servants of Christ and take through â—urvey of the whole business of Christianity and not engage hand over head to you know nor what First See what it is that Christ doth expect and then yield your selves to his whole will Do not think of indenting and compounding or making your own terms with Christ that will never be allowed you Go to Christ and tell him Lord Jesus if thou wilt receive me into thine house if thou wilt but â—wn me as thy servant I will not stand upon terms impose on me what condition thou pleasest write down thine own Articles command me what thou wilt put me to any thing thou seest good Let me come under thy roof let me be thy servant and spare not to command me I will be no longer mine own but give my self up to thy will in all things 2 That he shall appoint you your station and condition whether it be higher or lower a plentiful or a wanting a prosperous or an afflicted estate Be concontent that Christ should both choose your work and choose your condition that he should have the command of you and the disposal of you make me what thou wilt Lord and set me where thou wiâ—â— let me be a Vessel of Silver or Gold or a Vessel of Wood or Stone so I be a Vessel of Honor of whatsoever form or mettal whether higher or lower siner or courser I am content If I be not the head or the eye or the ear one of the nobler and more honorable instruments thou wilt imploy let me be the hand or the foot one of the most laborious and lowest and most contemptible of all 〈◊〉 servâ—nâ—s of my Lord let my dwelling be on the dunghill my portion in the wildernesse my name and my lot be amongst the heâ—ers of wood or drawers of water among the door-keepers of thy house and where where I may be serviceable and useâ—ulâ— I pâ—t myself wholly into thy hands Put me to what thou wilt rank me with whom thou wilt put me to doing put me to suffering let me be imployed for thee or laid aside for thee exalted for thee or trodden under foot for thee let me be full let me be empty let me have all things let me have nothing I freely and heartily resign all to thy displeasnre and disposal This now is your closing with Christ as your King and Sovereign Lord and in this is included your renouncing the Devil and his works the flesh and its lusts together with your consenting to all the Laws and Ordinances of Christ and his Providential Government Beloved such a close with Christ as you have been here exhorted to is that wherin the Essence of Christianity lies when you have chosen the incorruptible crown that is whan you have chosâ—n God to be your portion and happinesse when you have adventured and laid up your whole interest and all your hopes with Christ casting your selves wholly upon the merit of his Righteousnesse when you have understandingly and heartily resign'd and given up your â—â—vs to him resolving for ever to be at his command and at his disposal when you are Christians indeed and never till then Christ will be the Saviour of none but of his servants He is the Author of Eternal Salvation to those that obey him Heb. 5. Christ will have no Servant but by consent His people are a willing people Psal 1â—0 And Christ will accept of no consent but in full to all that he requires he will be all in all or he will be nothing V. Confirm and compleat all this by Solemn Covenant Give your selves to the Lord as his Servants and bind your selves to him as his Covenant-Servants Jer. 30. 21. Who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me Isa 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord. Upon your entring into Covenant with God the Covenant of God stands firm to you God gives you leave every man to put his own name into the Covenant grant if it be not found there at last it will be your own fault if it be not there there will be nothing found in the whole Covenant belonging unto you If it be there all is yours if you have come into the bond of the Covenant you shall have your share in the blessings of the Covenant Jer. 30. 21 22 Who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Engage to me and I stand engaged to you Deut. 26. 17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God to walk in his Ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judâ—ments to hearken to his Voice And the Lord â—ath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee Observe it The same day that they avouched the Lord to be their God the same day the Lord avouched them to be his peculiar people The same day that they engagâ— to keep the Commandments of God the same day the Lord engageth to keep his Promise with them There is a twofold Covenâ—nting with God In Pâ—ofession and in Reality and entring our Names and an engaging our Hearâ—s The former is done in Baptism by all that are Baptized who by receiving the Seal of the Covenant are visibly or in profession entred into it The latter is also twofold 1. Virtual Which is done by all those that have sincerely made that closure with God in Christ forementioned Those that have chosen the Lord embarquâ—d with Christ resigned up and given themselves to the Lord are all engaged persons have virtually Covenanted with him 2. Formal Which iâ— our binding our selves to the Lord by solemn Vow or Promise to stand to our choice c. And this may be either only inward in the Soul O outward and expressed either by words lifting up of the hand subsccibiug the hand or the like And by how much the more express our solemn Covenanting with God is by so much the more sensibly and strongly it is like to hold our hearts to him Now that which I would perswade you to is this Solemn and express covenanting with God Providence hath lately brought to my hand the Advice of a dear Friend and faithful Labourer in the work of the Lord about this matter together with an excellent Form of words composed for the help of weaker Christians and aptly accommodateed to all the substantials of our Baptismal Covenant which having found great acceptance with many precious Christians I do with much zeal and great hope of good success for the establishing of Souls in Holinesse and Comfort commend it to the use not only of young Converts but of the more grown Christians that have not experimented this or the like course And in order to the putting this matter into practice I shall first give you these few directions
not for the worse 1. For who knows when-ever the Ministry is removed but it may be in order to a greater Glory at it's Return Perhaps God's sending away Pastors from a People may be as Paul's absence from the Romanes that they may return in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel Or as Onesimus his departing from Philemon Perhaps they therefore depart for a season that they may be received for ever Or if this should not be the case of any particular Church if they should return no more yet 2. Their want of means shall supply their want of means their want of means shall be their means When they have no Preacher their empty Pulpits shall preach to them this most smarting of Rods will have its voyce If they have no longer the Light with them their darkness shall instruct them if they want their burning Lights the very Cold shall preserve and increase their inward vigour the wickedness of others shall make them more holy the violence of evil men upon sin shall enkindle their zeal for God the darkness that 's here below shall make them to live more above and all this shall make to their fuller reward 'T is a greater vertue to keep up the heart to keep on our way where there is a want than where there are abundance of means and helps and an higher vertue shall have a greater reward 3. The failing of the Word will bring back to their Memories and upon their own hearts that which they have received and as the emptiness of the Stomack will cause a second and better Concâ—ction and turn it into better nourishment when there are no more Loaves they 'l gather up the Fragments that nothing be lost the less there is more to be had the more reckoning the better use they will make of what they have their present want will be a rebuke of their former wantonness their want of remembrancers will help their Memories whet their Appetites Every old truth that hath been too much laid by will then be precious 4. Whenever ordinary means fail God will either find extraordinary or else will feed them more immediately on himself Psal 34. 9. God hath promised that those that fear the Lord shall want no good thing If that be meant of temporal good things yet sure it will yield us an argument that will reach the present case If God will provide for their Carkases much more for their Souls If God will supply them with less necessaries then doubtless he will not be wanting in what is absolutely necessary Psal 23. 1 2 3. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want and so on through the Psalm Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Here we have the Psalmists conclusion and it's foundation or his confidence and its ground his foundation or ground is the Lord is my Shepheard his conclusion and confidence is I shall not want that is neither the Body nor Soul as appears by the following part of the Psalm If Davids Logick and his Faith too does not fail him the conclusion is firm let the Lord be his Shepherd and he shall not know famine or want Gods Relation to his people is their security for a sufficient provision in all times If the Lord be their Shepherd he must see them fed he must either find them those that shall or do it himself He must either find them Pastors or be their Pastor he must either provide them or be their Pasture If ordinary means fail he must find extraordinary if both fail he must be instead of means to them Here two things 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepherd of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself 2. That extraordinary means or no means when God brings his people to it will be better than their ordinary means 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepherd of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself Feed them he must or he cannot be faithful and if means fail he must supply that want one way or other Now God is faithful and will not see his Sheep to starve Isa 41. 17 18. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Vallyes I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and the dry Land Springs of water Oh what a good Word is here for the poor Saints to live upon in hard times It is interpreted to have an immediate reference to the outward and yet a special respect also to the spiritual wants and distresses And it will appear if we compare it with the like expressions Chap. 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit on thy Seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring From the former Scriptures note 1. That the poor people of God may somtimes be as to the visible Soul-provisions but in a poor case Needy and hungry and thirsty their hearts fainting their tongues failing for thirst and their waters dryed up If they seek water and there be none 2. All the wants and straits of the Saints are before the Lord. I the Lord will hear Christians though those that should will not yet he that can will hear the cryes of your Souls all your faintings and pâ—ntings and longings for the water of life are before your eyes and come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath 3. God hath more wayes than one to relieve the wants and refresh the bowels of his hungry ones He hath extraordinary means for extraordinary cases If they can find no common Rivers he will open or make new Rivers The high places the dry places the very Rock will yield a River when God commands it 4. Gods extraordinary Provisions shall not be scanty and penurious but rich and plentiful 'T is not some drops or now and then a draught a little to stay the longing or barely enough to keep them alive he prepares them Rivers Fountains Pools Springs of water I will open Rivers in the high places Fountains in the Vallies c. Where-ever they be cast in the high Places in the Vallies in the Wildernesse in the dry Lands where-ever they be cast I will cause provision enough to meet them though they have neither bag nor bottle nor any thing to carry with them they shall not want the Rivers shall meet them Springs shall arise and break forth to them 5. They are not the wanting but the thirsting the seeking Souls whom God will supply When the poor and needy seek water and there is none
evil men If they be hypocrites any of them and you know them to be such call them hypocrites but do not take the name of Saint or Precisian or holy Brother and put them as marks of disgrace and scorn upon them he that calls a Saint hypocrite reproaches the Christian he that in scorn calls an hypocrite Saint or holy Brother reproaches Christianity it self Vse 2. But I have yet a greater request unto you then to have a good opinion of these men and no longer to reproach them my request to you farther is That you would come in and be of this number Some of you it may be will be ready to reply he shall have hard work that will perswade me to be a Precisian and truly I am afraid so too if all that the Devil can do will hinder it if all that your carnal reason and fleshly lusts can do if all that your sinful companions can do will hinder it I shall be sure enough not to prevail with you yet know that the motion which I make to you is from the Lord and if you deny me you therein deny him and if you deny him you must come upon it there 's another day coming when he will deny you You say you will not be perswaded but what is it you will not be perswaded to Why this is it you will not take the Yoke of Christ upon you you will not be advis'd nor be rul'd by him so as to live as he would have you live but you will have your liberty still to walk according to your own mind and hâ—â—rt that is you will not be Christians Will you not Are you in good earnest Are you content that the Lord should take you at your word and for ever give you up to your hearts lust and let you alone to walk in your own counsels Are you content from henceforth to give up your hope in Christ are you content to be damn'd Brethren this is the choice you are put to either an holy Life or everlasting Death either you must submit to the Yoke of Christ or you can have no benefit by the Cross of Christ either you must kiss his golden scepter or be broken in pieces with his Rod of Iron refuse to follow him in his Kingdom of Grace and you thereby shut your selves out of the Kingdom of Glory Whereof that I may the more effectually convince you I shall yet farther prove to you both by Scripture and reason that this strict and precise way of life is so undoubtedly and absolutely necessary to salvation that whosoever doth not thus walk cannot escape the damnation of hell I know carnal men are confident that they shall be saved without so much ado and this is that which hardens them in their sins their strong conceit that the way is not so strait and narrow as many would make them believe they doubt not but they have found out a shorter and easier way than this and what is this easier way Why 't is but call upon God for mercy keep thy Church do no body any wrong be no drunkard no swearer no adulterer or if thou be sometimes overtaken ask God forgiveness cry God mercy and then hope well never despair of Gods mercy fear not thou shalt be safe enough Now I shall make it plain to you that this loose and easie way of Religion will certainly leave every soul that goes no further to perish everlastingly and that this strict holy life which hath been described is indispensably necessary to salvation Beloved the matter I am upon is weighty a mistake in your Religion is mortal if that which you have taken up for the way of life be not so you are undone for ever and that this your easie way is not it I shall now make evident 1. From Scripture Let us but seriously examine and weigh those many high expressions which we find in Scripture in the Commands Exhortations Instructions Instances Promises and Prayers recorded in it in all which the one way of life is described and then let any reasonable man judge if all this amount to no more than that poor and pitiful and empty thing which carnal men count their Religion 1. For Scripture-commands consider these Strive to enter in at the strait gate looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Work out your salvation with fear and trembling not sloathful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Put off concerning the conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Wash thine heart from thine iniquities that thâ—â— mayst be saved How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee â—et no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but speak ye that which is good to the use of edifying that may minister grace to the bearers Walk in love love one another love your Enemies bless them that curse you pray for them which persecute you render to no man evil for evil but overcome evil with goodness mortifie your members which are upon the Earth walk in the spirit abstain from all appearance of evil be watchful stand with your loyns girded and your lights burning 2. For Scripture-instructions consider these The Grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live righteously godly and soberly in â—his present World pure Religion and underfâ—led before God and the Father is this To visit c. and to keep himself unspotted of the World They that be Christs have crucified the flesh with affections and lusts He that is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement He that looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart Of every idle word men shall give account at the day of Judgment If any Man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that Mans Religion is vain 3 For Scripture-instances David is said to be a man after Gods own heart did that which was right in the sight of the Lord turned not Aside from any thing that the Lord had commanded him all the dayes of his life save only c. Of Josiah it is recorded That his heart was tender and perfect with the Lord his God and that he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left Paul professes that he served the Lord instantly night and day that forgetting those things which are behind he reached forth to the things that are before pressing to the mark c. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God To me to live is Christ to dye is gain I so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest
have been done before yet they were but the dead carcasses of duties rather than the things themselves 2. This new Life is a nâ—w Nature the Saints participation of the Nature of Christ a change of the qualities of the soul they are new Creatures that have passed the new Birth The second Adam as well as the first brings forth his Children in his own likeness The divine Birth is the bringing forth of the divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. As they said vainly the Gods are come down in the likeness of men It may be here said truly Men are raised up in the likeness of God renewed after his Image made partakers of his holiness Those that put any thing less in this charge than the new creature make Regeneration to be as very a contradiction as the Popish Transubstantiation Bread is made a God and yet bread is still a brute is made a Saint and yet remains a brute still A God under the accidents of bread and a Saint under the qualities of a Swine 3. This new nature is a glorious nature comprehending in it that divine light whereby the Saintâ— are inabled to understand and look into the depths of eternity the invisible things of God the mysteries of the glorious Gospel that divine love and faith and hope and the whole train of glorious graces together with those principles of righteousness Truth Mercy Charity c. whereby they are made capable of injoying fellowship and communion with God of bearing his Name shewing forth his Vertues and Praises before the world and doing his will In sum it is the Image of God the Epistle of Christ written upon the Tables of their hearts And thus much those Scriptural expressions New creatures partakers of the Divine Nature partakers of his holiness children of light with the life do signifie and import What a strange piece of vanity should we make of the Scriptures if all these high and various expressions should signifie no more than that empty and pitiful thing that carnal men do count their Religion or godliness that ever that ignorant Sottish formal brutish generation which have no more of the knowledge of God than an Heathen no more of the life of God than a Stock no more of Religion than to say over a Prayer by rote So far from being partakers of the new Nature that they know not whether there be any such thing or what it is That ever such a blind senseless multitude should be imagined to be the persons whom the Scripture means by new Creatures the Children of God the Children of Light the Images of God Much more that those that live after the flesh who are proud covetous sensual filthy beastly in their conversations yet if they have been baptized and passed under that sacramental Regeneration and do but say now and then I repent or God forgive me that these also are the children of God and have all that new Birth which is necessary to their seeing the Kingdom of God Who can with any colour of reason imagine Such as can make themselves believe this have made such a forfeiture of their understandings that they may be like in time to believe that the Devil is God and that Hell is Heaven and may even take up the Alcoran for their Bible and let the Scriptures go for a Fable Sinners consider with your selves is there any such thing as the new Birth Can there be a New Birth without a New Life Doth Christ bring forth Dead Children or do dry bones live Doth the Gospel bring forth monstrous births Children without eyes without an head without an heart or with the heart of a beast under the face of a man Doth it bring forth Serpents Vipers Dogs Swine for its Children and must the Kingdom of Heaven be peopled with such Inhabitants as these If these be the Children of the Kingdom where or who are the Children of this World are the Nathaniels the Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile Are these the true seed and the Saints spurious are these the sons and the Saints bastards Or if you will let these vile ones of the earth go as none of the seed take the best of carnal men that have the fairest face of Religion and form of holiness without the in-side the new nature are these they Is the shadow the substance and the substance but a shadow To say that the inward life of godliness the spirit and soul of Christianity is but a conceit and this out-side is all this Christianity is as good reason as to affirm that a picture is a man and that a living man is but a picture and as good Divinity as I my self heard Preached at Oxford about thirty years since by a zealous Advocate for the lawfulness of Sports on the Lords Day who Preaching about the observation of the Sabbath and distinguishing betwixt the Substantial and the Circumstantial duties of that day said That Preaching is a Religious Ceremony Praying is a Religious Ceremony but bowing at the Name of Jesus standing at the Creed and Gospel Holy and Religious Feasting Holy and Religous Dancing these are the Substantials Hence it follows 1. That Regeneration is not a Suppositious change or the counterfeit of a change there is some difference hereby put betwixt persons and persons the Regenerate and the Unregenerate are not one and the same no more than the living and the dead 2. It is not a bare Relative change as Justification and Adoption are held to be there is a change of nature wrought by it and not barely of Relation 3. It is not a Superficial change or meerly outward that goes only skin-deep it is not as 't is said concerning Baptism only the washing away of the filth of the flesh the cleansing of the out-side and leaving lust to reign within Regeneration is the change of the man and not barely of the manner 4. In this change we may read all godliness we may read the use of things very much in their beings we may know wherefore they are much the better if we understand what they are Gods expectations may he read in his operations we may understand much of our work by observing Gods work upon us As God in making men living souls does thereby tell us he expects other things from them than from dead stocks and stones and in making them reasonable souls intimates that he expects they should live other lives than dogs or swine so in making them Christians making them partakers of the Divine Nature he makes it evident that he expects they should live another life than other men The new life or life of godliness may be read in our new birth or new natures The Regenerate are said Eph. 2. 10. To be created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had before ordained that they should walk in them Created unto good works that notes two things 1. Intended to good works 2. Fitted to good works 1. That in their new
it rather than faith You that are ignorant idle profane and unsanctified and yet believe you shall be saved you believe a lye you believe that which God hath never said shall be nay you believe that which God hath said shall never be Jer. 27. 11. They are a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not save them 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such shall never inherit the Kingdom of God Hear sinners hear God must be a lyar or your faith a lye But the faith of God's Elect such as hath been before described this is that precious tryed faith by which whosoever believes shall not be confounded Christians you that have obtained such precious faith a Christ-imbracâ—ng faith an heart-purifying a flesh-mortifying a world-conquering faith you may venture safely upon it if ever this faith deceive you God hath deceived you the Scriptures have deceived you Christ hath deceived you who hath prayed and we may be bold to turn Christ's prayer into a promise that this faith fail not let the Phanatick world laugh and mock and call your consolations delusions your confidence conceit or what they will let them alone you must give losers leave to talk and laugh yet cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of toward 6. The Doctrine concerning Good Works is a certain truth In this I shall shew First What we are to understand by Good Works A good work in general is an holy or gracious action to the making up whereof thâ—se four things are necessary 1. The principle must be good from which it proceeds it must be from an honest and upright heart for a pure conscience from faith unfeigned c. Mat. 12. 35. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2. The matter must be good something that is commended Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee Isa 29. 13. Their fear towards me waâ— taught by the precepts of men 3. The form or manner of doing must be good it must be well done this takes in the conâ—ideration of all its circumstances of time place c. 4. The end must be good it must be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. As to the particular kinds of Good Works they are not easily to be reckon'd up The Papists talk little of any good works but the exercises of bounty and liberality in giving Alms feeding the hungry cloathing the naked visiting and relieving the afflicted building of Almes-houses Colledges and the like upon which they â—ufist so much as if there were scarce any other good works but such as these but we may not confine them within so narrow a compass Good works do signifie the same with a good life or a godly life the doing and observing all things which God hath commanded us Our living holily honestly circumspectly fruitfully imports the same with our doing good works the exercising of all the graces of Christ faith love hope c. The subduing and mortifying of lust and corruption the governing our hearts the governing our tongues the ordering of our carriages towards God and towards men all acts of Religion Righteousness Mercy Charity Praying Fasting Hearing Sanctifying the Sabbath Lending Giving Forgiving Peace-making Instructing Exhorting Reproving Denying our selves taking up our Cross following Christ Fighting the good fight of Faith laying up treasure in heaven and the like these are good works every thing is a good work concerning which God will say at last Well done good and faithful Servant In all these the Lord requires 1. That we act Ad extremum virium to our utmost Eccles 9. 10. What thine hand findeth to do and so what thy head or thy heart findeth to do do it with thy might Tit. 2. 14. Zealous of good works Rom. 12. 14. Not sloathful in business but servent in spirit serving the Lord Col. 1. 10. Fruitful in good works 1 Cor. 15. ult Abounding in the work of the Lord. 2. That we act in these Ad extremum vitae to the end of our dayes Deut. 6. 2. Fear the Lord thy God and keep all his statutes and his Commandments all the dayes of thy life 3. That we be doing Per totum vitae cursum without intermission there must not only be well-doing but a continuance in well-doing Rom. 2. God will not have any Chasms or vacuities in our lives but every day must be filled up with the duties of it Christians must not thin of getting to heaven persaltum they must not leap but walk they must not leap over a duty nor leap over a day nulla dies fine linea The Law of God doth not allow a day to sin not abate us one dayes work To demand a breathing time from the service of God is to desire so much time for the service of sin We are ever serving one Master or the other we are certainly serving sin when we are not in one way or other serving the Lord. Secondly That goâ—d works are necessary Necessary to salvation a so as though we are not like to be saved by our works yet we cannot be saved without them He that works not shall not eat bread in the Kingdom of God The everlasting Rest is not for loyterers but for labourers Mat 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Faith cannot save us without works The Apostle tells us Jam. 2. 26. Faith without works is dead and a dead faith cannot bring us to life Therefore the Apostle Paul so vehemently charges Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works for these things are good and profitable to men Where observe the Preface to the chaâ—ge This is a faithful saying that is a true saying and a great truth a worthy saying worthy to be delivered worthy to be received And these things I will that thou affirm constantly or teach constantly or strenuously or resolvedly be not beaten off from it Why what is this great truth Why â—his is it That they which have believed in God as ever they would that their faith should stand them in any stead must be careful to maintain good works not only to do good works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain or to excel and abound in good works these things are good and profitable to men Now let me demand of all the world where lies the Phanaticisme in any of all this Which of these Doctrines is it that is but a conceit Is it this that Christians must not onely be believers but must do good woâ—ks Is it this That they must work with all their might that they must be doing to the end of their dayes that they must continue at their work withoâ—t intermission that is that they must bestow noâ—e
the defect is not in the will God hath the heart and wheresoever God hath the heart there is certain acceptance with God where the heart is ingaged against any particular lust and is resolved upon it this lust I must mortifie and through the help of God will seek its destruction though it cannot yet compass it yet this resolution evidences that the heart is on Gods side it doth not side with lust against God but â—â—des with God against lust and so in all other the like cases 2 Cor. 8. 11. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not He that gives according to what he hath he that does according to what he hath and does it heartily shall be accepted undoubtedly It may be thy case may be such sometimes that to will may be all thou hast towards a Duty As for instance when thou hast a will to shew mercy to give an Almes if thou hast nothing to give thy will is all thou hast 'T is true there may be mistakes and we are too apt to such mistakes to impute our failings in duty to want of ability when they are from want of will How ordinarily do men thus excuse their grossest neglects even when they yield themselves over to an universal careless and idle life wherein there is not the least care or pains taken to please or follow God Why I do what I can I can do no more than I can â—ould live a better life but I cannot when yet the will is onely in fault though you can do 〈◊〉 than you can yet if you had a good will to it you â—ight do more than you do But still the great question â—â—â— be How may I knovv in case of failings of persâ—â—â—ance whether my will be so fully set upon my duty that there would be performance if it were not hindred if it were not for vvant of povver or opportunity I answer 1. There is no pleading want of ability to excuse a total neglect of godliness if the pretence be of want of ability to live a godly life in general I am willing to live a godly life but cannot there 't is certain the defect is in the will the Spirit of Sanctification is a Spirit of power and where the will is once savingly renewed by that mighty Spirit there is certainly such a power communicated as will infallibly bring on the soul to follow God in a course of Godliness whatever particular weaknesses and failings there may be 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us a spirit of feâ—r but of power and of love and of a sound mind Jer. 42 20 21. Ye dessâ—mble in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God saying pray for us and whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak we will do it Here was a fair promise what could be said more whatever the Lord shall say we will do and like enough they might have some intention to it but sayes the Prophet Ye dissemble with me all the while why how does that appear why in the next verse sayes he I have this day declared it to you but you have not done any thing for which the Lord your God sent me to you If your hearts had been right there would have been something done but you have done nothing Beloved you that say you fain would follow God but cannot you would fain live a godly life but do nothing towards iâ—â— you would willingly leave off your worldly lifeâ— or your fleshly life or your idle life you would fain leave off your drinking and gaming and wantonness and betake your selves to praying and repenting and denying your selves and minding your souls and the things of eternity but you are not able the meaning is this you are not willing you cannot find in your hearts to take up such a course you have some velleities some wishes and weak inâ—linations to godliness but no will to it if there were a willing mind within doubtless there would be some sign of it in your course without 2. For particular duties when we are willing to them and yet fall short of performance we may know that the will would bring forth the acts were it not for some great impediments 1. When the non-performance of duty brings forth sorrow and trouble of heart when it is a grief of mind to us that we cannot doe what we would Rom. 7. 18 19 24. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not the good that I would doe c. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That which hindred him was a sore â—urthen to him under which he groans and pasâ—ionately wishes for his redemption and deliverance from it those who in case of â—ailings are quiet and well enough contented much more those who are glad of an excuse as too often 't is to be observed in many who when they are put upon â—ifficult or displâ—asing Duties are glad they have so much to say for themselves that they are not able or have not opportunity 't is â—n argument that little would have been done â—ad they had never so great ability 2. When if we cannot doe the duty we do what we can towards it A man that â— poor and can't give an alms to his Brethren in distresse yet he can pitty them pray for them make their case known to others that can relieve them if he do not what he can if he do not open his bowels to them though he cannot open his hand though he had never so much his poor brother would be like to be little the better The poor Widow that cast in her Mite into the Treasury which was all she had 't was a sign she had a large heart though she gave so small a gift 1 King 8. 17. David had it in his heart to build an House for God and yet did it not the Lord hindred him How may it be known that David would indeed if he might have built it why by this it appeared though he might not do it yet he did what he might towards it though he might not build yet he prepared materials for the building If thou art but a babe in Christ hast had but a little time hast yet but a little understanding a little strength though thou canst not follow the Lord in such exactnesse not attain to such a fruitful life as those that are grown and experienced Christians have attained to yet if whilst thou art but a child thoâ— dost follow the Lord as a child according to the measure of thine understanding and ability thou art yet unskilful and performest thy duties in a broken manner but yet thou dost perform them thou art weak as a child but yet art tractable as a child willing to be led where thou canst not go if it be thus with thee thou netdst
Christs Sheep that hear his voice and follow his steps and keep by the Shepherds Tents Is this a conceeist that it shall fare better with the Friends of Christ then with his Enemies or that those are the friends of Christ who are the friends of Holiness Is this a conceit that it shall fare better with the servants of Christ then with strangers Or are those the best servants who waste their Talents or bind them up in a Napkin Will Christ say in that day Away thou faithful Servant away from me ye workers of Righteousness You have loved me too much you have pleased me too well you have followed me too close you have given your selves to too much praying too much praising too much fasting you have been too conscientious too tender too watchful too holy you would not be merry and idle and vain you would not go along with your Neighbours to their sporting to their Revellings to their Pleasures but must needs deny your selves and take up your Cross and follow me you could not be content with an Earthly happiness but you must have Glory and Honour and Immortality you could not be content to venture on a groundless hope of Glory but you must needs make sure of it by patient continuance in well-doing Away from me you workers of Righteousness you that have followed me in the Regeneration get you gone get you down to everlasting destruction Will this be the voice of the Judge at that day Will he call to sinners Come ye wantons come ye Wine-bibbers come ye Swearers Lyars Scoffers Whore-masters come ye blessed Crew inherit the Kingdome All this must be so if godliness be but a fancy and do you not yet see Sinners what men of Reason what men of Judgement you are and how much truth or weight there is in your charge against the Saints Oh Christians you see I hope sufficiently how little ground you have to take the least notice of or discouragement from these confident Adversaries who in proclaiming you Phanaticks must proclaim themselves either Infidels or Ideotâ— Thus I have shewed that the principles of Godliness are not Phanatical 2. The Duties and Comforts of Godlinesse are no fancies I shall instance in such duties and those parts of duties which are most obnoxious to this censure the most spiritual duties the most spiritual parts of duties which being most out of fight and above the reach of the carnal world are most of all thus censuted by them I shall mention onely two which indeed are comprehensive of all 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit 2. Walking in the Spirit 1. Worshiping God in the Spirit If this be a fancy the Apostle Paul with the Christians his Contemporaries were the great Phanaticks of their time who saies thus of himself and them Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumision who worship God in the spirit We are the Circumcision that is We are the People of God we are they who are circumcised with the Circumcision which is without hands circumcised in heart which is all one as if he had said we are Christians who worship God in the spirit Worshipping God in the spirit notes 1. The worship of the soul or heart-worship 2. The worshipping God through his Spirit or in the Holy Ghost 1. The worship of the soul or inward worship and that 1. As it stands in opposition to meet bodily worship I say not as it is oppos'd to bodily worship but to meer bodily worship 2. As it stands in opposition to the Antiquated Jewish worship which was more external pompous and ceremonious We worship God in the spirit that is we worship God in the heart and in the simplicity and plainness of Gospel-worship Heart-worship is the true worship the worship of the soul is the soul of worship The body without the soul is dead and bodily worship without spiritual iâ— dead worship John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth The latter word Truth is exegitical of the former Spirit signifying that worshiping in Spirit is worshiping in Truth This is the true worship worship indeed The worship of the body the uncovering of the head the bowing the knee the lifting up of the hands or voice these are but the outside and carcase of worship and so far only capable of being accounted worship as they are helpful to and expressive of the devotions of the soul As bowing of the knee signifies the bowing of the heart as the uncovering of the head either expresses or helps toward the inward reverence of the soul so far as they worship and no farther and even then but improperly so câ—lled But as they stand single and separated from the inward worship they are no worship no more then a carcase is a man but are meer shadows and fansies There is no such Phanatick as the Formalist who whilest with those Heathens Mat. 6. 7. He thinks to be heard for his much speaking doth but play the hypocrite and Lyar Look what the Courtiers Complements are such are the Formalists devotions smooth words tongue-courtefies flâ—ttering salutes fawning cringes Your servant Sir your servant command me what you please I am ready to serve you Here is a great shew of respect and kindness but what is there in it What wise man will regard it And what more is there in the Formalists devotions What is it but meer complementing with the Holy God Very devout and lowly as to all appearance and a great noise is there that such Devotion makes but what is there in it What awe and Soul-reverence of God what heart-striving and wrestling with God what heart-elevation or lifting up the Soul to God is there in all this Is there no such thing as heart-striving and Soul-reverence required in the Worship of God or are these but shadows of worship and is the soul of it onely in the Lips or Knees Doth he whose Soul is poured out in prayer whose Spirit strives with the Lord doth he but pray in conceit worship God in conceit and those whose Eyes and Tongues and Hands onely pray have they gotten the substance are these the true Worshippers Beloved be not deceived God sees not as man sees he sees what is within man he sees what is within our duties they are not shews or sounds that can blinde hiâ— Eye or please his Ear. Ephes 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your sâ—lve in Psalmes and Hymns and Sriritual Songs singing and making Melody in your hearts to the Lord. Believe it Christians Heart-musick is the best Church musick Heart-praying and Heart-singing makes the best Melody in the Eares of the Lord of Sabbath My work and intent is not to decry all external worship as useless or unacceptable We must glorifie God in our bodies as well as in our spirits Our Lips must bear their parts in our praises and practises but I would not that you should take the body of
born of the Spirit is a spiritual man and those that are led by the Spirit walk on in a spiritual course that is they live a more noble and raised life then the rest of the world Carnal men who are governed and ruled by that evil spirit that is in the world live an evil and carnal life worldly spiritual men a worldly life sensual men a sensual life Ephes 2. 2 3. Wherein in time past ye walked after the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of Disobedience among whom we also had our conversations in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Whilest we were in the common state we took the common road whilest we were in the flesh fleshly men we lived a fleshly life To serve ouâ— bellies to serve our appetites to serve our pride and covetousness and other lusts this was our life And this life was sutable to that Spirit which was within them and that evil Spirit the Prince of this world without them that govern'd and steer'd their course Accordingly the Saints having a new heart within and a new leader without do lead a new life as the flesh and the Devil carry evil men on in a course sutable to their leaders so the Spirit and Grace of God carry on the Saints in a course sutable to theirs an holy spiritual and heavenly lifâ— So that this is to walk in the Spirit to live holily and spiritually this is that life which is called The life of God Ephes 4. 19. The Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven And a Spiritual and Heavenly Life this may be called upon a three-fold account 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things 2 Their delights are Spiritual and Heavenly 3 By these Spiritual dealings and delights themselves become daily more Spiritual 1 Their dealings are about Spiritual and Heavenly things God and Heaven and everlasting Glory and those spiritual Exercises whereby God is served and Glory obtained these are the matters about which this life is spent They live with God they hold daily intelligence with Heaven they are much in the contemplating and admiring and adoring the infinite beauty and incomprehensible perfections of God and his unspeakable love and gracâ— and goodness towards them They are searching into the Mysteries of Christ studying out the riches of the glory of the Mystery of the Gospel They live amongst Angels their hearts and their eyes are dayly in that general Assembly and Church of the first-born When they sleep they lay them down under the wings of their Lord no sooner are they awake but they get them up to the top of Pisgah to take a view of the Promised Land When I awake I am ever with thee says the Psalmist When the covetous man awakes he is with his God when the Epicure awakes he is with his God when the Adulterer awakes he is with his Goddess Christians are presently above the clouds above the stars falling down before the Throne of the Almighty Their work is to seek and serve and praise and please the Lord to carry themselves so that they may be accepted to God to be washing their robes and making them white in the bloud of the Lamb to be minding their souls consciences affections thoughts that these may all in their several capacities exalt and enjoy the Lord Their Trading is for the Pearl whilest the Merchants of the Earth are trading for Gold and Silver and Spices whilest the Muck-worms of the world are dealing in Corn and Sheep and Oxen and Asses whilst the vâ—luptuous wantons of the earth are dealing about fashions and feasts and sports trading in Toyes Feathers Apes and Peacocks Christians are trading in Promises and Prayer in Faith and Repentance in Patience and Humility in Mercy and Charity that by these they may make their Calling and Election sure and so an entrance may be administred unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ These are the businesses of Christians lives their dealings are about spiritual things 2 Their delights are in spiritual things The Lord is the delight of their hearts Delight thy self in God sayes the Psalmist Psal 37. 4. And what he bids others do he does himself Psal 16. 8 9. I have set the Lord always before me therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth The thoughts of God are dear and precious to them The Word and Law of God is their delight Psal 1. His delight is in the Law of his God The Courts of the Lord his Ordinances Worship Sabbaths are their delight Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Their work is their delight Psal 40. I delight to do thy will Their hardest works Fasting and Watching and Wrestling and Fighting against Sin and Temptations crucifying and mortifying their own flesh denying themselves mourning for sin there is much sweetness they find in their very travels and tears and sorrowings as sorrowing sayes the Apostle yet alwayes rejoycing As Solomon speaks of Carnal Mirth Prov. 14. In the midst of laughter the heart is sad so it may be said of spiritual Mourning in the midst of sorrow the heart is joyful the heart of a Saint is never in so sweet a frame as when it is melted into godly sorrow but especially Christ is their deleght he is the deliciae Christiani orbis Canticleâ— 2. 3. I sate down under â—is shadow with great delight Carnal men are ready to say to them as the Daughters of Jerusalem to the Spouse Cant. 5. 9. What is thy beloved more â—en another beloved What beauty is there in him that thou shouldest thus desire him or take such pleasure in him They see no beauty in him he hath no Form nor comeliness in their eye and therefore they think there is none Oh Sinners you do not know Christ you have had no acquaintance with him you have not tâ—sted of the fruits of this Tree of the clusters of this Vine I sate me down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweeâ— to my taste Saints have tasted of the sweetness of Christ tasted that the Lord is gracious and therefore can take great delight in him The delight they take in Christ is that which puts such a delight into every Ordinance into every Duty therefore Praying and Reading is so pleasant to them because there they meet with their Beloved Christ appears to them in his Word Christ meets his Saints in their Prayings and Fastings and this makes all sweet to their souls Carnal men think the life of Saints to be an heavy a sad and most troublesome life they count that themselves have the onely merry and pleasant lives that their Hawks and Hounds their Carding and Dicing and Drinking and Dancing their Seews and Plays that these are the onely Heaven This
is all one as to say that God hath put more sweetness into creatures then is in himself that the basest and vilest use of the creatures doth yield more true content then the souls exercising it self on God as if the thorn should yield more sweetness the bramble more fatness then the Fig-tree or Olive where are the understandings of these men I tell you Sinners when you have gone from flower to flower from creature to creature from pleasure to pleasure and sucked out all the fatness and sweetness that these will yield a poor Christian will get more real pleasure out of one Chapter of his Bible out of an honest Sermon out of one hours converse with God in Prayer then yoâ—r whole life will bring you in The Gospel with its brests of consolation at which he sucks yields him sweeter milk those clusters of Canaan on which he lives yield him richer Wine then the whole world will afford any The gleanings of a Christians joy are better then the Vintaâ—e of Sinner and you cannot so much slight the glory of their Sâ—n as they despise the glory of your sparks 3 By these spiritual exercises and delights they become more and more spiritual themselves By their beholding the face of God they are changed from glory to glory into his image and likeness by living so much in Heaven the temper and frame of their hearts becomes heavenly mens ordinary company and exercises have such an influence upon them that 't is not unusual that they change their disposition Frothy company and vain exercises will leave a frothiness and vanity upon mens spirits and serious and savoury company and exercises do leave a good savour behind them He whose work is in the Coal-mines his hiew is thereafter the flies that feed on the dung look like the dung they feed on Carnal men by being continually conversant about their earthly affairs have nothing but earthiness left upon their spirits their Thoughts Affections their Souls are become earth earthly their duties are earthly their prayers their praises their hearings all are earthly When they go to Church when they go to their Clossets they must carry their earth along with them or leave their hearts behind them On the other side Christians by having their dwellings with God their Delights their Recreations their daily business with God the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon them by their Divine Exercises they are made more partakers of the Divine Nature and as Worldlings businesses and delights do leave an earthliness upon their very Religion so a Christians Religion doth Spiritualize his Civil Affairs Carnal mens prayers do savour of their Fields Oxen and sports Carnal mens Sabbaths do smell of their Working-days and a Christians works do savour of his prayers a Christians Week-days have a tincture of his Sabbaths he eats and drinks he buys and sells he ploughs and threshes not as a man but as a Saint he doth not onely pray as a Saint and hear as a Saint but he ploughs as a Saint he trades as a Saint his heart is in Heaven while his hand is at the Plough he is serving his God while he is serving his own necessities he seeks he serves he eyes he enjoys his God in all he hath or doth he proves by his sense that God is every where with him he dwells feeds labours lodges with him he lives he dies And thus you see what it is to walk in the Spirit Look how far forth such a Christian lives in the Spirit so far forth doth he live such a life as this 3 This is no fansie and if I fail not here if I prove this I hope Sinners you will then see reason enough to take the Phanatick upon your selves and from henceforth stile these despised Saints in your Stilo novo Israelites indeed Christians you that hear me this day will you help me in this proof this once help me and the cause will go cleary on the Lords side you may if you will come in and be willing instances of this Truth Will you live according to your Principles that Life of God which is within you Will you live according to your Rules that Word of Life which is before you Will you follow your Leader that Holy Spirit which is given to conduct you Will you fall closer to the practice of that Godliness which you profess will you live in the obedience of that Spirit which you have received will you shew your selves a pattern of Faith of Patience of Righteousness and Holiness Will you be dealing less about these earthly vanities and be less earthly in your earthly dealings shall your dealings be wholly about Heaven and Heavenly things and will you make these your dealings your delights Will you labour by being more conversant about spirituall things and in spiritual exercises to become more spiritual more spiritually minded more spiritually tempred Will you get more clear off the love and lusts and fashions and ways and joys of this world Will you suffer the Eternal Spirit to fill you with his love and fashion you into his likeness Will you forbear any more resisting grieving slighting quenching his holy motions will you hearken to his counsels answer his impulses Will you grow on to be more Christians daily more Saints daily Saints in heart Saints in tongue Saints in the general frame oâ— your course Will you make your graces more viâ—â—â—le your comforts more visible your spiritual joys and delights more visible will you let your light so shine before men that they must either put out their own Eyes or else be forced to acknowledge that God is in you of a truth Brethren We may much thank our selves for all our Adversaries slanders we have helped them to reproaches we have furnished them with accusations by our walking so much in the Flesh and so little in the Spirit we have taught them to question whether there be any such thing aâ— walking in the Spirit The Lord pardon us the Lord make us sensible of it we have brought up an evil report upon our God upon his Spirit Gospel and wayes and for ought we know have undone many poor wretches by our hardning them in their misconceits of Godliness and Religion There have been so much Dross in our Gold so much Ashes upon our Fire so much Earth upon our Spirits such sad mixture of Water with our Wine so much Liberty taken for our Carnal joyes and Carnal pleasures our Light hath been so dim our Grace hath been so low our good works have been so spare and so thin that we have made them bold to say We are not what we are but a meer lie and deceit And we have now no such way to vindicate our selves our Religion our Holy profession to justifie our God and his Gospel as by blowing up the Coals shaking off our Ashes stirring up the Graces of God within us and letting them have their perfect work in us Will you Christians
that new Wine the fuller draughts whereof are reserved to that time when they shall sit down with him in his Kingdome and this is the earnest of their inheritance something of the same joys the same pleasures for kind with those that are laid up for them and hereby assured to them And is there not yet enough to convince you If you will still hold your own and go about to perswade us that all this is but fansie we must give the same credit to you that your selves would give to a man that was born blind who had never seen either Sun or Star and hearing you to discourse of them should laugh at you for Phanaticks and tell you there were no such things as Sun or Stars or Light you would believe your own eyes before the blind mans blind confidence you would pity rather then credit him and so must we you Do ye wonder there should be such things and you not see them The Riches of Christians are hidden riches The Manna of Saints is hidden Manna The white Stone and the new Name are not within the Ken of â—ulgar eyes Think not it iâ— our pride or vanity thus to speak Doth not our Lord say the same things Rev. 2. 17. No man knoweth it but he that hath it A stranger shall not meddle with his joy The sweetness of Religion lies deep the rich Wines are in the Cellar the rich Mines are in the bowels of the earth the best of sin is in fight the Flower the Cream iâ— at the top and the 〈◊〉 and the Lees is at the bottome sin is honey in the mouth but wormwood in the belly Sinner you have not gone deep enough in Religion to coâ—e to the pleasure of â—t And will you therefore say there is none in it You may as well say there is no gall and wormwood in sin because you have not yet met with a bitter drop that all the anguish and horror that all those pangs of misery those gâ—awings and grindings and torments that are said to be in sin are meer fansies because you have not yet felt them But stay a while you are not yet at the bottome the dâ—egs are yet some draughts lower Oh the under-ground fruits of sin When these shall come up then you shall taste what gall and gravel therâ— is in it â—never think you are secure from sorrow draught or two deeper may confute you with a witness And so on the other side there is no ground to suspect that the sweetness of Religion is a nothing because some smatterers about it which have onely trifled upon the surface and outside of it have not had the least taste of any such thing The brackishness and bitterness of Religion is at top the best is at bottome the Wine-cellar is lower then yet you have gone If you would be perswaded to go deeper to set in more closely and throughly with a godly life your own censure would at length confute your censures whatever you have heard spoken concerning the comforts and delights of holiness you would say with the Queen of Sheba The one half was not told me We will freely grant you that all is not gold that glisters there are false fires false joys false comforts which many pretenders to Christianity have boasted of who yet have had no part nor lot in this matter and to such as these both Saints and Sinners have been but little beholding The calumnies that light upon them and the blindness that abides on these lie much upon the score of such false lights but because some men dream they are eating and drinking or that they are rich or making merry will you therefore that are eating or drinking or rich or rejoycing conclude that you also are but in a dream because that there are Comeâ—s that shines amongst the Stars are they all Comets Are there no Stars because there are Glow-worms that shine is the Sun but a Glow-worm Shall I add one word more You that yet hold the same tune and still cry out Fansie fansie all is but fansie tell me that I may know that you are in earnest and believe your own talk tell me dare any of you come and subscribe this with your hand This godliness which you have been here commending to me with all its comforts joys and delights I do utterly renounce for ever let me never know what any thing of this means nor have my part hereafter with this godly people Dare you put your hand to this It is some comfort to us to hope that Religâ—on hath an Advocate in the Consciences of its Adversaries But if it have not yet know Sinners That Wisdom shall be justified of her children And as for you Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken by one of the Prophets Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes which you will in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you The Application of the whole Vse 1. HAving thus by the help of God vindicated the good ways of the Lord from the Cavils and Reproaches of unreasonable men and proved to you in this and the precedent discourse that the precisest Christians are the wisest men and that that godliness which is cried down for folly and fansie is undoubtedly and indispensably necessary to salvation I shall now take you by the hand and lead you on as many of you as are willing to follow me to the practice of it And in this undertaking I shall apply my self 1 To the Ungodly 2 To the Godly 1 I shall speak a few words to the ungodly Speak now O ye foolish sinners Is Godliness of God Is Christianity of Christ or is it not Is holiness the way of life or can you hope to see life without it If you say it is not of God and will stand to it produce your cause bring forth your strong reasoningâ— onely I must tell you if you say any thing you had need look to it that it be something of weight that you alledge in a matter of such importance ere you do conclude against it Let your Consciences speak for to them if you will forbear consulting with lust I dare now appeal let your Consciences speak whose voice is this See that you walk circumspectly Sâ—â— ait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life God hath set apart him that is godly for himself Follow holiness without which no man shall see God Speak Sinners whose words are these and what do Precisians speak more or other then this Dare you say concerning the way of life as it hath been described to you If this be godliness let me never see God I 'le never see life if this be the onely way to it But if your Consciences tell you this is of God this strait and narrow way is the onely way of life Then O consider what is it that you have done whom is it that you have
First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of you 2. In considering distinctly all the Termes or Conditions of the Covenant as they have been laid before you in the Directions already given you and are also expressed in the form hereafâ—er proposed 3. In searching your bearts whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to In special Consider what your sins aâ—e and examine whither you can resolve to forgo them all Consider what the Lawes of Christ are how holy strict and spiritual and whether you can upon deliberation make choice of them all even those that do most crosse your worldly interests beloved sins and corrupt inclinations as the rule of your whole life Be sure you be clear in these matters see that you do not lye unto God Consider whether however corruption will play its part and be pulling you back yet the prevailing part of you will be for God and Christ and all his holywayes Secondly Compose your spirits into the most serious frame possible sutable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to performe your promise Trust not to your own strength to the strength of your own resolutions but take hold on â—â—nstehigâ—s Fourthly resolve to be faithful Having engaged your hearts opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visible present before your Eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Childe of Hell by my wicked practice but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the condition of my peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defi-ance with all thine enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmelie covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the meanes that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the world I do here resigne my heart to thee that madest it humblie protesting before thy glorious Majestie that it is the firm Resolution of my heart and that I doe unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of prosperity or adversiâ—y least they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked suggestions I resolve by the Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercie offered most Graciouslie to me wretched sinner to be again my God throug Christ if I woul accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majestie I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holie Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self bodie and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the daies of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluâ—ed wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glorie But 〈◊〉 such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my head and husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I reâ—ounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce â—ine own will and take thy will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must â—uffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace asisting to runne all hazzards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoak and let my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flâ—sh contradict and rebell yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh 〈◊〉 am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast
to sinners Bring me no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me Sinners not onely your wickedness but your very prayers will undo you If you make them a shelter for sin your very prayers will be turned into sin 2. Returning Prayers When a Sinner being struck with a sense of his sin and of his necessity of changing his way and of his utter inability to turne of himself under the fears and troubles of his heart goes to God and cryes out Lord what shall I do I see I am in an evil case my soul is running on in sin and they curse and wrath I behold running on upon me Lord save me Lord help me Lord pardon Lord convert me break me off from my sins break me off from my sinful companions I cannot get loose my heart is too hard my lusts are too strong my Temptations are too many for me to overcome of my self Lord help me turn me and I shall be turned pluck my foot out of the snare that I be not utterly destroyed forgive mine iniquity make me a clean heart make me thy childe make me thy servant that I may never again yield up my self a servant to sin Such a prayer as this if it be hearty and and in earnest if there be no promise of audience yet at least there is an half promise Who can tell Or it may be the Lord may hear Though it cannot be properly said the Lord doth accept neither can any man say he will reject it as an abominable thing This being premised 2. I answer to the question That sinners if they have but anâ— heart to it have also a price in their hand God hath put arguments into their mouths also to plead with him for mercy As 1. The grace of God or his gracious Nature his readiness to shew mercy this even strangers may lay hold upon Benhadad's encouragement to beg his life of the King of Israel may be the sinners plea in the begging of his We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Go Sinner to the Lord and speak thus in his ears Lord I have heard that the King of Glory is a merciful King Thy name is the Lord merciful and gracious and thy Nature is according to thy Name It is thy Nature to pity and in thy heart there is plenteous compassion Oh I am a miserable creature a poor undone helpless wretch do for me according to thy Nature do for me according to thy Name will the God of mercy send away such a wretch that comes for mercy will the God of Grace send me away without Grace The God of Mercy hear me the God of Grace grant me to find grace in his eyes 2 Gods Call or gracious Invitation Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat buy Wine and Milk without Money and without â—rice Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rise sinner he calleth thee Go to the Lord and when thou goest tell him Lord thou hast bid me come and behold here I am I come Lord at thy Word I come for a little Water I come for thy Wine and thy Milk I have brought no price in my hand but thou hast bid me come and buy without Money and without Price Though I have no grace yet behold at thy word I come for Grace though I have no Christ yet I come for Christ though I cannot call thee Father yet being called I come to thee as Fatherless With thee the Fatherless shall finde mercy And is it only those that want the Fathers of their Flesh is it not also those that want the Father of Spirits Shall earthly Orphans find pity and onely Spiritual Orphans be left Orphans If I am not thy child may I not be made thy Child Hast thou not a childs Blessing left yet to bestow upon me Thou hast bid me come come for a Blessing bless me even me also O Lord. Wherefore hast thou sent for me Shall I be sent away as I came I come at thy word do not say again be gone be gone out of my fight I cannot go at thy Word I will not go for Whither shall I go from thee Thou hast the Words of Eternal life Since thou wilt have me speak Lord answer Though I dare not say Be just to me a Saint yet I do say I will say I must say Lord be merciful to me a sinner 3. Christ And there are two things in Christ upon which sinners may plead with God 1. His Sufficiency There is enough in Christ in his obedience and death to save the worst of sinners to save the whole World of Sinners There is a fulnesse in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell There is a fulnesse of Merit to obtain pardon to make reconciliation for whoever comes a fulnesse of the Spirit to Sanctifie and cleanse them from their sins He 's able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God by him From this Sinners may reason thus with the Lord. O Lord I do not come to beg that of thee that cannot be had Thou hast enough by thee Look upon Jesus that sits at thy right hand 〈◊〉 there not Righteousnesse enough in him to answer for all my uâ—righteousnesse Are there not riches enough in him to supply my povertie Oh shall I die for want of a pardon when there is such blood continually before thee pleading for pardon Oh shall I lie down in my own vomit and wallow in the mire of my filthie lusts when there is such a Fountain by thee that 's still open for sin and for uncleannesse Oh sprinkle me with this blood O wash me in this Fountain Hear Lord send me not away without an Almes when hast it by thee 2. His Office which is to bring sinners to God to make reconciliation for sinners to make intercession for Transgressors Isa 53. Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea even for the rebellious also What a strange and mighty Plea is here for poor sinners Oh it is true Lord I am a Transgressor and have been from the Womb I have played the Traytor and been a Rebel against thee all my dayes But is there none in Heaven that will iâ—tercede for a Transgressor Hath the Lord Jesus received no gift for this poor Rebel that falls down before thee Though I am a Rebel Lord yet I am a returning Rebel Though I am a Rebel yet let me recieve a Rebels gift not a Rebels reward Lord that would be dreadful but some of those gifts which Christ received for the Rebellious Doth Christ make intercession for Transgressors and shall not he be heard If thou wilt not hear me who am a sinner yet wilt thou not hear him that speaks for sinners
or on the Glory and Pleasures and Lusts of the World with such an admiring and doting eye when Death comes as now I do A godly Life a good Conscience the promises and priviledges and hopes of the Gospel I can now look on as follies and fancies and trifles shall I count them so then Sin and guilt I make a matter of nothing now shall I have the same thoughts at death It I could speak with any soul that 's gotten one step beyond the Grave and should ask him What do you think of sin and the pleasures of sin now What an answeâ— might I then expect What a strange change will Death make upon my person When if I be a Saint this poor Soul that hath had its habitation in Meshech hath been imprisoned in a sinful body mourning and sighing and labouring under the burthen of sinnes and lusts and temptations and doubts and fears and scotts and scornes shall in an instant be set at liberty from all this and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory Or if I be a sinner when I shall be taken from all my glory and greatnesse from all my delights and dalliances from all my hopes and confidence and be thrown down like Lucifer Son of the Morning from all my brightnesse into the blacknesse of darknesse for ever When though I lie down in hopes and confidence that I shall have rest yet within a minute after Death hath closed mine eyes I shall awaken in everlasting flames How will my undone soul then cry out Oh where am I Is this my place Must this be my dwelling for ever Are all my hopes and confidences come to this Is all my mirth and my pleasures come to this Wo wo wo to me miserable Wretch how am I deceived whether am I fallen Quest 4. How dreadful will this day of Death be to sinners when it is come Whilst its only preached or thought of at a distance it affects but little but when the day of darkness is come and they shall feel their house of Clay falling when their last Sand is running their last breath drawing their miserable souls lanching into the depth of Eternity when a few minutes will lodge them in the place of darkness and everlasting torments What a black day will it appear then Quest 5. On which hand am I like to stand in the Judgment Am I like to stand on the right hand or on the left Among the Sheep or among the Goats On which hand do I stand now Have I my Conversation among the Goats my fellowship with the Goats here and can I expect to have my sentence with the Sheep Quest 6. What may I do to get above the fear of death and Judgment How blessed is the state of those Christians that are gotten beyond this fear They may well be content to bear the Cross they may well be patient in tribulation they need fear none of those things they shall suffer here their great fear is over Death is swallowed up in victory But how may I upon good grounds be out of this fear How I be fit to die to stand in the Judgement and not may thence be afraid Oh if I could get the Sting of Death out this sin crucified this guilt removed Oh if I could get such a Life over which Death can have no power if I could get Christ to be my Life my Judge to be my Friend then welcome Death and the Grave welcome the Great Day then that black hour will become the blessed hour then that dark and gloomy day at the approach wherof this sinful world will call to the Mountains to cover 〈◊〉 and the Rocks to fall on them would be to me a glorious day wherein I should lift up my head with joy because my Redemption is so nigh So let me live that I may be fit to die and then let my Lord comâ— whenever he pleases Yea then I may say Whâ—â— are the wheels of his Chariot so long a coming Make haste my Beloved and be thou like to a Roe on the Mountains of Spices VII Head concerning Eternitie or the World to Come THere is a two-fold Eternity Of Blessednesse and of Misery The ones the portion of the Saints the other the reward of all the ungodly of the Earth Direct 1. Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Eternity of Blessednesse Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Psal 16. ult At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Whence note that the state of the Godly in another World is 1. A State of Rest 2. A State of Joy 3. A State of Glory 4 That the Joy of this Rest is unspeakable and unconceivable Therefore called the Rest of God the Joy of the Lord When a King makes a Feast he makes a Royal Feast When a King gives Gifts and Favours he gives like a King God will save like a God reward like a God such shall be the reward of the Righteous that men shall say Verily he is a God that Judgeth Psal 58 11 5. that this Joy is Eternal 2 Cor. 4 18. The things which are not seen are Eternal 2. Concerning the Eternity of Misery Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old Tophet is a place lying in the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where the Idolatrous Jewes burnt their Children in Sacrifice to Molock And it is used as a Type to signifie Hell or the place and Punishment of the Damned hereafter Whereof this is the Description He hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Matth. 8. 12. But the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Mark 9. 44. Where their Worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Whence note That the torments of the ungodly in another world shall be 1. Intollerable It is the wrath of the Lord that will lie upon them the breath of the Lord shall kindle and feed their flames As the Lord will save like a God so he will punish like a God The Wisdome Power Severity and Justice of God shall be exercised in compounding such a deadly Draught such exquisite Torments that the ungodly World shall feel that he is a God with whom they have to do 2. Eternal That shall never have an end This makes Hell to be Hell indeed a Pit without bottome a night that hath no day following it a Grave from which there is no Resurrection Oh the heighth and depth and length and breadth of this one word Eternity Direct 2. Ask thy Heart Quest 1. Who shall ascend into the Holy hill Shall the unclean enter in thither Or the Ignorant or unbelievers or
adulterers or drunkards doth not the Scriptures tell me who they are Psalm 15. throughout He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour in whose eyes a vile person is contemned c. Matth. 5. 3. to the 12. The poor in Spirit they that mourn the meek they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness the merciful the poor in heart the peace-makers These are they that shall ascend into the Holy hill Quest 2. Who shall descend into the Deep Rev. 20. 15. And whoâ—oever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire Chap. 22. 15. For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Adulterers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Quest 3. Am I in the way to this rest of God Quest 4. Is my Title to this rest sure Is my name written in the Book of Life am I sealed with that Spirit of promise which is the earnest of my inheritance have I gotten an assurance that Christ is mine and Heaven is mine is not this assurance to be had is there not a promise left unto me of entring into the Rest May not this promise by my believing and accepting and adventuring upon it be made sure to me what mean I to sit down so quietly short of this assurance am I content to leave my earthly inritance under such uncertainties that I cannot tell what to call my own I cannot tell whether I have any thing or nothing Do I refuse any labour cost counsel that may secure my worldly interest and what is it onely Heaven and everlasting glory this is not worth the securing Quest 5. What if I should fall short of this Rest If at last I should see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets sit down in the Kingdome of Heaven and my self be thrust out I have made profession of Religion I have some good will to the waies of God born some affection to the People of God had some communion and fellowship with them had a namâ—â—nd good opinion amongst them I have gone to the House of God with them joyned in Prayers Fastings Sacraments with them I have attained to some probable Evidences of Grace But what if notwithstanding all this I should be found at last to be short of sincerity and of true saving Grace I have complained often of an carthly heart of a slothful heart of a carelesse heart of a lingring delaying heart I have had some motions and stirrings in me to shake my self out of this sloth to awaken and rouze my self out of these delayings and triflings I have been thinking often of taking more care and pains I have been wishing often for a diligent heart I have been hoping that it will not be thus alwayes with me but that one time or other I shall attain to more life and seriousness But what if after all this complaining and thinking and wishing and hoping it will be better I should still run on thus from one day to another from one year to another till I be surprized and should be taken away before I have gotten my heart to a thorow closing with God in Christ Quest 6. How joyful will my state be when that day comes if I may then be counted worthy to enter into this Rest When the voice shall sound in mine ears Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord When all these filthy garments and ragges of the Flesh shall be but off when all these bitter teares shall be wiped aâ—ay when all the clouds of darkness doubts feares sorrows afflictions shall be blown over when I shall be brought into the presence of the King of Saints and see all those glorious things that have been spoken of the city of God When mine head shall wear that Immortal Crown and my heart shall taste and drink of those everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand When I shall be brought into that general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven to an innumerable company of Angels to God the Judge of all men to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament to the Spirits of just men made perfect when my heart shall acknowledge Now I know indeed whom I have believed and see for what I have laboured When this poor Soul that in its travel towards Sion hath passed through a Wilderness lyen among the Pots been fed with Tears cloathed with Reproaches clog'd with Infirmities discouraged with fears and dismayings shall after all this be set down in the Kingdome of God and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory and bear a part in those everlasting praises and Hallelujahs before the Throne of God for ever when mine eyes shall come to see all this and my heart to possess it will it not be a joyful day Quest 7. Can mine heart endure to think of being shut out from this blessedness forever Can I burn Can I endure the vengeance of Eternal fire VVill boyling Oyl burning Brimstone scalding Lead a glowing Oven a scorching Furnace be an easie Lodging for me Thou wilt not oh my soul be perswaded to repent there is too much pain in that Thou canst not bear a cross or an affliction a scoffe or a reproach talk to thee of crucifying the flesh of denying thy self of parting with thy fleshly Insts thy worldly companions of entring in at the strait gate of walking strictly and precisely according to the Gospel thou cryest out Oh these are hard sayings who can bear them But how wilt thou do to dwell with the devouring fire How wilt thou dwell with everlasting burnings Whatsoever it seems to thee now think what Hell will be to thee when the day comes that thou must descend into it Now thou lookest at it as a scare-crow or a bug-bare thou canst drink away or laugh away the fear of it but what will it be to thee when thou feelest thy self wrapt up in the flames of it and not a drop of water left to cool thy tongue Think on Hell oh my soul and then think on Christ and confider if a Redeemer from such misery be not worth the accepting think on Hell and then think on Sin then think on thy carnal pleasures and delights and consider how they will relish with thee when thus salted with everlasting fire Are these the things for which I dye Are these the price for which I sell my soul to Hell Away away from me all my lusts and pleasures away from me my companions in sin I confess I love you too well but I must not burn
he that 's more willing to be freed from sin than to be allowed to live in sin and hereupon is resolved to use all God's means for the conquering of it and accordingly strives prayes watches and wrestles against it especially if he finds his lusts begin to fall before him undoubtedly there is grace in that mans heart As Haman's Wife said to her Husband If this Mordecai be of the seed of the Jâ—ws before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him I shall be bold to say to such a person without any ifs or ands this Mordecai is of the seed of the Jews this grace before which thy lusts have begun to fall is the Seed of God and therefore thy sins shall never totally preval against it but shall finally fall and be destroyed by it 2. Mark 2. Wheresoever there is true grace there is a preferring in the esteem and choice of a strict and sincere godly life above any other life in the world A godly man loves all godliness and he loves it above all Psal 19. 9 10. The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever the Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb that is than all the world more to be desired are they that is the fear of the Lord and the Judgements of God deserve more respect from men are of more value more worth the desiring and looking after than gold or honey Here are all the advantages of a worldly life put together in two words The profits of it and the pleasures of it and the fear of the Lord preferr'd before them all Than Gold Gold is all things Gold much gold hath greatness following it Gold hath glory all the glory of the world attending it Lands and livings and honours and friends and all things that a carnal heart can desire are hidden in the golden Mines Honey notes all the sweetness pleasures and delights of a worldly life Now saith the Psalmist put all this together all the revenues and incomes of a worldly life together with all it's pleasures and delights and the fear of the Lord will weigh them down all Though this foolish world run a madding after money and pleasure spend their dayes waste their lives prostitute their consciences throw away their souls upon these things yet one dram of godliness one day spent in the fear of the Lord is better than all this this the Psalmist gives as his Judgment Let us next consider what his Choice is Psal 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladness in mine heart more than in the time when their corn and wine encreased Psal 17. 14 15. The men of the world have their portion in this life their bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes but as for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness The men of this world as they seek so they have their portion in this life they have a glorious and a gallant time of it here great portions great possessions great prosperity their bellies full of pleasure enough to spend upon themselves and to leave to their Children after them this they have and much good may it do them Let me but behold the face of God in Righteousness walk before the Lord in my integrity keep a good conscience live in the obedience of his Will and in the light of his Countenance and then let them take the corn and wine and what else they can get let the Lord be mine and I shall never envy them their portion Psal 84. 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of the Lord than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness The meanest condition of those that live in the presence and favour of God I more desire and would rather have than the highest condition of others Let me be a door-keeper among the Saints rather than a dweller with the wicked So Moses Heb. 11. 25. Chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Psal 119. 30. 111. I have chosen the way of Truth c. Thy testimonies have I taken as mine heritage for ever Where observe 1. How he came into the way of Truth that is not by chance but by choice I have chosen the way of truth There are some that stumble in upon Religion who being cast into such places or societies where Godliness is in fashion and credit joyn in to do as others do and yet their hearts have never chosen Religion but I have chosen the way of truth saith the Psalmist 2. What it is he chose of Religion The way of Truth the Testimonies or Precepts of the Lord. Some there are that have chosen the wages of Righteousness but not the way of Righteousness the Promises but not the Precepts of the Lord as much as you will of the sweet but none of the sweat of Religion But I saith he have chosen the way of Truth 3. What account he hath of what he hath chosen He accounts it as his heritage There be some that choose Religion but it is only for a covering or a cloak to hid their wickedness making the same use of it which a Whore doth of her paint to hide the deformity that is under Others take up Religion for their last Refuge something they must have to which they may have recourse at last but they will not have much to do with it nor take much pleasure in it at present But he chooses it not only as his Refuge bur as his Riches not only to be the ground of his future hopes but to be the matter of his present joy From all these Scriptures observe 1. That a godly mans settled Judgment is That a godly life is the best and happiest life 2. That a godly mans choice is according to his Judgment He esteems the fear of the Lord above Gold and he chooses it before gold He is better pleased and doth rather take up with the meanest and most afflicted condition in a way of holiness than with the most plentiful and prosperous estate in a way of sin he prefers the poverty of Christ before the riches of the World 3. Godly men and worldly men are distinguished and may be known the one from the other by their choice they make for themselves He that makes a worldly choice is a worldly man and he is a godly man that makes a godly choice Take Godliness with all its inconveniencies with all its difficulties and distresses when it is most under a cloud of reproach and contempt and take a worldly life with
worse if I go on a little longer 4. The Renewing of our Covenant will revive the Obligation of it Though there be not a stricter yet there is another Tye There is a new link added to the old cord Men are more afraid and ashamed to break their word as soon as it is gone forth out of their mouths The seriousness wherewith such a sacred duty should be performed will leave some impressions upon the heart The very considering over our Covenant-breaches which is necessary to our renewing of it will awaken our hearts to more care and watchfulness These things being premised I shall give you this double Direction for the performance of this Duty 1. For the time when 2. For the manner how Touching the former there are some special times when this Duty is especially seasonable As 1. Upon your falls into any greater sins Great sins make great breaches and 't is not safe to let them lie unmade up Breaking of Covenant makes a breach upon Conscience and this will prove as the breaking down the banks of the Sea which if they be not presently made up there may be no stopping them 2. In great straights and Afflictions We have then our hearts at the advantage to bring them back or to bind them the faster to the Lord when we stand in any special need of comfort or help from God Gen. 28. 20 21. when Jacob fled from his Fathers house for fear of his Brother Esau he vowed If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Times of straights and difficulties are a special season for this Duty though it be too ordinary that those vows which we make in the dayes of our distress are quickly forgotten in the dayes of our prosperity Sickness-promises are in our health like Sampsons Wit hs broken as Tow when it toucheth the fire 3. In case of any declinings to a careless remiss and sensless frame of heart or life 4. At our approaches to the Table of the Lord. These are some of the special times for the performance of this Duty 2. For the manner how 1. Remember your Covenant read over and consider distinctly the terms of it and weigh diligently the strictness and great solemnity of your engaging to God therein that your hearts may be the more deeply affected herewith 2. Remember your faults Read over and consider distinctly the sins you have fallen into since your engaging to the Lord together with the several aggravations of them and repent and be humbled under them Isa 50. 4 5. 3. Especially consider how your hearts have stood towards the Lord in the main whether your falls have not been such as give you occasion to suspect that you were not upright in your first engaging Consider whether such a life as you have led since such sins as you have been overcome by since are consistent with sincerity 4. Resolve upon more care watchfulness and faithfulness for the future Verbal promises though there appear some affection at the time if they be not joyned with a resolution to take more care are like to come to nothing 5. Have a special eye in your engaging to the Lord at your special sins failings and neglects that you have found your selves more enclined to and more ordinarily overtaken by I will through the help of God watch against every sin but especially against covetousness passion or lying c. This is my sin herein I am apt to be faulty here my hardest work lies I will watch to every Duty but especially to temperance or patience or self-denial herein I have been most wanting 6. Lay hold on the Covenant or Promise of God for the renewing of his Grace towards you for the renewing of your strength whereby you may be more enabled to perform your promises and pay your vowes It may be your former experiences of your unfaithful hearts have quite discouraged you I have found this heart of mine so fickle and so false and so feeble that I dare not trust it so far as to engage any further for it I have found my work so hard my lusts so strong my temptations so many my strength so small my attempts to follow God so successess that I am afraid I shall never come to any thing I doubt I shall but mock God and bring more guilt upon my self by adventuring to promise any thing farther for this sinful infirm and unfaithful heart Why though thou darest not trust thy heart yet trust thy God who hath said That he will put his fear into thee that thou shalt not depart from him that he will renew thy strength and that his grace is sufficient for thee Depend upon God for the renewing of thy strength and then fear not to renew thy Vows 7. In this strength of the Lord go into his presence and with sorrow in thine heart and shame in thy face falling down before him humbly confess and acknowledge thy falls and failings and then in the like solemn manner as thou hast been before directed engage thy self again to the Lord in the same Covenant 2. I shall next direct you to make right improvement of Duties Godliness doth not stand barely in Praying Meditating or Examining there is something farther that these Duties have a respect and must be useful to 'T is an holy life that is the end to which our holy Duties are to lead and help us on That they may do so take these two following Directions 1. Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God in them that you may come off in a better and more spiritual frame of heart than you came on 2. Having gotten up your hearts to any better frame in Duty be careful to keep it up after Duty Whenever you set upon Duties resolve to put hard for it to enjoy such sensible Communion with God that you may return from them with some advantage upon your spirits Resolve with him Nunquam à te absque te recedam whenever I come before the Lord I will never go away without him The reason why we thrive no more by Duties is because we do not meet our God in them God never meets with his Saints but he sends them away with some marks of his Goodness upon them The reason why we do seldome meet with God in our Duties is because we do not so wishly look for his appearance God waits for thy coming Soul and if it be not thy fault thou mayest see his face before thou departest and if thou see God in a Duty thou wilt not then return without some impressions of God upon thy heart When Moses came down from the Mount where he had seen the Lord his face did shine there was something of the glory of God upon his
countenance Israel might plainly see that Moses had met with God they might see the beams of divine Glory in his face Oh! how sad is it that Christians should return from duty with no more of God in their faces or upon their spirit than for the most part they do We come many times with no other spirits from our Bibles or our Closets than we come out of our Shops or out of our Barns no body would ever think we had been praying or conversing with God there is so little savour of God upon our hearts that we bring back with us Brethren whenever you let down your Pitchers into the Wells of Salvation be not content to bring them up empty be so conversant with God in your Duties that you come off laden as the Bee from the Flower with the honey and sweetness of your duties And this I advise you to endeavour after not only in your secret duties not only in your solemn publick duties on Sabbaths Humiliation-dayes or Thanksgivings but in your daily family-duties your Reading Singing Praying yea even in those shorter Prayers and Praises which you use before and after Meals Whenever you draw nigh to God look to see God to taste of God and to get down something of God upon your hearts And then 2. Whatever you have gotten from God in Duty what life what warmth what refreshing what enlargement of heart be careful to maintain and keep it alive afterwards See that your Spirits do not presently sink and cool again after they have been thus raised and warmed Do not satisfie your selves with this that you have some comfortable entertainment with God and feel some warm and lively works of your heart towards God and some refreshings from him in Duty but look to it that you keep that holy fire that is there kindled from being presently quenched again You do not eat and drink for an hour only that you may have the comfort of your food while your meal lasts but you eat for afterwards that the spirits and strength which you get by one meal may hold you out to the next meal Duties are the set-meals of the soul wherein it so feeds it self upon God that in the strength of what it receives it may afterwards walk with God more comfortably and chearfully The Lord promiseth to his people Lev. 26. 5. The Threshing shall reach to the Vintage and the Vintage to the Seed-time And Amos 9. 13. The Plough-man shall overtake the Reaper and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed The meaning is Your old store shall be so much and last you so long as till new com again you shall not only reap enough for the time of Harvest you shall not only gather enough to serve you during the time of the Vintage but your corn shall last from Harvest to Harvest your Wine shall serve you from Vintage to Vintage your Old store shall not be spent till New come to supply you Duties are the Harvests and Vintages of our souls Oh! what blessed lives should we live did we so improve and husband what we get in one Duty that it might last us out to another that the Vintage might reach to the Vintage the Harvest to the Harvest that the life and warmth and refreshing we get in one Duty might hold by us till the next and so we might be carried on in an holy lively heavenly Frame from Duty to Duty as Israel walked on from strength â—o strength till they came and appeared before God in Sion That which holds us so low and barren in Religion is that whatever we have obtained from the Lord in Duties and Ordinances we presently lose it when we have been weeping sometimes before the Lord and wrestling with him and pleading hard for some quickning or comforting influences of his Spirit upon our hearts and the Lord hath heard us and given us our desires yet then as soon as duty is over we go away and forget all and bury all that we have thus obtained in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and businesses we unbend and let down our spirits and lay aside all thoughts of God till we come to duty again we conrent our selves to live in such an estrangement from God all the rest of our time that sin and the world have a whole dayes time to pull down what an hours duty hath been building a whole weeks time to destroy and steal away what a Sabbath hath gotten in and so at the returns of duty we find our hearts at the same loss in the same deadness and hardness that they were before In the Old Testament though the Sacrifices were offered but morning and evening yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day there must be fire kept alive from the Morning-Sacrifice to kindle the Evening-Sacrifice and fire left from the Evening to kindle the Morning-Sacrifice Oh! Behold how often is it that though at our Morning-Sacrifice a fire is kindled yet we let this fire lie all day under the ashes and take so little care to keep blowing at it that it goes quite out before the Evening and when we come to offer our Evening-Sacrifice we have no fire to kindle it Brethren hath the Lord visited you and quickned and comforted you in duty Oh! think with your selves what a sweet life should I live might it be thus with me alwayes What pity is it that such light should ever go out that such grace should be so short liv'd Why if I do not look to my self the better this Sun-shine will last but a little while and how will the Lord take it if I suffer such sparks that he hath kindled so suddenly to be quenched How is my Soul ever like to prosper if such precious food pass away from it as soon as it is received Is this a fast that I have chosen for a man to afflict his Soul for a day Is this a prayer that God regards for a man to afflict his heart for an hour to be in the Mount with God to be raised up to Heaven for the time and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the earth What a sad change is this How can you bear such a loss as this When will your souls come to any thing if you have only some few such lucida intervalla and all the rest of your time are covered over with clouds and darkness Beloved as ever you expect to prosper in grace or be settled in peace be chary of maintaining your duty in-comes do not think to make use of your prayer-comforts to save you the labour of an after care but to help you to be more careful and fruitful But how may we do to keep this Holy and lively frame 1. Be watchful Nehem. 4. 9. Nevertheless we prayed and set a watch against them night and day Beloved it is with you as it was with those Jews whatever you have gained you have Adversaries
reasoning and praying your heart to it take heed there be not an Act of Indulgence passed for this neglect take heed you do not say the Lord pardon me in this thing and so give off and let it alone 2. Neglect not any opportunity of dutie Whenever the Lord calls to duty let your heart answer whenever the Lord opens a door for any service take the season 1. Be watchful and observe every opportunity Sometimes the Lord puts thine enemy into thine hand gives thee some special advantage against such a lust or corruption Sometimes the Lord puts a price into thy hand an opportunity of getting in or laying up for thy Soul an opportunity of laying out for God or thy Soul observe diligently all such seasons Thou maiest do more or get more in such an hour than in many daies after 2. Keep thy heart in a disposednesse and constant towardlinesse to Dutie be alwaies prepared to everie good work see that however sometimes thou maiest want power to perform yet to will may be alwaies present When a price is put into thine hand seee thou want not a heart to it When thine Enemy is in thine hand let not thy heart spare it let not thine heart be out of the way whenever the season serves let not thy heart recur thus upon thee afterward O what a day have I lost how much seed might I have sown this day for Eternity what a treasure might I have laid up for Everlasting 3. Above all take heed you live not under a neglect of duty The most diligent and vigilant Christians have too many neglects but see that you are not guilty of any neglect in ordinarie that there be not any thing that you know to be your dutie which you commonly and of course passe over so that this day is even as yesterday and to morrow and next day and next week and so on is like to be as this day Whatever it be that you perform such a neglect as this will unavoidably hinder the thriving of your Souls in the Grace of God For 1. The guilt of such a neglect will wither and mar the beauty of what is done and the Lord will have such a standing controversie with you for what is not done that he will not accept or prosper what is done 2. There will be the want of the influence of those duties that are neglected We cannot want a duty but we may afterwards find the want of it in the state of our Souls Grace out of exercise grows to decay and if one of thy spiritual members suffer or wast the whole body suffers with it 3. The Devil will fill up the vacuities of our lives There is not a void Plat in thy Garden but the Devil will be sowing his seed If you do the Devil will not leave an empty day nor an empty hour of your lives If grace do not fill up each day with the duties of it he will fill it up with sin 'T is an hundred to one but a weed grows up in the room where a Flower is wanting Brethren if you would be thriving Christians be Universal Christians for any work your Master hath to do be ingenuous Christians willing to know your whole duty be watchful Christians that you may know your duty seasons and then be faithful allow not your selves in be not patient with your selves under any neglect 3 Take heed of the world If you be Christians Christ hath gotten the better of the world hath gotten the preheminence in you and brought the world under If it be so take heed it get not head again and that you may be both secured from the snares of the world and make your best advantages as Christians of it Take these following Directions 1. Never make an exchange of Christ or any thing of Christ for the world or any thing that is of the world never buy or purchase any thing of the world at so dear a rate as the losse of any thing of Christ Lose not any degree of grace for the gaining this worlds goods lose not a spiritual duty for the attending on a worldly business Enrich not your bodies upon the impoverishment of your Souls What possession or use of this world you may have without your spiritual prejudices enjoy it and be thankful but beware you do not so take up with the businesses and take in the advantages of this earth that your souls suffer losse that you should ever have occasion to say of any thing you have done or gotten This is the price of my peace this is the price of my comfort this is the price of a Sabbath or a Sacrament or a Prayer I have lost a Sabbath I have lost my communion with God in prayer I have abated the life and the vigour and exercise of my grace and this is all I have for it some addition to my outward state I have more of earth but so much the less of Heaven more Gold but the less Grace more of this Manimon but so much the less Manna more of the Cistern but so much the less of the Fountain Beloved it was never the intent of the Gospel to strip you of this worlds goods but to secure you only from the mischief of it be but so watchful and so fearful and so wise and wary in the managing your worldly businesses in the improving or securing your worldly estates that you be not hereby losers upon a spiritual account that you may have what you have as an addition but not so in commutation for Christ and he will never begrutch it you or blame you for it 2. Let not Christ and the world again change places or interests If Christ hath your hearts let him not again be thrown under your feet If the world begotten under foot let it not again get up into the throne let it be your servant if you will but let it never again be your God Let Christ be the chief in you let him have the highest esteem the dearest the strength of your affections the great command of you Let the Word of Christ be of more power with you and carry you farther than all the gains and glory of the World Let not this be your rule To follow Christ and Holiness so far as you may without any prejudice to your worldly interest but let this be it Follow the world so fur only as you may without being false or unfaithful to Christ Venture on in Holiness to the greatest hazard of your estate but venture not after this with the least hazard of your Religion Resolve to be Christians whether you be rich or poor but endeavour not to be rich but upon such terms that you may be never the lesse Christians Especially take heed that the Prosperity of the World steal not away your hearts Psal 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them 'T is hard to prosper in the world and not to prostitute our hearts to it Temptation
it not only Truth but Faith and Love and ingenuity to God not only a good meaning but a good will to the work and to the Lord for whose sake we do it To walk sincerely is to walk both as in the sight of God as the witness of our uprightnesse to whom we dare to appeal and in the power of the Grace of God which carries us on to pursue his honour and interest The oppositâ— to this sincerity is fleshly wisdom or carnal policy which models our Religion and the exercises thereof in a consistency with and subservency to our fleshly interests And hypocrisie or dissimulation to which it is most properly opposed And there is a two-fold hypocrisie in our actions Either total that which denominates them hypocritical actions Or tial when though as to the main the heart be upright and the action acceptable to God yet there is some little mixture of deceit in it which though it be matter of humiliation to the doer yet doth not wholy hinder the acceptation of what 's done As there is no person so there is no action so perfectly sincere and upright with God but there is some obliquities to be found in it Brethren be upright in your way be true to the Lord not putting him off with eye-service but serving him in singlenesse of heart be ingenuous towards God with good will doing service whatever good words you speak whatever good duties you perform whatever good fruits you bring forth let good will be at the bottom Let not fleshly wisdom have any thing to do in the managing and ordering your Spiritual waies You must be fools if you will be honest He that will be wise saith the Apostle let him be a foâ—l So he that will be upright let him lay down his fleshly wisdom Let him not consult with Flesh and Blood nor studie to cast himself into such a mode or limit himself to such a measure of godlinesse as will best secure and advance his earthlie concernments but laying aside such considerations let him follow the Lord in all things whether it be right or wrong as to matters outward and carnal Beware of Hipocriâ—ie and dissimulation be not mockers of God Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked saith the Apostle That is either God cannot be mocked there 's no juggling with God there 's no deceiving of Gods Eie when you have done all you can to varnish an empty or deceitful work God cannot be deceived his eie sees what it is There 's no dissembling with God whatever there may be with men Or else God will not be mocked he will never be put off with nor bear mocking services but as men sow so shall they reap Look what their work is such shall their reward and their wages be There is a twofold-mock 1. A Deriding Mock 2. A Deluding Mock There is a deriding mock or a putting of scorn upon persons The Enemies of Jerusalem mocked at her Sabbaths the Persecutors and Cruciâ—iers of Christ mocked him and said Hail King of the Jews And there is a Deluding Mâ—ck or a putting a Cheat upon them to deceive them He that promises any thing that he doth not intend he that doth any thing or gives any thing which is another thing than it appears to be is a Mocker Thou hast mocked me these three times said Delila to Sampsoâ— when he pretended to have told her all that was in his heart and yet hat but lyed to her Judg. 16. 15. He that refreshes the needie with good words onlie be filled be warmed or Promises I will give I will relieve you this is but Mock-Charity He that paies his debts or buyes his Commodities with brasse money instead of silver this is but mock Justice and he that worships God with tongue-worship instead of heart-worship this is but mock Religion Oh how much such mocking of God are many Professors of Religion guilty of There 's nothing but words in their Professions nothing but words in their Prayers nothing but words in their Confessions and Acknowledgments Their Faith is a mock Faith and their Repentance is mock Repentance their Humility is mock Humility nay their very Alms and Benevolences wherewith those that received them are refreshed and relieved are in respect to God a mock Charity mock Alms. Whatever there is done there is nothing of the heart in it there 's no good will in all their good work and where that 's wanting the Lord looks on all as nothing Oh remember and bewail all your Hypocrisies and Dissimulation you are apt to think at least would make others think when you have been Praying or Fasting or keeping Sabbaths or visiting the Sick or relieving the oppressed that you have been doing some great good services when yet it may be you have been dissembling with the Lord in all and had need to go pray again not only Lord forgive us our sins our pride or our covetousnesse but Lord forgive us our Prayers Lord forgive us our Repentance our Fasting our Sabbaths our Sabbath-mockeries our Prayer-Mockeries Consider brethren what an high provocation this is 'T is no small sin to be mockers of men but will a man mock God Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God saith the Lord. Though you dare to steal and purloin one from the other yet dare you be so highly impious and sacrilegious as to rob God Ye have robbed me saith the Lord. You have not only robbed my Prophets and my Servants but ye have robbed me Will a man rob God So Will a man mock God Seemeth it to you a small thing that you weary men that you will weary my God also saith he Prophet Seemeth it a small thing to you to deal falsly with men but will you deal falsly with God also Brethren in all your waies observe the rule Do as you would be done by If you would not that the Lord should mock you be you no longer Mockers of God Do not put off the Lord with mock-duties unlesse you will be content to be put off with mockmercies mock-comforâ—s with a mock-pardon and a mock salvation Beloved Let us bewail our Hypocrisie Let us not only bewail and humbled under any thing we have offered up to God wherein we have been hypocritical in toto have done nothing else but plaid the hypocrites but let us bewail all those lower degrees of hypocrisie that have been mingled with the best of all our duties blessed be God that though we have been too hypocritical yet we are no Hypocrites blessed be God for any sincerity that he hath seen in us but wo to us and shame to us that there hath been so much hypocrisie mingled with it Oh let us fear an hypocritical heart Oh let us watch against an Hypocritical heart let us purge out all the remainders of this Pharisaical leaven Let there be truth in all we do and as much as in us lies nothing but truth Let us draw nigh to God with a
and he shall have nothing else to feed upon there is meat for him to eat and a place prepared for him such as it is his place shall not be on the Throne but under the Foot-stool Now put all this together and you may see the woful state of Apostate Professors they are Monuments of Vengeance Though they have lost their savour yet they will serve for Pillars of Salt a standing dread and terror and warning to others on whose foreheads is written Let him that thinks be standeth take heed lest be fall They are cloathed with curses must feed upon fire and have their dwelling under the foot-stool in scorn and everlasting contempt Apostates are the worst of men Those that have lost their Religion have lost by their Religion 2 Pet. 2. 21. Better had it been for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than having known to turn from the holy Commandment Religion which is a wing to Saints whereby they rise up into Glory is become a weight to hypocrites to sink them so much the deeper in wrath Apostates are in the worst case of all men 1. They are the worst in Gods account The Lord hath a double quarrel with them not only for being found under the Enemies colours but that ever such varlets should have marched under his colours A quarrel with them for their Profession for their Prayers wherein they have but abused his Name and Gospel God and his waies have suffered from none so much as from Renegado disciples 2. They are the worst in the account of men both good men and evil men there are none that can speak well of Renegado's they are the sorrow of Saints and the sport of sinners good mens shame and evil mens scorn and the hate of all 3. But especially they are the worst and most miserable of men considered in themselves they have not only lost their Religion but they have arm'd it against themselves All the profession and prayers that they have made together with all the hopes and joys and comforts that once seemed to grow up out of them the remembrance of them I mean when ever they come to remember themselves will be as many darts in their livers and stings in their hearts All their hopes and joys and comforts have given up the Ghost and these ghosts do haunt them and torment them with such thoughts as these Wretched creature that I am where am I what an exchange have I made Light for darkness Wisdom or folly Righteousness for wickedness Gain for godliness Conscience for credit Heaven for hell I was once as I thought in the way of Life and I had hopes I should have seen life I made profession of Religion and took pleasure in Religion I walked after the Lord and the thoughts of God were precious to me I found comfort in Christ I took sweet counsel with the Saints and went to the house of God with them in company Sabbaths were a delight Ordinances were a refreshing to me I have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come and whilst it was thus with me I had great peace and was full of hopes that I should once see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living But wo is me where am I now How hath my treacherous heart that I never suspected turned me aside from God and spoiled me of all my hopes and comforts I must now bid adieu to all farewel â—rofession farewel Religion farewel Conscience farewel Duties Sabbaths Ordinances Saints the sweet delights I took in them farewel Joyes and Hopes for ever Welcome Drunkards Swearers Lyars welcome Turk or Pope or Devil I must now be of your side and take up my lot with you for ever Oh whither am I fallen Study well the misery of such persons and let that be a warning to you IV. Be Circumspect See that you do not unnecessarily pull sufferings on your selves especially look to it that you suffer not as evil doers If your sin lead you into sufferings God may leave you in them and then what is like to become of you There is a suffering for our faults there is a suffering for our righteousness without our fault and there is a suffering for our righteousness through our fault We sometimes run our selves upon trouble when we need not as when by our unwary and imprudent managing and ordering our selves in some duties we lay our selves open to those sufferings which a little prudence might have prevented We must be wise as well as innocent Christians should never ordinarily expose themselves to suffering till God hath so hedg'd up all lawful waies of escape that they must either suffer or sin Be so wary in your course that you may not faultily suffer for the good that is in you but especially see to it that you suffer not as evil-doers and for the evil that is found in you to this end be careful 1. That you speak not nor do any thing in the matters of Religion rashly 'T was good counsel which the Town-Clark gave the Ephesians when they were in a tumult and uproar about their Goddesse Diana Acts 19. 36. Seeing that these things cannot be spoken against ye ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly Christians should be considerate and well advised in what they speak or do should mark and weigh their words and actions themselves which they know will be so narrowly observed and weighed by others 2. That you speak not nor do nor refuse to do any thing obstinately or out of stomack or animosity Let your wayes be guided not by passion or a spirit of contradiction but by conscience and meekness of spirit be not self-willed let nothing be done through strife c. Phil. 2. 3. Be stedfast but not stubborn be faithful but not wilful be zealous but not contentious 3. That you neither do nor suffer any thing out of pride or vain-glory as the Apostle exhorts Phil. 2. 3. Do nothing so suffer nothing out of strife or vain glory Take heed that an affectation of popular applause of gaining the repute of active Christians of bold and resolved Christians be not it that leads you on Your pride may cost you much but will never bear your charge may bring you into trouble but will never bear you out 4. That you do nothing ignorantly or upon mistake Be clear especially in those things which may be costly Study your duty throughly labour to see your way plain before you to see the pillar of fire and of the cloud going before you Give heed to the word of the Scriptures which is a light to your feet and a Lanthorn to your steps Where you are clear you will be bold but take heed of suffering upon a mistake Your troubles will be like to open your eyes and shew your mistake and thereby put out your lights destroy your supports and comforts 5. Do not suffer unpeaceably Suffer not for
Will he with whom no iniquity can dwell dwell in that heart where there is so much iniquity by which he is provoked every day but he that is the God of peace is also the God of patience who though he will not bear the iniquities of his adversaries yet he will bear much with the infirmities of his People Psal 89. 30. c. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgements if they breake my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a Rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 4. He that is the God of peace is the God of hope I have not peace in possession whatever there be in the promise I live in the fire am born a man of contention What likelyhood is there that I should ever live to see a good day my comforts are broken my Estate is lost my libertie is gone friends I have none enemies I have many and mighâ—ty I dwell in Mâ—sech I have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar I am for peace they are for War whither ever I look round about me before me behind me on the right hand or on the left all speaks trouble and terrour to me I have no peace What noâ— no hopâ— of peace neither where is thy God maâ— hast thou a God in thee and yet no hope in thee the God of peace and yet no peace the God of hope and yet no hope the God of hope will yet fill thee with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. Why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Psal 43. 11. The God of hope will open a Window of hope in the darkest times a door of hope in the most desperate cases The God of hope will bear up the spirits of his Saints in hope against hope and this hope will never disappoynt them It shall never be said there is no peace there is no hope till it can be said there is no God in Israel But how or in what sence is it to be understood that this God of peace will be with us I answer in three particulars 1. The heart of God will be with you Joseph's blessing the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush will be thy portion Deut. 33. what was the Bush the Church or Israel of God What case was the Bush in 't was all in a light fire 't was all in a flame VVho was it that dwelt in the Bush God was in the Bush and that kept it from consuming though not from burning The good will of this God shall be with thee his love his favour his care I love them that love me Prov. 8. 17. The Lord loveth the Righteous Psal 146. 8. The Love of God is the womb of all good Hence sprang the morning Star from the love of God came the Son of God hence came that womb of the Morning the blessed Gospel which is so big with glorious grace with Light Life Pardon Peace Glory Immortality from the love of God came the glorious Gospel of God The upper Springs all spiritual and heavenly blessings the neither springs all earthly and outward blessings do all rise and bubble up out of this Fountain the love of God The precious things of Heaven the precious fruits brought forth by the Sun the precious Fruits put forth by the Moon the chief things of the ancient Mountains the precious things of the lasting Hills the precious things of the Earth and the fulness thereof All these flow in with the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Love is all the Apostle tells us Rom. 13. our love to God is the fulfilling of the Law that is it will bring forth all that to God all that duty and obedience which the Law requires I may tell you that Gods love to us is the fulfilling of the Gospel that is it will powre down all that upon us it will do all that for us which the Gospel promises Look over the whole Gospel read and study every precious leaf and line of that blessed Book and if there be enough in all that to make thee blessed and to encourage thee on in thy holy course all this is thine Thou hast that love of God with thee which will fulfil the Gospel there shall not one jot or tittle fail thee of all that the Gospel promises The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this Isa 9. 7. 2. The help of God will be with you the Lord will be your helper in the day of your distresse Heb. 13. 5 6. He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me He hath said I will not leave thee and therefore we may say I will not fear He hath said I will be and therefore we may boldly say the Lord is my Helper He hath said he will not forsake he will help and who is he that shall say There is no help for thee iâ— thy God There 's no man whose Case may not be so desperate as to be above all humane help If he should cry out as the woman to the King of Israel Help O King the King must answer If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee If he should cry out Help O Man of God the Man of God must answer If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee If he cry out Help O my Friends my Wit my Policy my Purse all these must answer If the Lord do not help thee whence shall we help thee But what case is there wherein an Help Lord will not do Foolish men count their case desperate when they come to their God help that 's an usual expression to set forth the extreamity and helplesness of any mans case When we see men even lost in any misery and their case even utterly hopeless then to signifie our sense of such mens lost condition we cry out God help that man God help that woman they are lost Creatures I but if men did understand and consider what the help of the Lord is they would see there could be no case so desperate but an Help Lord might recover all 1 Sam. 30. 6. when David was greatly distressed and all was gone He encouraged himself in the Lord his God Consider here two things 1. What his Case then was he was in great distress he had lost all that ever he had his spoyls that he had taken were all gone his Corn and his Cattel his Wives and his City were all lost he had not an habitation in all the World he had nothing left him but a poor Army and these were worse than
Oh Christians how many poor are there that fit down by their poverty who if they starve yet will not beg their emptiness hath taken away their Appetites These are sad Souls 't is a sad sight to behold a company of hunger-bitten Souls sit weeping and sighing seeking after the Bread and Water of life and finding none but to see empty and yet not hungry fainting and yet not panting Souls to see Souls even dying away for want and yet not desiring or craving a supply this is a much sorer spectacle A starving thirstless Soul is next to a Ghost Well if ever such Souls find who never seek water 't is more than God hath promised 'T is they that seek water to whom God will open a River 6. VVhatever difficulty there be to furnish the hungry Saints with a sufficiency of Provision yet one way or other it shall be done I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will not forsake them Upon me be all their wants I am God and can I am their God the God of Israel and will provide for them They must and shall be provided for whatever course I be put to take I must not see them starve The Lord will not be wanting to them If his VVord be not heard his VVorks shall speak if Preachers cannot Providence shall preach to them if their friends cannot their enemies their stripes their wounds their rods shall instruct them Thy Rod and thy Staffe comfort me If they have no other the Sun Moon and Staâ—â— the Fouls of the Air the Beasts of the Field shall be their Prophets and Apostles If any should fail yet the Spirit of the Lord shall not fail to be their Teacher and Comforter 2. Extraordinary means have more in them than ordinary and no means more than means 1. Extraordinary means when ordinary cannot be had are sweeter and better feeding to the Saints than ordinary would be The less of the Creature the more of God the less of common Providence the more of special Grace Water out of the Rock was more precious than out of the River the Manna of the Wilderness was to them that understood it better than the Milk of Canaan Elijah never made better meales than what he got out of the Ravens mouth I have heard of a woman in great distress of Soul who received comfort when the Word was brought her by the mouth of a Child which she had failed of receiving from the mouthes of many excellent Ministers 2. No means often prove better than means when I say no means I do not understand simply none meanes they shall have of one kind or other their understandings their memories their secret duties Prayer Meditation c. but by no meanes I understand nothing from without no Ordinances Friends Societies Books c. Gods feeding of a Soul more immediately is much sweeter then when he sends provision by the hands of another the Samaritans hearing of Christs words from his own mouth was much more to them than the same words reported by the woman Duâ—cius ex ipso fonte Water is the purer the nearer the Fountain the Bread that comes down from Heaven is better Bread than that which grows up out of the Earth though that be originally from Heaven also By how much the more immediately our comforts come from Heaven by so much the more they have of Heaven in them If upon the failing of publick Communion it bâ— made up so much the more in secret sure the Saints have no reason to complain And whether this be not so let the Prisons into which the Saints have bin sometimes cast the Wilderness into which they have been sometimes banished let Elihu's Songs in the night Peters Pauls Silahs Songs in the Prison in the Stocks stand forth and testifie If Prison joyes and exile comforts have not been often both fuller and sweeter to them than when they have rolled in Manna and lived in the fulness and freedom of all helps and means then not a few Christians have either mistaken or mis-reported their experiences To pretend to live above Ordinances whilest God affords them is a wickedness that some men have to repent of but where God denies them he doth he will provide a better subsistance without them Now lay all this together and then you will see that even this also this most grievous of Judgements the famine of the Word when-ever it befalls shall work for good to those that love God Christians chear up your hearts whatever drought or dearth may fall upon the World your are provided for you shall have enough If the shours fail without you have within you that which shall spring up to eternal life If your streams should be dryed up if your Pastures should be trodden down you have a God that will be both your Pastor and Pasture If the River fail you the Rock shall supply you what you want in ordinary you may look to be made up in extraordinary means The drying up of the waters shall but drive you up to the Spring-head If ever the Stars fail you God shall but exchange Star-light for Sun-light while there 's light in the Sun you shall not walk in darkness See but to this make sure that this God is yours and he must find out a comfortable feeding for you if you can but say Davids first words after him The Lord is my Shepherd you may then with confidence say the whole Psalm after him I shall not want he will make me to lie down in green Pastures he will lead me by the still Waters though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil thy Rod and thy Staff shall comfort me Thou shalt prepare me a Table in the presence of mine Enemies Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever 2. There is another Objection that seems to have one difficulty in it Suppose a Saint to fall into Distraction and thereby to be deprived utterly of the use of his Reason and so to live and die How can it be imagined that this can work for his good either in this World or in the World to come Can any good arise out of an incapacity of any longer doing or receiving good or patiently suffering Evil Can either his Grace here or his Glory hereafter be increased or advanced by a mans being converted into a meer Bruit 1. There 's no doubt at all but this may make for the Churches good Is there nothing that others may learn out of such a sad Providence If others may reap good by my evil is it nothing to me May it not be said to be good for any particular Saint to bear the soarest affliction by which the Church may have benefit He hath not much of a Saint to whom if it were afore-hand proposed whether for the benefit of the Church he would be content if
the Palms of thine Hands and in the very prints of thy Feet whose Malice against God and his Holiness may be read in every look in every word in every Line of thy life needest thou any further proof that thou art not of God Thou mayst as well put me to prove that Hell is not Heaven that the Devil is no Saint as that thou art no Christian Dost thou love God art thou under the hope of the Promise Ask thy ways man and let these tell thee 2. Doest thou mean to keep at this distance from God to the Death Doest thou in earnest Is there nothing in those rich Promises that have been laid before thee which thou canst with 't were thine Is there no such word in thine hearâ— Oh that my Lot were here Art thoâ— content thy name should be left out for ever Is there so little in the peace of God that thou canst fell it for the pleasures of sin Art thou content that nothing should prosper with thee but that every thing should be a Gin and a Snare and a Curse to thee Art thou content that the Piâ— should be thy place Eternal Wrath thy Portion and that every Creature every Comfort every Cross that comes should give thee a pluck down from Heaven and a kick towards Hell canst thou think they mean thee any thing else when all does but harden thee in thy sin and make thee kick against thy God Art thou so unwilling to leave thy sins for the hope of the Promise of God that thou art content to give up thy hopes for the love of thy sins Darest thou say Let me have my part in the pleasures and contentments of this life and I am contented to relinquish my part in Christ Let God let me alone in my sins and let him damn my Soul Let me live at my ease and my liberty and let my name be blotted out of the Book of Lifo I am content to take my place and my lot among the damned in another world so I have my pleasure with them in this World And dost thou say less or other than this whilest thou refusest or resolvest against following thy God He that refuses to accept of the Redemption of Christ upon the holy Terms upon which 't is offer'd says in effect I am lost I am sold for a Captive to the Devil my first Father sold me for an Apple Christ would now buy me back again to my self but for my part I am contâ—nt that the first Bargain stand As to my interest I confirm the Bargain As for my Soul being sold to the Devil to the Devil let it go This is the voice of every wilful Refuser of the Terms of the Gospel Oh Wretch does not thy heart tremble does not thy hair stand on end do not thy knees shake and are not the Joints of thy Loins loosed to consideâ— what thou hast done and art still a doing Sinners I have but a little more to speak to you but shall that little be nothing Hither to you have stood it out and will rot be perswaded by ought that God hath spoken by me But oh must I leave you thus Why may not a word at parting do more than all that hath been spoken Oh that it might Shall neither my first nor last words prevail with you What if my last should be your last If the last that I must preach be the last that you must hear There is a day set that will be your last day There is a Sabbath that will be your last Sabbath There is Sermon that will be your last Sermon There is a VVarning that will be your last warning Oh what if this should be it If the Lord should take your this dayes denial for your final Answer and never ask your consent again for ever But whether it be your last or no I must be henceforth silent to you And oh will you send me away with so sad an Heart with the sorrow and shame of the disappointed Will you break my Heart by persisting to hearden yours Is this all I shall have to return to the Lord that sent me unto you I have declared thy Name unto them but they did not regard it I have invited them to come to thee but they would not follow me I have warned them to return from their sins but they would not hearken Are you willing that I shall give in this Answer and bear this Wiâ—ness against you at the Great Day sinners hearken is there not one blind person among you that is yet willing to have his Eyes open'd Is there not one Captive to Lust Vanity that 's willing to be set free from his Bondage Is there not one more that will be perswaded to be wise and to prefer an immortal Soul God Glory Eternity before his bruitish perishing pleasures Is there not one Drunkaad more that will yet be perswaded to be sober Not one vain person that will be perswaded to be serious Am I making my last Draught among you and shall I take nothing Not one Soul more If you will not yet be prevailed with then hear the Word of the Lord Ezek. 3. 19. If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul But if there be any few relenting hearts among you who are brought but thus far to cry out Why what must I do I would leave with such these few words of counsel and oh that my counsel might be accepted by them 1. Get a deep sense of thy dreadful state What art thou sinner What is thy state at ease in peace out of fear in pleasure What and yet a sinner In the bond of iniquity Captive to the Devil without Christ without the Promise under the curse Study these Scriptures Joh. 8. 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin vers 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 26. Held captive by him at his will Act. 8. 23. In the gall of bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity 1 Joh. 5. 19. The world lyeth in wickedness Ps 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall reign Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Psal 49. 15. Like Sheep they are laid in the Grave Death shall feed upon them Rise Sampson the Philistims are upon thee awake sleeper the Devil is upon thee Death is at thy back the Gin is at thy heel the Curse is over thy head the very next step may be Hell Thou lyest in wickedness to day mayst be in fire and brimstone before to morrow Sure thou art in a dead â—leep that canst take thine ease in such a Lodging Is this the state thou art so loath to change Is this the state thou so boastest of and blessest thy self in When thine heart is merry with thy Wine swel'd with thy pride jollity amongst thy Companions put in such a
me so I can be in pain in disgrace If thou wilt have me But I cannot be unholy I cannot bear it to be such a starveling in the state of my Soul Lord for more holiness Lord for more life and care and zeal and fruit let me have it upon what terms thou pleasest only let me have it Can you say thus to the Lord I hope you can what and yet be displeased it he take you at your word can you pray thus and yet repine and murmur that the Lord hears your prayers Christian when the Lord comes to deal roughly with thee entertain his chastisements whatever they be with this thought Now the Lord is about to give me my hearts desire now is my day of hope This distress this sorrow and anguish the Lord hath brought upon me may be come to perform that work which I have long'd to see What the Word hath been so long a doing and yet is not done What Sacraments Prayers Mercies have been so long a doing and yet is not done Now is the time this may be the means to bring it about This bitter Cup hath health in the bottom this Plough and these deep furrowes it makes look towards an Harvest The work is doing that I have been so long a begging This froward this senseless this sloathful this earthly barren heart which I feel to day I hope now in a little time I shall be rid of for ever If this be the meaning of my troubles as I hope it is I will wait I will wait for the fruit and if this be the fruit oh welcom welcom this blessed Providence 6. Your patient suffering shall be the advance of your glory Remember what I have told you already Your suffering shall go into your reward according to your deep poverty so shall your riches be As 't was said concerning Babylon Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much sorrow and torment give her So shall it be said concerning you How much they have been abased and afflicted for me so much Joy and Glory give them As sure as the persecuâ—ings of the ungodly shall meet them in hell so certainly shall the Persecutions of the Righteous meet them before the Throne of God This shall be written on their everlasting Crowns Here is the Patience of the Saints By this time you see Christians that a suffering state is not so formidable nor patience under it so impossible nor your impatience so excusable as your hearts are so apt to tell you Sufferings you cannot avoid but you may abide them your carnal hearts will cry out I can't endure and therefore whatever shift I make I must avoid them The Gospel tells you You may endure but if you will be Christians you can't avoid them All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Well since it 's thus Gird up the loins of your Minds and follow your Lord. Consider him that endured such contradictions of Sinners and be not weary noâ— faint in your minds The Captain of your salvation was made perfect through sufferings and if you will be patient so shall you his followers Turn to your strong hold ye Prisoners of hope prove to the world that your Faith is no fancy nor your Rock a refuge of lies that your profession of holiness is not a meer talk or vapour Fear not to bear yours and thankfully accept your Lords Testimony when the Lord hath fulfilled his sad Predictions let your faith and patience seal to the fulfilling his promises When-ever the hand of the Lord touches to the quick and you feel in earnest that 't is hot service to be a Christian when your flesh begins to fly in your face and cries out against your Soul either as Zippâ—rah against Moses a bloody Husband hast thou been to me or as Job's Wife to him Curse God and dye chide it into silence Thou speakest like one of the foolish Women If it will still kick and â—ling and groan out to thee dost thou still retain thy integrity hearken not to it leave it to groan alone as the flesh hath left thy Soul to groan alone under sin so let thy Soul leave thy flesh to groan alone under affliction While thy Soul is quiet there 's the glory of patience though extremity of torment make thy flesh to roar nay the more the flesh roars and the Soul yet keeps silence the more patience If your fears affright you and prophecy to you before hand Oh I shall never be patient if the fore-sight be so dreadful what will the encounter be Yet be not discouraged You say you could be content to suffer if you were sure you could be patient that is you would venture into the water if you had first learn'd to swim why when you are in then you will learn and not before Tribulation worketh patience where it findeth none when you are in the fight you 'l find your weapons your very sufferings will learn you to bear 'T is the flesh that flings and frets but by that it hath been tamed in the house of affliction it will be quieter Be jealous of your selves while you will let not fore-hand presumption hinder fore-hand preparation But whilst you suspect your selves distrust not your God follow the Cloud of Witnesses and lean on the Rock of Ages and when you are put hardest to it let your soul take Sanctuary here When my flesh and my heart faileth me God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever Lastly As that wherein I shall take in most of these former particulars Let your lives answer that Spirit of holiness which the Gospel hath powred forth upon you Let your lives be gracious and holy lives Particularly 1. Let the Grace of the Gospel be visible and perspicuous in your lives shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Let your lives be the image of thot holy Doctrine or the holding forth of that word of Life which you have received Admire that grace of God which hath appeared to you and let his Grace appear and be admired in you let Grace appear in you in its Purity Power 1. In its Purity represent your God and your Christ and your Religion in its holiness to the world Teach the World to love or at least to reverence holiness by letting them see it before their eyes Holiness hath such a Glory in it that it will command respect and reverence when it is clearly seen Let your paths be pure as God hath separated you to separate your selves from the lusts of men to the Law of your God Keep your selves upright in the sight of God keep your selves unspotted of the world If they will be spotting you let it be only with your beauty spots your Wisdom Truth Holiness Mercy Meekness Patience the Excellencies and Vertues of your God appearing upon you Let this that you are too pure
am giving you I have in part borrowed for your use which some of you may possibly have received elsewhere Before I give you the particular directions I shall first premise these things 1. Count upon this that the Directions I am now giving you if you ever mean to bring it to any thing will cost you pains and labour and how can you count your selves Christians if you refuse to be at the necessary cost of Christianity If you think to be Christians without labour or if you will stand out from Christianity to save your labour you are a like wise in both Either come to a Resolution to fall upon an industrious painful life or 't will be in vain to give you counsel 2. Practice the Directions I shall give you in pursuance of your Covenant with God wherein you have ingaged to take the strictest severest Laws of Christ for the Rule of thy Life What I am presing on you for the matter of it is no more than you have bound your selves to as Christians Remember your bonds and let this holy practice be followed on by you as the paying your Vows Remember daily the vows of God are upon you and there is not any material thing here prescribed to you which falls not under your vows Your Covenant if your eye be much upon it will be a cord to hold you to your work 3. Presse hard for sensible Communion with God in all your Duties 4. Keep up a spiritual and holy frame from Dutie to Dutie Remember what I have elsewhere spoken to you more at large on these two particulars See that there be Religion in your duties and confine not your Religion to your duties 5. Be Watchful The life of all Religion lies much here what-ever you resolve upon will come to nothing without it Watchfulnessis the Executioner of your will Let your eye be upon your Rule and your work Especially watch against your prevailing sins There 's no Christian that observes himself but may find some one sin or more that in regard of their power over him are taller by the head and shoulders than all the rest In some Pride in others Worldliness in others Passion in others Sloathfulness It may be if thou searchest some one of these four or possibly some other may be it that by a specialty thou may'st call thine iniquity Find out what it is and know that there thy main work lies In vain wilt thou strive in other duties till that which hinders be removed out of the way Fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Where the Enemy most ordinarily makes his breach upon thee set the stronger Guard Let thy daily conflicts be here and observe diligently with what success 6. Walk on thy course in the Name and strength of the Lord Jesus Live by Faith Depend on Christ for the assistance of his mighty Spirit Forget not this for otherwise thou wilt go but lamely on These things premised I shall now give you the particular Directions 1. Directions for the Evening Every Evening before you sleep withdraw your selves from the World and having set your hearts as in the presence of God charge them before God to answer to these following Interrogatories 1. Concerning your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my bed when he expected me on my knees 2. Was there not more of Custom and Fashion than of Conscience and Affection either in my secret or family Duties 3. Had I any sensible Communion with God in my duties 4. Have I not neglected or been careless and overly in reading the Word and holy Meditation 2. Concerning your Sins Q. 1. Do I live in nothing that I know to be a sin 2. Have I kept me from MINE Iniquity What victory have I yet gotten over it 3. Am I a mourner for mine own and the sins of the Land 3. Concerning your Temptations Q. 1. Have I feared watched against and not run into temptation 2. What temptations have I overcome this day 3. Have I had a care of my Company 4. Concerning your Heart Q. 1. Have I held mine heart in a serious spiritual gracious frame have my calls to duty ever found me in a preparation to duty 2. Hath the Lord been ever before mine eyes and Eternity upon my heart 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the workings of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience 5. Have I made conscience of evil thoughts 5. Concerning Conscience Q. 1. Hath my Conscience neither been blind nor dumb nor my heart deaf or headstrong against it 2. Have I done nothing against nor with a doubting Conscience 3. Have I neither defiled mine own nor wittingly scandalized my Brothers conscience 6. Concerning your Tongue Q. Have I bridled my Tongue 2. Have I spoken evil of no man 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house or went by the way as I was lying down and rising up 7. Concerning your Talents Q. 1. Have I not wasted or vainly spent any part of my Estate hath neither my pride had a share nor my Appetite more than its share 2. Have I not sent Christ away without an Almes when I had it by me 3. Have I redeemed my time from Needless Visits Idle imaginations Fruitless Discourse and Unnecessary Sleep 4. Have I not lost an opportunity this day of doing or receiving good have I not neglected to exhort or reprove when occasion hath been given and if I have been reproved how have I born it 8. Concerning your Tables Q. 1. Did I not sit down with no higher ends than a Beast only to please my appetite Did I eat and drink to the Glory of God 2. Did I not eat or drink to excess 3. Did I not rise from the Table without letting fall any thing of God there 4. Did I not mock God when I pretended to crave a Blessing or return Thanks 9. Concerning your Calling Q. 1. Have I been serving the Lord this day in my particular Calling 2. Have I not been idle 3. Have I not over-eagerly minded my earthly affairs 4. Have I defrauded no man wronged no man 5. Have I dropped never a Lye nor broken promise in all my dealings 10. Concerning your Relations Q. Have I faithfully discharged and done nothing against my duty 〈◊〉 Relations Have I behaved my self Husband Wife As a Christian Parent Child Master Servant 11. Concerning your carriage to those Within Q. Have I carried my self towards all Saints 1. Lovingly Delighting in them Bearing with them Covering their Infirmities 2. Peaceably not provoking them to Envy 3. Profitably provoking them to love and good works 12. Concerning your carriage to those Without Q Have I carried my self to those without 1. Wisely that they have not been a snare to me nor I through my fault become a prey to them 2. Inoffensively Have I not been a stumbling block to them 3. Courteously and
compassionately that I might the better win upon them 3. Concerning Providences Q. 1. Have I diligently observed all the remarkable Providences of God towards me especially such as have come in as the returns of Prayer 2. Have I been thankful for my daily mercies 3. Have I born this dayes crosses 14. Concerning the use of your Liberty Q. Have I kept my self far enough within my bounds In Sum Q. 1. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 2. Have I led this day A Diligent Watchful Self-denying Life Directions for the Morning 1. If through necessity or carelesness you have omitted the reading and weighing these Questions in the Evening be sure to do it now 2. Ask thy self What Sins have I committed What duties have I omitted Against which of these Rules have I offended the day fore-going And renew thy repentance and double thy watch 3. Examine whether God were first and last in thy Thoughts Morning and Evening 4. Be careful to set thine ends right for all the day An Advertisement If you want time to make daily enquiry upon every one of the fore-mentioned particulars they being so many set a mark upon or write out such of them as most especially concern your case and let not them be forgotten Think not thy self excused from this course because 't is too long when if need be thou mayst thus make it shorter Better cut short than wholly give out For the help of the weaker I shall gather out these few of the chief Interrogatories which when they are straitned for time they may only use and to which they may add more as they have occasion and opportunity Q. 1. Was I serious and had I any sensible Communion with God this day in my secret and Family Duties 2. Hath it been my care to keep mine heart in an holy Frame from Duty to Duty 3. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations 4. Have I not given liberty to the working of Pride sinful Anger Discontent or Impatience nor so much as to vain thoughts 5. Have I not inordinately minded earthly things 6. Have I kept me from Mine iniquity and not lived in any known sin 7. Have I wronged no man in word nor deed 8. Have I been temperate and self-denying in the use of the Creatures 9. Hath the Law of the Lord been much in my mouth 10. Have I not sent Christ away without an Alms when I had it by me 11. Have I not lost an opportunity of doing or receiving good 12. Have I not neglected nor done any thing against my duty to my Relation 13. What have I done for God or my Soul this day have I not lost one day more 14. Have I been diligent and watchful Christian here is a course prescribed which by the ordinary assistance which the Lord doth not deny you may take up if you will and which if you conscientiously observe will be without doubt through the blessing of God attended with great success And those that do not take up this course or some other equivalent to it let them never think to ease their hearts by idle complaints I can't attain to such a holy even fruitful heavenly life as I desire I would but I cannot God will abhor such lazy complaints and look upon them as they are a meer device to keep you quiet under a slothful heart Set your whole Duty daily before your eyes charge it upon your hearts take an account of your selves how you discharge it set upon it as that which is no other than you have vowed to the Lord commit your selves and your wayes to him for success and if this doth not mightily conduce to advance you in point of holiness and establish you in point of peace then say that both the Precepts and Promises of the Gospel have deceived you And thus I have set before you that holy conversation which becometh the Gospel Take up this holy course let this be your Life you mean to lead and let it be carried on In an holy Union In an United Contention In an Holy Boldness 1. In an holy Union So the Apostle there adds stand fast in one spirit with one mind Never look to thrive in Grace if you do not live in peace The decays of Christianityly much upon the score of the divisions of Christians The Devil hath also taken up that Maxim Divide Impera Rent them and ruine them The reason why our Love is so cold is because our Differences are so hot The reason of so little zeal against sin hath been the great strife among Brethren The combinations of Sinners have not so much prejudiced the power of holiness as the contentions of Saints There are not a few who go under the name of Saints that have maintained disputes about Religion so long till they have disputed themselves out of all Religion their searching for truth hath been the loss of both love and life Christians if ever you would be any thing be one be of one heart of one mind holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace It were greatly to be desired that the people of God were both of one heart and of one way But if this may not be if there cannot be Vniformity yet let there be Vnity betwixt all that fear the Lord in truth A few words I shall leave with you for your direâ—â—on herein 1. Divide not from the Head to unite with any pretended Members hold not with them that hold not with the Head Sell not Truth clear fundamental Truth to buy Peace 2. Divide not from real Members lest you hereby prove your division from the Head Christ hath but one body if you be not in union with the body you are divided from the Head 3. See the Head in every Member see Christ in every Saint 4. Prize Christ where-ever you see him Love Christ and love his Image if you will not slight Christ slight not any Saint See'st thou an humble mâ—â—â— patient broken-hearted self-denying mortified Christian in whatsoever unpleasing form as to matters circumstantial he appears despise him not reject him not 5. Prize Peace and Union aâ— the strength and honour of the body 6. Pursue Peace and Union with the utmost strength of thy soul And that you may obtain it 1. Let all parties that are named of Christ be humbled under former Divisions What peace so long as God is angry Oh how have we provoked the Lord by provoking one another Let him only who hath been without sin in this matter be without sorrow and shame Sure they are hard hearts who are not broken under such breaches Let us not mistake our selves nor mis-call that zeal for God which God will call pride and peevishness I speak not against our being offended either with errour or iniquity we may not call evil good or darkness light for peace sake but at our unreasonable passions against whom we suppose erring Brethren If
It holds up Christ for a shield it holds up the Promises for a Shield the very Commands and Institutions of God for a Shield and Safe-guard to the Soul Sometimes the sense of guilt assailes and weakens the heart It is not so much any thing without us as something within us that raises our fears How small a matter will fright a guilty Soul Guilt will make every stroke a stab It 's the barb of the arrow the venome on the dart or the sore of the heart that makes every stroke formidable and terrible 'T is the guiltless Soul that hath courage and boldness Hic murus ahoeneus esto Now against this dreadful dart Faith holds up a Buckler with a Crucified Jesus upon it and so that 's quenched Sometimes darkness and uncertainties about the way that we are in raises our fear A Christian that knows himself in his duty in his way is out of fear Clearness gives boldness Whilst we question the warrantableness of the way we are in every shadow of danger will shake us Against such feares Faith holds up a Buckler with this inscription Have not I commanded thee It shews the Command and in that our warrant and in our warrant our security When we question whether our Worship for which we are like to suffer be right or no Faith holds up an Institution for our Shield If this Fear oh I shall not hold our I shall deny my Lord and his faith if put to it assailes the Soul here faith holds up the Promise for a Buckler He hath said I will not fail thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper 2. Formally Faith not only lifts up a shield but is our shield The very believing in a crucified Jesus the very believing the Command the Justification the promise stays and supports the heart against whatsoever may befall it I had fainted but that I believed Christians whatever your duties difficulties despondencies straits temptations afflictions weaknesses are believe and you shall be carried through believe and you shall be established Believe in Christ and you shall dare to follow Christ believe in Christ and you shall go through with Christ and hold out to the end Believe and you shall neither fear faint nor fall Your Faith will both keep you faultless and save you harmless and thereby secure you from sinking and fainting in your minds If this be not enough let me add that Faith will yet farther scatter all your fears by this double Act 1. It will put your reward into your hands 2. It will put all your troubles to a present end 1. It will put your reward into your hand it will set the Crown on your head even whilest the Cross is on your back Faith makes things to come present Heb. 11. 1. It is the subsistence or being of things hoped for it gives being to the good things promised before they are Hope carries the eye to the object looks on things to come as to come Faith bâ—ings the object to the eye looks on things to come as comâ— it looks on distance of time as God looks on it on a thousand years but as one day It looks on Gods saying and doing on Gods promising and performing as all one It antidates Glory and gives a kind of present possession of it in hand Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than Conquerors In Tribulation in Perâ—ecution in Famine in Nakedness In all these things we are more than Conquerors Not only afterwards we shall be but in all these things even whilest we are under them we are more than Conquerors The conquest is obtained in the very entrance of the Combat This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Believe Christian and thy Faith will be thy Victory thy Shield will be thy Palm 2. It will put all our troubles to a present end Faith looks on things to come as present and thereby on things present as past It looks on all things according as they will be in their issue and end It looks on things to come according to what they will be when they are come It looks on things present according to what they will be when they are past It sees all passing and considers it as past already It sees all passing the World upon its wing the Fashion of it passeth away It sees the Riches of the world upon their wings the Pride and the Pomp and the Gallantry and the Glory of the World upon their wings And it sees the Poverty of the world the Troubles of the World all upon the wing It looks on the blackest Clouds as flying Clouds and it considers all as gone already It looks on the clear that is beyond the Clouds it says as God says Babylon is fallen is fallen Not only it shall fall but it is fallen and shall not be able to rise Aed what place can there be then left for fear or fainting Was the Red Sea a Terrour to Israel when they saw themselves gotten to the other side Did Sampson's dead Lion fright him Will the Remembrance of what you have suffered be a Terrour to you when you are gotten through and are come out of Tribulation Why open the Eâ—e of your Faith and see the Coast already clear You will see the Red Sea behind you the Wilderness behind you Jordan behind you and your selves gotten safe on the banks of Canaan Come on Soul what should hinder thee May be thou supposest thou hast a great fight of affliction to endure grant thou hast yet fear none of those things thou shalt suffer till thou canst fear those things thou hast suffered Though thou be now putting on thy Armour believe and thou maiest boast as if thou hadst put it off Death where is thy sting Grave where is thy victory Where is the Fury of the Oppressor Thine enemies are already under thy feet man Death it self is swallowed up in Victory Christians Cherish improve increase your Faith and this will clear your way of all youâ— fears Wherefore didst thou doubt oh thou of little faith Oh 't is a sign our faith is but low when our fears are so high The day the Lord hears you in this Prayer Lord encrease our Faith he delivers you from your fears Wax strong in faith and you will wax bold in your God 3. Be humble 't will be your advantage that you stand on the lower ground he whose heart hath already laid him in the Dust will not fear how low his enemies can lay him 4. Be peaceable your Preces Lachrymae will be your best weapons the guilt of your unquiet and unwarrantable resistance will weapon your hearts more than all your partakers will strengthen your hands Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recâ—mpence evil wait on the Lord and he will save thee Patient and peaceable suffering will be the best way to abash your Persecutors and embolden your Souls Now gather up â—ll these
worse and worse every spoke of the Wheel every turn of the wheel renders our condition more helpless and hopeless Our adversaries are become rampant our Soul is filled with their scorn and fury our friends are as a broken tooth or a foot out of joynt our hopes are a Spiders Web or as the giving up the Ghost the Almighty causes all his storms and billows to pass over us one day telleth another one night certifieth another and prophesies to us nothing but destruction upon destruction desolation upon desolation and where is the promise of his coming the hope of Israel is asleep her Saviour is a stranger the Ark of God is taken the glory is departed yea and God himself seems to be gone over to the Camp of the Philistines and marching against us we have waited for light but behold obscurity for brightness but we walk in darkness the Harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not saved neither is there yet any to tell us how long Suppose you should have stood by and have seen or heard any such things any where in the World would you not have said can any good come out of such a dark abyss out of such a concatination of so many dreadful and dismal Providences Why by what hath been already said you might have answered thus Stay but a while till the whole wheel be come about till God hath brought off his work from the wheel and then you shall see Providence and the Promise meeting together and kissing each other and shall be able to say in this case what Solomon did in Israels 1 Kings 8. 56. Blessed be God that hath given rest to his People Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of his Servants Christians whatever may come upon you at any time while you live in this World diâ—trust not your God nor be at all dismayed you shall see the day either here or hereafter and 't will be never the worse if it be not till hereafter take it upon the credit of this word All things shall work together for good You shall see the day when your hearts shall rejoyce and say Oâ— 't was happy for us that matters went so cross with us 'T was happy we were so poor and brought so low and laid in the dark and strip'd so naked of all that we either took pleasure or put confidence in Now we see that the Lord hath a more glorious design that he was carrying on for us step by step by every thing that came upon us than we were aware of or could have imagined It 's true the Shimei's have been cursing the Ishmael's have been mocking the Rabshaka's have been railing the Ploughers have been ploughing the Hunters have been pursuing and had almost overtaken overcome and swallowed us up quick but blessed be our God that hath not turned our captivity and saved us by a mighty Salvation but hath done us good by all their mocking and cursing and raging against us Now we see there was such light sowing in our dark dayes such a Peace a sowing in those deep furrows such an Harvest of joy sowing in the dayes watch is over your race is run come and enter into my rest The first Come is Come down with me from the pride from the pomps and jollities of this present World come with me into the Wilderness into the valley of tears come and suffer with me come and dye with me The second Come is Come up with me up out of the Wilderness up out of your Prisons up from your bonds your Jubilee is come come up with me Come put off your prison-garments and put on your robes shake off your fetters and take up your palms lay down your Cross and take up your Crown from your Prisons to your Palace from the Stocks to the Throne You that have descended with me are the same who shall now ascend with me to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The first Come is the Come of a Suitor Come grant me your love give me your hearts and accept of mine This is the Errant upon which his Ambassadors are dispatched As Abraham's servant to take you as a Wife for your Lord. This is the meaning of all those Jewels and the Bracelets they bring in their hands the Lord sends Servant upon Servant Epistle upon Epistle Token upon Token and all speak the same word Come come come away and accept of your Lord and be married to him The second Come is the Come of the Bridegroom Come home with me into my holy City into my Royal Mansion come into my Chamber come into my Bosom come and lodge between my Breasts live in my presence and rest in my love for ever Christians my business while I have been with you hath been to bring you to God to espouse you to Christ and you that have already or will yet at last be perswaded to give your consent and wil give me leave to make up the Match I can give you assurance That he will shortly come and make up the Marriage and must say to you as Naomi to Ruth Ruth 3. 10. Sit still my Daugther till thou see how the matter will fall for the Man will not be in rest till he have finished the thing this day Sit still Christians till you see how matters will fall and however they fall know your Lord will not be in rest till he have finished this thing and brought you home to be with him where he is I am now parting from you in this confidence that however after a few dayes I shall see your faces no more in this world yet I shall shortly meet you in the Bride-Chamber of Glory where we shall ever be with the Lord. Beloved in the Lord I must now leave you but give me leave e're I go to deal freely with you and yet a little farther in the close of my day this once more to open my heart to you and to tell you 1. What my parting Feares 2. What my parting Wishes for you are which I carry upon my spirit 1. My parting Feares I go off from you with are especially these 1. I am afraid that there are many of you upon whom I have bestowed my labour in vain I am afraid that I have instructed you in vain exhorted perswaded beseeched and reproved you in vain 'T was the Apostles case and his fear concerning the Galatians Chap. 4. 11. It is my grief that when I would have no more to speak but an healing word a comforting word I must yet drop down a bitter word on some of you that when I would speak only from Mount Geriziâ— I must yet again speak to some from Mount Ebal that when I would leave a Blessing behind me upon you all I am like to leave some bound under a Curse It 's grievous to me thus to speak
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed