excite us continually to our Duty and to enable us to the most difficult parts of Obedience such as are most contrary to our natural inclinations and against the grain of flesh and blood to bear down the strength of Sin and Temptation and in all our Conflicts with the World and the Flesh the Devil and all the Powers of Darkness to make us victorious over them and in a word to be a Principle within us more mighty and powerful than the Lusts and Inclinations of our evil Hearts than the most obstinate and inveterate habits of Sin and Vice and than all the Temptations and Terrors of sense So that if we will make use of this assistance and lay hold of this strength which God affords us in the Gospel and as the Apostle expresseth it be workers together with God we need not despair of Victory and Success for our strength will continually encrease and the force and violence of our Lusts will be abated God will give us more grace and we shall walk from strength to strength and our path will be as Solomon says of the way of the Righteous as the light which shines more and more unto the perfect day For the Holy Spirit of God conducts and manageth this great work of our Sanctification and Salvation from first to last by opening our Hearts to let in the light of Divine Truth upon our Minds by representing to us with advantage such Arguments and Considerations as are apt to perswade us to embrace it and yield to it by secret and gentle reprehensions softning our hard hearts and bâ—nding our stiff and stubborn Wills to a compliance with the Will of God and our Duty And this is that great Work which the Scripture calls our Regeneration and Sanctification the turning us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God a new Creation and a Resurrection from the Death of Sin to the Life of Holiness And then by leading and directing us in the ways of Holiness and Obedience by quickning our Devotion and stirring up in us Holy Desires and Dispositions of Soul rendring us fit to draw near to God in Prayer with a due sense of our own wants and unworthiness and an humble Confidence in the goodness of God that he will grant us those good things that we ask of him in supporting and comforting us in all our Afflictions and Sufferings especially for Truth and Righteousness sake and by Sealing and Confirming to us the Blessed Hopes of Eternal Life Thus the Spirit of God carries on the Work of our Sanctification and makes us Partakers of a Divine Nature by way of inward efficacy and assistance Secondly The Promises of the Gospel are apt likewise to have a mighty influence upon us by way of Motive and Argument to engage and encourage us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God For First A full Pardon and Indemnity for what is past is a mighty encouragement for us to return to our Duty and a forcible Argument to keep us to it for the future For since God who hath been so highly injured and affronted by us is so willing and ready to forgive us as not only to provide and purchase for us the Means of our Pardon by the grievous Sufferings of his dear Son but to offer it so freely and invite us so earnestly to accept of it and to be reconciled to him the Consideration of this ought in all Reason Ingenuity and Gratitude to melt us into Sorrow and Repentance for our Sins and a deep sense of the evil of them and to enflame our hearts with a mighty love to God and our blessed Redeemer who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood And to make us extreamly unwilling nay most firmly resolved never more to offend that merciful and gracious God who is so slow to punish and so forward to forgive and effectually to engage us to a dutiful and constant and cheaâ—ful Obedience to God's holy Laws and Commandments lest by our wilful transgression and violation of them we should run our selves into a deeper guilt and aggravate our Condemnation Now that by the tender Mercies of our God we are made whole we should be infinitely afraid to sin any more lest worse things come to us lest we relapse into a more incurable state and bring a heavier load of guilt and misery upon our selves Secondly The Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit is likewise a very powerful Argument and Encouragement to Holiness and Goodness engaging us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that our Souls and Minds may be a fit Temple for the Holy Ghost which will not dwell in an impure Soul And likewise Encouraging us hereto by this Consideration that we have so unerring a Guide to Counsel and Direct us so Powerful an Assistant to strengthen us with all might in the Inner Man to stand by us in all our Conflicts with Sin and Satan and to make us as the Apostle expresseth it more than Conquerours over all our Spiritual Enemies For tho' we be weak and our Lusts strong our Enemies many and Temptations mighty and violent yet we need not be disheartned so long as we know that God is with us and the Grace of his Holy Spirit sufficient for us against all the strength of Sin and Hell tho' our Duty be hard and our strength small yet we cannot fail of success if we be sure that the Omnipotent grace of God is always ready to second our sincere tho' never so weak Endeavours So that when we see all the Enemies of our Salvation drawn up in array against us we may encourage our selves as the Prophet Elisha did his Servant when he told him that an Host compassed the City with Horses and Chariots and said Alas my Master how shall we do And he answered fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them 2 King 6. 16. Or as Hezekiah Comforted the People when they were afraid of the mighty force of the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 32. 7 8. Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him For there be more with us than with him With him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight for us This is the Case of every Christian the force that is against us is finite and limited but the Almighty God is on our side and fights for us and every one of us may say with St. Paul Philip. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Thirdly The Promise of Eternal Life and Happiness if duly weighed and considered hath a mighty force in it to take us off from the Love and Practice of Sin and to encourage our Obedience and patient continuance
violent degree of Temptation and Suffering which would be too strong for Humane Strength and Patience to bear And this is a great security to good Men against the fears of a final Miscarriage after all their Labours and Pains and Sufferings in a Religious Course by being over-born at last by the assault of a very violent and powerful Temptation Not but that the best of Men ought always to have a prudent distrust of themselves so as to keep them from security according to the Apostle's Caution and Counsel be not high minded but fear and let him that stands take heed lest he fall because 'till we come to Heaven we shall never be out of the danger and possibility of falling But yet for all this we may hope by the sincerity and firmness of our Resolution under the usual influences of God's Grace to acquit our selves like Men in ordinary Cases of Temptation and Suffering And to this end we should represent to our selves those exceeding great and precious Promises which he hath made to Good Men and his merciful Providence which continually watcheth over them and steers their course for them in this World among those many Rocks which they are in Danger to split upon that he is able to stablish us in the Truth and to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of hâ—s Glory with exceeding joy and to preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom and that if we do not forsake him and forfeit his Care and Protection he will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto Salvation either by his merciful Foresight and Prevention of those Temptations which would probably be too hard for us or if he thinks fit they should befal us by supporting us under them in an extraordinary Manner For I doubt not but that the best Men do own their Security and Perseverance in Goodness much more to the merciful Providence of God preventing the Assaults of violent and dangerous Temptations than to the Firmness and Constancy of their own resolutions For there are very few Persons of so firm and resolute Virtue but that one time or other a Temptation might assault them upon such a Disadvantage as would in all probability not only stagger them but bear them down Now herein thâ—â—â—ovidence of God towards good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very remarkable in secuâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—rom those Temptations which 〈◊〉 â—oo stâ—ong for them to grapple wiâ—â—al like a kind and tender Father who if he be satisfied of the dutiful Disposition of his Child towards him will not try his Obedience to the utmost nor permit too strong a Temptation to the contrary to come in his way So the Psalmist represents God's tender Regard and Consideration of the Frailty and Infirmity of his Children Psal 103. 13 14. Like as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust that is he considereth us as men and deals with us accordingly Provided we be sincere he will not suffer us to be set upon by Temptations that are too big for us Andtherefore our blessed Saviour makes it one of the Petitions of that excellent Prayer which he hath recommended to us Lead us not into Temptation that is we should every day beg of God that his Providence would keep us out of the Way of great and dangerous Temptations as knowing that this will be a greater Security to us than any strength and resolution of our own Secondly Or in case of such violent and extraordinary Temptations the Providence of God will not be wanting to give us the extraodinary Support and Comfort of his Holy Spirit to bear us up under them The Providence of God did take Care of Good Men in all Ages and did afford Comfort to them under great Tryals and Sufferings but God never made so express and general a Promise of this to all good Men as he hath done by the Christian Religion Never was so constant a Presence and Influence of the Divine Spirit vouchsafed and assured to Men under any dispensation as that of the Gospel wherein the Spirit of God is promised to all that sincerely embrace the Christian Religion to reside and dwell in them not only to all the purposes of Sanctification and Holiness but of Support and Comfort under the heaviest Pressures and Sufferings For which Reason the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit and is upon this account said to be more Glorious than any other Revelation which God had ever made to Mankind We are naturally apt to be very much disheartned and cast down at the apprehension of great Sufferings from the consideration of our own weakness and frailty but the Spirit of Christ dwells in all true Christians and the same Glorious Power which raised up Jesus from the dead works mightily in them that Believe St. Paul useth very high Expressions about this Matter Eph. 1. 19. That ye may know saith he speaking to all Christians what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who bâ—lieve accordâ—ng to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand So that every Christian is endowed with a kind of Omnipotence being able as St. Paul speaks of himself to do and to endure all things through Christ strengthning him Of our selves we are very weak and the Temptations and Terrors of the World are very powerful but there is a Principle residing in every true Christian that is able to bear us up against the World and the power of all its Temptations Whatsoever is born of God saith St. John overcometh the world for greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The Holy Spirit of God which dwells in all true Christians is a more powerful Principle of Resolution and Courage and Patience under the sharpest Trials and Sufferings than that Evil Spirit which rules in the World is to stir up and set on the Malice and Rage of the World against us Ye are of God little Children he speaks this to the youngest and weakest Christians Ye are of God little Children and have overcome because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The Malice and Power of the Devil is very great but the Goodness and Power of God is greater And therefore in case of extraordinary Temptation good Men by virtue of this Promise of God's Holy Spirit may expect to be born up and comforted in a very extraordinary and supernatural manner under the greatest Tribulations and Sufferings for righteousness sake And this was in a very signal and remarkable manner afforded to the Primitive Christians under those Fierce and Cruel Persecutions to which they were exposed And this may still be expected in like Cases of extraordinary Sufferings for the Testimony of God's Truth If ye be reproached saith St. Peter in this 4th
of it Nay I will go farther yet That there are no other Promises made in Scripture of Direction or Assistance or Security from Mistake to any Church but the same are made in as full and express Terms to every good Man that sincerely desires to know the Truth and to practise it Is it promis'd to the Church or to the Pastors of it I will be with you always And hath not our Saviour promised the same to every one that is obedient to his word John 14. 23. If a Man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him And does not the Apostle apply the same Promise to every good Christian Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee For where is the difference between these Expressions I will be with you and I will make my abode with him I will be with you always and I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Is it promised to the Church that the Spirit shall lead her into all Truth and is not the same Promise made to every good Man John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him that is God will reveal his Will to those that love him and keep his Commandments Hath God promised to build his Church upon a Rock And doth not our Saviour use the same Metaphor concerning every Man that doth the Will of God Mat. 7. 24. Whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them is like a Wise Man that built his House upon a Rock So that if to be built upon a Rock signifies Infallibility it belongs to every good Man who sincerely practiseth what he knows as much as to any Church When Men are enabled by God to work Miracles for the confirmation of the Doctrines which they deliver there is great Reason to believe that they are Infallibly assisted in the delivery of those Doctrines But without this 't is the vainest thing in the World for any Person or Church to pretend to it because they offer no Evidence â—it to satisfie any Man that they are so assisted And I do not hear that the Pope among all his Priviledges does pretend to the Power of Miracles Secondly From hence likewise we may infer the great Reason of Error and Infidelity in the World If any Man be an Infidel it is not the fault of his Understanding but of his Will it is not because there is not sufficient Evidence that the Christian Religion is from God but because Mens Interests and Lusts make them partial and incompetent Judges of Matters of Religion The Evidence of the Christian Religion is such as recommends it to every Man's Reason and Conscience so that as St. Paul argues if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If Men did but stand indifferent for the entertainment of Truth and were not swayed by the interest of any Lust or Passion I am confident that no Man that hath the Gospel fairly proposed to him would continue an Infidel If Men did but truly live up to the Principles of Natural Religion they would easily be convinc'd that the Christian Religion which is so suitable thereto is from God Thirdly and Lastly What hath been said is a great Argument and Encouragement to Obedience and Holiness of Life Do we desire not to be mistaken about the Mind of God Let us heartily endeavour to do his Will If we would not be seduced by the Error of the Wicked let us take heed of their Vicious Practices The best way certainly to preserve a right Judgment in Matters of Religion is to take great care of a good Life God's Goodness is such that he will not suffer any Man's Judgment to be betrayed into a Damnable Error without some Vice and Fault of his Will The Principles of Natural Religion are born with us and imprinted upon our Minds so that no Man can be ignorant of them nor need to be mistaken about them and as for those Revelations which God hath made of himself to the World he hath been pleased to accompany them with so much Evidence that an honest and sincere Mind may easily discern them from Error and Imposture So our Saviour hath assured us That if any Man desire to do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God On the other hand if we see any oppose the clear Truth or to depart from it and to embrace gross Errors and Delusions we may almost certainly conclude that there is some Worldly Interest or Lust at the bottom of it So our Saviour has likewise told us that the Reason why Men love Darkness rather than Light is because their Deeds are Evil and every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved I will Conclude this whole Discourse with St. Peter's Exhortation the 2 d of Pet. 3. 17 18. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these Things before beware lest ye also being led away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness But grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To him be Glory both now and for ever Amen A SERMON ON LUKE XII 15. And he said unto them Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth AMong all the irregular Appetites of Men there is none that is more common and unreasonable and of a more Universal bad Influence upon the Hearts and Lives of Men than this of Covetousness and therefore in speaking of this Vice I shall strike at the Root of a great many others even of Apostacy from God's Truth and Religion of which Covetousness and the Love of this present World is one of the most common Causes So that if I can contribute any thing to the Cure of this great Distemper of Mens Minds I shall in so doing remove that which is the Cause and Occasion of a great part of the Evils and Mischiefs which are in the World And to this end I have pitched upon these Words of our Blessed Saviour to his Hearers And he said unto them Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the Things which he possesseth In Which Words are these Threâ— Things Observable First The Manner of the Caution which our Saviour here gives Take heed and beware he doubles it to shew the great Need and Concernment of it Secondly The Matter of the Caution or the Vice which our
a Divine Nature First We will consider the Promises which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises And because the chief Promises of the Gospel are here intended I shall take occasion from this Text to handle the Doctrine of the Promises which is frequently discours'd of in Divinity but not always so clearly stated And to this purpose it will be proper to take into Consideration these four things 1. What the Promises are which are here spoken of whereby are given unto us Promises 2. Why they are said to be so great and precious exceeding great and precious Promises 3. We will Consider the Tenour of these Promises 4. When Men are said to have a right to them so as they may apply them to themselves These four Heads will comprehend what I have to say upon this Argument 1. What the Promises are which the Apostle here speaks of whereby are given unto us Promises And no doubt the Apostle here intends those great and excellent Promises which Christ hath made to us in the Gospel So that to satisfie our selves in this enquiry we need only to consider what are the Principal Promises of the Gospel Now the great Promises of the Gospel are these three 1. The Promise of the free Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance 2. The Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience 3. The Promise of Eternal Life to Reward it 1. The Promise of the Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance The Gospel hath made full and clear Promises to this Purpose that if we believe the Gospel and will forsake our Sins and amend our wicked Lives all that is past shall be forgiven us and that Christ died for this end to obtain for us Remission of Sins in his Blood The light of Nature upon consideration of the Mercy and goodness of God gave Men good hopes that upon their Repentance God would forgive their sins and turn away his wrath from them But Mankind was doubtful of this and therefore they used expiatory Sacrifices to appease the offended Deity The Jewish Religion allowed of no Expiation but for legal impurities and involuntary transgressions such as proceeded from ignorance and inadvertency but not for Sins of Presumption and such as were committed with an bigh hand If Men sin'd wilfully there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for such Sins But the Grace of the Gospel justifies us from the greatest Sins upon our Faith and sincere Repentance So St. Paul tells the Jews Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known â—nto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses There was no general Promise of Pardon nor way of Expiation under the Law perfect Remission of Sins is clearly revealed and ascertain'd to us only by the Gospel 2. Another great Promise of the Gospel is the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience Our Blessed Saviour hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him 'T is true indeed there was a peculiar Promise of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles and Christians of the first Ages which is not now to be expected namely an Extraordinary and Miraculous Power whereby they were qualified to publish the Gospel to the World and to give Confirmation to it But now that the Christian Religion is propagated and setled in the World the great End and Use of these Miraculous Gifts is ceased but yet the Spirit of God doth still concur with the Gospel and work upon the Minds of Men to excite and assist them to that which is good And tho' this Operation be very secret so as we cannot give an account of the manner of it yet the effects of it are very sensible and this influence of God's Holy Spirit is common to all Christians in all Ages of the World This Proposition is Universally true and in all Ages and Times If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his It must be acknowledged that the Spirit doth not now work upon Men in that sudden and sensible manner as it did in the first times of Christianity because then Men were strongly possest with the prejudices of other Religions which they had been brought up in and therefore as more outward means of Conviction were then necessary so likewise a more powerful internal Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men to Conquer and bear down those prejudices and to subdue them to the Obedience of Faith But now the Principles of Religion and Goodness are more gradually instilled into the Minds of Men by the gentle degrees of Pious Instruction and Education and with these means the Spirit of God concurrs in a more Humane way which is more suited and accommodated to our Reason and offers less violence to the Nature of Men. So that this Promise of God's Holy Spirit is now made good to us as the Necessity and Circumstances of our present State do require God does not use such extraordinary Means for the producing of those Effects which may be accomplish'd in a more ordinary way The assistance of God's Holy Spirit is still necessary to Men to encline and enable them to that which is good but not in that manner and degree that it was necessary at first Because the prejudices against Christianity are not now so great and many of those Advantages which were necessarily wanting at first are now supplied in an ordinary way and therefore it is not reasonable now to expect the same extraordinary operation of the Spirit of God upon the Minds of Men which we read of in the first beginnings of Christianity 3. There is likewise the Promise of Eternal Life to Reward and Crown our Obedience And this the Scripture speaks of as the great Promise of the Gospel 1 Job 2. 25. This is the promise which he hath promised us even Eternal Life And upon this account the new Covenant of the Gospel is preferred before the old Covenant of the Law because it is establish'd upon better Promises All the Special and Particular Promises of the Law were of Temporal good things and these were the great Encouragements that were given to Obedience under that imimperfect Dispensation but now Godliness hath not only the Promise of the Life that now is but of that which is to come as the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 4. 8. The Gospel hath clearly revealed to us a happy State of Immortality after this Life of which Men had but very obscure and doubtful apprehensions So the same Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1. 10. That it is now made manifest by the appearance of our Saviour Jâ—sus Christ who hath abâ—lisbed Death and hath brought Life and Immortality
to light through the Gospel Holy Men had good hopes of it before but they had no sure distinct apprehensions of it no such full assurance concerning it no such clear and express Promises of it as the Gospel hath given us Thus you see what those great Promises are which the Gospel hath given us namely the Promise of the Free Pardon and Forgiveness of our Sins upon our Faith and Repentance the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist our Obedience and the Promise of Eternal Life and Happiness to Reward it These are the three Eminent Promises of the Gospel and in all probability those which the Apostle here calls great and precious Promises which brings me to the Second Thing which I propounded to Consider namely why they are said to be exceeding great and precious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest and the most valuable Promises And to satisfie us that they are such the very Consideration of the Bâ—essings and Benefits that they carry in them will be sufficient If we Consider the Condition that Mankind was in when God was pleased to make these gracious Declarations to us we shall see great Reason to set a high value upon every one of these Promises Mankind was extreamly degenerated all Flesh had corrupted its ways and the whole World was guilty before God and liable to all that Misery which the Sinner had reason to apprehend from the incensed Justice of the Almighty We had forfeited that Happiness to which our Immortal Nature was designed and which made our Condition more sad we were without strength to recover our selves out of it by our Repentance for what was past if God would have accepted of it and by our Future Obedience Now the Promises of the Gospel offer Relief to us in all these Respects and thereby obviate all the difficulties and disâ—ouragements which Mankind lay under The gracious Promise of Pardon frees us from guilt and sâ—cures us from the terrible wrath of God which our guilty Consciences did so much dread and without this Promise Mankind would have been under the greatest doubts and discouragements For when Men are afraid their Sins are greater than will be forgiven them they are apt to fall into Despair and Despair is an effectual bar to Repentance for when Men think their Condition is desperate they care not what they do And the Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to assist and enable us to do our Duty does fully answer all the Discouragements and Objections from our own weakness and the power of temptation We may do all things through Christ strengthning us and how weak soever we are of our selves we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might If God be for us who or what can stand against us The Devil is a very powerful Enemy and much too strong for Flesh and Blood to Encounter in its own strength but there is another Principle in the World which is Mightier and more Powerful than he the Holy Spirit of God who is always ready to help when we do not repulse and refuse his assistance Greâ—ter is he that is in you than he that is in the World says the Apostle 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Spirit of God dwellâ— in all those who are willing to admit him and is ever ready to assist those who comply with his blessed Motions and do vigorously put forth their own endeavours And then the Promise of Eternal Life that answers all the difficulties of our Obedâ—ence and sets us above any thing that the World can threaten us withal for our Constancy to God and his Trâ—th A Wise Man will be content to suffer any thing or to quit any thing upon terms of far greater advantage And what greater Consideration can be offered to encourage our Constancy and Obedience than an Eternity of Happiness So that the Apostle had Reason to call these exceeding great and valuable Promises so valuable that if any one of them had been wanting our Redemption and Recovery had either been absolutely impossible or extreamly difficult I proceed to the Third thing I propounded which was to consider the Tenour of these Promises that is whether God have made them absolutely to us without requiring any thing to be done on our part oâ— upon certain Terms and Conditions to be performed by us That God may if he please make an Absolute Promise of any Blessing or Benefit to us there is no doubt and that God's grace does prevent many and is beforehand with them is as little to be doubted the Spirit of God goes along with the Gospel moving and inclining Men to yield Obedience to it many times before any inclination and disposition thereto on their parts But as to this Promise of God's Grace and Holy Spirit the great question is not about the first motion of it but the continuance of this assistance and the encrease of it and this I think may safely be affirmed is promised only Conditionally as also the Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life And concerning each of these the Matter may quickly be decided by plain Texts of Scripture Concerning the Promise of the grace and assistance of God's Holy Spirit the Scripture takes notice of two Conditions First that we beg it earnestly of God And this our Saviour expresseth by asking seeking and knocking which signifies the importunity of our Requests Our Heavenly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them that thus ask it And then Secondly That we improve and make use of the grace which God affords us To him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seems to have That is as appears plainly from the scope of the Parable to him that useth that grace and those advantages which God affords him more shall be given but from him that makes no use of them and therefore is as if he had them not shall be taken away that which he but seems to have because he makes no use of it Concerning the Pardon of Sins The Scripture plainly suspends that upon the general Condition of Repentance and the change of our Lives Repent that your Sins may be forgiven you And upon the Condition of our forgiving others If ye forgive Men their Trespasses then will your Heavenly Father also forgive you but if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses says our Saviour Mat. 6. 14 15. And then the Promise of Eternal Life is every where in Scripture suspended upon the Condition of Faith and Repentance and Perseverance in well doing He that believes says our Saviour shall be saved which indeed implies the whole Condition of the Gospel He that Believes that is he that effectually assents to the Doctrine of Christ and is so perswaded of the truth of it as to live according to it shall be saved But if Obedience were not included in the Scripture Notion of Faith yet the Scripture
us and when Men find the Condition in themselves they will without any great perswasion take Comfort from the Promise and apply it to themselves but till they discern the Condition in themselves it is impossible for a Man that understands himself to apply the Promise to himself for till the Condition be performed he hath no more right to the Promise than if such a Promise had never been made And 't is so far from being a Sin in such a Man to doubt of the benefit of such a Promise that it is his Duty to do so and no Man that understands himself and the Promises of God can possibly do otherwise Therefore 't is a vain and groundless trouble which perplexeth many People that they cannot apply the Promises of God to themselves whereas the true ground of their trouble should be this that they have not been careful to perform the Condition of those Promises which they would apply to themselves the other is an endless trouble let them but look to the Condition and the Promise will apply it self I speak all this on purpose to free Men from those perplexities wherewith many have entangled themselves by false apprehensions of the Promises of God either as if they were not made to us upon certain Conditions to be performed by us or as if any Man could comfortably apply them to himself before he hath performed those Conditions upon which God hath made such Promises For if Men will believe that which is not true or expect things upon such terms as they are not to be had they may trouble themselves Eternally and all the World cannot help it I have now done with the First thing I propounded to speak to namely the Promises which are here spoken of The Second thing viz. what Influence these Promises ought to have upon us that by them we may be made Partakers of a Divine Nature I shall reserve to another Opportunity The Second SERMON ON 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature I Made entrance into these words the last Day in the handling whereof I proposed to do these two things First To consider the Promises here spoken of Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises Secondly The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature The first of these I have done with and proceed now to the Second viz. The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature Not that we can partake of the Essence and Nature of God as some have blasphemously affirmed pretending in their canting and senseless Language to be Godded with God and Christed with Christ In this sense it is impossible for us to partake of the Divine Nature for this would be for Men to become Gods and to be advanced to the State and Perfection of the Deity But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently in Scripture signifie a temper and disposition and to be partakers of a Divine Nature is to be of a Divine Temper and Disposition to have our Corrupt Natures rectified and purged from all sinful Lusts and irregular Passions and from all Vicious and Corrupt Affections and therefore it follows in the Text having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust and besides this giving all diligence add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity So that we are made partakers of a Divine Nature as the Apostle here explains it these two ways by cleansing our selves from the Lusts of the Flesh which the Apostle here calls the corruption or defilement which is in the World through Lust and by a diligent endeavour after all Christian Graces and Virtues Faith and Temperance and Patience a sincere love of the Brethren and an Universal Charity and good-will towards all Men. And that this is the proper influence and efficacy of the great Promises of the Gospel upon the hearts and lives of Men the Apostle St. Paul fully declares to us 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having thâ—refore these Promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit that is from the lusts of the Flesh and of uncleanness and from all evil and corrupt affections of the Mind such as Wrath Envy Malice Hatred Strife Revenge Cruelty Pride and the like perfecting holiness in the fear of God that is continually aspiring still more and more after further degrees of Holiness and Virtue and goodness which are the great Perfections of the Divine Nature And thus by a constant and sincere endeavour to cleanse our selves from all impurity of Flesh and Spirit and by practising all the Virtues of a good Life we shall by degrees raise and advance our selves to a Godlike temper and disposition imitating in all our Actions the Goodness and Mercy and Patience and Truth and Faithfulness of God and all those other Perfections of the Divine Nature which are comprehended undâ—r the term of Holiness This is that which the Apostle here calls partaking of a Divine Nature or as our Blessed Saviour expresseth it to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect This the Gospel designs to raise us to and one of the great Instruments whereby this is effected are those exceeding great and precious Promises which I have insisted upon And they are capable of effecting it these two ways First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance and Secondly By way of external Motive and Argument Both these ways some or other of these Promises have a mighty influence upon us if we be not wanting to our selves to raise us to a Godlike temper and disposition that is to the greatest perfection of Virtue and Goodness which we are capable of in this Life First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance And this influence the Promise of God's Holy Spirit and of the gracious help and assistance thereof hath upon the Minds of Men inclining them to that which is good and enabling them to do it For the Holy Spirit is promised to us in consideration and commiseration of that impotency and weakness which we have contracted in that degenerate and depraved Condition into which Mankind is sunk to help us who are without strength to recover our selves out of that evil and miserable state into which by wilful transgression we are fallen to quicken us who are dead in Trespasses and Sins as the Scripture expresseth the Condition of unregenerate Persons to raise â—s to a new Life and to cherish this Principle of Spiritual Life which is commonly weak at first and to carry it through alldiscouragements and oppositions to
upbraid the degenerate state of the Christian World at this day which does so abound in all kind of Wickedness and Impiety so that we may cry out as he did upon reading the Gospel Profectò aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Either this is not the Gospel which we read and the Christian Religion which we profess or we are no Christians We are so far from that pitch of goodness and Virtue which the Christian Religion is apt to raise Men to and which the Apostle here calls the Divine Nature that a great part of us are degenerated into Beasts and Devils wallowing in abominable and filthy Lusts indulging our selves in those Devilish Passions of Malice and Hatred of Strife and Discord of Revenge and Cruelty of Sedition and Disturbance of the Publick Peace to that degree as if the Grace of God had never appeared to us to teach us the contrary And therefore it concerns all those who have the face to call themselves Christians to demean themselves at another rate and for the Honour of their Religion and the Salvation of their own Souls to have their Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ and by departing from the Vicious practices of this present Evil World to do what in them lies to prevent the Judgments of God which hang over us or if they cannot do that to save themselves from this untoward Generation A SERMON ON 1 PETER IV. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator THIS Epistle was written by St. Peter who was the Apostle of the Circumcision to the dispersed Jews who were newly Converted to Christianity And the Design of it is to Confirm and Establish them in the Profession of it and to instruct them how they ought to demean themselves towards the Heathen or Gentiles among whom they lived and more particularly to arm and prepare them for those Sufferings and Persecutions which he foretels would shortly overtake them for the Profession of Christianity that when they should happen they might not be surprised and startled at them as if some strange and unexpected thing were come upon them at the 12 v. of this Chapter Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you that is do not wonder and be not asâ—onish'd at it as if some strange thing hapned unto you And then he instructs them more particularly how they ought to behave themselves under those Trâ—als and Sufferings when they should happen not only with Patience which men ought to exercise under all kinds of Sufferings upon what Account and Cause soever but with Joy and Cheerfulness considering the Glorious Example and Reward of them v. 13. but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding Joy And at the 14. ver he tells them that besides the Encouragement of so great an Example and so glorious a Reward they should be supported and assisted in a very extraordinary manner by the Spirit of God resting upon them in a glorious manner as a Testimony of the Divine Power and Presence with them v. 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you or as it is in the best Copies for the Spirit of Glory and of Power even the Spirit of God resâ—eth upon you that is the Glorious Power of the Divine Spirit is present with you to comfort and bear up your Spirits under these Sufferings But then he cautions them to take great Care that theiâ— Sufferings be for a good Cause and a good Conscience v. 15. But let none of you suffer as a Mâ—â—therer or as a Thief or as an evil-doer that is as an Offender in any kind against Human Laws made to preserve the Peace and good Order of the World or as a busy-body in other mens matters that is as a pragmatical Person that meddles out of his own Sphere to the Disquiet and Disturbance of Human Society For to suffer upon any of these Accounts would be matter of Shame and Trouble but not of Joy and Comfort But if they suffer'd upon Account of the Profession of Christianity this would be no Cause of Shame and Reproach to them but they ought rather to give God Thanks for calling them to suffer in so good a Cause and upon so glorious an Account V. 16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian if that be his only Crime let him not be ashamed but let him gloriâ—ie Gâ—d on this behalf for the time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God that is the wise and just Providence of God hath so order'd it at this Time for very good Reasons and Ends that the first Calamities and Sufferings should fall upon Christians the peculiar People and Church of God for their Tryal and a Testimony to the Truth of that Religion which God was now planting in the World And if iâ— first begin at us that is at us Jews who were the ancient People of God and have now embraced and entertained the Revelation of the Gospel what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God that is how much more severely will God deal with the rest of the Jews who have crucified the Son of God and still persist in their Infidelity and Disobedience to the Gospel And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear that is if good Men be saved with so much Difficulty and must through so many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God what will become of all Ungodly and Impenitent Sinners Where shall they appear How shall they be able to stand in the Judgment of the great Day From the Consideration of all which the Apostle makes this Inference or Conclusion in the last ver of this Chapter Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Thus you see the Connexion and Dependance of these words upon the Apostle's foregoing Discourse I shall explain the several Expressions in the Text and then handle the main Points contained in them The Expressions to be explained are these What is meant by those that suffer according to the will of God what by committing the keeping of our Souls to God â—s unto a faithful Creator and what by well-doing 1. What is meant by suffering according to the will of God This may be understood of Suffering in a good Cause such as God will approve But this is not so probable because this is mentioned afterwards in the following Expressions of committing the keeping of our Souls to God in well-doing that is in suffering upon a good Account And therefore the plain and
design of them were to insinuate to us that God is to be prevailed upon by the meer importunity of our Prayers to grant our Requests but our Blessed Saviour who best knew his own meaning tells us that all he design'd by it was only to signifie that we ought always to pray and not to faint that is to continue instant in Prayer and not to give over after once asking as if we despaired of prevailing Not that meer importunity prevails with God to give us those things which he is otherwise unwilling to grant but because it becomes us to be fervent and earnest to testifie our Faith and Confidence in the goodness of God and the deep sense we have of our own weakness and wants and unworthiness and likewise that we set a true value upon the Blessings and Favours of God as worth all the earnestness and importunity we can use And in this decent and sober sense the success of our Prayers may truly be said to depend upon our importunity not that it is necessary to move God to grant our Requests but that it becomes us to be thus affected that we may be the more fitly qualified for the Grace and Mercy which God is willing to confer upon us I have been the longer upon this to give us a right notion of this matter and that we may the more distinctly understand the true Reason why our Saviour does require so much earnestness and importunity of Prayer on our part not at all to work upon God and to dispose him to shew mercy to us for that he is always inclinable to when ever we are fit for it but only to dispose and qualifie us to receive the grace and mercy of God with greater advantage to our selves Fifthly Provided moreover that we be not confident of our selves and of the force and strength of our own Resolution We know not our selves nor the frailty and weakness of our own Resolution 'till we are tried 'T is wise Advice which Solomon gives us and never more seasonable than in the day of trial Prov. 3. 5 6 7. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths be not wise in thine own eyes that is be not conceited and confident of thine own wisdom and strength or ability in any kind there is a secret Providence of God which mingles it self with the actions and spirits of Men and disposeth of us unknown to our selves and what we think to be the effect of our own strength and resolution of our own wisdom and contrivance proceeds from an higher Cause which unseen to us does steer and govern us So the Wise Man observes Prov. 20. 24. Man's goings are of the Lord how can a Man then understand his own ways And therefore we have reason every one to say with the Prophet Jer. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of Man is not in himself it is not in Man that walketh to direct his steps Our feet will soon slip if God do not uphold us by his hand Remember how shamefully the chief of our Lord's Disciples miscarried by too much confidence in himself I mean St. Peter in whose fall we may all see our own frailty if God do but permit the Devil to have the winnowing of us there will be a great deal of chaff found in the best of us What St. Paul said of himself 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I am weak then am I strong we shall all find true when it comes to the trial we are then strongest when in a just sense of our own weakness we rely most upon the strength and power of God Sixthly Provided furthermore that according to our ability we have been much in the exercise of Alms and Charity For well-doing or doing good is sometimes taken in a narrower sense not improper here to be mentioned tho' perhaps not so particularly intended here in the Text for works of Charity and Alms. As Heb. 13. 16. But to do good and to communicate that is to the necessities of the Poor forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased This kind of well-doing is a special Preservative in times of Evil there is no kind of Grace or Virtue to which there are in Scripture more special Promises made of our Protection and Preservation from Evil and Suffering of Support and Comfort under them and Deliverance out of them than to this of a Charitable and Compassionate Consideration of those who labour under want or Suffering Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed And ver 19. speaking of Righteous or Merciful Men They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of Famine they shall be satisfied Psal 41. 1 2. Blessed is he that considereth the Poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies There are likewise in the Apocryphal Books Excellent Sayings for the encouragement of Charity as that which will be particularly considered and rewarded to us in the times of Danger and Distress in the days of Affliction and Suffering Tob. 4. 7 8 9 10. Give Alms of thy substance and turn not thy face from any Poor Man and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee if thou hast abundance give Alms accordingly if thou hast but a little be noâ— afraid to give according to that little for thou layest up for thy self a good treasure against the day of necessity because that Alms do deliver from death and suffereth not to come into darkness Ecclus 3. 31. Speaking of him that gives Alms and is ready to do Kindness to others He is mindful of that which may come hereafter and when he falleth he shall find a stay And Chap. 29. 11 12 13. Lay up thy treasure according to the Commandment of the most High and it shall bring thee more profit than Gold shut up alms in thy store-houses and it shall deliver thee from all affliction it shall fight for thee against thine Enemies better than a mighty shield and strong spear I have often said it and am verily perswaded of it that one of the best â—igns of Gods Mercy and Favour to this poor Nation is that God hath been pleased of late years to stir up so general a disposition in Men to works of Alms and Charity and thereby to revive the Primitive Spirit of Christianity which so eminently abounded in this Grace and taught those who believed in God to be careful to maintain and practâ—se good works And nothing gives me greater hopes that God hath Mercy still in store for us than that Men are so ready to shew Mercy there are great Objects to exercise our Charity upon in this
that besides the proper work of Religion and the more immediate Service of God every Man in the World how exempt soever his Condition be from the common care anâ—gdrudgery of Humane Life may find work eâ—ough wherein he may usefully employ all his time and provide for his own and for the common benefit of Mankind And God expects it as a Duty from such that every Man should employ himself in some work or other suitable to the station in which God hath placed him in this World Secondly The work which God hath given us to do in the World consists in doing what we can to further and promote the Salvation of others This chiefly lies upon us who are the Ministers of God and to whom the word of Reconciliation is committed We are more especially Commissioned and Appointed for this work and are Ambassadors for Christ to beseech Men in his stead to be reconciled to God We are sent by God in a more peculiar manner and appointed for this very work to watch for Mens Souls and to be the Instruments and Means of their Eternal Happiness And therefore we who are sent by God in a more peculiar manner and have this work assigned to us to do in the World ought to be very vigorous and industrious in iâ—â— And this whether we consider the Nature of our Employment or the Glorious Reward of it First If we consider the Nature of our Employment both in respect of the Honour and the Happiness of it 't is the most Honourable work that Mortal Man can be employed in 't is the same in kind and in the main end and design oâ— it with that of the Blessed Angels for we also are Ministring Spirits sent forth by God to Minister for the good of those who shall be heirs of Salvation We are the Messengers and Ambassadors of God to Men sent to treat with them about the terms of their Peace and Reconciliation with God to offer Salvation to them and to direct them to the best ways and means of procuring it Nay we have the Honour to be employed in the very same work that the Son of God was when he was upon Earth to seeâ— and to save them that are lost and to call Sinners to Repentance and to carry on that work whereof he himself â—aid the Foundation when he was in the World And what greater Honour can be put upon the Sons of Men than to help forward that glorious Design and Undertaking of the Son of God for the Salvation of Mankind And 't is an Employment no less Happy than Honourable 't is not to drudge about the mean and low Concernments of this Life a perpetual toil and care about what we shall eat and drink and wherewithal we shall be cloathed which is the business of a Worldly Employment but it is a direct and immediate seeking of the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and a continual endeavour to promote these It does not consist in the labour of our Body and in Bodily toil but in the delightful exercise of our Minds about the best and noblest Objects God and Heaven and Eternity in an earnest and faithful endeavour by all wise ways and means to gain Souls to God and to turn Sinners from the error of their ways and to prevent their Eternal Ruine and Destruction and next to the procuring of our own Happiness to be instrumental to the Happiness of others which is certainly the most pleasant and noble work that we can possibly be employed in especially if we consider that by the very nature of our Employment we do at the same time and by the very same means carry on both these designs of the Salvation of our selves and others So St. Paul tells Timothy when he exhorts him upon this very Consideration to give hiâ—self wholly to this Blessed Work because says he in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4. 16. And when two of the greatest and best designs in the World our own Happiness and the Salvation of others do so happily meet in one and are jointly carried on by the same labour this ought to be a great spur and incitement to us to be vigorous and unwearied and abundant in the work of the Lord and a mighty encouragement to us to preach the word to be instant in season and out of season and to be Examples to others in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity as St. Paul chargeth Timothy in the most solemn and awful manner before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom 1 Tim. 4. 12. and 2 Tim. 4. 1. And then Secondly If we consider the glorious Reward of this work If we be Faithful and Industrious in it it will advance us to a higher degree of Glory and Happiness in the other World They that be wise says the Prophet Dan. 12. 3. shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever They that are industrious in this work as they are worthy of double honour in this World so they shall shine with a double glory and lustre in the other But tho' this work of promoting the Salvation of others be chiefly incumbent upon those whose Office it is to attend upon this very thing yet we are all of us concerned in it according to the advantages and opportunities we have for it Every Man is concerned to help forward the Salvation of his Brother and not to let him perish if he can help it and it is in every Man's power to contribute something to this Blessed Work of saving others by seasonable Counsel and Advice by kind and gentle reproof but especially by a Holy and Exemplary Conversation by a shining Virtue which hath a silent power of perswasion and I know not what secret charm and attraction to draw and allure others to the imitation of it Thirdly And in order to both these the saving of our selves and others this work which God hath given us to do in the World consists in the careful use and good husbandry of our time for without this neither of the other can be promoted and carried on to any purpose Time is the season and opportunity of carrying on of any work and for that reason is one of the most valuable things and yet nothing is more wastfully spent and more prodigally squandred away by a great part of Mankind than this which next to our Immortol Souls is of all other things most precious because upon the right use or abuse of our time our Eternal Happiness or Misery does depend Men have generally some guard upon themselves as to their Mony and Estates and will not with eyes open suffer others to rob and deprive them of it but we will let any body almost rob us of our time and are contented to expose
this precious Treasure to every bodies rapine and extortion and can quietly look on whilst Men thrust in their hands and take it out by whole handfuls as if it were of no greater value than Silver was in Solomon's days no more than the stones in the street And yet when it is gone all the Silver and Gold in the World cannot purchase and fetch back the least moment of it when perhaps we would give all the World for a very small part of that time which we parted with upon such cheap and easie terms Good God! what a stupid and senseless Prodigality is this do we consider what we do when we give away such large portions of our time to our ease and pleasure to diversion and idleness to trifling and unprofitable Conversation to the making and receiving of impertinent visits and the usual and almost inseparable attendants thereof spiteful observations upon them that are present and slandering and backbiting those that are absent For the great design of most People in visits is not to better one another but to spie and make faults and not to mend them to get time off their hands to shew their fine Cloaths and to recommend themselves to the mutual contempt of one another by a plentiful impertinâ—nce when we part with it by wholesale in sleep and dressing and can spend whole Mornings between the Comb and the Glass and the Afternoon at Plays and whole Nights in Gaming or in Riot and Lewdness and Intemperance in all which People commonly wast their Mony and their time together Nay how do even the best of us misplace this precious Treasure and tho' we do not employ it to wicked purposes and in Works of Iniquity yet we do not apply it to the best and noblest use to the Glory of God and the Good and Salvation of Men By thus laying out this Treasure we might lay up for our selves treasures in heaven and help others on in the Way thither Thus our Blessed Saviour employed his precious time in going about doing good in all kinds and upon all Occasions healing the Bodies and enlightning the Minds and saving the souls of men This was his Business and this was his delight it was his meat and drink and his very Life he spent himself in it and sacrificed his Ease and his Safety and his Life to these great Ends for which he came into the World he considered the Goodness and the Greatness of his work and the little time he had to do it in which made him incessantly industrious in it and to run the Race which was set before him with great speed and to work while it was day because he knew the night would come when no man can work And this brings me to the Second thing I observed from the Text namely that there is a certain and limited time for every man to do this Work in while it is day I must work the works of him that sent me whilst it is day And this day comprehends all the Oportunities of our Life which will soon be over and therefore had need to be well spent A great part of our Life is past before the Season of Working begins it is a great while before the use of our Reason begins and we come to have our Senses exercised to discern between Good and Evil beâ—ore our Understandings are ripe for the serious Consideration of God and Religion and for the due Care of our Souls and of the Eternal Concernment of another World so that this first part of our Life is in a great Measure useless and unprofitable to us in regard to our great Design For Infancy and Childhood are but the Dawnings of this Day and no fit time to work in and Youth which is as the Morning of this day tho' it is the Flower of our Time and the most proper season of all other for the Remembrance of God and the Impressions of Religion yet it is usually possest by Vanity and Vice the common Custom and Practice of the World hath devoted this best part of our Age to the worst Employments to the Service of Sin and of our Lusts How very few are there that lay hold of this Opportunity and employ it to the best Purposes And yet the following Course of our Lives doth in a great measure depend upon it for most Persons do continue and hold on in the Way in which they set out at first whether it be good or bad And those who neglect to improve this first Opportunity of their Lives do seldom recover themsâ—lves afterwards God's Grace may seize upon Men in any part of their Lives but according to the most ordinary Methods of it the Foundations and Principles of Religion and Virtue are most commonly laid in a pious and virtuous Education This is the great Opportunity of our Lives which setleth and fixeth most Men either in a good or bad Course and the Fortune of their whole Lives does usually follow it and depend upon it 'T is true indeed our Day continues many times a great while longer and we are to work while it continues and 't is never too late to begin to do well and to enter upon a good Course but there is no such proper and advantagious Season for the beginning of this work as in our youth and tender years This is the accepted time this is the day of salvation God's Grace is then most forward and ready to assist us and we are then least of all indisposed for the receiving of the Impressions of it and the Impressions of it do then go deepest into our minds and are most lasting and durable But if we neglect this Opportunity we provoke God by Degrees to withdraw his Grace and to take away his holy Spirit from us and by degrees we settle in vicious Habits and are every day more and more hardned through the deceitfulness of sin It is never too late to work while the day lasts but the sooner we begin this work and set about it in good earnest the easier we shall find it if we defer it late every step will be up the Hill and against the Grain Thirdly After this Season is expired there will be no â—urther Oportunity of working when this day is once at an end then cometh the night when no man can work The Night is a time unfit for work when we can hardly do any thing if we had never so great mind to it and there is such a Night coming upon every one of us and Wo be to us if we have our work to do when the Night overtakes us There is usually an Evening before this Night when it will be very difficult for us and next to impossible to do this work and this is the time of Sickness and Old Age in which men are commonly unfit for any work but most of all that which requires the whole force and vigour of our Minds the business of Religion If we attempt this work