How confident are some of salvation yet never examine their title to Heaven 3. Men are not forward to examine themselves because they rest in the good opinion of others how vain is this Alas one may be Gold and Pearl in the eye of others yet God may judge him Reprobate Silver others may think him a Saint and God may write him down in his black-book Judas was looked upon by the rest of the Apostles as a true Believer they would have been ready to have given their hands to his certificate yet he was a Traitor Standers by can but see the outward carriage they cannot tell what evil is in the heart Fair streams may run on the top of a River but vermin may lie at the bottom 4. Men are hardly brought to examine themselves because they do not believe Scripture The Scripture saith The heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. Solomon said there were four things too wonderful for him that he could not know Prov. 30. 19. He might have added a fifth The Way of mans heart The heart is the greatest Impostor it will be ready to put one off with seeming Grace instead of saving The heart will perswade that a slight tear is Repentance a lazy desire is Faith Now because the generality of people do not believe that there is such fallacy in their hearts therefore they are so slow to examine them This natural backwardness in us to self-reflection should cause us to offer the more violence to our selves in making a thorow disquisition and search of our hearts Oh that I might prevail with Christians to take pains with themselves in this great work of Examination Their salvation depends on it It is the note of an Harlot she is seldom at home Prov. 7. 11 12. Her feet abide not in her house now is she without now in the streets It is a sign of an Harlot Professor to be altogether abroad spying the faults of others but is never at home with his own heart Oh let us try our Hearts as we do Gold by the Touchstone Let us examine our sins and finding out this leven burn it Let us examine our Grace whether it be of the right kind One went into the field to gather herbs and he gathered wild gourds and then Death was in the Pot. 2 Kings 4. 40. So many think they have Grace the right Herb but it proves a wild gourd and brings death and damnation That we may offer violence to our selves in this great business of Examination let these few things be seriously weighed 1. Without self-examination we can never know how it is with us If we should die presently we cannot tell to what Coast we should sail whether to Hell or Heaven It is reported of Socrates when he was going out of the World he had this speech I am now to dye and the gods know whether I shall be happy or iniserable That man who is ignorant of the state of his Soul must needs heve the trembling at the heart as Cain had a shaking in his flesh By a serious serutiny of our hearts we come to know to what Prince we belong whether to the Prince of peace or the Prince of the aiâ—… 2. If we will not try our selves God will try us He will examine us as the chief Captain did Paul by scourging Act. 22. 24. He will ask that question as Christ Whose image â—…d superscription is this And if we cannot shew him his own image he will reject us 3. There is secret corruption within which will never be found out but by searching There are in the heart as Austin saith hidden pollutions When Pharaoh's Steward accused Joseph's Brethren of having the Cup they durst have sworn they had not the Cup in their sack Little doth a man know what Atheism Pride Uncleanness is in his heart till he searcheth 4. The great advantage which will accrew to us the benefit is great which way soever things turn If upon examination we find that we have not grace in truth then the mistake is discovered and the danger prevented If we find that we have grace we may take the comfort of it How glad was he that had found the Pearl of great priâ—…e He that upon search finds that he hath but the minimum quod sic the least degree of grace is like one that hath found his Box of Evidences he is Heir to all the Promises and in a state of Salvation And that we â—…ay go on the more successively in this work let us desire God to help us to find out our hearts Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me Lord take off the vail shew me my heart let me not perish through mistake or go to Hell with hope of Heaven The sixth duty wherein we must offer violence to our selves is The Religious sanctifying of the Lords day That there should be a day of holy rest dedicated to God appears from the institution Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day Our Christian Sabbath comes in the room of the Jewish Sabbath it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. from Christ the Author of it Our Sabbath is altered by Christ's own appointment He arose this day out of the grave and appeared on it often to his Disciples 1 Cor. 16. 1. To intimate to them saith Athanasius that he transferred the Sabbath to the Lords day And St. Austin saith That by Christ's rising on the first day of the week it was consecrated to be the Christian Sabbath in remembrance of his Resurrection This day was antâ—…tly called Dies Lucis the day of Light as Junius observes The other days of the week would be dark were it not for the shining of the Sun of Righteousness on this day This day hath been called by the Antients Regind diâ—…rum the Queen of days And St. Hieroni preferrs this day above all solemn Festivals The Primitive Churâ—…h had this day in high veneration it was a great badge of their Religion for when the question was asked Servasti Dominicum Keepest thou the Sabbath the answer was made Christianus sum I am a Christian and dare not omit the celebration of the Lords day What great cause have we thankfully to remember this day As the benefit of Israel's deliverance from the Babylonish captivity was so great that it drowned the remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt Jer. 16. 14. So the benefit of our deliverance from Satan's captivity and the rising of Christ from finishing the glorious work of our Redemption was so famous that in respect of this his other benefits receive as it were a diminution Great was the work of Creation but greater the work of Redemption It cost more to redeem us than make us In the one there was only the speaking a word Psal. 148. 5 in the other the shedding of blood Heb. 9. 22. The Creation was the work of God's fingers Psal. 8. 3. the
Redemption the work of his arm Luke 1. 5. In the Creation God gave us ourselves in the Redemption he gave us himself So that the Sabbath putting us in mind of our Redemption ought to be observed with the highest devotion Herein we must offer holy violence to our selves When this blessed day approacheth we should labour that as the day is sanctified so our hearts may be sanctified We must on this day rest from all the works of our calling As Abraham when he went to Sacrifice left his Servant and Ass at the bottom of the hill Gen. 22. 5. So when we are to worship God this day we must leave all secular business behind And as Joseph when he would speak with his Brethren thrust out the Egyptians so when we would have converse with God this day we must thrust out all earthly employments Though works of necessity may be done and works of charity for God will have mercy and not sacrifice yet in other cases we must cease from all worldly negotiations It is observable concerning Mary Magdalen that she refused to anoint Christ's dead body on the Sabbath day Luke 23. 56. She had before prepared her ointment but came not to the Sepulchre till the Sabbath was past She rested that day from civil work though it were a commendable and glorious work the anointing of Christ's dead body When this blessed day approacheth we must lift up our hearts in thankfulness to God that he hath put another price into our hands for the gaining of heavenly wisdom These are our spiritual harvest-daies now the wind of God's Spirit blows upon the sails of our affections and we may be much furthered on in our heavenly voyage Christian lift up thy heart to God in thankfulness that he hath given thee another golden season and be sure thou improve it it may be thy last Seasons of grace are not like the Tyde if a man misleth one tyde he may have another This day approaching we must in the morning dress and fit our souls for the receiving of the Word The people of Israel must wash their garments before the Law was delivered to them Our hearts must be washed by prayer and repentance the Oracles of God being to be delivered to us And being met together we must set our selves as in the presence of God with seriousness and delight to hear God's sacred Word Take heed of distractions which fly-blow our duties We must labour to be bettered by every Sabbath where the Lord laies out cost he looks for fruit Fresh anointings of God are to be thirsted after and new cubits to be added to our spiritual stature We must not be like the Salamander which lives in the fire but is never the hotter Christians should on these daies aspire after communion with God and endeavour to have the illapses of his Spirit and clearer discoveries of his love in Christ. In short we should do on a Sabbath as Moses he ascended the Mount that he might have a sight of God We must dedicate the whole day to God Under the Law a single Sacrifice was appointed for other daies of the week but two Lambs were to be offered upon the Sabbath All this day must be spent with God he must have worship in the publick and when we come home he must have family-worship Many leave all their Religion at Church as I have seen some do their Bibles not hallowing God's name in their own houses Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God When men pretend to Worship God in the Temple but cut him short of family and closet-duties on a Sabbath this is to rob God and steal a part of his day from him Good reason we should consecrate the whole Sabbath to God and give him double devotion for God doubles his blessings upon us this day As the Manna did rain twice as much on the sixth day as any of the other daies so the Manna of spiritual blessings falls twice as much on the Sabbath day as any other We must rejoyce in this day as being a day wherein we enjoy much of God's presence John 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced So when we see a Sabbath day coming we should rejoyce The Protestants in France called their Church Paradise because there they met with God The Jews called the Sabbath desiderium dierum the desire of daies Isa. 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight This we should look upon as the best day as the Queen of daies crowned with a blessing Psal. 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it He hath made all the daies but hath sanctified this We should look upon this day as a spiritual Mart for our souls wherein we have holy commerce and traffick with God This day of Rest is the beginning of an eternal rest This day God sets open the Pool of Bethesda in which those waters flow that refresh the broken in heart And shall not we call this day a delight The Jews on the Sabbath laid aside their Sackcloth and Mourning This is in a right manner to sanctifie a duty and it is a duty wherein Christians must excite and offer violence to themselves Above all others how well doth it become those into whose hands God hath-put the power of Magistracy to shew forth holy violence in causing the Lord's day to be strictly observed What a rare pattern hath Nehemiah set all good Magistrates Neh. 13. 15. In those daies saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheavs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals Vers. 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judaâ—… and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day How dare ye infringe the command and make a false entry upon God's freehold My Lord your Proclamation for the pious observation of the Sabbath and your punitive acts upon some offenders have given a publick Testimoney of your zeal for this day The keeping up the honour of the Sabbath will much keep up your Magisterial honour The seventh Duty wherein we must offer violence to ourselves is holy conference and indeed we are backward enough to it therefore had need herein provoke our selves Mal. 3. 17. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another A gracious person hath not only Religion in his heart but in his tongue Psal. 37. 30. The Law of God is in his heart and his tongue talketh of Judgement he drops holy words as Pearls 'T is the fault of Christians that they do not in company provoke themselves to set good discourse on foot it is a sinfull modesty there is much visiting but they do not give one anothers souls a visit In worldly things their tongue is as the Pen of a ready
Devil tempted Christ by an Apostle Peter disswades him from suffering Abraham a good man bids his wife equivocate Say Thou art my Sister These are his subtilties in tempting Now here we must offer violence to Satan 1. By faith 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in faith Faith is a wise intelligent grace it can see an hook â—…der the bait 2. It is an Heroick â—…ce it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all to quench the fiery darts of Satan Faith resists the Devil 1. As it doth keep the castle of the heart that it doth not yield It is not the being tempted makes us guilty but giving consent Faith enters its Protest against Satan 2. Faith not only not yields but beats back the temptation Faith holds the promise in one hand and Christ in the other The promise encourageth faith and Christ strengthens it so faith beats the enemy out of the field 2. We must offer violence to Satan by prayer We overcome him upon our knees As Sampson called to Heaven for help so a Christian by prayer fetcheth in auxiliary forces from Heaven In all temptations go to God by prayer Lord teach me to use every piece of the spiritual armour how to hold the shield how to wear the helmet how to use the sword of the Spirit Lord strengthen me in the battel let me rather die a Conquerour than be taken prisoner and led by Satan in Triumph Thus we must offer violence to Satan There is a Lion in the way but we must resolve upon fighting And let this encourage us to offer violence to Satan Our enemy is beaten in part already Christ who is the Captain of our salvation hath given Satan his deaths wound upon the Cross Col. 2. 15. The Serpent is soonest killed in his head Christ hath bruised the head of the old serpent The Devil is a chained enemy and a conquered enemy therefore fear not to give battel to him Resist him and he will fly he knows no march but running away 3. We must offer violence to the world The world shews its Golden Apple it is a part of our vow in Baptism to fight under Christ's banner against the world Take heed of being drowned in the luscious delights of it It must be a strong brain that bears heady wine He had need have a great deal of wisdom and grace that knows how to bear a great estate Riches oft send up their intoxicating fumes which make mens heads giddy with pride Jesurun waxed fat and kicked Deut. 32. 15. It is hard to climb up the hill of God with too many golden weights Those that want the honours of the world want the temptations of it The world is blandus Daemon a flattering enemy It is given to some as Michol to David for a â—…are The world shews its two breasts of pleasure and profit and many fall asleep with the breast in their mouth The world doth never kiss us but with an â—…ntent to betray us It is a sâ—…ken halter The world is no friend to grace it chokes our love to heavenly things the earth puts out the fire Naturally we love the world Job 31. 24. If I have made Gold my hope the Septuagint renders it If I have been married to my Gold Too many are wedded to their money they live together as man and wife Oh let us take heed of being intangled in this pleasing snare Many who have scaped the Rock of scandalous sins yet have sunk in the world 's golden quick-sands The â—…in is not in the using of the world but in the loving 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world If we are Christians we must offer violence to the world Believers are called out of the world they are in the world but not of it John 17. 16. As we say of a dying man he is not a man for this world A true Saint is crucified in his affections to the world Gal. 6. 14. He is dead to the honours and pleasures of it What delight doth a dead man take in pictures or musick Jesus Christ gave himself to redeem us from this present evil word Gal. 1. 4. If we will be saved we must offer violence to the world Living fish swim against the stream We must swim against the world else we shall be carried down the stream and fall into the dead Sea That we may offer violence to the world let us remember 1. It is deceitful our Saviour calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The deceitfulness of Riches Mat. 13. The world promiseth happines but performeth nothing less It promiseth us Rachel but puts us off with blear-ey'd Leah it promiseth to satisfie our desires but it increaseth them it gives poison'd Pills but wraps them in Sugar 2. It is defiling Jam. 1. 17. Pure Religion is to keep himself unspotted from the world As if the Apostle would intimate that the world is good for nothing but to spot it spots first mens consciences and then their names It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5. 7. because it makes men so filthy They will damn themselves to get the world Ahab would have Naboth's Vineyard though he swum to it in blood 3. It is perishing 1 Joh. 2. 17. The fashion of the world passeth away The world is like a flower which withers while we are smelling to it Fourthly We must offer violence to Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence Though Heaven is given us freely yet we must take pains for it Canaan was given Israel freely but they must fight with the Caâ—…aanites It is not a lazy wish or sleepy prayer will bring us to Heaven we must offer violence Therefore in Scripture our earnestness for Heaven is set out by those allegories and metaphors which imply violence 1. Sometimes by striving Luk. 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strive as in an Agony 2. Wrestling which is a violent exercise Ephes. 6. 12. We are to wrestle with a body of sin and with the powers of Hell 3. Running in a Race 1 Cor. 9. 24. So run that ye may obtain We have a long Race from Earth to Heaven and but a little time to run it will soon be sun-set Therefore so run In a Race there 's not only laying aside all weights that hinder but a putting forth all the strength of the body a straining every joynt that men may press on with all swiftness to lay hold on the prize Thus Saint Paul presseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards the mark Phil. 3. 14. Alas where is this holy violence to be found 1. Many have made themselves unfit to run this blessed Race they are drunk with the pleasures of the world A drunken man is unfit to run a Race 2 Others neglect to run this Race all their life and when sickness and death approach now they will begin A sick man is very unfit