when they were sick he fasted so when they sinned he prayed and mourned Hasten out of evil company if thou hast no hopes of doing good That Company may well be to thee as the torrid Zone where wickedness sits in the chair and Religion is made a foot-stool Though thou mayst pass through such a Climate as thy occasions require yet it s not safe to dwell in so unwholsom an air Men that are forced to walk by unsavoury carcasses hold their breath and hasten away as soon as they can It s ill being an Inhabitant in any place where God is an Exile A little before the destruction of Ierusalem there was a voâ—ce heard in the Temple very terrible Migremus hinc let us go hence That were a good Motto for Christians in ill-company Let us go hence Let such men know as Manlius Torquatus told the Romans that as they cannot bear thy strictness so thou canst not endure their looseness sake heed of staying in any place needlesly out of which thy God is gone before thee Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge Prov. 14. 7. Running away was the means Ioseph used against the wicked allurements of his Mistriss It s not cowardise but true courage to turn the back upon sin and sinners It doth often reflect upon our credits to be amongst wicked men AEschinus in the Comaedian blusht when he saw his Father knock at the door of an infamous woman but it will reflect upon our consciences to continue amongst them when our business with them is done The Apostle Peter with many words did exhort and testifie saying save your selves from this untoward generation Act. 2. 40. It appears to be a business of no small concernment and weight that the Apostle should use so many words about it Wise men will not spend their time or breath in vain they do not send more messengers about any work then the consequence and worth of it requireth Besides as Beza observeth upon the place he interposeth Gods authority and chargeth them in his name to save or guard themselves from such ill Companions What hast thou to do with them that scorn to have any thing to do with God The King may well frown on those and deny to converse with them that converse with Traytours in no relation to his service Rebeccah must leave her Fathers and Brothers House if she will be joyned to Isaac Hearken O Daughter and consider aâ—d encline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy Fathers House so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Psal. 45. 10 11. A Good Wish concerning a Christians carriage in evil Company Wherein the former heads are applied THe Mighty Possessour of Heaven and Earth who governeth the World with infinite wisdom and allotteth to all the Children of men their several Callings and Habitations having permitted the chaff to continue amongst the Corn and appointed the tares to remain amongst the wheat till the great Harvest day and calling me sometimes by his providence to deal with prophane and vicious persons I Wish I may be so sensible how difficult it is to be safe amongst such defilers and destroyers of souls that I may walk with the more caution when ever I walk in such company and make them my fear not my familiarâ— and rather my care then my Companions I know that I must go out of the world if I will go away from the wicked Ill humours will be amongst good in the body Sins will be amongst graces in the soul and sinners will be amongst Saints on this Earth I am but a stranger here they are men of the world I must therefore expect as Lot in Sodom to be both vexed with their unclean conversations and tempted to their violent corruptions my God calleth them Foxes for their craft Lions for their cruelty and a generation of Vipers for their rage and venome In what danger therefore is my soul of being deceived and devoured by them How certainly will these ravenous beasts tear me in peices unless I stand upon my guard and the Keeper of Israel undertake my protection Lord since it is not thy pleasure to free me from their Company grant me such help from thy good spirit that I may be free from their contagion Though I may sit at the same table with them as my occasions or relations require let me never eat of their dish nor feed on their dainties I pray not that thou shouldst take me out of the world but that thou shouldst keep me from the evil keep me from the snares which they lay for me and from the gins of the workers of iniquity Let the wicked rather fall into their own Nets whilst that I withal escape I Wish that the sense of my danger may keep me from being secure and make me the more sedulous in the discharge of my duty Sound eyes are apt to fall a watering by beholding and looking on sore eyes Dry Flax is not more apt to take fire then my vicious nature to be inflamed the wet sheet of watchfulness is a good preservative He had need to have much grace who would not learn others vice It s hard to touch pitch and not be defiled Vngodly men are Satans blood-hounds with which he hunteth my soul. How many hath he drawn into the pit of perdition by such Cart-ropeâ— They are his strongest chains wherewith he binds men now to his own work and at last as their wages hales them to Hell Fruits of hotter Countries transplanted into colder Climates do not seldom die through the chilling nips of the air and the unsutableness of the soyl wherein they are planted there may be grace in my soul ready to flame heavenward which may be soon quenched by the putrid fogs of evil companions I know my God can keep mee as he did the three Children in the fiery furnace amongst them that are set on fire of Hell from being sienged or so much as having the sent of the fire on me but I know also that then I must keep his way and be watchful O that I might keep my heart with such diligence that as the Christal I may touch those Toads and not be poisoned yea that as a true Diamond in a ditch I may sparkle with holiness and shine brightly amongst defiled persons How natural is it to resemble their faults whose faces I am wholly unlike I am apt like a Snow-ball to carry away the dirt I am rolled upon and as an Ape to imitate those amongst whom I am in their folly and to sin for company rather then to be singular But though the Loadstone can draw Iron yet it cannot draw gold Lightning may smite the dead Oak but not the green and fresh Laurel though corrupt nature follow a multitude to do evil yet grace through the help of the Spirit is invincible Why may not my soul like Moses bush in the midst
to them Faith is a Christians guide and good Works his garment As the Fish by the Fins are raised from the mud to the top of the water so faith lifteth the soul from earth to heaven It is the evidence of things not seen Good works are as Scales a shield to a Christian and are not unfitly called the Breast plate of righteousness Thus O my soul though thou couldst not read a line in any Printed book thou mightest read many good lessons in this natural book Even things without mouths can Preach and speak thy Makers praise and pleasure Their voices are heard in every language and their words go to the end of the world Psa. 19. 4. Wheresoever O my soul thou goest thou mayst by meditation get some steps nearer thine eternal weal Art thou walking Consider thou art but a sojourner and traveller in this world thy life is a continued moâ—ion thy way is the Son of God thy home is the Fathers House thy motion is painful thy way is perfect and thy home will be full of pleasure Why shouldst thou wander and come wide or loyter and come short of Heaven O be sure to walk in the right way and be content to travail hard that thy saâ—e way may find its end in solace and thy painful walk make thy home more welcome Art thou walking in thine Orchyard thou mayst from every tree as a Text gather many profitable doctrines and inferences Take a turn or two among the Trees and thou mayst find much wholsom fruit on them 1. Some Trees are profitable for one purpose some for another some to quench thirst some to comfort and refresh the inward parts c. so the Children of God are diversly serviceable according to the different gifts bestowed on them by the Holy Ghost 2. Every living fruit tree is in some measure fruitâ—ul though some bring forth more fruit some less yet all bring forth some All living Christians are thriving and bearing fruit though some are more eminent for growth and proficiency in grace yet all bring forth fruits worthy of repentance The Hypocrite like a dead stake in an Hedge continueth at a stay is without good fruit nay groweth more rotten every moneth then other but the true Saint like the living Tree the longer he continueth rooted in Christ the more abundant he is in the work of the Lord. 3. The best Trees have a winter wherein they seem to be dead and barren yet they have their life and sap at that time remaining in the root Christians under desertions and temptations may be judged by themselves and others to be dead and undone but even at such seasons their life is hid with Christ in God Though they may fall fouly they cannot fall finally 4. Fruit-trees are tossed and shaken by the wind but there is no danger of their overturning or death whilst their root remains firm in the earth Saints may be stirred and tossed by the high winds of Satans and the worlds temptations but can never be overthrown because they are rooted in Christ. Grace may be shaken in but never out of their souls 5. The winter which the Trees suffer in frosts and snow and the continuance of their sapunder ground is profitable for them and helpful to their greater growth in Spring So the various and severest providences of God towards his people are serviceable to their good and their seeming declensions in order to their greater growth As Children under a fit of an Ague they may at present be weakened and stand at a stay but afterward they shoot up the more 6. The fruits of trees are harsh and little worth till they are grafted so the fruits of all by nature are wild and unpleasant to God till they are grafted into Christ. 7. Those trees that stand most in the Sun bring forth the sweetest and the largest fruit So those believers that live nearest God by an holy communion do the more abound in the fruits of righteousness and their fruits are the more acceptable springing from a principle of love to God 8. The more the boughs are laden the more they bow down to the earth so the more abundant any are in holiness the more humble and lowly they will be 9. The Husbandman chuseth what plants he pleaseth to bring into his Orchyard and his grafting of them and care about them makes the difference between them and others So God chuseth whom he pleaseth out of the wilderness and waste of the world and his grafting them by regeneration and conduct of them by his Spirit distinguisheth them from all the rest of the earth 10. The Leaves drop from the Trees in the beginning of Autumn Such is the friendship of this world whilst the sap of wealth and honour lasteth with me and whilst I enjoy a summer of prosperity my friends swarm in abundance but in the winter of adversity they will leave me naked O how miserable is that person who hath no friends but of this world How happy is he that hath the sap of grace which will remain with him in the coldest winter Thus O my soul whilst thou art walking with regenerate creatures thou mayst better thy spiritual senses and walk with thy Creator O how may thy thoughts be raised to the trees that are planted in the house of the Lord and flourish in the Courts of thy God that are planted by the Rivers of waters and bring forth their fruit in due season Lord I confess thy goodness in giving me so many ushers yet alas my dull and blockish heart to this day hath not learnt those lessons which thou hast set me by them Vnless thou who art the chief Master of the Assemblies undertake the work all will be in vain Thy creatures are as burning glasses they cannot make the Sun to shine but when it doth vouchsafe its heavenly beams they help to increase both light and heat It s thine own promise that all Sions Children shall be taught of God Let it please thee to undertake the tuition and instruction of thine untoward Scholar O do thou spiritualize my heart and then I shall spiritualize all the works of thine hand do thou enlighten me so powerfully by thy blessed Spirit that I may turn every spark into a candle and every candle into a star and every star into a Sun and by the light of all be enabled to see more of thy beautiful face and blessed perfections I Wish that I may not onely taste by occasional but make a full meal by set and serious meditation of that food which may God provideth for my soul If a drop a little be reviving and strengthening surely a good draught will yeild me more comfort and profit If ever it be true it s here the best is at the bottom That rare object which upon a transient view gives me some delight upon a permanent vision will afford more pleasure If my meat abide in my body it will afford me the better
his duty and leaves all to his father who knoweth what he hath need of But the Covâ—tous who like the barren womb hath never enongh pines with fear of want can neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly lest he should lose what he hath or not have sufficient to hold out nay he will not allow himself convenient food or raiment though he have never so much but like a beast feeds on thistles when he hath all sorts of provision upon his back Temperance hath health and strength with it and thereby renders the other comforts of this life savoury and comfortable so also Chastity But â—luttony and Drunkenness and Whoredom bring weakness and sickness on mens bodies and imbitter all other blessings besides the fear of being discovered to the shame and disgrace of the Authors which tormenteth not a little There is comfort in dealing honestly and righteously but if a man will cheat and cozen and filtch and steal no wonder if he tire his head with plots and projects â—o carry it on cunningly and secretly and terrifie his heart with apprehention that it will be known and then he shall be branded for a knave or suffer the penalty of law in a more severe degree The sinner is hurried hither and thither by his opposite Lords and contrary lusts and torn piecemeal by them as a man by beasts which draw the parts of his body contrary ways The Commands of sin are harsh and heavy No Tyrant ever put his subjects upon more crabbed painful work But the Commandments of God are not grievous 1 Joh. 4. 3. Sin is sâ—avery and its servants worse then those that row in Turkish Gallies but Gods law is a law of liberty and they walk at liberty who seek his precepts The ways of sinners are called crooked ways rugged ways which are unpleasant to travail in but the ways of God are called strait ways plain paths which are delightful to passengers I am confident the true Christian hath more true pleasure in suffering for Christ or one act of mortification or victory over one lust then the highest earthly Potentate hath in his largest dominions in the multitude of his subjects in the richness of his kingdoms and in all the honour that is done him or good things enjoyed by him all his days 3. It is the most profitable Calling Reader this argument is Achilleum or instar omnium the strongest argument and instead of all with most men gain is the great God of this world that commandeth all their heads and hearts and hands to whom they bow down the knees both of their bodies and souls The theif murderer are quickened by this to their hellish trade Come let us lay wait for blood let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil Prov. 1. 9 10. The Sechemites upon this ground will endure the pain of Circumcision and throw up their former religion Shall not their beasts and their cattel and their substance be ours The Soul for this will scale the Walls and leap upon the Pikes and run upon the Mouth of the Cannon The Husband-man for this will rise early go to bed late eat the bread of carefullness toyl and moyl all day and make a drudge a slave a pack-horse of himself all the year The Merchant for this will plough the Ocean dance upon the surging billows suffer many dangers and deaths through his whole voyage The Shop-keeper for this will croud into any hole of the City break his sleep waste his health run about hither and thither early and late Gehezi Achan Iudas Balaam for this will venture their bodies their souls any things all things Profit is such a bait that all will bite at The Devil that Arch Politician who hath had so many thousand years experience besides his extraordinary natural knowledge could not judge any Topicks more likely then this to take with our blessed Saviour All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me The gods themselves were said by the Athenians to be corrupted with Philips gold that their Oracles still were in favour of him Money is the absolute Monarch which can put men upon the most dangerous defignes Therefore Cassius surnamed the Severe one of the wisest of the Roman Judges in all doubtful Causes that came before him would demand Cui bono Who gained or had the profit well knowing that that is the bias which turneth men aside to wrong others and the heady wanton horse which breaks through the fence to trespass upon neighbours Now Reader If profit will prevail with thee Godliness with contentment is great gain All the gold of the world is dross all the diamonds of the world are dirt all the gaines of the world are loss to this gain of Godliness Egypt watered by Nilus hath four rich harvests say some in less then four months Solinus saith the Egyptian fig tree beareth fruit seven times in a year Godliness brings forth 30 60. 100. fold increase It giveth an hundreth fold in this world and in the world to come life everlasting After ye had your fruits unto holiness in the end everlasting life Mat. 19. 29. Rom. 6. 22. Did the sinner but believe Scripture that speaks the infinite reward of holiness he would quickly set up this trade Pinder the Poet saith in regard of the fertility of Rhodia and the wealth of the inhabitants that it rained gold in that country The fruit of wisdom is better then silver and the gain thereof then fine gold She is more precious then Rubies and all thou canst desire is not to be compared to her Prov. 3. 14 15. Lucian fancieth all the Heathen gods and goddesses sitting in Parliament and each making choice of that tree which best pleased them Iupiter chose the Oak for its strength Apollo the Baytree for its greeness Neptune chose the Poplar for its length Iuno chose the Eglantine for its sweetness Venus chose the Myrtle-tree for its beauty Minerva sitting by demanded of her Father Iupiter why since there were so many fruitful trees they all had chosen barren ones He answered Ne videanâ—ur fructu honorem vendere Lest they should seem to sell honour for fruit Minerva replied Well Do what you please I for my part make choice of the Olive for its fatness and fruitfulness They all commended her choice and were ashamed of their own Folly This fiction doth fitly represent the foolishness of men at this day in chusing the honours and preferments and glory of the world which are barren and unfruitful things of no wâ—rth in the other world before that honour which is from God and the eternal weight of glory and also the convictions of their consciences another day which will force them to be ashamed of their own folly and to commend the choice of a Christian for preferring grace and godliness which will stand him in stead in an hour of
death and day of judgment and bring him in unspeakable gain before the aery honours and withering vanities of this life Reader If thou wilt give conscience free liberty to speak its mind I know it will tell thee that no calling is comparable to this for profit The gain of Godliness is real gain rich gain certain gain eternal gain 1. It s real if the word of truth may be trusted its fruit is therefore called substance in distinction from earthly riches which are shadows I will cause them that love me to inherit substance 2. It s called also true riches other riches are fained hence also godly men are said to be rich towards god and other men to be rich in this world It s rich gain as it hath relation to the best part it makes the soul of man truly precious as it is serviceable to our last end and prepareth man for the fruition of God and also as its reward is unconceivable The vessels of mercy shall swim in an Ocean of glory Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can the heart of man conceive what God hath layd up for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. It s reward is beyond all expression above all apprehensions no comparison can fully resemble it no understanding conceive it 3. It s eternal gain Other gains are fading deceitful brooks dying flowers withering goards and vanishing shadows Riches are not for ever Pro. 29 Man in honour abideth not Psa. 49.2 The pleasures of sin are but for a season Heb. 11. 25. But this gain is for ever The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever both in the nature of it t is incorruptible seed and in the fruit of it which is the gift of God eternal life Though other trades shall all fail as useful onely in this needy World though other callings shall vanish and time it self shall be no more yet this trade this calling shall râ—n parallel with the life of an immortal soul though gold be a corruptible mettal the gain of this calling is better then much fine gold it s an inheritance undefiled incorruptible Our work whether in doing or suffering the Will of God is but for a moment but it works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory O what an happy good what an excellent gain is that which is eternal Mary hath chosen the good part which shall never be taken from her When thy Lands and Houses shall be taken from thee thy place and dwelling shall know thee no more when thy Friends and Relations shall be taken from thee Son of Man behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke when all the comforts of this life shall serve thee as vermine and lice do a dead man though they stick close to him in his life run from him at death this Calling will stand by thee encourage thee never leave thee nor forsake thee In other things thou chosest for that which is most lasting If thou buyest an house or beast or suit of apparel thou art desirous to have that which is most durable and strong O why shouldst thou not chose that good which is everlasting When Demetrius had taken Megara and his Souldiers plundered the City he fearing the Philosopher Stilpo might receive some loss sent for him and asked him whether any of his men had taken any thing of his Stilpo answered No for I saw no man that took my learning from me Godliness is such Wealth such Learning as will abide with thee in general plunder indeed neither men nor Devils can rob thee of it 4. It s certain gain He that sets up of this trade may be trusted for none ever brake of this calling God himself whose is the earth and the fulness thereof is bound for them and hath undertaken for their perseverance and growth and gains The Merchant that trades into the other world is not properly a Merchant-venturer for the Gospel which is the Ensurance Office hath engaged infinite power and love and faithfulness for the security and safe return of all the Vessels which he sends forth The Promises are all yea and amen the sure mercies of David The Covenant of grace which containeth all their gains and riches is stable in all things and sure 2 Cor. 1. 20. Isa. 55. 6. 2 Sam. 23. 5. If there were a free trade proclaimed to the Indies and every man that went promised as much gold as he would desire and a certainty of making a good voyage who almost would stay at home what crowding would there be to Port-Towns and what hast to take shipping Reader Though God will not suffer this to be in reference to earthly treasures knowing out of his infinite wisdom how hurtful they would be to immortal souls yet he offereth thee all this and infinitely more in calling upon thee to mind godliness He saith to thee as Ioseph to his brethren Gen 45. 18. Come unto me and I will give you the good of the Land of Egypt and ye shall eat the fat of the Land Come unto me and I will give you the good of Canaan and ye shall eat the pleasant fruits of that Land flowing with Milk and Honey O Reader didst thou know the worth of this jewel thou wouldst trample upon all the wealth of this World as dung in comparison of it Little dost thou think or imagine the advantage the vertues of this Diamond It is the true Loadstone that draweth all good to it Luther saith of one Psalm This Psalm hath done more for me then all the Potentates of the World I may say to thee This calling will feed thee with bread that came down from Heaven and cloath thee with fine linnen the robes of Gods own righteousness t will protect thee and maintain thee t will advance and honour thee t will inrich and ennoble thee in life refresh and rejoyce thee in death crown and reward thee after death do more for thee then all the Princes or Potentates Relations or Posâ—Possessions Persons or Comforts upon Earth can do In thy prosperity and enjoyment of outward good things godliness would like Sugar and Spice correct their windiness and make them wholsom and profitable to thee It would like Elisha's Meal and Salt make thy Meat sweet and savoury and thy drink pleasant and refreshing to thee It would make thy bed soft and easie thy garments warm and sweet sented T will so far abate thy appetite to this luscious food that thou shouldst not feed immoderately to the surfeiting thy soul. As the fiery bush which Moses saw in the Mount Horeb though it was in a flaming fire did not consume Or as the shining worm that being cast into the fire doth not waste but is thereby pâ—rged from its filth and made more beautiful then all the water in the world could make it So Affliction should not ruine but reform and purifie thee In the greatest danger this will be thy
who gives his Servant such a charge that therefore he must not put off his hat or bid any Good Morrow or ask their Neighbours how they do for ever after The same Law-giver doth command Salutations by his oâ—n mouth Into what house ye enter say Peace be to this house Luk. 10. 5 6. and also commends it to us by his Ministers 1 Cor. 16. Col. 4. 10 14. We may not bid them God Speed whom we see imployed about the Divels designes least we be partakers of their evill deeds but if we know not their actions to be bad our charity must hope the best He that hath but common Humanity must needs be a Civilian Though nature be a Crab-stock yet if she be but graffed by education this will be part of her sweet fruit 3. As thy duty is to be righteous and courteous so also to be meek in thy dealings with men Courtesie is a good Servant to wait upon meekness as its Master both together are no small credit to a Professour He that is highest in godliness is fullest of meekness the purest Gold is soonest melted and they are usually the best blades that will bend well the Lion of Iudah for courage was a Lamb for condescension The Saint must learn of his Saviour to be meek and lowly in heart The passionate man is one of Lucifers Disciples and followeth him in his fall from Heaven This meekness I speak of it in relation to man as its object is a vertue by which we moderate our passions and keep them in subjection least we should wrong our Neighbours Patience is sister to meekness and humility is its mother The Passions of our minds are like the winds in the air if they lye still the Ship must lie still too or at least make but small speed if they be too boysterous they endanger the dashing the vessel upon a Rock or casting it upon the Quicksands but when they blow moderately between a still calm and a violent storm they are most helpful to the Mariners Our affections are of no use if they be suffered to sleep and do not rise at all for then though the name of God himself be shot at they will not hear the murdering piece Such meekness is worse then mopishness God did not give the soul these wings in vain On the other side if our affections are tempestuous and rise too high they threaten to overturn both our selves and our Neighbours A passionate man is like the torrid zone too hot for any to deal with him or to dwel neer him The work therefore of meekness is to keep the affections within their bounds so to moderate this fire that it may warm not flame out to burn it self and others He that is inebriated with passion is unfit for any action like Sampsons Foxes he scattereth fire-bands abroad to the hurt of all that are neer him Alexander in his anger flies upon his best friend Parmenio himself must perish by that Wild-fire Catos best Emperor was he qui potuit imperare affectus that could keep his own passions in subjection When one said he was a wise King that was kind to his friends and sharp to his enemies another said He was a wiser Prince that could retain his Friends in love and make his enemies like them The Spirit of God gives us a mark to know a wise and noble man by Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom Jam. 3. 13. Two particulars offer themselves to our view out of this verse 1. That meekness is a sign of a wise man The world counts them onely the brave spirits that scorn to suffer the least affront and who will repay a single injury with double interest but these in Gods accounts are fools What a fool is he that suffereth his passion that which should be his servant to become his master and to tyrannize over him What a fool is he that perceiving a Musket discharged will not stoop a little or fall down a while to avoid the Bullet but keep his place and height to the loss of his life Truly such a fool is he that will never yeild to anothers wraâ—h Is not he a fool that seeing a fire in his neighbours house anger in his Neighbours heart is so far from helping to quench it by the water of mildness that he throweth more fuel on it and increaseth its flame even to the burning down of his own is not he a fool that ventureth his inestimable soul at every trifling cast and runneth headlong upon the greatest hazards Surely 't is not without reason the wise man speaks so often of a fools wrath and that Anger resteth in the bosome of fooles Prov. 27. 3. and 17. 12. c. A wise man deferreth his anger least it burn with too hot a flame Prov. 29. 11. He will draw back the brands least the fire exceeding its bounds should consume him How many have been thrown nay utterly over-thrown by laying the reins upon the neck of their brutish passions when their persons would have been safe had but their passions been curbed Charles the sixth King of France was mad for anger and desire of revenge on the Duke of Brittain Excess of wrath cost Ajax his life if the Poet may be beleived Sylla in the height of fury vomited up his blood and his breath together saith the Historian When such winds blow they raise black and dark clouds A furious man hath few friends like Ismael his hand is against every man and every mans hand is against him The Herons name in Hebrew signifieth to be angry and it s observed scarce any fowl hath so many foes the Eagle preyeth upon her the Fox catcheth her in the night the Hawk destroyeth her eggs How foolish is the Bee that loseth her life and her sting together she puts another to a little pain but how dearly doth she pay for it The greatest conquest is to overcome our selves and the vilest bondage to be our own slaves Prov. 16. 32. He that is most mild is most manly It sullied the glory of all Caesars valour and victories that he was his own vassal It is the glory of a man to pass by offences Those Dogs which were presented to Alexander by the King of Albany were counted the best in the world and upon this account because they were so noble as not to stir at all when small beasts were brought to encounter them and through an overflowing of courageâ— would never fight save with Lions and Elephants Those men without question are far from true worth and most ignoble who upon every supposed petty wrong flie to the common Law or Civil War for revenge By the Laws of England a Noble man hath this priviledge that he cannot be bound to the peace because it s supposed that a Noble person will scorn to engage himself in
is before the thing exemplified If a man is bound to love another as himself he must needs love himself first and more then another Thy love to them may cause thee to hope that thou mayst convert them but thy love to thy self should make thee fear lest they should pervert thee 2. Position A Christian is bound to avoid all needless society with wicked men Mark I say needless When our Relations command it as amongst Husbands and Wives and Parents and Children or our Vocations call for it then it is necessary Those precepts that enjoyn us to forbear their company are to be understood when we have no call to it We may Trade with wicked men we must perform all moral duties to our Kindred and acts of courtesie and charity to the worst of our enemies so we be careful to keep our selves from their corruptions and use their company no longer then the discharge of those duties doth require When by admitting their persons we cannot avoid their vices we must deny both 3. Position Christians should as God gives them opportunity if there be any hope of doing good endeavour to reform men before they wholly reject their company Nay and pray for their welfare after they have refused them for Companions It s small kindness to shut up a man that hath the plague lest he should infect others and to use no means for his own cure If I finde that a man is desperately bent in wickedness that Religion is the object of his laughter and to give him any serious counsel is to cast Pearl before Swine I must judge such Ishmaels and Esaus unworthy of humane society but it s a very hard case to shut a man up in a Coffin and bury him before he be quite deadâ— Sometimes vicious men are in distress and a godly man hath a call from God to do him some charitable office here the Christian may have less fear of receiving hurt from them Afflictions are bonds and these beasts in Chains are not so unruly Pauls Viper benummed with cold did not sting him Here a Christian hath also more hope of doing good to them The hard mettal when in the fire may receive impressions Men will take that Physick willingly in their sickness which they refused in health 4. Position A Christian may love a wicked man sincerely though he wholly shun his society He may affect him with a love of pity though not of complacency He may shew his love by powring out his heart in petitions to God for him Though a Saint deny a scandalous sinner his presence yet he doth not deny him his pity nor his prayers Nay our Non-Communion may be a means of their conversion If any obey not the word have no company with him that he may be ashamed 2 Thes. 3. 14. Shame and Confusion is a good step towards Conversion A wicked mans presence burdens a Saint and a godly mans presence hardens a sinner Surely thinks he I am if not praise worthy yet tolerable and not very bad since such a good man is so much with me They who did eat and drink in Christs presence on Earth wondered much to be excluded from his Heavenly Banquet Math. 7. 23. Hymeneus and Alexander were excluded Christian society that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. This wounding is the way to healing â—t makes prophane men bethink themselves when sober persons avoid their presence Object 2. Did not Iesus Christ accompany with wicked men Can I follow a better pattern or can any pretend to more purity Is not Christ upon this account called a friend of Publicans and Sinners Answ. 1. I Answer More generally All our Saviours actions are for our instruction but all are not for our imitation Christ indeed hath left us an example that we should follow his steps but not in all the prints of his feet Christ did nothing amiss but he that shall undertake to do in all things as he did will follow him too close and do many things amiss It may be commendable to imitate my Soveraign but it is possible enough to do it so far as to be guilty of treason by it Some of Christs actions were done by him as man others were done by him as Mediatour or God-man In many of these latter we cannot imitate him in others we may not Who can work Miracles forgive Sins c. as Christ did Who may appoint Apostles constitute Laws for the Church c. as Christ did Answ. 2. More particularly Christ had a Call which all others have not to go amongst wicked men Where should a Physitian be but amongst his Patients to deal with such is his calling Christ came to call sinners to repentance to heal their vitiated natures and therefore it was necessary he should associate with them He went amongst them not as a friend to their sins but as a Physitian to their souls How should he otherwise have cast out Devils cured their sicknesses and proved his Deity to their faces An Ambassadour being commissionated by his Prince may do that which if an ordinary Subject should do may cost him his life Abraham might having liberty from God stand still and behold Sodom flaming when Lot might not so much as cast an eye or have a glance towards it Christ was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and so he went to them in discharge of his Errand and Mission He had also a Commission under his Fathers Hand and Seal Luk. 4. 18. Iob. 6. 27. Answ. 3. Christ had no tinder about him to take fire being conceived without sin but we are little else then dry tinder and therefore have cause to avoid the least spark The Prince of this world cometh saith Christ and findeth nothing in me He cometh with his baits but there is nothing in me that will be nibling at them Besides his Deity was a perfect Antidote against all infection As the beams of the Sun he could be in filthy places and amongst defiling persons and not receive the least pollution when we have such unhealthful souls that we are ready to receive the contagion from the least infectious breath Our corrupt nature is like fire which if there be any infection in the room draweth it straight to it self Answ. 4. Christ did not choose the Company of Publicans and Sinners though he was often amongst them A Physitian is not in a Pest-house wiâ—h delight though his own pity and their misery may call him thither Sinners were the guest Saints onely the delight of Christ wicked men had his company but the Disciples onely were his Companions He was intimate with none but beleivers others were his care they his comfort It was to them he said I have not called you servants but friends for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you Joh. 15. 15 16.
evil Company consisteth First if thou wouldst exercise thy self to Godliness in evil society Labour to keep thy self unspotted from their sins Ungodly men are called filthy and compared to Swine that are apt to defile all that have to do with them They as the Night are dark and full of unwholsom vapours it concerns thee therefore to be well fenced that thy spiritual health may not be impared by them Be careful that they hurt thee not either inwardly or outwardly Thou art in a double danger amongst sinners thou art in danger of having thy soul wounded and also of having thy name and estate blasted There is a necessity therefore of a double guard of a guard upon thy soul that it may not be wronged and of a guard upon thy tongue that thy outward comforts may not be ruined I say 1. Be watchful over thy soul that thou contractest no guilt It s hard to be near those that are dirty and defiled and yet to keep our Garments unspotted and clean Wicked men as Diers and Painters who use colours are usually besmeared themselves in their hands and habits and they also besmear others The Lake of Sodom is called Asphaltides or the Dead Sea because of the venemous vapours which arise out of it insomuch that Birds which flye over it fall down dead and beasts that drink of it sicken and dye Some men have found evil society as poisonous to their souls as brutes have found the Dead Sea to their bodies Pope Nicholas the thirds Concubine by looking on a Bear frequently was brought abed of a Monster Thy frequent vision of their wicked actions may cause too great a likeness in thy conversation But the Saint should resemble the Carbuncle which being cast into the fire is nowhit defiled or impaired thereby but therein shines most brightly If it be closed fast say some in a ring of Lead and cast into the fire we may see the Lead molten but the Carbuncle not so much as mollified or in the least blemished Thy watchfulness friend must be great if thou wouldst keep thy self unspotted from the World Jam. 1. ult Rust will fret into the hardest steel but not into the Emerald Sin will fiâ—d speedy acceptance with a prophane sinner but not with a preciouâ— Saint Ioseph kept his Chastity though often in the company of his wanton Mistress Lot did not lose his sanctity though he dwelt amongst ungodly Sodomites The Arch-Angel disputed with the Arch-Divel yet was not infected by his poisonous breath Satan did set upon the blessed Saviour but could not fasten the least sin upon him Naturalists tell us that the Diamond if true will lie in the â—ire and not consume the Herb Narcissus or Yellow Crowbellies flowreth in February and keepeth its Flower under the Snow The Olive Tree in the midst of the Flood kept its branches green The Christian ought so to converse with the wicked that his grace may neither waste nor his conscience be wounded Thy Duty is as Cloaths well dyed to keep thy colour in all Weathers and as a good constitution to retain thy spiritual health in the most unwholsome Aires The Apostle writes to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. 11. Not to company with any that are called brethren and are fornicators or covetous or idolaters or railers or drunkards or extortioners The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in the 9 and 11. verse which signifieth not to mingle with them They may be amongst them but they may not mingle with them that which mingleth with any filthy thing receiveth of its filth and though it were pure before is polluted thereby The people of God ought not in this sense to mingle with the world but to keep themselves though not untoucht yet untainted It s storied that the Rivers of Peru run into the main Sea twenty or thirty miles and yet are not mingled with the Sea but continue fresh water So the River Rodanus is said to run purely through the Lake Lemanus without mixture of waters It s also reported of the River Dee in Merionithshire in Wales that running through Pimbe Meer it remaineth entire and mingleth not with the waters of the Lake Thus should the people of God those Chrystal streams though they are necessitated sometimes to meet with keep themselves entire and not mingle with the puddle water of unclean persons Pliny reports of a Family near Rome that could walk on live coals and not be burnt It s honourable to keep thy self pure among them that are evangelically perfect but to preserve thy self from pollution amongst them that are prophane is Heroical It s the excellency of a Christian to hold on his course without slipping or falling when many rubs and hinderances are laid in his way And it s the glory of grace to keep its beauty and lustre notwithstanding the attempts of the World and the Wicked one to soil it It was a notable speech of the Souldier that Erasmus speaks of who being told of a numerous Army coming against him answered Tanto plus gloriae referemus quanto sunt plures quos superabimus The more famous our opposition the more illustrious our Conquest That Great Commander had never been so renowned if he had not eaten his way over the Alpes that were supposed inaccessible The greater our difficulties and the more greivous our enemies the greater our valour and the more glorious our victory That expression concerning Asia hath some worth Though it be no praise never to have seen it yet to have lived soberly and temperately in it is praise-worthy indeed The Holy Ghost giveth thee wholsom counsel Be not partaker of other mens sins keep thy self pure 1 Tim. 5. 22. It may be Reader thou art called sometimes amongst Swearing Drunken and Ungodly persons Well thou art in more danger then in a Pest-house therefore look well to thy self Satan thinks though he could not conquer thee amongst the Saints that now he hath caught thee amongst a Company of venemous Serpents one or other of them will sting thee and then he hopeâ— to overthrow thee Watch thy self narrowly if thou wouldst be safe Be not partaker of other mens sins It may be as bad to have communion with others sins as to commit sin in thy own person He that is Surety for another is as liable to the debt as the Principal and we count him most foolish that takes anothers debt upon himself Indeed Satan hath this for his comfort that hereby he hath the more in bonds to the Laws Curse Three ways thou mayst partake of those sins which are committed in thy Company I shall not speak of thy commanding men to sin so David was guilty of Vriahs death though the Sword of the Ammonites slew him â— Sam. 12. 3. Nor of counselling men to sin so Ionaciaâ— was guilty of Ammons incest 2 Sam. 16. 21. Nor of comâ—ending others for sin so a man may be accessory 〈◊〉 the fact Rom. 1.
endeavour it and leave as little a scar as possibly he can Pliny tells us of one Martia who had the Child in the womb kill'd by lightning and yet she her self was unhurt It s excellent when a Boanerges can so cast forth lightning as to kill sin in his conscience and not hurt the sinner in his repute To avoid this it was ordained among the Lacedemonians that every transgressour should be his own corrector for his punishment was to compass the Altar finging an invective made against himself It s a singular credit to the Christian if he can open and so heal mens sores as not to leave any brand upon their persons We read that God appointed Snuff-dishes as well as Snuffers for the Lamps of the Tabernacle and both to be of pure gold Exod. 37. 23. The Snuffers noted that those who check any fault in others should be free themselves The Snuff-dishes noted that those crimes which we reprove we should forgive and remit The Râ—bbies say that those Snuff dishes were filled with Sand to bury the Snuffs in He who snuffs a Candle and throws the snuff about the Room gives offence to more by the ill savour he makes then content by his care and diligence There is hardly any work of Christianity which requires more wisdom then this of Admonition The temper and quality of the persons the nature and difference of the crimes the manner and way of delivering the reproof the fittest season for it ought all to be seriously and diligently considered The rebuke of sin is aptly resembled to the fishing for Whales the mark is big enough one can hardly miss hitting but if there be not Sea-room enough and line enough and a dexterity in letting out that line he that fixeth his harping-iron in the Whale endangers both Himself and his Boat Reproof strikes an Iron as it were into the conscience of the Offendour which makes him struggle and strive to draw the Reprover into the Sea to bring him into disgrace and contempt but if the line be prudently handled and not pull'd too strait nor too qâ—ick the sinner may be drâ—wn to the Reprover and saved I confess this duty of reproving is an hard and unpleasing task because truth ordinarily begets hatred but it s far better that men should hate thee for the discharge of thy duty then that God should hate thee for the neglect of it It s much easier to endure their rage for a short time then the Lords wrath for ever If the perfons reproved have any true love to themselves they will love thee and truly that mans love is little worth who hath none for his own soul. Therefore Reader obey Gods precept and leave the event to his providence Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes. 5. 11. If thou canst advantage and gain their souls they will give thee thanks if not thy God will and surely his thanks are not to be esteemed at a low rate It hath many times been experienced that faithful reprehensions have procured though present ill-will yet respect afterwards Dean Colet for delivering his conscience by way of reproof before Henry the eighth at the siege of Tourney was questioned by the Privy Counsellors but within a short time he got a large interest in the Kings heart by the discharge of his duty He that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour then he that flattereth with his tongue Prov. 28. 23. The sick patient who at present wrangleth with his Physitian for his bitter potions doth afterwards when he findeth the happy effect of it in his healâ—h and recovery both thank and reward him Though thou meetest with an ungrateful return in his passion yet thou mayst when that cloud is dispersed expect a more serene and pleasing requital However the best way to lose a friend if thou canst not keep him and a good conscience too is by seeking by thy love and faithfulness to save him Sixthly Mourn for those sins which thou canst not amend Those sins which thou canst not beat down with a stream of truth do thou overcome with a flood of tears When others kindled a fire of lust David drew water and poured it out before the Lord Rivers of tears run down mine eys because the wicked forsake thy law Psa. 119. 135. Mark the intension of Davids passion upon the disobedience of wicked persons Sighs are an ordinary sign of grief but tears a far greater What sorrow was then in Davids heart when not onely tears but rivers of tears ran down his eyes Sâ—rely the Fountain of sorrow was very full and deep when the streams did run so fast and freely Others guilt calleth aloud to thee for grief Do they wound their souls by sin do thou wound thy own soul with sorrow Alas how is it possible thou canst be amongst them that dishonour the blessed God grieve his holy Spirit and break his righteous Commands and not have thine heart broken Lot vexed his righteous soul with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 8. Unless thou hast lost thy spiritual sent thou canst not endure the stench of their filthy unsavoury breath without much perplexity and trouble I remembred the transgressors and was greived because they kept not thy Law Psa. 119. 158. He that hath any part of the new man in himself must needs be offended at the old man in others It s presumed he is of a dishonest mind who is not offended at the cheats and thefts of others Every creature is disturbed at that which is contrary to its own nature If grace be the object of my joy and delight sin must needs be the object of my grief and sorrow My soul shall weep in secret for your pride saith Ieremiah Jer. 13. 17. Reader If thou lovest thy God with all thine heart thou cast not but mourn that others should hate him and walk contrary to him We grieve as truly for wrongs done to those whom we sincerely affect as for injuries done to our selves When one of Darius his Eunuches saw Alexander the Gâ—eat setting his foot and trampling upon a Table that had been highly esteemed by his Master he fell a weeping Of which when Alexander asked the reason he answered I weep to see that which my Master esteemed at so high a rate made thy foot-stool A gracious person cannot hear or see the Son of God the Word of God and the People of God which his God prizeth at an high rate vilified trampled under foot and slighted by wicked men but he falls a weeping My tears have been my meat day and night while they say unto me continually Where is thy God Psa. 42. 3. The dishonour of his God went nearer to his heart was very sad at that season Because others did eat the bread of violence and drink the wine of deceit he did eat his bread with tears and mingle his drink with weeping As
thrust my self into danger yet never betray my cause or break through any Command to avoid the cruelest death It s common with the Hypocrite as the Snail to look what weather is abroad and if that be stormy to pull in his horns and hide his head The Hedghog alters his hole according to the wind The swallow changeth his nest according to the season The Bird Piralis takes the colour of any cloth on which she sits There is a Tree say some Naturalists which opens and spreads its leaves when any come to it and shuts them at their departure from it The flies will abound in a sunshiny day but if once it be cloudy they vanish When Christ rides to Jerusalem in triumph many cry Hosanna who when he is taken and tryed for his life cry Crucifie Crucifie The Jacinct is changed with the Air in a clear season its bright but if the air be overcast its darksom The unsound Christian is often sutable to his Company if they own godliness it shall have his good word if they disrelish it he can spit in the face of it But pure Coral keeps its native lustre and will receive no colouring The upright soul is constant in his profession and changeth not his behaviour according to his Companions Oh that I might never through shame or fear disown him who hath already acknowledged me Alas I have that in me which he might well count a disgrace to him I am his creature and so infinitely his Inferiour The vilest beggar is not near so much below the most potent Emperour as I am in this respect to the Great God and my Saviour The whole Creation is to him as nothing yea less then nothing and vanity what then am I poor silly worm that lie groveling in this earth I am a sinner and thereby his disparagement and dishonour If a sober Master be ashamed of a deboice drunken servant much more may the holy Jesus be ashamed of me an unholy wretch and trayterous rebel against his Crown and Dignity yet for all this distance for all his difference he is graciously pleased to acknowledge me and shall not I own him If I be ashamed of him I am a shame to him But why should I be ashamed of Christ The object of shame is some evil which hath guilt or filth in it but he knew no sin though he was made sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in him He was a Lamb without spot and blemish None of his malicious enemies could convince him of sin He is so far from being the object of shame that he is infinitely worthy to be my boast and glory He is the Prince of life the Lord of glory the King of Kings the Fountain of all excellency and perfection The highest Emperors have gloried in being his Vassals Angels count it their honour to serve the meanest of his Servants and shall I think it a disgrace to be one of his Attendants O that I might be ashamed of my sins loath my self for all my abominations be often confounded because I bear the reproach of my youth but in no company be it never so great or prophane be ashamed of him who is the blessed and onely Potentate and the glory of his people Israel Again Why should I out of fear disown my Saviour Is there any safety but in sanctity Whilst I travail in the Kings High-way I have a promise of protection but if I leave that upon any pretence I run my self into peril and perdition Those that when called to fight flie from their colours die without mercy What can I expect if I leave the Captain of my Salvation but Marshal Law even eternal death I may possibly by my cowardise keep my skin whole but I wound my conscience I sink my soul to save my body as Lot prostitute my Daughter my dearest off-spring that will abide with me for ever to save my guests which lodge with me for a night and will be gone from me in the morning What is it I fear that I should be guilty of so hainous a fault Is it the worlds frowns and fury Why Its kindness is killing and therefore its cruelty is healing If my God see it good he can and will defend me from the worlds cruelty without my denying Christ and in direct courses and if it be his will that I suffer for well-doing I may commit the keeping of my soul to him as to a faithful Creator Certainly there is nothing to be gotten by the Worlds love and nothing worth ought to be lost by its hatred Why then should I seek that love which cannot help me or fear that hate which cannot hurt me If I should be so foolish as to love it for loving me my God would hate me for loving it Do not I know that the friendship of the World is enmity against God If I loath it for hating me it cannot injure me for loathing it Let it then hate me I will forgive it but if it love me I will not requite it for since its love is hurtful and its hate harmless I may well contemn its fury and hate its favour Lord thou hast commanded me neither to love the worlds smiles nor to fear its frowns I acknowledge that its allurements have been too prevalent in gaining my love and its affrightments too powerful in causing my fear O that thy exceeding rich and precious promises might make me despise all its glorious proffers and faith in thy threatnings stablish my heart against all its childish bug-beares The fear of man bringeth a snare but he that trusteth in thee is sure Let the dread of thy Majesty swallow up as Moses rod the Egyptians all fear of men And since thy truth hath no need of my lye thy power hath no need of my sin to preserve me safe let me never break over the hedge of any of thy precepts to avoid an afflicting providence but in a way of well-doing commit my ways unto the Lord and my thoughts shall be established Suffer me never to say a confederacy to them to whom thine enemies say a confederacy neither to fear their fear but to sanctifie thee the Lord of Hosts and to make thee my fear continually I Wish that since my God intends in all his providences my spiritual and eternal good I may gain something by those that are most graceless and though Satan purposeth my defilement in my converses with them yet they may prove my profit and advantage That blowing which seems to disperse the flames and trouble the fire doth make it burn the more clear The waters of others opposition may increase my spiritual heat A dull Whet-stone may set an edge upon a Knife A mean vile Porter may bring me a considerable present Black coals may scour and make Iron Vessels bright Ashes cast upon fire put it not out but are helpful to preserve it all night against the morning which would otherwise
be consumed Why may not my soul find some Pearl in the Heads of these Toads and get some spirital riches by trading with them for temporal Naturalists tell me its wholsom for a flock of Sheep to have some Goats amongst them their bad sent being Physical to preserve the Sheep from the Shakings Surely then the presence of ungodly men may sometimes be profitable for me and prevent that lightness and vanity which I am too apt to discover in every company Though I am loose amongst my friends and it be my sorrow I had need to be serious amongst mine enemies lest I become their scorn Frankincense put into the fire giveth the greater perfume Civet doth not lose its savour but is the sweeter in a sink O that my soul might draw the nearer to God because others depart farther from him and do him the more service and be the more diligent at his work because they are so unworthy and wicked Executioners and Hangmen are helpful to a Country to free them from those Felons and Murderers that would destroy the Inhabitants My sins may receive their deaths wounds through the hands of them who have no true love to me My Pride may well be abated because of their prophaness Free grace alone makes me to differ I had been as bad as the worst of them if infinite mercy had not preserved me I shall be as bad if boundless love do not prevent me to God alone therefore belongs the glory Possibly they may sometimes twit me with my faults and herein they may prove my friends Every man hath need of a Monitor My friends too often are cowardly and afraid to tell me my errors lest they should give offence my enâ—mies will speak their minds freely if they know any thing amiss by me and so do me a great kindness Myrrhe though bitter may heal wounds and preserve from putrefaction so may the taunts and gibes of ungodly men cure my inward sores and make me watchful against future wandring T was a worthy speech of the Macedonian King Philip when he was told that Nicanor spake evil of him I believe he is honest and I fear I have deserved it I may also be the better for wicked mens counsel as well as their carping if I have but the wit to follow it so far as it is good Evil Joab gave good counsel to David and had he desisted upon it from numbring the people it might have saved the lives of some thousands It is ordinary indeed to value the advice by the person and thereby it becomes unprofitable But is silk the less precious because it s spun by vile worms Are Roses the less sweet because they grow amongst briers and brambles Silver and Gold are not the worse by being taken out of the lowest element the Earth That Wine may strengthen and refresh my nature which is drawn out of a wooden or wormeaten caske O that I might take the counsel of the worst in that which is good and refuse the counsel of the best in that which is evil Lord thou canst command that these stones of wicked men be made bread to nourish my soul teach me by their falls to walk more humbly with thee and to cleave more fast to thy Son through whose strength alone I stand Blessed be thy justice which hath made them examples to me and blessed be thy mercy that hath not made me an example to them I Wish that whilst my God calleth me among them I may do good to them as well as receive good from them that I may as Musk cast a fragrancy amongst such course and foul linnen Though I hate their sins yet I am bound to love and pity their souls T is true they are vile and vicious they work iniquity they walk after the flesh they walk contrary to God and bid him depart from them But may I not say Father forgive them they know not what they do Did they know him they would not by their sins crucifie afresh the Lord of glory It s no wonder that blind men should wander out of the right way that those who have been kept in Dungeons all their days should be contented with the poor Rush-candles of creature comforts and never desire nor enquire after the Sun of Righteousness Alas the God of this World hath blinded their minds lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them He knoweth that did they but see the grace they abuse the love they despise the excellency and certainty of that Salvation which they neglect and the extremity and endlesness of that misery which they are hastening to they would quickly turn about and mind the things which concern their everlasting peace therefore he holds his black hand over their eyes and so they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them O what pity should I have for such ignorant persons as are running hoodwinkt to Hell If to him that is afflicted pity should be shewn what pity doth he call for who is all over infected with sin and every moment in danger of everlasting death Can I be troubled to behold the blind or the lame or the sick and have I no bowels for those souls that lye weltring in their blood Besides the time was that I had as low thoughts of God and his ways and as high thoughts of the flesh and the world as they I was once in their condition a servant of sin an heir of wrath and therefore I owe them the more compassion Those that have been sensible of the Stone or Gout or Tooth-ach are the more pitiful towards them that are affected with the same pain My God bids me to be gentle shewing all meekness towards all men Tit. 3. 2 3. Because I my self was sometimes disobedient deceived and serving divers lusts and pleasures When I was wallowing in my uncleanness and priding my self in my pollutions the heart of my God was turned towards me and the hand of mercy open to me O my soul shall not that infinite perdition to which thou wast obnoxious and that infinite compassion of which thou hast tasted prevail with thee to pity others O that thou wert so affected with the misery thou hast deserved and that rich love and grace which thou hast received that thou mightest seriously and studiously endeavour by thy affectionate counsel pious carriage and prudent admonition that others may be partakers of the same mercy and grace if my carriage be unblameable my counsel and reproof will be the more acceptable wholsom meat often is distastful coming out of nasty hands A bad liver cannot be a good counsellor or bold reprover such a man must speak softly for fear of awaking his own guilty â—onscience If the Bell be crackt the sound must needs be jarring I desire that I may be as bold to reprove as others are to commit sin yet that I may be so prudent
independence on thee he beareth with thee and forbeareth thee oughtest thou not to forbear and forgive others Again Thou mayst put this question to thy self Have not I wronged others Doth not the righteous God now pay me in my own coin May I not say as Adonibezek As I have done to others so God hath requited me Nay possibly others offend me ignorantly unawares or through some violent temptation but I have offended others knowingly wilfully and upon weaker inducements O what cause have I to forgive who am so prone to offend Lord teach me to obey thy precept in forbearing my brethren that offend me and so to imitate that blessed pattern of thy Majesty who art pleased daily to requite evil with good that I may be able comfortably to pray Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive them that trespass against me I Wish that I may according to my poor ability be helpful to the weak and tender members of Christ by administring Cordials sutable to their conditions My duty is not onely to counsel the doubtful but also to comfort the sorrowful If I saw a body fainting and drooping I were bound to afford it what assistance I could and not to hide mine eyes from mine own flesh Doth not my Neighbours soul as far more precious call for more pity and command my help to my power If one Sheep be sick many others will flock about him and in an hot day after their manner refresh him by keeping the scorching Sun from him The Sheep of Christ should have more sense of others misery and more knowledge of the means relating to their recovery and shall they be less diligent for others health To him that is afflicted pity should be shewn if I deny this I forsake the fear of the Almighty How tender was my Redeemer of broken bones and sorrowful Saints When he arose from the dead he appeared first to mournful Mary and then takes special care that penitent Peter have speedy notice of that blessed news Go tell my Disciples and Peter that I am risen They that have smarted with inward wounds themselves have the more reason to compassionate others in their sorrows Lord the time hath been that thou didst cast me into the deep into the midst of the Seas thy Floods compassed me about all thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me I roared by reason of the anguish of my Spirit under the sense of thy wrath and the curse of thy Law The weight of my sins lay heavy upon my conscience and I was even sinking under them into the bottomless pit The sorrows of death compassed me about the pains of Hell gaâ— hold of me I found trouble and sorrow I knew not which way to turn nor whither to go for any ease or releif If I said My Friends should help me or my Possessions abate my grief I soon found them all miserable comforters and Physitians of no value If I said My bed should comfort me and my Couch ease my complaint then thou didst scare me with Dreams and terrifie me with Visions All the creatures were unable to afford me any succour When I lay thus half dead they all as the Priest and Levite passed by on the other side they had neither pity enough for such dreadful wounds nor power enough to work their cure Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul out of the belly of Hell cried I unto thee and â—hou didst hear my voice For thou hast delivered my Soul from Death mine Eyes from Tears and my Feet from falling Thou wast the good Samaritan that hadst compassion on me that didst bind up my wounds pouring in Oyl and Wine and undertake my cure Thou didst send a Barnabas a Son of Consolation to me to proclaim liberty to me a poor captive and the opening of the Prison to me that was bound How beautiful were his feet that brought the glad ridings of peace to my poor soul O that I might be able to support the weak and comfort the feeble-minded God I Wish that I may be both faithful and wise to recover a fallen Brother out of his sin and error Jonathan a true friend of David promised to tell him if there were any danger and accordingly warned him whereby he saved his life I profess my self a lover of my Christian Companions but I am false in my profession if I suffer sin to lye upon them Yet I confess it is a difficult work to perform this duty in a right manner The best plaister may be ineffectual if it be not fitly applied I can seldom with Moses seek to unitâ— quarrelling Christians but one of them with the Hebrew is ready to quarrel with me and say Who made thee a Ruler or a Judge over us Men are seldom more touchy then when their sores are searched and therefore he that would not have their wounds to bring them into a Fever or Fury must handle them with much wariness I desire that Wisdom Courage and Love may be the ingredients of which all my medicines may be compounded Wisdom that I may observe the quality and temper of the Offendour the nature of his offence and the sittest season and manner of administring the reproof the quality of the person if he be my Superiour that I may do it with reverence rather exhorting and beseeching the plainly rebuking The temper of the offendour if he be of a fierce nature that I may so manage my work with meekness as when I am endeavouring to heal his distemper I may not increase it The nature of the offence If the sin be small that I may not make it great by giving stronger medicines then the disease requires The season of reproving that I may not give open rebuke for private offences but observe my Saviours râ—le If thy Brother offend thee tell him his fault between him and thee The presence of many may make him take up an unjust defence who in private would have taken upon him a just shame The open air makes sores to wrankle the more publique rebukes are for Magistrates and Courts of Justice to give Possibly it may be my suspicion more then any real fault as in the case of the Blessed Virgin and Joseph and then what wrong should I do him to accuse innocency before a multitude The manner of delivering it that I may give him his due praise as well us his deserved reproof This will somewhat allay his passion and make my reproof the more prevalent The Iron when heated red hot in the fire is bent and beaten afterwards without breaking which way the Smith pleaseth When I have heated him hot with the fire of commendation I may then beat upon him with reproof in greater hopes of success I would desire courage also that I may deal faithfully and not skin over a wound that hath dead flesh at the bottom Should I dally I destroy the Patient If the Ofâ—endour be so
for the least of their offences how he hath manifested his justice in the deluge brought on the old world in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in his carriage towards Apostate Angels rebellious Israelites his own chosen people and the Medâ—atour his own Son when he took upon him mans sin in the instruments of eternal death which he hath prepared in Hell for sinners and the solemn triumph which justice shall have at the great day and to all eternity in the other world 5. His holiness how he loaths sin with the greatest abhorrency cannot behold the least iniquity shoots the arrows of his vengeance against its actours and authors will be sanctified in or upon all that approach him is terrible in his holy places forbiddeth the least complyance with sin though but in a sudden thought and makes it his end in his providences ordinances the gift of his Son his Spirit to make men holy I might shew how it exalteth him in all his properties but I pass on It glorifieth him in every part of it Its precepts and commands speak his purity and dominion its promises and covenant speak his boundless mercy and compassion its threatnings and comminations speak his justice and jealousie its prophesies and predictions speak his wisdom and omniscience The Scripture tendeth also to the eternal good of men It is helpful to beget a soul to Christ Of his own will begat he us again by the Word of truth The Word of grace is instrumental for the conveyance of grace Act. 2.37 Rom. 10. 14. It is helpful to build the soul up in Christ as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. Grace is increased by the same means by which it is generated as the same Sun that begets some living creatures is helpful for their growth The Word of God of stones raiseth up children to Abraham and of Children maketh Young men and Fathers It is so penned that all sorts of persons all ranks of Christians may be directed into the way of truth and guided by it in the way of life It is able to make us wise to salvation To shew the path of life 2 Tim. 3. 15. Psa. 16. 11. As Ioshua it leads the Israelites into Canaan All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 1. For Doctrine Where Scripture hath not a tongue to speak I must not have an ear to hear Scriptura est regula fidei Scripture is the rule of faith Hence the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called a foundation Ephes. 2. 20. 2. For reproof It is the hammer of Heresies Ignorance of Scripture is one main cause of error Ye err not knowing the Scripture By this sword of the Spirit Christ vanquished Satan Mat. 4. 4. and the Jews Ioh. 5.45 and Sadduces Mat. 22.29 Lapidandi sunt haeretici sacrarum literarum argumentis Hereticks are to be stoned with Scripture arguments saith Athanasius The Word of God hiâ—s that unclean bird in the eye and wounds it mortally 3. For correction of manners The sword of the Word pierceth the sinners conscience like Christ to the woman of Samaria It tells him all that ever he did and makes him smite upon his thigh and say What have I done Scripture is a glass which sheweth him the spots that are in the face of his heart and life 4. For instruction in righteousness It is the way in which we should walk the rule of our spiritual race What is written on some Psalms may be written on every Psalm and Chapter in the whole Bible Maschil or Psalm for instruction Its precepts teach us what to follow its prohibitions tell us what to forsake Its promises are to allure us to sanctity its threatnings to affright us from sin the good example of the Saints speaketh as Christ to Peter Follow thou me the wicked actions and ends of sinners cry aloud as Abner to Ioab Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end 5. For comfort There is no such cordial for a fainting spirit as a promise in the Word The Gospel in the Greek is glad tidings and not without cause This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me When souls have been ready to despair under the sense of their wickedness and to sink in deep waters the Word of God hath held them up by the chin and preserved them from drowning Vnless thy law had been my delight I had perished in mine affliction 6. For salvation the Word is called the Kingdom of heaven partly because it revealeth Gods thoughts of such an inestimable happiness to the children of men The celestial Canaan was terra incognita till that discovered it He hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel partly because it prepares the soul for heaven the Word sanctifieth and so saveth precious souls By filling us with grace it fitteth us for glory Rom. 1.16 Ioh. 17.17 Partly because it is the seed of heaven As the Harvest is potentially in the seed and a tall Oke potentially in an acorn so heaven and eternal life is potentially in the Word of life It is called The grace of God that bringeth salvation It bringeth salvation to men and it bringeth men to salvation Secondly Consider it O my soul in its properties they will also speak its preciousness 1. It is pure and holy there are some dregs that will appear in the exactest writings of the best men when they have been shaken by a critical hand but none could ever justly fasten the least filth upon the holy Scriptures The Word of Christ is like the Spouse of Christ There is no spot in it The Alcoran of Mahomet alloweth Polygamy promiseth sensual pleasures as the reward of his servants but the Scripture winketh not at the least sin no not so much as in a motion of the heart or a glance of the eye and its promises are also pure and spiritual The Doctrine of the wisest Heathen and Philosophers were a mixture of good and bad Theft was no fault amongst Lycurgus Laws but if done slily commended highly Aristotle permitted revenge and obscene jesting which Scripture expresly forbids Thy word is very pure The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times There is not the least dross of evil or error in it 1. It s principal Author is the original and exemplar of all holiness his nature is the pattern and his will the rule of purity Exod. 15. 4. Isa. 6. 3. 2. The Scribes of it were holy men moved and actuated by the Holy Ghost 3. It s effect is to sanctifie and make holy Ye are clean through the word that I have given you 4. The matter of it is holy Its commanding part is holy The Law is holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. It s assertory part is holy what it affirmes to be is what it denyeth to
Morning prayer is the key of the day which openeth the treasury of divine bounty and locketh the soul up in safety A Prayerless person goeth all day unarmed and may expect many wounds from that hellish crew that lye always in ambush to destroy him The neglect of this pass gives Satan a great advantage to take the City When Saul had left off calling at Heavens gate the next time you hear of him is knocking at a Witches at the Divels door Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strong holds of the Devil hence he sets his wits at work to divert men from it It is the Souls armour and Satans terrour he that knoweth how to use this holy spell aright need not fear but he shall fright away the Devil himself The Lord Jesus when he marcht out against the powers of darkness and was to fight with them hand to hand armed himself before-hand with prayer Luk. 3. 21 22. not onely for his own protection but also for a pattern to us Every day we walk in the midst of enemies which are both mighty and crafty and will watch all advantages to undo us and should we go amongst them without prayer we are sure to become their prey It s too late to wish for weapons when we are engaged in a Battel Caesar cashierd that Souldier who had his armour to furbish and make ready when he was called to fight The moral of the Fable is good The Boar was seen whetting his Teeth when no enemy was near to offend him and being asked the reason why he stood sharpening his weapons when none was by to hurt him he answered It will be too late to whet them when I should use them therefore I whet them before danger that I may have them ready in danger Another duty that concernes thee in secret is to read some portion of the Word of God The Work-man must not go abroad without his Tools The Scripture is the Carpenters Rule by which he must square his building the Tradesmans Scales in which he must weigh his commodities The Travellers Staff which helpeth him in his journey There is no acting safely unless we act scripturally Bind it continually upon thy heart and tie it about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou wakest it shall talk with thee For the commandement is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life Prov. 6. 21 22 23. The Lawyer hath his Littleton or Cook which he consulteth The Physitian hath his Galen or Hippocrates with which he adviseth The Scholar haâ—h his Aristotle The Souldier his Caesar And the Christian his Bible that Book of Books to which all those Books are but as a course list to a fine cloth and scarce worthy to be wast paper for the Binder to put before this to shelter it This will teach the Lawyer to plead more effectually then Cicero when undertaking the cause of Quintâ—â— Ligarius one of Caesars enemies he did by the power of his Oratory make Caesar his Soveraign to tremble and often to change colour and when he described the Battel of Pharsalia caused him to let his books fall out of his hand as if he had been without spirits and life and forced him against his will to set Ligarius at liberty this will teach him so to plead as to prevail with and overcome God himself This will teach the Physitian to work greater cures then ever AEsculapius wrought to produce more strange and rare effects then the most powerful natural causes The Weapon-salve and most extraordinary cures that ever have been wrought are nothing to the healing a vitiated nature by the spirit and a wounded conscience by the blood of Christ which have been frequently done by the Word of God It hath opened the eyes of the blind abated the dropsie of pride softned the stone in the heart stopped a bloody issue of corruption healed the falling-sickness or back-sliding and raised the dead to life He sendeth his Word and healeth them Psa. 107. 20. The waters issuing out of the Sanctuary are healing waters Ezek. 47. 9. This will teach the Scholar to know more then the greatest Naturalists or then the Delphick Oracle could enable him to though it told him his duty even to know himself It is a Glass clean and clear wherein he may plainly see the spots and dirt and deformity of his heart and life It will teach him to know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath seâ—t whom to know is life eternal This will teach the Souldier how to war a good warfare how to fight the Lords Battails against the Prince of Darkness and all his adherents and over all to be more then a Conquerour There is no Guide no Counsellor no Shield no Treasure among all the Books that ever were written comparable to the Scripture It is reported that a certain Iew should have poisoned Luther but was happily prevented by his Picture which was sent to Luther with this warning from a faithful friend That he should take heed of such a man when he saw him by which Picture he knew the Murtherer and escaped his hands the Word of God discovereth the face of those lusts in their proper colours which lie ready in our callingsâ— in all companies in our goings out and comings in to defile us and which Satan would employ to destroy us By them is thy servant forewarned saith David Psa. 19. 11. By reading and applying it we may know their visage and prevent their venome by the words of thy mouth I have kept my self from the paths of the destroyer Cyprian would let no day pass without reading of Tertullian nor Alexander without reading somewhat in Homer Shall the Christian let a morning pass without an inspection into the Word of Christ As God commanded Moses to come up into the Mount early in the morning with the two Tables in his hand So Reader he commandeth thee to give him a meeting every morning with the two Testaments in thy hand After the refreshment of nature about which I have given thee directions else-where and therefore shall omit it here it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together and worship the blessed God with them Our Relations namely Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them wants to be supplied dangers to be prevented natures to be sanctified souls to be saved as well as our selves and therefore must not be neglected Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day and starve them all the week after but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house joyntly They wrong the souls in their families by not allowing them the liberty at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice and seek the face of God
with others And they injure themselves most by being false to their trust Should they feed the bodies of their Children and Servants on the Lords-days and make no provision for them on the week-days their consciences would flie in their faces and tell them they were inhumane and unnatural and yet they can omit all regard of their immortal souls which are far more worthy of care and tendance without remorse and sorrow I must tell such persons that if Atheism had not the predominancy in their hearts it would not bear such sway in their houses Such men are like Swine with their Pigs as if all their noses were nailed to the trough in which they feed they look not up to the God of their food and of all their comforts Such Children and Servants will in the other world find cause to curse the time that ever they knew such Fathers and Masters Others there are some of whom I hope to be godly though not in this particular that pray in their families every night but omit morning duties As if God were the God of the night and not of the day as the Syrians blasphemously affirmed that he was God of the Hills but not of the Vallies These as Austin speaks of those that woâ—ship the Moon are Atheists by day as they that worship the Sun are Atheists by night The day is thine the night also is thine thou preparest the light and the Sun Psa. 74. 16. Surely though evening Sacrifice ought to be minded yet there is as much if not more reason for morning duties A man at night in his Chamber is like a Souldier in his Garrison subject onely to the unavoidable and more immediate hand of God whereas in the day when he stragleth abroad from his quarters to fetch in his supplies he is then exposed to many unexpected casualties and unthought of accidents Family perils and dangers every day call for family prayers and duties every morning Family favours and kindnesses every night call for family thanks and acknowledgements every day When many are joyned in a Bond they go often together to see the money paid All in a Family joyn in borrowing domestical mercies therefore they must all joyn in paying hearty praises Reader if thou art Governour of a Family Consider that thou canst not faithfully serve God as a Commander unless thou takest care that all the persons under thy power do their duties in their places The Lord of Hosts will never thank that Officer who is careful to sight for him in his own person but suffereth his Company through his carelesness to fall away to the enemy Do not pretend Servants are abroad or scattered here and there about their imployments and are not at leasure but answer 1. Art thou and thy servants contented to go all day without Gods protection and provision Without question thou art most unworthy of them that dost not think them worth asking Surely God may as well say he hath no leasure he hath other employment then to defend and feed and preserve thee as thou that thou hast no leasure to serve him 2. Dost not thou and do not thine squander away more time idly and vainly then need to be taken up in morning duties 3. Do not Children and Servants come together every morning to feed their bodies and why not to feed their souls 4. If any man should make use of thy Goods or Servants of thy Time without leave thou wouldst take it very ill at their hands Thou art Gods and all that thou hast may not God therefore take it unkindly that thou shouldst dispose of thy self and thine affairs without his leave 5. Is it not plain Atheism and horrid disrespect to the blessed God to put thy self or them under thy roof upon worldly imployments without asking his providence and blessing Is it not too plain a speaking that there is no such need of him that thou canst do well enough without him 6. Thou wilt not say that thou and thine have no leasure in the morning to plough or sow or buy and sell oâ— follow earthly affairs and why not leasure as well to serve and worship the Lord His worship is of greater worth of greater weight It is of more necessity it concerns thine endless bliss in the other world It will bring in the greatest profit In the doing of his commands there is great reward Dost thou not believe that he is a better pay-master then the world 7. Art thou able to do any thing in any part of the day without his assistance Dost thou not depend every moment upon him for all thy motions and actions and is he not worth acknowledging 8. Wilt thou sayâ— Thou hast no time no leasure to be saved to escape Hell and to attain Heaven I must tell thee if thou hast no time to serve God he will have no time to save thee 9. Wilt thou stand to this Plea at the day of Christ When God shall ask thee Why thou and thy Family went abroad prayerless and drowned your selves in worldly affairs and were taken and torn by snares and temptations and disowned him and his laws as if they were not worth regarding Dost thou think it will be sufficient then to answer Lord I was a Knight or a Squire and though I had many servants yet they had their several offices and employments and could not spare time to pay that homage they owed to thy Majesty to implore thy mercy and to intreat an interest in the merits of thy son We had other things to look after then thy beautiful Image and the blessed vision of thy face for ever Or suppose thou art of an inferiour rank canst thou imagine it will be a comfortable Plea to say Lord early in the morning my Children and Servants were called to tend my Sâ—op or Flocks or Cattel or set upon some needful business or other that they could have no leasure to mind their inestimable souls or to approach thy glorious Majesty in holy ordinances O blush Reader if thou art guilty of morning omissions and either cast away thy frivolous pretences and set upon the duty or else stand to thy foolish pleas and try whether they will bear weight at the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus but remember in the mean time that thou hast had one warning more I have written somewhat largely about family duties in the first Part and therefore had intended onely to have saluted them in this place and so to have left them but observing how some families even where governous are judged to fear God are without morning though not without evening sacrifices I dwelt the longer upon it to quicken them to this duty that they might be able to say with Abijah The Lord is our God and we burn incense and offer sacrifice every morning and evening unto him 2 Chron. 13. 10 11. SECT III. SEcondly Spend the greatest part of the day in thy particular calling He that mindeth
will be the more faithful all day when it knoweth before-hand that it shall be called to an account at night and the more conscientious we are in the day the more chearful we shall be at night Seneca reports of Sextius the Roman Philosopher that every night before he took his rest he would examine his soul Quod hodie malum sanasti Cui vitio obstitisti In qua parte melior es What evil hast thou this day healed what vice hast thou resisted in what part art thou bettered and then he addeth how sweet is the sleep which ensueth upon such a review As the Shop-keeper hath his day-book wherein he writes down what he buyeth what he selleth which he looks over in the evening so must the Christian that would thrive in his general calling at night reflect upon his well-doing his ill-doings his gains his losses left his books cast him up as some find by experience because he will not take the pains to cast them up The Merchant findeth it a ready way to make his Factours and Cash-keepers faithful to reckon with them frequently When great persons neglect to account with their Stewards they tempt them to be dishonest Our consciences are corrupted as well as other faculties and will be false if not timely examined Seneca acquaints us with his own practice which may shame many Christians Vtor hac potestate quotidie apud me causam dico Cum sublatum e conspectu lumen est conticuit â—xor moris jam â—ei conscia totum diem mecum scâ—utor facta ac dicta mea remetior Nihil mihi ipse abscondo nihil transeo quare enim quicquam ex erroribus meis timeam cum possim dicere Vide ne istud amplius facias nunc tibi ignosco In illa disputatione pugnacius locutus es Illum liberius admonuisti quam debebas itaque non emendasti sed offendisti I use saith he this authority and daily plead my cause with my self When the candle is taken away and my Wife acquainted with my custom is silent I search into the whole day and review all that I have said or done I hide nothing from my own scrutiny I pass by nothing For why should I fear any thing by reason of my errors when I can say See that thou do it no more and for this time I will pardon thee c. Pythagoras taught his Scholars to talk thus with themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What evil have I committed what good have I omitted Reader let not them who knew not God rise up in judgement against thee Put every night some brief Qâ—eries to thy conscience upon these few heads How did I behave my self in Religious Duties in Natural Actions in my Particular Calling in Recreations if any were used in Company and in Solitude Compare the carriage of thy heart and life herein to the word and law of God bring all to the touchstone Hereby 1. Sin will be prevented The Child will be the more dutiful and diligent all day who expecteth to be examined by them that have power to punish or reward for every part of it at night The Christian will keep his heart as clean as the neat maid her house who is ever in fear of a severe mistress 2. Hereby if sin be committed it will speedily be repented of The wound will be healed before it be festered A disease is much more easily cured at the beginning then when it is habituated in the body Had David called his conscience to a serious account at the close of that day wherein he defiled Bathsheba he had prevented both much sin and much sorrow 3. Our hearts will hereby be the better prepared for evening duties The reflection upon the sins committed in the day past will make the streams of our sorrow to run the more freely Wounds when fresh bleed most Our Petitions also will be the more fervent for divine strength when we are newly affected with the sad consequence of our own weakness The more we feel our pain the more urgent are our cries for a Physitian A review of the mercies newly received will likewise enlarge our hearts the more in thankâ—fulness Divine favours like flowers affect us most when fresh and green Old courtesies as old cloaths are too often cast by and thought little worth 4. Hereby our souls will be always ready for our great accounts whenever God shall summon us to give it up The keeping a diary of Receipts and disbursements facilitates the Stewards annual reckoning with his Lord. They who make all even between God and their souls every day need not fear calling to account any day None will give up their accounts with such comfort at the great day as they that cast up their accounts with conscience every day Often reckoning will make long friends He that will not hear the warnings of conscience must look to feel the worm of conscience Sixthly Close the day with God in Praying and Reading his word both in thy Closet and Family Our bed is resembled to our graves sleep to death it s of worse consequence to go to bed before we have made our prayers then to our Graves before we have made our Wills God is the first and the last and ought to be the beginning and ending of every day Thou causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to rejoyce Some understand the inhabitants of East and West others the vicissitudes of day and night for which men rejoyce in God David was mindful of the Word at night I have remembred thy law O Lord in the night and also of prayer Evening and morning will I pray and cry aloud Psal. 119. 55. Psal. 55. 17. The sins of the day call for our mournful confession The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving The perills of the night call for fervent petitions so that none can want matter for a nights prayer Our wandrings and aberrations in the day may wellengage us to confession and contrition every night They who do not paddle in every gutter or thrust their hands into every ditch though they washed clean in the morning find them durty at night We cannot meddle with money but we foul our fingers nor about earthly affairs but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness The feet of men limp at best and are too slow to follow the Word of God close at the heels If we intend well in any action like arrows that are shot in mighty windsâ— we wander from the bow that sent it and miss the mark Now whilst the Ship leaketh the Pump must go Whilst we sin daily we must sorrow daily He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor who thinks much to acknowledge his debt Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bed-side which at night he used to weep and read to read and
savour of it So if godliness and the immediate worship of God do first in the morning possess my soul my natural and civil affairs will probably rellish of it Again Mens hearts are generally upon that in the morning which they esteem their happiness and portion The covetous Muck-worm no sooner openeth his eyes but his â—eart is tumbling in his heaps The voluptuous beast no sooner wakes but he is sporting in sensual waters The ambitious Peacock no sooner is able to think but his gay Feathers and gaudy dress for that day come into his mind and why should not my heart send its first thoughts into Heaven Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee The Birds early in the morning salute the rising Sun with their sweet notes and shall not I the Sun of righteousness Further My wants my mercies call for morning duties I walk in the midst of deaths of dangers every day and shall I dare to travail without my defence Men cloath their bodies against the sharpness of the weather and why not their souls against the assaults of the flesh the world and the wicked one There is no safety without this breast-work If Satan take me out of my trenches and strong holds as Joshua did the men of Ai it will be no wonder if he roâ—t and ruine me If I do not bless God in the morning how can I expect that he should bless me in the day Is any earthly Prince so prodigal of his favours as to throw them away upon those that esteem them unworthy to be desired If I do not serve the Precepts of God I am presumptuous to look that his providence should serve meâ— Should I undertake my affairs on earth before I have dispatched my business with heaven I am a notorious Cheat and Theif I am a Theif to God by robbing him of his glory and that natural allegiance which I owe to my Maker I am a Theif to my self in robbing my self of that blessing which I might have on my callings and undertakings O that prayer might be the girdle to compass in the whole body of my natural and civil dealings and concernments And that I could every day of my life forestal the worlds market by setting early about closet and family duties Suitors find it fittest to wait upon and dispatch their business with great persons betimes in the morning Lord freedom of access to thy throne of grace is an unspeakable favour Access is hard to earthly Princes No worldly Court is so open as to admit all comers Those that with much difficulty present their Petitions are often against all reason denyed Thy gates are open night and day all that will may come and be welcome Thou invitest souls to come into thy presence and delightest to hear and grant their prayers Thine eares are more open and ready to hear then their mouths to ask Thou pressest upon many undesired blessings but denyest none who ask not stones instead of bread Importunity never angers thee the more fervent and frequent my soul is with thee the more prevalent Thou fillest the hungry with good things and dost not send any that desire thy grace empty away from thy gate What care I how little notice or knowledge the Nobles of the earth will take of me when I can speak so freely to their better their Soveraign and not fear a repulse O teach me the right art of begging and then I need not be afraid of poverty If I be but skilful to follow that trade my returns will be both â—â—re and large Thy mercies are renewed upon me every morning so are my necessities O let my prayses and prayers be as frequent and early I will bless the Lord at all times his praise â—hall be continually in my mouth O God my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren Wilderness where no water is My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I Wiâ—h that having done with the more immediaâ—e service of my God in Praying and Reading both in my Closet and Family I may proceed to serve him in my Shop and Particular Calling When God saith Man is born to labour I must not sing with the fool Soul take thine ease An idle person is like Caterpillars and Mice that devour Gods creatures and do no good to others It s pity he ever lived the book of whose life is filled up with nothing but Cyphers Nature never intended men to be drones to feed on others labours nor bats to spend their lives in the company of sleep the brother of death My God my soul my family my country do all call upon me to be diligent in that calling whereto he hath called me My God is a pure act himself and hath capacitated all his creatures for action He created all men but never made a sluggard The idle person wholly degenerates from the end of his being and receiveth his faculties in vain The command for civil labour hath the same divine stamp as that for sacred rest I have also his pattern for my encouragement as well as his precept for my warrant Hitherto my father worketh and I work My soul also stands in as much need of exercise as my body Idleness is the door at which diseases enter into both Rust eats up vessels that are laid by and unused The mind is never more bright then when it is in imployment from doing nothing we proceed to do evil Idleness is not onely a vice it self but also hath this unhappiness to usher in all other This is the least advantage of industry that it gives the soul no leasure to play with sin or to entertain the wicked one Standing waters do not sooner putrifie then lazy souls T is action that preserves the â—oul in health As Gâ—ats dance up and down in the Sun and then sit down and sting the next hand they seize upon So they who have no time to work have much to imploy in slandering and backbiting others One sin never goeth alone Again my Family may well rouze me out of the bed of laziness If I expect supply of their wants it must come in with Gods blessing at the door of diligence I am stealing from my wife and children all the while I am loytering The Heavens may cause seed sown to ripen into a joyful Harvest but untilled land will afford no crop save of weeds or stones Once more My Country commands me to my calling I am but an ill member in the body Politique if as a diseased part I take of its nourishment but rather hinder its growth then contribute to its health A jarring string is not more prejudicial to the rarest Viol in the hands of a skilful artist then an idle person to the musick and composure of the universe The most venemous
creatures that nature produceth are some way serviceable to their fellow creatures O that I might never by filling up my life with laziness be a Wen in the face of nature serving no way to profit onely to disfigure it Yet I desire that my diligence in my particular may be regulated by my duty towards my General calling Oyl moderately poured in feeds the Lamp excessively drowns it Alexanders Souldier run so lightly upon the sand that he made no impression with his feet My duty is to give earthly things my hands but my heart onely to the things of heaven Lord It s as well thy pleasure that I should work here as thy promise that I shall rest hereafter Let tâ—y grace be so operative in me that I may never give Satan advantage against me by being negligent or over-diligent in my particular calling Suffer not the interposition of the earth ever to cause an eclipse of holiness in my soul But let thy word so limit me and thy spirit guide me that as one diligent in his business I may come at last to stand before the King of Kings to my eternal comfort I Wish that I may no part of the day be so overcharged with the cares of this life by my particular calling as to expose my self to wickedness by neglecting my spiritual watch If my heart be full of earthly vapours they will fume up into my head and make me drowsie A drunken man is no sooner set in his chair but he is fast asleep Sober and Vigilant are sisters in Scripture 1 Thes. 5. Let us watch and be sober 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober and vigilant The immoderate love of the world will incline me as effectually to spiritual slumbers as immoderate drinking of Wine to bodily If Satan can get me to take this Opium he doubts not but to lock me fast to my bed and to have me at what advantage be pleaseth O how easie is it to destroy a sleeping body to defile a sleepy soul Noah Lot David Solomon walked in their sleep and dreams in strange and sensual paths When the eye of the souls watchfulness is â—hut the soul is open to all dangers and assaults Whilst the Husbandmen sleep the enemy soweth Tares Sisera's head was nailed to the earth whilst he lâ—y snoring on the ground Epaminondas was not more severe then exemplary when he ran the Souldier through with his sword whom he found sleeping upon the Guard as if he intended to bring the two Brothers Sleep and Death to a meeting The Hare therefore say someâ— being liable to many enemies sleepeth with her eyes open to see danger before it surprise her I walk continually in the midst of powerful and politick adversaries The Canaanite is yet in the Land though not Master of the Field yet skulking in Holes and Ambushments watching an opportunity to set upon and destroy me There is not onely an Army of Temptations besieging me without but also many Traytours conspiring within to open the gate of my heart to them that they may enter and undo me My own heart is like Jacob a Supplanter and conspireth to rob me both of the birth-right and the blessing Let me go where I will I tread upon Lime-twigs which the Arch-fowler layeth to intangle and insnare me Saul sent messengers to Davids house to watch him and to slay him Satan sendeth messengers after me in all places where I â—ome to watch me and to sâ—ay me The whole world is as the valâ— of Siddimâ— full of slime-pits and without watchfulness the anointed of the Lord are taken in those pits Gen. 14. 10. Lam. 4. 10. Sin is a slie theif that steals upon the soul to rob it when t is asleep O what need have I of the greatest watchfulness and circumspection imaginable As the eye-lids guard the tender eyes from harm so doth watchfulness preserve the soul from wickedness O my soul canst thou not watch with thy Redeemer one hour when he ever liveth to make intercession for thee T is but the short night of this life that thou art commanded to stand â—entinel ere long thou shalt be called off the guard and freed from that trouble Lord thou art ever watchful over me for good thou never slumberest nor sleepest but thy seven eyes are ever upon me Thou mayst say to me as to thy Vineyard I the Lord do keep it I water it every moment lest any hurt it I keep it night and day O since thou watchest to preserve me let me watch to serve thee Set a watch O Lord before my lips Be thou the Governour of my heart Lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death Let mine enemies never find me nodding lest they leave me dying Thou hast told me Behold I come as a Theif Blesâ—ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Give me so to wake and watch now that death may bring me a Writ of ease and call me to my endless rest I Wish that I may all the day long be even covetous of my time as knowing it is allowed me not for the service of the flesh but for the service of my God and to dress my soul for Heaven If I be lavish of my time I am the greatest Prodigal in the World If he be a spendthrift that throweth away an hundred pound every day he is a far greater that wasteth half an hour in one day Time is more worth then the revenues of the whole world He that can command millions of treasure cannot command one moment of time The Father of eternity hath the sole disposition of time The value of this commodity is not known to this beggarly world in a day of life Now men study sports and pleasures and company and plays to waste time It lieth as a drug upon their hands and they think themselves beholden to any that will help them to put it off But when the King of terrors with his gastly countenance approacheth them and summons them to a speedy appearance bâ—fore the King of nations to receive their eternal dooms O then their judgements will be quite altered and time will be precious indeed Then they who play away their time and give all to the world or flesh will tell me that time was good for something else then to eat and drink and sleep and trade that it was good to feed an immortal soul in and provide for an eternal estate Then the Rich and Covetous as well as they loved their wealth though it be now dearer to them then their God and Christ and Souls and Heaven will part with all they have for a little time Then the Swaggerers and Gallants of the world who spend twenty hourâ— in Taverns to one hour in the Temple and if it were not for Play-houses and Ale-houses and Whore-houses and Hawks and Hounds and Cards and Dice could not tell what to do with their time who mark all the
his Sons Iob 1. 5 6. It may be my Sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts i. e. when they had been feasting at their elder Brothers house God gives Israel a special caution against this Deut. 8. 12 14. Men in an house of mourning are put in mind both of Gods Soveraignty who draweth away their breath and they perish Psa. 104. 29. and their own frailty how soon they are gathered and withered even in their prime and pride Psa. 39. 5. I am blind if I do not see mine own end in the end of another and distracted if I do not provide for my last enemy which I must necessarily encounter Thus it s a mercy to our selves to be merciful unto others and whilst we visit the sick we visit our own souls Who would not do his Neighbour good when he may be confident it will tend to his own gain I have but hopes by my visit of advantaging a sinner but I may be sure if I be faithful therein of profiting my self SECT III. THirdly It may be the last opportunity thou mayst ever have of advantaging thy sick neighbours soul. His sick-bed may be his death-bed and then t will be too late to counsel or advise him There is no Purgatory in the other world Diseases both bodily and spiritual must be purged away before death or never He that is filthy at death must be filthy still even to all eternity All the tears in hell will not wash out the least spot in the soul All the fire of hell will not purge out the least dross Therefore Christ took the opportunity of dropping good counsel into the heart of the Theif on the Cross knowing that if he had omitted it a very few hours longer the soul of the poor Theif had been lost for ever Hadst thou a friend going to Sea and never to return again waiting at a Port for a Wind and then to be gone and hadst busineâ—s with him of as great concernment to him as his life thou couldst tell him of a quicksand which he must beware of or he will be cast away wouldst thou not be quick and speedy to acquaint him with it lest he should be under Sail before thou didst see him would it not cut thee to the heart if he should miscarry through thy negligence The Application is easie The soul of every Neighbour is or ought to be dearer to thee then the body of thy nearest friend or relation When thy wicked Neighbour is sick his soul is launching for ought thou knowest into the Ocean of eternity whence he shall never â—ever return more He waits onely for a wind a word from God and he is gone The sick bed is the passage or path-way to the grave Thou hast work to do with him that is more worth to him then his life that iâ— of as great value as his immortal soul and eternal salvation Now thou mayst acquaint him while he is on the shore with his danger and the way of his delivery but if once he launch into the Main thou mayst call loud and long enough after him in vain O will it not pierce thee to the quick if his soul should be swallowed up in the boundless and bottomless Sea of divine wrath through thy laziness or unfaithfulness When the day drew near for the destruction of the Jews the heart of Haman swelled with hopes and Hester had then an opportunity to step in and preserve the lives of her Countrymen Mordecai tells her Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this She made use of the season and saved their lives with the hazard of her own Had she delayed a little longer it had been too late they had all been sacrificed upon the Altar of Hamans ambition When the hour of a wicked mans death approacheth the heart of the roaring Lyon is big with expectation of his prey and a Christian friend hath then possibly an opportunity to save the poor creatures soul Now or never there is no knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whether the sick person is going If he make use of the price God puts now into his hands by serious prudent faithful and affectionate counsel he may help the â—inner to heaven Who knoweth whether he be come by the Providence of God into the sick mans Chamber for such a thing as this I have but one thing more to commend to thee and then I shall speak to the work it self Before thou goest to thy sick Neighbour go to God by prayer intreat him to direct thee what to speak and to succeed what shall be spoken It is his own Ordinance and therefore thou mayst the more comfortably beg and expect his assistance Nehemiah would speak to God before he spake to the King for the afflicted Jews Hester prefers her Petition first to her Maker that her prayer might prosper and then her Petition to her Husband for the lives of her Countrymen God is the Principal Agent and if he be left out all thy labour will be lost Wherein the exercising thy self to Godliness in visiting the sick consisteth 1. In endeavouring to benefit the soul of thy Neighbour 2. In getting some spiritual profit to thy self First In endeavouring the spiritual good of thy Neighbour We are enjoyned in the eighth Command to mind and further our Neighbours temporal wealth but much more his spiritual welfare T was true which Bucers Physitian told him when he expressed his eagerness to die Non sibi sed multorum utilitati se esse natum That he was not born for himself but for the good of many others Every Saint is to be as it were a common stock for the profit of many He is born and new born not onely for himself but for others benefit The Lynx is a spotted unclean beast that knowing how his urine will congeal into a precious stone and be profitable to men maketh an hole in the ground when he pisseth to hide it from them Iob who knew the advantage that might acrue to others thereby would not conceal either the word or works of God from them Iob 6. 10. and 27. 11. To this end 1. Labour to be acquainted with the state of the sick persons soul. It s dangerous to give either Purges or Cordials ignorantly or at peradventure The souls of men are of unconceivable value and therefore not to be tampered or trifled with It s a good step to the cure to understand fully the disease and the constitution of the Patient therefore Physitians feel the pulse view the urine enquire of the sick person or his friends concerning his former course of life diet present digestion of his food place of his trouble or pain c. that they may proceed upon good grounds and give sutable and effectual advice So shouldst thou Reader in visiting the sick inform thy self either by conference with some serious Christians of their acquaintance before-hand or by some searching
militant Calvin was heard before his death often to sigh out How long Lord How long will it be ere thou avenge the blood of thy Servantsâ— The people of God are the purchase of Christ and of the same family and body with the dying Christian and therefore must needs be dear to him 4. For his Benefactours and those that have done good to him and his Paul had received some kindness from Onesimus he refreshed him in his bonds and in the 2 Tim. 1. 8. which was the last of his Epistles and thought to be written but a little before his death for he tells us in it I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand how pathetically doth he pray for him The Lord grant that he may finde mercy at that day 5. For our enemies This is to follow Gods pattern who doth good for evil and to obey his Precept who commandeth us to pray for them that despitefully use us Stephen when departing out of the World intreats mercy for them who were cruel to him Lord lay not this sin to their charge Act. 7. 60. Our blessed Saviour dying begs hard for their eternal lives who were the instruments and authors of his bloody death Father forgive them they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. Thirdly In an holy exercise of Faith Courage Repentance Charity and Patience 1. Faith It s the Character of Gods Children that they live by Faith and they dye in the Faith Hab. 2. 6. Heb. 11. 31. The waters say some of the Pool of Bethesda wherein the Priest washed the sacrifices before he offered them was of a reddish colour to note that men must be washed by faith in the blood of Christ before they are ready to be offered a Peace-offering to God by death The dying Christian must expect strong assaults against the bulwark of his faith but what-ever he let go he must keep his hold on Christ. I know no grace that the Devil is such a sworn enemy to as Faith and I know no season that he is more diligent in to overthrow their faith then when they are under some dangerous sickness therefore it s the observation of a good man that he seldom seeth a sick Saint followed close with temptations to recover of that sickness for Satan knowing he hath but a little time useth all his craft and strength to separate the soul from the Rock of his salvation Upon a dying bed reflect upon former experienes of Gods love to thy soul and recollect the former evidences of of thy title to Christ and thereby to Heaven I must tell thee though the certainty of thy salvation depend upon the truth of thy Faith the comfort of thy dissolution will depend on the strength of thy Faith Faith is the shield of the soul and therefore above all in thy encounter with thy great enemy Satan and thy last enemy death take the Shield of Faith Eph. 6. 14. Epaminondas after his victory at Loâ—ctrum wherein he was mortally wounded understanding that his Buckler was safe bid his Chirurgion boldly to pluck out the Dart that stuck in his side and died cheerfully The Saint the Souldier of Christ who is wounded even to death and keepeth his Shield of Faith safe may leave the world with courage The Apostle Paul who knew whom he had beleived 2 Tim. 1. 12. rings a challenge in the ears of death O death where is thy sting and sings a triumphant ditty at the approach of death The time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. When Iacob had beleived the report of Iosephs life his heart was revived Is Joseph yet alive saith he I will go down and see him before I dye When the true Israelite can firmely credit the testimony which God hath given of Iesus the Son of Ioseph how he being an enemy was reconciled to God by the death of his Son and shall much more being reconciled be saved by his life and by faith can cling on him his heart though dying is then enlivened O with what comfort can he take his journey into the other world When Philip viewed his young Son Alexander Now saith he I am content to dye Old Simeon springs young again at a sight of Christ and having embraced his Saviour in the armes of faith as well as in the armes of his body he begs a dismission out of this valley of tears being assured thereby of an admission into fulness of joy Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Having with an eye of faith beheld Christ he counts his life but a bondage and desires to depart or be loosed from fetters as the word signifieth and is taken Mat. 27. 17. We read of the Lords worthies that by faith they stopped the mouths of Lions Death is a fierce and cruel Lion but faith will pull out its teeth that it cannot hurt us or stop its mouth that it shall not devour us This grace like the Angel sent from Heaven when Daniel was cast into the Lions Den will save the Christian from being torn in peices O Friend The Robes of Christs righteousness is the onely Coat of Male which can defend thy soul against the shot of death If thou canst with Moses go up to Pisgah and take a view by faith of the Land of promise thou wilt comfortably with him lay down thine earthly Tabernacle Iob desired death as eagerly as the Labourer in an hot summers day desires the shadow Paul longed for it as vehemently as the Apprentice for the expiration of his Indentures and all because they had first beheld Christ by faith It s no wonder that many of Gods Children have called earnestly to be laid to bed knowing that it would prove their everlasting happy rest and when their bodies are carried by mortal men to their Mother Earth their souls should be conveyed by glorious Angels to their Father in Heaven 2. Courage A Christian should be a Voluntier in death Many of the Martyrs were as willing to dye as to dine went to the sire as chearfully as to a Feast and courted its pale and gastly countenance as if it had bee a beautiful Bride When King Lysimachus threatned Cyrenaeus Theodorus with Hanging Istis quaeso inquit ista horribilia minitare purpuratis tuis Thedori quidem nihil interest humine an sublime putrescat Threaten these terrible things to thy brave Courtiers Theodorus cares not whether he rot in the Air or on the Earth Cyprian said Amen to his own Sentence of Martyrdom Hierom reports of Nepotianus that he gave up his life so chearfully that one would have thought he rather walked forth then died When Ignatius was led from Syria to Rome to be torn in peices of wild
ready by him The loving Husband let him come when he will is ever welcom to a faithful Spouse The actual unpreparedness of some holy persons hath caused their Petitions for a longer stay when God seemed to call them hence Psa. 39. 13. As a Nobleman who is a Loyal Subject and affectionately desires his Princes presence and company at his house may wish that it may be deferred when his house is out of repairs till it is in a better order The habitual unpreparedness of sinners I mean their predominant impenitency and unbeleif hath made death cutting to them indeed The Pismire fears not the Winter having laid in her provision against that season but the Graâ—hopper being unprepared is starved therein Let thy whole life be but a preparation for death He that would dye but once I mean escape the second death must dye daily live in a constant expectation of it and preparation for it Pliny calleth a sudden death the greatest fortune of a mans life Iulius Caesar the day before his death in discourse with Marius Lepidus upon that point what was the best end of a mans life preferred that which was sudden and unlookt for which was his fate the next day Augustus his Successor was of the same judgement and desired Mortem celerem insperatem But the Christian findeth by experience that death to be the best which was most expected and prepared for Meditatio mortis vita perfectissima The Meditation of death is the holiest life â—aith the Father Tota vita meditatio mortis discendum est mori The whole life is but a learning to dye saith the Philosopher Wise Princes lay up ten years for one days Battel A wise Christian will lay up every day somewhat for his last day knowing that if he win that combat he is made for ever Invasions or Insurrections like a sudden breach of the Sea carry all before them when pitcht Battels give equal advantage and cause less terror on each side Evils premeditated are often prevented always mitigated the mind gathering reason and strength together wherewith to encounter them But unthought of troubles like fire in the night are most frightful startling the secure sinner from his quiet repose In order to this preparation I shall mention two or three particulars but briefly having spoken to them else-where 1. Keep a clear conscience in thy health Remember that sin is the sting of death therefore be afraid of sin if thou wouldst not be afraid of death T was Nero's answer to Seneca when he advised him to desist his wicked courses that he might please the Gods Verâ—or ego deos cum talia facio Do you think I fear the gods who dare run upon such actions But he who did not dread the Gods found death dreadful to him for the Historian observeth that he cried pittifully like a Child when he was called forth to be killed T is the righteous onely that is bold as a Lion because the rigâ—teous onely hath a conscience sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb and a conscience void of offence towards God and Man When Hilarion was nigh death Depart my soul saith he depart what dost thou fear thou hast served Christ almost seventy years and art thou afraid of death Bernard observeth of Gerrard I beheld him exultantem in morte hominem insultantem morti exulting in death and insulting over death St. Ambrose undauntedly encountred his last enemy saying I have not so lived that I am afraid to live any longer neither do I fear to die because we have a good Lord. The Testimony of a good conscience was the great Apostles comfort in the midst of his trials and troubles 2 Cor. 1. 12. T is guilt which makes us shie of a severe and Holy Gods presence It is no marvail that Alexander the Conqueror was struck almost dead at the sight of Cyrus Tomb that Sigismond when dying should forbid his servants to mention the word Death that Lewis the eleventh should while in health enjoyn his Courtiers not to speak of Death and when sick prohibit the naming it upon pain of death I do not wonder that Saul upon the news of his approaching danger and death falls groveling on the ground and hath no strength left in him nor that Belteshazar upon the tidings of this Serjeants coming to arrest him fell into an Ague Quaking and Shivering so violently that all the wine which he drank so plentifully in his golden Bowles could not chear his heart nor fetch blood into his cheeks The Malefactour may well dread the thoughts much more the approach of an Assize knowing that he is bound over to it and must appear to be arraigned condemned and executed The entry of death may well be forcible upon them whom it ejects out of all their happiness and whole lives have been made up of unholiness T is vice that paints death with such a formidable countenance with a whip and flames in its hand Friend let thy conversation be pious if thou wouldst dye in peace Such as a mans life is usually such is his death An unholy life is ordinarily followed with an unhappy end A filthy Adulterer mentioned by Luther expired in the armes of an Harlot So also Tigillinus Cornelius Gallus Ladislaus King of Naples one of the Popes died in the embraces of strange flesh A great swearer when he came to dye saith Mr. Bolton swore apace and as if he had been already in Hell called upon the standers by to help him with oaths King Henry the second on his death-bed cursed his Sons the day wherein he was born and in that distemper departed the World saith the Historian which himself had so often distempered We read of one who lived well that died ill and of but one in the whole Book of God who lived ill that dyed well A sinner may presume upon peace at death and bespeak in the language of Iehoram to Iehu Is it peace Jehu Is it peace death or as the Elders to Samuel Comest thou peaceably but the Answer will be the same with that of Iehu to him What peace can there be so long as the whordoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her witch-crafts are so many What peace can there be so long as thy lâ—sts and atheism and ignorance and prophaness abound and thy abominations are so many It s no wonder that such persons like Owles are never heard but at night the close of their days and then they screech horribly What shall we call a mocking of God saith a learned person if they do not mock him who think it enough to ask him forgiveness at leasure with the last drawing of a malicious breath these find out a new God make one a leaden one like Lewis the eleventh of France And again Let us not flatter our immortal souls to neglect God all our lives and know that we neglect him trusting upon the peace we think to make at parting for this is no
I love them how can I manifest it better then by commending them to God in prayer Should I leave them thousands of silver and gold if I were able it would not all amount to the price of one fervent prayer My riches might wrong them through the deceitfulness of their hearts and cause them to be contented short of Heaven but my prayers cannot prejudice them but may much further their eternal welfares Men whose natures are crabbed and cruel have granted the requests of their dying children when they have been contrary to their own humours How much more will God the Father of mercies whose nature is Love whose bowels are infinite satisfie the desire of his dying children when they fall in with his own design and desire If Joab had hopes to speed in his supplication for Absolom because he knew the Kings heart was more for it then his own may not I be confident to speed when I beg that he would pay my debts in spirituals with interest to those who have bestowed carnals on me for his sake when I ask that my Children and Relations may love and fear and worship his Majesty and be his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works and when I intreat that he would accomplish all the great and good things which he hath promised to his Church the purchase of his Christ knowing that his heart is infinitely more for these things then mine can be Lord when I dye I shall no more put up prayers for my self or other particular persons My natural obligations to my Kindred and Relations my civil ingagements to my Friends and Benefactours besides my spiritual bonds to them and thy whole Israel may well provoke me to be fervent and instant with thy Majesty at such an hour on their behalves My Redeemer before his death wrought hard at this duty He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Ah how should I pray for my self and others when I am taking my leave of prayer O let thy spirit of supplication be so poured down on me that I may poure out my spirit in supplication unto theeâ— for my own and others souls through thy Son with the greatest success I Wish that the night of my death may shine gloriously with the sparkling stars of divine and heavenly graces In particular I desire that when the time of my combat with my last enemy and my last combat with any enemy shall come I may above all take the shield of Faith whereby I shall be sheltered against the sting of death and quench the fiery darts of the wicked one The wise Mariner perceiving a storm approaching makes hast to fasten his Vessel with Anchors that it may be steady and not altogether at the mercy of the winds I must expect the greatest tempest when I am entering into my eternal Haven then all the powers of darkness will conjure up their strongest winds if possible to shipwrack the vessel of my soul Ah how much doth it concern me to put forth this grace the anchor of my soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail and thereby to fasten on the rock of Ages If I fail in this I fall I miscarry for ever God is a severe judge to condemn all guilty Malefactours Without his Son I am cloathed with guilt and so under his boundless wrath When Adam had disrobed himself of original righteousness by disobeying the law he fled from God and dreaded the summons of offended justice There is no appearing in the Fathers sight with acceptance but in the garments of his Son None can have boldness to enter into the holy of holies but by the blood of Iesus It s Faith onely that interesteth in this blood I know that through the red Sea of this blood I pass may safely though enemies pursue me hard into the Land of promise Lord I confess through an evil heart of unbeleif I have many a time departed away from the living God yet Lord I believe help mine unbeleif O Lord of life be not far from me when Devils and death are near me Help me with thy servant Stephen to see Heaven open by faith and the Son of man at thy right hand Enable me to disclaim whatsoever duties I have performed or graces I have exercised and to rely alone on a crucified Christ for pardon and life Though thou killest me let me dye trusting and clinging on and cleaving to Iesus Christ Let this Pilgrims staff of faith be never out of my hand till I come to my joâ—rneys end Thou art the Lord of Hosts and the Captain of my salvation O help me to put on the whole armour of God grant me such skill to use it that I may be able to stand in the evil day Teach thou my hands to war and my fingers to fight that through thee I may do valiantly and through thee may tread down mine enemies Grant me so to finish my course to fight the good fight of faith that at death I may receive the crown of righteousness which the righteous judge shall give to all that love his appearing I Wish that my faith may ripen into full assurance that thereby I may depart with joy and an abundant entrance may be ministred unto me into the Kingdom of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Moses and Simeon could sing at their own funerals The great Apostle could call to be put to Bed expecting thereby his sweetest eternal rest How many Martyrs have gone more joyfully to dye then ever Epicure did to dine and leaped when they drew near the Stake believing that they drew near their home their happiness their heaven What is it O my soul that makes thee start and flinch back at the sight of this bug-bear What is there in death that is so dreadful to thee Is it the sweetness of life or the pain of death or thy future estate after death Consider them all seriously and then judge rationally whether any of these should make the sigh so loath to depart First The love of life need not make thee so backward to obey the call of death If all thy time were made up of Holy-days death would bring thee greater advantage The Garlick and Onions of Egypt are nothing comparable to the Clusters of Canaan But alas its far otherwise thy whole life is a civil death Thou art born to sorrow as the sparks flye upward Thy days are few but full of trouble The earth to thee is a valley of tears the cross is thy daily companion which accompanieth thee where-ever thou goest The sufferings of thy flesh are neither few nor small How many diseases in thy body losses in thy estate how much disgrace ignominy slander oppression art thou liable to The sufferings of thy spirit are more and greater Thine own sins the provocations of others the dishonour of thy God the wants and weaknesses and oppression and persecution of the Church
God Alsufficient or the Almighty God Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17. 1. knowing that unless his faith were firm his steps could never be even If he had not beleived Gods power he could not be evangelically perfect And hence that father of the faithful became so eminent in obedience from the strength of his faith It s said of him Isa. 41. 2. that he came to the foot of God That Child was dutiful indeed that when his Father did but stamp with his foot left what ever he was about though it were never so delightful or gainful to him and ran to his Father to know and obey his commands Thus truly did Abraham when God called him to turn his back upon his relations and the place of his nativity nay to sacrifice his Isaac the child of the promise as well as of his love he did not question Gods pleasure nor quarrel with his precepts but obeyed them presently and all from his faith His strong faith caused strong obedience Heb. 11. It s observable that all the noble and heroick acts of obedience of the Lords Worthies mentioned in that little book of Martyrs were performed under the conduct and command of faith Faith is one of the best Antidotes against the poison of prophaness and one of the greatest helpes to holiness None are more faithful to God then they who have most faith in God They who beleive will be careful to maintain good works Tit. 3. 8. As the natural heat is the life of the body and as that increaseth with the radical moysture strength and health abound So Faith is the life of the soul as that is strong or weak his godliness is more or less He that is highest in affiance is highest in obedience This is the strength of the soul According to a Mans strength such is his walk either straight or stumbling According to a mans Faith such is his life either even or crooked 1. Faith destroyeth sin 2. It enableth to live to God 1. It killeth sin If the Pulse of a Christianâ— hand or life beat uneven it is because his Faith which is his heart doth faulter This is the shield of the soul which secures it against all assaults and dangers Other peices of the Christians Armour are serviceable to defend particular parts of the new man as the Girdle of truth the loyns rightâ—ousness the brest the Gospel of peace the feet but Faith is a Shield moveable at pleasure and surroundeth and guardeth the whole man With favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield Psa. 5. ult Faith secureth the head from evilâ—principles What sense denieth and reason understandeth not Faith beleiveth Aristotle reading Moses concerning the Creation is reported to say Egregie dicis domine Moses sed quomodo probas Thou speakest nobly but how dost thou prove it The answer to him is easie By Faith we believe that the world were made of God Heb. 11. 2. Faith clears up the understanding and scattereth the mists of error The pesence of this Sun disperseth those Clouds Faith secureth the heart from evil purposes It s the besome that sweepeth out such dust and keeps the heart clean Having their hearts purified by Faith Act. 15. 9. Faith entertaineth the King of Saints into the heart it sets him on the throne and these traytours flye before him His presence makes these Rebels to hide their heads Who ever could find in his heart to hug sin whilst he was viewing by faith his bleeding Saviour Faith secureth the hand from evil practices The Martyrs chose the flames rather then the denial of their Master and all because of their Faith Those Worthies of the Lord of whom the World was not worthy through Faith stopped the mouths of Lyon-like lusts quenched the violence of hellish fires were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Heb. 11. 33 34 35. By Faith we stand 2 Cor. 1. 24. As a Souldier under the protection of his Shield stands his ground and doth his duty notwithstanding the shot that are made against him So a Christian under the protection of Faith keeps his place and mindeth his work whatsoever opposition he meets with Faith like Ioab stabbeth this Abner under the fifth rib it wounds fin mortally Hope like Saul hath slain its thousands but Faith like David it s ten thousands Whole Armies of Lusts have turned their backs at the sight of this Warriour By Faith the walls of Ierico fall down Whilst unbeleif liveth no sin will dye All iniquity sheltereth it self under the Banner of infidelity If once the banks of Faith be broken down a flood of wickedness will rush and flow in What made Abraham deny his Wife and expose her to such temptations and wickedness but unbeleif What made Isaac tread in his Fathers steps and leave Rebecah to the Heathens luste but unbeleif What made David dishonour his God by his uncomely carriage before Achish and injure his soul by his unholy language that he should one day perish by the hand of Saul but unbeleif What made Peter deny and forswear his Master but unbeleif These tares were sown by the enemy when the husbandman Faith was asleep had they believed the power and faithfulness of God to defend them in their dangers and distresses without their lyes and his grace and bounty to reward them largely for all their sufferings for his sake had they believed that God when he called them to straights would without any sinful means have brought them off safe on earth or safe to Heaven they would never have used such sinful shifts for their own safety Faith would secure the soul against all those temptations and prevent such sinister and sinful doings He that beleiveth maketh not haste He will patiently wait Gods leasure and submit to his pleasure and not venture upon forbidden courses and unlawful ways to deliver himself out of distress Vnbeleif is the dung which makes the soyl of corrupt nature so fruitful in the unfruitful works of darkness Whence cometh such immoderate love of a perishing world but from want of Faith and Beleif of that transcendent glory that is to be revealed Whence cometh such dulness and deadness in holy duties but from unbelief either of the holiness and jealousie of that God with whom we have to do or of his goodness and mercy that his reward will pay the charge of diligence in his work Whence comes such cozening and cheating and over-reaching in dealings with men that from distrust of Gods power and providence as if he could not or would not spread a Table for his Children in the most barren Wilderness Whence comes that impatience and murmuring in adversity but from want of Faith which would encourage the heart in the Lord his God in the saddest estate and when the Fig-tree doth not blossom nor the Vine yeild its fruit enable the soul to rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in the Rock of his salvation Whence
soul 1 Pet. 1. 17. Who would make his Belly his Gut his God who confidereth that every meal may be his last or that thinketh his dainty diet his fine fare doth but provide a greater feast for wormes Who would give way to sinful wantons who beleiveth that whilst he is unloading his lust God may put a period to his life He that is high in conceit of himself little dreameth how low he must shortly be laid Who would be proud of that body which shall ere long see corruption become such a noysom loathsom carcass that the nearest and dearest relations will not endure the sight or sent of it He who loveth the world inordinately forgetteth that he may leave it suddenly and must leave it certainly Would Haman have bragged so much of Hesters banquet if he had known that his own corps should be served in for the last course Would the Israelites have tempted God for meat if they had thought that death should have been their sauce Would Achan have coveted the golden wedge if he had mused of his so sudden departure into the other world Without question he would have forborn the Babylonish garment if he had seen death at his back so ready to strip him naked Had the rich fool thought that his bed should that night have proved his grave he would never in the day have prided himself in his goods Who would not at Gods call vilifie that flesh which will be ere long a lump of filth and be choice of that soul which lives for a more high and heavenly flight It is reported of the Brachmans that they use no cloaths but Bear-skins no houses but Caves no food but such as nature dresseth When Alexander came to them in his travails he asked them the reason of this severe kind of living They answered him We know we shall dye whether to day or to morrow we know not and therefore why should we take care either for power to govern others or for riches to live in pleasures or for honour to be esteemed of None are so loose to the world that great hinderance of holiness as they who ponder they must leave it Travellers who look on themselves near their journeys end care not to burden themselves with much baggage Their moderation will be known to all men who believe The Lord is at hand Those who are most mindful of their deaths are most faithful in their lives Iob was eminent in grace because Iob was daily conversing with his grave All the days of his appointed time he waited till his change came Job 14. 14. That servant will follow his work most and best who expecteth his Masters coming every moment It is said of the Kite that by the turning of his tail he directs and winds about his whole body The same is reported of the Glede or Puttock Fish also say Naturalists turn and wind about by the fins in their Tails Reader could I but prevail with thee to mind the end of thy life it would help thee very much to order thy conversation aright O said God that my people were wise then would they consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. The Thebans made a Law that no man should build an house for himself to dwell in before he had made his grave Several of the Philosophers had their graves made before their doors that when ever they went abroad they might remember their deaths If thou wouldst but in thy out-goings and in-comings behold the place of thy burial I doubt not but thou wilt be watchful over all thy ways When thou art in the midst of thy delights as Ioseph of Aritmathea have thy tomb in thy garden and it may prevent thy surfeiting by those dainties When thou sittest at Table let the first dish set before thee be according to Prester Iohns custom a deaths-head and then with what fear wilt thou feed how thankfully wilt thou receive the creatures even as through the beloved Son how soberly wilt thou use them even as in Gods sight If God raise thee to the height of prosperity and some friend do but as Moses and Elias to Christ when his Face did shine as the Sun and his Raiment was as white as Snow Luk. 9. 30 31. talk to thee of thy decease which thou must shortly accomplish it will abate thy love to the worlds withering vanities and quicken thine endeavours after the eternal weight of glory If God cast thee into great adversity and thou dost but consider thy time here is but short and therefore thy troubles cannot be long this will make thee contented in the saddest condition When thou beholdest thy relations and fore-thinkest that thine eternal separation from them is at hand and that within a few days thou shalt never have another opportunity to help them heaven-ward how will it stir thee up to do them all the good thou canst now both by thy Precepts Pattern and Prayers If when thou attendest on publique Ordinances thou wilt but cast thine eye on the Graves in the Church-yard as thou passest along and meditate thus Within a little time I must be laid in the dust when I shall hear no more pray no more enjoy a Sabbath no more when I shall never never more have a tender of a Saviour never more have a season to beg mercy in for my poor soul. After such awakening thoughts with what attention wouldst thou hear with what affections wouldst thou pray with what intention and devotion with what seriousness and uprightness wouldst thou perform every duty Some say that nothing in this world is so strong as death because it subdueth the mighty it conquereth the greatest conquerours it overcometh all Sure I am that death hath great force and power over mens souls as well as over their bodies The thought of it hath raised some to a spiritual life The consideration of death hath also caused others to live much in a little space when they have sâ—en the â—un of their lives near setting and the night of their deaths approaching they have in the day followed their work with the greater diligence None will work so hard as they who think themselves near their everlasting homes There were two Emperors Adrian and Charles the fifth that in their life time caused their Coffins to be carried before them and their exequies to be solemnly celebrated to this end possibly that considering they were but men dying men they might thence be righteous in their government and virtuous in their actions It is reported of Turannius that after he was ninety years old he got leave of Caesar to retire himself from Court and the old man would needs be laid in his bed as one that had breathed out his last and all his Family must bewail his death Friend do thou in earnest what he did in jest Suppose thou wert this day to bid adiew to thy Friends Relations Honours and Possessions and to travail into the unknown other world to
take thy leave of hours and days and months and years and time and to sail into the boundless Ocean of Eternity Suppose thou sawest death creep in at thy Chamber window come up to thy Bed-side draw the Curtain take thee by the hand and tell thee that he is come from the Infinite Almighty jealous most holy God to fetch thee immediately into his presence there to answer for all thy thoughts words and deeds and to receive either matchless and endless pain or unchangeable and unconceiveable pleasures according as thy practices have been What wouldst thou think at such a time of godliness Good Lord what a price wouldst thou set upon it what wouldst thou not do or give for it Then godliness will be godliness indeed as little and as lightly as thou settest by it now And why is it not worth as much now Dost thou not see death like a Mole digging thy grave under thee Dost thou not feel that worm within thee which will ere long consume thee Beleive it thy death may be nearer then thou dreamest the glass of thy life may be almost out though thou thinkest it s but new turned The Murdering-peice which kills thee parting thy soul and body may be discharged with white powder give thee no warning at all The next Arrow which is shot may hit thee The next time the Bell goes may be to tell others that thou art dead The next time the Earth is opened may be to receive thy body in Thou seest some fall on thy right hand some on thy left hand some of thy very age and of greater strength and health and canst thou esteem thy self shot-free Is not every carcass a cryer and every Tomb a teacher calling upon thee to number thy days and apply thine heart unto wisdom Silly man is like the foolish Chicken though the Kite comes and takes away many of their fellows yet the rest continue pecking the ground never heeding their owner nor minding their shelter Death comes and snatcheth away one man here a second there one before them another behind them and they are killed with death undone for ever Rev. 2. 23. yet they who survive take no warning but persist in their wicked and ungodly ways They are destroyed from morning to evening they perish for ever without any regarding it Doth not their excellency which is in them go away they dye even without wisdom Job 4.20 21. It is the saying of an Heathen That it is impossible for a man to live the present day well who doth not purpose to live it as his last I may say to thee Friend It is impossible for thee to live the present day ill if thou wilt but live it as thy last day If thou dost but consider Well this place may be the last place I shall come into shall I pollute it with sin or shall I not rather perfume it with sanctity This expression may be the last that ever I shall speak shall it â—e tainted with vice or shall it not rather be seasoned with grace This action may be the last that ever I shall do and shall it be a deed of darkness or shall it not rather be a work of the day of the light This Sermon may be the last that ever I shall hear and shall I now be heedless After this I shall never more have a call from Christ and â—hall I now be careless This Prayer may be the last Prayer that ever I shall poure out to God if God deny me now I am damned and undone for ever and shall not my head and heart and will and mind and all be working that it may be a prosperous a prevalent prayer This Sabbath may be the last Sabbath that ever I shall sanctifie I may from henceforth and for ever be deprived of all such opportunities of getting and increasing grace of serving and honouring my Saviour and of working out my own salvation If I sow not now good seed I must never expect an happy harvest If I buy not now the market will be quickly over Shall I lose any precious minute of this holy day Is it time now to trifle about the affairs of my soul and eternity Well I will through Christ take heed how I hear I will hear in hearing I will pray in praying I will hear and hearken cry and call with all my heart and strength and soul and mind that if it be possible the Lord may not leave me without a blessing When the Oratour thinketh he is at the close of his Oration then he useth his chiefest Art and Rhetorick to move his Auditors affections he would have his last part his best part O Reader if thou wilt but often wind up this weight of thine approaching death it would keep thy soul in a quick spiritual and regular motion at all times As ashes preserve fire and keep coals from going out so the thought that we shall ere long be turned into ashes will preserve the fire of grace alive and in action Sixthly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness Mind a daily performance of sacred duties He that hath nothing of his own whereupon to live must be frequently fetching in provision from the Shops or Market where it is to be had The Christians life is maintained not by himself but by what he receiveth from God Not that we are sufficient of our selves our sufficiency of God therefore there is a necessity of daily converse with God by holy Ordinances and of waiting at his gate as the beggar who hath neither a bit of bread nor a penny to buy any at the rich mans door for supply Our spiritual strength is like Israels Manna rained down daily we are kept by a divine power and allowed but from hand to mouth that we might continually depend on and resort to the Lord Jesus for our allowance Paul speaks in some places of his great disbursements how much he laid out for God and his people that he laboured more then all the Apostles but you must think Whence had Paul such a spiritual stock that he was able to outvy all others in his expences he tells you that the Son of God kept house for him and that he was the Steward to spend of his treasure and thence his disbursements were so large I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. As the Plant Mistel having no root of its own both grows and lives in the stock or body of the Oak So the Apostle having no root of his own did live and grow in Christ. As if he had said I live I keep a noble house am given to Hospitality above many in labours more abundant in watchings in fastings more frequent in perils and dangers and deaths often but the truth is I do all this at anothers cost and charge not at mine own I am beholden to Christ for
a Bee though the Bee be fled works it self into the flesh deeper and diffuseth its venome more strongly causing the greater pain that every man unless foolish will speedily pull it out lest he encrease his own anguish Truly so doth sin though the honey the pleasure of it be gone yet the sting remains and the longer it is before it is pulled out by Faith and Repentance the deeper it works it self into the soul and the more sorrow it will put us to in this or the other world T is examination at night that brings the soul to mourn for and repent of its failings in the day T is like the tree which Câ—esias speaks of in describing India that besides fruit distilleth certain tears of which are made Precious Amber or as the drops of the Vine its excellent against the leprousie of sin Ephesus would never repent till they examined and considered whence they had fallen When sin is admitted into the soul and as a Theif in the night stole in at unawares when the eye of the souls watchfulness was fallen asleep Examination will light the Candle of the word and search the house narrowly and find out this ill guest and before it hath done so much mischief as it intended apprehended it indict condemn and execute it Examination every day is like purging the body at the beginning of a distemper which takes it before it hath habituated it self and so is much the more easily repelled An enemy may much sooner be forced out of his holds when he hath newly taken possession then when he hath continued so long as to cast up his banks make his ditches placed his Guns and fortified them After we have been foiled by our spiritual enemies and by examination find out the cause it will make us more watchful at that gate at which they enter'd and careful of that particular wherein they got the advantage of us As when David had received intelligence that the Amonites had given his Army some small defeat he sends Ioab word of the reason they went too near the City and wisheth him to make the battel more strong against the place 2 Sam. 11. So examination finds out the reason of a Christians defeat by Satan either it was through self-confidence or want of spiritual watchfulness or love to some known sin and helpeth the Saint to bewail the cause of his defeat and directeâ—h him how to provide better against the next onset Frequent examination keepeth the conscience raw and tender that the least touch of sin will be offensive and troublesom to it When the heart is used to yeild at a small Willow it will never be quiet under a great Oak Searching into our souls makes sin more loathsom to us Whilst these filthy sinks are unstir'd they do but little disturb us or annoy us with their filthy savour but when by examination we rake into them their noysom stench offendeth us extremely and shews us what need we have of cleansing Examination every night will help the Christian to a good nights rest How comfortably may he lye down who hath made all even with his Maker and heard his everlasting Father bidding him Good-night How quietly may he sleep who hath his pardon under his Pillow he needs not fear any Officer to call him up at midnight and attach him for any treasons or misdemeanours It s said of Cato that constantly at evening he would call to mind what ever he had seen read or done that day It was Pythagoras rule to his Scholars That they should no night suffer sleep to seise their senses till they had three times recalled the accidents and passages of the day O what a shame is it that Moralists who had no true sense of the benefit of such a duty should out-go the Christian in the performance of it That many persons should know the Chronicles of other Countries or Kingdoms some ages past and yet not know the passages of their own souls one day past Reader If thou wouldst walk closely with God and keep even with him reckon daily with him Call thy self to a strict scrutiny What do I how live I where am I is the work I do warrantable by the word or no is my life the life of Faith of Holiness or no am I in Gods way under his protection or no Have I truth of grace the power of godliness or do I please my self with the form of it Do I thrive and increase in grace or do I decay and decline Suppose I were to dye this night what ground have I to hope for Heaven what assurance that I shall escape the power and rage of frightful Devils What evidences have I that I am a new creature engrafted into Christ and thereby entitled to life and bliss Thus feel the pulse of thy soul enquire into its state visit it often and see how it doth Call thy self to an account for thy sins Let heart and life sins open and private sins omissions commissions personal relative be all reckoned for Ask thy soul as Rebecah Why am I thus Why am I so false to my God so unfaithful to my Covenants The heart is like a Ditch into which filth is continually running and therefore it behoveth thee by examination to be always emptying it The Stable that is daily fowled must be daily cleansed The hands that are daily contracting dirt must be daily washed Our souls are more polluted and diseased then our bodies we have always a filthy issue of sin running which we must be daily searching into and dressing or our stench will make us loathsom to and unfit for any communion with God or his people Call thy self to an account daily for thy mercies Ask thy self How much am I indebted to my God what privative what positive mercies do I partake of what old what new what night what day mercies what mercies at home what abroad what personal what domestical what national mercies do I enjoy or am a sharer in what bodily what spiritual mercies do I receive what time what talents have I to trade with and reckon for This will help the soul to be speedy and hearty in thankfulness and force it to Davids Interrogation What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits What hot love should I return what an holy life should I lead Do this daily It is much better to pay sums when they are little then when they are large Wise men that are able find it the best way to pay ready money for their wares Neglect herein causeth many mistakes and inconveniencies and many times differences amongst friends Having spoken to this particular in the sixth Chapter I shall say no more to it here though indeed I judge it next to a new nature not inferiour to any means of godliness Ninthly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness Avoid the occasions of sin he that would avoid the commission of sin must avoid the occasions of sin If we
Giant of sin get in but a limb he will quickly get in his whole body Wanton thoughts if not stifled bring forth actual uncleanness Sin is like water if we give it the least way run it will in spight of us If we get not the conquest over it in its infancy we shall not overcome it when it is brought to maturity He that cannot put out a spark will be much more unable to put out a flame The smallest of these twigs will prove thorny bushes if not timely stubbed up The Horse must be broken when a Colt and the Lion tamed when a Whelp It s best to deal with sin as Iocasta with Oedipus to cast it forth in its infancy The Israelite must dash these Babylonian Infants against the wall if he would be a blessed man Isa. 13.18 The Christian that checketh and curbeth sin when it first appeareth doth as David to the Philistine wound it in the forehead and so slayeth it certainly As the Snail by little and little creepeth up from the root of the tree to the top consuming the leaves as it goeth and leaving nothing behind it but filth and slime So sin gradually infecteth the whole man This poison if not presently vomited up as soon as taken down flieth to and destroyeth the vitals The Apostle calleth it a Canker and truly so it is in regard of its spreading nature both as to persons from one man to another and to parts from one faculty of the soul and member of the body to another How dreadful was the effect of a few boys joyning with Massianello in Naples anno 1647. whom the officers and people laughed and jeered at instead of subduing What murders and burning Palaces and Churches did ensue and arise from so contemptible means Therefore as wise Princes will be heedful to suppress riots and petty insurrections knowing that if they be let alone they will break out into open rebellion and cause much bloodshed and mischeif So Reader do thou stifle and kill sin in the womb before it be quick lest thou like the young Serpents if brought forth it tear out thy bowels and its birth cause thy death Twefthly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness study the knowledge of God T is ignorance of God that is the original of all sin Did men know the sad fruits of his fury they durst not by sin provoke him Did men know the sweetness of his favour they would do they would suffer any thing to please him It is in the mist of ignorance that they lose their way and wander from him who is the chiefest good The Devil is bound in chains of darkness and so are all his Children They who know God most love him most and fear him most and trust him most It is life spiâ—â—tual and the seed of life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17. 3. All godliness all grace is seminally in the knowledge of God and floweth from it They who with open face behold the Lord though but as in a glass are changed into his image from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another â— Cor. 3. 18. They who know the infiniteness and immensity of his being cannot but despise all things for him esteem all things as nothing to him as nothing without him look on the whole creation as less then nothing in comparison of him Ah what admiring reverent thoughts of that being of beings of him whose name is I am have they who lanch a little for 't is but a little that they can here into this Ocean All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity they cannoâ— but desire and labour to enjoy so boundless a portion They who know the power of God cannot but fear him and stand in awe of his presence and threatnings They fear him who is able to cast soul and body into hell Heb. 12. 27 28. They will depend on him because there is no want which the Almighty cannot supply no weakness which he cannot remove no danger which he cannot prevent or support in Acquaintance with him who is mighty in strength makes the Christian resolute in Gods cause and as bold as a Lion at his call and command They who know the eternity of God will chuse him before temporal vanities What are the pleasures of sin for a season in his eye who seeth the pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore What are the honours on earth to him who knoweth the eternal weight of glory What are temporal relations in comparison of the everlasting Father Nay what is his natural life to eternal life no good is little that is eternal how great then is the infinite and eternal God They who know the wisdom of God will submit to his Providences and acquiesce in all his dispensations He is wise in heart his understanding is infinite and he knoweth what is best for thee and me and all others and therefore there is all the reason of the world why I should rest in his will and be satisfied in his pleasure It is the Lord saith the soul in his greatest afflictions who is infinite in wisdom and knoweth what will do me most good Let him do what seemeth good in his eyes They who know the faithfulness of God will credit his word and make him the object of their Hope and Faith They that know thy name will trust in thee Psa. 9. 10. His truth commandeth our trust We will rely on faithful men who will not lye but the Christian seeth infinitely more reason to rely on the faithful God who cannot lye They who know the mercy and love and goodness of God will love and admire and trust and praise him The knowledge of his love to us will call out our love to him as one that deserves it being infinitely amiable in himself and the more deserving of our love for his love to such loathsom ones as we are It will cause us to rely on him for infinite love joyned with infinite strength and faithfulness will not cannot deceive us It will help us to see the odious nature of sin in that it is an abuse of infinite love The goodness of God will lead the soul to repentance They who know the holiness of God will sanctifie him in their approaches to him and walk humbly and watchfully with him They know that sin is loathsom to him because contrary to his holy nature and therefore they hate it they know that holiness is lovely as it is his Image and Excellency and therefore they follow after it They are upright and serious and zealous and humble and reverent in their holy performances because therein they have to do with such a holy God They who know the anger of God will stand in awe and not sin They know that God is not to be mocked for it is a fearful thing to fall into the
Sun or a word which signifieth a ray which is darted in a moment from one end of the Heavens to another Such speed doth our life make to pass away Cardinal Bellarmin when he had a full prospect of the Sun going down to perceive the quickness of its motion took a Psalter in his hand and before he had twice read over the 51. Psalm the whole body of the Sun was set whereby he concluded the earth being twenty one thousand miles in compass the Sun must go seven thousand miles in half a quarter of an hour However the Cardinal might be mistaken in his reckoning Yet Mans days are swifter then a post they flee away they see no good They are passed away as the swift ships as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey Job 9. 25 26. It s our shame and misery that our days should be so swift and we so slack that our time should be as speedy as a post or ship or Eagle and our hearts as slow about our eternal concernments as a Snail Our negligence herein speaks us brutish and void of common sense Reason will teach him that followeth its directions to be most industâ—ious about matters of such importance The Heathen Historian can agree with Scripture in this Vita nostra sicut fabula non refert quam diu sed quam bene Our life passeth away as a tale that is told it matters not much whether it be long or short but whether it be well or ill Surely it concerneth thee Reader to make Religion thy business and work the work of God when thine everlasting happiness dependeth on it and thy time is so short that thou hast to do it in In the days of Ptolomeus Philopater when the huge and great Anchor of the Ship Thalmegos was laid out upon the shore the Children of Alexandria did ride upon the stalk and crept through the ring of the Anchor as if it had been made purposely for their pastime whereas wise men knew it was appointed for better uses namely to stable and make sure the great vessel in storms and tempests Truly so do too many serve time they play and toy and trifle it away as if God had given it to them for that end when he who hath but half an eye as we say may see that it was given for better purposes viz. to furnish his soul for his eternal voyage and thereby to help to stablish and fasten him when he shall lanch into the stormy Ocean Protogenes made himself ridiculous in the judgement of all that are sober for spending seven years in drawing Ialisus and his Dog for though the most excellent Pictures are longest in drawing yet to spend years about that which may be finished in days argueth want of wisdom But having spoken somewhat largely to this in the sixt Chap. I am the more brief in this Thirdly Consider the examples of others who have wrought hard at this heavenly Calling Cicero tells us Nothing prevailes more with men then similitudes and examples Indeed worthy patterns are of great power Thucydides brake forth into tears out of love to learning upon hearing Herodotus read an history that he had written Themistocles tells us The statue of Miltiades would not suffer him to sleep Alexander was much provoked to valiant acts by reading the prowess of Achilles and Hector in Homer Cesar was so stirred to courage by reading the conquests of Alexander in his youth that he wept for anger that he had done nothing worthy of himself at that age Iron put into the fire is turned into fire conâ—ider therefore the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord how diligent they were at their duty how hard they wrought for God The great Apostle was indefatigably industrious for his soul and his Saviour Consider him in reference to his outward man how unwearied was he at his Masters woâ—k and in reference to his inward man how zealous how fervent in spirit serving the Lord From Jerusalem to Illyricum I have preached the Gospel His travails are computed to be 12970. miles He gives us when necessitated thereunto a brief Catalogue of his actions and passions for Christ. Are they ministers of Christ I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft Of the Iews five times received I forty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day have I been in the deep In journyings often in perils of water in perils of robbers in perils by mine own Countrymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils by false brethren In weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness besides those things which are without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the Churches Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not 2 Cor. 11. 23. to 30. Reader think thou hearest the Apostle speaking to thee as once to the Corinthians Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. How did our blessed Saviour work the work of him that sent him while it was day He went about doing good Godliness was his meat and drink I have meat to eat which ye know not of My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work He wrought so hard that he forgot to eat his bread and was taken by his kindred to be mad It was his sleep and rest He went into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God He prayed with strong cries and groans And being in an agony he prayed the more fervently He was taken to be about fifty years old when he was little above thirty so much was he worn out with labour for his God Act. 10. 38. Ioh. 4. 34. Luk. 6. 12. Mar. 1. 34. Heb. 5. 7. Mar. 3. 20. O Reader let Christ be the Copy after which thou wilt write and the pattern which thou wilt follow and be a follower of others as they are of Christ Jesus Did Christ work so hard for thee did he lose his food and sleep and wear out himself that his strength was dried up like a potsherd and his heart was melted like wax in the midst of his bowels and wilt not thou spend and be spent for thy Saviour I would say for thy own soul for in serving him thou servest thy self Think of it when thou art trifling away thy time and neglecting thy spiritual watch and dull and dead in holy duties how eager and earnest how zealous and sedulous thy Lord Jesus was in working out thy salvation he did not play nor dally about the work of thy redemption but made it his business and did what he was called to with all his heart and soul and strength CHAP. XV. The excellency of this Calling and the
Treatise A CHristians should Admonish one another 285 How ibid. Afflictions tend to a Christians advantage 814,815 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools 44,45 B Backbiting to be avoided 271 The great danger and evil of it 272 to 275 A Backbiter wounds three wiâ—h one arrow 274 Christians must bear with one another 288 A threefold burthen Christians must bear for each other 289 Their Civil Spiritual and Natural burthens ibid. The Beasts of the field may teach men 453 Beasts teach man six lessons Thankefulness to God Dependance on God The dread of God Diligence in our callings Innocency Wisdom 453 454 Birds of the Air teach man eight Lessonsâ— 454 to 457 Christians must use a conscience in buying 17 C CHristians should be diligent in their particular Callings 511 Christians must avoid censuring 266 The great evil of censuring 267 How to apply our selves to civil men in sickness 577 Saints must be careful in the choice of their Companions 90 133 The benefit of Company 86 87 to 90 138 139 The great danger of evil Company to draw men to sin 9â— to 95. 133 to 135 to draw men to suffering 95 to 99 136 The Great advantage of good Company 98 to 101. 241 to 247 A mans Company will discover him 101 102 139 Christians should Company with them that are godly 109,110,140,141 because they are godly 116,117 Whether a Christian may not be more intimate with some godly Companions then others 119 Two Cautions about it 120,121 Christians should endeavour the spiritual good of their Companions 121 to 125,182 Saints may sometimes use but should not chuse the Company of sinners 109,110 Objections against it answered 124 to 128 Evil Company infectioâ—sâ— 156 157 Saints may be the better for evil Company when they are called to it 158 159 177 Wherein 179 to 182 Christians must guard their souls in evil Company 160,161 not needlesly expose themselves to sufferings 167 Saints must not disown Christ in any Company 172 to 175 Saints should endeavour the Conversion of sinners 182 183 How 183 to 189 By good Company pious souls have been confirmed 245 Erring Saints recovered ibid. Dull Christians quickened 246 Much sin prevented 248 Christians must watch themselves in good Company â—62 What sins Saints are most prone to in good Company 263 The Communion of Saints the most excellent Communion 236 250 257 Wherein the Communion of Saints consisteth 275 In a mutual communication of their gifts and graces ibid. In joyning in the Ordinances of God ibid. In serviceableness each to other 276 Wherein 280 to 287 A Contented spirit a great help to godlinessâ— 809 Nine Arguments to Contentedness in the most afflicted condition 813 Christians should receive Counsel 301 Penitent Christians should be comforted 283 It s a duty to be courteous 39 Courtesie is an ornament to Christianity 40,41 D EVery day to be begun with duty 496 Arguments to it ib. to 499 Christians should exercise themselves to godliness in their dealings with all men 5 It s a sign of hypocrisie to be careless in dealings with men 7 to 10 The credit of Religion is much engaged in our Dealings with others 11 to 14 In our dealings with others we must be righteous 15 Courteous 39 Meek 42 The Principle of a Christian in his dealings must be gracious 51 52 The end of a Christian in his dealings must be minded 53 54 A daily performance of holy duties to be minded 756 The necessity and benefit of daily duties 757 to 760 Christians should exercise themselves to Godliness on a dying bed 611,612 What it is to dye in the Lord. 612 Three things in it ib. In what respects Christ was obedient to the death 6â—5 Death is a serious thing 619 Death will try men 620 At death man is stated for eternity 622 Satan is busie to assault at death ib. 623 A death bed is a special season to honour God 624 It s the last opportunity 627 How Christians should honour God on a dying bed 628 In commending God and godliness to others 629 In commending our selves to God 633 In praying for our Relations the Church our Benefactours and our Enemies 634 to 637 In exercising grace on a dying bed 637 What graces Saints should especially exercise on a dying bed Faith Courage Repentance Charity Patience 637 to 647 Our whole life should be a preparation for Death 633 634 In what respects or how a Saint may dye with comfort 658 to 662 Meditation of death a special help to holiness 745 to 753 The great mischif of discontent 811 812 E CHristians must spiritualize earthly things 372,373 Several examples hereof 374 to 380 The earth teacheth man four lessons 457 Earthly things unsutable unsatisfying vexatious deceitful and uncertain 828 to 840 Ejaculations profitable 435 Christians must look to their ends in their actions 53 54 Frequent Examination of our selves and our ways a duty 523 786 The great advantage thereof 524 to 727.781 to 786 Examples helpful to encourage us heaven-ward 841 F FAith necessary if we would exercise our selves unto godliness 706 The excellency of Faith 707 Faith destroyeth sin 708 Overcometh the world 712 Faith overcometh the affrightments of the World 713 714 Faith overcometh the allurements of the world 716 717 Faith enableth to overcome Satan 720 the flesh 722 Faith deriveth grace from Christ. 724 Faith sets all other graces at work 725 Faith makes Ordinances profitable 727 Nine Questions to them that neglect Family duties 508 to 511 Fear sinful when 179 There can be no true Friendship betwixt a godly and a wicked man 105 to 108 Who is thy best friend 303 345 G SEtting God always before our eyes a great help to godliness 729 to 737 The knowledge of God a great help to holiness 801 to 809 Gods Omniscience 493 494 Gods Patience Vide Patience Gods word Vide word Means whereby Christians may exercise themselves to Godliness 695. Vide Means Godliness the most excellent Calling 844 The most honourable ib. The most comfortable 849 The most profitable Calling 858 Twelve serious thoughts to quicken all to Exercise themselves to Godliness Vide Epistle to the Reader H THe heart the great work-house of thoughts words and actions 698 The necessity of a new heart in all that would make religion their business 699 700 The heart of man backward to good 255 prone to evil 364 must be watched 369 Holiness is honourable 844 Humility an help to holiness 792 The Excellency of humility 793 794 Vnrighteousness a sign of Hypocrisie 7 8 I THe evil of Idleness 820 The great mischief of Ignorance 806 The Ignorant should be instructed 280 281 A serious consideration of the day of judgement a special help to godliness 765 Dreadfulness of the day of judgement to wicked men 767 776 The day of judgement will be comfortable to Saints 772 Their godliness will be mentioned ibid. Their names vindicated 773 Persons publiquely acquitted ib. Their happiness will be perfected 774 Justice to what resembled 39