of the Bridegroom and the Bride was ever heard For they are driven out of light into darkness and an eternal night of grief and desperate sorow to have their portion with Hypocrites their Lamps to be put out in obscure darkness This door of separation like to the pillar of the cloud between the Israelites and Egyptians yields light to the wise within and darkness to the fools without These things which are mostly Textuâ—l are enough to demonstrate the misery of these Virgins I need not spend further time to dilate upon the pain of loss nor at all upon the pain of Sense which followeth inevitably upon what you have already heard Let me therefore apply the Truth thus opened and hasten to the Question Vse Are these things so What then shall we think of such who fall as short of the foolish Virgins as the foolish do of the wise And where shall the prophane and ignorant Sinner appear O how many are there in a Laâ—d of Light who are far from this Virginity fore mentioned as being defiled with Antichrist's and the world's pollutions How many who never engaged in the Saints Communion and who never pretended to the Bridegroom never waited for his Coming never went sorth to meet him never regarded a Lamp of Light without them in the Word nor of the knowledge of Christ within them and who are so fast asleep in sin that no midnight-cry can awake them Surely the door of Grace will be shut against these when they dye who never cared to come near it whil'st they lived And if foolish Virgins per sh with their hands upon the gates of Glory what will become of them who live dye at so vast a distance from them And if five of ten that go sorth to meet and marry the Bridegroom are yet shut out of doors what can they expect who go out to meet him in an hostile manner and professed opposition to him 2. The Point admonisheth all that profess unto the Bridegroom to take heed of resting in ought that is common to them with the foolish Virgins For except your righteousness exceed theirs you shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are two Negatives in the Original Text as much as to say you shall not you shall not enter The Door is double lock'd against them Now you have heard of their attainments their Virginity i.e. their protesting against Idolatry and Superstition and also the world's pollutions yea their joyning in Communion with sincere Believers their light their fellowship in all the Ordinances their expectations of the Bride-grooms coming and preparation for it their awaking and taking the Alarm of his Approach the trimming of their Lamps and perseverance in these attainments to the end Verily these are great things and more than we can find in many that profess to Christ this day Surely our Lord Jesus did foresee the slumbring frame of all the Virgins both wise and foolish from age to age especially against his coming that he hath left behind him such a Parable as this to awaken them which is sufficient to make one start in his midnight-sleep and arise and cloath himself with tremblings You read Heb. 6.4 5 with 9. of enlightnings and tasting of the heavenly gift partaking of the Holy Ghost tasting also of the good Word of God and powers of the world to come and yet these things do not infalliby attend Salvation but may at last determine in Apostasie Here are three things Illuminations Common Gifts and Operations and Tastings 1. Of the Heavenly Gift which is Christ 2. Of the Promise 3. Of the Joyes of Heaven But I say these things do not infallibly conclude Salvation except effectual saving Grace be joyned with them for they may be where there is no saving Grace and they may be where there is or they may precede a saving work but bare illuminations as to the Doctrine of Christ and attaining the Literal knowledge of the Gospel is no saving work The like may be said of common Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost as a Gift of Prayer of Preaching of Utterance of Tongues and of working Miracles as in the primitive times So for the Tasts either of the heavenly Gift Christ Jesus and the glorious divine things of the Gospel or of the good word of God in the Promises or of the joys of the world to come all these things may be found in temporaries Mat. 7.22 23. Supernatural gifts are given sometimes to meer Natural men John Baptist's Hearers rejoyced in his light for a season the stony ground received the word with Joy and even Balaam had a taste for the time of the world to come when he desired to dye the death of the righteous and these foolish Virgins lived to the last in hopes of entring into Glory But the immortal Soul cannot live upon light superficial Tasts which yield only a transient relish there must be a feeding on as well as a tasting of the heavenly gift the good word of promise and the Glory of an higher world Tasting is a thing distinct from feeding and therefore when the Apostle useth a similitude to illustrate what he had said of this kind of tasting in distinction from eating and drinking digesting and living upon the things thus tasted saith he The Earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth a blessing from God but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and near to cursing and their end is to be burned In which comparison he intimateth that as it is not enough that the rain doth fall upon the earth except the earth doth drink it in without which it will not be fruitful nor receive a blessing even so it sufficeth not that these heavenly things do fall more lightly upon the spiritual palat except the Soul so drinketh them in as that it liveth upon them for then and then alone it receiveth a blessing from the Lord whereas otherwise such persons are rejected and nigh to cursing and their end is to be burned Brethren The Parable now in hand and that Text to the Hebrews are of an awaking nature for God knoweth our slumbring dispositions You have heard then of the Attainments of these Virgins and of those Professors mentioned by the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 6.9 to the end And they are indeed good things but saith he there are better and such as do accompany salvation For in the second part of that Chapter he speaketh of the work of Faith the labour of love and the patience of hope in the sight of God and the Father 1 Thess 1.5 i.e. Such as are not spurious and adulterine but germane and genuine and will endure the Test as to their sincerity in the presence of an heart-searching God And by these infalible Notes we must take our measures Illuminations common gifts and operations
and no necessary Grace shall be wanting unto you Look that you be patient in waiting and patient in bearing Do not misinterpret God's dealings with you There are two passages I would have you take special notice of that Ground that brought such Fruit as answer'd expectation (d) Luk. 8.15 was an honest and good heart which kept the Word and brought forth fruit with patience The other is in your patience possess your souls patience contributes much to both Fruitfulness and Comfort Let 's make an Essay Thou would'st have God manifest his Love to thee in a more ravishing manner stay a while thou wantest another kind of dispensation first and most viz. to feel more of the evil of sin that thou mayst be more watchful and more holy So soon as a tryal comes thou wouldst have it remov'd stay a while it hath not done the work for which God sent it God in kindness binds on the Plaister till he hath effected the Cure Thou art at a loss thou knowest not what God will doe with thee be it so it is not fit thou shouldest God doth not use to tell his Children before-hand what he will do with them God expects we should gather up our Duty from the Precepts of his Word and from the hints of his Providence We read (e) 2 King 13.17 18 19. that when the Prophet Elisha had given King Joash a Promise and a sign of deliverance from Syria God expected that his own reason and faith should prompt him so to improve a second sign as to pursue the victory to a conquest but he understood it not and so miscarryed Do you learn to hold on in the use of all Means for the engaging of your hearts more to God We (f) Heb. 6.11.12 13. desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full Assurance of Hope unto the end that you be not sloathful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Not expecting to obtain the Promise till you have patiently endured and the same Apostle in the same Epistle tells us (g) Heb. 10.36 that you have need of patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the Promise Thus much for the inward Means of loving God Outward Means for engaging our Hearts to love God are either Directing or Exemplary I. Directing The onely directing Means is the Word of God but seeing you shall in the following Sermons have particular directions about both Hearing and Reading of the Word I shall only hint these few things 1. Prize the Word Though our estimation of it will be exceedingly heightned by a further acquaintance with it yet you will find it singularly advantagious to the enflaming of your hearts to get your hearts as it were graciously forestalled with the valuation of the Word When we can count the Word sweeter than Honey to the taste better than Gold for a treasure more necessary than Food for our sustenance (i) Job 23.12 how can the Soul choose but love God whose love indited it Shall filthy books provoke carnal love and shall not the Book of God provoke Divine love endeavour to get but as spiritual a sence and relish of Divine Truths answerable to mens carnal gusts and feeling of other things do but dwell upon Truths till they affect you Only here observe this necessary Caution Dwell not so upon difficulties as to hinder your further enquiry into things more easily understood but wait in a course of diligence and you will be able to master those difficulties which 't is next to impossible suddainly to fathom Do but steer an even course between a careless neglect and an anxious perplexity about what you read or hear and you will certainly attain a deep knowledge of the things of God and a high measure of love to God 2. Set immediately upon the practice of those things which you shall be convinced to be your Duty Let not your Affections cool upon any duty pressed upon you Do something like that of (k) Dan. 2.8 c. Nebuchadnezzar God revealed to him something of moment he had lost the matter and understood not the meaning but was as others thought unreasonably importunate to recover both and that presently before the impression wore off and the heat went over So my brethren fix the Word by speedy practice Though the seed of the Word is long in growing to perfection yet it presently takes root in order to growth Were I therefore now exhorting you to Repentance and could bring you to no nearer a resolution than to repent to morrow my Exhortation were lost So now while I press you to love God and demonstrate from Scripture that it is your Duty offer you Scripture-helps that may be effectual provoke you with Scripture encouragements that may be overcoming if you now put off all this till a fitter time 't is a thousand to one you put it off for ever Read this over again and then think why should not I now believe this and how can I say I now believe it if I do not now put it in practice and how can I say I practise it if I omit any one Direction II. Exemplary Means And here I shall give you as short a touch as may be of Men Angels and Christ himself We are much drawn by Examples Examples they are not only Arguments but Wings They give us a demonstration that Precepts are practicable 1. Men. Why should not we love God as well as ever Abraham did God gives the word (k) Gen. 22 2.3 Abraham take now thy Son thy only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him for a burnt-offering And Abraham rose up early in the morning c. Had he not loved God so far as the Creature can love God infinitely every word would have been as a dagger to his heart q. d. Abraham I gave thee that Name from thy being a Father of many People but now be thou the death of that seed which I intended to multiply God seemed to change his Name to Abraham as Solomon named his Son Rehoboam an Enlarger of the People who enlarged them from twelve tribes to two Take now no time to demur upon it Thy Son so many years prayed for and waited for Thine onely Son all the rest of thy children are not worth thy owning Isaac the Son of thy Laughter now the Son of thy Sorrow Whom thou lovest more than ever Father loved a child and that upon several justifiable accounts And get thee into the land of Moriah though no time to deliberate before thou resolvest yet time enough for repentance before thou executest thy resolutions And offer him there for a burnt-offering 't is not enough to give him up to be sacrificed by another but thou thy self must be the Priest to kill thy lovely child and then to burn him to ashes And Abraham rose up early c. he quarrels not with God What
thing but his displeasure Is not here love and do not these love God for himself 't is true God's love to them all this while is great but they perceive it not 3. The third step is to love nothing but for God's sake in him and for him and to him It is said to be Teresia's Maxime All that is not God is nothing indeed the very word that Solomon uses for (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vanitas quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nâ—n Deuâ— Merc. Pagn vanity which he indorseth upon the best of Creature-happiness in the very notion of it proclaims it It is not God therefore it is vanity 't is a noble employment to try experiments upon every lovely object to reduce our love to them to the love of God To be still musing upon spiritual cases still supplying of spiritual wants still longing for spiritual enjoyments that I may not only love others things in subordination to God but to love nothing but for God e. g. In all outward enjoyments have I an estate I will honour God with my substance because I love him Have I any thing pleasant or delightful in this world I 'le run it up to the fountain O how pure and satisfying are the loving Soul's delights in God Have I any esteem in the world I am no way fond of it but so far as it may make my attempts for the honour of God more successful I 'le improve it and upon all other accounts decline it Nearer yet My Relations are dear unto me I truely love them but yet my love to God shall animate my love to them e.g. I truly love my friend but this shall be my love's exercise to perswade him to love God I dearly love my Parents but Oh no Father like God my Soul is overcome with that expression of Christ's (p) Mat. 12.50 whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother My conjugal relation is dearest to me but my heart is passionately set upon this that we may both be infallibly espoused unto Christ my heart yearns towards my children but I had rather have them God's Children than mine Nearer yet as to inward qualifications e. g. for natural parts I bless God that I am not an Idiot that I have any capacity of understanding but I am resolved to the utmost of my capacity to endeavour the convincing of all I converse with that to love and enjoy God is most highly rational and most eminently our interest Have I any acquired endowments of Learning or Wisdom I bless God for them but I count all Wisdom folly and all Learning dotage without the knowledge of God in Christ (q) 1 Cor. 8.2 3. If any man thinks that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know but if any man love God the same is known of him Higher yet for gracious qualifications that capacitate me for glory I love grace the best of any creature wherever I see it but 't is for the sake of the God of all grace without whom my grace is inconsiderable Once more higher yet and higher than this I think we cannot go To love those things that are not lovely meerly for God's sake or out of love to God e.g. How many have you heard complain for want of afflictions for fear God does not love them though by the way those betray their weakness who thus complain for did they but observe their want of evidence of divine love and did they more sympathize with the Church of Christ under the Cross they would find they need not complain for want of afflictions But be it so complain they do and that for want of afflictions Afflictions are no way lovely we are no where bid to pray for them but 't is our duty to pray for preventing and removing them and yet the gracious Soul is through love to God in some respect in love with them Here 's a notable degree of divine love that the Soul would upon any terms experiment the love of God and engage the heart in love to God again and to love nothing but for God 4. The fourth step of our love to God is for our highest love of every thing to be hatred in comparison of our love to God The truth is we can never so plainly know to what a degree we love God as by weighing it against whatever stands in competition with it Why should I so far debase my love to God as to weigh it in the same ballance with love to sin but alas why do besotted Sinners so dote upon sin as if love to God were not worthy to be compar'd with it Methinks I may a little more than allude to that passage of Isaiah (h) Isa 46.6 they lavish Gold out of the bag and weigh Silver in the ballance and hire a Goldsmith and he maketh it a God c. they give out their Gold by handfuls without weighing for matter of their Idols but they will be good Husbands in their expences about the workmanship of them Man cares not at what rate he loves his Idols those lusts upon which they bestow their affections due to God alone though in all other things they are wary enough But why should I wast time in speaking to these they have not yet gone one step towards the love of God and therefore are so far behind that they are not within learning of what is spoken to good proficients in the love of God Let me only leave with them this parting word From a person's first sincere and ardent love to God he can neither speak nor think of sin without abhorrency From the first infusion of grace there 's a graciously natural antipathy against sin Sin receives its death's wound 't is too true it may struggle for life and seem to be upon recovery but grace will wear it out and will never leave the conflict till it has obtain'd the conquest But this is not the thing I intended to speak to in this particular it is other-guess things than Sin that the Soul that loves God is afraid to spill his love upon he prizeth those Ordinances wherein he meets with Communion with God but is afraid his love should terminate there he values them but as Windows to let in the light though something excellent may be written there as with the point of a Diamond yet it is neither writing nor window is prized but the light when that 's gone shut up the window as if it were a dead wall that 's no more regarded till the light returns 'T is the light of God's countenance that is better than life it self Perhaps you 'l say this comes not up to what I asserted that our highest love to every thing is to be hatred in comparison of our love to God Well let this be warily considered one whose love to God is at this height is exactly curious in the
Minister could not get into thy Soul Death never cometh without a warrant yet it often comes without a warning We do not live by patent but we live at pleasure How knowest thou that the candle of the Ministry shall shine one Sabbath longer The message shall alwaies live but the messenger is alwaies dying The clods of the Earth may soon stop that mouth that so frequently and unfruitfully hath given thee the word of life He the light now of his place and of his people may be blown out by violence as well as burnt out by death Thou canst not say but God may soon make that ear of thine deaf that now thou stoppest God may soon blind those eyes which now thou shuttest It is a peradventure whether God will ever give repentance or no. God hath made many promises to repentance but he hath made none of repentance If to day thou saist thou wilt not to morrow thou maist say thou canst not pray It is just with God that he who while he liveth forgets God when he dies should forget himself I have heard of a profane miscreant that being put upon speedy repentance and turning to God scoffingly answered if I do but say three words when I come to dye Miserere mei Domine Lord have mercy upon me I am sure to be happy This miserable wretch shortly after falling from his horse and receiving thereby a deadly wound had indeed time to speak three words as the relation informed me but those three words were these Diabolus capiat omnia Let the Devil take all Thou dost not know what thy last words shall be the very motions of thy tongue and of thy heart are all in the hands of that God whose grace thou hast despised 7. It is a day That requireth present improvement because it is followed with a night a night that is dark as pitch The night cometh wherein no man can work So saith our Lord Joh. 9.4 There is neither work nor invention in the grave In the dark thou mayest see to bewail thy not working in the light but in the dark there is no working Sorrow then will not help thee couldst thou make hell to swim with thy tears Thy tears are only of worth in time Put not off your working till the time wherein you must leave work It is perfect madness not to think of beginning to work till the time of working is at an end Nemo finitis nundinâ—s exercet mercaturam What man after the fair will go then to buy and sell There is no negotiation but in the time of the fair the season of grace The spiritual manna of grace is only to be gathered in the six days of thy life The time after this is a time of rest wherein there is no more work to be done to procure Salvation If this be the day of thy death tomorrow cannot be the day of thy repentance It is miserable to have that to do for lack of time which is to do for loss of time Thus I have shewn you how we are put upon present improving the season of Grace As 't is here termed a day or in respect of the nature of the Season Sect. 13 2. Secondly In regard of the workers in this day we are urged from hence to a present improving of the season of grace 1. How little have we wrought in this day of grace What a pitiful account and yet an account must be given of this Day can we give unto God of thousands of Sabbaths and repetitions of ordinances and opportunities of life that we have enjoyed You have been perhaps long in the world and under the means of grace but can you say you have lived long 'T is one thing for passengers in a ship to be a great while tost in the Sea and another thing for them to sail a great way You have been long in the world tossed up and down with many temptations and impetuous corruptions and violent affections but which of you have sailed much or gone forward in your course to Heaven with any considerable progress Little is to be seen in the copies of your lives besides blots and empty spaces Much paper hath been spent with wide lines Had you not need now towards the end of the side to write the closer to redeem the time as the Apostle expresseth it Eph. 5.16 We should redeem our time out of the hands of those that have taken it captive out of the clutches of those vain employments that have so often taken it captive Now in all redemptions there is the laying down a price for the party that is redeemed But what is that price you are to lay down for your time when it is to be redeemed I will tell you Id quod perdis pretium est saith Augustin That which you lose in your worldly employments in your idle recreations in your vain visits in your exorbitant eatings and drinkings that time that you take from these to give to God and your Souls that is the price that you lay down for the redeeming of seasons for your Souls It is miserable for our work to be undone for want of time when we are dying when it is undone for the loss of time while we are living 2. How great is the wo of those whose Day is done and yet their work is not done but still to do You have seen their end upon Earth but you have not heard their cries and their self-bewailings in hell How many have been cut off before your eyes who ceased to be before they began to live Improve examples lest you become examples Your Schooling is cheap when it is at the cost of another Let the lashes of Divine severity that have fallen upon others quicken thee in thy Spiritual pace and travelling towards Heaven Why should God stay for you rather than for them Thou canst not mispend thy time at so cheap a rate as they did by whom God hath warned thee Hell is not so full of Souls as it is of delayed purposes What would not lost Souls give for a crum of that time of which now in this world they make Orts If the foresight of their tears for neglecting the Day of grace fetched tears from Christ Luk. 19.41.42 How great shall the feeling be of the Eternal effects of their inexcusable folly How Exuberant but unfruitful shall be the flood of their own tears for their former slothfulness never enough to be bewailed because never at all to be repaired Surely a small loss could not draw tears from so great a Person as the Son of God 3. Many by beginning betimes in the morning of their day have done more work than thou a delayer canst now accomplish They should provoke thee to a holy jealousie They setting forth for Heaven in the morning have travelled further in that morning than thou hast done in that long Summer's day wherein thou hast been slothful What a shame is it that some should be
mens speech all the day no jest so idle no story so common and fruitless but will pass at our tables and in our private conference Many spend the best of their time no better than the Idolatrous Athenians did their worst in nothing else but either telling or hearing some new thing What news is the most innocent question wherewith I would I could not say most men fill up the vacancies of a Sabbath And is that sinful will you say was it not in Nehemiah's question Nehem. 1.2 Hanani one of my brethren came he and certain men of Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped which were of the Captivity and concerning Jerusalem c. presently what news And why may not Christians ask the same question yes they may when they ask it with Nehemiah's spirit to Nehemiah's end sc that we may get our hearts sutably affected with the miseries or prosperity of the Church of God abroad or at home see what a gracious use he makes of his news in that and in the following chapter at your leisure go ye and do likewise and it shall be your honour But to tell news and to inquire after news meerly for novelty sake and to fill up time for want of better discourse is a miserable idling out of precious time which might be spent to mutual edification whereas by ordinary and unsavoury discourses which are usually heard amongst us people do edifie one another indeed but it is Ad Gehennam they edifie one another to hell You that pretend to be the Lords people be more jealous for the Lords day and honour The Lord takes pleasure in his people Oh let the Saints be joyful in glory Psal 149.4 5. Let your speech be always seasoned with salt especially on Gods day that you may season your children and servants which otherwise will be corrupted by such rotten communication O let your prayer be all times but especially on the Sabbath day that o holy David set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips the sabbath is Gods glory let your tongues be so too The like caution we ought to use about our thoughts by the rule of proportion they being the language of our hearts 8th Rule and as audible in the ears of God as our words are to mens yea whereas men understand our hearts by our words God understand our words by our hearts Moses did set bounds about the mount that neither man nor beast might break in whatsoever touch't the mountain must dye Exod. 19 12. 19. so must we set bounds about our heart that neither humane nor brutish distractions may break in There is death or life in it and therefore of all keepings keep thy heart Prov. 4 23. for out of it are the issues of life The heart indeed is not so fenceable as the mountain but the more open it lieth the stronger-guard had we need to set upon it and to pray for a guard from heaven as David Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart Psal 19 ult be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer If vain or vile thoughts break in upon thee do as the ravished virgin was to do in the Law cry out to God and thou shalt not be held guilty Deut. 22.27 Christians this caution is of a special concern to you O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved Jerem. 4.14 how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Resolve the Text into its integrals and it will afford you some such observables 1. Thoughts will defile the heart as well as deeds Wash thy heart 2. This defilement will damn the soul wash that thou mayst be saved 3. The reason is implied they are wickedness wash thine heart from wickedness 4. All this evil is even in vain thoughts as well as in vile thoughts how long shall thy vain thoughts c. 5. Therefore we must wash our hearts from vain thoughts as well as from wicked and blasphemous thoughts Hence I infer 6. If this should be the work of a Christian every day how much more on Gods day the purer the paper the fouler the stain and blot Christians look to your hearts Further take notice of the appropriation Thy own ways Thy own pleasureâ— thy own words Object And are not holy ways and holy pleasures and holy words our own as well as such as are carnal and sensual yes they are but God speaks here according to our sense and apprehension from whence Note how brutish and sensual laps't man is in his notions and apprehensions of things that he can call nothing his own but what relateth to the flesh Hâ—seâ— 8.13 I have written to him saith God the great things of my law but they were accounted a strange thing Alienum forreign and of no concernment to himself at all And let this also serve for a tenth rule In our sanctifying of the Sabbath we must be specially careful to distinguish what is Gods and what is our own Indeed we must distinguish between what is Satans Our own and Gods There be sinful wicked pleasures ways words thoughts I say wicked and sinful in themselves and these are properly the Devils pleasures the Devils ways the Devils words and thoughts and these are lawful at no time much less on Gods time Gods day and the Devils imployment do not well agree And there are our own pleasures ways words and thoughts such as concern the present life relating to the body and outward man These may be lawful on our days six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but are not lawful on the Sabbath day In it thou shalt do no manner of work c. save what is of necessity or Charity And then there are Gods pleasures ways words and thoughts i. e. of Gods command and such as lye in a direct tendency to the worship and service of God in publique private or secret and these only we may and must do and mind upon the Sabbath if we mix any of the Devils or our own pleasures and profits with Gods we pollute the holy things of God and profane his Sabbath This is the sum of what time will give me leave to say upon the Negative part of this Model only before I dismiss it let me add this short note of observation that if what hath been spoken even on this negative part be the mind and will of God concerning the sanctifying of the Sabbath then may the generality of Christians lye down in the dust and smiting upon their thigh with brinish tears upon their cheeks confess with a Pious Honourable Lady upon her dying Bed O I never kept a Sabbath in all my life The Lord teach us so to lay this sin to heart that God may never lay it to our charge Having thus briefly dispatcht the Negative part of Sabbath-Sanctification contained in this model I
over them And there are two things specified in order to their King His 1. Election 2. Religion 1. His Election v. 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse Good reason God should have the choice of their King seeing by him Kings reign Prov. 8.15 2. His Religion v. 18. When he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests * Levitici Sacerdotes in atrio templi volumen legis quod erat primariae authoritatis custodiebant P. Fagius Here was a good beginning of a Kings reign the first thing he did after he sate upon the Throne was to Copy out the Word of God in a Book And in the Text It shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the Words of this Law and these Statutes to do them It shall be with him The Book of the Law shall be his Vade mecum or daily Companion Charles the Great used to set his Crown upon the Bible Indeed THE BIBLE is the best Supporter of the Crown And he shall read * Legere debuit sibi privatim in templo ut sciret populus neminem à lege excipi Grotius therein It is not below the Majesty of a Prince to peruse the Oracles of Heaven in them are comprized sacred Apothegms Prov. 8.6 I will speak of excellent things In the Septuagint it is (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grave things in the Hebrew Princely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b things such as are fit for a God to speak and a King to read Nor must the King only read the Book of the Law at his first instalment into his Kingdom but he shall read in it all the days of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life He must not leave off reading till he lest off reigning And the reasons why he must be conversant in the Law of God are in the subsequent words 1. That he may learn to fear the Lord his God Reading of the Word is the best means to usher in the fear of the Lord. 2. That he may keep all the words of this Law to do them 3. That he may prolong his days in his Kingdom I shall now confine my self to these words He shall read in it i. e. the Book of the Law all the days of his life The holy Scripture is as Austin saith a (d) Qu d est sacra Scriptuâ—a nisi quaedâ—m episâ—ola Omni potentis Dei ad creaturam iâ— qua verba Dei sâ—nant cor Dei discitur Aug. in Psal Golden Epistle sent to us from God This is to be read diligently ignorance of Scripture is the mother of errour not devotion Matth. 22.29 ye err not knowing the Scriptures We are commanded to search the Scriptures John 5.39 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to search as for a Vein of Silver How diligently doth a Child read over his Fathers Will and Testament and a Citizen peruse his Charter with the like (e) Quaerit Scriptura lectâ—rem vigilantem desidiâ—sum resiuit Rivet Isag â—d scriptur c. 13. diligence should we read Gods Word which is our Magna Charta for Heaven 'T is a mercy the Bible is not prohibited Trajan the Emperour forbade the Jews to read in the Book of the Law Let us enquire at this sacred Oracle Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 Melancthon (f) Melch. Adam in vita Melancth when he was young suck'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere Milk of the Word Alphonsus King of Arragon read over the Bible fourteen times That Roman Lady Cecilia had by much reading of the Word made her Breast Bibliothecam Christi the Library of Christ as (g) Si Alexander Homerum ita amplexus est Scipio Afric Zenophontis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vix è manibus d posuit quid nes in sicro codicâ— agere oportet Quistorp vide Chytraei praelect in Jos Mornaeum Hierom speaks Were the Scriptures only in their Originâ—l Tongue many would plead excuse for not reading but when this sword of the spirit is unsheathed and the Word is made plain to us by being translated what should hinder us from a diligent search into these holy Mysteries Adam was forbid upon pain of death to taste of the Tree of Knowledge Gen. 3.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt sâ—rely dye But there is no danger of touching this Tree of holy Scriptures if we do not eat of this Tree of Knowledge we shall surely dye What will become of them who are strangers to Scripture Hosea 8.12 I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Many lay aside Scripture as rusty Armor Jer. 8.9 they are better read in Romances than in St. Paul they spend many hours inter pectinem speculum between the Comb and the Glass but their eyes begin to be sore when they look upon a Bible The very Turks will rise up in judgment against these Christians they reverence the Books of Moses and if they find but a leaf wherein any thing of the Pentateuch is written they take it up and kiss it They who slight the Word written slight God himself whose stamp it bears To slight the Kings Edict is an affront offered to the Person of the King Scripture-vilifiers (h) Dei eloquia rejicientes multis se exiâ—ialibus lâ—qu is involvunt Calvin are in a damnable state Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed Nor is it enough to read the Word of God but it should be our care to get some spiritual emolument and profit by it that our Souls may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nourished up in the words of faith 1 Tim. 4.6 Why else was the Scripture written but that it might profit us God did not give us his Word only as a Landskip to look upon but he delivered it to us as a Father delivers a stock of Money to his Son to improve 'T is sad not to profit by the Word Quest to be like a body in an atrophy that doth not thrive Men would be loath to trade and get no profit The grand Question I am to speak to is this How we may read the Scriptures with most spiritual profit Resp 'T is a momentous Question and of daily use R. For the resolution of this Question I shall lay down several Rules or Directions about reading of Scripture 1. If you would profit by reading remove those things which will hinder Direct 1 your profiting That the Body may thrive obstructions must be removed There are three obstructions must be removed if you would profit by Scripture 1. Remove the love of every (i) Plaâ—imi peccata radunt
bone vvhich is more than any virulent tongue can do Prov. 25.15 Let every godly woman therefore so frame the matter and manner of their words to their husbands as knowing that God stands by to whom they must give account of every idle word much more of every irreverent and contemptuous word at the day of Judgment Mat. 12.36 It will be an unspeakable comfort at Death and Judgment to reflect upon the Victories which their Patience hath gotten and how oft their quiet silence and mild answers have kept the peace In conjugal contests though each should be slow to passion and swift to peace yet where k one must yield it is most reasonably to be expected from the (l) Sin caeperit excandescere noli contra niti ex uno insano duos facere te illum L. Vives de Chr. f. p. 709. (l) The Wife is bound rather to seek reconcilement as is implied in that 1 Cor. 7.11 Let her be reconciled to her Husband Gatak Serm. p. 188. Inferior No woman gets honour by the last word Some will say Their tongue is their only weapon But the wise do know That their tongues are not their own That when they (m) Jam 3.6 are set on fire of hell they set on fire the course of nature and that by ones very words they may be condemned Look into the Scripture and dress your selves by that glass What did Rachel get by her passionate terms Gen. 30.1 Give me children or else I die and as soon as ever she had children lo she died chap. 34.19 Whereas on the contrary the discreet and mild behaviour of Abigail to her husband though he were a Churl gained her both quiet comfort and honour This is certain if meekness and respect will not prevail (n) as the Captains of Cyrus commanded their Souldiers to receive their shouting enemy with silence and when they had ended then to set up a shout so husband and wife must agree not to shout together Plutarch Col. 3.18 anger and passion never can if Duty vvork not our quiet how should sin 2. The Effects of a Wife's reverence to her Husband must be in Deed also And that 1. By Obedience to his Directions and Restraints If he be to rule over her Gen. 3.19 then she is to obey And the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.6 tells us that Sarah obeyed Abraham He bids her Gen. 18.6 make ready quickly three measures of meal c. and it vvas done presently though she knew not what guests her husband had brought And the Apostle Paul saith it must be in every thing Eph. 5.24 which he both urges and explains by this as it is fit in the Lord. So that the vvife is bound in conscience to obey her husband in every thing that is not contrary to the will of God Indeed if he command her to do any thing that is sinful by the Law of God as if he should bid her tell a lye bear false witness or the like she must modestly and resolvedly refuse it If he forbid her to do any thing that is by God's command made an undispensable (o) Sic placeat uxor voluntati conjugis ut non displiceat voluntati conditoris Daven ex Gregor duty unto her as if he should absolutely forbid her to pray to read the Scripture to sanctifie the Lord's day or the like then she must rather obey God than Man But in all other cases though she may respectfully perswade with him yet if he insist upon it her obedience will be her best sacrifice and her compliance will be the means to make her yoke the more easie If the husband will have her to stay at home she must not run abroad without his consent but as that good Shunamite 2 King 4.22 She called to her husband and said Send me I pray thee one of the young men and one of the Asses that I may run to the man of God and come again And indeed the house is her proper place for she is the (p) She that tarried at home Psal 68.8 Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decus domus beauty of the house there her business lies there she is safe The Ancients painting them with a Snail under their feet and the Egyptians denying their women (q) Egyptiae mulieres majorum instituto calceis non uâ—ebantur ut domi meminissent tempus exigendum Plutarch praecept conjug Shoes and the Scythians burning the Brides Chariot axle-tree at her door when she was brought to her husband's house and the Angel's asking Abraham where Sarah was though he knew well enough that it might be observed (r) Ante tabernaculum Vir hospitum explorat adventus intra talernaculum Sara tuetur foeminae verecundiam opera muliebria tuto exercet pudore Foris maritus invitat intus Sara convivium adornat Ambros tom 4. p. 180. she was in the tent Gen. 18.9 do all intimate that by the Law of Nature and by the Rules of Religion the wife ought to keep at (s) The Apostle Tit. 2.5 joyneth chastity and home-keeping together Gatak Serm. p. 195. home unless urgent necessity do call her abroad When Sun and Moon both disappear the Sky is dark and when both husband and wife are abroad many disorders breed at home and you know whose Character it is Prov. 7.11 She is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her house c. So also vvhere the husband judges most convenient to dwell there the wife must chearfully consent to dwell vvith him though it may be either in respect of her friends or of his more uncomfortable to her Thus when Jacob was resolved to carry his Wives from their friends to his Countrey they readily yielded Gen. 31.16 Thus when Ahasuerus sent for Vasthi though his command seemed inconvenient yet she had been truer to her Duty as well as to her Interest had she come to him for the husband is the Head of his wife and she must obey him He that appoints them to love their husbands Tit. 2.4 doth in the next verse enjoyn them to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed For though even good women be put to silence yet good works never can 2. Her Real Reverence is required and shewed in asking and hearkening to his Counsel and Reproofs The Husband hath been taught wisdom in his counsels and mildness in his reproofs and the Wife must be taught to express her Reverence in (t) Aequum autem ut deinceps uxor auscultet marito quia maritus periit auscultando uxori Daven in Col. p. 538. Hearkening to them In the Disposal of Children Rebecca would not send Jacob to her Brother Laban without consulting Isaac Gen. 27.46 So Hannah in the case of Samuel 1 Sam. 1.11 In the disposal of a Servant Sarah would not discard Hagar without consulting Abraham Gen. 21.10 In entertaining Strangers The Shunamite would not
weighty matters And I note eminently three occasions where there may seem needful some more than ordinary strain of Speech or use of Salt in it 1. If what we say be for Food or Physick to a Sick or weak stomacked Person that may otherwise nauseate it this Salt may be useful to give it a relish and get it the easier down for which purpose the plain way of speaking was waved by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.1 c. And again by another Prophet 1 Kings 20.38 c. And almost generally by our Saviour without a Parable he scarce spake any thing there was no coming upon those kind of Persons without circumventing of them On the like necessity we should endeavour to shew like ingenuity that we may catch Persons with guile that will not otherwise come to hand 2. If our words be intended for Swords this kind of Speech doth set a keenness upon them for which purpose it is most frequently used in Scripture as you may see notable instances 1 Kings 18.27 2 Kings 17.32 33. The proud Fool will not be convinced often by plain Reason that there is almost a necessity of irrision we must make him ridiculous that his Folly may be conspicuous when he is throughly exposed he may chance be humbled I take the wise man as directing us to this method with this sort of men Prov. 26.5 Answer a Fool according to his Folly lest he be wise in his own Conceit according to his Folly that is according as his Folly does deserve answer him sharply smartly utterly silence him that he may take care to speak wiser another time repone illi verbera virgam as one says answer him with words as smart as Rods the Fool 's back requires them Prov. 26.3 3. Eccl. 12.11 If as Nails we would drive our words to which also they are compared there is a tendency in this pleasantness of Speech to fasten them and fix them more firmly in the memory whence I conceive old dying Jacob gave his last Blessing in such harmonious words as some of them are bearing allusion to his Sons names such as Jehudah Jodudah Dan Jadin Gad Gedud c. The Mother 's imposed their names for one Reason but something in their future condition the Father sees that agrees well enough to their names whereon he chooseth to read their destinies as it were by them for the more easie remembrance of them I would not these Examples should be abused to prevent which let me only caution That we gravely sparingly and for like necessary ends do imitate them or pretend no Patronage from them To proceed 6. Naturalize this Discourse if possible and as far as possible to you then and not till then you will speak with ease and speak with a grace and this facility is chiefly got by frequency We must in a manner confine our selves to this dialect that we may get this Excellency in it for which purpose let your converse be most with those that speak this Language and converse with all that are any way capable in this Language provoke them to it use them to it necessitate them to it if they will converse with you be as one that could hardly speak any thing but it from your youths accustom your selves to it in your Houses and among your familiars initiate your selves herein they will bear with your stammerings which you might be ashamed of before Strangers and having once got take heed you do not forget the Language but inure your selves daily to it you may travel through the World with it it is one of the Learned Languages that all Scholars 〈◊〉 have been bred in Christ's School understand you herein have conâ—â—se with them and it is no great matter if you are a Barbarian to others if it quits you of their Company it does you a kindness if this way you can be quit of vile and vain Companions it is the honourablest way you can be rid of them and so far as separated from them you have Heaven's happiness on Earth better a great deal they should be angred and estranged from you upon the holiness of your Discourse than you grieved or defiled by the commonness or Profaneness of theirs Though I must also tell you if once this Discourse was habitual to you it might be better born in you and no body would expect other from you but as they had occasions of dealing with you might probably be awed into a Conformity to you Further to engage you so far as may be in this holy strain of Speech take these Motives 1. No Discourse is so proper for you as Christians Motives it being the Language of the Countrey to which you do belong further your concerns generally lye in the word all that are worth speaking of why should you in a manner talk of any thing else It is almost an impertinency for a Christian to talk of this World wherein he is a Stranger and whereof he can call little his own but a burying place This was the utmost I find great Abraham to have grasped after or reckoned of in this World that he made sure of Gen. 23.4 20. I am a Stranger and Sojourner with you give me a possession of a burying place And the Field and the Cave was made sure to Abraham for a Burial place Truly this is all we are sure of here below that if we talk of any thing in this World it is most proper to talk of our Graves and our daily readiness to drop into them into which Discourse David Naturally fell when his Company would not bear higher Psal 39.4 c. Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am But turn him to the Word he has something there God Christ Men Angels Life Death things present things to come all things are his Confine then to your own matters especially since you have so large a Field Every one talks of their proper concerns Navita de ponto Have you nothing of your own to talk of or is it not to compare with what others so much please themselves to prattle about For shame Christians that you alone should rove and ramble at this rate holy heavenly Discourse is that one would expect from you and that alone seems pertinent to you 2. No Discourse is so profitable One may hear a deal of other chat and be neither the better nor wiser or at least we are instructed unto some little mean designs but when we talk out of the Word we are in the way of Learning or Teaching what will be for our universal accomplishment for as he says 2 Tim. 3.16 The Scripture is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Yea such Discourse does not only fit us for the work of this World the best the noblest Atchievements in it
Mens carriages will be answerable to the truth and power of their Faith and Hope in reference to the comforts of the unseen world Inf. 3. All the dejectedness of thorow-Gracious Christians arises from their inconsiderateness Inf. 4. To understand the regular measures of Fear and Love is of considerable concernment in our Christian Course Inf. 5. To look and act for joys to come and to make them quickning arguments to our obedience and preparations is an essential part of our Religion 2 John 8. Inf. 6. Immoderate love of Life and fear of Death is sinful and of dangerous consequence Inf. 7. It is of great use to understand the truth and worth of the Comforts of a well-finished Course Inf. 8. Infidelity in whole or in part as far as it reaches cannot but mortifie those noble dispositions and necessary preparations which Christianity calls us to for it is impossible to be religious any further than God's existence and rewarding excellencies and resolutions are credited Heb. 1-1 6 Inf. 9. The want or distance of pertinent and smart temptations is the only reason of perseverance in the formality of Godliness amongst Professors whose hearts and aims are not upon and for the joys of Heaven Inf. 10. To have our Faith and Hope well fixt and exercised is the best Method and Expedient for Chearfulness Constancy and Courage in the whole frame of Christian sufferings and duty This makes exalted active Souls in Godliness and for it Inf. 11. Then what considerable friends are God and Christ to Christianity and serious Christians who have furnished us with hopes and arguments drawn from the certainty and transcendent excellence of joys to come Inf. 12. No man hath cause to quarrel with what he is called to do and suffer for the Christian Cause nor reason to decline Religion because of difficulties in the way These Inferences should and might be enlarged upon but that the determined Bounds of a single Sermon must not be exceeded Close with the Truth delivered here and with the Author lament and pray for the heightning of his too mean accomplishments and furniture What Gifts of Grace are chiefly to be exercised in order to an actual preparation for the coming of Christ by Death and Judgment SERMON XXXI Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut WE have two large and weighty discourses of Jesus Christ to his Disciples newly before his Death Joh. 14 15 16. the one to comfort them against his departure out of the world the other to prep re both them and us against his return to judge the World of which the present Chapter treateth and part of the precedent In the former Chapter we have Christ's Exhortation unto watchfulness against his second coming Chap. 24.42 urged from the uncertainty of the time of his return And this Exhortation is continued in this 25th Chapter in which there are these three parts The first is contained in the Parable of the Ten Virgins from the first to the fourteenth Verse The second in that of the several Talents given by the Master to his Servants to be employed and improved by them against his return from the fourteenth to the thirty first Verse The third containeth the Description of the Coming of Christ to judge the world from Verse 31 to the end of the Chapter My Text lieth in the first Parable viz. That of the Ten Virgins of which five were wise and five were foolish And whereas Christ very often opened his mouth in Parables none of them comes closer to the Consciences of men than this as I may have occasion to shew hereafter I shall not insist in opening the whole Parable seeing the following Discourse will take in most thereof I will hasten therefore to that part thereof which I have now read unto you Now as for these Ten Virgins they professed alike and who were the wise and who the foolish lay undiscovered till the Midnight-cry was heard Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him behold he cometh with Clouds he cometh to judge the Earth he shall judge the world in righteousness and his People with equity This was an awaking Cry to slumbring Virgins in the midst of the dark and black night who little dream'd that Christ was so near at hand but wise and foolish are startled and raised with it all of them betake themselves forthwith to the trimming of their Lamps when the foolish finding theirs extinguished desire the wise to communicate of their Oil unto them they speak like persons not well awaked For though there is a Communion of Saints in the exercise of their Graces mutually among themselves yet there is no communication of personal Graces to each other and moreover the just shall live by his own and not by another's Faith What therefore say the Wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nequaquam By no means say they lest there be not enough for us and you we have no Oil to spare but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves Salsa derisio non cohortatio saith Beza The Wise answer the Foolish wisely yea wittily upbraid them for their Folly for was this a time to get Grace when the Bridegroom was come and time was slipt Is that a time to have Oil to buy when we should have Oil to burn Or is this Oil to be bought with money and price which is most freely given in the day of Grace and Mercy What therefore do the foolish do As if they foolishly understood an Exprobration for an Exhortation they are thinking now of buying but while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him and the Door was shut In which words you have 1. The going of the Foolish to buy 2. The coming of the Bridegroom to the Marriage 3. The preparedness of the Wise to enter with him 4. The shutting of the Door after them But not to insist upon these things distinctly let me gather up the principal scope of our Saviour in the words which is to shew us Obs That very miserable is the condition of such especially Professors of the Gospel who have Grace to seek and get at the coming of Jesus Christ Observ and as happy is the state of such who are ready to enter with him into the Bride-Chamber of eternal Rest and Peace This is the Point that I shall insist upon which in the Application will lead me to the Question that is to be spoken to 1. I say Very miserable is the condition of such i. e. of such in general and not only of such as profess to Christ but of others also that profess not to him at all as to any shew of Godliness in their lives such as are the far greatest part of men yea and commonly too where the Gospel is preached who are sure enough to seek not
Name of the Lord Jesus To dye at Jerusalem for there he remembred Christ died for him And this enflameth his love towards him and makes him willing to dye for him and to be for ever with him No marvel also that he was straightned between the choice of Life and Death and that the balance seemed to incline mostly towards departure and being with Christ He crieth Phil. 1 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am constrained between two Why so Because he could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The love of Christ i. e. to serve him with all my might constraineth me The Original word is the same in both places And how came Peter to sleep so soundly and sweetly in his chains between the Souldiers the night before his intended death in which he was to go to Christ Why he could say Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee John 21.17 When Christ lieth in the Embraces of Faith and Love what followeth next but Nunc dimittis How so Thus The more we are purified the more prepared Now as the heart is purified by Faith so also by Love For herein is our Love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this world 1 John 4.17 Love doth assimilate a godly Soul to Christ and then what followeth There is no fear in Love 1 John 4.18 i. e. no fear of the day of Judgment for perfect Love casteth out fear i. e. strong Love for so is perfect taken sometimes 1 Cor. 14.20 In understanding be men or perfect i. e. strong and not like Children So Heb. 5.14 So that strong Love casteth out the fear of the day of Judgment which every degree of Love will not do for he that feareth is not made perfect in love he may have a true sincere love but it is too weak to overcome his tormenting fears about that great and terrible day of the Lord. Be much therefore in the exercise of this Grace keeping your self in the love of God and looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life and be often in the contemplation of the preventing love of God and Christ to which John in the foresaid place directeth us for the strengthning of Faith Amat ille non immerito qui amatus est sine merito Bern. and overcoming our fears saith he We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 And Christ is deservedly beloved of him who is undeservedly beloved of Christ And though there is a force in Anathema Maranatha to put the Soul upon the love of Christ yet be taken rather with Grace be with all them that love him in sincerity Valdè sunt cognatae sorores Fides Spes D. Par. in Heb. 6. Thirdly As Faith and Love are co-operary so Faith and Love are very near of kin only Hope is the younger Sister as to operation as waiting with patience for that good which faith laieth claim to in the promise and without this Hope we can neither live nor dye with comfort For the promise is many times deferred as to accomplishment and without hope 's patience how will you spend the interval God made a promise to Abraham of multiplying his Seed but neither he nor yet Isaac nor Jacob must live to see it fulfilled But saith Stephen When the time of the promise drew near the people grew and multiplied in Egypt so that God's promises have their stated times and seasons during which there is work for hope or else the Soul would swoon away My soul saith David fainteth for thy Salvation but I hope in thy word Psal 119.81 i. e. thy word of Promise Hope is a Cordial against the Soul's fainting fits Again During this interspace between the promise and the accomplishment you may meet with many tribulations thorow which you must enter into the Kingdom of heaven fightings without fears within the watchmen may smite you and the keepers of the walls may take away your Vail as if you were no Virgin but a Prostitute you may meet with sad eclipses and the hidings of God's face his wrath may lye hard upon you and all his waves afflict you nay you may meet sometimes with such a storm that neither Sun nor Stars may in many days appear during which time you may reel to and fro like a drunken man and be at your wits end your tackling and fraught may be thrown overboard with your own hands you may call all the work of God in you into question and your hull may be laid a drift either to sink or swim In these and the like cases what will you do without casting the Anchor of your Hope within the vail and riding it out till Sun and Stars appear again O let the patience of hope have its perfect work for you will have great need hereof that when you have done the will of God you may receive the Promise Though the wise Virgins fell asleep yet so far as they waited for Christ's coming they exercised their hope and such can say at the Coming of Christ Loe this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his Salvation Fourthly Keep even accounts with God and still be perfecting that repentance which is the work of every day and let there be no old reckonings between God and you for so it may be with a true Believer and it may be called to his remembrance in an evil day and lye heavy too upon his Conscience For this I conceive was Jacob's case who had sinned greatly in his fraudulent and surreptitious way of getting the Blessing from his Brother Esau for which he was not thorowly awaked to see the evil of it for the space of twenty years namely at his return from Padan Aram and that Esau was coming forth against him to be revenged on him but then his sin came fresh to his remembrance and he set apart a night to seek the Lord by solemn Prayer and to wrestle with the Angel of the Covenant And what did he wrestle with him for You may see by his Answer to the Angel I will not let thee go without a blessing Gen. 32.26 Why did not his Father bless him Yes I have blessed him saith he to Esau yea and he shall be blessed Gen. 27.33 And not only so but when Isaac sent him to Padan-Aram he blessed him again Gen. 28.1 But Jacob would not trust to this seeing the first and chief blessing which was due to him by Oracle and Promise had an ill foundation as to the manner of obtaining it and in that respect there vvas a flavv in the Title vvhich therefore novv he striveth to corroborate before he dares to look his Brother Esau in the face as if he should say My Father indeed hath blessed me but there vvas Error personae he mistook the person