be sure to have free place Where the light of knowledge is not set up by Catechising there the deeds of darkness will be sure to break forth Where there is no spâ—aking to God by Prayer nor speaking of God by Catechising you may be sure there will be speaking against God and all the wayes of holiness 4. It is the ground of that barrenness and unfruitfulness under the Means of grace that is to be found amongst many in these dayes For were Children and Servants better Catechised they would better understand the mysteries of the Gospel and much more profit by the Ministry of the Word than they do It is found by experience that the most intelligent and best practised hearers are such as have been well Catechised and instructed The seed which thou thus timely sowest will spring up to a plentifull harvest 4. Such Parents and Masters as neglect this duty do what in them lyeth to damn their Children and Servants as well as themselves For how can it be expected but that those Children and Servants who through want of the light of knowledge walk in darkness should unavoidably stumble into hell Oh that so many Parents and Masters should be so cruel and unnatural to their Children and Servants as to neglect this duty the blood of souls is upon you Obj. Against this so necessary a duty some are apt to object and say To what purpose should we Catechise our Children considering that through the tenderness of their years they are not capable of the Mysteries of Salvation A. 1. Though Children are not so capable of apprehending cleerly the mysteries of salvation as they will be afterwards yet none can deny them to understand so much as to be capable of the seeds of grace which daily experience confirmeth 2. It is found by sad experience that Children uncatechised as they grow in years so they grow in sin and wickedness whereby they become more backward and untoward to the learning of any thing that is good yea and opposite thereunto If you do not the Devil will Catechise them betimes and of him they will quickly learn O prevent as much as may be that enemies sowing his tares be before hand with him take the first season to cast in your good seed The first season is the fittest season Obj. Should we constantly observe these Religious exercises in our Families which you thus press upon us we should hinder our servants work and thereby hazard our estates and so shew our selves worse than Infidels A. 1. This is a meer delusion of Satan to keep you from the discharge of your duty For know assuredly that the time spent in religious exercises with your Family is so far from hindering your servants work that it will rather further it and bring such a blessing upon it that shall return upon your selves For profit and increase is the gift of God who will give it to such as fear him and observe his commandments Oh then say not of Family-duties as Iudas did of that oyntment which Mary poured on our Saviours feet why is this waste Think not that time waste and lost which is spent in the service of God and in the performance of the duties of your places and relations 2. A wilfull neglect of Family-duties is like to bring the curse of God upon your estates yea upon your selves and all that belong unto you Read what Moses saith in Deut. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20. 3. Who can produce the man that did really suffer in his estate by the loss of that time which he spent with and for God Surely as the whetting of the Sythe is no hinderance but rather a furtherance of the Workman So the exercises of Religion can be no hinderance to your Family-affairs but rather a great furtherance unless you think this an hinderance to stay to take Gods blessing along with you without which what are all your own and servants pains but vain and fruitless 4. Suppose you should suffer somewhat in your estate by the loss of that time which you spend upon Religion you will have no cause to repent thereof For whilest others with Martha are carefull and troubled about Worldly things thou with Mary hast chosen the better part Thou hast lost a little of thy Temporals to gain Spirituals and Eternals for thy self and thine How wise are those men who prefer Temporals before their Eternals and will advance their estates upon the ruines of their souls CHAP. IX Of Sabbath sanctification in Families IV. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents Masters and governours of Families is To look to the sanctification of the Lords-Day to see that the Christian Sabbath be sanctified as by themselves so by their whole Family even by all under their charge This is expressly enjoyned in the fourth Commandment which is directed not so much to Children and Servants as to Parents and Masters of Families who are there commanded not only in their own persons to keep holy the Sabbath day but to see that their Children and Servants do it also For thus the Commandment runs The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant Which Phrase as Zanchy well noteth implyeth that it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to see that their Children and Servants do not any way prophane the Sabbath-day but that they keep it as an holy rest The sanctification of the Sabbath consists 1. In a resting upon the day 2. In a consecrating that rest to the Worship and service of God Therefore it is the duty of all Parents and Masters of Families to take care that both themselves and all under their charge do keep it 1. As a day of rest 2. As an holy rest I. As a day of rest resting in special from all the works of their ordinary calling The very name Sabbath which in Hebrew signifieth rest and the express prohibition in the fourth Commandment of doing any work on that day do shew that it is a day of rest How blame-worthy then are some Masters who contrary to the express command of God do set their Servants about the ordinary work of their calling on the Lords day Let such know that what is got by their Servants work on that day is but the gain of wickedness which will prove their loss at last II. It is the duty of Masters to take care that their Families keep the Lords day as an holy rest by consecratng that time which they set apart from their Worldly business to the worship and service of God in the duties belonging to such an holy-day For the Sabbath was not simply ordained that we and our servants should rest from our bodily labour but that we should in a special manner worship God on that day So much is implyed both in the first and last words of the fourth Commandement In the
beginning it is said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And in the close it is added The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it that is sanctified it and set it apart to be wholly consecrated to him and to his worship and service That Parents and Masters of Families may the better discharge their duty herein observe these directions 1. Look that your Children and Servant go with you to the Ministry of the Word and let none be left behind without necessary and urgent occasion It being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the reforming of their lives and the saving of their souls When Iacob went to Bethel to Worship he took his whole houshold with him When Elkaâ—ah went up to offer unto the Lord his Sacrifice all his house went with him In like manner do thou carry thy houshold with thee to the house of God 2. After the publick Ordinances be carefull to call together all under thy charge and let there be a repetition of the Sermons Preached either by thy self or some one of thy Family who can write best And then examine them one after another What they remember of the Sermons they have heard labouring to make them plain unto them and to apply them also Thus did our blessed Saviour with his beloved Disciples for after his Preaching when he was come home he said unto them Have ye understood all these things which ye have heard And Mark saith When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords dayes after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly much good will hereby redound as unto your selves so likewise unto all under your charge For 1. It will make them give better attention unto the Ministry of the Word when they know they shall be called to an account and examined what they have heard 2. It would much help and confirm as your selves so your Children and Servants in the understanding and believing of what hath been delivered publickly by the Minister if you would repeat and search the proofs of Scripture which were brought for the confirmation of the doctrine III. Another duâ—y to be performed in and with your Families for the better sanctification of the Lords day is singing of Psalms which as it was much practised by the Saints and people of God of old under the Law so is it both a lawfull and a meet thing to be used by Christians now under the Gospel and that as publickly in the Church so privately in the Family 1. We find it was an ancient custome of the people of God to sing Psalms in their Families according to that of the Psalmist the voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the righteous that is in the dwelling places and houses of good men 2. We have our Saviour herein for a pattern of whom it is recorded that after the eating of the Passeover which was in a private house he sung a Psalm with his Family IV. Another duty to be performed in and with your Family for the better â—anctification of the Lords day is Reading some part of the holy Scriptures whereof before Chap. VII As also some good Sermon or Treatise of practical truths V. Another duty is Family-prayer Whereof before Chap. VI. VI. Another is Catechising those under your charge whereof see Chap. VIII A conscionable performance of these will exceedingly help forward the sanctification of the Lords day and that without tediousness VII Another duty incumbent on Parents and Masters is godly conference Conferring before your Children and Servants about some good and profitable matter especially of the Sermons you have heard The counsel which the Apostle giveth concerning our words and discourses as it ought to be carefully observed and followed by us at all times so especially on the Lords day Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of ediâ—â—ing that is to the winning of them who are not converted or to the further building up of those who are already converted And the Prophet Isaiah forbiddeth the speaking our own words on the Sabbath day that is all discourses which are meerly Worldly and about earthly things more than charity and necessity requireth Under which prohibition of not speaking our own words is implyed a direction to speak the word of God or those things which tend to the honour of God and the spiritual good of others VIII That you may the better discharge your duty in looking to the sanctification of the Lords day Be sure you suffer none under your roof to spend any part thereof either in idleness or in sports and pastimes 1. Not iâ— idleness it being not a day of idleness but of spiritual action 2. Not in sports and pastimes especially such as tend to carnal and sensual delight For the Lord hath forbidden every man the following his own pleasure on his holy day And the truth is sports and pastimes are greater impediments to the worship and service of God than the ordinary works of our calling in that they do more subtilly steal away the heart from holy duties than those do Whereupon St. Austin thought it better to plow on the Lords day than to dance and sport Obj. Some Object and plead the hard labour their servants have undergone the week before and thence think they may be allowed a little recreation on the Lords day A. 1. The rest of the Lords day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies who have been tired with labour the six dayes before And if they be spiritually minded the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their souls is singing of Psalms the perusing their spiritual evidences for Heaven the solacing themselves in the meditation of Christ of what he hath done and suffered for them holy conference and the like 2. If you think bodily recreations necessary for your servants health why do you not rather allow them some part of your own time on the week-dayes than to rob God of any part of his day which he hath wholly appropriated to the duties of his Worship and service Whereas the Lord might have reserved six dayes for himself and allowed but one unto us he hath dealt so bountifully and graciously with us as to reserve but one to himself and leave six for our business And shall we be so ungratefull as to encroach upon it and Sacrilegiously steal away some part of that small time which he hath reserved to himself for our Servants recreation CHAP. X. Of Exemplary lives in Parents and Masters of Families V. ANother duty incumbent on Parents and Masters of Families is To shew themselves patterns of piety and Godliness unto their Children and Servants by an holy
XVI Several Objections of Carnal and Vnregenerate men against the use of the forementioned Means Answered HAving shewed the Means I come now to answer the Objections which many carnal men pretend against the use of them in order to a new birth Obj. 1. Some are ready to object and say These are indeed likely means but they find neither strength nor ability to set upon the practice of them A. 1. I would ask thee whether thou canst in truth say thou hast not been wanting to thy self in such things as were within thy power and strength Hast thou not as much power to go into the house of God as into an Ale-house to read the holy Scriptures as Play-books and Pamphlets to associate thy self with the Godly as with the Wicked and Prophane canst not thou take up a resolution to abandon thine old sinfull lusts and to set upon a new course of life Certainly if thou hast been wanting to thy self in these and such like things this objection taken from thine own inability is but an idle excuse and argues rather thine unwillingness than disability and know that in the last and great day thou wilt be damned not so much for thy want of power as for thy want of will 2. If thou wilt but put thy self upon the use of Means thou dost not know what strength thou maist receive from God and what may be the issue thereof While Peter was Preaching the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word And for ought thou knowest whilest thou art attending upon the Ministry of the Word or praying unto God the Holy Ghost may fall on thee and make that Ordinance effectual for thy Regeneration and Salvation And therefore put thy self upon the use of Means wait at the Pool thou knowest not how soon the Spirit may come and move upon thy soul. For God doth usually meet with those who seek him Obj. 2. I fear I am not elected and therefore conceive it altogether fruitless for me to labour in the use of any means for this new birth Oh could I be assured of my election then should I with comfort and confidence labour after it A. 1. Election is a secret thing and belongeth unto God according to that of Moses Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but things which are revealed belong unto us And therefore trouble not thy selfâ— with Gods secret will but follow his revealed will Apply thy self seriously and cordially to the use of the means God hath sanctified for thy Regeneration and from thence thou maist gain some comfortable evidence of thine election 2. Consider though it be the duty of every Christian to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure yet no man can know and be assured of his election till he be Regenerated by the Spirit of God therefore the not knowing thine election should be so far from keeping thee off from applying thy self to the means of Regeneration as it should rather be an argument to press thee thereunto for by thy Regeneration thou maist know thine election The eternal decrees of God are only made known à posteriori from their effects oâ—e whereof is Regeneration find this and thou needest not doubt of thine election 3. Wilt thou not plow nor Sow because thou knowest not whether God hath determined thee an Harvest Thou wilt say I am sure I shall not reap if I sow not there 's hope of an Harvest if there be a Seed-time and therefore I will adventure to sow what ever the issue may be And wilt thou not be as wise for thy soul as for thy body Because thou art not sure of thine election wilt thou make thy damnation sure Obj. 3. Ah! I am too unworthy to partake of so great a mercy there is nothing in me to move God to work grace in me and therefore why should I trouble my self about it A. 1. Consider Gods grace is every way so free that the mercy which he vouchsafeth to any of his Creatures is altogether of himself and from himself He respecteth his own goodness not our worthiness in the mercies which he conferreth If none shall obtain grace but the worthy who then can be saved 2. Consider that no man before his Regeneration could ever find any worthiness in himself why he should partake of that mercy What was there in Manassâ—h Or in Zacheus Or in Mary Magdalen Or in Paul before their conversion Surely none at all Nay there is never a child of God on Earth or in Heaven but had as much personall unworthiness before his Regeneration as thou now hast Why then doth the sight and apprehension of thine unworthiness put thee out of all hope of obtaining the same 3. Consider that the sense of thine unworthiness is some degree of worthiness yea it is the greatest worthiness thou canst attain unto And none ever found greater mercy from God than they who have been most sensible of their unworthiness Instance the Centurion who speaking unto Christ said I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under the roof of my house And yet Christ granted his desire in healing his servant So likewise the Woman of Canaan who acknowledged her self to be no better than a Dog yet received this answer from Christ Oh Woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt So likewise the Publican who was conscious to himself of so much unworthiness that he stood afar off and durst not lift up his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner Yet as the text noteth ver 14. He went away justified rather than the Pharisee who was puffed up with a conceit of his own righteousness 4. It is to be feared that this objection of thine unworthiness ariseth not so much from true humility as from the pride of thine own heart who art loth to be beholding unto God for any mercy but wouldst rather discern something in thy self which may deserve it at his hands But we are to root out of our hearts this spiritual pride and be humble and then we may rest confident that though we are most unworthy in our selves yet God will accept of us in and for the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Obj. 4. Some object the number and the heinousness of their sins Oh they are such vile and wretched sinners having mispent the best of their time the strength of their youth in the service of sin and Satan and in gratifying their own carnal luâ—ts and affections and as they have grown in years so they have grown in sin and wickedness and therefore cannot expect so great a mercy from God as of a Son of Belial to be made a Son of God by the work of Regeneration A. 1. Know for thy comfort that God hath embraced with the arms of his free grace as great and heinous sinners as thy self For hast thou been an Idolater or Murderer so was Maâ—asseh
saw him to be amongst them that murthered him that went deeper to his heart than the swords of all his enemies did or could In like manner the sins of Gods Children are greater in his sight and do more grieve him than the sins of other men II. Consider thine high and holy calling Thou art called out of darkness into light out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Shall there be no difference betwixt the Children of the Kingdom and the Children of the wicked one betwixt Gods servants and the Devils slaves Art thou one of the called of God oh how doth it concern thee to follow the counsel of the Apostle to the Ephesians namely to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith thou art called that is suitable to the dignity and purity of it 1. Thy calling is an high calling And therefore as men called to high places carry themselves answerably thereunto In like manner thou being called to be a Christian it is thy duty that thou maist not disgrace thy holy profession and that worthy name by which thou art called to carry thy self becomingly and suitably to it by hating every sin labouring daily in the mortifying every lust and corruption keeping thy self unspotted of the World 2. Thy calling is an holy calling the end thereof is holiness For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness Now an holy calling ought to be accompanied with an holy life and conversation Being called from darkness to light from sinfulness to holiness from the flesh to the Spirit from Satan to God is it not most meet thou shouldst cast off the unfruitfull works of darkness and walk as a Child of light That thou shouldst no more give thy members as Servants unto sin but as Servants unto righteousness That thou shouldst no more fulfill the Lusts of the flesh but walk in the Spirit after the motions thereof This is to walk worthy of the vocation whereunto thou art called III. Consider the many great and singular priviledges God hath vouchsafed unto you Being raised above the condition of other men it beseemeth not you to act as the men of the World but to live above their rate to be more Holy and Heavenly in your conversation more zealous for God more fervent in the performance of holy and religious duties The Lord expects greater matters and other manner of Service from you than from other men for he hath done more for you and bestowed more on you than upon all the World besides When you call to mind your priviledges reason thus with your selves Hath God made us partakers of such and such special mercies and singular priviledges Oh then what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness How ought we to walk worthy such singular priviledges by singularity of actions doing some singular things for God who hath dealt so singularly well for us As God hath abounded to us in his choicest mercies so he expects we should be abundant in singular duties CHAP. XIX Sheweth the singular good things which the Regenerate ought to do aboue others I. TO make Conscience of their precious time and to improve it to the best advantage Carnal men make little or no conscience of spending their time to any good advantage Oh the many golden hours and dayes and weeks and years that thousands of them spend who yet cannot give the least account wherein they have done any thing which tends to the glory of God the good of others or the farthering their own Salvation Their minds are so much set upon their carnal lusts and pleasures that their chief care is not so much how to improve their time as how they may pass it away in mirth and jollity That which when it is once gone all the World will not buy it back what a cheap thing is it accounted But oh how doth it concern such whom God hath called to prize the time which he is pleased to afford unto them and to be carefull in improving the same to some good advantage yea to gather up the fragments of time every inch of it that nothing may be lost We cannot well spare one spare hour O make the best of thy day To this end 1. Consider that thine everlasting state depends upon thy well or ill spending of thy time Many make light of their time and thereupon play and sport it away Yet there is no moment which thou dost mispend but for ought thou knowest it may be the very time upon which thine eternal state doth depend Oh what a madness must it needs be for an hour or dayes pleasure to hazard the loss of everlasting happiness and to incurr the danger of eternal misery And yet how few think of the passing away their time or that any great matter depends thereupon 2. Consider the preciousness of time which is of more worth than all the riches and treasures in the World for they cannot purchase one minute of time Should the Lord be pleased to vouchsafe unto a damned soul in hell but one weeks time to live again upon the earth for tryal how he would improve the same to his souls advantage Oh how highly would he prize it how carefully would he improve every moment thereof how serious would he be in every holy duty and in all the concernments of his soul how conscionable in spending of the Sabbath how watchfull would he be on that day over his thoughts words and actions Should he hear Christ tendred in the Ministry of the Gospel as a Saviour to poor sinners oh how readily would he close with the offer of Jesus Christ how heartily would he embrace him Should he be tempted by some carnal friends to spend one day with them in mirth and jollity how would he answer them Alas the time on which my everlasting condition doth depend is very short and must it not be egregious folly in me to trifle away part thereof Shall I implunge my soul into eternal flames for a little pleasure and short delight Oh God forbid And hereby may you see how precious time is Surely little reason have any to be so sparing of their wealth and so prodigal of their time when as all the wealth in the World as before is said cannot purchase one hours time 3. Consider how much precious time you have already lost how many hours and dayes and weeks and years you have trifled away in vanity and pleasure yea in sin and wickedness Though in likelihood the greatest part of your time is past and gone yet it is to be feared that little of your work is done Is it not meet then now to begin to make Conscience of your precious time and to improve it better The time which you have already lost can never be recalled O let no more of it run out in vain Oh think it too much that you have spent so much of it already to so little
in any condition till you be renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God Aâ—as how many be there in the World who though in their natural and carnal estate yet live as securely and merrily as if their condition were as safe and good as the best Ask them one by one Whether the work of Regeneration be wrought in their souls and some will answer they hope it is others that they never doubted it though none of them know what Regeneration is nor ever minded any such thing And yet these men have not only read but do likewise believe the words of our Saviour who hath told them that except they be born again they cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ah sinner I beseech thee for the sake of thy precious and immortal soul to stir up in thy self an hearty desire and sincere endeavour after this blessed work As it is the one thing necessary to salvation so let it be the main thing of thy desire and endeavour There is nothing deserves precedency in thy thoughts aims and labours before this David resolved not to give sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eye-lids till be found out an habitation for the Lord. The habitation which pleaseth God most is thine heart but it must be a renewed heart Oh how darest thou sleep a night in that house where God doth not dwell and he dwells not in thee unless thou beest Regenerated by his holy Spirit In the fear of God therefore see thou give no rest to thy soul no ease to thy mind till thou find a blessed change wrought in thee till thou findest thou art brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace Neither sit down satisfied in the enjoyment of any worldly comfort without the enjoyment of this mercy And indeed how canst thou live merrily or sleep quietly so long as thou livest in thine unregenerate estate in which if thou shouldest die thou wouldest perish for ever even to all Eternity Especially considering the uncertainty of thy life whether thou shalt live a day or an hour longer For the more profitable handling this Use I shall 1. Give you some Motives to quicken up your desires and endeavours after the work of Regeneration 2. Shew you the Means to be performed for the better artaining thereunto The Motives may be drawn to these three heads 1. The Excellency 2. The Utility 3. The Necessity of Regeneration I. For the first the Excellency thereof will appear from these four particulars 1. Regeneration doth enoble a man raise him up towards his Original perfection Man was made the noblest of all creatures in this visible World in the image and likeness of God Sin defaced the Image of God and stamped the Image of the Devil upon him A sinner is a man degenerated into a beast Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish He lives like a beast and dies like a beast not knowing whither he goeth Every man is brutish in his knowledge He hath a brutish heart lives a brutish life By grace man comes to himself is raised up from a beast to a man again renewed after the Image of God The spirit of glory and of God shines forth in him There 's more of the glory of God seen in a Saint than in all the works of God under the Sun nay than in the glorious Sun in the Heavens The Sun Moon and Stars fall short of the glory of the new-creature 2. The Excellency of Regeneration appears in that it makes a man a true Christian. A man is not really a Christian because he hath been Baptized beareth the name and frequenteth the ordinances of Christ but because he is Regenerated by the Spirit of Christ and thereby translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of life and peace For as under the law he was not a Iew who was one outwardly being circumcised in the flesh But he was a Iew who was one inwardly being circumcised in his heart and spirit as the Apostle expresseth In like manner he is no true Christian who is only outwardly Baptized but he who is inwardly Baptized by the Spirit and whose heart is changed and renewed 3. The Excellency of this new birth appears in this that it is the beginning of eternal life and happiness even of the same life which we shall live hereafter in Heaven with the Saints and glorious Angels to all Eternity Grace here is not only an evidence of glory hereafter but it is the beginning of that glory which hereafter we shall more fully enjoy in Heaven Grace and glory differ only in degree for grace is glory begun here and glory is grace consummated and perfected hereafter Now considering that this is such an excellent state how doth it concern you as earnestly to desire so industriously to endeavour after it in the use of all means God hath sanctified II. Another Motive may be taken from the Utility of Regeneration If it be demanded What is the profit thereof we may answer 〈◊〉 the Apostle did of Circumcision Much every way For this is that Godliness which is profitable unto all things having promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come that is it hath Heaven and Earth entailed on it and therefore must needs be profitable The Regenerate therefore are called heirs of the Promises Such only have the true riches being rich in faith as the Apostle Iames calleth them As Laodicea was poor though abounding in outward fulness So these are truly rich though destitute of many outward things having an interest in God who is the fountain of all blessings How should the consideration hereof stir you up as earnestly to thirst so sincerely to endeavour after this blessed state III. Another Motive may be taken from the necessity of Regeneration It is absolutely necessary to Salvation It had been better for thee never to have been born than not to be born again It is as necessary as Heaven and happiness For saith our Saviour himself Except a man be born again he cannot see much less enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So that there is no hope of the Salvation of any unregenerate man or woman but if they live and die in that estate their portion will be death and damnation with the Devils and damned to all Eternity And in regard of the uncertainty of their lives they are not sure to be out of Hell one day longer Ah sinner What dost thou mean then to continue in thy carnal and unregenerate estate As sure as the word of God is true if thou dye therein thou art shut out of all hope of mercy for ever and shalt pass into easeless and endless misery In the fear of God therefore when thou risest up in the Morning consider with thy self that thou art uncertain of being out of Hell till the Evening And when thou lyest down consider
Christ as the Word Prayer and Sacraments which whilest thou enjoyedst thou hadst hope But death puts an end to these and thy hopes must give up their Ghost Now Christ calls upon thee Sabbath after Sabbath by his Ministers and Ambassadours woing and beseeching thee to abandon thy lusts to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self into his arms to accept of the reconciliation purchased by his blood But ere long thou shalt hear no more of these things not a Sabbath more not a Sermon more not a promise not one word more of grace of mercy of hope for ever When thou wouldst give if thou hadst them ten thousand Worlds for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which thou hast so long abused for a drop of that precious blood which thou hast so long trampled under thy feet yea for one Sabbath more to have Christ once more tendred to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel but alas it will not be granted Ah sinner Then wilt thou cry out of thy sins and cry for mercy mercy mercy Lord to a dying soul that am just sinking perishing under the load of mine iniquities Then wilt thou begin to wish when it is too late that thou hadst spent thy precious time to better purpose that thou hadst minded more the things of Eternity that thou hadst closed with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ and that thou hadst better improved the means and opportunities of grace which thou didst once enjoy Thou wilt then say Oh if the Lord would be pleased to add a few years more to my life How would I contemn the World and the vanities thereof How exactly would I order my conversation How carefull would I be of duty how watchfull against sin How would I bestir my self to work out mine own salvation But ah sinner the time of thy departure is at hand and there is no hope of a reprieve for one day longer and therefore all these good wishes and purposes come too late There are two things especially which will aggravate a sinners misery at his death 1. To think what possibility of making his peace with God he hath had all his life time to remember how often he hath been invited to accept of Jesus Christ and yet would not 2. To think that now there is no hope of mercy having by his sins shut Heaven-gate and hardened Gods heart against him Ah sinner then wilt thou in the bitterness of thy soul cry out and say The God of mercy hath utterly forsaken me and the Devil who knows no mercy waites for to take me Ah! then which way soever thou lookest thou wilt find nothing but matter of bitter weeping and lamentation If thou look backward what canst thou behold but all the filthy and abominable lusts of thy youth unrepented of yea multitudes of horrid sins which thou hast committed in the whole course of thy life for which thou never hast been humbled nor shed one penitential tear the guilt of the least of them is enough to sink thee body and soul into everlasting burnings If thou look forward what canst thou behold but sudden destruction ready to seize upon thee Yea Gods strict Tribunal before which thou art just making thy appearance there immediately to be sentenced to endless torments and miseries of the other world the sting and terrours of which thou shalt never be able either to avoid or abide If thou look within thee what canst thou behold but thy conscience polluted and defiled yea accusing and condemning thee If without thee what canst thou behold but the wicked World which thou hast too much loved and thy relations which stand weeping about thee a company of miserable comforters that cannot delay the separating stroak of death one day or hour neither can they afford thee the least dram of true comfort If thou look downward what canst thou behold but hell deserved with her mouth open ready to swallow thee up quick and the Devils ready to receive thy soul and carry it to that dungeon of darkness If upward what canst thou behold but a provoked enraged God whom because thou refusedst to hear in the day of his merciful visitation he will now laugh at thy calamity and mock when thy fear cometh upon thee as himself threatneth Prov. 1.24 26. and in verse 28. saith the Lord Then shalt thou call upon me but I will not answer thou shalt seek me but thou shalt not find me for that thou hatedst knowledge and didst not choose the fear of the Lord. And verse 30. Thou wouldst none of my counsell but despisedst all my reproofs Therâ—fore shalt thou eat the fruit of thine own way and be filled with thine own desires that is the wickedness which thou hast sown shalt thou reap with all fullness Thus thou wilt look every where for help yet findest thy self every way helpless and hopeless Haply thou wilt then look unto Jesus Christ in hope that he will appear for thee and his blood make thy Attonement But sinner know that though his blood be a fountain opened to all poor penitent believers to wash away the filthy spots and stains of their sins Yet to thee who hast all thy life long suffered Christ to stand knocking at the door of thine heart by the Ministery of his Word by the motions of his Spirit and by the checks of thine own conscience and wouldst not open unto him to thee his blood will be then a fountain sealed so that thou shalt not partake of the least benefit thereof because in thy life time thou hast so often slighted it yea and crucified him afresh by thy bloody sins Ah sinner sinner whither wilt thou flee for comfort in the midst of thy distress It will then be too late to cry out Oh that the time I have spent in Taverns and Ale-houses in sports and pastimes in carnal pleasures and sensual delights I had spent in Prayer and fasting in humbling and repenting It will then be too late to cry with Balaam Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous when thou hast neglected to live the life of the righteous For look as the life is so commonly is the death and as death leaves a man so the last judgement shall find him And now sinner thy last sand being run out thy day past and the Devills long looked for day being come who waits for thy soul so soon as it goeth out of thy body Oh what a direfull screech will thy soul give when it passeth out of thy body into the Devils clutches to be carryed by him into the bottomless burning lake Oh how should the consideration of these unspeakable miseries which are the portion of natural and unregenerate men at their deaths startle and waken all such worldlings and sensualists who so they may encrease their wealth and satiate themselves with worldly pleasures and delights take no thought now nor make any provision against this dreadfull day of reckoning I mean the
33. Yea in Luke 17.34 35. I tell you saith he in that night there shall be two in one bed the one shall be taken and the other left Two men shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left So that at the day of judgement there will be a separation of the nearest and dearest relations that may be as between Husband and Wife yea Father and Child Oh! what a sad separation will that be when the Husband shall be separated from the Wife and the Wife from the Husband the Father from the Child and the Child from the Father You have often seen what a sorrowfull parting it is when the Wife buries her Husband and layeth him in the cold grave How she goeth home weeping and lamenting her sad loss though she hath hope of meeting him again in Gods Kingdom Oh but what an heavy parting and separation will there be when the one shall be set at the right hand of Christ the other at his left the one taken into Heaven and the other cast down into Hell Oh that all Husbands and Wives all Parents and Children all Masters and Servants would seriously think of this dreadfull separation and be thereby stirred up so to live together here in the fear of God that they may not be separated at the day of judgement when this sad and fearful separation shall be V. After this follows conviction of the wicked and a discovery of all their works Which is proper to go before giving of sentence For in all Courts of Justice there is no man condemned till he be convicted And therefore this Court of Christ being the most exactest Court for equity and justice we may well conclude that there will be no man condemned till he be convicted and his offences laid open before all And therefore at that day there will be 1. A conviction of the wicked and ungodly 2. A discovery of their sins to all the World Touching the conviction of the wicked two things are to be considered 1. The matter of their conviction or what they shall be convinced of 2. The means of their conviction or what they shall be convinced by I. The matter of their conviction shall be twofold they shall be convinced 1. Of their state That enquiry shall be made after this is evident Rom. 14.12 Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God that is what he is whether a sheep or a goat whether a believer or an unbeliever regenerate or unregenerate in Christ or out of Christ under the power of corrupt nature or sanctified by the grace of God Here in this world if carnal men make any enquiry after themselves at all it 's only after their outward wayes and actions not asking themselves What am I whose am I Am I of God or the Devil Am I in Christ or in my sins But for the most part enquiring only What have I done What life have I lived What course have I run 'T were well if there were more such enquiries as this now in this day Oh how seldome do we hear carnal men asking What have I done But in that day the great enquiry will be What art thou A Saint or a sinner A believer or unbeliever What charge hath been made upon thy nature Hath there been a work of grace wrought upon thee And as this will be the grand inquiry so this will be the great matter of conviction in that day Now men easily take themselves to be converts to be believers but then shall they be convinced of their mistakes and shall be made to acknowledge that they are still in their sins have rejected Christ and are strangers from the life of God 2. Of their actions as those that shall evidence what their state is All the wickedness of their lives shall be brought forth to light and made to stare them in the face and with such unquestionable evidence charged upon them that they shall stand speechless before their Judge not having a word to say to excuse and acquit themselves of this dreadful charge II. Touching the means of conviction know that this conviction will be by the opening of two books which we find mentioned in Scripture 1. The book of Gods Remembrance 2. The book of every mans Conscience The former we find mentioned Mal. 3.16 A book of Remembrance was written before God God hath a book of Remembrance as of the goods works and actions of the godly so of the evil works and actions of the wicked wherein their most secret abominations are registred and recorded Sinner all the wickednesses of thy life the secret villanies that thine heart hath been privy to which no eye of man ever saw or suspected all thy chamber sins all thy twilight sins all thy works of the night and of darkness yea secret and open which thou hast long since forgotten and buried out of thy sight all these are written and booked up before the Lord against that terrible day The latter book namely the book of Conscience we find mentioned Jer. 17.1 The Sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Tables of their hearts That is their sins are so fixed in their hearts and consciences that they cannot be forgotten but the memory of them all shall be revived And with the Apostle Their conscience also bearing witness and accusing them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. In this book of conscience which God hath given to every man and woman as in Gods book so in this also are written all their thoughts words and actions yea their sinful omissions as well as their sinful commissions their secret impurities as well as their open impieties Now many mens consciences are as it were asleep so that though they are guilty of manifold sins and transgressions yet their consciences do not accuse them for the same but their iniquity is still marked and at that day every mans conscience shall be awakened bring forth its black roule even all his sins and so shall be as a thousand witnesses against him Then the Covetous Shop-keeper shall remember all his deceits in trading his false weights and measures his lying and dissembling Then shall the unclean person remember all his watchings for the twilight all his speculative wantonnesses and contemplative as well as practical uncleannesses Then shall the proud man remember all his phantastick fashions The malicious man all his envious wishes all his plots and stratagems to ensnare and mischief the godly Yea then shall every one read in this book the hell of his nature as well as the hideous abominations of this life then shall he see all his former sins which he had forgotten to be written in his conscience with indelible characters never to be blotted out That work of accusing which the conscience here doth in some men imperfectly it will at that
day do most perfectly Some have found by woful experience what an intollerable burden one sin is to the conscience when the Lord hath been pleased to set it home When Iudas had betrayed his Master and his conscience began to accuse him for the same it was such an intollerable burden to him that he was not able to stand under it but went and hanged himself Now if one sin proves so intollerable who then can stand under the weight of the many millions of sins which he hath committed in the whole course of his life especially when God shall set them all home together upon his conscience Ah sinner If the reading one leaf of this book was so dreadful to Iudas how dreadfull and terrible will it be to thee when thou shalt read not only one leaf but the whole book from the beginning to the end and therein see the millions of sins committed by thee whereof as thy whole life so thy whole book will be filled within and without and interlined with lamentation mourning and woe Ah in what a woful case will thy heart then be what horrour and astonishment will then possess thy soul when all thy lies and oaths all thy raylings and rotten speeches all thy filthy and unclean thoughts thy mispent time in Taverns and Ale-houses thy worldliness and covetousness the vanities and rebellions of thy whole life shall be brought to thy remembrance and at once charged upon thy graceless soul. 2. At the day of Iudgement there will be a discovery of thy sins to all the World For as the Apostle speaketh Hidden things shall on that day be brought to light They shall not only be called to remembrance by the sinner himself but likewise exposed to the view and censure of others There is no sin so secretly and closely committed but then shall be discovered to the view of all There is scarce a wicked man in the World though never so formal but he hath at some time or other committed some such sin in secret which he would not have others to know for all the World But know for certain that at the day of judgement all the World shall hear thereof For then all thy secret sins and close villanies shall be discovered and layd open before Angels Men and Devils thy secret Whoredomes and close Adulteries thy Pilfrings and stealings thy false Weights and Measures thy Hypocrisies and Dissemblings shall be discovered to the view of all and that to thine eternal shame and confusion And therefore the day of Judgement is called the day of revelation when many Murthers Thefts Adulteries and other abominations which come not to light here shall at that day be made known and discovered to the view of all The Husband shall then behold the Whoredomes of his Wife and the Wife the Adulteries of her Husband the Master the Pilferings of his Servant and the Servant the deceitfulness of his Master Yea then not only thy words and actions but also thy secret thoughts and imaginations how vain and wanton how filthy and abominable soever they have been shall appear to the view of all Never therefore adventure upon the committing of any sin in hope of secrecy because thou seemest safe from the eyes of men For suppose thy sin lyeth undiscovered unto the last and great day yet then shall it out with a witness and be made manifest to the view of all Q. If any shall ask how their sins shall be discovered to all the World at the last and great day A. 1. By their own confessions and complaints extorted from them by the power of God For then will they cry out in the bitterness of their souls with these or such like expressions Woe and alas that ever I slighted the manifold gracious invitations of Iesus Christ and preferred my base lusts and corruptions before him that I have opened the door of my heart to every sinful temptation but never would open it to let in Iesus Christ that I so often rejected the motions of Gods spirit stirring me up to turn from my sins unto God and hearkened more unto the solicitations of the Devil than to the motions of Gods spirit that I neglected the many opportunities and means of grace afforded unto me and trifled away my pretious time in vanity and pleasure yea sin and wickedness spending that time in the Ale-house and in following my sinful lusts and pleasures wherein I should have been praying in my closet or attending upon the Ministry of the Word or reading the Scriptures with other good books that I should preferâ— my Wordly business before the service of God that the World should have more of my heart and time than my maker and Redeemer 2. By the cryes and complaints of those whom they have wronged and oppressed Then Abels blood will cry out afresh against Cain and the hungry bellies of the poor will cry out against those hard-hearted rich worldlings who would not afford them the least comfort or relief And starved souls will then cry out against their ignorant scandalous Ministers for not giving them the bread of life The Wives and the Children of Gamesters Drunkards and Whore-masters being impoverished by their sins will then cry out against them for spending their small means in the satisfying their sinfull lusts The poor Tenants will then cry out against their covetous unmerciful Land-lords for raising and racking their rents to such an height as they could not earn their bread by all their care and labour 3. By the testimony of Gods spirit who will then come in as a witness against thee saying at such a time I shewed thee the evil of thy sins and how sad the issue of them would be and thereupon perswaded thee to turn from thy sins unto God but thou wouldst not at such a time I shewed thee thy misery without Christ and thy need of him how thou wouldst be undone for ever without an interest in Christ and how willing Christ was to receive the worst of sinners unto mercy upon their coming in to him but thou hearknedst to the Devil more than to me to his suggestions rather than to my motions 4. By the testimony of the Devil who is now a tempter but will then be an accuser whose chief design in tempting us to sin is that he may have wherewithall to accuse us in that great day that so he might drive us into the same condemnation with himself Thus you see there are several wayes of discovering the sins of the wicked and ungodly at the day of judgement even to the view of all Now I know no better way to prevent the discovery of your sins at that great day than here in this time and day of grace to call your selves to an account to search and examine your own hearts and lives and thâ—n to judge and condemn your selves for your manifold sins and transgressions for as the Apostle speaketh If we judge our selves we shall not be condemned
of the Lord. Oh therefore let us here often keep a day of judgement in our own souls and consciences by a serious examining of our selves concerning our sins and judging and condemning our selves for the same and then let us in all humility prostrate our selves at the Throne of grace pleading the mercy of God and merits of Christ for the pardon and forgiveness of them all giving no rest to our souls till we have some comfortable evidence and assurance thereof which will cause us to lift up our heads with joy at the great day of account VI. After conviction and manifestation of all their sinfull actions follows the sentence of condemnation and what it is our Saviour himself hath shewed Matth 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O dreadful sentence every word whereof carryeth much terrour in it and breatheth nothing but woe and misery yea fire and brimstone So terrible is this sentence that the first hearing thereof will make all ears to glow and tingle Depart from me that is from Iesus Christ the fountain of bliss and happiness This the wicked make light of at present for taking more delight in their sinful lusts and pleasures than in Christs presence they are willing to depart from him Whereas in truth it is a most grievous misery for as the Psalmist speaketh in his presence there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore So to be cast out of his presence is to be cast away from the fountain of all joy and pleasure yea from glory and Salvation for if from Christ then from all that is his even his glory and salvation Ah sinner What a terrour what a torment will this be unto thee at that great day This will be a great part of thy torment that thou shalt be excluded and that from Christ and his glory when others shall be admitted as our Saviour speaketh There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out Oh the fears and distractions the horrour and confusion the tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth the wringing of hands and dashing of knees that these words will produce Depart from me Oh that sinners would lay this to heart You that now bid God depart from you you will have none of his knowledge none of his commands God will requite you in your own kind he will then command you to depart from him Ye cursed To depart from Christ were hell enough but thou must also go with a curse even a curse that comprehends all woes and miseries under it This curse will be a thousand times more grievous than the cursed and bitter water was to the defiled woman which caused her belly to swell her thigh to rot and made her accursed among her people For upon the pronouncing of this curse not only the belly and thigh but likewise head and heart yea body and soul of the wicked shall be filled with rottenness and bitterness and become accursed before God men and Angels Now thou cursest every one that stands in the way of thy lusts and that crosseth thee in thy designs But at the great and last day all the curses of Heaven and Hell shall meet in thee so that thou shalt be cursed with a witness And truly to be under Gods curse is the quintessence of misery Into everlasting fire What! into fire and into everlasting fire Ah wretches cursed indeed For as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh who can dwell with devouring fire who can dwell with everlasting burnings which shall not be quenched night nor day but fed continually with Rivers of brimstone and kept still in flame and fierceness by the unquencheable wrath of the just God to all Eternity The torment of the wicked in hell will be as without any intermission so without any end After they have there been tormented hundreds thousands millions of dayes years and ages their torments will be as far from ending as if they were then beginning And is not this misery enough to lye in fire in everlasting burnings this is even beyond the expression of men or Angels If a man knew he must lye in a flaming fire but one day or hour Oh what fear and horror would possess his soul But what is a day or an hour or an age to eternity Oh then what stupidity and senselesness hath possessed the hearts of sinful men who by all this are not frighted from their sins The fear of Nebuchadnezzar's fiery Furnace made men do any thing to avoid it And shall not the fear of everlasting fire in hell make men do any thing to escape it this methinks should awaken them and cause them not only to humble themselves for their sins and to beg the pardon of them but also to cast away their transgressions to strive against them watch against them pray against them begging power and strength from Christ to keep down the power of their lusts that hurry them on in their sinfull wayes It is one of the wonders of the world how men who do believe the word of Christ to be true that the wicked shall go into everlasting fire can wittingly and wilfully adventure upon sinfull wayes the end whereof they know will be so dreadful and astonishing Prepared for the Devil and his Angels That is you shall not only be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone but you shall there dwell with those hellish Fiends the Devil and his Angels who are the best company you are like to have Sad company for distressed souls and yet in that dismal dungeon you shall have no better company or comforters who will be continually insulting over you with hellish exprobrations for neglecting so great salvation offered unto you time after time and being so foolish as to loose the joys and pleasures of Heaven which last to all Eternity for the enjoyment of some base lust which lasted but for a season It was a dreadful punishment which was executed upon Nebuchadnezzar when he was cast out of the society of men and turned a grasing with the beasts of the field But what was that in comparison of this to be cast out of the presence of Christ and society of Saints and to have only the company of the Devils and damned in hell We read in the Gospel of a Woman who came unto Christ and said unto him Have mercy on me O Lord for my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Now if it were such a grievous misery to be vexed with one Devil what is it to be vexed and tormented with all the Legions of Devils in Hell Oh what terrour and trembling what horrour and amazement will seize on their souls that have received this dreadful sentence When King Belshazzar saw his sentence written upon the wall though he could not read it it is said
his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his Loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another How much more shall the wicked tremble and quake and their knees smite one against another for fear at the great day when they shall hear the sentence of condemnation pronounced by Jesus Christ How will they then run like men distracted to the Mountains and Hills for covert and shelter How will they then beg and yell again for mercy to a judge that is justly inexorable I say justly inexorable to them having scornfully rejected his many loving invitations and earnest beseechings by his Ministers to accept of that peace and reconciliation which he hath purchased by his blood Oh that men would consider that one tear or sigh of a penitent heart will now more prevail for attainment of mercy than all their bitter and importunate yellings in that day of Gods wrath VII After the promulgation of the sentence followeth the execution and sending of the persons judged to their everlasting estate as it is written And these shall go away into everlasting punishment So that now comes the eternal separation from Christ and possession of those torments which are easeless and endless For then shall they be hurried by the Devils as their Iaylors out of Christs presence and dragged into the bottomless lake of outer-darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone Oh the hellish cryes and horrible shrieks that then will be heard no heart can conceive or imagine what an hideous cry it will be When the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah felt the fire and brimstone falling from Heaven upon their heads And when the earth opened her mouth to swallow up Corah and his company and they saw themselves going down quick into the pit Oh the cryes which were then heard Oh the shrieks which then filled the air But alas what were these to the outcryes which will be made and to the scrieches which will be heard when the Devils and reprobate men and women shall be violently driven into Hell never never to return again For though they houl and cry to the judge for mercy and redemption pitty and compassion yet will they find no answer but too late too late Mercy and pardon and peace have been preached to thee but thou wouldst not hearken thou wouldst not accept Thy day is over the things of thy peace are hid from thine eyes henceforth no more for ever Ah sinner hadst thou now an heart to turn from thy sins unto God by true and unfaigned repentance and to pray unto him for mercy in and through the merits of Jesus Christ there were hope of mercy But at the day of judgement thy repentance and thy prayers will nothing avail The judge will not then be intreated by thee and no marvel seeing thou wouldst not hearken to him in the day of his merciful visitation But though he sent unto thee messenger after Messenger Ambassadour after Ambassadour to woe and beseech thee to abandon thy sins and to accept of him for thy Lord and Saviour yet wouldst thou not leave one beloved sin nor deny one fleshly lust for all his intreaties And therefore on that day will he not be intreated by thee notwithstanding thy manifold cryes and prayers If thou wilt not believe me hear Christs own words to this purpose Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But y e have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Ah sinner time was when he called to thee turn from thy sins cast away thy transgressions accept of grace submit to mercy be wise be happy thou maist if thou wilt but thou wouldst not but hast sold thy mercy and thy peace and thy Saviour and thy soul for thy lusts and the pleasures of sin And therefore though in thy greatest extremity thou cry unto him for mercy he will tell thee that thy day of mercy is past and gone and the day of vengeance is come wherein he will no longer entreat nor no more be entreated Ah sinner how will it then wound thy very soul to remember thy folly in neglecting thy season and refusing so great salvation How will it make thee with anguish of heart to cry out Ah silly wretch where was thine understanding to sleight such gracious invitations to preferr every base lust before the Lord of life to turn aside from him that spake unto thee from Heaven and to turn after thy companions and the pleasures of this earth to put off the turning from thy sins and making thy peace with God till it was too late Oh now would I give a World if I had it for one offer of Christ more for one Sabbath more to make my peace with God and to make sure of Christ but alas it is now too late Oh the fears and distractions the tearing of the hair and wringing of the hands the gnashing of teeth and dashing of knees the weeping and wailing the crying and roaring that this will produce especially when thou shalt consider how God every Sabbath called upon thee by his Ministers to turn from thy sins unto him but thine ear and thine heart were shut against him And how Jesus Christ was offered and tendred to thee only upon these terms that thou wouldst cast away thy sins and cast thy self into his arms and yet thou wouldst not go unto him but refusedst and rejectedst him and his grace This sad reflection of thy soul upon its own wilful folly in neglecting and outstanding thy day will be the everlasting worm that will gnaw on thy heart World without end Oh the folly and madness of all wicked men who go on securely and impenitently in their sins till they drop into hell-fire Is this thy Wisdom to sin awhile and burn for ever to laugh a while and howle for ever for a little momentary pleasure here to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Ah sinner that thou wouldst now forethink of this dreadful time and woful misery which hangs over thine head that when thou art alone thou wouldst seriously consider with thy self as the certainty and dreadfulness of this day so what thy condition is like to be that thou mightest thereby be stirred up to make out after Christ by whom thou maist escape the wrath to come Now whilest Christ is Preached to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel mercy and salvation is offered and now if ever is the time to accept it Oh therefore that now even now in this thy time and day of grace thou wouldst know the things that belong to thy peace that thou wouldst now
though your sins be never so great and hainous yet upon your repentance through the mercy of God in Christ they shall be so abolished as if they had never been committed 3. They exclude no time for the sinners coming unto God but whensoever sooner or later first or last so that he come in truth he shall find mercy and forgiveness Ezck. 33.12 The promise lyeth in the day that the sinner turneth Seeing therefore oh sinner God hath not excepted thy person nor thy sins no thy time of coming do not thou except thy self saying thy sins are greater than can be pardoned and thy day of grace is past Oh do not so great an injury to God as to set any bounds or limits either to his mercy or to his promises 3. The power of God to save the worst of sinners appeareth from his actual receiving the most heinous sinners to mercy The greatest sinners that we read of in Scripture have obtained mercy Who greater than Mannasseh who was a Sorcerer an Idolater a Murtherer and what not and yet was received to mercy And who greater in the New Testament than Paul who was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor of the Saints and People of God and yet was received to mercy Now what God hath done formerly he is still able to do he is still the same God his power is no whit lessened nor diminished Oh sinner what ground hast thou then to question the mercy of God to thy soul if thou dost in truth turn from thy sins unto him and earnestly beg the pardon and forgiveness of them I know indeed that before God giveth a sight and a sense of our sins we are too too apt to presume but our understandings are no sooner inlightned to see our sins and our consciences awakened to feel the burden of them but we are very apt to despair it being the great design of our adversary the Devil either to make us dye in a senseless calm or else to perish in a desperate storm Oh saith the awakened sinner my sins are many for number and heinous in their quality having aggravated them by many amplifying circumstances Certainly there is no hope of mercy for such a wretched sinfull creature as I am whose sins are greater than can be forgiven But take notice I beseech thee of these two things 1. Though in thy self there is nothing but ground and matter of despair yet in the mercy of God through the merits of Jesus Christ there is ground enough of comfort and encouragement 2. How many and heinous soever thy sins have been yet if thou canst find an heart to turn from them unto God and in good earnest set upon the practice of an holy life and so become a new creature God will receive thee to mercy But still beware thou abuse not mercy by making it thy encouragement to sin turn not this cup of Salvation into a cup of deadly poyson let not the doctrine of infinite mercy be thy damnation abuse not mercy as thy encouragement to sin but improve mercy as thy encouragement to repentance 2. For the Willingness of God to save poor sinners even the worst of them it doth appear 1. From Gods description of himself Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Why should the Lord proclaim himself merciful and gracious to forgive all manner of sins but for the encouragement of poor penitent sinners to come unto him with hope of acceptance There is not a letter in this name of God not a word in this description of him but fully and adequately answers all the objections which may be made by poor sinners against their own souls Obj. 1. Wilt thou say that thy condition is as bad as the worst having been as great and hainous a sinner as ever lived upon the face of the earth A. To answer this God here declareth himself to be the Lord merciful The Lord therefore able to save thee to the utmost Though thy sins be never so many and hainous yet he is able to save thee from them all And he is merciful therefore willing to save thee for in him there are bowels of mercy pitty and compassion and he delights in mercy Obj. 2. Wilt thou say thou art in thy self most unworthy to partake of any mercy from God having nothing in thee to commend thee to him or to move him to extend his mercy unto thee A. To this the Lord answers in the next place that he is gracious and therefore what he doth he will do freely without any respect of works or worthiness in us for grace is to shew mercy freely The mercy God ever shewed to any of his people was originally founded in himself alone in his own goodness and loving-kindness The Apostle therefore calleth it the good pleasure of his goodness Whereupon saith the Lord himself I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Obj. 3. Wilt thou further object and say thou hast mispent the flower of thy youth and the strength of thy age in vanity and pleasure thy whole life hath been a continued course of sinning against God so that thou hast cause to fear that God hath given over looking after thee and that his patience towards thee is expired and thy day of grace past A. To this the Lord answers in the following words that he is long-suffering Not only merciful and gracious but likewise long-suffering to thee-ward not willing that thou shouldst perish but that thou even thou shouldst come to repentance He still waiteth for thy repentance and reformation that he may be gracious unto thee Obj. 4. Wilt thou say that though the Lord hath shewed himself merciful gracious and long-suffering unto others yet thou art so destitute of all grace and goodness that thou hast little hope of partaking thereof A. To this the Lord answers in the next words that he is abundant in goodness as he hath extended his grace mercy and patience unto others so he hath enough and enough for thee his store is no whit diminished by what he hath given out but as he is an ever-flowing so an over-flowing Fountain of all grace mercy and goodness for the supply of his people he is abundant in goodness Obj. 5. Wilt thou say that though the Lord be abundant in goodness yet thou art fearfull whether he will extend his goodness unto thee A. To this the Lord answers that he is abundant as in goodness so in truth God having in his word promised to receive all poor penitent sinners unto mercy who will in truth turn from their sins unto him his truth and faithfulness ingageth him to shew mercy unto thee and to receive thee into the arms of his free grace upon thy true and unfeigned repentance Obj. 6. Wilt thou say God is indeed
the Sons of God Certainly that Christ should come out of Heaven to keep us out of hell that he should uncrown himself to Crown us must needs argue a wonderful willingness in him to have poor sinners saved 5. Christs Willingness appeareth by his rejecting of none who sincerely go unto him though never so weak and worthless in themselves Never did any sinner go to him but he accepted of him as himself expresseth All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that â—ometh unto me I will in no wise cast out but receive him to mercy Hath Christ promised this and will he not be as good as his Word Did he ever break his word with any poor soul though never so unworthy Did he ever cast away any who came unto him And is he not the same yesterday to day and for ever Go sinner fear not go upon the credit of this word which he hath spoken I will in no wise cast them out Though the Devil say go not though thy misgiving heart say go not he will not regard thee he will never look on such a vile wretch he will cast thee out yet since he hath said He will not go and thou shalt find mercy Thus have I by several demonstrations proved as God the Fathers willingness to save the worst of sinners So Christs readiness to embrace all poor sinners who will but come unto him for life and salvation Wherein I have the longer insisted because I know no better argument to prevail with sinners to turn from their sins unto God by true and unfeigned repentance and to close with Jesus Christ by a true and lively faith than a serious consideration as of Gods readiness to save the worst of sinners upon their turning unto him so of Christs Willingness to embrace all poor sinners who will come unto him and receive him as their Lord and Saviour I have read a story of a Gentle-woman who was condemned to dye for killing her own child whereupon divers Ministers came to visit her and perceiving her little affected with her sin and sad condition they laboured to set before her the hainousness of her sin and the dreadfulness of her condition without hearty and deep repentance All which little moved her seeming rather the more hardened in her sin But at last another Reverend Divine hearing of her obdurate hardness notwithstanding all that was said unto her went and preached to her the abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ how ready he was to embrace with the arms of his free-grace every penitent sinner and how willing Christ was to receive all poor sinners who would go unto him and cast themselves into his arms how many and hainous soever their sins were and thereupon told her there was hope of mercy for her if she were heartily sorry for her sins and would adventure her soul upon Christ notwithstanding the greatness and hainousness of her sin What! mercy for me said she that is impossible c. Whereupon the Minister proceeded further to set forth the freeness of Gods grace and riches of his mercy to all penitent and believing sinners declaring unto her how God delighted in mercy and that where sin had abounded there his grace and mercy would much more abound or to that purpose And thereupon she presently fell a weeping wringing her hands and cryiâ—g for mercy and dyed very comfortably as it is related having had the mercy of God abundantly revealed to her before her death And truly sinner as it was my design so my hearts desire in sâ—tting forth Gods willingness to save the very worst of sinners upon their repentance and Christs readiness to embrace them with the arms of his mercy that it might have the same effect in thee as it had in the forementioned Gentle-woman And oh that the consideration thereof would melt thine heart into tears of unfeigned sorrow for thy sins past and stir thee up to turn from them unto God by hearty repentance and to close with Jesus Christ upon the terms of the Gospel Oh that I could prevail with thee as to give a bill of divorce to thy lusts and corruptions so to give up thy self unto Christ and to adventure thy soul upon him resting upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of thy sins here and for eternal life and salvation hereafter If Christ be so willing to receive thee why shouldst not thou be willing to go unto him and that with confidence of acceptance Salvation is this day offered unto thee the golden Scepter is held out unto thee Oh stretch forth the hand of faith to lay hold and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ so shalt thou be happy to all Eternity For whosoever believeth in Iesus Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Thus much of the truths to be embraced in order to your Regeneration CHAP. XIV Sheweth the Duties to be Practised in order to your Regeneration HAving shewed you the truths to be embraced in order to your Regeneration I come now to the Duties on your part to be practised and performed I. From the consideration of the dreadfulness of thy condition so long as thou continuest in thine unregenerate estate and of the hope thou hast of a blessed change stir up in thy self an earnest longing restless desire after the new birth that thou maist in truth say O that I were Regenerate and born anew Oh that the Image of the Devil might be razed out and the Image of God imprinted in me O that a blessed change were wrought in my soul a change from nature to grace from darkness to light from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Oh that I might become a new creature renewed throughout in all the faculties of my soul and all the parts of my body As Rachel cryed Give me Children or else I dye So do thou cry out and say Give me this new birth let me be born again by the spirit or else I shall dye not only the first but likewise the second death and be undone for ever And know for thy comfort if thou canst find any such longing desire in thy soul thou art not far from this new birth from the work of Regeneration in thy soul. For this longing desire after this new birth will put thee upon the use of all ordinances and means God hath sanctified for the attaining thereof II. Labour to get thine heart deeply and throughly affected with a sense of thy miserable condition by nature It is not sufficient to know thy condition to be sad and deplorable so long as thou continuest in thine unregenerate estate but thy care and endeavour must be to get thine heart throughly affected therewith If you look into the Scriptures you shall find this qualification required in the persons whom Christ came to save and whom he invites to come unto him Our blessed Saviour speaking to Zacheus saith The Son
yet was he received to mercy Hast thou been a Blasphemer or a Persecutor of the Saints and servants of God So was Paul and yet he obtained mercy Hast thou been a Filthy unclean person wallowing and delighting like a Sow in the filth of sin and mire of sinfull filthiness So did Mary Magdalea and many of the Corinthians yet were they washed with the blood of Iesus Christ justified and sanctified Hast thou been an Oppressor and Extortioner who hast got thine estate by over-reaching thy neighbours and grinding the faces of the poor So did Matthew and Zacheus who yet found mercy Why then is there not hope of mercy for thee when grace hath embraced such great and heinous sinners Q. Wilt thou say thou art a greater sinner than any of these forementioned A. 1. This is scarce credible But suppose thy sins do exceed the proportion of any one thou canst find pardoned in Scripture yet this were no just ground of despair because the depth of Gods mercy was never yet fathomed God never acted his mercy so far but he is able to act it farther Greater sinners than ever yet were pardoned may be pardoned And therefore though thy sins were more and greater than the sins of others yet there is hope of mercy for thee unless by thine infidelity thou dost exclude thy self from the same 2. Consider that there was no more in Manasseh Mary Magdalen Paul nor any of the Saints now in Heaven to move God to have compassion on them than there is in thee The Apostle saith that there is no difference for all have sinned The true cause of any mans Regeneration is the free grace and love of God For saith the Apostle we were all by nature the Children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us And immediatly addeth By grace ye are saved Now seeing the free grace and love of God is the true cause of mans Regeneration and Salvation why shouldst thou imagine there is less love in God for thee than there was for them Obj. 5. Others object they fear their time and day of grace is past and gone having long stood out and rejected many offers of grace and that it is now too late to seek after the grace of God A. To this I answer that the slighting and rejecting the many offers of grace is very sad yea an heinous sin which calls for thy deepest sorrow and humiliation This made our Saviour to weep over Ierusalem because they neglected the day of their visitation But yet know 1. Though thou hast often refused and rejected the offers of grace yet is not thy condition hopeless in that it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost which alone cannot be pardoned but it is a sin though heinous yet pardonable Many have obtained mercy even for this and so mayest thou upon thy true humiliation and repentance For such is the mercy of God as he both can and will pardon even sins against mercy 2. It 's a question whether there be any Saint on Earth or in Heaven who before their closing with Christ by faith did not stand out against and reject many of his gracious invitations excepting such as were sanctified from the Womb. 'T is the Devil that puts it into thy mouth to say I have slighted many offers of grace therefore my day of grace is past and gone Do we not see by daily experience how Christ brings home some to himself in their old age who questionless in their youth and riper years turned many a deaf ear to his gracious invitations And that Christ is still willing and ready so to do appeareth by this that he continues his offers of grace though formerly neglected How oft would I have gathered thee saith Christ of Ierusalem 3. Christ hath several seasons of Conversion and Regeneration all come not in at the first hour of the day nor at the sixth hour Christ brings home some to himself in the latter end of their lives who have all the former part slighted and rejected his gracious invitations And therefore he will have them often renewed and tendred to poor sinners because though the time of some be to come in at the first offer yet the time of others is to come in upon renewed and multiplyed offers so that often renewing thy refusals is not an eternal prejudice 4. If thou art heartily sorry for thy former refusals and dost now unfeinedly desire to close with Christ I may with confidence say thy day of grace is not past For those affections wrought in thee by the Spirit of God are gracious hints that he intends thee good if yet thou wilt accept Such who have outstood their day are usually given up to a feared Conscience and reprobate mind and are hurried by the Devil to the committing of all manner of sin and wickedness and that with greediness and delight 5. Thou who fearest thy day of grace is past know this that if thou now findest in thy self a willingness to abandon thy former lusts and corruptions and to become a new creature to cast off the Devils service and to become the servant of the Lord Jesus thy day of grace is not past 6. It is evident thy day of grace is not past because the Lord hath not yet given over to strive with thee Is he not yet woing and beseeching thee by the Ministry of his Word by the motions of his Spirit to accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son And doth not Christ himself stand knocking at the door of thine heart telling thee that if thou wilt open to him he will come in and sup with thee and thou with him It is yet the acceptable time and day of Salvation if thou wilt accept thou maist be accepted Say not foolishly my day is past but prove it is not so by coming in this day Harden not thine heart this day and thou shalt find God will not harden his ear against thy cry 7. Though thou hast long stood out yet know that God will not presently take the forfeiture of thee neither will Christ suddenly take his advantage against thee If the Lord were as hasty to punish sinners as they are forward to commit sin there would suddenly be an end of all And if Christ should be as forward to reject sinners as they are to reject him what hope of mercy were there But Christ is not so severe he is of great goodness and of great patience he makes tenders of grace and peace over and over again and waits our acceptance In which respect he is said to stand at their door and knock As knocking is usually a repetition of strokes so standing at the door and knocking implyeth his waiting for our opening Ah sinner doth Christ continue to renew his offers of grace and mercy unto thee and wilt
and manifesting his greatest power in their greatest impotency Yea though sometimes he seems to leave them in their distress yet he giveth such sufficient strength as they are thereby enabled to bear it and well to pass it through This is evident by the Apostles holy triumph in this case We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed The ground hereof is the assistance which God affordeth us and the strength which he communicateth to us IX All things shall work together for the good of the Regenerate And God will do them good by all in the latter end He will turn their losses into gain their crosses into comforts their sorrows into joy their cursing into blessings Those afflictive providences which seem to be most prejudicial unto them will in the issue prove most beneficial As we see in Ioseph The evil which his brethren intended against him turned to his good Their selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites proved the means of his advancement How did Maâ—asses imprisonment work for his good For the text saith When he was in affliction he besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly and the Lord was entreated of him To know that nothing shall hurt a child of God is ground of exceeding great comfort and consolation But to be assured that all things even all cross-providences shall work together for his good is enough to fill the heart with joy Oh then how great is the happiness of every Regenerate person who may be assured that whatsoever befalleth him shall be for his good and doth work together for the best Certainly he may truly say Soul take thy spiritual ease for here is much spiritual good treasured up for thee X. A blessed death For so saith the Spirit Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord that is in the faith of Christ. Who are blessed both because then they rest from their labours from all their toyl and pains from all their griefs and sorrows As also because their works do follow them through free-grace in glorious rewards The souls of the Regenerate so soon as they are by death separated from the body go immediately into Heaven as is clear from that speech of our Saviour to the converted thief on the Cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice which place the Apostle expoundeth to be the third Heaven The word in the Original translated this day implyes that immediately after the breathing of his soul out of his body his soul should go to Heaven And thus it is with all the Regenerate unto whom death is like the red-Sea to the Israelites even a passage and thorow-fair into the Heavenly Canaan XI An happy Resurrection For at the sound of the last Trumpet all the Regenerate shall arise out of their graves like so many Iosephs out of Prison Whatsoever imperfections were before in their bodies as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Though the body was sowen in corruption yet it shall be raised in incorruption not to be subject to any manner of aches pains diseases or imperfections Though it were sowen in weakness it shall be raised in power And though it was sowen in dishonour it shall be raised in glory Here it is many times deformed but then all deformities and defects shall be removed and the body made more glorious through the admirable beauty thereof Certainly if the Beauty of all the Men and Women in the World were concentred in one it would be far short of the Beauty of the Saints in Heaven whose bodies shall shine more gloriously than the Sun in the Firmament XII The last and highest priviledge of the Regenerate is That they shall have an Heavenly inheritance Fathers on earth use to provide inheritances for their Children And the Apostâ—e Peter Blesseth God who hath begotten us to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven The Regenerate in this life possâ—ss Heaven in Christ but hereafter they shall enjoy it in their own persons When they come to enjoy this heavenly inheritance they shall not only be freed from all evils both bodily and spiritual but likewise replenished with all good Their minds shall be inlightned their wills reformed their memories made blessed treasures their consciences purged their hearts purified their affections rectified their bodies glorified and all these perfectly There shall be a blessed communion of all the Saints together who shall enjoy the society of Angels and fellowship with Christ himself whose surpassing excellency they shall cleerly behold and partake of that glory wherewith he is arrayed What tongue can express what heart can conceive the excellency thereof If Peter Iames and Iohn seeing but some small glimpse of Christs glory and Majesty in his transfiguration were so ravished therewith that setting aside all worldly desires they wished only the continuance thereof Then how shall the Saints in Heaven be ravished with joy and comfort when they shall continually behold their Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father like a triumphant Conquerour having subdued his and his Churches enemies Thus have I shewed you some of the glorious priviledges of the Regenerate Oh happy day may that Man or Woman say as long as they live when God by his Spirit Regenerated them and made them new creatures Many keep their birth day as a day of rejoycing and feasting But they who know the day of their new-birth may well make that a day of rejoycing while they live in regard of the many glorious priviledges whereof they are thereby partakers CHAP. XVIII An Exhortation to bless God for the work of Regeneration And to walk worthy thereof II. A Second branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Regenerate is To be thankfull unto God for this great mercy Admire the grace of God and bless his name for ever Art thou made alive Is the life of God begotten in thee And hast thou evidence of it O bless God whilest thou hast any being Let thine heart and mouth and life be filled with his Praises Take up the Psalmists words Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Wilt thou be thankfull unto God for thy natural birth And wilt not thou be thankfull to him for thy spiritual birth wilt thou bless him for that he hath made thee a reasonable creature And wilt thou not bless him for making thee a new-creature wilt thou bless him that thou art not a Toad And wilt thou not bless him that thou art not a Devil Is not Regeneration of all mercies the most necessary And wilt not thou be thankfull for that which is the one thing necessary If the Children of Israel praised God for their deliverance from the Aegyptian bondage how much more cause hast thou
accurately indeed for so the word in the Greek seemeth to import in its proper notion viz. A going from the bottom to the top of the rule 3. Our exact walking consisteth in a carefull avoiding all occasions of evil and temptations thereunto Having by sad experience found such and such things to have been snares and occasions of sin unto us it is our duty and will be our wisdom carefully to shun and efchew the same Especially considering that by running into temptations we tempt the Lord and provoke him to give us over to our weakness and to the power of our corruptions that so by our falls we may for the time to come be more wise and wary Every man by nature is like dry wood which is apt to kindle so soon as fire is put to it There needs not any Devils to tempt us Dry stubble will take fire without any bellows to blow it Let the least occasion that is be offered unto us how easily doth it take every spark will catch upon our tinder hearts The first sin that proved so fatal to mankind came by temptation The Devil prevailed with Eve to go and see the forbidden fruit telling her that though she might not eat it yet she might lawfully look on it and that became the occasion of her fall For from sight and view she proceeded to touch and taste to the taking in of that which proved the bane both of her and hers By the like means how sadly doth the Devil prevail upon souls daily what windows doth he make our eyes and ears to let in temptation first and then iniquity what snares doth he make of our voluptuous tables our vain and loose companions our gorgeous apparel our vain and wanton fashions even forming our hearts into the image of those vanities and leading us out to all iniquity As our Saviour therefore taught us to pray that we enter not into temptation So it will be our wisdom to see to it that our practice be according to our prayers What a mockery is it this hour to pray against temptations and the next hour to be running into them Pray against temptations and watch against them Watch against all temptations but especially such as are most taking with thee and such as have a tendency to thy bosome and best beloved sins For from them is most danger to be feared they having most strength from our natures The Devil knowing full well which are our bosome and beloved sins and most predominant lusts unto them especially and with greatest success doth he apply his temptations 4. Our exact walking consisteth in abstaining from appearances of evil as well as from apparent and direct evills As there are some things apparently evil so there are other things in shew and appearance only evil He who walks circumspectly and exactly will as carefully shun the one as the other He will not adventure upon any thing that looks like sin or that hath the least affinity with it If the thing be doubtfull whether it may or may not be done he will do that which is most safe and leave the other undone Yea though he know a thing to be lawfull in it self yet if it may prove a stumbling block in the way of another and so be an occasion of sin unto him he will carefully avoid the same Upon this account St. Paul resolved to avoid the eating of flesh though he might lawfully do it yet when it was like to be a stumbling-block to his weak Brother in regard it had an appearance of evil in it he said If meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth Upon this ground likewise the Apostles and Elders in the first general Council at Ierusalem imposed upon the Gentiles abstinence from meat offered to Idols from things strangled and from blood Not for that these meats were in themselves unclean and unlawfull but because they were apprehended to be so unto many of the Iews who were kept off from Christ because those meats in which they supposed to be such uncleanness were ordinarily eaten by the Christians Hereupon it concerns us in all our actions to be satisfied not only of the lawfullness but likewise of the expediency of them For many things in themselves may be lawfull which yet in some respect may not be expedient because they have some shew of evill in them or are lyable to some mis-construction or may be occasions of sin unto our selves or of scandal and offence unto our weak Brother or may strengthen and confirm wicked men in their ungodly courses and the like But herein this cauâ—ion is to be observed that all necessary duties commanded by God ought to be performed by us though our Brother be offended at them and though to the World they have some appearance of evil Christs Doctrines Works and Conversations were an offence to many in his dayes yet he went on therein and pronounced them blessed who were not offended in him We may not therefore shun profession of holiness and the practice of Godliness because unto Worldly men it appeareth but brain-sick peevishness and an irrational precisâ—ness But being commanded by God in his Word ought to be endeavoured after I may not wound mine own Consâ—ience to secure my Brothers 5. Our exact walking consisteth in a moderate use of lawfull things That overmuch liberty which some men have given to themselves in such things as are in their own nature lawfull hath proved great occasion of sin unto them Our Saviour seemeth to blame the men of the old World that when the Flood came upon them they were eating and drinking buying and selling planting and building Things no doubt in themselves lawfull to be done but by over using those lawfull things and setting their hearts upon them they laid aside all care of Heavenly things and increased their pride and covetousness neglecting the threatnings of a Flood and so drowned themselves in perdition The Apostle therefore tells us that they who marry must be as if they marryed not and they who buy as if they bought not and they who use this World as not abusing it There is a lawfull using the comforts of this life and an unlawfull an abusing of them We lawfully use them when we enjoy them with moderation and with subordination to spiritual grace and heavenly glory when we use all we have for God We abuse the comforts of this life when we use them too much even excessively in respect of the measure and inordinately in respect of the manner when letting out our hearts too much upon them the things which should lead us to God withdraw us from him To spend some time in honest recreations for the refreshing of our minds and strengthening our bodies is lawfull But to waste too much of our precious time in sports and pastimes making a vocation of our recreations or to give up our hearts unto our pleasure
to the husband so that they prove blessings and comforts each to other Children likewise are blessed and sanctified to their Parents and Servants to their Masters Yea Family-prayer produceth Gods blessing upon their callings and enjoyments upon their losses and crosses both are thereby blessed and sanctified unto them 2. Family-prayer as it is a sanctifying ordinance so it is a seasoning ordinance it seasons the whole house with the fear of God It is recorded of Cornelius that he was a devout man one that feared God with all his house who prayed to God alwayes his constant course of praying with his Family questionless did season his whole house with the fear of God As Prayer-less Families are for the most part destitute of the fear of God so in those Families where a constant course of Praying is kept up there the hearts of many are seasoned with the true fear of God As Abraham was a Praying-master so he had praying-servants For inferiours are very apt to write after the Copy of their Superiours and to follow their example Thus by a praying Master Children and Servants are taught to Pray 3. Family-prayer is a special preservative against common calamities Polanus in his Syntagm relateth how in the year 1584. there was such a terrible Earth-quake that overthrew all the houses in a whole Town in Switzerland save one wherein the Master of the Family was at the same time praying with his Wife Children and Servants If God doth not preserve praying-families from those common judgements and calamities which befall others yet he will so sanctifie those calamities unto them that they shall turn to their good according to that gracious promise All things shall work together for good to them that love God V. Consider the manifold mischiefs that usually sollow and accompany the neglect of Family-prayer As 1. Neglect of Family-prayer is usually accompanied with the neglect of all other Religious duties which is found true by sad experience For whoever heard that the Scriptures were read or Catechising used in any Family where Prayer was omitted So that Prayer-less houses are as Sepulchres wherein all Religion lyes buried 2. Neglect of Family-prayer exposâ—th the whole houshold to the wrath and fury of God as the Prophet Ieremiah implyeth where he saith Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy name Where by the fury of God is meant his wrath in the highest degree his anger boyled up to the height Oh who can abide this scalding wrath And by pouring out Gods fury is meant Gods inflicting his fierce wrath in the greatest measure in the highest degree The words though they are set down in the form of a Prayer yet they are a prediction as well as a petition of Gods dreadfull wrath and fury to be undoubtedly inflicted upon all Prayerless-families For the Prophet put up this Prayer unto God as foreseeing the certain ruin and destruction of such Families as called not upon the name of the Lord He knew that God would assuredly pour out his fury upon their Families who did not pour out their souls unto him Oh that all Masters and Governours would seriously think and meditate on this fearfull imprecation of the Prophet against all Prayerless-families that so they might dread the omission of so necessary a duty as much as the scorching wrath and fury of God yea as the scorching fire of hell for what is hell it self but the feeling of this wrath and fury of God I shall close this with answering three Questions and as many Objections 1. Q. How often should we Pray with our Families A. 1. Every day For first our Saviour hath intimated so much unto us in his plat-form of Prayer by teaching us to Pray for our daily bread in these words Give us this day our daily bread that is bread needfull for the present day And in regard we daily stand in need of bread therefore our Saviour would have us pray daily for the same 2. Have you not daily wants to be supplyed wants for your selves and wants for your Children and Servants Have you not daily infirmities in your Family to be healed Are you not daily subject to dangers and temptations And do you not daily sin against God Is it not necessary then that you daily Pray unto God for the supply of all your wants for the healing of all your infirmities for the preventing of the dangers you are daily subject unto for the strengthning you against all your temptations for the pardoning of all your sins Surely our daily wants our daily infirmities our daily dangers our daily temptations and our daily sins do all call upon us for daily prayers And as you and yours daily partake of Gods mercies is it not just and equal that you all should daily bless God for the same The truth is every day supplyeth new matter both of Prayer and praise and therefore there is just cause daily to offer up our Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto God 2. Q. How oft in each day are we bound to pray with our Families A. Family-prayer ought to be performed twice at least viz. In the Morning and in the Evening 1. For first this is commended unto us by the Morning and Evening Sacrifice under the Law which we find given in command unto the Jews And are not Christians under the Gospel as well as those under the Law obliged to offer up their Morning and Evening Sacrifice 2. Equity requireth this duty at your hands as the mercies of God are renewed upon you and yours every Morning and the showres of his compassion fall down upon you every night so you should not forget to offer up both a Morning and an Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto him who is so continually mindfull of you 3. Q. What time in the Morning and Evening is fittest for the performance of Family-prayer A. For this no certain rule can be prescribed in regard of the several occasions which may fall out in a Family and by reason of age sickness and the like in the Governours thereof Yet it were to be wished that the Morning Sacrifice if possibly may be betimes in the Morning before Servants go about the works of their calling as being the fittest time for holy exercises when the Spirits are freshest and freest from Wordly thoughts and distractions And it were to be wished that the Evening Sacrifice may be before Supper in regard that afterwards we are generally more heavy and sleepy and will find it more difficult to keep up our hearts and spirits in the duty Having thus resolved the Questions come we now to the Objections raised against the duty of Family-prayer CHAP. VI. Objections against Family-prayer Answered 1. Obj. SOme Object their inability to pray they know not how to perform the duty A. 1. Let the sense of thine own weakness drive thee unto God for power and strength Beg
your reading may be the more profitable observe these few directions 1. Before you read lift up your heart unto God in some short Prayer beseeching him who is the Father of light to enlighten the blind eyes of your understandings that you may understand what you read so to strengthen your memories that you may remember it and that he would give you Wisdom to apply faith to believe and grace to practise what you read Which Prayer is necessary before reading because as the Apostle speaketh Naturally we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither can we know them because they are spiritually discerned And it is only the Spirit of God that revealeth them unto us which we have no hope to attain but by fervent Prayer 2. The Word must be read and heard with all holy reverence and attention as being the Word of the great God whereby he revealeth himself and his will cleerly unto us for the building us up in all grace and Godliness 3. In reading every one ought to take special notice of such passages as are either more weighty in themselves or proper to them for their particular cases use and occasion 4. In reading or hearing any portion of Scripture let every one apply it to himself as spoken to him By this means may every one be much edified by every part of the Word of God CHAP. VIII Of Family-Catechising with quickning Motives thereunto III. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families in reference to those under their charge is to instruct them in the principles of Religion in a Catechistical way For to Catechise is to teach the first principles of Christian Religion whereby they who are young may be acquainted with God betimes This we find given in command unto Housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Thâ—se words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Where by Children are not meant only natural Children but likewise servants it being usual with the Hebrews by Children to understand all under subjection We have a Prophesie that there shall be as it were a succession of Christs name from generation to generation His name shall endâ—re sor ever his name shall be continued as long as the Sun or as the phrase imports His name shall pass from Father to Son Every Father then must by Christian instruction declare the name of Christ to his Son that so the name of Christ may pass from Father to Son from generation to generation which prophesie concerns the time of the Gospel wherein Parents are commanded to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord or to nurture them up in instruction as the word in the Greek properly signifieth This duty is commended to us by the example of Godly Housholders in all ages I know saith God of Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. We likewise find David often instructing his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And that this was the practice of the Saints in the time of the Gospel appeareth from the expressions of the Apostle Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God And leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ which imply a form of Catechism which was used by the Christians in those dayes And oh that all Christian Parents and governours of Families in our dayes would make conscience of instructing and teaching their Children and Servants in the principles of Religion out of some good Catechism Observing these two Caveats 1. That this duty be done frequently on some day or dayes every week 2. That it be done by little at once for to be too long or tedious therein is apt to dull the understanding and to cause wearisomeness in the learner For the better pressing this duty I shall add a few motives or arguments I. The first Argument or Motive may be taken from the benefits which will follow thereupon 1. Timely instruction will season their hearts that they are like to be better for it all the dayes of their lives and therefore saith the Wise man Traiâ— up or as the Word signifieth Catechise a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it But as a Vessel will retain long the savour of that liquor it was seasoned first withall So will men the instructions they have learned in their youth 2. It is an excellent means to keep them from the errours and heresies of the times For Children well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion are in great measure antidoted against the danger of seducing doctrines The Apostle saith There must be heresies which are of a spreading nature and therefore by our Saviour compared to Leaven What better preservative against the infection of false doctrines errours and heresies than to be well Catechised Observe who they be that are easiest seduced by false teachers who they are that have embraced their erroneous tenets and you shall find that they were such who were never well Catechised nor grounded in the principles of Religion As therefore you would not have your Children and Servants poysoned with the erroneous Doctrines of false teachers do your endeavours to get them well rooted and grounded in the knowledge of the truth 3. It is an excellent means to make them hear the publick Ministry of the Word with more profit For thereby they will be enabled to Examine the Doctrine which they hear by the analogie of faith It is foretold that in the latter dayes there shall be false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies And therefore we are not to receive all for truth which is delivered in the Pulpit but as the Apostle exhorteth us to prove and try all things and to hold fast only that which is good which we shall never be able to do unless we be first well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion as also well acquainted with the Scriptures If therefore you who are Parents and Masters of Families would discharge your duty herein how would Errours vanish Religion flourish and how would knowledge and grace abound in your Children and Servants II. Another argument may be taken from the manifold damages which usually follow a neglect of Family Catechising 1. It is the ground of that ignorance and spiritual blindness which overfloweth this Nation For as darkness proceedeth from the want of light so ignorance must needs proceed from the want of teaching 2. It is the ground of that looseness and prophaneness that is in many Families For where Gods service hath no place there sin will