perceive somewhat more as we come near to the end of our Hope the Day of Death which is indeed to the Children and Servants of God the Birth-Day of Immortality Therefore only it is that we have not more Profit because we did not so much as we should walk Mournfully but we should have walked yet more closely before the Lord of Hosts To walk Mournfully is according to the Reproach and manner of Speech of the People of the World for they imagine and say as if Religion and the Service of God was a Melancholly and Irksome thing whereas if it be True and Universal Inward and Real it is the greatest satisfaction and Peace to the Soul of Man of any thing in this World In a Dying Hour when all things fail and slip from us God and Religion are the only Resort My Soul cleaveth fast unto thee saith the Psalmist by the Spirit But though hardly ever any one in a dying Condition did say that it would have been vain for them to have served God we have heard of Thousands sad Examples on the other Hand crying out upon their Death-beds of the Misery and Deceitfulness of Sin with Anguish Bitterness and Vexation of Spirit that ever they themselves should give way unto it and really and sincerely then wishing that themselves had lived otherwise Then they confess and acknowledge that it was an evil and bitter thing to have forsaken the Lord and that his Fear was not in them And they have not cried unto me with their Heart when they howled upon their Beds Hos 7. 14. That is upon their Sick and Dying Beds By the Phrase of Howling the Holy Ghost doth seem to allude unto that kind of Noise which Dogs usually make when they are in Pain and Misery the Sense or Smart whereof makes them to Howl when they have no Reason of Soul to comfort and mitigate the other Even so the Sinners and Hypocrites when they are under violent Pains of Body or the languishing of Pining Sickness and yet much more from that fearful Expectation of those dreadful things of the Invisible World all this will sometimes make them cry out and howl and yet at the same time they do not cry out with their Heart to God for that hath been a long time at enmity and distance from him and indeed they are ignorant and unacquainted with him In a Dying Hour things will appear in a just and real value and then will be discerned what was best to have been done Then shall ye return and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not In the latter Days ye shall consider it perfectly It is certain that we must give Account for all and the several Talents which we have received as Knowledge Health Riches Time and such like Now to instance in this last which is most proper because we are here speaking of a Dying Hour When Time is ended and shall be no more which do you think will tend to better Reckoning when we come to give an Account for so many Days and Hours spent Either so many Days or Hours were spent in Hearing or Reading or Meditating on the Word of God in his Law doth he meditate Day and Night Psal 1. 2. Item So many Hours in Worship and Prayer Item So many Hours expended in good Works and the Duties of Christianity Item So many Hours in Honest Labour in our Trade or Employment which is a complying with that Prime Ordinance of God In the Sweat of thy Face shalt thou eat thy Bread till thou return unto the Ground Gen. 3. 19. All these will turn to Good and Profitable Accounts that we may find Mercy Comfort and Reward from the Lord in that Day 2 Tim. 1. 18. But then comes in also the Account which some must be forced to make on the other and worse Hand Imprimis So many Hours spent in serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Item So many Hours in Cards and Dice and in other vain and unnecessary Recreations Item So many Hours in Carnal Visits and Company Item So many Hours in Pride and Dressing Item So many Hours in Stage-Plays Item So many Hours in Taverns or Ale-Houses Item So many Hours expended in serving of Mammon Covetousness and getting of unjust Gain All these and such like will tend to Loss and Punishment at that Day This Question is easie to be answered and it will be seen which of these Two will tend most to Mens and Womens Happiness at the Last Day Seeing we must all unavoidably give Account for so many Sabbaths as we have had Will it not tend to better Account to have spent the remaining Hours thereof after the Publick Worship is over in Hearing the Scriptures and what Truths do flow from them for on the Sabbath-day besides the double Burnt Offering was to be a continual Burut Offering Numb 28. 9 10. The Holy Ghost thereby signifying that that Day was to be wholly and throughly spent in the immediate worship of God and Hearing Reading or Meditating on his Word Or the very same Time expended in Worldly Company and therein speaking their own Words contrary to Isa 58. 13. Or in Carnal Perambulation in the Fields Ay but here some will be apt to say Sâ—ould not they who are Working and Trades People all the Week long have some Delight and â—ecreation on this Day of Rest To which I answer they should call the Sabbath a Delight and delight themselves in the Lord Isa 58. 13 14. And delight to do thy Will O my God Psal 40. 8. And so to Hear his Will for if Heaven is not thus begun with them whilst on Earth as to deligâ—t in that which is good it will not be their Portion when they come to die As Isaac went out to Meditate in the Margent there it is to Pray in the Fiâ—ld at Eventide Gen. 24. 63. So it seems to be no Sin to walk out into the Fields in the Evening of the Sabbath if it be for Meditation or Prayer or to discourse together only of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God But it seems to be sinful to spend the Evening of the Sabbath or Lord's Day in Loytering and Idleness or standing by the Walls or in the Doors of the Houses Ezek. 33. 30. when they will not go to hear what is the Word that cometh forth from the Lord as the same is truly and faithfully alledged from the Bible Some of my Kindred according to the Flesh have despised me upon the Account of my Preaching in a little Meeting or Assembly of Christians as if it was mean little pitiful and unbecoming that Birth Education and Family I am off Good God! what kind of Imaginations do lurk in the Heart of Man Can any one be too good to serve thee And is it beneath those of what 〈◊〉 called a Genteel Birth and Extraction which eccho like 〈◊〉 a Voice and nothing else for they
so much more in my absence Hereby also People may be able after my Decease to have thâ—se things always in remembrance That being Dead I may yet speak Heb 11. 4. and thus Preach to the succeeding Generation even whilst my Body shall be in the silent Chambers of the Grave and leave my mind behind mee in my Books and writings eveâ— when my Soul is gone out into the other World That the people which shall be created may be thence exhorted put iâ— mind or instructed to praise the Lord. The more universal and enduring If any mans Work abide He shall receive a Reward 1 Cor. 3. 14. any god is it is so much the better and should rather be endeavoured o be done Whereupon it appears that the Writing and Publiâ—ing of such a Book as The Practice of Piety or the Whole Luty of Man if it should be alike received in the World would â—e a doing more good throughout this Nation and for the Generations to come then if one should Preach constantly every day into the most Numerous Congregations for Twenty Forty or Siâ—ty Years and longer none usually doth But here it may be surmised and said Of making manâ— Books there is no end Which Solomon doth not here finâ— fault withal for himself Wrote several but he brings this saying in to shew what should be the Epitome and Tendency oâ— them all Namely To fear God and keep his Commandments Which until it be done Vniversally and Constantly by all People whatever from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for so is his requiring and expectation in these days Jer. 31. 33 34. The Wisdom of God saith as to this Matter For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line The Holy Ghost doubles it over and over here a little and there a little Isa 28. 10. Since the Wisdom of God hath Ordained that it should be so and it must be so This should hence forwards put to silence that Ignorant Objection of foolish Men who say What need is there of such abundance of Books and Sermons in the World Let such â—awfully Remember and Consider it again That the Foolishness of God is Wiser then Men and his own Spirit saith expreslly For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little And further by thâ—se my Son be Admonished in this thing to admire and comply with the Wisdom of God for by his Ordaining that it should be so and it must be so herein Yea he Loved the People Wherefore they should do according to what is after Written All his Saints are in thy hand and they sat down at thy Feet Every one shall receive of thy Words Deut. 33 3. Wherefore again People should be Admonished in no wise to reject see John 12. 48. this Counsel of God against themselves but to receive of his Words for the Saints and Servants of God do receive of the Words of God Every one shall receive of thy Words I have one thing more to Admonish the People of this my Generation and Countrey of and to exhort them unto which doth concern them all Say I these things as a Man for doth not the Law and the Gospel say the very same for it was the Requiring of God of old time Who is the same to day yesterday and for ever That none should appear Empty before the Lord. But every one was to do somewhat according to his Ability They that could not go to the price of a Lamb were to bring a pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons And by what is written in the Gospel of her who Cast in her Mite whereof two make a Farthing into the Offerings of God By this it appears that even day Labourers and Vine Dressers yea the poorest of the People should not serve God with that which cost them nothing 2 Sam. 24. 24. But it is expected from them that even they should Honour the Lord with their Substance for he is to be served by all that is within and without us even with the Fruits of our Labour and consecrate their Gain unto the Lord and their Substance unto the Lord of the whole Earth Mich. 4. 13. Towards the Publishing and Propagation of his Eternal Truth according to their several Power and Abillity For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not But this is yet more especially required and expected from them that are Rich in this World for the Gospel and miserable will be the end of those who shall not obey the Gospel doth Charge them that they be Rich in good Works ready to Distribute willing to Communicate This is a Faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good Works These things are Good and Profitable unto Men. So that the most High God requires and expects from them more especially that they should Honour him with their Substance and give out of their Abundance and Propâ—rtionably to their Ability be ready to distribute for the Service and Propagation of his Eternal Truth If they would buy good and Godly Books and give them to Poor People laying an Injunction upon them and having a Promise from them to read and consider throughly of the things contained therein This would be the best kind of Charity for this would be a doing good to their Immortal Souls Whereas Common and Outward Alms is only a Temporal kindness unto the dying Body As it is Written Be not thou Afraid when one is made Rich when the Glory of his House is Increased for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away his Glory shall not descend after him So it is sensibly seen that Rich People do Sicken and die all one as the Poor and Needy And then they will find To what purpose was this Waste For that same Money which they expended in fine Cloaths Gayety or Retinue in making a Figure in the World as a Dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image in Gluttony and Drunkenness which is making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof in Pride Pleasure Prodigality Gaming or other vain things This might have been given to the Poor or it might have been Expended in making known thy Truth Isa 38. 19. which seems to be the best of Works for the Reason afore-mentioned and then it would have done themselves more good and have stood them in more stead then the Riches they used to the hurt of the owners If the Rich People have not heretofore or shall not henceforward that day is coming on and hastning when even the Rich among the People shall intreat thy Favour Psal 45. 12. Obey and do according to this Exhortation and Admonition The word
I hear and receive from him Well done Good and Faithful Servant enter thou into thy Masters Joy or I know you not depart from me thou worker of Iniquity Go away thou Accursed Creature into Everlasting Punishment Prepared for the Devil and his Angels God hates nothing that he hath made as it is his Creature till afterwards he sees Sin and Evil in them Hereupon a Multitude of thoughts doth arise in the Soul whither my sin be Pardoned and taken away or not And why dost thou not Pardon my Transgression and take away mine Iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust Job 7. 21. If the Soul had but once assurance that God would do this for her then she could with as little fear and concern commit her Body to sleep in the Dust and then her self could also without Terrour step forth upon the dark Mountains as now we do without fear yea willingly go to Bed to take our ordinary common sleep each Night in a Bed of Damask Violet or Roses or as any one ever lay down with Sweetness and Joy in the Marriage-Bed of his most Dearly Beloved For as a Young Man Marrieth a Virgin so shall thy Sons Mâ—â—y thee And as the Bridegroom Rejoyceth over a Bride 〈◊〉 shall thy God Rejoyce over thee Isa 62. 5. For then it 〈◊〉 upon Death which is the loosening and dissolution of other 〈◊〉 that the Souls of the Righteous are Married and United â—â—to God They are gathered up unto the Father of Spirits and stand in his Presence and near and next unto yea they are one with him as Husband and Wife make one Flesh in whose Presence is fulness of Joy and at whose Right Hand there are Pleasures for evermore But let no Stranger meddle with this joy let not those who are Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel and not in Covenant with God ever think to receive or to come in for to share and partake of these Good and Comfortable things For as before observ'd there is no commending of our Spirits when we come to dye into the Hands of God without having been Redeemed by him from Sin and Guilt from the vain Conversation and Corruption that is in the World from Satan and his Temptations So it is here in Micah 6. 6 7 8. Take them all together there is no Agreement or Peace to be made with the Lord no not with those Great Many and Near Offers and Overtures there mentioned without following that which is good and obeying the Requirings of the Lord in doing justly and loving Mercy and walking Humbly with thy God throughout thy past and foregoing Life There is no other way under Heaven to get the sin of our Soul pardoned or taken away or to make Atonement or Expectation for it but to come into Covenant with God and not to break it again but to observe it according to what is written Nâ—t according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the Day that I took them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which Covenant they brake although I was an Husband unto them saith the Lord. This confirms the Truth of what was before spoken But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel After those Days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest saith the Lord for I will forgive their Iniquity and will remember their Sin no more Jer. 34. 31 32 33 34. From all this considered together for a Covenant must be taken all together as it lies in the whole and not by Peace-meals it appears that the only way for God to forgive our Iniquity and remember our Sin no more is to be in covenant with God to take him for our God Wherein is supposed that he is to be our Ruler and Governour and we his People which implies Subjection and Obedience to have his Law in our inward Parts and written in our Hearts For what end and purpose is that Namely for us to observe keep and do it So that the ready and compendious way there is none besides it to obtain Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified is by Repentance for the past and Obedience for the future There is no other way under Heaven given unto Men whereby they must be saved To this do all the Scriptures both Law and Prophets Christ and Apostles give witness If the God of Truth hath Redeemed us and Delivered us from the Hand of our Enemies it is that we might serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our Life All this Doctrine is pertinent and direct to our Text for it was this which gave Hezekiah that comfort and rejoycing that did spring up even through his Weeping and Tears when the Message of Death was brought unto him that before that he had walked before God in Truth and with a Perfect Heart and had done that which was good in his Sight For there is no Dying in the Lord without having Lived unto the Lord There is no dying the Death of the Righteous without having lived the Life of the Righteous It may seem a strange thing but only it shews forth the exceeding Delusion and Subtilty of Satan that one may speak many of the Truths of God and yet not be saved by them himself that one may Preach unto others and yet Himself be a Cast-away and Prophesie in Christ's Name and yet at the last Day be rejected and disowned by Christ So Balaam could and did really wish and desire to die the Death of the Righteous And when he afterwards saith Behold I have received Commandment to Blesâ— and he hath Blessed and I cannot reverse it Numb 23. 20. Hereupon his own Reason for the like Reasoning and Truth runs throughout all the things of God might have told and acquainted him that it is impossible to dye the Death of the Righteous without having lived the Life of the Righteous for of necessity such an one must have been Righteous before which doth respect some yea and the most considerable part of his foregoing Life for otherwise such an one could not properly and truly be said to be Righteous inasmuch as the Denomination is taken from the greater Part. And seeing that the Order Decree and Purpose of God stands on this wiâ—e The Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14. 32. Such must have been Righteous before their Death for otherwise the Spirit which always speaks properly and truly would not have called them Righteous None else have Hope in their Death Not all the Ministers and People on the Earth can ever reverse alter or change this
yet as to this the Rule is safe herein to do as Moses did who was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all Things according to the Pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Heb. 8. 5. And now that the Old Dispensation is abolished we are to see that we Order all Things in our Worship according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel That we may in our Worship which is a great thing relating unto that God with whom we have to do walk before God in Truth I do believe and speak after my Judgment that there is not a way of Worship now in this Nation nor yet on the Earth which is exactly according to the Scriptures of Truth in all things and in all things according to the Pattern shewed in the Gospel And I suppose it will be so seen at the Day of Judgment wherein it will be Found and Rehearsed That all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3. 23. So the several Churches and Congregations the several Saints and Servants of God have somewhat erred and come short of the Spirituality and Truth of his worship as it was in the Mind and Ordaining of God and as might be apprehended from out of his Book for it may be observed now a-days that in each Sect or Party however they are Nicknamed Distinguished or Termed there is something which is good and true and again there is somewhat which is Erroneous and Savours of Men. Now as to all this the faithful and knowing Soul as â—he Soars up above all the Ordinances of Religion as they are managed now a-days by the Worldly Priesthood they seeming to her cold dull low and fâ—at and she apprehends somewhat above them and is for higher and more excellent attainments So the same knowing and faithful Soul is vexed and dissatisfied That she knows not where on this Earth the People do worship God in all thigns exactly according to the mind of the Spirit Nor where â—er self may turn to the People of a Pure Language that â—hey may Call upon the Name of the Lord with one Consent Zeph. 3. 9. And she doth thirst and desire earnestly that she might once Worship the Lord God her Invisible Creatour so in the Congregations of his People as they were in the Days of a Old But where are they so now And she hath great Thought and Earnestness of Heart when that time will again come when it shall be fulfilled what is Written Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the Days of Old and in former Years Mal. 3. 4. Tho' here again it is to be thought that as long as we are on this dark and corrupt Earth we shall never come to worship the Fatheâ— in Spirit and in Truth still we ought to endeavour and to do the best that ever we can till we come to fall down on our Faces before him in Heaven the Habitation of his Holiness where we shall see all things in the light of the Lord. What will satisfy this perplexity and doubt and desirâ— of Soul as to this great thing in the mean while shoulâ— be to this Effect and Purport As the Lord saith unto 〈◊〉 the Inhabitants of the Earth Eschew Evil and do Gooâ— 1 Pet. 3. 10 1. So let him or they that love salvatioâ— and would go to Heaven be sure to do this as much 〈◊〉 ever they can Avoid errour and receive and follow the truth in all the several instances thereof As God himselâ— speaketh on this wise If thou shalt learn to separate tâ— Precious from the Vile and to put a difference between 〈◊〉 Holy and Profane then shalt thou be meet to come unto 〈◊〉 Altar So here it may be reasoned and applied if thâ— knowest and also shalt carefully and constantly do tâ— same to take out the truth from that Multiplicty 〈◊〉 Errour which is abroad in the world like as is the gathâ—â— ing of Gold or Silver from out of the Dross or Honâ— from the Wax If thou knowest to put a difference between truth and falshood so as to gather and receive 〈◊〉 first into thy heart and cast away and not admit the 〈◊〉 ther sort then thou shalt be meet for to come with 〈◊〉 ceptance on the Altar of the Lord Thou shalt enter iâ— his City the Holy of Holies the highest Heavens 〈◊〉 to his presence and to his own Divine Majesty Be 〈◊〉 to observe this Rule in the worship of God Eschew 〈◊〉 falshood and errour therein and receive and do accord 〈…〉 to the truth according to the very best of thy Knowledge and Understanding and with all thy Heart 〈◊〉 and Will and then thy worship will be accepted with the Lord and in thy worship also thou wilt walk before the Lord in Truth Another Explication of walking before the Lord in Truth is to walk in such a way as is Butted and Bounded in his word which is Truth This seems to be the most proper Acceptation and Understanding thereof for to make Gods written Word and Revelation our Guide and Rule throughout the whole Course of our Life is a walking before the Lord in Truth and it is the true and right way to Heaven as to go through or by such and such places is the way to such a City or the like The Word and Truth of God are near one and the same thing Sanctify them through thy Truth Thy word is Truth John 17. 17. And so the walking according to the Word of God or the having our Conversation according to the Gospel is to walk before God in Truth And so it is reciprocally To walk before the Lord in Truth is to walk according to the VVord of God Every Variation or Deviation from it is a false way Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be Right and I hate every false way It was both a Puzzling and also a sudden Question of Pilate What is Truth To me it seems to be the expressing forth the Nature of things as they are with the Connexion between themselves and how they pertain to us Men. Things again are divided into things present and things to come Now to know the very Nature of both these and how they belong unto and are to be had by us What is Good for us and what is Evil for us so as to choose the Good and Refuse the Evil this is Truth Here again to make a Right Judgment and Choice for our selves so as to pursue the best of Ends viz. Future Blessedness and Glory by Lawful and Right means This a walking before the Lord in Truth And so it may be conceived of in other like Instances As to the Second Particular What it is to walk before the Lord with a perfect heart Paul gives the Character of some Jews that they had a Good mind towards God And here Put and Conceive
〈…〉 all my Years in the Bitterness of my Soul Which Words are Written for our Admonition and Ensample for our Imitation and Practice upon whom the Ends of the World are come Namely That each of us should severally go all our Remaining Years Months Weeks and Days of this our Pilgrimage in the Bitterness of our Souls And if we should also when we come to lie on our Death-Beds Weep sore Provided it be for the very same Reasons as Hezekiah did It would be never the worse but better for us Now with what kind of Use and Application shall I conclude the foregoing Sermons The first Use shall be a short Word of Exhortation Namely for all that shall hear or read these lines To walk before God in Truth and with a Perfect Heart and to do that which is Good in his Sight How this may be done hath been already shewed My Business at present is to Exhort and Perswade People so to do Have ye in the past time of your Lives walked before God in Truth and with a perfect heart and done that which is Good in his Sight Some have and some have not But this know God requireth that which is past Eccles 3. 15. He will certainly call you to an Account and Judge you for the past time of your Life That is gone by and there is no recalling of it yet the future course of your Life is somewhat more in your Power Do ye therefore secure the Aâ—â—â—ues Walk before God in the beginning of each Day 〈◊〉 all the Day long And as ye do thus in the several Days the residue of your Life that is to come will 〈◊〉 True Perfect and Good For it is not a vain thing â—or you Because it is your Life and through this thing 〈◊〉 shall prolong your Days in the Land whither ye go â—ver Jordan to possess it Deut. 32. 47. It is not a â—ain or Indifferent thing in the first place to Hear or Read the Word of God or not to do it For all that â—ver will be saved will be saved by the Word of God As Contrariwise Destruction and Misery are â—hreatned to those who refuse it or turn their Backs â—rom it or who only give it the Hearing but do not thereafter But Moses saith Set your hearts unto all the Words which I testifie because it is your Life Which is the nearest thing belonging to any one for 't is this which gives the resentment and feeling of all other things And through this thing of walking before God in Truth and with a perfect heart and doing that which is Good in his sight Ye shall Prolong your Days It Prolonged Hezekiahs Days Fifteen Years more and it will prolong your Days a longer space of duration then Fifteen Thousand yea Fifteen Millions of Years in the Land of Eternity whither and when ye go over the Jordan of this Life to possess it The Heart and Conscience of every one must necessarily assent to the Truth of this following Proposition Seeing that Man must live and abide for ever for so it is from the Order Decree and Determination of God concerning us He cannot do otherwise then desire to be happy for ever when He goes over the Jordan of this Life as well and all one as He desires and endeavours to live happily and comfortably in this Life on this side of Jordan Seeing that Mâ—â— must live after Death He must all one and also doth desire to be Happy and Blessed after Death all onâ— as it is Natural and every one doth desire to liâ—â— Comfortably Pleasantly and Happily before Deaâ—â— And seeing again from the Order Decree and Determination of God There is noâ— other way undâ—â— Heaven to be Happy and Blessed for ever but 〈◊〉 walking before God in Truth and with a Perfeâ—â— Heart and by doing that which is Good in his sighâ— throughout all our remaining Life Hereupon 〈◊〉 Word of Exhortation speaks most strong and forciblâ— to every one that would be saved and happy for 〈◊〉 ver as every one would who knows and believes 〈◊〉 future State Go thou and do likewise What I say 〈◊〉 thee I say again to all Go thou and do likewise Ev 〈…〉 to walk before the Invisible God in Truth and wi 〈…〉 a Perfect Heart and to do that which is Good in 〈◊〉 sight all the remaining Days thou walkest moveâ—â— and breathest on this Earth If you do but atten 〈…〉 unto and understand throughly that Reasoning and Truth which lies in this consideration It will appear to be the most Strong and Powerful Argument in the World for to Perswade Men. The other Use which I shall draw and infer from these last words of our Text And Hezekiah wept sore shall be To Recommend unto those who are in Reality and Truth obedient Servants of the Lord to be in a State of Weeping and Mourning Say I these things as a Man For doth not the Law of the Prophets Recommend and say the very same unto ye Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with Fasting the intent whereof is to afflict our Soul Isa 58. 3. And with Weeping and with Mourning Let the Bridegroom go forth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord Weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach Joel 2. 12 13 14 17. And in that Day did the Lord God of Hosts call to Weeping and to Mourning and to Girding with â—ack-cloth Little of this is obeyed and observed in this Generation and Countrey of ours but herein is fulfilled what is next Written And behold Joy and Gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating Flesh and Drinking Wine Let us Eat and Drink for to Morrow we shall die And it was revealed in mine Ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this Iniquity shall not be Purged from ye until ye die saith the Lord God of Hosts Isa 22. 12 13 14. But here it may be surmised and said That such kind of harsh and sowre Doctrine may be Reasonably expected from the Old Testament Dispensation which came from Mount Sinah which gendreth Bondage from whence the Law was given in Fire in Blackness and Darkness and Tempest of Thunder and Lightning But the Gospel was not ushered nor brought into the World after that manner for it came in a still Voice with a Fear not for behold I bring you Good Tidings of Great Joy which shall be to all People Luke 2. 10. Doth this same Gospel Recommend or say any thing concerning this State of Weeping and Mourning For if it should How would it then bring us Good Tidings of Great Joy which shall be unto all People Yes assuredly it doth both but herein is Comprised the Mystery of God That the Weeping and Mourning must go before the Joy which is to be manifested in us and had by us
further improved This is the Sum and Height of Wisdom if we would do those things whilst living which we shall wish we had done when we come to die Now if with these two sayings we take in also the Knowledge of God considering our Subjection and Duty to him that is Invisible as also with the Grace and Truth that came by Jesus Christ In that Revelation which God made unto mankind by and through him which speak of things that must shortly come to pass which pertain to the Kingdom of God and also to us Men both as to what we are now and what we shall be Let there be but the full assurance of Faith concerning these things and what kind of thoughts will then naturally and necessarily spring up in the Soul just as that is Gasping and she is departing from the Body even quite contrary unto and vastly different from what we had whilst in the midst of Life Health Strength and Vigour For then we were if not wholly and only yet chiefly and Principally taken up with and busied about Worldly and Visible things But do but throughly conceive thy self to be once a dying then the Mind will be upon thè Invisible Things of the other World whereinto the Soul is just going If you do but hold out a Bag of Money or even necessary and wholesome Food to a man when he just Lies at the Point of Death If he hath any Thoughts or Apprehensions at all they are quite of another and different Kind than what he had formerly concerning the same For however he did formerly seek after them both yet now he hath no Appetite or Desire after the one nor stomach after the other But there doth arise an Antipathy and Loathing of them both or rather a Knowledge that now his breath is going forth there is no help in them for they cannot hold it in beyond the Appointed Time and now the Time yea the Set-Time is come they cannot continue Being much less can they give an Happy Being Their Silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Wrath of the Lord They shall not satisfy their Souls nor fill their Bowels because it is the stumbling block of their Iniquity Ezek. 7. 19. The same doth now appear as to all our past foregoing Life whether it be Twenty Thirty or Forty Years so it will be as to those who shall arrive at Threescore and Ten or Fourscore or Ninety Years It is all but as yesterday when it is past and as a Watch in the Night Psal 90. 4. Nay it is not all than so much as a quarter of an Hour or one minute that is to come We spend our Years as a Tale that is told For it seems all one then And so it being evident that the World is then passed away and all the things thereof as to us of consequence as we know and find this we must have but little Regard Thought or Desire after them Like as when one is Riding Post and at full Speed upon the Road how little doth he mind such a single Tree or Little Bush that stands by the way-side for perhaps we just see it as we pass by but we soon forget and not think upon it Even so we are passing through this world Vpon the Souls Dissolution or flight from the Body the Lightning which moves from East to VVest in the Twinkling of an Eye is not quicker in its motion as appears by the Quickness of Thought now and by sight the Principal Sense and Operation of our Soul And when she is Launching out into her Eternal State All the things of this World about which we have been busied and employed so long will not seem so much or not much more then a little single mark or token that stands alone by it self upon a long Road. As we are gathering up our feet in the Bed in order to yield up the Ghost How will the Spirit within gather up it self and make towards the Father of Spirits What would she then give to have Peace towards God or a God reconciled and in favour with her and for an assurance that now she is to be dislodged from this Tabernacle of Clay she may be received into Abrahams Bosom or that she might say truly Into thy hands I commit my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Psal 31. 5. It is not said Thou hast made me but thou hast redeemed me From which again it appears they being added by way of necessary and consequent Reason thereof that there is no commending our Spirits into the Hands of God when we come to dye and to give up the Ghost without God hath first redeemed us by his truth From what are we to be redeemed Even from that vain Conversation and Corruption that is in the World through Lust and from that sin and guilt which is in our Nature He doth all things in his own order We must first be Redeemed by God before we can commend our Spirits into the Hands of God Now whilst we are in the midst of life and according as the Course of this world stands at this Day People would reproach such an one to be Melancholy Mad and Whimsical if they did hear any one crying out and Expostulating with the Invisible God in such a Great Earnestness and Anguish of Spirit from the very real sence and bottom of his Soul as he doth in Micah 6. 7. Will the Lord be pleased with Thousands of Rams or with Ten Thousand Rivers of Oyl Shall I give my first Born for my Transgression the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul God indeed hath given his first Born for the Sins of Mankind when Messiah wâ—s cut off but not for himself Dan. 9. 26. God knows the danger of sin and what wrath is annexed to sin Unpardoned Or if an Attonement and Reconciliation and Agreement be not made for it But People here in the flesh do not throughly know and lay this to heart And therefore it is that we do not see or hear of any one so very much concerned and affected for Sin whither it be Pardoned or whither the Guilt and Evil deserving thereof still remains in them whilst they be in the midst of Life Health Youth and Vigour But verily verily I tell ye before-hand that when we come to lie in extremis and at the very point of Death if our sences and understanding which is a Great Mercy of God is preserved intire sound and perfect to the last then this will be the greatest thought and searching of Heart Seeing that I and my Naked Soul must now appear before God stript utterly off from this flesh and spoiled and bereaved from all the things of this World which heretofore did stupefie and harden against him or they did hinder and intercept the sight of his Invisible Majesty Is this God now or will He be at Peace or angry with me Shall
also are formed out of the Clay to come down to the plainness and simplicity of thy Worship As for mine own part I do abhoâ— such a Thought with the utmost Indignation from the very bottom of my Soul but I cannot help the Talk Esteem and Reproach of others But lest it should seem somewhat too trivial to menâ— tron or rehearse these things We may read somewhat alikâ— to this in 2 Sam. 6. 14 15 16. And David danced beforâ— the Lord wiâ—h all his might and David was girded with 〈◊〉 linen Ephod And as the Ark of the Lord came into the City of David Michal Saul ' s Daughter looked through a Wiâ—â— dow and saw King David leaping and dancing before thâ— Lord and she despised him in her Heart and came out tâ— meet him and said How Glorious was the King of Israel who uncovered himself to Day in the Eyes of the Handmaiâ— of his Servants as one of the vain Fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself David was here so far from being discouraged at this sarcastical kind of Saying that he 〈◊〉 more confirmed in his Duty I will play before the Lord will be more vile then thus and will be base in mine own Sight and of the Maid-Servants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour Even so will I Preach Righteousness in this little Congregation for that no more are gathered together that is the Sin and Fault of those who refuse to come it is their Stubbornness and Disobedience their Pâ—ide and Abomination of Heart however Vile or Base I shall be thought of by others for it knowing and believing that where Two or Three are gathered together in his Name and in his Fear there God and Christ will be in the midst of them But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World and base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. All those afore-mentioned Imaginations of Pride will vanish and disappear utterly and seem as nothing upon a Death-bed Which time is hastening upon them as it hath been already fulfilled as to those of foregoing Generations as to the Rich and Chief of the People As a Dream when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image Psal 73. 20. The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it to stain the Pride of all Glory and to bring into Contempt all the Honourable of the Earth Isa 23. 9. When Pride will profit them nothing but rather sink them down into the lowermost Hell and Riches with all their Vaunting will do them no Good As Socrates that real Martyr for the one God against the vain Polutheism of the Gentiles told his Judges immediately after they had passed the Sentence of Death upon him I go away to die but ye to live a little longer but which will be the better for us God knows My Answer is alike to this scornful Reproof of those that are at ease and the contempt of the Proud concerning this matter I am resolved by the Divine Grace to go on in this manner of way Reproach it in as pitiful and mean a manner as you will and ye will continue a little longer in your Contempt of Gods Word and Commandment in your going on according to the fashion and course of this World and in the way of the Multitude but which will be better for us at last God knows But the same Word of God which speaks not one Tittle of Good of this kind of Conversation and manner of Acting doth make known to me that as long as I continue faithful in his Service and am not weary of well-doing for in due Season we shall reap if we faint not If I fear not the Reproach of Men nor am afraid of their Revilings Then the same God who chose David before Michals Father and before all his House to appoint him Ruler over Israel the People of the Lord he also may choose me to reign in his Kingdom before such Scoffers and Reproachers of me only for serving God in the Word of his Ministry and of the Saints and Servants of the Lord I may be had in Honour in the day of Eternity when such like shall be thrust down into shame and everlasting Contempt and become an hissing to Angels and Men. In a word Let People do so in all the several things pertaining to God as they will wish they had done when they come to be Sick unto Death or in a dying Day or as soon as they are let slip into Eternity Remember this great End and thou shalt never do amiss SERMON II. ON Isaiah XXXVIII 2 3. Then Hezekiah turned his Face toward the Wall and Prayed unto the Lord And said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a Perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore THere is not a Sentence or Word in Scripture but what is observable and somewhat may be gathered from thence Yea the very Iota's Points and Stops thereof are to be heeded and attended unto for some meaning and signification may be also drawn and conceived of according as they are and do stand And so when we here Read that Hezekiah turned his Face towards the Wall and Prayed unto the Lord some Use and Word of Instruction is hereby conveyed and made known unto us namely that in our Worship of the Invisible God whether it be Publick or Private we should turn our Face to the Wall that is as saith the Psalmist Turn away mine Eyes from beholding Vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 139. 37. This we should do at all Times and in all Places but yet more especially in and amidst the Worship of God we should turn away our Eyes from so much as beholding other Men and Women not looking about as the manner of many is at every one that comes into the Church or Congregation Nor yet should we stare about on this side or that side to observe other Peoples Devotions to the neglect of our own Nor yet should we look about what Vestments Clothes or Apparel such an one or such an one is in In a word we should turn away our Face from all outward and other Objects unto the Wall which being the same still and there being no great variety therein will not distract the Mind nor yet much divert it from its being more intent and fixed on its proper Object the Vnseen God whom we there come to bow down before and worship in our Soul And this I speak for your own Profit and that you may attend unto the Lord without Distraction 1 Cor. 7. 35. It is the manner of some to shut their Eyes in Prayer to hinder and prevent themselves the more from Wandring and Distraction in looking on outward Objects But Satan who hinders still can and also doth fill the Mind with other Thoughts and inward
looketh upon all the Inhabitants of thâ— Earth He fashioneth their Hearts alike He considereâ— all their Works Psal 33. 13 14 15. So that his Eyes being upon all the ways of the Sons of Men and he considering all their Works he must of Necessity Remember them Put thou my Tears into thy Bottle Are not these things noted in thy Book Are not Five Sparrowt sold for a Faâ— thing And not one of them is forgotten before God Aâ— so the very Hairs of our Head are all numbered Goâ— knoweth all things which shews also that he rememberâ— for Remembrece is a Knowledge and keeping in Mind 〈◊〉 past things all things that have been done on this Eartâ— by all the Creatures and Things therein Known unto Goâ— are all his Works from the beginning of the World Yâ— they are Registred and set down by him The Sin of Judah is Written with a Pen of Iron and Graven with 〈◊〉 point of a Diamond Altho' no Man did ever speak or takâ— notice thereof And so seeing that God knows aâ—â— Things and Remembers all Things in all Persons anâ— Creatures What need had therefore Hezekiah or any other of the Saints and Servants of the Lord to praâ— unto him in that manner of Speech Remember me Lord with the favour thou bearest unto thy People Psal 126. 4. Lord Remember David and all his Afflictionâ— Whereas God doth and will Remember without being prayed unto for so to do But as to this the Lord doth speak by Ezekiel that tho' He would do such a thing for Israel yet for all that He would be enquired of by Israel for that thing And so tho' God will do many things Nevertheless yet he would have the Creature pray unto him for it Both in obedience to his Commandment of Calling on his Name as also to shew forth that dependance subjection and desire which the Creature hath after the same from his Creator Herein also his Servants do speak after the manner of Men when they pray in such a manner Think upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people Neh. 5. 19. Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the Greatness of thy Mercy Remember me O my God for Good Neh. 13. 22 â—1 And in another place he saith to this purpose Wipe not my Good Deeds out of thy sight Hezekiah prays That God would Remember the Good Life which he had led He might have thus known that there had been no need for him to use those words for God would have Remembred his Good Life Nevertheless It may be convenient and necessary to keep a Catalogue of our sins and a Catalogue of Gods Mercies toward us The first to the intent that we may confess and be sorry for them that so God according to his Gracious method and promise may forgive them That we see and eye continually the Rock whereon we had well nigh split and more certainly avoid and pass by the same for the future That we may bear Iniquity and lothe our selves in our own sight for them That all the few and evil Days remaining of our Pilgrimage We may walk in the Bitterness of our Souls because we have transgressed against the Lord our God Which same will be a Reaping in Joy in the life that is to come For according as our present grief for sin hath been so accordingly will our future Degree of Consolation be And so again it is convenient and necessary to keep 〈◊〉 us a Catalogue of Gods Mercies that we may be alwaâ—â— mindful of them and endeavour to render unto the 〈◊〉 according to the Benefit which we have received that 〈◊〉 may offer unto him the Sacrifice of Praise continual 〈…〉 Because he loadeth us with his Benefits daily that his greâ—â— Goodness and Mercy may engage us yet more to closâ—â— strict and Universal Obedience unto all the Words of 〈◊〉 Law that we may offer him Praise and Glorifie him 〈◊〉 ordering our Conversation aright and such like But it is neither convenient nor yet necessary to keeâ— by us any Catalogue at all of our several good Deedâ— for God himself will keep a true faithful and exact Register of them For God is not Vnrighteous to forget yoâ— Work and labour of Love which you have shewed towarâ— his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and 〈◊〉 minister Heb. 6. 10. Not the least good deed even to 〈◊〉 Cup of cold Water ministred unto one in the Name of a Dâ—ciple of Christ Mat. 10. 42. shall be forgotten nor 〈◊〉 paâ—s unrewarded before God But as he remembers all our good Deeds from thâ— greatest of them to the least of them to recompence 〈◊〉 every one according to his ways and according to thâ— fruit of his doings for thou Lord only knowest all that 〈◊〉 in the hearts of all the Children of Men so he remembeâ— all our Sins and Evil Deeds from the greatest to the leaâ—â— of them Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee and 〈◊〉 secret Sins in the Light of thy Countenance Psal 90. 〈◊〉 For God shall bring every Work into judgment with eveâ— secret things whither it be good or bad Eccles 12. 14. 〈◊〉 order to do which he must of necessity remember eaâ—â— and every one of both sorts which again is as certaiâ— as that he knows all things for he keeps and continuâ— them in Knowledge which is Memory or Remeâ—brance Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee Thâ— they should more especially remember and be put 〈◊〉 mind of who live without God in the World or whâ— have not that constant Sense of the Invisible God upoâ— their Souls and Spirits as they ought to have Althougâ— they do forget God and not think of him yet still 〈◊〉 their Workings Motions and goings are before him Mans goings are of the Lord How then can a Man understand his own way Prov. 20. 20. Tho' we do not see God yet he seeth us but then indeed we should have a continued sense and knowledge of God seeing us which should engage us to exceeding Cautiousness and Circumspection in all Godly Righteous and Sober living For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth Psal 102. 19. Even so we should with the Eye of Faith and with the Eyes of our understanding being enlightened Eye him continually as he sits above on his Throne in the High and Lofty Place the Inhabitation of Eternity Vnto thee lift I up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Behold as the Eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress 〈◊〉 So our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that He have mercy upon us And so it is elsewhere written in like manner At that Day shall a Man look unto his Maker and his Eyes shall have respect unto the holy one of
For both past and future things are present unto 〈◊〉 High and Lofty one who inhabiteth Eternity Which 〈◊〉 ternity one defines to be a Perpetual now Even the h 〈…〉 of our head are all Numbred and not any thing is 〈◊〉 gotten before God And as we Remember each thing our past Lives both the Good and the Evil to more 〈◊〉 the one and yet more eschew the other we do the 〈…〉 come nearer to his similitude and likeness And so we 〈…〉 again as we cast an Eye forward upon the things that 〈◊〉 to come Hereby we make the things that as yet be 〈◊〉 to be as tho' they were for shortly they will come 〈◊〉 pass and it is but a little time and He that shall co 〈…〉 will come and will not tarry Talk no more exceeding Proud let not Arrogancy 〈◊〉 out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of Knowledge 〈◊〉 by him Actions are weighed And so the Lord is a God 〈◊〉 Remembrance and a God of Prescience and by him A 〈…〉 on s are weighed And seeing that Actions are weighâ—â— by him our Actions ought to be weighed by us also the Ballance of the sanctuary and of his word so that 〈◊〉 may not be found wanting SERMON III. ON Isaiah XXXVIII 2 3. Then Hezekiah turned his Face toward the Wall and Prayed unto the Lord And said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a Perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore Come now to shew and discourse 1. What it is to walk before God in Truth 2. With a perfect heart 3. What it is to do that which is good in his sight And then of the Consequent upon the whole And Hezekiah wept sore As to the first Remember O Lord how I have walk 〈…〉 before thee in Trâ—th We Read in sundry places of Scripture of this Thing â—â—uth But from these words this Doctrine will preâ—â—tly appear That it is the Duty of all who call themselves Servants of the Lord to walk before the Lord in Truth throughout the whole course of their Life So did Hezekiah not for a Season or at such a Ti 〈…〉 only but throughout the general Course Bent and 〈◊〉 nour of his Days Even as long or for the most pa 〈…〉 he walked at all he walked before the Lord in Truth Now the Scripture mentioning this Word Truth so 〈◊〉 often and in all places it doth recommend the same 〈◊〉 exhorts us to the Receiving and Practice thereof as alsâ— finds fault and Reproves where it is wanting or wh 〈…〉 the Truth is not obeyed Gal. 3. 1. Or People do not 〈◊〉 cording to the Truth We may hereby see and un 〈…〉 stand that exceeding great Stress aâ—d Necessity is 〈◊〉 hereon in order to our Eternal Salvation and Happi 〈…〉 Open ye the Gates that the Righteous Nation which 〈◊〉 eth the Truth in the Margent it is Truths may enter 〈…〉 Isa 26. 2. That is Enter into that strong City menti 〈…〉 ed in the foregoing Verse which the Lord hath buil 〈…〉 and prepared for such of the Inhabitants of the Eart 〈…〉 he shall judge and find worthy And here the word 〈◊〉 Promise and the Condition annexed is That is must 〈◊〉 to the Righteous Nation that keepeth the Truth or Tr 〈…〉 Which word Keepeth denotes a constant heed adhere 〈…〉 unto and Observance thereof And not to chop 〈…〉 change with the wind or to turn with the Fashion 〈◊〉 titude and Course of this corrupt world as to say 〈◊〉 thing is Truth to day and another contrary unto or 〈◊〉 ferent from it is Truth at another time No such â—â—ter for his Truth endureth to all Generations Psal 〈◊〉 Like God its Author with the Truth there is no V 〈…〉 bleness nor shadow of Turning And like unto 〈◊〉 Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life it is 〈◊〉 same yesterday to day and for ever So that this man 〈…〉 them to be Children that are corrupters they have fo rs 〈…〉 the Lord Isa 1. 4. That they have Prevaricated 〈◊〉 turned aside from his Truth They are gone away 〈◊〉 ward who speak thus and thus concerning it as the 〈◊〉 ner of many is in these our Days And that they 〈◊〉 not the Righteous Nation or the Righteous People 〈◊〉 keep the Truth to whom this Precious Promise is ma 〈…〉 for such kept it or rather did by Chance happen 〈…〉 light thereon for a Time but they did not keep it 〈◊〉 tinually Blessed are they that keep Judgment and he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness at all times Psal 106. 3. and so they 〈◊〉 no Lot and Share nor Right to enter into that â—â—ong City which the Lord hath made for Judah and â—â—rusalem yea for all the Inhabitants of the Earth who â—ould keep the Truth or walk before him in Truth For this Good and Sweet Word of Promise is made â—t only to the Righteous Nation but to every and each â—â—rticular Soul therein that keepeth the Truth So that â—â—ese Two Consequences must necessarily arise That even 〈◊〉 the Unrighteous Nation which Keepeth not the Truth 〈◊〉 those few Inhabitants and Souls therein who are â—â—ghteous and do Keep the Truth shall enter into the 〈◊〉 of our God Again Suppose it were a Righteous 〈…〉 tion and did Keep the Truth here the Denominati 〈…〉 is taken from the greater part and it is called a Righâ—â—â—us Nation where the Multitude or most are so But 〈◊〉 some â—ew therein were Unrighteous and did not Keep 〈◊〉 Truth here the Promise would be only to the for 〈…〉 sort and not to the latter The Reason whereof is 〈…〉 dent Because the Soul that sinneth it shall die The 〈◊〉 shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father neither shall 〈◊〉 Father bear the Iniquity of the Son the Righteousness â—he Righteous shall be upon him and the Wickedness of 〈◊〉 Wicked shall be upon him Ezek. 18. 20. So that as 〈◊〉 being an Inhabitant of a Righteous Nation which keep 〈◊〉 the Truth will not give thee Admission or Entrance in 〈◊〉 City of God unless thou be Righteous and keepest the 〈◊〉 thy self So although thou Livest in an Unrighte 〈◊〉 Nation where most are so which Keepeth not the â—â—uth yet if thou art Righteous thy self and Keepest 〈◊〉 Truth yet thou wilt enter into the City of God alâ—â—â—ugh never so few are besides The Marginal Reading 〈◊〉 Truths in the Plural Number shews That it is not the 〈◊〉 Keeping of One or Some of the Truths of God but 〈◊〉 Keeping all of them which is requisite and necessary 〈◊〉 we enter therein It was the same Spirit of God â—â—ich spake that in Isaiah 26. 2. as also which spake that Isaiah 38. 3. and which probably gave Hezekiah that â—â—owledge How necessary was Keeping the Truth or the 〈…〉 king before God in Truth in order to enter into the Ci 〈◊〉 of our God And
Creatour is as directly opposite and contrary to the having a Good mind towards God as Darkness is unto Light It is also contrary unto a Perfect heart for this is an Imperfection to a Witness Yea such an Imperfection that unless it be remedied and taken away it will lay the Creature in Punishment and Misery As for mine own Part although in my common or week Day Life and conversation I have spoken and done Many Things which are contrary unto different from and not according to the Pure VVord of God yet I do not therefore dare to Hate or Reproach that same Word Nor yet for none doth so as to the VVord abstractedly to the Person of him who ministreth or speaketh forth the same VVord against this my Sin and Errour For I know this would make the Guilt of my Sin seven times yet Greater and Consequently Uengeance would be taken on me sevenfold when the Lord comes to Punish the VVorld for their Evil and the wicked for their Iniquity But I Judge it safe to lay my Hand upon my Mouth and hold my Peace and where I see my self faulty to Endeavour to mend And where I have not already attained neither am already Perfect Phil. 3. 12. There to Go on to Perfection Heb 6. 1. Avoiding the Errour and deceit of the VVorld herein of always Purposing and Resolving and not performing accordingly or of complaining and yet not mending But we should still Press forwards and Undeavour Unfeignedly so to do Not to attain unto absolute Perfection is the Infirmity of the Flesh but not to endeavour after it is the fault and failure of the Spirit Here again it must be acknowledged that to walk before the Lord with a Perfect Heart is sooner said then done For it is the whole which God requires of Man It being the first and Great Commandment Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God With all thy Soul and with all thy Strength and with all thy Mind This Particle All being Annexed to all the Faculties and Powers thereof makes it a Perfect Heart For so it is where is all or the whole of a Thing Besides this Appeal which Hezekiah makes unto God in his Pining Sickness not by way of self Commendation but as a stay and support to his Mind under that outward Evil of Body The Spirit it self gives a very Good Character of him And he did that which was Right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his Father did He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him 2. Kings 18. 3 5. So that his doing according to all that David his Father did who was a Man after Gods one heart in all Things saving the matter of Vriah the Hittite Thus in reality and in Truth Hezekiah did walk before the Lord with a perfect Heart By this also may be seen that the Spirit of God keeps a Register of each Man or VVomans Life And God who is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteonsness is accepted with him Who accepteth not the Person of Princes nor regardeth the Rich more then the Poor for they are all the Work of his hands doth in alike manner keep a Book Put thou my Tears into thy Bottle are not these things noted in thy Book Wherein the several deeds here done in the Body of all the Particular Men and Women of all Generations and Countreys from the greatest of them unto the least of them are written and noted all one as we see it written thus and thus of the several Kings of Judah and Jerusalem how they did carry it towards the Lord God for so we may read it thus or thus recorded of the Inhabitants of the Earth in the Scriptures of Truth There is an Emphatical and Pertinent Scripture to our present purpose in Hos 10. 2. Their heart is divided now they shall be found faulty A divided heart is not a perfect heart and as long as it remains thus divided we hence see that it will be found and pronounced faulty that is defective or wanting in the sight Estimation Judgment and Account of God And yet alas Is not this the case of us all or of most of us Is not our heart divided one part is towards God and another part is for the World and for the Men and Things therein According to what Paul speaketh of himself So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin Rom. 7. 25. He that doth not observe and feel the like within himself is Blind Ignorant and knows nothing as he ought to know Doth not one part of our heart Savour the things of God And again another part of our heart doth Savour the Things of Men. I discern and experience it so in my self Now this is but a divided heart which God in Hosea finds fault with And when he saith in the Proverbs My Son give me thine heart It may be truly reasoned and concluded that he will have a whole heart or none And hereupon the word of Instruction and Exhortation arises on this wise that this same divided heart must be cut off Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts that ye be no more stiff-necked or rather changed and renewed that all the heart may be brought into intire obedience Subjection and Conformity to God till it becomes a good and perfect heart which He is well pleased with and delights in and will accept off for want whereof it is that we neither find God nor yet doth he hear our Prayers The heart hankers after some Carnal Lust or other Sin or Act of Disobedience Consider of this throughly and amend thy ways and thy doings O my Soul and therefore the Lord hath withdrawn himself and hides his Face and doth not manifest himself unto us as He dâ—d in former Days But your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that He will not hear Isa 59. 2. So that where we cry and the Lord doth not hear or where we do not find such an Answer and Return to Prayer as we have experienced heretofore there let us examine our selves whither there be not some Sin or Iniquity which is the Cloud that hinders that our Prayers do not pass through in us which God is displeased with Here our heart is divided and found faulty for with some part of it it obeys or serves some Sin or Lust O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us Isa 26. 13. And we do not seek or serve him our whole heart But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou shalt seek him with all thy heart and with all thy Soul Deut. 4. 29. And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall
Life By which may be seen what a Relation and tendenâ—â— the doing of Good hath unto Life Now Jesus Chr 〈…〉 not only suffered but also lived an Example that 〈◊〉 should follow his steps And this Place in Acts. 10. 38 so written to the Intent that every one of us who wouâ—â— Love and Inherit Eternal Life What Man is He tâ—â— desireth Life Answer is made Depart from Evil and Good Psal 34. 12 14. Should in our several Respectiâ—â— Stations and according to our several Ability and Capacity go about and do good also for so far as we do this God is with us Whereby again may be seen and perceived the Goodness of that Supreme and Almighty Being Who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil Hence again We may understand what a doing of good is for as the being oppressed of the Devil is an Evil so to have that same Evil either removed or taken away or â—ured and healed this is a doing good By the way the worst oppression of the Devil is when Sin and Guilt is brought into the Conscience through his Temptations or Instruments And so it is as to all other evils or harms whatever the either taking them away or curing and healâ—ng them is a doing good It is written of him that did the greatest and all the good that was ever done to Mankind When the Even was come they brought unto him â—any that were possessed with Devils and He cast out the Devils with his word and healed all that were Sick That 〈◊〉 might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet â—aying Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Mat. 8. 16 17. The very Words in Isaiah are these Sureâ—â— He hath born our Griefs and Carried our Sorrows Isa 53. 〈◊〉 And it being after added The Lord hath laid on him â—e Iniquity of us all for He shall bear their Iniquities and He â—â—re the sin of Many Verse 6. 11 12. This goes further â—ven to the Fountain Head the Original cause and â—ource of Infirmities Sickness Griefs and Sorrows for â—â—n and Iniquity is the cause of them all This is effectu 〈…〉 and sound work And as sin is the greatest and only â—vil so to cure heal take away Remedy or someway or â—ther to provide against sin is doing the greatest Good So â—â—at to Instruct the Ignorant is a doing good yea and 〈◊〉 resemblance to him who was the Author and Finisher of â—â—r faith who went about doing good for we Read that â—â—e sate down and taught his Disciples and the Multitude â—his is a kind of doing the greatest good for it is a doing â—â—od unto the Immortal Soul the more excellent part of us â—â—d not only to the dying Body Brethren if any of you do err from the Truth and one convert him let him know that 〈◊〉 which converteth the sinner from the Errour of his Way shâ— save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of 〈◊〉 Iames. 5. 19 20. And so by the Words of Gods Graâ—â— and Truth to Perswade Testify and Exhort People froâ— their Sinful and Ungodly courses From living in 〈◊〉 religion and contempt of God as that if continued 〈◊〉 would involve them into the Greatest of Evils So con 〈…〉 quentially it must be the Greater Good to disswade thâ—â— from it And then Giving Alms to the Poor and M 〈…〉 string comfort to the Sorrowful in as much as Pove 〈…〉 and Sorrow are sore Evils and such like are instances 〈◊〉 doing Good The more and Greater Good People 〈◊〉 here the Greater and more full Reward they will rece 〈…〉 hereafter As again it is on the other worse hand 〈◊〉 more sin any one do commit It is a treasuring up Wr 〈…〉 to themselves against the day of Wrath which consider 〈…〉 on should be a prevailing motive to cease from the 〈◊〉 and do the other as much as ever we can Remember how I have done that which is Good in 〈◊〉 sight Now all Things are in the sight of God But 〈◊〉 do that which is Good in his sight may have a twof 〈…〉 Sence and Meaning either to do Things in order and 〈◊〉 tention unto God and upon that Respect it is that we 〈…〉 Good because God commands requires and is well pl 〈…〉 ed therewith when we do it as unto the Lord and 〈◊〉 as unto Men. As also what will appear Good in 〈◊〉 sight of the Lord now and by his Judgment hereaf 〈…〉 For it is one Thing to do Good as in the sight of 〈◊〉 Lord and another as in the sight of Men. For the 〈◊〉 seeth not as Man seeth That which is highly este 〈…〉 amongst Men is an Abomination in the sight of the 〈◊〉 And so it runs and may be conceived contrariwise 〈◊〉 which is highly esteemed by the Lord God is le 〈…〉 ed and despised amongst Men For these call that 〈◊〉 which is good in the sight of the Lord. And again They 〈◊〉 that Godo which is Evil Isa 5. 20. But a Godly Heze 〈…〉 or that Soul like unto Godly Hezekiah doth 〈◊〉 as in the sight of the Lord and not as 〈◊〉 Men. As the Lord said unto Sarah At the time appointed will I return to thee according to the time of Life Gen. 18. 14. So at the time appointed when the great Day of his Judgment is come will God Judge every one of us according to the Time of Life and as it was with us at such a Time of Life and such a Time of Life of some we shall give a better Account then of others so as to take in the whole Term of Life from the time that we had the first Knowledge of Good and Evil unto the Day of our Death SERMON IV. ON Isaiah XXXVIII 2 3. Then Hezekiah turned his Face toward the Wall and Prayed unto the Lord And said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a Perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore THAT we do walk all our Days in the sight of the Lord and whatever we do it is in the sight of the Lord and how that God will Judge us for all the Thoughts Words and Actions of our whole Life even from the very time that we had the Knowledge of Good and Evil are most forcible considerations what manner of Persons we ought to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness in all Obedience and Righteousness In Purity and Innocency and Uprightness of Life In all thy work and in whatever thine hand findeth thee to do in thy Feastings Sportings or Recreations Do thou awfully and constantly Remember that God seeth thee and God will Judge thee And after any thing is over and past whither it be an Act of Good and Duty or else an Act of Sin or Evil This know that the same is passed over into a thing to be Judged off and for the
Saith the Apostle James who spake by a true Gospel Spirit Be Afflicted and Mourn and Weep Let your Laughter be turned to Mourning and your Joy to Heaviness Humble your selves in the sight of God and He shall lift you up James 4. 9 10. And then by consequence if we do all this The Lord who shall turn our Captivity as the Rivers in the South will again turn our Mourning to Laughter and our Heaviness to Joy According as is promised by his Spirit which spake through the Evangelical Prophet And the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away Isa 35. 10. Our Saviour Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith in whom all the Gospel doth center doth assure and promisâ—â— the same in those afore-quoted words of his wherein also He doth Recommend to all that are Christians indeed this State of Weeping now with that true Word of Encouragement for ye shall Laugh As also He tacitly finds fault with and threatens where People Laugh now for they shall Mourn and Weep So that the way to Happiness hereafter is by Mourning and Weeping here As again Laughter and Merriment now I only speak here of the Laughter and Merriment of the World which arises from the things thereof is the way to misery hereafter Behold in this Gods Thoughts are not as Mans Thoughts For herein they are contrary to the Thoughts of the People of the World who if they see any one to serious and Godly herein they conclude him to be Melancholy and Miserableâ— whereas as sure as Gods Word is true this is the only way to the true Blessedness But contrariwise it is as to the Merry Mâ—n of the World for in the Judgment and Estimation of God if we take a view oâ— them by the Glass of his Word and go into the sanctuary and see the end of these Men Surely thou didst set them in slippery Places Thou castedst them down into Destruction Psal 73. 18. As the pleasant and purling streams of Jordan do empty themselves into the Dead Sea So all their sinful Mirth and Laughter will End and Terminate in endless Howlings Seeing that these things are so What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Gravity of Spirit and Serious Conversation Even with the same Hezekiah Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did Mourn as a Dove Isa 38. 14. For as to this the sweet Word of Promise speaks on this wise And the Days of thy Mourning shall be ended Isa 60. 20. Which again according as our Mourning hath been will be made up in a Proportionable Cup of Consolation and Rejoycing And tho' as afore-observed of some Constitutions that they cannot Weep or shed Tears So here it may be when People are in Health Wealth and Prosperity when they have the World at will as we commonly Phrase and Understand it and all things are smooth and easy with them When their Eyes stand out with Fatness they have more then heart could wish Psal 73. 7. When they are Puffed up with sensuality and the Good Things of this Life then indeed they cannot so easily be in a State of Weeping and Mourning But here again as it was commanded in Old Time that they should not come near their Wives when they were in their solemn times of approaching and drawing near unto the Lord God And as now under the Gospel the Apostle delivereth the Rule unto Husbands and Wives Defraud ye not one the other except it be with consent for a Time that ye may give your selves unto Fasting and Prayer So in like manner it may be Reasoned and Inferred That we should sometimes abridge and deny our selves even the Lawful Comforts and Enjoyments of Life that we may the more afflict our Souls and so come to be in a due Posture and Frame for a State of Weeping and Mourning FINIS SERMON V. Isaiah XXXVIII 4 5. Then came the Word of the Lord unto Isaiah saying Go and Say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father I have heard thy Prayer I have seen thy Tears Behold I will add unto thy Days Fifteen Years IF we consider throughly and Weighfully in our Minds these three following Scriptures Thus saith the Lord Let not the Wise Man Glory in his Wisdom neither let the Mighty Man Glory in his Might let not the Rich Man Glory in his Riches But let him that Glorieth Glory in this that he Vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord Jer. 9. 23. 24. For what Nation is there so Great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all Things that we call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. And Jesus lift up his Eyes and said Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me always John 11. 41 42. Put and conceive all this together and it will hence appear that the Greatest Priviledge Honour and Excellency and Benefit which can accrue to any Man on this Earth is for God to hear his Prayer To be nigh unto him in all things that he Calls upon God for and herein the Righteous and so any one is more excellent then his Neighbour according as he knows and understands more of the Lord God We see evidently now that some do Account of and set by themselves because they Joyn House to House and lay Field to Field and because they Wax Rich and abound therein Who because they are Purse Proud and have more Money than such and such of their Neighbours and Acquaintance their hearts are not only lifted up above their Brethren but I had almost said above the Lord their God also For forsooth they refuse and disdain and are ashamed to come to the place of his worship and of hearing his word for the Plainness and Simplicity thereof and because that only some few Poor People do come there Have any of the Rulers believed on him So it hath been alike asked more than once or twice by some of my Carnal Kindred who walk in the Vanity of their mind having their Understanding darkened as to the things of God and as to the true method of the Dispensation of his Kingdom Do any of the substantial and Rich sort of the People come to hear thee I cannot Answer as to any of them but if any of the Poor of the Flock or those Poor despised ones in the world whose Prayer God heareth Thus saith the Lord the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy one to him whom Man despiseth 〈◊〉 him whom the Nation abhorreth Isaiah 49. 7. Do come here to this Assembly it is more to me as I consideâ— these things when I go into the sanctuary and take 〈◊〉 View and Estimate thereof from out of the Glass of thâ— word than if Kings and Princes Lords and Ladies 〈◊〉 other Rich and Honourable Men and Women did comâ— to
Hezekiah had walked before God in Truth For the Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him in Truth and with a Perfect Heart which is a whole and not a divided heart Therefore it was that the Lord heard his Prayer I have seen thy Tears It commonly gains the Point or obtains the thing Requested for when the People and Servants of God do shed Tears in Prayer if this be done not in Hypocrisie or Dissimulation but out of great Earnestness and Reality of Soul the Truth whereof is here fulfilled for therefore it was that Goâ— heard his his Prayer and saw his Tears Though we Creatures do not see God yet God 〈◊〉 we Creatures and knows how it is with us The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due Season And there doth arise a little Anguish and great Thought and Searching of Heart in the Reasonable Creature who have also Eyes in their Understanding as well as Outward Bodily Eyes Why They cannot see God Why in this Life and in this State here on Earth No Man hath seen God at any Time the only begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him And so the Son who is the Word And the word Preached or Spoken doth declare God that is make him to be Conceived or Understood Though we do not see God yet we see his Works which we cannot so much as look without doors but we behold them For t is his Heavens which â—e Created and his Earth which we tread on By which together with that Invisible Reason and Knowledge which he hath given us The Invisible Things of him from the Creation of the World may be clearly seen being Vnderstood by the Things that are made even his Eternal Power and God-Head So that though we cannot see God as yet with this Outward Bodily Eye of ours yet with the Eye of Faith or with the Eyes of our Understanding being Enlightened we may see him that is Invisible And so after our Spirits are Dislodged from these Bodies we shall see him Face to Face and know him as we are known as he knoweth us and we now know one another Certain it is that his Eyes are upon all the ways of the Children of Men to Recompence to every one accordingly whether they be Good or Evil And so he sees and beholds whatever we do whether we Laugh or Mourn are Merry or Sad. I have seen thy Tears As our Lord did argue to the Pharisee Ye Fools Did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also In like manner it may be truly reasoned He who sees that which is without sees that which is within also And so the same God who sees our outward Tears sees also that Sorrow of Heart and Vexation of Spirit that secret Anguish and Discontent of Mind from whence these Tears do floâ— forth and proceed He sees every le 〈…〉 crany and corner of our Inside also and seeing that 〈◊〉 is the will and appointment of God To comfort all thâ— mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to giâ—â— unto them Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mournning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heavinesâ— Here God is like unto a skilful Physitian Shall not 〈◊〉 that teacheth Man Knowledge know Who knoâ— the bottom and ground of the Sore or Disease whâ—â— he hath in hand to heal and recover Even so our Goâ— knows and understands to the utmost all that Mourning and Spirit of Heaviness with the true causes and oâ—casions thereof that is in the hearts of all or any of thâ— Children of Men which is necessary in order to Administer Comfort Joy and Relief to it The trouble Spirit and the restless Spirit the groaning Spirit and 〈◊〉 dissatisfied Spirit or whatever doth afflict is painfâ—â— or irksome all couched and comprehended under that 〈◊〉 word the Spirit of Heaviness All these and whatevâ—â— is more or such like is Known to God the Father 〈◊〉 Mercies and the God of all Consolation Saith 〈◊〉 Psalmist Put thou my Tears into thy Bottle Are 〈◊〉 these things Noted in thy Book I am weary with 〈◊〉 Groaning all the Night make I my Bed to Swim I waâ—â— my Couch with my Tears Psal 6. 6. And then it folloâ— For the Lord hath heard the Voice of my Weeping Whiâ—â— is Parallel unto and is another Example to confirm tâ—â— Truth of our Text That God doth see the Tears 〈◊〉 hear the Voice of the Weeping of his Servants and Peopâ—â— According to what is elsewhere Written I cried 〈◊〉 God with my Voice even unto God with my Voice and 〈◊〉 gave Ear unto me For this is to be understood and attended unto that as in one sence God hears the Liâ— labour of the formal Half-Christian or of the Wickeâ— and Ungodly for they do sometimes in custom and 〈◊〉 little to satisfy Natural Conscience Pray unto hiâ— And so he doth hear the mumbling of the Papist ovâ—â— his Beads the much speaking of the Heathen and 〈◊〉 Worship of the Jew as it is at this Day as He is aâ—â— knowing for there is not a word in my Tongue bâ— thou O Lord knowest it altogether And so he heaâ—â— their Devotion as we do the humming and noise of a â—â—ye which we are forced to hear but we do not Mind or Regard But he doth not hear the sinful or false Worshippers in such wise as they are not to think that they shall receive any thing from the Lord. But in Scripture sence when God hears the Prayer of his chosen People and Servants He doth fulfil their Petitions and give and grant unto them what they Pray unto him for In like manner God doth see the Tears of such a Profane Person as Esau as he doth see all things And so he doth hear the howlings of them upon their â—eds Who did not cry unto him with their heart Hos 7 14. But yet he is not so far moved with one or the other as to admit the one to Repentance or Vouchsafe a Pardon to the other According as he saith and declareth elsewhere Yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should hear the Law and the Prophets which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Therefore it came to pass that as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 7. 12 13. Such did heretofore harden themselves against God and now God will harden himself against them altho' they are his Creatures and the work of his own hands And so the same God tho' in his Love and Pity to Poor Mankind â—e redeemed them That is like setting up one again after they had been broke or Bank-rupt and tho' he 〈◊〉 very Pitiful and of tender Mercy which is over all â—is works But
yet those Souls who shall fall under his Severity and Vengeance and shall be cast into Hell He will be hardened against their Wailing and Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth altho' it should be for ever And the same Lord Jesus Christ who is now ouâ— Advocate with the Father and in this Life holds forth even â—nto them the Scepter of Mercy will be to the hard â—nd impenitent in heart who despise his Goodness longâ—uffering and forbearance an Inexorable Judge But according to the meaning and intent of the Holy Ghost here in our Text when God sees our Tears and Hears the Voice of our Weeping it is when God takes away and removes that Evil and Afflicting thing from us for which we weep and shed Tears according tâ— what is elsewhere written He will swallow up Death 〈◊〉 Victory and the Lord God will wipe away Tears from 〈◊〉 all Faces Tears do most commonly arise from thâ— Apprehension of this thing of Death So it did witâ— Hezekiah as hath been abundantly shewed in the foregoing Discourses And so it doth with most of thâ— Children of Men who know and understand somewhat more concerning it either what may bring Death oâ— or sooner hasten it this doth usually raise and occasioâ— Tears or at least that inward Sorrow and Anguish 〈◊〉 Heart which Tears are the outward sign and effect 〈◊〉 And as the Word of Consolation here goes to the veâ—â— Ground and Original cause of those Tears He sh 〈…〉 swallow up Death in Victory That is God will overcomâ— Death and cause it to cease to be So that those veâ—â— same Creatures shall come forth into Life again upoâ— whom Death had seized and done its utmost Aftâ—â— Death hath devoured and destroyed them God 〈◊〉 raise them up and restore them intire and whole agai 〈…〉 and he will save them from the Destruction of necessary Consequence then those Tears must be wiped aw 〈…〉 which did arise only by Reason of Death All one 〈◊〉 the Cutting of his Days and his Sence and Apprehe 〈…〉 on of his going to the Gates of the Grave and of 〈◊〉 being Deprived of the residue of his Years made Hezekiah to weep sore But after that God had seen th 〈…〉 his Tears and sent another different message of add 〈…〉 Fifteen Years more this instantly made him to 〈◊〉 and refrain from Tears as appears and may be ma 〈…〉 festly gathered from the following Part of the saâ—â— Chapter Behold for Peace I had Great Bitterneâ—â— which kind of Expression seems as the Sun Shining 〈◊〉 yet greater Brightness after it hath come out from 〈◊〉 Dark Cloud But thou hast in Love to my Soul deliveâ—â— it from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all 〈◊〉 sins behind thy back The Living he shall Praise thee 〈◊〉 I do this Day The Lord was ready to save me therefoâ—â— we will Sing my Songs to the stringed Instruments all 〈◊〉 Days of our Life in the House of the Lord. Here his 〈◊〉 â—â—er weeping sore and his Tears are turned into Praise and Songs And so it will be with the Souls of all those that shall be saved in the Great Day of the Resurrection and Restitution of all things and from thence forth throughout all Eternity Nothing but Praise and Songs will be heard amongst them Notwithstanding all thâ— Sorrow and Fear Trouble and Weeping as they passed through this Vale of Life And this will be in the House of the Lord in the highest Heavens for evermore which may be called the Presence Chamber of the Great King as all the World is his Pallace House or Temple The Redeemed shall walk there and the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away What I say unto you I say unto you all VVatch. And as God is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that Feareth him and Worketh Righteousness is accepted with him And as the God of Abraham is the same and alike unto all who do the Works of Abraham so the same God who saw Hezekiahs Tears will see our Tears also provided we be in Covenant with him as Hezekiah was and they be upon the same Account and only for the like Reason as his were Truly my Beloved Brethren It is a Great Matter and a very Desirable Thing to be under the care and concern of God to be one of them of whom he saith I have written thee upon the Palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me For here again God hath common care and providence over all his Creatures both Men and the Fowls of the Air as they are the Work of his â—ands But then besides that he hath an especial and Peculiar care over his own Peculiar People and Redeemed Ones Like as he gives Common Knowledge unto almost all Men and Women but the saving and Distinguishing Grace unto his Elect. And as it is written All thy Works shall Praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall Bless thee Psal 145. 10. Even the Inanimate Works do Praise God although they cannot speak forth but they Praise God as they are standing and remaining Monuments of his Praise in that he made 〈◊〉 Created them But the Saints Blessing God impor 〈…〉 speaking forth with a living Voice And this Bless 〈…〉 God doth again seem to import somewhat more 〈◊〉 further than that Praise which the Heavens or thâ—â— Part of the Creation of God which is without Life 〈◊〉 shew So certainly there is somewhat more and furthâ—â— in the Saints Blessing God than that Praise of 〈◊〉 Name which is outwardly rendred by the Mixt Multitude or common sort of Mankind Remember me 〈◊〉 Lord with the Favour that thou bearest unto thy People 〈◊〉 visit me with thy Salvation Psal 106. 4. Here 〈◊〉 Psalmist knows by the Spirit and accordingly he Praise and Addresseth unto God as such for the Distinguishâ—â—â— Favour and Salvation which he hath for his own People over what he hath for the common stock of Mankind And this will more Eminently Illustriously 〈◊〉 Remarkably appear at the End of all Things whâ—â— some shall be saved and the Saints which now bless Goâ— shall be made Blessed by him and the other sort sh 〈…〉 be Condemned Perish and be made Miserable Reprobate Silver shall Men call them because the Lorâ— hath rejected them The Lord seeing our Tears will Administer Consoâ—â—tion because here it will be found true an Exampâ—â— whereof was Hezekiah They that sow in Tears shâ—â— reap in Joy So again from the Lords seeing the V 〈…〉 nities and Sportings of some of the Children of 〈◊〉 should I do not say it doth because most have noâ— Sence and Apprehension thereof yield and aff 〈…〉 grief unto them because that the more Carnal 〈◊〉 People have in this Life the more Eternal Sorrow thâ—â— will have after this Life is Ended Wo unto you tâ—â— Laugh now for
ye shall Mourn and Weep But it is Pitiful and Miserable thing to be despised and not 〈◊〉 regarded by God which is to be a foreâ—orn wretch a 〈…〉 cast off by our Maker To be cast out of thy sight Jo 〈…〉 7. 4. As Jonah complained and feared he should 〈◊〉 when he was in the Whales Belly which yet he was 〈◊〉 there altho' many others are out of Gods sight in tâ—â— sence even when they breath move and live on 〈◊〉 Earth But he quite gives them over as a Father doth 〈◊〉 Continued Provoking and Disobedient Child But if any of us should be disowned by and separated from God our Creatour and Preserver as he will do so by a great many at the last Day Depart from me I never knew ye ye Workers of Iniquity Alas What Despicable and Vile Beings should we be Who thereupon must 〈◊〉 necessarily fall down and sink into Misery as the Body when the Soul is out of it sinks and turns into Corruption and Dissolution Even so the Soul or whole Man without God will be nothing else but Restless â—nd Tormented As the Danger and Misery is very great yea unexpressible to be without God so is the Benefit and Happiness as great on the other side yea to be greatly desirâ—d and sought after to have God Propitious Favourâ—ble and nigh unto us in all Things that we call upon â—im for If we once have God for our Friend then we have him who possesseth all Things and what can that â—oul want As was aforesaid If God hears our Prayâ—â— here on Earth this is an earnest and assurance before â—and that we shall one day stand in his presence in the Highest Heavens so it is here again If the Lord sees â—ur Tears and hears the Voice of our Weeping in these Days of our Flesh when it is upon the very same account as Hezekiahs and the Psalmists was for the bleâ—â—ing and advantage belongs not unto Wordly sorrow which Worketh Death but Godly sorrow which Worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be Repented of so the â—orrow towards God Worketh and Effecteth it so for 〈◊〉 that we shall come into be Partakers of the Consoâ—â—tion even the Consolation of Israel I say this also 〈◊〉 an earnest and assurance before-hand that when these â—ays of our flesh are Ended The Days of our Mournâ—â—g shall be Ended Isa 60. 20. And we shall come to â—â—at place where it shall be said Behold the Tabernaâ—â—e of God is with Men and he will dwell with them â—nd they shall be his People and God himself shall be their â—od And God shall wipe away all Tears from their â—yes and there shall be no more Death Mark here â—gain how fitly this is put in the first place for all Tears and the things next named are by Reason of Death neither Sorrow nor Crying neither shall there be any 〈◊〉 Pain for the former things are passed away Rev. 21. 3 〈◊〉 As one Scripture saith Wo unto us for the day giveth away for the shadows of the Evening are stretâ—â—ed out Jer. 6. 4. And hereupon Anguish ariseth in 〈◊〉 heart and our Eyes are ready to burst forth into 〈◊〉 because we must severally yea we shall shortly Tastâ— Death Do ye know what kind of Taste it is It is 〈◊〉 terness for so we conceive it and Agag truly Phrasâ— it And we have every one of us yea the non he 〈…〉 ers of the Word also for God hath shewed and m 〈…〉 known as much unto them received the Message 〈◊〉 Word of Command from the Lord of Life who 〈◊〉 put and now holds our Souls in Life and can call 〈◊〉 them out again whensoever he will Set your Houâ—â— your Souls the Inhabitants of your Earthly House 〈◊〉 order for ye shall die If it was this Night that 〈◊〉 Souls should be required of us we should Fear yea 〈◊〉 we should be apt to weep sore also Here againâ— would revive us if God did see our Tears and say◠〈◊〉 each of us Behold I will add unto thy days Fift 〈…〉 Years Some in this assembly may Probably live Fift 〈…〉 Years longer same Thirty Forty Fifty together 〈◊〉 the odd Years Mouths and Days according as to 〈◊〉 his Time is appointed and his days upon Earth are 〈◊〉 that of an Hireling And so if I should Dogm 〈…〉 cally affirm and Preach set your Souls in order for 〈…〉 shall die that is very suddenly and quickly e 〈…〉 this Evening to Morrow or this week at furthestâ— have no warrant â—o to say Several of ye may hear 〈◊〉 perceive the Decree and Sentence of God otherwiâ—â— Behold I will add unto thy Temporal Life so maâ—â— Years Months Weeks and Days more as it is knoâ— in the Purpose and Mind of God concerning each 〈◊〉 us though it is Uncertain and Unknown to every 〈◊〉 of us therefore ye would not give much heed 〈◊〉 nor believe such a Doctrine of Mine that should 〈◊〉 quaint ye that ye should die within a week or sucâ— little Time But if I should teach and affirm const 〈…〉 ly as I do this day Set your Houses in order For ye shall most certainly die one time or another this ye must Necessarily assent unto And also this ye cannot do otherwise than assent unto that the few and Evil Days remaining of your Pilgrimage will run out and Elapse as the former days of your Life are gone Vanished and passed by already As suppose a Man should live to Fourscore and Ten Years of Age to which length of Days not more than one of Ten Thoussand do arrive if he hath lived Threescore Years already the Thirty Years which are yet to come will pass and at length be quite expired out and finished as the Threescore Years already have been An End will come as it is Emphatically noted and doubled for our the more taking notice thereof by the Prophet An End is come the End is come it watcheth for thee Behold it is come The Morning is come upon thee O thou that dwellest in the Land The time is come the day of trouble is near and not the sounding again of the Mountains Ezek. â—â— 6 7. The Time of last Sickness or Death hath already come upon many Millions of past Generations and upon a very great many of the present The same also watcheth for thee who art as yet Breathing on this Earth and it will very quickly be returned and said as â—o thy case and feeling Behold it is come The Mornâ—ng of Futurity and Immortality is come upon thee O thou that dwellest in the Earth the Time is come and if thou hast sinned and done Evil the day of Trouble is near even that Indignation and wrath Tribulation and Anguish which shall be upon every Soul that doth Evil for the day of Death unto such is not the End but the beginning of Sorrows And not the sounding again of the Mountains There is no more Resorting to the Pleasures and comforts of Life
or to those Methods and arts of hardening and Insensibility as have been heretofore used This End of Life hath long since come upon Hezekiah although he had Fifteen Years more added unto his days VVhy they are over and gone and near upon three times Fifteen Hundred more since the Lord by Isaiah spake thus unto him Now as in truth nothing is long that hath an End and as it is written It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to Restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my Salvation unto the End of the Earth So in like manner it may be truly Reasoned it is a Light thing that God should give unto us the Reasonable Inhabitants of this his Earth Threescore Years and Ten or Fourscore Years nay if it were to every one of uâ— also the days of Methusaleh nine hundred sixty and nine years for it is immediately afterwards recorded And â—â— died Gen. 5. 27. For we can conceive and apprehenâ— somewhat more Namely what is like unto what is expressed here to Restore the preserved of Israel That is in the sence which we would allude and apply unto for to thâ— agree the other Scriptures of Truth As God in the first anâ— continued forming of Man of the dust of the Ground Br 〈…〉 thed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and Man became 〈◊〉 Living Soul And as he doth preserve this Breath of Liâ—â— in and holds our Souls in Life all the days we Breatâ— live and move on this Earth So it is an easy thing foâ— this same God to preserve this Breath of Life again after it is gone forth and the Man returns to his Earth and also to preserve the dust of the Ground which he doth accordingly into which his Body turns and Moulders So as in the Resurrection for God will do so to Restore the preserved of Israel to restore the preserved of Adam even of all his Children and Posterity So that he will restoâ—â— the preserved whole Body and Soul of each and every oâ—â— of them Why the Soul was preserved all the while 〈◊〉 the Cabinet Archives and keeping of God according 〈◊〉 the Scripture Phraseth it Commit the keeping of their Souâ—â— to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator And he w 〈…〉 restore and raise up the Body also which all the whilâ— was preserved in his dust and ashes according as it was either buried in the Ground or burnt with Fire according to the two ancient ways of Interment and disposal thereof after it was dead and the Soul gone out of it Yea and it would be a light thing if God should not do thus as to raise up all the descendants of Adam the Tribes of Jacob and in this sence also To Restore the Preserved of Israel that his own great work of Creation might be Perfect and Compleat unto the End of the Earth unto the End of time yea unto the end of his whole work of Creation for that would not be Perfect and Compleat unless he should annex salvation unto it That is save and bring it up again from that Perishing and Corruption that Death and Dissolution which hath already come in part and is yet further to come upon the whole Creation of God Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth the reason whereof is that Perishing and Corruption the Death and Dissolution which as yet it is subject unto and Travaileth in Pain together until now Rom. 8. 21 22. But when God shall extend his salvation so far as to save and preserve the whole from the same Perishing and Corruption Death and Dissolution which it hath underwent when the New Heavens and the New Earth under which are comprised all things contained in them which He will make shall remain Isa 66. 22. By which word remain 〈◊〉 denoted an Eternal Immutable and Irreversible State of things For if it was to be for never so many Millions of Years it would not be properly remaining but transitory because that the several Parts and Portions of time do pass and succeed one another Then the whole Creation instead of the former Groaning and Travailing in Pain will rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Because that thus it will be delivered from the former Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God and then shall be brought to pass that saying I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever Eccles 3. 14. And the Works of God will be found worthy of himself that is Eternal It stands on this wise in the order and decree of things to do them at first in a lesser degree in order to a greater To carry and advance them from Imperfection to Perfection It is sown in Corruption It is raised in Incorruption To first make them with a Perishing Nature and afterwards Graft on and add an Eternal Nature that they are never more to be done away nor yet to cease to be All this cometh from the Lord of Hosts which is wonderful in Counsel and Excellent in working And all this is as certainly true and will be found so in the appointed time as God is God which again is as certain as that there is a world and any thing in it for he is the Maker of all things and by whom they subsist Then Philip opened his Mouth and began at the same Scripture and Preached unto him Jesus So if one was to begin at this same Scripture Behold I will add unto thy Days Fifteen Years and from thence Preach unto you Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began for discovery was made thereof by little and little unto the Fathers But hath in due times manifested his word through Preaching Titus 1. 2 3. It might at first seem hard and perplex unto ye how the Preacher would draw forth and infer Eternal Life from these Words which at first sight and appearance rather shews the contrary that the Life of Man will come to an utter end And yet it hath been made out in some Measure But the Reasoning and Inference of Eternal Life doth yet further arise from that word add For as the Apostle Paul argues somewhat yea very much in reference to the case in hand If there be no Resurrection of the Dead then 〈◊〉 Christ not risen for if the Dead rise not then is Christ not raised 1 Cor. 15. 13 16. So in like manner it may be here reasoned if God did add Fifteen Years unto Hezekiahs Life because he had heard his Prayer and seen his Tears so he will add unto him and to all others who pray and cry for and shall be Judged worthy that Blessing which the Lord hath commanded even Life for evermore Psal
the appointment and foreknowledge of our God yet that we may in these Days of our flesh offer up continually unto him strong Crying and Tears that we may be heard in that we fear before him That when these Days of our Flesh the time of our Ministration and Warfare here on Earth are Ended the Lord would add unto each of us a Blessed Eternity which He will to such and only to such as he shall find and judge worthy to obtain that Resurrection For we must of necessity be raised up and restored to Life and Being again so to remain throughout the Vast and Infinite Duration thereof As to the first Think always and very much upon Eternity As often as you think upon time which is every Day and as often as you hear the Clock strike Do you also think upon Eternity and let that enter into your thoughts And compare the vast odds and difference between them both the Natural result and consequent whereof is That ought to be most minded which is of most concern As the Days are now passing on so the duration of Eternity will quickly begin but never End And we are continually breathing and moving towards it till at length the body like the shell doth actually break and â—all from it and the Soul is as it were hatched and brought forth into Eternity I my self and so ye who now dwell â—n time must be Launched forth into that State and that â—nfinite duration where time shall be no longer And as this is certainly true in the order and decree of God concerning us Mortal Creatures so we should always think much of it and have it continually in our Minds Bâ—â— this is the unhappiness and fault that People are so usually cumbred with the little things of time that they forget and do not heed the great things of Eternity Anâ— the things Temporal do Choak and stifle the sense 〈◊〉 things Eternal But here we should all along use tâ—â—â— Godly Discretion and Soul saving wisdom as to renouncâ—â— abstract and separate from them in order to think more anâ— have yet greater searching of heart how to secure oâ—â— selves a blessed Portion in the good things of Eternity Secondly Pray without ceasing Or Be ye always in 〈◊〉 Praying Posture of Mind having your heart lifted up unto God Which use doth hence arise that if God hea 〈…〉 Hezekiahs Prayer so as to add to his Days Fifteen Yearâ— more This is Encouragement and Invitation to us also for us to offer up continually Prayers unto God that 〈◊〉 would add unto these few and evil Days remaining of oâ—â— Life Fifteen Millions of Millions of Years yea that vaâ—â— exceeding infinite duration which no Man could Numberâ— of a Blessed Eternity It is very well worth while Praying throughout our Life that we may gain Heaven Thâ—â— Duty of Praying without ceasing may be performed by havâ— ing the heart always fixed on or lifted up unto God Tâ— have it always Bent towards and intent on him that is Invisible And continually breathing forth Desires Supplications Intreaties and Intercessions unto him That as thâ— Pulse continually Beats the Mouth continually Breathâ— so the Heart and Soul may continually Pray unto Godâ— Even for Grace and Glory That is not so much to Prâ—â— for Heaven immediately or per saltum to leap into it 〈◊〉 once For there is no such doing but for all the mean thingâ— which are Necessary and Preparatory towards it Even 〈◊〉 wrestle with God in Prayer until the breaking of the Dâ—â— of Immortality and not to let him go Except thou blâ—â— me with the blessing which the Lord hath Commanded evâ—â— Life for Evermore As soon as and against the time thâ— life which is as a Vapour and continueth not is Ended 〈◊〉 That the same Lord the God of David our Father as 〈◊〉 did add Fifteen Years to the Days of Hezekiah so that 〈◊〉 would be pleased to add unto thee or me or such of us 〈◊〉 are of his Elect when this Temporal life of ours is Eâ—ded Life Eternal Amen
Israel And the Eyes of all Israel as of one Man shall be towards the Lord As God Eyeth us even so we should Eye God But how can this be seeing that God is invisible It must be done by Faith Which being the evidence of things not seen makes them as if they were seen After the Fruits and Effects thereof are reckoned up in Heb. 11. It is said in an observable manner of Moses By faith He forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for He endured as seeing him that is Invisible This is a constant Lesson of Instruction and Admonition to us upon whom the ends of the World are come that by faith we should in like manner forsake and not give way unto the Pleasures of sin for a season nor yet the Titillations of Lust nor yet fear the Terrours of Men nor yet to be perverted and turned aside by their favours but to endure all things in Uprightness and Innocency and according to the Dictates of a Good Conscience as seeing him that is invisible With our Souls which are Invisible we may see or at least understand the Invisible God All one as the outward Eye doth see things visible As all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom wâ— have to do Hell and Destruction are before the Lord 〈◊〉 how much more then the Hearts of the Children of Menâ— Prov. 15. 11. So all People both Godly and Ungodly Righteous and Wicked Saint and Sinner they do alâ— walk in the sight and presence of the Invisible God With this difference The Godly Righteous and Saints do walk as in the sight and presence of the Invisible God That is they have a knowledge and sense thereof and they do thus and thus with an Intention and Thought at the very time that God seeth them and iâ— present But the Ungody and Wicked and Sinners do walk only leaving out the Particle as in the sight and presence of the Invisible God For Hell is Naked before him and Destruction hath no covering God seeth all things He filleth Heaven and Earth all things and all places with his presence So that of necessity they must be in his sight and presence if they are any where but these do not walk as in his presence and in his sight So it is in that sense also All People of both sorts Good and Bad walk before God that is they are in his sight and knowledge But only the good so walk before him as in his obedience and well-pleasing to get his favour and acceptation The Generality of People do not walk before God as Hezekiah did but they â—â—ve at Random and all one as if there was no God to see their doings and as if He would not Judge them and they were to give no future Account for the same God both Sees and Remembers where the least Portion of our Precious Time is not spent in his Service and Obedience but it is Consumed and done away in Loytering or Idleness in Sinful or Vain Things I my self have too much to Answer for in this Nature And my self have too much to Answer for in this Nature And so God sees and Remembers where we do not live up to that Grace â—nd Knowledge He had Given and Intrusted us wâ—thall And so he Remembers also where we are not so Good and Holy as we might have been And also where we have not Improved our Christian Graces and Talents as we might have done When God comes to enter into Judgment He will shew himself to be a Remembring God These things hast thou done and I kept silence Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self as if such and such things were over and forgotten In no wise but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine Eyes Psal 50. 21. Things will then appear vastly different over what they do now For now Fools make a mock at sin They follow it with Greediness and Merriment and account it as a thing of naught as to the doing them any harm But then they will find that this which was formerly so light in their Opinion will sink them down to the lowermost Hell That it will be as a Talent of lead which is Wickedness Which will press down the Souls of those that are Loaded and Encompassed therewith into the lowermost parts of the Earth the Land of Darkness and of the shadow of Death where no Light is of Comfort or Freedom from misery Happy is He that hath the God of Jacob for his help and whose hope is in the Lord his God Happy is He that can make his appeal and sweet Recollection with our Saint in the Text Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth Such a review will be comfortable but it will not be altogether so to have it then said unto them Son Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy Good things Luke 16. 15. For this will be but so much the more Torment when they are slipped and passed away finally and eternally and they are in that place where they want a drop of Water to Cool their Tongue Even we know Experimentally by our selves that when we are now in any Pain or Misery the Remembrance of what Pleasures of Life we have formerly had or what good things we have heretofore enjoyed will not administer one Drachm of present comfort Nay contrariwise It is an Enhancement of the present misery How much she hath Glorified her self and lived Deliciously so much Torment and Sorrow give her Rev. 18. 7. So it will be meted out Adjusted and Proportioned in the future State of the Restitution and Distribution of all things How much Pleasure any one hath had hereon Earth the less He will have after he is removed and gone off from it yea There will be so much Torment and Sorrow given to the Person that had it This is an unanswerable Argument and Terrible consideration against Living in Pleasure on the Earth or being wanton therein or Nourishing their Hearts as in the Day of Slaughter And it should make us to equally fear to enjoy Pleasure however Agreeable or Grateful it may now seem to Flesh and Blood as we would be to take a Snake or Adder into our Bosom for altho it may seem smooth or tickle yet at the last it may sting us unto Death Or as we would be to suck in the Cruel Venim of Asps For so stands the Case with Poor Mankind that their Wine is mingled with Gall and the Clusters out of which it is made are bitter For so it stands in the Order and Connexion of things as they are decreed and appointed by God That for faring sumptuously every Day they must come to the place after these Days of their Flesh are ended where they shall be Tormented for so much Pleasures of Life and Delicacies they have had here after Death they must have so much Torment and
Sorrow This again is a most clear and convincing Demonstration That the living in the Pleasures of sin for a Season or the Catching after and enjoying the Delicacies and Recreations of the World is not a walking before God in Truth for the end of any ones living in Pleasure or Delicacy is in order to be an Happy Men. But now it is impossible from the order of the things of God that either the Pleasures of sin for a Season or the transitory delights of the World should give unto any Man the true Happiness because they have such bitter and miserable consequents no more then a Cup of sweet Poyson can tend to the well Being and Health of the Body So that it must follow by necessary consequence that whosoever follows after the Pleasures of sin for a Season or the delights of the World altho he now Bless himself in his heart saying I shall have Peace tho' I walk in the Imagination of mine Heart to add Drunkenness to Thirst Deut. 29. 19. Altho' they hug themselves in their own Conceit I shall have Happiness because that I enjoy so many Pleasures and Delights in Order to it Yet still herein they do not walk before God in Truth For they do not go in the right Road to Happiness but they are mistaken and deceived in heart and they are in a false Path as the end will prove for it will at last let them down into the Chambers of Death the place of Punishment and Misery We may thus know and conclude that as God gave us a Being at first so it is Natural and Reasonable to expect only from him an happy Being My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him Psal 62. 5. And thereupon we should walk before him in expectation and seeking after it And here if we go the right way And He led them forth by the right way Psal 107. 7. There is a great deal in that which is Chalked and Pointed out Butted and Bounded in his written word as long as we make that our Guide and Rule then indeed we walk before God in Truth But as sure as that word is Truth Thy Word is Truth the Pleasures of sin for a Season however eagerly they are sought after and followed by the People of the world for Satan who deceiveth the whole world makes use of this as the great Bait to beguile and catch Souls unto himself are not the true way to Happiness and Blessedness in the End Because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1. 19. So in like manner it may be truly reasoned that which may be known of God touching his future distribution of things is already manifest in Men for God hath shewed it unto them And accordingly may be observed that Melancholly and Heaviness of heart in the midst of Laughter the heart is sorrowful which is immediately at or after having the Pleasures of this Life That Regret of Mind and Vexation of Spirit immediately ensuing upon the Pleasures of sin for a Season All this and the like is but a manifestation before handâ— or as a Pledge Earnest and Fâ—reruâ—ner whereby God hath shewn unto them that Tribulation and Anguish Indignation and Wrath which shall be upon every Soul that doth Evil. This and the like is a fore-shewing of Pain Punishment and Misery to come And so again it is on the other good hand Where is Approbation of Mind the satisfaction of a good Conscience a Joyful Hope and Comfortable Expectation as all these and the like are annexed to our having our Evil things here to our enduring labour and taking Pains in the Obedience and Service of God this is an earnest of the Spirit and a Manifestation in Men whereby God hath shewn unto them that Glory Honour and Peace which shall be to every Man that worketh good Rom. 2. 10. And that assured future blessedness which shall be to every one that hath lived and done according to the Will of God Thou therefore endure Hardship as a Good Souldier of Jesus Christ saith Paul to Timothy VVhich is a Lesson of Instruction to be put in Practice by all faithful Christians for as we are in the way of Duty and Service of God the more denial of our selves we have used as to present ease and safety the greater satisfaction and enjoyment we shall have hereafter whereof now we have a little glimpse earnest assurance and foretast by that Complacency of mind and lively hope we may sometimes perceive after such and such Acts of Duty Notwithstanding the same do expose us to present worldly Inconveniencies Loss and Trouble However we are contented and satisfied and Joyful for it is something for God And so the more Labour we have been at the more Rest we shall have hereafter and this same Rest will be found yet so much the more pleasant And He saw the Land that it was good and Rest that it was Pleasant Gen. 49. 15. Which will be yet more so as we may perceive by the Irksomness of its contrary that is Restlessness And so the more Tribulation we have gone through in the world the Greater will be our Recompence and Crown The more loss hath been sustained in his Service the greater gain will be hereafter as Lazarus was comforted for the Evil things he had in his life time Yea in whatever seems Evil Harsh Uncouth and Irksome it will be made up double yea more then an hundred fold in the time of the Restitution of all things When the times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. So that in each thing we take in hand we should not so much regard whither the same be Pleasant or aukward but whither it be Duty or Sin whither it be Good or Evil whither it will tend to our Benefit or Loss our Reward or Punishment in the last Day And so we should either do or not do the same either abstain from or give way unto it Hereby also we may somewhat conceive of the exceeding Evil Mischief and Danger of Loytering or Idleness For only Just to Rest or Breath a little and so to Labour or Business again Otherwise there can no Good come possibly of it Nay it tends to so much Loss to be sustained throughout all Eternity And it is a Losing so much of the Things which we have wrought that they receive not a full Reward according as may be apprehended from 2. John 8. Which though there is not much Account made of through Ignorance or Unbelief at present yet in the latter Dayes ye shall consider it perfectly And when we come to see every Mans Reward Proportioned and adjusted according as his Labour and Work hath been then what themselves shall miss and be disappointed of through Idleness and Sloth in the Dayes of their Flesh will raise bitter Anguish and Indignation within themselves for not having been stedfast Unmoveable
always abounding in the Work of the Lord for they were then foretold but now they will see that their Labour would not have been in Vain in the Lord. If they did somewhat Work and Labour therein yet still they will have Indignation and Anguish that they did not Work and Labour therein yet more and more As it is supposed that the Pain of Loss will be More Grievous Irksome and Intolerable then the Pain of sence So likewise this part of the Pain of Loss will be sufficiently afflicting and disquieting to the Soul that she will then wish that she had not in the least Given way unto Idleness But she should have looked upon it as One of those Devices of Satan the Enemy to deprive and hinder her of so much Good in the Future Recompence As to this the Rule should be as to all the other Devices of Satan Not to Give way unto them and not to suffer our selves to be kept off or hindered by them It is an admiration to me that any one should not know what to do with their Time seeing that each and every one hath a God to serve and a Soul to save and surely all Portions and Intervals of Time which can be spared and deducted from other Things of Life should be employed to this Great End as indeed All Things whatever we have to do should be brought in subordination and tendency to iâ— We have still corruptions to subdue and Conquer and we are to perfect and fill up what 〈◊〉 wanting Nay still we might forecast and Think 〈◊〉 something in order to Work out Our own Salvation anâ— this being the Business for which we come only and Principally into this World we might herein hearken and 〈◊〉 according to those Gospel precepts Not Slothfull in Business â—ervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Giving all Diligence to make our calling and Election sure We should do well and wisely To exercise the Remembring and Understanding Office of our Souls for they are made by God our Creator capable to do both The Remembring part is chiefly conversant about Thingâ— that are past which by Remembrance are made as it were present unto us And here ye should call to Remembrancâ— the former Dayes in the which after ye were illuminated 〈◊〉 ye endured a Great â—ight of Afflictions Heb. 10. 32. Yâ— may call to Remembrance the former Dayes whilst yâ— did live in Vanity Ungodliness and in your Unregeneratâ— state That ye may see the Rock whereon ye had well â—igh split and been Shipwracked and so more carefully and certainly avoid the same for the Time to come That ye may throughly Understand and be deeply convinced of the folly and Danger thereof and so be more confirmed in mind against them for the Time to come So it is of Use and Benefit to call to mind the Dayes when we were first illuminated and converted unto the wayes of God That we may still keep up our former Zeal and Love towards God and the Sounding of the Bowels and that earnest desire to please him Remember both the Good and Evil of your past life in order to do the one more and to more eschew the other But the Benefit would be yet much greater to exercise the understanding Office of our Souls as it reaches unto things to come which makes them in a manner present unto us Here in the first place the Contrivance and Workmanship of our Souls is to be admired at that they are made as Angels of God capable not only to choose the Good and avoid the Evil but also to see and know things to come and a-far off Seeing that the Soul is made with such a capacity and faculty It should be accordingly exercised and used for God made it so for this End â—nd Purpose And if we did know before what would â—ome hereafter we should never do amiss which especially holds true as to the things to be manifested before us with open Face after that this life is ended If we would receive into our minds a through knowledge of them so â—s to embrace and receive them to be warned and take â—e warning People would not be so Destroyed and Perâ—sh as now they do My People are Destroyed for lack of â—nowledge Hos 4. 6. This is to be understood of that Eâ—ernal Destruction spoken of in the Gospel from the preâ—ence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power To â—onvey this knowledge into the Minds of People is the â—nd of all the Revelation of God which is but an orderâ—y Declaration of things which shall shortly come to pass â—fter that this life is ended Now faith is the substance of â—â—ings hoped for the evidence of things not seen for it 〈◊〉 the very same as pertaining to invisible and future â—hings what Knowledge is of visible and present things â—aith is the Knowledge of Invisible and Future Things â—he great Necessity and Usefulness whereof hence appears 〈◊〉 that it is so often said in the Gospel of Truth That â—aith saves us intimating thereby That if we did but â—now invisible and future things in like manner as we 〈◊〉 now know visible and present things as so we may then 〈◊〉 should be certainly saved and we should not miscarry 〈◊〉 to all Eternity My beloved Brethren it would be of incredible profit â—â—d advantage to each of us to sometimes yea often step â—wn into the Chambers of Death and take a Prospect of 〈◊〉 Horrors of Dooms-day and to go forth in thought â—o the place of departed Souls before our own Souls shall 〈◊〉 there indeed to the intent so to order our Conversation â—â—ght to which the promise is of being shewn the Salvatiâ—â— of God Psal 50. 23 and to be such manner of persons 〈◊〉 all holy Conversation and Godliness during the few remaiâ—g daies of our flesh as we shall indeed wish and desire we 〈◊〉 been when we are let slip and departed from it Reâ—ember the great End of things and thou shalt never do â—â—iss Keep the Judgment of God continually in thine â—â—e when the dead small and great shall arise and stand â—fore him and thou shalt never go much astray It is the manner of Beasts to think of and be convers 〈…〉 only about present things which are Just before them 〈◊〉 to remember what is past and to apprehend what is 〈◊〉 come This is only what Reasonable Creatures can do 〈◊〉 what Men and Women may do Unless by their own 〈◊〉 fulness sloth and ignorance it is fulfilled on them what 〈◊〉 written Nevertheless Man being in Honour abideth not 〈◊〉 is like the Beasts that Perish Psal 49. 12. But I will 〈◊〉 on to add yet further It is like unto the Immortal 〈◊〉 All-knowing God to Remember the past and to app 〈…〉 hend the future yea it is an Image of his own Etern 〈…〉 for it doth resemble even God Who quickeneth the De 〈…〉 and calleth the things that be not as tho they were Rom. 〈◊〉 17.