render thee meet to be a partaker of it Coloss 1.12 Would'st not thou wonder to see the pleasant Vine degenerate into a sorry Thistle and the fruitful Olive into an unprofitable Bramble And what dost thou less if being a Christian thou dost live like a Heathen if being in the Spirit thou dost walk after the Flesh and mind the things of the Flesh Was it not a most dreadful Curse that drove the great King Nebuchadnezzar out of his stately Palace into the Fields amongst the Beasts to eat grass like the oxen Dan. 4 And dost not thou make his Curse to be thy own choice when being a Child of God an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven which is more than to be Emperor of the whole Earth thou dost set thy heart upon this dunghil World and hast no esteem or relish of Heavenly things If with prophane Esau thou sellest thy Birthright for a mess of Pottage and despising thy Eternal Inheritance desirest to have thy Portion only in this life The reason of all this is plain enough and I hope will be readily acknowledged by thee But however it is impossible but thou must confess that thou art obliged to perform thy Promises and to pay thy Vows unto the most High and that since thou hast given up thy self to God thou hast not the least power over thy self but oughtest to live altogether to him If thou hast an ill opinion of thy Neighbour and that justly when he is not as good as his word to thee how can'st thou but condemn thy self when thou breakest thy Vows unto the Lord and if when any Prophane thing has been offered to God and consecrated by Prayer and Ceremonies and serves to Holy and Divine Administrations thou esteemest it as separated from common Use and callest it Sacrilege and Prophaness to imploy it in common ways art not thou thy self guilty of the highest Sacrilege when being Dedicated and Consecrated to God by Baptism thou dost withdraw thy self from him and never imployest thy self for him nor referrest thy self unto him The Apostle tells us That we are not our own because we are bought with a price i.e. the Blood of the Son of God 1 Cor. 6. v. 19 20. and I add to it because we have likewise given up our selves to him that bought us and therefore there is the greatest reason that we should glorisie him in our Bodies and our Spirits which are God's It was the Saying of a Devout Man many years ago ' That it had been better for us never to have been than to dwell in our selves and to our selves and we shall find it too true one day if forgetting our state and Profession and Obligation as we are Christians we do live to our selves and not to God But this leads to a third Consideration viz. CHAP. III. Containing a third Argument to a Holy Life from the general Consideration of a future Judgment COnsider that there will a time come when thou must give an exact account of thy life and actions and it shall be known to all the world how thou hast demeaned thy self both as a Man and Christian Dear Brother believest thou the Scriptures I know thou do'st and thou hast the greatest reason in the world to do so Observe therefore what they tell thee concerning that account which thou art to make and then consider whether there be no reason enough why thou should'st be careful to lead a Virtuous and Holy Life It is a mighty encouragement indeed to us in well doing that our Saviour is to be our Judge for he who loved his Enemies so as to die for them will never forget the good works of those whom he does call his friends John 15.14 but lest ny of us should be so unwise as to make this an Argument for a licentious and careless way of living promising our selves much favour from him and an easie account at the Day of Judgment he hath told us frequently that he purposes to proceed severely with us and to shew no favour but what may consist with the exactest Justice And it well deserves our observation that though he was the mildest and mercifullest Person alive and expressed the greatest tenderness and love to sinful men that ever was insomuch that his Enemies cast it as a reproach upon him that he was a friend to Publicans and Sinners yet he never spake of the Day of Judgment but with great severity nor of himself as the Judg of the world but in such words as altogether exclude that fond partiality which wicked men expect from him at that day Thus in one place he represents himself to be an austere and hard man and tells us That he expects to reap where he did not sow and to gather where he did not straw i.e. He will expect and require from us when he comes to Judg us an Increase of those Talents which he hath entrusted us with and if we have not improved them to his advantage he will first take them away from us and then cast us into a Prison of darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 25 26 27. and we may note there that it is with the unprofitable Servant the Servant that brought him no Increase that he will deal so severely and therefore how rigorously may we believe he will deal with those that do mispend his Talents and make no Use of them but to his dishonour In the same Chapter likewise we find him no less severe to five foolish Virgins whom he shuts for ever out of Heaven because they had no oyl with their Lamps and were not ready exactly at the hour though it was midnight to meet the Bridegroom v. 12. In another place he condemns to everlasting misery not only those who accept not his invitation to his Marriage-Feast but those likewise that came to it without wedding garments Math. 22. v. 12 13. and in the 7th Chapter of the same Gospel he declares That this shall be the portion of all the workers of iniquity though they have called him Lord and prophesied in his Name and cast out Devils and done many wonderful works that is though they have professed themselves his Disciples and Servants and done some things which the world accounts great for his honour yet he will not own them and though they make fiar Pleas for themselves and beg his mercy and favour with the greatest earnestness and importunity yet he will have no regard unto them but banish them for ever from him All this and much more than this hath our Blessed Saviour told us by way of Parable and he hath no where encouraged us to hope for any thing more easie and favourable when he speaks plainly of it and without a Parable He hath let us know in plain words that he will judg our works nay our very words also and require an account not only of our filthy and ungodly Speeches but of our idle our vain and unprofitable discourses likewise
heareth you saith he heareth me and he that despilseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Where we see that as he hath given that Authority which he had received from his Father to these his Ministers so he doth require all men to own it and submit unto it and that he will account the Disowning the Not obeying the Rejecting and Despising them in the Exercise of it as the Disowning Rejecting and Despising of himself and his Authority and his Father likewise will judge it to be a Rejecting and Despising him and his Sovereign Power and Authority But this is not all that the Holy Scriptures speak concerning this matter it was foreseen by God how hardly the generality of men would be convinced of these things and therefore the Holy Spirit stirred up the blessed Apostles frequently to put men in mind of the Authority of Christ's Ministers and the Duty that we owe unto them Thus we find St. Paul telling the Corinthians That they are the Ambassadours of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God and charging them to esteem them as such 1 Corinth 4.1 v. and we find him beseeching the Thessalonians to know them that did labour among them and were over them in the Lord and did admonish them and to esteem them very highly in Love for their work sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. And the Author to the Hebrews charges them to obey them that had the Rule over them or their Guides or Leaders so the word signifies and to submit themselves and he backs his Charge with this Reason That they did watch for their Souls is those that were to give account i.e. they are appointed by Christ to watch for mens Souls and they must give Account to him of the Souls committed to their Charge and this they can never be able to do with any Comfort if they will not obey and submit themselves to them and this he tells them viz. their making their Account sad and grievous by their Non-Submission would be unprofitable for them He means more than his words express according to a way of Speaking very usual in the Scriptures i.e. this will be so far from being profitable for them men that it will bring the greatest Damage and mischief to them viz the Ruine and perdition of their Souls I forbear to mention any more places of Scripture and I omit to urge the Practice of the first and best christians as also the black Characters that are given by some of the Holy Writers of those that did slight the Guides and Governours of the Church and refuse to submit themselves unto them because I have promised not to be tedious Now having carefully observed and seriously weighed these things give me leave to put some few Questions briefly to thee Do'st thou believe that there is no need of these Spiritual Guides in the World if there be no need of them why did Christ appoint them why did He not leave men to themselves in the Concerns of their Souls as he hath done in those things that concern their Bodies and their outward Estates For That he hath not appointed any Order of Men to teach men how to provide for their Bodies or to encrease their Estates is confest by all Was there need of these Guides for the first preaching of Christianity to the World and is there no need of them for the propagation and maintenance of it in the World I forbear to press thee with the Natural Blindness of mens Understandings with that Inconsideration Rashness Levity Inconstancy which is inseparable tof Humane Nature 〈◊〉 also with that Averseness to the things of God and the great Interests of our Souls which all men feel and good men cannot but complain of We may be confident That if Christ had not known that the World needed spiritual Guides He would never have appointed any such nor have promised them those Assistances which thou hast now heard of nor have taken any Care to inform men of the Duty they do owe unto them and therefore are not those men too much puft up in their fleshly Minds or too regardless of their Everlasting Interests that account these Guides to be of no Use to them or are wanting in that Respect for them and dependance upon them which they ought to have I doubt not but thou wilt confess it But further do'st thou not understand by what hath been said that men may receive very great Advantages by their spiritual Guides if they please themselves Surely those of old that received them as the Galatians did chap. 4.14 as the Angels of God yea even as Christ Jesus did believe so Besides was not the making of this Provision for the Good of mens Souls a great demonstration of Christ's Love and Care for them and therefore must not they be great despisers of the Love of Christ and Enemies to their own Souls that make little Account of it and seek no Advantage by it or can they with the least shadow of Reason call themselves Christians or expect to be Partakers of those Benefits which he hath promised to his faithful Servants who have no Regard at all to his Ordinances and Institutions or no other Regard to them than as they please their own Humors and are agreeable to their Stubborn Wills I doubt not but thou wilt answer to these Demands according to my hearts Desire and therefore thou can'st not but acknowledge that my Advice is good and useful That thou commit thy Soul to the Care and Conduct of a Spiritual Guide I proceed now to shew thee briefly how thou must practise this Advice The Practice of the former Advice 1. Thou must make Choice of a good Guide I call him a good Guide who having Authority from Christ is able to direct thee aright in all the Concerns of thy Soul and will be faithful to thee Christ hath no where promised that none shall take upon them to be Guides of Souls but those that have Authority from him nor that all those that have Authority from him shall discharge their Office faithfully Among his Twelve Apostles there was a Judas and among the Seven Deacons ordained by the Apostles Tradition tells us there was one that failed and in those Writings that we have of some of the Apostles we find complaints of some that loved the World more than Christ and their own fleshly Lusts more than the Good of Souls and St. Peter hath told us that as there were of old false Prophets among God's people so there shall be false Teachers among Christians who through Covetousness shall with feigned words make Merchandize of them 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. And therefore it is no matter of Wonder if there be some such among us now but it ought to be matter of Caution to thee with whom thou do'st trust thy Soul Thy Soul is a Jewel of too great Value to be put into the hands of every Pretender yea or of every one
and conclude it impossible any person should find mercy at that great day that can speak nothing better for himself and yet I defie all our Common careless Christians to make any better plea for themselves or to give any account of themselves and those talents that God hath intrusted them with which may be judged more tolerable or more likely to be accepted Hast thou a son or servant whom thou hast bestowed great cost upon to fit him for doing thee some considerable and important service and hast thou committed it to his care and charge given him a competent time and furnished him with all necessaries and requisites for the doing it and that Son or Servant after his time expired returns to give thee such an account as this Soe much of my time I spent in eating and drinking in revelling and rioting in singing and danceing in courting and sporting about which all my thoughts and all my care were wholly taken up and as for the great business thou commanded'st me to do I never thought upon it or not till it was too late when I had neither time nor other requisites remaining to effect it Would not such a Son or Servant vex thee to the heart and wouldest not thou think him worthy of the greatest shame and punishment Remember Brother that it will by thy own case if neglecting the great end of thy Life and Being and the indispensible obligations of thy most Holy Religion thou can'st only reckon at the great day thy getting of mony or thy spending it to the satisfaction of thy beastly lusts and appetites But this shall lead me to another Consideration viz. CHAP. IV. Containing a fourth Argument to a Holy Life the consideration of the future punishments of Wicked men viz. that their Torments are Extreme and intolerable without ceasing and without end COnsider the punishments which Almighty God hath prepared for those unfaithful men who will not be able to stand in that Judgment but must fall under the dreadful sentence of condemnation And that thou may'st know how great those punishments will be thou wilt do well to call to mind what punishments God hath often inflicted upon wicked men in this world I moit the effects of Adams sin and disobedience which the whole World still labours under as also the fruits of our own sins which perhaps we have more than once smarted for let it be remembred how God destroyed all math and except eight persons with a floud of water for their sins Gen. 7. How he overthrew Five Cities with Fire and Brimstone for their Filthyness and Impiety Gen. 19. How he destroyed his own people for whom he had wrought many wonders in the Wilderness when they would not obey his voice causing three and twenty thousand of them to fall in one day 1 Cor 10. and 8. How he gave Commandment utterly to destroy the Amalekites and not to spare their sucking children for a sin committed by their Fathers Four Hundred years before and in a word how he gave up his own once beloved people and their City and Country to the most lamentable ruine and desolation that ever was and how their posterity are scattered to this day over the face of the whole earth and hated of all people bearing the sin and curse of their Forefathers His bloud be upon us and our children Math. 27.25 These are great demonstrations of Gods hatred against sin and from these we do learn That those Punishments which are appointed for wicked men in another World must needs be very grievous and such as will make them extreamly miserable For as the Scriptures tell us This is the time of Gods patience and forbearance and goodness towards sinners Rom. 2.4 and if in this time he shews so much severity how severe may we believe he will be when this time of his goodness is ended and when the day of his wrath as the Scripture calls it is come that day of justice without mercy of vengeance without pity of execution without further patience and forbearance when all the wrath that wicked men have deserved and have treasured up against themsselves shall fall upon their guilty Souls and God shall as designedly magnify his impartial Justice in their torment and misery as he will magnify his mercy and goodness in the glory and felicity of his faithful Servants But we have yet a better way of learning how great the punishments of the Damned shall be and that is by considering what the Scriptures have told us in plain words concerning them they are such punishments our Blessed Saviour tels us as are prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math. 25. v. 41. that is for the very worst of Beings for the greatest rebels against Heaven and the most irreconcileable adversaries to all manner of goodness and therefore we may be sure that they are as great as we can imagine them to be not to say that they are as great as an Almighty God can make them They are punishments by fire as he also tels us which is the most rageing the most devouring and Tormenting thing we know in the World and that fire is represented to be such as our Nature do's most abhor and must needs be most insufferable viz. A Fire with Brimstone the Stench of which is as intolerable as the Heat and which suffocates as well as consumes Rev. 21. v. 8. of this Fire we are told likewise There is a Bottomless Lake or Pit Rev. 20. v. 3. into which there shall never enter the least Light the very Blackness of Darkness as St. Judes expressions are v. 17. lying upon it for ever In this Lake we are told the damned shall be close Prisoners bound Hand and Foot Mat. 22. v. 13. without possibility to escaping or somuch as removeing from one place to another for the gaining of the least case and in this Prison we are told the Torments will be such as will cause Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth nay Yelings and Howlings and Shriekings like the Shrieking of the Children frying in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom 2 King 23. v. 10. which the word used by our Blessed Saviour for Hell Math 5. v. 29 30. doth imply and these Torments and Wailings and Heart-breaking Cries shall continue not for a Moneth or a Year or an Age but for ever and ever The fire shall never be quenched Mark 9. v. 44. the smoak of their Torment is ever to ascend Rev. 14. v. 10 11. and they shall find no rest night nor day This is a little and but a little of what the Scripture tels us of the punishments of the damned but in this little there are so many dreadful things implyed that he must be bold and hardned even to a wonder that is not affrighted with them for 1. It is plain that the punishments are such as will Torment the whole Man Body and Soul with all their faculties and powers and that in the Extreamest manner There
I know that it is so absolutely necessary that those who will live a Christian Life do both believe and practiss it I shall shew thee yet further that the Not-considering or the Nor-practising this Self-Denyal hath been the main cause why so many have rejected the Gospel in all Ages and why so many of these that have seemed to receive it have yielded so lame and so imperfect an obedience to it Did'st thou never read in thy Bible how few of those that heard Christ preach whil'st he was upon the earth and saw the Miracles that he wrought especially of the greater sort did truly believe in him Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him was a choaking Question to any that would dare to speak for him John 7. c. 48. v. Those few Disciples that he had were of the poorer sort of people that had not much to trust to or much to lose for his sake if any of hte richer or greater sort were convinced that He was the Christ yet they did not dare to own it they would go by night and in secret to tell him of their Faith but publikly and openly they professed it not and what might be the Reason of this do'st thou think Had not these great men those natural Powers of judging of assenting and consenting to the truth which the others had was not their natural courage as great and woul they not have shewed it as much in other Cases as these poor people could have done Yes undoubtedly In all other matters they were the wise those the ignorant they the bold and the hardy those the poor spirited and cowardly but in this case the wise were fools and the couragious meer Dastards And how was this those great those rich and proud men could not or would not learn this one lesson which would have opened their blind eyes and have raised their poor Spirits to that degree of Boldness which they beheld in the Disciples of Christ and wondered at How can ye believe said Christ himself to them as long as ye receive Honour from one another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only John 5. c. 44. v. They loved themselves and the Praise of men too well to approve of any thing that would lessen their Reputation in the least or bring them one step lower in the Esteem of the World and they were too covetous as appears from other places of Scripture to leave all to follow one that had not a house to put his-head in Did'st thou never observe the monstrous unbelief of many among us and the gross Hypocrisy of others did'st thou never observe what great opposition is made by some men against some of the clearest truths of Christianity who yet seem very fond of other truths that are not so clear and lye not so level to humane capacities and did'st thou never take notice how strict some men are in some things who yet allow themselves in the breach of very plain and very weighty precepts as for Instance the Doctrine of the Trinity we see unanimously acknowledged by many thousands among us when the Divine authority of Christ's Ministers and the Right of their maintenance meets with many opposers in all places and some men can preach and pray from morning till night and talk Scripture to each other with much seeming seriousness when like the Pharisees of old they will embrace any fair occasion that is offered to devour the House of a poor Widow or Orphan or to exalt themselves somewhat higher in the World And what do'st thou think is the Reason of these things The same without doubt that hindred the Jews of old from receiving Christ and if these truths which they profess to believe and these Christian duties which they are constant in did as much oppose their worldly Interests and fleshly Lusts as the acknowledging of Jesus to be the Christ did oppose the Interests and Lusts of the unbelieving Jews they would quickly discover the truth of it by falling away from those truths and those dutyes if not also from the whole Religion Not that I believe that they have been meer dissemblers from their first profession or that they are and have been so zealous in some things meerly for the compassing of worldly Ends without any conviction of the truth or goodness of them for I doubt not but many of them have meant well from the very beginning but That naughty and corrupt affections which being unrenounced did so fatally prejudice the Jews against the Person of Christ do as strongly prejudice them against great part of his doctrine Those corrupt affections which they should have renounced at their first setting out are like a thick cloud upon the eyes of their minds not suffering them to discern those truths which to resigned men are as manifest as the Sun at noon-day and as a strong byass upon their Wills drawing them aside from those good paths which they have a desire to walk in They purpose well in the general like the Rich man before spoken of when he came to Christ and they do well in those things that oppose not their inordinate affections but when they are to learn those Duties to which their Lusts will not be reconciled either they are not able to understand them or have not the Power to practise them as the Wolf in the Fable that was set to school to read could make no word of all the Letters but a Lamb because of his appetite to the flesh of that harmless Creature so they can understand approve and follow nothing but what they love and are inclined to or however nothing that crosses their Affections and Inclinations I will conclude therefore and I think I have good reason for it that if we desire and are resolved to be Christians we must in the first place renounce our selves and entirely put off our carnal Lusts and Worldly affections Our Desires and Resolutions will be vain and come to nought if we fail to Do it We may purpose well and perhaps do many good things though we do omit it we may make a fair Show for a while and mount up to Heaven in our own thoughts and in the opinion of the World but like as an unwise Builder that raises a very fair structure upwards not having laid a good and firm foundation will in a little time be convinced of this error by its ruine so when a time of tryal and temptation comes our own Fall will shew us ours when the Winds blow and Rains fall and the Floods come our pretty Frame of Religion will come to Ruine and our high raised hopes will perish together with it Now after this I suppose I need not tell thee that I have insisted so much upon this Particular with great Reason § 2. It remains That I endeavour briefly to beget a good opinion in thee of the duty I have been speaking of to shew thee that it is not such an
did to his Being which he knows himself indebted only to God for and can that steal away his heart from the Author of all Good which never did nor can bestow the least Godd upon thee How vile doth this Earth seem unto us when we list up our Eyes and look upon the Heavens Surely much morevilewill all things be esteemed by him whose Soul is possessed with a true Knowledge of the maker of them It was therefore a true Saying of a Holy man of old St. Austin That no man loses God but he that is deceived And another person many years after him is said to speak no worse when being in an extasy he cryed out O my God! O my Lord O the God of my Heart O that all men did know thee they would never offend thee they would ever love thee For surely as the Author of the Book of Wisdome tells us To know God is perfect Righteousness and to know his Power is the root of Immortality Wisd 15.4 This my suffice to shew thee the Reason of my Advice Let me now as riesly direct thee how to practise it § 2. To this Purpose let me tell thee 1. That thou art not concerned to know as much as may be known of God or as learned men do know but only so much as is necessary or as may be helpful to keep thee entirely resigned and obedient to his Will and therefore thou must not trouble thy self with those nice and curious Speculations in Religion which are of no Use or tendency to this End That Knowledge whateyer the Object of it is which will not conduce to make thee better or prevent thy becoming worse than thou art is impertinent useless and unprositable the Hunting after it hath ruined thousands but never saved one Soul Those that pursue after it are thus deseribed by St. Paul 1 Tim. 6.3 4. They consent not to wholsome words and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlyness they are proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions and strifes of Words 2. Though thou art not concerned to know as much as may be known of God yet thou must endeavour to know these great and useful things I have spoken of as well as possibly thou can'st and therefore thou must not content thy self with that sleight superficial Knowledge which the generality of Men have of them who rather dream of divine things than know them but thou must labour for a clear distinct apprehension of them and for a firm and well-grounded persuasion both of the Truth and Goodness of them And to this Purpose thou must 3. Apply thy self to the Use of all good Means and that with great Care and Diligence remembring That if it be Folly to do meaner things slerghtly as certainly it is because many things many times depend upon our least actions to be careless and sleight in such a manner as this can be no less than Madness Now the means that you are to use are these that follow 1. Rcading the Holy Scriptures and Hearing them read this thou art to do dayly thou must borrow some part of every day to say nothing here of what thou art to do upon Holy dayes from thy Worldly Employments to read or hear them read Our Blessed Saviour bids us Search the Scriptures because in them we think we have eternal Life John 5.39 And St. Paul tells us that they are able to make us wise unto Salvation 2. Tim. 3.15 And if any mans words are of greater weight with us than theirs we do ill deserve the Name of Christians 2. Reading Good Books I call those good which treat of the great things of God modestly discreetly plainly convincingly and affectionately of which sort I know not many in the World and therefore thou art to take the best Advice thou can'st have in the choice of them 3. Hearing of Sermons and good Discourses made by Christ's Ministers whether in the Pulpit upon particular Texts of Scripture or in the desk as expositions of some larger Portions of it or of some of the chiefest Points of Religion contained in the Catechism These Discourses Christ's Ministers are commanded to make for the Edification of Christ's Church See 2 Tim. 4.1 2. and therefore Christian people must needs think themselves bound to attend unto them and they are over wise or over good that conceit they have no need of them I mean that they are neither wise nor good 4. Frequent conferring with serious Christians about divine things which is a means of Improving Knowledge that hath several Advantages above any other for besides this we shall instruct others as well as our selves imparting our own Knowledge to them whil'st we receive of theirs that which we thus learn we apprehend more clearly and are more deeply affected with than we are with that which we receive any other way and therefore it is much to be lamented that it is no more used by those that call themselves Christians than we see it is and if we may not infer from the neglect of it that men are not so knowing in the things of God as they take upon them to be I am sure we may conclude from it that they are not so good as they ought to be they seldom forbear to talk of that which they love when there is occasion offered for it so they would never be silent in these things if they had that hearty affection for them which they ought to have And as for the common Excuse among the more serious sort of people that they would not be taken for Hypocrites as too many in this last Age among whom this hath been in Fashion have discovered themselves to be it is so far from justifying their Neglect that it manifests the naughtiness of their hearts whil'st they shew their selves more careful for their own Esteem among men than for the Honour of God and the great Concerns of their Souls There would be little or no Religion seen in the World if the Abuse of it by Hy pocrites would warrant men to cast off the Profession of it and to give any good Reason why so useful a part of it should for that cause be laid aside whil'st they think themselves concerned to appear Religious in other things I believe will puzzle the most subtle among them There were too many Hypocrites in Holy David's time and yet his tongue did not cease to speak of God's Righteousness and of his praise all the day long Psal 35 28. And the Apostles times were not so happy as to be without them and yet They called upon Christians to exhort one another dayly Heb. 4.13 And to teach and admonish each other and that by Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs as well as other wayes Colos 3.16 Those good men did never think that the danger of bemg accounted Hypocrites would discharge them from Seasoning their Discourses with Salt or from speaking such things in their Conversation with each other as might be