it rather than faith You that are ignorant idle profane and unsanctified and yet believe you shall be saved you believe a lye you believe that which God hath never said shall be nay you believe that which God hath said shall never be Jer. 27. 11. They are a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not save them 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such shall never inherit the Kingdom of God Hear sinners hear God must be a lyar or your faith a lye But the faith of God's Elect such as hath been before described this is that precious tryed faith by which whosoever believes shall not be confounded Christians you that have obtained such precious faith a Christ-imbracâ—ng faith an heart-purifying a flesh-mortifying a world-conquering faith you may venture safely upon it if ever this faith deceive you God hath deceived you the Scriptures have deceived you Christ hath deceived you who hath prayed and we may be bold to turn Christ's prayer into a promise that this faith fail not let the Phanatick world laugh and mock and call your consolations delusions your confidence conceit or what they will let them alone you must give losers leave to talk and laugh yet cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of toward 6. The Doctrine concerning Good Works is a certain truth In this I shall shew First What we are to understand by Good Works A good work in general is an holy or gracious action to the making up whereof thâ—se four things are necessary 1. The principle must be good from which it proceeds it must be from an honest and upright heart for a pure conscience from faith unfeigned c. Mat. 12. 35. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2. The matter must be good something that is commended Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee Isa 29. 13. Their fear towards me waâ— taught by the precepts of men 3. The form or manner of doing must be good it must be well done this takes in the conâ—ideration of all its circumstances of time place c. 4. The end must be good it must be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. As to the particular kinds of Good Works they are not easily to be reckon'd up The Papists talk little of any good works but the exercises of bounty and liberality in giving Alms feeding the hungry cloathing the naked visiting and relieving the afflicted building of Almes-houses Colledges and the like upon which they â—ufist so much as if there were scarce any other good works but such as these but we may not confine them within so narrow a compass Good works do signifie the same with a good life or a godly life the doing and observing all things which God hath commanded us Our living holily honestly circumspectly fruitfully imports the same with our doing good works the exercising of all the graces of Christ faith love hope c. The subduing and mortifying of lust and corruption the governing our hearts the governing our tongues the ordering of our carriages towards God and towards men all acts of Religion Righteousness Mercy Charity Praying Fasting Hearing Sanctifying the Sabbath Lending Giving Forgiving Peace-making Instructing Exhorting Reproving Denying our selves taking up our Cross following Christ Fighting the good fight of Faith laying up treasure in heaven and the like these are good works every thing is a good work concerning which God will say at last Well done good and faithful Servant In all these the Lord requires 1. That we act Ad extremum virium to our utmost Eccles 9. 10. What thine hand findeth to do and so what thy head or thy heart findeth to do do it with thy might Tit. 2. 14. Zealous of good works Rom. 12. 14. Not sloathful in business but servent in spirit serving the Lord Col. 1. 10. Fruitful in good works 1 Cor. 15. ult Abounding in the work of the Lord. 2. That we act in these Ad extremum vitae to the end of our dayes Deut. 6. 2. Fear the Lord thy God and keep all his statutes and his Commandments all the dayes of thy life 3. That we be doing Per totum vitae cursum without intermission there must not only be well-doing but a continuance in well-doing Rom. 2. God will not have any Chasms or vacuities in our lives but every day must be filled up with the duties of it Christians must not thin of getting to heaven persaltum they must not leap but walk they must not leap over a duty nor leap over a day nulla dies fine linea The Law of God doth not allow a day to sin not abate us one dayes work To demand a breathing time from the service of God is to desire so much time for the service of sin We are ever serving one Master or the other we are certainly serving sin when we are not in one way or other serving the Lord. Secondly That goâ—d works are necessary Necessary to salvation a so as though we are not like to be saved by our works yet we cannot be saved without them He that works not shall not eat bread in the Kingdom of God The everlasting Rest is not for loyterers but for labourers Mat 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Faith cannot save us without works The Apostle tells us Jam. 2. 26. Faith without works is dead and a dead faith cannot bring us to life Therefore the Apostle Paul so vehemently charges Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works for these things are good and profitable to men Where observe the Preface to the chaâ—ge This is a faithful saying that is a true saying and a great truth a worthy saying worthy to be delivered worthy to be received And these things I will that thou affirm constantly or teach constantly or strenuously or resolvedly be not beaten off from it Why what is this great truth Why â—his is it That they which have believed in God as ever they would that their faith should stand them in any stead must be careful to maintain good works not only to do good works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain or to excel and abound in good works these things are good and profitable to men Now let me demand of all the world where lies the Phanaticisme in any of all this Which of these Doctrines is it that is but a conceit Is it this that Christians must not onely be believers but must do good woâ—ks Is it this That they must work with all their might that they must be doing to the end of their dayes that they must continue at their work withoâ—t intermission that is that they must bestow noâ—e
which bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For the which cause we faint not while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Before he had declared how hard 't was with them troubled perplexed persecuted cast down always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus c. Notwithstanding saith he we faint not while we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen Brethren look on the things not seen and take from them both direction in your way and encouragement to go in it 1. Take Direction from Heaven when you are travelling and see the place before you whither you are going your eye will tell you your way When you are entring upon any Course then look up and consider Is this my way to God When you are eagerly and greedily pursuing the world ask your hearts Is this my way to Heaven Am I now working out my salvation When you are walking in the way of carnal pleasure or liberty then look up to the Lord and look in upon your heart and say if you can Now Lord I am hastening to thee now Soul I am taking care for thee my sports and my pleasures and my lusts are the way to mak God sure and Heaven sure to me Can you say so Will not your own heart tell you that is not the way If Heaven be it that I intend if Salvation be it I mind sure then I am not out of my way 2. Look Heaven-ward and take encouragement thence to go on View the glory that is above and consider what happy men you would be if you were once safely there and let such thoughts press you to hasten on and encourage you against all the labours and difficulties you must first pass through Think with your selves when you are setting upon any duty If I can get well through this duty I shall be one step nearer Heaven When you come to the beginning of every day well I shall this evening be gotten one dayes journey nearer home when you are falling into any trouble or affliction if I can cut my way well through this wave I shall be so much nearer Harbour Every new degree added to your grace is another stone laid up upon the building of glory every holy Duty you have rightly performed you are gotten one round higher in Jacob's Laddeâ— look how many dayes you have walked with God so many dayes journey you are nearer your rest Look how many troubles and temptations you have gotten Christianly through so many gulfs have you shot so many rocks have you passed by towards your harbour Oh! if such thoughts and considerations were continually upon your hearts and before your eyes how strangely would they quicken you and encourage you on your way Consider Christians and thence take courage after a few dayes more a few duties more a few wayes more you will be safely landed in your Countrey Lift up your eyes and see and then lift up your heads and rejoyce to see how by every duty and difficulty your redemption draweth nigh A traveller in his journey that 's almost spent and tired if he once comes within sight of home and be almost there this adds new strength and life and on he goes again amain Let your eye be more on your home and there will be less loytering or weariness in your way II. Walk on your way in the name of Christ Or live by faith Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God The strength of a Christian is his Faith the strength of Faith is Christ the strength of Christ is put into the Promises If you would live to God live by Faith if you would live by Faith go often to the Promises 1. Study the Promises the freeness of them there 's Grace in the Promise The fulness of them there 's Christ in the Promise and with him all things there 's wisdom righteousness strength there 's bread and cloaths and lands and friends and safety study the sureness of the Promises there 's an Yea and Amen set to them All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Set thy Seal to them Believe that God is true 3. Clear up thine interest in them and thereby make it out that they are sure to thee 4. Treasure up in thy memory a stock and store of particular promises which may answer every case of thy life that so thou may'st have a word alwaies at hand to rely upon And then 5. Upon the credit of that word venture on after thy Lord in any duty through any sufferings he calls thee to whatsoever difficulty thou seest in thy work whatsoever danger thou seest in thy way whatsoever want or weakness thou seest growing upon thee go on resting upon Christ for success in thy duties and support under thy trouble and supply of thy wants according to his Word It may be when thou lookest before thee upon an holy life thou wilt say This is indeed a beautiful and blessed life if I could attain to it but oh I see there is so much to be done and so much to be born that I am in great doubt how I shall ever be able to go through it The Lord requires me if I will come after him to deny my self This first step puts me to a stand I doubt I shall stumble and fall at the very Threshold of Christianity Deny my self Alas I cannot deny my friend or companion I cannot deny mine Enemy that entices me to sin If Satan do but speak a word to me to draw me aside to iniquity he presently prevails and must I yet deny my self when I see how unable I am to deny mine enemies I cannot I câ—â—not do it Why here thy faith if thou wilt conâ—lit with it will furnish thee with this encouragement Though thou art able to do nothing of thy self yet though may'st be able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth thee Phil. 4. 13. Again thou sayest The Lord requires me to make me a clean heart to purge my conscience to crucifie my lusts But who am I that ever I should think of doing such great works I could as easily make a new world as a new heart I can as well stop the Sun in its course as stop my lusts in theirs I can as easily dry up the fountains of the great Deep as cleanse the fountain of my corrupt heart and purge my self from an evil conscience I but now thy faith will tell thee He that bids thee cleanse thy heart hath said to thee Ezek. 36. 25. That he will sprinkle clean water upon thee and thou shalt be clean from all thy filthiness Thy faith will carry
testimony of their own Consciences This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Consciences 2. A witness in the world Ye are witnesses your eyes have seen what our lâ—fe hath been be but true witnesses and then be you witnesses speak but what you have seen and speak the worst among you that believe the world will be ready to say you are too crafty to let us know what you do in secret when you are amongst your selves I but says he let them that believe speak those that have been with us publickly and privately what our conversation hath been if it be said they are of your own party and will not speak all they know then he appeals to a third witness a Witness in Heaven and God also he that seeth things before whom are all our ways he that seeth all things seeth our integrity and blamelesseness But here that I be not mistaken I must distinguish betwixt their aims or what they are pressing and reaching towards and their attainments or what they have reached to The aims of these cricumspect Christians in their whole course are at perfection Phil. 3. 14. I press towards the mark they would keep their way without the least wandring they would not tread one step awry they would not speak one word amiss they would not think one thought amiss they would not neglect any one duty nor commit any one sin but would be what the Apostle would have them to be Holy and harmless the children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked generation These are their Aims and as to their Attainments though they fall short of their desires they cannot do as they would The good that I would I do not yet they do their best they follow the Lord with the best of their understanding serve the Lord with the best of their strength and when they have done their best they mourn and grieve that 't is no better That I may more distinctly open this exact and upright walking in the way of the Lord which their hearts are set upon I shall consider it 1. As it hath respect to the Commandment 2. As it hath respect to Conscience 1. Their exact walking as it hath respect to the Commandment stands 1. In having respect to every Commandment to the whole Word of God Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you The life of a Christian is a busie life the Words of God finds us much work to do we have work for every faculty and member our understandings have their work our wills affections consciences tongues ears eyes hands have all their particulars works assigned them every grace hath its work faith hath its work love hath its work patience hath its work every lust makes us work to restrain deny watch crucifie them these are weights and clogs that will hang on and will hinder us from all other works if we let them alone these are working against us continually and apt to set us on work against our selves a working mischief and ruine to our souls if they be not continually looked to and kept under We havâ— work against us for every condition our prosperity finds us much work to keep our selves humble heavenly watchful in an holy fear and jealousie lest the contentments and pleasures of this life make an invasion and inrode upon our hearts and spoyle us of our graces and comforts Our afflictions find us work to keep our spirits from sinking and fainting from murmuring and envying at those whose way doth prosper We have all the set and solemn duties of Religion to attend upon we have praying work and hearing work and Sacrament work and reading work and heart-searching work and meditating work We have work to be done for others our neighbours and acquaintance our friends and our enemies our families our servants our children we have not only work to do for them as men but work to do for God with them God hath work for us to do among our neighbours God hath work for us to do in our families and for our friends and enemies instructing work reproving work praying work works of mercy and charity c. we have a continual succession of work every day hath its businesse Christians must have no sleeping dayes their very Sabbaths must be working dayes we must be at work for our souls even on those dayes wherein we must do no bodily work There remains a rest for the People of God such a rest wherein they shall work no more nor be weary any more wherein all their work shall be to eat of the fruit of their doings but on this side that rest there is no rest but we must be full of labour You see the Word hath provided much work for Christians now those that are circumspect and upright and in the way will be through pac'd and stick at nothing the Word requires they 〈◊〉 for any service ready for every good work they will not pick and choose they will not halt or baulk with God but as the Apostle Col. 4 10. Endeavour to stand compleat in all the Wills of God Those duties that have most pain in them those duties that have most hazard attending them those duties that have the greatest contrariety to their natural temper and dispositions if they be duties if the word sayes This must be done this is that which the Lord requires an upright heart will yield and stoop to them Brethren if there be any one thing required in the whole Book of God that you cannot consent to but allow your selves in the ordinary neglect of concerning which you say with Naaman The Lord spare me in this one thing whatsoever else you do you can have no comfort that your hearts are upright 2. In having respect to the most spirituall and inward part of the Commandment the Commandment contains fugienda and facienda sins to be avoided and duties to be performed and both these are either outward or spiritual 1. As there are outward sins to be avoided sins of the mouth sins of the eyes ears hands so there are inward sins spiritual wickednesses evil thoughts Jer. 4. 14. unclean lusts Mat. 5. 28. inordinate affections an evil conscience and the like now sincere Christians have an eye to and hold a strict hand upon these spiritual wickednesses 〈◊〉 to have their consciences purged their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience their affections and lusts mortified Gal. 5. 24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections an lusts their care is not only that they be no drunkards or swearers nor lyars nor railers nor oppressors nor of proud froward fretful impatient carriages and behaviours but they would not covet they would not lust they would not be of proud impatient fretful envious unpeaceable hearts they would not that an evil thought not a vain thought should
brings him low he abhors himself the more and abaseth himself the lower for that he hath exalted himself so high and the constant desire and labour of his Soul is to bring himself to and hold himself in such lowliness of heart and life that whatever he be oâ— hath done the excellency of the power may apperr to be of God and not of him 2. Whatever they have done they dare not trust upon it or be found in it they dare not be found in their own righteousness but count all things nothing so that they may win Christ and be found in him They labour as zealously in the works of righteousness as they would have done if this must have been their righteousness â—n which they must have stood before the Lord and yet they depend as singly upon Christ and his righteousnesse as if they had never done any thing Before I proceed any further let us a little consider what it is of all this which hath been spoken of these men wherein their folly lies are they fools for making so wise a choice for choosing the better part those true riches that enduring Substance those everlasting Treasures which are laid up in another world that they will not be cheated nor be beguiled by the Devil of that better inheritance by those toyes and fooleries the pleasnres honours and other vanities of this present world that is are they fools that they are not brutes Are they fools that they have taken the right way to the obtaining and possessing that blessedness which they have chosen that they do not content themselves with idle wishings and hopings for that Heaven and promise to themselves they shall not fail of it though they never take that course that leads to it that is are they fools that they be men and will hearken to their reasons and understandings which tell them that the end cannot be attained without the means Are they fools that they will be upright that they will not lye nor swear nor curse nor drink nor riot nor defraud nor oppress but are willing to walk in all the commands of the Lord blameless that is are they fools that they are honest men Is this their folly that they will not content themselves with a formal outside Religion with outward Reformation but will take care of the heart and inside as well as the outside will perform spiritual duties purge themselves from spiritual wickedness will make sure work by laying the Axe to the root of that wickedness which breaks forth in their lives those lusts that war in their members that is are they fools that they are not Hypocrites Is this their folly that are so free and forward and zealous in that which is good that is are they fools that they will love God so much and fear God so much and go on so far and so fast in obedience to him their hearts the vigour of their affections and care and labour to the Divel and their lusts and reserve only some little for God and their Souls Anâ— they fools that they will be so wary and watchful against sin and temptations to it that they will keep themselves so far out of danger as may be that is Is it their folly that they are not fools Stand forth ye wise men of the World that charge the Saints with folly read over all the particulars of that true description I have given you of them and tell us in good earnest if you can in which of the particulars their folly lies is it that they are not brutes that they are men that they are honest men that they are not hypocrites or that they are not fools that you account them such Men are fools that they are so precise 't is all one as if you should say if they were wise they would be brutes knaves and fools Behold here the wisdom of this World Hath not God made the wisdom of the World foolishness Thus we have seen what this exact and upright walking is as it respects the Commandment Now shall we consider it 2. As it respects Conscience And thus I shall give this double description of thesâ— circumspect Christians 1. They take great care of Conscience 2. They give good heed to Conscience 1. They take great care of Conscience and take great pains about their Conscience Their care they take is twofold 2. About the informing and instructing Conscience 2. About the keeping Conscience tender 1. They take great care about the informing and instructing their Consciences Conscience is to be made the inward guide of their way As the word is to be their guide without them so Conscience is to be their inward guide Their care therefore is that it may not be a blind guide Hence it is that they are so much in searching and studying the Scriptures they are much conversant in their Bibles they are observed to be frequent in hearing Sermons diligent in Nothing and Repeating what they hear are often putting their doubts and opening their difficult cases to those that are able to resolve them and all this to get their Consciences enlightned and instructed in the will of God Though there are many things that they are ignorant of yet there is nothing that they are willingly ignorant of their desires and prayers to the Lord are the same with the Psalmists Psal 119. 19. Hide not thy Commandments from me and with Elihus in Job What I know not teach thou me 2. They take great care to keep their consciences tender Tenderness of conscience is sometimes taken for weakness of conscience a weak conscience is that which is both weak-sighted and is not able to discern between things that differ but is very subject to mistakes it mistakes good for evil lawful for unlawful and it s also full of troublesom and unreasonable fears and endless scruples which as the crudities abounding in a weak stomack do make it keck and rise not only at that which is hurtful but sometimes at that which is wholesom enough it often fears where no fear is this tenderness their endeavours are to cure and not to cherish True tenderness of conscience is the perfection of it a truly tender conscience is a sound conscience which is quick of sense and presently feels and smarts and is put to pain with any thing that is really an offence to it A tender conscience is as the eye the least dust that 's blown into it will make it smart and this not from soreness but wickedness of sense The dim-sighted world look upon all tenderness as weakness and count all such whose consciences cannot down with any thing as a company of sickly weakly brain-sick spirits and all their Doubtings and Dissatisfactions to be humor and conceit and peevishness and causless fears but this tenderness is so far from being the sickness that it is the health and soundness of the heart it was the commendation and not the reproach of King Josiah 2 King 22. 19. That
his heart was tender These temper circumspect Christians are very chary of keeping their hearts in and therefore any thing that would brawn or harden them they carefully shun as the eye that cannot endure the dust that falls into it is quick at its ward to keep off any thing that would be noxious to it and this is the reason why Christians can bear any thing rather than sin because it 's this alone that 's hurtful to conscience they are hardy enough to bear afflictions these are no prejudice to conscience it is not against their consciences to suffer but it is to sin affliction may perplex the thoughts and too much disquiet and distemper the passions but will never trouble conscience Object Tender Consciences Who more stubborn and peremptory and obstinate and stiffe in their way thau these Do you call this tenderness Sol. There is a threefold-stiffeness Manifested 1. In a refusing to receive conviction touching any thing wherein they are faulty or in an error 2. In a refusing to revoke their errors upon conviction that they are in a fault let either of these be charged upon them and let the charge be made good and then call them stubborn obstinate or what you will 3. In a refusing to act contrary to their conviction to do that which Conscience is not satisfied in which after their most free fair debate most candid enquiring into and most impartial weighing all that is or can be said for it their conscience still tells them they should sin in doing it Hereupon though all their Friends should come and perswade and entice them though all their Adversaries should fall a scoffing and reproaching them a threatning persecuting them yet still they refuse to yield This stiffness is that stedfastness which the Lord requires in them and is so far from being inconsistent with true tenderness that it is their tenderness If an Idolater should come and perswade such to worship an Idol if he should threaten them with the fiery furnace with the Lions Den and yet they will not Is this their stubborness Or is it not their tenderness If an Adulterer should perswade them to uncleanness If a Libertine should come and think to scoff them out of their strict holy course or to tempt them but to some little indulgence to their flesh in some such way as this Why What hurt is there in a little mirth What great matter is it to take a little liberty now and then Why should you think your selves wiser than other men yet they will not hearken will you call this their obstinacy or their tenderness Here be obstinate creatures indeed they will not be Idolaters they will not be unclean they will not be Libertines they will not be liars nor dissemblers they will by no means be perswaded to rebel against God and Conscience and therefore they be obstinate Perswade them to that which is good convince them that they are in an error and then try whether they will be obstinate tell them Friends you walk disorderly unchristianly you are uucharitable ccnsorious contentious proud vain and convince them of it and see if they will not hearken to you thank you for your admonition Christians prove your selves to be conscientious by your tenderness however the World go about to blast and reproach you with your consciences and call your uprightness hypocrisie your tenderness obstinacy yet part not with it so but still resolve with Job chap. 27. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me There is a double way wherein we may be said to remove our integrity 1. By departing from it 2. By belying it 1. By departing from our integrity by turning aside to iniquity by being found false to God and conscience and by a liberty in sinning exchanging this truth tenderness of heart for hardness hypocrisie Take heed you do not thus depart from your Integrity Beloved you live in a world wherein conscience is like to cost you dear if you will own any such thing as conscience or conscientious walking you are like to smart for it Look to it that your conscience be sound such as is worth the suffering for do not suffer for the name of conscience or consciencious but for the thing look to it that whatsoever you suffer for conscience you suffer nothing from conscience for your wronging or abusing or violating of it Sufferings for conscience for an upright conscience are precious Sufferings from conscience from an evil and abused conscience will be bitter Let all the world be against you rather than conscience whom the world smites for conscience God will heal whom the world judges God will justifie but if our hearts condemn us who shall plead for us or comfort us Carry your selves so that conscience may be your comforter not your tormentor There is no torment like the stings and revenges of an abused conscience Keep your consciences tender and they will neither hurt you nor suffer you to be hurt by others keep your integrity and it will keep you The Psalmist prayes Ps 25. 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me Let me not think to shift my self of trouble by sheltering my self under sin let me not go about to make my peace with my troublesom adversaries by casting in my lot with them let me never think to be beholding to iniquity for my safety let integrity preserve me Preserve thou me in mine integrity and let it preserve me Christians give the world leave to talk and do what they will but when they have said and done their worst keep you honest and you shall keep you safe Your consciences will be your confidence and your security He that walketh uprightly shall walk sure Be not reproached out of your refuge let not the world find you obstinate against your duty nor yet yielding to iniquity be not stubborn but yet be stedfast yield to reproofs while you slight reproaches Let us be so gentle flexible easie to be entreated so fearful to offend so ready to please all men in all things which are not against conscience its peace purity that we may convince them that in those things wherein we fix and do not yield it is because we cannot not because we will not and let us yet be so stedfast in those things which would be a wound defilement to conscience that we may let them see it is but a vain attempt for them to think to reproach or persecute us out of our integrity let us be sincerely tender not out of any sickleness or weakness of conscience or from groundless scrupulosity much less from sullenness or humor but from a sound mind and pure conscience Let us be universally tender of every evil not only of the greatest and most scandalous but of the smallest sins not only of open sins such as come to the view of men but of the most secret sins the most inward and spiritual wickedness such as need
what case they were you may see in the foregoing part of the Psalm Thou hast cast us off thou makest us to turn our backs upon our Enemies and they that hate us spoyle for themselves thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us c. Though all this be come upon us yet have we not c. Our hearts are not turned back We do not repent of our choice we do not wish our selves back amongst the prosperous world we think never the worse of the Lord or his way we have as good a will to the Lord high an esteem of his waies as ever we had before we were thus afflicted there 's not the least abatement of our love and affection If we were now to begin again if we were now to choose whom we would serve and know as much as we do now we should make the same choice our heart runs out the same way and in the fame strength that ever it did those many waters that have run upon us have neither quenched no not so much as cool'd our love neither have our steps declined from thy way We have neither been turn'd back in our affection nor turn'd aside in our practise through the grace of God our hearts have been kept upright and we have made strait steps to our feet Dan. 6. 10. We read that when a Decree was made That whosoever should ask any Petition for thirty days space either of God or man save of the King should be cast into the Lions Den Yet Daniel would not forbear to pray to his God When he knew that the Writing was signed he went into his house and his Windows being open in his Chamber he kneeled upon his kneee Three times a day and Prayed c. Carnal men would have been ready to have said What a precise Fool was this Daniel What great matter was it that he stood so much upon it was not the committing a sin that he was urged to but only the forbearance of a Duty he was not required to fall down before an Image as the three Chrildren were or to worship any false God but to forbear for a time to pray to the true God If it had been the worshipping before an Image that had been required some would have reason'd thus Why what great matter had that been to bow in the house of Rimmon to bow before an Image or an Altar this is not praying to them There is a great difference betwixt worshipping an Image worshipping God before an Image What is there in all this But this which Daniel stands upon hath not so foul a face t was only the forbearance of his duty to God and that only for a time Was this such a crime to forbear praying for a few weeks for the saving of his life Or if he would needs pray he might have done it secretly and kept his devotion to himself Must he needs keep his hours and open his windows too Yea he must do it and he will do it Daniel would not only continue his course of Prayer but he would not give his Adversaries occasion to think that he was afraid to pray he held it his duty being called out to a confession of his Religion to let his Adversaries know that he had not such a slight and low esteem of it that he was afraid to trust his God with his safety whilest he continued in the exercise of his duty It 's true that in matters circumstantial such wherein there may be variation without prejudice to the substantials of Godliness such which are not against their consciences which they may submit to without sining against God here they are not stiff nor refractory but for peace sake in order to the gaining upon the hearts of others they are willing with the Apostle 1 Cor. 9. 20. To become all things to all men in such things wherein they can satisfie themselves they are willing as far as may be to gratifie the minds of others But for the Substantials of Religion the matters of Faith the matters of Righteousness and Holiness the worshipping of God in Spirit and Truth according to his own Ordinances and Institutions or any thing else of the same import with these here they are resolved whatever come upon them on become of them not to relinqâ—ish or be drawn aside from them by any solicitations whatsoever they must obey God rather than men they must follow God though therein they forsake and provoke all the world In matters which God hath left to their liberty they are willing to use their liberty according as it may be behooveful for the Gospel In matters that concern their personal interest as men they list not they ought not to be contentious spare them but the liberty to keep a good conscience give them leave to fear God and worship God give thâ—â— leave to be holy and righteous and to walk before the Lord in their integrity and for any thing else you may perswade them to it with ease But if you entice them away from their God or impose upon them to the prejudice of a good conscience you were as good spare you labour speak no more to them in such matters they are at a point God they will follow a good Conscience they will maintain whatever come on them to the end of their days Thus I have given you a description of the Scripture-Precisians which is summarily this They are the same with sincere Goly men men fearing God who are inâ—â—â—dly renewed after the Image of God who are adventurers for another world are gotten into the way of life and are walking on carefully heedfully in that way whoâ—e aim and endeavour is to live not according to the wills lusts of men but according to the Word and Will of God not according to honour and fancy but according to conscience A people that will neither make the way to Heaven narrower than 't is by being scrupulous and nice where God hath given them liberty nor will make it broader than 't is by taking up looser principles or allowing themselves in loose Practices A People that dare not adventuâ—â—â— their souls upon that easie formal careless outward way of Religion that the most do but are willing to make sure work by walking to the exactness of their Rule and living up to the height of their Principles and who in this holy course are stedfast unmoveable will neither be bribed off by the Flatteries nor beaten off by the Frowns of the world but will retain their integrity hold fast their holy Profession and hold on in their holy course and this to the death Concerning these men I shall now prove â—nd make evident to the Consciences of all impartial Petsons in the second place That they are no fools but truly Wise men In order hereto I must first discover what 's meant by Fools A Fool is a man void of
sentence of condemnation the earnest of eternal vengeance these have their white stones the marks of their absolution and the earnests of their eternal blessedness When ye look on their naked backs their hungry bellies the cold lodgings that are the lot of many of them you will say surely these are a poor and foolish People but see that precious stone they carry with them wherever they are there you may behold their Riches and wisdom when you consider your own fulness and braveries your dainties and delicates your ornaments and jewels your possessions and honours you are transported with pride and jollity and have almost forgot that you are men but what signifies that black stone in thy breast that guilt thou carriest in thy Conscience Consider Sinners what is it to have God your enemy wrath your portion the curse cleaving to your possessions your sentence of death written in your hearts and upon your consciences and then you will think those men have gotten something that have gotten their absolution from all this 3. The white Robe or the Sanctification Holinesse is not only imposed on Christians as their duty but bestowed on them as their priviledge Therefore the Lord promises to his people as their encouragement to suffer affliction Heb. 12. 10. That thereby they shall be made partakers of his holiness This is the precious Treasure of the Saints Mat. 12. 35. A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things A good man though he hath no treasure 〈◊〉 his house nothing in his purse nothing in the field yet he hath a good treasure in his heart a treasure of wisdom and knowledge a treasure of grace and holinesse a treasure of faith and patience and humility and mercy and this is a rich treasure 'T is the rich in faith rich in grace and holinesse that is a rich man indeed a heart full of grace is a better treasure than a house full of gold as much as strong men glory in their strength as much as wise men glory in their wisdom as much as great men glory in their greatness one grain of grace is more worth than all As much as holiness is dispised and trampled upon by the men of this world it is of greater value than mountains of gold and silver Holiness is the health of the Soul the soundnesse of the Spirit Health is a poor mans portion look what sickness is to the body that is sin to the Soul the disease of it sinful souls are sickly souls and as it is with sickly bodies so it is with sinful souls they are neither fit foâ— employments nor â—apâ—ble of any considerable enjoyment A sick man can do little service and caâ— take little comfort in any thing he hath sinfuâ— souls are good for nothing and can take comforâ— in nothing that is good Holiness is the health of our Souls Sanctification is the restitution of the Soul with all its faculties to their rectitudâ— and soundness By Holiness the soul is 1. Made fit for service and that is a great blessing Whaâ— a misery is it to be an useless unprofitable lumpâ— good for nothing to be serviceable and that 〈◊〉 such high and noble ends as the honouring the Name the carrying on the Designs the shewingâ— forth the Vertues of the Eâ—â—nal God what aâ— blessed thing is it 2. The â—oul by Holiness iâ— made capable of enjoying the Lord and all the gifts of God What is the reason that Christians under a decay of grace and overgrown with corruption can take comfort in nothing Tell them of the promises of the Gospel of the priviledges of the Gospel of the Joyes and Hopes and Glory to come they can take no pleasure they can find no sweetness in it Promises do not affect them priviledges do not affect them future hopes and expectations do not affect them What is the reason of this Oh! their souls are sick and cannot taste or relish any thing that is good by how much more healthy men are by so much more delight they can take in their business by so much more comfort they can take in their friends by so much the more pleasure they can take in their meat and drink or any thing else that they enjoy And so it is with a healthy soul by how much the more holiness by so much the more sweetness Duties are sweet Ordinances are sweet Promises are sweet the Society of the Saints is sweet the Meditations of God are sweet They can truly be said to enjoy their friends to enjoy the Promises and Ordinances to enjoy their very Duties to enjoy God in all they have or do whose souls are in such an holy healthful state This is another of the â—reasures of wisdom which the Saints have gotten they have gotten Holiness 4. The Adoption Rom. 9. 4. Who are Israelites whose is the Adoption There is a twofold Israelite an Israelite after the flesh such were the natural children and posterity of Abraham and an Israelite after the Spirit such are all believers the childreâ—â—f the faith of Abraham and according to this distinction of Israelites there is a twofold Adoption outward and visible which pertain to the natural seed inward and invisible which is the peculiar priviledge of the spiritual Seed all the children of the faith of Abraham The Adoption comprehends in it 1. The grace of Adoption whereby the Lord hath given us the relation of Children and a right to all those priviledges and blessings that flow from that relation Job 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God 2. The Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4. 6. And because you are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father This Spirit is called the spirit of Adoption not only because it works in us the disposition and dutiful affections of Sons but especially because it witnesses our Sonship Rom. 8. 15 16. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit evidences and witnesses our Sonship and thereby enables us to cry Abba Father that is to call God Father Gives us the boldness and confidence of children to come to him on all occasions to make 〈◊〉 complaints to Him to make known our wants our fears and our dangers to him to make our requests to him to depend on him for provision for protection to put in for a childs portion for a share in his riches to lay claim to and to lay hold upon the inheritance of Sons to cast our care upon him and to quiet and comfort our selves in the sufficiency of our Father I have nothing saith the child but from hand to mouth but my Father hath enough 〈…〉 a blessed and glorious priviledge that Christians have obtained to be the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty 1 Job 3. 1.
preaching to others I my self should become a cast-away For Scripture-promises consider these Blessed are the poor in spirit bessed are the meek the merciful they that hunger and thirst after righteousness the pure in heart they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for they shall see God theirs is the Kingdom of heaven they shall be comforted filled and great is their reward in heaven For Scripture-prayers consider these The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Multitudes of such like Scriptures might be added but these may suffice Now wherefore are all these things written Wherefore are these strict commands given these holy lives of Saints left upon Record these promises made and these prayers kept upon the file Are they not all written for our learning to let every man and woman understand what manner of persons they must be what manner of Lives they must live if they will be saved If less or a lower Religion would serve to what purpose is this waste If it be so People may forbear to charge Precisians with keeping more ado than needs and lay in their charge against the Scriptures for requiring more than needs But do you think indeed that the Scriptures have spoken these things in vain If it be not in vain if all this be comprehended under the one thing needful if all this do but shew us the one and only way of Life if we must be thus renewed and changed in our minds and must thus holily and unblameably order our Lives or else we cannot be saved as the Scriptures mentioned many of them expresly affirm then what will become of that poor confident multitude we are now dealing with Does all this amount to no more than keeping your Church saying your prayers learning and saying over the Creed and the Ten Commandments living peaceably with your Neighbours paying every man his own crying to God for mercy when you have committed a fin and the like Can you call this cold lifeless way your striving to enter in at the strait gate Is this your working out your salvation with fear and trembling Is this all that is meant by fighting the good fight of Faith by wresting against Flesh and Blood against Principalities and Powers by being instant in Prayer fervent in Spirit watching and running and pressing towards the mark Brethren if there be one way of Life if all this which hath been represented to you out of the Scriptures be to shew you from the Lord what â— strait way this one way of life is and if you will compare your way you depend upon with it methinks you shall need no more to convince you of your dangerous mistake hitherto and to leave you more ready to embrace the exhortation I am pressing upon you namely To come in among the number of and take upon the holy course of these circumspect Christians But if this be not sufficient I shall yet make it more evident by Reasons drawn from the Scripture which I shall give you in these Six Propositions 1. The Gospel requires as indispensably necessary to salvation inward holiness or the renewing of the heart or inner-man Needs this any proof to them that understand the Scriptures There must be another Spirit Numb 14. 24. A new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A clâ—an heart Psal 73. 1. A true heart or an upright heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience Hebr. 10. 22. Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye Jer. 4. 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved What do these Scriptures especially the addition in the two last For why will ye dye And that thou mayest be saved What do these import less than this That there is no salvation possible there is nothing but certain death and destruction to those whose hearts are not washed and made new John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God What is the product of this new birth or this conversion but a new creature Some there are it is true that interpret this Conversion which is made so necessary to Salvation to be nothing else but the coming of persons from Judaism or Paganism to Christianity to the owning and embracing the Christian Faith But if this be true then all that believe Christ to be the Messiah and are baptized and live in the profession of the Christian Faith shall be saved Come ye Drunkards come ye Adulterers Lyars Covetous with all the profane Root of Nominal â—â—ristians and keep an Holy-day to the memory of these two Doctors who bring you such a large and easie Gospel as will carry you all to Heaven with all your lusts and lewdness upon your backs But is this true Is this Gospel Is this all the conversion that is necessary to Salvation It cannot be For First There are many that embrace the Christian Faith that are Hypocrites and shall Hypocrites be saved Secondly There are many such Converts that walk disorderly whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 18. Of whom the Apostle here tell us that their end is destruction 2. This inward Holinesse which the Gospel requires stands not in some sudden and unconstant good thoughts or some transient good affections but is an holy frame or habit thus much is intimated in the fore-mentioned expression Another Spirit a new Heart a new Creature An holy thought a good desire is another thing from a new heart they cannot so much as evidence that the heart is renewed as in a renewed heart there may be some evil thoughts and evil lusts arising and working so some good thoughts and affections may spring up in an evil heart true holiness is not a fit but a frame there may be fits of passion or of pride or of envy too often in a Saint and yet in the main he may be a Saint still There may be fits of devotion fits of zeal sometimes in a â—inner and yet he is a sinner still Holiness is the temper and constitution of a Christian his new nature that abideth in him 3. This inward â—â—bitual Holiness stands in an universal compliance of the heart with the whole Will of God the heart that is formed after the Image of God is conformed to the Will of God Psal 40. Thy Law is within my heart not a piece but the whole every word and tittle of it The Law is within me The Law is said to be within the heart of a Saint in a double senâ—e First It is published and revealed and made known in the heart it is understood
man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually God saw Gods eye cannot be deceived men may think they see what they see not and may not see what is before their eyes But can Gods eyes fail him 2. That sin is the greatest of evils The Apostle to set forth the formidable appearance that sin had by the Law expresses it thus Rom. 7. 13. That sin might appear to be sin He could find out nothing more evil and odious to express it by than it self If he had said that sin might appear to be a snare a Serpent a Viper a Devil an Hell that had been much but yet not enough to set forth this evil of evils Sin never is seen in its perfect odiousness but when it shews its own naked face and looks like it self We can never know how great an evil sin is till we know how good the Lord is how precious Christ is how precious the Soul of man is to all which sin is so contrary and destructive Rom. 8. 7. It is said to be enmity against God God hath no â—nemy in the world but sin and those whom sin hath made him Sin hath set all the earth against the God of glory From this enmity which sin hath filled the hearts of men with arise all their rebellions against his word and government all their unwillingness and averseness from his ways their weariness of his service their frowardness murmurings impatiences frettings and insurrections of heart against his dispensations providence The unruliness and stubbornness of the wills of men the distemper and disorders of their passions and affections the vanity vileness and confusion of their thoughts the defilement and deadness of their consciences the ebulition of so many hellish lusts setting mens hearts upon all mischief Whence is all this but from sin that dwells in them Sin hath made men very Devils set upon all manner of mischief Devils against God hating reproaching blaspheming cursing fighting against God There should quickly be no God nor Heaven nor Being left if the wickedness of mans heart had power answerable to its malice Devils against themselves set upon the destruction and damnation of their own souls there needed not another Devil to attempt and devour them if God should but let them alone they would quickly make their distruction sure of themselves Devils one against another There is not one sinner but if God should pull up the fluces and let his wickedness have its full course would do his utmost to damn all the World enemies friends husbands wives children all should be destroyed And can there now be a greater evil then this imagined I you will say if all this be true it is a great evil indeed But may be for all these great words there may be no such great matter in it Why do but consider what sin hath done and cannot be envied and then you will see reason to believe all that hath been said Go to Mount Calvary and see what it hath done there What was it that slew the Lord of glory that put Châ—â—st to death Was it not those sins that were laid upon him These were his betrayers and murtherers These were the thorns the nails the spear that wounded him the gall and vinegar that was given him to drink Let the sweat the cries the groans the blood the soul that were pressed and poured out by sin let these speak if too much hath been saâ—d Turn aside from Mount Calvary and go down to the Valley of Hinnon lay your ear to the mouth of Tophet and hearken what work sin hath done there What is it that hath filled Hell so full already that hath sent down Cain and Judas Ananias and Saphira with those millions of damned Souls that are already tormented in those flames Did God damn so many Souls for nothing or for a trifle inflict so great a torment for a small offâ—â—nce What is it that hath cast them in thither Was it their righteousness was it not their iniquities If you could step down into those Chambers of Death and ask those wretched creatures Friends How came you in hither What would they answer Oh it is our sins that brought us into this place of torment Oh! it was my covetousness brought me hither would one say Oh! it was my lying brought me hither saies another Oh! it was my pride or my passion or my wantonness or my sloathfuness that brought me hither saies a third Oh sin sin this is it for which we burn we roar we rave we dye we dye eternally Can there be too much said of the evil of sin that hath done all this mischief 3. Spiritual sins are the greatest of sins Soul pollutions are the most foul pollutions By how much the more excellent the soul is above the body in its nature by so much the more vile and mischievous being depraved with sin The soul of man is the prime subject of the image of God in man there was much of God to be seen in the body or externals of man but the face of God the glory of God was stamped upon his soul the soul being corrupted it became the express image of the Devil Satan is rudely limb'd and some darker shadows of him drawn on the outward man but he is drawn out to the life in the soul the very face the heart of Satan his pride malice envy falshood is engraven on the heart A proud heart hath more of the Divel than a proud look a wanton heart is more vile â—â—an a wanton eye a murtherous or adulterous heart is worse than a murtherous or adulterous act It is true when Sin is committed without it is worse than when it sleeps in its causes within and sin in its birth is worse than in its bare conception and the reason is because when sin is committed there are both parts the outward and the spiritual together there is the sin of the hand and the sin of the heart too to make up the murther But then if you should distinctly consider that which the heart hath done towards the murther and that which the hand hath done the hearts part would appear to be incomparably the worst The sins of the heart are the root sins the spring that sets all the wheels a going the fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the furnace a smoaking Carnal men make little of outward sins nothing of spiritual If they would not be Extortioners or Oppressors oâ— Swearers or Cursers some of them yet evil thoughts may lodge in them Lust may bear the rule in them Pride Envy Ignorance Atheism Heart-blasphemy these are scarcely accounted evils What are Thoughts a little inward discontent anger and the like that we should trouble our selves with these Oh! You do not know what there may be in a Thought or a secret lust there may be a Thousand evil Words and actions in the
us also walk in the Spirit In the prosecution of this I shall shew 1. What is meant by the Spirit 2. What by walking in the Spirit 3. That it is no fancy 1. What is meant by the Spirit here That being something that is opposed to the Flesh or corruption as appears verse 16 17. must of necessity be one of these two things possibly both either the Holy Ghost and the influence assistance and operations of that holy Spirit or else that New Nature which is begotten in us by the Spirit the Grace of the Spirit infused into our hearts and abiding in us which of the two we understand it of the difference will not be considerable 2. What is meant by walking in the spirit Some there are that by Spirit understand the Doctrine of Christianity and accordingly would have this walking in the Spirit to be nothing else but the embracing the Christian Religion But if this be so then what is to be understood by flesh which verse 17. is said to be contrary to this Spirit Why by flesh they will tell us we are to understand Judaism but then let me ask 1. What is meant by the lusting of this flesh which was now dead against the Spirit Is that the meaning of it Judaism lusteth against Christianity 2. How can this dead flesh have such a numerous off-spring as is mentioned verse 10. The works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatries Witchcraft Hatred Variance c. Must all these brats be laid aâ—â—he door of the Synagogue are these the brood of that Ceremonious Law of Carnal Commandments or are they not manifestly the fruits of that corrupt Law of Carnal Concupiscence I know not with what shadow of reason we can understand by the flesh any thing else but Lust or Concupiscence and then by the Spirit we must understand grace or the Spirit of Grace which bid defiance and are contrary to it Let us consider further What is meant by that expression of being led by the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. Why possibly the same men will tell us there is no more in this then in the former it implores no more than the Spirits leading us into all Truth the truth of the Gospel as the Star led the Wise men of the East to the Messiah If this be granted to be all yet here we have gotten somthing viz. That the Spirit of God is acknowledged to be our leader but let us consider one Scripture more Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes What are those Statutes of God but the whole Will and Word of God One or two of them I shall mention If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his Cross and Follow me Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Quench not the Spirit Abstain from all appearance of evil See that you walk circumspectly c. Are not these and many more such found and unrepeal'd in this great Statute Book What is it to walk in these Statutes other then to live in the sincere obedience of the whole Will of God Now saies the Lord I will give my Spirit and he shall cause them or help them to walk in my Statutes to live an holy life Let these things be considered and see if they will not help us to a better interpretation of those words Walk in the Spirit Why what is the meaning then of them I shall give you the Judgment of one who was no Phanatick Cornelius A Lapide who in his Commentary on ver 16. of this Chapter interprets the same words thus Walk in the Spirit that is Vitam actiones mores instituite secundum dictamen instinctum impulsum spiritus ac gratiae immissae inditae vobis à spiritu sancto qui suadet monet ut spiritualiter vivamus To walk in the Spirit signifies 1. To live under the conduct of the Spirit 2. To live in the power of the Spirit 3. To live a Spiritual life 1. To live under the conduct and guidance of the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God There is a double Guide whereby the Lord leads his people The Guide of his Word Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel And the guide of his Spirit John 16. 13. He shall lead you into all truth There are two things which the Spirit doth in leading on his People First He enlightens their Eyes opens their Understandings that they may understand the Scriptures which point out to us our way Luke 24. 45. Then opeued he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Secondly He takes them by the hand as it were and leads them Isa 40. 11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his Bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. To live in the power of the Spirit or of that inherent and assisting Grace which we receive from him to be carried on in an holy course and all the Duties of it both from the intrinsâ—cal power of the Life of God begotten in us and by the concurrent Influences and assistance of the Holy Ghost whom God hath given us to help our infirmities As in the Duty of Prayer Rom. 8. 26. So in all other Christian Duties John 15. 5. Without me sayes Christ that is without the assistance of my Spirit ye can do nothing Therefore the Psalmist resolves Psalm 71. 16. I will goe in the strength of the Lord and by thee I will make mention of thy Name And this living in the power of the Spirit is no other then is signified if we did understand what we say in those common expressions which we ordinarily have in our mouths By the grace of God or by the help of God I will do this or that What the Apostle speaks of himself as Minister is applicable to Christians 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all yee not I but the Grace of God which was with me Thus to walk in the Spirit is to follow those directions and intimations of the Will of God which he gives us out of the Word and those impulses of the Spirit upon our hearts whereby as by a gale of Wind filling onr Sails he moves and helps us on When you find any clear light breaking in from the Word upon your Consciences and thereupon some stirrings upon your hearts either by the way of check restraining and calling you back from any irregular or disorderly walking or quickening and encouraging you on in a way of duty this you may safely take to be from the Spirit and when you entertain this light obey these checks and follow these holy impulses this is your walking in the Spirit 3 To live a spiritual Life In whom the Spirit hath begotten another heart those he leads on in another life He that is
Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
worse if I go on a little longer 4. The Renewing of our Covenant will revive the Obligation of it Though there be not a stricter yet there is another Tye There is a new link added to the old cord Men are more afraid and ashamed to break their word as soon as it is gone forth out of their mouths The seriousness wherewith such a sacred duty should be performed will leave some impressions upon the heart The very considering over our Covenant-breaches which is necessary to our renewing of it will awaken our hearts to more care and watchfulness These things being premised I shall give you this double Direction for the performance of this Duty 1. For the time when 2. For the manner how Touching the former there are some special times when this Duty is especially seasonable As 1. Upon your falls into any greater sins Great sins make great breaches and 't is not safe to let them lie unmade up Breaking of Covenant makes a breach upon Conscience and this will prove as the breaking down the banks of the Sea which if they be not presently made up there may be no stopping them 2. In great straights and Afflictions We have then our hearts at the advantage to bring them back or to bind them the faster to the Lord when we stand in any special need of comfort or help from God Gen. 28. 20 21. when Jacob fled from his Fathers house for fear of his Brother Esau he vowed If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Times of straights and difficulties are a special season for this Duty though it be too ordinary that those vows which we make in the dayes of our distress are quickly forgotten in the dayes of our prosperity Sickness-promises are in our health like Sampsons Wit hs broken as Tow when it toucheth the fire 3. In case of any declinings to a careless remiss and sensless frame of heart or life 4. At our approaches to the Table of the Lord. These are some of the special times for the performance of this Duty 2. For the manner how 1. Remember your Covenant read over and consider distinctly the terms of it and weigh diligently the strictness and great solemnity of your engaging to God therein that your hearts may be the more deeply affected herewith 2. Remember your faults Read over and consider distinctly the sins you have fallen into since your engaging to the Lord together with the several aggravations of them and repent and be humbled under them Isa 50. 4 5. 3. Especially consider how your hearts have stood towards the Lord in the main whether your falls have not been such as give you occasion to suspect that you were not upright in your first engaging Consider whether such a life as you have led since such sins as you have been overcome by since are consistent with sincerity 4. Resolve upon more care watchfulness and faithfulness for the future Verbal promises though there appear some affection at the time if they be not joyned with a resolution to take more care are like to come to nothing 5. Have a special eye in your engaging to the Lord at your special sins failings and neglects that you have found your selves more enclined to and more ordinarily overtaken by I will through the help of God watch against every sin but especially against covetousness passion or lying c. This is my sin herein I am apt to be faulty here my hardest work lies I will watch to every Duty but especially to temperance or patience or self-denial herein I have been most wanting 6. Lay hold on the Covenant or Promise of God for the renewing of his Grace towards you for the renewing of your strength whereby you may be more enabled to perform your promises and pay your vowes It may be your former experiences of your unfaithful hearts have quite discouraged you I have found this heart of mine so fickle and so false and so feeble that I dare not trust it so far as to engage any further for it I have found my work so hard my lusts so strong my temptations so many my strength so small my attempts to follow God so successess that I am afraid I shall never come to any thing I doubt I shall but mock God and bring more guilt upon my self by adventuring to promise any thing farther for this sinful infirm and unfaithful heart Why though thou darest not trust thy heart yet trust thy God who hath said That he will put his fear into thee that thou shalt not depart from him that he will renew thy strength and that his grace is sufficient for thee Depend upon God for the renewing of thy strength and then fear not to renew thy Vows 7. In this strength of the Lord go into his presence and with sorrow in thine heart and shame in thy face falling down before him humbly confess and acknowledge thy falls and failings and then in the like solemn manner as thou hast been before directed engage thy self again to the Lord in the same Covenant 2. I shall next direct you to make right improvement of Duties Godliness doth not stand barely in Praying Meditating or Examining there is something farther that these Duties have a respect and must be useful to 'T is an holy life that is the end to which our holy Duties are to lead and help us on That they may do so take these two following Directions 1. Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on 2. Having gotten up your hearts to any better frame in Duty be careful to keep it up after Duty Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God that you may return from them with some advantage upon your spirits Resolve with him Nunquam à te absque te recedam whenever I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why we thrive no more by Duties is because we do not meet our God in them God never meets with his Saints but he sends them away with some marks of his Goodness upon them The reason why we do seldome meet with God in our Duties is because we do not so wishly look for his appearance God waits for thy coming Soul and if it be not thy fault thou mayest see his face before thou departest and if thou see God in a Duty thou wilt not then return without some impressions of God upon thy heart When Moses came down from the Mount where he had seen the Lord his face did shine there was something of the glory of God upon his
I mean that especially concern your own persons keep your own hearts with all diligence look well to your own wayes Gal. 6. 4. Le every man prove his own work and then shall he havâ— rejoycing in himself and not in another Keep a strict and severe eye upon your selves hold a strict hand upon your selves be more severe towards your selves than towards all the World It 's an ill sign to see Professors of Religion severe in their observing imposing upon and censuring others and more remiss towards themselves Be more can did and charitable towards others but exercise more severity at home In the right ordering your selves take great care that you 1. Allow not your selves in the least know Sin 2. Live not in the neglect of any known Duty 3. Take heed of the World 4. Be Humble 5. Be Temperate 6. Be Moderate 1. That you allow not your selves in the practice of the least known sin Do not look on this as any Apology for sin or your easier entertaining of it That it is but a little one There is no sin that can properly be termed little The least iniquity will cost either the Blood of Christ or the blood of your own Souls Little Sins are spreading sins a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Elijahs Cloud out of the bignesse of a Mans hand in a few hours cloathed the whole Heavens in black You will find it something in your Repentance which you counted as nothing in the Commission Little sins are leading sins the child conveighed in at the Window will open the door to let all the great Thieves in When Gad came into the world his Mother said Behold a Troop cometh 2 King 6. 32. When the Messenger of the King of Israel came to the Prophet Shut the door hold him fast sayes he at the door Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him Shut the door against every sin for whose Messenger is it Look behind and see who comes after Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The Devil is not far off whenever Sir knocks for admission and the door being opened to the Messenger it 's like to stand open for the Master to enter Take heed Brethren that you do not give a tolleration to any sin little sins allowed become great sins The allowance of sin is that which makes the great wast upon Conscience and the great spoil upon our peace I will not say what grace there may be in the heart but sure there is but little tendernesse in the conscience that doth not bid defiance to the least of Sins Beloved if Sin doth get the possession at any time of your hearts let it be rather upon surprize than surrender be so watchful that if it be possible you may not be surpriz'd by sin or taken at unawares but whatever you do see you do not surrender your selves to it be so jealous that if it may be Sin may not steal in upon you in a disguise but when you see what it is beware of it as of the Devil Will you let a known Enemy lodge within you Brethren do not shut your eyes against sin nor open your doors to it Shut not your eyes against it be willing to know it do not go about to perswade your selves concerning any thing you have a mind to that it is not sinful that it may be lawful enough for ought you know but examine it and look through it impartially and if you find it to be sin receive it not in I cannot well say whether of the two be in the worse case those that are not willing to know they do or those that do what they know to be evil but this I can say that neither the one nor the other if there be any thing of God in them are like to know whether there be or no such winkings will blind their eyes and such walkings will blot their Evidences and both hinder that progress in holinesse which is necessary to build them up in comfort If you would be sure the Lord is yours keep close to him if you would keep close by God keep clear of sin and if you would keep clear of sin keep your Windows open but your doors shut see who 't is that knocks before you let them in An open eye and a tender conscience will be the best security to both your grace and peace 2. Live not in the neglect of any known duty The Devil may be served not only by your doing evil but by your doing nothing We obey the will of the flesh when we only neglect to obey the will of God As our Commissions stab so our Omissions starve our souls God will not and our souls cannot want a duty our lamenesse in our practise will quickly appear in the leannesse of our Souls O missions will be reckoned for a Judgment and therefore must be reckoned and repented of now Do not content your selves with a negative holiness that you do not harm do not think it enough to be able to say I know nothing by my self no hurt that I have done suppose you do not yet thereby are you not justified God will judge you and may condemn you for what you have not done If you had nothing to answer for but your neglects The neglects of one day of one hour will undo you for ever if you have not a Christ to answer for you To be holy hath more in it than to be harmless There must be doing your duty as well as departing from iniquity Isa 1. 16. Cease to do evil learn to do well Nor is it a little now and then that will serve There must be continuance in well-doing a readiness to every good work a fruitfulness in good works a faithfulness in good works Well done good and faithful Servant That 's a faithful servant that hath done his best that hath not voluntarily neglected any thing of his Masters work nor wasted any of his Masters talents that 's able to say though I have not done what I ought yet I have endeavoured to do what I can Everie neglect is a degree of unfaithfulness If ye will be the servants of Christ be faithful servants and that you may be so 1. Neglect not any kind of Duty One thing lacking may be the losse of all You can hear it may be but you cannot pray you can pray in secret but you cannot pray in your Families you can instruct your Families but you cannot govern them you can love the Saints you say but you neglect the communion of Saints you can be just in your dealings but you cannot be charitable you can give an Alms to an hungry bodie but you cannot give counsel to a sinful soul you can give Counsel but you cannot give a reproof this or that you cannot bring your heart to but take heed though you cannot bring your heart to it yet neglect not to be working your heart to it to be perswading and
weights The rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth Shall I count those pure Are these my People What holy and not honest religious and not righteous What sincerity without truth a single heart with a double tongue What grace where there is no peace nor mercy nor temperance What railers and revilers and quarrellers and yet religious James 1. 26. If any man seems to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain A dreadfull word There are many Professors of Religion in whom an unbridled tongue is found How many light and vain words how many false and deceitful words especially how many bitter and angry words do we ordinarily hear out of such mouths what biting and devouring what cutting and provoking what reproaching and reviling language doth often break forth at the same mouths whence at other times we hear praying and blessing But can such consider his Scripture withouâ— a trembling heart This mans Religion is vain Vain notes two things 1. Empty Whatever Religion such men seem tâ— have there is nothing in it 2. Ineffectual That is vain that falls short of and doth not reach its end nor brinâ— about thaâ— for which it is The end of our Religion is salvation Whatever Religion such men have it will do them no good nor stand them in any stead it will never save their souls they may die and be damned and lie in hell for ever notwithstanding all the Religion they have All the conclusions that men make from such Religion that they are in a state of grace and salvation are false and deceitful that faith and that hope and those prayers which will consist with the raiging evils of the tongue will never be any good evidence of a good state That which cannot drive the Devil out of the Tongue will never prove Christ to be in the heart And all the expectations that are hence raised of future blessedness will undoubtedly deceive them That Religion which will not tame the Tongue will never save the soul I incist the more on this because however those evils mentioned injustice unmercifulness intemperance c. may possibly be as common and some of them as pernicious and the prevailing of them as certainly concluding men in an evil state as this yet these evils of the tongue being but words are more apt to be passed lightly over and notwithstanding all the mischievous consequences of them to be less regarded But can you make a light matter of that which proves you damnable Hypocrites Hast thou spit â—ut all thy Religion in thy furious fits and yet â—ilt thou make nothing of them By this biting â—nd devouring tongue you do not only consume â—ne another but you consume every man himself our own peace your own Comfort your own â—opes your Religion and Salvation You see by â—xperience how it devours all the exercises of Religion what duties are we fit for whilst our â—ongues are on fire Prayer must be laid aside Reading or Conference of God or of Souls are turned out of Doors God himself cannot be heard conscience cannot be heard Souls cannot be minded while those noises and tumults last And that which doth destroy the exercises of Grace cannot but destroy its evidences and bring us at least to question it if not to conclude it a nullity I confess some evils of the tongue may consist with Grace in the Heart but if this Scripture be true an unbridled tongue cannot Grace cannot hold this unruly member under such constant Government but it will too often break â—oose but where it is not brought under government at all where the Heart puts spurs to the Tongue but no bridle where persons looking upon â—ll this a matter of nothing allow themselves in 〈◊〉 and letting loose the Reins to their Tongues â—o ordinarily surrender them up to their Lusts and â—assions to use at pleasure and to vent themselves â—â—eely by such men must first disprove the Scripture before they can prove the truth of theâ—â— Religion Christians you that have been sick of this disease of an evil mouth bless the Lord if the cure be begun but rest not till it be perfected It will stiâ—â— defile where it doth not destroy It will defile youâ— names your evil words will recoil he that spits against the wind his spittle is driven back in his owâ— face It will defile your consciences your hearts never send forth an evil breath but there is some thing of it sticks behind It will defile your duties there will be a tincture on your prayers of that foulness of your mouth which your evil words have left behind them It will defile your profession that will hardly be spoken well of which will bear evil speaking It will disturb where it doth not devour it will disturb you in your holy course if it doth not quite divert you never look to prosper in holinesse or to be fruitful in good works whilst you break forth into such evil words these lean kinâ— and thin ears of envy and contention will eat up all your good fruit I rather wonder to see any thing green in those Gardens where such Locusts lodge than that there is no more Oh Brethren let us no longer excuse but judge our selves for this let our bitterness become bitter to us let us weep over it let us watch against it let us quench those fires within that there be no more such flames and smoak without let us be sensible of those inward inflammations of that unquietnesse and unpeaceableness of our spirits whence all our outward paroxisms arise they are our foul stomacks that fuâ— our tongues We lay the blame of all upon temptations and provocations but they are our lusts our lusts that are in fault which war in our members Let us be more sensible of these let us be humbled let us be ashamed that we that profess our selves sons of peace should harbour such sons of contention in our hearts Let the experiences we have had of the loss we have sustained the guilt we have conâ—racted the wounds that we have given to our â—rethren to our own souls to the Gospel of our Lord already let these set us a purging out this â—our leaven Let salt be cast into the fountain that â—he streams may become sweeter and when the fountain is healed then let us sweep the Channel let there neither be war any longer in our hearts nor a sword in our mouths Let us beat our Swords into Plough-shares and our Spears into pruning hooks Let our words plough up the hearts and not break the heads let them pare off and reprove the sins and not reproach the faces of our brethren Let us counsel and admonish and comfort one another and provoke to love and good works but let there be no more bitterness or strife or envying or quarrellings found among us let us
leave these evil fruits to grow only on evil trees where we can expect nothing else Whilst we cannot look to gather Grapes of Thorns or Olive-berries of Thistles let not the fruit of the Bramble or the â—rickles of the Thistle be found sprouting out of â—he root of the Olive Let the Saints still be found what they were of old Doves Lambs Lillies â—mong Thorns Let there be nothing that hurts or â—ffends in all the Mountain of the Lord. Let the â—ricking briar and grieving thorn be rather in our sides than in our mouths Let blessing and praising and praying and intreating take up all the room that there be no place left for wrath and contention And whilst we take this care about our words let us take as great a care about our works Let there be no virulence in our â—ongues nor violence in our hands Let there be no deceit in our Lips nor falshood in our dealings Let us speak the words of truth and sobernesse and let us keep the way oâ— righteousnesse and peace Let us walk humbly with God and let us do justly and love mercy and live peaceably with men Let good words and good works meet together let Religion and Righteousnesse kiss each other let peace spring up out of the Earth as Grace hath looked down from them Let us add to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godlinesse to Godliness brotherly Kindnesse to brotberly Kindnesse Charity Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely what so ever things are of good report if there be any Vertue if there be any Praise think on these things Brethren so speak ye and so walk these things do live in peace and love and the God-peace shall be with you 2. In special Carry your selues well in anâ— towards your Families You that are Governour of Families you have more souls than your own to look to You have curam animarum the chargâ— of souls lying upon you You are not only to look to your Families in matters civil but in matters of Religion In the Law the Master of the Family was by the appointment of God to circumcise all the males in his house In the fourth Commandment the Master of the Family is charged not only to keep the Sabbath himself but to see that his whole Family kept it Thou shalt do no work therein and no only so but neither thy Son nor thy Daughter c. Parents are required Ephes 6. 4. To bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to nurse them up for God to nourish them up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine to suckle their souls with the milk of the Word as well as their bodies with the Milk of the breasts Now where there is a charge of Souls there must be an account given of Souls When there is a Child brought forth or a Servant brought into thy Family God sayes to thee as the man in the Prophets parable 1 King 20. 39. Keep this man look to this man if he be lost Thy Life shall go for his Life If any in the house perish through thy neglect thy Life shall go for his life thy Soul shall go for his Soul This is thy charge and if thou be not faithful so shall thy Judgment be But what must we do for the right ordering and governing our Families Why 1. Instruct your Families teach them the way of the Lord dwell in your Houses as men of knowledge and make God known to all yours by reading and acquainting them with the Scriptures which are able to make them wise unto Salvation by Catechizing them c. 2. Endeavour their Conversation to God by speaking often to them of the faithfulnesse and misery of their natural state of the nature and necessity of conversion by enquiring often into the state of their Souls 3. Bring them into Covenant with God as you have already done it vertually in bringing thâ—m to be baptized so when they are grown up and well instructed in the principles of Christianity and made sensible of their baptismal Engagement endeavour to bring them to an express dedicating and engaging themselves to the Lord according to those directions that have been formerly given to Christians in general 4. Teach them to pray and call upon them often and see to it that they neglect it not 5. Pray for them and pray with them 6. Dispense your favours and frowns your corrections and encouragements not only as they are more or less towardly to you-ward but as they are more or less tractable and careful in the matters of God 5. In your disposal of them either to callings or in marriage have a special regard to the advantage of their Souls I can now but name these particulars which I have formerly more largely insisted on and pressed upon you 8. Be examples of holinesse to them walk in the midst of your house with a perfect heart do not unteach them by your practice what they have learned from your instructions do not teach them to slight your words by the unsuitableness of your wayes to them For a conclusion of the whole observe farther these four general directions 1. Be Sincere 2. Be Steady 3. Be fruitful 4. Be Stedfast I. In your whole course and all the particular actions of it be sincere Sincerity is not a distinct grace but notes the truth of every grace and gracious aicton There is a sincerity of Our State Our Actions 1. There is a sincerity of our state That notes the uprightness of our hearts in the main and hath been already desoribed in the directions I have given in the duty of self-examination 2. There is a sincerity of our actions This is two-fold either such as respects particular and single actions or the series of our actions our whole course 2 Cor. 11. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world in all simplicity and godly sincerity There is a natural sincerity and a godly sincerity natural sincerity imports no more but simplicity or plain-heartedness when there is no guile or deceit in any action no purpose to deceive no pretence of what is not intended no Conscience of any evil in what we do nor any evil intent in it In this sense God bears witnesse of Abimelecks integrity Gen. 20. 6. Testifying concerning his taking Abrahams Wife that he did it in the integrity of his heart that is he knew no evil in it He knew not that she was another Mans Wife nor intended any wrong to her Husband in it Then there is also a godly sincerity this supposes the sincerity of our state He cannot have his conversation in godly sincerity that is not first a godly man It concludes in
true heart Heb. 10. Let us be undâ—filed or upright in the way of the Lord Psal 119. 1 Let our works be found perfect before him Let us love in truth let us speak the truth in love let all our paths be mercy and truth Let our hearts be in every word in every step of our lives let the heart do all let the heart pray let the heart hear let the heart give and lend and forgive Let the grace of our hearts do all Let Faith pray and Obedience hear and Repentance celebrate our Fasts Let wisdom guide let Truth speak let Mercy give let Love forgive let Patience bear and Long-suffering forbear let Temperance feed us Humility cloath us and integrity preserve us Let Grace do all and let God have all let Pride have nothing Covetousness nothing and Envie nothing let Lust neither bear a part in our doings nor eat any of the fruit of our doing Let there be written on all we have or do Holiness to the Lord. Let us be more desirous to be holy than to be acounted so to be merciful and just and humble and patient than to be accounted such to have a good conscience in the sight of God than to obtain a name amongst the best of men If we be not reckoned amongst the ablest Christians for Gifts for Parts and Endowments let it content us that we are Christians If we be not the most skilful Christians if our fruits be not the fairest and most beautiful yet let them be fruits brought forth unto God the right fruit sound fruit If what we do be weakly done yet let it be â—onestly done Let us be Nathaniels Israelites indeed in whom is no guile So plain-hearted and single-hearted in all our ways that though our Adversaries do yet neither our God nor our consciences may call us Hypocrites Let us be able to appeal to God as the witness of our integrity Lord thou knowest that I love thee thou knowest that my heart is with thee Let us be able to commit our selves and our waies unto the Lord as he that shall plead for us against all the slights and censures of men My God shall plead my cause my God shall answer for me Brethren Sincerity will give us boldnesse before the Lord We shall be able to lift up our faces in his Presence and look in his Face in peace and he that can be bold with God may be bold with all the world He that can look God in the Face may look his accusers in the face his Despisers and Persecutors in the face He that can freely appeal to God can boldly appear before men The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulness surprizeth Hypocrites The sense of their guilt and guile sides with every danger that they are in strengthen 〈◊〉 very feer that comes upon them makes their own hearts to fall upon themselves puts a sting into every cross starves them out of all their comforts To God they dare not look to Conscience they dare not remember they are forsaken of all their supports and left to shake and sink under every trouble that comes upon them 'T is innocency that hath boldness dare to be upright and fear nothing Go thy way ear thy bread with joy drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy works II. Be steady and even in all your goings Be not off and on in and out Prov. 4. 24 26 27. Prov. 33 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Alone in company at home abroad in thy duties in thy business in thy recreations all the day and every day let tomorrow be as this day and next day as to morrow In this evenness and equality of our lives stand the beauty and comlinesse of them when all the several parts of them bear their due proportion each to other Let your wayes be conform to the Canon and let them be uniform be like unto God and then be ever like your selves be unchangeable We appear almost so many men as we live daies or come into companies We have more of the Moon than of the Sun little light but many changes and spots Let not your conversation be so checker'd let not Christians be speckled birds let there not be so many black among your whites sometimes something of God sometimes as much of the flesh What a deformitie is it to a new Garment to have here and there a companie of old rotten patches Now a little of God and then as much of the Devil now serious in the Spirit and then in the flesh now serious and savourie by and by frothie and vain this hour in a Divine Rapture and the next in a fleshly frolick now a little of Godliness and then a patch of sensualitie Be Christians â—â—nd be ever your selves do not change your Hearts with your Companie Be not of those vain ones who can cast themselves into any shape can suit themselves to any Times or Companies Who can weep with those that weep and mourn with them that mourn and pray with them that pray and can also laugh and be merry and jolly with those that are so Let all your goings be established be ever in the fear of the Lord. III. Be fruitful That ground is counted fruitful which bringeth forth good Fruit and which bringeth forth much Fruit. I have alreadie directed you how to bring forth good Fruit now let me presse you to see to it that your Fruits do abound 1 Cor. 15. 58. Alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Jam. 3. 17. The wisdom which is from above is pure and peaceable c. and full of good fruit John 15. 18. Here in is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Rom. 6. 19. As you have yeilded your members servants to uncleannesse and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to Righteousnesse unto Holiness You have been the servants of sin be ye now the servants of Righteousnesse and be ye as free and as forward and as fruitful in the service of righteousnesse as ever you have been in the service of sin You have added sin to sin unrighteousnesse to uncleaness iniquity to inquity A sin hath abounded and multiplied its fruits sâ—â— let grace also abound and bring forth its fruits abundantly Let your lives be as much filled up with the works of righteousnesse and mercie and holinesse as they have been with the works of the flesh Brethren time was when a little sin could not suffice you a little sporting a little pleasure would not serve your turn you thought you would never have enough of the world and the lusts and vanities of it why prove your selves now to be as heartily the servants of Christ as ever you were the servants of sin by being fruitfully his as ever you were fruitful to sin If Christ be a better Master and a better Pay-Master let him have more and more chearful services Bring forth good fruits and
prosperity the World flatters more from Christ than ever it can fright from him Now beloved if you have stood your ground against the former of these temptations you may with the more confidence encounter the latter he that hath been holy in prosperity will be holy in afflictions he that knoweth how to abound will the better know how to want he that hath kept close to God kept up his affections kept on his way against all the fawns and flatteries of the world his Spirit is not like to be sunk under its frowns and threatnings The God that hath preserved you from being lull'd asleep by the warm Sun will also preserve you from being withered by the scorching Sun II. Mortifie the flesh with the lusts of it 'T is corruption that makes affliction tedious and dangerous Unmortified lusts will both make affliction to be the sharper and also to be the greater temptation 1. They will make afflictions to be the sharper and more painful A Christian who hath two men in one the old man and the new hath two tender parts which are apt to smart and to be put to pain at every little thing that offends his Conscience and his Lust that which offends Conscience and makes it smart is sin that which offends Lust and puts it to pain is affliction If Conscience be grown dead and benumb'd sin never troubles and if Lust be once dead afflictions never trouble kill your lusts and you at once kill all your adversaries and afflictions What makes contempt and disgrace so tedious Why it is the pride of our hearts What makes povertie and want so grievous but the covetousnesse and greedinesse of our hearts The appetite will be quarrelling that it wants its dainties the wanton mind will be vexed that it 's deprived of its gay cloaths and rich attire carnal fears and worldly cares come in with their vexations kill these lusts and you give present ease to your hearts 't is sin that makes sufferings smart 2. They hereupon make afflictions to be the greater temptations the more afflictions pain us the more strongly do they perswade us to take heed of that which brings them on us and to comply with any thing that will give us ease or relief Every pang and throb that comes upon us for godlinesse sake will be clamouring and crying out against it away with it away with it this professing and praying and precise walking hath undone me this Conscience hath broken my back lost me my Estate my Liberty my Friends bereft me of all my comforts my credit my quiet and created all these fears and sorrows and vexations which are upon me Will remitting my zeal dispensing with Conscience cast off care make me whole and save me all this harm and losse why then shall I thus torment my self when I have such a way open to escape all Brethren would you be secure from such temptations get your lusts slain which put an edge upon them Cut off all provision from the flesh that would keep it in heart Allow not your selves the liberty to live a sensual life while you have opportunity bring your selves under a voluntary restraint abase your selves before God hath the abasing of you denie your selves before God comes to denie you put the bridle upon your appetites before God come and puts bonds upon them and you restrain your selves of your delicates before God come and shorten you uncloath your selves of your wanton habits before God hath the stripping of you starve your lusts to death that the Lord come not and storm them let tribulations find their hard work done to their hand and they will lie more easie Get your hearts so low that the contempt of men cannot bring you lower that the Spoilers cannot make you poorer than your hearts have made you alreadie give all you have to God your ease and your pleasures and your liberty and your Estates give away all you have from lust to God and then you will be disquieted at whatsoever Messengers he sends to fetch it away When this is done what hurt can tribulation do you what temptation will it be unto you You will then dare to follow the Lord against all the world you will not fear your Religion will prejudice you you will not fear losse you have nothing to lose all is given away alreadie you will not fear a Prison your hearts have cerried you thither alreadie you will not fear disgrace or contempt your hearts have brought you so low that the pride of men cannot lay you lower you will not fear torments when your flesh is dead and can feel no pain III. Be convinced of the dreadfulness of Apostacy and the misery of Apostates and Back-sliders Remembur Lots Wife God hath left us many Pillars of Salt before our eies to warn us to take heed of looking back Mat. 7. 27. The fall of that House was great that is it was a dreadful and terrible fall it was spoken of the house built upon the Sand which when assaulted by the winds and flouds of persecution fell because it had no foundation and great or dreadful was the fall of it a fall from an house to an heap Heb. 13. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Let him go take him who will for me take him World take him Devil for I regardâ— him not Thou maiest go whither thou wilt that art gone from thy God thou must look to thy self and shift for thy self as thou canst God hath no further favour for thee his soul is loosed from thee Rev. 16. 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments that keepeth his garments that is that keepeth his Faith his Conscience his Religion his holy profession wherewith he is cloathed that keepeth them clean ne polluantur that hath not defiled his garments that keepeth them safe ne cripiantur that hath not lost his garments that hath neither defiled his Profession nor lost his Religion and Conscience he is a blessed man Revel 2. and chap. 3. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life of the hidden Manna to sit with me on the Throne To him that overcometh that is that holds out to the end Hold out and you overcome overcome and you shall reign overcome and you shall eat of the Tree of Life and hidden Manna Now brethren if a blessing be the portion of him that keeps his Garments keeps his Faith and keeps his Conscience what shall be his Portion that hath lost all and thrown off all He that hath lost his holy garments hath woven to himself a cloathing of curses not of blessings If he only that overcomes shall sit on the Throne shall eat of the Tree of Life then what shall he eat or where must he sit that is overcome He shall eat the fruit of his own doings of his lyes and hypocrisie and dissembling he shall feed upon death and wrath death shall feed upon him
the Gospel hath done nothing at all that miserable forlorn multitude of the grosly ignorant who as they were born blind have had all their dayes such a mist of thick darkness abiding upon them that they are uncapable without a miracle of being savingly wrought upon Speak unto them of Faith in Christ of Repentance unto life of obeying the Gospel in the plaineâ—t way possible and you will be as a Barbarian to them as one of a strange Language they know not what you say if you should speak Greek or Latine to them they would understand it as well as the plainest truths of the Gospel A poor Minister of Christ may break his heart and rend his bowels in mourning over them may draw forth his Soul in the most melting expressions of his compassions to them may break his brains in studying how to convey a little light unto them and yet cannot help them cannot make them to understand so much as that they understand nothing Their minds are so wholly blinded by the God of this world that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ though it shine round about them cannot find so much as a crany into their hearts but being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them they give up themselves to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness walking in the lusts of their hearts after the course of this World in riot luxury excess of Wine revellings banquettings covetousness lying blasphemies and abominable adulteries and Idolatries and yet remain without any conscience of sin or fear of their danger being as natural bruit Beasts as if they were made for slaughter and destruction Are there none such in this place Doth not the Earth every where groan our Land mourn our Congregations travel in pain Is not this Congregation black'd and burthen'd with such miserable creatures who after all the instructions counsels wooings warnings threatnings and Judgments of God which have been in their ears and before their eyes remain to this day a stupid blockish brutish generation without the least sense of their sin or wish to be delivered from it Oh you blind and dark Souls consider and understand if it be possible these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost In whom the god of this World hath blinded the minds of those that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them This darkness is from Hell the Prince of darkness hath held you under your blindness and this darkness leads to bell to the blackness of darkness for ever You are lost you are lost Souls lost for ever if the Gospel leave you in this state of blindness in which you have so securely continued to this day Isa 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not have mercy on them he that formed them will shew them no favour 2. Those upon whom the Gospel hath seemed to have done its work but it is its strange work There are two works which the Gospel doth some it enlightens others it smites with blindness some it softens others it seals up under hardness some it gains over to Christ others it gives up to the unbelief and impenitence of their hearts Isa 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes c. Go and preach to this people but preach them into hardness and blindness because they refused to see or hear let the light put out their eyes let the joyful sound strike them deaf and stop their ears never leave hammering them till thou hast hammered them into rocks or anvills Some there are that have so trifled with Convictions baffled Conscience and suffer'd their lusts so to resist and bear down their light that have had so many heats and colds so many thawings and freezings that have taken up so many purposes and made so many promises and yet all comes to nothing that the Gospel hath received a Charge from the Lord to make an end of its work Go sayes God and make an end with these men I 'le be mocked by them no more I 'le be trifled and dallied with by them no longer wound them no more fright them no more peâ—swade them no longer make their hearts fat their ears heavy and shut their eyes and give them up to their hearts lusts that they may walk in their own counsels and fill up the measure of their iniquities you that after all the warnings you have received from the Lord and after some workings of them sometimes upon your Consciences are yet going after your lusts prostituting your selves to your belluine and sensual pleasures filling up daily the measure of your iniquities Oh tremble and consider sadly whether this be not likely to be your case that the Gospel hath even done with you and given you over unto an impenitent heart and reprobate mâ—â—d In hope that how near soever you are to this dreadful state you may be yet one step at least short of it I shall this once more adventure a few words upon you together with them that I have already mentioned And first let me reason a â—ittle with you 1. Art thou one of them that obey the Gospel or not Art thou one of them that love God one of the called according to his purpose or not Art thou not an Alien an adversary against God a Rebel against his Word Let thy Conscience speak set thy ways speak let thine Oaths and thy Drunkenness and thine Adulteries thy scoffing at God and his holy ways thy hating his Instructions and kicking at his Reproofs thy hardnings against his Calls thy treacherous dealings in his Covenant and the Vows of God that are upon thee let these speak what thou art Is this that which God hath chosen and called thee to Are these the Things thou hast learned and received and heard of him Did he ever say These things do the God of peace shall be with you Thou needest no other Conviction than that of Israels Jer. 2. 23. How canst thou say I am not polluted See thy way in the valley know what thou hast done How canst thou say that thou art not a Wretch With what Face canst thou deny but thou art an Enemy of God and of all Righteousness See thy way in the Valley trace the Foot-steps of thy Life behold thy practices and thy course Sure thou art very blind if thou behold thy self in this Glass and doest not see thy Face as the Face of a Devil There are some whom it may be harder work to convince who have the Face of a Christian the Tongâ—e of a Saint but within the heart of a Beast Hypocrites are as hard to be convinced as Hypocrisie is hard to be detected But thou who carryest thy wicked Heart in thy Forehead upon thy Tongue upon
am giving you I have in part borrowed for your use which some of you may possibly have received elsewhere Before I give you the particular directions I shall first premise these things 1. Count upon this that the Directions I am now giving you if you ever mean to bring it to any thing will cost you pains and labour and how can you count your selves Christians if you refuse to be at the necessary cost of Christianity If you think to be Christians without labour or if you will stand out from Christianity to save your labour you are a like wise in both Either come to a Resolution to fall upon an industrious painful life or 't will be in vain to give you counsel 2. Practice the Directions I shall give you in pursuance of your Covenant with God wherein you have ingaged to take the strictest severest Laws of Christ for the Rule of thy Life What I am presing on you for the matter of it is no more than you have bound your selves to as Christians Remember your bonds and let this holy practice be followed on by you as the paying your Vows Remember daily the vows of God are upon you and there is not any material thing here prescribed to you which falls not under your vows Your Covenant if your eye be much upon it will be a cord to hold you to your work 3. Presse hard for sensible Communion with God in all your Duties 4. Keep up a spiritual and holy frame from Dutie to Dutie Remember what I have elsewhere spoken to you more at large on these two particulars See that there be Religion in your duties and confine not your Religion to your duties 5. Be Watchful The life of all Religion lies much here what-ever you resolve upon will come to nothing without it Watchfulnessis the Executioner of your will Let your eye be upon your Rule and your work Especially watch against your prevailing sins There 's no Christian that observes himself but may find some one sin or more that in regard of their power over him are taller by the head and shoulders than all the rest In some Pride in others Worldliness in others Passion in others Sloathfulness It may be if thou searchest some one of these four or possibly some other may be it that by a specialty thou may'st call thine iniquity Find out what it is and know that there thy main work lies In vain wilt thou strive in other duties till that which hinders be removed out of the way Fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Where the Enemy most ordinarily makes his breach upon thee set the stronger Guard Let thy daily conflicts be here and observe diligently with what success 6. Walk on thy course in the Name and strength of the Lord Jesus Live by Faith Depend on Christ for the assistance of his mighty Spirit Forget not this for otherwise thou wilt go but lamely on These things premised I shall now give you the particular Directions 1. Directions for the Evening Every Evening before you sleep withdraw your selves from the World and having set your hearts as in the presence of God charge them before God to answer to these following Interrogatories 1. Concerning your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my bed when he expected me on my knees 2. Was there not more of Custom and Fashion than of Conscience and Affection either in my secret or family Duties 3. Had I any sensible Communion with God in my duties 4. Have I not neglected or been careless and overly in reading the Word and holy Meditation 2. Concerning your Sins Q. 1. Do I live in nothing that I know to be a sin 2. Have I kept me from MINE Iniquity What victory have I yet gotten over it 3. Am I a mourner for mine own and the sins of the Land 3. Concerning your Temptations Q. 1. Have I feared watched against and not run into temptation 2. What temptations have I overcome this day 3. Have I had a care of my Company 4. Concerning your Heart Q. 1. Have I held mine heart in a serious spiritual gracious frame have my calls to duty ever found me in a preparation to duty 2. Hath the Lord been ever before mine eyes and Eternity upon my heart 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the workings of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience 5. Have I made conscience of evil thoughts 5. Concerning Conscience Q. 1. Hath my Conscience neither been blind nor dumb nor my heart deaf or headstrong against it 2. Have I done nothing against nor with a doubting Conscience 3. Have I neither defiled mine own nor wittingly scandalized my Brothers conscience 6. Concerning your Tongue Q. Have I bridled my Tongue 2. Have I spoken evil of no man 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house or went by the way as I was lying down and rising up 7. Concerning your Talents Q. 1. Have I not wasted or vainly spent any part of my Estate hath neither my pride had a share nor my Appetite more than its share 2. Have I not sent Christ away without an Almes when I had it by me 3. Have I redeemed my time from Needless Visits Idle imaginations Fruitless Discourse and Unnecessary Sleep 4. Have I not lost an opportunity this day of doing or receiving good have I not neglected to exhort or reprove when occasion hath been given and if I have been reproved how have I born it 8. Concerning your Tables Q. 1. Did I not sit down with no higher ends than a Beast only to please my appetite Did I eat and drink to the Glory of God 2. Did I not eat or drink to excess 3. Did I not rise from the Table without letting fall any thing of God there 4. Did I not mock God when I pretended to crave a Blessing or return Thanks 9. Concerning your Calling Q. 1. Have I been serving the Lord this day in my particular Calling 2. Have I not been idle 3. Have I not over-eagerly minded my earthly affairs 4. Have I defrauded no man wronged no man 5. Have I dropped never a Lye nor broken promise in all my dealings 10. Concerning your Relations Q. Have I faithfully discharged and done nothing against my duty 〈◊〉 Relations Have I behaved my self Husband Wife As a Christian Parent Child Master Servant 11. Concerning your carriage to those Within Q. Have I carried my self towards all Saints 1. Lovingly Delighting in them Bearing with them Covering their Infirmities 2. Peaceably not provoking them to Envy 3. Profitably provoking them to love and good works 12. Concerning your carriage to those Without Q Have I carried my self to those without 1. Wisely that they have not been a snare to me nor I through my fault become a prey to them 2. Inoffensively Have I not been a stumbling block to them 3. Courteously and
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed