both in the reading and hearing of the Word especially to observe lay up and apply home to our selves those Commands Reproofs Promises and Threatnings which have a peculiar relation to our special Sins could we but rightly manage this weapon it would do great execution 3. We should dilligently improve our covenant Transactions with God this way And 1. Our Baptism in that Ordinance by the Hands of our Parents we took the Lord's listing Money whereby we were engaged to Fight against all his Enemies but especially against these his chief Competitors and grand Rebels And this Act of our Parents for us we have since solemnly made our own or at least ought to have done it 2. Such of us as have been made partakers of that precious Ordinance of the Lord's Supper we both may and ought especially to improve it this way O the Blood of Christ nothing like it for the killing of a Lust we may say of it as David of Goliah's Sword 1 Sam. 21.9 There is none like that give it me this is a proved tri'd weapon 3. When we do at any time afresh renew our Covenant with God either in that Ordinance or upon other Occasions we should do it with a special Eye to these our special Sins And that 1. By labouring here especially to lay hold on plead and improve the Covenant on God's part one main branch of the Covenant is that he will subdue our iniquity Mic. 7.19 Lord let these epecially feel the Weight of thine Hand 2. By laying our selves under particular fresh and strong Engagements against them we shall find we need the most strong and twisted Cords when we would bind these Sampson Lusts 4. We must fix and set our Resolutions as against all Sin in General so against these in special as a good Souldier resolves either to win the Field or lay his Bones there so we should be at a Point with them but while we are wavering and halting between two Opinions there is no hope we should make any work of it 5. We must be careful we make no provision for them and so as much as possibly we can avoid those things which we have found to be occasions of or temptations to them and by this means endeavour to ruine and starve them out we must with-draw with-hold the Fuel if we would have the Fire out 6. Here we must be most strict and constant in our watch here it is that our greatest Danger lieth here we are in most danger of being betrayed here Satan is most likely to make his Breach And if we be careless and secure here we shall certainly be loosing ground though we should be no where secure because no where out of Danger yet we should set the strongest Guard and strictest Watch at the weakest Part of our Wall 7. We must labour to grow in all Grace but above all in those that are most directly opposite unto our special Sins we should desire and labour hard for some peculiar Eminency in those Graces and could we but attain this it would prove an excellent Means for this is certain as Grace gets up Sin must down as in Nature contraries will expel each other so it is here the more we grow in humility the more that Pride will be laid in the dust the same we may say of any other Sin Can none of us set to our Probatum est 8. If ordinary Means fail we must then betake our selves to extraordinary I mean to solemn Fasting and Prayer as our Lord said of that Devil the Disciples could not Cast-out Math. 17.21 This kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer so as some of our beloved Ministers have observed there are some Lusts that will not otherwise be Cast-out Now could we but thus do and after all humbly and believingly depend upon the free and soveraign Grace of God in Christ we might verily hope that these Goliah's how much soever they may have defied us hitherto should not be able to stand before us 3. What Considerations should move us to endeavour the Mortification of them Answ 1. The Lord doth indispensibly require it Col. 3.5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth This with other the like Scripture precepts are especially applicable here not a limb of the old Man that by the Lord's leave should be spared but especially we should lay at his Heart at those Parts and Members of him where his life and strength mainly lieth put away saith Samuel the strange God's and Astaroth it is probable that was one of their chief and most provoking Idols and therefore named in particular And I think one may safely say That Man who doth not sincerely desire and endeavour in Obedience to such Commands the Mortification of his special Sins the putting away of his Astaroth he doth not nor can he be said sincerely to obey them as to any of the rest 2. Though a single Command from God be enough to make this or any other thing our indispensible Duty yet here we are under other as strong Ties and Obligations as can be imagined we are the Lord 's by manifold Right how many things he hath to ground a most just and unquestionable claim to us and our service upon And farther we are his by our own and I hope many of us may say sincere and hearty Consent we have sworn unto the Lord and may not go back now it is a thing in it self impossible that we should at the same time habitually and prevailingly love and serve God and Sin too no Man can Serve two Master's so contrary and therefore we must endeavour the Mortification of them as we would not be guilty of the most horrid Perfidiousness as well as Disloyalty and Rebellion by siding with these Tyrannical Usurpers which as such we have at least in pretence renounced against him that is our most rightful gracious and solemnly avowed Soveraign Lord. 3. Without this we can have no clear sound and comfortable Evidence of the sincerity and integrity of our Hearts this seems clearly intimated Psal 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity and it is a thing very clear in it self for that Opposition against Sin which is right it is and must be against Sin as it is Sin that is as it is so directly contrary to the most holy Nature Will and Law of God and so directly opposite to his Glory and so consequently it must be against all Sin and especially against our special Sins and therefore we must endeavour the Mortification of these or in vain we hope for any well grounded Peace or comfortable assurance 4. These are the main Obstructers of our growth and progress in Grace and Holiness these are the Chief of those suckers and luxurious Branches we have been told of so frequently of late as a prevailing ill Humour in our Bodies so are these in our Souls whatever else we do in Religion all will prove but to
come to find out and know what are our special Sins 2. What means are to be used for the Mortification of them As to the former of these I shall give you my poor thoughts thus Tho' we have in our Hearts by Nature that which is the Seed and Principle of all Sin and tho' the unregenerate are under the Power and the Dominion of every Lust yet they yea and the godly themselves who sincerely desire and endeavour to disown and renounce all Sin yet even they as well as the former have some one sin or more which may in a peculiar manner be called their iniquity their special sin And in order to the discovery what this sin or sins are I think 1. Our work lieth with God and 2 With our own Hearts and Consciences and so 1. We must be very sincere and impornate with God in Prayer that he would please to discover and make them known unto us The heart is deep the Deceitfulness and Wickedness of it exceeding great who can know it Jer. 17.9 We are naturally prone more easily to spy out Faults in others then in our selves and the great Traitor our special sin lieth closest of all and while the Devil and our Flesh can hinder it we shall not find him out And therefore we have need to pray with Job 13. chap. 23. Make me to know my Transgression and my Sin 2. When this is done we must seriously endeavour to bring our Hearts to the test by some such Questions as these 1. What Sins are they that we are most strongly enclined unto and of all others most loath to leave or part with our right Eye and right Hand sins these are our spiritual Sins Mat. 5.29 30. The young Man that came to our Lord Mat. 19. When he brought him to that trying Point about his Master Sin which appears to be coveteousness or worldliness the news of parting with that makes him go away sorrowful he rather choosing to take his leave of an only Saviour 2. What sins are they that we are most frequently and violently tempted to the Temptations unto which we have least Power to resist and so consequently are oftest foiled by The Devil studies this Point more I am afraid then many of us do I mean it mostly of my self and when he hath by diligent Observation found out which way our Inclinations carry us most strongly he suits his baits thereto And if we observe we shall find his strongest batteries and fiercest Assaults to be on this our blind our weakest side and so we may observe that in these Assaults we ordinarily come off worst many times halting if sometimes we get not broken bones methinks this head is clear in it self 3. What Sins are they which we find our Hearts most prone to think of even when outward Objects are not before us to prompt us to such thoughts What Sins are they that the thoughts that come most freely and immediately from our Hearts are employed about Sometimes these Sins will appear at the Mouth For out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 And as one of Jobs Friends chargeth him Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity But I think this is a more certain and constant Sign For as a man thinketh in his heart even so is he 4. What Sins are they that we find our selves prone to entertain in our Thoughts with greatest Pleasure and Delight What sin is it that we are apt to conceive the greatest Sweetness in we may mark him out or that 's he Tho' sin is an evil and bitter thing in it self and in its Effects and tho' it be so to the real apprehension of a Sincere Heart yet in spite of it the Flesh will be contradicting it herein especially in relation to its great Master Lust 5. What Sins are they that we are prone to make most Provision for that we may fulfil the Desires and Lusts thereof Tho' others will be craving and e're while crying feed me and feed me yet if we observe we shall find we have the most frequent impetuous imperious calls from our Master Sins The Flesh will be from time to time prompting us most of all to plot and contrive and drudge for them These will crave and expect the largest allowance or Benjamins Mess and will be most unwearied and impudent in it 6. What Sins are they which Conscience is want to give us the severest Checks for when it is at at any time soundly awakened either by the Ministry of the Word or under some smart Affliction Conscience will speak and strike home at such a time and then it is most likely to hit upon the right vein Act. 2.37 Gen. 42.21 And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not here therefore is this distress come upon us Now to the second part of the question which indeed contains in it the harder part of our work 2. Having found out what are our special Sins what means are to be used for the Mortification of them 1. Prayer is one Special means to be improv'd here whatever spiritual work we take in hand one great End of it lieth with God And a Christian will fight best upon his Knees Hereby we may engage God and his sufficient grace on our side and so we may groundedly hope for Victory we have the Apostle Paul's course and success here 1 Cor. 12.7 8 9. But 1. We must see that in our Confessions here we be particular full free and open hearted with God we must open our wound if we would have cure while we are for hiding and concealing them nothing will be done as it thereby appears we have no mind it should 2. We must see we lay the greatest load of Sorrow upon them and thereby endeavour to get them more imbittered to us 3. We must see we be very sincere and very fervent in our desires after that Grace which alone can enable us to do the work they will not regard the biggest the hardest Words that we can give them and they would but make a mock at such striplings as we are if we take the Field without our Captain if ever we give them any killing blow it must be by God's strengthning our Arm and therefore we must not Pray as if we feared least the Lord should take us at our word or least he should do it too soon or like those that are indifferent in the Matter seeing if they die not by our hands our life must go for their life 2. We should improve the Word of God here which is the Sword of the Spirit turning the Edge the Point of it against our special Sins in some Sense we may allude to the King of Syria's Charge to his Officers 1 King 22.31 Fight neither with small nor great save only with these princely Lusts I mean that we make it our particular Care
a small Thread over such a place as the mouth of burning Etna would not our Bowels be moved our Flesh tremble for them Their real Case is sadder then so meer Humanity would do much in such a Case will not Grace do more 2. We must take great heed to our selves that we do nothing to harden them in this their sad and sinful Case that we do nothing to keep them where they are if we pretend to pity them as without and yet care not wilfully to shut and bolt the Door upon them this our pretended Pity is no better then a cruel wicked Lie and therefore we must take heed that by our sinful Compliance with them we do not confirm and strengthen them in that good Opinion which alass they falsly have concerning their own state and way And so we must take heed of doing any thing that may justly prejudice them against Religion against the good Ways of God particular Instances are too many to be here inserted But in General every thing that is contrary to the Truth and Purity of Religion every thing that is contrary to the Scripture Rules of Piety Justice Charity and Sobriety is carefully to be avoided by us here 3. We must see that we prudently conscientiously and diligently lay out our selves in our places doing what we can to bring them in And here 1. We must endeavour to pray them in the word is plain here that this is a thing according to God's will the Lord hath a wonderful great respect for and delight in Prayer And though he hath decreed to do this and that and though his Providence may be big with it yet ordinarily before it brings forth Prayer must come in and as it were act the Midwifes part and this would be much to our own benefit and advantage Yea though such and such we pray for should not be brought in yet being sincere this our adventure should not be lost no but should come richly home our prayers certainly returning with a blessing into our own bosoms 2. We must do what in us lieth that they may be furnished with and brought unto the ordinary necessary means of Salvation when Persons are distracted or under any such raging Distempers as take away their Senses and the use of their rational Faculties it is then peculiarly the Part of Friends and Relations to procure them a Physician and the necessary Means of their Recovery why the poor Hearts in the case before us they are besides themselves have this and that Death token on them and are not sensible of it and so care not for to look after the Lord Jesus his Ministers the necessary Means of their Salvation any more then a Man raging Mad in Bethlem cares for his Physician or for his necessary Prescriptions and then we should endeavour to bring by Perswasion such of them as are within our reach to the Means and such as are under us as Children and Servants we may and ought to use our Authority with them this way 3. We should our selves endeavour to recommend Religion its blessed Authors ways means and end unto them And that 1. With our Mouth 's 2. In our Lives 1. With our Mouth 's as we have a call and opportunity let us be speaking a good Word for God and his good Ways O they are worthy of it and we carry it very unworthily if we do not and when any of them dare let fly at God and Religion we should with a holy warmth Vindicate them to the Faces of them against any their false Charges their wicked and blasphemous Lies 2. In our Lives here one might be large but I shall confine my Thoughts to five things and that with all the Brevity I well may And 1. We should endeavour in our Lives to recommend Religion to them as a true and real thing 2. As a practicable and feasable thing 3. As a gainful and profitable thing 4. As an honourable laudable thing 5. As a cheaful pleasant thing 1. As a true and real thing they are ready to look upon Serious Religion as a meer Fancy a waking Dream of a few weak and superstitious People others as a cunning Plot and Design of some self-seeking Men tell them of Fellowship and Communion with God they believe no such thing though we are as sure of the reality of it from frequent blessed feeling convincing sweet experience as of any thing that ever we saw with our Eyes now let us labour to give them some convincing Evidences and Demonstrations of it when Moses came down from the Mount with his Face shining no doubt all the People that saw him fully concluded that the Lord and he had been together you will apply it We speak of Heaven and of our great Hopes laid up there in their Hearts they believe there is nothing in it but are ready to pity or it may be sometimes laugh at our weakness in laying so great stress upon these poor future unseen things now let us endeavour by our Carriage in the general Tenour of our Lives to strike their Hearts with this Conviction that certainly they must be mistaken that certainly there must be substance reality and life in the business we doing and suffering such things when called to them in the belief and hopes thereof and at such a rate as they cannot So 2. Let us endeavour to recommend it to them as a practicable and feasable thing be Religion true or false yet however they think as these Preachers set it forth it is Impracticable and so are ready to look on them and us as a company of Hypocrites for pretending to it O that we did not give them so much occasion here as we do But however be it known unto them they charge Religion falsly our Lord's yoak is another thing then they take it for easy and sweet all over and such of us as have had to do with his Cross have said and can still say as much for that too or the Fault hath been our own yea and they charge us falsly too as they shall know hereafter at least when they shall here our Lord say that for us which at present we have no great Mind to be saying for our selves but let us by taking out our Copy before their Eyes endeavour to convince them while it will do them any good that to mortify Lusts repel Temptations overcome the World that to deny our Selves forgive Enemies bear the greatest Afflictions from the hand of God the greatest Injuries Reproaches and Sufferings from the hands or tongues of Men that these things and the like with the Strength which Religion offers and actually affords to those who do sincerely embrace it are not such Matters of Impossibility as they take them to be 3. That it is a gainful profitable thing they think many of them that to become seriously Religious is the next way to poverty and ruine the ready way to be undone alass that they should be so mistaken
c. Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a scorner least he hate thee though we must use this with Caution and not falsly call and account others so and then think our selves excused from our Duty 3. The general Rules are as follow 1. In the business of Reproof we must not only have regard to the Matter and Manner of it but we must likewise take notice what are our principle Motives and Ends and see that they be right in general it is the Glory of God the Good of others with our selves that we should aim at a desire of promoting which should set us on work influence and guide us in the whole of it should we reprove others from a proud envious unquiet or malicious Spirit merely with an intent to provoke disgrace them or the like this were to say the Commandment backward which would be sad work we must be very dilligent watchful and careful to get rid of or avoid as much as possibly we can those things in our selves which we reprove in others want of due Care here we shall find exceedingly to damp our Spirits and to be a very great obstruction to the discharge of our Duty so it will also cause us and our Reproofs to be less regarded if not dispised by others they will not have that authority in them but they will be ready in Heart at least if not in words to retort that upon us Physician Practice will be found another thing hereafter then many I fear now take it for but yet also heal thy self Or that Math. 7.3 4 5. We must not forget our selves so as to leave Prayer out or rather so as to leave God out of the business for want of engaging him by Prayer it is by Prayer that this word of Reproof must be sanctified When ever we are called to this Duty we had need lift up a Prayer to God that he would put suitable Affections into our Hearts right Words which are forcible into our mouths and that he would send the Arrow home to the Mark and direct it to the White and that he would so influence and wind about the Heart of the Party reproved that our Reproof may not fail of attaining our forementioned desired end 4. If we would be profitable and successful Reprover's our selves we must then learn in like manner to receive a Reproof from others but this brings us to the Second Part of the Case or Question namely 2. How we are to manage a Reproof when it is given us by others QUESTION IV. What must the People of God do when he is testifying against them AS the Carriage of God's People towards him so his Dispensations towards them are very various sometimes he smiles and lifts them up sometimes he frowns and casts them down a right and ready compliance with God in all his providential Dispensations towards us is our plain and indiscensible Duty and that wherein much of the Excellency of a Christian lieth Now in answer to this seasonable Question which I take as chiefly aiming at the Publick God's testifying against us in his Judgments there though withal it with the answers to it may be also applied unto a private Case take my poor Thoughts in the following Particulars 1. We must see and take notice of God's Hand when it is either lifted up in his threatnings or laid on in his Judgments the great God expects as well he may to be heedfully noticed and observed by all but more especially by his own People as in what he saith so also in what he doth as in his Mercies so in his Judgments by the contrary we greatly affront and provoke him as thereby we put a great and unworthy Slight upon him This the Lord takes very ill and by it we are like to bring more and greater Judgments upon our selves Isa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see if we will not see his Hand we are like to feel more of it till we cannot but see and take notice of it Psal 28.5 Because they regard not the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up This is One Part of our Duty 2. An holy awful fear and dread of our incensed God and of his Judgments the Name of the Lord is a glorious and fearful Name Deut. 28.58 and as his Attributes so his Works also are part of his Name and therefore grounds for our fear and particularly his Works of Judgment And so we read that Moses was afraid when God's displeasure was hot against the Children of Israel Deut. 9.19 And so 2 Sam. 6.19 When Uzziah was smitten it is said that David was afraid of the Lord that day and elsewhere it s he that saith Psal 119 v. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am afraid of thy judgments It is the duty of all Men to fear him who doth but look upon the Earth and it trembleth who can and shortly will with one angry Frown make all the stout hearted Sinners in the World fear him and tremble before him but especially he expects it from his own People who are better acquainted with him and know better then others do what the Smiles and Frowns of a God mean and that especially when he is meeting them in those ways of his in which he is terrible unto the Children of Men. 3. We must justify God in his severest Dispensations towards us The Lord is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works there are great depths sometimes but never any the least irregularities or excesses in any of his Judgments righteousness is the Habitation of his Throne even when Clouds and Darkness are round about him as it is the Duty so it hath been the Practice of God's People when his hand hath lain heaviest on them yet to ascribe Righteousness to him and it becomes us to look on them and do likewise to say as Ez. 9.15 O Lord God of Israel thou art righteous Neh. 9 33. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right Dan. 9.14 The Lord our God is righteous in all his works that he doth Or as the Prophet Jeremiah in the Name of the Church Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not 4. We must dilligently search and try our Hearts and Ways we are not now speaking of a matter that is forreign to us alass it is our own Case the Lord hath certainly a Controversy with us if ever he had one with any People on this side utter Ruine and his Controversy hath seemed to be very much if not mostly with his own People Now methinks we should each of us be saying Lord is it I Without doubt it is Sin that hath broached this quarrel between God and us and there is none of us without that Achan in our Tents our business is to
search it out this is one main Duty which both God's Word and his Rod points us too Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our ways 5. Our next duty is a free and hearty Confession of a judging our selves for and deep humiliation under the sense of those sins we discover whereby we have provoked him This the Lord stands upon Lev. 26.40 If they shall Confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their Fathers with the Trespass wherewith they have trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me Jer. 3.13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God Hos 5.15 I will go and return unto my place until they acknowledge their Offence This way we are to give Glory unto him Josh 7.19 What large Confessions do we meet with in Scripture made by the People of God when his hand hath been upon them When the Lord is testifying against us and laying load upon us in his Judgments we should take his part and this way be laying load upon our selves tho' indeed in another sense this is the next way to ease our selves of the burden I confessed and thou forgavest saith David so 2 Chron. 7.14 If my People shall humble themselves 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God When the Lord is laying us low by his Judgments our work is not to struggle with him but to fall at his Foot to lay our Hearts low for our sins 6. Our Sins thus discovered and confessed must be forsaken we must turn from them unto him that smites us Without this the former will neither please God nor any thing avail us we must take things as God hath laid them together If my People shall humble themselves and turn from their evil ways Let us search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord This is the great Errand his Judgments come to us upon These things I think do not need so much to be proved as to be urged and pressed home upon our hearts O that we could but effectually do that It is sin that hath bread the difference between God and us by them we have been fighting against him by them we have provoked this long suffering God of ours unto his strange work and now that his terrible anger is thus kindled there is but one way for us to take that is to submit to lay down our Arms unless we are resolved to try it out with him Nay but let the Pot-sheards strive with the Potsheards of the Earth but woe to us if thus we strive with our Maker who ever hardned himself against God and prospered We must therefore cast away our Transgressions from us and with indignation say to our sins as Ephraim to his Idols get ye hence 7. We must seek unto God by Earnest extraordinary Prayer joyned with fasting It is his will that we should thus by Prayer enquire of him at all times and for all things that we need and that he hath promised But especially this is our Duty in such times as these Call upon me in the Day of Trouble This the Lord expects Hos 5.15 In their Affliction they will seek me early And ordinary Prayer must not serve the turn The Lord looks for early earnest Prayer And so that we spend more time then ordinary in the Duty Not that the Lord is wrought upon by the length of our Prayers but the work that is to be done upon our own Hearts ordinarily requires it And this joyned with fasting which God's plain and pressing Commands and the practice of his People thereupon in all Ages doth sufficiently prove particular instances of either of which I think are needless here 8. We must renew our Covenant with God and by solemn vows bind our Hearts to their good behaviour for the future we had need to take our Hearts at all the advantages we can and at such times we have them at an advantage We too frequently and sadly experience it how easily our Corruptions break through our strongest Purposes and Resolutions they are but like Sampsons green wit hs to him But now solemn Vows and frequent renewing of our Covenants provoided we be serious in it these are observed to be good means to keep our treacherous Hearts from starting back Tho' here we must be careful we do not ensnare Conscience in matters of indifferency or impossibility This hath been and still is the practice of Gods People Neh. 38. And because of all this we make a sure Covenant and write it and our Princes Levites and Priests seal unto it which we have at large in the 10. Chapter And so we find David speaking of the Vows that he had made in his distress Psal 66.13 14. 9. We must be careful to pay our Vows by a resolved cleaving to the Lord whatever comes upon us Vows and Covenants solemnly renewed lay us under further Obligations Tho' its true the Lord hath the highest Authority to command and we are bound to obedience anticedently to any such acts of our own by Vertue of his most Supream and Absolute right in us and Sovereignty over us resulting therefrom yet it is as true that we cannot after such solemn Transactions by sin depart from God at so cheap a rate as before no our guilt and his displeasure will thereby be the greater and herein if the wise man's judgment may pass we act the part of egregious fools Ecles 5.4 5. When thou hast vowed a Vow unto God defer not to pay for the Lord hath no pleasure in fools pay that which thou hast vowed better it is that thou shouldest not vow then that thou should'st vow and not pay Yea we must thus cleave unto God all his Judgments notwithstanding They indeed yield us a good reason why we should leave sin but none why we should leave him but on the contrary why we should cleave more closely to him Come on us what will it should be the care of our Souls that we may be able to say with the Church Psal 44.17.18 19. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Tho' thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the Shadow of Death 10. We must steadfastly hope and trust in him according to his word He is styled the hope of Israel in the time of trouble Jer. 14.8 Thou art my hope in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 We must hope and trust in him and in his Promises even when his Providences seem in our shallow apprehensions to run never so cross to them we must hold to it as an inviolable truth in spite of all that sense or Satan may object against it that if the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it his hand shall make it good It is recorded of Abraham that against hope he believed in
much ado through unbelief to perswade our wretched Hearts to trust the most holy righteous God the God of Truth any farther we must strive with might and main against this evil Heart of unbelief 3. Worldliness when we have too high an opinion of worldly things when we fancy them to be that which they are not to have that in them which in truth they have not and so when our affections go out inordinately towards them it is because our affections towards worldly things are so strong this is one great reason why the Want or Loss of them is so strong and heavy an Affliction to us and why we are so weak and unable to bear it was the World instead of being in our hearts placed under our foot as it should be our work would not be so difficult we must labour hard that it may be so 4. Mistakes about the nature and end of such Providences we are very apt to misconstrue such Providences ready to think the Lord is about to undo us when he is but taking another yea and that to the wisest and best way to enrich us ready to think he is about to kill us when he is only letting us blood to save our life the afflictions and consolations of the Saints as one saith differ only in their Countenances and as we heard not long since there is a vast difference between such Providences as they are dispensed to the wicked and to the godly as to the former the Rod is turned into a Serpent but as to the latter the Serpent is turned into a Rod The Lord is still curiously working about his own eternal purpose in the Salvation of our Souls but we misunderstand him and that is one great hinderance of our bearing such dispensations as we ought 5. An over hastiness of Spirit in passing a judgment concerning such Providences this is one cause of our former misunderstanding of them they are many times very dark and misterious and our first Apprehensions about them are many times false and mistaken ones If we have observed God and our selves we may remember that many Providences of which we have had but dismal thoughts at first view our thoughts have been mightily changed about them when we have seen the beginning and end together and so have read such Providences backward but alass we are ordinarily too quick with the Lord will not give him time have not patience till he hath brought the whole wheel about and this is another thing that makes our work here so hard as it is which therefore must be corrected and amended 6. The Temptations of Satan its like he will be ready to take this opportunity of belying God to us and after this or some such manner to suggest is this the God that loves thee Is he now fulfilling his Promises and answering thy Prayers See what a kind Master thou servest and what thou gettest by his Service Thus its like he will be prompting us to distrust impatience discontent and the like we must see we be not ignorant of his Devices and as soon as we discover the Temptation wich abhorrence we must reject it This to the first General 2. We must seriously ply our hearts with suitable moving Considerations And so 1. We should consider that whatever we have lost and by what means and instruments so ever we lost it it is the Lord that hath taken it there is certainly such a thing as Divine Providence permiting ordering and bringing about whatever doth befal us here when Losses and other Afflictions befal us the Lord takes it upon himself as his own doing and God's People have been wont to see and acknowledge his hand and this is that which hath stilled and calmed them as we see in the recorded instance of Job David and others 2. We should consider that whatever the Lord hath thus taken he hath taken nothing but his own The Earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof we have nothing for enjoyment but what he gave us and we are not properly Lord's of what we have but Steward's God's right in his Creatures is such as cannot be alienated we eat his Bread wear his Wool and his Flax carry his Silver in our purses and the like and now why may not the Lord do what he will with his own 3. We should consider the Lord hath taken nothing from us but what we were unworthy of when he gave it and have since forfeited by our Sins and but a part of that neither the Lord is free when he gives and just when he takes we deserve not the least morsel of food or a ragg to cover our nakedness with and by our Sins we have forfeited all he hath thus freely given us a thousand times over yea and our very beings too and therefore we have great reason to be patient yea and thankful also under all our losses here 4. We should consider the things of this World they are other things then the most of Men yea and then we our selves ordinarily take them to be we think they look bravely at a distance beholding them with a vitiated eye and through a false deceitful medium but if indeed we will come near and know the truth of the matter we have it from him who never mis-called either person or thing that they are but vanity and vexation of Spirit things that cannot profit yea things that are not And is it not a vain thing for one extreamly to disquiet himself either about the gain or loss of a little Vanity Children and Fool 's indeed will take on mightily for the loss of a Toy but Men of understanding know better 5. Take these things at best and yet there is danger of our having too much as well as of our having too little of them yea I am apt to think more danger of the two more danger of our surfeiting through abundance then of our pineing through want and now the Lord knows better then we do what is enough too little or too much for us and we have great reason to conside in his Wisdom Love and Care herein and by our Carriage should let him and others to see that we do so 6. Be these things as good as they will and do what we can we cannot long enjoy them Death at farthest will certainly part us and all our worldly Enjoyments at once and that is upon its way and coming as fast as ever time that flying post can bring it and hath certainly taken some steps towards us even since we nam'd it Now this consideration that the Time is short should mightily moderate our affections towards these things both in the enjoyment want or loss of them 7. We should consider others of God's People have met with as great yea far greater Losses then our's are and have born them graciously Job what a loss had he who of the richest Man in all the East in one day became poor to a Proverb David driven from a
of his Mouth but he hath it 2. In what he doth we should watch and take great notice what the Lord is doing observe gracious merciful so likewise more severe and afflictive Providences when they come that so we may answerably receive entertain and improve them both we should thus heedfully watch and observe such Providences whether dispensed to our selves or to others to our Persons Families Relations or to other particular Persons Families Societies Nations or Churches 3. We should particularly watch and observe what Answers the Lord is pleased at any time to give into our Prayers this the Lord requires of us and justly expects from us both upon his own Account and ours too whatever the Answer be if we do not thus look up and watch after our Prayers we provoke the Lord who justly looks upon himself as affronted hereby more ways then one and we likewise wrong our own Souls which are like by this means to suffer damage several ways but the contrary would both please him and be much to our own Advantage this is one way whereby we may come to enjoy more in the Mercies we so get and also to get more of them I know a Person whose experimental Observation it is that the more he doth with humility and thankfulness observe and take notice of God's gracious Answers of Prayer the more sweet Matter of that kind the Lord is wont to give him in for his Observation 2. Our watch must extend it self to others to our Neighbours but especially to our Christian Brethren those especially that we are joined with in the same Christian Society though Christianity doth not allow us to be busy bodies in other Men's matters yet neither doth it allow us to be of that wicked Persons mind who said am I my Brothers keeper But 3. It must especialy be exercised towards our selves we must see to keep our own Vineyard and so we must watch over our Thoughts Affections our Words and Actions Or thus we must watch 1. Over our inward Man 2. Over our outward Man 1. Over our inward Man And that 1. As depraved by Sin 2. As renewed by Grace 1. As depraved by Sin and here a great part of our Work lieth our worst most mischeivous dangerous and deadly Enemies ly in our own Bosoms a hellish brood of filthy Lusts which are ever ready to betray and ruine us Satan indeed hath a great hand in undoing Souls but the truth is he might spare his Pains did the Lord but stand by our own Lusts would do the work effectually themselves we have reason to conclude that we should go to Hell readily enough of our selves did but the Lord suspend withdraw his Spirit and Grace and so let us go quietly such Enemies as these sure need watching 2. As renewed by Grace alass Grace in many of our Hearts I am sure I must my self subscribe for one I say it is a poor small weak and tender thing if it be not very sickly declining and languishing this poor thing meets with great Opposition a world of enemies both within and without that it is as strange a wonder that it should be kept alive in our Souls as that a spark of Fire should be kept burning in a great quantity of Water we have need to watch our Graces if we would have them kept alive and much more if we would have them lively we must watch to the feeding and nourishing to the preserving and defending to the acting and exercising and so to the increasing and strengthening of them in our Souls we must watch over our inward Man 2. Over our outward Man over our outward Senses O how much Sin and Vanity is almost contiunally either coming in or going out that way unless streightly watched We have need to set a strict watch a strong guard upon each of them and so we read of holy Job's making a Covenant with his Eyes and of David's setting a watch at the door of his Lips And so we have need to watch as to the whole of our outward Carriage and Behaviour to see that it be such as becometh the Gospel 4. We must watch over our two grand Enemies without us Satan and the World Satan in his Temptations He is such a subtil powerful cruel and malicious Enemy hath so many Snares for us and is so good at the choosing and at the laying of them that without extraordinary care and watchfulness it is in an ordinary way impossible that our Souls should in any tollerable manner escape him And so the World is a near a present and very mischievous Enemy to our Souls we have need to watch the Men of the World and the Things of the World both good and evil for we are endangered by them all thus we must manage our watch universally 3. Diligently so the Charge runs Prov. 4.13 And the truth is our Case is such that its absolutely necessary it should be so without diligence in our watch we do nothing however that which is next to it a Town that is closely besieged by a potent Enemy that hath also within its Walls a strong treacherous Party ever watching for an opportunity to betray it to the Enemy without sure such a Town had need to keep a diligent watch the case stands thus with our poor Souls 4. Wisely and Prudentially one might instance here in many things I will hint only in a few touching the Corruptions of our own Hearts and the Temptations of Satan we must watch Sin so we must wisely observe and watch the first motions and stirrings of it to suppress them watch the occasions of Sin to avoid them watch to cut of that which feeds our Lusts we see how vigilant and industrious Men are to cut of Supplies from an Enemy with whom they are engaged in War This is a great piece of Spiritual Policy also we must watch all Sin in general but above all our special Sins so we must watch Satan in all his Temptations but especially in that which is as it were his Master-piece we must watch at all times but especially at such times as use to be most critical and dangerous ones with us with respect to the Prevalency of Corruptions and Temptations as such as are Persons of any tollerable Observation may find that there are sometimes more critical and dangerous with them this way then others 5. Prayer fully the truth is whatever Spiritual Work we take in hand humble fervent believing Prayer must come in at one End or we are like to make but poor Work of it and as to this of Watchfulness in particular if we do not thus engage the Lord to watch over our watchings all will be but labour in vain our Lord knew full well what he did when he linked these two together in his Charge watch and pray 6. And to add no more it must be constantly and perseveringly while we are here we are in our enemies Country and so are never out of danger and
therefore we should never let down our watch but here lieth the misery of it which undoes us though at sometimes we may make Conscience of this Duty yet by and by we grow careless and secure let down our watch and so we loose our selves extreamly and let our vigilant Enemies get great advantage against us and moreover some of us may find our bad Hearts most prone to this after the greatest enlargments in the exercise of Grace or after the largest incomes of the spiritual Joy and Comfort but alass this is perfect nonsense in Religion for this is one time in which we are in the greatest Danger and so a special Season for the strictest watch at such a time the Devil hath the most aking Tooth at us and bears us the greatest Malice and revengful Spite Thus we must endeavour to manage this Duty obedientially universally diligently prudently prayerfully constantly and perseveringly this is easily said but not so easily done we must remember that serious Religion is a Labour and a Mistery but withal for our encouragement that it is the most Honourable Pleasant and Profitable one and that in it we have not to do with such a hard Task-master as Pharaoh was who required full Tale of Brick yet would not allow the People Straw CHAP. X. A Preparation for Parting with RELATIONS I Am convinced that an entire humble and chearful Resignation of my Will to the Will of God manifested in the all-wise and gracious Disposals of his Providence towards me is both my Duty and great Felicity And that I am bound to labour after such a Frame when under the sadest of his Dispensations I have reason to conclude that the loss of near and dear Relations will set me hard indeed God hath hitherto wonderfully indulged me in this Matter that I have not yet known by Experience what such Tryals are But I cannot in the Course of Nature reasonably expect to be long exempted from them therefore cannot but look upon it as a great piece of Wisdom to get armed and prepared for them and here I think it may not prove an unprofitable fruitless Labour to draw up some such weighty Considerations as may tend to work up my Heart to the Frame forementioned that so I may have them in readiness against that time when I shall find my self very unfit and indisposed for such a work and here I am the more confirmed when I reflect upon the late disturbance of my Mind when the Lord was pleased to bring my dear Father exceeding low even so low that I concluded it had been just at the parting pinch whose Death I will here suppose yet would I beware of the contrary Extream a Stoical Frame and Disposition being contrary both to the Principles of Piety and Humanity Here I would consider 1st The supream full and absolute Right and Propriety which God hath in me and in all which I call mine the Earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof The World and all they that dwell therein a little while since I was not even till God made me And every moment I should drop into my Primitive nothing did he not powerfully and graciously Sustain me besides I am by Sin exposed to those Miseries which are more deplorable then Annihilation it self from which he hath by a miracle of wisdom condecension and love redeemed me from hence its evident that I am not my own but his So neither do I enjoy any thing which I can strictly and properly call my own no thing 's so mine but that he hath a clearer Right and juster Claim unto it I received all at the Hands of his Bounty and am to possess only during his Pleasure though he hath conferred many Favours upon me yet I am to remember this that he hath not given away his own Right No his Right in his Creatures is unalienable hath the Lord now resumed one of my dearest Comforts taken away my Father Is not this one Consideration enough to justify him and calm and quite me May not the Lord do what he will with his own And was he not his more then mine His Creature his Child his Minister O let me dread mutining against his Providence but be in subjection to him the Father of Spirits and live Let me think with my self it is the Lord and let his Excellency make me afraid Be still and know that he is God be dumb not opening my Mouth because he hath done it For who am I that I should stubbernly contend with my Maker who is the Lord of all 2dly The Righteousness of God in all his Dispensations towards me though he sometimes doth Afflict yet he doth not he cannot wrong me had he not freely engaged himself he had been free from all Engagements to the most innocent Creatures so that he might have annihilated them or used them at his Pleasure without the least shew of wrong or injustice Hath not the Potter power over the Clay But alass I am a sinful guilty Wretch as I received all at the Hands of his free Grace and Favour so have I forfeited all into the Hands of his Justice hath the Lord now taken the Forfeiture of this choice Mercy at my Hands I ought surely to ascribe Righteousness to my Maker doubtless Righteousness establisheth his Throne the Justice and Equity of his Laws and of his Providence are equally unquestionable And therefore should I fear as by Disobedience to reflect upon the one so by Impatience upon the other would not Conscience presently step in instead of a thousand Witnesses against me should I once dare to think God Unrighteous in this sad Dispensation Will not my Relative sins besides an innumerable Multitude of others together with the Corruption of my Nature which I brought with me into the World from whence all proceedeth be enough to stop my Mouth O! Have I not rather cause humbly to admire at the abundance of Mercy that is mixed with the heaviest Afflictions that at any time light upon me here Cause to stand and wonder that I am not made as Miserable as Misery it self as Hell it self can make me Surely the Lord punisheth me far less then mine Iniquities have deserved otherwise I had long since been in Hell amongst Devils and damned Spirits as in point of Obedience the Lord is now graciously pleased to accept of far less then is his dew so in point of Suffering I have far less then is mine And therefore should I patiently submit unto humbly and thankfully accept of the present Punishment of mine Iniquities it is my Duty to bear the Indignation of the Lord graciously and good reason why I should because I have sinned against him 3dly As his Right and Righteousness are unquestionable so his Power is irresistible He doth whatsoever he will both in Heaven and Earth and there is none that may stay his Hand or say to him what dost thou Sure then it were folly and madness with a witness for me
be more in our thoughts is the Prayer of your poor Brother weak in Grace and low in Comfort I. B. LETTER IX To S. E. January 13. 1684 5. Dear S. I Receiv'd your's and am glad to hear of the removal of that afflictive Distemper you have of late been under a mercy I have been often seeking to God for for which I am with you obliged and shall endeavour to bless the Lord I am rejoyced to hear you are so much upon the praising pin O that I could but learn that heavenly Note But O what a strange lumpish Heart have I I talk of Heaven Of an Eternity to be spent in the love and joyful Praises of God and a dear Redeemer Truly it is a shame while my Heart is so backward to and unskilful in this blessed Work O had Heaven no better singers then I am or am like to make what poor harmony what harsh melody would there be among them But for the eternal Praise of the great Jehovah it shall not be thus many times when I hear the pretty Bird's singing forth his Praises in their kind I am ashamed of my self I am generally secure and senseless sometimes sad but seldom joyful 1st Oh how secure and dead I am many times I have scarce any Sense or feeling of Spiritual things upon my Heart I have such a senseless benumed Conscience through Custom in Sin that I feel little of the weight and burthen of it or of my need of a Saviour alass while others are joyfully prasing God and a dear Redeemer I have need to pray for a more awakned Conscience and for more Sorrow for Sin 2dly When my Conscience doth begin to speak home and my Heart doth a little relent then either my Sorrow is slighty and superficial not bearing a proportion to my Sins O how many Tears I have need to weep over as not coming from a Heart thoroughly sensible of Sin Or else I am ready to be dejected but it is more rarely thus with me I mostly err on the other hand But then 3dly When shall you find me in a joyful thankful praising frame The Lord hath laid me though an unworthy wretch under many obligations I do not want Matter whereof to compose my Song but alass I want a musical Heart well I yet hope that in Heaven if the Lord will bring me thither at last I hope then he will change my Note That I shall then have no more cause to complain of this Heart of mine but shall then with an innumerable Company of Angels and Saints sing a new Song to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen I am your Loving Brother I. B. LETTER X. To S. E. February 5. 1684 5. Dear S. I Receiv'd your's and return you thanks for it and for your I do not doubt hearty Prayer for me for spiritual Joy but O that you would help me to pray more Sorrow into my Heart first you tell me I know what they shall reap that sow in tears to wit Joy But if that be Scripture as I know it is I may expect but a small Crop not that I think my Tears can wash away the Guilt of the least Sin or merit the least favourable Glance of God's Countenance but Repentance of which Godly sorrow is one part is a necessary Qualification O therefore pray for more of that and herein you will exceedingly befriend me I am afraid you are exceedingly mistaken in me I do not wish you so ill as you wish your self to be in my State and Frame Sure I am if you did believe the Discription I have given you of it which I do again own and acknowledge to be worse then I did or can discribe to you you would not wish so however if I do think worse of my self then I should which yet I am confident I do not yet sure I am you err more on the other hand in thinking better of me then I deserve and be not troubled at my Complaints O will you not give me leave to Complain Was I under any outward Trouble I am sure you would and that you would gladly endeavour to help me too and will you not give me leave to Complain of my Spiritual wants and burthens What want Grace and not Complain Be so doged with such domineering Lusts and hanted with such impetuous Temptations as I am and not Complain Give me leave and will you not do what you can to help me O if you love me help me down with my Lusts by your Prayers but I will not longer detain you I am your Loving Brother I. B. LEETTER XI To S. E. March 8. 1684 5. Dear S. I Receiv'd your's but have time to write but a line or two I was sorry to hear of the return of your Ague but am glad to hear it hath left you again O that all fatherly Corrections might leave us better then they find us I saw my F. lately and was glad to here there was hopes of your getting home I would not have you think I forget you as to that business you hint at I know not how to advise you my self but I shall endeavour to pray for you to him that can however one thing I will say acknowledge the Lord in all your ways then take his Word for it that he will direct your Steps I am ready to think from some Circumstances that there may be something of Providence in it but let us wait a while and see what the Lord will do I am your Loving Brother I.B. LETTER XII To S. E. April 9. 1685. Dear S. I Receiv'd your's and was much perplexed in my Mind not understanding your meaning in some Passages of it as to your coming home I cannot but desire it and methinks it is plainly your Duty considering the Circumstances that you are in and considering your poor Parents how crazy they are and in what need they stand of your help Dear S. have a care of giving way to melancholy discontented Thoughts remember former Experiences that you have had of God's goodness have you not many a notable one I believe you have if you do but think on them I remember an Expression of my Father old Sins and old Mercies should not be forgotten we should not give way to any more Sorrow for Sin than we can give a good Account of much less then for any outward Trouble and what matter is it if the Lord should mark us out for Crosses and Troubles here if he will but mark us out for himself mark us out for Heaven O Sister all will be well in the End How short is this Life if we should have nothing else but Trouble here Then comes Heaven the day is at hand and then all is forgotten O nothing but joy nothing but joy in Heaven remember that Sister the thoughts of Heaven are my own and as thy own what would such Thoughts do Would they not make all our Troubles here
Man and it is very Afflictive to all that love you as for my own part it clouds and dasheth all my outward Comfort when ever I think of you and the Lord knows that is not seldom and my poor F. is declining fast and your cheariness I am well satisfied would be better to him then any Physick Well dear M. I am daily pleading with G. for you as I have now been pleading with you I shall now wait for my Answer from you both may it be a comfortable one May it I then promise to bless G. for it more then I ever did for any outward Mercy he ever gave me in all my Life I am concerned for my poor S. that she hath learnt to bear her Trials no better alass we must learn to stoop and hold our Tongues the Lord will have us at that before he brings us to Heaven I intend to let her hear from me shortly but my Affection engaged me to deal with you first O that it may not be in vain I would fain take fast hold on you both and engage him to drive the nail home carry it like a Christian an that hath already a Christ in possession and an Heaven in hope the God of all grace and comfort revive and chear you dear M. what I have written comes from the tender Affection of your loving obedient S. I. B. LETTER XXVII To my M. Dear M. I Was much concerned to see you so low when you was here in Town I earnestly beg the Lord would make your burthen lighter and in the mean time encrease your Strength to bear it and it would much rejoyce my Heart could I do any thing to help you either of these Ways your Exercises are many and great and you are one of a sorrowful Spirit whereby all your other burthens fasten themselves the more and deeper upon you I can say something to your Case from my own Experience being many times much troubled with the same Distemper I will therefore tell you how I find it with my self and what course I have found most helpful to me I have my exercises many ways both inward and outward and such as are no small ones and when a melancholy Fit takes me I am many times ready quite to sink under them and can do little else but aggravate my Troubles and make every little thing great and inwardly lash and torment my self not only with what I at present feel but also with future fears being ready to conclude it will never be better but worse and worse with me a thousand sad perplexing Thoughts crowd into my Mind and I please my self in this tormenting of my self though when the fit is over I cannot but condemn my self for it yet while under it I really think I cannot do otherwise nay that I do well in it and then sometimes I can neither read nor hear any thing but I must meditate Terrour from it and make nothing of bearing false witness against my self every thing must go against me be it right or wrong at other times the best Friends I have can scarce say or do any thing to please me but I can find something to disquiet both my self and them sometimes I have gone alone to think it out but I find there is no end of that but now I will tell you of two things wherein I have found the most Relief the one is secret Prayer when I find one of these Fits is creeping on me when I find my self pinched or burthened one way or other I then take the first opportunity I can possibly get to go alone and there to give my Heart free vent endeavouring to turn my Trouble into a right Channel confessing and bewailing my Sins and while I am thus endeavouring to lay this load on my other burthens are removed before I am aware and moreover it s ten to one the Lord removes that burthen too before I have done believe me I have sometimes gone to that Duty with as heavy an Heart as I think any poor Creature ever had and have come away with it as light as though I had been in a corner of Heaven I do not say this as though I thought you a stranger to this sweet remedy but to put you in mind to take it seasonably do not defer it to your wonted times of Prayer but take the very first opportunity that you can sometimes when I have thus deferred my Heart hath been so strangely bound up that I could scarce pray at all be sure to observe this to take the remedy in time before the Distemper hath got too much hold I believe this which follows is a very needful piece of Advice to you because I know you have used much to neglect your self and I am afraid you do so still whereby you injure your self both Soul and Body more then you are aware in this case use those Creature comforts and supports the Lord affords you not only as a thing Lawful but as your Duty You assuredly Sin if you do not I dare say it is the Lord's mind that you should not deny your self any thing that might make you more chearful in his Service and he hath so provided in his Providence that you need not want any thing that tends to the support or comfort of your Life and then how dare you deny your self Dear M. I write not these things at random for I know much of your Case by my own and having tried these things I recommend them to you now let my Councel be acceptable to you and that the Lord would make it effectual my earnest Prayers shall follow these poor Lines and if I might understand they are of Advantage to you it would very much rejoyce my Heart even mine who am Your's I. B. LEETTER XXVIII To C. W. upon the Death of his Child Sept. 13. 1693. My dear F. I Now understand our gracious G. hath been pleased to remove your Babe to take away that part of the delight of your Eye with a stroke I would endeavour to bear a part with you and I think my self obliged by that bond you know of though as I may say yet unscaled to attempt to administer some relief to you under your present Presures as the Lord shall enable me for some reasons I do it this way and the Lord give my Pen good speed Methinks I hear you thus bespeaking me have pity upon me have pity upon me O my Friend for the hand of God hath touched me Well I would direct your Thoughts to that Scripture 2 Sam. 12.19 20 21 22 23. and the Lord help you to take out the Copy that is there set before you an intire humble and chearful Submission and self Resignation to the good Pleasure of God is certainly our Duty even when we are under his sadest Dispensations this he stands upon and there is the greatest Reason in the world he should and now my Friend to further you herein I would have you let
News the next day's Post brought us was very surprizing to me O how loath the Lord is to leave us How shall I give thee up O England Methinks now here is that in this late gracious providential Dispensation which shall wonderfully facillitate your affecting that Business I have again and again earnestly recommended to your care methinks its a very fruitful Call to that Duty how many Heads of Arguments it affordeth Some very encouraging others as awakning for amongst other things believe me Sir if this Deliverance hath not a better effect upon us and be not followed by us at another rate then former any have been we may well fear to think what comes next we are upon our good behaviour and who knows whether this be not the last Tryal the Lord will make Your Reverend Ministers upon whom the Eye of the Nation is much fixed never had a fairer opportunity for a general and successful Call to Prayer To the whole Kingdom which I sent my last to beg for we are now generally alarmed a great number of pious Souls that have for some Months been hard at work in seeking G. in an extraordinary Manner that way have now I doubt not fresh Life put into them but your long silence makes me fear least the Business should some way miscarry at least that you have some unhappy rubs thrown in your way I beg a few lines for my satisfaction though you cannot give me so full and good an Account as you would and let me have a fuller one afterwards who am dear Sir your obliged Servant Jo. Barrett LETTER XL. To Mr. L. E. June 15. 1696. SIR YOU will understand by my former Letter that your's came safe to hand and was to the rejoycing of my Heart blessed be G. for the great satisfaction therein given of your sense of matters of the highest Concern I hope the Lord hath in some measure made you sensible of the worth of your Soul of your Sin and Danger of your need of Christ and Grace in order to eternal Life and Glory and that he hath also enclined you seriously and presently without delay to mind the things which concerns your everlasting Peace the good Lord keep this for ever in your imagination of the thought of your Heart and establish your Heart unto him Indeed as you hint sincerity and heartiness in Religion is worth all and meer pretences to it how fair and specious soever never did nor will save one Soul but will aggravate the Condemnation of many when others great care is to seem better then they are the Lord help us that our's may be to be better then we seem this is right in the sight of the Lord O that I could find more of this temper in this Soul of mine As to that which you hint at which hath been a great disadvantage to you the unsuitable Carriage of Professors It is a common Case and a sad one wo to the World because of such Offences and wo to those by whom such Offences come It doth very much prejudice the World against serious Religion and Godliness when they see such as are high pretenders to it can be as loose as others though indeed if you observe you will find the World watcheth such most critically to spy any thing amiss in them and sometimes they do falsly accuse and at other times aggravate Matters at a high rate out of an hatred if the truth was known of Religion and Godliness it self but alass it s too true God knows that many that are high pretenders to these are but meer pretenders and no wonder if these miscarry and become a reproach to Religion and truly though I do not think you aimed at me in it yet I must acknowledge that in many things I act so unsutably to my Profession many times that I am e'en ashamed the World should know who am I for fear that blessed Name and Cause I bear and stand up for should suffer by me but as to this you have prevented me in saying that in short that I should have done that this should not hinder others and make them think worse of Religion its blessed Authors ways and end but rather quicken them the more to see to soundness at the bottom that they take up a Profession on right Grounds that they have a right Principle within and make them more chearful afterwards to live up unto it and back it with a sutable Practice As to what you further hint about Dissenting Ministers if you heard them but speak for themselves you would soon understand that it was not a proud sturdy refractory Humour that made about two Thousand of them wise learned and pious Persons at once quiet their Places run the hazard of Imprisonment Banishment and in all probability the utter undoing of themselves and families as to this World and which was yet dearer to them deny themselves the publick Advantage they had of doing good to Souls but the truth is such things was imposed on them which how indifferent and lawful soever they appeared to others after the diligent use of the best means for Satisfaction did not appear so to them which therefore they could not comply with without sinning against God and wounding their own Consciences which they durst not deliberately and wittingly do tho' it had been to save the World and their Arguments are such as their Opposers could never yet Answer satisfactorily in the Judgment of judicious impartial Men and sober Conformists though they are satisfied with the lawfulness of them yet bear them as their Burthen and some of them have pleaded the Nonconformists Cause But as I do not much trouble my own Head so neither would I trouble your's with matters of Controversy though if you desire it I will give you further satisfaction in this Point for my own Part I can freely join with the Church of England in their Worship as our Ministers frequently do so far as I am not obliged to join in that which I look on as a Corruption in it and where I can see any of them that appears to be sincere a truly God-fearing Man I speak my Heart that Man I can put in my bosom as well as any of my own Party we are both agreed in the main and I believe we shall never be all of one Mind in every Point while in this imperfect State where we cannot assent in Judgment let us dissent with Affection O that there was more of this Disposition on both sides And that we could mutually study and endeavour to outstrip one another in promoting the Common but glorious Cause of Christ and Christianity in the World making Religion our Business being careful to adorn our Profession with sutable Conversations then I doubt not but we shall all meet in the same Heaven in the end and the glorious Light which then beams forth from the Father of Lights will discover all our Mistakes and perfectly agree us I am your's I.
Colour for it prone to be Proud Will you not pity and pray for such an one Alass Sir the Lord knows I have told you true And when you have leisure and opportunity further refresh me with a line But I will not detain you further but conclude here remaining dear Sir very affectionately Your's I. B. LETTER XLIV To Mr. F. November 14. 1696. Reverend and dear Sir YOUR'S dated the 6th came safe to hand I have not had any opportunity of sending any Books to you and have been a little thoughtful because I did not hear from you send with great freedom and the Lord prosper your pious Design As to Midleton my Father having an Interest in Mr. White one concerned in disposing of my Lord Whartons large Charity I got him to write to him for some help there His answer to my Father was that as far as his Interest would go it should be laid out for us at their next meeting which would be shortly I also wrote to him my Self about ten day's or a fortnight since to put him in mind of it I hope we shall speed and as soon as I can hear from him Mr. P. shall know I wrote to him about three weeks since but perceive by yours that mine was not come to his Hands Upon your advice I wrote to them to put Six poor Children to School I suppose thus is Three at Elton I would have them continue and will pay for them and when we see how we speed at London shall know what to do more that way Some things have been but imprudently managed which hath been a trouble to me methinks if Mr. P. had concerned himself a little more in Matters and informed me it might have been prevented I have been oft concerned for them of late least our subtil Enemy should take the advantage to make any breach to the great prejudice of the Interest of the Gospel amongst them dear Sir way lay him with your Prayers and good Advice when you are among them if you see any thing that looks that way I write in hast and will not detain you longer but am very affectionately yours I.B. LETTER XLV To Mr. L. April 30. 1697. Dear Sir I Was in hopes to have heard from you before this but however I make bold to trouble you with a few lines to intimate our Friends desire at Elton together with my own that you would please to think of settling among them methinks your private Converse among them might be many ways setting forward your Masters work I know it will be grievous to you to think of loosing the frequent advantages you now have of enjoying that holy Man's Company who I question not hath most of your spare Hours and possibly there may be other Reasons too that may be ready to cast in a vote against it but I need not tell you whose Interest must give way when the great God's and our's comes to stand in Competition and that when we sincerely serve him at the most self-denying rate he will not yet see us loosers by it in the End And I do also with Submission heartily wish you would think of setting upon a Course of Catechising and Expounding it there are divers good things extant that may make your Work easy and in my Thoughts its a thing very needful and which through the divine blessing might be of exceeding Advantage to them You might these long Day 's make room for it by cutting your Afternoons Sermon a little shorter The Lord direct and encline you that way which shall be most pleasing to him and most profitable to precious Souls and crown your endeavours with abundant Success I should be glad to hear from you who am your affectionate Friend and Servant I. B. LETTER XLVI To Mr. C. May 11. 1697. Good Mr. C. I Must acknowledge that I am a debter to you of a few Lines I have not time now to write many and alass it was well for me if my justly grounded fears did not give me cause to say that by taking up but a little time in writing I shall thereby occasion you to throw away the less It s sad indeed that a borderer upon Eternity as I have reason to look upon my self should have reason to talk at such a rate but this though it make it more sad it doth not make it less true While I complain of my Self I may not flatter you but give me leave to say this that both formerly and when I was last with you I could not but observe that in you which gave me cause to think you was got before me alass How many could I name and that such too as have not had my advantages nor any thing near them whom I once thought at least to have been some steps behind who are now put before me But I must tell you you have fresh ground enough before you still therefore put on you will have better company then by laging behind with such as I. I am just now thinking what a change there is in the Season of the Year since I saw you Then one had occasion to be thinking of that He giveth Snow like Wool he scattereth his Hoar frost like Ashes He casteth forth his Ice like Morsels who can stand before his Cold But lo now the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone the Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the Singing of Birds is come and the Voice of the Turtle is heard in our Lands O that I could say so much of my Soul But alass though when I look into my Garden or walk abroad the verdure and fragancy of a variety of Objects inviting to entertain my outward Senses with delight as also to raise my dull and heavy Heart to much more sweet excellent and amiable ones though these I say tell me after another manner then my Almanack doth when I look without doors that its May yet I am forced to think of another Month alass when I look within sadly to complain of a long Winter still at least of a very backward Spring the Vines do not florish the tender Grapes appear nor the Pomgranets bud forth as the Lord might justly expect after so much expence as he hath been at with me nor any thing near it When I examin Matters closly what a poor little is that which I have to shew for my being a Garden more then bare Enclosure But if I should proceed on this melancholy Subject as I might I should weary you or possibly tempt you to think I do but counterfeit Complaints or that Pride was but working in a more close and cunning way Indeed who knows the depths of Deceipt that there are in such Hearts May my Complaints be an occasion of your humble chearful Praises upon your own Account may they also engage your fervent Prayers on mine Arise O Son of righteousness with healing in thy Wings Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon our Gardens that
the Spices thereof may flow out Then let our beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant Fruits My true hearty Respects and Service to good Mr. C. accept the tender of the same your Self I do not forget you and should be glad to hear how it pleaseth the Lord to deal with you who am your affectionate Friend and Servant I. B. LETTER XLVII To Mr. W. July 20. 1697. Dear Sir I Was happily surprized last Lord's day Mr. W. going over those excellent close heart searching Truths again which I was not long since speaking to you of But I find this hath not satisfied my desire but more encreased and enlarged it and so both by my Father and self I did earnestly request his Publishing this Discourse which he neither granted nor denied Now this comes earnestly to entreat you to take my part herein I never begged such a thing of him before and shall be very loath to be denied Indeed it would be a fond Conceit should I imagin that my Judgment or Opinion should any way influence him in such a thing as this I should be ashamed to pretend to it but methinks this excellent universally useful thing doth abundantly speak for it self and I hope he will not by withholding rob the Church of it I hope that which set him on work in studying and preaching hath also set me on work in desiring its Publication I am loath to give offence by my rudeness and yet shall not be easily denied but if he will deny me I must take leave to set others on successively such as I shall think more likely to speed I am dear Sir your very affectionate Friend and Servant I. B. LETTER XLVIII To Mr. Edmund B. August 30. 1697. SIR I Have received your kind Letter full of good advice relating to that Affair I applyed my self to you about when I was in L. wherein you also put me in hopes of some Papers in a short time which will be further helpful for which I return hearty thanks Since my return from L. I have for some days been abroad in the Country and since have been confined by bodily Distemper so that I have had but little time but have taken a few steps in that Business and as soon as able shall endeavour to proceed according to your direction My greatest discouragements are in and from my Self when ever I set about any piece of Service I am such a very sorry unworthy Instrument that I am ready to fear that the Lord should utterly reject and throw me by as one in whom he hath no Pleasure though I must confess he hath sometimes graciously surprized me with the Country and so I would encourage my Self humbly to attempt this also earnestly begging that you and the Society would help me by your Prayers Such a Master indeed deserves all the Service that we can ever do him but such as I if any such be are unworthy of the Honour of being employ'd in the meanest Part of it The first tidings I had of your pious undertaking was very pleasing to me and the more so because of that happy Union of Persons of different Perswasions in your Societies and truly in my small observation of the rising Generation looking towards Religion this is one thing which methinks looks not a little comfortably that they seem to be laying aside much of that narrowness of mind which truly both sides have generally been too chargeable with and to be approaching to a more truly Catholick temper a thing which bodes no small good I hope to our Church and Nation But herein which is a ground for a further discouragement you have much the advantage of us in the Country however if the God of Heaven will but be with us to prosper us we may thence take Heart to arise and build I thank you for the liberty you give me of holding a correspondence with you about this Affair I shall make bold to trouble you as no doubt we shall have frequent occasion especially at first and shall be glad to hear of your Affairs But I am afraid you will think me tedious so heartily wishing that Heavens blessing may abide upon your Persons and pious Undertaking I conclude remaining Sir your affectionate and obliged Friend and Ser. I. B. LETTER XLIX To Mr. B. January 5. 1697 8. Reverend Sir AS to the Affairs of your Society for Reformation here in this place blessed be God they go on pretty well fresh Members are almost weekly added to us and a considerable Number of Prophane Persons have been brought to legal Punishments the good Effects of which do already begin to appear we are resolved the Lord enabling of us to prosecute this Matter with utmost vigour and hope in about a Months time to set up a publick Lecture on this occasion designing to have eight Sermons preached to us in the Year by Conformists and Nonconformists in their turns and think to have our Sermons printed as that may be a means further to spread and propagate the thing And being now blessed be God pretty well settled in our gears here I look on it as my Duty to use my utmost endeavours to promote this highly necessary good Work else where also and among other Places hath for some time been in my Eye Now dear Sir I entreat you to move this Business to some of your People with pressing Importunity and may they not as well hear the Lord thus bespeaking them who is on my side who And let none of them be backward to come forth to his help and if a few hearty prudent active Persons would but appear they may promise themselves all the brotherly Assistance that poor I am capable of giving them as to Rules both for the forming and govourning a Society of this nature with some other things that may be serviceable to them according to our Practice here and the best Instructions I have had from the Societies in London Formidable difficulties will I doubt not present themselves but let not these discourage them hearten them on the Lord can easily help them through them I speak from mine own and others experience who have adventured before them and I durst give it under my Hand that he will I doubt not but to put them into a Method to engage both Magistrates and Clergy to own and countenance them in it bid them not fear but be strong and work for the Lord our G. is with us and will own and prosper us in this thing I promise my self an easy pardon for this Trouble and shall hope for your speedy Answer the Lord send a comfortable one And if so I shall speedily give you my Thoughts more particularly about this Affair I have written to York to the same effect and hope I shall have a demonstration of the greater forwardness of our Friends at Hull in a more ready Compliance I have a Letter from Mr. Fern yesterday inintimating their ready Compliance with the like motion at Chesterfield and importuning help I hope I shall be able in a short time to give you an account of its being actually set on Foot there and in divers other places here abouts and I would not have my Hull Friends the last that engage in this most noble Quarrel I am dear Sir your affectionate Friend and Servant I. B. FINIS
hope Rom. 4.18 And we find David oft professing his Resolution to trust in the Lord whatsoever distress he was in And so Job Chap. 13.15 Tho' he kill me yet will I put my trust in him This is part of that glory which we may not give unto another when in distress we thus betake our selves to creature Refuges our Hearts depart from the Lord and set up such creatures as Idols in his place which thing the Lord hath cursed but blessed are all they that put their trust in him 11. We must wait patiently for the Lord and his Salvation He that believeth maketh not haste He was quite out in his argument and shewed a wicked Spirit who said 2 King 6.33 Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait on the Lord any longer God's People should be and are of another mind Tho' alass sometimes their Hearts are ready to grow sick and their eyes ready to fail them when their hopes are long defer'd but that is there infirmity But ordinarly they are of another mind Isa 8 17. I will wait on the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and will look for him Mic. 7.7 I will wait for the God of my Salvation Lam. 3.26 It is good that a Man both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord Once more 12. And lastly after all we must endeavour quietly to submit and chearfully to resign up our selves to the Lords good pleasure when he is testifying against us we must with Aaron hold our peace or say with Eli it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good A rare Example we have for this in the Man after Gods own Heart in his sweet Frame and Carriage in that which I think considering all the Circumstances of it was the forest outward distress that ever he was in when he fled from Absolon his Son 2 Sam. 15.25 26. And the King said unto Zadock carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in him behold here am I let him him do to me as seemeth good unto him yea which is yet higher still here we have the example of David's Lord when his holy and innocent nature began to give back with honour and amazement at the apprehension of those matchless Sorrows and Sufferings which were before him he thus pray'd O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me but immediately he adds nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Matth. 26.39 Wherein he hath left us the highest instance and example of Submission and Resignation to the Divine Will that ever was and in such things wherein he is in our poor Measure immitable by us it is unquestionably our duty to tread in his Steps QUESTION V. How must we carry our selves towards our afflicted Brethren MY time allows me to say but little to this Question But 1. We must take heed we no way add to their Affliction see we fall not under that heavy charge the Psalmist brings against his enemies Psal 69.26 which is ushered in and followed with very dreadful Propherical Imprecations Afflicting work is God's work and he cannot but be highly displeased when we are for taking this his Work out of his Hands And here 1. We must take heed we do it not by our Words 2. That we do it not by our Carriage 1. We must take heed that we do it not by our Words we must take heed we do not rashly and uncharitably Censure them take heed of such Expressions yea and of such Thoughts too our bad Hearts have by Nature a wretched faculty this way when Persons fall under Affliction especially if their Affliction be somewhat singular either for kind or degree we are ready presently to conclude it must be for some extraordinary Guilt whereas the Lord for wise and holy Ends best known to himself many times culls out his dearest and choicest Servants as to the honest Work so to the sorest Tryals the greatest Susserings as a wise Commander or General will deal with his Souldiers but this is the common Opinion If an holy upright Job who was a non-such in his Time if he fall under an unusual Calamity wise and good Men will not down with it but he must needs be an Hypocrite if a venomous Creature fasten upon a Paul's Finger the Barbarians will have it he is a Murtherer or some such like Offender whom Vengeance suffers not to live this is very sinful very dangerous and provoking we have something for the Proof of this Job 42.7 8. And the Lord said unto Eliphaz my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two Friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right as my servant Job hath c. Job's three Friends feem to have been pious good Men yet alass going upon some false Notions and Opinions they had got rigid Censurers of poor Job in his sore Distress and for this Sin of theirs had not he prayed for them and the Lord accepted him some sore Judgment had been like to fall on them as we may gather from the 8th verse We must take heed of this 2. We must take heed we do it not by our Carriage we must take heed of a lofty proud and scornful Carriage towards them it is highly-sinful and dangerous thus to trample upon those that are under God's feet already yea we must take heed of a strange Carriage towards them of any thing that looks like unkindness or disrespect this is one thing which is wont to add much to the grief of the afflicted it cuts them to the Heart when they see their Brethren standing at a distance from them in their Distress we find God's People oft times complaining very heavily of this in Scripture and such Complaints lifted up to God are not like to fall down again very light on those that justly fall under them and if their Affliction come by the Oppression of Men we must especially take heed we no way join or take part with their Oppressours we must take heed we no way add to their Affliction 2. We must do what we can and in our places lawfully may to ease them under and to help them out of their Affliction Here 1. We must heartily Pity and Compassionate them 2. We must do what we can to help them 1. We must heartily Pity and Compassionate them really Sympathize with them to him that is afflicted pity should be shown of his Friend as we have it to that purpose at least some where in the Book of Job Principles of humanity call for this yea one may see somthing of this in and among Creatures of a lower Rank but mere natural Pity is but the lesser part of that I here mean our pity must be a gracious Pity we must