to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self upon him to come unto Christ that thou mightst be saved and yet hast slighted and rejected his gracious invitations and quenched the good motions of his Spirit therefore thy case is far different from his 4. Though the Thief continued in his wicked and ungodly course of life to the last and then became a true Convert yet can it not be proved that he purposely put off his repentance to that day But questionless he persisted in his sinful ways till the hour of death through ignorance and not through wilfulness whereas thou designest to follow thy sinful lusts and pleasures all thy life long at least the best and greatest part thereof and then at the last to resign up thy self to God and his service Therefore his late repentance can be no ground of incouragement unto thee who wilfully resolvest to go on in thy wicked courses so long as thou hast time and strength CHAP. VI. Containeth Directions suitable to Young Men. HAving answered the Objections of some Young Men against their early serving of God I come now to give you some Directions suitable to your state and condition 1. Labour to be well rooted and grounded in the principles of Religion otherwise you will soon be carried away with every wind of Doctrine and so made a prey to every seducer Observe who they be that are easiest seduced by Papists Quakers and false Teachers and you will find that they were such who were never well grounded in the Principles of Religion Ephes. 4. 14. They are said to be Children in understanding who are tossed to and fro and carried away with every wind of Doctrine implying that weak and ungrounded Christians are aptest to imbrace every false and erronious Doctrine Whereas the Martyrs being well grounded in the Principles of Religion could not be removed from the Truth by all the Arguments of the most Learned Doctors As therefore thou wouldst be preserved from all erronious Doctrines and damnable Heresies labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified that thou mayst be well rooted and grounded in the truth To that end 1. Learn some good and sound Catechism If thou canst not get it by heart then read it over again and again Thou mayst read and hear much and yet never attain to a well-grounded knowledge in Religion till thou beest well instructed in the Principles of it This the Apostles well knew therefore they delivered to their several Churches a Form of Doctrine which contained the Fundamental Principles of Religion which every Member thereof was perfectly to learn Rom. 6. 17. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Heb. 5. 12. and 6. 1. Whosoever shall think to attain unto any sound knowledge in Religion meerly by hearing the Word preached before he be well grounded in the Principles thereof will find it a hard work and understand by his experience how necessary the laying a good Foundation is to his building up in Faith and Holiness 2. Take all opportunities of reading the writings of godly learned men who by their labours have cleared the main and principal points of Religion And amongst the many Books now extant be sure you rather make choice of such as do soundly inform the judgment and work powerfully upon the heart and affections than of such as containing little but frothy conceits of wit do only please the phantasie with fruitless flashes 3. Especially be frequent in reading the holy Scriptures which contain not only the Principles of Religion but also all necessary truths to be known and practised Yea as David speaketh Psal. 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path It giveth wisdom to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion For this Timothy is commended That he had known the Scriptures from his Childhood 2 Tim. 3. 15. II. Return to the Lord Repent and be converted to God Conversion being so great and necessary a duty and so especially included in that remembring of our Creator required in the Text I shall insist a little the more distinctly upon it and shall 1. Open the nature of it 2. Press thee to it 1. For the nature of Conversion it is a turning or coming back to the Lord. Sin is our departing or going away from God Impenitence in sin is our keeping away from him Conversion is our return or coming back to God It is our coming back 1. From unbelief to faith in God 2. From our enmity and rebellion unto friendship and obedience to God 1. It is our coming back from unbelief to faith in God Every Convert is become a Believer The unconverted World are all concluded in unbelief Rom. 11. 32. In Conversion we are fetched out from that wretched multitude of unbelievers Converts and Believers signifie the same persons in Scripture-sense This faith we are converted to comprehends in it three things 1. Our sealing to the truth of God 2. Our adventuring upon the truth of God 3. Our resigning our selves to the government of the truth 1. Faith is our sealing to the truth of God or our belief of the truth of the Word of God Ioh. 3. 33. He that believeth hath set to his Seal that God is true It is our belief of the truth of the Scriptures in general and in special of the truth of the Gospel It is our sealing to Christ or our believing that he is the Messiah of God and the Saviour of the world that this is the Stone that is laid in Sion on whom whosoever believeth shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2. 6. that in him there is Salvation and none other Act. 4. 12. 2. Faith is our adventuring upon the truth of God an adventuring our lives an adventuring our Souls upon the truth of the Word of God and upon that Jesus concerning whom this Word bears witness Faith is an adventuring for the other world The object of Faith are things not seen Heb. 11. 1. that is the invisible world The Scripture tells us of another stare a more blessed and glorious state than that we here are in this blessed state is in the other world which however it cannot now be seen yet Faith hath such evidence that there is such a state that it will adventure for it Believers are Merchants Matth. 13. 45. Merchant-adventurers that will adventure all they have their whole Stock and Patrimony for the riches of that good Land Believers are adventurers for the other world and they trust their whole adventure with Christ he shall be their Pilot yea he shall be their Ark to bring them into the holy Land above Whither art thou bound O believing soul For Canaan for Ierusalem which is above I am bound for Heaven But art thou sure that there is such a place as Heaven and such blessedness there So sure I am that I will adventure all upon it But who is it shall bring thee to Heaven Iesus of Nazareth he who suffered the just for
that true mercy hath in it two things 1. A compassion or laying to heart the miseries of others 2. An inclination and readiness to succour and relieve them according to their misery It comprehends affection and action the former being the Fountain and Foundation of the latter and the latter the Stream and Demonstration of the former So that in the compassion of the heart and in the act of relief consists the true nature of Mercy 1. The former we find often pressed in Scripture as Job 6. 14. To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed to his friend Put on therefore saith the Apostle Col. 3. 12. as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy Which is a Metonymical form of speech often used in holy Scripture whereby is meant pity and compassion towards them that are in any misery or affliction yea such a measure of pity and compassion as affecteth the heart and bowels and that with as true a touch and feeling as if we our selves were in the same case with them If we consider the nearness of conjunction and communion that one Christian hath with another we may well be convinced of the equity of this duty For we are all Sons of one Father all Members of one Body In respect thereof there should nay there ought to be such a sympathy and compassion in the Members of the Mystical body I mean among Christians as there is in the Members of the Natural Body Now we know that in the Natural Body if one member suffer all the members suffer with it as the Apostle expresseth 1 Cor. 12. 26. which place S. Austin in his tenth Tractate on Iohn explaining excellently sheweth the mutual compassion between the Members of a Natural Body Behold saith he the foot treadeth on a thorn and see how all the members condole it The back bends it self the head stoopeth the tongue complaineth as if it self were pricked the eye searcheth it out the hands do their best to pluck it out yea every member of the body is compassionately affected with it And surely such a sympathy and compassion there ought to be amongst Christians who are all Members of one Body whereof Christ Jesus is the Head II. Thy compassionate heart must have a helping hand For the nature of true mercy consisteth as well in the act of relief as in the compassion of the heart Thou hast not done thy duty in pitying the distressed unless thou likewise relieve them As that Faith which is alone without works doth not justifie us so that pity which is alone without works doth not justifie our Faith In vain therefore dost thou boast of thine inward compassion unless thou likewise afford thine outward contribution which we find joyned together Deut. 15. 7. Thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand against thy Brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide to him that is thou shalt give unto him freely and bountifully contrary to the forenamed shutting the hand For thine incouragement unto this kind of Mercy 1. Know that outward works of mercy are sweet smelling Sacrifices wherewith the Lord is well pleased These are the Oblations which he now requireth The Sacrifices of the Old Law are abolished and done away ever since our blessed Saviour gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God The Evangelical Sacrifices which the Lord requireth of us under the Gospel are the Sacrifices of Prayer Praise and Charity So that if we will be offering up Sacrifices acceptable and pleasing unto God they must be either the Calves of our Lips even the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise or else the Sacrifice of Charity which the Apostle in Phil. 4. 18. termeth An odour of a sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable and pleasing unto God The Altar on which this Sacrifice is to be offered is the Back of the Poor What greater argument can there be to inforce this Duty of Charity than to consider it is acceptable and pleasing unto God For what ingenuous Christian would not do that which is acceptable unto God 2. We are not so much Lords of our Estates as Stewards and therefore ought not to appropriate all unto our selves but to communicate some part thereof to the Poor unto whom something out of our Estate doth belong 3. All profession of Religion without works of Charity is but hypocritical For this is pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions 1 Jam. 1. 27. that is the comforting and supporting such as are in want and misery doth evidence the truth of our Religion 4. Consider the benefits which follow and accompany our works of Charity For thereby we bring glory to God adorn our Christian Religion and Profession and not only make glad the hearts of the poor whom we relieve but likewise refresh our own Souls in that our works of Charity will evidence as the truth of our Religion so likewise of our Faith for Faith without works is dead it 's not a living but a dead Faith which manifests not its life by working Therefore O Young Man be perswaded for the time to come to be more charitable knowing it is not so much a mercy to have wherewithal to do good as to do good with what we have And let thy giving out be proportionable to what the Lord hath given unto thee 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth They who are rich in this worlds goods ought to be rich in good works the greater thy receits are the greater ought to be their returns CHAP. XXIX Sheweth the necessity of restoring ill-gotten Goods VI. CArefully restore what thou hast stoln or unjustly got It is very sinful to get things wrongfully and no less to keep what is wrongfully gotten therefore the Law requireth restitution of stoln and ill-gotten goods as Exod. 22. 1. Lev. 6. 2 3. c. Restitution is not an arbitrary thing left to our will to do or not to do but an act of Justice to the performance whereof we are bound by the express letter of the Law Whosoever he be that hath wronged another either by detaining what he hath borrowed or by getting by fraud or oppression ought to make satisfaction by restoring either the thing it self or the value and worth of it yea not only the bare value but likewise the damage done to the person wronged by detaining his goods Q. What if the party be not able to make full satisfaction for the wrong he hath done A. If he be not in truth able to make full satisfaction yet he must restore so far as he is able and his Estate will reach and God will accept the will for the deed according to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2. He must humbly
free gift of God which he seldom bestoweth on those in their old age who have neglected it all the former part of their lives And he that refuseth to turn when God calleth him provoketh God to give him over to the hardness of his own heart so that he cannot turn 11. Another incouragement is taken from the Mercy of God God say they is merciful and gracious yea rich in mercy whose arms are ever open to receive all poor sinners who come unto him and therefore we hope to find mercy at last though we never sought it before A. 1. True it is God is merciful yea abundant in mercy but to whom will he extend his mercy surely to poor penitent sinners who in truth turn from their sins and devote themselves to him and his service but thou who delayest and puttest off thy repentance from time to time must not expect to partake one drop thereof Though the Lord be ready to imbrace all poor penitent sinners in the Arms of his Mercy yet will he wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses putting off his amendment from day to day Psal. 68. 21. 2. Know that as God is rich in Mercy so likewise abundant in truth and will shew no mercy to sinners in a way derogating from his truth Now as God hath promised in his Word to receive such into his favour who without delay will turn from their sins unto him and keep his Statutes Ezek. 18. 21. so in his Word hath he threatned destruction to such as put off their repentance when he calleth upon them to turn as Pro. 1. 24. Every Word of God will certainly have its accomplishment When therefore thou presumest on the Mercy of God remember withal that he is a God of Truth and as sure as God is true if thou continuest in thine ungodly course of life thou wilt perish for ever notwithstanding God is merciful For all the ways of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal. 25. 10. 3. Know that God is Iust as well as Merciful and will by no means clear the Guilty As he hath prepared Heaven for some so Hell for others and it is very just that such should be cast into Hell who will not accept of Heaven upon Gods terms by a speedy turning from their sins and giving up themselves unto him Thou therefore who blessest thy self with a false perswasion of Gods Mercy and thereupon runnest on in a course of sin know that thereby thou dost deceive thine own Soul for thou wilt at last find that the Lord is just as well as merciful just in executing his wrath upon obdurate and wilful sinners as well as merciful in receiving your penitent sinners into favour As God to shew the riches of his mercy converteth some in their elder years so to shew the glory of his Justice he leaveth others and those the greatest part to die in their sins 4. It is a mercy that sinners can never enough admire that upon repentance they may be received into favour but it is a wicked perverting this mercy of God if instead of leading us to repentance it should incourage us to defer the same from day to day Because God is merciful shall we be so ungrateful as thereupon to run on in a course of sinning against him presuming on his mercy to the last Because God is gracious shall we thereupon prove the more ungracious and rebellious against him and his Commandments That be far from us Yea rather seeing the Lord is merciful and gracious let us be the more ashamed to sin against so good and gracious a God Let not the mercy of God occasion us to take any incouragement to sin against him but rather let the consideration thereof be an effectual argument to prevail with us speedily to turn from our sins unto him and to walk in the ways of holiness Surely if there were any ingenuity in us his love to us would constrain us to love him again His mercy to us would work in us both a care to please him and a fear to offend him III. Another incouragement is taken by many from the patience and long-suffering of God because he long bears with them in their wicked and ungodly courses not executing his wrath upon them Eccl. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Because the Lord is slow in executing vengeance on wicked men therefore are their hearts exceedingly hardened in their sinful ways so that they go on impenitently therein abusing the long-suffering of God unto presumption which should have led them to repentance But know that though the Lord doth bear long with some sinners yet not with all How many have we known in our own experience have been suddenly surprized and cut off in the very act of sin not having so much time and strength as to say Lord have mercy upon me And assuredly the slower God is in striking the heavier will be his stroak tthe Curse and Wrath of God for thy going on still in thy trespasses will be more grievous on thee at the last IV. Another incouragement is taken by many from the example of the converted Thief on the Cross who had spent all the former part of his life in wickedness and profaneness A. 1. It is a single example of extraordinary mercy there being not one more in all the Bible It is the saying of S. Austin Unus misericordiam invenit hora ultima ne quis desperet unicus ne quis praesumat That one man was received to mercy at the last hour that none should despair and but one that none should presume For this one man that repented at the last many thousand instances might be brought of such who putting off their amendment from day to day have at last perished in their sins What folly then must it needs be in any to put himself in a way wherein so many have miscarried 2. Christ wrought this rare Miracle of Mercy upon an extraordinary occasion namely to honour the ignominy of his Cross. When his Humane Nature was lowest then would he manifest the power of his Divine Nature whereby Christ shewed what he could do not what ordinarily he would do And being an extraordinary act of Christs Mercy and Power it can make no general rule What ground of hope then can this afford to thee who wilfully spendest thy Youth and younger years in the service of sin and Satan in hope to find mercy at the last 3. Though the Thiefs repentance was late even at the close of his life yet it was so soon as he heard of Christ. For it doth not appear that he either saw or heard of him before whereas thou hast often heard of Christ in the Ministry of the Word yea been called and invited
the unjust that he might bring us to God But God is angry with thee thou art a guilty Creature and by thy sins hast fallen under his wrath and displeasure how wilt thou do for that why I 'le trust Christ for that he shall be my Propitiation he shall make peace for me and he will do so 1 Iohn 2. 2. O but thou art an unclean and polluted Creature and there 's no unclean thing can enter into that holy Land How wilt thou do for that I 'le trust Christ for that also he shall be my Sanctification and he will be so 1 Cor. 1. 30. 3. Faith comprehends under it the resigning up our selves to the government and guidance of the truth of God our actual living under the power of truth not only our holding the truth but our suffering the truth to take hold of us to rule us and order us in our whole course 'T is the same state that both are in both those that believe not the truth and those that obey not the truth Faith is not only a resting on Christ as our Saviour but a resigning our selves to him as our Lord and King Thou sayst thou dost believe the Gospel but wilt thou obey the Gospel hath it gotten the command and government of thee Is thy life a life of obedience to the Faith If Sin and the Devil have still the Government of thee and thou livest under the power of thy flesh it will no way avail thee to say I believe in Christ. But of this more in the next particular 2. Conversion is our return from our enmity and rebellion against God into friendship and obedience to God our coming in and laying down Arms the ungodly world are all in Arms against God they are Rebels against the Almighty their word is the same with those Heathens words Psal. 2. 3. Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us The root of this rebellion is that enmity that is in their hearts against God Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God Sinners are enemies against the Being of God they would be glad if there were no God none above them to restrain or punish them The Fool that said in his heart there is no God Psal. 14. 1. how glad would that Fool be if he were sure his heart had said true if he were sure there were no God indeed They are enemies against the Soveraignty of God against his Rule and Government they all say in their hearts concerning the Father as those Iews said concerning the Son We will not have him to reign over us they are enemies to all the holy ways of God Col. 1. 21. Now in Conversion the enmity is slain and thereby the rebellion subdued You who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works hath he now reconciled Col. 1. 21. A sincere Convert is a Soul reconciled Reconciliation between God and Man is of both parties The reconciliation of Man to God stands in a cessation from enmity a subduing of his rebellion and his returning into friendship and allegiance Sinners love not God nor any thing that belongs to God their enmity is against him and all his against his Word Worship and all his ways they love neither his Laws nor his Promises neither his works nor his ways God promises and rewards with spiritual and eternal blessings but what is this to a carnal mind he must have money meat and drink and fine Cloaths and pleasures these Locusts he likes but loaths Gods Manna A Convert is so reconciled to God that he loves and likes all that is of God he likes his Crown and his Cross his comforts and his commands all that God gives and whatever he requires he loves to be and to do whatever God will have him a strict holy and obedient life a life of care and labour in all things to please the Lord that 's a life he loves not only the life he commends and praises in others but 't is the life he loves to live There are many that are no Converts that come thus far to be able to say for my part I have nothing to say against Godliness I think well of it 't is an honest way and the safest way I wish well to the power of Religion 't were well if there were more of it found in the world I but as much as thou speakest for it and as well as thou lovest it thou wilt have but little to do with it thy self thou lovest strictness but thou wilt not be strict thy self thou praisest the close and laborious Christian but canst not bear nor endure that labour and care thy self Is this thy reconciliation to God Mistake not thy self every sincere Convert is so reconciled to all the ways of God that these are the ways this is the life which he chuses for himself A life of obedience to the whole will of God this is the life he loves and lives By what hath been said thou mayst understand what Conversion is and so what it is I am now exhorting thee to II. I shall now press thee to be Converted and turn to the Lord. And shall I need to use Arguments to perswade thee I doubt there may be need enough How hardly are sinners perswaded in to God they will after the Devil easily enough but how few are they with whom all the Arguments imaginable will prevail to bring them to God CHAP. VII Containing two main Arguments to Conversion I Shall make use of two great Arguments in this matter 1. Thy Necessity 2. Thy Commodity 1. Thy necessity methinks should prevail with thee A necessity is laid upon thee to turn to the Lord and wo to thee if thou turn not thou must turn or die Matth. 18. 9 Except ye be converted ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Necessity is a mighty Argument to perswade to any thing What is there but necessity will perswade men to Sinners will make use of this argument to perswade themselves to and to excuse and justifie themselves in any wickedness We shall hear them sometimes saying If I have stollen it was for my necessity If I have lyed or sworn falsly it was upon necessity I was forced upon it And when they have said this 't was my necessity that brought me to it they think they have said enough to justifie themselves This argument of Necessity hath great place in the present Case it is of necessity that thou be converted For 1. It 's necessary that thou live that thou secure thine own being and the blessedness thereof that thy soul be so looked to that it be not left to die and perish for ever This is of the highest necessity for every man to look to it that he go not down into the infernal pit It is not necessary to be rich in this world to have great houses and fine cloathes and costly fare and many Friends to be in health to live in
out of every Creature which they behold and every Providence that they meet with By which blessed Art of Heavenly Chymistry thou mayst both please thy fancy and profit thine own heart 2. In the midst of thy Worldly businesses and imployments often lift up thine heart to God in some short Ejaculatory Prayer as for his direction assistance and blessing on thy pains and endeavours so to keep thee from the pollutions and defilements of this World and that he would sanctifie every Dispensation of his Providence unto thee whereby thou wilt carry on the interest of thy Soul with the concernment of thine Estate These kind of Prayers thou mayst send up unto God at all times in all places and company yea whilest thou art conversing with others about worldly matters thou mayst by these converse with God and hold communion with him and that without any prejudice to thine outward businesses The Lord hath manifested his great approbation of these Ejaculatory Prayers by his gracious Answers and Returns thereunto How graciously did God answer that Ejaculatory Prayer of David against Achitophels Counsel by defeating the same and turning it into Foolishness 2 Sam. 15. 31. How graciously did God answer that ejaculatory Prayer of Nehemiah by enclining the heart of the King to send him to Ierusalem Neh. 2. 4 6 As also that ejaculatory Prayer of the penitent thief Lordre member me when thou comest into thy Kingdom whereupon Christ said unto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk. 23. 42 43. Yea that ejaculatory Apostraphe of Moses to God Exod. 5. 22. Wherefore hast thou so evil entreâ—…ted this people had it s gracious answer and return Chap. 6. 1. Then said the Lord now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh Ejaculatory Prayers though they are short and sudden yet pâ—…oceeding from the heart may be as fervent and prevalent as solemn Prayers And indeed these frequently used argue an heavenly mind and an holy familiarity with God But still beware that these short and occasional Prayers be not made to serve thee instead of and to shut out thy set and solemn duties These will be of use to help thee in thy fixed duties and may not excuse thee from them III. Direction To young men touching the manner of following their Callings Be just and honest in thy dealing with men avoiding as all guile and deceit so all subtile equivocations and mental reservations tending to the wronging thy Neighbour that thou maist be able to say with the Apostle Heb. 13. 18. I trust I have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly It is very observable how plentiful the Scripture is in pressing men to deal Justly and Honestly with all men even in Weights and Measures and that both in the Old and New Testament In the Old Testament saith the Lord to his People Levit. 19. 35 36. Iust Ballances and just Weights a just Epha and a just Hin shall you have The Epha was a dry Measure or a measure for dry things as our Bushel is And the Hin was a measure for liquid things as our Pottle-pots or Gallon Under these two names all other measures are comprehended which God requireth should be just and true without all falshood and deceit And Deut. 25. 13 14 15 16. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers Weights of one kind he meaneth a great and a small Thou shalt not have in thy house divers Measures a great and a small one to buy with another to sell with or a greater to be shewn to the Magistrate or Officers when they come to view thâ—… weights and measures and a less to sell with And vers 15. But thou shalt have a perfect and a just weight a perfect and a just measure shalt thou have and vers 16. All that do such things and all that do unrighteously in what kind soever are an abomination to the Lord thy God In the New Testament the Apostles in their exhortations doe much press upon Gods people just and honest dealing one with another as Rom. 12. 17. Provide things honest in the sight of all men The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very emphatical and implyeth a forecasting care that they did nothing that was dishonest in the sight of men Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are of good report thinks on these things As if he had said Be sure you mind such things And 1 Thes. 4. 6. Let no man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such Theâ—… Apostle seemeth to anticipate the secure thoughts of the fraudulent promising themselves impunity telling them that the Lord is the avenger of all those who shall by any deceit defraud their Brethen Yet what abominable frauds and deceits are daily acted in matters of commerce and trading between neighbour and neighbour CHAP. XI Setteth forth several frauds and deceits too frequently acted in matters of Commerce and Trading between Neighbour and Neighbour with some general Rules for the preventing of them 1. HOw many do use all the art they can to make their Wares look better and fairer than indeed they are that so they may get more for their commodities than in truth they deserve which is one kind of deceit 2. How many by lying and equivocating do put off their â—…ad wares at the highest prices commending that for the best of the kind which they know to be stark naught and so sell their Consciences with their commodities for a very inconsiderable advantage Surely those are sad gains that make a man lose peace of Conscience and Heaven at last 3. How many are apt to work upon the unskilfulness and ignorance or the necessity of the buyer If they find him unskilful in the commodity he is buying how are they apt to work upon it and to demand an unreasonable price of him far above the worth of it Or if the buyer hath more than ordinary need of such a commodity how apt is the seller to take advantage of his urgent necessity making him to pay more for the same than it is really worth which is cruel injustice Or when poor people expose their Wares to sale which they have wrought up to buy Bread for themselves and Family How many are there who take advantage of their necessity offering them little more for the same than their goods cost them before they were wrought up which is an high degree of oppression forcing them to sell their tears sighs and groans with their wares because they are necessitated to part with them at such low rates Thus many sell their souls for the gaining a few pence and then bless themselves in their good bargain 'T is an evil rule which some men propose to themselves and take to be warrantable enough To buy as cheap and sell as dear as they can that is to wrong and over-reach if they
that is not in your ordinary communication But let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil that is the Devil that evil one vers 37. This Vain swearing is a Vice which ill becometh any much more those who make a profession of Christianity for a Christians speech should be seasoned with Grace and not with prophane Oaths it should be savoury ministring Grace to the hearers and not unsavoury ministring nothing but sin or scandal Swearing in our ordinary discourse is an undoubted evidence of a prophane person who maketh no Conscience of any sin for what sin will he forbear who will not forbear this unprofitable sin of Swearing whereas other sins have their several baits and temptations to allure men thereunto some the bait of profit some of honour some of pleasure This sin of Swearing hath neither of them It brings no profit at all but great loss even the loss of Gods favour and the loss of a good Conscience Neither doth it yield any pleasure and delight unless a man should like the Devil himself take a hellish pleasure in acting sin and wickedness And what credit doth it procure unless amongst such debauched ones whose applause is a reproach Therefore I may with confidence affirm that he who maketh no Conscience of Swearing which hath no worldly advantage to induce thereunto will make less Conscience of other sins which have stronger temptations and feed the sinner with expectations of advantage from them O Young Man let me prevail with thee deeply to abhor and watch diligently against this wicked and most unreasonable practice Remember the account thou must make at the dreadful day An account must be given of every idle word much more of every vain and bloody Oath If they shall not escape unpunished who have spoken idly and vainly how fearful shall their condemnation be who in their ordinary discourse have most impiously and prophanely abused the Name of the most Great and holy God I know there are several vain excuses common in the mouths of men for this sin which if they be weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary will be found very light I. Some excuse themselves that they use only small and little Oaths as Faith and Troth forbearing great Oaths as to swear by the Name of God c. A. 1. Little Oaths are sins Our Saviour hath expresly forbidden all kind of Oaths saying Swear not at all Matth. 5. 34. Suppose that to swear by Faith and Troth be not so heynous a sin as to swear by the Name of God yet it is a sin seeing Christ himself hath forbidden and condemned it 2. Little Oaths are great sins God will not hold such guiltless To be held guilty before God notes two things 1. To be under a merit of everlasting wrath By thy little Oaths thou deservest the wrath of the great God 2. Guilt notes an obligation to wrath These Oaths are Bonds by which thou art bound over to the Judgment of the Great Day and when there it shall be demanded Guilty or not Guilty these only will prove thee guilty 3. Little Oaths are leading sins As he that accustometh himself to pilfer small things by the just Judgment of God will at length fall to steal greater things from a Pin to a Peny from a Peny to a Pound So he that accustometh himself to these smaller Oaths by the just Judgment of God will at length fall to swear most horrid and hellish Oaths and stick at none II. Some excuse themselves by saying they shall not be believed except they swear and second their words with an Oath A. Thou wilt rather be less believed for thine Oath Certainly every honest man will be jealous and suspitious of the truth of that mans words who hath seconded them with an Oath because he who maketh no Conscience of an Oath will make as little Conscience of a Lye he that maketh no Conscience of dishonouring God by taking his Name in vain will make little Conscience of deceiving his Neighbour by telling him a Lye III. Some alledge that Oaths are a Grace to their Speech A. 1. Iust such a Grace as a Blister or Carbuncle is to the Face 2. That Grace and Credit is dear bought that is gained by pawning their Souls to the Devil IV. Some excuse themselves by saying they utterly detest Swearing but they have so long accustomed themselves thereunto that they know not how to leave it A. In pleading long custom thou dost not at all excuse but the more accuse thy self For it is as if the Thief should plead at the Bar that he had been so long accustomed to pilfring and stealing that he could not now leave it Would the Judge take this excuse for good or rather the sooner condemn him as more justly deserving to be hanged If Custom will not excuse the Thief for his Stealing nor the Adulterer for his Whoring how shall it excuse the Swearer for his swearing For every sin by how much the more common and customable by so much the more heynous and detestable If once to swear vainly be a sin then is customary Swearing a crying sin and must needs incur the higher condemnation Know therefore 1. That an evil Custom is better broken than kept 2. Such an evil Custom as this though it be hard yet 't is necessary to be broken say not any more thou canst not leave it thou must leave it or die thou must break this custom or it will break thy back and undo thee for ever To help such as have long accustomed themselves to Swearing in their ordinary discourse I shall give them these few Directions 1. Believe thy present condition to be very sad and dangerous so long as thou livest in this sin What hope of Salvation canst thou have without true and unfeigned repentance 2. Keep a narrow warch over thy tongue that thou mayst not offend in this kind any more And if thou hast been so long accustomed to it that thou even despairest of leaving it off at once labour to leave it by degrees Resolve whatsoever occasion is offered to keep such a narrow watch over thy tongue that with the assistance of Gods Grace thou wilt not swear for the space of an whole day And when thou hast got so far the Victory over thy former evil custom then take a longer and a longer time and so at length by the assistance of Gods Grace thou wilt quite forget thine old and wicked custom 3. Break this old and wicked custom by taking up a new and better Accustom thy self to serious and savoury discourse let thy Speech be full of Grace and then it will be empty of Oaths 4. Seriously lay to heart those Iudgments that from time to time have been executed on Swearer which have been many and grievous Some dying with flaming heat in their mouths as though the Fire of Hell were there already kindled Otheâ—â—â—â—ing with swoln tongues and distorted mouths
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foulness of their sin by the strangeness of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have read of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a common Swearer upon every 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of God in vain whâ—…h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord against him as that he sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mouth as eat out his Tongue the very instrument wherewith he had so abused the name of God I have likewise met in Authors the relation of a young Gentleman of Cornwall who being in the company of other Gentlemen swore most dreadfully for which being reproved by some in the company he swore more and more At length as they were going over a Bridge in their journey which went over an arm of the Sea this swearer so spurred his Horse as he sprang clean over the Bridge with the man on his back who as he was going cryed horse and man and all to the Devil Such remarks of the Divine vengeance thou maist fall under here but O what remains to be look'd for hereafter These Oaths which now vanish with the speaking and fly into the wind will all meet thee in the belly of hell and there those darts which thou hast thrown up against Heaven will all be fired and stick in thy heart for ever O Young man consider therefore what folly and madness it is for thee to hazard thy body and expose thy soul which is of more worth unto thee than ten thousand Worlds to the suffering of all these fearful punishments both in this life and the life to come for just nothing for a vain and unprofitable sin which bringeth good neither to soul or body CHAP. XVI Of Lying which is another Vice whereunto Young men are addicted VI. ANother Vice whereunto Young men are addicted is Lying which doth usually accompany swearing Therefore Hos. 4. 2. we find swearing and lying yoaked together Common Swearers I know do ordinarily twit those who make Conscience of an Oath that though they will not swear yet they can lye But sure we are that they who make no Conscience of an Oath will make less Conscience of a lye they who make no bones of dishonouring God by taking his name in vain will make no bones of deceiving their Neighbour by a Lye In the opening this Vice I shall shew you 1. What a Lye is 2. What be the kinds and sorts of Lyes 3. The greatness and heynousness of the sin 4. Some Motives and Arguments against it I. For the first A Lye is a deceitful expression of ones mind against his mind Or It is à speaking an untruth wittingly and willingly with a purpose to deceive II. For the sorts or kinds of Lyes They are commonly three viz. An Officious A Sporting And a Pernicious Lye An Officious Lye is that which is intended to prevent some danger or procure some good either to our selves or neighbour Many of these are mentioned in Scripture as the Midwives of Aegypts Lye Exod. 1. 19. Rahabs Lye Iosh. 2. 4. Michaels Lye 1 Sam. 19. 14. A Sporting Lye or a Lye in jest is that which is made meerly to make one merry to pass away time with the like such are old Wives tales of Robbin-hood Fortunatus and the like A Pernicious Lye is that which is made for some evil hurtful and dangerous intent against our Neighbour Q. Are all these kind of Lyes sinful A. Yea. 1. For the last none can doubt It 's a sin against truth in the general nature of it And a sin against love and mercy in the end and intent thereof 2. For the second namely a Sporting Lye no great doubt is made for to say the least of it besides that it is a sin against truth it is also an unwarrantable and an idle mispending of precious time which ought rather to be redeemed 3. For the third namely an Officious Lye though some make doubt thereof yet it appears to be sinful and unlawful 1. The Scripture maketh no difference or distinction of a Lye when it condemns it but indefinitly and generally forbids and condemns all manner of Lying therefore the Officious Lye is a sin 2. That which is committed against God though it make never so much for man is sin But every Lye is committed against him for in every thing we do we have to deal with God and must approve all our actions to him therefore before him to say any thing with our Tongue which in our Consciences we know to be otherwise is to sin against God who is a God of truth 3. Men may not Lye for God much less for a man Isa. 61. 8. I hate Robbery for Burnt-Offering and he that hates to be served by Theft does as much hate to be served by a Lye Obj. Many Saints and holy servants of God have used ' this Officious Lye as Rebecca and Iacob Gen. 27. 18 19. Abraham Gen. 20. 2. A. The best have their sins and we are to follow their Vertues and to fear their faults Their faults were never recorded for our imitation but for our Caution Obj. Yea but God commendeth and rewarded many for their Officious Lye A. It is not so God never commended nor rewarded any for their Lye Indeed many did excellent works by this means which had yet been better had they not used a Lye as Rahah the Aegyptian Midwives and others In their works they gave great testimony of their faith though in their Lye of their frailty Now it was their faith which God commended and the things they did not the manner of doing them for therein they failed and God was merciful to them So much for the several kinds of Lyes III. For the third particular namely The greatness and heinousness of this sin of Lying Surely of sins that are lightly accounted of in the World and commonly committed it 's one of the most heinous which appeareth 1. In that it is so full of infamy that such as make no Conscience of any sin yet cannot endure to be charged with a Lye 2. It tends to the utter overthrow of humane Society For what comfortable Society or commerce can there be where men regard not what they say How shall a man know what to look for or what to trust to unless men speak the truth one to another He that uses to Lye how can he be believed when he speaks truth 3. Lyars in Scripture are reckoned amongst Murtherers Idolaters and other heinous sinners whose lot and portion without true and unfeigned Repentance will be hell-fire to all eternity Rev. 21. 8. But the Fearful and Unbelivers and Murtherers and whore-mongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone 1. The heinousness of Lying appeareth in that it is a sin against knowledge and Conscience It cannot be committed ignorantly but against knowledge and consequently against Conscience if it be not past feeling 5. The heinousness of this sin appears in that it is ordinarily an aggravation of other sins It
is often made use of as a covering for sin When men are faulty a Lie must be contrived to conceal the matter Thy Servant went no whither said Gehazi when he had been taking a Bribe Let his Leprosie speak what advantage his Lye got him Dare to be true nothing can need a Lye A Fault that needs it most grows two thereby Herbert's Divine Poem O Young men I appeal to your Consciences whether you have not many wayes made your selves guilty of this most heinous and odious sin of Lying but especially in your buying selling and trading Have you not oft-times said in selling your commodities It is good yea very good and no better to be had for money when you know it is naught Have you not often said That such a commodity stood you in so much when as indeed it cost you far less and that you were offered such and such a price for the same when as in truth it was not so Motives or Arguments against the sin of Lying 1. It is as expresly against the letter of the Law as any other sin Read Lev. 19. 11. Ye shall not steal neither deal falsly neither lye one to another And Col 3. 9. Lye not one to another 2. Lying is a mark of the Devils Children Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil he abode not in the truth because there is not truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it God is a God of truth and his Children are Children that will not Lye Isa. 63. 8. Satan is said Act. 5. 3. To fill the heart to Lye Why hath Satan filled thine heart to Lye to the Holy Ghost Speak Lyar when thou speakest a Lye whose Language is this 't is the Devils Mother-tongue whenever thou hast a Lye in thy mouth 't is a sign the Devil is in thine heart But whose Child art thou the while none of Gods he is the God of truth 't is sure thou art the Devils Child for he is a Lyar and the Father of it O Friend is it nothing to be the Devils Child and to have thine own tongue proclaiming it It will not be long if thou use this trade ere thou be carryed down to thy Fathers house the place of Lyars Rev. 21. 8. 3. Consider the reward of a Lyar even among men which is not to be believed when he speaks the truth Common experience sheweth that one being once found in a Lye is hardly after believed but is scorned as a man of no credit 4. As this sin is hateful in it self unto God so it makes the practisers thereof to be odious and abominable unto him Prov. 6. 16. These things doth the Lord hate yea they are abomination unto him A proud look a lying tongue c. Though God hates and abhors all sin yet some are more abominable unto him than others amongst which Lying is one And Prov. 12. 22. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord. O Young men how should the consideration of these things effectually prevail with you to keep a strict watch over your selves that you break not forth into this sin of Lying but as the Apostle exhorteth Eph. 4. 25. Putting away lying speak every man truth with his Neighbour Obj. Some object and say There is no living or at least no thriving without lying To tye our selves alwayes to speak the truth must needs be a great hinderance to our profit A. That profit thou gettest by Lying will be little profitable unto thee For thereby thou sellest thy Soul unto the Devil and that is a miserable bargain where the Soul is given in to boot for some trifling gain which cannot be ransomed with the whole world Men commonly think that that gain is sweet and comes easily in that is gotten by lying But alas what sweetness or comfort can there be in that gain that brings Gods Curse with it Will thy gain if it were the gaining of the whole World be able to countervail the loss of Gods favour and thine own Salvation O Young Man think on these things And whatever thy Trade be have nothing to do with the Trade of Lying Now that thou art setting up thy Trade let not Lying which hath a great stock going in almost every Trade have any thing in thine Resolve to be true and honest content thy self with righteous gains But if thou wilt yet be a Lyar never henceforth count that God but the Devil is thy Father and know that though thou lye unto men yet God will not lye unto thee he that is true in his promises will be true in his threatnings God hath said Lyars shall be shut out of his Kingdom and shut up in the lake of fire God will not lye unto thee If this be thy practice Hell will be thy place and thy portion as sure as God is true CHAP. XVII Of Back-biting or Tale-bearing which is another Vice whereunto Young Men are addicted VII ANother sin whereunto Youth is subject is Back-biting or Tale-bearing which is a malicious defaming of a man behind his back an uncharitable blazing abroad his failings and infirmities This we find expresly forbidden by God in his Word Lev. 19. 16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale-bearer among thy People publishing those faults of theirs which ought rather to be concealed The word in the Original signifieth a walking about with Tales as it were a Pedler with Wares For as the Pedler having gathered up several Wares from several persons carrieth them up and down from one place to another and is ready to open his Pack in every place where he comes In like manner Back-biters and Tale-bearers having gathered up an evil Pack the Rags and Scabs the sores and faults of Gods People from several persons carry them up and down from house to house and there uncover and vend them not taking any notice the mean while of their Vertues and good deeds though they are far more than their failings In which respect they may not unfitly be resembled to the Beetle or Horse-fly which when it flieth into a Field full of sweet Flowers if there be but a little filthy dung in it will be sure to light upon that passing over the sweet Flowers Thus is the Tale-bearer apt to pass by all the good things that are in Professors but their slips and infirmities he gladly observes and with delight can speak of them But as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 7. 3. Why beholdest thou the Mote that is in thy Brothers eye why art thou so curious an observer of his smallest infirmities think on thine own Beam the greater evils which thou mayst find in thy self and this would silence thy reproaches of thy Brother Surely if the Lord should so narrowly pry into all the faults of his servants as we who are Fellow-servants do into the infirmities of one another who were able to abide it And should we pry into and so
freely publish our own naughtiness the pride the follies the frowardness of our own hearts as we do our Brethrens what a name should we get us in the world Let us rather in this shew our selves the Children of our heavenly Father As he doth unwillingly see the faults of his Children and passeth by many of their transgressions Micah 7. 18. so let us be loth to see or hear of the infirmities of Gods Children but rather pass them by and with the Garment of Charity cover their nakedness I deny not but we may judge the Tree by the Fruit If we see a man apparently guilty of lewd scandalous sins and impenitently continuing in them we may leaving his final damnation to the Searcher of all hearts judge and censure him for the present to be in a most wretched estate But we ought not to be too Critical in observing the slips and infirmities of our Neighbours and then without sufficient reason and with joy and delight to speak of them unto others For the preventing whereof I would commend unto you that Lesson which the Heathen Philosopher taught his Schollars namely In the seeing or hearing other mens faults to inquire Numquid ego tale whether I have done the like or whether I may not do the same or worse For there is in every one of us that Original corruption which containeth in it the seeds of all sins which would spring forth in us as notoriously as in others did not God keep them down either by his renewing or restraining Grace By reason of this Original corruption the best of us have a disposition to the vilest sins Therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if any man be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self least thou also be tempted That is considering thine own frailty how thou mayst easily be overtaken with the same the like or a greater sin therefore deal as mildly and mercifully with him as thou wouldst others should deal with thee or thou art like to find the same measure from others to find others as ready to censure and judge thee as thou hast done thy Brother who will have as little care of thy Credit as thou hast had of his For it oft falls out by the just Judgment of God that they who are lavish in publishing their Brothers failings do find others as forward to speak of and spread their faults Do as thou wouldst be done by Wouldst thou not be evil spoken of speak not evil of others Wouldst thou not be made a by-word and a reproach and a Table-talk thy self let not others be made so by thee CHAP. XVIII Of the well ordering our Thoughts HAving shewed sundry Vices whereunto Young Men are much addicted that so they may carefully avoid the same I come now to another direction for the leading a godly and gracious life which is this Keep a strict watch over thy self in those things which concern thine own person For thy help therein observe these Rules 1. Be careful of thy thoughts Care of and about thoughts is a special discovery of a godly man Other men do seldom any more than wash the out-side let what will lodge within them Or if Conscience sometimes put them upon a restraint of inward passions and lusts yet when do we find any of them make Conscience of a thought For the better keeping thy thoughts in order put these things in practice 1. Give God thy first thoughts by prepossessing thine heart at thy first awaking with thoughts of his infinite Purity Wisdom Power Mercy Truth or the like Excellencies in him Thus did David Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee that is so soon as I awake my thoughts are upon thee meditating on thy Word and works whereby his heart was exceedingly fenced and guarded both against the suggestions of Satan and the wicked risings of his own heart Holy and spiritual thoughts in the Morning will so season thine heart that thou mayst retain the savour of so good a beginning all the day after 2. Do thine utmost to keep bad thoughts out of thine heart but if they have entered in and got possession suffer them not to lodge and continue there but thrust them out of doors by head and shoulders so soon as they appear We cannot hinder Birds from flying over our heads yet may we easily prevent their Nestling there So the best of men cannot always hinder the hovering of worldly wanton thoughts in their hearts yet must they deny them Harbour there by a speedy rejecting of them 3. Make it thy business frequently to raise and extract holy and useful thoughts as from all Gods dealings with thee so from what thou seest or hearest yea from all accidents and occurrences As the Philosophers Stone is said to turn all Metals into gold so by this Heavenly Chymistry mayst thou turn all earthly things into some spiritual advantage and extract the pure gold of spiritual thoughts from common objects and occurrences 4. In regard the spirits and thoughts of men are very active always busied if they be not set upon good objects they will be working upon bad it will be thy wisdom to get such a Treasure of Divine Truths and Gospel Mysteries as may furnish thy heart with abundance of matter for holy and spiritual thoughts and to be much in exercising thy self upon them Matth. 12. 35. A good man saith our Saviour out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things that is sendeth out suitable Emanations for the good and comfort of his own Soul as well as others Mens layings out are according to their layings up Such as have a Stock of Spiritual Provision I mean have treasured up many precious Promises many Gospel-mysteries and scripture-Scripture-truths in their hearts will be able to bring forth as favoury discourses in company for the benefit of others so many spiritual thoughts when they are alone for the good and comfort of their own Souls 5. Oft consider Gods Omnisciency whereby he knoweth not only all our secret works whether good or evil but also the thoughts of our hearts Thou knowest saith David my down-sitting and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off Psal. 139. 2. There are two things which God is said to know afar off the Pride of man and the Thoughts of man He hath it seems a severe eye up on each of these He minds our thoughts before they come into our minds while they are in the Chaos in the confused Womb of the Soul before they are expresly conceived and formed God knoweth them and therefore must needs know what we think when we think Surely O Young Man didst thou seriously consider this thou wouldst be more fearful of sinning in secret and more watchful over thy thoughts not suffering any worldly wanton or exorbitant thoughts to lodge and harbour in thy breast much more to rule and domineer there 6.
company welcom and acceptable unto all Yea it will win the hearts of all with whom you have to do and even knit them unto you Davids courteous carriage made all the servants of Saul to respect him Yea it is said All Israel and Judah loved him 1 Sam. 18. 16. On the other side Churlishness Bitterness Testiness and such other Vices which are contrary to this Vertue alienate mens minds from them yea and exasperate them against them But withal take notice that this courtesie and gentleness must neither make thee an Hypocrite and Dissembler nor over-familiar with thy Inferiours especially such as are in subjection under thee For Gods Image which all Superiours carry must be respected of them and accordingly must they carry themselves Nor yet must this make any over-remiss in reproving Offenders for so would this comely Vertue be turned into an hurtful and dangerous Vice indeed it serveth to sweeten reproofs that they may be better accepted Be courteous to all but beware of connivence much more of compliance with evil men in their sins Let not pretence of being courteous draw thee aside to be vicious III. Carry thy self humbly towards all men thinking better of others than of thy self The truth is that man who well knoweth himself knoweth more of himself of his own weakness and vileness than he can know of most others and therefore he may well have a meaner esteem of himself than of others especially such as are of his Rank and betwixt whom there is not too too palpable a difference If he have apparently better gifts than others yet his humble mind will make him think that others may have more true inward grace and sincerity because he knows more of the deceit of his own heart than he can of others This Vertue of Humility though it be primarily seated in the heart yet from thence it extendeth it self to a mans outward conversation and proves a most lovely and adorning Grace which doth adorn our Christian Profession and obtaineth favour both with God and Man whereas a proud haughty spirit is hated both of God and Man Solomon ranketh haughty eyes in the first place among such things as the Lord hateth and his Soul abhorreth Prov. 6. 17. As for man he naturally hateth pride in another though he love and like it in himself which is a great condemnation of the sin of pride But as for the humble and lowly-minded man he doth exceedingly gain the hearts and affections of others unto him Humility is so comely and graceful a Grace that it makes him who is decked therewith amiable and gracious in every mans eye Whereas none are more disdained than the proud none are better respected both by God and Man than the humble for it is abundance of Grace that makes men humble as it is abundance of Fruit that maketh Trees most bow God highly prizeth them and accordingly bestoweth his choicest graces on them Men usually lay up their richest Wines in the lowest Cellars and God lays up his choicest mercies in the lowest hearts Yea God himself delights to dwell in the humble Soul Isa. 57. 15. God hath but two Thrones the highest Heavens and the lowest hearts He overlooks the frame of Heaven and Earth to look on a poor humble heart Isa. 66. 1 2. not with a bare look of intuition but with a look of favour complacency and delight Though the Lord be the most high yet hath he respect to the lowly Psal. 38. 6. They are Gods Iewels in high esteem with him yea they are Gods Glory Isa. 4. 5. They give all glory to God and therefore God loves to exalt them to honour So that Humility is the readiest way to Honour Many make it the chief design and the main business of their lives to contrive how they may be great and honourable in the World and often it is that Honour flies from them as the shadow from him that pursues it But if they would study to be humble and so carry themselves towards all they would find that the speediest way to exaltation For saith Christ himself Mat. 23. 12. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted even to honour here if God sees it good for him but howsoever to glory hereafter which is the highest and best preferment for Mat. 5. 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven True Humility stands in being low in our own eyes and being content to be low in the eyes of others Get this Heart humility and that will prevent those thoughts which would puff thee up in thy self and those lofty carriages which tend to set thee up in the World Let it be thy care to approve thy self in all good Conscience towards God and let him alone to take care of thy good name among men IV. Be as serviceable to others as thou canst As it was the meat and drink of our blessed Saviour to be doing good unto others So let it be thy meat and drink even thy chief delight to be doing all the good thou canst Let not any opportunity of doing good slip out of thy hands but as the Wise Man adviseth Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might that is whatsoever ability or opportunity of service God affordeth unto thee either in thy general or particular Calling improve it with all care and diligence endeavour with thy might to do all the good that possibly thou canst in thy Generation This we find was the mind of our Saviour for saith he Joh. 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day Now what was the work of Christ but to do all manner of good as any opportunity was offered whether by word or deed The phrase used by the Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to work the work is an Hebraism and implieth a thorow acting or doing of a thing a doing it heartily and that with all care and diligence Thus should we make it our chief care and endeavour yea the main and principal work of our lives to do all the good we can in the world accounting that the happiest time in which we can do the most good And surely it is the greatest honour we are capable of here to be any way serviceable to God and his people and that which will bring much peace and comfort to our Souls and Consciences Be not a man for thy self be a common good be willing to serve thy Generation Let it not be said of thee It had been as well for the World if this man had never been born CHAP. XXVIII Of Mercy towards such as are in misery which implieth both a compassionate heart and an helping hand V. BE merciful towards such as are in misery Luk. 6. 36. This mercifulness or mercy is such a compassion of the heart whereby a man is moved to help and succour others in their misery So