he slew a man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck Though the Sacrificing of Oxen and Lambs were good and commanded by God himself yet because they failed in the manner of performing them they were no more acceptable to God than the killing of men or cutting off a dogs neck which things were forbidden by the Law and abomination to the Lord. 3. Failing in the manner of performance makes God not only to reject our duties but to pronounce a woe and a curse against the performers of them Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Though it be the work of the Lord that work which the Lord appointeth to be done yet notwithstanding if it be done negligently not after a right manner cursed is he that doth it 4. It is the right manner of performing duties that obtaineth a blessing from God It may be thou hast heard much and prayed much and fasted much and yet hast found little good or benefit thereby Examine whether thou hast not been dead and dull formal and perfunctory in them doing them as if thou didst them not If so no marvail that thou hast received so little good by them As therefore thou wouldst be loth to pray in vain or hear in vain or fast in vain as thou wouldst be loth to lose the things which thou hast wrought see to it that thou be as carefull of the manner as of the matter of them how thou dost them as that thou dost them Do what thou dost with all thy soul yea and with all thy might and then thou maist expect a plentiful and gracious return For the right manner of performing good duties take these few directions I. Be sure you take Christ with you both for assistance and acceptance 1. For assistance For without me saith Christ you can do nothing That is without Union with Christ and Communion with him you cannot perform any acceptable service unto God You may fall upon the duty of prayer and attend upon the Ministry of the Word but without assistance from Christ you can neither do the one nor the other as you should Whensoever therefore you set upon any good duty in the first place beg strength and assistance from Christ and rest and lean upon him for his help go not to pray or hear but in the strength of the Lord. 2. Take Christ with you for acceptance both of your persons and services Christ is the beloved Son of God with whom he is so well pleased that likewise in him he is well pleased with all those that come to God by him and look for neither audience nor acceptance but upon his account alone The truth is as our persons are vile and wretched and all as an unclean thing so our Services even our most holy Services are all polluted and tainted with the corruption of our natures and therefore they are odious and abominable in the sight of God who may justly reject both us and them and will do it unless covered with the worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ but in him we shall not fail to obtain gracious acceptance Whensoever therefore we go unto God in prayer or in any other ordinance let us carry Christ with us in the arms of our faith Plut arch in the life of Themistocles reports that it was the usual custome of some of the Heathens namely the Molossiaâ—s that when they would seek the favour of their King they took his Son in their arms and so went unto him And questionless it would be the wisdom of Christians in seeking the face and favour of God who is the King of Heaven and of earth to take the holy Child Jesus with them without whom they may not see his face II. Stir up thy self and all thy strength put forth thy self to the uttermost strive to be lively active and stirring in Spirit Get the Spirit of faith and of power this will be oyle to the wheels and wind to the Sails which set all a going let this be wanting and thy best services will be lifeless and dead Services in which the Lord takes no delight There is a threefold strength we should labour to put forth in all our holy duties 1. Strength of Intention 2. Strength of Affections 3. Strength of Body 1. We must intend our work as if it were for our lives for so it is whether it be the work of praying hearing meditating or the like We must put forth the strength of our intention as well as of our attention not giving way either to drowsiness of body or distractions of mind But oh what light matters are apt to steal away our minds and thoughts in the performance of holy duties If one of our superiours were talking with us he would expect that we should mind what he saith and not turn aside to talk with every one that passeth by us But when God is speaking to us in the ministry of his Word or we are speaking unto him by prayer how ordinarily do we turn aside to every vain thought and trifling business which offereth it self to us Intend God more earnestly and this will fire your thoughts 2. Strength of affections is required in every good duty Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might saith the Wise man This may especially be applyed to the duties of Gods worship and service that we do them vigorously with all the strength of our affections Which the Apostle requireth where he bids us be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. The word in the Greek notes an ebullition or boyling up of our spirits to the height There is nothing in the World more unbecoming the Worship of God than flatness of spirit and coldness of affection when a man serves God as if he served him not It was Davids commendation that the zeal of Gods house did eat him up Which expression sheweth the vehemency of his zeal and strength of his affections as in reforming Gods house so in performing the duties of his Worship and service For this was Iacob honoured and called Israel because he prayed with the strength of his affections and is therefore said to wrestle with God in prayer whereby he prevailed As thou desirest to prevail with God in Prayer thou must with Iacob wrestle with him putting forth the strength of thine affections which will be a special means to keep away vain wandring thoughts So long as honey is boyling hot flies will not venture on it So if the heart and affections be boyling hot in prayer vain thoughts are not apt to enter in 3. Strength of body must likewise be put forth in every good duty For Col must be worshipped as with our spirits so with our bodies And blessed is the strength which is put forth in the service of God Carnal men are apt to lay out the strength of their bodies upon their lusts Why then should not we be as ready to
his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his Loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another How much more shall the wicked tremble and quake and their knees smite one against another for fear at the great day when they shall hear the sentence of condemnation pronounced by Jesus Christ How will they then run like men distracted to the Mountains and Hills for covert and shelter How will they then beg and yell again for mercy to a judge that is justly inexorable I say justly inexorable to them having scornfully rejected his many loving invitations and earnest beseechings by his Ministers to accept of that peace and reconciliation which he hath purchased by his blood Oh that men would consider that one tear or sigh of a penitent heart will now more prevail for attainment of mercy than all their bitter and importunate yellings in that day of Gods wrath VII After the promulgation of the sentence followeth the execution and sending of the persons judged to their everlasting estate as it is written And these shall go away into everlasting punishment So that now comes the eternal separation from Christ and possession of those torments which are easeless and endless For then shall they be hurried by the Devils as their Iaylors out of Christs presence and dragged into the bottomless lake of outer-darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone Oh the hellish cryes and horrible shrieks that then will be heard no heart can conceive or imagine what an hideous cry it will be When the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah felt the fire and brimstone falling from Heaven upon their heads And when the earth opened her mouth to swallow up Corah and his company and they saw themselves going down quick into the pit Oh the cryes which were then heard Oh the shrieks which then filled the air But alas what were these to the outcryes which will be made and to the scrieches which will be heard when the Devils and reprobate men and women shall be violently driven into Hell never never to return again For though they houl and cry to the judge for mercy and redemption pitty and compassion yet will they find no answer but too late too late Mercy and pardon and peace have been preached to thee but thou wouldst not hearken thou wouldst not accept Thy day is over the things of thy peace are hid from thine eyes henceforth no more for ever Ah sinner hadst thou now an heart to turn from thy sins unto God by true and unfaigned repentance and to pray unto him for mercy in and through the merits of Jesus Christ there were hope of mercy But at the day of judgement thy repentance and thy prayers will nothing avail The judge will not then be intreated by thee and no marvel seeing thou wouldst not hearken to him in the day of his merciful visitation But though he sent unto thee messenger after Messenger Ambassadour after Ambassadour to woe and beseech thee to abandon thy sins and to accept of him for thy Lord and Saviour yet wouldst thou not leave one beloved sin nor deny one fleshly lust for all his intreaties And therefore on that day will he not be intreated by thee notwithstanding thy manifold cryes and prayers If thou wilt not believe me hear Christs own words to this purpose Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But y e have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Ah sinner time was when he called to thee turn from thy sins cast away thy transgressions accept of grace submit to mercy be wise be happy thou maist if thou wilt but thou wouldst not but hast sold thy mercy and thy peace and thy Saviour and thy soul for thy lusts and the pleasures of sin And therefore though in thy greatest extremity thou cry unto him for mercy he will tell thee that thy day of mercy is past and gone and the day of vengeance is come wherein he will no longer entreat nor no more be entreated Ah sinner how will it then wound thy very soul to remember thy folly in neglecting thy season and refusing so great salvation How will it make thee with anguish of heart to cry out Ah silly wretch where was thine understanding to sleight such gracious invitations to preferr every base lust before the Lord of life to turn aside from him that spake unto thee from Heaven and to turn after thy companions and the pleasures of this earth to put off the turning from thy sins and making thy peace with God till it was too late Oh now would I give a World if I had it for one offer of Christ more for one Sabbath more to make my peace with God and to make sure of Christ but alas it is now too late Oh the fears and distractions the tearing of the hair and wringing of the hands the gnashing of teeth and dashing of knees the weeping and wailing the crying and roaring that this will produce especially when thou shalt consider how God every Sabbath called upon thee by his Ministers to turn from thy sins unto him but thine ear and thine heart were shut against him And how Jesus Christ was offered and tendred to thee only upon these terms that thou wouldst cast away thy sins and cast thy self into his arms and yet thou wouldst not go unto him but refusedst and rejectedst him and his grace This sad reflection of thy soul upon its own wilful folly in neglecting and outstanding thy day will be the everlasting worm that will gnaw on thy heart World without end Oh the folly and madness of all wicked men who go on securely and impenitently in their sins till they drop into hell-fire Is this thy Wisdom to sin awhile and burn for ever to laugh a while and howle for ever for a little momentary pleasure here to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Ah sinner that thou wouldst now forethink of this dreadful time and woful misery which hangs over thine head that when thou art alone thou wouldst seriously consider with thy self as the certainty and dreadfulness of this day so what thy condition is like to be that thou mightest thereby be stirred up to make out after Christ by whom thou maist escape the wrath to come Now whilest Christ is Preached to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel mercy and salvation is offered and now if ever is the time to accept it Oh therefore that now even now in this thy time and day of grace thou wouldst know the things that belong to thy peace that thou wouldst now
in reading of play-books and unprofitable pamphlets which thou mightest spend in reading the Word which is able to make thee wise unto Salvation to this end carry it about thee as Alexander did Homers Iliads for his fellow and companion in the Wars Oh that every one of us were ambitious of that commendation which Eusebius gives of St. Origen That he could repeat all the Scriptures at his fingers ends 3. Pray unto God for the change of thine heart beg of him that he would be pleased by his spirit to regenerate thee to plant his image in thy soul that thou maist become a new-creature What the Apostle Iames saith of wisdom is true of all grace If any one lack it let him ask it of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Oh therefore beseech him to open thine eyes and shew thee how sad and deplorable thy condition is so long as thou continuest in the state of unregeneracy that thou maist be truly sensible thereof that he would shew thee the excellency and necessity of a new birth that thine heart may be raised up in some earnest longing desires after the same that he would vouchsafe unto thee his Holy Spirit which may quicken thy dead soul and renew it after the Image of God in righteousness and true holiness And in thy prayers plead the promise of God to give his Spirit to those who ask him That thy Prayers for a new birth may the better speed 1. Be earnest therein Pray withall thine heart and with all thy might with the highest intention of affection If thou wouldst be a prevailing Israel thou must be a wrastling Iacob wrastle with God in prayer for it is the fervent prayer only that is effectual 2. Be unâ—â—ssant in thy Prayers as one that will take no nay nor give over till thou find the work wrought in thy soul. Be as importunate with God as the Widdow was with the unjust judge For God loveth importunity If the unjust Judge was overcome with importunity how much rather will the righteous God who is compassionately affected towards those who seek unto him Resolve with Iacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me Lord help me Lord break me humble me change and turn me I cannot turn my self Ministers cannot Ordinances cannot afflictions cannot turn me If thou wilt thou canst turn thou me and I shall be turned draw thou me and I will run after thee O suffer thy self this once to be overcome by a poor Worm I cannot be denyed I dye I am undone if thou deny me I cannot be denyed I will not be denyed I will not let thee go untill thou bless me Lord hear Lord turn me Obj. But some are apt to object and say how can I pray without the Spirit A. Put thy self upon the duty of prayer and who knoweth but thou maist soon feel and find the assistance of Gods spirit in the performance though thou findest it not in the entrance of the duty Go therefore unto God in prayer spread before him thy wretched miserable state and condition plead thy miserable necessity the dreadfulness of thy present state how much better it had been that thou hadst never been born than not to be born again And then waiting for the assistance of the Spirit be earnest and importunate with God that he would not let thee live a day longer in thine Unregenerate state least death should find thee therein and then thou perish everlastingly Obj. Some I know do question whether carnal and unregenerate men may be put upon that duty of prayer because the Scripture saith that the Sacrifice of the wicked is abomiâ—ation to the Lord and that God heareth not sinners A. 1. The Scriptures give us warrant to press carnal and unregenerate men upon the duty of Prayer For at the time when Peter told Simon Magus that he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iâ—iquity then he pressed him to pray unto God saying Repent of thy wickedâ—ess and pray unto God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee 2. We do not exhort men to pray and still hold themselves resolved to continue in their wicked and ungodly courses such prayer indeed would be an abomination but to resolve upon turning and so to go unto the Lord for his grace to assist and accept them And therefore saith Peter to Simon Magus Repent of this thy wickedness and so pray for pardon 3. The young Ravens cry for want of food and God is said to hear them Why may he not then hear the cryes and Prayers of carnal and unregenerate men especially when they pray unto him for changed and renewed hearts which prayers cannot but be agreeable to the will of God How graciously did God reward that petition of Solomon when he asked not for riches or long life but for a wise and understanding heart So may God say unto them because ye have not asked temporal blessings as health wealth or the like but a renewed heart a new birth be it according to your desires your natural carnal heart shall be changed and renewed And to thine own Prayers call in the help of other mens prayers beg of them that in their Prayers they would be mindfull of thee and of thy condition that they would be earnest with God on thy behalf that he would make thee a new creature by endowing thee with true saving sanctifying graces Thus Simon Magus begged the Prayers of the Apostles apprehending their prayers to be more prevalent than his own For it is possible that God may hear the Prayers of Iob for his friends when he will not hear them for themselves And the Iaylors Conversion is set down as the Consequent of the Apostles Prayers Not only their deliverance out of his prison but his deliverance out of the Devils prison is set down as a fruit of their prayers To thine own prayers therefore call in the help of other mens Prayers VII When either in hearing reading praying or at any other time thou feelest any motions of Gods spirit in thy soul and conscience make much of them surrender up thy self thereunto presently turn those motions into resolutions and those resolutions into endeavours Let not the motions of Gods Spirit be nipped in the bud but nourish and cherish them that they may bring forth good fruit Ah sinner as thou tendrest the good and happiness of thy precious and immortal soul slight not the motions of Gods Spirit in thee but labour to improve them to the ends for which they are sent Are they motions tending to the working in thee a loathing and abhorring of thy former sinful lusts second those motions with strong resolutions to leave and forsake them for the time to come at least so to strive against them as they may not rule and raign in thee as formerly they have done Are they motions tending to the
Chain and he cannot go one link thereof farther than he pleaseth 2 From siâ— Though the Regenerate are not freed from the in-being of sin which doth and will live in them so long as they live in this World yet are they freed both from the guilt of sin and from the power and dominion of sin 1. From the guilt of sin that is from that wrath and punishment which is due to sin so that none of our sins shall be able to condemn us For Christ as our Surety Saviour and Redeemer did bear all our sins in his body upon the tree and there offered up his life as an all sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods justice for the same So that God being fully satisfied by the death of Christ for our sins he will not nay he cannot in justice require satisfaction again from us Well therefore might the Apostle make this bold challenge who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect seeing Christ hath dyed and by his death fully satisfied Gods justice for their sins 2. From the power and dominion of sin which cometh to pass by the Spirit of Christ conveighed to them whereby their sins are in some measure mortified and subdued so that they do not rule nor raign in them as formerly Sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle and why because you are not under the Law but under grace In our unregenerate estate sin had not only possession of us but dominion over us so that we did yield a willing subjection unto the command of sin But since we are regenerated by the Spirit of God we are freed though not from the in-being yet from the dominion of sin So that though sin may tyrannize over us yet shall it not raign in us We shall not yield a free and willing obedience to the command thereof This is the great comfort of Gods Children that though sin be not removed yet it is subdued Though they oftentimes feel the workings and stirrings of corruption in them which make them to have many a sad heart and wet eye yet are they freed through Christ from the dominion of sin 3. The Regenerate are freed from the Law not only from the Ceremonial and Iudicial Law which were peculiar to the Jews and dyed with the decay of their Common-wealth but likewise from the Moral Law which concerns all men at all times in all places yet not as it is a rule of Obedience and Christian walking for so it still remains in force even to the Children of God even after their Regeneration But 1. As it was a Covenant of works or as the Covenant thereof was works We are not absolutely bound to such rigour and exactness as that required Indeed we ought to endeavor after the most perfect obedience and to be humbled for our defects and failings therein but not to despair because of them for all failings not allowed are pardoned Besides Christ our surety hath in all things fullfilled the Law and performed perfect obedience thereunto So that the strictness of the Law being fulfilled by our surety it s not expected that it should be performed by us in our own persons 2. We are freed from the Curse and condemnation of the Law Christ saith the Apostle hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us So that although we do not perform it in that exact manner and measure which it requireth yet our transgressions shall not be imputed to us to condemnation The Law may condemn the actions but not the persons of the Regenerate it hath nothing to do with them therefore the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus V. Provision of all needfull good things is another priviledge of the Regenerate who have a right to all good things through Christ and the possession of all things God seeth good for them It is observable that when God was with Israel in the Wilderness where nothing was to be had they lacked nothing It is naturally engrafted into all Parents to provide for their Children what then can they want who have God for their Father who as he is all-sufficient so a most loving Father to his Children whose love far surpasseth the love of natural Parents to their Children Art thou a Child of God by Regeneration then look up to thy Heavenly Father for a supply of all good things For can they that are evill know how to give good gifts to their Children saith our Saviour And shall not your Heavenly Father give to you the things whereof ye have need He feedeth the Fowls of the air and the Beasts of the Field and he that is carefull to provide for his Hawks and his Hounds will he suffer his Children to beg and starve who must one day be his heirs Be not then faithless but believe and say not What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed For your Heavenly Father knoweth whereof ye have need and shall relieve you VI. Acceptance of their Services though full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections Natural Parents are not more ready to accept of the weak Services performed by their Children than God is to take in good part the imperfect services of his Children How maimed and broken are our prayers many times yet coming from a broken heart they find acceptance with God Though he regardeth not the glorious works of hypocrites yet he graciously accepteth of the weak Services of his Children done in sincerity When we cannot pray with that affection and fervency as we desire yet if we set upon it with an honest and sincere heart doing it in obedience to the command of God with a desire to approve our selves unto him therein and grieving for our failings and imperfections God will overlook our failings and crown our weak endeavours with acceptance VII Protection from things hurtfull is another priviledge of the Regenerate They are here subject to manifold casualties and contingencies from which the Lord in mercy protects them keeping Watch and Ward for them Yea he is said to be a wall of fire round about his people A wall to defend them and of fire to consume those that rise up against them So that they shall not be afraid of evil tydings for their hearts are fixed trusting in the Lord. I deny not but the Children of God may be wronged oppressed spoiled of all they have and unjustly stain yet in all these shall they not be hurt for God will turn all to their good Note what David said of Shimei's cursing him The Lord will look on my affliction and requite good for his cursing this day On this ground the Hebrews took joyfully the spoyling of their goods VIII Support under all afflictions is another priviledge of the Regenerate For God is present with them in all their afflictions supporting their weakness with his might
accurately indeed for so the word in the Greek seemeth to import in its proper notion viz. A going from the bottom to the top of the rule 3. Our exact walking consisteth in a carefull avoiding all occasions of evil and temptations thereunto Having by sad experience found such and such things to have been snares and occasions of sin unto us it is our duty and will be our wisdom carefully to shun and efchew the same Especially considering that by running into temptations we tempt the Lord and provoke him to give us over to our weakness and to the power of our corruptions that so by our falls we may for the time to come be more wise and wary Every man by nature is like dry wood which is apt to kindle so soon as fire is put to it There needs not any Devils to tempt us Dry stubble will take fire without any bellows to blow it Let the least occasion that is be offered unto us how easily doth it take every spark will catch upon our tinder hearts The first sin that proved so fatal to mankind came by temptation The Devil prevailed with Eve to go and see the forbidden fruit telling her that though she might not eat it yet she might lawfully look on it and that became the occasion of her fall For from sight and view she proceeded to touch and taste to the taking in of that which proved the bane both of her and hers By the like means how sadly doth the Devil prevail upon souls daily what windows doth he make our eyes and ears to let in temptation first and then iniquity what snares doth he make of our voluptuous tables our vain and loose companions our gorgeous apparel our vain and wanton fashions even forming our hearts into the image of those vanities and leading us out to all iniquity As our Saviour therefore taught us to pray that we enter not into temptation So it will be our wisdom to see to it that our practice be according to our prayers What a mockery is it this hour to pray against temptations and the next hour to be running into them Pray against temptations and watch against them Watch against all temptations but especially such as are most taking with thee and such as have a tendency to thy bosome and best beloved sins For from them is most danger to be feared they having most strength from our natures The Devil knowing full well which are our bosome and beloved sins and most predominant lusts unto them especially and with greatest success doth he apply his temptations 4. Our exact walking consisteth in abstaining from appearances of evil as well as from apparent and direct evills As there are some things apparently evil so there are other things in shew and appearance only evil He who walks circumspectly and exactly will as carefully shun the one as the other He will not adventure upon any thing that looks like sin or that hath the least affinity with it If the thing be doubtfull whether it may or may not be done he will do that which is most safe and leave the other undone Yea though he know a thing to be lawfull in it self yet if it may prove a stumbling block in the way of another and so be an occasion of sin unto him he will carefully avoid the same Upon this account St. Paul resolved to avoid the eating of flesh though he might lawfully do it yet when it was like to be a stumbling-block to his weak Brother in regard it had an appearance of evil in it he said If meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth Upon this ground likewise the Apostles and Elders in the first general Council at Ierusalem imposed upon the Gentiles abstinence from meat offered to Idols from things strangled and from blood Not for that these meats were in themselves unclean and unlawfull but because they were apprehended to be so unto many of the Iews who were kept off from Christ because those meats in which they supposed to be such uncleanness were ordinarily eaten by the Christians Hereupon it concerns us in all our actions to be satisfied not only of the lawfullness but likewise of the expediency of them For many things in themselves may be lawfull which yet in some respect may not be expedient because they have some shew of evill in them or are lyable to some mis-construction or may be occasions of sin unto our selves or of scandal and offence unto our weak Brother or may strengthen and confirm wicked men in their ungodly courses and the like But herein this cauâ—ion is to be observed that all necessary duties commanded by God ought to be performed by us though our Brother be offended at them and though to the World they have some appearance of evil Christs Doctrines Works and Conversations were an offence to many in his dayes yet he went on therein and pronounced them blessed who were not offended in him We may not therefore shun profession of holiness and the practice of Godliness because unto Worldly men it appeareth but brain-sick peevishness and an irrational precisâ—ness But being commanded by God in his Word ought to be endeavoured after I may not wound mine own Consâ—ience to secure my Brothers 5. Our exact walking consisteth in a moderate use of lawfull things That overmuch liberty which some men have given to themselves in such things as are in their own nature lawfull hath proved great occasion of sin unto them Our Saviour seemeth to blame the men of the old World that when the Flood came upon them they were eating and drinking buying and selling planting and building Things no doubt in themselves lawfull to be done but by over using those lawfull things and setting their hearts upon them they laid aside all care of Heavenly things and increased their pride and covetousness neglecting the threatnings of a Flood and so drowned themselves in perdition The Apostle therefore tells us that they who marry must be as if they marryed not and they who buy as if they bought not and they who use this World as not abusing it There is a lawfull using the comforts of this life and an unlawfull an abusing of them We lawfully use them when we enjoy them with moderation and with subordination to spiritual grace and heavenly glory when we use all we have for God We abuse the comforts of this life when we use them too much even excessively in respect of the measure and inordinately in respect of the manner when letting out our hearts too much upon them the things which should lead us to God withdraw us from him To spend some time in honest recreations for the refreshing of our minds and strengthening our bodies is lawfull But to waste too much of our precious time in sports and pastimes making a vocation of our recreations or to give up our hearts unto our pleasure
thine heart according to that counsel of the Wise man Keep thine heart with all diligence As if he had said Above all keeping keep thine heart which is like a City lyable every moment both to outward assaults and inward commotions Not only Satan thine arch-enemy is ever watchfull for an opportunity to cast thereinto his fiery darts and sensual objects but there are also many rebellious stirrings within which spring from the fountain of original corruption over which thou must especially watch and dismiss them with loathing and detestation If vain and wanton thoughts be not stâ—fled in the conception what monstrous wickedness may they not bring forth How great a fire may these little sparks kindle 5. 〈◊〉 thy heart and affections more and more from worldly cares and pleasures which clog the soul that it cannot mount aloft As a Bird whose wings are Limed is not able to take her flight on high So the man whose heart is intangled with the cares of this life and the pleasures of sin will not be able to get above ground the wings of holy meditation will not raise it on high Yea such a carnal and earthly mind is altogether unfit for Heavenly meditation and very backward and unwilling to it What better reason can be given why many think so little of God his Word and Works or of any good thing but because their hearts are so full of the World and their affections set so much upon the same where their treasure is there will their hearts also be 6. Be often lifting up thine heart to Heaven in some spiritual ejaculations especially in the morning Such as find themselves subject to wind in their stomachs through emptiness use before they go forth to take a mornings draught And as great need is there for such as are subject to vain wanton worldly thoughts every morning to prepossess their hearts with the thoughts of God of his glorious Majesty his omnipresence and omniscience his purity justice and the like And not only mornings but throughout the day when ever thou findest vain or wicked thoughts to arise at any time within thee meet them presently with a Prayer lift up thine heart in some short ejaculatory request unto God for power and strength to keep down and suppress the same 7. Labour to spiritualize every outward occurrence by raising Heavenly meditations from the same There is not any creature thou beholdest or any thing that befalls thee but thou maist make some spiritual use and improvement thereof As the Bee sucks honey out of every flower so maist thou extract spiritual and holy thoughts from every thing thou seest and beholdest yea from all occurrences and emergencies which will be a special means to prevent the Devil and Lust and to keep out those vanities and wickednesses which otherwise would fill thine head and heart withall 8. Labour to get thine heart furnished with the knowledge of God and his word which will take up thine heart with better things and leave no room for these unclean birds As the emptiness of the stomach maketh it subject to windiness so it is the emptiness of our hearts that makes them so full of vain foolish thoughts A good man saith our Saviour out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things A good man having his heart furnished with a treasure of many precious truths bringeth forth good thoughts as well as good things When thou art walking or riding alone call to mind some spiritual subject or favoury truth whereon to meditate bring forth out of thy treasury and let thine heart be continually working upon those good things thou hast there laid up 9. So often as thou goest unto God in Prayer let one petition be for mortifying grace to conquer those sinfull Lusts and vile affections which are apt to steam up into thine head with answerable thoughts and that he would make thee more heavenly minded by working in thine heart better affections Nothing but the power of God can cure us of the vanity of our thoughts and make them such as may be acceptable unto him In regard that the best of Gods people do find a great backwardness and untowardness in themselves to the performance of this Heavenly duty I shall give you some Motives thereunto which if seriously weighed may through Gods blessing prove effectual to perswade you to be more spiritually minded I. May be taken from the possibility of the work Indeed the work is somewhat difficult yet is it possible it 's that you have power to do Though you have not that command of your affections you cannot love what you will or hate what you will or grieve when you will yet can you not think of what you will And by how much more able you are to it by so much the greater your sin is if you neglect it II. Consider the necessity of this duty The mind of man being active if it be not exercised on spiritual and holy things it will be on things earthly and carnal The truth is whosoever doth not accustome himself to fix his thoughts on God or his Word or some spiritual subject will be sure to find them taken up with things of less concernment yea of dangerous and sad consequence from which they will reap nothing but corruption and defilement By how much our minds stray from God and pitch upon other things the more will they grow into the form of the Devil They are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain III. Consider the manifold benefits which usually follow thereupon 1. God will be sure to mind them who mind him Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought on his name Not a thought of God but it is registred in his book of remembrance The more we look up unto God the more he will look down upon us for our good When thoughts of God are stirring in us God himself is not far off he will come and enter Oh how happy are those souls in whom God comes and takes up his habitation 2. A clearer apprehension of divine truths Though we hear often and read much yet if we digest not those truths we meet with by meditation we shall still continue in the dark Our knowledge at the best will be but weak and inefficacious Whereas by a frequent thinking of those truths which we hear or read we shall have a clearer apprehension of them and they will be concocted into better nourishment 3. An Heavenly conversation The mind being the fountain of actions such as the mind is such is the life and conversation If the mind be holy and Heavenly such will the life be But if the mind be carnal and unclean the conversation will be thereafter Wouldst thou have an Heavenly conversation then must thou be Heavenly minded Thoughts are the seed and
Maid-servant c. Suitable to this charge is the care and holy resolution of Ioshua in the Text I and my house will serve the Lord. Choose you whom you will serve saith he to the rest of the people I have not so much to do with that but as for me and my house I must and will look to that we will serve the Lord. Hence this first thing appears that governours of Families are to take care of the Religion and therrefore of the souls of their Families When a Child is brought forth when a Servant is brought into thine house God sayes to thee as the man in the Prophets Parable Keep this man look to this Child look to this Servant look to their souls if they miscarry or be lost through thy neglect Thy life shall go for their lives thy soul for their souls and so shall thy judgement be 2. Governours of Families have never faithfully discharged their trust till they have used all means which God hath appointed that may be for the advantage of the souls under their charge and the furtherance of them in Religion If there be any thing you might have done that you have neglected you are therein unfaithfull 3. Their joyning in Prayer with their Families is according to Gods appointment and of great advantage to souls 1. Ioynt-prayer is an ordinance of God Thus much is hinted clearly enough in that form of Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples which runs in the plural number Our Father Give us this day our daily bread And from the practice of the primitive Christians Now if Christians in general such as were not of the same Family are by Gods appointment to joyn in Prayer then much more Christians of the same family Conjunction in the same Family-relation cannot hinder or discharge from any part of Christian communion Families as well as greater assemblies should not forget their joynt-prayers 2. Conjunction in Prayer as it is Gods Ordinance so 't is of great advantage to souls The joynt prayers of the several persons in a Family are more acceptable to God and more prevalent with him than the Prayers of the same persons apart There 's the same reason for the prevalency of the joynt-prayers of Christians of the same Family as of the joynt-Prayers of Christians not of the same Family of the same City or Town or Country Now we find in Scripture from the practice of the people of God that this was their concurrent judgement that their coming together to pray would prevail more with God than their praying apart as Act. 12.12 before mentioned Many were gathered together in Maries house praying for Peter If it had been all one as to the probability of the success If the Lord had been as likely to have been prevailed with for Peters enlargment by their separate as by their joynt Prayers they would never have run that hazard as they did by their coming together They knew well enough what danger it would have been had they been taken praying Many instances might be brought of the like practice of Christians in all ages who especially in cases of great exigencies and necessities did thus assemble Whence is a clear foundation of this argument That way of Prayer which the people of God did choose and betake themselves to in cases of any special exigencies that was in their judgement the most acceptable and prevailing But joynt Prayer is such in the case of greater societies and therefore also in the less Besides joynt-prayers will be of this advantage It will be a great help to those that are less able to teach them to pray apart Governours should teach theirs to pray as Christ taught his Disciples And how should they teach them by instruction only We may learn more of the skill and Spirit of Prayer by a few instructions exemplified than by multitudes of counsels alone The Nurse teaches the Child to speak by speaking in its hearing By this Christian practice we shall suggest matter of Prayer to them put words into their mouths yea kindle desires in their hearts Who that hath any experience knows not how our affectionate enlargements and importunate pleadings and wrestlings with God in Prayer do often warm and enlarge the hearts of those that joyn with us Arg. 2. It s the will of God that Christians should take and improve all opportunities advantages and occasions of Prayer This proposition if it need proof is sufficiently evident from 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men Pray every where and Eph. 6.18 Praying alwayes with all Prayer Alwayes or as it is in the Greek on every opportunity with All Prayer with all manner of Prayer in publick in private in secret alone together as opportunity is offered and occasion requires Now have not governours of Families as such special opportunities for joynt-Prayer Their cohabitation upon which they may meet more easily and frequently than those that live at a greater distance their authority by vertue whereof they may command the attendance of their families puts opportunities into their hands And have they not also as such special occasions of joyning in Prayer there are Family-mercies which they are joyntly concerned to pray for when wanted and to acknowledge when received There are Family-afflictions and crosses which they are in common concerned to pray against there are Family sins which call for joynt-confessions and humiliations Those that have sinned together or suffer together or are sharers in the same common mercies ought also to joyn together in the same confessions petitions and thanksgivings Arg 3. From the example of Christ who not only taught his Family to Pray but pray'd with them His Disciples were his Family The Passeover was to be eaten by the several Families apart a Lamb for a Family And if you would know who were Christs Family enquire with whom he are the Passoâ—ver these are his â—isciples and with these he prayed As he was alone praying his Disciples were with him But how was he alone when his Disciplâ—s were wiâ—h hâ—m the meaning only is he was withdrawn from the multitude he and his Disciples were privately together and with them he prayes Now to gather up all together If the example of Christ be obliging to his followers if governours of Families have opportunities and occasions of joyning in Prayer with them and it be the will of God that they take and improve all opportunities and occasions if governours of Families be intrusted with the souls of their Families and this trust cannot be discharged where this exercise is neglected then must it be acknowledged that it is a duty incumbent on them from the Lord and that they sin against God who make no conscience of it To what hath been said let me farther add these two things 1. Consider the manifold benefits which usually follow and accompany this duty of Family-prayer 1. It is a sanctifying Ordinance thereby the Husband is sanctified to the wife and the wife
to the husband so that they prove blessings and comforts each to other Children likewise are blessed and sanctified to their Parents and Servants to their Masters Yea Family-prayer produceth Gods blessing upon their callings and enjoyments upon their losses and crosses both are thereby blessed and sanctified unto them 2. Family-prayer as it is a sanctifying ordinance so it is a seasoning ordinance it seasons the whole house with the fear of God It is recorded of Cornelius that he was a devout man one that feared God with all his house who prayed to God alwayes his constant course of praying with his Family questionless did season his whole house with the fear of God As Prayer-less Families are for the most part destitute of the fear of God so in those Families where a constant course of Praying is kept up there the hearts of many are seasoned with the true fear of God As Abraham was a Praying-master so he had praying-servants For inferiours are very apt to write after the Copy of their Superiours and to follow their example Thus by a praying Master Children and Servants are taught to Pray 3. Family-prayer is a special preservative against common calamities Polanus in his Syntagm relateth how in the year 1584. there was such a terrible Earth-quake that overthrew all the houses in a whole Town in Switzerland save one wherein the Master of the Family was at the same time praying with his Wife Children and Servants If God doth not preserve praying-families from those common judgements and calamities which befall others yet he will so sanctifie those calamities unto them that they shall turn to their good according to that gracious promise All things shall work together for good to them that love God V. Consider the manifold mischiefs that usually sollow and accompany the neglect of Family-prayer As 1. Neglect of Family-prayer is usually accompanied with the neglect of all other Religious duties which is found true by sad experience For whoever heard that the Scriptures were read or Catechising used in any Family where Prayer was omitted So that Prayer-less houses are as Sepulchres wherein all Religion lyes buried 2. Neglect of Family-prayer exposâ—th the whole houshold to the wrath and fury of God as the Prophet Ieremiah implyeth where he saith Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy name Where by the fury of God is meant his wrath in the highest degree his anger boyled up to the height Oh who can abide this scalding wrath And by pouring out Gods fury is meant Gods inflicting his fierce wrath in the greatest measure in the highest degree The words though they are set down in the form of a Prayer yet they are a prediction as well as a petition of Gods dreadfull wrath and fury to be undoubtedly inflicted upon all Prayerless-families For the Prophet put up this Prayer unto God as foreseeing the certain ruin and destruction of such Families as called not upon the name of the Lord He knew that God would assuredly pour out his fury upon their Families who did not pour out their souls unto him Oh that all Masters and Governours would seriously think and meditate on this fearfull imprecation of the Prophet against all Prayerless-families that so they might dread the omission of so necessary a duty as much as the scorching wrath and fury of God yea as the scorching fire of hell for what is hell it self but the feeling of this wrath and fury of God I shall close this with answering three Questions and as many Objections 1. Q. How often should we Pray with our Families A. 1. Every day For first our Saviour hath intimated so much unto us in his plat-form of Prayer by teaching us to Pray for our daily bread in these words Give us this day our daily bread that is bread needfull for the present day And in regard we daily stand in need of bread therefore our Saviour would have us pray daily for the same 2. Have you not daily wants to be supplyed wants for your selves and wants for your Children and Servants Have you not daily infirmities in your Family to be healed Are you not daily subject to dangers and temptations And do you not daily sin against God Is it not necessary then that you daily Pray unto God for the supply of all your wants for the healing of all your infirmities for the preventing of the dangers you are daily subject unto for the strengthning you against all your temptations for the pardoning of all your sins Surely our daily wants our daily infirmities our daily dangers our daily temptations and our daily sins do all call upon us for daily prayers And as you and yours daily partake of Gods mercies is it not just and equal that you all should daily bless God for the same The truth is every day supplyeth new matter both of Prayer and praise and therefore there is just cause daily to offer up our Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto God 2. Q. How oft in each day are we bound to pray with our Families A. Family-prayer ought to be performed twice at least viz. In the Morning and in the Evening 1. For first this is commended unto us by the Morning and Evening Sacrifice under the Law which we find given in command unto the Jews And are not Christians under the Gospel as well as those under the Law obliged to offer up their Morning and Evening Sacrifice 2. Equity requireth this duty at your hands as the mercies of God are renewed upon you and yours every Morning and the showres of his compassion fall down upon you every night so you should not forget to offer up both a Morning and an Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and praise unto him who is so continually mindfull of you 3. Q. What time in the Morning and Evening is fittest for the performance of Family-prayer A. For this no certain rule can be prescribed in regard of the several occasions which may fall out in a Family and by reason of age sickness and the like in the Governours thereof Yet it were to be wished that the Morning Sacrifice if possibly may be betimes in the Morning before Servants go about the works of their calling as being the fittest time for holy exercises when the Spirits are freshest and freest from Wordly thoughts and distractions And it were to be wished that the Evening Sacrifice may be before Supper in regard that afterwards we are generally more heavy and sleepy and will find it more difficult to keep up our hearts and spirits in the duty Having thus resolved the Questions come we now to the Objections raised against the duty of family-Family-prayer CHAP. VI. Objections against family-Family-prayer Answered 1. Obj. SOme Object their inability to pray they know not how to perform the duty A. 1. Let the sense of thine own weakness drive thee unto God for power and strength Beg
A WORD to SINNERS And a WORD to SAINTS The Former tending to the awakening the Consciences of secure Sinners unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadfull condition they are in so long as they live in their Natural and Unregenerate Estate The Latter tending to the directing and perswading of the Godly and Regenerate unto several singular Duties As also a Word to Housholders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their Families from Ioshuah's resolution Josh. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the Use and Benefit of the Inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish London By Tho. Gouge Late Pastor thereof LONDON Printed for George Sawbridge living on Clerkenwell-Green 1668. To my dearly beloved Friends the Inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish London Beloved Friends TO further the salvation of mens souls as it is a most excellent work so it ought to be the study and endeavour both of every Christian in his place and calling and especially of the Ministers of the Gospel whose office and function calls upon them more importunately to labour therein Now since Regeneration is absolutely necessary to Salvation and that there can be no entrance into the new Ierusalem without a new birth I have according to that ability which the Lord hath given me set forth in this small Treatise the nature and necessity of Regeneration together with the Means on your part to be performed for the better attaining thereunto Most of these truths have been Preached in your hearing and now they are presented to your sight that thereby you may be put in remembrance of them and more thorowly affected with them Though I cease to be your Minister yet I shall not cease to do what in me lyeth to further your eternal happiness It was my hearty desire of your everlasting welfare that first put me upon Preaching on this Subject and the like desire hath ingaged me to present the same to your view Herein have I set before you Heaven and Hell Happiness and Misery Oh that you would be so wise as to choose Heaven rather than Hell Happiness rather than Misery That I should adventure these Notes into the World is not out of any conceit that there is any thing extraordinary in them being Conscious to my self of much Weakness but meerly out of that strong affection I bear to your souls welfare For my hearts desire for you is that you may be saved And will the Lord but bless this small Treatise to the Regeneration or Edification of any of your Souls I have the end of all my pains and cost Avoiding all affectation of Words I have used plainness of speech it being alwayes my chief design in the whole course of my Ministry to affect the Hearts and Consciences of my Hearers rather than to tickle their Ears and please their Phansie That I may not detain you longer I shall close this Epistle with three requests unto you 1. That you kindly accept of this small Book which treats on a subject so necessary to your everlasting happiness 2. That you would be pleased as to peruse it your selves so to take some time to read it to your Families If you cannot find leisure on the week dayes than to read some part thereof on each Lords day till you have read it through 3. That you would not lock it up in your closets but suffer it to lye in your houses where your Children and Servants may peruse it as they find opportunity Who knoweth how successfull and fruitful this plain Treatise may prove if the Lord shall be pleased to accompany it with his blessing That the Lord therefore would so bless these my poor and weak endeavours that such as are yet in their natural state may be converted that Converts may be improved and built up in that grace wherein they stand is the unfeigned desire and hearty Prayer of Your Servant in the Work of the Gospel who hath been and still is desirous of your Spiritual welfare Tho. Gouge THE CONTENTS THE Exposition of the first verse Page 1. The Observation thence raised The greatest of sinners are oftentimes received to mercy 3. The Exposition of the second verse 4. The Observation thence raised True faith may be exceeding weak ibid. The Exposition of the third verse wherein Christ declareth to Nicodemus the Necessity of Regeneration 7. The Observations thence raised 1. Christ is ready to entertain those that in truth and uprightness seek unto him though their weakness and infirmities be many 8. 2. Regeneration is necessary to Salvation 15. For the Explication of which point is shewed 1. The Nature of Regeneration what it is 16. 2. The Parts of Regeneration 19. 1. Mortification ib. 2. Vivification 20. 3. The causes which concurr to the work of Regeneration which are four 21. 1. The Efficient 2. The Material 3. The Formal 4. The Final 22. The Reasons proving Regeneration necessary to Salvation 23. Vse of Exhortation 1. To the Vnregenerate 2. To the Regenerate 28. 1. To the Vnregenerate that they earnestly desire and industriously labour after a saving change in the use of all means God hath sanctified thereunto ib. Quickning Motives thereunto drawn 1. From the Excellency of Regeneration 29. 2. From the Vtility of Regeneration 30. 3. From the Necessity of Regeneration 31. The Means to be performed for the better attaining thereunto brought to two heads 1. The Embracing some truths 2. The Practising some duties The Truths to be Embraced are these 1. That every man in his state of unregeneracy is in a miserable estate and dreadfull condition 33. 2. That there is hope of mercy for the greatest sinners ib. The miseries of the Unregenerate in this life 34. 1. They are Servants to their Lusts. ib. 2. They are slaves to the Devil 35. 3. They are under the curse of God which continually hangeth over their heads 36. 4. They are under the guilt of all their sins 37. 5. They are lyable to all sorts of Iudgements viz. Temporal Spiritual and Eternal 38. The miserable condition of the Vnregenerate at their deaths in several particulars 39. The dreadful estate of the Vnregenerate after their deaths in several particulars 47. Of the particular Iudgement that immediately followeth after death 48. Of the General Iudgement at the end of the World 49. The Person who shall be the Iudge 51. The Manner of Christs coming to Iudgement which will be As in great Glory and Majesty 53. So in great terrour to the wicked and impenitent 54. The Order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement 56. The dolefull condition of the Vngenerate after the Day of Iudgement which in general is most cursed 72. That Cursed estate is manifest 1. By privation of all felicity ib. 2. By subjection to all misery 73. Which misery is set out I. By sundry resemblances as 1. Darkness yea outer Darkness 76. 2. Torment which is the extremity of pain 77. 3. Fire
Observ. Miracles cannot be wrought but by divine power For miracles alter the order and course of nature which none can do but he which hath appointed and set that order namely God I will not insist on this that I may hasten to that which I mainly intend in this Treatise CHAP. II. The Exposition and Observations arising out of verse 3. IN verse 3. follows Christs answer to Nicodemus which is continued to verse 22. In which Christ first declareth the necessity of Regeneration in these words Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot sâ—e the Kingdom of God Before we come to the substance of Christs discourse observe we his manner of entertaining Nicodemus You have heard from the foregoing verses that Nicodemus was both a Pharisee and a Ruler both which sorts of men most of all opposed Christ. And you have heard of his weakness how through fear and shame he went to Christ by night being loth to be seen with him Yet Christ reâ—ects him not but kindly entertains him and instructs him in such points whereof he was ignorant though they were fundamental points necessary to salvation Whence we may observe Observ. Christ is ready to entertain those that in truth and uprightness seek unto him though their weaknesses and inâ—â—rmities are many He rejecteth not such as are weak in faith for their weakness We read in the History of the Gospel that when Christ lived upon the earth he rejected none who came unto him in uprightness of heart Some indeed went away of themselves but he turned away none Only he seemed once not to regard the Woman of Canaan But why Surely not out of any purpose or intent to reject her or turn her away but only to make known the greatness and strength of her faith For in the close Christ saith unto her O Woman great is thy Faith And can any imagine that now Christ is in Heaven he hath not the same bowels of compassion towards those that come unto him which he had when he was upon the earth Questionless though he be there free from passion yet not from compassion towards weak believers That which was long before Phrophesied of him by Isaiah ever was and will be found true in him namely A bruised reed shall he not break and the smoaking flax shall be not quench that is He shall not deal roughly and rigorously with weak Christians such as are weak in grace but mildly and gently For the end of Christs coming was to seek and save that which was lost And can we imagine that Christ who seeketh after those who go away from him will reject any who do in truth seek after him Yea Christ is naturally very merciful and tender as he hath beams of Majesty so likewise bowels of mercy pitty and compassion His tenderness over weak Christians is set forth in Scripture by a Mothers compassion over her sucking child the Son of her Womb and by a fathers pittying his children So that I may upon good ground conclude that Christ will not cast away or reject such as are weak in faith because but children but most willingly and readily embrace them because Children What encouragement should this be unto all poor believers how weak soever their faith is to go unto Christ as for the strengthning their weak faith so for the subduing their strong lusts and for the reviving their drooping souls For your further encouragement you have Christs gracious invitation come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Hath he bid thee come and will he reject thee when thou comest Hath he called come ye holy ones come ye righteous ones come ye strong ones and you only shall have rest Hath he not invited the weak and the weary also the drooping and fainting soul Go poor weak soul go unto Christ behold he calleth thee go unto him and thou mayst expect thy cure Questionless one special reason why Christ shewed himself so willing and ready to hearken unto the cry of those who came unto him for the cure of their bodily distempers when he was upon the earth and to heal the same was to stir us up to go unto him for the healing of all our spiritual maladies and diseases For Christ came not into the world to heal bodies but souls And therefore when the name Iesus was given him the reason is said to be this Because he shall save his people from their sins Not their bodies from sicknesses but their souls from sins Art thou bound under any spiritual infirmities Do as those sick and diseased persons did when Christ was upon the earth who are said to go unto him in faith believing he was both able and willing to cure them whereby they drew vertue from him for their healing Art thou troubled for the weakness of thy faith complaining thou hast no assurance of thine interest in Christ no assurance of the pardon of thy sins Go unto Christ by prayer for encrease of faith believing that he is as able so willing to strengthen thy weak faith And fear not thou shalt find such measure of strength added to thee as Christ seeth best and as shall be sufficient for thee Art thou sensible of the working and stirring of corruption in thee fearing lest it should get dominion over thee Lay hold on that promise Sin shall not have dominion over you And in confidence of his faithfulness that spake it apply thy self to Christ by prayer for his making good that good word to thee and then stand still and see the salvation of God Lust as strong as 't is will not be able to stand before the prayer of faith only be carefull that when thou hast made thy Prayer thou set a watch Art thou assaulted with the temptations of Satan and fearest that he may get the victory over thee Go unto Christ by prayer for strength and support against them believing there is as a power in Christ so a willingness in him to succour and strengthen thee and thou shalt be sure to find if not deliverance from temptations yet grace sufficient to resist them and power to overcome them Lastly Art thou troubled with an hard and obdurate heart with a filthy and unclean heart with a worldly and covetous heart with a proud and barren heart Go unto Christ by prayer believing there is as a power so a willingness in him to mollifie thine hard and obdurate heart to purifie thy filthy and unclean heart to spiritualize thy worldly and covetous heart to humble thy proud heart to make fruitfull thy barren heart And doubt nor but thou shalt find thine hard and obdurate heart in some measure softned thy filthy and unclean heart in some measure purified thy worldly and covetous heart in some measure spiritualized thy proud heart in some measure humbled and thy barren heart in some measure made fruitfull And certainly one
a beginning to be perfectly holy hereafter and not initially holy here to live with God in glory hereafter and yet here live and lye in thy filthiness and uncleanness Canst thou expect hereafter to live in the everlasting love of God and yet here have no true love to him at all Canst thou expect hereafter fulness of delight in the presence of God and yet here have no delight in him at all But takest thy whole delight either in satisfying thy covetous humour by heaping up riches or in gratifying thy sinfull lusts and affections by yielding to the solicitations of the flesh Be not deceived as I said before so I must say it again Grace is a necessary beginning of glory As sin is death begun and hell begun so is grace the first fruits of life and glory And as certain as it is that he shall never find an hell hereafter who is purged from his sins here so undoubtedly certain is it that he shall never come into the divine presence hereafter who is not here made partaker of the divine nature he shall never enter into the Kingdom of glory who is not first born into the Kingdom of grace Be a convert in this World or thou wilt be a reprobate in the other World Thou mayest as well expect a birth where there hath been nothing formed in the Womb a Noon-tide where there hath been no dawning as ever look to see the day-light of glory who hast never known the morning of grace Reas. 4. From that corruption of mans Nature in which he is brought into the World For our first Parents having by their fall defaced that image of God in which they were at first created and being thereupon corrupted and polluted in every power of their soul and part of their body all that come from them are in like manner corrupted and polluted an unclean off-spring from unclean progenitors For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one as Iob speaketh And saith our Saviour That which is born of the flesh is flesh that is Every one that is born of man every mothers Child is carnal and corrupt every man by his first birth is polluted and unclean Now no unclean person can enter into Gods Kingdom Believe it Sinner God will never take thee from the dunghill reeking in thy Lusts and set thee down by him in the Throne The holy land was never intended for a Sepulchre to bury the dead in to be filled with filth and rottenness it 's no den for Dragons nor nest for Serpents and Vipers nor was ever designed to be peopled with Dogs and Swine Without shall be Dogs Corruption shall not inherit incorruption nor shall flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God Bastards may not inherit Thou must first be a child and have the spirit of a child in thee and then thou art an heir an heir of God and a joynt heir with Christ. Reas. 5. From the holiness of Gods nature which is such that no unclean person can stand in his presence The Prophet Habbakkuk sets him forth to be of purer eyes than to behold evil neither can be look on iniquity And saith the Psalmist Evill shall not dwell with thee neither shall the foolish stand in thy sight Where by the foolish may be meant the wicked and profane as it is often taken in Scripture wicked men are fools and such shall not stand in the sight and presence of God There is a contrariety between the holy nature of God and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men And therefore what communion can there be between them Between an holy God and unholy creatures Between a pure God and impure creatures Surely none at all So much the Apostle expresseth where he saith what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness Or the righteous God with unrighteous men What communion hath light with darkness which interrogation implyeth a strong negation Believe it sinners if ever you look to enjoy communion with God in glory you must have union with him in grace you must here be regenerate and become new creatures yea holy as he is holy that you may be such as he may dwell withall and delight in For as the Apostle speaketh Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. He shall be so far from enjoying the presence of God that he shall not so much as see him Lev. 10.3 Saith Moses to Aaron God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him that is that draw near unto him in any of his Ordinances Now to the sanctifying God in his Ordinances there is required 1. That his Nature be renewed and sanctified An unsanctified heart cannot sanctifie God Gather my Saints together unto me 2. That he have holy and awfull apprehensions of God God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be bad in reverence of all them that are about him 3. That he bring holy affections Every ordinance of God as it requires our affections to be employed and exercised in it so holy affections such affections as do arise from an holy heart and are suitable to an holy God Now can carnal men thus sanctifie God they pollute and profane his holy name they cannot sanctifie it Can they not sanctifie God and can they be accepted of God or find any pleasure in his presence If God be not sanctified in them he will be sanctified upon them his wrath will break forth upon them so far shall they be from enjoying any comfortable communion with him Now if such sanctity and holiness be necessary in those who draw near unto him in his ordinances How much more to the enjoying immediate communion with him in Heaven will not God meet thee at a prayer and will he suffer thee to meet him in Paradise will he not let thee see his face at his Table and will he let thee sit down with him in his Kingdom Maist thou not come into his Courts and shalt thou enter into the holy of holies Was the man without a wedding garment thrust out from his presence here below and shall he be received into his mansion above How can these things be CHAP. VI. An Vse of Exhortation to endeavour after Regeneration with quickning Motives thereunto HAving thus done with the Explication and Confirmation of the point Come we now to the use and Application thereof I. The first may be an use of Exhortation both to the unregenerate and to the Regenerate First to the unregenerate Is Regeneration absolutely necessary to Salvation Oh then how doth it concern you who are yet in your sins and under the power of corrupt nature earnestly to desire and industriously to labour after this saving change in the use of all meaâ—s God hath sanctified thereunto Let yâ—â—r outward condition be what it will be ye never so rich never so honourable yet far be it from you to sit down satisfied
ever did or will do in his humane nature He will therefore in doing it be arâ—â—yed with as much glory and Majesty as his humane nature is capable of and therefore the Apostle calls it the glorious appearing Q. If you ask wherein the glory of Christ shall appear A. His face shall shine as the Sun Bright clouds as a Canopy shall be over him A loud sound of a Trumpet shall be heard before him He shall sit on a glorious Throne He shall be attended with all the glorious Angels who are ready to do him service in this judgement These are present as so many Sheriffs and other officers attending on the Judge of that great assize If it be so terrible to guilty prisoners to behold an earthly judge in his scarlet Robes attended upon with the Iustices and Sheriff and other Officers Oh how fearful and terrible will the sight of this Judge be manifesting himself from Heaven with such a mighty host and glorious array of Angels certainly no tongue can express no heart can conceive that terrour of soul and horrour of conscience that fear and amazement which will seize upon thee when thou shalt see Christ in his glory sitting upon his Throne 2. As Christ will come in great glory so in great terrour For he shall come in flaming fire Yea the terrour of Christs coming to Judgement is noted in this that thereupon the very Sea shall quake and tremble and in its kind cry out and roar making a most dolefull and dreadful noyse Oh what shall become of the roaring Boys of the earth when all their rude roarings and rufflings and rantings on their Ale-bench shall be drowned and swallowed up of this terrible roaring of the Seas oh then what shall become of swearers drunkards whore-masters and such like in that dreadfull day Surely they will seek to creep into an auger-hole to hide their heads and will cry out in the bitterness of their souls Woe and alas that ever we were born surely it had been better for us if our Mothers wombs had been our graves and that we had never seen the Sun When Foelix heard Paul preach of this Iudgement-day and the terribleness thereof the text noteth that he trembled And sinner dost not thou tremble who goest on impenitently in thy wicked and ungodly courses in thy lying swearing drinking whoring Sabbath-breaking and other like abominations Ah sinner either thou knowest not or thinkest not as thou shouldst of this dreadfull and terrible day And therefore it is that thou goest on in the career of thy lusts giving thy self up to the gratifying thy sinfull affections and satisfying thine own hearts desire Oh that thou wouldst seriously weigh that advice of the Wise man Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes As if he had said Ah young man do what thou pleasest take thy fill of pleasure satisfie thy Lusâ—s deny not thy self any thing that heart can wish which expressions are to be taken as spoken ironically by way of derision as appeareth by the following words But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement as if he had said Though thou put from thee the thought of death and of judgement yet assure thy self that for thy mispent youth and for all thy sinfull lusts dye thou must thou knowest not how soon and after death thou shalt be brought before Gods Tribunal there to receive the just reward of all thy sins A serious consideration whereof would be an excellent means to abate the heat of lust and cause the hearts of young men to tremble at the thought of that great and terrible day when Christ shall come to judgement in glory and great Majesty with his mighty Angels in flaming fire CHAP. X. Sheweth the order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement IV. FOr the order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement at the last day I. There will be a Citation of all both dead and living men with the Devils to come to Judgement We must all appear saith the Apostle All without exception of any must make their appearance high and low rich and poor King and beggar male and female Oh what a great day will that be when the whole world shall be cited and summoned to appear together at once Q. If you ask how they shall be summoned A. By a shout from Heaven and the sound of a Trumpet which shall alarm this sleeping earth and at which Hell shall shake all graves shall open and yield up their prisoners which they have fast kept in the chains of death from all ages since the beginning of the World Yea the Sea shall give up her dead which are in it A dreadfull summons it will be unto all the wicked and ungodly whom this sudden noise will no less astonish than confound We read that when the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai for the delivery of the Law with the sound of a Trumpet the people of Israel quaked and trembled Oh then how will the wicked and ungodly quake and tremble when the Lord Christ shall descend from Heaven with the sound of a Trumpet to punish the transgressours of that Law II. Upon this Citation and summons there will be a resurrection from the dead and such a change of the living as if they had been a long time dead and were raised to life again And as the graves shall then give up their dead bodies so hell shall give up her living souls which shall enter into their old Carcases to receive a greater condemnation Oh what woful salutations will there be between that body and soul which living together in the height of iniquity must now be reunited to suffer the fulness of their misery III. After the resurrection follows a Collection and gathering together of all men and Devils in the World but with this difference The Elect being gathered together by Angels shall with great joy be caught up into the air to meet the Lord. But the reprobate together with the Devils and his Angels shall with extream horrour and confusion be drawn and dragg'd into his presence Ah sinner What terrour and amazement will then seize upon thee when like a malefactor thou art brought against thy will before the Judgement-seat of Christ IV. After this follows a separation of the good from the bad of the elect from the reprobate For Christ at the first appearing of all before his JudgementSâ—at to testifie his gracious favour and good respect to believers separates them from others and sets them on his right hand as a flock of sheep whom he intends to take for his own And then will he set the wicked and unbelievers on his left hand to testifie as his rejecting them so his purpose to pass a terrible doom upon them as himself expresseth Mat. 25.32
in the fire So shall the wicked live for ever in the fire of hell Though they seek for death yet they shall not find it though they be alwayes burning yet they shall not be consumed though they be alwayes gnawed upon by the Worm of Conscience yet they shall never be devoured Which makes the misery of the damned in hell most exquisitely miserable Men in misery comfort themselves with hope of an end The Prisoner with hope of Goal-delivery the Apprentice with hope of a freedom and liberty the Gally-slave with hope of a ransome only the poor wretches in hell have no hope of freedom and liberty at all they are as far from an end of their torments as at their first beginning and entrance thereinto If there might be any end of their torments though it should be after so many millions of years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore or Stars in the Firmament it would be some comfort to those who endure them But Eternity is the very hell of hells and that which most of all breaks the very hearts of the damned The present sense of pain being not so grievous to the damned as it is to think that after thousands yea thousand thousands of years they shall be as far either from end or from ease as they were the first hour of their falling into it Surely if to a man tormented with the gout stone or collick one night seemeth exceeding long Oh how long do you think eternity that night which shall never know morning will seem to those who shall lye tormented and roaring in a bed of flame with wicked fiends and Devils about them daily and hourly adding to their torment If one short nights pain be so tedious and grievous what will that eternal night be Ah sinner thou art not now able to endure the sudden scorch of a fire nor to hold one of thy fingers over the flame of a Candle for a quarter of an hour How wilt thou then endure to lye in a fiery flaming Furnace not only an hour or a day but years yea millions of years Some have thus represented the eternity of hell-torments Suppose say they that all the vast space which is between Heaven and Earth were filled with Sands and God should command an Angel once in every thousand years to fetch away one small grain what an innumerable number of years would be spent before all those sands would be fetcht away yet shalt thou abide thus long in hell-fire and when they are expired continue as long again and again and a thousand times told for Eternity knows no beginning no middle no end but after a thousand thousand millions of years there are still as many more to come and when these many more are come and gone thy torments are as far from the last as they were at the first What heart can think of these things without horrour and amazement Suppose that for some high-treason against the Kings-person thou wert condemned to be cast into a fiery flaming Furnace or Caldron of boyling lead and there to continue a thousand years how sad would thy condition be yet this were a mercy to hell-torments For after thou hast layn ten thousand thousand years in a Furnace of fire kept up in the highest flame by the breath of Gods wrath there is full as much behind as there was on thy first-day Thou sinnedst in thine eternity and therefore must suffer in Gods eternity Thou sinnedst against an infinite God despising his infinite grace and mercy and the infinite merits of Christ and wouldst have drawn out thy sin to the length of eternity and therefore must suffer an infinite eternal punishment Thou never heartily repentedst of thy sins and therefore God will never repent him of thy sufferings This is the day of Gods-long-suffering and that will be the day of thy long-suffering when thou shalt suffer long for thine abusing the long-suffering of God Ah sinner sinner what stupidity hath seised on thee that thou shoulst be lyable to eternal torments in hell and yet live as carelesly and prophanely as if it did no way at all concern thee Know for certain that though thou dost not as yet feel these torments yet thou art every moment subject and hasting thereunto A cloud of fire and brimstone hangeth over thine head and the Lord knoweth how suddenly it may fall upon thee It is certainly decreed in Heaven that if thou turn not here from thy sins unto God by true and unfaigned repentance and turn over a new leaf leading a new course of life thou shalt lye in a lake of brimstone to all eternity and thou knowest not how soon God may seal the warrant for thine execution Oh sinner that I could prevail with thee once a day to steep thy thoughts in a serious meditation of the Eternity of hell-torments Certainly it would abate the heat of thy lusts and take off the edge of thy love to thy most pleasing vanities and stop thee in the eager pursuit of thy carnal pleasures For wouldst thou be content to run the hazard of such torments for thy present ease of such plagues for thy present pleasures of such thick darkness for the light of thine own sparks of such an Eternity for a few jocund hours Oh when wilt thou awake from this folly Thou who now givest thy self up to the gratifying of thy sinfull lusts to the satisfying of thy brurish pleasures who art sowing daily to the flesh sowing oaths and curses and lyes and adulteries c. without considering what a bitter harvest thou shalt have after such a black seed-time should I but ask thee how much pleasure thou wouldst take to lye but one day in such a burning Furnace as Nebuchadnezzars was after it was heated seven times more for the three Children I dare boldly say thou wouldst not lye therein one quarter of an hour for all the pleasures and riches in the World How is it then that for a little pleasure which endureth but for a moment thou dost so little regard the lying in the Furnace of hell-fire to all eternity In the fear of God therefore often think as of the extremity so of the eternity of hell-torments Me-thinks the very thought thereof should forthwith call off the drunkard from following the Ale-house with his vain companions and the swearer from taking the name of God so often in vain and the voluptuous person from his sensual delights and wanton dalliances and the worldling from his immoderate seeking after earthly riches and treasures and cause every of them out of hand to set upon another and a wiser course to mind the good of their immortal souls and bethink themselves in earnest how they might escape the wrath to come to cast away sin to cry after mercy to run over to Jesus Christ with their tongues with their eyes with their hearts full of prayers Lord save me or I perish Lord teach me what I must do to be saved Lord pardon me
worketh faith to close with Jesus Christ. For untill thou beest truly humbled under a sense and apprehension of thy sins and misery it is not possible thou shouldst heartily desire Christ much less cordially embrace him as thy Saviour and redeemer Oh therefore labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified to get thine heart kindly humbled and broken for thy sins To this end 1. Look back into thy life and call to mind as many of thy sins as possibly thou canst the sins of thy youth as well as of thy riper years thy sins of omission as well as thy sins of commission yea the sins of thy holy services Especially call to mind the greatest and grossest of thy sins though they were committed long ago Thus did the Prodigal begin his humiliation and repentance by a serious examination of his former course of life calling to remembrance his departure from such a gracious Father his own wandrings in the wayes of wickedness in which he had lost himself and then as the text noteth He arose and came to his Father and with tears said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son To acknowledge thy self in the general to be a sinner works but a formal kind of repentance and humiliation if any at all But if thou wouldst be truly humbled thou must descend to thy special and particular sins saying this evil have I done and that good have I left undone 2. Consider together with the number the hainousness of thy sins To this end call to mind the aggravating circumstances of them as how thou hast sinned against the motions of Gods Spirit the admonitions of his Ministers the checks of thine own conscience against the light of nature against the patience and long-suffering of God which should have led thee to repentance 3. Seriously consider the fearful threatnings against sin and sinners which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and apply them to thy self reasoning thus If the least transgression of the Law deserveth the curse of God yea all judgements and plagues here and eternal condemnation hereafter then how many curses and plagues what and how great condemnation have I deserved who have committed sins innumerable for number and hainous in their quality And withall consider the truth and faithfulness of God in making good his threatnings as well as his promises 4. Beg this great Mercy of an humbled heart from God For it is he who must strike our stony hearts these hard Rocks of ours before they can yield any water of true repentance it is he who must pour out of the spirit of grace upon our hard hearts before we can pour out any penitent tears or lament as we ought for our sins It is he that must thaw our frozen hearts before they can dissolve into kindly sorrow To him therefore alone thou must go for this great work of humiliation And that thy prayers may be the more prevalent 1. Confess unto God the hardness of thine heart how it is grown to such an adamantine hardness that neither the thundrings nor threatnings of the Law nor the sweet showers the promises of the Gospel can make it relent or dissolve Confess unto God that Though thou hast broken his holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times yet the consideration thereof hath not broken thine heart Oh this rock this rock when shall it be pierced Oh this hard heart I cannot break it I would melt I would mourn but cannot I can mourn for a lost friend for a lost estate but I cannot mourn for a lost soul. Oh what groanings and sighings and lamentations will afflictions press out of me but my sins my sins how little do they move me The pains of my body I can feel and roar under but O what a stock am I under the plague of my heart Lord smite this rock My plaints are before thee mine eyes are towards thee I cannot weep but I can cry for a broken heart Lord hear me 2. In thy Prayers plead that gracious promise of God to take away the stony hearts out of our flesh and to give us hearts of flesh Hath God promised and is there no hope in the promise Is there hope and wilt thou not lay hold on that hope plead with thy God upon his own word Is not this thy Word O Lord Hast not thou said thou wilt make this stone flesh will it ever be done if thou dost it not wilt not thou do what thou hast said Is it not thy will that I should believe thou wilt Oh perform thy word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust 3. Be importunate in this request of thine unto God often renewing thy prayers and never give over till thou find thine hard heart brought into a mourning and melting frame Though God for a while seemeth deaf to thy prayers yet be not thou dumb many petitions he cannot deny IV. Resolve to give a present bill of divorce to all thy sinful lusts and pleasures utterly to renounce and forsake thine old sinful course of life and to set upon a new course to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of thy life It s vain for thee to lament and bewail thy past sins if thou wilt not give over thy sinning trade For as the Apostle adviseth Thou must first put off the old man with his corrupt-lusts before thou put oâ— the new man Thou therefore who hast accustomed thy self to swearing and cursing to whoring and drinking to scoffing and railing against the people of God resolve to swear and curse no more to whore and drink no more to scoff and rail no more but cast them away with detestation avoiding the places and occasions of these sins For it is a vain thing to think thy self strong enough to abstain from any sin when thou canst not withdraw thy self from the occasions thereof Ah sinner if thou hast any regard to thy precious soul it will be thy wisdom speedily to resolve to leave thine old course of life and to turn over a new leaf Think not of peace with God whilest thou art at peace with sin Think not that thine old scores are crossed whilest thou art so freely scoring up a new Deceive not thy self thy divorce from sin and thy marriage with Christ must be both on the same day And count not thy self divorced till thou and thy sins be parted Resolve this day to have done with thy old wayes for ever At once give Christ his welcome and thy lusts their farewell There is no true humiliation for sin where there is not a resolution against it Say not thou art not humbled enough how little soever thy sorrow be if thou art sincerely resolved against iniquity And say not thou art humble enough how deep soever it hath been if there follow not this resolution
stirring thee up to any good duty omitted oh turn these motions into performances and presently fall upon the practice of those duties whether it be praying in thy closet or in thy Family or such like Doth the Spirit of God beam any light from the Word into thine understanding whereby thou art more throughly convinced of thy miserable condition by nature of the excellency of the new birth of the necessity thereof unto Salvation Labour to improve this light to the stirring up in thee an earnest longing desire after the work of Regeneration Hath the Spirit of God in a Sermon so convinced thee of some grofs scandalous sin or sins that thou art pricked at the heart and deeply humbled under the sense and apprehension of them oh content not thy self with some sudden pangs of affection but forthwith go into some secret place and there take the advantage of thy present relenting frame of heart for the more free and full confessing of thy sins unto God and ingaging thy self by a solemn covenant unto him to be more watchfull over thy self as against thy former lend and wicked courses so against the occasions leading thereunto Ah sinner it will be thy Wisdom carefully to observe and diligently to improve all the motions and stirrings of Gods Spirit in thy Soul and Conscience by seconding the work of this holy Spirit in thee Lose not the Wind and Tide the Wind may lye the Tide may turn and where art thou then 't will be hard Rowing against Wind or Tide Thou little thinkest what advantage such motions wisely improved may be to thy soul and what prejudice the slighting and neglecting of them may be unto thee for ought thou knowest thine eternal happiness or misery may depend upon the improving or slighting the same VIII Be much in the company of the godly walk with them who walk with God He that walketh with the wise shall be more wise he that walketh with the humble shall be more humble he that walketh with the holy shall learn holiness As there is no greater hinderance to the work of Christ than the society of the wicked So there is no greater furtherance to it than the society of those who fear God For there is none will be so ready to pitty and compassionate you to counsel and direct you in the way to Heaven as these none so ready to provoke and egg you on unto godliness to encourage and cheer you up when you do well and to reprove you when you do amiss as these none so ready to communicate their experiences to you O come say they and we will tell you what the Lord hath done for our souls So that in the company of the godly there is much good to be got they being like Lanthorns which disperse their light round about If thou beest much in their company thou shalt hear much of God much of Christ and much of Heaven they use to be talking much of the riches of that Countrey and the glory of that holy City whether they are travelling They will be opening to you the excellency of Jesus Christ the riches of his love the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice his willingness to receive all poor sinners who will go unto him and adventure their souls upon him And who knoweth how much their discourse may warm thine heart and raise up thy desires after Christ. Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian whilest he was talking with St. Paul And the Ennuch was not only almost but altogether perswaded whilest he was conversing with Philip. As therefore thou desirest to further the work of grace begun in thy soul be much in the company of those who are gracious who will be exceedingly helpfull to thee therein as by their prayers so by their counsel and good example For their lives tell thee what it is to walk in the Spirit what to mortifie the flesh and to live aboâ—e all the alluring vaâ—ities of the world Oh Christians encourage poor sinners to come among you let your discourses be practical Sermons let your wayes be living copies of that holy doctrine which you have received let your conversation be full of love life pitty compassion towards them be ready to teach counsel encourage and help them on after the Lord. Teach not sinners to say by the barrenness and unsavouriness of your lives there is no more of God to be gotten in the dwellings of the Righteous than in the tents of Wickedness Thus have I shewed you the Means on our part to be performed for the furthering the new birth and the work of Regeneration in your souls And now give me leave to propound one Question to you Are you resolved with the grace and assistance of God speedily to put your selves upon the practice of these Directions or no If you think these things more than necessary and are ready to say What need so much ado as if without so much hearing so much reading so much praying and the like there were no hope of Regeneration and Salvation you may then sit down and take your ease But know for certain that without a conscionable use of these Means you are like to fall short as of Regeneration here so of Salvation hereafter For where God hath appointed Means he doth not ordinarily work without them and therefore if you will not use Gods Means no wonder if you go without his grace Ah sinners I beseech you for the sake of your precious souls do not willfully refuse to be happy do not wittingly plunge your souls into everlasting miseries Be willing to be happy awaken your sleepy stir up your lazy hearts to be doing Heaven is not gotten with a wish everlasting glory is worthy your utmost pains and will not be gotten without it What say you after all that hath been said Are you willing to be converted to become new men and to take up a new course If you are not yet when will you Are you content to dye in your present state If you were now breathing out your last and just passing into another World would you not wish you had hearkened to counsel Though thou wilt live the life yet art thou content to dye the death of the obstinate and hardned Be not Brutes and mad men If Christ be best at death if holiness will be best at last if you know and believe that when you come to dye you shall wish you had made Christ sure then sure your standing out against Christ now your refusing grace now is the first-born of follies O be wise consider what 's before you Christ and the World holiness and sin life and death choose now for your selves and if you will be advised let your this dayes choice be the same which you are resolved shall be your dying choice If you would not choose to dye in your sins to dye Drunkards to dye adulterers to dye Scoffers to dye unbelievers live not out this day in such a dreadfull state CHAP.
with a love unto him again It is not sufficient to think and think often of sin and the misery it hath implunged as in but we must so think thereof as to work our hearts to an hatred of sin and a fear of that wrath of God it hath exposed us and made us lyable to and to a looking after Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the guilt of our sins and from the punishment due unto us for the same This is a work of so great concernment and advantage as none can truly apprehend but such as have made tryal therein David who was a man full of Holy and Heavenly affections was full of Heavenly meditation And from the experience of that abundant sweetness and comfort he found therein doth often in his book of Psalms commend it unto others and pronounceth that man blessed who meditates in the Law of God day and night Let thy soul full often soar aloft upon the wings of divine contemplation Let not any solitary season pass away without some spiritual meditation and conference with thy God Either take a sorrowfull survey of thy manifold sins which may draw from thee as hearty grief for the same so hearty ejaculations for the pardon and forgiveness of them Or take a view of Gods blessings and favours towards thee and let this inlarge and raise up thine heart in praises and thanksgivings unto him Or bath thy self in an admiring commemoration of the meritorious blood of the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus which was abundantly shed for the washing of thy body and soul from the filthy spots and stains of sin Seriously think what he hath done and suffered for thee how he hath fullfilled the Law and undergone the punishment due to thy sins and now in Heaven maketh intercession for thee by presenting himself an allsufficient Sacrifice unto his Father for thy sins Oh think with thy self what thou must have suffered for thy sins if he had not suffered for them What thou hadst been if he had not redeemed thee even a bondslave of Satan and fire-brand of hell Especially let thy soul full often meditate on the glorious things which the Lord hath reserved in Heaven for such as here do sincerely serve him and obey the Gospel of Iesus Christ. Oh think with thy self what a blessed thing it will be to live in the vision and fruition of God himself in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore As also what an happiness it will be to behold the glorious body of Iesus Christ shining there with such incomprehensible beauty as shall infinitely delight the eyes of the beholders and that to all Eternity without satiety for the longer the Saints behold Christ the more they will be ravished with joy and delight Ponder likewise as on the excellent qualities wherewith thy soul and body shall be adorned in Heaven so on the excellency of that place which is set forth in Scripture by Pearls and precious stones And the more to set off this glory and blessedness oft consider with thy self the deplorable state of the damned in hell who feel nothing for the present but wrath and vengeance and can expect nothing for the future but the fuller Vials of Gods indignation to be powred on them to all Eternity Such considerations as these will serve as notable helps to draw and keep thine heart Heaven-ward and to turn all the streams of thy desires and longings towards the God of glory But oh how many Christians are there who having an hope towards God and some confidence of their interest in things above do notwithstanding converse but very little with them Their thoughts are seldome on Heaven or Heavenly things that notwithstanding all their confidence they may well question whether their treasure be there Consider Reader As before the Lord whether this be not thine own case Thou canst not be ignorant that an heart estranged from Heaven hath little evidence that he hath any part or place therein And wilt thou yet perswade thy self that God is thine when thou carest no more for him Dost thou highly prize an Heavenly mind and account them the best and the happiest Christians that are much in Heaven and yet is it not grievous to thee to find that thou didst never in all thy life it may be or but very seldome fix thy thoughts thereon for a quarter of an hour together but hast many and many a time suffered the Devil to run away with thy thoughts and to detain them on this dunghill below Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with thine estate than with thy thoughts and to order their motions at his pleasure Oh the multitude of Worldly and covetous thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts yea of blaspheamous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there Revel it day and night Oh the speculative filthiness and contemplative uncleanness that not only harbours but likewise find hearty wellcome and entertainment there Surely friend thou hadst best look to thy self and get thy heart cleared of these evill guests thy vile and vain thoughts drive away these birds of prey and then the thoughts of God will be more familiar and precious to thee That thou maist get up to this Heavenly-mindedness take these directions 1. Humble thy self unfeignedly for thy great strangeness to God and Heaven that thou hast so rarely set thine heart on things above And for the time to come let it be thy special care and endeavour to habituate thy self to Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations frequently to steep thy soul in Heavens delights 2. When thou findest thy mind and thoughts to be ridden by the Devil and carryed away from God lift up thine heart by earnest and fervent prayer unto him who is the Father of Spirits and hath power over Devils and begg of him that as by his permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter into thee so he would command him speedily to depart from thee that thy mind might be free for its proper work For he only can cast down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 3. Work thy heart to a perfect detestation of all vain and wicked thoughts that thou maist be able to say with David I hate vain thoughts This will highten thy resolutions to a greater watchfulness against them for the time to come and to use thine utmost endeavour to drive them away so that though they may arise in thine heart yet they may not lodge there And know this for thy comfort that those vain and wicked thoughts which thou dost from thine heart hate and detest shall not be laid to thy charge at the great day of account 4. Above all things keep a watch over
sins subjects to yield a voluntary subjection of our selves unto the commands of sin Q. How may we know when corruption is mortified in us A. When it is not only restrained and kept from such ordinary breakings out into actual sins but the lusts and motions that issue from it are a grief to us yea we hate and detest them and groan under the burden of them we watch against them fight against them earnestly desiring to be delivered from them crying out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and corruption For the more profitable pressing this so necessary and difficult a duty I shall 1. Shew you some Motives and arguments to enforce the same 2. Some Means whereby it may be effected 3. The Manner how it ought to be performed The Reasons forcing this work of Mortification upon the Regenerate are these 1. After Regeneration there remaineth a body of sin and corruption in the best which if we endeavour not by the help of Gods Spirit to mortifie and subdue will gather strength and become mighty to the great hinderance of our duty and darkning all our comfort 2. Corruption doth not only remain in us as long as we live in this World but it is alwayes in continual work either stirring us up to evil or keeping us from that which is good or defiling our best actions In which respect saith the Apostle the flesh lusteth against the Spirit And from his own experience he cryeth out I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members so that I cannot do the good which I would but rather do the evil which I hate How doth it then concern us daily and hourly to fight and strive against these lusts which are continually working and warring in our members hindering and spoiling all our duties breaking our peace undermining all our hopes and comforts and seeking our lives we must either kill or be killed 3. By a conscionable performance of this duty we shall be freed from those hainous and scandalous sins into which other mens lusts do carry them Should corruption have its way and course without resistance in the best of us it would soon break forth into the most loathsome and disgracefull sins that are committed by the very worst of men as we see in David Solomon and others Is it not then needfull for us to keep down and withstand the first motions and risings of sin in our hearts before it break forth into such wicked and disgracefull acts which will blast our credit and reputation and bring a scandal upon our Religion and profession 4. Mortification of sin was one special end of Christs death who dyed to save his people from their sins not to save them in their sins but from their sins as from the guilt and punishment so from the power of them And indeed whom Christ delivers from the damnation of sin he first delivers also from the dominion of sin Whom he intends to save from hell he first saveth them from iniquity he saves their souls by killing their sins If thou findest any lust to remain unmortified in thee bearing rule in thine heart and sway in thy life thou hast just cause to question thy interest in Christ and his salvation They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts II. The Means whereby the work of Mortification may be effected by us are these I. When thou feelest corruption working in thee and stirring thee up to evil then call to mind and lay to heart the ensuing considerations 1. Consider the shortness of the pleasure of sin with the length of the punishment following thereupon without true and unfeined repentance The one for a moment the other everlasting The pleasure is but short but the punishment is for ever and ever The torments of the damned in hell are intensively most grievous in themselves but that which mainly and infinitely adds to the greatness of them is because they are eternal They are tormented day and night for ever and ever The Worm is alwayes gnawing and the fire continually burning therefore called unquenchable fire Oh what a folly must it then needs be yea and madness beyond admiration for the short fruition of these perishing pleasures and transient contentments here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh how terrible is the thought of eternity in those tormenting flames where the damned would think themselves happy if after they had endured them so many thousand years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore or Stars in the Firmament they might then be assured of enlargement But when all that time is past and innumerable millions of years and ages are run out they are as far from an end as at their first entrance Why wilt thou then purchase a little sensual delight at so dear a rate for a moments pleasure to incurr everlasting woe and misery O the fire of hell if thou wouldst send down thy thoughts thither would burn up thy Lusts which otherwise will be the fuel to burn thy soul. 2. Consider thy extream folly in gratifying thy sinfull Lusts thereby thou hast chosen and preferred thy fleshly pleasure thy carnal content before the glory of God the everlasting joyes of Heaven and the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh monstrous madness and unconceivable folly at which the Angels blush and Heaven and Earth cannot but stand amazed 3. Call to mind and consider some of the threatnings in Gods Word as against sin in general so against that particular Lust which thou findest most working and stirring in thee and unto which thou findest strongest inclinations in thy self First Call to mind and consider sâ—me of the threatnings against sin and sinners in general Upon the wicked saith the Psalmist God shall rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. And saith the Apostle Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Secondly When thou findest any inclination in thy self to a particular sin as unto drunkenness seriously consider that of the Wise man who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions c. they that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine When thou findest any inclination or temptation unto uncleanness seriously weigh that of the Apostle Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate shall inherit the Kingdom of God And again Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge When thou findest any inclinations unto Covetousness call to mind that of the Prophet Isaiah Wo unto them that joyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and that of the Apostle The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have
your reading may be the more profitable observe these few directions 1. Before you read lift up your heart unto God in some short Prayer beseeching him who is the Father of light to enlighten the blind eyes of your understandings that you may understand what you read so to strengthen your memories that you may remember it and that he would give you Wisdom to apply faith to believe and grace to practise what you read Which Prayer is necessary before reading because as the Apostle speaketh Naturally we understand not the things of the Spirit of God neither can we know them because they are spiritually discerned And it is only the Spirit of God that revealeth them unto us which we have no hope to attain but by fervent Prayer 2. The Word must be read and heard with all holy reverence and attention as being the Word of the great God whereby he revealeth himself and his will cleerly unto us for the building us up in all grace and Godliness 3. In reading every one ought to take special notice of such passages as are either more weighty in themselves or proper to them for their particular cases use and occasion 4. In reading or hearing any portion of Scripture let every one apply it to himself as spoken to him By this means may every one be much edified by every part of the Word of God CHAP. VIII Of Family-Catechising with quickning Motives thereunto III. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families in reference to those under their charge is to instruct them in the principles of Religion in a Catechistical way For to Catechise is to teach the first principles of Christian Religion whereby they who are young may be acquainted with God betimes This we find given in command unto Housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Thâ—se words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Where by Children are not meant only natural Children but likewise servants it being usual with the Hebrews by Children to understand all under subjection We have a Prophesie that there shall be as it were a succession of Christs name from generation to generation His name shall endâ—re sor ever his name shall be continued as long as the Sun or as the phrase imports His name shall pass from Father to Son Every Father then must by Christian instruction declare the name of Christ to his Son that so the name of Christ may pass from Father to Son from generation to generation which prophesie concerns the time of the Gospel wherein Parents are commanded to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord or to nurture them up in instruction as the word in the Greek properly signifieth This duty is commended to us by the example of Godly Housholders in all ages I know saith God of Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. We likewise find David often instructing his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And that this was the practice of the Saints in the time of the Gospel appeareth from the expressions of the Apostle Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God And leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ which imply a form of Catechism which was used by the Christians in those dayes And oh that all Christian Parents and governours of Families in our dayes would make conscience of instructing and teaching their Children and Servants in the principles of Religion out of some good Catechism Observing these two Caveats 1. That this duty be done frequently on some day or dayes every week 2. That it be done by little at once for to be too long or tedious therein is apt to dull the understanding and to cause wearisomeness in the learner For the better pressing this duty I shall add a few motives or arguments I. The first Argument or Motive may be taken from the benefits which will follow thereupon 1. Timely instruction will season their hearts that they are like to be better for it all the dayes of their lives and therefore saith the Wise man Traiâ— up or as the Word signifieth Catechise a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it But as a Vessel will retain long the savour of that liquor it was seasoned first withall So will men the instructions they have learned in their youth 2. It is an excellent means to keep them from the errours and heresies of the times For Children well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion are in great measure antidoted against the danger of seducing doctrines The Apostle saith There must be heresies which are of a spreading nature and therefore by our Saviour compared to Leaven What better preservative against the infection of false doctrines errours and heresies than to be well Catechised Observe who they be that are easiest seduced by false teachers who they are that have embraced their erroneous tenets and you shall find that they were such who were never well Catechised nor grounded in the principles of Religion As therefore you would not have your Children and Servants poysoned with the erroneous Doctrines of false teachers do your endeavours to get them well rooted and grounded in the knowledge of the truth 3. It is an excellent means to make them hear the publick Ministry of the Word with more profit For thereby they will be enabled to Examine the Doctrine which they hear by the analogie of faith It is foretold that in the latter dayes there shall be false teachers who shall privily bring in damnable heresies And therefore we are not to receive all for truth which is delivered in the Pulpit but as the Apostle exhorteth us to prove and try all things and to hold fast only that which is good which we shall never be able to do unless we be first well Catechised and instructed in the principles of Religion as also well acquainted with the Scriptures If therefore you who are Parents and Masters of Families would discharge your duty herein how would Errours vanish Religion flourish and how would knowledge and grace abound in your Children and Servants II. Another argument may be taken from the manifold damages which usually follow a neglect of Family Catechising 1. It is the ground of that ignorance and spiritual blindness which overfloweth this Nation For as darkness proceedeth from the want of light so ignorance must needs proceed from the want of teaching 2. It is the ground of that looseness and prophaneness that is in many Families For where Gods service hath no place there sin will
from â—dleness as knowing that our idle time is the Devils working timâ— who is most busie with us when we are most at leisure And bless all our undertakings So spâ—ritualize our hearts and affections that we may have heavenly hearts in earthly imployments and so may serve thee our God whilest we are serving our own necessities Together with us bless we beseech thee thy whole Church Call thine ancient people the Jews and bring in the fulness of the Gentiles And particularly we pray thee for our own Nation the Land of our Nativity pardon the crying sins thereof Showre down thy blessings upon it both temporal and spiritual In special we pray thee so to bless our royal Soveraign that under him we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Bless likewise all our Magistrates and Ministers of thy holy Word Thou the Lord of the harvest send plenty of Labourers into thy harvest And O Father of mercy look down with the eye of pitty and compassion upon all thine afflicted ones let thy mercies be suitable to their several needs and necessities Bless all Christian families this in particular enrich every soul with all needfull saving graces Blessed Lord God according to our bounden duty we offer up our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thy blessed Majesty in the name and mediation of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ. Blessing and praising thee for our health wealth food and rayment for our preservation from our first being to this present time We bless thy name above all for that gift of gifts the Lord Jesus And for the Gospel wherein thou hast freely offered Christ with all his benefits to us We bless thee for whatever grace hath been wrought in any of us by the Gospel and for that good hope thou hast given us through grace We bless thy name for the last nights quiet rest this dayes protection hitherto Add we Pray thee this mercy give us grace to live as in thy sight who seeth all our wayes and art privy to every secret thing which we do And now O Lord accept our persons though sinfull and our service though full of weaknesses in thy beloved Son with whom thou art well pleased In whose name and words we further call upon thee saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. An Evening Prayer for a Family O Most great and glorious Lord God and in Jesus Christ a loving and a gracious Father We thy poor and unworthy Servants being by thy good providence brought to the end of this day desire to conclude the same with an Evening spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving Lord we do here profess we come not in our own names nor in our own strength we are unable of our selves to perform any spiritual duty after an acceptable manner But we come in the alone name and strength of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ beseeching thee for his sake to pass by our unworthiness to quicken our dead hearts and to carry us forth with life and vigour in the duty we are now going about Blessed Lord God we do acknowledge our selves to be vile wretched sinners Sinners by nature sinners by birth sinners in the whole course of our lives having sinned as if we had come into the World for no other end but to sin against thee Though thou hast been pleased to restrain us from many hainous scandalous sins yet Lord thou knowest what evil thoughts do lodge in our hearts and what Lusts bear rule and sway there Blessed Lord God though we are in some measure convinced of the need and necessity that we have of Jesus Christ that we are undone for ever without an interest in him yet how have we slighted and rejected the tenders and offers of him in the Ministry of the Gospel and preferred our lusts and the pleasures of this World before him We have indeed outwardly made profession of the Gospel yet have we disgraced the profâ—ssion thereof by our carnal and sinfull conversation Lord we cannot but acknowledge our desires cares and endeavours have run out more after the things of this life than after the things of a better life We have slighted thy judgements abused thy mercies prophaned thy Sabbaths and polluted all thy holy Ordinances When we have drawn near unto thee with our bodies and honoured thee with our lips then have our hearts been far removed from thee when we have had communion with thine Ordinances we have oftentimes had little communion with thee our God therein Blessed Lord our sins are many and hainous yea there seemeth a kind of infiniteness in our sins but we know and believe there is indeed an infiniteness in the mercies of thee our God and in the merits of Jesus Christ and therefore with an utter disclaiming of all righteousness of our own as filthy rags we place our whole confidence for life and salvation upon thy mercies in Christ. As thou hast laid our help upon him so on him will we lay our hope for the pardon of our sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Lord be pleased to accept of his all sufficient Sacrifice and perfect satisfaction thereby made to thy justice for all our sins Pardon us we pray thee and free us as from the guilt and punishment so from the power and dominion of all our sins that we be no longer the servants of sin but may be henceforth the servants of God Lay hold on all our souls and bring us in effectually to Jesus Christ. Subduâ— our rebâ—llion take away our unwâ—llingness answer all our objections and excuses and work our hearts to a resolved adventuring upon him an hearty acceptance of him and a total resignation of our selves for ever to him to his goverâ—â—ent and dominion Lord we beseech thee not only to jâ—stifie us by thy grace but likewise to sanctifie us by thy Spirit that we may be an holy people serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Mortifie our flesh with the affections and lusts let us be proud no longer nor covetous nor envious nor froward nor mâ—litious Let thy grace be sufficient for us both for the killing of our dearest lusts and strongest corruptions and for the quickning of us on in a conscionable discharge of the Duties of our places callings and relations by which grace let us be carryed on throughout our whole course in an holy humble and sincere conversation Lord let it suffice us that we have spent so much of our precious time in seeking after earthly things help us now in earnest to seek after spiritual and heavenly things after spiritual grace and heavenly glory We pray thee convince us thorowly that upon the little inch of time in this life depends the length and breadth of all Eternity and that as we live here we shall fare everlastingly hereafter And O let the consideration thereof stir us up to a fruitfull improvement of our short time to the best advantage
special reason why many go drooping and groaning so long under the bondage of corruption under the weight and burden of their spiritual maladies and diseases is because they do not go unto Christ by prayer for freedom from the same or through the weakness of their faith they do not believe Christ is as able so willing to help and deliver them For what Christ said to the poor man who came unto him in behalf of his possessed child the same he saith to thee If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth Obj. Some are apt to say I have often gone unto Christ by Prayer earnestly begging of him to strengthen my weak graces to subdue my strong lusts and corruptions to mollifie my hard heart c. but I cannot pray in faith I cannot believe that he is as able so willing to grant my requests Answ. 1. Thou mayest pray in faith even then when thou thinkest thou dost not believe Weak Christians are often mistaken here supposing that if they be not confidently perswaded that God will hear them they do not pray in faith Whereas it is not a confidence that God will hear us but a dependance upon Christ in hope of audience that is our sâ—â—et evidence of faith in prayer Thou sayest thou prayest and prayest but canst not be perswaded that the holy God will hear the prayers of such a vile and unworthy wretch and thereupon concludest that thou dost not pray in faith But let me ask thee Dost thou offer up thy prayers in the name of Christ dost thou depend upon him in hope of an answer for his sake this is praying in faith 2. Mourn and weep for the weakness of thy faith 3. Be earnest with God in prayer that he would strengthen it 4. Know that thy corruption neither is nor will be utterly destroyed so long as thou livest here in this World neither will thy spiritual maladies and diseases be quite cured but they do and will continue in some measure and degree partly to bring down thy pride which of all sins is the most odious and abominable unto God and to advance thy humility which of all graces is most pleasing and acceptable unto God and partly that thou mayest have frequent occasion of going unto God by prayer for help and strength against the power of thy lusts and corruptions 5. Know that power against sin increase of grace an humble tender clean heart are mercies as worth the praying for so worth the waiting for Christs delays are no denials thou canst not say he will not because yet he hath not given thee thy desires Be not weary of seeking in due season thou shalt reap if thou faint not Before I leave this point I shall add one word by way of caution Beware thou mistake not thy self Take not thy self to be one of little faith whilest thou hast no faith Let not unbelievers catch at the comforts and encouragements that belong to the least of Saints that which is their meat will be thy poison Comforts falsely applyed though they be sweet in the mouth will prove curses in the belly Hast thou no faith Oh tremble this is the word that belongs to thee He that believeth not shall be damned Though to him that hath shall be given yet to him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have He that hath the least faith is a resolved enemy of all sin a resolved friend of holiness is resolved to hang upon Christ to cleave unto Christ to follow him to the death in righteousness and holiness of life though he still do question whether Christ be his or no. Is it not thus with thee Beware how thou catch at the forementioned comforts Yet this let me say to thee also if thou hast not faith wilt thou go to Christ for faith If thou canst not go to Christ as a Believer wilt thou go to him as a Sinner If thou art not yet in a state of salvation art thou willing to be saved Art thou willing to learn of Christ to ask his counsel what must I do to be saved wilt thou go thus to Christ Lord camest thou not into the world to save sinners to make intercession for transgressors to seek and to save them which are lost Oh wilt thou save this sinner my sinfull soul Lord I fear I am none of thine but wilt thou make me thine I come to thy door I lye at thy feet a poor lost soul an undone creature Oh wilt thou take me in and make me one of thy Disciples Wilt thou thus come to Christ Even thou also art one of those that he calls to He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Thus much of Christs entertaining Nicodemus Come we now to the first general point whereof Christ discourseth with Nicodemus and that was the Doctrine of Regeneration in these words Verily Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God In which we may note 1. The manner of propounding it 2. The matter and substance of it For the manner it is propounded with a double asseveration Verily Verily I say unto thee In the Greek it is Amen Amen which in the Hebrew signifieth truth The asseveration is doubled to stir up attention in Nicodemus who being yet in great measure ignorant of the fundamental principles of Religion might happily have lightly esteemed this doctrine of Regeneration and therefore to stir up his attention Christ useth this double asseveration verily verily I say unto thee Which was a form of speech often used by our Saviour when he would solemnly avouch any weighty truth He never used it but in matters of great moment By it therefore our Saviour giveth us to understand that the truth here delivered is a weighty truth not lightly to be regarded and slightly passed over For he who gave this commandment Let your communication be yea yea nay nay would never have added this double asseveration if there had not been need thereof Christ therefore having prefixed this preface to the following truths doth thereby stir us up to give as the more credit so the more diligent heed thereto Yea and thereby shews the doctrine of Regeneration to be a most important point necessary to be known and learned of all The matter or substance of the Doctrine of Regeneration as Christ hath sayd it down followeth in these words Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God For the more profitable handling whereof I shall 1. Clear the words by giving you the sense and meaning of them 2. Raise and prosecute such points of Doctrine as they afford unto us For the clearing of the words Except a man In the Greek it is Except any This indefinite particle joyned with an exclusive hath the force of a general As if our Saviour had said No man can enter into heaven except
offering up a Morning Sacrifice of Prayer and thanksgiving Lord we acknowledge our great unworthiness to come into thy presence to present our Prayers and supplications unto thee But though we are unworthy yet Christ is worthy We beseech thee therefore for his sake to look graciously upon us to pass by our unworthiness and to strengthen our weakness To this end as we draw near unto thee so be thou pleased to draw near unto us enabling us to pray as with humility and sincerity so with zeal and fervency of spirit and with faith in Jesus Christ looking for audience and acceptance in and thorow him Blessed Lord God we cannot but acknowledge thou didst at first create us in a blessed and happy estate even after thine own image endowing us with true knowledge holiness and righteousness But we soon fell from that state of innocency and blessedness in the loynes of our first Father Adam and implunged our selves with him into a dreadfull gulf of sin and misery For O Lord besides the guilt of Adams sin we have contracted from him a Mass of corruption which hath poysoned our very natures polluted and defiled all the faculties of our souls with all the parts and members of our bodies So that we may more truly in regard of our spiritual uncleanness cry out Vnclean Vnclean than the Leper under the Law in regard of his bodily uncleanness And O Lord to this corruption of our natures we have added many many actual sins of our own which as they have been hainous in their quality so in their number and multitude have far exceeded the hairs of our heads and the sands on the Sea-shore which cannot be numbred The which we have committed through the whole course of our lives from our infancy to this present time So that we are now grown old in sin and overgrown with corruption Though the time thou hast allotted us here to live is very little even as a moment to Eternity yet alas how little of this little have we lived to thee our God or to the good of our own souls having mis-spent the greatest part of our dayes in vanity and pleasure We have continued ignorant of thee how much means of knowledge have we had and yet how little knowledge have we gotten oh how little have we done for our souls or the other World We have not considered what is like to become of us hereafter How little care and pains have we taken to make sure for Eternity we have taken the course to undo our selves for ever We have broken every one of thy most holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times Yea we have sinned against thy Gospel in slighting the offers of grace Though thou hast sent unto us Ambassadour after Ambassadour to wooe and beseech us to abandon our sins and to receive Jesus Christ yet alas how have we slighted thy messengers and turned a deaf ear to all thy gracious invitations Though we are willing to take Christ for our Saviour to preserve us from hell and damnation yet alas how unwilling are we to take him for our Lord and King to yield obedience and subjection unto him Lord we cannot but acknowledge our great unthankfulness under those manifold favours and mercies thou hast in a plentiful measure conferred on us as also our unprofitableness under thy Fatherly chastisâ—ments laid upon us in love and for our good our discontentedness at our present state and condition And oh how careless and negligent have we been in the discharge of the duties of our places callings and relations Oh the multitude of worldly and covetous thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts yea and of blasphemous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there revel it day and night And O Lord we cannot but acknowledge the deadness of our hearts the distractions of our minds in the performing holy duties We are active and lively about our worldly businesses but oh how dull and flat are we in our religious exercises praying as if we prayed not and hearing as if we heard not Lord make us truly apprehensive of our sins and misery that we may humble our selves under a sense of them and turn unto thee by true and unfained repentance Turn us O God and we shall be turned draw us and we will run after thee And O Lord whilest we are returning unto thee meet us we pray thee in the way and like a tender Father embrace us with the arms of thy mercy Our sins we confess are many and hainous yet we know and believe thy mercies are far more and the merits of Jesus Christ are far greater and therefore we are resolved to adventure our souls as upon the mercies of theâ— our God so upon the merits of Jesus Christ into whose arms we here cast our selves Oh be pleased to make us partakers both of the merit of Christs death in freeing us from the guilt of sin and of the virtue of Christs death in freeing us from the power and dominion of sin that it may not rule and raign in us as formerly Lord work in us a loathing and a true hatred of every sin especially of such we have been most addicted to and have most delighted in To this end convince us what a folly yea madness it is for the short fruition of a momentany pleasure here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh convert every unconverted soul among us bring us to Christ make us adventurers for the other World let us be resolved henceforth for an holy and righteous life instruct us in thy wayes and teach us thy Sâ—atutes Break the power of our sins subdue our rebellion and make us willing to be the Lord's Change our evil natures and give us another Spirit Help us sincerâ—ly to choose thee as our portion to love and fear and trust in thee and to walk humbly with thee all the dayes of our life Help us to set our affections on things abovâ— and no longer on this earth let us dye daily to sin and this World let us exercise our selvâ—s in keeping a good Consâ—iâ—nce towards God and men let us work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and let not our labour herein be in vain Keep us O Lord from our iniquities keep us from the way of lying from all unrighteous and unjust dealing from wrath and evil speaking let us be true temperate peaceable and mercifull as the children of our heavenly Father Help us to be serious and savoury and tender and watchfull and hold us on constantly in our holy course to the end of our dayes Lord take us into thy keeping and protection this day keep us from all danger especially from sinning against thee To this end make us watchfull both against the occasions of sins and temptations thereunto Keep us we pray thee