Angels Min. No Friend God is not an Angel at all God is a Spirit uncreated having his being of himself infinite and eternal the Angels are creatures were made by God are finite have a beginning Col. 1.16 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones and dominions principalities or powers all the Angels were made by God Str. I believe Sir what you say concerning God and the Angels Min. Where is God think you Str. Why God is in heaven Minister What is God no where els but in heaven Stranger Yes I hope he is in the hearts of all good people also Min. Is God in hell also Str. No not in hell unless by his power onely Min. Yes God is in hell also and that not onely by his power but in his essence and being or else How is God infinite if he be not every where Str. What you say is true but I never heard so much before Min. Friend How many Gods be there Str. There is but one God Min. Is there not God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost And are there not then three Gods Str. Yes Sir three Gods Min. No Friend three persons indeed but onely one God Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. Str. Yea three persons and one God I remember it now Minister Having said something concerning God what think you Friend concerning your self Are you a sinner against this God or no Stranger Yes Sir we are all sinners God help us Min. Why Friend which of the Commandments of God have you ever broken Str. Sir I break them all every day in thought word and deed Min. Say you so Friend let us come to each particular Commandment Did you ever break the first Commandment Thou shalt have c Str. No Sir I believe there 's but one God Min. What say you to the second Commandment Thou shalt not make c Str. I am sure I have not broken this Commandment I am no Papist I abhor Images I am a Protestant and so was my father before me Min. Did you ever break the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c Stranger No Sir I am no common Swearer it may be I let fall an Oath now and then as others do but I am sorry for it when I have done Minister What think you of the fourth Commandment Do you keep holy the Sabbath Str. Yes truly Sir I keep the Church all my Neighbours can bear me witness I hear our own Minister sometimes I stay at home but not very often Min. For the fifth Commandment Honour thy Father c. Have you broken this Commandment Str. I hope not much Sir my father and mother were they alive would say I was as good a child as any they had and we were so many of us Min. What think you of the sixth seventh and eighth Commandments Thou shalt not kill commit adultery steal Have you broken these Commandments Str. I hope not for I am no murderer no adulterer no thief Min. For the ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour have you kept or broken it Stranger I hope I have not broken it for I never took a false Oath against any man in my life Minister What think you of the tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet c Are you guilty or not Str. Covet would I were as free from other sins as I am from Covetousness if you would have me tell you the truth I am to blame rather on the other hand I spend my money too fast Min. Oh Friend how do these things stand together you said even now that you broke all the Commandments every day in thought word and deed and now I have dealt with you upon each particular Commandment you clear your self in all as if you had broken none of the Commandments in thought word or deed Str. I pray Sir tell me something that I may understand my self better Min. Know Friend that you are grievously ignorant and that Satan the god of this World hath miserably blinded you that your heart fearfully deceiveth you pray earnestly to God that he would inlighten you hear read the Scriptures Catechisms and other good Books remember Sermons go to the Minister intreating him to instruct you in the principles of Religion grow acquainted with good people talk and discourse much with them about heavenly matters and by the blessing of God in a little time you will come to know God more and your self better Stranger I thank you heartily Sir and when I come home I purpose to think of your counsel and to follow it Minister Say and hold Friend and remember that a blind ignorant Soul is worse than a dark and blind body And that the soul be without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 Str. I hope I shall remember what you have said to me as long as I live and I confess I am a sinner Min. Are you guilty of Adam's sin in his eating the forbidden fruit Str. No Sir that was long before my time I know nothing of it Min. Yes Friend I and you and all Mankind except Christ are guilty of Adams first sin Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all for that all have sinned Stranger True Sir now I remember my self I have heard them say that we are all guilty of Adam 's sin because we were all in his loins Minister I have heard them say you must not build your faith upon hear-sayes but upon the written Word of God and for your reason why we are guilty of Adam's sin because we were all in his loins that 's not the main reason for then we should be as well guilty of the sins of our Fathers and Grandfathers c. for we were in their loins also Str. How then I pray you came we to be guilty of Adam 's first sin Min. Why thus Adam was a publick person representing all Mankind and the Covenant of life made with him was not for himself only but for all his posterity so that when he sinned we sinned when he fell we fell with him in that his first transgression Stranger I must needs confess that I am guilty of Adam 's first sin Minister Friend You and I are not only guilty of Adam's first sin but also of many actual transgressions You said even now that sometimes you let fall an Oath in your common discourse which is swearing and taking the Name of God in vain and you said truly also that we break the Commandments of God in thought word and deed and the Scripture saith Rom. 3.23 All have sinned c. So that you and I and all men are sinners certainly Str. I acknowledge Sir that I am a sinner Min. Yea Friend but are you such a sinner as that you deserve
he and he alone is the Saviour of all Gods elect and chosen people Matth. 1.21 His Name is called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved And many such like places in the Scriptures plainly shew That whoever be saved are saved by Christ onely Str. True Sir now you remember me of it I have heard our Minister speak often concerning Jesus Christ Minister Friend what think you concerning Jesus Christ Stranger Why I think he is an Angel the biggest of them all Min. No Friend Christ is not an Angel he made the Angels Col. 1.16 as before Str. Sir if he be not an Angel then he is God in heaven Min. Friend Is Christ think you now he is in heaven God or man Str. Sir I think he was a man when he was on earth but now he is God in heaven Min. Then Christ is not man now he is in heaven is he Str. No surely now he is in heaven he is not a man Min. Yes surely Friend he is very man now he is in heaven yea God and man in two distinct natures and one person and so will he be for ever Str. Truly Sir I never thought that Christ had been man now he is in heaven Min. Friend if you never thought so yet you have said so many and many a time Stranger What I Sir Minister Yes you Friend you have said over the Creed an hundred and an hundred times have you not Str. Yes that I have constantly when I go to bed and when I rise in the morning I seldom miss it Min. And when you say I believe in God c. You say That you believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried who the man Christ Jesus that he rose again from the dead ascended into heaven and there sitteth c. and that he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead who the man Christ Jesus and yet now you say you think he is not man in heaven see Friend by the way how well you mind what you say when you run over the Creed Str. Sir now I believe that Christ in heaven is God and man Min. That Christ is not only God but man also Paul tells us 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus Hebr. 7.24 But this man speaking of Christ continueth for ever Stranger Sir I confess you prove what you said by plain Scriptures Minister Friend you say you hope now to be saved by Jesus Christ but how so what hath Christ done for mans salvation Str. Why he dyed Min. Friend would not the death of another of Abraham Moses of David Peter or Paul saved us as well as the death of Jesus Christ Str. No. Min. Why not Str. Because God appointed him to be our Saviour Min. Friend you say well and let me farther tell you that no meer man could save us but Christ being God as well as man had an infinite worth and vertue in his obedience his doings and sufferings and so was able to satisfie and did satisfie the infinite Justice of God whom we had offended by our sins Str. Sir how prove you this Minister Why thus Friend the blood of Christ was not the blood of a meer man but the blood of God also to wit of the person which was and is very God Acts 20.28 The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood to wit with the blood of Christ who was and is not only very man but very God Stranger Sir I thank you for telling me this which I never thought of before Min. Friend since salvation is alone by Christ how and which way do you think to have an interest in Christ and salvation by Christ Str. Why by believing and faith in Christ and I have alwayes had a strong faith Godward as I said before Min. Did you then never doubt or question your spiritual estate was you never afraid of going to Hell Str. No Sir never in my life I was never troubled in my mind nor I hope never shall be Min. Say you so Friend it is better to be troubled here awhile than to be troubled in Hell for ever sin will bring trouble sooner or later here or hereafter as I told you even now Stranger Sir this seems strange to me Minister Friend did you never hear how those who were converted Acts 2.37 Cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved And how Paul at his conversion cryed Acts 9.6 Lord What wilt thou have me to do Str. Yes Sir But must it be so with all that believe and go to Christ Min. Friend possibly some few who were born of godly Parents and have had religious education from their childhood have not been so sensible of their want of Christ have not had those fears and troubles which others have had yet all who are savingly brought to Christ are more or less sensible of their want of Christ of the worth of Christ and therefore have Christ and his righteousness in deared to them Philip. 3.8 Counting all but dross and dung that they may be sound in Christ Holiness is highly prized and embraced by them sinne imbittered and made odious to them all their dayes Stranger But what is Gods usual way of dealing with men in their conversion Minister Gods usual way is to convince men of sin righteousness and judgment Joh. 16.8 Making men sensible of sin and misery of their lost estates in themselves of their disability to help themselves or of finding help any where but in Jesus Christ Mat. 9.12 The whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick when sick of sin then and not till then do the children of men make out after Jesus Christ Str. Sir you have satisfied me in this that there is no way to be saved but by faith in Jesus Christ and that none go to Jesus Christ but such as find an absolute necessity of going to Christ for life Min. Friend it 's well you are come to this do you then believe in Jesus Christ Str. Yes Sir with all my heart I stedfastly believe that Christ came into the World to save sinners Minister And do not you think that the Devils believe as much as all this Stranger I can't tell Min. Friend there 's no question of it but that the Devils do believe that Christ is the Son of God Mat. 8.29 that he came into the world to save sinners they believe that the threatnings true which makes them tremble Jam. 2.19 Str. Sir what you say is true but I believe that Christ dyed for me in particular Min. Friend how know you that You do not think that all who hear of Christ shall be saved by Christ Luke
up their wits and busying their minds to find out the meaning of his riddle that mirth which carries this design the profit of our selves or others is lawful and laudable 3. 3 To make way for what is serious To facilitate the passage for rebukes or advice serious and weighty which with some go down smoother in a merry word then in plain and downright language so that cheariness of speech helps to gild over and sweeten the bitter Pills of reproof and counsel which are therein swallowed down no stob made but taken better in a jest than in earnest This way of dealing with others in ironical language is frequent in the Scriptures of the old and new Testament Solomon Rejoyce O young man c. and since you are so wilful and heady heed no advice that is given to you go on take your course see what will come on it But know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Eccl. 11.9 Take one of many in the new Testament Paul saw the Corinthians were a proud conceited people though Christians and good for the main see how he taunts them 1 Cor. 4.8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and all in an holy loving ironie 3. 3 Attended with affections Our civil mirth as it must be well seasoned well designed so also must it be well attended with suitable affections and such Christian graces as the present occasion calls for To instance in a few particulars 1. 1 Fear There should be in our greatest and highest mirth an holy fear and awfull dread of God upon our spirits merriment is a kind of boiling liquor will soon run over if not well watched and looked unto we should rejoyce in the Lord yet with fear and trembling Psal 2.11 and when we express our inward joy by outward mirth be it in feasting and dayes of thanksgiving yet still with fear and trembling It is laid by the Apostle and charged as a crime upon those seducing teachers that they did feed themselves without fear Jude 12. To feed without any fear of God or reverence to the Church the Saints with whom they did eat all their Love Feasts is Bezas note upon the place 2. 2 Sympathy With Christian Sympathy being duely sensible of and deeply laying to heart the miseries of others especially the distresses of Zion at home or abroad Amos 6.5 6 7. To chant it to the sound of the viol and drink wine in bowles but not to be grieved for the afflictions of Joseph is a provocation threatned and plagued with desolation Therefore shall they go captive with the first that go Captive c. 3. 3 Sorrow With godly sorrow mourning for the sin whilst we rebuke the sinner Love to God and our neighbours and our selves will ingage us in both mourning and rebuking also and without this all our Civil mirth will end in heaviness Prov. 14.13 Having laid down directions for the well managing of Christian Conference in the actual exercise of it and that both negatively and positively let me adde 3 Direction in Transition A third Direction which is by witty yet wise transitions to pass and slip off from common discourse into discourses more serious and spiritual As 1. From the words of others of others Our Lord Jesus Christ hath pattern'd and fairly copied this out to us by his own example Joh. 4.6.15 He being weary sat down on Jacobs well and presently a woman of Samaria coming out to draw water Christ glides into a gracious discourse with her about living water the water of life which he himself was Again having rebuked his Carnal hearers who followed him for the loaves sake he passeth into a holy and large discourse touching the bread of life which he himself was so preaching the Gospel from place to place So when Simon Peter was astonished at the draught of Fishes Christ said to him From henceforth thou shalt catch men Luk. 5.9 10. I might be very large herein But why all this surely for our imitation that we might go and do likewise When others are speaking of buying and selling what good penny-worths they had mind them of buying the truth and not selling it and of buying wine and milk Christ his Spirit grace and glory and that without price and without mony Isa 55.1 the best bargain that can possibly be made and the best penniworth that Earth or Heaven it self affordeth If the talk be what good news is stirring put in saying the Gospel the glad-tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ is the best newes which ever was told to or heard by mankind since the world was If the stream of discourses run concerning great feasts that any have made or been at what fat Venison they had what plenty of the best wines they drank of turn the stream and speak of that royal Princely feast made by the King of Kings and that for all his subjects by Christ for believers A feast of fat things full 〈◊〉 marrow of wine upon the lees well refined Isa 25.6 Math. 22.2 10. When we hear others talking of fair houses and stately buildings let it draw out our discourse concerning that building of God that house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2. Cor. 5.1 If of the Citie rebuilding which work the Lord prosper then speak of Abraham how he and all believers the spiritual seed of Abraham looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 If the discourse be touching the vast estate and revenues that such or such an one is possessed of or heir apparent to so many hundred or thousand pounds per annum then declare how the poorest Saint outvies and outweighs the greatest Prince King or Emperour yea all of them laid together for he is born to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for tihm 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. All worldly inheritances are corruptible as the world it self is but the inheritance of the Saints incorruptible and abideth for ever worldly â—â—heritances are usually much defiled both in the getting and keeping of them in ways sinful when restitution is not made of what was ill gotten when God is not honoured with their substance c. either for the maintenance of an able Ministery or for the relief of the poor but rather spending their estate upon their lusts pride gluttony drunkenness gaming whoring c. but still the inheritance of the Saints is undefiled both in the getting and keeping of it by the purchase and mediation of Jesus Christ and the Saints using of it which will be in the glorifying of God with it and for it for ever and ever yet again all worldly inheritances fade away but the inheritance of the Saints fades not away as flowers do or as the Laurels did with which the Victors in the Olympick games were crowned which though green when