debauched watchmen who having drunk sufficiently one day say they will do as much to morrow and more too and so had their drinking matches and rantings from day to day The third Use is of Discrimination 3. Vse to discover who is clean and who unclean in respect of falls and relapses and to put a difference between the holy and prophane which is the proper work of a faithful Prophet to some we are to open the door of hope to some to shut it Ezek. 22. â—6 1 Joh 5 17. every sin is not a sin to death every disease not the Plague every Ulcer not a Leprosie 1. There are some who have fallen into foule sins and they think their case desperate because of the greatness of their sins but their sin is not the sin against the Holy Ghost because not committed after light taste partaking of the Holy Ghost c. but in the days of their ignorance as Paul once some fall fouly after conversion as Peter but not deliberately maliciously and both these may be the spots of children they see the plague in their heart feel the smart these have foul scabs 1 Kingâ— but they go to Jordan and wash go to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness and then though their sins be as scarlet Esay 1. they shall be as white as snow though red like crimson they shall be as white as wooll 2. There be some Relapses through humane infirmity which are truly bewailed this is not the sin against the Holy Ghost neither Come into the Camp I pronounce such clean For 1. there is no raw flesh of pride and presumption in them 2. All is turned whi e by true repentance it is a scab Lev. 13.4 5 6 14. and but a scab 3. It is but skin-deep the heart was not tainted 4. It standeth at a stay These four signs shew it to be no Plague of Leprosie such are not to be shut up or put out of the Camp And God as he pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin so he promiseth to heal and pardon their backeslidings Hos 14.4 Jer. 3.22 3. But there are others that make a trade of sin drink up iniquity like water Deut. 24.19 20 that add Drunkenness to thrist and fall and rise and rise and fall they lapse and relapse and slide away as water shall I say such shall have peace No what peace to such so long as their sins remain the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and he shall blot out his name from under heaven Call not this a Scab this is the Plague of Leprosie this is more then skin-deep Lev. 13.10 11 14 15. Psal 68.21 this doth not stand at a stay here is proud raw flesh this is an old sore thou must out of the Camp thou art unclean God will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of him that goeth on still in his trespasses I shall to conclude give a few short Directions to prevent Falls and Relapses but cannot now enlarge upon them 1. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation This is the old and great receit Mat. â—6 41 and daily experimented with every ordinary Saint probatum est watch in prayer watch after watch when alone watch when in company especially against ill Company and all occasions of sin 2. Keep conscience tender and shun the first motions and occasions of sin if thou find thy self given to appetite put a knife to thy throat is the wise mans counsel if to wine look not on the glass if to wantonness come not neer her corner the consecrated Nazarite must not only forbear the wine but the grape and not only the juyce but the husk and kernel of it Num. 6.4 3. Take heed of having slight thoughts of sin as to say as long as it is no worse it is the first time it is but now and then a great chance when I meet with such company and many have such foolish pleas and so play at the mouth of the Cockatrice Den till they are stung to death Deut. 29.19 4. Of having light thoughts of Gods mercy I shall have peace I shall have mercy when I do but ask At what time soever will save me we can't out sin the mercy of God when sin abounds grace superabounds c. The Lord faith he will not spare such nor be merciful to them 5. Take heed of reasoning from Gods temporal forbearance to eternal forgiveness Eccles 8.11 12. Because sentence is not speedily exâ—cuted against an evil doer his heart is fully set in him to do evil but though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged c. yet it shall not be well with the wicked at last 6. Take heed of presuming of thy own strength I can and I mean to repent I can when I will and I will when time serves Qui promittâ—t poenitenti veniam non promittit peccâ—nti poenitentiam I trust I am not so bad that God hath not given me over many have gone further then I why may I not repent at last hour 7. Take heed of a mock-repentance saying I cry God mercy God forgive me I sin daily and repent daily when I have sworn or been drunk I am heartily sorry Is not this repentance I answer no Repentance is quite another thing the burnt child we say dreads the fire Thou hast smarted for suretiship and hast repented of it thy friend comes again and desires thee to be bound with him once again thou replyst I have paid dear for surtiship already I have repented of my folly I have resolved to come into bonds again no more no not for the best friend I have thou art importuned by many arguments but peremptorily refusest urge me no more I have vowed and resolved against and have made an oath I would never be taken in that fault again Now I believe thee that thou hast truly repented of suretiship why dost thou not thus when thou art enticed unto sin again why dost thou not say I have smarted confessed bewailed been heartily sorry for my former folly now speak no more of it Psa 119.106 Psa 119.115 I have sworn and will perform it to keep Gods commandments Away from me ye wicked I must keep the Commandments of my God This would be somewhat like true repentance But take heed of a mock-repentance lest as true repentance meets with a true pardon thy mock-repentance should be answered with a mock-pardon as Tertullian excellently saith There be some that say saith he their heart is good De Paenitent they fear God grieve for sin though yet they fall into sin they can salva side metu peccare c. sic ipsi salva venia in gehennam detrudentur dum salvo metu peccant They can live in sin nevertheless notwithstanding their faith and repentance and God can damn them nevertheless notwithstanding
that of the English Proverb be true it is here As good never a whit as never the better Indeed there is so much work on our hands such commands such promises to believe such corruptions to subdue such temptations to resist the careless of carnal failing in any of which will charge us with hypocrisie So many such subtle and powerfull adversaries to coâ—flict withall such a world such a flesh such principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places such deceitfull hearts deceitfull above all things to search and sift and purge from this leaven that it is impossible to be free of it without mighty striving contending and giving much diligence 2. If you would take heed of hypocrisie take heed of security There are no greater flatterers and no greater deceivers of themselves and others than hypocrites they flatter themselves in their own eyes Ps 36.2 all flattery is dangerous but self flattery of all other most dangerous and of all others in the business of salvation most pernicious It is the advice of the Devil and thy own hypocrisie to favour thy self flatter thy self hope well c. The advice of God is Lam. 3.40 Phil. 2.12 Ps 130.23 Search and try your wayes examine your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Yea call upon God to search you It is a fear of carefulness and sollicitude a trembling of jealousie and suspicion as to our own hearts not of diffidence or despair as to God that we are directed to Had the foolish Virgins had but this care this fear they had had â—yl in their vessels as well as Lamps Had those glorious professours in Matth. 7.22 had but this jealousie and suspicion they might have escaped that dismal sentence Depart from me you workers of iniquity Perhaps your faith may be but a fancy Iob 8.13 your hopes but presumptuous a spiders web Hos 10.1 Hos 7.14 Zach. 7.5 Psal 72.6 perhaps your fruit may be but that of an empty vine to your self perhaps your prayers may be but howlings for corn and wine perhaps your fasting may not be to God Commune much with your own heart and let your spirit make diligent search keep you heart with all keeping be jealous of every thing your heart hath to do with your affairs friends comforts recreations thoughts sollitudes graces Prov. 28.14 Prov. 23.17 Prov. 1. Eccles 12. Iob 28. Oh blessed or happy is the man that thus feareth always he shall never do amiss this is to be in the fear of God all the day long and this fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome the end of wisdome and wisdome it self for this will make a man wise to escape the wiles of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his own heart and so make him wise to salvation 3. Keep God alwayes in your mindes if we have all from him Rom. 11. ult we should be all to him If we live and move in him our hearts and mindes should be alwayes on him This is the cause of all the wickedness and hypocrisie in the world men will not seek after God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 And this the ground of all the glorious performances of the Saints they saw him that was invisible as Micaiah saw the Lord in his Throne Heb. 11.26 27 and therefore feared not to deal plainly and sincerely with Ahab though on his Throne 1 King 22.19 When the Psalmist had convinced and reproved the wickedness and formal hypocrisie of ungodly presumptuous men he concludes Now consider this you that forget God c. Intimating this to be the reason of all ungodly hypocritical conversation a forgetting God Psal 50.22 The remedy must be contrary to the disease if we would be no hypocrites we must much remember think of and observe and eye God by faith Acquaint thy self with God and so good shall come to thee If men were acquained with God and did not forget him Iob 22.21 acquainted with his Omnisciency Psal 139.1 2. with his All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 with the power of his anger Ps 90.11 Mic. 7.18 19. the infiniteness of his goodness Isa 55.7 8. they would conclude and live under the awe and power of such conclusions Oh then he is too great to be tempted and provoked too excellent to be sleighted and undervalued too good to be lost too wise to be deceived and this would suppress and supplant the leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie 4. Be much and daily in the renewing faith and repentance If there be such danger of hypocrisie there is necessity of renewing faith and repentance for fear hypocrisie may be in them Rise and return as soon as thou art convinced of thy sin so did Paul so did Peter as soon as the Lord turned and looked upon him Gal. 1.16 Luke 22.61 If repentance were hastned after sin and thou wouldest take care and pains to break thy heart constantly for sin this would break it from sin A man should finde that it were an evil and a bitter thing to forsake the Lord Jer. 2.19 and that his fear was not in thee and a broken heart God would not despise because it is apparent that is no hypocritical heart And though former faith and repentance may be counterfeit and hypocritical Psal 51. yet ensuing and renewed faith may be sound and sincere and we have much ground to renew those acts whose soundness and validity we have much ground to suspect if all have been false or fained or partial formerly we have the more cause in a new act to give up and binde our souls sincerely to it and this will free you from hypocrisie 5. Put forth your greatest strength and care to mortifie those lusts and corruptions that are the fewel to hypocrisie pride vain-glory worldly-mindedness self-love These are the fewel of hypocrisie they beget it and they nourish it If the love of the world and worldly favour did not prevail much over men there would be no hypocrisie in the world and cherish and strengthen the graces which cannot consist with it but will be alwayes fighting against and opposing it as love to God humility self-denial heavenly-mindedness mortifying the flesh much commnion with God if these be in you and abound you shall not be barren nor unfruitfull but shall make your calling and election sure and so be out of the peril yea and much out of the fear of hypocrisie 6. Press the Lord much and urge him close with the promises of a new heart Eze. 36.25.26 Deut. 30.6 Ier. 32.40 of circumcising your hearts and causing you to love the Lord with all your heart of putting his fear into your heart If he urge and press you in his word with his precepts and your duty do you urge and press him as much in your prayers with his promises spread his own hand-writing and seals before him as Augustine relates his Mother did
their souls from death James 5.20 and hide a multitude of sins Now the principal Objects of this excellent duty are such with whom wee converse such to whom wee are obliged and connexed by the bonds and links of nature office or vicinity of habitation Hence was it that our blessed Lord while hee walked in the valley of his Incarnation exercised his Ministry most part among his kindred relations and neighbours at Nazareth Capernaum Bethsaida neer the Sea of Tiberias at Cana and other Regions of Galilee in which parts hee had receive his Education Andrew when hee understood the call of Christ the gret Saviour of the world John 1.41 hee presently seeks out his Brother Simon to bring him to the Messiah Philip after the like manifestation looks out for Nathaniel and in a great extasie of spirit John 1.45 cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write There are many instances of this nature both in the Old and New Testament Abraham and Joshua were famous in their Generation for this work they counted it their principal business they made it their great care to instruct their families in the fear and service of the great God Psal 101.2 David also ingages to walk in his house with a perfect heart that by his exemplary pattern hee might gain over his family to the Lord. Luke 5.29 Matthew the Publican wee read did invite all the Tribute-gatherers that were of his own Fraternity and Profession to a great Feast that they might sit down with Christ and feed upon his heavenly Doctrine John 4.53 The great man in the City of Capernaum brings in his whole family to the beleef of the Truth Act. 10.24 Cornelius the Roman Centurion who was quartered at Caesarea calls his Relations together to hear the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance The woman in the Gospel having found the lost groat after great pains and diligence calls in her friends and neighbours to rejoyce with her Luke 15.9 Crispus and the Jaylor and Lydia and Stephanas are eminent Examples of this duty by whose conscientious care and procurement it may bee supposed that their whole housholds came under the roof of Christ because presently after that wee have heard of their own personal Baptism wee finde their families also washed in that sacred Layer I shall not insist upon Arguments to prove the incumbent necessity of this duty or Motives to allure you to the practice of it I might deduce it as an inference consequent from the Law of Nature to use our greatest indeavours that our Relations might obtain an union to the best and highest good I might draw it from the. Divine Injunction I might excite your diligence from the consideration of the dreadful danger following its neglect Psal 78.5 from the comfort that will flow into thy bosome upon the exercise of it since it is a notable evidence of the sincerity of Grace in thine own heart None but such as have seen and tasted can cry out to others with an holy affectionate vehemency O come taste and see that the Lord is good P1sal 34.8 The Wine of the Kingdome having once warmed the hearts of Saints sends up vivacious spirits and fills their mouths with a holy loquacity I might further provoke thee to this excellent work by the rich benefit in gaining such to love thee whose affections will exceed all natural love whatever and by the great reward that shall ensue in the life to come For they that turn many to righteousness Dan. 12.3 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever O Brethren if families were holy then Cities then Nations would quickly prove Mountains of Holiness and Seats for the Throne of God Wee are apt to cry out of bad times Alas those unclean Nests of ungodly Families have been the causes of all the wickedness in all Ages and Generations to this day Therefore whoever thou art on whom the Grace of God hath shined study that holy art of Divine Reflection and Re-percussion of that light on others hearts which bring 's mee to an useful and practical question Quest You I say What course shall wee take what means shall wee use what method will you prescribe that wee may bee able to manage this important and weighty duty that wee may bee helpful towards the conversion and salvation of our neer Relations that are in the state of nature I confess this Question is of grand importance and being properly solved may prove of great influence in all places where wee are cast by Divine Providence There is scarce a family scarce a person living who may not bee comprehended within the verge and limits of this discourse Ans In answer therefore to it I shall spend the principal part of my time and that I may handle it the more distinctly I shall rank such as may desire satisfaction and direction in this weighty and excellent case under three forms or orders Such as are either Superiours Equals or Inferiors But before I enter into the main body of the Answer I shall crave leave to premise three things 1. That this Question is not to bee understood of persons in publick capacity and concernment as Magistrates or Ministers but of Family-Relations Kindred Co-habitants Neighbours Friends and Acquaintance of such as have frequent converse together in Civil Societies and often commerce in dealings but principally of Oeconomical Relatives or such as are nigh to each other by blood or affinity 2. That Saving-Conversion is in the power of God alone to effect as being the primary and principal efficient cause of all those gracious works that accompany salvation There is none able to kindle Grace in the heart but hee who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Yet not withstanding all of us in our several stations as subordinate instruments may and must use all wholesome means that are of Divine Appointment conducing to such a blessed end 3. That there are different states conditions capacities and qualifications among such Relations whose conversion wee should endeavour Some being perhaps enormously and outragiously wicked others morally civil and yet further others possibly may bee conformable to the institutions of the external worship of God Of these I may speak Sparsim opere interâ—exto as the particulars will hear together with such other appendant cases that may hold some consanguinity with the General Question To begin then with the first branch Quest 1. What means Superiors principally in Family-Relations should use to draw on their Inferiors to rellish and savour the things of God True it is what Jerom saies fiunt Hieronym ad Laetam Tom. 1. p. 55. edit Lugd. 1530. non nascuntur Christian No man is born a Christian but an heir of wrath and divine justice For the obtaining of the New Birth thin in such as are committed to our charge I shall draw up directions under