beginning it is said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And in the close it is added The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it that is sanctified it and set it apart to be wholly consecrated to him and to his worship and service That Parents and Masters of Families may the better discharge their duty herein observe these directions 1. Look that your Children and Servant go with you to the Ministry of the Word and let none be left behind without necessary and urgent occasion It being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the reforming of their lives and the saving of their souls When Iacob went to Bethel to Worship he took his whole houshold with him When Elkaâ—ah went up to offer unto the Lord his Sacrifice all his house went with him In like manner do thou carry thy houshold with thee to the house of God 2. After the publick Ordinances be carefull to call together all under thy charge and let there be a repetition of the Sermons Preached either by thy self or some one of thy Family who can write best And then examine them one after another What they remember of the Sermons they have heard labouring to make them plain unto them and to apply them also Thus did our blessed Saviour with his beloved Disciples for after his Preaching when he was come home he said unto them Have ye understood all these things which ye have heard And Mark saith When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords dayes after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly much good will hereby redound as unto your selves so likewise unto all under your charge For 1. It will make them give better attention unto the Ministry of the Word when they know they shall be called to an account and examined what they have heard 2. It would much help and confirm as your selves so your Children and Servants in the understanding and believing of what hath been delivered publickly by the Minister if you would repeat and search the proofs of Scripture which were brought for the confirmation of the doctrine III. Another duâ—y to be performed in and with your Families for the better sanctification of the Lords day is singing of Psalms which as it was much practised by the Saints and people of God of old under the Law so is it both a lawfull and a meet thing to be used by Christians now under the Gospel and that as publickly in the Church so privately in the Family 1. We find it was an ancient custome of the people of God to sing Psalms in their Families according to that of the Psalmist the voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the righteous that is in the dwelling places and houses of good men 2. We have our Saviour herein for a pattern of whom it is recorded that after the eating of the Passeover which was in a private house he sung a Psalm with his Family IV. Another duty to be performed in and with your Family for the better â—anctification of the Lords day is Reading some part of the holy Scriptures whereof before Chap. VII As also some good Sermon or Treatise of practical truths V. Another duty is Family-prayer Whereof before Chap. VI. VI. Another is Catechising those under your charge whereof see Chap. VIII A conscionable performance of these will exceedingly help forward the sanctification of the Lords day and that without tediousness VII Another duty incumbent on Parents and Masters is godly conference Conferring before your Children and Servants about some good and profitable matter especially of the Sermons you have heard The counsel which the Apostle giveth concerning our words and discourses as it ought to be carefully observed and followed by us at all times so especially on the Lords day Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of ediâ—â—ing that is to the winning of them who are not converted or to the further building up of those who are already converted And the Prophet Isaiah forbiddeth the speaking our own words on the Sabbath day that is all discourses which are meerly Worldly and about earthly things more than charity and necessity requireth Under which prohibition of not speaking our own words is implyed a direction to speak the word of God or those things which tend to the honour of God and the spiritual good of others VIII That you may the better discharge your duty in looking to the sanctification of the Lords day Be sure you suffer none under your roof to spend any part thereof either in idleness or in sports and pastimes 1. Not iâ— idleness it being not a day of idleness but of spiritual action 2. Not in sports and pastimes especially such as tend to carnal and sensual delight For the Lord hath forbidden every man the following his own pleasure on his holy day And the truth is sports and pastimes are greater impediments to the worship and service of God than the ordinary works of our calling in that they do more subtilly steal away the heart from holy duties than those do Whereupon St. Austin thought it better to plow on the Lords day than to dance and sport Obj. Some Object and plead the hard labour their servants have undergone the week before and thence think they may be allowed a little recreation on the Lords day A. 1. The rest of the Lords day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies who have been tired with labour the six dayes before And if they be spiritually minded the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their souls is singing of Psalms the perusing their spiritual evidences for Heaven the solacing themselves in the meditation of Christ of what he hath done and suffered for them holy conference and the like 2. If you think bodily recreations necessary for your servants health why do you not rather allow them some part of your own time on the week-dayes than to rob God of any part of his day which he hath wholly appropriated to the duties of his Worship and service Whereas the Lord might have reserved six dayes for himself and allowed but one unto us he hath dealt so bountifully and graciously with us as to reserve but one to himself and leave six for our business And shall we be so ungratefull as to encroach upon it and Sacrilegiously steal away some part of that small time which he hath reserved to himself for our Servants recreation CHAP. X. Of Exemplary lives in Parents and Masters of Families V. ANother duty incumbent on Parents and Masters of Families is To shew themselves patterns of piety and Godliness unto their Children and Servants by an holy
or such evil purpose And now at length resolve to be thrifty to be more watchfull over your selves and more provident for hereafter You have but a little time to live yet much may be done in that little Throw not away that inch which remains after the many years that are gone and can no more be recalled 4. Consider the shortness of thy life it is but a moment to eternity And is it not pitty to lose any thing of that which is precious and short 5. Consider as the shortness So the uncertainty of thy life You know what was said to him who promised life to himself for many years Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee And it may be thou maist this next night receive the like doom And if thy time be ended and thy work to be begun oh how sad is thy case like to be 6. Consider as the shortness and uncertainty of thy time So the greatness of the work to be performed therein thy Lusts must be mortified thy graces strengthned thine evidences for Heaven cleared up c. Here is a great deal of work to be done in a little time Doth it not then concern thee speedily to bestir thy self and not to lose a minute 7. Consider the present time is only thine to improve Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Oh then why wilt thou trifle away the time which is properly thine and promise to thy self great things in a time which is none of thine For even the next hour yea the next minute thou maist be cut off by the stroak of death and then all opportunities of doing and receiving good are taken away II. Another singular thing which the Regenerate ought to do above others is To embrace every opportunity of doing and receiving good By doing good I mean not only beneficence to the poor but also a conscionable performance of all Christian duties whether they concern the glory of God the edification of our brethren or the Salvation of our own souls Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might saith the Wise man that is whatsoever opportunity of doing good is afforded unto thee do it vigorously and speedily not deferring it till it be too late Mark his reason in the next words For there is no work in the grave whither thou art going As if he had said In this life thou hast many opportunities of doing good but in the grave thou shalt have neither power nor opportunities When thy night cometh there is an end of working therefore while it is day and while thou hast an opportunity up and be doing Doth the Lord afford unto thee any opportunity either of laying up for thine own soul or of laying out for the good of thy brothers soul be carefull to embrace the same yea and to improve it to the best advantage Having a price put into thy hands oh let it not carelesly slip away left thou full dearly repent thereof saying Oh what an opportunity have I lost of benefiting both my self and others how might I have furthered both mine own and others Salvation by building up one another in the most holy faith But fool that I was I have carelesly neglected these precious opportunities which will never never be regained Oh how will the thought thereof one day or other gall thy Conscience That thou maist be the more stirred up to embrace and improve every oportunity God by his providence affordeth unto thee 1. Consider how worldly men hugg their opportunities for the World and wilt not thou embrace thy opportunities for Heaven The tradesman neglects not his opportunity of buying and selling but carefully attends the same The Merchant will not lose his Exchange-time nor the Marriner his Wind and Tyde The Lawyer will not lose his Terms Nor the Husband-man his Seed-time or Harvest If thou lose thy Seed-time of grace thou thereby losest the Harvest of glory 2. Consider how few thy remaining opportunities may be For ought thou knowest the time is near at hand when thy praying opportunities and hearing opportunities and receiving opportunities and relieving opportunities with the like will be past and gone How then doth it concern thee to improve them whilest thou hast them and to use thy present as if it were the last season and opportunity would be afforded unto thee If thou art in the company of a godly experienced Christian thou hast then an opportunity of gaining much spiritual good and advantage to thine own soul as by observing his graces so by propounding thy doubts and scruples unto him Oh let not such an opportunity pass away without some spiritual improvement If thou art called to visit a dying friend or neighbour oh what an opportunity hast thou put into thy hand to do his soul good by advising him to think of death and to prepare for it to make his peace with God to cast himself and the burthen of his sins upon Christ to build the hope of his salvation only upon that rock the Lord Jesus Christ. If in walking abroad or travelling on the road thou fall into company what good maist thou do by some savoury and spiritual discourse of God or of mans miserable condition by nature or of the state of redemption by Jesus Christ or the like oh how much might thy care this way abound to thy account Remember the words of the Apostle Exhort one another daily while it is called to day If the Lord hath given thee a Family and furnished thee with abilities for their instruction and edification let not the souls that are with thee be lost through thy neglect Thou hast daily opportunities to be sowing thy seed in their souls which may spring up to their eternal life And for thy neighbours that live about thee let them find thee a good neighbour to them and that they will best do if thou endeavour to help them to be good Christians CHAP. XX. Of performing good duties after a right manner III. ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is To be carefull of the manner of performing good duties Not only to be conscionable in the use of Ordinances but likewise to work up their hearts to a conscionableness in the manner of doing them 1. For therein especially is our respect to God manifested As for the duties themselves many respects may induce us to the outward performance of them as obedience to authority desire of a good name hope of meriting thereby or the like But it is respect to God who searcheth the heart that moveth men to do the good duties they take in hand after a right manner so as they may be pleasing and acceptable unto him 2. The most holy duties we take in hand are clean perverted and depraved through our failing in the manner of performing them Yea holy duties are thereby turned into sin as the Prophet Isay implyeth He that killeth an Ox for Sacrifice is as if
be sure to have free place Where the light of knowledge is not set up by Catechising there the deeds of darkness will be sure to break forth Where there is no spâ—aking to God by Prayer nor speaking of God by Catechising you may be sure there will be speaking against God and all the wayes of holiness 4. It is the ground of that barrenness and unfruitfulness under the Means of grace that is to be found amongst many in these dayes For were Children and Servants better Catechised they would better understand the mysteries of the Gospel and much more profit by the Ministry of the Word than they do It is found by experience that the most intelligent and best practised hearers are such as have been well Catechised and instructed The seed which thou thus timely sowest will spring up to a plentifull harvest 4. Such Parents and Masters as neglect this duty do what in them lyeth to damn their Children and Servants as well as themselves For how can it be expected but that those Children and Servants who through want of the light of knowledge walk in darkness should unavoidably stumble into hell Oh that so many Parents and Masters should be so cruel and unnatural to their Children and Servants as to neglect this duty the blood of souls is upon you Obj. Against this so necessary a duty some are apt to object and say To what purpose should we Catechise our Children considering that through the tenderness of their years they are not capable of the Mysteries of Salvation A. 1. Though Children are not so capable of apprehending cleerly the mysteries of salvation as they will be afterwards yet none can deny them to understand so much as to be capable of the seeds of grace which daily experience confirmeth 2. It is found by sad experience that Children uncatechised as they grow in years so they grow in sin and wickedness whereby they become more backward and untoward to the learning of any thing that is good yea and opposite thereunto If you do not the Devil will Catechise them betimes and of him they will quickly learn O prevent as much as may be that enemies sowing his tares be before hand with him take the first season to cast in your good seed The first season is the fittest season Obj. Should we constantly observe these Religious exercises in our Families which you thus press upon us we should hinder our servants work and thereby hazard our estates and so shew our selves worse than Infidels A. 1. This is a meer delusion of Satan to keep you from the discharge of your duty For know assuredly that the time spent in religious exercises with your Family is so far from hindering your servants work that it will rather further it and bring such a blessing upon it that shall return upon your selves For profit and increase is the gift of God who will give it to such as fear him and observe his commandments Oh then say not of Family-duties as Iudas did of that oyntment which Mary poured on our Saviours feet why is this waste Think not that time waste and lost which is spent in the service of God and in the performance of the duties of your places and relations 2. A wilfull neglect of Family-duties is like to bring the curse of God upon your estates yea upon your selves and all that belong unto you Read what Moses saith in Deut. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20. 3. Who can produce the man that did really suffer in his estate by the loss of that time which he spent with and for God Surely as the whetting of the Sythe is no hinderance but rather a furtherance of the Workman So the exercises of Religion can be no hinderance to your Family-affairs but rather a great furtherance unless you think this an hinderance to stay to take Gods blessing along with you without which what are all your own and servants pains but vain and fruitless 4. Suppose you should suffer somewhat in your estate by the loss of that time which you spend upon Religion you will have no cause to repent thereof For whilest others with Martha are carefull and troubled about Worldly things thou with Mary hast chosen the better part Thou hast lost a little of thy Temporals to gain Spirituals and Eternals for thy self and thine How wise are those men who prefer Temporals before their Eternals and will advance their estates upon the ruines of their souls CHAP. IX Of Sabbath sanctification in Families IV. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents Masters and governours of Families is To look to the sanctification of the Lords-Day to see that the Christian Sabbath be sanctified as by themselves so by their whole Family even by all under their charge This is expressly enjoyned in the fourth Commandment which is directed not so much to Children and Servants as to Parents and Masters of Families who are there commanded not only in their own persons to keep holy the Sabbath day but to see that their Children and Servants do it also For thus the Commandment runs The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant Which Phrase as Zanchy well noteth implyeth that it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to see that their Children and Servants do not any way prophane the Sabbath-day but that they keep it as an holy rest The sanctification of the Sabbath consists 1. In a resting upon the day 2. In a consecrating that rest to the Worship and service of God Therefore it is the duty of all Parents and Masters of Families to take care that both themselves and all under their charge do keep it 1. As a day of rest 2. As an holy rest I. As a day of rest resting in special from all the works of their ordinary calling The very name Sabbath which in Hebrew signifieth rest and the express prohibition in the fourth Commandment of doing any work on that day do shew that it is a day of rest How blame-worthy then are some Masters who contrary to the express command of God do set their Servants about the ordinary work of their calling on the Lords day Let such know that what is got by their Servants work on that day is but the gain of wickedness which will prove their loss at last II. It is the duty of Masters to take care that their Families keep the Lords day as an holy rest by consecratng that time which they set apart from their Worldly business to the worship and service of God in the duties belonging to such an holy-day For the Sabbath was not simply ordained that we and our servants should rest from our bodily labour but that we should in a special manner worship God on that day So much is implyed both in the first and last words of the fourth Commandement In the
praise and the glory of his happy change saying Not unto us not unto us but unto thy name be the praise and the glory of this great work Quest. Doth Regeneration admit any degrees Answ. Yes verily For Regeneration may be considered in the beginning and progress of it or in the consummation and perfection of it It is begun and increaseth in this life it is consummate and perfect in the life to come In this life there is spirit mixed with flesh that is grace with some corruption of nature as is evident by the Apostles complaint in these words When I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my mâ—mbers So that sin and corruption doth remain in all the regenerate as long as their souls remain in their mortal bodies it remains though it doth not raign in them It is in this life cast down but not cast out And this God in great wisdom is pleased to permit to keep us humble and low in our selves and to drive us unto Jesus Christ that as long as this flux of blood runneth we should alwayes be desirous to touch at least the hem of his garment But at death that corruption will be utterly consumed and body and soul clean freed from it insomuch as at the resurrection when body and soul shall be again united the regeneration begun in this World will be manifested to be most perfect Whereas in this life the most regenerate are imperfect through the Reliques of sin and remainder of corruption which will abide in them so long as they abide and continue in this World Now seeing the work of Regeneration is imperfect in the very best here in this life and that there remains flesh and corruption in them so long as they remain in this World Do not thou look too high I mean after a greater measure and degree of grace than here is to be had Many there are who being regenerate by the spirit of God and so brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace presently look for a freedom from all sin and corruption which because they find working and stirring in them thereupon question the work of Regeneration and truth of grace in their souls But let such know that they look for more than here is to be found or than God expects from them For God doth not expect or require of us here freedom from sin and corruption but that we should endeavour to subdue and mortifie it more and more according to the measure of grace and strength which we have received from him He doth not require of us that we be without sin but that sin do not rule nor raign in our mortal bodies according to that of the Apostle Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies Neither doth the Lord require of us exact and perfect righteousness which is impossible to our corrupt nature but only that we strive and labour after it that we sincerely endeavour to serve him after the directions of his Word And that for our failings and imperfections we do in an humble confession bewail the same and then beg the pardon and forgiveness of them in and through the merits of Jesus Christ. And this God will accept of for he esteemeth more of our affections than of our actions and accepteth the will for the deed according to that of the Apostle If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not CHAP. IV. Of the Parts of Regeneration and Causes concurring thereunto HAving shewed you what regeneration is and how it doth admit degrees I shall shew you the Parts of Regeneration which are two 1. Mortification 2. Vivification Mortification is implyed under the phrases of casting off and crucifying the old man and destroying the body of sin This is a duty expresly enjoyned in these words mortifie your members which are upon the earth By members on the earth he meaneth all sorts of lusts and sins whereunto a natural man is given as is evident by the particular instances which he himself reckoneth up in the words following as fornication uncleanness c. These must be mortified that is put to death It is not enough to curb and hold in sin but the life of it must be let out And indeed it is not possible to put on the new man till the old man be cast off Therefore there is a necessity of mortification first before vivification For the bringing in of one form presupposeth the putting out or destroying of the other Wherefore after Mortification followeth Vivification 2. Vivification is the begetting of the life of grace in us whence we live in holiness and righteousness It is set forth in Scripture by Gods quickning us and by our walking in newness of life Vivification then implyeth a new spiritual life which God by his spirit worketh in us which is clean contrary to our former natural corrupt course of life For the effects of this life are holiness and righteousness and all manner of good works Now it is absolutely necessary that this part of regeneration namely Vivification be added to Mortification which is the other part even as necessary as that Christ being dead should be raised Where had been the benefit of Christs death if he had not risen from the dead And what can be imagined to be the profit of mortification without vivification It is therefore the accustomed course of Sacred Scripture to infer the following of holiness upon the flying of sin the doing of good upon eschewing of evil Now the things which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Let us therefore prove our regeneration not only by ceasing from sin but following holiness and working righteousness Content not thy self to say I am not what I was unless thou canst also add I am what I was not It will be but little boot to thee to say I am no drunkard nor swearer nor covetous nor a walker after the flesh unless thou canst also say By the grace of God I now walk after the spirit in faith and love and holy obedience watchfull unto and endeavouring after a fruitfulness in every good work Thou art not unjust thou sayest but doest thou shew mercy Thou art no longer earthly but art thou heavenly minded Thou art no longer contentious or quarrelsome but art thou a peace-maker Thou hast no longer fellowship with the ungodly but art thou a familiar of the Saints Thou wilt not now curse or swear or lye or scoff but dost thou pray and bless Dost thou hear and read and meditate on God Dost thou study thine heart and govern thy thoughts and affections Dost thou bridle thy tongue set a watch
a beginning to be perfectly holy hereafter and not initially holy here to live with God in glory hereafter and yet here live and lye in thy filthiness and uncleanness Canst thou expect hereafter to live in the everlasting love of God and yet here have no true love to him at all Canst thou expect hereafter fulness of delight in the presence of God and yet here have no delight in him at all But takest thy whole delight either in satisfying thy covetous humour by heaping up riches or in gratifying thy sinfull lusts and affections by yielding to the solicitations of the flesh Be not deceived as I said before so I must say it again Grace is a necessary beginning of glory As sin is death begun and hell begun so is grace the first fruits of life and glory And as certain as it is that he shall never find an hell hereafter who is purged from his sins here so undoubtedly certain is it that he shall never come into the divine presence hereafter who is not here made partaker of the divine nature he shall never enter into the Kingdom of glory who is not first born into the Kingdom of grace Be a convert in this World or thou wilt be a reprobate in the other World Thou mayest as well expect a birth where there hath been nothing formed in the Womb a Noon-tide where there hath been no dawning as ever look to see the day-light of glory who hast never known the morning of grace Reas. 4. From that corruption of mans Nature in which he is brought into the World For our first Parents having by their fall defaced that image of God in which they were at first created and being thereupon corrupted and polluted in every power of their soul and part of their body all that come from them are in like manner corrupted and polluted an unclean off-spring from unclean progenitors For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one as Iob speaketh And saith our Saviour That which is born of the flesh is flesh that is Every one that is born of man every mothers Child is carnal and corrupt every man by his first birth is polluted and unclean Now no unclean person can enter into Gods Kingdom Believe it Sinner God will never take thee from the dunghill reeking in thy Lusts and set thee down by him in the Throne The holy land was never intended for a Sepulchre to bury the dead in to be filled with filth and rottenness it 's no den for Dragons nor nest for Serpents and Vipers nor was ever designed to be peopled with Dogs and Swine Without shall be Dogs Corruption shall not inherit incorruption nor shall flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God Bastards may not inherit Thou must first be a child and have the spirit of a child in thee and then thou art an heir an heir of God and a joynt heir with Christ. Reas. 5. From the holiness of Gods nature which is such that no unclean person can stand in his presence The Prophet Habbakkuk sets him forth to be of purer eyes than to behold evil neither can be look on iniquity And saith the Psalmist Evill shall not dwell with thee neither shall the foolish stand in thy sight Where by the foolish may be meant the wicked and profane as it is often taken in Scripture wicked men are fools and such shall not stand in the sight and presence of God There is a contrariety between the holy nature of God and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men And therefore what communion can there be between them Between an holy God and unholy creatures Between a pure God and impure creatures Surely none at all So much the Apostle expresseth where he saith what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness Or the righteous God with unrighteous men What communion hath light with darkness which interrogation implyeth a strong negation Believe it sinners if ever you look to enjoy communion with God in glory you must have union with him in grace you must here be regenerate and become new creatures yea holy as he is holy that you may be such as he may dwell withall and delight in For as the Apostle speaketh Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. He shall be so far from enjoying the presence of God that he shall not so much as see him Lev. 10.3 Saith Moses to Aaron God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him that is that draw near unto him in any of his Ordinances Now to the sanctifying God in his Ordinances there is required 1. That his Nature be renewed and sanctified An unsanctified heart cannot sanctifie God Gather my Saints together unto me 2. That he have holy and awfull apprehensions of God God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be bad in reverence of all them that are about him 3. That he bring holy affections Every ordinance of God as it requires our affections to be employed and exercised in it so holy affections such affections as do arise from an holy heart and are suitable to an holy God Now can carnal men thus sanctifie God they pollute and profane his holy name they cannot sanctifie it Can they not sanctifie God and can they be accepted of God or find any pleasure in his presence If God be not sanctified in them he will be sanctified upon them his wrath will break forth upon them so far shall they be from enjoying any comfortable communion with him Now if such sanctity and holiness be necessary in those who draw near unto him in his ordinances How much more to the enjoying immediate communion with him in Heaven will not God meet thee at a prayer and will he suffer thee to meet him in Paradise will he not let thee see his face at his Table and will he let thee sit down with him in his Kingdom Maist thou not come into his Courts and shalt thou enter into the holy of holies Was the man without a wedding garment thrust out from his presence here below and shall he be received into his mansion above How can these things be CHAP. VI. An Vse of Exhortation to endeavour after Regeneration with quickning Motives thereunto HAving thus done with the Explication and Confirmation of the point Come we now to the use and Application thereof I. The first may be an use of Exhortation both to the unregenerate and to the Regenerate First to the unregenerate Is Regeneration absolutely necessary to Salvation Oh then how doth it concern you who are yet in your sins and under the power of corrupt nature earnestly to desire and industriously to labour after this saving change in the use of all meaâ—s God hath sanctified thereunto Let yâ—â—r outward condition be what it will be ye never so rich never so honourable yet far be it from you to sit down satisfied
day do most perfectly Some have found by woful experience what an intollerable burden one sin is to the conscience when the Lord hath been pleased to set it home When Iudas had betrayed his Master and his conscience began to accuse him for the same it was such an intollerable burden to him that he was not able to stand under it but went and hanged himself Now if one sin proves so intollerable who then can stand under the weight of the many millions of sins which he hath committed in the whole course of his life especially when God shall set them all home together upon his conscience Ah sinner If the reading one leaf of this book was so dreadful to Iudas how dreadfull and terrible will it be to thee when thou shalt read not only one leaf but the whole book from the beginning to the end and therein see the millions of sins committed by thee whereof as thy whole life so thy whole book will be filled within and without and interlined with lamentation mourning and woe Ah in what a woful case will thy heart then be what horrour and astonishment will then possess thy soul when all thy lies and oaths all thy raylings and rotten speeches all thy filthy and unclean thoughts thy mispent time in Taverns and Ale-houses thy worldliness and covetousness the vanities and rebellions of thy whole life shall be brought to thy remembrance and at once charged upon thy graceless soul. 2. At the day of Iudgement there will be a discovery of thy sins to all the World For as the Apostle speaketh Hidden things shall on that day be brought to light They shall not only be called to remembrance by the sinner himself but likewise exposed to the view and censure of others There is no sin so secretly and closely committed but then shall be discovered to the view of all There is scarce a wicked man in the World though never so formal but he hath at some time or other committed some such sin in secret which he would not have others to know for all the World But know for certain that at the day of judgement all the World shall hear thereof For then all thy secret sins and close villanies shall be discovered and layd open before Angels Men and Devils thy secret Whoredomes and close Adulteries thy Pilfrings and stealings thy false Weights and Measures thy Hypocrisies and Dissemblings shall be discovered to the view of all and that to thine eternal shame and confusion And therefore the day of Judgement is called the day of revelation when many Murthers Thefts Adulteries and other abominations which come not to light here shall at that day be made known and discovered to the view of all The Husband shall then behold the Whoredomes of his Wife and the Wife the Adulteries of her Husband the Master the Pilferings of his Servant and the Servant the deceitfulness of his Master Yea then not only thy words and actions but also thy secret thoughts and imaginations how vain and wanton how filthy and abominable soever they have been shall appear to the view of all Never therefore adventure upon the committing of any sin in hope of secrecy because thou seemest safe from the eyes of men For suppose thy sin lyeth undiscovered unto the last and great day yet then shall it out with a witness and be made manifest to the view of all Q. If any shall ask how their sins shall be discovered to all the World at the last and great day A. 1. By their own confessions and complaints extorted from them by the power of God For then will they cry out in the bitterness of their souls with these or such like expressions Woe and alas that ever I slighted the manifold gracious invitations of Iesus Christ and preferred my base lusts and corruptions before him that I have opened the door of my heart to every sinful temptation but never would open it to let in Iesus Christ that I so often rejected the motions of Gods spirit stirring me up to turn from my sins unto God and hearkened more unto the solicitations of the Devil than to the motions of Gods spirit that I neglected the many opportunities and means of grace afforded unto me and trifled away my pretious time in vanity and pleasure yea sin and wickedness spending that time in the Ale-house and in following my sinful lusts and pleasures wherein I should have been praying in my closet or attending upon the Ministry of the Word or reading the Scriptures with other good books that I should preferâ— my Wordly business before the service of God that the World should have more of my heart and time than my maker and Redeemer 2. By the cryes and complaints of those whom they have wronged and oppressed Then Abels blood will cry out afresh against Cain and the hungry bellies of the poor will cry out against those hard-hearted rich worldlings who would not afford them the least comfort or relief And starved souls will then cry out against their ignorant scandalous Ministers for not giving them the bread of life The Wives and the Children of Gamesters Drunkards and Whore-masters being impoverished by their sins will then cry out against them for spending their small means in the satisfying their sinfull lusts The poor Tenants will then cry out against their covetous unmerciful Land-lords for raising and racking their rents to such an height as they could not earn their bread by all their care and labour 3. By the testimony of Gods spirit who will then come in as a witness against thee saying at such a time I shewed thee the evil of thy sins and how sad the issue of them would be and thereupon perswaded thee to turn from thy sins unto God but thou wouldst not at such a time I shewed thee thy misery without Christ and thy need of him how thou wouldst be undone for ever without an interest in Christ and how willing Christ was to receive the worst of sinners unto mercy upon their coming in to him but thou hearknedst to the Devil more than to me to his suggestions rather than to my motions 4. By the testimony of the Devil who is now a tempter but will then be an accuser whose chief design in tempting us to sin is that he may have wherewithall to accuse us in that great day that so he might drive us into the same condemnation with himself Thus you see there are several wayes of discovering the sins of the wicked and ungodly at the day of judgement even to the view of all Now I know no better way to prevent the discovery of your sins at that great day than here in this time and day of grace to call your selves to an account to search and examine your own hearts and lives and thâ—n to judge and condemn your selves for your manifold sins and transgressions for as the Apostle speaketh If we judge our selves we shall not be condemned
though your sins be never so great and hainous yet upon your repentance through the mercy of God in Christ they shall be so abolished as if they had never been committed 3. They exclude no time for the sinners coming unto God but whensoever sooner or later first or last so that he come in truth he shall find mercy and forgiveness Ezck. 33.12 The promise lyeth in the day that the sinner turneth Seeing therefore oh sinner God hath not excepted thy person nor thy sins no thy time of coming do not thou except thy self saying thy sins are greater than can be pardoned and thy day of grace is past Oh do not so great an injury to God as to set any bounds or limits either to his mercy or to his promises 3. The power of God to save the worst of sinners appeareth from his actual receiving the most heinous sinners to mercy The greatest sinners that we read of in Scripture have obtained mercy Who greater than Mannasseh who was a Sorcerer an Idolater a Murtherer and what not and yet was received to mercy And who greater in the New Testament than Paul who was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor of the Saints and People of God and yet was received to mercy Now what God hath done formerly he is still able to do he is still the same God his power is no whit lessened nor diminished Oh sinner what ground hast thou then to question the mercy of God to thy soul if thou dost in truth turn from thy sins unto him and earnestly beg the pardon and forgiveness of them I know indeed that before God giveth a sight and a sense of our sins we are too too apt to presume but our understandings are no sooner inlightned to see our sins and our consciences awakened to feel the burden of them but we are very apt to despair it being the great design of our adversary the Devil either to make us dye in a senseless calm or else to perish in a desperate storm Oh saith the awakened sinner my sins are many for number and heinous in their quality having aggravated them by many amplifying circumstances Certainly there is no hope of mercy for such a wretched sinfull creature as I am whose sins are greater than can be forgiven But take notice I beseech thee of these two things 1. Though in thy self there is nothing but ground and matter of despair yet in the mercy of God through the merits of Jesus Christ there is ground enough of comfort and encouragement 2. How many and heinous soever thy sins have been yet if thou canst find an heart to turn from them unto God and in good earnest set upon the practice of an holy life and so become a new creature God will receive thee to mercy But still beware thou abuse not mercy by making it thy encouragement to sin turn not this cup of Salvation into a cup of deadly poyson let not the doctrine of infinite mercy be thy damnation abuse not mercy as thy encouragement to sin but improve mercy as thy encouragement to repentance 2. For the Willingness of God to save poor sinners even the worst of them it doth appear 1. From Gods description of himself Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Why should the Lord proclaim himself merciful and gracious to forgive all manner of sins but for the encouragement of poor penitent sinners to come unto him with hope of acceptance There is not a letter in this name of God not a word in this description of him but fully and adequately answers all the objections which may be made by poor sinners against their own souls Obj. 1. Wilt thou say that thy condition is as bad as the worst having been as great and hainous a sinner as ever lived upon the face of the earth A. To answer this God here declareth himself to be the Lord merciful The Lord therefore able to save thee to the utmost Though thy sins be never so many and hainous yet he is able to save thee from them all And he is merciful therefore willing to save thee for in him there are bowels of mercy pitty and compassion and he delights in mercy Obj. 2. Wilt thou say thou art in thy self most unworthy to partake of any mercy from God having nothing in thee to commend thee to him or to move him to extend his mercy unto thee A. To this the Lord answers in the next place that he is gracious and therefore what he doth he will do freely without any respect of works or worthiness in us for grace is to shew mercy freely The mercy God ever shewed to any of his people was originally founded in himself alone in his own goodness and loving-kindness The Apostle therefore calleth it the good pleasure of his goodness Whereupon saith the Lord himself I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Obj. 3. Wilt thou further object and say thou hast mispent the flower of thy youth and the strength of thy age in vanity and pleasure thy whole life hath been a continued course of sinning against God so that thou hast cause to fear that God hath given over looking after thee and that his patience towards thee is expired and thy day of grace past A. To this the Lord answers in the following words that he is long-suffering Not only merciful and gracious but likewise long-suffering to thee-ward not willing that thou shouldst perish but that thou even thou shouldst come to repentance He still waiteth for thy repentance and reformation that he may be gracious unto thee Obj. 4. Wilt thou say that though the Lord hath shewed himself merciful gracious and long-suffering unto others yet thou art so destitute of all grace and goodness that thou hast little hope of partaking thereof A. To this the Lord answers in the next words that he is abundant in goodness as he hath extended his grace mercy and patience unto others so he hath enough and enough for thee his store is no whit diminished by what he hath given out but as he is an ever-flowing so an over-flowing Fountain of all grace mercy and goodness for the supply of his people he is abundant in goodness Obj. 5. Wilt thou say that though the Lord be abundant in goodness yet thou art fearfull whether he will extend his goodness unto thee A. To this the Lord answers that he is abundant as in goodness so in truth God having in his word promised to receive all poor penitent sinners unto mercy who will in truth turn from their sins unto him his truth and faithfulness ingageth him to shew mercy unto thee and to receive thee into the arms of his free grace upon thy true and unfeigned repentance Obj. 6. Wilt thou say God is indeed
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Where by the World is meant indefinitely mankind of what Nation or Condition Sex or State Age or other Difference soever they be And therefore the offer of Christ is indefinitely to all without exception of any there being no state or condition of men which God hath excluded from Salvation by Christ which doth clearly evidence his willingness to save poor sinners Oh sinner seeing God doth freely offer Christ to all without exception of any do not thou except thy self limit not where God hath not limited say not I am unworthy or my sins are many and heinous cloathed with many aggravating circumstances but stir up thy self to adventure thy soul on Christ upon the general offer of him in the Gospel The first work of faith in many hath been to adventure their souls on Christ upon the free offer of him to all indefinitely Do thou in like manner adventure to cast thy self upon the free grace of God in Christ with resolution to abandon thy lusts for the time to come and to take Christ for thy Lord and Husband as well as for thy Priest and Saviour This is that which God requireth and if he hath perswaded thine heart to this it is a good sign that mercy is intended for thee 7. Gods willingness appeareth from his beseeching poor sinners to be reconciled to him as the Apostle expresseth We are Ambassadours for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God Ah sinner rather than thou shouldst perish in thy sins God himself who is the God of mercy doth as it were kneel down before thee and beseecheth thee for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake to pitty thy poor soul and to accept of the reconcilâ—ation which Christ hath purchased by his bloody death and passion Oh the depth of the incomprehensible love of God to poor sinners that he should not only command and invite but likewise beseech and intreat them to turn from their sins unto him and accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. Surely this must needs evidence his great willingness to save poor sinners 8. His willingness further appeareth by his sending Ministers as his Ambassadours unto poor sinners upon terms of peace and reconciliation as the Apostle expresseth in the forementioned place We are Ambassadours to beseech you to be reconciled to God As if he had said We are commanded by the Lord our Master to offer you terms of peace and reconciliation to profer you peace and pardon if you will heartily turn from your sins unto God We are sent as Ambassadours to acquaint you what Christ hath done and suffered for your redemption how he hath fulfilled the Law for you and offered up his life as a Sacrifice and satisfaction to Gods justice for your sins and how you may be happy for ever if you will rest upon Christs perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for life and salvation and give up your selves unto him to serve and obey his laws and commandments I do here therefore as Gods Ambassadour in his name proclaim to the worst of you to the greatest and oldest sinner that you may have mercy and Salvation if you will abandon your lusts and close with Jesus Christ upon the terms of the Gospel receiving him for your King Priest and Prophet Oh how can we but stand amazed at the riches of Gods mercy and goodness that when we upon the knees of our souls should have sought unto him for peace and reconciliation yet that he being the great Lord of Heaven and of Earth should condescend so far as to send Ambassadours unto us sinfull dust and ashes to intreat us to be reconciled to him to accept his grace and favour Oh how doth this evidence his great willingness that poor sinners should not perish but have everlasting life Certainly if God had taken more pleasure in your damnation than in your salvation he would never have sent his Ministers as Ambassadours to shew you the way and means of salvation by receiving Christ as your Lord and Saviour and giving up your selves unto him he would never have perswaded you by so many arguments and beseeched you to turn from your sins unto him that your souls might live in glory to all Eternity 9. Gods willingness doth likewise appear from the greatness of his patience in bearing with sinners For the Lord having used all means for the conversion of poor sinners he waits with much patience and long-suffering for their repentance to see whether they will turn from their sins unto him or no. He waits upon the Swearer the Drunkard the Whore-Master the covetous Worldling day after day week after week year after year crying after them as he did after Ierusalem Oh will ye not be made clean Oh when will it once be When wilt thou leave thy Swearing thy Drinking thy Whoring thy Covetousness and the like And when will thy prophane heart be sanctified thine unclean heart be purified and thy carnal heart spiritualized oh when will it once be oh sinner who art now grown old in sin how long hath the Lord waited on thee for shame let him wait no longer but turn thee turn thee from thy wicked wayes and courses that thou maist receive mercies from him This patience of God towards sinners must needs evidence his willingness to have them saved For if he had not been willing he would have cut them off long agoe and have dealt with them as he did with the Devils who had no sooner sinned but he clapt his chains upon them and still reserves them to the great day in chains of darkness 10. Gods willingness appeareth in that he hath made the way of salvation as easie as can stand with his honour For the way of salvation now is only believing in Iesus Christ for so runs the covenant of grace believe and ye shall be saved Whereas the Covenant of works ran thus Do this and live So that now whosoever believeth in Iesus Christ shall be saved that is whosoever receiveth Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour giving himself up to be ruled by him and resteth upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of his sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Shall not perish but have everlasting life The covenant of works required perfect obedience in every mans own person But the Covenant of grace requireth only our sincere endeavour to keep the Commandements of the Lord and accepteth the obedience performed by our surety Jesus Christ for us For we being disenabled by the fall of Adam for performing obedience to the law Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God came down from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein became our surety and as our surety in our steed for us subjected himself to the Law perfectly fulfilled the same and his obedience is by God
thou thereupon continue to refuse them know assuredly that though renewed offers are doubled mercies yet renewed refusals are trâ—bled sins which will exceedingly aggravate thy condemnation I speak not these things to encourage any to deferr and put off their turning from their sins to farther day upon a presumption they shall have mercy at last Beware of that madness Thou that wilt not to day thy soul may be in Hell before to morrow But I speak this to encourage old sinners to a speedy turning Old sinner it is the last time with thee for ought thou knowest thou art just come to thy Now or Never And two things I would speak to thee 1. It 's a great doubt whether thou who hast stood it out so long wilt come in now fear and tremble few very few of those that stand it out to the last hour do come in at the last hour yet 2. If thou wilt thou maist if in this thy day thy last day thou wilt come in thou shalt be saved Obj. 6. If once I be Regenerate and become a new creature I shall never live one merry day more then farewell all delights and pleasures for the life of a godly man is full of uncomfortableness and sadness A. 1. True it is every Regenerate man ought to renounce all sinfull delights to bid adiew to all unlawfull pleasures which in truth is no bondage but rather a spiritual liberty The bondage of a Christian is in being a servant to his sinfull lusts and his liberty in being delivered from them The Apostle bewails the time when himself and other Saints were foolish serving divers lusts and pleasures And reckons it amongst the prime benefits they received by the grace of the Gospel to be delivered from that slavery and bondage 2. Though every Regenerate man ought to renounce all sinfull pleasures and delights yet he may in some measure enjoy any lawfull pleasures which the Creature affords Yea none doth or can enjoy the sweetness of the Creature more than the new creature For he hath not only a fleshly palate like other men whereby he relisheth the carnal pleasure which the Creature affordeth but he hath likewise a spiritual palate whereby he tasteth the sweetness and goodness of God in the Creature So that this Objection is a meer slander which the Devil and his Agents have raised to fright men from looking after grace 3. The work of Regeneration is so far from depriving a man of all delights and pleasures that there are unspeakable delights peculiar to the Regenerate they have dainties which their spirits feed upon that the World knows not of a stranger doth not intermeddle with their joy As they have higher and more noble principles than other men so they feed upon higher and more noble comforts Their comforts are spiritual administred unto their souls by a special work of the Holy Ghost who is designed by the Father and the Son to be the Comforter to cheer and revive the spirits of his servants And certainly the comforts and delights which he conveyes into the souls of the Regenerate must needs be soul-satisfying and soul-ravishing consolations What Blasphemy is it to affirm that the joyes of the World are better than the joyes of God Oh how sweet and delightfull must it needs be to know that we are brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace that we are the Children of God beloved of him the members of Christ and dear to him that our sins are pardoned in and through the merits of his bitter death and passion and that so soon as our earthly Tabernacles are dissolved we shall have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens and there raign with him in everlasting bliss and happiness Oh what a comfort must it needs be seriously to fix our thoughts on those joyes and pleasures which hereafter we shall enjoy at Gods right hand to all Eternity Ah sinners What folly then hath bewitched you to think it greater pleasure to live in foolish sports and fleshly delights than in the sense of Gods love and in the believing thoughts of glory Did you but know the peace and the comfort the pleasure and the joy which springeth from the apprehension of Gods love and walking in the wayes of holiness you would soon be of another mind and take another course than you do Much good may do you with your crackling thorns walk in the light of your fires and the sparks which you have kindled make the best of your present pleasures till that vanity and vexation which is all you are like to reap from them bring you to a better mind The new birth is the very beginning of a life of peace and comfort and the greatest pleasantness is to be found in the wayes of holiness Would you but make enquiry of those who have tryed both stares both that of sin and that of grace they will tell you that their first state was a state of trouble and misery and that they never found any true peace and comfort in their souls till they were brought home to God and came to be acquainted with an holy life Yea that they have enjoyed more sweetness and delight in one hours communion with God than ever their flesh brought them in in all their lives Solomon who had experience of all other pleasures yet saith of the wayes of godliness Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness even soul-satisfying pleasantness If you will not believe the reports of the people of God yet hearken to what God himself speaketh in his word Being justified by faith we have peace with God thorow our Lord Iesus Christ and not only so but we glory in tribulation And saith St. Peter Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And the Psalmist often calleth upon the righteous to rejoice Rejoice in the Lord ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart And saith the Apostle Rejoice in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoice Will you believe God this you see is his testimony that true joy is proper to the Regenerate the Children of God are the only heirs of joy and glory Obj. 1. But some are ready to object and say how can the state of the Regenerate be so comfortable and joyful when as none are more afflicted and persecuted than they In the World saith our Saviour speaking to his Disciples ye shall have tribulation And saith the Apostle All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution which made Luther to say a Christian is a Cross-bearer A. 1. True it is none are more afflicted and persecuted than they but their afflictions and persecutions do not alwayes deprive them of true spiritual joy and comfort For saith the Apostle Being justified by faith we have peace with God and we rejoice in tribulation And saith our Saviour When men shall
he slew a man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck Though the Sacrificing of Oxen and Lambs were good and commanded by God himself yet because they failed in the manner of performing them they were no more acceptable to God than the killing of men or cutting off a dogs neck which things were forbidden by the Law and abomination to the Lord. 3. Failing in the manner of performance makes God not only to reject our duties but to pronounce a woe and a curse against the performers of them Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Though it be the work of the Lord that work which the Lord appointeth to be done yet notwithstanding if it be done negligently not after a right manner cursed is he that doth it 4. It is the right manner of performing duties that obtaineth a blessing from God It may be thou hast heard much and prayed much and fasted much and yet hast found little good or benefit thereby Examine whether thou hast not been dead and dull formal and perfunctory in them doing them as if thou didst them not If so no marvail that thou hast received so little good by them As therefore thou wouldst be loth to pray in vain or hear in vain or fast in vain as thou wouldst be loth to lose the things which thou hast wrought see to it that thou be as carefull of the manner as of the matter of them how thou dost them as that thou dost them Do what thou dost with all thy soul yea and with all thy might and then thou maist expect a plentiful and gracious return For the right manner of performing good duties take these few directions I. Be sure you take Christ with you both for assistance and acceptance 1. For assistance For without me saith Christ you can do nothing That is without Union with Christ and Communion with him you cannot perform any acceptable service unto God You may fall upon the duty of prayer and attend upon the Ministry of the Word but without assistance from Christ you can neither do the one nor the other as you should Whensoever therefore you set upon any good duty in the first place beg strength and assistance from Christ and rest and lean upon him for his help go not to pray or hear but in the strength of the Lord. 2. Take Christ with you for acceptance both of your persons and services Christ is the beloved Son of God with whom he is so well pleased that likewise in him he is well pleased with all those that come to God by him and look for neither audience nor acceptance but upon his account alone The truth is as our persons are vile and wretched and all as an unclean thing so our Services even our most holy Services are all polluted and tainted with the corruption of our natures and therefore they are odious and abominable in the sight of God who may justly reject both us and them and will do it unless covered with the worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ but in him we shall not fail to obtain gracious acceptance Whensoever therefore we go unto God in prayer or in any other ordinance let us carry Christ with us in the arms of our faith Plut arch in the life of Themistocles reports that it was the usual custome of some of the Heathens namely the Molossiaâ—s that when they would seek the favour of their King they took his Son in their arms and so went unto him And questionless it would be the wisdom of Christians in seeking the face and favour of God who is the King of Heaven and of earth to take the holy Child Jesus with them without whom they may not see his face II. Stir up thy self and all thy strength put forth thy self to the uttermost strive to be lively active and stirring in Spirit Get the Spirit of faith and of power this will be oyle to the wheels and wind to the Sails which set all a going let this be wanting and thy best services will be lifeless and dead Services in which the Lord takes no delight There is a threefold strength we should labour to put forth in all our holy duties 1. Strength of Intention 2. Strength of Affections 3. Strength of Body 1. We must intend our work as if it were for our lives for so it is whether it be the work of praying hearing meditating or the like We must put forth the strength of our intention as well as of our attention not giving way either to drowsiness of body or distractions of mind But oh what light matters are apt to steal away our minds and thoughts in the performance of holy duties If one of our superiours were talking with us he would expect that we should mind what he saith and not turn aside to talk with every one that passeth by us But when God is speaking to us in the ministry of his Word or we are speaking unto him by prayer how ordinarily do we turn aside to every vain thought and trifling business which offereth it self to us Intend God more earnestly and this will fire your thoughts 2. Strength of affections is required in every good duty Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might saith the Wise man This may especially be applyed to the duties of Gods worship and service that we do them vigorously with all the strength of our affections Which the Apostle requireth where he bids us be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. The word in the Greek notes an ebullition or boyling up of our spirits to the height There is nothing in the World more unbecoming the Worship of God than flatness of spirit and coldness of affection when a man serves God as if he served him not It was Davids commendation that the zeal of Gods house did eat him up Which expression sheweth the vehemency of his zeal and strength of his affections as in reforming Gods house so in performing the duties of his Worship and service For this was Iacob honoured and called Israel because he prayed with the strength of his affections and is therefore said to wrestle with God in prayer whereby he prevailed As thou desirest to prevail with God in Prayer thou must with Iacob wrestle with him putting forth the strength of thine affections which will be a special means to keep away vain wandring thoughts So long as honey is boyling hot flies will not venture on it So if the heart and affections be boyling hot in prayer vain thoughts are not apt to enter in 3. Strength of body must likewise be put forth in every good duty For Col must be worshipped as with our spirits so with our bodies And blessed is the strength which is put forth in the service of God Carnal men are apt to lay out the strength of their bodies upon their lusts Why then should not we be as ready to
not content at Bethel to worship God sincerely himself but he chargeth his Family to put away the strange Gods which were among them and to serve the true God according to the prescribed rule of his Word David though he were a King and so had the care of an whole Kingdom upon him yet thought his State-affairs no priviledge to exempt him from the Religious ordering and governing of his Family And therefore he professeth That he would walk within his house with a perfect heart that is sincerely discharge the duties belonging to the Governour of an house Yea under the Law we find that the Fathers amongst the Israelites were commanded to teach their Children the meaning of the Passover and of the Feast of unleavened bread And that we may not think this a legal precept abolished in the time of the Gospel the Apostle giveth a general charge to all Christian Parents to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Yea by the practice of the primitive Christians who lived in the dayes of the Apostles it doth appear that so soon as any Governour of a Family was converted and professed the Christian faith he still ingaged his Family to serve God It is said of Cornelius that he was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house And it is recorded of Lydia that she was baptized and her Houshold And it is said of the Iaylor that he believed in God with all his house Yea the houses of the faithfull in the primitive times were stiled Churches which implyeth that their private families were so piously ordered and religiously instructed that they seemed to be little Churches rather than ordinary houses having taken up Ioshuah's resolution As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. The point being thus proved by Scripture and Examples come we now to the Reasons for the farther confirmation thereof CHAP. II. The Reasons of the point R. 1. MAy be taken from the command of God who hath commanded as much saying Thou shalt teach my Laws diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house c. And God hath manifested his approbation thereof by commending Abraham for commanding his Children and houshold to keep the wayes of the Lord. So that to whomsoever the Lord hath given this honour to make him a Father of Children a Master over Servants a Governour over an Houshold of them he requireth this duty to teach and instruct all under their charge R. 2. Every mans house is his private charge which he must oversee it is his flock which he must attend You will all acknowledge that every Ministers flock is his charge and that it is a most dreadfull thing for any to neglect them And have not you as great a charge of your family as the Minister hath of his flock Yea doubtless I dare boldly say that every Parent and Master of a Family is as deeply charged with the souls of their Children and Servants as the Minister is with the souls of his flock If therefore your Children and Servants live and dye in their sins through your negligence their blood will be required at your hands Yea let Parents and Masters of Families know and consider that those Children and Servants who by the neglect of their duty to them shall perish in their sins will curse them for ever hereafter amongst the fiends and damned in hell crying out woe and alas that ever we were born of such irreligious Parents and served such wicked and ungodly Masters that had no care of the Salvation of our souls but suffered us to run headlong into these everlasting flames Oh that all Parents and Masters of Families would seriously consider these things and in time labour to prevent them by a conscionable discharge of the duties belonging to their places and relations R. 3. Justice and equity requireth this at your hands to do your utmost endeavour to train up your Children and Servants in the fear of God and to instruct them in the wayes of Godliness that as they help you in many things so you should be a means to help them in this that as God of his goodness hath made them your Children and Servants so you in way of gratitude should strive to make them his Children and Servants And truly though you feed them well and cloath them well and provide well for them yea and teach them how to live another day to live as men yet if you teach them not withall the fear of God whereby they may live as Christians which will make them live for ever wherein do you differ from Heathenish Parents and Pagan Masters for even they will not be wanting in the former things which the Apostle implyeth where he saith He that provideth not for his Family is worse than an Infidel And if you go no further than to make outward provision for the bodies of your Children and Servants you are no better than Infidels and Heathens And therefore how doth it concern you who are Parents and Masters of Families to have a special care of the souls of your Children and Servants by a conscionable performance of holy and religious duties amongst them as Praying Reading Catechising and the like whereby you will not only go beyond all the Heathens in the World but likewise gain an hopefull evidence to your own souls of the truth of grace in you and of the sincerity of your profession that ye are Christians indeed R. 4. The curse of God hangs over those Families in which Religious duties are alltogether neglected yea it abideth in their houses as the Wise man expresseth The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Howsoever they may seem to abound and flourish in all Worldly wealth and riches yet the curse of God is upon all that they enjoy For as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet Malachy He will curse their blessings that is whatsoever outward good things they did enjoy should be cursed to them Whereupon saith Eliphas in Iob I saw him taking root but I cursed his habitation that is I saw him seemingly setled in his outward prosperity but by the eye of faith I likewise saw a curse hanging over his house and family over his wealth and riches R. 5. Another Reason may be taken from the manifold benefits and commodities wich usually follow upon a conscionable performance of these duties 1. Religious duties consciensciously performed will bring down Gods blessing upon your selves and your relations upon your estate and all your undertakings As God blessed Obed-Edom and all his houshold for the Arks-sake So questionless will the Lord bless those Families wherein holy duties are faithfully performed For Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of this life that now is as well as of that which is to come Whereupon saith
of him that he would by his Spirit help thine infirmities teaching thee to pour out thy soul unto him in Prayer For it is he alone that can teach thee and endue thee with this Heavenly gift 2. Be constant in thy secret devotions which will be a special means to embolden thee to pray with thy Family For when thou findest that thou canst express thy self in any competent measure in secret thou wilt then the better adventure to Pray in private with thy Family And know this for thy comfort that if thou sincerely endeavourest to do what thou canst God will enable thee to do what thou shouldst 3. Rather than the apprehension of thine own insufficiency to pray should occasion a constant omission of the duty I would advise thee to use the help of a form of Prayer for a while till by Gods blessing thou hast attained some ability therein and boldness thereunto 2. Obj. Some against this duty object their multitude of business and little spare time for Family-prayer A. 1. The more and greater thy businesses are the more and greater need thou hast of Family-prayer for the obtaining Gods blessings thereon without which all thy pains and endeavours may signifie little yea prove succesless Assure thy self that the time spent in Prayer both in thy closet and with thy Family will prove no let but rather a great furtherance to thy business 2. Dost thou put off praying with thy Family for the multitude of business Know that therein thou art penny-wise and pound-foolish hazarding the loss of thy precious and immortal soul for the gaining of a little Worldly pelf which will be soon taken from thee or thou from it Oh that such Woâ—â—dâ—ngs would seriously consider that expression of our Saviour What shall it profit a man if hâ— shall gain the whoâ—e World and lose his own soul 3. Dost thou put off Family-prayer for the multitude of Worldly buâ—inesseâ— thereby to encrease thy wealth Know that that wealth is cursed which is thus gotten that substance which is the price of a Prayer may for ought thou knowest be the price of blood Well beware thou neglect not this great duty upon any pretence whatsoever Neither let it be performed after a cold formal and perfunctory manner but be very serious and fervent therein stirring up thy self to an active lively performance thereof which the Apostle intimateth where he saith Be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord and that for two reasons 1. Such Prayers only are acceptable and pleasing unto God these are the Sacrifices wherewith he is well-pleased 2. Such only have the promise of being heard And thereupon saith the Apostle St. Iames The effectual fervent Prayer of a rightâ—ous man availeth much The word in the Greek translated effectual properly signifieth a prayer excited or stirred up and so implyeth both the efficacy and influency of the Holy-Ghost and the vehemency of an earnest spirit and affection which is the only prevailing Prayer CHAP. VII Of Reading the Holy Scriptures in Families with quickning Motives thereunto II. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families is frequently to read the Holy Scriptures or to cause them to be read in and with their Families Though this be a distinct exercise from the former of Prayer yet do they mutually help one another and therefore are fit to be joyned together We read how the Priest under the Law was daily to light the Lamps and to burn incense as the Lamp signified the Word of God so the incense signified Prayer And as the Lamp was daily to be lighted and the incense daily to be burned so are we thereby taught daily to joyn the Word and Prayer together for as the Apostle speaketh By the Word and Prayer every thing is sanctified Yea this duty of reading the Word we find given in command unto housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Ye shall lay up my words meaning the words of the Law in your heart and in your soul. And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sitest in thine house when thou lyest down and when thou risest up which implyeth a diligent reading of the Word in their houses Yea the old people of the Iews were so diligent in teaching their Children the Word of God that Iosephus saith Every one of our people being asked concerning the Laws rehearseth them more easily than his own name In the New Testament we have the Apostles command for this duty for saith he Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly The Word is sometimes taken for Christ himself and so it is true that we should labour that the word Christ should dwell in us But by the Word of Christ is here meant the written Word of God which is here called the Word of Christ both because he is the author of it and because he is the chief subject of it And whereas the Apostle saith Let the Word of Christ dwell in you it is a Metaphor taken from such as dwell under one and the same roof with us and noteth two things 1. That we must get it into our hearts and houses as well as into our Churches 2. That by our frequent reading of it and causing it to be read in our houses it should be as familiar with us as one that dwells with us under the same roof For the better pressing of this duty upon the Consciences of Parents and Masters of Families I shall hint only two Motives to quicken you up thereunto 1. The knowledge of the Scriptures will be an excellent means to keep up your authority in your Families over your Children and Servants For therein they cannot but hear and understand it is their duty to be obedient to you in all things Your own commands and threatnings may perhaps cause them to serve you with eye-service as menpleasersâ— but to hear the commands and threatnings of God in his Word may cause them to serve you in singleness of heart So that if nothing else yet policy methinks should prevail with you to cause the Word of God to be read frequently in your houses 2. Some by reading the Scriptures others by hearing it read in the Family have been converted from the state of nature to the state of grace For faith may be wrought in us by hearing the Word read as well as hearing it Preached St. Austine reports of an Aegyptian Monk who living in a Christian-family where the Word of God was frequently read was thereby converted to the Christian faith And indeed there is a greater vertue in the holy Scriptures than in any other book for the working of conversion in the hearts of natural Men and Women Oh what an encouragement should this be unto Parents and Masters of Families to cause the holy Scriptures to be frequently read in their houses for what know they whether some under their charge may not thereby be converted And that
from â—dleness as knowing that our idle time is the Devils working timâ— who is most busie with us when we are most at leisure And bless all our undertakings So spâ—ritualize our hearts and affections that we may have heavenly hearts in earthly imployments and so may serve thee our God whilest we are serving our own necessities Together with us bless we beseech thee thy whole Church Call thine ancient people the Jews and bring in the fulness of the Gentiles And particularly we pray thee for our own Nation the Land of our Nativity pardon the crying sins thereof Showre down thy blessings upon it both temporal and spiritual In special we pray thee so to bless our royal Soveraign that under him we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Bless likewise all our Magistrates and Ministers of thy holy Word Thou the Lord of the harvest send plenty of Labourers into thy harvest And O Father of mercy look down with the eye of pitty and compassion upon all thine afflicted ones let thy mercies be suitable to their several needs and necessities Bless all Christian families this in particular enrich every soul with all needfull saving graces Blessed Lord God according to our bounden duty we offer up our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thy blessed Majesty in the name and mediation of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ. Blessing and praising thee for our health wealth food and rayment for our preservation from our first being to this present time We bless thy name above all for that gift of gifts the Lord Jesus And for the Gospel wherein thou hast freely offered Christ with all his benefits to us We bless thee for whatever grace hath been wrought in any of us by the Gospel and for that good hope thou hast given us through grace We bless thy name for the last nights quiet rest this dayes protection hitherto Add we Pray thee this mercy give us grace to live as in thy sight who seeth all our wayes and art privy to every secret thing which we do And now O Lord accept our persons though sinfull and our service though full of weaknesses in thy beloved Son with whom thou art well pleased In whose name and words we further call upon thee saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. An Evening Prayer for a Family O Most great and glorious Lord God and in Jesus Christ a loving and a gracious Father We thy poor and unworthy Servants being by thy good providence brought to the end of this day desire to conclude the same with an Evening spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving Lord we do here profess we come not in our own names nor in our own strength we are unable of our selves to perform any spiritual duty after an acceptable manner But we come in the alone name and strength of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ beseeching thee for his sake to pass by our unworthiness to quicken our dead hearts and to carry us forth with life and vigour in the duty we are now going about Blessed Lord God we do acknowledge our selves to be vile wretched sinners Sinners by nature sinners by birth sinners in the whole course of our lives having sinned as if we had come into the World for no other end but to sin against thee Though thou hast been pleased to restrain us from many hainous scandalous sins yet Lord thou knowest what evil thoughts do lodge in our hearts and what Lusts bear rule and sway there Blessed Lord God though we are in some measure convinced of the need and necessity that we have of Jesus Christ that we are undone for ever without an interest in him yet how have we slighted and rejected the tenders and offers of him in the Ministry of the Gospel and preferred our lusts and the pleasures of this World before him We have indeed outwardly made profession of the Gospel yet have we disgraced the profâ—ssion thereof by our carnal and sinfull conversation Lord we cannot but acknowledge our desires cares and endeavours have run out more after the things of this life than after the things of a better life We have slighted thy judgements abused thy mercies prophaned thy Sabbaths and polluted all thy holy Ordinances When we have drawn near unto thee with our bodies and honoured thee with our lips then have our hearts been far removed from thee when we have had communion with thine Ordinances we have oftentimes had little communion with thee our God therein Blessed Lord our sins are many and hainous yea there seemeth a kind of infiniteness in our sins but we know and believe there is indeed an infiniteness in the mercies of thee our God and in the merits of Jesus Christ and therefore with an utter disclaiming of all righteousness of our own as filthy rags we place our whole confidence for life and salvation upon thy mercies in Christ. As thou hast laid our help upon him so on him will we lay our hope for the pardon of our sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Lord be pleased to accept of his all sufficient Sacrifice and perfect satisfaction thereby made to thy justice for all our sins Pardon us we pray thee and free us as from the guilt and punishment so from the power and dominion of all our sins that we be no longer the servants of sin but may be henceforth the servants of God Lay hold on all our souls and bring us in effectually to Jesus Christ. Subduâ— our rebâ—llion take away our unwâ—llingness answer all our objections and excuses and work our hearts to a resolved adventuring upon him an hearty acceptance of him and a total resignation of our selves for ever to him to his goverâ—â—ent and dominion Lord we beseech thee not only to jâ—stifie us by thy grace but likewise to sanctifie us by thy Spirit that we may be an holy people serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Mortifie our flesh with the affections and lusts let us be proud no longer nor covetous nor envious nor froward nor mâ—litious Let thy grace be sufficient for us both for the killing of our dearest lusts and strongest corruptions and for the quickning of us on in a conscionable discharge of the Duties of our places callings and relations by which grace let us be carryed on throughout our whole course in an holy humble and sincere conversation Lord let it suffice us that we have spent so much of our precious time in seeking after earthly things help us now in earnest to seek after spiritual and heavenly things after spiritual grace and heavenly glory We pray thee convince us thorowly that upon the little inch of time in this life depends the length and breadth of all Eternity and that as we live here we shall fare everlastingly hereafter And O let the consideration thereof stir us up to a fruitfull improvement of our short time to the best advantage
Thereby the Lord sheweth himself to be the true God Q. What things did God so make A. All things This the Apostle expresly avouchet Col. 1.16 By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Visible and Invisible If the excellency of many Creatures the greatness of others the multitude of all together be duly considered it must needs be granted that herein the Lord sheweth himself to be a God indeed the only true God None else can do the like Q. By what did God make all things A. By his Word Gen. 1.3 6. God said let there be light and let there be a Firmament and it was so And Psal. 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were things made By Gods Word we understand the manifestation of his will For God is said to speak not properly but after the manner of man Men use most commonly to express their mind and will by speaking When God did manifest and declare his will that such and such things should be instantly they were and they were so as God would have them Q. What was that estate wherein God made all things A. Very good The holy Ghost expresly noteth that at the end of every day God took a thorow view of the particular works which he had made and found them to be good Gen. 1.4 10 c. This is to be noted to justifie God against all the evil that is in the World Many Creatures are now evil But as God made them they were not so All evil hath risen from the Creatures Q. Wherein consisteth the Providence of God A. 1. In preserving Creatures 2. In well ordering them For the preserving of Creatures if God did not sustain and maintain them they would soon come to nought In this respect it is said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Q. What doth God by his providence order A. All things whatsoever Psal. 113.6 The providence of God extends as far as his Creation as all things were Created by God so all things are ordered by him As the high and great things in the highest Heaven So the greatest things on earth Dan. 2.21 He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings Yea and the meanest things also as the very colour of hairs Mat. 5.36 Q. What is that end whereunto God directeth all things A. 1. His own Glory 2. His Childrens good Gods glory is the most principal and supream end of all At that he aimed in giving the first being to his creatures And at that also he aimeth in all things that are done at any time in any place Yea also as at the next subordinate end he aimeth at his Childrens good In regard whereof all things work together for their good Rom. 8.28 Q. In what estate did God make man at first A. In a very good and happy estate Gen. 1.31 It is said After God had made man he overlooked every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Q. Wherein did mans happiness especially consist in which he was at first made A. In that he was made after the image of God which consisted in perfect knowledge true holiness and righteousness Gen. 1.26 27. Col. 3.10 Man at first had knowledge of all things necessary for the glory of God and his own good and was likewise made holy and righteous and without sin Q Did man alwayes continue in that holy and happy estate A. No he fell from it by transgressing that commandment of God in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3.3 c. The sin especially lay in disobeying the command of God which commandment he gave him for the tryal of his obedience Many may possibly think this sin a light matter and are apt to charge God with severity for punishing man so sorely for so small an offence But if they shall consider the manifold sins infolded in that transgression they must acknowledge it a very hainous sin For 1. There was infidelity therein in that they believed not Gods word For though God had said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Gen. 2.17 yet they believed not that they should dye but made some question and doubt thereof 2. Sottish credulity in giving credit to the Devil God had said ye shall surely dye And the Devil said ye shall not surely dye Yet the Woman and so also the Man thorow her perswasion gave more credit to the Devil the Father of lyes than to God the father of truth 3. Horrible Idolatry in doting upon and loving the creature more than God the Creator who is blessed for ever For this is one way of committing idolatry namely by Deifying the Creature and loving it more than God 4. Pride and Ambition desiring to be as Gods For when the Devil said ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil they were so puffed up therewith that they transgressed 5. Theft For they took that which was none of their own but by a special reservation kept from them For God had expresly forbidden them to eat of that tree Gen. 2.17 6. Murther Our first Parents by eating that forbidden fruit brought death not only upon themselves but upon all their posterity Yea as much as in them lay they thereby implunged themselves and all their posterity into hell fire By these you may iudge of the greatness of the sin of our first parents Q. Is Adams posterity guilty of that sin A. Yea Adams sin is imputed to all his posterity By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 That is by the transgression of Adam the first man many even all that have or shall come from him are justly accounted sinners Q. How can Adams posterity be guilty of his sin A. 1. Adam was a publick person in that business He stood not in his own room alone but in the room of all mankind He was the great representative of the world so that he sinning we sinned in and with him 2. We were all in the loins of Adam when he sinned And so by the Law of generation sinned in him and in him deserved eternal condemnation Q. What is sin in general A. Sin is a transgression of the Law Thus doth an Apostle expresly define it 1 Ioh. 3.4 The law is a manifestation of the will of God declaring what he would have man to do or not to do therefore to transgress the law is to offend God and to sin against his express will Q What are the kinds of sin A. Original and Actual Q. What is Original sin A. That corruption of nature wherein all are conceived and born It is the immediate effect of Adams first sin and the principal cause of all other sins In which respect it is called Original because it is the spring from whence all actual sins issue and flow Of this Original corruption did David speak in Psal. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Never was any that came from Adam
of the Lord. Oh therefore let us here often keep a day of judgement in our own souls and consciences by a serious examining of our selves concerning our sins and judging and condemning our selves for the same and then let us in all humility prostrate our selves at the Throne of grace pleading the mercy of God and merits of Christ for the pardon and forgiveness of them all giving no rest to our souls till we have some comfortable evidence and assurance thereof which will cause us to lift up our heads with joy at the great day of account VI. After conviction and manifestation of all their sinfull actions follows the sentence of condemnation and what it is our Saviour himself hath shewed Matth 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O dreadful sentence every word whereof carryeth much terrour in it and breatheth nothing but woe and misery yea fire and brimstone So terrible is this sentence that the first hearing thereof will make all ears to glow and tingle Depart from me that is from Iesus Christ the fountain of bliss and happiness This the wicked make light of at present for taking more delight in their sinful lusts and pleasures than in Christs presence they are willing to depart from him Whereas in truth it is a most grievous misery for as the Psalmist speaketh in his presence there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore So to be cast out of his presence is to be cast away from the fountain of all joy and pleasure yea from glory and Salvation for if from Christ then from all that is his even his glory and salvation Ah sinner What a terrour what a torment will this be unto thee at that great day This will be a great part of thy torment that thou shalt be excluded and that from Christ and his glory when others shall be admitted as our Saviour speaketh There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out Oh the fears and distractions the horrour and confusion the tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth the wringing of hands and dashing of knees that these words will produce Depart from me Oh that sinners would lay this to heart You that now bid God depart from you you will have none of his knowledge none of his commands God will requite you in your own kind he will then command you to depart from him Ye cursed To depart from Christ were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse even a curse that comprehends all woes and miseries under it This curse will be a thousand times more grievous than the cursed and bitter water was to the defiled woman which caused her belly to swell her thigh to rot and made her accursed among her people For upon the pronouncing of this curse not only the belly and thigh but likewise head and heart yea body and soul of the wicked shall be filled with rottenness and bitterness and become accursed before God men and Angels Now thou cursest every one that stands in the way of thy lusts and that crosseth thee in thy designs But at the great and last day all the curses of Heaven and Hell shall meet in thee so that thou shalt be cursed with a witness And truly to be under Gods curse is the quintessence of misery Into everlasting fire What! into fire and into everlasting fire Ah wretches cursed indeed For as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh who can dwell with devouring fire who can dwell with everlasting burnings which shall not be quenched night nor day but fed continually with Rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fierceness by the unquencheable wrath of the just God to all Eternity The torment of the wicked in hell will be as without any intermission so without any end After they have there been tormented hundreds thousands millions of dayes years and ages their torments will be as far from ending as if they were then beginning And is not this misery enough to lye in fire in everlasting burnings this is even beyond the expression of men or Angels If a man knew he must lye in a flaming fire but one day or hour Oh what fear and horror would possess his soul But what is a day or an hour or an age to eternity Oh then what stupidity and senselesness hath possessed the hearts of sinful men who by all this are not frighted from their sins The fear of Nebuchadnezzar's fiery Furnace made men do any thing to avoid it And shall not the fear of everlasting fire in hell make men do any thing to escape it this methinks should awaken them and cause them not only to humble themselves for their sins and to beg the pardon of them but also to cast away their transgressions to strive against them watch against them pray against them begging power and strength from Christ to keep down the power of their lusts that hurry them on in their sinfull wayes It is one of the wonders of the world how men who do believe the word of Christ to be true that the wicked shall go into everlasting fire can wittingly and wilfully adventure upon sinfull wayes the end whereof they know will be so dreadful and astonishing Prepared for the Devil and his Angels That is you shall not only be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone but you shall there dwell with those hellish Fiends the Devil and his Angels who are the best company you are like to have Sad company for distressed souls and yet in that dismal dungeon you shall have no better company or comforters who will be continually insulting over you with hellish exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation offered unto you time after time and being so foolish as to loose the joys and pleasures of Heaven which last to all Eternity for the enjoyment of some base lust which lasted but for a season It was a dreadful punishment which was executed upon Nebuchadnezzar when he was cast out of the society of men and turned a grasing with the beasts of the field But what was that in comparison of this to be cast out of the presence of Christ and society of Saints and to have only the company of the Devils and damned in hell We read in the Gospel of a Woman who came unto Christ and said unto him Have mercy on me O Lord for my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Now if it were such a grievous misery to be vexed with one Devil what is it to be vexed and tormented with all the Legions of Devils in Hell Oh what terrour and trembling what horrour and amazement will seize on their souls that have received this dreadful sentence When King Belshazzar saw his sentence written upon the wall though he could not read it it is said
depriveth a man of the comfort of what he hath and possesseth For the having of all is as nothing to him that hath an immoderate desire after more Ahabs Crown and Kingdom yielded him no comfort after he had set his heart upon poor Naboths Vineyard The want of this did more molest and vex him than the enjoyment of his whole Kingdom did solace and comfort him For this he came heavy and displeased to his house laid him down upon his bed turned away his face and would eat no bread V. Covetousness exposeth men to manifold temptations making them ready to yield to Satans wicked suggestions They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which draw meâ— into perdition As if he had said They who set their hearts upon their riches whose hearts run after their covetousness are fit for any temptation ready to yield to any of Satans wicked suggestions for the satisfying their covetous humour Iudas as Tertullian thinks was pretty honest till he carryed the bag and that gave him occasion to discover the rottenness that was in his heart CHAP. XXIII Of living by faith in Gods promises ANother singular duty incumbent upon the regenerate is To live by faith casting themselves upon God in Christ and upon his gracious promises in all their straights and dangers for such needfull and usefull things as they stand in need of To live by faith is not only to believe in Christ for salvation but also firmly to rest and rely upon God and his gracious promises expressed in his Word for support under all our tryalls for succour in all our distresses for assistance against all assaults for deliverance out of all our dangers and for supply of all our wants whether temporal or spiritual Thus did those ancient Worthies mentioned Heb. 11. Where we read that into whatsoever trouble or straight they were brought they so lived by faith in Gods promises that nothing could dismay them much less overthrow them And if thou in like manner couldst but quietly rest upon God and his gracious promises thou wouldst in thy greatest tryals and troubles be more than Conquerour as the Apostle speaketh When therefore thou art troubled for thy sins groaning under the weight and burden of them then throw thy self upon the merits and righteousness of Jesus Christ and there let thy soul rest it self in hope of the pardon of thy sins here and of eternal life and salvation hereafter venturing upon that comfortable promise Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest When thou art assaulted with the temptations of Satan and fearest left thou shouldst be overcome by them then look up unto God trusting in him for deliverance in due time and for support in the mean time relying upon that gracious promise God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it When thou art under any spiritual desertion sitting in darkness without any spark of comfort thâ—n look up unto God with the eye of faith for the light of his countenance and the assurance of his loving favour resting and refreshing thy drooping soul with that comfortable promise In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer When thou apprehendest thy self weak and insufficient for the performance of duties then look up unto God who hath promised to help the weaknesses and infirmities of his Servants and trust upon the power of Jesus Christ then wilt thou be able to say with the Apostle I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me When thou feelest thy corruptions strongly working and stirring in thee then look up unto God who is able and hath promised to subdue thine iniquities and to keep down the power of thy lusts laying hold on that good word Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace When thou art reviled and persecuted by wicked and ungodly men then look up unto God with the eye of faith trusting in him for help and strength comforting thy self with that gracious saying of our Saviour Blâ—sse are ye when mâ—n shall revils you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven When thou art streightned in these outward things and thereupon art full of Worldly fears and cares what to eat and what to drink and what to provide for Wife and Children then look up unto God and by faith cast all thy care upon him who careth for thee resting upon that comfortable promise The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Though thou maist not have that abundance and affluency which some others do enjoy yet thou shalt not want that which God seeth good for thee who will supply all thy need according to his riches Thus in all thy streights and distresses thou maist by the Soveraign power of faith working upon the gracious promises of God exceedingly revive and refresh thy troubled Spirit For all the promises of God set down in his Word for thy comfort and support being sealed with the blood of Christ are all yea and Amen as true as truth it self and therefore shall assuredly in their due time be accomplished For thy better encouragement to this Christian duty of living by faith seriously weigh these few things I. The Properties of God more especially 1. His Almighty power whereby he is able to strengthen thee in all thy weaknesses to support thee under all thy tryals and temptations in a word to perform whatsoever he hath promised This made Abraham with strong confidence to rest upon the promise of God which the Apostle thus setteth forth He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Abrahams eying the power of God was it that made him so confidently to rest upon his promise The power of God is often in Scripture mentioned to move Saints to live by faith in Gods promises and to rest upon them When Sarah made some doubt of Gods promise concerning Abrahams having a Child by her this question was by way of exprobration propounded to her Is there any thing too hard for the Lord To like purpose said God to his Prophet Ieremy for the strengthening his faith Behold I am the Lord of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me implying there is nothing too hard for God 2. His truth and faithfulness in performing what he hath promised For faith the Apostle to the Hebrews
faithfull is he that promiseth We read how under the Law God commanded by Moses concerning him that voweth or promiseth any thing to the Lord that he shall not break his word but shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And shall the Lord say and not do it Shall he promise and not perform it Surely it is as possible for him not to be as not to keep his word and not to perform what he hath promised Indeed the Lord many times maketh his Children wait long for the accomplishment of his promises Yet he never faileth to be as good as his Word Which duly considered cannot but strengthen our faith in the firm expectation of all good things promised and enable us quietly and contentedly to rest and repose our selves in God for the accomplishment of what he hath promised and not to doubt thereof though he seem long to deferr the performance of them 3. His infinite Wisdom whereby he dispenseth the good things contained in his promises in their fitest time and season whenas they shall make most for his own glory and his Childrens good Farr be it therefore from us to prescribe unto God the time and season for the performance of his promises But let us rather resolve with patience to wait his appointed time and season who is infinite in Wisdom and so knoweth what is best and convenient for us even better than we our selves Thus did the Church Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us Therefore as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isay He that believeth shall not make haste because he is assured by faith that though he have not the thing he desireth at his own time yet he shall have it in that time which God in his Wisdom knoweth to be best for him whenas it shall make most for his good II. Consider the good success believers have found upon their living by faith how things have fallen out according to their hope and expectation It is recorded of Abraham that he lived by faith in Gods promise to him of a Son being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And God accordingly did perform the same unto him Look into the Histories of the Kings of Iudah and Israel and you shall find that according to their trust in God and faith in his promises was their success and deliverance Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded And saith David of himself The Lord is my strength and my Shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped What an encouragement must this needs be unto us to trust in God and live by faith in his promises Seeing he never failed such Faith in the promises being like the bow of Ionathan and Sword of Saul which never returned empty but allwayes finds what it seeks and enjoyes what it desires III. Take notice of the particular fruits of living by faith recorded in Scripture some whereof are these 1. Protection from things hurtfull Though Daniel was cast into a Den of Lyons yet it is said that no manner of hurt was found in him And this reason is rendred thereof Because he believed in Gods Word by faith relying on his power whom he knew was able to deliver him 2. Provision of needfull good things Therefore the Apostle exhorteth to trust in the living God and that on this ground he giveth us richly all things to enjoy namely all such things as he in his Wisdom seeth to be needfull for us And to set out Gods bounty in providing for such as live by faith in his promises the Wise man faith He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat that is he shall not only have such a competency as is absolutely necessary to preserve life or to keep body and soul together but also such plenty and abundance as will make him fat and well-liking 3. Comfort in every condition is another fruit of living by faith in Gods promises The promises of God in his Word are the Christians Cordials to cheer up his fainting spirits when he is ready to sink They are his aqua-vitae to revive him when he is ready to swound They are breasts of consolation full of sweet nourishment for the faint and weak They are Sacred and sure Anchors in the tempestuous seasons of trouble and affliction to stay and six believers amidst all tossings whatsoever They are roses that blow in the Winter which with their fragrancy revive drooping and dejected souls in the sad Winter of their desertion when the verdure of all other comforts wither and drop like leaves that are bitten with the frost This David found in his own experience for faith he thy promises are my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Whereas the best of the Worlds comforts are only applicable to some particular condition the comforts of the promises are universal such as agree with every estate and suit every malady and therefore apt to relieve the soul of a believer in every condition though never so sad and disconsolate So that the Christian who lives by faith in Gods promises many times walks more cheerfully under sore fiery troubles than others in the Sun-shine of Worldly prosperity The three Children walked to and fro with more joy in the fiery Furnace than Nebuchadaezzar in his stately Pallace 4. Contentment in our present state and condition is another Fruit of living by faith A Believer is like a dye that hath four squares throw it which way you will it falls upon a bottome Let God cast a Believer into what condition he pleaseth he still falleth upon his bottom of contentment he will be contented with his present state believing it to be ordered by God as in Wisdom so in much mercy and goodness unto him CHAP. XXIV Of Heavenly-mindedness ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is to be spiritually minded by a frequent contemplation of spiritual and Heavenly things It is not some few slitting transient thoughts on God or Heaven wherein this duty consists but thoughts resting and fixing on some spiritual subject The truth is the thoughts of all men fly up and down like birds in the aire or chaff in the wind and some of these may light sometimes on God or Heaven but they are soon off and fixed on some worldly matter or some impertinencies or other and therefore cannot denominate a man to be spiritually-minded which is another manner of business than many are aware of It 's a thinking with thought upon thought a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon God and the things of God and this in order to the affecting the heart deeply with them It is not sufficient to think and think oft of the love and goodness of God but we must labour to get our hearts inflamed