Carnal men are ignorant of the way though they understand in general that Religion is the way to salvation yet poor miserable creatures they mistake their Religion any little smatterings of the knowledge of God with some profession of Faith and Repentance especially if it be joyned with some little outward devotion now and then calling upon God for mercy this they count Religion enough to bring them to Heaven and any thing that 's more than this they think it more than needs these are the fools indeed if we may believe the Scripture Jer. 5. 4. Surely they are pâ—or they are foolish they know not the way of the Lord. Sinners are wise enough in their own wayes the way of sin they know the way of lying and oppression and unrighteousness the way to health and honour and temporal preferments they sufficiently know they have studied and travelled these ways and are well acquainted with them but all this while they are foolish Children surely they are foolish they know not the way of the Lord. Christians are wise and herein their wisdom stands they know the way of the Lord they have a light without them shewing to them this good way they have a voice behind them telling them this is the way walk in it they have made it their business to enquire and study and travel this way surely these are wise they know the way of the Lord they know their way to heaven if they know not the way to be rich in this world yet they know the way to be rich towards God if they know not how to live honourably in the World yet they know how to live honestly if they know not how to please men yet they know how to please God if they cannot keep a fair correspondence with the World yet they know how to keep a good conscience in the World if they know not how to escape Trouble and Affliction they know how to suffer it if they know not how to escape the wrath of men yet they know how to escape the wrath to come if this be wisdom to be skilled in the matters of Religion and Righteousness in the matters of faith and a good conscience to have found out the way of life by which to escape from hell beneath then these godly men are wise men surely they are wise they know the way of the Lord. Object But you will say Why may not we be in the right way as well as they Why may not our way of Religion be as good a way and as wise a way and as safe a way as theirs Sol. Will you make use of your Reasons if you will you shall answer this Objection your selves their Religion and yours are not two wayes of Religion but as to the principles of it are but one and the same the difference betwixt you and them is this you take up a little part of that Religion which you both profess and you will have but a little to do with that little of Religion which you do take up you little mind or study or are exercised in that which you count your Religion these precise ones take up the whole of Religion and they give themselves wholly to the study and practice of it they make it their business to search the Scripture that they may understand the will and way of the Lord and to govern their hearts and order their lives in all things according to it So that now if you will answer two easie questions you shall thereby be able your selves to answer the Objection the first question is Who are most like to be in the right either these who endeavour to practise all that they profess or those who though they profess the truth do practise scarce any thing of it but a small part of it and that the lower and less considerable part of it the bare outside of it This is no hard question I hope you 'l acknowledge to be resolved and the second question shall be as easie Who is like to be in the right the diligent Christian that makes it his business to study his Religion or the careless Christian that seldom spends a serious thought about it Answer but these two questions and then your selves will be able to give a reason why it 's more like they should be in the right than you Brethren shew your selves men here are a company of poor creatures of you who have spent your time in ignorance and idleness as to the matters of God and your souls who little meddle with that of Religion which your selves say you must do if you will be saved you say you must believe you must repent of your sins you must pray to God for forgiveness and yet what great strangers are many of you from these things it may be if you consider it you have often gon whole daies and weeks together and have scarcely ever prayed no not so much as after your own fashion nor scarce had any thoughts of Repentance or asking God forgivenesse you eat and drink and go forth and come in and lie down and â—ise up and never so much as look up to God for his mercy and blessings these others in the mean while make praying and reading and hearing and minding God and their Souls and eternal state their daily study and businesse now what an unreasonable thing is it to imagin that those who so little meddle with any Religion or any thing of Religion should be as like to understand it as those that make it their daily work Oh beloved how can you be confident you are in the right when you never seriously enquire whether you be or no and how can you think you have any wisdom in you when you trust a matter of such weight and importance upon a meer presumption you are strongly conceited that you are as wise as others and in as good a case and in as good a way anâ— upon this conceit you venture your souls Friends you are a sad wonder to me and I do so much wonder that men should think that carelesness is as good as diligence licentiousness as good aâ— strictness that that loose and blind and easiâ— way which men take up is as good and as sureâ— nay a better and more certain way of life thaâ— the strict and industrious way of the dispiseâ— Saints that I very much wonder how men thaâ— believe and know any thing of the Scriptures can make themseves to think that that sottish dull lifelesse way which they satisfie themselves in can give any of them the least hopes of salvation 2. They build sure so that whosoever or whatsoever falls they stand sure for ever They are those wise bullders of whom Christ speaks Mat. 7. 24. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods come and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it
the enjoying these Earthly things when as for Souls and the things of another World little or no care is taken about them and as little pleasure taken in them Direct 1. Consider what the Scripture speakâ— concerning the vanity and misery of such a life Psal 30. 6. Surely man walketh in a vain shew he is disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them Matth. 16. 26. For what is man profited if he should gain the whole World and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Jam. 5. 1. 2 3. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat you as it were fire ye have heaped up treasures together for the last dayes Luke 12. 16 17 18 19 20. And he spake a parable unto them concerning a certain rich man whose ground brought forth very plenteously and he thought within himself saying What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits And he said this I will do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and I will say to my Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said to him Thou fool this night shall thy soul â—e required of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Direct 2. Ask thy heart Quest 1. Is not my life a worldly life What have I done for hereafter What have I laid up for the World to come Have I been trading for Heaven have I been trading in faith repentance prayer have I been sowing in righteteousness and mercy following of holiness and purity What labour and pains have I taken in seeeking Knowledge Grace an interest in Christ reconciliation with God c. that it might be well with my soule hereafter My body is cared for I have enough laid up for that my Wife and Children are all cared for I have made sufficient provision for them but is not my poor soul uncared for Quest 2. How long will this life and the comforts of it last My soul is immortal and must never die I must have a being some where or other to all Eternity Is the happiness which I have chosen and pursued an everlasting happiness Are my Money and my Corn and my Land everlasting Quest 3. What shall become of me when this life and the comforts of it fail Will this golden or silveâ—â—â—ey open the gate of Heaven to me Will my money buy me an inheritance in the Land of Promise will my thriftiness and good husbandry for this world plead for me before my Judge or excuse my neglect of my soul Will the memory of my plenty or my pleasure or my ease in which I have lived here be a comfort and refreshing to my soul hereafter Can all my carnal friends and companions with whom I have lived so merrily and spent so many a jolly hour can their good word stand me in stead then Will God own me or Christ plead for me then Is not this he whom I have despised and refused to hearken to and will he not then say to me Go to the Gods whom thou hast chosen Go to thy Money and thy pleasures and thy companions let these save thee if they can Oh what shall I do and where shall I dwell for ever if I continue in this vain course Quest 4. Shall I now set upon a better course Shall I in earnest wilt thou oh my Soul wilt thou now in earnest become an adventurer for another World A Traveller to the holy City which is above Wilt thou cast in thy lot with Christ and the everlasting Gospel Wilt thou at last fall to labour for the true Riches and enduring substance Wilt thou provide the bags that wax not old a treasure in Heaven that faileth not Shall I take this course or shall I continue as I am V. Head concerning the excellency blessednesse and necessity of a Godly Life Direct 1. COnsider what the Scriptures speak concerning The Entrance Nature Blessedness Necessity of a godly Life 1. Concerning the Entrance of a godly Life or the way by which we come to be godly that is exprest by being born of God John 3. by being converted to God Acts 3. 19. Repent therefore and be converted by having Christ formed upon our hearts Gal. 4. 19 My little children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you A new birth must go before a new life conversion before an holy conversation 2. Concerning the Nature of a Godly Life which the Scripture sets forth in these and such like expressions Walking with God walking in the fear of God and the Comforts of the Holy Ghost living by Faith having our Conversation in Heaven and as it becometh the Gospel being holy harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked Generation shining forth as lights in the world denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts living righteously soberly and godly keeping our selves unspotted from the world walking circumspectly keeping a good Conscience c. By all which expressions and many such like it appears that there is more required to a true godly life than is ordinarily imagined 3. Of the Blessedness of a Godly life Psal 1. 1 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of sinners but his delight is in the Law of the Lord Psal 4. 4. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself hath taken him out from the rest of the world to be his own peculiar possession his Favourite his Servant his Child on whom he intends to bestow himself for an Inheritance Direct 2. Ask thy heart Quest 1. Am I converted to God Is there any supernatural change wrought upon me Is this change a thorough change Conversion is not a slight but a great and marvellous change Am I become a new Creature Is there a new light set up in me a new life begotten in my heart Am I become a man of quite another constitution temper disposition then formerly I was Am I born from above and is my heart now set upon things above Quest 2. Is my life a godly life Do I think in my Conscience that the course of life which I live is that which the Scriptures mean by walking with God living by Faith having the conversation in Heaven keeping a good Conscience walking circumspectly c. Can this fleshly idle easie trifling life which I live be possibly accounted a truly godly life Quest 3. Is a godly life necessary Can I be saved without it Do not the Scriptures entail everlasting blessedness in
himself from the Fellowship Fashions and Lusts of the World and denying himself the sinful Liberties thereof doth exercise himself to keep a good conscience towards God and men This is the person against whom the great hate and envy and severe censures and calumnies of ungodly men are chiefly intended under what colour or disguise soever they are carried the enmity is not betwixt sinners and Hypocrites but betwixt Sinners and Saints the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman not the pretended but the true seed Israelities indeed are the Men whom the Ishmaelites persecute Gal. 4. 29. He that was born after the flesh persecuted him not that pretended to be but was born after the Spirit Of this Person or of this sort of people I shall give you a more full description in these two Particulars 1. By their Make or Constitution 2. By their Way or Conversation 1. By their Constitution they are made and cut out exactly according to the pattern they are born of the Spirit born of God and they bare the express Image of their Father upon them Col. 3. 10. Renewed after the Image of Him that created him they are of a new Make from what they were there is a mighty change wrought in and upon them 2 Cor. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are changed into the same image In our first birth we were brought forth in the Image of our first Father Genesis 5. 3. Adam begat a Son in his own Image that is a fleshly and earthly Image The first man was of the Earth earthly and such are all his natural Progeny an earthly seed an earthly Generation he that is born of the Spirit is brought forth in a spiritual frame John 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit He that is born from above is of an Heavenly Nature as well as Original The change that Religion makes on men is not such a low and inconsiderable thing as some Men make it standing only in some little Reformation of the Life but it consists chiefly in the renewing of the Sonl after the Image of God the forming of Christ upon the heart of Inner Man As that second change which shall be at the Resurrection will be the transforming of our vile bodies into the likenesse of Christs Glorious Body so this first change is a transforming of our vile souls into the likenesse of his glorious Spirit Christians are the Temples of the Lord and as Moses made the Tabernacle exactly according to the pattern shewed him in the Mount so these spiritual Temples are made exactly according to their pattern 2 Cor. 3. 3. They are the Epistles of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart Carnal Men plead hard for their Christianity they are all Christians all Disciples all the people of God though they be ignorant Unbelieving Earthly Sensual yet some kind of Profession such as it is there is among them a profession of Faith a profession of Repentance which though it amount to little more than bare saying I believe I repent I am sorry for my Sins yet this must passe for Christianity But as Christ once said to the tempting Jews whose is this Image and superscription Where is the Divine Stamp and Impress Where is your likenesse to Christ Is there not still the Visage of the Old man Is there not the old Pride the old Envy the old Enmity against Holinesse the old Guile and Falshood and Lust still spread over you Is this the Image of Christ Christians that are truly such are precisely formed according to this pattern they have Face for Face Limb for Limb Grace for Grace all the Grace that is in Christ is truly though not yet perfectly coppied out upon them though the Characters may be something blotted and obscured by reason of the remainders of corruption yet there they are the same mind the same heart that was in Christ is in them A true Christian is a Transcript of Christ As he is so we are in the World This inward change this forming of Christ upon the heart is the very Soul and Life of Christianity you may as well call him a Man whose Soul is not in him as you may call him a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ in him Let no man count himself a Christian from any outward priviledges much less from any outward Paint of Christianity but from the inward Prints of it upon his heart Thou hopest thou art a Christian but where is the Image and superscription of Christ upon thy heart Dost thou not find not only an unlikenesse to Christ but a dislike of Christ an inward loathing of the holinesse of Christ and a rising of heart against the strictnesse of that holy life which he requires Dost thou not find a favour of earthlinesse and fleshlinesse beating the sway and rule in thine heart Dost thou not find principles tending altogether to loosenesse and licenciousnesse Is this thy likenesse to Christ Dost thou not find an emptinesse of the Light Life Love Grace of Christ in thy Soul Whatever thou hast of Christ without thou hast nothing of Christ within Deceive not thy self God is a Spirit and his eye is first upon the spirits and souls of men he loves truth in the inward parts he loves holinesse in the inward parts He is a Jew which is one inwardly and he is a Christian which is one inwardly He is not a Christian who is only outwardly so Nay further as he is not a Christian which is not inwardly so so neither he that hath something of the inwards of a Christian and hath not radically all the Graces of Christ in him he that hath faith and hath not Charity he that hath the light of a Christian and not the love he that hath the desires of a Christian and not the conscience of a Christian he that wants any one of the vital parts of Christianity hath nothing at all a thorow Christian is throughout conform to the pattern And thus you have a description of Scripture Precisians by their Make or Constitution II. I shall describe them by their Conversation and that 1. By the end of their Conversation 2. By their course or Motion to this end 1. By the end of their Conversation What is it that these Men would have or whither are they bound They cannot be content to go along with their Neighbours to live and do as others whither is it that they are going or what is it that they would have Why this is it they are travelling Heaven-ward trading to another Country they are bound for the holy Land for the holy City they are going towards Sion or Jerusalem which is above Jerem. 58. 5. They shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward Sion was the ancient seat of Gods residence among his People the place of Gods solemn service
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
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
prosperity the World flatters more from Christ than ever it can fright from him Now beloved if you have stood your ground against the former of these temptations you may with the more confidence encounter the latter he that hath been holy in prosperity will be holy in afflictions he that knoweth how to abound will the better know how to want he that hath kept close to God kept up his affections kept on his way against all the fawns and flatteries of the world his Spirit is not like to be sunk under its frowns and threatnings The God that hath preserved you from being lull'd asleep by the warm Sun will also preserve you from being withered by the scorching Sun II. Mortifie the flesh with the lusts of it 'T is corruption that makes affliction tedious and dangerous Unmortified lusts will both make affliction to be the sharper and also to be the greater temptation 1. They will make afflictions to be the sharper and more painful A Christian who hath two men in one the old man and the new hath two tender parts which are apt to smart and to be put to pain at every little thing that offends his Conscience and his Lust that which offends Conscience and makes it smart is sin that which offends Lust and puts it to pain is affliction If Conscience be grown dead and benumb'd sin never troubles and if Lust be once dead afflictions never trouble kill your lusts and you at once kill all your adversaries and afflictions What makes contempt and disgrace so tedious Why it is the pride of our hearts What makes povertie and want so grievous but the covetousnesse and greedinesse of our hearts The appetite will be quarrelling that it wants its dainties the wanton mind will be vexed that it 's deprived of its gay cloaths and rich attire carnal fears and worldly cares come in with their vexations kill these lusts and you give present ease to your hearts 't is sin that makes sufferings smart 2. They hereupon make afflictions to be the greater temptations the more afflictions pain us the more strongly do they perswade us to take heed of that which brings them on us and to comply with any thing that will give us ease or relief Every pang and throb that comes upon us for godlinesse sake will be clamouring and crying out against it away with it away with it this professing and praying and precise walking hath undone me this Conscience hath broken my back lost me my Estate my Liberty my Friends bereft me of all my comforts my credit my quiet and created all these fears and sorrows and vexations which are upon me Will remitting my zeal dispensing with Conscience cast off care make me whole and save me all this harm and losse why then shall I thus torment my self when I have such a way open to escape all Brethren would you be secure from such temptations get your lusts slain which put an edge upon them Cut off all provision from the flesh that would keep it in heart Allow not your selves the liberty to live a sensual life while you have opportunity bring your selves under a voluntary restraint abase your selves before God hath the abasing of you denie your selves before God comes to denie you put the bridle upon your appetites before God come and puts bonds upon them and you restrain your selves of your delicates before God come and shorten you uncloath your selves of your wanton habits before God hath the stripping of you starve your lusts to death that the Lord come not and storm them let tribulations find their hard work done to their hand and they will lie more easie Get your hearts so low that the contempt of men cannot bring you lower that the Spoilers cannot make you poorer than your hearts have made you alreadie give all you have to God your ease and your pleasures and your liberty and your Estates give away all you have from lust to God and then you will be disquieted at whatsoever Messengers he sends to fetch it away When this is done what hurt can tribulation do you what temptation will it be unto you You will then dare to follow the Lord against all the world you will not fear your Religion will prejudice you you will not fear losse you have nothing to lose all is given away alreadie you will not fear a Prison your hearts have cerried you thither alreadie you will not fear disgrace or contempt your hearts have brought you so low that the pride of men cannot lay you lower you will not fear torments when your flesh is dead and can feel no pain III. Be convinced of the dreadfulness of Apostacy and the misery of Apostates and Back-sliders Remembur Lots Wife God hath left us many Pillars of Salt before our eies to warn us to take heed of looking back Mat. 7. 27. The fall of that House was great that is it was a dreadful and terrible fall it was spoken of the house built upon the Sand which when assaulted by the winds and flouds of persecution fell because it had no foundation and great or dreadful was the fall of it a fall from an house to an heap Heb. 13. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Let him go take him who will for me take him World take him Devil for I regardâ— him not Thou maiest go whither thou wilt that art gone from thy God thou must look to thy self and shift for thy self as thou canst God hath no further favour for thee his soul is loosed from thee Rev. 16. 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments that keepeth his garments that is that keepeth his Faith his Conscience his Religion his holy profession wherewith he is cloathed that keepeth them clean ne polluantur that hath not defiled his garments that keepeth them safe ne cripiantur that hath not lost his garments that hath neither defiled his Profession nor lost his Religion and Conscience he is a blessed man Revel 2. and chap. 3. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life of the hidden Manna to sit with me on the Throne To him that overcometh that is that holds out to the end Hold out and you overcome overcome and you shall reign overcome and you shall eat of the Tree of Life and hidden Manna Now brethren if a blessing be the portion of him that keeps his Garments keeps his Faith and keeps his Conscience what shall be his Portion that hath lost all and thrown off all He that hath lost his holy garments hath woven to himself a cloathing of curses not of blessings If he only that overcomes shall sit on the Throne shall eat of the Tree of Life then what shall he eat or where must he sit that is overcome He shall eat the fruit of his own doings of his lyes and hypocrisie and dissembling he shall feed upon death and wrath death shall feed upon him
in the present truth You say you need no more Preaching the Preacher can tell you no more than you know already and might not these have better said it when the Apostle acknowledgeth of them that they did know and more than that were established in those very Truths he meant to continue Preaching to them And yet he tells them it 's meet they be still put in remembrance of them Sure Peters Authority weighs not so much with these men as his that pretends to sit in Peter's Chair But hath the Gospel indeed done its Work and reached its End Witness the Objectors own cases Let not onely their Lewdness and Impenitency but their Ignorance and Unbelief come in and testifie whether it hath or no. They that have most need themselves are they that say There 's no more need of Preaching There needs no more Argument to stop such Mouthes but the shewing themselves Or if it should have done its work upon you yet hath it done its work upon all Are there no Unbelievers left Have all men Faith Faith comes by Hearing and how shall they hear without a Preacher If you say they have Bibles to instruct them and their own Consciences to preach to them I answer First for their Bibles two Things 1. Those that are no Friends to the Pulpit are none of the best Friends to the Bible Those that would not that the people should hear care not how little they read the Scriptures And be sure whenever Preaching is let fall the Bible will in a little while be laid aside 2. Understandest thou what thou readest How canst thou without a Guide He knows but little of the Scriptures that doth not understand that they are hard to be understood There are the Apostle tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures Things hard to be understood As there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all that read so to many that read all are so The Vulgar can as well read the Scriptures without their own Eyes as understand them without the Preacher's Lips Till we come to hold that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion or that Images are Lay-mens Gospel till then let it be granted as necessary that the Preacher's Lips preserve Knowledge 2. For Conscience let the Word at least be Preached so long till it be made manifest in the Consciences of all the Hearers That Conscience that hath not been sufficiently preached to will prove an insufficient Preacher Let preaching be continued till the Word be manifested in the Consciences of all the Hearers and if you will needs have it so then let it be forborn Secondly hath the Devil yet given over Preaching and are the Preachers yet silent Hath the Devil yet given over his Preaching his deceiving Souls his perverting the good wayes of the Lord and discouraging persons from walking in them Sure there 's need that Christ be preached while there is a Devil that impeaches him Hath the Devil them that preach him every day and must not Christ have them that preach him at least every Sabbath-day may once a moneth or once a quarter be enough for these when every day and all the day-long does scarce suffice for those When or where are evil men silent Are they not preaching daily in the House in the Streets in the Taverns on the Stage in the Stews Preaching by their Oaths their Curses by their Lyes by their Scoffs by their Habits by their Cups by their Whores and almost by all their words and works And is there no need that Christ be any longer preached any where when the Devil is preached every where If in such a case the Preachers of Christ should altogether hold their peace might we not expect that the very stones would cry out This is but a seasonable Demand Let Faith and Holiness first have none found that preach against them before those that preach them be concluded such as may well be spared But what need we reason any longer in a case so plain wherein I can have no Adversaries but such as the Apostle had when he fought with Beasts at Ephesus Whosoever is an Adversary to Preaching is either an Infidel or a Brute I shall only leave one word for such to chew upon and so leave them and their cause to the Judgment of God Act. 13. 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should have been first spoken to you but because you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting Life Lo we turn unto the Gentiles Let all back-friends to Preaching pause sadly upon that Word you have prevented the Judgement of God by putting the Word from you you have given your selves your own Sentence you have judged your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life Well by what hath been said notwithstanding all that can be said against it it appears that the removal of the Gospel and the preaching of it is a grievous Judgement 2. This grievous Judgment shall yet work to the good of Saints That which comes in Wrath on some may be in Mercy to others 'T is the ignorant the unconverted the unbelieving part of men on whom the Vengeance of this Judgment falls 'T is those that are weary of the Word that can worse it Sinners you that say to the Seers see not to the Prophets prophesie no more to us let us alone we have enough of this preaching if God once say as you say Let it be according to their word 't is your Souls are like to go for it And 't is not the least aggravation of the Sorrows of the Saints the misery they see hereby coming on you As for themselves that I may answer more distinctly 1. The Gospel shall never be totally removed from them they shall never see days of Famine If they never again hear the joyful Sound from without they shall have it within The VVord which they have receiv'd shall be in them a VVell of VVater springing up unto Eternal Life If the showers and the Rain fail yet the Spring whic◠is within them shall supply that want If they have no Bible in the House no Preaching in the Pulpit yet they have a Bible in their Hearts a Preacher in their Breasts that shall instruct and comfort them Pharaoh's Dream and the Interpretation of it shall be to the Egyptians and not to Israel The lean Kine shall not devour the fat ones there is a Store-house from whence they shall be supply'd VVhatever scarcity there be this is certain not one of them shall want a Viaticum to bring them to their Journeys end God will not suffer one of his Elect to starve or perish in the way There shall not fail means of one kind or another till the whole Body be perfected and built up Till we all come unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ 2. That Scarcity that does at any time befall them shall happen to them for the better and