assurance of living one day longer We are all but Tenants at will and may be turned out of our Earthly Tabernacles whensoever our great Landlord pleaseth even at a quarters yea at a minutes warning And therefore as thou hast any regard to the Eternal welfare and Salvation of thy precious Soul it behoveth thee now even now to set to thy work to abandon thy sins to close with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ to give up thy self to the service of God for thou knowest not what a day-or an hour may bring forth A man that hath a work of great consequence to be done and but one day for the doing it had need rise early in the morning and with all possible speed to fall upon it This is thy case thou hast a great work to be done even the Salvation of thy precious and immortal Soul and but a little time allowed thee for the doing of it and that very uncertain Doth it not then concern thee speedily without any further delay to set about it and to improve thy precious time to the best advantage Reas. 4. May be taken from the uncertainty of Conversion in thine old age Though thou wert sure to live long even to old age and thereupon shouldst give up thy self to thy sensual liberties and incourage thy self therein by the hopes of an after-repentance yet how canst thou be sure that then at last thou shalt repent Conversion is not in mans power it is the work of God which he is pleased to work on whom and when he will God is merciful to offer grace but he is just also to punish the neglect thereof I have read a story of a prophane Fellow who was often wont to say he doubted not but that he should repent at last if he had but time to say three words Domine miserere mei Lord have mercy on me Not long after riding over a crazy Bridge both Horse and Man fell into the River but instead of saying the former words he cryed out in these three words Capiat omnia Daemon the Devil take all Young men let this be a warning to you all venture not on to morrow but to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Psal. 95 7. Now God calleth and inviteth thee to turn from thy sins unto him and in good earnest to set upon the practice of an holy life He now knocketh at the door of thine heart offering to enter that he may dwell in thee but if thou refuse to let him in how knowest thou whether ever he will knock again and what if he should not O what if he that knocks at thy door to day should if thou now open noâ—… never knock or look after thee again for ever O where must thine everlasting dwelling then be Reas. 5. May he taken from the manifold mischiefs which will follow upon thy continuing in thy sinful course of life without turning unto God 1. The longer thou continuest in any sin the stronger it will grow and the more hardly be subdued The longer a Tree is suffered to grow the deeper rooting it taketh and the more hardly will it be plucked up In like manner the longer thou continuest in sin the deeper rooting will it take in thee and with the greater difficulty be removed As therefore we would condemn him of extream folly who essaying to pluck up a young Plant and finding some difficulty therein should let it stand till it had taken deeper rooting in the ground and then attempt to pull it up So alike nay much more foolish is that man who in his Youth and younger years finding some difficulty in turning from his sins unto God should put it off till his sins had taken faster hold in him supposing that then he should more easily do it The truth is 't is rarely seen that such who give up themselves to the service of sin and Satan in their Youth do serve God in their Old Age. How seldom do we hear of an old sinner converted Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good who are accustomed to do evil Ier. 13. 23. As if it were a thing impossible for one that hath continued long in a course of sinning to leave and forsake it and to give up himself to the service of God Surely with man it is impossible though not with God unto whom all things are possible It will be therefore thy wisdom betimes even in thy Youth to set thy self against the power of thy corruptions lest they grow too strong in thee to be mastered and subdued 2. Continuance in a course of sinning will so insensibly harden the heart that thou wilt find the work more difficult Though thou mayst flatter thy self with a conceit that thou wilt cast off thy sins and become a new man hereafter yet thou wilt find by sad experience that the longer thou detainest them the harder it will be to part with them for every sin doth not only bring a guilt upon the Soul but likewise a stronger inclination to the practise thereof How many be there who in their Youth and younger years were wont often to say it is too soon to part with our beloved sins there is time enough for that hereafter but when their hereafter hath been come then have they said it is too late our hearts are so hardened that now we cannot repent 3. The longer thou deferrest thy Reformation and amendment the greater indisposition and disability wilt thou find in thy self thereunto Thine understanding will be more and more darkned with the mist of ignorance they will through custom in sinning be more stubborn and refractory to the Will of God revealed in his Word Thy Conscience will be more and more seared yea all the powers of thy Soul will be more and more distracted with Earthly cares and businesses What folly then must it needs be to put off thy serving of God from thy younger to thine elder years 4. By continuing in a course of sinning we come to a custom and habit in sinning which will be hardly left or broken off For custom in sin takes away all conscience of sin and hardeneth the heart more and more against God and godliness yea Custom is another nature and that which is natural is not easily changed It is found by experience that such who have been long accustomed to drinking swearing or any other vices are very hardly reclaimed from the same What egregious folly then must it needs be in any who now finding it somewhat difficult to break off his course of sinning and betake himself to a strict course of life should defer it longer till the corruption of nature through custom of sinning grow stronger and stronger in him If ever therefore thou intendest to give over thy sinning Trade and to devote thy self to the service of God it will be thy wisdom speedily to set upon it before thy sins be confirmed by
to pass if thou shalt 〈◊〉 diligently unto the 〈◊〉 of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandments blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field Blessed shall be thy Basket and thy Store The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy Storehouse and in all that thou puttest thine â—…and unto c. And saâ—…th our Saviour Matth. 6. 36. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you that is food and rayment yea wealth and all temporal blessings so far as they shall be good for you shall be freely cast upon you as an over-plus into the bargain 2. We find the Lord hath made good these promises to his people so far as hath been good for them whereof we have many instances in Scripture as in Abraham who was both a good man and a great man abounding with much wealth and riches The like we read of Isaac of Iacob and of Ioseph in Aegypt of Iob and others In all which grace and greatness sweetly met together As the Ark brought a blessing to the house of Obed-Edom so I may truly say Godliness brings a blessing to the house and person in whom it is Having the promise of all needful temporal good things here as of eternal happyness hereafter 1 Tim. 4 8. So that there can be no likelier way to thrive and prosper in the World than betimes to give up thy self to God and to consecrate thy youth and younger years to his service III. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal. 37. 16. 1. For first Godly men have an heart given them from God to use and enjoy their estate whatever it is for their own good and the relief of others They have mercies and taste of them they have goods and do good with them whereas wicked men for the most part either have no heart at all to use their estates or else they spend them upon their â—…usts for which they shall full dearly answer at the great and dreadful day 2. What the godly have they enjoy with much comfort and contentment with much peace and quietness of mind and they find more sufficiency and fulness in their little than many rich wordlings do in their plenty and abundance For these though they have much yet they find no contentment nor satisfaction no quietness therein but much vexation of Spirit Whereas the righteous though they have but little yet they have a good and quiet conscience with it which is a continual feast yea they find a fulness therein so that they sit down abundantly satisfied and contented therewith For God puts a fulness into their little and makes it more satisfactory to his Children than greater abundance is to carnal worldly men Obj. 4. Should I hearken to your counsel I should thereby deprive my self of all joy and delight which is the very life of my life and lead a sad melancholly life For what doth more abridge men of pleasure and delight than walking in the ways of godliness Ans. 1. A godly life will not deprive thee of all joy and delight but only change thy rejoycing in evil for rejoycing in that which is good Whereas before thou rejoycedst in the pleasures of sin in rioting and revelling in chambering and wantonness now thou wilt rejoyce in the assurance of Gods Love and of thine own Salvation in the undoubted Testimony of his Grace and Favour towards thee which is indeed a blessed change of joy from carnal to spiritual from that which is vain and frothy unto that which is sound and solid 2. The godly sometimes by reason of their present affliction under which they lie may seem sorrowful yet are they always rejoycing as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 6. 10. As sorrowful yet always rejoycing And our blessed Saviour promised unto his Disciples and in them to all the faithful that he would give them such a permanent joy as no man should be able to take from them Joh. 16. 22. whereupon said David The Voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the Righteous Psal. 118. 15. 3. Though wicked men think and say that the godly lead sad melancholy lives yet certain it is that the ungodly when they are alone are generally melancholy Indeed when they are in Taverns and Alehouses with their vain Companions then they can laugh and sing but in their secret retirements none so dull and dampish as they yea through the checks and clamours of their guilty Consciences they are oft-times sorrowful in the very midst of laughter For wickedness is so far from producing peace and comfort that it is properly the cause of sorrow and discomfort Therefore saith the Prophet Isa. 5. 7. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt and then no wonder that it follows There is no peace to the wicked it being the property of wickedness to be troublesome and vexatious so that little joy or comfort can be found in a vicious course of life whereas godliness brings great pleasure and contentment to the mind of a man which the Apostle implieth 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world The satisfaction which ariseth from the testimony of a mans own Conscience in the faithful discharge of his duty is very pleasant and delightful In which respect saith David Psal. 19. 11. In keeping thy Commandments there is great reward There is not only a reward hereafter to all such as sincerely indeavour to â—…eep the Commandments of the Lord but likewise a reward here in keeping them men finding a complaâ—… and delight therein being satisfied that they have in some measure performed their duty 4. There is no joy comparable to their joy who set themselves to serve God in truth and sincerity Such the Apostle Peter saith Rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Therefore the Wise Man speaking in the commendation of godliness saith Her ways are ways of pleasantness Prov. 3 17. As if he had said Though worldly men do judge the ways of godliness to be sad and uncomfortable yet they do indeed yield great joy and pleasure to those who walk in them and therefore may well be termed ways of pleasantness For 1. In ways of godliness God doth communicate himself to the Soul and the Soul doth injoy sweet communion with God The Soul doth injoy as the influences of Gods Grace so the light of his Countenance which is as it were an Heaven upon Earth yea the greatest happiness poor Creatures can possibly attain unto 2. The ways of godliness are ways of pleasantness because the walking in them is pleasing and delightful unto God And a gracious heart must needs take great complacency and contentment in that which
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
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-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.