may learn from the Story of Balaam the Southsayer who was Satan's Servant when he cannot curse the whole Camp of Israel he will do his utmost endeavour to curse some part thereof Numb 23.13,27 The 4 th Cursed Character and Property of this Adversary of Mankind is he is uncessantly as well as universally mischievous 'T is said of the Scorpion that there is no minute of Time wherein he doth not thrust out his Sting but he keeps it in a continual motion for a speedy poisoning of all whatsoever he can reach with it as before even so this Old Serpent or Scorpion the Devil is restless night and day and puts forth his poisonful Sting without ceasing to wound us in our Heels according to his Commission Gen. 3.15 that thereby he may transfuse his Venom from our Heels to our Hearts c. And 't is his constant custom to Assault us both sleeping and waking for he keeps no holy day as the Vulgar saying is nor will he make any Truce or Cessation of Arms with us and he will set upon us both in our Natural and in our Civil Actions yea and most of all in those that are Religious He doth not only tempt us to excess in our Food and Raiment but he will disturb us also in the Duties of our particular Callings yet higher above all we meet with most Disturbances in the Duties of our general Callings so that we can never serve the Lord either publickly or privately without Distraction from this Adversary 1 Cor. 7.35 Neither Week-day nor sabbath-Sabbath-day nay upon the Sabbath which signifies a Rest is this Satan the most Restless for while we are the busiest about God's Service and the concerns of our Souls then will he be a most Busie Devil with our Base Hearts to interrupt our Communion with Heaven c. This may have its Illustration from Drexelius his Vision whereof he gives us this account that he saw but one Devil at a Market upon the Week-day but he saw ten Devils present at a Sermon upon the Sabbath-day and being asked the reason of this difference of the number of Devils the good old Man thus answered That in a Market there was no need of any more than one Devil for there one Man would tempt another fast enough the Buyer the Seller and the Seller the Buyer c. but at a Sermon where all men do solemnly Devote themselves to God's Worship then ten Devils were few enough to distract them therein Thus we read how Satan thrust in among the Sons of God Job 1.6 2.1 1 Kings 21.10,13 As Satan ever since the Fall of Lucifer never had Rest Matth. 12.43,44,45 so he never would have Rest night or day unless he be in a sinner's heart c. The 5 th Cursed Character and Property of this our Adversary is that he is likewise irresistibly mischievous as to any Humane Power for Resisting him This is related before how the Innocentest Man Adam the strongest Man Samson and the wisest Man Solomon were none of them able to resist the Assaults of this strong Man Armed the reason is because his Angelical tho' now Diabolical Nature is too strong for any mere Humane Nature we are all as unable to withstand him 1. As the feeble Flye is the cunning Spider which most easily entangles her in his clammy Threads spun out of his own bowels whose first work is to intoxicate her as soon as entangled by infusing his poison into her head and then with more ease he draws her into his Den and there he sucks out her blood and her life both together Nor are we poor Mortals more able to resist this Strong Man Armed than 2. The silly Dove is to withstand the furious Assaults of the strong Eagle c. Thus the Devil is represented in Eph. 2.3 as a Prince-Fowl of the Air who hath the upper ground of us sorry Worms crawling upon the Earth and prying about like a Bird of prey to espy what silly Doves without hearts or understandings as Junius renders that Hos 7.11 as are wandring abroad for him to be preyed upon c. Nor 3. The simple Lamb can withstand the furious Lion when found wandring astray from the Sheepfold c. These similitudes do illustrate how Irresistible is our Adversary as to us to which many more may be added As 4. He is like the Hunter with his Nets 5. Like the Fowler with his Snares And 6. Like the Fisher-man with his Angling-Rods All these do most easily over-power the Beasts the Birds and the Fishes they meet with and so doth Satan over-power us yea and much more than so insomuch as he finds something in us which betrays us into his hands tho' it be otherwise said of our sinless Saviour to whom Satan came and found Nothing in him John 14.30 The 6 th Cursed Character of Satan he is everlastingly mischievous as he was a Murderer from the beginning John 8.44 so he will continue to be so to the end of the World as is hinted before Oh what a long Lease hath our Lord lent this Roaring Lion The number of this Infernal Beast is much above the number of the Apocalyptick Beast which was 666 years Rev. 13.18 or that longer Lease of 1260 years Rev. 11.3 This Beast hath already lasted above five thousand years and will ever last out-living all the Sons and Daughters of Men until Time shall be no more for as he is a Spirit so he cannot Die as we mortals daily Die c. therefore Man's Malady and Danger is like to last so long as there is a Man living to be tempted by this everlasting Tempter until our Lord chain him up c. CHAP. II. Man's Remedy and Deliverer HAving shewed at large Man's Malady and Danger in the first Chapter I come now in this second Chapter to shew Man's Remedy and Deliverer who is no other but our Blessed Lord whom Jacob calls his Redeeming Angel the Angel that Redeemed him from all evil Gen. 48.16 and who was named Jesus because he came into the World upon this only Errand that he might save us from our sins Matth. c. 1. v. 21. This Name Jesus may be derived from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sano to heal or rather from the Hebrew word Jashang which signifies to save from hence Joshua is called Jesus in Acts 7.45 for both those names do signifie Saviours and as that Joshuah saved Israel by bringing them out of the Wilderness into the Earthly Canaan so our Lord Jesus doth bring all the Israel of God his Redeemed ones out of the Wilderness of this present Evil World Gal. 1. v. 4. which is here below into that heavenly Canaan which is above And thus the Lord saith Vaani Jehovah Rophekah which signifieth I am a mighty Gyant like Healer of thee Exod. 15.26 upon which Text Tertullian makes this learned and Holy Descant Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit Morbus unto such an All-sufficient
Kind or Sex neither a weak Worm or a weak Woman but a Man one of the stronger Sex and not of the weaker 2. By his Quality a strong Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that can do all things Phil. 4.13 where the word is used Ben Chaiil Heb. a Man of Valour so strong that he is able to Trudge over all the World in his Travels notwithstanding his long continuance in this round walk he walk'd it in Job's days Job 1.7 2.2 as he says of himself when God summons him in to appear before him as in his High Court of Justice and he held on the same walking round about without weariness even in Peter's days 1 Pet. 5.8 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Peripatetick as before yea and he holds up still in the same walk and work even in our days for who among us cannot experience that a busie Devil and a base Heart do not daily meet together to work us Woe in our Way to Heaven This he still is able to do on Earth tho' he was hurl'd out of Heaven as Jude verse 6. now almost six thousand years ago yea and he will carry on the same Cursed Course even to the end of the Old World until our Lord come to lay hold upon this Old Dragon and bind him for a thousand years and so shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more till the 1000 years be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season Rev. 20.3 We read indeed of a sort of Philosophers that are call'd Peripateticks which signifies Round Walkers but none like this strong Trudgover who hath not only out-lasted and out-lived but also as it may be fear'd hath finally deceived all those Pagan Peripateticks c. 3. He is described by his Qualifications he is not only thus qualified as a strong Traveller but also as a strong Warriour therefore he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Armed and not barely so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in composition signifies Valdè or Validè compleatly Armed such are his Accoutrements and Habiliments of War that he is Armed Cap-a-pee as the phrase is a Capite ad Calcem from Head to Foot so that he is as Achilles was said to be in all parts impenetrable and not only so but as he is a Spirit he is impassive also as to man for 't is neither man's Words nor man's Blows that can wound this Spiritual Adversary who is hereupon found to be the more mortal an Enemy to man's Soul and Salvation Of this point I have spoke in the beginning of this Chapter If it be farther enquired how this strong Adversary is armed To this I answer in general He is verily a Goliah an Achitophel and a Doeg all in one together more particularly 1. He is Armed with an Arm of Strength as Goliah was so it may be said to the best of men what Saul said to David 1 Sam. 17.33 thou art not able to fight with this Philistin for thou art but a Stripling and he a Man of War from his Youth as Amnon was too strong for Tamar and so Ravished her c. 2 Sam. 13.12,13 And as the Betrothed Damsel could not stand before a man that rose up against her in the Field Deut. 22.26,27,28 Even so is this matter no man not the best of men who are but men at the best as before can be able to match this matchless Goliah no more than the silly Dove without Heart or Grace as Ephraim is called Hos 7.11 can match the strong Eagle or the simple Lamb the fierce Lion c. no more can any man who is but a poor worm Psal 22.6 make any effectual Resistance against this Prince Fowl of the Air Ephes 2.2 or against this Roaring Lion who hath still his concreated Strength of an Angel Zech. 12.8 for tho' he lost by his fall in his Morals yet not in his Naturals he is so strong still saith Luther that he is able to destroy the whole World in the space of one hour if the Lord would but permit him to lay forth his Angelical or rather Diabolical Strength to the utmost for such an end This strong man hath conquered all Persons yea even Adam Samson and Solomon as before and all People all Nations and Languages he hath with Saul slain his thousands and with David his ten thousands yea and with the Harlot Prov. 7.26 hath cast down and wounded both the many and the mighty He is the Master of Harlots as Rome is called the Mother of Harlots Rev. 17.5 Nor do we find in any Age of the World that any meer Mortal Man was ever able to match him at all times by any strength of his own none but that God-Man Jesus Christ was ever able to stand before him yet is it worth our observation Oh! what a prevailing Power had this strong man by Divine Permssion even over the pure sinless Body of our Saviour himself first in driving it into the Wilderness Mark 1.12,13 then in hugging it up to the top of the Pinacle of the Temple Matt. 4.5 and then in carrying it up likewise unto the top of an exceeding high Mountain Matt. 4.8 wherein this strong man did far out-do Goliah who could not do so to David's Body Nevertheless Christ became the stronger man as he is called Luk. 11.22 and did conquer him compleatly in all his three Temptations 2. As Satan is a Goliah for Strength and Power so he is an Achitophel for Craft and Policy he can over-wit us as well as over-power us 'T is said now the Serpent was more subtle than all the Beasts of the Field Gen. 3.1 So that old Serpent the Devil as he is called Rev. 12.9 and 20.2 is more crafty than all Mortals in the World this must needs be because the Wit of the Angelical Nature doth vastly transcend the Wit of the best Humane Nature Insomuch as his Wit is not so clogged and clouded with fleshly impediments which oft make the Mind of man to become a dim dark and confused Chaos by imprisoning the Truth and detaining it in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 that is the knowledge of Truth sometimes is as it were so locked up under restraint that our Consciences which are as a Prophet to the soul of man may not trouble us in our secure sinning against the Lord whereas the Wit and Understanding of Satan may be called Spiritual as he is a Spirit and not fettered with Flesh as we are therefore acts more freely and without disturbance so is more quick and piercing whereby he can more easily feel the Pulses of mankind and fit them all a suitable Temptation unto every Person 's Natural Temper he well knew what an Apple would do to Eve what a Grape would do to Noah what a Wedge of Gold would do to Achan what a Talent of Silver would do to Gehazi and many more such instances might be
5.28 even unto this very day Josh 22.17 notwithstanding all these difficulties yet may we be well assured that the Strong Tower of Babel in us shall â—n due time tumble down c. for all the Works of God are perfect Works Deut 32.4 That work which the Lord begins he will certainly finish Phil. 1.6 He will not leave his Work done to half part only and so to be carried on to perfection by some other hand c. for our Lord doth save to the utmost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 The Angel of the Covenant will redeem us as he did ouâ— Father Jacob from all evil Gen. 48.16 and deliver our Souls as he did David's out of all adversity 2 Sam. 4.9 and thâ— Lord that stood with Paul strengthneâ— him and delivered him out of the Moutâ— of the Lion and as he saith shall deliver me farther from every evil work 2 Tim. 4.17,18 This is great encouragement to us if indeed we be seriously at the work of battering down the Wall of Satan's Strong Holds in us and iâ— order of doing this the more effectually we must place our Souls under the mosâ— powerful Ministry so that every Sabbatâ— and every Sermon may promote in somâ— measure the battering down of its Wallâ— If those two Brethren in Iniquity did diâ— down the Wall of Shechem's House witâ— a wicked Mind for defiling their Sisteâ— Gen. 49.6 How much more ought wâ— with a godly Mind to be digging dowâ— the Walls of the Strong Holds of Satan who hath defiled and is still in defiling our precious Souls so as to damn them for ever From the History of the Walls of Jericho we may learn this Divine Lesson or this Mystery of Godliness as Joshua did compass round about Jericho with the Ark of God and his Conquering Army the compleat time of six days every day once yet the Walls did not fall all that time tho' they might be shattered and put into a trembling posture and severely shaken while this was in doing but upon the seventh or Sabbath-day they then did compass it seven times as before they had compassed it but once every six days Josh 6.2,3,4 and then it was that together with the Priests blowing of the Trumpets and the loud Shoutings of the People that the Walls of Jericho fell flat to the ground so that the People round about went up into the City every Man straight before him and took the City ver 5 and 20. and all this is said to be effected by Faith by Faith the Walls of Jericho fell after it had been compassed seven days Heb. 11.30 So after the same manner may the Walls of our Mystical accursed Jericho within us fall If the Ark of God's Presence be with us and we pass all along before it as they did Josh 6.8 and if we spend our time in Spiritual Meditation and not make any Noise with our Voâ—…s until our blessed Joshuah bid us Shout as it was there ver 10. and if the Pri sts blowing the Trumpets of Rams Hoâ—…s keep going on continually with us as ver 13. which sheweth how there must be the grace of perseverance we must hold up hold on and hold out to the end and the nearer we draw to our long Home then ought we to be much more labouring for a compleat Conquest as it was in Israels case there Their toil and travel was not greatly troublesome in their compassing Jericho but once at a time in all the six days but upon the seventh day they had the Task of compassing the City seven times one immediately after another and therefore it is said that they rose up early at the dawning of that day ver 25. even so ought we to lay out our continual endeavours to pull down the Walls of the Strong Holds of Satan even all the six days of our Lives yet shall we not find this demolishing work perfectly effected until the evening of our eternal Sabbath Whence we learn likewise that as upon every Sabbath-day we should take seven times more pains for the mortifying of sin and for the fortifying of grace than we do upon all the six days of the Week c. So when our last Sabbath approacheth we should stir up our selves to the utmost of our ability that we may then work out our Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 that we may make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and that we may make sure work for a better World before we go hence to be seen no more c. All this must be done by Faith also then down goes our Jericho Then our Lord Christ will say of us as he said of his Golden Church at Thyatira I know thy Works that thy last be better than thy first Rev. 2.19 Tho' our beginning was but small yet our latter end should greatly encrease Job 8.7 Our last days should be our best days in our earnest pursuit for Heaven As the Stone descending from an high Tower the nearer it approaches to its center the faster it flies and falls so the nearer we come to the end of our Race we ought to run with the greater speed that no Man no Devil no Thing may take our Crown from us which is promised only to those that overcome Rev. 3.11.12 For as old David literally spake to his Captains whosoever getteth up into the Gutter and smiteth the Jebusites and the Blind and the Lame Idols the hatred of David's Soul he shall be my General c. 2 Sam. 5.8 This Royal Motion Joab embraceth that he might recover the King's Favour which he had lost by his barbarous Murdering of brave Abner 1 Chron. 11.6 and he conquered the City out of the hands of the cursed Jebusites which was after called Sion and the City of David So our David Mystical maketh a more Royal Motion to us saying To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Rev. 3.21 in which place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is even as for because so the sense is because I also overcame therefore is it from Christ's love to us that we are made to over overcome as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Rom. 8.37 it was his helping hand that made David able to run through a Troop and to leap over the Wall Psal 18.29,34 as before And here is a greater Reward promised than Joab's Generalship which soon perished with himself But here is a Crown with this Inscription upon it Vincenti dabo to him that overcometh will I give it Rev. 2.10 and 6.2 and not only to wear a Crown among Royal Heads but also to sit upon Thrones above all Chairs of State Therefore it most highly concerns us to enquire whether with Joab we have scaled the Walls of the Strong Holds of Satan whether we have gained the Gutter which is done when we are
have I to live can I tast what I eat or drink c and how long have I to live ver 34. that is my Breath is corrupt or my Spirits are Spent my Days are extinct and the Grave is ready for me as Job speaks of himself Job 17.1 He was Senex quasi Seminex half dead and felt himself pedetentim mori to die by peace-meal even sensim sine sensu insensibly yielding every day somewhat to Death and therefore he tells David with a most thankful Heart that it was not adviseable for him to embrace his Royal Offer of a Courtly Life to him who was now superannuated and was already as it were dead both to Meat and Musick all such delights of the Sons of Men Eccles 2.8 Those days saith he are come upon me wherein I can have no pleasure Eccles 12.2,3,4 Therefore 't is high time now for me and for all such Aged Ones as I am to make and pack up our Fardles and prepare to pass hence into that better Country which is Heaven as the Holy Patriarchs did Heb. 11.13,14,15,16 My continuance can be but short here in this World saith old Barzillai to David and therefore I would not now leave my Habitation where I may retire and rest me from the Noise of the World but now my whole work is a firm resolve to make ready for Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 2 Sam. 19.35,36,37 1 Tim. 6.19 And indeed this is the indispensable Duty not only of such as are Old but 't is necessary for all that are Young to do so likewise because this Quantity and the length of the Lives of all Persons in all Ages is very uncertain the Proverb saith as soon goes the Lambs Skin to the Market as that of the Old Sheep the Young may die as well as the Old must die And 't is an old observation yea and a true one that there be more of Mankind which die under Ten Years old than they which live above Sixty Years We all live in Houses of Clay and our Foundation is in the Dust easily crushed as the Moth with the least touch of Man's Finger and much sooner are we crushed with the Finger of God Job 4.19 If our Cottages of Clay had a Foundation of Brass or Marble they might possibly stand some time in the World but seeing our best Foundation is no better than Dust call'd Terra Fricabilis which is so easily crumbled asunder in the Hand of a Child Oh 't is no less than a Miracle of Mercy that some of us do subsist so long alive upon the Earth seeing the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles as Paul calls the Body 2 Cor 5.2 are weak and the Foundation of our Clay-House is far weaker being but Dust light flying and unstable Dust which is soon wherried and whirled about with every puff of Wind Hence Man is not only a Clod of Clay neatly made up by a skilful Potter as was the first Man Adam of the Earth Earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 and a Lump of Dust Gen. 3.19 but also he is but an heap of Vanity yea at his best estate Kol-Adam Kol-Abel omnis Adam est totus Abel every Adam or Man is wholly Abel or Vanity even when he seems to be well underlaid on all sides and most setled and likeliest to live Psal 39.5,11 And again Adam Abel's compar est Adam is Abel's Mate Man is like to Vanity and as a Shadow that hath no substance in it or subsistence at all Psal 144.4 and he not only consumes away like a Moth as Psal 39.11 as before with the least touch the Moth is crushed but 't is said further that Man is crushed before the Moth Job 4.19 It is not said there before the Lion that would be no wonder but 't is said before the Moth to shew what a poor thing Man is when a Moth can crush him that a Fly can choak him as it did Pope Alexander that an Hair in a Mess of Milk may stifle him as it did great Marius the Roman General and as some say Pope Adrian also Thus Druslus the Emperor Claudius's Son was suffocated with a Pear that was cast up and catched by his Mouth in sport only Thus Aemilius Lepidus was destroyed by a light bruise upon his Toe Many such Stories I might relate of this Nature but to be short let me add only one more which I can both affirm and confirm upon my own knowledge that a great Lord of this Land who was my Patron c. that was brought to his Death only by paring a Corn upon his Toe which did after Gangreen and struck upwards whereof at last he died All these Instances with many more which might be added do demonstrate the uncertainty of our Lives as there is nothing more certain than our Deaths for that is established by the great Statute of Heaven that all Men must once die Heb. 9.27 yet as to the time of it there is nothing more uncertain especially considering how Man is destroyed from Morning to Evening Job 4.20 the Hebrew reading is he is beaten to pieces as in a Mortar with one Misery upon another until the very Breath be beaten out of his Body at length yea and all this from Morning to Evening that is not only all the day long but even all the life long which is here for its brevity compared to an Artificial Day and such as no Man can be sure he shall have twelve hours to his Day For how many are there whose Sun hath set at High-noon even in the prime and pride of their Days they have been snatcht away by the Hand of Death yea yet higher how many do we see whose Sun doth set at its very rising so that they are carried from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave even from their Birth to their Burial And assuredly we all every Hour as well as every Day do yield somewhat unto Death and nearer and nearer do we approach to our latter end yea and the longest liver of us hath but a short cut from the first Rising of our Sun to its last Setting from our Birth to our Burial The Psalmist saith that the Sun knoweth the time of its going down Psal 104.19 But this cannot be said of any of the Sons of Men that they know the time of their going down to the Grave good Isaac knew it not Gen. 27.1,2 except only Hezekiah who by a special dispensation from God knew it much less can we that are old know the time of our going down or the Quantity of our Old Age. The Jewish Rabbins do mention three Steps or Degrees in the measure of Old Age the first they call Senes the second they name Annosi and the third they stile Decrepidi and thus they reckon when a Man comes to be Sixty Years old such an one they reckon'd to be reached only to the Borders of Old Age passing along until he stepped on unto Seventy Years
time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 There be Times of Grace while the Word of the Gospel is preached to us and there be Seasons of Grace when the Spirit of God goeth along with God's Word and convinceth of sin c. John 16.8 Now such a season is the most beautiful part of time and how can we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 This is a quenching the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Opportunities are Headlong and once lost and past may never be recovered Therefore doth God in Scripture so earnestly press upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Now or Time present because so many persons are Semper Victuri as Seneca saith they promise to themselves that they shall yet live a little longer saying in Space will come Grace so they trifle out their Time and puts off the making of their Peace with God for the future and future their Duty so long until at last they fool away their own Salvation whereas delays are dangerous qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit he that is not fit to day will be less fit to morrow as the hinder Wheels of a Coach do pursue the former Wheels thereof all the day long and tho' they be much larger than the other and but at a very small distance of a yard or two from them yet they never overtake them Even so it is in this case one delay of making our Peace with God doth beget another from day to day and the latter Promise of Repenting pursues the former from time to time but never overtakes it Post est Occasio Calva Time hath no Lock behind its Head for us to take hold of whereby the hinder and the former part thereof may be made to meet together And know God will not always serve Men for a Sinning-stock from time to time and as Dr. Preston well observeth that in these Times of Grace the Lord is more quick and Peremptory in rejecting of such as dally with the Tenders of Peace God's time of tendering it is shorter now he will not wait so long as he was wont to do he will not suffer us to neglect it twice but if once past it will never dawn again 'T is true the long-suffering of God is Salvation Rom. 2.4 and 2 Pet. 3.15 but laesa patientia fit furor if we presume to abuse God's Patience then it turns into Fury and we are but treasuring up to our selves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and therefore we ought to catch at present Opportunities as Millers and Mariners do catch at present Gales and make use of them when they come and as Watermen take the opportunity of the Tide all well-knowing that neither Wind nor Tide nor Time will stay no Man's Leisure or Pleasure they all are in God's fist Prov. 30.4 who hath alone the Royalty of these his Creatures and not in the power of Man We ought therefore to catch at the Season of Grace as we hear the Eccho doth at the Voice loudly spoken in Places of Reverberation even in the very nick of Time Thus we find David did no sooner had he heard God speaking seek ye my Face but immediately his Heart being inspired by the Spirit to a gracious compliance did as it were eccho back again thy Face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 And the like Eccho or quick Answer we find in the Church to her Lord who no sooner had said to her Return ye back-sliding Children and I will heal your backslidings She presently Answers Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 The Church was thus moved to yield her ready Obedience unto her Lord's Command because the power of the Lord was present to heal her as Luke 5.17 And indeed every godly person hath as it were the duplicate and counter-part of God's Law written in his Heart and is willingly cast into the Mold of his Word as Rom. 6.17 may be read to wit ye have obeyed from the heart that Form Type or Mold of Doctrine into which ye were cast The Doctrine of the Gospel is the Mold and the Hearts of Hearers is the Mettal which when sufficiently melted in the Furnace being purged from the Dross c. is then poured into the Mold and willingly receiveth that Form and Figure of that Type or Vessel that it is cast into taking Impression from it in one part as well as another and receives its Form in the whole Oh that it may be so with us to acquaint now our selves with God while he calls us and be at peace with him This is done if we return to God speedily by Repentance from whom we have so shamefully revolted and against whom we have so notoriously rebelled our Lord calleth loudly upon us duly and daily To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal 95.7,8 Heb. 3.7,8 as in the day of Provocation It must be done to day while the Gales of Grace continue blowing and breathing 't is the Cry of that unclean Bird the Crow Cras Cras that is to Morrow to Morrow will be soon enough If we harden our own Hearts by Unbelief as our choice to day God may lay Hardness of Heart upon us as our Judgment to morrow so that neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy may possibly Mollifie them But on the other hand if the Lord move our Hearts to make such a quick Eccho and gracious Answer to God's Call and Command as Samuel did by the Instruction of Good Old Eli speak Lord for thy Servant now heareth 1 Sam. 3.9,10 and as Saul said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 This is a blessed evidence that God hath bored our Ears and we shall say then Lo we come to do thy will O God and we delight in doing it Psal 40.6,7,8 Christ's people are willing in the day of Christ's power Psal 110.3 they then will make haste and not delay Psal 119.59,60 yea it should be our Meat and Drink to do God's Will as it was to our Lord Joh. 4.34 Now if we can but find any promptness in our Wills and Affections to turn our Hearts from sin and return to God without delays we shall then be at peace with him and he with us yea and thereby good shall come unto us Job 22.21 we shall be happy and it shall be well with us Psal 128.2 We shall have a Cornucopia even a confluence of all manner of contentments and comforts even good Temporal good Spiritual and good Eternal then Peace will be within our Walls and Prosperity within our Tabernacles Psal 122.7 To conclude this Point if we who are Aged have delayed hitherto to make our peace with God we have burnt Day-light too much already 't is high time to use expedition The putting off of this day and the next and half a day cost the Levite very dear Judg. 19,7,8 c. As that Old Man courted
and cozened that Levite so Satan cozens us when we have a mind to look towards Heaven our Foe saying to us be content I pray you c. what haste hereafter is soon enough c. but we must be peremptory for the Evening hasteth on us a-pace c. and God forbid we should go to Bed the Grave at last without saving Light when the night of Death cometh on us The Fourth Duty of all Aged Ones is seriously to consider the many wearisom Evils which Old Age is now about to bring upon us whereof Solomon giveth a particular description of after he had stiled Old Age an Evil Age in the general Eccles 12.1 Then he proceedeth to describe more distinctly what those decays of Nature in Old Persons be which make their days so evil and unpleasant ver 2 to 7. and these be of three sorts of Infirmities First Some such as do befall the former part of Old Age while as yet we are able to go abroad ver 2. to the former part of ver 5. Secondly Other Decays that attend our Decrepid Old Age when Death is very near approaching to us and our selves are drawing fast toward it in the latter part of ver 5 with ver 6 7. Thirdly and Lastly He describes Death it self ver 7. All this distinct description doth the wisest of Men leave upon Divine Record that it might the more awaken us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 That we all may with all expedition make sure work for a better World before we go hence to be seen no more Now the Decays of Old Age in its former part whilst as yet we are able to walk abroad be 1 st The Darkness of all the Lights that are about us whether they be Natural as of the Sun Moon and Stars c. or Artificial Lights such as Candles Torches c. This Darkness cometh not not from any Decay of those Lights but from the Dimness of our own Sight hence cometh our need of Spectacles c. It implies also that all the comforts and and contentments which we formerly enjoyed in our Younger Years are now turned into Discomforts into Diseases Aches and Pains which darken greater and lesser Comforts We then see through a Glass Darkly as the Apostle saith in another case 1 Cor. 13.12 The defluction of Rheum which trickleth down the Cheeks I here speak my own experience doth continually distil it self out of the Head and as it were the returning of the Clouds after the Rain ver 2. as it falls out in our April weather no sooner is one Shower unburdened but another is Brewed much more in the Winter of Old Age And thus likewise Deep calleth upon Deep at the noise of the Water-spouts Psal 42.7 that is one Affliction comes upon the Neck of another without intermission like the Billows of the Sea that come rolling and tumbling one after another yea and like Job's Messengers that hastened with their evil Tidings to him so as that they were even ready to tread upon the Heels one of another Thus it falls out more especially where Old Age is the Successor and a wild wanton Youth hath been its Predecessor from whence many a violent Storm hath been long battering and beating upon this House of Clay So that if the Saddle be set upon the right Horse we ought to blame the Vanity if not Villany of our Youth for all the Sorrows and Infirmities yea sufferings in our Old Age. The 2 d Decay that Solomon saith attendeth Old Age of the first Rank or Degree is ver 3. that the Keepers of the House shall Tremble to wit the Arms and Hands which are our defence for the Head and whole Body called an House oft in Scripture from any harm impending upon us for maintaining our Lives which are therefore called the Lives of our Hands Isai 57.10 because our Lives are upheld by the labour of our Hands but alas how little labour can the trembling Hands of Old Age which oft brings Palsiâ—s and other weaknesses accomplish Thus the Preacher doth Draw to the Life the very Picture of Old Age and most elegantly continueth and carries on this Mystical Allegory adding here the 3 d Decay The Strong Men shall bow themselves that is the Legs and Thighs shall then begin to bend and buckle in the Knees cripling and crinkling under us so that they sometimes be unable to bear the burden of the Body insomuch that one of the five Characters of Old Persons is to have a Leg in their Hand to support their feeble and tottering Tabernacles the Body therewith they stand in need of a Staff or Crutch Hence Hesiod calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Three Legg'd And Virgil's Phrase is Genua Labant the Knees do languish c. And Membra levant Baculis Tardique Senilibus Annis Slow-paced Seniors stay up their Sides with Staves in their Hands The 4 th Decay in this Allegory and Allusion is the Grinders shall cease because they are few that is the Teeth shall then be unable to chew any Meat because they are either loose or lost with Age for as Teeth come not with us into the World when we are born so they commonly leave us in Old Age before we leave the World when we die And this is another of the five Characters of Old Persons that they wear their Teeth at their Girdle to wit the Knife that is stuck there to be drawn at the Table out of its Sheath for shredding their Meat very small with it and make Food fit for manducation because Meat must be well masticated before it be transmitted into the Stomach for a more mature Digestion And Teeth are as hard as Stones therefore are they fitly compared to Milstones for their Grinding-work as they are called Grinders here Hereupon Juvenal wittily alludeth Frangendos misero Gingiva Panis Inermi which is in English 'T is a misery to Old People that they must break their Bread with Toothless Gums The 5 th Decay is when those that look out at the Windows are darkened that is the Eyes grown dim or blind as they did in Old Isaac Gen. 27.1 c. who could not discern a difference betwixt his two Sons Esau and Jacob c. and as they did also in Old Jacob whose Eyes were dim for Age Gen. 48.10 c. Where good Joseph thought that his Father Jacob had made such a mistake of Ephraim for Manasseh as his Grandfather Isaac had done before through his dimness of Eyes in his blessing Jacob the Younger for Esau the Elder c. This dimness of Sight is assuredly a very heavy affliction ver 3. which is a degree of Darkness higher than that which is mentioned in ver 2. when our very Spectacles are become helpless to us But 't is the greatest Affliction to such as have had their Eyes full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 because in