enough of it three years hence By little conquests way must be made for greater and he that overcomes his little peevishnesses for some time prepares for overcoming bigger affronts and injuries We read of no Ex tempore Saints and those who have arrived to qualifications which have made them fit for the bliss of another world have spent many years to bring themselves to a spiritual relish of the power of godliness Heaven is not to be gained by a single vertue but there must be adding unto our faith vertue unto vertue knowledge unto knowledge temperance unto temperance godliness unto godliness patience unto patience brotherly kindness and unto brotherly kindness charity 2 Pet. 1.4 5. He is no Christian that knows not what it is to grow in grace and when we are to labour after perfection it 's evident that we must begin betimes So that if a man doth not begin this practical remembrance of his Creator in the days of his youth he hath not time enough to become master of this art or to commence Graduate in this piece of Philosophy 3. This early remembrance of the Great Creator invites the early manifestations of Gods love and is the Key to the choisest comforts and consolations Of all the Apostles St. John alone is called the Disciple whom Jesus loved He loved them all but this with greater tenderness than ordinary because as most Divines observe he was the youngest and in the days of his youth remembred his Masters will and his own duty When Israel was a child i. e. when in his tender age he followed me with all his heart studied my Laws and walked with God I loved him that is with a higher love of complacency than others faith God Hos 11.1 The youthful David when in the wilderness he liv'd retired from the world contemplated things celestial and sublime made the Creator of all things the darling of his Soul and found no such delight any where as in meditating of Gods testimonies felt what the kinder influences of Gods Spirit were and what was the exceeding greatness of his power whereof that extraordinary assistance he speaks of to King Saul was a signal testimony Thy servant kept his fathers sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the flock and I went out after him and delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him 1 Sam. 17.34 35. When Joseph's innocence and tender years led him to the fear of God and made him have that aversion from sin in himself and others that he told his Father of his brethrens faults God favour'd him with more than ordinary tokens of his love which appear'd afterward more visibly by his making him Vice-Roy of Egypt Early Fruit is ever most acceptable and an early remembrance of our Creator comes before him as Incense smells sweets as the morning Sacrifice and vies with the morning Rose for fragrancy Practical Inferences First Though we allow not of the Platonick notion that all our knowledge is nothing but reminiscence yet Religion may justly be called a Remembrance of things we knew and heard of before The lines of good and evil are engraven upon our hearts The Finger of God hath written them upon our Souls and education together with the various Sermons we hear make these Characters much brighter So that if at any time we are to abhor that which is evil or to cleave to that which is good if we are tempted to actions doubtful and uncertain whether they be agreeable or disagreeable to the will of God it 's but remembering what an Almighty hand hath imprinted on our hearts or what formerly we have treasured up there and thus we may by the Grace of God resist and overcome the temptation Nay if we remember how at such time our Consciences checkt us for such actions and what reluctancies we felt when prompted to the commission If we remember how at another time our pious Neighbour reproved us for such a fault told us it was as affront offered to God and a snare to ruine our immortal Souls If we remember how vehemently the Minister of the Ordinances of God declaimed against such a sin what Arguments he alleadg'd against it what disswasives he produced what obtestations and entreaties he used to discourage us from the Offence all this will signally help to restraine us from yielding to the evil motion For this we need no extraordinary memories we make use of in our civil affairs when we remember what we did or what hapned such a year will serve to put us in mind of our duty It 's love to a thing that makes us remember what may contribute to the promoting of it And if our love to Religion were but as strong as it is to our Riches we should very easily remember the arguments that God and his Ministers have given us to disswade us from the sins we are inclined to Were we truly concerned for our Souls we should soon remember what we have heard out of the Word of God and which makes for the practice of the vertues necessary to salvation When we are tempted to Pride or Anger if we did but remember how we have hated these sins in others and how odious they have appeared to us when we have seen our Neighbours fall into them it would be a sufficient discouragement from the commission That we have no memories in this case is not so much a defect of nature as our will We are wilfully forgetful of our duty and that makes us excuse the neglect of it we will not remember our sins and that tempts us to impenitence Thus we cheat our Souls and that 's but an ill preparative for the tremendous audit at the Bar of Gods Justice The day will come when we shall remember our offences and neglects whether we will or no. There is not a sinner now who willingly forgets what he hath been going against God and his own Soul but will be forced to remember it to his cost and sorrow when an angry God shall look him in the face And is it not our greatest interest then to remember now in this our day the things which belong unto our peace to remember our Errours that we may turn from them to remember our duties to God and man that we may conscienciously discharge them to remember what our Creator our Father our greatest Benefactors requires of us to remember the Exhortations the Entreaties the Expostulations the Adjurations of a merciful God that the Great Jehovah may remember us in that day when he makes up his Jewels and spare us as a man would spare his Son that serves him Secondly There is hardly any place of Scripture that is more vulgarly known than this I have discoursed of our very Children learn it almost as soon as they can speak and imbibe it with the ordinary questions Who made you Who redeem'd
earth so they cannot but magnifie and glorifie God for the fruits and good works which after their Conversion such men bring forth Those ministring Spirits are entirely intent upon Gods Glory and the greater the number is of those that contribute to Gods Glory the greater is their joy and with their Joy their Praises and celebrations of the Divine Wisdom and Power and Goodness are advanced This being premised it will be easie to guess at the subjects of the ensuing Discourse which if we follow the Text close can be no other than these 1. What it is to remember God for that 's implied here 2. What force there is in remembring God under the notion of our Creator 3. Why the strict observance of these two Lessons is particularly necessary in the days of our youth First What it is to remember God 1. So to remember his Omniscience and Omnipresence as to stand in awe of him For this is no speculative but a practical Remembrance The Name of God speaks his being present in all places and knowing whatever passes in Heaven and in Earth A truth which even the wiser Heathens were sensible of and when they said that Jovis omnia plena that all places were full of the Supreme Deity no doubt they meant that God was present in Heaven by his Glory on Earth by his Providence and in Hell by his Justice that above us he stands as Judge under us as our Supporter and on both sides of us as an Assessor and Speculator of our actions whether they be good or evil So that he who remembers God must necessarily remember his Omniscience and Omnipresence and in vain are these remembred except we stand in awe of him And this was it which God thought fit to put among the first Lessons he gave to Abraham his friend Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be perfect i. e. Behave thy self in all places like a person sensible of an all-seeing Eye above him like one who believes God sees him and hears him and is not far from him that knows his down-sitting and his uprising and understands his thoughts afar off This Remembrance is a necessary and essential part of the fear of God and he that lays this Remembrance by will stick at no sin he can commit with safety without exposing his Credit or Honour or Interest This Remembrance is a bridle for our Lusts and he that sees God where ever he walks or sits or stands or lies will not be easily taken with the beauty of sin and vanity It was therefore an ingenious as well as a religious reply which St. Ephrem made to the Harlot who enticed him to be naught with her and was very urgent with him to assign her a place where she should meet him In the Market-place saith he tomorrow at Noon-day Fye answered the Harlot are not you ashamed to be taken notice of of men that will pass by and see us To this St. Ephrem Art thou asham'd to be seen by men and dost thou not blush to venture upon this villany in the sight of God Can the eyes of men make thee afraid and is the revenging Eye of God no disswasive from thy wickedness 2. To Remember God is so to remember his Goodness his Mercies and gracious Providences as to live a life of love and gratitude We cannot name God but we must understand by that expression one from whom every good and perfect gift descends by whom all creatures are fed maintain'd and cherished and preserved who opens his hand and filleth the desire of every living thing and to whom we in particular are beholding for all the necessaries conveniencies accommodations and superfluities we enjoy But this remembrance is insignificant and like sounding Brass and a tinkling Cymbal except it touches the Heart with a strong desire and endeavour of gratitude Kindnesses like fire must give heat and as among men he is supposed not to remember what such a great man hath done for him that shews him no respect or doth what is prejudicial to his Honour and Interest so God looks upon him as a person that remembers neither him nor his Mercies in whom this remembrance works no earnest care to please him And whatever the pretences of remembring may be where it doth not influence the life nor produces love in the inward and outward man it 's Contempt not Remembrance Hypocrisie not Gratitude He properly remembers God that takes notice of his Works and the operations of his Hands sees his Finger in the blessings he enjoys and clings to his great Benefactor with ardent affections that never thinks of his goodness without admiration and whenever he considers how kind God hath been to him ruminates in his mind with David What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits Psal. 116.12 It was therefore with respect no doubt to this practical acknowledgement that the same Psalmist gives this exhortation Psal. 105.5 Remember ye his marvellous works the wonders and the judgements of his wrath They that heretofore painted the Graces with hand in hand intimated that one good turn requires another and to neglect such returns among men hath ever been counted odious Monster hath been the best name that hath been given to such persons in all Ages and therefore none can suppose that the neglect of them with respect to God our kindest friend will pass for a tolerable infirmity He that doth not return acts of love upon the remembrance of Gods preservations deliverances and munificence will have the whole World and his own Conscience to boot for his accusers and the crime is inexcusable because the wretch eludes the force of the greatest charms and the strongest motives to Love and reciprocal Affection 3. To remember God is so to remember his Laws and injunctions as to yield actual obedience He that acknowledges a God must acknowledge him to be the governour of the World and consequently that he governs by Laws agreeable to his greatness and Holiness and therefore when God tells the Israelites how they should remember him he chuses to word it thus Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses which I commanded him in Horeb with all the statutes and judgements Mal. 4.4 Gods Laws would signifie nothing if they were not intended as a rule for his Subjects and the impertinency of remembring God as our Law-giver without suitable obedience is sufliciently shewn in that expostulation of Christ Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord and do not do the things which I say Wonderful was the care God took that the Jews should remember his injunctions They were not only to be in their Frontlets and Wrist-bands but the Fathers of their respective Families were commanded to teach them diligently unto their Children to talk of them when they were sitting in their houses and when they walked by the way and when they lay down and when they rose again They were to write them also upon the Posts
not the Cyprian Bishop but another to 115. Not to mention any more and most Historians agree in it that one great means to prolong their years was their spare diet and frequent abstinence and Fasts in obedience to Religion Besides Religion commands Obedience Respect and Tenderness to Parents and to that a special blessing of long life is affixed by promise in the fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God gives thee It bids us also shun all apparent occasions of mischief particularly of evil company where great rudenesses insolencies debaucheries and many times Murthers are committed to the endangering both of health and life Add to all this that Religion doth peremptorily prohibit all ill language which is too often the unhappy cause of quarrels strife fighting blows duelling and assassinations which signally shorten the life of man in allusion to which David tells us Psal. 34.12 13. What man is he that desires life and loves many days that he may see good keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that they speak no guile So that if a man remembers his Creator betimes makes Conscience of the duties Religion prescribes and continues in doing so he lays a foundation for a long and healthy life 2. This early remembrance of God gives a man a title to Gods special Providence and what the effect of that is the Psalmist will inform us Psal. 91.14 16. Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him with long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation That there is a special Providence attending those who fear God is the unanimous voice of all the inspired Writers and they all agree in this that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the world to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is upright toward him as it is said 2 Chron. 16.9 And with respect to this special Providence it is that Solomon gives this advice to the Disciple of wisdom Prov. 3.1 2. My son forget not my Law and let thy heart attend unto my commandment for length of days and long life and peace shall they add unto thee By this special Providence a man is preserved from numberless dangers which otherwise would crush both health and life It s this blesses his meat and drink to him be it more or less wholesom or unwholesom removes from it what is noxious and pestilential gives it a nutritive power and many times preserves him without meat and drink for man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God as we are told Matth. 4.4 However this serious remembrance of our Creator or which is all one the fear of God makes a man immortal more effectually than Books and Monuments or Pillars or Tombstones or Fabricks or Pyramids For these onely keep up an empty name but this conscientious fear makes the man himself immortal Such a person leads a happy life here and his natural death makes no other alteration in that happy life than that it gives it greater brightness greater splendour greater lustre and adds to it higher degrees of happiness And of this Fear or serious Remembrance of God it may be said as it was of the Bread which came down from Heaven that it is Meat indeed and Drink indeed and he that feeds upon it shall never die For such a mans Soul which is the principal part of him at the end or period of his days here is onely transplanted into a richer ground and conveyed to a nobler Soil to better Land to a larger House to more pleasant Mansions and to a more ample Theater And being removed from hence it doth not change its nature but onely her abode from a Prison from a Cave from a Cottage from a Dungeon to a more spacious Pallace where she hath more Elbow-room and like a Bird freed from her Cage acts with greater liberty and sings with greater cheerfulness And her Body too sleeps onely for a few years lies down upon a bed of Turf till the Soul is throughly setled in her new Habitation and then even that at the sound of the Arch-Angels Trumpet shall awake to a happy immortality as Christ assures us Job 11.26 And though it 's true that many who sincerely remember their Creator and fear him are cut off in the prime and flower of their age and live but a short time in this world yet that early removal contradicts not the natural tendency of the Fear of God Still this is the natural course of that stream and if it met with no extraordinary stop it would certainly prolong life even here upon earth But God for special reasons puts a stop sometimes to its natural course as he hindred the Sun from going down in Joshua's time and from shining out at noon-day in our Saviour's time and the Iron from sinking in Elishah's time and the Fire from scorching in Nebucadnezzar's time and the greedy Whale from consuming or devouring Jonas These creatures had they been left to their natural course would have acted otherwise but an Almighty hand interposing its power and influence they were restrained in their natural bent and inclination So the Fear of God though its natural tendency be to prolong health and life yet God doth not so tie himself to the natural course of things but that sometimes for reasons best known to himself he may and doth make an alteration in that natural tendency nor is that alteration any just discouragement from the Fear of God no more than a mans being sometimes disappointed in his designs is a discouragement from prosecuting his Trade or Calling or Profession So that when God makes an alteration in the natural course or tendency of this holy Fear and cuts off men that conscientiously remember him in the prime and slower of their age it may be either to advance his own Glory or to accelerate their happiness or to keep them from the evil to come or to chastise their Relatives who were too fond of these outward Comforts or to wicked men who as they are by the death of such persons deprived of examples and monitors and means of grace so through just Judgement of God thereby hardned in their sins which brings on their everlasting misery Though if we consider the happiness of the next world in conjunction with this present as it makes one entire thred or web in a person that truly fears God still there can be no greater truth than that the Fear of God prolongs life for it prolongs it to all Eternity Not to mention that abundance of persons who seem to fear God do fear him very imperfectly or not exactly according to the Rules before laid down which may be the reason why they do not see this promise fulfilled to them in all the measures of its latitude It is confest that even men that do