am giving you I have in part borrowed for your use which some of you may possibly have received elsewhere Before I give you the particular directions I shall first premise these things 1. Count upon this that the Directions I am now giving you if you ever mean to bring it to any thing will cost you pains and labour and how can you count your selves Christians if you refuse to be at the necessary cost of Christianity If you think to be Christians without labour or if you will stand out from Christianity to save your labour you are a like wise in both Either come to a Resolution to fall upon an industrious painful life or 't will be in vain to give you counsel 2. Practice the Directions I shall give you in pursuance of your Covenant with God wherein you have ingaged to take the strictest severest Laws of Christ for the Rule of thy Life What I am presing on you for the matter of it is no more than you have bound your selves to as Christians Remember your bonds and let this holy practice be followed on by you as the paying your Vows Remember daily the vows of God are upon you and there is not any material thing here prescribed to you which falls not under your vows Your Covenant if your eye be much upon it will be a cord to hold you to your work 3. Presse hard for sensible Communion with God in all your Duties 4. Keep up a spiritual and holy frame from Dutie to Dutie Remember what I have elsewhere spoken to you more at large on these two particulars See that there be Religion in your duties and confine not your Religion to your duties 5. Be Watchful The life of all Religion lies much here what-ever you resolve upon will come to nothing without it Watchfulnessis the Executioner of your will Let your eye be upon your Rule and your work Especially watch against your prevailing sins There 's no Christian that observes himself but may find some one sin or more that in regard of their power over him are taller by the head and shoulders than all the rest In some Pride in others Worldliness in others Passion in others Sloathfulness It may be if thou searchest some one of these four or possibly some other may be it that by a specialty thou may'st call thine iniquity Find out what it is and know that there thy main work lies In vain wilt thou strive in other duties till that which hinders be removed out of the way Fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Where the Enemy most ordinarily makes his breach upon thee set the stronger Guard Let thy daily conflicts be here and observe diligently with what success 6. Walk on thy course in the Name and strength of the Lord Jesus Live by Faith Depend on Christ for the assistance of his mighty Spirit Forget not this for otherwise thou wilt go but lamely on These things premised I shall now give you the particular Directions 1. Directions for the Evening Every Evening before you sleep withdraw your selves from the World and having set your hearts as in the presence of God charge them before God to answer to these following Interrogatories 1. Concerning your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my bed when he expected me on my knees 2. Was there not more of Custom and Fashion than of Conscience and Affection either in my secret or family Duties 3. Had I any sensible Communion with God in my duties 4. Have I not neglected or been careless and overly in reading the Word and holy Meditation 2. Concerning your Sins Q. 1. Do I live in nothing that I know to be a sin 2. Have I kept me from MINE Iniquity What victory have I yet gotten over it 3. Am I a mourner for mine own and the sins of the Land 3. Concerning your Temptations Q. 1. Have I feared watched against and not run into temptation 2. What temptations have I overcome this day 3. Have I had a care of my Company 4. Concerning your Heart Q. 1. Have I held mine heart in a serious spiritual gracious frame have my calls to duty ever found me in a preparation to duty 2. Hath the Lord been ever before mine eyes and Eternity upon my heart 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the workings of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience 5. Have I made conscience of evil thoughts 5. Concerning Conscience Q. 1. Hath my Conscience neither been blind nor dumb nor my heart deaf or headstrong against it 2. Have I done nothing against nor with a doubting Conscience 3. Have I neither defiled mine own nor wittingly scandalized my Brothers conscience 6. Concerning your Tongue Q. Have I bridled my Tongue 2. Have I spoken evil of no man 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house or went by the way as I was lying down and rising up 7. Concerning your Talents Q. 1. Have I not wasted or vainly spent any part of my Estate hath neither my pride had a share nor my Appetite more than its share 2. Have I not sent Christ away without an Almes when I had it by me 3. Have I redeemed my time from Needless Visits Idle imaginations Fruitless Discourse and Unnecessary Sleep 4. Have I not lost an opportunity this day of doing or receiving good have I not neglected to exhort or reprove when occasion hath been given and if I have been reproved how have I born it 8. Concerning your Tables Q. 1. Did I not sit down with no higher ends than a Beast only to please my appetite Did I eat and drink to the Glory of God 2. Did I not eat or drink to excess 3. Did I not rise from the Table without letting fall any thing of God there 4. Did I not mock God when I pretended to crave a Blessing or return Thanks 9. Concerning your Calling Q. 1. Have I been serving the Lord this day in my particular Calling 2. Have I not been idle 3. Have I not over-eagerly minded my earthly affairs 4. Have I defrauded no man wronged no man 5. Have I dropped never a Lye nor broken promise in all my dealings 10. Concerning your Relations Q. Have I faithfully discharged and done nothing against my duty 〈◊〉 Relations Have I behaved my self Husband Wife As a Christian Parent Child Master Servant 11. Concerning your carriage to those Within Q. Have I carried my self towards all Saints 1. Lovingly Delighting in them Bearing with them Covering their Infirmities 2. Peaceably not provoking them to Envy 3. Profitably provoking them to love and good works 12. Concerning your carriage to those Without Q Have I carried my self to those without 1. Wisely that they have not been a snare to me nor I through my fault become a prey to them 2. Inoffensively Have I not been a stumbling block to them 3. Courteously and
said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sinnes in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the Finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Authors advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not onely in heart but in word not onely in word but in writing and that you would with possible reverence spread the writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a memorial of the solemn transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in doubts and temptations And now Beloved having shewed you the way the Father give me leave to be instant with you in pressing you to hearken to me herein to come and joyn your selves thus to the Lord. And if you will not be perswaded to this solemn and express way of Covenanting with him which I believe you will find a great advantage and do therefore make it my great request unto you yet if you will not do that take heed you refuse not to engage your hearts to the Lord and make a full closure with Christ upon all the particular terms laid before you till that be done I must be bold to tell you again as I have told you already that you are short of Christianity strangers from the Covenant of Promise and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Brethren the Lord God hath sent me amongst you upon the same Eâ—â—and as Abraham sent his servant Gen. 24. To take a wife for his Son to espouse you to Christ I am not without â—ear as that servant was not that some of you will not follow me but if the Lord see it good to send his Angel before me to make my way prosperous if the Lord give me success in this great thing that I may thus bring you into Covenant with him I shall therein have performed the main part of my Ministerial work among you I shall have espoused you to Christ maâ—ried you to that one Husband I shall have brought you within the strait gate and set your foot safe into that narrow way that leads to life and have laid the foundation of your following the Lord in holiness and comfort here and of living with him in blessedness for ever For 1 When once you are sincerely in Covenant from thenceforth you have a God that you may call your own to whom you may have free access with whom you may be sure to find grace to help in all times of need How blessed is his condition who is able to say I have no friâ—â—â— in the world but I have a God in Heaven I have many enemies but I have a God I have no house nor money nor lands but I have a God I have troubles I have sins that are a daily torment and vexation to me but I have a God a God to feed me a God to succour me God to shelter me a God to pardon me a God to sanctâ—fie me to â—ave me 2 From the time of this your Covenant Union with Christ you have the blessing of communion with him 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is Christs is now become yours the husband gives the wife leave to set heâ— name on all his goods and all that Christ hath you may now write your name upon it say boldly All this is mine his prayers his tears his obedience his blood his spirit all are mine because he is mine 2. Whatsoever is yours is his your sufferings your sins your debts your wants are all upon your husband Christ says to you as the old man Judg. 19. 20. to the Levite Let all thy wants be on me and so all thy debts and straits and fears and troubles let them all be on me 3 Christ and you shall have your lot together God deals with Christ and a Believer as one and the same party who must be absolved and condemned stand or fall live or die together In Christs being justified your justification is secured in Christs Resurrection your Resurrection in Christs Glorification your Glorification is secured for ever Because I live ye shall live also This is the portion this is the Inheritance of all Gods Covenanting-Servants You that are yet in your sins in your old Covenant with Death and agreement with Hell Will you yet be perswaded by what hath been said to say one to another Come let us break these bonds asunder and cast these cords from us come let us go over to Christ let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that never shall be forgotten You that are sincerely come within the bonds of this Covenant of the Lord the Lord is henceforth become your God Christ is henceforth become your Saviour you have shot the Gulf that good work is begun which the Lord will perform to the day of Christ you are gotten within the gate you are entred into the Path of Life 2 In the next place therefore I shall give some advice to the godly or those that are already in Christ whom I shall direct 1 To a right performance of holy duties these four duties especially Prayer holy Meditation Self-examination and renewing their Covenant 2 To a right improvement of holy Duties 3 To the carrying on an holy course In all which though I shall apply my self especially to those that are in Christ yet I shall also give some farther helps to those that are yet out of Christ Before I shall enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties it will not I hope be lost labour if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon the carrying on a holy life which I shall dispatch in these four particulars 1 Duties are the exercise of Grace Grace out of exercise grows quickly out of case Idleness breedâ— ill humours and diseases in the body and no less in the soul stirring keeps us warm and healthful Now Duties are the stirrings and exercises
of the soul Reading of the word is not the exercise of the eye onely but of the understanding Prayer is not an exercise of the tongue onely but of the heart it sets all the faculties of the soul on work it sets the several graces on work iâ— sets faith on work it sets hope and holy desires on work and grace kept in action will be by so much the more active and powerful in the whole course 2 In Duties we have an intimate converse with God Therefore they are sometimes called Our drawing â—igh to God Lev. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them them that come nigh me Sometimes Our meeting with God Amos 4. 12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet with a Present as Jacob met his angry Brother to meet him with a Prayer and supplication Exod. 25. 32. There will I meet thee when the Saints go up to meet the Lord the Lord comes down to give them a meeting Sometimes Our visiting of God Isay 26. 16. In their trouble they have visited thee When God visiteth his people with a Rod they visit him with a Prayer when we come to Duty as we ought we put our selves under Gods eye we set the Lord before our face it 's necessary to the right performance of Duties that we have right and clear apprehensions of God deep impressions of the Majesty of God of his Omnipotence Omnipresence Holiness Goodness and Faithfulness upon our hearts This is required in that forementioned expression I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Now what an influence will this have upon the upholding and carrying on the life of God in us to have daily such a sight of God before our eyes and such a sense of God upon our hearts 3 In Duties we obtain new supplies and fresh influences from God The flourishing state of a Christian is set forth Isay 58. 11. by a well-watered Garden and Jer. 31. 12. it is promised They shall come and flow together to the goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Corn and for Wine and for Oyl And their soul shall be as a well-watered Garden Where observe these three things 1 That the watering of the soul is from the goodness of the Lord all the dews and showers of Grace are from above our Springs do not rise in our own Gardrns All my Springs are in thee 2 All the influences of the grace and goodness of the Lord are gotten down by your applying your selves to him in duty That is the meaning of that expression They shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord they shall assemble and come together to seek the Lord. 3 The People of God in their addresses to him in Duty though it be but for a supply of things temporal do get something for their souls They shall come for Wheat and for Wine c. And their souls shall be as a well-watered Garden We never come to pray for any temporal mercy and pray as we should but our souls are gainers thereby A Christian cannot come near the Throne of Grace for any thing bot his heart hath a share in the Blessing And there are three Reasons for it 1 A Christian never prays for temporal mercies but he hath some words or other to speak for his soul 2 Prayer whatever it be for is the souls drawing nigh to God and exercising it self on God And the soul never goes to God but it brings back something of God upon it even then when it may be denied the temporal mercy it seeks As when a Saint is praying for a Sinner and God will not hear him for that Sinner yet he loses not that Prayer but hath it returned into his own bosome So when the soul is praying for the concernments of the outward man though it be denied in its particular request yet its prayer shall not be lost to it self 3 Temporal merâ—ies obtained as a return of prayer are soul-blessings But now when the matter of our requests is particularly for our souls When Grace is that we come for when love and life and zeal and spiritual strength is that we come for when the watering of a dry and barren and the refreshing of a weary heart is that we seek for shall our souls then be sent bâ—rren and weary and empty away Our hearts are as Cisterns which however sometimes they may be full of water yet if there be not a supply from the Well the waters and the Cistern will waste and mud and at length dry away Duties are our labouring at the Pump which will keep the Cisterns full Isa 12. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wâ—lls of Salvation Christian thou complainest thy heart is barrâ—n and dead and dry and fit for nothing Why is there not a Well by thee where there is water enough to refresh and fill thee Why doâ—st thou no oftner let down thy Pitcher or labour at the Pump why art thou no oftner with thy God Thy heart wants watering get thee oftner to the Well more praying more fasting more conversing with Christ studying the Gospel searching and sucking the Promises would quickly get thee into a better plight He that is much with God is rich in grace Thou art not so much straâ—â—ned thou canst not be brought so poor and Iean and out of case but thou knowest where there is enough to fetch thee up again thou knowest where there is a Well that hath not onely water enough healing water but Wine and Milk and Honey enough but thou must go oftner for it if thou wilt have the benefit of it Go therefore and let down thy Pitcher and thou needest not fear its coming up empty Onely in exercising thy self in duty take heed thou mistake not the Pitcher for the Well take heed thou fix not thine eye on duty as if this were thy Christ thy Fountain out of which thou mayest be supplyed Duties are but the pipes it is the Lord that is the Fountain from whence all the water comes 4 Duties are our conflicting with corruption or striving against sin When ever we are striving with God we are thereby striving against sin Duty and sin contend for the Victory whilest Duty holds up sin goes down when Duty flags sin gets up Holy Prayer will make us weary of iâ—â—quity or our iniquity will quickly make such praying a weariness unto us it is not for the interest of the flesh to suffer the heart to be much in prayer or other duâ—ies and therefore we find for the whole Generation of carnal men a little of it must serve their turn There is no such way for Christians to be revenged on sin and to see their desires on this Enemy as to bring it before the Lord. They never fight against it with greater zeal or with more success then upon their knees When the sinner kneels in earnest before his God his lusts must quickly kneel to him our confession of sin
If you have been of long standing and yet are but little of stature if your knowledge be as little your faith as weak your love as cold your peace your comforts as uncertain your corruptions as many and mighty as they have been many years since much more if the waters of grace and peace run lower now than they did heretofore you may conclude your selves to be but in a poor case and indeed to be out of case 3. Compare your selves with the best of other Christians to whom you have been equal in time and other circumstances See if you have kept pace with the best of your time If you see your selves behind your company much more if you see divers that have set forth after you to have out-run you and gotten much before you If you see Christians of less time of less parts that have had fewer helps greater hinderances to have gotten the start of you if those that have been but a few hours in the field are returning home laden with the sheaves they have gotten and you that have been there all the day have gotten only a few poorâ—handfuls you will have no reason to think it over-well with you Christians you whose case this is a barren and unthriving case Oh! labour to see it and to lament it and to acknowledge it I confess it is even thus with me I confess this is my case if it be bewail it mourn over your neglects and bemoan your poverty If you had had a great trade in the world and a good stock and good markets and shouldst trade and trade from time to time and never prosper but be poor and low when you see others of the same trade to flourish and grow rich how near would it go to your hearts Christianity is a good trade Grace is a good stock the Ordinances of God under which you have lived have been good Markets many that have set up long since you did are grown rich rich in grace rich in comfort rich in good Fruits and yet that you should still be so poor and behind hand this is lamentable And oh lament over it and consider that it is time for you now at length to look better to your selves That you may get into a better case examine a little farther what it is that hath hindered your thriving and kept you back Some of these following hindrances which I shall name in a word to you some one or more of them it 's very likely have kept you thus back Either 1. A slight and overly performance of Holy Duties Duties have a great influence upon the state of our Hearts and Lives Look what Christians are in their secret duties you shall find them much after the same rate in their ordinary course if you see a Professor that 's dead and barren and careless and unsavoury in his life follow him into his Closet and you shall ten to one find him as slight and dead and heedless in his Prayers and those that shift over their duties will but shuffle in their conversations Try if this be not your case Or 2. Unprofitable Converse with Christian Friends The Communion of Saints should be improved to the edification of Saints Christians should find other matters to talk of than of their Corn and Cattel the Weather or News What have you not a God nor a Christ nor a Soul to be minding each other of Never a word of your Country whither you are Travelling We should come together to get light from each others Candle to get warmth from each others fire If you squander away such opportunities no wonder if you remain dark and cold Examine if you be not faulty here Or 3. Unnecessary Converse with Carnal Friends Frothy and Unsavoury Company leaves a chill and a damp and a vanity upon our Spirits It is not for nothing that Christ requires his Disciples to forsake all the world Father and Mother Son and Daughter much more such carnal friends as are at a greater distance if we cannot forget these they will quickly help us to forget our God and our selves Yet Religion doth not teach us to be unnatural or uncivil it requires that we give to all their dues friendship to whom friendship courtesie to whom courtesie and duty to whom duty belongs but this it teacheth that we do not unnecessarily converse with those whose society we may avoid nor unwaily with those whom we may not avoid With whom soever your dwelling be let your delight be in the Saints if God cast you among others let them he your fear rather than your familiars and keep suce a due distance as may neither hinder you in your duties to them nor prejudice you in your duty to God examine how it hath been with you upon this account Or 4. Over-busying your selves about the affairs of this life It may be you find so much work to do abroad that you let all lye at randome within It may be the reason why your hearts are so cold is because you have so many Irons in the fire you have so many fields to look to that your garden is all over-run with weeds Or 5. The remaining guilt of some unrepented sin Israel cannot prosper whil'st there is an accursed thing in the Camp Or else 6. Some unmortified lust that you live under the power of and yet it may be take no notice of You have it may be a proud heart or an angry fretful heart or an envious revengeful heart and this may be it that makes you pine away An unmortified lust in the heart is like a moth in the Garment that eats out the strength and marrs the beauty of it Pride in the heart is as proud flesh in a wound whatever medicines be used the wound remains uncured till the proud flesh be taken off An angry fretful heart is like a Wolf in the breast whatever be applyed it will prey upon and devour it and the body pine away till the fretting humour be cured And so any other prevailing lust will have the same effect As a man in a Consumption that 's wasted to skin and bone whatever cordials or restoratives he takes his flesh will never be gotten up his strength will never return till the corroding Rheum be staid If there be any prevailing lust in thy soul especially if thou indulgest to it in vain shalt thou use many Medicines for thou shalt not be cured till that lust be subdued Thou may'st pray and fast and complain all thy life long of thy deadness and barrenness and languishing state and yet still be pining away whil'st there is any iniquity that thy heart gives indulgence to Search diligently and see if this be not thy case 7. Slothfulness The field of the sluggard is a barren field He that will not plough nor sow nor weed nor watch nor work in his field is like to have but a poor crop Prov. 24. 30. 8. Contentedness with thy poor and low and barren state
compassionately that I might the better win upon them 3. Concerning Providences Q. 1. Have I diligently observed all the remarkable Providences of God towards me especially such as have come in as the returns of Prayer 2. Have I been thankful for my daily mercies 3. Have I born this dayes crosses 14. Concerning the use of your Liberty Q. Have I kept my self far enough within my bounds In Sum Q. 1. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 2. Have I led this day A Diligent Watchful Self-denying Life Directions for the Morning 1. If through necessity or carelesness you have omitted the reading and weighing these Questions in the Evening be sure to do it now 2. Ask thy self What Sins have I committed What duties have I omitted Against which of these Rules have I offended the day fore-going And renew thy repentance and double thy watch 3. Examine whether God were first and last in thy Thoughts Morning and Evening 4. Be careful to set thine ends right for all the day An Advertisement If you want time to make daily enquiry upon every one of the fore-mentioned particulars they being so many set a mark upon or write out such of them as most especially concern your case and let not them be forgotten Think not thy self excused from this course because 't is too long when if need be thou mayst thus make it shorter Better cut short than wholly give out For the help of the weaker I shall gather out these few of the chief Interrogatories which when they are straitned for time they may only use and to which they may add more as they have occasion and opportunity Q. 1. Was I serious and had I any sensible Communion with God this day in my secret and Family Duties 2. Hath it been my care to keep mine heart in an holy Frame from Duty to Duty 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the working of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience nor so much as to vain thoughts 5. Have I not inordinately minded earthly things 6. Have I kept me from Mine iniquity and not lived in any known sin 7. Have I wronged no man in word nor deed 8. Have I been temperate and self-denying in the use of the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relation 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christian here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great success And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhor such lazy complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a slothful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to the Lord commit your selves and your wayes to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds stand fast in one spirit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in peace The decays of Christianityly much upon the score of the divisions of Christians The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide Impera Rent them and ruine them The reason why our Love is so cold is because our Differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direâ—â—on herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the Head 3. See the Head in every Member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where-ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble mâ—â—â— patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantial he appears despise him not reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union aâ— the strength and honour of the body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that zeal for God which God will call pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If
The treasures of wisdom are found with them they have gotten great treasure 66 1. The Pearl 67 2. The white Stone 68 3. The white Robe 69 4. The Adoption 71 5. The Inheritance 73 Use 1. Advising the profane world to forbear censuring or reproaching them 77 Use 2. Perswading them to come in and be of this number 80 The absolute necessity of precise godliness is evidenced 1. From Scripture 82 2. From Reasons drawn from Scripture in six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to Salvation inward Holiness 86 2. This inward Holiness which the Gospel requires is an holy frame or habit 87 3. This inward habitual holiness stands in an universall compliance of the heart with the whole will of God 88 4. This inward habitual holinesse is such as bears the sway and hath the preheminence in the soul 89 5. This inward habitual prevailing holinesse where-ever it is will infallibly bring forth a precise and circumspect life 90 Therefore 6. Whosoever is not a person of a precise life is undoubtedly in the state of damnation The Contents of the Sermon on John 1. 47. THe Text opened 94 The Doctrine propounded Godliness is no Fancy 95 The Doctrine explained 96 The Doctrine confirmed ib. I. The Principles or Doctrines of Godliness are no Fancies Instanced in the Doctrines 1. of God his Being and Holinesse 97 2. Of Sin 100 3. Of Redemption 109 4. Of Regeneration 115 5. Of Faith 123 6. Of Good Works 126 7. Of Judgment 140 II. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies 151 Instanced in the Duties of 1. Worshipping God in the Spirit ib. 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. What is meant by the Spirit 157 2. What by walking in the Spirit 158 1. Living under the conduct of the Spirit 160 2. Living in the power of the Spirit ib. 3. Living a spiritual life 161 The Life of the Saints evidenced to be a spiritual and Heavenly life by three things 1. Their chief dealings are about spiritual and heavenly things 162 2. Their delights are in spiritual and heavenly things 3. By their spiritual dealings and delights themselves grow dayly more and more spiritual and heavenly 166 3. That walking in the spirit is no fancy 167 Proved from four damnable absurdities that would otherwise follow viz. If there be no such thing really as walking in the Spirit 1. Then the Spirit of God is unfaithful in his Office 170 2. Then God himself is false in his promise 171 3. Then the Devil does more to the damning than the spirit of God doth to the saving of souls ibid. 4. Then God hath no people in the world 173 An exception against the reality of the delights joys and comforts of godliness answered 174 The Application Use Of Direction 1. To the ungodly in order to the bringing them to a godly life 194 Direct 1. Get these three Principles fixed in your hearts 1. That things Eternal are unspeakably more considerable than tâ—ings temporal 195 2. That things not seen are as infallibly certain as the things that are seen 198 3. That according to your present choice must be your eternal lot 202 Direct 2. Make your choice 203 Direct 3. Imbarque with Christ 204 Direct 4. Resign up your selves to Christ 210 Direct 5. Confirm and compleat all by solemn Covenant 215 2. To the Godly in order to the carrying them on in a Godly Life 227 To whom are given Directions 1. Concerning holy Duties 2. Concerning the leading an holy life Four things premised concerning the influence of holy duties on an holy Life 1. Holy Duties are the exercise of Grace 228 2. In holy Duties we have communion with God ibid. 3. By holy duties we obtain new and fresh supplies from God 229 4. Holy Duties are our conflicting with corruption 232 The Directions concerning holy Duties are such as have respect 1. To the right performance of them 2. To the right improvement of them Directions for the right performance of the duty of Prayer 1. Be constant in the exercise of daily Prayer 233 2. Come to pray with actual and great expectation 237 3. Learn the skill to plead with God in Prayer 238 Four special arguments from which the Saints may plead with God in prayer viz. from 1. God himself his Gracious Nature 239 Glorious Name 241 2. Christ 1. Gods gift of Christ ibid. 2. Christs purchase ibid. 3. The Interest which Christ hath in the Father 242 4. The interest the Saints have in Christ ib. 3. Promises 4. Experiences The use and benefit of the Saints pleading with God in prayer 243 Four special arguments from which Sinners may plead with God in prayer 244 1. God Gracious nature 246 2. Gods call and invitation 247 3. Christ his Sufficiency 248 Office 249 4 Their own necessity ib. 4. Prayer in Faith 251 Directions for performing the Duty of holy meditations Page 239 1. The chief matters to be meditated on reduced to seven Heads 1. God 240 2. Sin 244 3. Christ 247 4. The vanity and misery of a worldly life 251 5. The nature excellency and necessity of a godly Life 254 6. Death and Judgment 257 7. Eternity 263 Some particular advice for the better managing of this duty 269 Directions for the right performance of the Duty of Self-Examination 271 The matters to be examined 1. Whether you be in a state of grace or in a state of Sin 273 There are three marks for the tryal of that 274 2. Whether you are in a languishing or flourishing state 286 Three helps for the finding out that 287 Several causes of languishing or hindrances of flourishing in grace 1. Overly performance of Christian duties 289 2. Vnprofitable converse with Christian Friends ibid. 3. Vnnecessary converse with carnal friends ib. 4. Overmuch business in the world 290 5. The remaining guilt of some unrepented sin ib. 6. Some unmortified lust ib. 7. Sloathfulnesse 291 8. Contentednesse with a poor and low condition ib. Directions for the renewing your Covenant Four things pâ—emised 1. Every sincere Christian is entred into Covenant with God 309 2. Christians do often break Covenant ib. 3. Breaches of Covenant do weaken the obligation of the Covenant and how 311 4. The renewing of your Covenant doth revive the obligation of it 312 Directions 1. For the time when Four special times when this Duty is to be performed ib. 2. For the manner how Directions for the right improvement of holy Duties 1. When ever you set upon Duty resolve to put hard for it to obtain such sensible communion with God in it that you may come off with some lively impressions of God upon your hearts 315 2. What holy lively frame you have attained to in duty be careful to maintain afterwards from duty to duty 317 Directions for the carrying on a constant holy course I. In your whole course pursue and as much as possible eye your End God and your own Salvation 322 II. Walk on in the Name of the
Lord Jesus or live by Faith 327 III. Deny your selves 331 IV. Order your selves aright in those things that especially concern your selves 337 1. Allow not your selves in the practice of the least known sin 2. Live not in the â—â—glect of any known Duty 340 3. Take heed of the World 344 4. Be humble 352 5. Temperate 356 6. Be Moderate ibid V. Carry your selves well towards others 357 1. Towards all men 358 Be True ibid. Just 359 Merciful 360 Peaceable 361 Courteous 363 2. Towards your Families 368 Four General Directions for a Conclusion of the whole In your whole holy Course and all the Duties of it I. Be Sincere 371 II. Be Steady and Even 378 III. Be fruitful 379 IV. Be stedfast and unmoveable 381 The great danger of falling off from God and an holy life is in time of Trouble 38â— What kind of troubles are the greatest Temptations Apostacy and Back-sliding What 's the best course to prevent Apostacy in times of Tribulation I. Try your selves well before band 383 Try 1. What your are in the state of your souls as to the main ibid. 2. What you are in your active obedience ibid. 3. How you carry your selves under the smaller crosses that come daily upon you 386 4. What you are in the Temptations of Prosperity 388 II. Mortifie the flesh 389 III. Be convinc'd of the misery â—f Apostates and Backsliders 391 IV. Walk circumspectly take heed that you neither speak do nor suffer any thing 395 1. Rashly 396 2. Obstinately ibid. 3. Proudly ibid. 4. Ignorantly 397 5. Vnpeaceably ibid. V. Be Resolute Ephes 5. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise IN the first Verse of this Chapter the Apostle exhorts to the whole duty of Christians Be ye followers of God the same Exhortation he gives in other terms verse 8. Walk as Children of light both which Exhortations are comprehensive in the whole duty of Christians In the following Verses he gives particular Rules and Directions respecting the parâ—â—cular duties of Religion 1. Walk in Love verse â—â— Flee all iniquity both 1. Greater iniquities For 〈◊〉 cation and all uncleanness or Covetousness 〈…〉 â—â—ller iniquities 1. The evils of the tongue neithâ—r filthiness that is filthy talking nor foolish talâ—ing noâ— jesting which are not convenient Not oâ—ly evil works but evil words not only an 〈…〉 conversation but corrupt communication 〈…〉 comply in the Saints 3. Partaking in other men◠〈◊〉 vers 7. which he further â—ehorts from vers 11. 〈…〉 â—â—ing them 1. To have no communion with them 〈…〉 no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness 2. To be guilty of no connivance at them but rather reprove them Of these strict Rules in the Text he presses the strict observation See that ye walk circumspectly with an eye to every duty to every direction not only the greater and more weighty duties of Religion but the lesser and smaller parts of it even to all that the Lord requires In the words you may observe 1. A strict charge See or look diligently and carefully to it 2. The matter given in charge Walk circumspectly which some render walk warily others accurately exactly others walk precisely and that a learned Critick affirms the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifies precisely 3. A commendation of this circumspect walking This is wise walking not as fools but as wise Intimating that to walk loosely is to walk foolishly to walk circumspect is to walk wisely as men of wisdom The observations from these words are chiefly these two Doct. 1. Christians must be Precisians 2. Precisians are no fools or Christians of an exact anâ— circumspect life are whatever the World accounts of them truly wise men This latter Observation is it that I intend to insist upon Beloved I am entring upon a discourse of a sort oâ— pâ—ople of whom we may say with those 〈◊〉 Acts 28. 22. Concerning this Sect we know that it is every where spoken against And who with the Apostles 1 Cor. 4. 9. Are made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men concerning whom Heaven and Earth are divided and the World is divided within it self Of whom God says The World is not worthy Of whom the World say They are not worthy to live Of whom God sayes They are the Apple of mine eye Of whom the world sayes They are a sore in our eye whom God accounts his Jewels whom men account the filth of the world and the off scouring of all things Of whom God sayes They are the Sons of Wisdom but men say They are fools And as God and Men are thus divided so are men no less divided amongst themselves Some few say concerning these as they concerning Christ They are good men Others say No but they are deceivers of the people A Precisian with the most is grown into a Proverb of Reproach a mark of Infamy To be a Drunkard a Fornicator a Swearer is no reproach in comparison of being noted for a Puritan Well but let us enquire a little more narrowly into the way and manner of this sort of people about whom the World is thus moved and hath been in all Ages In order hereunto I shall shew you First What a Precisian is and secondly prove to you against all the World that he is no Fool but a truly yea the only wise man which if I do not through the help of God make evident to the Consciences of impartial and unprejudiced persons let me passe for a deceiver Touching the former What a Precisian is a Scripture Precisian Let me first tell you to prevent mistakes who he is not 1. Not a Pharisee a painted Sepulchre whose Religion is a meer shew who hath the Form of Godlinesse without the power who is pure in his own eyes and yet not cleansed from his filthiness who is exact about the punctilio's of Religion and hath a great Zeal about the minima Leges the lower and more circumstantial matters and neglects the weightier things of the Law this is not he 2. Not a Phanatick properly so called though that be a vizard put upon him by some as the Hides of Beasts were put upon the Christians of old not a Phanatick I say whose Religion is all Fancy Imagination Enthusiasms the Dreams and Visions of his own Heart Neither is this he Christianity is not a Castle in the air but is a building that hath Foundation 3. Not a Phrenetick no son of violence or Contentions who not knowing what spirit he is of calls for fire from Heaven to set all in combustion if every thing be not exactly fashioned according to his own mind Neither is this he The Wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle c. By a Precisian I mean a sincere circumspect Christian one whose care and endeavour is To walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel who withdrawing
lodge within them 2. As there are outward duties to be performed as praying hearing works of mercy c. so there are spiritual duties purely spiritual as the internal acting of faith and love and hope and the fear of God the souls choosing of God cleaving to God rejoycing delighting in God meditating of him c. Exact Christians have a special respect to those spiritual duties in the exercise whereof stands chiefly their living in a holy fellowship communion and acquaintance with God and for outward duties their care is to perform them spiritually they pray with the mouth and pray with the spirit they praise the Lord with their lips and offer up their hearts as a spiritual sacrifice they hear with their ears and with their understanding also they labour to bring their souls under the Word to pour forth their souls in prayer to draw forth their souls in their very alms Isa 58. If thou draw forth thy soul to the hungry Psal 69. 10. I chastened my soul with fasting Oh Brethren if this be to walk exactly then how much loosenesse doth this â—iscover in us loosenesse in our very Duties men do not only 〈…〉 like Libertines and swear like Libertines aud neglect duties like Libertines but perform duties like Libertines thou that usest to pray in thy Closet or in thy Family or in the Congregation in an outward formal way and dost not pour out thy Soul in prayer thou prayest like a Libertine thou that fastest and doth not chasten thy Soul with fasting thou fastest like a Libertine thou that hearest and dost not bring thy soul under the word thou hearest like a Libertine this is loose praying and loose hearing loose from the Rule which requires the exercising of the inner man as well as the outward 3. In observing the command to the utmost and here I shall give a fourfold further description of them 1. They endeavour to get up their hearts to the highest pitch of affection care and activity They would be the best Christians the most humble the most mortified the most patient the most exemplary and active Christians not slothful in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 7. Yea what care yea without clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what vehement desire yea what zeal c. A sincere Christian would be a zealous Christian in his sincerity stands the height of it Zeal is not a distinct grace but the height of every grace Love in the height of it Desire in the height of it Care and Resolution to follow God in the height of it A zealous Christian exercises every grace performs every Duty and doth it with all his might he is not willing to spare or to favour himself but will spend and be spent in the work of the Lord the flesh will be pleading for a little ease for moderation it will be solliciting the Sobl as Peter did Christ Pitty thy self favour thy self thou wilt never hold out at this rate thou wilt pull all the Country about thine ears if thou beest thus hot and forward but the Soul returns the same answer as Christ did to him Get thee behind me Satan hold thy peace slothful heart let me alone for I will speak for God while I have a tongue to speak while I have an heart while I have an hand while I have an eye while I have a soul while I have a being I will follow on after the Lord I will serve him I will praise him I will sacrifice all I am and have to him and then come on me what will 2. They are studying and seeking out opportunities for service Such Christians are of strict lives but of large hearts of strict consciences but of large desires and aims Grace sets limits to their consciences but none to their holy affections they never do so much for God but they are studying how they may do more Isa 32. 8. A liberal Man deviseth liberal things a merciful man deviseth merciful things a righteous man deviseth righteous things he doth not only exercise Liberality and Mercy and work Righteousness when he hath an opportunity put into his hands but he sits down and considers what great things the Lord hath done for him what marvellous loving kindnesse the Lord hath shewed to him and thereupon studies and casts about what greater things then yet he hath done he may do for the Name of God as it is said of the wicked Proverbs 6. 14. He deviseth mischief continually And Psalm 64. 6. They search out iniquity they accomplish a diligent search search out for every opportunity to work wickednesse to satisfie their lust So Righteous men search out and make a diligent seach after opportunities to work Righteousnesse 2 Sam. 9. 3. Is there not yet a man left of the house of Saul saith David to whom I might shew the kindness of God Is there not yet a poer Sool in distresse to whom I might shew kindness for the Name of God Is there not yet a poor Family in misery to whom I might shew mercy Is there not yet a poor sinner to whom I might give counsel Is there not yet a poor Saint to whom I might administer comfort for the sake of my God As it is said of the Devil He goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour So may it be said of such they go up and down seeking whom they might save and recover out of the snares of the Devil other men what good soever they do it is as little as may be their consciences will not let them be quiet but something must be done when they have done so much as will but keep conscience quiet thy have done A sincere Christian hath his love to satisfie his desires to satisfie as well as his conscience he loves much and it is not a little duty that will satisfie strong love 3. They shun occasions and temptations to sin they would keep at as great a distance from sin as possible they are careful to keep far enough within their line they dare not venture to their utmost border lest they go beyond it ere they are aware A wary Christian having observed what things have proved snares and temptations to him and have drawn him aside to iniquity formerly will take heed how he comes nigh them again If carnal society hath cool'd and damp'd his heart and left a fleshly savour upon his Spirit he will take heed how he comes into such company again If going to his utmost liberty in the use of the Creatures either Meat Drink or Apparel hath inticed him beyond his bounds he will be wary how he allows himself the like liberty and will deny himself the freedom he might use rather than again run himself upon danger he is sensible of his weaknesse to stand against a temptation and thereupon is the more watchful that he run not into temptation men that are bold to venture into temptation to venture into
by the soul there is the light of the Word shining in every Christian Secondly It is embraced approved consented to there is the love of the Law in the heart of a Christian the heart closes with it and all that it requires as a good word and worthy of all acceptation A Christian doth not only accept the Promises of the Gospel as good words and comfortable words but can heartily write Good is the Word of the Lord upon every precept he likes his Duties as well as his Priviledges his work as well as his reward This cowardliness of heart is set forth in those expressions of a willing mind a ready mind a forward mind And as his heart is towards his works so is it for any work the Lord calls it to he hath respect to all the Commandments he would not be without one leaf no nor one line of the whole Word of God he is ready to every good work he would not have one duty abated to him of all that God hath required he would not have one sin allowed to him of all that God hath forbidden him He that sayes concerning any one word in the whole will of God This I must have struck out or be dispensed within it ere I can be a Christian his heart is not upright He that would have any one sin to be no sin any one duty to be no duty any one sin to be allowed him or any one duty to be abated him is no Christian 4. This inward habitual Holiness is such as beares the sway and hath the perheminence in the heart though sin be there still yet where there is true Grace sin is an underling and brought into captivity it hath lost that power and interest which it had in the Sould before and the heart is now given up to God the stream runs Heavenward the stream of the thoughts the stream of the affections run that way God and the way of Holinesse hath a greater share and greater power in the heart than all the world there is more love to God stronger resolutions for following God than can be ballanced by the highest interest of the flesh God and the World stand as two suâ—tors for the heart but God carries it from the world so that as before it followed the world with the neglect of God now it will follow God with the neglect of the World before it would it may be mind God and godliness as far as it could without prejudice to its worldly interest so far as it could with honour or ease or safety but now it will mind the world and its â—leâ—hly interest so far only as is consistent with godliness and a good conscience this is sincerity and the clearest and most certain evidence of it Can we imagin that we love God sincerely when we love the World better wheâ—â— we love our ease or credit or pleasures or carnaâ—â— friends better When these can do more with us and command farther than God and golry Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Luke 14. 33. Whosoever he be of you that forsake not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If there be any certain unquestionable Truths in the whole Doctine of the Gospel this is one of them That whosoever hath true saving Grace hath more love to God and holiness than to all things else whatsoever Though it be controverted Whether common grace and saving grace do not differ more than indegree yet this is without controversie That saving grace doth contain in it an higher degree of love to God than to all things else 5. This inward habitual prevailing holiness where ever it is will infallibly bring forth this strict precise and holy life For First That holiness in the heart will bring forth holiness of life is as naturally certain as that he that hath the life and reason of a man will act as a man as that a root will bring forth such branches and fruit as partake of the kind and nature of the root as that a fig-tree will bring forth figs that an olive-tree wil bring forth olives Secondly It is as certain that according to the proportion of holiness in the heart such will be the proportion of it in the life if holiness bear the sway in the heart it will bear the rule in the life if that little good that is in the heart be held as an underling in the Soul thereafter will the â—ife be this is as certain as that the Soul governs â—he Body Thirdly It 's no less certain that the lowest deâ—ree of prevailing holiness in the heart will â—â—ring forth this precise holy life In the sense I â—ave described it that is though there be not â—erfect holiness brought forth though he that â—ath a lower degree of true grace fall much shorâ—er of that perfection than he that hath an highâ—er degree though there be many failings and wandrings and weaknesses and turnings aside to â—niquity through corruption and temptation yet thus far the lowest of Saints have arrived That his â—ims desires endeavours are after a perfectly holy â—ife he hath a respect to every Commandment â—o every Duty he doth not habitually allow himself in any iniquity there is some change in his course actually appearing and this he purposes to himself and sets his heart upon it to grow up dayâ—y to a more thorow and universal conformity to all the principles of godliness laid down before him â—n the Scriptures and made manifest in his consciâ—nce This is as certain as the two former He that is â—incere would be perfect in the true love of holiness is necessarily included a love and longing for it in the perfection of it He that loveth holiness for it self will love it most when it is most it self in its perfection and love and longing will infallibly bring forth labouring and following after Therefore 6. Whosoever is not truely a person of a precise life is certainly in the state of damnation This so clearly follows from the former Propositions that it needs no further proof He that is not inwardly habitually universally sanctified he that loves any thing more than God or godliness that is he that is not converted and new born and so beâ—come a new Creature is actually in the state of damnation and he who is not a precise walker is not thus converted new born or sanctified for whoever is made this new Creature will infallibly make it appear as hath been proved by this newness of life You see Beloved to what issue this matter is brought either you must take up this strict way of holiness or be reprobates from God Whosoever there be amongst you that have the most rooted enmity in your hearts against this holiness of life and have cast the greatest slight and contempt on it and those that thus live and as Michael did David do despise them in your hearts whoever among you are most
my trust in Christ that I shall be saved What trust in Christ and not turn to Christ Hope to be saved by Christ and refuse to be sanctified Will Christ redeem those from the Curse who will not be redeemed from iniquity Jer. 7. 9. Will ye steal and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly c. And come and stand before me in my House and say we are delivered to do all these abominations Will you do wickedly walk in all manner of wantonnesse lasciviousnesse lust excesses c. and then come and take hold of a Redeemer as if you were delivered to do all this wickednesse Is my House become a Den of Robbers Are the Redeemed of the Lord a generation of Rebels Enemies of all Righteousnesse Lyars Proud Covetous Blasphemers Are these the followers of the Lamb 'T is true the Apostle sayes Such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. Yet he adds But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christianity without Godliness this is a fancy indeed Let every one that nameth the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity either turn from iniquity or talk no more of Christ a Christian and an Infidel are not more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than a Christian and a Libertine Take heed sinners and let not the Gospel undo you let not Mercy damn you put not your Faith to do the sad office of infidelity Beloved let it never be said while the Just live you must die by your Faith this is like to be your case you would never have dared so to have slighted Holiness and persisted in sin had it not been for your trust in Christ You must count Christ to be no Christ no Redeemer or but an half or deceitful Redeemer if you count your selves good Christians while you are yet in your sins You must have another Christ another Gospel ere ever you can be saved in your sinful state Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit This is Gospel wherein you have the Redeemeds Charter and the Redeemeds Character His Charter He shall not come into condemnation His Character He walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit that is He is a man of a godly life Whom doth the Gospel secure from condemnation Why those that are in Christ But who are they Why only those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit those that walk otherwise can have no benefit by the Gospel You all stand as convicted malefactors guilty of death you have sinned and what have you to say why you should not dye and have your sentence of condemnation past upon you May be you will call for a Psalm of mercy my Book Lord my Book the Gospel will I hope secure me No sinner thou canst not have it thou art one that livest after the flesh and canst not have the benefit of the Gospel This is the Law and the Gospel says not one word to reverse it If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Christ never intended the benefit of his Redemption to any of you whether you would repent or no be holy or no you may as well write for Gospel this He that believeth shall be damned as this He that obeyeth not the Gospel shall be saved And you may as well say that sinning is serving of Christ as that those that live after the flesh obey the Gospel 4. The Doctrine of Regeneration is a real truth There are three things most evident concerning this 1. That there is such a change and that necessary to salvation 2. That this is a great and mighty change 3. That this is an inward and Soul-change 1. That there is such a grace as Regeneration and that necessary to salvation 1 Joh. 3. 3. Verily verily or truly truly or certainly except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. That the change that is wrought by Regeneration is a great and a mighty change it is as great as the making something of nothing Regeneration is a new Creation it is as great as the raising up of persons from death to life Regeneration is a Resurrection You hath he quicked who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. There is as great a power as much of Divinity manifested in quickning a dead soul as in raising a dead body When God would confirm the faith of the Jews concerning their Conversion and Restauration after their cutting off which the Apostle tells us shall be as life from the dead he evidences that he was able to accomplish it by his making dry bones to live Ezek 37. 3. Can these bones live Son of man prophesie unto â—ese bones say unto them Oh ye dry bones hear the Word of the Lord 'T was a strange service the Prophet was put upon but yet â—e prophesies and behold there was a great shaking and bone came to his bone and they were covered with sinews and with flesh and the breath of life was breathed into them and they stood upon their feet a great Army These bones saith the Lord are the house of Israel and Judah That is as they lay in their state of rejection from God and if the Lord could not have made the bones to live he had failed of his confirmation of their faith touching the Redemption of this dead people When the Ministers of the Gospel are sent forth to preach to sinners it is even as likely a service as if they had been sent among the Tombs and the Graves to prophesie to the Skulls and the Bones and the dust of the dead And if there were not a Divine and Almighty power accompanying their Ministry their successe would be the same as if they had been preaching the beasts of â—he field into Men or of Stones attempting to raise up Children unto Abraham 3. It is an Inward Soul change Regeneration is â—he uniting of dead Souls to Christ Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth untill Christ be formed in you Here note three things 1. That the result of this union with Christ is a new Life 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life Generatio unius est corruptio alterius In this Generation there is a Death and a Life 1. A Death Colos 3. 3. Ye are dead that is Your sins are dead your old man is dead Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6. 2. A Life There is new sense and motion there is a living power communicated to souls united to Christ whereby they are enabled to move and act in such an holy spiritual and heavenly way as was impossible before Grace is a living thing that spirits and animates all the Faculties a new that puts life into all the duties and performances of the Saints which though for the matter of them they might
not be discouraged he that whilst he is but a child does follow God as a child according to his measure t is a sign that if he were a man he would follow him as a man If you labour under any lust or violent passion which it may be flows from your natural complexion or bodily constitution which whenever it s moved and stirred you are not able to stand before it and notwithstanding you know it is your duty to mortifie and crucifie it yet still this is your case that though it be matter of great grief to you and as a continual thorn in your flesh and it be the longing desire of your soul to have it destroyed yet you can do little to it in this case 1. If your will to be rid of it bring forth a continuall watching and praying against it if you cannot overcome it yet you are fighting against it iâ— it will live in you yet you will not let it live in peac with you especially if 2. Your striving again it be not altogether without success but brings forth some actual restraint of it â— as to those outward acts by which it would vent it self as if you can't overcome passion yet you restrain in some measure your tongue from uttering iâ— in any angry words or if you cannot overcome your inward pride yet you do forbear those self-exalting words and vain boastings c. by which that lust is somented if your heart be so set against it that it thus strives against the lust within and does ordinarily restrain some of its outward actings you may be sure that if you could have your will it should not be suffered to lodge one night more within you If you have a sloathful heart and are naturally or by occasion of any bodily distemper dull heavy and unactive and are still wishing for a more active lively spirit but cannot attain it yet though your heart be heavy and sleepy you will not let it sleep in quiet but are frequently jogging and awakening it by the most stirring and quickning considerations if you endeavour to serve the Lord with the best you have if what you want in quickness and sprightfulness you labour to make up in seriousness though you make on by a slow pace yet you do go on why then know that you have to do with a God that knows and considers your frame and in this case also wil accept you according to what you have and not according to what you have not 3. If there be some Duties that you are unable to yet if you be faithful in others that you can do if you have not an almes to give to one that 's poor yet you can give counsel to him and therein shew kindness to his soul if you can't so well compose your thoughts to any fixed meditation but are unavoidably perplexed with confusedness and distractions yet you can pray or you can spend the more time in reading do you do that If you cannot so profitably or to so much spiritual advantage improve Christian society do you do the more in private in your more retired and immediate converse with God If you want courage or boldness to appear for God in exhorting or reproving others especially such as are above you yet you have families wherein you can be bold what do you do there to your Children to your servants Do you instruct them warn and reprove them c. though as before you can't extend mercy to others in their needs having not wherewithal yet are you just and righteous and honest and peaceable in your dealings with and carriage towards all If you are just and would be merciful if you had wherewithal if you are profitable in your conversing with your families and would be so to others if you could get up to courage and boldness if you are serious and spiritual and affectionate in secret and have a will to be so in society that 's an Argument that your will would bring forth performance there also if it were not hindred 4. If at such times when there are not such impediments we then do what at another time we cannot that which we cannot do at some times as in sickness or in times of desertion or temptation may be done at another time when we are not under such disadvantages Now gather up all these together and then the question will easily â—e determined He that hath a will to walk in all the Duties of godlinesse he that dâ—es ordinarily walk in the practice of those holy dutiâ—s which he hath power to do he that doeth what he can towards those duties which he cannot fully reach to he that mourns and is grieved in his heart under his failings this man â—ay have ground to conclude that his spirit is sincerely willing though his flesh be weak and that this willing mind is accepted with God as if it did really perform But now those that pretend to have a good will to godlinesse but yet in their general course are carnal carelesse and â—here's little or nothing of a godly life to be seen those that do not what they can that do noâ—â—endevour to do what they cannot that do not mourn under their failings but are contented and quiet and satisfie themselves in this that their will is good and that God accepts their will for the deed such as these do but deceive themselves and are not upright before God nor accepted with him 7. The Doctâ—ine of the last Judgement and the different rewards that shall then be rendred to those that are sincerely godly and all others in the world is no fancy but a real truth I am dealing with Pharisees not with Sadâ—uces and therefore shall not need to prove either the Resurrection or Judgment My main businesse here will lye in the proof of the latter part That the sincerely godly shall have in the Judgment a far different reward from all other men That God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness I hope you will give me leave to believe that you are already satisfied in it When all the men of this world shall have run their course when the Courtly Gaslâ—nts and the ruffling Roysters when the proud Minions and wanton Mimicks shall have acted their glorious parts when the trampled and contemned Christians shall have all run their wear Race when the last Scene shall be over the Sing cleared the Cuâ—tains drawn when the beggars Rags and the greatâ—â—â—ens Robes when the Warriors Swords and States men Gowrs shall be put off and laid aside and the poor oppressed shall stand upon even ground with their mightiest oppressors when the Kings of the Earth shall have laid down theâ—r Crâ—â—ns and the Princes their Sceptors when the Judgâ—s of the earth shall have broken up their Courts and â—heir term is ended then shall the God of glory erect his Tribunal before which all persons from the least to the greatest must make
us also walk in the Spirit In the prosecution of this I shall shew 1. What is meant by the Spirit 2. What by walking in the Spirit 3. That it is no fancy 1. What is meant by the Spirit here That being something that is opposed to the Flesh or corruption as appears verse 16 17. must of necessity be one of these two things possibly both either the Holy Ghost and the influence assistance and operations of that holy Spirit or else that New Nature which is begotten in us by the Spirit the Grace of the Spirit infused into our hearts and abiding in us which of the two we understand it of the difference will not be considerable 2. What is meant by walking in the spirit Some there are that by Spirit understand the Doctrine of Christianity and accordingly would have this walking in the Spirit to be nothing else but the embracing the Christian Religion But if this be so then what is to be understood by flesh which verse 17. is said to be contrary to this Spirit Why by flesh they will tell us we are to understand Judaism but then let me ask 1. What is meant by the lusting of this flesh which was now dead against the Spirit Is that the meaning of it Judaism lusteth against Christianity 2. How can this dead flesh have such a numerous off-spring as is mentioned verse 10. The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatries Witchcraft Hatred Variance c. Must all these brats be laid aâ—â—he door of the Synagogue are these the brood of that Ceremonious Law of Carnal Commandments or are they not manifestly the fruits of that corrupt Law of Carnal Concupiscence I know not with what shadow of reason we can understand by the flesh any thing else but Lust or Concupiscence and then by the Spirit we must understand grace or the Spirit of Grace which bid defiance and are contrary to it Let us consider further What is meant by that expression of being led by the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. Why possibly the same men will tell us there is no more in this then in the former it implores no more than the Spirits leading us into all Truth the truth of the Gospel as the Star led the Wise men of the East to the Messiah If this be granted to be all yet here we have gotten somthing viz. That the Spirit of God is acknowledged to be our leader but let us consider one Scripture more Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes What are those Statutes of God but the whole Will and Word of God One or two of them I shall mention If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his Cross and Follow me Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Quench not the Spirit Abstain from all appearance of evil See that you walk circumspectly c. Are not these and many more such found and unrepeal'd in this great Statute Book What is it to walk in these Statutes other then to live in the sincere obedience of the whole Will of God Now saies the Lord I will give my Spirit and he shall cause them or help them to walk in my Statutes to live an holy life Let these things be considered and see if they will not help us to a better interpretation of those words Walk in the Spirit Why what is the meaning then of them I shall give you the Judgment of one who was no Phanatick Cornelius A Lapide who in his Commentary on ver 16. of this Chapter interprets the same words thus Walk in the Spirit that is Vitam actiones mores instituite secundum dictamen instinctum impulsum spiritus ac gratiae immissae inditae vobis à spiritu sancto qui suadet monet ut spiritualiter vivamus To walk in the Spirit signifies 1. To live under the conduct of the Spirit 2. To live in the power of the Spirit 3. To live a Spiritual life 1. To live under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God There is a double Guide whereby the Lord leads his people The Guide of his Word Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel And the guide of his Spirit John 16. 13. He shall lead you into all truth There are two things which the Spirit doth in leading on his People First He enlightens their Eyes opens their Understandings that they may understand the Scriptures which point out to us our way Luke 24. 45. Then opeued he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Secondly He takes them by the hand as it were and leads them Isa 40. 11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his Bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. To live in the power of the Spirit or of that inherent and assisting Grace which we receive from him to be carried on in an holy course and all the Duties of it both from the intrinsâ—cal power of the Life of God begotten in us and by the concurrent Influences and assistance of the Holy Ghost whom God hath given us to help our infirmities As in the Duty of Prayer Rom. 8. 26. So in all other Christian Duties John 15. 5. Without me sayes Christ that is without the assistance of my Spirit ye can do nothing Therefore the Psalmist resolves Psalm 71. 16. I will goe in the strength of the Lord and by thee I will make mention of thy Name And this living in the power of the Spirit is no other then is signified if we did understand what we say in those common expressions which we ordinarily have in our mouths By the grace of God or by the help of God I will do this or that What the Apostle speaks of himself as Minister is applicable to Christians 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yee not I but the Grace of God which was with me Thus to walk in the Spirit is to follow those directions and intimations of the Will of God which he gives us out of the Word and those impulses of the Spirit upon our hearts whereby as by a gale of Wind filling onr Sails he moves and helps us on When you find any clear light breaking in from the Word upon your Consciences and thereupon some stirrings upon your hearts either by the way of check restraining and calling you back from any irregular or disorderly walking or quickening and encouraging you on in a way of duty this you may safely take to be from the Spirit and when you entertain this light obey these checks and follow these holy impulses this is your walking in the Spirit 3 To live a spiritual Life In whom the Spirit hath begotten another heart those he leads on in another life He that is
all its advantages preferments pleasures in its greatest Sun-shine of outward prosperity and glory And he is not a godly man he is not of the Psalmist's Spirit that is not able to say Give me this poor despised godly life before the most flourishing life of worldlings 3. Mark 3. Whosoever hath true Grace doth actually live a godly life The tree is best known by its fruits the sincerity of our purposes by our performances If you think you have chosen a godly life and yet do not live a godly life it is a sign you are mistaken and have not sincerely chosen it 1 John 3. 7 10. He that doth righteousness is righteous he that doth not righteousnese is not of God There is a two-fold Righteousness and there is a two-fold doing Righteousness First There is a two-fold Righteousness Righteousness is taken 1. In a strict sense for Justice properly so called which stands in the due observation of that Rule Whatsoever you would that men should do to you do you eâ—en so to them 2. In a larger sense for Holiness or an universal rectitude of all our actions To live according to our Rule the whole Word of God is to live righteously In this Scripture it is taken in this latter and larger sense He who carries himself holily and unblameably both in the things pertaining to God and also in the things pertaining to men he doth righteosness Secondly There is a two-fold doing Righteousness 1. In a Legal sense which stands in an exact obeying and fulfilling the Law And thus there is none righteous no not one because thus there is none that doth righteousness 2. In an Evangelical sense A walking uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel A sincere endeavour to observe all things which the Lord hath commanded us For the further clearing whereof I must make use of a two-fold distinction 1. I must distinguish betwixt a single good action and a series of good actions It is not one or a few single good actions but a continued course of holy actions that denominates us holy As there is no man so holy who doth not sometimes fall into sin so there are few men so wicked who do not sometimes fall in with that which is good and as every sin which a godly man through infirmity falls into doth not presently denominate him ungodly so neither will a few good actions done by another man prove him godly 'T is what the course and tenour of the life that must be diligently observed A godly man makes godliness the business of his Life Religion is a Christians trade and you may well call it his trade upon a double account 1. It is his living and livelihood men live upon their trades a mans trade is his maintenance his bread and his cloaths and his lodging all comes in from his trade Godliness is a Christians whole living he prayes and he lives by praying he believes and he lives by faith he loves and he lives by love all the supports succours comforts of this life come in this way A Christians livelyhood is all laid up in Christ and in the exercises of godliness he gets it down into his Soul Take away from a Christian his Religion take away Faith and Prayer and Hope and Love and the Labours and Exercises of them and you leave him a poor man indeed take away his house and his means and yet he lives take away his bread and yet he lives but take Faith and Hope and Prayer c. from him and he dies 2. Godliness is the business of his life A mans trade is his constant work not the exercise of now and then a day or an hour upon occasion but it is his every dayes work Godliness as it is a Christians daily bread so it is his daily work Judge not thy self by what thou art in some few Holy dayes of thy life when perhaps by falling into affliction or into some good society or being present at some good Duty or Ordinance thou seemest for a fit to be another man than thou art at other times Judge not thy self to be what thou art when thou art not thy self when thou art but in a fit but see what the trade and ordinary way of thy life is he that in his ordinary course does righteousness he is righteous 2. I must distinguish betwixt a Christians actions and his care about his actions the Holy actions of some that are really Godly especially of young beginners may be but few in comparison but their care is more continued what the Apostle saith of unmarried persons is true of all Christians every soul that is married to the Lord careth how to please his Husband though I do nor say that all carelesness doth conclude we have no grace yet this I say it is more than careless Christians can tell whether they have any grace or no though such may have grace yet they can have no assurance He that finds that the great care of his life is how to please the Lord is of God Try your selves by this Mark also do not enquire only about your affections what your desires are or what your joyes are what your comforts are or what your peace is but what your paths are when all comes to all this is the surest mark He that doth Righteousness is Righteous he that doth not Righteousness is not of God Put all these together and whosoever there is of you that is thus willing to part with sin doth thus esteem and hath thus chosen a godly life above all other lives and hath this attested by his actual care in his ordinary course to please God Oh! be thankful and bless God for ever there is that work of Grace begun in thy soul that doth undoubtedly prove thee to be of God and in the State of Salvation Having faithfully tryed your selves by these certain and infallible marks and proved your selves to be in the state of Grace for I would advise you to bring your trial to a clear judgment then proceed in the next place to examine 2. Whether you be in a thriving and flourishing estate or no whether you have made a comfortable progress in holiness or whether you be at a stand or behind hand To help you in this I shall only give you these two or three short directions 1. Compare your selves with your selves your present state with your former state Look back and consider what you were or have been at any time since you first believed and then see what ground you have gotten or lost 2. Compare your state with your time that you have had and your means and opportunities and the several talents that you have received See if your stature in grace be answerable to your standing if you are of seven or ten or twenty yeares standing in the Vineyard of the Lord consider if you also be of so many years growth See if your reckonings you have to bring in be answerable to your receipts
worse if I go on a little longer 4. The Renewing of our Covenant will revive the Obligation of it Though there be not a stricter yet there is another Tye There is a new link added to the old cord Men are more afraid and ashamed to break their word as soon as it is gone forth out of their mouths The seriousness wherewith such a sacred duty should be performed will leave some impressions upon the heart The very considering over our Covenant-breaches which is necessary to our renewing of it will awaken our hearts to more care and watchfulness These things being premised I shall give you this double Direction for the performance of this Duty 1. For the time when 2. For the manner how Touching the former there are some special times when this Duty is especially seasonable As 1. Upon your falls into any greater sins Great sins make great breaches and 't is not safe to let them lie unmade up Breaking of Covenant makes a breach upon Conscience and this will prove as the breaking down the banks of the Sea which if they be not presently made up there may be no stopping them 2. In great straights and Afflictions We have then our hearts at the advantage to bring them back or to bind them the faster to the Lord when we stand in any special need of comfort or help from God Gen. 28. 20 21. when Jacob fled from his Fathers house for fear of his Brother Esau he vowed If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Times of straights and difficulties are a special season for this Duty though it be too ordinary that those vows which we make in the dayes of our distress are quickly forgotten in the dayes of our prosperity Sickness-promises are in our health like Sampsons Wit hs broken as Tow when it toucheth the fire 3. In case of any declinings to a careless remiss and sensless frame of heart or life 4. At our approaches to the Table of the Lord. These are some of the special times for the performance of this Duty 2. For the manner how 1. Remember your Covenant read over and consider distinctly the terms of it and weigh diligently the strictness and great solemnity of your engaging to God therein that your hearts may be the more deeply affected herewith 2. Remember your faults Read over and consider distinctly the sins you have fallen into since your engaging to the Lord together with the several aggravations of them and repent and be humbled under them Isa 50. 4 5. 3. Especially consider how your hearts have stood towards the Lord in the main whether your falls have not been such as give you occasion to suspect that you were not upright in your first engaging Consider whether such a life as you have led since such sins as you have been overcome by since are consistent with sincerity 4. Resolve upon more care watchfulness and faithfulness for the future Verbal promises though there appear some affection at the time if they be not joyned with a resolution to take more care are like to come to nothing 5. Have a special eye in your engaging to the Lord at your special sins failings and neglects that you have found your selves more enclined to and more ordinarily overtaken by I will through the help of God watch against every sin but especially against covetousness passion or lying c. This is my sin herein I am apt to be faulty here my hardest work lies I will watch to every Duty but especially to temperance or patience or self-denial herein I have been most wanting 6. Lay hold on the Covenant or Promise of God for the renewing of his Grace towards you for the renewing of your strength whereby you may be more enabled to perform your promises and pay your vowes It may be your former experiences of your unfaithful hearts have quite discouraged you I have found this heart of mine so fickle and so false and so feeble that I dare not trust it so far as to engage any further for it I have found my work so hard my lusts so strong my temptations so many my strength so small my attempts to follow God so successess that I am afraid I shall never come to any thing I doubt I shall but mock God and bring more guilt upon my self by adventuring to promise any thing farther for this sinful infirm and unfaithful heart Why though thou darest not trust thy heart yet trust thy God who hath said That he will put his fear into thee that thou shalt not depart from him that he will renew thy strength and that his grace is sufficient for thee Depend upon God for the renewing of thy strength and then fear not to renew thy Vows 7. In this strength of the Lord go into his presence and with sorrow in thine heart and shame in thy face falling down before him humbly confess and acknowledge thy falls and failings and then in the like solemn manner as thou hast been before directed engage thy self again to the Lord in the same Covenant 2. I shall next direct you to make right improvement of Duties Godliness doth not stand barely in Praying Meditating or Examining there is something farther that these Duties have a respect and must be useful to 'T is an holy life that is the end to which our holy Duties are to lead and help us on That they may do so take these two following Directions 1. Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on 2. Having gotten up your hearts to any better frame in Duty be careful to keep it up after Duty Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God that you may return from them with some advantage upon your spirits Resolve with him Nunquam à te absque te recedam whenever I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why we thrive no more by Duties is because we do not meet our God in them God never meets with his Saints but he sends them away with some marks of his Goodness upon them The reason why we do seldome meet with God in our Duties is because we do not so wishly look for his appearance God waits for thy coming Soul and if it be not thy fault thou mayest see his face before thou departest and if thou see God in a Duty thou wilt not then return without some impressions of God upon thy heart When Moses came down from the Mount where he had seen the Lord his face did shine there was something of the glory of God upon his
countenance Israel might plainly see that Moses had met with God they might see the beams of divine Glory in his face Oh! how sad is it that Christians should return from duty with no more of God in their faces or upon their spirit than for the most part they do We come many times with no other spirits from our Bibles or our Closets than we come out of our Shops or out of our Barns no body would ever think we had been praying or conversing with God there is so little savour of God upon our hearts that we bring back with us Brethren whenever you let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation be not content to bring them up empty be so conversant with God in your Duties that you come off laden as the Bee from the Flower with the honey and sweetness of your duties And this I advise you to endeavour after not only in your secret duties not only in your solemn publick duties on Sabbaths Humiliation-dayes or Thanksgivings but in your daily family-duties your Reading Singing Praying yea even in those shorter Prayers and Praises which you use before and after Meals Whenever you draw nigh to God look to see God to taste of God and to get down something of God upon your hearts And then 2. Whatever you have gotten from God in Duty what life what warmth what refreshing what enlargement of heart be careful to maintain and keep it alive afterwards See that your Spirits do not presently sink and cool again after they have been thus raised and warmed Do not satisfie your selves with this that you have some comfortable entertainment with God and feel some warm and lively works of your heart towards God and some refreshings from him in Duty but look to it that you keep that holy fire that is there kindled from being presently quenched again You do not eat and drink for an hour only that you may have the comfort of your food while your meal lasts but you eat for afterwards that the spirits and strength which you get by one meal may hold you out to the next meal Duties are the set-meals of the soul wherein it so feeds it self upon God that in the strength of what it receives it may afterwards walk with God more comfortably and chearfully The Lord promiseth to his people Lev. 26. 5. The Threshing shall reach to the Vintage and the Vintage to the Seed-time And Amos 9. 13. The Plough-man shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed The meaning is Your old store shall be so much and last you so long as till new com again you shall not only reap enough for the time of Harvest you shall not only gather enough to serve you during the time of the Vintage but your corn shall last from Harvest to Harvest your Wine shall serve you from Vintage to Vintage your Old store shall not be spent till New come to supply you Duties are the Harvests and Vintages of our souls Oh! what blessed lives should we live did we so improve and husband what we get in one Duty that it might last us out to another that the Vintage might reach to the Vintage the Harvest to the Harvest that the life and warmth and refreshing we get in one Duty might hold by us till the next and so we might be carried on in an holy lively heavenly Frame from Duty to Duty as Israel walked on from strength â—o strength till they came and appeared before God in Sion That which holds us so low and barren in Religion is that whatever we have obtained from the Lord in Duties and Ordinances we presently lose it when we have been weeping sometimes before the Lord and wrestling with him and pleading hard for some quickning or comforting influences of his Spirit upon our hearts and the Lord hath heard us and given us our desires yet then as soon as duty is over we go away and forget all and bury all that we have thus obtained in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and businesses we unbend and let down our spirits and lay aside all thoughts of God till we come to duty again we conrent our selves to live in such an estrangement from God all the rest of our time that sin and the world have a whole dayes time to pull down what an hours duty hath been building a whole weeks time to destroy and steal away what a Sabbath hath gotten in and so at the returns of duty we find our hearts at the same loss in the same deadness and hardness that they were before In the Old Testament though the Sacrifices were offered but morning and evening yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day there must be fire kept alive from the Morning-Sacrifice to kindle the Evening-Sacrifice and fire left from the Evening to kindle the Morning-Sacrifice Oh! Behold how often is it that though at our Morning-Sacrifice a fire is kindled yet we let this fire lie all day under the ashes and take so little care to keep blowing at it that it goes quite out before the Evening and when we come to offer our Evening-Sacrifice we have no fire to kindle it Brethren hath the Lord visited you and quickned and comforted you in duty Oh! think with your selves what a sweet life should I live might it be thus with me alwayes What pity is it that such light should ever go out that such grace should be so short liv'd Why if I do not look to my self the better this Sun-shine will last but a little while and how will the Lord take it if I suffer such sparks that he hath kindled so suddenly to be quenched How is my Soul ever like to prosper if such precious food pass away from it as soon as it is received Is this a fast that I have chosen for a man to afflict his Soul for a day Is this a prayer that God regards for a man to afflict his heart for an hour to be in the Mount with God to be raised up to Heaven for the time and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the earth What a sad change is this How can you bear such a loss as this When will your souls come to any thing if you have only some few such lucida intervalla and all the rest of your time are covered over with clouds and darkness Beloved as ever you expect to prosper in grace or be settled in peace be chary of maintaining your duty in-comes do not think to make use of your prayer-comforts to save you the labour of an after care but to help you to be more careful and fruitful But how may we do to keep this Holy and lively frame 1. Be watchful Nehem. 4. 9. Nevertheless we prayed and set a watch against them night and day Beloved it is with you as it was with those Jews whatever you have gained you have Adversaries
which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For the which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Before he had declared how hard 't was with them troubled perplexed persecuted cast down always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Notwithstanding saith he we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen Brethren look on the things not seen and take from them both direction in your way and encouragement to go in it 1. Take Direction from Heaven when you are travelling and see the place before you whither you are going your eye will tell you your way When you are entring upon any Course then look up and consider Is this my way to God When you are eagerly and greedily pursuing the world ask your hearts Is this my way to Heaven Am I now working out my salvation When you are walking in the way of carnal pleasure or liberty then look up to the Lord and look in upon your heart and say if you can Now Lord I am hastening to thee now Soul I am taking care for thee my sports and my pleasures and my lusts are the way to mak God sure and Heaven sure to me Can you say so Will not your own heart tell you that is not the way If Heaven be it that I intend if Salvation be it I mind sure then I am not out of my way 2. Look Heaven-ward and take encouragement thence to go on View the glory that is above and consider what happy men you would be if you were once safely there and let such thoughts press you to hasten on and encourage you against all the labours and difficulties you must first pass through Think with your selves when you are setting upon any duty If I can get well through this duty I shall be one step nearer Heaven When you come to the beginning of every day well I shall this evening be gotten one dayes journey nearer home when you are falling into any trouble or affliction if I can cut my way well through this wave I shall be so much nearer Harbour Every new degree added to your grace is another stone laid up upon the building of glory every holy Duty you have rightly performed you are gotten one round higher in Jacob's Laddeâ— look how many dayes you have walked with God so many dayes journey you are nearer your rest Look how many troubles and temptations you have gotten Christianly through so many gulfs have you shot so many rocks have you passed by towards your harbour Oh! if such thoughts and considerations were continually upon your hearts and before your eyes how strangely would they quicken you and encourage you on your way Consider Christians and thence take courage after a few dayes more a few duties more a few wayes more you will be safely landed in your Countrey Lift up your eyes and see and then lift up your heads and rejoyce to see how by every duty and difficulty your redemption draweth nigh A traveller in his journey that 's almost spent and tired if he once comes within sight of home and be almost there this adds new strength and life and on he goes again amain Let your eye be more on your home and there will be less loytering or weariness in your way II. Walk on your way in the name of Christ Or live by faith Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God The strength of a Christian is his Faith the strength of Faith is Christ the strength of Christ is put into the Promises If you would live to God live by Faith if you would live by Faith go often to the Promises 1. Study the Promises the freeness of them there 's Grace in the Promise The fulness of them there 's Christ in the Promise and with him all things there 's wisdom righteousness strength there 's bread and cloaths and lands and friends and safety study the sureness of the Promises there 's an Yea and Amen set to them All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Set thy Seal to them Believe that God is true 3. Clear up thine interest in them and thereby make it out that they are sure to thee 4. Treasure up in thy memory a stock and store of particular promises which may answer every case of thy life that so thou may'st have a word alwaies at hand to rely upon And then 5. Upon the credit of that word venture on after thy Lord in any duty through any sufferings he calls thee to whatsoever difficulty thou seest in thy work whatsoever danger thou seest in thy way whatsoever want or weakness thou seest growing upon thee go on resting upon Christ for success in thy duties and support under thy trouble and supply of thy wants according to his Word It may be when thou lookest before thee upon an holy life thou wilt say This is indeed a beautiful and blessed life if I could attain to it but oh I see there is so much to be done and so much to be born that I am in great doubt how I shall ever be able to go through it The Lord requires me if I will come after him to deny my self This first step puts me to a stand I doubt I shall stumble and fall at the very Threshold of Christianity Deny my self Alas I cannot deny my friend or companion I cannot deny mine Enemy that entices me to sin If Satan do but speak a word to me to draw me aside to iniquity he presently prevails and must I yet deny my self when I see how unable I am to deny mine enemies I cannot I câ—â—not do it Why here thy faith if thou wilt conâ—lit with it will furnish thee with this encouragement Though thou art able to do nothing of thy self yet though may'st be able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4. 13. Again thou sayest The Lord requires me to make me a clean heart to purge my conscience to crucifie my lusts But who am I that ever I should think of doing such great works I could as easily make a new world as a new heart I can as well stop the Sun in its course as stop my lusts in theirs I can as easily dry up the fountains of the great Deep as cleanse the fountain of my corrupt heart and purge my self from an evil conscience I but now thy faith will tell thee He that bids thee cleanse thy heart hath said to thee Ezek. 36. 25. That he will sprinkle clean water upon thee and thou shalt be clean from all thy filthiness Thy faith will carry
I mean that especially concern your own persons keep your own hearts with all diligence look well to your own wayes Gal. 6. 4. Le every man prove his own work and then shall he havâ— rejoycing in himself and not in another Keep a strict and severe eye upon your selves hold a strict hand upon your selves be more severe towards your selves than towards all the World It 's an ill sign to see Professors of Religion severe in their observing imposing upon and censuring others and more remiss towards themselves Be more can did and charitable towards others but exercise more severity at home In the right ordering your selves take great care that you 1. Allow not your selves in the least know Sin 2. Live not in the neglect of any known Duty 3. Take heed of the World 4. Be Humble 5. Be Temperate 6. Be Moderate 1. That you allow not your selves in the practice of the least known sin Do not look on this as any Apology for sin or your easier entertaining of it That it is but a little one There is no sin that can properly be termed little The least iniquity will cost either the Blood of Christ or the blood of your own Souls Little Sins are spreading sins a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Elijahs Cloud out of the bignesse of a Mans hand in a few hours cloathed the whole Heavens in black You will find it something in your Repentance which you counted as nothing in the Commission Little sins are leading sins the child conveighed in at the Window will open the door to let all the great Thieves in When Gad came into the world his Mother said Behold a Troop cometh 2 King 6. 32. When the Messenger of the King of Israel came to the Prophet Shut the door hold him fast sayes he at the door Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him Shut the door against every sin for whose Messenger is it Look behind and see who comes after Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The Devil is not far off whenever Sir knocks for admission and the door being opened to the Messenger it 's like to stand open for the Master to enter Take heed Brethren that you do not give a tolleration to any sin little sins allowed become great sins The allowance of sin is that which makes the great wast upon Conscience and the great spoil upon our peace I will not say what grace there may be in the heart but sure there is but little tendernesse in the conscience that doth not bid defiance to the least of Sins Beloved if Sin doth get the possession at any time of your hearts let it be rather upon surprize than surrender be so watchful that if it be possible you may not be surpriz'd by sin or taken at unawares but whatever you do see you do not surrender your selves to it be so jealous that if it may be Sin may not steal in upon you in a disguise but when you see what it is beware of it as of the Devil Will you let a known Enemy lodge within you Brethren do not shut your eyes against sin nor open your doors to it Shut not your eyes against it be willing to know it do not go about to perswade your selves concerning any thing you have a mind to that it is not sinful that it may be lawful enough for ought you know but examine it and look through it impartially and if you find it to be sin receive it not in I cannot well say whether of the two be in the worse case those that are not willing to know they do or those that do what they know to be evil but this I can say that neither the one nor the other if there be any thing of God in them are like to know whether there be or no such winkings will blind their eyes and such walkings will blot their Evidences and both hinder that progress in holinesse which is necessary to build them up in comfort If you would be sure the Lord is yours keep close to him if you would keep close by God keep clear of sin and if you would keep clear of sin keep your Windows open but your doors shut see who 't is that knocks before you let them in An open eye and a tender conscience will be the best security to both your grace and peace 2. Live not in the neglect of any known duty The Devil may be served not only by your doing evil but by your doing nothing We obey the will of the flesh when we only neglect to obey the will of God As our Commissions stab so our Omissions starve our souls God will not and our souls cannot want a duty our lamenesse in our practise will quickly appear in the leannesse of our Souls O missions will be reckoned for a Judgment and therefore must be reckoned and repented of now Do not content your selves with a negative holiness that you do not harm do not think it enough to be able to say I know nothing by my self no hurt that I have done suppose you do not yet thereby are you not justified God will judge you and may condemn you for what you have not done If you had nothing to answer for but your neglects The neglects of one day of one hour will undo you for ever if you have not a Christ to answer for you To be holy hath more in it than to be harmless There must be doing your duty as well as departing from iniquity Isa 1. 16. Cease to do evil learn to do well Nor is it a little now and then that will serve There must be continuance in well-doing a readiness to every good work a fruitfulness in good works a faithfulness in good works Well done good and faithful Servant That 's a faithful servant that hath done his best that hath not voluntarily neglected any thing of his Masters work nor wasted any of his Masters talents that 's able to say though I have not done what I ought yet I have endeavoured to do what I can Everie neglect is a degree of unfaithfulness If ye will be the servants of Christ be faithful servants and that you may be so 1. Neglect not any kind of Duty One thing lacking may be the losse of all You can hear it may be but you cannot pray you can pray in secret but you cannot pray in your Families you can instruct your Families but you cannot govern them you can love the Saints you say but you neglect the communion of Saints you can be just in your dealings but you cannot be charitable you can give an Alms to an hungry bodie but you cannot give counsel to a sinful soul you can give Counsel but you cannot give a reproof this or that you cannot bring your heart to but take heed though you cannot bring your heart to it yet neglect not to be working your heart to it to be perswading and
the Gospel and the more necessary and weighty Duties of Religion sufficiently understood and practised Are your Souls safe Is your Calling and Election sure Is the Love and Life and zeal of God grown up to that maturity that you need not mutual help this way Have you any spare time from those things to spend in perplexing controversies Build up one another in your most Holy Faith provoke one another to Love and to good works encourage establish and strengthen one another in the known wayes of holiness and if you find not this both better work and work enough for you then take your liberty These things do live in peace and love and the God of peace shall be with you Hear Oh â—ye freinds of Christ by what oblique Names soever unhappily distinguished will you come and be Friends one with another Are you for peace Your God is the God of Peace Your Jesus is the Prince of Peace Your Gospel is the Gospel of Peace and will you not be perswaded to be Sons of peace Your God is one your Mediator is one your Faith one your Baptism one your Hope one you are one Bodie one Spirit and will you not yet be one Soul Oh how hopeful would our condition be were our hearts generallie set upon peace We should certainly obtain did we more resolvedlie pursue it and what should hinder have you not yet enough of your contentions and quarrellings have not your Souls been sufficiently neglected your Lusts strengthened your Faith weakened your Love withered your comforts wasted your names blemished your holy Profession blamed Hath not your God been sufficiently provoked and the Devil sufficiently gratified are your bellies so filled with gall and your mouths with gravel and have you not yet enough of your contentions Christians Slight not these Counsels and Warnings As you would prove your selves the Friends of Christ be ye followers of peace Studie oh studie these things that make for peace Follow peace with all men as much as in you is but especially with the houshold of Faith Let there be no longer strife betwixt us for we are brethren Yet alwaies remember I am pressing you to an holy Union whilst I perswade you to follow peace I must still add and holiness I perswade you not to pursue peace upon tearms dishonourable or prejudicial to Truth They must have both together that will be blessed in either Truth without Peace is as a Jewel without its Cabinet Peace without Truth is as a Cabinet with nothing in it Peace without holiness is as a fair and promising shell with a rotten or worm-eaten kernel holiness without peace is as a pretious kernel under a crack'd and broken shell They that have peace without truth have nothing worth the securing they that have truth without peace have little security for what they have Peace without truth is beauty without worth Truth without peace is worth with its beauty marred Let both go together and then they will be both the Columina Ecclesiae the Pillar of the Church rendring it consistent within it self and the Corona Ecclesiae its Crown rendring it comely and glorious before the World Be it thus wiâ—h us and then Sathan look to thy self thy Kingdom shall down amain when thou canst no longer hold up division thou losest thy dominion Then Saints lift up your heads your Communion shall be sweet your glory shall be great your light shall shine your fruit shall abound the smell of your spices shall flow forth your adversaries shall envy and your King shall greatly delight to see your beauty Oh may this Grace this Peace be granted us from the Lord and let all that love the prosperity of Sions say Amen 2. In an an united Contention Striving together saith the Apostle for the Faith of the Gospel Unite but strive strive not one against another Christian against Christian but strive together Let your Contention be in Communion Strive together against sin and unbelief against Hypocrisie and earthliness strive against strife and debate and envyings and judgings strive together with God in your prayers and supplycations We often pray but our prayers do not agree by keeping at such distance we know not one anothers hearts and are so many men so many minds every one prayes according to his single apprehension and affections What one prayes another unprayes insomuch that we should put the Lord to do contradictions if he must give particular answer to all our prayers And possiblie that may be the reason why the Lord defers his answer so long he will stay till we are better agreed what we would have Matth. 18. 19. If two of you agree on earth touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Strive together in all holy and united endeavours to comfort confirm and establish one another in the Faith of the Gospel Keep up the Communion of Saints and an united contention against sin and unbelief Remember Heb. 10. 25. 3. In an holy boldness in nothing terrified by your Adversaries In nothing that is either in no degree not at all terrified or else in nothing that you have to do be frighted out of no part of your duty or else at nothing that they do or threaten to do against you Be not afraid to be holy Tell your Adversaries when they have said and done their worst you must and you will make bold to serve your God Fear them not and they cannot hurt you they never hurt you unless they divert you from your duty To establish your hearts in this holy boldness and against your carnal fears 1. Consider That 1. By how much the more you fear God by so much the less you will fear men 2. By how much the more you fear sin by so much the less you will fear trouble 3. By how much the less your adversaries fear God by so much the less need you to fear them 2. Believe Psal 27. 13. I had fainted but that I believed Faith is a buckler against fears and faintings Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the shield of faith whereby you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The shield of faith A shield is a wall of partition interposed betwixt a person and harm 'T is only our apprehensions of harm that raise our fear Faith will save a Christian harmless and thereby preserve him fearless The shield is ordained for a security to all parts and against all assaults Some pieces of our armour are appropriated to one part only the Helmet is for the head the Breast-plate for the brest the Girdle for the loins the Shooes for the feet but the shield is a moveable that is to be lifted up where-ever the blow comes Faith is an universal security Faith may be said to be a Shield 1. Instrumentally As it provides us of a shield as it lifts up a sheild and sets a guard upon the Soul to secure it