as the Sun of persecution is up We shall take pleasure in infirmities in tribulations and rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ This is to do more then others When the servants of God shall not only patiently but triumphantly undergo the Crosses that crack the brains and break the hearts of others and shall shake off the Viper without receiving any hurt when Paul and Silas shall sing in the stocks and the resolved Martyrs shall embrace the Faggots kiss the Stake When the Valiant Philpot shall say of his Prison In the judgment of the world we are in Hell but I find in it the sweet consolations of Heaven and the Holy Bradford My Prison is sweeter to me then any Parlour then any pleasure I have had in all my life This is indeed to exceed others Rule VII To be good when we shall be evil spoken of for our labour A Pharisee will do those duties that will gain applause with men but to take up with despised duties disgraceful duties and with David to be religious when it will render him Vile this is to do more then others The Philosopher could say It is noble indeed for a man to do well when he knows he shall hear ill for it To take up Religion when every one kicks it off to stand up alone with Luther for the truth when the whole world is gone a wandring after the Whore To have his hand against every man and to be for Christ with Athanasius against the whole Universe this is indeed to do some singular thing Rule VIII To strike in with Gods interest when it is falling To joyn our selves to the Lords people when it s the weakest side To espouse their interest with Moses when they were in deep affliction Heb. 11. 25 26. To own our selves to be some of them undauntedly when this way is every where spoken against this is to tread Antipodes to the course of this world Rule IX To be most cruel to the sin that is naturally most dear The hypocrite hides his sweet morsels under his tongue he spares as it were the fattest of the Cattel he saith The Lord pardon his servant concerning this thing But when a man shall off with his right hand out with the right eye serve his Absolon as Ioab did when he took three darts and thrust thorow his heart this is to do more then others The sincere Christian is most angry with the sin of his temper against this he aims the arrows of all his prayers he keeps him from his iniquity he drives the whole herd of sin before him but especially shoots at and singles out this to run it down Rule X. To live upon the divine promises when others live upon their possessions Others are all for what is in hand with them words are but wind they cannot live upon them the promises are to them a barren heath and dry breasts but when we make the promises our heritage the staff of our life the life of our hearts when the promises are the bottle we run to in all our faintings and while others hope in their Wealth our hope is in the Word this is to do more then others Rule XI To love that best and choose it soonest which doth cross the flesh most The godly mans rule is to take the self-denying side so he be sure it be safe when others study is to please themselves his is to curb himself the life of others is a flesh-pleasing his a self-denying life others joy is when they can gratifie themselves his when he can get victory over himself Rule XII To be most hot in that wherein self is least concerned Paul is meek as a lamb under personal injuries 1 Cor. 4. 12. Acts 17. 16. but how is his spirit stirred when God is dishonoured A man of understanding is of a cool spirit that is in his own concerns but Moses the meek waxes hot with indignation at the sight of the calf To be hot and forward in those duties where the fleshes interest is concerned is to do no more then a Iehu 2 Kings 10. 16 30. Rule XIII To make true conscience of the least sins but most conscience of the greatest In one of these will the hyhocrite be found tardy It may be he will fly from open sins and startle at gross staring sins but of little sins he makes little conscience This he allows of and connives at Or else he will be very tender of little things scruple the picking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day or the curing of the sick and strain at the gnat when he will in other things swallow a camel devour widows houses The sincere will indulge no sin grieves for groans under cryes out feelingly against his very infirmities but most dreads what God most hates Rule XIV To allow your selves in the neglect of no duty but to reserve your zeal for the duties of most weight To tythe mint and cummin and neglect judgment mercy and faith to be zealous for humane Ceremonies Ordinances and mens Traditions and omit the weightier matters of the Law is right the Pharisees guise Matth. 23. 23. Matth. 15. 2. To eye both the Tables to joyn sweetly together morality and piety to be punctual with Men but not careless of God to give to Caesar the things that be Caesars but first to give to God the things that be Gods this is to do more then others The sincere Christian hath respect to all Gods Commandments walks in all his Statutes he is throughout with God but he is most zealous in those things that lie next the heart of religion Rule XV. To love your Reprovers Herein David doth more then Ahab see their contrary frames 1 Kings 22. 8. Psal. 141. 5. Rule XVI To subject all your worldly interest to your Makers glory and perform holy duties with holy ends and while others do their best actions with carnal aims you must do your common and civil actions with heavenly aims Q. How we may know whether we be and do more then others that are unsound I shall answer this Question by propounding eight Questions to you beseeching you to retire to the most solemn and strict examination and make conscience to give a clear answer to these few Interrogatories and that will resolve the Case Q. I. When others do pick and choose have you respect to all Gods Commandments The hypocrite may have great respect to the comforts but he hath little to the commands of Religion He is much for the priviledges and promises little for the Precepts and Duties He is partial in the Law he will take but here and there where he likes and where Gods commands will serve his interest or at least will not pinch too hard upon the flesh The sound Christian sets all Gods commands before him He eyes all his copy and heartily designs and studies a throughout conformity He hath no starting holes nor contrived
one of another 1 Pet. 3. 8. Say not It is not my nature What doth grace serve for but to correct the evils of your temper Is not ours a Religion of self-denyal Do not the Rules of our Religion enjoyn us to be followers of whatsoever is lovely and of good report and may render Religion amiable to the world Phil. 4. 8. Rule 2 Vse a wise forecast that every duty may fall in in its time and order and every work may have its room It is not enough to do Gods work but it must be done in his order That which in it self is good and necessary may be so ill timed as to become a sin It is a duty to tell your Brother of his sin but to rip it up in your passion or to be retorting upon him when he is christianly admonishing you is a sin Your wordly business must not shut out Religion nor religious Duties take you so up as to neglect your callings But every duty must have its place But for the doing all in Gods order Take these Five Directions Direct 1. Begin at home in provoking to good Why should God plead with you Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self Rom. 2. 21. Be an example of thine own rule else the hypocrites charge will come in against thee Mat. 23. 4. They bind heavy burdens but will not touch them with one of their fingers Observe Gods order Deut. 6. 6 7. These words which I command thee shall be in thine heart That must be our first care And then having got our Lesson well our selves we must then Teach it to others And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and tell of them when thou c. At least if thou hast not already attained it be sure to learn with the first and when thou pressest a duty intend thy self first and speak most to thine own heart 2. In reproving evil Otherwise thou wilt be branded for an hypocrite Matth. 7. 5. First cast the beam out of thine own eye We may not think as many do mistakingly that we must not reprove another when we are guilty of the same sin But we must in such a case be sure to cast the first stone at our selves Be soonest angry with thy self and more severe to thine own sins then any others 'T is strange to see the great censoriousness of Professours to others and how tender they are of their own corruptions and impatient of reproof Reader fear and avoid this sin Direct 2. Let God be first served Let God have the first of thy thoughts the first of the day the first of thy strength How heavily is God displeased with the prophane Priests because they will serve themselves first with the Sacrifices before him 1 Sam. 2. 15 16. And it is the holy Counsel that one gives Hold the door of thy heart fast against the world in the morning till thy heart hath been first in Heaven and seasoned and fortified from thence against the Temptations that thou art like to meet with assoon as thou comest down below Indeed all must be done as Gods service but so as that his immediate service must be done first It is the counsel of several Heathens That all our undertakeings should be begun with prayer Saith Aratus Let us begin with God And the very Mahumetans begin their Books alwayes as men do use to do their Wills In the Name of God Direct 3. First cleanse the inside Matth. 23. 26. Cleanse first that which is within the Cup. Though they are much out that live as if all their work did lie within door yet remember that it lies chiefly here It s a most preposterous course in religion to begin first with the out-side Jer. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart when once this is done reformation will soon follow in the life but not otherwise Many are careful that all that appears to men should be beautiful but their hearts are neglected These carry upon them the marks of the hypocrite Matth. 23. 27 28. And what will it profit thee O vain man to have all kept secret from men since God knows and detests thee And hath appointed a day when he will rip open all thy pack and anatomize thy heart before the world 1 Cor. 4. 5. Eccles. 12. 14. Rom. 2. 16. Direct 4. Eye those duties most that are of most importance Matth. 23. 23. The hypocrite is very punctual in lesser matters but neglects the weightiest things of the Law Judgment and Mercy and Faith He is for a religion that will cost him little and therefore words being good cheap he will be as forward in talk as any mighty zealous in the circumstantials of Religion and marvellous censorious of others that come not up to this mind as men of wide principles and large consciences But in the mean time he is very negligent is secret duties a great stranger to self-denyal and walking humbly with God He strains wonderfully at a Ceremony but it may be he can swallow the gains of unrighteousness or the baits of intemperance fast enough It may be he will decry Superstition and never wants a stone to fling at a prophane Church-man But in the mean time walks loosly in his Family makes little conscience of his dealings or will take up his Cups as freely as another so he be not drunk Or if he will not take a penny of his neighbours estate he is most unmerciful to his good name and will take up any report that is going Brethren you must make conscience of the least sin and of the least duty But it is a fearful sign when men are zealous against lesser sins and yet connive at greater as these are Matth. 23. 24. Direct 5. Take the first opportunity when God gives a fit season for any duty Let not Satan beguile you by telling you of another or a better time It may be thou hast a purpose to reprove thy brother for his sin but how long wilt thou be a purposing Now God gives thee an opportuity it may be thy backward heart saith not now but another time And so it is put off till he or thy self are removed or he is hardned or at least thou art guilty of the sin that he commits in the mean while because thou hast not done thy duty to prevent it It is in thine heart to deal with thine unconverted friend or neighbour about his spiritual estate but it may be while thou art delaying death comes and snatches him away in his sins or takes thee off and so farewel for ever to any opportunity for doing the soul of thy Brother any good How often are our closet-duties hindred or miserably disturbed for want of care to lay hold on the first opportunity we think another hour in the day may do as well but then one thing or another unexpectedly falls in that nothing in done or nothing to purpose Therefore beware of this cheat A man can scarce peep into the
its strength You must not think it is with you as it is with a ruinous house where the mending of here and there a little will make up all again no but the old building must be quite book down and the foundation stone laid anew in a sound repentance from dead works and through conversion unto God Till this be done you must know that God hath no pleasure in you neither will accept an offering at your hand Mal. 1. 10. as he doth from those that are his friends 2. That there be the Acceptation of your persons through faith in Christ Iesus For in him alone it is that God will be well-pleased Matth. 3. last so that without faith interessing us in him it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. For the better understanding both these Particulars know that there are two Attributes of God to which you must bear a conformity or else you cannot please him 1. The holiness of God for he is not a God that hath pleasure in iniquity He heareth not sinners The foolish shall not stand in his sight He hateth all the workers of iniquity Psal. 5. 4 5. Iohn 9. 31. God can no more take pleasure in the unsanctified then we in swine or serpents 2. The Iustice of God for he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. Could we have inherent holiness in us in our unpardoned state yet justice could not but be infinitely offended while guilt lyeth unremoved as you may see in Christ. For though he were perfectly holy yet being under the guilt of our sins imputed to him the severity of Gods justice broke out against him Now man being naturally an offence both to the holiness and justice of God there must of necessity pass upon him in order to his pleasing God this two-fold change 1. The real change of Sanctification I call this a real change because by this there is a real change infusing of new qualities and dispositions making him of proud humble of carnal spiritual and heavenly c. 2. The relative change of Iustification I call this a relative change because this is not a change in a mans nature but in his condition making him to stand in a new relation to the Law with reference to which he was before guilty and condemned but now the Law pronounces the same man clear and acquitted and this is not for any righteousness infused into him but for the satisfaction and payment of another laid down for him satisfaction there must be and a righteousness must be tendered or else God cannot be at peace We have nothing to pay Luke 7. 42. Oh sinner away to Christ for it Hide thee in the Clifts of that Rock Run to the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Appear not before God but in the Robes of Christs Righteousness He sends you to Jesus as he did them to Iob Chap. 42. the last Go to my servant Job he shall pray for you him will I accept Get out of your selves fly to Christ labour to be found in him else all your endeavours in wrinsing and washing your selves will be to no effect 2. With reference to our Principles And here it is necessary that some corrupt principles be unlearnt and some holy principles be received and retained Some corrupt Principles must be unlearnt As 1. That it is enough if we serve God on the Lords day and we may serve our selves all the rest of the week Though God hath reserved one day in seven wholly for his immediate service which is therefore in a peculiar sense called the Lords day yet we must know that every day is his and that he hath not allowed us one hour nor inch of time but only for his service Indeed he hath service of more sorts then one but we must know that the business of our ordinary affairs if rightly done is a serving of the Lord Christ Col. 3. 24. God is as truly served by you in the working days labour as the Sabbath days rest if you do it in a right manner and to holy ends There are a generation whose Religion is but a Sundays Religion which they put on and off with their Sundays Cloaths and then they think God is fairly served for the week although God knows that little they do then is but poorly done neither Never think God will accept it at thy hands when thou livest six days to the world and thy self for one that thou spendest for him This shews thee to be under the unmortified power of self-love and not to be the Lords for none of his liveth to himself Rom. 14. 7. You must remember that you are but to learn upon the Sabbath how to serve God all the week and not think when the Lords day is ended his work is done 2. That if God be served morning and evening it is enough though we serve our selves the rest of the day God must be served every day and all the day Prov. 23. 17. You must be serving him not only in your Fasts but at your Meals not onely on your Knees but in your Callings Some think that if they keep up religious duties they may do what they list at other times that if they be intermperate lascivious unrighteous it is but to make even again with God at night and all will be well Like the whore in the Proverbs that having made her offering was presently ready for new wickedness Prov. 7. 14. as if she had paid off the old score and might now boldly run upon a new These are not the Children of God but of Belial Others think that though they may not serve the Devil at any time yet giving God his dues morning and evening they may serve themselves the rest of the time But in vain do they lay claim to God who live more to themselves then they do to him This will be found horrible sacriledge to put off God but with the tenth God is to be eyed and served in all that you do and this is that I drive at that we may not divide our selves between God and the world between his service and our own ends and so put off him with a partial service but that we may do all in obedience to him and we may be intirely the Lords That he in all things may be glorified by us and we may not lose our Reward 2. Some holy Principles must be received and retained As Pr. 1. That the pleasing of God is our only Business and our highest Blessedness First our only Business what is it that we call or count our Business 1. That is a mans Business which his livelihood and subsistence depends upon The Lawyer counts the Law his Business And the Tradesman counts his Trade his Business because upon this their livelihood and subsistence depends Brethren our whole depends upon the pleasing of God Do this and do all miss in this and you marr all please him and you are made for ever if he
you not only how you must fast but how you must eat to wit with watchfulness and temperance not as those who have nothing to do but to fill their paunches but with an eye to his glory as those that are feeding and relieving the servants of Jesus Christ. He hath shewed you not only how you should rest on the Lords Day but how you must follow your Calling on the rest to wit with diligence and discretion minding him as your end as those that herein serve the Lord Christ. He hath told you how you must manage your dealings with equity and charity doing the very same to others that your consciences tell you you would have them in the like case to do unto you how you must sleep even as those that know he compasseth your path and your lying down and how you must wake to wit so as to be still with him Fourthly God hath given you special helps to this end You have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 16. and you have the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 12. Indeed they that are in the flesh cannot please God but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit Rom. 8. 8 9. You that are Believers have not the Law only in your Bibles but in your hearts Heb. 8. 10. II. It is very profitable Glorious advantages shall you have by this course First this is the most speedy and certain way to assurance for want of which many of you complain but henceforth you must complain no more For either you will follow this course and then you will have it or you will not and then cease your hypocritical complaints when it is through your own wilful disobedience that you are without it When once you are habituated to this course and do find it to be the chief of your care and that which your very hearts are set upon above all things else to glorifie and please God and approve your selves in his sight you cannot want assurance unless through your own ignorance For this is the most undoubted evidence in the world that you are the children of God whatever unallowed failings you may be guilty of Secondly Hereby you shall be certain of Gods gracious and favourable presence always with you See the Text He that sent me is with me for I do always those things that please him Thirdly By this means you shall be always laying up a Treasure in Heaven Brethren what are you for Are you men for Eternity or are you for present things Is your design for Glory Honour and Immortality Are you for riches in the other world or of dunghil spirits preferring your part in Paris before a part in Paradise If you are for true riches here is your way By this you shall be daily and hourly encreasing the stock of your own glory my vehemency is only that fruit may abound to your account that all you do might meet you in Heaven and Christ may shew your good works another day as the Widows did Dorcas her Garments Acts 9. 39. CHAP. III. A Fourth Case of Conscience WHat weariness in and unwillingness to duties may stand with grace and what not For the resolving this some Distinctions must be premised and then some Conclusions elicited Distinct. This weariness and unwillingness must be distinguished 1. According to the degrees of it and so it is either partial and gradual or else prevalent and plenary 2. According to the subject of it and so this weariness is either of the Members or else of the mind 3. According to the prevalency of it and so it is either transient and occasional or else setled and habitual 4. According to the sense we have of it and so it is either matter of Allowance to us or matter of annoyance 5. According to the cause of it and so it is either from a fixed dislike of the food or else from an Accidental distemper of the stomach 6. According to the effects of it for either it is victorious and makes us give over duties or else abhorred and repulsed by grace the Christian still holding on in the way of Duty Conclu 1. Where the weariness is only in the Members or at least chiefly but there is still a willingness of the mind this is no matter of questioning our Estates where the mind out-goes and out-does the body and the appetite to duties continues in vigour though there be a languishing of the natural strength and weariness of the bodily organs this is not our sin but affliction But too commonly the body hath so much influence upon the mind and causeth a listlesness and sluggishness there and makes it negligent in its office Yet when this doth proceed from the failing of the spirits tired with bodily labour and exercise and from the distemper of the parts our most pitiful Father considers our frame and remembers we are but dust and our merciful High Priest that is not untouched with the sense of our infirmities is ready to frame our excuse that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak 2. Where our weariness in and unwillingness to duties is only gradual and partial not plenary and prevalent it is not sufficient to conclude our selves graceless While the twins are together in the womb and two Nations within our bowels there will be contrary inclinations The flesh will never say Amen to a good motion as such but will be lusting against the spirit and will hang back when the spirit puts forwards and pull down when the spirit bends upwards So that while corruption remaineth there will be always a dissenting party and continual conflicts from whence it is no wonder there should arise some weariness yet the spirit is the prevailing interest and though oft-times fayled yet hath mostly the mastery in the combate and carries it against the flesh though not without much resistance and reluctancy from the rebel opponent 3. Where this weariness is only transient during the present temptation or defection which assoon as the tired soul can get out of it returns to its former temper and pleasure in holy duties there is only matter of humiliation But when it is the setled permanent and babitual frame of the mind it is matter of questioning our conditions The holy Psalmist under a dissertion was even almost perswaded to give over with Religion but when he is himself nothing is so sweet nothing so lovely and desirable to him as the duties of holiness But for them who have in their ordinary setled course and frame no mind to duties but are halled to them by conscience or engaged by company or custom or the like their case is fearful in that measure that duty is unpleasing and not loved 4. Where this weariness of and unwillingness to Duties is paniful and grievous as a sore in the eye as a sickness in the heart the state is good But where it is naturally allowed and meets with little or no resistance it is a black mark
barely as a Bridg to Heaven and so to seek no more then will just bear his charges thither but he desires it for its own sake And therefore desires the height of it That person that desires Grace only for Heavens sake and inquires what is the lowest measure of Grace that any one may have and come to Heaven by which he meaneth but to be saved from misery upon this design that if he could but come to that pitch he would desire no more that person is rotten at the heart Christans the Lord doth expect of you that you should not be Babes and Dwarfs He looks now especially that you should make some progresse What do you more then heretofore What! do you feel his spurs in your sides and his whip at your backs And yet never mend your pace in Religion nor stir one jot the faster Let me commend to you Pauls study Phil. 3. 12. 13. 14. It argues a base and unworthy spirit to content our selves with little things in Religion Coun. V. Labour that Holiness may become your nature and Religion your business Then you are come to somewhat indeed in Religion when the work of God is become your natural and beloved imployment your Meat and Drink your Work and Wages When your Tongues and Hearts do as naturally run on God as others on and of the world much of that may be attained by constant care and prayer Brethren let Gods work be done by you not by the by but as your greatest businesse Seek first the Kingdome of God Matth. 6. 33. And so wherever you be you may be able to give that account of your selves that our Saviour did when they enquired of him That you are about your Fathers business Luke 2. 59. Coun. VI. Confine not your Religion to your knees but carry on an even spun thred of Holiness through your whole Course Brethren 't is the disgrace of Religion that Christians are so unlike themselves unless it be when they are in holy duties This wounds Religion to the quick when it shall be said of Professors these men indeed will pray like Angels but for ought we can see they are as Peevish and as Touchy as any other men and they are as Hard in their Dealings and make as little Conscience of their Words as others do Beloved think not Religion lies only or cheifly in Praying Hearing Reading No you must be throughout Religous Sirs bring forth your Religion out of your Closets into your ordinary Course Let there not be a life of Holiness on the outside of the Cloth But Let Holiness be woven into the whole of your Conversations Here lies the excellency difficulty of Religion when you have the baits of intemperance before you then to hold the Reins hard and deny your flesh when you have provocation before you then to bite in your passions and bridle the unruly member When you have dealings with others then to proceed by that golden rule of Equity and Charity To do to others as your Consciences tell you you would have them do in the like case to you When you are called upon in your several relations then to behave your selves with that tenderness and love with that reverence and obedience with that courtesie and condescension and kindness that becomes you in your various capacities In this I say lies the Excellency of Religion Coun. VII Ever walk with your End in your Eye It is true according to the usual and useful similitude The Traveller thinks not of his Journeyes end every step nor need he yet there is no Traveller but thinks of it at his setting out Brethren there is nothing hinders but that with Prayer and Watchfulness you might come to this in every solemn action to mind God as your End Impose this upon your selves as your daily rule to walk by never to lie down but with these thoughts Well I will make use of my Bed as an Ordinance of God for my natural refreshment that a weary Servant of his may be fitted for his work Never to rise up but with these thoughts I will set forth this day in the Name of the Lord and make it my business this day throughout to please him Never to set to your callings but in the entrance to think thus I will set about my employment in obedience to God because this is his will that I should walk with him in my place and station Never to sit down to your Tables but thinking I will now Eat and Drink not meerly to feed my flesh but to cherish a Servant of Christ Iesus that he may have strength for his service Charge this upon your selves and examine in the evening how you have minded it and check your selves wherein you come short Once learn this and you are come up to something and you shall have the undoubted evidence of your sincerity and shall know the inside of that blessed mistery of walking with God Coun. VIII Be and do more then ordinary in your Familys and Closets now in the defects of the more Publick Ordinances 1. In your Closets See that your Consciences be able to bear you witness that under Gods extraordinary providences you do more then ever in answer thereunto It may be you Prayed twice in the day heretofore why should you not at such a time as this is make one visit more then ordinary to Heaven daily to represent before God the calamites of his Church This be sure of that somewhat more then heretofore must now be done else God will look upon himself as intollerably slighted and upon his Church as most unnaturally neglected if we do not now put to it Be more then ever in self-examination God doth look that when he is trying of us we should be much in the trial of our selves And here let me put it to your Consciences How are your rules for daily examination looked after Do you try your selves by them from day to day Ah wretched negligence what have you given your approbation and passed your promise and yet even in such a day as this so much forget your duty God expects it of you that now you see him angry you should with more jealous fear and tender circumspecton and holy watchfulness and self-denial walk before him else you will greatly incense his indignation when he shall see that you slight his anger 2. In your Families Christians now the Lord calls aloud upon you to set your houses in order Oh see what is amiss in them and strive to cast out that which may be a provocation Three things I advise you to with reference to your Families 1. That you set up the Solemn exercise of Catechising weekly among them Methinks I would not question but that in every Godly Family there is a care of the Catechisme But when Governours do onely impose it in general upon their Families and occasionally take an account I find but little progress is made and therefore I beseech you to