hasten the birth and spoyl the conception The Prophet of old complains of some Isa 35.4 Isa 28.16 that they were of an hasty heart whereas He that believeth maketh not hast God deferrs to put an edge on our desires a value on what is promised and to exercise our Faith The Word that is gone forth out of the mouth of the God of truth should quiet but it doth not Isa 60.22 Psa 102.13 I the Lord will hasten it in its time The Lord will arise and have mercy upon Zion when the time to favour her yea when the set time is come And is not Gods time the best 9. Abusing Promises How have many abused rather than applyed Promises How many dogs take the Children's bread How many Hypocrites tast of the forbidden fruit Lay hold on that which doth not belong unto them When they read those sweet delicious promises of the pardon of Sin of the love of God of the freeness of grace of the glory to come they count them as theirs whereas they are but Usurpers they set their mark on anothers goods they are thieves and robbers for they are strangers to the Promises How many abuse the mercy of God in the Promises so that even the Promises become an occasion of stumbling whilst they continue in sin in hopes of pardons through the Promises We are not led by the sweetness of the Promise to Repentance but rather harden our hearts presuming of pardons on course from the God of grace Gluttons surfet soonest upon the greatest dainties thus many venture to continue to sin that grace may abound hence Repentance is put off because men hope God will abundantly pardon when ever the wicked forsakes his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts The Promises are not made a Sanctuary unto which men fly from sin but as a Sanctuary to protect them in their sinfull courses God is mercifull slow to wrath he will abundantly pardon c. therefore c. Do not we overlook all the threatnings and terrible denunciations of God against our sins and wholly pitch on the comfortable Promises of the Gospel Do not we eye Promises and yet hate Commands Do not we mind Temporal Promises with the neglect of Spiritual and therein disparage God by setting a deeper value on Earth than on Heaven on our back and bellies than on God Do not we eye the Promises that speak of mercy but pass over those that lead to duty View with pleasure pardoning Promises but neglect the Promises of sprinkling us with clean water and that Sin shall not have Dominion over us We like it that God will be our God but we love not to be Gods people under his command and at his dispose How do we eye the absolute Promises but neglect the conditional We take hold of Promises of deliverance when under any misery but we forget the condition If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil wayes c. little is that minded by us which the Prophet speaks At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation Jer. 18.9 10. and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voyce then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them We love we like Promised mercies and every one is looked upon as an unbelieving Thomas that doubts of the mercy but we overlook the preparatory duties of Fasting Praying Repenting and Reforming our hearts and wayes c. Hence men dote almost on the Promises of grace but secretly hate the Promises to grace because they find no gracious qualifications in themselves they love to hear of Gods readiness to pardon but they are loth to hear that they must come to Christ for Repentance and then for Remission they would fain have the penny but they cannot endure labour God hath linked his Promises and our seeking together Ezek. 36.37 Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them But how many of us do either altogether neglect or slothfully go about to perform the condition of the Promise Are not some of us altogether strangers to faith the condition of the whole covenant of grace know not what an heart purifying faith means We never gave our selves unto the Lord yet run away with the Promises of forgiveness though ignorant of the Mediatour betwixt God and sinfull creatures though full of pride and high concerts of our own Righteousness though we live in an open disesteem of the Gospel of Christ though we cannot but find an incompliance of heart with subjection to Christ yet we boast Abraham is our Father the blessing of Abraham is come upon us the Promises are ours How do the Promises of God make some slothfull in the use of appointed means How formal in duties are we May it not be said of us Deest aliquid intus as of the Image there is somewhat wanting withinâ— Are not we silly doves without heart Are not we only bolstred up with the Promises O! these pillows under our heads make us slumbring Virgins All is well God is mercifull c. but we do not sweat and get our living by labour we strive not to enter in at the straight gate c. We look for the blessed hope but we live not soberly I know saith God the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace Jer. 29.11 12. but not of an evil to give you an expected end but be sure that ye call upon me and goe and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you 10. Nicely applying them How nice and curious are some in applying of Promises They forsooth take no pleasure in any Promises but such as they think no hand touched before their own They neglect the plain clear open rich Promises of the Gospel and if any be more abstruse and hard to be found out by an ordinary eye they are greedily suck'd in They are only or mainly for mystical Promises Such think they are delighted with the goodness of the Promise whereas they are only pleased with the newness of it or with their own invention and that they can see farther into a Mill-stone than another I have known some of these and I have seen what is become of them their pride and affectation hath led them also from the plain paths of holiness 11. How many will not close with a Promise such is their folly till the thing promised be found within them Not applying them till they have what they should apply them for Because their hearts are so corrupt therefore they will not apply the Promises of subduing iniquity and of purifying the heart whereas there is no way to get their corrupt hearts cleansed but by laying hold on such Promises and the longer they keep off the Promise the worse it will be with them
Natural Civil or Spiritual In respect of the sixth it is to preserve the Life of our Neighbour and to have a care that we injure him not in his beeing In reference to the seventh it is to preserve his just Relations and not touch them or cause the violation of their faith to to him in reference to the eighth it is to preserve his estate and not meddle with his goods the 9th requires that we preserve his good name and not defame him nor do any prejudice to his credit no more than we would to his estate and by vertue of the tenth we are to moderate our very desires so as not to envy him that which is his nor to long to have it in our possession To be sure there is righteousness to be look'd after in words and expressions as well as in deeds and actions But alas How doth the sin of lying abound among us And no wonder when Perjury is so common a sinne for this God hath a controversie with the Land Hos 4.1 2. Is there not need to take heed every one of his Neighbour and not to trust in any Brother Jer. 9.4 5. will not every one deceive his Neighbour and not speak the truth Have not they taught their tongue to speak lies If you are not couzeninglyers or false-witness-lyers yet are you not reviling-lyers Do you not upon every petty difference speak of one another ye care not what do ye not spread lying defamations Jer. 20.10 I heard the defaming of many report say they and we will report Is not the fawning-lyer common among us Their words are the words of Jacob but their hands are the hands of Esau Psal 55.21 The words of their mouths are smoother than butter but warr is in their hearts their words are softer than oyl yet are they drawn swords their is no faithfulness in their mouth their throat is an open sepulcher Upon this occasion give me leave to use David's Prayer Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth Psal 12.1 2. for the faithful fail from among the Children of men Why wherein consists their ungodliness they speak vanity every one with his Neighbour with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak Is there not also many a Newes-telling lyer among us They believe in their Consciences that it is false Hos 7.3 what they relate and yet to promote an interest for to make hearts glad with lyes they will spread that which is false How many officious-lyers have we who tell lyes for some good end as they think The highest end is Gods glory but will ye speak wickedly for God Job 13.7 and talk deceitfully for him The Vulgar reads the Text Numquid Deus indiget vestro mendacio It contains a truth though not the sense of the place What! hath God need of your lye It is a dishonour to God to be thus help'd And if we must not speak evil that good may come to God sure then we may not whatever the Roman Doctours teach us speak evil that good may come to our selves How can you think you are Gods Children Considerations against Lying Isa 63.8 God engageth himself for his people that surely they will not lye surely they are my people children that will not lye Austin long agoe gave his judgement concerning lying that a man must not tell a lye to save the whole world if it were saith he to save thy Father or thy Mother out of Hell if possibly it could be thou must not tell a lye or if it were to save a Kingdom from destruction And yet to gain a little mirth or to gain a penny or to prevent the frowns of a Superiour how do some teach their tongues to lye Not considering Prov. 6.17 that among the seven things that are an abomination to the Lord lying is one yea as one observes he repeats lying twice though under several names Rev. 21.8 Tit. 1.2 that all lyers shall have their portion in the burning lake that herein they are like unto the Devil who is the Father of lyes and most unlike unto God Eph. 4.25 who cannot lye O then put away lying and speak the truth away with mental reservations and Jesuitical aequivocations Let thy tongue be the faithful interpreter of thy heart Be faithful in your promises and engagements be not yea and nay Remember Cicero the Heathen's saying None but the most villanous will deceive him who had been safe if he had not trusted CHAP. XXVI Their Covetousness IF there be so much unrighteousness Professon Covetousness no wonder that there is also much covetousness that must not be forgot when we remember the evil of our ways Covetousness is the seed of all unrighteousness 1 Tim. 6.10 V. Wells on Mich. 6.8 P. 18. Mat. 21.38 the râ—ot of all evil It was Jezabels covetousness that made her unjustly deprive Naboth of his Vineyard This is the heir come let us kill him and seize on his inheritance Flectere si nequeo Superos acheronta movebo If I cannot prevail with Heaven I will to Hell for an Estate is the voice of covetousness yea which is more sadly to be considered this is that which will put men not only upon injustice to others but to God himself it will make them offer violence to Religion to Divine honour and whatever is sacred in the world all these shall be prostituted to serve the ends of covetousness That man will stick at no abuse of God whose God is his gain How notorious was that of one of the holy fathers of Rome a Pope O quantas divitias peperit haec fabula Christi O how gainfull unto us hath been the fable of Christ And is not covetousness and earthly mindedness an Epidemical sinne Eccles 6.2 Solomon calls it an evil disease 'T is called by one Aurugo the yellow jaundise which makes the sick person look yellow all over This is the Grave which never saith Prov. 30.15 it is â—â—â—gh but like Solomons Horse-leech it cries give give O! what boundless appetites have many who can neither use what they have nor put a period to what they desire as in the Sea one wave riseth above another so here every desire of having is out-gone by a new desire of getting Are not your great cares for riches Evidenced in several particulars Do not your thoughts thus run out O! how shall I thrive more in the world get more estate custome but not O! how shall I get the favour of God the pardon of my sins and victory over my lusts how anxious and sollicitous are you every day for the world but how flat in your coming to have the Image of God renewed How dejected are you when you miss of a good bargain or when you meet with some loss by Sea or Land But how little troubled if you lose an opportunity of communion with the Lord How joyous are you when a little of
you cannot so exhort as Ministers c. But have you not been told that God can work by small means as well as by great and that by things that are not God can confound the wisdome of the flesh and bring to naught the things that are Is not this like the pretence of not being eloquent Do you not know have you not heard that the issue and event depends on the blessng of the Lord rather than on the work it self Is it not all one to the Lord to wound by a short as by a long sword Cannot God bless a few words in thy mouth as he did in Christs and the Apostles Can'st not thou say follow Christ and may not presently a Matthew a Publican leave his sinfull courses and embrace the Christian faith Can'st thou not say Repent and Believe that your sins may be blotted out and may not God concur with thee as he did of old times Is the Lords hand shortned that it cannot help If Israel be not gathered yet thy reward is with the Lord if thine heart were upright and could testifie that night and day thou hast not ceased to warn to rebuke and counsel Certainly your memories are not so bad but you must remember the weight of sin and of the wrath of God you have seen the wonders of the Lord in the deeps you that have escaped to shoar can tell of the Rocks and Shelves and Storms which you have been delivered from and will you set other Shipwrack their Souls rather than hold out your light unto them 〈…〉 may avoyd their ruines What shall I say to humble you There is more 〈◊〉 in Hell than you can afford Blush blush and be ashamed to have less zeal love and pitty to perishing Souls than Dives in Hell had he would have his Brethren saved from the Valley of Hinnom Your silence will make others think that Hell is a tollerable place that sin is not so evil and bitter a thing that to lye under Gods wrath is not so great a misery whilst you are so slow and backward to warn your Friends and Acquaintance that they slee from these and take Sanctuary in the true City of Refuge the Lord Jesus Christ O! If you know the worth of a Soul pitty the multitude with whom the day is not broke whose forlorn Souls are under a continual Massacre from the bloudy Butcher of Hell Besmear your Souls no longer with the guilt of their bloud Let them not starve for want of bread whilst you have to give them I shall bless God for ever and ever if this your negligence of the Souls of those whom you may account without may be cordially bewailed and you for the future double your diligence for their conversion Ministers cannot convert without the Concourse of Omnipotency neither can you Though Satan and thy own lazy heart hath told thee thou art unfit to set upon this work yet better do it meanly than wholy omit it God like Parents on earth loves to see his Children lift at those duties which are too hard for them and then he steps in and is a Co-worker with them What God did by illiterate Fishermen by Priscilla he can do by thee The Lord pardon thy former unmercifulness to the Souls of men But if thou continue careless and cruel if thou wilt not by Prayers for them and counsels to them seek their reducement as sure as thou art reading the voyce of thy Brothers blood is crying against thee from the earth By your example before if not since Profession you have been the cause of the destruction of Souls of how many who can tell And as Jeroboam made Israel to sin many years after he was rotten in his grave so your sin your wicked examples may propagate the trade of sin from generation to generation until Christ shall come to Judgement Tremble tremble at the thoughts of it if thou hast not the heart of a Beast in thee O! how many Souls are crying in Hell against thee cursing the day they knew thee or their Ancestours knew thee for that by thee they learned to sin the more and were strengthned in their wickedness by thy tongue and by thy life And now are not you bound to do your utmost to make restitution to labour to save them that be alive Is it not reasonable that you should labour to win Souls to Gods as you have to the Devils service and to have many blessing God in the Heavens for you that ever they were in the company of such an active zealous Christian who by word and life was instrumental to bring them to the knowledge of themselves and of their God And is it not a glorious work to hold forth such Light to the World that they seeing your good works may glorifie God and you may be Propagators of Zeal and Holiness from Generation to Generation till Christ shall appear to judge the World and to reward you for all the services you have done to his Name O! how welcome shall that man be to Heaven and Christ who hath fed the Souls and clothed the Souls and visited the Souls which he hath purchased with his own precious blood Christ will own thee for his Benefactour CHAP. XXXVII The Dis-ingenuity and Scandalousness of their Miscarriages WHen God had given the Prophet Ezekiel a large Catalogue of Judah's Abominations The wickedness of the former miscarriages Ezek. 8.9 V. 6 13 15. he then shew'd him the Wickedness of their Abominations He said unto me Goe in and Behold the wicked Abominations they do here He commanded him once and again and again to turn him yet again and he should see greater Abominations I cannot indeed promise thee that thou shalt now see greater Abominations than those already mentioned All that I shall now do shall be to represent the former Miscarriages in their crimson dye and scarlet colour And The First Thing I shall mention Commitred against so good and kind a God Eph. 4.30 as making your Sins Professours out of measure sinful is your Dis-ingenuity in so sinning against God O! You have sinned against a gracious God You have grieved the good Spirit of God whereby some amongst you have been sealed to the day of Redemption I am bold to say that one godly man's sinning against light and mercy doth more break the heart of God than the bruitish Sins of a Pagan Kingdom Ezek. 6.9 I am broken saith God with your whorish heart which hath departed from me c. And ye shall loath your selves for your evils which ye have committed in your abominations Amos 2.13 God hath been press'd down with your sins as the Cart with sheaves till he hath even Creak'd under the weight God expected more from the Treet planted in Zion than from the wild ones in the Wilderness Luke 13.9 Grief and Burthen springs much from unexpected Unkindnesses I looked for Fruit and there was none How were David's and Saul's Sins aggravated from
sentence of death thus to employ his Pen when he cannot his Tongue for the good of thy Soul Every particular Chapter will if God add his blessing prove a compleat Soul-saving Treatise I shall add no more to perswade thee to Come and see but this that nothing but unwillingness to see what is here to be seen and unperswadableness to make such improvement of such Sights can make thy Case desperate Be sure only Before In and After thy serious perusal of these Chapters of so much worth that thou beg earnestly of God that he would be pleased with some of his Sons Eye-salve to open thine eyes that thou mayest see and by his Spirit move so upon thy spirit that thine eye may suitably affect thine heart with what so much tends to the promoting of thine eternal welfare The Sins of Professours CHAP. I. Their regardlesseness of Souls 1. HOw Careless are we of our own Souls 1. Ignorance of their preciousness O how few do believe they are men having bodies that must dye but Souls that will never dye How few do believe that their bodies were given them to be serviceable to their Souls Their heads their hearts their eyes their ears their hands their feet c. were all to attend upon their souls and to help them to Heaven But this is not believed by many As they are ignorant of the blessed God who made them and of Jesus Christ who came to redeem them and know not whether there be an Holy-Ghost or no So they are ignorant of the preciousness of their Souls Christ hath not given them eyes to read and understand that a man is not cannot be profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul Christ's questions what will it profit a man c. What shall a man give in exchange for his Soul Matth. 16.26 Put it out of all question Alas many who carry the name of Christians deserve not the name of men When you begin to value your Souls you begin to be men Oh that men would value that which once they shall they must value The damned Spirits know now the worth of their Souls How many will not 2. Inconsiderateness How few consider the worth and preciousness of their Souls When do such thoughts as these possesse you Here in this earthly tabernacle in this house of booths dwells a thing that I never said that is worth a world though here I crawl up and down like a worm of two or three Cubits long and am in danger to be thrown into an hole every day yet I carry with me a Jewell the loss whereof the whole world cannot repair How seldome do nominal Professours consider sadly and seriously what will become of their souls when their excellency Job 4 21. which is in them shall go or journey away as Eliphaz speaks Examine your thoughts all the day long from morning to Evening and few are laid out for the Soul 3. Caring â—â—â—e for the body â—han the 〈◊〉 Are not all the thoughts and cares laid out upon the body though the body be but clay and the soul is a spirit the body must dye but the soul shall never dye How frequently do we think of our â—odies what their wants burthens necessities are but not so of our souls How much of every day is spent in providing for thy body but how little for thy souâ— The body should be but the soul's servant yet men feed the slave and starve the child The body must be fed every day clad every day yea adorned every day and â—hysick'd if distempered but the soul needs food rayment phyâ—ck continually yet lyeth unregarâ—ed is left miserable naked starved c. A servant hath two talents to keep the child and the child's cloaths will the Master thank the servant if he plead I have kept the cloaths but I have neglected the life of the child Thy body is but thy souls outward garment How often have your Ministers told you that the soul was better than the body and that your souls needed dayly care more than your bodies and yet you look after the one with the neglect of the other A day is coming when thou wilt wish thou hadst been bred in the Field among the beasts and worms for that thou regardest thy soul no more than if thou hadst but the life of a beast thou wilt wish thou hadst been made a toad a serpent a worm a dog a swine c. for then thou shouldst not have suffered to eternity as now thou wilt unless the eyes of thy understanding be opened to see consider and make provision for thy precious but perishing soul Thy body is perishing every day and thy soul is upon the borders of eternity it must live for ever and yet all thy care is for the body which likely will not live threescore years and ten but the soul is neglected that must live threescore millions of years in hell without repentance and then when that date is over thou art as far from the end of thy misery as thou wast the first day thou wast thrown among the damned 4. Strangeness towards our souls How many will not speak with their souls They are greater strangers to them than the Londoners are to their next Neighbours Didst thou ever ask thy soul such questions O my soul how is it how will it be with thee O my soul in what state art thou O my soul what will become of thee O! what will become of thee in the next world 5. Niggardlyness towards our souls At what cost were we any time for our jeoparded souls The Physitian is consulted with if there be an ache upon the body we will with the woman part with all beggar our selves to recover health of body When did you know a man starve himself if he could have bread and water what ever it cost We will be at any expence of time labour and charges to keep our bodies from starving but how are the Ordinances of God the Word and Sacraments the spiritual food of the soul neglected The flesh must be satisfied as for the soul there is little regard to its well-being 1 Pet. 2 2. We cannot endure to see a Cat a Dog a Beast want meat but how easily do many digest the want of that milk whereby they should be maintained and grow God saith one gives to these their requests he gives them quailes but sends leanness into their souls 6. How fearless are many of soul-losses Fearlessness of souls losses how common is it for people to draw back from the service of Christ O! what is the matter I shall lose my estate liberty pay such a fine c. They little consider what their souls will lose if they do not persevere if they live not up their light Professours pardon me that I miscall you though you are blind and mad and see not the worth of your souls yet know that
dung of hell devoured and swallowed How few see sin to be contrary to the works of God although God had no sooner perfected the goodly faâ—rick of Heaven and Earth but sin gave a shrewd shake to all it shook and dis-joynted all and had it not been for Christ the great Mediatour it had ruined the whole frame of Nature How few see sin to be contrary to the will of God God saith I will have this done I 'le not do it saith Sin I 'le have this suffered saith God I 'le not suffer it saith Sin Nay so great is the contest betwixt Sin and God that if it could it would unbee God How few take notice of its contrariety to the very nature of God God is good Sin is evil God is pure Sin is impure How few believe sin to be universally evil that there is no good in it We cannot perswade men that there is good in poverty good in disgrace good in reproaches with the tongue and persecutions unto death but easily are men perswaded there is some good in sin How few are convinced of the miserable effects and consequences of sin The wrath of God is not revealed against their unrighteousnest and ungodliness so as to make their knees to tremble The hand-writing on the wall is not observed They are still alive We cannot for our hearts perswade men to goe up to heaven to see what spoyles it made there could we herein prevail then would they inferr that there is more evil in the least sin than there is good in all the Angells of heaven for that one sin conquered them and spoyled them of all their beauty and made them of glorious creatures to become such loathsome and hideous spectacles neither can we prevail with any almost to take a journey to Paradise to see its venome there or to goe to the Garden or to Mount Calvary to see what work it did there or to goe to hell-gate to hear the doleful shrieks and cries which it hath caused there though God hath said Psal 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses though there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 though sin be the sole object of Gods hatred for God loved the whole Creation till its beauty was blasted and stained by sin though sin only seperates between God and souls Isa 59.2 though in the belly of it be found all miseries deaths and hells though it be the founder of all graves and of Tophet though it fill the conscience with terrours and hell with fire and brimstone yet few are affected with the evils of it but they drink in iniquity as water Thirdly Few sensible of being under the wrath of God John 3.28 36. Eccles 8.11 How few Professours are sensible that they are cast by an holy and righteous Law that they are condemned creatures that the wrath of God abideth on them Few have seen the black cloud full of woes brim full of wrath ready to empty it self upon their souls they take no notice that though the sentence be not executed speedily yet it is given forth and there may be but a little breath and they are gone to perish for ever How many senseless souls are there in our Parishes whose consciences were never shaken whose spirits were never wounded who never received the spirit of bondage to fear who never knew what a fearfull expectation of judgement meant who go dancing to hell in the Devils chains and yet count themselves the noble and gallant spirits and flatter themselves in their own eyes and say we shall have peace though we walk in the imaginations of our hearts Deut. 29.19 Rev. 3.16 17. These are Laodicean-like rich and full and needing nothing when God is about to spue them out of his mouth as we discharge our stomacks of some loathsome surfets Pro. 26.16 These are wiser in their own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Though one Minister at the heels of another endeavour with Scripture upon Scripture to convince them of and to prick them at the heart for their sin and danger yet they are boysterously confident and presumptuous that they shall to heaven as soon as any Precisians in the Country Never did many break one nights sleep upon the consideration of their sinfull and lost condition by nature never did they loath their ordinary food or feel the smart of broken bones as David did though they have sinned at an higher rate never did they know what a wounded spirit meant what anguish of soul was never did they feel Gods wrath or sin a burthen insupportable they were never pricked at the heart so as to cry out What shall I do to be saved What shall I do to have me sins pardoned Would you know the reason of all this security Alas they are dead in sins and trespasses A dead condition is an insensible condition death deprives of sense as well as life the dead are not frighted with the swords and pistols at their breasts the dead fear not though threatned with fire and brimstone the dead hear not though God be on Mount Ebal thundering curses upon curses the dead see not though sin be so ugly a monster and hell so frightfull a place the dead smell not though sin stinks worse than the vomit of dogs 2 Pet. 2.20 than rotten Sepulchres or than the corrupted matter of the most nasty disease it offends not the dead to have this stinking Carrion alwayes in their bosomes the dead feel not though that which is heavier than montains of lead be lying on their backs they grown not neither do they complain so much as Cain did they do not go softly in the bitterness of their souls by reason of their sins Many cannot say with Hannah that ever they were of a sorrowfull Spirit Though there be so many curses upon the heads of all natural persons though there be an entayl of wrath upon the heads of the very sins they live in though their sins are or may be circumstantiated to a greater degree than any of the Scripture-Offendors that we read of as being committed under the open Sun of the Gospel though Hell be open to receive them every moment whilst impenitent whilst hardned though the Valley of Hinnom is making room for them to entertain them with the vengeance of a justly-provoked God yet few fear few work out their salvation with weeping eyes and trembling hearts they are still alive without the Law they never walked softly with Ahab or were under Soul-trouble with Judas they fall short of the pangs and sense of Hypocrites Oh! Oh! Oh! I pitty these secure souls how short will they fall of their hopes and how farr short of Heaven Fourthly Few sensible of Sathans working in them Eph. 2.2 How few are sensible that all this while the Devil works in them as in his
insufficiencies he sees not his unworthiness to goe to Heaven and Glory he sees not his inability to think a good thought he hopes without a Christ he can do something If he did judge his condition hopeless he would tremble and have no rest in himself till God hath delivered him he would see an absolute necessity of obtaining Christ and his righteousness and he would be put off with nothing else But O! how hard a work do Ministers find it first to take off men from their sins and then from considence in their duties We tell men Christ will have no sharer in the glory of saving lost man but people will at least have their works and Christ to divide the spoyles to share in the glory of bringing back lost Souls to God We advise men to lay no weight on their duties bâ—t to lean alone on Christ's merits but in vain Christ saith If yee seek me let these go their way these duties as well as these sins but the deaf eare is turned and we find it much easier to perswade men their sins will damn them then their duties whilst Christ is thereby neglected CHAP. IV. Their miscarriages about their Soul-troubles IF the Spirit of the Lord have convinced men of their danger by their sins Miscarriages about Soul-troubles and their own righteousness that they still see God angry with them and if their Souls remain under trouble and disquiet yet are they not guilty of some if not all of the following miscarriages 1. Few iustifie God How few are there that justifie God Few accept of the punishment of their iniquities they do not clear God as they should from all unrighteousness Commonly proud hearts swell and fume against these methods of God Though the filthiness of their hearts be laid open before them yet they fall not down upon their faces in the acknowledgement of their unworthiness of mercy few charge themselves and acquit God They cannot be brought to give God the glory of his righteousness if he should condemn them to the pit of hell they do not willingly and uprightly own the desert of damnation and charge themselves with it as their due portion and most just inheritance Lam. 3.30 Mic. 7.9 Ezra 9.13 Dan. 9.7 8. Few give their cheeks to him that smiteth as the Church did they do not say I will bear the iudignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him or with Ezra thou hast punished us lesse than our iniquities have deserved or with Daniel O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face How seldome do you hear Professours with this Confession in their mouths Lord I am thy creature and thou mayst do with thy creature what pleaseth thee It pleased thee to put thine image on me Eccl. 7.29 Isa 52.3 to create me upright but I have sought out many inventions I have sold my self for nought I have preferred the Devils work before thine and therefore thou mayst abhor me and give me my portion among the damned crew and if I feel some sparks of hell fire in thy wrathfull present frowns it is of thy rich patience and mercy that they are but sparks if thou cast me off for ever it is but what I have deserved long ago it is of the Lords mercy that I was not hurled from the womb or cradle to hell because of my native sinfulness but wo is me I have provoked the pure eyes of thy glorious Majesty dayes without number I have been a Rebel of a long standing against thee my will hath been justling and quarrelling with thine these many years and therefore if I be sent to hell thou art righteous and clear when thou judgest Psa 51.4 I can blame none save my self if I perish everlastingly though I have many fears and sorrows on me yet blessed be God they are not the sorrows of hell thanks be to the Lord that I am not yet among the damned ones roaring in the Pit of hell Few believe they deserve damnation hence Souls are murmuring at any affliction at the loss of an Husband Child Estate c. as if God had dealt hardly with them in depriving them thus How few Professours Few willingly under Soul-trouble Hos 2.6 Rom. 8.15 when under Soul-troubles are willingly under them They see not the advantage of having their way hedg'd up with these thorns They do not receive the Spirit of Bondage They do not accept this punishment They take it not kindly at Gods hands Their troubles are involuntary few kindly works that I meet with among awakened and startled Professours they are held in the chains against their will How many are afraid of sorrow for sin Some think it will spoyl good faces and their beauty may he lost through their troubles but others think it will bring them to despair and therefore farewell to such a Preacher he is too terrible for their Souls Hence Saul must have his harp to divert him the Cards must be taken up again some merry Books some Romances must be read perhaps a Play may be seen jovial frothy Company must be called in and all this to divert the Soul from minding its danger lest it be swallowed up of grief or some unskilfull and unfaithfull Emperick shall be sent for to sow pillows under him that he may sleep the quieter Few Daniel-like when their cogitations much trouble them Dan. 7.28 so that their countenances are changed in them keep notwithstanding the matter in their hearts How few are active in their Soul-troubles Retire and go alone that they may search the Scriptures and ransack their hearts in order to contrition and humiliation of their hearts How few are gladded by any portion of Gods word that brings their sinfulness and self-fulness to remembrance and causeth any meltings of heart and humblings of Souls under it How do some Professours quarrel with their Ministers and snarl at the Books that give them trouble of Spirit 3. Few mourn on spiritual accounts How few mourn for Sin upon Spiritual accounts That their God is dishonoured their good and gracious God who hath done so much for them c. doth not chiefly cut their hearts Against thee Psal 51.4 thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight but perhaps they are troubled for wronging themselves endangering themselves c. They cry as dogs when they have done a fault they fear the whip and so they houle 4. Few reforming and believing mourners How many Professors mourn for their sins yet live in the continued practise of them Notwithstanding their tears yet their hearts are in league with their lusts Thus like the Scolds at Billingsgate they are soon out soon in again with their lusts but few whilst mourning for their sins are sollicitous and carefull which way God may have satisfaction for the injuries that have been done unto him The mourning of many Professours last no longer than the trouble of
their Enemies but if we stay here we perish or as Ladies use Litters to carry them over the dirt or as we use a Penthouse during the Storm and then Farewell or as Passengers the Boat they cry vehemently a Boat a Boat and as soon as they are Fetryed over the deep farewel to the Boat they think no more of it When he slew them then they sought him Psal 78.34 and they returned and enquired early after God Then never before and never after Undoubtedly multitudes have been affrighted to Christ who were never truly and throughly converted to him and have left their Sins from compulsion of their judgement not from the propension of their will not from any love they have borne to Christ they love to be safe but still hate to be holy O! O! how many are herein deluded who have pretended a great deal of love to Christ whilst base Self the love of pleasure and ease and to be exempted from horrours and fears hath been the Bias that hath drawn them to Christ I appeal to thy Conscience whether Christ be valued be look'd after save in a strait When trouble is upon thee then this Physician is sent for but when the pang is over the Physicians company is too chargeable is no way desirable the sooner he turns his back the better When Women are great with Child and when Men and Women both hear it thunder and see it lighten when the Arrows of the Lord fly thick and a great mortality is sweeping many to the Grave O! then how shall I get Christ then Books are read Sermons heard and valued Prayers not neglected but when the fears of death are over Psal 4.6 Ephes 5.16 O! then who will shew us any good Then Redeem lost time not for God and Souls but for the World then head and ears in the world again then secret Prayer is neglected then the Bible lies in a dusty corner not viewed till the next storm arise and then Christ must be awakened with Master Mark 4.38 carest thou not that we perish I will tell you what your Ministers have told you before Sin and the World were your Companions in days of health ease and peace and Christ your desire in cloudy days Is it not so If Christ in the day as well as in the night lies chief between thy breasts thou hast cause to say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name But I fear most pitch on Christ for themselves and not for Christ Christ in the time of Contagion shall go for something but Christ in dayes of health and ease shall be valued no more than a meer Chimara a Cipher a Nothing It is one thing to take Christ to pacifie the Conscience and another to take him to purify the heart An unquiet Conscience is to most a greater burden than an insensible seared and polluted Conscience than an impure heart Oh! Repent of thy juglings with Christ Psa 78.36 They did flatter him with their mouths and they lied unto him with their tongues They pretend to come to Christ in order to service and obedience when all the while they serve themselves on Christ Base Capitulations with Christ Thirdly How many have base Capitulations with Christ Many come running to Christ and ask him as the man in the Gospel Good Master what shall I do Mark 10.17.21 22 that I may inherit eternal life Christ tells him and them Gee thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come take up the Cross and follow me But as he so they are discontented And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great Possessions Undoubtedly many Hypocrites have some glimpse of Christs glory and they run to Christ whilst others deride him but they like not the Price that Christ sets They would have Christ on their own terms Christs terms are to have the Heart My Son Prov. 23.26 give me thy heart Do not lend it only but give give it chearfully give it presently give me it now Now that it is called to day To day Heb. 3.7 8. if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation Give me thy heart to be framed and fashioned by me to be stamped and sealed by me be no longer thine own I will not be content thou lend me thy heart for a Sabbath or for a day of Prayer and then that thou call for thine heart again and bestow it upon thy lusts give me thine heart and do not sell it for base ends for base respects give me thine heart do not keep it to thy self lay up and leave thine heart in my hand for me to keep it for thee But alass how shamefully do we break with Christ We would live as we list and do as we list We are content to give Christ the body the outward man the ear the tongue the head c. but we reserve our heatts for the service of the World and of Sin or if we are perswaded to give the heart yet it is but a devided heart not the whole heart but a piece of it Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart saith Christ but Pride Covetousness and Voluptuousness would fain have a share hence no â—â—l closings between Christ and many Professors Christ and they part They as some Customers seem to commend the wares but they like their money better Few see themselves so miserable without a Christ as to come up to the price Their cursed Leagues with base Lusts bind them so fast in Chains that they cannot they will not come up to Christs proposals to Christs demands they will treat with Christ on no other terms unless they may have the pleasures of Sin and may fulfill the lusts of the flesh but if Conscience be disquieted and troublesome then they make new offers they will leave many sins they will except but one There is but one exception they have and if that may be accepted then they are Christs they have but one reserve These Swine are contented to escape the pollutions of the World 2 Pet. 2.20 22. through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so they may have one mire to return to and wallow in If Christ will stoop to these terms then welcome Christ if one sin and Christ may share the heart betwixt them the man is contented but few are contented that every knee should bow that every sin be parted from The Lord be mercifull to me If I bow in the house of Rimmon No saith Christ All or none If the Conscience be not quiet upon this then as Marriners throw overboard their goods their Jewels their Bales of Silk and other pleasant wares in a Tempest to ease the Vessel which they wish for in a Câ—lm and labour to fetch up again if it be
is the man that heareth me and who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Behold I stand as the doer and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come to him and will sup with him and he with me Jo. 6.35 I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me Ephes 2.19 Jo. 1.12 shall never thirst He tells you Of Strangers and enemies you shall become Children and yet this seems a light matter to be so near related to the King of Kings Is not this Englaeds great Provocation to refuse so great an honour and dignity Rom. 8.1 He assures you There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ And shall he not condemn Wretches that slight the Pardons that are offered to them Hebr. 10.29 These must expect a double wrath Of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy c. 2. From believing Satan before God Others in imitation of the old Adam believe the Devil before God credit his Suggestions beyond all Gods Discoveries O! O! What a black grain'd Sin is this Saith the Devil You have sinned against Light and therefore Christ will not favour you Saith God Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 and his thoughts and I will abundantly pardon Saith the Devil You have sinned more than others you have provoked God exceedingly and therefore never hope for saving benefit by Christs death Saith God Cease to do evil Isa 1.16 17 18. learn to do well come now and let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Saith the Devil You have sinned not only against the Law but against the Gospel you have neglected Christ Saith God Luke 12.10 Every sin against the Son of man shall be forgiven Saith the Devil You have no right to Christ it is in vain to come Jo. 3.16 Saith God Whosoever believeth shall not perish Saith the Devil Your day of grace is past Saith God To day whilst it is called to day Hebr. 3.7 13. hear his voice Saith the Devil God never intended you good you are a Vessel of Dishonour Saith God As I live Ezek. 33.11 I desire not the death of a sinner but that he turn and live Now I pray consider whether God takes it kindly at your hands John 8.44 Titus 1.2 that you should lay more weight on the Father of Lyes than on the faithful God who hath promised and cannot lye who must cease to be God in that very moment wherein he ceaseth to be true You perhaps deceive your selves with the Pharisees Comforts Luke 18 11. You are not as these Harlots as these Publicans no Drunkards c. but little think that you put the Lye upon God You believe the Enemy more than the Friend O! what a Provocation is this 3. Through Pride Rom. 10.3 Others through the pride of their hearts will not come as yet unto Christ They have no mind to submit to the Righteousness of faith He is judged a proud man without a Jury sitting on him who when Condemned will not submit will not stoop so low as to accept of a Pardon I must indeed correct my self men are willing to be justified but they would have their duties to purchase their peace and the favour of God they scorn to be beholding to Christ Thousands will dye and be damned rather than they will have a pardon upon the sole account of Christs Merits and Obedience O the cursed Pride of the heart When will men cease to be wiser than God To limit God When will men be contented with Gods way and method of saving them by the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant How dare men thus to prescribe to the infinitely wise God Is it not enough for thee that thy destruction is of thy self But must thy Salvation be of thy self too Is it not enough that thou hast wounded thy self But wilt dye for ever rather than be beholding to a plaister of free grace Wilt be damned unless thou mayst be thine own Saviour Jo. 3.16 God is willing So God loved the World that he gave his Son Art thou so proud as that thou wilt not be beholding to God Thou wilt deserve or have nothing What shall I say Rev. 3.17 Poor thou art and yet proud thou hast nothing but wretchedness and misery and yet thou art talking of a Purchase This is a provocation God resisteth the proud especially the spiritually proud He that is proud of his Clothes and Parentage is not so contemptible in Gods eyes as he that is proud of his Abilities and so scorns to submit to Gods methods for his salvation by Christ and his righteousness alone 4. Others Through hopes to prepare themselves and make themselves fit for Christ through their ignorance and weakness stay off from Christ in hopes of working that which cannot be wrought without a Christ Were their hearts so humbled and melted as such and such are could they see all their sins subdued were their hearts more fitted and prepared for to lodge so great a Friend they would then close with the Promises with Christ whereas they should come to Christ as soon as they apprehend they are poor blind and naked Rev. 3.17 18. for them lie calls and invites But alas a sight of their wants is a barr to their coming They would have the Fruit first and then the Tree have their hearts purified and then come to Christ Who is appointed by God to be Sanctification to them God comes by his Spirit to convince them of their sinful nature and weakness on purpose that they seeing their necessity of Christ might flye to him as their City of refuge and they are driven farther off by the sight of their sins and unworthiness Whereas they should come to Christ as to a Magazine and Store-house and wait on him in the use of means for the broken heart the pure heart and all other spiritual mercies which their Souls are yet destitute of but they will not O faithless Generation How long shall I be with you Mar. 9.19 how long shall I suffer you Christ is put to the utmost of his patience to bear with Unbelief 5. Through seeming modesty Others through some kind of seeming modesty and tenderness delay in their coming to Christ They are afraid of abusing the holiness and justice of God if they should hope for any privilege in the blood of Christ and mercies of God What mercy for me me a proud wretch an unclean wretch an enemy to God a slighter of his Spirit I deserve nothing but Hell what Heaven for me I have affronted the Majesty of the great God and what This God bestow a Christ on me Who can believe that the Just God who turned down the glorious Angells to Hell for one transgression will save me
loves O! I hate my self whilst writing this that I love the Lord so little so seldom It was he that made me and not I my self He hath wonderfully formed me and wonderfully preserved me and shewed many wonders in the deeps to me O! what shall I do to love the Lord with a superlative love O I am ready to say Let me love nothing if I love not thee nay love nothing till I love thee O that you would grieve abundantly for want of Love to God! You have past as through the Red Sea you have been as the flaming Bush God hath looked after you as if he minded none but you you have been as the Signet on his right hand nay more you have been engraven on his Palmes and what not love the Lord Shame upon you that you can dote upon the dark filthy dirty World and neglect the Lord of Glory All the Affections you have God gave them when he gave thee a reasonable Soul but for this end that you should place them on himself and not on his Enemy Is it not hard measure that God should be denied Love when he gave you power to love If a Friend sends you Bottels of Wine it is hard that when he comes to you you should deny him a taste of his bounty Believe it Sirs whatever you do for the Lord unless you Love him yea unless you Love him more than any thing else it is not accepted 1 Cor. 13.3 Though you give your Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth you nothing Though you bring forth Fruit yet you are empty Vines Hos 10.1 because you eye Self not God Your most exquisite Services are but pieces of dead Carrion unless they be seasoned with the Salt of Love This People draw nigh with their lips but I abhorr them and their Duties because the silly Dove is without an heart Whatever a man gives me if his heart be not in it I slight it God much more What shall I say The Holy Apostle counts him worthy of a Curse that loves not Jesus Christ If any man love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Auathema Maranatha And is it not sad to be cursed to the coming of Christ He deserves it that loves not Christ and he must and shall be forced to own the Righteousness of God in sentencing him to Eternal flames who might have been secured against them had he but loved Christ more than a base dunghill Lust CHAP. XI Their evil surmises of God 4ly Their evil surmises of God EVil surmises of God is another piece of ungodliness found too frequently among some of the more raised Professours even such as have the root of the matter in them I shall the rather insist on this sin because right thoughts of God are the fuell which maintains the fire of Religion without which it soon decayeth and is extinguished 1. Miscalling his love-to-kens Do not we miscall Gods love-tokens Hath not God sent thee many love-tokens by his Spirit to assure thee that he owns thee and delights in thee as his Spouse For thee to question thy relation to him upon every turn must needs be grievous to him how grievous then is it for thee to deny all his tokens of grace and love to thy Soul and to count them but delusions but the works of the Infernal Spirit transforming himself into an Angel of Light To call light darkness good evil sweet bitter the work of Christ the Devils work is ill resented by the Lord it goeth unto his heart You that are Husbands Wives Parents Children cannot endure to have your love and fidelity suspected upon every base suggestion and whisper Believe it God takes notice and laies to heart all your jealousies of him all your base unworthy censures of him 2. How ill are Gods Providences resented III resenting Gods Providences 1 Cor. 3.22 Rom. 8.28 Although God hath told you there is a beauty in their contexture that things present and things to come are yours that all shall work together for good that your Providential losses as well as your Providential enjoyments that your changes as well as your setlings your wants as well as your abundance shall all be Sanctified to you yet how few with that blessed man bless the Lord Job 1.21 Rom. 5.2 3. when taking away And with Paul rejoyce yea glory in tribulations God assures you that your sicknesses reproaches wants shall do you good yea death shall do you good all shall be good or do you good all shall be food or physick out of the eater shall come forth sweetness even from Gods desertions you shall have advantages your very thorns shall drop honey shall bear grapes yet notwithstanding what hard thoughts have you of God under such dispensations Didst thou onely accuse thy self judge thy self abhorre thy self it were well but in speaking against thy self thou fallest foul upon God himself by questioning his love from these providences Deny thy self what thou wilt but beware of a denial of Gods love and of the Spirit of grace that hath taken up his lodgings within thee O that all melancholly doubting Christians would consider of this too seldome suspected provocation and unkindness of theirs towards God! O! take up and keep up better thoughts of God what ever his carriage be towards you Though he slay you yet trust in him When will you be as David who though beleaguered with Enemies yet kept up good thoughts of God he doubted not of Gods pitty of Gods favour and protection and therefore I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Psa 3.6 Psa 27.3 v. 1. that have set themselves against me round about Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear c. in this will I be confident In what Why that the Lord is my Light and my Salvation and the strength of my life God hath not spent all his stores he hath enough for me he will not suffer me to be tempted above what I shall be able to bear but will with the temptation make way for my escape And hath not God told thee that the mountains shall depart Isa 54.10 and the hills be removed yet his loving kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of his peace be removed But alas Thou canst entertain good thoughts of God in fair weather Mar. 4.38 but let them fall in a storm then it is Master carest thou not that we perish Thou canst trust in God when he carrieth himself as a Friend and answereth all thy requests and granteth all thy desires but not so when he seemeth an Enemy Canst thou with Paul say I am perswaded that neither Death Rom. 8.38 39. nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
which was appointed to strengthen their Remembrance of past Mercies Hath not God told us that he hath formed us for his praise And what yet backward thereunto We can never love God to an height whilst we forget his loving Kindnesses I wonder not that many complain of their decayes of Love to God whilst they forget his wonders of Grace and Love to their Souls Even Publicans will love those of whom they are beloved And did we oftner recount the Mercies of God they would work endearments betwixt God and our Souls Did we consider what a wonder it is that God should draw us out of nothing that he who stoops to behold the things of Heaven should put his singer to our workmanship that he should curiously work us as Needle-work in the dark Vaults of Nature and that when we were fuller of sin than the Toad of poyson that yet he should feed a Toad and cloath a Cockatrice the Fire of Love to God would burn within our breasts How is God provoked by this sin God took it ill at the hands of the Israelites that they remembred not his hand Psal 78.42 nor the day in which he delivered them How much more do we grieve the Lord who remember not the goodness and salvations of the Lord in Canaan yea in Zion Our Saviour was grieved that his Disciples remembred not the five Loaves Mat. 16.8 9 10. and the seven Loaves and how many Baskets they took up Innumerable greater favours hath God shewed to us and yet we forget them How have we forgot the God that bridled Natures proud waves and said Hitherto ye shall goe and no farther When we were ripe for Judgement then Mercy stept in and yet how slow to give thanks Hardly one of tea blesseth God for cleansing Mercy as they ought Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine This makes me fear People have not had a deep sense of the misery and stains of Nature for that their Saviour is no more thanked Did not the Lord force thee by an over-powering work of Grace upon thy Soul at first Conversion to be willing to be made happy Did not he compel thee to come into the Feast Was it not God that brought thee to such a Parish to such a Minister and to such a Text And did not he by his Almighty power enable thee to believe and apply Was it not he that broke thine heart when as hard as a nethermost Mill-stone and made it soft malleable and pliant to his will and pleasure And what forget the wonders of the Lord in the deep This vexeth the Lord to the heart Did not he cause the Walls of Jerâ—co to fall as by the voice of Rams-hornes by weak inconsiderable means Did not he alienate thine heart from Lusts that were dearer to thee than thine eyes Did not he present the face of Christ as lovely to thy Soul who before was despised aend rejected And hath not Christ fed thee with fresh supplyes of free Grace that have watered thy Soul every moment so that you have been kept through his mighty power How many doubts hath Christ answered and how many scruples hath he by his Holy Spirit satisfied thee in And yet O wretched heart how unthankfull hast thou been Thou hast forgot all his benefits A man would think it were impossible that every unpleasing Providence should make us so forgetful of all the mighty Works that have been done within doors upon our Souls How just is it with God to plague us for this our unkindness unto him Isa 17.10 11. Because thou hast forgotten c. therefore the harvest shall be an heâ—â— In the beginning all succeeded well saith Vatablus upon the place according to our desire In the day the Plant grew and in the morning the Seed flourished but because of unthankfulness extreme misery followed Wonder not that the Showres are with-held that the Lord causeth the Sun to set on the Prophets at Noon day that the Manna falls not before your doors that the hidden Mannah Ingrato quod donatur deperditur Sen. and white Stone are denied you you have been unthankfull you have not taken care for the fragments that nothing be lost Gods Mercies have been lost upon you Or Waters were become Wines our Gleanings were better than the Worlds Vintage God dealt with us as Sons But now if he draws in his hand and make his Garden as a desolate Wilderness for this sin who can say unto God What dost thou Must not all of us put our mouths in the dust Did not we sit under our own Vines Had we not our solemn Assemblies Did not we goe in troops to the house of the Lord Was not Holiness in credit Did not the mix'd multitude joyn with us and desired to be numbred amongst us because God was with us Did not fear come upon all the People And had not the Churches rest Did we fear the shaking of the Spear Might we not have been as holy as we pleased Had not we as much liberty as we desired But O then how unthankfull were we How troubled were we that every Mordecai did not bow that every one would not be of our mind and dance after our Pipe God knows what a Controversie there is with the Land for the Unthankfulness of them that dwelt therein O how glad would ye be of one of the dayes of the Son of man of your old Privileges and Spiritual Liberties Because ye have not served God with joy and praise in dayes of plenty therefore it is but a righteous thing that you serve in scarcity and famine of Bread of the Word of the Lord. CHAP. XIII Their neglect of Prayer especially of secret Prayer 6ly NEglect of Prayer is another part of Ungodliness Professors neglect of Prayer too common even among Professours Request and Thanksgiving are saith one like the double motion of the Lungs by which they suck in and breath out the air again In the Petitionary part of Prayer we desire either the bestowing of some good thing or the preventing or removing of some evil from our selves or the inflicting of some evil on Gods implacable Enemies And in the Gratulatory part of Prayer we return the praise of glory of what we have received from God unto God Though the Thanksgiving part of Prayer be most yet the Petitionary part of Prayer is too much neglected It is Ungodliness to goe about any Business or Journey to fix our Abode to use any Creature Food or Physick without asking Gods leave and blessing in Prayer Yea it is a branch of Atheism this Brat of irreligion is laid at the door of Atheism by the Psalmist Is it not a Lamentation Psa 14.1 3 4. and should it not be for a Lamentation that so many Professours should be guilty of such Ungodlineâ—â— Are there not many that never prayed in all their lives Never Praying Professours are looked upon by the world as Praying people
he had fourteen thousand before he had three thousand Camels afterwards six thousand before five hundred Asses then one thousand yet how little can we trust Providence in such cases How hardly were the Disciples perswaded that the absence of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ should be supplyed in the Spirit And yet saith Christ Nevertheless I tell you the truth â—fo 16.7 it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him to you Christ in his Spirit dwelling in our hearts is better than Christ in Flesh dwelling in our houses When the unclean Spirit departs from a man Mat. 12.43 and returns again he brings seven Spirits worse than himself and the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning but when Christ withdrew from Earth to Heaven he brings seven consolations better than at first in the powring forth of the Comforter and the end of such in whom the Spirit supplies the want of Christs bodily presence is better than the beginning Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity Jer. 30.15 16 17. c. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured c. for I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thee of thy wounds saith the Lord because they called thee an outcast c. Nothing more usual with God than to make the loss of one comfort the means of enjoying another with advantage yea with the advantage of the hundred fold But alas most fear they shall be losers by Christ and for Christ God doth as Marriners row one way and look another he brings most of his great ends about by looking quite aside from what he hath a special intent to bring to pass the Lord seldome proceeds in a direct way to his ends i. e. in a right way to our apprehensions in such a way as we would have him go in but he leads us about Psa 107.7 as he did Israel and yet that was the right way indeed though the means seem to oppose the end yet he works to the praise of his Name he can write right by a crooked pen and bring honey out of the Carkas of the Lion make use of strange instruments break down Jerichos walls by the sounds of Ramshorns But O! how little do we trust Providence when the means are not probable to effect our expected end Zech. 14.7 Hebr. 11.12 Who believes there shall be light in the Evening And that Sarah shall have a posterity as the Stars in the Firmament for multitude and as the sand on the Sea shore which is innumerable when she was old had been barren so long and her Lord old also Who will think that the Sun and the Stars shall bow to Joseph when he lies in the Pit or is in the Dungeon of the Heathen King How slow to believe were the Disciples when Christ is dead and buried Luk. 24.21 25. and lies three dayes in the Grave We thought this should have been he that should have delivered Israel How little doth the Worm Jacob Jacob when reduced as low as the earth when creeping into holes for security when as contemptible as a worm that no man scruples to tread upon when so easily to be destroyed as a worm believe Isa 41.15 16.17 that yet the Worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains and fan them and the wind shall carry them away Alas how unseemly is the behaviour of many if Providence thwarts them in taking away a Child an Husband an Estate how discouraged and cast down are we as if God in his Providence had pulled down that which he could never build again or rooted up that which he could never plant again O! how few believe that if God pull down their brick-houses that he will build them again of hewn-stones and that if he consume their Fir-trees he will build again with Cedars Do not many afflicted Christians think it impossible for their sorrow to be turned into joy Whence is all our dejectedness under Cross-Providences Hence dejectedness under Cross-Providences but from our not believing that all things are disposed by the wife and gracious Providence of God We believe not enough that the Eyes of our loving Father run to and fro throughout the Earth to shew himself Marvellous for our help in a time of need and danger David was thus overtaken till he school'd himself into a better frame with Why art thou cast down O my Soul Psa 42.5 and why art thou disquieted in me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Few can say God is our refuge and strength Psa 46.1 2. a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea Few believe that if the Lord be pleased to lay a great burden upon their shoulders he will give great strength to bear it and if he gives but little strength he will surely proportion the burden to it Whence are all our uproars of Spirit and disquietness of heart but from our not trusting upon Providence When God is working desolation did we see it his work we would be still David was so when strangely provoked by Shimei's insolency and railings God hath bid Shimei curse Abisha was not so much concerned in the affront as David but he sees not God in the lips of Shimei and therefore his Spirit is inflamed All the boylings of Revenge that are in the hearts of men one ' gainst another may be Boyling of revenge attributed to mans blindness and injudicious view of things they see not the wicked to be Gods Sword to let out their corruption they do not believe that God intends to pursue gracious designs by such instruments Joseph was easily conquered and perswaded to forgive the unkindness yea the cruelty of his Brethren in making Merchandize of him to the Ishmalites he could say Gen. 45.8.50.20 It was not you that sent me hither but God c. As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive He insinuates to them that they had no cause to fear his revenging himself on them for that he could easily pardon that offence of theirs out of which God hath drawn so much good to his people and so much glory to his own Name How silent would we be yea how full of praises if by an eye of faith we did see the end of God in all his Providences that they lead to holyness Before I was afflicted I went astray Psa 119.67 75. Hebr. 12.10 but now I keep thy Word I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me in faithfulness He for
heart What good didst thou do or receive in that company wa st thou eyes to the blind feet to the lame didst thou labour to bring thy Friends nearer to Jesus Christ or hast thou more estranged and prejudiced them from and against the way of truth O my heart Didst thou take heed to thy wayes that thou didst not sin with thy tongue Didst thou keep thy mouth as with a bridle When going into the Shop or Field yet with Isaack thou art to meditate there and conferr with God and thy heart thus O my heart for whom dost thou labour for Self or for God whose Servant wilt thou be to day the Worlds or Christs O my heart How many snares are there in the World what a dirty place â—is the World and how great is thy danger if God prevent not by special grace O my Soul What need hast thou of Almighty power to keep thee that thou mayest retain thy sweetness in salt waters But alas How seldome do we reflect on our words or silence on our speaking or hearing on our behaviour abroad or at home When do we consider what our affections were most set upon in such and such a place in such an hour and what our demeanour God-ward and toward our Neighbour was We do not believe Bernard who tells us If we would examine our selves as oft as we need Bern. in Cant. we must do it alwayes And Chrysostomes paraphrase and counsel on Psalm 4. is of as little credit with us Let this account be kept every day have a little Book in thy Conscience and write therein thy daily transgressions and when thou layest thee down on thy Bed bring forth thy Book and take an account of thy sinnes 6. Crowing weary of the work before they have brought things to an issue Do not we grow weary of this work before it be brought to any considerable Issue We flagg before we come to the up-shot Still some were learning and never came to the knowledge of the truth And so some pretend at least to be alwayes trying but they hold not fast They try their hearts as some did truths till they be wholly sceptical as ignorant whether converted or no as ever They know not more this year than they did seven years since but hang betwixt Heaven and Hell in a dubious state for want of skill or pains to decide this matter We are not resolute and peremptory enough to have an account of our Souls yea such an one as that we may have boldness in the presence of Christ When David thought on God and was troubled Psa 77.3 6. he never gives over his heart till he ended this controversie He communed with his heart and made a diligent search We should commune till we know whether we be natural or spiritual and accordingly be humbled greatly or greatly rejoyce in God our Saviour But alas This Age is strangely dull and sluggish those Duties that will cost expence of spirits and call for the labour of the mind we wholly omit or do them very negligently Reader Could I but prevail with thee to set in good earnest upon Occasional Meditation and Heart-Examination and Solemn Meditation and Self-Tryal I should bless the Lord as long as I breath for this enterprise of mine The searcher of hearts knoweth that I took Pen in hand on this design to labour with thee in order to inside Duties that thou might'st not be contented with a Form of Godliness and rest in the external part of Religion that more work might be done within doors in Closets and Hearts O that you would reform Not pass on to another Chapter till you have engaged your slippery incconstant hearts to attend on this necessary Duty Take a few Considerations to impell you 1. Motives to this great duty Heathens else will rise up in judgment against us The very Heathen will rise up in judgement to condemn you if you neglect this duty A Roman Philosopher every night before he slept would examine himself thus Quod malum hodie sanesti c. What sin hast thou opposed wherein art thou bettered Cato also would daily at evening call to mind what ever he had seen read or done that day I use saith Senica every evening to plead my cause with my self when the candle is gone and all silent I review all that I have said or done in the day I hide nothing from mine own scrutiny I pass by nothing Pithagoras gave also this severe rule to his Scholars that they should no night suffer sleep to seize their senses till they had three times recalled the accidents and passages of the day what evil have I committed what good have I omitted Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees saith Christ may not I say of the Heathen how can you hope for Salvation O! how hath thine heart cheated thee with vain confidences How hast thou cryed the Temple of the Lord I have Abraham to my Father whilst moral Heathens have been better acquainted with their hearts than thou art Yea Sensitive creatures will else shame us 2. The very sensitive creatures may shame thee into the practise of this duty Go thou sluggard to all the souls of Heaven Do they not sit in the Sun and view themselves look inward to themselves turn every feather to set it at rights Do they not look over their feathers and pick out and throw away that which is bad and set others in their places when misplaced Nay 3. We shall else be self-condemned You your selves will be judges of your selves You take the glass and what is amiss in the hair in the face in the body you rectifie by it and what no observation to be made of the faces of your Souls O! take the word of God and make use of this glass which now is in thine hand doth it discover no spots no neglects no failings O! view thy self and humble thy self reflect on thy self and conserr with thy self till thou art ashamed till thou abhorrest and loathest thy self before the Lord. 4. You have a sure sign of hypocrisie on you The neglect of this duty a sign of hypocrisie whilst this duty lies neglected for all the upright have been very carefull to commune with their hearts to search their hearts to make diligent search lest any lust should be covered as Rachel covered her Idols or as Saul was hid in the stuff Nothing is more desired by a sincere Soul than to be throughly searched examine me O Lord Psa 26.2 as Artificers do whether their gold be weight or no and prove me as Artificers do their silver in the fire try my reins and my heart the most inward motions of my Soul search me more deeply and throughly than the world can do Unfound hearts have one Dalilah they have one house of Rimmon that they cannot endure to be examined and found out they are loath to search too
and neglect the one thing necessary Fool that I was to set my thoughts and affections on things below none of which now give me a drop of water to cool my tongue and to neglect the things above O! If I had never heard of Christ and Glory I had been more excusable for my earthly prolings Psal 69.6 O! How have I disquieted my self in vain I have heaped up riches and know not who shall gather them Had I been as faithful to Christ as I was to Mammon O! with what joy might I have removed hence What abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome might I have had O! Labour to prevent the horrours of Death and the gnawing Worm of Conscience It is sad when the Sting of Death and the Worm Conscience Prov. 11.4 bite the man together Riches avail not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death Believe it it will cut you to the heart to think that less pains might have served for eternal Life than you have bestowed for temporal Goods This plague attends the covetous man the more he desires and heaps up the less he is desired and the less he is lamented when he dyes He is like a Swine that is good for nothing whilst he is alive not good to bear and carry as the Horse nor to draw as the Oxe nor to cloath as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cowe nor to keep the house as the Dogg but ad solam mortem nutritur fed only to the slaughter So the covetous man doth no good with his riches whilst he liveth but when he is dead his riches come to be disposed of Prov. 13.22 The riches of a sinner are laid up for the just How can you choose but tremble at Dooms-day You cannot desire the comming of Christ If the Church cries Come Lord Jesus come quickly you cannot joyn in that Prayer for that your hearts are glued to this present World You preferr Paris before Paradise It is to the Saints loss to be kept so long from Heaven but you count it not so You cannot say Thy Kingdome come What will you do in that day when all the Estate and Friends of Dives cannot relieve with a drop of cold water Riches are like bryars and thornes good to stop gaps but not to lay in our beds and set our hearts upon lest we lye down in sorrow Few remember the Devil's offer All these things will I give thee is the last temptation that old Professours are baited with Take heed therefore and beware of Covetousness CHAP. XXVII Their Envy ENVY is a Sin seldome confessed Professoss Envy James 4.5 but yet much diffused among Professours The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy And indeed Covetousness and Envy are never asunder they are sins against the same command Such as long that what is their Neighbours should be theirs envy to him that which is his and such as envy to him that which is his long to have it to be theirs How desirous are Professours to grasp all to themselves And therefore how apt are the very best to be envious at the power greatness riches if not goodness of others Doth not the experience that you have of your own hearts if you be not strangers at home testisie that this Spirit is stirring and acting in you The poor envy the rich the base the honourable as if they had the less because others have so much Some think that this was the sin that threw down the Angels from Heaven that they envied Adam's glory in that he was made after Gods image and that they relinquished their glory to divest Adam of his To be sure the Devil was restless till he had implunged Adam in the same sin and misery that he was brought into Sure maligning the prosperity of others is not from the Spirit of God He that giveth freely to all would not have us to envy those to whom he gives more freely than to our selves and he that giveth us more doth not envy us for what we have If you have not so much as others it is because you are unfit to receive not because God is unwilling to give Do not we see how this poyson diffuseth it self An early sin it was if not in the Angels as some think yet it was in Eve She envied the all-knowledge of God and must forsooth have at least an equality with God himself It was also strong in the first man that was born of a woman and we still suck it in with our Mothers milk and it seldome dyes till we dye This sinne is commonly among people of the same Profession One Mechanick envies another one Merchant another one Scholar another one Gentleman another one Commander another as Saul envied and hated David because the Women sang that Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands one Minister another as those in Paul's dayes that envied him and affected an high strain of eloquence on purpose to obscure that reputation which Paul had got among the Churches And happy had it been if this cursed sinne had dyed in that age but it hath been still working in all ages of the World Is there not a greater promptitude in us Evidenced in detracting from others worth to detract from mens worth than to credit and exalt them To write down their blots and imperfections than to set forth their due vertues and graces If we cannot reach others by imitation we will by calumniation and therefore Luther saith Envious men feed upon the dung of other men They are like flies that love to be upon sores It is admirable to see how dull sighted we are as to the vertues and graces of our Brethren but quick sighted as Eagles to discern their imperfections Mat. 7.3 The beams of Vertue are not seen i. e. not taken notice of but a mote in a Brother's eye is soon espyed Are we not more greedy to receive and spread any thing Readiness to receive and spread defamations whereby our Neighbour is infamed and obscured than we are to entertain and diffuse what tends to his praise and glory And is not this the reason hereof viz. the great desire we have to shine alone and that we would none to vye with us in glory much less to excell us therein Is there not oft-times a secret gladness in our hearts Gladness in their being brought lower when some sad Providences afflict others in their Names Goods Health and Relations that thereby they may be brought to a level with us or to an inferiority in a lower estate When you have seen some Congregation wedged in with a concourse of hearers and yours thin and naked and when some have been cryed up for their purity gravity activity and zeal and when others have greatened their parts or estates and yours rather have been impaired have ye not been ready even to burst with Envy Have you not been glad when some blot hath
Church doth commend Christ but seldome are Wives careful herein to imitate the Church of God How many do blazon their infirmities more frequently than commend their graces The Church is careful to please Christ in all things 1 Cor. 7.34 The married Woman should care study to please her Husband by her attire behaviour words She should goe speak and do so Eph. 5.24 as may render her most acceptable in his sight in every thing How many cross Wives are there that love to vex rather than to delight their Husbands They will cloath and adorn their bodies to make them lovely to strangers rather than to their own Husbands The Church bears patiently rebukes and blows from Christ so should Wives as Sarah was commended for her meekness 1 Pet. 3.4 5 6. The ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit is in the sight of God of great price for after this manner in the old time the holy Women adorned themselves being in subjection to their own Husbands even as Sara c. The Church gives Christ reverend Titles of honour and esteem but alas Wives are so proud so self-conceited of their own worth and merit that they cannot but disrespect all others even their own Husbands Hereby they shew not themselves to be the Daughters of Sarah Gen. 18.12 1 Pet. 3.6 She having occasion to think of her Husband presently this title Lord came out of her heart into her mouth and the Holy Ghost takes notice of it yea a second time sure it was for some high end and proves that she obeyed Abraham because She called him Lord. Perhaps the Wife will tell me these are but trifles that I cross my Husband in I must tell thee to break the order of God for toyes and trifles will greaten thy sin at the day of accounts What wilt thou darest thou for so slender a matter tread down the Law of thy God and hazard the ruine of thy Soul O! consider this and turn not your duties to your Husbands into matter of talk and pastime as the manner of most Women is CHAP. XXX The miscarriages of Professing-Parents and Children PArents As Parents O! how little do you plot for the good of future generations how little do you care whether God hath a Name when you be dead and gone that Christ survive and holiness flourish when you shall be rotten in your graves O! 't is through your default that the name of Christ is not had in everlasting remembrance if you were faithfull how would the generations to come bless the Lord in your behalf If you were active and diligent you might convey holiness down to your posterity as you have been unhappy instruments to convey down a stock of sinne you have been instruments to convey down the curse but are not you careless to convey down grace The World would soon meâ—â— the Church of Christ would soon regain its antient lustre and beauty if ye did but faithfully discharge your duties to your Children you might suffer little Children to come to Christ yea you might fill the Kingdom of Heaven but do not you rather fill the Kingdom of Hell And as Jereboam made Israel to sin do not you instead of leading them the way to Heaven lead them the way to Hell O! consider seriously and sadly how farr you are guilty with respect to the Souls of your Children 1. By giving them bad examples Giving their Children bad examples Chams not covering his Fathers nakedness was a sin conveyed down to all his race and therefore God chargeth the Church of the Jews against that sin under the expressions of walking in the manners of the Nations Levit. 20.11 23. compar Ye shall not walk in the manners of the Nations which I cast out before you for they committed all these things Your pride sensuality carelesness in the worship of God your passions towards your Wives and Wives towards their Husbands your frowardness toward servants c. teach your Children so to carry themselves towards others One check't his Son and said never Parent had so wicked a Child yes said the Son My Grandfather had 2. Cockering them in sin By humouring and cockering your Children in their Sins Teaching them early to be proud of their fine clothes and to revenge Come give me a blow saith the Mother to the Child whilst it sits on her lap By indulging to his voluptuous course of life it is thought Isaack smarted in his Son 's future disobedience even by suffering him to sport and hunt away too much of precious time Many like Apes kill their Children with culling them Austin tells a sad Story of one Cyrillus who loved an only Son immoderately and let him do without correction what he would afterwards this cockered Son in a fit of drunkenness offers violence to his Mother killed his Father wounded mortally two of his Sisters and would have ravished another Through foolish pity Parents especially Mothers give the reines unto their Children when they are young and thereby they grow head-strong Prov. 29.15 and are a shame to the Mother that bore them The sparing of the Rod is the ruine of the Child Do not you reprove your Children as old fond Eli did Thereby he brought a plague upon himself and upon his posterity What saith one never cease convincing or correcting till thou hast subdued the spirit of thy Child if he contends with thee You pretend such harshness is inconsistent with love but I say from the Lord such fondness and indulgence is consistant with hatred and I am sure the Lord is on my side in this Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his rod hateth his Son he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Is it love to suffer a wound in thy Child to fester and thereby to destroy him rather than to apply a painful corrosive for the expediting the cure But what saith the fond Mother O! If the Child should be the worse for my correction it would be a trouble to me whilst I live O that such a doting Mother would hear the Lord himself Correct thy Son Prov. 29.17 Prov. 23.13 and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy Soul With hold not correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not dye Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child Prov. 22.15 but the rod of correction shall drive it farr from him 3. By not acquainting them with the Lord Not instructing them and his wayes and that betimes Hath not God commanded that his Laws should be whetted by you upon your Children Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt teach them diligently Hebr. whet or sharpen 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 Some conceive that Catethiling of Children is not obscurely hinted in this ancient Precept And is
neglected to talk of what you have heard Have not some Not talking of it as soon as dismiss'd from the Sermon fallen into impertinent discourses about news and trifles or into worldly business Mat. 13.7 22. and so the thornes choak'd all the convictions which they received under the Ministry They consider not that the Word they have heard hath been the savour of life or of death 2 Cor. 2.16 and that every one that goes from a Sermon goes off either with God or the Devil in his company Have not you been hearers of the Word only Not practising it Jam. 1.22 and not doers of it Have not you so deceived your own selves Your Ministers have prest you to secret Prayer and to constancy in it but have not you gone away and continued in the neglect of that wherein the power of godliness and heart-sincerity mainly consists Blessed are they that hear the Word of God Luke 11.28 and keep it i. e. that are good Practitioners that have a conscionable care to regulate heart and life according to what they hear and know They are rather blest than the Mother of Christ was for bringing him into the World Christ puts a rather upon the good Practitioner than upon the Virgin Mary But alas Let it be for a Lamentation that so many Professours have been for hearing but for doing only what they listed Amos 8.5 6 7 8 9. Saying When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the Ballances by deceit That we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the Wheat The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob Surely I will never forget any of their works Shall not the Land tremble for this c The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you Mat. 21.43 Luke 12.43 and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof But Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing When did you find the Glasses to discover and amend your Spots Have you been cast into the Form of the Doctrine which ye have received Have you obeyed from the heart the Form of Doctrine delivered to you Hath your profiting appear'd answerable to the many months and years you have sate under the Dews of Heaven What do you know more than you did before What do you believe love and hope for more than you did Have your hearts and lusts stooped more and more to this Scepter of Christ Believe it Sirs If Sin be not more odious and Christ more sweet and precious after you have been in the Shepheards Tents you have lost your hearing hours yea contracted more guilt to your Souls That you have not been chang'd from glory to glory is a great stain to the Ministry and a great ground of sadness to the poor Ministers who fear they have laboured in vain And yet have not you been such unprofitable hearers that Seekers Ranters and Quakers have took occasion to cry down the Office of the Ministry as a Cheat as an old Almanack out of date because they have seen how unsuccessful the labours of Christs Ministers have been upon your Souls If you had come down from these Mounts with your faces shining if you had received more of God upon your hearts and lives you had more credited the Ministry and put to silence these foolish men What shall I say A worse Famine is coming on Professours than what happened to Egypt and if you have laid up no store what will ye do in the years of lean Kine 7. Have not you greatly miscarried Their miscarriages as to consulting with their Ministers Mat. 16.19 as to consulting with them Though one great work of your Ministers was to deal personally with your Souls and God intrusted them with the power of binding and loosing doctrinally at least and hath promised to loose in Heaven what they loosed on Earth and to confirm the Word of his Servants Isa 44.26 and perform the Counsel of his Messengers yet how little weight have you laid upon their judgements Have not you more credited the Physicians opinion of your Bodies Laying little weight on their Judgements Not consulting with them at all and the Lawyers about your Estates than you have your Ministers concerning your Souls How seldome are Ministers consulted with about the business of the Soul and Eternity Will not they in the Acts rise up to condemn this Generation They repaired to Christs Ministers with Men and Brethren What shall we do to be saved Acts 2.37 But alas How many have sate 30 40 50. Years under a Minister and never advised with him what to do They have been no more moved Through hard Heartedness Bride than the Rocks were that Bede preached to Or else through the Pride of their hearts they have thought to heal themselves They have been so puff'd up with their own knowledge that they have not cared to hear what their Ministers could declare unto them If they be to take a Journey they will ask the Way of every one they meet but so unreasonably consident are they of their knowing the Way to Glory though there be many Wayes Prov. 14.12 that do indeed lead down to Hell yet seem the right Way to Heaven that they will not so much as ask the Way thither-ward of any Guide Prov. 26.16 The Fool is wiser in his own conceit than seven men thas can render a reason Or else they have thought as well of their Souls as some doe of their flesh Thinking the wound will heal of it self that the wound will heal of it self And hath it not so done no body knows how Can you tell how the troubles and impressions made by the Ministry in your own Souls have worn away have not Ministers sound after the House hath been swept and garnished that seven worse Spirits have entred into the Souls of many convinced and terrified Professors and their latter end was worse than their beginning Many saith famous Hooker in a stupid kind of sottish senselessness wear out the blow and so wast away to nothing as many out of sorrow have become like senseless blocks How oft hath Satan like a Cut-purse drawn thee into solitudes disswaded thee from going near thy Minister that he may rob thee of thy Convictions and the better to effect this hath he not perswaded thee to look on the Minister as proud high scorning to condescend to hear thy Soul grievances and complaints whereas he hath many and many a time with the greatest importunity beg'd this trouble of dressing thy sores If you have consulted with your Ministers Not consulting with them soon enough Acts 24.25 have not you delayed going to these Soul-Physicians When the wound was newly given and bleeding you should have
one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions What sighs Not mourning enough for the want of them sorrows tears c. hath the removal of your Ministers cost you Cannot you rub it out very quietly If you lose your Jewels Estates Names Friends Children c. we can read the sorrows of your hearts in your countenances you are almost angry with God when a goard is smitten O! what sinkings of heart are there among Professours what cares fears griefs not only to the sadning of their hearts but altering of their countenances when the world vanisheth And yet no aking hearts no dejected countenances for the glory 's departing for Gods shutting up house and departure I am confident it hath not broke one nights rest to many who yet will think themselves wronged if they be not placed in the highest form of Profession What time hast thou set apart to humble thy Soul for all thy abuses of the Gospel and Ministry thereof Not Fasting under this Judgment If a Child be sick time must be set apart to humble thee before God this is your duty but the other should not have been neglected Thou may'st subsist better without Children than without these Spiritual Fathers a Gospel Ministry is a greater Jewell than many Sons and Daughters Thy having sinned away the food of thy Soul should have put thee in Sackcloth and upon Fasting with mourning long ago All Israel lamented after the Ark But are not you as merry and sensual at your tables as ever Yea are not you secretly glad at the removal of your Ministers yea secretly being glad for their removal Ministers and Ministry saith Shepheard are bills of charges to a Congregation and too costly Inhabitants among them 2. Not justifying God in their removal Have you justified God in the removal of them God as a wise and provident Master gave you glorious lights to do his work by but you have plaid away your time is it any wonder that he hath put out your Tapers and Candles Have you confest the righteousness of God herein that he will not be at cost to find you Candle light to play by Hath this been thy hearts acknowledgment God gave me these lights that I might work for him by them and because I did not but wrought the works of darkness therefore he hath most justly left me in darkness and in the shadows of death 2 Thes 2.10 11 because I received not the truth in the love thereof I took it into mine head but not into mine heart God may justly send me strong delusions that I should believe a lye Vide Pareuâ—â— in Act. 5.36 It is the observation of Pareus upon many of the Jews being seduced that it was just with God that they should believe impostours because they would not give credit to Jesus Christ O! God may make short work with us in his Judiciary proceedings When God hath departed upon repulse he hath left a dismall curse behind hind him I say unto you that none of these men which were bidden shall tast of my Supper If the meat be on the table yet it is just with God that I shall never tast of it for I have controuled the Spirit again and again twenty thirty fourty years have I vexed the good Spirit of the Lord and therefore he may swear in his wrath that I shall never enter into his rest If some shall never tast that have neglected one Call woe is me who have neglected thousands Take words and say because I have not obeyed the voice of thy Servants Job 36.12 't is righteous that I perish by the Sword and dye without knowledge 3. Not blessing God for former opportunitles How little have you blest and do you bless God that once you did enjoy a Gospel Ministry and such a Gospel Ministry How seldome are such words as these Blessed be they and blessed be their Counsels and blessed be the Lord that sent them out to meet me in former dayes and for so many dayes months and years together found in your mouths It is a sign that your disesteems of the Gospel and Ministry do still abide whilst you cannot find in your hearts to thank God for enjoying so choice a blessing for so many years together 4. Not crying for their return What cries have you sent up to Heaven for the return of your Ministers Dare you thus imprecate Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I forget to pray for Zions welfare in this particular Had the Ministry of the Gospel been counted a glorious blessing you would have sent strong cryes to Heaven for the return of it Had you believed that they came to treat with your Souls about your peace with God and that God hath appointed this as the great means to bring your Souls to himself you would not have parted with your Ministers so easily being as little moved as at the withering and throwing to the dunghill of a formerly flourishing Nose gay of Flowers and you would have wrestled with the Lord for the return of these glorious Lights of Heaven How can you chuse but feat the Lord hath no more Souls to convert in that place from which the Gospel is removed Jesus Christ prayed Isa 49.8 compared with 2 Cor. 6.2 that the Gospel might be sent to the Gentiles In an acceptable time have I heard thee O! How should you have prayed for the fruit of Christs prayer Have you back'd prayer with prayer Have you doubled your Prayers for the return of your Fathers Have they not begotten you Judg. 9.17 Should they not be unto you as Fathers Will not Idolatrous Micah else condemn you 5. Not preparing for such a mercy How little do you set your selves in a posture for the return of the Gospel and the Ministers of it Until you have humbled your Souls as low as the dust for your unprofitableness pride sensuality earthliness dis-esteems and neglects of the Gospel for your abuse of the talents of Gold that you hid or wasted can you imagine that God will intrust you with more talents Alas few put themselves in a readiness few prepare to meet God as formerly they have met him in the solemn Assemblies Verily God is gone and returned unto his place Hos 5.13 till you acknowledge your offences your Gospel-sins and seek his face But if ye seek him not early how can ye hope for the bringing back the Captivity that the glory and strength will return 6 Being niggardly even now toward them How little do ye now lay out for the refreshing and feeding of your poor Ministers now that their necessities are so growing you cannot now excuse your niggardliness with this they have a competency Alas most of them and their many little ones are in great straights and exigencies and what still straightned in your bowels Is not the Proverb made good Out of sight out of
what truth of grace can there be in them that are willfully blind and for carnal respects doe thus sin against their own Conscience Thus do both sides grosly and dangerously erre and sin against their Brethren 1 Cor. 8.12 And when ye sin so against the Brethren ye sin against Christ For the experience of all times and of this present age proveth evidently that there be of both sides that fear God unfeignedly and in the whole tenour and course of whose conversation the life and power of true godliness doth manifestly appear And if thou do not see this who-ever thou art that art most bitter and violent of either side then art thou certainly thy self most willfully blind And I do assure thee in the Name of the Lord and by good warrant out of his Word that if thou canst not unfeignedly love every one that truly feareth the Lord whether he conform or not conform If thou canst not bewail and strive against these hard conceits thou hast been wont to entertain against such thou canst have no comfort at all in thine own estate before God Thus far he that was in his time Englands best Preacher And is the matter any whit amended now O! How have Professors spoken all manner of evil against those that have differ'd from them in circumstances Have not they publikely railed one at another What filthy Names have they given one another Schismaticks Rebels Dividers Peace-breakers enemies to the State c. even as bid as the Heathens gave the Christians Have not we been so eager against such that all the peoples time hath been swallowed up in invectives of one party against another Have not we been cooled and blunted and lost our zeal in matters of greatest moment by letting out our zeal against the supposed errours of our Brethren 3. Backbiting them Levit. 19.16 Deutr. 27.24 Rom. 1.29 30. Prov. 10.12 If we have not been guilty of Un-sainting them yet how little have we heeded the commands of God against back-biting Thou shalt not go up and down as a Tale-bearer among the people Cursed be he that smiteth his Neighbour secretly When the Apostle would set forth the great abominations of the Gentiles he saith they were whisperers and back-biters Were there love it would cover all sins Whom we love we are wont to commend and praise but instead of this how do we speak against those that differ from us behind their backs though we speak fair to their faces O abominable Hypocrisier Have not some commended an action to the face of the man and presently in another place and company censured the same whom we love we would have others to love but by back biting we seek to draw off others also from their duty Herein O! how do we serve the Devil who is the great mediatour of differences I have oft thought upon the Artificial kind of Back-biting in Bernards time When they slander Videas praemitti alta suspiria Doleo vehementer de co grande damnum c. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 24. they will fetch deep sighs as if they were much grieved that others should be so and so guilty yea they will say I am exceedingly sorry for such an one that he should commit so hainous a crime when perhaps it was all the while but a base lying report Besides they will charge the Tale-hearer with the greatest secresy when they will take liberty to asperse as far as they have opportunity they tell the fault only to a Friend that will tell no body but Folks of it But why may not he have forfeited the gift of keeping Counsel as well as thy self Why shouldst thou think that the Hearer will conceal when thou the Teller canst not And if thou hast a mind the Brothers infirmities should be hid why dost no◠thou hide them Or why dost thou disclose them to one whom thou suspectest to be no way friendly to the infamed person If a man of a different perswasion live so humbly that we are forced to commend them yet we will surely bring in one Calumny or other that shall blot the person and weaken all our encomiums of him when we have been forced to speak of others good actions how commonly do we lay in a But something or other to abate the esteem that is due it were well done if the ends were right if from good principles if not done in hypocrisie c. and by these insinuations we restrain others from loving proportionably to the merit of the person This is Doeg-like he told the truth but he insinuated as if David had an evil intention and the Priests were in the Confederacy Or we add we should like him well if he were not thus and thus but he is a leaper c. proud covetous c. At feasts if not in more solemn meetings what liberty have we taken to speak against our Brethren When Dionisius feared Plato would revile him in the Academy among his Companions God forbid said Plate that there should be such scarcity of matter to talk of in the Academy that they should talk of thee Believe it we had spent our time better to warm one anothers hearts with the love of Christ than to exasperate and inflame the Spirits of each other against our Brethren What saith Plutarch another Heathen You have matter enough at home and within to busie your selves about 4. Hearkning to backbiters How easily have we entertained a report and credited it against Brethren of different perswasions The love of Mothers makes them incredulous as to any charges laid against their Children Prov. 25.23 but how seldome have we driven away a back-biting tongue with an angry countenance how have we been Tale-hearers how have we encouraged the Backbiter to open his pack how have we received all the defamations he would bring us how have we credited reports upon heresay without any examination Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera Aequum licet stà tuerit haud aequum fuerit Sen. Trag. Prov. 14.15 Psal 101.5 how apt are we to censure and judge before he which is the Accused have the Accuser face to face This was the Romans Law I wish it were the Christians Some of you learnt long ago that it is injustice to determine without hearing both parties Have we loved our Neighbours Name and Credit as our own May we not conclude that God will measure to us as we have to our Brethren Is it our wisdome to believe every word Would not David cut off those whom we embrace We pretend we are not the first reporters but are not we glad the report is spread beyond recall are not we glad that others good names are stoln away and do not we harbour the stolngoods When others set our Neighbours Names on Fire do not we look on and gladly warm our selves by it and cry Aha! So would we have it But when do we go to the defamed Neighbour to hear what Apologie he
make more haste to cure a man that is taken with a swooning fit than one that hath a little swelling in his singer I wonder you are no more affected with the miseries that attend your Unregenerate Friends and Acquaintance who must suddenly be Converted or Damned Me-thinks you should pitty them the more because they pitty not themselves Me-thinks the value that Christ hath put upon Souls by bleeding for them the ransome that he hath given for miserable man and the unwearied pains he takes for the reducement of fall'n man should teach us to open our lips to give some directions and counsels to them who are within a stride of Hell but a breath between them and eternal ruine And yet how are Gods people straitned towards these forlorn and miserable undone condemned Creatures Though they are under the curse of the Law though the sentence of death be past against them and is ready to be executed every moment yet you exhort them not to flye from wrath to come If they will perish they may perish for any spiritual contribution that you will afford them It grieves me sometimes to see how Gods people eat up their own and others time with vain frothy and unsavory words When they should be speaking some rouzing startling words of Hell and Damnation of the necessity of Regeneration of Eternity of the foolish choice men make in preferring the pleasures of sin which are but for a season before eternal joyes of the deceits of the heart of the cheats of the Devil of the malignity of sin of the curse of the Law c. they are talking of this fashion or of that they are perhaps censuring one another but endeavouring nothing for the undeceiving their deluded Companions You cannot but know what advantages you have by your intimacies with them to deliver that to them which they will receive from you when Satan perhaps hath imbittered them against their Ministers so that all Pulpit-counsels and reproofs are lost upon them Besides You are in private with them and you know by your selves how loth how backward you were to apply the truths of God to your own Souls but you as Nathan to David may goe and say Thou art the Man thou the Woman You may hear their pleas for themselves and so have an opportunity to confute them whereas they are reserved to their Ministers though they have been friendly earnestly and frequently invited to a Christian conference And yet how do you neglect all these Opportunities of serving the Necessities of your Friends You pretend love unto them but how can ye see the blind before your eyes tumbling into the Lake of Hell and yet not call on them to return and live It is admirable that you should think you have the Divine Nature within you and yet be void of compassions to these miserable Objects who lye wounded before you where-ever you goe or come O! Me-thinks when you enter the house of an Unregenerate you should thus meditate Now have I an opportunity to save a Soul from Hell to have a greater conquest than Caesar or Alexander could boast of Now may I shew my self a Friend of God by pleading his right to the Creature Now may I have an occasion to make all the Angels of Heaven laugh and sing and all the cursed Devils to roar by saving a lost Son And will you see these wounded in your way and pass them by with an unmerciful Spirit If you see your Brother have need of outward things much more if needing Grace the Image of and Peace with God and you shut up your bowells of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in you You have some pitty left when you see a man fall'n under his horse or strugling for life upon the waters or in an house fired your bowells are turned within you But alas here are they that are dropping into the Lake of Fire every moment that are dragged up and down from one Lust to another by the Devil a sorer bondage by farr and yet you do not pitty them O! Pitty them pitty them Goe over to Macedonia and help them It is a grief to my Soul to consider how dull how useless Christians are in the Towns and Villages where Providence hath cast them If they meet with a man they will not so much as ask whether he be bound for Heaven or Hell whether he knows the necessity of the new Birth yea or no whether he hath left Sin as his greatest burden whether he be willing of Christ and Salvation by him upon his own terms Nay Professours will not so much as counsel them to read a good Book or lend them one if they are poor and unable to buy they will be at no cost to save a Soul that is really of more worth than a World How is it that you account your selves Christians whilst you have no higher esteems of Souls Or how can you have any assurance that you hate Sin whilst you labour not the removal of it in whomsoever you find it If you see men trifling away their time why do you not put them upon redeeming their time If you find them lovers of pleasures why do you not invite them and press them to look after cordial joy and mirth and the true pleasures that are at Gods right hand If you are the Subjects of Christ how can you endure Treason against him and not suppress it I 'le never believe that man ever mourned for sins of his own that doth not for sins of others or that he ever hated sin in himself that doth not endeavour to ruine it in others Souls as well as in his own Be ashamed at your pretensions as if you had hearts of flesh when you have hearts of stones the hearts of Tygers the hearts of Infidels or else you would pitty the miserable unconverted Souls And what if they desire not your help the more need you have to pitty them the less awakened they are out of their cursed security the more miserable and dangerous is their state O! Put on the bowells of Jesus Christ carry not your selves in an high proud way in a lofty magisterial way towards these poor Souls Do not think thou hast discharged duty towards them by running into a corner and backbiting them for blindness hardness contempt of Christ c. but rather help them to some of your eye-salve that they may see Consider you have Tallents and account you must for them and be-think your selves whether you may not give a better account by endeavouring to reduce these poor Souls that are straying to Hell than by letting them alone to damn themselves Consider sadly what answer you will make when Christ shall arise and plead with you when Christ shall say Where is thy Brother Will Cain's answer serve Am I my Brothers keeper Will not Christ reply on you Did not I come from Heaven on purpose to redeem these perish Souls Did not I charge you to