others with an unwilling mind and hast offered to him in Sacrifice the blind and maimed and hypocriticall heart cold and discomposed distracted prayers when thou hast prayed by thy self or with others Thou hast S. 14. it may be hated from the very Heart the strict wayes of holinesse in soul and life and turned from saving admonition as a detestable thing Thou hast slighted Gods invitation S. 15. resisted grace teaching refused Christ reigning reproched and scoffed at the Ministers of Christ earnestly perswading these things thou hast done and in all or some of these cursed courses thou hast continued so long that it is grown to a custom and as naturall to thee to sin in one kind or other every day as to breathe the aire to move eat or drink or sleep is it not And to make up thy measure full of wickedness S. 16. all this while thou hast abused the wonderfull patience mercy and long-suffering of the Lord thy God But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against you that commit such things for that S. 17. they which have committed such things should repent and forsake them all yet do not but adding this to all Rom. 2. v. 4 5 6. that by despising the riches of Gods goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee not to sin or continuance in sin but to repentance but by this thy hardness and impenitent heart treasu est up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render to every one according to his deeds O read and consider well this dreadfull place S. 18. and see doth it belong to thee art thou such an one as is herein condemned bethink thy self what thou hast been and what thou art what thou hast done consider thy ways and the frame and tendency of thy spirit It may be thou hast been guilty in all these wayes of sinning S. 19. and if thou wert t is pity thy life t is pity such a wretch such a monster should be nourished But alas if thou art in a state of sinning habitually though but in any one kind that were enough to destroy thee for ever and cut thee short of happiness yea although it were which I am past doubt it is not that thou hadst not been notoriously guilty of any of these sins which are the Issues of depraved nature and naturall product of the evill disposition in thee and which are necessarily brought forth in the outward man if not restrained yet if these be frequently in thy thoughts if they be nourished and allowed there t is all one to him who sees the inwards of the Soul and with what company it keeps the Lawes of God reach unto the heart Ps 50.21 Hos 7.2 they are spirituall and Christ rules the inward man as well as the outward dost thou not know that all thy sins where and when committed are upon Record before the Lord But if this make thee not yet know thy self then know farther S. 20. and let this be to thee as it is in it self and eternal Truth a decreed Law That except thou whoever thou art either notoriously bad or seemingly tolerable to thy self be converted reformed so as to leave off in heart and life all thy known sins and lay apart all thy ungodliness and lead an holy sober and righteous life and that to the end thou canst not be saved Before Conversion comes S. 21. before that gracious method of Regenerating souls pass upon thee and thou be reformed and brought out of the state of sinful nature into a state of holy reformation there is no hope for thee of thy salvation Nature and sin note thee a child of Adam Grace and conversion declare thee a child of God and an heir of a glorious Eternity Well then S. 22. thou art either unreformed in whole or reformed but in part to the one all is wanting to the other something is yet lacking to make thee a sound Christian each of you is the person to whom I address my present swasion And I hope thou so bad as thou hast been hitherto art not past all cure remediless S. 23. and I am sure thou art not unless thou still refuse and hardness hath taken up thy heart as a judgment from God I doubt not but through the grace of God in the use of these spiritual means thou mayst of a vile Barbarian become a sound Christian of a child of wrath an heir of glory of a foul sinner a fair Saint if thou be not resolved against thine own happy reformation Poor soul S. 24. thou hast so much to begin withall towards thy saving change thou hast Reason wilt thou let it but work and wilt thou yeeld to reason Thou hast Faith S. 25. some kind of faith wilt thou believe what God by his Word hath revealed of his mind concerning thee and every man in thy case and consent to Truth Thou hast Consideration S. 26. wilt thou be serious and consider wisely for thy self thy own soul how thou mayst become reformed that thou mayst become happy Consider wisely it is thy own concernment it is thy own soul must pay dearly for it if thou art not reformed soundly and speedily it is thy own soul shall reap richly by conversion if thou defer not to come in and give not out until it be completed Thou hast now an opportunity put into thy hand S. 27. thou art once again called to and perswaded to be reformed wilt thou follow this Call and yeeld ere it be too late Now again it is offered thee Christ is ready and grace is ready grace to assist thee Christ to receive thee the Word of God to guide thee and holy Spirit to convert thee and I thy hearty well-wisher to thy excellent soul do in the Name of Christ earnestly entreat thee Now 't is put to thy choice whether thou embrace it or no now is the acceptable time the day of grace To day therefore O thou that carest for thy soul after so long a time while it is to day for if night come if death come before thy work of conversion be finished thou must lie down in sorrow and possess an eternity of horrid darkness and woful misery Come Man S. 28. I think thou hast so much Reason so much Faith so much Consideration so much Experience as to understand and believe that thy eternal happiness lieth not here below in this terrestrial world but in Heaven with God above in glory and that thou wert made for some higher end than to live among visible creatures to eat drink work play and sleep sure thou art perswaded there are other things to be looked after by one of an immortal principle than to gather terrene riches and to taste bodily and sensual delights and honors in this present life Know
way of Heaven and hast promised eternall life to those that obey thee to their lives end and hast threatned eternall punishment to every impenitent unconverted sinner O Lord S. 2. how wonderfull art thou in mercy and goodnesse I am one of those vile and miserable sinners whom thou hast often called to amendment to whom thou hast sent thy servants importunately beseeching that I would cease to do evill and learn to do well that I would but turn and live but hitherto I have not fully yeelded I have dear Lord too too often and too too long put thee off with excuses and when I could say nothing for my continuance in sinne nor against holy living and speedy reformation yet then have I delayed my necessary duty with a promise of reformation delaying from day to day that which I have promised and continually going on in that which I should renounce even to this day O Lord thou knowest it Many opportunities have been given unto me much grace offered S. 3. many Sabbaths many Sermons many Counsels many a check of Conscience many rebukes from the Lord in sad dispensations and all to reclaim me and long hast thou waited for my return that thou mightest pardon and be gracious But alas alas I have abused thy long-sufferance made light of thy invitations and all thy sweet and kind perswasions and fatherly corrections I have heard thy Messengers speaking to me time after time from the Lord saying often with tears in their eyes to me Regardlesse hard-hearted Wretch Oh do not do not the abominable things which I hate O why wilt thou die But all in vain my obstinate hard heart hath said There is no hope I will not change nor amend Yea S. 4. Lord although thy severe and dreadfull threats have come to my ears against such sins as I alas as I my self am guilty of and there is nothing that keepeth me on this side hell all this while but thy wonderfull mercy forbearing execution on such an evill doer as I have been and yet for all this my fool-hardy heart is set upon evill still I have heard from thy Word S. 5. Mat. 18.3 John 3.3 as it were from Heaven to me by name that Except I be converted I shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and yet I have not seriously minded it but to this day I have continued to follow lustfull desires and unchristian practises alas to this day too long But dear Lord wilt thou be intreated by me a vile sinner as I am now to move my heart effectually that I may set upon reformation to purpose Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean holy just sober and a sound convert thou hast bid me although a miserable sinner to ask according to thy will and thou hast promised to hear and grant It is thy will most holy God S. 7. that I should turn and live and it is the desire and earnest request of my soul that I may leave off all my ungodliness worldly lusts vanities and all my sins And that I may become a new man a sincere and holy Christian Lord help me and never leave me begin and finish my Reformation in heart and life make this little book an happy Instrument of mine Amendment Let the truths from thy word convince me let the Arguments perswade me let the reasons move me to a speedy practicall resolution let my many sins yet unreformed shame me and weary me let thy Threats deter me from sin let thy promises allure me to Holiness Let thy Grace accompany my Endeavours this way let the few dayes I have to live S. 8. and the great work I have yet to do for my soul drive me to hasten my Resolution let not sloth nor delusions nor any temptation or secular Interest whatsoever entice my poor soul from this work of self-Reformation I am Resolved to read 9. consider and practice dear Lord help my Resolutions and further this happy work of reformation in my heart and life Say Lord for Christs sake to my soul Goe on and prosper Amen Amen Now if thou canst truly from thy heart bewail thy former neglect and miscarriage S. 10. and beg heartily of God to assist thee in this thy so great concernment then art thou hopefully prepared and in a fair way both to receive further Instruction and Resolution for thy saving Reformation And accordingly I shall in the name of God proceed with thee after this method In the first part of Reformation which consists in forsaking of all thy sins and evil practises To shew what is meant in this design by SAVING REFORMATION that you may understand your businesse To prove the absolute necessity of such a reformation in order to salvation that you may believe it To discover those sins which are in every instance in consistent with saving reformation which if not forsaken in heart and life will infallibly bring destruction to thy soul at last that when you know them and the dreadfull consequence of them you may be induced to repent them to renounce them all without any further delay or hesitancie To give you some speciall Directions about this thing that it may prove Effectuall that your labour may not be lost but through the grace of God successefull To urge the duty upon you with undeniable arguments to move you to be speedy and practicall in Reformation And this is done in this first part about Reformation as it comprehends a turning from all Evill in heart and life a ceasing from sin in all its instances and appearances I doe in the Second part of Reformation which consists of an holy Life 1. Propose the practicals of saving conversion in all Christian performances and right orderly heavenly Conversation And shew likewise the absolute necessity of such a course of holy living to make our reformation complete and our salvation sure Lay down some Directions for the holy ordering of you life both fot Time and Duties Lastly I doe conclude with earnest motions to perform all the requisits to thy salvation constantly to the end And no man can set himself against or refuse to yield to all that is here moved for nor delay his reformation but he that hath forfeited his reason and all his interest in Christ and hath sold himself to wickedness and resolves to be miserable in despite of God and good Counsell and is grown desperate and means to cast away his precious soul for ever But I hope thou that hast read so far as this art not such an one and therefore I intreat you would seriously consider what is said to thee in each particular about thy speedy Reformation CHAP. III. Of Reformation in the notion of it as it is intended for practise REformation which is the subject I am about to treat of S. 1. is a word not very frequently used in Scripture but the thing I mean by it is in many places described And I
that swears deceitfully or falsly Jer. 4◠2 or to maintain an unjust cause or to doe evil or to be constant to conceal or uphold the designs of wicked men in their wicked purposes or that sweareth inconsiderately Hos 10.4 not knowing what an oath is nor to what end such an one is guilty of false swearing that is every one that doth so hath sinned either in the manner or matter or end of an oath and is to repent for it heartily and confess his fault and to sin no more in swearing And indeed every true Christian though he be not absolutely against taking a lawfull oath to a right end for the determining of a weighty controversie which nothing but his oath can put an end to yet one that truly fears God doth fear to take an oath Eccle. 9.2 and shrinkes to lay his hand on the Bible and trembles to take the name of the glorious God into his mouth knowing well the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain Exo. 20.7 how much more dreadfull is the severity of God against false swearers and perjured persons read Zachariah 5.3 4. Zech 5.3 4. This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth for every one that sweareth shall be cut off and this curse shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my name Ezek. 21.23 c. and Malachi 3.5 I will come neer to you in judgment and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against FALSE SWEARERS He that calls God to witness in his vanity falshood and deceit God will witness against him and judge him for it and cast such out of his sight and none shall pray for false swearers Jer. 23.10 with verse 15 16. Jer. 23.10 15 16. But besides this of solemn swearing by which men become guilty of dishonouring Gods name and foul perjury and breach of faith there are too many and it may be thou art one of them that are given to vain swearing and oaths are become customary and a bravery and ungodly wretches they are also that use to swear in their common talk and to doe so is as great an evidence of base irreligiousness and a profane heart as possibly can be discovered t is to speak like a fool without reason without pleasure without honor such a custome of vain swearing renders a man detestable to God and all good men and all good men are offended at thee and ashamed of thee and all godly persons pitty thee and grieve for thee considering that quickly such an Atheisticall stupid irreligious fool must be in the flames of insupportable yet everlasting torments for his swearing And if thou think this will be too great a severity for sudden eruptions of passions S. 47. and inconsiderateness and petty oaths and swearing by things that are not God and without any malicious design then know that though thou make as light of the guilt as of thy swearing yet by it God is dishonoured Christs Law against swearing at all is violated as often as thou swearest and if you think t is no great matter to swear yet consider t is not a small offence to rebell against the Lord Jesus and so easily and customarily to cross his will and violate his Law And surely if for idle words we must be accountable at the day of judgment as it is evident Mat. 12.36 37. how much more shall the idle swearer be censured in that day It may be thou in thy customary swearing dost not always swear by the greatest S. 48. thou dost not use the name of GOD LORD CHRIST JESUS nor HOLY GHOST it may be thy oaths are not by his wounds blood cross passion or the like invented oaths of wretched and ungodly persons yet t is guilt enough to render thee for ever miserable without the mercy of God upon thy sincere repentance to pardon it If thou usest to swear at all by any thing any creature or any name of a thing reall or fained as such inventions men have sometimes or by heaven earth sun moon stars trees herbs stones beasts men the names of men body or the members of the body as by the head hand foot or the like or by my soul or life or faculties of the soul judgment will affections or by any of the graces of God which he vouchsafeth to man as by my faith or my charity or by my hope by my conscience all which when used in the form of an oath and in common discourse are utterly forbidden by our Saviour in his Sermon * 35 36 37. Mat. 5.33 34. Ye have heard that thou shalt not forswear thy self but I say unto you also swear not at all neither by the heaven nor the earth neither by Terusalem neither shal thou swear by thy head James 5.12 And S. James gives the same prohibition from our Lord Christ Above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven nor earth neither by any other oath but let your communication be yea yea nay nay That is either affirmative or ne gative I or no without any oath for whatsoever is more then this cometh from evil 12. ult in the later end of the 12. verse and let your Yea be Yea let it be truth which you affirm lest you fall into condemnation Now upon this account I beseech thee S. 49. as thou art chary of thine own soul if thou art any way addicted to swearing either by great or little by God or his creatures or any other oath that speedily thou repent for thy sin committed this way already and reforme immediately or else thou wilt abide in a deadly state and under the guilt and curse of swearing falsly and vainly Remember thou art minded of this do not slight the admonition lest you fall under the condemnation of hell §. XI Lying If thou hast been a liar an inventer of a falshood S. 50. and uttered with thy tongue words contrary to the truth with an intention to deceive others or to please others by thy lying if of fear or for favor or gain thou hast spoken that which thy Conscience tels thee is not the truth or hast divulged that for truth which thou hast received and yet knowest it to be false and not so in it self what you endeavour to perswade another to believe then art thou guilty of lying S. 51. If thou seemest to others what thou art not either in word or deed then art thou a dissembling liar and if thou wouldst seem religious outwardly and yet in heart thou lovest and likest any sin or dislikest the holy righteous wayes of God then art thou an hypocritical liar if thou hast born false witness in any cause though never so trivial or for whatsoever advantage to thy self or any secular or religious interest yet 't is an heinous sin and thy lye brings more dishonor to God and
disappointed of thy expectation or when contradicted and reproved then art thou a proud person pride hath seised on thee Dost speak great words of vanity S. 79. glorying in thy self and bringest thy self to the view that thou mightest be admired for some singular excellency then art thou a vain-glorious person and seekest praise of men and pride hath exalted it self in thee and thou art grievously infected Yet further S. 80. there is a kind of pride which lies at the bottom of grace and holy duties which duties would be acceptable to God were it not for the pride that doth infect them Spirituall pride spoiles all Spirituall performances when men think there is a worth and merit in what they do though but their duty If a man be proud of his humility and charity and that he can pray much and as he thinks well and when he looks contemptuously upon those beneath him in gifts of the Spirit knowledge religious discourses and ability of disputing for or against the Truth and thinks himself every way above instruction and stands in need of no farther direction from Gods word but living in his pride as above ordinances and conceits himself perfect in all excellencies free from infirmities and any the least spot of sin in thought word or deed this is the height of pride vain glory and arrogancy and all that have lifed up themselves thus Pro. 3.17 are fallen at once from grace low into the sin of Pride as the proud Angels from heavenly excellencies to hellish shame and horrour and so wilt thou that art guilty in this kind except thou repent Again S. 81. if thou art envious at those above thee and discontent with thy portion and talent because not so much as anothers and refusest to do any thing in thy duties because thou can not do better then others and get thee praise to thy self from others this is the Pride of thine heart too If thou takest pride in thy shame S. 82. if thou gloryest in thy wickednesse and declarest thy sin with an impudent forehead and a profane tongue and wretched actions then hast thou lost modesty and all that is morally good and art become a damned catiffe a devil incarnate And farther S. 83. if thou scornest admonition and spirituall counsell for thy soul if thou slightest the most hearty and serious invitations directions exhortations and reproofs from Gods word and his Ministers and thinkest thy self more fit to teach then to be taught more able to give then receive good cousell then art thou also a proud person I exhort thee therefore in the examination of thy self S. 84. to search deep after this sin for t is a sin so hid from a mans own eyes that he himself hardly finds it out but oftentimes more discernable to another then thy self for the expressions of it are many as boasting words though oftentimes gilded with seeming self-deniall and a lofty gate and countenance high looks vain apparel costly ornaments undervaluing expressions of others censorious scofs and gybing rayling at others uncivil carriage uncourteous behaviour reducing all degrees and qualifications of men to an equality allowing no more to those above thee in civil respect then to thy equals all these are the expressions of Pride and some of them under a shew of humility When thou art seeking after the Pride of thy heart S. 85. do it by the help of humility and prayer and whatever is Pride in thy heart or life or like unto it bring it down repent of it hate it forsake it for the proud man had he no other sin yet his own sin of pride would keep him out of Heaven and throw him into Hell and take heed when thou dost reprove pride in another do not do it proudly considering that so thou maist be guilty again of that thou hast condemned in another Leave off pride and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and he gives grace to the humble Remember thou art warned to repent for and speedily to forsake pride and vain-glory § XV. Schism and Heresie Schism and Heresie are near akin S. 86. both works of the flesh the wicked product of depraved nature forged in an ill head and a naughty heart where pride and parts meet in any one there Heresie and Schism will not long be strangers Heresie is the greater nullum schisma non sibi aliquam confingit Haeri sin Hier. Com. in Tit. an over-grown Schism and Schism is a less Heresie growing and tending to it He that is guilty of Schism wil not long be free of Heresie a schismatick is but an heretick concealed and an heretick is a schismatick revealed Heresie is a perverse opinion contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Christ S. 87. and Schism is a peevish separation from the Communion of the Church of Christ The first is against the Truth of the Church Schisma vinculum pacis dirumpit charitatem scilicet Musc lib. cap. de schismate Gal. 5.19 the other against the Peace and Charity of the Church of God Both injurious to Christ and both destructive to thy own soul if thou art either Heretick or Schismatick and continuest therein both excluding Heaven see Galat. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest sedition i. e. The raising or furthering divisions and disorders in the Church and Heresies i. e. venting strange opinions cunningly devised fables or teaching such for truths as were thus invented or yielding to them 2 Pet. 1.16 or maintaining of them contrary to the Scriptures and received professions of the holy true Catholick Church They which do such things saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.2 shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and heresies are called damnable and bring swift destruction upon the inventors of such evil things and the teachers of them and the followers of them too the Apostle bids all good Christians to avoid as a pest all such as make rents and divisions in the Church Now I beseech you brethren Rom. 16.17 mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have heard and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple v. 18. Now it may be thou that readest this art one of parts S. 88. and delightest thy self in novel and curious speculations and hast taken liberty to let thy thoughts and inventions run from the simplicity and incorrupt truth that is in Christ framing to thy self and others some other articles of faith then what the Sciptures assert and the true Church in all ages hath received or it may be thou art one that doth contradict gainsay and oppose the revealed and received Truths concerning God Jesus Christ and holy Ghost or any other foundation Truth if so I intreat thee if pride obstinacy or implacable malice against the truth
any torments in Hell severe it is for the Hypocrites they shall have the greater damnation of Hell and when the Scripture would express an high degree of torments for the vilest sinners it saith they shall have their portion with Hypocrites Take heed therefore of this and remember I have warned thee from the Lord. § XVIII Apostasie If Hypocrisie be not repented of S. 109. and thou speedily reformed and changed from thy dissembling into a sincere honest devout heartiness in the belief and practice of godiness in the sight of God as well as outward appearance then it will not be long ere thou turn Apostate and become a Bankrupt as to all true religion and practise of Godliness after the will of God for the Hypocrites very form is quickly blown away with a breath of temptation worldly interest or false doctrine when the shew of religion will stand an Hypocrite in no stead for worldly advantage and a contrary opinion be of more easi attainment then the truth as it is in Jesus according to strict holiness inward and outward too then Hypocrisie will ease and empty it self into Apostasie for Apostasie is but Hypocrisie detected and brought forth The Apostle Paul to Timothy speaks of some that will fall away from the faith 1 Tim. 4.12 and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of devills and they are such as speak lies in Hypocrisie having their consciences seared first an Hypocrite and then a back-sliding Apostate When religion is not rooted in the heart S. 110. and bearts not fruit in the life of a professor all his flourish is but like the leaves of a tree in summer and his religion will fall as they doe in Autumn and come to dirt or nothing Mat. 13.21 it may dure for a time but because religion is not rooted and well grounded it dureth but for a while Luk. 8.13 for they fall away when temptation comes for a while they may believe and make profession but no longer will they then safely they may without prejudice to their outward safety worldly advantage and interest Now Apostasie is a cursed alienation of mind and affection from the truth and practice of godliness as it is in Christ S. 111. it is a departure from the truth in judgment or affection or conversation a leaving off to believe in Christ as thy Saviour and obeying and following Christ as thy Lord and example Apostasie is signified by the termes of turning away from the faith of the Gospel by falling away from the profession and practise of godliness by back-sliding and drawing back from a Christians former love and zeal for it and diligence in Religious performances after the rule and manner of the Gospel Isa 1.4 Jude v. 19. 1 Tim. 1.19 2 Tim. 2.18 Heb. 3.12 by forsaking and going away backward by separating from the Gospel Truth Rule and Order and making shipwreck of Faith and a good conscience erring from the Truth and departing from the Living God Apostasie taken any of these waies is a very great sin in whomsoever it be in the least degree S. 112. and if it be not speedily repented of and thy decaies and luke-warmeness amended and thou quickly make haste out of that indifferencie as to all or no Religion halting between God and Baal quickly will such an one fall into that state of Apostasie as is irrecoverable and dreadfull is that state God knows Heb. 6.4 5 6. It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift the good word of God if they fall away to renew them again to repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame i. e. put the greatest indignity upon Christ and his Gospel as though he himself were an Impostor and his Gospel a lie And it is a sad Truth S. 113. that there are very many in these last daies who are come even to this pass even to this state and degree of Apostasie and of whom there is very little hope of recovery but a great deal of fear they will be Eternally damned for their Apostasie if God by his Almighty power and miracle of mercy doth not bring them to their right judgement mind will and affections again and so restore them Dreadfull is that sentence God shall send such as are declining from his Truth strong delusions S. 114. 2 Thes 2. v. 10.11 12. that they should believe a lie because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved they shall be damned who believe not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness See how God nauseates and abhors the luke-warm professor in that Laodicean temper S. 115. which was a decaying of zeal and fervour in Religion and so but a lesser degree of Apostasie yet saith Christ I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest but art dead and that thou art neither cold nor hot because thou art neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth Rev. 3. v. 1. cum v. 15 16 19. S. 116. be zealous therefore and repent And there is another remakable passage in the second Epistle of Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 21. which sets forth the nature and danger of Apostasie thus If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that is when a man hath embraced once the Truth of the Gospel and is in a way of reformation and amendment of Life according to the Rule of Faith and Life if such a man shall be entangled again and overcome that is look back and withdraw from Christs profession and practise of Religion and yield to the temptation to that cursed return to former infidelity and worldliness or any kind of vicious living again the latter end of them is worse then the beginning that is their sin is greater and their return by Repentance harder for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness though this had been bad and damnable enough then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandement delivered unto them Pro. 14.14 Pro. 1.30 31. For the backslider in heart he that is a fugitive from Wisdoms rules and godly conversation shall be filled with his own waies i. e. shall be requited accordingly they shall be answered in their own kind God will turn away his favour and love from them for God takes no pleasure in those that draw back from following after Truth Righteousness and Holiness Well then S. 117. be perswaded to look unto thy self in time art thou one that hast made some profession of Christianity and some progresse in Religion after Christ and art ingaged in Religious courses and hast tasted some sweetness in the waies of Godliness and resolved to frame thy faith and life according to the Scriptures Then take heed of
the name and maintained in heart and practice with an opinion that they will be accounted of as lesser irregularities deviations humane frailties and infirmities for men are pleased to think they may live in sins of infirmities safely and laudably and therefore are willing to believe that all their omissions of good duties and commissions of evil works are but as so many infirmities and easily pardoned without either forsaking them or striving against them or repenting of them But say the best thou canst of thy infirmities S. 6. either natural or moral either thy inclination and propension of nature to evil or slipping into a fault through a sudden surprisal and violent temptation or ignorance and inconsiderateness or suppose they be onely the defects in our duty as wandring thoughts sometimes dulness drowsiness and weariness in our service of God or thy backwardness to every good work thy want of proportionable zeal for Gods glory and the Church Or grant it to be but weakness of judgment S. 7. erroneous opinions though but in lesser truths or thy knowing not nor searching after thy secret sins be it but a sudden eruption of passion into anger and shrewd words or desires after forbidden and unlawfull objects or immoderate desires after things lawfull in themselves yet all these and all other infirmities to speak the most favourably of them are the disease sickness and disorders of the soul and ought to be the matter of our sorrow and humiliation and must be confessed to God in the enumeration of our sins and pardon must be begged in Christs name for his sake for them and except thy soul be humbled for all thy secret sins and all thy infirmities if not in every instance yet in the whole summe and thy labour and watchfulness be for the suppressing of their rise and preventing their reign as much as possible yea even they so little as they seem to thee they will prove mortal at the last and thy plea of Infirmity will not serve thy turn except thy sins of infirmities be pardoned and they will not be pardoned any more then greater sins but upon thy repentance and that which far greater offences could not doe if repented of in time and forsaken in heart and practice that these sins of infirmities will doe if not repented of in time and amended to what degree is possible for thee even these will procure thy damnation at the last Now concerning all those sins which the vulgar sort of men who pretend to Christianity account either no sins at all S. 8. or very lightly of them as small and inconsidérable yet by a long custome and frequent repetition are become habituall and so very sinfull and so very destructive and besides men that think them so small and innocent seldome if ever charge them upon their souls as sins to be grieved at repented of and amended when they examine their lives and actions as to other sins which are noted with a blacker character by reason of which neglect those smaller sins are let alone unmortified and men goe to their graves with impenitency as to those sins which will sink a man as deep into the gulf of misery and drown the soul in destruction and perdition and if they be but foolish lusts yet they are thus hurtfull to the soul 1 Tim. 6.9 To instance in some things of this kind for thy fuller conviction § I. Evil motions of lust the taint and corruption in nature There are in every mans nature the seeds of all evil S. 9. Gen. 6.5 Mat. 15.19 20. Jam. 1.14 15. Col. 3.5 which are the beginnings of all actuall sins mans nature is tainted and corrupted naughty Concupiscences and lusts are born with us which are defiling and corrupting the whole man the heart of man is full of them and in their first motions they are sins even that proneness inclination to evil and aversness and indisposedness to good which is in thee which thou mayst and must take notice of as a matter of sorrow and complaint against thy self as it is thy unhappiness and misery so it is thy sin and thy death and such a disease it is that if not healed and pardoned in thee by regeneration will leave thee under wrath and the curse Gal. 3.22 Rom. 5.12 Psam 51.5 Rom. 7.5 This that I mean is that which is understood by the name of Originall sin that is the corruption of humane nature by the sin of our first parents propagated to the whole kind of Adams race and posterity which is every man and woman as they receive life and birth these motions of sins doe work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Now though this be every mans case S. 10. scarce any man makes it his own particular grief men make light of it and are so far from watching over and resisting the first motions and lustings after evil things and mortifying these corruptions that they are most apt to plead it by way of excuse for their faults and actuall transgressions which are the issues and effects of this corruption and lust from within But if ever thou hopest to be savingly reformed S. 11. this old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts must be put off that is must not be served nor yeilded unto but resisted and prayed against and indeed for my part had I no other sin that might be laid to my charge yet I find this inbred wickedness this naturall proneness to evil so exceeding sinfull that I should account it a choice mercy to be quite rid of it and 't is for this I have cause to hang the head and mourn and 't is that the moving corruptions may be quite destroyed and mortified in me is the prayer and care of my poor soul for my joy cannot be full untill my enemies that is my sins both root and branch seed and fruit be plucked up and withered and untill Christ alone his grace and vertues be formed in my soul and triumph in my conversation O doe not make light of that which put thee under the wrath of God and power of Satan S. 12. that may not be slighted by thee which is in thee the cause and originall of all sins that set the whole man upon evil the cause of all disorder and confusion every where in thee and every where in the world in a word 't is exceeding sinfull all evils lie folded up in thy original concupiscence Take heed therefore and take a special view and measure of this thy sin S. 13. and because thy flesh will never be weary in it's sinfull motions then be thou never weary nor give over resisting these lusts in thy self weakening this body of sin and hinder the progress of it and if thou canst not get it quite discharged suffer it not what ere it cost thee to reign in thee or prevail over thee listen not to lusts solicitations entertain
4.17 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes And to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin He that wilfully S. 27. carelesly or slothfully omits any of those acts of piety devotion and Charity which are injoyned Christians as Christians and leave undone such things as they should perform in Religion either in private secret and publick to him it is sin if thou omit the hearing the Word receiving the Sacraments prayers in and with the congregation reading praying in thy family and in secret If thou neglect the instruction correction and admonition of thy Children and Servants in matters of religion and practice of godliness if thou omit acts of charity to the souls and bodies of the necessitous in sickness or in health thou art far from the kingdome of heaven and the state of true Christianity If thou neglect to uphold and maintain the truth and cause of Gods Church as much as lyeth in thee both by word prayer and deeds it will become thy sin And thou mayst conceive how much thy omissions are sinfull offensive to God and prejudiciall to thy salvation by what sentence and judgment at last will pass upon men for their omission of acts of piety and charity namely Depart from me Christ will say one day ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Then shall they say Lord Mat. 25.41 42. c. when saw we thee an hungry athirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee Then shall he answer them saying Verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not unto one of the least of these ye did it not unto me And for your neglect of good family-duties and service of God there is a sad imprecation of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 10.25 Poure out thy fury upon the heathen that fear thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name So that what a man doth not doe in matters of piety and charity S. 28. is as severely sentenced as he that doth contrary to both yet men will not be perswaded of this neither repent for their Doe-nots nor lay it to heart when they are charging themselves with some evil accounts which they have done But I am perswading thee that readest to repent for thy omissions S. 29. and amend this thy fault or God will certainly shut thee out of heaven for not he that saith Lord Mat. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth saith Christ the will of my father which is in heaven And surely he that omits to doe doth not doe the will of God I beseech thee then make not light of thy omissions of doing good S. 30. but be very carefull to doe that good thou oughtest and art able to doe in all the acts of Piety Charity and Righteousnesse every thing in it's season that is of every opportunity offered thee or that thou canst attain unto §. VI. Dreames I would mind you something about dreames S. 31. Eccle. 5.3 for as Solomon writes That a dreame cometh through a multitude of businesse commonly they are the remainers of many such thoughts and inclination of men and temper of body sometime they are less harmfull but for the most part vain and sometime very sinfull they are not voluntary indeed yet as a fools voice is known by multitude of words as the wise man saith so a man may guess very much of what passeth his thoughts while waking by his night-visions in dreames I have heard of some that they never dreamed or very rarely how true it is I cannot affirm but I wish I could have said so truly or that any dreames had alwayes been but as sometimes they have good and edifying I have been disciplined by dreames some of them have been the occasion of comfort some of sorrow and much affliction to my soul since I knew from whence they sprang bad from an ill principle vain ambitious worldly filthy fleshly mindings and thinkings in the day-time the good from God and look what a mans intentions and discoursings and companyings and thinkings have mostly been when awake commonly the man dreames about when a sleep though in much confusion and as the nature of those things acted or minded and the desires and end are about them either honest and holy or sinfull and wicked so are thy dreames to be accounted of either good or bad and as you would repent for an ill act waking so must you repent and be humbled for your dreames of the acts thereof if with delight and complacency in the same as you would be sorry to be found doing or minding with delight those vanities or wickednesses you dreame about so must you be humbled in your selves for dreaming such things And if ever thou come to be truly and soundly converted S. 32. you will find your dreames either to be sanctified or else both them and your vain thoughts to be your great burthen and you will still be begging of God to heal the distempers of your great burthen and you will still be begging of God to heal the distempers of your souls this way and free you from sinfull dreames and in the mean time to remember alway upon your examination that the guilt of your vain thoughts on the day and vain dreames in the night might be pardoned and the filth of them washed off your soul with the blood of Jesus Christ And this I advise thee and exhort thee to that if after all thy care prayer watchfulness over thy thoughts discourses actions and company lest thou offend yet I say if that after all thy circumspection thou be haunted and acted with vain filthy worldly and any impure visions in thy dreames that then in the morning every morning in thy addresses to God in private devotions after such defilements thou humble thy self before the Lord and repent thee heartily and bewail that infirmitie and beg thy pardon for what is past and intreat the Lord for Christ sake to heal thy naughty nature and that God would by his grace prevent the evil spirit suggesting and thy fancies acting or awaken thee assoon as ere it seiseth upon thee For that man that truly fears God S. 33. and hates sin would not if he could have any fellowship or delight in vanity either waking or slumbring by day or by night with others or alone for God is about thy path and about thy bed and knoweth thy up-rising and down-lying every thought and every word every action yea and every dreame too and thy God is holy and hates all impiety every where and in every person therefore be
Eccles 19.1 as the son of Syrach saith he that despiseth little things shall fall by little and little and experience tells us that many small leakes will in time sink the stoutest ship even so will these smaller sins if let alone make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience Titus 1.19 and cast away thy soul at last §. VIII Unthankfulness murmuring inconsiderateness worldly confidence vain opinions and recreations And with the same earnestness doe I perswade thee to reform thy unthank fulnesse to God for those daily favours he shews to thee a worthless wretch S. 41.1 how many blessings hast thou received already and how many more laid up for thee and yet how seldome hast thou returned thanks to God for all how many thy mercies and how few thy acknowledgments O! ingratitude is a very high offence both to God and good men Thy murmuring against Gods providence S. 42.2 and distrust of his fidelity and truth of performance of things promised to thee and for thee whilst thou seekest him in his way of upright walking and yet how art thou ever and anon complaining and uttering thy discontents and hard thoughts of thy gracious good God O this must be left I pray thee leave off murmuring and learn submission and resignation to divine providence in all his dispensations and if thou hast thought ot spoke foolishly lay thy hand upon thy mouth doe so no more God cannot endure murmuring nor murmurers leave it quickly if thou mean not to provoke God as the Israelites did 1 Cor. 6.10 and were punished severely for it Thy rash attempts and inconsideratenesse S. 43.3 be no more heady but héedfull consider seriously both the nature of thy actions and the end of them all for God accounts all men sinfull that are nor considerate and serious Isai 1.3 because inconsiderate and rash The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Jer. 8.6.7 For as consideration is the beginning of reformation so is inconsideratness an inlet to all vice and villany Thy worldly confidence and trust on vain things must be altered to a trust and dependence on God onely S. 44.4 if thou aim at saving reformation for he that relieth on any thing under heaven men or money arm of strength or armies of men wit policie friends health greatness or his own goodness doth much derogate from God and become sinfull because he sets his heart upon that which is not to be confided in nor set up as any way able to support satisfie deliver or to make one happy Mans trust is always to be in God onely and all his hopes and expectation from him Isai 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength But when I lay out my first thoughts and chief hopes upon worldly things I put them up in stead of God and commit idolatry and go quite contrary to the will of God Trust not in man nor riches nor Princes saith David If riches increase set not your heart upon them for you will find a disappointment in all without God Jer. 17.5 7. and a curse too Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the living God But blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Job being once very rich and alwayes very good which was his best riches and abided with him when all outward things were flown away and gone saith in his most serious examination and pleading with God If I have made gold my hope Job 31.24 25 28. or have said to fine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten it This were iniquity to be punished by the judge for I should have denied the God that is above You see what apprehension godly men have had of the trusting worldly things concluding it to be sin and iniquity folly and idolatry and what is the hope of an Hypocrite what will his worldly confidence come to though he hath gained much Job 27.8 9. when God taketh away his soul Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him So that 't is not enjoyned as a prudentiall thing onely not to put confidence in these worldly things nor depend upon them because of their vanity inconstancy insufficiency but 't is a sin if we do and a great iniquity too which every gracious man should avoid and every convert should repent of and be ashamed that he hath put confidence in pittifull worldly things and made them his rock shelter and comfort and resolves he will do so no more while he hath a God the rock of ages and time to fly unto who will never fail nor forsake them that put their trust in him because they trust in him I counsel thee dear soul S. 45. to look carefully what is that you put your confidence in and if you find the world or anâ—things in the world first coming in your thoughts as to trust in them then conclude 't is from a carnall principle within thee contrary to God's mind and holding no conformity to the Saints who have said within themselves and declared to the world too that nothing in heaven or earth within them or without them should be the object of their trust saving God only a guess of this their frame we may take from Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.25 26. and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My strength and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever O then beware what thou makest thy rock thy tower thy defence and portion be sure it be God onely and repent if thou hast done other Thy vain and erroneous opinions in matters abour religion must be regulated by the Word of Truth S. 46.5 and reduced to the obedience of Christ and his doctrine and that without prevarication or strife of words 1 Tim. 6.5 or perverse disputings vain bablings to no profit or edification toward charity and holiness 2 Tim. 2.14 16. Pro. 19.27 Cease my Son saith Wisdom to hear the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledg for 't is a dangerous thing to be of a corrupt judgment About thy recreations S. 47.6 and those little indulgencies to thy flesh which men are pleased to call refreshments and pastimes not considering what sin and hurt may be in them and how too too often they become fewel to lust and a temptation to sin consumption of time and exhausting of spirit and effeminating men rendring them soft and unfit for exercise of religious duties and many other inconveniences which experience hath instructed those that have been much and often in the service of pleasures which now they see but
thy reformation let the pleasures be never so fair or ever so many be not deceived by thy self but be thou a doer of the work and not a pretender to it only 't is a deceiving and a deceived heart that makes thee hitherto either deferre the duty or do it slightly IX Direction 9. If you would be throughly reformed S. 15. converted and saved in time then forthwith give up thy self to Jesus Christ and to the word of his grace let Christ be thy Physitian go to him which is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse Zac. 13.1 1 Jo. 1.7 't is the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin flee unto him and yield up thy self unto him shew thy wounds and beg his healing carry thy burthen and let him ease thee Come unto me saith Christ Mat. 11.28 29. all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest for your souls Let the word of Gods grace reach thee and rule thee be often at those ordinances where Christ is applyed to thy soul and the Spirit of Christ is working conversion give up and resign thy self to the teachings of the spirit by the word hear that word and obey it which discovereth and debaseth sin and searcheth the heart frequent that preaching that advanceth Christ and holiness that wooes thee off thy sins unto Christ and holy walking If thou be converted it must be by those means that God hath appointed to convert souls S. 16. and bring them to saving faith and repentance all true converts can say that God of his own will begat them with the word of truth Jam. 1.18.21 22. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls But he ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves and every one that is made a new creature must say being born again not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 25. by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore yield thy self freely and wholly to Christ S. 17. and the word of his grace and thou mayst then be seasonably and savingly wrought on and converted X. Direction 10. Dost thou intend to reform thy heart and life S. 18. wouldst thou be a true convert and have thy faults pardoned and thy life amended then be fervent and frequent in prayer to the God of heaven for this very thing pray I say mightily fervently and frequently if ever thy reformation be wrought it must come from God and he will be sought unto by prayer and the desire of thy soul must be with earnestness that God would pardon thee and heale thee and separate sin and thy soul sin from thy conversation and instead thereof implant grace and nourish holiness and make thee a new man by renewing thy judgment will and affection and introducing the image of the holy Jesus in thy soul and conversation 'T is true S. 19. God hath made free and gracious promises that he will give grace to convert and change the heart from evil to good that he will cleanse and purisie by his Spirit saying I will give grace I will pardon I will heal Ezek. 36.25 26 37. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes God will do all this for and to a poor sinner and except God give it and work it no man living can get it yet saith the Lord I will yet for all this be inquired of the house of Israel to do this thing for them God gave David a aew heart and pardoned his sins yet see that 51. Psal 51.10 Psalme David prays heartily Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Our Saviour Christ bids us ask Mat 7.6 7. and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Therefore if ever thou wilt be savingly converted seek it earnestly of God cry incessantly and mightily to the Lord and give him no rest untill he give thee conversion and pardon pray that thou mayst get it and pray that thou mayst keep it pray for this spirit and pray with it and never leave off praying as long as thou livest And I am perswaded that no man shall attain unto saving reformation but he that begs it of God and seeks earnestly after it and I am also perswaded that he that begs it earnestly and constantly shall not be denied it if he neglect not to endeavour to practise what God commands Thus have I given you those directions S. 20. which if you will speedily and carefully follow and put in practice will prove very succesfull toward your reformation those means God hath appointed to bring about this so great and necessary a work of reformation if conscientiously and diligently used Now I would perswade you to use all means possible S. 21. and with all speed possible that might be any way conducing to thy reformation by these motives following CHAP. XIV Some Motives to provoke men to be speedy and in good earnest about the one thing necessary which is sound Reformation I. Motive 1. REmember that all thy weal and happiness depends upon this very thing S. 1. even that thou art worth in an other world If thou art converted in time thou art made for ever but if thou put off thy reformation and wilt not yield to become a penitent and throughly reformed it will be thy marring for ever this must be done and done perfectly or else thy poor soul will be quite undone and a lost man for ever thou wilt be it is as impossible for a man that lives and dies in an unregenerate estate to be happy in another world as it is for one damned in hell already to come thence or to be there happy where he is Now or never is the time to provide for heaven by timely reformation here or no where must every one that means to be saved look to it for when death shall part soul and body there is no more working nor reforming here and now is the time and place in this present world to do all we have to do in reformation in the other world every one must be rewarded according to what he hath done in this world and receive a finall unalterable sentence and the decree of the Almighty will