lib. p. 1690. When Dr. Cranmer was made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury he evermore gave himself to continual Study not breaking the order that in the University he commonly used that is by five of the clock in the Morning he was at his Book and spent his Time in Study and Prayer till nine of the clock By reason of other private Studies and by means of useful proper Employments he was never idle no Hour of the Day was spent in vain by him but was so bestowed as tended to the Glory of God the Service of his Prince or the Commodity of the Church The excellent Bp. Juel read much and wrote much besides his publick Employments Scarce any Year in all the Time of his Bishoprick passed wherein he published not some famous Work or other At nine a clock at Night he used to call all his Servants to an Account how they had spent that Day and after Prayer to admonish them accordingly Then he returned to his Study where often he sate till after Midnight * Dr. Humphr in the Life of Bp. Jewel When he was very weak a Gentleman meeting him as he was riding to preach at Lacock in Wiltshire earnestly desired him to return home for his health's sake telling him that it was better the People should want one Sermon than be altogether deprived of such a Preacher To whom he replied [u] Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori That it best became a Bishop to dy Preaching alluding to that of Vespasian [a] Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori It becomes an Emperour to dy standing and thinking upon his Master's Saying * Mat 24.46 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing And presently after that very [b] On Gal. 5 16. Walk in the Spirit Sermon by reason of his Sickness encreasing upon him he was forced to take his Bed from which he never came off till his Soul quitted his frail Body and was translated to everlasting Glory He said in his last Sickness That seeing God had not granted his Desire to glorify him by sacrificing his Life for the Defence of his Truth yet he rejoiced that his Body was exhausted and worn away in the Labours of his holy Calling It was the Motto of the pious and painful Mr. Perkins that which he used to write in the Frontispiece of all his Books Minister verbi es hoc age Thou art a Minister of God's Word mind thy Work and attend thy Business It was also the Motto of [c] His Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of 10 Eminent Divines Mr. Samuel Crook Impendam expendar I will spend and be spent It was moreover the Motto of [d] Bp. Usher's Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 52. Bp. Vsher's Episcopal Seal when he was Bishop of Meath which he continued in the Seal of his Primacy also Vae mihi si non euangelizavero Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel All which they severally answer'd and made good in an eminent and very exemplary Manner The learned and religious Dr. John Rainolds was so very careful to redeem the Time that when the Heads of the Houses in Oxford came to visit him in his last Sickness which he had contracted merely by excessive Pains in his Study whereby he brought his Body to be a very Sceleton and earnestly perswaded him that he would not [v] Perdere substa etiam propter accidentia lose the Substance for the Accidents not lose his Life for Learning He smiling answered with those excellent Words of the Prince of Satyrists [w] Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causas Juv. sat 8. That to save his Life he would not lose the Ends of living I may well apply to [e] Reade the Lives of Mr. Joseph Allein and Mr. John Janeway these Worthies those words of A Kempis [x] Dati sunt in exemplum omnibus Religiosis plus provocare nos debent ad bene prosiâ—tendum quà m tepidorum numerus ad relaxandum T. a Kempis l. 1. c. 18 n. 4. These are given for an Example to all pious Persons and should be more powerful to provoke us to profit well than a number of lazy lukewarm Persons to draw us to Slackness and Remisness Let us follow these fair and bright Exemplars in the main of their tendency to teach us to live serviceably to God and usefully and profitably to our selves and others We have hitherto been ingentium Exemplorum parvi Imitatores to use Salvian's Expression small Imitators of great Examples O how short do we come of many of the eminent Saints and faithful Servants of God who redeemed their Time and served their Generation by the Will of God in former Ages Yea may not our own personal Knowledg and particular Observation of the Labour and Diligence Improvement and Growth of other Christians put our selves to the blush Many that have liv'd in the same Times and Places in the same Parishes and Families with our selves Many that have sate under the same Ordinances enjoyed no better Means received no greater Helps than our selves have yet surpassed and excell'd us in the gracious Frame of their Hearts out-strip'd and out-shined us in the Holiness and Exemplariness of their Lives To what a pitch are others gotten to what an height have they arriv'd and attain'd What right apprehensions have they gotten of the Nature of God and Undertaking of Christ for the promoting of Holiness What a good Understanding of the Word of God What Insight into the various Providences of God What warm and good Affections suited to true Notions of Things How have they proceeded in Knowledg grown in Grace profited in Experience increased in Strength abounded in Comfort What Power have they gotten over their Corruptions what Strength against Temptations What Government of their Senses What Command of their Passions What Freedom and Enlargement and Delight in Duties How useful are they in their Places How serviceable to God and their Generations What Evidence have they gotten of the Goodness of their State of the Truth and Sincerity of their Love to God and of the special Love and Favour of God to them What good grounds for their Hopes of Heaven and Happiness How sit are they to live How ready and prepared to dy How meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Alas how far do we fall short of them and come behind them What Fools have we been when others have been wise for their own Souls When others shine as Lights and as bright Stars in the World are not we as dark as a Coal or as dim as a Glow-worm Are not we who are planted in the same Soil dressed and cultivated with the same Hand watered with the same River of God wetted with the same heavenly Dew and refreshed with the same Droppings of the Sanctuary yet notwithstanding as barren and as unfruitful as may be when others of our Neighbours
cause to fear and in their Old Age almost ground enough to despair I may here take up the Complaint of the devout [i] Quid prodest din vivere quando tam parùm emendae nur Ah long a vita non semper emendat sed saepe culpam magis auget Vtinam per unam diem bene essemus conversati in hoc mundo multiannos computant conversionis sed saepe pâ—rvus est fructus emendationis A Kempis l. 1. c. 23. n. 2. A Kempis What does it avail us to live long when we are so little better'd by it Ah long Life says he does not alwaies mend our Manners but does often the more encrease our Crimes Would we had a alked but one Day well in this World Many reckon Years of their Conversion but there is too often but little sign of a new Conversation Had we not been grosly wanting to our selves how much might we have known of God and of his Mind and Meaning in his Word and Works How much might we have done for God and received from god by this Time what a Stock of Grace might we have gotten before now What a Treasure of Experience might we have heaped up What a good Foundation might we have laid of a sound solid and well-setled Peace and Comfort to stand us in stead in a Time of Need What ground might we have gotten against our Corruptions What Growth in Grace What Strength in the inner Man What Skill to discern and avoid the Wiles and Snares of the Devil What Love to and Delight in the Law of God What Readiness to every good Word and Work What Ereedom and Enlargedness might we have attaineed to in God's Service How truly might it have been our very Meat and Drink to do the Will of God our constant Course daily Use and chosen cheerful Exercise to run the Waies of God's Commandments How forward might we have been in the Way to the spiritual Canaan who have it may be been greatly guilty of many Retrogradations How might we have been of another Spirit than we are of at present How publick-spirited might we have grown How zealous for the Glory of God and the good of Souls How active in the Cause of God and Religion How careless of the Pleasures that are but for a Season How spiritual and heavenly-minded How ready to die How ripe for Heaven O let this Consideration be laid to Heart by us and serve deeply to humble us that we have had much Time but have redeemed little or none that we have liv'd long to little to bad Purpose that we have trifled and squandred away those Seasons of grace that can never be enjoyed again and lost those Opportunities that can never return back again Let us put our selves to the Trial and bring our selves under Examination whether we have discharged our Dutyin Redeeming the Time yea or no. The third Vse by way of Reproof Is every Christian bound to redeem the Time Then here is a Word of seasonable serious sharp Reproof to several Persons who are grosly guilty of mis-spending their Time and divers Waies do foolishly cut this precious Commodity to waste Particularly to these following The first Sort of Persons reproved To such as mi-spend their Time in Idleness who lose their Time nihil agendo in doing just nothing or nothing at all worthy the naming Who live in Neglect of all honest and Useful Employment or do not sedulously exercise chemselves in the Duties of their Place and [a] There dwelled in Belsted a small Village some three Miles from Ipswich a Tanner who being very busie in tawing of a Hide Mr. Carter came by accidentally and going sostly behind him being familiarly acquainted with the good Man merrily gave him a little Clap on the Back The man started and looking behind him suddenly blushed and said Sir I am ashamed that you should find me thus To whom Mr. Carter replied Let Christ when he comes fiad me so dotag What said the man doing thus Yes said M. Carter to him saithfully performing the Duties of my Calling The Life of Mr. John arter inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten Eminent Divines pag. 13. Calling How sharply may God reprove and say to many among us * Mat. 20.6 Why stand ye here all the Day idle What Cause have Ministers to complain of their People with the Apostle and say †2 Thess 3.11 There are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all To how many may we use the VVords of the VVise Man ‖ Prov. 6.6 Go to the Ant thou Sluggard 1. Idleness is a Sin against a Man's very Creation God did not so curiously work and accurately frame us to sit still and fold our Hands and give our selves to our ease and to [b] Desidea somnium vigilantis dream when we are awake Our Maker intended and fitted us for work To what End did God furnish us with so many useful instruments as the several members of our Bodies and endow us with those nimble and active Faculties of our Souls but that we might up and be doing and vigorously prosecute and pursue some worthy and good End in the diligent Use of sit and proper Means Adam even in Paradise was not allowed to be idle but before he feil we appointed and ordered to * Gen. 2.15 dress the Garden and to keep the Ground in which Employment he should have [c] Oberatus fuisser agrievlturâ non laboriosd sed deliciosa ad voluptatem experientiam Synops Crit. taken Delight and gain'd Experience And afterward when he had sinn'd not light and case but hard and painful tedious and wearisome Labour was enjoined him as a perpetual Penance for his Transgression and Offence and imposed as a [d] Andr. River Exercit. in Gen. p. 157. Bridle to rest rain the Flesh which by reason of Sin is now become wanton and rebellious against the Spirit (*) Gen. 3.17 19. In sorrow shalt thou eat all the Daies of thy Life In the Sweat of thy Face shalt thou eat thy Bread * Job 5.7 Man says Eliphaz is born unto Labour troublesome Labour †Psal 104.23 Man says David goeth forth to his Work and to his Labour until the Evening This is the Course which God has set him But by their Idleness Men attempt to overthrow the Purpose and Design of God and to frustrate the End whereto Man was created and plainly thwart and contradict cross and controul God's Curse while only in the Sweat of others Brows they eat their Bread and cast off the Means which God has ordain'd for repressing and taming the petulant and unruly Flesh Were these so wise as to accept of the Punishment threatned and inflicted and to become painful and laborious in their Places and Employments the Curse of God would by a Miracle of the divine Mercy be turn'd into a [e] The Labour and Sweat of our Brows is so far from being a
extravagantly The often renewed Meditation of the great Vncertainty of the Time of the Departure This will be a Means to hasten thy Repentance which if defer'd may prove too late And will surely help thee so to carry thy self continually [p] Id ago ut mihi instar totius vitae sit dies Sen. ep Ille qui nullum non tempus in usus suos comfert quiomnes dies tanquam vitam suam ordmat nec optat crastinum nec timet Idem de brev vit c 7. as one that reckons and uses a single Day as if it were a whole Life To live every day as if it were [q] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musonius apud Stob Serm. 1. â—ic ordinandus est aies omnis tamquam cogat agmen consummet atque expleat vitam In somnum ituri loeti hilar ésque dicamus Viâ—i quem dederat cursum fortuna peregi thy very last Not to promise thy self a Morrow and to neglect thy present Work in Hope and Expectation of it but to order thy self immediately as if thou didst never look to see and enjoy it and to count it as [r] Crastinum si adjecerit Deus laeti reciptamus Ille beatissimus est securus sai possessor qui crastinum sine solicitudine expectat Qussquis dixit vixi quotidie ad lucrum surgit Sen. ep 12. pure Gain as may be if God shall be pleased to afford thee the Light and Benefit of a new Day As the Bird guideth her Flight with her Train and the Ship is governed at the Stern or hindermost Part so the Life of Man is directed and ordered by frequent Meditation of his latter End 3. Think moreover of the great Change that will at last be made by Death which is lively represented in a Story related by a learned [s] Bishop Taylor in his rule and Exercise of holy Dying c. 1. §. 3. Doctor of a fair young German Gentleman who while he lived often refused to be pictured but put off the importunity of his Friends Desire by giving way that after a few Daies Burial they might send a Painter to his Vault and if they saw cause fo rit draw the Image of his Death unto the Life They did so and found his Face half eaten and his Midriff and Back-bone full of Serpents and so he stands pictured among his armed Ancestours Think how the Case will shortly be much alike with thee that Death in a Moment will turn thy Colour into Paleness thy Heat into Coldness thy Beauty into Lothsomness and will so alter and disfigure thee that thy ver Husband or Wife or Child will stand afraid and start at thee That thy nearest dearest kindest Friends who delighted in thy Company whilst thou livedst took thee to their Board took thee to their Bed and put thee in their Bosom will as soon as thou art dead take a speedy Course to remove thee out of their Sight yea to put thee under Ground because by Death thou wilt become not only useless but offensive to them And what a frightful Spectacle thou wouldst be if thy Body should be viewed when once the Vermin have bred in it and shall have devoured and consumed some Parts of it Think how Death will make a Change in thy Body a change in thy Mansion Habitation Companions That when thou art dead thou shalt quickly change thy Bed for a winding Sheet thy Chamber for a Coffin thy House for a Grave thy Friends for Worms This Consideration will be hugely instrumental to beat down Pride of any beauty Health Strength or Ornaments of the Body and be useful to cause thee to walk humbly and soberly and will instruct thee to say to thy self Why should I glory in any such transitory Enjoyment As fair and fine as I may be apt to think my self I know I shall be but a sorry Creature when Death comes Why should I delight to stand long at the Glass and there to view my own Face and Features and Dresses now since Death will one Day so change me that my most intimate loving familiar Friends will hardly endure to behold me Why should I pride my self in any rich Attire and brave Apparel who must ere long be strip'd to a winding Sheet Why should I bestow so much cost upon that Tenement which I shall dwell but a while in and which will decay and fall to utter Ruin when I have done all I can Why should I make my Belly my God which must be destroyed and be Meat for Worms Why should I be so high and stately as to think no House good enough no Room fine enough no Fair dainty enough for me who must quickly be brought as low as the Grave and be forc'd to make my Bed in the dark and to lay my Head in the Dust to lodg yea dwell in a black lonely desolate Hole of Earth to say to the Grave Thou art mine House to say to Corruption Thou art my Father and to the Worm Thou art my Mother and my Sister Why should I spend all my time in pleasing and pampering this base Flesh and in over-caring for this changeable vile Body which must shortly suffer Rottenness and Corruption Shall I not rather take care to beautify and adorn my inner Man to get a Change wrought in my Soul by the good Spirit and Grace of God before I suffer a Change in my Body a Change by Sickness a Change by Death and so to live that when I am dead it may not be said of me Here lies one that was dead while he lived and whose Soul then stank worse by sinful Corruption than his Body now stinks by Putrefaction 4. Consider once more What a sad and uncomfortable Thing it wil be to be found unprepared to die at the point of Death and how happy a Thing it will be to be in a readiness and preparation at the Hour of Death 1. Think well with thy self how miserable a Thing it will be to be wholly unprepared for Death when you come to die indeed [t] Cù a illos aliqua imbecillitas mortalitatis admonuit quemadmodum paventes moriuntur non tanquam exeant de vita sed tanquam extrahantur Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 11. to be driven away in thy Wickedness as the * Prov. 14.32 Wise Man speaks and forced to go to thy own Place whether thou wilt or no. To say as Theophrastus of old Dii boni nunc Good God must I go now How discompos'd and disorder'd amaz'd and terrified wilt thou be when thou art surpriz'd What a disconsolate Condition was that of Cesar Borgia who when through the Errour of a Servant he had unawares drunk of the poison'd Wine which he and his Father Pope Alexander the sixth had mingled and prepared for some rich Cardinals and verily expected it would prove his Death is said to have broke out into this or the like Expression I had made Provision against all possible Disasters
are sanctified by making thee Partaker of effectual Vocation real Regeneration gracious Adoption and thorough Sanctification that by Holiness he would qualify and dispose thee for Happiness And this Meditation will incline thee to put thy self in God's Way to be made fit And when he begins to make thee fit to do the best thou canst under God in his Strength and by his Grace to sit thy self to inquire after the Means of eternal Life and to charge thy self with the Vse of these Means in order to the attaining of this great End To cleanse thy self from all Filthiness that thou maiest be meet for an undefiled Inheritance (*) Rev. 3.4 To keep thy Garments undefiled that thou maiest be worthy to walk with Christ in white To glorify God both in thy Body and Spirit that thou maiest receive and inherit the Promise of the Glorification both of thy Soul and Body To endeavour to have (†) Rom. 6.22 thy Fruit unto Holiness that thy End may be everlasting Life (‖) Rev. 22.14 To do God's Commandments that thou maiest be blessed and have Right to the Tree of Life and maiest enter in through the Gates into the City [*] Rom. 2.7 By patient continuance in well doing to seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality that God may render eternal Life to thee Believing and considering that he that made thee without thee won'd save thee without thee a known Saying of St. Austin that God will never bestow glorious Immortality upon any that are loth to look after it that he will never give eternal Life to any that are unwilling to receive it that he won't make thee happy against thy Will nor force Heaven upon thee whether thou wilt or no That eternal Life is a Thing well worth thy looking after and therefore it is that God will have it sought for and sought for by well doing in a way of Obedience and good Works And that not only by Fits and Starts but by Perseverance or Continuance in well-doing and by patient Continuance in well-doing That a Man may as well think to be able to [t] Qui fide solitarta putat se posse ambulare in Christo is uno pede ambulare conatur quod est impoâ—â—bâ—le Dav. in Col. 2.6 p. 174 walk with one Leg as ever expect to go to Heaven by a Faith that is separated from good Works But do not only think of Glory in the General But consider seriously more particularly how upon the Reunion of Soul and Body thou shalt be made completely happy In the Vision of God In beholding the glorisied humane Nature of Christ In the Perfection of thy Knowledg and the full Satisfaction of all thy rational Desires In the blessed Place thou shalt dwell in In the blessed Company thou shalt enjoy And in the Uninterruption Perpetuity and Eternity of this blessed State 1. How thou shalt at last be made happy * Mar. 5 8. 1 Joh. 3.2 in the Sight of God That thy Vnderstanding shall acquiesce in the highest Being That then thou shalt see him as he is a Fountain of all that is desirable to thy Nature see him [a] Nos non negamus quin Deum videant animae separatae sed quta visionis intus non est und ratio sed variae partes prout Deus sise clariùs vel obsc riùs revelas libenter concedimus nondum cò pervenisse animas fidelium ut eum sacie ad faciem intuers dici possint Thes Salmur de vit Aetern thes 11. †1 Cor. 12.12 Face to Face know him even as also thou art known that in Heaven thou shalt have as clear a Sight of God and as free Communion with him as the State of a Creature can admit That though thou shalt not then immediatly see the very Essence of God as the over-acute School-men affirm God being in this respect invisible to the Angels themselves who though they be unspotted with any Sin yet the sole Imbecillity of their Nature and Creature-state does hinder such a Sight of God yet as the learned Camero expresses himself concerning it thou shalt see God by [b] Videtur Deus experiundo quis sit qualem se erga nos praestet Camero Praelect de Verbo Dei c. 7. p. 455. experiencing who he is and what he shews and manifests himself to be to thee by reaping the blessed Fruit and Benefit of the Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness so far as the Measure of a Creature can bear in the Sanctity of thy Soul and glorious Immortality of thy Body And as the ingenious judicious [c] Vide Thes Salmur de vita aeterna a Thes 13. ad finem Thes 27. Amyraldus does very intelligibly explain this Matter thou shalt see God hereafter in his glorious Works and admirable Operations such as will be the most bright Splendor and beautiful Habitation of Paradise the Glorification of thy own and others Bodies the Consociation of the Church with Angels and especially the glorious Presence of Christ in whose Manhood will appear as much of the Creator as is possibly visible in the Nature of Man To which add whatever else there may be in which the Majesty of the Deity shall then manifest it self Which rare Effects of the Divinity will certainly lead thee to a clear and full Knowledg of God's most excellent Properties and divine Vertues his Wisdom and Knowledg Power and Greatness Grace and Mercy Truth and Faithfulness the Knowledg and Contemplation of which will Fire and inflame thee with Love to him and ravish thee with joy and Delight in him Think how hereafter thou shalt see God and see him as thy God and Chief Good see god not with a transient Sight but see him so as to possess and enjoy him to close with him and be united to him and complacentially to rest in him as thy utmost and perfect End See God not by a mere speculative Contemplation of him but so as by seeing him [d] In the Tife of Glory our Souls become living polished Gsasses wherein the Divine Nature wherein Christ God and Man may be seen as he is and he is Truth it self Life it self and Goodness it self and we are transform'd into the Similitude of all these his Actibutes Dr. Jackson third Vol. p. 504 505. to become * 1 Joh 3.2 like unto him to be changed and transformed into the true and lively Image of him to be made Partaker in thy Measure and Proportion of that Wisdom and Holiness Love and Goodness which thou shalt apprehend and behold in him That thou shalt not only please and delight thy self by looking on some Glory that shall appear before thee to use some Words of a [d] See D. Patrick's Parable of the Pilgr p. 89 90. learned Doctor but shalt be made all glorious within and become thy self a God-like Creature That thou shalt not behold the Divinity only without thy self and be made happy by some external Enjoyment
the Knowledg of those Things which God hath been pleased most clearly to discover and plainly to reveal in his Word to thee as any way necessary to thy own and others Edisication and Salvation Thou being assured and well perswaded that practice and doing is the ready way to further Knowing as * Ps 111.10 Joh. 7.17 to increase thy Knowledg here so to augment thy Knowledg hereafter 'T will cause thee to charge thy self to walk as a Child of the Light and of the Day to follow the Light of God's Word and Spirit that thou maiest be meet to be made Partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light The foremention'd Meditation will moreover make thee wise unto Sobriety repress the itching Curiosity of thy Nature keep thee from spending thy Time in boldly prying into God's [m] Homo sum non intelligo secreta Dei investigare non audeo ideo etiam attentare sormido qâ—â—â— hoc ipsum genus quasi sacrilegae temerâ—tatis est siplus sone qupias quà m siâ—â—â—is Salv. de gub Del l. 3. Secrets and from immoderatly thirsting and reaching after the Knowledg of Things too high for thee Remembring and considering that in this Life thou canst not attain to clear and full and perfect Knowledg which is a Reward reserved for another Life And that thou maiest enjoy it in due Time 't will make thee willing to wait and stay God's Time to be humbly and modestly and contentedly ignorant of all those Things wherein God has been pleased to be silent and has though most fit in this lower imperfect State for Man to be ignorant The Consideration that thy Knowledg shall be perfected hereafter will bring thee at present to be quietly ignorant of those Things which God sees meet and most convenient for a Time to hide and conceal from thee and will help thee to wait very patiently for the Season of the fuller Manifestation of himself to thee this being the Way to have thy Knowledg encreased and perfected another Day Further This Meditation will also mind thee to fit thy self for the sure receiving the full Satisfaction of all thy Desires in Heaven hereafter 'T will cause thee now to curb and restrain thy sensual Appetite to moderate thy Desires to submit thy Will to the Will of God and to do his Pleasure here that so thou maiest have thy widest Capacities and largest Desires every way satisfied and fulfilled hereafter 4. Meditate how happy thou shalt be hereafter by dwelling in a most glorious beauteous blessed Place in thy heavenly Father's House in thy * Joh. 14.2 Saviour's Father's House in which there are many Mansions a stately Palace a spatious House indeed fit to receive and entertain an innumerable Company of glorious Inhabitants That thou shalt be placed and setled in the Seat of the Blessed an House not made with Hands a Building of God Paradise Heaven the third Heaven which is seated not only above the Region of the Air but above the Moon and highest Stars from whence thou shalt with Advantage take a pleasant Prospect of the admirable Beauty and comely Order of the Universe and of the Usefulness of all its Parts That thou shalt inhabit a Place which is so incomparably glorious that it is called in Scripture the Throne of God That thou shalt dwell hereafter in the better and heavenly Countrey of the Saints That thou shalt actually and personally enter into the promised Land and not only have a Pisgah-sight of it afar off That thou shalt be translated into the heavenly Canaan transported into the holy Land conducted and received into the holy City in which there is no Night and which has no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it the Glory of God inlightning it and the Lamb being the Light thereof Think how the beautiful glorious precious Things of which there is mention in the 21th and 22th of the Revelation in the large Description of the new Jerusalem if meant of the Glory of the highest Heaven are but Umbrages and Shadows of the good Things to come which are contain'd and treasur'd up in the heavenly Kingdom Though Heaven be indeed more a State than a Place yet think how the Majesty and Amenity of the Place of Glory will add to thy Joy and increase thy Felicity And this Meditation will provoke thee to labour to become apt and fit to live in so holy and blessed a Place as Heaven To be alwaies travelling towards this heavenly Country though thy Way lie through a Wilderness To make the mention of Heaven and the Way thereto to be thy frequent Discourse thy most serious and most refreshing Conference To be careful to have thy constant Conversation in Heaven To give all Diligence to be prepared and disposed by an heavenly State for an heavenly Place To let the Kingdom of God enter into thy Soul that thou maiest be meet to enter into the Kingdom of God To become the Temple of God here an Habitation of God through the Spirit that thou maiest be worthy to be received hereafter into an heavenly Habitation To cleanse thy self because no unelean Thing can ever enter into that holy City To labour to get such a vertuous Disposition and generous Spirit such holy Habits heavenly Customs and divine Manners as may fit and qualify thee to be admitted Citizen of the new Jerusalem And to beg of thy Father which is in Heaven that as he hath prepared an Heaven for holy Souls so he would more and more prepare thy too too unprepared Soul for Heaven 5. Spend thy Thoughts in the Consideration of thy future Enjoyment of the most blessed Company in the most blessed Place Consider seriously that as thou shalt have Communion with the blessed Trinity in the heavenly Glory fully enjoy God and have Fellowship with Jesus Christ thy Head So thou shalt associate and be conversant with Angels and have sweet Familiarity with those blessed Spirits and shalt there enjoy the Communion of Saints shalt there meet with the holy Patriarchs be received into the goodly Fellowship of the Prophets be taken into the glorious Company of the Apostles and be joyned to the noble Army of Martyrs and with all the Faithful of all Ages recount the Mercies and chaunt the Praises of thy bountiful Creator and gracious Redeemer Think with thy self how that good Company is a great part of the Pleasure and Comfort of a good Man's Life and a kind of Heaven here upon Earth But that hereafter thou shalt have the best Company that Earth and Heaven can afford That there thou shalt converse with and delight in the most eminent Children and faithful Servants of God and famous Worthies of the Church of Christ [m] Esseror studio patres vestros quos colui dilexi videndi Neque eos verò solùm convenire aveo quos ipse cognovi sed illos etiam de quibus audivi legi ipfe conscripsi Cic. in Cat. Maj.
voluntary Crimes and according to the measure of them And think again That as thou shalt suffer variety of Punishment Punishment of Loss and Punishment of Sense so thou shalt undergo extremity of Torment That thou shalt be forc'd to depart into Fire †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 25.41 the Fire emphatically which whether it shall be material or metaphorical speaks the sharpness and severity of thy Torment That thou shalt be cast into Fire prepar'd suffer a contrived Punishment that falls under the solemnity of a Preparation Prepared by God the wise and just Lord and Judg For the Devil and his Angels A great and inevitable Punishment such as the Devils must suffer and such as thou must suffer with the Devils That if thou servest the Devil here thou must dwell with him in Hell-fire And if it be so great an Affliction to the People of God who have a true Sense and a right Judgment of Things to be necessitated to live among * Ps 120.5 the Wicked here in this World Think then what a grievous Misery it will be to thee when thy Eyes are open'd in Hell to see thy self under a necessity of dwelling continually with the Devils and cursed Fiends of Hell Think how it would [d] Shepheard's S C. p 95. scare thee almost out of thy wits to have the Devil frequently appear to thee here and what Horror then shall fill thy Soul when thou shalt be banish'd from the Face of God and Presence of Christ and from Angels Society and be joined in Fellowship with the Devil and his Angels be shut up in the darkest Den with that roaring Lion and be chained with the Devil in fiery Fetters Nor will it at all relieve thee to have Companions in all thy Pain and Distress in Hell But the more there be that shall suffer with thee there the less ease and comfort shalt thou enjoy for as [e] Dr. Jackson 3 vol. p. 495. one of profound Judgment well observes there will be no Concord or Consort there nothing but perpetual Discord which is alwaies so much the greater by how much the Parties discording are more in number It being a Thing too well known that to live in continual Discord though but with some few is a kind of Hell here upon Earth Think yet further That thy Punishment in Hell will be perpetual thy Torments be endless as well as easeless thy †Mat. 25.41 46. 3.12 Fire everlasting and unquenchable That thou shalt be * Rev. 20.10 tormented in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone day and night for ever and ever That if it were possible for one Eternity to be spent for one ever to expire and come to an End there should be another ever for thee to be tormented in That in Hell †Mark 9.44 46 48. thy Worm shall never die That thou shalt be punished with ‖ 2 Thess 1.9 everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord That thou shalt be destroyed in a moral not in a natural Sense That thy Essence and Being shall be everlastingly preserv'd but thou shalt be everlastingly depriv'd of God and Glory and of all that makes to thy well-being and everlastingly afflicted and punished with all that tends to thy ill-being That as Nero refus'd to put [f] Philostr in viâ—a Apoll. Tyanaei Apollonius to Death who was very desirous to die because he would not so far gratify him And as Tiberius Caesar when a certain Offender petition'd him to hasten his Punishment retur'd this Answer [g] Suetonius l. 3. c. 6. Nondum tecum redii in gratiam Stay Sir you and I are not Friends yet So if thou provest a damned Person that God won't be mov'd by all thy entreaty to grant a quick and speedy Dispatch to thee nor after [h] See Mr. Bolton's 4 last Things p. 107 108 109 110. If thou hadst an Head as big as Archimedes and couldst tell how many Atomes of Dust weâ—e in the Globe of the Earth yet think that such a vast number is but as one little Atome in compare with those endless Sorrows and those endless Joys Let this be thy Impress or Motto let this be writ upon the minâ— that a learned man writes upon all his Books Aeternâ—tatem cogita Think of Eternity Johan Meursius D. Patrick's Div. Arithm p. 40 41. thousands and millions of Years spent in Torments yield to let thee die at last And that the Eternity of thy Torments will be the Hell of Hell and the very Sting of the second Death That the Eternity both of Loss and Sense will even break the very Heart of thee If good Men here do grieve and mourn when God withdraws and absents himself but for a Moment from them Think then how lamentably and intolerably it will perplex and punish thee to be made sensible hereafter that God will hide his Face from thee for ever That if here thou art unable to bear a tedious Fit of the Tooth-ach Head-ach Cholick Gout or Stone what then thou wilt do to endure those akings of Heart and wounds of Spirit and convulsions of Conscience and complicated torments of Soul and Body which will be the Portion of damned Persons to eternal Ages And if it be so sad a Misery for any to be burnt to Death here Think then how incomparably greater a Misery it will be to be alwaies burning and frying in Hell and yet never to be burnt to Death there Nay if here to lie long on a Bed of Down or on a Bed of Roses and not once to rise in several Years together would prove a grievous sore Trouble and heavy Affliction what an overwhelming Thought is this then of lying in Flames to all Eternity Consider here that so great is the Folly of Man's Mind and the Hardness of his Heart and the Power of present sensual Allurements that [i] See Baxter's Reas of the Christ Rel. p. 171. nothing less than the Threatning of an endless Misery was an apt and sit Instrument of God's ruling and governing the World That Men would not have been sufficiently awed and effectually restrain'd and deterr'd from Sin and kept in order and obedience if God had not intimated and foretold that the obstinate Sinner shall certainly suffer perpetual Punishment in another World That it is too evident that the Denunciation even of eternal Pain and infinite Torment does [k] Id. ib. p. 164 170. not move and sway the greatest part of Men and therefore that the Threatning of meer Annihilation or of some lighter and shorter Punishment would surely have less prevail'd and wrought upon the World And now when everlasting Punishment is plainly threatned that the just and holy Law-giver doth not intend to affright thee with a Lie or with an uncertainty That his Threatning is not like the prediction of an Almanack It may be so it may be not But that he meaneth really to execute and inflict the Penalty of eternal
very comely and handsome Man Thou hast as much business upon thee says he to heal the Distempers of Mens Minds and Manners as a Physician has in a Plague-time and art thou imployed about Words be glad if thou canst be sufficient for things I have not studied for great Words nor labour'd for high Language but only sought out * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 sound wholsome healing words It may be some candid courteous Reader if he see Occasion may make the same or like Apology for me as Seneca once did for Fabianus Papyrius when Lucilius had taken no small Prejudice against certain Books of that Philosopher because his Style was not elaborate and polite but seem'd to him to be [h] Effundi verba non fingi low and mean [i] Mores ille non verba composuit animis scripsit ista non auribus c. Electa verba sunt non captata Ad profectum omnia tendunt ad bonam mentem non quaeritur plausus Sen. ep 100. He formed Manners not Words says Seneca and wrote to the Minds not Ears of Men. It does not become a Philosopher to be studious and solicitous about Language He was not negligent in his Style says he but only not over-careful about it and therefore you will find nothing sordid or slovenly in it His Words are chosen not affected His Discourses are not flat and low but pleasing and plain Look on the whole Body of the Book though it be not trim 't is honest Would you have him set himself to so small a thing as Words He addicted himself to the Greatness of Things And you may perceive by what he has perform'd that he felt what he wrote What ever he delivers tends all to Profit and a good Mind Applause is not sought for or look'd after by him I shall only speak for my self in the Words of Salvian [k] Nos qui rerum magis quà m verborum amatores utilia potiùs quà m plausibilia sectamur In scriptiunculis nostris non lenocinia esse volumus sed remedia quae scilicet non tam oriosorum auribus placeant quà m aegrotorum mentibus prosint Salvian Praefat. ad libros de Gubern Dei We that are greater Lovers of Things than of Words follow what is profitable more than what is plausible nor do we seek that the empty Ornaments of the Age but that the wholsome Emoluments of things may be commended in us We would have our Writings contain not Enticements but Remedies which may not so much please the Ears of the idle as profit the Minds of such as are sick The Design and Aim of this Discourse in its composure was not to tickle the Ear and strike the Fancy but to warm the Heart and reach the Conscience and direct the Life to teach Men how to live and how to die and how to attain a blissful Life after Death I here present you with a plain Discourse in a very learned Age. I have prepared and provided for you not fine Manchet but rather Barley Bread such as [k] Fox Acts and Mon. 2 vol p. 1456. Bucer encouraged holy Bradford for want of better to give unto the People As St. Peter said to the lame Man * Acts 3.6 Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have give I thee In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk I say to you in like manner I have no rich Present to offer you but such as I have give I unto you I would under God be a means to help you to find your Feet and walk in the way of God's Commandments and run the Race that is set before you I was induced to make these Papers publick not only to satisfy the Desires of some Friends but because I found so very little perform'd by others on this Subject which I thought deserved a larger and fuller Handling And that by my own appearing in it I might oblige my self above all others to a greater and stricter care of my own Time and might leave some wholsome Counsels and seasonable Helps to a holy Life to my own Children Friends and Acquaintance and do some lasting Service to your Souls and when I shall be dead may be these Papers continue to speak to you and yours * Phil. 1.7 8. For God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the Bowels of Jesus Christ. I have you in my Heart and †Rom. 10.1 my Heart's Desire and Prayer to God for you is that you might be saved I shall only here crave your leave to put you in mind of a few very necessary things 1. Let me earnestly exhort and beseech you that you would worthily and becomingly act the parts of Men and Christians Live as those that have rational Souls noble and immortal Spirits within you and do nothing repugnant to the Light of your own Minds and Consciences Yea live as those that have the benefit and advantage of Divine Revelation Let none that name the Name of Christ allow themselves in the constant confident Practice of any notorious scandalous Sin or Vice directly and expresly contrary to the holy Word and righteous Law of God proceeding upon a false imaginary Supposition venturing upon a fond ungrounded foolish Presumption that the Mercy of God will at last prevail against his Wisdome Holiness Justice and Truth perswading promising slattering themselves in any evil Way that God according to their Idea and Model of a Deity will never find in his heart to punish the unreclaimable Sinner and obstinate final Impenitent with everlasting Misery and eternal Torment though he has over and over threatned it in the Gospel and though it stands with * See p. 439 440 441. good and great Reason that he should do it Walk closely according to the Rule and maintain a †Phil. 1.27 Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ. 2. If any of you upon search and enquiry into your selves shall find in your selves any decay of Piety declining in Godliness abatement of Strictness neglect of Watchfulness any slackness and remisness in Duty any vanity of Mind and carelesness of Spirit growing upon you if you can perceive you have * Rev. 2.4 5. left your first Love * Rev. 2.4 5. Remember from whence you are fallen and repent and do the first works recover maintain encrease the old Warmth †3.2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die Fortify natural Principles suscitate your natural Power stir up the Gifts and Graces of God in your selves [l] Herb. Poem Employment p. 71. Man is no Star but a Quick Coal Of Mortal Fire Who blows it not nor doth controll A faint Desire Le ts his own Ashes choke his Soul Look up to Heaven continually for the help and benefit of Divine Influences Illuminations Impressions and receive not the Grace of God in vain but up and be doing
will use all Diligence and good Conscience in their Calling and Trading on the Week-day And their Pains-taking and honest Dealing is likely to bring God's Blessing on their outward Estates Besides They that faithrully worship God on the Lord's-day will seek to God for a Blessing on the Week-day and they that seek it are likely to find it Once more God won't be wanting to those who would not be wanting to him God will bless you six Daies for your Blessing and Serving him one whole Day in seven 2. Our Observation of the Lord's-day as it is a spiritual wise redeeming of that special Season so it is a good Help to the spiritual Redeeming of all the six Daies following The more Liberty Men allow themselves upon the Lord's-day the more loose their Hearts are and negligent of good Duties and religious Exercises all the Week after They that pray not on the Lord's-day will hardly so much as say a Praier all the Week long They that hear not a Sermon on this Day will searcely read a Chapter the whole Week They that rob God of his due on the Lord's-day will rarely deal justly and honestly with their Neighbour on the Week-day But if we keep holy the Lord's-day then every Week-day will have a Tincture and Savour of the Lord's-day Our being Spiritual on the Lord's-day will put us into a very good Frame of Heart will awaken Principles of Conscience compose our Minds six our Wills call in and set in order our Assections Our Sanctification of this Day will season and sanctify us sit and dispose us for a close and holy Walking with God all the Week after If we attend upon God and converse with him on this special Day of his own Appointment we shall find a sensible spiritual Vigour a divine Power and heavenly Strength to carry us through all the Duties of the whole Week following relating either to God or Man If we earnestly redeem the Lord's-day the Observation of that Day will have a strong and mighty Influence on our Lives on other Daies too We shall endeavour to carry our selves after it suitably to it to live and walk and act continually as those that have newly or lately enjoyed so blessed and happy an Opportunity as those that have heard of God heard from him spoken to him had to do with him we shall labour to live in pursuance of the End and Design of the work and Business of the Lord's-day Mot. 2. Our Sanctification and good Improvement of the Lord's-day will fit and prepare us to keep and enjoy a blessed Rest and eternal Sabbath in Heaven They that delight in God here will much more delight in him hereafter and those whom God delights in here he will delight in for evermore They that keep holy the Christian Sabbath here shall be translated and admitted to sanctify and celebrate an everlasting Sabbath in Glory hereafter [g] The Church-porch p. 15. He that loves God's Abode and to combine With Saints on Earth shall one Day with them shine But on the other side your gross continued Neglect and wilful resolved Profanation of the Lord's-day will unfit and unqualify you to keep a glorious festival and a joyful happy Holy-Day in Heaven God can take no Complacency and Delight in you if you can take no Complacency in him no Delight in his Sabbaths no Pleasure in his Worship and Service They that refuse to sanctify a Sabbath and totally to rest on that Day from their worldly Labours and secular Negotiations have reason to fear lest God sware in his Wrath that they shall never enter into his Rest. They that will not rest from their Works and Pleasures on this Day have cause to conclude that in Hell they shall have no Rest neither Day nor Night They that will do their own Works on the Lord's-day may expect to suffer for their evil Deeds in the Day of the Lord. They who wilfully absented themselves from God's House on God's Day have no ground to hope that God will receive them to Communion with himself in his heavenly Kingdom And as God can take no delight in you so if you pollute and profane break and violate the Lord's-Day neglect Religion contemn the Worship and despise the Service of God if you changed your place you would there no more delight in God than you do here Heaven would be a Burden Heaven would be an Hell to the unsuitable Spirit of an irreligious profane voluptuous Person Thou that art weary of Praiers and Praises here what wouldst thou do in Heaven tro there is nothing else there You that are sick of a Sabbath here and long till it be over and can't endure to think of spending a whole Day in Religious Exercises what wilt thou do in Heaven where there is a perpetual Sabbath to be kept for ever Thou that hatest the Communion of Saints here I wonder what thou wouldst do in Heaven where next to the Fruition and Enjoyment of God in Glory the best Entertainment will be the Company and Society of the holy Angels and of the blessed and glorified Saints to all Eternity I have given you some Motives to perswade and engage you to the due Observation and right Redemption of the Lord's-Day Now what are you resolved upon Shall your former Profanation of this Day be the present Burthen of your Spirits and Sadness of your Souls Will you live as those that are convinced that Religion depends upon the Sanctification of this Day and your Salvation upon Religion Will you forbear any more to break into God's Inclosure to encroach upon God's Propriety sacrilegiously to engross God's Day to your selves or to make bold with any Part of it for worldly Employments or vain Pleasures or such Recreations as are apt to prove Lets and Hindrances of your Duties and Devotions and be careful to give God that Portion of Time which is his due Will you for the future sequester your selves from worldly Cares Affections Affairs on this Day and henceforth dedicate the Lord's-Day to the Honour of God and Christ Will you not only cease to censure those serious Christians who dare not lose this choice Time and precious Opportunity as profanely and desperately as formerly you have done But will you so consider the Worth of this Time and so far weigh the great Consequences and weighty Concernments of the well or ill spending of it as to count it honourable and keep it holy without intermixing of secular Matters or indulging profane Thoughts and introducing inconvenient improper Discourses in any part of it Will you labour to walk accurately exactly precisely on this Day and not be afraid of being [h] He keeps the Lord's-day best that keeps it with most Religion and with most Charity Bp. Taylor 's Rule and Exerc. of Hol. Lif chap. 4 sec 6. rul 8. Hypocrites are out disputing the Obligations to their Duty and asking How do you prove that it is a Duty to pray in my Family
by their Affections encouraged by their Examples recovered by their Reproofs directed by their Counsels assisted by their Praiers instructed strengthned and comforted by their Experiences When you come in company with able godly Ministers or knowing experienced Christians you may put Cases and have them resolved propound Doubts and have them satisfied you may light your Candle by their's you may kindle your Coal at their Fire and stay and warm your self well before you go away Godly Company is an Opportunity to be prized and improved Whenever you enjoy good Company make the best of it Let not carnal Bashtulness nor a vain and worldly Heart which is apt to seek idle and unprofitable Discourse hinder and deprive you of the Profit and Benefit which may be reaped by godly Society The last Particular Opportunities to be redeemed 5. And lastly The particular Seasons of practising and performing particular Duties of getting and encreasing acting and exercising particular Graces these have a special commodious Fitness for the doing or receiving some particular Good and ought accordingly to be embraced and improved by us When we know a Person a good Man especially to be in real Necessity and great Extremity then is an Opportunity of exercising Charity in giving liberally according to our Ability When another has wronged and injured us then we have gotten a good Occasion of exercising Charity and shewing Mercy in free and full Forgiveness When a Brother is fallen into Sin at any Time then it is a Season to * Gal. 6.1 restore such an one in the Spirit of Meckness When any Person is flexible and tractable yielding and pliable being melted and mollified by an afflictive Providence or moved and enclined to hearken to us by Dependance on us Expectation from us or any Relation and Obligation to us we have a fair Opportunity to deal with such an one at such a Time for the furthering of his spiritual and eternal Good When any are cast upon Sick-beds and are somewhat awakened and softned by God's Hand then they are prepared for your Hand you may the more easily work upon them When any have newly received a Benefit from us or hope to be shortly beholden to us and so are ready to think well of us and to take all well from us then we may reprove admonish exhort them with a comfortable Hope of happy Success and good Effect The Conscience of a Man is a nice and sullen Thing and if it be not taken at fit Times there is no meddling with it And so likewise in respect of our selves when we have received any fresh Mercy from God or are actually enjoying the Blessings of God and tasting how good and gracious the Lord is then is an Occasion of stirring up our selves to Praise and Thanksgiving When we lie under an heavy Affliction then it is a Season of acting and exercising Faith Repentance Patience a convenient Season for Self-Examination sound Humiliation earnest Supplication and thorough Reformation When we find a secret Chearfulness of Spirit then it is a Season to spiritualize our Joy and Gladness to think upon God's Mercies to recount his Benefits to set forth the Praises of our Creator Preserver and Redeemer * Jam. 5 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalms When we find any Sadness growing upon our Spirits then it is a Season to spiritualize our Sorrow and Sadness to mourn and grieve for our Sins especially to weep in secret for them to confess and acknowledg them and pray against them Once more When at any Time [p] We must not measure our Time by the length but by the weight not by its greatness but by its worth Let us not in asure our Daie◠as we do by the motion of the Sun which we see but by the shining of the Sun of Righteousness upon our Souls not by the celestial Bodies but by the celestial Inspirations As to the purposes of Holiness and getting nearer to Heaven one moment when the Spirit of God is upon us and strongly possesses our Mind with good Things and breaths into us holy Affections is worth many Hours yea Daies and Years when that is not with us or doth not so powerfully incite us D. Patrick's Div. Arithm. p. 37 38. the holy Spirit of God joining with the good Word of God or concurring with the Providences and remarkable Works of God does strongly work upon our Minds and sweetly and powerfully move and stir our Hearts and Affections When the Spirit instills any good Motions into our Souls and kindles any good Desires in our Hearts and kindly draws us on to holy Purposes and good Resolutions This is a special Opportunity indeed This is Temporis Articulus the very Nick of Time which must be taken on a suddain or it 's presently lost to our great Disadvantage Do not fail to strike while the Iron is hot Step into the Pool whenever the Angel stirs the Water Lanch out immediately whiles Wind and Tide serve When you feel any gentle Gale spread open your Sail This Wind blows when and where it listeth You know not how soon this Wind may turn Whenever the Spirit knocks open the Door [q] Rara hora brevis mora O si durâsset Bernard you know not how soon he may have done how quickly he may be gone Delicata res est Spiritus Sanctus saies Tertullian The Spirit of God is a nice and delicate Thing it is soon offended and quickly grieved And therefore subject your selves to the Working of the Spirit and work with the Spirit while the Spirit is at work Gladly receive every Impression of this immediate gracious free Operator Welcome every Suggestion of this blessed Monitor Let every Inspiration find thee as the Seal does the Wax or the Spark the Tinder Kindly entertain all its Visits and readily obey all its Motions follow them home don't check and quench them stifle and smother them Never suffer them to die and decay to languish and perish and come to nothing Do the Particular Duties the Spirit calls you to Get and grow in the special Graces which the Spirit is ready to beget and encrease in you Run freely and willingly so soon as ever you feel and perceive that the Spirit draws you If you don't stir when the Spirit moves and act when it works you may drive and chase away the Spirit and so lie dull and dead graceless and helpless and hopeless for ever And thus I have open'd and explain'd the Duty and shewn you particularly both what it is to redeem the Time and what the Time is that is to be redeemed The Sum of all is briefly this that our whole Life-time and every particular Occasion afforded us in it must whatever it cost us by all means be laid hold on and improved by us for the Glory of God and our own and others spiritual Advantage CHAP. III. The Grounds and Reasons why we ought to redeem the Time The Special Reason laid down in the
in the Grave or Hell or in any Place of the separated Soul's abode What is to be done of this Nature do now or never Act now with the greatest Care and Diligence Life and Vigour As Zeuxis a famous Painter once said Pingo Aeternitati I limn for Eternity So let us do every Thing now for Eternity and be sure to be very exact in our Actions because they must stand upon Record for ever and lay the Foundation of our Happiness or Misery to all Eternity In Time let us make Provision for Eternity We are careful to provide convenient handsome Lodgings here but consider where shall I dwell to all Eternity Remember that a serious Life of Faith and Repentance Grace and Holiness here is the only Way to an happy heavenly eternal Life hereafter That it is in vain with * Num. 23.10 Balaam to wish we might die the Death of the Righteous if we refuse to live the Life of the Richteous As Euchrites foolishly desired to be Croesus vivens Socrates mortuus Croesus while he liv'd and Socrates when he was dead CHAP. V. The Vse and Application of the Doctrine Ought we to redeem the Time Then 1. Let not the Men of this World think strange that serious and conscientious Christians do not lose their Time as desperately as they do Good Men know the Worth of Time and understand the great Consequences and weighty Concernments of well or ill husbanding of it Vse 2 Let us all examine our selves and see whether we have redeem'd our Time or no bewail and bemoan our loss of Time 3. Vse A seasonable sharp Reproof of several Persons who are grossly guilty of mis-spending their Time 1. A Reproof of those that mis-spend their Time in Idleness and Lasiness Idleness a Sin against our Creation against our Redemption against our own Souls against our Neighbour and an Inlet to many other Sins 2. Such Persons are justly censurable who mis-spend their Time in excessive Sleep and Drousiness which wasts not only much of our Time but the best of our Time too Immoderate sleeping nought on any Day but worst of all upon the Lord's-Day 3. Many mis-spend their Time in impertinent Employments 4. Many lose much precious Time in vain Thoughts 5. In wain Speeches 6. In vain Pleasures in using unlawful or abusing lawful Recreations either using them unseasonably or else immoderately 7. In excessive immoderate worldly Cares 8. Some Persons are to be reproved for mis-spending their Time in Duties 1. By performing them unseasonably 2. By doing them formally Time lost in Duties by unseasonable Performance two Waies 1. When one Duty thrusts and justles out another and so the Duty is mis-timed 2. When Duty is perform'd at such a Time when we are most unfit for 't I Have done with the Reasons of this Duty and now proceed to the Vse and Application of this Doctrine 1. By way of Caution 2. Examination 3. Reproof And lastly Exhortation The first Vse by way of Caution Ought we to redeem the Time Then let not the Men of this World * 1 Pet. 4.4 think strange that serious and conscientious Christians do not run with them into the same Excess of Riot and lose their Time as desperately as they do There 's good Reason why the sober considerate Christian does not slightly and carelesly sling away his Time with others For as [a] Neque enim quicquâm reperit dignum quod cum tempore suo permutaret custos ejus parcissimus Sen. de brev vit cap. 7. Seneca speaks of an excellent and eminent good Man he does not meet with any Thing worthy to be accepted in exchange for his Time and therefore he keeps and reserves it to be employed to useful and prositable Purposes and is very saving and sparing of it The Children and Servants of God do sufficiently know the Worth of Time and plainly understand the gteat Consequences and weighty Concernments of well or ill husbanding of it If they were wanting by an early fore-handed Care to secure and improve any part of the Time that is past Their former prodigal lavishing out their Time is the present Burthen of their Spirits and Sadness of their Souls And they are resolv'd by a timely Diligence in a spiritual Manner to redeem the Time for the future They often seriously think with themselves that to lose the Remainder of their Time is to lose eternal Happiness and to incur eternal intolerable Misery Rather follow and imitate them than judg and censure them If you won't forbear reproaching and reviling them know that the Time is coming when you shall give an Account * 1 Pet. 4.3 4 5. not only of your Excess of Riot but even of your hard Speeches top If any in the Family if any in the Neighbourhood be more strict exact and careful to redeem the Time than your sevles take heed you do not speak ill of them for it Do not wonder that they do not do as you do But as you love your Souls and as you would give an Account of your Time with Joy and not with Grief labour with the holiest and precisest in the Places where you live to walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the Time because the Daies are evil The second Vse by way of Examination Is it the Duty of a Christian to redeem the Time Then let us examine our selves a while and see whether we have discharg'd our Duty herein Let us all look back on our former Lives and bewail and bemoan our Loss of Time [b] Vanitas est longam vitam optare de bonit vita parùm curare A Kempis l. 1. c. 1. n. 4. How vainly have we wish'd oftentimes for a long Life and yet alwaies neglected a good Life May we not apply that of [c] Exigua pars est vitae quam nos vivimus ex Ennio Omne spatium non vita sed tempus est Sen. de brevitate vitae cap. 2. Non est quod quemquam propter canos aut rugas putes diu vixisse non enim ille diu vixit sed diu fuit non ille muliùm navtagavit sed multum jactatus est ld de brev vit c. 8. Doce nonesse positum bonum vitae in spatio ejus sed in usu posse fieri imò saepissime fieri ut qut diu vixit parùm vixerit Id. ep 49. Seneca to our selves It is but a small Part of Life that we live The Space we wear out is not Life but Time We have been a long Time in the World but can we affirm and prove we have liv'd long Can we be said to have sail'd much to use the Similitude of that most practical Moralist because we have been tossed very much in the Sea of this World Can we be said to have truly liv'd because some Cubits are added to our Stature because some Hair is grown upon our Chin or because we have married Wives and gotten Children and it may
their Time in slandering detracting whispering tale-bearing speaking [c] In primis provideat nesirmo vitium aliquod indicetinesse morst us Quod maxtmè tum solet evenive cum stuâ—tosè de absentibus detrahendt causâ aut per ridiculum aut severè aut maledicè contumel osèque dicitur Dicero l. 1 de Offic Evil of others when they have no lawfull Call to do it in talking uncharitably of others [d] De alterius vtta de alterius morte disputatis Seneca de vita beata c. 19. Lives and Deaths in private caracterizing judging censuring back-biting of others These are as perfect in the Enumeration of others Faults [e] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 35. as if their Memories were the Books that shall be opened at the Day of Judgment This is in it self a base Temper where-ever it is with the Fly to fasten now here but upon a Sore like a Cupping-Glass to draw nothing but corrupt Blood This is an ungodly Humour for any to suffer their Tongues to be busily medling with those Sins and Miscarriages Failings or Faults of other Persons which never grieved and troubled touched or came near their own Hearts and which they never secretly bewail'd and sadly bemoan'd before God To be continually judging and censuring those that were never privately and personally reprov'd lovingly and compassionately admonished nor once earnestly and heartily praied for by them This censorious Spirit is a Christless Spirit Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father he excuses he pleads for Sinners he makes the best of every Thing he covers a Multitude of Sins Now when we do nothing but rip open and aggravate others Faults behind their backs we are far from an Imitation of Christ This is so far from being a Christ-like that it is too evidently a Diabolical Spirit The Devil he is called an Accuser and we plainly play Satan's Part and act him to the Life and spend our Time just as the Devil does if we make it our Business to be ever prying and finding of Faults to be alwaies bringing Charges against and framing Accusations of others And the employing our Time thus is far from redeeming it Might not we spend our Time far better in meekly admonishing of others and in heartily praying for others than in rashly judging and censuring of others Let me tell you while we are alwaies pleading others guilty we do but make our selves more guilty and thus to lose our own Innocency is this to redeem our Time To render our selves uncapable of Heaven is this to work out our own Salvation * Psal 15.1 3. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy Hill he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doeth Evil Wrong Hurt or Injury to his Neighbour in this way of backbiting nor taketh up that is with his Mouth that uttereth not a Reproach against his Neighbour that does not curiously pry into the Businesses Affairs Infirmities secrets of others and then busily divulge and tell them abroad to other Persons thereby defaming disgracing disparaging and rendring Men contemptible one to another and stirring up Strife Hatred Enmity Division and Quarrels among Men. Where shall we now find the Christian who deserves the Commendation that once [i] Hieron ad Marcellam de laudibus Asellae St. Jerome gave of Asella of whom he says Sermo silens silentium loquens she was silent when she spake for she spake only of religious and necessary things not medling with other Persons or Fame How do many mis-spend their Time and talk in vain and ridiculous Self-gloriation and in uncomely affected if not false and ungrounded Commendation of themselves in complementing and flattering great Sinners to their very Faces And some very vile and wicked Wretches abuse their Time and Tongues in speaking a Multitude of Lies in frequent taking God's Name in vain in common and customary Swearing in [f] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 154. mingling horrid and bitter Imprecations with their sportive Talk and making the Wounds and Blood of God and other such sad Words their foolish or peevish Modes of speaking Many Mens Mouths run like an Issue nothing but Putrefaction They vent and pour out * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.29 putrid unsavoury rotten †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 3.8 filthy Discourse apt only to minister to a Vice instead of ministring Grace unto the Hearers Corrupt it self and tending to corrupt good Manners and to infect the Fancies and defile the Minds of those that hear it They pass the Time in uttering [g] The Apostle chargeth that Fornication should not be once named among them as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 not meaning that the Vice should not have its Name and filthy Character but that nothing of it be named in which it can be tempting or offensive nothing tending to it or teaching of it should be named Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 Vol. p. 288. wanton loose lascivious Words in singing amorous and obscene Songs whereas he that is ‖ James 5.13 Private Christianâ— are to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Coloss 3 16 Etiaâ—n cùn htlaritati inser vimus addification is utâ—iâ—at is mutuae memores esse debemus Dav. in loc merry should sing Psalms Many mis-spend their Hours in * Ephes 5.4 inconvenient [h] Ipsum genus jocandi non profusum nec immodestum sed ingenuum facetum esse debet Vt enim puer is non omnem licentiam ludendi damus sed eam quae ab honest is actionibus non sit aliena sic in ipso joco aliquod probi ingenit lumen eluceat Cicero l. 1. de Office scurrilous immodest yea many mis-spend them in impious and profane Jesting in openly Scossing at good Men and making merry with their Imperfections and their own Slanders and in jeering the holy Waies and playing with the holy Word of God He that makes a Jest of the Words of Scripture or of holy things as a [i] Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 V. p. 305. learned Pen richly expresses it plaies with Thunder and kisses the Mouth of a Canon just as it belches Fire and Death he stakes Heaven at spurn-point and trips Cross and pile whether ever he shall see the Face of God or no he laughs at Damnation while he had rather lose Goal than lose his Jest nay which is the Horrour of all he makes a Jest of God himself and the Spirit of the Father and the Son to become ridiculous And is not this a monstrous cursed Improvement of precious Time to use and employ it in profanely deriding and desperately abusing the Word and Spirit of God that gave it 'T is a good Saying of the [k] Detestanda illorum insania qui hilares esse non pâ—ssunt sine Christi contumelia religionis ludibrio Dav. in Coloss 3.16 Thes if any do hilarem insaniam insanire ac per risum furere Seneca
our Time was bought into our Hands not with corruptible Things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ for we had forfeited our very Lives and space for Repentance is the Fruit of the Death of Christ Consider 2. How precious Time is in regard of the Vse and End to which it serves how Time bringeth Advantages with it for the compassing of the greatest Undertakings and for the perfecting of those that are most imperfect Time is not an empty Duration God hath filled Time with Helps to Eternity and with Means sufficient to know him the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent whom to know is Life eternal Consider 3. What precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time [a] Poteras hasce horas non perdidisse Pliny seeing his Nephew walk for his Pleasure called to him and said You might have found somewhat else to do you needed not have lost your Hours thus It is the Commendation given by Aelian of the old Lacedamonians that they [b] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. were exceeding frugal and parsimonious of their Time taking care to employ it in serious urgent Businesses not allow or permitting any Citizen to waste and consume it in Idleness and Sloth or vainly to throw it away by spending it on such Things as did not at all appear to minister to any Vertue For a Testimony of which the Historian gives this Instance That when it was told the Ephori that the People of Decelia did use to walk in the Afternoons those vigilant diligent Magistrates presently sent to them to prohibit their customary Walking meerly to take their Pleasure For they reckon'd [c] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aelian var. Hist l. 2.9.5 it became the Lacedemonians to get and preserve good Health not by taking such idle Recreations but by giving themselves to some profitable Exercises which might train and fit them for publick Use and Service Were they so thrifty only for the Profit and Commodity of their City And shall not we make much of our Time be sparing and saving of our Hours that we may employ them in the Worship and Service to the Honour and Glory of our God for the Safety and Welfare of our immortal Souls and the securing to our selves a celestial City and an heavenly Country The judicious Plutarch acknowledges that [d] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Time is of all the most costly Expence The considering and understanding Seneca was more sensible than many of the Worth of Time had himself appretiating Thoughts of it and reproves the common Sort of Men of their great Ignorance of the Preciousness and Usefulness of it I am apt to wonder says he when I hear some Men ask others to spend their Time and bestow their Hours on them and observe those that are thus ask'd to be so easy to part with theis Time to them [e] Quasi nihil petitur quasi 〈◊〉 datur re omnium pretiosiâ—mà luditur c de brev vit c. 8. 'T is ask'd as a very small matter and given away as if it were worth nothing Men plainly play with the most precious Thing that is But this deceives them says he That Time is an incorporeal Thing nd cannot be perceived with bodily Eyes and is therefore made of little reckoning or no account with them And in his first Epistle he thus complains to his Friend Lucilius [f] Quâ—m mihi dabis qui aliquod pretium teâ— ori ponat qui diem â—stimet Sen. ep 1. Where will you find me a Man says he that sets a due Price a right and true Estimate and Value upon his Time Most Men are careful of an Hour-Glass but careless of their Hours Men throw away their Time because they have mean and low Thoughts of it They know not the Worth of this Jewel and therefore they are easily cheated of it and are ready to part with it upon the cheapest terms Many Christians may learn of some of the wisest Heathens not to make light of their precious Hours but to value their Time at an higher Rate 4. Let those that yet have Time in their hands learn to prize it by considering how those that want it judg of it They that have quite lost their Time Oh! what would they give to redeem it Men too commonly little think that Time is of any great Value I am sure the most of us live as if we did not believe so But I pray consider what damned Spirits and dying Persons who have not made their peace with God think of Time Consider 1. What precious Thoughts lost damned Souls have of Time who suffer such extremity of Misery for slighting and abusing it What would not they give if it were possible for our Time and Opportunities and those Seasons of Grace which we enjoy but do not improve which God indulgeth to us but we are not thankful for nor careful of What would not they offer or yield to to have a new Price put into their hands to have farther advantages of redeeming Time Could they be admitted to live in this World again and to act here another Part would they ever grudg to do any spiritual Duty would they ever think any religious Exercise tedious would they be tired at a Sermon or weary of a Prayer would not they be willing to pray every Day till they were even hoarse again to pray till their Knees were as hard as the Boards upon which they kneel'd Would not their Heads be Fountains of Waters and would not they be ready to weep out their very Eyes in the Confession of their Sins Could they be releas'd and restor'd would they be any more afraid to resist the Temptations of a carnal Friend to refuse an ensnaring Invitation to deny a Cup immodestly pressed and unseasonably urged to reprove a bold and daring Sinner and to own and side with God and Religion in any Company whatsoever With what undaunted Courage and Resolution would they be forward to bear Witness against the reigning Sins and common Vices of the World With what Force and Violence would they endeavour to take the Kingdom of Heaven and how would they labour to lead others into and to help them on in the Way to Heaven How would they speak with yearning Bowels of tenderest Compassions to the Souls of their sinful Friends and Relations and seek the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of the sensual worldly careless ungodly Neighbourhood round about them How would every Word that proceeded out of their Mouths be Heart-deep How patiently would they conti nue in well doing to make sure of an endless glorious Happiness And how contentedly would they endure and cheerfully suffer any thing here to escape the intolerable eternal Torments of Hell and to fly from the Wrath to come Consider further 2. What high and precious Thoughts a dying Man who has not made his Peace with God has of Time The fore-mentioned
Simplicity and Godly Sincerity I have had my Conversation in the World To say with Hilarion as St. Jerom reports in his [b] Egredere anima quid times Egredere quid dubitas Septuaginta prope annis servisti Christo mortem times Hier. in vita Hilar. Life Go out my Soul why art thou afraid go out why lingrest thou thou hast served Christ well nigh these seventy Years and dost thou now fear Death To see that it has been to thee * Phil. 1.21 to live Christ and to be able to look on thy Death as thy Gain And with good old [c] His Life inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten emin Div. p. 123. When his good Sister said to him in his Sickness Brother I am afraid to leave you alone VVhy Sister said be I shall I am sure be with Jesus Christ when I die Ib. p. 123 124. Dr. Gouge in thy last Sickness to term Death thy best Friend next to Jesus Christ With †Phil. 1.23 St. Paul to desire to depart and to be ready to utter such Language as this Oh loose this Frame this Knot of Man unty That my free Soul may use her Wing Which is now pinion'd with Mortality As an entangled hamper'd Thing As the pious [d] Home Mr. Herbert pathetically expresses it in one of his sacred Poems Dwell upon these Considerations That the Loss and Misimprovement of Time will make a Death-bed uneasy to you and that the right redeeming of time will render a Death-bed comfortable to you And this will be very apt to move you to prepare for Death by dying to Sin dying to the World and living to Righteousness before you die 'T will help you to live every Day so indeed as others wish that they had liv'd when they come to lie upon a Death-bed To live so now that you may with comfort think of dying and may be freed from the slavish Fear of Death and be held no longer ‖ Heb. 2.15 in bondage by it 'T will cause you to live the Life of the Righteous that so you may die the Death of the Righteous die safely and die comfortably 'T will make you careful to set not only your House but your Heart in order your Life in order and so to dispatch your work and Business that when you come to die you may have nothing to do but to die and freely and cheerfully to resign your Spirit to the Father of Spirits and to surrender your Soul to your faithful Creator and gracious loving Lord Redeemer In a Word it will enable you so to live that you may have * Prov. 14.32 Hope in your own Death and that when Friends shall mourn for your Departure they may not sorrow without †1 Thess 4.13 Hope And so much shall suffice for your Direction as to your Meditation of Death your own particular Death in order to your Redemption of Time 2. Meditate here moreover of the general Dissolution of all Things at least in this inferiour World Think well of what (*) 2 Pet. 3.11 St. Peter informs you that all these Things shall be dissolved Consider that the Description which is there given of this Dissolution is too august and [e] Dr. ore's y st of Godl p 214. big by far for so small a Work as [f] Of which Dr. Hammend in eâ—prets it the Destruction of the City of Jerusalem That the Scoffers arguing there against the Promise of christ's coming that (†) Verse 4. all Things continue as they were from the Beginning of the Creation does clearly shew that this Coming of Christ was not understood by them and consequently not by St. Peter of the Burning of a City by War a Thing which might as probably and easily happen to Jerusalem as it had already fallen out in many other Places of the World But of the final glorious Coming of Christ to judge the World which [f] Superest I 'e ultimus perpetuus judicis di s ille nationibus insperatus ille derisus cùm tanta secult vetusta tot ejus nativitates uno ignt haurientur Tertull. lib de Spectae cap 30. Judgment the Conflagration of the Earth is to attend Think very seriously with thy self that * Verse 7. the Heavens and the Earth which are now are reserved unto Fire How †Verse 10. the Heavens shall one Day pass away with a great Noise and ‖ Verse 12. being on Fire shall be dissolved and the (*) Verse 10 12. Elements or [g] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordine mitiari incedo The host of the Aethereal Heavgens are the Stars and Planets The Host of the Aereal Heavens are Clouds and Meteors Fowls and flying Creatures Hosts shall melt with fervent Heat the Earth also and the Works of Nature or Art that are therein shall be burnt up That though the superiour Aethereal starry Heavens may be exempted as [h] He that considereth both the super-eminent Nature and Immensity of the Aethereal Heaven and of those innum rable Bodies therein in regard of which the whole Sublunary VVorld is but a Point or Centre and that it no way can be prov'd that ever those Bodies received any Curse for Man's Sin or Contagion by the VVorld's Deluge or that any Enemies of God dwell in them to pollute them He that considereth this will not easily be induced to believe that the Fire of the Day of Judgment shall burn them It remaineth therefore that the Sublunary Heavens only with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be the Subject of this Conflagration Mr. Mede's Works p. 614 615. some with probable Reason conceive yet that without dispute or doubt [i] Dr. More 's Myst of Godl p. 231. the Globe of the Earth and the circumjacent Air with all the Garnishings of them shall be burnt up That this Air and Earth shall be strangely and wonderfully alter'd though not annihilated That the present Order and comely Beauty of the Compages and Frame of this visible lower World shall be dissolv'd That this great House and goodly Building made for Man to dwell in shall be taken down and all the Furniture wherewith it was fitted for his Use and Service shall be destroyed That it will be an Act of Wisdom for God to abolish these Things when the Time appointed for Probation and Trial of immortal Spirits cloathed with Flesh is ended and expired and Men shall enter into so different a State in which there will be no need of any Thing that serves and ministers to this terrene and animal Life And though God think good to continue this World for a while that it may be a Theater whereon his Wisdom Goodness Mercy Patience and other his glorious Attributes may be displayed and made conspicuous yet it is convenient and reasonable that this Stage of God's Acts and Works of Providence when all is finished should be taken down And
this present World Thy thinking of Judgment will make thee careful of thy Thoughts because God will judg the Secrets * Rom. 2.16 of Men and †1 Cor. 4.5 manifest the Counsels of the Hearts And render thee watchful over thy Words because of all thy ‖ Jude 15. hard Speeches and of every ‖ Jude 15. idle Word thou must give an account and ‖ Jude 15. by thy Words thou shalt be justified or condemned And will cause thee to be circumspect in all thy Waies and narrowly observant of all thy Actions because Christ vvill come to (†) Ibid. convince Men of all their ungodly Deeds and thou must be judged according to thy Works Didst thou faithfully mind thy self of a future Judgment thou wouldst not be so frothy and foolish in thy Speeches so vain and profane in thy Merriments so deceitful in thy Trade so formal in thy Duties thou wouldst not sottishly sleep or impertinently muse or irreverently talk out Sermons nor mumble and huddle over thy Praiers like so many Ave-Marie's Thou wouldst certainly think and speak and act buy and sell hear and pray carry thy self in thy Dealings with Men and in thy Devotions to God as one that must give an account of thy self to God O think and say at the End and Close of every Day Now I have one Day less to live and one Day more to reckon for It is [g] Apophthegms collected by George Herbert in his Remains reported of Ignatius Loyola that he used to say when he heard a Clock strike There 's one Hour more that I have to answer to God for Such a good Meditation concerning the past Hour would surely quicken thee to spend the following and succeeding Hour much better To conclude this particular Consider thou art to be judged by Christ and surely then thou wilt not be ashamed of him now lest he be ashamed of thee another Day Thou wilt wisely labour for an Interest in him who is to be thy Judg that when the Devil shall accuse thee thou maiest have an Advocate to plead for thee and the Judg himself to befriend thee and to deal according to the Mildness of the Gospel with thee Thou wilt hear and receive his Commands now that thou maiest hereafter hear the Sentence of Absolution from him Thou wilt endeavour so to live that thou maiest look upon the Day of Judgment as the Time of thy Refreshment and maiest * 2 Tim. 4.8 love the appearing of thy Lord and Judg. The eminently holy [h] In his Life written by his Brother Mr. James Janeway p. 95 96. Mr. John Janeway sometime Fellow of King's Colledg in Cambridg had very [i] At about 20 for he died between 23 and 24 and this was his Condition for about 3 Years before he died p. 97 120. early arriv'd and attain'd to such an high pitch and great measure of spiritual Readiness and heavenly Preparedness that when once there was much Talk that one had fore-told that Doom's-Day should be upon such a Day although he blamed the presumptuous Folly of the false Prophet yet supposing it were true What then said he What if the Day of Judgment were come as it will most certainly come shortly If I were sure the Day of Judgment were to begin within an Hour I should be glad with all my heart If at this very instant I should hear such Thundrings and see such Lightnings as Israel did at Mount Sinai I am perswaded my very Heart would leap for joy But this I am confident of through infinite Mercy that the very Meditation of the Day hath even ravished my Soul and the Thought of the Certainty and Nearness of it is more refreshing to me than the Comforts of the whole World Surely nothing can more revive my Spirits than to behold the blessed Jesus the Joy Life and Beauty of my Soul Would it not more rejoyce me than Joseph 's Wagons did old Jacob O let us labour to be like him Let 's love Christ's Laws that we may not dread but love his appearing when he shall come to reckon and call to an account for our Observation or Violation of them Let us love the Appearing and Manifestation of Christ in his Ordinances his Word and Sacraments love the Appearing Enlargement and Encreasing of his spiritual Kingdom in the World love his Appearing in the Hearts and Lives of his most saithful and obedient People love his Appearing in our Houses and Families and his being formed and inthroned in our own Hearts and in the Hearts of our nearest and dearest Friends and Relations and by earnest and ardent Desire even hasten the coming of the Day of God long for the second coming of the Lord Christ when he shall appear without Sin unto Salvation and very heartily pray and say * Rev. 22.17 20. Come Lord Jesus come quickly When wilt thou †Joh. 14.3 come again and receive us unto thy self that where thou art there we may be also Thus I have offer'd to your best Consideration the Certainty and Necessity of a future and final Judgment 2. I come now to lead you to the Meditation of the great Vncertainty as to us of the Time and Season of this Judgment O think with thy self that the Son of Man * Luke 12.40 cometh at an Hour when you think not That Christ saies †Rev. 16.15 Behold I come as a Thief That thou ‖ Mark 13.33 knowest not when the Time is That (*) Mat. 24.42 25.13 thou knowest neither the Day nor the Hour wherein (*) Mat. 24.42 25.13 your Lord (*) Mat. 24.42 25.13 the Son of Man cometh to particular Judgment at the Day of Death or to general Judgment at the End of the World That there are indeed Signs of the Times which shew when it is near which the Faithful are to observe and take notice of to be instructed by and to gather comfort from But that the punctual and precise Time is hid from us And that a considerable Latitude being to be allowed in the Accounts of Time both as to the Beginning and Ending of them we can therefore take no exact Measures nor six directly upon the very Time and Day that God hath set in his own purpose to judg the World in And here 't will be useful to thee to consider that as St. Austin speaks [k] Ideo later ultimus dies ut abserventur omnes dies The last Day is conceal'd and kept secret from thee that all other Daies may be observ'd well-spent and improved by thee and that there may be a due Trial of thy Faith and Patience and Obedience by a Course of holy Living Whereas if thou knewest certainly the just Term of thy Life and how long it would be before thou shouldst be called to be judged thou mightst too probably take Occasion from it to defer and put off thy Conversion and Repentance to a few Daies
before Death and Judgment and to live idly loosly and voluptuously all the Daies of thy Life till the very last But surely thou wilt reckon now That the great Vncertainty of Christ's coming is a notable Spur to Vigilancy and Watchfulness That now not being secure any one Moment 't is thy Wisdom to stand upon thy Watch continually lest Christ come at a Time when thou doest least expect him and find thee in a Posture uncapable of Mercy from him unqualitied to receive Benefit by his Coming Frequently and intently think that the Time of thy Death and particular Judgment is very uncertain That thou * Mark 13.35 knowest not when the Master of the House cometh at Even or at Midnight or at the Cock-crowing or in the Morning whether he will call thee in the Daies of thy Youth or in the Midst of thy Daies or in elder Years Whether he will take thee in thy Bed or at thy Table or in a Journey At what Time or by what Means he will cite and summon thee to leave this World and to come to Judgment Consider that thou maiest drop into thy Grave before the fall of the Leaf from the Tree Yea that though now in perfect Health thou maiest be dead [l] Qend in die judicii futurum est omnibus hoc in singulis die mortis impleter Hier. in c. 2 Joelis Tunc unicuique veniet dies ille don venerit ei dies ut talis hinc exeat qualis judicandus est illo die Aug. ep 80. and doomed and damned before the next Lord's-day that this very Day this Hour thy Soul may be required of thee and be presently judged to Heaven or Hell and pass immediatly into an unchangeable State and Condition And that the particular Judgment will consign thee over to the general Judgment which will be conform to and a Confirmation of the former for ever And this will raise and quicken thee to watch alwaies lest coming suddenly he find thee sleeping secure in thy Sins lest that Day come as a * Luke 21.35 Snare upon thee and when thon shalt †1 Tless 5.3 say Peace and Safety then sudden Destruction come upon thee as Travail upon a Woman with Child and thou canst not escape This will cause thee to take heed to thy self lest at any Time thy Heart be over-charg'd with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and the Cares of this Life and so that Day come upon thee unawares To dread the Thoughts of being surprized and taken unprovided by the great and just Judg of Angels and Men. This will help thee to be constantly careful as to thy Person that it be such as may find acceptance in that Day and careful as to thy Employment that it be such as is suitable to thy Expectation of Christ's Coming and sit to be approved by thy Lord To be alwaies in a readiness to receive thy Summons and give up thy Accounts To reason and argue thus with thy self It Christ's Coming should surprize me in such a Course of Sin what a woful Case should I then be in Shall I dare to live in that State which I shall tremble to be found in at the Day of Judgment Represent thy Judg as standing at the Door and this will excite thee to watch and pray alwaies that thou maiest be * Luke 21.36 accounted worthy to escape the Sentence of Condemnation and to stand before the Son of Man To pray God to make thee such a wise Virgin as may timely take care to trim thy Lamp to furnish thy Vessel with the Oil of Grace to put on the Wedding-garment and to get thy self arraied with that fine Linen which is the Righteousness of the Saints that so thou maiest gladly go out to meet the Bridegroom and when others are unprovided and miserably excluded thou being ready maiest be admitted by him and enter with him into the Marriage-Chamber The third of the four last Things proposed as the subject Matter of Meditation in order to the right Redemption of Time III. Let Heaven and its Joys be the subject Matter of thy Meditation And here 1. Think of the happy Condition of a pious Soul in the State of Separation Consider seriously that Christ hath †2 Tim. 1.10 brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel [m] Hodie experiar an animà sit immortalis said Paulus Quintus when he was about to die A brave infallible judg indeed that doubted of the Soul's Immortality Nonne vobis videtur animus is qui plus cernat longius vidâ—rese ad meliora proficisci ille autem cujus obtusior sit acies non videre Cie de sen That thy Soul will subsist after the Shipwrack of this Body and that in the State of Separation it shall not droop in an unactive Lethargy nor be numm without Sence void of all Apprehension and Operation and in a drousy sleepy joyless comfortless Condition till the Resurrection An erroneous Opinion which Pope John the 22th was so stiff and peremptory in that he not only taught it himself but procur'd an Order in the Vniversity of Paris that none should take his Degree in Divinity unless he held it Do thou believe and consider that if thou beest a faithful Person thy Soul at its Departure shall change its State for the better and have a delightful Sense and joyful perception of its good Condition be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 23.43 quickly with Christ in Paradise †2 Cor. 5.8 immediately present with the Lord and ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 14.13 forthwith blessed be (*) Luke 16.22 carried by a Convoy of Angels into Abraham's Bosom received to him and entertain'd with him That as Ambassadours when they arrive at forreign Courts are conducted thither by the Masters of Ceremonies so thy holy Soul shall be translated by good Angels into a blessed Mansion and with Lazarus be (†) Verse 25. comforted in that Condition That if thou art a just Person thy (‖) Heb. 11.23 Spirit shall then be made perfect thy Vnderstanding be cleared from Ignorance and Errour enlarged and illustrated at thy Departure thy Will be endowed with exact Conformity to the Will of God and with perfect Liberty from all Servitude of Sin and be troubled no more with doubtful Choice but fully embrace the Chief Good thy Affections be duely and firmly plac'd thy Spirit be [n] The Oracle told Amelius enquiring what was become of Polinus 's Soul that he was gone to Pythagoras and Socrates and Plato 'T was a comfort to Socrates that after Death he hoped to see Homer Hesiod O praeclarum diew cùm ad illud animor um concilium 〈…〉 sear cùm ex hac taròa colluvione discedam 〈…〉 seu de Sâ—n. Socrates Critoni Amicos inquit hinc diseedens in eniam vobis aut similes aut eâ—â—am meliores ne vestrà quid m 〈◊〉 diu curiturus quandoquidem ros 〈…〉 estis
〈◊〉 Eâ—asm Apophth l. 3. gather'd to blessed and perfected Spirits and be made it Welf equal to the Angels and so become sit Company for them That thy Soul shall be in an happy Condition and be secure and certain that it shall never be dispossess'd and ejected out of it depriv'd or bereaved of it Such Thoughts as these will never suffer thee to let thy Soul sleep in thy Body which will surely wake when it is out of it This Meditation is likely to preserve thee from living and acting sensually and brutishly as if thy Soul were material and mortal and capable of no greater Happiness or higher Preserment than to be imprison'd and buried in this gross dull Flesh This will cause thee to take care that thy Soul may exercise and maintain a due Superiority over thy Body that thy Soul may * 1 Cor. 9.27 keep under thy Body and bring it into subjection and not be servilely and sordidly subject to it since thy Soul is able to live without it and shall from the Day of Death till the Day of Resurrection live better without it than ever here it liv'd with it This will mind thee to bring thy Soul which is a Spirit to converse now with the Father of Spirits and help thee to live like an Angel here on Earth who after Death shalt be as an Angel of God in Heaven Farther the Consideration or a State of Bliss to departed Souls will make thee labour to become fit for this State by getting thy Soul made like to God by true Holiness that God may love his own Image and Likeness in thee and delight to do good to the Soul he loves By striving to lead a good and holy Life here which is by the Ordination of God the direct and ready Way to an happy and eternal Life hereafter By looking that every Action and Carriage of thy Life be worthy of thy Hope of eternal Life [o] See to this purpose Mr. Baxter's Reas of the Christ Rd. 1 part p. 138 139. If a State of glorious Immortality were but a Likely hood and Probability you would notwithstanding in all reason do any thing suffer any thing part with any thing that if at last it should prove a reality you might make sure of it and render your self capable of obtaining and enjoying it because if it should prove true and you should miss of it no present Enjoyment could any way countervail the Loss of an eternal State of Bliss And if it should not prove true the denying thy self these earthly sensual Pleasures would be no considerable Loss or great Unhappiness to thee 't would be but the Loss of a transitory short impure imperfect Pleasure which even in this World has Pain and Torment mixt with it and has often sad Rellishes and a bitter Farewel at the End of it If there were but a bare Probability of such a State the most obscure Notices and thy uncertain Hopes of it were enough to make thee diligently look after it Surely then thou wilt much more seek and press after it when God has given thee an absolute Certainty of the Thing and the highest Satisfaction that can rationally be desired of the Truth of it And this Meditation will be a Means as to fit thee for thy Translation so to make thee with * Phil. 1.21 23 St. Paul have an earnest Desire to depart to go hence to go home To breadth out [p] Melch. Adam in vit Calv. p. 100. Calvin's Ejaculaton Vsquequo Domine How long Lord To cry out as holy [q] Aug. Cons l. 9. c. 19 §. 4. Monica did when she had newly been largely discoursing with her Son St. AUstin of the heavenly Kingdom Son as for me I now take no delight in any thing in this Life Quid hic facio What do I here And to use such Words as those of Mr. Herbert [r] Home What have I left that I should stay and groan The most of me to Heav'n is fled My Thoughts and Joies are all packt up and gone And for their old Acquaintance plead 2. Bend thy Mind to think of the Resurrection of the Body to a State of Glory Consider that as thy Soul at Death is not extinguished so that thy dead and buried Body shall not finally perish and be quite lost but at last be reproduc'd and restor'd again to thee by the Agency of an omniscient and omnipotent God That if thou †Joh. 5.29 hast done good thou shalt come forth to the Resurrection of Life come out of thy Grave as Jonah out of the Whale's Belly as Daniel out of the Lions Den as Pharaoh's chief Butler yea as the innocent honest Joseph out of Prison to an high and honourale Condition Think how the very same Body that fell by Death shall be raised again at the last Day as Lazarus rose with the same Body which had lien in the Grave four Daies and as Christ rose with the same Body that was crucified and buried How congruous it is to the Wisdom and Goodness and governing Justice of God that the same Body which was Partner with the Soul in good Actions should be a Sharer with it in everlasting Rewards That that very Body which was the Temple of the Holy Ghost and whose Members were the Members of Christ and Instruments of Righteousness and did God Service and labour'd and suffer'd for Christ here should be raised and rewarded hereafter And how reasonable to conclude that God having planted in the Soul a natural Inclination to its own Body will surely one Day satisfy the Soul's Appetite by reuniting it to the same Body Think how thy Body shall rise the same for Substance but not the same for Qualities and Endowments that it shall be raised * 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44 49 50. in Incorruption in Glory in Power raised a spiritual Body and put on Immortality That thou shalt bear the Image of the Heavenly That this Flesh and Bloud shall be changed and altered with a perfective Alteration that it may be capable of inheritng the Kingdom of God That Christ shall †Phil. 3.21 change thy vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body and that thou shalt ‖ Mat. 13.43 shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of thy Father These Thoughts will warm and affect thy Heart and move and incline thee to study and endeavour to get thy Soul and Body fitted and qualified for a Participation of a blessed and glorious Resurrection To get thy Soul now transform'd and made like unto Christ's gracious Soul that thy Body hereafter may be transform'd and made like unto his glorious Body to get I say a sanctified Soul here that thou maiest not sail of a glorified Body hereafter for the Body follows the Condition of the Soul Not to spend thy Time Care Cost Pains in decking and adorning in trimming and [s] Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter
did so early and so solemnly dedicate our selves Souls Bodies and Interests to God and vow to give our Time and Opportunities to his Service We are in Justice obliged to keep this Promise to pay this Vow which if we fail to do we are miserably perjured and forsworn 2. And then for the other Sacrament that of the Lord's Supper In our preparations for the receiving of it we have it may be searched and tried proved and examined our selves inquired into our hearts and waies taken special notice of many passages of our misled Lives and mis-spent Time seriously considered our many partial Covenant-breaches renew'd and repeated our Baptismal-contract with God and our Lord Jesus Christ determined to mortify those hateful Sins which crucisied our Saviour setled our purposes of returning to our Duty with greater care and diligence than ever strengthned and reinforced our Covenant of reforming our Lives and redeeming our Time and resolved upon a stricter Observance of God's Laws for the rest of our daies And at every time of our participation of the holy Communion we openly offer'd and publickly presented ourselves our Souls and Bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice unto God O let 's remember and stand to our Word and take care in God's Fear through Christ strengthning us to perform the Covenant we have so often ratified and frequently reiterated 2. And then again When God hath roused and startled us by some awakening Ordinance or Providence When some * Mark 3.17 Son of Thunder has plainly preach'd as if Death were at our backs which was the Character King James once gave of a lively Minister that preached before himself Or when some affectionate zealous Ambassadour of Christ coming to us in the Spirit of St. Paul has so convincingly reason'd of the Judgment to come and brought his Discourse so close and home to our very Consciences as to cause us to tremble again with Felix we then came to sudden Resolutions and speedy Purposes of Emendation of our Waies Or when at any time God has cast us upon Beds of Sickness brought us to the very brink of Death the very Mouth of the Grave when Friends and Physicians have been doubtful of our Lives when all our own Hopes of Life sickned and died when our Souls have almost sat upon our Lips O then what [a] Si aliqua nos aegritudo corripiat si signa aegritudinis vicinam mortem denuncient inducias vivendi quaerimus ut peccata nostra desleamus eas cum magno aestu desiderit setimus quas acceptas modô pro nihilo habemus Gregor Homil. 12. in Euang. fair and large Promises and specious goodly Resolutions have we made if God should ever restore us lend longer Life to us and try and trust us once again to become new Men to turn over a new Leaf to lead a new Life to improve our Time to all possible Advantage to do God more Service in a Day than we did him in a Month before Have we not been sometimes so sick that we verily concluded we were really seized by the Arrest of Death and seemed to hear God saying to us in particular * Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou maiest be no longer Steward and thought of nothing but the tolling of the Bell and expected some of us that the several parts of us within a few daies or hours should be shared and divided between the Grave and Hell Then we experienced in our selves Philosophantes metus aegrae fortunae sana consilia to use the elegant expressions of the most ingenious [b] Sen. ep 94. in fine Nam quasi ista inter se contraria sint bona fortuna mens bona ita melius in malis sapimus secunda rectum auferunt Ibid. Moralist Then our Fears read Lectures of Philosophy Lectures of Divinity to us and the sad and sorrowful circumstances of a sick and declining and dangerous condition did minister salutary Counsels and healthful Advices to us Let 's recollect and remember what were our serious secret Thoughts the inward workings of our Hearts the lively stirrings of our Consciences yea our open Confessions free Professions and large Promises and Protestations at such a time as that Men are too commonly of a Temper much like that of Naevolus in Martial of whom we find there this [c] Securo nihil est te Naevole pejus eodem Sollicito nihil est Naevole te melius c. Esto Naevole sollicitus Martial l 4. Epigr. 83. Character that when he was secure and prosperous none was more arrogant and insolent but when he was solicitous and press'd with care none was more modest and humble and of better condition and carriage than he We generally appear sensible and serious ready to reform and forward to enter into Vows and Engagements in Affliction and Adversity in grievous Calamities and deep Distresses and to do this especially when confin'd to our Chambers by malignant Distempers violent or painful Diseases and forced by Sickness to take and to keep our Beds Plinius Secundus writing to his Friend Maximus acquaints him with this observation of his The late languishing Condition of a Friend of mine taught me thus much saies he that we are usually [d] Optimos esse nos dum insirmi sumus best when we are sick and weak for what infirm sick Person is amorous or lascivious ambitious of Honour or covetous of Riches How little soever such a Person possesses he reckons he has enough because he supposes he must shortly relinquish what ever he has Then a Man remembers that there is a God saies he and that he himself is but a Man Then he envies admires despises no body then he does not hearken to nor feed upon uncharitable Discourses nor is he malicious or injurious to any but only designs if he should continue longer in the World to lead an innocent and a happy Life And he ends that notable Epistle with this very wise and wholsome Counsel What Philosophers endeavour to deliver in many Words and Volumes * Vt tales esse sani perseveremus quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi Plin. l 7. Ep. 26. that I may thus briefly hint by way of Instruction to thee and to myself saies he * Ps 85.8 That we continue to be such when we are well as we promise we will be when we are sick When Sigismund the Emperour enquired of the Bishop of Colen what he should do to be happy eternally he only advised him to take care to live as he promised to do the last time he had the Gout or Stone O let 's but pay our Sick-bed Vows and we shall redeem the Time indeed Let 's be the [e] Ille promissum suum implevit qui cùm videas illum cùm audias idem est Sen. ep 75. same when our Actions are seen as when our Words are heard Let 's never offer when we recover
employed by the great and mighty Monarch of the World To yield your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin instead of yielding your selves to God and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God 2. To delay the Redemption of our Time is hazardous and dangerous as well as unworthy and disingenuous For 1. The Time of our Life is very uncertain Seriously consider that if thou dost not take the present Time Time with thee may quickly be no more [f] Subito tollitur qui diu toleratur Gregor Hom. 12. in Euang. He that is long forborn is often snatcht away of a sudden * Job 21.13 Thou maiest go down to the Grave in a Moment Thou maiest be dead and buried thy Body be rotten in the Grave and thy Soul grievously tormented in Hell long before the Time comes which thou didst fix and set for thy Repentance and the amendment of thy Life [g] Maxima vitae jactura dilatio est Illa primum quemque extrahit diem illa eripit praesentia dum ulteriora promittit Maximum vivendi impedimentum est expectatio quae pendat excrastino Quò spectas quò te extendis omnia quae ventura sunt in incerto jacent protinus vive Sen. de brev vit cap. 9. Delay saies Seneca is the greatest Loss of humane Life It deprives us of that which is present while it Promises that which is future The greatest hindrance of living well saies he is Hope of living to morrow But it is a noted Saying of St. Gregory [h] Qui poenitenti veniam spopondit peccanti diem crastinuninon promisit Greg. Hom. 12. in Euang. He that hath promised Pardon to him that repents he has not promised to morrow to repent in And if God has not promised it to us we have no reason to promise it to our selves for 't is a Rule in Civil Law [i] Nemo potest promittere alienum No Person can promise that which is anothers He spake prudently and piously who when he was invited to come to morrow to a Feast returned this Answer I have not had a morrow for these many Years It was good Counsel which a wise Rabbi gave his Scholar that he should be sure to repent one Day besore he died But if you delay to be penitent and pious holy and religious the present Day you may never have the Benefit and Advantage of another Young Men too commonly lavish out the present in hope of redeeming the future Time But they build their Hope upon the greatest Vncertainty in the World [k] Quis est tam stultus quamvis sit adolescens cui sit exploratum se ad vesperum esse victurum Quinetiam aetas illae muliò plures quà m nostra mortis casus habet Faciliùs in morbos incidunt adolescentes graviùe aegrotant tristiùs curantur Ità que paùci veniunt adsenectutem Cicero in Cat. Maj. sen de Senect Young Men as Tully brings in Cato discoursing in some respects are in greater danger of Death than Old Men They fall into Diseases more easily sicken more violently and are cured more hardly and therefore there are but very few that reach to an Old Age. The Jews tell of Ben Syra yet a Child as [l] Dr. Stoughton's Heavenly Conversation p. 81 82. Dr. Stoughton relates the Story that he begged of his Master to instruct him in the Law of God who defer'd it and put him off saying he was too young yet to be entred into Divine Mysteries then he replied But Master said he I have been in the Church-yard and perceive by the Graves which I have lain down by and measured and find shorter than my self that many have died younger than I am and what shall I do then and if I should die before I have learned the Law of God what would become of me then Master The consideration of our short Life saies that worthy Doctor should cause us to [m] Ad haec quaerenda natus aestima quà m non multum acceperit temporis etiamsi illud totum sibi vendicet cui licèt nihil facilitate eript nihil negligendo patiatur excidere licèt horus avarissimè servet usque in ultimae aetatis his manae terminos procedat nec quicquam illi ex eo quod natura constituit fortuna concutiat tamen homo ad immortalium cognitionem nimis mortalis est Sen. de Otio sap c. 32. make haste to learn to know and serve God and to think we cannot begin to study that Lesson too soon that can never be learned too well And withal to use all Speed and Diligence lest as Children have usually torn their Books so we have ended our Lives before we have learned our Lessons * Joh. 9 4. Work while it is Day the Night cometh when no Man can work †12.35 Yet a little while is the Light of this Life with you walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Do not carry your selves like idle Boies who play away their Candle and then are forced to go to bed in the dark Thy Life is uncertain and therefore with Apelles that curious Painter let no Day go without some Stroke or Line drawn to the Life Let no Day pass without dispatching some lawful Business without performing some good Work and doing some laudable vertuous Action Do every Day the Work of that Day Make Religion thy business every day of thy Life 2. Delaies and Prorogations are very dangerous because many other things are exceeding uncertain as well as our Lives Thou dost not know but that by some Disease thou maiest quite lose the use of thy Reason and the natural right Exercise of thy Rational Faculties and so become in a manner dead even while thou livest Or if still thou retainest the free use of thy Reason yet thou maiest be deprived of the means of Grace and helps to Salvation * Isa 30.20 Thy Teachers may be removed into a Corner Thou maiest be pinch'd with a †Amos 8 11 12. Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord and be ready to ‖ Prov. 29.18 perish for want of Vision Or through Sickness or some sad Providence thou maiest be hindred and detain'd from making use of those common Means which others comfortably and profitably enjoy Or if thou hast Liberty to attend on the outward means of Grace thou maiest (*) 2 Cor. 6.1 receive the Grace of God in vain not (†) Luk. 19 42. know and understand in this thy Day the things that belong unto thy Peace Thou maiest have a (‖) Prov. 17.16 Price in thy hand to get Wisdom and be such a Fool as to have no heart to it Thy Mind may become more unprepared and thy Will more indisposed to receive the Truth and embrace the Goodness of the Word Thou maiest be ready to * Acts 7.51 resist the working of the Spirit in the great Ordinances of the Gospel and maiest
left to the last Art not thou asham'd saies he to reserve nothing but the Reliques the Dross the Dregs and Refuse for thy self and to set that Time for the bettering of thy Mind and amendment of thy Manners which can be bestowed on nothing else Is it not extreamly late saies he then to begin to live when thou shouldst make an end of Life What is so foolish a Forgetfulness of Mortality as to defer wholsome Counsels to the fiftieth or sixtieth Year of thy Age and to think to enter upon a vertuous Life at such a time as very few have lengthned out their daies to I may here apply those Words of Epicurus commended and adopted by Seneca [i] Quid est turpius quà m senex vivere incipiens Sen. ep 12. in fine What is more uncomely than an Old Man beginning to live Though the Truth is in the case of Godly Living Better late than never But is it any act or part of Wisdom to resolve to begin to redeem the Time at such an Age when thou wilt blush in consideration of thy Years to discover to any thy wonderful shameful gross Ignorance of the things of God in order to thy receiving Information and Instruction and furnishing thy Mind with necessary Knowledg and through Weakness of Understanding and Memory be more uncapable of learning the great things of the Christian Religion and Gospel-Institution than thou wast in thy Younger Time And wilt be backward to attempt so ungrateful a Work as openly to censure the Actions and Carriages of thy past Life and to condemn and discontent thy old Companions by forsaking their Fellowship and taking up a course of Life so wholly different from and directly contrary to theirs And when thou wilt find it so [k] God in Wisdom will have the Conversions of such as have gone on in a course of Sinning especially after Light revealed to be rare and difficult Births in those that are ancienter are with greater danger than in the younger sort Cavendum est vulnus quod dolore curatur Dr. Sibbs's Soul 's Const p 327. tough an undertaking so troublesome and uneasy a task to conquer and master to expel and extirpate inveterate vicious Habits which have been growing all thy Life and to get vertuous Dispositions and gracious Habits introduced and planted in thy Heart Is this to conclude and act rationally to think to turn thy self at large to the full Exercise of all thy Christian Duty when thou art reduc'd to a little Nook and Corner of thy Life What lamentable wretched Folly is it to defer all to an [l] Ante sonectutem curandum est ut homo bene vivat in seâ—â—etute autem ut bene moriatur Sen. Old Age But is not this the most marvellous Folly and Madness of all to adjourn the necessary Work and weighty Business of Redemption of Time to a dying Day and Hour or to put off all to a Death-bed and so to make that the Time of beginning which should be only the Time of renewing Repentance and to cast thy self into such straits in which thou shalt have no time to receive and make use of that variety of God's Grace his preventing restraining assisting furthering quickning strengthning confirming persevering Grace which it is his usual sapiential Method to dispense and afford for the gradual bringing returning Sinners in the way of Obedience and Holy Living to a participation of the great Rewards of a blessed Eternity Yea to conclude and shut up thy self within such narrow Cancels Bounds and Limits wherein thou shalt be utterly unable to discharge and perform a great part of that Duty which the Gospel expresly requires as the ordinary Qualification and common clearly revealed Condition in order to Salvation unable to * Rev. 22.14 do the Commandments of God †14.12 to keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus to do to keep them all when thou shalt want the Objects and Opportunities of performing the several Duties and exercising the several Graces which a course of Obedience plainly includes unable to answer the end of Christ's Death by ‖ 1 Pet. 2.24 living to Righteousness to exercise Chastity Temperance Mortification as acts of Election when thy Body is weak and low and languishing no Lust stirring no Temptation to such a Sin assaulting unable to (*) T it 2.12 live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World to (†) Heb. 12.1 run a Race (‖) Rom. 2.7 patiently to continue in Well-doing * Gal. 6.9 without faintirg For these are things which cannot be dispatch'd on a sudden perform'd in a trice or shrunk up into a narrow scantling so small a pittance of Time How can thy Light sufficiently shine before Men that they may see thy good Works when thy [k] Dr. Tillotson's serm 2. vol. p. 80. Candle is just sinking into the Socket What a wild Fancy and idle Imagination is it to [l] VVhen we are come to the very last cast our Strength is gone our Spirit clean spent our Senses appalled and the Powers of our Soul as numb as our Senses when a General Prostration of all our Powers and the shadow of Death upon our Eyes Then something we would say or do which should stand for our seeking But I doubt it will not serve This is the Time we allow God to seeking him in Is this it would we then seek him when we are not in case to seek any thing else VVould we turn to him then when we are not able to turn our selves in our Bed Or rise early to seek him when we are not able to rise at all Or enquire after him when our Breath faileth us and we are not able to speak three VVords together No Hour but the Hour of Death No Time but when he taketh Time from us and us from it Bp. Andrew's serm p. 180. flatter thy self into the perswasion that some sudden flashings of a passionate Repentance some short gleams of Piety and little scatterings of Devotion a few good Thoughts or Godly Words some weak ineffectual Purposes imperfect Promises fallacious Resolutions or at most the Performance of some single Actions will upon a Death-bed be acceptable to God without habitual Sanctity and an industrious persevering Piety That a few Prayers and Tears Sighs and Groans an extorted Sorrow and enforced Sadness a compulsory Confession of thy Sins and a Gift of Charity left to the Poor out of that Estate which now is [m] Defer not Charities till Death for certainly if a Man weigh it rightly he that doth so is rather liberal of an other Man's than of his own Sir Fr. Bacon's Essaies of Riches p. 2ii Let thy Alms go before and keep Heaven's Gate Open for thee 3 or both may come too late rather another Man 's than thy own since thou thy self art able to keep it no longer That such little slight things as these will serve as a sufficient Composition to be
of his Humiliation When Christ was almost entring into his Grave he begg'd and intreated that Christ would remember him when he came [g] Tò ev ponitur pro eis into his Kingdom Which of the Eleven were heard to utter so gracious a Word to their Saviour in his last Pangs and dying Agonies This penitent Thief prayed in Faith and look'd for ‖ Mal. 4.2 Healing from the Wings of this Sun of Righteousness when this glorious Sun rose from the West as I may say He was so humble that he would not presume to ask of Christ a participation of his Kingdom or any great and high Honour in it but only requested that he might not be forgotten by him the way of remembring and considering him he left wholly to him He shewed a very exemplary Patience upon the Cross he did not murmur against God or the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but owned the Dueness and Justice of his Punishment and was content to bear it and desired not the removal or abatement of it he meekly and quietly accepted his corporal temporal Punishment being only solicitous for his Soul's Salvation He charitably [i] Luk. 23.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat repreleâ—do anterdico Gerhard Harm in loc reprehended his Fellow-Thief and [i] Luk. 23.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat repreleâ—do anterdico Gerhard Harm in loc forbad him to proceed in his Blasphemy invited him to Repentance and sought to further the Salvation of his Neighbour Thou canst not expect ever to meet with such an Occasion to try and exercise thy Faith and Obedience and therefore thou hast no imaginable reason to nourish up thy self in Security upon presumptuous Hopes of faring as he did since thou canst not do as he did 6. And lastly Suppose thou shouldst at last redeem thy Time so well as by God's help with the good Thief to act and exercise unfeigned Repentance upon thy Death-bed yet I pray shew me and help me a little to understand how thou art likely to get that Comfort and gain that sweet Peace of Conscience which a more early Redemption of thy Time would in all probability bring thee in and bless thee with in thy last Hours A thinking understanding Heathen will tell thee [i] Mortem venientem nemo hilaris excipit nisi qui se ad illam diu composucrat Sen. ep 30. He only can chearfully entertain and gladly welcome Death when it comes who has a long time been fitting and preparing himself for it The Thief upon the Cross had indeed full Assurance that his Soul was in a good Condition at present and sure Ground of strongest Confidence and most comfortable Acquiescence that he should be very quickly in a pure and holy a blissful and happy State in another World But it is not to be expected that thou shouldst arrive to such Assurance in the same or the like way that he did for Christ then hung upon the Cross by him and had compassion on him and reveal'd it to him that his Repentance which was God's extraordinary gracious Gift was Repentance unto Life that his Person was accepted and his Prayer heard and that a higher Favour should be shewn him and a greater Good be bestowed upon him than was expresly desired by him That his Lord was ready to take the Key of Paradise into his hand and would very quickly open the Door and let him in and give him entrance into the Joy of his Lord. All which is included in Christ's gracious Answer to the humble Petition of the penitent Thief which he strengthned and confirmed with an earnest Asseveration Verily I say unto thee I will not only be mindful of thee but thou shalt be with me and that not only some time hereafter but [l] Nee sine grave causa expressum illud hoâ—le Censebant enim Judaes non quorumvis animas statim in selicem Paradisi statum recipi sed eas demum quae bene purgatâ— ex hac vita excederent Grot. in loc to day immediatly after thy Death and Departure To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise be joyfully received and pleasurably entertain'd in that happy Repository and Receptacle of Spirits which God hath prepared for holy Souls But when thou shalt come to lie upon a Death-bed and be conscious to thy self that thou hast led a very sinful and ungodly Life all thy daies and that this is the first time that thou hast in good earnest minded this great Work Suppose that the workings of thy Heart should be sincere how canst thou evidence thy Uprightness to thy self prove and make out to thy self and satisfy thy self in any ordinary way that thy Conversion is true and real sound and sincere When thou shalt plainly apprehend that thou art changing thy Place and Habitation State and Condition all of a sudden thou canst not but conclude that it highly concerns thee to humble thy self to God to beg his Pardon and promise him fair and to resolve by all possible means to shake off thy Sins which are too grievous and dang erous Companions to carry along with thee into the other World to cast away thy Sins at loost as a Man in a Storm begins to cast away his Goods because if he keeps his much valued Goods he must lose his dearest Life But dost not thou remember the famous remarkable Story of * 2 Mac. 9. Antiochus who when the Judgment of God followed him and smote him with an incurable and invisible Plague with a Pain of the Bowels that was remediless and sore Torments of the inner Parts so that the filthiness of his Smell was noisome to all his Army and no Man could endure to carry him for his intolerable Stink and he himself could not abide his own Smell Then he began to leave off his great Pride This wicked Person vowed also unto the Lord that he would set the holy City at Liberty make all the Jews equals to the Citizens of Athens garnish the holy Temple with goodly Gifts become a Jew himself and go through all the World that was inhabited and declare the Power of God But the Lord would now no more have Mercy upon him having suffer'd grievously he died most miserably And hast not thou [k] I never knew nor heard of any unwrought upon under conscionable means who after Recovery perform'd the Vows ... not counted as error and Promises of a new Life which he made in his Sickness and times of Extremity For if he will not be moved with the Ministry God will never give that honour unto the Cross to do the deed Mr. Bolton's Instructions for a right Comf afflicted Conscience p. 255. known some and heard of others who being condemned by Law or cast upon Beds of Sickness have outwardly manifested as great and probable signs of true Repentance upon seeming near approaches of Death and Judgment as thou canst now be well supposed to do and yet when God by
Violation of your Baptismal Vow You promis'd at your Baptism that you would obediently keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of your Lives But how apparently do you break this part of your Vow by living in a long continued course of Disobedience to this so reasonable Command of Christ Yea this unchristian Practice of yours is by interpretation a kind of Renunciation of your Baptismal Covenant entred into in your Infancy you do in a manner openly disown and disavow it when you will not yield at Years of Discretion to renew and confirm it though often minded of it frequently required and called upon in the Name of Christ to do it in the Use and Celebration of this Sacrament And by being so utterly averse and unwilling to bind your selves by this means to Christ and to ratify and strengthen your Covenant with him you seem to quit your Part in Christ and to disclaim all Interest and Propriety in the precious Benefits purchased by his Blood and Death and to be guilty of the basest Ingratitude and greatest Unkindness imaginable in refusing to remember in a solemn manner your Blessed Saviour who has so lovingly remembred you and been with so much charge and cost so great a Benefactor to you and in unworthily undervaluing the inestimable Benefits of his Death and Passion sealed and exhibited in the right Use of this Sacrament When Christ has said in plain terms Do this will you in effect dare to say We will not do this we will break a known Law and will not regard the Authority of Christ Will you persist in such Omission as you cannot justify but are forc'd if reason'd with to condemn your selves for Can you be so weak and short in your reasoning as to think you reserve to your selves a freedom and liberty to sin for the present without any great Danger to you by absenting your selves from the Sacrament which would closely tie and straitly bind you up to a stricter way and more exact course of Life never considering that by your relation to God and dependance upon him by your early Covenant made in Baptism by all your hearing or reading the Word of God and by every Prayer you have in all your Life put up to God you are already strongly obliged to all that Duty which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper would further engage you to perform Will you put off this Sacrament from Time to Time and satisfy your selves at present that you purpose to prepare and receive hereafter why this is just as foolish and absurd as to resolve that when you have very greedily swallowed much more Poison then you will take the benefit of an Antidote that when you have stuffed your selves with trash and fill'd your selves with abundant crudities and by so doing weakned and destroyed your Appetite or by long Fasting quite lost your Stomach then you will hasten to a Feast That when you have further despised the Riches of Divine Goodness and Grace made more light of Christ and of his pretious Blood and Benefits and grieved his Spirit by longer Deâ—ays and Non-improvement of Gospel-seasons and golden Opportunities then you will seek Reconciliation to God Union to and Communion with Christ Purgation from Sin by the Blood of Christ and the Consolation of the Spirit of Christ You may delude your selves with Intentions and Resolutions to remember Christ in the Sacrament at some convenient Season hereafter but if you neglect and closer it now you may lose your Senses and Memory before ye have another Occasion offer'd you of remembring Christ in this Sacrament You may die and depart and Christ may come to you in particular Judgment before you can enjoy another Opportunity of 〈◊〉 to the Table and Supper of your Lord We may tell of your Death and shew to others where you lie low in your Graves before the Times comes that you should shew forth your Lord's Death in the celebration of the holy Communion And ifyou should communicate upon a Death-bed the Sacrament so late sought and receiv'd is very unlikely to assure Heaven to you when you die when it was never desired and used by you as a necessary Means of helping you to Holiness and so of leading you on to Happiness all your Life long Let not humble honest-hearted Christians debar and deprive themselves of this Ordinance by over-looking or mis-judging their own Qualifications But finding that they regard no Iniquity in their Hearts and feeling in themselves vehement Longings and earnest Breathings after Christ and continual Hungrings and Thirstings after Righteousness let them own with thankfulness any measure of Grace discernible in themselves and not deny to themselves what Christ so freely affords and offers them but when invited to this Spiritual Feast draw near with Faith and take this holy Sacrament to their Comfort and use it as a means of supplying their spiritual wants and needs Come yea frequently come to the Lord's Table The Sacrament of Baptism is the Symbol and Seal of our Regeneration or New Birth and therefore it is to be received but once But the holy Communion is the Symbol and Seal of our spiritual Nutrition and therefore in reason we are to receive it often When Christ appointed that this should be done in remembrance of him can you think he intended only a single or seldom remembrance Did not Christ himself in giving that Command and enacting that Law intimate insinuate and suppose a reiterated frequent remembrance of himself when he said * 1 Cor. 11.25 26. as oft as ye drink it the Apostle subjoining as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup Will he then accept and take it kindly at your hand if ye do it so seldom as is next to a total Omission of it Did the Primitive Christians communicate every day or at least every Lord's-Day and can you content your selves to live many Weeks Months and Years without it Did you but know and understand consider and meditate of your own spiritual great necessities Wants Weaknesses and of the certain considerable Advantages of a frequent Participation of the holy Communion you would quickly find a Law within your selves to bind and oblige you a strong Argument and Impellent within your own Breasts a pressing powerful Motive in your own Bosoms to draw you to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper you would as soon forget to take your daily Bread as neglect to receive this blessed Sacrament upon any good Occasion and fit Opportunity offer'd to you Among all your Cares take special care to feed and nourish to strengthen and comfort to cleanse and save your Souls Among all your Employments find some leisure to remember your Saviour to meet with your dearest Lord and to receive the seasonable plentiful rich * Phil. 1.19 Supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Will you pretend to value a Sermon and yet unworthily slight the Sacrament seem to make conscience of
hearing two Sermons usually every Lord's-Day and yet let your receiving the holy Communion twice or thrice a Year at most suffice your Souls and satisfy your Consciences Have you been swift to hear some thousands of Sermons in your time and yet so slow some of you as not once to receive this holy Sacrament in the many Years of your whole Lives though so very many of the Sermons preach'd to you urg'd and press'd you with due Preparation to receive the Communion Know ye not that the Sacrament has in sundry respects the advantage of a Sermon for in the Sacrament there is a Sermon to the Eye as well as to the Ear. Preaching alone cannot possibly so clearly and lively set forth the Evil of Sin and the Love of Christ to you as the visible Representation of the Crucifixion and bloody Death of Christ made in this Sacrament by the breaking of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine before you is apt to do Besides that The Sacrament calls you to a more solemn previous Examination of your selves than a Sermon does and requires you publickly to renew your whole Covenant with God and Christ whereas a Sermon ordinarily engages you to some one or few particular Duties only And the Sacrament is a Seal and Confirmation of the Covenant on God's part of all the great and precious Promises made in Christ to penitent Believers as well as a Ratification of the Covenant on your part Again The Sacrament has a singular Virtue and Efficacy to join and unite you more nearly and closely to Christ your Head and to knit and cement you more firmly and strongly one to another in Christian Love And is moreover a powerful Instrument and effectual Means of conveying spiritual Strength from Christ and Grace sufficient to enable you to perform the Covenant made and repeated by you and to practise the Precepts explicated and inculcated in the very many profitable Sermons preached to you 5. You that are Parents and Masters of Families in the Fear of God set up the Duties and maintain the Exercises of Christ's Religion in your Families Let Prayer and Reading the sacred Scripture and a course of Catechizing be things they are used to and well acquainted with Resolve with Joshua * Jos 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. And vow deliberately with holy David †Ps 119.2 I will walk within my House with a perfect Heart Walk so closely and constantly with God and be so faithfully obedient to him that your Children may fare the better for your Covenant interest in him and relation to him Train bleed and ‖ Eph. 6.4 bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them to know fear love and serve God with Abraham * Gen. 18.19 command your Children your Houshold that they keep the Way of the Lord This will be a means to propagate Religion to Posterity Suffer not your Children to have their Heads and Humours but labour betimes to break them of their Wills lest by their Stubbornness and Disobedience they break your very Hearts at last Adonijah was a Person unlikely ever to come to good when his Father was so indulgent to him as †1 Kings 1.6 not to displease him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so Follow the Direction which St. Austin gives to teach Men to do the Works of Abraham [p] Omnis qui trucidat sitiorum voluptates tale sacrificium offert Deo quale Abraham Aug. Kill sinful Pleasures says he and slay youthful Lusts in your Children by this means you will offer such a Sacrifice to God as Abraham did Let this Thought often arise in your Minds that the young Plants that stand in the little Nourseries of your private Families will according to your care or neglect of them grow up to be good and useful or vicious and noxious Members in Church and State and so the [q] Gratum est quod patriae civem populoque dedisti Si facit ut patriae sit idontus Juv. sat 14. Publick will be profited or prejudiced by your well or ill ordering the Dispositions and Manners of those that belong unto your charge Restrain and regulate the rude and loose manners both of your Children and Servants Labour to instil good Principles into them and to render all your seasonable Instructions prosperous and profitable by your good Examples [r] Velocius citius not Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domistica magnis Cùm subsant animos autoribus Id. ib. Domestical Examples are very notably leading and drawing and wonderfully powerful and influential Your Children and Servants they have their Maintenance from you Dependance upon you and are much inferiour to you and so are apt to eye and imitate you and ready to conform themselves to you You that are Parents is it not enough that you have conveyed and communicated a corrupt Nature to your Children but will you proceed to deprave them further by your ill Examples and to draw forth the Corruption of their Nature into manifold actual Miscarriages and Transgressions Will you make your Children as far as ever lies in your power the Children of the Devil You that are Masters will you make your Servants the Servants of Sin and bind them Apprentices to the very Devil Will you dare any longer to (s) Nil dictu foedum visÃque hac lime ia tangat Intra quae puer est Maxima debetur puero reverentia Illud non agitas ut sanctam filius omni Aspiciat sine labe domum vitiâ—que carentem Id. ib. corrupt and debauch your Children and Seavants by your frequent Drunkenness common Swearing vain and loose Talking Profanation of the Lord's-Day Atheistical ungodly Living Let Governours of Families charge themselves to give better Examples 6. Yea let every one of you study to be Exemplary in every relation and capacity in every carriage and deportment both within the private Family and before all the Neighbourhood round about you Let this consideration discourage and deter you from being ill-exemplary that if at last you should go to Hell your selves your own Damnation will receive aggravation from the Damnation of others who have been Sinners and Sufferers through your ill Examples Which may be the reason why * Luke 16.28 Dives desired to keep his Brethren out of the place of Torment Nay St. Austin goes a great deal higher in those very notable Words of his which deserve to be pondred in your most serious Thoughts (u) Quantiscunque exemplum malae conversationis etiamsi non eum illi sequantur aliquis praebuerit pro tantis se malis rationem noverit redditurum Aug. serm 163. de Tempore If thou hast given an ill Example says he thou shalt one Day give an account for so many wicked Persons as thou hast shown an ill Example to though they have not followed thy ill Example For it is no thank to
Play-house canst thou look that God with a Blessing should go with thee When thou art hunting after unjust Gain and hotly pursuing it all the Day long or using unlawful and indirect Courses to provide for thy self or Family canst thou expect that God should command a Blessing upon it Would the intemperate lustful covetous unrighteous Person proceed according to this Direction he would soon desist from his vicious Courses and unwarrantable Practices As the [i] Lukin's Pract. of Godliness p. 35. poor Man when he had stollen a Lamb to satisfy the hungry Bellies of his Family and having dressed it came of course to crave a Blessing upon it he was so disturb'd and troubled about it that he could find no Rest and Quiet in his Mind till he went and confess'd his Fault and promiss'd to make Satisfaction for the wrong he had done The Sixth Direction We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special Way in which and principal Means and Help by which we may redeem and improve our Time a right And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated Times of ordinary Prayer 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions 3. Vse thy self to frequent sudden ejaculatory Prayers to God These three Particulars give the proper Sense and Meaning of those Scriptures * Eph. 6 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praying alwaies in all Time or Opportunity as the Word is †1 Thess 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray without ceasing ‖ Heb. 13.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray continually 1. If we would well redeem the Time we must keep and observe our daily set and stated Times of earnest fervent Prayer to God and solemn serious Supplication Thus it is our Duty to pray continually not to employ the Whole of our Time in Prayer as of old the Euchites dream'd but to pray continually in the same Sense as [a] Ames de Conse cas l. 4. c. 14. q. 5. Mephibosheth was commanded to eat Bread at David's Table (*) 2 Sam. 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. continually that is not to cram and load himself with Meat and Drink day and night but to refresh himself there at the set and customary Hours of Dinner and Supper 'T is a general Duty incumbent on us to * Luke 1.75 serve God all the Daies of our Life and therefore with the Worship and Service of Prayer in particular which may be conveniently performed daily We are directed in the Lord's Prayer to pray every Day for our †Mat. 6.11 daily Bread and therefore we ought more earnestly to ‖ Verse 33. seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness every Day (*) Exod. 29.38 39. The Morning and Evening Sacrifice strictly [b] Matutino hoc vespertino sacrisicio agnoscitur Deus noctis diei Creator Grot. in loc Bis de die sacrisicium illud volunt repeti Deus ut populus assiduè in memoria future per Christum reconciliatiouis se exerceret Voluit Deus hoc victimae genus bis de die pom ante oculos ut populus reputaret sibi opus esse identidem reconciliari Deo reaâ—â—s ac damnationis suae admonitus à principio usque ad finem diet ad ejus misericordiam confugeret Rivetus in locum enjoyned under the Law to be publickly celebrated every Day is a plain Pattern and apparent Direction for double Devotion every Day for the legal Sacrifice as also the Incense joyned with it was a Type of Prayer Psal 144.2 Heb. 13.15 The Jews had their (†) Acts 3.1 10.2 3. set Hours of Prayer Our blessed Saviour has not only given us a plain Precept for (‖) Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer but has afforded us his own Example to lead us to the Performance of solitary secret Prayer both Morning and sEvening [*] Mark 1 35. St. Mark Informs us that in the Morning rising up a great while before Day or in the first Twilight he went out and departed into a solitary Place and there prayed And [†] Mat. 14.23 St. Mathew acquaints us that when he had sent the Multitudes away he went up into a Mountain apart to pray and when the Evening was come he was there alone * Col. 4.1 2. Masters of Servants as such are required and charged by the Apostle to continue in Prayer and to watch in the same with Thanksgiving Which Words considering the Context which is wholly taken up in setling and setting forth the Christian Oeconomy may well be interpreted and understood of performing daily Family-Prayer [c] Dr. Arrowsm Tact. Sacr. p. 247 248. Let Governours of Families who assume and exercise a kind of Kingly Authority in their own Families understand and consider that their Master in Heaven expects that they should execute the Offices and act the Parts of so many Priests in their own Families by offering before them the Sacrifices of Prayers and Praises to God day by day There are daily Personal and Family Sins to be confess'd and pray'd against daily Personal and Family Wants to be spread before God in order to a Supply thereof Personal and Family Mercies daily received and duely to be acknowledg'd every Day Morning and Evening We generally find that they that have any shew of Religion are very observant of stated Times of Devotion so are the Papists and so are the Mahometans Nay the very Heathen guided by the dim Light of Nature have approved and recommended this Practice Hesiod in particular gives this as a necessary Rule [d] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the utmost of your Power perform your sacred Offices to the immortal Gods both when you go to Bed at Night and when the Morning-Light appears that they may bear a propitious Mind and carry a kind and loving Heart toward you And it is not unworthy of some remark that the Precepts of continuing in Prayer and redeeming the Time are so * Col 4.2 3 5. nearly and closely joined together in Scripture To pretermit and neglect to lay aside and cast off fixed determined Times and certain appointed Seasons of Prayer would be to lose our Time and quickly to lose our Religion too If you will not admit so much of the Form you are not likely to maintain the Power of Godliness If you reckon you have no call to pray but only when you find and feel a present inward strong Impulse and secret powerful Inclination to it you take a course to chase and drive away the Spirit from you and to deprive your selves of the holy and spiritual the sweet and seasonable Motions of it When the usual Times of Duty return pray though thou hast no present sensible Motion to perform it and pray till thou findest God's good Spirit sweetly and powerfully moving upon thee and working in thee enlivening and enlarging thy Heart in Prayer and enabling thee to enjoy some singular sensible joyful
and delightful Communion with God to exercise thy Graces in this holy Duty and to feel thy Heart warm'd and inflam'd and thy Soul refresh'd and repair'd before thou departest out of God's Presence To [e] Oratio clavis diei sera nâ—ctis begin and end with God every Day to be with the Lord first and last to call upon God Morning and Evening In the Morning to praise him for the Mercies of the Night past to ask Wisdome of God to order our Conversation aright to beg his Favour Presence Guidance Spirit Grace and Strength his Protection of us his * Psal 90 17. Beauty on glorious Blessing upon us and his establishing and [f] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag Aur. Cam. prospering the Works both of our Heads and Hands the whole Day following And in the Evening to bless and praise God for the Mercies and Favours of the Day past to confess our Faults and Failings in it and so to lie down with no heavy Guilt of any unrepented Sin lying upon us To pray for the hPardon and Healing of the Miscarriages of that Day and to commit our selves and ours to the Divine Keeping the Night following beseeching God to prevent any sinful Dreams which might proceed from the Corruption of our Natures and Constitutions Hearts and Imaginations Conversations and Actions and to spiritualize and sanctify our Thoughts and Cogitations in the vacant Spaces and broken Hours of our Sleep To keep and maintain the set Times of personal secret Closet-Prayer and the stated Times of Oeconomical Houshold Family-Prayer this is a well-spending so much of our Time as is employed in that Duty and this is the right and ready way to redeem and improve every Day to the Honour and Glory of God and to our own and others Profit and Benefit Satisfaction and Comfort This is a likely hopeful good way to prevent or remove Miscarriages in our selves and Disorders in our Families to keep every Member of our Family in their Station and Duty to season them all with a religious Fear and high Respect to God and his Waies and to train and bring up Children and Servants to a competent Ability to express their Desires in Prayer to God for themselves and others to teach our Servants with * Gen. 24.12 Eliezar Abraham's good oand faithful Servant to follow their earthly Master's Business with hearty Prayers to their heavenly Master for a Blessing upon it Be careful and diligent wise and prudent to redeem Time for Prayer that you may redeem Time by Prayer Find Time sufficient to work this Work of God and so to workout your own Salvation as well as to follow the Works and Businesses of your particular Callings to attend and wait upon God in Prayer as well as to wait upon your Customers and to attend your secular Occasions and Concerns Let not worldly Cares and civil or domestick Affairs hinder and divert thee from due Performance of Prayer in thy Family and in thy private Closet Though David had the Care of the Kingly Government upon him yet his usual Course and Practice was to pray to God †Psal 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon yea ‖ 119.154 seven times a day did he praise God as he himselfe professes If he did not exactly and punctually observe so many Hours but a certain Number is put here for an uncertain yet the meaning must be that he did it very often Love sweetned the Duty to him and caused him to praise God * Ps 71.14 more and more to be nover weary of praising him here as knowing that it would be his sole Employment to praise him hereafter for evermore Though Daniel was deeply engag'd in Publick Business and State Affairs yet he took not any Occasion from these to neglect his daily Duty and wonted Service to his God He kept his former Course and Order for every day and constantly †Dan. 6.10 three Times a Day he kneeled upon his Knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God though he knew he hazarded his high Preferment and endanger'd his very Life by it So Cornelius a Centurion taken up with many Martial Occasions yet suffer'd not himself to be taken off from his Devotion thereby but ‖ Acts 10.2 prayed to God alway He did not do it only by fits but daily and constantly observ'd his usual Seasons It is reported of the famous [g] In the Serm. preached at his Fun. at the end of his Sermons p. 21. Bp. Andrews that though he had many weighty Employments as Bishop of Winchester and Privy Counsellor yet his Life was a Life of Prayer and a great part of five Hours every day did he spend in Prayer and Devotion to God The holy and excellent [h] His Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 58. Bp. Vsher had Prayer in his Family four times a day In the Morning at six in the Evening at eight and before Dinner and Supper in the Chappel at each of which he was alwaies present [i] His Life written by Mr. Clark Mr. William Whately Minister of Banbury had much Work lying upon him continually catechising and preaching twice every Lord's-day and a weekly Lecture besides well studying and usually penning his Sermons at large and yet his constant Practice was besides Family-Prayer twice a day and sometimes catechizing to pray also with his Wife and alone both Morning and Evening And with what shew of Reason can any of you excuse your selves Have you Time to eat and drink and sleep and not only to labour and works but to play and sport Leisure to recreate your selves and visit your Friends and take your pleasure a Spare-Hour to spend in discourse and it may be to waste in empty and idle talk with another Have you Time to do nothing Time to do Evil and have you no Time to serve and worship God in your Families no Time for religious Retirements and hidden Repairs to God in your privy Chambers and secret Closets Have you so many Sins and Wants Corruptions and Temptations and can no Time be spared and set apart to seek God for the Pardon of your Sins and the Supply of all your spiritual Wants and to pray to him for Strength and Power to mortify the Corruptious with which you are infested and to resist the Temptations with which you are assaulted 2. We should moreover betake our selves to solemn continued Prayer when we have Place and Space for such a Duty upon the Emergency of any weighty important Business or on any special extraordinary occurrent and urgent Occasion to beg of God the prudent Conduct of our Affairs Success in and a Blessing upon our lawful and honest Undertakings Strength to go through Trials Afflictions and Temptations Freedom and Deliverance from Evils and Sufferings felt or feared or to return God thanks for the receit of his Mercies in any such particulars and to engage our selves to walk answerably and to
you have no better improved Christian Fellowship and Communion no more awaken'd quicken'd comforted and spiritually served one another Grudg not to bestow a little Labour in watching over thy Friend and Neighbour this Work and Task will be quickly over And take not amiss anothers taking care of thee Count the Christian Religion lovely and amiable upon this Consideration that it makes such excellent and admirable Provision for the Welfare and Safety of Souls for the spiritual Security and eternal Felicity of the Professors of it Prize and value the rich Mercy and abundant Kindness of God to thee that he should appoint every Friend about thee to be a spiritual Help to thee and make it part of his Office and Business to take care of thy Soul And when you find any Friend faithful in the Exercise of his Duty and Discharge of his Conscience toward thee bless God that he is so And be truly thankful to him also for so high an expression of his charitable Affection Let his sincere and hearty Love to thee make him appear * 1 Sam 29.9 good in thy sight as an Angel of God and cause his †Rom. 10 15. Feet as well as Face to be truly [x] Quid tam alsurdum quà m delectari multis inanibus rebus ui honore ut glorià ut aedificio ut vestitu culiú jue cerporis animo autem virtute praedito eo qut vel amare vel ut enini remuneratione benevolentiae nthil vicissitudine studiorum essicier úmque jucundiù Lael apud Cic. de amic beautiful to thee Never be provoked with an ill Provocation against the Person of a Friend who sharpens and provokes you with a good Provocation Be not angry with any that provoke you to Love nor render evil for good to such as labour to provoke you to good Works If thy Friend and Companion rebuke thee know how to accept a great Kindness take his Love and Good-will well and shew that thou hast good Flesh to heal Say with holy David ‖ Ps 41.5 Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a Kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Oil which shall not break my Head And reckon this to be one of the saddest Strokes that God inflicts for God to say (*) Hos 4.4 Let no Man strive nor reprove another Be so wise and good natured as to [y] Plurimim in amicitia amicorum bene suadentium valeat autoritas eáque adhibeatur ad monendum non moaò aperrè sed etiam acriter si res postulabit autoritati adhibitae pareatur Id. ib. suffer a Word of Exhortation and Admonition from a truly loving Christian Friend When thou aut in Company with thy Friends do †1 Kings 20.23 as Benhadad's Servant did in the Presence of Ahab diligently observe whether any good thing will come from any and hastily catch it Shew thy self much pleased and delighted with any good Discourse that is started and labour to keep it up and maintain it But know that if now thou refusest to hearken to the Counsels and follow the Advices and submit * Eph. 5.21 thy self to the Reproofs and Reprehensions of prudent pious Christian Friends and art ready to strive against all their earnest passionate Strivings with thee then they that contended and laboured in vain with thee here shall surely †1 Cor. 6.2 judg thee at Last Day and bring in Evidence and Testimony against thee that they would have healed thee and thou wouldst not be healed that they by all means would have helped thee to Heaven and thou wouldst hasten and hurry to Hell ‖ Jer. 51.9 The eleventh Direction If we would earnestly redeem the Time we must remember and consider perform and answer our solemn Sacramental Vows Occasional Promises and Sick-bed Resolutions 1. Our solemn Sacramental Vows 1. Our Promise and [a] Of the Vow of Baptism see Dr. Hammond's Pract. Cat. l. 6. the latter part of sect 2 and 3. And his notions contracted in the VVhole Duty of Man partit 2. par 33 c. Vow made in Baptism Which Promise made by Persons baptized when adult or of full Age is called as some understand and interpret that Place the stipulation or * 1 Pet. 3.21 answer of a good Conscience towards God At the time of our Infant-Baptism we were dedicated to the Service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and solemnly entred into a sacred Covenant Then we indented and engaged to renounce the Devil the †Eph. 6.12 2.2 Ruler ‖ Joh. 12 31. Prince and (*) 2 Cor. 4.4 God of this World And all his Works All that the Devil labours by any means to set us about and employ us in But especially and principally all those Sins which carry particularly the stamp and character the image and resemblance of Satan upon them and have (†) Joh. 8.44 from the beginning been practised by him such as Pride Lying Slandering Malice Envy Killing and Destroying Tempting and Soliciting others to Sin We covenanted expresly to abandon and abomine all Diabolical Works And to forsake and disclaim the Pomps and Vanities or Pompous Vanities the profane Spectacles the Luxury the ostentatious vain-glorious Bravery of this wicked World To abhor and avoid the evil Company and to resist the applauded vile vicious Customs and popular Temptations of the World To take care not to accompany the Ungodly in their Sins To deny Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and all the sinful Desires Affections Appetites of the Flesh◠to abstain from fleshly Lusts and from all the Works of the Flesh to make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof To endeavour to moderate and subordinate all our Desires to the Will of God And by God's Grace and under the influence of Divine Assistance according to our Abilities obediently to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and not only to take a few Steps but to walk in the same and that not only for a spurt or a few daies but all the daies of our Lives And since we came to years of Discretion and were of age sufficient to use our Reason and act understandingly we have personally owned openly and deliberately confirmed our Baptismal Vow taken the obligation in our own names by actual consent yielded and resigned devoted and delivered up our selves to become the teachable tractable Disciples the ready and voluntary Servants of the blessed Trinity Now to make this grand Promise good were to redeem the Time indeed Let 's never offer or dare to live as if we had been initiated in the impure Mysteries of the Heathen as if we had been baptized in the name of Bacchus or Venus baptized in the very Devil's name devoted to his Drudgery and deeply engaged against God and Christ and the Holy Spirit against the Gospel and Godliness against the Members of Christ and the People of God But look and see we live as those who