A CONTINUATION OF Morning-Exercise QUESTIONS AND Cases of Conscience PRACTICALLY RESOLVED BY SUNDRY MINISTERS In October 1682. 1 THESS II. 4 5 6. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our Hearts For neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know nor a cloak of Covetousness God is witness Nor of Men sought we glory neither of you nor yet of others c. LONDON Printed by J. A. for John Dunton at the Sign of the Black Raven in the Poultrey over against the Stocks-Market 1683. To the READER WHat I have formerly endeavoured in these Exercises I need not here tell you My design is still the same when too many are contending about comparatively trifles or worse I would do my utmost by calling in better help than mine own to promote practical Godliness I 'll not mention the Cases unavoydably some by Sickness some otherwise omitted and for those here should I place them in this Preface as I intended them in the Book tbô it might somewhat rectifie their Order 't would not add to their Vsefulness and therefore take them as they are and the Blessing of God go along with them and certainly 't will as to you if you are willing it should pray try else 1 We are surrounded with Vanities let your Conversation be in Heaven you 'l be above them But be sure your 2 Godliness be such that you may feel its excellency and expose their Folly that deride it Then 3 God will not only be your Rewarder but your exceeding great Reward And 4 as you mind Religion mind Vnity be of a healing temper And 5 mourn for their sins from whom you must separate When 6 you can say thrô Grace you love God abide in his Love And 7 be as solicitous for your Childrens Salvation as your own 8 Do not flatter your selves to think that you need not be caution'd against Flattery 9 Let those of us that are Ministers thirst after the Conversion of Souls And 10 the practical Love of Truth will best preserve from Popery 11 Let not Melancholy persons neglect their Remedy And let all Persons 12 press after a growing Knowledge of Christ 13 Then whatever God doth in the World cannot but be well done because God doth it 14 What you hear and read do not let it slip 15 Let your obedient Love to God evidence your Love to his Children 16 Avoyd spiritual Pride as a mischievous Sin 17 Count a midling Condition best as to the World thô not as to Religion 18 Admire and improve those Truths and Works of God which are to you incomprehensible 19 Do all you do with an eye to God thô you meet with unanswerable returns from men 20 Still mind your present Duty 21 Mind something that 's better than the tricking of your Bodies 22 Let Child-bearing Women who dread the danger of their Travail take God's Prescription for their temporal Salvation 23 Take care of your Souls according to their worth And 24 follow the Conduct of the Holy Ghost to do it And 25 thereby you 'l be raised to a divine Vnion 26 To which your thoughtfulness of Eternity will much contribute 27 And singularly promote Communion with God Which 28 those that have are prepared for whatever God will do with them And 29 thô God hide his face he will not finally forsake them But 30 God will priviledge them at present to be the Strength of the Nation And 31 to all these Truths as well as to all Gods Praises let 's believingly say Amen These are the Cases several of them had been more polisht had not the Authors and their Books been separated and I must confess that the tolerable Errors of the Press are as many as an ingenuous Reader can well pardon what then can I say for those which are inexcusable Bear with this word of alleviation 't was next to impossible for every one in our present Circumstances to Correct his own Sermon and none else could so well do it I 'l add but this they are Cases most of them of great moment and daily use Do but bring or endeavour to get an honest Heart to the Perusal of them and I doubt not but you 'l bless God for them and I hope put up a Prayer for April 9. 1683. Your Soul-Servant Samuel Annesley The CONTENTS Serm. I. HOW is the adherent Vanity of every Condition most effectually abated by serious Godliness Eccles 6.11 12. Serm. II. How may we experience it in our selves and evidence it to others that serious Godliness is more than a Fancy 1 Pet. 3.15 Serm. III. How is God his Peoples great Reward Gen. 15.1 Serm. IIII. What may most hopefully be attempted to allay Animosities among Protestants that our Divisions may not be our Ruine Coloss 2.2 Serm. V. How ought we to bewail the sins of the places where we live 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Serm. VI. What must we do to keep our selves in the Love of God Jude vers 21. Serm. VII What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasioned by their sinful Severity or Indulgence Mal. 4.6 Serm. VIII How may we best cure the Love of being Flattered Prov. 26.28 Serm. IX By what means may Ministers best win Souls 1 Tim. 4.16 Serm. X. How is the practical Love of Truth the best Preservative against Popery 1 Pet. 2.3 Serm. XI What are the best Preservatives against Melancholy and over-much Sorrow 2 Cor. 2.7 Serm. XII How may we grow in the Knowledge Estimation and making Vse of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Serm. XIII How may our Belief of Gods governing the World support us in all worldly distractions Psal 97.1 2. Serm. XIV What are the Hindrances and Helps to a good Memory in Spiritual things 1 Cor. 15.2 Serm. XV. What are the Signs and Symptoms whereby we know we love the Children of God 1 John 5.2 Serm. XVI What must we do to prevent and cure spiritual Pride 2 Cor. 12.7 Serm. XVII Wherein is a middle worldly Condition most eligible Prov. 30.8 9. Serm. XVIII How may we graciously Improve those Doctrines and Providences which transcend our Vnderstandings Rom. 11.33 Serm. XIX How ought we to do our Duty towards others thô they do not do theirs towards us Rom. 12.21 Serm. XX. How may the well discharge of our present Duty give us assurance of help from God for the well discharge of all future Duties 1 Sam. 17.34 35 36 37. Serm. XXI What distance ought we to keep in following the strange Fashions in Apparel which come up in the days wherein we live Zeph. 1.8 Serm. XXII How may Child-bearing Women be most encouraged and supported against in and under the hazard of their Travail 1 Tim. 2.15 XXV for Serm. XXIII How may we best know the worth of the Soul Matt. 16.26 XXVI for Serm. XXIV How may we get Experience
and we are made up of nothing else but Dependency and Frailty Luc. 22.61 Now this active principle is chiefly Faith and Love Faith working by Love Faith gives us union to Christ and maintains that Union Now as we are kept by Faith so we and our Faith are kept both by the power of God to salvation 1 Pet. 1.4 5. Our Inheritance is kept in Heaven for us and we are kept in Earth for it till we possess it in Heaven Quis custodiet ipsos custodes We should be poorly and Miserably kept if the Lord were not our keeper How did Adam keep his Estate and the Angels theirs and Esau his Birth-right and the Prodigal his Portion when all was trusted in their own hands One lost all for an Apple and another for a Mess of Dainty Broth and another for his carnal pleasures but happy Believers whose All is in better Trustees hands 1 Pet. 4. ult even the hand of a Faithful God IV. He that will keep himself in the Love of God must keep himself free from the Love of the World because the Love of this World is contrary to the Love of God 1 Joh. 2.15 16. and therefore inconsistent with it 1. Because the Love of the World and its Trinity or threefold Lust is a dangerous Heart-thief it Steals away the Heart from God as Absolom stole away the Hearts of the People from David by his Kisses 2 Sam. 15.5 6. and Flatteries Hos 4.11 What the Prophet speaks of Wine and Whoredom is true of all other worldly things 2. The Love of the World makes God jealous because Worldlings make an Idol of it and it is the worst Idolatry being that of the first Commandement Mâ—t. 6.24 So is Covetousness and Mammon when the Heart is inordinate upon Creatures Silver Gold Relations that is our Treasure Luc. 12.34 Colos 3.5 Therefore saith the Lord take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 A double caution all little enough And of this nature is Luxury and Epicurism also Phil. 3.18 19 20. Drunkenness the Love of Pleasure more than God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Belly-gods Nay thus it is likewise in the inordinate Love of Children which is soon done and they become Idols and God in his jealousie breaks them 1 Sam. 2.21 or breaks us for them as he did old Eli honouring his Sons above God And he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Math. 10.37 saith Christ 3. Because the Love of the World is a Choak-pear to all that 's truly good as is clear in the Thorny Ground Math. 13. v. 7.22 Experience teacheth this universally and the nature of the things being contrary one to the other and killing one of another * Like the Torment of Mezentius putting the Living to the Dead which corrupts and kills the Living one being Spiritual and Heavenly the other Carnal Sensual and Destructive yea both are destroyers of each other Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Do not we see what mortal Enemies worldly men are to Divine things The Word saith the world lyeth in wickedness the Devil is the Prince of the wicked World and ruleth in the children of disobedience it feeds the Flesh and nourisheth the carnal part and is not subject to the Law of God nor can be Rom. 8.7 Yea it is a deadly thing to the Soul Rom. 6.6 Gal. 5.17 Rom. 8.13 Gal. 6.14 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 5.24 and such deadly things are these two Lovers that is these two Lusts that they hunt for the life of each other fighting against each other to the death and the quarrel alwayes ends in the death of one or th' other If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live See the Scriptures in the Margin 4. The Love of the World hath Sorcery and Witchcraft in it when once men drink of the Worlds Cup they are intoxicated We read of Simon Magus how he bewitched the People Act. 8.9 We read of Jezebels Witchcrafts 2 King 9.22 Nahum 3.9 Rev. 17.2 3 4. Falsus fallax est mundus exterius aurens interius lutens N. N. and Babylons Sorceries and Witchcrafts and it is joined with the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5.17 to ver 21. Sixteen in number Rev. 22.15 Maxima totius orbis venefica The greatest Witch in the world is the World Her Honours are bewitching Honours Her Delights and pleasures are bewitching Her Riches and Profits are bewitching How then is the Love of the World consistent with Gods Love Therefore for the Love of God love not the World 5. The Love of the World makes Men Apostates from Christ So it made Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 and so it hath made thousands more and thee among the rest if thou lookest not well to thy Self 6. Psal 17.14 Phil. 3.18 19 20. Because the Love of the World makes men take up their Heaven on this side Heaven Of those men the Apostle could not speak without Weeping This is like the Prodigal that preferred a Tavern and a Brothel-House before his Fathers House Luc. 15.13 V. He that will Love God and keep himself in the Love of God must not be a Self-lover there is no greater Enemy to the Love of God than to Love our selves 2 Tim. 3.2 Mark the place for it is a remarkable place He tells you of perilous times a coming and there gives nineteen marks of such men as make the times perilous Of all which Lovers of themselves leads the Van for where once this Principle prevails it opens a Floodgate to all Sin and shuts the door upon all Holy Motions If Self be beloved admired and idolized it is the worst Idol in the World this is an Idol in a secret place continually adored this is Dagon set above the Ark and a Man above God and provokes to jealousie this perverts the course of Nature and Gods order who is one God and uppermost and only to be adored and men set up themselves in Gods Throne and Ungod him by deifying themselves and for one God they set up millions of gods as many gods as Creatures This is mans misery by losing the Integrity wherein God made him and seeking out many Inventions And when the Lord Christ came into the World he he speaks our Love and wooes us for it and commands self-denyal as the first Lesson to be learned in his School Mat. 16.24 25. Mat. 10.37 whereby the great Stumbling-block to Gods Love is taken away VI. If ye would keep your selves in the Love of God be very shy of Sin both in the Risings of it and as to the Temptations to it For the love of God and the love of Sin are more contrary to each other than Heaven and Hell Because they are Morally contrary Rom. 8. 1. Sin is Enmity against God in the Abstract 2. Sin is hatefull
often yearne and his repentings are kindled together In the 11. Hosea 8.9 He seemed to stand with his hand stretched out as one resolved to give a consuming blow but he laid aside his Weapons of indignation and in the greatness of his compassion cryed out How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Judah how shall I make thee as Adâ—nah how shall I set thee as Zeboim my heart is turned within me I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Thus we see God is accomplished for the Government â—f the world In the second place let us enquire concerning the extent of Gods Governing Providence how far and unto what it reaches And take this in general The whole world and whatsoever is contained within the compass of Heaven and Earth are ordered by him as his Family the Church is regarded and cared for by him as his endeared Spouse and all thâ— Saints as his children All men even the worst and vilest with all their actions and all Creatures even the meanest are ordered by God and directed to their appointed ends But we will descend to particulars First The governing Providence of God extends it self to all Creatures whatsoever have being both animate and inanimate the greatest and the least He rules the Stars the Influences of Pleiades and the Bands of Orion are from him He causeth the Sun to shine sets him daily and anual Journeys and when he pleaseth stops him in his course and turns him back when he comes out of his Chamber as a Bridegroom or a Giant refreshed with Wine He makes small the drops of Rain and causeth them to fall upon one City and not upon another he feeds the Fouls and musters Caterpillars Locusts Flies as his Armies Angels are his Servants absolutely at his beck ready to execute his Will and by him they are sent forth to minister unto his Children and to punish his Enemies He hath enraged Devils in a Chain and both confines them and imploys them as he himself thinks good He suffered one to be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets He permitted Satan to do much against Job yet kept him from touching his Life He cast Devils out of the possessed and gave them leave to enter into an Herd of swine He governs men too keeping Abimelech from violating Sarahs Chastity and Laban from touching Jacob's Liberty or Goods and Esau from offering violence to his Life the meanest Creatures are the Objects of his Cure and the noblest are overruled by his Power Secondly the Governing Providence of God extends it self to all motions and actions without him we can do nothing as a special assistance is necessary to gratious Acts so is a general concurse to natural ones unless he support we cannot stir a step nor strike a stroke nor speak a word nor form a thought God suspends the Creatures Actions when he pleaseth thus he kept the Fire from burning the three Children that were thrown into it when put into its greatest rage He stopt the mouths of Lions and kept them from preying upon Daniel when hunger was feeding upon them And it was he that taught and commanded the rapacious Raven to forget it self that it might carry food to a Prophet God orders and directes actions to ends never designed by the doer yea he makes the most vile and wicked actions subservient to most excellent and most noble ends Adams sin issued in the glorifying of Gods name in a mixt way of Justice and Mercy Pharoahs Cruelty made Israel multiply so that the more they were deprest the more they flourished Romes persecutions have been Sions Enlargements and the bloud of the Martyrs the Seed of the Church Josephs Brethrens selling him was a step to his preferment in the Court of Pharoah and a sending him before to preserve the use of his Father and of his Family The crucifying of our dear Jesus was the saving of Believers and by his most pretious bloud which the Jews and Romans most wickedly spilt were all the Elect of God redeemed from Hell and everlasting destruction The King of Assyria thought of nothing else but to destroy and câ—â—t off Nations not a few but God sent him as an Executioner of his Justice to punish an hypocritical Nation and the people of his wrath Thus God doth not only uphold his Creatures in their Beings and assist and strengthen them in their Actions but he doth also direct order and overrule those actions so that their product and issue shall be admirable wicked men have base and sordid ends in the Commission of Sin but God hath holy ends in his permission thereof while they gratifie their Lusts he fulfills his pleasure and while they act like Devils He acts like God i. e. like himself Thirdly This Governing and overruling Providence of God extends it self to all issues and results of things both good and evil the lot is cast into the Lap but the Disposal thereof is of the Lord. He is the Fountain of all the good and comforts which we enjoy for which we are under everlasting Obligations to praise his Name and not to sacrifice to our own Net That the House is built we owe more to God than to the Workmen and in the preservation of the City God is more to be thanked and acknowledged than the Watchman It is unquestionably mens duty to follow their Callings and mind their business and study good Husbandry for the sluggard shall be cloathed with rags and the prodigal will be glad of husks but if after all endeavour and care an Estate comes in it is more of Gods sending than of Mans fetching The Blessing of God makes rich and not mans diligence without it when you are sick it is your wisdom and duty to send for the most able skilful and faithful Physitians and to follow the method and use the means which they prescribe but when your Distempers are removed and your Health is restored you are beholden more to God than to Men and means for notwithstanding them your Souls would dwell in silence if the Lord himself were not your help The Battle is not to the strong nor the race to the swift nor doth promotion come from the East or the West but the Lord pulleth down one and setteth up another So for evil things we are too prone to rest in second Causes and care not to look so high as God but whether we take notice of him or no there is no rod under which we smart but Gods hand lays it on Eliphaz tells us 5. Job 6. Affliction cometh not forth from the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground i. e. they do not come by chance though many things be contingences yet all things have a cause to us indeed they are casual but to God they are certain He himself foresaw and fore-appointed them There is nothing of Fortune
causes There 's a Necessity of these things while we are in the World and we need variety of them more than for present use e. g. Childhood and Age are helpless and need greater supplies there 's difference between Sickness and Health and we must provide for both and is not this very plausible Whereas did but Persons consider how many Superfluities shroud themselves under the wing of Necessaries and how Persons love to be at their own finding rather than Gods thô there 's no comparison between them as Israel Numb 11.5 We Remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onions and the Garlick and now our Soul is dryed away there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our Eyes They preferred the Food which the Egyptians gave their Slaves before Manna which if the Inhabitants of the upper World needed food were fit for them We would not onely have Mercies but we would be humour'd in the Circumstances of 'em Rachel must presently have Children or she 'l be weary of her Life whereas she might have learnt from her own Husband and Grand-father that those Children of patiently believing Parents were the greatest Blessings that came from teeming Prayers and Barren Wombs but she considers not this she must have Children or dye Well God so far gratifies her she shall have Children but that which she reckoned would be the greatest Comfort of her Life proved to be her death The flattery of worldly things prevails with many The Grandeur of the World that pleaseth the Eye the Esteem of the World that pleaseth the Fancy whereas would but these Persons consider all things of the World appear better at a distance than we find them near at hand I dare confidently make this offer and without imposing upon God any thing indecent peremptorily assure you God will make it good That if you can but give any one instance of any one Person made happy satisfyingly happy by any worldly enjoyment you shall be the second I grant many are through Grace contented with a little pittance of the World but where dwelt the man that was ever yet contented meerly with the World The wealth of the World promiseth Satisfaction a Eccl. 10.19 Money answereth all things but b ch 5.10 he that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase The pleasures of the World promise refreshment to relieve us of all our cares but instead of it c Eccl. 2.11 they are all Vanity and Vexation of Spirit The Honours of the World promise quiet and contentment but d Psal 73.18 19. surely they are set in slippery places as upon a Pinnacle whence though they do not presently fall yet they are utterly consumed with terrors of falling In short e Psal 49.20 man that is in honour and understandeth not how to honour God with it is like the Beasts that perish degrades himself into a Beast and the time is at hand when he would count it a greater happiness than ever he shall obtain if his Soul and Body might die together like a Beast Experience is beyond Speculation we see others grow great they fare better and go finer and are more esteemed in the World every one respects them and if he but grow Rich he must presently be the best in the Parish whereas those that are low and mean in the World they are despised thô never so well qualified This thou speak'st upon thine own Observation thou canst name the Persons and the places whence thou hast this experience Very well thou takest this for a demonstration that there is such a thing as an Earthly happiness Hold a little be but intreated to push the Observation a little further and consider impartially how loth thou wouldst be to take up with that for thy Happiness which thou so much admirest Single out any one of those thou accountest most happy in their outward enjoyments and be sure thou art as thoroughly acquainted with all the circumstances of his Condition as thou art with thine own and then sit down and seriously consider Is this the Person whose happiness thou admirest View him inside and outside and tell me wouldst thou have his Condition and all the Circumstances of it 'T is true he is great in the World but wouldst thou have all his cares and fears his restless Nights and troublesome Dayes wouldst thou have just his qualifications of mind that half-wittedness that makes him ridiculous his peevish Humours which make him a burden to himself and others Wouldst thou have just his temper of Body To be alwayes sickly or conceited to be so He can't eat this nor digest that nor relish any thing as do meaner Persons Those Relations that should be the greatest Comfort of his Life hanker after his Death His Children upon one account or other almost break his Heart his Servants are vexatious his Business distracting or his idleness wearisome Whereas perhaps his next Neighbour that hath scarce bread to eat hath a quieter frame of Mind a better temper of Body a better Stomach better Digestion better Health more Comfort in Relations and longer Life to enjoy all these than him thou countest the Worlds darling think of this before thou concludest for an earthly Happiness The restlesness of the Mind of man upon so many disappointments makes him eager after any thing that promiseth Satisfaction he hath experience of the uneasiness of his present Condition and none of that which flatters him So that he becomes like one that hath been long sick who is willing to try every Medicine that every Visitant commends never considering how he heightens his disease by the use of false Remedies e. g. Shouldst thou take medicines proper for an Erysipelas to cure a Dropsie or Medicines for the Stone to cure a Consumption thô those Medicines would not presently kill thee they would never Cure thee but thou must still complain of disappointments and be worse and worse instead of having any amendment Do not deceive your selves one Vanity will never cure another Satan will not be wanting to set in with all the other cheats the Inclinations of the Flesh the flatteries of the World and the various pleadings of carnal Reason Satan you may be sure will do what 's possible to be done to entangle the Soul in a fools Paradise or plunge it into inextricable difficulties especially when he hath a good second as in this Case thô one might rationally think there should need no more to fright him to his watch then to assure him the hand of Satan is in all this Suspect him in every thing he cannot be thy Friend he cannot make any one motion for thy good where he seems to do so 't is to do thee greater mischief Thus have I jumbled together something of what may be said both with real and seeming weight for empty reasonings weigh most with empty
addes the admiration and acknowledgment of Gods forbearing goodness towards them Yet saith he vers 30. didst thou forbear them or as 't is in the Hebrew protract defer Memusbeka Ezek. 12.15 prolong over them yea many years didst thou forbear them and vers 31. when the Jewes were in their Enemies hands for their sins yet nevertheless saith he for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume nor forsake them When we mourn for the sins of our Places we should much admire Gods forbearing Goodness that he defers to punish those Sins and Sinners which we must not defer to mourn for We should lay Man low but at the same time set up God high and in nothing more than in his Patience towards Sinners Patience I say infinitely exceeding any ever exercised by Man 1. All the Sins we mourn for are most clearly seen by God and known to him He sees sin wherever 't is and infinitely more plainly understands all the odious Circumstances and aggravations of sin than we can do that mourn for them or than they can that did commit them And 2. As he sees sin in all its odiousness so he infinitely more hates it than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven can do as being the only object of his hatred all the Streams whereof are collected in this one Channel Sin being also against his very nature and being a destroying him in the desire of the Sinner and that which should he in the least measure love or less than infinitely hate he would cease to be God Further admire his Patience 3. In sparing those that are perfectly in his power to destroy Rebels that are under his feet Yea lastly whom in all their Rebellions he invites to repentance yea feeds supplies maintains daily and richly Say then in thy Mourning for the Abominations of others How patient art thou in forbearing to punish those sins which it is my duty with an holy impatience to see and hear 2. In mourning for the sins of the Wicked advance God in the acknowledgment of his Justice and spotless Righteousness should he with utmost severity take vengeance upon Offenders This we shall find also to be the temper of holy Nehemiah in the forementioned Chapter the 9th and the 33d verse where mourning for the sins of the People he clears and acquits God from any injustice in executing his heavyest severities upon sinners So Ezra 9.15 Psal 15. Howbeit saith he thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Say Lord I wonder not at the evils that doe but those that do not befall us Were the fire of thy wrath proportion'd to the fewel of our sins we should be utterly consumed 'T is thy Mercy Lord we are not so Thou wouldst be infinitely just and to be justifi'd if we were so And 3. In spreading before God the wickednesses of great Sinners admire his infinite Power that can not only stop the worst of men in but turn them from their course of opposing God by their Rebellions We are not so to mourn for as to despair of the Conversion of the worst They are as much within the Converting reach as the Destructive reach of Gods hand Say 1. This great Sinner whose Impieties I bewail can easily by thy irresistible Grace which no hard heart can reject as was Saul be made not only of a Wolf a Sheep but even a Shepherd too I censure his way but I dare not determ ine his end Thou hast made white Paper of as black and filthy dunghil raggs What cannot the infinite Power of God accomplish for the Conversion of the greatest Sinner I now bewail him Lord but thou canst also make him more to bewail himself and make him as zealous in setting up as now he is in destroying thy People It should more comfort thee that thou sinnest not with them than trouble thee that thou sufferest from them God can make strait timber of a crooked piece God can take his Garden out of Satan's Waste Oh! how glorious would pardoning Grace and converting Power appear in causing such a change 4. In mourning admire that Grace and Power that hath kept thee from their Excesses and Extravagancies 2. The second Branch of the Manner how we must bewail the Sins § 5 of others is as it respects those for whom and for whose Sins we lament and mourn You may take up this in several particulars 1. We must bewail the Sins of our bitterest Enemies as well as of our most beloved Relations A rare and seldom practised duty I fear that this will be found I suppose there 's no godly man but bitterly mourns for the Impieties of his dear Yoke-fellow or Child but to mourn because a cruel Enemy either dishonours God or damns his own Soul I doubt there are very few that are conscientious therein Nothing is more common than to rail at our Enemies for their Impieties and to expose them to Obloquy and publick Hatred but I fear there 's nothing more unusual than to bewail their Soul their self-destroying Sins before God in secret The former Pride and Self-love will easily put us upon the latter only flows from Christian Charity and holy sanctified Zeal and Compassion Jer. 13.17 To embrace the former and neglect the latter is to exchange a Duty for a Sin A miserable exchange The holy temper of Christ Luk. 19.41 and Paul acted by his Spirit discovered their bewailings and shedding tears for those that desired to shed their blood Doubtless such a mourning as this would if not prevail for the Conversion of Enemies yet be a comfortable evidence to our Consciences of the truth yea the strength of Grace in us and of pardoning Grace bestow'd upon us who discover so high a degree of forgiving our Enemies 'T is a thousand times more eligible that mine Enemies Sins should suffer Shipwrack in a Sea of my tears than their Persons should be born down by the stream of my Power 2. We ought to bewail the Sins of our near and dear Relations § 6 in a greater measure than those of meer Strangers Natural Affection sanctified is the strongest As Nature puts forth it self to nearest Relations in strong affection so Grace engageth to a proportionable degree of spiritualizing that Affection How earnest and desirous was holy Paul for his Kinsmen in the flesh that they should be saved Rom. 10.1 Never did a godly man in the World never durst he neglect the Duty of bewailing the Sins of his Children Job offered Sacrifices Job 1.5 and Prayers and Tears too no doubt for very fear his Children might offend God There is in the Saints a spiritual Storge a natural affection Spiritualized No Godly man knows how to spare any one Child of his for the Devil it must needs trouble him to fear that they who are so near in this should be so distant in the next Life His Soul desires especiasly
extinguish all worldly love And this is an infallible sign of the love of God in the Soul for they two are contrary and mortal Enemies one to the other and seek the destruction of each other The reason is plain 1. They differ in their Rise and Offspring one is Heaven-born Gal. 5.17 the other is Earthly 2. They differ in their Quality one hates what the other loves 3. They differ in their Objects One loves God the other loves the Creature 4. They differ in the Means of their Attainments one minds the Will and Word of God to follow that only the other minds the Wills and Lusts of the flesh to fulfill them Ephes 2.2 and to make provision for them Rom. 13. last v. 5. They differ in their End The love of Creatures is disappointed and lost the Love of God enjoyes him for ever Psal 42.1 2. and rests satisfied in that enjoyment and not before 6. Consider thou canst never keep thy self in the Love of God if thou art not quit and utterly disengaged from the love of the World in the Lusts and Vanities of it by thy inordinate desires and hankerings after it God never comes into the Soul till the World go out Taulerus and then the Soul moves nobly when it moves to its Principle This makes the Circular motion of the Heavens to be most Noble because it returns alwayes to the same point where it began Thus Noah's Dove found no rest out of the Ark but returned to it after long fluttering about because it found no food among the Carrion but the Raven did and therefore abode by it A Bird as long as it flyes aloft in the Air is free from the Fowlers Gin but when it lights down on the ground and falls a picking in the Earth then is nearest unto danger Thus it fares with men of the Earth O poor Soul saith St. Aug. how dost thou debase thy self thou lovest earthly things and thou art better than them thou admirest the Sun and thou art more beautifull and excellent than the Sun only God is above thee and thou wert made to love him only A Child of Heaven and a Son of the Earth differ in this as much as Heaven and Earth Phil. 3.18 19 20. 2 Pet. 3.10 The Ground is cursed and this World shall be burnt up why art thou enamour'd with it Therefore the Lord imbitters the Worlds Breasts to his Children that they may be weaned and no longer suck of them and then when the world begins to be bitter to us the Lord begins to be sweeter to us Math. 17.4 When Peter had found some Sweetness on Mount Tabor he was loth to come down and would dwell there above the World in that heavenly Company That Wife never truly loved her Husband that loves her Jewels above him Did not Israel do so when they made a Calf of the Jewels God gave them and a God of that Calf and themselves Beasts in worshipping of it What abominable Idolatry what Apostasie what Ingratitude is here 1. All that hath hitherto been said of this great Duty of Keeping our selves in the Love of God is Practical and carryes Application with it containing true signs of such as keep themselves in Gods Love What is that but a great Use of Examination of our State and of our Practice 1. Whether we are in the Love of God 2. Whether we do indeed walk so as to keep our selves in it Be not deceived compare your State Heart and Life with these Rules be serious and solemn in it 2. You have had by way of contrary sufficiently hinted the cross Practice of the greatest part of the World herein who keep themselves out of Gods Love by keeping in an evil State of Enmity between God and them And though God hath long beseeched them by his Embassadours to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 yet they will not but stand out in open defiance against God Job 21.14 and desire not the knowledge of his wayes they preferr the Love of men before the Love of God They preferr the love of Money and carnal Delights before the love of God Luk. 8.14 2 Tim. 3.4 They hate the Knowledge of God they hate the People of God they hate the Wayes of God they love those that hate God and whom God hates Can these think themselves in the Love of God Can they keep themselves in the Love of God before they are come into it And this carryes in it a Use of Reprehension Conviction Discrimination and Lamentation all of them respectively O mind and consider it well 3. We have a Use of Exhortation The Text is properly such a Use It contains a Duty to be practised all your Life perform the Duties of that State study what doth please God Qui in amore Dei se custodiunt suaviter habitant instar apum in alvearibus in favis meilis ut Sponsa in finu Sponsi Cant. 1.2 3. cap. 2.4 5 6 12 13. take heed of that which doth offend God shun all that is inconsistent with the Love of God Meditate on the happy Priviledge of such a State Thou art a Candidate of Heaven a Favourite of God such are out of the reach of danger they have a sweet Calm and Sun-shine in their Conscience They have a pleasant Spring of singing of Birds and like the fragrant smell of a Garden of Spices and the fill of Divine Flagons in Christs Banquetting House Cant. 4.16 Cap. 5.1 4. If thou keep thy self in the Love of God thou needest not to fear the Hatred of men This is to be feared of all that are not in the Love of God Those that are in Gods love have no cause in the world to fear worldly mens hate they have the strongest security against it 1. From the Power of God which is omnipotent Gen. 15.1 2. From the Promise of God which is faithful and never fails Rom. 8.31 to 39. Heb. 13.5 6 8. 3. From the Eternity of Christ the same to day as yesterday and for ever He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my Helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me Read Deut. 33. and the four last Verses God will be a wall of fire about those that are in his Love Zach. 2.5 Read Deut. 32.9 10 11 12 13 14. What higher expressions can be uttered to set forth the tender love of God to his People while they are under his Wing Will ye have more consider that of the Prophet Isaiah in Chap. 60.5 As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted And when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb 5. If ye mind this Duty aright to keep your selves in the love of God 1 You must labour to understand the love of God to his Elect truely and then meditate
Carieer to their own Destruction And therefore take heed do not indulge them in their foolish Humours but bring them up c. Having thus fixed our Corner-stones now to our Building In the CASE before us I find two Truths supposed and one question in form but really bipartite proposed 1. The two Truths and those sad ones suppos'd 1. That it hath been is and may be the Lot of gracious Parents to have unconverted wicked Children 2. That this wickedness of these unconverted Children hath been and is too too often occasion'd by their gracious Parents sinful 1. Severity 2. Indulgence 2. The Question or case of Conscience to be resolved which is Bipartite What may gracious Parents best do towards the Conversion of those their Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful 1. Severity 2. Indulgence I. Of the First Truth 1. The first Truth suppos'd viz. That it hath been is and may be the Lot of gracious Parents to have unconverted wicked Children Let me adde of the Best of Parents to be afflicted with very wicked yea the worst of Children Had not Adam an envious murtherous Cain Gen. 4.8.11 The first branch of the Universal Root wholly rotten Noah a cursed †Gen. 9.22 Cham Abraham a mocking persecuting Ishmael Gen. 22.9 Gal. 4.29 Lot a Moab and Ammon the Sons of Incest and the Fathers of an Idolatrous brood that to the death hated Gods chosen Israel Gen. 19.37 38. Isaac a profane Esau Gen. 25.25 Heb. 12.16 Eli two Sons Hophni and Phineas both Sons of Belial prodigies of Lust and Wickedness 1. Sam. 2.12 to 17. ver 22. David an ambitious Adonijah 1 King 1.5 2.13 an incestuous Amnon 2 Sam. 13.14 a murtherous traiterous rebellious Absolom 2 Sam. 13.28 29. 15.10 Jehosaphat a bloody idolatrous Jehoram 2 Chron. 21.4 6 11 13. Josiah a wicked Jehojachin and another as bad if not worse a wretched false perjur'd Covenant-breaking Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.5 12 13. Ezek. 17.15 18. But enough of this sigh even to the breaking of your hearts when you think of many very many others in former Ages and in our Own dayes and City that might be added to fill up this Black Catalogue 2. This wickedness of these unconverted Children hath been and is too too often occasion'd yea advanced by the Sinful severity or indulgence of their unwary thô gracious Parents This Head divides it self into TWO Branches viz. Parents Sinful severity and indulgence 1. Sinful severity and of this 1. What it is not 2. What it is 1 What it is not 1. A grave wise holy strict demeanour towards our Children such a carriage as whereby we may procure Glory to God Honour to our selves and so to preserve and keep up that Authority which God hath stampt upon us is not sinful Severity To carry it so and so to keep our distance as to give our Children no occasion to undervalue or despise us 1 Tim. 4.12 * Tit. 2.15 So as that they may see and own the Wisdom of God shining in us that our Children may pay us that reverence and respect that God requires of them 1 King 3.28 This is not to be accounted sinful Severity but behaving our selves worthily in Ephratah Ruth 4.11 2. All just anger or the rising up of the Heart in an holy displeasure against Sin in our Children is not sinful severity Parents may be angry and yet not sin Eph. 4.26 Nay Parents would certainly sin if on just occasion given by their Children they should not be angry but with these proviso's 1. That the cause for which they are angry be good and warrantable Such as we can give a good Account of to God An anger like that of our Saviour who looked round about on his malicious observers with anger being griev'd for the bardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 When our anger is accompanied with grief because God is dishonour'd by our Childrens offending against Truth Piety Justice Humanity because we see them neglect their duty hurt their own or others Souls or Bodies 2. That the Object of this anger be right i. e. when that which we are angry at is not so much the persons of our Children that offend as their offence it self their Sin Fault Disobedience Not so much the Patient as the Disease 3. That the End be right viz. that the fault we are offended at may be amended by our Children and that they for the future may be warned not to offend in the like again 4. That a due decorum may be observed both as to the measure and duration of our Anger When it is neither too hot nor too long When it is a Rational Holy Temperate displeasure a moderate anger when right Reason and Scripture fit in the Box and Guide the Chariot saying as the Lord to the Sea Thus much thus long and no more no longer Thus far no sinful severity 2. Grave counselling and admonishing our Children in and to that which is truly good Eph. 6.4 All serious discountenancing of and severe frowning on them when in an evil way nay sharp reproofs and rebukes Tit. 1.13 Yea being so far a terror to them as to let them know we bear not the stamp of Gods Authority in vain Rom. 13.3 4. Nay farther smart chastising of them proportionable to their Age and offence Prov. 29.15 Provided we express fatherly love and tenderness in all out of a true desire of their Repentance and Reformation All this is not to be lookt upon as sinfull Severity but as the faithful discharge of a necessary parental duty which is by so much the more excellent because it is so much neglected and so hard to be performed in a right manner 2. What Sinful Severity is or wherein it discovers it self Sinful Severity betrayes it self in and by the irregular passions austere looks bitter words and rigid Actions of those Parents who abuse their Parental Power 2. That the wickedness of unconverted Children is oftentimes occasion'd by this Sinful severity of their Parents They are provok'd and that to Sin 1. By irregular Passions specially that of an inordinate and immoderate Anger 1. Rash anger when Parents are soon angry with their Children when they will not give leave to their Judgments to consider before they are angry The wise man tells us Jam. 1.19 Multos absolvemus si prius coeperimus judicare quam irasci Sen. de ira the discretion of a man defers his anger and that it is his Glory to pass over a Transgression Prov. 19.11 But brands rash anger with the mark of folly He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly Prov. 14.17 'T was grave advice to one not to be angry at any time till he had first repeated the Greek Alphahet To be angry without any cause or upon every trivial slight occasion for any thing that is not material in it self or in it's consequent for meer involuntary and casual offences and slips in our Children such as without great care could
Love 'T is Carnal 2. Love your Children truly tenderly but yet take heed that you do not over-love them But when is that Certainly when you Love them more than you Love God and Christ you over-love them But who does so I shall not charge you but give me leave to ask you a question or two Tell me when your Gods Glory and your Child 's good are neerly concern'd for which doth your zeal most hotly glow Are not your Affections most fiery where they should be most cool and where they should burn there they freeze Doth not your Heart make you believe it Loves God and gives him Pledges of your affection while it secretly doats chiefly on the dandled Child Like some false Strumpet that entertains her Husband with her Eyes and on the mean time treads on the Toe of her Paramour Do you not often think you love God enough and when your Child most yet but enough nay never enough your head heart hand purse mandrakes five messes breasts bowels All but little enough too little for your Child your Idol is it so as to your God So to Love our Child as thereby to lesson our Love to God yea or to equalize it with our Love to God is not only indulgence but idolatry And an Idol of Flesh and Blood is to be abhorr'd as well as that of Wood or Sone Assuredly the best way to quench this exorbitant Love to Children on Earth is to set your Hearts and Affections more on your Father in Heaven on God his Christ Spirit Word wayes rewards Luk. 10.32 Isa 33.6 1 Pet. 1.24 25. Look but directly on that Sun and thine eyes will quickly be dazl'd to these glittering glow-worms here below Make that invaluable Pearl but thy Treasure and thou wilt lightly esteem these Bristol-Stones Take but Christ fully and wholly into thy heart and bosom and thou wilt quickly yield thy Child 's proper place is but thy Foot or Knee In a word If God in Christ be thy God indeed thou wilt abhorr the thought and practice of making thy Child his Corrival 3. Love your Children but Love them wisely give e'm your Hearts into their Bosoms but not the reins on their necks When you do so at the same time mount them on your fiercest Beast furnish them with Switch and Spur but without bit or bridle and then do but pause and think soberly of the period of their full carier Love 'em I say but still be careful to maintain that just authority and preeminence that God hath given you over them A Parent that hath lost his Authority is as salt that hath lost its savour Like the Logg sent from Jupiter every frog in the Family apt to leap upon him And remember it fond Parents there is nothing in the world that renders you more vile cheap contemptible in the eyes even of your Children themselves when they begin to put forth the first buds of Reason nothing that layes your authority more in the dust and exposes you to the foot and spurn of your Child than sinful Indulgence A foolish man dispiseth his Mother Prov. 15.20 His Mothers folly made him a Fool of a foolish Child he at length grows up into a man but a foolish man and this foolish man despises his Mother If you are Fathers then take care of your Honour if Mothers be sure to carry it so as to preserve in your Children that awful respect and reverence which they owe you Mal. 1.6 Heb. 12.9 4. Love your Children but love them in God and for God Love his image in them more than your own In a word Let Gods Spirit be the Principle Gods Word the Rule Gods Example the Pattern and his Glory the end of your dearest Love to your dearest Children Love them as God Loves his Children But How 1. God so loves his Childrens persons as that he infinitely hates their sins Nay because he loves their persons for that very reason he hates their sins Bacause I love my Child therefore I hate the Toad that I see crawling on his bosom God doth infinitely love his People and yet in this Life he shews more hatred against the Sins of his own People than he doth against the Sins of any other men in the World 1. Here He afflicts all his own people for sin one way or other Every Mothers Son of them Heb. 12.6 8. Job 10.14 Isa 31.9 48.10 but is patient towards the wicked le ts them run riot without controll Psal 50.21 13.5 2 Pet. 2.9 2. When he intends to bring a general judgment on a Nation he uses to begin with his own people Isa 28.18 1 Pet. 4.17 Jer. 25.17 18. Luk. 21.10 11. 3. When he makes any an Example unto others of his Hatred against sin makes choice of his own people before wicked men Isa 8.18 1 Cor. 4.9 1 King 13.24 33. 4. Judgments more sharp on his own people than others Psal 89.7 Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 2. All this he doth out of the purest eternal and unchangeable Love that he bears his Children God chastens and corrects his Children that he may keep them from sinning as others do and as themselves have done and from perishing for ever in their sins as others shall He meddles not with thorns and briars but prunes his Vines that they may no more yield such sour Grapes He casts his Children as Gold into a Furnace here to refine and purifie them that he may not be forced to cast them as stubble into an Eternal flaming Oven hereafter And this in Love Exo. 4.24 Job 7.17 18 19. Psal 119.71 75. 89.30 to 38. Jer. 59.7 Lam. 3.33 Hos 4.14 Am. 3.2 Heb. 12.6 7. Rev. 3.19 1 Cor. 11.30 32. And now Parents as you have seen your Heavenly Father do do you In his strength follow his Example 1. Love your Childrens persons and because you love them hate their sins The sins of those most whom you Love most You see your God doth so Be not so blinded as that you can see no fault in them nor so madly doting as to delight in their Blemishes to kiss their Plague-sores Nor so Indulgent as to be loth to grieve or displease them when grossely Criminal Especially 2. Let your holy strictness shew it self against those whom you most affect TELL them Child I Love you and therefore I cannot will not behold the least iniquity in you Hab. 1.13 So Christ acted towards his beloved Disciples Mat 15.16 17. 17.17 Tell 'em you cannot will not pardon them Exo. 23.21 Let them know that you can be Angry and if words will not do the Rod shall and that you can make that Rod smart Exo. 4.24 Tell them though they may presume to provoke you to bewail them you will not suffer them to provoke God to Hate them Isa 63.10 Psal 78.58 59. and that you had rather hear them cry and see them bleed yea and dye here than hear them howl and see them burn'd and damn'd hereafter
and they have it not to pay them its hard to keep all this from going too near the heart and hard to bear it with obedient quiet submission to God especially for Women whose Nature is weak and liable to too much Passion 2. And this Impatience turneth to a setled Discontent and Vnquietness or Spirit which affecteth the Body it self and lieth all day as a Load or continual Trouble at the Heart 3. And Impatience and Discontent do set the Thoughts on the Rack with Grief and continual Cares how to be eased of the troubling Cause they can scarce think of any thing else and these Cares do even feed upon the Heart and are to the Mind as a consuming Feaver to the Body 4. And the secret Root or Cause of all this is the worst part of the Sin which is too much Love to the Body and this World Were nothing ovâ—â—loved it would have no power to torment us if Ease and Health were not overloved Pain and Sickness would be the more tolerable if Children and Friends were not overloved the Death of them would not overwhelm us with inordinate sorrow if the Body were not overloved and worldly wealth and Prosperity overvalued it were easie to endure hard Fare and Labour and Want not only of Superfluities and Conveniences but even of that which is necessary to Health yea or Life it self if God will have it so at least to avoid Vexations Discontents and Cares and inordinate Grief and Trouble of mind 5. There is yet more Sin in the root of all and that is it sheweth that our Wills are yet too selfish and not subdued to a due submission to the Will of God but we would be as Gods to our own chusing and must needs have what the Flesh desiâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—t a due Resignation of our selves and all our Concerns to God and 〈…〉 as Children in due dependance on him for our daily Bread but â—â—â—t needs be the keepers of our own Provision 6. And this sheweth that we be not sufficiently humbled for our sin or else we should be thankful for the lowest state as being much better than that which we deserved 7. And there is apparently much Distrust of God and Vnbelief in these troubling Discontents and Cares could we trust God as well as our selves or as we could trust a faithful friend or as a Child can trust his Father how quiet would our minds be in the sense of his Wisdom All-sufficiency and Love 8. And this Unbelief yet hath a worse Effect than worldly Trouble it sheweth that men take not the Love of God and the Heavenly Glory for their suffâ—cient portion unless they may have what they want or would have for the Body this world unless they may be free from Poverty and Crosses and Provocations and Injuries and Pains all that God hath promised them here or hereafter even everlasting Glory will not satisfie them and when God and Christ and Heaven are not enough to quiet a mans mind he is in great want of Faith Hope â—nd Love which are far greater matters than Food and Rayment III. Another great cause of such trouble of mind is the guilt of some great and wilful sin when conscience is convinced and yet the foul is not converted sin is beloved and yet feared Gods wrath doth terrifie them and yet not enough to overcome their sin some live in secret fraud and robbery and many in drunkenness in secret fleshly lusts either self-pollution or fornication and they know that for such things the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience and yet the rage of appetite and lust prevaileth and they despair and sin and while the sparks of Hell fall on their consciences it changeth neither heart nor life there is some more hope of the recovery of these then of dead hearted or unbelieving sinners who work uncleanness with greediness as being past feeling and blinded to defend their sins and plead against holy obedience to God Bruitishness is not so bad as Diabolisme and malignity But none of these are the persons spoken of in any Text Their sorrow is not overmuch but too little as long as it will not restrain them from their sin But yet if God convert these persons the sins which they now live in may possibly hereafter plung their souls into such depths of sorrow in the review as may swallow them up And when men truly converted yet dally with the bait and renew the wounds of their consciences by their lapses it is no wonder if their sorrows and terrours are renewed Grievous sins have fastened so on the consciences of many as have cast them into uncurable melancholly and distraction IV. But among people fearing God there is yet another cause of Melancholly and of sorrowing overmuch and that is Ignorance and mistakes in maâ—â—â—â— which their peace and comforts are concerned in I will name some particulars 1. One 〈◊〉 Ignorance of the tenor of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace as some Libertines called Antinomians more dangerously mistake it who tell men that Christ hath Repented and believed them and that they must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question the righteousness of Christ so many better Christians understand not that the Gospel is tidings of unspeakable joy to all that will believe it and that Christ and Life are offered freely to them that will accept him and that no sins how great or many soever are excepted from pardon to the soul that unfeignedly turneth to God by faith in Christ that whoever will may freely take the water of life and all that are weary and thirst are invited to come to him for ease and rest And they seem not to understand the conditions of forgiveness which is but true consent to the pardoning saving baptismal Covenant 2. And many of them are mistaken about the use of sorrow for sin and about the nature of hardness of heart they think that if their sorrow be not so passionate as to bring forth tears and greatly to afflict them they are not capable of pardon though they should consent to all the pardoning Covenant and they consider not that it is not our sorrow for it self that God delighteth in but it is the taking down of pride and that so much humbling sense of sin danger and misery as may make us feel the need of Christ and mercy and bring us unfeignedly to consent to be his Disciples and to be saved upon his Covenant terms Be sorrow much or little if it do this much the sinner shall be saved And as to the length of Gods sorrow some thinks that the pangs of the new birth must be a long continued state whereas we read in the Scripture that by the penitent sinners the Gospel was still received speedily with joy as being the gift of Christ and pardon and everlasting life humility and self-loathing must continue and increase but our first great sorrows may be swallowed up with
but all is of Counsel Is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it i. e. any penal Evil any afflictive Evil. There is not sickness nor pain thou groanest under not a Loss thou meetest with not a Cross that pinches thee but thou maist write the Name of God upon it He creates Darkness as well as Forms the Light When things run cross to mens desires and Interest and expectations they grow teachy and froward and quarrel at this and that but let this silence them and work them to an humble and patient submission that all is of God Israel rebelled against the House of David thereupon Rehoboam armed Judah and Benjamin to bring the Kingdom again to him stay said God ye shall not go up nor fight against your Brethren the Children of Israel return every man to his house for this thing is of me all good is of God that obligeth us to thankfulness and grateful acknowledgments all Evil is of God and that should teach us humbly patiently and silently to submit I was dumb said David and opened not my mouth because Lord thou didst it In the third place we shall enquire after the Properties of Gods Government or the manner how he orders and governs all things take that in these few particulars 1. God doth govern the World misteriously so the Text tells us Clouds and Darkness are round about him as there are mysteries in the word so in the works of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hard to be understood many riddles which nonplus and puzzle men of the largest and most piercing Intellectuals 23. Job 8 9 10. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him but he knoweth the way that I take God knoweth our ways and counteth our steps but the wisest of men do not know all Gods ways His way is frequently in the Sea and his Charriot in the Clouds so that he is invisible not only in his essence but also in the design and tendence of his operations those that behold him with an Eye of Faith do not yet see him with an Eye of Understanding so as to discern his way and whether he is going Paul assures us his judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out Some of them indeed are obvious plain and easie we may upon the first view give a satisfactory account of them we may read righteousness equity mercy goodness love in them because written in Capital Letters and with such beams of Light as he that runs may read them But others of Gods ways are dark and obscure so that they are out of our reach and above our sight He that goes about in them so trace Gad may quickly lose himself They are like that hand-writing upon the Wall which none of Belshazzars wise men could read or give the interpretation of There are arcana imperii secrets of State and Government which are not fit to be made common But this may be our comfort though God doth not now give any account of his matters nor is he obliged thereunto yet he can give a very good and satisfactory account and one day his people shall be led into the mistery and though many things which God doth they know not now yet they shall know them afterward and when they know they shall approve and admire both the things and the reason and the end they shall then be perfectly reconciled to all Providences and see that all were worthy of God and that in all he acted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as did highly become himself 2. God doth govern the world wisely He did indeed threaten it as a dreadful judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem Isa 3 4 that He would give children to be their Princes and Babes should rule over them not meaning children in years for Josiah a child was one of the best of their Kings but children in understanding such as had no prudence nor skill nor conduct knew not how to hold the Reign nor use the rod nor direct the course It is certainly fatal to the world when a young heady and foolish Phaeton is got into the chariot of the Sun Whither will not fiery steads carry an Ass and others with him but into destruction when an ignorant unskilful Pilot â—â—ts at helm the passengers of the Ship will soon be brought to their last prayers But God is wise in heart yea infinite in wisdom All the treasures of wisdom are in him and no wisdom is to be found in Angels or men but what came from him and all that were it united in one would not be comparable to what is in him The very foolishness of God is wiser than men There are two things of which wisdom consists and both are in God most eminently Knowledg of the nature of things and prudence to dispose and order them God knows all things perfectly and orders them all exactly all things are naked and opened before him and almost curiously and accurately mannaged by him Men in place of authority and power do sometimes mistake and miscarry doing many things amiss David was so ingenuous as to acknowledg it I have sinned greatly in that I have done I have done very foolishly But in all things God acts very wisely He is not a man that he should erre or repent ever since the Creation all things have been done with that unreprovable exactness that if the world were to begin again and the affairs of it to be acted over again there should not be an alteration in a tittle All hath been so well that nothing can be mended Those dark and obscure passages of Providence at which good men are startled and by which all men are posed are most excellent and curious stroakes and as so many well plac'd shades which commend the work and admirably set off the beauty of Providence That is a great Scripture most worthy of our very particular notices Ephes 1 11. He worketh all things according to the counsel of his will which words plainly speak these two things 1. The independency of God in his operations He asketh not leave of any neither Men nor Angels He is not beholden to them he doth not advise with them he cannot be forced nor hindered by them He acts not according to their will â—ut his own and fulfils all his pleasure 2. The wisdom of God in his working He doth all according to his counsel He is a God of Judgment a most judicious God and all his works are done in judgment the whole plot was laid afore hand It is said of God Isa 28 29. that he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working this latter necessarily follows upon the former He must needs be excellent in working because he is wonderful in counsel All that he doth is the result of a most admirable judgment and mature counsel The Holy Prophet therefore was ravished
and comfortable day They are arrayed with the robe of righteousness and garment of Salvation which adorn them more than garments of wrought gold Christ leads them into his Banquetting-House and there spreads over them the banner of his love which affords the surest protection and the sweetest shade Who but themselves are able to tell or conceive what unspeakable and glorious joy they have what triumphs and exultings of Soul when their best beloved Jesus kisseth them with the kisses of his lips and by his own Spirit witnesseth with theirs that they are the Children of God and with his most ravishing consolations doth delight their Souls what are mines of gold and rocks of Diamonds what are Lordships and mannors what are Crowns and Scepters what Kingdoms and Empires to one drachme of grace one smile from Heaven one whisper of divine love one embrace of a Saviour Cursed said noble Galeacius be that man who counteth all the world worth one hours communion with Jesus Christ and if one hour of Communion be so precious what O what is a life of Communion But then stay till the winding up of the bottom till that last and great day shall dawn in which there will be a revelation of the righteous Judgment of God and of the marvellous goodness of God wherein the wicked shall be stript of all their honour and power of all their riches and pleasures and turned into Hell for the wrath of God and the worm of Conscience eternally to feed upon them And those who have believingly closed with Christ and bowed to his Scepter and walked closely with God and studied the power of godliness and strictness of Religion shall enter into peace and be cloathed with glory and sit upon Thrones possessed of a fulness of joy and sporting themselves in Rivers of pleasure under the brightest and warmest beams of divine love and in the most endearing embraces of the Lord Jesus and in the plenarie uninterrupted enjoyment of those things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor have entred into the heart of man without any disquieting apprehensions or fears of being ejected out of that possession or disturbed in it Then all the world the most stupid and unteachable part of it will be throughly convinced that there is a reward for the righteous a God that Judgeth in the Earth and that true godliness is profitable for all things both for the life that now is and for that which is to come and that however things go now yet it was not in vain to serve God And therefore in the mean time though Clouds and darkness are round about the Throne yet let us rejoyce in the firm belief of what the Prophet tells us Psalm 145 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works The last thing promised for the proof of the point that Gods governing the world may well support us in the midst of all distractions is to present to your consideration several things more particularly relating to the Church and People of this God And they are these 1. The nearness dearness and intimacy of that relation in which the Church and Saints stand to God What may not the wife and children of a loving and mighty King promise themselves from his government Certainly they may well be assured so long as he keeps his Throne and hath power in his hand they shall want neither defence nor comfort The Church is Gods Vineyard and will he not water it and keep it every moment lest any hurt it She is the Spouse of Christ and will he not be tender over her and kind to her He is a Father to his people and will he not look after them and afford them maintenance and necessary supplies He is more than a Mother to them and will he not draw out his breasts of consolation that they may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted Doubtless they may believingly expect all good from him all kindness all comforts from him who hath been graciously pleased to put himself into all relations unto them In the 23. Psal v. 1. holy David looked with an eye of Faith but to one Relation in which God stood to him the Lord is my Shepherd and from thence he saw sufficient encouragement to conclude that he should not want What mayest thou then O believer argue from all Gods relations He is my God my King my Master my Father my Husband therefore surely I shall not want He is a Sun and Shield a Sun for comfort and a Shield for security In his beams then his children shall rejoyce and in his shadow shall they sit safely and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Jerusalem is the City of the great King and if she be Gods City God will be her security Never fear that O Saints for he is known famously known in her Palaces for a refuge 2. The special interest which God hath in his Church and People they are his Portion and Inheritance And no one will if he can help it lose his portion Naâ—oth would not part with his Inheritance upon any termes neither fell nor change it much less will Christ with his who is so greatly taken with it as to count the lines fallen to him in a pleasant place and that he hath a goodly heritage His people are his Jewels and will he suffer them to be lost They are his Treasure and what shall his enemies rob him of that no no where his treasure is there his heart is also and where his heart is there shall his eye be watching and his hand of power shall be stretched out and his wings of protection shall be spread abroad and Salvation it self shall be for Walls and Bulwarks The interest which God hath in all the world is not comparable to that interest which God hath in the Church The rest are but his Slaves these are his Children the rest are but the rude wilderness the Devils waste these are his Gardens inclosed In others he sees his power but in these his Image and his Son Others are the work of his hands but these are the Workmanship of his Spirit 3. That most endearing and entire affection which he beareth unto his Church and People As be stands in all relations to them so he hath all affections for them You that understand what love is do feel within your selves what a noble active liberal principle it is and what a mighty power and vigour there is in it Now there is no love in the world comparable to the love of God He hath a flame to our spark an Ocean to our drop The dearest of Gods love is placed upon Christ and in and for Christs sake the same love is placed upon the Church and people of Christ thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me And what will not such love do it will awaken care and call forth power and engage wisdom and open the
and storms Ordinances and afflictions every thing all things are employed all busie all at work and all at work for good Take a wicked man and all things are against him take a Child of God and all things are for him all are sent upon a gracious excellent design and shall prosper in it More particularly oppositions persecutions and fiery Tryals have issued in these three things which are choice advantages 1. By these things God makes a discrimination and separates between the good and the bad the precious and the vile In those Fields where there is care taken to sow the best and cleanest corn the envious one will come and scatter eares Churches do contract filth and corruption as well as other bodies and though they were very pure in their first erecting and constitution yet afterward they do degenerate and ill humours flow and abound in them Some among them leave their first love and their first works and are drawn aside from the simplicity of the Gospel and live not according to the rules of the Gospel Yea there are not only decaying Professors but also false hypocritical pretenders creep into Churches Afflictions now are the Physick God gives for the purging them out these are the Fan of Christ with which he cleares his Floor they are his Fire for the refining of his Gold and severing it from the dross When storms arise the rotten and unsound fruit falls off When persecution ariseth stony ground hearers are offended then away go formalists hypocrites and all such as were strangers to the power of godliness And it is a good riddance for God and his Church need them not What loss is it when greedy Wolves and filthy Swine in Sheeps cloathing forsake the fold they never did good in it and never will 2. By troubles and persecutions the good are bettered In such times and by such means their corruptions are mortified and their graces are brightned The trees of righteousness which are planted in Gods Courts do root the faster for being shaken with Tempests and flourish the more for their pruning Their fierce Tryals do refine their Souls and heat them into a greater zeal for God and holiness The very rage and malice of their enemies doth strengthen their care and raise their resolution so that they grow stronger and stronger Michal jeer'd and stouted at David for this zeal but he plainly and bravely told her if that was to be vile he would be yet more so Upon these two accounts when times are saddest and persecution hottest whatever may be said of the actings of men there is no cause to complain of male administration on Gods part so long as the Church is made purer and the Saints are made better But I will add this further 3. By these persecutions the Church is enlarged and the number of her Children is encreased The oppressing of the Israelites by hardned Pharaoh issued in their multiplying When the Church at Jerusalem was scattered the Kingdom of Christ was amplified the more by it Those afflictions and bands which happened to Paul tended to and ended in the furtherance of the Gospel The blood of the Martyrs hath all along been the Seed of the Church Persecutors are fools as well as mad men they lose what they do Christ and the Gospel gain So doth God outshoot his enemies in their own bow and makes their very wrath to praise him And let Tryals and Persecutions come to never so great an height I know no reason why the joy of Believers should not be increased when the Nation of Saints is multiplied Do you all you that profess Religion and godliness look to it that the number of Christians be not diminished and lessened through your wretched Apostacy and then it shall be augmented through your firmeness and holy constancy That is the fifth thing by which we may support and comfort our selves viz. The great things which God hath done for his People 6. There are very great and glorious things which God hath further to do If all were accomplished which God hath in his heart and purpose to do for his Church none of us should be here the world would have an end and time would be no more The world doth upon some account owe its continuance to the Church The world is but the stage upon which God is acting for his Name and for his Church and when the Act is finished the stage shall be pull'd down When wicked and ungodly men are plotting against the Church and persecuting of her Children they act indeed like unreasonable men in digging up those very foundations on which themselves stand and pulling down the Pillars that uphold them And as God continues the world for the sake of the Church so he hath great of things yet in his purpose and promise which must by no means fail for their accomplishment Such as these the giving great peace to her Children the bringing down her proud and insulting enemies especially that grand and implacable one Babylon The bringing in both his ancient people the Jews and the fulness of the Gentiles The making the place of his feet glorious and setting up the Mountain of his House in the top of the Mountains and causing the Kings of the Earth to bring their glory and the honour of the Nations into it 7. God hath laid upon himself strong obligations to do these and such like things and therefore we are on the surer hand God hath bound himself by promise and that is as good security as heart can desire Gods Word is better than mans bond It is setled in Heaven It is yea and amen God can as soon cease to be as falsify his Word whatsoever thou hast a promise for O Believer thou mayst be as sure off as if thou hadst the thing in thine own possession And how dark soever and cross soever Providence may seem to be do not you fear them for there always is a sweet harmony and perfect agreement between Providences and promises yea the great work and business of Providence is to give accomplishment to the promises Divine Providence is the Midwife of promise and is to give Birth to those blessed and admirable mercies which it travails with And though sometimes Providence acts somewhat roughly yet it always proceeds very safely so that there never is a miscarriage 8. God is greatly concerned in the good and welfare of his Church and People He is more concerned than we are and all the men in the world It is very true we are nearly concerned in the prosperity of the Church and true Religion in the Churches peace it is that we shall have peace Our all is indeed imbarqued in this Ship if that should be cast away we are ruined you may reckon upon that Let Religion be lost and we are lost farewell prosperity and all that you can call good and therefore none of us should be careless or wanting to Prayer or duty But know God is more
were common between them And in the next succeeding Ages this fraternal Love was so conspicuous in the Professors of his Sacred Discipline Tert. Apoâ— c. 3â— that their Enemies observ'd it as a rare and remarkable thing See how the Christians love one another see how ready they are to die for one another Now the same gracious Principle that inclines us to do one Command will make us universally willing to observe all for sincere Obedience primarily respects the Authority of the Lawgiver which binds the whole Law upon the Conscience James 2. And as he that breaks the Law wilfully in one point is guilty of all because the violation of a single Precept proceeds from the same Cause that induces men to transgress all that is contempt of the Divine Majesty so he that sincerely obeys one Command does with consent of heart and serious endeavors obey all And from hence 't is clear that without a religious and unreserved regard of the divine Commands 't is impossible there should be in any person a gracious affection to the Saints that is the product of Obedience to God and consequently the observance of his Precepts is the certain proof of our Love to his Children 2. Spiritual Love to the Saints arises from the sight of the Divine Image appearing in their Conversation Now if the Beauty of Holiness be the attractive of our Love it will be fastned on the Law of God in the most intense degree The most excellent Saints on Earth have some mixtures of Corruption their Holiness is like the Morning-light that is checquered with the shadows and obscurity of the Night and 't is our wisdom not to love their infirmities but to preserve an unstained affection to them But the Law of God is the fairest Transcript of his Nature wherein his glorious Holiness is most resplendent Psa 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes This ravish'd the heart of David with an inexpressible Affection O how I love thy Law Psal 119. it is my Meditation all the day And he repeats the declaration of his Love to it with new fervor upon this ground I love thy Law because it is pure Now Love to the Commands of God will transcribe them in our hearts and Lives As affectionate expressions to the Children of God without the real supply of their wants are but the shadows of Love so words of esteem and respect to the Law of God without unfeigned and universal Obedience are but an empty Pretence 3. The Divine Relation of the Saints to God as their Father is the Motive of spiritual Love to them And this is consequent to the former for by partaking of his Holiness they partake of his life and likeness And from hence they are the dearest Objects of his Love his eye and heart is always upon them Now if this Consideration excites Love to the Children of God it will be as powerful to incline us to keep his Commands for the Law of God that is the Copy of his Sacred Will is most near to his Nature and he is infinitely tender of it Our Saviour tells us that it is casier for Heaven and Earth to pass away Luk. 16.17 than for one tittle of the Law to fail If the entire World and all the Inhabitants of it were destroyed there would be no loss to God but if the Law lose its Authority and Obligation the Divine Holiness would suffer a Blemish The Use of the Doctrine is to try our Love to the Children of God to which all pretend by this infallible Rule our Obedience to his Commands This is absolutely necessary because the deceit is so easie and so dangerous and it will be most comfortable if upon this Trial our Love be found to be spiritual and divine The deceit is easie because Acts of Love may be expressed to the Saints from other Principles than the Love of God Some for vain-glory are bountiful and when their Charity seems so visibly divine that men admire it there is the Woâ—m of vanity at the root that corrupts and makes it odious to God The Pharisees are charged with this by our Saviour Mat. 6 2. their Alms were not the effect of Charity but Ostentation and whilst they endeavoured to make their Vices virtuous they made their Virtues vicious There is a natural Love among persons united by Consanguinity that remains so entire since the ruine of Mankind by the Fall and is rather from the force of Nature than the virtue of the Will and this in all kind Offices may be express'd to the Saints There is a sweetness of Temper in some that inclines them to wish well to all and such tender Affections that are easily moved and melted at the sight of others miseries and such may be beneficent and compassionate to the Saints in their afflictions but the Spring of this Love is good Nature not divine Grace There are humane Respects that incline others to kindness to the Saints as they are united by interest Fellow-Citizens and Neighbours and as they receive advantage by Commerce with them or as obliged by their Benefits But Civil Amity and Gratitude are not that holy Affection that is an assurance of our spiritual state There are other Motives of Love to the Saints that are not so low nor mercenary in the thickest darkness of Paganism the Light of Reason discovered the amiable excellence of Virtue as becoming the humane Nature and useful for the Tranquility and Welfare of Mankind and the Moral Goodness that adorns the Saints the Innocence Purity Meekness Justice Clemency Benignity that are visible in their Conversations may draw respects from others who are strangers to the Love of God and careless of his Commandments And as the Mistake of this Affection is easie so it is infinitely dangerous for he that builds his hope of Heaven upon a sandy foundation upon false Grounds will fall ruinously from his Hopes and Felicity at last How fearful will be the disappointment of one that has been a Favourer of the Saints that has defended their Cause protected their Persons relieved their Necessities and presum'd for this that his Condition is safe as to Eternity though he lives in the known neglect of other Duties and the indulgent practice of some Sin But if we find that our Love to the Children of God flows from our Love to God that sways the Soul to an entire compliance to his Commands and makes us observant of them in the course of our Lives What a blessed Hope arises from this Reflection We need not have the Book of the Divine Decrees opened and the Secrets of Election unveil'd 1 Joh. 3.14 for we know that we are past from Death to Life if we love the Brethren This is an infallible Effect and Sign of the Spiritual Life and the Seed and Evidence of Eternal Life Quest What must we do to
But he giveth more grace James 4.5 6. Yet seeing Grace is imperfect in the best of Men on Earth it behoveth them to take heed lest they be overcome of evil Grace so far as they have it makes them strong but the remainders of Corruption makes them weak I have heard that it hath been said of an eminently holy man That he had Grace enough for two men yet upon some occasions he was found not to have enough for himself 4. He that takes not good heed so as not to be overcome of evil will be altogether unable to overcome evil with good How can he overcome evil in another that is overcome by it himself How wilt thou say to thy brother Mat. 7.4 Let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own But that we have a farther duty lying upon us than not to be overcome of evil comes in the next place to be shewn in speaking to the second Branch of the Point which is 2. Bran. Every Christian ought to endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good This Lesson was not much taught in old time Our Saviour tells us the Scribes and Pharisees were wont to teach the contrary Mat. 5.43 It hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy For which and other such Doctrines as they taught he calls them blind leaders of the blind Mat. 15.14 The like darkness had blinded the eyes of the old Philosophers for the most part Some of them indeed as Plato and Seneca have excellent Precepts tending toward the Point in hand but these may be thought to light their Candle at their Neighbours Torch Vide Gatak destylo N. Instrum cap. 44. Plato was much conversant in and well acquainted with the Writings of the Church of the Jews and Seneca lived in the days of Paul and 't is probable was acquainted with him or with his Doctrine and so might come to a more refined Morality But these remaining still in unbelief as to the great Doctrines of Faith in Jesus Christ could not see themselves nor shew to others the true ground of love or the great motives to it It was Jesus Christ who came to reconcile us when enemies and died for the ungodly and did with his own mouth preach his own and his Fathers love therein that brought to light such Precepts as these Love your enemies and overcome evil with good Not that these were new Commandments brought first into the world when God was manifest in the flesh No they were old Commandments Thus we read Lev. 19.18 Thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudg against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self And John speaking of love says 1 John 2.7 I write no new commandment unto you but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning tho in the next verse he calls it a new Commandment it being renewed by Christ who may be said to set forth a new Edition of it amplified and enlarged A new commandment John 13.34 says he I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you which is such an as as no tongue is able fully to express In speaking to the Point we shall shew 1. That every Christian ought to endeavour to overcome evil with good 2. What good means should be used to that purpose 3. How they should be used that they may be the more effectual to that end 1. That we are to endeavour to overcome evil with good doth appear by this We are called to be followers of God Eph. 5.1 and to be of the mind of Christ and to follow his steps Phil. 2.5 and 1 Pet. 2.21 As every godly man is in some measure like unto God and every true Christian of Christ's mind and way so he is to endeavour still to be more like to both Otherwise to profess Godliness and Christianity is to take the Name of God and Christ in vain The Name which God proclaimed as his Exod. 34.6 was The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth These are Attributes which God delights to magnifie He glories in this Jer. 9.24 I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness How often is it said of him Nehem. 9.17 Joel 2.13 Jonah 4.2 Gen. 6.5 That he is slow to anger and of great kindness God did wonderfully exercise these his Attributes toward the old World When the wickedness of man was great on the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually how slow to anger was he then He did not presently send the Deluge but his long-suffering is said to wait while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 And this time of waiting was no less than One hundred and twenty years Gen. 6.3 His loving-kindness appeared also in that he sent Noah who preached righteousness and called them all this while to repentance 2 Pet. 2.5 The like long-suffering and great kindness he exercised toward the people of the Jews from Egypt the House of Bondage from whence he delivered them to Canaan and in that good Land which he so freely gave them too They were no sooner brought miraculously through the Red Sea but they began to provoke and not long after you may hear God complaining of them Numb 14.11 How long will this people provoke me and ver 22. he says They have tempted me now these ten times Nor were they better after this for he was then grieved with them forty years long Psal 95.10 After the same rate they carried it when they came into Canaan as you may see by reading the Historical Books of the Old Testament You have a short sum of the Kindnesses of God to them and their great Miscarriages in the 9th Chap. of Nehem. Nehem. 9.26 30 31. where you will find one yet after another and one nevertheless after another God was good to them nevertheless they sin and provoke They sin and provoke nevertheless God is good to them The greatness of their sin and God's great goodness to them are both set forth in Isa 65.2 I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people a people that provoke me to anger continually to my face Their sin is here called Rebellion which was not only once or twice but continually and that to his very face And the goodness of God to them is set out by the spreading out of his hands which shewed great desire of their coming in and a readiness to embrace them in so doing and this is said to be not once or twice but all the day That this Scripture is to be understood of the Jews we have the Apostles Warrant Rom. 10.21 To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out my hand to a disobedient and gain-saying people Thus matters stood between God and them all the days of old Isa 63.9
Neither was Gods goodness to them nor their sin against him less when God was manifest in the flesh Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Their sin was great they killed and stoned Prophets It was their Fathers work for many Generations and they take up the same Trade and use it against Christ himself Thou that stonest the Prophets in the Present Tense They endeavoured to stone Christ himself more than once John 10.13 Now see what good he would have done them notwithstanding and with what affection O Jerusalem Jerusalem He was inwardly moved when he uttered these words You have the like expression 2 Sam. 18.33 The King David was much moved and wept when he heard of Absalom's death and said O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom How often would I have gathered thee even every hour of the day as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings earnestly and affectionately clocking them together that they might be safe and out of danger Observe how he carried toward them that would have slain him for curing an impotent man on the Sabbath-day John 5.16 He to abate their fury speaks many words to them and at last tells them ver 34. These things I say unto you that you may be saved Here is salvation endeavoured for destruction intended They would have killed him but he would have given them life And a little after ver 40. he speaks as one bewailing that they would not come to him that they might have it Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Now if there be such rich goodness in God there should be in all that profess his name an endeavour to be like him that they may appear to be the Children of so good a Father Christ chargeth his Disciples to use the best means within their reach to overcome the worst evils they meet with from others Mat. 5.44 Bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you If such evils as these must be overcome with good much more should lesser evils when they arise as sometimes they will from Friends or near Relations be overcome by the like means Which brings us to the second thing mentioned viz. 2. What geod means should be used to this purpose And they are Three 1. To do good to them 2. To wish them well and pray for them 3. To use good words to them and of them Two of these are expresly mentioned by Christ in the place aforecited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraica phrasis pro bene precamini vel beneficio afficite alioquin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem valet quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laudare Beza Gen. 1.3 Gen. 27.33 Heb. 11.20 viz. to do good to them and to pray for them and they are all carried in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bless if it be taken in its largest sense When God blesseth men he always doth them good His Benediction is a real benefit because his speaking is doing God said let there be light and there was light He said to Abraham Gen. 22.17 in blessing I will bless them that is I will surely and certainly do it So Isaac speaking of Jacob says I have blessed him yea and he shall be blessed And so he was but not so much because Isaac had said it as because God had said it before him For the Apostle tells us That Isaac did bless him by Faith Now Faith must have some Word of God to be the ground of it It was God spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast When men are said to bless they do it one of these Three ways 1. By being beneficial to others in yeilding or giving to them any good thing that is in their power Thus Jocob calls the Present he made to his brother Esau his Blessing Gen. 33.10 11. And Naaman offering Elisha a Present says I pray thee take a blessing of thy servant 2 King 5.15 And the Apostle speaking to the Corinthians to make up their bounty for the poor Saints calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Blessing 2 Cor. 9.5 2. By wishing them well and praying for them So Jacob speaking of Joseph's sons says In thee shall Israel bless saying Gen. 48.20 God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh And Deut. 24.14 where charge is given to deliver the poor Man's Pledg before the going down of the Sun a Reason is added That he may sleep in his raiment and bless thee That is that he may find in his heart to pray to God for a Blessing upon thee 3. By speaking well of others and praising them So the wicked is said to bless the covetous Psal 10.3 That is to commend him for a wise Man that will look as they say to the Main Chance and so it falls in with that in Psal 49.18 Men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self 1. First then We ought to endeavour to overcome evil in others Est illa obliquae talionis forma ubi ab iis qui nos laeserunt beneficentiam avertimus Calv. by doing all offices of love and kindness to them in the capacity wherein we stand according to our power Are Friends unkind or injurious to us we should not withdraw kindness from them but be kind still Do our Relations not perform the duties of their place we should be the more careful to perform all the duties of ours to them Have we to deal with enemies that would do us all the mischief that lies in their power we should not do as they would do to us but on the contrary be beneficial to them in any thing we may If thine enemy hunger feed him Rom. 12.20 Juris periti cui victus testamento legatus est ei intelligunt vestitum habitationem lectum medicinus alia similia legata esse P. Martyr if he thirst give him drink These Expressions carry more in them than a little bread and drink When God is said Mat. 5.45 to make his Sun to arise on the evil and the good and to send rain on the just and the unjust more is meant than the meer shining of the Sun and the descending of the rain upon them All earthly comforts which are produced by the Suns influence and the fructifying vertue of the rain are comprehended in them So when you ask of God daily bread in asking that you ask all other necessaries for your life In like manner when God says Give bread and drink he intends any thing else that may do them good Thus did Joseph deal to his brethren who had been very injurious to him Gen. 50.21 when by the Providence of God he came to such an estate that he
disobedient Servant because he observed not your time Those in the Gospel Mat. 20.1 2 3 4. came into the Vineyard at the same hour they were called They who were called at one hour did not come in at another hour A call of God to repentance loses much of its efficacy if it be not presently complied with the heart is hardened under it 'T is true God can renew his call but the first is quite lost if it be not presently obey'd straightway they left their nets and followed him Mat. 4.20 22. This was a converting call There are many calls to conversion that are not converting calls Man calls in God's Name but till God speak inwardly to the heart all the Preachers in the world cannot prevail with a sinner to come to Christ Converting Grace is a special Providence towards the Elect. I am now speaking of the call of common Providence to common Duties I mean such Duties as God by his Word hath annexed to such Providences James 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing psalms Do the duty of thy present condition keep time with God because he keeps time with thee he gives thee thy daily bread then perform thy daily duty towards him 3. Consult thy conscience 'T is a proper Judg of what thou hast done and what thou shouldst do at this instant Joseph found it so Gen. 39.8 9 Conscience in those who are enlightned cannot easily step over a plain duty 't will stumble at it and demur about it does cast a look towards it tho by the violence of lust a man may be hurried another way yet conscience looks behind there is a mis-giving heart that tells him Thus and thus you ought to do Hear thy conscience speak it may shew thee the right way and turn thee into it He is a profligate wretch indeed who has no reverence for his own conscience A wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment Eccles 8.5 Consult thy conscience in what thou art going about if that startle stop there and consider well with thy self don 't mistake a carnal Objection for a scruple of conscience Under the light of the Gospel conscience is better instructed than to doubt of plain duties All cases of conscience lie in more abstruse matters 4. Consider what present temptation thou art under in the light a present temptation we may see what is our present duty The Devil sets against that might and main He cares not what we do if he can keep us from our present duty He will suffer us to put any thing in the room of that you may read pray and meditate the Devil will allow of any thing but what we should do He knows 't is in vain to tempt some men to gross scandalous sins therefore he will reach a duty over the shoulder to them to justle out the present duty that lies before them Take this for a Rule viz. 'T is always our duty to act in opposition to any present temptation If sinners entire thee consent thou not Prov. 1.10 We do never more effectually resist any present evil than by setting about that good thing that is contrary to it When the Devil sees his temptations have this contrary effect to awaken our zeal for God and to stir us up to a more vigorous prosecution of our duty 't is not his interest to go on in that temptation which he sees is such a provocation to holiness and spurs us on the faster to our duty The Devil knows not this before-hand His temptations are but tryals and experiments that he makes to see how we stand affected and how they will take 5. Consult with the Word of God especially those Scriptures that speak to the state and condition thou art in in the world whether Master Servant Parent Child Rich or Poor gather up those Texts and be often reading them over to thy Faith Mingle them afresh every day with Faith carry them about you in your Memory or in a Book fair written that you may often have your eye upon them they will be a light to your feet and a lanthorn to your paths You can never walk exactly in your place and sphere if you do not walk by this rule often coming to the light that you may see whether your works are wrought in God Some Christians do many things many good things in the dark or at least by a general Scripture-light Some confused Notions they have but no clear distinct understanding of their duty In conversion there are general principles laid in inclining us to all Christian duties which for want of searching the Scriptures we take up by guess but a distinct particular knowledg of these duties is an after-work distinct from our first conversion 't is called Edification or building up which makes us expert skilful Christians The Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good word and work 2 Tim. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad omne opus bonum perfectè instructus vel omnibus numeris absolutus A man so skill'd in all things appertaining to his duty so exact in it that nothing is wanting nor nothing redundant he does neither more nor less than God requires he keeps close to the Rule puts in all the spiritual Ingredients that may give a duty its right season and savour 6. Devote thy self in sincerity to the fear of God through the whole course of thy life Let it be the full purpose of thy heart to cleave unto God and to do whatever God shall convince thee to be thy duty Labour to bring your hearts into such a holy frame before you make a judgment of your present duty Sincerity towards God does wonderfully enlighten us it clears up the eye of the soul breaks thorow all prejudices makes us judg impartially according to truth Integrity and uprightness will preserve us Psal 25.21 and direct our way Prov. 21.29 This I say That man whose mind is thus set upon his duty will not find it so difficult a matter to discern what is his present duty ordinarily he will not in some extraordinary cases there may be more difficulty sometimes but ordinarily 't is otherwise There is a secret guidance of God in this case The integrity of the upright shall guide them Prov. 11.3 There is a voice behind thee a whisper from Heaven saying This is the way walk in it David took this course first he resolves upon universal obedience Psal 119.8 30 32. I have said ver 5 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixi i. e. in animo statuit apud se So ver 106 112. and then begs of God to order his steps and tell him which foot he should put formost what he should do first and what in the next place ver 5 35 135. how he should order his conversation aright If the Devil finds you unfixed and unresolved untrusty and wavering he will assault you with more violence
ends and Natures occasions may be secured and answered to the full without these additionals Ornaments then are rather matter of indulgence than precept of permission than injunction 2. That plain simple Apparel as it is a real so 't is a sufficient Ornament to the body For if Nakedness be our shame Apparel that hides it is so far its beautifying and adorning When therefore we say God gave cloaths for an Ornament we do not say that he gave ornaments distinct from cloathing 3. That Ornaments are either Natural or Artificial Natural such as Nature has provided as the hair given by God and Nature to the woman 1 Cor. 11 1â— to be her glory and for her covering Artificial such as are the product of ingenuity and witty invention In which as God has been not illiberal so Man has been very prodigal Eccles 7.29 and not content with primitive simplicity has found out many inventions 4. It is evident that God allowed the Jews the use of Artificial Ornaments as distinct from necessary Apparel Exodus 32.2 Aaron said to the people Bring us of the golden ear-rings that are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters Ver. 25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame amongst their enemies That Moses stood c. It seems then that to be stript of their ear-rings was in some sense to be made naked to be exposed to shame in the sight of their enemies 5. That yet there was some difference between the Indulgence granted to the male Pisgah sight and that to the female sex And this Dr. Fuller observes from the order and placing of the words Wives Sons Daughters intimating that those Sons were in their minority under Covert-parent as he explains it and so much seems to be implyed Isa 61.10 where we find indeed the Bridegrooms Ornaments but onely the Brides Jewels as if the Masculine Sex was restrained to a more Manly and grave sort of Ornaments when as the Female was allowed a greater degree of finery and gallantry And when God permitted the Jewish Women to borrow of their Neighbours and Inmates Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold the use was limited to their Sons and Daughters Exod. 3.22 and grown men not considered which is also evideâ—â—ly inferr'd from Judg. 8.24 where the Army Conquered by Gideon are said to have worn golden ear-rings for they were Ishmaelites clearly implying That their Golden Ear-rings were an Ornament peculiar to the Ishmaelites and not common to the Israelites 6 That tho there might be something Typical or Symbolical in the Jewels wore by the Jewish Women as I conceive there was that yet the use of them was of common right to the Females of other Nations as indeed they were of ordinary use long before the Jewish Polity was setled Gen. 24.23 The man took an ear-ring of gold of half a shekel a quarter of an ounce and two bracelets for her hands Rebecca's of ten shekels five ounces 2 These things premised I lay down these Conclusions Conclusion 1. Whatever pretends to ornament which is inconsistent with Modesty Gravity and Sobriety and whatever is according to godliness is no Ornament but a Defilement Modesty teaches us not to expose those parts to view which no necessity no good end or use will justifie Humility teaches us to avoid curiosity in-decking a vile Body which ere long must be a feast for Worms Good husbandry will teach us not to lay out on the Back what should feed the Bellies of a poor Family And Holiness will teach us not to keep such a stir about the Outward when the Inward Man is Naked Charity will teach us not to expend superfluously on thy own Carkase when so many of thy Fathers Children want necessary Food and Raiment And Godly wisdom will teach us not to trifle out those precious Minutes between the Comb and the Glass Tertul. inter pectinum speculum between Curling and Painting which should be laid out on and for Eternity Let me recommend one place from the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.2 3 4. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or putting on of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Whence these things offer themselves to your observation 1. That plaiting the hair wearing of gold or golden Ornaments are not simply and in themselves condemned but onely so far as they are either our Chiefest Ornament or as we are too Curious too Costly Excessive or Expensive in them for otherwise the putting on of Apparel which is joyn'd in the same thred and texture of the Discourse and Sentence would be condemned also 2. That the rule for Regulating these Ornamentals is That they be visibly consistent with a chaste conversation I say visibly consistent It must be such a chaste Conversation as may be beheld whilst they behold your chaste conversation That pure vestal fire of Chastity that burns upon the Altar of a Holy Heart must flame out and shine in chastity of words actions cloathing adorning for whenever God commands chastity he commands whatever may feed and nourish it manifest and declare it and forbids whatever may endanger it wound or weaken blemish or impair it 3. That Godly fear must be placed as a severe Sentinel to keep strict guard over the Heart that nothing be admitted that may defile our own hearts nothing steal out that may polute anothers we must keep watch over our own Hearts and other mens Eyes Neither lay a snare for the Chastity of another nor a bait for our own This chaste Conversation must be coupled with fear 4. Which Holy Fear and Godly Jealousie will have work enough abour the matter of Ornament that we neither mistake in our Judgment as if these outward Adornings with Gold with Plaited Hair were of such grand concernment nor were in our practise in an immoderate care and superfluous cost about them 5. To render that Rule which he hath laid down Practicable he gives us a pattern ver 5. After this manner in the old time the holy women that trusted in God adorn'd themselves Where note 1. That they must be holy women that are the standard of our Imitation not Painting Jezabel nor Dancing Dinah nor Flaunting Bernice but Holy Sarah Godly Rebecca Prudent Abigail 2. They must be such as were in the old time when Pride was pin-feathered not such as now since Lust grew fledg'd and high-flown such Examples as the old time afforded when plain cleanliness was accounted abundant Elegancy such as the Worlds Infancy produced not such as an old decrepit Age grown twice a Child recommends to us 3. They must be such as could trust in
spiritual Head and then tho her pains be never so many her throws never so quick and sharp she may be confident that all shall go well with her either in being safely delivered of the Fruit of her Womb as the Lord's reward out of his free love r Psal 127.3 or having her Soul and that of her Seed eternally saved being taken into covenant with the Almighty God Å¿ Gen. 17.1 7. so that in the issue she will at last with all humble adoration yeild that it could not have been possibly better with her than to have been in that condition of subjection and sorrow in breeding bearing and bringing up of children 'T was this Faith for the substance of it which the pious childing Women mentioned in the story of our Saviours Genealogy did exercise a continuance wherein is required of every just Christian Woman that she may live by it in the pains which threaten death For by this Principle she may be the best supported and derive Vertue from her Saviour for the sweetning of the bitterest cup and strength for the staying her up when the anguish of bringing forth her first child is upon her t Jer. 4.31 as Sarah the notable pattern of pious Women in this case did concerning whom it is recorded u Heb. 11.11 By faith Sarah her self receiv'd strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised A staying and living by Faith upon Gods Providence and Promise will revive the drooping spirits of otherwise weak and fearful Women in their good work of child-bearing for the multiplying of the Church with those whom God will save So that tho impending danger to Mother and Child may make even good women to quail when their pangs as so many touches of Gods dâ—â—pleasure against sin are upon them yet by Faith they can fetch relief out of the faithfulness of the Promiser as Sarah did and out of this good word he hath recorded in my Text or that more general by the Prophet David w Psal 55.22 with 1 Pet. 5.7 He will sustain or take care of those that cast their care and burden upon him with the like Hereupon the upright woman tho frail can resign up her self to God being fully perswaded with the Father of the Faithful x Rom. 4.11 That what he hath promised he is also able to perform in his own time and way which is ever the best And one * Mr. Oliver chap. 13. p. 139. now with God speaking largely to this matter in his Present to Teeming Women hath very well observ'd 'T was his will that in their Travail there should ever be while the World stands that most eminent instance of his power Indeed that I may say which made the great Heathen Physician Galen after a deep search into the Causes of a womans bringing forth a child to cry out Oh miracle of Nature Hence in her low estate the pious Wife who lives by Faith above Nature when she spreads her hands and utters her doleful groans before the Almighty concludes It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good y Jer. 4.31 1 Sam. 3.18 2 Sam. 15.26 Luke 22.42 If it seems good unto him then to call for her life and the life of her Babe she can say Lord here am I and the child which thou hast given me as the Prophet speaks upon another account z Isa 8 18. She trusts to that good and great promise a Gen. 3.15 That the seed of the woman shall break the serpents head and therefore comforts her self that the Serpents sting is took away by him that is born of a woman And tho the Birth of her Child may cost her much more sorrow than it doth her Husband yet as Manaoh's Wife she may have a secret intimatiom b Judges 13.3 9 23. from the Angel of the Covenant of and in her safe deliverance one way or other which her Husband knows not of and which will abundantly compensate all her sorrows If she hath been in such a condition before she can say c Rom. 5.4 Psal 63.7 Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and so by Faith conclude Because thou hast been mine help therefore will I trust in the shadow of thy wings This saving Faith I might farther shew doth presuppose and imply Repentance and express it self in Meditation and Prayer 1. It doth presuppose and imply Repentance which from a true sense of sin and an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth cause a loathing of our selves for our iniquities d Ezek. 20.43 and 36.31 which is a very proper exercise for a child-bearing woman who is eminently concern'd antecedently to bring forth fruit meet for repentance e Mat. 3.8 that God may receive her and the Fruit of her Womb graciously upon her hearty turning from sin and returning to and trusting in him Child-bearing Women should fruitfully remember the Sentence acknowledg rightly Gods displeasure against sin and humble themselves very particularly before him who doth in mercifulness infinitely surpass all the Kings of Israel that he may shew special favour to them For as a woman newly delivered of her Child is not out of peril whilst that Physicians call the Secundine and the Placenta or part thereof remains so neither if there should be remaining any known sin unrepented of could she upon good grounds expect to be saved from her groanings One of the Ancients * Nazianz. doth set forth Repentance by comparing the Soul to a pair of writing Tables out of which must be wash'd whatsoever is written with sin and instead thereof must be entred the characters of Grace And as this spiritual washing is very necessary for all f Jo. 3.3 5. Tit. 3.5 so be sure it is specially necessary for those women who are apt to be over-curious in the washing of their Linnens for their lying in that the purity of the outward be not preferr'd to that of the inward Man 2. This saving Faith doth usually express it self in those women who are really espoused unto Christ and in whom he dwells by Meditation and Prayer which are also very requisite for the support of child-bearing ones at the approaches of their appointed sorrows 1. Faith doth express it self in Meditation and so by bringing the Soul to contemplate upon God doth as Wax is softned and prepared for the Seal make the heart soft for any sacred characters or Signatures to be imprinted upon it Hereby an Hand-maid of the Lord when she awakes is still with him g Psal 139.18 in heartning Soliloquies The good woman seriously thinking on the Sentence of the Almighty That sorrow should be multiplied in her conception and bringing forth children h Gen. 3.16 reflects upon her self and considers well how her portion of afflictions in a Federal state is allotted to her by
Wife who is not carried away with an affectation of glorying splendor and artificial handsomeness but with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price e and 4. Then her heart will not upbraid or reproach her f Job 27.6 with the glittering of her Pendants when her pangs in travail have taken her g Micah 4.9 10. as a penitent Gentlewoman on a dangerous sick-bed once with much sorrow told me That her foregoing priding her self in hers did and greatly wound her spirit But her modesty humility and discretion will be Evidences of her unfeigned Faith For as an excellent big-bellied woman * Mrs. Eliz. Joceline once wrote to her Husband with reference to her Daughter she would not have her bold modesty and humility being the ground-work of all vertue Again she is to govern her self 2. With Temperance she should moderate her senses especially take caâ—e to govern well those of Tast and Touch. For Temperance indeed is such a Vertue as doth keep a mean in desiring and avoiding such bodily pleasures as are perceived by those senses about the proper use of creature enjoyments so that in eating and drinking as well as other actions a Christian may be kept in the best temper for the glorifying of God h 1 Cor. 10 31. And in looking upon Temperance as a fruit of the Spirit i Gal. 5.23 Here may come under consideration more strictly and particularly the good Wifes Sobriety and Chastity in her conjugal Relation 1. Sobriety which more strictly respects the moderation of the Appetite and sense of tasting for the desiring of that which is convenient and the avoiding of Riot Whilest exercised about meat and drink for the shunning of Intemperance in either the breeding and big-bellied Woman is highly concern'd to take special care for her own and the child's safety Plato determin'd * L. 7. de leg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That big-bellied Women above all should so govern themselves during that space that they may be neither carried away to many and furious pleasures nor oppress'd with grief but live a mild quiet and pacate Life Many have miscarried by an inordinote giving way to their Appetites and feeding immoderately upon various Dainties So that such should not despise the divine direction given unto Manoah's Wife by the Angel k Judges 13.4 11 12 13 14. For tho that was given in an extraordinary case yet as to the equity of the thing in some proportion it certainly suggests moderation in that which is ordinary 'T is true in case of a lingring appetite there is a considerable allowance to be made unto pregnant women yea after conception before the growing big lest they should miscarry as too many modest ones have done by a not discovering of it in due season But out of that case childing-Wives who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ l Rom. 13.14 they are to eat and drink for health and not for pampering of the flesh which is done by excess in the quantity rather than in the quality of the Food 'T is odious in men to be given to immoderate drinking but in women and those professing godliness it is abominable Excess in Meats and Drinks puts Violence upon Nature by Intemperance and may cause the Death of the Mother or Child or both at once to the desperate woundnig of the Conscience when God makes inquisition for blood m Psal 9.12 and 51.14 Acts 16.28 yea and may too often precipitate into Immodesty Whereas the Christian Wife should indeed be adorned with 2. Chastity which for the matter was partly hinted before in conjugal fidelity and sanctimony This strictly respects the other sense afore-mentioned and requires a keeping of the heart and body from uncleanness n Prov. 4.23 Mat. 5.28 1 Thes 4.4 It may be granted Men yea Husbands are generally more prone to Incontinency And were I discoursing to them I might remember them as well as their Wives of that famous saying of the Roman Orator * In voluptatis Regno nullum omninò esse posse hominibus cum virtute comercium Cicero de Senect That in the predominancy or Kingdom of sensual pleasure men can have no commerce with vertue and therefore are concern'd to be watchful and moderate especially considering what the great Philosopher hath said That of all the desires of the body men are apt to be faulty this way ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. c. 14. Yet sith the Command of God reaches those of each Sex both are under a religious band in the marriage-state and as one saith ‡ Charron of Wisd l. 3. c. 12. the pleasure therein must be mingled with some severity it must be a wise and conscionable delight o Heb. 13.4 1 Cor. 7.5 and 2.2 It much concerns the Christian Wife to give check to any suggestion much more to any parley which is in a tendency to violate her matrimonial contract or to bring her into any carriage unbecoming that honourable state she is brought into or the undue use of the undefiled bed o Heb. 13.4 1 Cor. 7.5 and 2.2 So that however some of the Papists in magnifying a single Life would appropriate chastity unto Virgins whom they themselves do debauch in their Nunneries Yet we find from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers that there is chastity and continency in a marriage-state as opposed to that in a single life * See Chameir Tom. 3. l. 16. cap. 14. In the Exercise of this with the precedent Graces the good Wife having well learned the lesson of self-denial can bear her burden in humble confidence of aids from above in the hour of her child-bed sorrow and a safe deliverance in the best way For being thus qualified she hath from the precious promise in my Text a sure ground of a comfortable exemption from the curse in child-bearing and of the removal of that Original Guilt which otherwise greatens the sorrows of women in such a case Reas I might now could I have staid have shew'd to you the Reasonableness of all this I have been discoursing 1. From the fidelity of God who hath passed his word for the preservation in due Circumstances of all those thus qualified as you have heard Which indeed was Sarahs support with reference to her child-bearing because she judged him faithful who had promised p Heb. 11.11 He who is most faithful and cannot lye hath said They who are not weary of well-doing shall reap if they faint not 2. From the evidence of their own sincerity The continuance in these Christian and Conjugal Exercises of Faith Charity Holiness with Sobriety shews notwithstanding their Frailties which are no other spots than those may be on Gods own children q Deut. 32.5 that they are in a safe state which must needs be great support supposing the worst that can befall them by their pains And
if they are brought into the honourable state of marriage and in due time God do bless them with blooming hopes of the Fruits of their bodies and the unknown pains of a woman in travail come upon them a Gen. 38.27 Psal 48.6 1 Sam. 4.19 Micah 4.10 they may live by saith upon Gods power and promise and expect salvation in an happy separation 'twixt them and the Babes God hath enabled them to conceive in the appointed season Yea and then tho their pains should come as sharply upon any of them as they did upon Rachel and Phineas his Wife causing a separation betwixt their own souls and bodies their souls may go in a very sure way out of a great cross here to receive a Crown of Glory hereafter Believe it Virgins These Graces are the necessary qualifications to fortifie your tremulous souls apt to be full of fear * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Medea against all Occurrences if you have the real Ornaments of Christ's Spouse you need not torment your selves with carking thoughts your mystical Husband will take care of you to make what you greatly fear the matter of your joy 2. If you are already married and that in the Lord who hath opened your Wombs and given you power to conceive it behoves you as righteous Hand-maids of the Lord 1. To continue in the constant exercise of these Graces Certainly you who are blessed in being instruments for the propagation of Mankind when you find you have conceiv'd and grow pregnant are highly concern'd to put on and use these Ornaments A great work you are usually busie about in preparing your child-bed-linnen And I shall not discourage but rather encourage you to make necessary provision for your tender selves and babes I easily yeild according to the instinct of Nature as other Females and with the help of their Mates you ought to be somewhat indulg'd to make ready and feather your Nests wherein to lay your selves and your young b Luke 9.58 But the Modesty and Moderation you have heard of will not allow you above your rank to be costly in superfluous fine Feathers when Christs poor Ministers and Members up and down do expect your Charity Oh! I beseech you good Christian women let your chief care be lest you should die in your sorrows to be array'd in that truly spiritual fine linnen clean and white which is the righteousness of the Saints wherewith the Lamb's wife maketh her self ready c Rev. 19.8 This this is the principal thing the Grace of Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety speak true Christian prudence And if you therefore take care to put on these you will be the most surely guided in a subordinate care about other circumstances And if God hath given any of you real proof already of performing his promise in my Text by vouchsafing temporal salvation to you it behoves you to take care 2. To record the Experiments he hath given you of making good his word to you in particular Hath God vanquish'd your fears wip'd away your tears and heard your prayers Engrave the Memorials of his goodness and faithfulness upon the tables of your hearts You have the great Example of our dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ who when he had been greatly troubled for Lazarus whom he loved groaned in spirit and wept making his requests known to his Father on his behalf which was graciously answered he with great devotion of heart lift up his eyes and said d John 11.41 with ver 3 35 38. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me Let every ingenuous and grateful Mother whom God hath safely delivered from her child-bearing pains and peril imprint a grateful remembrance of so signal a mercy with indeleble characters in her mind Lord thou hast regarded the low estate of thine maiden when I was in an agony and well-nigh spent with repeated pains thou didst stand by me and my babe yea thou didst admirably help us making way for it to pass the bars into this world safely keeping us both alive yea and it may be when our friends verily thought with sadness that my child could not have seen the light and I should shortly have shut mine eyes upon it being ready to despair of bringing it forth then didst thou find a way for us both to escape e 1 Cor. 10.13 When the above-noted Gentlewoman * Mrs. Joceline Oct. 12. 1622. was made a Mother of a Daughter whom shortly after being baptiz'd and brought to her she blessed and then gave God thanks that her self had lived to see it a Chrsstian Having dedicated it to the Lord in his Ordinance she accounted it an additional mercy to her bringing her forth and so would have it communicated to others support As Paul when he was made sensible of great mercy in his deliverance by superadded Favours he thank'd God and took courage f Acts 28.15 so should every joyful Mother thank God and be of good courage for the time to come and good because by how much the more common the better it is She should communicate her rare Experiment to encourage others who are apt to look upon themselves as a most miserable Off-spring * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Med. when their pangs come upon them that they may be helped For well said the Greek Tragaedian ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Il. in Helen It becomes one woman to be at hand to help another in her labour Thus we briefly see this Doctrine teacheth care to men and women both in a single and a married-state It doth also 2. Administer comfort as to the good Wives themselves so likewise to the Husbands of such good Wives 1. To good Wives themselves who are qualified as you have heard but yet in an hour of temptation are apt to walk very heavily from pre-apprehensions of grievous pains yea and it may be from great fear of Death in their appointed sorrows that are coming upon them grown weary with their heavy burthens Whereas a constant abiding in the fore-mentioned Graces and Duties is a sure ground of good hope that you shall pass well through your child-bed sorrows which be sure shall be no obstacle at all to your eternal welfare And if you be eternally sav'd 't will be better for you than to be only temporally deliver'd Yes But you 'l say You shall have a rough passage And if as Sabina a Christian Martyr when she travail'd being in Prison you shall cry out as she was heard to do in her child-bearing throws whereupon some asked her how she would endure the torments her persecutors had prepared for her if she shrunk at those To whom she said I now bear the punishment of my sin but then I shall suffer for my Saviour It may be answered Notwithstanding be of good chear The Apostle certainly brings in my Text as an Antidote against discouragement and to chear up suspicious and fearful
God Man is cited to meditate on and to glorify God for his Wisdom and Power which appear in them And indeed were it not for the Soul of man God should have made all the rest of the Creatures for nought Man is only concern'd in them and benefited by them and his Soul only able to bless God for them All Gods works of Creation nay and of Providence too are matter of praise so done as they ought to be had in remembrance Ps 111.4 When we contemplate or meditate upon them they afford our Souls great cause to be enlarged in our praising of several of the Attributes of God All things are Deo plena All things have a voice as well as day and night The Heavens and the Firmament Ps 19.1 2. They speak God to be Almighty and abundant in goodness they tell us as often as we view or consider them that God who made and preserves them is worthy of all our Fear and Love Service and Obedience It is only the Soul of man that is able to read hear or understand these things and therefore man for his Souls sake as the Priests had have many priviledges allotted to him by God Ps 8.6 who hath put the other Creatures generally under his feet It is sadly true that men rob God of his Honour they are entrusted with Ah whose Soul is a faithful Steward of Gods manifold gifts What Sacriledge do not men commit dayly And may we lay it to heart For God will call Heaven and Earth else to witness against us Every Creature and Providence can testifie they contained matter enough to excite our praises and to perswade our Obedience 2. Again the Soul of man is made capable to enjoy God to see God that is to know him and love him in whose presence there is fulness of joy Ps 16.11 The Sun and Planets with the rest of the spangles of Heaven know not their Maker nor what they are nor to what end they serve they how bright soever are not receptive of that light that shines into the hearts and upon the Souls of the Children of Men if compared with which their brightest beam is thick darkness were it only for our viaticum the repast we have on the road towards Heaven The Soul indeed sees here as through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 and knows but in part yet this very taste is better than the full meal that any other Creature can make Yet it must be confessed that anima male habitat the Soul is uneasie in this World not only with grieves and cares but because 't is out of its place as a bone out of joynt It was made to be with God and cannot be satisfyed when it is from God But what an excellent Creature must that be whom the King of Heaven and God of Glory should thus delight to honour which God should may I speak such a word choose for his Companion I am sure we are said to have fellowship with him 1 John 1.3 VVhatsoever the Soul was before by choosing and admitting it into his presence God makes it glorious Hence it is that inferiour Creatures are satisfyed with food suitable to them they have saved their End and have gone to the utmost of their line according to the Law of their Creation to their Creators praise But the Soul of man is upon the Rack and hath a thousand torments till it answers his end Irrequietum est cor meum donec venit ad te until it brings actively some Glory unto God and comes in some measure to the enjoyment of God That Life or Soul which inferiour Creatures have keeps indeed their bodies from putrifying but man hath not animam pro Sale His Soul only as salt to keep his Body from stinking but to act and govern it that it may be an Instrument in the service and to the praise of God and by reason of this his Tongue and every Member may be made his Glory when 't is imployed to the Glory of God It is certainly a debasement of the Soul to busy it about Eating and Drinking Dressing or Undressing further than what is necessary to our preservation and our passage through this world as Pilgrims and Strangers as we think Children to imploy their Souls ill whilst they make Pyes of dirt or run after gay pubbles made up of froth or stime Only here is the difference young ones are scarce capable of knowing or doing better the wings of their Souls seem not fledged but afterwards God justly expects that we should fly higher and we are able to soar above the third Heavens and in our Thoughts Meditations and Affections to go to God to taste and see how good that he is Ps 34.8 ◠The Endeavours that are used for to gain Souls The Pretiousness of the Soul appears in the great Endeavours that are used to get it This is the standard that we value all things by What is given for them VVhat is done to obtain them Insomuch that many think there is a great indifferency in Metals and Stone c. and that opinion sets the rate on them by this Gold and Silver are esteem'd before Lead or Iron c. Now though the Soul hath an essential innate worth as appears by what hath been said Yet this if I may call it extrinsecal consideration does further prove it For 'T is mainly desired by God on the one hand and by Satan on the other and though the Devil be a fallen Angel yet he hath the greatest knowledge of the Nature and worth of things and is from thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 1. God endeavours to win Souls 1. Gods Endeavours this he condescends to woo and intreat for My son give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 But to be more particular though we are not able to apprehend all the means God uses for our Souls Yet so many will easily come into our view that if we were not the most ingrateful and insensible Creatures in the VVorld we could not deny our Souls to God he so loves and values them he hath done and does dayly so much for them Above all 1. God's parting with his Son and Christ with his Heart-Blood and Life for them Behold how he loved him could they say when our Saviour shed but a few tears for Lazarus but much more when he shed all the blood in his Body for our Souls VVe may well say behold how he loved them VVhen man by sin had incurr'd the displeasure and deserved the Curse and VVrath of God and that the blood of Bulls and Cattle or a thousand Bulls were too mean to atone for the least Transgression God requiring a greater price for the Redemption of a lost Soul Our Blessed Saviour cryes Lo I come to do thy Will Heb. 10.7 that is to give satisfaction and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness that these pretious Souls may not perish Christ never interposed to save the Bodies so many Thousands or
you Eph. 3.20 effectually to incline and draw you to what is Good To beat down and subdue the innate Renitency and Reluctancy of the Will Oh here 's the Leading of the Spirit To find out which two things must be searcht into 1. Whether it be the Spirit of God that leads us 2. Whether he leads us in a peculiar and saving or only in a common and general way Now the first must be found out by the foregoing Heads the last by that Head which I am now upon If the Spirit work in me as a Spirit of Power as well as of Light and Direction I may conclude I am led by Him I beseech you lay these Tryals and your Hearts close together and the Decision then will be easie and safe And pray consider as the Spirits Leading must evidence your Divine Sonship so the Things set before you must evidence the reality of that Divine Leading A Second Enquiry is What Inducements are there to excite and move men to endeavour to attain and live under this Leading of Gods Spirit 2. Enquiry Answ Many and Great Oh how strong are the Motives that are proper for the urging of this 1. As First The Excellency of the Thing The Person leading he is excellent the great Spirit of God The Act Divine and Supernatural Leading that is excellent The Object which this tends unto and terminates in that is excellent as the Loving of God Delighting in God Conformity to God all carry a transcendent Glory and Excellency in them Oh did but sinners know what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Conduct and Guidance of the Spirit is what a blessed thing 't is to possess and feel it how earnest would they be in their Desires and Pursuits after it I 'me sure The Saints that have it would not be without it no not one Day for Millions of Worlds 2. The Necessity of it The Leading of the Spirit Oh how highly necessary is it who can be without it What becomes of the poor blind Man that has none to guide him Of the weak Child that has none to uphold it Alas the poor sinner in both respects does more need the Spirits Leading inwardly than either of These need external Leading Such is our Spiritual Blindness our Aptness to wander our Ignorance of our Way our lyableness to fall into Pracipices and the like as that without a Divine Hand to guide us we are lost And such too is our Spiritual Debility and Weakness as that if the Spirit of God do not hold us up in our Going taking us by our arms Hos 11.3 we fall immediately How absolutely necessary therefore is the Spirits Leading both for Direction and also for Sustentation 'T is true God has planted in Man a Natural Faculty to guide and direct him in his Actings the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Understanding Reason Conscience to be his Director and Monitor as to what he is to do And this in things of a meer Natural and Moral Consideration may be of great use to him Prov. 20.27 the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Ah but as to things of a Spiritual Consideration the matters of Evangelical Faith and Practice he must have an higher Guide and Leader even the Holy Ghost or else in these things he 'l be at an utter loss Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Prov. 16.9 a mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps The Natural Light separate from what is Supernatural is a very incompetent and insufficient Guide which evinces the Necessity of the Spirits Guidance 3. As the Natural Guide is defective and insufficient so there are other Guids which are destructive and damnable such as Satan Deprav'd Nature Indwelling Sin the Flesh the World Oh what dangerous Guides are these If they be our Leaders whither will they lead us why first to sin and wickedness here and then to Hell hereafter 'T is with them as with Solomons Whore Prov. 7.27 Her house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of Death Can the Course be good when the Guide is bad and can the End be good when the Course is bad neither can be expected The Conversation Naturally comports with the Leader and the End judicially comports with the Conversation So that if these lead you this will inevitably follow upon it you 'l be very wicked in this Life and very miserable in the Life to come And besides this pray consider what a base thing it is for such a Creature as Man to be under the Conduct and Government of such base things as These Oh what a Debasement is it to him who is of such a Divine Extract and Original to be at the beck and ordering of such vile Things as Satan Sin and the rest Yet this is the misery of the Falne State upon Adams Fall Man has sadly lost his way and has put himself under woful Guides And one great thing done in his Restauration to his Primitive State is to reduce him to God as his First and Best Guide and Leader To drive this a little further in a word know that where 't is not the Leading of the Good Spirit it is the Leading of the Evil Spirit For One of these it must be not a Man in the World but he 's led by One of them Now do you not dread the thoughts of being led by Satan Oh it will be so unless you be led by this Holy Spirit of God What the Devil thy Leader Oh dreadful What comes after a Devil leading but a Devil tormenting 4. Weigh the Way and Manner of the Spirits leading You see how the Conduct of the Opposite Leaders is stated well how does this Leader manage his Conduct with great exactness and Wisdom he so leads as never to mislead so as always to direct with the deepest Judgment For as in all his Other Acts so in This he is the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel the Spirit of Knowledge Isa 11.2 I will instruct thee says God and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye i. e. with great care and accuracy Psal 32.8 Thus the Spirit leads And He does this with infinite Truth and Faithfulness also As the wise man personating his Father says I have taught thee in the way of wisdom I have led thee in right paths Prov. 4.11 And as Abrahams Servant in the Particular Case before him Blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham which hath led me in the right way Gen. 24.48 And as the Psalmist with respect to Gods Conduct of Israel in the Wilderness He led them forth by the right way Psal 107.7 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit as to Believers in their whole course he always leads them in the right way And then he leads safely in
or to come though it alwaies was and will be plainly to every capacity might this be thus adapted if you look backwards you cannot think of any one moment wherein God was not if you look forwards you cannot think of any one moment when God shall not be for if there had been one moment when God was not no thing could ever have been neither God nor Creature unless that which is nothing could make it self something which is impossible because Working supposeth Being and a contradiction because it infers the Being of a thing before it was for in order of time or Nature the Cause must be before the Effect Neither can you conceive any one moment beyond which God should cease to be because you cannot imagine any thing in God or distinct from him that should be the cause of his ceasing to be The Object then of Believers looking is the unseen Eternal God as their Happiness objectively considered which is so Eternal as to be without beginning and end and the enjoyment of this unseen Eternal God in the invisible Heavens which fruition being their happiness formally considered hath a beginning but no ending Should I follow the signification of the Greek word as looking at a mark we aim at or an end which we desire to obtain I should limit my Discourse only to unseen Eternal good things but if it be taken in a more extended sense to take heed to mark and diligently consider I might bring in the unseen evils in the World to come and indeed to keep our Eye fixt upon invisible things both good and bad that make Men Eternally miserable or Everlastingly Blessed Would have a powerful influence upon every step we take in our dayly travels to the unseen Eternal World To look at unseen Eternal Evil things that we might not fall into them To look at unseen Eternal Good things that we might not fall short of them Which is the design of the question propounded from this Text viz. How we should Eye ETERNITY that it may have its due influence upon us in all we do Which question will be more distinctly answered by resolving these following questions contained in it Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity into which all men must enter when they go out of Time That we might not only suppose what too many deny and more doubt of and some are tempted to call into question but have it proved that no man might rationally deny the Eternity of that state in the unseen World for upon this lyes the strength of the reason in the Text why Believers look at things unseen because they are Eternal and the object must be proved before we can rationally urge the exerting of the act upon that object Q. 2. How we should Eye Eternity or look at Eternal things For if they be unseen how shall we see them And if they be to us in this World invisible how shall we look at them Q. 3. What influence will such a sight of and looking at Eternity have upon our Minds Consciences Wills and Affections in all we do Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity of Happiness that we should look at to obtain and of Misery to escape Doth any question this Look at Mens Conversations see their neglect of God and Christ their frequent yea constant refusals of remedying Grace their leading a sensual flesh-pleasing Life their seldom thoughts of Death and Judgment their carelesness to make preparation for another VVorld their minding only things Temporal and then the question may be who do indeed believe that there is such an Eternal state Yet the real existence and certainty of Eternal things may be evidently manifested by Scripture and by Arguments 1. If you give assent to the Divine Authority of the Scripture you cannot deny the certainty of another World nor the Eternal state of Souls therein though this be now unseen to you Luk. 20.34 Jesus said the Children of this World marry 35. but they that shall be accounted worthy of that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in marriage 36. Neither can they dye any more for they are equal to the Angels Is not here plain mention of This and That World and the different state in both In this Men marry and die in that they neither marry nor die yea Christ himself affirms that in That World they cannot die and whatsoever words the Scripture borrows from the best things of this World to help our conceptions of the Glorious state of Holy ones in the other World some word denoting the Eternal duration of it is annexed to them all Is it called a Kingdom It is an Everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.11 a Crown It is a Crown incorruptible 1 Cor. 9.25 that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 is it called Glory is it Eternal Glory 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 4.17 an Inheritance it is incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 Eternal Heb. 9.15 an House it is Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Salvation it is Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 Life it is Eternal Life Matth. 25.46 No less certain is the Eternity of the state of the Damned by the Scriptures adding some note of Everlasting duration to those dreadful things by which their misery is set forth is it by a Furnace of fire Matth. 13.42 by a Lake of fire Rev. 21.8 it is fire Eternal and Unquenchable Matt. 3.12 Matt. 25.41 by a Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 from thence is no coming forth Matth. 5.25 26. by darkness and blackness of darkness it is for ever Jude ver 13. by burning it is Everlasting burning Isa 33.14 by torment Luk. 16.23 the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 14.11 and 20.10 by Damnation it is Eternal Damnation Mar. 3.29 by Destruction it is Everlasting Destruction 2 Thess 1.9 by Punishment it is Everlasting Punishment Matth. 25.46 by the gnawings of the Worm it is such that never dyeth Mar. 9.44.46 48. by wrath that is to come Matt. 3.7 1 Thess 1.10 When it comes it will abide Joh. 3.36 Is any thing more fully and plainly asserted in the Scripture than that the things in the other World now unseen are Eternal things those that enjoy the one in Heaven and those that now feel the other in Hell do not cannot doubt of this and a little while will put all those that are now in time quite out of all doubting of the certainty of the Eternity of the state in the unseen world 2. The Eternity of the unseen things in Heaven and Hell the Everlasting Happy or Everlasting Miserable state after this Life may be evidenced briefly yet clearly by these following Arguments I. God did from Eternity chose some to be fitted in time to partake of happiness to all Eternity Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and being made holy shall be happy in obtaining that Salvation to which he chose us 2
bodily Eyes yet you do with an Eye of Faith and Love and therefore may rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1.8 When you look up unto the Heavens and see and say yonder is the place of my Everlasting abode there I must dwell with God there I must be with Christ and joyfully joyn with Angels and Saints in praising of my Lord and Saviour the foresight of this will make you joyful for the present and pleasant in your looking at it 10. Look fiducially at unseen Eternal things with an Holy Humble Confidence by Jesus Christ upon the performance of the conditions of the Gospel they shall be all your own that by turning from all your Sin by Repentance and Faith in Christ you trust you shall be possessed of them that when you see there are Mansions now unseen there are Eternal Joyes an Immoveable Kingdom an Incorruptible Crown the Eternal God to be enjoyed and for all this you have a promise and you know this promise is made to you by the performance of the Conditions annexed to the promise you trust in time to come unto it or rather when you go out of time into Eternity you shall be blessed in the Immediate Full Eternal Enjoyment of all the Happiness that God hath prepared in Heaven to give you wellcome joyful entertainment in that unseen Eternal World that you so eye that World while you live in this that when by Death you are going out of this World into that you might have this well-grounded confidence to say I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.7 8. If you get such a sight as this as now hath been set forth before you upon such Eternal Objects as before were propounded to you you will be able from your own experience to answer the third question contained in the general case but yet I will proceed unto that branch Q. 3. What influence will such an Eying of Eternity have upon us in all we do In all we do Will its Influence be so Universal Will the efficacy of such a sight be so extensive to reach forth its virtue in all we do yes in all we do Whether we Eat or Drink or go to Sleep whether we Trade or Work or Buy or Sell. Whether we Pray or Hear or search our Hearts or Meditate or Receive or Study or Preach or Sin or Suffer or Dy it will have a mighty influence upon us in any thing wherein we are active or passive culpable or praise-worthy in any condition be it Poverty or Riches Health or Sickness in any Relation be it of Husband and Wife of Parents and Children of Masters and Servants In any Office and Imployment Sacred or Civil out of such an heap because I am limited I will take an handful and because I have not room to speak of all I will not cast them into method according to their nature connexion and dependance one upon another but take them as they come in some few particulars only 1. Such an Eyeing of Eternity in all we do would make us careful to avoid Sin in any thing we do or however we might fail in all we do yet that we suffer it not to Reign or have Dominion over us Look at Eternity with a believing Eye and you will look at sin with an angry Eye you will cast a deadly look at Sin when you have a lively look at Eternity of Joy or Misery 1. Sin would deprive me of Eternal Life therefore I will be its Death it would keep me from Eternal Rest therefore I will never rest till I have conquered and subdued it nothing in the World would bring upon my Eternal Soul the Eternal loss of the Eternal God his Glorious Son and Holy Spirit of the Company of his Holy Angels and Saints of Eternal Treasures of a Blessed Kingdom and Incorruptible Crownâ— but cursed Sin Poverty Sickness Men Death Devils cannot nothing but Sin therefore I will be its bane that shall not Reign in me that would not suffer me to live in Everlasting Happiness 2. Sin would plunge me into unseen Eternal Torments into Endless Flames and Everlasting Burnings If you could speak with a Soul departed but a Moneth ago and ask him what do you now think of the delights of Sin of sporting on the Sabbath day of your pleasant Cups and Delightful Games of pleasing of the Flesh and gratifying of its Lusts What a sad reply would he return and what a doleful answer would he make you Sin Oh that was it that was my ruine that was it which hath brought me miserable wretch to Everlasting Torment that was it which shut me out of Heaven that sunk me down to Hell O ye foolish Sons of Men that are yet in time be not mad as I was mad and do not do as I did let not the seen pleasures and profits of the World which I have found were but for a time deceive you and bewitch you the Devil shewed me the seen delights of Sin but concealed from me the Extremity and Eternity of the pain that it hath brought me to the pleasure is past and the pain continues and I am lost for ever and all this Sin hath brought me to Let your eyeing of Eternity whilst you are standing in time be instead of ones speaking to you in time that hath been in Eternity for the Eternal God doth tell you as much as any Damned Soul can tell you and would you believe one from Hell and not the Son of God that came from Heaven Oh look and view Eternity in the Glass of the Scripture and firmly believe it and it will make slaughtering work amongst your Sins and destroy that which would damn you 2. Such Eyeing of Eternity would be a mighty help to quiet your hearts under the dispensations of Providence here to Men on Earth When you look at the seen Afflictions Distresses Disgraces Stripes Imprisonments Persecutions and Poverty of the People and Children of God and the Riches Ease Honours Pleasures and the seen flourishing prosperity of the worst of Men that by the Swearing Drinking Whoring hating of Godliness being patterns of wickedness proclaim themselves the Children of the Devil and you are offended and your Mind disquieted except in this you have a better heart than Job cap. 21.6 to 16. or David a Man after Gods own heart Psal 73.2 to 16. or Jeremiah cap. 12.1 2. or Habakkuk cap. 1.13 14. Now amongst the many helps to allay this Temptation the eyeing of the last yea Everlasting things is not the least Look upon these two sorts of Men which comprehend all in the World as going to Eternity and lodged there and then you will rather pity them because of their future Misery then envy them for their present Prosperity What if they have their Hearts desire for a
must be damned or saved for ever might understand in things necessary to Salvation what we mean and aim and drive at it hath made me tremble to hear some soar aloft that knowing men might know their parts while the meaner sort are kept from the knowledge of Christ and put their matter in such a dress of words in such a stile so composed that the most stand looking the Preacher in the face and hear a sound but know not what he saith and while he doth pretend to feed them indeed doth starve them and to teach them keepeth them in ignorance Would a Man of any Bowels of compassion go from a Prince to a condemned man and tell him in such Language that he should not understand the conditions upon which the Prince would pardon him and the poor man lose his Life because the proud and haughty Messenger must shew his knack in delivering his message in fine English which the condemned Man could not understand but this is course dealing with a Man in such circumstances that call for pity and compassion Paul had more Parts and Learning but more self-denyal than any of these when he said 1 Cor. 2.1 And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing Words of mans Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2 Cor. 3.12 Seeing then we have such hope we use great plainness of speech 13. and not as Moses which put a vail over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Some put a vail upon their words that people of mean Education that yet have Souls that must be damned or saved cannot look into those truths that shall never be abolished but what is this but a cursed preferring their own parts and praise before the Salvation of Eternal Souls and the preaching themselves and not Christ which will not be their praise but shame at the Eternal Judgment when some shall plead they stand there condemned because the Learned Preacher would not stoop to speak to them of Eternal matters in Language that they might have understood 4. This Eyeing of Eternity would stir us up to improve our Interest in God and Men for a continual succession of Men in the Ministerial Function In God by Prayer that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth Labourers into his Harvest In men whether such as have Children of pregnant parts studious and bookish serious in Religion and inclined to this Imployment that they would give them to God and give them Education in order to it which would be the Honour of Parents to have such proceed from their loins that shall be Embassadors to call the blind ungodly World to mind Eternity to escape Everlasting Damnation and obtain Eternal Life or whether they be such as have no Children so qualifyed or disposed yet have riches to be helpful to such as have such Children but not an Estate to bring them up for there is a necessity of a standing continued Ministry Men in all Ages are hasting to Eternity those that were our Ancestors in former Ages are already there and have taken up their Lodgings where they must for ever dwell and we are following after them and what a mercy is it that we have the Gospel preached unto us wherein we have directions how to escape Everlasting Torments and obtain Eternal Joyes in the other Eternal World to which we are a going and those that shall live after us when they have been upon the stage of this World awhile shall follow us and our Fathers into Eternity and give place to those that follow after them thus this World doth often change its Inhabitants What is the Life of Man but a coming into time and a going out into Eternity Oh how needful is it then that while they make their short stay on Earth they should have preaching Ministers to warn them of Eternal Misery and teach them the way to Eternal Glory Those that are now engaged in the work will shortly be all silenced by Death and Dust and how desirable is it that your Children and posterity should see and hear others preaching in their room and the Honourableness of the Office might allure young men to encline unto it is it not an Honour to be an Embassador of the great Eternal God to propound Articles of Everlasting peace between him and Everlasting Souls What is buying and selling Temporal Transitory things in comparison of a calling wherein it is mens work and business to save Souls from Eternal Misery and to bring them to the Eternal Enjoyment of the glorious God Thus in some few particulars we have shewed the Influence that the Eyeing of Eternity will have upon us in what we do Do you so Eye Eternity and the rest here for want of room omitted you shall by experience find out which will be better than knowing of them in the notion only because they are told you The Conclusion of this Discourse shall be some particular uses omitting many that it would afford 1. Is there an Eternal State Such unseen Eternal Joyes and Torments Who then can sufficiently lament the blindness madness and folly of this distracted World and the unreasonableness of those that have Rational and Eternal Souls to see them busily imployed in the matters of time which are only for time in present Honours Pleasures and Profits while they do neglect Everlasting things Everlasting Life and Death is before them Everlasting Joy or Torment is hard at hand and yet poor sinners take no care how to avoid the one or obtain the other Is it not matter of lamentation to see so many Thousands bereaved of the sober serious use of their Understandings That while they use their reason to get the Riches of this World they will not act as rational men to get the joyes of Heaven and to avoid Temporal Calamities yet not to escape Eternal misery Or if they be fallen into present Afflictions they contrive how they may get out of them if they be sick reason tells them they must use the means if they would be well if they be in pain Nature puts them on to seek after a Remedy and yet these same Men neglect all duty and cast away all care concerning Everlasting matters they are for seen pleasures and profits which are passing from them in the enjoyment of them but the unseen Eternal Glory in Heaven they pray not for they think not of Are they unjustly charged Let Conscience speak what thoughts they lye down withal upon their pillow if they wake or sleep fly from them in the silent night what a noise doth the cares of the World make in their Souls With what thoughts do they rise in the Morning of God or of the World Of the things of time or of Eternity Their thoughts are
in their Shops before they have been in Heaven and many desires after visible Temporal gain before they have had one desire after the Invisible Eternal God and Treasures that are above What do they do all the day long What is it that hath their Endeavours all their labour and travel Their most painful Industry and unwearied diligence Alas their Consciences will tell themselves and their practices tell others when there is Trading but no praying Buying and Selling but no Religious Duties performed the shop-book is often opened but the sacred book of God is not looked into all the week long O Lord Forgive the hardness of my Heart that I can see such insufferable folly among reasonable Creatures and can lament this folly no more Good Lord forgive the want of compassion in me that can stand and see this distraction in the World as if the most of Men had lost their wits and were quite besides themselves and yet my Bowels yearn no more towards immortal Souls that are going to unseen miseries in the Eternal World to see distracted men busie in doing things that tend to no account is not such an amazing sight as to see men that have reason for the World to use it not for God and Christ and their own Eternal good to see them love and embrace a present Dunghil World and cast away all serious affecting and effectual thoughts of the Life to come to see them rage against the God of Heaven and cry out against Holiness as foolish preciseness and serious Godliness as Madness and Melancholy Alas These Men are Brutes in the shape of Men for like the very Beasts they live by sense and are led away by a sensitive appetite The Brute takes pleasure in his present Provender and feels the smart of the present Spur or Goad and so do sensual Sinners find sweetness in their present pleasures and profits and do complain of present pain and sickness but of pains to come and joyes to come that are Eternal they have no care nor serious thoughts Better such had been Toads and Serpents than rational Creatures for as they mind no future things in the other World so they are not Subjects capable of Eternal Punishment or Everlasting Happiness they are not so provident as the Ant that in Summer lays up for Winter and while the warm Sun doth shine provides for a cold and stormy day but Men that have Immortal Souls are only for this present World but do not provide for a stormy day that is a coming nor for an Eternal state to which they are hasting Let us call the whole Creation of God to lament and bewail the folly of Man that was made the best of all Gods visible works but now by such wickedness is bad beyond them all being made by God for an Everlasting state and yet minds nothing less than that for which he was principally made O Sun Why is it not thy burden to give light to men to do those works and walk in those wayes that bring them to Eternal Darkness O Earth Why dost thou not groan to bear such burdensome Fooles that dig into thy Bowels for Gold and Silver while they do neglect Everlasting Treasures in the Eternal World O ye Sheep and Oxen Fish and Fowl Why do ye not cry out against them that take away your present Life to maintain them in being but only mind present things but forget the Eternal God that gave them Dominion over you to live upon you while they had time to mind Eternal things but do not O ye Angels of God and Blessed Saints in Heaven were ye capable of grief and sorrow would not ye bitterly lament the sin and folly of poor mortals upon Earth Could ye look down from that Blessed place where ye do dwell and behold the Joy and Glory which is to us unseen and see how it is basely slighted by the Sons of Men if ye were not above sorrow and mourning would not ye take this up for a bitter lamentation O ye Saints on Earth whose Eyes are open to see what the blind deluded World doth not see do ye bitterly take on let your Heads be Fountains of Water and your Eyes send forth Rivers of Tears for the great neglect of Eternal Joyes and Happiness of Heaven Can you see Men going out of time into Eternity in their Sin and in their Blood in their Guilt and Unconverted state and your Hearts not moved your Bowels not yearn Have ye spent all your tears in bewailing your own sin that your Eyes are dry when ye behold such monstrous madness and unparallel folly of so many with whom dayly ye converse Ye sanctifyed Parents have ye no pity for your ungodly Children nor sanctifyed Children for ungodly Parents O my Father my Father by whom I had my Being is going to Eternal Darkness Alas for my Mother my dear Mother that carryed me in her womb that dandled me upon her knees that suckled me at her breasts that did delight to break her sleep to quiet me when I was froward to look to me when I was sick that bound my head when it was pained that wiped mine eyes when I did weep and my face when I did sweat because of my Disease this my Mother is forgetful of her own Immortal Soul was more troubled for me when she thought I was near my Grave than for her self though near to Hell when I was young she took care for me for things Temporal but for her self neither young nor old for things Eternal Ere long she will be dead and I am afraid and damned too Ere long she must go out of time and for any thing I can perceive being Ignorant and fearless of God and unmindful of Eternity her Soul will go into Eternity of Torments O how loath am I to have such thoughts of one so near so dear unto me Oh it is the cutting of my Heart it is bitterness to my Soul I had rather dye than she be damned and yet it is my feares she is hasting to Eternity of Wo for to my observing Eye she is taken wholly up with the cares and pride and vanity of this Life and apparently regardless of that Eternal World Why do not also ye that are Parents that have a belief of an Everlasting State take on and bewail the doleful state of your ungodly Children that in their sinful courses are posting to Eternal pains What my Son the Son of my Loins the Son of my Womb Did I bear him with so much sorrow and shall he be a castaway Did I travail with him with so much pain and brought and nursed him up with so much labour and must he be for ever fuel for the Flames of Hell Have I brought forth a Child to be a prey to Devils and a Companion with them to all Eternity Oh my Son my Son what shall I do for thee my Son my Son Thus whatever Relation Neighbour Friend or Acquaintance you have
be opprest Read Isa 49.14 15 16. Obj. This is an hard saying who can hear it Ans 1. 'T is hard to untamed wanton Proud Nature to make the Will of God our Rule and deny our own Wills but then how hard will Suffering be without it An unresign'd Soul in a day of Affliction is like a wild Bull in a Net full of the Fury of the Lord and the troubled Sea that cannot rest but casteth forth Mire and Dirt. 2. But it is easie to a gratious Soul as such Grace in the Heart is the Image of God and this Image mainly consists in the Conformity of the Will to Gods VVill. The Scripture call's it writing his Law in the Heart and putting it in the inward parts Jer. 31.33 VVell and what is the proper natural Effect or result hereof Psal 40.7 8. It makes the Soul not only Obedient in Suffering but to Submit with Delight Now none of Gods Commands nothing of his Will Scriptural or providential is greivous 1 Jo. 5.3 1. Hence I infer that God is not Glorified but in his own way for our VVills must be resigned to and resolved into his If he will that we Suffer 't is vain to dream of Honouring him otherwise suppose we resove to save our selves and make him amends by double and treble Duty we decieve our selves Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Lambs 1 Sam. 15.22 All the Manifestative Glory of God dependeth on his VVill Rev. 4.11 VVe may extol his Power Grace Justice Holiness c. and not give him Glory if in the interim we resist his VVill t is vain to think of Honouring God and doing our own VVill give him all but his VVill and we give him nothing For 1. His great design is his VVill Rev. 4.11 He both contriveth and Executeth according to it Eph. 1.11 All his word is but his VVill Collos 1.9 Truth is the Analagy of persons things word and thoughts unto the VVill of God And this is his great Contraversy with men in the VVorld they 'd have their VVill and he will have His And indeed Sin is only and that 's enough and too much a Contradiction of his VVill 1 Jo. 3.4 And the accomplishment of his VVill is his Glory 2. In relucting against his VVill we contend against all his Name and being 'T is a denial of his Soveraignty and perogative for what is that but his Pleasure We thwart his decrees for they are the Purpose of his Will VVe contradict his Power thereby as if he were notable to do his Pleasure many are our oppositions we thereby Disbeleive his Holiness as if his Will were not good and his Wisdom as if he had not ordered his matters accurrately yea we deny his Justice by resisting his VVill as if he required more then his due Indeed his VVill is the hinge upon which all his Attributes move disappoint it and you supplant them all so absolutely doth his Glory depend upon his Will 2. I infer that Gods Glorifiing his Name by our Sufferings is not inconsistent with his Parternal Relation Father Glorify thy Name If he be our Father then he Loves then he Careth for us when he Afflicteth us For nothing can deprive us of the Comfort of this Relation which is consistent with that Relation Christ in his Agony calls him Father Mat. 26.39 When he was betrayed and apprehended Jo. 18.11 When he was upon the Cross his expression implies as much Mat. 27.46 And he saith no more when he was Risen Jo. 20.17 Obj. There is not the same Reason why God should continue our Father in Suffering as that he should be Christ in his Passion Because he is his Eternal Son we only adopted Sons Ans This Objection proves only that Christ hath the first Right to his Paternity and we only secundarily in him but not that he is less constantly our Father then his Jer. 31.3 Though we be but adopted Sons our Adoption is Endless not Temporary And therefore our Father will be our Father in Affliction and we shall be his Children For 1. His Fatherly Love is the Reason of his Chastizements He would not Scourge and Correct his Childeren but because they are his Childeren He Chastizeth them as a Father he Condemneth others as a Judge Heb. 12.7 8. 2. We are Heirs of his precious promises even in Affliction 1 Cor. 10.13 It seems then his Faithfulness to his word of promise is engag'd when we are Tempted 3. Suffering Saints have the Image of their Father when they Suffer Christs Sufferings were consistent with the Clouding of his Divine Nature then it did not appear in its Glory but not with the seperation of it from his Humane Saints may be Black by Affliction but withal they are Lovely by grace Cant. 1.5 4. They then stand in most need of his Fatherly Care and Love and therefore shall not be deprived thereof Psal 89.30 31 32 33. Isa 40.12 43.23 5. Our Sonship dependeth on Christs Sonship if therefore God were his Father in his Sufferings he will be our Father in ours For we are chosen and predestinated in Christ to the Adoption of Sons Eph. 1.3 4 5. This is the Reason why Sin it self cannot Un-son us because we are Adopted in Christ not for our own Sake but his Rom. 8.38 39. While we cease not to be Christ's Members we cease not to be the Fathers Children Obj. But if God be our Father why doth he Suffer his Children to be so abused in the World Can it consist with the Love of our Father to see his Children Imprisoned and Slain c. before his Face and he not help and save them An. It is enough that the Scripture hath Reconciled these things Rom. 8.35 36 37 c. Psal 89.30 31 c. We may as well say how could the Father Love Jesus Christ yet Bruise him in that dreadful manner Isa 53.7 8 9 10. But I add 1. That be the Saints never so dear to their Father yet his own Name and Glory is more Dear Their Sufferings being for his Glory he 'l therefore permit them Is it fit that he Suffer in his Name rather then we in our Flesh Or must he loose his Glory to preserve our Estates Ease Liberty or Lives Nay faith the Lord Jesus Father Glorifie thy Name do any thing with me rather than neglect thy Glory and see the Fathers answer in the following words 2. Be his Love to his Saints never so great his hatred of Sin and his just Indignation against it are as great Now here lyes the case she must either Chastize as for our Sins or be unjust He must either dispence so far with his Love as to correct us or dispence with his Righteousness and Holiness And judge now which is most like a Father to correct a Sinning Child or Pamper him in Sins Psal 89.30 c. 3. Hence I infer that our Peace Ease joy Estates Liberty and Life are Subordinated
must be so by actual calling John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Or as not yet actually in being in the World but in the loyns of their Parents whether Saints or Sinners God may have a Seed even among the Children of wicked Men and as sometimes he may pass by the Children of gracious Men the Parents may be a Seed of God and Children not so sometimes he may overlook the Parents and take the Children the Parents may be wicked and the Children holy God is a Soveraign and may chuse where he will and sometimes he pitcheth upon the most unlikely Subjects a wicked Ahaz may have a godly Hezekiah for his Son and a good Josiah a wicked Jehoiachim for his This distinction I lay down because though I understand the Doctrine in the first place of the religious actually in being among a People yet not only of them God sometimes acting for a Nation with respect to those he is to have among them This premised I come to shew in what respect the godly may be said to be the strength of a People and this I shall by a little following the Metaphor in the Text. The Holy Seed is here called the Substance or Stock of a People so that in what respect the strength of a Tree is in its Stock in those or several of them the strength of a People is in the Religion of them 1. The Stock of a Tree is the most firm and durable part of it when the Leaves are shaken off the Branches many of them drie and withered nay though it be close Lopt and all the Bows cut down yet still it continues and lives keeps its place and retains its Sap. So it is with the truly religious at least as to their Spiritual State as we intimated in the explication of the Text when Hypocrites and Temporaries drop off from the Body of Professors and quit their Stations in a Church and their religious Profession yet the godly still continue hold their own keep their standing They are all united to Christ the Root as well as to teach other in the Body and as parts together of the same Stock and so are preserved and continued in Life by Sap derived to them from the Root the constant supplies of the Spirit and Grace of Christ In this respect we may say he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.17 and they that have an Unction from the Holy One abide in him verse 20 27. 2. The Stock is that which propagates its kind cut off all the Bows and yet the Stem will shoot forth again send out new Leaves and Fruit and Seed from which other Trees will come So here the righteous propagate their righteousness communicate to others beget Children to God are Spiritual Parents and have a Spiritual Off-spring How many Children come in upon their Parents Covenant not only as to outward priviledges in the Church but as to real Grace The promise is to them and their Children Acts 2.39 and as it takes place in all of them as to Church Membership so it doth in many as to Saintship And besides how many are wrought on by their instruction won by their example awakened by their admonitions overcome by their persuasions How many have cause to bless God for religious Parents religious acquaintance religious Instructors as well as godly Ministers who have been instrumental in their conversion Thus when many particular Branches of righteousness are plucked off as to their temporal State in this Life yet the Holy Seed continues the Stock is pepetuated in a succession of righteous ones Men usually spare the Tree for the sake of the Stock Isa 65.8 As the new Wine is in the Cluster and one saith destroy it not a Blessing is in it A Man finds a Cluster or two of Grapes on a Vine and by those few perceives that there is Life in the Tree and some hopes of more fruitfulness hereafter and therefore doth not cut it down so will I do says the Lord for my Servants sake that I may not destroy them all he spares the rest or many of them doth not destroy them all for his Servants sake for the sake of the righteous among them Job 22.30 according to marginal reading The Innocent shall deliver the Island which suits best with the following Clause it is delivered by the pureness of my hands Eliphaz tells Job before what advantage he should himself have by returning to God and acquainting himself with him verse 21. from whom he supposes him to have departed and to be estranged by sin and here he tells him what benefit should redound to others his goodness should not only do good to himself but keep off evil from them For the better understanding this take two things by way of Concession and a third by way of Position 1. I grant that the religious part of a People may not always be active as Men in a natural or civil way in delivering them or keeping off evils from them they may have no proper and direct efficiency in it for 1. Sometimes they may want power and ability for it they may be but few and inconsiderable for Number the Holy Seed may be very thin sown there may be but a few Grains of Corn among a great deal of Chaff but a little Wheat among abundance of Tares Or those that are may be weak and low as to their outward condition in the World for not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 and so may be in ill case to contribute much by an active concurrence to the help of others 2. Sometimes they may be simple and unskiful in outward affairs want that Wisdom and Worldly Policy which might be needful in many Cases for the warding of imminent dangers or removing incumbent troubles Not many wise Men after the Flesh are called as well as not many mighty or noble Saints may be wise for their Souls prudent and knowing in the Misteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and yet but Babes in other things The Wisdom they have is from above Jam. 3.17 respects things above and they may be meer Ignoramuses in any thing else 3. They may have no hand in publick affairs no share in the Government nor be intrusted or made use of by those that are in Power they may be suppressed and brought into bondage by others as the Israelites were in Aegypt and the Jews in Babylon they may be so much in suffering by others that they be in no capacity of acting for them 4. Sometimes Gods Judgments upon a People may be such as no Instruments and so not the holiest Men among them can keep them off by any natural efficiency and all attempts in such a way may be in vain Such was the destruction of the Old World by the Flood and of Sodom by Fire and Brimstone and of several places by Inundations Earthquakes c. 2. I grant that sometimes the
such provoking Children 1. Doth your Duty of loving your Children admit of that exception Love them i. e. If they are or while they are free from all fault did not the Lord that enjoyns this Duty know full well that no mortal man is without his Spots Imperfections Failings In vain is that Precept that is limited to a Condition which is impossible to fulfil Jam. 3.2 Tangat memoriam communis fragilitas 2. Look inward and then look upward Are not you naught have not you often and do not you daily hourly provoke your Heavenly Father and yet would you not desire that he should Love you Let your own Prayers and Tears be Witnesses in the Case Had a man laid his ear close to your Closet might he not have heard you Ephraim-like bemoaning your self thus Heavenly Father I am vile I have done Iniquity I have not only toucht upon the verge of Vice but entred the Circle nay my sins are aggravated by Perverseness in ill-doing and by resisting counsel I cannot dare not clear my self by a just defence nor being rightly depriv'd of thy love and favour seek for any other Mediators but thy Christ and free Grace for my relief And therefore give me leave to hope that a Fathers Bowels are as Potent Orators as a Sons Misery and that while my Transgressions Damm up the way to favour fatherly Compassion will not forget to be merciful he that bears the name of a Father cannot forget the tears of a Child Tell me severe Parents is not this a true Echo of some of your most pathetick Prayers But what answer have you expected and your Heavenly Father return'd 3. Possibly while you have been speaking God hath answer'd as he did Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child No no he is naught he is a Prodigal True but yet he is a repenting a returning Prodigal though not a pleasant Son yet a Son a Child and therefore since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Read consider and often Pray over those pertinent Texts Deut. 32.36 Isa 63.15 16. Hos 11.7 8 9. Luk. 15.19 20. All this is true to a repenting Ephraim but my Child lies stinking in his filth 4. But I pray In what case and posture did your Heavenly Father find you when he first manifested his Love unto you Ezek. 16.6 8. I saw thee polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live ver 8. Behold this time was the time of thy Gods Love God the Father commended his Love towards you in that while you were yet Sinners Christ died for you Rom. 5.8 2. Govern your Children as a Father and so remember 1. That your Parental power is not absolute or despotical but regulated and circumscrib'd within due bounds and limits Parents may not think they may do what they list according to their own Will and Pleasure with their Children Stat pro ratione voluntas is the language of a Tyrant not of a Father And here 1. Beware of secret Pride of inordinate self-exalting of magnifying your Office and overvaluing your selves and of esteeming your selves to be greater than indeed you are and an Eager desire that your Children should so think of you and so treat you 2. Beware of thinking more of the dignity of your place than of your duty you owe to God and your Children in that Station wherein God hath fixt you 3. Beware of being excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and of being too rigid an Exactor of observance and respect from your Child and of slighting undervaluing vilifying of him when he hath done his utmost of discontent and murmuring if you have not all you desire in your Child 4. Beware that you respect not your Child more for the seeming regard he shews to you than for any real worth that is in him All these are dangerous Rocks to which your secret Pride exposes you enough to destroy Pilot and Vessel 3. Be Angry with your Child but be Angry and sin not Eph. 5.26 Be angry but then let it be the Anger of a displeased Father against an offending Child not the Anger of a Bloody enemy against an Irreconcilable Foe be angry as your Heavenly Father is said to be Angry Of this before 4. Exhort admonish reprove rebuke chastize offending Children but then still Remember whose deputy you are whom you represent even your heavenly Father Fury is not in him Judgment is his strange work But he delights in mercy When he is as it were forced to put forth his Anger he then makes use of a Fathers rod not an Executioners Ax Psal 89. from 30. to 35. 2 Sam. 7.14 He will neither break his Childrens bones nor his own Covenant He lashes in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 in measure in pity and compassion In all their Affliction he is afflicted Every stroke on his Childs back recoils on his own Bowels and if the member be gangren'd and there is an absolute necessity to cut it off to save the Life the Soul of his Child then like a Chyrurgeon who is the Father of the Patient He makes use of the Saw not forgetting that he is now cutting off his own flesh and would never do it but for the Child 's good Rom. 8.28 Go you and do likewise 5. In all you do take heed you do not provoke them on the one hand nor discourage them on the other 1. Not provoke them Of this somewhat before Let me adde when Children find themselves contrary to their hopes and it may be their deserts to be hardly and sharply dealt withall and that nothing which they attempt or perform finds acceptance with their morose and rigid Parents specially if of fiercer Spirits in the heat and bitterness of their inraged Souls they are apt to throw off all Reverence to break their bands asunder and to cast away their cords from them Like wild and untamed Colts to kick and winch and harden their necks foreheads hearts against all admonitions and threatnings against all words and blows Their Father hates them say they sink they must and sink they will but not alone if possible they 'l draw their cruel Fathers Heart and Peace into the same gulf with them Oh dreadful Take heed therefore do not provoke Nè animam despondeant 2. Not to discourage dishearten dispirit them Col. 3.21 Fathers provoke not your Children least they be discouraged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing that doth more deject and sink the heart of a poor Child specially if ingenious and of a softer and more meek temper than the severe rigour and roughness of a Father It quite unsouls the poor Child when in the countenance and deportment of his Father to whom of all men in the World he should in reason be dearest he sees nothing but anger and
aversation It intimidates the Child destroyes his mettle and courage for any honest or honourable undertaking smothers yea extinguishes all his fire and vivacity transforms him into a meer sot mope dullard block utterly unfit for use and service nay more it often throws him into the deepest gulph of grief and melancholy sickness death and then it may be when too late the unhappy Parent will see cause to relent and abhorr himself for his unjust severity 6. Parents remember they are Children and but Children Their age may be some Apology for them Their Heads are green yours are grey More years may teach them better manners They are your Children your own Flesh Blood Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle your Children If the stream be corrupt it derives it from your selves the Fountain Psal 51.5 The young Serpent came from the old Cockatrice 7. Since Severity will not do the feat see what sweetness mildness gentleness holy tenderness and indulgence will do Peragit tranquilla potestas quod violenta nequit The pillow may help to break the flint which the Hammer and Anvil cannot It prevail'd with flinty Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 The cordial may prevail where the corrosive cannot The sight of the pardon more commands the heart of the desperate Traytor than that of the Ax or Gibbet 8. To All these adde Scriptural admonition fervent Supplication Patient waiting on and humble Submission to the Will of God Mic. 7.7 8 9. Thus much concerning Sinful Severity we proceed to the Second and that is Sinful Indulgence Our Apostle knowing right well how apt Parents are to swerve from the golden mean of Parental discipline and whilst they Labour to avoid the Rock of Sinful Severity how prone they are to plunge themselves into the gulph of Sinful Indulgence doth in the same Text prescribe a Soveraign Antidote against that fatal pleurisie of fond Affection in these words but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Whilest the severe Parent is breathing a vein in his distemper'd Child he cautions him to take care he doth not pierce an Artery Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But on the other Hand if the Child labours under an imposthume and needs the Lâ—ncet our Apostle doth here command the discreet use of it and â—â—ll by no means permit that the sinking Child should be sooth'd or stroakt and demulc'd into certain ruine Children must be nurtur'd thô they may not be provok'd Parents must not be cruel Ostrichès and leave and expose their young ones to harm and danger nor yet must they be such fond Apes who are said to hug their Cubs so closely as that they kill them with their embraces And that on this Account because 2. The wickedness of unconverted Children is too too often occasion'd yea and advanced by the sinful Indulgence of their godly Parents Sinful Severity with Saul hath slain it's thousands sinful Indulgence with David it 's ten thousands Poor cocker'd Children when 't is too late find the little Finger of a fond Mother to weigh far heavier and to sink the Soul far deeper than the weighty Loins of a severe Father and at a long run will find more of Sting in a Rod of Roses than in a scourge of Scorpions In the Stating of this case I shall proceed as before and shew you 1. What Sinful Indulgence is not And so 1. Natural ordinate moderate parental Love and such as is mixt with the most yerning bowels most deep and tender compassions is not sinful Indulgence Nay to be without these Natural Affections Rom. 1.31 is not only wretched Stoicisme but sinful cursed and more than brutish astorgy Even the Storks and Sea-monsters will teach us to love our Off-spring Love my Children I may and must 1. With all the sorts and kinds of Love of desire of Union and Communion with them of the sweet enjoyment of them of benevolence and good will willing ready and prepared to desire and wish them all good of beneficence and bounty Tit. 2.4 Gen. 21.19 1 King 3.25.26 1.7 10 18 19. 1 Tim. 5.8 actually endeavouring to do them all good possible both as to their Souls and Bodies All our Spiritual gifts must be for the profit of their Souls for their Direction Consolation Salvation and as for their Bodies their Backs must be our Wardrobes their Bellies our Barns and their Hands our Treasuries And with a Love of Complacency and delight Our Children may and ought to be the joy and rejoycing of our Hearts no greater joy than to see our Children like Olive-plants round about our Table specially if we see and find them walking in the Truth John 2. Ep. 4. John 3. Ep. 4. 2. With all the properties of parental Love viz. Sincere and unfained a Love not in word and tongue only but from the Heart in Deed and in Truth A forward chearful Love not drawn or driven but flowing as from a Fountain An expensive open-handed as well as open-hearted Love A fruitful Love producing not only fair Leaves Buds and blossoms of pleasing smiles and large promises but the mature fruits of beneficial performances An holy just fervent constant Love a most gentle dear tender compassionate Love whereby we are ready to Sympathize with them and forward to succour them in their misery to regard them when they neither regard us nor themselves To take in good part the desires of their Souls when they find not to perform To accept of a sigh in regard of a service a mite instead of a Talent a groan instead of a duty the very stammering of my Child above the eloquence of a Beggar Mal. 3.17 Looking on a returning Prodigal as a Son and pitying as a Father not punishing as a Judge Psal 103.13 14. Remembring their frame and knowing that both they and we are poor dust All this and much more is not sinful Indulgence To carry them in our Bosoms as Moses did the Israelites Num. 11.12 or so in our Hearts as to be willing to impart our very Souls unto them in and for God because they are dear unto us as Paul 1 Thes 2.7 8 11. To Bless them in Gods Name Faith Fear as Jacob did Gen. 49.28 To countenance and encourage them in and reward them for well doing 1 Pet. 2.14 Est 6.3 To Love those most that Love God most to give such Benjamins five messes a double treble Portion an Isaak's Inheritance this is not sinful Indulgence 2. What sinful Indulgence is It stands in the Excess and exuberancy of our Love and affections and in too much slacking and remitting the reins of Government When we do as it were abandon and give up our minds and studies to coax and please and gratifie the humours yea satisfie the Lusts of our foolish Children when we make their Wills our Laws our Rules when the doting Parent is led by the Heart shall I say or Nose by his audacious Child and must be at his