up by the work of Powerful Grace and Encouraged to Endeavour it by the same promised grace Hosea 6.1 2 3. Come and let us Return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes will be revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness The further clearing and Improving this Text and Doctrine shall be in Answer to this practical Question Quest What is this Thoughtfulness of our wayes or actions that is such a special means for the cure of Apostasy in a Professing People of God Answ 1. In general take this description of it It is the Exercise of all the powers of the Rational Soul by mans Self Reflection for the knowledge of his ways or actions and for his right Judgment of them with reference to Gods final approving Judgment 1. It is the Exercise of all the Powers of the Rational Soul the Understanding Will and Affections 2 In way of Self-Reflection for the knowledge of his actions which is peculiar to Rational Creature and mainly intends his moral actions as under the direction of a moral Rule for his Obedience and Happiness in Enjoyment of God according to his promise to his obedience Gen. 2.9 3. It is for his Right Judgment of them Man hath a Judicature in himself God hath Authorized in him and is the supream and highest on Earth subordinate only to God about his own actions in reference to God and his inward duty to him Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth None are to judge others in things that are indifferent in matters of Religion or doubtful to true Christians but themselves about the sincerity in them or not vers 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but consider our own wayes The Judge is Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 That is a Witness as well as a Judge having the best knowledge of what is in man next to God 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of 〈◊〉 man save the Spirit of man which is in him And hath Authority in the man to stir up all the powers in it for its right judgment therefore the Psalmist here saith I thought being set on work by Conscience that is seated in the heart or practical judgment that influenceth the whole 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If the heart condemns that is Conscience God is greater and will much more condemn but if it does not there may be Appeals to God to Justify and confidence in it through Christ Psal 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared It s Knowledge and Authority to stir up the activity of the Rational Powers is in order to this Judgment 4. It is with reference to Gods final approving judgment of them This is the chief end of the power of Conscience in man It is to be approved of God all our Actions may in his final judgment 2 Cor 5.11 It was so in mans Innocency to prevent sin to justify in way of perfect Obedience and since the Fall under the Gospel its main use is to further escaping Gods Condemnation of them 1 Cor. 11.32 by judging themselves and appealing to Gods Gracious Throne for approbation and pardon through Christ 2. More particularly I shall endeavour to shew what are those Exercises of the powers of the Soul when Conscience is awakened to its duty in order to true turning to God are stirred up by it and in what order First The understanding power of the Soul it sets that a work which is the first Operation of the Soul in order to Returning to God a seeing and knowing of our wayes or actions None can rightly judge of what he doth not know and right knowledge of them must go before any serious thoughts about mending them or returning to a right way we must see we are wrong For clearing this take these Remarks about it First That in mans first Creation God gave man an Excellent Understanding not only into the natures of all other Inferiour Creatures to give them suitable names thereunto but also to know his own duty to God as the way to his Happiness not only by the written Law of God in his heart but his positive Law in the Sanctions of the Covenant with him He Reveals what is good and his way to his Happiness Gen. 2.9 17. and what is evil that which God forbids And he had a freedom and power to will and choose the one and refuse the other but Created and Mutable and so by the abuse of that power hath lost it and his knowledge with it of moral good and evil wholly as saying and any right judgment of it in order to it Secondly In Fallen man there are some Remains as some call them of the light of nature in their Consciences or as others rather would call them common gifts to fallen man God gives to all men as benefits in common from Christs Death to all mankind that are beneficial to Humane Society though not saving to the person Thus we read Rom. 1.18 Who hold the truth in unrighteousness that is sin against the light of Conscience The Heathens had a natural light about good and evil as beneficial or destructive to Humane Society Verse 29. who know that they that do such things are worthy of death And some knowledge of duty to God by the help of the works of Creation verse 19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God head so that they are without excuse which though not saving yet left them without excuse and Sins against it deprived them of much of Gods common Goodness and brought them under much of present displeasure and the effects of it which might have been avoided Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the Law That is in that Law written the Scriptures these having not the law are a law unto themselves Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Thirdly But God hath provided further help for the knowledge of our ways and furthering Saving Returning out of that Apostasy and after-strays from his Rule And that is the Dispensation of his Word Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
remembrance 2. By his Providences 1. Afflictive Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 2. By merciful Providences Ezek. 16.63 Then you shall Remember your sins when I am pacified to you and loath your selves for them 2 It is our duty to stir up our own remembrance of our wayes And that First By looking over the Record of Conscience as Ahasuerus did the Records of his Kingdom Esth 6.1 3. When the King could not sleep and he called for the Records which were read before him and enquired what honour had been done to Mordecai for saving his life To see his neglect of his duty in Rewarding faithful Service to him so should we to see our Omissions of Duty and Commissions of Sin with the aggravations of them as against the Justice or Mercy of God to us see them as written in your heart Jam. 1.25 see that Law written in the heart is a setting sin before you Psal 51.3 My sin is ever before me As discovered in the glass of the Law and bringing your ways to the discovery of it Secondly Stir up the activity of memory to its duty in it Deut. 16.12 Thou shalt remember thou wast a Bond-man in Egypt Isa 63.7 I will remember the loving-kindness of the Lord according to all the Lord hath bestowed on us Psal 77.11 12. I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old Resolve on it you will remember the words and works of God to humble for sin and encourage to duty 3. Another operation of the Soul needful to the Recovery from Apostacy is Thoughtfulness or Consideration of our ways which follows that of memory as we cannot remember what we do not know so cannot think of it if we do not remember this affords matter for consideration and meditation Truth is the food of the Understanding which it commends to and stores in the Memory and meditation concocts for use and nourishment to the whole man the will and affections of the Soul to live and walk in the strength of it and is principally here intended and expressed by I thought or considered my ways and turned The thoughts are the perfecting acts and operations of the Soul whereby the Idaea and Image of things are framed in it which it understands and remembers and hath the most immediate influence on the will and affections as they have on the actions As things we outwardly see are represented by the phansie and common sense to the understanding so when they are practically known and remembred it is conceived in the will and affections as a Child in the womb and are therefore called the first born of the understanding And though a man doth not always outwardly practise and bring forth to outward view all such thoughts to mans judgment of him yet they as in the thoughts are in Gods view and he judgeth his state thereby as good or bad so he saith of fallen man as in his natural estate Gen. 6.5 The imagination or figments of his heart are evil and that continually Prov. 23 7. As he thinketh so is he And therefore he calls for thy change as the begining of our true turn to him Isa 55.2 Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous his thoughts and Return Jer. 4 14. Wash thy heart O Jerusalem how long shall vain thoughts lodge in you And he judgeth of his true Conversion to him by this begining of it 2 Chron. 6.37 If they bethink themselves and turn So that it is necessary and useful in Recovery from Apostasy as that God stirs up Conscience to excite in them that do turn into the right way I shall not further enlarge upon what thoughts are being limited by my Text to the Activity of them in our own ways as the special subject or object of them to further turning into Gods ways And more specially that it is on the sinful ways of heart and life in us those that must be turned from which God by his Prophet calls his people to do Hag. 1.5 7. as a means of Repentance and was successful verse 12. In my Text we have an eminent Example of it and in the duty and success of it To direct and help in imitation of it First Think or meditate on the sinfulness of your ways as you should know the evil of them by the Word and remember the Convictions by it with all the aggravations of them So think on it and keep your hearts to it Psal 51.3 let sin be always before you to humble you and further seeking pardon and mortification of it by seeing your selves in the glass of the Word Jam. 1.25 Secondly Meditate on the penal evil of it what your sin deserves What Afflictions and Effects of Gods Displeasure for your sins So meditate on Gods present Providences as the punishments of your evil ways Hag. 1.8 9 10 11. bids them consider the neglect of their duty to God and his carriage to them which was for their sin that he frustrated their expectations of his common benefits They did sin in unfruitfulness to him Isa 5.4 5. The grounds of this meditation or consideration or helps in it are 1. A consideration of Gods Mercy Goodness and Patience think on this Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the Riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering c. You that live under Gospel means have more advantage than others have by the light of nature having also the Gospel Revelation of the Remedy against sin and a continuance in his world notwithstanding provocation by often abusing his mercies all of them in Rebellion against him using of them against him not only his common mercies but despising that which is the richest Mercy Discovery of the way to your being the Subjects of his Reconciled Favour that should lead you to the way of it This highly aggravated sin in those under the means of Salvation Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise It is not only the greatest ingratitude but the highest folly to despise your own mercies Ezek. 18.30 Turn why will you dye O House of Israel Jonah 2.8 A forsaking your own mercies Those that might be so if you did improve the means and get into the way of it Especially it is a meditation true Converts should most think of that are under greater mercy in being the Subjects of his special goodness 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. Thus the Prophet did awaken a David to this duty to think of what God had done for him verse 13. And would do further in renewing his pardon to him This appears in the discovery of his nature Exod. 34.6 And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth In his making his
TO THE READER Courteous Reader I Have Exposed to your view Two Lecture Sermons with some Enlargement not with a desire to be in publick view my self especially in my declining years were it not the Call of God I am under to it much less that any thing of mine should be so but it was desired by some that were affected themselves and found others to be so And in Hopes it might be of some use in this Apostatising Time in New England to Recover Backsliding Children to their God from their total forsaking the Hope of their Fathers and others from a forsaking their First Love that they might do their first works God may confirm his Love to this people and continue under their Church-state I have cast in my mite to it God delights in Exalting his own wisdom and power in this work and therefore makes use of such as may not Eclipse but brighten the Glory What is weak in it reckon it to the Instrument not with too severe Censure but with pitty and further your Prayer for him what is of use and benefit let God have all the Glory All I desire is to be counted faithful by him that put me into the Ministry and that I may give up my account with Joy in my watchfulness over any Souls Your Souls Friend James Allen Mans Self-Reflection Is the Special Means to further his RECOVERY from his APOSTASY FROM GOD. PSALM 119.59 I thought on my Wayes and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies THE Psalms if the Scriptures be Compared to a Body may well be called the heart of it in other parts of it God mainly speaks to man In this there is the gracious mans pouring out his Soul to God and manifests his holy affection to others especially in this Psalm It is parted into Twenty Two Paragraphs each begin with an Hebrew Letter Alphabeticaly the first with Aleph and so on so that we have it thus repeared eight times in the whole and may well be called the true Christians Instructor in which God Teacheth him not only by his Word but the Examples of Saints the true practise of Godliness By his Precepts he tells us what we ought to do and the way we should walk in to Salvation by Recorded Examples what Saints did that were in this way of Salvation which we are to Enquire after for our Imitation Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls This Example before us is thought to be Davids who probably was the Pen man of the Psalm In this Paragraph which is the Eighth in order begins ends with the Letter Cheth The Psalmist begins with asserting his right in God as his Portien verse 57. which he proves First By his Esteem of his Word and Subjection to his Soveraignty Secondly By the high Esteem of his Favour which he proves by his Reverend Sincere and Earnest Supplication for it as an effect of his faith in his promise verse 58. Thirdly It is further proved by his Consideration and Thoughtfulness of his ways to further his Repentance and Return to God after straying from him verse 59. This is both a proof of his Interest in God and direction to the Cure of a Professing Peoples Apostasy from God where it is total or partial and of use therefore to Saints and Sinners to further their true Repentance and Reformation So I shall now Improve it In the words 1. The means he used I thought on my ways or Consideration of his ways 2. The success of it I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies First The means used where First The Person that did use it I David a King a Prophet a Saint a man after Gods Heart So that it concerns Rich and Poor High and Low Good and Bad as all need Repentance so should use this means Secondly The act I thought Thirdly The Object My wayes The word in Hebrew used as Criticks tell us it signifies a curious viewing of a thing on every side round about it or exact Consideration of a curious work if one thing were amiss or not So he did his ways that is his actions or way of his heart the inward movings of his will affections in its desire resolutions And his External Walk Conversation whether according to Gods Rule of them or not 2. The success of it I turned my feet to the Testimonies I will or shall turn It was a Resolution stirred up in him which he acknowledgeth to God as giving success to this means and his Encouraging Promise he depended on his faithfulness in it to turn the affections of his Soul and his External Conversation to Gods Testimonies the right way and rule of all his Actions in which is described his true Repentance and Reformation after wandring from Duty or the Cure of his Apostasy Whence the Observation is DOCTRINE That due Consideration or thoughtfulness on their ways is a special means for the Cure of the Apostasy of Gods Professing People from their due Obedience to him 1. Apostasy is a Disease Gods Professing People are subject unto A Reforming People are so that have made the highest profession of Reformation and Recovery from the first and grand Apostasy in our First Parents Some to a total where not a Saving Change And the best of Saints to that that is partial a David as he says verse 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy Servant 2. God hath appointed means for the 〈◊〉 of it that they should use though God only can succeed it As the Ministry of the Word Isa 58.1 Jer. 8.22 Is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Physician there 3. This of Consideration is a special one mans own applying to himself Job 5.27 See it and know it for thy good Hag. 1.5.7 Thus saith the Lord Consider your ways which is Reiterated Mans Self Application of what he hears that Inward Preacher in stirring up Thoughtfulness of a mans own wayes Reason 1. This Consideration of our ways is necessary by Gods Precept requiring it in order to Repentance Hag. 1.5 and his dislike where it is not Deut. 32.29 O that there were such an heart that they would consider their latter end Reason 2. Thence ariseth an acknowledgment of Sin and Aversation to God which is the beginning of Returning as he I turned wherein is an acknowledgment of a need of turning as being out of the way this is sometimes put for the whole of what God requires Jer. 3.13 Psal 32.5 And ariseth from bethinking themselves 2 Chron. 6.37 only acknowledge your Iniquity I confessed my sin and thou forgavest if they bethink themselves Reason 3. It is perfected our Saving Return to God by Gods Efficacious Grace in this way both in first and after Repentance so it was here And I turned I will or shall do it his Resolution was stirred
under the influence of Gods Grace therewith he makes a judgment of his ways as in or out of Gods Testimonies 1. There is a judgment of his own ways to be evil and out of the way of Gods way of his Testimonies which is supposed in his turning his feet into them this is the first part of true Repentance and Reformation of their turning from sin not only in his outward practice but also the inward affections also that are the feet of the Soul he sees all is wrong his heart his life he is going in the way to his destruction from God as his portion as his Soveraign And as he sees this so he judgeth and passeth sentence on this his evil way and condemns it as that deserves Gods Condemnation and Justifies God in his Righteous Sentence in the Law Gen. 2.17 And justifies God in all the lesser Executions Psal 51.4 Silenceth complaint of them Ezra 9.13 Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And assures them with out Repentance and the Gospel Remedy they shall be Condemned at the Higher Court 1 Joh. 3.20 And not only passeth this Sentence if you turn not you shall dye eternally but begins Execution in Gods Name and Authority on the Soul as Ehud on Eglon. Judg. 3.20 21. And Ehud came unto him and he was sitting in a summer parlour which he had for himself alone And Ehud said I have a message from God unto thee And he arose out of his seat And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly So saith Conscience to the Sinner and runs the Threatnings to the heart this is that which is called pricking to the heart Acts 2.37 at the heart of sin and wounds it in its course sets it a bleeding which the Law cannot he also kills sin and self-confidence 2. There is a turning the feet to Gods Testimonies this is the returning to the right way by judging aright of Gods way which he testifies of him in his Gospel Revelation of pardon and grace in Christ for Returning Sinners this he judgeth to be right the only way of Life and Salvation So the smitten Soul is at first put on Enquiry about it and mourning for sin and after the healing balsome of the Gospel for pardon and grace in first Conversion and so in after Returning this moves the affections to the getting into this way and Renouncing all other and to be willing to confess and forsake Sin Prov. 28.13 Whoso confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And to be in love with thankful Obedience to the Commands of the Gospel 1 Joh. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous his feet and affections will be carried this way of Gospel Obedience Thus think on your ways to such a turning pray for Gods directing of you Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps And enlargeth the heart to Run the wayes of Gods Commandments Oh! That what hath been said might stir up to this Duty to think so on your ways that your hearts may be turned to Gods Testimonies I have directed to the way and I shall pray that God would put you into it Do your Duty in waiting on him for his assistance to do it as you should Jer. 31.18 19 20. I have 〈…〉 Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Oh! that you may so think on your ways that you may turn your feet unto Gods Testimonies that so you may have Gods acceptance and manifestation of his Fatherly Love to you FINIS