or have been and all the Godly thoughout the world and all that ever had experience of a holy life And what art thou that thou shouldst scorn all these Art thou wiser than all the Ministers and godly persons in the world Than all the Apostles and holy Martyrs of Christ that ever were Yea than God himself § 33. 8. Didst thou ever mark how unlike the speech of Christ and his Apostles was to thine Did they deride men for being too diligent for the pleasing of God and saving of their souls Read but thâ—se places following and judge Matth. 5. 8 11 20. 6. 33 21. 7. 13 14. 1 Pet. 4. 18. 2. Pet. 3. 11. 1. 10. Heb. 11. 6. Matth. 5. Rom. 8 1 5 6 7 8 9 13. Phil. 3. 18. 19. Heb. 12. 28 29. § 34. 9. Dost thou not thy self do as much for the world as those that thou opposest do for Heaven Art thou offended that they preach and pray so long Art not thou longer about thy worldly business Are not Gallants longer at a feast or visit or games and recreations Art thou offended that they talk so much of Heaven And dost not thou talk more of earth And which of these dost thou think in thy Conscience doth better deserve to be sought and talked of Which will prove better at the last And whose labour will be more worthy of derision § 35. 10. What gain would it be to thee if thou hadst thy will and Praying and Preaching and Holiness were as much banished from the world as thou wouldst have it And if men to please thee should displease God and cast away their souls for ever Would it do thee good for earth to be so like to Hell It is the grief of godly men already to think how little Holiness is in the world There is scarce a sadder thought that ever came into my heart than to survey all the Nations of the earth and to think how ignorance and ungodliness abound and how few there be that are truly holy And what an inhumane creature is that who yet would have them fewer and scorn out of the world the little Rom. 11. 1 2 wisdom and piety that is left And would it be any pleasure to thee in Hell if men should accompany thee thither to humour thee Nay it would be thy everlasting torment to see there so many for ever undone by hearkning to thy wicked counsel Say not that thou art not so cruel and it is not their damnation that thou desirest No more it is not thy own that thou desirest But all 's one as to the effect if thou desire the way to it Thou maist as well give one man poyson and deride at another for eating and drinking and yet say it is not your death that I desire But die they must if they ruled by thee § 36. 11. Were not he a cruel man that would not do as much for the saving of his neighbours soul as that which thou deridest them for in the saving of their own If thou wert sick should I refuse to pray for thy life Or if I knew that it might save anothers soul should I think any means or pains too much If not methinks I may be allowed to do as much for my self as charity bids me do for another § 37. 12. Is it a season to mock at Holiness when at the same time there are so many millions of souls in Heaven that all came thither by the way of Holiness And so many millions of souls in Hell that all came thither for want of Holiness And while thou art prating against it they are crying out in despair of the folly of their neglecting it Would one of the souls in Heaven regard thy mocks if he were to live on earth again Or would one of the souls in Hell be mocked thither if they were but tryed with another life If thou sawest at this hour what unholy souls in Hell are suffering and what holy souls in Heaven enjoy wouldst thou ever mock again at Holiness For shame consider what thou dost and see by faith the things that mortal eyes behold not § 38. 13. What if men should yield unto thy derisions and forsake a holy life to please thee Wouldst thou undertake to justifie them or be answerable for them before that God that required Holiness and will condemn all the unholy Wouldst thou bring them off and save them from damnation Alas poor soul how unable wilt thou be to save thy self And wilt thou take them for wise men if they displease the Lord and go to Hell to humour such a one as thou § 39. 14. Thou wilt not thy self be mockt out of thy House or Land or Right nor from thy meat or drink or rest wouldst thou â—ast these away if another should mock but thee for using them I think thou wouldst not And wouldst thou have wise men be mockt out of their Salvation § 40. 15. Thou wouldst not think it reasonable that thy Children or Servants be derided for loving or obeying thee Or thy very horse dispraised for serving thee And do they owe thee more than we all owe God § 41. 16. God highly honoureth them and dearly loveth them for that very thing that thou hâ—tâ—st and deridest them for Joh. 16. 27. 14. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that Loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Psal. 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Psal. 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous 2 Cor. 6. For ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord and Allmighty And darest thou scorn the sons and daughters of the Allmighty Even for that very thing for which he hath promised to receive them and to be a Father to them How contrary then art thou to God Mal. 3. 16 17 18. A Book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And darest thou scorn Gods Iewels and those that are thus pretious to him 1 Sam. 2. 30. For them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And wilt thou be one of his despisers opposing that in others for which God himself hath promised to honour them § 42. 17. To hate and scorn at Holiness is to hate and scorn at
my word to man and those Oaths or Vows where God is also made either only or conjunct with man the party to whom I primarily oblige my self For in the first case man can dispense with my Oath or Vow by remitting his own right and releasing me from my promise but in the second case no created power can do it As e. g. if I promise to pay a man a summ of money or to do him service and swear that I will perform it faithfully if upon some after bargain or consideration he release me of that promise God releaseth me also as the Witnesses and Iudge have nothing against a man whom the Creditor hath discharged But if I Swear or Vow that I will amend my life or reform my family of some great abuse or that I will give so much to the poor or that I will give up my self to the work of the Gospel or that I will never marry or never drink Wine or never consent to Popery or Error c. No man can dispense with my Vow nor directly disoblige me in any such case because no man can give away Gods right All that man can do in any such case is to become an occasion of Gods disobliging me If he can so change the case or my condition as to bring me under some Law of God which commandeth me the contrary to my Vow then God disobligeth me or maketh it unlawful to keep that Vow And here because a Vow is commonly taken for such a Promise to God in which we directly bind our selves to him therefore we say that a Vow thus strictly taken cannot be dispensed with by man though in the sense aforesaid an Oath sometimes may § 48. The Papists deal most perversly in this point of Dispensing with Caths and Vows For they give that Power to the Pope over all the Christian world who is an Usurper and none of our Governour which they deny to Princes and Parents that are our undoubted Governours The Pope may disoblige Vassals from their Oaths of Allegiance to their Princes as the Council of Lateran before cited but no King or Parent may disoblige a man from his Oath to the Pope nay it a Child vow a Monastical life and depart from his Parents they allow not the Parents to disoblige him § 49. Rule 29. In the determining of controversies about the Obligation of Oaths and Vows it is Rule 29. safest to mark what Scripture saith and not to presume upon uncertain pretences of Reason to release our selves where we are not sure that God releaseth us § 50. Rule 30. That observable Chapter Numb 30. about dispensations hath many things in it that Rule 30. are plain for the decision of divers great and usual doubts But many things which some do collect and conclude as consequential or implyed are doubtful and controverted among the most judicious Expositors and Casuists § 51. 1. It is certain that this Chapter speaketh not of a total Nullity of Vows ab initio but of a Relaxation or disannulling of them by superiours For 1. Bare silence which is no efficient cause doth prove them to be in force 2. It is not said She is bound or not bound but Her Vow and bond shall stand v. 4. 7 9 11. or shall not stand v. 5. 12. and He shall make it of none effect And si infringendo infregerit ea vir eju◠v. 12. Vir ejus infregit ca. v. 13. v. 8. The Hebrew vers 5. signifieth Quia annihilavit pater ejus illud And v. 8. Et si in die audire virum ejus annihilaverit illud infregerit votum ejus 3. It is expresly said that she had bound her soul before the dissolution 4. It is said The Lord shall forgive her v. 5 8 12. which signifieth a Relaxation of a former bond Or at the most the Parents silence is a confirmation and his disowning it hindereth only the confirmation So the Chaldee Paraphrase the Samaritan and Arabick Non erunt confirmata The Syriack Rata vel irrita erunt 2. It is certain that a Father hath the Power of relaxation here mentioned as to an unmarried daughter in her youth living in his house and a Husband over his Wife For it is the express words of the Text. 3. It is certain that this power extendeth to Vows about all things in which the inferiour is not sui juris but is under the superiours care and oversight and cannot perform it in case there had been no Vow without the superiours consent 4. It is certain that it extendeth not only to matters concerning the Governours themselves but concerning Vows to God as they are good or hurtful to the inferiours 5. It is certain that there are some Vows so necessary and clearly for the inferiours good that in them he is sui juris and no superiour can suspend his Vows As to have the Lord for his God and not to commit Idolatry Murder Theft c. No superiour can disoblige us here For the power of superiours is only for the Inferiours indempnity and good 6. It is certain that the superiours recall must be speedy or in time before silence can signifie a consent and make a confirmation of the Vow 7. It is certain that if the superiour have once ratified it by silence or consent he cannot afterwards disannull it 8. It is agreed that if he a while dissent and disannull it and afterward both inferiour and superiour consent again that it remaineth ratified 9. It is agreed that the superiour that can discharge the Vow of the inferiour cannot release himself from his own Vows If the Pope could release all men who shall release him § 52. 2. But in these points following there is no such Certainty or Agreement of judgements because the Text seemeth silent about them and men conjecture variously as they are prepared 1. It is uncertain whether any but Women may be released by vertue of this Text 1. Because the Text expresly distinguishing between a man and a woman doth first say Si Vir If a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an Oath to bind his soul with a bond he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And 2. Because women are only instanced in when Scripture usually speaketh of them in the Masculine Gender when it includeth both Sexes or extendeth it to both 3. And in the recapitulation in the end it is said by way of recital of the contents v. 16. These are the Statutes which the Lord commanded Moses between a Man and his Wife between the Father and his daughter in her youth in her Fathers house As it he would caution us against extending it any further And though many good Expositors think that it extendeth equally to Sons as to Daughters in their minority because there is a parity of reason yet this is an uncertain conjecture 1. Because God seemeth by the expression to
their schism to the height as far as arrogance can aspire they not only refuse communion with those from whom they separate but condemn them as no Pastors no Churches no Christians that are not subject to them in this their Usurpation And they that are but about the third or fourth part at most of the Christian world do condemn the Body of Christ to Hell even all the rest because they are not Subjects of the Pope § 25. Besides all this criminal odious Schism of Imposers or Separaters there is a degree of Schism or unjust Division which may be the infirmity of a good and peaceable person As if a humble tender Christian should mistakingly think it unlawful to do some action that is imposed upon all that will hold communion with that particular Church such as Paul speaketh of Rom. 14. if they had been imposed And if he suspecting his own understanding do use all means to know the truth and yet still continueth in his mistake If this Christian do forbear all reviling of his superiours and censuring those that differ from him and drawing others to his opinion but yet dare not joyn with the Church in that which he taketh to be a sin this is a sinful sort of withdrawing because it is upon mistake But yet it is but a pardonable infirmity consistent with integrity and the favour of God § 26. IV. In these cases following Separation is our duty and not a sin 1. The Churches separation What Separation is a duty from the Unbelieving world is a necessary duty For what is a Church but a society dedicated or sanctified to God by separation from the rest of the world 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive 1 Pet. 2. 5 7 9. Leg. Gâ—otâ—um de Imp. pag. 230 231. you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty The Church is a Holy people and therefore a separated people § 27. 2. If a Church apostatize and forsake the faith or if they turn notoriously Heretical denying openly any one Essential Article of the faith and this not only by an undiscerned consequence but directly in express terms or sense it is our duty to deny to hold communion with such Apostates or Hereticks For it is their separating from Christ that is the sinful separation and maketh it necessary to us to separate from them But this is no excuse to any Church or person that shall falsly accuse any other Church or person of Heresie because of some forced or disowned consequences of his Doctrine and then separate from them when they have thus injured them by their calumnies or censures § 28. We are not bound to own that as a Church which maketh not a visible Profession of faith and holiness that is If the Pastors and a sufficient number of the flock make not this Profession For as the Pastor and flock are the constituent parts of the Church politically considered so Profession of faith and holiness is the essential qualification of the members If either Pastors or people want this profession it is no Political Church But if the people profess true Religion and have no Pastors it is a community of believers or a Church unorganized and as such to be acknowledged § 29. 4. If any shall unlawfully constitute a new Political Church-form by making new constitutive Officers to be its Visible Head which Christ never appointed we are not to hold communion with the Church in its devised form or Polity though we may hold Communion with the members of it considered as Christians and members of the Universal Church Mark well that I do not say that every new devised Officer disobligeth us from such communion but such as I describe which I shall sullyer open § 30. Quest. May not men place new Officers in the Church and new forms of Government which Quest. Whether any form of Church-Government be of Divine appointment and whether man may appoint any other God never instituted or is there any form and Officers of Divine institution Answ. Though I answered this before I shall here briefly answer it again 1. There are some sorts of Officers that are essential to the Polity or Church-form and some that are only needful to the well-being of it and some that are only Accidental 2. There is a Church-form of Gods own institution and there is a superadded humane Polity or form There are two sort of Churches or Church-forms of Gods own institution The first is the Universal Church considered Politically as Headed by Jesus Christ This is so of Divine appointment as that it is an Article of our Creed Here if any man devise and superinduce another Head of the Universal Church which God never appointed though he pretend to hold his Soveraignty from Christ and under him it is Treason against the soveraignty of Christ as setting up an Universal Government or Soveraign in his Church without his authority and consent Thus the Pope is the Usurping Head of a Rebellion against Christ and in that sense by Protestants called Antichrist And he is guilty of the Rebellion that subscribeth to or owneth his Usurpation or sweareth to him as his Governour though he promise to obey him but in licitis honestis Because it is not lawful or honest to consent to a Usurpers Government If a Usurper should trayterously without the Kings consent proclaim himself Vice-King of Ireland or Scotland and falsly say that he hath the Kings Authority when the King disclaimeth him he that should voluntarily swear obedience to him in things lawful and honest doth voluntarily own his Usurpation and Treason And it s not the lawfulness and honesty of the matter which will warrant us to own the Usurpation of the Commander And Secondly There is another subordinate Church-form of Christs institution that is Leg. Grotium de Imp. p. 223. 226. Particular Churches consisting of Pastors and people conjoyned for personal Communion in Gods Worship These are to the Universal Church as particular Corporations are to a Kingdom even such Parts of it as have a distinct subordinate Polity of their own It is no City or Corporation if they have not their Mayors Bâ—ilists or other Chief Officers subject to the King as Governours of the people under him And it is no particular Church in a Political sense but only a Community if they have not their Pastors to be under Christ their spiritual Conductors in the matters of salvation as there is no School which is not constituted of Teacher and Schâ—lars That particular organized Political Churches are of Christs institution by his Spirit in the Apostles is undenyable Acts 14. 23. They ordained them Elders in every Church Tit. 1. 5. Ordain Elders in every City as I commanded thee Acts 20. 17. He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders
as enough for you yea as All or else you take him not as your God Direction 18. IF you would prove true Converts come over to God as your Father and felicity with Direct 18. desire and delight and close with Christ as your only Saviour with thankfulness and joy and set upon the way of Godliness with pleasure and alacrity as your exceeding priviledge and the only way of profit honour and content and do it not as against your wills as those that had rather do otherwise if they durst and account the service of God an unsuitable and unpleasant thing § 1. You are never truly changed till your Hearts be changed And the Heart is not changed till Passibilis timor est irrationabilis ad irrationabiliâ— constitutâ—â— sed â—um praecipit qui cum disciplina recta ratione consistit cujus proprium est reverentia Qui enim propter Christum doctrinam â—jâ—s Deum timet cum reverentia ei subjectus est cum â—â—e qui per vâ—rbâ—â—a aliaque tormenta timer Deum passibilem timâ—rem habere videtur Dâ—dâ—rus Alâ—x 〈◊〉 Pâ—t 1. the Will or Love be changed Fear is not the man but usually is mixt with unwillingness and dislike and so is contrary to that which is indeed the Man Though fear may do much for you it will not do enough It is oft more sensible than Love even in the best as being more passionate and violent but yet there is no more Acceptableness in all than there is Will or Love God sent not Souldiers or Inquisitors or Persecutors to convert the world by working upon their Fear and driving them upon that which they take to be a mischief to them But he sent poor Preachers that had no matter of worldly fears or hopes to move their auditors with but had authority from Christ to offer them eternal life and who were to convert the world by proposing to them the best and most desirable condition and shewing them where is the true felicity and proving the certainty and excellency of it to them and working upon their Love Desire and Hope God will not be your God against your wills while you esteem him as the Devil that is only terrible and hurtful to you and take his service for a slavery and had rather be from him and serve the world and the flesh if it were not for fear of being damned He will be feared as Great and Holy and Iust but he will also be Loved as Good and Holy and Merciful and every way suited to be the felicity and Rest of souls If you take not God to be better than the Creature and better to you and Heaven to be better for you than earth and Holiness than Sin you are not converted But if you do then shew it by your willingness alacrity and delight Serve him with gladness and chearfulness of heart as one that hath found the way of life and never had cause of gladness until now If you see your servant do all his work with groans and tears and lamentations you will not think he is well pleased with his Master and his work Come to God willingly with your hearts or you come not to him indeed at all You must either make him and his service your delight or at least your Desire as apprehending him most fit to be your delight so far as you enjoy him Direction 19. REmember still that Conversion is the turning from your carnal selves to God and Direct 1â— therefore that it engageth you in a perpetual opposition to your own corrupt Conceits and Wills to mortifie and annihilate them and captivate them wholly to the holy Word and Will of God § 1. Think not that your Conversion dispatcheth all that is to be done in order to your salvation No it is but the beginning of your work that is of your delight and happiness You are but engaged by it to that which must be performed throughout all your lives It entereth you into the right way not to sit down there but to go on till you come to the desired end It entereth you into Christs Army that afterwards you may there win the Crown of life And the great Enemy that you engage against is your selves There will still be a Law in your members rebelling against the Law that the Holy Ghost hath put into your minds Your Own Conceits and your Own Wills are the great Rebels against Christ and enemies of your sanctification Therefore it must be your resolved daily work to mortifie them and bring them clean over to the Mind and Will of God which is their Rule and End If you feel any conceits arising in you that are contrary to the Scripture and quarrell with the Word of God suppress them as rebellious and give them not liberty to cavil with your Maker and malepertly dispute with your Governour and Judge but silence it and force it reverently to submit If you feel any Will in you contrary to your Creator's Will and that there is something which you would have or do which God is against and hath forbid you remember now how great a part of your work it is to fly for help to the Spirit of Grace and to destroy all such rebellious desires Think it not enough that you can bear the denyal of those desires but presently destroy the desires themselves For if you let alone the desires they may at last lay hold upon their prey before you are aware Or if you should be guilty of nothing but the Desires themselves it is no small iniquity being the corruption of the Heart and the Rebellion and Adultery of the principal faculty which should be kept loyal and chaste to God The crossness of thy Will to the Will of God is the summ of all the impiety and evil of the soul And the subjection and conformity of thy Will to his is the Heart of the New Creature and of thy Rectitude and Sanctification Favour not therefore any self-conceitedness or self-willedness nor any rebelliousness against the Mind and Will of God any more than you would bear with the dis-jointing of your bones which will be little for your ease or use till they are reduced to their proper place Direction 20. LAstly Be sure that you renounce all conceit of self-sufficiency or merit in any thing Direct 20. you do and wholly rely on the Lord Iesus Christ as your Head and Life and Saviour and Intercessor with the Father § 1. Remember that without him you can do nothing John 15. 5. Nor can any thing you do be acceptable to God any other way than in him the beloved Son in whom he is well pleased As your persons had never been accepted but in him no more can any of your services All your repentings if you had wept out your eyes for sin would not have satisfied the Justice of God nor procured you pardon and justification without the satisfaction and merit of Christ. If he
God is ordinarily seen in the execution of it The despisers and dishonourers of their Parents seldom prosper in the world There are five sorts of sinners that God useth to overtake with vengeance even in this life 1. Perjured persons and false witnesses 2. Murderers 3. Persecutors 4. Sacrilegious persons and 5. The abusers and dishonourers of their ☜ Parents Remember the curse on Cham Gen. 9. 22 25. It is a fearful thing to see and hear how some ill-bred ungodly children will talk contemptuously and rudely to their Parents and wrangle and contend with them and contradict them and speak to them as if they were their equals And it s commonly long of the Parents themselves that breed them to it And at last they will grow even to abuse and vilifie them Read Prov. 30. 17. The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it § 3. Direct 3. Obey your Parents in all things which God forbiddeth not Remember that as Nature Direct 3. hath made you unfit to govern your selves so God in Nature hath mercifully provided Governours for you Here I shall first tell you what obedience is and then tell you why you must be thus obedient I. To obey your Parents is to do that which they command you and forbear that which they forbid you because it is their Will you should do so You must 1. Have in your minds a desire to please them and be glad when you can please them and sorry when you offend them and then 2. You must not set your wit or your will against theirs but readily obey their commands without unwillingness murmuring or disputing Though you think your own way is best and your own desires are but reasonable yet your own wit and will must be subjected unto theirs or else how do you obey them II. And for the Reasons of your obedience 1. Consider it is the will of God that it should be so and he hath made them as his Officers to govern you and in disobeying them you disobey him Read Ephes. 6. 1 2 3. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and thou maist live long on the earth Col. 3. 20. Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Prov. 23. 22. Hearken to thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Prov. 13. 1. A wise Son heareth his Fathers instruction Prov. 1. 8 9. My Son hear the instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head and chains about thy neck 2. Consider also that your Parents Government is necessary to your own good and it is a Government of Love As your bodies would have perished if your Parents or some others had not taken care for you when you could not help your selves so your minds would be untaught and ignorant even like to Bruits if you had not others to teach and govern you Nature teacheth the Chickens to follow the Hen and all things when they are young to be led and guided by their Dams or else what would become of them 3. Consider also that they must be accountable to God for you and if they leave you to your selves it may be their destruction as well as yours as the sad example of Eli telleth you Rebell not therefore against those that God by Nature and Scripture hath set over you Though the fifth Commandment require obedience to Princâ—s and Masters and Pastors and other Superiours yet it nameth your Father and Mother only because they are the first of all your Governours to whom by Nature you are most obliged But perhaps you will say that though little Children must be ruled by their Parents yet you are grown up to a riper age and are wise enough to rule your selves I answer God doth not think so or else he would not have set Governours over you And are you wiser than he It is but few in the world that are wise enough to rule themselves Else God would not have set Princes and Magistrates and Pastors and Teachers over them as he hath done The Servants of the family are as old as you and yet are unfit to be the Rulers of themselves God loveth you better than to leave you Masterless as knowing that youth is rash and unexperienced Quest. But how long are Children under the Command and Government of their Parents Answ. There are several acts and degrees of Parents Government according to the several ends and uses of it Some acts of their Government are but to teach you to go and speak and some to teach you your labour and Calling and some to teach you good manners and the fear of God or the knowledge of the Scriptures and some are to settle you in such a course of living in which you shall need their nearer over-sight no more When any one of these ends are fully attained and you have all that your Parents Government can help you to than you are past that part of their Government But still you owe them not only Love and honour and reverence but obedience also in all things in which they are still appointed for your help and guidance Even when you are married from them though you have a propriety in your own estates and they have not so strict a charge of you as before yet if they command you your duty to God or them you are still obliged to obey them § 4. Direct 4. Be contented with your Parents provision for you and disposal of you Do not rebelliously Direct 4. murmur against them and complain of their usage of you much less take any thing against their wills It is the part of a fleshly Rebel and not of an obedient child to be discontent and murmur because they fare not better or because they are kept from sports and play or because they have not better cloaths or because they have not money allowed them to spend or use at their own discretion Are not you under Government and the Government of Parents and not of enemies Are your lusts and pleasures fitter to govern you than your Parents discretion Be thankful for what you have and remember that you deserve it not but have it freely It is your Pride or your fleshly sensuality that maketh you thus to murmur and not any wisdom or vertue that is in you Get down that Pride and fleshly mind and then you will not be so eager to have your wills What if your Parents did deal too hardly with you in your food or raiment or expences What harm doth it do you Nothing but a selfish sensual mind would make so great a matter of it It s a hundred times more dangerous
to do evil Eccles. 8. 11. § 31. Direct 15. But alas how short is the prosperity of the wicked Read Psal. 73. 37. Delay Direct 15. is no forgiveness They stay but till the Assize And will that tempt you to do as they How unthankfully do sinners deal with with God! If he should kill you and plague you that would not please you And yet if he forbear you you are emboldened by it in your sin Thus his patience is turned against him But the stroke will be the heavier when it falls Dost thou think those men will alwayes flourish Will they alway domineer and revell Will they alwayes dwell in the houses where they now dwell and possess those Lands and be honoured and served as now they are O how quickly and how dreadfully will the case be changed with them O could you but foresee now what faces they will have and what heavy hearts and with what bitter exclamations they will at last cry out against themselves for all their folly and wish that they had never been deceived by prosperity but rather had the portion of a Lozarus If you saw how they are but fatted for the slaughter and in what a dolorous misery their wealth and sport and honours will leave them you would lament their case and think so great a destruction were soon enough and not desire to be partners in their lot § 32. Tempt 16. Another temptation is their own prosperity They think God when he prospereth Tempt 16. them is not so angry with them as Preachers tell them And it is a very hard thing in health and prosperity to lay to heart either sin or threatnings and to have such serious lively thoughts of the life to come as men that are wakened by adversity have and specially men that are familiar with death Prosperity is the greatest temptation to security and delaying repentance and putting off preparation for eternity Overcome prosperity and you overcome your greatest snare § 33. Direct 16. Go into the Sanctuary yea go into the Church-yard and see the End And Direct 1◠〈…〉 judge by those Skulls and Bones and dust if you cannot judge by the fore-â—â—â—â—ings of God what prosperity is Judge by the experience of all the world Doth it not leave them â—â—â—â— in sorrow at last Wo to the man that hath his portion in this life O miserable health and wealth and honour which procureth the death and shame and utter destruction of the soul Was not he in as prosperous a case as you Luke 16. that quickly cryed out in vain for a drop of water to cool his Tongue There is none of you so sensless as not to know that you must dye And must you dye Must you certainly dye and shall that day be no better prepared for Shall present prosperity make you forget it and live as if you must live here for ever Do you make so great difference between that which is and that which will be as to make as great a matter of it as others when it comes and to make no more of it when it is but coming O man what is an inch of hasty time How quickly is it gone Thou art going hence apace and almost gone Doth God give thee the mercy of a few dayes or years of health to make all thy preparations in for eternity and doth this mercy turn to thy deceit and dost thou turn it so much contrary to the ends for which it was given thee Wilt thou surfeit on Mercy and destroy thy soul with it Sense feeleth and perceiveth what now is but thou hast Reason to foresee what will be Wilt thou play in Harvest and forget the Winter § 34. Tempt 17. Another great Temptation to hinder Conversion is the example and countenance of Tempt 17. Great Ones that are ungodly when Landlords and men in power are sensual and enemies to a holy life and speak reproachfully of it their inferiours by the reverence which they bear to worldly wealth and greatness are easily drawn to say as they Also when men reputed Learned and Wise are of another mind and especially when subtile enemies speak that reproach against it which they cannot answer § 35. Direct 17. To this I spake in the end of the first Part of this Chapter No man is so great Direct 17. and wise as God See whether he say as they do in his word The greatest that provoke him can no more save themselves from his vengeance than the poorest beggars What work made he with a Pharaâ—h and got himself a name by his hard heartedness and impenitency He can send Worms to eat an arrogant Herod when the people cry him up as a God! Where are now the Caesars and Alexanders of the world The Rulers and Pharisees believed not in Christ Iohn 7. 48. Wilt not thou therefore believe in him The Governour of the Countrey condemned him to dye and wilt thou condemn him The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed saying let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Psal. 2. 2 3. Wilt thou therefore joyn in the Conspiracy When he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision He will break them with an iron rod and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel unless they be wise and kiss the Son and serve the Lord with fear before his wrath be kindled and they perish Psal. 2. 4 9 10 11 12. If thy Landlord or Great ones shall be thy God and be honoured and obeyed before God and against him trust to them and call on them in the hour of thy distress and take such a salvation as they can give thee Teach not God what choice to make and whom to reveal his mysteries to He chooseth not alwayes the Learned Scribe nor the mighty man Christ himself saith Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Read Mr. 〈…〉 sermon â—n 1 â—â—â—â— 1. 2â— Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight If this reason satisfie you not follow them and speed as they If they are Greater and Wiser than God let them be your Gods 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen and things that are not to bring to nought things that are It is another kind of Greatness Honour and Wisdom which God bestoweth on the poorest Saints than the world can give Worldlings will shortly be aweary of their portion
more of my observation of which these times have given us too much proof Profane and formal Enemies on the one hand and ignorant self-conceited wranglers on the other hand who think they are champions for the truth when they are venting their passions and fond opinions are the two Thieves between whom the Church hath suffered from the beginning to this day The first are the Persecutors and the other the Dividers and disturbers of the Church Mark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strife and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men Phil. 2. 14 15. Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5 6. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife raylings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds c. So 1 Tim. 1. 4 5. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which Minister Questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned § 6. Yet I must here profess that if any falsehearted worldly hypocrite that resolveth to be on the saving side and to hold all to be lawful that seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments shall take any encouragement from what I have here said to debauch his conscience and sell his soul and then call all those furious zealots that will not be as false to God as he let that man know that I have given him no cloak for so odious a sin nor will he find a cover for it at the barr of God though he may delude his conscience and bear it out by his carnal advantages before the world Direct 13. KNow that true Godliness is the Best Life upon Earth and the only may to perfect Direct 13. Happiness Still apprehend it therefore and Use it as the best and with great diligence â—â—sist those Temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding grievous or unpleasant thing § 1. There are all things concurrent in a Holy life to make it the most delectable life on earth to a rational purified mind that is not captivated to the flesh and liveth not on Air or Dung The Object of it is the Eternal God himself the Infallible Truth the only satisfactory Good and all these condescending and appearing to us in the mysterious but suitable glass of a Mediator Redeeming Reconciling teaching governing sanctifying justifying and glorifying all that are his own The End of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier and the everlasting happiness of our selves and others The Rule of it is the infallible Revelation of God delivered to the Church by his Prophets and his Son and his Apostles and comprized in the Holy Scriptures and sealed by the Miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them The work of Godliness is a living unto God and preparing for everlasting life by foreseeing foretasting seeking and rejoycing in that endless Happiness which we shall have with God and by walking after the Spirit and avoiding the filthiness delusions and vexations of the world and the flesh The nature of man is not capable of a more noble profitable and delectable life than this which God hath called us to by his Son And if we did but rightly know it we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight Be sure therefore to conceive of Godliness as it is and not as it is mis-represented by the Devil and the ungodly Read what I have written of this in my A Saint or a Brute § 2. As long as a man conceiveth of Religion as it is even the most sweet and delectable life so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart and despise the temptations and avocations of flâ—shly gain and pleasure He will be sincere as not being only drawn by other men or outward advantages nor frightned into it by a passion of fearfulness but loving Religion for it self and for its excellent ends And then he will be chearful in all the duties and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it And he will be most likely to persevere unto the end We cannot expect that the Heart or Will should be any more for God and Godliness than the Understanding practically apprehendeth them as Good Nay we must alwayes perceive in them a transcendent Goodness above all that is to be found in a worldly life Or else the appearing Goodness of the Creature will divert us and carry away our minds We may see in the very Brutes what a power apprehension hath upon their actions If your Horse be but going to his home or pasture how freely will he go through thick and thin but if he go unwillingly his travell is troublesome and slow and you have much ado to get him on It will be so with you in your way to Heaven § 2. It is therefore the principal design of the Devil to hide the Goodness and Pleasantness of Religion from you and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life By this means it is that he keeps men from it and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw you back again and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes If he can thus mis-represent Religion to your understandings he will suddenly alienate your wills and corrupt your lives and make you turn to the world again and seek for pleasure somewhere else and only take up with some heartless lip-service to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved And the means which Satan useth to these ends are such as these § 3. 1. He will do his worst to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties and bring How Satan would make Religion seem to be a câ—nfounding unpâ—â—aâ—an thing â— By difficulties you to a loss and to make Religion seem to you a confounding and not a satisfying thing This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners Difficulties and Passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you and put you out of a regular cheerful seeking of salvation When you read the Scriptures he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear He will shew you seeming contradictions and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things He will cast in thoughts of Unbelief and Blasphemy and cause you if he can to â—owl them in your
the most odious sins if he can but get them once to have some learned wise or religious defenders And from our tenderness of the persons we easily slide to an indulgent tenderness in censuring the sin it â—elt And good men themselves by these means are dangerously disabled to resist it and prepared to commit i◠§ 25. Direct 12. Take â—eed lest the Devil do either cast you into the sleep of carnal security or 〈…〉 into such doubts and fears and perplexing seruples as shall make holy obedience seem to you an impossâ—â—le â—â— a tiâ—â—sâ—me thing When you are asleep in carelesness he can use you as he list And if Obedienâ—e be made grievous and ungrateful to you your heart will go against it and you will go but like a tired horse no longer than you feel the spur you are half conquered already because you have lost the â—â—ve and pleasure of obedience and you are still in danger lest difficulties should quite tire you and weariness make you yield at last The means by which the Tempter effecteth this must afterward be spoken of and therâ—fore I shall omit it here § 26. By the faithful practice of thâ—se Directions Obedience may become as it were your Nature a â—amâ—liar â—asiâ— and delightful thing and may be like a chearful servant or child that waiteth for your commands and is glad to be imployed by you Your full subjection of your wills to God will be as the health and ease and quietness of your wills You will feel that it is never well or easie with you but when you are obedient and pleasing to your Creators will Your delight will be in the Law of the â—â—rd Psal. 1. 2. It will be sweeter than hony to you and better than thousands of gold and silver And this not for any by respect but as it is the Law of God a Light unto your feet and an inâ—â—lâ—â—ble guide in all your duty You will say with David Psal. 119. 16 24 35 47 70 77 174. I will delighâ— my self in thy Statutâ—s I will not forget thy word Thy Testimonies are my delight and my Câ—â—unsellers Make me to go in the path of thy â—â—mmaâ—dments for therein do I delight And as Psal. 40. 8. I delight to dâ— thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart And O Blessed is the man that â—eareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments Psal. 112. 1. DIRECT VII Continue as the Covenanted Scholars of Christ the Prophet and Teacher of his Gr. Dir. 7. Church to learn of him by his Spirit word and Ministers the farther knowledge of God and the things that tend to your Salvation and this with an honest willing mind in faith humility and diligence in obedience patience and peace § 1. THough I spake before of our Coming to God by Iesus Christ as he is the way to the Father It is meet that we distinctly speak of our Relation and Duty to him as he is our Teacher our Captain and our Master as well as of our improving him as Mediator immediately unto God The necessity of Believers and the office and work of Christ himself doth tell us how much of our Religion doth consist in Learning of him as his Disciples Acts 7. 37. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear This was the voice that came out of the cloud in the holy mount Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hâ—ar ye Him Therefore is the title of Disciples commonly given to Believers And there is a twoâ—old Tâ—â—ching which Christ hath sent his Ministers to perform both mentioned in their Commission Mat. 28. 19 20. The one is so to teach the Nations as to make Disciples of them by perswading them into the School of Christ which containeth the Teaching of faith and Repentance and whatever is necessary to their first admission and to their subjecting themselves to Christ himself as their stated and infallible Guide The other is the Teaching them further to know more of God and to observe all things whatever be commanded them And this last is it we are now to speak of and I shall add some sub-directions for your help How to Learn oâ— Christ. Sâ—ct 2. Directions for Learning of Christ as our Teacher Direct 1. § 2. Direct 1. Remember who it is that is your Teacher that he is the Son of God that knoweth his Fathers will and is the most faithful infallible Pastor of the Church There is neither ignorance nor negligence nor ambition nor decâ—it in him to cause him to conceal the mind of God There is nothing which we need to know which he is not both able and willing to acquaint us with Direct 2. § 3. Direct 2. Remember what it is that he Teacheth you and to what End That it is not how to sin and be damned as the Devil the world and the flesh would teach you nor how to satisfie your lusts or to know or do or attain the trifles of the world But it is how to be renewed to the Image of God and how to do his will and please him and how to be justified at his barr and how to escape everlasting fire and how to attain everlasting joys Consider this well and you will gladly learn of such a Teacher § 4. Direct 3. Let the Book which he himself hath indiâ—ed by his Spirit be the Rule and principal Direct 3. matter of your learning The Holy Scriptures are of Divine inspiration It is them that we must be Judged by and them that we must be Ruled by and therefore them that we must principally learn Mens Books and Teachings are but the means for our Learning this infallible word § 5. Direct 4. Remember that as it is Christs work to Teach it is yours to hear and read and study Direct 4. and pray and practise what you hear Do your part then if you expect the benefit You come not to the School of Christ to be idle Knowledge droppeth not into the sleepy dreamers mouth Dig for it as for Silver and search for it in the Scriptures as for a hidden treasure Meditate in them day and night Leave it to miserable fools to contemn the wisdom of the most high § 6. Direct 5. Fix your eye upon himself as your pattern and study with earnest desire to follow Direct 5. The imitation of Christ. his holy example and to be made conformable to him Not to imitate him in the works which were proper to him as God or as Mediator but in his Holiness which he hath proposed to his disciples for their imitation He knew how effectuall a perfect example would be where a perfect doctrine alone would be less regarded Example bringeth doctrine nearer to our eye and heart It maketh it more observable and telleth us with more powerful application such you must be and
Father of lyes and error than for the School of Christ. Except Conversion make men as little children that come not to caâ—p and cavil but to learn they are not meet for the Kingdom of Christ. Matth. 18. 3. John 3. 3 5. Know how blind and ignorant you are and how dull of learning and humbly beg of the Heavenly Teacher that he will accept you and illuminate you and give up your understandings absolutely to be informed by him and your Hearts to be the Tables in which his Spirit shall write his Law Believing his doctrine upon the bare account of his infallible Veracity and resolving to obey it and this is to be the Disciples of Christ indeed and such as shall be taught of God § 11. Direct 10. Come to the School of Christ with honest willing hearts that Love the truth and Direct 10. â—ain would know it that they may obey it and not with false and byassed hearts which secretly hinder the understanding from entertaining the truth because they love it not as being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest The word that was received into Honest hearts was it that was as the seed that brought forth plentifully Matth. 13. 23. When the Heart saith unfeignedly Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Teach me to know and do thy will God will not leave such a Learner in the dark Most of the damnable ignorance and error of the world is from a wicked heart that perceiveth that the Truth of God is against their fleshly interest and lusts and therefore is unwilling to obey it and unwilling to believe it lest it torment them because they disobey it A will that 's secretly poysoned with the Love of the world or of any sinful lusts and pleasures is the most potent impediment to the believing of the truth § 12. Direct 11. Learn with quietness and peace in the School of Christ and make not divisions and Direct 11. meddle not with others lessons and matters but with your own Silence and quietness and minding your own business is the way to profit The turbulent wranglers that are quarrelling with others and are religions contentiously in envy and strife are liker to be corrected or ejected than to be edified Read Iames 3. § 13. Direct 12. Remember that the School of Christ hath a Rod and therefore learn with fear and Direct 12. reverence Heb. 12. 28 29. Phil. 2. 12. Christ will sharply rebuke his own if they grow negligent and oftend And if he should cast thee out and forsake thee thou art undone for ever See therefore that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they sâ—aped not that refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we if we refuse him that is from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. For how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that â—eard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 3 4. Serve the Lord therefore with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son left he be angry and you perish in the kindling of his wrath Psal. 2. 11 12. DIRECT VIII Gr. Dir. 6. To obev Christ as our Physicion in his healing work and his Spirit in its cleansing mortifying work Remember that you are Related to Christ as the Physicion of your souls and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier Make it therefore your serious study to be cured by Christ and cleansed by his Spirit of all the sinful diseases and defilements of your hearts and lives § 1. THough I did before speak of our Believing in the Holy Ghost and using his help for our access to God and converse with him yet I deferred to speak fully of the Cleansing and Mortifying part of his work of Sanctification till now and shall treat of it here as it is the same with the Curing work of Christ related to us as the Physicion of our souls it being part of our Subjection and Obedience to him to be Ruled by him in order to our cure And what I shall here write against sin in general will be of a twofold use The one is to help us against the inward corruptions of our hearts and for the outward obedience of our lives and so to further the work of Sanctification and prevent our sinning The other is to help us to Repentance and Humiliation habitual and actual for the sins which are in us and which we have already at any time committed § 2. The General Directions for this curing and cleansing of the soul from sin are contained for the most part in what is said already and many of the particular Directions also may be fetcht from the sixth Direction before going I shall now add but two General Directions and many more Particular ones Direct 1. I. The two General Directions are these 1. Know what corruptions the soul of man is naturally Direct 1. defiled with And this containeth the knowledge of those faculties that are the seat of thâ—se corruptions and the knowledge of the corruptions that have tainted and perverted the several faculties Direct 2. 2. Know what sin is in its nature or intrinsick evil as well as in the effects Direct 2. How the several faculties of the soul are corrupted and diseased § 3. 1. The Parts or faculties to be cleansed and cured are both the Superiour and Inferiour 1. The Understanding though not the first in the sin must be first in the cure For all that is done upon the Lower faculties must be by the Governing power of the will And all that is done upon the will ac cording to the order of humane nature must be done by the Understanding But the Understanding hath its own diseases which must be known and cured It s malady in general is Ignorance which is not only a privation of actual knowledge but an undisposedness also of the understanding to know the truth A man may be deprived of some actual knowledge that hath no disease in his mind that causeeth In what cases a sound understanding may be ignorant it as in case that either the object be absent and out of reach or that there be no sufficient Revelation of it or that the mind be taken up wholly upon some other thing or in case a man shut out the thoughts of such an object or refuse the evidence which is the act of the will even as a man that is not blind may yet not see a particular object 1. In case it be out of his natural reach 2. Or if it be night and he want extrinsick light 3. Or in case he be wholly taken up with the observation of other things 4. Or in case he wilfully either shut or turn away his eyes It is a very hard question to resolve how far and wherein the
you have to do and to answer for and therefore most to mind and talk of § 11. Tempt 6. The Tempter also suiteth his Temptations to our advantages and hopes of rising Tempt 6. or thriving in the world He seeth which is our rising or thriving way and there he layeth his snares accommodate to our designs and ends making some sinful omission or commission seem necessary thereto Either Balaam must prophesie against the people of God or else God must keep him from honour by keeping him from sin Numb 24. 11. If once Judas be set on What will you give me The Devil will teach him the way to gain His way is necessary to such sinful ends § 12. Direct 6. Take heed therefore of overvaluing the world and being taken with its honour Direct 6. pleasure or prosperity Take heed lest the Love of earthly things engage you in eager desires and designs to grow great or rich For if once your heart have such a design you are gone from God The heart is gone and then all will follow as occasion calls for it Understand these Scriptures Prov. 23. 4. Labour not to be rich Prov. 28. 20 22. He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil But godliness with contentment is great gain Seek not great matters for your selves Jer. 45. 5. Be dead to the world Fear more the Rising than the falling way Love that condition best which fitteth thee for communion with God or maketh thee the most profitable servant to him and hate that most which is thy greatest hinderance from these and would most enslave thee to the world § 13. Tempt 7. The Tempter suiteth his Temptations to our company If they have any error or Tempt 7. sin â—r are engaged in any carnal enterprise he will make them snares to us and restless till they have ensnared us If they love us not he will make them continual provocations and set before us all their wrongs and provoke us to uncharitableness and revenge If they love us he will endeavour to make their Love to us to be the Shooing-horn or Harbinger of their errors and evil wayes to draw us to their imitation He findeth something in all our company to make the matter of some Temptation § 14. Direct 7. Converse most with God Let faith make Christ and Angels your most regarded Direct 7. and observed company that their mind and presence may more affect you than the mind and presence of mortal men Look not at any mans Mind or Will or Actions without respect to God who governeth and to the Rule by which they should all be suited and to the Iudgement which will open and reward them as they are Never see man without seeing God see man only as a creature dependant on his Makers will And then you will lament and not imitate him when he sinneth and you will oppose and Christ saith Hate Luke 14. 26. and not be seduced by him when he would draw you with him to sin and Hell Had Adam more observed God than Eve he had not been seduced by his helper Then you will look on the proud and worldly and sensual as Solomon on the slothful mans Vineyard Prov. 24. 30 31 32. I saw and considered it well I looked on it and received instruction You would not long for the Plague or Leprosie because it is your friends disease § 15. Tempt 8. The Tempter maketh advantage of other mens Opinions or Speeches of you or dealings Tempt 8. by you and by every one of them would ensnare you in some sin If they have mean thoughts of you or speak despising or dishonouring words of you he tempteth you by it to hate them or love them less or to speak contemptuously of them If they applaud you he tempteth you by it to be proud If they wrong you he tempteth you to revenge If they enrich you or are your benefactors he would make their benefits a price to hire you to some sin and make you pay as â—eâ—â—r for them as your salvation cometh to If they scorn you for Religion he would make you ashamed of Christ and his Cause If they admire you he would draw you by it to hypocrisie If they threaten you he would draw you to sin by fear as he did Peter If they deal rudely with you he tempteth you to passion and to requite them with the like And even to distaste Religion it self if men professing Religion be against you or seem to do you any wrong Thus is every man a danger to his brother § 16. Direct 8. Discern in all men what there is of God to be your help and that make use of Direct 8. and what there is of Satan sin and self and that take heed of Look upon every man as a Helper and a Tempter and be prepared still to draw forth his Help and resist his Temptation And remember that man is but the Instrument It is Satan that Tempteth you and God that tryeth you by that man Saith David of Shimei The Lord hath bidden him that is He is but Gods Rod to scourge me for my sin as my Son himself is As Satan was his instrument in trying Iob not by Gods effecting but permitting the sin Observe God and Satan in it more than men § 17. Tempt 9. His Temptations also are suited to our fore-received opinions and thoughts If you Tempt 9. have but let in one lustful thought or one malicious thought he can make great advantage of that Nest-Egg to gather in more as a little leaven to leaven the whole lump He can rowl it up and down and do much to hatch it into a multitude If you are but tainted with any false opinion or prejudice against your Teacher your Ruler or your Brother he can improve it to such increase and raise such conclusions from it and more from them and reduce them all to practice as shall make observers with astonishment say Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth § 18. Direct 9. Take heed what Thoughts you first admit into your mind And especially cherish Direct 9. and approve none but upon very good tryal and examination And if they prove corrupt sweep clean your fantasie and memory of them that they prove not inhabitants and take not up their lodgings in you or have not time to spawn and breed And fill up the room with contrary thoughts and useful Truth and cherish them daily that they may encrease and multiply And then your Hearts will be like a well-peopled Kingdom able to keep their possession against all enemies § 19. Tempt 10. Also he fitteth his Temptations to your natural and acquired parts
zeal and delight remembring that you are engaged to God as servants to their Lord and Master and are entrusted with his talents of the improvement whereof you must give account § 1. THe next Relation between Christ and us which we are to speak of subordinate to that of King and Subjects is this of MASTER and SERVANTS Though Christ saith to the Apostles John 15. 5. Henceforth I call you not servants but friends the meaning is not that he calleth them not servants at all hut not meer servants they being more than servants having such acquaintance with his counsels as his friends For he presently verse 20. bids them Remember that the servant is not greater than the Lord. And John 13. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am And Matth. 23. 8. One is your Master Christ and all ye are brethren So Ver. 10. And the Apostles called themselves the servants of Iesus Christ Rom. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Phil. 1. 1. and of God Tit. 1. 1 c. § 2. He is called our Master and we his servants because he is our Rector ex pleno dominio with What it is to be Christâ— Servants absolute propriety and doth not give us Laws to Obey while we do our own work but giveth us his work to do and Laws for the right doing of it And it is a service under his eye and in dependance on him for our daily provisions as servants on their Lord. God hath WORK for us to do in the world and the performance of it he will require God biddeth his Sons Go work to day in my Vineyard Matth. 21. 28. and expecteth that they do it Ver. 31. His Servants are as Husbandmen to whom he entruâ—â—â—â—th his Vineyard that he may receive the fruit Ver. 33 34 41 43. Faithful servants shall be made Rulers over his houshold Matth. 24. 45 46. Christ delivereth to his servants his talents to improve and will require an account of the improvement at his coming Mat. 25. 14. GOOD WORKS in the proper comprehensive sense are all actions internal and external that are morally good But in the narrâ—weâ— acception they are Works not only formally good as acts of Obedience in general but also materially good such as a servant doth for his Master that tend to his advantage or the proâ—it of some other whose welfare he regardeth Because the doctrine of GOOD WORKS is controverted in these times I shall first open it briefly and then give you the Directions § 3. 1. Nothing is more certain than that God doth not need the service of any creature and that he receiveth no addition to his perfection or felicity from it and consequently that on terms of commutative Iustice which giveth one thing for another as in selling and buying no creature is capable of meriting at his hands 2. It is certain that on the terms of the Law of Works which required perfect obedience as the condition of life no sinner can do any work so good as in point of distributive governing Iustice shall merit at his hands 3. It is certain that Christ hath so fulfilled the Law of Works as to Merit for us 4. The Redeemed are not Masterless but have still a Lord who hath now a double Right to govern them And this Governour giveth them a Law And this Law requireth us to do good works as much as we are able though not so terribly yet as obligingly as the Law of Works And by this Law of Christ we must be Iudged And thus we must be judged according to our works and to be judged ☜ is nothing else but to be Iustified or Condemned Such works therefore are Rewardable according to the Distributive Iustice of the Law of Grace by which we must be Iudged And the antient Fathers who without any opposition spoke of Good works as Meritorious with God meant no more but that they were such as the Righteous Iudge of the world will Reward according to the Law of Grace by which he judgeth us And this doctrine being agreed on as certain truth there is no controversie left with them but whether the word Merit was properly or improperly used And that both Scripture and our common speech alloweth the Fathers use of the word I have shewed at large in my Confession 5. Christ is so far from Redeeming us from a necessity of good works that he dyed to restore us to a capacity and ability to perform them and hath new-made us for that end Tit. 2. 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 6. Good works opposed to Christ or his satisfaction merit righteousness mercy or free-grace in the matter of Justification or Salvation are not good works but proud self-confidence and sin But good works in their due subordination to Gods mercy and Christs merits and grace are necessary and Rewardable 7. Though God need none of our works yet that which is good materially pleaseth him as it tendeth to his glory and to our own and others benefit which he delighteth in 8. It is the communicating of his goodness and excellencies to the creature by which God doth glorifie himself in the world and in Heaven where is the fullest Communication he is most glorified Therefore the praise which is given to the creature who receiveth all from him is his own praise And it is no dishonour to God that his creature be honoured by being good and being esteemed good Otherwise God would never have created any thing lest it should derogate from himself Or he would have made them bad lest their goodness were his dishonour and he would be most pleased with the wicked and least pleased with the best as most dishonouring him But madness it self abhorreth these conceits 9. Therefore as an act of Mercy to us and for his own Glory as at first he made all things very good so he will make the new creature according to his Image which is Holy and Iust and Good and will use us in good works and it is our honour and gain and happiness to be so used by him As he will not communicate Light to the world without the Sun whose glory derogateth not from his honour So will he not do good works in the world immediately by himself only but by Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus potest nocet autem nemiâ—â— P. Scalig. Ne pigeat Evangelicum Ministrum aegâ—otum visitare xenio aliquo recreare famelicum cibario saltem pane pascere nuâ—um operire paupâ—râ—m cuâ— non est adjutor a divitum calumniis potentia eripere pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire râ—m familiaâ—em câ—nsili augegere morientibus sedulo benigne astare lites dissidia
things and greatest interest of our souls being there will greatly raise us to the Love of God if any thing will do it To foresee how near him we shall be ere long and what a glorious proof we shall have of his good will and how our souls will be ravished everlastingly with his Love To think what hearts the blessed have that see his glory and live with Christ How full of love they are and what a delight it is to them thus to love must needs affect the heart of a Believer Lift up thy head poor drowsie sinner Look up to Heaven and think where thou must live for ever Think what the holy ones of God are doing Do they love God or do they not Must it not be then thy life and work for ever And canst thou forbear to love him now that is bringing thee to such a world of Love Thou wouldst love him more that would give thee security to possess a Kingdom which thou never sawest than him that giveth thee but some toy in hand And let it not seem too distant to affect thee The time is as nothing till thou wilt be there Thou knowest not but thou maist be there this night There thou shalt see the Maker of the worlds and know the mysteries of his wonderous works There thou shalt see thy blessed Lord and feel that love which thou readest of in the Gospel and enjoy the fruits of it for ever There thou shalt see him that suffered for thee and rose again whom Angels see and worship in his glory Thou shalt see there a more desirable sight than those that saw him heal the blind and lame and sick and raise the dead or those that saw him in his transfiguration or than those that saw him on the Cross or after his resurrection or than Stephen saw when he was stoned or Paul when he was converted yea more than it is like he saw when he was in his rapture in the third Heavens O who can think believingly on the life which we must there shortly live the glory which we must see the love which we must receive and the love which we must exercise and not feel the fire begin to flame and the Glass in which we see the Lord become a burning-glass to our affections CHRIST and HEAVEN are the Books which we must be often reading the Glasses in which we must daily gaze if ever we will be good proficients and practitioners in the Art of holy Love § 34. Direct 13. Exercise your souls so frequently and diligently in this way of Love that the Method Direct 13. of it may be familiar to you and the means and motives still at hand and you may presently be able to fall into the way as one that is well acquainted with it and may not be distracted and lâ—st in generals as not knowing where to fix your thoughts I know no Methods alone will serve to raise the dead and cause a carnal senseless heart to love the Lord But I know that many honest hearts that have the Spirit of Love within them have great need to be warned that they quench not the Spirit and great need to be directed how to stir up the grace which is given them and that many live a more dull or distracted uncomfortable life than they would do if they wanted not Skill and Diligence The soul is most backward to this highest work and therefore hath the greater need of helps And the best have so much need as that it is well if all will serve to keep up Loving and Grateful thoughts of God upon their minds And when every Trade and Art and Science requireth diligence exercise and experience and all are Bunglers at it at the first can we reasonably think that we are like to attain any high degrees with sleight and short and seldom thoughts § 35. Direct 14. Yet let not weak-headed or melâ—ncholly persons set themselves on those Methods Direct 14. or lengths of Meditation which their heads cannot bear lest the Tempter get advantage of them and abate their Love by making Religion seem a torment to them but let such take up with shorter obvious Meditations and exercise their Love in an active obediential way of living That is the best Physick that is fitted to the Patients strength and case And that 's the best Shoo that is meetest for the foot and not that which is the biggest or the finest It is a great design of Satan to make all duties grievous and burdensome to us and thereby to cast us into continual pain and fear and trouble and so destroy our delight in God and consequently our Love Therefore pretend not to disability for carnal unwillingness and laziness of mind but yet marr not all by grasping at more than you are able to bear Take on as you are able and increase your work if God increase your strength If a melancholly person crack his brain with immoderate unseasonable endeavours he will but disable himself for all § 36. Direct 15. Keep clear and hold fast the Evidences of thy Sincerity that thou maist perceive Direct 15. thy interest in the Love of God and resist the temptations which would hide his Love to thee and cause thee to doubt of it or deny it Satan hath not his end when he hath troubled thee and robbed thee of thy peace and comfort It is worse that he is seeking to effect by this His malice is more against God than against thee and more against God and thee in this point of Love than in any other grace or duty He knoweth that God esteemeth this most And he knoweth if he could kill thy love he kills thy soul. And he knoweth how natural it is to man to love those that love him and hate those that hate him be they never so excellent in themselves And therefore if he can perswade thee into despair and to think that God hateth thee and is resolved to damn thee he will not despair of drawing thee to hate God Or if he do but bring thee to fear that he loveth thee not he will think accordingly to abate thy love I know that a truly gracious soul keepeth up its love when it loseth its assurance and mourneth and longeth and seeketh in love when it cannot triumph and rejoyce in love But yet there are some prints left on the heart of its former apprehensions of the love of God And such souls exceedingly disadvantage themselves as to the exercises of love and make it a work of wondrous difficulty O it will exceedingly kindle love when we can see Gods surest Love-tokens in our hearts and look to the promises and say They are all mine and think of Heaven as that which shall certainly be our own and can say with Thomas My Lord and my God and with Paul that The life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God that loved me and gave himself for
took thee into his favour and adopted thee for his son and an heir of Heaven He will glorifie thee with Angels in the presence of his Glory How should such a friend as this be loved How far above all mortal friends Their love and friendship is but a token and message of his Love Because he Loveth thee he sendeth thee kindness and mercy by thy friend and when their kindness ceaseth or can do thee no good his kindness will continue and comfort thee for ever Love them therefore as the messengers of his Love but Love him in them and love them for him and love him much more § 40. Direct 17. Think oft how delightful a life it would be to thee if thou couldst but live in the Direct 17. Love of God And then the complacencie will provoke desire and desire will turn thy face towards God till thou feel that thou lovest him The Love of a friend hath its sweetness and delight and when we Love them we feel such pleasure in our Love that we Love to Love them How pleasant then would it be to Love thy God O blessed joyful life if I could but love him as much as I desire to love him How freely could I leave the ambitious and the covetous and the sensual and voluptuous to their doting delusory swinish love How easily could I spare all earthly pleasures How near should I come to the Angelical life Could I love God as I would love him it would fill me with continual pleasure and be the sweetest feast that a soul can have How easily would it quench all carnal love How far would it raise me above these transitory things How much should I contemn them and pitty the wretches that know no better and have their portion in this life How readily should I obey And how pleasant would obedience be How sweet would all my Meditations be when every thought is full of Love How sweet would all my prayers be when constraining Love did bring me unto God and indite and animate every word How sweet would Sacraments be when my ascending flaming love should meet that wonderful descending love which cometh from Heaven to call me thither and in living bread and spiritful wine is the nourishment and cordial of my soul How sweet would all my speeches be when Love commanded them and every word were full of Love How quiet would my Conscience be if it had never any of this accusation against me to cast in my face to my shame and confusion that I am wanting in Love to the blessed God O could I but Love God with such a powerful Love as his Love and Goodness should command I should no more question my sincerity nor doubt any more of his Love to me How freely then should I acknowledge his grace and how heartily should I give him thanks for my justification sanctification and adoption which now I mention with doubt and fear O how it would lift up my soul unto his praise and make it my delight to speak good of his name What a purifying fire would Love be in my breast to burn up my corruptions It will endure nothing to enter or abide within me that is contrary to the will and interest of my Lord but hate every motion that tendeth to dishonour and displease him It would fill my soul with so much of Heaven as would make me long to be in Heaven and make death welcome which is now so terrible Instead of these withdrawing shrinking fears I should desire to depart and to be with Christ as being best of all O how easily should I bear any burthen of reproach or loss or want when I thus Loved God and were assured of his Love How light would the Cross be And how honourable and joyful would it seem to be imprisoned reviled spit upon and buffeted for the sake of Christ How desirable would the flames of Martyrdom seem for the testifying of my love to him that loved me at dearer rates than I can love him Lord is there no more of this blessed life of Love to be attained here on earth When all the world reveals thy Goodness when thy Son hath come down to declare thy love in so full and wonderful a manner When thy word hath opened us a window into Heaven where afar off we may discern thy Glory yet shall our hearts be clods and ice O pitty this unkind unnatural soul This dead insensible disaffected soul Teach me by thy spirit the art of Love Love me not only so as to convince me that I have abundant cause to Love thee above all but Love me so as to constrain me to it by the magnetical attractive power of thy Goodness and the insuperable operations of thy omnipotent Love § 41. Direct 18. In thy Meditations upon all these incentives of Love preach them over earnestly to Direct 18. thy Heart and expostulate and plead with it by way of soliloquy till thou feel the fire begin to burn Do not only Think on the Arguments of Love but dispute it out with thy Conscience and by expostulating earnest reasonings with thy heart endeavour to affect it There is much more moving force in this earnest talking to our selves than in bare cogitation that breaks not out into mental words Imitate the most powerful Preacher that ever thou wast acquainted with And just as he pleadeth the case with his hearers and urgeth the truth and duty on them by reason and importunity so do thou in secret with thy self There is more in this than most Christians are aware of or use to practise It is a great part of a Christians skill and duty to be a good preacher to himself This is a lawful and a gainful way of preaching No body here can make question of thy call nor deny thee a License nor silence thee if thou silence not thy self Two or three sermons a week from others is a fair proportion but two or three sermons a day from thy self is ordinarily too little Therefore I have added soliloquies to many of these Directions for Love to shew you how by such pleadings with your selves to affect your hearts and kindle Love § 42. And O that this might be the happy fruit of these Directions with thee that art now reading or hearing them That thou wouldst but offer up thy flaming Heart to Jesus Christ our Great High-Priest to be presented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or if it flame not in Love as thou desirest yet give it up to the Holy Spirit to increase the flames Thou little knowest how much God setteth by a Heart He calleth to thee himself My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. Without it he cares not for any thing that thou canst give him He cares not for thy fairest words without it He cares not for thy lowdest prayers without it He cares not for thy costliest alms or sacrifices if he have not thy heart If thou give all thy goods to
thou but say This man is more powerful than God Or God cannot deliver me out of his hands If it be want or sickness or death which thou fearest what dost thou but say in thy heart that God either knoweth not what is best for thee so well as thou knowest thy self or else is not Powerful or Gracious enough to give it nor true enough to keep his promise He that believeth not makes God a lyar 1 Iohn 5. 10 11. § 13. Direct 6. Remember that Trusting God doth as it were oblige him and distrusting him doth Direct 6. greatly disoblige him especially when any thing else is trusted before him If any man trust you upon any encouragement given him by you you will take your selves obliged to be trusty to him and not to fail any honest trust But if he trust you not or trust another you will turn him off to those that he hath trusted God may say to thee Let them help thee whom thou hast trusted Thou trustedst not in me and therefore I fail not thy trust when I forsake thee § 14. Direct 7. Remember that thou must trust in God or in nothing For nothing is more sure Direct 7. nor more frequently experienced than that all things else are utterly insufficient to be our help Shall we choose a broken reed that we know before hand will both deceive and pierce us Wo to the man that hath no surer a foundation for his Trust than Creatures The greatest of them are unable and the Best of them are untrusty and deceitful How sad is thy case if God turn thee off to these for help in the hour of thy extremity Then wilt thou perceive that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes Psal. 118. 8 9. The righteous shall see and fear and laugh at him Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himself in his wickedness Psal. 52. 6 7. But they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion that cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal. 125. 1. Creatures will certainly deceive thy trust but so will not God § 15. Direct 8. Believe and remember the particular providence of God which regardeth the falling Direct 8. of a Sparrow on the ground and numbereth the very hairs of your heads Matth. 10. 30. And can you distrust him that is so punctually regardful of your least concernments that is alway present and watcheth over you You need not fear his absence disregard forgetfulness or insufficiency Doth he number your hairs and doth he not number your groans and prayers and tears How then doth he wipe away your tears and put them all as in his bottle Psal. 56. 8. Rev. 7. 17. § 16. Direct 9. Compare God with thy dearest and most faithful friend and then think how boldly Direct 9. thou caust trust that friend if thy life or wellfare were wholly in his hand and how much more boldly thou shouldst trust in God who is more wise and kind and merciful and trusty than any mortal man can be When thou art in want in prison in sickness and in pain expecting death think now if my life or health or liberty were absolutely in the power of my surest friend how quietly could I wait and how confidently could I cast away my fears though I had no promise what he would do with me For I know he would do nothing but what is for my good And is not God to be trusted in much more Indeed a friend would ease my pain or supply my wants or save my life when God will not But that is not because God is less kind but because he is more wise and better knoweth what tendeth to my hurt or good My friend would pull off the Plaister as soon as I complain of smart but God will stay till it have done the cure But sure God is more to be trusted for my real final good though my friend be forwarder to give me ease All friends may fail but Gâ—d 〈◊〉 faileth § 17. Direct 10. Make use of the natural Love of quietness and thy natural weariness of tormenting 〈◊〉 10. câ—res and feaâ—â— and sâ—rrows to move thee to cast thy self on God and quiet thy soul in trusting on him For God hath purposely made thy self and all things else insufficient unsatisfactory and vâ—xatious to theâ— that thou mightst be driven to rest on him alone when nothing else affords theâ—â—â—st Cares and fears and unquietness of mind are such Thorns and Bryars as nature cannot love â—â— be content with And you may be sure that you can no way be delivered from them but by trusting upon God And will you choose care and torment when so sure and cheap a way of case is sâ—t before you Who can endure to have fears torment him and cares feed daily upon his heart that may safely be delivered from it An ulcerated fâ—stered pained mind is a greater calaâ—ity than any bodily distress alone And if you be cast upon your own care or committed to the trust of any creature you can never rationally have peace For your own ease and comfort then betake your selves to God and cast all your care and burden on him who careth for you and knoweth perfectly what you want 1 Pet. 5. 7. Matth 6. 32. Read often Matth. 6. from â— 2â— How sweet an â—ase and quietness is it to the mind that can confidently trust in God How quiet is he from the storms of trouble and the sickness of mind which others are distressed with Isâ— 26. 3 4. Thou wilâ— keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thâ—e Trust â—â— in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jâ—hovah is everlasting strength Psal. 112. 7 8. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord His heart is established â—e shall not be afraid Psal. 31. 19 20. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast lâ—id up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of men Thâ—u shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in thy pâ—viliâ—n from the strife of tongues 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart â—â— ye that hope in the Lord Psal. 56. 3 4. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee In God I will prâ—ise his word In God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me How easie and sweet a life is this § 18. Direct 11. Remember that Distrust is a pregnant multiplying sin and will carry thee to all iniquity Direct 11. and miseâ—y if thou suffer it to prevail Distrusting God is but our entrance upon a life of error sin and wo It presently sets us on idolatrous confidence on
§ 21. I beseech thee now that readest these Lines be so true to God be so ingenuous be so much a friend to the comfort of thy soul and so much love a life of pleasure as to set thy self for the time to come to a more conscionable performance of this noble work and steep thy thoughts in the abundant mercies of thy God and express them more in all thy speech to God and man Say as David Psal. 116. 16 17. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. Psal. 30. 1 2 3 4 11 12. I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Psal. 69. 30. I will praise the name of God with a Song and magnifie him with thanksgiving This also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe Psal. 92. 1 2. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and to sing unto thy Name O Most High To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Remember that you are commanded in every thing to give thanks 1 Thess. 5. 18. When God is scant in mercy to thee then be thou scant in thankfulness to him and not when the Devil and a forgetful or unbelieving or discontented heart would hide his greatest mercies from thee It is just with God to give up that person to sadness of heart and to uncomfortable self-tormenting melancholly that will not be perswaded by the greatness and multitude of mercies to be frequent in the sweet returns of Thanks DIRECT XV. Let thy very heart be set to GLORIFIE GOD thy Creator Redeemer Gr. Dir. 15. and Sanctifier both with the Estimation of thy Mind the Praises of thy Mouth To Glorifie God and the Holiness of thy Life § 1. THe GLORIFYING of GOD being the End of man and the whole Creation must be the highest duty of our lives and therefore deserveth our distinct consideration 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. That God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen I shall therefore first shew you what it is to glorifie God and then give Directions how to do it § 2. To glorifie God is not to add to his essential perfections or felicity or real glory The Heb. â— 3. Act. 7. â—â— Rom. 3 â—â— Rev. 21 11 23. Jude 24. 1 Peâ— 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 18. glory of God is a word that is taken in these various senses 1. Sometime it signifieth the essential transcendent Excellencies of God in himself considered So Rom. 6. 4. Psal. 19. 2. 2. Sometime it signifieth that glory which the Angels and Saints behold in Heaven What this is a soul in flesh cannot formally conceive or comprehend It seemeth not to be the Essence of God because that is every where and so is not that glory Or if any think that his Essence is that glory and is every where alike and that the creatures capacity is all the difference betwixt Heaven and Earth he seems confuted in that the glory of Heaven will be seen by the glorified Body it self which its thought cannot see the Essence of God Whether then that Glory be the Essence of God or any immediate Emanation from his Excellency as the beams and light that are sent forth by the Sun or a created glory for the felicity of his Servants we shall know when with the blessed we enjoy it 3. Sometime it is taken for the appearance of Gods perfections in his creatures either natural or free agents as discerned by man and for his Honour in the esteem of man Iohn 11. 4. 40. 1 Cor. 11. 7. 2 Cor. 4. 15. Phil. 1. 11. 2. 11. Isa. 35. 2. 40. 5 c. And so to glorifie God is 1. Objectively to represent his Excellencies or Glory 2. Mentally to conceive of them 3. And Verbally to declare them I shall therefore distinctly Direct you 1. How to glorifie God in your Minds 2. By your Tongues 3. By your Lives Directions for Glorifying God with the Heart § 3. Direct 1. Abhor all Blasphemous representations and thoughts of God and think not of him Direct 1. lamely unequally or diminutively nor as under any corporeal shape nor think not to comprehend I egâ— Gassâ—â—ci Oration iâ— augâ—â—aâ— in Institut Asâ—â—oâ—om him but reverently admire him Conceive of him as Incomprehensible and Infinite And if Satan would tempt thee to think meanly of any thing in God or to think highly of one of his Perfections and meanly of another abhor such temptations And think of his Power Knowledge and Goodness equally as the Infinite perfections of God § 4. Direct 2. Behold his glory in the glory of his works of Nature and of Grace and see him in Direct 2. all as the soul the Glory the All of the whole Creation What a Power is that which made and preserveth all the world What a Wisdom is that which set in joynt the Universal frame of Heaven and Earth and keepeth all things in their Order How good is he that made all good and gave the creatures all their goodness both natural and spiritual by Creation and Renewing grace Thus The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. 1. His glory covereth the Heavens and the earth is full of his praise Hab. 3. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth Psal. 29. 3. Psal. 145. § 5. Direct 3. Behold him in the Person Miracles Resurrection Dominion and Glory of his blessed Direct 3. Son Who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person upholding all things by the word of his power and having by himself purged our sins sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high being made better than the Angels c. Heb. 1. 3 4. By him it is that glory is given to God in the Church Eph. 3. 21. God hath highly exalted him and given him
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
pound of â—â—m 〈…〉 but a pâ—nny â—â— thâ— nâ—â—â—â— Because â—aith he I may oft receive of them but God knows whether ever I shall have more of him Laert. in Diog. Prov. 28. 19. scattereth and yet increaseth Prov. 11. 24. But this is not the issue of thy scattering Prov. 23. 19 20 21. Hear thou my son and be wise and guide thy heart in the way Be not amongst wine bibbers amongst riotous eaters of flesh For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall cloath a man with rags § 28. 5. Thou art an enemy to thy family Thou grievest thy friends Thou impoverishest thy children and robbest those whom thou art bound to make provision for Thou fillest thy house with discontents and brawlings and banishest all quietness and fear of God A discontented or a brawling wife and ragged dissolute untaught Children are often signs that a Drunkard or Riotous person is the mâ—â—â—â—er of the family § 29. 6. Thou art a heynous consumer of thy pretious Time This is far worse than the wasting of thy estate O that thou didst but know as thou shalt know at last what those hours are worth which thou wastest over thy pots and how much greater work thou hadst to lay it out upon How many thousands in Hell are wishing now in vain that they had those hours again to spend in prayer and repentance which they spent in the ALE-house and senselesly cast away with their companions in sin Is the glass turned upon thee and death posting towards thee to put an end to all thy time and â—ay thee where thou must dwell for ever and yet canst thou sit tipling and prating away thy time as if this were all that thou hadst to do with it O what a wonder of sottishness and stupidity is a hardned sinner that can live so much below his reason The senses neglect of thy souls concernment and greater matters is the great part of thy sin more than the drunkenness it self § 30. 7. How base a Price dost thou set upon thy Saviour and salvation that wilt not forbear so much as a cup of drink for them The smallness of the thing sheweth the smallness of thy Love to God and the smallness of thy regard to his word and to thy soul. Is that loving God as God when thou lovest a cup of drink better Art thou not ashamed of thy Hypocrisie when thou saiest thou lovest God above all when thou lovest him not so well as thy Wine and Ale Surely he that loveth him not above Ale loveth him not above all Thy choice sheweth what thou lovest best more certainly than thy tongue doth It is the dish that a man greedily eateth of that he loveth and not that which he â—â—h 14 15. â— Jâ—â— 5. 2 3. commendeth but will not meddle with God tryeth mens Love to Him by their keeping his commandments It was the aggravation of the first sin that they would not deny so small a thing as the forbidden fruit in obedience to God! And so it is of thine that wilt not leave a forbidden cup for him O miserable wretch dost thou not know thou canst not be Christ Disciple if thou forsake not all for him and hate not even thy life in comparison of him and wouldst not rather die than forsake him Luk. 14. 26 33. And art thou like to lay down thy life for him that wilt not leave a cup of drink for him Canst thou burn at a stake for him that canst not leave an ALE-house or vain company or excess for him What a sentence of condemnation dost thou pass upon thy self Wilt thou â—â—ll thy God and thy soul for so small a matter as a cup of drink Never delude thy self to say I hope I do not so when thou knowest that God hath told thee in his word that Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. Nay God hath commanded those that will come to Heaven to have no familiarity with thee upon earth no not so much as to eat with thee 1 Cor. 5. 11. Read what Christ himself saith Matth. 24. 48 49 50 51. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and to drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Read Deut. 29. 19 20. If when thou hearest the words of Gods curse thou bless thy self in thy heart and say I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare that man but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against him and all the curses that are written in this Book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven and the Lord shall separate him to evil Thou seest here how God will spice thy Cups § 31. 8. Thou art the shame of humane nature Thou representest man in the likeness of a Beast And a shame to thy fâ—mâ—ly As its said thâ—â— Ciâ—â—ro's son pâ—oved a drunkard to whom he directed his Book de offiâ—iâ—sâ— which is made his fathers reproach and worse As if he were made but instead of a Barrel or a sink Look on a drunkard filthing and spewing and reeling and bawling and see if he be not uglyer than a bruit Thou art a shame to thy own Reason when thou shewest the world that it cannot so much as shut thy mouth nor prevail with thee in so small a thing Wrong not Reason so much as to call thy self Rational and wrong not mankind so much as to call thy self a man Non homo sed ampbora said one of Bonâ—sus the drunken Emperour when he was hang'd It is a barrel and not a man § 32. 9. Thou destroyest that Reason which is the Glory of thy Nature and the natural part of the Image of God upon thy mind If thou shouldst deface the Kings Armes or Image in any publick place and set in the stead of it the image of a dog would it not be a Traiterous contempt How much worse is it to do thus by God If thou didst mangle and deform thy body it were less in this respect for it is not thy body but thy soul that is made after the Image of God Hath God given thee Reason for such high and excellent ends and uses and wilt thou dull it and drown it in obedience to thy throat Thy Reason is of higher value than thy house or land or money and yet thou wilt not cast them away so easily Had God made thee an ideot or mad and lunatick thy case had been to be pityed but to make thy self mad and despise
words of the Institution are read and the Bread and Wine are solemnly Consecrated by separating them to that sacred use and the acceptance and blessing of God is desired admire the mercy that prepared us a Redeemer and say O God how wonderful is thy Wisdom and thy Love How strangely dost thou glorifie thy mercy over those sins that gave thee advantage to glorifie thy justice Even thou our God whom we have offended hast out of thy own treasury satisfied thy own justice and given us a Saviour by such a Miracle of Wisdom Love and Condescension as men or Angels shall never be able fully to comprehend so didst thou love the sinful world as to give thy Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life O thou that hast prepared us so full a remedy and so pretious a gift sanctifie these creatures to be the Representative Body and Blood of Christ and prepare my heart for so great a gift and so high and holy and honourable a work § 53. 5. When you behold the Consecrated Bread and Wine discern the Lords Body and reverence it as the Representative Body and Blood of Iesus Christ and take heed of prophaning it by looking on it as common Bread and Wine Though it be not Transubstantiate but still is very Bread and Wine in its Natural Being yet it is Christs Body and Blood in representation and effect Look on it as the consecrated Bread of life which with the quickning Spirit must nourish you to life eternal § 54. 6. When you see the Breaking of the Bread and the Pouring out of the Wine let Repentance and Love and Desire and Thankfulness thus work within you O wondrous Love O hateful sin How merciful Lord hast thou been to sinners and how cruel have we been to our selves and thee Could Love stoop lower Could God be merciful at a dearer rate Could my sin have done a more horrid deed than put to death the Son of God How small a matter hath tempted me to that which must cost so dear before it was forgiven How dear payed my Saviour for that which I might have avoided at a very cheap rate At how low a price have I valued his blood when I have sinned and sinned again for nothing This is my doing My sins were the thorns the nails the spear Can a murderer of Christ be a a small offendor O dreadful justice It was I and such other sinners that deserved to bear the punishment who were guilty of the sin and to have been fewel for the unquenchable flames for ever O pretious Sacrifice O hateful sin O gracious Saviour How can mans dull and narrow heart be duly affected with such transcendent things or Heaven make its due impression upon an inch of flesh Shall I ever again have a dull apprehension of such Love Or ever have a favourable thought of sin Or ever have a fearless thought of Iustice O break or melt this hardned heart that it may be somewhat conformed to my crucified Lord The tears of Love and true Repentance are easier than the flames from which I am redeemed O hide me in these wounds and wash me in this pretious blood This is the Sacrifice in which I trust This is the Righteousness by which I must be justified and saved from the Curse of thy violated Law As thou hast accepted this O Father for the world upon the Cross Behold it still on the behalf of sinners and hear his blood that cryeth unto thee for mercy to the miserable and pardon us and accept us as thy Reconciled Children for the sake of this Crucified Christ alone We can offer thee no other Sacrifice for sin and we need no other § 55. 7. When the Minister applyeth himself to God by Prayer for the efficacy of this Sacrament that in iâ— he will give us Christ and his Benefits and pardon and justifie us and accept us as his reconciled Children joyn heartily and earnestly in these requests as one that knoweth the need and worth of such a mercy § 56. 8. When the Minister delivereth you the consecrated Bread and Wine look upon him as the messenger of Christ and hear him as if Christ by him said to you Take this my broken body and blood and feed on it to everlasting life and take with it my sealed Covenant and therein the sealed testimony of my Love and the sealed pardon of your sins and a sealed gift of life eternal so be it you unfeignedly consent unto my Covenant and give up your selves to me as my Redeemed ones Even as in delivering the possession of House or Lands the deliverer giveth a Key and a twig and a turfe and saith I deliver you this house and I deliver you this land so doth the Minister by Christs authority deliver you Christ and pardon and title to eternal life Here is an Image of a sacrificed Christ of Gods own appointing which you may lawfully use And more than an Image even an Investing instrument by which these highest mercies are solemnly delivered to you in the name of Christ. Let your hearts therefore say with Ioy and Thankfulness with faith and Love O matchless bounty of the eternal God! what a gift is this and unto what unworthy sinners And will God stoop so low to man and come so neer him and thus reconcile his worthless enemies Will he freely pardon all that I have done and take me into his family and love and feed me with the flesh and blood of Christ I believe Lord help mine unbelief I humbly and thankfully accept thy gifts Open thou my heart that I may yet more joyfully and thankfully accept them Seeing God will glorifie his Love and mercy by such incomprehensible gifts as these behold Lord a wretch that needeth all this mercy And seeing it is the offer of thy Grace and Covenant my soul doth gladly take thee for my God and Father for my saviour and my sanctifier And here I give up my self unto thee as thy Created Redeemed and I hope Regenerate one as thy Own thy Subject and thy Child to be saved and sanctified by thee to be beloved by thee and to Love thee to everlasting O seal up this Covenant and pardon by thy Spirit which thou sealest and deliverest to me in thy Sacrament that without reserve I may be entirely and for ever thine § 57. 9. When you see the Communicants receiving with you let your very hearts be united to the Saints in love and say How goodly are thy tents O Jacob How amiable is the family of the Nâ—â—b 24. 5. Psal 13. 15. 4. 16. 2 3. Iuk 19 8. Psal. 84. 10. Lord How good and pleasant is the unity of brethren How dear to me are the pretious members of my Lord though they have yet all their spots and weaknesses which he pardoneth and so must we My goodness O Lord extendeth not unto thee but unto thy Saints the excellent ones on earth in
Matth. 18. 10. being his Messengers to man § 9. 7. Much of their work is to oppose the malice of evil spirits that seek our hurt and to defend 1 Kings 22. 19 20 21 22. us from them against whom they are engaged under Christ in daily Warr or Conflict Rev. 12. 7 9. Psal. 68. 17. 78. 49. Matth. 4. 11. 1 Thess. 2. 18. § 10. 8. In this their Ministration they are ordered into different degrees of superiority and inferiority Luke 1. 19 26. and are not equal among themselves 1 Thess. 4. 16. Iude 9. Dan. 10. 13 20 21. Eph. 1. 21. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 3. 10. 6. 12. Col. 1. 16. Zech. 4. 10. Rev. 4 5. 5 6. § 11. 9. Angels are employed not only about our bodies but our souls by furthering the means of Acts. 7. 53. our salvation They preached the Gospel themselves as they delivered the Law Luke 2. 10 9. Luke 1. 11 c. Heb. 2. 2. Gal. 3. 19. Acts 10. 4. Dan. 7. 16. 8. 15 16 17. 9. 21 22. Luke 1. 29. 2. 19. Especially they deliver particular messages which suppose the sufficiency of the Laws of Christ and only help to the obedience of it § 12. 10. They are sometime Gods instruments to confirm and warn and comfort and excite the Acts 27. 24. Luke 1. 13 30. 2. 10. Dan. 10. 12. 2 Kings 6. 16. Gen. 16. 9 10. Numb 22. 32. soul and to work upon the mind and will and affections That they do this perswasively and have as much access and power to do us good as Satan hath to do us evil is very clear Good Angels have as much power and access to the soul to move to duty as Devils have to tempt to sin As God hath sent them oft upon monitory and consolatory messages to his servants in visible shapes so doth he send them on the like messages invisibly Iudg. 5. 23. Mat. 1. 20. Psal. 104. 4. Luke 22. 43. An Angel from Heaven is sent to strengthen Christ himself in his agony § 13. 11. They persecute and chase the enemies of the Church and sometimes destroy them as Psal. 35. 5 6. 2 Kings 19. 35. Isa. 37. 36. and hinder them from doing hurt Numb 22. 24. § 14. 12. They are a Convoy for the departing souls of the godly to bring them to the place of their felicity Luke 16. 22. though how they do it we cannot understand § 15. 13. They are the attendants of Christ at his coming to judgement and his Ministers to gather his elect and sâ—ver thâ— wicked from the just in order to their endless Punishment or Joy 1 Thess. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up c. Matth. 13. 41 49. The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather 2 Thess. 1. 7. Mark 8. 38. Matth. 25. 31. out of his Kingdom all offences or scandals and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire At the end of the world the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire c. § 16. Direct 3. Understand our near affinity or relation to the Angels and how they and we are concerned Direct 3. in each others condition and affairs As to our Nature our Immortal souls are kin or like unto the Angels though our Bodies are but like the Brutes Those souls that are created after the Image of God in their very Natural Essence as Rational and Free agents besides his Moral Image of sanctity Gen. 9. 6. may well be said to be like the Angels He made us little lower than the Angels Psal. 8. 5. And God hath made us their charge and care and therefore no doubt hath given them a special Love unto us to fit them to the due performance of their trust As Ministers have a special paternal Love to their flocks and as Christians are to have a special Love to one another to enable and engage them to the duties appointed them by God towards each other so these excellent Spirits have no doubt a far purer and greater Love to the Image of God upon the Saints and to the Saints for the Image and sake of God than the dearest friends and holiest persons on earth can have For they are more holy and they are more perfectly conformed to the mind of God and they love God himself more perfectly than we and therefore for his sake do love his people much more perfectly than we And therefore they are more to be loved by us than any mortals are both because they are more excellent pure and amiable and because they have more Love to us Moreover the Angels are servants of the same God and members of the same society which we belong to They are the Inhabitants of the heavenly Ierusalem of which we are heirs They have possession and we have title and shall in time possess it We are called to much of the same employment with them we must love the same God and glorifie him by obedience thanks and praise and so do they Therefore they are Ministers for our good and rejoyce in the success of their labours as the Ministers of Christ on earth do Heb. 1. 14. There is not a sinner converted but it is the Angels Joy Luke 15. 10. which sheweth how much they attend that work We are come to Mount Zion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to myriads of Angels c. Heb. 12. 22 23. 24. They are especially present and attendant on us in our holy Assemblies and services of God and therefore we are admonished to reverence their presence and do nothing before them that is sinful or unseemly 1 Cor. 11. 10. Eccles. 5. 6. The presence of God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels must continually awe us into exact obedience 1 Tim. 5. 21. With the Church they pry into the mysterie of the dispensations of the Spirit to the Church 1 Pet. 1. 12. And so by the Church that is by Gods dealings with the Church is made known the manifold wisdom of God even to these heavenly principalities and powers Eph. 3. 10. In conclusion Christ telleth us that in our state of blessedness we shall be equal to the Angels Luke 20. 36. and so shall live with them for ever § 17. Direct 4. When your thoughts of Heaven are staggering or strange and when you are tempted Direct 4. to doubt whether indeed there is such a life of glory for the Saints it may be a great help to your faith to think of the world of Angels that already do possess it That there are such excellent and happy inhabitants of the superiour
Orbs besides what Scripture saith even reason will strongly perswade any rational man 1. When we consider that Sea and Land and Air and all places of this lower baser part of the world are replenished with inhabitants suitable to their natures And therefore that the incomparably more great and excellent Orbs and Regions should all be uninhabited is irrational to imagine 2. And as we see the Rational Creatures are made to govern the Brutes in this inferiour world so reason telleth us it is improbable that the higher Reason of the inhabitants of the higher Regions should have no hand in the government of man And yet God hath further condescended to satisfie us herein by some unquestionable apparitions of good Angels and many more of evil spirits which puâ—s the matter past all doubt that there are inhabitants of the unseen world And when we know that such there are it maketh it the more easie to us to believe that such we may be either numbered with the happy or unhappy Spirits considering the affinity which there is between the nature of our souls and them To conquer senseless Saducism is a good step to the conquest of irreligiousness He that is well perswaded that there are Angels and Spirits is much better prepared than a Sadducee to bâ—lieve the immortality of the soul And because the infinite distance between God and man is apt to make the thoughts of our approaching his Glory either dubious or very terrible the remembrance of those myriads of blessed Spirits that dwell now in the presence of that glory doth much embolden and confirm our thoughts As he that would be afraid whether he should have access to and acceptance with the King would be much encouraged if he saw a multituâ—e as mean as himself or not much unlike him to be familiar attendants on him I must confess such is my own weakness that I find a frequent need of remembring the holy Hosts of Saints and Angels that are with God to embolden my soul and make the thoughts of Heaven more familiar and sweet by abating my strangeness â—mazedness and fears And thus far to make them the Media that I say not the Mediators of my thoughts in their approaches to the Most High and Holy God Though the remembrance of Christ the true Mediator is my chief encouragement Especially when we consider how servently those holy Spirits do love every holy person upon earth and so that all those that dwell with God are dearer friends to us than our Fathers or Mothers here on earth are as is briefly proved before this will embolden us yet much more § 18. Direct 5. Make use of the thoughts of the Angelical Hosts when you would see the Glory and Direct 5. Majesty of Christ If you think it a small matter that he is the Head of the Church on earth a handful of people contemned by the Satanical party of the world yet think what it is to be Head over all things far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come that is Gave him a power dignity and name greater than any power dignity or name of men or Angels and hath put all things under his feet Ephes. 1. 21 22 23. Being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they Of him it is said Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 4 6. Read the whole Chapter Our Head is the Lord of all these Hosts § 19. Direct 6. Make use of the remembrance of the glorious Angels to acquaint you with the dignity Direct 6. of humane nature and the special dignity of the servants of God and so to raise up your hearts in Magna dignitas fidelium animarum ut unaquaeque habeat ab ortu nativitatis in custodiam sui Angelum depuâ—atum imo plures Hitro Luke 20. 36. thankfulness to your Creator and Redeemer who hath thus advanced you 1. What a dignity is it that thâ—se holy Angels should be all Ministring Spirits sâ—nt for our good that they should love us and concern themselves so much for us as to rejoyce in Heaven at our conversion Lord What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Psal. 8. 4. 5. 2. But yet it is a higher declaration of our dignity that we should in Heaven be equal with them and so be numbered iâ—to their society and joyn with them everlastingly in the praise of our Creator 3. And it is yet a greater honour to us that our Natures are assumed into union of person with the Son of God and sâ— advanced above the Angels For he took not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Nâ—r hath he put the world to come in subjection to the Angels Heb. 2. 5 16. This is the Lords doing and it is wonderous in our eyes § 20. Direct 7. When you would admire the works of God and his government look specially to the Direct 7. Angels part If God would be glorified in his works then especially in the most glorious parts If he take delight to work by Instruments and to communicate such excellency and honour to them as may conduce to the honour of the principal cause we must not overlook their excellency and honour unless we will deny God the honour which is due to him As he that will see the excellent workmanship of a Watch or any other Engine must not overlook the chiefest parts nor their operation on the rest So he that will see the excellent order of the works and Government of God must not over-look the Angels nor their Offices in the Government and preservation of the inferiour creatures so far as God hath revealed it unto us We spoil the Musick if we leave out these strings It is a great part of the glory of the works of God that all the parts in Heaven and Earth are so admirably conjoyned and joynted as they are and each in their places contribute to the beauty and harmony of the whole § 21. Direct 8. When you would be apprehensive of the excellency of Love and Humility and exact Direct 8. obedience tâ— the will of God look up to the Angels and see the lustre of all these vertues as they shine Heb. 1. 14. Psal. 103. 20 21 in them How perfectly do they Love God and all his Saints Even the weakest and meanest of the members of Christ With what humility do they condescend to minister for the heirs of salvation How readily and perfectly do they obey their Maker Though our chiefest pattern is Christ himself who came nearer to us and appeared in flesh to give us the example of all such duties yet under him the
The word obligation being Metaphorical must in controversie be explained by its proper Answ. terms The Law doth first constituere debitum obedientiâ— propter inobedientiam debitum poenâ— Here then you must distinguish 1. Between Obligation in foro conscientiâ— and in foro humano 2. Between an obligation ad poenam by that Law of man and an obligation ad patiendum by another Divine Law And so the answer is this 1. If the Higher Powers e. g. forbid the Apostles to preach upon pain of death or scourging the dueness both of the obedience and the penalty is really null in point of Conscience however in foro humano they are both due that is so falsly reputed in that Court Therefore the Apostles are bound to preach notwithstanding the prohibition and so far as God alloweth they may resist the penalty that is by flying For properly there is neither debitum obedientiae nec poenae 2. But then God himself obligeth them not to resist the higher powers Rom. 13. 1 2 3. and in their patience to possess their souls So that from this command of God there is a true obligation ad patiendum to patient suffering and non-resistance though from the Law of man against their preaching there was no true obligation aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam This is the true resolution of this Sophism § 65. Direct 34. It is one of the most needful duties to Governours for those that have a call and Direct 34. opportunity as their Pastors to tell them wisely and submissively of those sins which are the greatest enemies Vetus est verumque dictum Miser est Imperator cui vera reticentur Grotius de Imp. p. 245. Principi consâ—ile non dulciora sed optima is one of Soloâ—s Sentences in Laâ—rt de Solon Therefore it is a horrid villany of the Jâ—suites which is expressed in Secret Instruct. in Arcanis Iesuit pag. 5 6 7 8 11. to indulge great men and Pri 〈…〉 es in those opinions and sins which please them and to be on that side that their Liberty requireth to keep their favour to the Society So Maffaeius l. 3. c. 11. in vita ipsiuâ— Loyolae Alexand. Severus so greatly hated flatterers that Lampridius saith Siquis caput flexisset aut blandius aliquid dixisseâ— uti adulator vel abjiciebatur si loci ejus qualitas pateretur vel ridebatur ingenti cachinno si ejus dignitas graviori subjacere non posset injuriae Venit ad Attilam past victoriam Marullus poeta ejus temporis egregius compositumque in adulationâ—m carmen recitavit In quo ubi Attila per interpretem cognovit se Deum divina sâ—irpe ortum vanissime praedicari aspernatus sacrilâ—gae adulationis impudentiam cum autore â—armen exuri jusserat A qua severitate subinde temperavit ne scriptores caeteri a laudibus ipsius celebrandis terrerentur Callimach Exp. in Attila p. 353. to their souls and not the smallest enemies to their Government and the publick peace All Christians will confess that sin is the only forfeiture of Gods protection and the cause of his displeasure and consequently the only danger to the soul and the greatest enemy to the Land And that the sins of Rulers whether personal or in their Government have a far more dangerous influence upon the publick state than the sins of other men Yea the very sins which upon true repentance may be pardoned as to the everlasting punishment may yet be unpardoned as to the publick ruine of a state As the sad instance of Manasseh sheweth 2 Kings 23. 26. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal 2 Kings 24. 3 4. Surely at the Commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh according to all that he did and also for the innocent blood that he shed for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood which the Lord would not pardon And yet this was after Iosiah had Reformed So Solomons sin did cause the renting of the ten Tribes from his Sons Kingdom Yea the bearing with the High Places was a provoking sin in Kings that otherwise were upright Therefore sin being the fire in the Thatch the quenching of it must needs be an act of duty and fidelity to Governours And those that tempt them to it or sooth and flatter them in it are the greatest enemies they have But yet it is not every man that must reprove a Governour but those that have a Call and Opportunity nor must it be done by them imperiously or reproachfully or publickly to their dishonour but privately humbly and with love honour reverence and submissiveness § 66. Object But great men have great Spirits and are impatient of reproof and I am not bound Object to that which will do no good but ruine me Answ. 1. It is an abuse of your Superiours to censure them to be so proud and bruitish as not to Answ. consider that they are the subjects of God and have souls to save or lose as well as others Will you judge so hardly of them before tryal as if they were far worse and foolisher than the poor and take this abuse of them to be an excuse for your other sin No doubt there are good Rulers in the world that will say to Christs Ministers as the Prince Elector Palatine did to Pitisâ—us charging him to tell Mâ—lâ—h Adam in vit Barth Pitisci him plainly of his faults when he chose him to be the Pastor â—nlicus 2. How know you before hand what success your words will have Hath the Word of God well managed no power yea to make even bad men good Can you love your Rulers and yet give up their souls in despair and all for fear of suffering by them 3. What if you do suffer in the doing of your duty Have you not learned to serve God upon such terms as those Or do you think it will prove it to be no duty because it will bring suffering on you These reasons favour not of faith § 67. Direct 35. Think not that it is unlawful to obey in every thing which is unlawfully commanded Direct 35. It may in many cases be the subjects duty to obey the Magistrate who sinfully commandeth him For all the Magistrates sins in commanding do not enter into the matter or substance of the thing commanded If a Prince command me to do the greatest duty in an ill design to some selfish end it is his sin so to command but yet that command must be obeyed to better ends Nay the matter of the command may be sinful in the Commander and not in the obeyer If I be commanded without any just reason to hunt a feather it is his sin that causelesly commandeth me so to lose my time and yet it may be my
the Preacher hath publickly delivered the Word of God to the Assembly if you would so far second him as in your daily converse to set it home on the hearts of those that you have opportunity to discourse with how great an assistance would it be to his success Though he must teach them publickly and from house to house yet is it not possible for him to be so frequent and familiar in daily conference Act. 20. with all the ignorant of the place as those that are still with them may be You are many and he is but one and can be but in one place at once Your business bringeth you into their company when he cannot be there Oh Happy is that Minister who hath such a people who will daily preach over the matter of his publick Sermons in their private conference with one another Many hands make quick work This would most effectually prevail against the powers of darkness and cast out Satan from multitudes of miserable souls § 11. Mot. 11. Yea when Ministers are wanting through scarcity persecution or unâ—aithfulness and negligence the peoples holy profitable conference would do much towards the supplying of that want There have few places and ages of the World been so happy but that learned able faithful Pastors have been so few that we had need to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more And it is nothing unusual to have those few silenced or hindered from the Preaching of the Gospel by the factions or the malignity of the World And it is yet more common to have ignorant or ungodly persons in that office who betray the peoples souls by their usurpation impiety or slothfulness But if in all such wants the people that fear God would do their part in private conference it would be an excellent supply Ministers may be silenced from publick preaching when you cannot be silenced from profitable discourse § 12. Mot. 12. It is a duty that hath many great advantages for success 1. You may choose your season If one time be not fit you may take another 2. You may choose the person whom you find to have the greatest necessity or capacity and where your labour is likelyest to take 3. You may choose your subject and speak of that which you find most suitable There is no restraint nor imposition upon you to hinder your liberty in this 4. You may choose your arguments by which you would enforce it 5. Interlocutory conference keepeth your auditors attentive and carryeth them on along with you as you go And it maketh the application much more easie by their neerness and the familiarity of the discourse when Sermons are usually heard but as an insignificant sound or words of course 6. You may at your pleasure go back and repeat those things which the hearer doth not understand or doth forget which a Preacher in the Pulpit cannot do without the censure of the more curious auditors 7. You may perceive by the answers of them whom you speak to what particulars you need most to insist on and what objections you should most carefully resolve and when you have satisfied them and may proceed all which it is hard for a Minister to do in publick Preaching And is it not a great sin to neglect such an advantageous duty § 13. Mot. 13. And it should somewhat encourage you to it that it is an unquestionable duty when many other are brought into Controversie Ministers Preach under the regulation of humane Laws and Canons and it is a great Controversie with many whether they should Preach when they are silenced or forbidden by their superiours But whether you may speak for God and for mens salvation in your familiar conference no man questioneth nor doth any Law forbid it § 14. Mot. 14. Hath not the fruitful conference of others in the dayes of your ignorance done good to you Have you not been instructed convinced perswaded and comforted by it What had become of you if all men had let you alone and past you by and left you to your selves And doth not Justice require that you do good to others as others have done to you in the use of such a tryed means § 15. Mot. 15. Consider how forward the Devils servants are to plead his cause How readily and fiercely will an ignorant drunken sot pour out his reproaches and scorns against Religion and speak evil of the things which he never understood How zealously will a Papist or Heretick or Schismatick promote the interest of his sect and labour to proselyte others to his party And shall we be less zealous and serviceable for Christ than the Devils servants are for him and do less to save souls than they will do to damn them § 16. Mot. 16. Nay in the time of your sin and ignorance if you have not spoken against Religion nor taught others to curse or swear or speak in ribbald filthy language yet at least you have spent many an hour in idle fruitless talk And doth not this now oblige you to shew your Repentance by more fruitful conference Will you since your Conversion speak as unprofitably as you did before § 17. Mot. 17. Holy conference will prevent the guilt of foolish idle talk Men will not be long silent but will talk of somewhat And if they have not profitable things to talk of they will prate of vanity All the foolish chat and frothy jeasts and scurrilous ribbaldry and envious backbiting which taketh up mens time and poisoneth the hearers is caused by their want of edifying discourse which should keep it out The rankest wits and tongues will have most weeds if they be not cultivated and taught to bear a better crop § 18. Mot. 18. Your tongues will be instrumental to publick good or publick hurt When filthy vain and impious language is grown common it will bring down common plagues and judgements And if you cross not the custome you seem to be consenters and harden men in their sin But holy conference may at least shew that some partake not of the evil and may free them from the Plague if they prevail not with others so far as to prevent it Mal. 3. 16 17 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him § 19. Mot. 19. Consider what great necessity there is every where of fruitful edifying speech 1. In the multitude of the ignorant and the greatness of their ignorance 2. The numbers of the sensual and obstinate 3. The power of blindness and of every sin What root it hath taken in the most of men 4. The multitude of baits which are every where before them
by the loss of the Common-wealth or of many § 6. Direct 6. Therefore have a special regard to the Laws of the Countrey where you live both Direct 6. as to your Trade it self and as to the price of what you sell or buy For the Law is made for the publick benefit which is to be preferred before any private mans And when the Law doth directly or indirectly set rates upon labours or commodities ordinarily they must be observed or else you will commit two sins at once Injury and Disobedience § 7. Direct 7. Also have special respect to the common estimate and to the Market-price Though Direct 7. it be not alwayes to be our Rule yet ordinarily it must be a considerable part of it and of great regard § 8. Direct 8. Let not imprudent tinking make you seem more covetous than you are Some imprudent Direct 8. persons cannot tell how to make their markets without so many words even about a penny or a trifle that it maketh others think them covetous when it is rather want of wit The appearance of evil must be avoided I have known some that are ready to give a pound to a charitable use at a word who will yet use so many words for a penny in their bargaining as maketh them deeply censured and misunderstood If you see cause to break for a penny or a small matter do it more handsomely in fewer words and be gone And do not tempt the seller to multiply words because you do so § 9. Direct 9. Have no more to do in bargaining with others especially with censorious persons Direct 9. than you needs must For in much dealing usually there will be much misunderstanding offence censure and complaint § 10. Direct 10. In doubtful cases when you are uncertain what is lawful choose that side Direct 10. which is safest to the peace of your consciences hereafter though it be against your commodity and may prove the losing of your right Tit. 2. Cases of Conscience about Iustice in Contracts § 1. Quest. 1. MUst I alwayes do as I would be done by Or hath this Rule any Exceptions Quest. 1. Answ. The Rule intendeth no more but that your just self-denyal and love to others be duly exercised in your dealings with all And 1. It supposeth that your own will or desires be honest and just and that Gods Law be their Rule For a sinful will may not be made the rule of your own actions or of other mens He that would have another make him drunk may not therefore make another drunk And he that would abuse another mans Wife may not therefore desire that another man would lust after or abuse his Wife He that would not be instructed reproved or reformed may not therefore forbear the instructing or reproving others And he that would kill himself may not therefore kill another But he that would have no hurt done to himself injuriously should do none to others And he that would have others do him good should be as willing to do good to them 2. It supposeth that the matter be to be varyed according to your various conditions A Parent that justly desireth his child to obey him is not bound therefore to obey his child nor the Prince to obey his subjects nor the Master to do all the work for his servants which he would have his servants do for him But you must deal by another as you would regularly have them deal by you if you were in their case and they in yours And on these terms it is a Rule of Righteousness § 2. Quest. 2. Is a Son bound by the contract which his Parents or Guardians made for him in his Quest. 2. infancy Answ. To some things he is bound and to some things not The Infant is capable of being obliged by another upon four accounts 1. As he is the Parents own or a Masters to whom he is in absolute servitude 2. As he is to be Ruled by the Parents 3. As he is a Debtor to his Parents for benefits received 4. As he is an expectant or capable of future benefits to be enjoyed upon conditions to be performed by him 1. No Parents or Lord have an Absolute Propriety in any rational creature but they have a propriety secundum quid ad hoc And a Parents propriety doth in part expire or abate as the Son groweth up to the full use of reason and so hath a greater propriety in himself Therefore he may oblige his Son only on this account so far as his propriety extendeth and to such acts and to no other For in those his Will is reputatively his Sons will As if a Parent sell his Son to servitude he is bound to such service as beseemeth one man to put another to 2. As he is Rector to his Child he may by contract with a third person promise that his child shall do such acts as he hath power to command and cause him to do As to read to hear Gods Word â—o labour as he is able But this no longer than while he is under his Parents Government And so long Obedience requireth him to perform their contracts in performing their commands 3. The child having received his Being and maintenance from his Parents remaineth obliged to them as his Benefactors in the debt of gratitude as long as he liveth And that so deeply that some have questioned whether ever he can requite them which quoad valorem beneficii he can do only by furthering their salvation as many a child hath been the cause of the Parents conversion And so far as the Son is thus a debtor to the Parents he is obliged to do that which the Parents by contract with a third person shall impose upon him As if the Parents could not be delivered out of captivity but by obliging the Son to pay a great summ of money or to live in servitude for their release Though they never gave him any money yet he is bound to pay the summ if he can get it or to perform the servitude Because he hath received more from them even his being 4. As the Parents are both Owners secundum quid and Rulers and Benefactors to their child in all three respects conjunct they may oblige him to a third person who is willing to be his Benefactor by a conditional obligation to perform such conditions that he may possess such or such benefits And thus a Guardian or any friend who is fit to interpose for him may oblige him As to take a lease in his name in which he shall be bound to pay such a rent or do such a service that he may receive such a commodity which is greater Thus Parents oblige their children under Civil Governments to the Laws of the Society or Kingdom that they may have the protection and benefits of subjects In these cases the child can complain of no injury for it is for his benefit that he is obliged And the