ends and how lumpish and heavy are our hearts in the beginning of a Sabbath much more than upon any other day Doth not this prove the day to be no way pleasing to us And how chearfull are some of us when the Sabbath is ended The heart is not so well pleased all the day as then yea do not some cheat and delude themselves hereby as if they had joy in the Lord and had received comfort from the Word and other Ordinances whereas they are glad that the yoak of Ordinances the burden of the Word of the Lord and the burden of the day of the Lord is taking off their Shoulders Being hindred from profaning it only by external motives How many are there who would profane Gods Sabbaths and wholy neglect the Ordinances of them were it not for the Laws of men and the eyes of their Relations How quieted are some when they have attended the publick service Satisfied with worshipping God publickly and do they betwixt and after those solemn duties refrain their lips from worldly talk from impertinencies from such discourse as bears no proportion with the holiness of the day When works of Necessity and Charity happen out beyond our expectation or forecast Glad to be hindred from works of piety are we at all troubled at them Do not we rather rejoyce because we have thereby a dispensation to withdraw from the immediate worship of God And how many neglect to do all their works on the six dayes Exod. 20.9 though the Lord so expresly chargeth them so to do that they may have a pretence of necessity to do much servile work on the Sabbath How common is it to dress meat on the Sabbath more than on any other day when there is not the least pretence of weakness c. Hereby not only Servants but the whole house are too much in labour and destraction and hindred if not from the solemn Assemblies yet from Family and Closet worship How do many gossip complement Eating too much on the Sabbath and feast away abroad the day of the Lord or else eat to an excess at home and thereby make themselves fitter for a bed than to wait on the Sanctuary to hear Christs voice to meditate on his love and to feed in his pleasant pastures How carefull are we to keep our selves Stealing Gods time and ours from pilfering from our Neighbour but not from stealing from God his time yea are not some Governours so ungodly unmercifull that they will allow their people no time but the Sabbath to recreate themselves from their labours If they need recreation you have more time than God hath reserved sure you should not steal from God to pleasure them In the discharge of the works of mercy to Man and Beast Not performing duties of mercy aright Do not we respect more our own commodity than the will of God than the dispensation of God and the creatures necessities Are these works of mercy attended with such spiritual meditations as they do afford us if our hearts were holy How few bless God for giving them one day Not blessing of God for the Sabbath wherein they may lighten their hearts of all worldly cares and throw off all griefs and secular cumbers and may seek for relief and comfort in their God Perhaps the Master observes a day unto the Lord Careless whether those under them observe the Sabbath but how careless is he that his Sons and Daughters and all within his gate honour the day of the Lord Do not many Professing Governours of Families let them sleep away the Sabbath that they may be the fitter for their drudgeries the following week O! when will Governours be as diligent that their Servants and Houshold serve the Lord as that they serve themselves You have been carefull that your work were done on the week but careless whether Gods work were done by them on the Sabbath careless whether your Servants profited by the Sabbath yea or no When will Gods glory and the good of your peoples Souls be nearer to you than your worldly advantages You ask your Servants what work they have done for you every day and call them to frequent accounts for your gains-sake and what never reckon with them about their Spiritual Soul-work O! how little is the love of God shed abroad in your hearts How justly may God be angry with us till he hath consumed us for our desiling the day of the Lord It was Gods express Law Exod. 31.14 that every one that desileth it should surely be put to death When the people were weary of the Sabbath when they said Amos 8.5 v. 7. When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat c. v. 7. The Lord swore by the excellency of Jacob Surely I will never forget any of their works v. 8. Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a floud and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the floud of Egypt v. 9. And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord God that I will cause the Sun to go down at Noon and I will darken the Earth in the clear day v. 10 And I will turn your Feasts into mourning and all your Songs into lamentation c. v. 11. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord God that I will send a Famine in the land not a Famine of Bread nor a thirst for Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. v. 12. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it CHAP. XX. Their miscarriages about Heart-examination THe more that the Lord of Heaven chargeth us with a Duty Professors miscarriages about Self-examination the more inexcusable are our neglects of it There are few things more commanded us than to try and examine our hearts and lives 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves c. Prove your selves c. We are apt to be strangers to our selves to cheat our selves with vain presumptuous hopes to rest in notions therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examine your selves take an experimental knowledge of your selves We are apt to prove others and censure them therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prove your own selves begin at home try your state try your actions bring the mettal to the touchstone see whether it be sound or counterfeit try your Faith whether it be temporary or saving prove your Repentance whether it be through or superficial examine your Love whether it be sincere or hypocritical and your Obedience whether it be universal or partial Deut. 4.39 Know therefore and consider it in thine heart make a return or answer to thine heart Commune with thine own heart
that they cannot pass up If I come to Christ he will not look on such a Wretch as I am Many such hard thoughts of Christ are suggested by Satan and too soon entertained by us Whilst so you can never thank God for any Mercy for you doubt whether it be a Mercy to you Can you bless him for life health and length of dayes whilst you have this Suggestion that your account swells with your time Can you bless God for Estates Honours Friends c. when you have this jealousie that God is fatning you as Hoggs for the slaughter Can you bless God for Ordinances whilst you suspect that there is a Commission given forth that though you have eyes yet you shall not see c. And that the Sun is to harden you whilst it softneth others Yea how can ye bless God for Christ when you imagine he is set for your fall By giving way to these Jealousies you dam up the Springs of Praise that should slow from your lips day and night Hereby you will also be hindred from waiting on the Lord with that free and chearful Spirit as ye ought I cannot wait on an Enemy as on a Friend If I have cursed jealousies of any man I find no pleasure to be in his company and if he employs me about any thing I goe grudgingly about it The truth is So long as you entertain suspitions of Gods willingness to make you happy Patricks Parable of the Pilgrim P. 27 28. and to afford you sufficient means to make you happy all your Religion will degenerate into a spurious and base-born Devotion Instead of that free and friendly converse that ought to be maintained between God and your Souls you will only flatter him in a servile manner and bribe him not to be your Enemy Worship God you must for fear of incurring his displeasure and lest your neglects of him should rouze up his anger against you but you cannot entertain any chearful and friendly society with a Beeing which appears in a dress so horrible to your Souls Now between this necessity of coming to him and that fearfullness to approach him what can there be begotten but a forced and constrained Devotion which because you do not love you would willingly leave did not the dread and horrour you have in your Souls of him dragg you to his Altars And what are you wont to do there Truly nothing but cry and look as if you were going to Execution till you can flatter your selves into some hopes that he is moved by your cries and forced submissions to lay aside his frowns and cast a better aspect upon you But your hard thoughts of God returning you are constrained to renew your slavish Devotions that you may purchase another gracious look from him In this circle do your poor Souls spend many dayes and advance not one step towards the New Jerusalem No wonder therefore if God be so provoked at this sin of evil surmises This is what I have observed very common among the Lords People they will pray with some earnestness and perhaps have some confidence that God is gracious and will answer their prayers and grant all their desires but no sooner off from their knees but if they think of God yet they lay down their expectations of receiving any thing from God and fall to distrusting and to renew their jealousies of God as soon as they have done Praying What Is God yea and nay Is he kind when thou art on thy knees and unkind as soon as off Will God take it well from thee that in thy duties thou shalt put to thy Seal that God is true and loving and minds thy good And presently take off the Seal yea rather Seal to a parchment of the Devils drawing that God is false churlish and one that seeks thy ruine O! whilst there is a Devil and a melancholy-humour to be wrought upon I do even despair to see this cursed God-dishonouring and debasing sin to be quite rooted out of the hearts of Christians but yet it is a Provocation and Let it be for a Lamentation CHAP. XII Their unthankfulness 5ly Professours unthankfulness UNthank fulness is another piece of ungodliness that Professours are very guilty of Praise or Thankfulness is as the Penny or Pepper-corn which God expects as acknowledgement as high Rent to be paid him for all we hold of him But how hath this been denyed And thereby how justly have we forfeited all into the hands of God Psa 65. ult Isa 46. ult Though the paying of this rent penny be the only Heavenly work that can be done on Earth the only joyfull imployment that shall last to all Eternity in another life a work that should ever wait for God in Zion and therefore Zion is called Israel my glory not only because God glorieth in Zion but because Zion should continually glorifie God yet how unthankfull are the most Professours The very Heathens will rise up in judgement against unthankfull Christians They had their hymns to their Gods Plato when ready to die gave God thanks for three things that he was made a man that he was born in Greece and that he lived in the time of Socrates How much more should our lips shew forth the high praises of God who hath made us not only men but new men That we are born of God adopted the Children of the most high and regenerated by the Spirit That we have breathed not in Greece but in England in Ariel a place of Visions in the Valley of Vision O the riches of free grace I that our Mothers Conceived with us in this place of light and at such a time when the Nation was most enriched with the light of the Gospel when it was full of gracious Ministers the best that ever the world saw since the Apostles dayes Why had not God brought thee out of the Womb when this land was overrun with Paganism with Popery Why had not the Lord shut thee up and imprisoned thee with the rest of the World in darkness and in the shadows of death O that when the Gospel shines but upon a little spot of ground which God hath inclosed for himself and stiles it his pleasant place his garden that thou shouldst be the man born there That when the rest of the world is like the barren mountains on which no rain falls and brings forth nothing but bryars that God should bring thee forth in the place of his Tabernacle And yet thou ingratefull wretch will hardly confess that the lines are fall'n happily and that thou hast a goodly heritage How seldome is such language as this heard from thee Blessed be the Lord that my lot is fall'n in so fair a ground blessed be God that I was born in England and not in the Wasts of Arabia or America thanks be to the Lord that I have had more than the light of the Sun Moon and Stars to conduct me to Jesus that so
1 Tim. 1.13 I was a Persecutour a Blasphemer and injurious What saith God Remember this day What day The day wherein you were delivered from the house of bondage under Sin the World and Satan O! how have we forgotten that the Lord by a strong and irresistable work of his blessed Spirit translated us out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son It was he that made Jordan to give back and delivered us from Egypt and the Wilderness that we might inherit the good Land O! what Enemies were we studying to be damned galloping to Hell till God met us How seldome do we look back to the Spring from whence all our Mercy flowes For Election How unthankful have we been for that Original-fountain-Mercy eternal Election Why should God single us out a People for himself Why did Grace blossom from Eternity Why did God plot and study my happiness before I had a beeing What was there that Jacob is smiled upon and Esau not so God might have had his Revenues of Glory out of my ruine O that he should glorifie the riches of his mercy in my Salvation And yet how little is God magnified for this How little do we bless God for Christ For Christ Though he be the Stream that alone refresheth the City of God yet how seldome is his Love his stoops and condescentions for us his bleeding and dying for us remembred by us with hearty Praises and Thanksgivings For the Covenant of Grace and the Spirit How little do we bless God for the Covenant of Grace which Mr. Allen excellently calls The Bow in the Cloud after a Deluge of Sin and Misery the forfeited Lease of Eternity renewed the Magna Charta of the City of God the Hopes of Sinners and the Riches of Saints And in particular for the Promise of the Spirit in all his Offices and Operations for the application of the purchased Possession Ezek. 36.27 For outward Salvations I will put my Spirit within you How little do we remember to bless the Lord for outward Salvations You begin perhaps with a little as Jacob and now behold you have two bands a troop of Children Friends c. and an Estate to maintain them When others have had one Mess you have had Benjamin's Portion the silver cup put into the sacks mouth Riches and God too Estate and Christ too Peace and the God of Peace too the World and a good Title to it and yet do not you seldome cry out Bless the Lord O my Soul and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name How seldome do you consider who hath maintained you all this while Who hath delivered you and pull'd you as brands out of the sire You have had the Sentence of Death in your selves you have been with David and Paul in the mouth of the Lyon and yet saved near to perish by the Bullet Sword Pestilence Feaver and other dangers and yet your Lives given you for a prey But how soon have you forgotten the wonders shewen unto the dead O the many preventing Mercies that you have been made partakers of Hath not God secured you in many travails How many have died much younger than you whilst the Lord lengtheneth out your dayes in order to Repentance How many have died in an instant and been snatch'd away without any warning given of Death's approach whilst you have had many an Harbinger to give you to understand its nearness to you How many have been crush'd by falls from houses and câ—â—oured by beasts and by other accidents have been hastened to their long home whilst God is long-suffering to you How many have you seen drawn on Sleds led to shameful and violent Deaths whilst you have been kept from such dismal ends And are there no thanks due to the Name of God And yet how seldome do you admire at distinguishing Providence and preventing loving kindnesses You have a guard of Angels to attend you day and night to secure you from danger but how little do you bless the Lord for the Heavenly Host And yet if you do thank God for some signal outward Mercies perhaps for ease from the Stone Gout Cholick perhaps for security from the rage of the devouring Pestilence if you thank not God more for deliverance from Hell from the guilt and power of Sin than for outward Salvations you discredit God and his choicest Mercies by under-rating Spirituals to Temporals We should have blessed God for his Rod For sufferings for Christ as well as for his Staffe for both are Mercies but how unthankful are we even for sufferings for righteousness sake God expects that in every thing we give thanks as we should not be partial in our Obedience so neither in our Thanksgiving How little have we imitated the ancient Christians whose mouths were alwayes full of Thanks be unto God They saluted one another with Deo gratias and when they heard tydings of Persecution or Protection of Crosses or Comforts still they cried out God be thanked How unlike are we to famous Bradford If said he the Queen will release me I will thank her if she will keep me in Prison I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her Thou shouldst say from thy very heart Though sick though scorned though threatned though all the day long counted as a sheep for the slaughter yet blessed be God that I am counted worthy to suffer for his Name Blessed be God that he counts me for a Son and chasteneth me for my profit that I may be made partaker of his holiness Blessed be God that I am chastened that I may not be condemned But how few give thanks alwayes in all things unto God Eph. 5.20 Isa 24.15 1 Pet. 4.16.13 We have been too backward to glorifie God in Zion much more in the Fires The Apostle Peter would not have any man suffering as a Christian to be ashamed but to glorifie God on this behalf and to rejoyce in as much as he is partaker of Christs sufferings But God knows how farr from Praises we have been when the Storms have been high and threatned our Tabernacles How hath God charged us to remember Mercy Confiderations against Vnthankfulness and to praise him for it Ye that fear the Lord praise him Praise him O ye Servants of the Lord Praise thy God O Zion Psal 22.23.135.1.147.12.148.1.150.1 2. Praise him in the heights Praise God in his Sanctuary Praise him for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Doth not the innumerableness of Gods requiries of Praise and Thanksgiving aggravate our neglect of this Duty What Provision hath Christ made against this Sin Hath not he appointed the Sacrament of his Supper on purpose to help us to Remember him and his saving benefits Do this in Remembrance of me But have not many Professours been so resolved to be unthankful that they have neglected this great Ordinance
is the man that heareth me and who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Behold I stand as the doer and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come to him and will sup with him and he with me Jo. 6.35 I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me Ephes 2.19 Jo. 1.12 shall never thirst He tells you Of Strangers and enemies you shall become Children and yet this seems a light matter to be so near related to the King of Kings Is not this Englaeds great Provocation to refuse so great an honour and dignity Rom. 8.1 He assures you There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ And shall he not condemn Wretches that slight the Pardons that are offered to them Hebr. 10.29 These must expect a double wrath Of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy c. 2. From believing Satan before God Others in imitation of the old Adam believe the Devil before God credit his Suggestions beyond all Gods Discoveries O! O! What a black grain'd Sin is this Saith the Devil You have sinned against Light and therefore Christ will not favour you Saith God Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 and his thoughts and I will abundantly pardon Saith the Devil You have sinned more than others you have provoked God exceedingly and therefore never hope for saving benefit by Christs death Saith God Cease to do evil Isa 1.16 17 18. learn to do well come now and let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Saith the Devil You have sinned not only against the Law but against the Gospel you have neglected Christ Saith God Luke 12.10 Every sin against the Son of man shall be forgiven Saith the Devil You have no right to Christ it is in vain to come Jo. 3.16 Saith God Whosoever believeth shall not perish Saith the Devil Your day of grace is past Saith God To day whilst it is called to day Hebr. 3.7 13. hear his voice Saith the Devil God never intended you good you are a Vessel of Dishonour Saith God As I live Ezek. 33.11 I desire not the death of a sinner but that he turn and live Now I pray consider whether God takes it kindly at your hands John 8.44 Titus 1.2 that you should lay more weight on the Father of Lyes than on the faithful God who hath promised and cannot lye who must cease to be God in that very moment wherein he ceaseth to be true You perhaps deceive your selves with the Pharisees Comforts Luke 18 11. You are not as these Harlots as these Publicans no Drunkards c. but little think that you put the Lye upon God You believe the Enemy more than the Friend O! what a Provocation is this 3. Through Pride Rom. 10.3 Others through the pride of their hearts will not come as yet unto Christ They have no mind to submit to the Righteousness of faith He is judged a proud man without a Jury sitting on him who when Condemned will not submit will not stoop so low as to accept of a Pardon I must indeed correct my self men are willing to be justified but they would have their duties to purchase their peace and the favour of God they scorn to be beholding to Christ Thousands will dye and be damned rather than they will have a pardon upon the sole account of Christs Merits and Obedience O the cursed Pride of the heart When will men cease to be wiser than God To limit God When will men be contented with Gods way and method of saving them by the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant How dare men thus to prescribe to the infinitely wise God Is it not enough for thee that thy destruction is of thy self But must thy Salvation be of thy self too Is it not enough that thou hast wounded thy self But wilt dye for ever rather than be beholding to a plaister of free grace Wilt be damned unless thou mayst be thine own Saviour Jo. 3.16 God is willing So God loved the World that he gave his Son Art thou so proud as that thou wilt not be beholding to God Thou wilt deserve or have nothing What shall I say Rev. 3.17 Poor thou art and yet proud thou hast nothing but wretchedness and misery and yet thou art talking of a Purchase This is a provocation God resisteth the proud especially the spiritually proud He that is proud of his Clothes and Parentage is not so contemptible in Gods eyes as he that is proud of his Abilities and so scorns to submit to Gods methods for his salvation by Christ and his righteousness alone 4. Others Through hopes to prepare themselves and make themselves fit for Christ through their ignorance and weakness stay off from Christ in hopes of working that which cannot be wrought without a Christ Were their hearts so humbled and melted as such and such are could they see all their sins subdued were their hearts more fitted and prepared for to lodge so great a Friend they would then close with the Promises with Christ whereas they should come to Christ as soon as they apprehend they are poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 18. for them lie calls and invites But alas a sight of their wants is a barr to their coming They would have the Fruit first and then the Tree have their hearts purified and then come to Christ Who is appointed by God to be Sanctification to them God comes by his Spirit to convince them of their sinful nature and weakness on purpose that they seeing their necessity of Christ might flye to him as their City of refuge and they are driven farther off by the sight of their sins and unworthiness Whereas they should come to Christ as to a Magazine and Store-house and wait on him in the use of means for the broken heart the pure heart and all other spiritual mercies which their Souls are yet destitute of but they will not O faithless Generation How long shall I be with you Mar. 9.19 how long shall I suffer you Christ is put to the utmost of his patience to bear with Unbelief 5. Through seeming modesty Others through some kind of seeming modesty and tenderness delay in their coming to Christ They are afraid of abusing the holiness and justice of God if they should hope for any privilege in the blood of Christ and mercies of God What mercy for me me a proud wretch an unclean wretch an enemy to God a slighter of his Spirit I deserve nothing but Hell what Heaven for me I have affronted the Majesty of the great God and what This God bestow a Christ on me Who can believe that the Just God who turned down the glorious Angells to Hell for one transgression will save me
our Profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Can we fume at the Physician for prescribing a dyet or bitter pills and potions if he provides these for the purging away diseases that threaten our ruine Shall we fly in the face of him that binds us in order to the Saving us and yet what murmurings have we whilst in the hands of the Physician Prov. 19.3 The folly of a man perverteth his wayes and his heart fretteth against the Lord. How should we honour God if we did believe that in his hand our breath is How carefull are we to please them that have power over our lives And carelesness to please God Dan. 5.23 and to whom we are beholding for every breath we breath O! study how much you labour to comply with men and how little with the Lord and you will find your distrust of Providence that you do not believe that God sitteth upon the flouds 3. Justifying their actions and states by Providence How oft have we made Providence an argument to justifie our actions and states That because God doth not punish us but tolerate us therefore he loves us and approves of our way Whereas the Scriptures and Experience shew that there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in wickedness The Lord sometimes puts his Hoggs into the fattest pastures in order to the Slaughter yea sometimes his not punishing is the greatest punishment Hos 4.14 I will not punish your Daughters for their Whoredomes God lets Adulterers and Adulteresses to prosper and thrive Hierome observes that God deals with us as Parents with Children whilst there is any hope of reclaiming them Vae illi ad quorum peccatae connivet Deus Luth. they are corrected but otherwise they are let alone to do as they list Or as Physicians continue their applications whilst there is any hope of the Patients life otherwise they let them alone How do some bless themselves that they never fasted and prayed as others and yet they ride on horseback whilst others foot it out But what saith Hierome to there Quando videris c. When thou leest a sinner flow with wealth and braving of his power when thou seest him very healthful and to have a company of brave Children bravely arrayed then say the threatning of God by the Prophet Hoseah is full filled upon that man Dives had his good things here and Lazarus evil Dives fared deliciously every day his misery is reserved to hereafter as Lazarus his comforts are reserved till death Mark the perfect man Psal 37. and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace i. e. a confluence of all good What said one of the late English Bishops It is the common lot of the true Children of God because they have many out-flyings wherewith their holy Father is not well pleased to come under the scourge oftner than the Bastards do If they do amiss they must smart for it either here or hereafter now God meaneth them no condemnation hereafter and therefore he giveth them more chaslning here 1 Cor. 11.32 It is a considerable passage of a very learned man in weakning the late position of some that God had borne Testimony to their cause by the many Victories which he had given them saith he This concluding of yours will by the same reason infer that Christianity is not and that Mahumetisme is the true Religion because when the Turks asserted one and the Greek-Church the other and that difference begat a War betwixt them it is clear that the Turks were successful and the Greek-Church was sadly wasted and subdued by them and so remains to this hour in that un-returned Captivity Doe not all things comâ— alike to all Eccles 9.2 And yet good men some of the best that ever breathed have been stumbled at these dispensations Lord saith the Prophet Jeremiah thou art righteous Jer. 21.1 yet let me reason with thee Why doth the way of the Wicked prosper Thou art of purer Eyes saith the Prophet Habakkuk than to behold evil Hab. 1.13 and canst not look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the Wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he The Saints also of the New Testament were apt to stumble at the Cross at Gods Providences towards his Saints and favourites that they should suffer such hard things so that the Apostles were forced to counsel them and to rectifie their thoughts in this particular My Brethren think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal 1 Pet. 4.12 1 Thes 3.3 4. And the Apostle Paul sent Timothy on purpose to comfort them and to establish them that no man should be moved by these afflictions Yea our Lord himself knowing how apt his Disciples were to stumble hereat preacheth on purpose on this subject These things have I spoken unto you that ye be not offended What things were these They shall put you out of the Synagogues excommunicate you cast you out like dogs Yea the time shall come that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service Good men when they see the wicked thus walk on every side go where they please and do what they please they are apt either to doubt of Gods Providence Whether he governs the World or to call in question whether they have any relation to Gods special care But do not we know that the Child is oft beaten whilst the Servant or stranger is spared Doe not we know that judgement begins at the House of God yea 1 Pet. 4.17 yea and stays long there and all that while the tents of ungodliness may be free these may wash their steps in butter and the Rocks may pour them out Rivers of Oyle they may wax old and grow in a wealth Job 21.7 ad 15. their seed may be established the Rod of God may not be upon them they may rejoyce in in the sound of the Organ c. and yet wicked enough All this they may have with the Curse of God for they say unto God depart c. 4. Censuring others and themselvs upon the accountâ— of outward Providences How oft have the generation of the Just been censured for Hypocrites and ungodly meerly because of outward Providences Thus was Job censured by good men because he sate on the Dunghil who was wont to sit with Princes Let a man be under grievous losses by Sea or by Land yea let but a Viper hang upon the hand and what then This man say they surely is a murtherer Acts 28.4 who though he hath escaped the Seas yet vengeance suffereth not to live Mens outward conditions is made by Barbarians yea by Christians the line to measure Mens relation to God by they interpret love by prosperity and hatred by adverlity whereas the Lord tells us that through many tribulations we
and neglect the one thing necessary Fool that I was to set my thoughts and affections on things below none of which now give me a drop of water to cool my tongue and to neglect the things above O! If I had never heard of Christ and Glory I had been more excusable for my earthly prolings Psal 69.6 O! How have I disquieted my self in vain I have heaped up riches and know not who shall gather them Had I been as faithful to Christ as I was to Mammon O! with what joy might I have removed hence What abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome might I have had O! Labour to prevent the horrours of Death and the gnawing Worm of Conscience It is sad when the Sting of Death and the Worm Conscience Prov. 11.4 bite the man together Riches avail not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death Believe it it will cut you to the heart to think that less pains might have served for eternal Life than you have bestowed for temporal Goods This plague attends the covetous man the more he desires and heaps up the less he is desired and the less he is lamented when he dyes He is like a Swine that is good for nothing whilst he is alive not good to bear and carry as the Horse nor to draw as the Oxe nor to cloath as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cowe nor to keep the house as the Dogg but ad solam mortem nutritur fed only to the slaughter So the covetous man doth no good with his riches whilst he liveth but when he is dead his riches come to be disposed of Prov. 13.22 The riches of a sinner are laid up for the just How can you choose but tremble at Dooms-day You cannot desire the comming of Christ If the Church cries Come Lord Jesus come quickly you cannot joyn in that Prayer for that your hearts are glued to this present World You preferr Paris before Paradise It is to the Saints loss to be kept so long from Heaven but you count it not so You cannot say Thy Kingdome come What will you do in that day when all the Estate and Friends of Dives cannot relieve with a drop of cold water Riches are like bryars and thornes good to stop gaps but not to lay in our beds and set our hearts upon lest we lye down in sorrow Few remember the Devil's offer All these things will I give thee is the last temptation that old Professours are baited with Take heed therefore and beware of Covetousness CHAP. XXVII Their Envy ENVY is a Sin seldome confessed Professoss Envy James 4.5 but yet much diffused among Professours The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy And indeed Covetousness and Envy are never asunder they are sins against the same command Such as long that what is their Neighbours should be theirs envy to him that which is his and such as envy to him that which is his long to have it to be theirs How desirous are Professours to grasp all to themselves And therefore how apt are the very best to be envious at the power greatness riches if not goodness of others Doth not the experience that you have of your own hearts if you be not strangers at home testisie that this Spirit is stirring and acting in you The poor envy the rich the base the honourable as if they had the less because others have so much Some think that this was the sin that threw down the Angels from Heaven that they envied Adam's glory in that he was made after Gods image and that they relinquished their glory to divest Adam of his To be sure the Devil was restless till he had implunged Adam in the same sin and misery that he was brought into Sure maligning the prosperity of others is not from the Spirit of God He that giveth freely to all would not have us to envy those to whom he gives more freely than to our selves and he that giveth us more doth not envy us for what we have If you have not so much as others it is because you are unfit to receive not because God is unwilling to give Do not we see how this poyson diffuseth it self An early sin it was if not in the Angels as some think yet it was in Eve She envied the all-knowledge of God and must forsooth have at least an equality with God himself It was also strong in the first man that was born of a woman and we still suck it in with our Mothers milk and it seldome dyes till we dye This sinne is commonly among people of the same Profession One Mechanick envies another one Merchant another one Scholar another one Gentleman another one Commander another as Saul envied and hated David because the Women sang that Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands one Minister another as those in Paul's dayes that envied him and affected an high strain of eloquence on purpose to obscure that reputation which Paul had got among the Churches And happy had it been if this cursed sinne had dyed in that age but it hath been still working in all ages of the World Is there not a greater promptitude in us Evidenced in detracting from others worth to detract from mens worth than to credit and exalt them To write down their blots and imperfections than to set forth their due vertues and graces If we cannot reach others by imitation we will by calumniation and therefore Luther saith Envious men feed upon the dung of other men They are like flies that love to be upon sores It is admirable to see how dull sighted we are as to the vertues and graces of our Brethren but quick sighted as Eagles to discern their imperfections Mat. 7.3 The beams of Vertue are not seen i. e. not taken notice of but a mote in a Brother's eye is soon espyed Are we not more greedy to receive and spread any thing Readiness to receive and spread defamations whereby our Neighbour is infamed and obscured than we are to entertain and diffuse what tends to his praise and glory And is not this the reason hereof viz. the great desire we have to shine alone and that we would none to vye with us in glory much less to excell us therein Is there not oft-times a secret gladness in our hearts Gladness in their being brought lower when some sad Providences afflict others in their Names Goods Health and Relations that thereby they may be brought to a level with us or to an inferiority in a lower estate When you have seen some Congregation wedged in with a concourse of hearers and yours thin and naked and when some have been cryed up for their purity gravity activity and zeal and when others have greatened their parts or estates and yours rather have been impaired have ye not been ready even to burst with Envy Have you not been glad when some blot hath
try to live unmarried though the Apostle told them of the advantages of serving Christ thereby 1 Cor. 7.32 He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord. Severally The Husbands sins in not loving as Christ Husbands ye have not loved your Wives as Christ the Church though the command be express Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church Christ is faithful to his Spouse I will abide for thee Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the Harlot Eph. 5.25 Hos 3.3 and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee But though you have not been Adulterers in any gross act yet how oft have you wish'd the bond of marriage were broken and have not you had eyes full of Adultery hath not your love to others degenerated into secret lust Christ is patient to his Church but hath your love suffered all things upon light matters what frowns I will not say what blows Hath not family-prayer been neglected through your wrath Christ gives no occasion of jealousie but have not some of you The Lord searcheth hearts Christs love is bountifull how short have you kept your Wives contrary to your engagements to endow them with all your worldly goods Christ keeps company with the 〈◊〉 of his bosome but have not some of you been more abroad than at home Christ edifieth his Church Do ye dwell with your Wives as men of knowledge Christ doth communicate secrets to his Spouse Are not ye strangers to the hearts though perhaps not to the bosomes of your nearest Relations Christ doth confer often with his Church about the mysteries of God I wish you did so I fear some of you are silver tongued abroad to get you a name forward to speak of Christ but dumâ— at home even to your Wives as well as Children The Woman learns not 2 Cor. 14.25 though she ask her Husband at home Christ gives the sâ—â—â—pest rebubes to his offending Spouse privâ—â—ely and when he gets her alone But do not you râ—broâ—e before Servants and Children Hereby they learn frowardnesse when brought into this relation and at present slight the Wives of your bosomes Christ doth not blaze his Wifes infirmities but so have ye Christ puts the best construction on what his Spouse doth The spirit is willing though the flesh be weak But do not you put the worst When your lusts are quenched your love is gone Christ doth pitty his Church as the weaker vessel if ye did so the family would be the better governed Christ doth sympathize with his Church In all her afflictions he is afflicted but how fretfull churlish and Nabal-like are you when the hand of God is heavy on your nearest Relations Christ doth vindicate his Spouse and is greatly displeased when she suffers from the world but cannot some of you help to deride your Wives 〈◊〉 and not frown when they are wronged and abused Christ doth not upbraid his Spouse with her low condition before he he put honour on her but alas How oft have ye cast into the dish what the condition of your Wives was before you cast your eyes upon them Christ gave his life for his Church what hast thou done and suffered to save the Soul of thy Wife Christ rules his Church not with a rod of Iron but with a Scepter of Love Is your dominion exercised with discretion and love Are all things done in Charity Is she to thee 〈◊〉 a loving Hind or Roe Prov. 5.19 Christ doth not count his Spouse as a Servant but a Friend he doth not domineer over his Church but hath high thoughts of her but how many husbands use their Wives hardly better than Servants Christ notwithstanding keeps up his authority over his Church but do not many Husbands loose it through too much uxoriousness and make themselves contemptible by yeilding to their Wives as Adam to his whence came at first all sin disorder and misery into the world How did Solomon fall Christ yeilds to many of his Wives petitions and suits to him but many are worse than the Heathen was to his Wife He said unto her What wilt thou Queen Esther Esth 5.3 and what is thy request it shall be even given thee to the half of the Kingdom The poor Wife must use the mediation of others to have her desires accomplished When Christ doth command his Wife his Church he doth it mildly We pray you in Christs stead But many Husbands imperiously enough too much God knoweth Philem. v. 9. when for loves sake they should rather intreat Christ doth love his Spouse though he gains nothing by her but alas How many are severe enough to their Wives when they fail of that Estate c. that they expected from them As Husbands fail so do Wives Wives miscarriages in not loving their Husbands as the Church Christ Eph. 5.24 Psal 73.25 even as the Church is subject unto Christ so should ye have been to your own Husbands in every thing But how have ye affronted your Light The true Church of Christ loves him inwardly as well as outwardly so should ye have loved your Husbands but alas How little have ye shewed the union betwixt the Church and Christ by your affections The Church loves Christ more than Angels Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee But how many Wives are commending others Husbands more than their own If my Husband were thus and thus c. Thy Husband should be to thee the most precious of all persons the most lovely in thine eyes Not parts and gifts but the good pleasure of God should be the ground of this special love The Church honours Christ above all other persons in the world but have not some of you mean low and base thoughts of your Husbands The Church is subject to Christ in all things but will not some of you wear what you please goe where you please eat what you please and employ your selves in what you please Yea though contrary to your Husbands just commands and meek entreaties The Church fears Christ so should Wives I say not either should with a slavish but both should with a reverential fear Remember Michal 1 Chron. 15. ult She despised her Husband in her heart She did not exprefs her slighting of him as many do in words and she had no Child unto the day of her death God took the Husband's part and put a remark of displeasure upon that her saâ—ciness For slighting the Ordinance of God her Head though but in her heart God plagued her in her Womb with barrenness The Church loves Christ more and more but O the decayes of Womens affections to their Husbands Partly through levity and partly through age and partly through cross Providences Prov. 2.17 Whereas thou shouldst have kept the Covenant of thy God The
his beloved Flock he hath nourished you up and he is willing to lay you in his bosome View your great Surety this day He came under an Arrest for you he hath discharged the debt of all that come by faith to him Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification He is willing the incestuous when penitent should not have his wounds lye undressed lest Satan take any advantage thereby Act. 20.21 Iâ— there â—e Repentance towards God let there be Faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ If he hath given you the fore-runner you have his pledge his pawn that he will forgive you Do not say God heareth not sinners whilst there is a Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness All thy sins cannot shut it because it is opened to wash away sin 6. Add to Supplication Resolution Resolution How can you pardon your very Child that will not promise to do so no more Let it be in the purpose of your hearts to neglect meditation no more to keep up bitterness among Christians no more c. Enter into an holy Vow against your sins Be a through Protestant protest against the World the Flesh and the Devil It will be thus if your hearts be throughly humbled for your sins and truly inflamed against them O say what have I to do with Idols any more O that you were very resolute come Life come Death come Heaven come Hell yet I will change my course I will not through Gods grace helping me do as I have done omit as I have omitted If you are not very peremptory to resist Satan and Sin not to yeild unto Temptation you encourage the Enemy to tempt you whilst you are not resolved to deny his 〈◊〉 citations That woman is in danger of new sollicitations to uncleanness who doth not resolutely bid defiance to the first Temptation of the Ruffian Perhaps you wonder that after many prayers c. your sin still prevails But know saith one sin will be your Conquerour if you be not resolved to be its enemy Till resolution against all sin be wrought in you God will hate all your prayers for the pardon of your sins He hath an impudent forehead a forehead of Brass that dares go in before God and say O Lord I beseech thee to pardon my worldliness and earthly-mindedness for I am not yet resolved to be Heavenly minded O Lord pardon my envy and I trust thou wilt do it for yet I am unresolved to part from it Pardon my Rebellions for I am not yet resolved whether I shall cease to be a Rebel Believe it whilst you do not resolve to hate sin it is a clear sign you have nor a spiritual knowledge of its evil Did you in the light of the Spirit see sin in its nature and in its bitter effects did you see it as utterly inconsistent with all real happiness and as the infallible and unavoidable precipice of your intollerable and eternal damnation this would make you hate sin and to be irreconcilable to it But here I must give you this caution In the strength of Christ that you raise not your resolutions on your own strength for then you will soon quit them by reason of your own weakness When you bind your self by a Vow against such a sin take Christ into the Bond to be sureâ—y for you to give you help and strength to perform in the hour of temptation Augustine professed that though the thoughts of leaving his sins were once a great burthen to him yet at length being peremptorily Resolved he found it a most easie and delightfull thing to live without them Friends your sufferings may be nearer than you are aware of Your sands I am sure run fast and no stop is put to them you may not expect that the shadow will go backward ten degrees it may rather go forward you may hardly have one hours warning before you must remove hence how suddenly hath God cut down the Cedars and the thistles amongst us O! in that day it will be as scalding lead to thee that death and judgement surprized thee when thou hadst not so much as resolved to leave thy cursed Rebellions against thy God 7. See what becomes of your Resolutions Reformation Psal 119.106 how they are made good thou hast purposed not to offend yea covenanted with thy God for better obedience yea thou hast sworn to keep his righteous Judgements But hast thou dealt uprightly with thy God O! be not satisfied with purposes and resolutions but look to the performances of them Blessed are ye of God if all the sinnes you have been convinced of and have engaged against be now put away if there be no more pride covetousness contention self-seeking c. returning with seven worse Devils upon you I pray God we may see more than Resolution some real and permanent effect of all your Confessions Sorrows and Resolves O! O! O! how would it rejoyce my Soul to see an effectual alteration in the Faces and Lives and Conversations of Professours How shall I bless God for ever if by seeing your Faces in this imperfect Glass you be transformed and your hearts and Eves be put into a new frame of obedience Among all the sigâ—ts in the World none sadder than to see multitudes that had their Faces Zion-wards now facing about to the vanities of the Gentiles O! how glorious how desirable a sight will it be to see these returning with weeping and supplication Here remember your Reformation must be general and special General O! Labour to do as much for God and Grace as you have done for the World and Self As ye have yeelded your members servants to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 So now yeeld you members Servants of Righteousness unto Holiness Redeem all former omissions by a double diligence you having idled away much of your time had need spur up your selves See that you walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the time But it is not only a general Reformation that I advise you to Special Watch also and pray against those sins by which you have most dishonoured God If thou aâ—â— recovered of a dangerous disease thou wilt generalâ—y me a good diet but especially get Antidotes and Preservatives against that diseaâ—e thou wast so lately cured of O where the enemy hath made the greatest breaches there let there be double guards and double â—oâ—â—â—cations Be Tertullians true penitents Nonvult iterum Divinae misericordiae oneri c. Tert. He would not burthen the Spirit of God again to deliver him from that sin Follow a worthy Pattern When David had shed blood and had prevailed with God to pardon that sin afterwards though he longed for the waters of Bethlehem yet he abstains and checks himself because it did but hazard the blood of his Captains CHAP. XL. Motives to make sueh use thereof ANd now to hasten to a conclusion O