should walk in newness of life Ver. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin In which Scripture are set down these things viz 1. The parts of Sanctification Mortification Vivification 2. The cause of our Sanctification viz. communion with Christ in his Death Burial and Resurrection 3. The Testimony and Pledge of it our Baptism 4. The growth and progress of Mortification we should aime at the total destruction of the body of sin by the Crucifying Destroying and Burial of sin You have seen the death of thousands and you have seen the Burial of thousands to all these add one more Funeral and that is the Funeral of your sins Do you out-live this Judgment and shall your sins do so too God forbid This would be to live altogether unanswerably to so great a mercy You live but your sins should be dead in you and you unto your sins Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Though you live yet must you be buried Now Believers are buried in three respects 1. In respect of their good names as they are reproached by the wicked The throats of the wicked are the Sepulchres or burial places of the good names of Gods people this is part of a Believers sufferings 2. In respect of Self-denial Believers must be no more taken with the things of this World so far as to draw them from God than a person dead and buried and lying in his grave 3. In respect of the Mortification of sin and these two last are our duty and of this last I would speak a little following the Metaphor in which there is some difference and some agreement in the burial of our sin and in common burial The difference in these Respects First We bury our friends weeping for their death desirous of their life wishing oâ— that this my Friend had not died oh that I could have kept him in life But we must bury our sin rejoycing as those that are glad of its death Not weeping because sin is dead but that it once did live Secondly We bury our Friends with hopes that they shall rise again and live again But we must bury our sins with hopes they shall never live more never return to them more The resemblance holds in these particulars 1. The Burial of sin supposeth the death of sin Never any man yet buried his sins alive For while sin doth live it is in the heart as in a Throne and not as in a Grave 2. The Burial of sin supposeth the ceasing of the love of sin that we see not that beauty and comliness in sin as we did when it was alive A man that loves his Relation while he lived put him in his bosome yet will not do so when he is dead a man while he loves his sin will never bury it 3. The Burial of sin includeth the removal of it out of our sight and as much as may be out of our thoughts We love not to look upon dead friends nor many times to think or talk of them who while they lived were pleasing objects to our eyes and the delightful matter of our discourse While Sarah lived she was beautiful in Abrahams eyes but when dead he desired to have her removed out of his sight Gen. 23.4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you give me possession of a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight The presence of sin is a trouble to you when it is dead and you would have it out of your sight and this removal of sin when dead and buried hath these three properties First It is a total removal the whole body of sin and all the members of it are buried Death might arise from the disease of some particular part but burial covers all He that makes a shew of the burial of sin and yet keeps any in his heart as his love and delight hath indeed buried no sin For who doth so bury his friend as to keep any of his members in his house Secondly It is a voluntary removal when one is dead we make it matter of our choice to have him buried Yea we look upon it as a sore evil and great annoyance to have burial denied to our dead friends So it is your choice to bury your sins and the thoughts of not having them buried is a great trouble to you Thirdly It is a perpetual removal we bury our friends so that we would not have them taken up again and brought into our house So you bury sin never to have it brought back to live again in your heart One that hath buried his sin doth earnestly desire it might be removed out of the sight of God by free pardon out of the sight of his own eyes by the evidence of the pardon and out of the sight of others by leading a contrary Conversation 4. The Burial of sin includes the rotting of the old man in its grave the mouldring of it and the daily wasting of it as dead Corps buried in the earth do consume and wast daily Though a body buried doth not presently totally consume Many years after the burial if the grave be opened you may find the bones and the skull the reliques of sin in the heart of a Child of God are but as the bones and the skull but the body of sin is destroyed 5. The Burial of sin includes the loss of the power and authority that sin had in the heart while it was alive Though a man were never so potent while he lived yet when he is dead and buried he hath no more power nor jurisdiction Though thy sin did sit as a Lord and rule in thy soul while it lived yet being dead and buried its dominion ceaseth Now if you are buried with Christ these things will be a comfort to you viz 1. Those that are buried with Christ are most comely in the sight of God A man that is naturally dead and buried is not so with us but he that is spiritually dead to sin is beautiful in the eyes of God 2. Those that are buried with Christ have converse and Communion with God those that are naturally dead have no more converse with us but a man hath no Communion with God till he is buried with Christ 3. Those that are buried with Christ are past the hurt of death As those that are naturally dead have past through all that death can do unto them if you are buried with Christ though you must come under the stroke of death yet the sting of death is taken out 4. Those that are buried with Christ shall be raised at the last day and shall for ever live with God and Christ and with holy Angels and Saints in the Kingdom of God Rom. 6.8 Now if we be dead
thy heart to keep thee from sin than before thou art so much worser than thou wast before Though abstaining from sin upon such accounts doth not prove the truth of grace yet the committing of sin notwithstanding these doth argue growth of sin Now these humane Arguments that did formerly restrain thee were such as these 1. Shame amongst men Thou hadst an Inclination to wicked company but thou wast ashamed to be seen amongst them and therefore didst not associate with them But now thou thinkest it no shame or if thou dost thou hast a face of brass and an heart of stone and blushest not Thou art worse 2. Care of Reputation Thou wast tender of thy Credit and good Name and though thou hadst a love unto some sins that would have disgraced thee amongst men yet now thou wilt blot thy Name and lose thy Credit and sacrifice thy Reputation to satisfie thy Lust 3. Costliness of sin Some sins are very chargeable and call for great expence and thy love to thy Money and natural affection to thy Wife and Children was a barre which did restrain thee from them Thou wouldest not feed and satisfie thy filthy Lusts because it would be chargeable to thee thou refrainedst from riotous Prodigals because company with them would wast thine Estate But now thou thinkest no cost too great no charge too much that thou mayest have thy fill of sin but tradest and labourest and workest to get something to maintain thy Lust and wilt rather that thy Wife and Children should want bread at home than thou shouldest not have enough to spend upon thy sins abroad Thou art now grown to an exceeding magnitude in sin that thou art monstrous to beholders 4. Health of body Such sins that tend to the impairing of thy health thou wouldest not commit Thou didst refrain not so much because they would damn thy soul as destroy thy body Thou thoughtest excessive drinking would shorten thy life and hasten thy death and bring thee sooner to thy grave that acts of uncleanness would fill thee full of loathsom diseases and leave some mark upon thy body whereby thou wouldest be noted for an unclean adulterer But now thou wilt venture health and life and all that thou mayest more freely sin and the very food thou earest is now not only to nourish thy body but to provoke thee to lust Verily thou art much worse than thou wast 5. Fear of death When the fear of God would not prevail to keep thee from sin yet fear of death somtimes hath done it and according to the strength of the fears of death have been thy restraints from sin but now thou canst think of death and speak of thy death and yet act thy sinne 6. Displeasure of men Thou hast had dependance upon some that hate such sins that thou lovest in thy heart but because thou wouldest not loose their favour thou hast bridled thy sin but now thou layest the reignes loose upon the neck of thy lusts and wilt proceed to obey them let who will be displeased thereby When thou wilt displease thy best friend and them upon whom thou dost depend for lively-hood and maintenance that thou mayst please thy lust it is a sign that sin is very high in thy heart any one of these formerly were a sufficient bolt to keep thee from grosser sins but now all put together are too weak a signe that sin is so much the stronger X. The more thou hast had experience of the dreadfull effects of sin and the more God hath punished thee for thy sin and yet wilt proceed the greater sinner thou art God hath punished thee with poverty as the fruite of thy sin with diseases in thy body with horrours in thy conscience with the death of thy relations when thou hast tasted the bitterness of sin to set against the pleasures of sin when God hath put worm-wood and gall into thy sin yet thou art bent upon it thou art very bad XI The more thou justifiest and defendest thy self after the commission of sin than formerly so much the worser thou art than formerly When thou wast reproved thou wast use to acknowledge thy sin and to confess thy wickedness but now thou dost plead for thy lust and pleadest for thy evil wayes and takest the quarrell of sin upon thy self it is a signe thy heart is more wedded to thy lusts by how much the more thou espousest its cause XII When thou art more presumptuous in thy sinnings and addest more contempt of God and pride and contumacy than formerly the worse thou art Sins of presumption are scarlet sins of a crimson dye when a man sinneth against God and blesseth himself in his wickedness and presumeth of Gods mercy and presumeth upon the patience of God a man that sins presumptuously makes a bold adventure against express threatnings of the Law of God and is mingled with great contempt of God it is no less than reproaching and despising of God himself Num. 15.30 But the soul that doth ought presumptuously reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from among his people vers 31. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his commandment that soul shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be upon him XIII The more mercies thou sinnest against than formerly the worser thou art than before God hath given thee more mercies and multiplyed many good things upon thee and yet thou committest more sins than when thou hadst fewer mercies to make Gods mercy to be fewel for thy lusts is an aggravation of sinning for as much as it is contrary to the end of mercy which is to draw men off from sin every mercy thou receivest hath a voice and its language is repent of sin return to God Rom. 2.4 God loadeth thee with mercy and the more thou pressest him down with thy sin the more good and the more mercifull God is to thee the more vile and rebellious thou art against God this is to be highly wicked XIV The more thou drawest others into sin by thy entisements or example than before so much the worse thou art When thou art not content to sin alone not to dishonour God thy self but drawest and incouragest others to do so also and so damnest thy own soul and others too and makest thy self guilty of the bloud of those thou allurest with thee into sin The more sins thou committest thy self the worse thou art and the more persons thou dost influence by thy sin to partake with thee the worse thou art Thus if thou wilt compare thy self what thou art now with what thou hast been formerly thou mightest discern how much more thou sinnest now than thou didst before SECT XIV What considerations may be usefull to stop the streame of such mens wickedness that yet are waxing worse and worse BEcause I am loath to leave thee with a bare conviction that thou art worse than thou wast wont to be I shall add a
what manner of persons ought you to be in all manner of holy conversation after such a sight as this IV. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the worlds vanity You have seen what miserable comforters riches are to men in time of Plague and at an hour of death you have seen death haling men from that which they had set their hearts upon you have seen death dragging men from their riches and from their pleasures and hath forced them to come away to the Bar of God and leave their riches behinde them and their pleasures behind them You have seen that riches could not go with them into another world but left them in a time of need You have seen that those that loved riches could finde no comfort in them when they stood in greatest need of comfort You have seen that what men have been laboring for and scraping together all the time of their health and life death hath come and scattered in a moment Oh how weaned should you be from the world and the riches and the pleasures thereof after such a sight as this Oh how much less should you afford the world of your heart and affections of your love desire and delights that is so unkind to dying men even unto those that served it most and loved it most Oh do you learn to deal so with the world as you have seen the world to deal with others i. e. turn it out of your heart with as little love and pity to it as you have seen the world turn its followers out of it and shake them off notwithstanding all their entreaties to abide and stay therein The world may now entreat you that it might stay in your heart and live in your love but hearken you no more to its entreaties than it hath hearkened unto others and you must expect the world ere long will deal with you as it hath dealt with others therefore part with the world before you leave the world V. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the short continuance of all relations you have seen death taking Husbands from their Wives Parents from their Children Ministers from their people and so Wives from their Husbands Children from their Parents People from their Ministers Those that had but one onely Son Plague and Death hath stripped them of him and teared one relation out of the others bosome fain they would have kept them but death would not suffer them they wept and cryed but death would not have pity on them nor hear their cries nor regard their tears but said this is your childe but I must have him this is your husband but I must seize upon him God hath given me a Commission and I always use to do according to the Commission I receive from God if God will not spare you in vain you look for pity at mine hands I saith death am blinde and cannot see the beauty of your childe that hath drawn out your heart so much towards him I am deaf and cannot hear your pleadings for the continuance of your childe or husband or friend if God doth not hear you I cannot and if God doth not spare and pity you I will not therefore I will smite him and stick my arrow in his heart and dippe it in his life-blood and take him from you Oh how many have thus experienced the dealings of death and you have seen it and will not you learn to sit looser in your affections towards your nearest and dearest relations You have seen death hath seized upon them that were most beloved by their friends and perhaps did therefore do it because they were over loved and took up too much of that love and that delight which should have been more and would have been better placed upon God Your lesson then is set down by the Apostle for I would not teach you by rott nor without the book of Gods word 1 Cor. 7.29 But this I say Brethren the time is short or rolled up or contracted a metaphor taken from a piece of cloth that is rolled up onely a little left at the end so some As Mariners near the Haven winde up their sails or make them less When the sails of time are thus contracted it is a sign we are near the Harbor of eternity It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none Vers 30. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away VI. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the lesson of humility How many humbling sights have you seen every Corpse that you have seen hath been an humbling sight It may be you have been proud of your beauty but have not you seen that beauty vanisheth away when death comes that beautiful bodies by the Plague and Death have been turned into loathsome bodies and those that you have loved and been delighted to look upon you have been glad to have them buried out of your sight when once dead How many open Graves have you seen and those that have been nice and curious of their comely bodies have been interred and given to be meat for worms and to be a prey to rottenness and putrefaction Have you seen any difference betwixt the poor and the rich beâ—wixt that body that was fed with courser fare and that which was nourished with more delicate dishes Have you not seen bodies that were made out of dust been turned to the dust to be turned into dust and will you be proud after God hath taken such an effectual course to teach you to be humble VII In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you that all things fall alike to all that the wise must dye as well as the fool and the good must dye as well as the bad And though God hath promised conditionally preservation from the Plague unto his people which hath been literally fulfilled to some of his yet some of his have fallen in this general mortality God hath been teaching of you that though grace doth deliver from eternal death yet not from temporal though from the sting yet not from the stroke of death that you though godly should be preparing for your own departure out of this world VIII In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the difference between the death of the wicked and the death of the righteous that though good and bad alike have dyed yet they have not dyed alike But as there was a difference in their life so God did make a difference in their death Have not you seen some wicked dye without any sense of sin or fear of God or Hell and
of the price of the land Vers 4. Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart that thou hast not lied unto men but unto God Vers 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost The like I might say of thy vow before thou hadst made it it was in thy power Deut. 23.22 But if thou forbear to vow it shall be no sin in thee but if thou hast vowed God will surely require it of thee and to slack to pay would be sin in thee Vers 21. Why then hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost in making a vow and not paying thou liest not to men but unto God Oh fear and tremble least death should seize thee presently and thou fall down and give up the ghost In thy vow thou liest unto God if thou dost not pay because we must vow onely to God for sacred vows are a part of Religious worship which must be given onely unto God Deut. 23.21 Eccles 5.4 But in thy promises thou hast made to men thou hast lied unto men and all this doth aggravate thy neglect of coming up to thy vows and promises in time of sickness and fears 5. To Neglect the keeping of thy resolutions and purposes against sin and for an holy life is it not a sinning against conscience and against knowledge It seems thy conscience hath told thee when thou resolvedst to pray more fervently that luke-warmeness in prayer was a sin and yet now thou dost not strive against it thy conscience told thee that the ways of God were the best ways and best for thee to walk therein and yet now thou dost not do it thy conscience hath been so far inlightned to dictate this unto thee and yet thou goest against the dictates of thy conscience thou dost not onely sin with knowledge but against it and sins against knowledge and conscience are aggravated sins and such a sinner is an inexcusable and self-condemned sinner Rom. 2.1 didst thou not condemn thy self in time of Plague that thou hadst taken no more pains for heaven and for thy soul that thou hadst prayed no more and lived no better And what need we any further witness when thine own conscience will come in against thee 6. This will make death terrible indeed unto thee when it comes in good earnest to seize upon thee and then thou shalt finde that the same purposes and resolutions will not quiet thee when in former sickness thou hast had them and in after recovery thou hast neglected to perform them Thy last sickness will come and death at last will come and then thou wilt remember what vows thou hast made and how thou didst not pay them unto God how thou hast resolved against sin and a wicked life but hast made no conscience of living answerable unto them and this will make thee much afraid to dye 7. This will be great unthankefulness unto God for his preservation from or restoration out of sickness To God belong the issues from death but you deny it to him When Hezekiah was restored from his sickness its thought the plague he was thankful unto God for his restoration Isa 28.19 The living the living he shall praise thee as I dâ— this day the father to the children shall make known thy truth Vers 20. The Lord was ready to save mee therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. And is this to give thanks to God for preservation for restoration from sickness Hath God given you your life from the very borders of the grave and is this the fruit you return to God not onely not to be so good as you ought to be but not so careful as you purposed to be Or do you give thanks to God with your mouth that God hath kept you from the grave and contradict it in your life Your orall thankesgiving is nothing without practical thankes doing Or do you praise God in words and dishonor him in your works and do your lips acknowledge you are engaged to God for his protecting providence and do you so live as if you had received no such mercy from him and that your dependance were not now upon him Is this your thanks to God to break your word with him 8. This will make you loose the spiritual benefit of your sickness and affliction to be worse by the mercies of God is to have mercies in judgement to be better by judgement is to have judgements in mercy But when you live no better and are no better nor endeavor to walk according to your resolutions in time of sickness it is a sign your affliction hath not been sanctified to you that as to spirituals you are not benefited by it God hath put you into the furnace but you are not purified your dross remaineth God hath corrected you but you are not amended If affliction had worked for your good if you had been bad if would have made you good if you had been good it would have made you better David could say Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have learned to keep thy commandment Psal 119.67 But you might say in my affliction I purposed to walk close with God but after I have been afflicted I go astray Surely your heart is very bad when afflictions made you not better and when mercies makes you worse 9. What is this but to like of sin and disapprove of stricktness of holiness after you have professed your dislike of sin and approved of closest walking with God In your affliction you seemed to be sorry for your sin but now the affliction is over you seem to be sorry that you were sorry for your sin in your affliction you seemed to repent that you had sinned else why did you resolve against it When your affliction is removed you seem to repent of your resolutions against sin else why do not you live and do as you did resolve what is this but to smile upon sin after your deliverance which you seemed to frown upon in time of danger of death and the grave What is this but to finde sweetness in sin after you have tasted something of the bitterness of it To re-imbrace that which you seemed to have cast from you and this is an aggravation of the evil frame of your heart 10. What if thou hadst dyed in thy affliction thou hadst gone to hell upon a mistake and perished for ever when yet thou hadst some hope though upon false grounds that thy condition was good and that thou shouldest have obtained mercy When thou wast sick or in danger thou thoughtest thy condition was good because thou foundest thy heart to resolve to forsake thy sin and purpose to close with the closest wayes of holiness
sensible of it Sin hath been thy sorrow and thy grief and the burden of thy heart thou hast groaned under it as the greatest load as the greatest evil in the world Every man that is bodily sick and is sensible of it and is unfeignedly willing to be freed from his sickness and desireth nothing more is not cured but it is so in spirituals He that is sensible of sin and is heartily and unfeignedly willing to part with his sin as ever sick man was of sickness is certainly healed by Jesus Christ But such as never found so much sorrow for sin nor sense thereof as to make them willing to part with every sin were never yet cured How can a man that is wounded have his sore dressed and lanced in order to a Cure and not be sensible of the smart and pain thereof Or how can he be healed while the sword that made the wound abideth in it It is as impossible that man should be healed of his spiritual sickness and wounds that is not willing to part with sin as for a man to be healed of his bodily wound while he will not have the sword pulled out that did make it Sin caused the wound and the sickness of thy soul and if thou art not willing to part with every sin thou art not healed thy soul is sick and if thou dost not feel it that is the worse 2. Where the soul is healed the sin is killed the life of sin is the death of the soul and that which is the life of the soul is the death of sin if Christ heal the soul he wounds sin he never heals both if sin be wounded to death the soul is healed unto life as in the body the more health is repaired the more the disease is weakned so the more the soul is cured the more sin is mortified 3. Where the soul is healed there grace is infused sickness being removed health is restored When Christ heals a sinners soul he doth not onely mortifie the sin but sanctifie the sinner when a man is restored from sickness to health that which made him sick is not onely removed but that is introduced which maketh him well so when Christ cures the soul he doth not onely take down the power of sin which did make him bad but he infuseth that which doth make him good 4. Where the soul is cured of the disease of sin it is sick of love to Jesus Christ it is not onely weary of sin but exceedingly longeth after the presence of Christ and communion with God Cant. 5.8 I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if ye finde my beloved that ye tell him I am sick of love 5. Where the soul is cured of the disease of sin it doth receive Christ by faith when the Israelites were stung with the fiery Serpents and looked up to the brazen Serpent they were certainly cured Num. 21.8 Faith is an healing grace because it eyeth Christ the soul-Physician and fetches vertue of healing from him Mat. 15.28 And Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her daughter was made whole from that very hour Mat. 9.2 And they brought unto him a man sick of the Palsie lying on a hed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee The blood of Christ is the healing plaister and faith is the hand that takes it and applyeth it unto the sore 6. Where the soul is cured of the disease of sin it is getting strength for spiritual work and employment more and more it is growing stronger and stronger in grace and goodness as a man whose distemper is broke and going away he is recovering strength more and more to go about his calling and employment he is stronger to walk and work he can endure cold and bear burdens more than before A man that is spiritually cured is waxing in the fruits of the spirit and growing in all the graces of the spirit of God is more and more able to resist temptations to perform duties to bear afflictions and endure hardships for the sake of Christ By these signs you may discern whether your soul is cured so far of the diseases it lay under that they shall not be its death and damnation SECT IV. IV. What should such do that are under soul-sicknesses that they may be healed 1. YOU must be sensible that you are sick he that doth not feel himself sick will take no care about the means of health it is those that are sensible of sickness that will value the skill of the Physician and send to him and desire his direction Mat. 9.12 But when Jesus heard that he said unto them they that be whole need not the Physician but they that are sick 2. When you are sensible of your soul-sickness you must apply your self to Christ the great Physician of souls It is Christ that cometh to those that feel themselves diseased with healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 It is he that healeth the broken-hearted Luk. 4.18 Christ healeth us by his wounds and cureth us by his stripes Isa 53.5 It is matter of admiration and to many past belief that applying of Medicines to a sword should heal the wound made thereby but this is above all reason and beyond all dispute that the bleeding wounds of Christ will be healing to the bleeding wounds of the sinner Christs Golgotha is our Gilead and that you may be the more encouraged to come to Christ when you feel your self sick consider 1. Christ can heal every disease and cure every wound he hath a salve for every sore There are some Physicians that can cure some diseases but not all but Christ when he was upon earth did heal all manner of diseases Mat. 4.23 whether thy eyes be blinde or thy heart hard or thy minde earthly he can open thy eyes and soften thy heart and make thee spiritual yea though thy sickness hath been Chronical of long duration yet he can heal thee yea though thou art sick of a relapse which is most dangerous yet Christ can cure thee 2. Christ will heal your souls without putting you to any charge though you be poor and mean and have nothing to bring to Christ yet you may come for healing he will give you his advise and counsel freely he will give you your Physick his own blood freely you have nothing and he expecteth nothing The woman that had been diseased twelve years and suffered many things of many Physicians and spent all and grew worse came to Christ and was presently and freely healed Mar. 5.25 3. Christ will proceed in this cure with all compassion and tenderness he will not deal more roughly with you than is needful he exerciseth bowels of compassions while he is dressing his patient or if he give you bitter poâ—ions or sometimes useth corrosives he will be exceeding tender
amongst them all It may be God had too little of your love and it was â—n offence and griefe unto your God that the Creaâ—ure should have that love which wâ—s due unto himself and therefore he hath cut off the Sâ—reâ—es that you may get nearer to the Fountain Thy Relation had more of thy affection then came unto his share and therefore in stead of Murmuring be more in loving of thy God and this will be to live answerably to Gods Correcting and Afflicting of thee in the loss of thy Relation and to his Mercy in sparing of thy self And look what Relation it is that is taken from thee while thou survivest and get clearer evidences that God will be in stead of that Relation to thee and be better to thee than that was Hast thou thy Husband removed by this Contagious Disease now make out more to God that he would be an Husband to thee Hast thou lost thy Children or thy onely Son see more diligently that God hath bestowed his onely Son upon thee and this will much satisfie and quiet thy heart Hath God done thee any wrong if he hath taken thy onely Son from thee and hath given his onely Son to thee Thus since you did survive others that are taken from you improve your Affliction and your Mercy in being advantaged in Spirituals and this will be to live in some measure answerably to Gods dealing with you DIRECTION XI HAth God spared thee in time of Plague then see what it was that thy Conscience did most accuse thee or commend thee for when the Plague was nigh thy dwelling or thou wast in fear and danger and order thy life accordingly What sin was it that thy Conscience did reproach thee for in a time of danger and in feares of death whether of omission or commission publick or secret of what nature soever it was and let it be the design of thy heart in the course of thy life to mortifie that sin and keep it under that thou carefully avoid the occasions thereof that when death shall certainly come and conscience shall have no more occasion or just ground to reproach thee thou mayest see that God in mercy did prolong thy dayes till thou hadst got the victory over and the pardon and the evidence of the pardon of that sin What was it in thy feares and when thou wast in expectation of death that Conscience did approve in thee it did then approve thy diligence in thy Family go on in this still it did approve of thy strickt and holy walking with God go on in that which was good and thy rightly inlightned Conscience did commend in thee and this will be to live in some measure answerably to so great a mercy as is Gods preserving of you in a time of such a wasting Plague DIRECTION XII HAth God spared you in such a time of so great Mortality and Contagion then learn to trust your self and all your Affairs with God for the time to come You have lived in time of danger and have been in hazard of your life and yet God hath preserved and kept you God hath called some to abide in the City because they could not remove their habitation without neglect of duty for where our duty lies and where our work is that God calleth us unto there we may trust God though our danger be never so great because while we are in our duty we are in our way and God hath promised to keep us in all our wayes in time of Plague Psal 91.11 Many had opportunity of retiring into the Country without neglect of duty without running away from duty those that went from their duty and work which God expected they should there have done have cause to be humbled for their slavish feares of death and great distrust in God and the use of meanes for preservation is not inconsistent with trusting in God but is supposed and included in it else it is not trusting in God but presumption but many were obliged to abide upon the place and God hath preserved you amongst them Oh what an obligation and encouragement is this for you for the time to come to put your trust in God in the use of meanes in a way of duty and the more you are able to commit your self to God in future dangers the more you do improve this Providence of God in preserving of you But because we need all helps and supports for putting our trust in God I shall lay down some considerations to help you more and more to trust in God premising first the nature of it that you may perceive what it is that you are exhorted to when perswaded to trust in God Trusting in God is a special fruit of faith and hope whereby the soul looking upon God in Christ through a Promise is in some good measure freed from fretting feares and cutting cares about the removing or preventing of some evil or the enjoying or procuring of that which is good 1. It is a fruit of faith for therefore a Man trusteth in God because he believeth and is perswaded of the truth of what God saith and believeth the performance of his promise and so it is called fiducia fidei 2. It is a fruit of hope for therefore I trust in God because I hope it shall be with me according to his Word If I had no hope of this I could not trust in God and so it is called fiducia spei 3. This trust hath God in Christ through a Promise for its object We trust in God through Christ eying the Promise For the Promise of God is the foundation of our trust in God and the Promise of God draws forth the hearts of his People to trust in him Psal 119.42 I trust in thy Word 4. The effect of this trusting in God is the quietation of the heart and a freeing of the Soul proportionably to the degree of his trust from fretting feares and cutting cares about good and evil to be avoided or procured Psal 56.3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Vers 4. In God will I praise his Word in God I have put my trust I will not fear what Flesh can do unto me The Arguments for the moving you to trust in God for the future are such as these 1. Will not you trust in God after such rich and full experience that you have had of Gods taking care for you Hath God cared for your life and will not you trust him for Food and Raiment experience is a great support for confidence in God 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us When David had had experience of Gods delivering him from the Lion and the Bear he trusted in God to deliver him from the hands of the uncircumcised Philistine 1 Sam. 17.37 When thou hast been in danger God hath kept thee and when thou hast
הוהיל ×‘×™×©× ×”×ž OR A Serious Enquiry For a SUITABLE RETURN FOR Continued LIFE in and after a Time of Great Mortality BY A WASTING PLAGUE ANNO 1665. Answered in XIII DIRECTIONS By THO. DOOLITEL Psal 116.8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people Isaiah 38.18 For the Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy Truth 19. The living the living he shal praise thee as I do this day c. London Printed by R. I. for â— Johnson and are to be sold by A. Brewâ—er at the Threee Bibles at the west end of St. Pauls and R. Boulâ—er at the Turks-head in Cornhill 1666. To such whom the Lord hath kept alive in the time of so great Death by the Plague in the Land especially in the City of London THe design of these lines is neither to commend the Author nor the Book which in these few following sheets is presented to your view the former being as needless to them that know his Person as the later to them that read his Directions but I would commend the Subject being so seasonable to your perusal and the Duties being so necessary to your Practice It was the saying of a Learned Divine who had the honour of being made a Prisoner as well as Minister of the Lord That it was great pitty there were no more Prisoners of Jesus Christ to write songs of his love I will not say I could wish that more of our Citizens had in this late Dreadful Plague remained in this then Doleful place which to the Countries seemed more formidable than a Prison but I believe that many of you whose Calling and Duty did tye your hands and feet and shut you up in the City have found such sweet experiences of the goodness and love of God that they will be recorded And 65. will be remembred by you with thankefulness so long as you live You have seen the Destroying Angel entering the City and Death riding upon the Pale Horse Triumphant in the streets Arrows flying the sword bathed Garments rouling in blood and this grim Conqueror breaking in upon Houses without resistance taking Captive Men Women and Children and clapping them up in the Prison of the Grave where they must remain fast bound in his chains of darkeness untill the opening of the doors by him who hath the keys of the Grave who having Conquered Death himself will at his appearance loosen the Bonds of all Deaths prisoners that they may stand before his Judgement Seat to receive their Final Dooms In the midst of which slaughter and Captivity the Captain of your Salvation hath stood by you held his shield over you set his mark upon you and given you singular experience of his Power and Goodness in your preservation You have been in a storm God hath shown you his wonders in the Deep and when so many Ships have been cast away before your eyes and so many Persons have been devoured by the cruel Waters and your selves inviron'd with waves on every side yet the Lord hath kept you alive like Jonah in the Belly of the Sea or made a way for you to pass through when so many not onely Egyptians but Israelites have been drowned you have been in the water but the Lord hath been an Arke about you You have been in the fire like the three Children but the Son of God hath walked with you and suppressed the violence of the fire that it hath not prevailed over you you have been like the Bush which Moses saw burning but was not burn't because God was in it And when you look back upon those dark days and black Bills of Mortality where you have had account of so many thousands dying for so many weeks together Do you not wonder at your strange escape Do you not look upon your selves as Brands pluckt out of the fire And must you not acknowledge it is the Lords mercy you are not consumed You who have continued in the City in the time of the Plague when such throngs of people have been crouding out of this world daily into another have had singular advantages of looking into and preparing for Eternity which few think of with fixed seriousness till they be awakened by some dangerous sickness whereby withal they are usually so weakened in body and spirit that they are rendred unfit for such cogitations but to be in such danger whilst in so good health and in such Leasure from encumbring employments I doubt not but it hath effectually moved many of you to soar a loft in your thoughts and Meditations that you might take a view of the other Country which the Scripture doth set forth of the City which hath foundations whose builder and Maker is God I believe the wicked have had dreadful apprehensions of the burning lake of the Ocean of Gods wrath which every day they were ready to launch forth into and that however some have been hardened and are as bad yea worse than before yet I hope others have been so awakened with this dreadful Providence that they have been effectually perswaded to Repentance and Faith in Christ who alone can deliver from the wrath which is to come I believe that others have had deeper impressions of Eternity upon them than ever they had in their lives which the borders thereof on which they have been walking have given them so near frequent a prospect of and I doubt not but all of you have made vows and promises to the Lord of a Holy conversation of leaving those sins your conscience at that time upbraided you withal and dedicating your lives to the Lord if he would be pleased to spare your lives Take heed of dropping asleep again after you have been awakned of returning again unto sin after it hath been imbittered of forgetting or abusing Gods mercy after such a wonderful preservation retain the same thoughts of sins evil and the worlds vanity of the worth of true Grace and Christs beauty retain the impressions you had of Eternity when you were so near it in your apprehensions hath God laid obligations upon you by his preservations and deliverances And have you laid obligations upon your selves by your purposes and resolutions Labor then to live up to your obligations and if you be at a loss what return to make to the Lord You have by his Providence this little Book put into your hands to give you directions receive them not as the bare counsel of man but so far as backt by the Scripture as the Prescriptions of God as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven and say This is my will these are your duties and see that you perform them Hereby you will both please the Lord and rejoyce the heart of
273 What this trust is 274 Eight Arguments to trust in God 275 276 277 Six special times for trusting in God 278 DIRECTION XIII Since you live after this Plague give thanks to God for your preservation 279 Three wayes how we must praise God for continued Life 280 Twelve Motives to praise God for continued Life 282 c. Six Helps to praise God for Continued Life 288 c. DIRECTIONS how to live after a wasting PLAGUE QUESTION How should those that have been preserved by God from the Grave in this time of Plague live in some measure Answerably to so great a Mercy THis is a Case of general concernment to those many thousands whom God hath kept alive in a time of Plague which hath swept so many thousands into their Graves whose bodies are now rotting in the dust and whose souls are entred into an unchangeable condition of happiness or misery whose life is ended whose time is past and gone who are now receiving their wages or reward according to what their state was found to be when the Plague removed them from time into eternity from this World into that which now they must be in for ever without alteration or redemption What Family is there in this great City or what person is there in all those families that are not concerned to enquire what signal and more than ordinary return they should make to God for such signal and more than ordinary preservation from the gates of death who have walked upon the very borders of the Grave and are yet alive who have been nearer the brink of Eternity and in more danger of being cut down than at other times and yet are spared and are numbred amongst the living and not reckoned nor made free amongst the dead It is the unquestionable and standing duty of all living to live to God but there is a super-added Obligation upon all those whom God hath marked out for Life when the slaughtering Angel was going from Parish to Parish from house to house to cut down those whom God had commissioned him to remove from hence Oh! should you not consider with your self what it is that God expecteth at mine hands How would he have me for to live and what would God have me to doe What is the special work he hath reserved me for Hath God layd the Corpses of thousands in the Church-yards and yet given me a little respit to act for my precious soul and for his glory hath he reprieved me for a while and am I not a living walking Monument of his distinguishing Mercy and unwearied Patience towards me When others are dead I live when others must pray no more hear no more God giveth me time as yet to do both and all other duties in order to my eternal peace Thus should you reason your self into your duty and to a diligent Inquiry What you should doe to live in some measure answerably to so great a Mercy But Reader wilt thou first resolve in the fear and presence of that God that hath redeemed thy life from death to make a conscientious use of any helps and directions so to doe wilt thou indeed engage thy heart before thou readest any further to use thy utmost diligence in practising and obeying what shall be from the Word of God discovered to thee to be thy duty yea in the Name of God I charge thee that thou doe it as ever thou wouldest appear before the Barr of God with comfort and give a good account of this his patience and Providence towards thee and of these Lines which now thou readest that neither the one nor the other rise up in Judgement against thee as an aggravation of thy sin nor for the greater condemnation of thy soul What dost thou say wilt thou promise and accordingly obey or wilt thou not If not better thou hadst dyed in time of Plague and fallen with others into the same common grave than to out-live the Plague and not out-live thy sin to live longer to adde unto thy sin and in the day of Gods patience towards thee to be heaping up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous Judgement of God but if thou wilt I shall by Gods assistance proceed to resolve this Important Case in laying down these following Directions which will also be of use to answer another Query viz. How you may know whether God hath lengthened out your life in Mercy or in Judgement If you live according to these following Rules God hath spared you in mercy if you live contrary to them and dye so at last I fear your escaping this Judgement will at last prove a Judgement to you The first of these Directions will be more general the rest shall be more particular DIRECTION I. HAth God spared you in time of Plague Then be better and not worse than you were before Those that before were bad have now greater engagement to be good and those that were good before are engaged by Gods merciful Providence to them to be better not only better than those that are bad but better than themselves that before were good In time of Plague you did enquire for the best Antidote and for the best Cordial and Preservative and should you not now the Plague is thus ceased enquire what is your best Return you are to make to God especially when in time of Plague Gods Protection was your best Preservative and the Spirits Comforts your chiefest Cordials This Direction consisteth of two branches and I will speak of them apart Before the Plague begun 1 Be not worse than you were 2 Be better than you were And indeed if you be not better you will be worse as afterwards will be made appear Now because it is to be feared that some men will be worse after this dreadfull and devouring man-eating Judgement than they were before I shall more largely treat of this particular if peradventure God may by these Lines prevent in some so great an evil after so great a Plague Where I shall speak to these particular Questions Q. 1. Whether ungodly men doe oftentimes wax worse and worse and why Q 2. What are the several steps that men do take in sinfull wayes in their waxing worse and worse Q. 3. Vnder what Dispensations wicked men wax worse and worse Q. 4. Why God is pleased to remove Judgements though many men are worse than they were before Q. 5. What are the Aggravations of this great Impiety to be worse after Gods sorest Judgement than they were before Q. 6. What are the signs of a man that waxeth worse and worse under all the Means that God doth use to make him better Q. 7. What considerations may be usefull to stop the stream of such mens wickedness that yet are waxing worse and worse SECTION I. Whether ungodly men do often times wax worse and worse SOme wax richer and some wax better and all men wax older and many wax worser 2
thou art quite cold in the matters of Religion I charge thee in the Name and fear of the Eternal God that thou presently bethink thy self what an aggravation this will be of thy continued and increased wickedness and that thou turn from it least God turn thy body into the grave by some other distemper as an Ague or Feaver or Consumption though he did not by the Plague Oh think with thy self God hath taken away some of thy sinful Companions that were wont to be drunk and swear with thee who if God should bring them back again from the dead would tell thee that they are damned for their Drunkenness and that they have been in Hell among Devils and have felt the wrath of God to be heavy and intolerable for those very sins they have committed in thy company and thou with them Would not they tell thee if they had thy time they would pray but swear prophanely no more if God had suffered them to out-live the Plague or would after death and tryal of the torments of Hell entrust them with life again they would be better Remember some of them that the other day were drinking unto drunkenness in the Ale-house dying in final impenitency are now damned with the Devils that some of them that the other day thou hadst by the hand and drunkest unto in the Tavern and did sing and roar together at your Cups are now howling and roaring amongst the damned and are scorched in those flames and rowling in that Lake of brimstone where there shall be no mercy no mitigation no cessation of their torments And know thou whoever thou art that if thou dost not speedily return to God if thou dost not mend thy life and that quickly too if thou dost not repent and reform and that quickly too thou shalt be a companion with them in torments with whom thou wast companion in sinning It was but a few dayes since that they were with thee upon the earth and if thou art not changed it will be but a few dayes hence and thou shalt be with them in Hell and when thou art there remember once thou readest such lines that told thee so Therefore if thou art not resolved for Hell be perswaded to be better after such an awakening Judgement if thou valuest thy soul if thou hast any fear of Hell and Wrath yet left in thee let it work to a speedy Reformation Tell me what if God had set thee in some place when five six seven thousand dyed in a Week of the dreadful Plague amongst whom no doubt but many went to Heaven and are now viewing the Son of God c. that thou mightest have seen impenitent Drunkards and impenitent Worldlings and impenitent Swearers seized upon by Devils and carried into torments gone crouding in at the broad gate into pains eternal and unspeakable and couldst but have heard their words or perceive their apprehensions of their manner of life upon the earth how would this have affected thee after such a sight as this what wouldst thou doe Be drunk still wouldst thou be a Sweater and a Worldling still a Formalist and Hypocrite still then if thou wilt be damned goe on who can help it But rather return repent that thou mightest have everlasting cause to admire God that thou dyedst not in this Plague till thou repentest of thy sin and wast prepared for another World SECT X. Secondly WIcked men will be worse under the dispensations of Gods Ordinances But here I shall be the shorter because it hath been the Providence of God in the late Plague that hath moved me to this work to which I would have my words have more immediate reference Many wicked men are oftentimes the worse 1. For the Word of God and the preaching thereof Not that there is any thing in the Word to make men so but it is accidental to the Word it may be occasioned by the Word but caused by their own corruptions Ministers might preach till they waste their strength and yet they will be Whoremongers and Adulterers still they will be envious and malicious still The same Sun that softens the Wax doth harden the Clay Obed-Edom was blessed for the Ark of God but the Philistines were cursed for it Ungodly men suck poyson from the sweet Flowers of Gods Word which yields nourishment to the souls of Gods people Weak eyes are the sorer if they look upon the Sun Naturalists observe that the fragrancy of precious Oyntments is wholsom for the Dove but it kills the Beetle and that Vultures are killed with the Oyl of Roses And St. Paul that the Word is to some the savour of life unto life and to others the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 17. 2. For the Sacrament of the Lords Supper That which is to Believers Calix Vitae a cup of Life is to Unbelievers Calix Mortis a cup of Death Wicked men call good evil so they turn that which is good in it self to be evil unto them Donum male utentibus nocet Good becomes evil to those that use it not aright St. Paul treating of the Sacrament sayes Ye come together not for the better but for the worse 1 Cor. 11.17 The red Sea saved the Israelites but drowned the Egyptians And the reason why the Devil maketh drunkards and profane swearers so eager after this Sacrament as our first Parents after the forbidden Fruit is because he knowes it will do them harm not good as a bad stomach full of crudities turn the food received not into the nourishment of the body but for the feeding of their humours As a mans Sea-sickness is occasioned by the waves but the foulness of his stomach is the cause thereof They must needs be worse For 1 the Devil takes fuller possession of their hearts When Judas had eaten the sop the Devil entred into him that 's a fatal morsel when the Devil follows it Joh. 13.26 27. 2 Their presumption and false hopes of heaven are hereby strengthened they think if they doe but receive their sins shall be pardoned and their souls saved 3 Their guilt is more encreased because they are guilty of the body and blood of Christ This is dreadful guilt this is a 〈◊〉 fact 4 They prophane Gods Ordinance and abuse Christs Institution 5 They are thereby riper for temporal Plagues 1 Cor. 11.30 6 They eat and hasten their own damnation 1 Cor. 11.29 But I dwell not upon this because I must pursue my design in reference to the late providence in the dreadful Plague SECT XI Why God is pleased to remove Judgements though many men are worse than they were before THat God should stay his hand and put up his Arrows into his Quiver and his Sword into his sheath and call in the destroying Angel is indeed matter and cause of great admiration that when men sin still God doth not slaughter stil when men provoke him still that he doth not by the Plague punish
them still The sins that were offensive unto God at first are amongst us still the sins continue the Judgement removed Oh stand and wonder at this that when Justice hath cut down so many that Mercy yet hath spared so many especially if you seriously consider Gods holiness and purity Gods justice and severity Gods infinite hatred unto sin and that it is not the death of thousands that can satisfie Gods Justice nor the death of those that are gone down into the grave that have pacified Gods wrath for us that do yet remain alive What may be the Reasons 1. God hath done this for his own Names sake If you goe to the Church-yards and Burial places in and about the City and see the heaps of dead bodyes and ask Why hath God done this We must answer We all have sinned If you goe into your houses and dwelling places and finde so many living after so great a Mortality and ask why hath God done this We must answer It is for his own Name sake The Plague was inflicted because we had displeased him but it is removed because Mercy hath pleased him We had deserved the inflicting of it but could not merit the removing of it In this late Providence Justice and Mercy have been wonderfully magnified Justice in removing so many thousands and laying them in their graves Mercy in sparing so many thousands and maintaining them in life that have been so long walking in the Valley of the shadow of death This is because God in the midst of Judgement hath remembred Mercy Ezek. 36.21 But I had pity for mine holy Name ver 22. Therefore say unto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Name sake So when God gives good things as well as when he removeth evil it is for his Name sake God hath taken away your sickness and plague-sores and given you health Vers 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loathe your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and for your Abominations V. 32. Not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel Oh if you have been spared for his Names sake then let all the praise of your life be unto his holy Name But then you must not be worse but better than you were 2. God hath removed his Judgement in answer to the Prayers of his people Prayer hath been an ancient Antidote against the Plague and many have been preserved from the grave as a return to prayer and so it hath of old been prevalent for the removing of the Plague And therefore Magistrates commanding the people to fast and pray proceeded in Solomons course to have it removed 1 King 8.37 If there be in the Land Famine if there be Pestilence whatsoever Plague whatsoever sickness there be What must they do then Vers 38. What prayer and supplication prayer you see is a Panpharmacum a remedy for every disease soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Vers 39. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive Prayer is the remedy prescribed by Solomon But what are the persons whose prayers shall prevail for the removing of so sore a judgement Not those that have Plague-wishes so often in their mouthes but the prayer of any man that knoweth i. e. seeth and is sensible of the Plague of his own heart 3. God may remove judgements for the benefit of his Elect that yet may be unconverted and in mercy to them who may be yet in their sins God may stay this Plague it might be for some yet unborn that may proceed from the Loyns of some that are now worse than they were before The patience and long-suffering of God is conducible to the conversion and salvation of Gods Elect 2 Pet. 3.15 And doth lead men to repentance Rom. 2.4 Many peradventure have not yet repented whom God will bring to glory and he that hath designed them to the end will preserve them in life till the means have been effectual to fit them for that end 4. God may spare some that are worse by removing judgements because as yet they are not ripe enough for slaughter The Oxe is spared longer time because not yet fit for the Shambles Thus God spared Jerusalem till they had filled up the measure of their sins Mat. 23.32 And so God exercised patience towards the Amorites till their iniquity was full Gen 15.16 God may remove and keep off judgement from some and this may be in judgement to them as he may in mercy deny some mercies unto some SECT XII What are the aggravations of this great impiety to be worse after Gods sorest judgements than they were before THat many wicked men are so we have shewed before and given the proof and reasons of it But wo to you whose case this is Is this the return you make to God Is this the fruit of his patience and forbearance to you Do you thus requite the Lord Oh foolish people and unwise Deut. 32.6 Will you seriously consider this evil frame of heart and this ungodly practise in your lives in these following particulars I. Are you worse then you were before then you are more like unto the Devil than you were before and the more unlike to God that made you A man full of all sin and bent to every wickedness is called a childe of the Devil Act. 13.10 The Devil sins as much as he can and thou dost as wickedly as thou canst Jer. 3.5 It is a folly in men to picture things immaterial and invisible and living by things without life material and visible never send a man to view the picture of the Devil with a cloven foot drawn by Art the most exact and accurate lively picture of the Devil as a Devil that is as a sinner is the worst of wicked men and who are worse than thou that neither mercy can draw nor judgement drive to God and Christ II. The worse you grow and the further you proceed in sin the more impudent you will be in the commission of it The beginnings of sin are often done with blushings of face but the progress in sin is voide of all modesty then you will be drunk and glory in it then you will swear and not be ashamed of it Jer. 6.15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Pro. 7.13 III. The further thou proceedest in making progress in thy sin the more it is to be feared thou wilt never return but if thou shouldest the more thou hast to sorrow for It is but very rare that God bringeth
some with terrors in their consciences and have you not seen some godly dye with peace and comfort and giving good evidences of their hope of a better life that God hath filled them with joys that they were going to their Fathers house and that the plague and death had not so much in them to terrifie and affright as the hopes of heaven had to comfort and support their hearts It hath been ground of great rejoycing to hear how many of Gods people in this plague did dye with joy and comfort And should not yâ—u by such a sight as this be quickened in your service unto God and ever while you live look upon Religion as a real thing that letteth in such real comforts into their hearts who had real grace in such time of real discouragements after such a sight as this never think it a vain thing to serve God though you must dye who comforts his peoples souls in the very gates of death IX In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the folly of delaying in the great concernments of another world you have seen many Drunkards did delay to repent and turn to God but when death once came to Arrest them it would not stay till they had done their work Have not you seen many have been surprized by death that those that thought they would repent hereafter and talked how they would mend hereafter are gone down into the grave before that time was come and wil not you after such a sight as this be quickned to make more haste in doing of the work that God expecteth at your hands Have not you seen some that have talked what they would do the next year laid in the dust before this year is past and gone God hereby would have you learn not to boast of to morrow because you know not what may be in the womb of another day nor what to morrow may bring forth Prov. 27.1 God would have you learn so to number your days that you may apply your hearts to wisdom Psal 90.12 God would have you learn to do your duty quickly and to do it with all your might because it will be too late when you are rotting in your Grave Eccles 9.10 X. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the great lesson of Mortification you have seen how many dyed by sin and should not you be now dead unto sin you should now in good earnest labor for the death of sin O be the death of your passion and be the death of your lusts and be the death of your worldliness especially be the death of your beloved sin God forbid that sin should be found alive in your heart after such a time of death to so many thousand persons Are so many dead and rotting in their Graves and shall not sin be dead and mouldring in your hearts These be some of the lessons God in his late providence hath been instructing you in and if you can now do these duties better than before it is some sign that you are better than you were before But yet because so great a providence should not be sleightly passed over with but a little Improvement I shall take occasion to press you to be much better than you were before before God saw a great deal of sin in his own people and amongst Professors much censoriousness and rash and uncharitable judgeing one of another want of love and affection a great deal of pride in Apparel pride in Diet pride in Furniture of houses pride of Beauty pride of Parts and Gifts and God hath been staining the pride of all Families therein God saw a great deal of neglect of Family Duties in Professors houses and customary cold and dead performance of them in others and doth it not concern all to see where they have failed and do so no more SECT XVII I Know the wicked World thinks that professing people are too exact already and that they make more adoe than is needfull But their Charge is 1. False for there is no man is so exact in his life as he ought 2. Blasphemous for what do such but blame God himself in giving such strict rules unto his people 3. Malicious Cain envyed Abel because his works were evil and his brothers good 4. Diabolical what could a Devil say more or what is this but to play the Devils part in discouraging discountenancing speaking against the pressing after the highest degrees of goodnesse But let it be your great care whom God hath spared from the grave in this time of Plague that are such as truely fear God and are truely good On take heed that after such a preservation none of you might be found worse than you were for though those that once were truely good shall never so decline as to be absolutely bad yet they may so farre fail that they may comparatively be sayd to be worse Here consider 1. To lose any degrees of Goodness and Grace is a grievous and a sinfull loss If you had lost your life in this Plague it might not have been your sin but you cannot be in the least degree worse than you were after such a providence but it is a great sin Because it is our duty to love God as much as we can therefore to lose any degrees of our love to God is to come short of our Duty and therefore a sin 2. To be worse in your spiritual condition will be great unthankefulnesse to God for his watchfull Providence over you If a man do a kindness for you will you be worse towards him than you were before And will you deal worse with God than with a fellow Creature 3. To be worse in your spiritual condition after such preservation and deliverance will be displeasiâ—g unto God and a grief unto him If God see his Children love him less and fear him less and delight in him less will it not grieve him and displease him And had it not been better you had dyed than to live to be a grief to God Had not you rather follow your Children to their graves than to see them live to be worse and dishonour God and will you yet do so your selves Is it not a grief to you the more kindness you shew unto your Children to see them the more undutiful to you and will it not be so in you to God 4. If you be worse than you were in your spiritual condition you shall have less communion with God than you had before and had not you better dye than lose your communion with God for what is your life without fellowship with God 5. If you be worse you will have less Comfort from God than you had before If you deny Duty to him which you performed to him before he will deny that comfort to you which he gave you before and what will your life be without the comforts of God let down into your soul
no better be you better and you will have the lesser trouble within though the better you are the more trouble you might have from men but that 's not so great matter 14. The better you are the more glory you will bring to God Herein is my father glorified that you bear much fruit Joh. 15.8 And what is your design in the world but to glorifie God and to do that and be that which tendeth most thereunto 15. The better you are the more you will credit Religion and realize the wayes of God it will appear that Religion is a real thing when it hath made bad men good and good men better If there were nothing else to disgrace the ways of sin this would be abundantly sufficient to behold the great wickedness of those men how bad they be that walk most therein 16. The better you are while you live the more undaunted you shall be when you come to dye The reason why we are so troubled in our sickness is because we were no better in our health conscience then remembers at such a time I sinned and at such a place I fell and in such company I defiled my soul be better in Health you will be the better in sickness and death 17. The better you are upon earth the weightier your crown shall be in heaven Those that be truly good shall have sure glory but those that are better shall have more There shall be no want of any thing to any one in heaven but yet some shall shine more eminently in glory than others Thus I have dispatched this particular also that you be better after such a signal providence as this for if you be not this very thing will be a greater Plague than the Plague upon the body and if you ask me wherein you should be better you must gather up that in the following Directions which shall be more particular and such as may be useful to prevent men from growing worse which was the first thing and helpful to promote this duty of being better which was the second thing I have spoken to DIRECTION II. HAth God spared you in time of Plague that you live in some measure answerably to so great a mercy carefully endeavour to live up to the purposes and resolutions and vows which you made to God in time of danger and distress Good purposes and holy resolutions when observed and put in practice are great helps to an answerable return to God for his mercies conferred upon us but holy Religious vows being something more than single purposes and resolutions being a promise made to God with due deliberation of something lawful in it self and in our power to perform as a testimony of our thankefulness unto God for some extraordinary mercy received or expected or deliverance from some great evil in extraordinary danger and distress do much promote a holy life whereby we may the better be inabled to walk in some measure worthy of what the Lord in mercy hath done for us or given to us In time of extraordinary danger or when we are in expectation of some extraordinary Mercy we have the example of the holy men of God in Scripture to binde our selves to endeavour to walk more close with God So Jacob Gen. 28.20 And Jacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on Vers 21. So that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God And this he was careful to perform Gen. 35.2 Then Jacob said unto his houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange gods and be clean and change your garments Vers 3. And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went Thus David made a vow to God when he was in danger of his life Psal 56.12 Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praises unto thee Vers 13. For thou hast delivered my soul from death And in the like danger Psal 116.3 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Vers 4. Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Vers 6. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Vers 8. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Vers 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me Vers 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people And hath not this been thy case Christian Reader did not the sorrows of death compass thee about Didst thou not finde trouble and sorrow Wast thou not brought very low and received the sentence of death within thy self Didst thou not then call upon the name of the Lord and resolve thou wouldst walk before the Lord if he would restore thee and hath not God delivered thy soul from death and thy feet from falling Then pay thy vows to God and perform to him thy promise and live up unto thy resolutions Tell me what were thy purposes when thou heardest the Plague had entered into thy Neighbours house when it came unto the family nearest unto thine What were thy resolutions when the Plague did enter into thy house and took one away and then another What were thy holy deliberate lawful vows when it seized upon thy body When thou betookest thy self unto thy bed to sweat out thy distemper When thou foundest Risings on thy Body Swellings and Carbuncles in several parts when the apprehensions of death did fill thy minde and the terrors of the Lord did fill thy heart when thou thoughtest thou hadst not many days to live and that thou wert near to death and another world and shouldest certainly dye if God did not preserve thee What didst thou think then And what didst thou purpose then and resolve upon then Didst thou not determine with thy self if God would spare thy life if God would give thee health again and try thee a little longer in the world that thou wouldest walk more holily and act for God more zealously That thou wouldest pray more frequently and more fervently That thou would minde the world less and heaven more That thou wouldest make Religion thy business as long as thou shouldest live Didst thou not resolve that God and Christ and things above should have more of thy heart and hearty love That thou wouldest then forsake loose and carnal company and associate thy self with those in whom thou couldst discern most of God and walked most conscientiously before him That thou wouldest no more take a cup too much nor club in the Ale-house and Tavern to the neglect of duties of thy family
perform thy promise unto God when thou canst never break it but when God is looking on 10. Keep a lively and a tender conscience and diligently hearken to its admonitions that thou keep thy purpose cominations while thou art purposing to come short of thy purpose and accusations afterwards if thy conscience is not faithful unto thee thou wilt be false unto thy promise and fail of thy purpose but if it be do not choak the voice of conscience for it is thy monitor and remembrancer to put thee in minde of the bond â—nd obligation that lies upon thee to a holy life by virtue of thy own resolutions and vows in time of great mortality 11. Make a prudent choise of some wise and holy Christian for thy most intimate associate One that knows thy ways and practise most that is most acquainted with the manner of thy life and hath most occasion to be most in thy company supposing him to be faithful prudent pious tell him what hath been the purpose of thy heart when the terrors of the Lord were upon thee not onely against sin in general or in respect of holiness in general but what was the purpose of thy soul and the resolution of thy heart against this sin if it be convenient in particular which thou hast been most prone unto and the particular duty thou hast resolved to be constant and diligent in which thou hast found thy heart most backward to and engage him as he loves thy soul and the promoting of the work of God in thy heart that he will carefully observe thee and if he discern thee to be backward to thy duty that he would admonish thee if forward to thy sin that he would reprove thee and in all deal faithfully with thee this would be an exceeding help to perform our promises and purposes of holy living and such a friend as this is to be prized above his weight in gold and such a friend as this is better than a brother if you finde him let him not go 12. Seriously consider and work upon your heart till you feel your soul affected with it that Gods purposes concerning you and your good and eternal peace is the same at one time as at another and he performes all his promises which he maketh unto you God doth not one time purpose for to save you and another time purpose to condemn you and why should you then be unconstant in your purposes towards God one time to purpose that you will serve him more and glorifie him more and at another time be careless to order your life according to the intention of your heart When you finde your hearts begin to slink and goe from the purpose and promise that you have made press your self with affecting thoughts of the Immutability of Gods purposes to you and this might help you to constancy in your purposes towards God 13. Steel your heart with an holy courage against all oppositions in your way of performance Take heed of slavish fears which enfeeble your resolutions and put a stop in the way of an holy life you have resolved upon fear of danger and of death made you to resolve to keep close to God and yet your fear of death and fear of danger for holiness sake will hinder your living up to those Purposes and Resolutions Fear of death natural and from God was the occasion of your resolving to practise an holy life but fears of death violent and from men will be the cause of your breach of promise so to doe Therefore resolve to live up to your Resolutions though loss of Estate Liberty or Life should attend you for so doing 14. Fill your heart with an holy Zeal for Gods glory and if you be zealous for the glory of God you will be couragious against all Impediments and Obstructions of an holy conversation Courage is opposed to slavish Fears and Zeal is opposed to Lukewarmness And Lukewarmness is inconsistent with the practice you have resolved upon You have purposed to pray more fervently than you were wont to do but if your heart be as lukewarm in Religion you cannot do it you have purposed to lay out your self more for the good of souls to endeavour to help others in their way to heaven but if you be as lukewarm as before you cannot do more than you did before But if your heart be enflamed with zeal for God more than before you will perform all your Religious undertakings with more life than before you will pray with more life and preach with more life and speak to men about the things of God and another world than you did before and this is the performance of your Purpose 15. Be much in daily Reflexions whether you live up to your Resolutions or no. Review your life every night reflect upon your Duties and the manner of performance of them Survey at night before you sleep the actions of the day whether they have been according to the Rule of Gods Word what temptations did assault you and how you did resist them what corruptions did rise in your heart and how you did subdue them what Ordinances of God you have sate under and how you did improve them what Talents God hath entrusted you with and how you have employed them what company you have been in and how you did behave your self If you do not call your self frequently to account you will live below your Purposes and not perceive it 16. Be often renewing your Purposes and Resolutions for an holy life Frequent acts do beget and strengthen habits Actually renew your Purpose to pray to God to walk circumspectly to discourse of the things of God and it will at length be habitual to you so to do If you finde upon reflection and self-examination that your Purposes are weakened and your heart draws back from that pitch of holiness you did intend to labour after binde your heart thereto by the renewal of your Purposes If you finde you have broken your Resolutions do not resolve to continue so to do but repair them If the Mariner be driven back by windes and storms yet he keeps and renews his purpose of sailing unto his intended Harbour If a Traveller fall in his Journey he gets up and resolves to hold on his way 17. Presse your heart with the evils of coming short and with the benefits of living up unto your Resolutions The evils of this I shall speak to in the third general Head that follows next in order The Benefits of keeping the purpose of your heart are many and great Your sins will not be so many your sins will not be so strong for Resolutions against sin that are firmly made and carefully kept do exceedingly weaken sin and if you should sometime sin your sin will not be so great when God doth see you keep the firm purpose of your heart against it though sometimes you are overborn and bowed down yea
loof off from my sore and my kinsmen stand afar off This it may be hath been thy condition who readest these lines thy body was full of loathsome sores and God hath cured thee and which was worse thy soul was full of loathsome reigning sins and God hath healed thee what now doth God expect at thy hand but that since he hath given health unto thy body and grace into thy soul thou shouldest use both unto his glory which if thou conscientiously and sincerely endeavor and practise ere long thou shalt be received into the Armes of thy Lord where there shall be no more sickness in thy body nor sin in thy soul for ever DIRECTION III. HAth God spared you in time of Pestilence then if you would Live in some measure answerable to so great a Mercy Be eminenth exemplary in the Place Capacity Calling Station or Relation wherein God hath set you Every Relaâ—ion hath some Duties peculiar to that Relation and every Calling and Capacity wherein Divine Providence hath plâ—ced you hath something wherein you may be peculiarly eminent and who knowes but God hath preserved you for this end that you may excell in the Capacity and Condition God hath called you unto if your Condition be a Condition of Prosperity be eminent in Humility Self-denial and Charity if of Adversity be eminent in Submission and Patience in undergoing the Will of God But that I may speak more Comprehensively and Distinctly I shall consider that every one that is left alive after this sore Judgment stands in one or more of these following Capacities or Conditions in every one of which every Man whom God hath spared should now labour to be eminently exemplary This Capcity is either Political Magistrates or Subjects Ecclesiastical Pastors Flock Oeconomical Conjugal Husband Wife Parental or Filial Parents Children Despotical or Servile Masters Servants One of these every Person is that is preserved from the Grave and if every one would now endeavour in good earnest to do something singular but singularly good for God in his particular Relation to do the Duty which God peculiarly calls for and excell therein that you failed in and came short of before this would be a good Improvement of the Mercy and this would be in some measure to walk up unto it SECTION I. LEt us consider the Persons whom God hath in mercy spared from the Grave in their Political câ—ciâ—y and such are either 1. Magistrates and Governours for over us by God Leâ—e with humility and reverence minde you of your duty and tell you That God expecteth and requireth that since he hath intrusted you with Authority from himself and given you Life and preserved you from the Grave in the day of his sore Visitation in the City that though your Place and Office did oblige you to a less retired Life then many others yet God hath kept you from Death by Infectious Diseases Now should you not inquire what you should do for God and how you may improve your time and Talent for his Honour should not you punish Sin that is so indeed and Countenancâ— Holiness and Religion that is so indeed should not you be zealous for God in punishing of open-Prophaneness and the horrid Oathes that have cried aloud in the eares of God Men prophanely Swearing by the Sacred Name of God and Sabbath-breâ—king and violation of the Holy Day of God did not Nehemiah do so Nehem. 13.15 In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading Asses as also wine grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold Victuals Vers 1 6. There dwelt Men of Tire also therein which brought fish and all manner of Ware and sold on the Sabbath as many did Fruit openly in some places of the Streets and in Fields about London unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem Vers 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath day Ver. 18. Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath Vers 19. And it came to pass when the Gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded the Gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my servants set I at the Gates that there should be no Burden brought in upon the Sabbath day Vers 20. So the Merchants and sellers of all kind of Ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice Vers 21. Then I testified against them and said unto them Why lodge ye about the Wall if ye do so again I will lay hands on you from that time â—orth came they no more on the Sabbath This Example is worthy your Imition and oh how much good may you do and how much Sin and Dishonour to God thereby might you prevenâ— if you do indeed obey the Laws of God and Execute the good Laws of this Kingdom in that Case made and provided Should not you discourage Drunkeness and Houses notorious for uncleanness That Taverns and Ale 〈◊〉 be not so much frequented should you not be a Terror unto the Evil why Drunkenness and prophane Swearings and Brothel-houses are Evil indeed for which a Land is made to Mourn and should not you be a praise to them thaâ— do well Rom. 13.3 Are not you Gods Ministers for good to them that are good and revengers to execute wrath upon him that doth evil and can you wâ—â—k worthy of so great preservation from the Plague if you do not cut down Sin and incourage Godliness SECTION II. 2. SUbjects and People Governed Many and strickt are the Preâ—epts and Injunctions of God upon People to their Magistrates and no less then damnation is threatned by God himself to such as oppose themselves against their Magistrates Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Vers 2. Whosoever therefoâ—e resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Vers 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake True Religion we see from this Scripture doth oblige People and Subject in Duty and Obedience to their Magistrates and none will more Conscientiously obey than those that are most Religious Obedience to Magistrates from this place is required because 1. They are Ordained of God 2. They that resist them resist an Ordinance of God 3. Such as do so receive to themselves damnation 4. They are appointed of God to be a terror to the evil not to the good 5. Conscience is bound so to do 6.
with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him Thus if you would live in some measure answerably to Gods mercy in preserving of you from death and the grave that you are not buried yet with others you must die to sin and be buried with Christ DIRECTION VIII HAth God spared you in the time of Plague that you yet remain among the Living If you would improve this mercie then Live to God and walk in newness of Life God hath not spared you that you should live to your self or to the flesh or that you should walk in your old courses But your duty is now to live to God and to lead a new Conversation God hath brought you to the borders of the grave and to the very confines of another world and shaked you over the grave and hath recovered and restored you and hath as it were given you a new life by reprieving you from the gates of death when you were so near unto it Rom. 6.4 That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newness of life and the equipollent phrases of this new life are To walk with before and after God To walk after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 To serve God in newness of spirit Rom. 7.6 To walk as children of light Eph. 5.8 To walk in the waies of God Psal 119.3 To walk circumspectly Eph. 5.16 That you may being spared from the grave lead a new life I shall shew you The signs or nature of it The excellencies or dignities of it The Impediments and hinderances of it SECT I. THe nature of or that which is included in newness of life doth not consist in these things 1. It doth not consist in some new notions or new speculations which you had not before a new light might be made in an old house New speculations may consist with an old Conversation 2. It doth not consist in a newness of a bare resolution to lead a new life this is but in order to it though if it be real it is a good step towards this walking 3. It doth not consist in a bare performance of some new duties which you did not before an old course of sin may consist with the external performance of some New Duties as Praying Reading c. 4. Nor in a bare keeping of some new Company though this is to be desired that many would forsake their old wicked Company or if God hath taken thy wicked Companions away by death thou wouldst not make choice of those that be as bad 5. Nor in New discoursing of spiritual things A man that was wont to swear and reproach and blaspheme the name of God might now talk of God with others and yet not lead a new life 6. Nor in forbearing of many old sins which before you lived in you were drunkards before but not now I would more were so changed but yet this comes short of this newness of life which doth include these things following To walk in newness of life supposeth a new saving knowledge a new sight and a new judgement of things No man can lead this new life with his old judgment which was corrupt judging that good which was evil and that evil which was good 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your Ignorance There must be a new sight and new discoverie of these things 1. Of God and his Excellency 2. Of Christ and his Sufficiency 3. Of â—in and itâ— Deformity 4. Of the World and its Vanity 5. Of Grace and its Necessity 6. Of Heaven and its Felicity 7. Of Hell and its extremity of Woe Till a man hath new eyes and hath his understanding opened to see the nature of all these things otherwise than he did before he will not walk contrary to what he did before if he see no more of Christ nor in the Attributes of God nor in Grace he will still flight all these and undervalue them if he have the same admiring apprehensions of the World and seeth as much beauty in deformed sin he will love it still and delight in it still There must be new light and new saving knowledge before there can be a new life To walk in newness of life includes newness of Principle a man with his old Principle can never lead a new life A man in old courses may live according to the Dictates of a natural conscience according to old customes but he that leads a new life must have a new Principle of love to God a new Principle of true fear of God he must have new strength from Christ a new heart and new affections To walk in newness of life includes the vigorous actings of this new Principle and living in the exercise of these new graces infused into the heart in the exercise of new love to God of new desires after Christ of new sorrow for his sin of new hatred to his sin To walk is to exert a principle of motion into act To walk in newness of life is to have a Conversation filled with new works and to have all things done according to the Rule of new obedience His old work was to please the flesh but his new work is to please God His old work was chiefly to get riches and encrease therein his new work is to get grace and more of it His old work was to obey the commands of sin his new work is to obey the commands of God To walk in newness of life is to walk according to the new Rule not according to the practises and examples of wicked men but according to the rule of Gods Word according to the example of Christ To walk in newness of life is to live for new ends his end is not now self-interest in the world not his own estimation amongst men not his preferment in this world old ends are inconsistent with a new life But this mans end is the glory of God all the actions of his life are ultimately resolved into this and all is in subordination unto this He trades for this end that God may be glorified he praies and preacheth he reads and studies that God may be glorified To walk in newness of life includes a newness of objects about which he is conversant such as keep their old course of life look no higher than worldly objects the honours and the pleasures and the profits of this world But such as are risen with Christ to walk in newness of life have proposed to themselves new objects things that are above God and Grace and Heaven things that are invisible to the eyes of carnal men To wâ—lk in newness of life it is to walk as Christ did after he was risen from the dead i. e. in our measure Christ did not incumber himself with the things of this world after his resurrection he did not converse with the men of this world neither must we use their
company out of choice Christ aftâ—r his Resurrection waited for his Ascension into glory So if we will walk in newness of life we must have our conversation in heaven and be continually expecting our dissolution and our translation into glory To walk in newness of life it is to do all the actions of out life in a new manner to do alâ— religious duties to pray and to hear in a new manner Before he prayed lukewarmly and with a dull and hard and unbelieving heart but now more fervently more livelily Though the matter of his duties might be the same yet the manner is new To walk in newness of life is to be making progress in all these walking is a progressive motion it is to continue and to persevere in the waies of holiness Not to decline nor to go backwards not to return or walk back again to old wickedness SECT II. THe excellency and dignity of a new life is very great and for your greater encouragement to walk therein I shall instance in some of them 1. A new life is a life according to the New Covenant which God hath made with fallen man Men that walk in old sinful courses continue the Covenant they have made with sin and Satan But a man that walketh in newness of life is a man that hath entred into a New Covenant with God Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put into you I will take away the stony heart 〈◊〉 of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Veâ— 27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statuâ—es and ye shall keep my judgments and do them And to walk thus in Gods Statutes is to walk in newness of life 2. A new life it is the most rational life When the Prodigal left his old waies and took up a new course he is said to come to himself Luk. 15.17 Men act most unreasonably when they act wickedly 3. A new life is the sweetest and most comfortable life There are sensual carnal brutish delights in the waies of sin but there is much terrour and bitterness in a wicked course alwaies at the end of it Such as lead a new life they have experience of the comforts of the Spirit of the joyes of the Holy Ghost All these new waies so called as opposed to his former waies else the best way is the oldest way are waies of pleasanâ—ness and all these paths are pâ—â—ce 4. A new life it is the noblest life we then live according to the highest elevation that we are capable of in this life Nay it is a life nearest to the life of glory 5. A new life is an evidencing life it is an evidence of the great and glorious things that are brought to light by the Gospel all full of delighting comfort A new lâ—fe tâ—king in all the particulars before set down shewing the things included in it is an evidence First Of our Election his new life is a fruit of Gods ancient love Eph. 1.4 Secondly Of a new robe of righteousness put upon us for our justificâ—tion Thirdly Of Pâ—râ—on of old sins Fourthly Of our Union with Christ we could not leâ—d a new life were we not engrafted into a new stock Fifthly Of the sincerity of our hearts and the truth of grace Sixthly Of our sure title to heaven to the new Jerusalem that is above 6. A new life is â—n encouraging life it will be an encouragement to a man to go â—o God in his greatest straits it will encourage a man with boldness to look death in the face when it comes 7. It is the most profitable life to our selves and to others we shall be giving to others a good example if we lead new lives whereby they may be drawn to an holy Imitation A new heâ—rt you may have and that may profit your self but a new life will be profitable to others as well as to your self 8. A new life is the only life that honours God and that doth credit the Gospel and the Profession that we make To live in an old course of swearing and lying and Sabbath-breaking is to dishonour God but if you walk in newness of life you will promote the great end for which you live i. e. the glory of God and the excellency of any thing is according to its sutableness and tendency to the attaining of a mans ultimate end it is a new life that only glorifieth God therefore a new life is the only exâ—ellent life 9. He that leads a new life hath a new guide to direct him in his holy walk the Spirit of God will be your guide to shew you the way that you ought to go Though to you it may be a new way yet you shall not lose your way because the Spirit is your guide 10. He that leads a new life is taken into new relations God is now his Father and the Son of God is now his Lord Head Redeemer Brother and all the people of God are now related to him in the bonds of grace These things and many more may be said in commendation of the excellency of a new life which appears to be so in the eyes of carnal men who have walked after their old hearts when they come to dye that they then resolve if God would spare them they would lead a new life SECT III. THe hinderances of walking in newness of life are many and very great that it is not an easie thing for any man to lead this life 1. The Old Serpent is a great enemy to this New liâ—e he hath old stratagems and old devices and snares to divert them out of this way 2. The Old Principle of corruption remaining in our hearts is a great Impediment to this new life It is working still in us to walk in the old waies of pleasures and delights the Old man within will still strive hard to hinder this New life without 3. Old sinful Company will hinder you in your new manner of life they will be tempting and enticing and perswading you to come to your old games and your old delights It will be hard to live a new life amongst old sinful Companions 4. Slavish fear of men is a great impediment of walking in newness of life it may be thou mightest displease thy Father thy Master the Friend upon whom thou dost much depend if thou shouldest forsake thy old wicked life and become a new Creature and lead a new life thou wouldest meet with new troubles but fear God and his Vengeance more if thou walk in thy old course of sin and keep thy old heart then be filled with slavish fear of men if they should deny their old favour and friendship to thee because thou walkest in newness of life 5. Flesh-pleasing and being too much over-powred by the sensitive appetite 6. Spiritual sloth For a New Life hath many new difficult duties Thus if you
would improve this Mercy that God hath spared you you must live to God and walk in newness of life DIRECTION IX HAth God spared you in time of so great Contagion Then keep upon your heart a constant sense of Gods distinguishing Providence in his preservation of you Let not length of time if God give it you wear off the greatness of this his Mercy towards you if you forget Gods goodness you will not walk worthy of it This was the sin of the People of Israel for whom God did such great things Psal 78.10 They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law Vers 11. And forgot his Works and his Wonders that he had shewed them Psal 106.21 They forgot God their Saviour which had done great things in Egypt God hath done great wonders for you in preserving of you in the valley of the shadow of death God hath not given you over unto death God hath not laid you in the Grave where you would soon have been forgotten do not you lay Gods Mercy towards you in the grave of oblivion nor bury his mercy of saving you alive in forgetfulness David laid a charge upon his Soul that he should not forget the benefits of the Lord towards him Psal 103.2 Set down therefore and Record your danger what it was Such a Moneth in such a Year the Plague was nigh my dwelling it came into my house it took away so many of my Children and Servants but God spared me he took away the Wife the Husband of my bosome but God spared me yea it was upon my Body so many Plague-Sores were running at once and God delivered me from the Grave and from the very jawes of death and will you forget this while you live That you may have and keep a sense of Gods mercy to you in preserving of you consider these few particulars 1. Consider you had deserved the Plague and death by the Plague as well as those that have fallen into their Graves thereby and it may be more too do not think that those that have died were greater sinners than you Luke 13.2 And Jesus answered and said unto them suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things Vers 3. I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish Vers 4. Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell and slew them think ye that they were sinners above all Men that dwelt in Jerusalem Vers 5. I tell you nay but extept ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Do you think that those whom the Plague hath slaughtered that they were greater sinners then all that dwelt in London Take heed of such conceptions Or if many have fallen in this judgment that were of worser Lives than you yet none have fâ—llen that had worser Hearts than you naturally hâ—ve Nay have not your sins been capable of greater â—ggravations than the sins of many Dâ—unkards and Swearers and prophane Peâ—sons that did never sin against a God that pardoned their sins that did never sin against such love nor after such experiences of the working of Gods Spirit upon their hearâ—s as you have had Nay consider that you are not likely â—o do God that service nor bring to God that Glory that some of them might have done that are now in their Grâ—ves if God had spared them and yet God hath lengthened out your life Oh what an Obligation should this be to you to remember Gods Mercy that you had Plague-deserving-sins but yet you had not the Plague that you have death-deserving-sins and yet you are not dead 2. Consider you had a Body as liable to Infection as many others had There were such natural causes in your Body that might have laid you in your Grave if God had not prevented it and did not you suck in the same Aire as others did yea as others breathed out and yet God hath kept you 3. Consider you had no better Preservatives nor Cordials then many others had that yet by the Plague are laid silent in the Grave and are now resting in the dust and others that now are dead used the same meanes as you did and it may be more and better too and yet God denyed his blessing to the use of those meanes that were more probable to prevent Infection then yours were by this you may be convinced that it was the hand of God that hath preserved you and therefore by this you should be obliged to remember and keep upon your heart a sense of Gods mercy towards you 4. Consider you have been in more visible danger and when you were called did venture further then many others did some were more reserved and kept from Company more than you have done being called to Duty where Visited Persons have been as to help them that were sick of this Distemper c. and yet some that lived more retiredly and kept themselves more close were Visited and are dead and yet you have escaped this is the finger of Divine Providence and will you let the sense of this weare off from your heart 5. Consider that you have been more weakly and more infirme of Body then many of them that the Plague hath removed Many that were more likely to out-live you are cut down before you Many that were strong and of healthful constitutions are laid in the Dust while you that have been waiting for your dissolution many Moneths or Years because of the infirmity of your Body and the frequent distempers that have been upon you are preserved 6. Consider how great a Mercy your praservation is not onely to your self but to those to whom you are related You have many little Children that are not able to help themselves nor to provide for themselves that in all likelihood would have been exposed to hardships and to want if God had taken you from them They are sharers in this Mercy of your Preservation and the more are concerned in it the greater the Mercy is and the deeper and more lasting sense it should make upon your heart The thoughts of your Children did increase your feares and trouble when you were in danger and should not the consideration of this advance the greatness of the Mercy of being continued to them DIRECTION X. HAth God spared you in time of Pestilence when he hath taken away many of your own Relations then the fewer objects you have for your love now the stronger let your love be towards God then it was before In steâ—d of murmuring against God that you have lost those whom you did love the greater let your love be to God since you hâ—ve not so many for to love Love lâ—id out upon many objects is the weaker buâ— love united and spent upon one object is tâ—e stronger As those that have but one only Son love that more then those that have more do love any because their love is divided
to get a thankful heart for so great a mercy SECT I. HOw or with what must those that are preâ—erved give thanks to God This must be done three waies 1. You must praise God with your tongues Your lips must shew forth his praises Psal 51.15 Your tongue must sing aloud of Gods righteousness and mercy For this end God hath preserved you Psal 30.11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloath and girded me with gladness Ver. 12. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever By glory David means his tongue The Tongue is the glory of a man it being his priviledge above all Creatures with the tongue to form articulate words having distinction of sound for the communicating of the conceptions of his mind unto others Thus we should praise God by speaking of his excellencies and perfections of his nature of his works and waies of his dealings with us of the danger he hath delivered us from of the good he hath given to us of the salvation he hath wrought for us 2. You must praise God with your heart as well as with your tongue for as prayer for mercy with the tongue without the heart will not be profitable to us so praises with the tongue for mercy received without the heart will not be acceptable unto God To praise God with the heart is the very heart of our praises Thus David that before called upon his tongue to bless God doth also elsewhere call upon his soul to do it Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name God blesseth us by giving good things unto us Eph. 1.3 We bless God when we do thankfully acknowledge the good things we receive from God You must then stir up your soul and all that is within you unto this great work of praise for so great Preservation 3. You must praise God in your lives and by your works and conversations You must not only speak Gods praises but you must live to his praise you must do it with life and in and by your life Life is the mercy I call upon you to praise God for and you must do it by your life You may praise God with your lips and not with your hearts but if you do indeed praise God with your heart you will also do it by your life If you will give thanks indeed you must live thanks The best thanks-giving is thanks-doing Thus if you would be thankful for the life of your children shew it by your religious care in their holy Education That God might not say of you I spared such a mans Children in time of Plague and afterwards he brought them up to dishonour me and to sin against me if you would be thankful for your own life then lay it out in holy walking with God SECT II. WIth what Arguments should the people of God urge their own hearts thus in tongue in heart and life to praise and glorifie God for his preserving of them Work your heart hereunto with these following Arguments Consider 1. Should not you thus praise God for your preservation from danger by the Plague Who did make this one of your Arguments to prevail with God by prayer in time of danger to preserve you Did not you reason thus with God in time of sickness Lord lengthen out the life of thy servant O Lord deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks What profit is there in my bloud when I go down into the pit Shall the dust praise thee Shall it declare thy truth The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth The living the living he shall praise thee Were not these your pleadings at the throne of grace And did not you promise to God and purpose in your heart that if God would spare you you would celebrate his praises And shall not there be a correspondence betwixt your actions when you were in fears and your actions when your great danger by the Plague is over 2. Should not you thus praise God for your preservation Who have such examples for your practice recorded in the Scripture When Hezekiah had been sick and was recovered he sang forth the praises of the Lord Isa 38.19 20. When David had been in danger of death and was delivered he deliberates with himself what he should return and render to the Lord Psal 116.12 13 c. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of Salvation and will call upon the name of the Lord. Ver. 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving For your imitation consider Davids practice 1. He propounds a case of conscience Since I was brought low and the Lord hath helped me since the sorrows of death have compassed me about and God hath delivered me what shall I render What must I do What return must I make And he presseth himself to this by four forcible Arguments in these words for all his benefits towards me He considered First Benefits received Kindnesses call for acknowledgments favours are obliging We must give thanks in and for afflictions much more when we are delivered I deserved judgments but benefits have been my receipt Secondly The Author of them His benefits The kindnesses of men should not be forgotten much less the benefits of God Your life is a benefit and God is the Author of it Thirdly The Number of them All his benefits they were many not a few Three things are innumerable Gods mercies to us Our sins against God The evils that good men suffer Psal 40.5 12. Fourthly The Person to whom they were given For all his benefits to me Hath God indeed given such mercy to me Hath God continued life to me so vile so unworthy Oh what shall I render 2. He resolves this case propounded I will take the Cup of salvation I will offer the sacrifice of praise God hath taken from you for the present the Cup of death which was to so many a Cup of trembling he hath removed your Cup of affliction and instead thereof hath given you a Cup of Consolation and a cup running over with variety of mercies and will not you take the Cup of Salvation and offer the Sacrifice of praise Do you see David in the like case so diligent and inquisitive what to render and so peremptory and resolute to offer praise to God and will not you go and do likewise 3. Is not this the noblest work you can engage in to praise God and to celebrate with thankfulness the greatness of his mercy and goodness It is the work of Angels to be praising
God and when you take your flight into heaven and are perfectly removed from sin sorrow suffering temptation wants you shall do nothing else but love and praise and admire God And will you not in the mean while accustome your self to that work on earth which shall be your imployment in heaven And will you not take occasion hereunto by so great a mercy as God at such a time as this hath vouchsafed you 4. Is not God most worthy of your highest and your heartiest praises You were not worthy of Gods mercies you were not worthy of life but God is worthy of the best of your praises were they as perfect as the Hallelujahs of the Saints in heaven God indeed is above all praise Neh. 9.5 But yet he is pleased with his peoples praising of him 5. Will you praise the efficacy of your Antidotes and the skill of your able Physitian by whose help you have been under God preserved And will you not be much more in praising of God for your safety when without his blessing all had been ineffectual Will you praise the Instrument and means and say I had an able Doctor and not the principal cause of your preservation and say I had a good God 6. Will not you praise God for his mercy towards you no not for your life when this is all that God requireth at your hands that you should be thâ—nkful for your life and thankfully improve it for his glory You cannot make a requital but God expecteth some return you cannot make a retaltation but God looketh for some retribution And will not you think an alms ill bestowed upon that beggar that will not give you thanks And will not life be continued to the aggravation of your sin if you are not thankful for it 7. Is not this a duty that will well become you A Christian doth then act most like a Christian when he is praising God in tongue in heart and life Psal 33.1 2. and 147.1 Praise is comely for the upright Three things are very comely To weep as a Sinner to walk as a Saint to rejoyce as a Son 8. Will not you give to God the glory of his preserving providence when if you do not that are Gods people none else will The wicked that are spared they will not they cannot praise God they will dishonour him they will speak to Gods dishonour and act to Gods dishonour so that if you do not praise God for his sparing so many alive none else will And shall God be without all thankful acknowledgments of his remembring mercy in the midst of judgment God forbid That amongst all the thousands that are spared there should be none found making some thankful return to God This number will be but small amongst the Ten Lepers that were cleansed there was but one found thankful If you would not have God to lose the glory of his providence then you must be the men that must honour him for it Many wicked men were not found praying to be preserved much less will they be found praising when they are preserved 9. Have you more cause to bless God for life than others have and yet will not you do it Your life is more sweet and comfortable to you than the lives of wicked men are or can be forasmuch as you have those comforts with life and that Communion with God in life that wicked men have not They live only a natural life and have only the sweetness of natural life but you with this life have also the comforts of an higher life and yet will not you bless God for it They are delivered from the Grave for a while but not from the wrath of God too from the Grave but not from the danger of hell too but so are you And have you so much cause to bless God for life and will you want an heart to bless him 10. Is this the most effectual way to have life continued to you and yet will not you do it To have life continued will be to be thankful for it else God finding you unthankful when the Plague is over might commission death by some other distemper to take that from you which you would not be thankful for 11. Is not life the sweetest of all earthly mercies and more to be prized and yet will not you be thankfull to God for it that hath so signally continued it unto you Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life And yet will not you give thanks to God for life What earthly thing will you be thankful for â—nd what mercy upon earth will you make returns to God for if not for life 12. Do you finde unthankful Men placed amongst the greatest rank of sinners and yet will you be unthankful Unthankful Persons are numbred among Blasphemers Covetous Disobedient to Parents such as are without Natural affection false Accusers Despisers of those that are good c. 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4. and will you yet be unthankful and that for your Life Thus by these considerations you should press your heart to give Praises to God for this so great Preservation SECTION III. III. WHat is the course that those that remain after this Judgment should take to be thankful to God and to render Praises to him for the Preservation of themselves and those of their Relations continued to them Take these Rules 1. If you would render Thankes to God in Tongue in Heâ—rt and Lâ—fe for this Mercy then get a right judgment of the worth and greatness of the Mercy that you and some of yours are continued after this Visitation Those that do not prize a Mercy will never be thankful for it What a Mercy is life to you that are not yet assured of the love of God What a Mercy is life to you that are not yet certain of the Salvation of your Soules or if you are sure of Heaven yet is life to you a great Mercy that you have time to do the Works that God hath appointed you to do Consider also what a Mercy it is to have your Children continued that you may yet Instruct them and Pray for them that you may see Christ formed in them before you or they do die 2. If you would be thankful for life and have an heart to render Praises to the Lord for your own and your Relations consider how uncomfortable your Life had been had God continued you and taken away your neerest Relations and how uncomfortable your Life would have been had God continued them onely and taken you away from them You may consider while you live the Discomforts of your Relations and the sorrow of their hearts if God had removed you by death What an uncomfortable Widow would your Wife now have been what uncomfortable Orphans would your Children now have been You have enough before you and amongst you that are sad Instances of this Oh consider this and it will be a meanes to make you