First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of you 2. In considering distinctly all the Termes or Conditions of the Covenant as they have been laid before you in the Directions already given you and are also expressed in the form hereafâ—er proposed 3. In searching your bearts whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to In special Consider what your sins aâ—e and examine whither you can resolve to forgo them all Consider what the Lawes of Christ are how holy strict and spiritual and whether you can upon deliberation make choice of them all even those that do most crosse your worldly interests beloved sins and corrupt inclinations as the rule of your whole life Be sure you be clear in these matters see that you do not lye unto God Consider whether however corruption will play its part and be pulling you back yet the prevailing part of you will be for God and Christ and all his holywayes Secondly Compose your spirits into the most serious frame possible sutable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to performe your promise Trust not to your own strength to the strength of your own resolutions but take hold on â—â—nstehigâ—s Fourthly resolve to be faithful Having engaged your hearts opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visible present before your Eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Childe of Hell by my wicked practice but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the condition of my peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defi-ance with all thine enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmelie covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the meanes that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the world I do here resigne my heart to thee that madest it humblie protesting before thy glorious Majestie that it is the firm Resolution of my heart and that I doe unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of prosperity or adversiâ—y least they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked suggestions I resolve by the Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercie offered most Graciouslie to me wretched sinner to be again my God throug Christ if I woul accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majestie I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holie Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self bodie and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the daies of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluâ—ed wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glorie But 〈◊〉 such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my head and husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I reâ—ounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce â—ine own will and take thy will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must â—uffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace asisting to runne all hazzards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoak and let my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flâ—sh contradict and rebell yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh 〈◊〉 am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast
Scripture and withdraw themselves from the loose and vain wayes of the wicked spending much of their time in praying and hearing and meditating of God exercising themselves in holy watchfulness over their hâ—â—rts and all their wayes labouring in all things that both here and hereafter they may be accepted and approved of God The other sort live at their ease and their pleasuâ—â— minde their Farms and Oxen and bellies hope they shall do well enough here-after but do not much trouble themselves nor take any care or pains about it Let every man ask his own heartâ— thus Which of these two sorts do I think in my conscience will be found fools and which wise in the day of Judgment Beloved will you speak your consciences in this thing if it were put to your choice amongst which of these two sorts you would be found and take your portion at last what choice do you think you should make whether would you be found amongst those that spend their dayes in ignorance or those that seek after the knowledge of God amonst those that labour and strive to make sure the love and favour of God or amongst those that take no care about it but leave it at uncertainties Amongst the vain or the serious the diligent or the sloathful the heavenly minded or the earthly minded Dare any of you say let my soul stand amongst the drunkards and gluttons and gallants and good-fellows among the covetous and proud and loose and careless ones of the earth Among the formalists the mockers and scoffers at the pure wayes of the Lord let my portion be with them my place be with them let my sentence be according to their sentence If you dare not make this your choice or desire to be found amongst such at that day you thereby may perceive what the verdict of your own conscience is in this case whatever you say of them now your conscience tells you that these will be found the only fools in that day and those only wise amongst whom you would choose to stand Reas 3. The properties of wise men are found in them I shall instance but in two 1. They understand themselves a right 2. They build sure 1. They understand themselves aright for 1. They understand wherein their interest lies we say of a wise Man the is a Man that understandâ— himself that understands what he hath to do Christians are men of understanding they understand what that one thing is for which they live in the pursuit and security whereof if they prosper they know they shall be happy whatever else they miscarry in and upon their miscarriage wherein they know they are undone whatever else they prosper in they know there is but one thing needful and that that one thing is their eternal interest the blessedness to come the happiness of the other world the obtaining and enjoying of God for the portion of their Souls be thou mine and I have what I look for either in Heaven or Earth Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth there is none that I desire in comparison of thee Psal 4. 6. There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired Phil. 3. 13. This one thing I do Christians have but one thing wherein they are concerned God is all they have to regard this one thing they have in their eyes they see before them where their happiness lies and they are able to say Whom have I or what have I but thee This one thing is in their hearts one thing have I desired That I may dwell in the House of the Lord for ever and this one thing is in their hand too the work and the business they mind to carry oâ— This one thing I do forgetting that which is behind and reaching forth to that which is before I press to the mark for the price of the â—high calling of God in Christ Jesus Sinners you that take your selves to be so wise you are a company of poor mistaken Creatures mistaken in your interest you are in the world you know not for what you know not what you have to do here you are those men upon whom God is said Psal 14. To look down from Heaven to see if there were any among them that did understand and seek God That did understand that is that knew that their great business they had here to do and their only happiness which they had to seek lay in God and that thereupon applyed themselves to the seeking of God but behold they were all out of the way there were none amongst them that understand this that this was their great concernment and thereupon they were all out of the way quite off from that work that they were sent hither about it is no wonder you shoot so wide when you mistake your mark it is no wonder you do you know not what when you know not what you should do Is this the work you came into the World for to Eat and Drink and Sleep and Buy and Sell and Marry and bring forth Children and load your selves and them with burthens of thick Clay to Sport and Play and Riot and Laugh and spend your dayes in meer Vanity and Foolery are there no higher things than these which God hath set before you and more worthy your choice and labour Have you no Souls to mind that are of an immortal being and are there not lasting Riches abiding Pleasures an enduring substance that may be had that must be had for these souls of yours tâ—â—ive upon or else they will be eternally miserabâ—â— and do you noâ— understand that your souls are of more value than your perishing Carkasses and that the making provision for your souls is of far higher consequence than the pampering of your bodies Will the loss of your souls be recompenced by all your bodily pleasures and plenty VVill not the saving your souls ballance and make amends for any losses crosses miscarriages in your fleshly interest If you do not understand this yet do not judge them fools that do 2. They understand their way Prov. 14. 8. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way The wisdom of a Merchant lies not only in his skill to choose and deal in the right and richest commodities which will bring in the greatest and most certain gain but in his understanding the mystery of his Trade whereby he may upon the best and surest terms procure these commodities to know the best way of dealing and traffiquing for them Christians by their being acquainted with the Scriptures and having been trained up in the School of Christ are come to understand their Trade the mystery of godliness they have not only learn'd to prize the salvation of God and the glory and blessedness of the world to come but are well acquainted with the way that leads to it
to sinners Bring me no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me Sinners not onely your wickedness but your very prayers will undo you If you make them a shelter for sin your very prayers will be turned into sin 2. Returning Prayers When a Sinner being struck with a sense of his sin and of his necessity of changing his way and of his utter inability to turne of himself under the fears and troubles of his heart goes to God and cryes out Lord what shall I do I see I am in an evil case my soul is running on in sin and they curse and wrath I behold running on upon me Lord save me Lord help me Lord pardon Lord convert me break me off from my sins break me off from my sinful companions I cannot get loose my heart is too hard my lusts are too strong my Temptations are too many for me to overcome of my self Lord help me turn me and I shall be turned pluck my foot out of the snare that I be not utterly destroyed forgive mine iniquity make me a clean heart make me thy childe make me thy servant that I may never again yield up my self a servant to sin Such a prayer as this if it be hearty and and in earnest if there be no promise of audience yet at least there is an half promise Who can tell Or it may be the Lord may hear Though it cannot be properly said the Lord doth accept neither can any man say he will reject it as an abominable thing This being premised 2. I answer to the question That sinners if they have but anâ— heart to it have also a price in their hand God hath put arguments into their mouths also to plead with him for mercy As 1. The grace of God or his gracious Nature his readiness to shew mercy this even strangers may lay hold upon Benhadad's encouragement to beg his life of the King of Israel may be the sinners plea in the begging of his We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Go Sinner to the Lord and speak thus in his ears Lord I have heard that the King of Glory is a merciful King Thy name is the Lord merciful and gracious and thy Nature is according to thy Name It is thy Nature to pity and in thy heart there is plenteous compassion Oh I am a miserable creature a poor undone helpless wretch do for me according to thy Nature do for me according to thy Name will the God of mercy send away such a wretch that comes for mercy will the God of Grace send me away without Grace The God of Mercy hear me the God of Grace grant me to find grace in his eyes 2 Gods Call or gracious Invitation Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat buy Wine and Milk without Money and without â—rice Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rise sinner he calleth thee Go to the Lord and when thou goest tell him Lord thou hast bid me come and behold here I am I come Lord at thy Word I come for a little Water I come for thy Wine and thy Milk I have brought no price in my hand but thou hast bid me come and buy without Money and without Price Though I have no grace yet behold at thy word I come for Grace though I have no Christ yet I come for Christ though I cannot call thee Father yet being called I come to thee as Fatherless With thee the Fatherless shall finde mercy And is it only those that want the Fathers of their Flesh is it not also those that want the Father of Spirits Shall earthly Orphans find pity and onely Spiritual Orphans be left Orphans If I am not thy child may I not be made thy Child Hast thou not a childs Blessing left yet to bestow upon me Thou hast bid me come come for a Blessing bless me even me also O Lord. Wherefore hast thou sent for me Shall I be sent away as I came I come at thy word do not say again be gone be gone out of my fight I cannot go at thy Word I will not go for Whither shall I go from thee Thou hast the Words of Eternal life Since thou wilt have me speak Lord answer Though I dare not say Be just to me a Saint yet I do say I will say I must say Lord be merciful to me a sinner 3. Christ And there are two things in Christ upon which sinners may plead with God 1. His Sufficiency There is enough in Christ in his obedience and death to save the worst of sinners to save the whole World of Sinners There is a fulnesse in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell There is a fulnesse of Merit to obtain pardon to make reconciliation for whoever comes a fulnesse of the Spirit to Sanctifie and cleanse them from their sins He 's able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God by him From this Sinners may reason thus with the Lord. O Lord I do not come to beg that of thee that cannot be had Thou hast enough by thee Look upon Jesus that sits at thy right hand 〈◊〉 there not Righteousnesse enough in him to answer for all my uâ—righteousnesse Are there not riches enough in him to supply my povertie Oh shall I die for want of a pardon when there is such blood continually before thee pleading for pardon Oh shall I lie down in my own vomit and wallow in the mire of my filthie lusts when there is such a Fountain by thee that 's still open for sin and for uncleannesse Oh sprinkle me with this blood O wash me in this Fountain Hear Lord send me not away without an Almes when hast it by thee 2. His Office which is to bring sinners to God to make reconciliation for sinners to make intercession for Transgressors Isa 53. Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea even for the rebellious also What a strange and mighty Plea is here for poor sinners Oh it is true Lord I am a Transgressor and have been from the Womb I have played the Traytor and been a Rebel against thee all my dayes But is there none in Heaven that will iâ—tercede for a Transgressor Hath the Lord Jesus received no gift for this poor Rebel that falls down before thee Though I am a Rebel Lord yet I am a returning Rebel Though I am a Rebel yet let me recieve a Rebels gift not a Rebels reward Lord that would be dreadful but some of those gifts which Christ received for the Rebellious Doth Christ make intercession for Transgressors and shall not he be heard If thou wilt not hear me who am a sinner yet wilt thou not hear him that speaks for sinners
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Seemeth it a small thing unto you said David to be the Son in Law of a King Why what King was it It was one that was none of the best and yet he was a King and that was a great thing for such a poor man as David was to be Son in Law to a King But what is it to be Sons and Heirs to the King of Glory The Lord sayes to all his Sons as the Father of the Prodigal said to his eldest Son Luke 15. 31. Son thou art ever with me all that I have is thine Son Daughter saith the Lord thou shalt be ever with me all that I have in Heaven and Earth all is thine Mat. 5. Blessed are the Peace-makers why so they are the Children of God Gods children are blessed Children not one of them shall go without their Fathers blessing The Lord hath not only as Isaac a blessing for one of his Children but as Jacob he hath a blessing for every child If thou be Gods child God even thy God will give thee his blessing 5. The Kingdom Mat. 5. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock for it in your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdom To whom is the Kingdom given To the little flock not to the herds of Swine the droves of wild Beasts the prophane multitudes of this Wilde and wicked World but to the little Flock of Christ those few that he hath called out of the World who follow him theirs is the Kingdom What Kingdom Why the Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom of Glory a Kingdom of Righteousness a Kingdom of Peace a Kingdom of joy and blessedness the everlasting Kingdom And here we are fallen upon that heighth and depth and length and breadth which cannot be fathomed or measured here is the wisdom of Christians they have gotten the birth-right and the blessing the Sonship and the inheritance theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven here is the faith and patience and hope and prayers and sufferings and labours of the Saints the riches of their faith the fruit of their patience the matter of their hope the return of their prayers the reward of their sufferings the end of their labours the everlasting Kingdom Now judge upon all this which hath been said whom will ye account the wise men shall those be accounted wise whom the world or those whom God accounts such Shall those pass for fools now who will be found wise at last Are those the wise men who never understood what they had to do here and so never minded nor heâ—ded that necessary work for which they were sent into the World Are our Infants and Children that mind nothing else but their play and their meat and their cloaths are those the wise ones of the World Are they the Wise Builders who have laid their foundation on the Sand When the Winds and the floods and the waves have broken down and blown away all that you have been Building will You then boast of Your Wisdom You that count your selves such Wise Men and demand what the Saints have gotten tell us what you have gotten by all your Wisdom The Saints have something to shew for themselves as Witnesses of their prudence Christ the hidden Manna that living bread that they have laid up for themselves against a time of need that peace which they have gotten to support them in a time of trouble these are some things to shew they have not foolishly lost their time every grace that they have gotten every comfort that they have treasured up there is something more to shew every dead lust pleads for them Sampson's dead Lyon was not a greater proof of his strength than Christians dead lusts are of their Wisdom they have gotten the birth-right and the blessing who was the wiser of the two Esau that sold the birth-right and lost the blessing or Jacob that got both they have gotten the Kingdom too theirs is the Kingdom of heaven whilst others have been dividing the spoyles here below scrambling for shadowes and fancies sharing the Dominions and Dignities and Preferments and Pleasures of this world amongst them these have been laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come doth this speak them such a foolish company as you would make them Have they made such a wise choice and taken such a wise course and yet must they go for fools Is this your serious and sober judgment Do you in earnest think that in that change which the Gospel hath made upon them they are changed for the worse that in the choice which they have made of God rather than the world of Christ in stead of their lusts of things eternal before things temporal that they have herein chosen to their loss Is this your thought will you write down this as your judgment and put your hand to it and be content that this writing should be produced at the last Judgment as the Test by which you will be tryed whether you are wise or foolish Are you Christians and do you believe the Scriptures and are you not yet ashamed that any such thoughts should come into your hearts Will you say The Devil is the best Master and he 's a fool that will not be his servant but Christ is an â—ard Master and none that 's wise will venture after him Will you say that Moses was a fool in refusing to be called the son of Pharoah's Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin form season that the Apostles and the Disciples were fools that Peter and Paul and John and James were fools with the rest of those holy Men and Women who denied themselves took up their Cross and followed Christ and that the Scribes and Pharisees and Publicans and Harlots and Drunkards and Gluttons that made a mock and a scorn of him and them had more wit than they Is not this the very thing you say in charging folly upon those whose aim and desire is to walk in the same steps that those primitive Christians walked in before them Is this your Christianity Is this your reason and Religion and honesty speak out your hearts in plain termes No man would hearken to Christ unless he were a fool no man would be holy unless he were a fool no man would leave his lusts and his pleasures and his liberties and his vanities unless he had first lost his wits Or at least no wise man would take up more of Christianity than the name and the shell and the shadow none but a fool would make sure work for his soul would go through with Christ and Christianity would be an inward hearty resolved universal sincere Christian Would any wise man put it out of doubt that Christ is his put it out of doubt that his soul is
safe that he 's passed from death to life and shall never come â—â—to condemnation What do your bruitish hearts and wayes speak less or rather than this Sinners is this all the wisdom or honesty you have thus to speak or think If it be Be it known unto you all that these foolish Saints have more wit than to count the reproaches of such bruitish spirits to be any disparagement to them or their profession and therefore if you will mock on and go on to admire your selves and the oaks which you have chosen and the gardens which you have desired whilst you despise these and their wayes but however whilst they have this assurance that God doth not count them what you call them that You will not call them at last what you call them now you must give them leave though they think never so meanly of themselves yet still to have the same high thoughts of their God of their Gospel of that holy profession and way that they have chosen Vse 1. Let the ungodly World hence learn to have a better opinion of these men and to forbear reproaching them think with your selves upon what hath been said These men may be wiser than we are aware of they may be honest men we may be mistaken these may be the Israel of God those Nathaniels of whom Christ saith Joh. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile these may be the little Flock on whom it is the Fathers pleasure to bestow the Kingdom these may be those litâ—le ones whom whosoever offends it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the midst of the Sea And what if they should be so In what case are you then that have reproached and persecuted them but I must be bold to tell there 's no May be in the matter I question not but if you would impartially weigh what hath been spoken and what shall yet farther be spoken you will see that if God hath any people in the world these are they and therefore my advice is that you refrain from these men and let them alone lest if you do go on you be sound fighters against God Obj. But where be there any such There be some that make a fair shew and make specious pretences to the strictness of Religion but they are hypocrites and deceivers and these are they that we only speak against Sol. 1. Let this be granted That such men as have been described if there be any such are truely wise men that men of such Principles that men of this profession if they really be what they profess and live according to their principles that these are men of wisdom do but grant that godliness is wisdom and the fear of the Lord is understanding I would that I could bring you thus far heartily to grant that godliness hath an excellency in it and that a life led according to those Principles of godliness which have been laid before you is the most excellent life Hence these two things will unavoidably follow 1. That by how much more exactly and strictly any persons live according to the Principles of godliness by so much the more have they attained to of true wisdom If Godliness be our wisdome and excellency then by how much the more precisely godly any persons are by so much the more wise and excellent by how much the more precise a Christian or godly man is by so much the more he is a Christian or a godly man and therefore let never any man be blam'd for that he is so much but that he is no more precise 2. By how much the more loosely any persons live from the Rules of Religion by how much the more liberty they take to walk after the flesh by so much the more foolish they are and so you may without controversie conclude that whatever these precise people be you that are Libertines to be sure are fools 2. Are there none such What hath God no people in the world hath the Devil gotten all God hath a people somewhere and a peculiar people whom he hath chosen to salvation whom he hath redeemed and called and justified and sanctified and set apart for himself from the rest of the world all are not Israel all are not Disciples but there are some whom God hath peculiarly set apart to himself from â—he rest of men and where are these to be found if not among these precise walkers the peculiar people of God are as hath been sufficiently proved an holy people an hearing people a praying people a zealous people a watchful gainful industrious sober meek merciful patient people and all this in sincerity Now where shall we look to find out such a people Must we rake the kennels and search the sinks of the earth Must we seek in the Ale-houses or Taverns or Play-houses Shall we take out the drunkards and riotous the swearers and lyars the covetous and oppressors the vain ones of the earth the blind People that bruitish generation that knows not nor mind not the Lord or his wayes and say of any of these surely here they be these are the people of God here be the men that are no hypocrites these are that Royal Priesthohd that holy Nation that peculiar people whom God hath called to shew forth his praise before the world Sinners if you have so much reason or conscience as to conclude that none of these are they then tell us farther who or where they are or else at last acknowledge that if God hath a people any where 't is amongst those that you have reproached 3. If you say there be hypocrites among them and these are they that you speak against and not gainst those that are upright let me give you this double advice 1. Take heed you mistake not the mark do not shoot at Saints indeed under the name and disguise of hypocrites do not count that hypocrisie which God accounts sincerity you may be mistaken as I told you before and what if you should be mistaken what if it should prove not only that the men which you reproach for hypocrites God should account sincere but if the very thing which you call their hypocrisie the Lord counts their excellency what if it should be so Then you have shot a fair shot every reproach which you have thus cast out is as so much dirt which you have thrown into the Face of God so many darts which you have shot into the Apple of God's Eye You who are so free in reproaching Professors take heed that it be not found that the ground of all your evil language against them and evil usage of them be not for that they are but for that they are not hypocrites 2. If they be hypocrites and only such that you speak against take heed you mistake not your Arrow do not cast that upon them for a reproach which is good do not take good names to reproach
said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sinnes in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the Finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Authors advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not onely in heart but in word not onely in word but in writing and that you would with possible reverence spread the writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a memorial of the solemn transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in doubts and temptations And now Beloved having shewed you the way the Father give me leave to be instant with you in pressing you to hearken to me herein to come and joyn your selves thus to the Lord. And if you will not be perswaded to this solemn and express way of Covenanting with him which I believe you will find a great advantage and do therefore make it my great request unto you yet if you will not do that take heed you refuse not to engage your hearts to the Lord and make a full closure with Christ upon all the particular terms laid before you till that be done I must be bold to tell you again as I have told you already that you are short of Christianity strangers from the Covenant of Promise and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Brethren the Lord God hath sent me amongst you upon the same Eâ—â—and as Abraham sent his servant Gen. 24. To take a wife for his Son to espouse you to Christ I am not without â—ear as that servant was not that some of you will not follow me but if the Lord see it good to send his Angel before me to make my way prosperous if the Lord give me success in this great thing that I may thus bring you into Covenant with him I shall therein have performed the main part of my Ministerial work among you I shall have espoused you to Christ maâ—ried you to that one Husband I shall have brought you within the strait gate and set your foot safe into that narrow way that leads to life and have laid the foundation of your following the Lord in holiness and comfort here and of living with him in blessedness for ever For 1 When once you are sincerely in Covenant from thenceforth you have a God that you may call your own to whom you may have free access with whom you may be sure to find grace to help in all times of need How blessed is his condition who is able to say I have no friâ—â—â— in the world but I have a God in Heaven I have many enemies but I have a God I have no house nor money nor lands but I have a God I have troubles I have sins that are a daily torment and vexation to me but I have a God a God to feed me a God to succour me God to shelter me a God to pardon me a God to sanctâ—fie me to â—ave me 2 From the time of this your Covenant Union with Christ you have the blessing of communion with him 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is Christs is now become yours the husband gives the wife leave to set heâ— name on all his goods and all that Christ hath you may now write your name upon it say boldly All this is mine his prayers his tears his obedience his blood his spirit all are mine because he is mine 2. Whatsoever is yours is his your sufferings your sins your debts your wants are all upon your husband Christ says to you as the old man Judg. 19. 20. to the Levite Let all thy wants be on me and so all thy debts and straits and fears and troubles let them all be on me 3 Christ and you shall have your lot together God deals with Christ and a Believer as one and the same party who must be absolved and condemned stand or fall live or die together In Christs being justified your justification is secured in Christs Resurrection your Resurrection in Christs Glorification your Glorification is secured for ever Because I live ye shall live also This is the portion this is the Inheritance of all Gods Covenanting-Servants You that are yet in your sins in your old Covenant with Death and agreement with Hell Will you yet be perswaded by what hath been said to say one to another Come let us break these bonds asunder and cast these cords from us come let us go over to Christ let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that never shall be forgotten You that are sincerely come within the bonds of this Covenant of the Lord the Lord is henceforth become your God Christ is henceforth become your Saviour you have shot the Gulf that good work is begun which the Lord will perform to the day of Christ you are gotten within the gate you are entred into the Path of Life 2 In the next place therefore I shall give some advice to the godly or those that are already in Christ whom I shall direct 1 To a right performance of holy duties these four duties especially Prayer holy Meditation Self-examination and renewing their Covenant 2 To a right improvement of holy Duties 3 To the carrying on an holy course In all which though I shall apply my self especially to those that are in Christ yet I shall also give some farther helps to those that are yet out of Christ Before I shall enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties it will not I hope be lost labour if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon the carrying on a holy life which I shall dispatch in these four particulars 1 Duties are the exercise of Grace Grace out of exercise grows quickly out of case Idleness breedâ— ill humours and diseases in the body and no less in the soul stirring keeps us warm and healthful Now Duties are the stirrings and exercises
and laying it open before the Lord our complaining to the Lord of it our â—â—ying to the Lord against it pressing him upon his Promise upon his Covenant to help against it these are the mightiest â—atteries our souls can make to the beating down its strong holds When the Lord hears the groanings of his Israel under their oppressing Egyptians he will arise and relieve them Christians tell one another how sad it is with them what woful work they have with a proud heart or a covetous heart or an hard heart or an hypocritical heart and you mry tell one another such stad stories long enough and find little help Goe tell thy God of thy sins carry them before the Throne of Grace make thy complaints against them there and there thou wilt find compassion and deliverance Now gather up these four particulars together consider them well and then you will see you that intend holiness in earnest whâ—t great reason you have to set close in with Duties and to accept of those Directions which shall now be tendered unto you The first sort of Directions are such as concern the right performance of the Duty of Prayer the advice I shall give you touching this take in these four particulars 1. Bring your selves and hold your selves to a frequent and constant performance of this duty There must be performance or there cannot â—e a right performance Those that pray not or but seldome is a shrewd signe that the root of the matter is not in them they that can live without prayer are dead while they are alive Prayer is the first fruits of Christianity It was said of Saul aâ— a token that he was a Convert Behold he prayeth The living Childe comes crying into the World and as it is a token of life so it is a meanes by which this New Life is nourished Prayer is a Christians Key to unlock the Store-houses and the Treasuries of Souls he that can pray God hath given him a Key to all his Treasuries Prayer will not only unlock the Clouds as Elijahs prayer did and bring down Rain to refresh the dry and parched Earth but it will unlock Heaven too It will unlock the Ark and the Mercy-seat and get downe Spiritual blessinge on the Soul Praying is a Christians knocking at the Gate of Heaven that knocking to which the promise is made Matthew 7. 7. Knock and it shall be opened The word which the Lord speakes to us is Gods knocking at our doores Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock And praying is our knocking at the Lords door at the Gate of Heaven that this may be opened By the way learn that if you will not hear God knock it is just to hear not yours If Gods voice may not be heard on Earth your voice will not be heard in Heaven fear not you shall be heard if you will hear hear him that speaks to you from Heaven and your cry shall enter into Heaven Our Soules will never thrive or flourish unless the Rain and the Showers of Heavenly Grace descend and fall upon them and we cannot look that those Showers should come down unless we look up Persons that pray not may be written among the Heathens Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen and the Families that call not on thy Name Among the Prophane ones of the Earth who are described by this Character Psalm 42. 4. They call not upon God they are altogether become filthy and abominable there is none that doth good they call not uâ—on God Where Prayer is not there is usually cursing and swearing and every abomination look upon the non-praying persons look upon the non-praying families among you and see how little good there is to be found see if they be not as so many dead and dry Trees on which no Spiritual fruit appears as so many dark holes into which no Spiritual light doth ever shine as so many filthy sinks in which every vile thing lodges Beloved I have often pressed this Duty on you both personal secret Prayer that there be not one person found among you that prayes not and Family joynt Prayer that there be not one Family found among you among whom God is not thus worshipped I have often pressed this upon you and given you particular helps and Directions about it and have not been negligent to put you in remembrance of it so that if there be prayerless persons or families found among you the guilt of it must lie at your own doors But will you yet hearken to me in this thing Will you give your selves to prayer No word that is spoken to you for the good of your Soules will ever prosper with you if this Word prosper not it is in vain for me to perswade you to live a Godly life if you will not be perswaded to live a praying life Would you ever come to any thing see then that this Exhortation doe not come to nothing be ye therefore serious Be yee therefore sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be ye instant be constant in Prayer Set up your resolutions and set your time set your times and keep your time do not put off this Duty by pretending you pray alwayes every day and every hour as the pretence of an every dayes Sabbath comes just to no Sabbath so it is usually in the case of prayer some Carnal wretches praying alwayes is â—ot prayiug at all Get thee into thy Closet saith Christ get thee a place set thee a time wherein thou sayest vacare Deâ— wherein thou mayest make it thy business to seek the Lord. Brethren I say again if you will not suffer me to prevail with you in this thing I may even spare my labour of speaking any other things to you wherein I shall have no hope of success if I speed not here Some among you in some private Conferences I have had with you have given me some good hopes of the work of grace begun upon your hearts I have found that there hath been stil a neglect of daily prayer this hath struck such a damp upon my spirit as hath brought down those hopes to be even almost as low as nothing and by experience I have found that such persons as upon advice and warning would not afterwards be brought to the constant exercise 〈◊〉 this duty if they have retained any favour of Religion at all have yet from year to year been at a stand and not the least sign of any improvement hath been to be seen If ever therefore you will hearken to me in any thing that I tender for your souls good deny me not in this set upon the daily exercise of secret prayer and if you be resolved on the performance I shall then be encouraged in the next place to help you on in the right performance Therefore 2. Come to pray with an actual and great expect 〈◊〉 of obtaining grace and help from God Do not barely impose
thy fountain of sin to that fountain that is opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. Wherein thou may'st wash and be clean thy faith will tell thee Thy old man is already crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. By whom the body of sin is destroyed that is hath received its deaths wound that thou mayest not serve sin and that the same mouth that commands thee Let not sin reign in thy mortal body the same mouth hath promised thee Sin shall not have dominion over thee But yet thou addest The Lord commands me to keep my heart to keep my tongue mine eyes to make strait steps to my feet that I turn aside to no iniquity that I turn aside from all temptations to sin â—â—stain from all appearance of evil and many 〈◊〉 the like words hath he given me in charge requiring me to walk in all his Commandments and to keep all his Statutes and Judgements to do them these are hard sayings who can hear them I but he that said this saith Faith said one word more that will make all this easie Ezek. 36. 37. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Once more thou repliest but Christ commands me to take up my Cross to suffer with him to part with all I have to lay down my life for his Name Can I do so little for his Name and am I ever like to be able to suffer for his Name Am I put so hard to it in every light affliction that befalls me and is it possible I should be able to resist unto blood The Lord pardon me I have found that a little shame or reproach is more than I can well bear a scoff or a scorn for Christ to what impatience hath it often put me Have I run with the foot-men and have these wearied me how then shall I contend with horses But God is faithful 1 Cor. 10. 13. who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able The Lord will lay on thee saith Faith no more than thy load either he will encrease thy strength or not encrease thy burthens He that hath given thee a little strength to go through small trials hath said he will and thou mayest trust him if he lay more load on thee give thee more strength to bear it The Lord will either enable thee to die for his Name or he will not call thee to it Christians believe God to him that believes all things are possible and if you believe they shall be so to you He hath said he will be and therefore you may boldly say The Lord is my helper Trust in the Lord and keep his way trust in the Lord and be doing good and verily you shall be fed verily you shall be assisted verily you shall be supported commit your way to him and whatever difficulty there be in your work he shall bring it to pass commit the keeping of your selves to him and you shall be kept by his power through faith unto salvation Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it Distrust your selves as much as you will but distrust not your Rock you are weak creatures but you have a strong God you have empty hearts but a full Saviour you have but a poor stock in your selves but a rich stock in the Promise whence you shall have such a continual supply that your barrel of meal shall not waste nor your cruse of oyl spend till you have finished your work and your course Hang on your crucified Lord take hold on his Covenant take hold on his Strength go forth in his Strength and Name and then fear not your difficulties shall vanish your way shall prosper your Souls shall flourish you shall have your fruit unto Holiness and your end everlasting Life III. Deny your selves Matth. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself Remember your Covenant you have given your selves to the Lord and are now no longer your own you are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh you owe your flesh no observance you have already paid it more than its due let him that liveth live to the Lord let them for whom Christ died live no longer to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again Christ and Self are contrary you cannot serve these two Masters If you will not deny your selves you cannot but deny your Lord and if you can deny your selves in any thing you will deny Christ in nothing If you can heartily say Not my will you will easily add but thine be done But what is this Self we must deny I answer as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria He whom thou hast for thy Husband is not thy Husband That which thou holdest for thy self is not thy self thou callest it and countest it thy self and lovest and cherishest it as thy self but it is not thy self That which is here called thy self is elswhere in Scripture called thy flesh thy corrupt or carnal part that corruption that is gotten into thy understanding and sits there giving thee evil counsel That corruption which is gotten into thy will and sits there swaying thee in all things to choose thy hurt that is gotten into thy appetite and makes thee to fall a lusting after all things that are pernicious to thee and a resisting all that would do thee good This is thy self to he denied the corruption of thy nature that hath insinuated it self into all thy parts and powers and governs thee in all thy actions This is it which carries thee from God keeps thee from Christ resists the Word of Life leads thee out of the way of Life leads thee about after thy pleasures and sports and companions holds thee down to this earth and is dragging thee to Hell This is it which makes sinners say concerning the Word of Life The Word that is spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not do but will do whatsoever proceeds out of our own mouths That makes them say concerning Christ We will not have this man to Reign over us Let the World reign if it will let the Devil reign if he will let Pride and Envie and Malice reign if they will but whosoever reigns this man shall not reign over me 'T is this that layes so many blocks creates so many difficulties in the way of Holiness makes this way seem too strait and narrow the duties of it impossible the troubles of it intolerable Were it not for this the way of Christ would be easie and his burthen light This is that Self which must be denied if you will follow Christ If you ask what it is to deny self In short it is to shake off its government to resist its reasonings to disobey its commands to refuse to follow its inclinations or satisfie its lustings Brethren whatever Christ counsels you to or commands as I
hath cost them so dear but shall prize it the more and be the more wary and tender how they pollute and turn aside from it God hath adventured deep on you make not him a Liar the devil his instruments will be ready to say concerning you as once he did to the Lord concerning his Servant Job Put them into our power let us have the handling of them a while and thou shalt quickly see what truth there is in them or what trust there is to them they 'l curse thee to thy face they 'l deny thee to thy face they 'l eat their own words they 'l be ashamed of their God their Godliness and Confidence Let God be true Christians and the Devil a Lyar be living Commentaries on this blessed Text Let the World and their black Prince see that they cannot make you miserable because they cannot make you sinners like themselves That you are still the more upright for falling into the hands of a crooked Generation Let them see that though your God will not suffer you yet you are contented to serve him for nothing That though his Hedge be removed from you yet your Heart is not removed from him Be able to say Though all this be come upon us Our heart is not turned back neither have we declined thy way Let our standing and encreasing in the Grace of God and abounding in the works of Righteousness be a standing VVitness for God in the VVorld and a Seal to his Scriptures and in special to the glorious Truth of this Text. 4. The evil things of the Saints prepare better things for them their Sufferings go into their Reward As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Every suffering comes with a comfort in its Belly and the sweet is so great as swallows up the bitter 't is a hundred fold that the Saints gain by all their Losses in this Life but how great shall their Reward be in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding Eternal Weight of Glory They shall not only have weight for weight measure for measure their Load of Glory for their Load of Sufferings but they shall have over-weight over-measure good measure pressed down heaped together and running over shall then be given unto them According to their deep poverty shall be the height of their riches according as their blackness hath been in their Houses of Bondage shall be their brightness in the Land of Promise for all thy shame thou shalt have double The double of thy Reproach in Renown the double of thy Tears in Triumphs all thy bottled Tears shall be returned in Flagons of Joy yea in Rivers of Eternal Pleasure By this time Christians you see what glory there is in this good word All things shall work together for good to them that love God And that none may have the face to say all this is but conceit I shall in the next place bring in clear and undeniable Evidence that it is certainly and unquestionably so as hath been said And therefore know 5. That all things do and shall certainly work for good to them that love God This besides the Testimony of this Scripture I shall make evident from these three Propositions 1. There is a Divine Providence that governs the VVorld 2. The Design of Providence is the accomplishment of the good purpose and promise of God 3. The Providence of God shall never fail of accomplishing its end 1. There is a Divine Providence which governs the VVorld the Epicureans who deny Providence and leave all on Chance and Fortune may as well deny that there is a God which yet they are asham'd to stand to Of Epicurus himself it was said Quem nihil pudendum pudet pudet tamen Deum negare It can be no way reconcilable to the infinite Wisdom of God who made this Glorious Fabrick with the various Creatures therein either not to determine them to their Ends or else to take no care for their accomplishing those Ends they are determined to The whole Current of Scripture is so plain in these matters that he that runs may read Let the following Scriptures amongst others be considered Psal 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the isles be glad Psal 67. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desires of every living thing Psal 36. 6. Thou preservest man and beast Psal 75. 6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Amos 3. 6. Shall there be Evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Psal 17. 13 14. Deliver my Soul from the wicked which is thy Sword from Men which are thy Hand The confessions of those Infidels Nebuchadnezzar and Darius speak the same Dan. 4. 35. All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Dan. 6. 26. I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom Men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the Living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even unto the End He delivereth and rescueth and he worketh Signes and Wonders in Heaven and Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions But more distinctly the Lord governs all inanimate and sensitive Creatures in their actions he orders the Stars in their courses The Stars in their courses he made to fight against Sisera He governs the Winds and the Floods he bringeth forth the Winds out of his Treasures he rides upon the wings of the Wind. He maketh the Clouds his Chariots he sitteth on the Floods the Thunder and the Hail and the Rain and the Frosts are all at his Command He giveth Snow like Wool and scattereth the hoar frost like ashes He casteth forth the Ice like morsels he sets bounds to the Sea which it shall not pass the Birds of the Air the Beasts of the Field the Fishes of the Sea yea the stones and dust of the Earth are all at his beck More especially he rules and governs the men of this World He sits in all the Counsels of men though they see him not he orders all their Decrees there 's no Decree can pass unless God gives his Vote He rules in all the actions of men even those things that are acted through our improvidence come not to pass without the providence of God He rules in all the changes that are in the world he changes the times and the seasons he changes Kingdomes and Governments he removeth Kings and
God see it good to fall into such a calamity He hath little of a Saint that would deliberately refuse it Doubtless a sincere Christian who would count his usefulness to the good of the whole Body to be his good would say even concerning such a Message were it brought to him Good is the word of the Lord And that which afore-hand he would judg to be good for him to submit to may it not be good for him to be under 2. It may also be more directly for his particular personal good For 1. It may do him the same good which Death will do for him Concerning which the Apostle says it is yours 1 Cor. 3. that is it is for your advantage It may take him from the evil to come from those sorrows and that trouble of heart which God might fore-see falling upon him by any calamities coming either on the Church in general or himself or Family in particular which being deprived of his Reason and power to reflect on he cannot feel or in the least be afflicted by If you reply But the Remedy is worse than the Dâ—sease To be useless and unserviceable is less eligible than to be sorrowful and afflicted Will any man chuse to fall into a Lethargy or Apoplexy because 't will secure him from the torment of a Feaver If there be any weight in this Reply I shall add a further Answer which if I mis-judge not will cut off all Replyes 2. Who knows what Sins and Temptations he might have fallen into and fallen by had not the Lord by this means prevented it he might possibly have been a back-slider have fallen into gross sin by which he might have been a Terrour to himself and a Scandal to the Gospel and is it not good for him that this is prevented Is not that affliction a mercy which secures from such iniquity Who can say it is not thus that the Lord foresaw he would have fallen into sin and for prevention brought him into this affliction Who can say it is not thus If none can then this is no Objection If you Reply You say it may be this is the case and I may as well say it may be not there might be no such thing that God fore-saw as the Reason of this Providence 'T is but a Conjecture and an uncertainty when you have made the most of it Be it so yet it will fully answer my end I am not now proving that all things work for good to the Saints that 's sufficiently done already But you are objecting against it and till you prove your Objection which you can never do unless you prove that this is not the case you must give me leave again to tell you your Objection comes to nothing And so at length you see this Blessed Glorious Comfortable Truth stands its Ground and Triumphs over whatever hath any shadow of Contradiction to it By the way learn hence two things 1. Rejoyce in this Promise of God Hath the Lord put in thy name here let thine heart say It is enough Be more joyful in this that God hath thus undertaken the Care of thee than if God had wholly put thee to thine own hand giving thee power to help and liberty to chuse for thy self In what wilt thou rejoyce if not in this that the whole Creation are ingaged to do thee a kindness to help thee into the possession of thy God Thou maist now not onely submit to but thankfully embrace every Providence knowing upon what Errand it comes to thee for good and not for hurt Thou maist now triumph not onely in the Consternations but in the Triumphs of thine enemies Whether they ride over thy back or thou tread on their neck 't is all one the issue will be the same Thy Troubles and thy Consolations differ only in their Countenance with what ever Grim face thy afflictions look there are smiles under learn to see through them and thou maist see light on the further side Believe this Word thou maist read it written upon every thing that befals thee there 's no Messenger that comes but brings this promise in his hand Even this shall work for good Read it and rejoyce 2. Lay thy self down quietly under it No more perplexing or distracting cares what shall become of thee no more unwarrantable shifting for thy self Let God alone Shift not for thy self lest God leave thee to thine own shifts Let not the violence of evil men disturb thy Peace or provoke thee to unpeaceableness What-ever provocations thou maist have avenge not thy self neither give place unto wrath murmuring or fears In thy patience possess thy Soul thy God and his good Word Thy strength is to sit still Stand still and see the Salvation of God thou hast nothing to do but to be Holy let that be thine only care thy God will see to it thou shalt be happy he is faithful that hath promised Love God and leave thy self and thy whole Interest in this blessed Word All things shall work to thee for good By this time you see something of the Riches of this Promise God is in the Promise the God of Peace the God of Power the God of Patience the God of Hope the heart of God the help of God the presence of God by vertue whereof all that ever befals them shall work for their good Methinks the hearing of this Promise opened should set your souls and all that is within you a crying our Oh that this were my portion Where-ever my Lot do fall as to outward things though in a Prison though in a Desert though on a Dunghil let the lot of my Soul lye in this Promise The God of Peace shall be with you Why Brethren will you take up with Godliness you have learned and recâ—ived and heard the Word of the Lord the Word of Faith the Word of Righteousness and Holiness will you hearken to will you obey these words These things do and the God of peace shall be with you Oh what foolish Creatures are we that ever we should be afraid of Religion afraid of Holiness afraid to own obey and follow God and his holy wayes What unreasonable fears are these to those that believe the Scriptures If the Scriptures be true this is the only way this following God in holiness to put your selves out of all danger to put your selves into the heart arms presence protection of the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth Oh that I could perswade you in thither and there leave you if you are once in the Lords Arms you are safe enâ—ugh into whatever hands you fall Vse By way of Application let me once more speak a few words 1. To the Ungodly 2. To the Godly 1. To the Ungodly my work with them shall be to perswade and direct them how to get into this peaceful and blessed state Amongst the ungodly 1. There are some who are far from the Kingdom of Heaven as 1. Those upon whom the Ministry of