though 't is not good to be a Heathen yet of the two 't were better to be a just Heathen which is possible than to be an unjust Christian which saving the Name is a contradiction Rom. 2.13 to 29. Matth. 11.24 91 Ungodly Men yea Devils may present themselves before the Lord Job 1.6 but Godly Men present i. e. make a present of themselves unto God Rom. 12.1 92 As we could not deserve so we cannot requite the Lord for his kindness to us and indeed had God given to us looking for any thing again by way of recompence and requital his mercies would have undone us for we are so far from being able to pay the utmost farthing that of our selves as of our selves being insufficient to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 the utmost payment we could have made would not have amounted to a farthing beside what we return even in our best estate is but his own 1 Chron. 29.14 and we are beholden not only for what we receive from him but for what we do and give to him so then that which is the effect of his love and grace can never be the reward of it Less than the least of all thy mercies must be our Motto as well as Jacobs Gen. 32.10 93 Our Lord Jesus Christ loves and commends countenances and encourages discretion ingenuity and morality Mark 10.21 and 12.32 yet deals plainly and tells them this is not enough if the but one thing necessary be wanting this all is nothing at all if we have no more A man may not be far from the Kingdome yet never the near the foolish Virgins came to the very Gate but were were without still where are dogs Rev. 22.15 Prophane ones are afar off indeed yet Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of God before some who preâ—ended to have a Title to it as being Children of the Kingdome Matth. 21. â—1 with 8.12 They who were afar off being sinners of the Gentiles were made near by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2.13 when the Jews who were â—ear as the natural branches and of the Common-wealth of Israel were cut off Rom. 11. Civil persons of good dispositions of sweet lovely and â—aking behaviours and very innocent conversations seem to be near as â—e Mark 10.20 21. who seem'd to â—id fair for heaven and marcheth on gallantly till put to the trial and â—hen he retreats though with grief â—hat he cannot have heaven and the world too yet rather than he will part with his possessions on earth he will venture the loss of heaven and rather have his part in Paris than in Paâ—adise on which our Saviour makes a close application and a startling one to rich men as it there follows There are some Semi-Converts half or almost Christians Acts 26.28 and these seem nearer but he that sits down at half-way will never come to the end of his journey but is still far off though he have gone so far There are others who have the Name of Christians and are within the pale of the Church and these are neerest of all the rest yet many of these also may be afar off for what 's the Name without the Thing if we be not found iâ— Christ Jesus New Creatures yea aâ— our Saviour tells us with a Double Verily except a man be born again how near so ever he be to he cannot see nor enter into the Kingdome oâ— God John 3.3 5. 94 They who lose their possessions may and should in patience possesâ— their souls and then though patience cannot keep them from misery yeâ— it will keep them from being miserable for a man never loseth very much if he lose not his soul nor himself Lukâ— 21.19 95 Our Saviour bids his disciples Not fear them that can kill the body for that 's the most and worst they can â—o the worst alas is not that bad enough no there may a worse thing â—efal us viz. the destruction i. e. the damnation of body and soul in hell 'T is as if he said you can at a cheaper â—ate and more easily die than be damned you are never undone though kill'd if not damned 't is never very â—ll if it be well with the soul you have more reason to fear God than man for God hath more power over you to do more good for or evil to you though the body be in the soul is â—ut of mans reach but both are in the hand of God therefore Matth. 8. â—8 96 To go out of Gods way for life â—s to go out of the way of life John 5.39 40. and 6.68 and 14.6 Acts 4.12 'T is not only lost labour but the way to death to seek life out of or without Christ Jesus Rom. 9.30 33. and 10.3 4. 97 Take heed of temptation in a time of straights for as mans extremity is Gods opportunity to help so 't is the Devils opportunity to tempt Matth. 4.2 3. and as God suits consolations so the Devil suits temptations to our conditions Prov. 30.8 9. 98 The service we do to men is never acceptable to God unless we do it as serving the Lord Eph. 6.6 7. Col. 3.22 23. 99 Religion which is to be our bufiness and pleasure too is not for spare hours nor hath it any hours to spare Luke 1.75 1 Cor. 10.31 We should be religious in all things and at all times 100 He that is not good in secret it may be feard that he is but an hypocrite in publick Matth. 6.1 6. and 23 25 to 30. THE Second Century 1. THough Death may separate a Believer and his near and dear relations yea and make a separation between his soul and his body yet it shall never separate him from his happiness from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8.38 39. 2 All our attendances upon and our addresses to God speak not any need he hath of us for he that giveth all things needeth nothing Acts 17.25 but they speak the need we stand in of God of his mercy and grace Heb. 4.16 And surely if God need not our services he doth not need our sins Wilt thou lie for God Job 13.7 The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God James 1.20 No evil is to be done for any good Rom. 3.8 and they who sin under the pretence of service and dishonour God under the Name of honouring will have no thanks for honouring but severe judgement for sinning 1 Sam. 15.20 23. Isa 66.5 John 16.2 3 We are forward to hear and pray which are cheap and easie things but when self is to be denied and lusts to be subdued what we pray for is to be practis'd and what we hear is to be done which is the Spirit Power and Life of Religion ah how backward are we alas how many exercise themselves unto Godliness use the means who do not exercise themselves in Godliness which is the end of means Thus Religion dwindles away in and persons content though they cheat themselves by meer
99 Many a man needs no more to undo him than his own desires they are so bad that no enemy could wiâ—â— them worse than to be themselves a Covetous Midas's being alwaye desiring and labouring for that which they resolve never to use and which will be to their hurt and ruin Eccl. 4.8 and 5.13 and 6.2 100 'T is a marvellous stupidity and illogical that the more continual experience men have of the Vanity oâ— the World the more greedy experiments they make to find if they could find out solidity in it Alas fond Child What hath thee so beguil'd To seek for Hony in a nest of Wasps Thou maist as well find ease in Hell And sprightly Nectar from the mouth of Asps Shall the World always make fools of us or rather we of our selves Shall we never take warning by others nor our own harms Let the time past suffice c. 1 Pet. 4.3 THE Third Century 1 VVHat good man had not rather want the thing he most desires than obtain it by unlawful and irreligious means but means passions and Gods directions seldome agree such as too much attend their own ends seldome confine themselves to Gods means Rom. 3.8 1 Tim. 6.9 10. 2 They confess their own weakness as to Truth and Justice who chuse rather to contend and conquer by force than by Argument Acts 4.14 17. 3 'T is a sin against Hospitality to open your doors and shut up your Countenance be sweet gracious and free let your looks be the Chrystal to your Disposition Though a churl may bid all Welcome yet he thinks none so though he may say Eat and drink yet his heart is not with thee and his courtesie seldome comes but for gain or falshood as Solomon tells us Prov. 23.3 6 7 8. And on the other hand how generously soever you entertain never compel him to surfet whom you invited to feast nor to be drunk and lose his own by anothers health Hest 1.7 8. 4. 'T is better to be above than but even with an enemy He that revengeth is but even with him as the phrase is but he that pardoneth is above him for so much as a man is better than another so much he is above him Matth. 5.44 48. And on the other hand let no man offend on the presumption of a pardon for he seems to be in love with a fault like Shimei who had rather be forgiven than be innocent It 's better not to need than to have a pardon 5 All humane Reason is so intermixt with wit and fancy that many times a man can hardly tell which is which Reason hath so many shapes colours and forms that we know not which to take hold of experience and events have as many What shall we do then To the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 Search the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.14 17. Eph. 4.14 6 As 't is impertinent yea meer vanity and very folly to make a profession of love to God and yet to express none to our Neighbour 1 John 3.17 and 4.20 So 't is in vain to pretend love to mens souls while we shew no love to their bodies Surely no man will thank another for killing him though he should tell him 't were in kindness 'T is worse than he that as a mad man casteth Fire-brands Arrows and Death and saith Am not I in sport Prov. 26.18 19. No man cares for such biting Jests and hurtful Sports much less for injurious Courtesies and killing Kindnesses Persons may complement and say they will do this and that and I know not what for your service and welfare but who can look for service where he sinds unfaithfulness and violence 1 Sam. 18.25 7 That the evil of sin is the greatest evil appears by this as well as many other arguments that though other evils may be complain'd of and lamented yet there 's none to be repented of but this of sin 8 A man cannot do himself a greater kindness nor better service than to serve God with his best his all and to his utmost For as wicked men by the evil of sin bring an evil reward or reward of evil viz. the wages of sin upon their own Souls Isa 3.9 11. So they who serve God will find that in keeping his commands there 's great reward Psal 19. no less than eternal Life by the gift of God Rom. 6.23 and therefore say to the Righteous it shall be well with them for they shall yea they shall eat the fruit of their doings Isa 3.10 9. The good man's best and the bad mans worst lyes in shall be 's Isa 3.10 11. in reversion Here Dives had nothing but his good things but hereafter he had no good thing Here Lazarus had his evil things but afterward no evil thing The good man when he dies takes his leave of and departs from all evil and the evil man when he dies takes his leave of and departs from all his goods which was all the good he had Now he is comforted but thou art tormented Luke 16.25 Oh 't is a sad thing to have ones portion of good only in this life Psal 17.14 10. The things of this World viz. the lusts of the Eye the lusts of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which some call The Worlds Trinity the God which Worldlings worship have many charms and are bewitching Many have been inchanted by the god of this World to make this World their God and there 's no conquering no nor avoyding the influence and force of its Philters which work on the sense but by Faith and being strong in Faith Heb. 11.25 1 John 5.4 5. 11 Our great desire and endeavour should be to be men of truth true to God and his Glory true to our souls and their happiness true to men and all the offices of Love we owe to them and we should owe no man any thing but love Eph. 4.15 Rom. 13.8 Falshood and Hypocrisie is ungodly unmanly and unfriendly 't is odious to God and all men that discover it and must needs be hurtful to them that act it for Matth. 23.33 12 'T is to be our Prayer and Care not only to receive mercy from God but to improve it for God and return the praise to God Psal 116.12 yea and that according to the benefits which we receive Psal 116.12 2 Chron. 32.25 and then 't will be a more blessed thing to give than to receive Acts 29.35 For thankfulness and giving God the praise is the compleating and crowning of all our mercies without which they are scarce to be called blessings Psal 40.1 2 3. There are six degrees of mercy and the New Song is the sweet close and glorious Crown of all 13 A good man would gladly be preserved not only from miscarriages but mistakes for they occasion miscarriages not only from presumption but ignorance not only from the known evil of his ways but the unknown and undiscerned secrets of his heart and is impatient till he be
of mercies yet thinks not the best even Grace and Glory too good for us Psal 84.11 28 Some men who seem free enough to confess their sin are yet very impatient at the reproof of it the reason seems to be because Confession is but like an arrow shot from them and the danger is going off but Reproof is like an arrow shot to them and the danger is still approaching beside Confession is their own act but Reproof is another mans and all our own acts on our selves are more gentle and favourable than others acts upon us as a man that pincheth or strikes himself feels it less or at least regrets it less than if another did it I need not add that men reckon reproofs to be nothing but or to differ very little from reproaches Prov. 9.7 8. and 12.1 and 15.10 29 It is the great work of a Christian while he lives in the body to be crucifying the body of death Rom. 7.24 1 Cor. 9.27 Rom. 6. throughout 30 They who use to think well often cannot but do well sometimes and they that think of evil are like to do evil for vain imaginations produce vain conversations Matth. 12.35 31 It should be and is the desire of every gracious person to attend upon God without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 and to walk with God as Enoch without interruption Col. 1.9 10. 32 It 's very great reason that he who is Gods should cease to be his own and to act for himself 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 33 It 's as much if not more the desire of a gracious person to hear what he is to do as what he is to enjoy Commands to be obey'd as Priviledges and Promises to be obtain'd that he may be Gods to serve God as that God may be his to save him that he may glorifie God on Earth as be glorified by and with God in Heaven Acts 9.6 Phil. 1.20 c. 34 'T is our Heaven here to have God with us and Christ with us but 't will be our Heaven hereafter to be with God and Christ Phil. 1.23 35 Sincerity is good security against others reproaches 2 Cor. 1.12 and against our own infirmities Rom. 7.25 36 An evil mind when it hath power and opportunity doth not only follow the sway of desires already within but frames to it's self new desires not thought of before 2 Kings 8.12 13. 37 They who love God consider more what is than why 't is commanded 1 John 5.3 and there is no service like his who serves because he loves 38 Sufferings for Christ Jesus are so far from separating his love from the Sufferers or theirs from him that they the more indear each others affections Rom. 8.35 39. 39 Hope is a great succour and support to perplexed minds Psal 42.5 Lam. 3.29 Rom. 8.23 24. 40 They who have defaced the Iâ—â—age of goodness and vertue in themselves do not love to see it in others 't is an eye-sore to them 1 John 3.12 41 We should not so much consiâ—ler and love the things that do as â—he things that ought to please us Matth. 19.8 42 Jealousie between relations and friends is the Phrensie of wise-folkes the well-wishing spite an unkind carefulness the way to lose that which we most suspect and are unwilling to lose the Self-Punishment for others faults the Cousin of Envy the Daughter of Love and the Mother of Fear if not of Hatred Prov. 6.34 43 It doth hugely oblige us to and should as much indear our obedience to Jesus Christ that he hath given â—ife to us who deserved death yea and died for us that we might live 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 44 Take heed of flattering and idle busie-bodies who spend their time in telling of tales and talking of nothing but vanity 2 Thess 3.11 1 Tim. 5.13 1 Pet. 4.15 45 'T is much more noble to love distressed Vertue than to adore or enjoy the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world Heb. 11.25 for we are equally enjoyn'd to forsake them as the Devil and all his works and all the sinful lusts of the flesh 46 Whatever we part with and surrender up in obedience to the will of God we are sure to receive it againâ—â— with usury Matth. 19.29 47 He who repents for not doing the Will of God doth do the Will of God Matth. 21.31 48 'T is more a Martyrdome to deny our selves to mortifie our sins to submit our Will to the Will of God and a greater Argument of our love to him then 't is to give our body to be burned 1 Cor. 13.3 49 Our Will in any evil or to it makes it cease to be an infirmity and makes it to be a sin though it be not committed Matth. 5.28 but our Will in and to any good makes it a Vertue though it be not acted for then God accepts the Will for the Deed Matth. 26.41 2 Cor. 8.12 Heb. 11.17 50 Many are apt to quarrel with God for non-performance of his Promises when it may be they are not the Persons to whom or have not performed the Condition to which the Promises were made Gen. 4.6 7. Mat. 20.15 51 If we are but naturally or prudentially patient and humble and not so in obedience to the Will of God we may be said to be vertuous but cannot be said to be gracious 1 Pet. 2.18 21. 1 Pet. 4.19 52 To gratifie Nature is a duty but to satisfie humour or to gratifie lust is a sin We may pray for daily bread and beg food convenient for us but to ask meat for lusts to cater and project for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof is to sin against to tempt and to provoke God Psal 78.18 Rom. 13.13 14. 53 The World shall never overcome them for whom Christ hath overcome the World but they shall have peace even then when they have tribulation John 16.33 54 Many mens senses ingross the men as if they had no souls to mind or had souls only to mind their bodies Their bodies are daintily fed and richly clad They have Gentlemenâ— bodies and too often slaves minds and of such men one saith all is good but the man Luke 16.19 c. 55 Terrors that are caused and exalted by a guilty conscience are the most intollerable and incurable of any other Prov. 18.14 56 Body and Soul are so united and do so sympathize that they are refreshed or pained together the body never sends the stomach to tell us we have eaten too much but the foul feels it too for when the stomach riseth against the meat the conscience riseth against intemperance and as the one feels the meat the other doth the sin of surfetting Let the Palate and Belly-pleasers read Luke 21.36 57 'T is a goodly thing to learn the Theory of them that understand the Practise of Religion well Phil. 3.17 to 20. 58 What 's thy end in keeping so much a-do is' t to get wealth yes but why for contentment well if there be more without it thou goest
so upright as not only not to commit the great transgression but that the thoughts of his heart the words of his mouth and the works of his hands may be all acceptable to his God Psal 19.12 14. 14 Oh what a sad life do they live who live in pleasures Life do I say No no they are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 If we will say they live we must say that 't is but like Bedlams who and their pleasures also are run stark mad For to this purpose is that of Solomon Eccles 2.2 or else they are degenerated and metamorphosed into Beasts Jer. 5.8 15 Fondness is the sickness of love by which children are taught to rebel 1 Kings 1.5 6. If it proceed not so far yet they are very ill bred for such persons as som-body says teach their children to be Gentlewomen before they teach them to be women to bridie their chins more than their tongues or pride and passions how to behave themselves in a Dance better than in Company how to wear fine cloaths than how to do vertuously thus they are put off being puft up with shew without substance But let us learn to teach children to whom much reverence is due by word and deed by doctrine and example if ever we expect they should prove dutiful to God and to us and of any use to others while they are in the World 1 Sam. 3.13 Tit. 2.4 5. Prov. 22.6 and 23.13 14. 13.24 19.18 22.15 16 He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.4 And how safely and quictly may they sleep for whom God is pleas'd to wake and watch Psal 4.8 3.5 Prov. 3.24 17 Will-worship and Will-suffering are both bad as is clear from Col. 2.23 1 Cor. 13.3 18 'T is no cure of Passion to delay it For that which Athenodorus prescrib'd to Augustus to repeat the Alphabet between passion and revenge is but boyish and slight as diverting the mind to a trifle which is only to couzen and not to conquer the distemper 'T is like the cure of Empericks which may allay not free a disease 't is best to pluck it up by the Roots and how that 's done see Gal. 4.24 19 They dispute best and are mosâ— like to prevail who use hard arguments and soft words Prov. 15.1 and 25.15 John 7.46 20 An hypocrite is one who seems to be what he is not and would not seem nor be seen to be what he is Matth. 23.25 28. 21 All men offend in many things James 3.2 and many men offend in all they do Gen. 6.5 22 If sinners be damned 't is just with God to damn them if they be saved 't is mercy from God Rom. 6.23 23 When the Law of God is written in our hearts to teach us our hearts will be in the Law of God to do it Psal 40.8 Heb. 8.10 11. 24 If it be thy custome to sin know that 't is Gods custome to punish sinners as Rom. 8.28 2 Thess 2.11 12. 25 He that hath God for him need not fear what any Man or Devil can do against him Rom. 8.31 26 We can call nothing properly our own but our sins for all things else we owe and should pay an acknowledgment to God yea even for our very miseries they being not only less than our iniquity deserves Ezra 9.13 but though of sins procuring are design'd by God not only to correct us for our evil but to instruct us for our good Heb. 12.10 and It greatly becomes us to bear and concerns us to hear the Rod Mic. 7.9 Mic. 6.9 for Prov. 3.11 12. Psal 94.12 27 Conscience Credit and Friendship are three of the most valuable things in the World but Conscience above any 2 Cor. 1.12 28 All Divine Writings viz. the Holy Scriptures contain more matter than words they have an infinite unsearchable depth of sense and meaning but many humane Writings have more words than matter 1 Tim. 1.4 Tit. 3.9 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 29 Persons intelligent and pious will not be apt to value any Discourse for witty that cannot please the Fancy without offending the Conscience nor ever think it a demonstration of a mans wit that he will adventure to be damned to be thought one as they do that abuse the Scripture and turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness and are wanton if not profane though but in Jest Jude 4. Eph. 5.3 6. 30 Self-love will make us admire and magnifie any one that will admire and magnifie us Gal. 4.17 31 The best use we can make of others dissolutions is to prepare for our own and the death of others doth naturally mind us of our mortality which calls upon us to live well seeing we dye daily and may dye to day before to morrow and if this night our soul should be taken from us without Repentance we shall not only dye but perish Luke 13.3 32 As for such as aspire to posthume Glory 't is to be admired to see their ambition projecting beyond the Grave but themselves it may be stepping short of Heaven Oh what Fools are they how much soever applauded for Witts who attempt things they shall never see and provide torments they shall ever feel Luke 12.20 21. Psal 49.11 12 13. 'T will be cold satisfaction to have a name recorded and celebrated in any Book for Beauty Wit Valour Riches c. if it be blotted out of the Book of Life Exod. 32.33 Rev. 13.8 or were never written in it Rev. 20.15 33 They who will not do themselvs the right to practise Religion should not do Religion the wrong to profess it Psal 50.16 34 Affected hardness is usually followed and frequently punished with inflicted hardness The harder mens hearts are the more they sin and the more they sin the harder their hearts are Heb. 3.13 35 Religion is no Book-craft nor Paper-skill Man indeed may teach the Tongues but God only the things Man may teach the Grammar and Rhetorick but God teacheth the Divinity of revealed Truths Man may teach the ear but God only teacheth the heart 1 Cor. 3.7 Heb. 8.10 11. 35 We are to do all we do to glorifie God and to do it so that God may be glorified 1 Cor. 10.31 which is not by communicating any glory to him for that we cannot but by receiving his grace into us that it may animate and act us and thereby we be like him and please him For 'T is all one in Scripture Phrase to glorifie and to please God Father glorifie thy self John 12.28 and Father thy Will be done Matth. 26.39 36 Light foolish and idle talk hath nothing of weight in it unless it be that 't is a burthen to the hearers and such men do best at last viz. when they make an end of talking Eph. 4.29 Prov. 30.22 29.11 Eccles 10.12 15. Prov. 26.7 9. Eccl. 7.5 37 Time and leisure is not given to any man that he might do nothing or which is worse that they