sins Lev. 16.21 Christ is our Scape-Goat let him bear all our Iniquities To name thy sin without sorrow is but an aggravation of it mourn for it therefore but let the Love of God and not the fear of punishment be the strongest Motive to Repentance When thou seest Christ Crucified afresh before thine Eyes in the Ordinance consider and say to thy self Oh what a wretch was I to pluck him out of the Arms of his Father and cause him to suffer such Hellish Torments for my sake it was my sin that were the Nails that pierced his Hands and his Feet the Spear that wounded his Side the Thorns that pricked his Head the Traytor that betrayed him the Judge that Condemned him and the Executioner that put him to Death It was not the Devil nor his Instruments the Jews nor Gentiles nor all the wicked Men in the World could have done it had it not been for the sins of his Elect Me-thinks the consideration of this should work upon an Ingenious Heart and when thou hast confest thy sin resolve to forsake it God makes no promise of Pardon to any other And look stedfastly upon Christ offered to thee in the Sacrament for Pardon of sin and power against it he is a propitiation for sin Rom. 3.25 The Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World John 1.29 Having now found out thy defects of Grace for 't is weakness of Grace that makes us run into sin Go to God for a supply Christ is ready with supplies if thou be but sensible of thy wants come to the Ordinance in God's way and where thou art weak Christ will strengthen thee and where Corruptions are strong he will weaken them Be not ashamed to shew to him thy nakedness unlap thy Sores that thou mayst have a Plaister and Christ will be thy Chyrurgeon and Physitian In thy decays of Grace though there be great cause of shame and sorrow yet none of despair there are Recovering Plaisters as well as Healing be but sensible of thy want and go boldly for a supply Come with an empty Soul to Christ and he will fill it 't is the full that are sent empty way 5. Direct When thou comest to this Ordinance be sure to set thy Grace on work quicken them up unto the Duty let them not flag nor faint for then thy work will be to little purpose what good will Tools do if not used and how can they be used if not in Order A Workman that would Live by his Works sees that his Tools be sharp and fit for the work without them we can do nothing nay if they be dull or blunt the work will not go forward and therefore let us stir up our Graces as Deborah did her Soul when she was to sing forth the praises of the Lord Judg. 5.12 Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a Song c. Or as David did his Soul Psal 42.5 Why art thou so sad O my Soul And why art thou so disquieted within me c. Psal 103.12 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name c. Stir up thy Self and lay hold upon him Isa 64.7 This is the time for thee to renew quicken and strengthen thy Grace it was given thee for such a time and for such a Use as this is let not this Opportunity be let slip that may be done now which cannot be done at another time renew thy Repentance and quicken it This may be done by the consideration of the Number Nature and Effects of thy sins and among the rest this is one it brought the Lord Jesus Christ to this shameful Death Here thou mayst see him Crucified before thy Face his Body broken and his Blood poured out and mayst look upon him whom thou hast pierced and mourn for him as for an only Son Zach. 12.10 Quicken thy Love to God also and this thou mayst do by the consideration of his Love to thee and what he hath done for thee especially in the work of thy Redemption held out in this Ordinance of the Sacrament Hadst thou had a Temporal deliverance from Turkish Slavery thou wouldst have been thankful to thy Deliverer and have Loved him for it much more then is due to him that Redeemed thee from the guilt of sin and from the filth of sin and from the punishment due to sin from the Curse of the Law the wrath of God the Slavery of Satan and from Everlasting Damnation Renew thy fear of him also consider the Fervency of his wrath against Sin and Sinners when thou seest it was so hot against his own Son when he stood in the room of Sinners and let this make thee fear to Offend This also may quicken thy Love to thy Brethren yea to thine Enemies when thou considerest how dearly God Loves thy Brethren in Christ and what he suffered for them and to thine Enemies when thou considerest the Torments which Christ indured for thy sake when thou wast his Enemy and Commands thee to imitate him in Loving those that hate thee But especially quicken and Exercise thy Faith for this is all and in all in this Duty and much conduceth to the well performing of it 'T is true Christ hath all fulness in himself to fill empty Souls he is the Bread and Water of Life to feed and Refresh the Hungry and Thirsty of his Fulness we receive Grace for Grace John 1.14.16 In him all Fulness dwells Col. 1.19 There is in him both fulness of Merit and fulness of Spirit Mortifying Sanctifying Quickning Virtue Here Soul-wants may be supplyed But the way of obtaining this at God's Hands the way of emptying of Christ into the Soul is by the way of Ordinances the Word and Sacraments are the Breasts of Consolation from whence we must suck and be satisfied These are the Pipes through which the Water of Life run from the Fountain into the Cistern from Christ to our Hearts Christ is the Olive and these the Golden Pipes that convey the Oyl into the Candlestick Zach. 4.12 'T is true he could convey it immediately and empty himself into the Soul without any Instrument at all but this is not usual where the Word and Ordinances are to be had But that we may get benefit by the Ordinances Faith is necessary the Well is deep and Faith is the Bucket to draw up this water of Life and though the Conduit be full of water and we empty Vessels yet if we bring them not thither they will still remain empty nay though we bring them and place them under the Cock if we turn not the Cock they are empty still The Child that plays with the Breast is not satisfied till it suck Thou must suck Honey and Oyl out of this flinty Rock Deut. 32.13 Faith is the Souls Eye which must be fixed upon Christ the Souls Hand to lay hold upon Christ the Souls Mouth to feed upon him Christ and all his Benefits are offered in
Judgment was threatned and it was deferred in his days 1 Kings 21.27 Many more Instances might be given to prove times of Publique Calamity seasonable times for this Duty When Sin also abounds 't is a time for God's People to be Mourners in Zion for assuredly Judgments will follow Ezek. 9 4. 1 Sam. 7.6,7 Psal 69.10 David wept and chastened his Soul with Fasting for where Sin goes before unbewailed Judgments necessarily follow after and a Man may fore-see the Effect by the Cause when such sins as usually bring Judgments are Acted amongst us we may look for the like Effect for like Sins bring like Plagues Lam. 1.20 I have grievously Rebelled And what follows Abroad the Sword bereaveth at home there is as Death See also Lam. 2.17 Jer. 7.12 Amos 6.2,3 And therefore in the prevailing of Sin we have great cause to humble our Souls and stand in the Gap to turn away the fierce Anger of the Lord and never more Cause than at this day Again when thou findest thy Corruptions strong and thy Graces weak or when thou findest some notable decay in thy Grace 't is time then to look about thee As also when thou wouldst beg any great thing at the Hands of God go to him by Fasting and Prayer Thus Daniel begs the Deliverance of God's People out of Babilon according to God's promise he seeks to him by Fasting and Prayer Dan. 9.1,2 c. 10.2 c. For though God determine to do it yet will he be sought to for so great a Mercy and likewise when some Persons are designed for some great work in Church or Common-wealth it hath usually been done by Fasting and Prayer Thus Christ spent a whole Night in Prayer before he chose his Disciples Luke 6.12 Paul and Silas were set apart by Fasting and Prayer Acts 14.2,3 And in Case of Spiritual desertion we should thus seek to God Mat. 9.14 And for the furtherance of some great Undertaking Esther 4.16 when Corruption is strong when Ordinary Food wlll not serve we must use Physick Some Sins like some Devils go not out but by Prayer and Fasting These are the times for this extraordinary Duty but what is this to Lent or Holy-day Eves whereon the Papists keep their mock-fasts but come not to humble their Souls for their Sins 6. Direct Propound a right End to thy self in this Duty of Fasting or otherwise it will prove in vain and be abominable in the Eyes of God The Jews took it ill from God that he regarded them not Wherefore have we Fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our our Souls and thou takest no notice Isa 58.3 Behold saith God ye Fast for strife and Debate and to strike with the fists ef Wickedness c. Is it such a Fast that I have chosen c. Zach. 7.5 When ye Fasted and Mourned in the fifth and seventh Moneth even these seventy years did ye at all Fast unto me even to me Hos 7.14 They have not cryed to me with their Hearts when they howled upon their Beds they assemble themselves for Corn and Wine and they Rebel against me If the Heart be absent God regards not the Service The Pharisees Mat. 6.16,17 they Fasted but it was to be seen of Men that others might look upon them as of an austeer course of Life and therefore had a reward from Men not from God The Papists make Merits their End they Fast and think to Merit Heaven by it But alas what can poor sinful Creatures Merit at the Hands of God but Divine Indignation and fierce Judgments God may say of us as of those Jer. 14.12 When they Fast I will not hear their Cry when they Offer Burnt-Offerings and an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the Sword and by the Famine and by the Pestilence Luke 18 12. I Fast twice in the week saith the Pharisee yet the poor Publican was regarded before him See also Rom. 14.6 1 Cor. 8 8. Alas were Men but acquainted with their own Hearts this conceit of Merit would soon vanish Fasting as I told you is an indifferent thing and only useful as it suits with the main End Bodily Exercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.7,8 The true End of Fasting is either Ordinary or Extraordinary in both the Glory of God is intended The Ordinary Ends are such as these the subduing the Flesh and bringing the Body into Subjection Thus Paul 1 Cor. 9.27 I bring under my Body and bring it into subjection God's People have Flesh as well as Spirit and have need to use all means to subject it that they may subdue their Corruption and if Ordinary means will not do Extraordinary must be used if the Temptation remain this Duty must be followed and at length God will give strength and his Grace shall be sufficient for us This is the way to Corroborate and strengthen the Spirit and enable it to perform the required Duties This puts fervency into our Prayer and enables us to Cry mightily to God This way Men take some Revenge upon themselves for their Sin and for the abuse of Mercies by this means a Man is better enabled to grapple with Temptations and bring under Corruptions and perform Duties of our General and particular Calling more Heavenly This is the way to stir up the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Zach. 12.10 Thus the Prophetess Anna spent her time in Serving God with Fasting and Prayer Night and Day Luke 2.37 By Eating and Drinking the Body becomes dull and heavy and unfit for Spiritual Duties but by moderate abstinence it becomes more Active and Lively and therefore Fasting and Prayer are usually joyned together For Fasting of it self doth little good Fasting testifies our Humility our grief and sorrow for Sin whereby we acknowledge our guilt before God and our unworthiness of Meat Drink Sleep Raiment or other refreshing Comforts Are these the Ends you aim at Is this the Mark you shoot at And the white that is in your Eye 'T is well if it be to make you fitter for the Service of the Lord that you may do your Masters Will better and wind up the Heart to an higher pitch of Holiness and Heavenly mindedness But if Custom or Fashion or the fear of Man or popular Applause or hopes of Meriting any thing from God be your End your Duty will be Curst and blasted to you and be returned Sin into your Bosom The Extraordinary Ends we aim at in our Fasting should be the removing of Evil felt or feared either Spiritual or Temporal from our selves or others the begging those Mercies we want and the continuance of those we have and fear to lose These are the Ends the Godly have used these extraordinary Fastings for and this hath been successful to these Ends these are means of God's own prescribing and promises are added of a good Success And many Christians for themselves and others
servants wear it yea he adopts them and makes them not only his servants but his children 1 John 12.2 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father to you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty he makes them not only Sons but Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Gives them the Wedding Garment Mat. 22.12 Yea marries them to his Son Cant. 6.3 Thus we see there is good wages if there were no more but they have much more in Reversion a Kingdom a Kingdom of glory they shall enter into their Masters joy Mat. 25.24 Yea into a Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the World yea into life eternal Mat. 25.34.46 See now if thou canst meet with a Master that gives better wages the Devil indeed promiseth much but performeth little all this saith he will I give thee when he can give just nothing but suppose he had the World at his dispose what good would it do thee it cannot give coâ—tent and make thee happy Indeed there was one dream't of happiness in a prosperous Estate but when he wak't it was but a Dream Luk. 12.16 c. Content grows not in the Worlds Garden these outward things bear no proportion to an immortal Soul they are of too base a birth and breeding to give it content but if it could satisfie at present what wilt thou do at Death then they must down to the Chambers of Death to Hell it self there to remain for ever and ever this is the Devils wages which he will certainly give all those that serve him 6. Motive To serve God in the sincerity of our Hearts is the only way to true happiness and to serve any other Master but him or to serve him Superstitiously or Hypocritically is the certain way to Ruine and Destruction all those that have served God in sincerity not one of them have miscarried and of all other there is not one that ever attained Heaven and Happiness the way of Holiness is the only Road to true Happiness and how can the end be attained if the means be not used 't is Godliness that hath the Promise of this Life and that to come Happiness is that which all men seek but few men find because few sought it in a way of Holyness The Covetuous man thinks if he could get Riches he should attain Happiness and this makes him Moil and Toil and Cark and Care yea make himself miserable that he may be happy and yet never attains so much as content and wounds his Conscience to get an Estate and is but like a Sumpter Horse that goes loaden all the day with as much Treasure as he can carry and at night stript of all and turned into a dirty stable with his gall'd back so after Death they shall be turned into Hell with their gall'd Consciences The Voluptuous man that placeth his happiness in pleasure thinks if he can but obtain his desire he shall be happy but how little satisfaction can he find here all his pleasure ends in a snuff and the end of his Mirth is Sadness and all this while he deprives himself of true pleasure The Ambitious man thinks to ascend the steps of Honor is to attain Happiness when alas this is the emptiest of all Bubbles and how oft do we see men break their necks from the top of Promotion These men build the Fabrick of their Hopes and Happiness upon a Sandy foundation where one dashing shower or stormy tempest throws down their Babel but a Christian laies a sure foundation in Holyness and in the fear and service of God they build upon the Rock which never fails them they seek Happiness in Gods way Psal 128.1 Blessed is every one that serveth the Lord and walketh in his way not every one that is Rich or Honorable this is the Worlds language and not Gods Deut. 7.14 If thou walk in his way thou shalt be blessed above all People that is if thou serve him according to his will Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord that is they chose God for their God and serve him as God Mat. 5.3,4 c. We may see who it be that in Christs account are blessed not those that are Rich and Potent Honorable or Mighty but the poor in Spirit those that mourn for their sins the Meek the Merciful the Pure in heart those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness those that are reviled and persecuted for righteousness sake c. that is those that live holily towards God and righteously towards Men that make the word of God the rule of their Lives that servant that did his Masters will in sincerity shall be blessed by him at his coming Mat. 24.46 He that in his Masters abscence improved his Talents well shall be made Ruler over much and enter into his Masters joy Mat. 25.21 He that refreshed the People of God according to the Will and Covenant of God shall receive a Kingdom prepared for him by God Mat. 25.34.46 Read Deut. 28. through out And see there the Promises made to the obedient and the Curses denounced against the disobedient and see which are in the most hopeful way to happiness yet there are many that are apt to say with those Job 21.15 Who is the Almighty that we should serve him or what profit is it to pray unto him or as Pharaoh in the like words Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey him I know not the Lord neither will I obey him but the Lord after made himself known in his destruction There are many that have business they tell us to follow and cannot live by the Scriptures or hearing Sermons neither have they time to pray in their Families c. But let these prayerless Families beware of the Curse Jer. 10.25 Psal 79.6 Hast any greater business to do than to serve thy God and secure thy Soul as thou makest the world thy business so 't is like to be thy Portion but it will leave thee short of happiness the best of Saints and the wisest of Men have taken another course and have sailed in a course of Holiness to the Port of Happiness for no other Wind blows thither Enoch walked with God and God took him Gen. 5.24 That is he walked in the waies of God and obeyed the command of God the like we read of Noah He was perfect in his Generation and walked with God Gen. 6.9 This course of life Abraham Isaac and Jacob followed David also and Hezekiah Johosophat and Josiah and many more 't is said of these they served God with a perfect heart Job was a just man and one that feared God Job 1.8 So was good Obadiah 1 King 18.3 thus Daniel and his fellows Dan. 3.17 and 6.2 thus Paul Cornelius Zachary and Elizabeth Act. 27.23 and 10.22 Luk. 1.6 and thus was Christ himself no guile was found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 All these walked in the way of
Holiness to Heaven Read a List of more Heb. 11. But there is no word of encouragement to any other to expect Heaven nay God tells us in plain words they shall never come there 1 Cor. 6.9,10 Neither is there any one example of any that lived and dyed in their sinful course that ever was saved what may we gather hence but this if ever you would attain to true happiness serve God with a sincere heart 7. Motive Thou shouldest serve the Lord because as he is best able to reward thee for thy obedience and pay thee for thy work so is he best able to punish thee for thy disobedience For as all his promises are yea and a men faithful and true to his People so are his threatnings to his Enemies thou art not at liberty to choose thy own Master who thou wilt serve thou art ingaged to him and serve him thou must or do worse thou art his by right of Creation for whose is the Pot but the Potters And by right of Redemption he paid a price for thee and bought thee dear So also by Covenant right thou hast devoted thy self to his service and taken Press mony to fight his Battels and if thou revolt he will avenge the quarrel of his Covenant against thee Hence it is thou mayst well fear his wrath and expect his judgments if thou perfidiously betrayest thy trust and revoltest to the Enemy Christ himself bids thee not to fear those that can kill the Body and can do no more but fear him that can cast Body and Soul into Hell Luk. 12.5 If he be not glorifyed by thee he will be glorifyed upon thee if he have not the glory of thy Salvation he will have the glory of thy Destruction Luk. 19.27 Those mine Enemies that would not that I should raign over them bring them and slay them before my face God takes those for his Enemies that will not be ruled by him and will prove a sore Enemy to them And didst thou know what it is to be an Enemy unto God and what it is to have God to be an Enemy unto thee it would send thee trembling to thy grave 't is he that hath the keys of life and death at his girdle He kills and he makes alive he brings to the gates of death and back again and there is none that can deliver out of his hand He need not muster an Army against thee to destroy thee the least Fly or Gnat or Hair may end thy life if it have a Commission from God thou art but a Worm if he tread upon thee he leaves the dead behind him if he withhold thy breath thou returnest to the dust for thou hast no more breath than what he puts into thee how then canst thou grapple with the Almighty or contend with God were thy flesh of Brass and thy Sinnews of Iron were thy foundations as the Earth or as the Pillars of Heaven thou wert yet too weak who ever hardned himself against God and prospered whilst thou remainest his Enemy well mayst thou fear his heavy hand there is no judgment that ever thou readest threatned or ever executed upon sinful wretch that thou canst be secure from Thou knowest not but the Waters may drown thee as they did the old World or as the Red Sea did Pharaoh or fire from Heaven may consume thee as it did Sodom and Gomorrah and also Nadab and Abihu and the two Captains and their Fifties at the prayer of Elijah thou knowest not but the Plagues which fell upon Egypt may fall upon thee and consume thee or that thy life may be ended by the Sword the Famine or the Pestilence thou knowest not but an Angel may smite thee as Herod and thou mayst be devoured with Worms or that the Earth may open and swallow the quick as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram thou knowest not but thou mayst be struck dead for the next lye thou tellest as Ananias and Saphirah were or whether Bears may not devour thee as they did those Children that mocked the Prophet or whether thou mayst not be strucken with Leprosie as Gehazy or thy house may not fall upon thy head as upon Jobs Children In a word whatever a man destitute of Grace and Divine Protection may be brought to suffer thou hast no assurance but it may be thy Portion Read Deut. 28.15 c. Where thou mayst see thy own miserable condition but this is not all those spiritual judgments which are worse than these are seized upon thee Blindness of Mind Hardness of Hart Searedness of Conscience c. And eternal judgements dog thee at the heels and will certainly seize upon thee except Repentance prevent it as soon as Death makes a separation between Soul and Body never any Unregenerate Unrepenting Unrighteouss or Unclean Person shall ever go to Heaven John 3.7 Luk. 13.3 1 Cor. 6.9,10 Rev. 21.13 and there is no middle place for the Scripture owns no Purgatory Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God See the doom of the wicked servant Mat 24. last He was cut in peices and his Portion was appointed with the Hypocrites and that unprofitable Servant that improved not his Talent Mat. 25.30 He was bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness and all the wicked ungracious servants that improve not their Talents as God appointed shall then be bid Depart ye wicked into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41.48 This is Gods judgments to his Enemies and this is the Devils wages to his friends and servants who then would have such an Enemy or such a Master learn directions to serve God as followeth in those duties mentioned CHAP. II. Of Duties in General HAving in the fore-going Treatise shewed you the Excellency Necessity and Benefits of an Holy Life and the deadly danger of all unholy Course I hope many of you are resolved to alter that course of life you have too long already lived in and will begin to question what shall we do to be saved To this end in this part I shall point out some necessary duties which every Christian is bound to perform and lay down some directions by them for the right performance of them Now my desire is that you would resolve to practice what out of Gods word I shall prove to be your duty otherwise to what end shall I write them or you read them what say say you will you do it or will you not 't is not a slight business neither will a slight resolution serve your turn you will meet with many Racks in the way and therefore had need to be well grounded with many storms of temptations and therefore had need to lay a good foundation you have spent too much time already in the service of Sin and Satan and 't is pity you should any longer serve so bad a Master and now God gives you a call unto his service methinks it should