as the Sun of persecution is up We shall take pleasure in infirmities in tribulations and rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ This is to do more then others When the servants of God shall not only patiently but triumphantly undergo the Crosses that crack the brains and break the hearts of others and shall shake off the Viper without receiving any hurt when Paul and Silas shall sing in the stocks and the resolved Martyrs shall embrace the Faggots kiss the Stake When the Valiant Philpot shall say of his Prison In the judgment of the world we are in Hell but I find in it the sweet consolations of Heaven and the Holy Bradford My Prison is sweeter to me then any Parlour then any pleasure I have had in all my life This is indeed to exceed others Rule VII To be good when we shall be evil spoken of for our labour A Pharisee will do those duties that will gain applause with men but to take up with despised duties disgraceful duties and with David to be religious when it will render him Vile this is to do more then others The Philosopher could say It is noble indeed for a man to do well when he knows he shall hear ill for it To take up Religion when every one kicks it off to stand up alone with Luther for the truth when the whole world is gone a wandring after the Whore To have his hand against every man and to be for Christ with Athanasius against the whole Universe this is indeed to do some singular thing Rule VIII To strike in with Gods interest when it is falling To joyn our selves to the Lords people when it s the weakest side To espouse their interest with Moses when they were in deep affliction Heb. 11. 25 26. To own our selves to be some of them undauntedly when this way is every where spoken against this is to tread Antipodes to the course of this world Rule IX To be most cruel to the sin that is naturally most dear The hypocrite hides his sweet morsels under his tongue he spares as it were the fattest of the Cattel he saith The Lord pardon his servant concerning this thing But when a man shall off with his right hand out with the right eye serve his Absolon as Ioab did when he took three darts and thrust thorow his heart this is to do more then others The sincere Christian is most angry with the sin of his temper against this he aims the arrows of all his prayers he keeps him from his iniquity he drives the whole herd of sin before him but especially shoots at and singles out this to run it down Rule X. To live upon the divine promises when others live upon their possessions Others are all for what is in hand with them words are but wind they cannot live upon them the promises are to them a barren heath and dry breasts but when we make the promises our heritage the staff of our life the life of our hearts when the promises are the bottle we run to in all our faintings and while others hope in their Wealth our hope is in the Word this is to do more then others Rule XI To love that best and choose it soonest which doth cross the flesh most The godly mans rule is to take the self-denying side so he be sure it be safe when others study is to please themselves his is to curb himself the life of others is a flesh-pleasing his a self-denying life others joy is when they can gratifie themselves his when he can get victory over himself Rule XII To be most hot in that wherein self is least concerned Paul is meek as a lamb under personal injuries 1 Cor. 4. 12. Acts 17. 16. but how is his spirit stirred when God is dishonoured A man of understanding is of a cool spirit that is in his own concerns but Moses the meek waxes hot with indignation at the sight of the calf To be hot and forward in those duties where the fleshes interest is concerned is to do no more then a Iehu 2 Kings 10. 16 30. Rule XIII To make true conscience of the least sins but most conscience of the greatest In one of these will the hyhocrite be found tardy It may be he will fly from open sins and startle at gross staring sins but of little sins he makes little conscience This he allows of and connives at Or else he will be very tender of little things scruple the picking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day or the curing of the sick and strain at the gnat when he will in other things swallow a camel devour widows houses The sincere will indulge no sin grieves for groans under cryes out feelingly against his very infirmities but most dreads what God most hates Rule XIV To allow your selves in the neglect of no duty but to reserve your zeal for the duties of most weight To tythe mint and cummin and neglect judgment mercy and faith to be zealous for humane Ceremonies Ordinances and mens Traditions and omit the weightier matters of the Law is right the Pharisees guise Matth. 23. 23. Matth. 15. 2. To eye both the Tables to joyn sweetly together morality and piety to be punctual with Men but not careless of God to give to Caesar the things that be Caesars but first to give to God the things that be Gods this is to do more then others The sincere Christian hath respect to all Gods Commandments walks in all his Statutes he is throughout with God but he is most zealous in those things that lie next the heart of religion Rule XV. To love your Reprovers Herein David doth more then Ahab see their contrary frames 1 Kings 22. 8. Psal. 141. 5. Rule XVI To subject all your worldly interest to your Makers glory and perform holy duties with holy ends and while others do their best actions with carnal aims you must do your common and civil actions with heavenly aims Q. How we may know whether we be and do more then others that are unsound I shall answer this Question by propounding eight Questions to you beseeching you to retire to the most solemn and strict examination and make conscience to give a clear answer to these few Interrogatories and that will resolve the Case Q. I. When others do pick and choose have you respect to all Gods Commandments The hypocrite may have great respect to the comforts but he hath little to the commands of Religion He is much for the priviledges and promises little for the Precepts and Duties He is partial in the Law he will take but here and there where he likes and where Gods commands will serve his interest or at least will not pinch too hard upon the flesh The sound Christian sets all Gods commands before him He eyes all his copy and heartily designs and studies a throughout conformity He hath no starting holes nor contrived
one of another 1 Pet. 3. 8. Say not It is not my nature What doth grace serve for but to correct the evils of your temper Is not ours a Religion of self-denyal Do not the Rules of our Religion enjoyn us to be followers of whatsoever is lovely and of good report and may render Religion amiable to the world Phil. 4. 8. Rule 2 Vse a wise forecast that every duty may fall in in its time and order and every work may have its room It is not enough to do Gods work but it must be done in his order That which in it self is good and necessary may be so ill timed as to become a sin It is a duty to tell your Brother of his sin but to rip it up in your passion or to be retorting upon him when he is christianly admonishing you is a sin Your wordly business must not shut out Religion nor religious Duties take you so up as to neglect your callings But every duty must have its place But for the doing all in Gods order Take these Five Directions Direct 1. Begin at home in provoking to good Why should God plead with you Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self Rom. 2. 21. Be an example of thine own rule else the hypocrites charge will come in against thee Mat. 23. 4. They bind heavy burdens but will not touch them with one of their fingers Observe Gods order Deut. 6. 6 7. These words which I command thee shall be in thine heart That must be our first care And then having got our Lesson well our selves we must then Teach it to others And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and tell of them when thou c. At least if thou hast not already attained it be sure to learn with the first and when thou pressest a duty intend thy self first and speak most to thine own heart 2. In reproving evil Otherwise thou wilt be branded for an hypocrite Matth. 7. 5. First cast the beam out of thine own eye We may not think as many do mistakingly that we must not reprove another when we are guilty of the same sin But we must in such a case be sure to cast the first stone at our selves Be soonest angry with thy self and more severe to thine own sins then any others 'T is strange to see the great censoriousness of Professours to others and how tender they are of their own corruptions and impatient of reproof Reader fear and avoid this sin Direct 2. Let God be first served Let God have the first of thy thoughts the first of the day the first of thy strength How heavily is God displeased with the prophane Priests because they will serve themselves first with the Sacrifices before him 1 Sam. 2. 15 16. And it is the holy Counsel that one gives Hold the door of thy heart fast against the world in the morning till thy heart hath been first in Heaven and seasoned and fortified from thence against the Temptations that thou art like to meet with assoon as thou comest down below Indeed all must be done as Gods service but so as that his immediate service must be done first It is the counsel of several Heathens That all our undertakeings should be begun with prayer Saith Aratus Let us begin with God And the very Mahumetans begin their Books alwayes as men do use to do their Wills In the Name of God Direct 3. First cleanse the inside Matth. 23. 26. Cleanse first that which is within the Cup. Though they are much out that live as if all their work did lie within door yet remember that it lies chiefly here It s a most preposterous course in religion to begin first with the out-side Jer. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine heart when once this is done reformation will soon follow in the life but not otherwise Many are careful that all that appears to men should be beautiful but their hearts are neglected These carry upon them the marks of the hypocrite Matth. 23. 27 28. And what will it profit thee O vain man to have all kept secret from men since God knows and detests thee And hath appointed a day when he will rip open all thy pack and anatomize thy heart before the world 1 Cor. 4. 5. Eccles. 12. 14. Rom. 2. 16. Direct 4. Eye those duties most that are of most importance Matth. 23. 23. The hypocrite is very punctual in lesser matters but neglects the weightiest things of the Law Judgment and Mercy and Faith He is for a religion that will cost him little and therefore words being good cheap he will be as forward in talk as any mighty zealous in the circumstantials of Religion and marvellous censorious of others that come not up to this mind as men of wide principles and large consciences But in the mean time he is very negligent is secret duties a great stranger to self-denyal and walking humbly with God He strains wonderfully at a Ceremony but it may be he can swallow the gains of unrighteousness or the baits of intemperance fast enough It may be he will decry Superstition and never wants a stone to fling at a prophane Church-man But in the mean time walks loosly in his Family makes little conscience of his dealings or will take up his Cups as freely as another so he be not drunk Or if he will not take a penny of his neighbours estate he is most unmerciful to his good name and will take up any report that is going Brethren you must make conscience of the least sin and of the least duty But it is a fearful sign when men are zealous against lesser sins and yet connive at greater as these are Matth. 23. 24. Direct 5. Take the first opportunity when God gives a fit season for any duty Let not Satan beguile you by telling you of another or a better time It may be thou hast a purpose to reprove thy brother for his sin but how long wilt thou be a purposing Now God gives thee an opportuity it may be thy backward heart saith not now but another time And so it is put off till he or thy self are removed or he is hardned or at least thou art guilty of the sin that he commits in the mean while because thou hast not done thy duty to prevent it It is in thine heart to deal with thine unconverted friend or neighbour about his spiritual estate but it may be while thou art delaying death comes and snatches him away in his sins or takes thee off and so farewel for ever to any opportunity for doing the soul of thy Brother any good How often are our closet-duties hindred or miserably disturbed for want of care to lay hold on the first opportunity we think another hour in the day may do as well but then one thing or another unexpectedly falls in that nothing in done or nothing to purpose Therefore beware of this cheat A man can scarce peep into the
shall live or die If a man were upon a tryal for his life what would it avail him that all his fellow prisoners and the whole crowd about him were for him when the whole Bench and Jury were against him If your Lives and Estates were in question to whom would you go to make your friend the Iudge or the People Sirs be convinced that if God be against you t is as bad as if God and all the world were against you For all signifies nothing without him Oh whatever you do study to get in and keep in with him I tell you the time is coming when the breath of men will signifie nothing when their Commendation will do you no good O man though all the world should give thee their hands and subscribe thy Certificate it would signifie nothing in Gods account or his Court. Many build their hopes for Heaven upon the good opinion that others have of them But I tell thee man though thou couldst carry Letters of commendation with thee when thou diest and all the Ministers of the Gospel should give thee their Bene discessit all would be no more then a blank paper and he would not save thee a jot the sooner if he should find thee to have been but a secret hypocrite a rotten-hearted Professor all the while Pr. 5. That God would not be pleased with you in any thing except you make it your care to please him well in every thing You will be one day ashamed except you have respect to all Gods Commandments Psal. 119. 6. you have not a good conscience except it be your care in all things to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. If Naaman must be excused in one thing to bow in the house of Rimmon that he might not displease his Master this is enough to spoil every thing 2 Kings 5. 18. Some will needs keep Gods good will and the worlds too and so will give both their turns They will serve God at home and conform to the world abroad and it shall be a great thing indeed that they will not swallow rather then lose the good will of men especially great men These men have two faces and two tongues the one for the good and the other for the bad company that they come into Some held two first principles the one the common Fountain of all good which is God and the other the cause of all evil and they worshipped both the good principle for love and the evil for fear Just such a Religion are many among us now of But let them know whoever they are that while they grasp all they lose all For God will never own time-servers nor men-pleasers for the Servants of Christ Ephes. 6. 6. Gal. 1. 10. 3. With reference to your practices And here as ever you desire to come up to this blessed life of doing always those things that please God you must carefully follow these six Rules Rule 1. Look round about you to the whole latitude and compass of your duty Great is the latitude of Christianity The Commandment is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. And many Professors do scarce look more then one way but while they intensly mind one thing they neglect another It may be while they are taken up with the care of religious duties they forget relative duties Or they are careful of personal duties but very remiss in the duties that they owe to the souls of their families Or they complain and mourn over their own sins but lay not to heart others sins It may be they are more punctual in their more immediate duties towards God but are very negligent in their duties towards men or they will spend much time for their souls but do little lay to heart the case of the Church and the misery of perishing souls that are round about them Possible they keep the Sabbath strictly and pray and hear and fear an oath but in the mean time make little conscience of breaking their promises passing hasty and uncharitable censures spending time vainly being unprofitable in their discourse Close handed to godly uses suffering sin to go unreproved letting out their passions at every petty cross Many will mind their duty to them that are within and in the mean time are very short in their duties to them that are without This is too common a case Where is the Christian almost that seriously bethinks himself what might I do to win souls It may be you will go into the company of the godly where you may be edified but when do you go to your poor neighbours whom you see to live in a sinful state and tell him of his danger and labour to gain him unto Christ yea so much is this great duty neglected and out of fashion that I am afraid many question whether it be a duty or no. As if you might let sin lie upon the soul of your Brother and yet be innocent Levit. 19. 17. If it were but his Oxe or his Ass that lay ready to perish you would make no question but it were your duty to help him out of the ditch And do you think in earnest that you owe more to these then you do to his soul Is it to Ministers only or to all Believers that Scripture belongs Prov. 11. 30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and be that winneth souls is wise Surely the lives of too many Christians do speak the same language that Cain spake with his mouth Am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. 'T is true God will have you keep every one within the bounds of your proper stations but so as to take occasions yea to seek occasions as you are able to be doing good to others Do you not know how to get within your poor neighbours Carry an alms with you do him a kindness oblige him by your courteous and winning carriage Then I shall look to see the Kingdom of Christ flourish gloriously when every one that professeth godliness shall arise and take hold of the skirt of his neighbour Oh see your neglects in this Do not think it enough to keep your own Vineyard Let your Friends and Neighbours have no quiet for you till you see them setting in good earnest to seek after Heaven Oh if you might bring in but every one his man to Christ what a blessed thing were this I lose my self in this Argument but I am content to do so this duty being so miserably neglected Too many live as if Religion lay all in praying and hearing holy conference and the like forgetting that pure Religion and undefiled is this to visit the Fatherless and the Widow in their affliction Jam. 1. 27. The other should be so done as that this should not be left undone You make conscience of being just and true and faithful but do you not forget to win upon others by your kindness and affableness as if it were not written in your Bibles be pitiful be courteous having compassion