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A30278
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Eighteen directions for saving conversion unto God by Daniel Burgess ... thus published for the poor.
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Burgess, Daniel, 1645-1713.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing B5705; ESTC R36045
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21,736
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him and Badges of being his put upon you to the Conquest of Disobedience Sacramental Obligation is the chief Store-house and Magazine to draw Armour from in an Hour of Temptation There is none like it Rom. 6.1 2 3. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were Baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into his death 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience toward God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 and 21. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils D. 17. Hear your selves daily your Catechism I mean the Summary of Religion unto which you have attained There be several set down in my Three Questions Resolved long ago Printed I advise all once a day to go over that which they have Learned and can Remember Let grown Christians ask and answer themselves how they do in their Hearts BELIEVE each Article of the Apostles Creed how they PRAY each Petition of the Lords Prayer how they PRACTISE each Commandment of both Tables how they are ENCOURAGED and ENGAGED unto all three unto the Life of Holy Faith Prayer and Practice I mean by their Holy Baptism and the Lords Table Rom. 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Psal 4.4 Commune with your own Heart Psal 16.7 My Reins instruct me D. 18. Command your last Thoughts to be fit to be your last When you compose you to sleep suppose that you may die in that sleep And if so the God unto whom you must go in that death is fit to be thought of in the entrance to it If not it will be sweet in the Morning to review last thoughts of him at Night Yea and those thoughts of Faith and Love and Trust at Night will be generative of more of the same Spirit and Goodness in the Morning Psal 63.6 I remember thee on my Bed and meditate of thee in the Night Watches He that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men Rom. 14.18 Motives with Directions unto Religious Discourse such as tends to promote Conversion and holy Conversation By the same Author Thus Published for the Poor THE H. Spirit setting forth the sin of all the Members of the Body insisteth longest upon the Instruments of Speech Rom. 3.13 14. Their Throat is an open sepulchre with their Tongues they have used deceit the poison of Asps is under their lips Whose Mouth is full of cursing and bitterness He declares also that our Safety depends upon the right or ill using hereof Prov. 18.21 Death and Life are in the power of the Tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof And that one of the prime things that shall be brought to Judgment are our Words Mat. 12.37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned He makes our Speech the great discovery of our Heart Mat. 12.34 O generation of Vipers how can ye being evil speak good things For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgment And accordingly holy men watch against the sins of the Tongue Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my Tongue I will keep my Mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me Yea and Pray unto God to assist their watch Psal 141.3 Set a Watch O Lord before my mouth Keep the door of my Lips They make conscience of expressing the Image of their hearts in holy discourses Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgment And count it absurd to pretend to be religious if their Discourse be not governed by Religion Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain God for Christ's sake forgive me my trespasses And prosper unto many others with me these twelve Motives to Religious and Useful Discourse M. 1. Our Speech is given us by God for Religious Discourse Jam. 3.9 Therewith we bless God We do so it we use it to the end for which He gave it It is a Faculty most Excellent and therefore ought to be consecrated unto the holy uses for which it was by Him intended Otherwise we oppose his just Design and abuse his rich and extraordinary Gift That which He hath bestown upon no Creatures but those that are capable of Religion and bestown it on them for no use so much as of Religion M. 2. Religious Discourse is the most Honourable Doth God excel Creatures Doth Eternal Blessedness transcend momentany things As truely and plainly doth Religious discourse out-shine all other Men despise Childrens talk of their Play-things Princes contemn Subjects talk of their Shops and Farms and no less do New-born Souls slight Princes talk of Crowns and Kingdoms in comparison of talk concerning Heaven It is only holy Breath that is Nobly spent M. 3. Religious Discourse is the most Delightful It is most apt to Delight and doth actually Delight Men most when Sin corrupts not their Sense As Honey is incomparably sweeter than Whites of Eggs when no Disease hath vitiated our Palates For what is Delightful but Goodness And what is Goodness but Pleasingness unto God And what Discourse so pleaseth God as Religious And who have so much Pleasure as they in Heaven who have no discourse but Religious Prov. 15.26 The words of the pure are pleasant words M. 4. Religious Discourse is the most Profitable It trafficks in the richest Commodities God hath no richer than what it trades for Yea and its words be a wind that do always blow good unto both the Speaker and Hearer They prevent evil Words and Thoughts abundance of them if not much other Sin They awaken the Speakers Mind and affect his Heart and give him a rich promise of Gods Blessing Prov. 11.25 The liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Mal. 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son
Relations of Souls under your own Roofs Unless you exercise this Charity at home it will justly enough be concluded Vain-glory that sets your Tongue going religiously abroad And by and by you shall be told what is true Prov. 26.7 The legs of the lame are not equal so is a Parable in the mouth of fools Pious speeches out of a fools mouth make the fool ridiculous and become themselves contemptible D. 9. By Counsel and with good Advice order your religious Discourse It is War against Sin and Satan Offensive For Gods Glory and Mens Salvation Defensive It well deserves good thinking and will requite it well Wherefore rush not into it rashly And do not fancy that extemporary suggestions are all you need bestow upon it I would that upon the walls of your houses you had written Heb. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works The Duty required is provocation of one another by religious Discourses unto Love and good Works The Means prescribed as necessary for its right performance is Consideration of one another to wit of one anothers Circumstances Conditions Estates Lives Virtues Faults Wants c. Even that we may suit our Ministrations unto them with a due heedfulness And take the most proper Matter Language Method Time and every thing else to do them good Thus do and many shall say unto you as David to Abigail 2 Sam. 25.32 33. David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand D. 10. Let the one thing Needful be the main one in all your religious Discourse Even RIGHTEOUSNESS Imputed Inherent and Practical HOLINESS to the Lord the Principle of it the Practice of it the Progress and the Perseverance As high as they sour in notions in profession and in vogue they be not the true Eagles of Heaven that spend their time in catching at Flies The Kingdom of God is not in Meat and Drink i. e. Christianity consists not in the Circumstantials of Religion Wo to them whose Discourses consist of little beside You shall not repent it if you determine as St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified The Converting Edifying Comforting Knowledge of Jesus Christ Crucified and Glorified Doubtless so meant the Apostle D. 11. Believe Reproaches for truly religious Discourses to be honours and treasures Otherwise you will soon faint But you know who thought it their Honour to suffer more than Reproach Acts 5.41 42. And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ And who thought it Treasure even richer than Egypts Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward Neither may you expect to reach their Heaven if you possess not their Temper and walk not in their way And this remember it is dangerous to be without sinners Reproaches and more dangerous to have their Applause 'T is its own that the World loveth The Witnesses of Christs Truth are said to have tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth or earthly sensual lives Solomons Throne was supported by Lions and truely so must Christs Kingdom and Interest be Dastardly Spirits will never be Trumpets of his praise for the fear of man brings such a snare on the heart as tyeth the tongue it self D. 12. Be Companions of them that best maintain Religious Discourse With best Vnderstanding Zeal Humility and Success Have no other Company of choice but that which will either Teach you or Learn from you What will be your Physicians or your Patients Let all your Delight be in these as the excellent ones of the Earth And be always willing to Borrow and to Lend To Lend to those that know less than you do and to Borrow from such as know more than you Otherwise whatever company you keep it is little by them that you are like to gain For there is no Edification where men too Ignorant to Teach are too Proud to Learn and they who have very much knowledge have too little humility and grace to draw it forth except it be in publick places where they expect applause and acceptation with multitudes Pious Humility makes us both Communicative of the knowledge we have and Inquisitive after more And it is certain that by communicating the wisess do grow wiser and by enquiring the weakest do get to be wise Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to go to the City The sense is this I judge Because a Fool is to proud or too bashful and fearful to go and enquire in the City of one able to Direct him to dispose of his Labour therefore doth he unprofitably throw it away that it doth but Weary him and not Benefit or Enrich him Let the Learned see in l. Ludov. de Dieu in Po. Synopâ— POSTSCRIPT Reader The Serpents Seed will Hiss and especially against such Arguments as those and such Management of them I pray God they may but Hiss and no Sting thy Soul for their Venom cast on my Name is worthy of no complaint or fear Very probably thou wilt be told this Discourse is rankly Fanatical Let such as do suggest so be told that godly Learned Episcopal Men have praised this Fanaticism Have Encouraged the printing it do buy it and communicate it And Bishop Wilkins the late honour of his Order in a Sermon published by Dr. Tillotson a Dean of a thousand hath these words which are full out as Fanatical as any of mine Practical Religion wou'd be much advantaged if men were but more free towards one another in communicating their Doubts Temptations Comforts warming their Affections and building up one another by MVTVAL CONFERENCE O that we Dissenters may make good use and not evil of the honour put upon us in this Nation by Mens calling all serious practical CHRISTIANITY Fanaticall Presbyterian c. FINIS