the little Common-wealth of himself overcometh devils principalities and powers Thirdly ordering is a word of perseverance and implieth bringing about of things to an issue and a continuation unto the end for what is order but a Ordo est dispositio à primo ad ultimum per media disposition of things from the first to the last by means conducing thereunto Fourthly in the next place we are to consider what it is to order aright or straightly now a thing may be said to be right What 's meant by aright First that hath rectitude from himself and is the cause of rightnesse in all other things and so God is onely right Secondly that may be said to be right that hath its rectitude from another yet there is in it an infallible rule to square other things by it and in this sense the Law of God is said to be right Psal 19. Thirdly things or persons may be said to be right which are neither the cause of rectitude in others nor yet properly a rule to square other things by yet are they rightly fitted to the true rule and of this are three kinds First such a rightnesse as answereth exactly to the rule both for kinds and degrees And so onely Christs conversation was ordered aright he onely fully accomplishing perfect righteousness Secondly a thing may be said to be right which though it be not wholly directed for matter manner or measure yet is it squared thereunto in some sutablenesse and propertion evangelical and though there be some aberrations and swervings in it yet in comparison of the way of the wicked and in respect of the purpose of the heart the bent of the will the sincerity of the soul and the endeavour of the life And withal in regard of Gods gracious acceptance it may be called an ordering of the conversation aright Which I speak to prevent discouragement in weak Christians so that we may well expound the meaning of my text by that 119. Psal 119. 133. Psal 133. order my steps in thy word And to order in thy word is as much as rightly to dispose it the word of God being the rule of right it must have warrant from the word and be conformed to it from the word and to conclude thus then is a matter ordered aright when it holdeth proportion to the rule and is carried sutably Secondly when it proceedeth from a right principle 1 Tim. 1. 5. even a pure heart a good cause and faith unfaigned Thirdly when it is carried on upon a right ground and motive as suppose the love of God conscience of duty c. and discharged in a right manner in sincerity in humility in the presence of God to be approved of him 1 Cor. 10. 13. And lastly when it is directed to a good end which is the glory of God Opposite hereunto are the indirect crooked turnings and windings of all gracelesse persons who pervert their waies See Proverbs 10. 9. Now for the promise annexed on Gods What 's meant by salvation part it is as full and large all blessings are couched under salvation Salvation is as much as protection safety deliverance in this life and that which is to come the salvation of God is a singular salvation for the addition of God in my Text notes the excellency of it as the mountains of God are excellent mountains and the salvation spoken of is either ordinary or extraordinary and both that which is begun in this world as also that final receiving the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls First that he will give us a glimpse and sight of it in this world by manifesting of it to our souls and assuring us of it say unto my soul I am thy salvation saith the Psalmist Psal 35. 3. he shall see himself saved Secondly the injoying and possessing of it Psal 85. 7. Having thus taken the words asunder and explained them I will now joyn them together and prove the truth of the entire proposition Nothing is more clear in Scripture Proof of the point then this that God hath linked together sanctification and salvation in an unseparable and Adamantine chain never to be broken all the Bible throughout witnesseth that holinesse ever ends in happinesse What is it to order our conversation aright but to lead a godly life And hath not godlinesse the promise of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. yes and the performances too the accomplishment of the said promises those that have their fruit in holinesse shall have Rom. 6. 22 their end everlasting life and they that go to heaven are said to receive an inheritance among those that are sanctified many and precious promises are scattered throughout the world some to persons that fear God some to those that love God c. but all belong to those that order their conversation aright see Psal 91. 10. 11. This also may be proved negatively on the other side that none shall see the salvation of God but they that order their conversation aright without holinesse saith the Apostle no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. And doth not our salvation consist in the vision of God mark well these three particulars First for holinesse Secondly without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Thirdly with holinesse none but he shall see the God of his salvation this is also proved reciprocally on both sides both affirmatively and negatively Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Next for the shewing us his salvation What 's meant to shew us his salvation or making us know our interest in it that is also true sooner or later more or lesse he that orders his conversation aright shall see it Yea it holds proportionably the more exactly the conversation is squared the more clear assurance is given to such a person See for this how confidently David affirms of himself Psal 27. 1 2 3 c. and Paul 2 Tim. 4. 17. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course from henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse It is the promise of our Saviour Christ John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them there is the right ordering of the conversation I will love and manifest my self unto him The Reasons of the Point The grounds of this truth the first lieth in Gods free-grace and dependeth on the faithfulnesse of his promise for there is no proportion betwixt our conversation for a short time and Gods salvation for ever to be joyned betwixt our imperfect sanctification and Gods perfect salvation but God hath engaged himself by promise to us It is a Reward of favour not of debt as the Apostle distinguisheth Rom. 4. 4. It is not from the merit of our workes but from the meer mercy of God Reas 2 But
to be found in the word of God As first the rules for our carriage in Directions in relation to men relation to men First that golden one delivered by our Saviour himself Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that other men do to you the same do ye to them Mark it is not said What others do to you the same do ye to them for that is not always right but some times crooked but it is said Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you set your selves as it were in their rooms and do ye the same to them that is not what you would or are content in your passions that others should do to you but whatever in right reason upon due deliberation and sound judgement when you are most your selves you would that others should do to you do ye the same to them Secondly remember the Apostolical rule serve one another in love for it is written Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5. 13 14. We must seek not every one his own but one anothers wellfare 1 Cor. 10. 24. A golden rule to be observed in contracts and negotiations to keep us from over reaching any man 1 Thes 4. 6. and not meerly to do things out of respects to our selves but to joyn the wellfare of our neighbour to our own benefit and what we do to them to do it out of love Thirdly let nothing be done out of contention or vain glory but in lowlinesse of mind let each esteem others better then themselves Phil. 2. 3. and let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus verse 9. he never did any thing in all his life out of contention or vain glory and indeed be the matter of our actions never so fair or good yet either of these two contention or vain glory will fly-blow them and corrupt the action Again in all our businesses in relation Speciall rules for our services in reference to God unto God we have these rules First for the end that the glory of God be made the white at which we aim in all our natural civil or religious actions according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God this must be the Butt that we all must shoot at Secondly for Christ Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of Christ Jesus giving thanks to the father by him Col. 3. 17. that is what others do as men do ye as Christians you must do all in Christ his name that is upon his authority and his warranty in the strength of Christ in confidence upon him for acceptation of the service and praying and invocating the father in his name and giving thanks to God by him Thirdly whatsoever we do to men or towards our selves to do it to the Lord and for the Lords sake looking beyond men and further then our selves so in our almes-deeds to give to Christ in giving to such a man or woman Verily in as much as ye did it to the least of these ye did it to me Mat. 25. 40. So likewise the Apostle prescribes to servants this duty Col. 3. 23. Servants be obedient to your Masters and whatsoever ye do do it heartily to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance and this rule is not to be appropriated unto servants but it reacheth to all masters also yea to all ranks of persons for all the duties of the second table are to be performed to others must flow from our obedience unto God commanded in the first Table so Christ told Peter that his ministerial discharge in feeding of his sheep John 21. 15 16 17. ought to spring from the love he bare to Christ himself Next for our selves take these directions Rules in relation to our selves out of Scripture do nothing with a regreet of heart or reluctancy of conscience but labour first to have a warranty out of the word for your conscience to rest upon a warranty I say at the least of God his allowance of it if not of his command For what ever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. that is if it be done out of perswasion of heart that it is lawful for the warrant of the action we must do nothing with the check or renitency of our consciences against the dictates of the same blessed is he that condemneth not himself in his conscience in that which he performeth to wit in his actions verse 22. Secondly the end of the commandements is love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. where we are to observe that for the matter of our obedience it must be love love to God and love to our neighbour and for the fountain and spring of love in our actions it must issue from a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfaigned otherwise the streams will never be clear Thirdly the prescript of the word is Thou shalt not do that which seemeth good in thine own eies but what the Lord thy God commandeth thee Deut. 12. 8. 32. If any thing at the first blush presenteth it self unto thee with a shew of good presently begin to suspect it as fearing there is some evil couched under it and see what God saith of it in his holy word from which thou maist not turn to the right hand or to the left Fourthly for the manner of our performing the word aright in my text all must be done in humility and sincerity and carried on sutably to the duty which we have in hand it must be done understandingly feelingly fervently if we pray if any man preach he must speak as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11 approving themselves to God and the consciences of the hearers so you shall find several directions for several discharges Rom. 12. 8. He that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with chearfulness c. so every one in their relations must mainly look to the Cardinal vertue which turneth about all the rest as let the wife see to it that she reverenceth her husband Ephes 5. ult according as she looketh to that all her other duties do either ebb or flow in her so the husband must be careful of the main of all that he loveth his wife as Christ loved his Church Ephes 5. 25. In one word order your steps so as where God hath laid the fullest and the stricktest charge there be sure to shew your greatest care as in the substantials of religion before the circumstantials or ceremonies mercy before sacrifice and the great commandment of loving the Lord with all our hearts before the rest Matth. 22. 35 37 38. To end this let all our outward discharges spring from an heart rightly disposed else it will prove formality or dissimulation nothing is any
spirits sanctification in his own perswasion and the worlds reputation ought to have just thoughts and to be the Master or Governour of them he must endeavour to get them into his mind and having gotten them it is required that he rightly govern them for the orderly and seasonable producing of their effects in words and deeds The government of his thoughts is a righteous mans great businesse of great necessity and of much difficulty It 's day work and night work with him his meditations are alwayes upon it he so delights in the Law of the Lord that he meditates in it day and night Psal 1. 2. Some are careful of their actions that by them they give no offence to the weak nor lay stumbling-blocks in the way of them that are without These are commendable amongst the godly others go further they keep their lips as it were with a bridle and they are purposed that their mouths shall not transgresse Psal 39. 1. Psal 17. 3. yet few people go so far as to take heed to their thoughts It seems all men are not aware of it that their inward thoughts may be very wickednesse but a wise man thoroughly instructed and sanctified by the Spirit of God loves the Law of God with such vehemency that he hates those floating vanities of his thoughts which rise in opposition to it I hate vain thoughts said that righteous man but thy Law do I love Psal 119. 113. And every just man doth so govern his thoughts that they are generally good I do not say that every particular thought of a righteous man is just David had his exorbitancies in thoughts or else they had not so much appeared in his doings and yet his heart was right with God for the main And so it is with many of Gods dear children they have excurrent and sinful thoughts the knowledge whereof give many a secret prick upon their consciences though they have good meanings and good hearts generally It is written of Asa that the high places were not taken away out of Israel in his days neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chro. 15. 18. A righteous man may sometimes think foolishly as well as speak unadvisedly with his lips or put his hands unto wickednesse Yet as his words and workes are for the main end regulated by the word of God so are his thoughts A righteous man is the master of just thoughts And though Master-workmen may sometimes mistake in their lines and measures and sorting their materials yet not like them that have no skill in building If a righteous man meditate in Gods precepts he will have respect unto Gods wayes Psal 119. 15. Take the reason of the righteous mans practise on this behalf First his thoughts are moved upon by the Spirit of God though God be not in all the thoughts of the wicked yet the righteous God leads by his Spirit and guides by his counsel There are many that are after the flesh and these mind the things of the flesh 〈…〉 they cannot think of higher things because they have no higher principle of life within them but there are some that are after the spirit these mind the things of the spirit for they have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 5 and therefore mind and think upon the things of God and their thoughts are just 1 Cor. 2. 11. Secondly a righteous man hath an holy principle of good thoughts within he hath grace inherent the new man is put upon him and he is renewed in the spirit of his minde and Eph. 4. ergo though he was sometimes darkness yet now he is Eph. 4. 8. light in the Lord. O the sweet and secret interviewes and consultations held betwixt God and the souls of his beloved ones they think upon God in the night-season while others lie upon their beds and sleep securely Their thoughts enter into his Pavilion while other mens thoughts rove and wander abroad amongst many vain things and know not where to make any stay to fasten themselves the spirit of life which is in them that are Christs quickens their mindes to think upon that which is just Rom. 8. 2. Having thus farre proved that the thoughts of righteous ones are just and that he which is a righteous man must have good and just thoughts my method shall be 1. To shew the necessity or needfulnesse of this government of the thoughts 2. The errours and exorbitances of mens thoughts 3. The remedies against these exorbitancies Generally Particularly 4. The meanes to get good thoughts 5. Rules to govern good thoughts gotten CHAP. III. FIrst the needfulnesse of the government of thoughts appears because thoughts are the fountain or spring of all humane actions whether they be good or evil A man ordinarily first thinks and after speakes out with his mouth or workes outwardly with the members of the body My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire kindled and I spake with my tongue Psal 39. 3. So the wicked devise devices against Jeremy and then smite him with the tongue Jer. 18. 18. Pharaoh thought to deal wisely and then commands to destroy the Hebrew children wherefore seeing actions good or evil issue from our thoughts we ought to take notice of that wise advice Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. The soul retains so much of its spiritual nature and native perfection that after the similitude of God it is in continual action though it be its imperfection to be in doing either good or evil Thoughts passe in the mind as currently as water in the livelyest fountain it is not like a watch in thy pocket which will not run without winding up it is a natural mover and is in uncessant motion towards good or evil Gods thoughts are good eternally but the best mens thoughts are to good and evil were they onely good and not evil the lesse care of prevention would serve in this government of thoughts But 't is the misery of our souls that the imaginative faculty whose perfection is alwayes to think should be taken up too often times with thinking evil The Holy Spirit notes this with a black coall The imaginations of natural men are evil continually though the thoughts of the righteous be just Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Grace and nature mixe in the regenerate man and because of these different principles his thoughts move within him to good and to evil as he said I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my Members Rom. 7. 22 23. This is one reason why our thoughts have need of government Secondly evill thoughts are sin Prov. 24. 9. The thought of foolishnesse is sin not the action only but the thought also is sin it is a loose opinion and strikes
and that if they can refrain such words and works as are of evil report and punishable then their peace is sound and themselves just though their thoughts be black as hell and conform to the works of the Devil And indeed thoughts are free from punishment by the Laws of men which onely reach to the outward man and a man is not bound by Law or any duty to reveale all his thoughts unto another Salomon tells us That a prating fool or a man of foolish lips shall fall Prov. 10. 8. But the good man must perswade himself that the Lord takes notice of abhors and will punish evil thoughts as the breaches of his Law therein extending more than the laws of men It is a known distinction among all that there are sins of thought as much as sins of word or of deed We read of some that erre because they imagine evil of some that sinned because they tempted God in their hearts Prov. 14. 22. Psal 78. 18. Psal 58. 2. of others that did work wickednesse in their heart Our Saviour gives a check to the Scribes for their evil thoughts Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts Mat. 9. 4. Yea in the Court of Conscience and in Gods sight evil thoughts are in some respect more sinful or lesse excuseable than either words or deeds What is that condemning sin of unbelief what that of hypocrisie whose punishment in Hell is the pattern how other sins shall be punished They are not sins of word they are not sins of work but sins of the inward parts of the mind and of the heart Consider further upon this matter and ye shall perceive 1. That evil thoughts are Ring-leaders to other sins all other uncleannesses begin at the heart Mat. 15. 18. whether they be blasphemies or false-witnessing which are sins of the tongue or murders and adulteries which are sins of deed From contemplative wickednesse we go on to actual so lust within when it hath conceived at temptation without brings forth sin Jam. 1. 15 Imagination is the great wheel of the soul if that move amisse all the whole man runs at random for as the phansie conceives the judgement concludes the will chooseth the affections pursue or eschew and the members of the body execute Wherefore in regard of precedency or causality sins of thought are more sinful or inexcuseable than either words or deeds 2. Our thoughts are more at liberty than our words or actions there is lesse byas hanging upon our thoughts than upon our outward man As these are more free from the shame of the World the censure of enemies the punishment of outward laws the reprehension of godly brethren so they are lesse swayed by hopes of favour from such we love or reverence or hope to rise by In evil times especially many things may afford excuse for miscarriages in our words or deeds Many dangers are following them that are of free language and open works which in this frailty of the flesh may put on our outward faults a mincing infirmity but none nor any of these can any way diminish the fault of our thoughts For notwithstanding all these our thoughts are freed from the byas of fear or favour Jonathan could love David as his own soul though he went in his Father Sauls Army which hunted him as a Partridge upon the mountains Obadiah thought reverently of the Lords Prophets and preserved many of them from the cruel rage of Jesabel though he lived in Ahabs Court But if the inward parts be wickednesse there is no faithfulnesse in those sinners There is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness Psal 5. 9. It s possible God may have some whose hearts are right with him in evil times though they halt in their words and outward behaviour But if the thoughts of the heart and mind be evil whatsoever the outward appearance is there is no believing of such 3. The temptations of Satan have not such power over our thoughts as they have in our outward man in as much as the Devil is no searcher of hearts and therefore cannot so easily puddle these fountains as he doth by Gods permission our words and deeds I do not say Satan hath no power but not such power The Devil knows the constitution and temperament of mens bodies and can move the humours and by them he can stir up the affections he can represent false species by the senses unto the cogitative faculty and thereby disorder the thoughts But he hath not such an immediate illapse or entrance into the heart as into our outward senses and by how much our thoughts receive less violence and opposition from Satan by so much the sins of our thoughts are lesse excuseable as he is lesse a sinner that sins by temptation than he that sinneth without But thou wilt say Our words and deeds bring more damage unto others and breed a greater scandal amongst the good than our thoughts do I answer Yes and therefore God condemns outward actions that are sinful But the evil of our thoughts are as filthy in our selves and as open to the eyes of God as our actions are and God who especially respects our spirits whether in mortification to sin or in quickning to righteousnesse hath equally forbidden our thoughts as our words or deeds He that said Thou shalt not bear false witnesse Thou shalt not steal said also Thou shalt not covet Wherefore we ought to have a conscientious care of our evil thoughts as of our evil deeds we must account them sinful and punishable and take heed how we receive in thoughts hand over head Good thoughts indeed should be welcom'd when they come lest we be found to resist the Spirit of God for in a motion upon thy thoughts the Spirit of life may come into thy soul But on the other hand if evil thoughts do offer themselves we ought to keep them out I have insisted upon this remedy the longer because until this be cleared up to the judgement that thoughts are sins and punishable and we ought to make a conscience of them all other remedies of evil thoughts will be unprofitable and the mind wil be pestered with them The second General Remedy against evil thoughts is Let a man judge and condemn himself for evil thoughts there is no man living can say his heart is clean and 't is meet that a Christian feel a trouble and heavinesse within him wrought by that disorder and trouble that is in his thoughts Paul is our pattern crying out Oh wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. Let us think it expedient for us to cry out against that body of evil thoughts within us that God may deliver us from them Ps 51. we shall never have true and sound peace in our selves unlesse our hearts be clean created within us The Pharisee which cleanseth the outside of the platter hath no true comfort while his inward parts are full of ravening and wickedness Luc. 11.
judicious may take cognizance of it which is that righteous men must not think only how they may profit themselves he that thinks in his thoughts to please himself only will not truly endeavour in his course to profit all men in this case 't is good advice Phil. 2. 4. look not every one of his own things but every one on the things of others so the Apostle more purposely 1 Cor. 10. 33. I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved Again let others be admonished that they do not think their endeavours and studies to be unprofitable unlesse they be singular and above others of their own rank Surely if we would labour to know with sobriety we should be more profitable to others and lesse troublesome unto our selves an affectation of singularity is but the pride of a mans heart and such usually to get applause for something of rare invention neglect the more profitable employment of their thoughts about their calling And now we will proceed and prescribe a remedy to the fourth vanity of thoughts which appears in their confusion and disorder The remedy must be to suit and order our thoughts according to our businesse with respect to time and place and persons the imagination is infinitely fruitful and to order all her conceptions conservations compositions seperations creations of new species productions of them into thoughts and propositions of them to the mind and will would be a labour too busie for me to meddle with in this case I must leave the work to every judicious Christian to consult with the rule of Gods word according to the emergencies of his thoughts yet I humbly conceive that this remedy prescribed against the confusion of thoughts may be of much use and benefit Consider then what is the businesse thou art about humane or divine and let thy thoughts be composed to attend upon it divine thoughts suit with divine works and humane thoughts with humane businesse while all things are done to the glory of God to this purpose referre that of Salomon Eccles 9. 10. whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might Consider the time whether holy by divine appointment by publick or private destination or permitted to common labours of thy calling Let not Sabbaths and dayes of humiliation be prophaned with common thoughts holy thoughts are for holy Sabboths thoughts of mourning are for dayes of fasting and prayer thoughts of rejoycing in the Lord for dayes of feasting and thanksgiving and thoughts of thy calling for dayes of work and trading So for holy places and assemblies holy thoughts are suitable and in all things which thou hast to do consider thy own calling and chiefly mind thine own businesse 2 Thes 3. 11. a busie body in other mens matters is of no good report in the Scriptures the thoughts of such persons are as confused and disorderly as the businesse of their lives attend what thou dost and what is meet for thee to do in time and place and I am perswaded thy thoughts will be lesse confused and more orderly CHAP. IX THus I have spoken of Remedies for the two first errours of thoughts to wit the dowsinesse and vanity of them in regard of object in regard of unstayednesse in regard of unprofitablenesse and in regard of confusion I shall now also say something for remedy against the wickednesse of thoughts which happens when our thoughts draw in our affection and will to desire and like of wickednesse and our minds to devise to bring it to passe I will not here give the remedies to these two errours severally but together and at once Expect not a remedy for every kind of wicked thoughts apart as erroneous heretical covetous ambitious revengeful proud c. for the objects of the affections are almost infinite and the evil imaginations of the mind working toward the accomplishment of wickednesse are so various who can know them Yet something I shall say to these for it will be expected by the Reader and I am bound to it by promise in this undertaking Here again I must leave much for the judicious to do of themselves in their own occurrencies of thoughts Yet thus for a help unto them that are weak Have thy thoughts drawn in thy likeing of that which is sinful and is thy mind plotting to accomplish it First give stop to these wicked affections and devisings at their first beginnings Sero medicina paratur Long and confirmed diseases are stubborne to yield unto medicine an infant-thought may take a check but if it grow man by continuance all the wit and strength thou hast will hardly bow him back The phansie will take fire at a temptation before we be aware like tinder which kindles at the least spark falling into it and 't is a mover as quick and spreading as fire The lightning is not quicker than thought we had need therefore to be speedy in giving stop to our wicked thoughts Job knew this and therefore made covenant with his eyes not to think upon a maid Job 31. 1. What the eye seeth or the eare heareth the heart may desire but unknown undesired If it be possible keep wickednesse from the eye and eare these are the two principal gates by which sin enters into our hearts if the watch were kept more strictly at these gates we should not so often find our enemy within us If David had looked better to his eyes adultery had not gotten into his thought nor could the whorish woman have come into the young mans heart had he kept her out of his eares it was with much fair speeches that she caused him to yield Prov. 7. 21 The eye and the eare are the out-works of the soul he that would keep out evil thoughts must barricadoe these gates Let evil thoughts receive a check at their first offer to enter for he that gives way to his imaginations shews that he would give way to wicked actions if they were as free from shame and punishment And a man may know much of his gratious state by his own using of his thoughts he that forbears evil out of a conscience of sin will forbear also to imagin evil in his heart but men of corrupt minds are not men of renewed spirits 2. If thou canst not stop them in their beginnings then thy care must be to divert them to some more profitable or pious object When the water hath gotten in upon us we make draines and water-courses to carry it some other way and so likewise must we do with our evil thoughts if they have broken in upon us we must turn them aside to some other matter As suppose coveteous or envious or proud thoughts be got into thy mind thou mayest divert them to liberal merciful humble thoughts Joh. 4. 12. The woman of Samaria was a great admirer of Jacobs Well ver 20. and the mountain of Samaria the one for water and
called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Let your conversation be such Phil. 1. 27. as becometh the Gospel such as may bring holinesse into credit and fashion and herein labour to exercise your selves to keep a clear conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men Acts 24. 16. The Second SERMON PSAL. 50. ult And to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God THe first Use was exhortatory and Second Use did serve to work mens hearts to a love and willingnesse to the duty The second is Directory and serves to make persons able and skilful in the right ordering of their conversation For this lieth upon us Ministers not onely to convince you of the necessity of your duties and to presse upon you the discharge thereof but also to shew you how and by what means you may be able to put them in practise and not to leave you to shift for your selves after we have acquainted you with the commands of God but to labour to guide your feet in the way of peace Now these Directions that I shal give you are either more general and introductive to the businesse or else more special And first of all It is to be supposed First Direction and premised that a man must first be a true Convert himself before it be possible for him to order his conversation aright the inward frame of his soul must first be rightly set within him which is the principle from whence issues the course of his thoughts words and actions He must first have a right spirit renewed in him before he can have a right conversation Psal 51. 10. this made David pray Renew O Lord in me a right spirit the instrument must first be stringed and set in tune before the musick it yieldeth will be sweet a wicked man and one that is unregenerate can never order his life aright a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the evill treasure bringeth forth evill things Matth. 12. 33 34. First he must be a good man the tree must be good and then the fruit will be good Secondly he must have a good treasury and his heart must be the store-house of holy graces the mind must be renewed with saving knowledge which must guide him his heart must be seasoned with sanctified affections and so inabled to follow the minds directions and therefore the ground-work of all must first be laid right and we must labor for the grace of regeneration that so we our selves may be Gods workmanship created again in Christ Jesus to good works which he hath prepared for us to walk in Ephes 2. chap. 10. This being premised the next preparation The second direction to the work even in Converts themselves is in the right way to go to work and that is being sensible of their own inability to compasse so great a matter It being more difficult to govern the little world a mans self then to rule a City he must therefore begin the work at self-denial Jer. 10. ch 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps in whom then doth it lye In God therefore with David we must seek to him Psalm 119. 133. do thou order my steps in thy words this direction is fully given us both negatively and and affirmatively Prov. 3. 5 6. negatively Be not wise in thine own eyes lean not to thine own wisdom affirmatively but acknowledge God in all thy wayes and then thirdly we have his promise that he will direct our steps this shall be health to thy Navel and marrpw to thy bones the summe is that we must not enterprise this businesse out of a conceit of any self-wisdom or of our own sufficiency to effect it but being sensible of our own folly and impotencie we must acknowledge God in all and commend our selves and actions to his direction in the beginning to his inabling in the prosecution and to his benediction in the successe in faith and confidence relying upon him for all in humble prayer begging all from him according to that of the wise man Proverbs 16. 3. Rowle thy ways on the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established or ordered this is a silly direction as it seems to flesh and blood the wisest Moralists amongst the Heathen would but laugh at it humility is not within the lists of their moral vertues Seneca one of the wisest of them hath such strange expressions as these in one of his Epistles Beatae vitae causa fundamentum c. The cause and foundation of a blessed life is in our selves to trust in our selves to be confident in our selves Turpe saith he est Deos fatigare It is a shameful thing to weary the Gods with our prayers for that which lyeth in our own power He goeth on Quid votis opus est fac te faelicem what need supplications when thou canst make thy self happy I blush to speak this but this was the wisdom of these Moralists but we must learn a better lesson from the word of God even to become fooles to our selves that we may be wise in God and I am sure David maketh it his businesse to sollicite God in prayers all over that 119. Psalm Both for his direction and enabling Open mine eyes saith he that I may find or see the wondrous things of thy Law And again Make me to understand the way of thy precepts direct me the way that I shall go and I will keep thy word even to the end And again Order my steps in thy word c. 119. Psalm Yea and whosoever doth not this stumbleth at the very Threshhold and never let him look for good successe It is just with God to leave honest hearts to themselves as he left Peter to shew them their own weaknesse when once they relye on their own strength and abilities and Solomon is bold to say he that trusteth his own heart is a fool we must know that all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. the beginning progresse and end of all dependeth upon him who worketh the will and the deed in us of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. and he will have the glory of all to himself 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. that whosoever gloryeth should glory in the Lord. It shall therefore be our wisdom in the way of Gods Commandements our own spiritual duties to draw vertue and power from him by pleading his Covenant and resting on his Promise who hath engaged himself to put his Spirit in us and to give us a new heart and to cause us to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes as is clear Ezekiel 36. 27. and by this that hath been spoken you may by the way see the necessity of a morning sacrifice of prayer to
further accepted then as it cometh from the heart whatsoever we do in our particular calling let it spring from our general calling of Christianity and let us exercise our general calling in our particular Let worldly things be used by us with heavenly minds and as stars to mount up towards heaven 1 Cor. 7. 31. not as the main but as things upon the By still use them with spiritual references to better matters and then you shall have your conversations in heaven Phil. 3. 21. Take one rule for the regiment of your thoughts and keeping of them within their bounds Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are truth whatsoever things are honest that is fair grave and venerable whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise think on these things where you have eight boundaries to confine the subject matter of your thoughts unto you take another direction for your words and actions out of the Apostle James 2. 12. So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty The closing direction the last direction which shall close all is this That we are to call our selves to an ordinary account of our ways and the leading of our conversations a duty pressed upon us in the Word of God Lament 3. 40. Let us search our waies and turn again unto the Lord our God Psal 4. 4. Examine your selves upon your beds and be still The Prophet commands it Haggai 1. 5. Consider your waies he meaneth an after consideration of them as appeareth by the circumstances of place On the other side the opposite neglect of this is blamed as the cause of many and great evils Jer. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard and no man said what have I done c. Look as a curious Limner or he that draweth a picture exactly and to the life often reviews what is done where it agreeth where it misseth often compareth it and mendeth it as he seeth occasion even so must we that are to give an account of all our actions unto God take an account of our selves and our own waies and where we find any thing out of place and order there to place it aright and to undo it by true repentance that so our after paths may be made straight This was Davids practise Psalm 119. 59. I considered my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies nor indeed can there be any accurate leading of our lives without this self-reflection out of all which there resulteth one Use more of the Doctrine which time will not give leave now to prosecute namely a Use of Discovery upon the examination of our selves and our waies to wit that if we find that the course of our lives hath been drawn though imperfectly according to the forementioned rules that the bent of our hearts was that way and though we find not any absolute exactnesse in our carriages without any swerving yet if our consciences bear us witnesse that we did shoot at this mark this was our aim and that we were sorrie when we missed it if we find a sutableness and correspondency in our lives unto Gods word and humility of heart in our performance we may assure our selves that we are right Christians and that we shall see the salvation of God Gal. 6. 16. as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God A Sermon preached at the FUNERAL of the Right Honourable JOHN Lord DARCYE August 27. 1636. Psal 39. 5. Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah THe sweet Singer of Israel the Man after Gods own heart having in the former words desired of God that he would make him to know his end and the measure of his dayes what it was how fraile and fleeting the condition of his life was and thereupon duly acknowledging that his dayes were but a span long of four fingers breadth and his very age was nothing respectively to God Immediately thereupon inferreth this doleful conclusion out of the former premises Surely every man c. Giving us to understand thereby that the more any man doth seriously discern the frailty and fragility of his life the more certain and assured he will grow of mans vanity The Text I confesse is a most unpleasing but not unprofitable Subject it being a disgraceful deciphering of every man in his best condition and we love not you know to hear of any thing that tendeth to our disgrace or the vilifying of us in our own conceits yet it is very wholesome and medecinable the apprehension of our misery being the first step towards immortality Twice it is repeated in this Psalm for failing verse 5th and the 11th and in both places hemmed in with an asseveration of certainty Surely and a pathetical Selah of animadversion prefaced with the one pointed and sealed with the other the one prefixed to remove our incredulity in this matter for it is hardly credited The other annexed to prevent our negligence in the consideration hereof for it is but smally regarded both of them added to work a deep impression of the matter upon our souls Now for this Seraphical Selah the seal of this Divine Aphorisme it importeth in the true support thereof elevation as you would say elevate or loftily which because it is onely used in the sacred meeter of the old Testament some would have to be onely a musical note for the strayning and lifting up of the voice in singing as Ela is with us Others not confining of it to the extension of the voice take it to imply a deeper attention of the mind in pausing upon the thing delivered Selah as you would say See Lo Attend and Tremelius renders it Maxime as if it were a true and sure Maxime in Law The Chaldee Paraphrase and some of the Hebrews have translated for ever noting the matter contained to be of eternal and perpetual verity to the end of the world for ever and ever You may if you please take in all three and joyne them together and then are all instructed that the matter averred is a thing of weight and necessary consequence of infallible certainties not to be questioned and of most intentive consideration seriously to be meditated on and Gods Ambassadours may be encouraged to speak hereof confidently Surely as a point of undeniable infallibility and with a Selah too loftily lifting up their voices like trumpets for the better rousing up the secure hearts of the children of men that are so much set upon vanity The words are in themselves an entire Proposition very short but exceeding full the Proposition is universal in both parts both in respect of subject and of the predicate Omnis homo est universa vanitas so the vulgar or Omni modo vanitas so Tremelius man and vanity are convertible all man is all vanity and all vanity is in all and every
bitternesse The holy man might think with himself What have I done How great is my sin Did I not lately promise never to forsake my Master no not if all men else should forsake him yet I would never leave him And am I the man that denies him so soon I that am so near related to him as his Disciple so eminently preferred by him as his Apostle not compeld by any in authority but frighted to it by the demand of a woman servant Was not my sin great enough to deny him once but have I done it twice and thrice Might I not have denied him barely with sin enough but must I forswear him too I was not surprised at unawares but forewarned and but even now forewarned by my Lord and Master whose words I ought to have remembred c. Thus he called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him and he went out and wept bitterly Now the aggravating circumstances of sin are such as these First the dignitie of the person offending the more eminent the person the more vile the sin Now the dignity is either external or internal external in respect of some high place preferment authority employment or trust whereunto a man is advanced as to be a Magistrate Minister Father Master and should such a man as I fly said that good Magistrate Nehemiah its intollerable in one of my rank or place the Lord will look to be sanctified in those that draw near him in place and digninitie so likewise an internal dignitie of grace or gifts heightens the sin of any person a lighter sin in them whom God hath made his sons by adoption is in sme sot greater then in unregenerate men though Israel play the harlot yet Judah must not offend Hos 4. 15. The second thing that aggravates our sins is the specialties of Gods favour where God is more bountiful the sin is more inexcusable in that he is not drawn with the cords of Gods love and this you may see 2 Sam. 12. 7. Nathan brings in a Catalogue of Gods mercies and favours shewed to David God anointed him King over Israel delivered him out of the hands of Saul gave him his Lords house and his Lords wives into his bosom and thereupon infers the grievousnesse of his sin v. 9. Wherefore hast thou then despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight The third circumstance of aggravavation is outward scandal given by our sins when we have not onely sinned personally but given offence unto others if we sad the hearts of the righteous strengthen the hands of the wicked if we give occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme cause our profession to be evil spoken of corrupting some mens manners indangering others laying a stumbling block before the weak troubling their consciences perverting their judgements subverting them from the truth and these things make our sins scandalous Now this is certain the further corruption spreads and the more the sent thereof poysons others the more odious it is to God and should be more odious unto men no sinnes more damnable then theirs who enter not into the Kingdom of heaven themselves nor by their wills would suffer others to enter who allow others to go to hell which way they will and suffer them not to go to Heaven that way which they should The fourth thing which adds to the weight of sin is continuance and delight in sin unto some sins we give fuller consent of will we please our selves in them more we lye longer in them without repentance such were the sins of David in his murther and adulterie he committed many other sins but these his conscience did not chide him for of a long time these put his soul into a distemper and made such a spoil and havock of his graces that he stood in need of a new Creation a new and fresh infusion of grace Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. and they stripped him of the joy of the holy Ghost v. 12. Restore me unto the joy of thy salvation Continuance and delight in sin break down the fences of grace and lay all wast so that the whole man is out of frame he cannot set himself upon good duties but lies open unto sinne To these may be added as aggravations of our sin 1. Our own profession that we have made formerly 2. Our covenants and promises made unto God in baptism and many times since upon occasions of deliverance from danger of being heard in our requests of hope of mercy in our low estate this makes our trespasses double iniquity as being not onely sins against Gods precepts but also breaches of our own promises 3. The means of grace received for where grace is offered more plenteously and rejected sin is more sinful Luke 12. 48. these means are partly inward as wit memory knowledge capacitie and the like partly outward as the preaching of the word and other ordinances of God the light of good examples and other restraints from the laws of Christian Magistrates The fourth help to further us in the examination of our sins is to pray unto God to give us his spirit to be our remembrancer to call to our minds those sins which are slipt out of our memories to recal the sins of our youth and other ages which we have attained unto and as he shewed to the Prophet by degrees greater and greater abominations of the house of Israel Ezek 8. 6. 13. 15. even so that he would discry to us by little and little the abominations of our own lives so prayed that holy man Job 13. 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin Thus much of the first head the examination of our sins now follows the second head concerning the examination of our graces The necessity whereof appears First because we must bring grace with us to the Sacrament or else we shall scarsely bring grace from thence we must come to Christs Table to have graces confirmed and enlarged now it behoves us to have them in us afore hand for there is no confirmation of that which is not resident in us Secondly because otherwise we may take the semblance of grace for substance and may be deceived with counterfeit shews and shadows for currant graces Now the principal graces whereof we are to examine our selves are four Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie We are to examine our knowledge first for the substance of it secondly for the sincerity of it First for the substance Whether we know God whom to know is eternal life John 17. 2. whether we apprehend by faith what we cannot comprehend by reason the unity of the Godhead in Trinitie of persons John 5. 7. Whether we know his essence and essential properties Exod. 34. 6. What we know of Christ in whom we believe what of his natures as God and Man of his Person as the Son of God of his