componere c. Acosta l. 4. c. 18 p. 418. his servants whose calling and daily business it must be as that which they are made for as the Sun is made to give light and heat to inferiour things Ephes. 2. 10. Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Christ was far from their opinion that think all good works that are attributed to good men are dishonourabie to God 10. He is most beholden to God that is most exercised in good works The more we do the more we receive from him And our very doing it self is our Receiving For it is he that giveth us both to will and to do by his operation in us Phil. 2. 13. Even he without whom we can do nothing John 15. 5. 11. The obligation to good works that is to works of Piety Justice and Charity is essential to us as servants of the Lord We are practical Atheists if we do not works of piety to God we are rebells against God and enemies to our selves and unmeet for humane society if we do not the works which are good for our selves and for others if we have ability and opportunity This is our fruit which God expecteth and if we bear it not he will hew us down and cast us into the fire 12. Though doing no hurt will not serve turn without doing good yet it is not the same works that are required of all nor in the same degree but according to every mans talent and opportunities Matth. 25. 14 15 c. 13. God looketh not only nor principally at the external part of the work but much more to the Heart of him that doth it nor at the length of time but at the sincerity and diligence of his servants And therefore though he is so just as not to deny the Reward which was promised them to those that have born the burden and heat of the day yet is he so gracious and bountiful that he will give as much to those that he findeth as willing and diligent and would have done more if they had had opportunity Matth. 20. 12 13 14 15. You see in all this what our doctrine is about good works and how far those Papists are to be believed who perswade their ignorant Disciples that we account them vain and needless things Directions for faithful serving Christ and doing Good § 4. Direct 1. Be sure that you have that Holiness Iustice and Charity within which are the necessary Direct 1. Principles of good works For a good Tree will being forth good fruit and an evil Tree evil fruit Make the Tree good and the fruit good A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things As out of the Heart proceed evil works Matth. 15. 19 20. So out of the heart must good works come Matth. 7. 16 17 18 19 20. Can the dead do the works of the living Or the unhâ—ly do the works of holiness or the unrighteous do the works of justice or the uncharitable do the works of charity Will he do good to Christ in his members on earth who hateth them Or will he not rather imprison them than visit them in prison and rather strip them of all they have than feed and clothe them Or if a man should do that which materially is good from pride or other sinful principles God doth not accept it but taketh all sacrifice but as Carrion that is offered to him without the Heart § 5. Direct 2. Content not your selves to do some good extraordinarily on the by or when you are Direct 2. urged to it but study to do good and make it the Trade or business of your lives Having so many obligations and so great encouragements do what you do with all your might If you would know whether you are servants to Christ or to the Flesh the question must be which of these have the main care and diligence of our lives For as every carnal act will not prove you servants to the flesh so every good action will not prove you the servants of Christ. § 6. Direct 3. Before you do any work consider whether you can truly say it is a service of God Direct 3. and will be accepted by him See therefore that it be done 1. To his glory or to please him 2. And in obedience to his command Meer natural actions that have no moral good or evil in them and so belong not to morality these belong not to our present subject as being not the matter of rational or at least of obediential choice Such as the wâ—nking of the eye the setting of this foot forward first the taking of this or that meat or drink or instrument or company or action when they are equal and it is no matter of rational or obediential choice c. But every act that is to be done deliberately and rationally as matter of choice must be moralized or made good by doing it 1. To a â—ight end and 2. According to the rule Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do that is matter of rational choice must be done by us to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. All works tend not alike to his glory but some more immediately and directly and others remotely But all must ultimately have this end Even Servants that labour in their painful work must do it as to the Lord and not only or ultimately to men not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ from whom they must have their greatest reward or punishment Ephes. 6. 5 6 7 8. Col. 3. 22 23 24 25. All the comforts of food or rest or recreation or pleasure which we take should be intended to fit us for our Masters work or strengthen cheer and help us in it Do nothing deliberately that belongs to the government of Reason but Gods service in the world which you can say he set you on § 7. Direct 4. Set not duties of Piety Iustice or Charity against each other as if they had an enmity Direct 4. to each other but take them as inseparable as God hath made them Think not to offer God a Sacrifice Some think they merit by curing the hâ—â—â—â—s which they have caused themselves Sed nequitia est ut extâ—ahas mergere eveâ—tere ut suscites includere ut emittas Non enim beneficium injuriae sinis nec unquam id detraxisâ—e meritum est quod ipse qui detraxit intulerat Senec. de Benes of injury bribery fraud oppression or any uncharitable work And pretend not the benefit of men or the safety of Societies or Kingdoms for impiety against the Lord. § 8. Direct 5. Acquaint your selves with all the talents which you receive from God and what is Direct 5. the use to which they should
the final obstinate refusers of Christ and life 4. That he that so far believeth the truth of the Gospel as to Consent to the Covenant of Grace even that God the Father be his Lord and Reconciled Father and Christ his savior and the Holy Ghost his sanctifier hath true saving faith and right to the blessing of the Covenant 5. That the day of Grace is so far commensurate or equal to our Life time that whosoever truly Repenteth and Consenteth to the Covenant of Grace before his death is certainly pardoned and in a state of life and that it is every mans duty so to do that pardon may be theirs 6. That Satans temptations are none of our sins but only our yielding to them 7. That the effects of natural sickness or diseasedness is not in it self a sin 8. That those are the smallest sins formally and least like to condemn us which we are most unwilling of and are least in Love or liking of 9. That no sin shall condemn us which we hate more than love and which we had rather leave and be delivered from than keep For this is true Repentance 10. That he is truly sanctified who had rather be perfect in Holiness of heart and life in Loving God and Living by Faith than to have the greatest pleasures riches or honours of the world taking in the Means also by which both are attained 11. That he who hath this Grace and desire may know that he is elect and the making of our Calling sure by our Consenting to the holy Covenant is the making of our Election sure 12. That the same thing which is a great duty to others may be no duty to one who by bodily distemper as Feavors Phrensies Melancholy is unable to perform it § 6. Direct 2. Take heed of worldly cares and sorrows and discontents Set not so much by earthly things as to enable them to disquiet you But learn to cast your cares on God You can have less peace in an affliction which cometh by such a carnal sinful means It s much more safe to be distracted with cares for Heaven than for Earth § 7. Direct 3. Meditation is no duty at all for a melancholy person except some few that are able to Direct 3. bear a diverting meditation which must be of something farthest from the matter which troubled them Or except it be short meditations like ejaculatory prayers A set and serious meditation will but confound you and disturb you and disable you to other duties If a man have a broken leg he must not go on it till it s knit lest all the body fare the worse It is your Thinking faculty or your Imagination which is the broken pained part and therefore you must not use it about the things that trouble you Perhaps you 'll say That this is to be prophane and forget God and your soul and let the tempter have his will But I answer No It is but to forbear that which you cannot do at present that by doing other things which you can do you may come again to do this which you now cannot do It is but to forbear attempting that which will but make you less able to do all other duties And at the present you may conduct the affairs of your soul by holy Reason I perswade you not from Repenting or Believing but from set and long and deep Meditations which will but hurt you § 8. Direct 4. Be not too long in any secret duty which you find you are not able to bear Prayer Direct 4. it self when you are unable must be performed but as you can Short confessions and requests to God must serve instead of longer secret prayers when you are unable to do more If sickness may excuse a man for being short where nature will not hold out the case is the same here in the sickness of the brain and spirits God hath appointed no means to do you hurt § 9. Direct 5. Where you find your selves unable for a secret duty struggle not too hard with your Direct 5. selves but go that pace that you are able to go quietly For as every striving doth not enable you but vex you and make duty wearisom to you and disable you more by increasing your disease Like an Ox that draweth unquietly and a Horse that chaseth himself that quickly tireth Preserve your willingness to duty and avoid that which makes it grievous to you As to a sick stomach it is not eating much but digesting well that tends to health and little must be eaten when much cannot be digested So it is here in case of your meditations and secret prayers § 10. Direct 6. Be most in those dutys which you are best able to bear which with most is Prayer Direct 6. with others hearing and good discourse As a sick man whose stomach is against other meats must eat of that which he can eat of And God hath provided variety of means that one may do the work when the other are wanting Do not misunderstand me In cases of absolute necessity I say again you must strive to do it whatever come of it If you are backward to believe to Repent to Love God and your neighbour to live soberly righteously and godly to pray at all here you must strive and not excuse it by any backwardness for it is that which must needs be done or you are lost But a man that cannot read may be saved without his reading and a man in prison or sickness may be saved without hearing the word and without the Church-communion of Saints And so a man disabled by melancholy may be saved by shorter thoughts and ejaculations without set and long meditations and secret prayers And other duties which he is able for will supply the want of these Even as nature hath provided two eyes and two ears and two nostrils and two reins and lungs that when one is stopt or faulty the other may supply its wants for a time So is it here § 11. Direct 7. Avoid all unnecessary solitariness and be as much as possible in honest chearful company Direct 7. You have need of others and are not sufficient for your selves And God will use and honour others as his hands to deliver us his blessings Solitariness is to those that are fit for it an excellent season for meditation and converse with God and with our hearts But to you it is the season of temptation and danger if Satan tempted Christ himself when he had him fasting and solitary in a wilderness much more will he take this as his opportunity against you Solitude is the season of musings and thoughtfulness which are the things which you must fly from if you will not be deprived of all § 12. Direct 8. When blasphemâ—us or disturbing thoughts look in or fruitless musings presently meet Direct 8. them and use that authority of Reason which is left you to cast them and command them out If you
Virgin doth well So then he that marrieth doth well but he that marrieth not doth better And mark Christs own words Matth. 19. 11. His Disciples say unto him If the case of a man be so with his wife it is not good to marry But he said unto them All men cannot receive this saying save they to whom it is given He that is able to receive it let him receive it § 30. 10. The business of a married state doth commonly devour almost all your time so that little is left for holy contemplations or serious thoughts of the life to come All Gods service is contracted and thrust into a corner and done as it were on the by The world will scarce allow you time to meditate or pray or read the Scripture You think your selves as Martha under a greater necessity of dispatching your business than of sitting at Christs feet to hear his Word O that single persons knew for the most part the pretiousness of their leisure and how free they are to attend the service of God and learn his Word in comparison of the married § 31. 11. There is so great a diversity of temperaments and degrees of understanding that there are scarce any two persons in the world but there is some unsuitableness between them Like stones that have some unevenness that maketh them lye crooked in the building some crossness there will be of opinion or disposition or interest or will by nature or by custome and education which will stir up frequent discontents § 32. 12. There is a great deal of duty which Husband and Wife do owe to one another As to instruct admonish pray watch over one another and to be continual helpers to each other in order to their everlasting happiness and patiently to bear with the infirmities of each other And to the weak and backward heart of man the addition of so much duty doth add to their weariness how good soever the work be in it self And men should feel their strength before they undertake more work § 33. 13. And the more they Love each other the more they participate in each others griefs And one or other will be frequently under some sort of suffering If one be sick or lame or pained or defamed or wronged or disquieted in mind or by temptation fall into any wounding sin the other beareth part of the distress Therefore before you undertake to bear all the burdens of another and suffer in all anothers hurts it concerneth you to observe your strength how much more you have than your own burdens do require § 34. 14. And if you should marry one that proveth ungodly how exceeding great would the affliction be If you loved them your souls would be in continual danger by them They would be the powerfullest instruments in the world to pervert your judgements to deaden your hearts to take you off from a holy life to kill your prayers to corrupt your lives and to damn your souls And if you should have the grace to scape the snare and save your selves it would be by so much the greater difficulty and suffering as the temptation is the greater And what a heart-breaking would it be to converse so nearly with a child of the Devil that is like to lye for ever in Hell The daily thoughts of it would be a daily death to you § 35. 15. Women especially must expect so much suffering in a Married life that if God had not put into them a natural inclination to it and so strong a love to their children as maketh them patient under the most annoying troubles the world would ere this have been at an end through their refusal of so calamitous a life Their sickness in breeding their pain in bringing forth with the danger of their lives the tedious trouble night and day which they have with their children in their nursing and their childhood besides their subjection to their husbands and continual care of family affairs being forced to consume their lives in a multitude of low and troublesome businesses All this and much more would have utterly deterred that Sex from marriage if Nature it self had not enclined them to it § 36. 16. And O what abundance of duty is incumbent upon both the Parents towards every child for Art thou discontented with thy childless state Remember that of all the Roman Kings noâ— one of them left the Crown to his Son Plutarch de â—ranq anim the saving of their souls What uncessant labour is necessary in Teaching them the Doctrine of Salvation Which made God twice over charge them to teach his word diligently or sharpen them unto their children and to talk of them when they sit in their houses and when they walk by the way and when they lye down and when they rise up Deut. 6. 6 7. 11. 19. What abundance of obstinate rooted corruptions are in the hearts of Children which Parents must by all possible diligence root up O how great and hard a work is it to speak to them of their sins and Saviour of their God their souls and the life to come with that reverence gravity seriousness and unwearied constancy as the weight of the matter doth require and to suit all their actions and carriage to the same ends Little do most that have Children know what abundance of care and labour God will require of them for the sanctifying and saving of their Childrens souls Consider your fitness for so great a work before you undertake it § 37. 17. It is abundance of affliction that is ordinarily to be expected in the miscarriages of Children when you have done your best much more if you neglect your duty as even godly Parents too often do After all your pains and care and labour you must look that the foolishness of some and the obstinacy of others and the unthankfulness of those that you have loved best should even pierce your hearts You must look that many vices should spring up and trouble you and be the more grievous by how much your children are the more dear And O what a grief it is to breed up a Child to be a servant of the Devil and an enemy of God and godliness and a persecutor of the Church of God! And to think of his lying in Hell for ever And alas how great is the number of such 18. And it is not a little care and trouble that servants will put you to so difficult is it to get those that are good much more to make them good so great is your duty in teaching them and minding them of the matters of their salvation so frequent will be the displeasures about your work and worldly business and every one of those displeasures will hinder them for receiving your instructions that most families are houses of correction or affliction § 39. 19. And these marriage Crosses are not for a year but during life They deprive you of all hope of relief while you live
the cost which is laid out for needless pomp and Inst. 6. oâ—tentation of greatness or curiosity in keeping a numerous retinue and in their gallantry and in keeping many Horses and costly furniture and attendance Quest. 7. When is a costly retinue and other pompous furniture to be accounted Prodigality Quest. 7. Answ. Not when they are needful to the honour of Magistracy and so to the Government of the Common-wealth Nor when it is made but a due means to some lawful end which answereth the cost But when it is either the fruits and maintenance of Pride or exceedeth the proportion of mens estates or especially when it expendeth that which better and more necessary uses call for It is a most odious and enormous crime to waste so many hundred or thousand pounds a year in the vanities of pomp and fruitless curiosities and need-nots while the publick uses of the State and Church are injured through want and while thousands of poor families are rackt with cares and pinched with necessities round about us § 13. Inst. 7. Another way of Prodigality is that which is called by many keeping a good house Inst. 7. that is in unnecessary abundance and waste of meat and drink and other provisions Quest. 8. When may great house-keeping be accounted prodigality Quest. 8. Answ. Not when it is but a convenient work of charity to feed the poor and relieve the distressed or entertain strangers or to give such necessary entertainment to equals or superiours as is before described But when the truest relief of the poor shall be omitted and it may be poor Tenants wracked and opprest to keep up the fame and grandeur of their abundance and to seem magnificent and praised by men for great house-keepers The whole and large estates of many of the rich and great ones of the world goeth this way and so much is devoured by it as starveth almost all good works § 14. Inst. 8. Another way of Prodigality is Cards and Dice and other gaming in which whilest Inst. 8. men desire to get that which is anothers they lose and waste their own § 15. Inst. 9. Another act of Prodigality is giving over-great portions wiâ—h children It being a Inst. 9. sinful waste of our Masters stock to lay it out otherwise than he would have us and to serve our pride and self-interest in our children instead of him Quest. 9. When may our childrens portions be accounted prodigality or too great Quest. 9. Answ. Not when you provide for their comfortable living according to your estates and give them that due proportion which consisteth with the discharge of other duties But when all that men can get is thought little enough for their children and the business of their lives is to live in fulness themselves as long as they can and then to leave that to their posterity which they cannot keep themselves When this gulf of self-pampering and providing the like for children devoureth almost all that you can gather and the poor and other needful uses are put off with some inconsiderable pittance And when there is not a due proportion kept between your provision for your children and the other duties which God requireth of you Psal. 49. 7 8 9 11 13. Their inward thought is that their houses shall be perpetuated and their dwelling places to generations they call their Lands after their own names This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings Psal. 73. 12. Behold these are the Ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches Psal. 17. 14. They have their portion in this life They are full of children or their children are full and they leave the rest of their substance to their babes A Parent that hath an heir or other children so wise religious and liberal as that they are like to be more charitable and serviceable to good uses than any other whom he can trust with his estate should not only leave such children sufficient for themselves but enable them as much as he can to do good For they will be more faithful Trustees to him than strangers But a Parent that hath but common and untrusty children should do all the good he can himself and what he would have done when he is dead he must commit to them that are more trusty and allow his children but their proper maintenance And Parents that have debauched wicked ungodly children such as God commanded them to cause to be put to death Deut. 21. should allow them no more than their daily bread if any thing at all which is their own to dispose of § 16. Inst. 10. Also to be careless in many small expences or losses because they are but little things Inst. 10. and to let any such thing be cast away is sinful prodigality Quest. 10. How far is it a duty to be frugal in small matters and the contrary a sin Quest. 10. Answ. We must not over-value any thing great or small nor be sparing out of covetousness nor yet in an imprudent way which seemeth to signifie baseness and worldliness when it is not so Nor must we be too tinking in bargaining with others when every pâ—â—ny which we get by it is lost to one that needeth it more But we must see that nothing of any â—â—â—â— be lost through satiety negligence or contempt For the smallest is part of Gods gifts and talents given us not to cast away but to use as he would have us And there is nothing that is good so small but some one hath need of it or some good use or other may be made of it Even Christ when he had fed thousands by a miracle yet commanded his Disciples to gather up the broken bread or fragments that nothing be lost John 6. 12. which plainly sheweth that it is a duty which the richest man that is is not exempted from to be frugal and a sin in the greatest Prince to be wasteful of any thing that is good But this must not be in sordid covetousness but in obedience to God and to do good to others He is commendable who giveth liberally to the poor out of his abundance But he is much more commendable who is a good husband for the poor as worldlings are for themselves and frugally getteth and saveth as much as he can and denyeth all superfluities to himself and all about him that he may have the more to give to pious and charitable uses § 17. Inst. 11. Idleness also and negligence in our Callings is sinful wastefulness and prodigality Inst. 11. When either the pride of Gentility maketh people think themselves too good to labour or to look after the matters of their families or slothfulness maketh them think it a life too toilsome for their flesh to bear Prov. 18 9. He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster These drones consume that which others labour for but are no
Arabick and sending it to Indostan and Persia. And what excellent labour hath good Mr. Iohn Eliots with some few assistants bestowed these twenty years and more in New England where now he hath translated and Printed the whole Scriptures in their Americane tongue with a Catechism and Call to the Unconverted by the help of a press maintained from hence 2. The attempt of Restoring the Christian Churches to their primitive purity and Unity according to mens several opportunities is a most excellent and desirable work which though the ignorance and wickedness of many and the implacableness and bloodiness of the carnal proud domineering part and the too great alienation of some others from them do make it so difficult as to be next to desperate at the present yet is not to be cast off as desperate indeed For great things have been done by wise and valiant attempts Princes might do very much to this if they were both wise and willing And who knoweth but an age may come that may be so happy The means and method I would willingly describe but that this is no fit place or time 3. The planting of a learned able holy concordant Ministry in a particular Kingdom and setling the primitive Discipline thereby is a work also which those Princes may very much promote whose hearts are set upon it and who set up no contrary interest against it But because these lines are never like to be known to Princes unless by way of accusation it is private mens works which we must speak to 4. It is a very good work to procure and maintain a worthy Minister in any of the most ignorant Parishes in these Kingdoms of which alas how many are there where the skilful preaching of the Gospel is now wanting or to maintain an assistant in populous Parishes where one is not able to do the work or by other just means to promote this service 5. It is a very good work to set up Free-Schools in populous and in ignorant places especially in Wales that all may be taught to read and some may be prepared for the Universities 6. It is an excellent work to â—ull out some of the choicest wits among the poorer sort in the Countrey Schools who otherwise would wither for want of culture and to maintain them for Learning in order to the Ministry with some able godly Tutor in the University or some Countrey Minister who is fit and vacant enough thereunto 7. It is an excellent work to give among poor ignorant people Bibles and Catechisms and some plain and godly Books which are most fitted to their use But it were more excellent to leave a setled revenew for this use naming the Books and choosing meet Trustees that so the Rent might every year furnish a several Parish which would in short time be a very extensive benefit and go through many Countries 8. It is a very good work to set poor mens children Apprentices to honest religious Masters where they may at once get the blessing to their souls of a godly education and to their bodies of an honest way of maintenance 9. It will not be unacceptable to God to relieve some of the persons or poor children of those very many hundred faithful Ministers of Christ who are now silenced and destitute of maintenance many having nothing at all but what charity sendeth them to maintain themselves and desolate families who were wont to exercise charity to the bodies and souls of others Read Matth. 25. Gal. 6. 5 6 7 8. 10. It is a good work of them who give stocks of money or yearly rents to be lent for five or six or seven years to young Tradesmen at their setting up upon good security choosing good Trustees who may choose the fittest persons And if it be a rent it will still increase the stock and if any should break the loss of it may be born 11. It would be a very good work for Landlords to improve their interest with their Tenants to further at once their bodily comfort and salvation To hire them by some abatement at their Rent dayes to learn Catechisms and read the Scripture and good Books in their families and give the Pastor an account of their proficience Whether the Law will enable them to bind them to any such thing in their Leases I cannot tell 12. And the present work of Charity for every one is to relieve the most needy which are next at hand To know what poor families are in greatest want and to help them as we are able and to provoke the rich to do that which we cannot do our selves and to beg for others And still to make use of bodily relief to further the good of their souls by seconding all with spiritual advice and help Quest. 4. In what order are works of Charity to be done And whom must we prefer when we are Quest. 4. unable to accommodate all Answ. 1. The most publick works must be preferred before private 2. Works for the soul caeteris paribus before works for the body And yet bodily benefits in order of time must oft go first as preparations to the other 3. Greatest necessities caeteris paribus must be supplyed before lesser The saving of anothers life must be preferred before your own less necessary comforts 4. Your own and families wants must caeteris paribus be supplyed before strangers even before some that you must love better Because God hath in point of provision and maintenance given you a nearer charge of your selves and families than of others 5. Nature also obligeth you to prefer your kindred before strangers if there be a parity as to other reasons 6. And caeteris paribus a good man must be preferred before a bad 7. And yet that charity which is like to tend to the good of the soul as well as of the body is to be preferred And in that case oft-times a bad man is to be preferred when a greater good is like to be the effect 8. A friend caeteris paribus is to be preferred before an enemy But not when the Good is like to be greater which will follow the relieving of an enemy Many other rules might be given but they are laid down already Tom. 1. Cap. where I treat of Good Works whither I refer you Quest. 5. Should I give in my life time or at my death Quest. 5. Answ. According as it is like to do most good But none should needlesly delay Both is best Quest. 6. Should one devote or set by a certain part of daily incomes Quest. 6. Quest. 7. What proportion is a man bound to give to the poor Quest. 7. Answ. These two Questions having answered in a Letter to Mr. Thomas Gouge now printed and the Book being not in many hands I will here recite that Letter as it is published Most Dear and very much Honoured Brother EVen the Philosopher hath taught me so to esteem you who said that He is likest
c. because the changes may be such which God will make as shall make that way to be one year necessary which before was not and so change your duty We cannot prescribe to God what way he shall appoint us for the future to use his talents in His Word bids us prefer the greatest good but which is the greatest his providence must tell us 8. He that hath no more than is necessary to the very preservation of his own life and his families is not bound to give to others unless in some extraordinary case which calleth him to prefer a greater and more publick good And he that hath no more than is needful to the comfortable support of himself and family is not bound to relieve those that have no greater wants than himself And his own necessity is not to be measured meerly by what he hath but by the use he hath for it For a Magistrate or one that is engaged in publick works may have as much need of many hundreds a year as a private man of many pounds 9. Those that have many children to provide for or poor kindred that nature casteth on them cannot give so much proportionably to other poor as those are bound to do that have few or none For these are bound to give all except their personal necessaries to publick pious or charitable works because God calleth not for it any other way 10. To pamper the flesh is a sin as well in the Rich as in the Poor The Rich therefore are bound not only to give all that the flesh can spare when it s own inordinate desires are satisfied but to deny themselves and mortifie the flesh and be good husbands for God and studiousness to retrench all unnecessary expences and to live Laboriously and Thriftily that they may have the more to do good with It is a great extenuation of the largest gifts as to Gods esteem when they are but the leavings of the flesh and are given out of mens abundance and when we offer that to God that costeth us nothing As Christ doth purposely determine the case Luke 21. 1 2 3 4. comparing the Rich mans gifts with the Widows two mites he said Of a truth I say unto you that this poor Widow hath cast in more than they all For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had that is all the stock she had before-hand though she had need of it her self It is a very considerable thing in our charity how much mortification and self-denyal is expressed in it and how much it costeth our own flesh to give to others And therefore they that think they are excused from doing good to others as long as they have any need of it themselves and will give nothing but what they have no need of it being not of absolute necessity to their lives do offer a sacrifice of no great value in the eyes of God What then shall we say of them that will not give even out of their abundance and that which without any suffering they may spare 11. The first and principal thing to be done by one that would give as God would have him is to get a truly charitable heart which containeth all â—â—ese parts 1. That we see God in his needy creatures and â—â— his cause or work that needs our help 2. That we be sensible of his abundant love in Christ to us in giving pardon and eternal life and that from the sense of this our thankful hearts are moved to do good to others 3. That therefore we do it ultimately as to Christ himself who taketh that which is done for his cause and servants as done to him Matth. 25. 40. 4. That we conquer the cursed sin of selfishness which makes men little regard any but themselves 5. That we love our Neighbours as our selves and love most where there is most of God and goodness and not according to self-interest And that as members of the same Body we take our brethrens wants and sufferings as our own and then we should be as ready to help them as our selves 6. That we know the vanity of worldly riches and be not earthly-minded but regard the interest of God and our souls above all the treasures of the world 7. That we unfeignedly believe the promises of God who hath engaged himself to provide for us and everlastingly to reward us in glory with himself If these seven qualifications be wrought upon the Heart good works will plentifully follow Make but the Tree good and the fruit will be good But when the Heart is void of the root and life which should produce them the Iudgement will not be perswaded that so much is necessary and required of us and the will it self will still hang back and be delaying to do good and doing all pinchingly and hypocritically with unwillingness and distrust No wonder if good works are so rare when it is evident that to do them sincerely and heartily as our Trade and business it is necessary that the whole soul be thus renewed by faith and love and self-denyal and mortification and by a Heavenly hope and mind They are the fruits and works of the new creature which is alas too rare in the world For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Ephes. 2. 10. Therefore our first and chiefest labour should be to be sure that we are furnished with such hearts and then if we have wherewith to do good such hearts will be sure to do it Such hearts will best discern the time and measure as a healthful mans appetite will in eating For they will take it for a mercy and happiness to do good and know that it is they that give that are the great receivers It is but a little money or alms that the poor receive of us but it is Gods acceptance and favour and reward that wâ— receive which is in this life a hundred fold in value and in the world to come eternal life Matth. 19. 29. But if we have but little or nothing to give such a heart is accepted as if we had given as much as we desire to give so that if you have a heart that would give thousands if you had it God will set down upon your account so many thousands given in desire Your two mites shall be valued above all the superfluities of sensual worldlings For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. But God taketh not that for a willing mind which only saith I would give if I should suffer nothing by it my self or were sure I should not want But that which saith I will serve God as well as I can with my estate while I have it and deny my
regionibus versabantur quae palatio triouta pendebaâ—t Et si forsitaâ— quisâ—â—aâ— ut moris est duâ— Dei popâ—lum admoâ—cret Pharaonem Nabuchodonosor Holosernum aut aliquem similem nominasâ—â—t Objiciebatâ—r illi quod in personam Râ—gâ—s ita dixissâ—t staâ—im exilio trad batur Hoâ— enim tempore persâ—cutionis genus agebatur hic apâ—rtè alibi occultè ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis inteâ—iret NB. Victor Uticens p. miâ—i 382. Abundance of Pastors were then banished from their Churches and many tormented and Augâ—stine himself dyed with fear saith Victor ib. p. 376. when he had written saiâ—h he two hundred thirty two Books besides innumerable Epistles Homilies Expositions on the Psalms Evangelists c. his children speak well of the wayes or followers of Christ I must confess till I had found the truth of it by experience I was not sensible how Impudent in belying and cruel in abusing the servants of Christ his worldly malicious enemies are I had read oft how early an Enmity was put between the Womans and the Serpents seed and I had read and wondered that the first man that was born into the world did murder his Brother for worshipping God more acceptably than himself because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3. 12. I had read the inference ver 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you But yet I did not so fully understand that wicked men and Devils are so very like and so near of kin till the words of Christ Iohn 8. 44. expounded by visible demonstrations had taught it me Indeed the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 3. 12. that Cain was of that wicked one that is the Devil But Christ saith more plainly Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Here note that cruel murdering and lying are the principal actions of a Devil and that as the Father of these he is the Father of the wicked who are most notoriously addicted to these two courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just is it that they dwell together hereafter that are here so like in disposition and action even as the Righteous shall dwell with Christ who bore his image and imitated his holy suffering life § 3. I conclude then that if thou wilt never turn to God and a holy life till wicked men give over belying and râ—proaching them thou maist as well say that thou wilt never be reconciled to God till the Devil be first reconciled to him and never love Christ till the Devil love him or bid thee love him or never be a Saint till the Devil be a Saint or will give thee leave and that thou wilt not be saved till the Devil be willing that thou be saved Direction 4. THat thy understanding may be enlightned and thy heart renewed be much and serious Direct 4. in Reading the Word of God and those Books that are fitted tomen in an unconverted state and especially in hearing the plain and searching preaching of the word § 1. There is a heavenly light and power and Majesty in the Word of God which in the serious Reading or hearing of it may pierce the heart and prick it and open it that corruption may go out and grace come in The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Psal. 19. 7 8. Moreover by them it is that we are warned and in keeping of them there is great reward ver 11. The Eunuch was Reading the Scripture when Philip was sent to expound it to him for his conversion Acts 8. The preaching of Peter did prick many thousands to the heart to their conversion Acts 2. 37. The heart of Lydia was opened to attend to the preaching of Paul Acts 16. 14. The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit Heb. 4. 11. These weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 5. Hâ—st thou often read and heard already and yet findest no change upon thy heart Yet read and hear again and again Ministers must not give over preaching when they have laboured without success Why then should you give over hearing or reading As the Husbandman laboureth and looketh to God for rain and for the blessing so must we and so must you Look up to God remember it is his Word in which he calleth you to Repentance and offereth you mercy and treateth with you concerning your everlasting happiness Lament your former negligence and disobedience and beg his blessing on his Word and you shall find it will not be in vain § 2. And the serious Reading of Books which expound and apply the Scriptures suitably to your case may by the blessing of God be effectual to your conversion I have written so many to this use my self that I shall be the shorter on this subject now and desire you to read them or some of them if you have not fitter at hand viz. A Call to the Unconverted A Treatise of Conversion Now or Never Directions for a sound Conversion A Saint or a Bruit A Treatise of Iudgement A Sermon against making light of Christ A Sermon of Christs Dominion Another of his Soveraignty c. Direction 5. F thou wouldst not be destitute of saving Grace let thy Reason be exercised about the Direct 5. matters of thy salvation in some proportion of frequent sober serious Thoughts as thou art convinced the weight of the matter doth require § 1. To have Reason is common to all men even the sleepy and distracted To use Reason is common to 1 Cor. 1â— 5. Pâ—a 4. 4 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 11. 28. The word â—t sâ—lf exciteth Reason and Preachers are by Reason to shame all sin as a thing unreasonâ—ble And the want of such exâ—â—tation by 〈…〉 and plâ—â—n instructing and the persons considering is a great cause of the worlds undoing For those Preachers that lay all the blame on the peoples stupidity or maligâ—â—â—â— I desire them to read a satisfactory answer in Acosta the Jesuite li. 4. c. 2 3 4. Few souls perish comparatively where all the means is used which should be used by their superiours for their salvation If every Parish had holy skilful laborious Pastors that would publickly and privately do their part great things might be expected in the world But saith Acosta Itaque praecipâ—a causa ad Ministros par
but Christ that profits you § 2â— Direct 14. This is distracted contradiction To set Christ against Christ and the Spirit Direct 14. against the Ordinances of the Spirit Is it not Christ and the Spirit that appointed them Doth he not best knâ—w in what way he will give his grace Can you not preserve the soul and life without killing the body Cannot you have the Water and value the Cistern or Spring without cutting off the â—â—â—â—s that must convey it O wonderful that Satan could make men so mad as this reasoning hâ—th shewed us that many are in our dayes And to set up superstition or pretend a good heart against Gods worship is to accuse him that appointed it of doing he knew not what and to think that we are wiser than he and to shew a good heart by disobedience pride contempt of God and of his mercies Tit. 4. Temptations to frustrate holy duties and make them uneffectual § 1. THe Devil is exceeding diligent in this 1. That he may make the soul despair and say Now I have used all means in vain there is no hope 2. To double the sinners misery by turning the very remedy into a disease 3. To shew his malice against Christ and say I have turned thy own means to thy dishonour § 2. Consider therefore how greatly we are concerned to do the work of God effectually Means well used are the way to more grace to communion with God and to salvation But ill used they dishonour and provoke him and destroy our selves like children that cut their fingers with the knife when they should cut their meat with it § 3. Tempt 1. Duty is frustrated by false ends As 1. To procure God to bear with them in their Tempt 1. sin when as it is the use of duty to destroy sin 2. To make God satisfaction for sin which is the work of Christ 3. To merit grace when the imperfection merits wrath 4. To prosper in the world and escape affliction Jam. 4. 3. and so they are but serving their flesh and desiring God to serve it 5. 〈…〉 uiet conscience in a course of sin by sinning more in offering the sacrifice of fools Eccles. 5. 1 2. 6. To be approved of men and verily they have their reward Matth. 6. 5. 7. To be saved when they can keep the world and sin no longer that is to obtain that the Gospel may all be false and God unjust § 4. Direct 1. First see that the Heart be honest and God and Heaven and Holiness most desired else all Direct 1. that you do will want right ends § 5. Tempt 2. When ignorance or error make men take God for what he is not thinking blasphemously Tempt 2. of him as if he were like them and liked their sins or were no lover of Holiness they frustrate all their worship of him § 6. Direct 2. Study God in his Son in his Word in his Saints in his Works Know him as described Direct 2. before Chap. 3. Direct 4. And see that your wicked corrupted hearts or wilful forgetting him blind not your understandings § 7. Tempt 3. To come to God in our selves and out of Christ and use his name but customarily and Tempt 3. not in faith and confidence § 8. Direct 3. Know well your sin and vileness and desert and the Justice and Holiness of God Direct 3. and then you will see that if Christ reconcile you not and Justifie you not by his blood and do not sanctifie and help you by his Spirit and make you sons of God and intercede not for you there is no access to God nor standing in his sight § 9. Tempt 4. The Tempter would have you pray hypocritically with the tongue only without the Tempt 4. heart To put off God in a few customary words with seeming to pray as they do the poor Jam. 2. with a few empty words either in a form of words not understood or not considered or not felâ— and much regarded or in more gross hypocrisie praying for the Holiness which they will not have and against the sin which they will not part with § 10. Direct 4. O fear the holy jealous heart-searching God that hateth hypocrisie and will be Direct 4. worshipped seriously in Spirit and Truth and will be sanctified of all that draw near him Lev. 10. 3. and saith they worship him in vain that draw nigh him with the lips when the heart is far from him Matth. 15. 8 9. See God by faith as present with thee and know thy self and it will waken thee to seriousness See Heb. 4. 13. Hos. 8. 12 13. § 11. Tempt 5. He would destroy Faith and Hope and make you doubt whether you shall get any Tempt 5. thing by duty § 12. Direct 5. But 1. Why should God command it and promise us his blessing if he meant not Direct 5. to perform it 2. Remember Gods Infiniteness and Omni-presence and All-sufficiency He is as verily with thee as thou art there he upholdeth thee he sheweth by his mercies that he regardeth thee and by his regarding lower things And if he regard thee he doth regard thy duties It is all one with him to hear thy prayers as if he had never another creature to regard and hear Believe then and hope and wait upon him § 13. Tempt 6. Sometime the Tempter will promise you more by holy duty than God doth and make Tempt 6. you expect deliverance from every enemy want and sickness and speedier deliverance of soul than ever God promised and all this is to make you cast away all as vain and think God faileth you when you miss your expectations § 14. Direct 6. But God will do all that He promiseth but not all that the Devil or your selves Direct 6. promise See what God promiseth in his Word That 's enough for you Make that and no more the end of duties § 15. Tempt 7. The Tempter usually would draw you from the heart and life of duty by too much Tempt 7. ascribing to the outside Laying too much on the bare doing of the work the giving of the alms the hearing the Sermons the saying the words the hansome expression order manner which in their places are all good if animated with Spirit life and seriousness § 16. Direct 7. Look most and first to the soul in duty and the soul of duty The picture of meat Direct 7. feedeth not the picture of fire warmeth not Fire and shadows will not nourish us God loveth not dead carcasses instead of spiritual worship we regard not words our selves further than they express the Heart Let the outer part have but its due § 17. Tempt 8. He tempteth you to rest in a forced affected counterseit servency stirred up by a desire Tempt 8. to take with others § 18. Direct 8. Look principally at God and holy motives and less at men that all your fire be Direct 8.
things and greatest interest of our souls being there will greatly raise us to the Love of God if any thing will do it To foresee how near him we shall be ere long and what a glorious proof we shall have of his good will and how our souls will be ravished everlastingly with his Love To think what hearts the blessed have that see his glory and live with Christ How full of love they are and what a delight it is to them thus to love must needs affect the heart of a Believer Lift up thy head poor drowsie sinner Look up to Heaven and think where thou must live for ever Think what the holy ones of God are doing Do they love God or do they not Must it not be then thy life and work for ever And canst thou forbear to love him now that is bringing thee to such a world of Love Thou wouldst love him more that would give thee security to possess a Kingdom which thou never sawest than him that giveth thee but some toy in hand And let it not seem too distant to affect thee The time is as nothing till thou wilt be there Thou knowest not but thou maist be there this night There thou shalt see the Maker of the worlds and know the mysteries of his wonderous works There thou shalt see thy blessed Lord and feel that love which thou readest of in the Gospel and enjoy the fruits of it for ever There thou shalt see him that suffered for thee and rose again whom Angels see and worship in his glory Thou shalt see there a more desirable sight than those that saw him heal the blind and lame and sick and raise the dead or those that saw him in his transfiguration or than those that saw him on the Cross or after his resurrection or than Stephen saw when he was stoned or Paul when he was converted yea more than it is like he saw when he was in his rapture in the third Heavens O who can think believingly on the life which we must there shortly live the glory which we must see the love which we must receive and the love which we must exercise and not feel the fire begin to flame and the Glass in which we see the Lord become a burning-glass to our affections CHRIST and HEAVEN are the Books which we must be often reading the Glasses in which we must daily gaze if ever we will be good proficients and practitioners in the Art of holy Love § 34. Direct 13. Exercise your souls so frequently and diligently in this way of Love that the Method Direct 13. of it may be familiar to you and the means and motives still at hand and you may presently be able to fall into the way as one that is well acquainted with it and may not be distracted and lâ—st in generals as not knowing where to fix your thoughts I know no Methods alone will serve to raise the dead and cause a carnal senseless heart to love the Lord But I know that many honest hearts that have the Spirit of Love within them have great need to be warned that they quench not the Spirit and great need to be directed how to stir up the grace which is given them and that many live a more dull or distracted uncomfortable life than they would do if they wanted not Skill and Diligence The soul is most backward to this highest work and therefore hath the greater need of helps And the best have so much need as that it is well if all will serve to keep up Loving and Grateful thoughts of God upon their minds And when every Trade and Art and Science requireth diligence exercise and experience and all are Bunglers at it at the first can we reasonably think that we are like to attain any high degrees with sleight and short and seldom thoughts § 35. Direct 14. Yet let not weak-headed or melâ—ncholly persons set themselves on those Methods Direct 14. or lengths of Meditation which their heads cannot bear lest the Tempter get advantage of them and abate their Love by making Religion seem a torment to them but let such take up with shorter obvious Meditations and exercise their Love in an active obediential way of living That is the best Physick that is fitted to the Patients strength and case And that 's the best Shoo that is meetest for the foot and not that which is the biggest or the finest It is a great design of Satan to make all duties grievous and burdensome to us and thereby to cast us into continual pain and fear and trouble and so destroy our delight in God and consequently our Love Therefore pretend not to disability for carnal unwillingness and laziness of mind but yet marr not all by grasping at more than you are able to bear Take on as you are able and increase your work if God increase your strength If a melancholly person crack his brain with immoderate unseasonable endeavours he will but disable himself for all § 36. Direct 15. Keep clear and hold fast the Evidences of thy Sincerity that thou maist perceive Direct 15. thy interest in the Love of God and resist the temptations which would hide his Love to thee and cause thee to doubt of it or deny it Satan hath not his end when he hath troubled thee and robbed thee of thy peace and comfort It is worse that he is seeking to effect by this His malice is more against God than against thee and more against God and thee in this point of Love than in any other grace or duty He knoweth that God esteemeth this most And he knoweth if he could kill thy love he kills thy soul. And he knoweth how natural it is to man to love those that love him and hate those that hate him be they never so excellent in themselves And therefore if he can perswade thee into despair and to think that God hateth thee and is resolved to damn thee he will not despair of drawing thee to hate God Or if he do but bring thee to fear that he loveth thee not he will think accordingly to abate thy love I know that a truly gracious soul keepeth up its love when it loseth its assurance and mourneth and longeth and seeketh in love when it cannot triumph and rejoyce in love But yet there are some prints left on the heart of its former apprehensions of the love of God And such souls exceedingly disadvantage themselves as to the exercises of love and make it a work of wondrous difficulty O it will exceedingly kindle love when we can see Gods surest Love-tokens in our hearts and look to the promises and say They are all mine and think of Heaven as that which shall certainly be our own and can say with Thomas My Lord and my God and with Paul that The life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God that loved me and gave himself for
this to encrease and multiply your pleasure Is not health and friends and food and convenient habitation much sweeter as the â—ruit of the Love of God and the fore-tastes of everlasting mercies and as our helps to Heaven and as the means to spiritual comfort than of themselves alone All your mercies are from God He would take nâ—ne from you but sanctifie theâ— and give you more § 26. Direct 5. See that Reason keep up its authority as the Governour of sense and appetite And Direct 5. so take an accounâ— whatâ—ver the Appetite would have of the Ends and Reasons of the thing and to what it doth câ—â—duce Take nothing and do nothing meerly because the sense or appetite would have it but because you have Reason so â—â— do and to gratifie the appetite Else you will deal as Brutes if Reason be laid by in humane acts § 27. Direct 6. Go to the Gâ—ave and see there the end of fleshly pleasure and what is all that it Direct 6. will do for you at the last One would think iâ— should cure the mad desire of plenty and pleasure to see where all our wealth and mirth and sport and pleasure must be buryed at last § 28. Direct 7. Lastly be still sensible that flesh is the grand Enemy of your souls and flesh-pleasing Direct 7. the greatest hinderance of your salvation The Devils enmity and the worlds are both but subordinate to this of the Flesh For its Pleasure is the End and the world and Satans temptations are both but the means to attain it Besides the malignity opened before consider 1. How contrary a voluptuous life is to the blessed example of our Lord and of his servant Paul The enmity of the Flesh. and all the Apostles Paul tamed his body and brought it into subjection left having preached to others himself should be a castaway 1 Cor. 9. 27. And all that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. This was signified in the antient manner of baptizing and so is still by Baptism it self when they went over head in the water and then rose out of it to signifie that they were dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6. 3 4. and rose with him to newness of life This is called our being Baptized into his death And seems the plain sense of 1 Cor. 15. 29. of being Baptized for the dead that is for dead or to shew that we are dead to the world and must dye in the world but shall rise again to the Kingdom of Christ both of Grace and Glory 2. Sensuality sheweth that there is no true belief of the life to come and proveth so far as it prevaileth the absence of all grace 3. It is a home-bred continual traytor to the soul A continual tempter and nurse of all sin The great withdrawer of the heart from God and the common cause of Apostacy it self It still fighteth against the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. And is seeking advantage from all our Liberties Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 10. 4. It turneth all our outward mercies into sin and strengthneth itself against God by his own benefits 5. It is the great cause of our afflictions For God will not spare that Idol which is set up against him Flesh rebelleth and flesh shall suffer 6. And when it hath brought affliction it is most impatient under it and maketh it seem intollerable A flesh-pleaser thinks he is undone when affliction depriveth him of his pleasure 7. Lastly It exceedingly unfitteth men for Death For then Flesh must be cast into the dust and all its pleasure be at an end O doleful day to those that had their good things here and their portion in this life When all is gone that ever they valued and sought and all the true felicity lost which they brutishly contemned If you would joyfully then bear the dissolution and ruine of your flesh O master it and mortifie it now Seek not the ease and pleasure of a little walking breathing clay when you should be seeking and fore-tasting the everlasting pleasure Here lyeth your danger and your work Strive more against your own flesh than against all your Enemies in Earth and Hell If you be saved from this you are saved from them all Christ suffered in the flesh to tell you that it is not pampering but suffering that your flesh must expect if you will reign with him CHAP. V. Further Subordinate Directions for the next great duties of Religion necessary See the Directions how to spend every day Tom. 2. Chap. 17. to the right performance of the former Directions for REDEEMING or well improving TIME § 1. TIME being Mans opportunity for all those works for which he liveth and which his Creator doth expect from him and on which his endless life dependeth the REDEEMING or well improving of it must needs be of most high importance to him And therefore it is well made by holy Paul the great mark to distinguish the Wise from fools Ephes. 5. 15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time So Col. 4. 5. I shall therefore give you special Directions for it when I have first opened the nature of the duty to you and told you what is meant by Time and what by Redeeming it § 2. Time in its most common acception is taken generally for all that space of this present life What 's meant by Time which is our opportunity for all the works of life and the measure of them Time is often taken more strictly for some special Opportunity which is fitted to a special work which we call the season or the fittest time In both these senses Time must be Redeemed § 3. As every work hath its season which must be taken Eccles. 3. 1. So have the greatest works What are the special seasons of duty assigned us for God and our souls some special seasons besides our common time 1. Some Times God hath fitted by Nature for his service So the Time of Youth and health and strength is specially fit for holy work 2. Some Time is made specially fit by Gods Institution As the Lords Day above all other dayes 3. Some Time is made fit by Governours appointment as the hour of publick Meeting for Gods Worship and Lecture-dayes and the hour for family-worship which every Master of a family may appoint to his own houshold 4. Some Time is made fit by the temper of mens Bodies The Morning hours are best to most and to some rather the Evening and to all the Time when the Body is freest from pain and disabling weaknesses 5. Some Time is made fit by the course of our necessary natural or civil business as the day is fitter than the sleeping time of the night and as that hour is the fittest wherein our other imployments will least disturb us 6. Some Time is made fit by a special showr of Mercy publick
of Christs Body and Blood aright But besides all these what a deal of duty have you to perform to Magistrates Pastors Parents Masters and other superiours to subjects people children servants and other inferiours to every neighbour for his soul his body his estate and name and to do to all as you would be done by And besides all this how much have you to do directly for your selves for your souls and bodies and families and estates Against your ignorance infidelity pride selfishness sensuality worldliness passion sloth intemperance cowardize lust uncharitableness c. Is not here matter for your thoughts § 15. Direct 15. Overlook not that life full of particular mercies which God hath bestowed on your Direct 15. selves and you will find pleasant and profitable matter for your thoughts To spare me the labour of 15. All our particular Mercies repeating them look back to Chap. 3. Dir. 14. Think of that mercy which brought you into the world and chose your Parents your place and your condition which brought you up and bore with you patiently in all your sins and closely warned you of every danger which seasonably afflicted you and seasonably delivered you and heard your Prayers in many a distress which hath yet kept the worst of you from death and Hell and hath Regenerated justified adopted and sanctified those that he hath fitted for eternal life How many sins he hath forgiven How many he hath in part subdued How many and suitable helps he hath vouchsafed you From how many Enemies he hath saved you how oft he hath delighted you by his word and grace what comforts you have had in his Servants and ordinances in your relations and callings His mercies are innumerable and yet do your meditations want matter to supply them If I should but recite the words of David in many thankful Psalms you would think Mercy found his Thoughts employment § 16. Direct 16. Foresee that exact and righteous judgement which shortly you have to undergo Direct 16. and it will do much to find you employment for your thoughts A man that must give an account to 16. The account at Judgement God of all that he hath done both good and evil and knoweth not how soon for ought he knows before to morrow me thinks should find him something better than vanity to think on Is it nothing to be ready for so great a day To have your justification ready your accounts made up Your Consciences cleansed and quietted on good grounds To know what answer to make for your selves against the accuser To be clear and sure that you are indeed Regenerate and have a part in Christ and are washed in his blood and reconciled to God and shall not prove hypocrites and self-deceivers in that trying day when it is a sentence that must finally decide the question whether we shall be saved or damned and must determine us to Heaven or Hell for ever and you have so short and uncertain a time for your preparation will not this administer matter to your Thoughts If you were going to a Judgement for your lives or all your estates you would think it sufficient to provide you matter for your thoughts by the way How much more this final dreadful judgement § 17. Direct 17. If all this will not serve the turn it 's strange if God call not home your thoughts Direct 17. by sharp afflictions and methinks the improvement of them and the removal of them should find some 17. Our Afflictions employment for your thoughts It 's time then to search and try your ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3. 4. To find out the Achan that troubleth your peace and know the voice of the rod and what God is angry at and what it is that he calleth you to mind To know what root it is that beareth these bitter fruits and how they may be sanctified to make you conformable to Christ and partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Besides the exercise of holy patience and submission there is a great deal of work to be done in sufferings to exercise faith and honour God and the good cause of our suffering and to humble our selves for the evil cause and to get the benefit And if you will not meditate of the Duty you shall meditate of the pain whether you will or not and say as Lam. 3. 17 18 19 20. I forgate prosperity and I said My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Put not God to remember you by his spur and help your meditations by so sharp a means Psal. 78. 33 34 35. Therefore did he consume their days in vanity and their years in trouble when he â—lew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer § 18. Direct 18. Be diligent in your callings and spend no time in idleness and perform your labours Direct 18. with holy minds to the glory of God and in obedience to his commands and then your thoughts will 18. The business of your Calling have the less leisure and liberty for vanity or idleness Employments of the body will employ the Thoughts They that have much to do have much to think on For they must do it prudently and skillfully and carfully that they may do it successfully and therefore must think how to do it And the urgency and necessity of business will almost necessitate the thoughts and so carry them on and find them work Though some employments more than others And let none think that these Thoughts are bad or vain because they are about worldly things For if our Labours themselves be not bad or vain then neither are those thoughts which are needful to the well-doing of our work Nor let any worldling please himself with this and say My thoughts are taken up about my calling For his calling it self is perverted by him and made a carnal work to carnal ends when it should be sanctified That the thoughts about your labours may be good 1. Your Labours themselves must be good performed in obedience to God and for the good of others and to his glory 2. Your Labours and thoughts must keep their bounds and the higher things must be still preferred and sought and thought on in the first place And your Labours must so far employ your thoughts as is needful to the well-doing of them but better things must be thought on in such labours as leave a vacancy to the Thoughts But diligence in your calling is a very great help to keep out sinful thoughts and to furnish us with thoughts which in their place are good § 19. Direct 19. You have all Gods spiritual helps and holy ordinances to feed your meditations Direct 19. and
not be sollicitous for pins or fool-gawds And the hopes of a Lordship or a Kingdom will cure the desire of little things A man that needeth a Physicion for the Dropsie or Consumption will scarce long for Childrens balls or tops And methinks a man that is going to Heaven or Hell should have somewhat greater than worldly things to long for O what a vain and doting thing is a carnal mind that hath pardon and grace and Christ and Heaven and God to think of and that with speed before it be too late and can forget them all or not regard them and eagerly long for some little inconsiderable trifle as if they said I must needs taste of such a dish before I dye I must needs have such a house or a Child or friend before I go to another world O study what need thy distressed soul hath of a Christ and of peace with God and preparation for Eternity and what need thy darkened mind hath of more knowledge and thy dead and carnal heart of more life and tenderness and Love to God and communion with him Feel these as thou hast cause and the eagerness of thy carnal Desires will be gone § 4. Direct 2. Remember how much your carnal Desires do aggravate the weakness of your spiritual Direct 2. Desires and make the sin more odious and unexcusable Are you so eager for a Husband a Wife a Child for wealth for preferment or such things while you are so cold and indifferent in your Desires after God and grace and glory Your desires after these are not so earnest They make you not so importunate and restless They take not up your thoughts both day and night They set you not so much on contrivances and endeavours You can live as quietly without more grace or assurance of salvation or communion with God as if you were indifferent in the business But you must needs have that which you desire in the world or there is no quiet with you Do you consider what a horrible contempt of God and grace and Heaven is manifested by this Either you are Regenerate or unregenerate If you are Regenerate all your instructions and all your experiences of the worth of spiritual things and the vanity of things temporal do make it a heynous sin in you to be now so eager for those things which you have so often called vanity while you are so cold towards God whose Goodness you have had so great experience of Do you know no better yet the difference between the creature and the Creator Do you yet no better understand your necessities and interest and what it is that you live upon and must trust to for your everlasting blessedness and content If you are unregenerate as all are that Love any thing better than God what a madness is it for one that is condemned in Law to endless torments and shall be quickly there if he be not regenerate and justified by Christ to be thirsting so eagerly for this or that thing or person upon earth when he should presently bestir him with all his might to save his soul from endless misery How incongruous are these Desires to the good and bad § 5. Direct 3. Let every sinful Desire humble you for the worldliness and fleshliness which it discocovereth Direct 3. to be yet unmortified in you and turn your Desires to the mortifying of that flesh and concupiscence which is the cause If you did not yet love the world and the things that are in the world you would not 1 Ioh. 2. 15. be so eager for them If you were not too carnal and did not mind too much the things of the flesh you would not be so earnest for them as you are It should be a grievous thing to your hearts to consider what worldliness and fleshliness this sheweth to be yet there That you should set so much by the creature as to be unable to bear the want of it Is this renouncing the world and flesh The thing you need is not that which you so much desire but a better heart to know the Vanity of the Creature to be dead to the world and to be able to bear the want or loss of any thing in it and a fuller mortification of the flesh mortifying and not satisfying it is your work § 6. Direct 4. Ask your hearts seriously whether God in Christ be enough for them or not If Direct 4. they say no they renounce him and all their hope of Heaven For no man takes God for his God that takes him not for his portion and as enough for him If they say yea then you have enough to stop the mouth of your fleshly desires while your hearts confess that they have enough in God Should that soul that hath a filial interest in God and an inheritance in eternal life be eager for any conveniences and contentments to the flesh If God be not enough for you you will never have enough Turn to him more and know him better if you would have a satisfied mind § 7. Direct 5. Remember that every sinful Desire is a rebelling of your wills against the will of Direct 5. God and that it is his will that must govern and dispose of all and your wills must be conform to his yea that you must take pleasure and rest in the will of God Reason the case with your hearts and say who is it that is the Governour of the World and who is to rule me and dispose of my affairs Is it I or God whose will is it that must lead and whose must follow whose will is better guided Gods or mine either it is his will that I shall have what I desire or not If it be I need not be so eager for I shall have it in his time and way If it be not his will is it fit for me to murmur and strive against him Remember that your discontents and carnal desires are so many accusations brought in against God As if you said Thou hast not dealt well or wisely or mercifully by me I must have it better I will not stand to thy will and government I must have it as I will and have the disposal of my self § 8. Direct 6. Observe how your eager Desires are condemned by your selves in your daily prayers Direct 6. or else they make your prayers themselves condemnable If you pray that the will of God may be done why do your wills rebell against it and your desires contradict your prayers And if you ask no more than your daily bread why thirst you after more But if you pray as you desire Lord let my will be done and my self ish carnal desire be fulfilled for I must needs have this or that then what an abominable Prayer is this Desire as you must Pray § 9. Direct 7. Remember what Covenant you have made with God that you renounced the world Direct 7. and the flesh and took him
them not tyrannically but in tenderness and love and command them nothing that is against the Laws of God or the good of their souls Use not wrath and unmanlike fury with them nor any over-severe or unnecessary rebukes or chastisements Find fault in season with prudence and sobriety when your passions are down and when it is most likely to do good If it be too little it will embolden them in doing ill If it be too much or frequent or passionate it will make them sleight it and despise it and utterly hinder their repentance They will be taken up in blaming you for your rashness and violence instead of blaming themselves for the fault § 2. Direct 2. Provide them work convenient for them and such as they are fit for Not such or Direct 2. so much as to wrong them in their health or hinder them from the necessary means of their salvation Nor yet so little as may cherish their idleness or occasion them to lose their pretious time It is cruelty to lay more on your horse than he can carry or to work your Oxen to skin and bones Prov. 12. 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast much more of his servant Especially put not your servants on any labour which hazardeth their health or life without true necessity to some greater end Pity and spare them more in their health than in their bare labour Labour maketh the body sound but to take deep colds or go wet of their feet do tend to their sickness and death And should another mans Life be cast away for your commodity Do as you would be done by if you were servants your selves and in their case And let not their labours be so great as shall allow them no time to pray before they go about it or as shall so tire them as to unfit them for Prayer or instruction or the Worship of the Lords day and shall lay them like blocks as fitter to lie to sleep or rest themselves than to pray or hear or mind any thing that is good And yet take heed that you suffer them not to be idle as many great men use their Serving men to the undoing of their souls and bodies Idleness is no small sin it self and it breedeth and cherisheth many others Their time is lost by it and they are made unfit for any honest employment or course of life to help themselves or any others § 3. Direct 3. Provide them such wholsome food and lodging and such wages as their service doth Direct 3. deserve or as you have promised them Whether it be pleasant or unpleasant let their food and Col. 4. 1. lodging be healthful It is so odious an oppression and injustice to defraud a servant or labourer of his wages yea or to give him less than he deserveth that methinks I should not need to speak much against it among Christians Read Iam. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. and I hope it will be enough § 4. Direct 4. Use not your servants to be so bold and familiar with you as may tempt them to Direct 4. despise you nor yet so strange and distant as may deprive you of opportunity of speaking to them for their spiritual good or justly lay you open to be censured as too magisterial and proud Both these extreams have ill effects but the first is commonest and is the disquiet of many families § 5. Direct 5. Remember that you have a charge of the souls in your family and are as a Priest Direct 5. and Teacher in your own house and therefore see that you keep them to the constant worshipping of God especially on the Lords day in publick and private and that you teach them the things that concern their salvation as is afterward Directed And pray for them daily as well as for your selves § 6. Direct 6. Watch over them that they offend not God Bear not with ungodliness or gross sin in Direct 6. your family Read Psal. 101. Be not like those ungodly masters that look only that their own work be done and bid God look after his work himself and care not for their servants souls because they care not for their own and mind not whether God be served by others because they serve him not unless with hypocritical lip-service themselves § 7. Direct 7. Keep your servants from evil company and from being temptations to each other as Direct 7. far as you can If you suffer them to frequent Alehouses or riotous assemblies or wanton or malignant company when they are infected themselves they will bring home the infection and all the house may fare the worse for it And when Iudas groweth familiar with the Pharisees he will be seduced by them to betray his Master You cannot be accountable for your servants if you suffer them to be much abroad § 8. Direct 8. Go before them as examples of holiness and wisdom and all those virtues and duties Direct 8. which you would teach them An ignorant or a swearing cursing railing ungodly Master doth actually teach his servants to be such and if his words teach them the contrary he can expect but little reverence or success § 9. Direct 9. Patiently bear with those tolerable fâ—ailties which their unskilfulness or bodily temperature Direct 9. or other infirmity make them lyâ—ble to against their wills A willing mind is an excuse for many frailties much must be put up when it is not from wilfulness or gross neglect make not a greater matter of every infirmity or fault than there is cause Look not that any should be perfect upon earth Reckon upon it that you must have servants of the progeny of Adam that have corrupted natures and bodily weaknesses and many things that must be born with Consider how faultily you serve your Heavenly Master and how much he daily beareth with that which is amiss in you and how many faults and oversights you are guilty of in your own employment and how many you should be overtaken with if your were in their stead Eph. 6. 9. And ye Masters do the same things to them forbearing threatning knowing that your master also is in Heaven neither is there respect of persons with him Col. 4. 1. Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equal c. § 10. Direct 10. See that they behave themselves well to their fellow servants of which I shall speak Direct 10. anon Tit. 2. Directions to those Masters in foraign Plantations who have Negro's and other Slaves being a solution of several Cases about them Direct 1. UNderstand well how far your Power over your slaves extendeth and what limits Direct 1. God hath set thereto As 1. Sufficiently difference between Men and Bruits Remember that they are of as good a kind as you that is They are reasonable Creatures as well as you and born to as much natural liberty If their sin have enslaved them to you yet Nature
to corruption as it doth the bruits but to live in joy with Christ and his Church-triumphant § 14. Direct 14. Remember both how vile your body is and how great an enemy it hath proved to Direct 14. your soul And then you will the more patiently bear its dissolution It is not your dwelling house but your tent or Prison that God is pulling down And yet even this vile body when it is corrupted shall at last be changed into the likeness of Christs glorious body by the working of his unresistible power Phil. 3. 20 21. And it is a flesh that hath so rebelled against the spirit and made your way to Heaven so difficult and put the soul to so many conflicts that we should the easilier submit it to the will of justice and let it perish for a time when we are assured that mercy will at last recover it § 15. Direct 15. Remember what a world it is that you are to leave and compare it with that Direct 15. which you are going to and compare the life which is near an end with that which you are next to enter upon Was it not Henochs reward when he had walkt with God to be taken to him from a polluted world 1. While you are here you are your selves defiled sin is in your natures and your graces are all imperfect sin is in your lives and your duties are all imperfect You cannot be free from it one day or hour And is it not a mercy to be delivered from it Is it not desirable to you to sin no more and to be perfect in holiness to know God and Love him as much and more than you can now desire You are here every day lamenting your darkness and unbelief and estrangedness from God and want of Love to him How oft have you prayed for a cure of all this And now would you not have it when God would give it you why hath God put that spark of Heavenly life into you but to fight against sin and make you weary of it And yet had you rather continue sinning than have the victory and be with Christ 2. It is a life of Grief as well as sin And a life of cares and doubts and fears When you are at the worst you are fearing worse If it were nothing but the fears of death it self it should make you the willinger to submit to it that you might be past those fears 3. You are daily afflicted with the infirmities of that flesh which you are so loth should be dissolved To satisfie its hunger and thirst to cover its nakedness to provide it a habitation and supply all its wants what care and labour doth it cost you Its infirmities sicknesses and pains do make you oft aweary of your selves so that you groan being burdened as Paul speaketh 2 Cor. 5. 3 4 6. And yet is it not desirable to be with Christ 4. You are compassed with temptations and are in continual danger through your weakness And yet would you not be past the danger Would you have more of those horrid and odious temptations 5. You are purposely turned here into a Wilderness among wild beasts you are as Lambs among Wolves and through many tribulations you must enter into Heaven You must deny your selves and take up your Cross and forsake all that you have and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution in the world you must have trouble the seed of the Serpent must bruise your heel before God bruise Satan under your feet And is such a life as this more desirable than to be with Christ Are we afraid to land after such storms and tempests Is a wicked world a malitious world a cruel world an implacable world more pleasing to us than the joy of Angels and the sight of Christ and God himself in the Majesty of his Glory Hath God on purpose made the world so bitter to us and permitted it to use us unjustly and cruelly and all to make us love it less and to drive home our hearts unto himself and yet are we so unwilling to be gone § 16. Direct 16. Settle your estates betime that worldly matters may not distract or discompose you Direct 16. And if God have endowed you with Riches dispose of a due proportion to such pious or charitable uses in which they may be most serviceable to him that gave them you Though we should give what we can in the time of life and health yet many that have but so much as will serve to their necessary maintenance may well part with that to good uses at their death which they could not spare in the time of their health especially they that have no Children or such wicked Children as are like to do hurt with all that is given them above their daily bread § 17. Direct 17. If it may be get some able faithful guide and comforter to be with you in your Direct 17. sickness to counsel you and resolve your doubts and pray with you and discourse of heavenly things when you are disabled by weakness for such exercises your selves Let not carnal persons disturb you with their vain bablings Though the difference between good company and bad be very great in the time of health yet now in sicknes it will be more discernable And though a faithful friend and spiritual Pastor be alwayes a great mercy yet now especially in your last necessity Therefore make use of them as far as your pain and weakness will permit § 18. Direct 18. Be fortified against all the Temptations of Satan by which he useth to assault men Direct 18. in their extremity Stand it out in the last conflict and the Crown is yours I shall instance in particulars Directions for resisting the Temptations of Satan in the time of sickness § 19. Tempt 1. The most ordinary Temptation against the Comfort of Believers for I have already Tempt 1. spoken of those that are against their safety is to doubt of their own sincerity and consequently of their part in Christ Saith the Tempter All that thou hast done hath been but in hypocrisie Thou wast never a true Believer nor never didst truly Repent of sin nor truly love God and therefore thou art unjustified and shalt speedily be condemned § 20. Against this Temptation a Believer hath two Remedies The first is to confute the Tempter by those Evidences which will prove that he hath been sincere such as I have often mentioned before And by refelling those reasonings by which the Tempter would prove him to have been an Hypocrite As when it is objected Thou hast repented and been humbled but slightly and by the halves Answ. Yet was it sincerely and weak grace is not no grace Obj. Thou hast been a lover of the world and a neglecter of thy soul and cold in all that thou didst for thy salvation Answ. Yet did I set more by Heaven than earth and I first sought the
except it be Direct 4. such as must needs be admitted or such as are like to receive any good by the holy counsel of the sick It is a great annoyance to one that is near death to hear people talk to little purpose about the world or some impertinencies when they are going speedily to their endless state and have need of no more impediments in their way but of the best assistance that their friends can afford them Procure some able faithful Minister to be with them to counsel them about the state of their souls And get some holy able Christians to be much about them who are fit to pray with them and instruct them § 6. Direct 5. Bear with their impatience and grudge not at any trouble that they put you to Remember Direct 5. that weakness is froward and as you bear with the crying of children so must you with the pievishness of the sick And remember that shortly it is like to be your own case and you must be a trouble to others and they must bear with you Be not weary of your friends in sickness but loving and tender and compassionate and patient § 7. Direct 6. Deal faithfully and prudently with them about the state of their souls Your faithfulness Direct 6. must be shewed in these two points 1. That you do not flatter them with vain hopes of life when they are more likely to dye 2. That you do not flatter them with false perswasions that their state is safe when they are yet unsanctified nor put them in hopes of being saved without regeneration Your Prudence must be manifested 1. In suiting your counsel and speeches and prayers to their state and not using the same words to the ungodly as you would to the godly 2. In so contracting your counsel for the Conversion of the ungodly as not to overwhelm them with more than they can bear and yet not to leave out any point of absolute necessity to salvation Alas how much skill doth such a work require and how few Christians that I say not Pastors are fit for it § 8. Quest. But is it a duty when the sick are like to dye to make it known to them Quest 1. Answ. Sometime it is and sometimes not 1. Some sicknesses are such as will be so increased with Answ. fear that the Patient that before was in hope of a recovery will be put almost past hope And some sicknesses are much different and are not like to be so increased by it And some are past all hope already 2. Some are so prepared to dye that they have the less need to be acquainted with their danger and some are unconverted and in so dangerous a case that the absolute necessity of their souls may require it When the soul is in so sad a case and yet the body may be endangered by the fear of the sentence of death it is the safest course to tell them that though God may recover them yet their disease is so dangerous as calleth for their speedy and serious preparation for death which will not be lost if God restore them So that they may have so much hopes as to keep their fear from killing them and so much acquaintance with their danger as may put them upon their duty But in case there be already little or no hope or in case the Disease will be but little increased by the fear which is the case of the most the danger should not at all be hid § 9. Quest. Am I alwayes bound to tell a wicked man of his sin and misery when it may exasperate Quest. 2. his disease and offend his mind Answ. If it were a sickness that is void of danger in case his mind be quiet and be like to kill Answ. him if his mind be disturbed then it were the most prudent course to call him so far to Repentance and faith as you can do it without any dangerous disturbance of him Because it is most Charity to his soul to help him to a longer time of Repentance rather than to lay all the hopes of his salvation upon the present time But this is not an ordinary case Therefore ordinarily it is a duty to acquaint the sick person that is yet in his sin and unregenerate state with the truth of his danger and the necessity of renovation Alas it is a lamentable kind of friendship to flatter a poor soul into damnation or to hide his danger till he is past recovery When he is in a state of unexpressible misery and hath but a few Dayes or Weeks time left to do all that ever must be done for his salvation what horrid cruelty is it then to let him go to Hell for fear of displeasing or disquieting him § 10. Object But I am afraid I shall cast him into despair if I tell him plainly that he is in a state of damnation Answ. If you let him alone a little longer he will be in remediless despair There is no despair remediless but that in Hell But now you may help to save him both from present and endless desperation He must needs despair of ever being saved without a Christ or without the Regeneration of the Holy Spirit or without true faith and repentance and love to God and holiness But need he despair of attaining all these while Christ is offered him so freely and a full remedy is at hand He must know his sin and misery or else he is never like to scape it But he must also be acquainted with the true remedy and that is your way to keep him from despair and not by flattering him into Hell § 11. Quest. But what should one do in so short a time and with dead hearted sinners Alas what hope Quest. 3. is there If it were nothing but their Ignorance it cannot be cured in a moment And is there then any hope in so short a space to bring them to knowledge and faith and repentance and a changed heart to love God and holiness and that when pain and weakness do disable them Answ. The case indeed is very sad but yet while there is life there is some hope And while there Answ. is any hope we should do our best when it is for the saving of a soul And the difficulty should but stir us up to use our utmost skill and diligence But as it is the misery of such to delay conversion till so unfit a time so is it too frequently the sin of Believers that they delay their serious endeavours to convert men till such a time as they almost despair of the success § 12. Quest. But what shall we do in a doubtful case when we know not whether the person be renewed Quest. 4. and truly penitent or not which is the case of most that we have to deal with Answ. Answ. You can tell whether the grounds of your hope or of your fear concerning them be the greater
holy industry of all their lives Say not God can give more to you in a year than to others in twenty For it is a poor argument to prove that God hath done it because he can do it He can make you an Angel but that will not prove you one Prove your wisdome before you pretend to it and overvalue it not Heb. 5. 11 12 sheweth that it is Gods ordinary way to give men wisdom according to their time and means unless their own negligence deprive them of his blessing Direct 6. Study to keep up Christian Love and to keep it lively For Love is not censorious but Direct 6. is inclined to judge the best till evidence constrain you to the contrary Censoriousness is a Vermine which crawleth in the carkass of Christian Love when the life of it is gone Direct 7. Value all Gods graces in his servants And then you will see something to love them Direct 7. for when hypocrites can see nothing Make not too light of small degrees of grace and then your censure will not overlook them Direct 8. Remember the tenderness of Christ who condemneth not the weak nor casteth Infants Direct 8. out of his family nor the diseased out of his Hospital but dealeth with them in such gracious gentleness as beseemeth a tender-hearted Saviour He will not break the bruised reed He carryeth his Lambs in his arms and gently driveth those with young He taketh up the wounded man when the Priest and Levite pass him by And have you not need of the tenderness of Christ your selves as well as others Are you not afraid lest he should find greater faults in you than you find in others And condemn you as you condemn them Direct 9. Let the sense of the common corruption of the world and imperfection of the godly moderate Direct 9. your particular censures As Seneca saith To censure a man for that which is common to all men is in a sort to censure him for being a man which beseemeth not him that is a man himself Do you not know the frailty of the best and the common pravity of humane nature How few are there that must not have great allowance or else they will not pass for currant in the ballance Elias was a man subject to passions Ionah to pievishness Iob had his impatiency â—â—ul saith even of the Teachers of the primitive Church They all that were with him seek their own and not the things of Iesus Christ. What blots are charged on almost all the Churches and almost all the holy persons mentioned throughout all the Scriptures Learn then of Paul a better lesson than censoriousness Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Let every man prove his own work and then be shall have rejoycing in himself alone c. Direct 10. Remember that Iudgement is Gods prerogative further than as we are called to it for Direct 10. the performance of some duty either of Office or of private Charity or self-preservation And that the Judge is as at the door And that judging unmercifully maketh us lyable to judgement without mercy The foresight of that near universal Judgement which will pass the doom on us and all men will do much to cure us of our rash censoriousness Direct 11. Peruse and observe all the Directions in the last Chapter against evil-speaking and backbiting Direct 11. that I may not need to repeat them Especially avoid 1. The snare of selfishness and interest For most men judge of others principally by their own interest He is the good man that is good to them or is on their side that loveth and honoureth them and answereth their desires This is the common false judgement of the corrupted selfish world who vilifie and hate the best because they seem unsuitable to them and to their carnal interest Therefore take heed of your judgement about any man that you have any falling-out with For its two to one but you will wrong him through this selfishness 2. Avoid passion which blindeth the judgement 3. Avoid Faction which maketh you judge of all men as they agree or disagree with your opinions or your side and party 4. Avoid too hasty belief of censures and rebuke them 5. Hear every man speak for himself before you censure him if it be possible and the case be not notorious Direct 12. Keep still upon your mind a just and deep apprehension of the malignity of this sin of Direct 12. rash censuring It is of greatest consequence to the mortifying of any sin what apprehensions of it are upon the mind If religious persons apprehended the odiousness of this as much as they do of swearing drunkenness fornication c. they would as carefully avoid it Therefore I shall shew you the Malignity of this sin Tit. 3. The evil of the Sin of Censoriousness § 1. 1. IT is an usurpation of Gods Prerogative who is the Judge of all the world It is a stepping up into his Judgement Seat and undertaking his work as if you said I will be God as to this action And if he be called The Antichrist who usurpeth the Office of Christ to be the Universal Monarch and Head of the Church you may imagine what he doth who though but in one point doth set up himself in the place of God § 2. 2. They that usurp not Gods part in judging yet ordinarily usurp the part of the Magistrate or Pastors of the Church As when mistaken censorious Christians refuse to come to the Sacrament of Communion because many persons are there whom they judge to be ungodly what do they but usurp the Office of the Pastors of the Church To whom the Keys are committed for admission and exclusion And so are the appointed Judges of that case The duty of private members is but to admonish the offender first secretly and then before witnesses and to tell the Church if he repent not and humbly to tell the Pastors of their duty if they neglect it And when this is done they have discharged their part and must no more excommunicate men themselves than they must hang Thieves when the Magistrate doth neglect to hang them § 3. 3. Censoriousness signifieth the absence or decay of Love which inclineth men to think evil and judge the worst and aggravate infirmities and overlook or extenuate any good that is in others And there is least Grace where there is least Love § 4. 4. It sheweth also much want of self-acquaintance and such heart-employment as the sincerest Christians are taken up with And it sheweth much want of Christian humility and sense of your own infirmities and badness and much prevalency of Pride and self-conceitedneâ—s If you knew how ignorant you are you would not be so peremptory in
judging And if you knew how bad you are you would not be so forward to condemn your neighbours So that here is together the effect of much self-estrangedness hypocrisie and pride Did you ever well consider of the mind of Christ when he bid them that accused the adulterous woman John 8. 7. He that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her Certainly adultery was a heinous crime and to be punished with death and Christ was no Patron of uncleanness But he knew that it was an hypocritical sort of persons whom he spake to who were busie in judging others rather than themselves Have you studied his words against rash censurers Matth. 7. 3 4. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote which is in thy brothers eye I know well that impenitent sinners do use to pervert all these words of Christ against any that would bring them to repentance for their sin and account all men rash censurers who would make them acquainted with their unsanctified hearts and lives But it is not their abuse of Scripture which will justifie our overpassing it with neglect Christ spake it not for nothing and it must be studied by his Disciples § 5. 5. Censoriousness is injustice in that the censurers would not be so censured themselves You will say Yes if we were as bad and did deserve it But though you have not that same fault have you no other And are you willing to have it aggravated and be thus rashly judged You do not as you would be done by yea commonly censurers are guilty of false judging and whilest they take things hastily upon trust and stay not to hear men speak for themselves or to enquire throughly into the cause they commonly condemn the innocent and call good evil and put light for Isa. 5. 20. darkness and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him when God hath cursed such with a woe § 6. 6. And false censuring is the proper work of the Devil the accuser of the brethren Rev. 12. 10. Who accuseth them before God day and night And Christians should not bear his Image nor do his work § 7. 7. Censoriousness is contrary to the Nature and Office of Jesus Christ He came to pardon sin and cover the infirmities of his servants and to cast them behind his back and into the depth of the Sea and to bury them in his grave And it is the censurers work to rake them up and to make them seem more and greater than they are and to bring them into the open light § 8. 8. Censoriousness causeth uncharitableness and sinful separations in the censurers when they have conceited their brethren to be worse than they are they must then reproach them or have no communion with them and avoid them as too bad for the company of such as they Or when they have usurped the Pastors work in judging they begin the execution by sinful separation § 9. 9. Censoriousness is an infectious sin which easily taketh with the younger and prouder sort of Christians and so setteth them on vilifying others And at this little gap there entereth all uncharitableness backbitings revilings Church-divisions and Sects yea and too often rebellious and bloody Wars at last § 10. 10. Censoriousness is a sore temptation to them that are censured either to contemn such as censure them and go on the other hand too far from them or else to comply with the errors and sinful humours of the censurers and to strain their consciences to keep pace with the censorious And here I must leave it on record to posterity for their warning that the great and lamentable actions changes and calamities of this age have arisen next to gross impiety from this sin of ☜ censoriousness producing these two contrary effects and thereby dividing men into two contrary parties The younger sort of Religious people and the more ignorant and many women having more zeal than judgement placed too much of their Religion in a sharp opposition to all Ceremonies Formalities and Opinions which they thought unlawful and were much inclined to Schism and unjust separations upon that account and therefore censured such things as Antichristian and those that used them as superstitious or temporizers And no mans learning piety wisdome or laboriousness in the Ministry could save him from these sharp reproachful censures Hereupon one party had not Humility and Patience enough to endure to be so judged of nor love and tenderness enough for such pievish Christians to bear with them in pity as Parents do with froward Infants but because these professed holiness and zeal even holiness and zeal were brought under suspicion for their sakes and they were taken to be persons intolerable as unfit to lye in any building and unmeet to submit to Christian Government and therefore meet to be used accordingly Another sort were so wearied with the prophaneness and ungodliness of the vulgar rabble and saw so few that were judiciously religious that they thought it their duty to love and cherish the zeal and piety of their censorious weak ones and to bear patiently with their frowardness till ripeness and experience cured them And so far they were right And because they thought that they could do them no good if they once lost their interest in them and were also themselves too impatient of their censure some of them seemed to please them to be more of their opinion than they were and more of them forbore to reprove their petulancy but silently suffered them to go on especially when they fell into the Sects of Antinomians Anabaptists and Separatists they durst not reprove them as they deserved lest they should drive them all out of the Hive to some of these late swarms And thus censoriousness in the ignorant and self-conceited drove away one part to take them as their enemies and silenced or drew on another party to follow them that led the Vann in some irregular violent actions and the wise and sober moderators were disregarded and in the noise of these tumults and contentions could not be heard till the smart of either party in their suffering forced them to honour such whom in their exaltation again they despised or abused This is the true summ of all the Tragoedies in Britain of this Age. Tit. 4. Directions for those that are rashly censured Direct 1. REmember when you are injured by Censures that God is now trying your Humility Direct 1. Charity and Patience And therefore be most studious to exercise and preserve these three 1. Take heed lest Pride make you disdainful to the censurers A humble
Clem. Alexand. 2. Poedag 12. understood with a caeteris paribus For its possible some cases of exception may be found Pauls is a high instance that could have wished himself accursed from Christ for the sake of the Jews as judging Gods honour more concerned in all them than in him alone § 15. Direct 12. Prefer a durable good that will extend to posterity before a short and transitory good As to build an Alms-house is a greater work than to give an Alms and to erect a School than to teach a Scholar so to promote the settlement of the Gospel and a faithful Ministry is the greatest of all as tending to the good of many even to their everlasting good This is the preheminence of Good Books before a transient speech that they may be a more durable help and benefit Look before you with a judicious foresight and as you must not do that present Good to a particular person which bringeth greater hurt to many so you must not do that present good to one or many which is like to produce a greater and more lasting hurt Such blind reformers have used the Church as ignorant Physitions use their patients who give them a little present ease and cast them into greater misery and seem to cure them with a dose of opium or the Jesuits powder when they are bringing them into a worse disease than that which they pretend to cure O when shall the poor Church have wiser and foreseeing helpers § 16. Direct 13. Let all that you do for the Churches good be sure to tend to HOLINES and PEACE Direct 13. and do nothing under the name of a good work which hath an enmity to either of these For these are to the Church as Life and Health are to the body and the increase of its wellfare is nothing else but the increase of these What ever they pretend believe none that say they seek the good and wellfare of the Church if they seek not the promoting of Holiness and Peace If they hinder the powerful preaching of the Gospel and the means that tendeth to the saving of souls and the serious spiritual worshiping of God and the unity and peace of all the faithful and if they either divide the faithful into sects and parties or worry all that differ from them and humor them not in their conceits take all these for such benefactors to the Church as the wolf is to the flock and as the plague is to the City or the feavor to the body or the fire in the thatch is to the house The wisdom from above is first PURE then PEACEABLE gentle c. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work â—am 3. 14 15 16 17 18. § 17. Direct 14. If you will do the good which God accepteth do that which he requireth and put Direct 14. not the name of good works upon your sins nor upon unnecessary things of your own invention nor think not that any Good must be accomplished by forbidden means None know what pleaseth God so well as himself Our waies may be right in our own eyes and carnal wisdom may think it hath devised the fittest means to honour God when he may abominate it and say who required this at your hand And if we will do good by sinning we must do it in despite of God who is engaged against our sins and us Rom. 3. 8. God needeth not our lie to his glory If Papists think to find at the last day their foppish ceremonies and superstition and will-worship their touch not taste not handle not to be reckoned to them as Good works or if Jesuites or Enthusiasts think to find their Perjurie Treasons Rebellions or conspiracies numbred with good works or the persecuting of the Preachers and faithful professors of Godliness to be good works how lamentably will they find their expectations disappointed § 18. Direct 15. Keep in the way of your Place and calling and take not other mens works upon Direct 15. you without a call under any pretense of doing good Magistrates must do good in the place and work of Magistrates and Ministers in the place and work of Ministers and private men in their private place and work and not one man step into anothers place and take his work out of his hand and say I can do it better For if you should do it better the disorder will do more harm than you did good by bettering his work One Iudge must not step into anothers Court and Seat and say I will pass more righteous judgement You must not go into another mans School and say I can teach your Scholars better nor into anothers charge or Pulpit and say I can preach better The servant may not rule the Master because he can do it best no more than you may take another mans Wife or House or Lands or Goods because you can use them better than he Do the Good that you are called to § 19. Direct 16. Where God hath prescribed you some particular Good work or way of service you Direct 16. must prefer that before another which is greater in its self This is explicatory or limiting of Dir. 8. The reason is because God knoweth best what is pleasing to him and Obedience is better than Sacrafice You must not neglect the necessary maintenance of Wife and Children under pretense of doing a work of piety or greater good because God hath prescribed you this order of your duty that you begin at home though not to stop there Another Minister may have a greater or more needy flock but yet you must first do good in your own and not step without a call into his charge If God have called you to serve him in a low and mean imployment he will better accept you in that work than if you undertook the work of another mans place to do him greater service § 20. Direct 17. Lose not your resolutions or opportunities of doing good by unnecessary delayes Direct 17. Prov. 3. 27 28. With-hold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it Say not to thy neighbour Goe and come again and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth It 's two to one but delay will take away thine opportunity and raise such unexpected diversions or difficulties as will frustrate thine intent and destroy the work Take thy Time if thou wilt do thy service It is beautiful in its season Direct 18. § 21. Direct 18. Yet present necessity may make a lesser work to be thy duty when the greater may better bear delay As to save a mans
life in sickness or danger when you may after have time to seek the saving of his soul. Not only works of mercy may be thus preferred before sacrifice but the ordinary conveniences of our lives as to rise and dress us and do other business may go before prayer when Prayer may afterwards be done as well or better and would be hindered if these did not go before § 22. Direct 19. Though caeteris paribus the duties of the first table are to be preferred before Direct 19. those of the second yet the Greater duties of the second table must be preferred before the lesser duties of the first The Love of God is a greater duty than the Love of man and they must never be separated But yet we must preferr the saving a mans life or the quenching of a fire in the Town before a Prayer or Sacrament or observation of a Sabbath David eat the shew bread and the Disciples rubbed out the corn on the Sabbath day because the preserving of Life was a greater duty than the observing of a Sabbath or a positive ceremonial law And Christ bids the Pharisees Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice The blood of our brethren is an unacceptable means of pleasing God and mainteining piety or promoting mens several opinions in religion § 23. Direct 20. Choose that employment or calling so far as you have your choice in which Direct 20. you may be most serviceable to God Choose not that in which you may be most Rich or Honourable in the world but that in which you may do most good and best escape sinning § 24. Quest. But what if in one calling I am most serviceable to the Church but yet have most Quest. â— doing goâ—d or avoidâ—â—g sin to be â—â—st â—â—â—â—â— at in our choice oâ—â—aâ—lings Answ. temptations to sin And in another I have least temptations to sin but am least serviceable to the Church which is the ordinary difference between men in Publick places and men in solitude which of these should I choose Answ. 1. Either you are allready engaged in your Calling or not If you are you must have greater reasons to desert it than such as might require you at first not to choose it 2. Either the Temptations to sin are such as good men ordinarily overcome or they are extraordinarily great You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not like to overcome than small or ordinary ones 3. Either you are well furnished against these temptations or not If not you must be more cautelous in approaching them But if you are you may trust God the boldlier to help you out 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary humane frailties in the manner of duty or temptations to more dangerous sin The first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to escape them as the latter will 5. The service that you are called to being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody is either such as others will do better or as well if you avoid it or not If the Church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal you may the more insist on your own preservation But if the necessities of the Church or State and the want of fitter instruments or any apparent call of God do single you out for that service you must obey God whatever the difficulties and temptations are For no temptation can necessitate you to sin and God that calleth you can easily preserve you But take heed what you thrust your selves upon § 25. Quest. But may I change my calling for the service of the Church when the Apostle bids Quest. â—â—â—â—â—ing may be changed Answ. every man abide in the calling in which he was called Cor. 7. 20. Answ. The Apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change such as is the forsaking of a Wife or Husband nor no unnecessary change as if it were necessary as in the case of circumcision But in the next words he saith Art thou called being a servant Care not far it But if thou maist be made free use it rather He bids every man abide with God in the place he is called to but forbids them not to change their state when they are called to change it verse 24. He speaks more of relations of single persons and married servants and free c. than oâ— trades or offices And yet no doubt but a single person may be marryed and the marryed must be separated and servants may be free No man must take up or change any calling without sufficient cause to call him to it But when he hath such cause he sinneth if he change it not The Apostles changed their Callings when they became Apostles and so did multitudes of the Pastors of the Church in every age God no where forbids men to change their employment for the better upon a sufficient cause or call § 26. Direct 21. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling that is such a stated course Direct 21. of employment in which you may best be serviceable to God Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment Otherwise no man must either live idely or content himself with doing some little charres Who excused from â— calling as a recreation or on the by But every one that is able must be statedly and ordinarily imployed in such work as is serviceable to God and the common Good Quest. But will not wealth excuse us Answ. It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work by making you more serviceable in other but you are no more excused from service and work of one kind or other than the poorest man Unless you think that God requireth least where He giveth most Quest. Will not age excuse us Answ. Yes so farr as it disableth you but no further Object But I am turned out of my calling Answ. You are not turned out of the service of God He calleth you to that or to another Quest. But may I not cast off the world that I may only think of my salvation Answ. You may cast off all such excess of worldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual things But you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental labour in which you may serve the common Good Every one that is a member of Church or common-wealth must employ their parts to the utmost for the good of the Church and common-wealth Publick service is Gods greatest service To neglect this and say I will pray and meditate is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work and tie himself to some lesser easie part And God hath commanded you some way or other to labour for your daily bread and not to live as drones on the sweat of others only Innocent Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it And fallen man must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows Gen. 3.
all his work and lyeth not only in the heat of the brain or rigid opinions or heat of speech 10. It is not a sudden flash but a constant resolution of the soul Like the natural heat and not like a Feaver Though the feeling part is not still of one Gal. 4. 15 18. degree Therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth when false zeal only vexeth and consumeth § 5. Direct 2. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true zeal consider next of its excellency Direct 2. and singular benefits that there may be a love to it and an honour of it in your hearts To that The excellency of zeal and diligence end consider of these following commendations of it § 6. 1. Zeal being nothing but the fervour and vigour of every grace hath in it all the beauty and excellency of that Grace and that in a high and excellent degree If Love to God be excellent then zealous fervent Love is most excellent § 7. 2. The nature of holy Objects are such so great and excellent so transcendent and of unspeakable consequence that we cannot be sincere in our estimation and seeking of them without zeal If it were about riches or honours a cold desire and a dull pursuit might serve the turn and well beseem us But about God and Christ and Grace and Heaven such cold desires and endeavours are but a contempt To love God without zeal is not to Love him because it is not a loving him as Psal. 69. 10. Joh. 2. 17. Gal. 4. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Tit. 2. 14. Rev. 3 15 16 19. God To seek Heaven without Zeal and Diligence is not to seek it but contemn it To pray for salvation without any zeal is but hypocritically to babble instead of praying For no desire of Christ and Holiness and Heaven is saving but that which preferreth them before all the treasures and pleasures of the World And that which doth so hath sure some zeal in it so that some Zeal is essential to every Grace as life and heat is to a man § 8. 3. The integrity and honesty of the heart to God consisteth much in zeal As he is true to his friend that is zealous for him and not he that is indifferent and cold To do his service with zeal is to â—am 5. 16. Rom. 12. 11. do it willingly and heartily and entirely To do it without zeal is to do it heartlesly and by the halves and to leave out the life and kernel of the duty It is the Heart that God doth first require § 9. 4. Zeal is much of the strength of duty and maketh it likelyest to attain its end The Prayer Mat. 11. 12. Rom. 15. 30. Luk. 13. 24. 2 Tâ—m 2. 5. 1 Cor 9. 24 25 26. Heb. 12. 1. Deut. 6. 5. Mat. â—2 37. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Prov. 10. 4. of the faithful that 's effectual must be fervent Jam. 5. 16. Zeal must make us importunate suiters that will take no denyal if we will speed Luk. 18. 1 8 c. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force We must strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter and not be able Not every one that striveth is crowned nor every one that runneth wins the prize but he that doth it effectually so as to attain No wonder if we be commanded to Love God with all our heart and soul and might which is a Zealous Love For this is it that overcometh all other love and will constrain to dutiful obedience As experience telleth us it is the zealous and diligent Preacher that doth good when the cold and negligent do but little so is it in all other duties The diligent hand maketh rich And God blesseth those that serve him heartily with all their might § 10 5. Zeal and diligence take the opportunity which sloth and negligence let slip They are up Joh. 9. 4. Isa 55. 6. Luk. 19. 42. Heb. 3. 7 15. Mat. 25. with the Sun and work while it is day They seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near They know the day of their Visitation and Salvation They delay not but take the accepted time When the slothful are still delaying and trifling and hear not Gods voice while it is called to day but harden their hearts and sleep with their lamps unfurnished and knock not till the door be shut They stand and look upon their work while they should do it They are never in readiness when Christ and Mercy are to be entertained They are still putting off their duty till some other time till time be done and their work undone and they are undone for ever § 11. 6. Zeal and diligence are the best improvers of Time and mercy As they delay not but take the present time so they loyter not but do their work to purpose As a speedy Traveller goeth farther in a day than a slothful one in many so a zealous diligent Christian will do more for God and his soul in a little time than a negligent dullard in all his life It is a wonder to think what Augustine and Chrysostome did among the Ancients what Calvin and Perkins and Whittaker and Reignolds and Chamier and many other Reformed Divines have done in a very little time And what Swarez and Vasquez and Iansenius and Tostatus and Cajetan and Aquinas and many other Papists have performed by diligence when Millions of men that have longer time go out of the World as unknown as they came into it having never attained to so much knowledge as might preserve them from the reproach of Bruitish ignorance nor so much as might save their souls from Hell And when many that had diligence enough to get some laudable abilities had never diligence enough to use them to any great benefit of others or themselves Zeal and diligence are that fruitful well-manured soil where God soweth his seed with best Mat. 13 8 23. Prov. 26. 14. success and which return him for his mercies an hundred fold and at his coming giveth him his own with usury Mat. 25. 27 20. But sloth and negligence are the grave of mercies where they are buried till they rise up in judgement against the despisers and consumers of them Aristotle and Plato Galen and Hippocrates improvers of nature shall condemn these slothful neglecters and abusers of nature and grace yea their Oxen and Horses shall be witnesses against many that served not God with any such diligence as these beasts served them yea many gallants of great estates never did so much service for the common good in all their lives as their very beasts have done Their parts their life and all is lost by them § 12. 7. Zeal and diligence are the victorious enemies of sin and Satan They bear not with sin They are to it as a consuming fire is to the thorns and bryars Zeal burneth up
Lust and Covetousness 1 Sam. 2. 23 29. Rev. 3. 19. and Pride and Sensuality It maketh such work among our sins as diligent weeders do in your Gardens It pulleth up the tares and burneth them It stands not dallying with sin nor tasting or looking on the bait nor disputing with and hearkening to the Tempter but casteth away the motion 1 Thes. 5. 22. Jude 23. Jam. 4 7. 1 Pet. 5. 9. with abhorrence and abstaineth from the very appearance of evil and hateth the garment spotted by the flesh and presently quencheth the sparks of Concupiscence It chargeth home and so resisteth the Devil that he flyeth When sloth and negligence cherish the sin and encourage the tempter and invite him by a cold resistance The Vineyard of the Sluggard is overgrown with Nettles His heart Eccl 10. 18. Prov. 24. 30. Prov. 21. 15. Prov. 13. 4. swarmeth with noysome thoughts and lusts and he resisteth them not but easily beareth them If he feel sinful thoughts possessing his mind he riseth not up with zeal against them He hath not the heart to cast them out nor make any effectual resistance He famisheth his soul with fruitless wishes because his hands refuse to labour Negligence is the Nurse of sin § 13. 8. Zeal and Diligence bear down all opposition against duty with power and success Those impediments which stop a sluggard are as nothing before them As the Cart wheels which go slowly are easily stopt by a little stone or any thing in their way when those that are in a swifter motion easily get over all The Lyon that is in the sluggards way is not so much as a barking Whelp in the way Prov. 22. 13. 26 13. Prov. 20 4. of a diligent zealous Christian. The cold doth not hinder him from plowing A very scorn or mock or threatning of a mortal man will dismay and stop a heartless hypocrite which do but serve as oyle to the fire to enflame the courage of the zealous so much more The difficulties which seem insuperable to the slothful are small matters to the zealous He goeth through that which the slothful calls impossible And when the slothful sits still and saith I cannot do this or that the zealous diligent Christian doth it § 14. 9. Zeal and diligence take off the toyle and irksomness of duty and make it easie As a quick-spirited diligent servant maketh but a pleasure of his work which a lazy servant doth with pain and weariness And as a mettlesome Horse makes a pleasure of a journey which a heavy jade goeth through with pain so Reading and Hearing and Prayer are easie to a zealous soul which to another is an unwelcome task and toile § 15. 10. Zeal is faithful and constant and valiant and therefore greatly pleaseth God It sticks Num 25. 11 13. 〈…〉 8. 6 7. Heb 11. 34. Dan. 3 6. Mat. 13 20 21. Rev. 2. 5. Rev 3. 16. 2 Thes. 2. 10. to him through persecution The fire consumeth it not many Waters quench it not But others are false hearted and those that have but a cold Religion will easily be drawn or driven from their Religion They are so indifferent that a little more of the World put into the ballance will weigh down Christ in their esteem The Hopes or fears of temporal things prevail with them against the Hopes and fears of things eternal No wonder therefore if God disown such treacherous Servants and turn them away as unworthy of his Family § 16. Direct 3. Let the great motives of holy zeal and diligence be set home and printed on your Direct 3. hearts And often read them over in some quickning Books that you may remember them and be Read before Chap. 5. the cont Dir. for Redeeming time Motives of Zeal affected with them I have given you so many of these Moving exciting considerations in the third Part of my Saints Rest and my Saint or Bruit and Now or Never and in my Sermon against making Light of Christ that I shall be but very brief in them at present § 17. 1. When you grow cold and slothful remember how Great a Master you serve should any thing be done negligently for God And remember how Good a Master you serve For whom you are certain that you can never do too much nor so much as he deserveth of you nor will he ever suffer you to be losers by him § 18. 2. Remember that he is always present In your converse with others in your Prayers your Reading and all your duties and will you loiter in his sight when a very eye-servant will work while his master standeth by § 19. 3. One serious thought of the end and consequence of all thy work one would think should put life into the dullest soul say to thy sleepy frozen heart Is it not Heaven that I am seeking Is it not Hell that I am avoiding And can I be cold and slothful about Heaven and Hell Must it not go with me for ever according as I now behave my self And is this the best that I can do for my salvation Is it not God that I have to please and honour and shall I do it slothfully § 20. 4. One thought of the exceeding Greatness of our work one would think should make us be zealous and diligent To think what abundance of knowledge we have to get and how much of every grace we want and how much means we have to use and how much opposition and temptations to overcome The humble sense of the weakness of our souls and the greatness of our sins should make us say that whatever the Rich in grace may do its Labour that becomes the poor § 21. 5. To remember how short our time of working is and also how uncertain How fast it flyeth away how soon it will be at an end and that all the time that ever we shall have to prepare 1 Cor. 7. 29 30. 2 Pet 3. 11. Rev. 12. 12. for Eternity is now and that shortly there will be no Praying no Hearing no Working any more on Earth To look into the Grave to go to the House of Mourning to consider that this heart hath but a little more time to think and this tongue but a little more time to speak and all will end in the endless recompence methinks this should quicken the coldest heart § 22. 6. To remember how many millions are undone already by their sloth and negligence how many are in Hell lamenting their slothfulness on earth while I am hearing or reading or praying to prevent it one would think should waken me from my sloth what if I saw them and heard their cryes would it not make me serious what if one of them had time and leave and hope again as I have would he be cold and careless § 23. 7. To think how many millions are now in Heaven that all came thither by holy zeal and diligence and are now enjoying the fruit of