of Damnation Never was inward Purity so pressed by any Law before or the universal Sanctification of our Nature advanced to such a pitch No other Law pretends to reach to the inward Thoughts of the Heart as those in the Word which forbids us to Covet to Lust or hate our Brother in our Heart This ransacks every filthy Corner and pierceth into the Secrets and Recesses of every Man's Breast speaking with absolute Authority to the very Grounds Principles and Ends of every Action dissecting the whole Body of Sin uncovering the inward Ulcers of the Soul manifesting that a Lustful Desire impure Mouth or an unclean Hand will make a Man polluted before God and stand guilty of the Breach of his Commandment This Law is exceeding Broad it forbids not only the sinful Acts but the Instruments of 'em what would begin or promote 'em or is chosen for the Sin 's sake with relation or in order to it This shews us whence our Infection did first arise tracing it unto its Spring-head the first Apostacy from God manifesting the spotless Holiness of the Divine Majesty and his perfect abhorrence of every Sin so as to judge and condemn the invisible risings of Disobedience and Contrariety to it in our very Thoughts Yea by the measures of the Gospel we are unclean unless we have active Purities If we are not crucified to the World we are covetous we are malicious and hate our Brother if we do him not all the Good we can tho he have treated us injuriously we dishonour the Name of Christ if we do not to our utmost advance his Glory Eph. 5.13 This is that Light which maketh manifest discovering that Deformity in Sin which we never saw before and so much of it in the Heart as we never before believed with the aggravating Spots of many plausible Duties and the provoking circumstances of our particular Faults For when we thought our selves very Absolons for Beauty by looking into this Glass we appear as vile and loathsom as Lepers and all our Secret Sins which are always in the Light of God's Countenance are by the Word set in order before us What is said of the Sun in the Heavens is true of this Word its Circuit is to the Ends of the Earth and there is nothing hid from the Light and Heat thereof Psal 19.6 2. This may be also consider'd as the ordinary Means which God hath appointed for the cleansing of our Hearts and Ways And therefore the Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Pet 1.22 2 Thess 2.13 Acts 15.9 and believing of the Truth are joyned together The Sense of some particular more notorious Sin is commonly the first means to humble the Soul When the Charge is brought home by the Word to this or that Person Thou art the Man or Thou art the Woman who hast scorned and slighted the Authority of thy Maker in this or the other Instance Thou art the Fool-hardy Rebellious Creature who hast affronted thy Sovereign who hast despised that Goodness which should have led thee to Repentance abused that Patience which hath a tendency to thy Salvation rejected that Grace that would have helped thee and contemned that Redeemer who shed his Blood for thee This Voice of the Lord is powerful to shake the stoutest Cedars and make a Felix on the Bench to tremble when preached but by a Prisoner at the Bar. They that Crucified the Redeemer and scorned his Doctrin were pierced to the Heart and cry out Men and Brethren 1 Cor. 14.26 2 Acts. what shall we do be saved By this the Chains of the Devil are knock'd off and his Captives recovered into the Liberty of God's Service You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free John 8.32 In this Jordan the most polluted Creatures have been washed and Hearts full of loathsom Filth have been changed into Vessels of Purity Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are justified but ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6.9 3. This therefore is the most likely fit and proper Means For besides the Encouragement of these Examples to seek for cleansing we have others propounded as our Patterns to imitate Sometimes the Blessed God himself and our Lord Jesus Christ that we may not rest in low Attainments and sometimes the Examples of the Saints that we might not despair of being healed For the same powerful Grace that hath sanctified others is able to do the like for us Therefore while our Impotency and Impurity is declared in this Word we are directed by it to a Fountain open for sin and for uncleanness We have Promises and Precepts most graciously connected What God commands us in one Place as our Duty he promiseth to do for us by his Spirit or enable us to do in another or at least gives us ground to hope he will Let us then consider the exceeding great and precious Promises which are the Motives and Means of our being cleansed from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit 2. Cor. 7.1 For by them we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 It 's by this means Divine Impressions are made upon the Soul Mr. Howe 's Blessedness of the Righteous p. 268. the obdurate Heart of a Sinner melted and overcome and transform'd into the Image of God Compare this Means God works by with the Subject to be wrought upon and the Effect to be wrought and none can be conceived fitter It is the Office of the Word by Precepts Promises and Rewards to inform the Judgment and awaken Conscience and persuade the Will It is some Encouragement to expect the Influence of the Spirit in the use of this means because it is so excellently fitted to this End to heal our Impotency which is not Natural but Moral And God would not appoint us Means which should be altogether in vain Dr. O. of the Dominion of Sin and Grace p. 14. Grace is tender'd unto Men in the preaching of the Gospel to enable them to perform and comply with that which God requires For altho we know not the Way and Means of the effectual Communications of Grace unto the Souls of Men This is certain That Grace is so tender'd in the Preaching of the Gospel that none go without it none are destitute of its Aids and Assistance but those alone who by a Free Act of their own Wills See to the like purpose Mr. Howe 's Blessedness of the Righteous ch 17. do refuse and reject it Ye will not come unto me that you may have Life And all Unbelievers have or may have Experience of this in themselves that they do voluntarily refuse the Assistance of Grace which is offer'd for their Deliverance Therefore is their Destruction of themselves The common Grace * Redeemers Tears p. 53. Append p. 192. which is generally afforded to them who live under the Gospel extends so far as that they have thereby a Day allow'd them to provide for their
Peace Now though this Grace is not yet certainly Saving yet it tends to that which is so and none have cause to despair but that being duly improv'd and comply'd with it may end in it It is expresly said to such as live under the Gospel they are to work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling for this reason that God works or is working in them i.e. statedly and continually is at work or is alway ready to work in them to will and to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his own good Pleasure 2 Phil. 12.13 The matter fails not on his part He will work on in order to Salvation if they work in that way of Subordinate Co-operation which his Command and the necessity of their own case oblige them unto The Impotence therefore of the Will lies in its * D. Bates's Harmony of the D. Attributes in Octavo p. 63. Obstinacy This is the meaning of St. Peter speaking of Unclean Persons That their Eyes are full of Adultery and they cannot cease from Sin 'T is from their own Fault alone that they are without Power Therefore the Scripture represents Man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weak but wicked His disability to Supernatural Good arises from an inordinate Affection to that which is sensual Let me add if this Holy Word animated by the Divine Spirit be not effectual to our Sanctification those means which are more Extraordinary are not like to be so Psal 78.22 23 24. They Rebelled against God and would not believe his Word or Trust in his Salvation though he commanded the Clouds from above and opened the Doors of Heaven and rained Manna for them to Eat and gave them the Corn of Heaven Their Victuals came out of the Clouds and their Water cut of a Rock and yet these Miracles did not Convert them Neither the Miracles of Moses or those of our Blessed Lord were sufficient in their time In some Places our Lord wrought Miracles and yet they desired him to be gone out of their Coasts And when he was on the Cross they jeared him with his Miracles though they could not but acknowledg them he saved others himself he cannot let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe After the Miraculous Feeding of Two Thousand with Five Loves and Two Little Fishes John 6.14 22 26 30. the People were astonished and said one to another This is he that should come this doubtless is the expected and long looked for Messias and would have taken him by force and made him King And yet I think the very next Day at least within a Day or Two when he told them they followed him only for the Loaves they say unto him What Sign shewest thou that we should believe What work dost thou As if he had never wrought a Miracle before Luk. 16.31 Yea our Lord hath told us If we will not hear Moses and the Prophets neither would we believe though one should rise from the Dead Though one of your Acquaintance who Perished in his Sins should appear at Midnight in a Frightful Shape and warn thee in particular by his Example to take heed of Youthful Lusts and not continue one Hour longer so near to endless and intolerable Misery as is every Impenitent Sinner Should he tell thee that he once made a Mock of Sin and a Jest of Hell and a Scorn of Godliness as thou dost That he did not believe there was such a Holy Terrible God as now he finds or that it would be so fearful a thing to fall into his Hands but now he feels the Word of God to be true and that for a Foolish Lust he hath the Recompence of a Miserable Eternity If such Warnings were given they would not awaken Men to Repentance unto whom the Preaching of the Word is not effectual We read that after the Resurrection of Lazarus from the Dead they that knew him before and knew he was raised again John 11.53 and Conversed with him afterwards were not Converted to believe on Christ for from that very Day of his Raising Lazarus the High-Priests and Scribes and Rulers and People took Council how they might put him to Death The like may be said concerning the Resurrection of Jesus Christ himself And how many do we see brought to the very brink of the Grave within a step of Death and Hell both in their own apprehension and in the judgment of others who upon an unexpected Recovery not unlike a Resurrection have been far from being reclaimed and bettered afterwards Their forc'd Repentance vanisheth when the fear of dying ceaseth It is the Ministry of the Word which is the ordinary Method that God hath appointed for our Sanctification and if that be not effectual these extraordinary Methods would not Fourthly It remains to be considered That if this Word become the effectual means of our Sanctification we must carefully attend and take heed unto it The Original imports to observe narrowly Psal 130.3 with great exactness we must still have it in our Eye that we may form our Designs regulate our Affections and order our Ways accordingly Josh 1.8 We must carefully preserve it as a Treasure and watchfully observe it as a Rule we must hide it in our Hearts verse 11. A competent knowledge of this Word and diligent endeavour to encrease it is manifestly supposed Heb. 2.1 and that we give earnest heed to the things we Read or Hear lest at any time we let them slip We must study the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures wait on the Publick Preaching of it consider its Tendency and Use as able to make us Wise unto Salvation Col. 3.16 We should ponder it in our Hearts and endeavour to preserve it there that it may cohabit and dwell with us Jer. 15.16 and in us and be unto us the Joy and Rejoycing of our Hearts Yielding up our selves unto the Power of Truth that we may experience its Holy Efficacy to all the Ends for which God hath appointed it 1. What is first and most obviously to be Collected from what hath been said is the Vsefulness and Necessity of the Holy Scriptures What excellent Knowledge may be found there for the cure of our Ignorance What Sanctifying Influence for the purifying of our Hearts and Ways What Establishment and Strength to fix our Wavering Minds and heal our Unsetledness How certain and Divine are its Instructions How Pure and Spiritual and yet Plain and Express are its Precepts What pungent and smart Reproofs what inviting Promises what terrifying Threatnings are imployed in this Word to lead us into the way of Life and save us from the Paths of the Destroyer How fitly do the effects of it answer its Name 1 Cor. 1.18 Rom. 1.16 Psal 110.2 Heb. 4.12 of the Power of God and the Rod of his Strength the Power of God to the Salvation of the Soul It is quick
give up your Children to God by Baptism in Infancy you seem to profess a Desire they should be his as soon as yours you solemnly ingage and promise to bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord but how false to God and them must you appear if you do not season them with Holy Principles betimes if when you know they have Immortal Souls to Save and an Eternal Blessedness to obtain and endless Misery to escape yet bring them up in Ignorance without that necessary Knowledge that must make them wise to Salvation If you do not instruct them in the Rules and Obligations of their Duty that they may know the God of their Fathers 2 Chr. 28.9 and serve him with a perfect Heart If you do not mind them of the Evil of Sin the Uncertainty of this Life and the Assurance of an Everlasting State of the Truth and Consequences of the Fall of Man of the way of our Reconciliation to God and the Participation of his Image c. If you do not inculcate these plain and necessary Truths upon them if you do not bring them to the publick Worship teach them how to spend the Lords Day observe their particular Tempers Corruptions and Temptations and apply your selves accordingly with Wisdom and Seriousness for their good Of all others you have the most Power over them and Interest in them none have such Advantages and Opportunities to instruct and persuade them as you None are under so many Obligations of Duty and Interest of every sort as you It is therefore Unnatural and Unexcusable to neglect it You are not easily Apprehensive how much your present Comfort is concerned in it for if while they are Young you are negligent in your Duty to them they are likely enough when grown up to fail of theirs to you And it is but just they should not know their Duty to You if you do not instruct them in theirs to God These Arrows to which they are compared in Scripture Prov. 22.6 Deut. 4.9 11.19 and happy is he that hath his Quiver full of them should be directed right at first for accordingly they are like to Fly afterwards It may fall out otherwise but usually the gracious or vicious Habits of the First Age are transmitted to the next and the after Conversation is suitable to the Education of Childhood and Youth Besides the Sin and Mischief which you may prevent For we know not at what Period of Time a Child comes to the use of Reason and so cannot tell when God will impute their Follies nor whether they will tend or what Impressions they may leave But when he does not impute them to Damnation it may be he will so far as to cause Sickness or an hasty Death And therefore they should be instructed in their Duty so soon as capable and be restrained from the material Parts of any Evil even evil Words which they understand not Before I dismiss this Head let me mind you that are Masters of Families that you ought thus carefully to instruct your Younger Servants the care of whose Souls is committed to you by the Providence of God Your own safety and comfort and the good success of your Civil affairs is concerned in it as well as your Duty * Mr. H. Palmer Dr. H. Wilkinson on Job 13.26 p. 17. An Eminent Preacher in his time upon a like occasion in a Sermon at Aldermanbury made mention of a memorable Passage to this purpose That in the beginning of the Irish Rebellion there were some Popish Servants cut the Throats of those who had formerly been their Masters telling them that they should have taught them better Somewhat of Direction and Counsel I would now add unto the Younger sort Let me therefore beseech you First To make a Pause to stop a while and bethink your selves Employ some time in a serious Consideration of your Hearts and Ways according to this Word of God Think what sort of Creatures you are and how you came into this World Who was the Author of your Beings and the Original of all things What did he make you for but to Glorifie and Enjoy him How wretchedly uncapable you have rendered your selves of both And in order to your Relief what is to be done on your part and what may be hoped for on God's and how remediless your Case is if this Affair be not begun to be transacted before the only time is past wherein it may be done O try your Reason and use it in such Reflections Think in what a Condition you were born how you have lived what you have done and what you now are whether you are going and where you must shortly be Think what your sinful Folly hath already cost you what you have lost and the manifold Hurts and Mischiefs you have received by it What unthrifty Bargains you have made and what is the bitter Fruit of those things whereof you are now ashamed The Devil himself cannot persuade you but you must Die and you dare not say or think that there is not an everlasting Heaven or Hell You therefore sometimes wish to die the Death of the Righteous And will you not consider a little how impossible that is without being like them while you live Secondly Endeavour clearer Apprehensions and a better Vnderstanding of the Religion you profess as to the Evidence of its Principles the Nature Grounds and Reasons of it That you may know your own Case and what it is to be a Christian and what the necessary change does imply and how it is to be wrought That you may know the God from whom you have revolted whom you are to obey as your Sovereign Ruler and to enjoy as your chief good That you may know the Saviour that must befriend you for the Pardon of Sin and for Eternal Life That you may know the Holy-Ghost the Sanctifier by whom you must be Enlightened Quickened and Renewed How can you love and obey your Maker if you know him not what he is and how he will be served How can you believe on Christ if you know not who he is or what he hath Done and Suffered Purchased Promised Offered Prepared and is ready to be and do and give How can you bewail your Sin and Misery Loath your selves and seek for Grace if you continue Ignorant of such things as these It is by the Light of Holy Knowledge you must be recovered you are lost and perishing 2 Cor. 3.4 while this Gospel is hid from you If you are not sensible of your own Ignorance and Disease and where is the Remedy how will you come to Christ as your Teacher and Physician Thirdly To this end diligently study the Holy Scriptures and attend the Publick Preaching of the Word Deut. 17.18 with suitable Desires and Designs Apprehend the weight of the matters treated of and know that it is for your Life You know not the advantage of an affectionate Study of the