Heaven above and blessings of the deep that lieth under blessings of the Breasts and of the Womb let his blessings prevail above the blessings of all his Progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills let them be upon his head and the head of his dearest Consort For I hope time will make it further evident that He is a singular Instrument raised up by God for the effecting of great and glorious things in the world and for the Church of Christ which hath been in so many Places for so many Years afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted Yea that he is designed for an Avenger to execute wrath upon him and them who have been the Plague of the Christian World and have made it their work and delight to destroy the Earth and their design to erect to themselves a Monument of Glory out of the Ruins of Kingdoms and the Protestant Religion Secondly Let me desire you to facilitate the work of Magistrates and make it as easie to them as you can You that are Masters of Families having Children and Servants under you and understand your work and desire to go through with it find that you have enough to do in your narrow and little spheres your small Cock-boats call for much care and pains We that are Pastors of Churches have a great deal more e'en so much as makes our Heads and Hearts to ake and we cry out with holy Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for these things People do little think those many thoughts which gracious and faithful Ministers have both day and night the multitude of those cares which they take the burdens which often lie upon their Spirits and the many bitter sighs and groans which upon various accounts they do utter in their private recesses when they are alone with God But yet what is this all this to that load which lieth upon the shoulders of our Sovereign who sits as Pilot at the Helm of so great a Ship and upon whom cometh daily not only the care of Three Kingdoms but as doubtless I may safely add of the whole Protestant Interest which hath been so desperately struck at yea and of all the Churches who have felt the fury of Oppressors that have put yokes of iron upon their necks And not only the King whose Place is highest and Province hardest but others also who are employed by and under him do find they have enough to do The Lord Mayor the Justices of Peace the Petty Constables Beadles Watchmen have enough to do How many avocations have they from their own Callings and particular Affairs which for their own and Families good must be attended to and how many Troubles and Vexations have they in the management of their Places I would therefore prevail with you to pity them and to help them and to take off from their burden all that you can This will be an argument of your being acted by a Spirit truly Christian and it doth very well become all good Subjects When Jethro the Father-in-Law of Moses came to the Camp of Israel in the Wilderness and saw all that Moses did to the People He spake thus to him Exod. 18.8 Thou wilt surely wear away c. for the thing is too heavy for thee thou art not able to perform it thy self alone So I say Our King will wear away He is but a Man His Strength is not the strength of Stones nor is his Flesh of Brass He is made of flesh and blood as well as others and is subject to the same infirmities decays and strokes that others are and truly his life deserves to be exceeding precious in our eyes He is the breath of our Nostrils and our Life and Peace our Comfort and Happiness is very much bound up in him And therefore we have and I hope we shall more and more see that we have a great deal of reason to contribute all that we can to the lengthening out of his days and making his life comfortable But the weight of Government is too heavy for him I mean as good old Jethro did He is not able to perform it himself alone To deal with England's enraged Enemies abroad and with England's daring Sins at home is too much for him alone nay may I not go farther It is too much for his Privy Council and Parliament too yea and for all inferiour Magistrates and Officers too Take them altogether and it is too much for them alone I do therefore earnestly beseech you all to put your helping hand to the work and yield them all the assistance that you can We have as my Experience and constant Observation tells me a Spirit of discontent and complaining very busie and active though indeed often times not without too much cause And the Lord grant those who are now our Rulers may have such a Spirit of Wisdom and Government plentifully poured out from Heaven upon them that they may never give good Men any that those who have an Interest in God and will certainly be heard at the Throne of Grace may never be constrained to go with their just Complaints But how many are there that do without cause fill their mouths with Complaints and call those faults which are not and throw dirt in the faces of Persons in place But I will ask this one question what do these Complainers do in order to the amending of that which is amiss Our Streets would be clearer than they are if every one would sweep before his own Door And Reformation would happily become Universal if every one would be a Self-Reformer And oh that you would be so Oh that others would be so Oh that all would say what Elihu doth in Job tell us is meet to be said unto God What I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do so no more I shall yet divide this my Exhortation into two branches First I shall speak unto those who are Governours of Families and have Children and Servants under their inspection apply to your Duty there Would you gladly see all things well abroad as far as you can every one of you take care that they be so at home You that are Parents must know and consider that that God who gave you Children hath committed to you the care and charge of their Souls And you that have Apprentices ought likewise to know and consider that the Souls as well as the Bodies of your Apprentices are committed to your care by their Parents or Friends and are your charge likewise And the same is true as to your other menial Servants so long as they shall continue under your Roof as such and accordingly you are under a strict Obligation for looking after them That is not a thing which you may do or leave undone as you please but you are bound to it You ought to be their keepers for you are responsible for them And if thorough your neglect and carelessness any
See hence what little Reason men have to boast of their Knowledge or Gospel-priviledges when these may turn to their sorer Condemnation He that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12.47 And so Christ speaks to the Pharisees who boasted themselves to be the Pechachim the seeing men whose eyes were opened Because you say we see therefore your sin remaineth John 9.41 And thus the Jews boasted over the Gentiles That they knew God's will were instructed out of the Law and were instructers of the foolish and teachers of babes Rom. 2.18 19 20. and boasted themselves to be the Circumcision but yet they not keeping the Law the Uncircumcision should judge and condemn them v. 27. We have many among us who boast of a little Knowledge they have more than others and have learn'd to talk and dispute of Religion and despise others as foolish ignorant blind and babes when all this may make their Judgment the more intolerable Some of the Jews have a Tradition that the holy Fire of the Altar was hid in an hole of a Rock all the time of the Captivity and when at their return they lookt for it it was turned into a Jelly which they took and laid upon the Altar and there was kindled into a Fire again by the beams of the Sun When the Light that is in the Mind kindles a Flame of Love in the Heart and thence are presented holy Sacrifices to God this is Light sanctified and sanctifying the Soul but when it rests in the Mind and is resisted in the Heart and Practice of Men it will whether Men will or no shine into their Consciences first or last to their greater Terror and Condemnation And therefore let Men take heed of Sin against Light and Knowledge Against the Light of Nature the Light of Education the Light of good Example especially the Light of the Gospel For such Sins make the greatest noise in the Conscience do most harden Mens hearts make Men self-condemned and will most expose Men at the day of Judgment Vse 5. And so I come to the next Use which is To awaken us of this City and this Nation who have had Gospel-favours and Priviledges above most people under Heaven May we not say of London as Christ of Capernaum O London who hast been lift up to Heaven And if any from hence shall perish and be cast down to Hell how great will their fall be It would be better perishing out of Tire and Sidon and Sodom than out of London Tolluntur in altum ut Casu graviore ruant as the Poet speaks of Men that fall from high places What though God hath by a wonderful Hand open'd us a door of Liberty What though we have such plenty of excellent Preaching and what though we are such constant Hearers of these Lectures Morning by Morning yet if any of us still continue Impenitent it will but encrease our Doom at Dooms-day Obj. But we hope that that day will never come and all this Talk of it is but to fright people a little into good manners A device of Princes to keep People under Government or of Priests to make Markets of their Consciences Ans 1. It 's true few live as if they believ'd it But can any Man say that he is sure it will never come I think no Man dare say that Therefore it is our best wisdom to prepare for that day which may come though we should not be sure it will come A wise Man will provide against an Evil that may possibly come though he is not sure it will come especially considering the dreadful consequence of being surprized 2. And it 's true that this day is delayed but it is because God waits for Sinners repentance and would have Men saved and enter in before the door be shut 2 Pet. 3.9 3. Do any of us not believe it when the Devils themselves believe and tremble When they said to our Saviour Art thou come to torment us before our time It shew'd they believed a day of Judgment But I spake of this before Q. But what will preserve us then from Damnation seeing such a Judgment-day must certainly come Ans That which would have preserved Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum will preserve us and that is true repentance which you may know what it is by the description I have given before of its contrary which is Impenitency Let us all in good earnest turn to God and repent Let us repent of our Pride and immodest Dresses in Apparel and reform Let our Women take down their high towring Dresses and our Men shorten their monstrous Perukes Let us repent of our Strife and Contention and the Persecutions that have been amongst us Let us repent of the great neglect of family-Family-duties and our spending so much time at Taverns and Coffee-houses Let others repent of their Frauds in Commerce and Trading and others of their Oaths and Blasphemies and others of their Extortion and Oppression others of their base temporizing in Religion Let Children repent of Disobedience to Parents and Parents of their neglect of the Instruction and Education of their Children so Masters and Servants of the neglect of the Duties of their mutual Relation Let us rerent of our careless Hearing and our unprofitable Hearing of our loose Observation of the Sabbath and unworthy Receiving the Lord's-Supper and bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Let London remember what befel Sodom for not repenting and take heed of Sodom's Sins which are said to be Pride Ezek. 16.49 2 Pet. 2.6 Jude 7. Idleness and Fulness of Bread and Fornication and going after strange Flesh and now have suffered the Vengeance of Eternal fire That this City may not be called Sodom's Sister as Jerusalem was for being so like her in her Sin Ezek. 16.48 and her Fruit not like the Apples of Sodom fair without and within nothing but Ashes But I have better hope concerning this City and that as God hath wonderfully saved it so he will do still and that its case is not as Sodom's not to have in it ten righteous persons when Abraham interceded for the sparing of it And though this City was once laid in Ashes yet not as Sodom which was never built again and is now a bituminous Lake call'd Asphaltites and the Waters of it are deadly and the Fumes out of it mortal and the Ground and Trees about it barren which Pliny Solinus Diodorus Siculus and other Heathen Writers have taken notice of But London stands up out of its Ruins to the terror of those that design'd it to oblivion and perpetual desolation and is more populous than ever and the joyful Sound of the Gospel and the Voice of the Turtle are yet heard in her Streets and not the Voice of Owls and Satyrs as is foretold of Babylon And is spiritually called Sodom Rev. 11.8 And was Typed by the City Jericho which would expose the Man to a fatal Curse that
Text your State is one that God judges an ill one and calls you out of it and charges you to make all possible speed out of Many wish themselves in a State of God's Wrath when they say Oh that I were in but so good a Condition as this or that Child They know less than many Catechised little Children who know not this Such is an Vnconvert State that Christ himself cannot save a Soul in it The Lord maketh you all to feel the words that I can make you but hear My Father in all his Letters to me used to write O Child better never born than not New Born Infer 2. Your Miserable State is one Alterable Would God call you out of your damning forgetfulness if there were no return possible Would he call you to a saving Remembrance if there were a fixed gulf and unpassable between you and Blessedness 'T is sin and madness for the worst of Sinners to say they are Reprobates No Man alive can know himself to be so And the worst Man Living must make himself still worser by concluding so Young People your Unconversion hitherto has kept you unreconciled to God but hitherto You are not now Vnreconcileable if now ye be not Obstinate and Vnperswadable I praise him who when Satan tempted him to despair of Salvation thus answered For shame Satan say not there 's no hope of me thou mightest be saved thy self if thou could'st Repent Infer 3. God is willing your miserable State should be altered and that speedily too Would he otherwise call you and so call you as you have heard Or can you tell what should make him unwilling True he needs you not But you need him and he delights in Mercy if you will believe him Forget not this of God and his Son God swears by his Life he desires not a Sinners Death Consequently he must desire their Conversion And as for his Son your Blessed Redeemer as he shed his Blood to save Sinners so he sheds Tears over them when they refuse his Salvation 'T is Satan not God that is the Herod desirous to slay you Children And be confident of this if he now moves you to Duty he surely means you Mercy Infer 4. You your selves can do more towards your Conversion and perfective Alteration than all the World can do This is hence gathered from God's setting his Ministers and your Parents and Friends all upon your selves He bids us not go to any others and tell them they must go new form your hearts No but charges us to apply unto you and call on you to make you new Hearts and new Spirits and Convert unto him and Remember him to right purpose 'T is therefore certainly most in the power of your own hand next to Gods God has committed you more to your own keeping than unto any meer Creatures And given you more power over your selves than any other Creature hath Wherefore neither can best Angels benefit you or worst Devils injure you as you can benefit or injure your selves And it less concerns you dayly to enquire what all the World has done for you or against you Then what you your selves have done for or against your selves Would you know what is the just extent of this Power what it is you can do and what it is you cannot do toward your Conversion Others have answered more largely I say this briefly Try and you shall know Do all the good you can and you shall know what good you can do To lie idle and do nothing because you know not how much you can do were a folly like Ezekiels Infant wallowing in its own Blood Infer 5. Your Tempters from present Conversion are Hells black Legion I infer it thus It is only Hell that opposeth Heaven Divels that fight against the Command of God Black Devils that withstand his express Commands But 't is his Command and most express one that you now presently do Convert Wherefore as oft as any man disswades you from it tell him you find by his Lip he has a Cloven Foot And you see Satan is grown idle and impudent and leaves off the trouble of transforming himself into an Angel of Light Tempting Company is the openest Mouth of Hell in all this World Infer 6. Your way unto Salvation is one and the self-same with other folks If not why should it be prescribed in the self-same words that the way of all others is prescribed in Sc. Remembering God Deut. 8.18 Jer. 51.50 There be many about you that will shew you young people a shorter cut to Heaven And there is much within you that will catch at it greedily enough But the Lord give you to receive your sight you will then as easily believe there is one God for you and another for old people as that there is one Religion for you and another for them Verily there is but one narrow Gate for the Entrance and one strait Way for the Progress of both of you Blessed are both that find it Miserable both that miss it I know not how he himself shall be saved that prompts young people that they may be so without Understanding Owning and Living sincerely according unto their Baptismal Engagement May the weight of Mat. 5.19 never lye upon my Soul dear unto me Infer 7. Your greatest Danger is of delaying to Convert Why else are you twice warned thereof in the Text Why required to Convert in your Youth before you are Old and just Now before you are a minute Older Death stands before Old Mens Faces and one would think they should not venture to put it off It is somewhat farther out of your sight indeed but so swiftly it oft comes that it is of wonder you your selves should be so daring as to do it But alas both of you are daily seen full of your Delays Full often in my Pulpit I think what a number should I Convert this time but that my old Folk think they may as well Convert next Week and my young ones think they may Convert next Year both think they may Convert another time And what saâ—â—s my trembling Heart Plainly thus Oh Delay Delay thou bond of Iniquity thou bane of Piety thou bar of Conversion Satan's great Barge into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone be gone and destroy not this Congregation Sirs Remember it down-right denyal of Conversion is nothing near so like to ruine you as dallying Delay of it 'T is Delay is the Element of Unregeneracy as Unregeneracy is the Element of Hell Infer 8. Youthful Vnconverts are the worst of Demoniacks and break most bonds of God For as you have heard you have special Obligations on you Though God makes your days choice and good yet cleave you will unto the worst evil Though you have on you the Restraints which old sinners have long ago had took off from them you sin as they The Spirit of God that has done striving with many of them strives still with you Conscience that is
the same Duty press'd by another he directeth otherwise (n) 1 Cor. 14.8 If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself for the Spiritual Warfare Answ 1. Those that ordinarily ask this Question don't do it for practical Direction but for captious diversion they don't speak by way of Enquiry but excuse they 'll except against this and the other but they 'll follow none and therefore I 'll pass by these 2. Do but practise that wherein all the Ministers of Christ are agreed and you are safe They all give the same Directions for substance though their Directions are different they are not contrary You know there 's nothing more ordinary than for two Ministers to preach upon one Text and to handle it different ways and to draw from it different Inferences and different Uses but while they keep to Scripture and to the Analogy of Faith all is commendable and beneficial Christ is pleased variously to distribute both Graces and Gifts both to Ministers and Christians and 't is to the Glory of his Wisdom and Grace that he doth so All who are Faithfull to Christ and Souls agree in such things as these viz. To convince of the evil of Sin and of the necessity of Regeneration there 's none that 's worth the name of a Minister that can give Sin a good word they cannot speak slightly of sin they cannot encourage sin they cannot they dare not flatter you in your sins they all agree to assure you (o) Numb 32.23 That your sin will find you out that if you do not find out your Sin to Repentance your Sin will find you out to your Ruine They all agree to direct you to Christ some do it with more skill and warmth than others but all agree in the thing (p) 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ They all agree in pressing a Life of Holiness to evidence the sincerity of your Faith (q) Heb. 12.14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord with comfort 3. Endeavour to learn the holy Skill and the holy Zeal of making your Advantage of the different Talents of Christ's faithfull Ministers Hear none but whom you may groundedly take to be Ministers of Christ And then esteem such for their Masters sake whoever brings me a Message from Christ shall be welcome (r) Isa 52.7 How beautifull upon the Mountains are the feet though sweaty dusty dirty of him that bringeth good tidings of the dissolution of the Babylonian Captivity that publisheth Salvation by Jesus Christ how much more amiable must these be (Å¿) 1 Cor. 12 7 11 21. The Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall dividing to every man severally as he will No one shall have all lest he should be proud none shall want all lest he should be discouraged 4. Strive to approve your selves to be of a healing Temper You will hereby get more profit to your selves and be more usefull unto others (t) Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Those that long and labour for Peace they are like God and Christ and shall be owned as such It is a Duty for every one to sit down under a particular Pastor for the enjoyment of all Ordinances but as still holding Communion with the truly Catholick Church Though you can hold local Communion but with one Congregation at once yet you may hold mental Communion with the whole Church of Christ at the same time Do any thing but sin to comply with others for their spiritual Edification and be not too hasty in accounting any thing sinfull wherein the sincere Servants of Christ may have Sentiments different from yours rather suspend your own practice than censure others I would commend it to you to love the Truth and Peace to love Truth more than Peace but yet to consider several Truths of lesser moment may be waved for Peace sake e. g. I may part with several things of my own right for Peace sake (u) Gen. 13.8.9 Abraham the Uncle lets his Nephew Lot make that choice which belong'd to himself lest their Infidel Neighbours should scorn both for their Contentions The Blessed Apostle will not insist upon (w) 1 Cor. 9.12 his due maintenance lest he should hinder the spreading of the Gospel This Rule is therefore to be observed that when two different Commands at the same time call for our Obedience we must consider which of them is of greatest moment not so much in it self as to that season for so a Command about the immediate Worship of God must give place to a command that concerns but Mans bodily relief (x) Mat. 9.13 I will have mercy rather than sacrifice Several good works must be omitted when the doing of them will do more hurt than good I 'll close this with that of the Apostle (y) 1 Cor. 9.19 22. Though I be free from all men not obliged to any one more than another yet have I made my self servant unto all I have complyed with the perswasions and inclinations of others in things Indifferent that I might gain the more that I might win them to Christ for their Salvation To the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews i. e. To the unbelieving Jews I conformed to some of their Ceremonies that I might perswade them to embrace Christianity To them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law i. e. To those believing Jews and Gentiles who yet think 't is necessary to observe the Law of Moses I comply also with them in some Ceremonies which were not yet unlawfull To them that are without the Law as without Law i. e. To those Gentiles that do not look upon themselves as bound to observe the Law of Moses among them I use my Christian Liberey for the non-observing of dayes and meats c. being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ i. e. I walk by the Rule of the Moral Law and subjecting my self to all the Commands of Christ in the Gospel To thâ—â—â—ak became I as weak that I might gain the weak i. e. I condescended to the weak in teaching them according to their Capacity to learn I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some i. e. I accommodate my self to all persons for the promoting of the Gospel Quest 3. How shall weak Christians that have but low Parts little Grace few helps and many hinderances follow these or such like Directions Answ 1. Know this to your Comfort that though you are such yet while you are low in your own esteem and diligent in the use of what means and helps you have you stand fair to be as thriveing Christians as rich in Grace and Comfort as those you apprehended far exceed you 'T is the
sense of misery that a man would fain be rid of and can't 't is a Yoke whereby his Neck is gall'd but he can't put it off and if he should be released from it by any undue ways or means it would be to his farther detriment and danger in the end Now from this Fear of Death the Children are said to be delivered by Christ There are many evils from which he redeems and delivers them he delivers them from the bondage of sin and Satan from the rigour and Curse of the Law from everlasting Punishment and Wrath to come and he delivers them also from the Fear of Death This is imply'd if it be not express'd in the Text for upon the mentioning of their deliverance he gives this description of the Persons that are delivered that they wâ—â—e such as were afraid of Death and lyable to continual bondage by reason thereof Hence all Expositors both ancient and modern do rationally inferr That the Fear of Death is one of those evils from whence we are deliver'd by Jesus Christ The Text thus briefly open'd administers a fair occasion of resolving this Case or Question From what Fear of Death are the Children of God deliver'd by Jesus Christ and by what means doth he deliver them from it I shall break this Question in two and enquire 1. From what Fear of Death the Children of God are delivered from by Jesus Christ And then 2. By what Means or Methods he doth deliver them from it 1. From what Fear of Death are the Children of God deliver'd by Jesus Christ That I may resolve this Question aright I must distinguish of the Fear of Death 1. There is a natural Fear of Death This is common to all Men as Men and 't is more or less in them according to their different Constitutions and other accidental Occurrences This is nothing else but Natures aversation to it 's own dissolution and in it's self it is a sinless infirmity such as sickness weariness or the like To be loth or afraid to dye is humane and inseparable from the nature of man this fear of Death is found with the best of men Nature as one says hath a share in them as well as in others and will work as Nature or like it self The Apostle Paul tells us how good godly men are unwilling to be uncloath'd and to put off the body 2 Cor. 5.4 Our blessed Saviour who was a true though not a meer Man without the least impeachment of the Holiness and Perfection of his humane Nature express'd at some times an aversion to death John 12.27 Mark 14.35 This therefore is not the fear of Death of which the Text speaks and from which the Children of God are deliver'd by Jesus Christ 2. There is a slavish Fear of Death which hath Torment in it or which torments the Souls of men which fills their hearts with terrors and distractions which discomposeth their minds and unfits them for the duties of their general or particular callings and totally disables them from prosecuting the things that belong to their Peace and Welfare This is that fear of Death of which the Text speaks and from which the Children are deliver'd such as genders unto bondage and is servile or slavish a fear of Death as poenal and drawing after it everlasting punishment This fear of Death takes hold of carnal men they are not so much afraid of Death as of that which the Scripture calls the second Death Revel 2.11 20.6 Heb. 9.26 't is that which follows after death that makes it so formidable to them after Death as that Text speaks comes Judgment when they must receive according to the things which they have done in the Body When they dye they must launch out into an endless Ocean and go the way as Job says from whence they shall never return Job 16.22 And if Death overtakes them in their unregenerate state and condition then it will be an entrance or inlet into outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth These and such-like are the considerations that make Death so dreadfull to the Children of Men that give it the denomination of the King of Terrors and of terrible things the most terrible they are not as one said afraid to dye but they are afraid to be damn'd Hence it is that though Death be terrible to all men yet it is most terrible to those whose Consciences are awakened and whose understandings are enlightned who have been instructed in the Knowledge of God and of a future State of Retribution Death as one observes is not half so terrible to a Heathen as it is to an ungodly Christian Heathen men are in the dark and see but little of that which is the true terror of Death But enlightned Christians who have been acquainted with the Scripture who know that the Wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 Psal 9.17 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God that the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all Nations and people that forget God that Jesus Christ shall be reveal'd from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power That the greatest part by far of the wages of sin which is eternal damnation shall be paid in another World These are they that are surrounded with the slavish fears of Death 'T is true that many wicked Persons who live under the Gospel are under none of these terrors but then 't is because they look on Death at a great distance from them and the remoteness of any Object though in it's self never so terrible takes away the fear of it Or else it is because they are over-busied and taken up about the things of the World as the lust of the flesh or of the eyes or the pride of life and if any thoughts of Death and of the World to come arise in their minds they are presently smother'd and stifled by worldly objects and diversions Cain was a while afraid of Death he thought every one that met him would slay him but by and by he gets into the Land of Nod and there he falls a building of Cities and doth so immerse or drown himself in the affairs of the World that by little and little the slavish fear he had of Death did wear out of his mind Or else it is because of their Atheism or Infidelity there is a great deal of this amongst professed Christians All wicked men as the Apostle Paul says are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.12 without God in the World or as it may be rendred they are Atheists in the World They are all practical Atheists and too many are
of them do eternally miscarry they will die in their Sins but their blood will be required at your hands Whereas your holy care as to them will be very pleasing acceptable unto God as is clear from his former dealings in this very case He took this so kindly at the hand of Abraham that upon the account thereof he would reveal unto him his purpose Gen. 18.17 The Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do Shall I not communicate my Secrets to Abraham shall I do such a Work as I am now resolved upon and not let Abraham know it But why did the Lord ask such a question why might he not hide that or any thing else from him or another if he pleased being Agens liberrimum a most free Agent and giving no account of his Matters But what was the reason of this his so great condescention Or what was Abraham that God's Cabinet-Council should be as to any one particular unlocked and open'd unto him God himself gives two reasons of it one in the 18th Verse Seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations in the Earth shall be blessed in him I have promised him great Mercies and Blessings such as I have not promised to any man besides in the whole world and shall I after that conceal this from him which is a great deal less but the other reason to which I now refer you followeth in the 19th Verse for I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. I know him I am sure he is my Friend He loves me dearly His heart is set for my honour and interest He will commend me and my way to all that are under his charge and He will lay his Command upon them to love fear and serve me and keep my way God will manifest himself unto and set a special mark of favour upon those that are studious of promoting and posteritizing Religion and the Worship of God in their Families These are Men and Women according to his Heart Will you then study heartily apply to your Duty to this purpose will you teach your Children and Servants the good knowledge and fear of the Lord Labour to instil betimes into them right Principles and be dropping as they are capable of receiving Will you be provoking and spurring them on to their Duty by your warm Counsels and Exhortations will you lay your strict Commands upon them to do it as they would have your love and avoid your displeasure Allure them by your own example that is a strong silken Cord which draws sweetly The way to have them write well is for you to set them good Copies Oh let them not see Irreligion in you and Prophaness in you for an hundred to one but if they do that will do them more mischief than all your Precepts and Counsels will do them good Are you in good earnest when you tell them you would have them good then take care that you be good your selves Be sure to set up and keep up in your Families the Worship of God There were indeed Saints in Nero's House and an Ahijah in Jeroboam's in whom there was some good thing toward the Lord God of Hosts who can make Flowers grow in Dunghils and Wildernesses as well as Springs of Water in Deserts but these are Rarities there is no great reason to expect them such soils do not usually afford them Therefore do you worship God and Pray with your Families Morning and Evening a Duty I fear too much neglected by some who know better follow you the pattern of good Joshua in that excellent resolution that He and his house would serve the Lord not He alone nor they alone but all in a Conjunction Company is comfortable and desirable in that which is good Keep a watchful eye upon them do not trust them with themselves for the Scripture tells you that Childhood and Youth are Vanity and that Folly is bound up in the hearts of young ones there is an whole pack of folly in them and if you do not look to them they will both add to the pack and open it They bring into the world with them a great deal of corruption and that is just like Tinder and Touchwood that will quickly catch and be fired by those sparks of Temptation which fly up and down thick in the World Give unto them all the encouragement that is fit for them Children should have ingenuous and liberal Education and Servants not be used like slaves not dispirited and discouraged chid and beaten into Mopes Command mingled with kindness and love will be found to do best and go furthest but never let loose the Reins of Government hold them strait for where too much liberty is given a great deal more will be taken by which means if there be not care taken to prevent it that liberty will soon degenerate into licentiousness for it borders upon it already I beseech you therefore Fathers and Masters Mothers and Mistresses study you to be good in your places And since you are to govern other be sure rightly to govern your selves National Reformation will easily follow when Family-Reformation leads the way Secondly I shall direct my Exhortation to particular persons every one of you to whom I now speak and every one of those to whom this discourse shall come from the highest to the lowest of what rank and quality soever they are and in what place and station soever the hand of Divine Providence hath set them It is not so much matter what you are for greatness as what you are for goodness not so much in what Orb you are fixed if we may speak of such a thing as a fixation in a tumbling and rolling world as with what beams you shine I beseech you all one and other to look to your selves and be very circumspect and careful of your selves what you are what you do and how you carry in the world Every man is charged with himself though not only with himself yet with himself every man is to give an account of himself to God None of you are so high as to be unaccountable It is your unquestionable Duty to keep your hearts with all diligence and to ponder the Path of your feet You ought to be considerate men and curious and exact and to weigh things propounded to you before you close with them and actions before you do them Will you be perswaded to apply to this Duty will you do it will you walk circumspectly accurately not as Fools but as Wise not as Beasts but as Men not as Heathen-men but as Christians as those that have been under Gospel Divine teachings will you endeavour to lead such a conversation as becomes those who do really believe there is a God another Life and State after this a Resurrection from the Dead a Judgment an Heaven and an