Matth. 7.13 Wide is the gate and broad the way that leads to destruction and many there be that goe in thereat Ver. 14. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Rom. 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying Ver. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 6.22 But now being made free from sinne and become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life And 8.18 For I reckon that the moment any afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us 1 Cor. 9.24 So runne that you may obtain Zach. 4.10 For who hath despised the day of small things Psal 89.47 Remember O Lord how short my time is Col. 4.5 Walk in wisdome redeeming the time Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation 2 Chron. 29.11 My sonne be not now negligent Matth. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Prov. 22.8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome And 103.15 As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flower of the field so he flourisheth And 144. ver 4. Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that soon passeth away Heb. 3.7 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Ver. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullnesse of sinne Exod. 22.29 Thou shal not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits Psal 119.60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Job 11.23 14. If thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands towards him if inquity be in thy hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles Psal 119.137 140. Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements thy Word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Psal 64.9 10. And all men shall fear and shall declare the works of God for they shall wisely consider of his doings The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Jam. 4.14 Whereas you know not what shall be to morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Prov. 14.32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death INfancy the first Age is like passing through the red Sea in this is required patience this is our first footing into the wildernesse to which we passe through the bloudy sea of our distressed mother afflicting her with sorrow that first tells us of a land of rest And why should nature thus behave her self to seem ungratefull to her dearest nurce and Viper-like to kill and tear her damme it may be this because there is a dangerous wildernesse to passe through before we come to this Land of Promise and many by-wayes and broad pathes in it leading all to destruction and only one strait way and narrow path there is that leadeth to Canaan and hard it is and few there are that finde it and being once set down in this wandring desert if we misse this strait way and goe a deadly path woe is to us that ever we undertook it better had it been for us if we had not been born But as the losse is most sad so is the right ordering of our way and following this strait path most joyfull in the end for what are afflictions if through them we enter into the Kingdom of God of which the momentany afflictions of this life are not worthy and unlesse we undertake this journey unlesse we runne we cannot obtain we cannot have the prize the blisse This is the day of small things the beginning of dayes unto us the beginning of our pretious time so swift a steed that if he once passe we cannot bring him back therefore let us improve the time because the dayes are evill be very vigilant that it passe not in vain Some times there are which are taken from us some are stollen from us and others slip away from us but the shamefullest losse of time that may be is when it proceedeth from our own negligence We see a great part of time flitteth from all men very much from idle persons and the whole from those that love iniquity therefore ought we to put a great price upon time to esteeme of a day and to know that we dye daily for herein are we deceived because we suppose death to be far from us when the truth is death holds all our years in his possession therefore imbrace and lay hold on every houre So shalt thou be blessed in suspence for to morrow if thou fasten thy hands on to day whilest life is deferred it fleeteth therefore make good use of time while thou hast it for infinite are the waies that end it to thee It is a very evill thing to delay the performing of good duties in this life which is very short if thou wouldest fortifie provide against the pursuite of a powerfull enemy then more especially against the power of death it is more worthy to consummate life before death then to delay the living of a blessed life and death take us unprepared the greatest losse is the losse of time and the greatest grief when it is truly considered A good life consisteth not in the space but use of time whence it cometh to passe that he who hath lived longest hath often lived little or nothing As the heathen Philosopher wisely observed of one who neglected the improvement of his time Quod octoginta Annorum fuit septem tamen Annos tantum vixit accounting only that life which was spent with prudence and circumspection Consider when thou lyest down it may be thou shalt not rise when thou sleepest thou mayest not awake and when thou wakest thou mayst sleep no more Ut somnus mori is sic lectus imago sepulchri When thou goest forth thou maist not returne and when thou returnest thou maist goe forth no more there is not three fingers only betwixt the Mariner and death but in all places and at all times death and life are not farre asunder every where death shews not himself so nigh as nigh he is but live thou the life of the righteous and thou shalt surely die the death of the righteous which is the sure gain of eternall life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Train up a childe in the way he should go and
make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judg after the sight of the eyes neither reprove after the hearing of the ears but with righteousnesse shall he judge the poâ—r and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgment Prov. 21.3 To doe justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Ver. 1â— It is joy to the just to doe judgment but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Jer. 31.30 Every one shall die for his own iniquity every man that eateth the sower grapes his teeth shall be set on edge Isa 51.1 Thus saith the Lord Keep ye judgment and doe justice And 59.4 None calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth they trust in vanity and speak lies they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity Ver. 8. The way of peace they know not and theâ—e is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked pathes whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Ver. 9. Therefore is judgment farre from us neither doth justice overtake us We wait for light but behold obscurity for brightness but we walk in darkness Ver. 14. And judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afarre off for truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter 1 Chron. 16.10 Let the heart of them that seek the Lord rejoyce Deut. 26.11 And thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee Matth. 12.36 Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment Heb. 3.7 13 15. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice Exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardned through the deceitfullness of sinne Joh. 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me while it is called to day the night cometh when no man can work Jam. 4.14 Whereas you know not what will be tomorrow for that is your life it is even a vapour it appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night And 119.24 Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Psal 109.4 I give my self unto prayer Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye doe them Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evill concupisence and covetousness which is idolatry Ver. 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Prov. 2.6 7. For the Lord giveth wisdome out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding He layeth up sound wisdome for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly And 3.21 My sonne let them not depart from thy house keep sound wisdome and discretion And 8.14 Counsell is mine and sound wisdome I am understanding and I have strength Hag. 1.5 Thus saith the Lord God Consider your wayes Ezra 10.16 And they sate down to examine the matter Joh. 7.14 Judg not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment 2 Cor. 10.7 Doe you look on things according to outward appearance Prov. 29.20 Seest thou a man that is hasty of words there is more hope of a fool then of him Acts 19.36 Ye ought to doe nothing rashly Prov. 22.20 21. Have not I written unto thee excellent things in councell and knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee THus by the mercy of God we have setled our Plantation in a good and fruitfull soyl in a very pleasant place and by his good hand in mercy guiding and protecting us we may many years receive the comfortable fruit thereof We must in this ninth Age of our life with sound judgment and justice settle and order our affairs so that every one may with equity and right receive his portion in due season to this end it is not too late according to this method to discourse of justice and sound judgment what it is and first of Justice in generall Justice is to give to every man that which appertains to him to a mans self first and afterwards to others so that it comprehends all the duty and offices of every particular party Does as thou wouldest or rather as thou oughtest to be done to carries a man very farre but not through or to the utmost of this duty before we can well know how to command others we must know how to command our selves how to defend our selves from our selves reason must command the appetite desire and will must all be obedient to it this is the first originall inward proper and most beautifull justice that may be Equity and right reason is true justice which handleth and ruleth the Law as need requireth the Laws and justice must be handled justly both in rewards and punishments Justice cannot be executed by the lump or in gross but must be drawn out into particular dispensations according to the occasion The two parts and hands of Justice are punishment and reward but as it is usually ministred it is commonly lame at least in one of them Charity begins at home so must justice by it we may examine our selves how and to what end we live and spend our dayes surely it must not be to passe our short and pretious time carelesly by chance and by adventure as the most doe who live not seriously and attentively as indeed our duty is but vainly heedlesly from day to day and as it falleth out they taste not possesse not enjoy not their lives but use them only to make use of other things by this means they abuse themselves and many good things through their misuse they doe all things as I may say in good earnest but to live they are serious in the least and in the main and principall they are negligent We may and ought to live seriously attentively and cheerfully for that our life
you and abound they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 9. But he that lacketh these things is blinde 1 Joh. â— 15 Love not the world nor the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Prov. 14.14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes and a good man shall be satufied from himself Psal 34. from the 10th to the end The young Lyons doe lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall not want any thing that is good Come my children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desirech life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evill and thy lippes that they speake no guâ—l Depart from evill and doe good seek peace and ensue it The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry The face of the Lord is against them that doe evill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Evill shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate The Lord redeemeth the souls of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Prov. 14.15 16. The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings A wise man feareth and departeth from evill but the fool rageth and is confident Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Ver. 14. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill NOw we have by the mercy of God obtained a fruitfull plantation in this promised Land let us plant in it good and wholesome fruit for men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figgs of thistles Here we may proceed in the sixth Age of our Life and third ascent of our Manhood under the notion of constant Action and hereby our duty is by all means to endeavour the good of all the heavens lead us to this by shining upon all without hopes of gain or requitall shewing thereby the duty of a good man to his neighbour to be constantly conversant in some good employment of the body minde or both is a very lively branch of true vertue which keeps a man unvanquished and is not subject to pleasures and hath its reward in it self Vertue doth alone bring forth solid joy and only enables a man to bear all the changes and chances of this life with comfort and doe you rightly consider all the branches that proceed from this root and you will finde that they are firmly united with linkes unseparable as all the branches of a tree have but one root to nourish them so all the Vertues have but one principall foundation which is the doing all things out of true obedience to the service and commands of almighty God therefore is true Vertue most highly to be aspired unto Wisdome is a true branch of it which makes a man rightly to understand the nature use and property of all things and counteth nothing evill but vice which it is alwaies sufficiently fortified against and cannot enter there Teach mee o lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it vnto the end Psal 119.33 Take heede of wasting time for when it 's spent There 's noe redemption from the great Judgment Vaine wretched pride beholde within thy sight Is death or dayes falce pleasure or delight My dayly dying freinds that take theire flight At highest noone bid mee remember night where vertue and honesty dwelleth if injury be the sufferance of some evill and a wise man cannot suffer evill then there is no evill that appertains to a wise man every injury is a diminution of him to whom it is offered and no man may receive injury without some detriment either in good-Name body or goods but a wise man can loose nothing he hath all his goods inclosed with the enjoyment of true vertue as for other things he useth them as borrowed and what man is so much moved at the losse of what is not his own but if injury can attempt nothing which is proper to a wise man because the whole is conserved by his vertue it must follow that a wise man cannot be injured because he sets not his heart upon earthly things as if they were his own knowing that the possession of all those things that abound externally is slippery and un-assured plant then plentifully in the vineyard of Vertue and be thou a flourishing branch of this blessed root so thou shalt relieve others with thy pleasant fruits without diminishing of thy own store and plenty prosperity shall not puff thee up nor adversity deject thee true goods are never subject to moth rust and canker neither can thieves break through and steal them heavenly riches shall have a heavenly reward and earthly changes cannot approach their dwelling Wisdome will advise thee to be very carefull how thou dost ingage thy self either by word or action especially amongst a croud with a multituâ—e in a warre a civill warre against a Prince a present power rather fly such a flame if any conveniency will permit avoid the fire while fury is fierce let it passe thee for violent things are seldome permanent I cannot shew you a certain way to avoid the dangers that time and chance may bring upon you or upon your country in your generations for outward things true vertue and inward treasure must secure you it must be wisdome that heavenly gift obtained by true and hearty prayer and humble obedience that must guide your feet in the way of peace that peace which the world the flesh the devill cannot deprive us of which the God of Heaven grant us all for his mercies sake Amen Into thy hands I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed it or lord God of truth Psal 31.5 If wee a blest Creatoure and a saviour haue Our duty is to worke and faith to craue Vnto my mother earth I am now gon Vntill the morning resurrection As quickly as the Sand falls to his place Soe sudden is the change of humane race Gen. 2.8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed Ver. 15. And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dresse it and to keep it Prov. 20.18 Every purpose is established by counsell and with good advice make warre And 24.6 For by wise
not of God Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit Chap. 5. ver 6. This is he that came by water and bloud even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and bloud and it is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the spirit is truth Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the upright is to depart from evill he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul Ezek. 18.27 When the wicked man turneth away from his wickednesse that he hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right he shall save his soul alive And 33. v. 5. He that taketh warning shall deliver his soul 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Eph. 4.17 18 19 20. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanities of their minde having their understanding darkned through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work all uncleanness with greediness but ye have not so learned Christ Ver. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye doe them Heb. 10.9 10. Then said he Loe I come to doe thy will O God By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Psal 119.37 Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy Law And 101.3 I will set no wicked thing before my eyes And 78.1 Give ear O my people to my Law encline your ears to the words of my mouth And 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked are before me Prov. 10.20 31. The tongue of the just is as choice silver The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdome but the froward tongue shall be cut out Prov. 16.20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall finde good and who so trusteth in the Lord happy is he Prov. 25.11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evill pride and â—rrogancy and the evill way and the froward mouth doe I hate And 11.2 When pride cometh then cometh shame but with the lowly is wisdome And 13.10 Only by pride comes contention but with the well advised is wisdome And 14.3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride but the lipps of the wise shall preserve them And 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall And 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Be cloathed in humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls 1 Cor. 12.25 That there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first-fruits of thy increase Exod. 20.17 Honour thy father and thy mother c. Joh. 5.4 I receive not honour from men And V. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God only And Chap. 8. ver 54. Jesus answered if I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God Rom. 2.7 10. To them which by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Ver. 10. But glory honour peace to every one that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Psal 119.36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Isa 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things that he possesseth Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have Prov. 8.9 He that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster Luk. 15 13 14 15 16. The prodigall or younger sonne gathered all together and took his journey into a farre countrey and there wasted his substance with riotous living and when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want and he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey and he sent him into his field to feed swine and he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him SEeing by the mercy of God we have obtained a happy plantation planted and nourished it so that the tender imps doe promise much content and profit it is now time to fence and defend it thereby preserving it from devouring and ravenous beasts with other dangers which if it lye open to the wildernesse of this worlds attempts and assaults it will thereby be subject to receive detriment and damage here is great need of carefull watchfullnesse least while we neglect or sleep the enemy enter sowe tares and destroy this falls out here in our discourse to be particularly treated on in this eighth Age of our life with this remembrance that what is duty in any part of our pilgrimage is requisite to be carefully looked unto and performed all our lives so farre and so long as our bodies and mindes are capeable of performing such duty and service to our Maker the benefit of which redoundeth wholly to our selves if truly with such duty and relation performed Under the protection of this secure watch we may passe all our dayes in safety therefore it is most necessary to make diligent search what this watch is and over what it is to be by this watch may be understood the sacred and holy Spirit of God moving us to doe right and holy duties and our care and watching ought to be at all times to take heed of quenching or neglecting the blessed motions of this sacred Spirit in us which is done by neglecting sleighting forgetting opposing or any want of executing the good motions Wee must all appeare before the Judgment seat of Christ Cor 2 5 10 What manner of persons then ought wee to bee In