we do many a precious Christian hath groaned and travelled in pain under the bondage of a self-exalting heart but yet he 〈◊〉 bewailing it and bemoaning himself for it yea â—is very disease helps on to a cure his pride is a means to humble him his being lifted up above measure is the very thorn in his flesh that
his heart was tender These temper circumspect Christians are very chary of keeping their hearts in and therefore any thing that would brawn or harden them they carefully shun as the eye that cannot endure the dust that falls into it is quick at its ward to keep off any thing that would be noxious to it and this is the reason why Christians can bear any thing rather than sin because it 's this alone that 's hurtful to conscience they are hardy enough to bear afflictions these are no prejudice to conscience it is not against their consciences to suffer but it is to sin affliction may perplex the thoughts and too much disquiet and distemper the passions but will never trouble conscience Object Tender Consciences Who more stubborn and peremptory and obstinate and stiffe in their way thau these Do you call this tenderness Sol. There is a threefold-stiffeness Manifested 1. In a refusing to receive conviction touching any thing wherein they are faulty or in an error 2. In a refusing to revoke their errors upon conviction that they are in a fault let either of these be charged upon them and let the charge be made good and then call them stubborn obstinate or what you will 3. In a refusing to act contrary to their conviction to do that which Conscience is not satisfied in which after their most free fair debate most candid enquiring into and most impartial weighing all that is or can be said for it their conscience still tells them they should sin in doing it Hereupon though all their Friends should come and perswade and entice them though all their Adversaries should fall a scoffing and reproaching them a threatning persecuting them yet still they refuse to yield This stiffness is that stedfastness which the Lord requires in them and is so far from being inconsistent with true tenderness that it is their tenderness If an Idolater should come and perswade such to worship an Idol if he should threaten them with the fiery furnace with the Lions Den and yet they will not Is this their stubborness Or is it not their tenderness If an Adulterer should perswade them to uncleanness If a Libertine should come and think to scoff them out of their strict holy course or to tempt them but to some little indulgence to their flesh in some such way as this Why What hurt is there in a little mirth What great matter is it to take a little liberty now and then Why should you think your selves wiser than other men yet they will not hearken will you call this their obstinacy or their tenderness Here be obstinate creatures indeed they will not be Idolaters they will not be unclean they will not be Libertines they will not be liars nor dissemblers they will by no means be perswaded to rebel against God and Conscience and therefore they be obstinate Perswade them to that which is good convince them that they are in an error and then try whether they will be obstinate tell them Friends you walk disorderly unchristianly you are uucharitable ccnsorious contentious proud vain and convince them of it and see if they will not hearken to you thank you for your admonition Christians prove your selves to be conscientious by your tenderness however the World go about to blast and reproach you with your consciences and call your uprightness hypocrisie your tenderness obstinacy yet part not with it so but still resolve with Job chap. 27. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me There is a double way wherein we may be said to remove our integrity 1. By departing from it 2. By belying it 1. By departing from our integrity by turning aside to iniquity by being found false to God and conscience and by a liberty in sinning exchanging this truth tenderness of heart for hardness hypocrisie Take heed you do not thus depart from your Integrity Beloved you live in a world wherein conscience is like to cost you dear if you will own any such thing as conscience or conscientious walking you are like to smart for it Look to it that your conscience be sound such as is worth the suffering for do not suffer for the name of conscience or consciencious but for the thing look to it that whatsoever you suffer for conscience you suffer nothing from conscience for your wronging or abusing or violating of it Sufferings for conscience for an upright conscience are precious Sufferings from conscience from an evil and abused conscience will be bitter Let all the world be against you rather than conscience whom the world smites for conscience God will heal whom the world judges God will justifie but if our hearts condemn us who shall plead for us or comfort us Carry your selves so that conscience may be your comforter not your tormentor There is no torment like the stings and revenges of an abused conscience Keep your consciences tender and they will neither hurt you nor suffer you to be hurt by others keep your integrity and it will keep you The Psalmist prayes Ps 25. 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me Let me not think to shift my self of trouble by sheltering my self under sin let me not go about to make my peace with my troublesom adversaries by casting in my lot with them let me never think to be beholding to iniquity for my safety let integrity preserve me Preserve thou me in mine integrity and let it preserve me Christians give the world leave to talk and do what they will but when they have said and done their worst keep you honest and you shall keep you safe Your consciences will be your confidence and your security He that walketh uprightly shall walk sure Be not reproached out of your refuge let not the world find you obstinate against your duty nor yet yielding to iniquity be not stubborn but yet be stedfast yield to reproofs while you slight reproaches Let us be so gentle flexible easie to be entreated so fearful to offend so ready to please all men in all things which are not against conscience its peace purity that we may convince them that in those things wherein we fix and do not yield it is because we cannot not because we will not and let us yet be so stedfast in those things which would be a wound defilement to conscience that we may let them see it is but a vain attempt for them to think to reproach or persecute us out of our integrity let us be sincerely tender not out of any sickleness or weakness of conscience or from groundless scrupulosity much less from sullenness or humor but from a sound mind and pure conscience Let us be universally tender of every evil not only of the greatest and most scandalous but of the smallest sins not only of open sins such as come to the view of men but of the most secret sins the most inward and spiritual wickedness such as need
fear no reprover but conscience let us be tender not only of committing sin but of any omissions or neglects not only of our neglects of duties but our negligences in duties and that deadness formality cursoriness coldness hypocrisie distractions which hence arise of the neglects or negligent performances of our duty to God of our duty to men to our families to our friends to our enemies our not pittying them nor praying for them nor wishing them well not doing them good for their evil endeavouring by our soft meek inoffensive and loving carriage towards them to win and gain upon their hearts Oh Brethren we have much 〈◊〉 blame our selves for though evil men have little or if they have more they are so unhappy as not to hit upon the right judging us condemning us not for our faults but for the good that is found in us But however we have much to blame our selves for the Lord help us we have many haltings and many failings Oh it were well for us if our hearts had no more to say against us then men can say what unevenness and inequality is there in our goings what intermissions of our care and watchfulness what ever our aims and desires are what an universal regard soever we have to the will of God yet when we come to practice in how many things do we go awry It may be we dare not wholly neglect a duty not a praying season not a hearing season but our hearts will presently be upon us and smite us for it but are we not often remiss and negligent in our duties and go out with it without any trouble may be we take some care in the matters of our own souls but what do we for our families our friends and acquistance may be we dare not conform to evil men nor have fellowship with them in their evil wayes but do we not coâ—nive at them may be we do not render evil for evil railing for railing but do we good foâ— evil do we pitty them pray for them labour by all lawful means to gain upon their hearts may be we dare not be unrighteous or unjust in our dealings but are we not unmerciful unpeaceable unquiet we dare not lye nor sweaâ— or curse but are we so watchful as we should be against idle and vain talkings frothy unsavoury discourses may be we cannot suffer any rooted malice to abide in our hearts but are there not many sudden and furious fits of passion anger breaking forth much bitter provoking language are we not fretful and impatient without eâ—er laying it much to heart doth conscience check us for and make resistance against every evil Let us be universally tender universally careful Oh that our consciences were but as tender as our lusts our pride will not bear any thing that reflects upon our reputation our covetousness will not bear any thing that is an hindrance to our gains our passions will hardly bear the least cross or unpleasing word how touchy are we at every little thing that does offend us Oh if conscience were in every thing as tenderas lust what Christians should we be but woe to us whatever we should be how short do we fall how unequal are our goings how unsteady are our tempers sometimes tender sometimes hard sometimes watchful sometimes heedless in some things careful in some things carelâ—ss how do we too much justifie the wicked harden them in their reproaches of us Let us press on with so much earnestness to this evenness exactness in all our ways that it may be seen that however we have not yet attained yet we are following after though we have not reached to yet we are reaching towards it though through infirmity we fall into many iniquities yet we allow not to our selves a liberty in any such a conscience as this such a course as this will plead for its self against all the calumnies of the World 2. By belying your integrity that is the sence in which Job speaks in the fore-mentioned Scripture I will not remove my integrity that is I will never belye my integrity call you me an hypocrite or what else you please God forbid that I should justifie you by belying my self saying as you say Brethren do not out of any base fear or to make your peace with sinners do not say of your tenderness watchful walking this was my pride or my hypocrisie or my bumor or self-will but stand upon your own uprightness Till I dye I will hold fast my righteousness will not let it go mine heart shall not reproach me while I live v. 6. 2. They give great heed to conscience they will hearken to follow conscience the voice of a well instructed conscience is the voice of God to this voice they will hearken without turning aside in any thing either to the right hand or the left By turning aside to the right hand I mean the same which Solomon does by being righteous overmuch Eccles 7. 16. Be not righteous overmuch the imposing upon ourselves such strictness and those severities which God hath not imposed the making those things to be sins which God hath not made to be sins and hereby making the narrow way narrower than the Lord hath made it and this may be done 1. By putting Religion in such things in which Cod hath put none laying other bonds and burthens on our necks then those which the Holy Ghost hath laid on us the abridging and cutting our selves short of that Christian liberty which the Lord hath not only allowed but commanded us to maintain and stand fast in 2. By putting more Religion in any thing then God hath put in it by laying a greater weight and stress upon the lesser and smaller thingsâ— of Religion than God hath layed on them By the lesser duties of Religion I mean not any moral duties the lowest of these the lowest duties of mercy justice charity truth c. are to be reckoned among the weighty matters of the law wherein we â—annot erre by being too strict we cannot be too just or too true or too merciful nor too zealous for truth justice and mercy Mat. 5. 19. He that breaketh the least of these Commandments and teacheth them so shall be called the least in the Kingdom â—f Heaven but by the lesser things of Religion I mean the circumstantials of the worship of God the outward forms of worship the gestures c. to be used in it This is a being righteous overmuch to put more in these circumstantials then the Scripture hath put to be so zealous for or against them as if Religion stood or fell with them 1 Cor 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commandments of God some there were that did hotly contend for Circumcision and did put much of their Religion in that others were as hot against it this was much of their Religion both these the
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
the life to come on godliness of life here Quest 4. Can I be too godly Can I have too much likeness to God too much care of my ways too much fear of sin Can I be too sure that God is mine Can I have too much peace too much joy and inward comfort I may be too rich to be happy too great to be good too merry to be wise but I cannot be too gracious too humble too watchful too circumspect Let me ask of dying persons whether they have taken more care then needs whether they have more grace then needs Let me ask of those who when they come at last to be weighed in the ballance are found wanting whether there were any fear of making too sure or being too busie and diligent and painful about the work of their Souls Quest 5. Shall I now without any longer delay set upon a godly Life If it be necessary to take up this holy course When shall I begin Shall I this day resolve upon it Can I begin too soon Can I look after God too soon I may defer too long till it be too late and what if I should What if I should stay so long in Sodome till it be too late to escape to Zoar What if I should dwell in the Tabernacles of Wickedness till it be too late to return into the way of Righteousness Awake O my Soul awake from thy worldiness and sensuality away from thy carelesness To day to day if thou wilt hear his voice give thy self to God give thy self up to the power of his Spirit and government of his Word Hitherto I have been a fool hitherto I have been a Servant of Sin and the World Oh that from henceforth I might yield my self to God as one made alive from the dead VI. Head concerning Death and Judgement Direct 1. THink on what the Scriptures speak concerning The Dread Death of Death 1 Concerning the Dread of Death Rev. 6. 8. It is set forth by a pale Horse an horse for strength there is no resistance of it an horse for its swiftness an horse for its office and use to carry away a pale-Horse for its gaâ—â—â—iness Death hath a grim and gastly countenance that strike terrour into all hearts and paleness into all faces Job 18. 14. It is called the King of terrours the Black Prince the Prince of Clouds and Darkness as some render it Darkness hath its terrour in it and the King of Terrours that notes the highest and most terrible of Terrours The terrour of death arises 1 From its Office or Errand upon which it comes which is 1 To arrest the guilty sinners and commit them to custody to be reserved to Judgment 2 To revenge the quarrel of an angry God By sin death entered Death came into the world not onely as the Per dissequa peccati one of its Retinue or Attendants but as the vindex peccati By sin man provoked God by death God takes vengeance on man 3 To cut off and carry us away to our place Death is the door betwixt the two worlds the parting point where sinners take their leave for ever of their pomps and their pleasures of their Houses and Lands and their Friends so as never to return to them again It is dreadful to be carried away from our habitations and acquaintance we know not whither sad was the death of him who dying said Anxius vixi dubius motior nunc quo vado nescio I have lived in care I die in doubt but whither I am going I cannot tell but to them that understand whither death is carrying them as it is the case of self-condemned sinners into the place of darkness and eternal misery This is it that make Death indeed the King of Terrours 2 From its Armour Death is furnished 1 With a Dart this notes the stroke of Death wheâ—â—by it dissolves this Tabernacle divides betwixt Soul and Body This dart of Death is such against which there is no Armour of Proof can secure us from which no quality or condition can exempt us neither King nor Captive neither Rich nor Poor neither evil Men nor good Men can escape this Dart whomsoever Death strikes it strikes sure and strikes home and never fails of doing Execution 2 With a Sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is sin A sting doth two things 1 It pierces 2 It poysons Hence follow those rumours and inflamations and that anguish that a sting puts men to But what is the sting of Death 'T is Sin This is the Poyson upon the Dart of Death that makes it so full of torment an evil heart an evil conscience an evil life this is it that makes Death so terrible A guilty Conscience often stings a sinner in his life in his health in the midst of all his prosperity but when Death and a guilty Conscience strike in together then it stings with a witness 2 Concerning the Death of Death or its destruction This Enemy is to be destroyed Hos 13. 14. Yea it is in part destroyed already 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ by dying and rising again hath overcome Death and this not for himself but for his Members on whose behalf he hath disarmed Death and taken away its sting so that though it strike them yet it cannot sting them Death aâ— an hornet hath stung our Lord and in him hath lost his sting Hereupon the Apostle in the persons of all Believers triumphs over Death 1 Cor. 15. 55 57. O Death where is thy sting Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians that through Christ have conquered sin by the same Jesus have conquered Death so that now it is possible for thee to live above the fear of Death some natural fears there may be some shrinkings back of the flesh but the great fear is over the bitterness of Death is past 2 Consider what the Scripture speaks concerning Judgement Consider these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgement-Seâ—â— of Christ Mat. 25. 34. to the end Theâ— shall the King say unto them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world c. Direct 2. Ask thy heart these questions Quest 1. Must I not dye Quest 2 Whither will my death carry me In which of the two Regions of the other world is my death like to land me Either in the Region of Everlasting Light or in the Region of Everlasting Darkness To which of those two Regions am I now travelling By this I may guess whither my death will transport me Quest What a strange change will Death make upon me What a change of my Judgment and Opinion With what a different eye shall I look on all things then from what I do now Shall I look on God on Christ on Holinesse on peace of Conscience with such a slighting and undervaluing eye
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
weights The rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth Shall I count those pure Are these my People What holy and not honest religious and not righteous What sincerity without truth a single heart with a double tongue What grace where there is no peace nor mercy nor temperance What railers and revilers and quarrellers and yet religious James 1. 26. If any man seems to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain A dreadfull word There are many Professors of Religion in whom an unbridled tongue is found How many light and vain words how many false and deceitful words especially how many bitter and angry words do we ordinarily hear out of such mouths what biting and devouring what cutting and provoking what reproaching and reviling language doth often break forth at the same mouths whence at other times we hear praying and blessing But can such consider his Scripture withouâ— a trembling heart This mans Religion is vain Vain notes two things 1. Empty Whatever Religion such men seem tâ— have there is nothing in it 2. Ineffectual That is vain that falls short of and doth not reach its end nor brinâ— about thaâ— for which it is The end of our Religion is salvation Whatever Religion such men have it will do them no good nor stand them in any stead it will never save their souls they may die and be damned and lie in hell for ever notwithstanding all the Religion they have All the conclusions that men make from such Religion that they are in a state of grace and salvation are false and deceitful that faith and that hope and those prayers which will consist with the raiging evils of the tongue will never be any good evidence of a good state That which cannot drive the Devil out of the Tongue will never prove Christ to be in the heart And all the expectations that are hence raised of future blessedness will undoubtedly deceive them That Religion which will not tame the Tongue will never save the soul I incist the more on this because however those evils mentioned injustice unmercifulness intemperance c. may possibly be as common and some of them as pernicious and the prevailing of them as certainly concluding men in an evil state as this yet these evils of the tongue being but words are more apt to be passed lightly over and notwithstanding all the mischievous consequences of them to be less regarded But can you make a light matter of that which proves you damnable Hypocrites Hast thou spit â—ut all thy Religion in thy furious fits and yet â—ilt thou make nothing of them By this biting â—nd devouring tongue you do not only consume â—ne another but you consume every man himself our own peace your own Comfort your own â—opes your Religion and Salvation You see by â—xperience how it devours all the exercises of Religion what duties are we fit for whilst our â—ongues are on fire Prayer must be laid aside Reading or Conference of God or of Souls are turned out of Doors God himself cannot be heard conscience cannot be heard Souls cannot be minded while those noises and tumults last And that which doth destroy the exercises of Grace cannot but destroy its evidences and bring us at least to question it if not to conclude it a nullity I confess some evils of the tongue may consist with Grace in the Heart but if this Scripture be true an unbridled tongue cannot Grace cannot hold this unruly member under such constant Government but it will too often break â—oose but where it is not brought under government at all where the Heart puts spurs to the Tongue but no bridle where persons looking upon â—ll this a matter of nothing allow themselves in 〈◊〉 and letting loose the Reins to their Tongues â—o ordinarily surrender them up to their Lusts and â—assions to use at pleasure and to vent themselves â—â—eely by such men must first disprove the Scripture before they can prove the truth of theâ—â— Religion Christians you that have been sick of this disease of an evil mouth bless the Lord if the cure be begun but rest not till it be perfected It will stiâ—â— defile where it doth not destroy It will defile youâ— names your evil words will recoil he that spits against the wind his spittle is driven back in his owâ— face It will defile your consciences your hearts never send forth an evil breath but there is some thing of it sticks behind It will defile your duties there will be a tincture on your prayers of that foulness of your mouth which your evil words have left behind them It will defile your profession that will hardly be spoken well of which will bear evil speaking It will disturb where it doth not devour it will disturb you in your holy course if it doth not quite divert you never look to prosper in holinesse or to be fruitful in good works whilst you break forth into such evil words these lean kinâ— and thin ears of envy and contention will eat up all your good fruit I rather wonder to see any thing green in those Gardens where such Locusts lodge than that there is no more Oh Brethren let us no longer excuse but judge our selves for this let our bitterness become bitter to us let us weep over it let us watch against it let us quench those fires within that there be no more such flames and smoak without let us be sensible of those inward inflammations of that unquietnesse and unpeaceableness of our spirits whence all our outward paroxisms arise they are our foul stomacks that fuâ— our tongues We lay the blame of all upon temptations and provocations but they are our lusts our lusts that are in fault which war in our members Let us be more sensible of these let us be humbled let us be ashamed that we that profess our selves sons of peace should harbour such sons of contention in our hearts Let the experiences we have had of the loss we have sustained the guilt we have conâ—racted the wounds that we have given to our â—rethren to our own souls to the Gospel of our Lord already let these set us a purging out this â—our leaven Let salt be cast into the fountain that â—he streams may become sweeter and when the fountain is healed then let us sweep the Channel let there neither be war any longer in our hearts nor a sword in our mouths Let us beat our Swords into Plough-shares and our Spears into pruning hooks Let our words plough up the hearts and not break the heads let them pare off and reprove the sins and not reproach the faces of our brethren Let us counsel and admonish and comfort one another and provoke to love and good works but let there be no more bitterness or strife or envying or quarrellings found among us let us
it If you have wasted away your encouragements and spent out your Sun-shine in a careless unprofitable life how do you think to be ever useful or serviceable in the dark If you cannot now bear the pains of a godly life how do you think you should bear both the pains and the charges of it If you could follow Christ no closer in the plenty of all things how do you think to follow him when it must be in hunger and thirst Dost thou talk of suffering for Christ and suffering for Righteousness and hope thou shalt never forsake him whatever come upon thee when thy heart tells thee how much thou hast slighted Christ neglected thy duty to Christ contented thy self with a cold heartlesse luke-warm Profession without the power of Christianity and that when thou hast had no pretence of damage or danger that was hereby like to come upon thee You that how can keep at distance from Christ for the satisfying of a lust have reason enough to fear that you will utterly forsake him if ye be put to it for the saving of your Life You that in a calm can ordinarily remit your Religion for the pleasing a lazy heart will be like enough to renounce your Religion in a storm to quiet a fearful heart He that can sell his Conscience for a Lust will hardly be perswaded to buy it with the losse of all that ever he is worth Thou sayest it may be with Peter Though I dye with him I will not deny him I but dost thou deny thy self for him now deny thy pleasures and thy ease and thy companions now Hast thou not many a time denyed him a Prayer or an Alms when he hath called for it Canst thou watch with Christ Dost thou walk with Christ as thou oughtest Dost thou live to Christ Art thou faithful in bringing forth fruit unto Christ the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse If not how dost thou think to be able to suffer for him If the way of Christ be too strait for thee thou wilt find his burthen to be too heavy if thou canst not bear his yoke thou wilt be less able to bear his Cross Christians consider what your wayes and your doings are at present and if you find the Lord helping you to walk in all good conscience now you need not doubt of being enabled to witnesse for a good conscience when called to it If you keep the Word and do the work of the Lord you may expect his help for bearing his burthen If you be faithful in your lives you are the more like to be faithful to the death Because thou hast kept the Word of my patience I also will keep thee in the hour of temptation Rev. 3. 10. 2. What you are in the ordinary and smaller crosses that come daily upon you There is not that man that lives that meets not with his crosses which though they be many of them but light and inconsiderable things below the Spirit of a Christian to take notice of yet how sadly may we observe at what a loss they are presently by them Every little Wind raiseth a storm every little cross puts us out of course What breaches are often made upon our consciences what interruptions of duties what abatements of our comforts to what distance are we put from Christ and our holy communion with him and all meerly for a thing of nought We cannot bear an unkindness from a Friend or an injury from an Enemy the provocation of an evil tongue a scoffe or a slander but presently our spirits are in an uproar and there are such tumults raised up within us that for the time we forget that we are Christians Duties and Comforts Christ and Conscience Souls and the matters of Eternity and all regard to them are laid aside and turned out of doors Faith and Patience and Meekness and Moderation are either made to be silent or at least cannot be heard for the noise of our passions and disquiets and all this sometimes for such trivial things that when we come to our selves we are all quite ashamed of our selves Brethren such fails by these lower temptations I cannot wonder if they make our hearts shake at the fore-fight of greater If every small party which the Adversary sends out against us doth put us to the rout How shall we stand when he comes upon us with his full body If we are overcome of the footmen how shall we contend with the horsemen If a rod or a little finger doth so disturb us how shall we bear the weight of the loyns or the stinging of Scorpions If we cannot bear an unkindnesse or a nod or a scoff or a slander what would become of us should we be brought to resist unto blood Beloved it is of greater import to Christians than they are aware of both to observe themselves daily and their carriages in these lower things and to inure themselves to patience and meeknesse of spirit under them Though it â—e no great vertue to be patient where there is no great provocation yet there may be great benefit by it If we could but shame our selves out of this folly and childishnesse of Spirit whereby we are apt to be moved with every toy if we could reason and pray our selves into such a fixed calm and quietnesse of spirit that we could keep our way with the neglect of such disturbances our lives would be both more comfortable and honourable at present and we should be in the better preparation for any harder things that might come upon us If we know how to be Christians among briars and thorns we shall be the better able to continue such among Spears and Arrows 3. What you are under the temptation of prosperity The World is a Christians Enemy it expresseth its enmity in its temptations the end of all its temptations is to draw us off from God Its temptations are of two sorts either of prosperity or affliction and both driving at the same end though in a different way Prosperity allures entices and flatters us away from God it steals away our hearts from God as Absalom stole the hearts of Israel from David by fair speeches by its fair and smiling face thereby drawing us into a neglect and forgetfulness of God to grow cold and remiss in our duty to God to let fall our love and affection and to lay aside our care of Religion Afflictions fright us from God dealing by us as Rabshakeh by Israel when he sought to get them off from Hezekiah by his threatnings and great words Isa 36. If you will not hearken to me I will make you drink your own piss and eat your own dung Afflictions are apt to weary men out of the ways of God to starve them out of their Religion to persecute them out of their Consciences and to make godlinesse too hot for them The stronger and the more dangerous of these two sorts of temptations are held to be the temptations of
serious Question But what am I all this while Let this thought sawce thy sweet Morsel spice thy pleasant Cups be the Burthen of thy merry Songs After this Hell Snares Fire and Brimstone the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Oh an Heaven a Paradise oh my dear pleasures oh my sweet Laughter oh merry dayes what Mortal can part with you I but what comes after What is there at the bottom Look a little before thee and if that sight turn not thy stomack sure thou art sufficiently hardy Study thy case and tremble and when thou tremblest there 's hope thou wilt turn Think not of Repentance or escaping from thy sinful staâ—e till thou see and fear it We read Isa 42. 7. that Christ was sent to open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners out of Prison If the Prisoners eyes be shut 't is to little purpose that the Prison doors be open Their Eyes must be first open'd not only that they may see their way out but that they may see themselves in Prison Open thine Eyes Sinner if ever thou wilt escape open thine Eyes and see where thou art Thy Fools Paradise wherein thou blessest thy self is thy Souls Prison where thou art like to be held under Eternal Bondage 2. Give a present Bill of Divorce to every sin hug not Death one minute longer in thy Bosom If thou lovest thy Life say not of any one sin Nothing but Death shall part thee and me No not so much as this Yet a little while and I will let thee go Today to day if your will hear his voice hearden not your hearts 4. Dread it as Hell that thy hope in Christ should lessen thy fear of sin Let not thy hope of a Saviour be thy damnation Make not Christ the Pandor of sin continue not in sin because Grace hath abounded 4. Break off from thy Companions in sin wilt thou love them to the death Christ and thy Soul can never be married till thy Soul and Sinners be parted Escape for thy life get thee up from the Tents of these men linger not Thou art held under the power of the Devil by cords and by knots by the cords of thy sinnes and by the knots of thy Companions There 's no hope that the cords of sin will be broken till the knots of evil Companions be loosed Sinner these binding Cords will if thou look not to it become whip cords to torment thee Oh take heed thou never come to be lashed with such knotted cords Thy Companions in sin as they now heighten thy pleasures so will they hereafter sharpen thy plagues Sinners comfort their hearts with this thought That if they be damned they shall have store of company but let them know That the fire of Hell will burn just so much the cooler for the multitudes that are there as the fire of their Chimney does for the store of fewel When thou art charmed with the roaring of thy Companionâ— in the Ale-house think what musick their roaring with thee will make when you shall all meet in your eternal Prison Away from evil company you will remember hereafter when â—is too late how much and with how little success I have laboured with you in this thing 5. Baffle not Conscience once more Awakened Sinner Charm not thy Conscience into silence nor dash it out of countenance Thy Conscience is the only Friend that God or the Soul hath left within thee Thy will and thy affections and thine appetite are all gone the Devil hath stoln them away and hired them all against thee thou hast nothing but poor Conscience left Thy Conscience hath been often upon the pleading with thee for God and for pity to thy Soul It hath warned thee reproved thee and often whisper'd thee in thine Ear What dost thou mean whither art thou going when wilt thou return Away with thy sins have done with thy Companions no more of this drunkenness this riot this covetousness Thou art a lost man thy Soul is lost if thou go on Thus Conscience hath warned thee and thou hast sometimes hearkned to it and spoken it fair The throbs and the pangs and the wounds thou hast felt and received from it have wrung from thee now and then a promise Well through the Grace of God I 'le hearken to Conscience I 'le be a new man Away from me ye sinners I will keep the Commandments of my God And yet shortly after when thy Temptations return thy Companions come all 's forgotten and along thou goest as a fool to the Stocks or an Ox to the slaughter and this hath been thy way and thy mannâ—r from time to time Now and then Conscience draws a sigh or a â—ear from thee and by and by receives a kick or a stab Beware Sinner Conscience will not alwayes be thus us'd If ever it speak again say it not Nay It 's next word may be it's last if ever thou weariest it into perpetual silence then farewel all for ever Conscience is the only Friend thou hast left Convinced Soul How wilt thou bear the revenges of an awakened abused Conscience all thy bâ—fflings of it here will be repeated over in eternity How will all this look when it shall meet thee before thy Judge Save thy self from that hour Baffle nor Conscience once more 6. Let not the gâ—eatness of thy sins nor the difficulty of Christs terms hinder or discourage thee from making a present close with Christ Say not his Yoke is too heavy his Cross is too grievous for me to bear or my sins are too great for him to bear Set the Throne against the Yoke the Crown against the Câ—oss infinite Merit and Mercy against mighty sins and go unto Jesus cast thy self on his bloud and bowels and put thy self under his Yoke and Scepter If he will give Life to thee be content that he give Laws to thee and as ever thou expectest to live by him be resolved to live to him and no longer to thy self Go to Jesus and when thou goest take with thee these two Scriptures Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and you shall find rest unto your Souls Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances 1. Let secret and Family Prayer be thy daily exercise Count not thy self a Christian till thou give thy self to prayer 2. Let not reading the Word Catechising c. be strangers in thy house 3. Prize improve and sanctifie the Sabbaths The Lord on those dayes comes down upon his Mount to meet thy Soul to commune with thee to bless thee to feed thee and fill thee with whatsoever thy Soul desireth or wanteth Get thee up to meet thy God But remember when thou goest leave thy staff behind thee 4. View often and take an account of thy self of the
am giving you I have in part borrowed for your use which some of you may possibly have received elsewhere Before I give you the particular directions I shall first premise these things 1. Count upon this that the Directions I am now giving you if you ever mean to bring it to any thing will cost you pains and labour and how can you count your selves Christians if you refuse to be at the necessary cost of Christianity If you think to be Christians without labour or if you will stand out from Christianity to save your labour you are a like wise in both Either come to a Resolution to fall upon an industrious painful life or 't will be in vain to give you counsel 2. Practice the Directions I shall give you in pursuance of your Covenant with God wherein you have ingaged to take the strictest severest Laws of Christ for the Rule of thy Life What I am presing on you for the matter of it is no more than you have bound your selves to as Christians Remember your bonds and let this holy practice be followed on by you as the paying your Vows Remember daily the vows of God are upon you and there is not any material thing here prescribed to you which falls not under your vows Your Covenant if your eye be much upon it will be a cord to hold you to your work 3. Presse hard for sensible Communion with God in all your Duties 4. Keep up a spiritual and holy frame from Dutie to Dutie Remember what I have elsewhere spoken to you more at large on these two particulars See that there be Religion in your duties and confine not your Religion to your duties 5. Be Watchful The life of all Religion lies much here what-ever you resolve upon will come to nothing without it Watchfulnessis the Executioner of your will Let your eye be upon your Rule and your work Especially watch against your prevailing sins There 's no Christian that observes himself but may find some one sin or more that in regard of their power over him are taller by the head and shoulders than all the rest In some Pride in others Worldliness in others Passion in others Sloathfulness It may be if thou searchest some one of these four or possibly some other may be it that by a specialty thou may'st call thine iniquity Find out what it is and know that there thy main work lies In vain wilt thou strive in other duties till that which hinders be removed out of the way Fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Where the Enemy most ordinarily makes his breach upon thee set the stronger Guard Let thy daily conflicts be here and observe diligently with what success 6. Walk on thy course in the Name and strength of the Lord Jesus Live by Faith Depend on Christ for the assistance of his mighty Spirit Forget not this for otherwise thou wilt go but lamely on These things premised I shall now give you the particular Directions 1. Directions for the Evening Every Evening before you sleep withdraw your selves from the World and having set your hearts as in the presence of God charge them before God to answer to these following Interrogatories 1. Concerning your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my bed when he expected me on my knees 2. Was there not more of Custom and Fashion than of Conscience and Affection either in my secret or family Duties 3. Had I any sensible Communion with God in my duties 4. Have I not neglected or been careless and overly in reading the Word and holy Meditation 2. Concerning your Sins Q. 1. Do I live in nothing that I know to be a sin 2. Have I kept me from MINE Iniquity What victory have I yet gotten over it 3. Am I a mourner for mine own and the sins of the Land 3. Concerning your Temptations Q. 1. Have I feared watched against and not run into temptation 2. What temptations have I overcome this day 3. Have I had a care of my Company 4. Concerning your Heart Q. 1. Have I held mine heart in a serious spiritual gracious frame have my calls to duty ever found me in a preparation to duty 2. Hath the Lord been ever before mine eyes and Eternity upon my heart 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the workings of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience 5. Have I made conscience of evil thoughts 5. Concerning Conscience Q. 1. Hath my Conscience neither been blind nor dumb nor my heart deaf or headstrong against it 2. Have I done nothing against nor with a doubting Conscience 3. Have I neither defiled mine own nor wittingly scandalized my Brothers conscience 6. Concerning your Tongue Q. Have I bridled my Tongue 2. Have I spoken evil of no man 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house or went by the way as I was lying down and rising up 7. Concerning your Talents Q. 1. Have I not wasted or vainly spent any part of my Estate hath neither my pride had a share nor my Appetite more than its share 2. Have I not sent Christ away without an Almes when I had it by me 3. Have I redeemed my time from Needless Visits Idle imaginations Fruitless Discourse and Unnecessary Sleep 4. Have I not lost an opportunity this day of doing or receiving good have I not neglected to exhort or reprove when occasion hath been given and if I have been reproved how have I born it 8. Concerning your Tables Q. 1. Did I not sit down with no higher ends than a Beast only to please my appetite Did I eat and drink to the Glory of God 2. Did I not eat or drink to excess 3. Did I not rise from the Table without letting fall any thing of God there 4. Did I not mock God when I pretended to crave a Blessing or return Thanks 9. Concerning your Calling Q. 1. Have I been serving the Lord this day in my particular Calling 2. Have I not been idle 3. Have I not over-eagerly minded my earthly affairs 4. Have I defrauded no man wronged no man 5. Have I dropped never a Lye nor broken promise in all my dealings 10. Concerning your Relations Q. Have I faithfully discharged and done nothing against my duty 〈◊〉 Relations Have I behaved my self Husband Wife As a Christian Parent Child Master Servant 11. Concerning your carriage to those Within Q. Have I carried my self towards all Saints 1. Lovingly Delighting in them Bearing with them Covering their Infirmities 2. Peaceably not provoking them to Envy 3. Profitably provoking them to love and good works 12. Concerning your carriage to those Without Q Have I carried my self to those without 1. Wisely that they have not been a snare to me nor I through my fault become a prey to them 2. Inoffensively Have I not been a stumbling block to them 3. Courteously and