Thy Furnace hath not yet been hot enough if thy sin be not too hot for thee Resolve for Christ resolve against the Devil and all his works And that thy resolution may hold observe these following directions 1. Be sure thou do not ground thy resolutions upon any confidence in thine own strength but in the strength of Iesus Christ without whose assistance thou canst do nothing as our Saviour himself expresseth Iob. 15.1 But through Christ strengthening thee thou wilt be enabled to do any thing As David therefore when he was to encounter with Goliah went not out in his own name but in the name and strength of the Lord of Hosts So must thou resolve to fight against thy lusts and corruptions not in thine own name or strength but in the name and strength of Jesus Christ. Otherwise thy lusts may reply to thee as the Devil did to the Sons of Sheva Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye And know that the more sensible thou art of thine own weakness and insufficiency the more ready Christ is to help thee and the more strength shalt thou receive from Christ. Which the Apostle Paul found true in his own experience for saith he when I am weak then am I strong that is when I am weak and insufficient in my self in mine own apprehension then do I most of all feel a gracious supply from Christ. 2. Back thy resolutions with Prayer As thou dost resolve in the grace and strength of God to abandon thy lusts to forsake thy former wicked and ungodly course of life so be earnest with God in prayer for power and strength against the power and strength of sin For as it is Gods power by which alone thou canst keep down the power of thy lusts so prayer is the means sanctified for the obtaining thereof Oh therefore pray and pray earnestly yea add fasting to thy prayers For old sins to which thou hast been long accustomed are like those Devils which possessed the man from his youth which could not be cast out without fasting and prayer 3. Second thy Prayers with thy diligence and faithful endeavours striving against thy lusts and corruptions though never so sweet and dear unto thee For these are vain and insignificant resolutions which promise great matters but do nothing Whereas true resolutions are active and stirring putting men upon the work Hast thou resolved through the grace of God to abandon thy lusts up then and be doing set on it presently without any farther delay For shouldst thou consecrate the prime and strength of thy dayes to the service of Satan and gratifying thine own carnal lusts and reserve thy decayed strength and decrepit old age the dregs of thy dayes for God and his service Canst thou think God will accept thereof Surely no. For mark what the Prophet Malachy speaketh Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his floâ—k a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing What then can they expect who dedicate the prime and strength of their dayes to sin and reserve only the lees their old age full of sores and corruptions unto God 4. Frequently call to mind the resolutions thou hast made of a speedy and through reformateon which will be an especial means to keep them fresh in memory and a fresh remembrance of them will stir thee up to a conscionable performance of them 5. Often renew thy resolutions It is not sufficient frequently to review thy resolutions but thou must likewise frequently renew them For a resolution renewed is as new made and thereby becometh fresh and vigorous And truly there is great power in a resolution when it is fresh upon the heart new cords are strong V. Having resolved to give a bill of divorce to thy sinful lusts and pleasures make choice of Christ for thy Lord and Husband as well as for thy Priest and Saviour Take him as the Bride doth her Bridegroom for better for worse for richer and poorer with his cross as well as with his Crown resign and give up thy self unto Christ to be ruled and governed ordered and disposed in all things by him and resolve as to cast thy self at the feet of Christ in subjection to him so to cast thy self into the arms of Christ and upon his shoulders for Salvation from him adventure thy soul upon him rest upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of thy sins here and for eternal life and Salvation hereafter Let the consideration of those many melting invitations of Jesus Christ unto poor sinners to come unto him stir thee up to go unto him to cast thy self into the merciful and meritorious arms and embracements of thy Crucified Saviour to throw thy self upon his grace and mercy As God hath laid thy help upon him so do thou lay thy hope upon him both for the pardon of thy sins past and for power against sin for the time to come for grace here and glory hereafter saying If I perish I will perish in the arms of Iesus Christ. And if thou canst bring up thine heart to this then is the match made between Christ and thy soul so that thou maist with confidence say Christ is mine and I am his And oh what a joyful day will this be unto thee In this consisteth thy new birth and work of Regeneration whereby thou art become a new creature This day is salvation come into thy heart All other things are but preparatives unto this Oh therefore let me prevail with thee above all things to make this choice of Christ for thy Lord and Saviour to resign up thy self unto him and his Laws as well as to expect salvation from him For no man can take Jesus Christ savingly who takes him not wholly as his Lord and husband to serve and obey him as well as his Priest and Saviour to free him from the guilt and punishment of all his sinsâ— He is the author of eternal Salvation only to those who obey him Many I know are willing to accept of Christ upon their own terms Some are willing to accept of Christ provided that together with him they may enjoy their sinfull lusts and pleasures Others are willing to accept of him provided that together with him they may enjoy their worldly riches and treasures But he who will take Christ savingly must take him upon his own terms He will be all to thee or nothing he will rule thee or else he will not ransome thee Away then with thy sins be divorced from thine old Husband let sin no longer rule in thee if thou wilt be marryed to the Lord and have any part in his righteousness Ah sinner whosoever thou art how many soever thy sins are this day in the name of the great God I do tender Jesus Christ unto thee And as thou tendrest the life and happiness of thine own soul refuse him not but stir up thy self to accept of him both his person
yet was he received to mercy Hast thou been a Blasphemer or a Persecutor of the Saints and servants of God So was Paul and yet he obtained mercy Hast thou been a Filthy unclean person wallowing and delighting like a Sow in the filth of sin and mire of sinfull filthiness So did Mary Magdalea and many of the Corinthians yet were they washed with the blood of Iesus Christ justified and sanctified Hast thou been an Oppressor and Extortioner who hast got thine estate by over-reaching thy neighbours and grinding the faces of the poor So did Matthew and Zacheus who yet found mercy Why then is there not hope of mercy for thee when grace hath embraced such great and heinous sinners Q. Wilt thou say thou art a greater sinner than any of these forementioned A. 1. This is scarce credible But suppose thy sins do exceed the proportion of any one thou canst find pardoned in Scripture yet this were no just ground of despair because the depth of Gods mercy was never yet fathomed God never acted his mercy so far but he is able to act it farther Greater sinners than ever yet were pardoned may be pardoned And therefore though thy sins were more and greater than the sins of others yet there is hope of mercy for thee unless by thine infidelity thou dost exclude thy self from the same 2. Consider that there was no more in Manasseh Mary Magdalen Paul nor any of the Saints now in Heaven to move God to have compassion on them than there is in thee The Apostle saith that there is no difference for all have sinned The true cause of any mans Regeneration is the free grace and love of God For saith the Apostle we were all by nature the Children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us And immediatly addeth By grace ye are saved Now seeing the free grace and love of God is the true cause of mans Regeneration and Salvation why shouldst thou imagine there is less love in God for thee than there was for them Obj. 5. Others object they fear their time and day of grace is past and gone having long stood out and rejected many offers of grace and that it is now too late to seek after the grace of God A. To this I answer that the slighting and rejecting the many offers of grace is very sad yea an heinous sin which calls for thy deepest sorrow and humiliation This made our Saviour to weep over Ierusalem because they neglected the day of their visitation But yet know 1. Though thou hast often refused and rejected the offers of grace yet is not thy condition hopeless in that it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost which alone cannot be pardoned but it is a sin though heinous yet pardonable Many have obtained mercy even for this and so mayest thou upon thy true humiliation and repentance For such is the mercy of God as he both can and will pardon even sins against mercy 2. It 's a question whether there be any Saint on Earth or in Heaven who before their closing with Christ by faith did not stand out against and reject many of his gracious invitations excepting such as were sanctified from the Womb. 'T is the Devil that puts it into thy mouth to say I have slighted many offers of grace therefore my day of grace is past and gone Do we not see by daily experience how Christ brings home some to himself in their old age who questionless in their youth and riper years turned many a deaf ear to his gracious invitations And that Christ is still willing and ready so to do appeareth by this that he continues his offers of grace though formerly neglected How oft would I have gathered thee saith Christ of Ierusalem 3. Christ hath several seasons of Conversion and Regeneration all come not in at the first hour of the day nor at the sixth hour Christ brings home some to himself in the latter end of their lives who have all the former part slighted and rejected his gracious invitations And therefore he will have them often renewed and tendred to poor sinners because though the time of some be to come in at the first offer yet the time of others is to come in upon renewed and multiplyed offers so that often renewing thy refusals is not an eternal prejudice 4. If thou art heartily sorry for thy former refusals and dost now unfeinedly desire to close with Christ I may with confidence say thy day of grace is not past For those affections wrought in thee by the Spirit of God are gracious hints that he intends thee good if yet thou wilt accept Such who have outstood their day are usually given up to a feared Conscience and reprobate mind and are hurried by the Devil to the committing of all manner of sin and wickedness and that with greediness and delight 5. Thou who fearest thy day of grace is past know this that if thou now findest in thy self a willingness to abandon thy former lusts and corruptions and to become a new creature to cast off the Devils service and to become the servant of the Lord Jesus thy day of grace is not past 6. It is evident thy day of grace is not past because the Lord hath not yet given over to strive with thee Is he not yet woing and beseeching thee by the Ministry of his Word by the motions of his Spirit to accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son And doth not Christ himself stand knocking at the door of thine heart telling thee that if thou wilt open to him he will come in and sup with thee and thou with him It is yet the acceptable time and day of Salvation if thou wilt accept thou maist be accepted Say not foolishly my day is past but prove it is not so by coming in this day Harden not thine heart this day and thou shalt find God will not harden his ear against thy cry 7. Though thou hast long stood out yet know that God will not presently take the forfeiture of thee neither will Christ suddenly take his advantage against thee If the Lord were as hasty to punish sinners as they are forward to commit sin there would suddenly be an end of all And if Christ should be as forward to reject sinners as they are to reject him what hope of mercy were there But Christ is not so severe he is of great goodness and of great patience he makes tenders of grace and peace over and over again and waits our acceptance In which respect he is said to stand at their door and knock As knocking is usually a repetition of strokes so standing at the door and knocking implyeth his waiting for our opening Ah sinner doth Christ continue to renew his offers of grace and mercy unto thee and wilt
his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his Loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another How much more shall the wicked tremble and quake and their knees smite one against another for fear at the great day when they shall hear the sentence of condemnation pronounced by Jesus Christ How will they then run like men distracted to the Mountains and Hills for covert and shelter How will they then beg and yell again for mercy to a judge that is justly inexorable I say justly inexorable to them having scornfully rejected his many loving invitations and earnest beseechings by his Ministers to accept of that peace and reconciliation which he hath purchased by his blood Oh that men would consider that one tear or sigh of a penitent heart will now more prevail for attainment of mercy than all their bitter and importunate yellings in that day of Gods wrath VII After the promulgation of the sentence followeth the execution and sending of the persons judged to their everlasting estate as it is written And these shall go away into everlasting punishment So that now comes the eternal separation from Christ and possession of those torments which are easeless and endless For then shall they be hurried by the Devils as their Iaylors out of Christs presence and dragged into the bottomless lake of outer-darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone Oh the hellish cryes and horrible shrieks that then will be heard no heart can conceive or imagine what an hideous cry it will be When the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah felt the fire and brimstone falling from Heaven upon their heads And when the earth opened her mouth to swallow up Corah and his company and they saw themselves going down quick into the pit Oh the cryes which were then heard Oh the shrieks which then filled the air But alas what were these to the outcryes which will be made and to the scrieches which will be heard when the Devils and reprobate men and women shall be violently driven into Hell never never to return again For though they houl and cry to the judge for mercy and redemption pitty and compassion yet will they find no answer but too late too late Mercy and pardon and peace have been preached to thee but thou wouldst not hearken thou wouldst not accept Thy day is over the things of thy peace are hid from thine eyes henceforth no more for ever Ah sinner hadst thou now an heart to turn from thy sins unto God by true and unfaigned repentance and to pray unto him for mercy in and through the merits of Jesus Christ there were hope of mercy But at the day of judgement thy repentance and thy prayers will nothing avail The judge will not then be intreated by thee and no marvel seeing thou wouldst not hearken to him in the day of his merciful visitation But though he sent unto thee messenger after Messenger Ambassadour after Ambassadour to woe and beseech thee to abandon thy sins and to accept of him for thy Lord and Saviour yet wouldst thou not leave one beloved sin nor deny one fleshly lust for all his intreaties And therefore on that day will he not be intreated by thee notwithstanding thy manifold cryes and prayers If thou wilt not believe me hear Christs own words to this purpose Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But y e have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Ah sinner time was when he called to thee turn from thy sins cast away thy transgressions accept of grace submit to mercy be wise be happy thou maist if thou wilt but thou wouldst not but hast sold thy mercy and thy peace and thy Saviour and thy soul for thy lusts and the pleasures of sin And therefore though in thy greatest extremity thou cry unto him for mercy he will tell thee that thy day of mercy is past and gone and the day of vengeance is come wherein he will no longer entreat nor no more be entreated Ah sinner how will it then wound thy very soul to remember thy folly in neglecting thy season and refusing so great salvation How will it make thee with anguish of heart to cry out Ah silly wretch where was thine understanding to sleight such gracious invitations to preferr every base lust before the Lord of life to turn aside from him that spake unto thee from Heaven and to turn after thy companions and the pleasures of this earth to put off the turning from thy sins and making thy peace with God till it was too late Oh now would I give a World if I had it for one offer of Christ more for one Sabbath more to make my peace with God and to make sure of Christ but alas it is now too late Oh the fears and distractions the tearing of the hair and wringing of the hands the gnashing of teeth and dashing of knees the weeping and wailing the crying and roaring that this will produce especially when thou shalt consider how God every Sabbath called upon thee by his Ministers to turn from thy sins unto him but thine ear and thine heart were shut against him And how Jesus Christ was offered and tendred to thee only upon these terms that thou wouldst cast away thy sins and cast thy self into his arms and yet thou wouldst not go unto him but refusedst and rejectedst him and his grace This sad reflection of thy soul upon its own wilful folly in neglecting and outstanding thy day will be the everlasting worm that will gnaw on thy heart World without end Oh the folly and madness of all wicked men who go on securely and impenitently in their sins till they drop into hell-fire Is this thy Wisdom to sin awhile and burn for ever to laugh a while and howle for ever for a little momentary pleasure here to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Ah sinner that thou wouldst now forethink of this dreadful time and woful misery which hangs over thine head that when thou art alone thou wouldst seriously consider with thy self as the certainty and dreadfulness of this day so what thy condition is like to be that thou mightest thereby be stirred up to make out after Christ by whom thou maist escape the wrath to come Now whilest Christ is Preached to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel mercy and salvation is offered and now if ever is the time to accept it Oh therefore that now even now in this thy time and day of grace thou wouldst know the things that belong to thy peace that thou wouldst now
worketh faith to close with Jesus Christ. For untill thou beest truly humbled under a sense and apprehension of thy sins and misery it is not possible thou shouldst heartily desire Christ much less cordially embrace him as thy Saviour and redeemer Oh therefore labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified to get thine heart kindly humbled and broken for thy sins To this end 1. Look back into thy life and call to mind as many of thy sins as possibly thou canst the sins of thy youth as well as of thy riper years thy sins of omission as well as thy sins of commission yea the sins of thy holy services Especially call to mind the greatest and grossest of thy sins though they were committed long ago Thus did the Prodigal begin his humiliation and repentance by a serious examination of his former course of life calling to remembrance his departure from such a gracious Father his own wandrings in the wayes of wickedness in which he had lost himself and then as the text noteth He arose and came to his Father and with tears said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son To acknowledge thy self in the general to be a sinner works but a formal kind of repentance and humiliation if any at all But if thou wouldst be truly humbled thou must descend to thy special and particular sins saying this evil have I done and that good have I left undone 2. Consider together with the number the hainousness of thy sins To this end call to mind the aggravating circumstances of them as how thou hast sinned against the motions of Gods Spirit the admonitions of his Ministers the checks of thine own conscience against the light of nature against the patience and long-suffering of God which should have led thee to repentance 3. Seriously consider the fearful threatnings against sin and sinners which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and apply them to thy self reasoning thus If the least transgression of the Law deserveth the curse of God yea all judgements and plagues here and eternal condemnation hereafter then how many curses and plagues what and how great condemnation have I deserved who have committed sins innumerable for number and hainous in their quality And withall consider the truth and faithfulness of God in making good his threatnings as well as his promises 4. Beg this great Mercy of an humbled heart from God For it is he who must strike our stony hearts these hard Rocks of ours before they can yield any water of true repentance it is he who must pour out of the spirit of grace upon our hard hearts before we can pour out any penitent tears or lament as we ought for our sins It is he that must thaw our frozen hearts before they can dissolve into kindly sorrow To him therefore alone thou must go for this great work of humiliation And that thy prayers may be the more prevalent 1. Confess unto God the hardness of thine heart how it is grown to such an adamantine hardness that neither the thundrings nor threatnings of the Law nor the sweet showers the promises of the Gospel can make it relent or dissolve Confess unto God that Though thou hast broken his holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times yet the consideration thereof hath not broken thine heart Oh this rock this rock when shall it be pierced Oh this hard heart I cannot break it I would melt I would mourn but cannot I can mourn for a lost friend for a lost estate but I cannot mourn for a lost soul. Oh what groanings and sighings and lamentations will afflictions press out of me but my sins my sins how little do they move me The pains of my body I can feel and roar under but O what a stock am I under the plague of my heart Lord smite this rock My plaints are before thee mine eyes are towards thee I cannot weep but I can cry for a broken heart Lord hear me 2. In thy Prayers plead that gracious promise of God to take away the stony hearts out of our flesh and to give us hearts of flesh Hath God promised and is there no hope in the promise Is there hope and wilt thou not lay hold on that hope plead with thy God upon his own word Is not this thy Word O Lord Hast not thou said thou wilt make this stone flesh will it ever be done if thou dost it not wilt not thou do what thou hast said Is it not thy will that I should believe thou wilt Oh perform thy word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust 3. Be importunate in this request of thine unto God often renewing thy prayers and never give over till thou find thine hard heart brought into a mourning and melting frame Though God for a while seemeth deaf to thy prayers yet be not thou dumb many petitions he cannot deny IV. Resolve to give a present bill of divorce to all thy sinful lusts and pleasures utterly to renounce and forsake thine old sinful course of life and to set upon a new course to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of thy life It s vain for thee to lament and bewail thy past sins if thou wilt not give over thy sinning trade For as the Apostle adviseth Thou must first put off the old man with his corrupt-lusts before thou put oâ— the new man Thou therefore who hast accustomed thy self to swearing and cursing to whoring and drinking to scoffing and railing against the people of God resolve to swear and curse no more to whore and drink no more to scoff and rail no more but cast them away with detestation avoiding the places and occasions of these sins For it is a vain thing to think thy self strong enough to abstain from any sin when thou canst not withdraw thy self from the occasions thereof Ah sinner if thou hast any regard to thy precious soul it will be thy wisdom speedily to resolve to leave thine old course of life and to turn over a new leaf Think not of peace with God whilest thou art at peace with sin Think not that thine old scores are crossed whilest thou art so freely scoring up a new Deceive not thy self thy divorce from sin and thy marriage with Christ must be both on the same day And count not thy self divorced till thou and thy sins be parted Resolve this day to have done with thy old wayes for ever At once give Christ his welcome and thy lusts their farewell There is no true humiliation for sin where there is not a resolution against it Say not thou art not humbled enough how little soever thy sorrow be if thou art sincerely resolved against iniquity And say not thou art humble enough how deep soever it hath been if there follow not this resolution
and in all his offices Say the Lord Jesus Christ shall be my Prophet I will in all things labour to be taught and instructed by him And he shall be my King I will give him the Supremacy I will resign up my self wholly to his Dominion in all things to be ordered and governed by him And he shall be my Priest he shall answer to God and make an atonement for me I will rest upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice offered upon the Cross for life and salvation Though thou hast hitherto been a great sinner yet if now thou wilt abandon thy sins and thus embrace Jesus Christ thou shalt have him given to thee and all thy sins freely forgiven thee Oh why wilt thou neglect so great salvation Oh do not deferr the doing it one day longer But to day even now that Christ is freely offered unto thee resolve to receive him And be not discouraged out of fear that because thou hast so long refused to choose and embrace Jesus Christ therefore now the time is past But know that so long as the Lord continueth calling and inviting thee by his Word and Spirit so long the day of grace lasteth The golden Scepter is this day held forth unto thee Christ and Salvation are now offered unto thee O therefore embrace him by faith which if thou refusest to do know assuredly that everlasting fire prepared for the Devils will be thy portion to all Eternity For as our Saviour speaketh This is the condemnation even the soarest and surest condemnation that light is come into the World that Jesus Chrst and salvation by him is offered in the Gospel and yet men love darkness more than light preferring their deeds of darkness their sinful sensual wayes before the Lord of life who is the light of the World Oh that any should be so foolish and unwise as to choose darkness rather than light and death rather than life CHAP. XV. Other Means on our part to be performed for attaining of Regeneration VI WIth patience wait upon Christ in the use of his Ordinances especially the Word and Prayer 1. Frequent the Ministry of the Word where the Spirit of God useth to breath The Spirit is the principal worker of this great work as our Saviour expresseth And the Ministry of the Word is the ordinary Means and instrument which the spirit of God useth for the effecting hereof The Spirit of God breaths not in an Ale-house or in a Tavern or Play-house but in the Ministry of the Word Whereupon the Apostle Paul calls it the Word of life by which our souls are quickned And the Apostle Peter the seed of Regeneration by which we are new born Being born again saith he not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God this seed being sown in the heart doth by little and little grow up to a new creature In this respect the Preachers of the Gospel are called spiritual Fathers because by their Ministry they beget men unto God as Paul told the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel So that it is clear that the Ministery of the Word is the ordinary means whereby the Holy Ghost doth usually work in us that great work of Regeneration But we must take heed that we do not attribute our new birth unto the Word Preached as having in its own nature any inherent power to give life and grace but as it is the Word of God and his holy ordinance which he hath instituted and sanctified for working grace in us Attend therefore unto the Ministry of the Word as the Ordinance of God unto which his blessing is promised use it in obedience to his command in hope of his blessing and with desire to profit thereby And for thine encouragement know that as dead a soul as thine hath been quickned by the spirit of God as it hath been attending upon the Ministry of the Word as hard an heart as thine hath been softned as prophane an heart hath been sanctified as carnal and corrupt an heart hath been changed and renewed And who knoweth but while thou art attending upon God in his way his spirit may breath upon thee and so quicken thy dead heart mollifie thine hard heart sanctifie thy prophane heart yea renew and change thy totally corrupted and carnal heart wherein consisteth the work of Regeneration This I press upon all knowing that a carnal unregenerate man may give outward attendance unto the Ministry of the Word Though thou art spiritually dead yet hast thou feet to carry thee to the house of God and ears to hear the outward Ministry of the Word and understanding to know in great measure what is said Thou maist come to the Pool and lye by it though thou canst not put thy self in And truly it is good lying in the way where Christ useth to come Oh therefore frequent the Ministry of the Word where the Spirit of Christ useth to move yea and to breath a spirit of life into dead souls Take all occasions of hearing the Word both in season and out of season Let nothing but necessity keep thee at home for thou knowest not what Sermon may be most sutable to thy condition And when thou hearest attend to it as to a message sent from God concerning thine everlasting salvation And be often calling it to remembrance whereby it will take the deeper impression upon thine heart And though for the present thou find not that benefit thou expectest yet wait still upon the Ordinance The lame man who lay long at the Pool of Bethesda at last was cured 2. Be much in reading the Word of God and such practical books as may help thee in understanding and applying it This must not thrust out Preaching yet is it an excellent means of grace in its own time and place as very many have found by their own experience For as the Psalmist speaketh The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. So that the word read is sometimes the power of God to Regeneration and Salvation as well as the Word Preached As the Eâ—nuch was a reading a portion of Scripture in his Chariot the Spirit of God commanded Philip to go near unto him to teach him the meaning thereof and to instruct him in the knowledge of Jesus Christ whereupon he believed and was baptized And Luther confesseth of himself that he was changed and renewed upon reading the Scriptures and therefore professed he would not part with one leaf of the Bible for all the World For in the Scriptures there is a clear revelation of the way and means of Salvation by Jesus Christ therein is contained the Covenant of grace and the Laws of Heaven according to which we must square all our actions Oh sinner as thou desirest to partake of the new birth and to be made partaker of the grace of God be careful and conscionable in reading the Scriptures Spend not that time
thou thereupon continue to refuse them know assuredly that though renewed offers are doubled mercies yet renewed refusals are trâ—bled sins which will exceedingly aggravate thy condemnation I speak not these things to encourage any to deferr and put off their turning from their sins to farther day upon a presumption they shall have mercy at last Beware of that madness Thou that wilt not to day thy soul may be in Hell before to morrow But I speak this to encourage old sinners to a speedy turning Old sinner it is the last time with thee for ought thou knowest thou art just come to thy Now or Never And two things I would speak to thee 1. It 's a great doubt whether thou who hast stood it out so long wilt come in now fear and tremble few very few of those that stand it out to the last hour do come in at the last hour yet 2. If thou wilt thou maist if in this thy day thy last day thou wilt come in thou shalt be saved Obj. 6. If once I be Regenerate and become a new creature I shall never live one merry day more then farewell all delights and pleasures for the life of a godly man is full of uncomfortableness and sadness A. 1. True it is every Regenerate man ought to renounce all sinfull delights to bid adiew to all unlawfull pleasures which in truth is no bondage but rather a spiritual liberty The bondage of a Christian is in being a servant to his sinfull lusts and his liberty in being delivered from them The Apostle bewails the time when himself and other Saints were foolish serving divers lusts and pleasures And reckons it amongst the prime benefits they received by the grace of the Gospel to be delivered from that slavery and bondage 2. Though every Regenerate man ought to renounce all sinfull pleasures and delights yet he may in some measure enjoy any lawfull pleasures which the Creature affords Yea none doth or can enjoy the sweetness of the Creature more than the new creature For he hath not only a fleshly palate like other men whereby he relisheth the carnal pleasure which the Creature affordeth but he hath likewise a spiritual palate whereby he tasteth the sweetness and goodness of God in the Creature So that this Objection is a meer slander which the Devil and his Agents have raised to fright men from looking after grace 3. The work of Regeneration is so far from depriving a man of all delights and pleasures that there are unspeakable delights peculiar to the Regenerate they have dainties which their spirits feed upon that the World knows not of a stranger doth not intermeddle with their joy As they have higher and more noble principles than other men so they feed upon higher and more noble comforts Their comforts are spiritual administred unto their souls by a special work of the Holy Ghost who is designed by the Father and the Son to be the Comforter to cheer and revive the spirits of his servants And certainly the comforts and delights which he conveyes into the souls of the Regenerate must needs be soul-satisfying and soul-ravishing consolations What Blasphemy is it to affirm that the joyes of the World are better than the joyes of God Oh how sweet and delightfull must it needs be to know that we are brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace that we are the Children of God beloved of him the members of Christ and dear to him that our sins are pardoned in and through the merits of his bitter death and passion and that so soon as our earthly Tabernacles are dissolved we shall have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens and there raign with him in everlasting bliss and happiness Oh what a comfort must it needs be seriously to fix our thoughts on those joyes and pleasures which hereafter we shall enjoy at Gods right hand to all Eternity Ah sinners What folly then hath bewitched you to think it greater pleasure to live in foolish sports and fleshly delights than in the sense of Gods love and in the believing thoughts of glory Did you but know the peace and the comfort the pleasure and the joy which springeth from the apprehension of Gods love and walking in the wayes of holiness you would soon be of another mind and take another course than you do Much good may do you with your crackling thorns walk in the light of your fires and the sparks which you have kindled make the best of your present pleasures till that vanity and vexation which is all you are like to reap from them bring you to a better mind The new birth is the very beginning of a life of peace and comfort and the greatest pleasantness is to be found in the wayes of holiness Would you but make enquiry of those who have tryed both stares both that of sin and that of grace they will tell you that their first state was a state of trouble and misery and that they never found any true peace and comfort in their souls till they were brought home to God and came to be acquainted with an holy life Yea that they have enjoyed more sweetness and delight in one hours communion with God than ever their flesh brought them in in all their lives Solomon who had experience of all other pleasures yet saith of the wayes of godliness Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness even soul-satisfying pleasantness If you will not believe the reports of the people of God yet hearken to what God himself speaketh in his word Being justified by faith we have peace with God thorow our Lord Iesus Christ and not only so but we glory in tribulation And saith St. Peter Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And the Psalmist often calleth upon the righteous to rejoice Rejoice in the Lord ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart And saith the Apostle Rejoice in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoice Will you believe God this you see is his testimony that true joy is proper to the Regenerate the Children of God are the only heirs of joy and glory Obj. 1. But some are ready to object and say how can the state of the Regenerate be so comfortable and joyful when as none are more afflicted and persecuted than they In the World saith our Saviour speaking to his Disciples ye shall have tribulation And saith the Apostle All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution which made Luther to say a Christian is a Cross-bearer A. 1. True it is none are more afflicted and persecuted than they but their afflictions and persecutions do not alwayes deprive them of true spiritual joy and comfort For saith the Apostle Being justified by faith we have peace with God and we rejoice in tribulation And saith our Saviour When men shall
your reading may be the more profitable observe these few directions 1. Before you read lift up your heart unto God in some short Prayer beseeching him who is the Father of light to enlighten the blind eyes of your understandings that you may understand what you read so to strengthen your memories that you may remember it and that he would give you Wisdom to apply faith to believe and grace to practise what you read Which Prayer is necessary before reading because as the Apostle speaketh Naturally we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither can we know them because they are spiritually discerned And it is only the Spirit of God that revealeth them unto us which we have no hope to attain but by fervent Prayer 2. The Word must be read and heard with all holy reverence and attention as being the Word of the great God whereby he revealeth himself and his will cleerly unto us for the building us up in all grace and Godliness 3. In reading every one ought to take special notice of such passages as are either more weighty in themselves or proper to them for their particular cases use and occasion 4. In reading or hearing any portion of Scripture let every one apply it to himself as spoken to him By this means may every one be much edified by every part of the Word of God CHAP. VIII Of Family-Catechising with quickning Motives thereunto III. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families in reference to those under their charge is to instruct them in the principles of Religion in a Catechistical way For to Catechise is to teach the first principles of Christian Religion whereby they who are young may be acquainted with God betimes This we find given in command unto Housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Thâ—se words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Where by Children are not meant only natural Children but likewise servants it being usual with the Hebrews by Children to understand all under subjection We have a Prophesie that there shall be as it were a succession of Christs name from generation to generation His name shall endâ—re sor ever his name shall be continued as long as the Sun or as the phrase imports His name shall pass from Father to Son Every Father then must by Christian instruction declare the name of Christ to his Son that so the name of Christ may pass from Father to Son from generation to generation which prophesie concerns the time of the Gospel wherein Parents are commanded to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord or to nurture them up in instruction as the word in the Greek properly signifieth This duty is commended to us by the example of Godly Housholders in all ages I know saith God of Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. We likewise find David often instructing his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And that this was the practice of the Saints in the time of the Gospel appeareth from the expressions of the Apostle Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God And leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ which imply a form of Catechism which was used by the Christians in those dayes And oh that all Christian Parents and governours of Families in our dayes would make conscience of instructing and teaching their Children and Servants in the principles of Religion out of some good Catechism Observing these two Caveats 1. That this duty be done frequently on some day or dayes every week 2. That it be done by little at once for to be too long or tedious therein is apt to dull the understanding and to cause wearisomeness in the learner For the better pressing this duty I shall add a few motives or arguments I. The first Argument or Motive may be taken from the benefits which will follow thereupon 1. Timely instruction will season their hearts that they are like to be better for it all the dayes of their lives and therefore saith the Wise man Traiâ— up or as the Word signifieth Catechise a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it But as a Vessel will retain long the savour of that liquor it was seasoned first withall So will men the instructions they have learned in their youth 2. It is an excellent means to keep them from the errours and heresies of the times For Children well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion are in great measure antidoted against the danger of seducing doctrines The Apostle saith There must be heresies which are of a spreading nature and therefore by our Saviour compared to Leaven What better preservative against the infection of false doctrines errours and heresies than to be well Catechised Observe who they be that are easiest seduced by false teachers who they are that have embraced their erroneous tenets and you shall find that they were such who were never well Catechised nor grounded in the principles of Religion As therefore you would not have your Children and Servants poysoned with the erroneous Doctrines of false teachers do your endeavours to get them well rooted and grounded in the knowledge of the truth 3. It is an excellent means to make them hear the publick Ministry of the Word with more profit For thereby they will be enabled to Examine the Doctrine which they hear by the analogie of faith It is foretold that in the latter dayes there shall be false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies And therefore we are not to receive all for truth which is delivered in the Pulpit but as the Apostle exhorteth us to prove and try all things and to hold fast only that which is good which we shall never be able to do unless we be first well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion as also well acquainted with the Scriptures If therefore you who are Parents and Masters of Families would discharge your duty herein how would Errours vanish Religion flourish and how would knowledge and grace abound in your Children and Servants II. Another argument may be taken from the manifold damages which usually follow a neglect of Family Catechising 1. It is the ground of that ignorance and spiritual blindness which overfloweth this Nation For as darkness proceedeth from the want of light so ignorance must needs proceed from the want of teaching 2. It is the ground of that looseness and prophaneness that is in many Families For where Gods service hath no place there sin will
beginning it is said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And in the close it is added The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it that is sanctified it and set it apart to be wholly consecrated to him and to his worship and service That Parents and Masters of Families may the better discharge their duty herein observe these directions 1. Look that your Children and Servant go with you to the Ministry of the Word and let none be left behind without necessary and urgent occasion It being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the reforming of their lives and the saving of their souls When Iacob went to Bethel to Worship he took his whole houshold with him When Elkaâ—ah went up to offer unto the Lord his Sacrifice all his house went with him In like manner do thou carry thy houshold with thee to the house of God 2. After the publick Ordinances be carefull to call together all under thy charge and let there be a repetition of the Sermons Preached either by thy self or some one of thy Family who can write best And then examine them one after another What they remember of the Sermons they have heard labouring to make them plain unto them and to apply them also Thus did our blessed Saviour with his beloved Disciples for after his Preaching when he was come home he said unto them Have ye understood all these things which ye have heard And Mark saith When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords dayes after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly much good will hereby redound as unto your selves so likewise unto all under your charge For 1. It will make them give better attention unto the Ministry of the Word when they know they shall be called to an account and examined what they have heard 2. It would much help and confirm as your selves so your Children and Servants in the understanding and believing of what hath been delivered publickly by the Minister if you would repeat and search the proofs of Scripture which were brought for the confirmation of the doctrine III. Another duâ—y to be performed in and with your Families for the better sanctification of the Lords day is singing of Psalms which as it was much practised by the Saints and people of God of old under the Law so is it both a lawfull and a meet thing to be used by Christians now under the Gospel and that as publickly in the Church so privately in the Family 1. We find it was an ancient custome of the people of God to sing Psalms in their Families according to that of the Psalmist the voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the righteous that is in the dwelling places and houses of good men 2. We have our Saviour herein for a pattern of whom it is recorded that after the eating of the Passeover which was in a private house he sung a Psalm with his Family IV. Another duty to be performed in and with your Family for the better â—anctification of the Lords day is Reading some part of the holy Scriptures whereof before Chap. VII As also some good Sermon or Treatise of practical truths V. Another duty is Family-prayer Whereof before Chap. VI. VI. Another is Catechising those under your charge whereof see Chap. VIII A conscionable performance of these will exceedingly help forward the sanctification of the Lords day and that without tediousness VII Another duty incumbent on Parents and Masters is godly conference Conferring before your Children and Servants about some good and profitable matter especially of the Sermons you have heard The counsel which the Apostle giveth concerning our words and discourses as it ought to be carefully observed and followed by us at all times so especially on the Lords day Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of ediâ—â—ing that is to the winning of them who are not converted or to the further building up of those who are already converted And the Prophet Isaiah forbiddeth the speaking our own words on the Sabbath day that is all discourses which are meerly Worldly and about earthly things more than charity and necessity requireth Under which prohibition of not speaking our own words is implyed a direction to speak the word of God or those things which tend to the honour of God and the spiritual good of others VIII That you may the better discharge your duty in looking to the sanctification of the Lords day Be sure you suffer none under your roof to spend any part thereof either in idleness or in sports and pastimes 1. Not iâ— idleness it being not a day of idleness but of spiritual action 2. Not in sports and pastimes especially such as tend to carnal and sensual delight For the Lord hath forbidden every man the following his own pleasure on his holy day And the truth is sports and pastimes are greater impediments to the worship and service of God than the ordinary works of our calling in that they do more subtilly steal away the heart from holy duties than those do Whereupon St. Austin thought it better to plow on the Lords day than to dance and sport Obj. Some Object and plead the hard labour their servants have undergone the week before and thence think they may be allowed a little recreation on the Lords day A. 1. The rest of the Lords day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies who have been tired with labour the six dayes before And if they be spiritually minded the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their souls is singing of Psalms the perusing their spiritual evidences for Heaven the solacing themselves in the meditation of Christ of what he hath done and suffered for them holy conference and the like 2. If you think bodily recreations necessary for your servants health why do you not rather allow them some part of your own time on the week-dayes than to rob God of any part of his day which he hath wholly appropriated to the duties of his Worship and service Whereas the Lord might have reserved six dayes for himself and allowed but one unto us he hath dealt so bountifully and graciously with us as to reserve but one to himself and leave six for our business And shall we be so ungratefull as to encroach upon it and Sacrilegiously steal away some part of that small time which he hath reserved to himself for our Servants recreation CHAP. X. Of Exemplary lives in Parents and Masters of Families V. ANother duty incumbent on Parents and Masters of Families is To shew themselves patterns of piety and Godliness unto their Children and Servants by an holy