Estate hath not thereupon been changed fully according to our desires and requests then we are to consider Why God hath not heard them to the full what hath hindred them and made them so far forth uneffectual especially whether iniquities and sins have hindred them and if sins whose sins and which of their sins Es 59. 1 2. Marg. 93. All which things being considered 9. And lastly it concerns us to open our eyes to see and to consider what course it concerns us to take hereafter and when what to do what to amend and how what to cease from c. Marg. 94. Now as to the first of these I have known when our Trading was not altogether so dead and so much hindered when many of the poorer sort had more work and many of the richer sort more money when many were better able to maintain their Children and to bind them Apprentices and to furnish them with moneys for Trading and to make them Scholars when many were more able to pay their Rents and other debts when Houses and Lands were set and sold at higher Rates without wronging the Takers and Buyers when the total of our publick Taxes and payments was not altogether so great as now to some it seems to be c. When so many of this Nation were not taken away by the Pestilence and by and in Sea-actions impoverished maimed wounded killed and deprived of their Husbands Fathers Children and Apprentices and when so many Churches and publick Houses and so many private Houses have not been burnt and so much worldly Riches destroyed in London in so few days as of late in 1666. have been But all these and some other evils are common to us with others Prov. 28. 12 28. 2. Some of us have been deprived and do continue destituted of our places of credit and profit and consequently of our Livelihood and maintenance and are forbidden to teach or table Scholars although peradventure we might in that way be somewhat beneficial to the Church and Common-wealth 3. Some of us are separated from London and all other Cities and many Tows which are not Cities c. 4. No private Meetings c. under the pain of Banishment into Forreign Plantations c. 5. If we Administer either of the Sacraments we must pay more than some of us be very well able to spare c. 6. The fellowship which we have had together in the Gospel must be broken oft and the spiritual benefits which we might have gotten by conversing together lost Beside the losses of Luke the 8. 2 3. 7. This is a time of extraordinary Temptations to us and others Many professors especially Preachers are tempted to sin against their Consciences to get places of worldly profit and to bear sinfully with the sins of Professors lest they should lose the help of their Purses others are tempted to avenge themselves to oppress to use cruelty 8. I think the last twenty years and upwards are part of the perillous times whereof St. Paul prophecyeth in 2 Tim. 3. in the first 7 Verses beginning with This know also as speaking of that which is very fit to be known and to be considered very seriously This know also saith he that in the last dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof which words I do underst and of many of those who have gotten the name of Professors as well as of others and that because so many do walk and behave themselves as if Godliness were of no great power to better a mans conversation 9. If none of the late Decrees and the Outings and Restraints do in any measure directly nor indirectly tend unto the decay of that which the Book of Common-Prayer calls Gods true Religion and vertue yet before the time of the Interruption there were who under the pretence of reconciling two Religions sought to undermine and destroy the better of the twain and in the time of the Interruption Corrupters and new Lights who did hatch Cockatrice Eggs Ranters Familists Quakers and part of that evil work was done I doubt not in Policy of purpose to undermine and destroy Truths In a word there have been these last thirty years and more and still I believe are some whose working partly in the dark hath been and is such that as the Psalmist saith Psal 119. 126. It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void God's Law So may we well say It is time for the Lords Servants to work for and with God for there are some that would gladly destroy the true Gospel So that if the plot to burn and Massacre be but a Dream or meer imagination as I would have Charity not to be suspicious and to think evil 1 Cor. 13. 5 7. without some just cause yet there is cause enough why Professors yea all Protestants and Anti-papists should pull their eyes out of their pockets and carry them in the fore-part of their heads that they may see where to place their feet how to order their goings yea if they can to be altogether as wise as Serpents Mat. 10. 16. yet not to tread in the steps of D. Parry who against all Reason did conspire Treason foul and base And so much be spoken of the first particular A Digression Before I speak of the second give me leave by the way to shew what good use ye who are Professors may make of some things before mentioned in respect of your spiritual Estate as Lot did or might have done of the vexing of his soul with the unlawful deeds and speeches of his Neighbours the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. for thereby he might discern his soul to be a righteous soul and so may ye discern in some measure the temper and disposition of your spirits and consequently your spiritual estate by the movings or stillness of your hearts in this time of such evils hearken therefore I beseech you to that which I shall say unto you especially all those of you who have not hitherto at any time duly tried your spiritual estate which I fear hath been the folly of many Christians 1. Let your Consciences tell you how ye are affected with those things which have of late befallen so many godly and profitable Ministers of Jesus Christ with the loss of their maintenance and their now very low condition Are ye really grieved at it If ye be not ye are but mean Professors Amos 6. 6. 2. How are ye affected with their loss of so many opportunities of drawing so many godless persons out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of grace unto Gods honour and the lost sheeps everlasting salvation Is it nothing to you that their Parishes and the Nation and our Lord Jesus Christ have so far lost their Ministery Jude 5. 23. Why Brethren our Saviour and the same mind ought to be in you which
A GLASSE AND SALVE FOR PROFESSORS Held to them By William Voile Minister of the Gospel James 1. 23 24. If any be a hearer of the VVord and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way forgetteth what manner of man he was Revel 3. 18. Anoint thine Eyes with Eye-salve that thou mayest see London Printed for the Author 1668. WILLIAM VOILE A Servant of Jesus Christ in the Ministry of his Gospel To all those of His Majesties Subjects that are called Professors because they do profess or practice the Protestant Religion in a way more or less differing from the most common way Greeting BEloved it is now above forty nine years since I was first a Preacher since which time I have had so much and such communion with the Professors of England and Wales that I have attained much knowledge of Professors of most wayes in the Protestant Religion and committed very many of my Observations to writing especially the faults of them I have preached to Professors and heard others preach to them and considered my own preaching and theirs what and how we have preached and the success of our preaching I have hearkened and heard and seen and considered who have preached aright or made such use as ought to be made of that which hath been preached and who hath repented and reformed Jer. 8. 6. The resu't whereof was this I looked on the sins of Professors as the procuring cause of their Troubles and Afflictions and the greatest let of their Prayers 〈◊〉 the liberty and Peace of Professors and judged it a work fit for Preachers to exhort Professors not only to humble themselves for their sins and failings but also to strive and give diligence to cease from them and to reform their wayes according to the word of God universally without any exception or reservation Which Truths I did also publish about two years since in an Eminent City and have now by this honest Treatise endeavoured to make them known to others and to shew you the ends and meaning of our heavenly Father in chastising you and me to the end that ye may hear his Rods with understanding and him who hath appointed them Mic. 6. 9. and so as to submit your selves to him unreservedly Jam. 4 7. to do and to leave undone altogether according to the Message which he hath sent you And I beseech you all by the mercies of God let me obtain these requests of you 1. Let me not be accounted an enemy to any of you because I judge rightly of the greatest and most perillous of your enemies your sins and because I tell you of them for I do this to warn you of your danger that you may judge your selves and abstain from your sins that ye may not be condemned with the World Gal. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 32. 2. Strive in your prayers unto God for me as one of your faithful friends that whilst I live on earth I may be throughly willing and well able to do Jesus Christ and his Church service 3. For the honour of the most high God and the credit of his Gospel and your own good and the good of your Posterity Deut. 5. 29. and of all Christs people use the most effectual means ye can to perswade and induce every one himself and all those to whom I haâ—â— directed this Epistle to peruse this Treatise all over and that seriously and in the fear of God and in much Humility consulting with God and one with another about it and praying fervently unto God to give them a right understanding and a sound judgment and resolving with a strong resolution by Gods assistance to do the will of God unreservedly For this is the way to know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or not John 7. 17. Beloved I shall hope that this work of mine will in some measure help to open the eyes of the blind and to cause the lame to walk and the dumb to speak and that by my means among other good works very worthy men that are dead shall speak unto you words very good to the use of edifying which no man else will help them to speak unto you The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen A GLASSE and SALVE FOR PROFESSORS BEloved Brethren and Sisters rich and poor hearken Although the great God in whose hands the times of all the Creatures are Psal 31. 15. changeth not Mal. 3. 6. but is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. and albeit the darkness and the light be both alike to him Ps 139. 12. yet the Creatures are changeable and actually changed and their times are not all of one and the same sort To the posterity of Adâ—m there is a time to get and a time to lose a time to laugh and a time to mourn times of health and times of sickness a time to live and a time to die Eccl. 3. 1. c. Men and Women have good dayes 1 Pet. 3. 10. and evil dayes Eph. 5. 16. and perillous times 2 Tim. 3. 1. c. and in Solomons language Eccl. 7. 13 14. dayes of Prosperity and dayes of Adversity Where he counselleth us ver 14. To consider the work of God D. We ought to consider the works of God of all sorts and v. 13. In the day of Prosperity to be joyful D. Times of Prosperity do in a special manner call for joy and in the day of adversity to consider D. meaning that As we ought to consider in times of all sorts so especially in times of Adversity And such is this time to this Nation especially to them who are called Phanaticks and among them to us who have been Ministers of the Gospel Quest And what ought we to consider in this time of Adversity Answ These nine things 1. The severals whereof our Adversity consisteth Marg. 3. 2. That no part of it came upon us without God Mat. 10. 29 30 31. but every part of it according to his providence and the counsel of his will Eph. 1. 11. Marg. 11. 3. That our heavenly Father in giving way to men c. hath not dealt unjustly with us nor done us any wrong Marg. 16. 4. That in afflicting us he hath done wisely and therefore afflicted us for fit ends Marg. 18. 5. We must consider Why and for what ends he hath afflicted us Marg. 18. These five things we ought to consider that we may not despise his chastening Prov. 2. 11 12. nor harbour hard thoughts of him and that we may discern what course to take for the bettering of our Estate 6. We ought to consider what means we have used to better it or to prevail with God to better it Marg. 90. 7. We must consider the success and issue of those means how far we have prevailed by using them and how far not Marg. 92. 8. If our
than nothing and vanity Es 40 15 17. and whereas his Kingdom is over all the Creatures and an absolute Kingdom and his dignity infinite and he doth abundantly deserve the service and obedience of men therefore in very deed every sin even the least sin that is deserves his curse Gal. 3. 10. and the everlasting torments of Hell which peradventure some of you have not yet learned And if every sin doth deserve the horrible and everlasting Torments of Hell what do all my sins deserve then yea or the sins of the most sinless O that I could that we all could admire the free grace and mercy of our God as it is worthy and praise and extol it as it is worthy and trust to it in and through Jesus Christ more entirely and stir up our selves and give all diligence to walk far more worthy of it and of the Lord Jesus Christ unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work Col. 1. 10. unto his glory and the credit of his glorious Gospel God forbid we should so magnifie the free grace of God as to abuse it as to turn it into wantonness and lasciviousness as those Jude v. 4. as to be bold to sin because grace doth abound Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. 6. 1 2 5. Far O far be this from us But secondly it is probable That at this day not only national Churches but also Churches of other sorts have in them corrupt Members and that some godly persons have trespassed in gross sins since they were begotten again with the word of truth R. For and I pray you consider it well so it was 1. With Gain Gen. 4. 8. and with the Old World Gen. 6. 3 4 5. 2. With the Children of Israel Exod. 32. Num. 25. 5. 20. 10 13. Deut. 9. 18. 31. 29. Ps 78. 58 59. 10. 6 29 32. Jer. 11. 17. 3. With the Kingdom of Judah apart 2 Kings 23. 16. Es 1. 4. 3. 25. 65. 4. Jer. 2. 13. 7. 18. 8. 19. 17. 4. 32. 29 30. 44. 3. Ezek. 8. 17. 16. 26. Ezr. 10. Neh. 5. Hag. 1. 4. With the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2. 12 13 14 15 16 17. of Samuel 1 Sam. 8. 1 2 3 4. and of David viz. Amnon Absolom and Adâ—ijah 5. In the time of Christs preaching he did not commit himself to many that believed in his name because he knew what was in man John 2. 23 24 25. some sought him not for his Doctrine but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled John 6. 26. and many of his Disciples after they had followed him for a while forsook him and walked no more with him John 6. 66. consider also Mat. 13. 28 29 30. 6. In the Primitive Churches there were many corruptions and sins Acts 15. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 11 12 13. 3. 3 4. 5. 1. 6. 6 7. 11. 18 19 21. 29 30. 15. 12. 2 Cor. 12. 20 21. Gal. 1. 6. 2. 12 13 14. 3. 1. 5. 8 4. Phil. 2 21. Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22. 4. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 3 4 5 6 7. 2 Tim. 4. 16. Tit. 1. 16. 3. 9. Heb. 5. 11 12. Jam. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 13 14. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 2 Pet. 2. 10. and to the end of the Chapter John 3. 9 10. Jude ver 4. 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 19. Rev. 2. 4 9 14 25 20 2â— Rev. 3. 1 2 9 15 16 17. 7. Yea we find recorded in the holy Scriptures the sins and exorbitances of some whom we know to have been godly as Noah Gen. 9. 21. Lot Gen. 19. 21. c Abraham Gen. 20. Isaac Gen. 26. Rebekah and Jacob Gen. 27. Moses the Servant of the Lord Exod. 4. 10. c. v. 24. Deut. 1. 39. Ps 106. 32 33. Job chap. 3. Aaron the Saint of the Lord Exod. 32. Deut. 9. 20 Moses and Aaron Num. 20. 10 11 12. Aaron and Miriam Num. 12. 9. 10. Gideon Judg. 8. 27. Samson Judg. 16. Asa 2 Chron. 16. 7 8 9 10 11 12. Hezekiah 2 King 20. 2 Chr. 32. 24 25 31. David a man after Gods own heart 2 Sam 11. 12. Solomon called Jedidiah 2 Sam. 12. 25. that is Beloved of the Lord 1 King 11. 1. c. a Prophet that came from Judah 1 King 13. Jeremy Jer. 20. Jonah Jon. 1. 4. Peter Mat. 16. 22 23. 26. 69. c. Peter and Barnabas Gal. 2. Paul or Barnabas Acts 15. To whom I think may be added Uzzah 2 Sam. 6. 6 7. and some of those who did eat and drink at the Lords Table unworthily 1 Cor. 11. and of those forsakers 2 Tim. 4. 16. 8. And some of the Sins of the said godly persons were not little sins but great sins as of Aaron David Solomon and Peter 9. Lastly some of our sins are greater than many of us think them to bee as unbelief trusting in creatures deceitful backbiting biting idle and foolish words unfit jesting not grieving for sins our own and of others not instructing comforting admonishing reproving not bestowing time and care to make what we hear and read profitable to us not making use of Ministers when we may c. And this reason beloved is good because as to the business of tempting the Devils are in this Age altogether such as they have been in all former Ages and the world is altogether such as it hath been only to speak the truth the world is much fuller of Baits and Allurements and hath I think more taking snares than in old time it had and the cunning craftiness of the Devils and their ability to deceive as some think is augmented by experience And for Satans wrath if his short time spoken of Rev. 12. 12. be already begun then he hath great wrath which ye may do well to take into consideration together with the Prophesies of the Apostles Peter and Jude and Paul that in the last days there should come scoffers walking after their own lusts 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. Jude ver 17 18. c. and that in the last days men would have a form of godliness and yet deny the power thereof being lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud and high-minded unthankful unholy false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those who are good and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 1. c. Thirdly 1. God judgeth the earth Psal 75. 7. Gen. 18. 25. Psal 58. 11. that is ruleth and judgeth all the Inhabitants of the earth and is present in all places and sees and knows all things even all the thoughts purposes desires and imaginations of men and almighty to do whatsoever he pleaseth Jer. 23. 23 24. Gen. 6. 5. 8. 21. Ps 139. 1 2 3. c. Heb. 4. 13. Gen. 17. 1. Isa 59. 1. 2. As Gods power is infinite and his love toward his Children a fatherly and tender love Es 49.
doth punish wicked persons for the sins of their youth Job 20. 11. and as he made Job to possess the iniquities of his youth or childish age Job 13. 26. See Jun. Trem. and the Assembly men on those two places and Job 14. 17. Also David saw cause to pray unto God not to remember the sins and transgressions of his youth Psal 25. 7. 6. As God sent a famine of three years for a sin of King Saul long after his death 2 Sam. 21. so I believe he may chastize a man for the sins which he hath committed in the time of his unregeneracy long after the time of his second birth especially if he hath not searched duly for them or not humbled himself daily for them or doth not walk humbly with God 7. God may judge you for sins capable of such excuses as many of us possibly think to have a pretty deal of reason in them As he did not only King Saul 1 Sam. 13. 1. to the 15. Chap. 15. but also Moses Numb 20. Psal 106. 32 33. see before and Uzzah 2 Sam. 6. 6 7. and 1 Chron. 13. 9 10. and the Prophet which came from Judah 1 King 13. 8. God may deal severely with those of you who are really godly for your sins As he did with Moses Aaron and Eli see before and with David 2 Sam. 12. c. and with Heman who was afflicted and ready to die from his youth up mark that and while he suffered the terrors of the LORD was distracted Psal 88. 15. But read and consider al the Psalm 9. God may punish or chastize us for our sins notwithstanding upon admonition we do confess we have sinned against him as he did not only King Saul 1 Sam. 15. 24 25 26. but also David notwithstanding he did so confess 2 Sam. 12. and much more than that Psal 51. 10. God may judge us for our other mens sins I mean for the sins of others imputing them to us because we have not instructed connselled admonished and reproved them or not corrected them according to our duty not done what God called us to do and which we ought to have done to keep them from sinning For why is it said Jos 7. 1. that the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing when Achan only had trespassed personally Study this matter seriously I beseech you for there was a time when the number of faithful men was very small Psal 12. 1 2. Prov. 20. 6. Jer. 23. 28. Prov. 27. 6. And now I do testifie and say that notwithstanding this dispensatiâ— calls upon all professors especially those who take upon them as Ministers of the Gospel to deal faithfully yet I have not observed many signs of thâ—â— measure of faithfulness which the state of things calls for 11. God may judge us for our sins concerning things indifferent apparel hair c. As he did those Zeph. 1. 8. who were cloathed with strange apparel See the opinion of Mr. Cradeck a little before at 4. Do not Professors yet know that London is destroyed Consider I pray you whether the gay Lady-like apparel of Shop-women did not help to bring the pestilence into it to destroy thousands of the Inhabitants and afterward the Jesuit-like policy and too gallant fashions of those who were bound in a special manner above others to reprove the Lady-shopwomen and ought rather to have apparelled themselves with sackcloth or like plain Yeomen whether this did not strike the Ministers out of the gap Ezek. 22. 30 31. 2 Sam. 24. and keep it open for the fire to enter into the houses to burn them 12. I believe the Lord may afflict a very godly man in his worldly estate according to the proportion of the ill gotten goods which he possesseth although he himself hath not gotten any part thereof by sinful and indirect means nor knows that any of his friends did so get any part of it 13. I also believe many professors and some godly persons do either take little or no notice of some of their sins or else make too light a matter of them and hereby make them the more ugly in the most pure eyes of God and provoke him the more to scourge them 14. It is probable that our wise God when he purposeth to vouchsafe his people great prosperity or they do expect to be highly exalted that then he will chastize and scourge them if milder sufferings will not prevail sharply and not cease scourging them sorely till he hath wrought among them a great Reformation suitable to such an exaltation For it is a great absurdity for them to look for such a change without taking care to reform themselves and their inferiors accordingly One thing of another sort c. which peradventure may be of some good use God did send two She-bears out of the Wood to tear forty and two of those little children which mocked Elisha the Prophet with his bald head 2 King 2. 23 24. And thus I have shewn you in part the method after which God hath disciplined his people of old the greater paâ—t whereof I have declared by examples in the holy Scriptures Part. 4. Fourthly now I shall set before you an argument ab homine 1. This my opinion that Professors sins be the most powerful and effectual hindrance of the liberty and peace of Professors and of their prayers for it I have held at least two years during which time my God hath not so much as caused me to stagger concerning it notwithstanding my prayers unto him concerning my affairs and concerning this business in particular 2. Notwithstanding I have published this my opinion at divers meetings in Bristow yet none of the Professors of that City as far as I know or have heard have either first or last declared their dislike of it although they had time and opportunities enough before I left that City to do it 3. I think he was a godly Minister of Christ who from 1 Cor. 11. 30. did infer that where there is much sickness there is much sin and that he might as well have said where there is much Affliction c. 4. John Price a godly Citizen of London but a Native of Hereford being one of them who lost much by this Revolution since 1659. not long before his death it may be being then more sensible of his own failings and the â—ailings of other Professors than formerly did in his Letter unto me write of them who have been called Roundheads and of the change of their Estates and among other passages use these very words The truth said he is We have been full foolish froward and wanton and almost spoiled for want of correction So he verbâ—tine Heb. 11. 4. 5. An eminent Minister of Bristow who preached his Farewel Sermon in August 1662. called Mr. E. H. when I spake of the duty of reproving sins said It is generally neglected Which I think he would not have said if he
according to the Rules of Gods word which a godless man is not throughly content to do but would rather buy a pardon with one or two of his Children than to part with all his sins and the sweet fruits of them Which kind of liberal dealing with God how unacceptable it is to him and how unavailable the holy Ordinances which he hath commanded be with him without reformation of our wayes ye may also see if ye have hearts to understand in Es 1. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Es 66. 3 4. and Am. 5. 21 22 23 24. I pray read and consider seriously all these Verses Friends I may well speak unto many of you in another â—ense as the LORD speaks to his people Es 58. 6 of letting the oppressed go free For ye do oppress some of the Truths which ye have received into your minds but not the love of them into your hearts Ye do hold them as those Rom. 1. 18. in unrighteousness ye do keep them in prison I beseech you let them all walk at liberty let them prevail in your words and deeds practice them in your houses in your shops in the streets and as there is occasion in all places and companies behave your selves according to those truths which ye know constantly Without this as ye may desire and not obtain bâ—cause ye ask not so ye may ask and not receive because ye ask amiss Jam. 4. 3. Yea without this Reformation ye may use all the holy Ordinances of God externally and that constantly and neither your persons nor your services be accepted with God For God will not receive bribes I cannot tell you of this too oft Phil. 3. 1. But fourthly to speak somewhat more punctually 1. Say in thy heart If the King of Saints be with us why are we thus For the fault is not in God he is rich in grace and abundant in goodness and truth Exod. 34. 6. and waiteth that he may be gracious Es 30. 18. nor in high Priests Intercession the father heareth him always and as for hâ—s protecting of us all power is given to him in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Why then are not the Plowgears cut asunder or the Plows thrown to the hedge Why are we still under the rods of the Almighty Surely the fault is in us the cause is our sins it is by reason of our sins 2. Consider who they were that when they were imprisoned said we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he be sought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress upon us Gen. 41. 21 22. and what woman when her Son was dead said unto Elias Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son 2 King 17. 17 18. and who said unto the Mariners Jon. 1. 12. I know that for my sake this tempest is upon you and who when our Saviour told his Apostles one of them would betray him said Lord is it I And who asked that question last That was Judas Mat. 26. 21 22. 25. Consider I say these persons and thy self What hand thou hast had in pulling down wrath on the Nation or on Professors Psal 19 12 13. and beg very earnestly of God to direct thee to judge rightly of this matter 3. Consider whether thou beest one of them that did heretofore as many Professors did abuse and not make such use as they ought to have done of their Liberty Peace Means Authority and opportunities of doing God and his people service and whether thou be one of them who in the time of their prosperity did not consider pity and shew favour to the sufferers of that time especially the conscientious ones as far forth as they were in duty bound so to do For it is probable God will chastise us for abusing and not making aright use of his blessings by depriving us of them 4. Because we have not Rules by which in all cases to discern clearly for what sins we are corrected therefore I counsel thee to search thy heart and ways all over and to call to mind and consider thy behaviour even from thy Childhood and that very diligently to find out the several kinds of sin wherein thou hast trespassed and thy trespasses in them together with their aggravations as particularly and fully as thou canst making use in this search of the holy Scriptures especially Psal 51. 5. Es 3. 16. to the end Ezek. 22. Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. Tit. 1. 15. Mat. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 28 34 35 36 37 38 39 44. 15. 19. Mark 7. 21 22. Rom. 1. 28 29 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 5. 8. 6. 9 10. 11. 14. 2 Cor. 20. 21. Gab. 5. 19 20 21 22 23 24. Eph. 4. 25 26 29 31 32. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 18 21 22 23 25 28 29. Phil. 22. 3 4 5. c. ver 21. Col. 3. 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20. 6. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Thes 5. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. 6. 8 9 10 11. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Tit. 2. 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13. Heb. 13. 16 17 18. Jam 3. 10 13 14 15 16 17. 4. 1. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 1 John 3. 18 17. Rev. 2. 4 5. 3. 1 2 3 15 16 17. 21. 8. Rom. 12. 2. 14. 21. 1 Cor. 8. 13. Why not also of By fields Catalogue of sins or the like books and of the exemplary behaviour of the best Professors that thou conversest with It may be sometimes it would be wisdom in thee to take their silence at thy words for a reproof of them And be sure because it is a very difficult thing for a man to understanding his errours Psal 19. 12. to imitate Job chap. 13. 23. requesting the God of knowledge to make thee know and understand thy sins and transgressions 5. Consider thy sins together with the afflictions which God hath sent thee either alone or joyntly with others for so we are to understand the considering of our ways Hagg. 1. 5 6 7 9 10 11. and thinking on our ways Psal 119. 59. viz. of considering our doings and the events of them and take good notice that that Commandment in Hagg. 1. is repeated and consider why it is repeated which I judge is because it highly concerns men to consider their doings and the success of them and that seriously that they may turn their feet unto Gods testimonies Psal 119. 59. and because many be so slow to consider them c. 6. I advise thee as thou findest out thy sins to confess them bâ—fore the Lord against thy self and that thou hast walked contrary to him and also that he hath walked contrary to thee and
chastised thee Lev. 26. 40 41. Lam. 3. 41. to 47. and to humble thy self under his mighty and correcting hand for them and as thou canst for thy unknown sins also Jam. 4. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6 10. Psal 19. 12. not too easily contenting thy self with any measure of sorrow for thy sins yet not grieving so as to disable thy self for any service or business of any sort For sometimes men are not quickly cleansed from their iniquities as those Josh 22. 17. no nor duly contrite and humbled for them as those Jer. 44. 10. And I fear this is the case of many of us Professors even in this perillous time and that many of us do not well understand our sins of common life 7. Accept of the punishment of thine iniquity Lev. 26. 41. and that with the whole heart thy mouth and heart really yielding and acknowledging that our God hath punished thee O far less than thy iniquities deserve Ezr. 9. 13. 8. And forsake and cease from all thy sins resolve throughly to strive seriously against them all not excepting so much as one of them no not the least and most profitable of them And do this with a holy hatred and detestation of them hating them for God because they be enemies to him saying in thy heart Get ye hence ye enemies of my God get ye hence Es 30. 32. Mat. 4. 10. And having once cast away thy sins sin no more lest worse things come unto thee John 5. 4. but walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord uprightly and blamless and among other duties 1. Be really thankful to him who is the Fountain of all good things for extending his goodness to thee and the rest of his people in such and such matters giving him hearty and humble thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 3. 15. Eph. 5. 20. especially for thy and their liberty and peace 2. Let the love of Christ constrain thee to love him because he dyed for thee for that very end 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. To the uttermost of thy abilities promote his interest and for his sake his peoples happiness by doing him and them as many good services as thou canst 3. Mispend not time but redeem time for Gods service and the soul because the dayes be evil Eph. 5. 17. 4. Take heed to thy wayes that thou sin not with thy tongue Psal 39. 1. Psal 34. 11 12 13. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Jam. 1. 26. 5 Take due care to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. 6. Also remember thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy man-servant and thy maid-servant and thy stranger that is within thy gates Exod. 20. 10. yea not only on the Sabbath day but generally at all times to use thy diligence that thy Family may be as a little Church of Christ as Philemons was Phil. ver 1. 2. I have specifyed these duties because so many Professors do so much neglect them It will be thy wisdom to follow all this good counsel For the LORD God is a Sun and shield to them that walk uprightly he will give them grace and glory he will withhold no good thing from them Psal 4. 11. Prov. 16. 17. 9. Learn of God to commit and leave thy self to him as the righous and wise Judge of all the Earth to do with thee what he pleaseth and particularly to better thy estate when and in what measure he pleaseth Psal 10. 14. Phil. 4. 11. But remember and study thy own weakness that thou art not sufficient of thy self to do any thing well as of thy self without Christ John 15 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Therefore stir up thy self to take hold of Christ Es 64. 6 7. as the strength of the LORD Es 27. 4. 5. Even on our Lord Jesus Christ who is mighty to save even able to save unto the uttermost all them who came unto God by him Es 63. 1. Heb. 7. 25. Psal 89. 19. Phil. 4. 13. The want of this hinders the profiting of Professors very much 10. Also humble thy self daily for thy infirmities and daily failings 11. Also give all diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure and that all thy graces especially thy Faith and Patience may be encreased 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 10. 3. 17 18. 1 Pet 5. 9 10. Rom. 5. 2 3 4. Jam. 1. 3 4. 12. Be sure to consider seriously every one of you in particular wherein he or she can do God or his people service and resolve with a strong resolution if it shall please him to put an end to your Adversity with his gracious and blessed assistance to serve him and them accordingly 13. Lastly at all times even whilst thou art doing these things and when thou hast done them all and done much for God and his people depend not on any thing which thou hast done as if thou hadst thereby or therewith made satisfaction in any measure to Gods justice for thy sins or any of them or merited any good thing at his hands but relie for thy justification and acceptance with God and everlasting salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ and the free grace of God in and through him admiring his free grace Qu. But what ought those Professors to do who know think or doubt they be not born again Answ That which is most proper for them to do is to exercise themselves constantly in the word of Truth waiting for the gracious operation of the holy Spirit in and on their souls to beget them again or else to shew them Christ already formed in their souls Joh. 14. 16 17. Gal. 4. 19. But withal they ought to follow the good counsel before rehearsed and all Professors when cause is to do what many Professors very seldom or never do viz. to ask the advice of able and godly Professors especially Ministers and not to keep the devils counsel not to secret matters according to his counsel Note If God in chastizing any of us doth aim at any of the ends which I have before mentioned and through weakness of memory or otherwise have not reached to it in the precedent instructions or any other end which I have not mentioned I pray you hear the rod and him who hath appointed it yielding to him concerning it let that be done which he shooteth at in chastizing thee If thou desirest to know more medicines which it behoveth thee to use for the bettering of thy estate 1. Enquire and consider frequently whether thou hast any true grace or not what thou hast in thy heart which a meer Formalist cannot have 2. Consider and study as exactly and wisely as thou canst thy own sins and what thou hast deserved at Gods hands by them taking heed that thou think not too ill of other folks sins as of the Professors and other inhabitants of London Southwark Norwich Colchester Portsmouth as if they were sinners above others worse sinners than others Take heed of