the greatest Honour Pleasure Profit unless it be the Hypocrites and formal Professors that slight it over and whose Hearts are not engaged in the Work Mic. 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Psal 58.11 I mean such a one that comes not behind his Duty but keeps company with it You may safely and confidently aver to him that soweth Righteousness there is a sure reward as well as shall be Prov. 11.28 Many a refreshing joyful Song he hath whilst he is scattering this Seed what then will the joy of the Harvest be if Plowing and Sowing be such a pleasing Work I confess in all other Service that doth not refer to this the question may be truly put What doth it profit Where is any pleasure that my Heart and Soul can taste and find I have many a time come home by Weeping Cross when I have travelled hardest in the affairs and matters of this Life But he that saith his Heart hath found no sweetness nor reward in his approximation unto God and in the exercise of his Worship if he understands himself he doth but proclaim his Hypocrisie and tell the World that his Heart is defective in the Work That he doth not Worship his Maker and Redeemer in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4.24 That he doth not consider to whom he doth repair nor what he may expect nor who is ready to intercede for him if he doth but look to him with a believing Heart otherwise if these things come under any due Consideration he could not find no taste nor sweetness in such a Service nor return with such a dry and empty Heart from the Fountain of infinite Joy and Fulness Could a Man come to the Sun and not be enlightened and stand under it's warm refreshing Beams and not be revived Could a Man touch the Hem and Border of Christs Garment and feel no Virtue come forth for his Refreshment much less can a Man stand in the presence of his Glory and have no reflections of Light and Comfort from him You may as well say that a Man may feed upon the most nourishing Sustenance and concoct what he eats and yet not thrive at all As that a Man may thoroughly and seriously consider the great sanctifying Truths and live under the power of such Thoughts and find nothing of Gust and Relish in them Peace and Comfort in some Degree are as inseparable from Grace if Consideration bring it into Exercise as Light is from the Sun And as Consideration doth gather strength and is more lively and vigorous so will the Exercise of Grace be more fervent and when Grace is upon the Wing and in a hasty flight Heaven-wards the Virgins that are her Companions Peace and Joy and Comfort I mean will not be dead and unactive but will like the shadow keep company and resemblance with the Body to which they do belong And they that are most frequent and strong in the Exercise of their Grace Faith Love and Hope will have the stronger and more frequent Consolations and Refreshments And therefore David whose Faith and Love and Thankfulness to God were continually working had the the greater sense and experience of this inward Joy and Comfort And such was the degree thereof oftentimes that he could not contain himself but he must needs break forth into Songs and Triumph How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth Psal 119.103 O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day ver 97. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the House of my Pilgrimage ver 54. The service of God must needs be tedious and irksome to them that have their minds on something else and think not what a courtesie they do themselves whilst they draw near to God with the Heart What a favour it is to approach such a presence What an Honour it reflects upon them and what advantage there comes in every way to him that offers a Sacrifice fit for God to accept 2. Exhortation SEcondly Having shewed you what an Obstruction Inconsideracy is to the Remembrance of God and instanced in two woful inconveniences that necessarily flow from an incogitant heedless Service of God By this time I hope our Eyes may be a little opened to see what a sin it 's to be defective in so great a Duty as Consideration is and therefore it 's the more seasonable to warn and beseech you that you would not at one dash blot out all true Worship of God and solid Peace and Comfort out of your own Hearts by a sin so inconsistent with the Rational Spiritual Nature that God hath bestowed upon Man Must not he that hath made both Soul and Body be worshiped with both and served with their united strength As the Eye guides the Body so doth Consideration first stir up and then steer and govern the Soul in all its operations and therefore if you leave out that the Soul cannot stir or move suitably to its Nature If then Forgetfulness of God be a sin that you would not for all the World be found guilty of at the great trying day then be sure not lay the Foundation of such a guilt by the neglect of Consideration Use that Faculty in all things if you would they should be wisely pone but fail not to use it in the service of God and in the matters of highest importance And as you have to do with God in all things either mediately or immediately in a nearer or remoter manner so it behoves you to consider if you will discharge the Duty and rightly perform your Work There are but two sorts of Actions that a Man hath a capacity to produce and in both we have to do with God 1. There are some Actions that have God for their Object or something immediately subservient to him and their end also Such are all Actions of Religious Worship whether External as Prayer Praises solemn Invocation of his Name in an assertory or promissory Oath hearing of the Word participation of the Sacraments or Internal as Faith Love Reverence Dependance Trust Submission 2. There are other Actions that have not God but something else for their Object yet they should have God for their Principal and Vltimate End Such are all the Actions where we have to do with Creatures whether They be Acts of Labour Refreshment In Study the Object about which our Action is conversant is that which our thoughts are exercised about whither it be Names or Things In Trafique the Object of our Action is that with or for which we Trafique In Eating and Drinking the Object is our Meat and Drink But the end in all these should be the pleasing of God and the promoting his Glory which is done when we ask Counsel of him and humbly beg his Direction in all these and heartily devote the Knowledge the Strength the Gain which comes in by these Actions
health and strength and friends may prove treacherous and unfaithful all thy worldly hopes may become like a Spiders Web Job 8.14 The Heavens over thy head may turn into darkness and the Sun and Stars may refuse to give their light the Earth may fail under thy feet and reel to and fro and stagger like a Drunken Man and the Inhabitants thereof may be at their wits end but the Word of God will never fail thee it shall be accomplished in despight of all opposing power and the threatnings and promises thereof shall stand when all other things shall fall to the ground and be like water that 's spilt on it that cannot be gathered up again Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot nor tittle of the Word of God shall pass till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 And Mat. 24.35 God that hath established the Earth so firmly though it hang upon nothing and it abideth and shall abide till the great Earthquake shall come he that hath fixed the Ordinances of Heaven and Earth and setled the appointed times and seasons of Spring and Summer Winter and Harvest Day and Night and they continue to this daâ— without variation according to his Decree for all are his servants Psal 119.90 91. and Gen. 8.22 will make good the word that is gone out of his mouth and it shall not return till it hath accomplish'd that which he hath spoken Isa 55.11 And therefore David acknowledgeth that he had magnified his Word above all his Name So much for the matter of our Consideration or the things that we should frequently consider I conclude with that in Psal 107.43 Who so is wise will consider these things and they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. I come in the next place to speak to the manner or to shew how Consideration shold be exercised First after you have lift up your heart to God for the heavenly Light and Assistance set your self seriously to the duty as in his sight and presence Trifling with all matters of moment is inconsistent with the nature of such things and betrays our folly But it is the bane and poison of all Religion and a wicked disparagement both to that and our selves if whatsoever our hand findeth to do we should do it with our might Eccles 9.10 then much more should we rouze up our selves and put to all our strength when we have works of the greatest consequence in our hands we must not be slothful in such business as this is especially but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain is a precept that extends it self to all Religious Acts and strictly forbids a slight and customary performance of them Thou art guilty of Irreverence and contempt of such sacred things and consequently of God himself to whom they are nearly related when thou medlest in them with a careless and wandring spirit and mayest expect that the anger of the Lord should wax hot against thee when thou art so cold in his service If God threatned to spew the Church of Laodicea out of his mouth because she was but lukewarm in his service Rev. 3.16 He will certainly deal worse with them that are stone-cold in their approaches to him The heart and soul of Consideration and all other Religious Acts are wanting when the heart and soul and strength are not imployed in them For when earnestness and serious intention of the mind and heart are deficient it not only turns Religious Acts into meer form but makes them utterly unsuccessful You will miss of your intended purpose when you come to God and seek for mercy in a careless and customary manner you will never obtain wisdom at the hands of God if you know not how to be importunate for it when you are shut up in affliction and misery and cannot get out if you cannot cry aloud and knock at the door of grace it will never be opened to you The Lord will give you a praying spirit fervent in supplication if ever he intend to give you the thing prayed for He will give you a heart seriously to Consider if ever he work the saving truths into your heart if you are not serious in the service of God you cannot be sincere and how well God will accept that service in which sincerity is wanting look into the word of God and Judge The Consideration I am pressing you to is a principal part of Gods Worship I speak not of that which is occasional and ordinary for such Consideration must accompany all your Actions both toward God and men if ever they be prudently managed but of that Consideration which is set and solemn and that requires some time to be set apart for it as well as Prayer and other Duty during which time we must no more intermix our thoughts with worldly matters then we must in Prayer and Hearing and Reading the Word of God But our Meditations must be tied to the most weighty saving truths till we begin to feel the power of them upon our hearts that so they may command our Lives 'T is such serious Consideration as this about the greatest and uncontroverted truths for some set time together till suitable affections and resolutions be kindled in us which is such an excellent part of Gods Worship because it inspires the Soul with Life and Fitness for all other Worship and Service and if you do not awaken and call up the powers of your Soul and seriously imploy them in this work of Consideration you are never like to see the beauty and excellency of these saving truths nor to feel the mighty power of them Ignorance and prejudice have so fast closed the eyes of your understanding that unless you rub hard they will never be opened and the affections are so backward to the most weighty things that unless they be set upon in good earnest and enforced by the evidence and mighty power of these truths they will not stir to any purpose nor ripen your Soul for Practice Secondly You must narrowly watch over your heart and keep it close to the work and when it refuseth you must use the Authority God hath given you over it to compel it Though the Soul hath not that absolute command over its own thoughts and affections which once it had before it rebelled against God yet it hath not quite lost its Soveraignty and power Experience doth sufficiently assure us that we can command our thoughts to this or that subject keep them on it if we will take pains with them even those that want the special Grace of God and are unsanctified in heart can yet bend their thoughts to think on God his Attributes and his Word and Works the Life to come the vanity of Creatures and make very pertinent moving discourses on them else none can Preach but such as are endued with saving Light and Knowledge much more may they command
upon thy Heart and tye them about thy Neck Prov. 6.21 otherwise thou wilt mourn at the last when Soul and Body which thou didst so much pamper are lost and say How have I hated Instruction and my heart thorough inconsideracy despised Reproof nor obeyed the voice of mine own Reason nor inclined mine Ear when from the Word and Works of God she would have instructed me Pro. 5.12 13. There is a Spiritual as well as an Earthly Husbandry which is the ground of all holy thriving and fruitfulness and Consideration if any thing would Till the Heart and Manure the Affections and root Grace in the inward and make it put forth and flourish in the outward man and God would second it with his Heavenly Showres and bless the springing thereof Psal 65.10 And as Solomon saith He that Tilleth his Land shall be satisfied with bread Prov. 12.11 so much more he that Tilleth his Heart by daily Meditation and exercise of Grace shall find encrease And I may truly say in Allusion to that in Prov. 13.23 Much spiritual encrease is in the Tillage of the Heart but there is that which is destroyed for want of Consideration and Judgment I shall detain the Reader no longer from the Treatise it self if he hath any time to spare for such a Subject but only recommend him and the Matters here mentioned to the blessing of God that they may succeed to his greater Glory and their Eternal Felicity that may read it which is the unfeigned Prayer of him that is Your true Servant in the Lord and well-wisher W. D. Psal 50.22 Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. xxii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IT 's not much material whether David or Asaph were the Author of this Psalm some ascribe it to one some to the other The reason of the Doubt seems to be the Inscription or the Title of the Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie either to Asaph or for Asaph It is most likely that David composed the Psalm and directed it to Asaph or his successours that had the charge of the Musick of the Temple to compose and prick it to some Tune But however the Scope and Drift of the Psalm is to reprove the Jews who had transformed the Worship of God into meer Pomp and Ceremony and were come up to that degree of Blindness and Absurdity that they thought their Sacrifices and Oblations and the constant performances of all that was visible to the Eye was highly accepted of God though their hearts were full of the filth of Lust and Concupiscence and all manner of odious Impiety hence one of their great Rabbins sticks not to expound that in the 66. Psal 18. v. If I regaerd iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayers interogatively viz. Though I regard iniquity c. will not God hear my Prayers Yes surely he will Hence they are charged by the Prophet for this very Crime and God protests against such service with great Indignation as if he had never instituted and appointed it Who hath required this at your hands Isa 1.12 And he upbraids them with their outward oblations as if they had bin meerly their own Invention and wholy beside his order Isai 66.3 He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs neck and yet its notorious enough that God commanded these Sacrifices why then doth he not approve the Execution of his own commands The truth is God appointed these External Rites and visible Symbols of his worship But it was in Conjunction with the inward and more principal worship and whilst they came in Company with that they were accepted But when they began to Divorce what God had tyed together by such a flat necessity And when they made no Conscience of the Moral and Spiritual part of Gods worship but all their care was for the Ceremonial part It was high time for God to shew how he was distasted with such a bodily service as this that had neither life nor spirit and therefore nothing that suited with his Nature who is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth as well as in form and shew And therefore the Psalmist the better to awake them summons them before the Tribunal of God as ready to proceed to a fearful sentence against them This manner of speech by Parables Types and Representations of things that were not but supposed to be were schemes of Rhetorick familiar to that People for the more powerful working on the Affections But here God by a Prolepsis being about to judge is introduced with circumstances of Majesty and Terror v. 3. Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a Fire shall devour before him and shall be very Tempestuous round about him with some allusion to the dreadful appearance of God at Mount Sinai when he gave the Law now comes to require an account of it with as terrible an appearance v. 4. He shall call to the Heavens above that is the Angels to cite and gather these guilty Sinners before Him that were like to speed so much the worse because they were in league with God Sanctified by an external Covenant made with him but yet treacherously and perfidiously broken therefore called Saints Gather my Saints together those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice v. 5. Then comes in the charge ver 7. Hear O my people which is amplyfied to the end of the Psalm and the folly and unbecomingness of such a worship detected and set forth to the life which that stupid people presented him with instead of Service worthy so glorious a Majesty Do you think that Bullocks and He Goats are things that I Regard If I had such a delight in these as you take me to have I have no need to come to you for every Beast of the Forest is mine and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowles of the Mountains v. 10 11. If I were hungry I would not tell thee See what gross conceits they had of God as if he had an appetite after the flesh of Bulls and the blood of Goats v. 12 13. whether they were so sottish as to think that God did feed upon such Diet as this and did take pleasure in it by a plain and direct apprehension it matters not much be sure they were guilty of such a Sin by consequence and interpretation whilst they could go on with so much confidence in the oblation of such Sacrifices when their hearts were perfectly destitute of any Love and Reverence of God and their hands were full of Rapine and Blood and used no attention of Mind to consider what these outward Sacrifices did signifie to them And then in the 14. ver he shews them the true and acceptable worship after he had confuted their
they cannot want instruction if they will go for it to almost every Church about them or to their knowing Neighbours and desire to be instructed It 's one of these two or both that undoes all the World uncatechised Head and an unmortified Heart He that hath an honest Heart and a willing Mind cannot want the knowledge that is necessary to Salvation and wo to them that want this knowledge for the Lord Jesus shall shortly be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire to take Vengeance on all that know not God Shun Ignorance therefore for he that knows not God cannot Remember him Thirdly Flee Inconsideracy for next to Ignorance this is the great impediment to this Remembrance and your own Happiness Wherefore hath God given thee a Faculty to consider and bestowed Reason on thee Wherefore hath he set his Word and Works before thee Doth he not mean to draw forth thy thoughts thereby that thou mayst consider and reap the benefit and give God the Glory The most concerning weighty truth will do no good and never affect thy Heart unless they be considered Though you know and believe that God is the Spring-head from whence all your Mercies come and that he hath redeemed you by his Son and offereth to save you by his Spirit and Word if you will but come unto Christ by Faith yet if you consider not these things no wonder if you make light of Christ no wonder if you trample his Blood under your Feet and go your â—way one to his Farm another to his Merchandize and take the happiness the World will afford you though it be at the Plow and Cart in rising early and sitting up late and in the hardest Toyl and Labour rather than believe in the Son of God or spend an hour in Prayer or reading the Word of God that you may Remember him that hath made all things and to whom all the World is but a shadow Though you believe that the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God and that all that die in impenitency shall be sentenced to the Eternal Flames yet if you shut these thoughts out of your minds and will not consider them what wonder if you live as if there were no such things What though you believe that the hour is coming in which all that are in the Grave shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of Life John 5.28 29. yet if you consider not what God hath prepared for them that love him no wonder if you be weary and faint in the way Consideration openeth the Eye and softneth the Heart and maketh you feel the force and power of truth If you shut your Eyes by inconsideration the most taking Objects will never move you and the most fearful sight will never fright you Though it is impossible to perswade a Man whose Eyes are open to run into the Fire or Water or throw himself down a Precipice yet going on and shuts his Eyes will not long escape one mischief or another you will go with the Ox to the slaughter and with the Fool to the correction of the Stocks if you consider not that it is for your Life O how many are now roaring in the unquenchable Fire that would never have come there if they had but considered O how many forget God and their own Souls day after day that would not that could not do so if they did but seriously consider What madness hath filled the Heart of Man that he should be backward to nothing more than to consider whilst it may do him good and when every thought will cut his Heart he will follow the work close and do nothing else but reflect upon and bewail his misery As consideration if it be timely followed and wisely managed is the best and usual instrument on mans part to bring a foolish careless senseless sinner to his wits again So Consideration when it is too late is the greatest instrument to put him quite out of his Wits and to fill his Heart with raging down-right madness for ever You will not be perswaded to consider now what you are doing and whither you are going and why God hath made you and given you life and time but mark what a Prophet tells you that cannot be deceived 〈…〉 In the latter days you shall consider it perfectly and no tongue shall be able to perswade you to the contrary As corrupt Nature is backward to nothing more than consideration whilst the day of mercy lasteth so he is prone to nothing more after this day is past and gone and as he will not consider now so he shall not then avoid it Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed 〈…〉 If you would therefore Remember God to your comfort and not to your terror shun Inconsideracy and fill your Hearts with matter from the daily observation of Gods Word and Works to feed your consideration I might insist more largely upon the hindrances and shew you what impediments 1. Pride 2. Discontent 3. and Worldliness are to this Remembrance but I wave them and proceed to the positive Directions First If you would get a comforting worthy Remembrance of God into your Heart then get your Heart deeply affected with the mischief that sin hath done you and the love and compassion that Christ hath shewed to you If you understand not what God made you at the first and for what an honourable high and noble end and how much your Nature is distorted and though you could not help it that you took such a perverse Nature from your Parents yet you have too much given your Actual Consent in that you have not bewailed and lamented your case in any considerable measure to this day If you know not what ever sin deserveth nor see so much evil in it as that it should deserve the penalty that God hath threatned nor consider what number of sins you have been guilty of and to what a degree of guilt they have been aggravated by you and what a necessity there was that you should perish everlastingly unless God should deny himself which the Apostle tells us he cannot do â— Tim. 2.13 and suffer his Justice Wisdom and Holiness to lie under disgrace and reproach if Christ had not undergone the wrath of God and so stop'd the mouth of Justice vindicated the Law of God made Transgression odious and ingag'd to bring the sinners to Repentance that should partake of the Fruits of his Death and to humble them in the sense of their former wickedness and to restore the Image of God in them again and to bring them to the love of his service again which before their Repentance and Conversion they do naturally hate and abhor If you do not understand what Christ hath done for you already and what he will do by his Spirit to the changing of your Hearts If
no rest till it hath enforced consent and resolution to obey These Truths are of two sorts 1. Some are Physick and meerly purgative 2. Others are Cordial and such as are restorative and comforting And although there is reluctancy enough in the distempered Soul of Man to both these yet he nauseats these of the first rank most and hath the greatest enmity to them He doth not relish the second sort but he perfectly hates the first sort the reason is because these Truths which I call Medicinal work directly upon the disturbing Humour and filthy Matter that must be evacuated and east out before we can find any Gust or Savour in those other Truths that are Nutritive and Cordial What aversness is there in the corrupt Nature of Man to admit those Truths into the Heart that cross either 1. The Interest or 2. The Inclination of the Flesh and that strike all the Heart and Root of the Old Man and that teach Self-denial that is the mortification of inward Lusts and the contempt of all outward Objects so far as they feed and nourish them And will a Man ever pull out his right Eye and cut off his right Hand for his Pride and his Passion and his Intemperance and his Petulary and Lasciviousness or any other Lust to which his Nature prompts him are as dear to him as his most beloved Members and will a Man ever digest such truths as these or take them into any place of strength that are such bloody enemies to his raging prevailing Lusts and arm and mortifie them against so dear and near a part of him This can never be done till Consideration make it appear that the Man is undone for ever and had better he had never been born be he never so rich and honourable in the World in whom there is any reigning Lust or Corruption till frequent thoughts convince him thoroughly that he that saveth such a Life as this shall lose it and a better But on the other side he that kills his Corruptions and suffereth no sin to prevail but mortifieth every one of these Members that make up the Body and the Life of the Old Man he that loseth such a Life as this shall find it and prove an unspeakable gainer Mark 8.35 Let me instance more particularly in some truths that must go before a worthy Remembrance of God which can never get into the Heart and work to any purpose till they be fermented by Consideration 1. It 's an easie Truth and very obvious to Man's understanding That God is the chief Good and our true happiness consisteth in his Love and Goodness This is the master Principle and Foundation of all Religion and inspires all practical Truths and the duty depends upon them with Breath and Life and were it well thought upon it would make a mighty change and alteration in the World you may see by what it does upon some that do consider it what it would do upon others if they were not inconsiderate In that proportion that Men consider this Truth and believe it they will study to please God and resemble him in all his imitable Perfections and their Love and Hatred will imitate his They will follow after Peace and Holiness without which daily Consideration assures them they can never see God Heb. 12.14 And they will have no Fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness because God hateth them Eph. 5.11 None in sensu morali though not in sensu physico Where that that falls short of a ruling mastering degree in Morality is said not to be And the Scripture frequently speaks after the same rate But he that lives after the Flesh and minds earthly things and blesseth himself in all worldly happiness cannot consider the fore-mentioned Truth and therefore is guilty of this Folly because he doth not consider It 's another weighty truth That we are fallen from God and Happiness into a state of Sin and Misery and shall never know what true Happiness means till we return We were made after his Likeness at the first and whilst we kept the stamp of his Image on us were happy in his Favour and Love and all Creatures were ready at our beck and service and Sorrow and Misery stood afar off and came not near us but having now provoked God and lost his Image we are now unspeakably miserable and in the path-way to Eternal Misery And what 's the reason that there are so few that are affected at the Heart with their condition that loath themselves that cry out of this bondage and would be set at liberty and restored into favour again but because there are but few that consider it The rest of their minds are taken up with other things and with worldly vanities and such disturbing thoughts as these are at the first are not permitted to enter which if they be not frequent and serious till the Soul hath got a full sight of the evil of Gods displeasure and sin that hath provoked it and the necessity and blessedness of his Favour These Truths though they should be taken in or assented to they will lie crude and raw upon the Stomach and never digest into good nourishment and be distributed into Life and Practice Consideration must awaken the Soul out of its Stupidity and Insensibleness which is Natural to all or else it will sleep into everlasting Death 3. A third plain but necessary and important Truth is That we are undone for ever unless we feel our Sin and Misery so as to confess it with inward shame and be humbled under it into that degree of Brokenness and Contrition that Salvation by Christ is the most welcome news that ever we heard or can hear insomuch that we embrace him with the highest love and respect and do heartily consent to be governed by him till he hath subdued our Corruptions sanctified us by his Spirit and made us meet for love and favour of God again But none can ever feel the worth and necessity of Christ and renewing Grace who have not set this matter by Consideration frequently before your Eyes It 's true of the Intellectual as well as the Corporal Eye out of sight out of mind what we see not by Consideration we shall never mind nor care for You will slight the greatest Truths and lie still in any state in the World though never so uneasie rather than part with sin and come to Christ if you do not consider that your sin will be bitterness in the end and Christ will make amends for all that do or suffer for him There be many other Truths in which I might instance What 's the reason that matters of such a consequence and weight and so certain and out of doubt as Death and the Resurrection and the Glory of Heaven and the Torments of Hell should work no more and make Men solicitous about them Why do Men die before they were aware and in such a careless and unprepared state Why do they
to the befriending of his Interest Now in both these sorts of Action as I have already hinted we have chiefly to do with God who is principally concerned and therefore both of them must be guided by the Law of God for the matters and manner of them that they may attain their end but do this if you can without Consideration The Heart is deceitful above all things and desparatly wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 It will make you believe that your intentions are upright and that God's Honour is aimed at when there is nothing else If therefore you would not be deceived believe not your own Hearts much less the Tongues of others that would flatter you into a good opinion of your selves Judge not according to an outward sudden appearance of things but judge Righteous Judgments But this you can never do if you Consider not There are depths in the Heart of Man depths in all his Actions depths in the Word of God which is the rule of them The Devil hath a deep reach in his Temptations whereby he sets upon us and manageth his Work with the greatest Art and Cunning. The baits that he useth are not easily discerned Vice and Wickedness is specious oftentimes Truth and Honesty appears in a disguise and seem on a sudden like him that was the perfection of Beauty to have no Form nor Comeliness in them Esay 53.2 Without Consideration you can never search these Mysteries nor wade thorough these Depths The careless and inconsiderate Man will be taken and insnared he will catch at a shew instead of a Substance He will embrace an Appearance instead of Death and the way will seem right in his Eyes the end whereof is the way of Truth It 's a fearful charge which the Prophet Esay fastens upon the careless Jews Esay 59.8 There is no Judgment in their goings they discern not where is safety nor where is danger Such Persons he knew could not escape Destruction If you Consider not there can be no judgment in your goings you will be in danger every step you tread you will never find out your duty nor be able to perform it neither Faith nor Reason will bear any sway in the course of your Life for Consideration puts these into power and authority but Sense will rule you and you will live after the Flesh and so must take what follows The Apostle tells you what that is Rom. 8.13 If you live after the Flesh ye shall die and Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to his Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption 1. Perdition If then you would not bring such a shameful reproach upon Humane Nature and live like a Brute in the shape of a Man nor like an Infidel under the disguise of a Christian nor reap the fruit of a Sensual Fleshly Life use Consideration I say again live under the power of Consideration The Consideration which I commend to thee is two sold viz. Of the End Means It is the work and business of every Man both good and bad 1. To design an End and 2. To pursue that End and compass his designed intent by the surest means he can possible The End of a worldling is to thrive and grow rich and therefore it is his daily Study and Practice to compass his End his Thoughts Affections and Actions are all busied in contriving and endeavouring to grow rich The End of a Christian is to grow rich also but not in worldly Riches but in the Grace of God not to add House to House and Field to Field Esay 5.8 But to add to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge 2 Pet. 1.5 And to grow up to the full assurance of Understanding Col. 2.2 What makes the one so Wise Provident and Judicious and the other so Weak and Shallow and so defective in his very Reason and Choice It 's this only that makes the difference the one hath weighed and considered these things and set the one against the other and tried them in an even ballance the other takes that comes first and prefers a present Pleasure that he tastes and feels though it be for a short and uncertain time before an everlasting Felicity that he hath no sight of but he must take upon the meer credit of God's Word Doth that Man that looks no higher than how to fare deliciously every day and to get a little better Wooll upon his Back than others and to rustle in Silk and gaudy Attire and to domineer over others and to have his Commands fulfilled though they be never so absurd and unreasonable Indeed Consider that his Life will not always last that his Dream will quickly end Doth he that is got into the Saddle and makes a greater bustle and stir than his poorer Brethren and tramples under his Feet that doth oppose him and that will not bow down that he may go over them or make a stirrop of them to climbe up into a higher degree of Pride and Ambition Doth such a one consider that he must come down at last If he had considered this he would never have made such a foolish Choice as this and neglected God and his Soul for such a flying Sensual Happiness as this is Doth that Man that wanders after the World and le ts out his Heart to any present Enjoyments and feeds upon Air and the Breath of a few lying deceived Men whilst he seeks not the Approbation of God by an Humble Holy and Heavenly Life know and consider what Dung and Dross he hath prefered before an Eternal Crown of Glory Let the event prove who was the wisest and most considering Man she that hath chosen Heaven or he that hath chosen Earth he that hath renounced God or he that hath renounced the World and who is the most weak and crack'd Brain'd Person he that studies to please God or he that studies to humour the Flesh and to satisfie the Lusts thereof I do not intend by what hath been spoken to disparage any of these lower Comforts that are used with Consideration Thankfulness and Sobriety and that do not lift up Mens Hearts with Pride and Insolency and make them the more Impious Oppressive and Intollerable the more they have of them nor negligent in their study to please God and care to promote that which is right in his sight But my design is to shew the Vertue of Consideration that makes such a vast difference between Man and Man and makes the one to dig so deep and lay his Foundation so sure that his Happiness shall last for ever and the other to chuse the Happiness that shall last but two or three score years at longest it may be not the tenth part so long And as Consideration makes so vast a difference in the Ends that Men design and intend and makes one chuse Heaven and an Eternal Life with God for his Portion and Treasure and to set his Heart upon it and to make it his ultimate End And another for want
of it to set his Heart on a little fading Beauty Lying Honour Perishing Riches or unsatisfying Pleasure or Carnal Wisdom to be guilty of the greatest Folly that he may swagger a little while So it makes as wide difference in the Means and prevails with some to humble them that God may in his due time exalt them to emyloy their thoughts how to mortifie their Affections to the World how to strengthen the Love of God to root their Faith more deeply by a more frequent Exercise of it and how to get their Hearts more affected with the wonderful love of Christ This makes them so frequent in Prayer so attentive upon the Word so intent upon all Christs appointed Means that they may increase in Spiritual Understanding and Love when the Inconsiderate can dispence with these for a little worldly Gain or Ease and prefer Earthly Toyl and Labour before a little pains to get the true Wisdom and to save their Souls In the Name of God therefore I beseech you to consider if you would not be guilty of the greatest dotage and miscarry in the choice of your End and consequently of all the means If you would not take a Dream for Happiness and spend your Strength for nought and be forced to confess your Folly when you come to die Force your selves to Consider especially when you have the best advantages to promote Consideration when you have Time Leisure Health seasonable Instruction from the Word and Providence of God and you feel more sensible Conviction of the worth of God's Favour and the vanity of all things then consider and set it home and drive on to a Resolution to forget God no longer Consideration will help you to do this if you will follow it and encourage your selves to it and not check your Minds when they are thus employed Plead not your Ignorance and Unskilfulness do it as well as you can and use will make you more expert much less plead your Impotency and pretend that you are utterly unable If a little Worldly Trouble come upon you you can consider how to get out or shake off the Trouble If you are under a Reproach and a little Contempt of Men you can Consult and Consider how you may wipe it off and vindicate your Name and Credit But oh what thoughts of Heart and wise and deep Consideration to secure Life it self and the Comforts that are nearest and dearest to it These are Signs that we have the Faculty and can Consider about those things that we value or have any love to That Men are therefore so Inconsiderate in the Concernments of their Souls and about the matters of another Life It 's an evident Sign they value them not they care not for them to awaken such therefore and put them upon this great and necessary Work I shall suggest these following Proposals Incentives to Consideration FIrst You have matters of the greatest importance and necessity to Consider If it were only to live happily here and to escape the miseries of this Life it 's worth Consideration to bring this about but it is an Everlasting Life and Happiness that we are to provide for which if we do not compass it 's not the loss of this that will be our only Misery though it be an unspeakable unvaluable Loss But you must bear also the Wrath of God that will kindle on you like a devouring Fire and the Fury of a guilty awakened Conscience that will fall upon you like a Tempest and fright your Soul into Everlasting Dread and Horror And doth it not mightily concern us to Consider how to escape all this If thou hast any love to thy own Soul when the Qustion is whether thou shalt live or die for ever thou wilt Consider and thoroughly resolve thy self If thou hadst lost a dear and powerful Friend on whose Favour all thy Worldly Hopes did depend thou wouldst not refuse to let thy Thoughts run upon such a Subject as this is neither would it be tedious to thee to Consider how thou mightest obtain thy Pardon and regain his Favour The case is Ten thousand times worse incomparably more sad You have lost the Favour of God and are fallen under his Displeasure and you are like to perish for ever unless Consideration bring you to bewail your loss and sin which is the cause of it and bring you to Repentance and so prepare you to believe in Christ If you had some great business to dispatch intricate and doubtful you would endanger your Estate or Life if it were either neglected or imprudently managed who would not summon up all the Reason that he hath and consider well how he may dispatch it as successfully as he can And do you not perceive how absurd it is to be careless how your present Life is ordered that must decide the Case and Detriment how you shall live for ever and not to Consider and that to purpose how you may get Christ for your Friend to procure your Acceptance with God how to get the Holy Spirit of Promise to dwell in you to turn the stream of your Affections from Earth to Heaven and to subdue your Corruptions and to fortifie and encourage you against Temptations to put you upon your Duty and to enable you to a right Performance You will lay by such works as this or do it in a mad and careless fashion if you do not Consider why and how it must be done It 's Consideration that must shew you the truth and certainty of the Life to come the Glory of Heaven and what an intollerable loss it is to fall short of it It 's that must shew you what a Debter you are to God and to your Redeemer and the worth and excellency of your Soul and the necessity of a renewed Holy Nature and of an Humble and Self-denial Life Consideration I say must needs shew these things and affect your Heart with them and make you sensible how much they do import and how nearly they do concern you or you will never do them you 'll rather take the brutish Enjoyments that Inconsideracy will make you relish and chuse the Pleasures of Delirancy and Madness rather than pay so dear for true Wisdom as you must if you are a stranger to the fore-mentioned Consideration I say pay dear in respect of the Flesh and it's sinful Contentments which must lose their Lives in the Service of God and your own Souls though it will be unspeakably cheap when you have paid the most in this kind O how doth it import us to know God as our Maker Lord and Governour in such a manner as doth affect and captivate our Hearts to a voluntary and wilful subjection to him as our only Felicity How much doth it concern us to get such a clear sight of his amiable lovely Nature and most transcendent Persections as may possess our Souls with the highest Reverence of him and kindle the strongest love to him that the Remembrance
Righteous art thou O Lord in the Sentence which thou hast passed in the Judgment which thou hast executed Psal 119.137 Thou hast poured forth thy wrath and indignation on them and given them gall and bitterness to drink for they are worthy You shall then wish that your faculty to consider were gone it will follow you so close and be such a perpetual honour to you or rather that you had never had reason and understanding to consider then you might have both liv'd and died like a beast Whereas now though you have liv'd like a beast that you must die like a man that hath Memory Reason Foresight Judgment and Affections that will all conspire together to overwhelm you with eternal shame Why had I reason will the Soul say then but to prevent this misery Why had I will to choose when Life and Death were set before me and could choose no better Had it not been a wiser course to have troubled my self a little while with some few Thoughts of it then now to feel it for ever Why did God threaten Hell and destruction in his Word and set it forth with so much Terrour to mine apprehensions but that I might consider and escape it Why did he appoint the Ministerial Office but that knowing the Terrours of the Lord they might perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 What could nothing prevail with one but what I now feel and must forever undergo Think not to say then I had not time to consider neither had I skill to follow such a work as this It 's not so much a knowing Head as an honest Heart that 's required to this work The Truths are but few and plain that thy Heart is to dwell upon and the certainty of them is beyond all doubt and question Whatever difference of Opinion there may be in other things yet here is no controversy all are agreed that man hath an Immortal Soul that there is a Life to come That the Happiness of man lies in these two things 1. In being like to God 2. In loving him and being loved by him that sin hath made us unlike to him and therefore must be repented of That Christ will purge away their guilt and sin and renew them by his Spirit that love him and consent to be ruled by him and will take him for their Physitian That there is a day in which God will summon all the World before him and Judge them Impartially according as they have believed or not believed in Christ to everlasting joy or 〈◊〉 These things are certain in the highest 〈◊〉 and there is none that doubteth 〈…〉 but either an Atheist or an 〈…〉 are the Truths that God hath 〈…〉 in great mercy and compassion 〈…〉 commanded every one 〈…〉 Poer and Rich 〈…〉 think upon when they are 〈…〉 when they are walk 〈…〉 when they lye down and 〈…〉 they rise up and to teach them diligently to their Children and to live as those that do believe and consider them Woe to the man or woman that considers not these things good it had been for him or her if they had never been born Wilt thou not think of those things It is because thou art void of understanding and hast chose the way of destruction If thou wilt not be perswaded now to consider thou wilt forget thy latter end thou wilt forget thine Immortal Soul and God will be forgotten and a little sensual pleasure will weigh more with thee than Eternal Life and Happiness And when the day of thy dishress is come upon thee thou wilt wish that thou hadst rather forgot to eat thy Bread than these things should have been forgotten and to fill up thy measure and make thee perfectly miserable God will forget thee forever Psal 50.22 Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tare you in peices and there be none to aeliver I Have set some of the Motives before you that should stir you up to Consideration and shewed you in part what a mischief it is for this faculty to lie dead which is given us by God to quicken those that are dead to the Life of Grace and Holiness and to make them strong and lively and vigorous Christians that are quickned by the spirit of Christ and have set their affections upon things above and not upon things here on Earth This is the way that God hath prescribed for Rational Creatures to get home to God that are revolted from him and to recover their affections to the right owner that are intangled in the love of Earth and vanity If they would but consider would feed upon Swinish pleasures no longer nor suffer their Souls to be charmed with more delusion nor prefer the imaginary dream of a sluggard before the happiness of a man that is awake and whose eyes are open Consideration would shew such a man the difference between Earth and Heaven rectify his judgment in this great point viz. where mans happiness lies And tell him roundly how the world hath cheated him with more shews and phantastick pleasures and put a picture into his hand instead of real felicity It would clear his Eye-sight and make him quite of another mind than once he was when Inconsideracy had blinded him and the world had befool'd him and he would see much more reason to live in the love of God looking for the mercies of his Redeemer unto eternal Life Jude the 21. than ever he did to live in carnal love and delights Consideration would bring the world and all its pleasures as much into disgrace as ever Inconsideracy brough◠them into credit And men that snatch'd at the riches and vain glory of the world before as a sweet bit to be purchased upon any terms would after they are enlightened by Consideration suspect all its soberest pleasures and those that come in upon the fairest terms What a Confession should you have from such a man of the foolishness and madness of his former Conversation when he liv'd upon Air and Trash as other Inconsiderate men still do Such a one as Paul's Tit. 3.3 For we our selves saith he describing his state before Consideration undeceived him were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures Then you should hear him bitterly accuse and condemn the soberest course he formerly took when the World had the Supremacy in his mind and heart Strange it would be to see a man so much altered for the better and advanced to such an improvement in knowledge and vertue as by impartial sober and considerate Thoughts might be done He was it may be before a covetous busie worldling that scrap'd and dig'd his happiness out of the dirt and said it up on Earth Whose God was his belly whose glory was his shame that minded Earthly things Phil. 3.19 But now his conversation is in Heaven and there he hath laid up his Treasure And digs for Wisdom as for Silver and searcheth for it as for hid Treasure Prov. 2.4 And his delight
assisted in preparing their hearts and exciting their affections and graces when they draw nigh to God in that most awful solemn Ordinance of the Lords Supper By John Flavel Minister of Christ in Devon Duodecimo price 1 s. 6 d. A peaceable resolution of Conscience touching our present Impositions wherein Loyalty and Obedience are proposed and setled upon their true Foundation in Scripture Reason and Constitution of this Kingdom against all resistance of the present Powers and with compliance with the Laws so far as may be in order to Union with a Draught or Specimen for a Bill for Accommodation Octavo price 2 s. A Memento for English Protestants c. with an Answer to that part of the Compendium which reflects on the Bishop of Lincolns late Book Quarto price 1 s. 6 d. Naked Truth the first Part being the true state of the Primitive Church by an humble Moderator price stitcht 1 s Causa Dei or an Apology for God wherein the perpetuity of Infernal Torments is evinced and Divine Goodness and Justice that notwithstanding descended c. By Richard Burthogge M.D. The Narrative of Robert Bolron of Shippon Hall Gent. concerning the late horrid Popish Plot. The Narrative of Lawrence Mowbray of Leeds in the County of York Gent. concerning the late horrid Popish Plot. Tully's Select Orations All Mr. Gouges Works Octavo Horrid Popish Plot in a Pack of Cards A second Pack continuing a Representation of their Villanous Design from the publication of the first Pack to the last Sessions of Parliament begun Octob. 21. 1680. A third Defence of the Cause of Peace proving 1. The need of our Concord 2. The impossibility of it on the terms of the present Impositions against the Accusations and Storms of viz. Mr. John Hinckley a nameless Impleader a nameless Reflecter or Speculum c. Mr. John Cheney's second Accusation Mr. Roger L'Estrange Justice c. The Dialogue between the Pope and a Phanatick J. Varney's Phanatick Prophesie Sacra Unio or an Holy Union chiefly proposed to the Divided Protestants in England and extensively to all other Christians abroad in the world according in Fundamentals and disowning the Popes Supremacy and Image-worship Whereto is added this needful advice that they all bear one with another in things which they cannot yet in their Conscience agree upon as Rites Ceremonies and Discipline together with the Protestants Religion 's Fundamental Doctrine and four Tables containing the Popish Religion at large and Grecian and Abasine and Muscovian written at this time of need in English and Latin for the good and Conservation of all true Protestants in Europe and all other good Christians in other parts of the world where the Latin is understood By Christopher Jelinger M. A. Some Arguments to assure and perswade the Infallible Truth and Divine Authority of Scripture for the Exercise of that part of Faith that consists in the Intellects Assent Argument I. THose Writings whose Pen-men were Authorized and approved by God must needs be of Divine Authority But the Writings of the Old and New Testament had such Pen-men Therefore c. The Major Proposition is beyond all doubt and past dispute The Minor Proposition viz. That the Pen-men of the Old and New Testament were Men Authorized and approved by God in that very Work is evident in that these Writers did attest and prove the Inspiration they did pretend to by frequent Reall and uncontrouled Miracles which none but God could enable them to do For First They were unquestionably above the power of meer Man Secondly These Writers thereof must derive their power from some invisible Author either Good or Bad But from the Devil or any bad Spirit they could not For First Some at least of those Miracles which were wrought by the Pen-men of the Old and New Testament were without the Spehre of all natural Causation and were such as no created Cause or meer natural Agent can possibly produce by the meer stock of their own strength Now the bad Spirits are no better than Creatures and can work no other waies but by natural Efficiency and Causation and therefore could not do some of these works Such was the Raising of the Dead to Life and the giving sight to those which were born perfectly blind Not to instance in any other Though perchance to cure all sorts of Diseases with a word and in a moment is more than the Devil can seemingly imitate or any one can do that hath not assistance from God Now the Rule is certain A privatione ad habitum non datur Regressus naturaliter if the privation be Total Nam productio totius entis entis ex materiâ prorsus ineptâ are the Specialties of God alone and Prerogatives Royal annexed to his Crown who hath ordained the constant course of Causes and Effects which we call Nature or the Course of Nature and hath made all those Agents that work in that orderly Course which we call Natural Causes Secondly If the evil Spirits could do such works as these which yet they cannot as hath been proved yet it would be inconsistent with the infinite Wisdom Truth and Goodness and the nature and being of that Government which as supreme Rector of Mankind he doth exercise to suffer his Creatures to be thus deluded and to leave Man under an Impossibility of ever attaining to the knowledge of his Will in a rational way and by such objective Evidence as may work conviction upon his own Faculties and the Faculties of others with whom he shall discourse Thirdly And yet if the Devil could do such works and God should permit him neither of which can be as hath been made appear yet it would not consist with his own interest to countenance and credit such Writers as these were and to Confirm Such a Doctrin that 's so destructive to his nature and that tends so visibly to the overthrow of his Kingdom For if Satan were thus divided and should fight after this desperate Manner against himself his Kingdom could not stand Mat. 12.25 Which is the very strength of our Saviours Argument when he was calumniated by the Jews to have wrought those mighty works which he did by the Power of Belzebub Undoubtedly either the Devil himself must want that that 's Essential to an Intelligent Being c. Spirit and void utterly of all understanding or else the man must that can think the Devil would so effectually promote his own Downfal and strike such a blow at the very Root of his own kingdom For we see by Experience where this Doctrine is once received the worship of Devils and all Magick Arts and impious Practices do forthwith vanish And the one true God is served with detestation of Devils And the Doctrine of Christ for Confirmation whereof these works were done forbids us to worship Devils and draws us away from all pollutions wherewith the evil Spirits are delighted Whose power and Force was broken by Christ's coming as Porphyry himself