Torments what bitter Scoffs and Reproaches he endured to rescue and free you from the bondage of sin and of the Devil Remember you are brought with a price with the precious bloud of the immaculate Lamb. Remember you were bought to be his peculiar people and bought that you should be your own no more that you should not live to your selves but to him that bought you at the expence of his Bloud and Labour Remember he bled for you Remember he laid down his life for you Remember greater love can no man shew than that he lay down his life for his friends Remember he died for you when you were enemies Remember he thought nothing too good for you Remember who it was that did all this for you even the King of Kings the Lord of Lords the eternal Son of God that could have glorified himself in your endless misery but would no and to let you see the exceeding riches of his Grace humbled himself to the death of the Cross that the astonishing Mercy might work in you a loathing of every weight and every sin which doth so easily beset you Can you remember all this and feel no resolutions within to shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Can you remember all this and forbear crying out with the Apostle I count all things dross and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Fifthly Would we know how we may lay a foundation for a long and healthy life The principle here laid down is it Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth In youth we commonly lay the Foundation of future Diseases which shorten our days and fill our lives with various Distempers and while people trespass upon the vigour of their Age and offer violence to Nature when young they consider not how by this means they give death an opportunity to enter and the bloud in that age is commonly so corrupted that all the Medicines afterward cannot abolish the corruption or eradicate it out of the Bowels This early remembrance of God will help to restrain that extravagance and as it contributes to the soundness of the Body so it cannot but be an excellent preparative for the long continuance of it Set aside some distracted persons the desire and endeavour of mankind is to live long To this end they use Preventives Preservatives Catharticks Diureticks Emeticks Restoratives shun all things that they apprehend noxious and hearken to every little story that directs them how to free themselves from too early approaches of fullen death that King of Terrours Indeed under violent Pain or extream Poverty or intolerable Disgrace some do wish for death but that 's only a sudden passion caus'd by the present pressing misfortune but if that were once over they would be content with the Collier in the Fable to carry their burthen even the burthen of their flesh about them a little longer We are told of strange endeavours used in India by the Pagan Kings and the Grandees in their Courts to prolong life Some do even spend their Patrimonies to find out the Vniversal Medicine and an Antidote against death some with Pearls dissolved in the purest Dew of Heaven seek to lengthen out our days but this remembering our Creator in the days of our youth will do more than all Drugs and Medicines more than all the Cordials and Julips in the world and whatever either the Wisdom or Folly of man hath invented to procure longevity It 's evident that by this remembring our Creator is meant nothing but the Fear of God for thus Solomon explains himself v. 13. of this Chapter where to reinforce the admonition v. 1. he onely changes the Phrase but means the same thing Fear God and keep his commandments for that 's the whole duty of man and to assure us that this early remembrance of God in the way to long life he adds Prov. 10.27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days But because this truth is believed but by very few it will not be amiss to give such demonstrations of it as may convince any rational man of the weight and moment of it And 1. The Duties Religion enjoyns if seriously and conscientiously practised tend to health and prolongation of life as will appear from an induction of particulars Religion enjoyns Temperance in eating and drinking and all the world agrees in this that Temperance is not onely the best Physick but the best Physician too Gluttony and Drunkenness and Excesses in meat and drink are fruitful Parents of Diseases and how men do thereby precipitate themselves into Gouts Dropsies Surfeits Fevers c which are great promoters of an early death none can be supposed ignorant Religion forbids all extravagant Passions which being let loose hugely debilitate Nature It enjoyns Meekness Patience Contentedness and a reasonable service and where the Passions are kept in good order in all likelihood the temper and frame of the body will be preserved in health and a sweet and admirable harmony From letting the Passions run beyond their just bounds and limits innumerable mischiefs flow some by immoderate inordinate love have kill'd themselves others by inordinate Anger have fallen into Epilepsies Some by immoderate grief consume the marrow in their bones and History tells us of several such as Leo X Pope of Rome and some Roman Ladies that have in fits of immoderate laughter expired and given up the ghost Religion forbids all anxious and tormenting cares and carkings great enemies certainly to health and life for they not only make the Bloud stagnate clog the Spirits hinder a free circulation but too often have been and are the causes of mens laying violent hands upon themselves This administers Ingredients which make up a good Conscience and that 's a perpetual Feast It bids us rejoyce in the Lord always and a constant cheerfulness cannot but be a very great preservative of health and the vital flame within It forbids all Fornication Adultery Lasciousness and exorbitant Lusts prescribes the modest and moderate use of Marriage or commends perpetual Virginity all which is very conducive to health and longevity and this we need not doubt of when we see men who give themselves liberty in hankering after strange Flesh what work they make for Surgeons and Physicians how they poison their Bloud and are so many walking Graves Religion prescribes frequent Fasting and Abstinence and how beneficial this is to health and a long vigorous life The examples of the ancient Hermits and since their time of other religious men are ample testimonies Simeon Stylites by this means arrived to the age of 109. Anthony the Great to 105. Paul the first Ascetick to 103. Arsenius to 120. Venerable Bede to 92. Remigius the famous Archbishop of Rhemes who enjoy'd his Bishoprick 70 years which is more I think than can be said of any man in publick Office for a thousand years to 96. Epiphanius
Restoratives God surely cannot be pleased with it He protests against thy refusal He complains of it he sees the wrong thou dost to thy Soul and seems even at a loss for a reason why thou wilt do so He that puts thee upon the neglect of this early and serious remembrance of thy God and Creator he it is that rejoyces at it His Agents thy evil Companions may rejoyce at it men as senseless as thy self may rejoyce at it but Angels mourn and all good men grieve to see thee so obstinate The Devil onely takes delight in it It doth him good to think that the number of his Infernal Companions will be encreased by thy company He lays Snares for thy Soul and is glad when thou art taken His envy is gratified to see thee averse from this early Fear of God He was afraid thou wouldest chuse the Wisdom which is from above and to see thee chuse that which is earthly and sensual that 's it which is some ease to him in his torments Why wilt thou be worse than other Creatures All other Creatures betimes prosecute the end for which they are created and wilt thou alone forget the end for which thou camest into the world The end for which thou wert created was to seek the things which are above and wilt thou directly contrary to that design and in that age too which is most proper to do it in like a Beast seek the things which are below Sure thou must take God to be some strangely tame and easie Deity that can see thee cross his Designs reverse his Intentions and walk opposite to the scope of all his wonderful Works and set thy self against his Purposes in thy Creation and sit down quietly under these abuses Thou believest some persons in the world why shouldest not thou believe good men who have tried this early remembrance of God found the greatest comfort and the strongest support in it and can testifie by experience that nothing is so beneficial so pleasant or so useful as an early self-denial such men are too honest to deceive thee they dread lying as thou dost the severities of Religion and they would not for a world assert and affirm these things but that they know these ways to be ways of pleasantness and these Paths end in peace Indeed that 's the happy Exit of these ways and when so many thousand wise men have said and do say so O Remember them which have spoken to you in the Name of the Lord whose faith follow knowing the end of their conversation Eighthly Our Remembring our Creator here is the way to have God remember us hereafter It is not with him as with Pharaoh's Butler who being lifted up to his former place forgot what Joseph had done for him His turn was serv'd and the others kindness signified nothing to him now God remembers what hath been done here for his Honour and Glory and this Remembrance he will at last express in rewards suitable to his Greatness and Majesty Darius before he sat on the Throne of his Ancestors had received a Garment as a Present from Syloson He remembred it when he was King and made him Governour of Samus Thus God will remember our remembrance of him here Not that we ascribe gratitude to God which would suppose him indebted to man a thing impossible For Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Rom. 11.35 but his remembrance of our Services is gratuitous He remembers them not because they deserve it but because he will not that they merit it but that he is pleased to do so It is not their worth but his goodness not their intrinsick value but his abundant Mercy that moves him to this remembrance The last day the great day of Judgement is that day of remembrance and even a cup of cold water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall be remembred then Matth. 10.42 Rejoyce Christians for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shew'd toward his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 Your Tears your Prayers your Alms your Feeding the Hungry your Clothing the Naked your Visiting the Sick your going to Prisoners will all be remembred one day not one of these works shall be forgotten God sets them down in his Book and they shall be proclaimed in the last day The Chronicles shall be open'd and the faithful Mordecai shall be remembred though for many years his good works have lain dormant yet at last they shall be brought forth as the light and his Righteousness as the noon day There is nothing that Christ seems to remember in the last day more effectually than our bounty to the poor and needy and the way and manner of his remembring it is lofty and great Come ye blessed of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matth. 25.34 He remembers our Charity here if it be great and signal and from a cheerful heart For the liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that scatters in a charitable way increases and of this experience is a sufficient witness so that it may well be said that Alms-giving is the gainfullest art and the right course to thrive But after death God remembers it more solemnly I shall not lay any great stress here upon the Examples of Stephen King of Hungary and Oswald sometime King of England of whom it is reported that their Right hands after after their death never putrified but while the rest of their Bodies mouldred into dust this part was preserved sound and entire because in their life-time they had made much use of their Right hand in bestowing their Goods on the indigent These may be reckoned among Gods miraculous Providences which though they appear but seldom yet may serve to confirm our Faith of Gods remembring hereafter what we do here for the houshold of Faith Of this nature is the famous story of Euagrius recorded by credible Witnesses This Heathen Philosopher being a great acquaintance of Synesius Bishop of Cyrene the Bishop frequently argued with him about the truth of the Christian Religion and was often at him to receive Baptism but all in vain One day the Bishop being very earnest with him to use no further delays or excuses the Philosopher told him there were several things in the Christian Religion which his reason could never digest and among the rest these two That men shall rise at last with the same Bodies that they carried about them here on earth And that what a man gives to the poor here God will repay it him in the other world The Bishop told him that all this was very true and that they had all the reason in the world to believe it insomuch that what with the Bishops confidence and what with the Arguments he used the Philosopher at last was perswaded to
be baptized and though he wavered much in his belief yet the Bishop thought it convenient to wash him with Water in the Name of the Lord Jesus not doubting but in a little time he would come to a full assurance of Faith Some weeks being past the Philosopher comes to Synesius and deposites three hundred pounds in his hand ordering him to distribute it to the poor yet with this Proviso that Synesius should give him a Bill under his hand that Christ should repay it him in the other world The Bishop cheerfully writ him a Bill and subscribed it and Euagrius goes home Not long after the Philosopher falls sick and finding death approaching calls his two Sons to him charging them to put the Bill Synesius had given him betwixt his fingers and so bury him which was done accordingly Three days after his death a Ghost in Euagrius's shape appears to Synesius by night bids him not be afraid but gives him thanks assuring him that the Bill was abundantly paid orders him to go to his Grave and in the Coffin he should find his Receipt subscribed with his own hand Synesius astonished at the sight and more at the Spirits words immediately repairs to the Philosophers Sons asks them what they had done to their Father They replied that they had performed his will and according to his order put a Bill he named to them betwixt his fingers The Bishop desirous to know the utmost of it causes the Grave and Coffin to be opened and there finds the Philosophers acknowledgment of having received what Synesius had promised him and his name Euagrius written under it The Spectators wondring at the mighty Providence run presently to Church and sing a Kirieleison or Lord have mercy upon us Though this passage may be of some use yet we have a surer word of Prophecy to establish our belief of Gods remembring our acts of Charity in the life to come He that is the Truth and the Life hath given us so many promises of it that there is no room left to doubt of it Nor is it onely our Alms that God will remember in the next life but all the good we have done Our Repentance our turning from our evil ways our contempt of the world our contemplations of the future Inheritance our love to God our Prayers and Praises our Obedience our watchfulness over our Hearts our endeavours to convert and comfort our Neighbour the Admonitions and Exhortations we gave them the Mortifications we used the pains we took to subdue our Lusts our attempts to follow the best Examples our self-denials our Temperance our Meekness our Humility our Sighs and Groans under the burthen of our sins our hunger and thirst after Righteousness our peaceableness our sufferings for Righteousness sake our doing his Will our self-resignation our affection to his Ordinances our delight in the House of God our rellish of his Word our frequent use of the holy Communion and our readiness to every good word and work There is a Register kept in Heaven of all these performances Men may forget them and our Neighbours may take no notice of them when we are dead and gone but God doth not forget them He takes notice of them here and he 'll take notice of them hereafter He 'll remember them to crown them to reward them to glorifie them In the Parable of Barlaam and Josaphat there is mention made of a Country where every year the people chuse a new King and whoever is chosen reigns for a year and after that is banished into some howling Desart or barren Island where he perishes with hunger A silly fellow being chosen one year surprized with the sudden alteration of his fortune gave himself over to all manner of debaucheries and spared no cost no pains to satiate his lustful desires and brutish appetite the present plenty made him forget the years of sorrow that were to ensue and when his year expired he was sent according to custom to the unfortunate Island where he spent and ended his days most miserably Another year a wiser man than ordinary being elected by the multitude he began to use his Royalty with great moderation and the thoughts of the dismal years that were to come made him reflect how he should live when all the present pomp and grandeur should vanish Having therefore a Counsellor of great prudence about him and demanding of him what he should do to make his future solitatary life easie to him he received this advice To engross what treasures he could during his splendid Fortune and send it away by trusty Officers to the place he was to be in till he died He did so and when he was forced to quit all his magnificence and commanded away into a desolate Country his Exile proved his happiness and he lived in great content to his dying day He that remembers his kind Creator here sends his goods away before him into another world makes provision for his Soul when it enters into Lands unknown and invisible and by the Carriages that arrive there the man is known and remembred by God his holy Angels His good works mount up to Heaven before him These keep him from starving when he quits his accommodations here These are the food he lives on when he leaves this world not that their natural strength and vertue is so great as to give him eternal Life but being perfumed with the merits of the Son of God they are remembred by God with Praises and Commendations and made everlasting food Ninthly Notwithstanding all these encouragements we cannot but with grief behold how little God is remembred by young and old and though he be in the midst of us and by his Providence upholds and supports us every moment how wretchedly he is forgotten by most men It 's true he is not so forgotten that his Name is never so much as mentioned some will do that if it were onely in their Oaths and Imprecations But how few will or have courage to remember him in their actions and think This God hath forbid and I must not do it this is against his Law and I must not venture upon it this clashes with his Word and I must avoid it this will displease his purer eyes and I must abhor it or this is acceptable to him and I will embrace it this is to act like the Children of God and I will follow them this is my great Master hath expressly commanded and I will obey All other remembrances without this are Complements not Devotions This Remembrance God values more than a thousand formal Devotions repeated as Papists do their Ave's This is to remember him rationally like persons who understand the right use and end of their reason He that doth not so forgets him and whatever his pretences may be of remembring him God looks upon it as oblivion while in his conversation abroad and at home his greatness and holiness is not thought of and those that