wicked persons and thereby alienates our affections by little and little from duty till at length we fall into liking of their evill wayes it is we know a dangerous thing for a man that is apt to take infection to keepe company with an infected person againe the credit and estimation of the world is a strong allurement to draw us from the love of Christ and from the sincerity of Religion how strangely doth our nature desire this and labour to fit all our performances that they may credit us before men yea even in the worship and service of God as in the duty of prayer we desire to get an habit of words and expressions such as may please our selves and others and so neglect the powring out of our soules before God that which is indeed prayer Thus we see the things of this world and the glory of them are a strange bait and lookes like that fruit in the midst of Paradise which beguiled our parents a faire outside promises much but performes nothing The Divell told Eve it would makâ— her like God but she was deceived in her expectation so will the things of this world deceive us wee are apt to make them our confidence and thinke if we have honour credit riches friends strength and such like we shall be able to doe well with little or no Religion It is true commonly that at first looking upon the wayes of God and our enterance into fellowship with Christs children wee seeme to neglect these outward things a little and being surprised with our new acquaintance wee are very free for a time and all for good duties and love to the Saints and what not I remember when at first I was entred into this way the love of Gods people was precious and I rejoyced in their love and so ready and willing to any good there was no sonne of consolation should doe that thing but I would carefully follow but afterwards finding many professors that had been longer in the way and better acquainted cold in their practice And in places eminent for Religion they would doe no more then would please the Prelates I grew by little and little into a luke-warme temper and could be content in all things to learne discretion Take heed of this It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Hebr. 10.31 This many of God Saints are able to witnesse from their owne experience how dreadfull the apprehension of Gods wrath hath beene when their sinnes have been made to appeare when their owne conscience shall stand up and say this hast thou done thou hast beene afraid to confesse me before the world O what answer shall a poore soule make how shall he be able to behold the angry countenance of his God whom hee hath so grievously offended how hardly shall wee be able to apply the sweet promise to our selves when we heare God speaking in the holy Scriptures Whoseover shall deny me before men him will I deny also before my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 10.33 but we will be ready to answer with those wicked persons Mat. 25.44 When did we doe this Christ will tell us when and how that wee shall not be able to reply as wee may see Tit. 1.16 They professe they know God but by workes they deny him and are abominable c. Here we see plainly that to walke in wicked wayes is to deny God neverthelesse in the time of prosperity this is not thought on untill God in tender love and compassion strip us of these outward things which wee trust in and makes us see there is nothing can helpe in the day of wrath but onely the Lord it is good that these outward thing faile us here that wee may see there is no trust to be put in them I have many times had great confidence in friends as I have thought upon good grounds but when I have had most need they have beene taken away or have left mee and proved unconstant just as it was with the Apostle Paul 2 Tim 4.16 At my first answering no man assisted me but all forsooke me c. O then trust in God and he will never leave nor forsake you and take heed of setting your affection upon any thing but God alone it is a very hard matter to enjoy these outward things but they will steale away our hearts from the love of God I never yet found but that the plentifull enjoyment of them did more hurt then the want of them yet all experience can hardly restraine our desires from these things the reason is our diffidence in Gods all-sufficiency and feare of falling into poverty which through error of judgement wee account a very great evill though sent by God for our good and many times fall to murmuring and so lose the benefit that we might reape thereby and provoke God against us I remember a good speech of a wise man to this purpose In a feast saith hee Wee content ourselves with that is set before us thinking it an impudent and vile part to a ke any other thing of him that entertaineth us And how can we be so impudent and shamelesse in this world as to aske those things of God which he will not give us It is the last remedy that God useth to reclaime us from our evill wayes to take f om us those things wherein we trusted that we might cast our selves wholly upon him which is his honour and our safety without which we are in a miserable condition O let every one make haste to fly unto God now is the time this is the day of expectance when he knocketh at the doore of our hearts by affliction if therefore God gives us any tendernesse of heart lay fast hold of it and keepe a tender conscience as we keepe our lives take heed of deading our hearts with giving the least allowance to sin or omitting any duty It is a hard matter when wee have neglected the constant use of performing duties to bring our hearts to that pitch againe from which wee have slipt as in hearing praying conference meditation and such like let us then hold fast and keepe close our acquaintance with God if any thing be omitted at one time double it the next especially prayer that is it whereby we have familiar accesse to his glorious Majesty and the ground of our faith In the next place wee must be carefull in reading and hearing the Word and however it be of meane esteeme in the world wee must know it's Gods Ordinance that which leads men into error and makes them ignorant of their duty is want of knowledge in the Scriptures and mis-interpreting of them not making one place to cleare another I know we must not now looke for divine revelation from heaven but God hath left us his holy Word by which wee may be taught all things necessary to our salvation and howsoever it is true that many are and more shall be in
poore fig-tree was curst because it was ba ren so likewise Christ arraignes men at the last day because they have not done good Matth. 25. Now this good must be done to body soule estate and that freely not having respect to our selves as in the 1 Cor. 13. Many will doe good because they looke for the like againe this is not love Math. 5.46 For if yee love them that love you what reward shall you have doe not the Publicans the same Thus then we may see what men are that have not love like Ishmael Gen. 16.12 Wild men their hand against every man and every mans hand against them or like that Judge spoken of Luke 18.2 Hee feared not God nor reverenced man such mens love if wee may so call it never over-looks their owne doores just like Nabal 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it to them whom I know not whence they be It 's worth your paines to read the former part of the Chapter whereby you shall see a perfect character of such a person especially in the 10. verse our love should extend farther as wee see Hebr. 13.2 3. Be not forgetfull to entertaine strangers c. we know not what our own condition may be we may see what hath beene the condition of Gods Saints Hebr. 11.37 They were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandered up and downe in sheeps skins and Goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented Sure the Nabals of the world will have no acquaintance with these poore soules but suppose we acknowledge all this as indeed who can deny it yet there is more to be done we must love our enemies and doe them good as wee are commanded Exod. 23.4 But who is this Whom may wee take for an enemy not every one that doth us a discourtesie as David to Mephibosheth he did him an ill turne but could not be accounted his enemy for he loved him but hee is an enemy that of set purpose doth a man wrong causelesly and continues therein Saul hated David that gave him no cause 1 Sam. 28.2 such an enemy ought to be beloved of us it is Gods commandement Mat 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies c. Prov. 25.21 If hee that hateth thee be hungry give him bread to eate and if he be thirsty give him water to drinke a man that loves not his enemy doth more hurt to himselfe then his enemy can doe to him for hee hurts his owne soule as wee may see Matth. 6.15 But if yee forgive not men their trespasses no more will your Father forgive your trespasses also Col. 3.13 we have many encouragements to this dutie God himselfe glories in this as a most excellent thing Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression c. Prov. 16.32 Another motive is we cannot serve God or performe our dutie without it as Math. 5.24 We must leave our offering c. So in prayer wee mocke God if wee pray not without wrath wee desire him to plague us neither can we come to the Lords Table 1 Cor. 5.8 So likewise for receiving the Word James 1.21 Besides if we doe not forgive our sinnes lye upon our owne score Math. 6.15 and 18.27 So likewise there shall be no mercy to him that sheweth no mercy Iames 2.13 Besides this is the most equall thing in the world for the vilest person would have God forgive him as in Deut. 29.19 This reason cuts off many objections that men usually make against this truth As shall I stoope to him if I should doe so I should encourage him 3. It 's not the the first time 4. Lowe him no love 5. I have often told him his fault 6. I have deserved better at his hands 7. I should be accounted a coward c. 8. He will not sue or speake to me 9. This is a singular thing and divers like this true Gods children must doe singular things Math. 5.47 Wee know what example Christ gave at his death hee forgave them so did Stephen Acts 7. Now there are foure excellent properties in forgiving wrongs and injuries as First It must be done speedily let not the San go down upon our wrath for then twenty to one but it will rise upon our wrath Secondly it must be done constantly that is alwayes every offence Math. 18.22 Wee know we are bound to pray continually and we must not lift up our hands in wrath we must not be overcome of evill but let patience have her perfect worke Iames 1.4 And let Patience have her perfect worke that shee may be entire lacking nothing Thirdly we ought to forgive truly so we desire at the hands of God Mat. 35.18 1 Iohn 3.18 Fourthly it must be done willingly not by constraint there is no duty accepted by God but such as is willingly performed Gal. 4.15 But if I should doe all this my enemy will thinke I am guilty at his perill if hee will doe so abuse his neighbours patience if this be so that we must love our enemies there is no doubt but we must love our friends and those are of three sorts By nature grace and choyce That by nature the heathen will teach us and wee may see how they are condemned that are without naturall affection Rom. 1.30 1 Tim 3.3 Now this duty is not performed onely in the things of this life but also in that of the better life wee see an example of this in Cornelius Acts 10.24 He called together his kinsmen and speciall friends so Iohn 1.41 42. One brother brought another to Christ Next is the love of our friends by grace hee that loves shall be sure not to lose his reward Math. 10.41 42. Hee that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet c. so 2 Iohn 1.2 we have the example of Christ for this 1 Thes 4.9.10 So the Prophet David Psal 16.3 Also God is well pleased with this and takes it as done unto himselfe Matth. 25.45 Yee have done it to me Next thing to draw our love they are worthy of our love and are said to partake of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 Againe they are best able to require our love they can go to God for us Job 42.8 My servant Job shall pray for you c. The next is our friends by choyce as Ionathan loved David 1 Sam. 18.1.2 So also Paul loved Philemon The ground of this love should be our love to God and that Image of God in them Now there are divers things wherein this love is to be shewed as first in imparting to them what ever we know may be for their good as our Saviour Christ teacheth by his example Iohn 15.15 Next we must keepe our friends from hurt all we can as Ionathan did to David 1 Sam. 19.2 It 's a
heaven that never saw that glorious light which we see yet that is no ground for us to shut our eyes in the time of this light nay it 's our shame and exceeding aggravation of our sinne so to doe as we may see Acts 17.30 Besides I am perswaded all things are not yet revealed that shall be in due time there is a prophesie to be fulfilled Esa 30.26 The light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne c. the doctrine of grace under the Gospell is a fountaine unmeasurable Ezec. 47.5 It behooves us then to walke as children of the light searching the Scriptures like those men of Berea Acts 17.11 This is a truth undeniable commanded by God and very profitable and in this as in all things else the better the more opposed by the Divell as we finde in all times not onely amongst Papists but also amongst those that will condemne it as an evill in them I have often heard some presse this duty of searching the Scriptures and blame the Papists for hiding the light yet I have heard those men bitterly speak against such as have been forward in the practice thereof The Bereans were commended for searching the Scriptures whether those things Paul taught were true although hee was an Apostle and the Penman of the Scriptures but if you make the least enquirie or doubt of what is received and professed by these men you shall finde the change of their countenance towards you and scarce ever have their good report after or of any other if they can help it and why doe they this Sure upon the same ground with the Papists they know if men looke into the truth they must then see their error Also other mens knowledge bewrayes their ignorance of which they are or have cause to be ashamed and sometimes shewes their wickednesse that know many things to be evill and yet will for by-respects practise them take heed of such you shall know them by their favourits they will hold such in great esteeme that desire to know no more in Religion then may serve to advance their credit and can say of all they heare it is excellent doctrine though they know no reason for it but because such men spake it let not such nor any other draw us from this duty neither keepe us in ignorance in these times of great light we should therefore strive to make good use of our time whilest God holdeth forth this light unto us whilest it 's called to day improve to our best advantage all the helpes God hath afforded for increase of knowledge amongst which the followship of the Saints is not the least it is a sad thing to see how cold and fruitlesse the company of Gods people is the Divell knowes well that Christian society is a great helpe to godlinesse and therefore doth labour by all wayes to hinder it and hath so prevailed that for Gods Saints to meet in that Church way as they should is almost out of use amongst many and we are ashamed to use our Christian fellowship but suit our selves with the times and grow strange to each other in so much that if a familiar friend passe by us without due observation as wee thinke our want of charity is such that wee presently conclude it was purposely done and so in the pride of our hearts withdraw our selves from his not onely familiarity but almost acquaintance wee know what is formerly said Love thinketh not evil let us then shew our love in this to have good thoughts towards our brethren and doe as wee would be done unto would wee have Gods children upon every surmise withdraw themselves from us let us then be more mindfull of this dutie and labour to stirre up one another to the performance of it and to win their affections by our humility and loving carriage towards them we know not how long God will continue these opportunities we see how hee hath dealt with others they are deprived of those things which we enjoy in abundance if God should deale so with us as we know how justly hee may Oh how grievous will be the remembrance of our negligence wee may wish and desire againe to see those times but to no purpose Let us then call to mind what wee have received and how wee have requited the Lord for all his benefits how little our love hath beene to our good God whose love to us is infinite FINIS