they should be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation among whom saies he ye shine as Lights in the world 'T is a high point of Grace not to be snared with the evils of our own times 4. Against all occasions and temptations thou foreseest are likely to endanger thy soul We that pray to God not to lead us into temptation must not run our selves into it A prudent man should therefore forethink and consider in the morning what temptations he is like to be encountred with that day that so he may if possible decline them or else set his guards the stronger against them A weak temptation that takes us unawares will prevail more than a stronger forseen A prudent man saith Solomon Prov. 22.3 foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the foolish go on still and are punished 'T is a point of true spiritual wisdom to foresee sin afar off in the occasions and temptations that lead to it and by avoiding the one to prevent the other 'T is easier and safer for the Fowl to passe by the snare while she is yet out than it is to wind her self out again when she is once in Watch and pray saies our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 26.41 that ye enter not into temptation If ye do rashly enter the lists of temptation a thousand to one such is mans naturall weaknesse you will not come out without some foil 5. Against dishonouring God in the use of lawful things such as meat drink apparel lawful refreshments c. Remember that 't is in the use even of things indifferent that Satan most usually setteth his snares for Gods servants for here the snare is not so visible as in grosser sins and he prevaileth more often against those that be not grossely prophane and ungodly by the immoderate or undue use of things in themselves lawful than by drawing them to such things as are simply evil and unlawful The Devil knowes well that he that will do all he may do will soon be drawn to do somwhat he ought not to do 'T is dangerous to come near the borders and confines of sin Those that will go to the utmost extent of their Christian Liberty and venture themselves so near the brink do many times fall into the pit of sin All things saith the Apostle are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 6.12 and 10.23 All things i. e. not all things absolutely but all things in their own nature indifferent are lawful to me yet all such things are not alwaies expedient 'T is better for us many times to forbear many things we may do it will never be grief or offence of heart to us as was said to David in another case 1 Sam. 25.31 than be once overtaken in what we should not do 6. Watch against Errour As thou must be careful to keep thy heart from sinful lusts and thy life from being spotted and stained with sinful practises so thou must be vigilant also to keep thy judgment sound and thy mind from being tainted and fly-blown with Errour Thou must take heed of a corrupt judgment as well as a rotten heart and a wicked life 'T is a great judgment to be given up either to an erroneous mind or to vile affections Some there are that seem very strict in their lives and pretend as much tendernesse in matter of morality as Lot did of his guests Gen. 19. yet are very loose as to their judgments exposing them as he his Daughters to be defiled with any corrupt Doctrine that comes to their doors Julian the Apostate was a just temperate strict man but a bitter enemy to Christ Some that are sober in their lives are yet drunk with Errour But let such consider that as they say of fish they begin to stink at the head so a corrupt judgment is very frequently a beginner and introducer of a depraved conversation Men in this age are wanton and play with opinions but believe it 't is not of small moment what opinions we hold and whether we be sound in the Faith or no. Grace and Truth use to thrive together The way of truth is the way of life and errour tendeth to death The Apostle tels us of pernicious Doctrines and damnable Heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 that bring swift destruction Truth in the mind preserveth an awe of God in the heart But false Doctrines blind the mind harden the heart deprave the conversation destroy the Churches peace and provoke the Lord to have a controversie with a people where they are tolerated Rev. 2.14 15 20. And we should be the more watchful over our selves in this particular because Errours are so agreeable to corrupt Nature and Conscience does usually lesse regret a man for Errour than for unholinesse and many times also they sute a corrupt interest namely profit and worldly advantage and then people are in great danger to be caught by them To keep thee therefore from Errour take these few Directions 1. Labour to be well-grounded in the truth Let the foundation be laid sure else the building with every ruffling wind will be apt to totter Ungrounded Christians who never understood the true grounds of the Religion they have taken up and how it is built on the Scriptures when they meet with Arguments against it which they never heard of before and which they through their unskilfulness cannot answer they presently yield to errour and think because they cannot answer them therefore no body else can But if thou wouldst not be carried away with every wind of Doctrine Labour rightly to understand the true grounds of Christian Religion And to this end study the Scriptures with humility and be much in prayer that God would guide thee by his holy Spirit into all saving truth and keep thee from falling into errour And remember that what has been commonly received by the people of God and embraced and practised by the Saints in all ages is not lightly to be rejected and deserted Can any rational man think God would leave the generality of his people to errour and seduction of mind Consider with thy self therefore whether it be not safer to follow the footsteps of the flock of Christ than to be led away by pretenders to new light the Scripture having given so many cautions to beware of seduceâ—s 2 Pet. 3.17 18. 2. Rest not in a bare knowledge of the truth but reduce thy knowledge into practise Be sincere in the Religion thou professest and let the truths of God like leaven season thy mind will and affections and have a powerful influence on thy life When men are in love with Gospel-truths for the goodnesse sweetnesse and benefit they tast in them they will labour to hold them fast Those that have any experience in their own hearts of the comfort and efficacy of the Doctrines of Repentance Faith in Christ and daily watchfulness will not easily throw them
necessity of regeneration The state of thy own soul to God ward The excellency of a gracious state The preciousness of time of Eternity And the four last things Death Judgment Heaven Hell These and such like subjects will be fit matters to employ thy thoughts about IV. Labour to get thy heart into a right frame and temper The work is serious and thou hadst need rally together all the powers of thy soul that thy thoughts may be intent and fixed when thou settest on this duty V. Begin with prayer begging the assistance and help of God to order thy meditations aright Prayer sanctifies every thing VI. Confine thy thoughts to one Subject only at a time One truth driven home by meditation will kindly affect the heart VII For the Method 1. Let thy mind consider and dwell on the thing thou propoundest to meditate on so long till thou hast setled some perswasions in thy self concerning it 2. Labour to stir up and awaken such affections in thy heart as the Subject meditated on requires 3. Draw some fit and proper resolutions tending to Gods Glory and the furthering thee in a gracious course from thy meditations VIII For the manner 1. Do it sincerely Take heed of formality and superficialnesse the bane of most religious performances 2. Shut up all with prayer 3. Reduce thy meditations into practise CHAP. VII FRequent good company that may further thee and help thee forward in the way to Heaven And though thy Calling Necessity of businesse Charity to their souls and a desire to do them good may draw thee somtimes to converse with yet be not willingly ordinarily and unnecessarily a companion of wicked and ungodly men who by their vain unsavoury discourse and sinfull conversation will be apt to draw thy heart unto a neglect and slighting of spiritual things 'T is exceeding dangerous to be ordinarily in such company as will be ever hindring never helping us forward in the way to Heaven and where we shall hear no talk of Religion but in distast and contempt Believe it Thousands have been everlastingly undone by evil company That therefore thou maist be more wary in this â—â—â—ticular I shall desire thee to consider of these things I. Ill company must needs be exceeding dangerous because sin is of an infecting contagious nature It quickly spreads among such as ordinarily and familiarly converse together Why should we not be as much afraid of being infected with sin as with a contagious disease but that we are carnal and fear the evil of the body which is death more than the evil of the soul which is sin and damnation The ground of that dreadful Church-Censure Excommunication is the contagion of other mens sins Purge out the old leaven saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 Which was the incestuous person And why because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump There is a strange power in ill company to infect and deprave the best dispositions Can a man touch pitch and not be defiled saies the son of Sirach Chap. 13.1 1. By frequent familiar converse with such there steals upon a man secretly insensibly a dislike of Religion and the waies of Godliness as too strict and restraining to humane nature 2. He usually comes by degrees to approve and delight in sensual courses and sinful practises 3. At last he comes to be an utter enemy and opposer of the waies of Holiness And no wonder for such as men usually converse with such for the most part they prove to be Ungodly company is the deep ditch out of which few escape II. To delight in ungodly company is a sure sign a mans heart is naught Similitude is the cause of love Like will to like whether good or evil Though many will not be drunk or swear c. Yet if they delight in the company of those that do so 't is plain their dispositions are against Godlinesse David having a Godly frame of heart declared it in this that in the Saints of the Earth and the excellent was all his delight Psal 16.3 Ps 119.63 He saies I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy Precepts Ecclesiasticus tels us Ch. 13.16 All flesh consorteth according to kind and a man will cleave to his like What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb So the sinner with the Godly When you choose wicked loose company when you may have better and find delight and content in such you plainly declare what you are There is no reason he should be accounted Gods friend who familiarly converses with his professed enemies III. By frequenting ill company thou dost harden encourage and embolden them in their sinful courses How can they think but thou approvest their waies seeing thou delightest in their society Whereas the Apostle commands us Eph. 5.11 To have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse but rather reprove them David's eyes ran down with rivers of tears because he saw men kept not Gods Law Psal 119.136 And Lots righteous soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the wicked among whom he lived So far is it from the temper of a gracious heart to hold a delightful familiarity with wicked companions IV. Consider ill company is a great hinderance to conversion Wicked companions like Herod kill the young beginnings and first tendencies of the heart towards God One wicked person by his scoffs and flouts has done more hurt than many Sermons have done good Scoffers at Religion and deriders of true Piety and Holinesse make things of the saddest and most serious concernment to seem ridiculous And when once the awe of these great Truths is weakned men are easily induced to cast off all care and profession of Religion Many have been jeer'd from the practise of Godlinesse and a holy life that could never by serious Arguments be disputed or disswaded from it Mockers and Scoffers at Religion are usually the worst of sinners In Psal 1. there are three degrees of sinners mentioned and the highest rank are they that sit in the seat of the scornful Which the Septuagint render the chair of pestilence They being indeed the pests of mankind 'T is better to go with the frowns and scoffs of carnal friends to heaven than with their love to hell V. Remember 't is not only the openly prophane and dissolute the swearer the drunkard and the professed open enemies of Godlinesse that thou art to avoid as hurtful companions but thou must also take heed of too frequent society with dead hearted formalists and persons meerly civil whose conference is usually barren and unsavoury nothing conducing to the raising the heart Heaven-ward And by conversing much with such though thou dost not endanger thy soul as to infection with sin yet thou dost as to defection from gracious courses Such lukewarm professors are usually remiss and slight and indifferent in Religion and though they run not into such exorbitant courses as the openly prophane do yet
a malicious thing to endeavour to save a soul from sin and Hell 10. Take heed of prejudices against a strict and holy walking with God The Lord deliver you from that mad opinion of the world that like not serving God so much nor making so much ado to be saved Consider is there any thing in the world doth better deserve your care and diligence and will better pay you for it I know carnal people think the way of Religion a melancholick and sad way But I must not spare to tell them the truth They will never live a truly safe peaceable and comfortable life till they are converted and have engaged their hearts in an humble holy walking with God They ignorantly flee from Godlinesse as from sorrow and trouble but the truth is they flee from joy and peace What should trouble that man that is a member of Christ and has escaped out of the power of Satan and is freed from the wrath of God and the danger of everlasting misery O Neighbours let not the ignorant scorns and senselesse reproaches of wicked men discourage you He that hath good grounds to believe that he shall live for ever in Glory With God and his holy Angels as soon as his soul parts from his body I think is a happy man and so will be acknowledged by every one that has not lost his reason and understanding There is a time coming when the proudest and most stubborn sinner will be glad to change condition with the meanest Saint Let me therefore intreat all those that have entertain'd any hard thoughts of the waies of Godlinesse but to make triall what a holy life is and if they do not find more comfort in a serious turning unto God and in a sincere endeavour to approve their hearts unto him then in the waies of sin let them take their course let Heaven go 11. Nourish and maintain a tendernesse of Conscience Be very circumspect in your daily walking Look upon sin as the greatest evil Make up every breach between God and your souls betimes Pray earnestly for the guidance of the Spirit of God and to be kept from Temptations 12. Have a care of your Families that true Piety and Godlinesse may be countenanced encouraged and promoted in them Let your houses be Bethels houses of God and not Beth-avens houses of iniquity If you neglect family-duties and the religious observation of the Lords day and private instruction and so let those under your care be nuzled up in ignorance prophanenesse and ungodlinesse provide to answer it to God when he shall call for you Remember I faithfully warned you of the sin and danger of such neglects I cannot expect Religion should ever much thrive among us till Governours of Families be careful to train up those under their Government in the Principles of true Piety and in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Lastly Labour to maintain peace and love among your selves Mark 9.50 Have salt in your selves and peace one with another Labour to get your hearts seasoned with the graces of humility self-denial and true Charity and this will keep you in peace among your selves Let there be no heart-burnings contentions brawlings backbitings or defamings heard of among you Help one another on towards heaven Imitate that which is good wherever you find it but learn evil of no man Encourage one another in the waies of Godlinesse Abhor to draw or intice one another to any sinfull course or practise Do all offices of kindnesse and humanity one for another As you have opportunity let it be your desire and endeavour to do good to every body hurt to no body Learn that hard lesson of forgiving wrongs and injuries and praying for and wishing well to those that are your enemies 'T is a hard lesson but Gods Spirit can teach it you Remember our Saviours Words in Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses And the words of the Apostle Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering V. 13. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye V. 14. And above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectnesse V. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankful I shall conclude with that divine and affectionate exhortation of the same Apostle Phil. 4.8 Fâ—nally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things And now O Lord thou who hast put into the heart of thy unworthy servant to write these things for the good of this people be thou pleased by the gracious and effectuall working of thy holy Spirit to make them useful to them and to all others into whose hands they shall come for the promoting knowledge Faith and obedience among them and the furthering of their salvation What is here agreeable to thy holy Will write upon their hearts O let it not be in vain that this help is afforded them Grant successe I humbly beseech thee to this poor endeavour and take thou all the Glory Good Lord give this people a right understanding in all things Guide them in the way wherein they should go to attain eternal life Open the eyes of the ignorant among them turn the hearts of the prophane reduce the erroneous and encrease thy Graces daily more and more in the hearts of those whom thou hast savingly wrought upon O let thy blessing be on this people God Almighty blesse them Let Truth and Holinesse reall Piety and the power of Godlinesse Let soundnesse of mind and uprightnesse of heart and life let true Faith and fervent love let charity and good works through the operation of thy holy Spirit abound among them That so living here in thy fear and serving their generation according to the Will of God they may at last through thy infinite mercy and the merits of our blessed Lord and Saviour be received into thy Heavenly Kingdom This is the earnest and hearty Prayer of Your very affectionate though unworthy Pastor Samuel Cradock Dr. Reynolds his EPISTLE TO THE READERS AS in humane bodies some parts are vital others only integrall some necessary to the being others to the well being integrity and beauty of them So it is in Theologicall Doctrines some are more fundamental and immediatly necessary to life and Godliness others such as do greatly accomplish and adorn Christians that have attained unto them and are of singular use for the edification of
by his divine power raised and quickned his own body when it lay in the grave so he conveighs a spiritual life into all his members raising them from the death of sin and enabling them to walk in newnesse of life I live saith Paul Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me And the life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortal bodies 2 Cor. 4.11 He that abideth in me and I in him saith our Saviour John 15.5 bringeth forth much fruit Beg therefore earnestly of the Lord that thou maiest be sanctified throughout in Spirit Soul and Body That thy Understanding Conscience and Will thy sensual affections and desires and thy whole outward man may be put into and kept in a good order and frame that the fear of God may dwell in thine heart continually and his Law be written in thy inward man Look to the bent and frame of thy heart that it be right towards God If thy heart be once ordered aright thou wilt look that thy outward conversation be ordered aright also Let it appear therefore thou art a living member of Christ by being a new Creature by unliving and undoing thy former sinful course Live not henceforth in any known sin but speedily forsake whatever thou knowest to be evil and displeasing unto God any kind of way Labour to testifie the sincerity of thy repentance and Faith by an holy life and an unblameable Conversation Set thy self in good earnest to walk religiously and holily before God righteously and uprightly before men and soberly and temperatly in the Government of thy self Let it be thy daily exercise with Paul to keep a good Canscience void of offence towards God and towards man Be careful of the duties both of the first and second Table And read often and carefully observe our Saviours Sermon in the Mount coâ—tained in the fifth sixth and seaventh Chapters of Matthew In summe beg a continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ that though thou art to wrestle not only against flesh and blood but against Principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses and against manifold temptations from the world yet notwithstanding through the aides of Grace the regenerate part in thee may overcome and that thou maist grow in Grace and be daily perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become new 1 Cor 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Eph. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts V. 23. And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind V. 24. And that ye put on that new man whiâ—h after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Rom. 6.5 For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection V. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin V. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walk even as he walked 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man V. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love V. 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth V. 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God 1 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God I eb 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and body be preserved blamless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be Glory both now and for ever Amen Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Lasciviousness V. 20. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies V. 21. Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God V. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith V. 23. Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law V. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the world 2 Pet. 1.5 And besides this giving all diligence add to your Faith vertue and to vertue Knowledge V. 6. And to Knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience Godlinesse V. 7. And to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance V. 15. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Cor. 6 19 What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own V. 20. For ye
desires Sighs and groans are the Language God understands When God meaneth to bestow any blessing he usually stirs up the hearts of his people earnestly to pray for it And the effusion of the Spirit of supplication that holy yet humble importunity that spiritual violence and wrestling and striving and pleading with the Almighty is a happy presage of an approaching blessing 8. Beg spiritual blessings and the things appertaining to the soul primarily and with greatest earnestnesse Beg temporall mercies and such as concern this life and thy welfare here with an humble submission unto God resigning thy will to his most holy will earnestly begging that what he sees not good for thee nor fit to be granted thee he would make thee willing and contented to be without 9. To supplication forget not to adde praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for all his benefits for his innumerable favours confer'd on thee in the course of thy life past and also for thy present enjoyments Especially quicken and provoke and awaken thy soul to lift up the high praises of God for his inestimable love in sending his Son to be a ransome for sin and sending his Holy Spirit to convince of sin and of righteousnesse and to perswade and enable thy heart to close with Christ And lastly upon the receipt of any new mercy and favour from God offer up a cheerful and hearty sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in and through the mediation of Christ by whom alone our Persons and Sacrifices are accepted with God And to direct and quicken thee to this duty of rendring praises to the Lord Consider 1. That praise is Gods Tribute his Custom 't is all the Impost he sets upon his Blessings There are three things to be considered in a mercy 1. The mercy it self 2. The Comfort and sweetnesse that may be enjoyed in the use of it 3. The Glory Honour and Praise that is due for it The two former God freely gives us he only reserves the latter as a tribute and homage to himself 2. Praising God for former mercies invites him to bestow new mercies God will be bountifull to those that he sees thankfull and from whom he receives Glory and acknowledgment 3. Praising God is the beginning of Heaven 't is the employment of the holy Angels and glorified Saints there 4. To have a heart delighting in praising God is a great evidence in conjunction with others of sincerity self-self-love forceth prayer oftentimes from us but to praise God aright cometh from a more heavenly affectâ—on and a sanctified frame of heart 5. To set upon this duty of praising God is one of the best waies to mitigate any sorrowes that at any time are upon us If we can work our hearts to praise him for the mercies that are continued to us it will exceedingly abate the sense and feeling of any present Crosse or affliction that lies upon us 6. Consider who they are that are the most unthankfull to God even Devils and damned Spirits who are full of envy malice and pride they will not praise God but do wretchedly blaspheme him and wicked men who imitate their Father the devil And wouldest thou be like these Upon these Considerations stir up thy heart to be much in this heavenly duty of praising God and remember 1. To praise him with thy heart 2. To praise him with thy tongue 3. To praise him with thy life Let there be an abiding sense of his favours on thy heart and let thy life and conversation praise him also Let thy works praise him that others seeing thy good works may glorifie thy heavenly Father Labour to secure thy state in Grace and thy interest in Gods favour through Christ and then thou maist be assured that whatever God gives thee he gives it thee in pure love all comes swimming to thee in the blood of Christ and this Consideration will exceedingly raise thy heart to thankfulnesse and make thy tongue sound forth the praises of the most High These Directions may help thee in the performance of that great Christian duty of praier and thanksgiving After thou hast praied Consider 1. What thou hast praied for As before praier we should consider and labour to find out our wants So after prayer we should consider of our petitions and what we have begged of God 2. Humbly expect a gracious answer and return to thy praiers not for any worthinesse or desert in thy self or praiers but for Christ's sake alone 3. Serve Providence in the use of fair and lawful means for the attaining those good things thou hast prayed for 4. To Prayer add watchfulnesse If through Grace thy heart hath been wrought to a good temper and holy frame in prayer labour to keep it afterward labour to preserve those apprehensions and those affections in thy soul which thou foundest in time of prayer And therefore one well adviseth that for some little time after we have prayed we should keep our selves silent and quiet nor presently and in the next moment as some do but fair and softly removing our hearts from our prayers to our worldly businesses and occasions Zach. 12.10 And I will poure upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first born Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered V. 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the Faith of him Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them John 14.13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son V. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus John 16.23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Isai 48.17 Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst go Psal 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I
this duty there usually they are in a most thriving condition both as to knowledge and holinesse As Countreys that maintain a trade and commerce together do inrich each other 5. 'T is a good way to prevent seduction into errour Christians are better able to resist errours by their united forces and mutual counsels than singly and alone The Church is said Cant. 6.10 to be terrible as an Army with banners But straglers and such as go alone are often snatcht up How easie is it to pervert and draw one single person into any dangerous errour who neglects the benefit of other Christians advice and counsel 6. It will be a good means to increase love in the hearts of Christians one towards another And Love is Christ's Livery John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Thus much of the Arguments to perswde to this duty The Directions follow I. Let Christians in their Religious Conferences have this principally in their aim to edifie one another to further one another Heaven-ward to do good to one another soules II. Let them labour for those Graces that are requisite for this duty Such as these 1. Sobriety of judgment 2. Humility and lowlinesse of mind 3. Ingenuity acknowledging and prizing the Gifts and Graces they see in each other 4. Self-denial condescending to them of low parts going a slow pace rather than outgoing the young and tender lambs 5. Love affability encouraging weak beginners 6. Inoffensivenesse 7. Sincerity and plain heartedness III. Let them avoid censuring or judging the Spiritual state of others Such persons meet together for the worse and not for the better IV. Let them decline controverted points such things usually gendring strife and variance and apply themselves to speak of things that are practical As of God and his Goodnesse Of Christ his Person Offices and Merits Of the Covenant of Grace Of the Doctrine of justification Of the patience and self-denial of those that are gone before us Of Heaven and the Glory of that Kingdom How did the Martyrs in prison by such ravishing discourses set one another at liberty from the fears of death How did holy Bradford's sweet and cheerful company make the very dungeons lightsom and palace-like to his fellow-prisoners as themselves confessed These and such like practical matters will be the fittest subjects for Christians to discourse of when they meet together V. Let them impart their experiences and the methods of Gods dealings with themselves or others How they got rid of such a corruption vanquished such a temptation attain'd to a facility in such a duty Let them impart what may tend to the advancement of Holinesse VI. Let them provoke and stir up one another to Holinesse to Love and to good works admonishing and exhorting one another to watch and take heed to their waies seeing so many watch for their haltings like those the Prophet speaks of Jer. 20.10 All my familiars watched for my halting c. VII If any fallings out or jars shall happen among them at any time let them be prudently and seasonably healed and made up And in this case praying together and for one another is of singular use Let them as the Apostle speaks in another case Jam. 5.16 Confesse their faults one to another and pray one for another that they may be healed if their minds have been distempered and ill-affected one towards another 5. Retired holy Meditation Holy Meditation is the acting of the mind upon some Divine Object in order to the working upon the affections and raising fome fit resolutions in the soul therefrom tending to Gods Glory and the furtherance of Holinesse How many Christians are there that live in a constant neglect of this so exceeding useful duty by which all other duties are improved and by which the soul digesteth truths and draweth forth their strength for its nourishment and refreshing Certainly Meditation rightly mannaged doth exceedingly tend to the advancement of Piety I shall therefore 1. Give some Reasons why we should practise it 2. Give some Directions as to the manner how we should perform it I. Consider this was the practise of many of the eminent Saints of God recorded in the Scriptures Isaac and David were much in this Duty II. Consider the great benefit of it duly performed T is an excellent means 1. To encrease knowledge and to make the mind serious and solid None are more knowing setled established Christians than such as are much in Meditation 2. To stir up and awaken the Graces of Gods Spirit in us Hereby we awaken our Faith inflame our love strengthen our hope enliven our desires encrease our joyes in God we loosen our affections from the world and fore-acquaint our selves with the Glory that is to come 3. To make the Word profitable Meditation is the digestion of the soul 'T is not the taking in of food but the stomacks concocting of it that makes it turn to blood and Spirits For want of this How many Sermons are lost and do no good The Word will not profit us except we take time to think upon it 4. To prepare the heart for prayer and other holy duties Meditation tunes and prepares and fits the heart for solemn Worship 5. To antidote and fortifie the soul against sin and temptation If men would but often consider of the evil and danger of sin it would be a great means to deter them from the practise of it 6. 'T is an excellent help and means of Communion with God 'T is the souls perspective whereby it sees something of the Glory and happinesse of that Kingdom that is above Thus much of the Arguments for it I come now to give some Directions how it should be managed I. Pitch upon some convenient time of the day for this duty A Christians timing his duty aright is a great help to him in the right performance of it Some have chosen the morning for this duty and some the evening We have examples of both in Scripture Of our Saviour we read Mark 1.35 And in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Gen. 24.63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide II. Pitch upon some convenient retired place The wise man tels us Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdome First he separates himself then intermedleth with wisdom There is nothing the Devil more spights than this that a man should often retire and separate himself from the world to meditate on his everlasting concernments The Devil cannot endure a man should consider whether he be journeying towards Heaven or Hell III. Get a good stock of profitable materials to meditate on as the Attributes of God His promises of remission sanctification reward The love of Christ The evil and danger of sin The vanity of the Creature The
his gracious promises and providence in the use of lawful means expecting successe from him alone according to that of the Psalmist Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe 2. Moderation of affections Be not over-eager nor inordinately bent on thy worldly affairs Remember our Saviours precept Let not your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Luke 21.34 Pursue not thy worldly business with too much anxiety and fervour of mind 3. Contentation Be content with that portion little or much which God upon thy honest labours shall please to allot thee quietly acquiesce in his wise disposal 4. Patience Be not dismaid neither fret nor repine at those crosses and troubles which befall thee in the way and course of thy calling considering God doth often exercise his own dearest children with many afflictions V. Let not thy particular calling too much incroach upon thy general The world is of an incroaching nature 'T is hard to converse with it and not come into bondage to it Worldly employments will be apt to justle out Spiritual duties if thou hast not a great care Now the true Christian should especially look to these two things 1. That his worldly businesse do not eat up and devour that time which should be set apart every day for communion with God and for the exercise of religions duties 2. That his worldly employments do not blunt the edge of his affections to Spiritual things Thou maist use the world but take heed of loving the world 1 John 2.15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of this world VI. Labour carefully to avoid the temptations that thy particular calling is most liable unto Every calling and condition of life hath its peculiar temptations And a great deal of care and Christian prudence is required to foresee them and avoid them that so we be not insnared with them VII In the mannaging of thy worldly affairs endeavour to carry a Heavenly mind Be often lifting up thy â—â—â—rt in Spiritual and Heavenly meditations Think how little it will profit thee if thou shouldst gain the whole world and loose thy soul Think how Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Remember thou art but a pilgrim and a stranger here upon earth Heaven is the proper Country of holy souls VIII When success crowns thy faithful endeavours in thy calling let God have all the Glory If thou speed well thrive and prosper sacrifice not to thy own net to thy wit parts industry or any second cause but ascribe the Glory wholly to him in whose hands alone it is to give successe 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and do your own businesse and to work with your own hands as we commanded you V. 12. That ye may walk honestly towards them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing 2 Thes 3.11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies V. 12. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietnesse they work and eat their own bread Prov. 18.9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a greaâ—â—aster Prov. 21.17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth wine and Oil shall not be rich Prov. 28.19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel Prov. 26.13 The slothful man saith there is a lion in the way a lion is in the streets V. 14. As the door turneth upon his hinges so doth the slothful upon his bed V. 15. The slothful hideth his hands in his bosom it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth V. 16. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason Prov. 6.6 Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her waies and be wise V. 7. Which having no guide overseer or ruler V. 8. Provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her food in the harvest V. 9. How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep V. 10. Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep V. 11. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Mat. 25.26 His Lord answered and said unto him thou wicked and slothful servant c. Psal 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his waies V. 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 22.7 The rich ruleth over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender Prov. 31.27 She looketh well to the waies of her household and eateth not the bread of Idlenesse Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth CHAP. IX Concerning just dealing in Traffick Trading and Commerce OBserve a strict integrity and uprightness in all occasions of intercourse matters of traffick commerce and bargaining making Conscience to be true in thy words faithful in thy promises punctual in thy performances and in all things dealing justly and uprightly doing to others according to our Saviours Golden rule Luke 6.31 As thou wouldst that others should do to thee Mat. 7.12 Whatsoever ye would with a rectified judgment and an honest heart that men should do to you even so do ye to them for this is the Law and the Prophets In all contracts and acts of commerce with others 't is good to put our selves in their stead and to make frequent appeals to our own Consciences and to ask our selves Would I be thus dealt with Would I be content to have this measure measured to my self Should I if it were my own case think this fair dealing if used towards my self Paul saies Gal. 5.14 All the Law is fulfilled in one word that is all that part of the Law which concerns our duty towards man Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self This expression prescribes the manner of our love not the measure of it a parity or likenesse for kind not for degree or
proportion That therefore the black art of defrauding may be abhorr'd and all deceit in traffick and commerce avoided I shall give some Directions both to buyers and sellers which if carefully observed will exceedingly tend to their comfort and advantage For light and honest gains make a heavy purse whilst great and dishonest make a heavy heart Directions to buyers 1. Let not the buyer debase or dispraise a good commodity that he is about to buy to bring down the price and to get it for lesse than he knows it to be worth Prov. 20.14 It is naught it is naught saith the buyer but when he is gone his way then he boasteth 2. Let not the buyer peremptorily say he will give no more for a commodity than he offers and yet intend to give more rather than go without it 'T is too frequent with buyers to say they will not give a farthing more and with sellers to say they will not take a farthing less and yet usual with both to go from their words 3. Give good and currant money for what you buy Gen. 23.16 And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the Sons of Heth four hundred Shekels of silver currant money with the Merchant To put away brasse or false money when you know it to be false though perhaps you took it for good except you return it to the person of whom you received it is a branch of deceit 'T is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong 4. Do not work upon the weaknesse or necessity of the seller and so give him lesse than in your Conscience you apprehend the thing to be justly worth between man and man Some will not buy except they may have that they are dealing for at their own price though the seller cannot so afford it We should be willing to give to the worth of the thing we buy according to common estimation If the buyer give a price knowingly far inferiour to the true value he is an Over-reacher If he work upon the necessities of the poor who must sell to buy bread he is an Oppressour 5. In your buying a commodity do not take any advantage of any oversight or mistake in the seller Gen. 43.12 And the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks carry it again in your hand peradventure it was an oversight 6. Buy not any thing on the Lords day except upon absolute necessity Let God have the time consecrated to his Worship Let there be no bargaining nor dealing on that day 7. Buy not any stollen goods if you know them to be stollen though the price be never so low Directions to Sellers I. Do not multiply words in selling Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin Zach. 11.12 If ye think good give me my price if not forbear II. Do not highly commend and over-praise a commodity you know to be faulty nor sell that for good which you know is not so Do not lie nor equivocate How many are there that in this case to deceit add lying and too often bind all these sins together with an oath swearing their commodities are good when they know they are not And then what an heap of sin is here gathered together abundantly enough to sink any poor soul into Hell And all this to skrew a little more money out of their neighbours pockets and that somtimes so very little that it is an amazing wonder how any man that thinks he has a soul can set it at so miserable and contemptible a price III. Do not disguise and hide the faults of the commodities you sell by using some art to them to make them look fairer and better than indeed they are This is acting a lie though it be not speaking one which has surely as much of the intention of cheating and defrauding as the most impudent lying can have Hereby thou makest thy neighbour pay for somewhat which is not in the thing thou sellest him he presuming there is that good quality in it which thou knowest is not IV. Do not sell commodities by false weights or measures Amos 8.5 When will the new Moon be gene that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the ballances by deceit Prov. 20.10 Divers weights and divers measures both of them are alike abomination to the Lord Deut. 25.14 15. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures a great and a small But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy daies may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Micah 6.10 Are there yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure that is abominable V. In selling do not work upon the ignorance or unskilfulness of the buyer If you discern him to be unskilful use him rather the better than the worse Zeph 1.9 In the same day also will I punish those that leap on the threshold and fill their Masters houses with violence and deceit 1 Thes 4.6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified Neither take advantage of his present urgent necessity Do not make him pay unreasonably because thou seest he extreamly wants it and must have it An unreasonable price is that which exceeds the true worth of the thing considered with those moderate gains which all tradesmen are presumed to be allowed in the sale of their commodities Consider soberly what the thing is worth and for what thou wouldst afford it to another of whom thou hadst no such advantage and accordingly rate it to him Do nothing to any man but what thy self or any honest-minded man according to right reason and common justice would be content to have done to him The truth is in the whole businesse of traffick there are so many opportunities of deceit that a man had need fortifie himself with firm resolutions and have in his heart a great love of justice or he will be in danger to fall under temptation VI. Do not ingrosse corn in a time of scarcity Prov. 11.26 He that withholdeth corn the people shall curse him And that both buyers and sellers may be perswaded to make Conscience of these things let them consider 1. The commonnesse of injustice is a reproach to Christianity The Name of Christ is blasphemed among Turks and Infidels by the injustice fraud and deceit that is practised among too many that call themselves Christians And methinks this very reason should make us abhor it 2. A secret curse usually goes along with ill gotten goods and a strange unprosperousnesse for the most part attends ill gotten estates Whereas the blessing of God doth wonderfully accompany just and righteous dealing and makes that
his appearing CHAP. XIX Directions to the Healthy and to the Sick LET such as enjoy health of body the right use of their understandings entirenesse of limbs and senses humbly blesse God for so great a mercy Few people value their health enough 'T is an ancient saying He that is in health is rich and knowes it not Want would teach us the worth of mercies Let such therefore often call to mind and consider how many distracted diseased maimed deformed people there are in the world and 't is Gods peculiar mercy that they are not such or worse Let this consideration make them very humble and thankful Let them be often lifting up their hearts to the Lord and saying with holy David What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits towards me Psal 116.12 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal 103.1 2. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory Psal 115.1 And let their main care be in time of health to work out their Salvation to secure their state in Grace and their title to Glory and to lay a good foundation against the time of sickness 'T is sad exceeding sad when a dying person is then to be instructed in those Graces he should now exercise He that prepares not for death before his last sickness as one saies well is like him that begins to study Philosophy when he is going to dispute publickly in the faculty In health while a man has a right and steady use of his reason before the Acts of his understanding are disturbed with pain or his mind clouded or his heart annoyed with fear and amazement he should apply himself to learn this great Art and Skill how to die well Let the following Directions therefore that are given to the sick be carefully minded and regarded by them that are in health To turn to God in health to seek reconciliation with him in and through Christ to devote and consecrate our hearts then to him to walk in a steady course of sincere obedience before him and to do all this out of judgment and choice out of love to God and a desire to please him before death seem to make any neer approach unto us will be a huge argument of sincerity and a great foundation of comfort when sickness attaches us Whereas they that are negligent and carelesse of these things must needs run themselves upon such desperate hazards and such great incertainties that a wise and considering man would not for all the world be in their condition Directions to the Sick There is hardly any thing wherein a Minister is at a greater losse than what to say to sick persons the condition of most being such that they need a serious awakening and rouzing out of the deep sleep of carnal security and to be made sensible of the great danger they are in as to their everlasting state But while we do this the sick party and those that attend are apt to think we go about to drive them to despair not understanding the true nature thereof For to despair I mean utterly and finally is this when a man shall conclude that his sins are greater than cna be forgiven that God is irreconcileable to him and therefore 't is in vain to set himself to repent or humble his soul or turn from his sins but seeing his condition is desperate resolves to go on in his former course to enjoy the pleasures of sin here while he may have them seeing when this life is done nothing remaines for him but certain damnation Such a man as this may be truly said to despair But for any person to be so awakened as to see himself for the present in a lost condition and under the wrath and curse of God by reason of his sins to see his own utter inability to help himself to be enquiring and earnestly sollicitous what he must do to be saved to have his heart full of doubts and fears and troubles concerning the state of his soul this is such a despair as is usually the forerunner of a saving conversion And therefore for people that have spent their time in sin and vanity in ignorance and worldlinesse in living to themselves and to the flesh and have never felt any work of Grace upon their hearts nor ever have been truly humbled under an apprehension of the evil and danger of their sins to expect a Minister should speak comfort to them is to desire to be sooth'd and flattered to their own destruction The Directions therefore I think needful for sick persons are these following I. Let them consider that no sicknesse disease or distemper of body comes by chance but by the wise and orderly guidance of the hand of God that 't is his messenger and sent by him unto them And therefore let them hear the rod and who hath appointed it Micah 6.9 II. Let them set themselves before the Tribunal of Christ before whom they may for ought they know shortly appear And let them consider he is a Judge that cannot be deceived nor will be mocked That he is just as well as merciful righteous as well as gracious and all their sins original and actual of omission of commission against the Law and against the Gospel against mercies against judgments against promises and vowes of better obedience all their sinfull thoughts and sinfull affections and motions of their hearts all their sinful words and sinfull actions with the several aggravations of all these are known unto him yea their secretest sins are set in the light of his countenance III. Let them seriously examine themselves and put these six questions home to their Consciences First What abiding sense they have had upon their hearts in the whole course of their lives of their own vilenesse and wretchednesse by nature the odiousnesse and defilement of their sins their just desert of wrath their natural impotency and inability to good their pronenesse to evil Whether they have ever been deeply sensible of the darknesse of their minds stubbornnesse of their wils deceitfulnesse of their hearts inordinatenesse of their affections sinfulnesse of their practise If they have what effects has the consideration of these things produced what sorrow what fear has been stirred in them What course has it put them upon for remedy What industry have they used what pains have they taken to be delivered out of this miserable estate Let their Consciences have liberty to speak freely to them and to tell them the truth whether ever they have been affected in any considerable degree with these things or no. Secondly Whether they ever rightly apprehended what are the conditions of the new Covenant the Covenant of Grace Most will grant Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are necessary to salvation but then their apprehensions and conceptions are different
Lord hath enabled me in any measure to be serviceable to you in the furthering of your salvation And that you may the better know how to make use of this Treatise I shall acquaint you in brief with the whole designe thereof In the first part I have couched together in three Chapters the chief and necessary things that are to be known and believed concerning God our selves and the Mediator between God and man That so those that have a mind to know may in short be informed of the main things they are so deeply concern'd to be acquainted with And because 't is of exceeding great consequence that people should well understand how the things they profess to believe are grounded on Gods Word I have collected together most of those Scriptures that are scattered up and down in the Book of God upon which the Articles of our Faith are founded and have reduced them to several heads and printed them at large that so they may be as several constellations or clusters of Stars giving you the more light and clearer assurance of the things they are brought to prove This course I have taken also in the second Part in reference to the things that are to be practised My intent herein being that my Book should fully inform you what is Gods mind and revealed will concerning those particulars I treat of which may be of singular use to you in several respects 1. To strengthen and confirm your own belief of the Articles of the Christian Faith to awe your Consciences with the authority of Gods Word and to engage your hearts to the practise of those things that shall appear to be your duty 2. To enable you to instruct your children and servants in the Principles of Faith and obedience from the Scriptures here set down to your hands which every one is not able readily to find out that has not some such help 3. To secure you against Errors now so rise among us Seeing you may hereby defend the Faith once delivered to the Saints and confute the enemies of truth as our Saviour did the Devil by alledging the Sacred Scriptures for the things you believe and practise In the Second Part I treat of the things that concern your practise And because consideration of our waies and examining the state of our souls to God-ward is a matter of so exceeding great use that scarce any thing undoes Mankind more than the neglect of it I begin with that And oh that I may prevail with you to a conscientious Practise of it I have heard of a Gentleman that uPon his Death-bed laid this one command upon his wild Son and engag'd him to the performance of it by a solemn promise that he should every day of his life be half an hour alone Which this young man constantly observing and spending his half hours retirement at first in any kind of vain thoughts at last he began to ponder with himself why his Father should enjoyn him this penance and the Spirit of God suggesting to him that his intent therein could be no other but to bring him to consider of his evil waies and whither they tended and what would become of him hereafter if he went on it pleased the Lord so to set those thoughts home upon his heart that he became a new man Of so much advantage is consideration and frequent taking our selves in private to think of the state of our souls In the three next Chapters I handle the Doctrines of Repentance Faith and a new nature and reformed life being indeed the main things wherein the power and life of Godlinesse consists And therefore I intreat you give the more heed unto them In the Fifth Chapter I treat of maintaining a daily close communion with God and shew 1. How we should awake with God in the morning and so begin the day well 2. How we should pour forth our souls in secret prayer and thanksgiving unto him private prayer being every ones duty and a great help to Holiness And that people may not be slight and formal in these duties and so offend in the manner of doing them I give some Directions for the right performance of them 3. I shew how we should diligently read the Scriptures the Oracles of God which are able through the operation of the Spirit to make us wise unto salvation 4. How we should live continually as in the sight and view of God 5. How we should live by Faith in ten particulars 6. How we should be diligent observers of the Providence of God that so we may order our services of prayer and praise accordingly 7. How we should practise the great duty of daily watchfulnesse continually watching 1. Over our thoughts that we lodge not sinful thoughts in our minds 2. Over our Affections that we allow not any sinful motions and stirrings in our hearts but labour speedily to suppress them 3. Over our words that we offend not as we are exceeding apt with our tongues 4. Over our actions that they may be such as proceed from a right Principle are conform'd to a right Rule and are directed to a right end These are the things we must watch over Next I set down what are the things we must watch against In the general all sin whatever But in particular 1. Those sins we are most inclin'd unto by our own temper and naturall constitution 2. The sins we are most exposed to by reason of our calling condition state and course of life 3. The sins of the times and places where we live 4. Against all occasions and temptations that we foresee are like to endanger our souls 5. Against dishonouring God by the immoderate and undue use of lawful things 6. Against Errour where the danger of it is shewed and some preservatives are given against it In the next place is shewed how we should watch for opportunities of doing and receiving good And some Motives to watchfulness are propounded and the Chapter shut up with these two Directions 1. That we should besides our solemn prayers send up frequent mental ejaculatory prayers unto the Lord for his Grace help and assistance 2. That every night we should retire and reflect upon all our actions and whole behaviour in the day past and so set all at rights between God and our souls before we go to sleep And because whoever desires to grow in Knowledge and Grace must conscientiously make use of and improve the means of Grace that God affords him therefore in the Sixth Chapter I treat 1. Of the careful observation of the Lords day Shewing why we should observe it and how For my part I never saw true Religion and the power of Godlinesse thrive in any person family or Parish where the religious and conscientious observance of that day was neglected 2. Concerning heaâ—ing the Word where directions are given 1. How we are to prepare our selves before we go to hear 2. How we are to behave our selves in time of
of Learning even in time of health that great art and skill how to die well Next what the Scripture declares concerning the day of judgment and the everlasting state both of the righteous and the wicked And methinks the serious consideration of these weighty matters should hugely affect us O did people oftener think and consider of those things they would live at another rate than usually they do All the businesses of this life would seem small and little even like childrens play in comparison of securing the soul to all eternity Thus My Loving Neighbours and Friends I have given you a short draught and scheme as it were of my whole Book What entertainment it will find with you I know not I can in some measure of sincerity say that an hearty desire of your eternal happiness first set me upon this work And now throw the assistance of God it is finished my prayers shall not be wanting that it may do you good yea much good If any of you will not afford leisure to read it nor time to consider of the things therein contained but after you have had it a little while shall throw it aside then I desire you seriously to think before hand what account you will be able to give to God of this your wilful neglect when you shall stand at his dreadful Tribunal For my part I have no other design upon any of you but that you may attain eternal life My great desire is that true Plety and Godlinesse that that Religion that saves souls may flourish among you My desire and endeavour is that where the saving work of Grace is begun upon any of your hearts it may be carried on daily and that you may encrease and abound more and more in the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse to the praise and glory of God And where this blessed work of conversion is not yet begun my hearts desire and prayer to God is that it may be wrought if it be his holy will You see the plot and design I have upon you is of so innocent a nature that you have no reason in the world to go about to defeat me in it 'T is my duty to shew sinners the evil and danger of ignorance and ungodlinesse 'T is my duty to perswade intreat and be earnest with them to leave the tents of sin and Satan and to come in to Christ that by him they may have pardon and life And O that I could even compel them to come in Luke 14.23 Were it in my power not a soul among you should refuse or stand out But if notwithstanding all my prayers intreaties and endeavours many among you will still prefer a life of bruitish sensuality before the life that consists in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost If Satan that cursed murderer who you know labours to ruine you soul and body for ever must still be preferr'd before that blessed Saviour who suffered and endur'd so much to redeem mankind and offers you salvation on so fair terms If neither the joyes of Heaven nor the torments of Hell can affect you but the pleasures and profits of this world must still ingrosse your minds and hearts remember what I say unto you it will one day cut you to the very soul to consider that you were shewed the way to eternal life and invited perswaded and intreated to walk in it but you would not O Neighbours think with your selves I beseech you that 't is but a short time and your souls must be either among Saints or Devils Does it not concern me therefore to be earnest with you and in all seriousnesse to call upon you to work out your salvation now while you have time For the Lords sake as ever you intend to see Gods face with comfort remember these few following directiōs 1. Take heed of a loose conversation of living to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Rom. 8.13 Now the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 Which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse lalciviousnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkennesse and such like Of the which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Never comfort your selves with the hopes of Gods mercy in Christ if ye live in known and wilful sins The holy nature of God will never be reconciled to sinners while they go on in their sins And Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil He came not to save men by bringing them to Heaven in their ungodlinesse or to Glory in their sins but to destroy their sins that would keep them out of Glory If he save us his Grace must have dominion in our hearts Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 2. Take heed of worldly-mindednesse I do not go about to perswade you to idlenesse or negligence in your Callings but to take you off from the eager and inordinate love of this world which duls and deads the heart to Heavenly things Beware lest ye be the thorny ground Look to it that the cares of this life do not choak the good seed that is weekly sown among you Some people give up themselves wholly to the world and thrust God out of their hearts and houses Take you heed of that Believe it that man that hath the main bent of his heart set upon pleasing God and whose great end is to be happy with him for ever will be careful only so to converse with this world and only so to mind things temporal as he may not lose things eternall He will first and chiefly seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousnesse He will look upon all outwartd things as accomodations only in his passage but at Heaven as his home and happinesse He will cordially desire and endeavour so to walk in his particular Calling as he may be faithful also in his general and may secure his soul to eternal life 3. Be careful to get a distinct and clear knowledge of the things that concern your salvation Ignorance will not excuse any man when 't is caused by his own negligence The main things that concern salvation you may know if you will give your minds to it God hath not left you in darknesse take heed of shutting your eyes 4. Take heed of neglecting or slighting the publick Ordinances and means of Grace To have no appetite to the Word to apprehend no great need of it and to find no profit by it is a mark of a dead and gracelesse heart 5. Take heed of formality and resting in a meer outward performance of religious services Learn to distinguish between Religion the end and Religion the means Religion the end is To attain a gracious frame of Spirit to enjoy God to fear him love him and have our natures conform'd unto him
the Church though not so primarily belonging to the very vitals and essentials of Faith and Holinesse Now because multitudes of ordinary Christians either through the exigence of their particular callings or through the narrownesse of their capacities want both time and strength to procure such plentiful measures of knowledge as many others whose leisure is greater and intellectuals stronger have attained unto Therefore the Lord hath from time to time stirred up zealous and faithful men to commit unto writing those primary and most necessary Doctrines of Faith and Duty which are common to great and smal and of principal use for ordering their conversations aright in every relation wherein they stand towards God and men Of this sort were Basil's Moralia Regulae Ambrose his Book De officiis Augustin's Enchiridion Bernards Tractats De interiore domo De Conscientia De ordine vitae De Dilectione Dei De modo bene vivendi and other the like writings of the Ancients Amongst our selves in this age several Books of this nature have been written Mr. Rogers his seven Treatises Mr. Paul Baine his Directions for a godly life Mr. John Downham his Guide to Godlinesse and Christian warfare The Practise of Piety Mr. Scuddars Christians daily walk Mr. Boltons Directions for comfortable walking with God with divers others of the same kind Of which some possibly may be of too great a price for every poor man to procure and too large for him to read quickly over However the same materials managed by the different gifts of several â—nstruments and pressed by new Arguments and Motives do bring to the Conscience a fuller evidence and awaken the heart unto a more serious consideration of the importance of them Amongst Books of this Nature I commend unto the Christian Reader this Manual which I have read with great satisfaction and delight It hath many things to render it acceptable to such judicious Palats as are best pleased with savoury and serious things 1. The variety and necessity of the matters therein handled Such as are self-knowledge and examination Repentance and self-judging living by Faith watchfulnesse over our hearts words and waies communion with God in spiritual duties faithfulnesse in our particular callings and relations c. 2. The pertinency of the Scriptures produced for confirmation of the Truths which they refer unto 3. The graciousnesse savourinesse and wholsomnesse of the Language becoming the weight and holinesse of the matter 4. The strength of the Arguments whereby the duties are pressed 5. The Brevity of the whole which rendreth it the fitter for memory meditation and practise In all which the Reverend Author hath shewed himselfe a workman which needeth not to be ashamed Some Learned men have chosen some one or other Book which they have resolved to read over once every year I could wish that serious Christians would single out some one or other choice Book fraught with variety of most wholsom and necessary Doctrine to read frequently over for daily quickning and preserving their hearts in an healthy and spirituall frame Of which sort I should commend 1. Summaries and Compendiums of sound Doctrine such as Mr. Crooks guide to true blessednesse and others of that sort 2. Summaries of the most weighty and necessary duties A mixture of both which we have in this little Book By this means with Gods blessing the hearts of men might be established in the love and obedience of the Truth and be preserved from being tossed about with every wind of Doctrine the great sin and shame of these daies Your Servant in the furtherance of the common salvation ED. REYNOLDS THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST PART of this TREATISE CHap 1. Concerning God Of the Nature of God Pag. 1. Of the Trinity Pag. 4 Of the Attributes of God Pag. 9 Of the Works of God Pag. 16 Of Creation ibid. Of good Angels Pag. 16 19 Of bad Angels Pag. 16 22 Of Providence Pag. 26 Chap. 2. Concerning Man Of the happy condition in which he was made Pag. 30 Of his Fall Pag. 33 Of the blessed way of his recovery by Christ Pag. 41 Chap. 3. Concerning the Mediator between God and man Wherein are handled these seven things 1. What manner of Person he was Pag. 44 God ibid. Man Pag. 46 2. How he became man Pag. 48 3. How he lived Pag. 51 4. How he died Pag. 54 5. What became of him after his death Pag. 62 He was buried Pag. 63 Rose again Pag. 64 Ascended into Heaven Pag. 68 Sits at Gods right hand Pag. 70 Is Head of the Church Pag. 73 Shall judge the quick and dead Pag. 74 6. What was the end and intent of his coming into the world Pag. 80 To procure pardon and reconciliation for lost sinners Pag. 81 And to sanctifie their natures Pag. 84 To this end he commanded the Gospel should be preached Pag. 87 Instituted Baptism and the Lords Supper Pag. 92 7. What they are effectually called unto and through the assistance of the Spirit enabled to perform who shall receive remission of sins by Christ Pag. 95 Scriptures concerning Effectual Calling Pag. 96 Believing the Gospel Pag. 100 Repentance Pag. 102 Faith in Christ Pag. 106 Holinesse and sinceâ—e obedience Pag. 111 Perseverance Pag. 117 The Members of Christ Pag. 119 The new Covenant Pag. 121 The state of the soul after death the resurrection of the body the day of judgment and life everlasting either in joy or misery Pag. 124 The Contents of the Second Part. Chap. 1. Of Consideration Pag. 131. Chap. 2. Of Repentance Pag. 135 Chap. 3. Of Faith in Christ Pag. 145 Chap. 4. Of the new nature and reformed life Pag. 151 Chap. 5. Of daily communion with God 1. Of awaking with God in the morning Pag. 160 2. Of secret prayer and thanksgiving Pag. 164 3. Of reading the holy Scriptures Pag. 182 4. Of living continually as in the view of God Pag. 190 5. Of living by Faith in ten particulars Pag. 196 Directions concerning it 6. Of diligent observing the Providences of God Pag. 219 7. Of daily watchfulness Pag. 229 Of Watching 1. Over our Thoughts Pag. 231 Remedies against sinful thoughts ibid. 2. Over our Affections Pag. 237 Directions how to govern them aright Pag. 238 3. Over our Words Pag. 244 The manifold sins of the tongue Pag. 246 Directions for the governing of the tongue Pag. 247 4. Over our Actions Pag. 260 Rules for the right ordering of them Pag. 263 Of Watching 1. Against the sins we are most enclined to by temper and natural constitution Pag. 267 2. Against the sins our particular callings and conditions of life most expose us to Pag. 268 3. Against the sins of the times and places wherein we live ibid. 4. Against temptations tending to sin Pag. 269 5. Against dishonouring God in the use of lawful things Pag. 270 6. Against Errour Pag. 271 Preservatives against Errour Pag. 272 Of watching for opportunities of doing and receiving good Pag. 288 Motives
of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the Truth Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit V. 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Rom. 6.5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection V. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin V. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Eph. 5.26 That he might Sanctifie and Cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Gal 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man V. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love V. 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height V. 19. And to know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace Sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 5 16. This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh V. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would V. 25. If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be Glory both now and for ever Amen 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure He commanded his Disciples to preach the Gospel and instituted the two Sacraments viz. Baptism and the Lords-Supper Mark 16.15 And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature V. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God John 4.1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more Disciples than John V. 2. Though Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples Mat. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost V. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world Amen Mark 1.4 John did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death V. 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newnesse of life Mat. 3.11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire John 1.33 And I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water the same said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 10.1 Moreover brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea V. 2. And were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea V. 3. And did all eat the same spirituall meat V. 4. And did all drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ Rom. 4.11 And he received the signe of Circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of the Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not Circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed to them also V. 12. And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision onely but also walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ V. 12. Buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are
robs and deprives the soul of Gods Image consisting in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse 4. It depraves disorders distempers the soul weakens the powers of it disables it for holy operations and brings a corrupt disposition into it 5. It defiles the soul and leaves such a blot and stain upon it that nothing but the blood of Christ can wash out 6. It enslaves the soul to the devil 7. It makes the soul like unto the devil Holinesse is Gods Nature Sin and wickednesse is the devils 'T was sin that at first turn'd Angels of light into devils of darknesse And if we could separate sin from them they would cease to be devils and clear up again into Angels of light II. The great danger of sin appears in that it brings such a guilt upon the soul as makes it liable to Gods wrath and curse and to punishments 1. Temporal Sickness pain vexation misery death which to the wicked are truly punishments and fruits of Gods vindicative justice and have their sting still in them 2. Spiritual 1. Losse of the favour of God and communion with him 2. The immediate strokes of his anger on the soul wounds of Conscience drops of his wrath horrour of mind despair 3. Hardnesse of heart a Spirit of slumber blindness of mind a reprobate sense to be given over to vile affections and to Sathan These are most fearful judgements 3. Eternal Such as concern the soules immortall condition after this life And they are either punishments of loss or pain 1. Of loss in being for ever banished from the presence of the Lord and the joyes of Heaven 2 Thes 2.9 being punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the Glory of his power 2. Of pain consisting in those exquisite and unconceivable torments which shall be inflicted on the dâ—mned set forth in Scripture by everlasting fire utter darknesse the worm that never dies the fire that is not quenched chains of darkness the blackness of darkness for ever the lake of fire and brimstone c. As therfore the nature of sin is out of measure sinful so the punishments are out of measure fearful III. The soules deep guiltinesse appears by considering 1. It s Original sin In which three things are to be noted 1. The guilt of Adams particular transgression in eating the forbidden fruit imputed to us He was the head and common Father of mankind and we were legally parties in that covenant which was at first made with him For God established his covenant with Adam principally in respect of his Nature and not so much in respect of his Person so that by consequence it must follow that all who are partakers of that Nature are bound by that Covenant And therefore we cannot but expect to be liable unto the guilt which followed upon the breach and violation of it Rom. 5.12 c. 2. A want of original righteousnesse Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God that is of the glorious Image of God which was at first stamped upon man 3. A corrupt disposition in mans nature in place of original righteousnesse These two latter being the sad effects of Adams sin Now this depravednesse of nature this great aversenesse to good and pronenesse to evil is call'd the old man and the body of sin Rom. 6.6 The sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 7.17 The body of death Rom. 7.24 The flesh as opposite to the Spirit and Grace Rom. 7.18 25. The Law of the members Rom 7.23 Col. 3.5 A mans own lust Jam. 1.14 where 't is expresly distinguished from actual sin as being the procreant cause of it 2. It s Actual transgressions where are to be considered 1. Omissions of good and the duties required that might and ought to have been done 2. Commissions of evil Offending Against the Law even both Tables of it Against the Gospel 3. Doing that which was good in an evil manner slight and undue performance of holy duties 4. The aggravations of these sins in regard First Of the greatnesse of many of them Every one has some black daies in his Calender some more high and great offences whereof he hath been guilty and for which he is to be more deeply humbled Secondly The number of them if we consider 1. Wicked thoughts 2. Inordinate Affections 3. Sinful words 4. Evil actions Thirdly That many of them have been committed 1. Against mercies 2. Against judgments 3. Against promises and vowes of better obedience Secondly Contrition Godly sorrow brokenness of heart for sin To be sorry for what we have done amisse is something towards repentance but it is not the whole of it Gracious humiliation is a deep and hearty grieving for all our sins and that upon these Gospel Motives 1. Because we have by our sins highly displeased and offended our gracious God whom we had all the reason in the world to have studied to please The displeasure and offence of God is that which sets the soul a bleeding and mourning evangelically Consider therefore what is the Spring of thy sorrow If the punishment or shame of thy sins touch thee nearer than the offence of God 't is a sign thy sorrow is not right 2. Because our sins pierced our dear Lord and Saviour and put him to such grievous painful and shameful sufferings 3. Because by our sins we have brought a horrible defilement and stain on our souls 4. Because we have made our selves liable to the wrath and curse of God and deserve to be separated from the Lord and to be punished among devils and damned fiends for ever This in conjunction with the former is an Evangelical motive I confesse to weep and howl and grieve meerly for the wrath and punishment sin has brought upon the soul is such a sorrow as Judas had his share in and the damned in Hell exceed in it But this sorrow does not use to leave the soul in a better disposition for obedience in time to come as godly sorrow doth 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto life And take notice by the way this Godly sorrow is not a flower that growes in the Garden of nature A hard heart is Adams Legacy There may be a flexible nature where there is a hard heart that knowes not how to mourn and grieve for sin in a right manner Godly sorrow is voluntary The soul is active in it prayes for such a melting frame is thankful for it is best pleased when the heart is soft and tender and deeply affected for its sins and offences against God 'T is not so in worldly sorrow for in that we are meerly passive It comes upon us without sending for or being bidden welcome by us Thirdly Hating and Loathing sin The Spirit of sanctification works a secret antipathy an irreconcileable hatred in the soul against sin The true penitent hates sin as sin As David said Psal 119.128 I hate every false way True hatred is to the whole kind When
we hate sin as sin we hate all sin Now the reason why there is such an universal hatred in the true penitent against all sin is 1. Because his judgment is altered his mind is changed he sees with other eies than he did before He sees the evil and danger of sin in those particulars before mentioned He sees plainly that sin is but like a cup of sweet wine that hath rank poison in it 2. His heart and affections are turned against it He hath a new heart put into him If God should offer him his choice of these two things either a liberty to go on in sin or power and Grace and strength against it he would readily close with the latter The remembrance of sin is bitter and grievous to him not so the remembrance of afflâ—ction he blesses God for afflictions that have weaned his heart from sin He is sick of sin weary of it 't is a burden to him his heart rises against it he had rather God should exercise him with any affliction than give him up to a hardned course in sin Fourthly Confession of sin Every true penitent is bound to make private confession of his sins to God praying earnestly for the pardon of theÌ„ For 1. By this meanes the soul is brought into a dislike of sin Confession 't is an act of mortification 'T is the spiritual vomit of the soul it breeds a dislike of the sweet morsels of sin when they are thus cast up again with loathing Sin though sweet in commission is bitter in remembrance and confession 2. By a free ingenuous confession of sin we accuse our selves unto God take shame to our s lves judge and condemn our selves before him humbly acknowledging we are worthy of all his curses all his judgments Now self accusing will prevent Satans accusing of us He can lay no more to our charge than we in our confessions are willing to charge our selves with And self-judging will prevent Gods judging of us 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves we should not be judged We are not to judge others but we may and must judge our selves Concerning Confession of sin take these Rules 1. Confesse all thy particular known sins particularly Take thy self in private and open the case of thy soul clearly and without guile of spirit before the Lord make private confession of all thy sins unto him not that thou canst acquaint God with any thing he did not before know but that it may appear thou thy self knowest and art acquainted with the plague of thine own heart and art sensible of thy sins iniquities and defects in obedience And seeing every one is guilty of many more sins than he can remember though he examine his heart and life never so seriously Therefore when thou hast humbly confessed and bewailed all thy particular known sins to God then with a general confession acknowledge the rest namely all thy secret unknown undiscovered sins saying as David Psal 19.12 Lord cleanse me from my secret sins Cleanse me O Lord not only from those particular sins I do remember and humbly confesse before thee but from all other sins also that I am any manner of way guilty of though I do not now remember them 2. Remember that 't is not only words and handsome expressions God regards in confession of sin but there must be shame a deep sense and feeling of the evil of sin a heart hatred against sin a true sorrow for all our offences against God that must accompany our confessions else they are no way pleasing unto him 3. Besides conâ—essing unto God there are some cases wherein confession also unto man is requisite as 1. Under deep wounds of Conscience 'T is requisite then to open the true state and case of thy soul to some Godly Minister or some faithful experienced Christian that so they may give advice and counsel and suit their prayers to thy particular Case 2. When some eminent judgment seizeth on any for some eminent provocation Here as Joshuah said to Achan Josh 7.19 My son confess and give glory to God That Gods justice may be cleared for hereby God receiveth a great deal of Glory and men a wonderful confirmation of the care and justice of Providence 3. He that by any notorious offence really sâ—andalizeth his Brother or the Church of Christ ought to be willing by a private or publick confession and sorrow for his sin to declare his repentance to those that are offended who are thereupon to be reconciled to him and in love to receive him Fifthly Forsaking sin leaving off whatever appears to be displeasing unto God The true penitent 1. Forsakes the acting of known sins for the present 2. Resolves against sin for the future I. Forsakes all his former known sins secret sins as well as open profitable sins as well as those that are not True and sincere obedience is universal especially in respect of the purpose of the heart He that out of Conscience of duty to God forsakes one sin will for the same reason fear to offend in another there being the same Divine authority awing and binding the Conscience in one sin as in another To pick and chuse here to obey there to dispense with our selves is a shrewd sign of hypocrisie II. Resolves against sin And his resolutions come 1. From solid reasons and not only from some sudden affections 2. Are accompanied with earnest and fervent prayers to God He that is strong in resolution and weak in supplication is quickly foil'd 3. Are made not in his own strength but the strength of Christ which he humbly implores and rests upon Sixthly Conversion whereby the bent of the heart is turned towards God choosing him for its chief delight and portion desiring to walk with him and approve it self unto him in sincere obedience A true and real penitent does not content himself with a meer negative holinesse and leaving off his former sinful waies 'T is not enough for such an one to be no drunkard no swearer no unclean person c. But as he hates every evil way so he makes Conscience of every known duty required of him The Commands that require duty are as binding to him as those that forbid sin There will be a visible change in such a person and that 1. In reference to God He will love God more and delight in his waies and worship now more than formerly 2. In reference to men He will be careful to discharge his relative duties He will labour to walk exactly and righteously to observe a strict integrity in his dealings with men And in these two things he will manifest the reality of his conversion 1. If he remember he has wronged any man formerly in his goods or estate either by defrauding or unjust detaining what is due to him he will endeavour to make him restitution or other satisfaction He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy Prov. 28.13 He that restoreth not ill gotten
goods liveth still in his sin Restitution being an inseparable fruit of true Repentance 2. If he be at variance with any he will desire and seek reconciliation being willing to forgive injuries done to him and desiring forgivenesse of those he has any way injured 3. In the Government of himself he will endeavour to he sober and temperate and watchful over his heart and waies his words and actions See more concerning watchfulnesse in the fifth Chapter Thus much of the nature of true Repentance I come now to some Directions concerning it I. Remember Repentance though never so serious is not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sin or any cause of the pardon thereof that being the act of Gods free Grace in Christ yet it is of such necessity to sinners that none may expect pardon without it 'T is necessary for these three Reasons 1. Because God hath commanded it and the Gospel enjoynes it as a condition of the new Covenant 2. That we may tast something of the bitternesse of sin that so we may the more carefully avoid it for the time to come 3. To prepare and fit us to receive pardon to dispose us into such a frame as is sutable to such a blessing 4. To make us set a higher value on Gods pardoning Mercy and Christs Merits and Blood How dear and precious is Christ to a soul truly humbled for sin II. Consider As there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation so there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent 'T is not the falling into the water drowns a man but continuing in it not getting out again No sin damnes a man but as it is accompanied with finall impenitency and unbelief Therefore the sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable because those that commit that sin do never repent or flie to Christ for pardon III. Look to it that thy Repentance and sorrow for thy sins spring from Evangelicall Motives such as are before mentioned and not meerly from shame or fear of Hell wrath IV. Labour that thy sorrow for sin may bear some proportion to the greatnesse of thy sins Every small touch of sorrow may not be sufficient As sin is the greatest of evils so our sorrow for it should be the greatest sorrow Betake thy self therefore to a more solemn mourning and renting of heart for the great sins of thy life refusing to be comforted with any worldly comfort till thou hast obtained thy pardon But remember Godly sorrow is not alwaies to be measured by plenty of tears and vehemency of expressions but by the weight of it on the heart by the deep displeasure of the soul against sin There may be a deep rational sorrow for sin where there is no such outward passionate expressions of it V. Content not thy self with a general repentance but know that it is thy duty to endeavour to repent of thy particular sins particularly Do not slubber over this great duty which so much concerns thee with a slight formal general repentance as too many are apt to do Many sins long ago committed by thee may still lie at thy door if not repented of Review therefore thy life past Suffer thy Conscience to speak freely to thee and to set thy sins in order before thee and labour to be heartily humbled both for the vileness and depravednesse of thy Nature and for all the particular actual sins failings and miscarriages which thou findest thy self any way guilty of Repent of all sin that lies upon thy Conscience VI. Let thy sorrow for sin be accompanied with a real forsaking of all known sins and amendment of life Content not thy self with a partial reformation VII Set upon the practise of this great duty speedily now while thou art in health before sicknesse surprize thee Without repentance no hope of pardon or peace with God here no hope of Glory hereafter Now Consider that by repentance the Scripture does not mean a sudden fit of confession contrition and promising amendment at last cast when a man can live no longer in sin and is now afraid of Judgment but a real change of the mind a turning of the heart from the love of sin to God Take notice that hereby we do not go about to limit the Almighty or drive any to utter final desparation but to shew what is mans duty and what is Gods ordinary way oâ— working upon the hearts of those whom he does conveâ—t For God can work a â—eal gracious change upon mens heaâ—â—s at last Though to defer repeâ—tance upâ—n that ground iâ— exceedâ—ng dangerous a durable state of new obedience and a life of holy walking which takes up some space length and continuation of time giving a sinner thereby competent opportunity to mortifie evil dispositions and habits to break off sinfull courses to set up the dominion of Grace within and by an holy behaviour in his place and condition of life to manifest the sincerity of his repentance and by a steddy course of Godlinesse to give some proof of his real conversion To put off repentance therefore to the death-bed is exceeding dangerous to say no more VIII When thou hast through the assistance of the Spirit of God humbled thy soul and repented seriously of all thy sins do not rest in thy repentance as was said before but go out of thy self to Christ for thy pardon Rest not on this side Christ Not thy tears but his blood only can cleanse thy Conscience from all guilt But of this more in the next Chapter IX After thou hast laboured according to these directions to revoke reverse and undo again all the sins of thy life past by a serious repentance then be very watchful lest thou fall knowingly and deliberatly into any sin again The true penitent allowes not himself in any sinfull course yet through infirmity possibly he may fall Sins of infirmity are such as a man is overtaken with contrary to the purpose of his heart either through ignorance incogitancy violence of temptation or suddennesse of surprizal which when he comes to consider he confesses and bemoans strives and prayes against and by Gods Grace ordinarily gets more and more victory over If therefore contrary to the fixed purpose of thy heart thou dost at any time sin endeavour speedily to recover thy self by a serious repentance and be more watchful over thy heart and waies for time to come Motives to Repentance 1. 'T is highly pleasing to God Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil waies for why will ye die O House of Israel 2. 'T is the Doctrine Christ himself first preached as we read Mat. 4.17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say repent ye for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand And when he left
the promise although he hath no assurance in himself how the Lord will dispose of him This is commonly called Faith of Adherence or Recumbency II. When a soul that hath thus cast himself on Christ reflects upon what he hath done and comparing it with the Gospel promises becomes by the assistance of the Spirit bearing witnesse with his Spirit confidently perswaded of his interest in Christ and that he shall be saved by him This is call'd Faith of Assurance Now the former is that Faith which is the Condition of the new Covenant by which a sinner is freely acquitted of all his sins and accounted as a righteous and just person in Gods sight To this Faith there are these six things required 1. A real firm belief of the truth of the Gospel a true historical Faith concerning Christs person undertaking and performance and that he came to be a Mediatour and Peace-maker between God and man 2. A deep sense and feeling of the heavy burden of sin with true sorrow and humiliation â—hereupon The soul is brought to see its undone condition by sin before it closes with Christ 3. A firm perswasion that there is no other way of salvation but by Christ alone 4. A clear knowledge that Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him and willing to save and ready to receive such as do own him for the true Messias and unfeignedly give up themselves unto him 5. An earnest desire a real thirsting after an Interest in this Saviour 6. An actual giving up the soul to Christ depending on him wholly and alone for pardon and life firmly trusting in him to be justified sanctified and everlastingly saved by him This is the soul truly and really united unto Christ And being by Faith and Love thus joyned to the Lord as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 6.17 is one Spirit i. e. is governed by one and the self-same Spirit The Scripture sets forth this admirable spiritual union by these four earthly resemblances By the union 1. Of the Husband and Wife Eph. 5.23 The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body 2. Of the Head and Members Eph. 1.22 23. Hath put all things under his feet and given him to be head over all things to the Church which is his body 3. Of the stones in the bullding with the foundation whereon they rest and are built Eph. 2.22 In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.11 4. Of the Vine and the Branches John 15.5 I am the Vine ye are the Branches So that when we do willingly betroth our selves to Christ and consent to take him for our Lord and Husband and to be his loyall spouse when we are willing to be in subjection to him and to be ruled by him as the members of the body are by the head when we depend and rest and rely on him alone for our salvation as the stones rest on the foundation Lastly when we derive Grace and Holinesse from him as the branches derive juice vertue and sap from the root and stock and do bring forth fruits in him and to him then is there a real and spiritual union wrought between Christ and our soules Thus much concerning the Nature of saving Faith The Conclusions I shall lay down concerning it are these 1. Though Christ hath paid down a sufficient price on the Crosse for the ransoming and buying in of lost and undone sinners yet we are not justified and absolved from the guilt of our sins till we do actually close with him by Faith 2. True saving Faith is not a strong perswasion that all a mans sins are pardoned by Christ's Merits and that he is in Gods Favour and in a good state and condition For 't is evident many of Gods dear servants are exercised with doubts and feares concerning themselves and many Gracelesse wretches that never felt the burden of sin nor ever made much Conscience of walking holily are most confident of their own good condition Therefore this confident ungrounded perswasion cannot be true Faith for then hardnesse of heart would make the best Faith and he that could presume most and be most secure and free from doubts would be the truest believer For a man to be confident of his good condition while he lies under the power and reign of sin is the grossest unbelief in the world 'T is to believe the flat contrary to what God hath revealed in the Word 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicatours nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Therefore a confident resting on Christ for salvation if it be not a resting according to the Word will not serve the turn 3. Fiducially and savingly to believe on Christ is not an act of mans power but wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God who doth effectually enlighten perswade and draw the heart and assist and enable the soul to give up it self unto Christ Beg therefore the assistance of this blessed Spirit whom God hath promised to give to them that ask him Luke 11.9 And in the aid of his Grace give up thy self unfeignedly unto Christ to be justified sanctified and everlastingly saved by him 4. A true believer may fear and be in doubt that he hath not given up himself to Christ unfeignedly and this fear may proceed from the abundance of his love to Christ and earnest desire to be assur'd of an interest in him which makes him think he can never be certain enough of him Love is sollicitous and full of fears lest it should misse the person beloved 5. They that truly close with Christ do take him for their Lord as well as for their Saviour None come to Christ by Faith and savingly believe on him but they cleave to him by love also and live to him by obedience True Faith on Christ will beget love to Christ and love will bring forth obedience 6. The surest mark of true believing in Christ is a new and holy life 'T is the property of Faith to purifie the heart and so to work a change in the life and conversation Dost thou make Conscience therefore of all Christ's commands And art thou careful to refrain thy feet from every evil way Who ever is in Christ is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Hath the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart and that love constraines him to yeeld sincere obedience Hath the Spirit of Christ Rom 8.9 not only to comfort him but to counsel and direct him to lead him in the paths of truth and holinesse and to uphold him from taking any desperate and irrecoverable falls either in matter of judgment
are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit which are Gods Rom. 2.6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds V. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and immortality eternal Life V. 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath V. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Mat. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his Disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crosse and follow me 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Isa 38.3 And said remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And Hezekiah wept sore Acts 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Tit. 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men V. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world V. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ V 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 3.8 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men Mat. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill Mat. 22.36 Master which is the great Commandement of the Law V. 37. Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all soul and with all thy mind V. 38. This is the first and great Commandement V. 39. And the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self V. 40. On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Mark 12.32 And the Scribe said unto him well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but he V. 33. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love his neighbour as himself is more than all whole burnt offering and sacrifice Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law CHAP. V. Of Communion with God 5. LAbour to maintain a daily close Communion with God in these particulars following 1. Awake with God in the morning 2. Forget not to poure forth thy soul in secret prayer and praise before him 3. Read the Scriptures 4. Live continually as in the sight and view of God 5. Live by Faith 6. Observe all the passages of his Providence towards thee 7. Be continually watchful First Awake with God in the morning When I awake I am still with thee sais holy David Psal 139.8 The morning is an embleme of the Resurrection when our bodies shall awake from the sleep of death and that long day shall arise upon us that shall never have any night O how shouldst thou then when sleep fals from thine eyes lift up thy soul in praises and thanksgivings to the Lord for his gracious Providence over thee in the night season Had not he been exceeding gracious thou mightst have slept the sleep of death and from the darknesse of the night been sent away into outer darknesse Let not the commonnesse of this mercy diminish but the continualness of it rather encrease thy thankfulnesse O when thy body awakens how shouldst thou awaken and stirre up thy soul also to some holy and pious Ejaculations such as the sweet Singer of Israel used to send up to God O Lord thou art my God early will I seek thee I laid me down and slept and thou hast sustained me I have been safe under the shadow of thy wings thy faithfulnesse and truth have been my shield and buckler And now Lord lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon me instruct me in the way wherein I should go and guid me with thine eye Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart to thee that I may fear thy Name And hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Let me walk circumspectly this day redeeming the time Let my soul put on the Lord Jesus and be clothed with the white robe of his righteousnesse and adorn me with the saving Graces of thy holy Spirit c. After some such pious ejaculations sent up to the Throne of Grace labour to get thy heart possessed with deep strong and powerful apprehensions and impressions of Gods holinesse Majesty Omni-presence Omniscience Consider with reverence and humbly admire and adore his glorious wisdome his almighty power his gracious Providence his truth and faithfulnesse and especially his tender love and mercy in Christ Jesus And if such thoughts as these make strong and deep impressions in thy mind in the morning thou art the more like to be in the fear of God all the day after and to have thy mind possessed both with reverential and delightful thoughts of his Majesty Psal 139.18 When I awake I am still with thee Job 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him V. 18. And that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not V. 23. They are new every morning great is thy faithfulnesse V. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore I will hope in him V. 25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon the Earth that I desire besides thee Eph. 5.14 Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light Rom. 13.11 And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation neerer than when we believed V. 12. The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darknesse and let us put on the
armour of Light Eph. 5.15 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Rom. 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying V. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts therof Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is Psal 59.16 But I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Psal 35.28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousnesse and of thy praise all the day long Psal 3.5 I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty V. 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us Psal 32.8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guid thee with mine eye Psal 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy Truth unite my heart to fear thy Name Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 90.17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it Secondly Omit not daily to poure forth thy Soul in secret and fervent prayer before the Lord humbly confessing and bewailing thy sins with a deep sense and feeling of the evil danger and desert of them begging earnestly as for thy life a ful and free pardon and discharge of them all in the blood of Christ and humbly imploring the aid and assistance of the holy Spirit to enable thee to mortifie thy corruptions to resist temptations and to perform in a right manner all the duties required of thee Be much in this duty of secret prayer if ever thou intendest to save thy soul to honour God here or to be happy with him hereafter And remember that to pray unto God in an acceptable manner is not to say over a few prayers or to utter a few petitions Patrat-like in a formal cold customary manner where there is not a true sense and feeling of sin and misery and where the desires of the soul are not carried out earnestly to seek for mercy and relief from God through Christ there can be no true hearty praying such as God will accept though the outside and external part of the duty be performed never so speciously God more regards the sighes and tears and broken expressions of a truly contrite and humble heart that are powred forth in secret before him than the most set and exactly form'd devotions that proceed either from formality or hypocrisie If thou wouldest therefore pray aright beg the assistance of the holy Spirit of God to help and enable thee for we know not how to pray as we ought except the Spirit help our infirmities Beg therefore the assistance of the Spirit to work and quicken in thy heart those apprehensions affections and Graces which are requisite for the right performance of this duty And with that gracious assistance labour to pray 1. With humility and reverence having an high and awful apprehension of the Majesty of God 2. With a deep sense and feeling of thy wants and necessities and with brokennesse of heart and true contrition for thy sins 3. Offer up thy prayers and supplications to God in the Name of Christ the only Mediatour between God and man not barely mentioning his Name but drawing thy encouragement to pray and thy hope of acceptance in prayer from his Merits Mediation and Intercession 4. Pray in Faith humbly trusting in Gods Power Goodnesse Faithfulnesse and gracious promises made in Christ not so much a Christians prayer as his Faith in prayer prevaileth with God And 't is a great encouragement to Faith to consider there is not only bounty in God but bounty engaged by promise O how great are the priviledges of Saints God is their Father willing to hear their prayers Christ is their Advocate willing to present their requests the holy Ghost is their helper and assister to draw up their requests for them 5. Lift up pure hands without wrath as the Apostle adviseth 1 Tim. 2.8 Before thou settest thy self to this duty labour to get thy heart purged of all malice wrath ill will and desire of revenge if there be any such vile affection in thee towards any body When thou goest to pray thou goest to beg forgivenesse of thy manifold sins from God which thou canst not reasonably expect if thou art not willing to forgive others Our Saviour hath taught us to pray forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And this is very remarkeable he resumes this petition of all the rest to explain and by a strong reason to enforce Mat. 6.14 15. For if you forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Remember therefore that it is thy duty heartily to forgive those that have done thee any wrong and to pray for them that God would pardon them in his Son and give them such a frame of heart that they may please him and be blessed by him both here and hereafter This is a good signe of Grace to pray for a blessing on our very enemies 6. Pray in sincerity Looke that thy end be right and that thy aim be at the Glory of God There is a great deal of difference betwixt a carnal desire and a gracious supplication Jam. 4.3 Ye ask and have not because ye ask amisse to spend it on your lusts Praiers that want a good aim do usually want a good issue When thou findest thy heart running out by a perverse aim check it and disclaim it the more solemnly If our praiers be not directed to the Glory of God there is little hope that when we receive the talent we pray for we shall employ it to our Masters use They that cannot ask a mercy well seldome use it well 7. Labour to pray with zeal fervency warmth and holy importunity with sensiblenesse and strong workings of affection 'T is easie to say a prayer in a formal cold manner when the heart is nothing affected with it but possibly wandring while the lips are praying But that is true prayer when the soul reaches out after those things it praies for in holy ardent and spiritual
must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Rom. 3.2 Much every way chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God Gal. 1.8 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed V. 9. As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed 2 Pet. 3.15 And account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you V. 16. As also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Mat. 22.29 Jesus answered and said unto them ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God V. 31. But as touching the resurrection of the dead have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God saying Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalmes and hymnes and spiritual songs singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. Fourthly Live continually as in the view of God as in his sight and presence being careful to approve thy heart and all thy waies unto him Remember there is a broad and a pure eye of Glory alwaies fixed upon thee God sees hearts as we see faces There are three things in the heart of man to be especially heeded and observed Principles Projects and Ends. God sees what Principles thou actest from Hee sees all the projects and contrivances that are forging in thy breast and he sees what are the ends thou aimest at in all thy undertakings That is pure Religion that eies God rather than man In all thy actions therefore whether natural moral or spiritual be carefull still to designe the Glory of God 1. In naturall Acts labour to have supernatural aimes 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all the Glory of God 2. In civill Acts such as the discharge of the duties of thy relations be careful so to walk as designing that God may have Glory by thy Faithfulnesse For so the Apostle adviseth Eph. 6.1 Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right V. 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 V. 6. Not with eie-service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart And Titus 2.9 10. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all things not answering again V. 10. Not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things 3. In spiritual Acts such as praying praising God and worshipping of him be especially careful that thy aimes be spiritual Do ye fast to me even to me saies God by the Prophet Zach. 7.5 He makes no account of any of our Acts of Piety except we aim at his Glory in them What an excellent frame of Spirit was there in holy David who professeth Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me Did we but keep this one common Principle warm upon our hearts that God sees how would it keep us sincere and upright How would it deter us from heart sins and the closest hypocrisie and from warping into any sinful practise This was that which kept Joseph so upright Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Ask thy self therefore often this question Will this be pleasing to God that I am now going about If credit or shame will restrain thee from sin how much more should Gods eie Nothing more feeds maintains and preserves Piety than a constant awe of God David gives the reason the wicked are so bad They have not set God before them Psal 86.14 Abraham was afraid of himself in Gerar Gen. 20.11 And what was the reason why saies he the fear of God is not in this place Men durst as well run their heads into a hot flaming Oven as sin against God so impudently as they do if they thought he saw them and would call them to an account The fear of God is a Grace of continual use If that be not before our eies we are exceeding apt to grow carelesse and secure We cannot be alwaies praying unto God nor praising of him nor worshipping of him nor emploied in Acts of special communion with him Yet we ought to be alwaies in his fear and to remember that we are alwaies under his eie Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long 't is Solomons advice Prov. 23.17 Right thoughts of God are the fewel that maintaines the life of Religion which otherwise would be soon extinguished Remember therefore Gods Omnipresence and that will make thee upright and careful to approve thy heart unto him Sincerity 't is the life of all our Graces and puts life into all our duties Faith unfeigned Love without dissimulation a plain Spirit in which there is no guile these are Gods delight The clearer therefore thou standest in thy own thoughts concerning the uprightness of thy heart in the tenure of thy Christian course incomparably the more joy and comfort thou wilt have Let integrity and uprightness preserve me was Davids praier Psal 25.21 Keep thy integrity and thy integrity will keep thee A good man next to his care that he give not God any occasion against him will take care that he give not his Conscience any occasion against him Be afraid therefore of giving thy Conscience any just occasion to reproach and rebuke thee Conscience 't is Gods Magistrate within that is appointed to be a terrour not to good works but to the evil Wouldst thou then not be afraid of this power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same to allude to that in Rom. 13. O! it is exceeding sweet no man knowes how sweet but he that has it to have the testimony of a good Conscience upon good grounds A good Conscience 't is the best pillow to sleep upon the best dish to feed upon a dish said I nay 't is a feast a continual feast Prov. 15.15 Wouldst thou fare deliciously every day keep a good Conscience Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eies of him with whom we have to do Psal 119.168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my waies are before thee Psâ—l 139.3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my waies
interpretative blasphemy and calling all these into question and so an high injury and dishonour unto God Whereas faith is said to justifie God Luk. 7.29 that is to professe and acknowledge him to be such a God as his Word reveals him to be 2. Nothing doth more debar and shut out Gods operation in order to our relief and help than this sin If by taking only moderate and due care we would resigne up our selves and our concernments into the hands of God he would charge himself with us But if we will immoderatly cark and care and be so peremptory in our designes and will not submit them unto him then God is discharged we must look to our selves Therefore 't is not only our duty but our interest to resigne up our selves to God and to submit our concernments to his will 3. Unbelief 't is a sin against which God hath exceedingly declar'd his displeasure The Apostle tels us the children of Israel were destroied in the wildernesse for unbelief Many were their sins there Murmurings lustings Idolatry but the main reason of their punishment was they believed not Look to their finall excision and cutting off why what was it for for unbelief were they broken off Rom. 11.20 That noble man in 2 Kings 8.2 was troden to death for distrusting Gods power and could only see the plenty did not tast of it Moses and Aaron could not enter into the land of promise because of their unbelief Num. 20.12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye believe me not to Sanctifie me in the eies of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them Zachary was struck dumb for not believing what God had revealed Christ did never chide his Disciples for any thing so much as their unbelief Luke 24.25 O ye fooles and slow of heart to believe And why doubt ye O ye of little Faith Mat. 8.26 4. 'T is a Paganish sin as our Saviour intimates Mat. 6. For Heathens to be full of carking and caring is not so much to be wondred at but for us that professe to believe in God that do acknowledge a particular Providence and believe the happinesse of another world to be under the tyranny of distracting cares anxiety of mind and thoughtfulnesse as if God had no care of us this is an exceeding unworthy carriage towards God Take heed therefore of distrusting God and overcharging thy self with the cares of this life Let not thy heart be too much fixed on any thing here below Lay not these outward things too much to heart And remember that then cares are inordinate when they cause such a tumultuousness and unquietnesse in our thoughts and affections that reason is disturbed and cannot allay or compose them or when they exceedingly hinder or quite put us by the duties we ought to perform to God or lastly when they cause a sinking or dying in the heart as Nabals heart is said to die within him when we are disappointed in that we were so eagerly solicitous about And therefore our Saviour in Mat. 6. bids us take no thought and repeats it three several times as v. 25. Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on V. 31. Therefore take no thought saying What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed V. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Direction 5. Take heed of limiting God 1. Either to the time of fulfilling his promises Or 2. To the way Faith doth not limit the holy One of Israel to any set time or any set means Do thy duty therefore and resigne thy self to God Commit thy self and all concernments to his Fatherly care and be not over-solicitous or perplexed about events What strange distrustful language do the children of Israel use in Psal 78.20 Can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderness can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his people And therefore at v. 41. What a black character is given of them They turned back and tempted God and limited the holy One of Israel We must not prescribe to God we must not go about to subject his Providence to our direction and prescribe what he shall do for our satisfaction Direction 6. Reflect upon the Lords past kindnesse and gracious dealings with thee Consider how much God hath done for thee and for others that have trusted in him and that will tend very much to encourage thee still to trust in him The more experience and manifestation of Gods power and presence thou hast had the greater reason thou hast to cast away all unbelief from thee It exceedingly provoked God against Israel that notwithstanding so many experiences of his power yet still they distrusted him Num. 14.11 And the Lord said unto Moses how long will this people provoke me And how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signes I have shewed among them By every experience we should grow up into a greater courage and strength of Faith as David drew inferences of hope against the present danger from the lion and the bear 1 Sam. 17.36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them seeing he hath defied the Armies of the living God Or as Paul said 2 Cor. 1.10 He hath and doth and therefore will deliver Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Christ was angry with his Disciples for not remembring the miracle of the loaves when they were in a like strait again Mat 16.9 Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up God is more angry with the unbelief of his children than of others because they have more experience of his love and care and therefore that they should distrust him that never fail'd them is very ungratefull 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by Faith not by sight Hab. 2.4 Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith Gal 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved 1 Cor. 7.32 But I would have you without carefulness c. Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by praier and supplication with
Affections the motions and stirrings of thy will the out-goings of thy heart Rightly to order our Affections is one of our principall businesses in this life When they are rightly ordered and governed they do much further help on our course in Godlinesse Whereas disordered passions blind the judgment hurry away the will fill the heart and mind with disquiet and interrupt prayer and other holy duties Keep an especial watch theâ—efore over thy Affections Be careful they be not set on wrong objects nor suffered to grow unruly and exorbitant Grace doth not extinguish but rectifie affections Christ who was free from all sin was not without affections He was angry did grieve rejoyce Let it be thy care therefore to look to the right regulating of these powers and these affections that God hath placed in thee And to help thee in this work observe these Directions 1. Beg of God a sound mind a right understanding a clear judgment that thou maist be able rightly to discern between good and evil and maist not take shews and appearances for realities There is great danger in misapprehensions for as the apprehensions of the mind are weaker or stronger so the affections are hotter or cooler 2. Labour to bring thy will sense and appetite under subjection to right reason If sin do seem pleasant to thee as the forbidden fruit to Eve let reason tell thee 't is forbidden fruit and therefore thou must not touch it A man is Lord of himself when reason rules him but his own slave when wilfulnesse appetite or passion bear sway in him When the Coachman cannot rule the horses but is hurried violently away with them there is nothing but confusion to be expected so it is with a man whose reason is overborn or hurried away by his headstrong passions Affections are like fire and water good servants but very bad Masters Fire does well while 't is kept in the chimney water is useful while 't is kept within its banks if they break out they are veâ—y mischievous Elements Affections while they are moderated kept within their due bounds they are very serviceable but if they overflow those banks and bounds what a world of mischief follows 3. Labour to foresee such things before they come which may prove great provocations to thee and are like to kindle and excite thy passions Use precaution and wisely avoid such occasions as much as thou canst Passions are far moâ—e easily prevented than moderated And here premeditation is of singular use whereby the mind may fortifie strengthen it self against the exorbitancy of pâ—ssion before it arise by considering the unreasonablenesse of it and the bitter fruits and effects of it 4. Resist evil affections at the beginning before they grow high and headstrong Dash Babylons brats against the wall If they once get strength they may be too hard for thee Lusts and vile affections let alone do often end in grosse sins There are works of the flesh that follow lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.19 Love of pleasure if uncontroâ—l'd may end in drunkennesse or uncleannesse Envy and malice if uncheck'd may end in muâ—der or violence Judas allowing himselfe in Covetousnesse that brought him to deny his Master 5. Temperance and keeping under the body is an excellent means to mortifie lusts passions and vile affections He that pampers his flesh feeds his enemy And how much better is it to endure the pains of mortification here than the horrours of everlasting darknesse hereafter 6. Remember that when thy blood and Spirits are moved and thy passions are up whatever is presented to thy imagination tends to the delusion of thy soul Passions like some kind of glasses represent things falsely somtimes of a mountain they make a mole-hill and somtimes a mole-hill they magnifie into a mountain Therefore if it be possible in passion make no resolutions Let it be one of thy main cares then to suffer thy spirit and blood to cool and thy passions to sink and melt away and then thou wilt come to right apprehensions Many have grievously overshot themselves in passion and repented of it at leisure 7. Consider the root of all inordinate passion is self-love The larger the branches of passion the deeper the root of self-love Therefore labour to dig up the root and do not only lop off the branches Inordinate self-love ought to be subdued and mortified 8. Meditate often on the abasings sufferings death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Christ suffered for us leaving us an example saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.21 that we should follow his steps Was he crucified for us and shall not we crucifie our vile affections for him Did he renounce his own will to accomplish our salvation and shall not we deny our wills for him our corrupt wills The wills of the flesh and of the mind as the Apostle calleth them Eph. 2.3 The lustings of the lower and the upper soul Was he made of no reputation for us and shall we be proud Did he lay down his very life for us his enemies and shall not we forgive an enemy for his sake O labour from the consideration of Christs sufferings to mortifie thy lusts and vile affections 9. By earnest Prayer even the prayer of Faith seek for succour from Heaven against all thine inordinate affections Humbly plead that promise before the Lord Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace 10. Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Eph. 6.17 and therewith labour to slay thy inordinate affections Apply the Commands and Threatnings of Gods Word to thy self when thou findest any strong passion or lust stirring in thee As suppose Anger be up in thee take that sword of the Spirit thou wilt find Eph. 4.26 27. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath â—â—ther give place to the devil If hatred against thy Brother be working in thee take that sword 1 John 3.15 Whoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him If thy heart be pestered with revengeful thoughts take that sword in Mat. 6.14 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses If lust be stirring in thee take that sword in Mat. 5.28 But I say unto you whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart If pride take that sword 1 Pet. 5.5 God resists the proud and gives Grace to the humble If Covetousnesse take that sword Luke 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth And 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of money is the root of all evil Thus if thou art well acquainted with the word of God thou maist find a sword to slay any inordinate
affection any rebellious lust that rises up in thee Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace V. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Prov. 25.28 He that hath no rule over his owne spirit is like a City that is broken down and without wals Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City Eph. 4.26 Be ye angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath V. 27. Neither give place to the devil V. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption V. 31. Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice V. 32. And be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in understanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in understanding be men Eccles 7 9. Be not hasly in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools 1 John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 2 Cor. 12.20 For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults Jam. 4.5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Jam. 1.20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Luke 9.55 But he turned and rebuked them and said ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another 1 Pet. 3.4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Thirdly Watch over thy words Gods servants in all ages have seen a great deal of reason to resolve within themselves to take heed of offending with their tongues and to pray earnestly to the Lord that he would please to set a watch before their mouths and to keep the door of their lips 'T is a great part of Religion rightly to govern and bridle the tongue If any man seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is vain Jam. 1.26 And the transgression of the tongue is the rather to be watched against because of the natural pronenesse that is in us to offend in that kind We are exceedingly apt to fall into this sin partly because of that quick intercourse that is between the tongue and the heart so that we sin in an instant partly because speech is an Act we perform without labour and so we the more easily offend this way And lastly because the sins of the tongue are very pleasing and compliant with corrupt nature Therefore St James saith Jam. 3. v. 2. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man i. e. Not only a beginner but one that is come to some ripenesse and growth in Christianity his care and watchfulnesse over his words argues him to be a sound sincere and upright Christian Oh how much reason have we to be seriously humbled for the errours and miscarriages of our tongues Divide the sins of man into two parts saies Nazianzen and one half of them are the sins of the tongue One reckons up twenty four sins of the tongue and yet possibly he hath not reckoned all 1. Taking Gods Name in vain in ordinary communication 2. Unlawful swearing 3. Lying 4. Cursing 5. Perjuâ—y 6. Blasphemy 7. Rash and unlawful vowes 8. Heartlesse and hypocritical praying 9. False accusing 10. Open railing reviling and reproaching 11. Secret defaming backbiting and whispering 12. Scoffing jeering scorning giving biting quips and girds 13. Ribaldry filthy speaking scurrulous jesting rotten communication 14. Menacing and threatning revenge 15. Deceiving and cheating 16. Proud boasting and self magnifying 17. Rash judging and censuring 18. Vain and idle tatling 19. Flattering and soothing in evil 20. Enticing and alluring to sin and wickedness 21. Seducing into errour 22. Murmuring and repining 23. Disclosing secrets contrary to promise To all which may be added 24. Sinful silence Of which more afterward Oh how vile are we if one member be guilty of so much sin Not without reason therefore hath St. James in his third Chap. v. 6. described an evil Tongue to be a fire a world of iniquity and set on fire of Hell i. e. from the Devil the Father of lies malice and virulency They that nourish an evil tongue nourish that which comes from Hell and which will carry them thither without serious and timely repentance The tongue can no man tame as he goes on v. 8. that is of himself without the concurrence of Divine Grace Pray therefore for this Grace that thou maist take heed to thy words that thou offend not with thy tongue And for the better regulating and governing of it observe these Directions 1. Begin at thy heart if thou wouldst rightly govern thy tongue Pray as David did Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh saith our Saviour Mat. 12.34 The disorders of the tongue usually proceed from the distempers of the heart Idlenesse of words from vanity of thoughts Rashnesse of speech from hastinesse of Spirit Boasting and proud brags from pride of heart Reviling and open reproaching from inward malice The foul stomack betraies it selfe in a stinking breath The naughtinesse of the heart vents it self by the tongue A heart stor'd with wisdom and grace will discover it self in savoury discourse 2. Let thy end and aim in speaking be to glorifie God and to do good to others That word is an idle word and utterly lost which tends to no good purpose Either speak somthing better than silence or
transgression of his lips but the just shall come out of trouble Isa 63.8 For he said surely they are my people children that will not lie so he was their Saviour Prov. 6.16 These six things doth the Lord hate yea seaven are an abomination unto him V. 17. A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood c. Zeph. 3.13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid Levit. 19.12 And ye shall not swear by my Name falsely neither shalt thou profane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. Prov. 21.6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Prov. 17.14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it is medled with Prov. 18.6 A fooles lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for stroakes Eccles 5.6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angel that it was an errour wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands Numb 12.8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses 1 Tim. 5.19 Against an Elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses Prov. 27.2 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty but a fooles wrath is heavier than them both Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Eph. 5.11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oile which shall not break my head Prov. 15.5 A fool despiseth his Fathers instruction but he that regardeth reproof is prudent 1 Pet. 3.8 Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren be pitiful be courteous V. 9. Not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing Fourthly Watch over thy Actions The Apostle gives us an excellent exhortation in the 5th to the Ephes v. 15. See that ye walk circumspectly not as foâ—ls but as wise And in 1 Pet. 1.15 We are commanded to be holy in all manner of conversation True and real Christianity is a careful businesse There is a great deal of watchfulnesse and circumspection required to keep our Consciences void of offence towards God and towards men O how sad a sight is it to see men in words professing Christ and yet in works denying him Shew me thy Faith by thy works saies St. James And our Saviour in Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven The men of the world have their eies on the lives and conversations of Professors they know not what they do in their closets they care not much what they do in the congregation they look what the tenour and course of their lives is O therefore let those that name the Name of Christ depart from all iniquity Let such as profess themselves real Châ—istians and true converts take heed of being taken tardy in such things which meer moral men that are strangers to the life of Grace cannot be justly charged with Be very careful therefore of and watchfull over all thy actions Take heed the Name of God be not blasphemed nor his honour wounded by any ungodly action of thine Take heed of bringing a scandal on Religion and a reproach on the Gospel If ever thou wouldst win others to Religion thou must be exemplary in holinesse and righteousnesse thy self it is a woful thing to be an offence and stumbling block to others and to be an occasion of keeping them off from embracing the waies of God O therefore take heed of doing any such things as may make Religion stink in the nostrils of profane men Take heed of doing any thing that is not justifiable or warrantable and which may be an active scandal unto others Indeed there are passive scandals and offences such as wicked men take through their own corrupt and malicious hearts as the Pharisees did at Christ But such people destroy themselves and like Serpents turn every thing they eat into poison But the true Christian is tender of Gods Glory and the repute of Religion and therefore dares not do such things as are unwarrantable If Augustus could say an Emperor should not only be free from crimes but the very suspition of them How much more should true Christians labour to be such who are commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5 22. Do nothing therefore that is misbecomming a real Christian As Nehemiah once said shall such a man as I flee Nehem. 6.11 So do thou reflect upon thy self when tempted to any evil action Shall such an one as I lie swear deal deceitfully be proud be covetous be earthly minded c O! if ever thou shouldst be overcome with such things thou maist say to thy self truly what Michal said falsely to David Thou hast made thy self like one of the vile and base ones of the earth That therefore thou maist be the more seriously watchful over all thy actions take these three directions 1. Look carefully to the principle the spring the rise of them Observe from whence all thy external obedience flowes Does it come from an inward principle of Grace from a sanctified heart from a new Nature from a principle of Faith and Love or from external motives and outward respects and considerations 'T is not the matter that makes the work good but the principle Some things may be done for the matter good and some external obedience performed by meer natural men and that either for credit or upon the impulses of natural Conscience out of bondage and a servile frame of spirit like fruits that are ripened by art and force not naturally and kindly but 't is not enough to do actions good and just as to the matter but we must do them out of love to God and obedience to his will and in Faith expecting our reward from him 2. Look to thy rule Is the Word of God the rule and square of thy actions Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lanthorn to my paths saies David Psal 119.105 And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God saies Paul Gal. 6.16 Many people watch in a disorderly way They have no Law or Rule but their own lusts and
those under his charge do the like Every Governour of a Family should resolve with pious Joshuah Josh 24.15 But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Observe it True Religion and the power of Godliness hath there usually most flourished where the Lords day hath been most conscientiously observed And many direful judgments have befallen the violators and prophaners of it Gen. 2.2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made V. 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made Lev. 23.3 Six daies shall thy work be done but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy convocation ye shall do no work therein it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings Nehem. 13.19 And it came to passe that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my servants set I at the gates that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day Isa 58.13 If thou turn away thy feet from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Luke 23.54 And that day was the preparation and the Sabbath drew on V. 56. And they returned and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement Exod. 23.12 Six daies shalt thou do thy work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thine Oxe and thine Asse may rest and the son of thine hand-maid and the stranger shall be refreshed Ezek. 22.26 Her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned mine holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eies from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned among them Ezek. 23.38 Moreover this they have done unme they have defiled my Sanctuary in the same day and have prophaned my Sabbaths Amos 8.4 Saying when will the New Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat c. Lam. 1.7 Jerusalem remembred in the daies of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the daies of old when her people fell into the hand of the enemy and none did help her the adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Ezek. 20.20 Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God Isa 56.2 Blessed is the man that doth this and the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and keepeth his hand from doing evil V. 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the Eunuches that keep my Sabbaths and chuse the things that please me and take hold of my Covenant V. 6. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant V. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt Offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people Mark 2.27 And he said unto them the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath V. 28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath Psal 92. Title A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day Mat. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill Luke 4.16 And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read Acts 20.7 And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech untill midnight 1 Cor. 16.1 Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye V. 2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay up in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 2. Hearing the Word We live in an age wherein through the rich mercy of God there is much good preaching but 't is a general complaint there is so little profiting We see not those gracious effects of the Word that were to be desired and wished And certainly one main reason of it is few take care to hear in a right manner as they ought to do That therefore thou maist so hear as to profit I shall shew thee 1. What thou art to do before thou hearest by way of preparation 2. What thou art to do in time of Hearing 3. What after thou hast Heard For the First Thou must prepare thy heart before thou comest to hear Rash entring on duties is seldom successeful If the ground be not prepared the seed is lost that is sown therein Plow up the fallow ground of your hearts saies the Prophet Jer. 4.3 and sow not among thorns In a fallow piece of ground you know thorns and briers weeds and thistles use to grow And such a thing is mans heart naturally which if let alone and no paines taken with it will quickly be overgrown with hurtful cares stinking lusts and distempered affections And therefore St. James adviseth Jam. 1.21 That before we go to hear the Word we should lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse i. e. all evil frames of heart And how hard a matter that is I appeal to the experience of every true and sincere Christian That holy man Gerson professes he many times spent some hours before he could get his heart in tune for solemn duties Gods children have entred comfortably on duties â—hen they have been serious and careful in their preparations for them To help thee therefore to prepare thy heart for the Word take these Directions 1. Lay aside as much as possibly thou canst all worldly thoughts cares and businesses that thy mind may be free for God and the impressions of his Word and holy Spirit On Saturday night shut up the gates of thy heart against the world as Nehemiah Chap. 13. v. 19.20 did the
gates of Jerusalem on the evening of their Sabbath If any Merchants come any worldly thoughts or businesses let them stay without till the Sabbath be over The work of mens Callings is not only in their hands but in their minds and heads A Minister may have a great Congregation yet but a few hearers if their minds be stuft with the world before they come if they bring their trades their bargaines their plow their worldly businesse along with them As therefore we read of Abraham in Gen. 22.5 That when he went up to the Mount to offer Sacrifice he left his servants and the Asse in the valley behind him so should we our worldly cares and businesses when we go to worship God and to hear his Word 2. Consider and meditate on the great concernment and importance of the Word 'T is the ordinary means God hath appointed for the working that great work of conversion without which no salvation and for the edifying and building up those that are already savingly wrought upon Jam. 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth 1 Cor. 4.15 I have begotten you in Christ Jesus saith Paul through the Gospel Rom. 10 17. Faith cometh by hearing Indeed sin and consequently death came by hearing at the first by our first Parents listening to and believing a tempting Spirit But now Faith and consequently life comes by Hearing through the operation of the blessed Spirit of God in the Word Rom. 1.16 The Gospel 't is the power of God unto salvation Labour therefore to have an high value and esteem of the preaching of the Gospel God hath appointed his Ordinances not in Soveraignty only but in Mercy to us As our Saviour said of the Sabhath Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath So may I say of all the Ordinances of God they were ordained for man for mans benefit and not man made for them And therefore the great benefit that with Gods blessing may be expected from them if we duly attend upon them should make us highly value them Indeed it is one of the devils stratagems in this age to urge the efficacy of the Spirit as a plea for the neglect of means Whereas Gods Spirit does usually work in and by the means and rarely if ever when the ordinary means are slighted 'T is true God himself is not tyed to means nor to any of his own Ordinances yet he ties us to make use of them when we may have them That soul cannot expect to be instructed by Gods Spirit who is a slighter and neglecter of Gods ordinary means Further consider the intent of the Word is not only to regenerate but to nourish increase and perfect the Graces of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12. Our knowledge is imperfect Those that know most may learn more We need new inforcements of duty Our affections are dull and need a new excitement None so wise so knowing a Christian but he may receive some benefit from a different handling of what he himself knew before Therefore seeing the preaching of the Word was ordained for so great and signal benefits to mankind 't is just with God that they that have slight thoughts of it should be barren under it 3. When thou art going to hear consider whither thou art going Thou art going to meet the great God of Heaven and Earth A God that is not to be dallied with Levit. 10.3 I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me When the people went to hear the Law Exod. 19.10 The Lord said to Moses Sanctifie the people and let them wash their clothes What does this speak to us that Christians should only wash their hands and faces and put on their best apparrel when they come to hear the Word No the Apostle James Jam. 1.21 tels us Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meeknesse the ingrafted Word that is able to save your souls If thou findest thy Spirit slight and wandring to fix it and make it serious think with thy self and imagine how it was with the Israelites going to receive the Law of God When the Mount was all on a flame of fire the trumpet sounding louder and louder the people trembling and sore afraid This is to beat the Devil with his own weapon for he often prevailes upon us by casting in sinful Imaginations Consider therefore how the Lord is present in an especial manner where his Word is preached Surely the Lord is in this place as Jacob said of Bethel Gen. 28.16 The apprehension of Gods presence in the assemblies of his people will preserve in thee an awful and reverent disposition of soul 4. Before thou goest fail not to poure forth earnest and fervent prayers unto the Lord and that in behalf 1. Of the Minister 2. Of thy self I. In behalf of the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the people and direct and enable him to declare the mind of God and to preach such truths as may tend to the benefit and salvation of thine and others soules Certainly if people did more seriously and more frequently pray for their Minister that the Lord would bless and prosper his labours and direct him to divide the Word aright to give to every one their portion to feed the people with knowledge and understanding he might expect a greater blessing and assistance in his studies and they more benefit by his endeavours How earnestly does Paul beg prayers Rom. 15 30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me v. 31. That my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the Saints And Eph 6.18 Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit for all Saints v. 19. And for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel v. 20. That therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak Col. 4.3 Withal praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds v. 4. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak II. In behalf of thy self 1. That the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious When the mind is serious truths are apt to make impression 2. That he would enlighten thy mind and open thy heart as he did the heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 that thou maist have a clear and right understanding of those truths that concern thy salvation 3. That he would give thee a heart to believe and embrace the truth in the love of it that truth may not only float in thy phantasie but sink down into thy heart Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse There is a Faith of the head and a Faith of
be a wise choice made Many of the Psalmes David penn'd and sung when his mind was full of anguish and grief and so he eased his heart by lamenting his sad condition before the Lord. Observe the Title of Psalm 102 A prayer of the aflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. Therefore our singing on fasting daies is not to make us merry but to affect and melt our hearts with a deep sense of our sins Penitential Psalms provoke to sadnesse as Eucharistical to joy and rejoycing Obj. 4. Davids Psalms do not suit our conditions Is it not absurd to give people Davids Conditions to sing and for them to tell God it is so with them as it was with David when possibly 't is nothing so Ans 1. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine reproof correction instruction c. 2 Tim. 3.16 And written for our learning and comfort Rom. 15.4 And therefore the Psalms also 2. The Psams seem principally written for a threefold use 1. For Instruction and admonition 2. For Consolation 3. For Praise and Thanksgiving Now what passage is there in Davids Psalms but thou maist accomodate to thy self one of these waies Suppose David said I am not puft in mind Psal 131. And thou findest thy heart prone to pride here is a word of admonition to thee So that whilst thou art reciting and declaring Davids humble frame and condition thou oughtest to lift up thy heart to God that he would work the like frame in thee Lord thy Servant David could truly say I am not puft in mind Good Lord grant me this Grace also Suppose thou canst not find in thy self such a love to Gods Law as was in David Psal 119. Then there is a word of Instruction to thee teaching thee what thou shouldst do Thou oughtest to pray to have such a Divine Affection to the Law of God kindled in thee So that we sing Psalms as we read them for the benefit and good use we may make of them 'T is therefore no more a lie to sing them than to read them By singing as by reading them we recite and repeat what God has revealed in his Word for our admonition and instruction And though we cannot make some passages our own by using them for our selves and in our own name as David did yet we may make them our own by a sweet meditation on them for our benefit and edification I come to the Fourth thing to give some Rules and Directions how Christians should practise this duty aright I. Sing with understanding and attention of mind to the matter sung Labour to understand the mind and meaning of the holy Ghost in the Psalm you sing Psal 47.7 Sing ye praises with understanding II. Labour to sing with Grace in â—he heart i. e. with a gracious frame of spirit Our singing must not be a lip labour an outward bodily exercise only pleasing our selves or others with the tune of a Psalm But we should look to it that our hearts be well tuned as Maries was Luke 1.46 My soul doth magnifie the Lord c. III. Labour to exercise and act those peculiar Graces which the matter sung requires and gives occasion to God looks at the heart and how a man is affected within 1. Some Psalms are laudatory and set forth the high praises of God from the consideration of his glorious Nature Attributes and Works In singing these we should stir up our hearts to love God to fear him to trust in him and our hearts should prompt our tongues to sound forth his praises 2. Some are petitionary containing supplications for spirituall blessings such as pardon Grace the favour of God or temporall such as direction protection provision c. Here we should look up to God as the only author of these mercies and humbly pray to him for them 3. Some are Eucharistical containing thanksgivings to God for mercies received private or publick spiritual or temporal 4. Some contain precepts and instructions to fear God to love him to walk in his waies being backed with promises to encourage us thereunto Some declare the evil waies of sinners and the judgments of God that attend them to deter us there-from 5. Some contain imprecations and prayers for judgments on enemies Here we are not to pray for or wish the same judgments on our private enemies But 1. We may meditate on the fearful judgments of God that hang over the heads of all wicked and impenitent transgressours that so we may fear to be like them 2. We may pray for the like judgments on all the implacable and incurable enemies of Christ and his Kingdome 6. Some contain the sad complaints of the Church under afflictions Here thou maist meditate on the sufferings of the Saints and lift up thy heart to God to give thee also suffering Graces IV. Let there be a wise choice made of Psalms to be sung according as our present necessities and occasions do require V. Let thy end in singing be that God may be honoured thy self and others edified that the Graces of Gods Spirit may be excited and exercised in thy self and others 4. Religious Conference 'T is the duty of all true and sincere Christians to labour to further one another Heaven-ward And surely religious conference rightly mannaged is a great means of increasing knowledge and Grace among Christians Communion of Saints is an Article of our Faith The Apostle tels us Rom. 12.5 We being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Such a body true believers are by their union with Christ and ought to be by communion and fellowship one with another for their mutual edification There ought to be a mutual serviceablenesse among Christians and helping one another on in gracious courses I shall therefore 1. Give some Arguments to perswade to it 2. Some Directions about it 1. We have many exhortations to it in the Scriptures 1 Thes 5.11 Wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another even as also ye do Heb. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works v. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Heb 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin 2. We find this practised by the primitive Saints Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking bread and in prayers 3. To this end God hath given several Gifts and Graces to his people 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 4. Where Christians are most frequent and most faithful in
better example Timothy was train'd up by his parents and that from a child in the holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 Want of instruction at home is one main reason of the unprofitablenesse of preaching 2. A Priest to offer up the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise for them and with them 3. A King to rule command and govern for Christ in his own house Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord c. A Master of a Family has a greater command and authority over those in his own house than any Minister has He is more with them and has his eie more upon them He should therefore improve his power for God and be like the good Bishop described 1 Tim. 3.4 ruling well i. e. Religiously his own house having his children in subjection with all gravitie So much of the second particular the directions how Governours of Families should discharge their duties towards those under their Government I come now to the third and last to shew whence the neglect of this so great and necessary a duty proceeds There are several causes of it 1. Ignorance Some are so ignorant themselves they know not how to instruct others They know not how to pray with their Families Oh let all such presently apply themselves with all care and seriousnesse to learn the things that concern their salvation that they may discharge their duties towards their relations And let them know it is their duty to labour for ability to pray and for that gift whereby upon all occasions they may in an humble and fitting manner express the desires of their hearts unto the Lord. In the mean time till by seeking to God for his Spirit to enable them and by a faithful endeavour they have attain'd to some measure of this gift they may use some good prescribed form Only let them be exceeding watchful over their hearts for fear of that formality and meer lip-service which in such cases we are more especially in danger of 2. Carelesness Some are of Gallio's temper Acts 18.17 They care for none of these things They think this more ado than needs They will provide portions for their children look that their servants do their work but for Religion the one thing absolutely necessary they do not much trouble themselves 3. Worldly-mindednesse Some are so worldly they cannot afford time for Gods Worship and Service Not a swine about the house but shall be served morning and evening but God is not regarded 4. Prophanenesse Some are so far from having any religious care of their Families to pray with them to instruct them c. that they deride these duties and scoffe at those that make conscience to perform them They through the pride of their hearts think it a disparagement to them to set up the practise of these things in their houses Wretched worms Is God become a shame to his creatures Who are they or what is their Fathers house that they are too good to be the servants of the most High Let them make their peace with that Scripture Mark 8. ult Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels 5. Loose Opinions under pretence of new Light setting people at liberty from the observation and practise of those duties whereby the life and power of Religion is most maintained and preserved Let Governours of Families therefore beware of all these things and whatever else may hinder them from a Conscionable discharge of their Duties Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Josh 24.15 But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 1 Sam. 1.21 And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly Sacrifice and his vow Acts 10.2 Cornelius a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much Almes to the people and prayed to God alway CHAP. XI Of the duties of Husband and Wife I Shall first speak of the Duties common to both and then more particularly of those that belong to each of them severally They owe to each other Love Faithfulnesse Helpfulnesse I. Love There ought to be a firm and inviolable love between them grounded on Gods Ordinance and their own Covenant and not meerly on natural or civil respects and being so neerly united and made one flesh they should have but one heart They should have the greatest tendernesse and kindness for each other imaginable If any unkindnesse should at any time happen to arise between them they should never sleep in displeasure but both readily agree to a speedy reconcilement The Sun should not go down on their wrath Love must sweeten all their speeches carriage and actions towards each other 'T is love will make all the duties of a married life easie and all the cumbers and crosses tolerable This love must for measure exceed and surpasse their love to any other creature There must be between them both the love of goodwill desiring heartily the welfare of each other and the love of complacency delighting in each other Want of love between man and wife is no mean sin II. Faithfulnesse and that of several sorts 1. That of the bed They must keep themselves pure chast from all strange embraces and with the greatest abhorrence detest any motion or temptation that way They must not embrace the bosom of a stranger Prov. 5.20 They must be constant to each other and confident of each other Jealousie is the pasport of love 2. They must keep each others secrets 3. Conceal each others infirmities 4. Be faithful to each other in the mannaging their worldly affairs 5. If any difference arise not let it take vext for jars concealed are half reconciled whereas if they be once divulged 't is a double labour to make up the breach and stop the mouths of people abroad III. Helpfulnesse They are to be mutuall helpers each to other both in spiritual and temporal things 1. They should endeavour to help one another on towards Heaven to promote and encrease knowledge and Holiness in each others souls designing to meet together and live together for ever in Heaven They should pray together and for each other 1 Pet. 3.7 They should faithfully wisely and lovingly admonish one another of any failings they discern in each other This is of all other the truest and most valuable love Nay indeed How can it be said they do love at all if they can contentedly let each other run on in a course that will bring them to eternal misery True
love is soul love And if the love of Husband and Wife be thus grounded in Religion and Piety and a care of each others souls it will make their lives a kind of Heaven upon earth 'T will prevent those contentions heart burnings and brawls so fatal to many Families They will like Zachary and Elizabeth labour to walk before the Lord blamelesse They will endeavour to plant Religion in their Family and be examples of Piety prudence and goodnesse to those among whom they live 2. They are to be mutual helpers to each other in natural and civil respects They are to comfort and cherish one another both in health and sicknesse in prosperity and adversity They are to advise and assist each other in a right governing their Family and in a prudent mannaging their estate and worldly affairs And in a word they are to endeavour to make their passage through this world as comfortable to each other as they can So much in general for the duties common to both I now come to speak more particularly of the duties belonging to each of them severally And first of the duties of the Husband I. The first duty the Husband owes to his Wife is love How great this love should be the Apostle intimates by the similitudes he uses in this matter The one of that Christ bears to his Church Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it The other of that a man bears to himself v. 31. Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself Now every one knows and feels how he loves himself A mans love to himself hath these properties 1. 'T is cordial without dissimulation Many a man feigns love and friendship to others but no body is insincere and false in his love to himself Such a love should a man bear to his Wife As Jonathans heart was knit to David 1 Sam. 18.1 And he loved him as his own soul so ought the Husband to love his Wife The Apostle tels us 1 Cor. 13.5 Charity is not easily provoked True fervent cordial love is long suffering and beareth with many infirmities and weaknesses and covereth a multitude of offences 1 Pet. 4.8 2. 'T is constant 'T is so natural nothing can make it cease Though a man hath been handsom and is by sicknesse become deformed though he hath been healthy and is become sickly though he hath been patient and is now grown cholerick yet he still loves himself So no accidental change or defect should lessen a mans love to his Wife 3. 'T is very tender How tenderly does a man treat himself when sick If he have a sore eie How careful is he of it Such ought a mans affection be to his Wife expressing it self in a tender regard of her in sicknesse as well as health The man ought to look upon his Wife as the tenderer part of himself or as the Apostle phrases it as the weaker vessel 1 Pet. 3.7 Which must not be a cause of contempt but rather of respect and regard And the more weak she is in respect of any sicknesse or the like so much the more tender care ought he to have of her No man ever hated his own flesh saies the Apostle but nourisheth and cherisheth it Eph. 5.29 The Husband therefore must not do any thing that may be hurtful or grievous to his Wife no more than he would cut and gash his own flesh For my part I know no Law of God or man that allows the Husband a power to beat his Wife He is indeed to govern her but he is to do it by wise loving amiable counsel not by stripes The civil Law is strict against it Cod. 5. And among Heathens we read not of any except such as were mad or drunk practising this unnatural cruelty The Husband therefore should mannage that authority and superiority which God hath given him over his Wife wisely mildly amiably He should remember all Government is ordained by God for the good of the whole and not the pleasure only of the Governour Therefore all harshnesse and roughnesse and such tyrannical carriage is utterly unallowable on the Husbands part towards his Wife 4. 'T is pure Not for base and sinister ends He does not love himself because he is a healthy man a handsom man a rich man but 't is purely himself because 't is himself that he loves Such ought a mans love to his Wife to be not only because she is fair or rich or young but because she is his Wife A man may look abroad in the world and see others healthier handsomer richer wittier than himself yet I hope he does not thereupon fall in love with them and slight and neglect himself So a man is to love his wife purely for this reason because she is his Wife Though he is not bound to think her the best accomplished woman in the world yet he is to love her like her delight in her more than any woman in the world So much for the first Duty the man owes to his Wife Love and the degree of it II. The next is Instruction The Husband is to instruct the wife in the things that concern her everlasting welfare if she be ignorant of them Thus Paul bids the wives learn of their husbands at home 1 Cor. 14.35 Which supposes the Husband is to teach her This should make men careful to get knowledge themselves that so they may perform this duty they owe to others III. Maintenance He is to maintain her provide for her and allow her things convenient and fit according to his estate and to let her partake with him in those outward good things wherewith God hath blessed him And as he is not by niggardize to deny her what is fit for her so neither must he by his unthriftinesse wast his goods and so make himself unable to support her if God take him away before her he is to provide for her comfortable subsistence according to his ability and not to beat her when he is dead as one phrases it by leaving her an insufficient and too short an allowance I come now to speak of the Duties of the Wife The Wife owes to her Husband I. Subjection Eph. 5.22 Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. Col 3.18 Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands c. V. 5. Being in subjection to their own husbands Besides these Scripture-Commands there are several reasons for it 1. From the Creation 1. The man was first created 1 Tim. 2.13 Adam was first formed then Eve 2. The woman was made of the man and not the man of the woman 1 Cor. 11.8 For the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man 3. The woman was made for the man not the man for the woman Gen. 2.18 And
the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an help meet for him 4. Nature it self proclaims it in respect of the sex the female being inferiour to the male Man is the Image and Glory of God and the woman is the Glory of the man 1 Cor. 11.7 2. From the Transgression For the woman though the latter in Creation yet was the former in transgression Gen. 3.6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eies and a tree to be desired to make one wife she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat v. 12. And the man said the woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat 1 Tim. 2.14 Adam was not deceived i. e. first and by Satan but the woman being deceived was in the transgression not only sinning her self but drawing her husband into transgression also 3. From the titles of head and guide given to the husband in the Scriptures which declare him to be the Superiour 1 Cor. 11.3 The head of the woman is the man Eph. 5.23 For the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church Prov. 2.17 Which for saketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God II. Reverence Eph. 5.33 Let the wife see that she reverence her husband Reverence is a mixture of love and fear 1. The wife must intirely love her husband Tit. 2.4 And desire to do him good and not hurt all the daies of her life Prov. 31.12 Love must sweeten her whole behaviour towards him And this love must proceed from a due estimation of him as her Head and Guide Judgment 't is the sourse and spring of affection What the mind esteems not the heart affects not That which we highly prize we dearly value And if the wife truly esteem her husband her carriage and behaviour towards him will be with all sweetness amiablenesse and due respect and regard 2. She ought to fear not with a servile slavish but a liberal free ingenuous fear like that true Converts bear to God springing from love and joyn'd with love least she give him any just occasion of displeasure and discontent 1 Cor. 7.34 The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and in Spirit but she that is married careth for the world how she may please her husband III. Obedience 1 Cor. 14.34 The Apostle tels us women are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law What Law Why Gen. 3.16 Thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee Also Tit. 2.5 To be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed And in 1 Pet. 3.6 Sarah is propounded as their pattern Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham c. Bâ—t what kind of obedience is it the wife is to render to the Husband The Apostle tels us Col. 3.18 Wives submit your selves to your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Which hints to us these two things 1. It must be done in obedience to God to the Commandment and the Ordinance of God It must be a religious conscientious submission A Heathen woman may do all the outward duties of a good wife for her credit sake or peace at home or from principles of natural honesty But a Christian woman besides these motives should do it out of Conscience to Gods Command out of a desire to please God and to approve her heart to him as unto the Lord as the Apostle speaks Eph. 5.22 Having a respect to the precept and enjoynment of Christ This may take away that common Objection of some women if my husband do not his duty to me Why should I do mine to him His faultinesse and neglect of his duty will not excuse thy non performance of thine For thou owest this duty not only and principally to him but to the Lord who requires it of thee whether thy husband do his or no. And further the worse the husband is the more need there is for the wife to carry her self with such gentlenesse and sweetness towards him as may be most like to win him for so the Apostle advises 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives The discreet kind loving behaviour of the wife towards her husband though a bad man may be a great means to reclaim him whereas the ill fruits of the wives unquietness are very notorious How many are there that to avoid the noise of a froward wife have fallen to company keeping and by that to drunkennesse poverty and a multitude of mischiefs Let all wives therefore be careful not to administer such a temptation 2. It must be in the Lord i. e. in all lawful commands It must not extend to any thing that is against God For otherwise 't is here as in the case of other Superiours God must be obeyed rather than man If the Husband command a thing though not unlawful yet very inconvenient and imprudent let the Wife calmly and mildy shew him the inconveniencies thereof and perswade him to the contrary but if she cannot win him by fair intreaties let her not finally refuse to obey nothing but the unlawfulnesse of the command being a sufficient warrant for that And further she must manifest her obedience in two things 1. In being willing to be admonished of her husband in case of any failing not returning a snappish answer again but readily reforming what is amisse 2. In being willing to be advised by him Not but that she may advise him in some cases and on some occasions For what a servant may do much more may a wife do as we find 2 King 5.3 1 Sam. 16 15 16. but this must be done with wisdom and discretion The admonition must be given seasonably not as Physick in a fit It must be done with that softnesse and mildness that it may appear 't is love and not anger that makes her to speak 4. And lastly She is to be a meet helper to him both in spiritual and temporal concernments 1. In the mannaging of domestical affairs the house being her proper sphear Tit. 2.5 The Apostle saies Wives should be keepers at home Not daughters of Dinah but of Sarah They must have a vigilant and watchful eye over the affairs of the Family They must guide the house as 't is 1 Tim 5.14 Every wise woman Solomon saies Prov. 14 1. buildeth her house but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands Prov. 31 27. She looketh well to the waies of her houshold and eateth not the bread of Idlenesse 2. She must bear a part
of much better value in the Kingdom above Col. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Eph. 6.1 Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right V. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandment with promise V. 3. That it may be well with thee and thou maist live long on the earth Prov. 23.22 Hearken unto thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Prov. 1.8 My Son hear the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother V. 9. For they shall be an Ornament of Grace unto thine Head and chains about thy neck Luke 2.51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them Heb. 12.7 If ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with Sons for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not V 9. Furthermore we have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much more be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and live Mal. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master If I then be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts c. 1 King 2.19 Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon to speak unto him for Adonijah and the King rose up to meet her and bowed himself unto her Gen. 27.34 And when Esau heard the words of his Father he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry and said unto his Father blesse me even me also O my Father Mat. 15.4 For God commanded saying Honour thy Father and Mother and he that curseth Father or Mother let him die the death Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young Eagle shall eat it Lev. 20.9 For every one that curseth his Father or his mother shall surely be put to death he hath cursed his Father or his Mother his blood shall be upon him Exod. 21.15 And he that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall be surely put to death Prov. 20.20 Whoso curseth his Father or his Mother his Lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness Prov. 13.1 A wise son heareth his Fathers instruction but a scorner heareth not rebuke 1 Sam. 2.25 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voyce of their Father because the Lord would slay them Gen. 47.12 And Joseph nourished his Father and his Brethren and all his Fathers houshold with bread according to their Families 1 Tim. 5.4 But if any widow have children or nephews let them learn first to shew Piety at home and to requite their Parents for that is good and acceptable before God Mat. 15.5 But ye say whosoever shall say to his Father or his Mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me V. 6. And honour not his Father or Mother he shall be free thus have ye made the Commandments of God of none effect by your Traditions CHAP. XIV Of the Duties of such as are in Office and of Inferiours ALL those that are in any Office or place of publick trust ought to be very careful to discharge the duties of their respective places faithfully diligently and patiently with an upright heart and a right tempered zeal aiming at the Glory of God and endeavouring that Piety Justice and peace may be preserved and maintained among men They should consider how much more easie it is to bear the anger and displeasure of men for the conscionable discharge than the wrath of God for the unconscionable neglect of their Duties Exod. 18.21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God men of Truth hating Covetousnesse and place such over them to be Rulers of Thousands and Rulers of Hundreds and Rulers of Fifties and Rulers of Tens 2 Sam. 23.3 The God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake to me he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God Deut. 1.13 Take ye wise men and understanding and known among your Tribes and I will make them Rulers over you Rom. 12.8 He that ruleth with diligence Rom. 13.3 For Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same V. 4. For he is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed The Duties of Inferiours Inferiours ought to yeild all due subjection to those Magistrates and Governours God hath set over them remembring that Magistracy is Gods Ordinance and none but Libertines think that Religion freeth them from Subjection thereunto They are to consider how sharply the Apostle in 2 Pet. 2.10 Reproves those that despise Government that are presumptuous self-will'd that are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities Subjection 't is a hard duty to corrupt Nature Man naturally is like the wild Asses Colt as Zophar speaks Job 11.12 And that both for the rudeness of his mind and untamedness of his Affections He would fain be free and yokelesse Being proud he loves not the Superiority of others And being licentious loves not to be restrained by others He would neither have his heart subject to God nor his actions to man He would have none to be Lord over him as 't is Psal 12.3 But this despising of Dominions is flatly against the injunctions of Gods Word Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject unto Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work And 't is a trespasse against the common good of humane Societies Let all Inferiours therefore in obedience to God for the honour of true Religion and for the preserving Order and good Government in the world make Conscience of these three Duties 1. To pray for Magistrates 2. To honour their Persons 3. To yield all due Subjection and obedience unto them Jude v. 8. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh despise Dominion speak evil of Dignities Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream V. 14. Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the
drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment V. 26. Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they V. 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one Cubit unto his stature V. 28. And why take ye thought for raiment consider the Lilies of the field how they grow they toyl not neither do they spin V. 29. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his Glory was not arrayed like one of these V. 30. Wherefore if God so cloath the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more cloath you Oh ye of little Faith V 31. Therefore take no thought saying What shall we eat Or what shall we drink Or wherewithall shall we be cloathed V. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you V. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof See more Scriptures to this purpose pag. 215. CHAP. XVIII Of the Duties of the Young and Old First Of those that concern the younger sort ALL young persons should consider that it is their duty and high concernment to endeavour to be really good and truly religious betimes In order hereunto I shall 1. Lay down some Reasons and Arguments to presse them to it 2. Answer such Objections and labour to remove such prejudices as are conceiv'd against it 3. Give some Directions to them who are willing to be advis'd herein There are many weighty Reasons and Arguments to perswade them to it I. God now invites them to it Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth c. And let them consider 1. God hath no need of them but they have need of him and cannot possibly be happy without him 2. He is willing to be reconcil'd to them if they will turn to him though for their sins he might justly destroy them 3. He offers them better terms and conditions if they will serve him then they can possibly have any where else either in the service of sin or Satan Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death The two genuine and natural fruits of sin are shame and death Is it not then an intollerable indignity and affront put upon the great God of Heaven and Earth for any to refuse to serve him who offers them so fair terms and to continue in the Devils slavery who they know intends the ruine both of their souls and bodies II. Delaies are exceeding dangerous 1. Life is uncertain Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Young men may reckon upon years when possibly they have not moneths to live Consider how quick God is with some cutting them off in their sins Time is precious Redeem it for on this moment depends Eternity 2. Grace is uncertain 'T is not in mans power to have Grace when he will The Spirit of God will not alwaies strive with the children of men To day and while it is call'd to day hear his voice Psal 95.7 And harden not your hearts Gather the Manna while it fals come in while the door of Grace stands open Take heed of being like Esau coming too late for a blessing 3. The longer thou delayest the more unfit unable and indisposed thou wilt be to return Now thy parts are fresh and thy affections vigorous If thou wilt enter thy self into the School of Christ now what a great deal of knowledge and Grace and spiritual experience maist thou attain unto What a good Scholar a good proficient maist thou be But if thou delayest then consider in what a sad condition thou art 1. Sin will be every day more and more hardning thy heart and stupifying thy Conscience and so will make thy return the more difficult Now may be thou hast some tenderness of Conscience Thou wilt quickly lose it if thou refusest to hearken to Gods call 2. The world and the cares of this life will more and more engage and intangle thy Affections If thou givest not thy self to God while young before thou art much engaged in the cares and businesses of this life 't is very hazardous whether the world will not carry away thy heart and whether thou maist not lose thy soul in an eager pursuit of these outward things 3. The Devil will get stronger possession Every soul is either Gods Temple or the Devils house 'T will be hard to cast Satan out where he hath had many years possession The longer any go on in sin the greater power God permits the Devil to have over them 4. The longer thou delayest the more thou provokest God to give thee up to thy own hearts lusts and to leave thee to thy self 'T was a sad word Isa 6.10 Go and make the heart of this people fat and shut their eies lest they see with their eies and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed God may justly refuse to hearken to thee when thou callest for mercy who wouldst not before hearken to the call of his Grace The Spirit of God after many repulses may go away aggrieved God may smite thee with stupidity and senslessenesse that great Spiritual judgment And then what will become of thee And besides dost thou think that any man whose wise should be false to him and run away from him and follow after strangers in her younger time would receive her at last in her old age Why wilt thou think then to deal so with God Upon the whole matter then if thou art not converted and dost really turn to God when young 't is a hundred to one whether ever thou be converted or no. 'T is rarely seen that men habituated and long accustomed to sin do ever change their black skins as the Reverend Mr. Burgess well observes III. Consider whether there be any part of a mans life wherein he may reasonably think he has a liberty to serve the Devil If not why wilt thou not speedily turn to God Why should not thy youth be consecrated unto him As long as thou remainest unconverted and in the state of Nature thou art doing the Devil service And who would serve such a Master IV. Consider There are many great advantages that will come unto thee by turning to God betimes 1. Multitude of sins and sorrows will be hereby prevented Those that get bruises and strains when young feel them when they grow old O what anguish and pain of Conscience have they that have lived long in sin and committed great ones
from and inconsistent with the nature of these Graces There is a great deal of danger in mistaking about these things Therefore let them ask themselves seriously whether they do indeed understand that true repentance follows upon a clear and full conviction of the evil odiousnesse and filthinesse of sin as that which is contrary to Gods holy Nature and is flat rebellion against his Lawes and Authority as that which defaces his Image depraves defiles pollutes the soul weakens its powers disenables it for holy operations and conforms it to the Image of Satan Whether they rightly apprehend the danger desert and mischievous effects and consequents of sin how it exposes the sinner to judgments spirituall temporal and eternal Whether ever they apprehended their own deep guiltiness both of Original and a huge number of actual sins Whether there ever has been wrought in them any deep contrition and hearty sorrow for their sins and that upon Gospel-grounds because they have so exceedingly dishonoured God pierced our dear Lord and Saviour grieved the holy Spirit brought a stain and defilement upon their soules and rendred themselves justly liable to the wrath and curse of God Whether their hearts have been wrought to a hatred and loathing of sin and to a forsaking of every known sin and are now really turned unto God Whether they have cleerly and without guile of spirit confessed bewailed their sins unto God their particular known sins particularly and all secret undiscovered unknown sins with a general confession And here that the sick person may the better examine himself and awaken his Conscience and may understand in some measure the number of his sins the several kinds of them and the various waies of offending God let him consider and ponder seriously of the duties commanded and sins forbidden in the Law or ten Commandments and the special sins against the Gospel For the more particular his repentance is the more pungent and afflictive it will be and so the more sincere and effectual Of the duties commanded and sins forbidden in the Law or ten Commandments The first Commandment requireth us to own and acknowledge Jehovah to be the only true God and our God and to adore worship and glorifie him accordingly The sins against this Commandment are 1. Atheism not believing there is a God or so living as if there were no God in the world to be obeyed and worshipped 2. Idolatry in having or worshipping more Gods than one or any with or in stead of the true God praying or giving any religious worship to Saints Angels or any other Creature 3. All compacts and consulting with the Devil all resorting to Witches and Conjurers which is in effect to go to the Devil himself 4. Making men the Lords of our Faith Consciences 5. Ignorance misapprehensions misbelief concerning God not labouring after the true knowledge of God nor endeavouring to understand aright his nature properties and works 6. Infidelity not believing his word or not believing it effectually practically so as to live according to our belief not beleeving his threatnings so as to be afraid of them nor his promises so as to be invited by them unto obedience and newnesse of life 7. Diffidence and distrust of his care and providence not depending on him for the supply of our wants not looking up to him for a blessing on our lawful endeavours tempting him by using unlawful means in stead of waiting his leisure Creature-confidence trusting in wit wealth friends c. and thereby withdrawing our hearts and dependance from God 8. Want of love to God Not cleaving to him with a fervent love apprehending him the chief good not loving him for his own infinite excellencies and for his goodnesse to us not loving him with all our affections and might but loving our selves our pleasures or profits or credit before him inordinate setting our minds and affections on other things besides God 9. Want of zeal and forwardnesse to promote his Glory Lukewarmnesse indifferency in the things of God not sorrowing for those raigning sins whereby his honour is eclipsed 10. Not fearing God so as to keep from any wilful offending of him timorousnesse fearing man more than God by committing sin to shun some outward suffering 11. Not rejoycing in God nor in his waies and Worship counting his waies grievous and burdensom Apostatizing from him forsaking his Worship and Service 12. Presuming groundlessely on his mercy while we go on in any wilful sin or despairing of it so as to neglect duty 13. Unthankfulnesse for those great mercies he hath so freely bestowed upon us not acknowledging them or letting them slip by without any regard or notice being too apt to ascribe Gods blessings to our deserts or endeavours sacrificing to our own net to our own wit or parts not ascribing all Glory to God 14. Insensiblenesse under his judgments or discontent at his dispensations Impatience under his Fatherly chastisements not accepting the punishment of our iniquities without murmuring or repining not amending by his corrections but either fainting despairing and charging God foolishly 15. Not yeelding such sincere and universal obedience to him as we ought both in heart and life 16. Not having a high and an adoring esteem of God not demeaning our selves humbly before him according as our vilenesse and his infinite surpassing excellencies do require The second Commandment shews the manner how the true God must be worshipped and requires the observing and keeping pure entire all such religious Worship and Ordinances as he hath appointed in his Word Inward Idolatry is opposed to the first Commandment outward to this The true God is to be worshipped only in that way that he himself hath appointed Therefore Idolatrous and superstitious Worshippers of him he cals haters of him and expresses a very fervent zeal for his own Worship and a revengefull indignation against all false Worship as being spiritual whoredom The sins against this Commandment are 1. All will-worship superstition or corrupting the Ordinances of God by mans inventions 2. Making any Images for a religious use either of the true God or of false 3. Making any representation of God of all or any of the Three Persons in the Trinity either inwardly in our minds or outwardly in any kind of Image or likenesse of any creature whatsoever or worshipping of it or God in it and by it 4. Worshipping of God any way not agreeable to his Nature and not warranted by his Word which requires he should be worshipped in Spirit and Truth with uprightnesse and sincerity he being a spiritual and most pure Being without any visible form or shape Therefore all formality unspiritualnesse and meer bodily Worship is that which he cannot away with The third Commandment requires we should honour and reverence the most holy and glorious Name of God and that all his Titles Attributes Ordinances or whatever else he is pleas'd to make known himself by be holily and reverently used by us This Commandment
seems to have regard principally to that which we call the common Worship of God i. e. the right carriage of our selves for his honour in all the common affairs of our life as well as in the exercises of Religion so far forth as we have any thing to do with him therein The sins against this Commandment are 1. Light irreverent using naming the name of God Deut. 28.58 Not fearing this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God 2. Customary swearing and in ordinary communication 3. Swearing falsly or perjury not swearing in truth judgment and righteousnesse Jer. 4.2 when lawfully called thereunto 4. Blaspheming 5. Cursing 6. Charms and Exorcisms 7. Prophane jesting on Scripture 8. Unlawful and unwarrantable vowes 9. Calling on God with our lips when our hearts are far from him The fourth Commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set time as he hath appointed in his Word expresly one whole day in seven to be a Sabbath unto the Lord. The sins against this Commandment are 1. Not preparing for it by taking care so to dispatch and dispose our worldly businesses that we may be more free and fit for the duties of the day 2. Not resting from worldly employments and servile works excepting necessary and charitable offices to men and beasts to our selves or others 3. Neglect of or a carelesse heartlesse performance of the private and publick duties that concern the sanctification of it 4. Being weary of the Sabbath not delighting in it nor the duties of it but wishing it were gone 3. Prophaning the day by Idlenesse vain thoughts worldly discourse making it a day of carnal rest of feasting jollity immoderate eating and drinking visiting a day of sports and recreations which alienate the mind more from God than the ordinary labours of our callings 6. Not taking care that those under our charge do sanctifie the day and keep it holy to the Lord but by our carelessenesse or connivance and ill example encouraging them in the prophanation of it So much of the duties commanded and sins forbidden in the first Table The second Table enjoyns the duties of Charity and Justice towards our Neighbour Against this we sin when we do not love our neighbours with such a true unfeigned love as our selves when we do not so deal with them as we desire they should deal with us The fifth Commandment requires the giving of that honour and performing those duties which belong to every one in their several places and which we mutually owe in our several relations as Inferiours Superiours Equals By Father and Mother are meant not only natural Parents but all Superiours in age and gifts and especially such as by Gods Ordinance are over us in place of authority whether in Family Church or Common-wealth The Sins of Inferiours against Superiours are 1. Not paying them due reverence in heart word and behaviour 2. The envying at contemning of or rebelling against their persons places lawful commands counsels or corrections 3 Not praying for them not imitating their Graces and vertues 4. Cursing mocking and all such scandalous and refractory carriage towards them The sins of Superiours are 1. Neglecting the duties of their respective places 2. Seeking themselves and their own Glory 3. Commanding things unlawful 4. Counselling encouraging or favouring that which is evil and discouraging that which is good 5. Undue correction 6. Dishonouring themselves and lessening their Authority either by too rigorous or too remisse a behaviour The sins of Equals are undervaluing the worth envying the gifts grieving at the advancement or prosperity or esteem one of another and usurping preheminence one over another The sixth Commandment requires all lawfull endeavours to preserve our own life and the life of others The sins against this Commandment are 1. Murder 2. Striking maiming or hurting the body of our neighbour 3. Sinful unadvised anger 4. Hatred envy desire of revenge 5. Railing reviling contumelious speeches quarrelling threatning scorning and provoking 6. Sowing strife and contention among neighbours 7. Drunkennesse surfetting uncleannesse or drawing any to those vices which are sins against the body and may bring diseases and death 8. Inordinate passions worldly grief immoderate carking and caring or whatever else tends to the destruction of the life of man The seventh Commandment requires chastity of body mind affections words and behaviour and the preservation of it in our selves and others It forbideth 1. Lodging or entertaining in our minds unclean thoughts and fancying unclean matters with delight 2. Unclean desires affections and lusts though they come not into act which is the adultery of the heart 3. Wanton looks 4. Not shutting our eares against unclean talk 5. Filthy discourse 6. All unclean acts and sinful pollutions 7. Idlenesse intemperance and pampering the body 8. Wanton immodest attiring 9. Light behaviour and society with light persons 10. Lascivious gestures revellings dancings plaies pictures amorous books songs or whatever else tends to foment the fleshly concupiscence which we ought to labour by all good means to quench and suppresse The eighth Commandment requires the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of our selves and others It forbids 1. Violent taking or withholding from our neighbour what justly belongs unto him 2. Fraudulent dealing false weights and measures over-reaching in contracts 3. Unfaithfulnesse in matters of trust 4. Covetousnesse and inordinate love of money 5. Discontent at our own estates distrust of Gods Providence 6. Not paying what we borrow and what is justly due from us if we be able 7. Exaction extortion oppression and not making restitution of ill gotten goods where there is ability The ninth Commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man and of our own and our neighbours good names especially in witnesse-bearing It forbids 1. Giving false evidence and suborning false witnesse and all forgery 2. Wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause outfacing and overbearing the truth 3. Credulity sinister suspitions rash belief a ready listning to tale-bearers receiving and countenancing ill reports that tend to the defaming of others misconstruing intentions words and actions and interpreting doubtful matters in the worst sense 4. Lying speaking untruth of any man a readinesse to speak ill and spread the faults of others when it does no way concern us nor is like to benefit others Slandering raising false rumours backbiting detracting talebearing whispering scoffing reviling rash harsh and partiall censuring and uncharitable judging 5. Speaking too highly or too meanly of our selves or others 6. Undue silence when we ought and may defend the innocency of our neighbour The tenth Commandment requires purity and integrity of thoughts desires and wishes contentment with our own estate and condition and the portion God hath given us and a right charitable well-wishing frame of spirit towards our neighbour and all that is his The sins against this Commandment are 1. Discontent with our own estate 2. Having and harbouring in our minds
evil fancies roving and ranging lusts and covetings of that which is our neighbours arising from our corrupted natures and accompanied with delight and pleasure though our wils do not consent to the accomplishing of them Before in the other Commandments the deed was condemned that was hurtful and injurious to our neighbour as also the setled will and resolved determination to act it but here evil thoughts and stirrings in the soul the first bublings of concupiscence the very desire and lust and loose hankering after any thing that is our neighbours is forbidden though there be no full consent given thereto 3. Envying and grieving at the good of our neighbour and rejoycing at his sufferings 4. All inordinate motions affections and desires of heart after any thing that is his 5. Not endeavouring to suppresse evil thoughts and the first motions to sin but favouring and entertaining them rouling them with delight in our minds not labouring to keep our hearts with all diligence and to subdue lust and concupiscence which is the root and fountain of all sin and wickednesse The sins against the Gospel are reducible to these two Heads Unbelief Impenitency Unbelief hath several degrees I. Not labouring to acquaint our selves with the History of the Gospel nor with the duties promises and priviledges thereof though it contains the best glad-tidings and of the greatest consequence to us that can be imagined II. Not assenting to it so firmly as we should but being apt to be carried about with every wind of Doctrine with any new erroneous phansie and so to have our minds corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ and to prove unsound in the Faith III. Not so loving esteeming and highly valuing of it as we should not sufficiently admiring that miracle of Divine bounty wherein the love of God was so wonderfully manifested towards us in sending his only begotten sonne into the world that we might live through him IV. Making light of Christ and undervaluing the great love of our blessed Redeemer treading under foot the Merits of the Sonne of Gâ—d and prophaning the blood of the Covenant and thereby labouring to render Christs passion of none effect not counting all things losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord not counting him all in all not rejoycing and glorying in him and him crucified by whom alone we receive atonement not esteeming his favour and loving kindnesse better than life it self V. Not living by Faith in all estates and conditions not embracing the promises of the Gospel with so much readinesse and adhering to them with so much stedfastnesse as the excellency and certainty of them does require not improving nor applying this rich treasure of Gospel-promises unto the various occasions of this temporal life not looking upon them as our Heritage and esteeming them the joy of our hearts VI. Being apt to rely on our own righteousnesse our own services or Graces and thereby endeavouring as much as in us lies to deprive Christ of his Saviourship VII Not owning Christ in all his offices not being willing to accept of him as well for our Lord as our Saviour for our Prophet to guide us as well as for our Priest to make atonement for us not being willing to be obedient to his Lawes and Precepts to be sanctified by his Grace and holy Spirit as well as to be saved by his merits this heart of unbelief does prove many times a root of apostacy and departure from the living God The second sin against the Gospel is Impenitency which hath several degrees also I. When notwithstanding God hath in some measure discovered to us our miserable and lost condition by reason of the Covenant of works which admitted of no repentance we have not yet humbled our selves in any proportion to the multitude and greatnesse of our sins though the Gospel and Covenant of Grace call us to it and require it of us as that without which we are not to expect pardon II. Not being inquisitive after our sins nor endeavouring to examine and find out our particular failings but rather to hide and excuse them III. Not being humbled and grieved for them considering the great injustice folly unkindnesse we have expressed by them IV. Not resolving and striving against them not improving advantages for the avoiding and subduing of them V. Refusing to repent though God vouchsafe time and means hardning the heart by a custome and delight in sin being prone to maintain justifie or extenuate sin And thus much of the sins against the Law and against the Gospel Upon these Heads not only sick persons but such as are in health also should examine themselves when they intend more solemnly to humble their soules before the Lord. And they may have further helps herein from Dr Wilkins's discourse concerning the gift of prayer When sick persons therefore have advanced thus far let them then in the next place ask themselves Thirdly Whether they do indeed rightly understand and firmly believe the history of the Gospel who Christ was what manner of person what were his Offices what he did and suffered for what ends and purposes he came into the world Whether they understand that he came not only to save and deliver from Hell and everlasting punishment but also to destroy sin undo the works of the Devil to crucifie and subdue our lusts mortifie our earthly members turn us from darkness to light to illuminate our mind to give repentance to work Faith to make us alive to God to enable us to serve him in righteousness and holinesse to recover Gods interest in us and to bring us back to him again And let them consider how their hearts have been affected with these things Fourthly Whether they have and how long they have in truth and sincerity applied themselves to Christ to receive from him these great and glorious benefits namely to have their pardon procured by his Merits and intercession to have a supply of all Grace from him and their natures sanctified Whether they have sought to him as to a Physitian to heal their soules and rid them of their distempers Whether they have accepted him as their Prophet to guide them as their Lord and King to govern them as well as their Priest to make atonement for them Whether they do not believe in him and trust in him groundlessely and presumptuously as carnal people do only to be delivered and freed from Hell and wrath to come without yielding up their hearts in sincere obedience to him desiring unfeignedly to be guided and governed by his holy Spirit and to be sanctified by his Grace Fifthly Whether they have received power and strength from Christ by the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit to mortifie the old man the old Adamical nature to crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts to fight with and to subdue pride earthly-mindedness sensuality self-love malice envy and other vile affections so that they
move with great agility and nimblenesse We shall not be clogg'd as now but shall be able as the Learned think to move upwards and downwards freely like a bird in the aire 3. Or Lastly Our bodies after the resurrection may be termed spiritual because they will then be more fitted and disposed for spiritual uses for the enjoyments and employments of Grace 4. Our bodies shall be made powerful They are sown in weakness but shall rise in power The power and strength that glorified bodies shall have will be wonderful In this life the eye is dazeled at the brightnesse of the Sun but then it shall be strengthened to behold glorious sights and not be dazeled at them The body shall be enabled and strengthened by God to bear that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory that shall be allotted to it 5. Unto all these glorious perfections and endowments we may add this one more the great priviledge and happiness we shall have to behâ—ld with our bodily eyes our blessed Saviour as man That we shall see our Redeemer with these eyes Job plainly testifies Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the later day upon the earth V. 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God V. 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another c. And that this sight will add much to our happinesse we need not doubt The sight of Christ as man is the next object as one saith well to the beatifical Vision Mr Calamy in his Serm at Dr Boltons Funeral For the fulnesse of the God head dwells in him bodily and doth as it were radiate through his body Hence there must needs arise much joy to the beholder both from the eminency of and our interest in this Object Christ in Glory and Christ in Glory ours As much of the Creator as is possibly visible in the Nature of man will be to be seen in Christ As much contentation as the Creature can be made partaker of by the sight of any visible Object will be the portion of the beholders of Christ as he is man See Mr. Nortons orthodox Evangelist So much for the blessedness of the Body II. The Saints in Heaven shall be blessed in their Souls Let us enquire wherein this blessednesse consists 1. The understanding being enlarg'd and widened shall have a right knowledge a clear sight and vision of God Now we see through a glasse darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 but then face to face now we know but in part but then we shall know even as we are known our knowledge of God now is very imperfect but then we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 2. The will shall be perfected with absolute and indefective holinesse with exact conformity to the will of God and perfect freedom from all servitude to sin 3. The affections shall be set right by an unalterable regularity There shall be a constant cleaving of heart to God a constant loving of him without satiety or wearinesse Here are many startings aside to the creature but in Heaven there will be an eternal fixed delight and complacency in God 4. The Soul will enjoy a full immediate uninterrupted communion with God and fruition of him Whilst we are here at home in the body we are absent from the Lord saies the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.6 Here our comforts come in by the ministry of Ordinances but there God will be all in all to us immediatly 1 Cor. 15.28 III. The Saints in Heaven shall be blessed in their Company Oh what blessed company is there in the new Jerusalem There is God and Christ and Angels and Saints How will God the Father welcome us Well done good and faithful servants enter into your Masters joy How will our Redeemer welcome us How joyful will he be to receive us who shed his blood to bring us thither How will the Holy Angels welcome us They delight in the good of men When man was created those Morning Stars sung together and those Sons of God shouted for joy Job 38.7 When Christ came to redeem man an Heavenly host of them praysed God Luke 2.13 When man is converted there is joy in Heaven among those blessed Spirits Luke 15.10 How much more rejoycing will there be when we come to be glorified Lastly How will the blessed Saints welcome us Our old acquaintance with whom we have prayed suffered familiarly conversed Memory is not abolished in Heaven as one observes but perfected Mr. Manton in his Sermon at Mrs. Blackwels Funeral Therefore those whom we knew here we shall know again A Minister shall see his Crown and the fruit of his labours 1 Thes 2.19 Those that have been relieved by us shall welcome us into Heaven who therefore are said according to some Interpreters to receive us into everlasting habitations Luke 16.9 Yea we shall know those whom we never saw Why else is it made a part of our priviledge to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Mat. 8.11 In the transfiguration Peter knew Moses and Elias dead many hundred years before So shall we as 't is more than probable know one another O what blessed company shall we converse with in the City that is above IV. And Lastly The Saints in Heaven shall be blessed in this They shall have the perpetual enjoyment of all this blessednesse secured to them without any fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it The Saints shall never put off their glorious robes after they have once put them on Their state is a sure eternal state of actual delights Though there be several degrees of glory in Heaven yet he that enjoyes the least degree is fully satisfied with what he enjoyes He desires not one degree of Glory above what he possesses What now remaines but that we presse this duty upon our selves frequently to meditate on this coelestial Glory Many great benefits will accrue to us thereby 1. This will abate our thirst after earthly things One houres serious musing on the glory that is above would cause the soul to be as a weaned child to the glory that is here below 2. It will make sufferings light Rom. 8.18 For I reckon saies the Apostle that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us 3. It will make us serious in Duties It will make us pray earnestly hear attentively walk circumspectly Serious thoughts of Heaven will make us shake off lazinesse and sloth and with fervency of Spirit to serve the Lord. 4. It will stirre us up to an earnest desire of that righteousnesse to which such a Glory appertaines and to a careful and constant performance of those commands to which such a reward is so graciously promised Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Men do but deceive themselves who think to passe immediatly from a