one may be easily mistaken though one never so truly desire to Act every way for the best In order hereunto that may seem to be the best which will not really prove so and therefore it is not good to be too Confident of ones own apprehensions to lean to ones own understanding What but if I may not trust my own Judgment what other light have I to steer my selfe by Would you have me to act rashly or follow my lusts No there is no necessity for that neither though thine Understanding be shallow and easily Imposed upon Gods is not so he is able to give thee a true and through information what thou maiest what thou oughtest to do what is most convenient for thee so that though being left to thy self thou easily mayest do Foolishly nay it is an hundred to one but thou wilt yet being instructed and directed by him there is no fear but thou wouldest do otherwise Yea but the question is not whether God be able to satisfy what is fit to be done in every case whatsoever but whether he will or no There is no doubt of that neither do but thou trust him and he will direct thee Ye have 1st A word of sober counsell to all who desire to Act for the best at all times especially in difficult cases and such as are of Importance too where observe 3. Things 1st To place all thy Confidence in God as having a through Knowledge of all Circumstances wisdome to discerne conveniencies and inconveniencies and to order things accordingly goodness to give wholsome Advice to those who desire it faithfully to make use of all his skill power and interest for the advantage of those that trust in him 2ly To be cautious how thou so much as leanest to much less wholly Reliest on thine own understanding how thou presnmest to act because thou thinkest all is lawfull right good fit not being sensible how Ignorant and Foolish thou art how unable to discerne or Judge not being aware how many Conveniencies or inconveniencies may be concealed from thee how many misrepresented how many misapprehended and misjudged although thou hast helped thine own understanding as much as may be by taking the Advice of those who are the most apprehensive Experienced Judicious reall and faithfull yea and somewhat sought God too in the case as being a little distrustfull of thine own Knowledge prudence intelligence and that of others too 3. To acknowledge to lay it down to thine own Soul as an Undoubted Truth that business will not be carried on with thy will thy must and shall It shall not be according to thy wishes and desires be they never so vehement not according to thy Contrivances and designes be they never so sure laid so closely pursued But the Counsell of the Lord shall stand and his pleasure shall prosper 2ly A word of suteable encouragement to induce unto the embracing of this counsell Men Dubious what to do and uncertain of Events especially in matters of concernment are desirous of two things 1st To be determined what to do 2ly Resolved what to expect Both these are assured in this case of trusting 1st They shall be directed what to do 2ly Prospeâ—ed and their way made plain And that with a double advantage 1st They shall not onely have a Generall direction as to their way but even a particular one as to their path their endeavours shall not onely Succeed as to the main but as to the manner too they shall come at it in the way they do desire 2ly Their direction shall not onely be such as may serve But it shall be the best that could be wished or hoped for such as the wise good faithfull God can give their successe will not be such as may Content onely but such as will Satisfie such as they shall not know how to wish amended Doct. It is the duty and Concernment of the People of God to relie on the Lord for counsell and successe in every thing they set about The words run either in the form of Command or of Counsell here is double emphasis to be taken notice of 1st With all thine heart Look thou unto the Lord without any doubt or fear as one able to Advise thee for the best to prosper thine endeavours willing and ready too Suffer no thoughts to Arise in thee as shall dare to question whether he either can or will 2ly In all thy wayes not only in matters of greatest concernement but even in those of small importance Not onely in Affairs of difficult resolution where thou thy selfe art at a nonplus but even in those of greatest evidence and facility where every one almost is ready to presume he is wise enough to advise himselfe What is it to trust in the Lord It is 1st To be perswaded the Lord is able to counsell thee what thou Lawfully mayest do what thou necessarily oughtest to do in the business thou art about whatever it be He knowes thee and all thy Circumstances understands what will more or less please or Cross thee what will promote thy spirituall and eternall welfare what impede it Hee sees what is for the present he sees what probably may be what certainly will be if he prevent it not All this he knowes throughly and none else not the quickest the most Experienced the most obseruant not he that has the greatest Advantages to prie God is able to prosper thy Endeavours so as they may best make for thy true content thine everlasting welfare He can blast or succeed enterprizes incline hearts this way or that way as he pleases turn them to what they are most Averse from take them of from what they are most bent upon he can cast in obstacles or remove them all these and many of the Like nature are easy with him he has Wisdome Power authority wayes instruments enough to incourage unto the vse of the means he directs to notwithstanding the severall difficultyes which Present themselves by either shewing or hinting the ways how they may be declined or overcome 2ly That he is very willing and ready to give wholesome Advice for I shall not mention the other two particulars which are not so plainly in the text to those that need it desire it Relie upon him for it To represent unto him conveniencies and inconveniencies this way and that way To shew him which are more considerable which like to last which like to increase which like to lessen and vanish to give him a true discerning and a right Judgment in all things so that what he resolves upon the Course he shall take shall be no way prejudiciall to him as to his convenient Comfort and reall welfare every way Advantageous Thou hast found him good thou hast heard he is good thou Beleevest him to be so one that Considers what may grieve or please hurt or help the least of his little ones one that Loves not to Suffer any of his People inconsiderately to plunge
to know the ready and certain way of the Place where he may get all his Necessities supplied 〈◊〉 whâ—n he knows the Way he never offers to take it but rests where he is till he Perish through Hunger Thirst and â—â—â—â—â—ness 2ly In that they please themselves in that which will certainly prâ—jâ—dâ—ce them For men had much better not know Gods will than when they do know it not to do it Their sin becomes more hâ—inous S. John 9. 41. Jesus said unto 〈…〉 ye were Blind ye should have no Sin but now ye say we see therefore your Sin Remaineth Christ here aggravates the Sin of the Pharisees in that they sinned with their Eyes open If ye were Blind ye should have no Sin i. e. None in Comparison of what now ye have The more Will there is in any Sin the more Wickedness also and the more Knowledge there is the more Will. And their Judgment becomes of more Grievous like that of the Servant which know his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will and therefore was adjudged to be Beaten with many Stripes S. Luke 12. 47. God is more highly provoked by those who presume to do what they know is contrary to his Will and therefore he will more severely Punish them And it adds to the Wright of their Judgement when our Conscience has greater Reason than Ordinary to upbraid us for bringing our selves Voluntarly under it in that we were told the way to Escape it and intreated yea Commanded to take this way and yet we would not If any shall say that if Ignorance somewhat Extenuate the Sin and alleviate the Judgement it will be the wisest course to live in Ignorance and to shun Knowledge Let such know that although Unavoidable Ignorance extenuates Sin yet affected Ignorance aggravates it When men are desirous to know what they should do and omit and are Willing to do their Duty according to their Knowledge and Neglect no means which God Vouchsafes them whereby their Knowledge may be increased In this case if they do what ought not to be done or Neglect what ought not to be Neglected God imputes it to their Ignorance and not to themselves and he accounts this Ignorance their Unhappiness rather than their Sin He deals with them as he did with S. Paul in the like case they obtain Mercy because they do it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. But if men being desirous to Sin without any Check of Conscience do therefore shun to know their Duty when they have means of Knowledge that they may go on in their Sinfull Omissions and Commissions without regret or Reluctancy their Ignorance of their Duty doth but make their Sin the more heinous The Reason why they do what they ought not and do not what they ought is not because they know not what ought or ought not to be done For if they did know this Never so well they would do as they do still therefore their Ignorance cannot Excuse that Sin which it has no Influence upon Besides if their being Ignorant of their Duty were the Cause of their Transgressing it yet they being the Cause of their own Ignorance in that they do purposely decline those means which might remove it lest they should by them come to know their Duty they can in no wise be Excused by their Ignorance Their Ignorance in this case is not a bare Circumstance of another Sin but a distinct Sin in it self in that it is a Voluntary thing in them and their own Choice Yea 't is an heinous Sin too in that the End it is designed for is that we may commit All Wickedness with more Greediness He that is naturally Blind if through his Blindness he run into some Mischief he is pitied and excused but he that can see well enough and yet shuts his Eyes on purpose that he may pretend this as an Excuse for his doing a Mischief he is the more Severely censured and the more Grievously Punished for it Use 2. This shews the great Untowardness which is in Mens hearts that they are so bad as to bring forth no Fruit when they have such advantage by Hearing to make them Fruitfull Hereby they are instructed what to do they learn what God does Counsell and command them to do Hereby they are convinced how much it is their Concernment to do what they are Counselled and Commanded It is as much as their Souls are worth to Neglect this It is the certain Loss of Heaven the certain Incurring all the Torments of Hell Hereby they are directed how to discharge their duty so as will make must for Gods Glory and their own Advantages they are directed how to get those Helps which may incline and Enable them for their Duty the Quickning and strengthening Vertue of the Spirit Hereby they are 〈◊〉 to set about their Duty notwithstanding the Difficulties of it and the Disadvantagâ—â— by it Now when men have such Instructions such Convictions such Directions such Encouragements to set about Doing it is a sign of great Naughtiness in their Hearts when nothing will make them do their Duty neither Respect to God nor to Themselves and their own good Use 3. This shows the great Necessâ—â—y of getting the Heart throughly 〈◊〉 getting the Law writ in the Heart getting the Spirit of Life which is in Christ and Improving those Promises whereby God 〈◊〉 Encourage us to expect these great things from him For then shall we both Know Gods will and be Willing and ready to do it but not till then We may without this Hear with our outward Ears what ever 〈◊〉 can tell us of our Duty and Gods will and yet never Understand it we may Understand and never Believe it We may Believe for so do the Devils in some sense all Gods Word and never Obey it But when the Lord has put his Spirit within 〈◊〉 to cause us to walk in his statutes Ezek. 36. 27. We shall walk in them When God has Created us in Christ Jesus unto good works we shall Walk in them Ephes. 2. 10. If God Sanctifie us throughout in Spirit Soul and Body we shall be preserved 〈◊〉 unto the Sâ—cond coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. Thes 5. 23. Use 4. This shows how Unreasonable it is to blame Ministers always 〈◊〉 the Unfruitfulness of their Auditors and to Reproch them with the Sins of their Heavens It is Possible be their Preaching never so Powerfull their Lives never so 〈◊〉 they may little prevail with their Authors to bring them unto good If men may hear Christs sayings from his own mouâ—â— and yet 〈…〉 them when they have 〈…〉 there was so much Tuâ—â—h in his 〈…〉 so much 〈◊〉 and Prudence in 〈…〉 of Handling it as never can be Expected from any meer man how much more may they hear what is delivered by others without Profiting by it Take the most Eminent Preacher that ever Taught and let him be the most Unblameable Liver that ever
wherin the Perfection of God lies And press after such a Perfection as the divine Perfection is then when we are Perfect as God is we shall be Perfect indeed Doct. 1. It is the duty of Christians to endeavour after Perfection Were it not the duty and concernment of Christians thus to do Christ would neither command Counsel nor exhort them to it To be Perfect is to be every way compleat in all the excellencies of a Christian 1st As to the kinds of these to have all those excellencyes which a Christian is capable of he is imperfect who is dificient in any of these Now These are of two Sorts 1st Intellectuall perfecting the understanding whereby the man is made in the true light clearely and distinctly to discern all those truths which are of moment for the bettering the heart and life every way these truths are various 1st Such as concerne the State wherein we are so that we may not be mistaken here Judging our selves to be in the State of grace while we still continue in the state of nature or in the state of nature when we have already passed into the State of grace This full assurance of understanding as the Apostle calls it in Colos 2. 2. Is requisite to compleat a Christian for where this is wanting their will not be that Peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil 4. 7. The Joy unspeakable and full of glory 1. Pet. 1. 8. Which are necessary both 1st To vnite the heart freeing it from distracting feares what to do and what to expect which wherever they prevail hinder a man from being intent upon his main business of glorifying God and Saving Souls his own and others 2ly To satisfy the Heart that it may not adhere to or hanker after Vanityes here below and so be drawen to lay out its time strength and parts for the procuring or securing these and 3ly To inlarg the heart from an ingenious sense of the greatest mercyes received from God unto Sinners and earnest desires of pleasing and honouring that God who has already done much And has given an assurance of doing more And 4ly To strengthen the heart that the man may have both Courage to grappel with all the difficultyes of actiue and passive duties and might to overcome them being not infeebled by those misgivings of heart which those who are doubtfull of their state are Vnavoidably subject to 2ly Such as concerne the heart How to understand it as to all its principles whether good or bad how to observe it as to all its workings and motions with their rise and tendency how to improve it in Purity from defilements in liberty from slavery to Sin the World and Satan in life and strength to do and Suffer the whole will of God 3dly Such as concerne the life to bring it unto an Vniversal conformity to and complyance with the holy righteous and good will of God Hereunto conduce whatever makes known the nature of Sin with Sins Vgliness and mischeivousness The severall instances of duty as we are brought into severall conditions and stand in severall relations to God and man the necessary coincidence of duty with interest so that what ever we are obliged to upon any consideration we are as much concerned about every way and not onely to be perswaded thus much in generall but to discerne the particular duty the prudentiall wayes to be taken according to the varietys of Circumstances times Places and Persons for discharging duty in so advantagious a manner so as to bring most Glory to God most comfort and edification to our selves and brethren The cautious to be used in discovering and declining temptations Least by them we be insnared seduced out of the way of duty and drawn unto any Sinfull and distructive Courses Of such a Perfection in intellectualls St. Paul speakes 1. Corrin 2. 6. We Speak wisdom among them that are Perfect 2ly Morall such as have a more immediate influence both upon heart and life to better Borâ— In the heart are Principally four 1st Purity from all fillthy lusts whether Devillish as Pride and malice or worldly ambition for the vain applause and honours of the World and covetuousness after the wealth of the World or Sensuall Such as carry out after case and Pleasure in meats drinks recreations and other sensuall delights 2ly Humility low thoughts of our selves not onely as finite Creatures who have whatever excellencyes we have not only originally from but dependently upon another who gave them at first limmits them as to their degrees and operations continues them dureing his pleasure can recall them when he will But also as Foolish feeble Sinfull creatures Not knowing how to avoid the Greivous consequences of Sin nor yet how to bear them being pleased in such mean thoughts and very well content that others should entertaine the like of us 3dly Faith I speak not of the first act of faith which vnites the soul unto Christ and thereby puts in it a Principle of new life but of those Acts of faith which proceed from the life allready received from Christ as living upon God both as to our naturall and spirituall life and the comforts of both aboue means when we have them expecting no advantage by them to the making the World-tolerable Death acceptable life fruitfull heart gracious conscience peaceable Further then they are sett in with by the wise Powerfull and living God And without means when God deprives us of these knowing that the alsufficient God is abundantly able in himselfe to supply whatever is wanting in the creature 4thly Love to all God and man Acqaintance Strangers Freinds and Focs which Love puts us upon serious care and faithfull endeavours to please and honour God for that is all which he is capable of from us to promote the solid comfort and real welfare of our brethren so far as in us Lies As to the life there are these 1st Obedience and readiness to do whatever the Lord requires of us be it never so displeasing and cross both to our inclinations and interests never so difficult putting us to great intention of mind great toil of body great expense of estate never so reproachfull losing us not only the Favour but the esteem of those whose approbation we most desire and Exposing us to the contempt and censure of the most Then obedience is right when it is Sincere as to its principle and end universall as to its extent And constant as to its duration Walking in all the Commandments and ordinances Blameless Luke 1. 6. That ye may be Sincere and without Offence till the day of Christ Phil 1. 10. Compleat in the whole will of God 2. Patience Chearfullness in suffering whatever the Lord lies upon us without Grudging inwardly murmuring or complaining outwardly either of our own condition or against God and his instruments be our Condition never so greivous and tedious Strengthened with all might c. unto all patience Col 1. 11. Lett
we then wish when it will be to late we had Loved them less and somewhat else more 7ly Is the salvation of our precious Souls so easy a business that we can Spare any of our Strength Care and time about other Impertinences 8ly What shall we do when God shall strip us of these if our hearts be Engaged in them how shall we bear up How will it break us Had we not better by degrees loosen our selves from these Leasurely fall of and retire from them 9ly Let us aske our Souls what they verily thinke Wise persons Would do in the case and while we hate the Name let us not Act the part of Fools Is it not folly to engage our selves in intimate Friendship with those whom it is certain we must breake with or be utterly undone 10ly What do we get by Overloving these things Do we not engage our selves in greater cares how to keep them Expose our Selves to greater sorrows upon their loss 11ly Shall God then lose his Labour in preparing another feast shall we dispise his Love that has invited unto it 12ly Shall we come and Clap the Covetous ambitions Veluptuous on the back and bid them go on in their Courses we like them so well we shall follow as fast as we can We will go as far as we dare 13ly Suppose we should escape falling into the pit do we do well to play on the brink But how shall we come to this Moderation 1st Restrain the working of an Immoderate heart observe it desire God to subdue it disallow the workings of it Forbeare to do what it calls you unto 2ly Make it your business to get your heart weaned from the World 1st Get your selves throughly convinced of the Sinfullness and danger of your Condition while Immoderation prevailes 2ly Emprove frustrations and Crosses while they are fresh 3ly Get the great things of Eternity Realized unto you 4ly Beg of God to shew you the hope of your Calling 5ly Labour every morning to git your hearts into an Heavenly frame warmed and raised in desires after the things above watch and give all diligence to keep them thus in the fear of the Lord all the day Long Suffer them not to wander after these Uanitys you every day Meet with without a severe Check Let them not be engaged in your Ordinary business take heed you be Pleasing your selves or Seeking your selves in it 6ly Get a sense of your Misery and then you 'l better understand the vanity of these things you 'l feel that within you which will continually be telling you you stand in need of something else something that must do you good 7ly When ever you go to prayer Labour to get your Souls wrought into a desire after this let this be the main petition upon your hearts when you go to God that he would give you new Holy Heavenly Spirituall hearts weaned disengaged disentangled Loosned From the World he has bestowed this upon some why may not you hope for it 8ly Take heed of too much familiarity with those who are earthly minded though they be given to no other vice their Company is infectious a mans Company do's out only shew Ordinarily what he is but makes him so 9ly Labour after intimate Communion with God which when once you know the way of frequently be retiring your selves to there you 'l taste better comforts from that Hill you may view all the Glory of the World and see it to be but withering grase Fading flowers Psal 73. Vntill I went into the Sanctuary c. Vse 2. Let us humble our selves in the sight of God for our neglect of this duty hitherto It may be we may Remember how many severall ways God has Endeavoured to take us of from the World but has he not lost his Labour are we not still Immoderate to this day Not-with-standing the Crosses and frustrations we have mett with and what if God for our obstinacy should resolve to leave us to our selves no more to Rebuke or thwart us will it any thing advantage us to thrive in wickedness to get the desire of our hearts Vse 3. Let us not take those Providences ill at Gods hand which may be a means to bring us to the practice of this duty God Crosses us of our desire and this we like not but he sees we are Immoderate in them and he would make us see too he gives us to feel the trouble of it that the paine of the disease may make us seek out for the Cure of it Vse 4. As you love the Souls of your Relations rather call them to Moderation then encourage them in over Eager pursuit after things of this World you like when they are Moderate in the vse of Creature Comforts are not expensive it s well but oh that you Could as much approue their undervaling all things here below their indifferency as to them What do you account your Estates more worth then your Souls Alass what will it do them good when they come to die that they have been rich or great in the World though this be the only thing ordinarily prized I would have none slothfull indeed careless negligent I would have them in the fear of God to set about their particular Callings diligently and faithfully but I would have them act upon nobler Principles then Love of vanity for worthier ends then scraping a little dirt together 5ly Judge of your own and others attainments as by your ability and readiness to performe other dutys so especially this A VISITATION SERMON Preached at Richmond before the Bishop of Chester in the Year 1665. Malachi 2. 7. For the priests lips should keep knowledg THE First particle in the text shews the words to be rationall and bids us look Back to enquire what it is in the forgoing part of the Chapter which they give an account of There we find the Lord turning from the People whom he had Charged with severall Miscarriages unto the Preists Verse 1. And them he tells he had a word for even for them A Word of Injunction Verse 2. To heare and take notice of the great provocations among the People and to lay it to Heart as a matter sadly to be Lamented being bad in its Nature dangerous in its Consequences And not to rest here in a Fruitless Greiving for the dishonour of the great God and the sins Miseries and dangers of a poor People but to turne their sorrow into Zeal and to take an Effectuall course to secure the Sinking interest of the Nation by restoring God his due and giving him againe the Glory he had been defrauded of A Word of Comination to back this either do as I Charge you or look to your selves severall Blessings ye enjoy I beleeve you would not willingly part with them but take what other Course you will they shall be all blasted if I suffer the Curse to come among you that will make havock and I will be so far from restraining it that I
Godliness in his Family and if this should fail it will not Justify him at the great day when the Impartial God enquires how comes it to pass that thy Wife thy Child thy Servants were so grosly Ignorant of God And by reason of this are now like to be as Extreamly Miserable to say then alass Lord the Minister did not teach them as he ought If it be so as thou sayest will his Neglect of his duty Excuse thy sin while thou Neglectest thine or rather will it not agravate it that when thou plainly seest the danger to be so Extreme great with those Poor Souls that Perish they must in all likelyhood unless thou took due care and paines about them to save them seing none else Would heed them thou seest them take the directest Course unto utter destruction and yet for all the Love thou so much pretendedst to them never hadst the pity to their perishing Souls as once to aske them that serious Question what mean you know you whether you are going The School-Master should preserve saving Knowledge among his Scholars Has he not such Advantages by the awe that he has them in to mould their tender years almost what way he pleases which few else have Has he not them then under his instruction and discipline when they are not onely docible but pliable also And can he satisfy his Conscience and Answer it to God if he Improve this opportunity no further then to instruct them well in the grounds of Languages arts and sciences If he bring them under the precepts of morality and civility so that they can Command their passions and appetites and evidence their good breeding by their seemly and sober behaviour in every thing when in the mean while he do's no more to the saving of the Soul by bringing it to the true Knowledge of God in Christ then as if his Scholars carried no such things about them or they were onely concerned in the advantages of his life If one of these Poor wretches should meet his Master at the great day and say O Master I am undone and I may partly thank you for it while I was with you in my tender age before Custome in Sin had hardened my heart I had then some tenderness of Conscience and if you had but then at spare times minded me of my sinfull miserable Dangerous state you might then have put me in such a way as would have saved me from this Endless Torment I am now Entering into what will he be able to returne to this Nor 2ly Do I say it is the Ministers duty to preserve Knowledge Meerly by his Lips No his very life should be a continuall Sermon and in that he should let People see Knowledge digested into practise and good instructions exemplified before their eyes For how can he Expect that the People should believe him who Evidences by his Contrary practise that he do's not believe himself or whether is it more Likely they will follow him the way he points or the way he walks He tells us indeed that it is our duty to do so and so and frights us with dreadfull dangers if we do otherwise but certainly he do's not think as he Speaks for then he Would never do contrary Sure he loves himself as well as he do's us and he knowes what is good for himself and what is good for him can never be hurtfull for us But this I say one of the great dutys of the Minister is to preserve knowledg and right apprehensions in People agreeable to the very Nature of the things and firm Perswasions of the rectitude of these Apprehensions so as to be duly affected with those and to be Powerfully Actuated by them If ye aske what Knowledge The resolution is easy out of the very text that Knowledge which would Effectually restrain People from those practises which did greatly provoke the Righteous God against them And I pray you what do's skill in variety of Languages avail to this will it reform Lives and save Souls and Maintain Peace and order and Charity to puzzle an Ignorant auditory with Sentences of Latin or Greek either out of Heathen poets or Philosophers or out of Fathers Schoolmen or Councells that they do not the least understand Or if they did they know not how far they are to be heeded Will God be better served and superiours more obeyed and Corruptions more mortified and graces more exercised and Afflictions better Improved and our brethren more loved and helped in the way to Heaven by the Ministers making a business of it to Perswade his auditours that he has a little Learning 2ly Out of the very nature of the thing Is not that Knowledge to be Preserved by the Minister which is the most proper for a Divine who is to speak as the Oracles of God to Commend himself to the very Consciences of his people not to their fancies and humours To discourse of the Nature and properties and simpathies and Antipathies of things the magintude Motion influence of the Stars the situations distances and Temperature of places c. This may be proper for a Philosopher to discourse of the Intregues of Government for a statesman but what is this to a Divine whose Business is to save the Souls of poor people if it be possible however to bring them to as great an outward Reformation as may be And to keep up the honour of God in the World and to secure the peace of societies by principles of Conscience and to help Gods afflicted ones to bear up under their heavy Crosses by those Comforts which the World is unacquainted with and to teach those who are upright hearted to make a wise Improvement of all Advantages of providences c. If ye aske what Knowledge serves these ends there is 1st The Knowledge of God Letting people know what an Holy God he is that he cannot endure that they should allow themselves in the Least impurity of flesh or Spirit a Righteous God who will render to every one Impartially according to their wayes without any respect of persons a Mercifull God who will pity humbled penitents in their miseries be they never so sinfull A good God who well deserves to be Loved with the whole heart and Soul A dreadfull God who will be greatly feared by all those who are not stark mad so as with their eyes broad open desperately to run upon their ruine A wise Powerfull Alsufficient true faithfull God who never yet did faile his people in any case where they solely relied upon him but has helped them and do's help even then when the World concludes there is no help for them in God and they themselves do much question whether there be or no. In a Word that he is a God who Made Heaven and Earth and do's oversee continually all Persons and Affaires in them be they never so Secret and he rules and disposes of them all every way as he pleases without
any controll and he makes every passage to promote the Comfort welfare of those that truely love and fear him and will bring to utter shame and Misery all those who despise him and choose the World for their portion however he may suffer them to flourish for a while 2ly The Knowledge of the world how little there is in it to fill the capacities to supply the needs to satisfie the desires of an Immortall soul how vain and unsavory all the Comforts of it are especially to such an one as is awakened to a due sense of the wretched Misery and extreme danger of a poor soul and the concernments of Eternity How uncertain all the enjoyments Exposed to infinite hazards and running 1000. ways and while possest are oft made wearisome by the Cumber of them vexations by the Crosses interwoven with them dangerous by the snares of them A Minister can do no greater service to God and Souls then by rubbing off the paint from the Face of this Tempting whore stripping her of her Gawdy Ornaments whereby she do's bewitch the Jnhabitants of the Earth 3ly The Knowledge of our selves How nobly Descended from Adam the Son of God the Master-ship of Gods Creation how Richly Accomplished with Wisdome Righteousness and Power how largely Capacitated for higher and more glorious enjoyments how Lamentably Degenerated into a state of shame misery and danger How dark polluted and Distempered our Souls are how frail and crazy our bodies how vain and miserable our Lives how sad and Hopeless our Death How Unconceiveably wretched if we come short of Christ how strangly Senseless of one Need of him how Grosly Ignorant of the way to him how foolishly content to take up short of him How few reall Friends we have to our Souls how many slie Enemies quite out of Favour with God out of Peace with our selves The Curses of the Law we are to Expect the Joyes and Glorys of Heaven we may hear of indeed but cannot hope for Hell with it's Torments and Confusions is our portion 4ly The Knowledge of Christ in him there is merit Enough to Appease a Provoked God to Satisfie violated Justice he has peace Enough to speak to a troubled Conscience ease to give to a burdened spirit he can quicken the dead heart subdue the stubborne strengthen the weak soften the hard enlarge the strait compose the distracted make Fruitfull the barren He can inform the ignorant rectify the mistaken Councell the Foolish Resolve Doubts Discover Wants Distempers Dangers Remedies Supplies helps c. He can give grace to make holy Heavenly meek Lowly Selfdenying obedient resigned patient Dependant upon God every way pious toward God Just and Charitable to brethren 5ly Knowledge of the way to Christ The true the onely way the ready and sure way That this is obedience and self denyall faithfulness to God and their own Souls in these as light and strength is given in For onely this way a man comes to find Really and Experimentally the blindness weakness Poverty Corruption of his nature and heart which else at best he knows but by hearsay untill by putting himself out to the â—utmost he finds that his Soul is little else but a lump of Darkness and Sin duty he knows but very Faintly what he Knows though it be but little he is not able to practise the Law comes in here sayes do this and Lawe he is not able to do it though it cost him his life it sayes refrain such courses or my curse is against you your Souls Bodies as to the concernments of this Life and the other yet though it bring never so much misery he is not able to refrain Notwithstanding all his reasonings with himself his Resolutions endeauours Either put of your Lusts and be Clothed with the graces of the spirit or else no enterance into Heaven he finds he can do neither I say till a man come to follow God faithfully according to that discovery which he makes of himself unto his Conscience he will never come so far as to understand really the Depravedness of his nature the strict requirings of the Law his vtter in ability to help himself and so never finds any need of Christ never is in good Earnest to lay hold of him but Contents himself with a Christ of his own making and so Lives and Dies in his corrupt nature and all his groundless hopes wherewith he flattered himself do not save him from the misery he never thought of 6ly Knowledge of the priviledges which are in Christ God reconciled Conscience quieted the heart at rests the Soul purified and enlightened filled with Peace passing understanding Joy unspeakable and full of Glory the Man himself and his as to all their Concernments here and hereafter under the Charge of that providence which over rules all God continually present to guide him in his wayes to comfort and help in Afflictions and to make People seek after Christ not onely out of necessity but out of Choice as one who has enough in him to Recompence for all the losses and crosses in the way to him 7ly Knowledge of Dutyes what God requires of all to practise for their own good and the good of their Brethren and how to practise it in such a way as the good that God drives at by it may be Attained To shew what the man owes to himself his Soul his Body To keep his body in Chastity Sobriety To get his Soul quickened with the Life of Christ enlightened with the Knowledge of all it 's reall concernments what he owes to others as a Magistrate a Subject a Minister a Parishioner A Master or Servant an Husband a Wife a Father a Child c. And to make people know that their dutyes are their interests too and nor made Necessary by being enjoyned but therefore enjoyned because discerned by the wisdom of God to be vsefull Not burdens laid on People Arbitrarily by God to make a vain ostentation of his Soveraignty but prescriptions Accomodate to the Necessitous and Distempered Condition of apostate nature to direct them what Course to take for their recovery and to do this with that authority which may awe them to make vse of these directions though contrary to their inclinations To shew them the means the Encouragements and to Answer their objections 8ly Knowledge of Liberty That an upright Person may in certain cases Act this way or that way as their shall be occasion without danger of Sinning even in matters of Religion which as to the Externall and Mutable part of it do's admitt of great latitude and may be Modellized this way or that way as it shall be found to serve most for it's main ends the generall good of Souls and the peace of states And where it is thus ordered upon serious Deliberation by those who have authority what before was indifferent in it self now becomes necessary by vertue of Gods Law which requires us to Submit to every
Can we expect that People should ever give over Separating from our Congregations how strict soever the provision made by the Laws be when having a great famine in their Souls and a thirst for the word of Knowledge they come amongst us and get none If there be any here that can account it nothing though the great and dreadfull God be provoked poor Souls be Everlastingly undone a Flourishing Nation laid desolate a Church well ordered as to the main miserably torne in pieces by Schismes a Ministry which hitherto God has Honoured by using it to the Converting and edifying of Souls laid aside as an useless instrument I know not what to say to them which I can hope will take the least hold of them they may go and follow their Pleasures â—ark and â—oil in the World to be Rich and great and in the mean while quite forget that it was any part of their duty to preserve saving Knowledge Only let me tell them this time may come when they shall too late find it was a duty when Judgements have pursued and overtaken them and Conscience is awakened out of its long sleep when outward afflictions press and pinch and Terrours of Death and Hell Affright and all Comfort and help from Creatures fails and the man knows not which way to turne him or what will become of him then they will wish they had Considered it sooner But for you My Brethren who have engaged in this great work following the inward call of God being fully perswaded in your hearts that by devoting your selves this way you might do God and his People best service let me speak a word to you and my self Let us make it appear that how hard conceits soever some have of us we have a sense of and regard to our duty as well as they while we faithfully discharge it Let us confute the prejudices which prevail much in the World against us as if we were a generation of men that might be best spared by being really usefull let us manage our business so that their Consciences may Justify us when their humours and Interests engage them most in the quarrell against us 1st Let us Labour to grow in Knowledge Reall Spirituall Experimentall Solid and usefull Knowledge let us faithfully set our selves to do Gods will and he will make us know it Get our hearts made more pure then our heads will be more clear Earnestly press after the Spirit of truth and Knowledge which is able to reveal unto us the hidden things of God and to lead us into all truth Let us study throughly our own hearts we need not read over the Whole impression and the Bible these we shall find the best Books out of which we may be sufficiently furnished with what ever is usefull Let us faithfully make use of our talents that God may encrease them 2ly Let us in holding out Knowledge be faithfull instant in season and out of season and wise also let us meddle little with disputable Points these take them generally come not near the heart of Religion they do small good a great deal of harm making People proud Talkative and quarrelsome Diverting them also from the main of Religion to impertinencies Deal gently with Conscientious dissenters they will not be won by being reproached and â—ttaunted by being rendred odious to those about them by Nicknames Railing against their mistakes will not confute them neither will it heal their Sores to be ever in handling them No it is Found by Experience that False opinions are sooner undermined then battered and the warm Sun causes the Traveller to lay aside that Cloak which the Blustering wind could never have forced from him Make vse of Knowledge rather than shew of it lest thou prejudice the more sober and understanding persons against thee by giving them too Just cause to believe that thou art studying more to gain applause then to do good Some while they affect to seem learned make themselves Ridiculous yea and nauseous too while they vomit up as it were amongst the People their crude Matters which if they had been throughly digested into strength of reason would have made the Consciences of People feel that they do understand themselves So while they seek credit they miss it and also oft times render weighty matter inefficacious by Intermixing Dilute stuff with it which Weakens the Force of it Let us thus set our selves to preserve Knowledge and Knowledge shall preserve yea advance us God himself will own us wipe away our reproach and secure our interest and every way bless us People shall owne us and readily hear us Chearfully submit to us in the Lord heartily bless God for us And we shall either see of the Travell of our Souls amongst them and be Satisfied or however we shall know that our Judgment is with the Lord and our work with our God though Israel be not gathered and great shall be our reward in Heaven Proverbs 3. 5. 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and leane not unto thine understanding In all thy wayes Acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths THis Book was writ by one of great naturall parts who had all imaginable advantages whereby to improve them to the height besides those Supernaturall Endowments of Knowledge and wisdom he begg'd of God and obtained It containes in it severall usefull directions learned and tryed by Experience for the ordering of ones wayes in the fear of God with discretion so as to decline the snares of this present life comfortably to wade through all its troubles profitably to make use of all the Occurrences of it so as daily to get ground of Corruption to grow in purity and Heavenly mindedness fear of Love to faith in God submission to him meekness and holiness of heart ingenuity and goodness towards men to provide for and make sure of peace Joy and Glory to the Soul unto all eternity In the begining of this Chapter he falls upon his instructions with a winning insinuating compellation a temper expressing much tender Love and serious care My Son He enforces them with very powerfull perswasions from the reall advantages they bring along with them If a long Comfortable and honourable life be of any worth the rules which point out the certain way to these are of weight But what are these In generall Two 1st Make Conscience of all thy ways and keep thine heart Continually in Exercise to find out what is thy duty in every particular case that thou mayest set about the serious practice of it Ver. 3. Know that mercy and truth goodness reality are the main things ye ought to addict your selves unto you must get your hearts purged your lives Reformed from all malice and guile filled and adorned with what ever is akin to tender Love and honest sincerity But how shall one know what is Duty and what will really promote mercy and truth in the heart and life This is wisely inquired for
to Love and chuse and keep this way And Faith is the Instrument whereby we Receive Christ as a principle of inward life and strength Quest 3. How do's this way lead to this life Answer This obedience and selfdenyal has a tendency to advance us unto this life 1st Not as matter of merit whereby we deserve at Gods hands that he should advance us unto this life The begger who comes to the door for alms by coming do's not deserve it though without coming he were never like to get it That a Creature should merit from God from whom it has and to whom it owes all that it has and is is both a proud opinion and a senseless one also Especially if we consider in what a pittiful depraved condition man is in whom this merit is supposed and boasted For 1st Were we born with as great moral perfections as Adam himself was created with and did we improue these with the utmost care diligence and Faithfulness unto the greatest advantage so as at no time to omit any duty or to commit any Sin yet we should by thus doing do no more then we were bound to for we owe our whole beings and Lives whatever we are have and are able to do unto that God from whom we received them and by whom we are preserved in them And is there any so Foolish as to fancy that there can be any great merit in paying of debts 2ly As we are darkned in our minds and depraued in our hearts we neither do nor can do half of that which we ought to do we either fail in the matter doing somthing which is unfitting to be done or not doing somthing which is fitting to be done or we fail in the manner doing what we do when we do the best with undue hearts and for undue ends So that we are alwayes affronting and provoking God either by our Sinful omissions or Commissions either in the thing practised or Neglected or in the manner of our Practising or Neglecting it And would it not be an unparalleld impudence in any to claime as due the least reward for such unworthy Carriages how much lâ—ss so great a reward as eternal Life is 3ly As we do not do all the good we might and the good we do we do not with that exactness which we ought even when we do it in the greatest Sincerity so the good we do it is not we who do it but the grace of God which is in us as St. Paul Modestly acknowledges 1. Cor. 15. 10. Not I but the grace of God which was with me So that were there never so great merit in the action we have little reason to lay Claime to it who are at the best but the instruments God being the principall authour for this is certain all the Evil of our Actions is from our selves and all the good of them from God 4ly The good which we do we do rather for ourselves then for God it is certainly so in the issue and ordinarily it is so in our intentions Whether we do well or ill it neither increases nor lessens Gods happiness Job 35. 6. 7. So that what we do we doing for our selves unto whom the advantage of what we do do's solely redound we have no reason to claime any reward from God till we can shew what we have done for him But 2ly As a means whereby we are fitted for this life such a course is both prescribed by God and has in it self a natural tendency to bring us unto the life which we need and are concerned to seek after Psa 50. 23. To him that ordereth his Conversation aright c. By setting our selves about this obedience and selfdenyall 1st We come to understand really and experimentally how much we are without this life For Obedience Would not be so diffcult a Task had we that life unto which this is Naturall we should Love and delight in Obedience were this agreeable unto the frame of our Spirit and were our wills as Conformable to Gods will as they should be and would be if we were not degenerate There would be no more room for selfdenyal in us then there is for it in Heaven among Angels and Saints who find nothing in them to thwart Gods holy Righteous and good will The first step unto true life is to be brought to a sense that we are without it 2ly We come to understand the worth of this life For we cannot but know that to obey God in his holy and Righteous prescriptions is very much our duty we owe this both to God and to our selves and to our Brethren and we can never have quiet in our selves while our Consciences testify against us that we walk contrary to our duty yet this we shall unavoidably do so long as we want that life which alone can make duty gratefull to us while we force our selves to duty as a thing that we are tasked to and which we may in no wise Neglect unless we will run the hazard of beating for our sloth or while duty goes down with us against the stomack we meddle with it as People do with Phisick which they abhor yet take to prevent a greater mischief while we have no Love to duty we are in Danger of a double trouble from it Trouble in Discharging it contrary to our Inclinations trouble in a total Neglecting of it or a superficial slubbering it over when our conscience takes occasion hence to upbraid us with a want of fear of God and care of our own Souls Now those who know how greivous it is ever to lie under one of these Troubles cannot but count that life precious which will totally free us from both and perfectly reconcile our Consciences Inclinations and duties together that there shall be no jarring among them And when once we come to know the worth of this life we are made to Prize Love Desire and seek it 3ly We Subdue that which in its being and workings is most Contrary to this life That which ties us fast in Death is our owne lusts these are the cords whereby Satan and the World do keep us at a distance from God the Fountain of life these like mud in the head of a spring cause such Obstructions that a source of Living water though it be Just at hand cannot gush out Now obedience gives a check to these lusts it hinders them from working while it finds the Soul a far different Imployment it hinders them from thriving by diverting the sap of the Soul some other wayes While men Neglect Obedience and give the reins unto their lusts they bring themselves more under the power of their Lusts and they have the less Command over themselves to refuse doing what their lusts promp them to neither can they so easily exert themselves into their former liberty But if we deny our lusts and discharge duty in spite of them we famish them and thereby weaken them that they cannot have that Rule
the least Intention to do what they hear Men are induced to come to Church for many other ends besides Hearing Some come to see and be seen as many People go to Markets and Fairs not that they have any Business there but they can find nothing to do at home and they have a mind to look about them Thus even Dogs love to be where most company is stirring Others come to please such as they have some Dependance upon and expect some Advantage by whether they be Masters or Parents or Neighbours or Friend It may be these either intreat or command them to come or otherwise Express that it is their Pleasure they should come and they are afraid to incur their Displeasure they would not be frowned upon nor chid nor incur any Inconvenience by not coming yet if they had only themselves to please they had rather sit at home and sleep or drink or play or else go abroad to some Idle People like themselves and spend their time with them in vain Talking Others come for their credits sake that they may not be looked on among sober People as such as are wholly void of all sense of Religion such as have neither Reverence to God nor care of their own Souls such as believe Heaven and Hell to be meerly the Dreams of Melancholique Fools which please themselves with their own dotings or else the Devices of Subtle Politicians to keep simple People within Bounds Others come to save themselves from the Lash of the Law which Requires Peoples attending where they may hear under several Penalties And it may be it would be better for some Souls if these Penalties were more strictly Exacted This might put them upon using those means of Grace which God has provided for them if not for Love of their Souls which the Generality have little sense of and little concern for yet however for Love of their Purses Others come to quiet their Consciences there is in most People an Inward Sense of a Deity which they cannot shake off without offering extreme Violence to the Faculties of their Souls this restlesly puts them upoâ— doing something which may be pleasing to thâ—â—â— God in whose hands themselves their Comfort and their Hopes are Now there are but two things which a awakened Conscience can Expect should finâ— acceptance with God 1st Holiness and Righteousness in the Principles and Practices of them which comprehend under them Faith Love Meekness Lowlinesâ— Patience Resignedness c. With the various Expressions of them 2ly Outward Means which being diligently and Faithfully made use of might through the Influences of the Good Spirit bring unto these Gracious Principles and Practises The First of these considering the degeneracy of our nature are very remote from us and not to be attained without Difficulty The Second are near to us and we may use them in some sort without any Care Toil and Trouble Now those who have some Conscience must have something to quiet it with And those who have but a little Conscience can get it quieted with a small matter and those who are lovers of their own Ease and Pleasure would be 〈…〉 little cost and Trouble with their Conscience as may be Now it is as cheap a way of Pleasing God as can be if it would but serve to give him the hearing as to what he speaks outwardly by his written Word and by his Ministers and when that is done to do what they list Obj. But is it Possible that men should be so Swayed with these Collaterall Inducements to come to hear and not at all be touched with the sense of the Great Inducement which is the Saving of the Soul And sure if they had any regard to that they could not satisfie themselves in Hearing without Doing Ans Indeed we must needs grant this Last that they could not no more than the Patient who is grievously Troubled with a Vexations and Dangerous Malady can rest meerly in hearing what the Physician talks to him without using the Remedies which he prescribes For alass What does it advantage a man to hear of the causes of his Malady or the means of his Recovery if notwithstanding all his hearing he continue afflicted with it as he must do untill he make use of what may help him But yet it is too Ordinary with men to have little sense of the Poverty and Misery the Soul is in little Apprehension of the Danger it is Exposed to they little feel how much it is their Concernment to provide for their Souls and for Eternity whatever become of this Body and its Temporall Life Hence it is that any thing sooner prevails with them to hear than that which should prevail with them They are Carnall Sensual worldly Selfish therefore those Considerations work with them which suit these Principles They know not that their Souls need so much to yield them full and Lasting Satisfaction that which the enjoyment of the choicest Creature Comforts in the greatest fullness and Security can never Promise them They know not that their Souls lies Enslaved to those lusts which they must get compleatly freed from or else it is Impossible they should be happy unto Eternity There can in no wise be any true Peace any true Joy where Pride and Covetousness Envy Wrath and Malice Love of fleshly ease and Pleasure or any one of them or any branch of them are Predominant They know not what great Temptations they lie open to on every hand from without from within from the World from Satan to draw them to Sin to withdraw them from Duty to detain them in those Lusts and Pleasures which they have once given way unto They know not that they can in no wise free themselves from this Poverty Misery and Danger by all their own Policy and power when they have improved them to the utmost to help themselves by them The Grace of God must powerfully put in for their Relief or else they infallibly perish and there is no help for them They know not that it is Gods Ordinary Method to Visit those with his Grace which meet him in the use of those Means he prescribes yet not Expecting from the Means but from God working in them with them and by them Those he Quickens those he strengthens those he Excites he Assists and Directs He never fails to do for those who do the utmost they can for themselves Who have such an earnest desire to be delivered from the Power of their Lusts to be Reclaimed from the Evill of their Ways that they Readily make use of whatever means may help them herein 2ly Others come to hear with some Intention to do what they hear but with no full no settled Intention 1st They come not with a Full Intention something they are willing and ready to do what they can do with ease Credit advantage and Safety but other things they cannot afford to do Iehu will hear the Prophet in whatever he speaks Concerning the