juris remaining still the same if a Parish omit for divers years to choose any Constable or Church-warden yet the next time they do choose one according to Law the Law doth authorize him nevertheless though there was an interruption or vacancy so long And so in Corporations unless the Law or Charter say the contrary so is it in the present case 1. It is the established Law of Christ which describeth the office determineth of the degree and kind of power and Granteth or Conveyeth it when the person is determined of by the Electors and Ordainers though by Ordination the Delivery and Admission is regularly to be solemnized which actions are of just so much necessity as that Law hath made them and no more 2. And if there were never so long an interruption or vacancy he that afterward entereth lawfully so as to want nothing which the Law of Christ hath made necessary to the Being of the office doth receive his power nevertheless immediatly from the Law of Christ. And Bellarmine himself saith that it is not necessary to the people and to the validity of Sacraments and offices to them to know that their Pastors be truly called or ordained And if it be not necessary to the validity of Sacraments it is not necessary to the validity of Ordination And W. Iohnson confesseth to me that Consecration is not absolutely necessary See my Disput. with him of the successive Vâ—sibility of the Church p. 336. ad esse officii to the Pope himself no nor any one sort of Electors in his Election p. 333. And in his Repl. Term. Expl. pag. 45. he saith Neither Papal nor Episcopal jurisdiction as all the Learned know depends of Episcopal or Papal ordination nor was there ever interruptions of successions in Episcopal jurisdiction in any see for want of that alone that is necessary for consecrating others validly and not for jurisdiction over them You see then how little sincerity is in these mens disputations when they would perswade you to reject your lawful Pastors as no true Ministers of Christ for want of their Ordination or Succession § 11. Direct 4. Though the Sacraments and other ministerial offices are valid when a Minister is qualified Direct 4. in his abilities and call but with so much as is essential to the office though he be defective in degree of parts and faithfulness and have personal faults which prove his own destruction yet so great is the difference between a holy heavenly learned judicious experienced skilful zealous laborious faithful Minister and an ignorant ungodly idle unskilful one and so highly should every wise man value the best means and advantages to his eternal happiness that he should use all lawful means in his power to enjoy and live under 〈…〉 8. P 〈…〉 Domâ—ni is a peccatore Praepo 〈…〉 separate sâ— debâ—â— Wâ—iâ—â— Gâ—otius 〈…〉 Imâ—â—â—â— p. 230. â—iting saith Jubentur eâ—im singulâ— multo magâ—s universi â—avere prophetas faâ—soâ— alâ—â—num Pastorâ—m 〈…〉 ar qui dissâ—â—â—â— faâ—iunt â—â—fâ—â— sâ—â— câ—nt a doâ—â—â—â—inam 2. Imperatur â—â—delibus familiarem eorum consuâ—tudinem declinare qui Fratres c. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 16. 17. Joh. 10. 2 Tim. 3 6. 2 Thes. 3. 6 14. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. such an able godly powerful ministry though he part with his worldly wealth and pleasure to attain it I know no evil must be done for the attainment of the greatest helps For we cannot expect that God should bless a sinful course or that our sin should tend to the saving of our souls And I know God can bless the weakest means when they are such as he appointeth us to use and can teach us by Angels when he denyeth us the help of men But Scripture reason and experience telleth us that ordinarily he worketh morally by means and fitteth the means to the work which he will do by them And as he doth not use to light men by a cold or stone but by a Candle nor by a rotten post or Glow-worm so much as by a Torch or Luminary so he doth not use to work as much by an ignorant drunken idle person who despiseth the God the Heaven the Christ the Spirit the Grace the sacred Word which he Preacheth and vilifieth both his own and other mens souls as he doth by an able and compassionate Minister And the soul is of so much more worth than the Body and Eternal things than temporal that a little commodity to the soul in order to the securing of our salvation must be preferreâ— before a great deal of worldly riches He that knoweth what his soul hiâ— Sâ—viour and Heaven is worth will not easily sit down contented under such a dark and dull and stâ—rving Minister 〈…〉 feeleth he can but little profit by if better may be had on lawful terms Hâ— that feeleth no difference between the Ministry of these two sorts of men it is because he is a stranger to the work of the Gospel on the soul And if the Gospel in its truth or worth or use be â—id it is â—id to them that â—re lost the †Saâ—a 〈…〉 r their own worldly advantages saith Dr. Haâ—moâ—d Dan. 1. 12 13. Ezâ—k 4. 12 15. Read c. 3. Aâ—osta 〈◊〉 rebuking the nâ—gligence of their Priâ—sts that taught the Indians the Catechism idly and without explication or callâ—ng them to account about the sensâ— and then laid all the fault on the blockishness of the people when Tota 〈…〉 ratio â—rat umbâ—atilis 〈…〉 iâ—qâ—it si hominâ—s iâ—â—câ—iâ— aâ—â—riâ—â—o discendi percupidi tales praeceptores 〈…〉 liud quem ut duplo 〈…〉 a biâ—rarâ—r Olim in symbolo addiscendo intelligendo mysteriisque 〈…〉 noscendis viri ingeâ—o praestaâ—tes â—â—â—â—eratura celebrâ—s diu in catechumâ—norum ordine tenebantur cum Ecclesiastica disciplina vigeret Neque ante ad fideâ— Sacramentum admittâ— bantur quam multas ab Episâ—opo de sâ—mbolo conciones audissent diu multum cum Caâ—echista contu issâ—nt post quas omnes cuâ—aâ— medâ—â—aâ—ionâ—â— magnum erat si recta sentirent consentanea responderent c. And he addeth pag. 360 Equidem sic opinioâ— neque ab ea opinione avelli unquam potero quin peâ—â—imo praeceptori omnes esse auditores â—ebetes creâ—â—m A bad Teacher hatâ— a wayâ—s bad Schollars Even in the Roman Church how little their authority can do against prophaneness and negligence the same Aâ—osta sheweth l. 6. c. 2. p. 519. Cum in provinciali Concilio Lim nsi ab omnibus Peruenâ—bus Episcopis caeterisque gravibus viris ad ea viâ—ia emendanda multum operae studii collatum sit atque edita extent egregia decreta de reformatione permulâ—a nihil tamen amplius perfectum est quam si ab otiosis nautis de republica moderanda consultatum esset â—oâ—isiâ— Moâ—â—â—â— Ep. 3. mentioneth iâ— as the errour of a new sprung sâ—ct that heynous sinners even so continuing mâ—y be Priests And Ep. 73. it 's said No
better understanding in a submissive and not a ruling masterly way A servant that hath a foolish master may help him without becoming Master And do not deceive your selves by giving the bare Titles of Government to your Husbands when yet you must needs in all things have your own Wills For this is but mockery and not obedience To be subject and obedient is to take the Understanding and will of another to Govern you before though not without your own and to make your Understandings and wills to follow the conduct of his that governeth you Self-willedness is contrary to subjection and obedience § 3. Direct 3. Learn of your Husbands as your appointed Teachers and be not self-conceited and wise Direct 3. in your own eyes but ask of them such instructions as your case requireth 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted to them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law and if they will learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home unless when the husband is so ignorant as to be utterly unable which is his sin and shame For it is vain to ask that of them which they know not § 4. Direct 4. Set your selves seriously to amend all those faults which they reprove in you Do not Direct 4. take it ill to be reproved swell not against it as if they did you harm or wrong It is a very ill sign to hate reproof Prov. 12. 1. and 10. 17. and 15 10 31 32. and 17. 10. And what doth their Government of you signifie if you will not amend the faults that are reproved in you but continue impenitent and grudge at the reproof It is a miserable folly to desire to be flattered and soothed by any but especially by one that is bound to be faithful to you and whose intimacy should make you as ready to hear of your faults from him as to be acquainted with them your selves and especially when it concerneth the safety or benefit of your souls § 5. Direct 5. Honour your Husbands according to their superiority Behave not your selves towards Direct 5. them with unreverence and contempt in titles speeches or any behaviour If the worth of their persons deserve not Honour yet their place deserveth it Speak not of their infirmities to others behind their backs as some twatling Gossips use to do that know not that their husbands dishonour is their own and that to open it causlesly to others is their double shame Those that silently hear you will tell others behind your back how foolishly and shamefully you spake to them against your Husbands If God have made your neerest friend an affliction to you why should you complain to one that is farther off unless it be to some special prudent friend in case of true necessity for advise § 6. Direct 6. Live in a cheerful contentedness with your condition and take heed of an impatient Direct 6. murmuring spirit It is a continual burden to a man to have an impatient discontented wife Many a poor man can easily bear his poverty himself that yet is not able to bear his Wives impatience under it To hear her night and day complaining and speaking distrustfully and see her live disquietedly is far heavier than his poverty it self If his Wife could bear it as patiently as he it would be but light to him Yea in case of suffering for righteousness sake the impatience of a wife is a greater tryal to a man than all the suffering it self and many a man that could easily have suffered the loss of his estate or banishment or imprisonment for Christ hath betrayed his Conscience and yielded to sin because his wife hath grieved him with impatiency and could not bear what he could bear Whereas a contented cheerful wife doth help to make a man cheerful and contented in every state § 7. Direct 7. In a special manner strive to subdue your passions and to speak and do all in meekness Direct 7. and sobriety The rather because that the weakness of your Sex doth usually subject you mâ—â—e to Passions than men And it is the common cause of the husbands disquietness and the calamity of your relation It is the vexation and sickness of your own minds you find not your selves at ease within as long as you are passionate And then it is the grief and disquietness of your Husbands And being provoked by you they provoke you more and so your disquietness increaseth and your lives are made a weary burden to you By all means therefore keep down passion and keep a composed patient mind § 8. Direct 8. Take heed of a proud and contentious disposition and maintain a humble peaceable Direct 8. temper Pride will make you turbulent and unquiet with your husbands and contentious with your neighbours It will make you foolish and ridiculous in striving for honour and precedency and envying those that exceed you or go before you In a word it is the Devils sin and would make you a shame and trouble to the world But Humility is the health the peace and the ornament of the soul 1 Pet. 3. 4. A meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price Write those words in your bed-chamber on the walls where they may be daily before your eyes Col. 3. 12. Put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another If this be the duty of all to one another much more of wives to husbands 1 Pet. 5. 5. Yea all of you be subject one to another and be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Proud women oft ruine their Husbands estates and quietness and their own souls § 9. Direct 9. Affect not a childish gawdiness of apparel nor a vain or costly or troublesom curiosity Direct 9. in any thing about you Uncleanness and nastiness is a fault but very small in comparison of this pride and curisioty It dishonoureth your Sex and selves to be so childish as to overmind such toyish things If you will needs be proud be proud of somewhat that is of worth and proper to a man To be proud of reason or wisdom or learning or goodness is bad enough but this is to be proud of something But to be proud of fashions and fine cloaths of spots and nakedness of sumptuous entertainments and neat rooms is to be proud of your shame and not your virtue and of that which you are not so much as commendable for And the cost the time O pretious time which themselves and their servants must lay out upon their dressings entertainments and other curiosities will be the shame and sorrow of their souls whenever God shall open their eyes and make them know what Time was worth and what greater matters they
When ever the Spirit of God knocks at thy door thou art so taken up with other company or other business that thou canst not hear or wilt not open to him Many a time he hath been ready to teach thee but thou wast not at leisure to hear and learn Many a time he secretly jog'd thy conscience and checkt thee in thy sin and called thee aside to consider soberly about thy spiritual and everlasting state when the noise of foolish mirth and pleasures or the busles of encumbring cares and business have caused thee to stop thy ears and put him off and refuse the motion And if the abused Spirit of God depart and leave thee to thy beloved mirth and business and to thy self it is but just And then thou wilt never have a serious effectual thought of Heaven perhaps till thou have lost it nor a sober thought of Hell till thou art in it unless it be some despairing or some dull uneffectual thought § 2. O therefore as thou lovest thy soul do not love thy pleasure or business so well as to refuse to treat with the Spirit of God who comes to offer thee greater pleasures and to engage thee in a more important business O lay by all to hear a while what God and conscience have to say to thee They have greater business with thee than any others that thou conversest with They have better offers and motions to make to thee than thou shalt hear from any of thy old companions If the Devil can but take thee up a while with one pleasure one day and another business another day and keep thee from the work that thou camest into the world for till time be gone and thou art slipt unawares into damnation then he hath his desire and hath the end he aimed at and hath won the day and thou art lost for ever § 3. It 's like thou settest some limits to thy folly and purposest to do thus but a little while But when one Pleasure withereth the Devil will provide a fresh one for thee and when one business is over which caused thee to pretend Necessity another and another and another will succeed and thou wilt think thou hast such Necessity still till time is gone and thou see too late how grosly thou wast deceived Resolve therefore that whatever company or pleasure or business would divert thee that thou wilt not be befooled out of thy salvation nor taken off from minding the One thing Necessary If Company plead an interest in thee know of them whether they are better company than the Spirit of God and thy Conscience If Pleasure would detain thee enquire whether it be more pâ—re and durable pleasures than thou maist have in Heaven by hearkening unto grace If business still pretend Necessity enquire whether it be a greater business than to prepare thy soul and thy accounts for judgement and of greater Necessity than thy salvation If not let it not have the precedency If thou be wise do that first that must needs be done and let that stand by that may best be spared What will it profit thee to win all the world and lose thy soul. At least if thou durst say that thy Pleasure and business is better than Heaven yet might they sometime be forborn while thou seriously thinkest of thy salvation Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those Direct 7. that would convert and save thee Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty as if they did thee wrong or hurt § 1. God worketh by instruments When he will convert a Cornelius a Peter must be sent for and willingly heard When he will recall and save a sinner he hath usually some publick Minister or private friend that shall be a messenger of that searching and convincing truth which is fit to awaken them enlighten them and recover them If God furnish these his instruments with compassion to your souls and willingness to instruct you and you will take them for your enemies and pievishly quarrel with them and contradict them and perhaps reproach them and do them a mischief for their good will what an inhumane barbarous course of ingratitude is this Will you be angry with men for endeavouring to save you from the fire of Hell Do they endeavour to make any gain or advantage by you or only to help your souls to Heaven Indeed if their endeavours did serve any ambitious 1 Pet. 5. 2 3 4. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 24. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 3 6. 11. 23. Joel 1. 9 13. 2 Cor 4. 5. Mark 10 44. Matth. 10. 27. â—uke 22. 24 25 26. design of their own to bring the world as the Pope and his Clergy would do under their own jurisdiction you had reason then to suspect their fraud But the truth is Christ hath purposely appointed his greatest Church-Officers to be but Ministers even the servants of all to rule and save men as Volunteers without any coercive Power by the Management of his powerful Word upon their consciences and to beseech and intreat the poorest of the flock as those that are not Lords over Gods heritage nor masters of their faith but their servants in Christ and helpers of their joy that so when ever we deliver our message to them they may see that we exercise not dominion over them and aim at no worldly honours or gain or advantage to our selves but at the meer conversion and saving of their souls whereas if he had allowed us to exercise authority as the Kings of the Gentiles and to be called Gracious Lords and to incumber our selves with the affairs of this life our doctrine would have been rejected by the generality of the world and we should alwayes have come to them on this great disadvantage that they would have thought that we sought not them but theirs and that we preached not for them but for our selves to make a prize of them As the Jesuites when they attempt the conversion of the Indians do still find this their great impediment the Princes and people suppose them to pretend the Gospel but as a means to subjugate them and their Dominions to the Pope because they tell them that they must be all subject to the Pope if they will be saved Now when Christ hath appointed a poor self-denying intreating Ministry against whom you can have none of these pretences to sloop to your feet with the most submissive intreaties that you would but turn to God and live you have no excuse for your own barbarous ingratitude if you will fly in their faces and use them as your enemies and be offended with them for endeavouring to save you You know they can hold their Tythes and Livings by smoothing and cold and general preaching as well as by more faithful dealing if not better You know they can get no worldly advantage by
to Hell that they cannot be known asunder Hath not Christ taught us plainly how to know them Psal. 1. 15. 1 Iohn 3. and bid us give diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. If all men must hope that they shall be saved then most must hope for that which they shall never have But it is no hope of Gods making which deceiveth men Should so great a matter as our everlasting joy or misery be cast out of our Care and ventured so regardlesly in the dark When it is it that we have life and time and all for to make it sure And what hurt can it do you to find out the truth of your own condition If you are indeed unregenerate and unholy discover it now in time and you have time to be recovered You must despair of being saved without conversion But that preventeth absolute final despair Whereas if you find not out your case till time is past then hope is past and the Devil hath you in endless desperation where he would § 20. Tempt 10. If this prevail not the Devil will seek to carry it by noise instead of reason Tempt 10. and will seek to keep you in jovial merry voluptuous company that shall plead by Pots and Playes and pleasures and shall daily make a jest of Godliness and speak of the godly with scorn as a company of Fanatick Hypocrites § 21. Direct 10. But consider that this is but the rage of fools that speak of what they never understood Direct 10. See Prov. 13. 20 Prâ—v â—8 â— Ephes. 5. 7. 11. Did they ever try the way they speak against Are they to be believed before God himself Will they not â—at their words at last themselves Will their merry lives last alwayes Do they dye as merrily as they live and bring off themselves as well as they promised to bring off you He that will be cheated of his salvation and forsake his God for the ranting scorns of a distracted sinner is worthy to be damned § 22. Tempt 11. Next be telleth them that a godly life is so hard and tedious that if they should begin Tempt 11. they should never endure to hold on and therefore it is in vain to try it § 23. Direct 11. But this pretence is compounded of wickedness and madness What but a wicked Direct 11. heart can make it so hard a thing to live in the Love of God and holiness and in the hopes and seeking of eternal life Why should not this be a sweeter and pleasanter life than drinking and roaring and gaming and fooling away time in vain or than the enjoying of all the delights of the flesh There 's nothing but a sick distempered heart against it that nauseateth that which in it self is most delightful When Grace hath changed your hearts it will be easie Do you not see that others can hold on in it and would not be as they were for all the world And why may not you God will help you It is the Office of Christ and the Spirit to help you Your encouragements are innumerable The hardness is most at first It is the longer the easier But what if it were hard Is it not necessary Is Hell easier and to be preferred before it And will not Heaven pay for all your cost and labour Will you sit down in desperation and resolve to let your salvation go upon such silly bug-bear words as these § 24. Tempt 12. Next the Devils endeavour will be to find them so much employment with Tempt 12. worldly cares or hopes or business that they shall find no leisure to be serious about the saving of their souls § 25. Direct 12. But this is a snare though frequently prevalent yet so irrational and against so Direct 12. many warnings and witnesses even of all men in the world either first or last at conversion or at death that he who after all this will neglect his God and his salvation because he hath worldly things to mind is worthy to be turned over to his choice and have no better help or portion in the hour of his necessity and distress Of this sin I have spoken afterward Chap. 4. Part. 6. § 26. Tempt 13. Lest the soul should be converted the Devil will do all that he can to keep you from Tempt 13. the acquaintance and company of those whose holiness and instructions might convince and strengthen you and especially from a lively convincing Minister and to cast you under some dead hearted Minister and Society § 27. Direct 13. Therefore if it be possible though it be to your loss or inconvenience in the Direct 13. world live under a searching heavenly Teacher and in the company of them that are resolved for Heaven It is a dead heart indeed that feeleth not the need of such assistance and is not the better for it when they have it If ever you be fair for Heaven and like to be converted it will be among such helps as these § 28. Tempt 14. But one of the strongest Temptations of Satan is by making their sin exceeding Tempt 14. pleasant to them for the gain or honour or fleshly satisfaction and so encreasing the violence of their sensual appetite and lust and making them so much in Love with their sin that they cannot leave it Like the thirst of a man in a burning Feavor which makes him cry for cold drink though it would kill him the fury of the appetite conquering reason So we see many drunkards fornicators worldlings that are so deeply in Love with their sin that come on it what will they will have it though they have Hell with it § 29. Direct 14. Against this Temptation I desire you to read what I have said after Chap. 4. Direct 14. Part. 7. Chap. 3. Direct 6. 8. O that poor sinners knew what it is that they so much Love Is the pleasing of the flesh so sweet a thing to you and are you so indifferent to God and holy things Are these less amiable Do you foresee what both will be at last Will your sin seem better than Christ and Grace and Heaven when you are dying O be not so in Love with damning folly and the pleasure of a Beast as for it to despise the heavenly wisdom and delights § 30. Tempt 15. Another great Temptation is the prosperity of the wicked in this life and the reproach Tempt 15. and suffering which usually falls upon the godly If God did strike every notorious sinner dead in the place as soon as he had sinned or struck him blind or dumb or lame or inflicted presently some such judgement then many would fear him and forbear their sin But when they see no men prosper so much as the most ungodly and that they are the persecutors of the holy seed and that sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed then are their hearts set in them
named Chap. 3. Dir. 8. § 16. and the aggravations § 17 18. If the Devil can but once perswade you that sin is harmless all Faith all Religion all Honesty and your souls and all are gone For then all Gods Laws and Government must be fictions Then there is no work for Christ Psal. 40. 12. Psal. 51. as a Saviour or the Spirit as a Sanctifier to do Then all Ordinances and Means are troublesome Vanities and Godliness and Obedience deserve to be banished from the earth as unnecessary troublers of mankind Then may this poyson be safely taken and made your food But O how mad a conceit is this How quickly will God make the proudest know what harm it was to refuse the Government of his Maker and set up the Goverment of his beastly appetite and misguided will and that sin is bad if Hell be bad § 32. Tempt 26. The Devil also tempteth them to think that though they sin yet their good works Tempt 26. are a compensation for their bad and therefore they pray and do some acts of Pharisaical devotion to make God amends for what they do amiss § 53. Direct 26. Against this consider that if you had never so many good works they are all Direct 26. but your duty and make no satisfaction for your sin But what good works can you do that shall save a wicked soul and that God will accept without your Hearts Your hearts must be first cleansed See Prov. 28 9 Prov. 15 26 8 Prov. 21. 27. Isa. 1. 13. 14. and your selves devoted and sanctified to God For an evil Tree will bring forth evil fruit First make the Tree good and the fruit will be good It is the Love of God and the hatred of sin and a holy and heavenly life which are the good works that God chiefly calleth for and Faith and Repentance and Conversion in order to these And will God take your lip-labour or the leavings of your â—â—â—â—sh by way of alms while the world and fleshly pleasure have your hearts Indeed you do no work that 's truly good The matter may be good but you poyson it with bad Principles and Ends. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be but is enmity to God Rom. 8. 6 7. § 54. Tempt 27. Some are tempted to think that God will not condemn them because they are poor Tempt 27. and afflicted in this life and have their sufferings here And that he that condemneth the rich for not shewing merâ—y tâ— the pâ—â—r will himself shew them mercy § 55. Direct 27. Hath he not shewed you mercy And is it not mercy which you vilifie and reâ—â—se Direct 27. Even Christ and his Spirit and holy communion with God Or must God shew you the mercy of Glory without the mercy of Grace Which is a contradiction Strange that the same men that will not be intreated to accept of mercy nor let it save them are yet saying that God will be merciful and save them And for your poverty and suffering is it not against your will You cannot deny it And will God save any man for that which is against his will You would have riches and honour and pleasure and your good things in this life as well as others if you could tell how You love the world as well as others if you could get more of it And to be carnal and worldly for so poor a pittance and to have the world when you suffer in it doth make you more unexcusable than the rich The Devils have suffered more than you and so have many thousand souls in Hell And yet they shall be saved never the more If you are poor in the world but rich in faith and holiness then you may well expect salvation Iames 2. 5. But if your sufferings make you no more holy they do but aggravate your sin § 56. Tempt 28. Also the Devil blindeth sinners by keeping them ignorant of the nature and power Tempt 28. of Holiness of heart and life They know it not by any experience And he will not let them see it and judge of it in the Scripture where it is to be seen without any mixed contraries but he points them only to professors of holiness and commonly to the weakest and the worst of them and to that which is worst in them and sheweth them the miscarriages of hypocrites and the falls of the weaker sort of Christians and then tells them This is their Godliness and Religion They are all alike § 57. Direct 28. But it 's easie to see how these men deceive and condemn themselves This is Direct 28. as if you should plead that a Beast is wiser than a man because some men are drunk and some are passionate and some are mad Drunkenness and passions which are the disturbances of Reason are no disgrace to Reason but to themselves Nor were they a disgrace themselves if Reason which they hinder were not honourable So no mans sins are a disgrace to Holiness which condemneth them nor were they bad themselves if holiness were not good which they oppose It is no disgrace to the day-light or Sun that there is night and darkness Nor were darkness bad if light were not good Will you refuse health because some men are sick Nay will you rather choose to be dead because the living have infirmities The Devils reasoning is foolisher than this Holiness is of absolute necessity to salvation If many that do more than you are as bad as you imagine what a case then are you in that have not near so much as they If they that make it their greatest care to please God and be saved are as very Hypocrites as the Devil would perswade you what a hopeless case then are you in that come far short of them If so you must do more than they and not less if you will be saved Or else out of your own mouths will you be condemned § 58. Tempt 29. Another way of the Tempter is by drawing them desperately to venture their souls Tempt 29. Come on them what will they 'le put it to the venture rather than live so strict a life § 59. Direct 29. But O man consider what thou dost and who will have the loss of it and Direct 29. how quickly it may be too late to recall thy adventure What should put thee on so mad a resolution Is sin so good Is Hell so easie Is thy soul so contemptible Is Heaven such a trifle Is God so hard a Master Is his work so grievous and his way so bad Doth he require any thing unreasonable of you Hath God set you such a grievous task that it 's better venture on damnation than perform it You cannot believe this if you believe him to be God Come near and think more deliberately on it and you will find you might better run from your food your friend your life than from your
that will rule them and not â—e ruled by them that will not suffer them to take their pleasure nor enjoy their riches but hold them to a life which they cannot endure and even undo them in the world he is then no longer a guest for them Whereas if Christ had been received as Christ and Truth and Godliness deliberately entertained for their welldiscerned Excellency and Necessity the deep rooting would have prevented this Apostacie and cured such Hypocrifie § 4. But alas poor Ministers find by sad experience that all prove not Saints that flock to hear them and make up the crowd nor that for a season rejoyce in their light and magnifie them and take their parts The blossom hath its beauty and sweetness but all that blossometh or appeareth in the bud doth not come to perfect fruit Some will be blasted and some blown down some nipt with â—â—osts some eaten by Worms some quickly fall and some hang on till the strongest blasts do cast them down some are deceived and poysoned by false Teachers some by worldly cares and the deceitfulness of riches become unfruitful and are turned aside The lusts of some had deeper rooting then the Word And the friends of some had greater interest in them than Christ and therefore they forsake him to satisfie their importunity some are corrupted by the hopes of preferment or the favour of man some feared from Christ by their threats and frowns and choose to venture on damnation to scape persecution And some are so worldly wise that they can see reason to remit their zeal and can save their souls and bodies too and prove that to be their duty which other men call sin if the end will but answer their expectations And some grow weary of truth and duty as a dull and common thing being not supplyed with that variety which might still continue the delights of Novelty § 5. Yet mistake not what I have said as if all the affection furthered by Novelty and abated by Commonness and use were a sign that the person is but an Hypocrite I know that there is something in the Nature of man remaining in the best which disposeth us to be much more passionately affected with things when they seem New to us and are first apprehended than when they are old and we have known or used them long There is not I believe one man of a thousand but is much more delighted in the Light of Truth when it first appeareth to him than when it is trite and familiarly known and is much more affected with a powerful Minister at first than when he hath long â—ate under him The same Sermon that even transported them at the first hearing would affect them less if they had heard it preach'd an hundred times The same Books which greatly affected us at the first or second reading will affect us less when we have read them over twenty times The same words of Prayer that take much with us when seldom used do less move our affections when they are daily used all the year At our first conversion we have more passionate sorrow for our sin and love to the godly than we can afterwards retain And all this is the case of learned and unlearned the sound and unsound though not of all alike Even Heaven it self is spoken of by Christ as if it did participate of this when he saith that Joy shall be in Heaven over One sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance Luke 15. 7 10. And I know it is the duty of Ministers to take notice of this disposition in their hearers and not to dull them with giving them still the same but to profit them by a pleasant and profitable variety Not by preaching to them another Christ or a new Gospel It is the same God and Christ and Spirit and Scripture and the same Heaven the same Church the same faith and hope and repentance and obedience that we must preach to them as long as we live Though they say we have heard this an hundred times Let them hear it still and bring them not a new Creed If they hear so oft of God and Christ and Heaven till by Faith and Love and Fruition they attain them as their end they have heard well But yet there is a grateful variety of subordinate particulars and of words and methods and seasonable applications necessary to the right performance of our Ministry and to the profitting of the flocks Though the Physicion use the same Apothecaries Shop and Dispensatory and Drugs yet how great a variety must he use of compositions and times and manner of administration § 6. But for all this though the best are affected most with things that seem new and are dulled with the long and frequent use of the same expressions yet they are never weary of the substance of their Religion so as to desire a change And though they are not so passionately affected with the same Sermons and Books or with the thoughts or mention of the same substantial matters of Religion as at first they were Yet do their Iudgements more solidly and tenaciously embrace them and esteem them and their wills as Resolvedly adhere to them and use them and in their lives they practise them better than before Whereas they that take up their Religion but for Novelty will lay it down when it ceaseth to be New to them and must either change for a Newer or have none at all § 7. And as unsound are they that are Religious only because their education or their friends or the Laws or judgement of their Rulers or the Custom of the Countrey hath made it necessary to their Reputation These are Hypocrites at the first setting out and therefore cannot be saved by continuance in such a carnal Religiousness as this I know Law and Custom and education and friends when they side with Godliness are a great advantage to it by affording helps and removing those impediments that might stick much with carnal minds But truth is not your own till it be received in its proper evidence nor your faith divine till you believe what you believe because God is true who dâ—th reveal it nor are you the Children of God till you Love him for himself nor are you truly Religious till the Truth and Goodness of Religion it self be the principal thing that maketh you Religious It helpeth much to discover a mans sincerity when he is not only Religious among the Religious but among the prophane and the enemies and scorners and persecutors of Religion And when a man doth not pray only in a praying family but among the prayerless and the deriders of fervent constant prayer And when a man is heavenly among them that are earthly and temperate among the intemperate and riotous and holdeth the truth among those that reproach it and that hold the contrary When a man is not carried only by a stream of
more of my observation of which these times have given us too much proof Profane and formal Enemies on the one hand and ignorant self-conceited wranglers on the other hand who think they are champions for the truth when they are venting their passions and fond opinions are the two Thieves between whom the Church hath suffered from the beginning to this day The first are the Persecutors and the other the Dividers and disturbers of the Church Mark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strife and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men Phil. 2. 14 15. Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5 6. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife raylings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds c. So 1 Tim. 1. 4 5. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which Minister Questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned § 6. Yet I must here profess that if any falsehearted worldly hypocrite that resolveth to be on the saving side and to hold all to be lawful that seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments shall take any encouragement from what I have here said to debauch his conscience and sell his soul and then call all those furious zealots that will not be as false to God as he let that man know that I have given him no cloak for so odious a sin nor will he find a cover for it at the barr of God though he may delude his conscience and bear it out by his carnal advantages before the world Direct 13. KNow that true Godliness is the Best Life upon Earth and the only may to perfect Direct 13. Happiness Still apprehend it therefore and Use it as the best and with great diligence â—â—sist those Temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding grievous or unpleasant thing § 1. There are all things concurrent in a Holy life to make it the most delectable life on earth to a rational purified mind that is not captivated to the flesh and liveth not on Air or Dung The Object of it is the Eternal God himself the Infallible Truth the only satisfactory Good and all these condescending and appearing to us in the mysterious but suitable glass of a Mediator Redeeming Reconciling teaching governing sanctifying justifying and glorifying all that are his own The End of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier and the everlasting happiness of our selves and others The Rule of it is the infallible Revelation of God delivered to the Church by his Prophets and his Son and his Apostles and comprized in the Holy Scriptures and sealed by the Miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them The work of Godliness is a living unto God and preparing for everlasting life by foreseeing foretasting seeking and rejoycing in that endless Happiness which we shall have with God and by walking after the Spirit and avoiding the filthiness delusions and vexations of the world and the flesh The nature of man is not capable of a more noble profitable and delectable life than this which God hath called us to by his Son And if we did but rightly know it we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight Be sure therefore to conceive of Godliness as it is and not as it is mis-represented by the Devil and the ungodly Read what I have written of this in my A Saint or a Brute § 2. As long as a man conceiveth of Religion as it is even the most sweet and delectable life so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart and despise the temptations and avocations of flâ—shly gain and pleasure He will be sincere as not being only drawn by other men or outward advantages nor frightned into it by a passion of fearfulness but loving Religion for it self and for its excellent ends And then he will be chearful in all the duties and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it And he will be most likely to persevere unto the end We cannot expect that the Heart or Will should be any more for God and Godliness than the Understanding practically apprehendeth them as Good Nay we must alwayes perceive in them a transcendent Goodness above all that is to be found in a worldly life Or else the appearing Goodness of the Creature will divert us and carry away our minds We may see in the very Brutes what a power apprehension hath upon their actions If your Horse be but going to his home or pasture how freely will he go through thick and thin but if he go unwillingly his travell is troublesome and slow and you have much ado to get him on It will be so with you in your way to Heaven § 2. It is therefore the principal design of the Devil to hide the Goodness and Pleasantness of Religion from you and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life By this means it is that he keeps men from it and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw you back again and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes If he can thus mis-represent Religion to your understandings he will suddenly alienate your wills and corrupt your lives and make you turn to the world again and seek for pleasure somewhere else and only take up with some heartless lip-service to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved And the means which Satan useth to these ends are such as these § 3. 1. He will do his worst to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties and bring How Satan would make Religion seem to be a câ—nfounding unpâ—â—aâ—an thing â— By difficulties you to a loss and to make Religion seem to you a confounding and not a satisfying thing This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners Difficulties and Passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you and put you out of a regular cheerful seeking of salvation When you read the Scriptures he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear He will shew you seeming contradictions and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things He will cast in thoughts of Unbelief and Blasphemy and cause you if he can to â—owl them in your
for the soul is that which least endangereth it by being over-pleasing to the Body and in which the flesh hath the smallest interest to set up and plead against the Spirit Not but that the largest stock must be accepted and used for God when he trusteth us with it for when he setteth us the hardest work we may expect his greatest help But a dwelling as in Tents in a constant unsetledness in a moveable condition having little and needing little never feeling any thing in the creature to tempt us to say Soul take thy Rest this is to most the safest life which giveth us the freâ—st advantages for Heaven § 5. Take heed therefore as you love your souls of falling into the snare of worldly Hopes and laying designs for rising and riâ—hâ—s and pleasing your selves in the thoughts and prosecution of these things â—â—r then you are in the readiest way to perdition even to idolatrous worldliness and apostacy of heart from God and opening a door to every sin that seems but necessary to your worldly ends and to odious Hypocrisie for a cloke to all this and to quiet your guilty minds with something that is like Religion When once you are saying with worldly security as he Luke 12. 17 18. 19. I will pull down my barn and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and goods and I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goâ—ds laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and â—e mercy you are then befooling your selves and near being called away as fools by dâ—â—th â— 20 21. And when without a sense of the uncertainty of your lives you are saying as those in â—ames 4. 13 14. To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what will be on the morrow You forget what your lives are that they are a vapour appearing a little while and then vanishing away Ver. 14. Boast not thy self therefore of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. Direct 20. SEe that your Religion be purely Divine and animated all by God as the Beginning the Direct 20. D 〈…〉 ma 〈…〉 dâ—â—â—â—â—â—bat â—iaâ—◠〈…〉 nem 〈◊〉 â—e◠〈◊〉 â—eâ—i 〈◊〉 sufficere quâ—dem ad bene beateque vivendum â—aeâ—erum instrumentis indigere corporis bonis robore sanitate integritate 〈◊〉 c. Exterioribus etiam opiâ—â—â—â— genâ—ris claâ—itate gloria c. Ea si non affluerint nihilominus tamen beatum foâ—â—â—apiâ—â—tem Arbitratur Deos humana câ—rnere atque curare daemones esse Porro in dialogâ—â— justitiam Divinâ—m legem â—â—bitratus est ut ad juâ—e agendum poâ—entius persuâ—deret nè post mortem poenas improbi luerent Laert. in Plaâ— .. Way and the End and that first upon thy Soul and then upon all that thou hast or dost there be written HOLINESS TO THE LORD and that thou corrupt not all with an inordinate hypâ—critical respect to man § 1. To be Holy is to be Divine or devoted to God and appropriated to Him and his Will and Use and that our Hearts and Lives be not Common and Unclean To be Godly is to Live to God as those that from their hearts believe that he is God indeed and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him that he is our God All-sufficient our shield and exceeding great reward Heb. 11. 6. Gen. 15. 1. 17. 1. And that Of Him and Through Him and To Him are all things that all may give the Glory for ever unto him Rom. 11. 36. As God is infinitely above all Creatures so Living upon God and unto God must needs advance us above the highest sensual life And therefore Religion is transcendently above all Sciences or Arts so much of God as is in you and upon you so much you are more excellent than the highest worldly perfection can advance you to GOD should be the First and Last and All in the mind and mouth and life of a believer God must be the Principal Matter of your Religion The Understanding and Will must be exercised upon him When you awake you should be still with him Psal. 139. 8. Your Meditatiâ—ns of him should be sweet and you should be glad in the Lord Psal. 104. 34 Yet creatures under Him may be the frequent less principal matter of your Religion but still as referred unto Him God must be the Author of your Religion God must institute it if you expect he should accept it and reward it God must be the Rule of your Religion as Revealing his Will concerning it in his Word God must be the Ultimate End of your Religion It must be intended to Please and Glorifie Him God must be the continual Motive and Reason of your Religion and of all you do you must be able truly to fetch your Reason from Heaven and to say I do it because it is his will I do it to please and glorifie and enjoy him God must be taken as the Soveraign Iudge of your Religion and of you and of all you do And you must wholly look to his Justification and approbation and avoid what ever he condemneth Can you take God for your Owner your Soveraign your Saviour your sufficient Protector your Portion your All If not you cannot be godly nor be saved If his Authority have not more Power upon you than the authority of the Greatest upon earth you are Atheistical Hypocrites and not truly Religious whatever you pretend If HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon you and all that 's yours you are devoted to him as his Own peculiar ones If your Names be set upon your Sheep or Plate or Clothes you will say if another should take them They are mine Do you not see my mark upon them Slavery to the Flesh the World and the Devil is the mark that is written upon the ungodly upon the foreheads of the prophane and upon the Hearts of Hypocrites and all and Satan the world and the flesh have their service If you are Conseerated to God and bear his Name and Mark upon you tell every one that would lay claim to you that you are His and resolved to live to Him to Love Him to Trust Him and to stand or fall to him alone Let God be the very Life and Sense and End of all you do § 2. When once Man hath too much of your regard and observation that you set too much by his favour and esteem or eye him too much in your profession and practice when mans approbation too much comforteth you and manâ— displeasure or dispraise doth too much trouble you when your fear and love and care and obedience are too much taken up for Man You so far withdraw your selves from God and are becoming the servants of men and friends of the world and turning back to bondage and forsaking your Rock and Portion and
this and so doth custom in sensual courses even turn men into bruits § 46. 2. He doth what he can to hinder Parents and Masters from doing their part in the instructing and admonishing of Children and servants and dealing wisely and zealously with them for their salvation Either he will keep Parents and Masters ignorant and unable or he will make them wicked and unwilling and perhaps engage them to oppose their children in all that 's good or he will make them like Eli remiss and negligent indifferent formal cold and dull and so keep them from saving their childrens or servants souls § 47. 3. He doth all that possibly he can to keep the sinner in security presumption and senselesness even asleep in sin and to that end to keep him quiet and in the dark without any light or noise which may awake him that he may live asleep as without a God a Christ a Heaven a Soul or any such thing to mind His great care is to keep him from Considering and therefore he keeps him still in company or sport or business and will not let him be oft alone nor retire into a sober conference with his conscience or serious Thoughts of the Life to come § 48. 4. He doth his best to keep soul-searching lively Ministers out of the Country or out of that Place and to silence them if there be any such and to keep the sinner under some ignorant or dead-hearted Minister that hath not himself that faith or repentance or life or love or holiness or zeal which he should be a means to work in others And he will do his utmost to draw him to be a leader of men to sin § 49. 5. He doth his worst to make Ministers weak to disgrace the cause of Christ and hinder his work by their bungling and unskilful management that there may be none to stand up against sin but some unlearned or half-witted men that can scarce speak sense or will provoke contempt or laughter in the hearers § 50. 6. He doth his worst to make Ministers scandalous that when they tell men of their sin and duty they may think such mean not as they speak and believe not themselves or make no great matter of it but speak for custom credit or for their hire And that the people by the wicked lives of the Preachers may be emboldned to disobey their doctrine and to imitate them and live without Repentance § 51. 7. He will labour to load the ablest Ministers with reproaches and slanders which thousands shall hear who never hear the truth in their defence And so making them odious the people will receive no more good by their preaching than from a Turk or Iew till the very truth it self for it self prevail And to this end especially he doth all that he can to foment continual divisions in the Church that while every party is engaged against the other the Interest of their several causes may make them think it necessary to make the chief that are against them seem odious or contemptible to the people that so they may be able to do their cause and them no harm And so they disable them from serving Christ and saving souls that they may disable them to hurt themselves or their faction or their impotent cause § 52. 8. He doth what he can to keep the most holy Ministers under persecution that they may be as the wounded Deer whom all the rest of the herd will shun or like a worried dog whom the rest will fall upon or that the people may be afraid to hear them lest they suffer with them or may come to them only as Nicodemus did to Christ by night § 53. 9. Or if any Ministers or Godly persons warn the sinner the Devil will do what he can that they may be so small a number in comparison of those of the contrary mind that he may tell the sinner Dâ—st thou think these few self-conceited fellows are wiser than such and such and all the country Shall none be saved but such a few precise ones Do any of the Rulers or of the Pharises believe in him But this people that knoweth not the Law are cursed John 7. 48 49. That is as Dr. Hammâ—nd noteth This illiterate multitude are apt to be seduced but the Teachers are wiser § 54. 10. The Devil doth his worst to cause some falling out or difference of interest or opinion between the Preacher or Monitor and the sinner that so he may take him for his Enemy And how unapt men are to receive any advise from an Enemy or Adversary experience will easily convince you § 55. 11. He endeavoureth that powerful preaching may be so rare and the contradiction of wicked cavâ—llers so frequent that the Sermon may be forgotten or the impressions of it blotted out before they can hear another to confirm them and strike the nail home to the head and that the â—â—re may go out before the next opportunity come § 56. 12. He laboureth to keep good books out of the sinners hands or keep him from reading them leâ—t he speed as the Eunuch Acts 8. that was reading the Scripture as he rode in his Chariot on the way And instead of such books he putteth Romances and Play-books and trifling or scorning contradicting writings into his hands § 57. 13. He doth what he can to keep the sinner from intimate acquaintance with any that are truly Godly that he may know them no otherwise than by the image which ignorant or malicious slanderers or scorners do give of such And that he may know Religion it self but by hearsay and never see it exemplified in any holy diligent believers A holy Christian is a living image of God a powerful convincer and teacher of the ungodly And the nearer men come to them the greater excellency they will see and the greater efficacy they will feel Whereas in the Devils army the most must not be seen in the open light and the Hypocrite himself must be seen like a picture but by a side-light and not by a direct § 58. 14. Those means which are used the Devil labours to frustrate 1. By sluggish heedlesness and disregard 2. By prejudice and false opinions which prepossess the mind 3. By diversions of many sorts 4. By pre-ingagements to a contrary interest and way so that Christ comes to late for them 5. By worldly prosperity and delights 6. By ill company 7. And by molesting and frighting the sinner when he doth but take up any purpose to be converted Giving him all content and quietness in sin and raising storms and terrors in his soul when he is about to turn The Methods of Christ against the Tempter § 59. Before I proceed to Satans perticular Temptations I will shew you the contrary Methods of Christ in the conduct of his Army and opposing Satan I. Christs Ends are ultimately the Glory and Pleasing of his Father and himself and the saving of his Church and the
and will of erroneous and tempting persons And those that are more stiff to a stubborn resistance of all that should do them good He found it most suitable to tempt a Saul to malice David by a surprize to lust Absolom to ambition Peter to fearfulness and after to compliance and dissimulation to avoid the offence and displeasure of the weak Luther to rashness Melancthon to fearfulness Carolostadius to nnsetledness Illiricus to inordinate zeal Osiander to self-esteem if Historians have given them their due One Shâ—â—e fitteth not every foot § 4. Direct 2. Let your strictest watch be upon the sins of your temperature Far greater diligence Direct 2. and resolution is here necessary than against other sins And withdraw the fewel and strive against the bodily distempers themselves Fasting and labour will do much against lust which Idleness and fulness continually â—eed And so the rest have their several cures Know also what good your temper doth give you special advantage for and let it be turned unto that and still employed in it § 5. Tempt 3. The Temptor suiteth his Temptations to your Estates of Poverty or Riches The Tempt 3. pâ—â—r he tempteth to murmur and be impatient under their wants and distress themselves more with griefs and cares and to think that their sufferings may save them without holiness and that necessary labour for their bodies may excuse them from much minding the concernments of their souls And either to censure and hate the Rich through envy or to flatter them for gain The Rich he tempteth to an idle time-wasting voluptuous fleshly bruitish life To excess in sleep and meat and drink and sport and apparel and costly wayes of pride and idle discâ—urse and visits and complements to love the wealth and honours of the world and live in continual pleasing of the flesh to fare deliciously every day and to waste their time in unprofitableness without a conâ—tant Calling and to be unmerciful to the poor and to tyrannize over their inferiours Prov. 30. 8 9. Luke 16. § 6. Direct 3. Here also observe regardfully where your danger lyeth and there keep a continual Direct 3. watch Lâ—t the poor remember that if they be not Rich in grace it is long of themselves and if they be they have the chiefest Riches and have learnt in all estates to be content And have great cause to be thankful to God that thus helpeth them against the love and pleasures of the world Let the Rich remember that they have not less to do than the poor because they have more committed 1 Iaâ— 6 9 to their trust nor may they ever the more satisfie the inordinate desires of the flesh But they have more to dâ— and more dangers to fear and watch against as they have more of their Masters Talents to employ and give account for at the last § 7. Tempt 4. The Devil suiteth his Temptations to mens daily work and business If it be low Tempt 4. to be ashamed of it through Pride If it be high to be Proud of it If it be hard to be weary and unfaithful in it or to make it take up all their minds and time If it be about worldly things he tempteth them to be tainted by it with a worldly mind If they labour for themselves he tempteth them to ever-do If for others he tempteth them to deceitful unfaithful negligence and sloth If they are Ministers he tempteth them to be idle and unfaithful and senseless of the weight of truth the worth of souls the brevity of time that so their sin may be the ruine or the loss of many If Rulers the Devil useth his utmost skill to cause them to espouse an interest contrary to the interest of truth and holiness and to cast some quarrel against Christ into their minds and to perswade them that his interest is against theirs and that his servants are their enemies § 8. Direct 4. See that your work be lawful and that God have called you to it and then take Direct 4. it as the service which he himself assigneth to you and do it as in his sight and as passing to his judgement in obedience to his will And mind not so much whether it be hard or easie low or high as whether you are faithful in it And if it be sanctified to you by your intending all to the pleasing of God remember that he loveth and rewardeth that servant that stoopeth to the lâ—west woâ—k at his command as much as him that is employed in the highest Do all for God and walk in Holiness with him and keep out selfishness the poyson of your Callings and observe the proper danger of your places and keep a constant watch against them § 9. Tempt 5. The Devil suiteth his Temptations to our several Relations Parents he tempteth to be Tempt 5. cold and regardless of the great work of a wise and holy education of their Children Children he tempteth to be disobedient unthankful void of natural affection unreverent dishonourers of their Parents Husbands he tempteth to be unloving unkind impatient with the weaknesses of their Wives and Wives to be pievish self-willed proud clamorous passionate and disobedient Masters he tempteth to use their servants only as their Beasts for their own commodity without any care of their salvation and Gods service And servants he tempteth to be carnal untrusty false slothful eye-servants that take more care to hide a fault than not to commit it Ministers and Magistrates he tempteth to seek themselves and neglect their charge and set up their own Ends instead of the common good or to mistake the common good or the means that tendeth to it Subjects and People be tempteth to dishonour and murmur against their Governours and to censure them unjustly and to disobey them and rebell or else to honour and fear and serve them more than God and against God § 10. Direct 5. Here learn well the duties and dangers of your own Relations and remember that it Direct 5. is much of your work to be faithful and excellent in your Relations And mind not so much what other men owe to you as what you owe to God and them Let Masters and Ministers and Magistrates first study and carefully practise their own duties and yet they must next see that their Inferiours do their duties because that is their office But they must be more desirous that God be first served and more careful to procure obedience to him than that they be honoured or obeyed themselves Children Servants and Subjects must be taken up in the well doing of their proper work remembring that their good or hurt lyeth far more upon that than upon their superiours dealings with them or usage of them As it is your own Body and not your superiours which your soul doth animate nourish and use and which you have the continual sense and charge of so it is your own duty and not your superiours which
holy fetcht from Heaven § 19. Tempt 9. He would keep you in a lazy sluggish coldness to read and hear and pray as asleep Tempt 9. as if you did it not § 20. Direct 9. Awake your selves with the presence of God and the great concernment of what Direct 9. you are about and yield not to your sloth § 21. Tempt 10. He would make you bring a divided distracted heart to duty that is half about your Tempt 10. worldly business § 22. Direct 10. Remember God is jealous your business with him is great much lyeth on it Direct 10. call off your hearts and let them not stay behind all the powers of your souls are little enough in such a work Ezek. 33. 31. § 23. Tempt 11. Ignorance unskilfulness and unacquaintedness with duty is a great impediment Tempt 11. to most § 24. Direct 11. Learn by study joyned with practice Be not weary and difficulties will be Direct 11. overcome § 25. Tempt 12. Putting duty out of its place and neglecting the season that is fittest makes it oft Tempt 12. done slightly § 26. Direct 12. Redeem time and dispatch other business that idleness deprive you not of leisure Direct 12. and do all in order § 27. Tempt 13. Neglecting one duty is the Tempters snare to spoil another If he can keep you Tempt 13. from reading you will not understand well what you hear If he keep you from meditating you will not digest what you hear or read If he keep you from hearing you will want both matter and life for prayer and meditation and conference If he keep you from godly company you will be hindered in all and in the practice No one is omitted but you are disadvantaged by it in all the rest § 28. Direct 13. Observe how one duty helpeth another and take all together each one in its Direct 13. place § 29. Tempt 14. Sometime the Tempter doth call you off to other duty and puts in unseasonable Tempt 14. motions to that which in its time is good he interrupts prayer by meditation he sets seeming truth against Love and Peace and Concord § 30. Direct 14. Still know which duties are greatest and which is the due season for each and do Direct 14. all in order § 31. Tempt 15. He spoileth duty by causing you to do it only as a duty and not as a means for the Tempt 15. good of your own souls or only as a Means and not as a Duty If you do it only as a Duty then you will not be quickned to it by the ends and benefits nor carryed by Hope nor fit all to the end nor be so fervent or vigorous in it as the sense of your own good would make you be And if you do it only as a Means and not as a Duty then you will give over or faint when you want or question the success Whereas the sense of both would make you vigorous and constant § 32. Direct 15. Keep under the sense of Gods Authority that you may feel your selves bound Direct 15. to obey him whatever be the success and may resolve to wait in an obedient way And withall admire his wisdom in fitting all Duties to your Benefit and commanding you nothing but what is for your own or others good or to his honour And mark the Reason and tendency of all and your own Necessity § 33. Tempt 16. The Tempter hindereth you in duty as well as from duty by setting you a quarrelling Tempt 16. with the Minister the words the company the manner the circumstances that these things may divert your thoughts from the matter or distract your mind with causeless scruples § 34. Direct 16. Pray and labour for a clear judgement and an upright self-judging humble Direct 16. heart wihch dwelleth most at home and looketh most at the spiritual part and affecteth not singularity § 35. Tempt 17. The Tempter spoileth duty by your unconstancy While you read or pray so seldom Tempt 17. that you have lost the benefit of one duty before you come to another and cool by intermissions § 36. Direct 17. Remember that it is not your divertisement but your Calling and is to your Direct 17. soul as eating to your Bodies § 37. Tâ—mpt 18. Sometime Satan corrupteth Duty by mens private passions interest and opinions Tempt 1â— making men in preaching and praying to vent their own conceits and spleen and inveigh against those that diâ—â—er from them or ofâ—end them and prophane the name and work of God or proudly to seek the praise of men § 38. Direct 18. Remember that God is most jealous in his Worship and hateth hypocritical prophanâ—ss Tempt 18. above all prophaness Search your hearts and mortifie your passions and specially selfishness Remembring that it is a poysonous and insinuating sin and will easily hide it self with a Cloke of â—eal § 39. Tempt 19. False-hearted Reservedness is a most accursed corrupter of holy duty when the soul Tempt 19. is not wholy given up to God but sets upon duty from some common motive as because it is in credit or to pleasâ— sâ—me friend purposing to try it a while and leave it if they like it not § 40. Direct 19. Fâ—ar God thou Hypocrite and halt not between two opinions If the Lord be Direct 12. God â—bâ—y and sâ—rve him with all thy heart But if the Devil and the flesh be better Masters follow them and let him go § 41. Tempt 20. Lastly The Tempter hindereth holy duty much by wandring thoughts and melancholy Tempt 20. perplexities and a hurry of Temptations which torment and distract some Christians so that they â—ry out I cannot pray I cannot meditate and are weary of duty and even of their lives § 42. Direct 20. This sheweth the malice of the Tempter and thy weakness but if thou hadst Direct 20. rather be delivered from it it hindereth not thy acceptance with God Read for this what I have said Chap. 5. Part. 2. at large specially in my Directions to the Melancholy § 43. I have been forced to put off many things briefly here which deserved a larger handling and I must now omit the discovery of those Temptations by which Satan keepeth men in sin when he hath draâ—n them into it 2. And those by which he causeth declining in grace and Apâ—staâ—y 3. And those by which he discomforteth true Believers because else this Direction would swell to a Treatiâ—â— and most will think it too long and tedious already though the Brevity which I use to avoid prâ—liâ—ity doth wrong the matter through the whole Acquaintance with Temptations is needful to our overcoming them DIRECT X. Your lives must be laid out in doing God service and doing all the good you can in Gr. Dir. 10 â—â—â—â— sâ—rving Christ ouâ— Master in good works works of piety justice and charity with prudence fidelity industry
22. Live continually as one that is going to be judged at the barr of God where all Direct 22. Hypocrisie will be opened and shamed and Hypocrites condemned by the All-knowing God One thought of our appearing before the Lord and of the day of his impartial judgement one would think should make men walk as in the light and teach them to understand that the Sun is not eclipsed as oft as they wink nor is it night because they draw the Curtains What a shame will it be to have all your dissimulation laid open before all the world Luke 12. 1 2 3. Beware of the leven of the Pharisâ—es which is Hypocrisie For there is nothing covered which shall not be revealed neither â—id that shall not be known Therefore what ever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the house tops § 28. Direct 23. Think not that you avoid Hypocrisie by changing the expressions of it but see that Direct 23. you run not into a more subtile kind while you avoid a grossee There is no outward way of worshipping God nor no opinion in Religion so sound but an Hypocrite can make a cloak of it You see an ignorant ridiculous Hypocrite such as Bishop Hall describeth in his character that can pray up to a Pillar when his heart knoweth not what his tongue is doing that babbleth over a few words to God while he is dressing or washing him and talking between to the standers by who offereth to God the Sacrifice of a fool and knoweth not that he doth evil Eccles. 5. 2. that serveth God with toyes and antick gestures and saying over certain words which were never acquainted with the feeling of his heart nor scarce with his understanding And to avoid his hypocrisie perhaps you can merrily deride him and make a formal Popish Hypocrite the subject of your jeasts and you can your selves with good understanding poure out your selves many hours togethers in orderly and meet expressions of prayer But remember that many an Hypocrite maketh himself a cloak of as good stuff as this And that as Pride hath more advantage to work upon your greater knowledge and better parts so Hypocrisie is but the off-spring of Pride All this without a Heart entirely devoted unto God is but a carkass better drâ—sâ— as the rich have more curious monuments than the poor There is no outside thing in which an Hypocrite may not seem excellent Direct 24. § 29. Direct 24. Be true to Conscience and hearken diligently to all it saith and be often treating Quid proâ—â—st reâ—o dâ—â—eâ—se oâ—â—â—â—os hoâ—â—num auâ—eâ—que viâ—are â—â—â—â—a 〈…〉 entia tâ—â—â—â—m ad 〈…〉 maâ—â— aâ—â—em in so 〈…〉 anxâ—â— â—oâ—â—â—â—iâ—a est Sâ— honesta sunt quae sa is omnes sâ—â—ant Sâ— turyâ—a quid reâ—ert neminem sâ—â—re cum â—u tu scias Oâ—â— miserum si câ—ntâ—mâ—ts â—unâ—â—â—â—â—em Sâ—â— Ep. 9â— Matth. 23. 13 14 15 23 25 27 29. with it and daily conversant and well acquainted with it Hypocrites bear little reverence to their Consciences They make so often and so grosly bold with them that Conscience is deposed from its office at the present and 〈…〉 d by them lest it should gall them by preaching to them those hard sayings which they cannot bâ—â—â—â— And perhaps at last it is â—eared or bribed to take part with sin But usually an Hypocrite hath â— secret Judge within him which condemneth him Take heed how you use your Consciences as you love your peace or happiness Next Christ it must be your best friend or your gr 〈…〉 y Palliate it how you will at present if you wound it it will smart at last And it is easier to bear poverty or shame or torment than to bear its wounds Prov. 18. 14. 1. Mark the very principles and former judgement of your Consciences and if they are changed know what changed them 2. Hearken to all the secret counsel and reproofs of Conscience especially when it speaketh oft and terribly Turn it not off without a hearing yea know the reason of its very scruples and doubts 3. When it is sick and disquieted know what the matter is Psal 53. 5. and vomit up the matter that justly disquiets it whatever it cost you and be sure you go to the bottom and do not leave the root behind 4. Open your Consciences to some able trusty guide when it is necessary though it cost you shame An over-tender avoiding of such shame is the Hypocrites sin and folly Counsel is safe in matters of such importance 5. Prefer Conscience before all men how great soever None is above it but God It is Gods messenger when it is Conscience indeed Remember what it saith to you and from whom and for what end Let friends and neighbours and company and basiness and profit and sports and honour stand by and all give place whilst Conscience speaketh For it will be a better friend to you than any of these if you use it as a friend It would have been better to Iudas than his thirty pieces were 6 Yet see that it be well informed and see its commission for it is not above God nor is it masterless or lawless 7. Converse not with it only in a crowd but in secret Psal. 4. 4. 8. Keep it awake and keep it among awakening means and company It will much sooner fall asleep in an Ale-house or a Play-house or among the foolish and prophane than at a lively Sermon or Prayer or reverent discourse of God If I could but get Conscience awakened to perform its office and preach over all this that I have said in secret it would â—â—rret the Hypocrite out of his self-deceit Go Conscience and search that deceitful heart and speak to it in the Name of God Ask that Hypocrite whether Conversion ever made him a new Creature and whether his soul and all that he hath be entirely devoted unto God and whether his hopes and treasure be laid up in Heaven and his heart be there and whether he subject all his worldly interest to the Will of God and the interest of his soul and whether his greatest work be about his Heart and to approve himself to God and whether he make an impartial diligent enquiry after the truth with a desire to receive it at the dearest rates Tell him that a proud self-flattery may now make him justifie or extenuate his sins and take his formalities and lip-service and abuse of God for true devotion and hate every man that would detect his hypocrisie and convert him by bringing in the light But a light will shortly appear to his soul which he shall not resist And then let him stand to his justification if he can and let him then make it good that he gave up himself in sincerity simplicity and self-denyal to his God § 30. Direct 25. Remember that Hypocrisie lyeth much in doubling and
of a worldly corporal felicity and not principally for God and his service and servants and our salvation And indeed as Sensualists love them they should be hated § 4. Worldliness is either predominant and so a certain sign of death or else mortified and in a subduâ—d Worldliness 〈…〉 â—â—â—â— 14. 26 33. degree consistent with some saving grace Worldliness predominant as in the Ungodly 〈…〉 s When men that have not â— lively belief of the everlaâ—sting happiness noâ— have not laid up their treasure and hopes in Heaven do take the pleasure and prosperity of this life for that felicity which is highest in their esteem and dearest to their hearts and therefore love the Riches of the world or full provisions as ☞ the matter and means of this their temporal felicity Worldliness in a mortified person is When â—e Matth. â— 19 20 21 33. Iohn 6 27. Luke 12 19 20. Luke 18 22 23 he that hath laid up his treasure in Heaven and practically esteemeth his everlasting hâ—pes above all the pleasure and prosperity of the flesh and seeketh first the Kingdom of God and his righteâ—usness and useth his estate principally for God and his salvation hâ—th yet sâ—me remnants of iâ—ordinate desire to the pâ—â—sperity and pleasure of the flesh and some inordinate desire of Riches for that end which yet he â—â—â—â—eth lameâ—teth reâ—uteth and so far subdâ—â—th that it is not predominant against the interest of God and his salvation Yet this is a great sin though it be forgiven § 5. III. The Malignity or Greatness of this sin consisteth in these points especially when it The Malignity of it is predominant 1. The love of the World or of Riches is a sin of Deliberation and not of meer temerity or sudden passion Worldlings contrive the attaining of their ends 2. It is a sin of Interest â—ove and Choice set up against our chiefest Interest It is the setting up of a false end and seeking that and not only a sin of error in the means or a seeking the right end in a mistaken way 3. It Ephes. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. Jam. 4. 4. is Idolatry or a denying God and deposing him in our hearts and setting up his creatures in his sâ—â—ad in that measure as it prevaileth The worldling giveth that Love and that Trust unto the creature which is due to God alone He delighteth in it instead of God and seeketh and holdeth it as his felicity instead of God And therefore so far as any man loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joâ—n 2. 15. And the friendship of the world is enmity to God 4. It is a contempt of Heaven when it must be neglected and a miserable world preferred 5. It sheweth that unbelief prevaileth at the heart so far as worldliness prevaileth For if men did practically believe the Heavenly Glory and the promise thereof they would be carried above these present things 6. It is a debasing of the soul of man and using it like the Brutes while it is principally set upon the serving of the flesh and on a temporal felicity and neglecteth its eternal happiness and concernments 7. It is a perverting of the very drift of a mans life as employed in seeking a wrong end and not only of some one faculty or act It is a habitual sin of the state and course of mind and life and not only a particular actual sin 8. It is a perverting of Gods creatures to an End and Use clean contrary to that which they were made and given for and an abusing God by his own gifts by which he should be served and honoured And a destroying our souls with those mercies which were given us for their help and benefit This is the true character of this heinous sin In a word it is the forsaking God and turning the heart from him and alienating the Life from his service to this present world and the service of the flesh Fornication drunkenness murder swearing perjury lying stealing c. are very heinous sins But a single act of one of these committed rashly in the violence of passion or temptation speaketh not such a malignant turning away of the heart habitually from God as to say a man is Covetous or a Worldling § 6. IV. The signs of Covetousness are these 1. Not preferring God and our everlasting Happiness Signs of Worldliness before the Prosperity and Pleasure of the flesh but valuing and loving fleshly prosperity above its worth 2. Esteeming and loving the creatures of God as provision for the flesh and not to further Rom. 13. 14. Matth. 6. 19. 1 Tim. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 18. Ezek. 3â— 31. Jer. 9. 23. us in the service of God 3. Desiring more than is needful or useful to further us in our duty 4. An inordinate eagerness in our desires after earthly things 5. Distrustfulness and carking cares and câ—ntrivances for time to come 6. Discontent and trouble and repining at a poor condition when we have no more than our daily bread 7. When the world taketh up our thoughts inordinately when our thoughts will easilier run out upon the world than upon better things And when our thoughts of worldly plenty are more pleasant and sweet to us than our thoughts of Christ and Grace and Heaven And our thoughts of want and poverty are more bitter and grievous to us than our thoughts of sin and Gods displeasure 8. When our speech is freer and sweeter about prosperity in the world than about the concernments of God and our souls 9. When the world beareth sway Mark 7. 22. in our families and converse and shutteth out all serious eadeâ—vours in the service of God and for our own and others souls Or at least doth out short Religious duties and is preferred before them and thrusteth them into a corner and maketh us slightly huddle them over 10. When we are dejected over much and impatient under losses and crosses and worldly injuries from mâ—n 11 When worldly matters seem sufficient to engage us in contentions and to make us break peace and we will by Law-suits seek our right when greater hurt is liker to follow to our brothers soul or greater wrong to the cause of Religion or the honour of God than our Right is worth 12. When in our trouble and distress we fetch our comfort more from the thoughts of our provisions in the world or our hopes of supply than from our trust in God and our hopes of Heaven 13. When we are more Job 1. 21. thankful to God or man for outward riches or any gift for the provision of the flesh than for hopes or helps in order to salvation for a powerful Ministry good Books or seasonable instructions for the sâ—â—l 14. When we are quiet and pleased if we do but prosper and have plenty in the world though the soul be miserable unsanctified and unpardoned 15. When we are more careful to provide a worldly
than a heavenly portion for children and friends and rejoyce more in their bodily than their spiritual prosperity and are troubled more for their poverty than their ungodliness or sin 16. When we can see our brother have need and shut up the bowels of our compassion or can part with no more than meer superfluities for his relief when we cannot spare that which 1 Tim 6. 17 18. Mal. 3. 8 9. Judg. 7. 21. makes but for our better being when it is necessary to preserve his Being it self or when we give unwillingly or spâ—â—ingly 17. When we will venture upon sinful means for gain as lying over-reaching deceiving flattering or going against our Consciences or the Commands of God 18. When we are too much in expecting liberality from others and think that all we buy of should sell cheaper Duâ— râ—s maxime homines ad maleficium impellunt Luxuries avaritia 〈◊〉 1. ad Heâ—en Corrupti sunt depravatique mores admiratione divitiarum Idem 2. Offâ—â— Nihil est tam sanctum quod non violaâ—i nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit Cicero 2. in Verreâ— When Alexander sent Phocion an hundred tâ—lents â—e asked why he rather sent it to him than all the rest of the Atâ—enians He answered Because he took him to be the only honâ—st man in Aâ—â—eas whereupon Pâ—ocion returned it to him again intreating him to give him leave to be honest still to us than they can afford and consider not their loss or want so that we have the gain nor are contented if they be never so bountiful to others if they be not so to us 19. When we make too much ado in the world for riches taking too much upon us or striving for preferment and flattering great ones and envying any that are preferred before us or get that which we expected 20. When we hold our money faster than our innocency and cannot part with it for the sake of Christ when he requireth it but will stretch our consciences and sin against him or forsake his cause to save our estates Or will not part with it for the service of his Church or of our country when we are called to it 21. When the Riches which we have are used but for the pampering of our flesh and superfluous provision for our posterity and nothing but some inconsiderable crums or driblets are imployed for God and his servants nor used to further us in his service and towards the laying up of a treasure in Heaven These are the signs of a worldly covetous wretch § 7. V. The counterfeits of liberality or freedom from covetousness which deceive the worldling are such as these 1. He thinks he is not Covetous because he hath a necessity of doing what he doth for more Either he is in debt or he is poor and scarcely hath whereon to live And the poor think that none are worldlings and covetous but the Rich. But he may love riches that wanteth them as much as he that hath them If you have a necessity of labouring in your callings you have no necessity of loving the world or of caring inordinately or of being discontented with your estate Impatience under your wants shews a love of the world and flesh as much as other mens bravery that possess it § 8. 2. Another thinks he is not a worldling because if he could but have necessaries even food and rayment and conveniencies for himself and family he would be content and it is not riches or great matters that he desireth But if your hearts are more set upon the getting of these necessaries or little It was one of â—hiâ—ons sayings Lapideis cotibus aurum examinari aâ—ro autem bonorum malorumque hominum mentem cujusmodi sit comprobaâ—â— i. e. As the touchstone trveth Gold so Gold tryeth mens minds whether they be good or bad Laâ—â—â—â—us iâ—â—â—â—â— p. 43. things than upon the preparing for death and making sure of the Heavenly treasure you are miserable worldlings still And the poor man that will set his heart more upon a poor and miserable life than upon heaven is more unexcusable than he that setteth his heart more upon Lordships and Honours than upon Heaven Though both of them are but the slaves of the world and have as yet no treasure in Heaven Math. 6. 19 20 21. And moreover you that are now so covetous for a little more if you had that would be as covetous for a little more still and when you had that for a little more yet You would next wear better cloathing and have better fare and next you would have your house repaired and then you would have your land enlarged and then you would have something more for your children and you would never be satisfied You think otherwise now but your hearts deceive you You do not know them If you believe me not judge by the case of other men that have been as confident as you that if they had but so much or so much they would be content but when they have it they would still have more And this which is your pretense is the common pretence of allmost all the covetous For Lords and Princes think themselves still in as great necessity as you think your selves As they have more so they have more to do with it and usually are still wanting as much as the poor The question is not How much you desire but to what use And to what end and in what order § 9. 3. Another thinks he is not covetous because he coveteth not any thing that is his neighbours They think that covetousness is only a desiring that which is not our own But if you love the world and worldly plenty inordinately and covet more you are covetous worldlings though you wish it not from another It is the worldly mind and love of wealth that is the sin at the root The ways of getting it are but the branches § 10. 4. Another thinks he is no worldling because he useth no unlawful means but the labour of his calling to grow rich The same answer serves to this The love of wealth for the satisfying of the flesh is unlawful whatever the means be And is it not also an unlawful means of getting to neglect God and your souls and the poor and shut out other duties for the world as you often do § 11. 5. Another thinks he is no worldling because he is contented with what he hath and coveteth no more When that which he hath is a full provision for his fleshly desires But if you over-love the world and delight more in it than God you are worldlings though you desire no more He is described by Christ as a miserable worldly fool Luke 12. 19 20. that saith Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry thou hast much goods laid up for many years To overlove what you have is worldliness as well as to desire more § 12. 6. Another thinks he is no worldling
his head His clothing you may read of at his crucifying when they parted it As for money he was fain to send Petâ—r to a â—â—â—â—h for some to pay their tribute If Christ did scrape and care for Riches then so do thou Iâ— he thought it the happiest life do thou think so too But if he contemned it do thou contemn it If his whole life was directed to give thee the most perfect example of the contempt of all the prosperity of this world then learn of his example if thou take him for thy Saviour and if thou love thy self Though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8 9. § 31. Direct 10. Think on the example of the primitive Christians even the best of Christs servants Direct 10. and see how it condemneth worldliness They that by miracle in the name of Christ could give limbs to the lame yet tell him Silver and Gold have we none Acts 3. 6. Those that had possessions sold them and laid the money at the Apostles feet and they had all things common to shew that faith overcometh the world by contemning it and subjecting it to charity and devoting it entirely to God Read whether the Apostles did live in sumptuous houses with great attendance and worldly Cheâ—â—â—â—stome saith his enemies â—harged him with many crimes but never with Covâ—tousness or Wantonâ—ess And so it was with Christ and his enemies plenty and prosperity And so of the rest § 32. Direct 11. Remember to what ends all worldly things were made and given you and what a Direct 11. happy advantage you may make of them by renouncing them as they would be provision for your lusts and by devoting your selves and them to God The use of their sweetness is to draw your souls to taste Et siâ—uâ— in patria Deâ—s est speculum in quo reiucent creaturae sic è converso in via creaturae sunt speculum quo creator videtur Paul Scaâ—iger in Ep. Câ—th l. 14. Thes. 123. p. 689. by faith the heavenly sweetness They are the Looking-glass of souls in flesh that are not yet admitted to see things spiritual face to face They are the provender of our bodies our travelling furniture and helps our Inns and solacing company in the way they are some of Gods Love-tokens some of the lesser pieces of his Coin and bear his Image and superscription They are drops from the Rivers of the eternal pleasures to tell the mind by the way of the senses how good the Donor is and how amiable and what higher Delights there are for souls and to point us to the better things which these foretell They are messengers from Heaven to testifie our Fathers care and love and to bespeak our thankfulness love and duty and to bear witness against sin and bind us faster to obedience They are the first Volume of the Word of God The first Book that man was set to read to acquaint him fully with his Maker As the Word which we read and hear is the Chariot of the Spirit by which it maketh its accesses to the soul so the delights of sight and taste and smell and touch and hearing were appointed as an ordinary way for the speedy access of heavenly love and sweetness to the Heart that upon the first perception of the goodness and sweetness of the creature there might presently be transmitted by a due progression or deep impression of the goodness of God upon the soul That the creature being the Letters of Gods Book which are seen by our eye the sense even the Love of our great Creator might presently be perceived by the mind and no letter might once be lookt upon but for the sense no creature ever seen or tasted or heard or felt in any delectable quality without a sense of the Love of God That as the touch of the hand upon the strings of the Lute do cause the melody so Gods touch by his mercies upon our hearts might presently tune them into Love and Gratitude and Praise They are the Tools by which we must do much of our Masters work They are means by which we may refresh our brethren and express our love to one another and our love to our Lord and Master in his servants They are our Masters stock which we must trade with by the improvement of which no less than the Reward of endless Happiness may be attained These are the Uses to which God gives us outward mercies Love them thus and Delight in them and Use them thus and spare not yea seek Even Dyonisius the Tyrant was bountiful to Philosophers To Plato he gave above fourscore Talents Laert. in Platoâ—e and much to Aristippus and many more and he offered much to many Philosophers that refused it And so did Croesus them thus and be thankful for them But when the creatures are given for so excellent a use will you debase them all by making them only the fuell of your lusts and the provisions for your flesh And will you love them and dote upon them in these base respects while you utterly neglect their noblest use You are just like children that cry for Books and can never have enouw but its only to play with them because they are fine but when they are set to learn and read them they cry as much because they love it not Or like one that should spend his life and labour in getting the finest clothes to dress his Dogs and Horses with but himself goeth naked and will not wear them § 33. Direct 12. Remember that God hath promised to provide for you and that you shall want Direct 12. nothing that is good for you if you will live above these worldly things and seek first his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof And cannot you trust his promise If you truly believe that he is God Matth. 10. 30. Luke 12. 7. and that he is true and that his particular providence extendeth to the very numbring of your hairs you will sure trust him rather than trust to your own forecast and industry Do you think his provision is not better for you than your own All your own care cannot keep you alive an hour nor cannot prosper any of your labours if you provoke him to blast them And if you are not content with his provisions nor submit your selves to the disposals of his love and wisdom you disoblige God and provoke him to leave you to the fruits of your own care and diligence And then you will find that it had been your wiser way to have trusted God § 34. Direct 13. Think often on the dreadful importance and effects of the Love of Riches or a Direct 13. worldly mind 1. It is a most certain sign of a state of death and misery where it hath the upper The mischiefs of a worldly mind Look upon the face of the calamitous world and enquire
into the causes of all the oppressions rapines cruelties and inhumanity which have made men so like to Devils Look into the corrupted lacerated Churches and enquire into the cause of their contentions divisions usurpations malignity and cruelty against each other And you will find that Pride and Worldliness are the Causes of all When men of a Proud and Worldly mind have by fraud and friendship and Simony Usurped the Pastorship of the Churches according to their Minds and Eâ—ds they turn it into a Malignant Domination and the Carnal worldly part of the Church is the great enemy and Persecutor of the spiritual part and the fleshly Hypocrite as Cain against Abel is filled with envy against the serious believer even out of the bitter displeasure of his mind that his deceitful Sacrifice is less respected What Covetousness hath done to the advancement of the pretended Holy Catholick Church of Rome I will give you now but in the words of an Abbot and Chronicler of their own Abbas Urspergens Chron. p. 3â—â— Vix remansit aliquis Episcopatus sive dignitas Ecclesiastica vel etâ—am Parochialis Ecclesiae quae ron fieâ—et litigâ—osa Romam deduceretur ipsa causa sed non manu vacua Gaude mater nostra Roma quonâ—am aperiuntur cataractae thesaurorum in teâ—ra ut ad te consâ—uant rivi aggeres nummoâ—um in magna copia Laetare super iniquitate filiorum hominum quonâ—am in recompensationem tantorum malorum datur tibi precâ—um Jocundare super adjutrice tua discordia quia erupit de puteo infernalis abyssi ut accumulentur tibi multa pecuniaâ—um praemia Habes quod semper sitisti decanta Canticum quia per malitiam hominum non pâ—â— tuam Religionem orbem vicistâ— Ad te trahit homines non ipsorum devotio aut pura Conscientia sed sâ—â—lerum multiplicium perpetratio litium decisio precio comparata Foâ—tun Galindas speaking of Pope Paul the fifth his love to the Iesuites for helping him to money saith Adeo praestat acquirendarum pecuniarum quam animarum studiosum peritum esse apud illos qui cum animarum Christi sanguine redemptarum in se curam receperint vel quid anima sit nesciunt vel non pluris animam hominis quam piscis faciunt quod credo suum officium Piscatum quendam esse aliquando per strepitum inaudierint quibus propterea gratior fuerit qui Animam auri cum Paracelso quam animam Saxoniae Electoris invenisse nuntiet Arcan Soci Iesu. pag. 46. Lege ibid. Iâ—struct secret de Iesuitarum pâ—axi Et Ioh. Sarisbur l. 7. c. 21. de Monach. Potentiores ditiores favore vel mercede recepta facilius absolutione exâ—nerant peccatis alienis humeros supponentes jubent abire in tunicas vestes pullas quicquid illi se commisisse deplorant Si eis obloquetâ—s Religionis inimicus veritatis diceris impugnator hand It is the departing of the heart from God to creatures See the malignity of it before Good men have been overtaken with heinous sins but its hard to find where Scripture calleth any of them Covetous A heart secretly cleaving most to this present world and its prosperity is the very killing sin of every hypocrite yea and of all ungodly men 2. Worldliness makes the Word unprofitable and keepeth men from believing and repenting and coming home to God and minding seriously the everlasting world What so much hindereth the Conversion of sinners as the love and caâ—es of earthly things They cannot serve God and Mammon Their treasure and hearts cannot be chiefly be both in Heaven and Earth They will not yield to the terms of Christ that love this world They will not forsake all for a treasure in Heaven In a word as you heard The love of money is the root of all evil and the Love of the Father is not in the lovers of the world 3. It destroyeth holy meditation and conference and turneth the thoughts to worldly things And it corrupteth Prayer and maketh it but a means to serve the flesh and therefore maketh it odious to God 4. It is the great hinderance of mens necessary preparation for death and judgement and stealeth away their hearts and time till it is too late 5. It is the great cause of contentions even among the nearest relations and the cause of the Wars and calamities of Nations and of the woful divisions and persecutions of the Church when a worldly generation think that their worldly interest doth engage them against self-denying and spiritual principles practices and persons 6. It is the great cause of all the injustice and oppression and cruelty that rageth in the world They would do as they would be done by were it not for the love of money It maketh men perfidious and false to all their friends and engagements No vows to God nor obligations to men will hold a Lover Iâ—m â— 1. 2 3 4 5. 1 Iohn â— â—â— of the world The world is his God and his worldly interest is his rule and law 7. It is the great destroyer of Charity and Good works No more is done for God and the poor because the Love of the world forbids it 8. It disordereth and proâ—aneth families and betrayeth the souls of Children and Servants to the Devil It turneth out prayer and reading the Scripture and good books and all serious speeches of the liâ—e to come because their hearts are taken up with the world and they have no relâ—sh of any thing but the provisions of their flesh Even the Lords own Day cannot be reserved for holy works nor a duty performed but the world is interposing or diverting the mind 9. It tempâ—eth mâ—n to sin against their knowledge and to forsake the truth and fit themselves to the rising side and save their bodies and estates whatever become of their souls It is the very price that the Dâ—vil gives for souls With this he bought the soul of Iudas who went to the Pharisâ—es with a What will you give me and I will deliver him to you With this he attempted Christ himself 2 Tim 4. 10. Matth. 4. 9. All these will I give thee if thâ—u wilt fall down and worship me It is the cause of Apâ—â—â—â—acy and unfaithfulness to God And it s the price that sinners sell their God their Conscience and their salvation for 10. It depriveth the soul of holy communion with God and comfort from 1 â—im 6. 17 1â— him and of all foretaste of the life to come and finally of Heaven it self For as the Love of the world keepeth out the Love of God and Heaven it must needs keep out the hopes and comforts Christs Sheep mark is 〈◊〉 on the Sheep that are shorâ— When the Hâ—ece groweth long the Mark wears out which should arise from holy love It would do much to cure the love of money and of the world if you knew how pernicious a sin it is § 35.
think how madly they consumed their lives and wasted the only Time that was given them to prepare for their salvation Do those in Hell now think them wise that are idling or playing away their time on earth O no! their feeling and experience sufficiently confuteth all that Time-wasters now plead for their â—ottish prodigality I do not believe that thou canst at once believe the Word oâ— God concerning the state of damned souls and yet believe that thy idle and vain expence of Time would not vex thy conscience and make thee even rage against thy self if ever sin should bring thee thither O then thou wouldst see that thou hadst greater matters to have spent thy time in and that it deserved a higher estimation and improvement O man beseâ—ch the Lord to prevent such a conviction and to give thee a heart to prize thy time before it is gone and to know the worth of it bâ—â—ore thou know the want of it Tit. 2. Directions Contemplative for Redeeming Opportunity Seâ— the many aggravaâ—ions oâ—â—inâ—ul Dâ—lay in my Dirâ—ctions for â—ound Convâ—â—sion § 28. OPportunity or Season is the flower of Time All Time is precious but the season is most precious The present Time is the season to works of present necâ—ssity And for others they have all their particular seasâ—ns which must not be let slip Direct 1. Remember that it is the great difference between the happy Saint and the unhappy world Direct 1. that one is wise in time and the other is wise too late The godly know while knowledge will do good The wicked know when knowledge will but torment them All those that you see now so exceedingly contrary in their judgement to the godly will be of the very same opinion shortly when it will do them no good Bear with their difference and contradiction for it will be but a very little while There is not one man that now is the furious enemy of holiness but will confess ere long that Holiness was best Do they now despise it as tedious fantastical hypocrisie They will shortly know that it was but the cure of a distracted mind and the necessary duty to God which Religion and right reason do command Do they now say of sin What harm is in it They will shortly know that it is the poyson of the soul and worse than any misery or death They will think mâ—re highly of the worth of Christ of the necessity of all possible diligence for our souls of the preciousness of Time of the wisdom of the Godly of the excellencies of Heaven and of the Word of God and all holy Means than any of those do that are now reproached by them for being of this mind But what the better will they be for this No more than Adam for knowing good and evil No more than it will profit a man when he is dead to know of what disease he dyed No more than it will profit a man to know what is poyson when he hath taken it and is past remedy The Thief will be wise at the Gallows and the Spendthrift-prodigal when all is gone But they that will be safe and happy must be wise in Time The godly know the worth of Heaven before it is lost and the misery of damnation before they feel it and the necessity of a Saviour while he is willing to be a Saviour to them and the evil of sin before it hath undone them and the preciousness oâ— Time before it is gone and the worth of mercy while mercy may be had and the need of praying while praying may prevail They sleep not till the door is shut and then knock and cry Lord open to us as the foolish ones Matth. 25. They are not like the miserable world that will not believe till they come where Devils believe and tremble nor Repent till torment force them to repent As ever you would escape the dear-bought experience of fools be wise in time and leave not Conscience to answer all your cryes and moans and fruitless wishes with this doleful peal Too late Too late Do but know now by an effectual faith what wicked men will know by feeling and experience when it is too late and you shall not perish Do but live now as those enemies of Holiness will wish they had lived when it is too late and you will be happy Now God may be found Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will â—ave mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa. 55. 6 7. Read but the doleful lamentation of Christ over Ierusalem Luke 19. 41 42. and then bethink you what it is to neglect the season of mercy and salvation He beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at lest in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace But now they are hidden from thine eyes § 29. Direct 2. Remember that the neglecting of the season is the frustrating and destroying of the Direct 2. work When the season is past the work cannot be done If you sow not in the time of sowing it will be in vain at another time If you reap not and gather not in harvest it will be too late in Winter to hope for fruit If you stay till the Tide is gone or take not the Wind that fits your turn it may be in vain to attempt your Voyage All works cannot be done at all times Christ himself saith I must walk while it is day the night cometh when none can work John 9. 4. Say not then The next day may serve the turn The next day is for another work and you must do both § 30. Direct 3. Consider that if the work should not be impossible yet it will be difficult out of Direct 3. season when in its season it might be done with ease How easily may you swim with the Tide and sail with the Wind and form the Iron if you hammer it while it is hot How easily may many a disease be cured if it be taken in Time which afterwards is uncurable How easily may you bend a tender Twig and pluck up a Plant which will neither be pluckt up nor bended when it is grown up to be a Tree When you complain of difficulties in Religion bethink you whether your loss of the fittest season and acquainting your selves no sooner with God be not the cause § 31. Direct 4. Consider that your work out of season is not so good or acceptable if you could Direct 4. do it Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles. 3. 11. To speak a word in season to the weary Numb 9. 2 3 7 13. Exod. 13. 10. is the skill of the faithful messengers of peace Isa. 50. 4. When out of season good may be turned into
field and afterwards build thine house so I advise you to see first that the necessary work be done when that 's done and well done you may go quietly and cheerfully about the rest seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness O what a deal is done when this is done § 39. Direct 2. Learn to understand well the degrees of duties which is the greater and which the less Direct 2. that when two seem to require your Time at once you may know which of them to prefer Not only to know which is simply and in it self the greatest but which is the greatest for you and at that season and as considered in all the circumstances A great part of the art of Redeeming Time consisteth in the wise discerning and performing of this to give precedency to the greatest duty He loseth his Time who is getting a penny when he might get a pound who is visiting his Neighbour when he should be attending his Prince who is Weeding his Garden when he should be quenching a fire in his house though he be doing that which in it self is good So is he losing his Time who is preferring his body before his soul or man before God or indifferent things before necessary or private duties before publick or less edifying before the more edifying or Sacrifice before necessary mercy The order of good works I have shewed you before Chap. 3. Dir. 10. which you may peruse § 40. Direct 3. Be acquainted with the season of every duty and the duty of each season and Direct 3. take them in their Time And thus one duty will help on another whereas misplacing them and disordering them sets them against one another and takes up your time with distracting difficulties and loseth you in confusion As he that takes the morning hour for prayer or the fittest vacant hour shall do it quietly without the disturbance of his other affairs when if the season be omitted you shall scarce at all perform it or almost as ill as if you did it not at all so is it in point of Conference reproof reading hearing meditating and every duty A wise and well skilled Christian should bring his matters into such order that every ordinary duty should know his place and all should be as the links of one chain which draw on one another or as the parts of a Clock or other Engine which must be all conjunct and each right placed A Workman that hath all his Tools on a heap or out of place spends much of the day in which he should be working in looking his Tools When he that knoweth the place of every one can presently take it and lose no time If my Books be thrown together on a heap I may spend half the day in looking for them when I should use them but if they be set in order and I know their places it spares me that time So is it in the right Timing of our duties § 41. Direct 4. Live continually as under the Government of God and keep Conscience tender and Direct 4. in the performance of its office and always be ready to render an account to God and Conscience of what you do If you live as under the Government of God you will be still doing his work you will be remembring his judgement you will be trying your work whether it be such as he approveth This will keep you from all Time-wasting vanities If you keep Conscience tender it will presently check and reprehend you for your sin and when you lose but a minute of Time it will tell you of the loss whereas a seared Conscience is past feeling and will give you over to laseiviousness Ephes. 4. 19. 1 Tim. 4. 2. and will make but a jest at the loss of time or at least will not effectually tell you either of the sin or loss If you keep Conscience to its office it will ask you frequently what you are doing and try your works It will take account of Time when it is spent and ask you what you have been doing and how you have spent every day and hour And as Seneca could say He will be the more careful what he doth and how he spends the day who looks to be called to a reckoning for it every night This will make the foreseen day of Judgement have such a continual awe upon you as if you were presently going to it while conscience with respect to it is continually fore-judging you Whereas they that have silenced or discarded Conscience are like School-boyes that bolt their Master out of doors who do it with a design to spend the time in play which they should have spent in learning But the after-reckoning pays for all § 42. Here for the further Direction of your Consciences I shall lay you down a few Rules for Rules to know what â—â—me must be spâ—rt â—n the right spending of your Time 1. Spend it in nothing as a deliberate moral act which is not truly directly or remotely an act of obedience to some Law of God of meer natural acts which are no objects of moral choice I speak not 2. Spend it in nothing which you know must be Repented of 3. Spend it in nothing which you dare not or may not warrantably pray for a blessing on from God 4. Spend it in nothing which you would not review at the hour of death by an awakened well-informed mind 5. Spend it in nothing which you would not hear of in the day of judgement 6. Spend it in nothing which you cannot safely and comfortably be found doing if death should surprize you in the act 7. Spend it in nothing which flesh-pleasing perswadeth you to against your Consciences or with a secret grudge or doubting of your Consciences 8. Spend it in nothing which hath not some tendencie directly or remotely to your ultimate end the pleasing of God and enjoying him in Love for ever 9. Spend it in nothing which tendeth to do more hurt than good that would do a great hurt to your self or others under pretense of doing some little good which perhaps may better be done another way 10. Lastly spend it in nothing which is but a smaller good when a greater should be done § 43. Direct 5. Do your best to settle your selves where there are the greatest helps and smallest hinderances Direct 5. to the Redeeming of your Time And labour more to accommodate your habitation condition and employments to the great ends of your life and time than to your worldly honour ease or wealth Live where is best trading for the soul You may get more by Gods ordinary blessing in one year in a godly family or in fruitful company and under an able godly Minister than in many years in a barren soil among the ignorant dead-hearted or prophane where we must say as David I held my peace even from good while the wicked is before me Psalm 39. 1 2. And when we must
pleasure do waste many hours day after day in Plays and Gaming and Voluptuous courses while their miserable souls are dead in sin enslaved to their fleshly lusts unreconciled to God and find no delight in him or in his service and cannot make a recreation of any Heavenly work How will it torment these unhappy souls to think how they plaid away those hours in which they might have been pleasing God and preventing misery and laying up a treasure in Heaven And to think that they sold that precious time for a little fleshly sport in which they should have been working out their salvation and making their calling and election sure But I have more to say to these anon § 58. Th. 9. Another Time-wasting Thief is excess of worldly cares and business These do not Thief 9. only as some more disgraced sins pollute the soul with deep stains in a little time and then recede but they dwell upon the mind and keep possession and keep out good They take up the greatest part of the lives of those that are guilty of them The world is first in the morning in their thoughts and last at night and almost all the day The world will not give them leave to entertain any sober fixed thoughts of the world to come nor to do the work which all works should give place to The World devoureth all the Time almost that God and their souls should have It will not give them leave to Pray or Read or Meditate or Discourse of holy things even when they seem to be Praying or hearing the Word of God the World is in their thoughts And as it 's said Ezek. 33. 31. They come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their Covetousness In most families there is almost no talk nor doings but all for the world These also will know that they had greater works for their precious time which should have always had the precedency of the World § 59. Th. 10. Another Time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts When men are wearied Thief 10. with vain works and sports they continue unwearied in vain thoughts when they want company for vain Discourse and Games they can waste the time in idle or lustful or ambitious or Covetous thoughts alone without any company In the very night time while they wake and as they travail by the way yea while they seem to be serving God they will be wasting the Time in useless thoughts so that this devoureth a greater proportion of pretious Time than any of the former when Time must be reckoned for what abundance will be found upon most mens accounts as spent in idle sinful thoughts O watch this Thief and remember though you may think that a vain Thought is but a little sin yet Time is not a little or contemptible commodity nor to be cast away on so little a thing as idle thoughts and to vilifie thus so choice a treasure is not a little sin And that it is not a little work that you have to do in the Time which you thus wast And a daily course of idle thoughts doth waste so great a measure of time that this aggravation maketh it more heynous than many sins of greater infamy But of this more in the next part § 60. Th. 11. Another dangerous Time-wasting sin is the Reading of vain-Books Play-books Romances Thief 11. and feigned Histories and also unprofitable studies undertaken but for vain-glory or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind Of this I have spoken in my Book of Self-denyal I speak not here how pernicious this vice is by corrupting the fancy and affections and breeding a diseased appetite and putting you out of relish to necessary things But bethink you before you spend another hour in any such Books whether you can comfortably give an account of it unto God! and how precious the Time is which you are wasting on such Childish toys You think the Reading of such things is lawful but is it lawful to lose your precious Time you say that your petty studies are desirable and laudable But the neglect of far greater necessary things is not laudable I discourage no man from labouring to know all that God hath any way revealed to be known But I say as Seneca We are ignorant of things necessary because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary Art is long and life is short And he that hath not time for all should make sure of the greatest matters and if he be ignorant of any thing let it be of that which the Love of God and our own and other mens salvation and the publick good do least require and can best spare It s a pitiful thing to see a man waste his time in criticizing or in growing wise in the less necessary Sciences and arts while he is yet a slave of pride or worldliness and hath an unrenewed soul and hath not learned the mysteries necessary to his own salvation But yet these studies are laudable in their season But the Fanatick studies of those that would pry into unrevealed things and the lascivious employment of those that read Love-books and Play-books and vain stories will one day appear to have been but an unwise expense of Time for those that had so much better and more needful work to do with it I think there is few of those that plead for it that would be found with such Books in their hands at death or will then find any pleasure in the remembrance of them § 61. Th. 12. But the Master-Thief that robs men of their Time is an unsanctified ungodly heart Thief 12. For this loseth Time whatever men are doing Because they never truly intend the Glory of God and having not a right principle or a right end their whole course is Hell-wards and whatever they do they are not working out their salvation And therefore they are still losing their Time as to themselves however God may use the Time and gifts of some of them as a mercy to others Therefore a New and Holy Heart with a Heavenly intention and design of life is the great thing necessary to all that will savingly Redeem their Time Tit. 5. On whom this duty of Redeeming Time is principally incumbent § 62. THough the Redeeming of Time be a duty of grand importance and necessity to all yet all these sorts following have special obligations to it Sort. 1. Those that are in the youth and vigour of their Time nature is not yet so much corrupted in Sort 1. you as in old accustomed sinners your hearts are not so much hardened sin is not so deeply rooted and confirmed Satan hath not triumphed in so many victories you are not yet plunged so deep as others into worldly incumbrances and cares your understanding memory and
You will not leave it nasty and unclean You will not leave it common to every dirty unsuitable companion to intrude at pleasure and disturb your friend So Love and Pleasure will be readily and composedly careful to keep clean the heart and shut out vain and filthy thoughts and say This room is for a better guest Nothing shall come here which my Lord abhorreth Is he willing so wonderfully to condescend as to take up so mean a habitation and shall I streighten him or offend him by letting in his noysome enemies Will he dwell in my heart and shall I suffer thoughts of pride or lust or malice to dwell with him or to enter in Are these fit companions for the spirit of grace Do I delight to grieve him I know as soon as ever they come in he will either resist them till he drive them out again or he will go out himself And shall I drive away so dear a friend for the love of a filthy pernicious enemy Or do I delight in warr Would I have a continual combat in my heart Shall I put the spirit of Christ to fight for his habitation against such an ignominous foe Indeed there is no true cure for sinful vain unprofitable thoughts but by the contrary by calling up the thoughts unto their proper work and finding them more profitable employment And this is by consecrating the Heart and them entirely to the Love and service of him that hath by the wonders of his Love and by the strange design of his purchase and merits so well deserved them Let Christ come in and deliver him the Key and pray him to keep thy heart as his own and he will cast out buyers and sellers from his temple and will not suffer his house of prayer to be a den of thieves But if you receive Christ with reserves and keep up designs for the world and flesh marvel not if Christ will be no partners with them but leave all to those guests which you would not leave for him Tit. 2. Directions to furnish the Mind with good Thoughts 〈…〉 TO have the mind well furnished with Matter for holy and profitable thoughts is necessary to all that have the use of Reason though not to all alike But I shall here present you only with such materials as are necessary to a holy life and to be used in our daily walk with God and not meddle with such as are proper to Pastors Magistrates or other special callings though I may give some general Directions also for Students in the End of this § 1. Direct 1. Understand well your own Interest and great Concernments and be well resolved what Direct 1. you live for and what is your true felicity and End and then this will command your Thoughts to 1. Our own Interest and End serve it The End is it that the Means are all chosen for and used for A mans estimation directeth his Intention and designs And his Intention and designs command his thoughts These will certainly have the first and chiefest the most serious and practical and effectual thoughts though some by thoughts may run out another way As the Miller will be sure to keep so much water as is necessary to grind his grist though he may let that run by which he thinks he hath no need of As you gather in all your Corn and Fruit for your selves at harvest though perhaps you will leave some scatterings which you do not value much for any that will to gather so whatever a man taketh for his ultimate end and true felicity will have the store and stream of his cogitations though he may scatter some few upon other things when he thinks he may do it without any detriment to his main design As a travellers face is ordinarily towards his journeys end though so far as he thinks it doth not stop him he may look behind him or on each side so our main end will in the main carry on our thoughts And therefore unholy souls that know not practically any higher end than the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh and the plenty and honour of the world cannot possibly exercise any holy Government over their thoughts but their minds and consciences are defiled and their thoughts made carnal as is their end Nor is there any possibility of curing their vicious wicked thoughts and of ordering them acceptably to God but by curing their worldly carnal minds and causing them to change their designs and ends And this must be by understanding what is their interest Know well but what it is that is most Necessary for you and Best for you and it will change your hearts and save your souls Know this and your Thoughts will never want matter to be employed on nor will they be suffered to wander much abroad Therefore it is that the expectation of death and the thought of coming presently to judgement do use more effectually to supply the mind with the wisest and most useful thoughts than the learnedst Book or ordinary means can That which tells a man best what he hath to do doth best tell him what he hath to think on But the approach of death and the appearance of eternity doth best tell a dull and fleshly sinner what he hath to do This tells and tells him roundly that he must presently search his heart and life and judge himself as one that is going to the final judgement and that it is high time for him to look out for the remedy for his sin and misery c. And therefore it will command his thoughts this way Ask any Lawyer Physicion or Tradesman what commands his Thoughts and you will find that his Interest and his Ends and work command them Know what it is to have an immortal soul that must live in Joy or Wo for ever and what it is to be alwayes so near to the irreversible determining sentence and what it is to have this short uncertain time and no more to make our preparation in and then its easie to foretell which way your thoughts will go A man that knoweth his house is on fire will be thinking how to quench it A man that knoweth he is entring into a mortal sickness will be thinking how to cure it There is no better way to have your Thoughts both furnished and acted aright than to know your Interest and right End § 2. Direct 2. Know God aright and behold him by the eye of an effectual faith and you shall never Direct 2. want matter for holy thoughts His Greatness and continual presence with you may command your 2. God thoughts and awe them and keep them from masterless vagaries His wisdom will find them continual employment upon the various excellent and delectable subjects of his natural and supernatural revelation but no where so much as upon himself In God thou maist find matter for thy cogitations and affections most high and excellent delighting the mind with
the Christian faith and in taking better Rooting than you had at your first believing and in growing upward into a greater knowledge of God and into greater Love of him and heavenly mindedness and then in growing up to greater skill and ability and readiness to do him service in the world Know as much as you can know of the works of God and of the languages and customs of the world but still remember that to know God in Christ better is the growth which you must daily study And when you know them most you have still much more need to know better these great things which you know already than to know more things which you never knew The Roots of faith may still increase and the branches and fruits of Love may be still greater and sweeter As long as you live you may still know better the Reasons of your Religion though not better Reasons and you may know better how to use your knowledge And whatever you know let it be that you may be led up to Know God more or Love him more or serve him better § 11. Direct 5. With fear and detestation watch and resolve against all carnal worldly ends and see that your hearts be not captivated by your fleshly interest nor grow not to a high esteem of the pleasures or profits or honours of this world nor to relish any fleshly accommodations as very pleasant and desirable but that you take up with God and the hopes of Glory as your satisfying portion and follow Christ as Cross-bearers denying your selves and dead to the world and resolved and prepared to forsake all for his sake § 12. These are words that you can easily say your selves but these are things that are so hardly Direct 5. learnt that many of the most Learned and Reverend perish for want of being better acquainted with them And I shall never take that man to be wisely learned that hath not learnt to scape damnation Christs Cross is to be learned before your Alphabet To impose the Cross is quickly learnt but to learn to bear it is the difficulty To lay the Cross on others is to be the followers of Pilate but to bear it when it is laid on us is to be the followers of Christ. If you grow corrupted with a love of honour and riches and preferment and come to the study of Divinity with a fleshly worldly mind and End you will but serve Satan while you seem to be seeking after God and damn your souls among the doctrines and means of salvation and go to God for materials to chain you faster to the Devil and steal a nail from Divinity to fasten your ears unto his door And you little know how Iudas's gain will gripe and torment the awakened Conscience and how the rust will witness against you and how it will eat your flesh as fire Iam. 5. 3. § 13. Direct 6. Digest all that you know and turn it into holy Habits and expect that success Direct 6. first on your selves which if you were to Preach you would expect in others Remembring that knowing Primum contemplativae sapientiae rudimentum est meditati condisceâ—e loquitari dediscere Paul Scalig. Thes. p. 730. is not the end of knowing but it is as eating to the body where health and strength and service is the end § 14. Every Truth of God is his candle which he sets up for you to work by It is as food that is for Life and action You lose all the knowledge which ends in knowing To fill your head and common-place-book is not all that you have to do But to fortifie and quicken and enflame your hearts Good habits are the best provision for a Preacher The habits of the Mind are better than the best library But if the Habits of Heavenly love and life in the heart do not concur the Heart and life of a Preacher and a Scholar is wanting still for all your knowledge Study Pauls words 1 Cor. 8. 1. Knowledge pusseth up but charity edifieth If he had said that knowledge edifieth others and charity saveth our selves he would have said nothing that is strange But even as to edification charity hath the precedency § 15. Direct 7. Yea see that you excell the unlearned as much in Holiness as you do in knowledge Direct 7. unless you will perswade them that your knowledge is a useless worthless thing and unless you would be judged as unprofitable servants § 16. Every degree of Knowledge is for a further degree of Holiness Ten Talents must be improved to ten more They that know and do not are beaten with many stripes The Devils Schoars look on the godly that are unlearned with hatred and disdain and preach to their discouragement and disgrace and strive to set and keep true Godliness in the stocks But Christs Ministers love Holiness where ever they see it and are ashamed to think that the unlearned should be more holy and heavenly than they and strive to go beyond them as much in the use and ends of knowledge as in knowledge it self And with Austin lament that while the unlearned take Heaven by violence the learned are thrust out into Hell as thinking it is their part to know and teach and other mens to practise § 17. Direct 8. Cast not away a moment of your pretious time in idleness or impertinencies but Direct 8. follow your work diligently and with all your might § 18. I mean not that you should over-do and overthrow your brains and bodies nor forbear such sober exercise as is most necessary to your health For a sick body is an ill companion for a Student and much more a crazed brain But time-wasters are Lovers of pleasure or idleness more than of knowledge and holiness And wisdom falleth not into idle sluggish dreaming souls If you think it not worth your painfullest and closest studies you must take up with idle ignorance and go abroad with swelling Titles and empty brains as the deceivers and the scourges of the Church § 19. Direct 9. Keep up a Delight in all your studies and carry them not on in an unwilling weariness Direct 9. And if it be not by notable error in matter or method gratifie your delight with such things as you are best pleased with though they bring some smaller inconvenience because else your weariness may bring much more § 20. I know that a delight in sin and vanity is not to be gratified and force must be used with a backward mind in cases of necessity and weight But if it be but in the variety of subjects and the choice of pleasing studies which are profitable though simply some other might be fitter something is to be yielded to delight But especially the heart must be got to a delight in holy things And then time will be improved the memory will be helped much will be done and you will persevere And it will preserve the mind from temptations
that toucheth not the heart neither Is it loss of children or friends or is it pain and sickness I confess these are sore but yet they do not touch the heart If they come thither it is your doing and though thither they should come moderately if they are immoderate it is your own sinful doing It is you that grieve and make the heart ake God and man did but make the flesh ake If others hurt your bodys will you therefore vex your minds Will you pierce through your hearts because they touch your name or goods If so remember which part of your sorrow is of their making and which is of your own And can you for shame go beg of Gâ—d or man to ease the grief which you your selves are causing and willfully continue it while you pray against it And why lament you that which you cause and choose It is a shame to be willfully your own tormentâ—r◠§ 20. Direct 14. Abhor all that tendeth to take down the power and government of Reason that is Direct 14. all fâ—â—bleness and câ—wardize of mind and a melancholy a piâ—vish passionate disposition and labour to keep up the authâ—rity of Reason and to keep all your passions subject to your wills which must be done by Christian faith and fortitude If you come once to that childish or distracted pass as to grieve and say I cannot help it I know it is sinful and immoderate but I cannot choose if you say true you are out of the reach of counsel advice or comfort You are not to be preacht to nor talkt to nor to be written for we do not write Directions to teach men how to touch the Stars or explain the Asperites or inequalities of the Moon or the Opacous parts of Saturn or to govern the Orbs or rule the Chariot of the Sun If it be become a natural impossibility to you Doctrine can give you no remedy But if the impossibility be but Moral in the weakness of your Reason and want of consideration it may by Doctrine Consideration and Resolution be overcome You can do more if you will than you think you can How come you to lose the command of your Passions Did not God make you a rational creature that hath an understanding and will to rule all Passions How come you to have lost the Ruling power of Reason and will You would take it for a disparagement to be told that you have lâ—st the use of your Reason And is it not a principal use of it to Rule the passions and all other inferior subject powers You say you cannot choose but grieve But if one could give you that creature which you want or desire then you could choose You could rejoyce if one could restore you that Child that Friend that Estate which you have lost But God and Christ and Heaven it seems are not enough to cure you if you must have but theâ— you cannot choose but grieve And what hearts have you then that are thus affected Should not those hearts be rather grieved for God will sometime make you see that you had more power than you used § 21. Direct 15. Observe the mischiefs of excessive sorrow that you may feel what reason you have Direct 15. to avoid it While you know not what hurt is in it you will be the more remiss in your resisting it I shall briefly name you some of its unhappy fruits § 22. 1. It is a continual pain and sickness of the mind This you know by feeling 2. It is a The ill effects of sinful grieâ— destroyer of bodily health and life For worldly sorrow worketh death 2 Cor. 7. 10. Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine but a broken spirit dryeth the the bones 3. It putteth the soul out of relish with its mercies and so causeth us to undervalue them and consequently to be unthankful for them and not to improve them 4. It destroyeth the sense of the Love of God and lamentably undisposeth the soul to Love them And therefore should be abhorred by us were it but for that Even Anaâ—agoâ—as a Philosopher could say â—o one that asked him Nullâ—m tibi paâ—riae â—ura est Mihi quidem pâ—â—â—â—iae cura est quidem summa digitum 〈…〉 lum intendâ—ns Laâ—rt p 85. one effect 5. It destroyeth the joy in the Holy Ghost and unfitteth us to obey that command of God Rejoyce continually 6. It contradicteth a Heavenly mind and conversation and hindereth us from all foreâ—asts of the everlasting joys 7. It undisposeth us to the excellent work of Praise Who can ascend in the Praises of God while Grief doth oppress and captivate the soul 8. It destroyeth the sweetness of all Gods Ordinances Hearing Reading Prayer Sacraments we may force our selves to use them but shall have no delight in them 9. It hindreth the exercise of Faith and raiseth distrust and sinful doubts and fears within us 10. It causeth sinful discontents and murmurings at God and man 11. It maketh us impatient pievish froward angry and hard to be pleased 12. It weakneth the soul to all that 's good and destroyeth its fortitude and strength For it is the Ioy of the Lord that is our strength Neh. 8. 10. 13. It hindreth us in the duties of our callings who can do them as they should be done under the clog of a disquiet mind 14. It maketh us a grief and burden to our friends and robs them of the comfort which they should have in and by us 15. It maketh us unprofitable to others and hindreth us from doing the good we might when we should be instructing exhorting and praying for poor sinners or minding the Church of God we are all taken up at home about our own afflictions 16. It maketh us a stumbling block and scandal to the ungodly and hindreth their conversiion while the Devil setteth us before the Church doors to keep away the ungodly from a holy life as men set scar-crows in their fields and gardens to frighten away the birds 17. It dishonoureth Religion by making men believe that it is a melancholy vexatious self-tormenting life 18. It obscureth the Glory of the Gospel and crosseth the work of Christ his Spirit and Ministers who all come upon a message of Great joy to all Nations and proclaim Glad tidings to the worst of sinners much more to the sons of God and heirs of life 19. It misrepresenteth God himself as if we would perswade men that he is a hard and cruel master that none can please though they do all through a Mediator upon a covenant of grace and that it is worse with us since we served him than before and that he delighteth in our grief and misery and is against our peace and joy and as if there were no joy nor pleasure in his service Such hideous doctrine do our lives preach of God when those that profess to fear and seek him do live in such immoderate
ability opportunity and a Call may be excused by Religion from worldly labours as Ministers but not from such spiritual labours for others which they can perform He that under pretence of Religion withdraweth from converse and forbeareth to do good to others and only liveth to himself and his own soul doth make Religion a pretense against Charity and the works of Charity which are a great part of Religion For pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world Jam. 1. 27. Even when sickness imprisonment or persecution disableth to do any more for others we must pray for them But while we can do more we must § 4. Quest. 4. Will not Riches excuse one from labouring in a Calling Answ. No but rather bind Quest. 4. them to it the more For he that hath most wages from God should do him most work Though Wâ—â—l not Riches excuse they have no outward want to urge them they have as great a necessity of obeying God and doing good to others as any other men have that are poor § 5. Quest. 5. Why is labour thus necessary to all that are able Answ. 1. God hath strictly commanded Quest. 5. â—â—y Labour is necessary it to all And his Command is Reason enough to us 2 Thess. 3. 10 11 12. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie-bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that with quietness Ezek. 46. 1. Deut. 16. 15. Deut. 2. 7. Exod. 34. 21. they work and eat their own bread See vers 6. 14. 1 Thess. 4. 11. We beseech you brethren that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and work with your hands as we commanded you that ye may walk honestly or decently towards them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground And in the fourth Commandment Six dayes shalt thou labour So Ephes. 4. 28. Prov. 31. 31 33. § 6. 2. Naturally action is the end of all our Powers and the Power were vain but in respect to the act To be able to understand to read to write to go c. were little worth if it were not that we may Do the things that we are enabled to § 7. 3. It is for Action that God maintaineth us and our abilities work is the moral as well as the natural End of power It is the act by the power that is commanded us § 8. 4. It is action that God is most served and honoured by not so much by our being able to do good but by our doing it who will keep a servant that is able to work and will not Will his meer ability answer your expectation § 9. 5. The publick welfare or the good of many is to be valued above our own Every man therefore is bound to do all the good he can to others especially for the Church and Commonwealth And this is not done by Idleness but by Labour As the Bees labour to replenish their hive so man being a sociable creature must labour for the good of the society which he belongs to in which his own is contained as a part § 10. 6. Labour is necessary for the preservation of the faculties of the mind 1. The labour of the mind is necessary hereto because unexercised Abilities will decay as Iron not used will consume with rust Idleness makes men fools and dullards and spoileth that little ability which they have 2. And the exercise of the Body is ordinarily necessary because of the minds dependance on the body and acting according to its temperature and disposition It is exceedingly helped or hindered by the body § 11. 7. Labour is needful to our health and life The Body it self will quickly fall into mortal Socrates was mightâ—ly addicted to the exercise of his body as necessary to the health of body and mind Laert. Plâ—tarch out of Plato saith that soul and body should be equally exercised togâ—ther and driven on as two Houses in a Coach and not either of them overgo the osher Prâ—â— of Health diseases without it except in some very few persons of extraordinary soundness Next to abstinence labour is the chief preserver of health It stirreth up the natural heat and spirits which perform the chief offices for the life of man It is the proper bellows for this vital fire It helpeth all the concoctions of nature It attenuateth that which is too gross it purifieth that which beginneth to corrupt it openeth obstructions it keepeth the mass of blood and other nutritious humours in their proper temperament fit for motion circulation and nutrition it helpeth them all in the discharge of their natural offices It helpeth the parts to attract each one its proper nutriment and promoteth every sermentation and assimilation by which nature maintaineth the transitory still consuming Oyle and mass It excelleth art in the preparation alteration and expulsion of all the excrementitious matter which being retained would be the matter of manifold diseases and powerfully fighteth against all the enemies of health In a word it doth incomparably excell the help of the most skilful Physicions and excellent Medicines in the world for the preventing of most diseases incident to man and consequently to the benefit of the soul it self which cheerfully useth a cheerful and well tempered body and useth a languishing sickly body as the Rider useth a tired Horse or as we use a sick or lazie servant or a blunted Knife or a Clock or Watch that is out of order I speak all this of Bodily labour which is necessary to the Body and consequently to the mind For want of which abundance grow melancholly and abundance grow sluggish and good for nothing and abundance cherish filthy lusts and millions yearly turn to earth before their time For want of bodily labour a multitude of the idle Gentry and rich people and young people that are slothful do heap up in the secret receptacles of the body a dunghill of unconcocted excrementitious filth and vitiate all the mass of humours which should be the fewel and oyle of life and dye by thousands of untimely deaths of Feavors Palsies Convulsions Apoplexies Dropsies Consumptions Gout c. more miserably than if Thieves had murdered them by the High-way because it is their own doing and by their sloth they kill themselves For want of bodily exercise and labour interposed abundance of Students and sedentary persons fill themselves with diseases and hasten their death and causelesly blame their hard studies for that which was caused by their bodily sloth The hardest studies will do
advantages for a better life No care and caution can be too great in a matter of so great importance § 46. Direct 6. Let no carnal motives perswade you to joyn your self to an ungodly person but let Direct 6. the holy fear of God be preferred in your choice before all worldly excellency whatsoever Marry not a Swine for a Golden trough nor an ugly soul for a comely body Consider 1. You will else give cause of great suspicion that you are your selves Ungodly For they that know truly the misery of an unrenewed soul and the excellency of the Image of God can never be indifferent whether they be joyned to the Godly or the Ungodly To prefer things temporal before things spiritual habitually and in the predominant acts of heart and life is the certain Character of a graceless soul And he that in so near a case doth deliberately prefer Riches or Comliness in another before the image and fear of God doth give a very dangerous sign of such a graceless heart and will If you set more by Beauty or Riches than by Godliness you have the surest mark that you are ungodly If you do not sâ—t more by them how come you deliberately to prefer them How could you do a thing that detecteth your ungodliness and condemneth you more clearly And do you not shew that you either believe not the word of God or else that you love him not and regard not his interest Otherwise you would take his friends as your friends and his enemies as your enemies Tell me would you marry an enemy of your own before any change and reconciliation I am confident you would not And can you so easily marry an enemy of God If you know not that all the ungodly and unsanctified are his enemies you know not or believe not the word of God which telleth you that the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can â—e so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 7 8. 2. If you fear God your selves your chief end in marriage will be to have one that will be a helper to your soul and further you in the way to Heaven But if you marry with a person that is ungodly either you have no such end or else you may easily know you have no wiselyer chosen the means than if you had chosen water to kindle the fire or a bed of snow to keep you warm Will an ignorant or ungodly person assist you in prayer and holy watchfulness and stir you up to the Love of God and a heavenly mind And can you so willingly lose all the spiritual benefit which you should principally desire and intend 3. Nay instead of a Helper you will have a continual hinderer when you should go to prayer you will have one to pull you back or to fill your minds with diversions or disquietments when you should keep close to God in holy meditations you will have one to cast in worldly thoughts or trouble your minds with vanity or vexation When you should discourse of God and heavenly things you will have one to stifle such discourse and fill your ears with idle impertinent or worldly talk And one such a hinderance so neer you in your bosome will be worse than a thousand further off As an ungodly heart which is next of all to us is our greatest hinderance so an ungodly husband or wife which is next to that is worse to us than many ungodly neighbours And if you think that you can well enough overcome such hinderances and your heart is so good that no such clogs can keep it down you do but shew that you have a proud unhumbled heart that is prepared for a fall If you know your selves and the badness of your hearts you will know that you have no need of hinderances in any holy work and that all the helps in the world are little enough and too little to keep your souls in the Love of God 4. And such an ungodly companion will be to you a continual temptation to sin Instead of stirring you up to good you will have one to stir you up to evil to passion or discontent or covetousness or pride or revenge or sensuality And can you not sin enough without such a tempter 5. And what a continual grief will it be to you if you are believers to have a child of the Devil in your bosome and to think how far you must be separated at death and in what torments those must lye for ever that are so dear unto you now 6. Yea such companions will be uncapable of the principal part of your Love You may love them as Husbands or Wives but you cannot love them as Saints and members of Christ. And how great a want this will be in your Love those know that know what this holy Love is § 47. Quest. But how can I tell who are Godly when there is so much hypocrisie in the world Quest. Answ. At least you may know who is Ungodly if it be palpably discovered I take not a barren knowledge for ungodliness nor a nimble tongue for Godliness Judge of them by their Love such as a mans Love is such is the Man If they Love the word and servants and worship of God and Love a holy life and hate the contrary you may close with such though their knowledge be small and their parts be weak But if they have no Love to these but had rather live a common careless carnal life you may well avoid them as ungodly § 48. Quest. But if ungodly persons may marry why may not I marry with one that is ungodly Quest. Answ. Though Dogs and Swine may joyn in Generating it followeth not men or women may joyn with them Pardon the comparison while Christ calleth the wicked Dogs and Swine Mat. 7. 6. it doth but shew the badness of your consequence Unbelievers may marry and yet we may not marry with unbelievers 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16. Be ye not unequally yoaked together with unbelievers For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. § 49. Quest. But I make no doubt but they may be converted God can call them when he will If Quest. there be but Love they will easily be won to be of the mind as those they Love are Answ. 1. Then it seems because you Love an ungodly person you will be easily turned to be ungodly If so you are not much better already If Love will not draw you to their mind to be ungodly why should you think Love
blesseth the habitation of the just Prov. 3. 33. The wicked are overthrown and are not but the house of the righteous shall stand Prov. 12. 7. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown but the Tabernacle of the upright shall flourish Prov. 14. 11. So Prov. 15. 25. The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness Prov. 21. 12. Go not into a falling house 2. A Master that feareth God will help to save you from sin and Hell and help your souls to life eternal He may do more for you than if he made you Kings and Rulers of the earth He will hinder you from sin he will teach you to know God and to prepare for your salvation Whereas ungodly Masters will rather discourage you and by mocks or threatnings seek to drive you from a holy life and use their wit and work and authority to hinder your salvation Or at best will take little care of your souls but think if they provide you food and wages they have done their parts 3. A Master that feareth God will do you no wrong but will love you as a Christian and his fellow servant of Christ while he commandeth and employeth you as his own servant which cannot be expected from ignorant ungodly worldly men § 5. Direct 5. Yet choose such a service as you are fit to undergo with the least hindrance of the service Direct 5. of God and of your souls Neither a life of idleness nor of excess of business should be chosen if you have your choice For when the mind is overwhelmed with the cares of your service and your bodies tired with excessive labour you will have little time or heart or power to mind the matters of your souls with any seriousness Yea the Lords-day will be spent with little comfort when the â—oil of the week days hath left the body fit for nothing but to sleep A service which alloweth you no time at all to pray or read the Scripture or mind your everlasting state is a life more fit for beasts than men § 6. Direct 6. If you can attain it live where your fellow servants fear God as well as the Master Direct 6. of the family For fellow servants usually converse with one another more frequently and familiarly than their Masters do with any of them And therefore if a Master give you the the most heavenly instructions the idle frothy talk of fellow-servants may blot out all from your memories and hearts And their derision of a holy life or their bad examples may do more hurt than the precepts of the Governors can do good Whereas when a Masters counsels are seconded by the good discourse and practice of fellow-servants it is a great encouragement to good and keepeth the heart in a continual warmth and resolution § 7. Direct 7. If you want any one of these accommodations be the more diligent in such an improvement Direct 7. of the rest as may make up your want If you have a good Teacher and a bad Master improve the helps of your Teacher the more diligently If you have a bad Master and good fellow-servants or a good Master and bad fellow-servants thank God for that which you have and make the best of it § 8. Direct 8. If you would be accommodated your selves with the best Masters and usage labour to Direct 8. be the best servants And then it 's two to one but you may have your choice Good servants are so scarce and so much valued that the best places would strive for you if you will strive to be such Excel others in labour and diligence and trustiness and obedience and gentleness and patience and then you may have almost what places you desire But if you will your selves be idle and slothful and deceitful and false and disobedient and unmannerly and self-willed and contentious and impatient and yet think that you must be respected and used as good and faithful servants It is but a foolish expectation For what obligation is there upon others in point of Iustice to give you that which you deserve not Indeed if any be bound to keep you in meer Charity then you may plead Charity with them and not desert But if they take you but as servants they owe you nothing but what your work and virtues shall deserve CHAP. III. A DISPUTATION OR Arguments to prove the necessity of Family-worship and Holiness or Directions against the Cavils of the Prophane and some Sectaries who deny it to be a thing required by God Whether the Solemn Worship of God in and by Families as such be of Divine appointment Aff. THat excellent speech of Mirandula is oft in my mind Veritatem Philosophia quâ—rit theologia invenit Religio possidet I do therefore with greater alacrity and delight dispute these points that are directly Religious that is immediately practical than those that are only remotely such And though I am loth we should see among us any wider Division inter Philosophum Theologum Religiosum than between the Phantasie the Intellect and the Will which never are found disjunct in any act or rather than between the habits of practical natural knowledge and the habits of practical supernatural knowledge and the practical Resolutions Affections and Indeavors into which both the former are divolved yet may we safely and profitably distinguish where it would be mortal to divide If disputing in our present case do but tend to and end in a Religious performance we shall then be able to say we disputed not in vain when by experience of the delight and profit of Gods work we perceive that we do not worship him in vain Otherwise to evince by a dispute that God should be worshipped and not to worship him when we have done is but to draw forth our learning and sharpen our wits to plead for our condemnation as if the Accuser wanted our help or the Judge of all the world did want Evidence and Arguments against us unless he had it from our own mouth Concerning the sense of the terms I shall say somewhat both as to the subject and the predicate that we contend not in the dark and yet but little lest I trouble my self and you with needless labours I. By the worship of God we mean not only nor principally obedience as such or service in common things called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we mean a Religious performance of some sacred actions with an Intention of Honouring God as God and that more directly than in common works of obedience This being commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Austin and since him by all the Orthodox appropriated to God alone and indeed to give it to any other is contradictory to its definition This worship is of two sorts whereof the first is by an excellency called worship viz. When the honouring of God is so directly the end and whole business of the work
of each other than you would be if they were your own Fall out no more with your wife for her faults than you do with your self for your own faults and than you would do if hers had been your own This will allow you such an anger and displeasure against a fault as tendeth to heal it but not such as tendeth but to fester and vex the diseased part This will turn anger into compassion and speedy tender diligence for the cure 5. Agree together before hand that when one is in the diseased angry fit the other shall silently and gently bear till it be past and you are come to your selves again Be not angry both at once When the fire is kindled quench it with gentle words and carriage and do not cast on Oyle or fuel by answering provokingly and sharply or by multiplying words and by answering wrath with wrath But remember that now the work that you are called to is to mollifie and not to exasperate to help and not to hurt to cure another rather than to right your self As if another fall and hurt him your business is to help him up and not to tread upon him 6. Look before you and remember that you must live together untill death and must be the companions of each others fortunes and the comforts of each others lives and then you will see how absurd it is for you to disagree and vex each other Anger is the principle of revenge and falling out doth tend to separation Therefore those that must not revenge should not give way to anger and those that know they must not part should not fall out 7. As far as you are able avoid all occasions of wrath and falling out about the matters of your Families some by their slothfulness bring themselves into want and then being unable to bear it they contract a discontented pievish habit and in their impatiency they wrangle and disquiet one another some plunge themselves into a multitude of business and have to do with so many things and persons that one or other is still offending them and then they are impatient with one another some have neither skill nor diligence to manage their businesses aright and so things fall cross and go out of order and then their impatiency turneth it self against each other Avoid these occasions if you would avoid the sin And see that you be not unfurnished of Patience to bear that which cannot be avoided 8. If you cannot quickly quench your passion yet at least refrain your tongues speak not reproachful or provoking words Talking it out hotly doth blow the fire and encrease the flame Be but silent and you will the sooner return to your serenity and peace Foul words tend to more displeasure As Socrates said when his Wife first railed at him and next threw a vessel of foul Water upon him I thought when I heard the thunder there would come rain so you may portend worse following when foul unseemly words begin If you cannot easily allay your wrath you may hold your tongues if you are truly willing 9. Let the sober party condescend to speak fair and to intreat the other unless it be with a person so insolent as will be the worse Usually a few sober grave admonitions will prove as water to the boyling pot say to your angry Wife or Husband You know this should not be betwixt us Love must allay it and it must be repented of God doth not approve it it and we shall not approve it when his heat is over This frame of mind is contrary to a praying frame and this language contrary to a praying language we must pray together anon let us do nothing contrary to prayer now sweet water and bitter come not from one spring c. Some calm and condescending words of Reason may stop the torrent and revive the Reason which Passion had overcome 10. Confess your fault to one another when passion hath prevailed against you and ask forgiveness of each other and joyn in prayer to God for pardon and this will lay a greater engagement on you the next time to forbear You will sure be ashamed to do that which you have so confessed and asked forgiveness for of God and man If you will but practice these ten Directions your conjugal and family peace may be preserved § 10. Direct 6. A principal duty between husband and wife is with special care and skill and Direct 6. diligence to help each other in the knowledge and worship and obedience of God in order to their salvation Because this is a duty in which you are the greatest helps and blessings to each other if you perform it I shall 1. Endeavour to quicken you to make Conscience of it and then 2. Direct you how to do it § 11. I. Consider 1. How little it can stand with Rational Love to neglect the souls of one another I suppose you believe that you have immortal souls and an endless life of joy or misery to live And then you cannot choose but know that your great concernment and business is to make sure provision for those souls and for the endless life Therefore if your Love do not help one another in this which is your main concernment it is little worth and of little use Every thing in this world is valuable as it is useful A useless or unprofitable Love is a worthless Love It is a trifling or a childish or a beastly Love which helpeth you but in trifling childish or beastly things Do you love your Wife and yet will leave her in the power of Satan or will not help to save her soul What! Love her and yet let her go to hell and rather let her be damned than you will be at the pains to endeavour her salvation If she were but in bodily pain or misery and you refused to do your part to succour her she would take it but for cold unprofitable love though you were never so kind to her in complements and trifles The Devil himself maketh shew of such a love as that He can vouchsafe men pleasures and wealth and honour so he may but see the perdition of their souls And if your love to your wife or husband do tend to no greater matters than the pleasures of this life while the soul is left to perish in sin bethink your selves seriously how little more kindness you shew them than the Devil doth O can you see the danger of one that you love so dearly and do no more to save them from it Can you think of the damnation of so dear a friend and not do all that you are able to prevent it would you be separated from them in the World that you are going to would you not live with them in Heaven for ever Never say you love them if you will not labour for their salvation If ever they come to Hell or if ever you see them there both they and you will then confess
that you behaved not your selves like such as Loved them It doth not deserve the name of Love which can leave a soul to endless misery § 12. What then shall we say of them that do not only deny their help but are hinderers of the 1 King 11. 4. Act. 5. 2. â—â—â—â—â—s Adams tempter Job 2. 9. holiness and salvation of each other And yet the Lord have mercy on the poor miserable world how common a thing is this among us If the wife be ignorant and ungodly she will do her worst to make or keep her husband such as she is her self And if God put any holy inclinations into his heart she will be to it as water to the fire to quench it or to keep it under And if he will not be as sinful and miserable as her self he shall have little quietness or rest And if God open the eyes of the wife of a bad man and shew her the amiableness and necessity of a holy life and she do but resolve to obey the Lord and save her soul what an enemy and tyrant will her husband prove to her if God restrain him not so that the Devil himself doth scarce do more against the saving of their souls than ungodly Husbands and Wives do against each other § 13. 2. Consider also that you live not up to the Ends of Marriage nor of humanity if you are not helpers to each others souls To help each other only for your bellies is to live together but like beasts You are appointed to live together as heirs of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. And husbands must love their Wives as Christ loved his Church who gave himself for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it that he might present it to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 25 26 27. That which is the end of your very life and being must be the end of your relations and your daily converse § 14. 3. Consider also if you neglect each others souls what enemies you are to one another and how you prepare for your everlasting sorrows When you should be preparing for your joyful meeting in Heaven you are laying up for your selves everlasting horrour What a dreadful meeting and greeting will you have at the bar of Christ or in the flames of hell when you shall find there how perversly you have done Is it not better to be praising God together in Glory than to be rageing 1 Thes. 5. 11. Heb. 12. 15. Col 2. 19. Eph. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Gen. 35. 2 4. Lev. 19. 17. against each other in the horrour of your Consciences and flying in the faces of one another with such accusations as these O cruel Husband O merciless deceitful Wife It was long of you that I came to this miserable woful End I might have lived with Christ and his Saints in Joy and now I am tormented in these flames in desperation You were commanded by God to have given me warning and told me of my sin and misery and never to let me rest in it but to have instructed and intreated me till I had come home by Christ that I might not have come to this place of torment But you never so much as spake to me of God and my salvation unless it were lightly in jeast or in your common talk If the house had been on fire you would have been more earnest to have quenched it than you were to save my soul from hell You never told me seriously of the misery of a natural unrenewed state nor of the great necessity of regeneration and a holy life nor never talkt to me of Heaven and Hell as matters of such consequence should have been mentioned But morning and night your talk was nothing but about the world and the things of the world your idle talk and jesting and froward and carnal and unprofitable discourse was it that filled up all Numb 16. 27 32. the time and we had not one sober word of our salvation You never seriously foretold me of this day You never prayed with me nor read the Scripture and good Books to me You took no pains to help me to knowledge nor to humble my hardened heart for my sins nor to save me from them nor to draw me to the Love of God and holiness by faith in Christ You did not go before me with the good example of a holy and heavenly conversation but with the evil example of an ungodly fleshly worldly life You neither cared for your own soul nor mine nor I for yours or mine own and now we are justly condemned together that would not live in Holiness together O foolish miserable souls that by your ungodliness and negligence in this life will prepare each other for such a life of endless wo and horror O therefore resolve without delay to live together as the heirs of Heaven and to be helpers to Directions to help each other to salvation each others souls To which end I will give you these following Sub-directions which if you will faithfully practise may make you to be special blessings to each other § 15. Direct 1. If you would help to save each others souls you must each of you be sure that Subdirect 1. you have a care of your own and retain a deep and lively apprehension of those great and everlasting matters of which you are to speak to others It cannot be reasonably expected that he should have Gen. 2. 18. a due compassion to anothers soul that hath none to his own and that he should be at the pains that is needful to help another to salvation that setteth so little by his own as to sell it for the base and momentany ease and pleasure of the flesh Nor is it to be expected that a man should speak with any suitable weight and seriousness about those matters whose weight his heart did never feel and about which he was never serious himself First see that you feel throughly that which you would speak profitably and that you be what you perswade another to be and that all your counsel may be perceived to arise from the bottom of your hearts and that you speak of things which by experience you are well acquainted with § 16. Direct 2. Take those opportunities which your ordinary nearness and familiarity affordeth Subdirect 2. you to be speaking seriously to each other about the matters of God and your salvation When you lye down and rise together let not your worldly business have all your talk but let God and your souls have the first and the last and at least the freest and sweetest of your speech if not the most When you have said so much of your common business as the nature and dispatch of it requireth â—ay it by and talk together of the state and duty of your souls towards God and of your hopes of Heaven as those that
made them your equals Remember that they have immortal souls and are equally capable of salvation with your selves And therefore you have no power to do any thing which shall hinder their salvation No pretence of your business necessity commodity or power can warrant you to hold them so hard to work as not to allow them due time and seasons for that which God hath made their duty 2. Remember that God is their absolute Owner and that you have none but a derived and limited Propriety in them They can be no further yours than you have Gods consent who is the Lord of them and you And therefore Gods Interest in them and by them must be served first 3. Remember that they and you are equally under the Government and Laws of God And therefore all Gods Laws must be first obeyed by them and you have no power to command them to omit any duty which God commandeth them nor to commit any sin which God forbiddeth them Nor can you without Rebellion or Impiety expect that your work or commands should be preferred before Gods 4. Remember that God is their Reconciled tender Father and if they be as good doth Love them as well as you And therefore you must use the meanest of them no otherwise than beseemeth the Beloved of God to be used and no otherwise than may stand with the due signification of your Love to God by Loving those that are his 5. Remember that they are the Redeemed ones of Christ and that he hath not sold you his title to them As he bought their souls at a price unvaluable so he hath given the purchase of his blood to be absolutely at your disposal Therefore so use them as to preserve Christs right and interest in them Direct 2. Remember that you are Christs Trustees or the Guardians of their souls and that the Direct 2. greater your power is over them the greater your charge is of them and your duty for them As you owe more to a Child than to a Day Labourer or a hired Servant because being more your own he is more entrusted to your care so also by the same reason you owe more to a slave because he is more your own And power and obligation go together As Abraham was to Circumcise all his servants that were bought with money and the fourth Commandment requireth Masters to see that all within their gates observe the Sabbath day so must you exercise both your Power and Love to bring them to the Knowledge and faith of Christ and to the just obedience of Gods commands Those therefore that keep their Negro's and slaves from hearing Gods word and from becoming Christians because by the Law they shall then be either made free or they shall lose part of their service do openly profess Rebellion against God and contempt of Christ the Redeemer of souls and a contempt of the souls of men and indeed they declare that their worldly profit is their treasure and their God If this come to the hands of any of our Natives in Barbado's or other Islands or Plantations who are said to be commonly guilty of this most heinous sin yea and to live upon it I intreat them further to consider as followeth 1. How cursed a crime is it to equal Men and Beasts Is not this your practice Do you not buy them and use them meerly to the same end as you do your horses to labour for your commodity as if they were baser than you and made to serve you 2. Do you not see how you reproach and condemn your selves while you vilifie them as Savages and barbarous wretches Did they ever do any thing more savage than to use not only mens bodies as beasts but their souls as if they were made for nothing but to actuate their bodies in your worldly drudgery Did the veriest Cannibals ever do any thing more cruel or odious than to sell so many souls to the Devil for a little worldly gain Did ever the cursedst miscreants on earth do any thing more rebellious and contrary to the will of the most merciful God than to keep those souls from Christ and holiness and Heaven for a little money who were made and redeemed for the same ends and at the same pretious price as yours Did your poor slaves ever commit such villanies as these Is not he the basest wretch and the most barbarous savage who committeth the greatest and most inhumane wickedness And are theirs comparable to these of yours 3. Doth not the very example of such cruelty besides your keeping them from Christianity directly tend to reach them and all others to hate Christianity as if it taught men to be so much worse than Dâ—gs and Tygers 4. Do you not mark how God hath followed you with Plagues and may not Conscience tell you that it is for your inhumanity to the souls and bodies of so many Remember the late fire at the Bridge in Barbado's Remember the drowning of your Governour and Ships at Sea and the many judgements that have overtaken you and at the present the terrible mortality that is among you 5. Will not the example and warning of neigbour Countreys rise up in judgement against you and condemn you You cannot but hear how odious the Spanish name is made and thereby alas the Christian name also among the West Indians for their most inhumane Cruelties in Hispaniola Iamaica Cuba Peru Mexico and other places which is described by Iosep. a Costa a Jesuite of their own And though I know that their cruelty who murdered millions exceedeth yours who kill not mens bodies yet yours is of the same kind in the merchandize which you make with the Devil for their souls whilst you that should help them with all your power do hinder them from the means of their salvation And on the contrary what an honour is it to those of New England that they take not so much as the Natives Soyl from them but by purchase that they enslave none of them nor use them cruelly but shew them mercy and are at a great deal of care and cost and labour for their salvation O how much difference between holy Master Eliot's life and yours His who hath laboured so many years to save them and hath translated the whole Bible into their language with other Books and those good mens in London who are a Corporation for the furtherance of his work and theirs that have contributed so largely towards it And yours that sell mens souls for your commodity 6. And what comfort are you like to have at last in that money that is purchased at such a price Will not your money and you perish together will you not have worse than Gebezi's Leprofie with it yea worse than Achan's death by Stoning and as bad as Iudas his hanging himself unless repentance shall prevent it Do you not remember the terrible words in Jude 11. Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain
â—ordidst garb of a cold and careless heart and life 10. When you grow hottest about some Controverted smaller matters in Religion or studious of the interest of some private opinion and party which you have chosen more than of the interest of the common Truths and Cause of Christ. 11. When in joyning with others you rellish more the fineness of the speech than the Spirit and weight and excellency of the matter and are impatient of hearing of the wholsomest truths if the speaker manifest any personal infirmity in the delivery of them And are weary and tired if you be not drawn on with novelty variety or elegancy of speech 12. When you grow more indifferent for your company and set less by the company of serious godly Christians than you did and are almost as well pleased with common company and discourse 13. When you grow more impatient of reproof for sin and love not to be told of any thing in you that is amiss but love those best that highliest applaud you 14. When the renewing of your Repentance is grown a lifeless cursory work When in preparation for the Lords Day or Sacrament or other occasions you call your selves to no considerable account or make no greater a matter of the sins which you find on your account than if you were almost reconciled to them 15. When you grow more uncharitable and censorious to brethren that differ from you in tolerable points and less tender of the names or welfare of others and love not your neighbour as your selves and do not as you would be done by 16. When you grow less compassionate to the ungodly world and less regardful of the common interest of the Universal Church and of Jesus Christ throughout the earth and grow more narrow private-spirited and confine your care to your selves or to your party 17. When the hopes of Heaven and the Love of God cannot content you but you are thirsty after some worldly contentment and grow eager in your desires and the world groweth more sweet to you and more amiable in your eyes 18 When sense and appetite 1 Cor. 7. 31. and fleshly pleasure is grown more powerful with you and you make a great matter of them and cannot deny them without a great deal of striving and regret as if you had done some great exploit if you live not like a beast 19. When you are more proud and impatient and are less able to bear disesteem and slighting and injuries from men or poverty or sufferings for Christ and make a greater matter of your losses or crosses or wrongs than beseemeth one that is dead to the flesh and to the world 20. Lastly When you had rather dwell on Earth than be in Heaven and are more unwilling to think of death or to prepare for it and expect it and are less in love with the coming of Christ and are ready to say of this sinful life in flesh It is good to be here All these are signs of a declining state though yet you are not come to apostacy § 15. But the signs of a mortal damnable state indeed are found in these following degrees 1. When a man had rather have worldly prosperity than the â—avour and fruition of God in Heaven Signs of a graceless state 2. When the interest of the flesh can do more with him than the interest of God and his soul and do more rule and dispose of his heart and life 3. When he had rather live in sensuality than in Holiness And had rather have leave to live as he list than have a Christ and Holy Spirit to sanctifie and cure him or at least will not be cured on the terms proposed in the Gospel 4. When he loveth not the means that would recover him as such The nearer you come to this the more dangerous is your case § 16. And these following signs are therefore of a very dangerous signification 1. When the Dangerous signs of impenitency pleasure of sinful prosperity and delights doth so far over-top the pleasures of holiness that you are under trouble and weariness in holy duties and at ease and merry when you have your sinful delights 2. When no perswasion of a Minister or friend can bring you so throughly to repent of your open scandalous sins as to take shame to your selves in a free confession of them even in the open Assembly if you are justly called to it to condemn your selves and give warning to others and glorifie the most Holy God But you will not believe that any such disgraceful confession is your duty because you will not do it 3. When you cannot bring your hearts to a full Resolution to let go your sin but though Conscience worry and condemn you for it you do but sleightly purpose hereafter to amend but will not presently resolve 4. When you will not be perswaded to consent to the necessary effectual means of your recovery as to abstain from the bait and temptation and occasion of sin Many a Drunkard hath told me he was willing to be reformed but when I have desired them then to consent to drink no Wine or Ale for so many months and to keep out of the place and to commit the Government of themselves for so many months to their Wives or some other friend that liveth with them and to drink nothing but what they give them they would not Consent to any of this and so shewed the hypocrisie of their professed willingness to amend 5. When sin becometh easie and the Conscience groweth patient with it and quiet under it 6. When the judgement taketh part with it and the tongue will plead for it and justifie or extenuate it insteâ—d of repenting of it These are dangerous signs of an impenitent unpardoned miserable soul. And the man is in a dangerous way to this 1. When he hath plunged himself into such engagements to sin that he cannot leave it but it will cost him very dear as it will be his shame to confess it or his undoing in the world to forsake it or a great deal of cost and labour must be lost which his ambitious or Covetous projects have cost him It will be hard breaking over so great difficulties 2. When God letteth him alone in sin and prospereth him in it or doth not much disturb him or afflict him This also is a dangerous case § 17. By all this you may perceive that those are no signes of a backsliding state which some False signs of declining poor Christians are afraid are such As 1. When poverty necessitateth them to lay out more of their time and thoughts and words about the labours of their callings than some richer persons do 2. When age or sickness causeth their memories to decay so that they cannot remember a Sermon so well as heretofore 3. When age or sickness taketh off the quickness and vigor of their spirits so that they have not the lively affections in prayer or holy
conference or meditation or reading or hearing as formerly they had But though they are as much as ever Resolved for God against sin and Vanity yet they are colder and duller and have less zeal and fervency and delight in holy exercises 4. When age or weakness or melancholy hath decayed or confounded their Imaginations and ravelled their Thoughts so that they cannot order them and command them as formerly they could 5. And when age or melancholy hath weakened their parts and gifts so that they are of flower understandings and unabler in prayer or preaching or conference to express themselves than heretofore All these are but bodily changes and such hinderances of the soul as depend thereon and not to be taken for signs of a soul that declineth in holiness and is less accepted of God § 18. Direct 2. When you know the Marks of a Backslider come into the light and be willing to Direct 2. know your selves whether this be your condition or not and do not foolishly cover your disease Enquire whether it be with you as in former times when the light of God did shine upon you and you delighted in his wayes when you hated sin and loved holiness and were glad of the company of the heirs of life when the Word of God was pleasant to you and when you poured out your souls to him in prayer and thanksgivings When you were glad of the Lords day and were quickned and confirmed under the teaching and exhortation of his Ministers when you took worldly wealth and pleasures as childish toyes and fooleries in comparison of the contents of holy souls when you hungred and thirsted after Christ and righteousness and had rather have been in Heaven to enjoy your God and be free from sinning than to enjoy all the pleasures and prosperity of this World And when it was your daily business to prepare for death and to live in expectation of the everlasting Rest which Christ hath promised If this were once your case enquire whether it be so still or what alterations are made upon your hearts and lives § 19. Direct 3. If you find your selves in a Backsliding case by all means endeavour the awakening of your souls by the serious consideration of the danger and misery of such a state To which end I shall here set some such awakening thoughts before you For security is your greatest danger § 20. 1. Consider that to fall back from God was the sin of the Devils They are Angels that Direct 3. kept not their first estate but left their own habitations and are now reserved in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day Jud. 6. And shall they entise you into their own condemnation § 21. 1. It was the sin of our first Parents Adam and Eve to revolt from God and lose their holiness And is there any sin that we should more carefully avoid than that which all the world hath so much suffered by Every one of the Creatures that you look on and every pain and misery you feel doth mind you of that sin and and call to you to take heed by the warning of your first Parents that you suffer not your hearts to be drawn from God § 22. 3. It is a part of Hell that you are choosing upon earth Depart from me ye cursed is the sentence on the damned Matth. 25. 41. 7. 23. And will you damn your selves by departing from God and that when he calleth you and obligeth you to him To be separated from God is one half the misery of the damned § 23. 4. You are drawing back toward the case that you were in in the dayes of your unconverted state And what a state of darkness and folly and delusion and sin and misery was that Iâ— it were good or tolerable why turned you from it and why did you so lament it and why did you so earnestly cry out for deliverance But if it were as bad as you then apprehended it to be why do you again turn towards it Would you be again in the case you were would you perish in it or would you have all those heart-breakings and terrours to pass through again May I not say to you as Paul to the Galatians O foolish sinners who hath bewitched you that you are so soon turned back who have seen that of sin and of God and of Christ and of Heaven and of Hell as you have done Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. § 24. 5. Yea it is a far more doleful state that you are drawing towards than that which you were in before For the guilt of an Apostate is much greater than if he had never known the truth And his recovery is more difficult and of smaller hope Because he is twice dead and pluckt up by the root Jud. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the later end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Heb. 10. 26 27. For if we sin wilfully by Apostacy after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I know this speaketh only of total apostacy from Christ such being worthy of fâ—r sorer punishment than he that despised Moses Law v. 28 29. But it is a terrible thing to draw towards so desperate a state A habit is easier introduced upon a negation than a privation in him that never had it than in him that hath totally lost it § 25. 6. What abundance of Experience do you sin against in your Backsliding You have had experience of the evil of sin and of the smart of repentance and of the deceitfulness of all that can be said for sinning and of the goodness of God and of the safety and sweetness of Religion And will you sin against so great experience If your horse fall once into a quicksand he will scarce be forced into it again And will you be less wise § 26. 7. What abundance of promises and Covenants which you have made to God do you violate in your backsliding How often in your fears and dangers and sicknesses at Sacraments and dayes of humiliation have you bound your selves afresh to God! And will you forget all these and sin against them § 27. 8. By what multitudes of mercies hath God obliged you mercies before your repentance and mercies that drew you to repent and mercies since How mercifully hath he kept
thing in it steal again into your hearts and seem Direct 7. too sweet to you If your friends or dwellings or lands and wealth or honours begin to grow too pleasant and be over-loved your thoughts will presently be carryed after them and turned away from God and all holy affection will be damped and decay and grace will fall into a consumption It is the Love of money that is the root of all evil and the love of this world which is the mortal enemy of the Love of God Keep the world from your hearts if you would keep your graces § 19. Direct 8. Keep a strict Government and watch over your fleshly appetite and sense For the Direct 8. loosing of the reins to carnal lusts and yielding to the importunity of sensual desires is the most ordinary Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 13. 13 14. way of wasting grace and falling off from God § 20. Direct 9. Keep as far as you can from Temptations and all occasions and opportunities of sinning Direct 9. Trust not to your own strength And be not so fool-hardy as to thrust your selves into needless danger No man is long safe that standeth at the brink of ruine If the fire and straw be long near together some spark is like to catch at last § 21. Direct 10. Incorporate your selves into the Communion of Saints and go along with Direct 10. them that go towards Heaven and engage your selves in the constant use of all those means which God hath appointed you to use for your perseverance Especially take heed of an idle slothful unprofitable life And keep your graces in the most lively exercise For the slothful is Brother to the waster And idleness consumeth or corrupteth our spiritual health and strength as well as our bodily Set your selves diligently to work while it is day and do all the good in your places that you are able For it is acts that preserve and increase the habits And a Religion which consisteth only in doing no hurt is so lifeless and corrupt that it will quickly perish § 22. Direct 11. Keep alwayes in thine eye the doleful case of a Backslider which I opened Direct 11. before O what horror is waiting to seize on their consciences How many of them have we known that on their death-beds have lain roaring in the anguish of their souls crying out I am utterly forsaken of God because I have forsaken him There is no mercy for such an apostate wretch O that I had never been born or had been any thing rather than a man Cursed be the day that ever I hearkned to the counsel of the wicked and that ever I pleased this corruptible flesh to the utter undoing of my soul O that it were all to do again Take warning by a mad besotted sinner that have lost my soul for that which I knew would never make me satisfaction and have turned from God when I had found him to be good â—nd gracious O prepare not for such pangs as these or worse than these in endless desperation § 23. Direct 12. Make not a small matter of the beginnings of your backsliding There are very Direct 12. few that fall quite away at once the misery creepeth on by insensible degrees You think it a small matter to cut short one duty and omit another and be negligent at another and to entertain some pleasing thoughts of the world or first to look on the forbidden fruit and then to touch it and then to taste it but these are the way to that which is not small A thought or a look or a taste or a delight hath begun that with many which never stopt till it had shamed them here and damned them for ever CHAP. XXVII Directions for the Poor THere is no condition of life so low or poor but may be sanctified and fruitful and comfortable to us if our own misunderstanding or sin and negligence do not pollute it or imbitter it to us If we do the Duty of our condition faithfully we shall have no cause to murmurr at it Therefore I shall here direct the Poor in the special Duties of their condition and if they will but conscionably perform them it will prove a greater kindness to them than if I could deliver them from their poverty and give them as much riches as they desire Though I doubt this would be more pleasing to the most and they would give me more thanks for money than for teaching them how to want it § 1. Direct 1. Understand first the use and estimate of all earthly things that they were never made Direct 1. to be your portion and felicity but your provision and helps in the way to Heaven And therefore they Prov. 28. 6. Jam. 2. 5. are neither to be estimated nor desired simply for themselves for so there is nothing good but God but only as they are Means to the Greatest Good Therefore neither Poverty nor Riches are simply to be rejoyced in for themselves as any part of our happiness But that condition is to be desired and rejoyced in which affordeth us the greatest helps for Heaven and that condition only is to be lamented and dislikt which hindereth us most from Heaven and from our duty § 2. Direct 2. See therefore that you really take all these things as matters in themselves indifferent Direct 2. and of small concernment to you and as not worthy of much love or care or sorrow further than they conduce to greater things We are like runners in a race and Heaven or Hell will be our End and therefore woe to us if by looking aside or turning back or stopping or trifling about these matters or burdening our selves with worldly trash we should lose the race and lose our souls O Sirs what greater matters than poverty or riches have we to mind Can those souls that muâ—â— shortly be in Heaven or Hell have time to bestow any serious thoughts upon these impertinencies Shall we so much as look at the temporal things which are seen instead of the things eternal that are unseen 2 Cor. 4. 18. Or shall we whine under those light afflictions which may be so improved as to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory v. 17. Our present life is not in the abundance of the things which we possess Much less is our eternal life Luke 12. 15. § 3. Direct 3. Therefore take heed that you judge not of Gods Love or of your happiness or misery by Direct 3. your riches or poverty prosperity or adversity as knowing that they come alike to all and Love or hatred Eccles. 2. 14. 9. 2. 9. 3. is not to be discerned by them except only Gods Common Love as they are common mercies to the body If a Surgeon is not to be taken for a hater of you because he letteth you blood nor a Physicion because he purgeth his Patient nor a Father because he
forsake all for Christ in tryal rather than forsake him You may know whether you are true or false in your Covenant with Christ and what you would do in a day of tryal by what you do in your daily course of life How can that man leave all at once for Christ that cannot daily serve him with his riches nor leave that little which God requireth in the discharge of his duty in pious and charitable works What is it to leave all for God but to leave all rather than to sin against God And will he do that who daily sinneth against God by omission of good works because he cannot leave some part Study as faithful Stewards to serve God to the utmost with what you have now and then you may expect that his grace should enable you to leave all in tryal and not prove withering hypocrites and apostates Direct 8. Be not Rich to your selves or to your fleshly Wills and Lusts but remember that the Direct 8. Rich are bound to be spiritual and to mortifie the flesh as well as the poor Let lust fare never the Luke 12. 21. Acts 10. 1 2 3. better for all the fulness of your estates Fast and humble your souls never the less Please an inordinate appetite never the more in meat or drink Live never the more in unprofitable idleness The Rich must labour as constantly as the poor though not in the same kind of work The Rich must live soberly temperately and heavenly and must as much mortifie all fleshly desires as the poor You have the same Law and Master and have no more liberty to indulge your lusts but if you live after the flesh you shall dye as well as any other O the partiality of carnal minds They can see the fault of a poor man that goeth sometime to an Ale-house who perhaps drinketh water or that which is next it all the Week when they never blame themselves who scarce miss a meal without Wine and strong drink and eating that which their appetite desireth They think it a crime in a poor man to spend but one day in many in such idleness as they themselves spend most of their lives in Gentlemen think that their Riches allow them to live without any profitable labour and to gratifie their flesh and fare deliciously every day As if it were their priviledge to be sensual and to be damned Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 9 13. Direct 9. Nay remember that you are called to far greater self-denyal and fear and watchfulness Direct 9. against sensuality and wealthy vices than the poor are Mortification is as necessary to your salvation as to theirs but much more difficult If you live after the flesh you shall dye as well as they And how much stronger are your temptations Is not he easilier drawn to gluttony or excess in quality or quantity who hath daily a Table of plenty and enticing delicious food before him than he that never seeth such a temptation once in half a year Is it not harder for him to deny his appetite who hath the baits of pleasant meats and drinks daily set upon his Table than for him that is seldome in sight of them and perhaps in no possibility of procuring them and therefore hath nothing to sollicite his appetite or thoughts Doubtless the Rich if ever they will be saved must watch more constantly and set a more resolute guard upon the flesh and live more in fear of sensuality than the poor as they live in greater temptations and dangers Direct 10. Know therefore particularly what are the Temptations of Prosperity that you may make Direct 10. a particular prosperous resistance And they are especially these 1. Pride The foolish heart of man is apt to swell upon the accession of so poor a matter as wealth and men think they are got above their neighbours and more honour and obeysance is their due if James 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6. they be but richer 2. Fulness of bread If they do not eat till they are sick they think the constant and costly pleasing Ezek. 16. of their appetite in meats and drinks is lawful 3. Idleness They think he is not bound to Labour that can live without it and hath enough 4. Time-wasting sports and recreations They think their hours may be devoted to the flesh when all their lives are devoted to it They think their wealth alloweth them to play and court and complement away that pretious time which no men have more need to redeem They tell God that he hath given them more time than they have need of And God will shortly cut it off and tell them that they shall have no more 5. Lust and wantonness Fulness and idleness cherish both the cogitations and inclinations unto filthiness Rom. 13. 13 14. They that live in gluttony and drunkenness are like to live in chambering and wantonness 6. Curiosity and wasting their lives in a multitude of little ceremonious unprofitable things to the exclusion of the great businesses of life Well may we say that mens own Lusts are their Jaylors and their fetters when we see to what a wretched kind of life a multitude of the Rich especially Ladies and Gentlewomen do condemn themselves I should pity one in Bridewell that were but tyed so to spend their time When they have poor ignorant proud worldly pievish hypocritical ungodly souls to be healed and a life of great and weighty business to do for eternity they have so many little things all day to do that leave them little time to converse with God or with their Consciences or to do any thing that is really worth the living for They have so many fine cloaths and ornaments to get and use and so many rooms to neatifie and adorn and so many servants to talk with that attend them and so many dishes and sawces to bespeak and so many flowers to plant and dress and walks and places of pleasure to mind and so many Visitors to entertain with whole hours of unprofitable talk and so many great persons accordingly to visit and so many Laws of Ceremony and Complement to observe and so many Games to play perhaps and so many hours to sleep that Luke 10. 40 41 42. the day the year their lives are gone before they could have while to know what they lived for And if God had but damned them to spend their dayes in picking straws or filling a bottomless Vessel or to spend their dayes as they choose themselves to spend them it would have tempted us to think him unmerciful to his creatures 7. Tyranny and oppression When men are above others how commonly do they think that their wills must be fulfilled by all men and none must cross them and they live as if all others below them were as their beasts that are made for them to serve and please them Direct 11. Direct 11. Let your fruitfulness to God and the publick good
that be gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Act. 13. 39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses Heb. 8. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more If it be the weakness of his grace that troubleth him let him choose such passages as these Isa. 40. 11. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bâ—som and shall gently lead those that are with young Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Matth. 26. 41. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Joh. 6. 37. All that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Luk. 17. 5. The Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our faith If it be the fear of death and strangeness to the other world that troubleth you remember the words of Christ before cited and 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 4 5 6 8. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them 1 Cor. 15. 55. O Death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Act. 7. 59. Lord Iesus receive my spirit Fix upon some such word or promise which may support you in your extremity § 6. Direct 6. Look up to God who is the Glory of Heaven and the Light and Life and Ioy of souls Direct 6. and believe that you are going to see his face and to live in the perfect everlasting fruition of his fullest Love among the glorified If it be delectable here to know his works what will it be to see the Cause of all All Creatures in Heaven and Earth conjoyned can never afford such content and joy to holy souls as God alone O if we knew him whom we must there behold how weary should we be of this dungeon of mortality and how fervently should we long to see his face The Chicken that cometh out of the shell or the Infant that newly cometh from the womb into this illuminated world of humane converse receiveth not such a joyful change as the soul that is newly loosed from the flesh and passeth from this mortal life to God One sight of God by a blessed soul is worth more than all the Kingdoms of the earth It is pleasant to the eyes to behold the Sun But the Sun is as darkness and useless in his Glory Rev. 21. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it For the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof Rev. 22. 3 4 5. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads and there shall be no night there and they need no candle nor light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they shall reign for ever and ever If David in the Wilderness so impatiently thirsted to appear before God the living God in his Sanctuary at Ierusalem Psal. 42. How earnestly should we long to see his Glory in the Heavenly Ierusalem The glimpse of his back-parts was as much as Moses might behold Exod. 34. yet that much put a shining glory upon his face v. 29 30. The sight that Stephen had when men were ready to stone him was a delectable sight Act. 7. 55 56. The glimpse of Christ in his transfiguration ravished the three Apostles that beheld it Mat. 17. 2 6. Pauls vision which rapt him up into the third Heavens did advance him above the rest of mankind But our Beatifical sight of the Glory of God will very far excell all this When our perfected bodies shall have the perfect Glorious Body of Christ to see and our perfected souls shall have the God of Truth the most perfect uncreated Light to know what more is a created understanding capable of And yet this is not the top of our felicity For the Understanding is but the passage to the Heart or Will and Truth is but subservient to Goodness And therefore though the Understanding be capable of no more than the Beatifical Vision yet the Man is capable of more even of receiving the fullest communications of Gods Love and feeling it poured out upon the heart and living in the returns of perfect Love and in this entercourse of Love will be our highest Ioyes and this is the top of our heavenly felicity O that God would make us foreknow by a lively faith what it is to behold him in his Glory and to dwell in perfect Love and Ioy and then death would no more be able to dismay us nor should we be unwilling of such a blessed change But having spoken of this so largely in my Saints Rest I must stop here and refer you thither § 7. Direct 7. Look up to the Blessed Society of Angels and Saints with Christ and remember their Direct 7. blessedness and joy and that you also belong to the same society and are going to be numbred with them It will greatly overcome the fears of death to see by faith the Joyes of them that have gone before us and withall to think of their relation to us As it will encourage a man that is to go beyond Sea if the far greatest part of his dearest friends be gone before him and he heareth of their safe arrival and of their Joy and happiness Those Angels that now see the face of God are our special friends and guardians and entirely Love us better than any of our friends on earth do They rejoiced at our Conversion and will rejoice at our Glorification And as they are better and Love us better so therefore our Love should be greater to them than to any upon earth and we should more desire to be with them Those blessed souls that are now with Christ were once as
grace and hopes which he hath given you through Christ I know that a pained languishing body is undisposed to express the comforts of the soul But yet as long as the soul is the Commander they may be expressed in some good measure though not with such vivacity and alacrity as in health Behave your selves before all as those that are going to dwell with Christ If you shew them that you take Heaven for a real felicity it will do much to draw them to do so too Shew them the difference between the death of the righteous and of the wicked and that may so draw them to desire to dye the death of the Righteous that it may draw them also to resolve to live their lives How many souls might it win to God if they saw in his dying servants such confidence and joy as beseemeth men that are entering into a world of joy and peace and blessedness If we went out of the body as from a Prison into liberty and from a tedious journey to our desired home it would invite sinners to seek after the same felicity and be a powerful Sermon to convert the inconsiderate § 4. Direct 3. Now tell poor sinners of the vanity of the world and of all its glory wealth and pleasure Direct 3. and of the mischief and deceitfulness of sin Say to them O Sirs you may see in me what the world is worth If you had all the wealth and pleasure that you desire thus it would turn you off and forsake you in the end It will ease no pain It will bring no peace to a troubled soul It will not lengthen your lives an hour It will not save you from the wrath of God It maketh your death the sadder because you must be taken from it Your account will be the more dreadfull O Love not such a vain deceitful world Sell not your souls for so poor a price Forsake it before you are forsaken by it O make not light of any sin Though the wanton flesh would have you take it for a harmless thing you cannot imagine when the pleasure is gone how sharp a sting is left behind Sin will be then no jeasting matter when your souls are going hence into the dreadful presence of the Most Holy God § 5. Direct 4. Now tell those about you of the Excellency and Necessity of the Love of God of Heaven Direct 4. of Christ and of a holy life Though these may be made light of at a distance yet a soul that is drawing near them will be more awakened to understand their worth say to them O friends I find now more than ever I did before that it is only God that is the end and happiness of souls Nothing but his favour through Iesus Christ can comfort and content a dying man And none but Christ can reconcile us to God and answer for our sins and make us acceptable And no way but that of faith and holiness will end in happiness Opinions and customary forms in Religion will not serve the turn To be of this or that Party or Church or Communion will not save you It is only the soul that is justified by Christ and sanctified by his Spirit and brought up to the Love of God and holiness that shall be saved What ever Opinion or Church you are of without Holiness you shall never see God to your comfort as without faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 12. 14. 11. 6. Rom. 8. 6 7 8 9. O now what a miserable case were I in if I had all the wealth and honour in the world and had not the favour of God and a Christ to purchase it and his Spirit to witness it and prepare me for a better life Now I see the difference between spending time in Holiness and in sin between a godly and a worldly fleshly careless life Now I would not for a thousand worlds that I had spent my life in sensuality and ungodliness and continued a stranger to the life of faith Now if I had a world I would give it to be more holy O Sirs believe it when you come to dye sin will be then sin indeed and Christ and Grace will be better than riches and to dye in an unregenerate unsanctified state will be a greater misery than any heart can now conceive § 6. Direct 5. Endeavour also to make men know the difference between the godly and the wicked Direct 5. Tell them I nâ—w see who maketh the wisest choice O happy men that choose the joyes which have no end and lay up their treasure in Heaven where rust and moths do not corrupt and thieves do not break through and steal and labour for the food that never perisheth Matth. 6. 19 20. John 6. 27. O foolish sinners that for an inch of fleshly filthy pleasure do lose everlasting Rest and joy What shall it profit them that win all the world and lose their souls § 7. Direct 6. Labour also to convince men of the pretiousness of Time and the folly of putting off Direct 6. Repentance and a holy life till the last Say to them O friends it is hard for you in the time of health and prosperity to judge of Time according to its worth But when Time is gone or near an end how pretious doth it then appear Now if I had all the Time again which ever I spent in unnecessary sleep or sports or curiosities or idleness or any needless thing how highly should I value it and spend it in another manner than I have done Of all my life that is past and gone I have no comfort now in the remembrance of one hour but what was spent in obedience to God O take Time to make sure of your salvation before it s gone and you are left under the tormenting feeling of your loss § 8. Direct 7. Labour also to make them understand the sinfulness of sloth and of loytering in the Direct 7. matters of God and their salvation and stir them up to do it with all their might Say to them I have often heard ungodly people deride or blame the diligence and zeal and strictness of the godly But if they saw and felt what I see and feel they could not do it Can a man that is going into another world imagine that any thing is so worthy of his greatest zeal and labour as his God and his salvation Or blame men for being loth to burn in Hell Or for taking more pains for their souls than for their bodies O friends let fools talk what they will in their sleep and frenzy as you love your souls do not think any care or cost or pains too great for your salvation If they think not their labour too good for this world do not you think yours too good for a better world Let them now say what they will when they come to dye there is none of them all that is not quite forsaken of
know by your own experience thâ—se Joyes or Torments which the wicked will not know by faith And O what a preparation doth such a change require II. You are next to know what persons they are and how they differ who must abide for ever in these different states As we are the Children of Adam we are all corrupted our minds are carnal and set upon this world and savour nothing but the things of the flesh And the further we go in sin the worse we are being strangers to the Life of faith and to the Love of God and the Life to come taking the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh for the felicity which we most desire and seek The name of this state in Scripture is Carnal and ungodly and unholy because such men live in a meer flâ—shly nature or disposition for fleshly ends in a fleshly manner and are not at all Devoted to God and carryed up to Heavenly Desires and Delights but live chiefly for this life and not for the life to come And though they may take up some kind of Religion in a second place and upon the by for fear of being damned when they can keep the world no longer yet is it this world which they principally value love and seek and their Religion is subject to their worldly and fleshly interest and delights And though God hath provided and offered them a Saviour to teach them better and reclaim and sanctifie them by his word and spirit and forgive them if they will believe in him and return yet do they sottishly neglect this mercy or obstinately refuse it and continue their worldly fleshly lives till time be past and mercy hath done and there is no remedy These are the men that God will condemn and this is the true description of them And it will not stand with the Governing-Justice and Holiness and truth of God to save them But on the other side all those that God will save do heartily believe in Iesus Christ who is sent of God to be the Saviour of souls and he maketh them know by his word and spirit their grievous sin and misery in their state of corrupted nature and he humbleth them for it and bringeth them to true Repentance and maketh them loath themselves for their iniquities and seeing how they have cast away and undone themselves and are no better than the slaves of Satan and the heirs of hell they joyfully accept of the remedy that is offered them in Christ They heartily take him for their Saviour and King and give up themselves in Covenant to him to be justified and sanctified by him whereupon he pardoneth all their sin and further enlighteneth and sanctifieth them by his spirit He sheweth them by faith the infinite Love of God and the sure everlasting Holy Ioyes which they may have in Heaven with him and how blessed a life they may there obtain through his purchase and gift with all the blessed Saints and Angels He maketh them deliberately to compare this offer of Eternal Happiness with all the pleasures and seeming commodities of sin and all that this deceitful world can do for them And having considered of both they see that there is no comparison to be made and are ashamed that ever they were so mad as to prefer Earth before Heaven and an inch of Time before Eternity and a dream of pleasure before the Everlasting Ioyes and to love the pleasures of a transitory world above the presence and favour and Glory of God! And for the time to come they are firmly Resolved what to do Even to take Heaven for their only Happiness and there to lay up their Hopes and Treasure and to live to God as they have done to the flesh and to make sure of their salvation whatever become of their worldly interest And thus the spirit doth dwell and work in them and renew their Hearts and give them a hatred to every sin and a Love to every holy thing even to the holy word and worship and wayes and servants of the Lord and in a word he maketh them New Creatures and though they have still their sinful imperfections yet the bent of their Hearts and Lives is Holy and Heavenly and they long to be perfect and are labouring after it and seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and live above the world and flesh And shortly Christ will make them perfect and Iustifie them in the day of their judgement and give them the Glorious end of all their faith obedience and patience These are the persons and none but these among us that have the use of Reason that shall live with God III. Now this being the infallible truth of the Gospel and this being the true difference between the Righteous and the wicked the Iustified and Condemned souls O how neerly doth it now concern you to try which of these is your own condition Certainly it may be known For God will judge the world in righteousness by the same Law or Covenant by which he Governeth them Know but whom the Law of Christ condemneth or justifieth and you may soon know whom the Judge will condemn and justifie For he will proceed according to this Law If you should die in an unrenewed state in your sins your Hopes of Heaven would all die with you And if you should think never so well of your self till death and pretend never so confidently to trust on Christ and the Mercy of God one hour will convince Mat. 18. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Joh. 3. 3 5 6. you to your everlasting woe that Gods mercy and Christs merits did never bring to Heaven an unsanctified soul. Self flattery is good for nothing but to keep you from Repenting till time be past and to quiet you in Satans snares till there be no remedy Therefore presently as you love your soul examine your self and try which of these is the condition that you are in and accordingly judge you self before God judge you May you not know if you will whether you have most minded Earth or Heaven and which you have preferred and sought with the highest esteem and Resolution and whether your Worldly or Heavenly interest have born sway and which of them it is that gave place unto the other Cannot a man tell if he will what it is which his very soul hath practically taken for his chief concernment and what it is that haâ—â— had most of his Love and Care and what hath been next his heart and which he hath preferred wheâ—â—hey came to the parting and one was set against the other Cannot you tell whether you have lived principally to the flesh for the prosperity of this world and the pleasures of sin or whether the spirit of Christ by his word hath enlightned you and shewed you your â—in and misery and humbled you for it and shewed you the Glory of the life to come and the happiness of living in the Love of God and hereupon hath
breach almost uncurable because no professions of repentance or future fidelity can be trusted Thus I have partly shewed you the Malignity of Perjury and Covenant-breaking § 3. Direct 2. Be sure that you make no Vow or Covenant which God hath forbidden you to keep Direct 2. It is rash vowing and swearing which is the common cause of Perjury You should at the making of your Vow have seen into the bottom of it and foreseen all the evils that might follow it and the Temptations which were like to draw you into perjury He is virtually perjured as soon as he hath sworn who sweareth to do that which he must not do The preventive means are here the best § 4. Direct 3. Be sure you take no Oath or Vow which you are not sincerely resolved to perform Direct 3. They that Swear or Vow with a secret reserve that rather than they will be ruined by keeping it they will break it are Habitually and Reputatively perjured persons even before they Lege distinctionem Grotii inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aanot. in Matth. 5. 33. Modern Policy supposed Dr. Sand rosts Princ. 7. 1. We are ready to interpret the words too kindly especially if they be ambiguous and its hard to find terms so positive but that they may be eluded indeed or seem to us to be so if we be disposed 2. Some are invited to illicite promises qua illicite because they know them to be invalid 3. Some are frighted into these bonds by threats and losses and temporal concernments and then they please themselves that they sweâ—r by Duâ—eâ—s and so are disengaged 4. Some are Oath-proof c. break it Besides that they shew a base hypocritical profligate conscience that can deliberately commit so great a sin § 5. Direct 4. See that all fleshly worldly interest be fully subdued to the interest of your souls Direct 4. and to the will of God He that at the heart sets more by his body than his soul and loveth his worldly prosperity above God will lye or swear or forswear or do any thing to save that carnal interest which he most valueth He that is carnal and worldly at the heart is false at the heart The Religion of such an Hypocrite will give place to his temporal safety or commodity and will carry him no further than the way is fair It is no wonder It is one of Solons sayings in Laertius p. 51. Probiâ—itateâ—n â—uâ—â—â—â—rando certiorem habe What will not an Atheistical impious person say or swear for advantage that a proud man or a worldling will renounce both God and his true felicity for the World seeing indeed he taketh it for his God and his felicity even as a Believer will renounce the world for God § 6. Direct 5. Beware of inordinate fear of man and of a distrustful withdrawing of your hearts Direct 5. from God Else you will be carryed to comply with the will of man before the will of God and to avoid the wrath of man before the wrath of God Read and fear that heavy curse Ier. 17. 5 6. God is unchangeable and hath commanded you so far to imitate him as If a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Numb 30. 2. But man is mutable and so is his interest and his affairs And therefore if you are the servants of men you must swear one year and for swear it or swear the contrary the next when their interest requireth it you must not be thought worthy to live among men if you will not promise or swear as they command you And when their interest altereth and requireth the contrary you must hold all those bonds to be but straws and break them for their end◠§ 7. Direct 6. Be sure that you lose not the fear of God and the tenderness of your consciences Direct 6. When these are lost your understanding and sense and life is lost and you will not stick at the greatest wickedness nor know when you have done it what you did If faith see not God continually present and foresee not the great approaching day Perjury or any villany will seem tolerable for worldly ends For when you look but to mens present case you will see that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hands of God no man knoweth Love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the Good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an â—ath Eccles. 9. 1 2. But in the end men shall discern between the righteous and the wicked Mal. 3. 18. Therefore it is the believing foresight of the end that by preserving the fear of God and tenderness of Conscience must save you from this and all other heynous sin § 8. Direct 7. Be not bold and rash about such dreadful things as Vows Run not as fearlesly Direct 7. upon them as if you were but going to your dinner The wrath of God is not to be jeasted with Usq ad aras was the bounds even of a Heathens kindness to his friend Meddle with Oathes with the greatest fear and caution and circumspection It 's terrible here to find that you were mistaken through any temerity or negligence or secret seduction of a carnal interest § 9. Direct 8. Especially be very fearful of owing any publick doctrine or doing any publick act Direct 8. which tendeth to harden others in their Perjury or to encourage multitudes to commit the sin To be Nunc nunâ— qui sâ—dera rumpit Ditatur Qui servat â—get Claud. anâ— forsworn your selves is a dreadful case but to teach whole Nations or Churches to forswear themselves or to plead for it or justifie it as a lawful thing is much more dreadful And though you teach not or own not Perjury under the name of Perjury yet if first you will make plain perjury to seem no Perjury that so you may justifie it it is still a most inhumane horrid act God knoweth I insult not over the Papists with a delight to make any Christians odious But with grief I remember how lamentably they have abused our holy profession while not only their great Doctors but their approved General Council at the Laterane under P. Innocent the third in the third Canon hath Decreed that the Pope may depose Temporal Lords from their Dominions and give them unto others and discharge their Vassals from their Allegiance and fidelity if they be hereticks or will not exterminate Hereticks even such as the holy men there condemned were in the Popes account To declare to
the safety of a Kingdom Or doth that tend to the honour of the children of God which is the shame of common men Or is that the safety of his Kingdom which is the ruine of all others We are all fellow-citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 19. We are Gods building 1 Cor. 3. 9. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Will he destroy the defilers and will he Love the Dividers and destroyers If it be so great a sin to go to Law unnecessarily with Brethren or to wrong them 1 Cor. 6. 8. What is it to disown them and cast them off And if they that salute and love only their Brethren and not also their enemies are not the Children of God Matth. 5. 47. What are they that separate from and condemn even their brethren § 71. 5. Church-dividers either would Divide Christ himself between them or else would rob him of a great part of his inheritance And neither of these is a little sin If you make several bodies you would have several Heads And is Christ divided saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 13. Will you make him a Sect Master He will be your common head as Christians but he will be no Head of your Sects and Parties I will not name them Or would you tear out of the hands of Christ any part of his possessions Will he cut them off because you cut them off Will he separate them from himself because you separate from them or separate them from you Will he give them a bill of divorce when ever you are pleased to lay any odious accusation against them Who shall condemn them when it is he that justifieth them Who shall separate them from the Love of God Can your Censure or separation do it when neither life nor death nor any creature can do it Rom. 8. 33 c. Hath he not told you that he will give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand John 10. 28. Will he lose his Iewels because you cast them away as dirt He suffered more for souls than you and better knoweth the worth of souls And do you think he will forget so dear a purchase or take it well that you rob him of that which he hath bought so dearly Will you give the members and inheritance of Christ to the Devil and say They are Satans and none of Christs Who art thou that judgest another mans servant § 72. 6. Church-dividers are guilty of self-ignorance and pride and great unthankfulness against that God that beareth with so much in them who so censoriously cast off their brethren Wast thou ever humbled for thy sin Dost thou know who thou art and what thou carryest about thee and how much thou offendest God thy self If thou do surely thou wilt judge tenderly of thy brethren as knowing what a tender hand thou needest and what mercy thou hast found from God Can he cruelly judge his brethren to Hell upon his petty differences who is sensible how the gracious hand of his Redeemer did so lately snatch him from the brink of Hell Can he be forward to condemn his brethren that hath been so lately and mercifully saved himself § 73. 7. Church-dividers are the most successful servants of the Devil being enemies to Christ in his family and livery They gratifie Satan and all the Enemies of the Church and do the very work that he would have them do more effectually than open enemies could do it As Mutineers in an Army may do more to destroy it than the power of the Enemy § 74. 8. It is a sin that contradicteth all Gods Ordinances and Means of Grace which are purposely to procure and maintain the Unity of his Church The Word and Baptism is to gather them into one body and the Lords Supper to signifie and maintain their Concord as being one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10. 17. And all the communion of the Church is to express and to maintain this concord The use of the Ministry is much to this end to be the bonds and joynts of the unity of believers Ephes. 4. 13 14 16. All these are contemned and frustrated by Dividers § 75. 9. Church-division is a sin especially to us against as great and lamentable experiences as almost any sin can be About sixteen hundred years the Church hath smarted by it In many Countreys where the Gospel prospered and Churches flourished division hath turned all into desolation and delivered them up to the curse of Mahometanism and Infidelity The contentions between Constantinople and Rome the Eastern and the Western Churches have shaken the Christian interest upon Earth and delivered up much of the Christian world to tyranny and blindness and given advantage to the Papacy to captivate and corrupt much of the rest by pretending it self to be the Center of Unity O what glorious Churches where the Learned Writers of those ages once lived are now extinct and the places turned to the Worship of the Devil and a Deceiver through the ambition and contentions of the Bishops that should have been the bonds of their Unity and peace But doth England need to look back into History or look abroad in forreign Lands for instances of the sad effects of discord Is there any one good or bad in this age that hath spent his dayes in such a sleep as not to know what Divisions have done when they have made such ruines in Church and State and kindled such consuming flames and raised so many Sects and Parties and filled so many hearts with uncharitable rancour and so many mouths with slanders and revilings and turned so many prayers into sin by poysoning them with pride and factious oppositions and hath let out streams of blood and fury over all the Land He that maketh light of the Divisions of Christians in these Kingdoms or loveth not those that speak against them doth shew himself to be so impenitent in them as to be one of those terrible effects of them that should be a pillar of Salt to warn after agis to take heed § 76. 10. Yea this is a heinous aggravation of this sin that commonly it is justified and not repented of by those that do commit it When a drunkard or a whoremonger will confess his sin a Church-divider will stand to it and defend it And wo to them that call evil good and good evil Impenitency is a terrible aggravation of sin § 77. 11. And it is yet the more heinous in that it is commonly fathered upon God If a drunkard or whoremonger should say God commandeth me to do it and I serve God by it would you not think this a horrid aggravation When did you ever know a Sect or party
serve the Devil and the Flesh. God must be our First and Last and All. § 4. Not that any exact or full Body or Method of Divinity is to be Learnt so early But 1. The Baptismal Covenant must be well opened betime and frequently urged upon their hearts 2. Therefore the Creed the Lords Prayer and Decalogue must be opened to such betime that is They must be wisely Catechised 3. They must be taught the Scripture History especially Genesis and the Gospel of Christ. 4. They must with the other Scriptures read the most plain and suitable Books of practical Divinâ—s after named 5. They must be kept in the company of suitable wise and exemplary Christians whose whole conversation will help them to the sense and Love of Holiness And must be kept strictly from perverting wicked company 6. They must be frequently lovingly familiarly yet seriously treated with about the state of their own souls and made to know their need of Christ and of his holy spirit of Justification and Renovation 7. They must be trained up in the Practice of Godliness in Prayer pious speeches and obedience to God and man 8. They must be kept under the most powerful and profitable Ministers of Christ that can be had 9. They must be much urged to the study of their own hearts To know themselves what it is to be a Man to have Reason Free-will and an Immortal soul what it is to be a Child of Lapsed Adam and an unregenerate unpardoned sinner what it is to be a Redeemed and a sanctified Justified person and an adopted heir of life eternal And by close examination to know which of these conditions is their own To know what is their daily duty and what their danger and what their Temptations and impediments and how to escape § 5. For if once the soul be truly sanctified then 1. Their salvation is much secured and the main work of their lives is happily begun and they are ready to Die safely when ever God shall call them hence 2. It will possess them with a right end in all the studies and labours of their lives which is an unspeakable advantage both for their pleasing of God and profiting themselves and others without which they will but prophane Gods name and word and turn the Ministry into a worldly fleshly life and study and Preach for Riches Preferment or applause and live as he Luk. 12. 18 19. Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry and they will make Theology the way to hell and study and preach their own condemnation 3. A Holy heart will be alwayes under the Greatest Motives and therefore will be constantly and powerfully impelled as well in secret as before others to diligence in studies and all good endeavours 4. And it will make all sweet and easie to them as being a noble work and relishing of Gods Love and the endless Glory to which it tendeth A holy soul will all the year long be employed in sacred studies and works as a good stomach at a feast with constant pleasure And then O how happily will all go on When a carnal person with a dull unwilling weary mind taketh now and then a little when his carnal interest it self doth prevail against his more slothful sensual inclinations but he never followeth it with hearty affections and therefore seldom with good success 4. And a holy soul will be a continual Treasury and fountain of holy matter to pour out to others when they come to the Sacred Ministry so that such a one can say more from the feeling and experience of his soul than another can in a long time gather from his Books 5. And that which he saith will come warm to the hearers in a more lively experimental manner than usual carnal Preachers speak 6. And it is liker to be attended by a greater blessing from God 7. And there are many Controversies in the Church which an experienced holy person caeteris paribus hath great advantage in above all others to know the right and be preserved from errours § 6. Direct 2. Let young mens time till about 18 19 or 20 be spent in the improvement of their Memories rather than in studies that require much judgement Therefore let them take that time to get Organical knowledge such as are the Latine and Greek tongues first and chiefly and then the Hebrew Chaldee Syriack and Arabick with the exactest acquaintance with the true Precepts of Logick And let them learn some Epiâ—ome of Logick without Book In this time also let them be much conversant in History both Civil Scholastical of Philosophers Orators Poets c. and Ecclesiastical And then take in as much of the Mathematicks as their more necessary studies will allow them time for still valuing Knowledge according to the various degrees of usefulness § 7. Direct 3. When you come to seek after more abstruse and real wisdom joyn together the study of Physicks and Theologie and take not your Physicks as separated from or independant on Theologie But as the study of God in his works and of his works as leading to himself Otherwise you will be but like a Scrivener and Printer who maketh his Letters well but knoweth not what they signifie § 8. Direct 4. Unite all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or knowledge of Real eâ—tities into one science both spirits and Bodies God being taken in as the First and last the Original Director and End of all And study not the doctrine of Bodies alone as separated from spirits For it is but an imaginary separation and a delusion to mens minds Or if you will call them by the name of several sciences be sure you so link those severals together that the due dependance of bodies on spirits and of the Passive natures on the Active may still be kept discemable And then they will be one while you call them divers § 9. Direct 5. When you study only to know what is True you must begin at the Primum câ—gnoscibile and so rise in ordine cognoscendi But when you would come to see things in their proper Order by a more perfect satisfying knowledge you must draw up a synthetical sebeme juxta ordinem â—ssendi where God must be the First and Last the first Efficient Governour and End of all § 10. Direct 6. Your first study of Philosophy therefore should be of your selves To know a man And the Knowledge of mans soul is a part so necessary so neer so useful that it should take up both the first and largest room in all your Physicks or knowledge of Gods works Labour therefore to be accurate in this § 11. Direct 7. With the knowledge of your selves joyn the Knowledge of the rest of the works of God but according to the usefulness of each part to your moral duty and as all are Related to God and You. § 12. Direct 8. Be sure in all your progress that you keep a distinct knowledge of things certain and things
is good neither to eat flesh or drink wine or any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is scandalized or offended or made weak It is a making weak So 2 Cor. 11. 29. Who is offended that is stumbled or hindered or ready to apostatize So much for the nature and sorts of Scandal § 22. IV. You are next to observe the Aggravations of this â—in Which briefly are such as these 1. Scandal is a murdering of souls It is a hindering of mens salvation and an enticing or driving them towards Hell And therefore in some respect worse than murder as the soul is better than the body 2. Ssandal is a fighting against Jesus Christ in his work of mans salvation He came to seek and to save that which was lost and the scandalizer seeketh to lose and destroy that which Christ would seek and save 3. Scandal robbeth God of the hearts and service of his creatures For it is a raising in them a distaste of his people and word and wayes and of himself and a turning from him the hearts of those that should adhere unto him 4 Scandal is a serving of the Devil in his proper work of enmity to Christ and perdition of souls Scandalizers do his work in the world and propagate his Cause and Kingdom § 23. V. The means of avoiding the guilt of Scandal are as followeth § 23. Direct 1. Mistake not with the vulgar the nature of scandal as if it lay in that offending Direct 1. men which is nothing but grieving or displeasing them or in making your selves to be of evil report But remember that Scandal is that offending men which tempteth them into sin from God and Godliliness and maketh them stumble and fall or occasioneth them to think evil of a holy life It is a piâ—iâ—ul thing to hear religious persons plead for the sin of man-pleasing under the name of avoiding scandal yea to hear them set up a Usurped dominion over the lives of other men and all by the advantage of the word scandal misunderstood So that all men must avoid what ever a censorious person will call scandalous when he meaneth nothing else himself by scandal than a thing that is of evil report with such as he Yea Pride it self is often pleaded for by this misunderstanding of Scandal and men are taught to overvalue their reputations and to strain their consciences to keep up their esteem and all under pretence of avoiding scandal And in the mean time they are really scandalous even in that action by which they think they are avoiding it I need no other instance than the case of unwarrantable separation Some will hold communion with none but the re-baptized Some think an imposed Liturgy is enough to prove communion with such a Church unlawful at least in the use of it And almost every Sect do make their differences a reason for their separating from other Churches And if any one would hold communion with those that they separate from they presently say that it is scandalous to do so and to joyn in any worship which they think unlawful and by scandal they mean no more but that it is among them of evil report and is offensive or displeasing to them Whereas indeed the argument from scandal should move men to use such communion which erroneous uncharitable dividing men do hold unlawful For else by avoiding that communion I shall lay a stumbling block in the way of the weak I shall tempt him to think that a duty is a sin and weaken his charity and draw him into a sinful separation or the neglect of some Ordinances of God or opportunities of getting good And it is this Temptation which is indeed the scandal This is before proved in the instance of Peter Gal. 2. who scandalized or hardened the Jews by yielding to a sinful separation from the Gentiles and fearing the Censoriousness of the Jews whom he sought to please and the offending of whom he was avoiding when he really offended them that is was a scandal or temptation to them § 24. Direct 2. He that will escape the guilt of Scandal must be no contemner of the souls of others Direct 2. but must be truly charitable and have a tender love to souls That which a man highly valueth and dearly loveth he will be careful to preserve and loth to hurt Such a man will easily part with his own rights or submit to losses injuries or disgrace to preserve his Neighbours soul from sin Whereas a despiser of souls will insist upon his own power and right and honour and will entrap and damn a hundred souls rather than he will abate a word or a Ceremony which he thinks his interest requireth him to exact Tell him that it will ensnare mens souls in sin and he is ready to say as the Phariseâ—s to Iudâ—s What 's that to us See thou to that A Dog hath as much pity on a Hare or a Hawk on a Partridge as a carnal worldly ambitious Diotrephes or an Elymas hath of souls Tell him that it will occasion men to sin to wound their Consciences to offend their God it moveth him no more than to tell him of the smallest incommodity to himself He will do more to save a Horse or a Dog of his own than to save anothers soul from sin To lay snares in their way or to deprive them of the preaching of the Gospel or other means of their salvation is a thing which they may be induced to by the smallest interest of their own yea though it be but a point of seeming honour And therefore when carnal worldly men do become the disposers of matters of Religion it is easie to see what measure and usage men must expect Yea though they assume the office and name of Pastors who should have the most tender fatherly care of the souls of all the flocks yet will their carnal inclinations and interests engage them in the work of Wolves to entrap or famish or destroy Christs Sheep § 25. Direct 3. Also you must be persons who value your own souls and are diligently exercised in Direct 3. saving them from temptations or else you are very like to be scandalizers and tempters of the souls of others And therefore when such a man is made a Church Governour as is unacquainted with the renewing work of grace and with the inward Government of Christ in the soul what Devilish work is he like to make among the sheep of Christ under the name of Government What corrupting of the Doctrine Worship or Discipline of Christ What inventions of his own to ensnare mens Consciences and driving them on by armed force to do that which at least to them is sin and which can never countervail the loss either of their souls or of the Church by such disturbances How merciless will he be when a poor member of Christ shall beg of him but to have pity on his soul and tell him I cannot do this or swear
Direct 3. Consider that to think ill of God is to think him to be a Devil and to think ill of Direct 3. godliness is to take it to be wickedness And can man be guilty of a more devilish crime Nâ—y is it not worse than the Devil that tempteth you to it can commit To be God is to be Good even the Infinite Eternal perfect Good in whom is no evil nor none can be To be a Devil is to be Evil even the chief that Do-evil and would draw others so to do It is not an ugly shape in which a Painter doth represent the Devil which sheweth us his ugliness indeed An enemy of Godliness is liker to him than that picture It is his sinfulness against God which is his true deformity Therefore to suspect God to be Evil is to suspect him to be the Devil so horrid a blasphemy doth this sin partake of And if Godliness be bad then He that is the Author and End of it cannot be Good Direct 4. § 7. Direct 4. Consider what horrible blindness it is to impute mens faults to God who is the greatest adversary to sin in all the world and who will most severely punish it and to Godliness which is perfectly its contrary There is no Angel in Heaven so little to be suspected to be the friend of sin as God Creatures are mutable in themselves Angels have the innocent imperfection of creatures Saints on earth have a culpable imperfection through the remainder of sin If you had only suspected these you might have had some pretence for it But to quarrel with God or Godliness is madder than to think that Light is the cause of darkness § 8. Direct 5. And think what extremity of injury and injustice this is to God to blame him or his Direct 5. Laws for those sins of men which are committed against him and his Laws Who is it that sin is committed against but God Is it not he that made the Laws which it is the transgression of Are not those Laws think you strict enough against it Is it not their strictness which such as you dislike Were they Laws that would give you leave to be worldly sensual and proud you would never quarrel with them And yet you charge mens sins on these Laws because they are so strict against them Do you impute sin to God because he will judge men for it to Hell fire and cast them for ever out of his glorious presence into misery O cursed impudence How righteous is God in condemning such malicious souls Tell us if you can Would you have had God to have forbidden sin more strictly Or condemned it more severely Or punished it more terribly If you would you pray for greater vengeance than Hell upon your selves Wo to you when he executeth but so much as he hath already threatned Shall the crime of Rebels be imputed to the King against whom they rebel If a Thief shall rob you or a servant deceive you or a Son despise you is he just that will so much increase your injury as to lay the blame of all upon your selves You 'l say It is not God that we are offended with But if it be at a Holy life it is at God For what is Godliness but the loving and serving and obeying God If you say that it is not Godliness neither Why then do you distaste or speak against a godly life on this occasion If you say It is these Hypocrites only that we dislike What do you dislike them for Is it for their Virtue or their Vices If it be for their sins Why then do you not speak and do more against sin in your selves and others We will concurr with you to the utmost in opposing sin where ever it be found If it be their Hypocrisie that you blame perswade your selves and other men to be sincerely godly How would you have Hypocrisie avoided By an open profession to serve the Devil Or by sincerity in serving God If the latter Why then do you think evil of the most serious obedience to God Alas all Christian Countreys are too full of Hypocrites Every one that is Baptized and professeth Christianity is a Saint or an Hypocriâ—e All drunken covetous ambitious sensual unclean Christians are Hypocrites and not Christians indeed And these Hypocrites can quietly live a worldly fleshly life and never lament their own hypocrisie nor their perfidious violating their Baptismal Vow But if one that seemeth diligent for his soul prove an Hypocrite or fall into any scandalous sin here they presently make an ouâ—cry not to call the man from his sin but to make a godly diligent life seem odious to all by telling men These are your godly men It is Godliness that they quarrel with while they pretend only to find fault with sin Why else do not you find fault with the same sin equally in all Or at least perswade men by such examples to be less sinful and more watchful and not to be less religious and more loose Tell me truly of any one that is more against sin than God or any thing more contrary to it than Godliness and true Religion or any men that do more against it than the most Religious and then I will joyn with you in preferring those Till then remember how you condemn your selves when you condemn them that are better than your selves § 9. Direct 6. Think what a foolish audacious thing it is to set your selves against your God and Iudge Direct 6. Will you accuse him of evil because men do evil Are you fit to judge him Are guilty Worms either Wise or Iust enough for such an attempt or strong enough to bear it out What do you but set your faces against Heaven and profess Rebellion against God when you blame his Laws and Government and think the obeying and serving him to be evil § 10. Direct 7. Consider what cruelty it is to your selves to turn the saults of others to your Direct 7. ruine which should be your warning to avoid the like If another man sin will you not only do so too but be the more averse to Repentance and Reformation Will you cut your throat because another cut his finger or did so before you Why should you do your selves such mischief § 11. Direct 8. Remember that this was the design of the Devil in tempting religious people to sin Direct 8. not only to destroy them but to undo you and others by their falls If he can make you think the worse of Religion he hath his design and will He hath killed many at a blow Yeâ— perhaps the sinner may Repent and be forgiven when you that are driven from Repentance and Godliness by the scandal may be damned And will you so far gratifie the Devil in the wilful destruction of your selves Sin is contagious And this is your catching of the infection if it prevail to drive you further from God And thus this
of debauchery when temptations at home are greater than those abroad or in a time of such persecution as may lawfully be avoided than at another time 12. A setled Christian may go more safely and therefore lawfully on smaller urgencies than a young raw lustful fanciful unsetled Novice may II. Neg. 1. It is not lawful for any one to seek Riches or Trade abroad or at home principally for the Love of Riches to raise himself and family to fulness prosperity or dignity though all this may be desired when it is a Means to Gods service and honour and the publick good and is desired principally as such a Means 2. It is not lawful to go abroad especially into Infidel or Popish Countreys without such a justifiable business whose Commodity will suffice to weigh down all the losses and dangers of the remove 3. The dangers and losses of the soul are to be valued much above those of the body and estate and cannot be weighed down by any meer corporal commodity 4. It is more dangerous usually to go among Turks and Heathens whose Religion hath no tempting power to seduce men than among Socinians or Papists whose errors and sins are cunningly and learnedly promoted and defended 5. It is not lawful for Merchants or others for Trade and love of wealth or money to send poor raw unsetled youths into such Countreys where their souls are like to be notably endangered either by being deprived of such teaching and Church helps which they need or by being exposed to the dangerous temptations of the place Because their souls are of more worth than money 6. It is not lawful therefore for Master or servant to venture his own soul in such a case as this last mentioned that is so far as he is free and without necessity doth it only for commodity sake 7. We may not go where we cannot publickly worship God without necessity or some inducement from a greater good 8. The more of these hinderances concurr the greater is the sin It is therefore a meer wilful casting away of their own souls when unfurnished unsetled youths or others like them shall for meer humour fancy or covetousness leave such a Land as this where they have both publick and private helps for their salvation and to go among Papists Infidels or Heathens where talk or ill example is like to endanger them and no great good can be expected to countervail such a hazard nor is there any true necessity to drive them and where they cannot publickly worship God no nor openly own the truth and where they have not so much as any private company to converse with that is fit to further their preservation and salvation and all this of their own accord c. Quest. 2. May a Merchant or Embassador leave his Wife to live abroad Quest. 2. Answ. 1. We must distinguish between what is necessitated and what is Voluntary 2. Between what is done by the Wives consent and what is done without 3. Between a Wife that can bear such absence and one that cannot 4. Between a short stay and a long or continued stay 1. The command of the King or publick necessities may make it lawful except in a case so rare as is not to be supposed which therefore I shall not stand to describe For though it be a very tender business to determine a difference between the publick authority or interest and family relaons and interest when they are contradictory and unreconcileable yet here it seemeth to me that the Prince and publick interest may dispose of a man contrary to the will and interest of his Wife Yea though it were probable that it would occasion the loss 1. Of her Chastity 2. Or her Understanding 3. Or her life and though the Conjugal bond do make man and Wife to be as one flesh For 1. The King and publick interest may oblige a man to hazard his own life and therefore his Wives In case of War he may be sent to Sea or beyond Sea and so both leave his Wife as Uriah did and venture himself Who ever thought that no Married man might go to forreign Wars without his Wives consent 2. Because as the whole is more noble than the Part so he that marrieth obligeth himself to his Wife but on supposition that he is a member of the Common-wealth to which he is still more obliged than to her 2. A man may for the benefit of his family leave his Wife for travel or Merchandize for a time when they mutually consent upon good reason that it is like to be for their good 3. He may not leave her either without or with her own consent when a greater hurt is like to come by it than the gain will countervail I shall say no more of this because the rest may be gathered from what is said in the cases about duties to Wives where many other such are handled Quest. 3. Is it lawful for young Gentlemen to travel in other Kingdoms as part of their education Quest. 3. Lege Euryciâ— Pateani Orat. 9. Answ. The many distinctions which were laid down for answer of the first question must be here supposed and the answer will be mostly the same as to that and therefore need not be repeated 1. It is lawful for them to travel that are necessarily driven out of their own Countrey by persecution poverty or any other necessitating cause 2. It is lawful to them that are commanded by their Parents unless in some excepted cases which I will not stay to name 3. It is the more lawful when they travel into Countreys as good or better than their own where they are like to get more good than they could have done at home 4. It is more lawful to one that is prudent and firmly setled both in Religion and in Sobriety and Temperance against all temptations which he is like to meet with than to one that is unfurnished for a due resistance of the temptations of the place to which he goeth 5. It is more lawful to one that goeth in sober wise and godly company or is sent with a wise and faithful Tutor and Overseer than to leave young unsetled persons to themselves 6. In a word It is lawful when there is a rational probability that they will not only get more good than hurt for that will not make it lawful but also more Good than they could probably have other wayes attained II. But the too ordinary course of young Gentlemens travels out of England now practised I take to be but a most dangerous hazarding if not a plain betraying them to utter undoing and to make them afterwards the plagues of their Countrey and the instruments of the common calamity For 1. They are ordinarily sent into Countreys far worse and more dangerous than their own where the temptations are stronger than they are fit to deal with Into some Countreys where they are tempted to sensuality and into some where they are
names to Mammon and be not such paultry hypocrites as to profess that you believe the Scriptures and stand to your baptismal Vows and place your hopes in a Crucified Christ and your happiness in Gods favour and the life to come And if the preaching of the Gospel and all such religious helps be unnecessary to your unsetled children dissemble not by going to Church as if you took them to be necessary to your selves In a word I say as Elias to the Israelites Why halt ye between two opinions If God be God follow him If the world be God and Pride and Sensuality and the worlds applause be your felicity follow it and let it be your childrens portion Do you not see more wise and learned and holy and serviceable persons among us proportionably in Church and State that were never sent for an education among the Papists and prophane than of such as were But I will proceed to the Directions which are necessary to those that must or will needs go abroad either as Merchants Factors or as Travellers Direct 1. Be sure that you go not without a clear warrant from God which must be all things Direct 1. laid together a great probability in the judgement of impartial experienced wise men that you may get or do more good than you were like to have done at home For if you go sinfully without a Call or Warrant you put your self out of Gods protection as much as in you is that is you forfeit it And what ever plague befalls you it will arm your accusing Consciences to make it double Direct 2. Send with your children that travel some such pious prudent Tutor or Oversâ—â—r as is Direct 2. afore described And get them or your Apprentices into as good company as possibly you can Direct 3. Send them as the last part of all their education when they are setled in knowledge Direct 3. sound doctrine and godliness and have first got such acquaintance with the state of the world as Reading Maps and Conversation and Discourse can help them to And not while they are young and raw and uncapable of self-defence or of due improving what they see And those that are thus prepared will have no great lust or fancy to wander and lose their time without necessity For they will know that there is nothing better considerably to be seen abroad than is at home That in all Countreys Houses are Houses and Cities are Cities and Trees are Trees and Beasts are Beasts and Men are Men and Fools are Fools and Wise men are Wise and Learned men are Learned and Sin is Sin and Virtue is Virtue And these things are but the same abroad as at home And that a Grave is every where a Grave and you are travelling towards it which way ever you go And happy is he that spendeth his little time so as may do God best service and best prepare him for the state of immortality Direct 4. If experience of their youthful lust and pride and vitious folly or unsetled dangerous Direct 4. state doth tell you plainly that your Child or Apprentice is unfit for travel venture them not upon it either for the carnal ornaments of education or for your worldly gain For souls that cost the blood of Christ are more pretious than to be sold at so low a rate And especially by those Parents and Masters that are doubly obliged to love them and to guide them in the way to Heaven and must be answerable for them Direct 5. Choose those Countreys for your Children to travel in which are soundest in doctrine Direct 5. and of best example and where they may get more good than hurt and venture them not needlesly into the places and company of greatest danger especially among the Jesuits and Fryars or subtile Hereticks or enemies of Christ. Direct 6. Study before you go what particular Temptations you are like to meet with and study Direct 6. well for particular Preservatives against them all As you will not go into a place infected with the Plague without an Antidote It is no small task to get a mind prepared for travel Direct 7. Carry with you such Books as are fittest for your use both for Preservation and Edification Direct 7. As to preserve you from Popery Drelincourts and Mr. Pools small Manual For which use my Key for Catholicks and Safe Religion and Sheet against Popery may not be useless And Dr. Challoners Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam is short and very strong To preserve you against Infidelity Vander Meulin in Latin and Grotius and in English my Reasons of the Christian Religion may not be unfit For your practice the Bible and the Practice of Piety and Mr. Scudders Daily Walk and Mr. Reyners Directions and Dr. Ames Cases of Conscience Direct 8. Get acquaintance with the most able Reformed Divines in the places where you travel Direct 8. and make use of their frequent converse for your edification and defence For it is the wisest and best men in all Countreys where you come that must be profitable to you if any Direct 9. Set your selves in a course of regular study if you are Travellers as if you were at Direct 9. home and on a course of regular employment if you are Tradesmen and make not meer wandering and gazing upon novelties your Trade and Business But redeem your time as laboriously as you would do in the most setled life For time is precious where ever you be And it must be diligence every where that must cause your proficiency for Place and Company will not do it without your labour It is not an University that will make a sluggish person wise nor a forreign Land that will furnish a sensual sot with wisdom Coelum non animum mutant qui trans more currunt There is more ado necessary to make you wise or bring you to Heaven than to go long journeys or see many people Direct 10. Avoid temptations If you acquaint your selves with the humours and sinful opinions Direct 10. and fashions of the time and places where you are let it be but as the Lacodamonians called out their children to see a drunkard to hate the sin Therefore see them but taste them not as you would do by poyson or lothesome things Once or twice seeing a folly and sin is enough If you do it frequently custome will abate your detestation and do much to reconcile you to it Direct 9. Set your selves to do all the good you can to the miserable people in the places where Direct 9. you come Furnish your selves with the foresaid Books and Arguments not only to preserve your selves but also to convince poor Infidels and Papists And pity their souls as those that believe that there is indeed a life to come where Happiness and Misery will shew the difference between the godly and the wicked Especially Merchants and Factors who live constantly among the poor ignorant
c. because the changes may be such which God will make as shall make that way to be one year necessary which before was not and so change your duty We cannot prescribe to God what way he shall appoint us for the future to use his talents in His Word bids us prefer the greatest good but which is the greatest his providence must tell us 8. He that hath no more than is necessary to the very preservation of his own life and his families is not bound to give to others unless in some extraordinary case which calleth him to prefer a greater and more publick good And he that hath no more than is needful to the comfortable support of himself and family is not bound to relieve those that have no greater wants than himself And his own necessity is not to be measured meerly by what he hath but by the use he hath for it For a Magistrate or one that is engaged in publick works may have as much need of many hundreds a year as a private man of many pounds 9. Those that have many children to provide for or poor kindred that nature casteth on them cannot give so much proportionably to other poor as those are bound to do that have few or none For these are bound to give all except their personal necessaries to publick pious or charitable works because God calleth not for it any other way 10. To pamper the flesh is a sin as well in the Rich as in the Poor The Rich therefore are bound not only to give all that the flesh can spare when it s own inordinate desires are satisfied but to deny themselves and mortifie the flesh and be good husbands for God and studiousness to retrench all unnecessary expences and to live Laboriously and Thriftily that they may have the more to do good with It is a great extenuation of the largest gifts as to Gods esteem when they are but the leavings of the flesh and are given out of mens abundance and when we offer that to God that costeth us nothing As Christ doth purposely determine the case Luke 21. 1 2 3 4. comparing the Rich mans gifts with the Widows two mites he said Of a truth I say unto you that this poor Widow hath cast in more than they all For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had that is all the stock she had before-hand though she had need of it her self It is a very considerable thing in our charity how much mortification and self-denyal is expressed in it and how much it costeth our own flesh to give to others And therefore they that think they are excused from doing good to others as long as they have any need of it themselves and will give nothing but what they have no need of it being not of absolute necessity to their lives do offer a sacrifice of no great value in the eyes of God What then shall we say of them that will not give even out of their abundance and that which without any suffering they may spare 11. The first and principal thing to be done by one that would give as God would have him is to get a truly charitable heart which containeth all â—â—ese parts 1. That we see God in his needy creatures and â—â— his cause or work that needs our help 2. That we be sensible of his abundant love in Christ to us in giving pardon and eternal life and that from the sense of this our thankful hearts are moved to do good to others 3. That therefore we do it ultimately as to Christ himself who taketh that which is done for his cause and servants as done to him Matth. 25. 40. 4. That we conquer the cursed sin of selfishness which makes men little regard any but themselves 5. That we love our Neighbours as our selves and love most where there is most of God and goodness and not according to self-interest And that as members of the same Body we take our brethrens wants and sufferings as our own and then we should be as ready to help them as our selves 6. That we know the vanity of worldly riches and be not earthly-minded but regard the interest of God and our souls above all the treasures of the world 7. That we unfeignedly believe the promises of God who hath engaged himself to provide for us and everlastingly to reward us in glory with himself If these seven qualifications be wrought upon the Heart good works will plentifully follow Make but the Tree good and the fruit will be good But when the Heart is void of the root and life which should produce them the Iudgement will not be perswaded that so much is necessary and required of us and the will it self will still hang back and be delaying to do good and doing all pinchingly and hypocritically with unwillingness and distrust No wonder if good works are so rare when it is evident that to do them sincerely and heartily as our Trade and business it is necessary that the whole soul be thus renewed by faith and love and self-denyal and mortification and by a Heavenly hope and mind They are the fruits and works of the new creature which is alas too rare in the world For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Ephes. 2. 10. Therefore our first and chiefest labour should be to be sure that we are furnished with such hearts and then if we have wherewith to do good such hearts will be sure to do it Such hearts will best discern the time and measure as a healthful mans appetite will in eating For they will take it for a mercy and happiness to do good and know that it is they that give that are the great receivers It is but a little money or alms that the poor receive of us but it is Gods acceptance and favour and reward that wâ— receive which is in this life a hundred fold in value and in the world to come eternal life Matth. 19. 29. But if we have but little or nothing to give such a heart is accepted as if we had given as much as we desire to give so that if you have a heart that would give thousands if you had it God will set down upon your account so many thousands given in desire Your two mites shall be valued above all the superfluities of sensual worldlings For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. But God taketh not that for a willing mind which only saith I would give if I should suffer nothing by it my self or were sure I should not want But that which saith I will serve God as well as I can with my estate while I have it and deny my
had to mind If vain and empty persons like your selves commend you for your bravery or curiosity so will not any judicious sober person whose commendation is much worth And yet I must here with grief take notice that when some few that in other matters seem wise and Religious are themselves a little tainted with this childish curiosity and pride and let fall words of disparagement against those whose dress and dwellings and entertainments are not so curious as their own this proves the greatest maintainer of this sin and the most notable service to the devil For then abundance will plead this for this sinful curiosity and pride and say I shall else be accounted base or fordid even such and such will speak against me Take heed if you will needs be such your selves that you prate not against others that are not as vain and curious as you For the nature of man is more prone to Pride and Vanity than to Humility and the improvement of their Time and â—ost in greater matters and while you think that you speak but against indecency you become the Devils Preachers and do him more service than you consider of You may as wisely speak against people for using to eat or drink too little when there is not one of a multitude that liveth not ordinarily in excess and so excess will get advantage by it § 10. Direct 10. Be specially careful in the Government of your tongues and let your words be Direct 10. few and well considered before you speak them A double diligence is needful in this because it is the most common miscarriage of your Sex A laxative running tongue is so great a dishonour to you that I never knew a woman very full of words but she was the pity of her friends and the contempt of others who behind her back will make a scorn of her and talk of her as some crackt-brained or half-witted person yea though your talk be good it will be tedious and contemptible if it be thus poured out and be too cheap Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise You must answer in judgement for your idle words Matth. 12. 36. You will take it ill to be accounted fools and made the derision of those that talk of you Judge by the Scripture what occasion you give them Eccles. 5. 3 7. A dream cometh by the multitude of business and a fools voice iâ— known by multitude of words In the multitude of dreams and many words there are divers vanities Eccles. 10. 12 13 14. The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself The beginnings of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his talk is mischievous madness A fool also is full of words Whereas a woman that is canteâ—oâ—â— and sparing of her words is commonly reverenced and supposed to be wise So that if you had no higher design in it but meerly to be well thought of and honoured by men you can scarcely take a surer way than to let your words be few and weighty Though the avoiding of sin and unquietness should prevail with you much more § 11. Direct 11. Be willing and diligent in your proper part of the care and labour of the family Direct 11. As the primary provision of maintenance belongeth most to the Husband so the secondary provision within doors belongeth specially to the wiâ—e Read over and over the 31 Chap. of the Provâ— Especially the care of nursing your own children and teaching them and watching over them when they are young and also watching over the family at home when your Husbands are abroad is your proper work § 12. Direct 12. Dispose not of your Husbands estate without his knowledge and consent You Direct 12. are not only to consider whether the work be good that you lay it out upon but what power you Q. May a wife give without the Husbandâ— Consâ—nt â— have to do it Quest. But may a woman ' give nothing nor lay out nothing in the house without her Husbands consent Answ. 1. If she have his general or implicite consent it may suffice that is If he allow her to follow her judgement or if he commit such a proportion to her power to do what she will with it Or if she know that if he knew it he would not be against it 2. Or if the Law or his consent do give her any propriety in any part of his estate or make her a joynt proprietor she may proportionably dispose of it in a necessary case The Husband is considerable either as a See Dr â—â—gâ—â— on Family-Relation who saith the most against Womens giving Proprietor or as her Governour As a proprietor he only may dispose of the estate where he is the sole-proprietor But where consent or the Law of the Land doth make the Woman joynt-proprietor she is not disabled from giving for want of a propriety But then no Law exempteth her from his Government And therefore she is not to give any thing in a way of disobedience though it be her own Except when he forbiddeth that which is her duty or which he hath no power to forbid So that in case of joynt-propriety she may give without him so be it she exceed not her proportion and also if it be in a case of Duty where he may not hinder her As to save the lives of the poor in extream necessity famine or imprisonment or the like 3. But if the thing be wholly her own excepted from his propriety and she be sole-proprietor then she need not ask his consent at all any other way than as he is her Guide to direct her to the best way of disposing of it Which if he forbid her instead of directing her to it she is not thereby excusable before God for the abusing of her trust and Talents 4. I conceive that ad aliquid as to certain absolutely necessary uses the very Relation maketh the 2 Sam. 25. 18 29 30. Prov. 31. 11 12 13 20. Hos. 6. 6. Matth. 9. 1â— 12 7. 2 King 4. 9 22. Woman as a joynt proprietor As if her Husband will not allow her such food and rayment as is necessary to preserve the lives and health of herself and all her Children she is bound to do it without or against his will if she can and if it be not to a greater hurt and the estate be his own and he be able rather than let her Children contract such diseases as apparently will follow to the hazzard of their lives Yea and to save the life of another that in famine is ready to perish For she is not as a stranger to his estate But out of these cases if a Wife shall secretly waste or give or lay it out on bravery or vanity or set her wit against her Husbands and because she thinks him too