to God therefore inconsistent with the Love of God These six things the Lord hateth yea seven which his Soul hateth Prov. 6.16 Psal 97.10 Math. 6.24 Therefore ye that love the Lord hate evil These are two Masters which we cannot hate and love both 3. Sin separates from God therefore we cannot keep our selves in the love of Sin and in the love of God Sin makes us depart from God and God to depart from us Therefore Conversion reconciles God to us because it mortifies Sin in us by vertue of Christs Death for us VII He that will keep himself in the Love of God must clear up his Interest and Union to Jesus Christ 1. Because Jesus Christ was sent us as the greatest Instance and the greatest Token of Gods Love in the World 1 Joh. 4.9 2. Because the Lord Jesus purchased the Love of God to us when we were the greatest Enemies to each other Rom. 5.8 10. 3. Because Jesus Christ is the Souls Love Cant. 3.1 4. Because Jesus Christ is all Loves Cant. 5.16 5. Because this was the End of Christs coming into the World to save us from our sins the sole cause of Gods hatred to Sinners Math. 1.21 6. Because the Father loveth whom Christ loveth and he loveth them that love Christ Joh. 16.27 7. Because our Interest in Christ puts a Soul out of all danger Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 Chap. 7.24 25. 8. Because the Lord Jesus makes the Fathers Love to him the measure of his love to us As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love Joh. 15.9 i. e. By this ye keep in Gods Love 9. Because the Lord Jesus teacheth us the way how to keep in his Love Joh. 15.10 Consider all this and how cogently they prove this Head of clearing up our Interest and Union unto Christ to keep our selves in the Love of God VIII An eighth way of keeping our selves in the Love of God is by keeping Gods Commandements I do not mean as to a Covenant of Works but upon a Gospel account If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his Love John 15.10 Vers 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you O! mind that Again mark this Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and doth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and we will make our abode with him This Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law and the Gospel too There be many that will complement a Love to God but will do nothing for him The greatness of Abraham's Love to God and of David's Love and of Peter's Love and of Mary's Love of Paul's Love and of the Martyrs Love was in doing and in dying for him And is not the greatness of Gods Love and of Chists Love to us Joh. 15.13 in Doing and Suffering We read of Labour of Love because true Love is Laborious as it was in Jacob's Love for Rachel There is nothing God hates more than pretending to love therefore the Lord hates Hypocrites Not every Mat. 7.21 one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven As God saith This People Deut. 5.29 have well said in all that they have spoken O that there were such a Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments alwayes So I say of Professors and great Pretenders that shew much kindness with their Mouth but their Heart is not right with God O that there were such a Heart in them that they would make Conscience to do the Will of God If the Lord loved the young man that was in a fair way of keeping the Commandments of God and was not perfect and thorow-pac'd how much more will he have a Love for them that have a respect to all the Commandments of God Psal 119.6 IX The way to keep our selves in the Love of God is to walk closely with God in wayes of strict Holiness This is a Commendation and Character upon Record of Gods chiefest Favourites Thus it was with Abraham Gen. 17.1 Thus it was with Enoch Gen. 5.22 Thus it was with Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus it was with Caleb Num. 14.24 And thus David Psal 73. ult Now we shall see how such a one is to God who desires to keep in the Love of God We have known 1 Joh. 4.16 and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him O sweet dwelling You shall shall find that the Holyest Persons were alwaies the highest Favourites of God Witness those before-mentioned and these following Instances Job 1.1 2 3. How did God bless him and praise him and trie him and reward him for his eminent Holiness Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 7. How singularly did they shine in Holiness and in the Favour of God to whom God gave a Son in their old age the Harbinger of Christ Mary the Mother of Christ Luk. 1.28 how was she for her Holiness pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly favoured And Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. and Anna vers 36 37 38. Holiness and Purity brings us to the fight of God which is called Beatifical which is the Souls highest Happiness and ultimate end Math. 5.8 Psal 24.4 Heb. 12.14 and therefore is pronounced Blessed Psal 119.1 2. X. They keep themselves in the Love of God who do not wave or abate their Profession and Practice of Godliness in evil times and do not baulk the wayes of God under severe Providences and sharp Tryals this was eminent in all Christs Worthyes Thus David Psal 44.17 to vers 22. Mind that Place Though they were sore broken and smitten into the Place of Dragons and cover'd as with the shaddow of death yet we have not forgotten thee nor declined from thy way c. Job 13.15 cap. 3.17 18. Thus Job Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Thus Habakkuk Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom the Vine Olive and Field shall fail of their Fruit and not any Flocks or Herds left yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength And thus all the Champions of God Let Paul be one Instance more Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. Reason Prov. 3.11 12. 1. A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for the day of Adversity Prov. 17.17 2. They know the Lords Chastenings are in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 Psal 119.67 71 72. 3. They know that all the Lords Severities are for good many wayes To drive them to Ordinances and Duties to sweeten them and to teach them to profit by them to know more of the Will of God by them and to give us a better Relish of the
Atheists viz. The Atheist is inquisitive for Arguments to promote his Atheism the tempted Christian as inquisitive for Arguments and Grace to destroy it those that are seriously godly do not only seek a perfect cure of their own in part mortified Atheism but mournfully bewail the insolent Atheism of the age they live in If it be as it is as a Sword in their Bones for their Enemies to l Psalm 42.10 reproach them while they say daily unto them Where is your God If it as it were break their Bones to have their interest in God and Gods peculiar care of them so much as questioned it must needs be as a Sword to their heart a killing wound to hear the Fear of God ridicul'd and the Being of God denied Certainly as Grace is heightned a gracious Person is next to being overwhelmed Thô God hath an evidence of his Deity lies lieger in the worst of his Enemies yet upon the miracles of Mercy he works for and in his own People God may say to them m Isai 43.12 They are his Witnesses that he is God And the more eminent any one is in Grace the more experimental Witness he is that the Lord is God This may not only be sufficient for the instances already given but be sufficiently instructive what to do in all other Cases that might be named I had thought to have proportionably enlarged upon these which I shall but little more than name and therefore shall not add them to the number Who knows whether a full or a vacant employment be best for him A full employment is that which every one that hath dealings in the World gapes after this leaves no room for Melancholy nor Idleness each of which are unspeakably mischievous But those that live in a Hurry of business do neither enjoy God nor themselves 't is tiresome both to Body and Mind the Truth is the desire of it is ordinarily naught in the rise 't is from covetousness and ambition naught in the progress it neglects God and godliness and naught in the close it ends at best in disappointment But here Religion gives relief for a Heavenly-minded Person to be full of worldly business 't is he alone that minds the main business of his Life to work out his Salvation 't is he alone that both will and can keep the World from justling out what 's better the World in this is like the Gout thô you keep it at your feet 't is troublesome but if it reach the Heart 't is mortal the World thrô Grace may be a good Servant but 't is impossible to be a good Master Is vacancy from Employment better 'T is tedious to be alwayes drudging for we know not who nor what to have no time to spare for Refreshment and Recreation that we may enjoy what we have be it more or less this seems better But yet to have little or nothing to do exposeth us to we can't say what Idleness is an inlet to the most monstrous Abominations Relaxation from business and Recreation after weariness is at best but a banquet no way fit for ordinary food besides this Satan watcheth and never misseth prevailing upon an idle Person What can Serious Godliness do in this Case When one whose Heart is set upon godliness hath but little to do with the World he findes enough to do as a Christian The considerate Christian hath not one hour in his Life wherein he hath nothing to do he alone can make a Virtue of Necessity he alone can redeem time for God he alone can fill his Life with Duty and Comfort in short 't is through Grace alone that a man hath never too much nor too little business 'T is the power of Godliness that is thus powerful Who knows whether many or few Friends be best for him For many Friends man is a sociable Creature and cannot live of himself to be destitute of Friends seems very doleful A Friend is born for Adversity a Friend may be better than an Estate to have many dear Friends and Relations it carries us thrô our lives with Comfort it is a Duty to prize 'em it is a sin to slight 'em and therefore this seems unquestionably best But and there 's no Friends on earth without a but in their Commendation Friends themselves are troublesome apt to take exceptions to mistake to be weary of us if we have long need of 'em and besides this there 's none in the World whose Friendship is not founded on Grace can be so much my Friend now but he may be as much my Enemy hereafter And if you can find any Friend above these exceptions how do the thoughts of parting abate the Comfort of enjoying Alas we dare not think of it Can Serious Godliness stand us in any stead here Much every way if our Friends be Irreligious this necessitates us to do what 's possible to make them Friends to Christ and to Religion and this attempt is alwayes successeful if not to make them Gracious yet to make our selves more gracious and if thy Friends be already Religious thou wilt have a foretast of Heaven in the Communion of Saints thô this is rare and rarely enjoyed Some think 't is best to have few or no Friends We are too apt to flatter our selves and to bear upon our Friends to reckon upon their Interest when we ordinarily find disappointments whereas expecting nothing from them makes us learn to live without them and in some sort above them We need neither flatter nor humour any Body But now to be Friendless that 's very uncomfortable a Friend greatens all the Joyes and lessens all the Sorrows we meet with in this World it argues a crooked and perverse disposition to be without Friends or not to care for ' em Besides this we had need to have every man our Friend for we know not into whose hands our Life may come before we dye that Person must needs be miserable who lives undesir'd and dyes unlamented What can Serious Godliness do in this Case A Serious Holy Person thô he have but few or perhaps no worldly Friends he hath the most and the best Friends he hath God to be his Friend he hath an Interest in the whole houshold of Faith and he can make up in God what he wants in any other Persons or things of the World what thô he hath no Friend to stand by him Innocency and Independency dare do and can suffer any thing Who knows whether Freedom from Affliction or an afflicted Condition be at present best for him Freedom from Afflictions seems most desirable both to Nature and Grace we naturally love our ease and would have nothing befall us that is Grievous to Flesh and Blood and Gracious Persons pray and strive to prevent and remove Afflictions But yet the experiences of all good and bad in all ages of the World proclaims this upon the House-tops that more have got good by Afflictions than by being
not have been prevented and for these to be so far exasperated as to begin to hate or more remisly to love them is for a Father to fire the Beacon of his Soul for the Landing of a Cock-boat 'T is that that exposes the Father to his Childs contempt and Gods judgement Mat. 5.22 2. When a Parents anger is too frequent too hot or too long Anger must be us'd as a Medicine only now and then and that only on a just occasion otherwise it loseth its Efficacy or hurts the Patient Again Anger when too hot vehement excessive provokes 'T is True It must be serious there must be some Life and warmth in it the Potion must be warm'd Ira sic dicta quasi hominem faciat ex se ire non esse apud se that it may operate the more vigorously towards the Reformation of offending Children but then when it swells into an excess and transport of passion it provokes Such an excess of Anger like a Ball of Wild-fire is very apt to inflame the Childs breast and to provoke him into a sinful return of wrath and strife Prov. 15.18 Lastly Anger when too long when it lies soaking in the breast is apt to putrifie If the Sun arises and sets on a man in his wrath the Text tells us who is like to be his Bedfellow Eph. 4.26 27. Anger rests in the Bosom of a fool Eccl. 7.9 And well may it provoke a Child thô criminal to see his Fathers Bosom where once he lay to be now become Anger 's Couch and Satans Pillow Thus you see that Irregular Passions in severe Parents are no little Provocations and spurs to Sin and wrath in their disobedient Children They are like those smart Cantharides or Spanish-flies the most speedy and effectual means to raise blisters 2. By an austere look grim sour louring frowning countenance when a man seems to carry revenge daggers death in his Face when a man usually looks on his Child Gen. 4.5 6. as Cain did on his Brother as one highly displeas'd that bears Ill-will and ones him a grudge and will be sure to pay it in due time When the Child observes his Ancestors Crest pourtray'd on his Fathers forehead and instead of smiles can see nothing there but cruel Lions Bears Tigers This must needs highly provoke and 't is not to be wondred at if the Child in a fright and dreadful indignation cries out roaring I do well to be angry even to the Death Better to be kill'd outright than buried alive No grave so dark so dismal as those deep furrows in my frowning constantly frowning Fathers forehead 3. By bitter hasty biting testy disdainful reproachful railing taunting menacing threatning words Words steep'd in the Venom of Asps Oh these pierce deep like the Tails of Scorpions and do highly provoke More particularly 1. Hard Words Soft Words and hard Arguments work powerfully A soft Tongue breaks the bones Prov. 25.15 or one that is stiff and hard Abigail found it true in her address to David when he was in his rough 1 Sam. 25.4 But an hard Tongue hardens the Heart A soft Answer puts away wrath but grievous words stir up anger Prov. 15.1 Ob. But what do you speak of Words which are but Wind Jam. 3.5 Sol. True but this Wind many times kindles a dreadful fire and encreases it when once kindled As Coles to burning Coles and Wood to Fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife 2. Contumacious reproachful disgraceful words These are far remote from fatherly Love and respect Aristotle in his Rhet. tells us that the grand scope drift design of contumely is that a man may rejoyce and triumph in the disgrace of Him whom he reproacheth How barbarous is it then to rejoyce in the disgrace and infamy of a Child of a mans own Bowels This cannot but provoke That 's a thunder-clap in the ears of Testy reproachful Parents Whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell fire Mat. 5.22 Reproachful words are no less than sharp darts and keen Swords nay they carry with them no less than stings and poison so that even the wisest and best of men can hardly bear the dine of them Thus Saul to the heighth provokes his Son when he foams at the Mouth and breaks out into that nasty drivel 1 Sam. 20.30 Thou Son of the perverse rebellious Woman and why not in our English dialect Thou Son of a Whore and so lasheth his Son on his Wives back what could have been spoken more sharply to provoke 3. Menacing threatning Words and that it may be for little tripps or slips of youth nay thô there be no resolution to execute what they threaten Suppose it only Brutum Fulmen A Flash without a bolt or Bullet The very Wind and noise is enough to sink the trembling Child into a Swoon If Masters must not threaten Servants much less may Parents threaten Children Eph. 6.9 4. By rigid Actions When Parents utterly unmindful of their parental Relation bowels duty prove tyrants and use or rather abuse their Children as Servants or indeed as Slaves and vassals These should know that the great God never commission'd them to be more than tender Governours not domineering Tyrants or Egyptian Task-masters This Tyranny is exercis'd divers wayes 1. When Parents either deny to or take from their Children those things which either belong to their necessities or their just comforts in that rank and Relation in which their heavenly Father by birth hath plac'd them When they deny them that Education that Provision that Encouragement which is Just and Equal that Food Raiment Portion that becomes the Children of such a Father This is to act beneath an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 Nay more even beneath the Bruit beasts who by a natural instinct diligently nourish and cherish their young ones and cannot but provoke Even an Horse when too strait rein'd Favours unequally distributed highly provoke will rise up and fling When the cocker'd Idol thô a younger Brother or Sister and it may be less deserving shall be call'd to the Table Closet bosom and there treated at the heighth of Sweetness whenas the poor neglected discountenanced despised Elder must stand without and either blow his fingers or †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 employ his Hands in some base sordid servile commanded drudgery which would better become a Slave than a Son This this goes near the Heart of an ingenious and observant Child * Even a worm thus trod on would turn again This must needs create in him an enraged jealousie and envy against his Equals or Inferiours and without a vast stock of Love Humility Patience a boiling rancorous disdain and wrath against his Superiours 2. When Parents load their Children with unjust Commands This is to Ape that wretched Saul who commanded Jonathan to surprize his Innocent dearest Friend and Brother David the upright valiant David that had so well deserv'd of the whole Kingdom one
was able to do them good he not only gave them bread in their hunger but nourished and comforted them and was a shelter to them in a strange Land as long as he lived As we should do them all the good we can so we ought to prevent any evil that might fall upon them Saul had been very defective in his duty to David both as a Prince and a Father As a Prince he ought not only to have protected but rewarded so deserving a Subject As a Father he ought to have cherished such an obedient Son who went whither soever Saul sâ—nt him 1 Sam. 18.5 But on the contrary he not only encourages some of his Followers to kill him but endeavours to take away his life by his own hand 1 Sam. 19.1 10. Now how doth David carry it in this case He endeavours to save himself as well as he could by withdrawing and giving place to Saul's wrath And when he in pursuing after him 1 Sam. 24.6 7. 1 Sam. 26.8 9. falls into his hands more than once he doth not only not destroy him himself but withholds those that would The tenderness that was in him toward such an enraged Enemy appeared in this that his heart smote him but for cutting off the skirt of his Garment tho this was done only to shew that he was in his power and that he could have done him a mischief if he would What effect this had upon Saul may be seen in the Story When David shewed him the skirt of his Garment and spake a few words to shew his innocency he tho a King and mightily enraged against him is melted into tears 1 Sam. 24.16 17. Saul lifted up his voice and wept saying Thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil There is nothing like to overcome the rough temper and rugged carriage of others sooner than a kind and gentle behaviour toward them When Paul came first to Thessalonica he found them or at least many among them Constat apud Graecos translatitiè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad mores ad animum accommodari Beza to be a rough and untractable people The Bereans Acts 17.11 are said to be more noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of better breeding and more ingenious than they who upon Paul's preaching there took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gatheted a Company and set all the City in an uproar ver 5. Hence it is that he saith 1 Thes 2.1 2. That at his entrance in unto them he spake the Gospel of God with much contention that is on their part For as for his own part he was otherwise disposed It was the Rule he gave to Timothy 2 Epist 2.24 The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth This was his own practise at this time for ver 7. he says We were gentle among you as a nurse cherisheth her children As a Nurse bears with the frowardness and peevishness of Children and by all ways imaginable endeavours to quiet them and bring them to a good humour so did the Apostle with them And it is probable that those of them that did believe partly by the Apostle's Doctrine and partly by his Example were of the like disposition and carriage toward them that believed not And what the effect of this was in that place where the Gospel was so much opposed at first we may gather from what he says in his second Epistle to them Chap. 3.1 Pray for us that the word of the Lord may have a free course and be glorified even as it is with you 2. As we should do them all the good we can and prevent the evil that might hurt them so we ought to pray that God would do them the good and prevent the evil we cannot Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And if for such much more for such who tho they may be in some particular instances prejudicial to us have a love to and kindness for us David complains Psal 57.4 That his soul was among lions and that he did lie among them that were set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth were spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword And of these or such as these he says Psal 35.15 They did tear me and ceased not What did David now Did he rend and tear as they did No ver 13. As for me when they were sick my cloahting was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosom What could he have done more for his nearest Friend or dearest Brother So he says ver 14. I behaved my self as tho he had been my friend or brother Take an instance also of what was done for Friends who in a day of temptation did not the good they should When Paul came to Rome he preacht the Gospel among them for two whole years together Acts 28.30 31. And no doubt but that he that was sure that when he came Rom. 15.29 he should come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel was kindly received by them And we may well think that he who before he came to them did so earnestly beseech them for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit Rom. 15.30 31. to strive with him in prayers to God that he might be delivered from them that did not believe in Judea did confidently expect that they would use not only that but other good means that he might be delivered from them that did not believe at Rome But it fell out otherwise For when a day of tryal came these Romans Faith did so far fail that not a man of them stood by him when he was in that great danger to be devoured by the mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me This must needs greatly affect and afflict him yet in the next words he prays that this sin might not be imputed to them I pray God it may not be laid to their charge You see this is the will of God and this hath been the Saints practise But if you find holy men as sometimes you may David and Paul uttering themselves in another manner against God's and their enemies Psal 59.13 2 Tim. 4 14 as if they desired evil to fall upon them either the evil was Temporal or Eternal 1. If the evil were Temporal they cannot be thought to desire it absolutely sub ratione mali as evil but as it had a tendency to their good Deliberata imprecatio mali sub ratione mali contra homines quae est formalis maledictio non potest non esse mala Ames Cas lib. 4. Augustine de ser D. in monte As David Psal 9.20 Put them