Gods sparing their Parents to them if they thus obey them SECTION XVIII THirdly The next Relation I consider in a Family is the Relation of Masters and Servants whom God hath spared in this great Mortality and if you would live in some measure answerably to this Mercy as it is a Mercy to some to have Servants and it is a Mercy to others to have Masters then you must fill up the duties of your Relation First Masters Duties are set down Col. 4.1 Masters give unto your Servants that which is just and equal knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven where you have 1. The Charge that is given to do that which is just and equal 2. The Persons to whom this Charge is given Masters 3. The Persons unto whom this justice and equity must be shown Servants 4. The Reason to enforce it knowing that ye have a Master in heaven There is no Man that is a Master but he hath a Master and that is God 1. Masters must not impose upon their Servants any thing simply unlawful that is not just to Work or carry Burdens upon the Lords day without necessity c. 2. Masters must not impose upon their Servants things above their strength though they be lawful this is not just 3. Masters must not deny their Servants convenient Food nor their due Wages this is not just 4. Masters must not turn away their Servants when they are sick who served them when they were in health and strength without their consent this is not just 5. Masters must not deny them necessary time for the performance of their necessary duties unto God this is neither just nor equal It is but equity if Servants spend their time in your service that you should allow them some time for the Service of God and the saving of their souls for to wear out their Bodies in serving you now and for want of time to Read and Pray to have their Soules damned hereafter would be a very unequal unjust and unreasonable thing SECT XIX Secondly Servants if you would live answerably for the Mercy of God in sparing you then performe the Duties God requireth at your hands towards your Masters The Duty of Servants is set down Eph. 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ Vers 6. Not with eye-service as Men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart Vers 7. With good will doing service as to the Lord and not to Men. Vers 8. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free To this the Apostle addeth Servants obey in all things your Masters knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ Col. 3.22 23 24 25. in both which places the Apostle meets with the usual defects of Servants in their Relation which are 1. Half Service 2. Eye Service 3. Hypocritical Service 4. Prophaneness in Service 5. Irreverence in Service 6. Grudging in Service 7. Baseness of mind in Service To these are opposed Service 1. In all things 2. Not eye-service 3. In singleness of heart 4. In the fear of God 5. Trembling 6. From the heart and with good will 7. A glorious reward 1. Servants must do all the service they owe unto their Masters not to do one thing and leave another undone but you must obey in all things i. e. lawful 2. Servants must not give eye service That is onely in their Masters sight and presence but must be as careful of their Masters business in his absence as if he were looking on them they must not do their work as those that are serving Men who cannot alwaies see them but as the servants of Christ serve him who believe that he alwaies sees them and let Servants remember that though Masters do not alwaies see them yet God doth 3. Servants must performe the Works of their Masters service in singleness of heart with uprightness and without dissimulation they must not be hypocrites in Mens service as they must not in the Service of God Servants must do all from obedience to Gods Commands and yield therefore obedience to wicked Masters in lawful things 1 Pet. 2.18 Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward So to poor Masters though they can give them but mean wages 4. They must do it in the fear of God As the servants of God must pray in the fear of God and hear in the fear of God so they that are servants to Men must do their work in the fear of God then they must not Curse and Swear at their work nor talk sinfully nor speak or sing obscenely 5. Wiâ—h reverence to their Masters 1 Tim. 6.1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphemed If thou serve a poor Master yet being thy Master thou art bound to honour him else thou will be a reproach to the Name of God and his Doctrine 6. They must not grudge the Service they do but do it from the heart and with good will Servants hearts must not be set upon their Masters business they cannot give away their heart from God but they must do their Work from the heart i. e. willingly cheerfully 7. They must not onely aime at the wages they have from their Masters that is poor and low and sordid to work and labour for such a reward but as those that know if they do their service be it never so mean and servile in obedience to Gods command and for his glory they shall have a reward in Heaven God will reward the mean service of a poor servant with an eternal Crown 8. They must be faithful in their Masters business they must not purloin steal and secretly convey away any thing of their Masters Estate Money or Goods or sell it at under-rate to his Masters real prejudice and dammage by private contract between himself and the buyer to consider him for his cheap Bargain Tit. 2.9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own Masters and to please them well in all things not answering again Vers 10. Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things When thy hand is in thy Masters Box and thou art pilfring away his Money to Game to keep Company or spend any way without his knowledge this is Theft and God seeth thee though he do not and if thou hast purloined or stole any thing thou art bound to restore it if thou canst and to confess thy fault and be humbled and do so no more 9. They must be frugal for their Masters that though they steal nothing
secret shall reward thee openly This is true also of abstaining from secret sinnings God will reward you openly Be most careful against secret sins because in these thou hast least help and least assistance from others If thy sin be visible thy friend may reprove thee and he may help to recover thee If thy sin be visible thy enemy may reproach thee for it and that may occasion thy repentance But if thy sin be secret thou wilt not have these helps nor occasions of repentance and therefore where thou art least capable of advantages and helps from others therein be the greatest friend unto thy self Thus if you would walk answerably for Gods hiding of you in the secret of his Tabernacle in time of danger live not in a course of secret sins and for your help herein I shall next proceed to the second Question viz. SECT III. WHat are the helps and means for the enabling of a Christian to abstain from heart-sins and secret sins 1. Fill your mind with actual believing thoughts of Gods all-seeing eye When you are tempted to sin in secret consider God seeth you All the thoughts of your heart and all the motions of your affections are known to him 2 Cor. 4.2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Psal 139.11 If I say the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me Ver. 12. Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee It is the Atheism and Infidelity of mens hearts that encourageth them to sin because it is secret 2. Firmly believe and often think of the judgement to come Then will God make manifest every secret thing The thoughts of the heart shall then be revealed If thou wouldst not have thy secret sin produced at the last day and published befoâ—e all the world do not commit i◠〈◊〉 12.14 For God shall bring every work iâ—to â—dgmenâ— with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Rom. 2.16 In the day wâ— God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Châ—ist according to my Gospel 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore â—udge working before the time untill the Lord come who both shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the couâ—sels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God 3. Get a deep roâ—ted hatred in thy heart to sin He that hateth sin truly will not indulge himself in committing sin secretly For true hatred of sin will set the soul with strongest opposition against it at all times and all places Hatred to sin as sin will be to all sin whether open or secret He that hates a Toade will hate it in his Chamber or Closet as well as in the Field yea the nearer it is to him if in his Bed his hatred is raised so much the more and the nearer sin is to your heart the more you should hate it He that can sin secretly when he will not openly it is not because he hates the sin but because he hates the disgrace which that sin would expose him to before Men. 4. Possess thy heart with the true fear of God Fear of shame and lessening our esteem among Men might keep from open sins but the fear of God doth steel and Antidote the heart against all sins When our restraint from sin is terminated in God it will be a general preservative against all sorts of sin 5. Get and increase in uprightness of heart the more of sincerity the less in secret sinning Hypocrisie is consistent with a constant course of secret sin but sincerity of heart doth diminish the acts and habits of sin 6. Make it your great design to have the approbation of God He that doth hunt after the commendation of Men will be good when Men do see him but he that seekes for the approbation of God endeavours to be good at all times and in all places Rom. 2.29 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God 7. Be very watchful over your heart when you are alone and over your outward Senses when you are in Company He that doth not diligently watch will frequently sin there will be many secret stirrings of Unbelief in your heart and of Pride and of Vain-Thoughts either injected by the Devil or arising from the Corruption in your own heart A secret enemy must be watched more narrowly and so must secret sins 8. Suppress the first motions of sin crush this Cockatrice in the Egge do not dally with secret Temptations unto Sin abstain from every appearance of secret sins If you are too much given to contemplative Uncleanness avoid such things as may occasion it as beholding of Objects c. 9. Get a deep Impression of Gods kindness and mercy into thy soul Many of Gods Mercies to thee are secret Mercies which none can infallibly see in thee but thy self as Grace and the love of God shed abroad in thy heart and let the sense of Gods secret love to thee keep thee from secret sinnings against God then wilt thou say with Joseph when he was tempted to secret uncleanness Gen. 39.7 9 10. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God 10. If you would be kept from secret sins be much in secret duties He that hath all his duties abroad will have a nest of secret sins at home And this brings me to the second general Head about secret Good SECTION IV. SEcondly Maintain secret Duties and especially mind the secret things of Publick Duties this part consisteth of two Branches Maintain secret Duties Minde Secret things in Publick Duties I. Keep up a constant course of secret Duties Be much with God when you are alone Let not all your Religion lie without doores especially be much in the Practise of these four Duties in secret 1. Be much in secret Prayer This hath been the practice of the holy Men of God so Jacob Gen. 32.24 And Jacob was left alone and there wrastled a Man with him while the breaking of the day In this you have the Example of Christ himself who was much in secret Prayer Maâ— 14.23 And when he had sent the Multitudes away he went up into a Mountain apart to Pray and when the evening wâ—s come he was there alone You have some secret burdens upon your heart you have some secret and hidden workings of sin in your soul which is not convenient for you to express in the hearing of others take time then to do this when you are alone
the Author and him who is Your servant in the Lord Thomas Vincent The CONTENTS THe Preface or Introduction p. 1 2 3. DIRECTION I. Containing two parts viz. Since you live after this Plague Be not worse but Better p. 4. I. The first part of this Direction containeth seven Questions p. 5. Question I. Whether wicked men wax worse and worse p. 6. Six things premised for Explication p. 7 8 9 10 11. Proved by Scripture Instances p. 12 to 17. Proved by Arguments p. 18 to 24. Question II. What are the several steps or gradations whereby sin grows from a low ebbe to its highest actings Or Ten Rounds in the sinners Ladder to Hell p. 24 to 35. Where seven things about Gods hardening wicked mens hearts p. 32 33. Question III. Under what Dispensations wicked men wax worse and worse p. 35. Viz. 1. Vnder Gods Providences in Prosperity p. 36 37 in Adversiâ—y 38. in Deliverances 39 40 41 42 to 46 2Vnder Ordinances Word Sacrament p. 47 48. Question IV. Why God is pleased to remove Judgements though many men are worse than they were before p. 48 to 52. Question V. What are the aggravations of this great Impiety to be worse after Gods sorest Judgments than they were before Answered in Ten particulars p. 52 to 59 Question VI. What are signs of a man waxing worse and worse Answered in 14 particulars p. 59 to 68 Where six restraints of sin which keeping from sin do not prove truth of Grace yet sin against do prove height of sin p. 63 64 65 Question VII What Considerations may be useful to stop the stream of such mens wickednesse that are waxing worse and worse p. 68 69 70 Seven Questions to such sinners p. 71 72 73 74 Six Directions to such sinners p. 75 76 Eight Corollaries from this first part of this Direction p. 77 78 II. The second part of the first Direction Since you live be better after this Judgement than you were before directed especially to the godly p. 79 Where Ten Lessons to be learned by those in the City that by reason of the Plague hath been a great House of Mourning p. 80 to 89 Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse in their spiritual condition after this Plague than they were before p. 90 91 92 Seven Positions p. 93 c. Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better p. 97 101 DIRECTION II. Since you live after this Plague pay your Vows and live up to your holy Purposes and Resolutions which you made in time of danger and fears of death p. 102 115 Where Seven Reasons for care to keep your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 108 Twenty Helps to perform your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows 115 Fourteen Aggravations if you come short of your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 116 c. Where Eleven signs of a Beloved sin p. ibid. DIRECTION III. Since you live and are free from or cured of your bodily sickness look after the cure of soul-sickness take heed that you lye not under spiritual Judgments when temporal Judgment is removed p. 142 1 Sin is the souls sickness in 6 particulars p. 143 144 2 Spiritual Judgments are worse than temporal in seven particulars p. 145 149 3 How a man may know whether he be healed of Soul-sickness in six particulars p. 149 152 4 How a soul-sick sinner should do for healing in 8 particulars p. 153 The excellency of Christ our Soul-Physician in 5 particulars p. 154 c. 5 What those must do whom Christ hath healed of soul-sickness to improve this Cure to the glory of God in 4 particulars p. 158 c. DIRECTION IV. Since you live after this Plague be eminently exemplary in the capacity God hath set you p. 161 An humble Exhortation to Magistrates whom God hath preserved p. 162 163 164 Subjects Duties to Magistrates in 6 particulars p. 165 166 Ministers Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in 4 particulars p. 167 175 Peoples Duties whom God hath continued to their Ministers p. 176 Governours of Families Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in respect of Family Worship p. 177 Where is shewed 1 Why in 8 particulars p. 179 to 182 2 Wherein in 5 particulars p. 183 189 3 How in 4 particulars p. 190 191 Duties of Husbands and Wives whom God hath continued together after this Plague viz. Mutual Love p. 192 193 Where is shewed What manner of Love it must be p. 194 195 Why they should thus love p. 196 197 Wherein they should manifest it p. 198 199 Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to Children in 5 particulars p. 200 206 Duties of Children whom God hath continued to Parents What in 7 particulars Why in 6 particulars p. 206 209 Duties of Masters and Servants In 5 particulars p. 210 In 11 particulars p. 211 216 DIRECTION V. Since you live by Gods secret way of preservation Watch against secret sins p. 217 Perform secret Duties p. 217 Minde secret things in publick Duties p. 217 Where Fourteen Arguments against secret sins p. 219 231 Nine masked sins detected p. 221 222 Ten Preservatives against secret sins p. 232 c. Four secret Duties p. 235 236 Six secret good things in Publique Duties p. 237 238 Six secret sins in Publique Duties p. 239 240 DIRECTION VI. Since you live after this Plague be dead to the World p. 241 Viz. To the Profits of the World p. 242 243 To the Honours of the World ibid. To the Pleasures of the World p. 245 To the Wisdom of the World p. 246 How a man may know whether he be dead to the World p. 247 248 249 DIRECTION VII Since you live be dead to sin and be buried with Christ p. 250 Believers are buried in 3 respects p. 251 Two differences in burial of our Friends and of our Sins p. 252 Five things included in the Burial of sin p. 253 254 Four things for Comfort to those who are buried with Christ p. 255. DIRECTION VIII Since you live after this Plague walk in newnesse of life p. 256 What newnesse of life doth not consist in in 6 particulars p. 257 What iâ— doth consist in in Ten particulars p. 258 The Excellencies of a New Life in 10 particulars p. 261 The Hinderances of walking in Newness of Life in six particulars p. 264 DIRECTION IX Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a constant sense of Gods distinguishing Providence in preserving of you p. 265 Six Helps so to doe p. 267 DIRECTION X. Since you live and many of your Relations dead love God so much the more by how much you have fewer Objects of your Love than you had before p. 270 DIRECTION XI Since you live after this Plague remember what Conscience did condemn you for in time of fear of death and avoid it what it did commend you for and do it 271 DIRECTION XII Since you live after such danger of death trust God for the future
thy heart to keep thee from sin than before thou art so much worser than thou wast before Though abstaining from sin upon such accounts doth not prove the truth of grace yet the committing of sin notwithstanding these doth argue growth of sin Now these humane Arguments that did formerly restrain thee were such as these 1. Shame amongst men Thou hadst an Inclination to wicked company but thou wast ashamed to be seen amongst them and therefore didst not associate with them But now thou thinkest it no shame or if thou dost thou hast a face of brass and an heart of stone and blushest not Thou art worse 2. Care of Reputation Thou wast tender of thy Credit and good Name and though thou hadst a love unto some sins that would have disgraced thee amongst men yet now thou wilt blot thy Name and lose thy Credit and sacrifice thy Reputation to satisfie thy Lust 3. Costliness of sin Some sins are very chargeable and call for great expence and thy love to thy Money and natural affection to thy Wife and Children was a barre which did restrain thee from them Thou wouldest not feed and satisfie thy filthy Lusts because it would be chargeable to thee thou refrainedst from riotous Prodigals because company with them would wast thine Estate But now thou thinkest no cost too great no charge too much that thou mayest have thy fill of sin but tradest and labourest and workest to get something to maintain thy Lust and wilt rather that thy Wife and Children should want bread at home than thou shouldest not have enough to spend upon thy sins abroad Thou art now grown to an exceeding magnitude in sin that thou art monstrous to beholders 4. Health of body Such sins that tend to the impairing of thy health thou wouldest not commit Thou didst refrain not so much because they would damn thy soul as destroy thy body Thou thoughtest excessive drinking would shorten thy life and hasten thy death and bring thee sooner to thy grave that acts of uncleanness would fill thee full of loathsom diseases and leave some mark upon thy body whereby thou wouldest be noted for an unclean adulterer But now thou wilt venture health and life and all that thou mayest more freely sin and the very food thou earest is now not only to nourish thy body but to provoke thee to lust Verily thou art much worse than thou wast 5. Fear of death When the fear of God would not prevail to keep thee from sin yet fear of death somtimes hath done it and according to the strength of the fears of death have been thy restraints from sin but now thou canst think of death and speak of thy death and yet act thy sinne 6. Displeasure of men Thou hast had dependance upon some that hate such sins that thou lovest in thy heart but because thou wouldest not loose their favour thou hast bridled thy sin but now thou layest the reignes loose upon the neck of thy lusts and wilt proceed to obey them let who will be displeased thereby When thou wilt displease thy best friend and them upon whom thou dost depend for lively-hood and maintenance that thou mayst please thy lust it is a sign that sin is very high in thy heart any one of these formerly were a sufficient bolt to keep thee from grosser sins but now all put together are too weak a signe that sin is so much the stronger X. The more thou hast had experience of the dreadfull effects of sin and the more God hath punished thee for thy sin and yet wilt proceed the greater sinner thou art God hath punished thee with poverty as the fruite of thy sin with diseases in thy body with horrours in thy conscience with the death of thy relations when thou hast tasted the bitterness of sin to set against the pleasures of sin when God hath put worm-wood and gall into thy sin yet thou art bent upon it thou art very bad XI The more thou justifiest and defendest thy self after the commission of sin than formerly so much the worser thou art than formerly When thou wast reproved thou wast use to acknowledge thy sin and to confess thy wickedness but now thou dost plead for thy lust and pleadest for thy evil wayes and takest the quarrell of sin upon thy self it is a signe thy heart is more wedded to thy lusts by how much the more thou espousest its cause XII When thou art more presumptuous in thy sinnings and addest more contempt of God and pride and contumacy than formerly the worse thou art Sins of presumption are scarlet sins of a crimson dye when a man sinneth against God and blesseth himself in his wickedness and presumeth of Gods mercy and presumeth upon the patience of God a man that sins presumptuously makes a bold adventure against express threatnings of the Law of God and is mingled with great contempt of God it is no less than reproaching and despising of God himself Num. 15.30 But the soul that doth ought presumptuously reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from among his people vers 31. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his commandment that soul shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be upon him XIII The more mercies thou sinnest against than formerly the worser thou art than before God hath given thee more mercies and multiplyed many good things upon thee and yet thou committest more sins than when thou hadst fewer mercies to make Gods mercy to be fewel for thy lusts is an aggravation of sinning for as much as it is contrary to the end of mercy which is to draw men off from sin every mercy thou receivest hath a voice and its language is repent of sin return to God Rom. 2.4 God loadeth thee with mercy and the more thou pressest him down with thy sin the more good and the more mercifull God is to thee the more vile and rebellious thou art against God this is to be highly wicked XIV The more thou drawest others into sin by thy entisements or example than before so much the worse thou art When thou art not content to sin alone not to dishonour God thy self but drawest and incouragest others to do so also and so damnest thy own soul and others too and makest thy self guilty of the bloud of those thou allurest with thee into sin The more sins thou committest thy self the worse thou art and the more persons thou dost influence by thy sin to partake with thee the worse thou art Thus if thou wilt compare thy self what thou art now with what thou hast been formerly thou mightest discern how much more thou sinnest now than thou didst before SECT XIV What considerations may be usefull to stop the streame of such mens wickedness that yet are waxing worse and worse BEcause I am loath to leave thee with a bare conviction that thou art worse than thou wast wont to be I shall add a
what manner of persons ought you to be in all manner of holy conversation after such a sight as this IV. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the worlds vanity You have seen what miserable comforters riches are to men in time of Plague and at an hour of death you have seen death haling men from that which they had set their hearts upon you have seen death dragging men from their riches and from their pleasures and hath forced them to come away to the Bar of God and leave their riches behinde them and their pleasures behind them You have seen that riches could not go with them into another world but left them in a time of need You have seen that those that loved riches could finde no comfort in them when they stood in greatest need of comfort You have seen that what men have been laboring for and scraping together all the time of their health and life death hath come and scattered in a moment Oh how weaned should you be from the world and the riches and the pleasures thereof after such a sight as this Oh how much less should you afford the world of your heart and affections of your love desire and delights that is so unkind to dying men even unto those that served it most and loved it most Oh do you learn to deal so with the world as you have seen the world to deal with others i. e. turn it out of your heart with as little love and pity to it as you have seen the world turn its followers out of it and shake them off notwithstanding all their entreaties to abide and stay therein The world may now entreat you that it might stay in your heart and live in your love but hearken you no more to its entreaties than it hath hearkened unto others and you must expect the world ere long will deal with you as it hath dealt with others therefore part with the world before you leave the world V. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the short continuance of all relations you have seen death taking Husbands from their Wives Parents from their Children Ministers from their people and so Wives from their Husbands Children from their Parents People from their Ministers Those that had but one onely Son Plague and Death hath stripped them of him and teared one relation out of the others bosome fain they would have kept them but death would not suffer them they wept and cryed but death would not have pity on them nor hear their cries nor regard their tears but said this is your childe but I must have him this is your husband but I must seize upon him God hath given me a Commission and I always use to do according to the Commission I receive from God if God will not spare you in vain you look for pity at mine hands I saith death am blinde and cannot see the beauty of your childe that hath drawn out your heart so much towards him I am deaf and cannot hear your pleadings for the continuance of your childe or husband or friend if God doth not hear you I cannot and if God doth not spare and pity you I will not therefore I will smite him and stick my arrow in his heart and dippe it in his life-blood and take him from you Oh how many have thus experienced the dealings of death and you have seen it and will not you learn to sit looser in your affections towards your nearest and dearest relations You have seen death hath seized upon them that were most beloved by their friends and perhaps did therefore do it because they were over loved and took up too much of that love and that delight which should have been more and would have been better placed upon God Your lesson then is set down by the Apostle for I would not teach you by rott nor without the book of Gods word 1 Cor. 7.29 But this I say Brethren the time is short or rolled up or contracted a metaphor taken from a piece of cloth that is rolled up onely a little left at the end so some As Mariners near the Haven winde up their sails or make them less When the sails of time are thus contracted it is a sign we are near the Harbor of eternity It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none Vers 30. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away VI. In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the lesson of humility How many humbling sights have you seen every Corpse that you have seen hath been an humbling sight It may be you have been proud of your beauty but have not you seen that beauty vanisheth away when death comes that beautiful bodies by the Plague and Death have been turned into loathsome bodies and those that you have loved and been delighted to look upon you have been glad to have them buried out of your sight when once dead How many open Graves have you seen and those that have been nice and curious of their comely bodies have been interred and given to be meat for worms and to be a prey to rottenness and putrefaction Have you seen any difference betwixt the poor and the rich beâ—wixt that body that was fed with courser fare and that which was nourished with more delicate dishes Have you not seen bodies that were made out of dust been turned to the dust to be turned into dust and will you be proud after God hath taken such an effectual course to teach you to be humble VII In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you that all things fall alike to all that the wise must dye as well as the fool and the good must dye as well as the bad And though God hath promised conditionally preservation from the Plague unto his people which hath been literally fulfilled to some of his yet some of his have fallen in this general mortality God hath been teaching of you that though grace doth deliver from eternal death yet not from temporal though from the sting yet not from the stroke of death that you though godly should be preparing for your own departure out of this world VIII In this great house of so great mourning God hath been teaching you the difference between the death of the wicked and the death of the righteous that though good and bad alike have dyed yet they have not dyed alike But as there was a difference in their life so God did make a difference in their death Have not you seen some wicked dye without any sense of sin or fear of God or Hell and
at home Did it not then trouble thee that thou being a Professor hadst been at nights drinking in the Tavern when thou shouldst have been praying in thy family that thy Wife and Children though they have not gone Supperless to bed yet have almost every night gone prayerless to bed except they went apart to pray in secret But did not then thy conscience tell thee that their performance of their duty would be no excuse to thee when thou shouldst stand at the Bar of God for thy neglecting of what thou oughtest to have done Didst thou not then resolve if thou shouldst live it should be so no more That thou wouldst read thy Bible more as well as look over thy Shop-books daily That thou wouldst spend some time in secret before God whereas before thou wast use to waste it in thy pleasures and taking of thy worldly delights Deal plainly man with thy self and do not flatter thy soul and daube with thy conscience Was there not some such thoughts and purposes and resolutions as these in thy heart at such a time And didst thou promise and resolve in jest and not in earnest God did afflict thee by the plague in good earnest and thou waste then affraid of death and the grave and judgement in good earnest And didst thou onely purpose in jest and resolve in jest and play with holy things when thou wast near another world and dally with God when thou didst not know but within an hour thou mightest have appeared at his Bar and been set before the terrible tribunal of the great heart-searching God But if thou wast in earnest with God when God was in earnest with thee if thou wast in earnest in promising be earnest in earnest to perform if thou didst indeed resolve to reform when thou shouldst be well then reform indeed according to thy resolution since God hath made thee well and saved thee from the Grave to which thou wast so near so very near Or if God hath been so good to thee to preserve thee from the infection of the Plague amongst the many thousands that have been visited that thou hast not been heart-sick yet thou hast often felt shootings and pains and prickings up and down in several parts of thy body and sometimes hast had such things as thou hast thought to be symptomes of the distemper and hast apprehended it to be approaching to thee that hath made thee hasten to thy bed and make use of thy preservatives and thy cordials that thou thoughtest thy self in real danger and wast possest with real fears What were thy purposes at such a time as this And what didst thou resolve to do And how to live if God would prevent the thing thou fearedst Or hadst thou no such purpose in thy heart No such resolution in thy breast that if thou livedst thou wouldst be better Was thy heart indeed so backward unto good that at such a time of fears and dangers thou hadst not so much as a purpose to be better but if thou hadst and let thy conscience be thy witness and the God of heaven that did fully know the purpose of thy heart then now perform what then thy heart did purpose to perform I am perswaded if the people in London and in Country too would live up according to the purpose of their heart in time of danger of the Plague would reform and mend as they did resolve to do we should be much better than we were before Oh what a difference would there be in the frame of our hearts and in the course of our lives What a change would there be in all our practises Those that were forward Professors of Religion and were not much more then Professors would be zealous practisers of Religious duties and in order hereunto I shall to follow this direction do three things 1. Lay down some considerations why you should be careful to keep your purposes resolutions and vows 2. Prescribe some helpes how you may perform your purposes resolutions and vows 3. Set down the aggravations of your sin if you break your purposes resolutions and vows SECT I. 1. GReat and constant diligent care should be taken in time of health to keep our purposes to perform our resolutions and to pay our vows to God which we made in time of sickness and danger and distress if you consider these particulars 1. That one great deceit of the heart of man doth appear in this in being forward to purpose in our selves and promise unto God but are backward to perform In time of sickness what resolutions do men make what purposes have they in themselves to mend and turn to God and seem to promise this with tears in their eyes and sorrow in their hearts for the evil that is past and done and seem to others and think verily themselves that they promise in good earnest and mean to do as they do speak and when they think the danger is past and their fears removed do nothing less than what they promised I have known some upon sick beds so to promise that they would be drunk no more c. and yet when health hath been restored have returned to their wickedness So did Pharaoh promise fair when the Plagues of God were upon the Land that he would let the children of Israel goe but when the Plagues have been removed he hath hardened his heart against them more than before and this he often did Exod. 8.8 15. 9.27 28 34 10.16 17 20. Now this deceitfulness of the heart is yet in part remaining in the best of men and therefore you must be carefull else though you have promised you will never perform 2. That sin is of a bewitching encroaching and alluring nature if it can prevail it will keep you from resolving against it if you do resolve it will entreat you that you would not send it farre from you that your Resolution might not be peremptory and universal that if you resolve to banish it from your heart it might be only some of its members that are not so dear unto you and reserve the rest or if it be peremptory and universal that you will part with all sin it will contend that your Resolution may not be perpetual that you send it not away for ever but only till your danger of death is over and your fears thereof are ceased that then it may be received into your heart be your Favourite again or if you do resolve to part with sin peremptorily universally and perpetually yet after a while it will solicit you to change your resolution or if you will not change it it will solicit you to abate the strength and vehemency thereof and will come and offer you so much delight and so much pleasure and so much profit if you will not be so severe against it If you are not carefull it will encroach upon your heart and insinuate and winde it self into your love and delight and
allure your will into a consent first not to be so severe next to indulge it then to countenance it and then to renew its acquaintance till it again become familiar to you 3. That Satan will assault you and set in with sin for its re-admission If he cannot keep you from resolving yet he will lay hard at your heart to break your resolution He will lay his snares and baits and use his stratagems in sins behalf and come to you as he did to our first Parents Gen. 3.1 He i. e. Satan said unto the woman Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden So Satan cometh unto thee and saith Yea hast thou said thou wilt not be kinde unto thy sin any more hast thou said thou wilt be so severe against thine Iniquity If thou reply I have said I will not keep my sin lest God be angry with me and send some soret Judgement upon me he will return to thee and say God will not surely be angry with thee to plague thee it may be thou mayst escape or if thou yield now thou mightest repent and renew thy resolution against it again do it but this once take but the other Cup play but the other game If you be not carefull to look to your Resolutions when sin Satan and your own heart do set against you you will certainly break them 4. The World will interrupt you that you may not live up to your Resolutions made to God in time of danger This is another powerful Assaultant for your heart and affections and will plead If thou didst resolve against sin that was unlawful but the things that I have saith the World are good my Riches are good and my Pleasures are not absolutely evil and my Profits are not unlawful if thou wouldest turn off thy drunkenness why should I be resolved against and if thou wilt shake off thy wicked company yet what have I done that I must not be loved Company-keeping saith the World did impoverish thee but I will enrich thee that did consume what was necessary for thy Family but I come with supplyes for them I will cloathe their backs and I will furnish their Table and I will bring in Portions for thy Children I will make thee honourable and esteemed and I will lay up in store for thee against thy old age when thy labour will be past Thus will the World come in for entertainment in your heart again that though you resolved to spend so much time in secret Prayer every day if God would suffer you to live yet this worldly business cometh to divert you and another cometh to take you off from your resolved practice If you consider what earnest suiters Satan sin and the World will be for your heart and how your heart is as ready to yield as these are to solicit your heart is as willing to have them as these are to have your heart then without diligent care it is impossible to live up unto good and holy Resolutions made in time of danger 5. The difficulty of the things you have purposed and resolved to do calls for your greatest diligence if you would live up unto them The more excellent and difficult the work is we resolve to do the more apt we are to flag and faint and come short in performance Now it will appear that these things are difficult because They are Praeter Super Contra Naturam First The things you have purposed and resolved to do are preternatural These things are that you will love God more and that you will delight and joy in God more Now those things are praeternatural which are added to another thing as an adjunct to its subject so that it doth not constitute the nature of it nor destroy it but perfect it Such a thing is Grace that you have resolved to get greater degrees of Grace and Holiness doth not constitute the Nature of man for a man without grace is a man neither doth grace and holiness destroy but perfect Nature Grace doth not destroy the affection of Love but doth correct it and place it upon its proper Object nor destroy our Joy but turns the stream of our Joy to empty it self in God or rather to fetch our Joyes from God Secondly The things you have resolved to do are supernatural above Nature it is not in the power of Nature to enable you to do what you have resolved upon You resolved in your time of fears and danger to pray to God more fervently but Nature cannot help you to do this To believe more stedfastly to love God more ardently to walk with God more holily but all these are above the power of Nature and must be wrought in you by the supernatural and almighty power of God and yet you did well to resolve to endeavour to do all these if you did remember to make your resolution in the strength of Christ to do this by whose strength we can do all things Philip. 4.13 Thirdly The things you have resolved to do are contra-natural against Nature i. e. against corrupt nature For our love to God doth not destroy the faculty or affection of Love but perfect it and Innoble it but it doth destroy our love to sin and our love to the World and the things of the World Now to do that which is against corrupt Nature is very hard you will finde it exceeding difficult it is swimming against the stream and rowing against the tide that if you do not ply your Oar you will be carryed back 6. The opposition you may meet withall from your nearest Friends will make it evident that there is need of your greatest diligence to make good your good resolutions You have purposed in your heart to spend more time for God and your soul and for the life to come if you do so as you have resolved it may be thy father the Wife of thy bosom thy fellow-fellow-servants will scorn thee and deride thee and set themselves against thee Thou hast purposed in thy heart to reprove sinners for their Oathes and Drunkenness and Prophaneness and if thou do so they will envy thee for thy pity and hate thee for thy love it may cost thee dear it may expose thee to trouble from men and from those that by bonds of Nature are nearest to thee if thou wilt indeed come up in thy practice in time of health and safety to thy Resolutions which thou didst believe was thy duty to make in time of sickness and danger 7. The necessary concurrence of many difficult duties that you may perform the purposes of your heart in living in some measure answerable to the mercy of divine protection in time of plague calls for your utmost diligence and care else you will undoubtedly fail and come short of what you did resolve upon Where many Duties are to meet and to be done as necessary Requisites to another duty that makes this duty
believing thoughts of this when the Plague is over will have some special influence upon thee to make thee endeavour to do according to the purpose of thy heart in dying times 4. Consider Holiness is as pleasing unto God at one time as another and if God was pleased with thy purpose it will be more pleasing if thou proceed unto performance The moving reason of your purpose in the time of your distress was that you judged it pleasing unto God and would you please God at one time by purposing and displease him at another by non-performance Would you please God at one time by resolving to reform and displease him at another by nonreformation Sin and holiness is the same in the eyes of God at all times but it seems it is not so in thine if sometime thou dost purpose to forsake sin and at another dost willingly commit it if sometime thou approvest holiness and pâ—â—â—osest to follow after it but at another time thou art remiss in thy pursuit 5. Work this upon thy heart that sin is as destructive to thy soul and preâ—udicial to thy peace and comfort at one time as another Though sometime the circumstance of time might aggravate a mans sin and make it more hainous as a man to be drunk upon the Lords day yet sin committed at any time is damnable and sin loved at any time is damnable though sometime we feel the effects of sin in sickness on our bodies and terrors and fears upon our consciences and then have greater and more affecting apprehensions of the evil of it yet you can at no time when you have your perfect health lay sin in your bosom but it may sting you unto death In your sickness you thought that sin would undo you that your evil actions would certainly damne you therefore you did resolve against it think so still and let those thoughts abide upon your heart and they will carry you in the strength of Christ to live as you did purpose 6. Work this upon your heart that holiness in act and a godly life in act will be more sweet unto your soul than it was onely in your purpose And that a holy life should be esteemed by you at one time as well as another because it will be as sweet and profitable to you at one time as another if you thought it would be for your good to purpose holiness and to resolve to live to God and this did something quiet your heart if you had dyed that God had given you a real and unfeigned resolution and fixed purpose of heart to lead as you could with utmost diligence a Gospel conversation how much more will it be a comfort to your heart to see your purposes end in performances and your resolutions come unto a real thorough continued Reformation Get the same thoughts of holiness in time of safety as you had in time of danger and this will help you to live holily as well as to purpose so to do 7 Keep upon your heart a constant daily sense of your own mortality and of your nearness to another world What is the reason that men under sickness are more apt to purpose to forsake sin and to promise to mend and to reform than in time of health but because they have greater apprehensions of death in its nearer approaches unto them and things as neer do more affect than things apprehended as further off and was it not the thoughts of the nearness of death and your daily danger of it that did quicken you to resolve against sin and for God and to winde up your resolutions something higher than at other times Why you have reason still to walk in daily expectation of your dissolution though the plague be stayed If the plague be removed out of your habitation yet sin is not removed out of your heart there is the meritorious cause of death still in you and there are natural causes of death still in you and you must as surely dye as if the Plague were raging and you may assoon dye we dye a thousand ways death might be as near to you by some other disease and you may fall by some other disease as so many have done by the Pestilence though you were not one of those that dyed eight thousand in a week yet you may be one of those that dye eight or five hundred in a week Doe not say the bitterness of death is past that now there is no danger do not put far from thee the evil day What if so many do not dye every week as when thou resolvedst to be better yet thou mightest dye every week An Apoplexy or a Feaver or Dropsie might fetcht thee to thy grave who hast through Mercy and Patience escaped death by the Plague think with thy self when thy heart is negligent of thy former purpose When and why was it that I resolved to give my self more to a holy heavenly life When the Plague did come nigh unto my dwelling and because I thought every day I might have dyed Why it is my daily danger if not by the Plague yet by some other disease that will as certainly be the cause of my dissolution as if it were the Plague Thou didst purpose because thou thoughtest death was neer then perform because death is still as near yea it is nearer to thee now then when thou madest this resolution for the more days thou hast lived since the fewer now thou hast to live it was near then but to thee it is nearer now 8. Frequently possess thy heart with serious believing thoughts of judgement to come When men and when thou amongst the rest shall give an account to God of all thoughts purposes promises vows that thou hast made to God to walk before him in an holy life But what account canst thou give to God when thou hast not performed what thou purposedst If it was not good to purpose and to promise to forsake thy sin and live to God Why didst thou purpose If it were Why dost thou not perform If thou fail now thou wilt be self-condemned at the bar of God thy purposes and promises will be brought forth against thee and God will charge thee before all the world with breach of promise unto him 9. Work this upon thy heart that thou walkest daily in the sight and presence of that God that exactly doth observe whether thou art the same in thy practice when thou art well as thou wast in thy purpose when thou wast sick God did see thy purpose and he did hear thy promise made in thy distress and time of fears and his eye is upon thee to observe how thou livest and what thou dost and do men keep their promises made to men as some do from no other principle then because the eyes of men are upon them to observe them and they would not lose their reputation by falsifying of their promise and wilt not thou much more
perform thy promise unto God when thou canst never break it but when God is looking on 10. Keep a lively and a tender conscience and diligently hearken to its admonitions that thou keep thy purpose cominations while thou art purposing to come short of thy purpose and accusations afterwards if thy conscience is not faithful unto thee thou wilt be false unto thy promise and fail of thy purpose but if it be do not choak the voice of conscience for it is thy monitor and remembrancer to put thee in minde of the bond â—nd obligation that lies upon thee to a holy life by virtue of thy own resolutions and vows in time of great mortality 11. Make a prudent choise of some wise and holy Christian for thy most intimate associate One that knows thy ways and practise most that is most acquainted with the manner of thy life and hath most occasion to be most in thy company supposing him to be faithful prudent pious tell him what hath been the purpose of thy heart when the terrors of the Lord were upon thee not onely against sin in general or in respect of holiness in general but what was the purpose of thy soul and the resolution of thy heart against this sin if it be convenient in particular which thou hast been most prone unto and the particular duty thou hast resolved to be constant and diligent in which thou hast found thy heart most backward to and engage him as he loves thy soul and the promoting of the work of God in thy heart that he will carefully observe thee and if he discern thee to be backward to thy duty that he would admonish thee if forward to thy sin that he would reprove thee and in all deal faithfully with thee this would be an exceeding help to perform our promises and purposes of holy living and such a friend as this is to be prized above his weight in gold and such a friend as this is better than a brother if you finde him let him not go 12. Seriously consider and work upon your heart till you feel your soul affected with it that Gods purposes concerning you and your good and eternal peace is the same at one time as at another and he performes all his promises which he maketh unto you God doth not one time purpose for to save you and another time purpose to condemn you and why should you then be unconstant in your purposes towards God one time to purpose that you will serve him more and glorifie him more and at another time be careless to order your life according to the intention of your heart When you finde your hearts begin to slink and goe from the purpose and promise that you have made press your self with affecting thoughts of the Immutability of Gods purposes to you and this might help you to constancy in your purposes towards God 13. Steel your heart with an holy courage against all oppositions in your way of performance Take heed of slavish fears which enfeeble your resolutions and put a stop in the way of an holy life you have resolved upon fear of danger and of death made you to resolve to keep close to God and yet your fear of death and fear of danger for holiness sake will hinder your living up to those Purposes and Resolutions Fear of death natural and from God was the occasion of your resolving to practise an holy life but fears of death violent and from men will be the cause of your breach of promise so to doe Therefore resolve to live up to your Resolutions though loss of Estate Liberty or Life should attend you for so doing 14. Fill your heart with an holy Zeal for Gods glory and if you be zealous for the glory of God you will be couragious against all Impediments and Obstructions of an holy conversation Courage is opposed to slavish Fears and Zeal is opposed to Lukewarmness And Lukewarmness is inconsistent with the practice you have resolved upon You have purposed to pray more fervently than you were wont to do but if your heart be as lukewarm in Religion you cannot do it you have purposed to lay out your self more for the good of souls to endeavour to help others in their way to heaven but if you be as lukewarm as before you cannot do more than you did before But if your heart be enflamed with zeal for God more than before you will perform all your Religious undertakings with more life than before you will pray with more life and preach with more life and speak to men about the things of God and another world than you did before and this is the performance of your Purpose 15. Be much in daily Reflexions whether you live up to your Resolutions or no. Review your life every night reflect upon your Duties and the manner of performance of them Survey at night before you sleep the actions of the day whether they have been according to the Rule of Gods Word what temptations did assault you and how you did resist them what corruptions did rise in your heart and how you did subdue them what Ordinances of God you have sate under and how you did improve them what Talents God hath entrusted you with and how you have employed them what company you have been in and how you did behave your self If you do not call your self frequently to account you will live below your Purposes and not perceive it 16. Be often renewing your Purposes and Resolutions for an holy life Frequent acts do beget and strengthen habits Actually renew your Purpose to pray to God to walk circumspectly to discourse of the things of God and it will at length be habitual to you so to do If you finde upon reflection and self-examination that your Purposes are weakened and your heart draws back from that pitch of holiness you did intend to labour after binde your heart thereto by the renewal of your Purposes If you finde you have broken your Resolutions do not resolve to continue so to do but repair them If the Mariner be driven back by windes and storms yet he keeps and renews his purpose of sailing unto his intended Harbour If a Traveller fall in his Journey he gets up and resolves to hold on his way 17. Presse your heart with the evils of coming short and with the benefits of living up unto your Resolutions The evils of this I shall speak to in the third general Head that follows next in order The Benefits of keeping the purpose of your heart are many and great Your sins will not be so many your sins will not be so strong for Resolutions against sin that are firmly made and carefully kept do exceedingly weaken sin and if you should sometime sin your sin will not be so great when God doth see you keep the firm purpose of your heart against it though sometimes you are overborn and bowed down yea
in secret You have the command of Christ also for this secret duty as well as his practise and example Mat. 6.6 2. Be freqent in self-examination in secret When you are alone be much in conversing with your self and often in looking down into your own heart enquiring after the truth of grace and your growth therein after the Mortification of sin and your growth therein Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still Commune with your self whether you set a due valuation upon the meanes of Grace whether you thrive in holiness according to the time and meanes that you have had Commune with your self whether your Conversation be suitable to your Profession and as becomes the Gospel whether you are fit to die and prepared for another World in your secret Chamber commune with your own hearts about such things as these 3. Be much in secret Reading of the Word of God A Worldling when he is alone will spend much time in Reading over his Writings his Bonds and Bills his Leases and Acquittances and will not you take as much pains in secret reading of the Word of God which are the Writings upon which you must both build your Evidences for Heaven and try them by 4. Be much in secret meditation When you are alone let your thoughts be dwelling upon the Life to come in thinking of your future happiness Oh what Inward warmth may you have when you are alone if you would but fill your minde with some believing fore-thoughts of the Life to come SECTION V. II. MInde secret things in Publick Duties As your preservation is visible but as I have noted before the most effectual meanes of your preservation were secret and invisible you have not seen the way that God hath taken in keeping you he hath secretly kept you by his Power he hath given a secret Charge to his Angels over you So let your Duties that God requires should be Publick and Visible be so But then let your principal care be about the secret and invisible things of publick and visible duties The secret and invisible things in publick duties which we are to mind are Good Bad. I will instance in six of each of them Six things in a grâ—cious heart in publick Duties are secret and invisible 1. The communion that a gracious heart hath with God in publick duties is secret and invisible You may hear a Mans Expressions and you may see his Teaâ—es and heâ—r his Groanes but whether he have true communion with God is such a secret that none can know but himself 2. The joyes that a Christian hath in publick duties are secret and invisible joyes expressions of joy and praise may be heard and outward discoveries of joy there may be but this joy it self is a secret thing Whether you have indeed true spiritual joy in publick duties none can know but your self 3. The principle that puts a Man upon publick duties is a secret and invisible thing Whether you Pray or Preâ—ch or do any publick duty out of a Principle of love and fear of God is such a secret that none can tell but your self 4. The manner in which publick duties are performed is a secret and invisible thing Whether there be the exercise of Faith and Repentance for Sin and love to God and desire after Spiritual things is such a secret that by-standers cannot know 5. The end a Man propounds unto himself in publick duties is secret and invisible Whether a Duty be done for the glory of God for the good of others for the enjoying more communion with God for more strength against sin or whether it be for self-interest and carnal ends is onely known to a Man 's own Conscience Your duties Men may see but your end they cannot see 6. The peculiar aim and design of a gracious soul in publick duties against some peculiar sin and secret corruption is a secret and invisible thing a Man may be heard to pray against a bosome darling lust but whether his design is to get down the power of this sin is onely known unto himself These be the six things in publick duties that are secret which you must especially labour after in all such duties SECTION VI. SIx things in publick duties that are evil but yet secret and invisible as there hath been some secret danger which you have been in when you have not discerned it and some secret infection God hath kept you from so in publick duties the same may be in secret duties also there are some secret evils you are to watch against 1. There may be secret unbeliefe lurking in the heart when a Man in Prayer is pleading particular Promises with his mouth you may hear a man urge the Promises of God for removal of evil for obtaining of good but whether he act faith upon these Promises or whether there be not in the mean while secret unbelief doubting of the truth of this Promise or especially of the application of it to himself is known onely to himself it is a secret to those that joyn with him 2. Hypocrisie in publick duties is a secret thing Whether your heart be upright and sincere with God or false and hypocritical is a secret unto others yea sometimes it is such a secret that might not be known by a Man himself 3. Inward-heart-Pride in publick duties is a secret thing A Man may be full of self-loathing-expressions and of humble gestures and yet his heart might be lifted up with spiritual pride and self admirations and towring thoughts of his own worth and excellency and suitableness and freedom of expression and a by-stander cannot perceive it 4. Dulness and deadness of heart in duty is a secret thing A Man might hâ—ve lively expressions in publick Prayers and seeming warmth of affection and such things that might affect and warm the hearts of others and yet his own heart be dull and lukewarm yea quiâ—e cold in that duty 5. Wandring thoughts in publick duties are secret things A man may use the Name of God and the Attributes of God and yet his thoughts may be upon something else others may see you engaged in the duty and see your outward gestures but are strangers to the secret wandrings of your mind 6. The inclination of the heart to sin in publick duties is a secret thing A Man may confess sin and bewaile it with Tears and beg for power against it and yet he may have a secret inclination of heart to this very sin and secret purposes of heart to keep it and a secret fear least God should hear his Prayers which he makes against this sin Whether you hate that sin in your heart which you bewaile with your Tongue is known onely to your self and if indeed you know it your self it is a good degree of self-knowledge Thus as God hath kept you in an invisible manner and most by invisible and secret means and
with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him Thus if you would live in some measure answerably to Gods mercy in preserving of you from death and the grave that you are not buried yet with others you must die to sin and be buried with Christ DIRECTION VIII HAth God spared you in the time of Plague that you yet remain among the Living If you would improve this mercie then Live to God and walk in newness of Life God hath not spared you that you should live to your self or to the flesh or that you should walk in your old courses But your duty is now to live to God and to lead a new Conversation God hath brought you to the borders of the grave and to the very confines of another world and shaked you over the grave and hath recovered and restored you and hath as it were given you a new life by reprieving you from the gates of death when you were so near unto it Rom. 6.4 That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newness of life and the equipollent phrases of this new life are To walk with before and after God To walk after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 To serve God in newness of spirit Rom. 7.6 To walk as children of light Eph. 5.8 To walk in the waies of God Psal 119.3 To walk circumspectly Eph. 5.16 That you may being spared from the grave lead a new life I shall shew you The signs or nature of it The excellencies or dignities of it The Impediments and hinderances of it SECT I. THe nature of or that which is included in newness of life doth not consist in these things 1. It doth not consist in some new notions or new speculations which you had not before a new light might be made in an old house New speculations may consist with an old Conversation 2. It doth not consist in a newness of a bare resolution to lead a new life this is but in order to it though if it be real it is a good step towards this walking 3. It doth not consist in a bare performance of some new duties which you did not before an old course of sin may consist with the external performance of some New Duties as Praying Reading c. 4. Nor in a bare keeping of some new Company though this is to be desired that many would forsake their old wicked Company or if God hath taken thy wicked Companions away by death thou wouldst not make choice of those that be as bad 5. Nor in New discoursing of spiritual things A man that was wont to swear and reproach and blaspheme the name of God might now talk of God with others and yet not lead a new life 6. Nor in forbearing of many old sins which before you lived in you were drunkards before but not now I would more were so changed but yet this comes short of this newness of life which doth include these things following To walk in newness of life supposeth a new saving knowledge a new sight and a new judgement of things No man can lead this new life with his old judgment which was corrupt judging that good which was evil and that evil which was good 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your Ignorance There must be a new sight and new discoverie of these things 1. Of God and his Excellency 2. Of Christ and his Sufficiency 3. Of â—in and itâ— Deformity 4. Of the World and its Vanity 5. Of Grace and its Necessity 6. Of Heaven and its Felicity 7. Of Hell and its extremity of Woe Till a man hath new eyes and hath his understanding opened to see the nature of all these things otherwise than he did before he will not walk contrary to what he did before if he see no more of Christ nor in the Attributes of God nor in Grace he will still flight all these and undervalue them if he have the same admiring apprehensions of the World and seeth as much beauty in deformed sin he will love it still and delight in it still There must be new light and new saving knowledge before there can be a new life To walk in newness of life includes newness of Principle a man with his old Principle can never lead a new life A man in old courses may live according to the Dictates of a natural conscience according to old customes but he that leads a new life must have a new Principle of love to God a new Principle of true fear of God he must have new strength from Christ a new heart and new affections To walk in newness of life includes the vigorous actings of this new Principle and living in the exercise of these new graces infused into the heart in the exercise of new love to God of new desires after Christ of new sorrow for his sin of new hatred to his sin To walk is to exert a principle of motion into act To walk in newness of life is to have a Conversation filled with new works and to have all things done according to the Rule of new obedience His old work was to please the flesh but his new work is to please God His old work was chiefly to get riches and encrease therein his new work is to get grace and more of it His old work was to obey the commands of sin his new work is to obey the commands of God To walk in newness of life is to walk according to the new Rule not according to the practises and examples of wicked men but according to the rule of Gods Word according to the example of Christ To walk in newness of life is to live for new ends his end is not now self-interest in the world not his own estimation amongst men not his preferment in this world old ends are inconsistent with a new life But this mans end is the glory of God all the actions of his life are ultimately resolved into this and all is in subordination unto this He trades for this end that God may be glorified he praies and preacheth he reads and studies that God may be glorified To walk in newness of life includes a newness of objects about which he is conversant such as keep their old course of life look no higher than worldly objects the honours and the pleasures and the profits of this world But such as are risen with Christ to walk in newness of life have proposed to themselves new objects things that are above God and Grace and Heaven things that are invisible to the eyes of carnal men To wâ—lk in newness of life it is to walk as Christ did after he was risen from the dead i. e. in our measure Christ did not incumber himself with the things of this world after his resurrection he did not converse with the men of this world neither must we use their
הוהיל ×‘×™×©× ×”×ž OR A Serious Enquiry For a SUITABLE RETURN FOR Continued LIFE in and after a Time of Great Mortality BY A WASTING PLAGUE ANNO 1665. Answered in XIII DIRECTIONS By THO. DOOLITEL Psal 116.8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling 9. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people Isaiah 38.18 For the Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy Truth 19. The living the living he shal praise thee as I do this day c. London Printed by R. I. for â— Johnson and are to be sold by A. Brewâ—er at the Threee Bibles at the west end of St. Pauls and R. Boulâ—er at the Turks-head in Cornhill 1666. To such whom the Lord hath kept alive in the time of so great Death by the Plague in the Land especially in the City of London THe design of these lines is neither to commend the Author nor the Book which in these few following sheets is presented to your view the former being as needless to them that know his Person as the later to them that read his Directions but I would commend the Subject being so seasonable to your perusal and the Duties being so necessary to your Practice It was the saying of a Learned Divine who had the honour of being made a Prisoner as well as Minister of the Lord That it was great pitty there were no more Prisoners of Jesus Christ to write songs of his love I will not say I could wish that more of our Citizens had in this late Dreadful Plague remained in this then Doleful place which to the Countries seemed more formidable than a Prison but I believe that many of you whose Calling and Duty did tye your hands and feet and shut you up in the City have found such sweet experiences of the goodness and love of God that they will be recorded And 65. will be remembred by you with thankefulness so long as you live You have seen the Destroying Angel entering the City and Death riding upon the Pale Horse Triumphant in the streets Arrows flying the sword bathed Garments rouling in blood and this grim Conqueror breaking in upon Houses without resistance taking Captive Men Women and Children and clapping them up in the Prison of the Grave where they must remain fast bound in his chains of darkeness untill the opening of the doors by him who hath the keys of the Grave who having Conquered Death himself will at his appearance loosen the Bonds of all Deaths prisoners that they may stand before his Judgement Seat to receive their Final Dooms In the midst of which slaughter and Captivity the Captain of your Salvation hath stood by you held his shield over you set his mark upon you and given you singular experience of his Power and Goodness in your preservation You have been in a storm God hath shown you his wonders in the Deep and when so many Ships have been cast away before your eyes and so many Persons have been devoured by the cruel Waters and your selves inviron'd with waves on every side yet the Lord hath kept you alive like Jonah in the Belly of the Sea or made a way for you to pass through when so many not onely Egyptians but Israelites have been drowned you have been in the water but the Lord hath been an Arke about you You have been in the fire like the three Children but the Son of God hath walked with you and suppressed the violence of the fire that it hath not prevailed over you you have been like the Bush which Moses saw burning but was not burn't because God was in it And when you look back upon those dark days and black Bills of Mortality where you have had account of so many thousands dying for so many weeks together Do you not wonder at your strange escape Do you not look upon your selves as Brands pluckt out of the fire And must you not acknowledge it is the Lords mercy you are not consumed You who have continued in the City in the time of the Plague when such throngs of people have been crouding out of this world daily into another have had singular advantages of looking into and preparing for Eternity which few think of with fixed seriousness till they be awakened by some dangerous sickness whereby withal they are usually so weakened in body and spirit that they are rendred unfit for such cogitations but to be in such danger whilst in so good health and in such Leasure from encumbring employments I doubt not but it hath effectually moved many of you to soar a loft in your thoughts and Meditations that you might take a view of the other Country which the Scripture doth set forth of the City which hath foundations whose builder and Maker is God I believe the wicked have had dreadful apprehensions of the burning lake of the Ocean of Gods wrath which every day they were ready to launch forth into and that however some have been hardened and are as bad yea worse than before yet I hope others have been so awakened with this dreadful Providence that they have been effectually perswaded to Repentance and Faith in Christ who alone can deliver from the wrath which is to come I believe that others have had deeper impressions of Eternity upon them than ever they had in their lives which the borders thereof on which they have been walking have given them so near frequent a prospect of and I doubt not but all of you have made vows and promises to the Lord of a Holy conversation of leaving those sins your conscience at that time upbraided you withal and dedicating your lives to the Lord if he would be pleased to spare your lives Take heed of dropping asleep again after you have been awakned of returning again unto sin after it hath been imbittered of forgetting or abusing Gods mercy after such a wonderful preservation retain the same thoughts of sins evil and the worlds vanity of the worth of true Grace and Christs beauty retain the impressions you had of Eternity when you were so near it in your apprehensions hath God laid obligations upon you by his preservations and deliverances And have you laid obligations upon your selves by your purposes and resolutions Labor then to live up to your obligations and if you be at a loss what return to make to the Lord You have by his Providence this little Book put into your hands to give you directions receive them not as the bare counsel of man but so far as backt by the Scripture as the Prescriptions of God as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven and say This is my will these are your duties and see that you perform them Hereby you will both please the Lord and rejoyce the heart of