appointed time for these And do you know any other day that is fitter I think you will not pretend to that You would not have another day instead of this but you would have no day at all for such holy works but a day for ease and idleness and sports and vain discourse and pleasures with some little formal publick worship intermixt to cheat your souls It is not then the Day but the serious diligent holy employment and duty that you are against and that I have proved to be Gods will before Doubtless if you leave all men to serve God when they will without any stated time his worship will soon be brought to nothing and they that pretend to keep every day holy will keep none Look upon the places where the Lords day is kept holy and see whether godliness flourish not there incomparably above all other places And I think none can doubt but that more souls have been converted and brought home to God on that day then on any day of the week if not then all the rest beside And there is not the peevishest malignant soul of you that can with any shew of reason prove that the holy observation of the Lords day is unlawful if it were not necessary So that we are at least on the safest side of the hedge For we can say that we take a most happy opportunity for the good of our own souls and the worshipping of God and that we are sure we do that which is no sin our adversaries themselves do not charge us with doing that which is forbidden but that which they conceit unnecessary But if we should do as they and neglect this day we are not sure but it may be a great sin nay indeed we are sure it would be so But what saith the Holy-Ghost now to this question To pass by the fourth Commandement at this time the letter of it and the equity and reason of a seventh day the advantage of reason why there should be no less under the Gospel and such like I shall only now say these two things 1. It is plain in Scripture that de facto the Apostles and Churches used to meet for holy Communion in Gods worship on the Lords day And consequently that this was appointed by the Apostles or immediately by Christ himself there being then no other that pretended to any such authority and that Apostolical allowance no man questioneth The Apostles then having the extraordinary gift of the Spirit by which they were enabled infallibly to make known the will of God and being commissioned as well as enabled here unto as their writing of the holy Scriptures so their constitutions for the ordering of the Church being the effects of that Authority received from Christ and that Ability given them by the Spirit are Divine and principally the acts of Christ and the Holy Ghost whose agents the Apostles were Now that the first Churches did by their appointment observe the Lords day for holy actions is apparent As Christ first laid the ground-work by Râ—sing on that day so he began that very day to preach unto Mary the comfortable doctrine of his Ascension in words that deserve to be written in gold or rather in the deepest room of every true Believers heart John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God The first Sermon that ever was preached on a Lords day even on the first Lords day by Christ himself even to a beloved penitent woman whom he chose to be as it were his Apostle to his Apostles to deliver them this Message as from him On the same day the Disciples being Assembled he owned and blessed their Assembly and gave them the Holy Ghost and Apostolicall power When Thomas being absent from the Assembly the first Lords day did miss the sight of Christ and was unbelieving Christ left him a whole week in his unbelief and would not heal him till the next Lords day which he honoured with that cure Then the Disciples being met again Christ came among them and convinced Thomas On another Lords day they were all with one accord in one place and the Holy Ghost was in the extraordinary measure given them And Acts 20. 7. it is mentioned as the custom of the Disciples to come together on the first day of the week to break bread and Paul then preached to them even till midnight And 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. the Collections for the Saints were made every first day of the week in all the Churches of Galatia and at Corinth because they had then their holy Assemblies And therefore Rev. 1. 10. it is called peculiarly the Lords day 2. But to clear this past all rational doubting we find in all the writings of the antients and historie of the Church that all the Churches through the world unanimously observed the Lords day as instituted by Christ or the Holy Ghost in the Apostles none ever questioning or contradicting it that ever I read of He that hath read the writings of the Antients and denyeth this is unworthy to be disputed with The practice of the universal Church is a full exposition of the fore-cited Scriptures and though it be no Law to us it self yet is it a full discovery of the fact telling us what was the primitive practice and so a discovery of the Law And shall any private ignorant man come in alter one thousand six hundred and twenty six years and say the Apostles and all the Churches in the world have been deceived till this day and we must rectifie the mistake Shall these fellows come in at the end of the world and call the Apostles and all the Churches of all ages Puritanes for keeping holy the Lords day Or will any but a brain-sick person hearken to such shameless men as these Object But the antient Churches did not keep that day as a Sabbath but only as a day for publick worship Answ We will not stick with you for the name We urge you not to call it the Sabbath though the Antients sometimes did so See our Homilies of the Place and Time of Prayer if you will call it as Scripture and the Churches did by the name of the Lords day And it was then the custom of the Churches to spend almost all the day in publick Worship and Holy Communion and therefore they had but little time for any private duties that day And yet though the private practises of particular persons on that day be little mentioned in Church-history no man can prove that they used to spend any remaining hours of that day as common time in common business So that to quarrel against the holy observation of the Lords day is but to quarrel with the Holy Ghost and the Apostles and all the Churches of all ages since and with the happyest season for the worshipping of God and seeking our own and other mens edification 7. What
say unto you Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Luke 6. 12. He went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God Daniel would not give over praying three times a day in his house for thirty dayes space at the Kings command no not to save his life from devouring Lions David saith Psalm 119. 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee Lam. 2. 19. Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord Psalm 14. 4. it is part of the wicked Atheists description that They call not upon the Lord. Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not and the families that call not on thy name Psalm 145. 18. The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth When Paul was converted the Lord lets Ananias know it by this token Acts 9. 11. For behold he prayeth Acts 1. 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication Acts 2. 42. The three thousand Converts continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers Col 4. 2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving withall praying also for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mysterie of Christ Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in prayer Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 1 Tim. 4. 5. For every creature is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 5. 5. She that is a widdow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly Ephes 6 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints and for me c. 2 Chron. 6. 29. What prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man or of all thy people Israel when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief and shall spread forth his hands in this house then hear thou from Heaven c. I hope by this time if you have eyes you see that more frequent and fervent prayers then any of us use and that without Book were used by the antient servants of the Lord and were not thought too much ado nor more ado then God requireth of us 4. Is it constant diligent teaching instructing and catechizing your families and labouring that your selves and they may understand and practise the Law of God Hear also what the Spirit saith of this and then judge whether it be too much preciseness Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. My son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandements with thee so that thou encline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thy heart to understanding yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Deut. 6. 5 6 7. 11. 18 19 20. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates Gen. 18 19. For I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Josh 24. 15. But as for me and my houshold we will serve the Lord. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Eph. 6. 4. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. These and many such passages shew you that the most diligent instructing of your families is not more ado then God requireth but a most weighty needful part of godliness 5. Is it the meeting of divers neighbours together distinct from Church-meetings that you question Why if it be Schismatical in opposition to the publick meetings or to do any unlawful work we are against it as well as you But if it be but for the redeeming of their time for their spiritual advantage and orderly peaceably and soberly observed by some that have more time or care of their souls then the rest of their neighbours sure you will not for shame imagine that neighbours may lawfully meet to make merry and feast and sport and conferr about their worldly business and yet may not meet to pray and praise God and repeat what instructions they have received of their Teachers and prepare for and improve the publick Ordinances Hear what the Spirit saith also in this In the text here you find just such a meeting where Christ was teaching and Mary and his Disciples hearing and Martha cumbred with providing for the company and blamed for neglecting the advantage for her soul Acts 12. 12. Peter came out of prison to the house of Mary where many were gathered together praying Acts 10. 24. Cornelius called together his kinsmen and near friends to hear Peter who there preached to them converted and baptized them I need to instance in no more because this was the ordinary practice of Christ and the Apostles If you say Those were times of persecution I answer True But 1. yet such times in which publick Assemblies were ordinarily held and publick preaching used 2. And as the good of mens souls required it in times of persecution so when the good of souls requires it in times of liberty it is from the same general reason a duty but never forbidden by Christ in any times of greatest prosperity and peace 6. Is it the holy observation of the Lords day that is the preciseness that you cannot away with Of all men it beseems not them to quarrel at this that own our Homilies and with the Common-prayer use after the fourth Commandment to say Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law When they have heard Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day thou thy Son thy daughter thy man-servant thy maid-servant thy cattle and the stranger that is within thy gates You see all the foresaid duties must be performed and publick Assemblies for Gods worship and our instruction continued And therefore there must be some known
you speak falsly because you make the most barbarous Heathens to be most happy and the worst of men to be the best If it be best where there is least Religion and least Teaching or meddling with holy things then are the naked Indians the best and the Cannibals that live on the flesh of men These be they that are least troubled with Preaching and Religion And if you think that these miserable souls are best and happyest I pray you go to them and be happy with them And by my consent the Magistrate shall promote your happiness and send you thither 17. And would you have us believe you when you contradict your selves Out of your own mouthes will we silence or condemn you It is Christ that teacheth us to be Holy And do you not pretend your selves to believe in Christ That which you dislike as a troublesom or needless thing is nothing but serious Christianity it self And do you not say your selves that you are Christians Do not you profess the Articles of the Christian Belief And what do we but practice that which you profess We do but obey that God whom you say you believe in as the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and all things We do but love the Lord our Saviour whom you say you believe in as your Saviour We do but obey the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth all that God will save whom you also profess to believe in your selves We practise that Communion of Saints which you deride and yet profess that you believe We seek after the remission of sin and that life everlasting which you take on you to believe your selves And will you profess to Believe these things and yet say they are naught or that it was never a good world since they were regarded and practised And do you not profess to take the ten Commandments for the Law of God which all men should obey And what do we but endeavour to obey them All that which you hate as too much preciseness is nothing but the obeying of these ten Commandments And O that we could do it better And do you not use in the saying of the Lords Prayer to pray that the Name of God may be Hallowed and his Kingdom come and his Will be done yea even as it is done in Heaven And yet 〈◊〉 you say with the same mouth that it was never a good world since Gods name was Hallowed and since his Kingdom was â—â—vanced and his Laws so much regarded and his Will obeyed O hypocrites Is this your praying and do you look such prayers should be accepted which you hate and speak against your selves You pray that you may not be led into Temptation but delivered from evil and yet you run into temptation and take that Evil to be Good How oft have I heard men when the Commandments have been repeated which require us to take the Lord only for our God and not to take his Name in vain and to Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day to joyn to it as their prayer Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law and when they come home revile those people that are willing to keep it and that will not take Gods Name in vain and forbear the keeping holy of his day as they do themselves Either give over professing the Christian Belief and using the Lords Prayer and praying that you may keep the Commandments of God or else give over reviling those that do it Either say plainly that you are Heathens and no Christians or else never say that a Christian Life is hurtful to the world nor make it the matter of your reproach 18. And I must needs say that I am the more assured that your words against Religion are false because I know that they please the Devil who is the Father of lyes and are just such as he would have you speak and would speak himself if he had but liberty and his appearance would not marr hâ—â— cause When thou art railing at Godliness and saying that this Religion is the trouble of the world and that the servants of Christ are but a company of busie hypocrites just so would the Devil have thee speak I can prove it fully from the Scriptures and from his Nature and designs You could not speak more agreeably to his mind If he had hired you and written down every word which he would have you speak you could not more punctually obey him Do you plead against Holiness and for a careless and ungodly life Do you despise the righteous and justifie the wicked Just so would the Devil have you do If he stood by you and prompted you as indeed he doth though you do not know it those are the very words that he would have you say Indeed when he is compelled the Devil himself speaketh better then you as in Acts 16. 17. he saith These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation These are better words then yours But when he is left to himself and speaketh of his own he speaketh just as you do and shall we believe you when the Devil sets you on and you speak the words of the lying spirit 19. And I the less believe you when you say that the world is the worse for Preaching and Religiousness because I know from whence this comes You take that to be the best that is the worst and that to be the worst that is indeed the best You judge after the flesh and take those for the best times when you have most prosperity and may sin with least contradiction and molestation and be least troubled in your sensual course These are your good daies which wise men know to be your slavery and misery It is never a good world with you when your consciences are troubled and your sores are lanced and Satan cannot keep his garrison in peace and when you cannot be permitted to drink and swear and game and revell without controll And if this be your good world I had rather have a prison or a pair of stocks with Christ and the Gospel which you despise and with the means and hopes of the world to come then to have your good world which is but thee quietest passage to damnation You are not yet to be believed stay till you see the end and what comes of it and then tell us which was the good world 20. Lastly if all this will not serve I will silence you and shame you if you have any shame left If Religion and so much serving of God do make the world worse and those be the worst times where there is most of these then Heaven would be worse then Earth or Hell even the worst place in all the world For no place hath so much Holiness as Heaven Nowhere is there so much ado about the Praise and Service of God as there is in Heaven There they do nothing else but that which
way nor Isaac and Ismael nor Sem and Cham not would restrain Cain the first man born into the world from cruel murdering his brother upon a difference about their Religions caused by his own ungodly mind even because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous and acceptable to God 1 John 3. 12. And therefore Parents must patiently submit having done their duty if even the children of their bodies should prove reprobates And Brothers and Sisters must submit if these in so neer a relation be Cast-awayes God hath not promised that all our kindered shall be saved Rejoyce that you are not your selves forsaken and be glad that any and so many are sanctified though further from you in the flesh and love them in their more excellent relation to Christ and you 2. Note here how our Lord doth spend his time in the place and company where he is When he entreth into a house he is presently at work in teaching poor souls the way to God Or else how could Mary have been imployed in hearing him In our places and measure we should imitate him in this Can you come into any house or company and find nothing to say or do for God Is there none wiser then your selves that you may learn of as Mary did of Christ nor none more ignorant whom Charity requireth you to teach Nor none that need a quickening word to mind them of their everlasting state As soon as worldly or vain ungodly people get together they are presently upon some worldly or vain discourse And if you be indeed a heavenly and spiritual people should you not be more ready when you come together for heavenly spiritual discourse Have you not a thousand fold more to set your tougues on work The necessities of the hearers the hopes of doing good the presence of God the sense of the duty the sweetness of the subject the avoiding of sin and the blessing of Gods acceptance to your selves O had we but the skill and will and diligence that this interlocutory preaching by holy conference doth require what a supply party would it be for the promoting of mens salvation where the more publick preaching of the Gospel is wanting Who can forbid us by familiar discourse to exercise our charity in minding poor regardless sinners of the life to come and exhorting them to due preparation and repentance and to open to them the riches of Christ and set forth his love and draw them to embrace him 3. Note here how carefully we should take the present opportunities for our souls to hear and learn as Mary did She stands not carelling like our full stomackt hearers that ask How can you prove that I am bound to hear such a Lecture or to come to Church and hear a Sermon twice on the Lords day or to come to the Minister to ask advice or be instructed by him No more then a hungry man will ask How prove you that it is my duty to eat every day Or then a sick man will say How prove you that I am bound to seek to the Physicion to go or send to his house and to look after him As there is much in the very New nature and health and relish of a gracious soul to decide such Controversies as these without any subtilty of argument so a Christians prudence and care of his salvation will tell him that when Christ hath a voice to speak to him it beseemeth him to have an ear to hear and that the Sermon telleth the hearer the season of his duty and the offer of a mercy telleth us when it is our duty to accept it without any other more particular obligation unless when we can truly say as before God that some duty that at that time is greater hindreth us These are easie questions to those that savour the things of the Spirit When Christ is speaking Mary will be hearing and lesser things shall not call her off If any shall say So would we too if we could 〈…〉 Christ I answer Remember that he never intended to 〈…〉 himself on earth and teach his Church personally by his own mouth but hath appointed Messengers and Officers to proclaim his Laws unto the world and tender them his grace and saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. and he that despiseth despiseth not man but God 1 Thes 4. 8. And he that will not now believe and hear Christ speaking by his Ministers when he is acknowledged to be the son of God and his sealed Word hath had so long possession in the world would hardly have regarded Christ himself in a time when he appeared in the form of a servant and was found in fashion as a man and was believed on but by a few persons then counted but inconfiderable 4. Note also the humility and teachableness of Disciples in those times who were wont to sit learning at their Teachers feet Which was then an ordinary case and not of Christ Disciples only Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22. 3. Not like the proud and self-conceited part of our hearers in these times that come to hear somewhat for their malicious or contentious minds to quarrel with and expect that their Teachers tell them nothing but what is agreeable to their own conceits and think us to be injurious to them if we would heal their ignorance or impiety and make them any wiser or better then they are and that reproach us and set themselves against us as their enemies if we will not be ruled by them and humour them in all our administrations as if we were the patients and they the Physicion we the learners and they the Teachers yea we their servants and they our Guides and Rulers in the matters of our own Office But let us come closer to the words themselves and consider of the Instructions which they afford us which are these Doct. 1. It is but One thing that is of absolute necessity but it is many things that those are taken up with that neglect that one Doct. 2. The One thing needful leadeth to content but the many things of the world do trouble and disquiet and distract the soul Doct. 3. All men where the Gospel is preached have their choice whether they will seek and have the one thing necessary or trouble and distract themselves with the many things that are unnecessary Doct. 4. They that choose the One thing necessary do choose the good part and they that choose any other do make an evil and unhappy choice Doct. 5. The One thing needful shall not be taken from them that choose it but they that choose it not shall have no better then they choose Doct. 6. Those that make the bad unhappy choice are apt to grudge at them that choose better and will not think and do as they Doct. 7. When the matter is brought before the Lord Jesus Christ he will not take
what is thy word that we should regard it before the Word of God Quest 27. Dost thou not know that by thy speaking against a diligent holy life thou gratifyest the Devil and openly servest him and saist the very things that he would have thee say What can more please him and advance his Kingdom and suit his malicious ends then to stop and cool men in the service of the Lord and make them believe that holiness is but a needless thing If the Devil might have leave to walk visibly among men and speak to them in their language he would speak to them as thou dost and say the same things which he 〈…〉 into thy mouth and would do all that he could to keep men from a holy life And darest thou thus openly play his part Quest 28. Canst thou think when eternal life is at the stake that a man so weak in the midst of so many hindrances and enemies hath cause to count his diligence unnecessary When Satan like a roaring Lyon is seeking day and night to devour thee 1 Pet. 5. 8. when his malice subtilty and diligence is so great and so unwearied when his instruments are so many so subtile and so powerful when the world aboundeth round about thee with such dangerous enticing snares and baits when thy trayterous flesh so near thee is thy most perilous enemy uncessantly drawing thee from God unto the creature and when thou art so impotent to resist all these assaults art thou then in a condition fit to cry out against the greatest diligence for thy soul Should a man going up the sleepest hill when it is for his life be afraid of going too fast When thou hast done all thou canst it is well for thee that ever thou wast born if it suffice If weaknesses and enemies cause such a difficulty that the righteous themselves are scarcely saved that is with much ado is it then time for thee to ask What needs so much ado Quest 29. Dâ—st thou not deal exceeding unthankfully and unequally with God When he thinks not the Sun and Moon and all the creatures too good to serve thee nor all his mercies too great for thee no not the blood of his beloved Son nor his Spirit nor Heaven it self if thou wilt accept them in his way wilt thou think thy best too good for him and thy most diligent service to be too much When thy All is next to Nothing and thy Best doth not profit the Almighty but thy self and the gain will be thy own If a man should think it too much to put off his hat and thank thee when thou hast given him a thousand pound or to go a mile for thee when thou hast saved his life thou wouldst say he were not a man but a monster of ingratitude But thy unthankfulness is ten thousand-fold worse to God who would deliver thee from everlasting torments and give thee everlasting glory and save thee from Satan and all thy sins if thou wilt but take his safe remedies and thou churlishly refusest as if all were not worth so much ado Quest 30. Dost thou know what a life it is that thou accountesâ— an unnecessary toil It is a life of the greatest Safety Commodity Honour and Delight besides the justice and honesty of it of any in the world and indeed thou canst not choose any other but at thy peril and to thy greatest loss and ruine and to thy present and everlasting shame and sorrow It is the sweetest and most pleasant life on earth that thou ignorantly accountest such a tedious toyl The manifestation of this shall be my work in the second Part of this Discourse And now I dare affirm that when the dreadful God shall shortly judge thee who hast read or heard these words it will be found indelibly written upon thy Conscience that thou hadst here such Reasons laid before thee to prove the Necessity of a serious diligent holy life as all the wit in earth or Hell is not able solidly to confute and that an ungodly sensual life is most unreasonable and that if after this thou continue in an unsanctified fleshly state thou shall justly perish as one that wilfully refused salvation as in despight of God his mercies and his messengers and of the plainest undenyable Truth and Reason And that in refusing to be a SAINT thou madest thy self in the greatest matters no better then a BRUTE wilfully subjecting thy Reason to thy sensuality and judging thy self unmeet for everlasting Happiness BUt here I know the self-deceiving Hypocrite will object That all this that I am proving so diligently is confest and nothing to the point in question Which is not Whether One thing be needful and Holiness be of Necessity to salvation For who denyeth this But the question is Whether it be this Puritanical precise way of serving God which only deserves the name of Holiness and Whether they be net as truly godly and sanctified that say their prayers morning and night and go to Church on Sundayes and follow their businesses the rest of the week without any more ado Answ Either it is the substance of holy duties or but the circumstances which you quarrel at as Puritanical and precise If it be only the circumstances as Whether we should receive the Lords Supper standing or kneeling or sitting Whether we should pray publickly without Book or on the Book and Whether a Scripture-form or another be better and Whether a continued speech or versicles anthems and oft-repeated words and sentences be better What form of Church Government is best â— by Diocesane Bishops or by all the Pastors and the like It is not of such things as these that I am pleading with thee Though some of them are matters of considerable moment for the helping or hindring men in godliness yet it is greater matters then these that I am now contending for Agree with us practically in the substance in Faith Repentance Love Obedience Mortification Heavenliness Humility Patience and serious diligence and zeal in all and then I am none of those that will condemn or censure you but one that will rejoyce in you as those that I hope to rejoyce with for ever But if it be the substantial duties of godliness that you resist while you own but the Name of godliness in the general I must tell you that it is not Names and Generals that will save you nor prove that you have your selves one spark of Grace Nothing more eafie and common then for the most ungodly to say they are all for a godly life and God forbid that any should be against it when yet they hate and reject it indeed when it comes to the practice of those particular duties in which it doth consist It is not godliness that they hate and reproach but it is fervent prayer holy conference meditation self-denyal mortification of the desires of the flesh heavenly mindedness c. In general they will say that Gods Law must be
is there yet remaining then that you quarrel with as too much preciseness Is it the strictness of mens lives in forbearing sin and not doing as their neighbours do in rioting and vain recreations and delights For this I need not stand to justifie them with any impartial sober man If sin be evil and displease God and deserve damnation he that most fully and carefully avoideth it is the honestest and the wisest man You will not blame your child or servant for being loth to offend and disobey you even in the smallest matter You like not him that offereth you the least abuse so well as him that offereth you none You had rather be well then have the least disease You will not take a little poyson nor would you feel a little of hell Why then should we not avoid the least sin so far as we are able If sinning be good then Devils are the best creatures and Angels and Christ in his manhood the worst But if sin be the greatest evil What will you call those men that do not only wilfully commit it but plead for it and reproach those that would fain avoid it Or what if some of those that you reproach are mistaken in some point and 〈◊〉 that to be a sin that is none Or what if you think it to be no sin which they scruple Will you blame a man that loves God to be afraid of that which he suspecteth may offend him Or will you blame him that cares for his salvation to make as sure of it as he can and to keep as far from the brink of hell as he able How is it that you observe not that your very reproaches do confute themselves What is it that you are offended at in the servants of the Lord Is it Good or Evil Surely it is some fault or other of theirs that you will pretend to be the cause For scarce any but the Devil himself will openly and professedly oppose Goodness under the name of Goodness And if it be a real or supposed fault that you speak against them for doth it not intimate that they should avoid all faults as far as they are able And yet will you at the same time reproach them for being too strict and fearful to offend as if it were their fault that they are unwilling to be faulty But let us hear what God saith of this Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock at sin vers 34. Righteousness exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any people And yet you would make the avoiding it a reproach Gen. 4. 7. If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost not well sin lyeth at the door Numb 32. 23. Be sure your sin will find you out Jam. 1. 15. Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil Matth. 12. 36 37. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Matth. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and â—eâ—â—h them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven vers 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire vers 28. I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Vers 34 35 36 37. I say unto you swear not at all Neither by heaven for it is Gods throne nor by the earth for it is his footstool But let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Jam. 4. 12. But above all things my Brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth nor by any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest you faell into condemnation Epes 5. 3 4. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not once be named amongst you as becometh Saints Neither filthyness nor foolish talking nor jeasting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks An hundred such passages of Scripture I might recite that might quickly satisfie you what God expecteth and whether it be too much preciseness to fear the smallest sin 8. But perhaps it is the rigor of their Church discipline that maketh you offended with those that you count too pure and precise because they will not let other men alone but are reproving them and bringing them to open penitence and confession of their open sins and casting those out of the Communion of the Church which do refuse it Answ But do they do this of themselves or doth God command it them Do you think that the Communion of Saints is to be turned into a rabble of impiety and the Church into a swine-stye Do you not know that the Canons of the antient Churches for many hundred years after Christ are stricter in this Discipline by far then those that now offend you by their strictness And hear what he Holy-Ghost â—aith Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy 〈…〉 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and 〈…〉 Matth. 18. 15. 16 17. If thy brothâ—◠〈…〉 tâ—ll him his fault between thee and 〈…〉 gained thy brother But if 〈…〉 thee one or two more that 〈…〉 every word may be established And if 〈…〉 unto the Church but if he neglect 〈…〉 the Church let 〈…〉 be unto thee as an Heathen mar or a 〈…〉 â— Cor. 5. For I verily at absent in body but present in â—â—irit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed that in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Purge out therefore the old leaven Now I have written to you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no â—ot to eat therefore put away from among your selves the wicked person 2 Thes 3. 6 14. Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us And if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be
you revile and that in highest fervour and perfection They Rest not day or night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4. 8. Dost thou know the man on earth that is most precise and holy and diligent for God Why the lowest of the Saints in Heaven go quite beyond him And in good sadness dost thou take Heaven to be the worst place and think that so much Holiness will make it troublesom Bear witness then against thy self Out of thy own mouth art thou condemned How canst thou expect to be admitted into Heaven that takest it for so bad a place Thou teachest God to thrust thee back and say to thee Be gone here is nothing but Holiness which you could not alive You shall go to a place where Religion and Holiness shall not trouble you Well Sirs Consider now as men of Reason of all these twenty Reasons which I have given you and then tell me whether that be not the better world and the better soul where there is most Faith and Holiness CHAP. VI. Holiness is the only way of Safety I Have proved to you that Holiness is best for Common wealths and given you many General undenyable evidences to prove that it is Best for all men in particular I shall now come to the particular evidences and shew you wherein it is that it is Best for all men There are three sorts of Good that men have to look after The first is the security of their Life and Being the second is their moral well-being and the third is their Natural well-being This last also is divided into three branches and consisteth in our Profit our Honour and our Pleasure So that here are five several sorts of Goodness to be considered of and you will find that Holiness is Best beyond all comparison in each respect 1. In respect of Safety 2. In point of Honesty 3. In point of Gain 4. In point of Honour And 5. In point of Pleasure or Delight If I prove not every one of these then tell me I promised more then I could perform But if I do prove them I look that you that Read it should promise presently to come in to God and a Holy life and faithfully perform it 1. And that HOLINESS IS THE SAFEST WAY I prove thus 1. That man is in a safer state that is delivered from the power of Satan then he that is in his bondage and taken captive by him at his will But all the unsanctified are in this captivity and all the sanctified are delivered out of it as the Scripture most expresly tells us Ephes 2. 1 2. 3 And you hath be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the Power of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom we also bad our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind c. So 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God eradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will And Acts 26. 17 18. I send thee to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And Col. 1. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Satan is the Ruler and the Jaylor of the ungodly that leadeth them to sin and so to destruction and keepeth them for torments at the day of wrath And is he safe that is in the Devils power If he should appear to thee and lay hold of thee thou wouldst not think that thou were safe But his possession of thy soul is far more dangerous Thou dost not believe that thou art in his power But thy blindness sheweth it and thy enmity to the way of Holiness sheweth it and thy ungodly life doth fully shew it and the Scripture affirmeth it of all such and what need there any further proof But the sanctified are all dilivered from this slavery and though the Devil may rage against them he shall not prevail 2. Moreover those that are United to Jesus Christ and are become the living Members of his Body are certainly safer then those that are yet strangers to him and have no special interest in him But all that are sanctified are thus united to Christ and made his members and all the unsanctified have no part in him He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5. 12. John 15. 6 7 9 10. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love Yee are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you v. 14. Eph. 5. 25 26 27 29 30. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and â—â—â—aâ—â—â— it with the washing of water by the word that be might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish No man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cheri â—ath it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his flesh and of his bones Judge by these passages whether the sanctified are not safe If the Love of Christ and his Merits and his Power cannot keep them safe then nothing can If the Saviour cannot save them none can Is not the very flesh of Christ safe are not the members of his Body safe are not his friends his spouse and beloved safe If Christ can save us we are safe For who can conquer him Or who can take us out of his hands John 10. 28. If he be for us who shall be against us and if he justifie us who shall condemn us Rom. 8. 33 34 35. But is it so with the ungodly No they have no part nor lâ—t in this matter but are in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity because their heart is not right in the sight of God Act. 8. 21 23. 3. Moreover he that hath escaped the Curse of the Law and hath his sins forgiven him and is justified from all things that could by the Law be charged on him is safer then he that is under the Curse and hath all his sins yet lying on his soul But the first of
maist regard it He is the wise man that God calls wise and he is the fool that God calls fool and that is every one that layeth up riches for himself and is not rich towards God Luke 12. 20 21. He is the Happy man that God calls Happy and he is a miserable man that God counts miserable and who those are you may see in Psalm 1. and many Scriptures before-cited Hear the words and you that are Believers lay up the blessed promise of Christ himself John 12. 26. If any man serve me him will my Father Honour And who cares then for the dishonours of all the wicked of the world Our tryed faith as preciouser then Gold will be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. See 2 Tim. 2. 21. We must learn therefore to imitate our Lord John 5. 41. and not to receive our Honour from men and not to imitate the wicked vers 44. that receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God There is enough for us in Gods approbation And yet all his servants do imitate their Lord and his Judgement is their Judgement and whom he honoureth them do they honour Angels and Saints and all that enter into the Tabernacle of the Lord do contemn the vile and honour them that fear the Lord Psalm 15. 4. And though no mans Judgement or Praise be valuable in comparison of the Lords yet the Honour and Praise that is given by the wise and Godly is more then a thousand times as much from ignorant ungodly men If the Athenian Orator regarded the censure of Socrates more then of all the rest of his auditors we have cause to judge he Elogies of experienced holy men a greater honour then of thousands of the wicked greater then all their contempt or scorn is able to weigh down The applause of the wicked is oft-times a dishonour in wise mens eyes Was it not Balaams chiefest honour to hear from Balak I thought to promote thee to great Honours but the Lord hath kept thee back from Honour Numb 24. 11. The Honour that God keepeth a man from is no Honour but it is an Honour to be kept from such Honour by the Lord innocent poverty is incomparably more Honourable then Riches by iniquity which is the greatest shame 10. Lastly it is unspeakable everlasting Honour that holiness doth tend unto and which holy men shall enjoy with God The very Relation of a Godly man to his everlasting Glory is an Honour ten thousand times surpassing the Honour of all the Kingdoms of the world If you did but know that one of your poor neighbours should certainly be a King would you not presently honour him even in his rags You may know that the Saints shall raign with Christ as sure as if an Angel from heaven had told you so and more and therefore how should a Saint be honoured If God had but legibly marked out some among you for salvation and written in their fore-heads This man shall be saved would not all the Parish reverence that man Why a Heavenly mind and the Love of God and self-denyal and holy obedience are Heaven-marks infallible as true as the Gospel and written by the same hand as the Gospel was I mean by the Spirit of God himself If a voice from Heaven should speak now of any person in the Congregation and say This man shall raign in Heaven for ever would it not be an Honour above all your worldly Honours Why Holiness is Gods Image and the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and beareth witness with our spirits that we are the sons of God and we have the promise and seals and oath of God for our confirmed certainty yea and the Knowledge of God in Christ is the beginning of eternal life John 17. 3. and what would we have more The presence of Christ in a little of his Glory upon the Mount transported the three Disciples And the glympse of the Glory of God which Moses saw did make his face shine that the Israelites could not behold it The approaches of the Saints to God in holy Worship here on earth are exceeding Honourable because they participate of heaven and it is upward that they look 1 Chron. 16. 27. Glory and Honour are in his presence strength and gladness are in his place The soul that is beholding God by faith and conversing with the Heavenly inhabitants is quite above all earthly things and as Angels are more honourable then men and Heaven then Earth so are Believers that converse in Heaven with Angels yea with Christ himself by faith more honourable then terrestrial carnal men But the great Honour is behind yet near at hand when the promised Crown is set upon their heads O mark the Honour that is promised them by the Lord of truth The soul it self before the Resurrection of the body shall be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Even present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 1. 8. John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be And at the Resurrection Christ that hath loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it will present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 25 26. Will they not be Honourable even in the eyes of the ungodly world when they hear the sentence of their Lord Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25. 34. and vers 23. Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord When Christ shall come to be Glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1. 10. Mark here that it is one end of the coming of Christ to be Glorified and admired in his Saints Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jud. 14. 15. Our hearts shall be established unblameable in holiness before God even our father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints 1 Thes 3. 12 13. we shall then praise him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1. 5 6. He that overcometh shall be cloathed with white rayment and confessed by Christ before the Father and the Angels of heaven Rev. 3. 5. Yea he shall be a Pillar in the Temple of God and go out no more and Christ will write on him the Name of God and the name of the City of God New Hierusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from God and his own name vers
that are but honest-hearted may certainly understand them Which quiets and pleaseth and satisfies the mind 3. And yet there is an exciting Difficulty in many things that are offered to our Knowledge which doth but make our holy studies the more delightful If the Word of God were so plain and obvious to all that it might be all understood at the first reading the plainness would bring our Sacred Knowledge into contempt as being an easie common thing Things common and easily got are little set by But when the plainness is such as may prevent our despair and dissatisfaction and yet the Difficulty such that it may hold us in study and prevent our contempt it makes the most delightful Knowledge It is Pleasant to find some daily addition to our Light and to be on the gaining and thriving hand and this upon our diligent search Successes are as pleasant as a present fulness of supplies The daily blessing of God upon our studies and humble learning addeth to our delight So that all this set together may shew you how pleasant a thing it is to have the Knowledge of a Saint Especially if you add that he hath an Exporimental and so a sweeter Knowledge then the most learned men have that are ungodly He hath tasted that the Lord is gracious and he hath tasted the sweetness of his Love and of all the Riches of his Grace in Christ and of his full and precious promises and of the inward powerful workings of his spirit His experimental Knowledge is the most Delightful Knowledge The Pleasure of Natural Knowledge is great but the Pleasure of saving Knowledge is much greater I do not believe that ever any of the Ambitious troublers of the world that let go Heaven that they may Rule on Earth have half the Pleasure in their Greatness and usurped Dignities as an honest Student hath in his Books and studious exercises and successes But if you compare the Pleasures of their Greatness and Commands with the Pleasure of a true Believing soul in his life of Faith and sweet fore-thoughts of his Heavenly Inheritance I must plainly tell you that we disdain the comparison Again I say that if you will compare the Drunkards the Fornicators or the Ambitious or Covetous mans delight with the solace that I find in my retired studies even about natural common things I disdain the comparison But if you compare their Pleasure with that little alas too little pleasure that I find in the believing thoughts of Life Eternall I do not only disdain your comparison but detest it Were I minded to be long I would shew you from these twelve particular Instances the abundant Pleasure of Holy Knowledge 1. What a Pleasant thing is it to know the Lord the Eternal God in his blessed Attributes The dimmest glimmering Knowledge of God is better then the clearest Knowledge of all the mysteries of nature 2. How Pleasant is it to know the works of his Creation How and why and when he made the world and all that is therein 3. How Pleasant is it to know the blessed Son of God and to behold the face of his Fathers Love that is revealed in him as his fullest Image 4. How Pleasant is it to know the Law and Gospel the Matter and the Method the litteral and spiritual sense to see there the mind and will of God and to see our Charter for the Heavenly Inheritance and read the Precepts and the Promises and the Examples of the faith and patience of the Saints 5. How Pleasant is it to know the Heavenly operations of the Holy Ghost and the nature and action of his several Graces and the uses of every one of them to our souls and especially to find them in our selves and to be skilled in using them 6. How Pleasant is it to know the nature and frame of the Church of Christ which is his Body and to know the difference and use of the several members To understand the office of the Ministry and why Christ hath set them in the Church and how much love he hath manifested therein that they should preach to us and offer us Reconciliation in his name and stead 2 Cor. 5. 19. and marry us unto Christ in Baptism receiving us in his name into the Church and holy Covenant and that in his name and stead they should deliver us his body and blood and absolve the penitent sinner from his sins and deliver him a sealed pardon and receive the returning humbled soul into the Church of Christ and Communion of the Saints 7. How Pleasant is it to know the nature and use of all Christs Ordinances The excellencies of his Holy Word the use of Baptism and the refreshing strengthening use of the Supper of the Lord the use and benefit of Holy prayer and praises and thanksgiving and Church-order and all parts of the Communion of the Saints 8. Yea there is a holy Pleasure in knowing our very sin and folly When God bringeth a sinner to himself though his sin be odious to him yet to know the sin is Pleasant and therefore he prayeth that God would shew him the bottom of his heart and the most secret or odious of his sins 9. And it is Pleasant to a Christian to know his Duty It very much quieteth and delighteth his mind when he can but know what is the will of God When the way of Duty is plain before him how chearfully can he go on whatever meet him and how easie doth it make his labour and his suffering 10. Yea it is Pleasant to a Believer to understand his very danger Though the Danger it self be dreadful to him yet to know it that he may avoid it is his desire and his delight 11. And how Pleasant is it to understand all the Helps Encouragements and Comforts that God hath provided for us in our way and how many more are for us then against us 12. But above all how Pleasant is it to know by faith the life that we must live with God for ever and what he will do for us to all eternity in the performance of his holy Covenant I do but briefly name these Instances of Delightful Knowledge which are sweeter to the holy soul then all the Pleasures of sin to the ungodly Do you think that any of you hath such solid Pleasure in your sins as David had in the Law of God when he meditated in it with such delight and saith How sweet is it to my mouth even sweeter then the honey and the hony-comb Surely you dare not compare with him in Pleasures 2. Another part of Holiness that is Pleasant in the Nature of it is that which is subjected in the heart or affections And here is the chiefest of its sweetness and delights 1. The very compliance of the Will with the Will of God and its Conformity to his Law doth carry a quieting Pleasure in it That soul is happyest that is nearest God and likest to him and that
no relief 3. Another duty that Holiness consisteth in is Thanksgiving and Praise to the God of our salvation He that knows not that this work is Pleasant is unacquainted with it If there be any thing Pleasant in this world it is the praises of God that flow from a believing loving soul that is full of the sense of the mercies and goodness and excellencies of the Lord Especially the â—â—animous conjunction of such souls in the high praises of God in the holy Assemblies Is it not pleasant even to Name the Lord to mention his Attributes to remember his great and wonderous works to magnifie him that rideth on the Heavens that dwelleth in the light that cannot be approached that is cloathed with Majesty and Glory that infinitely surpasseth the Sun in its â—rightness that hath his Throne in the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him and yet he delighteth in the humble soul and hath respect to the contrite yea dwells with them that tremble at his Word Is any thing so pleasant as the Praises of the Lord How sweet is it to see and praise him as the Creator in the various wonderful creatures which he hath made How pleasant to observe his works of providence to them that read them by the light of the Sanctuary and in Faith and Patience learn the interpretation from him that only can interpret them But O how unspeakably Pleasant is it to see the Father in the Son and the God-head in the man-hood of our Lord and the Riches of Grace in the glass of the holy Gospel and the manifold wisdom of God in the Church where the Angels themselves disdain not to behold it Ephes 3. 10 11. The praising of God for the incarnation of his Son was a work that a chore of Angels were employed in as the instructors of the Church Luke 2. 13 14. There is not a promise in the book of God nor one passage of the Life and Miracles of Christ and the rest of the History of the Gospel nor one of the holy works of the spirit upon the soul nor one of those thousand mercies to the Church or to our selves or friends that infinite Goodness doth bestow but contain such matter of Praise to God as might fill believing hearts with Pleasure and find them most delightful work Much more when all these are at once before us what a feast is there for a gracious Soul O you befooled fleshly minds that find no pleasure in the things of God but had rather be drinking or gaming or scraping in the world awaken your souls and see what you are doing With what eyes do you see with what hearts do you think of the Works and Word and Wayes of God and of the Holy employments that you are so much against For my own part I freely and truly here profess to you that I would not exchange the Pleasure that my soul enjoyeth in this one piece of the holy Work of God for all your mirth and sport and gain and whatever the world and sin affords you I would not change the delights which I enjoy in one of these holy dayes and duties in the mentioning of the eternal God and celebrating his praise and magnifying his Name and thinking and speaking of the riches of his Love and the glory of his Kingdom no not for all the pleasure of your lives O that your souls were cured of those dangerous diseases that make you loath the sweetest things You would then know what it is that you have set light by and would marvail at your selves that you could taste no sweetness in the sweetest things Can you think that your work or your play your profits or your sports are comparable for pleasure to the Praises of the Lord If Grace had made you competent Judges I am sure you would say There is no comparison Hear but the testimony of a holy soul yea of the Spirit of God by him Psal. 147. 1. Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing Praises to our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Psalm 149. 1 2. Praise ye the Lord sing unto the Lord a new song and his Praise in the Congregation of Saints Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Let the Saints be joyful in Glory let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high Praises of God be in their mouth c. Psal 95. 1 2 3. O come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise to him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods Psalm 96. 1 2 3 4. O sing unto the Lord a new song Sing unto the Lord all the earth Sing unto the Lord bless his Name shew forth his salvation from day to day Declare his glory among the Heathen his wonders among all people For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised Honour and Majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary Did not this holy Prophet find it a Pleasant work to Praise the Lord Yea all that Love the Name of God should be Joyful in him Psalm 5. 11. Every one of his upright ones may say with the Prophet Isa 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord My soul shall be joyful in my God For he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robes of righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels For as the earth springs forth her bud and as the Garden causeth the things sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause Righteousness and Praise to spring forth before all the Nations It is a promise of Joy that is made in Isa 56. 6 7 8. To the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my House of Prayer What a joyful thing is it to a gracious soul when he may see the reconciled face of God and feel his Fatherly reviving Love and among his Saints may speak his Praise and proclaim his great and blessed name even in his Temple where every man speaketh of his Glory Psalm 29. 9. If the Proud are delighted in their own praise how much more will the humble holy soul be delighted in the Praise of God! When the Love of God is shed abroad in the heart and Faith doth set us as before his Throne or at least doth somewhat withdraw the veil and shew us him that lives
for ever and when the force of Love doth open our lips that our mouthes may shew forth his praise it is pleasant both to God and us The Lord himself doth put on joy as delighting in his peoples praise and when they joyn obedience with holy worship they are pleasant in his eyes Jer. 9. 24. Isa 62. 4. 42. 1. Zeph. 3. 17. He meeteth him that Rejoyceth and worketh righteousness and that remembers him in his wayes Isa 64. 5. Would you taste of the sweetest life on earth Learn then to Delight your selves in God Do you want recreation Be acquainted with his Praise Is there not a better cure for Melancholy here among the servants of the Lord then in an Ale-house or in the company of transgressors Their carnal pleasures are unwholsom for you like luscious fruits that will make you sick But the delights of Faith are safe and healthful Fleshly pleasure is windy and deceitful and weakeneth and befools the soul But the Joy of the Lord is our strength Neb. 8. 10. A little may be too much of fleshly pleasures and it is of very hard digestion and leaves that behind that spoils the sport But the further you go in the Delights of Faith the better they are and the sweeter you will find them You may quickly catch a dangerous surfet of your fleshly pleasures but of spiritual Delights the more the better For they are curing reviving and much confirm and exalt the soul Our spiritual pleasures are so heavenly and have so much of God and Glory in them that they must needs prepare the soul for heaven and be excellent helps to our salvation O therefore if you would live a Pleasant life draw near to God and by Faith behold him and by Love adhere to him and take a view of his infinite Goodness and all his perfections and behold him in his wonderous works and then break forth into his chearful praises and you shall taste such pleasures as the earth affordeth not Lanch forth into the boundless Ocean of Eternity and let your hearts and tongues expatiate in the Praise of the Heavenly Majesty and use this work and ply it close and be not too seldom or customary or careless in it and you shall find the difference between the Pleasures of Faith and of the flesh of a Holy and of a sensual life Psalm 135. 2 3. Ye that stand in the House of the Lord in the Courts of the House of our God Praise the Lord for the Lord is Good sing praises to his Name for it is pleasant Psal 71. 8. Let my mouth be filled with thy Praise and with thy honour all the day Psal 96. 2. 6. Sing unto the Lord bless his name shew forth his salvation from day to day Honour and Majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary O that the Lord will but shine upon my soul with the Light of his countenance and open my heart to the entertainment of his Love and hold a gracious Communion with my soul by his holy Spirit and keep open these doors to me and continue this liberty of his House and Ordinances which we enjoy this day that I may joyn with a faithful humble people in holy Communion and in his Praise and Worship and that with a heart that is suitable to these works I shall then say with David Psal 16. 6. The lines â—â—faln to me in pleasant places I have a goodly heritage I will â—â— for no greater pleasures or honours or advancement in this world Let who will surfet on the pleasures of the flesh Here doth my soul delight to dwell Psalm 27. 4 5 6. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple For in the time of trouble he will hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And then shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his Tabernatle sacrifices of Joy I will sing yea I will sing Praises to the Lord. Till I come to the promised Everâ—… Pleasures I shall ask of God no greater Pleasures These would be as much as my soul in the prison of flesh can bear Till 〈…〉 to the Land of Promise may I but have these clusters of 〈…〉 in my present Wilderness I shall not repine My heart 〈…〉 shall be glad and my glory shall rejoyce and at death my flesh 〈…〉 in hope For as the Lord now sheweth me the path of 〈…〉 so in his presence is 〈…〉 of Joy and at his right hand are 〈…〉 for 〈…〉 Pâ—… 4. Another Pleasant Holy Duty is Our holy Communion with Christ and his Church in the Lords Supper This is a holy Feast that is purposely provided by the King of Saints for the entertainment of his family for the refreshing of the weary and the making glad the mournful soul The night before his bitter Death he instituted this Sacramental Feast He caused his Disciples to sit down with him and when they had partaked of the Passover the Sacrament of Promise and had their taste of the old wine he giveth them the New even the Sacrament of the better Covenant and of the fuller Gospel-Grace He teacheth them that his Death is Life to them and that which is his bitterest suffering is their Feast and his Sorrows are their Joyes as our sinful pleasures were his sorrows The slain Lamb of God our Passover that was sacrificed for us that taketh away the sins of the world was the pleasant food which Sacramentally he himself then delivered to them and substantially the next day offered for them The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world John 6. 33. He is the Living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the bread that he giveth is his flesh which he hath given for the life of the world ver 50 51. Except we eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood we have no life in us Whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath Eternal life and he will raise him up at the last day For his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him As the Living Father hath sent the Son and he liveth by the Father so he that eateth him shall live by him This is that bread that came down from Heaven not as the Fathers did eat Maâ—â—â— and are dead he that eateth this bread shall live for ever I know that to an unbelieving carnal wretch the Sacrament is but a common thing For Christ himself and his Gospel is â—o better in his