greatest concernment will not do the Soul any good unless by thinking it apply them and extract their vertue nor will the Spirit heal its lamentable Diseases if his influences be not answer'd with suitable endeavours Work then as he works in and with thee take into most serious consideration whatever is apt to promote thy recovery lay those things closest to heart which are likeliest to cure the hardness thereof inculcate and urge them and withal cry mightily unto him who is able and no less willing to help thee till thou feelest his gentle force and comest to a conquering resolution that thou must and wilt do as thou art advis'd till thou dost not only assent to the course propos'd as fit to be taken but art steadily determin'd that it is best for thee that it is absolutely necessary and must effectually be prosecuted that by the grace of God thou wilt thoroughly change thy heart and life and so escape from the greatest evil and make sure of the chiefest good 3. When thou hast seriously consider'd and resolv'd proceed presently to practise with all thy might and without the least delay 'T is commonly a work of some time to alter the temper of the Soul and change the course of the life and according to God's usual methods the longer thou hast been accustom'd to do evil the more time and pains will be requisite to break the force of stubborn lusts to weaken and subdue vitious habits and to gain those of grace and goodness to travel back the way thou hast gone wrong and to get out of it into the path of life 'T is well then if there be days enough before thee to do the one thing needful to be sure thou art not certain of an hour to spare the loss of so small a part may prove the loss of all Besides if thou putt'st off thy reformation though but for a little while 't is a sign thou dost not really intend it at all for thou purposest against conviction to add sin to sin at present and how can that consist with an hearty design of growing good afterward Delude not therefore thy self with such a desperate cheat but imitate the Royal Psâ—lmist When thou hast thought on thy ways turn thy feet unto Gods testimonies Make haste and delay not to keep his Commandments 4. Remember that conversion unto God is but the beginning of thy duty that thou must afterward obey him all the days of thy life and that there is no other way to preserve an interest in his favour and a right to the great expressions thereof They are the largest and the last discoveries of Divine Grace that teach thee to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and so doing to look for the blessed Object of thy hope they plainly enough warn thee against drawing back unto perdition they threaten a final rejection if thou deniest thy Saviour in words or works and they oft direct and command thee to seek for glory and honour and immortality by patient continuance in well-doing to be faith ful unto death whatever it cost thee that thy Lord may give thee a crown of life These may seem hard sayings but they contain nothing like a reasonable discouragement There 's misery more than enough in Hell to necessitate a prevention by any temporary labours wants and suffâ—rings and an abundantly sufficient happiness in Heaven to encourage a stedfast perseverance in the work of the Lord though it were more harsh and grievous than sinners imagine And even at present Religion is not without a reward yea thou wilt find it if thou triest as thou shouldst a reward to it self when the main difficulties at first are over thy duty will grow daily easier it will have many pleasures mixed with it and become at length it self the greatest It will not abridge thy appetites of any desirable gratifications but give them a new delicious relish of the Fountain from which they flow Instead of the girds and twinges of a bad Conscience and dread of an after-reckoning 't will settle peace within and fill thee with comfortable reflections and joyful hopes and a loving thankful praising obedience will by degrees become thy sweetest employment Therein thou may'st draw still nearer to God delight thy self in and receive from him the desires of thine heart thou may'st walk always in the light of his countenance and feed on his loving kindness which is better than life In short before thou ascendest to Heaven thou may'st be in an Heaven on Earth and find by happy experience that the way to have all thou canst wish hereafter is to be and do what is best for thy self here Useful Questions whereby a Christian may every day examine himself Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your heart upon your beds EVery Evening before you sleep unless you find some other time of the day more for your advantage in this work sequester your self from the World and having set your heart in the presence of the Lord charge it before God to answer to these Interrogatories For your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my Bed when he looked for me on my knees Job 1. 5. Psal. 5. 3. Q. 2. Have not I prayed to no purpose or suffered wandring thoughts to eat out my duties Mat. 15. 8 9. Jer. 12. 2. Q. 3. Have not I neglected or been very overly in the reading Gods holy word Deut. 17. 19. Josh. 1. 7 8. Q. 4. Have I digested the Sermon I heard last Have I repeated it over and prayed it over Luke 2. 19 51. Psal. 1. 2. and 119. 5 11 97. Q. 5. Was there not more of custom and fashion in my family-duties than of Conscience Psal. 101. 2. Jer 30. 21. Q. 6. Where in have I denied my self this day for God Luke 9. 23. Q. 7. Have I redeemed my time from too long or needless visits idle imaginations fruitless discourse unnecessary sleep more than needs of the World Eph. 5. 16. Col. 4. 5. Q. 8. Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God in this time extraordinary 2 Cor. 11. 28. Isa. 62. 6. Q. 9. Have I look care of my company Prov. 13. 20. Psal. 119. 63. Q. 10. Have not Ineglected or done something against the duties of my Relations as a Master Servant Husband Wife Parent Child c. Eph. 5. 22. to chap. 6. V. 10. Col. 3. 18. to the 4. V. 2. For your Sins Q. 1. Doth not sin sit light Psal. 38. 4. Rom. 7. 24. Q. 2. Am I a mourner for the sins of the Land Ezek. 9. 4. Jer. 9. 1 2 3. Q. 3. Do I live in nothing that I know or fear to be a sin Psal. 119. 101 104. For your Heart Q. 1. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations Neh. 2. 4 5. Q. 2. Hath not God been out of mind Heaven out of sight Psal. 16. 8 Jer. 2. 32. Col. 3. 1 2. Q. 3. Have
to offer the Sacrifice of praise for all his fellow creatures Psal. 147. and 148. and 150. The Lord God expecteth a tribute of praise from all his works Psalm 103. 2. now all the rest do bring in their tribute to man and pay it in by his hand So then if man be false and faithless and selfish God is wronged of all and shaâ—l have no active glory from his works O dreadful thought to think of That God should build such a world as this and lay out such infinite power and wisdom and goodness thereupon and all in vain and man should be guilty at last of robbing and Spoiling him of the glory of all O think of this while thou art unconverted all the Offices of the creatures to thee are in vain thy meat nourishes thee in vain the Sun holds forth his light to thee in vain the Stars that serve thee in their courses by their most powerful though hidden influence Iudges 5. 20. Hos. 2. 21 22. do it in vain thy Cloaths warm thee in vain thy Beast carries thee in vain in a word the unwearied labour and continual travel of the whole Creation as to thee is in vain The service of all the creatures that drudge for thee and yield forth their strength unto thee that therewith thou shouldst serve their Maker is all but lost labour Hence the whole Creation groaneth under the abuse of this unsanctified world Rom. 8. 22. that pervert them to the service of their lusts quite contrary to the very end of their Being III. Without this thy Religion is in vain Jam. 1. 26. All thy religious performances will be but lost for they can neither please God Rom. 8. 8. nor save thy soulâ— 1. Cor. 13. 2 3. Which are the very ends of Religion Be thy services never so specious yet 〈◊〉 hath no pleasure in them Isai. 1. 14. Mal. 1. 10. Is not that man's case dreadful whose sacrifices are as Murder and whose prayers are a breath of abomination Isa. 66. 3. Prov. 28. 9. Many under convictions think they will set upon mending and that a few prayers and alms will salve all again but alas sirs while your hearts remain unsanctified your duties will not pass How punctual was Iebu and yet all was rejected because his heart was not upright 2 Kings 10. with Hos. 1. 4. How blameless was Paul and yet being unconverted all was but loss Phil. 3. 6 7. Men think they do much in attending God's Service and are ready to twit him with it Isa. 58. 3. Mat. 7. 22. and set him down so much their debtor when as their persons being unsanctified their duties cannot be accepted O soul do not think when thy sins pursue thee a little praying and reforming thy course will pacify God thou must begin with thine heart If that be not renewed thou canst no more please God than one that having unspeakably offended thee should bring thee his vomit in a dish to pacify thee or having fallen into the mire should think with his loathed embraces to reconcile thee It is a great misery to labour in the fire The Poets could not invent a worser Hell for Sisyphus than to be getting the Barrel still up the Hill and then that it should presently fall down again and renew his labour God threatens it as the greatest of temporal judgments that they should build and not inhabit plant and not gather and their labours should be eat up by strangers Deut. 28. 30 38 39 41. Is it so great a misery to lose our common labours to sow in vain and build in vain how much more to lose our pains in Religion to pray and hear and fast in vain This is an undoing and eternal loss Be not deceived If thou goest on in thy sinful state though thou shoâ—ldst spread forth thine hands God will hide his eyes though thou make many prayers he will not hear 〈◊〉 1. 15. If a man without skill set about our work and marr it in the doing though he take much pains we give him but small thanks God will be worshipped after the due order 1 Chron. 15. 13. If a servant do our work but quite contrary to our order he shall have rather stripes than praise Gods work must be done according to Gods mind or he will not be pleased and this cannot be except it be done with a holy heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. IV. Without this thy hopes are in vain Job 8. 12 13. The Lord hath rejected thy Confidence Ier. 2. 37. First Thy hopes of Comfort here are in vain 'T is not only necessary to the safety but comfort of your condition that you be converted Without this you shall not know peace Isai. 59. 8. Without the fear of God you cannot have the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. God speaks peace only to his people and to his Saints Pal. 85. 8. If you have a false peace continuing in your sins 't is not of Gods speaking and then you may guess the Author Sin is a real Sickness Isai. 1. 5. Yea the worst of sickness 't is a Leprosie in the head Lev. 13. 44. the plague in the heart 1 Kings 8. 38. 't is brokenness in the bones Psal. 51. 8. it piercâ—â—h it 〈◊〉 iâ— racketh it tormenteth 1 〈◊〉 â— 10. A man may as well expect ease when his â—â—scases are in their strength or his bones out of joynt as true comfort while in his sins O wretched man that canst have no ease in this case but what comes from the deadliness of the diseaseâ— You shall have the poor-sick man saying in his lightness he is well when you see death in his face He will needs up and about his business when the very next step is like to be into the grave The unsanctified often see nothing amiss they think themselves whole and cry not out for the Physician but this shews the danger of theâ—r Case Sin doth naturally breed distempers and disturbances in the soulâ—â— What a continual tempest and commotion is there in a disconteâ—ted mind What an eating evil is inordinate care What is passion but a very feaver in the mind What is lust but a fire in theÌ„ bones What is pride but a deadly tympany or covetousness but an unâ—atiable and unsufferable thirst Or malice and envy but venom in the very heart Spiritual sloth is but a scurvy in the mind and carnal security a mortal lethargy and how can that soul have true comfort that is under so many diseases But converting grace cures and so eases the mind and prepares the soul for a setled standing immortal peace Great peace have they that love thy Commands and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. 165. They are the ways of wisdom that afford pleasure and peace Prov. 3. 17. David had infinitely more pleasure in the word than in all the delights of his Court Psal. 119. 103 127. The Conscience cannot be truly pacified till soundly purified Heb. 10. 22. Cursed is that peace
I been often looking into mine own heart and made conscience even of vain thoughts Prov. 3. 23. Psal. 119. 113. Q. 4. Have not Iâ— given way to the workings of pride or passion 2 Chron. 32. 26. James 4. 5 6 7. For your Tongue Q. 1. Have I bridled my Tongue and forced it in Jam. 1. 26. Jam. 3. 2 3 4 Psal. 39. 1. Q. 2. Have I spoken evil of no man Tit. 3. 2. Jam. 4. 11. Q. 3. Hath the Law of the Lord been in my mouth as I sate in my house went by the way was lying down and rising up Deut. 6. 6 7. Q. 4. Is there no company I come into but I have dropped something of God and left some good savour behind Col. 4. 6. Eph. 4. 29. For your Table Q. 1. Did not I sit down with no higher end than a beast meerly to please my Appetite did I eat and drink to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Q. 2. Was not my Appetite too hard for me Jude 12. 2 Pet. 1. 6. Q. 3. Did not I arise from the Table without dropping any thing of God there Luke 7. 36 c. Luke 14. 1 c. John 6. Q. 4. Did not I mock God when I pretended to crave a blessing and return thanks Acts 27. 35 36. Mat. 15. 36. Col. 3. 17 23. For your Calling Q. 1. Have I been diligent in the duties of my Calling Eccles. 9. 1 Cor. 7. 17 20 24. Q. 2. Have I defrauded no man 1 Thes. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 8. Q. 3. Have I dropped never a lye in my shop or trade Prov. 28. 6. Eph. 4. 25. Q. 4. Did not I raâ—hly make nor falsly break some promise Psal. 106. 33. Josh. 9. V. 14 c. Psal. 15. 4. An Addition of some brief Directions for the Morning D. 1. If through necessity or carelessness you have omitted the reading and weighing of these questions in the Evening be sure to do it now D. 2. Ask your self what sin have I committed what duty have I omitted against which of these Rules have I offended in the day foregoing and renew your repentance and double your watch D. 3. Examine whether God were last in your thoughts when you went to sleep and first when you awoke D. 4. Enquire whether your care of your heart and ways doth increase upon your constant using of this course for self-examination or whether it doth abate and you grow more remiss D. 5. Impose a task of some good meditation upon your selves while you are making ready either to go over these Rules in your thoughts or the heads of the Sermon you heard last or the holy meditations for the purpose in the practice of Piety or Scudder's daily walk D. 6. Set your ends right for all that day D. 7. Set your watch especially against those sins and temptations that you are like to be most incident to that day THE CONTENTS I. What Conversion is not and correcting some Mistakes about it II. What Conversion is and wherein it consists III. The Necessity of Conversion IV. The Marks of the Unconverted V. The Miseries of the Unconverted VI. Directions for Conversion VII Motives to Conversion VIII Conclusion IX Counsel for Personal and Family-Godliness This same Book is Printed in large Octavo of a bigger Print for ease of Antient Persons Whereunto are annexed diverse Practical Cases of Conscience Judiciously Resolved Printed for Tho. Parkhurst c. An Earnest Invitation to Sinners to Turn to God in order to their Eternal Salvation DEarly Beloved and longed for I gladly acknowledge my self a debter to you all and am concerned as I would be found a good Steward to the Houshold of God to give to every one his Portion But the Physician is most solicitous for those Patients whose case is most doubtful and hazardous and the Father's bowels are especially turned towards his dying Child The numbers of the unconverted souls among you call for my most earnest compassions and hasty diligence to pluck them out of the burning Iude 23. and therefore to these first I shall apply my self in these lines But whence shall I fetch my arguments or how shall I choose my words Lord wherewith shall I woo them wherewith shall I win them Oh that I could but tell I would write unto them in tears would weep out every argument I would empty my veins for Ink I would petition them on my knees verily were I able I would O how thankful I would be if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn How long have I travelled in birth with you how frequently have I made suit to you how often would I have gathered you how instant have I been with you this is that I have prayed for and studied for for many years that I might bring you to God Oh that I might but do it Will you yet be intreated Oh what a happy man might you make me if you would but hearken to me and suffer me to carry you over to Jesus Christ But Lord how insufficient am I for this work I have been many a year wooing for thee but the Damsel would not go with me Lord what a task hast thou set me to do Alas wherewith shall I pierce the scales of Leviathan or make the heart to feel that is hard as a stone hard as a piece of the nether Milstone Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave and look when the dead will obey me and come forth Shall I make an Oration to the Rocks or declaim to the Mountains and think to move them with arguments Shall I give the blind to see From the beginning of the world was it not heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind But thou O Lord canst pierce the scales and prick the heart of the Sinner I can but shoot at rovers and draw the bow at a venture and do thou direct the arrow between the joynts of the harness and kill the sin and save the Soul of a sinner that casts his eyes into these labours But I must apply my self to you to whom I am sent yet I am at a great loss Would to God I knew how to go to work with you would I stick at the pains God knoweth you your selves are my witnesses how I have followed you in private as well as in publick and have brought the Gospel to your doors testifying to you the necessity of the new birth and persuading you to look in time after a sound and thorough change Beloved I have not acted a part among you to serve my own advantage your Gospel is not yeaâ— and nay Have you not heard the same truths from the Pulpit by publick labours and by private letters by personal instructions Brethren I am of the same mind as ever that holiness is the best choice that there is no entring into Heaven but by the streight passages of the second birth that without holiness you shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. Ah my beloved
Before the news of a Christ was a stale and sapless thing but now how sweet is a Christ Augustine could not relish his before so much admired Cicero because he could not find the name of Christ how pathetically cries he Dulcissime amantis benignis caris c. quando te videbo quando satiabor de pulchritudine tua Medit. c. 37. O most sweet most loving most kind most dear most precious most desired most lovely most fair c. all in a breath when he speaks of and to his Christ in a word the voice of the Convert is with the Martyr None but Christ. 2. The terms which are either ultimate or Subordinate and Mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost whom the true Convert takes as his All-sufficient and eternal blessedness A Man is never truly sanctified till his very heart be in truth set upon God above all things as his portion and chief good These are the natural breathings of a believers heart Thou art my portion Psal. 119. 57. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord Psalm 34. 2. My expectation is from him he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defence in God is my salvation and my glory the Rock of my strength and my Refuge is in God Psalm 62. 1. 2 5 6 7. Psalm 18. 1 2. Would you put it to an issue whether you be converted or not Now then let thy soul and all that is within thee attend Hast thou taken God for thy happiness Where doth the content of thy heart lie Whence doth thy choicest comfort come in Come then and with Abraham lift up thine eyes Eastward and Westward and Northward and Southward and cast about thee what it is that thou wouldst have in Heaven or Earth to make thee happy If God should give thee thy choice as he did to Solomon or should say to thee as Ahashuerus to Esther What is thy petition and what is thy request and it shall be granted thee Esther 5. 3. What wouldst thou ask go into the gardens of pleasure and gather all the fragrant flowers from thence would these content thee Go to the treasures of Mammon suppose thou might'st lade thy self while thou wouldst from hence go to the towers to the trophies of honour what thinkest thou of being a man of renown and having a name like the name of the great men of the earth Would any of this all this suffice thee and make thee count thy self a happy man If so then certainly thou art carnal and unconverted If not go farther wâ—de into the divine excellencies the store of his mercies the hiding of his power the deeps unfathomable of his All-sufficiency Doth this sâ—it thee best and please thee most Dost thou say 'T is good to be here Mat. 17. 4. Here I will pitch here I will live and dye Wilt thou let all the world go rather than this Then 't is well between God and thee Happy art thou O man happy art thou that ever thou wast born If a God can make thee happy thou must needs be happy for thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God Deut. 26. 17. Dost thou say to Christ as he to us Thy Father shall be my Father and thy God my God John 20. 17. Here is the turning Point An unsound professor never takes up his rest in God but converting grace does the work and so cures the fatal misery of the fall by turning the heart from its idols to the living God 1 Thes. 1. 9. Now says the soul Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of eternal life Iohn 6. 68. Here he centers here he settles O 't is as the entrance of Heaven to him to see his interest in God When he discovers this he saith Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psalm 116. 7. and it is even ready to breath out Simons Song Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. and saith with Iacob when his old heart revived at the welcome tidings It is enough Gen. 45. 28. When he sees he hath a God in Covenant to go to this is all his salvation and all his desire 2 Sam. 23. 5. Man is this thy case Hast thou experienced this Why then blessed art thou of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee he hath laid hold on thy heart by the power of converting grace or else thou couldst never have done this The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal or less Principal The Principal is Christ the only Mediator between God and Man 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father Iohn 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape the only door by which we may enter Iohn 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ to accept of him Col. 2. 6. as the only means to life as the only way the only name given under Heaven Acts 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him nor in any other with him but throws himself on Christ alone as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea. Here saith the convinced sinner here I will venture and if I perish I perish If I dâ—â— I will die here But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy Intreat me not to leave thee or to turn away from following after thee Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self If thou kick me if thou kill me Job 13. 15. I will not go from thy door Thus the poor soul doth venture on Christ and resolvedly adhere to him Before Conversion the man made light of Christ minded the Farm Friends Merchandise more than Christ Mâ—t. 22. 5. Now Christ is to him as his necessary food his daily bread the life of his heart the staff of his life Phil. 3. 9. His great design is that Christ may be magnified in him Phil. 1. 20. His heart once said as they to the Spouse What is thy Beloved more than another Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company wicked games earthly delights than in Christ. He took Religion of a fancy and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream But now to him to live is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert He loves not only the Wages but work of Christ. Ro. 7. 12. not only the benefits but the burden of Christ He is willing not only to tread out the corn but to draw under the yoak he takes up the commands of Christ yea and Cross of Christ Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ He is all for the Salvation of Christ but he is not for sanctification he is for the priviledges
found Oh thou all powerful Iehovah that workest and none can lett thee that hast the keys of Hell and of death pitty thou the dead souls that lie here intombed and roll away the grave stone and say as to Lazarus when already â—tinking Come forth Lighten thou this darkness O inaccessable light and let the day-spring from on high visit the darksome region of the dead to whom I speak for thou canst open the eyes that death it self hath closed Thou that formedst the ear canst restore the hearing Say thou to these ears Ephphatah and they shall be opened Give thou eyes to see thine excellencies a taste that may relish thy sweetness a scent that may savour thine Ointments a feeling that may sence the priviledge of thy favour the burden of thy wrath the intolerable weight of unpardoned sin and give thy servants command to prophesie to the dry bones and let the effect of this prophesie be as of thy Prophet when he prophesied the valley of dry bones into a living Army exceeding great Ezek. 37. 1 c. The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones He said unto me prophesie upon these bones and say unto them O ye dry bones bear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live And I will lay sinews upon you and will bring up flesh upon you and cover you with Skin and put breath in you and ye shall live and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone And when I beheld Lo the sinewâ— and the flesh came up upon them and covered them above but there was no breath in them Then said he unto me Prophesie unto the wind prophesie son of man and say unto the wind Thus saith the Lord God Come from the four winds O breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army But I must proceed as I am able to unfold that misery which I confess no tongue can unfold no heart can sufficiently comprehend Know therefore that while thou art unconverted 1. The infinite God is engaged against thee It is no small part of thy misery that thou art without God Eph. 2. 12. How doth Micah run crying after the Danites You have taken away my Gods and what have I more Judges 18. 23 24. O what a mourning then must thou lift up that art without God that canst lay no claim to him without daring unsurpation Thou mayst say of God as Sheba of David We have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the Son of Jesse 2. Sam. 20. 1. How pittiful and piercing a moan is that of Saul in his extremity The Philistines are upon me and God is departed from me 1. Sam. 28. 15. Sinners but what will you do in the day of your visitation whither will you flee for help where will you leave your glory Isa. 10. 3. What will you do when the Philistines are upon you When the World shall take its eternal leave of you when you must bid your friends houses lands farewel for evermore What will you do then I say that have never a God to go to Will you call on him will you cry to him for help alas he will not own you Prov. 1. 28 29. he will not take any knowledge of you but send you packing with an I never knew you Mat. 7. 23. They that know what 't is to have a God to go to a God to live upon they know a little what a fearful misery it is to be without God. This made that holy man cry out Let me have a God or nothing Let me know him and his will and what will please him and how I may come to enjoy him or would I had never had an understanding to know any thing c. But thou art not only without God but God is against thee Ezek. 5. 8 9. Nah. 2. 13. Oh if God would but stand a neuter though he did not own nor help the poor sinner his case were not so deeply miserable Though God should give up the poor creature to the will of all his enemies to do their worst with him though he should deliver him over to the tormentors Mat. 18. 〈◊〉 that devils should tear and torture him to their 〈◊〉 most power and skill yet this were not half â—o fearful But God will set himself against the sinner and believe it 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. Thereâ—s no friend like him no enemy like him As much as Heaven is above the Earth Omnipotency above Impotency Infinity above Nullity so much more horrible is it to fall into the hands of the living God than into the pawsâ— of Bears or Lions yea Furies or Devils God himself will be thy tormentor thy destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes. 1. 9. Tophet is deep and large and the wrath of the Lord like a river of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 33. If God be against thee who shall be for thee If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2. 25. Thou even thou art to be feared and who shall stand in thy fight when once thou art angry Psal. 76. 7. Whoâ— is that God that shall deliver you out of his hands Dan. 3. 15. Can Mammon Riches profit not in the day of Wrath Prov. 11. 4. Can Kings or Warriors No they shall cry to the Mountains and Rocks to fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Sinner methinks this should go like a dagger to thine heart to know that God is thine enemy Oh whither wilt thou go where wilt thou shelter thee There is no hope for thee unless thou lay down thy weapons and sue out thy pardon and get Christ to stand thy friend and make thy peace If it were not for this thou mightest go into some howling wilderness and there pine in sorrow and run mad for anguish of heart and horrible despair But in Christ there is a possibility of mercy for thee yea a proffer of mercy to thee that thou mayst have God to be more for thee than he is now against thee But if thou wilt not forsake thy sins nor turn thoroughly and to purpose unto God by a
counsels are against thee to contrive they destruction Ier. 18. 11. He laughs in himself to see how thou wilt be taken and ensnared in the evil day Psal. 37. 13. The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that the day is coming He sees how thou wilt come down mightily in a moment how thou wilt wring thine hands and tear thine hair and eat thy flesh and gnash thy teeth for anguish and astonishment of heart when thou seest thou art fallen remedilesly into the pit of destruction Fifthly The truth of God is sworn against thee Psal. 95. 11. If he be true and faithful thou must perish if thou goest on Luke 13. 3. Unless he be false of his word thou must die except thou repent Ezek. 33. 11. If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. That is he is faithful to his threatnings as well as promises and will shew his faithfulness in our confusion if we believe not God hath told thee as plain as it can be spoken That if he wash thee not thou hast no part in him John 13. 8. that if thou livest after the flesh thou shalt die Rom. 8. 13. That except thou be converted thou shalt in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18. 3. and he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself Beloved as the immutable faithfulness of God in his promise and oath afford Believers strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. so they are to Unbelievers for strong consternation and confusion O sinner tell me what shift dost thou make to think of all the threatnings of Gods word that stand upon record against thee Dost thou believe their truth or not If not thou art a wretched inâ—idel and not a Christian and therefore give over the name and hopes of a Christian. But if thou dost believe them O heart of steel that thou hast that canst walk up and down in quiet when the truth and faithfulness of God is engaged to destroy thee That if God Almighty can do it thou shalt surely perish and be damned Why man the whole book of God doth testifie against thee while thou remainest unsanctified It condemns thee in every leaf and is to thee like Ezekiel's roll written within and without with lamentation and mourning and woe Ezek. 2. 10. and all this shall surely come upon thee and overtake thee Deut. 28. 15. except thou repent Heaven and Earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of this word shall never pass away Mat. 5. 18. Now put all this together and tell me if the case of the unconverted be not deplorably miserable As we read of some persons that had bound themselves in an oath and in a curse to kill Paul So thou must know O sinner to thy terrer that all the Attributes of the Infinite God are bound in an oath to destroy thee Heb. 3. 28. O man what wilt thou do Whither wilt thou fly If Gods Omnisciency can find thee thou shalt not escape If the true and faithful God will save his Oath perish thou must except thou believe and repent If the Almighty hath power to torment thee thou shalt be perfectly miserable in Soul and Body to all eternity unless it be prevented by thy speedy Conversion II. The whole Creation of God is against thee The whole Creation saith Paul groaneth and travelleth in pain Rom. 8. 22. But what is it that the Creation groaneth under Why the fearful abuse that it is subject to in serving the lusts of unsanctified men And what is it that the Creation groaneth for Why for freedom and liberty from this abuse for the creature is very unwillingly subject to this bondage Rom. 8. 19 20 21. If the unreasonable and inanimate creatures had speech and reason they would cry out under it as bondage unsufferable to be abused by the ungodly contrary to their natures and the ends that the great Creator made them for It is a passage of an eminent Divine The liquor that the drunkard drinketh if it had reason as well as a man to know how shamefully 't is abused and spoiled it would groan in the Barrels against him it would groan in the Cup against him groan in his Throat in his Belly against him It would fly in his Face if it could speak And if God should open the mouths of the Creatures as he did the mouth of Balaam's Ass the proud mans garments on his back would groan against him There is never a creature but if it had reason to know how 't is abused till a man be converted it would groan against him The land would groan to bear him the air would groan to give him breathing their houses would groan to lodge them their beds would groan to ease them their food to nourish them their clothes to cover them and the creature would groan to give them any help and comfort so long as they live in sin against God. Thus far he Methinks this should be a terror to an unconverted soul to think that he is a burden to the Creation Luke 13. 7. Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground If the poor inanimate creatures could but speak they would say to the ungodly as Moses to Israel Must we fetch you water out of the Rock ye rebe's Numb 2. 10. Thy food would say Lord must I nourish such a wretch as this and yield forth my strength for him to dishonour thee withall No. I will choak him rather if thou wilt give me commission The very air would say Lord must I give this man breath to set his tongue against Heaven and scorn thy people and vent his pride and wrath and filthy communication and belch our oaths and blasphemy against thee No if thou but say the word he shall be breathless for me His poor Beast would say Lord must I carry him upon his wicked designs No I will break his bones I will end his days rather if I may have but leave from thee A wicked man the earth groans under him and Hell groans for him till death satisfies both and unburdens the earth and stops the mouth of Hell with him While the Lord of Hosts is against thee be sure the Hosts of the Lord are against thee and all the creatures as it were up in arms till upon a mans convertion the controversie being taken up between God and him he makes a convenant of peace with the creatures for him Iob 5. 22 23 24. Hos. 2. 18 19 20. III. The roaring Lyon hath his full power upon thee 1 Pet. 5. 8. Thou art fast in the paw of that Lion that is greedy to devour In the snare of the Devil led captive by him at 〈◊〉 will 2 Tim. 2. 26. This is the spirit that worketh in 〈◊〉 Children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. His Drudgeâ— they are and his lusts they do He is the Ruler of the darkness of this world Eph. 6. 12. that is of ignorant sinners that live in darkness You
God that all this miserâ— lies upon thee what a case art thou in Is it for one that hath his senses to live in such a condition and not to make all possible expedition for preventing his utter ruin O man who hath bewitched thee Gal. 3. 1. that in the matters of the present life thou shouldst be wise enough to forecast thy business foresee thy danger and prevent thy mischief but in matters of everlasting consequence shouldst be slight and careless as if they little concerned thee Why is it nothing to thee to have all the Attributes of God engaged against thee Canst thou do well without his favour Canst thou escape his hands or endure his vengeance Dost thou hear the creation groaning under thee and hell groaning for thee and yet think thy case good enough Art thou in the paw of the Lion under the power of corruption in the dark and noisome prison fetter'd with thy lusts working out thine own damnation and is not this worth the considering Wilt thou make light of all the terrours of the Law of all its curses and thunderbolts as if they were but the report of the Childrens potâ— guns or thou went to war with their paper pellets dost thou laugh at hell and destruction or canst thou drink the envenomed Cup of the Almighty's fury as if it were but a common portion Gird up now thy lovns like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me Iob 40. 7. Art thou such a Leviathan as that the scales of thy pride should keep thee from thy Makers coming at thee Wilt thou esteem his Arrows as straw and the instruments of death as rotten wood Art thou chief of all the Children of pride even that thou shouldst count his darts as stubble and laugh at the shaking of his spear Art thou made without fear and contemnest his barbed Irons Iob 41. Art thou like the horse that paweth in the valley and rejoâ—ceth in his strength who 〈◊〉 out to meet the armed men Dost thou mock at fear and art not affrighted neither turnest back from Gods sword when his quiver ratleth against thee the glittering spear and the shield Iob 39. 21 22 23. Well if the threats and calls of the word will not fear thee nor awaken thee I am sure death and judgment will. Oh what wilt thou do when the Lord cometh forth against thee and in his fury falleth upon thee and thou shalt feel what thou readest If when Daniel's enemies were cast into the Den of Lions both they and their wives and their children the Lions had the mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces ere ever they came at the bottom of the Den Dan. 6. 24. what shall be done with thee when thou fallest into the hands of the living God When he shall gripe thee in his Iron arms and grind and crush thee to a thousand pieces in his wrath Oh do not then contend with God. Repent and be converted so none of this shall come upon thee Isa. 55. 6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Chap. VI. Containing DIRECTIONS for Conversion Mark 10. 17. And there came one and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life BEfore thou readest these Directions I advise thee yea I charge thee before God and his holy Angels to resolve to follow them as far as Conscience shall be convinâ—â—d of their agreeableness to Gods word and thy estate and call in his assistance and blessing that they may succeed And as I have sought the Lord and consulted his Oracles what advice to give thee so must thou entertain it with that awe reverence and purpose of obedience that the word of the living God doth require Now then attend Set thine heart unto all that I shall testifie unto thee in this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life Deut. 32. 46. This is the end of all that hath been spoken hitherto to bring you to set upon turning and making use of Gods means for your conversion I would not trouble you nor torment you before the time with the forethoughts of your eternal misery but in order to your making your escape Were you shut up under your present misery without remedy it were but mercy as one speaks to let you alone that you might take in that little poor comfort that you are capable of here in this world But you may yet be happy If you do not wilfully refuse the means of your recovery Behold I hold open the door unto you arise take your flight I set the way of life before you walk in it and you shall live and not die Deut 30. 19. Ier. 9. 16. It pities me to think you should be your own Murderers and throw your selves headlong when God and men cry out to you as Peter in another Case to his Master Spare thy self A noble Virgin that attended the Court of Spain was wickedly ravished by the King and hereupon exciting the Duke her Father to revenge he called in the Moors to his help who when they had executed his design miserably wasted and spoiled the Country which this Virgin laying so exceedingly to heart shut her self up in a Tower belonging to her Father's house and desired her Father and Mother might be called forth and bewailing to them her own wretchedness that she should have occasioned so much misery and desolation to her Country for the satisfying of her revenge she told them she was resolved to be avenged upon her self Her Father and Mother besought her to pity her self and them but nothing could prevail but she took her leave of them and threw her self off the battlements and so perished before their faces Just thus is the wilful destruction of ungodly men The God that made them beseecheth them and cryeth out to them as Paul to the distracted Jaylor when about to murder himself Do thy self no harm The Ministers of Christ forewarn them and follow them and â—ain would have them back But alas No expoâ—tulations nor obtestations will prevail but men will hurl themselves into perdition while pity it self looketh on What shall I say would it not grieve a person of any humanity if in the time of a reigning plague he should have a receipt as one said well that would infallibly cure all the Country and recover the most hopeless patients and yet his friends and neighbours should die by the hundreds about him because they would not use it Men and Brethren though you carry the certain Symptoms of death in your faces yet I have a receipt that will cure you all that will cure infallibly Follow but these few Directions and if you do not then win Heaven
thee I will be for thee and for no other Again God the Son must be taken for thy Saviour for thy Redeemer and Righteousness Iohn 1. 2. He must be accepted as the only way to the Father and the only means of Life Heb. 7. 25. O then put off the rayment of thy captivity on with the wedding garment and go and marry thy self to Jesus Christ. Lord I am thine and all that I have my body my soul my name my estate I send a bill of divorce to my other lovers I give my heart to thee I will be thine undividedly thine ever lastingly I will set thy name on all I have and use it only as thy goods as thy loan during thy leave resigning ad to thee I will have no King but thee Reign thou over me Other Lords have had dominion over me But now I will make mention of thy name only and do here take an oâ—th of fealty to thee promising and vowing to serve and love and â—ear thee above all competitors I disavow mine own righteousness and despair of ever being pardoned and saved for mine own duties or graces and lean only on thine all-sufficient sacrifice and intercession for pardon and life and acceptance before God. I take thee for mine only guide and instructer resolving to be led and directed by thee and to wait forâ— thy counsel and that thine shall be the casting voice with me Lastly God the Spirit must be taken for thy sanctifier Rom. 8. 9 14. Gal. 5. 16 18. for thine Advocate thy Counsellor thy Comforter the teacher of thine ignorance the pledge and earnest of thine inheritance Rom. 8. 26. Psal. 73. 24. Iohn 14. 16. Eph. 1. 14. Iohn 14. 26. Eph. 4. 30. Awake thou Northwind and come thou Sâ—â—th and blow upon my Garden Cant. 4. 16. Come thou Spirit of the most highâ— here is a house for thee here is a Temple for thee Here do thou rest for â—ver dwell here and rest here Lo I give up the possession to thee full possession I send thee the keys of my heart that all may be for thy use that thou mayst put thy goods thy grace into every Room I give up the use of all to thee that every faculty and every member may be thine iâ—â—â—â—ument to work righteousness and do the will of my Father which is in Heaven Secondly In all his essential perâ—ections Consider how the Lord hath revealed himself to you in his word will you take him as such a God Oâ— sinner here 's the blessedest News that ever came to the sons of Men. The Lord will be thy God Gen. 17. 7. Rev. 21. 3. if thou wilt but close with him in his excellencies Wilt thou have the merciful the gracious the sin-pardoning God to be tâ—â— God O yes saith the sinner I am undone else But he farther tells thee I am the holy and sin-hating God. If thou wilt be owned as one of my people thou must be holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. holy in heart holy in life Thou must put away all thine iniquities be they never so near never so natural never so necessary to the maintaining thy fleshly interest Unless thou wilt be at defiance with sin I cannot be thy God. Cast out the leaven put away the evil of thy doings cease â—o do evil learn to do well or else I can have nothing to do with thee Isa. 1. 16 17 18. Bring forth mine enemies or there is no peace to be had with me What doth thine heart answer Lord I desire to have thee as such a God. I desire to be holy as thou art holy to be made partaker of thy holiness I love thee not only for thy goodness and mercy but for thy holiness and parity I take thy holiness for my happiness Oh! be to me a fountain of holiness set on me the stamp and impress of thy holiness I will thankfully part with all my sins at thy command My wiâ—ful sins I do forthwith forsake and for my infirmities that I cannot get rid of though I would I will strive against them in the use of the meaâ—s I detest them and will pray and war against them and never let them have quiet rest in my soul. Beloved whosoever of you will thus accept of the Lord for his God he shall have him Again he tells you I am the All-sufficient God Gen. 17. 1. Will you lay all at my feet and give it up to my dispose and take me for your only portion Will you own and honour mine All-sufficiency Will you take me as your happiness and treasure your hope and bliss I am a Sun and a Shield all in one will you have me for your all Gen. 15. 1. Psal 84. 11. Now what dost thou say to this Doth thy mouth water after the Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt Art thou loath to exchange the earthly happiness for a part in God and though thou wouldest be glad to have God and the World too yet canst thou not think of having him and nothing but him but hadst rather take up with the earth below if God would but let thee keep it as long as thou wouldst This is a fearful sign But now if thou art willing to sell all for the Pearl of great price Mat. 13. 46. If thine heart answer Lord I desire no other portion but thee Take the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl whoso will so I may have the light of thy Countenance I pitch upon thee for my happiness I gladly venture my self on thee and trust my self with thee I set my hopes in thee I take up my rest with thee let me hear thee say I am thy God thy Salvation and I have enough all I wish for I will make no terms with thee but for thy self Let me but have thee sure let me â—e able to make my claim and see my Title to thy self and for other things I leave them to thee give me more or 〈◊〉 any thing or nothing I will be satisfied in my God. Take him thus and he is thine own Again he tells you I am the Soveraign Lord If you will have me for your God you must give me the supremacy Mat. 6. 24. I will not be an underling You must not make me a second to sin or 〈◊〉 worldly interest If you will be my people I must have the rule over you You must not live at your down list Will you come under my yoke Will you bow to my government Will you submit to my discipline to my word to my rod Sinner What sayest thou to this Lord I had rather be â—t thy command than live at mine own list I had rather have thy â—ill to be done than mine I approve of and consent to thy Laws and account it my priviledge to lie under them And though the flesh rebel and often break over bounds I am resolved to take no other Lord but thee I willingly take the Oath of thy supremacy and acknowledge thee for
awe and veneration Welcome Lord to thee will I pay my homage Thy word and thy rod shall command my motions Thee will I reverence and adore before thee will I fall down and worship Grief likewise puts in Lord thy displeasure and thy dishonour thy peoples calamities and mine own iniquities shall be that that shall set me abroach I will mourn when thou art offended I will weep when thy cause is wounded Anger likewise comes in for Christ Lord nothing so enrages me as my folly against thee that I should be so befooled and bewitched as to hearken to the flatteries of sin and temptations of Satan against thee Hatred too wâ—â—â— side with Christ. I protest mortal enmity with thine enemies that I will never be friends with thy foes I vow an immortal quarrel with every sin I will give no quarter I will make no peace Thus let all thy powers give up to Jesus Christ. Again thou must give up thy whole interest to him If there be any thing that thou keepest back from Christ it will be thine undoing Luke 14. 33. Unless thou wilt forsake all in preparation and resolution of thy heart thou canst not be his Disciple Thou must hate Father and Mother yea and thine own life also in comparison of him and as far as it stands in competition with him Mat. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26 27 c. In a word thou must give him thy self and all that thou hast without reservation or else thou canst have no part in him Direct IX Make châ—ice of the Laws of Christ as the rule of thy words thoughts and actions Psal. 119. 30. This is the true Converts choice But here remember these three rules 1. You must chuse them all There 's no coming to Heaven by a partial obedience Read Psal. 119. 6 128 160. Ezek. 18. 21. None may think it enough to take up with the cheap and easie part of Religion and let alone the duties that are costly and self-denying and grate upon the interest of the flesh You must take all or none A sincere Convert though he makes most conscience of the greatest sins and weightiest duties yet he makes true conscience of little sins and of all duties Psal. 119. 6 113. Mat. 23. 23. 2. For all times for prosperity and for adversity whether it rain or shine A true Convert is resolved in his way he will stand to his choice and will not set his back to the wind and be of the religion of the times I have stuck to thy testimonies I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway even to the end Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever Psal. 119. 31 111 117 44 93. I will have respect unto thy statutes continually 3. This must not be done hand over head but deliberately and understandingly That disobedient Son said I go â—ir but he went not Mat. 24. 30. How fairly did they promise All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will do it and it 's like they spake as they meant but when it came to tryal it was found that there was not such a heart in them as to do what they had promised Deut. 5. 27 29. If you would be sincere in closing with the laws and ways of Christ First Study the meaning and latitude and compass of them Remember that they are very spiritual they reach the very thoughts and inclinations of the heart so that if you will walk by this rule your very thoughts and inward motions must be under government Again that they are very strict and self-denying quite contrary to the grain of your natural ineâ—inations Mat. 16. 24. You must take the strait gate the narrow way and be content to have the flesh curbed from the liberty it desires Mat. 7. 14. In a word that they are very large For thy Commandment is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. Secondly rest not in generals for there 's much deceit in that but bring down thy heart to the particular commands of Christ. Those Jews in the Prophet seemed as well resolved as any in the world and call'd God to witness that they meant as they said But they stuck in generals When Gods command crosses their inclination they will not obey Ier. 42. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compared with Chap. 43. v. 2. Take the Assemblies larger Catechism and see their excellent and most compendious exposition of the Commandments and put thy heart to it Art thou resolved in the strength of Christ to set upon the conscientious practice of every duty that thou findest to be there required of thee and to set against every sin that thou findest there forbidden This is the way to be found in Gods statutes that thou maist never be ashamed Psal. 119. 80. Thirdly Observe the special duties that thy heart is most against and the special sins that 't is most inclin'd unto and see whether it be truly resolved to perform the one and forgo the other What sayest thou to thy bosom sin thy gainful sin What sayest thou to costly and hazardous and flesh displeasing duties If thou halâ— est here and dost not resolve by the grace of God to cross thy flesh and put to it thou art unsound Psal. 18. 23. Psal. 119. 6. Direct X Let all this be compleated in a solemn Covenant between God and thy soul Psalm 119. 106. Neh 10. 29. For thy better help therein take these few Directions First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of thee 2. In considering distinctly all the terms or conditions of the Covenant expressed in the form hereafter proposed 3. In searching thine heart whether thou art sincerely willing to for sake all thy sins and to resign up thy self body and soul unto God and his service to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of thy life Secondly Compose thy Spirit into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby thou may'st be enabled to perform thy promise Trust not to thine own strength to the strength of thine own resolutions but take hold on his strength Fourthly Resolve to be faithful having engaged thine heart opened thy mouth and subscribed with thy hand unto the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before thine eyes fall down on thy knees and spreading forth thine hands toward Heaven open thine heart to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodidigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by
mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my wicked practice But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my weapons submit my self to thy Mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with Thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign up my heart to Thee that madest it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that it is the firm resolution of my heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from Thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practise this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin and that I will watch against all its temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags◠I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thee Lord Iehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief good and to give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in Marriage Covenant to him O Blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bested poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsom polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory but sith such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only guide I renounce mine own Will and take thy◠Will for my Law. And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here Covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoak and set my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy iust and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father that ever thou shouldst find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my Heart from Sin to God. O dreadful Iehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The AUTHORS Advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not only in Heart but in Word not only in Word but in Writing and that you would with all possible reverence spread the Writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it 〈◊〉 a Memorial of the Solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations Direct XI Take heed of delaying thy Conversion and set upon a speedy and present turning I made haste and delayed not Psal. 119. 60. Remember and tremble at the sad instance of the foolish Virgins that came not till the door of mercy was shut Mat. 25. and of a convinced Felix that put off Paul to another season and we never find that he had such a season more Acts 24. 25. O come in while it is called to day lest thou shouldst be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin lest thy day of grace should be over and the things that
But wo is me my sins are as many as the Sands and as mighty as the Mountains Their weight is greater than their number It were better that the Rocks and the Mountains should fall upon me than the crushing and insupportable load of my own sins Lord I am heavy loaden let mercy help or I am gone Unload me of this heavy guilt this sinking load or I am crâ—â—hed without â—ope and must be pressed down to Hell. If my grief were thorowly weighed and my sins laid in the balances together they would be heavier than the Sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up They would weigh down all the rocks and the hills and turn the balance against all the Isles of the Farthâ— O Lord thou knowest my manifold transgressions and my mighty sins Ah my Soul Alas my Glory Whither art thou humbled Once the Glory of the Creation and the Image of God now a Lump of filthiness a Coffin of rottenness replenished with stench and loathsomness O what work hath sin made with thee thou shalt be termed Forsaken and all the rooms of thy faculties Desolate and the name that thou shalt be called by is Ichabod or Where is the Glory How art thou come down mightily My Beauty is turned into deformity and my Glory into shame Lord what a loathsome Leper am I The Ulcerous Bodies of Iob or Lazarus were not more offensive to the eyes and nostrils of men than I must needs be to the most holy God whose eyes cannot behold iniquity And what misery have my sins brought upon me Lord what a case am I in Sold under sin cast out of Gods favour accursed from the Lord cursed in my body cursed in my soul cursed in my name in my estate my relations and all that I have My sins are unpardoned and my â—oul within a step of death Alas What shall I do Whither shall I go Which way shall I look God is frowning on me from above Hell gaping for me beneath Conscience smiting me within temptations and dangers surrounding me without Oh whither shall I flee What place can hide me from Omnisciency What power can secure me from Omnipotency What meanest thou O my soul to go on thus Art thou in league with Hell Hast thou made a Covenant with Death Art thou in love with thy misery Is it good for thee to be here Alas what shall I do Shall I go on in my sinful ways Why then certain damnation will be mine end and shall I be â—o besotted and bemadded as to go and sell my soul to the flames for a little Ale and a little ease for a little pleasure or gain or content to my flesh Shall I linger any longer in this wretched estate No if I tarry here I shall die What then Is there no help no hope None except I turn Why but is there any remedy for such woful misery Any mercy after such provoking iniquity Yes as sure as God's Oath is true I shall have pardon and mercy yet if presently unfeignedly and unreservedly I turn by Christ to him Why then I thank thee upon the bended knees of my soul O most merciful Jehovah that thy Patience hath waited upon me hitherto For hadst thou took me away in this estate I had perished for ever And now I adore thy grace and accept the offers of thy mercy I renounce all my sins and resolve by thy grace to set my self against them and to follow thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Who am I Lord that I should make any claim unto thee or have any part or portion in thee who am not worthy to lick up the dust of thy feet ' Yet since thou holdest forth the golden Scepter I am bold to come and touch To despair would be to disparage thy mercy and to stand off when thou biddest me come would be at once to undo my self and rebel against thee under the pretence of humility Therefore I bow my soul to thee and with all possible thankfulness accept thee as mine and give up my self to thee as thine Thou shalt be Soveraign over me my King and my God Thou shalt be in the Throne and all my powers shall bow to thee they shall come and worship before thy feet Thou shalt be my Portion O Lord and I will rest in thee Thou callest for my heart O that it were any way fit for thine acceptance I am unworthy O Lord everlastingly unworthy to be thine But since thou wilt have it so I freely give up my heart to thee Take it it is thine Oh that it were better But Lord I put it into thine hand who alone canst mend it Mould it after thine own heart make it as thou wouldst have it holy humble heavenly soft tender flexible and write thy Law upon it Come Lord Jesus come quickly Enter in triumphantly take me up to thee for ever I give up to thee I come to thee as the only way to the Father as the only Mediator the means ordained to bring me to God. I have desâ—royed my self but in thee is my help Save Lord or else I perish I come to thee with the rope about my Neck I am worthy to die and to be damned Never was the hire more due to the servant never was penny more due to the labourer then Death and Hell my just wages is due to 〈◊〉 for my sins But I fly to thy merits I trust alone to the value and virtue of thy Sacrifice and prevaâ—â—â—cy of thine intercession I submit to thy teaching â— make choice of thy Government Stand open 〈…〉 doors that the King of Glory may come in O thou spirit of the most high the comforter and sanctifier of thy chosen come in with all thy glorious train all thy courtly 〈◊〉 thy fruits and graces Let â—â—e be thine habitacion â— I can give 〈◊〉 But what is thine 〈◊〉 already but here with the poor Widdow I casâ— my two miâ—es my soul and my body into thy treasury fully resigning them up to tâ—â—â—e to be sanctified by thee to be servants to thee They it all â—e thy Patients Cure thou their Malady they shall be thy Agents Govern thou their Moâ—â—câ—s Too long have I served the world too long have I hearkned to Satan but now I renounce them all and will be ruled by thy Dictates and Directions and guided by thy Counsel O blessed Trinity O glorious Unity I deliver up my self to thee receive me write thy name O Lord upon me and upon all that I have as thy proper goods Set thy mark upon me upon every member of my body and every faculty of my soul. I have chosen thy precepts Thy law will I lay before me This shall be the Copy which I will keep in my eye and study to write after According to this rule do I resolve by thy Grace to walk After this law shall my whole man be governed And though I cannot perfectly keep one
pardon peace life blessedness all are thine and is not this an offer worth the embracing Why shouldest thou hesitate or doubtfully dispute about the case Is it not past controversie whether God be better than sin and glory better than vanity Why shouldest thou forsake thine own mercy and sin against thine own life When wilt thou shake off thy sloth and lay by thine excuses Boast not thy self of to morrow thou knowest not where this night may lodge thee Prov. 27. 1. Beloved now the holy Spirit is striving with you He will not always strive Hast thou not selt thy heart warmed by the word and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins and come in to God Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger and told what thy careless course would end in It may be thou art like young Samuel who when the Lord called once and again he knew not the voice of the Lord 1 Sam. 3. 6 7. but these motions and items are the offers and essays and calls and strivings of the spirit O take the advantage of the tide and know the day of thy visitation Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you He beseecheth you by us How movingly how meltingly how pitifully how passionately he calleth The Church is put into a sudden extasie upon the found of his voice The voice of my beloved Cant. 2. 8. O wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice It is not the voice that breaketh the Cedars and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf that shaketh the Wilderness and divideth the flames of fire it is not Sinai's Thunder but the soft and still voice It is not the voice of Mount Ebal a voice of cursing and terror but the voice of Mount Gerizim the voice of blessing and of glad tidings of good things It is not the voice of the Trumpet nor the noise of War but a message of peace from the King of peace Eph. 6. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the Spouse My soul failed when he spake Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee O sinner as Martha to her Sister The Master is come and he calleth for thee Iohn 11. 28. Oh now with Mary arise quickly and come unto him How sweet are his invitations He cryeth in the open concourse If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Iohn 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee O come and lay thy mouth to his side How free is he he excludeth none Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Whose is simple let him turn in hither Come eat of my bread drink of the wine which I have mingled For sake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 4 5 6. Come unto me c. Take my yoak upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refuser O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered by Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Behold me behold me I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Isa. 65. 1 2. O be perswaded now at last to throw your selves into the arms of love Behold O ye sons of men the Lord Jesus hath thrown open the prisons and now he cometh to you as the Magistrates once to them Acts 16. 39. and beseecheth you to come out If it were from a Palace or a Paradise that Christ did call you it were no wonder if you were unwilling and yet how easily was Adam tolled from thence but it is from your prison Sirs from your Chains from the Dungeon from the Darkness that he calleth you Isa. 42. 6 7. and yet will you not come He calleth you unto liberty Gal. 5. 13. and yet will you not hearken His Yoak is easie his Laws are Liberty his Service Freedom Matth. 11. 30. Iames 1. 25. 1 Cor. 7. 22. and whatever prejudices you have against his ways if a God may be believed you shall find them all pleasure and peace and shall tast sweetness and joy unutterable and take infinite delight and felicity in them Prov. 3. 17. Psal. 119. 165. â— Pet. 1. 8. Psal. 119. 103 111. Beloved I am loth to leave you I cannot tell how to give you over I am now ready to shut up but fain I would drive this bargain between Christ and you before I end What! shall I leave you as I found you at last Have you read hitherto and are not yet resolved upon a present abandoning all your sins and closing with Jesus Christ Alas what shall I say What shall I do Will you turn off all my importunity Have I run in vain Have I used so many arguments and spent so much time to perswade you and yet must sit down at last in disappointment But it is a small matter that you turn me off You put a slight upon the God that made you you reject the bowels and beseechings of a Saviour and will be found resisters of the Holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. if you will not now be prevailed with to repent and be converted Well though I have called you long and ye have refused I shall yet this once more lift up my voice like a Trumpet and cry from the highest places of the City before I conclude with a miserable Conclamatum est Once more I shall call after regardless sinners that if it be possible I may awaken them O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord Jer. 22. 29. Unless you be resolved to die lend your ears to the last calls of mercy Behold in the name of God I make open proclamation to you Hearken unto me O ye children Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not Prov. 8. 32. 33. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat â—e that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come ye unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlastingâ— Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isai. 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that is sick of any manner of disease or torment Matâ—h 4. 23 24. or is possessed with an evil spirit whether of pride or fury or lust or covetousness come ye to the Physician bring away your sick Lo here is he that healeth all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people Ho every one that is in debt
and every one that is in distress and every one that is discontented gather your selves unto Christâ— and he will become a Captain over you He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law He will save you from the hand of Justice Behold he is an open sanctuary to you he is a known Refuge Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins and come in unto him lest the avenger of blood seize you lest devouring wrath overtake you Ho every ignorant sinner come and buy eye-salve that thou may'st see Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses thou art for ever lost if thou continuest in this estate 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet and he will be a light unto thee Isa. 42. 6. Ephes. 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge study his word take pains about the Principles of Religion humble thy self before him and he will teach thee his way and make thee wise unto salvation Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him in the painful use of his means but sit down because thou hast but one talent he will condemn thee for a wicked and slothful servant Mat. 25. 24 26. Ho every prophane sinner come in and live Return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon thee Be inâ—â—eated Oh return come Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths and execrations all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ and come in Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight and thine adulteries from between thy breasts and give up thy self unto Christ as a vessel of holiness alone for his use and then though thy sins be as 〈◊〉 they shall be as wooll and though they be as crimson they shall be as white as snow Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Isa. 1. 18. Hear O ye drunkards How long will you be drunken put away your wine 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin take the vomit of repentance and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts and the Lord will receive you 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ to live soberly righteously and godly embrace his righteousness accept his government and though you have been swine he will wash you Rev. 3. 6. Hear O ye loose companions whose delight is in vain and wicked society to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them come in at wisdoms call and choose her and her ways and you shall live Prov. 9. 5 6. Hear O ye scorners hear the word of the Lord Though you have made a sport at godliness and the professors thereof though you have made a scorn of Christ and of his ways yet even to you doth he call to gather you under the wings of his mercy Prov. 1â— 22 33. In a word though you should be found among the worst of that black roll 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet upon your through Conversion you shall be washed you shall be justified you shall be sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God ver 11. Ho every formal professor that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian and restest in the form of godliness give over thy halving and thy halting be a throughout Christian and be zealous and repent and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach thou shalt be the joy of his heart Rev. 3. 16 19 20. And now bear witness that mercy hath been offered you I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that you may live Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you and warn you I cannot compel you to be happy if I could I would What answer will you send me with to my Master Let me speak unto you as Abrahams servant to them and now if you will deal kindly and truly with my Master tell me Gen. 24. 49. O for such a happy answer as Rebekah gave to them Gen. 24. 57 58. And they said we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth And they called Rebekah and said unto her Wilt thou go with this man and she said I will go O that I had but thus much from you Why should I be your accuser Mat. 10. 14 15. who thirst for your salvation Why should the passionate pleadings and wooings of mercy be turned into the horrid aggravations of your obstinacy and additions to your misery Judge in your selves Do you not think their condemnation will be doubly dreadful that shall still go on in their sins after all endeavours to recall them Doubtless it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon yea for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgment than for you Mat. 11. 22 24. Beloved if you have any pity for your perishing souls close with the present offers of mercy If you would not continue and increase the pains of your travelling Ministers do not stick in the birth If the God that made you have any Authority with you obey his command and come in If you are not the despisers of grace and would not shut up the doors of mercy against your selves repent and be converted Let not Heaven stand open for you in vain Let not the Lord Jesus open his wares and bid you buy without money and without price in vain Let not his Ministers and his Spirit strive with you in vain and leave you now at last unperswaded lest the sentence go forth against you The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6. 29 30. Father of Spirits take the heart in hand that is too hard for my weakness Do not thou have ended though I have done Half a word from thine effectual power will do the work O thou that hast the Key of David that openest when no man shutteth open thou this heart as thou didst Lydia's and let the King of glory enter in And make this soul thy captive Let not the tempter harden him in delays Let him not stir from this place nor take his eyes from these lines till he be resolved to forgo his sins and to accept of life upon thy self-denying terms In thy name O Lord God did I go forth to these Labours in thy name do I shut them up Let not all the time they have cost be but lost hours let not all the thoughts of heart and all the pains that have been about them be but lost labour Lord put in thine hand into the heart of this Reader and send thy Spirit as once thou didst Philip to join himself to the Chariot of the Eunuch while he was reading the word And though I
should never know it while I live yet I beseech thee Lord God let it be found at that day that some souls are converted by these labours and let some be able to stand â—â—râ—h and say that by these â—ersâ—asions they were won unto thee Amen Amen Let him that reade hsay Amen Mr. Alleine's Counsel for Personal and Family-godliness BEloved I despair of ever bringing you to salvation without sanctification Or possessing you of happiness without perswading you to holiness God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your faces in Heaven except you be converted and sanctified and exercise your selves unto godliness I beseech you study personal godliness and family-godliness 1. Personal godliness Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your hearts See that you make all your worldly interests to stoop to him that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted unto him If you wilfully and deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin you are undone Psal 68. 21. Ezek. 18. 20. See that you unfeignedly take the Laws of Christ as the rule of your words thoughts and actions and subject your whole man members and mind faithfully to him Psal. 119. 34. Rom. 6. 13. If you have not a true respect to all Gods Commandments you are unsound at heart Psal. 119. 6. Oh study to get the Image and impress of Christ upon you within Begin with your hearts else you build without a foundation Labour to get a saving change within or else all external performances will be to no purpose And then study to shew forth the power of godliness in the life Let Piety be your first and great business 'T is the highest point of Justice to give God his due Beware that none of you be a Prayer-less person for that is a most certain discovery of a Christless and a graceless person of one that is a very Stranger to the fear of God. Psal. 14. 4. Iâ—b 15. 4. Suffer not your Bibles to gather dust See that you converse daily with the word Iohn 5. 39. That man can never lay claim to blessedness whose delight is not in the Law of the Lord Psal. 1. 1 2. Let meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise But Piety without Charity is but the half of Christianity or rather impious hypocrisie We may not divide the Tables See therefore that you do Justly and love mercy and let Equity and Charity run like an even thread throughout all your dealings Be you temperate in all things and let Chastity and Sobriety be your undivided companions Let Truth and Purity Seriousness and Modesty Heavenliness and Gravity be the constant ornaments of your speech Let patience and humility simplicity and sincerity shine out in all the parts of your conversations See that you forget and forgive wrongs and require them with kindness as you would be found children of the most High. Be merciful in your censures and put the most favourable construction upon your brethrens carriage that their Actions will reasonably bear Be slow in promising punctual in fulfilling Let meekness and innocency affableness yieldingness and courtesie commend your conversations to all men Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty that reverence and duty that tenderness care and vigilancâ— which their several places and capacities call for This is throughout godliness I charge you before the most high God that none of you be fourd a swearer or a lyar a lover of evil company or a scoffer or malicious or covetous or a drunkard or a glutton unrighteous in his dealingâ— unclean in his living or a quarreller or a thief or a backbiter or a railer For I denounce unto you from the living God that destruction and damnation is the end of all such Prov. 13. 20. Iam 5. 12. Rev. 21. 8. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10 Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 2. Family godliness He that hath set up Christ in his heart will be sure to study to sâ—t him up in his house Let every family with you be a Christian Church 1 Câ—r 16 19. every house a house of prayer let every housholder say with Iâ—shua I and my â—â—â—se wiâ—â— serve the Lord Josh. 24. 15. and resolve with David I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal. 101. 2. Let me press upon you a few duties In general First Let Religion be in â—â—â—r families not as a matter by the by to be minded at leisure when the world will give you leave but the standing business of the house Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals Is there any of your families but have time for their taking food wretched man canst thou find time to â—at in and not find time to pray in Secondly Settle in upon your hearts that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family They are committed unto you and if they be lost through your neglect will be required at your hands Sirs if you do not you shall know that the charge of souls is a heavy charge and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt O man hast thou a charge of souls to answer for and dost thou not yet beâ—tir thy self for them that their blood be not found in thy skirts wilt thou do no more for immortal souls than thou wilt do for thy beasts that perish what dost thou do for thy children and servants thou providest meat and drink for them agreeable to their natures and dost thou not the same for thy beasts thou givest them mediclnes and cherishest them when they be sick and dost thou not as much for thy swine More particularly 1. Let the solemn reading of the word and singing of Psalms be your family exercises Isa. 34. 16. Ioh. 5. 39. Psal. 118. 15. See Christ singing with his family viz. his Disciples Mat. 26. 30 Lu 9. 18. 2. Let every person in your families be duly called to an account of their profiting by the word heard or read as they be about doing your own business This is a duty of consequence unspeakable and would be a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what they receive See Christs example in calling his family to an account Mat. 16 11 13 15. 3. Often take an account of the souls under your care concerning their Spiritual estates Herein you must be followers of Christ. Mat. 13. 10 36 51. â—ark 4 10 11. make inquiry into their conditions insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate and upon the necessity of regeneration and conversion in order to their salvation Admonish them gravely of their sins encourage beginnings Follow them earnestly and let them have no quiet for you till you see them in a saving change This is a duty of high consequence but I am afraid fearfully neglected Doth not Conscience say thou art the Man 4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the Sabbath by all your housholds Exod. 20. 19. Lev. 23. 3. Many poor