they are of such exceeding importance that if thou art once perswaded to them my work will be half effected and because delayes and laziness are the two great gulphs in which such multitudes of souls are drowned and perish I shall speak the more to them My first request to thee is that thou wouldst presently set about the affairs of thy soul We say of things that must be done De rebus necessariis non est deliberandum there needeth not any deliberation about them Is not this the one thing necessary to prepare for the last hour to make sure of thine everlasting well-fare In re tam justa nulla est consultatio If thou believest the word of God thou wilt not give the flesh so much breath as to debate it muchless wilt thou as Felix did put off the thoughts of righteousness and judgement to come till thou art at better leisure till thou hast a more convenient season What more weighty work hast thou to do then to work out thy own salvation Is the following thy calling hoarding up an heaps of earth feeding cloathing that flesh which shall shortly be food for worms is any of these half so necessary as thy provision for eternity If thou art old its high time to begin to prepare for thy latter end Thou hast the feet of thy body almost already in the earth in the grave and hadst thou not need have the feet of thy soul thy affections in heaven Thou hast but a little time to converse with men doth it not behove thee to be much in communion with God Death often possibly knocketh at thy door by the hand of sickness and warneth thee to look after another habitation for thou art to be turned out of thy house of clay Dost thou take warning what wilt thou do if thou shouldest dye before thou didst ever begin to live If the Sun of thy life should set before the Sun of righteousness hath arisen on thee all the while thou livest thou art dead and thou livest long to add to thy torments as others have died soon to hasten them Thou art but like stubble laid out a drying to burn the better in hell all the while thou continuest a stranger to the new birth Thou hast every day been treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath been gathering as it were more wood to increase those flames in which thou if thou thus diest shalt live for ever Because judgement against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged it shall not go well with the wicked Eccles 8 11 12 23. The sinner an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 I have read of the Circassians a kind of mungrel Christians that they divide their time betwixt the Devil and God dedicating their youth to robbery and their old age to repentance How much time hast thou spent in the service of sin how little time hast thou left the service of God and thy soul Is it not high time for thee to number thy dayes and to apply thy heart unto wisdom speedily Old sinner dost thou not tremble to think that there is but a step betwixt thee and death nay betwixt thee and hell O the time and talents and opportunities which thou hast to reckon for more then others Happy happy had it been for thee to have been turned out of the wombe into hell rather then to dye an old man and not a babe in Christ If thou hast a sparke of love to thy self mind thine inward change presently least thy change come even death and send thee to unchangeable misery If thou art young Honor adolescentum est timorem Dei habere Ambros de offici mind the gathering the Manna of godliness in the morning of thine age present the first fruits of thy life to that God who desireth the first ripe fruits Exod. 3.19 The firstlings are his darlings Gen. 4.4 and that cloth will keep colour best that is died in the Wool the vessel will sente longest of that liquor with which it is first seasoned let thy soul like Gideons Fleece drink up betimes the dews of grace As young as thou art thy life is every moment at the mercy of the Lord There is a saying that in Golgatha there are skulls of all sizes In the Church-yard thou mayest see graves of all sorts and some of thy very length thou art concerned therefore to remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Aquinas telleth us the young man hath death at his back the old man before his eyes and that is the more dangerous enemy that pursueth thee then that which marcheth up towards thy face This calleth for the greater care and watchfulness In the Isle of Man the maides spin their winding sheets the first thing they spin do thou in youth and health ponder and prepare for thy death lest as young and strong as thou art death trip up thy heels and throw thee and it prove thine everlasting overthrow Besides canst thou imagine that such a sinner deserveth favor who cometh in to serve God at last when he can serve his lust no longer Is it equal be thy own judge to give the flower of thine age the spring of thy life the best of thy time thine health and strength to the devil and thy brutish flesh and to give the dregs the snuffe the bottom of all this to the infinitely glorious God whose creature thou art at whose cost and charge thou livest every day and night and who calleth upon thee for thy service not for the need he hath of thee but because of the need thou standest in of him all whose happiness doth consist in the pleasing and enjoying his Majesty Whoever thou art of what age soever either set speedily about thy soul-work or answer these few questions the Lord shall put to thee or be speechless and without excuse at the day of Christ First Hath not God waited upon thee long enough already wouldst have him whom the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain who hath millions of glorious Angels waiting on his Majesty to wait on thee miserable worme alwayes I tell thee all the while thou art sinning his eyes behold thee his heart is incensed against thee and his hand can reach thee and avenge him on thee every moment How many hath he sent into hell that never tasted of his patience as thou hast done The angels sinned and were not waited upon one hour for their repentance yet how many years hath he endured thee with much long-suffering and still waiteth upon thee that he may be gracious unto thee Isa 30.18 The last oath thou didst swear he could have cursed and rotted thy tongue The last time that thou wentest prayerless to thy rest he could have sent thee to little ease to the place
pitiful thing was it that Alexander that was Lord almost of the world should be troubled that Ivy would not grow in his garden at Babylon And is it not a poor thing for thee that art a Child of God the Spouse of Christ the Temple of the Spirit an Heir of the most glorious rich and delightful Kingdom that ever was to lie whining and pining if thy head do but ake or thy estate decrease or thy friend forsake thee For shame remember who thou art and to what thou art called and say as the Martyr Hold out Faith and Patience your work is almost at an end Thou shalt ere long leave this world and all its evils and go where there is neither sorrow nor sin and indeed there can be no affliction there because there wil be no corruption there which is the original of all miseries As there cannot be any thunder or lightning in the upper Region because the vapours which are the materials of it cannot ascend so high So because no unclean thing can be there therefore no sorrow no suffering can be there How may this comfort thee Basil tels us Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how the Martyrs that were cast out naked in a winters night being to be burned the next day solaced their souls with these words Sharp is the cold but sweet is Paradise Troublesome is the way but pleasant shall be the end of our journy Let us endure cold a little and the Patriarchs bosome shall soon warm us Let our feet burn a while that we may dance for ever with Angels 2. It is a comfort against the temptations of the Devil Whilst thou livest in this world thou art liable to his wiles If thou wilt go to heaven so boundless is his malice that he raiseth all the powers of hell against thee and forceth thee to fight every foot of the way He is the strong man that hath full possession of carnal unregenerate ones and therefore all is at peace with them Matth. 12. What need a Captain bend his Forces against a Town which hath delivered up it self into his hands What need he plant his Canons and batteries against these gates which are already set open to him This Gaoler doth not trouble himself much about those prisoners which are fast in his dungeon with his irons on their legs and are led captive by him at his will 1 Tim. 2.26 But for thee who hast by the help of Christ broken prison and in part got out of his power he raiseth all the Country with Hue and cry to bring thee back to thy old place of bondage But be comforted Christ hath conquered him already in his own person as thy head is daily conquering him in thee his member by his Spirit and will shortly crush him fully under thy feet Rom. 16.20 Paraeus in loc Some refer that shortly to the day of judgement which will come shortly and wherein Satan shall be utterly crushed under all the Saints feet for ever And it is as true of the day of death in reference to every particular Saint As when a man dyeth all those vexatious law-suits with which he was before molested do cease So when the believer dyeth all those false actions which Satan had commenced against him in the court of his conscience and all that inward trouble which did arise thereupon do all cease It is no bad sign now O Christian if thou resistest that thou art assaulted by the wicked one A Theif will not break into an house that is empty A Pirate will not fight but for some considerable prize A Father will not seek to destroy his own Children Temptation is no sign of Gods hatred but of the Devils But let this be thy solace that within a few dayes thou shalt be at rest not only from thy own labours but also from Satans snares and suggestions God doth thee much good by them now the noise of those guns causeth the Conies to hasten to their burrowes and the Birds to their places of refuge The more the tops of sound trees are shaken with the wind the more deeply their roots are fixed in the earth the more eagerly Satan followeth thee the faster thou fliest and the closer thou clingest to Jesus Christ But God will do thee the greatest good without them and when that shall be thou shalt be wholly freed from them Since the Devils were cast out of Heaven we read of their being sometimes in the Sea Matth. 8.33 sometimes in the Earth Job 1.7 and sometimes in the Air Eph. 2.3 and they are called Principalities and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 but never in Heaven They aspire to get as high as they can but they can get no further than the Air Satan and his Angels find no more place in heaven Rev. 12.8 Now what comfort is this O Christian that thou shalt serve the Lord without distraction without temptations 3. It is comfortable against the corruptions of thine own heart What is it now that is thy greatest sorrow Is it not thy sin These are the weights which hang on the clock of thy heart and will not suffer it to rest day or night Well rejoyce in hope at death all these Achans which are the troublers of thy peace shall be stoned to death all these Jonahs which cause such stormes in thy soul shall be cast over-board all these Hamans which seek the ruine of thee and thy people shall be executed Now it is thy great care in every Ordinance to kill thy sins Dost thou not like Joab set the Uriah of thy beloved lust in the fore-front of every duty and retire from it out of pious policy that it may be slain And when at any time it pleaseth the Captain of thy salvation to send the supplies of his Spirit and wound mortally thy corruption that it lyeth gasping and dying before thee dost thou not look up to Christ and say as Cushi to David concerning dead Absalom Would to God that all the enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt were as that young man is Lord that all my sins might drink of the same cup and be served the same sauce Blessed be the Lord my God which hath avenged me this day of mine enemy If God should thrust the knife of mortification up to the haft in the very hearts of all thy sins that thou couldst see thy pride distrust unthankfulnesse hardnesse of heart and every corruption in a goar-blood fetching their last breath would it not be a lovely sight to thee Wouldst thou not look upon it with as much content as Hannibal did upon a pit full of the blood of men when he cried out O beautiful sight O formosum specta culum Or as that Queen that cried out when she saw her Subjects lie dead before her eyes The goodliest tapestry that ever she beheld At death all this shall be done for thee One touch
therefore which are copies after which many write had need to be exact You are the looking-glasses by which others dresse themselves the heads of the people Deut. 1.15 now the whole body will go along with the head Qui in excelso a gunt eorum facta cuncti mortales nâ—vere Salust ad Caeâ—arem You are like Beacons upon an hill visible to all The Sun may as soon go unseen as a Justice unobserved A small Star may be darkened and none take notice of it but if the great Luminaries are eclipsed or obscured a thousand eyes will be gazing on them A little spot in silk or scarlet is more looked on than a great one in russet or sackcloth A crack in a pebble is nothing so eyed or prejudicial as a small flaw in a jewel Corruptio optimi pessima Satan doth therefore plant his strongest batteries against the Royal Forts of Magistracy and Ministry whoever are spared David and Peter shall be sifted knowing that he gaineth a double advantage by their miscarriage example and scandal by which two wings it will soar higher and flie much farther An ordinary Tradesmon may prove bankrupt without much noise but if an Alderman or Merchant that had a name for a great estate breaks the the City and Country ring of it The honor of God and credit of the Gospel are much engaged in the carriage of a Magistrate that is a Professor The many eyes that look upon you the many feet that follow after you and the glory of the blessed God which is concerned in you do all call aloud to you to have your eyes in your head as the wise mans phrase is Eccles 2.14 to make straight paths for your feet and to walk nobly exactly worthy of the Lord even unto all well-pleasing Besides your very place is apt to be a snare and temptation and therefore requireth the greater care and circumspection Places of honour and power are like strong meats which being well concocted yeild much good nourishment bring much glorie to God and good to souls but they are of verie hard digestion He must have a strong brain that will bear much wine and he much grace that will walk humbly and closely with God in an high condition Your Office calleth upon you to be zealous for God as well as a pattern of piety to your neighbors * So Mr. Pemble in loc Eccl. 7.16 Be not righteous overmuch is the voice of carnal and corrupt reason which inciteth to an indifferencie in good courses and politick forbearance of forwardness in pietie Such is the judgement of carnal policie that our verie dutie is but overmuch and needless precisenesse Moderation is commendable in all things but Religion because therein there can be no excesse The lukewarm temper is of all others most loathsome to the Divine Nature Rev 3.16 You should not think it below you to be diligent in finding out and strict in punishing those that would debase God by the breach of his Laws prophanation of his day and abuse of his Creatures To serve the Lord is your greatest honour Jesus Christ humbled himself more for you or O how low had you been laid long ere this You have begun well with your honoured * John Beresford Esquire one of the Justice of the Peace for the same Liberty Uncle my loving Friend to beat up those head-quarters of hell Ale-houses I wish you both an happie progress and their ungodly disorders a speedie conclusion Foolish pitie to mens sins is the greatest crueltie to their souls Favour or connivence encourageth them in their rebellions encourageth them in their rebâ—llions and encreaseth their corruptions and thereby furthereth their damnation when the faithful wounds of wholsom severitie if God have any sanctifying or saving mercie for â—hem may reform and heal them You cannot easily do them a greater injurie than to let â—hem alone in their enormities One of the greatest stroaks that ever Israel felt from â—he hand of God was not to be stricken Isai â— 5 Some Magistrates are like Mountains and Cypresse trees high and barren but God hath â—ron hands for Justices that have leaden heels and will shortly strike them home for forswearâ—ng themselves to spare others He will be a â—error to them and make them terrors to themâ—elves who will not at his command be terrors to â—vil doers They are guilty of all the sins which they can and do not hinder They sin in others whilst they suffer them to sin Vitia aliorum si feras facis tua And they that are partakers of others sins if we will believe the God of Truth shall receive of their plagues Rev. 18.4 Some shew at this day that they accept such places to honor not God but themselves and they shall know one day that it were better offending all their neighbors nay all the world than one God I suppose you do not wonder that the cruel Lion roareth when he is disturbed of his rest nor that vicious men rage because they may not without some rubs ruine their souls Our Naturalists observe truly that beasts hate fire And so do men of heastly principles and practices that heavenly fire zeal The Dogs will bark and flie at the Moon not alwayes when she shineth but when by reason of the clouds hurried under by the winds she seemeth to run faster than ordinary The wicked world can well enough endure a cursed neutrality or as they term it a prudential policie Bona â—gere mala pati Regium est but to serve the Lord with fervencie of spirit is not more acceptable to God than abominable to them If they cannot make you wound your conscience Didicit ille maledicere ego contemnere said the Philosopher according to the subtilty of the Serpent they will wound your credit but a godly mans name is like an oyled post on which such dirt will not stick Their good word might be a disgrace to you and give you cause to reflect upon your self as that Heathen did and say What evil have I done that such a gracelesse fellow commends me But their bad wordâ— doth no more now than the treading with dirty feet on figures engraven in brasse which are thereby rendred more bright and glorious And hereafter you shall see a resurrectirn of names as well as of bodies when Christ will make the sinner pay back the stoln repâ—tation â—f his seevants with interest David was the song of the drunkards and the scorn of the gluttons and the Son of David that pattern of patterns Luke 2.34 was set for a sign to be spoken against and endured the contradiction of sinners Hebr. 12.3 I hope you set your watch not by the Parish clock but by the dial of scripture which ever goeth true with the Sun of Righteousness In a word your time is little your work is great your talents are many your account will be weighty your Saviour observeth every moment how tender