in his word hath directed you to walk Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts even all Sins against the first and second Table living soberly towards yourselves righteously towards man and godly towards the Lord in this present world Observe and keep all his Commandements Yield and present your selves both Souls and Bodies living Sacrifices unto him Whether you live live unto the Lord or whether you dye dye unto the Lord that whether you live or dye you may be the Lords So live and walk also as Christ hath given you an Example Walk as Christ walked Walk in love as Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us a Sacrifice an offering unto God for a sweet smelling Savour Walk in Love towards Iesus Christ as to love him beyond Father Mother Sister Brother or your own dearest lives For he hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own blood Walk in all well doing as Christ went about doing good every where and imitate him also in innocent and patient suffering for well doing commitâ—ing your selves and your Cause to him that judgeth righteously for herein he hath left us an Example that we should follow his steps 7. Remember the Lords-day-Sabbath the first day of the week unto which the seventh-day-Sabbath was translated by the Authority of Christ as appears by the after observation of that day by the Apostles and Apostolical Churches to keep it holy This is the Princess and Queen of all dayes This is the Glory of all the week For As on this day our blessed Saviour Rose from the dead triumphing victoriously over Death Grave Sin and all our Spiritual Enemies and thereby assured us of our Spiritual and Corporeal Resurrection by him As on this day our Saviour vouchsafed many of his apparitions to his Disciples instructing them and giving them commandements concerning the Kingdom of God On this day the Holy Ghost was most miraculously poured forth upon the Apostles On this day the Apostles and primitive Churches held their solemn Assemblies for the publick worship of God This is the solemn Mart and Market day for furnishing our Souls with all manner of Spiritual and Heavenly Provisions This is that Solemn Season and sweet opportunity which Christ hath afforded and ordained for acquainting us with Himself and the Mysteries of his Kingdom for maintaining our Communion with him in his Ordinances for edifying and perfecting of us in all Spirituals And as in the time of the Old Testament The Sacrifices of the Sabbath-day were to be double to those on the week day So our Spiritual Sacrifices on the Lords-days are to be twice so much as on any other day of the week Especially in Prayer and thanksgiving in Reading the Scriptures in Hearing the word preached in Partaking the Lords Supper in Catechizing in Shewing Mercy to the poor c. that so the sacred tincture and impressions of this day may remain fresh and lively upon your hearts all the week following 8. Let every day of the week be managed by you in a Christian sort To that End Be sure to present unto the Lord your Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God continually as God of Old appointed a Morning and Evening Sacrifice for every day in the week Holy David and Daniel Prayed thrice in a day Every day open with God in the morning and shut with God in the Evening by some religious ejaculation or savourly meditation Read daily some portion of Holy Scripture to keep up your acquaintance with God with Iesus Christ and his Spirit and the mysteries of true Religion And then follow the lawful affairs of your honest particular Calling diligently and righteously 9. Do ye Remember your Creator in the days of your youth while the evil dayes of old age come not nor the years draw nigh when ye shall say we have no pleasure in them Gods Eminent Saints have sought the Lord betimes and addicted themselves unto Godliness while they were young As David that man after Gods own heart while he was but a Youth Josiah that Phaenix King of Iudah while he was yet young but sixteen years old began to seek after the God of David And Timothy so highly commended by the Apostle Paul knew the Holy Scriptures from a Child Gr. from his insancy God in the time of the Law called for the first ripe fruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock to be offered unto him to teach his people how acceptable the first-fruits of our youth and life are to God O how happy are they that bear the yoke of Christ in their youth Hereby the flower of their age is best improved Hereby thousands and ten-thousands of sins are prevented Hereby they gain the longer time for walking with God for growing in grace for doing of good for increasing of Spiritual Experiences for treasuring up of Evidences and assurances of their Salvation and of preparing themselves for Heaven and eternal Glory 10. Herein alwaies exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man That so living in all good conscience before God This may be matter of singular comfort and rejoycing to you in your greatest afflictions and distresses the Testimony of your Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your Conversation in the world 11. Imploy and improve to the utmost all the Times and Talents wherewith the Lord hath intrusted you to his Glory your own or others Benefit That when the time of reckoning shall come he may both command you and richly reward you and not condemn and punish you with that wicked sloathful and improfitable Servant 12. Hold fast the Platt-form of Sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That so you may not be carryed aside with every wind of false doctrine but may be the Children of the Truth And to this End constantly retain in your Memories the Catechisme wherein you have been trayned up now a long time together For this is an excellent Brevial or Sum of the true Christian Religion very useful to direct you both in the Faith and Practice in the right wayes of God against error and iniquity 13. Stand not at a stay much less go backward in the affairs of Religion But still grown in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of backsliding Having put your hand to Christs plow Look not back For then you will be unfit for the Kingdome of God Be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Be faithful to the death and christ will give you a Crown of Life 14. Love God Father son and Holy Ghost over
Prepared by God Tophet is ordained of old he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 3. 33. And if God have prepared it whose wisdom power justice wrath c. are infinite how dreadful is that Preparation No men Angels or Creatures can make such Preparation Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh what a dreadful preparation must that needs be What To be everlastingly racked with the Devil and his Angels the worst of all society To be everlastingly tormented in fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels What an aggravation will this be of these infernal fiery torments No torments in the world like these torments 3. And by whom art thou and shalt thou be thus dreadfully cursed By the glorious and living God in his Word Gal. 3. 10. And by the Lord Jesus Christ at the great day Mat. 25. 41. O dismal soul-damning Curse What Natural man so dying can escape it or endure it Whom God and Christ curseth they are cursed whom God and Christ blesseth they are blessed indeed 3. If thou livest and diest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature Thou wilt be eternally shut out from God Christ and all the Blessed Saints and Angels unto the Devil his Angels and Reprobates from Heaven to Hell from light to darkness from joy to grief from mercy to misery from happiness to unhappiness from life to death from all good into a conflux of all evil Compare Mat. 18. 3. Ioh. 3. 3 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. with Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Mat. 25. 41 46. II. That There 's weighty cause why these thoughts and Considerations should strike deep into thy heart and dwell there For 1. This Life is the only season and seed-time of grace for obtaining of salvation and preventing of damnation Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now is the time of repenting turning to God believing in Christ of laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven c. Act. 17. 30. Eccl. 12. 1. Mat. 6. 20. Therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice harden not thy heart Heb. 3. 7 8 15. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou gâ—est Eccl. 9. 10. As the Tree falls to Heaven or Hell so it will lye till the last day 2. This present life of thine which is the only seed-time of grace and salvation is most frail and short Thou hast here no continuing City happy wert thou didst thou by faith unfaigned seek one to come A City that bath foundations whose builder and maker is god Heb. 3. 13 14. with 11. 9 10. We are all strangers before God and sojourners as all our Fathers were 1 Chron. 29. 15. Man born of a woman is but short of dayes and full of trouble Job 14. 1. Mans Life is of no long computation at most in ordinary dispensation but 70 or 80 years Psal. 90. 10. And what 's that to eternity Thy Life is but a few years Job 16. 22. Moneths of number Job 14. 5. A fâ—w and evil dayes Gen. 47. 9. An Hirelings day which at most is but 12 hours Iob 14. 6. As nothing before God Surely every max at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah Psal. 39. 5. O with what pathetical similitudes doth the Holy Ghost represent the vanity and brevity of mans Life Mans Life here is but a vapour appearing and disappearing Iam. 4. 14. A wind that blows and goes Iob 7. 7. A flower that flourisheth and fades Psal. 103. 16 17. Iob. 14. 2. A fable or tale told almost as soon forgot as told Psal. 90. 9. A flood speedily flowing night and day never returning Psal 90. 5. A watchin the night but 3 hours long Psal. 90. 4. A sleep insensibly gone Psal. 90. 5. A shadow or show without substance and reality Iob. 14. 2. Psal. 39. 6. Such is thy Life O Natural man thy day spends apace thy night hastens wherein thou canst not work Up and be doing The journey to Heaven is a long and difficult way to fit thy self for Heaven is a great work Lose not an inch a moment of time lest it be too late This day is thy flourishing to morrow may be thy funeral So it was with that graceless fool Luk. 12. 20. This night thou sleepest in thy bed ere many nights come thou maist sleep in thy grave And then if thy heavenly work be not done thou art eternally undone 3. Thy Death is sure Heb. 9. 27. Iob 14. 5. 2 Sam. 14. 14. The dismal winter doth not more certainly pursue the summer and autumn the darksome night not more infallibly and speedily drive away the day then thine unexpected Death will thy momentany Life Thy Death is then most certain and most uncertain thing in the world most certain that it will come most uncertain when where how it will come upon thee Thy last day is concealed from thee that every day it may be expected by thee Be alwayes in readiness for God and Christ lest Death surprize thee and so thou be shut out with the 5 foolish virgins and the impenitent thief Mar. 25. 10 11 12. Luk. 23. 39 40 41. 4. Upon thy Death O Natural man Gods impartial judgement and infernal torments will immediately pass upon thy soul Heb. 9. 27. Luk. 16. 22 23 24. And upon both body and soul at the great day of the LORD Mat. 25. 41 46. 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. And Oh how intolerable incurable and undeterminable will they be as hath been intimated 5. Finally It were a thousand pities that thy precious and immortal soul O' Natural man should ever come into that place of torments For 1. Was not thy sould a spark of immortality which no mortals nor meer creatures can possibly kill and destroy Mat. 10. 28. 2. Was not thy soul in its first Creation the principal receptacle and subject of the blessed Image of God Gen. 1. 26 27. 3. Is not thy soul still the seat of all thy reason understanding sense motion strength beauty c. and the very rise and guide of thy whole body without which it is no better than a dead senseless helpless useless worthless organized lump of earth 4. Is not thy soul thy most precious jewel of more true worth and invaluable consequence to thee then any thing in the world then the whole world besides Christ who best knew the souls true value said What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mat. 16. 26. And wilt thou hazard this thy precious soul unto infernal torments for ever for a few rotten pleasures of sin for a season Now then O Natural man think seriously of all
all with all your Heart Soul Mind and might and that especially for his own sake love such as are begotten of God and true Christians indeed chiefly for Gods sake for Christs sake And see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Especially endeavouring to help and further one another in the way to heaven 15. Finally Set your affection on things above not on things on the Earth For all the things on Earth are meer vanity and vexation of Spirit being vanity they are empty shadows and bubles that cannot continue that cannot satisfie but utterly disappoint you By their disappointment they become vexation of Spirit heaps of thorns and briars unto you But your true lasting and Soul-satisfying Treasures are above there 's your Crown your Kingdom your Glory your Eternal life your Eternal inheritance your Masters joy and pleasures at his right hand for Evermore there 's your sweetest and most glorious Saviour Jesus Christ at Gods right hand and there 's your God in Christ in whose immediate vision and compleat fruition the supream happiness of Heaven will consist for ever Have therefore your Conversation in Heaven though for a while your conversation be on Earth and look for your Saviour Jesus Christ from Heaven to change your vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body Then there shall be no more Sin Sorrow Pain Curse or Death Then Christ will wipe all your Tears away Then your everlasting Jubilee will bâ—gin but shall never end O how should we love his appearing when all those things shall come to pass Make haste O beloved and be as the Hind or the Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Even so come Lord Jesus These things my beloved Children I have earnestly desired to recommend unto you in order to your Eternal Salvation hoping that some of you have a true Spiritual sense and relish of them already Now the God of all Grace imprint them indelibly upon the Tables of all your Hearts that you may still remember them and conform your selves unto them not onely while I am with you in this land of the living but also after I shall be taken from you by Natures dissolution and sleep in Jesus And let him bless you with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly-places in Christ for evermore Amen THE Natural MAN DIRECTED TO CHRIST A Premonition to the Natural Man reading the ensuing Directions WHoever thou art that unto this present hour remainest still in thy Natural State in the Old Adam unconverted unto God in CHRIST the last Adam or justly suspectest thy condition to be such and perusest these DIRECTIONS following Read and understand Vnderstand and Consider in thine Heart Consider and Believe the Scripture Truths therein propounded Believe and put in Practise the Scripture Rules therein recommended unto thee lest otherwise what thou readest and art convinc'd in Conscience to be thy Duty hereafter sting thine Heart Rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee both when thy Death Approacheth and at the Great day when the Lord IESVS shall be revealed from Heaven with the Angels of his power in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. with Mat. 11. 20. to 25. and 12. 41 42. Directions tending to conduct the Natural Man to CHRIST I. Direction A Waken and rouz up thy Soul and Conscience O Sinful wretched natural Man seriously to consider and deeply to lay to heart How Sinful and miserable the State and Condition of all Mankind since the fall and of thine own Soul in particular is by Nature in the first Adam compare together Rom. 3. 9. to 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3. 3. and 1. 15 16. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. 1. The Sinfulness of Natural man's State what Words can enough express what thoughts of Man can sufficiently conceive who can understand his Errors Psal. 19. 12. The heart is â—â—eeitful above all things and desperately wâ—â—ked who can know it I the LORD search the heart I try the Reins Jer. 17. 9 10. God alone who cannot sin eâ—actly knows man's Sinfulness From his word take a brief discovery of it The Sinfulness of the Natural man's condition Consists chiefly in these particulars viz. 1. In the guilt of Adam's first Sin Of Eating the forbidden fruit contrary to Gods express Command Gen. 2. 16 17. with Gen. 3. 6 7. Rom. 3. 9. 19. In which Eating Adam's 1 Unbelief of Gods word 2 Contempt of Gods command 3 Impious Consent of his most free-will 4 Proud aspiring to be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen. 3. 5. 5 Apostacy from God 6 Disobedience of the whole man and 7 Ruine of himself and all his posterity are comprehended This sin of Adam being the Common Parent and Root of all mankind as St. Augustine well notes then virtually and seminally in his loyns is imputed to and charged upon all his ordinary posterity even upon all mankind ordinarily propagated form him Rom 5. 12. 15 16 17 18 19. Act 17 26. â— Cor. 15. 21. 22. 45. 49. As Levi who received Tithes is said to â—ay Tithes in Abraham to Melchizedeck for that yet he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchizedeck met him Heb. 7. 9 10. So then in Adams eating the forbidden fruit all mankind did eat the forbidden fruit In Adam's Sinning all his posterity Sinned In Adam's disobeying all mankind disobeyed In Adam's falling all his postâ—rity sell In Adams dying all his Posterity dyed And thou amongst the rest And Therefore in this Sense thou wast a Sinner algrievous Sinner before thou wast born even from the foundation of the world O thou Natural man Think of this Lay this to Heart deeply was it a small matter for Adam and for thee and all Mankind in Adam thus to Sin Consider well the many and great Aggrevations of this first Sin of Man As 1. The Person who sinned 2. Condition and State wherein 3. Place where 4. Time when 5. Law against which 6. Object against whom 7. And finally The manifold and great Evils both of Sin and punishment ensuing thereupon all which I have elsewhere at large illustrated and then see if ever Sin was perpetrated in this world all things duly considered so Sinful Haynous Horrid inexcusable and damnable as this first Sin 2. In being wholly overwhelmed with Original Sin so as is thought it 's called by Augustin contracted from lapsed Adam by Natural Propagation Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 4. and 15. 14. This Original Sin Consists especially â— In the privation or loss 1 of Man's Primitive Integrity or Original Righteousness concreated with him Gen. 1. 26 27. and 3. 6 7 8. Eccles. 7. 29. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. 2 and of that sweet communion which