in reading of play-books and unprofitable pamphlets which thou mightest spend in reading the Word which is able to make thee wise unto Salvation to this end carry it about thee as Alexander did Homers Iliads for his fellow and companion in the Wars Oh that every one of us were ambitious of that commendation which Eusebius gives of St. Origen That he could repeat all the Scriptures at his fingers ends 3. Pray unto God for the change of thine heart beg of him that he would be pleased by his spirit to regenerate thee to plant his image in thy soul that thou maist become a new-creature What the Apostle Iames saith of wisdom is true of all grace If any one lack it let him ask it of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Oh therefore beseech him to open thine eyes and shew thee how sad and deplorable thy condition is so long as thou continuest in the state of unregeneracy that thou maist be truly sensible thereof that he would shew thee the excellency and necessity of a new birth that thine heart may be raised up in some earnest longing desires after the same that he would vouchsafe unto thee his Holy Spirit which may quicken thy dead soul and renew it after the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness And in thy prayers plead the promise of God to give his Spirit to those who ask him That thy Prayers for a new birth may the better speed 1. Be earnest therein Pray withall thine heart and with all thy might with the highest intention of affection If thou wouldst be a prevailing Israel thou must be a wrastling Iacob wrastle with God in prayer for it is the fervent prayer only that is effectual 2. Be unâ—â—ssant in thy Prayers as one that will take no nay nor give over till thou find the work wrought in thy soul. Be as importunate with God as the Widdow was with the unjust judge For God loveth importunity If the unjust Judge was overcome with importunity how much rather will the righteous God who is compassionately affected towards those who seek unto him Resolve with Iacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me Lord help me Lord break me humble me change and turn me I cannot turn my self Ministers cannot Ordinances cannot afflictions cannot turn me If thou wilt thou canst turn thou me and I shall be turned draw thou me and I will run after thee O suffer thy self this once to be overcome by a poor Worm I cannot be denyed I dye I am undone if thou deny me I cannot be denyed I will not be denyed I will not let thee go untill thou bless me Lord hear Lord turn me Obj. But some are apt to object and say how can I pray without the Spirit A. Put thy self upon the duty of prayer and who knoweth but thou maist soon feel and find the assistance of Gods spirit in the performance though thou findest it not in the entrance of the duty Go therefore unto God in prayer spread before him thy wretched miserable state and condition plead thy miserable necessity the dreadfulness of thy present state how much better it had been that thou hadst never been born than not to be born again And then waiting for the assistance of the Spirit be earnest and importunate with God that he would not let thee live a day longer in thine Unregenerate state least death should find thee therein and then thou perish everlastingly Obj. Some I know do question whether carnal and unregenerate men may be put upon that duty of prayer because the Scripture saith that the Sacrifice of the wicked is abomiâ—ation to the Lord and that God heareth not sinners A. 1. The Scriptures give us warrant to press carnal and unregenerate men upon the duty of Prayer For at the time when Peter told Simon Magus that he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iâ—iquity then he pressed him to pray unto God saying Repent of thy wickedâ—ess and pray unto God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee 2. We do not exhort men to pray and still hold themselves resolved to continue in their wicked and ungodly courses such prayer indeed would be an abomination but to resolve upon turning and so to go unto the Lord for his grace to assist and accept them And therefore saith Peter to Simon Magus Repent of this thy wickedness and so pray for pardon 3. The young Ravens cry for want of food and God is said to hear them Why may he not then hear the cryes and Prayers of carnal and unregenerate men especially when they pray unto him for changed and renewed hearts which prayers cannot but be agreeable to the will of God How graciously did God reward that petition of Solomon when he asked not for riches or long life but for a wise and understanding heart So may God say unto them because ye have not asked temporal blessings as health wealth or the like but a renewed heart a new birth be it according to your desires your natural carnal heart shall be changed and renewed And to thine own Prayers call in the help of other mens prayers beg of them that in their Prayers they would be mindfull of thee and of thy condition that they would be earnest with God on thy behalf that he would make thee a new creature by endowing thee with true saving sanctifying graces Thus Simon Magus begged the Prayers of the Apostles apprehending their prayers to be more prevalent than his own For it is possible that God may hear the Prayers of Iob for his friends when he will not hear them for themselves And the Iaylors Conversion is set down as the Consequent of the Apostles Prayers Not only their deliverance out of his prison but his deliverance out of the Devils prison is set down as a fruit of their prayers To thine own prayers therefore call in the help of other mens Prayers VII When either in hearing reading praying or at any other time thou feelest any motions of Gods spirit in thy soul and conscience make much of them surrender up thy self thereunto presently turn those motions into resolutions and those resolutions into endeavours Let not the motions of Gods Spirit be nipped in the bud but nourish and cherish them that they may bring forth good fruit Ah sinner as thou tendrest the good and happiness of thy precious and immortal soul slight not the motions of Gods Spirit in thee but labour to improve them to the ends for which they are sent Are they motions tending to the working in thee a loathing and abhorring of thy former sinful lusts second those motions with strong resolutions to leave and forsake them for the time to come at least so to strive against them as they may not rule and raign in thee as formerly they have done Are they motions tending to the
to the husband so that they prove blessings and comforts each to other Children likewise are blessed and sanctified to their Parents and Servants to their Masters Yea Family-prayer produceth Gods blessing upon their callings and enjoyments upon their losses and crosses both are thereby blessed and sanctified unto them 2. Family-prayer as it is a sanctifying ordinance so it is a seasoning ordinance it seasons the whole house with the fear of God It is recorded of Cornelius that he was a devout man one that feared God with all his house who prayed to God alwayes his constant course of praying with his Family questionless did season his whole house with the fear of God As Prayer-less Families are for the most part destitute of the fear of God so in those Families where a constant course of Praying is kept up there the hearts of many are seasoned with the true fear of God As Abraham was a Praying-master so he had praying-servants For inferiours are very apt to write after the Copy of their Superiours and to follow their example Thus by a praying Master Children and Servants are taught to Pray 3. Family-prayer is a special preservative against common calamities Polanus in his Syntagm relateth how in the year 1584. there was such a terrible Earth-quake that overthrew all the houses in a whole Town in Switzerland save one wherein the Master of the Family was at the same time praying with his Wife Children and Servants If God doth not preserve praying-families from those common judgements and calamities which befall others yet he will so sanctifie those calamities unto them that they shall turn to their good according to that gracious promise All things shall work together for good to them that love God V. Consider the manifold mischiefs that usually sollow and accompany the neglect of Family-prayer As 1. Neglect of Family-prayer is usually accompanied with the neglect of all other Religious duties which is found true by sad experience For whoever heard that the Scriptures were read or Catechising used in any Family where Prayer was omitted So that Prayer-less houses are as Sepulchres wherein all Religion lyes buried 2. Neglect of Family-prayer exposâ—th the whole houshold to the wrath and fury of God as the Prophet Ieremiah implyeth where he saith Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy name Where by the fury of God is meant his wrath in the highest degree his anger boyled up to the height Oh who can abide this scalding wrath And by pouring out Gods fury is meant Gods inflicting his fierce wrath in the greatest measure in the highest degree The words though they are set down in the form of a Prayer yet they are a prediction as well as a petition of Gods dreadfull wrath and fury to be undoubtedly inflicted upon all Prayerless-families For the Prophet put up this Prayer unto God as foreseeing the certain ruin and destruction of such Families as called not upon the name of the Lord He knew that God would assuredly pour out his fury upon their Families who did not pour out their souls unto him Oh that all Masters and Governours would seriously think and meditate on this fearfull imprecation of the Prophet against all Prayerless-families that so they might dread the omission of so necessary a duty as much as the scorching wrath and fury of God yea as the scorching fire of hell for what is hell it self but the feeling of this wrath and fury of God I shall close this with answering three Questions and as many Objections 1. Q. How often should we Pray with our Families A. 1. Every day For first our Saviour hath intimated so much unto us in his plat-form of Prayer by teaching us to Pray for our daily bread in these words Give us this day our daily bread that is bread needfull for the present day And in regard we daily stand in need of bread therefore our Saviour would have us pray daily for the same 2. Have you not daily wants to be supplyed wants for your selves and wants for your Children and Servants Have you not daily infirmities in your Family to be healed Are you not daily subject to dangers and temptations And do you not daily sin against God Is it not necessary then that you daily Pray unto God for the supply of all your wants for the healing of all your infirmities for the preventing of the dangers you are daily subject unto for the strengthning you against all your temptations for the pardoning of all your sins Surely our daily wants our daily infirmities our daily dangers our daily temptations and our daily sins do all call upon us for daily prayers And as you and yours daily partake of Gods mercies is it not just and equal that you all should daily bless God for the same The truth is every day supplyeth new matter both of Prayer and praise and therefore there is just cause daily to offer up our Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto God 2. Q. How oft in each day are we bound to pray with our Families A. Family-prayer ought to be performed twice at least viz. In the Morning and in the Evening 1. For first this is commended unto us by the Morning and Evening Sacrifice under the Law which we find given in command unto the Jews And are not Christians under the Gospel as well as those under the Law obliged to offer up their Morning and Evening Sacrifice 2. Equity requireth this duty at your hands as the mercies of God are renewed upon you and yours every Morning and the showres of his compassion fall down upon you every night so you should not forget to offer up both a Morning and an Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto him who is so continually mindfull of you 3. Q. What time in the Morning and Evening is fittest for the performance of Family-prayer A. For this no certain rule can be prescribed in regard of the several occasions which may fall out in a Family and by reason of age sickness and the like in the Governours thereof Yet it were to be wished that the Morning Sacrifice if possibly may be betimes in the Morning before Servants go about the works of their calling as being the fittest time for holy exercises when the Spirits are freshest and freest from Wordly thoughts and distractions And it were to be wished that the Evening Sacrifice may be before Supper in regard that afterwards we are generally more heavy and sleepy and will find it more difficult to keep up our hearts and spirits in the duty Having thus resolved the Questions come we now to the Objections raised against the duty of family-Family-prayer CHAP. VI. Objections against family-Family-prayer Answered 1. Obj. SOme Object their inability to pray they know not how to perform the duty A. 1. Let the sense of thine own weakness drive thee unto God for power and strength Beg
lay out the strength of our bodies in the Service of God Then may we have occasion to bless God and say Lord thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin in the gratifying my carnal lusts but blessed be thy name who hast made me willing to spend and be spent in the service of my God III. Labour to keep close to God in holy duties It were well if in the performance of holy duties we did keep close to the duties themselves few go so far But it must be our care not only to keep close to the duties but likewise to keep close to God in the duties We must labour not only to mind what we are about but likewise have an eye upon God and to hold communion with him therein In the use of every ordinance let our main desire care and endeavour be to find God therein and not to rest satisfied without meeting him and conversing with him Let us never go from God without God Never go from the ordinance of God without some special communion with God therein without finding our hearts raised and affected in the duty and revived and refreshed in his presence IV. In regard of our great inability and insufficiency for the performance of any spiritual duty after a right manner In the first place let us beg of God that by his Spirit he would enable us thereunto For it is the Spirit of God only that can help our infirmities he can soften our hard hearts quicken our dead hearts enlarge our straightned hearts c. And in praying for the assistance of the Spirit let us plead the promise of God saying Lord thou hast promised in thy Word that thy Spirit shall help the infirmities of thy Servants Oh make good that promise unto me let me feel and find the sweet breathings and actings the lively quicknings and enlargements of thy Spirit upon my heart carrying me forth with much life and vigour in the duty I am now going about This pleading the promise of God puts a strong ingagement upon him to perform what he hath said CHAP. XXI Of walking Circumspectly and Exactly IV. ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is To walk circumspectly and exactly according to that of the Apostle See that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise The word in the Original translated circumspectly cometh of two words which signifie to go to the extremity of a thing We must be willing to go to the utmost of every command The same word is used by the Evangelist St. Matthew when Herod charged the Wise men to search most diligently and narrowly to make a close and a thorow search for the young Child Jesus So that by this Phrase is intended great accurateness and exactness in our Christian conversation which the Spirit of God accounteth the greatest point of wisdom as appeareth from the following words not as fools but as wise men It is no part of folly but a great point of wisdom to be circumspect in the whole course of our lives I know the men of the World count preciseness of life the greatest folly that may be and therefore often call those precise fools who endeavour to live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World But at last it will appear the greatest point of Wisdom For the better clearing and pressing this duty I shall shew you wherein this exact walking doth consist 1. In walking by rule As the Carpenter when he would do his work exactly doth all by rule So must the Christian that would walk accurately he must walk by the Word of God which is the only adequate rule of holiness He must eat and drink and buy and sell and work and rest and all by this rule Therefore saith the Apostle As many as walk by this rule peace be on them and on the Israel of God Let our walking be never so specious and glorious yet if it be not strait and according to the rule of Scripture as it will afford no true solid comfort at the last so neither will it find acceptance with God For as nothing is a sin how great a shew of evil soever it beareth but that which swerveth from the direction of Gods Word So nothing is a good work how great a shew of goodness soever it beareth but only that which is according to the direction of his Word Therefore Moses giveth this in express charge to the Israelites Ye shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left 2. Our exact walking consisteth in having respect to the inward and spiritual part of the Law as well as to the outward and external In every command of God there is both an outward and external part and also an inward and spiritual part The former I may call the letter of the Law the latter the Spirit of the Law This our Saviour excellently clears in his Sermon on the Mount where reciting the sixth Commandment he saith Thou shalt do no Murther there is the letter of the Law And then adds by way of Explanation But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of Iudgement there is the Spirit of the Law So afterwards reciting the seventh commandment saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery there is the letter of the Law And then adds But I say unto you that whosoever looks on a Woman to Lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart There is the Spirit of the Law or the Spiritual part thereof The most diligent observation of the letter or external part of the Law without a care of the inward and spiritual part is as a body without a soul a dead thing which is no way acceptable unto the living God Hence our Saviour spent so many words to convince the Pharisees who were many of them punctual in their outward observations that they were yet horrible Hypocrites violating that Law in their hearts which they so boasted of and pleaded for with their mouths being Murtherers in heart Adulterers in heart though they committed no such wickedness in the outward man And hereby is the hypocrisie of many professors of Christianity discovered who reach no farther than the outside of Religion whose Godliness is nothing but carnal service and bodily exercise Whereas the Law is spiritual as the Apostle speaketh reaching to the very inwards of the Soul And saith our Saviour God is a Spirit and will be worshipped inwardly with the spirit as well as outwardly with the body Whosoever therefore walks exactly contents not himself with the externals of Christianity but labours to bring up his heart to the inwards thereof striving to suppress evil thoughts to mortifie unclean lusts and all inordinate affections to abhor and watch against secret impurities as well as open impieties This is to walk exactly and
of him that he would by his Spirit help thine infirmities teaching thee to pour out thy soul unto him in Prayer For it is he alone that can teach thee and endue thee with this Heavenly gift 2. Be constant in thy secret devotions which will be a special means to embolden thee to pray with thy Family For when thou findest that thou canst express thy self in any competent measure in secret thou wilt then the better adventure to Pray in private with thy Family And know this for thy comfort that if thou sincerely endeavourest to do what thou canst God will enable thee to do what thou shouldst 3. Rather than the apprehension of thine own insufficiency to pray should occasion a constant omission of the duty I would advise thee to use the help of a form of Prayer for a while till by Gods blessing thou hast attained some ability therein and boldness thereunto 2. Obj. Some against this duty object their multitude of business and little spare time for Family-prayer A. 1. The more and greater thy businesses are the more and greater need thou hast of Family-prayer for the obtaining Gods blessings thereon without which all thy pains and endeavours may signifie little yea prove succesless Assure thy self that the time spent in Prayer both in thy closet and with thy Family will prove no let but rather a great furtherance to thy business 2. Dost thou put off praying with thy Family for the multitude of business Know that therein thou art penny-wise and pound-foolish hazarding the loss of thy precious and immortal soul for the gaining of a little Worldly pelf which will be soon taken from thee or thou from it Oh that such Woâ—â—dâ—ngs would seriously consider that expression of our Saviour What shall it profit a man if hâ— shall gain the whoâ—e World and lose his own soul 3. Dost thou put off Family-prayer for the multitude of Worldly buâ—inesseâ— thereby to encrease thy wealth Know that that wealth is cursed which is thus gotten that substance which is the price of a Prayer may for ought thou knowest be the price of blood Well beware thou neglect not this great duty upon any pretence whatsoever Neither let it be performed after a cold formal and perfunctory manner but be very serious and fervent therein stirring up thy self to an active lively performance thereof which the Apostle intimateth where he saith Be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord and that for two reasons 1. Such Prayers only are acceptable and pleasing unto God these are the Sacrifices wherewith he is well-pleased 2. Such only have the promise of being heard And thereupon saith the Apostle St. Iames The effectual fervent Prayer of a rightâ—ous man availeth much The word in the Greek translated effectual properly signifieth a prayer excited or stirred up and so implyeth both the efficacy and influency of the Holy-Ghost and the vehemency of an earnest spirit and affection which is the only prevailing Prayer CHAP. VII Of Reading the Holy Scriptures in Families with quickning Motives thereunto II. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families is frequently to read the Holy Scriptures or to cause them to be read in and with their Families Though this be a distinct exercise from the former of Prayer yet do they mutually help one another and therefore are fit to be joyned together We read how the Priest under the Law was daily to light the Lamps and to burn incense as the Lamp signified the Word of God so the incense signified Prayer And as the Lamp was daily to be lighted and the incense daily to be burned so are we thereby taught daily to joyn the Word and Prayer together for as the Apostle speaketh By the Word and Prayer every thing is sanctified Yea this duty of reading the Word we find given in command unto housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Ye shall lay up my words meaning the words of the Law in your heart and in your soul. And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sitest in thine house when thou lyest down and when thou risest up which implyeth a diligent reading of the Word in their houses Yea the old people of the Iews were so diligent in teaching their Children the Word of God that Iosephus saith Every one of our people being asked concerning the Laws rehearseth them more easily than his own name In the New Testament we have the Apostles command for this duty for saith he Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly The Word is sometimes taken for Christ himself and so it is true that we should labour that the word Christ should dwell in us But by the Word of Christ is here meant the written Word of God which is here called the Word of Christ both because he is the author of it and because he is the chief subject of it And whereas the Apostle saith Let the Word of Christ dwell in you it is a Metaphor taken from such as dwell under one and the same roof with us and noteth two things 1. That we must get it into our hearts and houses as well as into our Churches 2. That by our frequent reading of it and causing it to be read in our houses it should be as familiar with us as one that dwells with us under the same roof For the better pressing of this duty upon the Consciences of Parents and Masters of Families I shall hint only two Motives to quicken you up thereunto 1. The knowledge of the Scriptures will be an excellent means to keep up your authority in your Families over your Children and Servants For therein they cannot but hear and understand it is their duty to be obedient to you in all things Your own commands and threatnings may perhaps cause them to serve you with eye-service as menpleasersâ— but to hear the commands and threatnings of God in his Word may cause them to serve you in singleness of heart So that if nothing else yet policy methinks should prevail with you to cause the Word of God to be read frequently in your houses 2. Some by reading the Scriptures others by hearing it read in the Family have been converted from the state of nature to the state of grace For faith may be wrought in us by hearing the Word read as well as hearing it Preached St. Austine reports of an Aegyptian Monk who living in a Christian-family where the Word of God was frequently read was thereby converted to the Christian faith And indeed there is a greater vertue in the holy Scriptures than in any other book for the working of conversion in the hearts of natural Men and Women Oh what an encouragement should this be unto Parents and Masters of Families to cause the holy Scriptures to be frequently read in their houses for what know they whether some under their charge may not thereby be converted And that
in any condition till you be renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God Aâ—as how many be there in the World who though in their natural and carnal estate yet live as securely and merrily as if their condition were as safe and good as the best Ask them one by one Whether the work of Regeneration be wrought in their souls and some will answer they hope it is others that they never doubted it though none of them know what Regeneration is nor ever minded any such thing And yet these men have not only read but do likewise believe the words of our Saviour who hath told them that except they be born again they cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ah sinner I beseech thee for the sake of thy precious and immortal soul to stir up in thy self an hearty desire and sincere endeavour after this blessed work As it is the one thing necessary to salvation so let it be the main thing of thy desire and endeavour There is nothing deserves precedency in thy thoughts aims and labours before this David resolved not to give sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eye-lids till be found out an habitation for the Lord. The habitation which pleaseth God most is thine heart but it must be a renewed heart Oh how darest thou sleep a night in that house where God doth not dwell and he dwells not in thee unless thou beest Regenerated by his holy Spirit In the fear of God therefore see thou give no rest to thy soul no ease to thy mind till thou find a blessed change wrought in thee till thou findest thou art brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace Neither sit down satisfied in the enjoyment of any worldly comfort without the enjoyment of this mercy And indeed how canst thou live merrily or sleep quietly so long as thou livest in thine unregenerate estate in which if thou shouldest die thou wouldest perish for ever even to all Eternity Especially considering the uncertainty of thy life whether thou shalt live a day or an hour longer For the more profitable handling this Use I shall 1. Give you some Motives to quicken up your desires and endeavours after the work of Regeneration 2. Shew you the Means to be performed for the better artaining thereunto The Motives may be drawn to these three heads 1. The Excellency 2. The Utility 3. The Necessity of Regeneration I. For the first the Excellency thereof will appear from these four particulars 1. Regeneration doth enoble a man raise him up towards his Original perfection Man was made the noblest of all creatures in this visible World in the image and likeness of God Sin defaced the Image of God and stamped the Image of the Devil upon him A sinner is a man degenerated into a beast Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish He lives like a beast and dies like a beast not knowing whither he goeth Every man is brutish in his knowledge He hath a brutish heart lives a brutish life By grace man comes to himself is raised up from a beast to a man again renewed after the Image of God The spirit of glory and of God shines forth in him There 's more of the glory of God seen in a Saint than in all the works of God under the Sun nay than in the glorious Sun in the Heavens The Sun Moon and Stars fall short of the glory of the new-creature 2. The Excellency of Regeneration appears in that it makes a man a true Christian. A man is not really a Christian because he hath been Baptized beareth the name and frequenteth the ordinances of Christ but because he is Regenerated by the Spirit of Christ and thereby translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of life and peace For as under the law he was not a Iew who was one outwardly being circumcised in the flesh But he was a Iew who was one inwardly being circumcised in his heart and spirit as the Apostle expresseth In like manner he is no true Christian who is only outwardly Baptized but he who is inwardly Baptized by the Spirit and whose heart is changed and renewed 3. The Excellency of this new birth appears in this that it is the beginning of eternal life and happiness even of the same life which we shall live hereafter in Heaven with the Saints and glorious Angels to all Eternity Grace here is not only an evidence of glory hereafter but it is the beginning of that glory which hereafter we shall more fully enjoy in Heaven Grace and glory differ only in degree for grace is glory begun here and glory is grace consummated and perfected hereafter Now considering that this is such an excellent state how doth it concern you as earnestly to desire so industriously to endeavour after it in the use of all means God hath sanctified II. Another Motive may be taken from the Utility of Regeneration If it be demanded What is the profit thereof we may answer 〈◊〉 the Apostle did of Circumcision Much every way For this is that Godliness which is profitable unto all things having promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come that is it hath Heaven and Earth entailed on it and therefore must needs be profitable The Regenerate therefore are called heirs of the Promises Such only have the true riches being rich in faith as the Apostle Iames calleth them As Laodicea was poor though abounding in outward fulness So these are truly rich though destitute of many outward things having an interest in God who is the fountain of all blessings How should the consideration hereof stir you up as earnestly to thirst so sincerely to endeavour after this blessed state III. Another Motive may be taken from the necessity of Regeneration It is absolutely necessary to Salvation It had been better for thee never to have been born than not to be born again It is as necessary as Heaven and happiness For saith our Saviour himself Except a man be born again he cannot see much less enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So that there is no hope of the Salvation of any unregenerate man or woman but if they live and die in that estate their portion will be death and damnation with the Devils and damned to all Eternity And in regard of the uncertainty of their lives they are not sure to be out of Hell one day longer Ah sinner What dost thou mean then to continue in thy carnal and unregenerate estate As sure as the word of God is true if thou dye therein thou art shut out of all hope of mercy for ever and shalt pass into easeless and endless misery In the fear of God therefore when thou risest up in the Morning consider with thy self that thou art uncertain of being out of Hell till the Evening And when thou lyest down consider
Christ as the Word Prayer and Sacraments which whilest thou enjoyedst thou hadst hope But death puts an end to these and thy hopes must give up their Ghost Now Christ calls upon thee Sabbath after Sabbath by his Ministers and Ambassadours woing and beseeching thee to abandon thy lusts to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self into his arms to accept of the reconciliation purchased by his blood But ere long thou shalt hear no more of these things not a Sabbath more not a Sermon more not a promise not one word more of grace of mercy of hope for ever When thou wouldst give if thou hadst them ten thousand Worlds for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which thou hast so long abused for a drop of that precious blood which thou hast so long trampled under thy feet yea for one Sabbath more to have Christ once more tendred to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel but alas it will not be granted Ah sinner Then wilt thou cry out of thy sins and cry for mercy mercy mercy Lord to a dying soul that am just sinking perishing under the load of mine iniquities Then wilt thou begin to wish when it is too late that thou hadst spent thy precious time to better purpose that thou hadst minded more the things of Eternity that thou hadst closed with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ and that thou hadst better improved the means and opportunities of grace which thou didst once enjoy Thou wilt then say Oh if the Lord would be pleased to add a few years more to my life How would I contemn the World and the vanities thereof How exactly would I order my conversation How carefull would I be of duty how watchfull against sin How would I bestir my self to work out mine own salvation But ah sinner the time of thy departure is at hand and there is no hope of a reprieve for one day longer and therefore all these good wishes and purposes come too late There are two things especially which will aggravate a sinners misery at his death 1. To think what possibility of making his peace with God he hath had all his life time to remember how often he hath been invited to accept of Jesus Christ and yet would not 2. To think that now there is no hope of mercy having by his sins shut Heaven-gate and hardened Gods heart against him Ah sinner then wilt thou in the bitterness of thy soul cry out and say The God of mercy hath utterly forsaken me and the Devil who knows no mercy waites for to take me Ah! then which way soever thou lookest thou wilt find nothing but matter of bitter weeping and lamentation If thou look backward what canst thou behold but all the filthy and abominable lusts of thy youth unrepented of yea multitudes of horrid sins which thou hast committed in the whole course of thy life for which thou never hast been humbled nor shed one penitential tear the guilt of the least of them is enough to sink thee body and soul into everlasting burnings If thou look forward what canst thou behold but sudden destruction ready to seize upon thee Yea Gods strict Tribunal before which thou art just making thy appearance there immediately to be sentenced to endless torments and miseries of the other world the sting and terrours of which thou shalt never be able either to avoid or abide If thou look within thee what canst thou behold but thy conscience polluted and defiled yea accusing and condemning thee If without thee what canst thou behold but the wicked World which thou hast too much loved and thy relations which stand weeping about thee a company of miserable comforters that cannot delay the separating stroak of death one day or hour neither can they afford thee the least dram of true comfort If thou look downward what canst thou behold but hell deserved with her mouth open ready to swallow thee up quick and the Devils ready to receive thy soul and carry it to that dungeon of darkness If upward what canst thou behold but a provoked enraged God whom because thou refusedst to hear in the day of his merciful visitation he will now laugh at thy calamity and mock when thy fear cometh upon thee as himself threatneth Prov. 1.24 26. and in verse 28. saith the Lord Then shalt thou call upon me but I will not answer thou shalt seek me but thou shalt not find me for that thou hatedst knowledge and didst not choose the fear of the Lord. And verse 30. Thou wouldst none of my counsell but despisedst all my reproofs Therâ—fore shalt thou eat the fruit of thine own way and be filled with thine own desires that is the wickedness which thou hast sown shalt thou reap with all fullness Thus thou wilt look every where for help yet findest thy self every way helpless and hopeless Haply thou wilt then look unto Jesus Christ in hope that he will appear for thee and his blood make thy Attonement But sinner know that though his blood be a fountain opened to all poor penitent believers to wash away the filthy spots and stains of their sins Yet to thee who hast all thy life long suffered Christ to stand knocking at the door of thine heart by the Ministery of his Word by the motions of his Spirit and by the checks of thine own conscience and wouldst not open unto him to thee his blood will be then a fountain sealed so that thou shalt not partake of the least benefit thereof because in thy life time thou hast so often slighted it yea and crucified him afresh by thy bloody sins Ah sinner sinner whither wilt thou flee for comfort in the midst of thy distress It will then be too late to cry out Oh that the time I have spent in Taverns and Ale-houses in sports and pastimes in carnal pleasures and sensual delights I had spent in Prayer and fasting in humbling and repenting It will then be too late to cry with Balaam Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous when thou hast neglected to live the life of the righteous For look as the life is so commonly is the death and as death leaves a man so the last judgement shall find him And now sinner thy last sand being run out thy day past and the Devills long looked for day being come who waits for thy soul so soon as it goeth out of thy body Oh what a direfull screech will thy soul give when it passeth out of thy body into the Devils clutches to be carryed by him into the bottomless burning lake Oh how should the consideration of these unspeakable miseries which are the portion of natural and unregenerate men at their deaths startle and waken all such worldlings and sensualists who so they may encrease their wealth and satiate themselves with worldly pleasures and delights take no thought now nor make any provision against this dreadfull day of reckoning I mean the
in this World it is not so evidently discerned Because God in Wisdom oft suffereth the wicked to prosper yea and to domineer over the Righteous Here the best men are ofttimes the worst used and most wronged Here the true Prophets of God are fed with bread and water in their Caves whilest the false Prophets of Baal fared plentifully at Iezabels Table Here Dives sits in his Palace cloathed richly faring sumptuously every day whilest Lazarus lyeth at his gate naked and hungry But then God will reader to every one according to his deeds When as Heaven and everlasting happiness shall be the lott of the righteous So hell and eternal horrour shall be the portion of the unrighteous Thus you see there will be a day of Judgement Oh how terrible will this day of Judgement be unto the unregenerate and wicked To them it will be a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress a day of darkness and gloominess Then shall the drunkard drink deepest of the cup of Gods wrath the fornicator and adulterer who burned with the fire of lust burn in the fire of Hell Then shall the glutton who gave himself up to the satisfying of his greedy appetite be pinched with hunger and parched with thirst not having a drop of water to cool his flaming tongue Then shall the worldling and covetous wretch feel his loads of ill-gotten goods sinking and drowning him in perdition and destruction pressing him down to the bottom of the infernal lake Ah sinner How doth it concern thee to retire into some secret place and there seriously to ponder on this day of judgement Ask thine heart this question Is it certain there will be a day of judgement or no If it be certain Oh then why do I not prepare for it by breaking off my sins and making my peace with God before that day come upon me why do I not labour for an interest in Christ by whom alone I can be freed from eternal death and condemnation why do I not now give all diligence to make my Calling and Election sure Oh sinner reason thus with thy self thou knowest not of what advantage a few such serious thoughts may be to thy soul. When Paul Preached to the Athenians he urged them to repent and turn from their sins from this very ground and reason Because the Lord had appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness Oh repent therefore and turn ye from your wicked wayes for why will ye dye and perish eternally in your sins Seek unto the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is nigh Christ now stands knocking at the door of thine heart by the Ministers of his Word the motions of his Spirit and checks of thine own Conscience Oh give him speedy and willing entertainment The time will come when thou wilt knock with the foolish Virgins and shalt not be heard and repent with Iudas and not be accepted For the Lord will have his day when thine is past and a day of Iudgement for thy punishment that didst slight and reject the day of mercy for thine amendment II. For the Person who shall be the Iudge It is Christ that shall be Iudge who shall in a visible shape both judge and pronounce sentence upon all men as the sentence of absolution on the elect so the sentence of condemnation on the wicked Indeed judging the World being a work ad extra which is terminated upon or respects the creature it is common to the whole Trinity So that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded but yet it is in Scripture more especially appropriated to the Son And that partly as a recompence of his humiliation and partly because the proceedings of the judgement being visible it seemed convenient that the Iudge himself should be conspicuous And therefore Christ in his humane nature shall judge the World and denounce the doom of condemnation against the wicked ones yet shall he do all as Immanuel God and man Oh how terrible will the sight of Jesus Christ as Iudge be unto all carnal and impenitent wretches who when they shall see him sitting upon the Throne whose gracious invitations they have slighted whose Ministers and Ambassadours they have wronged and contemned whose ordinances they have neglected and whom they have often crucified by their sins how then will their hearts be appalled with dread and terrour entreating the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. A poor believer on that day seeing Christ sitting upon the Throne may with comfort say Loe yonder is he who dyed to save me who shed his blood for my redemption and rose again for my justification and is now come to judge both the quick and the dead But thou who dyest in thy sins canst not but with much anguish of Spirit in that day cry out and say Loe yonder is he who came from Heaven to save poor lost sinners and who did Sabbath after Sabbath even all my life long by his Ministers wooe and bâ—seech me to abandon my lusts and to receive him as my Lord and Saviour to yield subjection unto him and his laws and to rest upon him alone for life and salvation who now would have received me into eternal bliss and happiness But I miserable wretch that I was did slight his woings and beseechings turning a deaf ear to the calls of his grace and preferred my lusts and corruptions bâ—fore the Lord and his salvation yea and all my life long opposed his Kingdom and government as quite contrary to my carnal heart and sensual pleasures wherein I took much content and delight This is the Iudge who now sits on life and death and from whom I must now receive my seâ—tence And oh what a fearfull sentence must I expect from such a wronged contâ—mâ—ed câ—raged righteous Iudge What will he award me whether will he seâ—d me Oh my sins my sins have cloathed his soul with fury against me O my soul what Talents of wrath and vengeance will this righteous provoked Iudge lay upon thee how will he bind thee in chains of darkness and setters of eternal fire Oh therefore that we were so wise as now in this our day and time of grace so to renounce boâ—h our own wickedness and righteousness as to joyn our selves to our Lord resigning up our souls to the government of his holy laws adventuring and relying upon the merit of his blood resolving to follow him in holiness that hereby we may make him sure to us against that terrible day III. For the Manner of Christs coming to Iudgement it will be as in great glory so in great terrour to the wicked and impenitent 1. Christ will come in great glory aâ—d Majesty even in the glory of the Father This is the most glorious work that Christ
day do most perfectly Some have found by woful experience what an intollerable burden one sin is to the conscience when the Lord hath been pleased to set it home When Iudas had betrayed his Master and his conscience began to accuse him for the same it was such an intollerable burden to him that he was not able to stand under it but went and hanged himself Now if one sin proves so intollerable who then can stand under the weight of the many millions of sins which he hath committed in the whole course of his life especially when God shall set them all home together upon his conscience Ah sinner If the reading one leaf of this book was so dreadful to Iudas how dreadfull and terrible will it be to thee when thou shalt read not only one leaf but the whole book from the beginning to the end and therein see the millions of sins committed by thee whereof as thy whole life so thy whole book will be filled within and without and interlined with lamentation mourning and woe Ah in what a woful case will thy heart then be what horrour and astonishment will then possess thy soul when all thy lies and oaths all thy raylings and rotten speeches all thy filthy and unclean thoughts thy mispent time in Taverns and Ale-houses thy worldliness and covetousness the vanities and rebellions of thy whole life shall be brought to thy remembrance and at once charged upon thy graceless soul. 2. At the day of Iudgement there will be a discovery of thy sins to all the World For as the Apostle speaketh Hidden things shall on that day be brought to light They shall not only be called to remembrance by the sinner himself but likewise exposed to the view and censure of others There is no sin so secretly and closely committed but then shall be discovered to the view of all There is scarce a wicked man in the World though never so formal but he hath at some time or other committed some such sin in secret which he would not have others to know for all the World But know for certain that at the day of judgement all the World shall hear thereof For then all thy secret sins and close villanies shall be discovered and layd open before Angels Men and Devils thy secret Whoredomes and close Adulteries thy Pilfrings and stealings thy false Weights and Measures thy Hypocrisies and Dissemblings shall be discovered to the view of all and that to thine eternal shame and confusion And therefore the day of Judgement is called the day of revelation when many Murthers Thefts Adulteries and other abominations which come not to light here shall at that day be made known and discovered to the view of all The Husband shall then behold the Whoredomes of his Wife and the Wife the Adulteries of her Husband the Master the Pilferings of his Servant and the Servant the deceitfulness of his Master Yea then not only thy words and actions but also thy secret thoughts and imaginations how vain and wanton how filthy and abominable soever they have been shall appear to the view of all Never therefore adventure upon the committing of any sin in hope of secrecy because thou seemest safe from the eyes of men For suppose thy sin lyeth undiscovered unto the last and great day yet then shall it out with a witness and be made manifest to the view of all Q. If any shall ask how their sins shall be discovered to all the World at the last and great day A. 1. By their own confessions and complaints extorted from them by the power of God For then will they cry out in the bitterness of their souls with these or such like expressions Woe and alas that ever I slighted the manifold gracious invitations of Iesus Christ and preferred my base lusts and corruptions before him that I have opened the door of my heart to every sinful temptation but never would open it to let in Iesus Christ that I so often rejected the motions of Gods spirit stirring me up to turn from my sins unto God and hearkened more unto the solicitations of the Devil than to the motions of Gods spirit that I neglected the many opportunities and means of grace afforded unto me and trifled away my pretious time in vanity and pleasure yea sin and wickedness spending that time in the Ale-house and in following my sinful lusts and pleasures wherein I should have been praying in my closet or attending upon the Ministry of the Word or reading the Scriptures with other good books that I should preferâ— my Wordly business before the service of God that the World should have more of my heart and time than my maker and Redeemer 2. By the cryes and complaints of those whom they have wronged and oppressed Then Abels blood will cry out afresh against Cain and the hungry bellies of the poor will cry out against those hard-hearted rich worldlings who would not afford them the least comfort or relief And starved souls will then cry out against their ignorant scandalous Ministers for not giving them the bread of life The Wives and the Children of Gamesters Drunkards and Whore-masters being impoverished by their sins will then cry out against them for spending their small means in the satisfying their sinfull lusts The poor Tenants will then cry out against their covetous unmerciful Land-lords for raising and racking their rents to such an height as they could not earn their bread by all their care and labour 3. By the testimony of Gods spirit who will then come in as a witness against thee saying at such a time I shewed thee the evil of thy sins and how sad the issue of them would be and thereupon perswaded thee to turn from thy sins unto God but thou wouldst not at such a time I shewed thee thy misery without Christ and thy need of him how thou wouldst be undone for ever without an interest in Christ and how willing Christ was to receive the worst of sinners unto mercy upon their coming in to him but thou hearknedst to the Devil more than to me to his suggestions rather than to my motions 4. By the testimony of the Devil who is now a tempter but will then be an accuser whose chief design in tempting us to sin is that he may have wherewithall to accuse us in that great day that so he might drive us into the same condemnation with himself Thus you see there are several wayes of discovering the sins of the wicked and ungodly at the day of judgement even to the view of all Now I know no better way to prevent the discovery of your sins at that great day than here in this time and day of grace to call your selves to an account to search and examine your own hearts and lives and thâ—n to judge and condemn your selves for your manifold sins and transgressions for as the Apostle speaketh If we judge our selves we shall not be condemned
of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost Where by the lost whom Christ came to save are not meant every sinner who indeed are lost men but such as have a spiritual feeling of the woful plight and condition wherein they are by reason of their sins And again saith our Saviour I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance As by the righteous are meant such as are so in their own opinion and conceit so by sinners are meant such as are sensible of their wretched miserable condition and groan under the weight and burthen of their sins whom Christ especially invites to come unto him saying Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest 1. The more sensible any are of their miserable condition by nature the more sensible will they be of their need of Iesus Christ. They that are whole saith our Saviour need not a Physitian but they that are sick In like manner such as are whole and sound in their own conceit see no need of Christ but such as are sick of their sins and sensible of their miserable and lost condition they feel a need and necessity of Christ who is the only Physitian that can help them and without whom they look upon themselves as undone for ever 2. Sense of our miserable condition by nature will stir us up to seek after Iesus Christ for help and deliverance As the man-slayer under the Law being pursued by the avenger of blood betook himself to a City of râ—fuge for shelter and defence So the poor sinner pursued by the Hue and Cry of his sins betakes himself unto Jesus Christ who is a true City of refuge to all who fly unto him Yea the more sensible any man is of his misery by sin the more will he hasten after Jesus Christ. And certainly one special reason why Christ is so little sought after by many and his gracious invitations so slighted and neglected is because they are not sensible of the wofull plight and condition wherein they are by nature 3. Sense of our miserable condition will make us more highly to prize Iesus Christ and to preferr him before all things in the World besides The truth is the more sensible any of us are of our unregenerate estate the more highly shall we prize Jesus Christ. In what measure we can discern the heighth and depth the beadth and length of our miserable condition by nature in the same measure shall we discern the heighth and depth the breadth and length of the worth and excellency of Jesus Christ and accordingly shall we prize and value him Q. If any shall ask how may I get my heart deeply affected with a sense of my miserable condition by nature A. 1. Steep thy thoughts frequently in a serious meditation of thy sad and deplorable condition so long as thou continuest in thine unregenerate estate How thou art no better than a servant to sin and slave to thy lusts under the bondage and command of Satan doing his drudgery yea and under the curse of God and guilt of all thy sins and lyable to all sorts of Judgements both temporal spiritual and eternal Consider likewise the miseries which will accompany thee at thy death and after thy death even at the day of Judgement and after the day of Judgement when thou shalt not only be deprived of all happiness but exposed to such miseries as neither the tongue of man can express nor the heart of man conceive and that to all Eternity if thou dyest in thine unregenerate estate Ah sinner if thou wouldst but frequently chew this bitter pill it would not only purge thee of thy sinful corruptions and noysome humours which now are praedominant in thee but likewise exceedingly make to thy spiritual health and welfare 2. Be earnest with God in prayer that by his spirit he would convince thee of thy miserable condition by nature and make thee truly and throughly sensible thereof Consider that it is the office of the spirit of God to convince thee and so to affect and afflict thy heart for sin Ioh. 16.8 He shall reprove or convince the World of sin It 's true his chief work is to convince of righteousness whereby he becomes a Comforter as he is there called and it 's therefore said ver 14. He shall take of mine and shew it unto you he shall take of my blood of my bowels of my righteousness of the pardons which I have procured of the peace which I have purchased he shall take of mine and shew it unto you This is his great work but his first work is He shall take of your own and shew it unto you he shall set your sins and your guilt and your miseries before you Look thee here soul see what thou art what a vile thing what an unclean thing what a wretched thing thou art what an hell thou hast within thee what a Devil thou art become what a treasure what a portion thou hast laid up for thy self even wrath and fire and brimstone this must be the portion of thy cup. This sad and dismal sight the spirit of God presents to the soul and therewith affrights and afflicts it O beg this spirit God hath promised to give it those that ask it how much more shall your heavenly Father give his spirit to them that ask it of him Beg for this work of the Spirit his convincing work as well as his comforting work resist not this holy Spirit shut not thine eyes against this light but be wilâ—ing to see and feel the worst of thy case to know and be deeply affected with thy abominable wickedness and the intolerable misery that it 's bringing upon thee III. Labour to be truly humbled for thy sins as the cause of thy present sad condition It is not sufficient to get thine heart in some measure affected with the sense thereof but thy care must likewise be to get thine heart into an humbled and broken frame for the same Having spent many years in sinning what caust thou do less than spend some hours in mourning and sorrowing for the same Having all thy life long broken the most holy and righteous Laws of God what canst thou do less than to get thine heart broken for the same which usually goeth before or at least accompanyeth our new birth For as no Child is ordinarily born without some throws so no man is ordinarily regenerated and born anew by the Spirit without some pangs of sorrow and humiliation though not all with a like measure it being sanctified by God to be the entrance into the state of grace Humiliation is as necessary to salvation as faith and you may as well think of being saved without faith as without repentance and humiliation which like Iohn Baptist prepareth the way for Christ and therefore is the most immediate disposition that God usually worketh in the soul before he
worketh faith to close with Jesus Christ. For untill thou beest truly humbled under a sense and apprehension of thy sins and misery it is not possible thou shouldst heartily desire Christ much less cordially embrace him as thy Saviour and redeemer Oh therefore labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified to get thine heart kindly humbled and broken for thy sins To this end 1. Look back into thy life and call to mind as many of thy sins as possibly thou canst the sins of thy youth as well as of thy riper years thy sins of omission as well as thy sins of commission yea the sins of thy holy services Especially call to mind the greatest and grossest of thy sins though they were committed long ago Thus did the Prodigal begin his humiliation and repentance by a serious examination of his former course of life calling to remembrance his departure from such a gracious Father his own wandrings in the wayes of wickedness in which he had lost himself and then as the text noteth He arose and came to his Father and with tears said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son To acknowledge thy self in the general to be a sinner works but a formal kind of repentance and humiliation if any at all But if thou wouldst be truly humbled thou must descend to thy special and particular sins saying this evil have I done and that good have I left undone 2. Consider together with the number the hainousness of thy sins To this end call to mind the aggravating circumstances of them as how thou hast sinned against the motions of Gods Spirit the admonitions of his Ministers the checks of thine own conscience against the light of nature against the patience and long-suffering of God which should have led thee to repentance 3. Seriously consider the fearful threatnings against sin and sinners which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and apply them to thy self reasoning thus If the least transgression of the Law deserveth the curse of God yea all judgements and plagues here and eternal condemnation hereafter then how many curses and plagues what and how great condemnation have I deserved who have committed sins innumerable for number and hainous in their quality And withall consider the truth and faithfulness of God in making good his threatnings as well as his promises 4. Beg this great Mercy of an humbled heart from God For it is he who must strike our stony hearts these hard Rocks of ours before they can yield any water of true repentance it is he who must pour out of the spirit of grace upon our hard hearts before we can pour out any penitent tears or lament as we ought for our sins It is he that must thaw our frozen hearts before they can dissolve into kindly sorrow To him therefore alone thou must go for this great work of humiliation And that thy prayers may be the more prevalent 1. Confess unto God the hardness of thine heart how it is grown to such an adamantine hardness that neither the thundrings nor threatnings of the Law nor the sweet showers the promises of the Gospel can make it relent or dissolve Confess unto God that Though thou hast broken his holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times yet the consideration thereof hath not broken thine heart Oh this rock this rock when shall it be pierced Oh this hard heart I cannot break it I would melt I would mourn but cannot I can mourn for a lost friend for a lost estate but I cannot mourn for a lost soul. Oh what groanings and sighings and lamentations will afflictions press out of me but my sins my sins how little do they move me The pains of my body I can feel and roar under but O what a stock am I under the plague of my heart Lord smite this rock My plaints are before thee mine eyes are towards thee I cannot weep but I can cry for a broken heart Lord hear me 2. In thy Prayers plead that gracious promise of God to take away the stony hearts out of our flesh and to give us hearts of flesh Hath God promised and is there no hope in the promise Is there hope and wilt thou not lay hold on that hope plead with thy God upon his own word Is not this thy Word O Lord Hast not thou said thou wilt make this stone flesh will it ever be done if thou dost it not wilt not thou do what thou hast said Is it not thy will that I should believe thou wilt Oh perform thy word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust 3. Be importunate in this request of thine unto God often renewing thy prayers and never give over till thou find thine hard heart brought into a mourning and melting frame Though God for a while seemeth deaf to thy prayers yet be not thou dumb many petitions he cannot deny IV. Resolve to give a present bill of divorce to all thy sinful lusts and pleasures utterly to renounce and forsake thine old sinful course of life and to set upon a new course to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of thy life It s vain for thee to lament and bewail thy past sins if thou wilt not give over thy sinning trade For as the Apostle adviseth Thou must first put off the old man with his corrupt-lusts before thou put oâ— the new man Thou therefore who hast accustomed thy self to swearing and cursing to whoring and drinking to scoffing and railing against the people of God resolve to swear and curse no more to whore and drink no more to scoff and rail no more but cast them away with detestation avoiding the places and occasions of these sins For it is a vain thing to think thy self strong enough to abstain from any sin when thou canst not withdraw thy self from the occasions thereof Ah sinner if thou hast any regard to thy precious soul it will be thy wisdom speedily to resolve to leave thine old course of life and to turn over a new leaf Think not of peace with God whilest thou art at peace with sin Think not that thine old scores are crossed whilest thou art so freely scoring up a new Deceive not thy self thy divorce from sin and thy marriage with Christ must be both on the same day And count not thy self divorced till thou and thy sins be parted Resolve this day to have done with thy old wayes for ever At once give Christ his welcome and thy lusts their farewell There is no true humiliation for sin where there is not a resolution against it Say not thou art not humbled enough how little soever thy sorrow be if thou art sincerely resolved against iniquity And say not thou art humble enough how deep soever it hath been if there follow not this resolution
and in all his offices Say the Lord Jesus Christ shall be my Prophet I will in all things labour to be taught and instructed by him And he shall be my King I will give him the Supremacy I will resign up my self wholly to his Dominion in all things to be ordered and governed by him And he shall be my Priest he shall answer to God and make an atonement for me I will rest upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice offered upon the Cross for life and salvation Though thou hast hitherto been a great sinner yet if now thou wilt abandon thy sins and thus embrace Jesus Christ thou shalt have him given to thee and all thy sins freely forgiven thee Oh why wilt thou neglect so great salvation Oh do not deferr the doing it one day longer But to day even now that Christ is freely offered unto thee resolve to receive him And be not discouraged out of fear that because thou hast so long refused to choose and embrace Jesus Christ therefore now the time is past But know that so long as the Lord continueth calling and inviting thee by his Word and Spirit so long the day of grace lasteth The golden Scepter is this day held forth unto thee Christ and Salvation are now offered unto thee O therefore embrace him by faith which if thou refusest to do know assuredly that everlasting fire prepared for the Devils will be thy portion to all Eternity For as our Saviour speaketh This is the condemnation even the soarest and surest condemnation that light is come into the World that Jesus Chrst and salvation by him is offered in the Gospel and yet men love darkness more than light preferring their deeds of darkness their sinful sensual wayes before the Lord of life who is the light of the World Oh that any should be so foolish and unwise as to choose darkness rather than light and death rather than life CHAP. XV. Other Means on our part to be performed for attaining of Regeneration VI WIth patience wait upon Christ in the use of his Ordinances especially the Word and Prayer 1. Frequent the Ministry of the Word where the Spirit of God useth to breath The Spirit is the principal worker of this great work as our Saviour expresseth And the Ministry of the Word is the ordinary Means and instrument which the spirit of God useth for the effecting hereof The Spirit of God breaths not in an Ale-house or in a Tavern or Play-house but in the Ministry of the Word Whereupon the Apostle Paul calls it the Word of life by which our souls are quickned And the Apostle Peter the seed of Regeneration by which we are new born Being born again saith he not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God this seed being sown in the heart doth by little and little grow up to a new creature In this respect the Preachers of the Gospel are called spiritual Fathers because by their Ministry they beget men unto God as Paul told the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel So that it is clear that the Ministery of the Word is the ordinary means whereby the Holy Ghost doth usually work in us that great work of Regeneration But we must take heed that we do not attribute our new birth unto the Word Preached as having in its own nature any inherent power to give life and grace but as it is the Word of God and his holy ordinance which he hath instituted and sanctified for working grace in us Attend therefore unto the Ministry of the Word as the Ordinance of God unto which his blessing is promised use it in obedience to his command in hope of his blessing and with desire to profit thereby And for thine encouragement know that as dead a soul as thine hath been quickned by the spirit of God as it hath been attending upon the Ministry of the Word as hard an heart as thine hath been softned as prophane an heart hath been sanctified as carnal and corrupt an heart hath been changed and renewed And who knoweth but while thou art attending upon God in his way his spirit may breath upon thee and so quicken thy dead heart mollifie thine hard heart sanctifie thy prophane heart yea renew and change thy totally corrupted and carnal heart wherein consisteth the work of Regeneration This I press upon all knowing that a carnal unregenerate man may give outward attendance unto the Ministry of the Word Though thou art spiritually dead yet hast thou feet to carry thee to the house of God and ears to hear the outward Ministry of the Word and understanding to know in great measure what is said Thou maist come to the Pool and lye by it though thou canst not put thy self in And truly it is good lying in the way where Christ useth to come Oh therefore frequent the Ministry of the Word where the Spirit of Christ useth to move yea and to breath a spirit of life into dead souls Take all occasions of hearing the Word both in season and out of season Let nothing but necessity keep thee at home for thou knowest not what Sermon may be most sutable to thy condition And when thou hearest attend to it as to a message sent from God concerning thine everlasting salvation And be often calling it to remembrance whereby it will take the deeper impression upon thine heart And though for the present thou find not that benefit thou expectest yet wait still upon the Ordinance The lame man who lay long at the Pool of Bethesda at last was cured 2. Be much in reading the Word of God and such practical books as may help thee in understanding and applying it This must not thrust out Preaching yet is it an excellent means of grace in its own time and place as very many have found by their own experience For as the Psalmist speaketh The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. So that the word read is sometimes the power of God to Regeneration and Salvation as well as the Word Preached As the Eâ—nuch was a reading a portion of Scripture in his Chariot the Spirit of God commanded Philip to go near unto him to teach him the meaning thereof and to instruct him in the knowledge of Jesus Christ whereupon he believed and was baptized And Luther confesseth of himself that he was changed and renewed upon reading the Scriptures and therefore professed he would not part with one leaf of the Bible for all the World For in the Scriptures there is a clear revelation of the way and means of Salvation by Jesus Christ therein is contained the Covenant of grace and the Laws of Heaven according to which we must square all our actions Oh sinner as thou desirest to partake of the new birth and to be made partaker of the grace of God be careful and conscionable in reading the Scriptures Spend not that time
revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad 2. Gods Children in and under great afflictions do oft-times feel and find the greatest joy and comfort As their sufferiâ—gs abound so their consolation aboundeth in and through Christ. When doth a Christian stand in more need of the comforts of God and when doth he enjoy more of them then when outward comforts do most fail him When David was sorely distressed being plundred of his goods and robbed of his Wives and Children he encouraged himself in the Lord his God and received much comfort from him Obj. 2. How can the state of the regenerate be joyful when as the grace of God teacheth and requireth them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and toâ— live as godly and righteously so soberly in this present World A. 1. True it is the Regenerate ought not to live according to the course of the World satisfying their own carnal lusts and pleasures but according to the strict rule of Gods Word 2. But yet this strict walking is no hinderance to true joy but rather a furtherer thereof which made the Prophet David to say Great peace have they who love thy Law that is they shall enjoy much peace of Conscience and quietness of mind It is said of the primitive Saints that they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost because they walked in the fear of the Lord therefore they found the joy and comfort of the Holy Ghost And indeed the strictest walking hath procured the sweâ—test joy and the loosest walking the greatest sorrow Ask the people of God whether any of them have ever found more soul-reâ—oyciâ—g than when they have walked most closely and exactly with God Nay I dare appeal to thine own Conscience whether it be not more comfortable to serve God than the Devil to please God than to gratifie thy sinfull lusts and affections Dost thou make nothing of the joy of a good Conscience and the sweetness of uprightness and integrity Obj. 3. Doth not daily experience tell us that many Godly Christians notwithstanding their close walking with God live very uncomfortably their spirits are heavy and sad and they are oftner in tears and groans than others A. 1. It may be their sadness is not a real but a seeming sadness they only seem to be sad unto wicked and prophane men As sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing Where the Apostle bringeth in the sorrow of the Godly with a quasi as it were sorrowful not that it is sorrow indeed But when he speaks of their joy there 's no quasi but true joy which is grounded upon so sure foundations viz. the free grace of God and the merits of Christ apprehended by a true and lively faith that it continueth for ever and never utterly vanisheth away When the Countenance of a Christian seemeth sad there is many times much peace and joy in his heart and therefore his joy is called hidden Manna as being inward and secret to which worldly men are meer strangers 2. Though their sadness be real yet is not their godliness the cause thereof no more than the Sun can be the cause of darkness But the grounds and causes of a Christians sadness are these 1. Haply he hath lately fallen into some great and heinous sin and if so no marvel if he walk sadly and uncomfortably till he hath got some comfortable evidence of the pardon and forgiveness thereof For guilt makes a man a terrour to himself What made David walk so heavily yea roar out for grief but the guilt of his Adultery and Murther What made Peter go out and weep so bitterly but the guilt of his cowardize in denying his Lord and Master 2. Haply he hath some deep apprehension of the corruption of his own heart which he oft-times findeth working and stirring in him This made Paul to smite himself upon his breast and cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of sin and corruption Thou thinkest much to see a godly man walk sadly and uncomfortably Whereas if thine eyes were but opened to see the vileness and wretchedness that is in thine own heart thou wouldst presently sink down in dismal sorrow and desperation 3. He may yet be in the travel of his new birth or but newly delivered so that he is hardly freed from the spirit of bondage And therefore no marvel that he still walks with a sorrowful heart But this sorrow will soon end in full joy For Christ the Sun of Righteousness is rising upon his soul with healing in his Wings who will dry up his tears and fill his heart with joy 4. Or if he be a through Convert yet he may be under some soar temptation from the Devil whose main design is to keep men in slavery and bondage to himself but if he fail therein then his next design is to weaken their comforts And therefore so far as God will give him leave he will be sure to set upon them with his fiercest temptations and to cast into their minds many Atheistical and Blasphemous thoughts the venom of which is ready to drink up their spirits and it is no marvel if they walk uncomfortably at such times for joy and rejoycing attends not the combate but the conquest Think not the worse of the wayes of God for that the Devil is so much against them and straws them with such thornes 5. It may be he is of a melancholy constitution and then it cannot be expected he should walk joyfully For joy hath no greater enemy than melancholy And know that though the disposition of the soul is changed by the new birth yet not the constitution of the body 6. It may be God hath hid his face and favour from him withdrawn himself in respect of the manifestation of his love to his soul so that he doth not enjoy that comfort which he was wont to have in God and if so no marvel if he walk heavily and uncomfortably For what Christian can rejoice when God deprives him of all sense and feeling of his loving favour and shuts up those sweet streams of refreshment which were wont to flow into his soul Surely the chief work of a Christian in such a case is heartily to bewail his present sad condition and to be earnest with God in prayer that he would lift up the light of his countenance and shine in comfortably upon his soul that the bones which he hath broken may rejoice Now for any to argue because some godly men have ofttimes occasion of sorrow and mourning therefore the lives of all the godly are full of sorrow and sadness is a very absurd and false kind of reasoning and yet this is the reasoning of many carnal men and women in the World Whereas we may more rationally argue the lives of all carnal and
he slew a man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck Though the Sacrificing of Oxen and Lambs were good and commanded by God himself yet because they failed in the manner of performing them they were no more acceptable to God than the killing of men or cutting off a dogs neck which things were forbidden by the Law and abomination to the Lord. 3. Failing in the manner of performance makes God not only to reject our duties but to pronounce a woe and a curse against the performers of them Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Though it be the work of the Lord that work which the Lord appointeth to be done yet notwithstanding if it be done negligently not after a right manner cursed is he that doth it 4. It is the right manner of performing duties that obtaineth a blessing from God It may be thou hast heard much and prayed much and fasted much and yet hast found little good or benefit thereby Examine whether thou hast not been dead and dull formal and perfunctory in them doing them as if thou didst them not If so no marvail that thou hast received so little good by them As therefore thou wouldst be loth to pray in vain or hear in vain or fast in vain as thou wouldst be loth to lose the things which thou hast wrought see to it that thou be as carefull of the manner as of the matter of them how thou dost them as that thou dost them Do what thou dost with all thy soul yea and with all thy might and then thou maist expect a plentiful and gracious return For the right manner of performing good duties take these few directions I. Be sure you take Christ with you both for assistance and acceptance 1. For assistance For without me saith Christ you can do nothing That is without Union with Christ and Communion with him you cannot perform any acceptable service unto God You may fall upon the duty of prayer and attend upon the Ministry of the Word but without assistance from Christ you can neither do the one nor the other as you should Whensoever therefore you set upon any good duty in the first place beg strength and assistance from Christ and rest and lean upon him for his help go not to pray or hear but in the strength of the Lord. 2. Take Christ with you for acceptance both of your persons and services Christ is the beloved Son of God with whom he is so well pleased that likewise in him he is well pleased with all those that come to God by him and look for neither audience nor acceptance but upon his account alone The truth is as our persons are vile and wretched and all as an unclean thing so our Services even our most holy Services are all polluted and tainted with the corruption of our natures and therefore they are odious and abominable in the sight of God who may justly reject both us and them and will do it unless covered with the worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ but in him we shall not fail to obtain gracious acceptance Whensoever therefore we go unto God in prayer or in any other ordinance let us carry Christ with us in the arms of our faith Plut arch in the life of Themistocles reports that it was the usual custome of some of the Heathens namely the Molossiaâ—s that when they would seek the favour of their King they took his Son in their arms and so went unto him And questionless it would be the wisdom of Christians in seeking the face and favour of God who is the King of Heaven and of earth to take the holy Child Jesus with them without whom they may not see his face II. Stir up thy self and all thy strength put forth thy self to the uttermost strive to be lively active and stirring in Spirit Get the Spirit of faith and of power this will be oyle to the wheels and wind to the Sails which set all a going let this be wanting and thy best services will be lifeless and dead Services in which the Lord takes no delight There is a threefold strength we should labour to put forth in all our holy duties 1. Strength of Intention 2. Strength of Affections 3. Strength of Body 1. We must intend our work as if it were for our lives for so it is whether it be the work of praying hearing meditating or the like We must put forth the strength of our intention as well as of our attention not giving way either to drowsiness of body or distractions of mind But oh what light matters are apt to steal away our minds and thoughts in the performance of holy duties If one of our superiours were talking with us he would expect that we should mind what he saith and not turn aside to talk with every one that passeth by us But when God is speaking to us in the ministry of his Word or we are speaking unto him by prayer how ordinarily do we turn aside to every vain thought and trifling business which offereth it self to us Intend God more earnestly and this will fire your thoughts 2. Strength of affections is required in every good duty Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might saith the Wise man This may especially be applyed to the duties of Gods worship and service that we do them vigorously with all the strength of our affections Which the Apostle requireth where he bids us be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. The word in the Greek notes an ebullition or boyling up of our spirits to the height There is nothing in the World more unbecoming the Worship of God than flatness of spirit and coldness of affection when a man serves God as if he served him not It was Davids commendation that the zeal of Gods house did eat him up Which expression sheweth the vehemency of his zeal and strength of his affections as in reforming Gods house so in performing the duties of his Worship and service For this was Iacob honoured and called Israel because he prayed with the strength of his affections and is therefore said to wrestle with God in prayer whereby he prevailed As thou desirest to prevail with God in Prayer thou must with Iacob wrestle with him putting forth the strength of thine affections which will be a special means to keep away vain wandring thoughts So long as honey is boyling hot flies will not venture on it So if the heart and affections be boyling hot in prayer vain thoughts are not apt to enter in 3. Strength of body must likewise be put forth in every good duty For Col must be worshipped as with our spirits so with our bodies And blessed is the strength which is put forth in the service of God Carnal men are apt to lay out the strength of their bodies upon their lusts Why then should not we be as ready to
with a love unto him again It is not sufficient to think and think often of sin and the misery it hath implunged as in but we must so think thereof as to work our hearts to an hatred of sin and a fear of that wrath of God it hath exposed us and made us lyable to and to a looking after Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the guilt of our sins and from the punishment due unto us for the same This is a work of so great concernment and advantage as none can truly apprehend but such as have made tryal therein David who was a man full of Holy and Heavenly affections was full of Heavenly meditation And from the experience of that abundant sweetness and comfort he found therein doth often in his book of Psalms commend it unto others and pronounceth that man blessed who meditates in the Law of God day and night Let thy soul full often soar aloft upon the wings of divine contemplation Let not any solitary season pass away without some spiritual meditation and conference with thy God Either take a sorrowfull survey of thy manifold sins which may draw from thee as hearty grief for the same so hearty ejaculations for the pardon and forgiveness of them Or take a view of Gods blessings and favours towards thee and let this inlarge and raise up thine heart in praises and thanksgivings unto him Or bath thy self in an admiring commemoration of the meritorious blood of the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus which was abundantly shed for the washing of thy body and soul from the filthy spots and stains of sin Seriously think what he hath done and suffered for thee how he hath fullfilled the Law and undergone the punishment due to thy sins and now in Heaven maketh intercession for thee by presenting himself an allsufficient Sacrifice unto his Father for thy sins Oh think with thy self what thou must have suffered for thy sins if he had not suffered for them What thou hadst been if he had not redeemed thee even a bondslave of Satan and fire-brand of hell Especially let thy soul full often meditate on the glorious things which the Lord hath reserved in Heaven for such as here do sincerely serve him and obey the Gospel of Iesus Christ. Oh think with thy self what a blessed thing it will be to live in the vision and fruition of God himself in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore As also what an happiness it will be to behold the glorious body of Iesus Christ shining there with such incomprehensible beauty as shall infinitely delight the eyes of the beholders and that to all Eternity without satiety for the longer the Saints behold Christ the more they will be ravished with joy and delight Ponder likewise as on the excellent qualities wherewith thy soul and body shall be adorned in Heaven so on the excellency of that place which is set forth in Scripture by Pearls and precious stones And the more to set off this glory and blessedness oft consider with thy self the deplorable state of the damned in hell who feel nothing for the present but wrath and vengeance and can expect nothing for the future but the fuller Vials of Gods indignation to be powred on them to all Eternity Such considerations as these will serve as notable helps to draw and keep thine heart Heaven-ward and to turn all the streams of thy desires and longings towards the God of glory But oh how many Christians are there who having an hope towards God and some confidence of their interest in things above do notwithstanding converse but very little with them Their thoughts are seldome on Heaven or Heavenly things that notwithstanding all their confidence they may well question whether their treasure be there Consider Reader As before the Lord whether this be not thine own case Thou canst not be ignorant that an heart estranged from Heaven hath little evidence that he hath any part or place therein And wilt thou yet perswade thy self that God is thine when thou carest no more for him Dost thou highly prize an Heavenly mind and account them the best and the happiest Christians that are much in Heaven and yet is it not grievous to thee to find that thou didst never in all thy life it may be or but very seldome fix thy thoughts thereon for a quarter of an hour together but hast many and many a time suffered the Devil to run away with thy thoughts and to detain them on this dunghill below Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with thine estate than with thy thoughts and to order their motions at his pleasure Oh the multitude of Worldly and covetous thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts yea of blaspheamous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there Revel it day and night Oh the speculative filthiness and contemplative uncleanness that not only harbours but likewise find hearty wellcome and entertainment there Surely friend thou hadst best look to thy self and get thy heart cleared of these evill guests thy vile and vain thoughts drive away these birds of prey and then the thoughts of God will be more familiar and precious to thee That thou maist get up to this Heavenly-mindedness take these directions 1. Humble thy self unfeignedly for thy great strangeness to God and Heaven that thou hast so rarely set thine heart on things above And for the time to come let it be thy special care and endeavour to habituate thy self to Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations frequently to steep thy soul in Heavens delights 2. When thou findest thy mind and thoughts to be ridden by the Devil and carryed away from God lift up thine heart by earnest and fervent prayer unto him who is the Father of Spirits and hath power over Devils and begg of him that as by his permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter into thee so he would command him speedily to depart from thee that thy mind might be free for its proper work For he only can cast down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 3. Work thy heart to a perfect detestation of all vain and wicked thoughts that thou maist be able to say with David I hate vain thoughts This will highten thy resolutions to a greater watchfulness against them for the time to come and to use thine utmost endeavour to drive them away so that though they may arise in thine heart yet they may not lodge there And know this for thy comfort that those vain and wicked thoughts which thou dost from thine heart hate and detest shall not be laid to thy charge at the great day of account 4. Above all things keep a watch over
oft-times ended in outward uncleanness and actual Adultery From the heart saith our Saviour proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications c. Noting evil thoughts to be the cause of the uncleanness in the life In Athaliahs Massacre of the blood-royal young Ioash was hid in the bed-chamber there he was nurst and afterwards came to be King and ruled in the Throne Save any Lustfull thought nurse it in the bed-chamber of thy heart hide it there and it will in time come to be King and rule over thee So soon therefore as any lustful or exorbitant thoughts begin to arise in thine heart speedily reject the same quench the fire in the thatch crush the Cockatrice in the Egge stifle the first conception of sin Certainly as it is a dangerous neglect not to observe and embrace the first motions of Gods spirit in us so likewise not to take notice of the first thoughts and rising of sin in our hearts He who slights sinfull thoughts is in a fair way to sinfull actions They that are Christs saith the Apostle have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The very affections and lusts of the flesh must be Crucified if we would prevent the works of the flesh IV. Sir up in thy self an earnest desire to have thy lusts mortified and subdued The reason why no more is done against sin is because we are too well contented to let it alone when nothing but the death of sin will satisfie thee thou wilt then use thy Weapons when once thou desirest in earnest the destruction of thine iniquities there 's hope they will not be long liv'd For God hath promised to satisfie the desire of those that fear him he will hear their groanings and deliver them Come unto me saith Christ all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you case and rest Certainâ—y one special reason why many complain so much of the strength and prevalency of their corruptions is because they are not heartily willing to have them mortified and subdued They will indeed profess a willingness to part with their sins that they may be freed from the guilt of them and punishment due unto them but unwilling they are to part with the pleasure they find in them Thus Austin acknowledgeth of himself I prayed said he that my sins might be forgiven and mortified but yet I was afraid lâ—st my prayer should be heard and answered If therefore thou wouldst have thy sins mortified indeed stir up in thy self a willing mind thereunto V. Complain unto God of the prevalency of thy lusts and by prayer beg strength from him against the power of thâ—m From God it is that strength must be had it is his power alone that can support us against the power of sin And Prayer is the means of obtaining it This was the course that Paul took when he was troubled with that thorn in his flesh which expositors generally enterpret to be some strong motions and inclinations in him to some foul sin For this saith the text he besought the Lord thrice that is oftentimes And though he did not presently obtain a full deliverance yet did he receive strength sufficient to resist them so that he could not be overcome by them If we in like manner shall go unto God by prayer for his help laying open our condition and complaining to him thereof we shall for the present receive strength sufficient to resist and in Gods due time deliverance from our iniquities VI. Act faith in Christ for the mortifying thy sinfull lusts and corruptions To this end 1. Be sensible that thou art in thy sâ—â—f weak and unable to grapple with thy Lusts. Thou must despair of thine own strength ere thou wilt take hold on the strength of the Lord. Thou must be beaten out of thy self-confidence ere thou wilt go unto Christ. When thou seest thou art weak thou wilt turn to the strong hold 2. Bâ—lieve that Christ is able to succour and help thee In him doth all fullness dwell As he hath a fullness of grace in his heart so fullness of power in his hand whereby he is able to kill all thine enemies Sin is mighty but Christ is mightier The Devil is strong but Christ is stronger than he 3. Believe that Christ is as able so willing to subdue thine iniquities Thine enemies are his enemies and he will have their death if thou be a believer he hath undertaken for thee He is thy great High-Priest and thy Lord and King and hereupon not only by his mercifulness and kindness but by his office and interest he stands ingaged to pitty and relieve thee he will not be unfaithfull to his trust nor deaf to his own bowels which plead with him to save and help thee 4. By faith cast thy self upon Iesus Christ rest upon his power and goodness for his help and strength 'T is here in regard of Christs power as in regard of his promises As our resting and relying upon his promises in a time of danger and distress makes them our own So our resting and relying upon Christs power for help and support doth make it our own 5. By faith wait upon Christ in expectation of relief and succour against the working and stirring of thy corruptions Though relief come in but slowly from him yet wait for it because it will most surely come in the most seasonable time Hereby wilt thou ingage Christ to appear for thy help For as nothing doth more ingage the heart of a man to be helpfull to another than an expectation of help from him So certainly the raising up thine heart to an expectation of relief from Christ must needs be a great ingagement unto him to assist thee accordingly When Christ cured many of their bodily diseases and distempers while he lived upon the Earth we find their cure is still ascribed to their faith Now what was their faith They believed that Christ was both able and willing to cure them and thereupon with confidence went unto him for cure and so drew vertue from him accordingly This you may see in the poor Woman that had an issue of blood twelve years who came behind Christ and said If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be whole To whom Christ replyed Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole This is written as all other Scripture is for our learning to teach and instruct us what course to take for the curing of our spiritual maladies and diseases Hast thou any foul issue of Worldliness and Covetousness of pride or frowardness of passion or envy or the like running upon thee And wouldst thou be cured of them Do as that poor Woman did go unto Christ set thy faith at work on him believe his power and willingness let thy faith touch but the hem of his garment lay hold on him cast thy self on his blood and bowels wait at his door resolving not to return
death and condemnation These men howsoever they would be esteemed good Masters and good Governours yet are they far from such in that they neglect the main duty belonging to good Governours which is to take care of the souls of those under their charge and willingly suffer all manner of wickedness and prophaness to rule and bear sway in their Families and that without any check or controul I dare boldly say it were much better for a man to put his Child into a Pâ—sthouse than into such a Family in that wickedness is more infectious than the Plague spreading infinitely polluting every one it comes near And whereas the Plague and Pestilence can but kill the body the contagion of sin is apt to destroy both body and soul. And therefore what is usually written upon the doors of such houses as are visited with the Plague Lord have mercy upon us may far better be written upon the doors of such houses where through the neglect of Family-duties sin and wickedness doth abound I know there are very many both Parents and Masters who having provided for the bodies of those under their charge think they have sufficiently discharged their duty towards them But I would demand of such if their care be only to provide for the bodies of their Children and Servants what do they more to them then to their beasts If they only cloath them and pay them their wages what do they more to them than the Turks and Infidels who know not God do to their Children and Servants If their care be only to provide for them an earthly inheritance without any care to make them Heirs of an Heavenly inheritance what do they more to them than Iews who are ignorant of Christ and his Gospel do for their Children Let such know that it is their duty to provide not only for for perishing Carcasses but also for the immortal souls of all theirs And it is a vain and foolish imagination for any to think they have done their duty when they have apparelled nourished and brought up their Children and Servants considering they have a far greater account to make before God for their souls of which if any should perish through their negligence and unfaithfullness how dreadfull will their account be oh what answer will they be able to make when the blood of their Children and Servants souls shall be required of them CHAP. IV. An Exhortation unto all Parents and Masters of Families to make Conscience of Family-duties Use 2. LEt the second Use be an Use of Exhortation to stir up all Christian Parents and Masters of Families to be carefull that their whole house do faithfully serve the Lord as well as themselves that they take up Ioshuah's resolution as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. As you would not be guilty of the blood of your Children and Servants souls and as you would not have them cry out against you in everlasting fire see that you bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Every Governour should be that in the body politick of his own house which the heart is in the natural body of man as it communicateth life and vital spirits to the rest of the members So must the Master of the houshold endeavour to impart the spiritual life of grace to all that are members of his body politick And his house by a constant conscionable performance of holy and religious duties there should be a little Church For the maintaining the Worship of God makes every house to become a sanctuary an house of God Hence divers pious Governours in the new Testament are said to have Churches in their houses as Philemoâ— Aquila and Priscilla and Nimphas whose houses were called Churches as in respect of the Saints in their houses so in respect of the worship of God among them Oh what an honour will this be to us when upon this account our habitations shall be called rather Churches than private houses Temples of God rather than the dwellings of men For the more profitable pressing of this Use I shall shew you what be the duties and services which are especially required of Parents and Masters of Families in reference to those under their charge CHAP. V. Of Family Prayer with quickning Motives thereunto I. PRayer which is one principal part of the service of God in all Families and therefore ought to be performed by the Governour thereof who as he is a King to govern his Family so a Priest to offer up a Morning and an Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto God in and with his Family This we find commended to us in the practice of the Patriarchs who when they removed to any place they builded an Altar where God was to be called upon by the whole Family Thus did Abraham Isaac and Iacob David though a King yet prayed with his Houshold as their Governour for it is recorded of him that having offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord he returned to bless his houshold that is say Expositors to bless God with his Family and to beg Gods blessing on them In the New Testament the Apostle writing to Masters of Families concerning their duties adjoyneth this continue in Prayer implying it to be one special duty incumbent on them to be constant in Family-prayer Of Cornelius it is said that he was one who feared God with all his house which gave much Almes to the people and prayed to God alway which implyeth that he prayed daily with his Family These examples are recorded by the Holy-Ghost as Copies for us to write after But for your more full conviction of that obligation that lyes upon you for the performance of this duty let the following arguments be duly weighed Arg. 1. The first Argument shall be drawn from that trust that is committed unto governours of Families Here observe 1. That Governours of Families are intrusted with the souls with the Religion of their Families not that they may prescribe unto them or impose upon them what way of Religion they please or that inferiours may be excused by the errours or neglects of the Superiours but it is committed to their care and they have received a charge from the Lord to look diligently to all that are under them that they duly worship God observe his ordinances and keep â—â—s statutes That there is such a care incumbent on them is evident under the Law the Master of the Family was by the appointment of God to look to the circumcising of all the Males of his house both those that were born in his house and those that were bought with his money In the fourth commandment the Master of the Family is charged not only to keep the Sabbath in his own person but to look to his family also Thou shalt do no work therein that 's not all nor thy Son nor thy Daughter nor thy Man-servant nor thy
Maid-servant c. Suitable to this charge is the care and holy resolution of Ioshua in the Text I and my house will serve the Lord. Choose you whom you will serve saith he to the rest of the people I have not so much to do with that but as for me and my house I must and will look to that we will serve the Lord. Hence this first thing appears that governours of Families are to take care of the Religion and therrefore of the souls of their Families When a Child is brought forth when a Servant is brought into thine house God sayes to thee as the man in the Prophets Parable Keep this man look to this Child look to this Servant look to their souls if they miscarry or be lost through thy neglect Thy life shall go for their lives thy soul for their souls and so shall thy judgement be 2. Governours of Families have never faithfully discharged their trust till they have used all means which God hath appointed that may be for the advantage of the souls under their charge and the furtherance of them in Religion If there be any thing you might have done that you have neglected you are therein unfaithfull 3. Their joyning in Prayer with their Families is according to Gods appointment and of great advantage to souls 1. Ioynt-prayer is an ordinance of God Thus much is hinted clearly enough in that form of Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples which runs in the plural number Our Father Give us this day our daily bread And from the practice of the primitive Christians Now if Christians in general such as were not of the same Family are by Gods appointment to joyn in Prayer then much more Christians of the same family Conjunction in the same Family-relation cannot hinder or discharge from any part of Christian communion Families as well as greater assemblies should not forget their joynt-prayers 2. Conjunction in Prayer as it is Gods Ordinance so 't is of great advantage to souls The joynt prayers of the several persons in a Family are more acceptable to God and more prevalent with him than the Prayers of the same persons apart There 's the same reason for the prevalency of the joynt-prayers of Christians of the same Family as of the joynt-Prayers of Christians not of the same Family of the same City or Town or Country Now we find in Scripture from the practice of the people of God that this was their concurrent judgement that their coming together to pray would prevail more with God than their praying apart as Act. 12.12 before mentioned Many were gathered together in Maries house praying for Peter If it had been all one as to the probability of the success If the Lord had been as likely to have been prevailed with for Peters enlargment by their separate as by their joynt Prayers they would never have run that hazard as they did by their coming together They knew well enough what danger it would have been had they been taken praying Many instances might be brought of the like practice of Christians in all ages who especially in cases of great exigencies and necessities did thus assemble Whence is a clear foundation of this argument That way of Prayer which the people of God did choose and betake themselves to in cases of any special exigencies that was in their judgement the most acceptable and prevailing But joynt Prayer is such in the case of greater societies and therefore also in the less Besides joynt-prayers will be of this advantage It will be a great help to those that are less able to teach them to pray apart Governours should teach theirs to pray as Christ taught his Disciples And how should they teach them by instruction only We may learn more of the skill and Spirit of Prayer by a few instructions exemplified than by multitudes of counsels alone The Nurse teaches the Child to speak by speaking in its hearing By this Christian practice we shall suggest matter of Prayer to them put words into their mouths yea kindle desires in their hearts Who that hath any experience knows not how our affectionate enlargements and importunate pleadings and wrestlings with God in Prayer do often warm and enlarge the hearts of those that joyn with us Arg. 2. It s the will of God that Christians should take and improve all opportunities advantages and occasions of Prayer This proposition if it need proof is sufficiently evident from 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men Pray every where and Eph. 6.18 Praying alwayes with all Prayer Alwayes or as it is in the Greek on every opportunity with All Prayer with all manner of Prayer in publick in private in secret alone together as opportunity is offered and occasion requires Now have not governours of Families as such special opportunities for joynt-Prayer Their cohabitation upon which they may meet more easily and frequently than those that live at a greater distance their authority by vertue whereof they may command the attendance of their families puts opportunities into their hands And have they not also as such special occasions of joyning in Prayer there are Family-mercies which they are joyntly concerned to pray for when wanted and to acknowledge when received There are Family-afflictions and crosses which they are in common concerned to pray against there are Family sins which call for joynt-confessions and humiliations Those that have sinned together or suffer together or are sharers in the same common mercies ought also to joyn together in the same confessions petitions and thanksgivings Arg 3. From the example of Christ who not only taught his Family to Pray but pray'd with them His Disciples were his Family The Passeover was to be eaten by the several Families apart a Lamb for a Family And if you would know who were Christs Family enquire with whom he are the Passoâ—ver these are his â—isciples and with these he prayed As he was alone praying his Disciples were with him But how was he alone when his Disciplâ—s were wiâ—h hâ—m the meaning only is he was withdrawn from the multitude he and his Disciples were privately together and with them he prayes Now to gather up all together If the example of Christ be obliging to his followers if governours of Families have opportunities and occasions of joyning in Prayer with them and it be the will of God that they take and improve all opportunities and occasions if governours of Families be intrusted with the souls of their Families and this trust cannot be discharged where this exercise is neglected then must it be acknowledged that it is a duty incumbent on them from the Lord and that they sin against God who make no conscience of it To what hath been said let me farther add these two things 1. Consider the manifold benefits which usually follow and accompany this duty of Family-prayer 1. It is a sanctifying Ordinance thereby the Husband is sanctified to the wife and the wife
your reading may be the more profitable observe these few directions 1. Before you read lift up your heart unto God in some short Prayer beseeching him who is the Father of light to enlighten the blind eyes of your understandings that you may understand what you read so to strengthen your memories that you may remember it and that he would give you Wisdom to apply faith to believe and grace to practise what you read Which Prayer is necessary before reading because as the Apostle speaketh Naturally we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither can we know them because they are spiritually discerned And it is only the Spirit of God that revealeth them unto us which we have no hope to attain but by fervent Prayer 2. The Word must be read and heard with all holy reverence and attention as being the Word of the great God whereby he revealeth himself and his will cleerly unto us for the building us up in all grace and Godliness 3. In reading every one ought to take special notice of such passages as are either more weighty in themselves or proper to them for their particular cases use and occasion 4. In reading or hearing any portion of Scripture let every one apply it to himself as spoken to him By this means may every one be much edified by every part of the Word of God CHAP. VIII Of Family-Catechising with quickning Motives thereunto III. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families in reference to those under their charge is to instruct them in the principles of Religion in a Catechistical way For to Catechise is to teach the first principles of Christian Religion whereby they who are young may be acquainted with God betimes This we find given in command unto Housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Thâ—se words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Where by Children are not meant only natural Children but likewise servants it being usual with the Hebrews by Children to understand all under subjection We have a Prophesie that there shall be as it were a succession of Christs name from generation to generation His name shall endâ—re sor ever his name shall be continued as long as the Sun or as the phrase imports His name shall pass from Father to Son Every Father then must by Christian instruction declare the name of Christ to his Son that so the name of Christ may pass from Father to Son from generation to generation which prophesie concerns the time of the Gospel wherein Parents are commanded to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord or to nurture them up in instruction as the word in the Greek properly signifieth This duty is commended to us by the example of Godly Housholders in all ages I know saith God of Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. We likewise find David often instructing his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And that this was the practice of the Saints in the time of the Gospel appeareth from the expressions of the Apostle Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God And leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ which imply a form of Catechism which was used by the Christians in those dayes And oh that all Christian Parents and governours of Families in our dayes would make conscience of instructing and teaching their Children and Servants in the principles of Religion out of some good Catechism Observing these two Caveats 1. That this duty be done frequently on some day or dayes every week 2. That it be done by little at once for to be too long or tedious therein is apt to dull the understanding and to cause wearisomeness in the learner For the better pressing this duty I shall add a few motives or arguments I. The first Argument or Motive may be taken from the benefits which will follow thereupon 1. Timely instruction will season their hearts that they are like to be better for it all the dayes of their lives and therefore saith the Wise man Traiâ— up or as the Word signifieth Catechise a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it But as a Vessel will retain long the savour of that liquor it was seasoned first withall So will men the instructions they have learned in their youth 2. It is an excellent means to keep them from the errours and heresies of the times For Children well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion are in great measure antidoted against the danger of seducing doctrines The Apostle saith There must be heresies which are of a spreading nature and therefore by our Saviour compared to Leaven What better preservative against the infection of false doctrines errours and heresies than to be well Catechised Observe who they be that are easiest seduced by false teachers who they are that have embraced their erroneous tenets and you shall find that they were such who were never well Catechised nor grounded in the principles of Religion As therefore you would not have your Children and Servants poysoned with the erroneous Doctrines of false teachers do your endeavours to get them well rooted and grounded in the knowledge of the truth 3. It is an excellent means to make them hear the publick Ministry of the Word with more profit For thereby they will be enabled to Examine the Doctrine which they hear by the analogie of faith It is foretold that in the latter dayes there shall be false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies And therefore we are not to receive all for truth which is delivered in the Pulpit but as the Apostle exhorteth us to prove and try all things and to hold fast only that which is good which we shall never be able to do unless we be first well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion as also well acquainted with the Scriptures If therefore you who are Parents and Masters of Families would discharge your duty herein how would Errours vanish Religion flourish and how would knowledge and grace abound in your Children and Servants II. Another argument may be taken from the manifold damages which usually follow a neglect of Family Catechising 1. It is the ground of that ignorance and spiritual blindness which overfloweth this Nation For as darkness proceedeth from the want of light so ignorance must needs proceed from the want of teaching 2. It is the ground of that looseness and prophaneness that is in many Families For where Gods service hath no place there sin will
from â—dleness as knowing that our idle time is the Devils working timâ— who is most busie with us when we are most at leisure And bless all our undertakings So spâ—ritualize our hearts and affections that we may have heavenly hearts in earthly imployments and so may serve thee our God whilest we are serving our own necessities Together with us bless we beseech thee thy whole Church Call thine ancient people the Jews and bring in the fulness of the Gentiles And particularly we pray thee for our own Nation the Land of our Nativity pardon the crying sins thereof Showre down thy blessings upon it both temporal and spiritual In special we pray thee so to bless our royal Soveraign that under him we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Bless likewise all our Magistrates and Ministers of thy holy Word Thou the Lord of the harvest send plenty of Labourers into thy harvest And O Father of mercy look down with the eye of pitty and compassion upon all thine afflicted ones let thy mercies be suitable to their several needs and necessities Bless all Christian families this in particular enrich every soul with all needfull saving graces Blessed Lord God according to our bounden duty we offer up our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thy blessed Majesty in the name and mediation of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ. Blessing and praising thee for our health wealth food and rayment for our preservation from our first being to this present time We bless thy name above all for that gift of gifts the Lord Jesus And for the Gospel wherein thou hast freely offered Christ with all his benefits to us We bless thee for whatever grace hath been wrought in any of us by the Gospel and for that good hope thou hast given us through grace We bless thy name for the last nights quiet rest this dayes protection hitherto Add we Pray thee this mercy give us grace to live as in thy sight who seeth all our wayes and art privy to every secret thing which we do And now O Lord accept our persons though sinfull and our service though full of weaknesses in thy beloved Son with whom thou art well pleased In whose name and words we further call upon thee saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. An Evening Prayer for a Family O Most great and glorious Lord God and in Jesus Christ a loving and a gracious Father We thy poor and unworthy Servants being by thy good providence brought to the end of this day desire to conclude the same with an Evening spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving Lord we do here profess we come not in our own names nor in our own strength we are unable of our selves to perform any spiritual duty after an acceptable manner But we come in the alone name and strength of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ beseeching thee for his sake to pass by our unworthiness to quicken our dead hearts and to carry us forth with life and vigour in the duty we are now going about Blessed Lord God we do acknowledge our selves to be vile wretched sinners Sinners by nature sinners by birth sinners in the whole course of our lives having sinned as if we had come into the World for no other end but to sin against thee Though thou hast been pleased to restrain us from many hainous scandalous sins yet Lord thou knowest what evil thoughts do lodge in our hearts and what Lusts bear rule and sway there Blessed Lord God though we are in some measure convinced of the need and necessity that we have of Jesus Christ that we are undone for ever without an interest in him yet how have we slighted and rejected the tenders and offers of him in the Ministry of the Gospel and preferred our lusts and the pleasures of this World before him We have indeed outwardly made profession of the Gospel yet have we disgraced the profâ—ssion thereof by our carnal and sinfull conversation Lord we cannot but acknowledge our desires cares and endeavours have run out more after the things of this life than after the things of a better life We have slighted thy judgements abused thy mercies prophaned thy Sabbaths and polluted all thy holy Ordinances When we have drawn near unto thee with our bodies and honoured thee with our lips then have our hearts been far removed from thee when we have had communion with thine Ordinances we have oftentimes had little communion with thee our God therein Blessed Lord our sins are many and hainous yea there seemeth a kind of infiniteness in our sins but we know and believe there is indeed an infiniteness in the mercies of thee our God and in the merits of Jesus Christ and therefore with an utter disclaiming of all righteousness of our own as filthy rags we place our whole confidence for life and salvation upon thy mercies in Christ. As thou hast laid our help upon him so on him will we lay our hope for the pardon of our sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Lord be pleased to accept of his all sufficient Sacrifice and perfect satisfaction thereby made to thy justice for all our sins Pardon us we pray thee and free us as from the guilt and punishment so from the power and dominion of all our sins that we be no longer the servants of sin but may be henceforth the servants of God Lay hold on all our souls and bring us in effectually to Jesus Christ. Subduâ— our rebâ—llion take away our unwâ—llingness answer all our objections and excuses and work our hearts to a resolved adventuring upon him an hearty acceptance of him and a total resignation of our selves for ever to him to his goverâ—â—ent and dominion Lord we beseech thee not only to jâ—stifie us by thy grace but likewise to sanctifie us by thy Spirit that we may be an holy people serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Mortifie our flesh with the affections and lusts let us be proud no longer nor covetous nor envious nor froward nor mâ—litious Let thy grace be sufficient for us both for the killing of our dearest lusts and strongest corruptions and for the quickning of us on in a conscionable discharge of the Duties of our places callings and relations by which grace let us be carryed on throughout our whole course in an holy humble and sincere conversation Lord let it suffice us that we have spent so much of our precious time in seeking after earthly things help us now in earnest to seek after spiritual and heavenly things after spiritual grace and heavenly glory We pray thee convince us thorowly that upon the little inch of time in this life depends the length and breadth of all Eternity and that as we live here we shall fare everlastingly hereafter And O let the consideration thereof stir us up to a fruitfull improvement of our short time to the best advantage
for the spiritual and eternal good of our poor souls Help us to keep alwayes upon our hearts a deep sense as of the certainty of our death so of the uncertainty of the time thereof that we may live as those who believe we must shortly dye Lord take us into thy keeping and protection this night Grant we may lodge in the arms of Jesus that we may rest in his bosome Give unto us such sweet and comfortable rest and sleep that our bodies may be refreshed and we the better enabled to serve thee the next day in our several places and callings In mercy remember thine all the World over And in special we pray thee for this sinfull Land and Nation Pardon our sins be reconciled to us in Jesus Christ. Let thy Gospel have a free passage therein Pour the choicest of thy blessings upon the head of our King that he may be a blessing unto us Bless all our Magistrates with the Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments Pâ—tty the afflicted members of Jesus Christ. Bless all Christian Families this in particular giving unto every member thereof all needfull saving sanctifying graces And now accept our Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which we offer unto thee for thy manifold favours and mercies conferred on our souls and bodies especially and above all for that great gift of thine the Lord Jesus Christ and for all those great things he hath done and suffered for our redemption We bless thy name as for the enjoyment of the Gospel so for any spiritual good we have received thereby that any of us have fiducially and cordially closed with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. We bless thy name that thou hast withheld us from the company and wayes of those who live without God in the World giving themselves up to work all wickedness with greediness and hast set our hearts to seek the Lord and wait for thy Salvation For every other good thing whether temporal or spiritual concerning this life or a better blessed and praised be thy great and glorious name And now O Lord we beseech thee in mercy to overlook all the weaknesses and infirmities which have accompanied this holy duty Sprinkle both our Persons and our Services with the blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus To whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit be rendred as is most due all honour and praise and glory both now and for evermore Amen A Prayer for a single Person O Eternal and ever-living Lord God the fountain of all blessing the Father of Mercy and God of all Consolation I thy poor creature altogether unworthy to appear in thy sight to present my Prayer and supplication unto thee do yet in the name and mediation of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ prostrate my self at the footstool of thy grace looking for acceptance and assistance in and through him For his sake look graciously upon me pardon my sins which are many and hainous Lord I cannot but acknowledge that besides the guilt of Adam's sin there is in me a fountain of corruption which I brought with me into the World from whence hath plentifully flowed many poisonous streams of actual transgressions and that in evil thoughts evil words and evil actions which I have committed through the whole course of my life from my tender infancy to this present time I have been alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in me I have walked after the course of this World fulfilling the desires of my flesh and of my mind minding earthly things I have broken thy Law neglected thy Gospel refused the offers of Christ and am in great doubt that to this day there hath been no good work wrought upon me but that I continue in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity Lord I cannot but acknowledge I have shamefully abused the ricâ—es of thy goodness forbearance and long-suffering which should have led me to repentance as also thy Fatherly corrections and chastiâ—ements laid upon me in love and for my good oh how little have I been bettered thereby How do I spend my time and strength for the getting of earthly riches and satisfying my self with sensual pleasures and in the mean time am careless of my precious and immortal soul Lord I have often for my profit and pleasure sake omitted and put off the holy exercises of Religion which ought to have been performed by me and have been exceeding dead and dull lifeless and heartless in performing those good duties I have taken in hand I have been unfruitfull under a plentiful dispensation of the means of grace unthankfull under those favours and mercies thou hast conferred on me unfaithfull to those manifold vows and promises I have made unto thee my God Truth Lord my sins are many and hainous but this is my comfort that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners and why not me why not me I acknowledge my self to be a great sinner but yet again thy Word testifieth That Jesus Christ came to save the chief of sinners Therefore will I not despair of mercy but am resolved to cast my self and the burden of my sins into the arms and upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. Be pleased to accept of what Christ hath done and suffered for me and to accept of me in him Turn me O Lord unto thee and through him let me be reconciled unto thee Slay the enmity and subdue the rebellion of mine heart against thee Wash my polluted soul with his most precious blood cloath my nakedness with the long white robe of his righteousness fill my emptiness out of that fulness which is in Jesus Christ. Enrich my soul with all needfull saving sanctifying graces Let the faith of Gods Elect let the love and fear of thy name be shed abroad in my heart Oh that every grace may more and more flourish in me and my lusts more and more wither and decay in me Let my covetousness dye let my pride and envy and passion and sensuality dye let the whole body of death be destroyed that I may no longer serve sin Oh give me grace in this my day to know the things that belong to my peace to make a right use of this time of my visitation As Christ is now frequently tendred in the Ministry of the Gospel as a Saviour to poor sinners So Lord give me grace fiducially to close with the offers and tenders of him that Christ may be mine and I his And as thou hast been pleased to afford unto me the means of grace so I pray thee help me to carry my self in some measure suitable and answerable thereunto that I may not be a shame but rather a credit to Religion and my profession thereof To this end teach me to deny all ungodliness and Worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Blessed Lord seeing without thy blessing it will be in vain to put forth my own