things is not easily lost VIII Then Habitual commission of sin begets contracted Hardness of heart and fearlesness of all Gods Judgements and threatnings and contracted hardness added to natural hardness is a great progress in sinning Thy Conscience is seared thy heart hard as the nether milstone past feeling When Pharaoh hardened his heart his sinning was great Exod. 8.15 Now thou stiffenest thy neck against all admonitions Act. 7.51 and hardenest thy heart against reproofs Prov. 29.1 Now thou actest as if thou wert above controul and if thou couldst wouldest shake off the very Sovereignty of God Exod 5.2 And Pharaoh who was come up to the degree of hardness said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel goe So hardened Sinners reply to Gods Ministers exhorting them to let their sins and lusts goe saying at least in their hearts Who is the Lord whose Name you use we know not the Lord neither will we let our sins goe nor our pleasures and profits goe Now thou sayest to the Lord Depart from me Job 21.14 My tongue is mine own who is Lord over me Psal 12.4 Now thou gloriest in thy wickedness that is thy shame Philip. 3.19 Thou rejoycest to doe evil Prov. 2.14 and makest a mock of Sin Prov. 14.9 and makest a sport in doing mischief Prov. 10.23 Oh if thou couldest vapour it thus at the day of judgement and make as light of torment as now thou dost of sin if thou couldest brave it out thus before Christ at his comming and Russian like bid defiance to an almighty God and angry judge thy case were not so miserable but thou canst not alas thou canst not doe it Now thou art stout against the Lord Mal. 3.13 But then thou shalt sneake and crouch before him IX Then Judiciall Hardness is added to contracted Hardness thou hast hardned thine own heart and God will harden it also Now when Naturall Contracted and Judicial all meet in one mans heart how hard must it needs be and how great a sinner is this man in the sight of God you read sometime Pharaoh hardned his heart â—â—mself Exod. 8.15 and sometimes that God hardned Pharaohs heart also Exod. 10.20 So God giveth men up to their own hearts lusts which is a greater judgement unspeakably greater than all bodily Plagues Read Rom. 1.21 to the end Psal 81.11 12. Rev. 22.11 Isa 6.9.10 Hos 4.14 17. But here conceive of God aright when the Scripture saith God hardneth mens heart it is not to be understood as if God were the author of their sin no more than the Sun can be the efficient cause of darkness for how shall the chiefest good be the authour of the greatest evill For 1. God doth not infuse any wickedness into their hearts 2. Nor doth God tempt them to sin James 1.13 he may try them but not tempt them to sin 3. God commands no man to sin for Gods command would make it no sin as in the case of Abrahams Sacrificing his Son or the Israelites taking the Jewels and Ear-rings of the Egyptians except such things as are intrinsecally evill as are hating of God and blaspheming of God and these things God cannot command as he is said that he cannot lye Tit. 1.2 4. God with greatest severity forbids mens sins he chargeth you upon pain of damnation upon perill of Hell torments that you sin not but commands men to repent and mourne for sin therefore doth forbid them to be hard and stupid under sin 5. Neither doth God co-operate or concurre to the wickedness of their actions though without derogation to Gods honour we may say he doth concurre to their wicked actions For in him all live and move and have their beings Act. 17.28 The action materially considered as it is an action or motion is good and so God is the cause of it but the action formally considered is evill and so God is not the author of it as when you spur a lame Horse you are the cause that the Horse doth move but you are not the cause of his halting 6. But God doth permit and suffer men to harden themselves he doth not give them preventing grace but denieth that which he is not bound to give which would keep off this Hardness from them So God is said to give men over to their own wicked hearts to let them alone and leave them to their lusts Rom. 1.24 26. and to give them over to a Reprobate mind 2 Thes 2.10 11. 12. But if some should say bare Divine permission cannot be the reason why God should be said to harden mens hearts no more than he would be said to steal because he suffereth men so to doe Some therefore adde 7. That Hardness of heart may be considered either as a sin and so God is not the author of it or as a punishment and so it may be from God as the same thing in divers respects might be a sin and a punishment of former sin and a cause of future sinning so the same thing in divers respects might be from God and from the creature as Absaloms Rebellion against the King was an hainous sin as from him yet it was also a punishment of Davids sins 2 Sam. 16.22 But the Scripture asserts two things however 1 That with God dwels no evill and he cannot be the cause of sin and yet 2 expressely saith that the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart Exod. 10.20 Though we know not the manner that doth not lessen the dreadfullness of the judgement but when God doth judicially harden then men are almost ripe in sin and for hell X. When God hath judicially hardned them they let loose the reignes of their lusts and now are fit for any wickedness and stop not at the most abominable and loathsome practises Now they can blaspheme and mock God and deride holiness and act like incarnate Devils when the people in Act. 14.8.11 saw the wonderfull works wrought by the Apostles they said The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men but when we see the most abominable and sordid practises of wicked men might we not say the devills are come up to us in the likeness of men When men are judicially hardened they will commit sins against nature Rom. 1.24 26. c. And could wish there were no God nay now they are when they have given themselves over to work wickedness and God hath given them over too when they say we will be filthy and God say you shall be filthy eager and greedy after sin they weary themselves in committing iniquity and yet are not weary of iniquity and do even scorne at threatnings and mock at judgements 2 Pet. 3.3 4. Men walking after their own lusts say where is the Promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation Is 5.19 That
at home Did it not then trouble thee that thou being a Professor hadst been at nights drinking in the Tavern when thou shouldst have been praying in thy family that thy Wife and Children though they have not gone Supperless to bed yet have almost every night gone prayerless to bed except they went apart to pray in secret But did not then thy conscience tell thee that their performance of their duty would be no excuse to thee when thou shouldst stand at the Bar of God for thy neglecting of what thou oughtest to have done Didst thou not then resolve if thou shouldst live it should be so no more That thou wouldst read thy Bible more as well as look over thy Shop-books daily That thou wouldst spend some time in secret before God whereas before thou wast use to waste it in thy pleasures and taking of thy worldly delights Deal plainly man with thy self and do not flatter thy soul and daube with thy conscience Was there not some such thoughts and purposes and resolutions as these in thy heart at such a time And didst thou promise and resolve in jest and not in earnest God did afflict thee by the plague in good earnest and thou waste then affraid of death and the grave and judgement in good earnest And didst thou onely purpose in jest and resolve in jest and play with holy things when thou wast near another world and dally with God when thou didst not know but within an hour thou mightest have appeared at his Bar and been set before the terrible tribunal of the great heart-searching God But if thou wast in earnest with God when God was in earnest with thee if thou wast in earnest in promising be earnest in earnest to perform if thou didst indeed resolve to reform when thou shouldst be well then reform indeed according to thy resolution since God hath made thee well and saved thee from the Grave to which thou wast so near so very near Or if God hath been so good to thee to preserve thee from the infection of the Plague amongst the many thousands that have been visited that thou hast not been heart-sick yet thou hast often felt shootings and pains and prickings up and down in several parts of thy body and sometimes hast had such things as thou hast thought to be symptomes of the distemper and hast apprehended it to be approaching to thee that hath made thee hasten to thy bed and make use of thy preservatives and thy cordials that thou thoughtest thy self in real danger and wast possest with real fears What were thy purposes at such a time as this And what didst thou resolve to do And how to live if God would prevent the thing thou fearedst Or hadst thou no such purpose in thy heart No such resolution in thy breast that if thou livedst thou wouldst be better Was thy heart indeed so backward unto good that at such a time of fears and dangers thou hadst not so much as a purpose to be better but if thou hadst and let thy conscience be thy witness and the God of heaven that did fully know the purpose of thy heart then now perform what then thy heart did purpose to perform I am perswaded if the people in London and in Country too would live up according to the purpose of their heart in time of danger of the Plague would reform and mend as they did resolve to do we should be much better than we were before Oh what a difference would there be in the frame of our hearts and in the course of our lives What a change would there be in all our practises Those that were forward Professors of Religion and were not much more then Professors would be zealous practisers of Religious duties and in order hereunto I shall to follow this direction do three things 1. Lay down some considerations why you should be careful to keep your purposes resolutions and vows 2. Prescribe some helpes how you may perform your purposes resolutions and vows 3. Set down the aggravations of your sin if you break your purposes resolutions and vows SECT I. 1. GReat and constant diligent care should be taken in time of health to keep our purposes to perform our resolutions and to pay our vows to God which we made in time of sickness and danger and distress if you consider these particulars 1. That one great deceit of the heart of man doth appear in this in being forward to purpose in our selves and promise unto God but are backward to perform In time of sickness what resolutions do men make what purposes have they in themselves to mend and turn to God and seem to promise this with tears in their eyes and sorrow in their hearts for the evil that is past and done and seem to others and think verily themselves that they promise in good earnest and mean to do as they do speak and when they think the danger is past and their fears removed do nothing less than what they promised I have known some upon sick beds so to promise that they would be drunk no more c. and yet when health hath been restored have returned to their wickedness So did Pharaoh promise fair when the Plagues of God were upon the Land that he would let the children of Israel goe but when the Plagues have been removed he hath hardened his heart against them more than before and this he often did Exod. 8.8 15. 9.27 28 34 10.16 17 20. Now this deceitfulness of the heart is yet in part remaining in the best of men and therefore you must be carefull else though you have promised you will never perform 2. That sin is of a bewitching encroaching and alluring nature if it can prevail it will keep you from resolving against it if you do resolve it will entreat you that you would not send it farre from you that your Resolution might not be peremptory and universal that if you resolve to banish it from your heart it might be only some of its members that are not so dear unto you and reserve the rest or if it be peremptory and universal that you will part with all sin it will contend that your Resolution may not be perpetual that you send it not away for ever but only till your danger of death is over and your fears thereof are ceased that then it may be received into your heart be your Favourite again or if you do resolve to part with sin peremptorily universally and perpetually yet after a while it will solicit you to change your resolution or if you will not change it it will solicit you to abate the strength and vehemency thereof and will come and offer you so much delight and so much pleasure and so much profit if you will not be so severe against it If you are not carefull it will encroach upon your heart and insinuate and winde it self into your love and delight and
the Author and him who is Your servant in the Lord Thomas Vincent The CONTENTS THe Preface or Introduction p. 1 2 3. DIRECTION I. Containing two parts viz. Since you live after this Plague Be not worse but Better p. 4. I. The first part of this Direction containeth seven Questions p. 5. Question I. Whether wicked men wax worse and worse p. 6. Six things premised for Explication p. 7 8 9 10 11. Proved by Scripture Instances p. 12 to 17. Proved by Arguments p. 18 to 24. Question II. What are the several steps or gradations whereby sin grows from a low ebbe to its highest actings Or Ten Rounds in the sinners Ladder to Hell p. 24 to 35. Where seven things about Gods hardening wicked mens hearts p. 32 33. Question III. Under what Dispensations wicked men wax worse and worse p. 35. Viz. 1. Vnder Gods Providences in Prosperity p. 36 37 in Adversiâ—y 38. in Deliverances 39 40 41 42 to 46 2Vnder Ordinances Word Sacrament p. 47 48. Question IV. Why God is pleased to remove Judgements though many men are worse than they were before p. 48 to 52. Question V. What are the aggravations of this great Impiety to be worse after Gods sorest Judgments than they were before Answered in Ten particulars p. 52 to 59 Question VI. What are signs of a man waxing worse and worse Answered in 14 particulars p. 59 to 68 Where six restraints of sin which keeping from sin do not prove truth of Grace yet sin against do prove height of sin p. 63 64 65 Question VII What Considerations may be useful to stop the stream of such mens wickednesse that are waxing worse and worse p. 68 69 70 Seven Questions to such sinners p. 71 72 73 74 Six Directions to such sinners p. 75 76 Eight Corollaries from this first part of this Direction p. 77 78 II. The second part of the first Direction Since you live be better after this Judgement than you were before directed especially to the godly p. 79 Where Ten Lessons to be learned by those in the City that by reason of the Plague hath been a great House of Mourning p. 80 to 89 Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse in their spiritual condition after this Plague than they were before p. 90 91 92 Seven Positions p. 93 c. Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better p. 97 101 DIRECTION II. Since you live after this Plague pay your Vows and live up to your holy Purposes and Resolutions which you made in time of danger and fears of death p. 102 115 Where Seven Reasons for care to keep your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 108 Twenty Helps to perform your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows 115 Fourteen Aggravations if you come short of your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 116 c. Where Eleven signs of a Beloved sin p. ibid. DIRECTION III. Since you live and are free from or cured of your bodily sickness look after the cure of soul-sickness take heed that you lye not under spiritual Judgments when temporal Judgment is removed p. 142 1 Sin is the souls sickness in 6 particulars p. 143 144 2 Spiritual Judgments are worse than temporal in seven particulars p. 145 149 3 How a man may know whether he be healed of Soul-sickness in six particulars p. 149 152 4 How a soul-sick sinner should do for healing in 8 particulars p. 153 The excellency of Christ our Soul-Physician in 5 particulars p. 154 c. 5 What those must do whom Christ hath healed of soul-sickness to improve this Cure to the glory of God in 4 particulars p. 158 c. DIRECTION IV. Since you live after this Plague be eminently exemplary in the capacity God hath set you p. 161 An humble Exhortation to Magistrates whom God hath preserved p. 162 163 164 Subjects Duties to Magistrates in 6 particulars p. 165 166 Ministers Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in 4 particulars p. 167 175 Peoples Duties whom God hath continued to their Ministers p. 176 Governours of Families Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in respect of Family Worship p. 177 Where is shewed 1 Why in 8 particulars p. 179 to 182 2 Wherein in 5 particulars p. 183 189 3 How in 4 particulars p. 190 191 Duties of Husbands and Wives whom God hath continued together after this Plague viz. Mutual Love p. 192 193 Where is shewed What manner of Love it must be p. 194 195 Why they should thus love p. 196 197 Wherein they should manifest it p. 198 199 Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to Children in 5 particulars p. 200 206 Duties of Children whom God hath continued to Parents What in 7 particulars Why in 6 particulars p. 206 209 Duties of Masters and Servants In 5 particulars p. 210 In 11 particulars p. 211 216 DIRECTION V. Since you live by Gods secret way of preservation Watch against secret sins p. 217 Perform secret Duties p. 217 Minde secret things in publick Duties p. 217 Where Fourteen Arguments against secret sins p. 219 231 Nine masked sins detected p. 221 222 Ten Preservatives against secret sins p. 232 c. Four secret Duties p. 235 236 Six secret good things in Publique Duties p. 237 238 Six secret sins in Publique Duties p. 239 240 DIRECTION VI. Since you live after this Plague be dead to the World p. 241 Viz. To the Profits of the World p. 242 243 To the Honours of the World ibid. To the Pleasures of the World p. 245 To the Wisdom of the World p. 246 How a man may know whether he be dead to the World p. 247 248 249 DIRECTION VII Since you live be dead to sin and be buried with Christ p. 250 Believers are buried in 3 respects p. 251 Two differences in burial of our Friends and of our Sins p. 252 Five things included in the Burial of sin p. 253 254 Four things for Comfort to those who are buried with Christ p. 255. DIRECTION VIII Since you live after this Plague walk in newnesse of life p. 256 What newnesse of life doth not consist in in 6 particulars p. 257 What iâ— doth consist in in Ten particulars p. 258 The Excellencies of a New Life in 10 particulars p. 261 The Hinderances of walking in Newness of Life in six particulars p. 264 DIRECTION IX Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a constant sense of Gods distinguishing Providence in preserving of you p. 265 Six Helps so to doe p. 267 DIRECTION X. Since you live and many of your Relations dead love God so much the more by how much you have fewer Objects of your Love than you had before p. 270 DIRECTION XI Since you live after this Plague remember what Conscience did condemn you for in time of fear of death and avoid it what it did commend you for and do it 271 DIRECTION XII Since you live after such danger of death trust God for the future
duty Am I my brothers keeper 5 He despaireth of mercy vers 13. My punishment is greater than I can bear or My sin is greater than that it may be forgiven 6 He flyes from God vers 16. 7 He takes up with the pleasures and profits of the world without God vers 17. So Cain increased in wickedness So did Ahab 1 King 21. 1. He seeth Naboths Vineyard 2 He doth covet it and unlawfully desire that which was another mans vers 2. and would have bought that which Naboth had not a power to sell because it was the Inheritance of his Fathers vers 3. and Numb 36.7 3 He was discontent at Naboths answer though he gave him the Word of God as the reason of his denyal ver 4. 4 He doth unfaithfully report the words of Naboth as is usual with wicked men to doe vers 6. He leaves out the reason of Naboths denyal Because it was the Inheritance of his Fathers 5 He was guilty of Naboths death suffering Jezebel to use his Seal to effect it vers 8. And Elijah the Prophet chargeth Ahab with his death as being guilty of his blood vers 19. 6 He takes possession of that which was none of his own and which he got with the shedding of innocent blood contrary to the command of God Ezek. 46.18 The like steps you might perceive in Jezebels sin and if you trace her you will find her step by step to come up to an height of sin 1. She approves of Ahabs unlawfull desire vers 7. 2 She resolves to get by violence what Ahab did sinfully desire vers 7 8. 3 She makes her husband guilty of blood by gaining his consent to that which he would not act with his own hand vers 8 19 compared 4 She draweth other men and makes them partakers of her sin the Elders and Nobles vers 8 9. 5 She causeth two wicked men to take a false Oath against Naboth 6 She suggesteth the Charge that should be brought against him which was high and false ver 10. Let them swear that Naboth did blaspheme God and the King when indeed Naboth did neither 7 She prophanes Gods Ordinance she proclaimed a Fast she coloureth her wickedness with Religious pretenses 8 She obtains the murder of Naboth vers 13. They stoned by Jezebels counsel an innocent man to death This was the growth and gradation of Jezebels wickedness till it became monstrous great So Judas encreased in wickedness and grew worse and worse 1 He was an hypocrite 2 A Theife Joh. 12.4 5 6. 3 A traitour to his Lord. 4 He despaired of mercy 5 He murdered himself The groweth of sin is intimated in that expression of the holy-Ghost Gen. 15.16 The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full It was increasing but their measure was not full sin would increase In infinitum but there is a measure that a swearer or a drunkard and all wicked men shall fill up and then God will call them to an account Mat. 23.32 Fill ye up then the measure of your Fathers Thus from the word of God I have shewn that wicked men do grow in sin and wax oftentimes worse and worse SECT III. Secondly ARguments drawn from Reason do evidence this that wicked men are apt to grow in sin I will take up with three only least I be too large in this Direction And they are taken First A natura peccati From the Nature of sin Secondly Ab impulsu Diaboli From the Instigation of the Divell Thirdly Ab absentia contrarii From the absence of that which should keep them from sinning more and more Removetur prohibens I. This appears from the Nature of sin that is predominant in ungodly men that swayes and Byasseth them in all their actions and ruleth in them and exerciseth authority over them 1. One sin doth incline and dispose the heart to sin again The first sin inclined all men to commit more where grace is predominant the heart is inclined to love God and to obey God the generall scope of such a mans life and the bent and inclination of his heart is towards God and duty to grow in grace and become better and better Now Contrariorum contraria est ratio natura Sin doth dispose the heart to sin and to depart from God more and more Heb. 3.12 It makes the bent of the heart to Backslide further and further from God Hos 11.7 It makes the heart set to do evill Eccles 8.11 The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil As is the tide to the boate so is sin to mans heart 2. Sin is of a multiplying nature as sin committed inclineth the heart to the iteration of the same sin so one sin begets another of another kind as drunkenness and gluttony begets lust and malice revenge as one circle in the water multiplies to twenty out of one root of a tree grow many armes out of one arme many branches out of every branch many twigs From the same fountain proceed many streames from the same body of the Sun many Beames So from one sin are many multiplied So Adams first sin hath multiplied Innumerably 3. In wicked men there is a complication and a connexion of sins Sins thus multiplied are linked one to another and are twisted together as there is a chaine of graces in a godly man that if you draw one link you move the whole chaine when you exercise Faith upon a promise suppose of eternall Life this sets all his graces on exercise as one wheele in a Watch moveth all the rest Faith applying this promise stirreth up love to God that made the promise and hath prepared the thing promised it inflames holy desires after it desires put on to diligent indeavours to obtain it it begets a lively hope which earnestly yet patiently waiteth for the possession of it So there is a concatenation of sin therefore sin is compared to a body in which all the members by sinewes and ligaments are knit together that though all the members do not grow to an equall quantity but some are bigger some lesse yet all do proportionably grow so though all sins in a wicked man are not of the same magnitude but in some drunkenness is greatest in some pride in some covetousness yet all sin is growing in them and therefore must necessarily be worse and worse as unbelief makes a sinner fearless of Gods threatnings and fearlesness makes him secure and security hardneth his heart and when his heart is hard and his Conscience seared he will be very bad 4. Sin is of an infectious nature an infectious disease doth not only spread unto others as one man sick of the Plague may infect a whole Parish but getteth nearer and nearer to his heart and seizeth upon his very vitals that he waxeth sicker and sicker and at last brings him to his grave So one sin doth not only infect others as one drunkard inticeth another
say let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it Thus sinning with judiciall hardness and dying in finall impenitency are at the bottom round from whence they step into endless misery Thus you see how great a matter a little fire kindleth and from how small beginnings some have proceeded to the very pitch and height of sin that can scarce be worse save in the frequent iteration of the sins that they commit for they have got into all kinds of sin they are guilty of spirituall wickedness which the devill is malice enmity against God and goodness c. and of corporall wickedness as Adultery Drunkenness Gluttony c. Which the Devill is not capable of committing the Devill being only a spirit but men consist of body and spirit and so may commit more sins for kind than the Devill himself can do But God forbid that after such a judgement amongst us should be found such sinners this will be an evil requitall to the Lord for his removing his sore judgement from us SECT VII Vnder what dispensations do wicked men grow worse and worse IN the generall I answer wicked men are the worse in all conditions that God puts them into more particularly they are worse and worse Under Gods Providences Gods Ordinances First Wicked men wax worse under all Gods Providences whether Of Prosperity Adversity Deliverances I. Ungodly men are worse under their prosperity when the world smiles upon them and when they have all that their carnall hearts can wish and desire If the Sun shine it hardens the clay and the more it makes the dunghill send forth unsavory smels Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ver 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God A wicked man is more hardened by Gods kindness to him Animus Iniquus beneficio fit pejor A wicked heart is made worse by every kindness As Christ fed Judas at his table and he runs presently to betray him The more God aboundeth to them in common goodness the more they abound against God in multiplied wickedness Neh. 9.16 ad 27. Psal 78.12 17. Prov. 1.32 The prosperity of fools shall destroy them Isa 26.10 Let favor be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. They are worse by prosperity 1. Because they are thereby listed up with pride and carnall confidence many men the more rich the more proud and the prouder the worser the more their riches increase the more they set their hearts upon them and the more a mans heart is upon the creature the worse he is Prosperity is full of snares and we are apt then to forget God and to lift up the heel against him Deut. 32.15 But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation Here is great prosperity and great impiety and God seeing how apt his own people are to be worse by prosperity doth caution them largely against it Deut. 8.7 11 12 13 14 17 18. 2. Wicked men are worse by prosperity because then they have more fuell to feed their lusts Sodomites had fulness of bread and that did feed their uncleanness They turn Gods grace into wantonness and his mercies into fuell for their wickedness Those things which should be cords of love to draw them to God they turn to the nourishment of their sinnes against God and desire riches not that they may glorify God but gratify their lusts Jam. 4.3 The more abundance of outward things a drunkard hath the more he is able to please his palate with great abundance of the richest Wines the more the adulterer hath the more he bestows upon his harlot and so the greater plenty the more they lead a sensuall bruitish flesh-pleasing life and the more of that the worse they be 3. Wicked men in prosperity are the worse because they are apt to gather Gods special love to them from the common bounty he bestowes upon them Because the world smiles upon them they think God doth so too Because Gods hand is opened to them therefore they think they are engraven upon his heart and think Divine Toleration is Divine Approbation when indeed it is a sign of Gods great displeasure to give prosperity to a man in a sinfull course God was angry with the rich man in the Gospel when he gave him more abundance than he knew how to bestow Luk. 12.18 19 20. and 16.19 20. They are apt to think that is the best way which is the most prosperous way Jer. 44.17 But we will certainly doe what soever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn Incense to the Queen of heaven and to pour out drink-Offerings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cityes of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no evil Vers 18. But since we left off to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink Offerings unto her we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine By prosperity they take encouragement to proceed in their Iniquity 4. Wicked men by prosperity are worse because they are apt to put far from them the evil day and the hour and thoughts of Death and Judgement and the Life to come In health they have not serious thoughts of sickness a wicked man is too apt to think that the Sun of Prosperity which shines upon him will never set nor be clouded Psal 49.11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations they call their Lands after their own Names In Prosperity they think little of death Luk. 12.19 And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry They promise themselves a continuance of their outward happiness and so sin more freely and abundantly Isa 56.12 Come ye say they I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant This perswasion begets carnal security and the more secure still the worse SECT VIII II. WIcked men are often times worse under adversity judgements and afflictions that do befall them the more they are punished the more they are hardened there is nothing in adversity and judgements in sickness and plagues in poverty and distress to
make an alteration or a change in the heart of a sinner from worse to better except God sanctifie it The Plague upon the body is not a remedy in it self to cure the Plague of the heart for men love more the plague of their hearts than they loathe the plague of the body Possibly outward Judgements may put a stop to some mens sinnings for the present but they will return to them afterwards except God speak effectually to their hearts and consciences as well as lay his heavy stroaks upon the body Judgement to a sinner may be as a Barre to a Thief it may stop him from the present act but doth not change his heart or as a storm to a Mariner may make him cast Anchour for the present but still he retains his purpose of sayling in his Voyage when the storm is over they are oftner salve for their eyes to shew them their sin than physick for their hearts to purge them out sinners in Judgements might declaim against their sin but without a setled purpose in their hearts to decline their sin where there is Grace Afflictions work patience and submission but where there is nothing but corruption they often work passion and repining not Repentance the more God sent his Judgements and his Plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians the more they hardened themselves against God and his people and by Gods Judgements were not the better but the worse Exod. 7.19 to 23. Isa 1.5 Why should ye be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Psal 78.30 They were not estranged from their Lusts but while their meat was in their mouths v. 31. the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them V. 32. For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works And as it was with the woman that had an Issue of blood twelve years in respect of her bodily distemper after great cost and charge and use of means she was nothing bettered but rather grew worse Mar. 5. 25 26. so under Gods Judgements it is with most wicked men in respect of their spiritual state they are nothing bettered but rather grow worse And this appears First Because in time of Judgment they are not separated from their dross Ezek. 24.13 In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee i. e. God used purging Judgments and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee God hath been purging our houses but many have not been purging their hearts but retain their heart-filthiness stil and their life-wickedness stil If God in Judgement say to such You shall not be purged their case is irrecoverably miserable Secondly Because they are not more serious in Religion than they were before either they omit it wholly as before or are as dull and formal as they were before Thirdly Because they are not brought nearer unto God but are rather removed were it possible at a further distance from God than before And the Reasons of this are 1. Because When Gods hand is lifted up they will not see Isa 26.11 they look more to second Causes than to God 2. Because they search not after the sins that provoked God to so great indignation 3. Because if they do see their drunkenness and whoredoms and Sabbath-breaking yet they will not be humbled for them nor forsake them SECT IX III. WIcked men are oftentimes worse by Gods delivering them from Judgements and calamitous distresses Take a wicked man upon his sick bed when God is shaking him over the Grave and threatning him with death and affrighting him with the terrours of Hell you shall hear him acknowledge his sin confessing his drunkenness his neglect of his soul and you shall hear him it may be with tears in his eyes promising if God will raise him from his sickness and trust him with life and time a little longer he will forsake his wicked company and prophane the Sabbath no more If God will but try me saith the sick dying man how will I live and what will I doe and how obedient will I be to the Commands of God And when God answereth his desires in his restoration he performeth not his Promise in his reformation but is more wicked and more vile than before You might see this in Pharaoh when the Plagues were upon him Oh then send for Moses and let him entreat the Lord for me and then I will let Israel goe then he confesseth I and my people have sinned but the Lord is righteous Though many wicked men will not acknowledge nor confess their sin in times of Judgement so much as an hardened Pharaoh did But yet when the Plagues were removed he hardened himself more against God still Read Exod. 8.8.15.24.28.32 and 9.23.27 So Nehem. 9.27 28 29 30. And the Reasons are 1. Because after Judgements removed they are more secure and think the bitterness of death is past 2. Because they break their promises made to God in time of Judgements and so their sin is greater and their guilt is greater and therefore they the worser of this more under another Direction 3. Because Judgement is removed from them before they are purged from their sin When the Plaister is taken off before the sore is healed it will be worse the course of physick is not continued till the vitious humours are dispersed and purged away but Gods people desire the cure may be wrought before the Affliction be removed But Pharaoh was for the removing of the Plagues but not the hardness of his heart 4. Because they adde Incorrigibleness unto all their former sins and must answer for all those Judgements that were lost upon them Wicked men shall not only answer for their Mercies but for the Judgements God sent upon them to reclaim them Sinner God sent the Plague into thy house and then he looked thou shouldest have hastened to have thrown sin out of thy heart but thou hast not done it God did cast thee upon a bed of sickness but thy bed of sickness was not to thee a bed of sorrow for thy sin thou howledst and cryedst our of thy loathsom running-sores but not of thy filthy heart and more loathsome sins thy body was pained but thy heart not broken thou hast been punished and delivered but art not reformed but know the more thou hast sinned and the more thou hast been punished here and yet sin still the more shalt thou be tormented in hell For these thou shouldest look upon as means which God doth use to bring thee to himself and the more means thou hardenest thy self against the more is thy sin and the more shal be thy misery Thus wicked men are oftentimes the worse by Gods Providences But if this be thy case that readest these Lines that wast a drunkard before and wilt be drunk more frequently now that wast a lukewarm Formalist before the Plague begun but now
Omnipotency and make thy party good against Almighty strength Didst thou ever read of any one that hardened himself against God and prospered and dost thou think that thou shalt be the first who art thou or what is thy strength or what were thy Ancestours that thou dost thus in pride and stubbornness of thy heart dare the great eternal God who can look thee into hell and frown thee in a moment into another world Sure if thou hadst the knowledge of God of thy self of sin of the guilt of sin of Hell and the torments thereof thou wouldest not thus proceed to adde these new sins to thy former old sins but wouldest fall down upon thy knees and cover thy face in the very dust before the Lord in deep humiliation for thy sins and wouldest own it as a Mercy so great that cannot be express'd that the Plague hath been so vehemently raging round about thy habitation and it may be hath been upon thy body and thou yet alive and thy body not rotting in a cold grave nor thy soul roaring in a hot Hell think on this this is Mercy and wilt thou so abuse it SECT XIII What are the signs of a man that waxeth worse and worse under all the Means that God useth to make him better MY purpose is not here to speak of the declinings of Grace in the hearts of Gods people which never is so much because not total to denominate them absolutely bad though they make them worse because on the losing hand being compared with themselves when better in the lively actings and daily increase of grace but of the growth of wicked men in sin and Impiety which may be discerned by these symptomes I. The less a man is attending upon God in the use of holy Means the worse he is Thou wast wont to keep up a constancy or at least a frequency in holy duties though thou never didst perform them in a right manner nor from a right principle nor for a right end yet time was that thou couldest not omit them but thy natural Conscience would reproach thee and molest thy peace and though the performance of those duties in thy manner and way did never prove thee to be good yet the total omission of them now doth prove thee to be worse inasmuch as thou hast shaked off all form of Religion and dost not profess thy self to be at all Religious but hast stifled Natural Conscience and laid aside a sense of a Deity which before did stir thee up to do some Homage unto God Thou didst pray but now thou dost not thou didst hear but now thou dost not it is because thou art worse II. The lesse thou lyest under the common workings of the Spirit of God the worse thou art Though thou hearest and prayest as before yet the Spirit of God doth not strive with thee as before Thou wast wont to finde thy heart something affected and to have some common convictions and relentings for sin and some purposes and resolutions to forsake thy sin and leave thy wicked wayes and company and almost perswaded to come over unto Christ but now thou art no more affected than the seat thou fittest upon and the Pillar thou leanest against thou hast quenched the motions of the Spirit and he in wrath hath departed from thee and leaves thee to the hardness of thy heart and the blindness of thy minde and then thou must needs be waxing worse III. The more thou art found in the Iteration and Repetition of the acts of sin the worse thou art Thou wast wont to swear but seldom but now Oaths are frequent in thy mouth Thou wast wont to be drunk more seldom but now it is thy weekly or thy daily practice Iteration of sin is an aggravation of sin The number of thy sins and the greatness of thy guilt is hereby encreased and thou made worse IV. The more kinds of sins thou dost usually fall into the worse thou art Thou wast wont to swear but not to be drunk but now both Thou wast wont to be drunk but wast not given to uncleanness but now thou art and to uncleanness thou addest scorning at godliness vvhen sometimes thou seemedst to approve it and speak for it and to thy scorning of godliness thou proceedest to the persecution of godliness when before thou didst pretend to favour and to countenance it Thou art increased in thy wickedness V. The fewer self-Reflexions the worse thou art Thou wast use to reflect upon thy wayes and sometimes consider of thy deviations from the Rule of holiness and thy Conscience did check and did reprove thee but now thou goest on and never lookest back so much as to consider wherein thou goest astray and though thou art more wicked and more vile yet thou hast more peace and quietness in thy wayes It is because thy heart is more hard and thy Conscience more seared and thou worse VI. The greater Light thou sinnest against and the more thou goest on against the Dictates of thy Conscience the worse thou art Conscience discovereth to thee the evil of thy wayes the wickedness of thy life Conscience threatneth thee with damnation with the loss of God and Happiness and thundereth against thee and doth disturb thee in thy sin and yet thou goest on against thy knowledge and dost imprison the Truths of God thou art worse VII The more of thy heart and will is in thy sinnings than before the worse thou art now than before The more the will doth give consent and the more the will doth choose wickedness the greater progress thou hast made in thy sinful courses Though a Childe of God doth commit a sin yet because his will and the bent of his heart is against it the lesser is the aggravation of his sin when he can say The thing that I doe I would not I allow it not So when thou art wilful in thy sin thou frequentest wicked company and thou wilt doe it thou prophanest the Lords day and thou wilt do it this maketh thee to be very bad The more of resolution and purpose of heart the more of the choice and consent of the will in sinning the greater is the sinner VIII The lesser force divine Arguments have upon thy heart to keep thee from sin than before thou art so much worser than thou wast before Time was that Arguments taken from the Wrath of God from the Torments of Hell from Judgement to come from the Curses written in the Law of God did awe thy heart and restrain thy hand from the open actings of thy grosser sins these were once the banks that dammed up thy wickednesse but now thou sleightest all these that Hell doth not affright thee and the wrath of God doth not awe thy heart but the Spring and Fountain of sin within is risen higher and overflowes these banks and like water spreads it self and diffuseth it self in the general course of thy life IX The lesser force humane Arguments have upon
few considerations to presse thee to put a stop unto thy sinnings hoping that though thou hast gone far yet thou mayst return while thou art out of Hell thou art within our call and within the reach of Exhortation and reproof God hath called often to thee to return and yet thou hast not returned but art going on unto destruction The Son of God hath called to thee and said How long wilt thou goe on in thy Rebellion against him that would redeem and save thy soul he hath told thee if thou dost proceed thou must be damned and said the Mercy of God will not save thee and my Merits they will not they shall not save thee but if thou wilt return to God and come to me here is mercy for thee here is pardon for thee and I will give eternal life unto thee The Spirit of God hath often moved upon thy heart he hath been often knocking at thy doore that thou wouldest open thy heart and let him in and he would apply the blood of Christ unto thee and he would fill thee with better joyes and better pleasures and better comforts than thou ever foundest in the way of sin But hitherto thou hast stopped thine ears and stiffened thy neck and hardened thy heart and wouldest not hearken nor obey The Ministers of God have often wooed thee and beseeched thee with tears in their eyes and sorrow in their hearts as if their happiness had been wrapped up in thine and as if they could not have gone to Heaven and been saved without thee while patience waited upon thee they have been earnest with thee and now at last one unworthy to preach the Gospel is a suiter to thy soul that thou wouldest be divorced from thy sin and be married unto Christ as yet thou art out of hell and art not yet reckoned among the dead nor numbred amongst the damned as yet thou art not irrecoverably lost this day Christ is once more tendred to thee in the name of God I once more offer thee pardon and eternall life upon thy repenting of thy sin and turning unto God Oh that I could perswade thee or if I cannot as indeed I cannot oh that God would yet perswade thee If I might be serviceable to thy soule oh how should I rejoyce if I did but know where thou dost dwell that hast been wicked all thy dayes and now art reading of these lines having a purpose in thy heart to come to Christ I would come to thee as opportunity was offered and beg upon my knees that thou wouldest cherish those purposes and be perswaded to what conduceth to thy eternall happiness if teares and prayers would do it I would endeavour though my heart is hard to shed them for thee if putting my hands under thy feet and stooping to the meanest office of love unto thy soule would excite thee to let Christ into thy heart how readily by the grace of God would I be willing to it I beseech thee by the mercies of God by the death of Christ by the coming of our Lord by the love thou bearest to thy self as ever thou wouldest see the face of Christ with comfort as ever thou wouldest escape the damnation of Hell return at last and though it be late yet return at last But if thou wilt not let God be my witness let as many as read these lines be my witnesses let thy own Conscience be my witness that thou hast been asked entreated yea earnestly entreated to reform and mend and turn to God But in hopes that I may prevail I beseech thee in the fear of God give in a sober and deliberate answer unto these following Questions First Whether art thou going while thou art waxing worse and worse Dost thou know that Hell is at the end of the way in which thou art daily walking Dost thou know that if thou dost proceed a little further a little longer in this course thou wilt be among the Devils those cursed Fiends of Hell Or dost thou know it and yet wilt venture to dance about the brink of a bottomless pit who hath bewitched thee or what hath made thee mad that thou seest thou art going unto Hell and yet wilt venture on Secondly Dost thou believe the Scripture to be the Word of God or dost thou not And are the threatnings contained therein true thinkest thou or are they not Wilt thou say they be false or that they were found out by some Precisians or are the workings of some melancholly brain or that they were found out by some Politician to keep the world in awe I would have thee know that to thy eternal sorrow thou shalt finde them all true even to a tittle and to thy everlasting woe shalt know the truth of Gods Word When thou art shrieking in the flames of Hell and roaring hideously among the damned because of Gods eternal wrath thou shalt be convinced that the wicked shall be turned into Hell that the Unbeliever shall be damned and that it was true which thou wast told that without repentance there was no deliverance from eternal condemnation But if thou dost believe this Word to be true what aileth thee then to live as thou dost that thou actest quite contrary to what is contained in the Word of God Doth not the Word of God in a thousand places cry down sin and press to holiness doth it not tell thee the drunkard the covetous the unbelieving the lyar shall be damned If thou never didst observe such places take thy Bible and turn unto them 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21.8 Heb. 12.14 Gal. 5.20 to 25. Col. 3.5 6. Eph. 5.5 6. Mar. 16.16 Mat. 18.3 Luk. 13.3 5. Canst thou read and believe these Scriptures to be true and yet goe on in the practice of those things that the eternal holy God doth forbid upon pain of eternal torments Wilt thou be worse than thy very beast which thou canst not force into the fire when he seeth it before him Shall I call out thy Neighbours to behold a dreadful sight viz. A man that knowes he is in the way to Hell and yet will goe on Thirdly With what face or heart canst thou hope as thou dost that God will pardon thy sin or save thy soul while thou persistest in thy wickedness and encreasest therein Shew me an instance of any one man in all the Word of God that was pardoned and saved who repented not and I will be thy slave for ever I know great sinners have been saved and I know those that have gone far have obtained mercy Manasseh did 2 Chron. 33.12 13. Mary Magdalene did Luk. 7. But then they turned unto God Canst thou say there is any one now in Heaven that did not repent and believe before he dyed or dost thou think that thou shalt be the only man Fourthly Whom dost thou set thy self against Or who is it that thou dost provoke whose anger and indignation art thou daily kindling against thy self What
visible and manifest viz. His Conversation Profession or Open transgressions these are visible But the things that are secret and hid from the eyes of men in those he is careless and negligent But a true child of God though he is not careless of his conversation yet he is especially mindful of his affections and of the secret frame of his heart and of the sins that lye lurking within him Consider God doth not esteem of men by what they seem to be to others but by what they really are God doth not judge as man judgeth Men judge of the heart by the actions of the life but God judgeth of the actions by the heart Men judge of that which is secret and invisible by that which is open and visible but God judgeth of that which is open and visible by that which is secret and invisible Mat. 23.27 Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness Ver. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity Luk. 16 15. And he said unto them ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God A man might be applauded for that by men for which he shall be condemned by God That which might set a mâ—n high in the estimations of men might be an abomination unto God It is hainous Impiety for a man to encourage himself to sin because he is in secret 2 Kings 17.9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God There are many great sins wrapped up in this As 1. Damnable Infidelity They believe not God seeth them Psal 94.7 8 9. 2. Desperate Security They hide God from their eyes and then think they are safe 3. Deep Stupidity A degree further than the former 4. Daring Insolency It is bold presumption to sin before Gods face Secret sins do provoke God as well as open sins God is not like the sinner that hath better thoughts of sin because it is secret The openness of sin might add something to the eclipsing of Gods glory and to Gods dishonour but it addeth nothing to Gods hatred of sin because Gods hatred to sin as sin is infinite Secret sins will grieve the Spirit of God And causeth him to withhold his influences from thy heart and to withdraw his presence from thy soul As 1. Secret sins will cause the Spirit of God to withdraw his witnessing presence and to suspend his testimony 2. They will cause him to withdraw his comforting presence that thou shalt not have those joyes that thou wast use to find when thou wast more careful to watch against secret sins 3. They will cause him to withdraw his quickning presence that thy heart will be left more dead and more dull and thy affections will be more flat and cold 4. They will cause him to withdraw his Assisting presence that thou shalt not be so able to perform duty to resist temptation to bear affliction Thus secret sins will make you great losers by grâ—eving and quenching the Spirit of God Secret sins will exceedingly disturb the peace of thy Conscience They will make great gashes in thy soul they will wound surely they will wound sâ—ely and deeply They may make thee go with a sorrowful heart unto thy grave They may cost thee many a groan and sigh and tear many a prayer and strong cry to God before thy peace may be restored and thy Conscience healed and thy heart bound up They may be the breaking of thy bones and thy heart too that thou mayst think God is thine enemy Secret sins will hinder the growth of thy grace A constant coursâ— of allowed secret sinning argues the Nullity of grace and secret sins through carelessness 〈◊〉 by Gods people will hinder much the encrease of grace They will be like a frost to the blossom Like a Worm and Caterpiller to the fruits of the Earth Secret sins by experience you will find will much hinder your 1. Faith That you shall not believe so stedfastly 2. Desire You shall not thirst after God and Christ so strongly 3. Love You will not love God and Christ so Ardently 4. Delight You will not delight in God so frequently 5. Hope You will not hope for Heaven so livelily 6. Evidences You will not lay claim to heaven so confidently Secret sins will hinder your fervent praying and will stop the Audience of your prayers They will exceedingly damp your affections at the throne of grace and make you sneak in the presence of God that you cannot have that liberty and confidence in prayer because Conscience will be interlining thy prayers and say Thou prayest against this sin and yet thou didst not watch against it but didst knowingly commit it They will stop thy mouth that thou canst not speak and they will stop Gods ears that he will not hear Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Secret sins will harden thy heart and make thee more prone to commit open sins They will strengthen the evil habit of sin and make thee more incline to visible transgressions and increase the propensity of thy heart to greater evils Thus Judas giving way to secret covetousness did ripen the Inclination of his heart more and more to betray his Master Secret sins will stop the Communications of Gods secrets to thee There are some secrets of God which he doth not communicate to any man in this life Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to the Lord our God but things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law But there are some secrets of God that he doth reveal unto his people and to those that make conscience of secret sins Prov. 3.32 But his secret is with the righteous Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The Revealed things of the Gospel are secret things to wicked men the Gospel is hid to them 2 Cor. 4.4 Regeneration is a secret to them Faith in Christ is â— secret to them The joyes of the Spirit and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are things hidden from them But if you dare not allow your self in secret sinning you shall have many secret Intimations of the love of God unto your soul many secret illapses of his Spirit into your heart If you make conscience of secret sins you shall have an open reward What Christ saith concerning secret duties Mat. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in
existimant se aliquod bonis suis adjicere tandem pro the sauro inventuros dei indignationem Bez in loc Question Sixth Question Seventh Corollaries from the first part of this Direction The second part of the first Direction Ten Lessons to be learned in this City that hath been a great house of mourning Verity of divine threatnings Desert of sin Mans mortâ—lâ—ty The worlds vanity The uncertainty of all relatiâ—ns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they set forth to Sea Vâ—la daâ—t when they have done their voyage vela contra hunt Humility Parity in â—â—t â—â—d afflictions Difference â—n the â—anner Folly of delays Mortification Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better Perform your purpose pay your vows Seven Arguments for care to keep oâ—r resolutions made in time of fear and sickness The heart is deceitful Sin is encroaching Satan will assault The world will interrupt You will meet with opposition Concurrence of many duties re-qui-red Twenty Helps for keeping our Resolutions Watch against your Darling sin Signs of a beloved sin And against Temptation Sin is as odious to God when you are well as when you were sick Holiness in acâ— pleasing to God more than in purpose Sin is prejudicial â—hâ—n you are well as when you were sick Holiness in act will be sweeter to you than onely in purpose When you are well you are stil mortal Believe judgment to come Gods eye is upon you Keep conscience tender Choose a choise friend Gods purpose always the same to you Holy courage Zeal Frequent Self-reflexions Renew your Purpose It will bring great benefits Pray for strength Mortifie self-love and use self-denial Examples Fourteen Aggravations of neglect to live up to our holy Resolutions It is great hypocrisie Double Iniquity Creaâ—â—olly It is to lye to God * Oratio quando non est conformis menti dicentis dicitur falsa ethice quando non est conformis rebus est salsa logice To sin against conscience It will make death terrible It is great unthankfulness for your life It will make you loose the benefit of affliction It is to approve of sin after dislike If thou hadst dyed in thy sickness thou hadst been damned It encourageth the devil to tempt It provoketh God Hinders Prayer Begets doubtings Since you live look after the cure of soul-sickness Sin is the souls sickness Sickness of the Soul more dreadfull than of the Body Signs of the cure of soul-sickness How to be cured of soul-sickness Christ the soul-â—hysician Directions to give to God the glory of our souls cure The Reader is desired to make the following Direction the Fourth Be Eminent in your place and Relation Subjects Duties to Magistrates Ministers should be more in Studying Praying Preaching 10 Appellations shewing the work of Ministers Living exemplarily The Peoples Duty in hearing the word Governoâ—s of families must set up Gods Worship in their houses Why Wherein In praying Four Reasons for daily prayer in families Râ—adiâ—g the Word of God 4 Reasons for reading Scripture in Families Repeating things delivered in publick In Catechizing 4 Reasons for Catechizing in Families In singing Psalms How 〈◊〉 Really For five Reasons Livelily Chearfully Constantly Duties of husbands wives whom God hath spared in this Plague The properties of their love Superlative Constant Holy Tender Forgiving love The Reasons of their love Wherein they should manifest this love ☜ Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to children viz. Instruction Correction Prayer Choosing them a Calling Disposing them in Marriage Duties of Children whom God hath continued to their Parents Reasons for these Duties Duties of Masters whom God hath continued to Servants Duties of Servants whom God hath continued to Masters Watch against secret sins Abstain from secret sins Considerations to watch against secret sins God setteth secret sins in the light of his countenance Masked sins detected 4 Properties of Gods view of secret sins Secresie is no security It is a sign of sincerity God judgeth not by outward appearances To allow secret sin is great â—mpâ—iety Secret sins provoke God And grieve the Spirit And destroy your peace Hâ—nder grace And fervent prayer and prevent audience Do harden Stop communications of Gods secrets If you make conscience of secret sin you shall have an open reward In these you have least help from others Que. 2. Helps against secret sins God his eye Eâ—e judgment to come Deep hatred True fear Uprightness of heart Design Gods approbation Be watchful Suppress first motions of sin Sense of Gods love Secret duties Secret duties Secret things in Publick duties Secret evils in publick duties to be avoided Since you live after the Plague be dead to the World To the Profits of the world Are corruptâ—ble Hurtful Unprofitable Hurtful Uncertain Easily valued Unsatisfying To the Honours of the World To the pleasures of the World To the wisdom of the World ☜ Signes of a Man that is dead to the world Since you live after this Plague be dead to sin and be buried with Christ Believers are buried in 3. respects 2 Differences between the burial of our friends and our sins 5 Resemblances Comfort to those that are buried with Christ Since you live after this Plague walk in newness of life What newness of life doth not consist in In what consisteth newness of life The excellenâ—ies of a new life Hindrances of walking in newness of life Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a sense of this Mercy Helpes to be sensible of the Mercy of life If you have fewer objects of love left you love God so much the more Since you live remember what were the actings of conscience in time of danger and live accordingly Since you live after you have been in such danger trust God for the future Description of trust 8 Arguments to trust in God Six special times to trust in God Since you live after this Plague give thanks to God 3 Wayes you must Praâ—se God with your Tongue Heart Life 12 Arguments to thankfulness for life Psal 6.4 5. Psal 30.9 Isa 3â— 18 19. Mat. 20.22 23. Jer. 16.7 Psal 16.5 6 Helpes to thankfulness for life