yet we perish much through our Parents and Masters neglect There stands my Father saith the Son and there stands my Master saith the Servant that never prayed with us we do accuse them they never did and they cannot say they did Will you not then wish you had never been Parents to such Children nor Masters to such Servants As you would avoid this be faithful to your trust and mindful of your duty lest thou wish O Vtinam coelebs mansissem ac prole carerem MOTIVE III. 3. Consider You have but a little time before you for the performance of this trust You and your Families shall live together but a while and if once you are parted by death it will be too late whether you die first or some of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoc. Sâ—es est in vivis non est spes ulla sepultiâ— 1. Suppose some of them dye before you if your Conscience be not feared and your hearts past feeling will you not be almost distracted when you follow them to their Graves to reflect and consider here is one dead out of my house with whom I never prayed we did dwell together and eat together and work together many years but we never prayed together Oh! what if his Soul be gone to Hell through my neglect What if he be damned and I be found guilty of his damnation Prayer was a means appointed by God to have done him good but I did not do it who knows if I had called him to Prayer and I had been confessing sin but God might have broke his heart for sin and given him repentance of which I saw no sign before he died And now Oh! what now if there be one Soul the less in my house and one the more in Hell Oh! this is that which wounds my Soul this is that for which my Conscience now doth sting me that when I had him with me I did not do my duty and now he is gone he is gone and now it is too late O my child my child whither art thou gone whither art thou gone O that he may live with me again were it but for a year or two a month or two that we might do together our before neglected duty If you be wise timely prevent such uncomfortable reviews 2. Suppose you die before them for if they do not die and leave you you must die and leave them and can you die without trembling for anguish of your heart without terrours in your Souls and fearful gripes in your Consciences more bitter than the pangs of Death to consider you leave a wicked prayerless Family behind you through your own neglect Would it not trouble you to leave them poor Wife and Children nothing to live upon if this hath been through your sloth and will it not should it not much more trouble you to leave an ignorant Wife Children and Servants unacquainted with God unaccustomed to prayer and all through your neglect Might you not then say if I had left them poor yet if I had left them good and fearing God and given to prayer by my example I could now have died with joy and left them all with comfort but now I lie a dying it is the wounding of my Soul to take so sad a farewel of my Family If I do live it shall be otherwise if I recover and God trust me with life and time yet further I will hereafter do it but my heart is sick my Spirits fail me and I perceive the symptomes of death are upon me and though I am loth to take my leave of my Wife and Children because I have been no more careful of the good of their Souls yet I see I must I must bid farewel unto them Come then dear Wife farewel Gemitúquo haec addidit alio Non alias hinc ad lacrymas Fata vocant Salve aeternum aeternúmque vâ—le Virg. Aeneid l. xi farewel I shall now be no longer thine and thou shalt be no longer mine but this had been no matter if I and thou had both been his whom we should have prayed unto together but we did not Woe is me poor dying man that we did not Farewel dear Children now farewel adieu adieu for ever but oh how shall I take my leave of you with whom I have not done what God required But yet I must whether I will or no I must now leave you But let me give among you what I have gotten for you Therefore to you my Wife I give so much and to this Child so much and to that so much But when I think I worked for you but never prayed with you this doth trouble me Oh! this doth trouble my departing Soul However you will have my Goods the grave and worms shall have my body but who oh who must now have my Soul This will be a sad parting when ever it shall come and yet this parting hour is a coming Pray now with them and in that manner too that then you may be comforted On the contrary if you discharge your duty faithfully and unfeignedly whether your Family be good or bad when you shall die you might take comfort that you did your duty So Mr. Bolton that was abundant in conjunct Prayers in his Family could comfort himself and did say on his Death-bed to his Children I think verily none of you dare think to meet me at the great Tribunal in an unregenerate condition MOTIVE IV. 4. The love that you should bear unto your Families should engage you often to pray together with them Diligatur Proles non ut nascatur tantum verum-etiam ut renascatur nascitur enim ad paenam nisi renascatur ad vitam Aug. de nupt conc l. 1. cap. 17 Ipsae ferae saevae immanes bestiae prolem nutrire solent at non tantùm curare debent parentes ut liberi sui vivant sed etiam ut Deo benè vivant Ames Cas Cons Will you shew your love unto your Children in providing Portions for them that they may live in credit in this life and will you not so much as pray with them that they may live in glory in the life to come Will you do much for their Bodies and nothing for their Souls You that are fondest Husbands and Fathers never love Wife and Children as you ought till you love their Souls The Soul is the best and more noble part and love to the Soul is the best and more noble Love But to love the Body and neglect the Soul is but cruel brutish Love What do you more for your young ones than the birds and beasts do for theirs Do you feed their bodies do not birds and beasts do the same for theirs Love your Wife Children and Servants as you ought and this will provok you to pray together with them MOTIVE V. Oeconomia est veluti paradisus in quo plantantur arbores quarum fructus odore dulcore suo imbuunt omnes vitae
requires more from Christians than he doth from other men Mat. 5.47 What do ye more than others Christians must be free from the Vices of other men Eph. 4.17 This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye walk not as other Gentiles walk So Luke 22.25 26. The Kings of the Gentiles Exercise Lordship they are Proud Ambitious Imperious But it shall not be so among you Christians must be in the World like Lights shining in a dark place They must have all the Vertues that others have and they must be clean from all the Vices and Lusts in which others Live Now the very Heathens have condemned this Practice of Reproaching and traducing others Detractors were infamous amongst them and therefore it is a shame this should be practised by Christians 3. This is a sin against the whole design and scope of the Scriptures These are as I may say the two Poles upon which the Heavenly Globe of the Scripture turns the Love of God and the Love of our Neighbour Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Mat. 22.37 c. Rom. 13.10 Love is the fulfilling of the Law and the Law is enforced by Christ Joh. 13.34 A new Commandment give I unto you that ye love one another So then all the Scripture hath but one Neck and this the Detractor cuts off and so makes himself the greatest Anti-Scripturist in the World 3. This is a great injury to God because it is a Confederacy with God's greatest Enemy the Devil God judgeth of men's Relations by their Works and not by their talks John 8.39 If ye were Abraham 's Children you would do the Works of Abraham And verse 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Now this among others is the Devil 's great Work and Office who is hence called the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 And from whence he hath his Name Diabolus which is a Calumniator a Slanderer a Reproacher And these Men as they do the Devil's Work so they are called by the Devil's name 1 Tim. 3.12 Not Slanderers in the Greek not Devils And as they do the Devil's Work so they serve the Devil 's great Design God is Love and therefore his design is to promote Love in the World The Devil is a malignant and hateful Spirit and his work is to promote hatred contention and strife among men And that is effectually done by this way 2. This is an injury to thy self in these particulars 1. Hereby thou dost contract guilt the worst of all evils A man's sin may injure another Man but the greatest and the worst part of it falls upon his own head Wickedness saith Seneca drinketh up the greatest part of it 's own poyson Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul Thou woundest another Man's Fame but thou woundest thy own Conscience which of these is the worst He whom thou reproachest gets a blot before men and thou dost procure to thy self a blot before God Thou accusest him before other Men and thy Conscience will accuse thee for it before God 2. Hereby thou dost expell or weaken that excellent Grace of Love that necessary and fundamental Grace that sweet and amiable Grace As all Virtue is a reward to it self so is this in a more special manner Infinite is the pleasure of the Holy Soul in loving God and loving all Men and loving Enemies O this is a most delightful Work And on the contrary Hatred and Malice and Envy as they are most sinful so are they very miserable works and a great Torment to him that hath them while the mind of a wicked malicious man is like the raging Sea continually casting up mire and dirt and is its own Tormentor The mind of a good Man exercising it self in love is as it were a Sea of Glass like unto Crystal calm and serene it enjoys God and it self and other men yea even a man's Enemies By this Holy Art a Man may get comfort out of his Enemies whether they will or no. 3. Hereby thou dost lay a Foundation for thy own Reproach Mat. 7.1 2. Judge not that ye be not judged for with what Judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again Methinks this Text should strike a terrour into all Persons who are guilty of this sin The Law of Retaliation prescribed by God is frequently inflicted by him also James 2.13 He shall have Judgment without Mercy that hath shewed no mercy So that thou dost ingage the great God against thee to pour contempt upon thy Name and to make thee a Reproach in the World 3. It is a great injury to the Person whom thou dost censure and reproach and that in these particulars 1. Thou dost rob him of the best Treasure which he hath in the World Prov. 22.1 A good Name is rather to be chosen than Riches and consequently thou art more Criminal than he that dyeth by the hands of Justice for taking away another Man's Goods Thou robbest him of that which thou art not able to give him thou robbest him of the most lasting good which he hath and that which alone will abide after Death So that thy cruelty extends beyond the Grave and tends to this to make his Name rot above ground while his Body rots in it And this injury is the greater because it cannot be prevented there is no Fence against this Vice it is the Arrow that flyes by Night which no man can either observe or avoid and it is an Injury which can hardly be repaired Breaches in mens Estates may be made up Liberty lost may be recovered a Conscience wounded may be healed but a Reputation can hardly ever be restored Calumnia re fortiter aliquid adhaerebit Slander a man resolutely and something to be sure will stick 2. Hereby thou dost disenable him from getting good both as to his outward and as to his inward man As to his outward Man Who knows not the necessity of a good fame for the successful management of a man's Worldly concernments By one Act of this sin thou mayst possibly undo a man and all his Family It hinders him also from receiving inward good as to the state of his Soul At least he is not likely to get any good from thee Whereas it is thy duty to rebuke thy Neighbour and not to suffer sin to rest upon him Levit. 19.17 This is the way to make that work altogether unsuccessful it stops his Ear against thy Counsels it hardens his heart against thy admonitions and many times such Reproaches make men careless and by degrees impudent and when once they have lost their Reputation by thy Calumnies they are not careful to regain it and it may be judge it impossible 3. Hereby thou dost hinder him from doing of good in the World It is certain a
carelessness without an Epithete bare sloath without any thing to aggravate it ordinarily doth the Soul more hurt than all the Devils in hell yea than all its other sins Shake off this and then you will be more than Conquerors over all other difficulties shake off this and there is but one sin that I can think of at present that you 'l be in danger of and that 's spiritual pride You 'l thrive so fast in all grace you 'l grow up into so much communion with God that unless God sometimes withdraw to keep you humble you will have a very Heaven upon Earth Imped 4. The love of any sin whatsoever the love of God and the love of any Sin can no more mix together than Iron and Clay every Sin strikes at the being of God (i) Deicidium The very best of Saints may possibly fall into the very worst of pardonable Sins but the least of Saints get above the love of the least of Sins we are ready to question Gods love unto us as Dalilah did Sampson's love to her if he do not gratifie us in all we have a mind to but how could Dalilah pretend love to Sampson while she comply'd with his mortal enemy against him how can you pretend to love God while you hide Sin his enemy in your hearts as it was with the grand-child of Athaliah (k) 2 King 11.1 2 c. stoln from among those that were slain and hidden though unable at present to disturb her e're long procures her ruine so any Sin as it were stoln from the other Sins to be preserv'd from Mortification will certainly procure the ruine of that Soul that hides it can you hide your Sin from the search of the Word and forbear your Sin while under the smart of affliction and seem to fall out with Sin when under gripes of Conscience and return to Sin as soon as the storm is over never pretend to love God God sees through your pretences and abhors your hypocrisie (l) Job 34.21 22. His eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings there 's no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Come Sirs let me deal plainly with you you are shameful strangers to your own heart if you do not know which is your darling Sin or Sins and you are Traytors to your own Souls if you do not endeavour a through Mortification and you are wilful Rebels against God if you do in the least indulge it never boggle at the Psalmist's counsel (m) Psal 97.10 ye that love the Lord hate evil Imped 5. Inordinate love of things lawful and in some respect here 's our greatest danger here persons have Scripture to plead for their love to several persons and things that it is a duty to bestow some love upon them and the meer stones are not so plainly set as easily to discern the utmost bounds of what is lawful and the first step into what is sinful and here having some plausible pretences for the parcelling out of their love they plead not guilty though they love not God with all their hearts souls and minds whereas they should consider that the best of the world is not for enjoyment but use not our end but means conducing to our chief end Here 's our sin and our misery our foolish transplacing of end and means Men make it their end to eat and drink and get estates and injoy their delights and what respect they have to God I know not whether to call love or Service they shew it but as means to flatter God to gratifie them in their pitiful ends Having warned you of some of the chief Impediments I shall propose some means to engage your hearts in love to God which you may confidently expect to be effectual through the operation of the Holy Ghost and you may likewise expect the operation of the Spirit in the use of such means The means are either Directing Promoting or Conserving Means to attain love to God 1. Directing and that is Spiritual Knowledge this is beyond what can be spoken in its commendation A clear and distinct knowledge of the love and loveliness of God in the amazing yet ravishing methods of its manifestations and the clear understanding of the heavenly priviledge of having our hearts inflam'd with love to God this will do I would fain perswade you to try I am not able to say how much to direct you in this case plainly get and exercise this twofold knowledge 1. The knowledge of Spiritual things did we but perfectly know the Nature of the most contemptible insect nay did we but know the Nature of Atoms this would lead us to admire and love God but then to know those things that no graceless person in the world cares for the knowledge of e. g. the inward workings of Original Sin and how to undermine it the powerful workings of the Spirit of grace and how to improve it what are the joys of the Holy Ghost and how to obtain them would not such things insinuate the love of God into you add then 2. The knowledge of ordinary things in a Spiritual manner so as to make the knowledge of Natural things serve Heavenly designs Thus Christ in all the Metaphors in all the Parables he used To value no knowledge any further than it is reducible to such an use this would lead us into the loving of God Thus I name but one directing means promoting means are various not but that Spiritual knowledge doth singularly promote the love of God but it 's proper work lyes in directing The several things I shall name for inward means your way of managing must make them so 1. Self-denyal this is so necessary that no other grace can supply the want of it It is among the graces of the Soul as among the members of the Body one member may supply the want of another the defect of the Lungs may be supplied by other parts The want of prudence may be supplied with Gospel-simplicity which looks like quite another thing but nothing can supply our want of love to God nor can any thing supply our want of Self-denyal in order to our loving of God We can never have n Fo◠fotidissimus suo 〈◊〉 horribilissimum stercus vermis nequis simus Bonavent stimul Amor. p 153. too low thoughts of ourselves provided we do not neglect our duty and let go our hold of Christ Those very things that not only we may love but we must love 't is our duty to love them and our sin not to love them yet all these must be denyed when they dare to stand in competition with our love to God o Luk. 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Christ would have us count what Religion will cost us
night and then with her spirit seeks him early Desires blown by meditation are the sparks that set prayer in a light flame The work of preparation may be cast under five heads when we apply to solemn and set prayer 1. The consideration of some attributes in God that are proper to the intended petitions 2. A digestion of some peculiar and special promises that concern the affair 3. Meditation on suitable arguments 4. Ejaculations for assistance 5. An engagement of the heart to a holy frame of reverence and keeping to the point in hand Cypr. de Orat. p. 106. 6. edit Nec quicquam tunc animus quam solum cogitet quod precatur was serious advice from Cyprian let the soul think upon nothing but what it is to pray for and adds that therefore the ministers of old prepared the minds of the people with sursum corda let your hearts be above For how can we expect to be heard of God when we do not hear our selves when the heart does not watch while the tongue utters The tongue must be like the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 to set down the good matter which the heart indites take heed of ramblings to preach or tell pious stories while praying to the great and holy God is a branch of irreverence and a careless frame of spirit Heb. 12.28 2. Humble confession of such sins as concern and refer principally to the work in hand Our filthy garments must be taken away when we appear before the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem Look upon my afflictions Zech. 3.4 Psal 25.18 Psal 39.8.12 Psal 103.3 cries David and forgive all my sins There are certain sins that often relate to afflictions First deliver me from my transgressions then hear my prayer O Lord for this is the heavenly method he first forgiveth all our iniquities and then healeth all our diseases A forgiven soul is a healed soul while a man is sick at heart with the qualms of sin unpardoned it keeps the soul under deliquiums and swooning fits that it cannot cry strongly unto God and therefore in holy groans must discharge himself of particular sins and pour out his soul before God Thus did David in that great penitential Psalm Psal 51.4 Isa 59.2 Ezra 9.6 For sin like a thick cloud hides the face of God that our prayers cannot enter We must blush with Ezra and our faces look red with the flushings of conscience if we expect any smiles of mercy Our crimson sins must dye our confessions and the blood of our sacrifices must sprinkle the horns of the golden altar before we receive an answer of peace from the golden mercy seat When our persons are pardoned our suits are accepted and our petitions crowned with the Olive-branch of peace 3. An arguing and pleading Spirit in prayer This is properly wrestling with God humble yet earnest expostulations about his mind towards us Psal 74.1 Isa 64.9 Why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoke Be not wroth very sore O Lord remember not iniquity for ever see we beseech thee we are thy people If so why is it thus as frighted Rebekah flies out into prayer An arguing frame in prayer cures and appease◠(f) Psal 34.4 Gen. 25.22 Psal 27.4 Psal 22.1 21. Psal 80 4. Jer. 14 8 9. the frights of spirit and then inquires of God The Temple of prayer is call'd the souls inquiring place Why is God so far from the voice of my roaring Thou hast heard me from the horns of the Vnicorns Art thou angry with the prayers of thy people and how long turn us again and cause thy face to shine upon us O hope of Israel why like a wayfaring man like a man astonied O Lord thou art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not I must refer to Abraham Jacob and Moses Joshuah David and Daniel how they urged arguments with God Sometimes from (a) Ps 5 7. 6 4 31 16. the multitudes of God's mercies from (b) Psal 4.1 6.9 22.4 21. 31. 2 3 7. 140.7 the experience of former answers from the Name of God from (c) Psal 9.10 16.1 their trust and reliance upon him (d) Psal 17.1 from the equity of God (e) Psal 31.17 34.1 from the shame and confusion of face that God will put his people to if not answered and that others will be driven away from God and lastly from (f) Psal 20.5 35 18. the promise of peace These and many like pleadings we find in Scripture for patterns in prayer which being suggested by the spirit kindled from the altar and perfumed with Christ's incense rise up like memorial pillars before the oracle Let 's observe one or two particular prayers what instant arguments holy men have used and pressed in their perplexities 2 Chron. 20.10 c. Jehoshaphat what a working prayer did he make taking pleas from God's Covenant dominion and powerful strength from his gift of the Land of Canaan and driving out the old inhabitants ancient mercies from his Sanctuary and his promise to Solomon from the ingratitude and ill requital of the enemies with an appeal to God's equity in the case and a humble confession of their own impotency and yet that in their anxiety their eyes are sixt upon God You know how gloriously it prevailed when he had set ambushments round about the Court of Heaven v. 8. and the Lord turn'd his arguments into ambushments against the children of Edom c. Yea this is set as an instance (g) Joel 3.2 how God will deal against the Enemies of his Church in the latter days Another is that admirable prayer of the Angel of the Covenant to God for the restauration of Jerusalem Zech. 1.12 wherein he pleads from the length of time and the duration of his indignation for threescore and ten years from promised mercies and the expiration of Prophesies and behold an answer of good and comfortable words from the Lord and pray observe that when arguments in prayer are very cogent upon a sanctified heart such being drawn from the divine attributes from precious promises and sweet experiments of God's former love it 's a rare sign of a prevailing prayer 'T was an ingenious passage of Chrysostom concerning the woman of Canaan Chrys in Mat. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor distressed creature was turned an acute Philosopher with Christ and disputed the mercy from him O 't is a blessed thing to attain to this heavenly Philosophy of prayer to argue blessings out of the hand of God Here 's a spacious field I have given but a small prospect where the soul like Jacob does in arenam descendere enter the lists with omnipotency and by holy force obtain the blessing 4. Ardent affections in prayer betokening a heart deeply sensible are greatly prevalent Exod. 14 15. A crying prayer pierces the
child loves what the mother longs for the child longs for in the mothers health the child is well the child lives there in a far different manner from how it lives in the world though it can't stir out of its enclosure yet it never cries nor complains of it's Imprisonment So the Soul that entirely loves God hates what God hates and loves what God loves its life is far above the life of others and it desires no greater liberty than to be as it were imprison'd in God to have no will of its own no one motion but what God graciously concurs in yet 't is so far from esteeming this a restraint that it counts it the highest happiness of its imperfect state he feels a sweetness in that beyond what the Heathen that spake it ever thought of in God we live move and have our being 4. The love of God makes us anxiously weary of Life it self in this love there 's one Death and two Resurrections (r) Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Christ lives and the Soul lives and both by Love I must acknowledge all manner of love is apt to be extravagant and irregular our very love to God is in this blind when it comes to any considerable height 't is apt to overlook not in a way of Neglect but Extasie what is to be done and suffer'd and would fain be at the enjoyment of God in Heaven By the way let not doubting Christians be discourag'd because it is not thus with them Though these Properties be but in the bud they may in time be full blown therefore believe and wait heights of grace are ordinarily as well the work of time as of the Spirit of God Besides you know there 's nothing more common than for Lovers to dissemble their love so here 't is too common for gracious persons rather to bely the Spirit of God than thankfully to own their love to God because they are afraid of being mistaken and they are afraid of boasting of a false Gift and here though Love when 't is perfect it casteth out Fear yet while it is imperfect Fear proveth our Love Thus much of the Positive Properties I 'le be very brief in the transcendent properties of our love to God 1. Love to God is the great General directing Grace containing all other particular Graces in it and most intimately goes through the Acts of all of them (s) Vâ—et ibid. 1 Cor. 13. Love in the Soul is as the Pilot in the Ship who steers the Ship and all its Passengers Love steers the Soul and all its Operations Love is the Needle in the Compass that 's still trembling towards its Divine Loadstone Euseb Nieremb compares other Graces to Bullion uncoyn'd which though it have an intrinsick value yet 't is not that Money that answers all things what shall I say find out a thousand transcendent Metaphors love will answer them all 2. It is in a singular manner infinite Among all the Faculties of the Soul there 's none but the Will that can in any sound sence be said to be infinite all the other Faculties are more bounded than the Will now love is the natural Act of the will and love to God is the supernaturally natural Act of the renewed Will Its desires which is the love of desires are to be united unto God the Fountain of all Blessedness And here those that love God least so it be sincerely their desires are infinite e. g. Desires are the feet of the Soul their love will creep when it cannot goe Desires are the wings of the Soul love will flutter when it cannot fly Desires are the breathings of the Soul love will pant and groan and gasp where it can do no more Again the contentment and satisfaction of the Will which is the love of complacency is infinite in as large a sense as that word can be ascribed to Creatures desires are the motion and exercise of love delight is the quiet and repose of it My beloved to have the heart to delight in God or to ake and tingle with the discourse of the love of God through reflection upon the want of it as unable to stand under his own thoughts this infallibly shews great love and this Soul's satisfaction in God is in some sort infinite Effects of love to God they relate either to God himself or to our selves or they are mutual I 'le speak briefly of each Effects that relate to God Effects of love to God are such as these I do not only say these but these and such as these 1. Hatred of and flight from all that is evil Joseph may be our instance his mistriss would have inveigled him into sin but though (t) Gen. 39.10 she spake to him day by day yet he hearkned not unto her to lye by her or to be with her he that fears sin will get as far as he can out of the reach of a temptation Hatred of sin always holds proportion with our love to God our inward hatred of sin with our inward love of God our return to sin with the decay of our love to God The renewing of our repentance answers the reviving of our love to God Every one that doth not love God loves sin plain down-right sin sin without any excuse e.g. either some moral wickedness or a resting in their own righteousness 2. The fear of God A reverential tenderness of Conscience lest we sin against God It is not onely fear of hell but fear of God's goodness (u) Hos 3 5. they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days The soul that loves God is troubled that he either does or omits any thing for fear of hell and that he is no more affected with love-arguments Though pray take notice by the way That all fear of hell doth not presently argue a spirit of bondage Hopes and Fears poyse the Soul while in this World I would therefore leave this charge upon you viz. Be sure that you love God better than the blessed Apostle loved him before you censure any for want of love who are diligent in duty upon this motive lest they be at last cast-aways (w) 1 Cor. 9.27 But to return Though Gods gracious condescention be so great as to allow those that love him a non such familiarity yet that never breeds the least contempt Sense of distance between God and the Soul between the holy God and a sinful Soul between the faithful God and the fickle Soul O this causeth holy tremblings and humble Apologies in our most familiar pleadings with God The Father of the faithful whom God honoured with the title of his friend of whose love to God you have already heard when he pleaded with Christ face to face in so familiar a way never any like him see how he then prefaceth his prayer (y) Gen. 18.27.30 Behold now I have
is proper to the divine nature is attributed to the humane and contrarily that which is proper to the humane nature is attributed to the divine so here in the soul's union with Christ Christ is made sin for us and dealt with as if he were a sinner we are made the righteousness of God in him and priviledged as righteous persons Christ's riches are ours and our poverty his yea more the offices of Christ are attributed to Believers (l) 1 Pet. 2.5 they are an holy and a royal priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and Christ hath made (m) Rev. 1.6 us Kings and Priests unto his father Christ hath a stock of created grace 't was for us (n) Joh. 1.16 2 Tim. 2.1 of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace The Apostle bids us be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus What shall I say is Christ the natural Son of God they are the adopted Is Christ the beloved Son of God Believers in their measure are so too They are dead with Christ buried with Christ risen with Christ sit together in heavenly places with Christ fellow-heirs with Christ In short as there never was such another union in the world as the union of the two natures in Christ So there never was nor ever can be such another union in the world as between Christ and the believer It is beyond what any metaphors from art or nature can fully express That of a Foundation and Building of a Vine and Branches of Head and Members of Soul and Body are but dark shadows of this union But I must not enlarge 2. Communion with God Communion consists in communication (o) Cum res unius sit alterius when there is a kind of community of propriety I might run over the former particulars and enlarge them but the subject is not so barren that I need name one thing twice Christians I beg of you that you would be careful of receiving because I can be but brief in delivering a few hints of the communication of divine love between God and us e. g. (p) 2 Pet. 1.4 God communicates the divine Nature to us through his fulfilling exceeding great and precious promises We make returns as those that are born of God in obeying his commands Because God loves us he communicates unto us his communicable properties of holiness wisdom goodness Seeing we have nothing to return we prostrate our selves at his feet ingenuously acknowledge our unholiness folly and badness God and the Soul holds communication in all gracious actions God communicates strength to the doing of those things which he cannot do (q) Through his perfection not defect but we must to repent believe obey God these are our actions through his strength Again we exercise our graces upon God for those his actions which we cannot do but we may through his covenant engagement with humble thankfulness say he must e. g. for the pardon of sin speaking peace to the Conscience giving out of gracious influences c. for these we admire God we praise him rejoyce in him Once more in those things wherein we can make no return to God but may to others for God's sake our love to God necessitates us to do it e. g. God pities us is merciful and kind to us God is infinitely above all such returns Ay but so are not the Members of Christ who are the best visible Image of God in the world I 'le give them not only my alms but my very bowels c. In short in this communication God and the gracious Soul have the same interest drive on the same design the advancement of Christ and the Gospel have the same friends and the same enemies They communicate secrets to each other none but the loving Soul knows the secrets of divine love and none but God hears all the secrets of the Soul without a reserve Among the dearest friends in the world there 's some reserve Some things we 'll rather speak to a stranger than to our dearest bosome-friend we think them not fit to mention or we are loath to trouble them but there 's none of this between God and the Soul God tells us all that may benefit not overcharge us we tell God all the very worst of our own hearts which we are ashamed to mention to those that most love us God deals with us according to our capacities our bottles would break should God over-fill them but we deal with God according to the utmost of our active graces God is both compassionate to pity and pardon what 's no way acceptable and even incredibly condescending to accept of what none but his infinite grace would accept 3. Familiar love-visits When God makes sad visits to the disquieting of Conscience and the breaking of our peace yet even then the Soul under trouble of Conscience would not change its spiritual trouble for the best of the worlds peace no not for its former peace with which 't was so well pleas'd before conversion the Soul that loves God cannot construe that to be a visit which others count so The Soul never goes to God as we go to visit those we care not for that we are glad at their being from home so the visit be but pay'd we care not Pray compare some passages in that Song of loves one while you have the Spouse enquiring of Christ (r) Cant. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions q. d. Tell me O Lord my love and life where I may have both instruction and protection in an hour of trouble lest through thy absence I be seduced by those that only pretend to love thee Christ gives a present answer and quickly after returns an invitation O my dove (s) Cant. 2.14 that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely q. d. O my mourning dove that darest not stir out of thy secret place stir up thy faith hold up thy face with comfort let me hear thy prayers and praises though others censure them I esteem them though others count thee deformed thou art in my eyes beautiful Here 's something of affection but see more (t) Cant. 4.16 Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits q. d. O my Lord what I have from thee I return to thee accept I beseech thee the fruits of obedience and praise Christ presently accepts the invitation (u) Cant. 5.1 I am come into my Garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Myrrh with my Spices I have eaten my Honey-comb with my honey I have drunk up my Wine with my Milk eat O friends drink
promising to hear attentively saith incipe suspensis auribus ista bibam now this attentive hearing is a diligent heeding of the things that are spoken by the Ministers of Christ so as not to let any thing pass without notice and observation this was the attention of the Samaritans to Philips preaching Acts 8.6 (h) And the people with one accâ—rd gave heed unto those things which Philip spake and the attention of Lydia to Pauls preaching Acts 16.14 (i) Whose heart the Lord opened that the attended to the things spoken of Paul that were spoken by Paul that is to all of them what saith Cornelius Act. 10.33 (k) Now therefore are we all here present before God c. so that our attention must be catholique and universal we must listen to all that is spoken to us in the name of Christ the Lord but yet in preaching some things are more especially to be attended to 1. If any Scripture be clearly open'd attend to that 2. If any doubt of Conscience be fully resolv'd attend to that 3. If any sin of yours be particularly discovered attend to that Lastly if any thing be spoken by the Minister with a more than ordinary warmth and servency attend to that there is some divine signature with it and it calls for our special observation that 's the first we are to hear the word attentively I 'le only mention two hindrances of attention and proceed 1. Wandring thoughts thoughts that are forreign and Heterogeneous to the duty in hand these thoughts imploy the mind and hinder the hearing of the word Now these thoughts are various according to the imployments inclinations and circumstances of men wanton people have filthy thoughts finical people are thinking of their attires and ornaments worldly people of their Trades and Callings 2. Drowsiness and sleepiness when the head nods and the eyes begin to swim the Sermon is like to be heard well but yet this is too common a practice and that amongst Professors whereby they vilisie the ordinance of Preaching they give an ill example to others and render their uprightness and integrity suspected by sober Christians and I wish that those Professors who use it customarily and indulge themselves in it would put off their livery and tell us plainly they are none of the Lords family 2. Direction Hear and receive the word with meekness this is the direction of the text wherefore lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word c. we must not be angry at the word if so it will do us no good people are very apt to be angry at the word see Luke 4.28 (l) And all they in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath Matth. 15.12 (m) Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying Acts 5.33 (n) When they heard that they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them Jerem. 26.8 9. (o) Now it came to pass when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him he spâ—ke unto all the people that the Priests and the Prophets and all the people took him saying thou shalt surely dye 2 Chron. 25.15 16. (p) Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Azariah and he sent unto him a Prophet which said unto him why hast thou sought after the Gods of the people which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand And the King said unto him art thou made of the Kings Council forbear why shouldest thou be smitten 2 Chron. 16.8 9 10. (q) Then Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in a prison house for he was in a rage with him because of this thing this is a notable instance 1. Because this anger is great a rage and such a rage as put the Prophet in prison 2. It is expresly said that this rage was against the word ver 10.3 This rage was found in a good and holy man whose heart was perfect with the Lord his God now from this instance we may learn what part of the word it is that men are most angry at 1. The word which discovers their sins and charges them home upon their Consciences as the Seer charged Asa home thou hast relied on the King of Syria and not on the Lord thy God and this vexed him 2. That word that reproaches them for their sins ver 9. herein thou hast done foolishly Men cannot endure to have their actions charged with folly 3. That word that threatens them for their sins ver 9. henceforth thou shalt have wars people cannot bear it to be threatned this was the great quarrel that the Jews had with Jeremiah he came so often with a burden of the Lord and threatned them see Jer. 26.9 (r) Why hast thou prohesied in the name of the Lord saying this house shall be like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant when Christ threatned the Scribes and Pharisees they could bear no longer Math. 12.12 (s) And they sought to lay hold on him for they knew that he had spoken that parable against them Thus you see people are apt to be angry at the hearing of the Word but vvhat kind of people are most apt to be angry First They that are great in the vvorld Luke 19.47 (t) And he taught daily in the Temple but the chief of the people sought to destroy him It vvas Jehâ—jakim the King that cut Jeremiahs roul in pieces and it was Herod that thrust John into prison for reproving him Secondly proud men Jerem. 43.12 (u) When Jeremiâ—h had made an end of speaking c. Then spake all the proud men saying unto Jeremiah thâ—u speâ—kest falsely proud men cannot endure a check either by the publique ministery or by a private admonition Thirdly Guilty persons why was Cain so touchy when God askt him about Abel because he was guilty of his blood Guilty persons are like gall'd horses they kick if you touch their sores nothing hinders us from receiving the word with meekness like the Conscience of sin wherefore when the Apostle bids us receive the word with meekness he bids us lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness if the heart be surfeited with sin it will rise and boak against the Word when Christ preacht against Covetousness the Pharisees that vvere Covetous vvere vext at him and exprest their vexation by sneering at him Luke 16.13 14. (w) And the Pharisees which were covetous heard all these things and they derided him 3. Direct Hear the Word with a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 (x) But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it this is a comprehensive head and takes in all particulars that concern the right manner of hearing but I shall contract it and reduce it 1. to an understanding
wont of the Puritans which were the most pretious Christians to Eccho forth the praises of the great Jehovah in this Duty especially upon the Lord's Day Then was there a holy Quire in their houses their Children were the little birds to sing the praises of the Creator the Servants likewise joining in the harmony to make up a fuller Musick But alas Now the voice of the Bride singing to her Beloved is not heard in the places of our abode there is silence instead of singing and prating instead of praising frivolous discourses instead of joyous praises It might behove us to ponder how much of Heaven do we lose in neglecting this Service In singing Psalms we begin the work of Heaven In Heaven we read of the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Rev. 15.3 And of a new Song Rev. 14.3 And the Angels though they have not Tongues yet they have voices to sing the praises of the Most High and therefore that this Heavenly service is so neglected and unexercised is a lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation Ezek. 19.14 This likewise checks those who formalize in this Duty who Act a Part not a Vse 4 Duty they make a noise and not Musick and more provoke the Eyes than please the Ears of God Hierome pathetically Exclaims against those Formalists We must not saith he Act as Players who stretch their throats to accommodate their Tongues to the matter in hand but we must sing Psalms as Saints praising God not only with our Voice but with our Heart not only with a sweet voice but with a melting heart Bernard makes two conditions of grateful singing 1. We must sing purely minding what we sing nor must we act or think any thing besides there must be no vain or vagrant thoughts no dissonancy between the Mind and the Tongue 2. We must sing strenuously not idly not sleepily or perfunctorily we must sing ex animo most heartily and Energetically Vse 5 Let us get an interest in Christ If we are not in Christ we are certainly out of tune The singing of a sinner is natural like the singing of a Bird. But the singing of a Saint is musical like the singing of a Child Saints in singing perform a grateful duty But sinners offer a vain oblation Isa 1.13 It is Christ must put an acceptation upon this service as well as others Here the Altar must sanctify the gift Christ perfumes the prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 And he must articulate the singing of the Saints Indeed he alone can turn our tune into melody and though in our selves we have Esau's garments yet he can give us Iacobs voice We are accepted in Christ in this offer of love Therefore let us get into Christ he can raise our voice in singing to a pleasing Elevation Let us be in him and then our steps shall be metrical our pauses musical and our very Cadencies shall be Seraphical Our singing of Psalms shall be the musick of the Sphears Vse 6 Let us sometimes raise our hearts in holy Contemplation Let us think of the Musick of the Bride-Chamber There shall be no crack't strings displeasing sounds harsh voices nothing to abate or remit our melody there shall be no willows to hang up our harps upon Psal 137.2 In the Bride-Chamber there shall be no sorrow to interfere when we sing the song of the Lamb Rev. 21.3 No grief to jar our harmony These pleasing Meditations should sometimes possess and sweeten our Spirits that while we are walking in the galleries Cant. 7.5 we may be nearer to the Palace of the great King Psal 45.15 How ought We to Improve our Baptism Serm. X. Acts 2.38 Be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins THis Chapter gives us an account of the pouring out of the Spirit according to the promise presently after Christ's Ascension as soon as the Spirit was poured out the Apostles were enabled to speak in various Languages to the astonishment and wonder of the Hearers This was for the Glory of God the Confirmation of the Gospel and to authorize them as Special Messengers sent by Christ At the sight of this Miracle some wonder others mock as if this speaking with divers Tongues had been a confused jabbering that proceeded from the fumes of Wine rather than the gift and operation of the Holy Spirit To satisfie both Peter declares in a Sermon the effect and intent of the Miracle proving Jesus whom they had Crucified to be Lord and Christ When they heard this many of the most obstinate among them were pricked at the heart and relented An happy Sermon it was that Peter preached it brought in thousands of Souls to Christ the first hansel of the power of the Spirit and success of the Gospel 'T is good to observe what course they took for ease and relief after this piercing and brokenness of heart they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do This is the usual Question of men under a sound and thorow Conviction To their serious Question Peter makes a seasonable Answer v. 38. 'T is the part of a good Physician not only to discover the Disease but also to prescribe a Remedy especially should spiritual Physicians be tender of broken-hearted Sinners and willing and ready to give them Counsel In Peter's Direction and Counsel to them observe first What he perswades them to do Secondly By what Motive and Argument what they should do and what they should receive In the Advice he perswades them to Repentance and to be Baptized in the Name of Christ The latter we are upon For Explaining it we may enquire First Why is Baptism mentioned rather than Faith and other things more internal and necessary to Salvation I answer Certainly Faith is implied for Mark 16.16 He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved Baptism is an open and real Profession of Christ Crucified So that Be Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ is as much as Be Baptized Believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus for the Remission of Sins Secondly Baptism is mentioned because it was the visible Rite of receiving Proselytes to Christ Now it imported them who were convinced as Persecutors to turn Professors if they would have ease for their Consciences and therefore not only to Believe with the Heart but to make open Profession of Faith in Christ Rom. 10.10 Quest 2. Why in the Name of Christ only the Father and the Holy Ghost is not mentioned according to the Prescript-form Mat. 28.19 I answer he speaks not of the Form of Baptism but the use and end thereof Now the great use of Baptism is that we may have benefit by the Mystery of Redemption by Christ therefore elsewhere we are said to be Baptized into Jesus Christ Rom. 5.3 And to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 He is the Head of the Church and by Baptism we are planted into his Mystical Body This being
premised my work shall be to shew what use and respect Baptism has unto this benefit of obtaining remission of Sins by Jesus Christ I shall do it in these considerations 1. First that God hath ever delighted to deal with his Creatures in the way of a Covenant that we might know what to expect from him and might look upon our selves as under the firmer Bonds of obedience to his blessed Majesty In a Covenant which is the most solemn transaction between Man and Man both parties are engaged God to us and we to God It is not meet that one party should be bound and the other free therefore both are bound to each other God to Bless and we to Obey Indeed in the first Covenant the debitum poenae is only mentioned because that only took place Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye But the other part is implied and it doth in effect speak thus much Do and Live Sin and Dye 2. Secondly because the first Covenant was broken on our part God was pleased to enter into a second wherein he would manifest the glory of his Redeeming grace and pardoning Mercy to fallen Man this was brought about in Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and therefore this second Covenant is called a Covenant of Peace as being made with us after the breach and when Man was obnoxious to the wrath of God Isa 54.10 The Covenant of my Peace shall not be removed Man needeth such a Covenant and God appeased by Christ offereth it to us 3. Thirdly In this Covenant of Peace the Priviledges and Duties are suited to the State in which man was when God invited him into Covenant with himself Man was fallen from his Duty and obnoxious to the wrath and displeasure of God and therefore the new Covenant is a Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of Sins What is Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.16 is in Luk. 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of sins should be Preached in his Name among all Nations for that is the Gospel or the new Remedial Law of our Lord Jesus Repentance to heal us and set us in joint again as to our Duty Remission of Sins to recover us into God's favour both these benefits we have by the Redeemer Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins to Israel he giveth the one simply and both giveth and requireth the other so that by the New Covenant Remission of Sins is conveyed to all true Penitents Fourthly More distinctly to understand the tenour of this New and second Covenant we must consider both the Duties and the Priviledges thereof for in every Covenant there is ratio dati accepti there is something promised and given and something required and usually the Promise consists of somewhat which the Party is willing of and the Duty or Condition required of that to which he is more backward and loath to submit so in the Covenant of Grace in the Promise God respects man's want in the Duty his own Honour Every man would have pardon and be saved from Hell but God will have subjection even corrupt Nature is not against desires of Happiness these God makes use of to gain us to Holiness All men readily catch at Felicity and would have Impunity Peace Comfort Glory but are unwilling to deny the Flesh to renounce the credit profit or pleasure of Sin or to grow dead to the World and worldly things Now God promiseth what we desire on condition that we will submit to those things that we are against as we sweeten bitter Pills to Children that they may swallow them the better they love the Sugar though they loath the Alloes so doth God invite us to our Duty by our Interest Therefore whosoever would enter into the Gospel-state must resolve to take the Blessings and Benefits offered for his Happiness and the Duties required for his Work Indeed accepting of the Benefits is a part of the Condition because we treat with an invisible God about a happiness that lieth in another World but 't is but part there are other terms and therefore we must draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 With a true heart resolving upon the Duties of the Covenant in full assurance of Faith depending upon God's Word that he will give us the blessings Fifthly The Priviledges are two Pardon and Life these are the great Blessings offered in the New Covenant you have them both together Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith These two Benefits are most necessary the one to allay the Fears of the guilty Creature and the other to gratifie Desires of Happiness which are natural to us the one to remedy the misery incurr'd by Sin and the Fall of Man the other to establish our true and proper Felicity in the everlasting enjoyment of God the one to ease our Consciences and support us against troubles of mind the other to comfort us against the outward troubles and afflictions which sin hath introduced into the World In short the one to free us from deserved Punishment the other to assure us of undeserved Blessedness the one importeth Deliverance from Eternal Death and the other Entrance into Eternal Life Sixthly The Duties thereof do either concern our first entrance into the Christian state or our Progress therein Our Lord representeth it under the Notions of the Gate and the Way Mat. 7.14 Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth into Life Other Scriptures deliver it under the notions of making Covenant and keeping Covenant with God making Covenant Psal 50.5 keeping Covenant Psal 25.10 Psal 103.18 The Covenant must not only be made but kept I. As to entring into Covenant with God there is required true Repentance and Faith Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospel Repentance respects God as our end Faith respects Christ as the great means or way to the Father Acts 20.21 Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ God is our end for Christ died to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 and Christ is our way John 14.6 and whole Christiany is a coming to God by Christ Heb. 7.25 Now in our first entrance Faith and Repentance are both mixt and it is hard to sever them and show what belongs to the one and what to the other at least it would perplex the Discourse Both together imply that a man be turn'd from a life of Sin to God by Faith in Christ or a renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and devoting and dedicating our selves to God 1. A Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh for these are the three great Enemies of God and our Salvation Eph. 2.2 3. In time past ye walked according to
Sure I am they that have not learned their duty to God will never rightly perform their duty to men I heartily wish that proud saucy debaucht behaviour and lame quarrels be not too sad proofs of this unhappy Truth I have done with the fourth I now proceed to the fifth and last Enquiry viz. How the whole affair may be so prudently piously Scripturally managed as that it may become most Vniversally profitable And here I shall first address my self to my Superiours and then close all with directions to Inferiours 1. Then for Superiours and among these Oeconomical ones 1. Let Parents begin betimes with their children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as soon as ever they find them to have any use of Reason as soon as ever their understandings begin to bud and blossom The discreet Gardiner begins to graff as soon as ever the Sap begins to arise and the Stock to swell In the Old Law we find more Lambs Kids young Turtles First-fruits and green Corn required than other Elder Sacrifices Levit. 2.14 Sow thy Seed in the Morn Eccl. 11.9 Begin I say betimes the sooner the better according to that of the Prophet Isa 28.9 To whom shall I teach knowledg and whom shall I make to understand Doctrine Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the Breasts Old men nay indeed and too many young men think themselves too wise as well as too old to learn Indeed Childhood and Youth are the fittest times to learn in Vdum molle lutum eâ—z nunc nunc prâ—pirandâ—s aâ—riâ—ingendus sine sinc rota 'T is bâ—st drawing a fair Picture on a Rasa Tabula The most legible Characters are best written on the whitest Paper before it be soild and slur'd The Twig whilest young is most easily twisted The Ground best sown when soft and mollified Hence that of the Royal Preacher Eccl. 72.7 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Little ones have not as yet imbibed such false Principles and Nations nor are they drencht with such evil habits as Elder ones are too too frequently died with He hath a very difficult Province whose task it is to wash out the spots of a Leopard or to whiten an Aethiopian And little less work hath he that undertakes to teach the Truth to one that hath been brought up in and is now as it were Naturalized to Err For those false notions must first be wholly rooted up before Truth can profitably be implanted Such must be untaught much before they can well be taught though but a little 2. Labour as much as in you lies to entertain their tender attention with such â—ruths as mostly affect their senses and fancies and are most easily conveigh'd to their little understandings To wit 1. Such Truths the sparks whereof are most alive in their corrupt nature v.g. To know God that made the whole World and them in particular That this God is to be worshipped That their Parents are to be hâ—noured That no lye is to be told That they must love others as themselves That they must certainly dye and after Death be judged to an Eternal state Begin to season them with the sence of God's Majesty and Mercy 2. Deal as much in Similitudes and plain and easie Resemblances as you can taking your Rise from the Creatures they see and hear always greatly respecting their weak capacity Are you sitting in your Houses you may thus bespeak them Oh my dear Child is this an handsom dwelling this house made with Stones and Timber O how much desirable is that House above with God that House not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens When they awake out of sleep mind them of their Duty Psal 139. Eph. 5.14 of giving their first thoughts to God and of awaking out of sin unto righteousness and of their awaking the last day out of the Grave by the sound of the Trumpet 1 Thess 4.16 Do they see the light of the day shining into their eyes Ask them Is it indeâ—d a pleasant thing to behold the Sun O how excellent then is God's goodness in causing the Sun of Righteousness to arise upon us with healing in his wings Mal 4.2 Are you putting on their cloaths O my Child think on sin which was the cause of your Soul's nakedness and of your Bodies need of apparel Be not proud of your cloaths which are given to hide your shame Never rest satisfied till your Soul be arrayed with the Robes of Christ's Righteousness When at the fire tell them of that Lake of fire and brimstone that burneth for ever into which all those that live and dye in sin shall be cast At Table how easie is it how profitable how delightful will it be out of every Creature there to extract spiritual food for our Souls The Bread minds them of the Bread of Eternal Life their hunger of hungring after Christ's Righteousness By a Rivers side how easie is it to mind them of the Water of Life and of those Rivers of pleasure at God's right hand for evermore Thus may you Psal 16.11 Hos 12.10 Assimilavi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properte â—â—enim multis rebus Deum compararunt Patri Pastori amâ—eâ— leâ—niâ— Pool's Synops without the least taedium or disgust teach those little Bees to such spiritual Honey out of every Flower By these similitudes as by so many golden Links you may draw Truths into their heads and memories Thus it pleased the Lord to teach his people of old by using Similitudes Isa 5.1 Ezek. 16.3 Hos 1.2 Thus the Great Bishop of our Souls taught his Disciples by Parables Mat. 13.38 3. Teach them the most useful delightful affectionate stories you can find in the Word of God v.gr. The Creation of Man Man's Fall The Deluge Isaac Sacrificed Lot and Sodom Joseph The Golden Calf David and Goliah Three Children in the Fiery Furnace Daniel in the Lyons Den. Jonah in the Whales Belly The Children devour'd by Bears 4. Betimes acquaint them with the practice of Religious Duties Read the Word Pray give Thanks sing Psalms in their presence 'T is conceived by the Learned that the little Children learnt to sing Hosanna to the praise of Christ by hearing their Parents sing the 118th Psalm out of which that Hosanna is taken 5. Endeavour to restrain them from all evil and to breed in them a Conscience of sin even from the very breast No playing no idle and vain chat on the Lord's Day Exod. 20.10 Ezek. 4.14 Ezekiel from his youth and infancy had not eaten any thing forbidden in the Law Made Conscience of meals when the Appetite was most unruly One fault amended by a Child out of Conscience that it is a sin is worth amending an hundred out of fear of the Rod or hope of reward only 6. Bring them to the publick Ordinances as soon as they can come to be there and kept there without the disturbance of the Church Exod. 20.9 10. The
is the command of the Lord Jesus to remember him in this Supper is a debt you ow to him your Saviour Lord and head it is a command that bears the superscription of the most supreme Authority in Heaven or Earth and if by the sentence of Christ it was but just to pay the tribute-money to Caesar because it bore his superscription it is much more just for you to pay the tribute of obedience to this command that bears the superscription of an Authority greater than all the Caesars that ever were What 's the name of Caesar in compare to the name and title of the Son of God which is a title that speaks him greater than all Angels or Arch-Angels in Heaven for to which of his Angels said he at any time thou art my Son Heb. 1.5 this day have I begotten thee this is he whom the Prophet Isaiah calleth Wonderful Is 9.6 Counsellor the mighty God the Prince of peace on whose shoulders it hath pleased the Everlasting Father to lay the government this is he whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom Dan. 4.3 and of whose dominion there will be no end of whom David speaketh Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Psal 45.6 all power my brethren God hath given into his hands and hath given him to bear this royal title King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 and it is he only that is head of his Church it is this great Lord that hath said this do in remembrance of me how then dare you disobey him believe it if he hath so great authority to command he hath as great a power to punish if he find you presumptuously disobedient he that could strike some sick and others dead for profaning this Supper he can do as much to you for not observing it and that he doth not is not because he wants power but because he is gracious long suffering not willing you should perish for your neglect but that you may be drawn to repentance and so to obedience but if you be obstinate after you are told throughly of your fault take heed it will be a horrible thing for you to fall into the hands of consuming fire 2. Consider your neglect of this Ordinance is a sin against the command not only of the greatest but of the best Prince in Heaven and Earth he is not only Maximus but Optimus also this is a further aggravation of your sin Who ever thought but that Absalom's taking up arms against David was treason but he that shall consider that the rebellion was against David the man after God's own heart against David the holiest of men and the justest of Princes and besides all this against David his Father cannot but judge it an act of the highest treason imaginable My brethren in your disobeying this command you sin against Jesus the just and Jesus the gracious against him that is by place your head in love your Father in openness of heart your Friend against him that emptied himself that he might fill you that became poor that he might enrich you that became an exile from his Throne and Father's Kingdom that he might bring you home to your Father's house that became a curse that you might be blessed that hung on a tree for you that you might sit on Thrones with him who called you and washed you from your sins in his blood and after all this when he shall leave such a command as this to remember him in this Supper for all this his love how inexcusable must your neglect be let your Conscience be judge with whom I leave it 3. If you consider what relation you that are believers stand in to this Jesus that left this command with you ye are the Elect of the Father who committed you to his Son to Redeem and effectually call you that he might save you from sin wrath the grave Hell and to bring you to everlasting glory Why are you called believers but from that faith whereby you acknowledg this Jesus as your Lord and your God whereby you trust in him and in what he hath done and suffered for you for the making your peace procuring your pardon and opening a new and living way into your Father's Kingdom and glory it is by this faith that you love him cleave to him and are therefore called his friends his children his brethren his subjects servants followers witnesses and shall such as you be found disobedient to him shall you carelesly forget to remember him in a supper appointed by himself for the remembrance of the greatest act of his love that is his dying for you I tell you Christ will take it worse of you than of any others how hainously did David take a contempt from his friend Psal 41.9 Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me ye are those that he hath chosen out of the world brought into his Father's family and for you to turn the heel upon him and refuse to eat at his Table this is a contempt that cannot but grieve and anger him when Christ had been teaching that they who did not eat his flesh and drink his blood had no life in them at this multitudes were offended and forsook him but saith he to his Disciples will ye go also implying that if they should forsake him it would be matter of greater trouble than that of the multitudes leaving him John 6.53.67 That the profane world comes not nigh his Table that comes not so nigh his heart but that ye believers should withdraw this is that which he must needs take ill from you Oh do not as you tender the good pleasure of your Lord do not grieve him by absenting your selves from his table 4. If you consider the command it self as it is easie pleasant honourable your neglect must needs receive further aggravation What is more easie than to eat and drink or more pleasant than to come to a feast or more honourable than to feast with the King of Kings Christ puts you not upon the painful duty of circumcising your flesh nor on the troublesom duty of washing your selves every time you touch a dead carcase or what is ceremonially unclean nor on the costly duties of sacrificing your Lambs Goats or Oxen nor on the costly and toilsom duties of travelling scores of miles every year to feast before the Lord at Jerusalem to which the Church of the Jews were bound he hath eased you of all these burdens and made your task far easier instead of all these he hath instituted but two duties like them the one of Baptism the trouble of which you are to undergo but once in all your lives and the other of this Supper which you may have without travelling far for and which costs you next to nothing But further it is a duty not less
of the Families of Israel to the same duties which he promised and resolved upon before them all that is that they in their houses should serve the Lord. That his Exhortation was in the name of God and by Authority from him is evident for he protesteth that he was to say the Lords words to them ver 2. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel That he exhorted them in the name of the Lord to serve God with their families is also manifest Doth he engage that he will serve the Lord So he exhorteth them to do also ver 14. Now therefore fear ye the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth And again Serve ye the Lord the matter of the duty then is the same expressed in the same words That this exhortation of serving the Lord reached to their families also is apparent from the Argument that he useth to enforce it namely his own example in his house else the strength and reason of it would be lost Would you have it run thus When I do so earnestly perswade counsel and command you to serve the Lord I would not have you to understand me as if this reached to your houses and proper families that ye should there set up conjunct religious duties but I and my house will serve the Lord would not this destroy the very sense and strength of his reasoning But if you take it on the contrary When I perswade you and command you in the name of God to serve him I would have you understand that my meaning is that both you and your houses should be engaged conjunctly to serve God and I exhort you to no more then what I do declare before you all that I will do in my house And so the sense is goo◠〈◊〉 argument strong to move them to it when he dot◠〈…〉 to the * A Lare incipe i. e. à domesticis ac familiaribus initium sumito rectè dicitur in magistratus alienae viâ—ae censores quorum oâ—â—icium est ut in primis suos suorúmque vitam corrigant Erasm Adag Proverb Begin at home and by his own â—â—â—mple influence them into the same practice it being an effectual way to back an exhortation by ones own example doing what we perswade others to do Sic agitur censura sic exempla parantur Cum judex alios quod monet ipse facit Ovid. Fast lib. 6. In his resolution he doth not only shew his zeal in glorifying God by doing him faithful service though all others should forsake him But also and chiefly like a prudent Governour draweth them on to imitate him Beneficioruâ—â— praedictorum commemorationis scopus est ut osten lat extrenae ingratitudinis esse pro tot tantÃsque heneficiis non vicissim Deum colere s qui. Par. in loc of whom they had justly so great an opinion for his vvisdom and piety Eng. Annot. The sum of all this affordeth this Argument for Family Prayer Arg. 1. If Joshua guided by the Spirit of God and upon moral grounds and reasons did promise and resolve that he and his house vvould jointly serve the Lord vvhich includeth prayer also and doth upon the same moral grounds and reasons and in the name of God exhort and command all the Heads and the Governours in Israel and all the people to do the same in their Houses then the same moral grounds and reasons still continuing it is the Duty of all Families jointly to serve the Lord including prayer also But all the parts of the Antecedent are true Therefore it is the Duty of all Families jointly to serve the Lord including prayer also Argument 2. Quod si homines ab injuria poena non natura arcere debet quaenam solicitude vexaret impios sublato suppliciâ—rum metu Quod si poena si metus supplicii non ipsa turpitudo deterres ab injuriosa facinero aque vita nemo est injustus ac incâ—uâ—i potiùs hubendi sunt improbi tum autem qui non ipso honesto movesimus â—eâ—oni viri aliquâ atque fructu callidi sumus non boni Nam quid faciet is homo in tenebris qui nihil timet nisi testem judicem quid in deserto loco nactus quem multo auro spoliare possit imbecillum atque solum Si negabit se illi vitam erepturum aurum ablaturum nunquam ob eam causam negabit quòd id natura turpe judicet sed quod meinat ne emanet id est ne malum habeat O rem dignam in qua non modò docti vetùm etiam agrestes crubescant Cicero de Leg. lib. 1. The Second Topick or Head from whence Family Prayer might be proved to be our duty shall be taken from the Law of Nature In this I shall proceed also by laying down several Propositions by which as by so many steps we might come up to the Argument that will determine it 1. Proposition Man being made by God a rational creature and a voluntary Agent is obliged to take God for his Governour and Ruler the actual existence of a Creature doth necessarily and immediately infer his relation to a Creator as the being of a Son doth the relation of a Father actual creation is the fundamentum or ground of this relation and as it is an absurdity in nature that a Son should be a Son having his being by his Parents under God and should not be obliged to be thankful to them to 〈…〉 them love them and obey them so it is much more absurd that man 〈…〉 a rational being from God and not be obliged to take him for his Goveâ—â—â—â—â— by how much God is greater then our Parents and the first cause of our being And this man is obliged unto antecedently to his own consent yea though he should never consent unto it as a Son is bound to obey his Parents though he should never consent thereto Though to take God for our Ruler in order to salvation our own consent is necessary for God saveth no man against his will nor without his own consent but by his powerful Spirit maketh them willingly consent but as our consent was not necessary nor possible to our own creation so it is not necessary to our obligation and subjection unto God yet if man doth not consent to take God for his Governour he is a Rebel against his Maker and though he do it not he stands bound to do it else obedience to God were not man's duty nor disobedience his sin and then man might act as he list and do what he please and never have any accusation from his own Conscience nor reason to be ashamed of nor afraid of any thing he doth if he can by policy or power escape punishment from men and if they should come to any harm by what they do it would be rather for their silliness and unwariness then for their wickedness or if they do good moved thereunto by their own profit and not by obligation of
Cum isto milite praesens absens ut siâ—s Ter. Eu. present at Prayer absent in mind when present in body God is not pleased with the prostrating of the body when your hearts joyn not in the work Do not so dissemble on your knees with God and man Are you then desiring the mercies prayed for whether pardon of sin strength against sin love to God repentance for sin an interest in Christ and evidences thereof when your minds and thoughts are wandering about other things Which if they do let Conscience call to thee to mind the * Vt vivas igitur vigila HOC AGE Hor. l. 2. Sat. 3. work thou art about for is not this to sin against God when you pretend to be serving of him and to be provoking of him when you should be praying to him to be reconciled unto you and turn away his anger from you Conjunct Prayer should be made with one mouth and with one mind Acts 1.14 They prayed together with one accord * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui rectè orare cupit debet necessario in se esse collectus von distractus aut sensibus dissipatus aut vagus Ames Cas Cons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vox musica significat concentum concentus autem à cantu eo differt quod cantus unius sit concentus non nisi plurium hic vero concentum animorum significat Camer prael Verbo Graeco elegans subest metaphora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de musico vocum concentu harmonicóque sono dicitur tanquam si diceretur non minùs gratam esse Deo concordem pluriuâ— erationem quà m concentus musicus hominum curibus sit gratus Novar in loc ex Crit. Sac. which word is translated Rom. 15.6 one mind that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God but where your thoughts are wandering in Family Prayer though there be but one mouth there be many minds these persons do not accord in Prayer which is great discord before God There should be a sympathy and agreement of hearts in conjunct Prayer Matth. 16 19. If two of you shall agree on Earth as touching any thing they shall ask A harmony of hearts should be in Prayer the word is borrowed from Musicians when several playing together do make an accord in Musick a consent of many voices in one thence translated to the mind denotes a concent of more hearts in one such Prayers make sweet harmony in the ears of God Keep your minds fixed then else though you do agree to go together into one Room to pray there will not be an agreement of hearts when you pray Direction III. 3. Direct Those that joyn should not only attend but also assent to the matter of the Prayer so far as it is agreeable to the Word of God When the corruption of the heart is acknowledged believe that this is true the misery of an unregenerate state lamented believe it to be true when Grace is prayed for as necessary to your salvation and that you are undone without it believe this as a most certain truth for if these things be spoken by him that prayeth and heard by you that joyn and not believed your hearts will not be humbled when sin is confessed nor earnest after Grace when it is prayed for and so you will lose the benefit of that Prayer Direction IV. 4. Direct Do not only believe these things in Prayer but make particular application thereof unto your selves When original sin is acknowledged think and say in your own hearts Lord this is my condition my heart is thus corrupt loathsom and vile When wants are expressed and supplies begged go along with what is said and apply it particularly to your selves Lord this is my want the want of Christ is my want O that he may be given to me the want of love to God and delight in him is my want O that I might love thee O that I could love thee and so in other things this is my sin and these are my doubts and my fears this is my burden and this is my temptation according as these are insisted on in prayer and this will make the duty to be for your spiritual benefit and profit These are the Directions for them that are to joyn with him that is your mouth to God The Directions more common to all that prayer might be managed to spiritual profit are these following Direction 1. Sciamus non alios ritè probèque se accingere ad orandum nisi quos afficit Dei Majestas Calv. Inst Speculator adstat desuper Qui nâ—s diebus omnibus Actúâ—que nostros prospicit A luce prima in vesperam Hic testis hic est arbit r Hic intuetur quicquid est Humana quod mens concipit Hunc nemo fallit Judicem Aur. Prud. Cathemer Hym. 2. For further direction in this point how you should do all in the Name of Christ see the Serm. on Col. 3.17 1. Direct Get and keep upon all your hearts awful lively impressions of the perfection of that God that you pray unto Take heed of coming with low irreverent unsuitable thoughts of God but conceive of him and believe and work and press it upon your hearts that the God you kneel before is most holy most wise most gracious and merciful most just eternal unchangeable all-sufficient true in his threatnings righteous in his commands faithful in his promises every where present and knowing all things that he observeth all your words and ways and looks into your hearts and thoughts that this God you cannot deceive though you should deceive your selves and one another Consider and believe that this God is present among you and doth know your ends your desires and what you are as well as who you are Then think is this that God that we are to speak unto to kneel before and shall we not so manage this duty that we might please this God and if you do you shall find it shall be for your spiritual benefit Direction 2. 2. Direct Put up your prayers to this great and glorious God in the name of Jesus Christ There is no access for sinners to God but by and through a Mediator You shall reap no benefit by praying except you go in the name of Christ Joseph told his Brethren they should not see his face except they brought Benjamin with them Gen. 43.5 nor we the face of God without Christ Eph. 3 12. Heb. 7.25 Col. 3.17 Heb. 13.15 This praying in the name of Christ doth not consist in the bare mentioning of his Name with our tongues but to pray in obedience to his command in his strength for his Glory trusting his promises resting on his merits expecting audience and acceptance only for his sake Direction 3. Quid odiosius aut etiam Deo magis execrandum putamus hac fictione ubi quis veniam peccatorum postulat interim aut se peccatorem non esse cogitans aut certè peccatorem
ordines Alsted Qualis est enjús quo domus talis est universa civitas 5. Consider that Family Reformation is a necessary means to publick Reformation and to hand down Religion from one generation to another Reformation begins with Persons thence is carried on to Families thence to Parishes thence to Towns and so to Cities and to Kingdoms but when these consist of Families how can there be a reformation of Cities and Kingdoms without a Reformation of Persons and Families You complain of the badness of the times and age in which you live and that no more care is taken to mend what is amiss why do you not reform your own houses Why do you not amend what is amiss in your own Families If you have not power to reform a Parish City or Kingdom yet you have a power to reform your own houses If Religion die in Families will it not die in Cities too and in Kingdoms too Will not you do your utmost to keep Religion alive to recover it when decaying or shall it be extinguished with this Generation God forbid Or do you see nothing amiss in your houses to be reformed what no praying there and yet nothing amiss there Certainly there is Let yours then have a pattern and example of Family-Prayer from you to do the same in their houses and their Children from them and so let it pass from one age to another An effectual way to keep the City clean will be for every house to sweep before their own door MOTIVE VI. 6. If Religious Duties are not set up in your Families Neglectis urenda filix innascitur agris Horat. Sermo lib. 1. Satyr 3. there will be the more sinning there and wickedness abounding in them How much cursing is there in many Families where there is no praying The field that is not dressed and manured is full of weeds and thorns Where God is not served the Devil is If in your houses God hath not a Church the Devil will have a Chappel What hopes will the Devil have Da mihi quaeso animas caetera sume tibi that he shall have Souls out of those Families where there is much sinning and no praying And if he might have their Souls he will be content that you may have all the rest If your houses be not nurseries for Heaven they will be breeding places for Hell If Souls under your roof are not prepared for Salvation they will there be fitted for Damnation and is this nothing to you Awake arise you drousie Governers of Families to your work and duty MOTIVE VII 7. It would be an effectual way and means to make those in your Families more obedient and better towards you if you would call on them to serve the Lord and you were more in Prayer with them You cry out of stubborn ann disobedient Children They grieve and break my heart saith one I have a Child that is my daily wound and sorrow saith another and Servants never worse is your often complaint Who is all this long of do not you read your sin in your punishment If you had taught them better their duty towards God they would have made more Conscience of their duty towards you if you had prayed with them God might have bowed their hearts as a return to your Prayers to have walked more suitable to their relative duties I have read of a young man going to the Gallows desired to speak with his Mother in her ear who bit off her ear with his teeth crying out against her as the cause of his death by your negligence saith he I am come to this woful end If you are alike careless of your Families if you do not lose your ears by your own Children yet you might lose something that is better MOTIVE VIII 8. If you make profession of Religion Aliud in titulo aliud in ptxide Pelliculam veterem retines fronte politus Astutam rapido servas sub pectore vulpem Pers Sat. 5. and yet do not pray in your Families it is base and cursed hypocrisie When you hear with God's people and pray with them and receive with them and seem to be devout abroad and do not pray with your Families at home is not this to make others believe you are what you are not Do you not profess by your joynt duties with God's people in all Ordinances that you are devoted unto God and doth not he that sincerely devotes himself to God devote also all he hath to him but is your Family devoted to God when there is no worship there It would be well if you were found out that you were denyed the Supper of the Lord for want of a sufficient credibility of a sound Profession But is it your way to be zealous abroad and negligent at home Let your house speak for you Sed videt hunc omnis domus Introsum turpem speciosum pelle decorâ MOTIVE IX Plus valet humanis viribus ira Dei Ovid. Trist Anno 1584 terra motu mons quidam in ditione Bernatum ultra alios montes violenter latus pagum quâ—ndam nonaginta familias habentem contexit totum dimidia domo excepta in qua pater-familias cum uxore liberis in genua provolutus Deum invocabat Polan Syntagm de terrae mot 9. The neglect of calling upon God in your Families will bring the curse of God upon them Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Families that call not upon thy Name 1. The persons threatned are Families which if in this Text comprehendeth many housholds or yet more largely taken yet there is the same parity of reason to a proper Family 2. Their crime is not calling upon the name of God 3. The thing threatned the fury of the Lord fury is fervent anger anger in it's height and rage 4. The abundance of it it shall not fall drop by drop upon prayerless Families but pour down in great showrs upon them Whereas the way to have God's blessing and protection over you and your houshold is to set up the worship of God therein There is a passage in a worthy Divine of a remarkable Providence of God to this purpose concerning a Town consisting of ninety houses that was in the year 1584. destroyed by an Earthquake except the half of one house where the Master of the Family was earnestly praying with his Wife and Children upon their bended knees to God Obj. But we see no such thing we perceive not but those Families prosper that have no Prayer in them as much as those that do Answ God is often angry when he doth not strike and punish presently the Offender but his wrath hangs over your house and you are never safe in your greatest prosperity N n est quare cuiquam quem dignum poena putaveris optes ut infestos habeat Deos habet inquam etiamsi videtur eorum favore produci Senec. Epist An Heathen could say If a wicked man prosper you need not
shouldest sometime sustain some loss in thy outward estate if it be made up with the favour of God and true peace of Conscience in the way of duty and with the real advantage of thy own Soul and the Souls of all thy Family Canst thou be willing to lose nothing for the gaining of Heaven or hadst thou rather that thou and they should lose God and Christ and Glory and Souls and all Surely when you come to cast up your accounts what you have got and what you have lost your gains will prove your loss 10. If God should bring back some from the Grave and Hell and set them in this world again dost thou think that they would so follow the World and run up and down after money that they would say they could find no time to pray that they might escape that dreadful place of Torment they had been in If some of those that have been in Hell but a Moneth or two were now in thy circumstances dost thou think they would not let their work stand still or rise the sooner and sit up the later or would deny themselves much of their eating time and sleeping time that they might have time to pray Lord let us not go down to Hell again O let us not return to the place which we have found to be so restless and so dreadful And shouldst not thou be as much and often and as earnest with thy Family that neither thou nor any of thine be cast into it I durst not let this pass though I am sensible I have taken up too much room without endeavouring to remove this hindrance that lyes in the way to keep many Families from their knees in Holy Prayer I beg for the Lord's sake and for your Soul's sake that you would watch against it and resolve against it and that your worldly Interest shall no longer keep you from Family Prayer In the close then of all that hath been said Let me in the Name of God exhort you all to the practice of Family Prayer You have heard it proved to be your duty you have been directed how you might manage it for the good of all in your houses you have had motives to press you to the performance of it your pretences and excuses brought against it have been manifested to be frivolous and vain What say you Sirs Will you resolve upon it here in the presence of the Lord or will you still neglect it Shall I lose all my labour or shall it be in vain that I have preached and you have heard this Doctrine I tell you to your faces it shall not be in vain the word of the blessed God shall convince you and reform you or condemn you What come we hither for but faithfully to shew you your duty and earnestly to perswade you to obey Do Ministers study for you when you are sleeping in your beds and declare the mind and will of God in the Congregation and will you cast all our counsel behind your back I hope you will be wiser for your own everlasting happiness Say then Are you convinced in this point that it is your duty If not view over again what hath been said and seriously consider it and let me beg this at your hands that you would think of all Now as you would do if you were with an awakened Conscience upon your dying bed or if you were standing at God's Judgment barr and when this question is put to you whether you ought to pray in your Families Let Conscience say Yes or No according as its verdict and dictate shall be at Death and Judgment and then I am perswaded you will say you are convinced you ought to do it And are you indeed What! and yet go on in the omission of it Will you so sin against your Consciences will you dare so to do You Parents for God's sake consider in what a condition you have brought your Children into the world are they not by nature enemies to God dead in sin children of wrath unfit for Heaven Such Parents are like the Ostrich You negligent Parents read Job 39.13 to 19. and Lam 4.3 Look your faces in that Glass Do you not blush Look that you are so like to such a foolish bird Struthio-camelus derâ—linquit ova sua in terra crudelis in prolem nihil praestupiditate oblivione crudelitate filiis suis timet Vales. Phil. Sac. Sicut haec avis non curat sua ova ita insipientes non curant instrui liberos in pietate Franzius The Ostrich if it thrust her neck or head into any shrub or bush and get that hidden thinks her self safe and that no man seeth her Plin. Nat. Hist Such fools are these ungodly Parents that if they get their heads under their roofs remember not that God seeth their great neglect there and in danger of damnation and will you not so much as pray daily with them that they may be delivered out of this condition and be saved from damnation is it nothing to you whether your Children are damned or saved is it nothing to you whether they live with the blessed glorious God or with cursed Devils and damned Souls have you no pity nor compassion for them that are flesh of your flesh where are the earnings of your hearts where are the workings of your bowels if their bodies were a dying would you not pray by their bed sides that they may be preserved from â—he grave and will you not that their Souls might be saved from Helâ— Dare you not be guilty of the murder of their bodies and dare you of their Souls do not the Laws of men justly hang those that do the one and will not the Laws of God righteously damn them that do the other You Fathers and you Mothers can you look upon your Graceless Christless Children and not pity them and weep over them and call them to you to come and pray with you have you not a word to say to God for them in their hearing will you not call them to this duty and let them be eye-witnesses of the tears that you should shed in lamenting their sinful state and misery thereby and ear-witnesses of the requests you put up to God for their conversion and how might this work upon their hearts if they were But what shall I say to you Fathers and to you Mothers that do neglect your duty which God requireth for the good of your Children the Father doth not pray the Mother doth not perswade him nor intreat him so to do and by the negligence of both the Children are ungodly Are they more wicked or you more cruel They are full of Impiety and you are full of cruelty both Father and Mother because it is so much long of you that they are so bad Crudelis Mater magis an puer Improbus ille Improbus ille puer crudelis tu quoque mater Virg. Eclog. 8. Appendatur hoc Crudelis pater es per te
token of ill behaviour under Government and do disguise Children of the most comly structure in the world Thus of the first general in Childrens duties The second is concerning the Latitude and extent of Childrens obedience in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Text. We cannot imagine this is so universal and absolute as Obedience to God or that the obligation lies in any thing beside the mind of the supreme Governour of Heaven and Earth or dissonant to the holy will of our Lord for only that obedience is required which is well-pleasing and grateful unto him So that the Power demanding it must have a warrant from him unless we should embrace the horrid opinion of the daring Atheist in his Leviathan †c. 42 p. 234. who impiously affirms that if a Christian be commanded by his lawful Prince or Soveraign whose authority was first paternal to say he doth not believe in Christ it is lawful to obey which atheistical tenet doth either post-pone the command of God to the command of man which is most abominable or without further enquiry doth account it a divine precept which would prefer an hellish error to the Heavenly verity overturn the whole Christian institution and set up diabolical adoration ‖ Dr Templar Idea Theol. Levia p. 96 97 251. 101 102. 'T would introduce an infallible spirit in all Civil as the Papists pretend to have in their Ecclesiastical Government yea quite exterminate all regards of Conscience and raze out the common notions of good and evil whereas all subjection which is not of faith i. e. agrees not with the judgment of Conscience propounding it's dictates under the reason of the Divine will is sin (x) Rom. 13.1 4.5 with 14.23 God is only arbitrary and absolute Lawgiver (y) Jam 4.12 And as Constant the Father of Constantine the Emperour affirm'd they could not be faithful Subjects unto him who easily contemn'd God and their Conscience neither Children be truly obedient to their Parents who do so Our obedience then ought to be only in all things acceptable to our supreme Lord and Master And therefore the Apostle hath elsewhere express'd the command to obey in the Lord (z) Eph. 6.1 5 6. which is the same as unto the Lord and unto Christ fearing God (a) Colos 3.22 23. in opposition to the pleasing of men This doth moderate the commands of Parents and regulate the obedience of Children Wives and Servants 'T is true had Parents kept their original rectitude their commands would never have been other than consonant to the Divine pleasure and Law of Nature but the fall that disordered that harmonious and happy constitution and now their precepts do often thwart or jar with the will of him who is Soveraign Lord whom to please is the determination or limit as well as motive to Childrens obedience This agrees with the sense of Arch-bishop Anselm †Comment in Colos in his tantummodo quae praâ—eptum Domini non excedunt c. 580 years ago expounding my Text. How it will rellish now with those of his order in an Hypothesis of theirs I determine not But he saith that Natural and Ecclesiastical Carnal and Spiritual Parents are to be obeyed in all things only in the Lord i. e. saith he in those things only which are not beside or Do not exceed the precept of the Lord because it is pleasing unto God that in such a manner we should obey them It should seem he held then according to truth that if a Superiour should exceed his commission by imposing any preter-evangelical Canon for Doctrine or practice the Inferiors non-conformity thereunto was no transgression For in obeying the commands of a subordinate power (b) Acts 4.19 5.29 Exod. 1.17 we are primarily to take care that the rights of the absolute Soveraign remain inviolable seeing God gave the Parent that Authority he hath in requiring that which is displeasing to God he hath none And as the Child is to obey him so he is to obey God without whose warrant his child is not oblig'd to active obedience but passive or submission by suffering the penalty with cheerfulness that is pleasing to God in such a case For the truth is It is thank-worthy if one for Conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully (c) 1 Pet. 2.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is acceptable with God whatever acceptance it find among men there is a grace in this behaviour before God Now the great thing Children are to look at in their obedience to Parents is that it be well-pleasing to God so saith my Text and if they obey without his warrant who can secure them they shall do what is acceptable with him God is to have an affection predominant to that we have for our Parents (d) Mat. 10.37 Luke 14.26.9.59 60 61. We must not dishonour him in pretension to honour them In things impious or dishonest Parents have no authority herein disobedience would be just and obsequiousness criminal Hence we find Acrotatus commended amongst the Antients because when his Parents had required of him to do an unjust thing he answered I know you are willing I should do that which is just for so you taught me to do I will therefore do that which you desire I should but what you bid me I will not do A denial in this case is to be express'd in all humble language Hierocles though no Christian hath notable things about the extent of Childrens obedience for he arguing in this case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. ‖ Comment in Câ—rm Pytbag p. 53 c. If in all things we must obey our Parents how shall we go astray from piety and other vertues if through the pravity of their manners they lead us into those things which are not altogether honest and commendable If sometime their will be not consonant to the Divine Laws He gives this answer amongst others * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If indeed the Divine Law draw you to one thing and your Parents to another in this disagreement of wills it is more excellent to choose those things which are better and in those only to be inobservant of the commands of Parents wherein even they themselves obey not the Divine Laws for it cannot be that he who is resolv'd to observe the rules of vertue can consent to them by whom they are neglected but in all other things we ought as much as we can to honour our Parents viz. in bodily observance and a most ready free supply of things necessary sith they have right to use those they have brought forth and nourished c. Neither will the Parents unkindness be enough to discharge the Child from obedience which is to be yielded in all the circumstances of their lives And that considering 3. The great reason to engage in the duties of Childrens obedience in the Lord is undoubtedly the most cogent Motive
lusts they serve their pleasures Tit. 3.3 serving divers lusts and pleasures but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince in man is possest with principles of a more direct contrariety whence it must follow that all the thoughts and counsels of it are tinctured with this hatred They are indeed a defilement of the higher part of the soul and that which belongs more peculiarly to God And the nearer any part doth approach to God the more abominable is a spot upon it as to cast dirt upon a Prince's house is not so heinous as to deface his image The understanding the seat of thoughts is more excellent than the will both because we know and judge before we will or ought to will only so much as the understanding thinks fit to be willed and because God hath bestowed the highest gifts upon it adorning it with more lively lineaments of his own image Colos 3.10 Renewed in knowledg after the image of Him that created him implying that there was more of the image of God at the first creation bestowed upon the understanding the seat of knowledg than on any other part yea than on all the bodies of men distill'd together Heb 12.9 Father of Spirits is one of God's titles To bespatter His children then so near a relation the jewel that he is choice of must needs be more heinous He being the Father of Spirits this spiritual wickedness of nourishing evil thoughts is a cashiering all child-like likeness to him The traitorous acts of the mind are most offensive to God as 't is a greater despite for a son to whom the father hath given the greater portion to shut him out of his house only to revel in it with a company of Roisters and Strumpets than in a child who never was so much the subject of his father's favour And 't is more heinous and odious if these thoughts which possess our souls be at any time conversant about some Idea of our own framing It were not altogether so bad if we loved something of God's creating which had a physical goodness and a real usefulness in it to allure us but to run wildly to embrace an Ens rationis to prefer a thing of no existence but what is colour'd by our own imagination of no vertue no usefulness a thing that God never created nor pronounced good is a greater enmity and a higher slight of God 6. In respect of Connaturalness and voluntariness They are the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tâ—ales Diog. Lacrt. and they are continually evil They are as natural as the aestuations of the Sea the bubblings of a fountain or the twinklings of the stars The more natural any motion is ordinarily the quicker it is Time is requisite to action but thoughts have an instantaneous motion The body is a heavy piece of clay but the mind can start out on every occasion Actions have their stated times and places but these solicit us and are entertain'd by us at all seasons Neither day nor night street nor closet exchange nor temple can priviledg us from them We meet them at every turn and they strike upon our souls as often as light upon our eyes There is no restraint for them The Laws of men the constitution of the body the interest of profit or credit are mighty bars in the way of outward profaneness but nothing lays the reins upon thoughts but the Law of God and this man is not subject to neither can be ‖ Rom. 8.7 Besides the natural Atheism in man is a special friend and nurse of these few firmly believing either the omniscience of God or his government of the world which the Scripture speaks of frequently as the cause of most sins among the sons of men †Isai 29.15 Ezek. 9.9 Job 22.13 14. Actions are done with some reluctance and nips of natural conscience Conscience will start at a gross temptation but it is not frighted at thoughts Men may commit speculative folly and their conscience look on without so much as a nod against it Men may tear out their neighbours bowels in secret wishes and their conscience never interpose to part the fray Conscience indeed cannot take notice of all of them they are too subtil in their nature and too quick for the observation of a finite principle They are many †Prov. 19.21 There are many devices in a man's heart Florus l. 2. c. 3. Mâ—jor aliquantoâ—abor erat invenire quam vincere and they are nimble too like the bubblings of a boyling pot or the rising of a wave that presently slides into its level and as Florus saith of the Ligurians the difficulty is more to find than conquer them They are secret sins and are no more discerned than motes in the air without a spiritual sun-beam whence David cryes out Psal 19.12 Cleanse me from secret sins which some explain of sins of thoughts that were like sudden and frequent flashes of lightning too quick for his notice and unknown to himself There is also more delight in them There is less of temptation in them and so more of election and consequently more of the heart and pleasure in them when they lodge with us Acts of sin are troublesom there is danger as well as pleasure in many of them but there is no outward danger in thoughts therefore the complacency is more compact and free from distraction The delight is more unmixed too as intellectual pleasures are more refined than sensual All these considerations will enhance the guilt of these inward operations The Uses shall be two though many Inferences might be drawn from the point 1. Reproof What a mass of vanity should we find in our minds if we could bring our thoughts in the space of one day yea but one hour to an account How many foolish thoughts with our wisdom ignorant with our knowledg worldly with our heavenliness hypocritical with our religion and proud with our humiliations Our hearts would be like a Grott furnished with monstrous and ridiculous pictures Ezek 8.5.10 or as the wall in Ezekiel's vision pourtrayed with every form of creeping things and abominable beasts a greater abomination than the Image of jealousie at the outward gate of the Altar Were our inwards opened how should we stand gazing both with scorn and wonder at our being such a pack of fools Well may we cry out with Agur Prov. 30.2 We have not the understandings of men we make not the use of them as is requisite for rational creatures because we degrade them to attendances on a brutish phancy I make no question but were we able to know the phancies of some irrational creatures we should find them more noble heroick and generous in suo genere than the thoughts of most men more agreeable to their natures and suited to the law of their creation †Psal 10 4. God is not in
shall shew forth thy praise 3. It busies it self in bringing in and reconciling Rebels to him seeks every way the enlargement of his Kingdom by making advantagious reports of him as in the 5. Cant. 10. by beseeching Persons to lay aside their enmity to him 2 Cor. 5.20 David promises this Service to God with some hopes of success Psal 51.13 I will teach Transgressours thy ways and sinners shall be Converted to thee It is needless to tell you how Serviceable the Tongues of good men have been and yet are to this purpose which work as it is the glory of God so of all works is the joy of Angels Luke 15.10 4. It is also a useful Fellow-Subject it hath to give and is ready to give good advice and counsel to others by which it is hugely helpful to them The Tongue 's Charity and Liberality is Famous and believe it when it is become a good Tongue it is as before noted a silver Tongue and its gifts are beyond those of Silver and Gold Two expressions note to this effect Prov. 10.21 The Lips of the Righteous feed many Their words are others Bread and the best Bread they can get But are they Drink too See the 10. Prov. 11. The mouth of a Righteous man is a Well of Life a Well for plenty for purity and a Well whose Waters have a singular Encomium they are Waters of Life to this let me further add what you find Prov. 12.18 The Tongue of the wise is health whence it may be called the wholesome Tongue Prov. 15.4 Two Inferences I would hence make 1. That it is worth our while to use our utmost diligence to bring our Tongues into Order since they are such excellent Organs of God's Honour and so eminently serviceable unto our Brethren upon their Regulation 2. That it must needs be God's great delight to see them in Order and observe them Acting in this their glory now he loves to hear us speak accordingly he provokes us to it as if it yielded sweet Melody to him Cant. 2.14 O my Dove let me hear thy Voice for thy Voice is sweet Elsewhere what a high commendation does he give of it Cant. 4.11 Thy Lips O my spouse drop as the Honey-comb Honey and Milk are under thy Tongue But above all we may see this in that 3. of Mal. 16 17. where they are represented talking God hearkning writing and resolving what he will do for them and expressing what account he made of them their words seemed to hang as Jewels in his Ears and their Persons he will lay as Jewels in his Royal Closet They shall be mine in the day that I make up my Jewels 4. That it is the great Glory of a man to have a good government over his Tongue the bare holding of it in makes a Fool seem wise Prov. 17.28 Even a Fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise and he that shutteth his Lips is esteemed a man of understanding And the lolling out of the Tongue both Naturally and Morally is reputed a great indication of Folly Prov. 10.18 He that uttereth a slander is a Fool. For what can he propose to himself in it to compensate for what he ventures by it his Brother's Credit is wasted but his own Conscience it may be wounded as having transgressed both Charity and Equity and two to one if in the like or a worse kind he be not requited and go unpitied Yea should all others spare him he is even with himself for whatever he hath said of his Neighbour he hath scarce given him a worse Name than he has took to himself of a slanderer But the right ordering of our Tongue as to what is let out and what is kept in does not only speak a good man but makes him glorious and eminent among other good men Jam. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole Body he must have a measure of his own parts a command of his passions and in-sight into Seasons and Occasions It is a modest expression that he which can do this is able to command himself indeed if we could find the man he is fit to govern the World Whereas on the other hand he is fit for nothing that has a loose and licentious Tongue and it is generally a token of an impotent man Try what you can make of him an ill Neighbour I will warrant you he will prove he must be pratling of every thing and every one every thing he sees every thing he hears he turns into a story one would not he should look over ones Wall come into ones House talk with ones Children or Servants he is either fishing out of them or dropping into them what is not convenient His Eye his Ear are still progging for fewel to that fire his Tongue is enflamed with His humour is set out Psal 41.6 If he come to see me he speaketh Vanity hâ—s heart gathereth Iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it As bad a Neighbour as he is he is yet a worse Friend he trifles away our time he tires our patience he betrays our trusts there can be no confidence in him we must still be upon the Watch one may as well make a whole Town our Friend as such a one But yet too a much worse Relation he makes 't is next dwelling in a Mill to dwell with him his clack is always going only not in so good tune and order as that we allude to the wise man could not think of a Condition so intolerable as the being yoked with such a Relation Prov. 25.24 It is better to dwell in the Corner of an House-top than with a brawling Woman and in a wide House And a brawling man is as very a trouble-house and in some sense more intolerable as more praeter-natural In sum a well governed Tongue is not more our glory than an unruly one is our shame that we are pricked on both sides by Honour and dishonour to endeavour as much as may be the regulation of this Member as we consult the Credit of our whole man These things that we in general have promised may be improved as motives and moral helps for the government of the Tongue But more particularly in order to its right management we must consider 1. It s just measure 2. It s due matter 3. It s proper scope 1. As to the measure and here we must note the extremes that are to be avoided and the mean that is to be observed 1. The first extreme is over-silence a rare fault but a fault against the very intent of the Tongue and is a burying of that Talent it is justly chargeable with a great deal of evil and suspitious of much more And this in some is natural from frigidity and excessive melancholy they are the easiest pardoned though not altogether excused when otherwise duly qualified and called Exod. 4.10 11 12. In some this is contracted
the neglect of them as proceeding from licentiousness what saith the Apostle Who art thou that judgest another man's Servant verse 4. And But why dost thou judg or set at naught thy Brother For we must all stand before the Judgment-seat of Christ verse 10. As if he had said thou dost set thy self in the Throne of God and thou dost take God's work out of his hands 2. This is a manifest breach of the Laws of God and of Christ The things as I said before which thou dost censure and reproach another for are often-times doubtful and liable to dispute but the Command of God against this sinful practice is evident and without controversie He whom thou censurest possibly may sin but thou that dost reproach him certainly dost sin and that against clear Light and so thou dost put thy self into the Number of those that rebel against the Light which is mentioned as a great aggravation of sin Job 24.13 The Law of God hath so evidently forbidden this sin that if thy Conscience doth not smite thee for it if thou canst go on quietly in this sin it is a sign thou art in a deep sleep if not dead in Trespasses and sins That this practice is so great a breach of the Laws of God and of Christ will appear by these particulars 1. It is against particular and express Scriptures forbidding this practice The Text is evident it is not like some places of Scripture which are hard to be understood and soon wrested but it is so plain that he that runs may read it none shall dwell in God's holy Hill that allow themselves in this practice Again Exod. 23.1 Thou shalt not raise a false Report against thy Brother A false Report either that which thou knowest to be false then thou art guilty of Forgery or that which in the Issue shall be found to be false in which case thou art guilty of rashness and uncharitableness In the Hebrew it is a vain Report a report that wants the solidity of a through information and of real use to thy Neighbour Jam. 4.11 Speak not evil of another for he that speaketh evil of his Brother and judgeth his Brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law and so in the grossest sense is an Antinomian Tit. 3.2 Ministers must put people in mind to speak evil of no man 2. This is against the fundamental Law of Love and Charity which is the chief of the Laws of God so great a Law that the rest of the Laws of God must give place to it Sacrifice Sabbaths The Worship and Service of God must frequently give place unto this duty of Mercy and Charity to men by which you may see as how great a duty this is so how great a sin the violation of this command is God accepts no man's person he regards no Service where this is wanting Though men pretend or express never so much love to God though they do or suffer never so much for him yet if they have not Charity it prositeth nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 and 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother 1 Joh. 4.20 If a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Lyar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen But possibly some may ask who then is my Brother to the love of whom I am thus obliged Possibly he is one of my own party and Religion and such I do love No every man is thy Brother in this sense and the object of thy Love 'T is true good men are the principal objects of thy Love but not the only objects of it the commands of the Gospel in this matter are general 1 Pet. 2.17 Honour all men love the Brother-hood that is Love them in a more eminent degree Gal. 6.10 As we have opportunity let us do good to all men especially to the Houshold of Faith But now all Persons yea even those that censure and reproach others will pretend they love them but be not deceived if thou dost sincerely love thy Neighbour thou wilt be ready to do all good Offices for him to seek his Good to maintain his Credit to Interpret all things in the best sense to cover his failings 1 Pet. 4.8 Charity will cover a multitude of sins Didst thou love thy Neighbour thou wouldst not be so apt to censure him so greedy to hear nor so ready to believe evil reports concerning him When God shall come at the last day to try men's Love to their Brethren by the Rules and Characters of it which he did prescribe in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 13th Chapter I doubt multitudes of Persons will be found deeply guilty that thought themselves in a manner wholly Innocent You should do well to study that Chapter and to labour throughly to understand it and that I commend to you as an excellent Antidote against this wicked practice 2. This is a sin against that great and Royal Law of Christ which even the Heathens have admired and the Emperour Severus did so highly applaud Mat. 7.12 Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now let your own Consciences answer the Question would you be thus dealt with by others Would you have all your Infirmities sharply censured Your secret miscarriages published to the World The whole course of your Lives ript up and all your actions severely examined No no they that are so forward to censure the real or supposed miscarriages of others would have their own more tenderly dealt with And generally those that are most severe Judges of others are most partial to themselves they that will most freely defame other men will not endure to be reproved and admonished themselves They that will turn the edge of the Sword to others would have the back only turned to themselves 3. It is sin against the great Law of maintaining Peace amongst men This is prescribed as a remedy against this very sin Rom. 14.9 Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace and things wherewith we may Edifie one another Heb. 12.4 Follow Peace with all men Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men He saith indeed if it be possible because in some cases it is impossible to have peace with wicked men without the neglect of our Duty and without the loss of Truth and Holiness but as far as it is possible we are obliged to promote it But what Peace can there be in the midst of Censures and Reproaches The Natural Off-spring of such Parents are Contentions Divisions Animosities while Peace lyes bleeding and languishing 4. It is against that great Command laid upon all Christians of excelling other men Christ
the Devil's work in stealing the Seed of the Word of God out of Mens hearts and making it unfruitful These practices beget in men a mean esteem and contempt of God's Word when they see how little good it doth to others and how little power it hath with you that profess it Before I come to the Application two Questions are to be Answered 1. May I not speak evil of another Person when it is true Quest 1. A Man may be faulty in so doing The real secret faults of your Neighbour as I told you you ought not unnecessarily to publish And suppose there be no untruth nor injustice in it yet there is uncharitableness and unkindness in it and that is a sin Thou wouldst not have all Truth said concerning thy self nor all thy real faults publickly traduced Out of thy own mouth will God Judg thee O thou wicked Servant Yea thy own Tongue and Conscience shall another day condemn thee 2. You may speak evil of another Person when necessity requires it It may be necessary sometimes for his good and so you may speak evil of him unto those that can help it as a man may acquaint Parents with the miscarriages of their Children in order to their amendment Thus Gen. 27.2 Joseph brought to his Father the evil Report of his Brethren Sometimes this may be necessary for the caution of others as if I see a man ready to enter into intimate Friendship and Acquaintance with a Person whom I know to be highly vicious and dangerous I may in such a case caution him against it For certainly if Charity commands me when my Neighbour's Ox is ready to fall into a Pit to do my endeavour ro prevent it much more am I obliged to prevent the ruine of my Brother's Soul when I see him so near destruction But for a man to do this unnecessarily and unprofitably this is the sin I have been speaking of 3. If you will speak evil of other Persons do it in the right method Christ hath given us an Excellent Rule Mat. 18.15 16. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee take two or three more and if he will not hear them tell it to the Church But if Men will be preposterous and will not follow Christ's Order but instead of private admonishing will publish men's faults to others herein they make themselves Transgressors 4. In doubtful cases silence is the safest way It is rarely men's duty to speak evil of Men and when it is not their duty to speak it is not their sin to be silent It is seldom that any suffer by my silence or concealment of his fault but great hazards are run and many Persons commonly are made sufferers by my publication Now as Charity commands me to pass the most favourable judgment so Wisdom obligeth me to chuse the safest course Quest 2 But what if that Man I speak against be an Enemy to God and his People May not I in that case speak evil of him Doth not that Zeal I ow to God engage me to speak evil of such a man as far as I can with truth This I believe is that which induceth many well meaning Persons to this sinful practice of detracting from divers worthy Persons Ministers and others as supposing them to be Enemies to God and to his ways and so they think their reproaching and censuring of such Persons is nothing but zeal for God For Answer to this consider 1. There is abundance of sinful Zeal in the World and in the Church Therefore the Apostle gives us a Caution Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing Otherwise we know it was from Zeal that Paul persecuted the Church Phil. 3.6 Zeal indeed is an Excellent grace in it self but nothing more frequently both pretended where it is not and where Envy Interest or Malice lye at the bottom and abused where it is 2. True Zeal hath an equal respect to all God's commands and especially to those that are most plain and most considerable It is at least doubtful whether the man thou traducest be an Enemy to God and his ways sure I am it is so with some Ministers and Christians that are highly censured and reproached by those that differ from them and it were great Impudence to deny it But this is a certain truth and evident duty Thou shalt not take up an evil reproach against thy Neighbour 3. Consider how easie a mistake is in this case and how dangerous Peradventure he whom thou callest an Enemy to God will upon enquiry be found a Friend of God and his ways But what dost thou mean by the ways of God Possibly thy own ways or party that thou art engaged in take heed of that If you would Judg aright you must distinguish between the circumstantials and the essentials of the ways of God Suppose a man be an Enemy to thy Party and thy way and manner of Religious Worship and Government yea let us suppose that thine is indeed the way of God wherein yet thou maist be mistaken if now this man be an able and zealous Assertor of the substantial and fundamental truths of God and ways of Holiness and this be attended with an Holy and exemplary Life who dare say that this man is an enemy to God and his ways O my Soul come not into the secrets of such Persons 4. You must not go out of God's way to meet with God's Enemies If any man be really an Enemy of God and of his Truths and ways I do not perswade you to comply with him or by sinful silence to betray the cause of God only let me entreat you to do God's work in God's way you may apply your selves to him and endeavour to convince him you may speak or write against his Doctrine provided you do it with modesty and moderation and not with that virulence and venom wherewith too many Books are now leavened But for this way of Detraction and Reproach it is a dishonourable and disingenuous way it is a sinful and disorderly way it is an unprofitable and ineffectual way and no way suitable either to the Nature of God whom you serve or to the Rule and Example of our Blessed Saviour or to the great principle of Love and Charity or to that end which you are to aim at in all things the honour of God and the good of other men Now I come to the Application Lamentation for the gross neglect of this Duty or the frequent Commission Vse 1 of this sin What Tears are sufficient to bewail it How thick do Censures and Reproaches fly in all places at all Tables in all Conventions And this were the more tolerable if it were only the fault of ungodly Men of Strangers and Enemies to Religion For so saith the Proverb Wickedness proceedeth from
the wicked When a man's heart is full of Hell it is not unreasonable to expect that his Tongue should be set on fire of Hell And it is no wonder to hear such Persons reproach good men yea even for their goodness But alas the Dâ—sease doth not rest here this Plague is not only among the Egyptians but Israelites too It is very doleful to consider how Professors sharpen their Tongues like Swords against Professors and one good man censures and reproaches another and one Minister traduceth another and who can say I am clean from this sin O that I could move your pity in this case For the Lord's sake pity your selves and do not pollute and wound your Consciences with this Crime Pity your Brethren let it suffice that godly Ministers and Christians are loaded with reproaches by wicked men there is no need that you should combine with them in this Diabolical work You should support and strengthen their hands against the reproaches of the ungodly World and not add affliction to the afflicted O pity the World and pity the Church which Christ hath purchased with his own Blood which methinks bespeaks you in those words Job 19.21 Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my Friends for the hand of the Lord hath touched me Pity the mad and miserable World and help it against this sin stop the bloody Issue restrain this wicked practice amongst men as much as possibly you can and lament it before God and for what you cannot do your selves give God no rest until he shall please to work a Cure Vse 2 Caution Take heed you be not found guilty of this sin Wherein any of us have been guilty let us be truly and throughly humbled for it and for the future let us make conscience of abstaining from it I will suppose what I have said may be sufficient for Arguments to convince and for Motives to perswade you And therefore I shall only give you some Directions in order to the practice of this Duty And to assist you against this sin Direct 1 Avoid the causes of this sin This is the most Natural and regular way to Cure a Disease by taking away the cause of it Particularly take heed of these things as the Causes of this sin 1. Take heed of uncharitableness in all its kinds and degrees Malice Envy Hatred where these Diseases are in the Heart they will break out at the Lips Out of the abundance of the Heart the mouth speaketh 2. Take heed of Loquacity and multitude of words A Man need not seek far for perpetual motion he may find it in some Persons restless and incessant Tongues Now Persons of this temper will not want matter of Discourse and therefore pick up and spread abroad all sorts of censures and reproaches against others not so much out of Malice against them as for their own Diversion and ease that their Tongues may not want Exercise Take heed of this it is in it self a sin an abuse of the Tongue a wasting of time a reproach to thy self it makes thee cheap and mean and contemptible in the eyes of others and especially of wise and good men and it is also the cause of many other sins 3. Take heed of Pragmaticalness which is when Men are inquisitive and busie about other mens matters A sin often reproved in Scripture 2 Thes 3.11 For we hear that there are some walking among you disorderly working not at all 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as an evil doer or as a busie body in other mens matters You may observe how Christ reproveth this in his own dear Apostle Joh. 21.21 22. Peter seeing him saith to Jesus Lord and what shall this man do Jesus saith to him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me As if he had said mind you your own business do not busie your head about other men 4. Take heed of man-pleasing There are many whose great imployment and business it is to spread evil reports concerning others who are therefore called Tale-bearers and this they do to please the humours of Persons with whom they converse unto whom they know such Discourse is most acceptable And thus many Persons make themselves guilty in hearing reproaches and not checking them because they will comply with the Company they will not displease nor offend their Friends Take heed of this and remember that severe Sentence of the Apostle Gal. 1.10 If I yet pleased men I should not be the Servant of Christ He that pleaseth other men so as to neglect any Duty or to commit any sin whatsoever he pretends he is not the Servant of Christ Direct 2 Learn the government of your Tongues Consider the necessity of it The Apostle James lays the stress of all Religion upon it Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue this man's Religion is in vain And if this be true I am sure there are many high Professors that must be blotted out of the Saints Kalendar Consider also the easiness of this government of the Tongue Men have more command of their Tongues and of their outward Members than they have of their inward motions concupiscences and passions If Tongues be unruly God and Nature hath given you a bridle to restrain them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fence of the Teeth as the Poet speaks Learn distrust of Reports it is a good Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 learn to disbelieve Direct 3 Fame hath lost its Reputation long since and I do not know any thing which it hath done in our Age to regain it and therefore it ought not to be credited How few Reports are there in any kind which when they come to be examined we do not find to be false For my part I reckon if I believe one Report in twenty I make a very liberal allowance And especially distrust reproaches and evil reports because these spread fastest as being grateful to most Persons who suppose their own Reputation never so well grounded as when it is built upon the ruins of other mens 4. Reproach no man for that which you do not throughly understand This I am sure is highly reasonable and he that doth otherwise is altogether inexcusable because he runs an infinite hazard lest while he opposeth a man he be found to fight against God And truly if this Rule were practised some kinds of reproaches would be rare in the World for Persons of true and clear understanding are not apt to reproach others for different Opinions in lesser matters they consider the weakness of humane Nature and the necessity of mutual forbearance It is the weaker sort that are here as in other things most querulous and generally where there is least light there is most heat Those Persons by whose censures and reproaches the Church of God among us is most miserably torn and wasted are generally the more ignorant part of
the one and the other might see the right way of Salvation by Jesus Christ for though the Light of Nature by which we are convinc'd of the equity and righteousness of the Moral Law do bind us to Repentance when we act against it yet it cannot promise that we shall get any thing by our Repentance being altogether ignorant of the Mystery of the Gospel Thus we see the Mountains must be brought low and the Valleys filled up and both reduc'd to such an exact level evenness and plainness that Christ may sit close upon the soul without the least interposition of any thing between him and us or the least remaining vacuity or emptiness in our selves into which his Fulness doth not descend making up whatsoever is wanting in us and when it is so there is a through perfect closure with Christ in the greatest nearness in the strictest and most intimate union that can be But you will say How shall we come to this How shall we walk thus between the Mountain and the Valley in a streight direct line of Faith and Hope to Jesus Christ which brings me to the Case or Question now to be spoken to from the Text which is this viz. How may we steer an even course between Presumption and Despair The true state of this Question depends upon a clear discovery of the real difference that is between the Grace of Hope and both these extreams Presumption and Despair therefore 1. I shall distinguish between Presumption and Hope The difference between Hope and Despair is more apparent but we are too too apt to confound Presumption and Hope there being a greater Affinity between these than the other as in Morality some vertue come nearer to one extreme than to the other So here there is something of the general nature of Hope in Presumption Presumptio non excludit spem sed rectitudâ—nem spei Zanch. Therefore we must be the more acurate and strict in distinguishing between the Grace of Hope and the Sin of Presumprion which fallente quâdam Specie Aquinas resembles the grace of Hope and those who are guilty of this Sin do alwayes put the specious name of Hope upon it they are not sensible of any Presumption as others are of Despair and therefore their case is more dangerous Eo magis desperati quo minus desperantes Ames de Consc And where one despairs thousands do presume Before I come to particulars I must distinguish of a double Presumption 1. Of our Selves and our own merits 2. Of God and his mercy Both stand in a direct opposition to the true Grace of Hope and I shall shew you where the difference lies I begin with 1. The First sort of Presumption which is of our selves This is a proud arrogant presumption arising from a vain conceit of our own supposed worth and righteousness we think to stand upon our own legs insisting not upon what Christ is to us or hath done for us but upon what we are in and to our selves and have done for Christ We have Prophecied in thy Name c. Mat. 7.22 We are not as this Publican we have done thus and thus and ought to be considered for our good works and we doubt not but we shall 't is not the Promises of Free-grace but the Law and their strict observance of that which these men ground their hope upon But the true Grace of Hope is alwayes grounded upon Faith in the Promises and is all along fed nourish'd maintain'd and strengthened by those believing perswasions that it hath of the truth of those Promises which at first produced and begat this hope in the Soul and in the continual exercise of this Grace in its daily actings it eyes the Promises hath daily recourse to them for its further confirmation 't is bottomed upon them takes its rise from thence and bears up the Soul upon the credit of them Rom. 15.4 Psal 119.74 this is the hope of the Gospel Col. 1.23 that carries us out of our selves A Christian's Hope is hope in another and not in himself The right notion of Hope as it is an Evangelical Grace implies our sole dependance upon God as the only Author and Fountain of all that good which we desire and look for which doth sufficiently difference it from that false hope or self-presumption that I have been speaking of and which was principally aimed at by John in the Text being a Presumption more peculiar to those times and persons here spoken of who lived under the Law and were much in doing but understood not the End of their Moral or Ceremonial Works but trusted in them and made Saviours of them and at the first entrance of the Gospel they opposed the Doctrine of Free-grace would hear neither John nor Christ himself but rejected the Counsel of God against themselves Luke 7.30 33 34. See what a Character Paul gives of them and of all others throughout the world who should entertain the least thought of Salvation out of Christ Rom. 3.16 17. Destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace have they not known This one Scripture if well weighed is enough to shake the confidence of the most Presumptuous Self-justitiary that is and to convince him and all the world of their need of Christ In Psal 14. which Paul quotes in this Chapter God is brought in taking a strict Survey of Mankind before he sent his Son into the World to see if there were any that stood in no need of him q. d. If there be any such let him come forth and shew himself David answers for himself ver 7. Not I Lord not I Lord I wait for Christ I long for Christ O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion O that Christ were come that the Free grace and mercy of God were more clearly revealed then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad this will be good news indeed So Jer. 17.5 6 7. The result of all is this true Hope eyes God in Christ and argues from him this Presumption now spoken of eyes self and argues from thence in all its actings 2. The second sort of Presumption to be distinguish'd from Hope is that by which we presume upon God and his mercy This is grown up since the preaching of the Gospel there is indeed too great a spice of the former Presumption among Professors and as that vvears off this succeeds nay they unhappily mingle together If Legal Presumption cannot altogether shut out conviction yet it minces the matter 't is a little one and my Soul shall live and so makes vvay for this credulous presumption that brings in a Salvo for all presently God is gracious mercy is promised Christ has died for Sinners and all vvill be vvell vve shall go to Heaven of course vvithout any more ado and so they sit down in security all their dayes till they are surprized vvith their everlasting doom unawares This is Infidelis fiducia Bern. a
chastenings of the Lord. 2. Inconsiderateness of the end of the Divine discipline is a great degree of contempt The evils that God inflicts are as real a part of his providence as the blessings he bestows as in the course of nature the darkness of the night is by his order as well as the light of the day therefore they are alwayes sent for some wise and holy design Sometime though more rarely they are only for tryal to exercise the Faith humility patience of eminent Saints for otherwise God would lose in a great measure the honour and renown and his favourites the reward of those graces afflictions being the sphere of their activity But for the most part they are castigatory to bring us to a sight and sense of our state to render sin more evident and odious to us They are fully exprest by pouring from vessel to vessel that dâ—scovers the dregs and sediment and makes it offensive that before was concealed The least affliction even to the godly is usually an application of the physician of spirits for some growing distemper every corrosive is for some proud flesh that must be taken away In short they are deliberate dispensations to cause men to reflect upon their works and wayes and break off their sins by sincere obedience Therefore we are commanded to bear the voice of the rod and who hath appointed it 'T is a preacher of repentance Micah 6.9 to lead us to the knowledg and consideration of our selves The distress of Joseph's brethren was to revive their memory of his sorrows caused by their cruelty now when men disregard the embassy of the rod are unconvincible notwithstanding its lively lessons when they neither look up to him that strikes nor within to the cause that provokes his displeasure when they are careless to reform their wayes and to comply with his only will as if afflictions were only common accidents of this mutable state the effects of rash fortune or blind fate without design and judgment and not sent for their amendment this is a prodigious despiseing of God's hand For this reason the Scripture compares men to the most inobservant creatures to the wild asse's colt Job 11.12 Psal 58.4 Hos 7.11 the deaf adder to the silly dove without heart and the advantage is on the beasts side for their inconsideration proceeds merely from the incapacity of matter of which they are wholly compos'd to perform reflex acts but man's incogitancy is in sole fault of his spirit that wilfully neglects his duty The Prophet charges this guilt upon the Jews Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see Isa 26.11 2. Insensibility of heart is an eminent degree of despising the Lord's chastenings A pensive feeling of judgments is very congruous whether we consider them in genere Physico or Morali either materially as afflictive to nature or as the signs of divine displeasure for the affections were planted in the humane nature by the hand of God himself and are duly exercised in proportion to the quality of their objects And when grace comes it softens the breast and gives a quick and tender sense of God's frown An eminent instance we have in David though of heroical courage yet in his sad ascent to mount Olivet 2 Sam. 15.30 he went up weeping with his head covered and his feet bare to testifie his humble and submissive sense of God's anger against him Now when men are insensible of judgments either considered as natural or penal evils if when they suffer the loss of relations or other troubles they presently fly to the comforts of the Heathens that we are all mortal and what can't be help't must be endured without the sense humanity requires that calm is like that of the dead sea a real curse or suppose natural affection works a little yet there is no apprehension and concernment for God's displeasure which should be infinitely more affecting than any outward trouble how sharp soever no serious deep humiliation under his hand no yielding up our selves to his management this most justly provokes him Of this temper were those described by Jeremiah Jer. 5 3â— Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they refused to receive correction 2. The causes of this despiseing of God's chastenings are 1. A contracted stupidity of soul proceeding from a course in sin There is a natural stubborness and contumacy in the heart against God a vicious quality derived from rebellious Adam we are all hewn out of the rock and dig'd out of the quary and this is one of the worst effects of sin and a great part of its deceitfulness that by stealth it encreaseth the natural hardness Heb. 3.13 Zech. 7.12 by degrees it creeps on like a gangrene and causes an indolency The practice of sin makes the heart like an adamant the hardest of stones that exceeds that of rocks For hence proceeds such unteachableness of the mind that when God speaks and strikes yet sinners will not be convinc't that briars and thorns are only effectual to teach them and such untractableness in the will that when the sinner is stormed by affliction and some light breaks into the understanding yet it refuseth to obey God's call 2. Carnal diversions are another cause of slighting God's hand Luke 21.34 The pleasures and cares of the world as they render men inapprehensive of judgments to come so regardless of those that are present Some whenever they feel the smart of a cross use all the arts of oblivion to lose the sense of it The affliction instead of a leading them to repentance leads them to vain conversations to Comedies and other sinful delights to drive away sorrow Others although they do not venture upon forbidden things to relieve their melancholy yet when God by short and sensible admonitions calls upon them they have presently recourse to temporal comforts which although lawful and innocent in themselves yet are as unproper at that time as the taking of a cordial when a vomit begins to work for whereas chastisements are sent to awaken and affect us by considering our sins in their bitter fruits this unseasonable application of sensual comforts wholly defeats God's design For nothing so much hinders serious consideration as a voluptuous indulging the senses in things pleasing like opiate medicines they stupifie the conscience and benum the heart 'T is Solomon's expression I said of laughter it is mad for as distraction breaks the connexion of the thoughts so mirth shuffles our most serious thoughts into disorder and causes men to pass over their troubles without reflexion and remorse And as the pleasures so the business of the world causes a sâ—pine Security under judgments We have an amazing instance of it in Hiel the Bethelite 1 Kings 16. who laid the foundation of his city in the death of his first-born and set up the gates of it in his youngest son yet he was so
Divine Reproofs and Threatnings on their Souls When this is done when our hearts are kept up unto an awful regard of them exercised with a continual meditation on them made tender careful watchful by them any just Reproof from any that falls in compliance with them will be conscienciously observed and carefully improved 6. We shall fail in this Duty unless we are always accompanied with a deep sense of our frailty weakness readiness to halt or miscarry and thereon a necessity of all the Ordinances and Visitations of God which are designed to preserve our Souls Unless we have due apprehensions of our own state and condition here we shall never kindly receive warnings before-hand to avoid approaching dangers nor duely improve Rebukes for being overtaken with them It is the humble Soul that feareth always and that from a sense of its own weakness yea the treacheries and deceitfulness of its heart with the power of those Temptations whereunto it is continually exposed that is ever like to make work of the Duty here directed unto Wherein doth appear the Blessedness of Forgiveness and how it may be obtained Serm. XXIX Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered OF all the pains or torments that any of the Children of Men do or can feel in this Life none are comparable to those which proceed from the lashes and wounds of a guilty conscience under the apprehensions of the anger of a Sin-revenging God and the impression of some scalding drops of his wrath upon the Soul Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a Man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear David had ventured to transgress and that very hainously and in his breaking of God's Law he had broken his own peace in his dishonouring of God's Name he had wounded his own Conscience After his sin David is shy of God and keeps silence for a while maketh no confession God is highly offended and hides his face from him but layeth his hand sorely upon him making such a deep impression of his displeasure upon his Spirit that he sunk under the weight of it and it became so very grievous unto him that he roareth out all the day under the horrible anguish which he felt hereby yea he complaineth that his moisture was hereby turned into the drought of Summer In this condition David could find no relief no ease or asswagement of his grief until upon acknowledgement of his Sin he had obtained forgiveness and God through his free grace and tender mercy had covered his iniquity as we shall find in the 3 4 and 5. verses of this Psalm which I take to be the occasion of the joyful acclamation and sweet expression in my Text the first verse of the Psalm concerning the blessedness of remission or happiness of the man that hath with him obtained so great a priviledg which priviledg none have a greater sight of than those that have felt the wounds and smart and roared under the horrour of an accusing Conscience and been terrified with the furious rebukes of God's angry Countenance And because this was David's case therefore he might the more feelingly Pronounce those to be Blessed whose Sins were pardoned Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed The word in the Original signifies Blessedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is read in the plural number because as one saith That Man is many ways blessed he is blessed in this world Vir ille est multis modis beatus nempe in hoc mundo in altero est beatissimuâ— faelicissimus ut propriae videantur beatitudines ad eum singulariter pertinere Genebrardus Quia multa bona debent concurrere ad beatitudinem vel ut ostenderet tâ—lem cumulatè beatum esse Pol. Synop. Alii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est interjectio sive adverbium sic Rhetorica exclamatio ex abrupte vel laeta exclamatio de faelicitate ejus O beate illum Sic Schindler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quibus remissa est iniquitas Calvin Condonati praevaricationis cui demittitur praevaricatio Pagnin Qui levetus à defectione Jun. Trem. Vel qui exoneratus à transgressione a quo ablata transgressio Pisca absolutus à crimine Pol. ex Gei and in the other world he is most blessed and happy So that Blessedness seems most properly to be his and singularly to belong to him and it is the plural number because many good things concur to true Blessedness or to shew that such a one is cumulatively happy he hath a heap of blessings upon him Thus our learned Mr. Pool in his Synopsis The same Author observes that some take the word Blessed in the Hebrew to be an Interjection or Adverb And so make this to be a Rhetorical though abrupt exclamation or a joyful acclamation at the happiness of such Whose transgression is forgiven There are divers versions of these words One translates them out of the Hebrew whose iniquity is remitted Another whose prevarication is forgiven Others and that nearer the sense of the Hebrew words who is eased of his defection or unburdened of his transgression Another from whom his transgression is taken away Another who is absolved from his Crime all which versions agree in the same sense with our Translation whose transgression is forgiven for remission of Iniquity or Prevarication is the same as the forgiveness of Transgression to have the sin taken away to be eased and unburdened of the transgression what is it more than to have the sin forgiven forasmuch as the weight and load of guilt is by forgiveness removed whereby alone the Conscience is truely eased and so to be absolved from Crime is as much as to be acquitted from all Obligation of punishment and this is done in forgiveness of sin Whose sin is covered He is Blessed whose sin is covered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not he whose sins are covered by himself So Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper all ought to acknowledg unto God without hiding any as v. 5th of this Psal I acknowledged my sins unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid But he is Blessed whose sin is covered by God Psal 85.2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy People thou hast covered all their sin Sin is covered when it is covered by God and when it is covered from God not as if any sin were or could be covered from the Eye and view of his Omnisciency but sin is covered from him when it is covered from his angry Eye and his wrathful revengeful Countenance That is when God ceaseth to be angry for the sin through his reconciliation to the Sinner Piscator noteth upon the place that sin is here compared to filthinesses which use to be covered that they may not offend the Eye When the offence of God's Eye is removed then sin may be said to be covered And it is observed that in the Hebrew the
whose person is of infinite dignity that thence may arise an equivalency of merit in his sufferings as may prove satisfactory to God's infinite justice and because no mere man being a finite creature hath this dignity and God cannot suffer because this would argue weakness and infirmity which is infinitely removed from him therefore it is requisite that the person who can satisfie should be God-man that as in one nature he may be capable of suffering so the other nature may put a vertue and efficacy upon it and such a person was Jesus Christ 3. That Jesus Christ hath done that which is sufficient to satisfie God's justice for the sins of men is evident from his Death and other sufferings which we have upon record in the Gospel which sufferings were not for himself he being an innocent person and it would have argued injustice in God had he permitted such sufferings to have been laid on his body especially had he himself inflicted such dreadful inward sufferings on his Soul were it not that he stood in the room of sinners and endured all these sufferings for their sins that he might give satisfaction to his justice hereby 4. That Christ's sufferings have given to God satisfaction and that he hath accepted of this satisfaction in the behalf of sinners is evident from the Compact and Covenant which he made with Christ that if he would offer up this sacrifice of himself he would be well pleased and sinners should hereby be justified from his sending his Son into the world for this very end and anointing him to the office of High-Priest that he might first make satisfaction and then Intercession for the people from his owning him when here raising him when dead receiving him to glory when raised which he would not have done had not he accepted his satisfaction from his Covenant he hath through him made with man and promises therein of remission of sins through his blood which he would never have made had not Christ's death given him satisfaction Moreover all those places of Scripture which speak of Christ's death as a sacrifice as a ransom as a punishment which he endured that sinners might be and whereby believers are actually reconciled unto God do clearly and abundantly prove that Christ hath given satisfaction to God's justice and which God is well pleased withal 5. That all sinners must know and believe this Doctrine of Christ's satisfaction that they may attain remission of sins is evident because God never did never will forgive any sin without respect unto it this way of remission is the chief thing which he hath revealed in the Scriptures In the Old Testament it was shadowed under the sacrifices for sin which were offered in the New Testament it is the end of the Revelation of Christ this being the chief design of his sufferings and death to give satisfaction to God's justice in order to the forgiveness of man's sin And they that are ignorant hereof or do not believe this do not know nor believe in Jesus Christ and him crucified and therefore cannot obtain forgiveness by his death 2. Sinners must know and believe the doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness that they may attain remission of sins 1. They must know the nature of Justification it self that it doth consist in the remission of our sins and the acceptation of our Persons as perfectly Righteous in God's sight they must know that they have no Righteousness of their own to present God withal because guilty of sin and the least guilt is inconsistent with a perfect Righteousness and therefore if they were as some are really Holy yet that they could not be accepted as perfectly Righteous in God's sight upon the account of a perfect Righteousness of their own which none here do attain unto much less when they are naturally void and empty of all good and real Holiness and polluted all over with Sin 3. They must know that the Righteousness of Christ is perfect and was intended for them and held forth to them which they must submit unto and accept of if they would be justified in God's sight 4. That the Righteousness of Christ is made theirs by Faith God imputing it and accounting it unto believers as if it were their own and they had wrought it out in their own persons This way of Justification by Christ all must know and be perswaded of that would obtain Justification which doth include forgiveness of sin 2. Some things must be done and practised by sinners that they may attain this blessedness of forgiveness 1. They must get conviction of sin 2. They must make confession of sin 3. They must by Faith make Application of Jesus Christ 4. They must forsake sin 5. They must make Supplication and earnest Prayer unto God for pardoning Mercy 6. They must forgive others 1. Sinners would you attain the blessedness of forgiveness Labour to get conviction of sin get conviction of your Original sin the guilt of Adam's first sin in which you are involv'd your present emptiness of all Spiritual good and the Universal depravation of all the powers and faculties of your Souls with inherent pollution which renders you opposite unto all real good and naturally prone unto nothing but evil get conviction of your actual sins of all your hainous breaches of God's Law whether the first or second Table of it whether sins against God more immediately his Nature his Worship his Name his Day or against your Neighbour whether relative sins or sins against the life or chastity or estate or good name of any and get conviction that all inordinate motions that have not the consent of the will and much more inordinate affections which are influenced by it are sinful and provoking unto God Get also convictions of your more hainous disobedience to the Gospel what an aggravation it is of all your other sins that you have repented of none when you have so much need and have been so often called hereunto what an affront is it unto God a disparagement unto Christ that you have neglected your Salvation by him and have been guilty of unbelief in not receiving yea refusing Christ so able and willing to save you and when you have had such frequent and earnest as well as gracious and free tenders of him Get conviction of the guilt of your sins and what an Obligation you are under hereby to undergo eternal Destruction in the flames of Hell fire for it and let this awaken you out of your security let the thoughts of this pierce and wound your consciences and make you cry out with those Sinners which were convinced by Peter's Sermon Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Get conviction also of the horrid baseness and ungratefulness of sin as it dishonours and displeases that God by whom you were at first created are continually
whilst that you continue in your rebellions and wage War still against Heaven by going on still in your trespasses 5. Make your Supplication unto God and be earnest in Prayer unto him that he would forgive you your sins it is against God that your sins have been committed and it is God's Prerogative to remit and pardon and though he pardon freely for his Name 's sake yet he will be enquired after and sought unto for his high favour Isa 43.25 26. I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Put me in remembrance c. If you would have pardon you must ask it if you would find God's favour you must seek it if you desire the door of Mercy to be opened unto you you must knock at the door by earnest Prayer Mat. 7.7 Hence are David's earnest cryes in Prayer for pardoning Mercy in so many of his Psalms especially Psal 51. in the first verse Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my transgressions v. 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out mine iniquities v. 14. Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation c. Be earnest in Prayer at the Throne of Grace for this blessedness of forgiveness wrestle with God by importunate Supplications fill your mouths with Arguments plead the gracious disposition of God the multitude of his tender Mercies and the riches of his free Grace plead the Glory of his Name which would greatly be advanced and admired if your great sins might be pardoned plead the merits of Christ and Satisfaction given to his justice by his Son together with his Intercession for you at his right hand plead the promises of the Covenant of Grace and his faithfulness which doth engage him to fulfil them humble believing fervent Prayer will prevail for forgiveness 6. Forgive others if you would that God should forgive you Mat. 6.11 Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors v. 14 15. For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses If you do not forgive the hundred Pence of smaller offences unto your fellow-servants you will be called to an account and imprisoned in Hell and there tormented for the ten thousand Talents of hainous transgressions which you have committed against your Lord Mat. 18. at the latter end of that Chap. If you bear hatred and malice and revenge in your hearts against others whatever their offences their wrongs or injuries have been you put your selves out of capacity of obtaining pardoning Mercy Do not say I forgive such a one who hath wronged me but I will never forget him for this is a deceit of your hearts whereby you seek to stop the mouth of your consciences that they may not trouble you by these Scriptures for if you do not forget injuries so as to carry it towards such Persons as if they had not wronged you so as to love them cordially and to be ready to shew kindness unto them you do not forgive them and so you cannot be forgiven by God If then you would be pardoned by God you must from the heart forgive others receive the Exhortation of the Apostle Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Thus I have finished my Answer unto the two Queries wherein doth appear the blessedness of forgiveness and how this blessedness may be attained and now give me leave to borrow a little room for some Application Application I might speak much here by way of comfort unto pardoned Persons but the most that I have already spoken yea all that I have spoken under the first Query may be turned into a Use of comfort to your selves and therefore referring you thither I shall pass you by and bend my speech only unto you that are unpardoned too many of whom are to be found in every Assembly and therefore I cannot think that this Assembly is free I shall take leave to chide you in a Use of Reproof endeavour to awaken you in a Use of Terror and in the conclusion press you to endeavour after this blessedness of forgiveness in an Use of Exhortation Vse 1. For Reproof Is there such blessedness in forgiveness Whence is it then that so many of you neglect this blessedness in the neglect of your pardon Are not all of you sinners Have not all of you need of forgiveness Will not your own Consciences tell you that forgiveness is a great priviledg And have not Ministers often told you of this priviledg and the way of attaining it Hath not God by them held forth a pardon to you and used many arguments with you that you would accept it Whence is it then that so many of you slight and undervalue it as if it were of no worth Whence is it that so many of you are without pardon when profered when none of you are without sins often committed and those highly aggravated and whereby your Souls are so greatly endangered May not Robbers and Murderers and other notorious Malefactors rise up in judgment against you that are without a pardon When such Persons are apprehended found guilty and condemned though but unto a temporal death they will make all friends and use all means to escape and O! how welcome is a pardon to them And yet though you are all guilty of sin and condemned for it unto eternal death and a pardon is purchased proclaimed and profered unto you there are too many of you that slight and neglect it that have no earnest desire after it and hitherto have not been perswaded by any arguments to make use of the means which God hath appointed with any diligence for the obtaining of it Who is there that to any purpose doth look after a pardon Who do diligently hear for it earnestly pray for it Who do make full and free confession of sin that you may attain remission of it Who do prize Christ and by Faith make application of him that they may have a pardon by him Who do forsake sin which God absolutely requires of all to whom he doth forgive sin Who do when injur'd heartily forgive others as they desire God would forgive them Sinners will not many of your consciences accuse you of unpardoned guilt unto which you have added the neglect of forgiveness And is not your sin hereby doubled and most highly aggravated and the guilt of it fastned upon you Vse 2. Let me tell you by way of Terror for your awakening that God is displeased with all workers of iniquity but he is most highly displeased with you that slight his mercy
Your sins are inexcusable your condemnation is unavoidable and your punishment hereafter in Hell will be most dreadful and intolerable Possibly now you are careless and secure sin is sweet and conscience is quiet you are at ease and conscience asleep but will this ease and sleep always continue Is there not a time coming when you shall be awakened If you are not awakened under God's Word may not God awaken you under his Rod If you are not awakened under God's threatnings will you not awake when he cometh to execution If you are secure in the midst of outward peace and prosperity can you be secure in the midst of trouble and adversity Think what you will do when death doth approach Think what a dreadful aspect unpardoned sin will have when you are brought down unto the sides of the pit to the brink and border of eternity and when you are summoned to make your appearance before the highest Majesty O the horrour that then will seize you O the fearfulness that then will surprise you To have the black guilt of drunkenness or swearing of uncleanness or deceiving or any other iniquity to stare you then in the face O how dismal will it be and affrighting And think with what rage and fury your consciences will then reflect upon your fore-past sins especially your neglect of a pardon then unattainable and how tormenting will this be unto you You may then cry out Lord have mercy on us Christ have mercy on us But will God then hear you who have refused to hearken unto him Will Christ regard you who have neglected refused and shut the door of your hearts against him all your days But sinners what will you do at the day of judgment when the Lord Jesus shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance upon you for unpardoned sins That great day will certainly come and it will quickly be here Time runs away swiftly and it will quickly be run out yet a little while and the Angel will lift up his hand and cry with a loud voice and swear by him that liveth for ever and ever that time shall be no longer Rev. 10.5 6. Then the mystery will be finished the prophesie accomplished and the whole frame of this visible world dissolved the Sun then and the Moon will be darkened and the Stars will fall unto the earth as the fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind and the heavens themselves then shall be rolled together as a great scroll and so pass away with a great noise the earth and all the elements shall be on fire and consume away on that day when the Lord Jesus Christ shall appear from Heaven with Millions of mighty Angels in power and brightness of majesty and then you must come out of your graves and will stand trembling before Christ's great Tribunal and none of you will be able to hide your selves under any Rock or Mountain from his angry face Then then you will fully know what a priviledg it is to be pardoned when you see where pardoned persons are placed when you see them gathered to the right hand of the great Judg and there acquitted openly owned graciously and crowned by him with honour and glory and invited by him to take possession of those eternal habitations of rest and joy in his Kingdom prepared for them by his Father But O the tearings of spirit and heart-vexing tormenting grief which you will have that no place is found for you amongst them that through your neglect of pardoning mercy you have forfeited and eternally lost a share in eternal glory and not only so but have by sin also plunged your selves into a bottomless gulf of endless misery Think how dreadful the irreversible sentence of condemnation will be unto you Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Alas Alas sinners what will you do no thought can conceive what your horror will be when you come to reap the bitter fruit of all your unpardoned sins It is the punishment of Hell Sinners which the guilt of sin unremoved doth oblige you to undergo And therefore I am sent this day to forewarn you and in the name of my Master to foretel you that if you do not now sue out for and obtain this forgiveness of sin your sin hereafter will bring eternal ruine and destruction of soul and body in Hell Without a pardon profaneness will be your ruine Some of you it may be can swear and curse and blaspheme the Name of God hereafter God will swear in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest and you shall be banished out of Christ's presence with a curse Depart from me ye cursed c. Those tongues which have been so liberal of oaths and blasphemies must be tormented in flames of fire without one drop of water to cool them Without a pardon drunkenness will be your ruine you that have so often enflamed your selves with wine and strong drink God will enflame you with the wine of his vengeance he will make you to drink the dregs of his wrath which is at the bottom of the cup of his indignation Without a pardon uncleanness will be your ruine your pleasures are empty and of short continuance but your pains will be full hereafter and they will abide for ever Without a pardon unrighteousness will be your ruine your unrighteous gains one day will prove your unspeakable loss and God will be the avenger of all such upon you as have been wronged and defrauded by you Without a pardon your neglect of Christ and Salvation will be your ruine and if you persevere in this neglect it is impossible that you should escape Sinners think seriously and think frequently of your unpardoned iniquities and withal think of the dreadful punishment they will bring upon you think of your eternal damnation unto the most exquisite torments of Hell and then drink on swear on and scoff your fill be unholy and profane unjust and unclean if you think good but know that for all these sins God will bring you to judgment know that these iniquities unpardoned will be your ruine Should I tell you of one that were condemned for some vile fact to be slay'd alive or burnt alive or sawn asunder or dragg'd to pieces with wild horses or starv'd with hunger and cold or any other ways cruelly tortured to death but that he might escape all this misery if he would accept of a pardon ready provided for him and withal leave off such vile facts for the future you would count him worse than mad should he neglect his pardon and expose himself to ruine and misery through his carelesness and obstinacy And yet though you are condemned for sin to far worse torment and misery that which is more dreadful than ten thousand painful deaths and all this mischief and punishment may be avoided and escaped if you will accept of the pardon
and therefore the Blessing is null and moreover what the meaning of this Providence is that my Brother should come forth against me in this hostile manner I knovv not Wherefore I humbly beg thy Blessing and the confirmation of that Title vvhich hath so great an error in it Thus God brought an old reckoning to his remembrance in an evil day and set it on his conscience and put him to repent and mourn for he wept and made supplication to the Angel Hos 12.4 He came not off so easily but was fain to vvrestle hard all night to lose his rest and to struggle and sweat and pray and vveep and shed many a tear and to go halting aftervvard upon his Thigh unto his dying day Take heed therefore of old Reckonings undischarged look back and consider hovv it hath been and omit not a day vvithout revievving your Actions and Repentings I say as duly as the day determineth let not the Sun go dovvn upon any guilt contracted that so your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and exercise your self to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and men and this vvill the better prepare you for the coming of Jesus Christ both by Death and Judgment Fifthly Be much in the exercise of Goodness Mercy and works of Liberality towards Christ in his needy Members according to your opportunity and power For though you shall be saved by your Faith yet you shall be judged according to your Works And it greatly concerneth us to be laborious in that Service upon vvhich the judgment shall pass at Christ's appearance Mat. 25.35 36. Call your self therefore to an account what you have done in this way for Christ as how you have fed cloathed visited relieved him in his Members here on earth And if this were more considered such as profess to Christ would be more active for him in ought wherein they might be more serviceable to him but when we see but little activity in the exercise of this Grace we may well fear there is but little Oil in the Vessel for rich anointings will make men agile and ready for every good work inasmuch as the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and they that hope for eternal Life when Christ shall come by Death and Judgment must seek for Glory Honour and Immortality not only in well-doing but in continuance in it Beware of Omissions and among others of this great duty The Judgment will reach unto all sins In the Narrative of his Life and Death and to omissions in a special manner Mat. 25.37 38. For which that learned and holy Vsher was humbled upon his death-bed The Nobleman hath put a Pound into your hand saying Occupy till I come yea he hath given you many Pounds in a literal sense with which you must trade as well as with the Talents of your Parts and Gifts of Grace And I know you would be glad to find Mercy with Onesiphorus in the day of Christ Remember therefore Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Mat. 5.7 But He shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy whereas mercy rejoyceth against judgment A merciful man is so far from fearing judgment at Christ's coming that he rather rejoyceth at the thoughts of it Sixthly Exercise diligence and faithfulness in your particular Calling For when Christ speaketh of his Coming saith he Be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh What followeth Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Mat. 24.44 45 46. When Christ was speaking to this Point saith Peter Lord speakest thou this Parable to us or even unto all Luke 12.41 Truly Christ spake it unto all though in a special manner to such as Peter for Christ will have an account how every one of us have managed our particular Callings But they that are Stewards in the House of God which is his Church have a very great account to give and it is required of them in a special manner that a man be found faithful and of all Christ's servants his Stewards have most to answer for that if a dispensation of the Gospel and the care of souls were not committed to them he that understandeth the weight of Stewardship would dread to undertake it but a necessity is laid upon them and wo unto them if they Preach not the Gospel It is said of Calvin that when Nature began to decline in him Melch. Adam in vit Calv. and the symptoms of a dying man appeared on him he would be diligent at his Studies from which his friends disswading him saith he Nunquid me Dominus inveniet otiosum Shall my Master find me idle Let such therefore and all be diligent and faithful in their respective place and employments And indeed every man is a Steward more or less You know what the Master saith of the slothful Servant Take him and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Such slothful servants shall be under the tribute of eternal pains Prov. 12.24 when the good and faithful Servant shall be made ruler over many things and enter into the joy of his Lord Mat. 25.23 Would you stand before Christ at his coming Oh dread Idleness and unfaithfulness in your Callings as you desire to be sound of him in peace at his appearance Fill up your days with Duty and give your time to him who gave it to you Paul was a great lover of Christ and his Appearance and who more abundant in his Labours for him For he had the Conscience of his indefatigable industry and fidelity in his work for his Master Saith he I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim 4.7 8. He meaneth especially his military faith and oath in fighting a good fight for Christ And wherefore do we hear him groaning so earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with his house which is from Heaven It was because he laboured ambitiously that whether present or absent he might be accepted of him For saith he We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one might receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5 2. with 9.10 Lastly That I might not multiply particulars let me add what Christ hath joined together Sobriety Watchfulness and Prayer Luk. 21 34.36 And therefore take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and that Day come upon you unawares Gird up therefore the loins of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought