up unto him in all things who is the head despiseth this Image and Dagon will fall to the ground when this ark is brought in yea though it be in his own Temple SECT VIII In the farther opening of this Chamber of Imagery we shall yet if it be possible see greater Abominations At least that which doth next ensue is scarce inferiour unto any of them that went before It is a principle in Christian Religion an acknowledged verity that it is the duty of the Disciples of Christ especially as united in Churches to propagate the faith of the Gospel and to make the doctrine of it known unto all as they have opportunity yea this is one principal end of the constitution of Churches and officers in them Mat. 5.13 14 15 16. 1 Tim. 3.15 This our Lord Jesus Christ gave in special charge unto his Apostles at the beginning Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 16. Hereby they were obliged unto the work of propagating the faith of the Gospel and the knowledge of him therein in all places and were justified in their so doing And this they did with that efficacy and success that in a short time like the light of the Sun their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 And the Gospel was said to be preached unto every Creature which is under Heaven Col. 1.23 The way therefore whereby they propagated the faith was by diligent laborious preaching of the Doctrine of the Gospel unto all persons in all places with patience and magnanimity in undergoing all sorts of sufferings on the account of it and a declaration of its power in all those vertues and graces which are useful and exemplary unto mankind It is true their Office and the discharge of it is long since Leased Howbeit it cannot be denyed but that the Work it self is incumbent in a way of duty on all Churches yea on all Believers as they have providential Calls unto it and Opportunities for it For it is the principal way whereby they may glorifie God and benefit men in their chiefest Good which without doubt they are obliged unto This notion of Truth is retained in the Church of Rome and the work it self is appropriated by them unto themselves alone unto them and them only as they suppose it belongs to take care of the propagation of the faith of the Gospel with the conversion of Infidels and Hereticks Whatever is done unto this purpose by others they condemn and abhor What do they think of the primitive way of doing it by personal Preaching Sufferings and Holiness Will the Pope his Cardinals and Bishops undertake this work or way of the discharge of it Christ hath appointed no other the Apostles and their Successors knew no other no other becomes the Gospel nor ever had Success No they abhor and detest this way of it What then is to be done Shall the Truth be denyed Shall the work be wholely and avowedly laid aside neither will this please them because it is not suited unto their honour wherefore they have erected a dismal Image of it unto the horrible reproach of Christian Religion They have indeed provided a double painting for the Image which they have set up The first is the constant consult of some persons at Rome which they call congregatio de propaganda fide a Counsel for the Propagation of the Faith under the effect of whose consultations Christendom hath long grieved And the other is the Sending of Missionaries as they call them or a Surcharge of Fryars from their over numerous Fraternities upon their errands into remote Nations But the Real Image it self consists of these three parts 1. The Sword 2. The Inquisition 3. Plots and Conspiracies By these it is that they design to propagate the Faith and promote Christian Religion And if Hell it self can invent a more deformed Image and Representation of the sacred Truth and Work which it is a counterfeit of I am much mistaken Thus have they in the first way carried Christian Religion into the Indies especially the Western Parts of the World so called First the Pope out of the plenitude of his power gives unto the Spaniard all those Countreys and the Inhabitants of them that they may be made Christians But Christ dealt not so with his Apostles though he were Lord of all when he sent them to teach and baptize all Nations He dispossessed none of them of their Temporal Rights or Enjoyments nor gave to his Apostles a foot breadth of Inheritance among them But upon this Grant the Spanish Catholicks propagâ—ted the Faith and brought in Christian Religion amongst them And they did it by killing and murthering many millions of innocent persons as some of themselves say more than are alive in Europe in any one Age. And this savage Cruelty hath made the name of Christians detestable amongst all that remained of them that had any Exercise of Reason some few slavish Brutes being brought by force to submit unto this new kind of Idolatry And this we must think to be done in obedience unto that command of Christ Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel unto every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned This is the deformed Image which they have set up of Obedience unto his holy Commands whereunto they apply that voice to Peter with respect unto the eating of all sorts of Creatures Arise Peter kill and eat So have they dealt with those poor Nations whom they have devoured But Blood Murder and unjust War as all War is for the Propagation of Religion with persecution began in Cain who derived it from the Devil that Murderer from the beginning for he was of that wicked one and slew his Brother Jesus Christ the Son of God was manifesâ— to destroy these works of the Devil Heb. 2. And he doth it in the world by his Word and Doctrine judging and condemning them And he does it in his Disciples by his Spirit extirpating them out of their minds hearts and ways so as that there is not a more assured Character of a Derivation from the Evil Spirit than force and blood in Religion for the propagating of it The next part of this Image the next way used by them for the propagating of the Faith and the conversion of them they call Hereticks is the Inquisition So much hath been declared and is known thereof that it is needless here to give a Portraicture of it It may suffice that it hath been long since opened like Cacus's Den and discovered to be the greatest Arsenal of Cruelty the most dreadful Shambles of blood and slaughter that ever was in the World This is that Engine which hath supplyed the Scarlet Whore with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus until she was drunk with it And this is the Second way or means whereby they propagate the Faith
is to be humbled at Gods threatnings and comforted at his Promises for great griefs and Joys leave great Impressions on us And therefore apprehend spiritual things to be very excellent and also receive the Truth in the love of it and you will remember it better but when we have a mean and low opinion of heavenly Truths or only a common kindness for them they are then easily forgotten Ps 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes and what then why I will never forget thy word 5. Serious Meditation is the last help I shall mention When people read or hear and presently plung themselves in forreign business then generally all is lost Jam. 1.24 25. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightly forgets what manner of man he was But who so looketh the word signifies to penetrate into a thing with his Eye and continueth therein that is so considering he being not a forgetful hearer but a door of the VVork this man shall be blessed in his deed By which is not meant a speculative and fruitless meditation but that which is practical that is which digests the things we read or hear for use and practise Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hiâ—â—â— my heart that I might not sin against thee Here 's a truth or a duty or promise for such a time or case Such rolling good things in our thoughts doth habituate and familiarize them to the Soul and they abide the longer This is clear in other Cases for if one hath received an injurious or unkind word if it go out at one Ear as it came in at the other it leavs no great impression but if you set your self to ruminate upon it and to aggravate it then it s a long time ere you forget it And so in some measure it would be in good things give them a little heart-room bestow some second thoughts upon them shut the Book when you have read a little and think of it and it will abide it is the soaking rain that enters deepest into the Earth when a sudden showr slides away Hence what one Evangelist Mat. 26.75 calls remembring the word of Jesus that is spoken of Peter the other calls it thinking when he thought thereon he wept But herein our ordinary Hearers are strangely negligent they read they hear they forget for they never think nor meditate of it They turn down Leaves in their Bibles in the Congregation but they seldom turn them up again in reflecting upon what they heard and so their labour is lost and ours also And so much for the Helps to a better Memory which is the sixth point VII I come in the next place to answer some Cavils of the wilful and also some Doubts of the weak The former use to Object and say Obj. 1. Why The Scripture tells us that to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole Duty of man what need then is there of such Remembring Answ Why this which you mention doth plainly require Remembring Must he not remember the Commandments that will keep them and not the meer words only but the true extent of them or else how can he possibly keep them There are Ten Commandments but there are ten hundred Duties commanded and Sins forbidden and how shall those be performed and these avoided unless we remember them And is there nothing but Commandments to be remembred Are not the Promises of the Covenant Are not the Doctrines of Life and Salvation to be remembred also Surely this Apostle was of this mind when he tells in the Text that if the Corinthians kept not in memory what was preached unto them concerning that only Doctrine of the Resurrection from the dead they would believe in vain and their Salvation was in danger Obj. 2. I but it is impossible to remember so many Scriptures so many Doctrines so many Vses as we have heard what man in the world can do it Answ It is true that Perfection in this Faculty is not attainable in this Life but it is is as true that every Christian ought to endeavour to reach as far as he can We cannot keep all the Commandments perfectly in this Life yet we should strive to do what we can and then our heavenly Father will accept and assist us But it is plain sloth to be urging impossibilities in opposition to Duty I say carnality and sloth for these same men can readily remember a thousand vain Matters and there is no difficulty in it But ye were best to beware of that Curse Mal. 1.13 Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing If you have a Masculine strong Memory for other things and only a corrupt crackt Memory for God and Godliness ye are near to Cursing Obj. 3. O but we have as good Hearts as the best though we have not such strong Memories and an honest Heart 's worth all Answ 1. This is a proud boasting for no humble modest man will thus vaunt himself 2. This is meer shuffling for when you are reproved for the defectiveness of your Faculties or the immoralities of your Lives then you plead the honesty and goodness of your Hearts and when you are convinced and urged concerning the newness and holiness of your hearts then you boast of the innocence and orderliness of your lives but you cannot mock God thus he beholds the unregeneracy of your hearts and is witness to all the evil of your lives but if you have as good hearts how is it that you have not as good Memories for the honest heart is good all over and though ye cannot remember as much yet ye will remember as well as they Do not deceive your selves do not imagine that ye are spiritually rich when ye are poor and miserable and blind and naked If many of your Memories were dissected I am afraid they would be found to be stuffed like that Roman Legates Sumpter that was gorgeous enough without but being broken up by a fall in the street was filled with nothing but Boots and Shoos and such like worthless trash but I must turn now to the other Branch of this Point which is to answer the doubts of the weak Christian in this case about the memory Doubt 1. If no Faith nor Salvation without remembring Spiritual things then crys the poor soul to be sure I have no Grace for I can remember little or nothing I hear and love to hear and so I read but nothing abides with me I shall believe in vain Ans There is an Historical memory and there is a Practical memory The former is either a great natural faculty or a particular gift Now though this be a great help to Grace yet it is not absolutely necessary What advantage is it to a mans Salvation if he could do as it is reported of Cyrus and of Scipio Cael. Rhodig Ant. q. p. 525. that they could repeat two thousand Names in order or
proposed was to shew the manner how all this good must be done that it may be the more effectual It must be done 1. Cordially What you do must be done as in the presence of him by whom actions are weighed Your prayers must not come out of feigned lips 1 Sam. 2.3 Psal 17.1 2 Cor. 2.17 What you speak must be as in the sight of God It is easie to use a few complemental words in speaking to Men or a few vain words in speaking to God for them as all are that come not from the heart When you are about this work you should endeavour to draw deep even from the bottom of your hearts Paul calls his prayer for the Jews his greatest enemies his hearts desire Rom. 10.1 2. Readily Titus is charged to put Christians in mind of this To be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 Altho these good works be contrary to corrupt Nature Grace will make a Man ready to them The holiest Men have been alway the most forward in them When God had set that Mark of his displeasure on Miriam for chiding with Moses how ready was he to pray for her Moses cried unto the Lord and said Heal her now O God I beseech thee Numb 12.13 The Jews before the Captivity were grown to a height of wickedness 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his word and misused his prophets and among the rest Jeremiah in particular who was sent to tell them of the approaching Captivity yet he was far from desiring that evil to overtake them tho they said Jer. 17.15 Where is the word of the Lord let it come now He appeals to God in the next verse That he had not desired the woful day He was so far from that that he prayed hard for that hard-hearted people How his heart stood this way you may see by Gods telling him again and again that he should not pray for them Pray not thou for this people Jer. 7.16 So again chap. 11.14 and once more chap. 14.11 till he tells him at last tho Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his mind could not be toward that people chap. 15.1 Such an admirable readiness was found in the Man of God against whom Jeroboam stretched out his hand saying lay hold on him for his crying in the Name of the Lord against his idolatrous Altar at Bethel God had dried up that hand which he stretched forth against the Prophet which brought him to intreat the Man of God to pray for him And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored again and became as it was before 1 Kings 13.6 3. Constantly It is not enough to use these means once or twice for a fit or when you are in a better frame than ordinary but it must be your constant course You find that when your bodies are full of evil Humors the use of a good Medicine once or twice doth not remove your Distemper therefore you steer to a course of Physick So must you do to remove or alter the tough Humors that may be in others you must use the Means constantly There must not only be a well-doing but a patient continuance in it Rom. 2.7 Gal. 6.9 If you find no good effect for a while be not weary of well-doing Say not I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord Prov. 20.22 Thus did David for a long time when Saul was his enemy he waited on the Lord and kept his way tho he was put to many a hard shift the while And God put a sweet song into his mouth at last when he had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies and the hand of Saul Psal 18.20 21. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompenced me for I have kept the ways of the Lord. Use 1. If these these things be so have we not cause to take up a lamentation when we see Men professing themselves Christians make so little account of such duties as Christ hath by Precept enjoyned and by Example led them to how unsuitable to Christian-Doctrine is the practise of such as cannot or will not forgive the least injury This is far from endeavouring to overcome evil with good How can such say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Some of old are said to leave out these words as we forgive c. fearing it 's like that doom Out of thine own mouth will I judg thee thou wicked servant If any be more hardy in our days they may know one day That God will not be mocked Nor is this all Are there not some that account it necessary to avenge themselves for a small offence it may be only for a word tho to the hazarding nay the loss of their own and others blood And to do thus is by many accounted to be of a brave spirit and he that will not do so is by some not thought worthy of the name of a Gentleman as if the name were allied to Gentilisme rather than Gentleness Indeed a Learned Divine speaking of this matter saith Gentility according to the vulgar Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith chap. 13. parag 8 9. and most plausible notion retains the substance of Gentilism with a light tincture of Christianity But the Learned and Pious Bishop Davenant speaking of the same says Haec opinio est plusquam Ethnica This opinion is more than Heathenish For several Heathen Philosophers have given better counsel in the case than these Christian Gentlemen think fit to take and if it be more than Heathenish think what it must be There are others Est illa diabolica opinio quae invasit mentes omnium ferè qui se generosis somniant nimirum non posse se salvosue honore nominis sui existimatione ferre vel verbum contumeliosum sed teneri ad ultionem quaerendam etiam duello Davenantius in Col. 3. and too many too who altho they dare not go about to wrest the sword of Vengeance out of the hand of God who says Vengeance is mine to commit so great an evil as is the forementioned yet they will be adventuring to shoot their arrows even bitter words against such as do in the least offend them or stand in their way And O that we could say that such as make a greater profession than others and are in most things of good and exemplary Conversations were altogether free in this matter But this evil is Epidemical and the best I fear are too much infected with it The sad consequences of this we partly see already and may see more in time if God in Mercy prevent them not So that it is for a lamentation and like to be for a lamentation Use 2. Look about you and take heed that you be not overcome of evil 1. Let not imaginary evils overcome you as they will be like to do
those terms for so it doth it is the scope and end of the Promise to secure Life and Glory to those that accept of it upon the terms propounded the Command directs in the way and the Promise makes over and conveys the blessing Believe and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 So Joh. 3.16 and Rom. 2.7 To them that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and Immortality Eternal life is promised Now the Word and Promise of God not only as revealing Life to us and the way to it but as conveying it is the ground of our Faith and Hope though without the Word we might have some more general Knowledge of a State of Happiness in the other World yet without the Word we cannot know the way to it nor ever attain to an Interest in it nor have so full certainty of the very being of it as by the Word we have the certainty of Faith being greater than that of any natural Knowledge whatever we have no ground at all to believe we shall be saved but what the Promise affords us And that is sufficient ground to build our Faith upon and a better we cannot have than the Word of him that is the Truth it self and so can neither deceive nor be deceived God that cannot lie hath promised Eternal life Tit. 1.2 Upon the Infallibility and Veracity of that God in his holy Word the Faith of a Christian rests and a surer Foundation for it cannot be imagined and need not be desired As the certainty of any assent of the Mind to a truth depends upon the strength and firmness of the Reason or Argument which moves to and procures that Assent and is the Cause of it so likewise the certainty of Faith proceeds from the goodness and validity of the Authority which is the Motive to and Reason of our believing or which is the same the ground of it If we believe a man that belief is more or less certain according as the Person on whose Authority our belief is grounded is more or less credible and so when we believe God our Faith is such as its Foundation is the Effect imitates the Cause the foundation of that Faith Gods Veracity is the best and therefore the certainty of our â—aith is the greatest If a man be sure that what he believes is the Word of God he may be sure it is most true and never will fail And this no doubt may be sufficient to satisfie a Believer in his own mind or any one that receives the Scripture as the Word of God concerning the reality of the Faith he professeth that the ground of it is so certain but if he have to do with those that believe not the Scripture and so question the foundation of his Faith in that case he may have recourse to all those Arguments whereby we are wont to prove the Divine Authority of the Word and they all Confirm the Faith of a Christian and so the same account a Believer may give of the foundation of his Faith as of the Divinity of the Scripture if the Scripture be the Word of God and that Word be true his Faith built upon it is certain 3. The Actings of a Christians Faith are perceivable by himself Habits which cannot be discerned of themselves when they lye still yet may be known by their actings such an Habit Faith is which though it discover not it self or be not perceived when unactive yet may be discern'd in its exercise When a man actually believes he may know he believes reflect upon his own act as well as when he hears or sees or walks he may know he doth so and is not deceived in it Inward Sense hath as much certainty in it as outward and spiritual Sense as natural if a man therefore assent to the Truth of Gods Promise he may know he assents to it and if he accept of and close with the good Promised he may know he doth so though sometimes Temptations may be so strong and the Actings of Faith so weak and the Mind so clouded and distracted that a man may hardly be able to pass a right judgement on those Acts yet it is not always so but other whiles when the workings of Faith are more strong and vigorous and a man more clear of temptations he may do it In this therefore a man may give an account to himself of his Faith that it is reall he may know that he believes the Promise of Eternal Life as really as he believes any ordinary Truth proposed to him and that his believing and resting on Gods Word is no more a Fancy than his believing the word of a man As for others with whom he hath to do I know no reason why they should not believe him when he says he believes Gods Promise as well as when he says he believes their word or why one should be a Fancy any more than the other 4. The Effects of a Believers faith are evident to others in a good measure as well as to himself more fully As he may perceive his Faith purifying his heart taking it off from the World drawing it nearer to God so others may see his Conversation ordered correspondently to his believing they may see him Shie of Sin Diligent in Duty Conscientious in his Calling Patient in Sufferings Charitable to those that Need him Meek towards those that Offend him Profitable Spiritual Savoury in his Converse Just and Righteous in his Dealings and in a wâ—â—d the main of his Course and Wayes such as is agreable to thâ— Faith he professeth and the Recompence he expects So that if the lookers on cannot be infallibly certain of the reality of his Faith or that such a Carriage proceeds from such a Faith yet they may not only have their Mouths stopped that they cannot reasonably object against it but they may be bound in Charity to believe his Faith to be true and real when they see so much in him answerable to it and what he professeth to be the effect of it when they see him live like one that expects eternal Blessedness well may they believe that his Faith concerning it and hope of it is not feigned They see him walking strictly mortifying his flesh denying himself as to his outward enjoyments and carnal liberties and generally acting at such a rate as none would do that did not expect Eternal Life and what ground can they then have to suspect the Faith he pretends to to be only a Conceit or Fancy 2. An account may be given of the Practice of a Christian his Obedience and Holy walking the strictness and as the World counts it singularity of his Manners his universality diligence and constancy in the most spiritual and difficult Duties his watchfulness over his words thoughts actions his mortification and self-denyal and whatever it is in a Believers life which the World is most apt to quarrel with and to look upon as the effect of Humour or
Fancy or Error it may be made appear that his Practice is reasonable and well grounded he hath good cause to do what he doth His Practice is reasonable 1. In respect of Gods Command for that he hath to alledge for the reason of what he doth in pursuance of the glory he expects in the other World So long as he doth nothing in Religion but what God commands him he cannot justly be taxed with folly or unreasonableness it being the greatest reason to obey God in all things If indeed a man should add to Gods Word devise Worship out of his own Head contrive new means for his Salvation which God hath not appointed and so be strict and punctual in things not enjoyned or should he be very exact in Ceremonials insist upon the Minutes of the Law and be more negligent of Morals the more weighty things of it he might be well charged with Folly for making himself wiser than God and thinking he better knew how to please him than he doth himself But let a man walk never so strictly if it be but according to the strictness of the Rule God hath given him it is no Folly in him If God commands us to walk Circumspectly a Eph. 5.15 to keep our Hearts b Prov. 4.23 to deny our selves and take up our Cross c Math. 16.24 c. it is reason we should do so though we had no other reason besides the Command If in Civil things the Command of Superiors in their Laws be counted a sufficient Warrant for the Obedience of Subjects though perhaps it may seem strange to Forreigners who have other Laws and Customs why should not the Law of the Governour of the World be Warrant good enough for the greatest Holiness and most strict walking though perhaps carnal men may think it strange †1 Pet. 4.4 or unreasonable 2. In respect of their own Faith which requires such Holiness 1. Serious Holiness is most agreeable to the â—â—â—ect of their Faith that great good they expect in the future Life The holiest Practice sutes best with the highest hope it is but reasonable that they that expect to live in Heaven should live answerably while on Earth they that hope to be perfectly holy there should be as holy as they can here it ill becomes them to lead sensual Lives now that look for spiritual Enjoyments then to live like Beasts or but like Men that hope hereafter to live with God and to neglect him at present whom they hope to enjoy at last 2. It is serious Holiness which must maintain Life in a Christians Faith A man can no longer maintain his Faith than while his Practice is answerable to it Jam. 2. last Faith without Works is dead Faith hath a respect to Commands as well as Promises or to the Condition of the Promise as well as to the Mercy promised now the Promise being made to Holiness as well as Faith though perhaps in a different respect a man cannot have a true Faith without Holiness not believe that God will save him if he walk not in that way in which God hath Promised to save him though men have not their Title to Heaven by their Holiness yet they cannot be saved without it Heb. 12.14 It is the qualification required in all that are saved and no man can be assured of his Salvation if he be not in some measure qualified and fitted for it It is certain that Holiness is a Condition though not of Justification yet of Salvation and therefore Faith wherever it is in the Life and Power of it provokes and stirrs a man up to the exercise of Holiness as being the way in which he must if ever attain to happiness Where a Promise is conditional it is Presumption to apply it with a neglect of its Condition and in this case the Promise doth no further encourage a mans Faith than the Command quickens his Obedience 3. Powerful Godliness in the practice of it is reasonable in respect of a Christians Peace he can no longer maintain his Peace than while he walks in the way of Peace and that is the way of Holiness Isa 57. last There is no Peace to the Wicked may we not say as to the sence of Peace nor to Saints neither so long as they approach to them that are Wicked and live not like Saints Believers experience in themselves that when they neglect holiness they wound their Consciences weaken their Faith and Hope lose the sight of their Interest in Christ and Heaven expose themselves to Gods displeasure and the Reproaches of their own hearts and are many times filled with trouble and bitterness or as the Prophet Isa 50.10 Walk in Darkness and have no Light and is it not then most reasonable for them to take heed of any thing that may break their Peace and to labour so to walk as that they may best secure it if some single gross Sin causes broken bones and doleful complaints and lamentable cries in the choicest Saints have they not cause to walk as circumspectly as they can and keep up in themselves the Exercise of Grace that so they may keep their Peace too And so upon the whole the most striâ—â— and Severe Obedience of a Christian is far from unreasonable when Gods Command warrants it his own Faith calls for it and he cannot enjoy his Peace without it 3. That a Believers comforts are reall not fantastical or delusive I deny not but the delusions of Satan especially transforming himself into an Angel of light or the deceits of mens own hearts may sometimes impose upon them and pass with them for divine Consolations thus carnal men who mistake their State and apply those Promises to themselves which belong only to Gods Children may usurp the Saints Priviledges as if they had a right to them and so speak peace to themselves when God doth not speak peace and when they walk in the Imagination of their own hearts Deut. 29.19 But it follows not that no comforts are true because some are false or that the comforts of the Saints are not reall because those of Hypocrites are but imaginary We may say therefore that the Comforts of Religion are then reall 1. When they are wrought only in Souls capable of them such as have Faith and Holiness already wrought in them are reall Saints persons justified and sanctified for others carnal men unbelievers whatever they profess whatever shew they make are not yet capable of Gospel Consolations as not having a right to any Gospel Promise or Priviledge from whence such Comforts are wont to flow 2. When they are wrought in a Regular way by the Spirit as the principal Efficient and the Word as the Instrument when the Holy Spirit applyes the Promise to those to whom it belongs and thereby comforts them they that are qualified according to the Scripture experience the comfort of the Scripture the Spirit speaks in their hearts what he speaks in the
this in our selves and then How we may evidence it in others 1. How may a Believer experience in himself that that Serious Godliness he lives in the Practice of is more than a Fancy 1. See that your Religiousness came into you the right way was wrought in you by the Word of God the power of which ye have found changing your Hearts and reforming your Lives When men leap into Religion they know not how can give no account to themselves of their Conversion or Reformation that the Word which is the Ordinary means God useth in converting Sinners hath had any influence upon them in working such a change it is suspicious that what they take to be Godliness in themselves is not reall that which is unaccountable is most like to be a Fancy True a man may not know the just time when God did work Grace in his heart nor the particular Word which was the Seed of it or which did first draw the heart to a closing with the Promise and subjecting it self to the terms of the Gospel he may not know when the new man was first quickned in him not be able to discern distinctly the first vital motions of Grace in his Soul some may have been wrought on in their Education by which they have been restrained from more gross Sins and influenced to some diligence in Religious duties and in them the passing from one extream to the other from a state of Nature to a state of Grace may not be so remarkable and therefore not so easily discerned However a change they find and that the Word hath wrought it whch they have experienced Effectual in many things it hath been the means at one time or other of enlightning their minds melting their hearts exciting their affections directing their ways and refreshing their Spirits though they cannot say what truth wrought the first degree of Grace yet they can say such and such truths have had an influence upon them and promoted the work whenever it was wrought such a Command quickned them to their Duty another brought them off from some evil way another helped them when they were tempted such a Promise supported them when burdened eased them when troubled or comforted them when cast down and so what good they have done the Word hath put them upon it what evil they have escaped that hath kept them from it what refreshment they have had that hath brought it in They know they are in their journey to Heaven and that they do not Dream that they are so because if they cannot tell which was absolutely the first step they took in the way yet they are sensible of many Stages they have travelled many removes they have made what accidents have befallen them what difficulties they have met with what Guide they had what directions were given them their journeying agrees with the map of their way the Word hath been a light to their Feet and a Lamp to their Paths * Psal 119.105 that hath still gone before them and conducted them in their march and their steps have been ordered according to it †Psa 119.133 they have not taken up a Religion at a days warning not passed from being prophane and worldly to be even superstitiously strict all upon a suddain without being able to give a reason of so great a change Look therefore to the way of Gods working upon you and the means he made use of in it and though you cannot trace the workings of his grace in all the particular steps he hath taken yet ye may conclude it to be his Work and not your own fancy because it was wrought in his way and by his Word which is his usual Instrument in it 2. See to your Faith as to the Foundation of it and the Effects of it that it be rightly grounded and rightly qualified built upon the Word and fruitfull in good works 1. See to the Foundation of it that it be the Word it self and not your own mistakes about it When men misunderstand the Scripture and so believe it they Build on their own Errors not Gods Truth and then what they call Faith is but a Fancy as not being grounded on the Word of God but their own Conceits See therefore that ye rightly understand what ye profess to believe and know the mind of God in the Word and so indeed believe what he speaks not what you imagine See that your Faith respect Commands as well as Promises Duties as well as Priviledges what you are to do as well as what you are to expect God joyns both together and if you seperate them you set up a Conceit of your own instead of his Truth Take heed of believing Promises as absolute when they are conditional or when made with some limitations or restrictions or when they suppose the use of some means prescribed by the Command in such cases men may think they believe when they do not there being no right Object for their Faith they believe what God never spoke This fallacy appears when men apply Promises to themselves but overlook the Condition or the Command annexed as suppose believe they shall be Pardoned though they never desire to be purged shall find mercy though they do not forsake Sin contrary to the tenour of the Word Prov. 28.14 or that they shall see God though they do not follow after holiness contrary to Heb. 12.14 And so when they believe one promise and not another the Promise of Justification but not of Sanctification when yet there is a connexion between them and to whom one belongs the other belongs too In a word let your Faith take in its Object in the whole Latitude there being the same reason Gods Authority for your believing one truth as well as another 2. See to the Effects and Fruits of it the reality of it must be proved by the fruits of it a Barren Faith is a dead Faith and indeed if any Faith be a Fancy it is the Faith of those that live destitute of Holiness and under the Dominion of Sin and yet expect Eternal Salvation bring forth no Fruit to Holiness and yet hope the End will be Everlasting life Faith will work as long as it lives and where there is no Fruit you may be sure there is no Root if it Act not it lives not 3. Therefore look to your Obedience too not only that it be as in the former but that it be Right and such as it should be that is Regular Vniversal Spiritual for otherwise it is not reasonable 1. Regular such as the Word of God calls for and hath its warrant from thence whatsoever we do in the things of God and what we would have look'd on as Acts of Obedience should be done with a respect to Gods Commands and not of our own heads Obedience it is not if it be not Commanded Men may do many seemingly good things and place Religion in them and think they please God by
Heart such as that is such he is now if a mans chief work be about his heart to watch that to purifie that to suppress the corruptions of it to reduce it into order and keep it in ordâ—â— to bring it into an holy frame and maintain it in such a frame when he hath so much reason for it it cannot be the effect of Fancy or a meer pretence 4. Let Grace influence you in all you do even in your ordinary Civil actions do all graciously do your common work as your Duty labour in your Callings enjoy your Refreshments visit your Friends make use of your Recreations with a sense of Duty and an eye to God do all as commanded by him and with a respect to his Glory and your own Salvation in a word Interest God in all let all be done by his Grace as the ruling and directing Principle and when ye find it so powerful ye may well believe it to be real 5. Labour to out do all you ever did while in a state of Nature Think what have been the highest actions you have ever been put upon not only by Fancy or humour but by the best Reason you then had by natural Conscience or good Education or legal Convictions or any present impressions from things without and then make it your business to outdo them all labour so to act as nothing less than a settled principle of Holiness in your Hearts could ever make you act living in the Love of God delighting in his wayes rejoycing in Christ Jesus mortifying your beloved Lusts your most secret or most pleasant or most creditable or most profitable Corruptions renouncing all trust in your own Righteousness when yet you do your utmost to work Righteousness are such acts as nor meer nature nor any thing in Nature can reach unto and for any to say that Fancy can put a man upon so acting is it self the veriest Fancy 6. Keep an even Course of holy walking in the most different or contrary Conditions If you can hold on in Gods wayes when most disheartned in them Serve him never the worse for his Afflicting you walk holily when you have least of the Comfort of Holiness not only keep to God when the World is against you but you fear he is himself against you trust in him when you think he is slaying you follow him when he withdraws from you and on the other side not abuse his Goodness not grow wanton with his Smiles not presume upon his Encouragements if the taste of Gods graciousness k 1 Pet. 2.3 whet your desires after him his Comforts do not cloy you nor dull you nor make you grow more loose or slack in his wayes if when you rejoyce most in God ye rejoyce most in his work the Comfort of your Hearts purifies and spiritualizeth your Hearts so that the more ye enjoy of God the more ye do for him and so in a word all Gods dispensations help you forward in his wayes his Rods drive you on his Gifts draw you out and both further your Progress in Faith and Holiness neither his Consolations puff you up nor his Corrections cast you down so as to abate your Affections to him and care of pleasing him you can love the Lord and his Holiness and fear the Lord and his Goodness l Hos 3.5 love him when he Frowns and fear him when he Smiles this will certainly speak the reality of that holy Princiâ—â—â— which is in you nothing not real could ever have so real so great effects upon you 7. Be much in the exercise of those Graces which have least affinity with your Natures least footing in them and in mortifying those Corruptions which your Natures are most inclined to and that will evidence a real change in you and a real Principle Some Graces may be further off from your natural tempers than others be more in the exercise of them and some Corruptions may be more agreeable to them so in some Pride is in others Anger in others Fear be sure exercise your selves especially to beat them down go contrary to the stream and current of your own inclinations it must be something more than a Fancy that can either outdo the best of nature or mend its worst Mans Fancies usually have some foundation in their tempers and dispositions and therefore as their tempers are various so are their Fancies too some carry them one way some another but for the most part it is for the promoting or gratifying some natural inclination and then that which crosseth such inclinations most is most like to be something constant and fixed Fancy will hardly overcome Nature in a wrathful man and make him become meek and gentle nor make one that is dull and phlegmatick active and zealous nor a proud person humble nor a churl liberal though where Grace meets with a good disposition it makes the greater shew as suppose gracious Meekness in one who hath already a natural meekness yet the power of Grace is especially seen in its influence upon such inclinations in mens natures as are most contrary to it when it corrects them regulates them or makes men act most oppositely to them And that which thus rectifies the most crooked dispositions sweetens an harsh Nature moderates a furious one elevates a dull one whatever it be it is more than a Fancy 8. Labour to act to such an height of Holiness and walk so closely with God that ye may have some sensible Communion with him in Duties and Ordinances that you may see his Power and his Glory in his Sanctuary Psal 63.2 May tast his Graciousness 1 Pet. 2.3 David did tast sweetness in the Word Psal 19.10 and why may not you Why may not the spiritual senses of a Believer an enlightned Understanding and renewed Conscience take as real pleasure in spiritual Objects as his natural Senses may in natural ones God may beam in his Love into your Souls shed it abroad in your Hearts m Rom. 5.5 make you tast its Sweetness and feel its Power chearing up your Spirits and filling them with Joy unspeakable and glorious n 1 Pet. 1.8 the Father may come and the Son come and manifest themselves to you and take up their abode with you o Joh. 14.21 23. so that you may say in the joy of your Hearts This is the Lord and we have waited for him this is our God and he will save us p Isa And if you experience this in your selves in your conversing with God in his Ordinances find something you never found any where else and can scarce express or make others understand that have not felt the same like the white stone with the new Name which none knows but he that hath it Rev. 2.17 You will find Gods Consolations carry their own Evidence along with them and speak their own reality they have something Divine in them such a Stamp of God upon them that they will satisfie your Hearts
them with acting out of Fancy or humour or any thing but a fixed and stable Principle Besides what hath been spoken by way of Direction in answer to the Question some further Improvment of this Doctrine may be made Vse 2 1. By way of Information If true Christians may give an account of their Christianity 1. They then are no true Believers no true Christians of whose Religion no good account can be given either how they came by it or whereon it is grounded 1. How they came by it when they pretend to be Saints but cannot in the least tell how they came to be Saints have found no real change in themselves are the same they have alwayes been they have they think loved God and believed in Christ and had hopes of Heaven ever since they can remember but know not how any of these things were wrought in them or by what means such a Faith I dare say is but a Fancy and so is their Hope and their Love and whatever Grace they pretend to 2. Whereon it is grounded 1. When their Faith is not rightly grounded it is no better than a Fancy When it is built on the Authority of a Church or the Traditions of men and not on the Word of God or on the Word misunderstood or misapplied or divided or maimed when they believe Promises without respect to Commands believe Christ is their Saviour and yet never receive him to be their Lord believe they shall See God though they be not pure in Heart follow not after Holiness and such indeed is the Faith and Hope of Prophane Worldlings and whoever live in Contradiction to Gods Commands and yet expect the benefit of his Promises 2. When their Practice is not rightly grounded it is no better than Folly how fair soever and plausible it may seem When men set up a Religion meerly of mans devising contrive new wayes of Worshipping God which he himself never appointed and so indeed impose upon him and prescribe to him what they think must certainly please him This is unreasonable for men to think that their Inventions or others Traditions can be more acceptable to God than his own Institutions that Sacrifice can go further than Obedience would have done They would themselves be served according to their own minds and not their Servants pleasure and why should not God They would not have their Commands neglected that their Servants Will might be performed and how foolish is it then to adhere to their own Inventions though with the slighting of Gods Institutions and yet how few be there that are so addicted to Humane Observances but they are careless of Gods Appointments Gods Commands being the Great and only Warrantable reason of all Divine Worship whatever Worship is uncommanded cannot be but unreasonable 2. How great is their sin that Question nay Deride the Grace that is in Believers as not being a real thing count the most Serious powerfull Godliness to be no better than Humour of Fancy All the Religion they own consists but in a few outward Forms or some moral Actions and whatever is above this they look upon as not real and so they leave us a Lamentably empty Religion when they condemn our Faith as Fancy our Practice as Folly and casheer all our Comforts as meer Delusions This usually proceeds either 1. From the Atheism and Infidelity of such mens Hearts some Question all Religion and so the true Religion among the rest they are themselves for none and therefore Quarrel with all they think all Religion is but Fancy or Policy and so the Christian Religion too They do not really believe the Grounds of Christianity and therefore laugh at them that do 2. Or from Pride and Conceitedness of their own Wisdom and Reason they magnifie their own Notions are in love with their own Wisdom and so contemn all else like the Athenians Acts. 17.18.32 that laugh'd when they heard of Jesus and the Resurrection The high Opinion they have of their Reason makes them deny the reality of Faith what they cannot themselves comprehend they will not believe nor allow others to do it they will scarce allow of any thing between Demonstration and Fancy and this makes them Innovate so much in Religion and Scoff at the Faith by which they should be Saved 3. Or from Ignorance of Spiritual things and their not Experiencing the Power of Grace in their own Hearts They will believe nothing in Religion but what they have themselves felt They never found the Light of Divine Truths shining into their dark Minds and overcoming their Carnal Reason nor the Power of Grace renewing their Wills and subjecting them to Gods Will breaking the force of their sinfull Inclinations mortifying their Lusts regulating their Affections changing the habitual temper and disposition of their Spirits nor the Efficacy of Faith in the Purification of their Hearts their resting upon the Promises cleaving to Christ and fetching in supplies of the Spirit from him nor the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts enlarging them in Duties quickning them in his wayes supporting them under Burthens strengthning them against Temptations and comforting them under Afflictions and therefore they Question all these things and take them to be nothing else but canting Phrases and unaccountable Fancies A man that never was at Rome or Constantinople might at the same rate deny there ever were such places one that never tasted Honey might deny it to be sweet or a blind man laugh at Colours because he never saw them though contrary to the Experience of thousands that had with as much reason as they who live meerly by Sense and never Experienced any better pleasures deny a higher Principle by which Believers are acted and more Spiritual Comforts which they enjoy Vse 2 Of Exhortotion 1. Labour to Experience the reality of your Religion in your selves So live as that you may not be deceived and may know that you are not So act Grace as that you may feel it working and from thence conclude the Principle to be in you and may tast the sweetness of the comforts it brings with it Labour to be fully satisfied that you do not live by Fancy and act by Fancy think you believe and hope when you do not that Grace in you is as real a Principle as Reason is 1. This becomes you as reasonable Creatures as such you should know the reason of your own Actings upon what Grounds you do what you do and believe what you believe You would think a man very weak and foolish in the concernments of this present Life that could give himself no account of his own Actions or expectations should have high hopes of great things but not tell why he entertained them How unreasonable then is it for a man to hope for greater things in the other Life to engage in a Religious Course be diligent in Duties deny himself as to his Worldly Interest and yet not know why he doth so 2. It
Soul-mercies for his Children To see them poor in the World will not so much afflict him as to fear they will never be rich to God Besides the Sins of those that are nearly related are most frequently presented to our eyes and ears they cry nearest us and therefore they should cry loudest to us They are most committed to our care and therefore their miscarriages should be the greatest objects of our Fear Near Relations may also probably more endanger the residue of those that belong to our Family Sin in one or two though in a large Family may endanger and infect the whole We most strive to quench those Flames that destroy houses near us we are more fearful of them than of those at a greater distance A Snake in ones Bed is more formidable and a Toad there more odious and ugly than in my Field or Garden § 7 3. They that mourn for others Sins especially the Sins of those they most love must mourn more for their Sins than their Afflictions and outward Troubles They must be more troubled for the poysonful root of Sin than for the Branches and Fruits of Sufferings that spring from the Root We must more mourn for the sin of a Child than for the sickness of a Child More lay to heart what our Children have done than what they have undergone more for their Impiety than for their Poverty more because they have left God than because their Trades or Estates have left them more for fear they dy'd in Sin than because they dy'd The Troubles of the outward man must not so afflict us as the Unrenewedness of their Hearts and Natures To be afflicted for the death of thy Child's Body and not for his Soul-death in Sin is as if a fond Parent should when his Child is drown'd only lament the loss of the Child's Coat and Garment and not for the loss of the Child's Person § 8 4. We ought to bewail the Sins of others according to the Proportion of the Sins of the times and places where we live When Sin grows impudent and hath a brazen brow when 't is declared as Sodom Jer. 3.3 and not hidden when men are asham'd of nothing but not being impudent in sinning when Sinners cannot blush Jer. 6. v. 8 12. have lost the very colour of Modesty then is a fit Season for Gods People with Ezra 9.6 to say We are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces to thee our God to bewail and blush before God for those Sins of which Sinners are not ashamed and for which they have not a tear to shed Further when the Sinners of the times are obstinate and inflexible in Impiety as Nehem. 9.16 Harden their Necks 17. refuse to obey 20. are disobedient and rebell cast the Law behind their back 29 withdraw the shoulder and will not hear when they make their face as an Adamant Stone When the Wicked say as Jer. 44. As for the Word that thou hast spoekn we will not hearken to thee we will do whatever goes forth out of our own mouth then is the time for the Godly to have broken and melted Hearts when the Wicked are so Obstinate and Obdurate Next when Sin becomes universal when Governers and Governed from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head are all prophane and impious Isa 1.6 When a man cannot be found in the streets of Jerusalem Jer. 5.1 that will stand up for God and his Interest when as in dayes of Noah all flesh hath corrupted it self then is the time for all Gods People to mourn before God and to oppose an holy universality to a profane Lastly When not ordinary but the most horrid and gross Impieties are committed as Murder Sodomy Perjury broad-fac'd Adultery when these mountainons Wickednesses are acted then is the time for the Godly to endeavour to overtop these high towering abominations with a Flood of tears 5. We ought to mourn for the Sins of others advantageously to § 9 those for whom we mourn with the using of all due means to reclaim and reduce them 1. By Prayer for their Conversion and Gods pardoning them My hearts desire and prayer to God saith Paul is that Israel might be saved Rom. 10.1 He tells Chap. 9.1 how he bewail'd them that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for them but here we see he mingled his tears with prayers for them We cannot mourn for those for whom we cannot pray for every Evil that makes us grieve because of its continuance we must needs desire may be removed Exod. 32.11.27 Thô Moses when he was with the People maintain'd the Cause of God with the Sword yet when he was with God he endeavoured the preservation of the People with prayer 2. We must endeavour to follow the Mourning for Sinners with restraining them from Sin if we have it by Power We must not hate Sinners and suffer them to sin we destroy those whom we suffer to sin if we can hinder them None may permit Sin in another if he can restrain it but he that can produce a greater Good out of it than the permission is an Evil. Restraining of Inferiors is as great a duty as Prayer for Superiours See it in the case of Eli's negligence to restrain his Sons from their Impieties 3. We must mourn for Sinners with advantaging them by Example that they may never be able to tax us with those Sins for which we would be thought sorrowfull Examples sometimes have a louder voice than Precepts Tears will not in secret drown those Sins which publick Examples encourage We confute our Tears and Prayers before God by an unsuitable Example before the Offender The blots of others cannot be wip'd off with blurred fingers 4. We must follow our mourning for others Sins with labouring to advantage them by holy Reproof for the Sins we mourn for If our place and opportunities allow us we must not only sigh for their Sins but cry against them Ezek. 9.4 Lot was not only a Mourner for the Sodomites Sins but a Reprover I know not whether it be a greater sign of a Godly man to give a Reproof duly or to take a Reproof thankfully 1. But be sure Reproofs be given with Zeal for Gods Glory not either out of hatred to the Person reproved or out of desire to promote thine own Reputation and Interest by the Reproof The Apostles Acts 14.14.17.16 reproved Idolaters but Zeal for God purely put them upon it Paul and Barnabas rent their Cloaths as well as reproved Idolaters And Pauls Spirit was stirr'd with inward Zeal Act. 17.16 before his Tongue stirr'd against the Athenians Let Reproofs 2. Be mingled with Meekness Passion is seldom prevalent with a Sinner Sweep not Gods House with the Devils Besom Let the Sinner see thee kind to himself when thou art most unkind to his Sin 3. Let Reproofs be qualified with Prudence by observing the nature and degree of the Offence and the
your selves in the Love of God And then the Case and Question is this What we must do to keep our selves in the Love of God A solemn and weighty Question and wherein every Soul of us is nearly concerned There are three things that require some Explication Q. 1. What is meant by your selves A. Every one himself and every one each other so far as he can 2. What is meant by the action which each is to see put forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to observe to preserve firmly safely constantly I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.3 Thus we keep and thus God keeps us Jam. 1. ult John 3.22 Rev. 12.17 Joh. 17.11 John 17.15 In all which Places the word is the same in the Text to keep fast and safe and faithfully with all Care and Diligence and Conscience as we would keep a thing for our Life Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life From all which thus explain'd ariseth this Proposition It is the Duty of every Child of God Obs to keep themselves in the Love of God This Proposition is grounded upon a threefold Supposition 1. That some men are in the Love of God really and eternally 2. That this Love wherewith God loveth his Chosen Rom. v. 8. 11 12 13. is a special Love a peculiar and distinguishing Love 3. That it is a Duty as well as a Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God our Activity as well as Gods Act. Which will be hereafter more explained Before we come to the main Question we will answer this Question How Love can be said to be in God for Love is a Passion in the Creature and Passions are Imperfections which are contrary to Gods Perfection A. 1. It is true Nothing of Imperfection is in God but Love is in God as a Perfection because Love is in God in the abstract that is essentially for Abstracts speak Essences God is Love 1 John 4.8 The Love of God is either natural or voluntary thus Divines distinguish and that well Mat. 3.17 Joh. 3.35 Joh. 5.20 Joh. 17.24 1. The Natural Love of God is that wherewith God loves himself That is the reciprocal Love whereby the three Persons love each other This Essential Natural Love of God is therefore necessary God cannot but love himself 2. The Love of God is voluntary thus he loves his Creatures with a general Love 1. Because he made them and made them good therefore he preserves them Gen. 1.31 for though Sin be really evil and none of Gods making but contrary to God and hated of God yet God loves the Creatures as his Creatures although sinful with a general Love Mat. 5.44 45. 2. He loves some Creatures with a special Love and by this he loves Jesus Christ as Mediator Joh. 3.35 Eph. 1.6 1 Joh. 4.9 Rom. 8. ult 1. This Love of God to Christ as Mediator is the Foundation of Gods Love to his Elect. 2. By a special Love God loves his Elect. John 13.1 Of this Love it 's said that it is inseparable Now this is the peculiar Love which God bears to some above others Not because they were more lovely than others nor because God foresaw they would believe and love him but because God loved them first antecedently to all those things Eph. 1.3 4 5. Deut. 7.6 7 8. Eph. 2.3 4 c. to 10. and because he loved them therefore Christ shall come and die and therefore they shall believe in him and love him The summ is this Our Love to God is the Effect and not the Cause of Gods Love to us yea Christ himself as Mediator is the Effect of Gods Eternal Love This is primitive Doctrine John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me V. 44. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 1 John 4.19 He hath loved us first Rom. 10.20 I am found of them that sought me not Rom. 5.8.10 God commended his love toward us that while we were yet Sinners and Enemies Christ died for us Upon which I would have old and new Donatists which make God to love all alike in order to their Salvation and that there is no special Grace let them read St. Augustine Tom. 9. Tract 102. on John Tom. 7. Lib. contra Donatistas post Collat. p. 403. also pag. 402. likewise in Brevic. p. 387. Collat. cum Donatistis Collat. tertii diei Item Tom. 9. Tract 87. on John Item Tom. 2. Epist 48. p. 118. and many more places I have therefore named all these because there is a sort of Men risen up among us Gal. 1.6.7 corrupters and perverters of the Word and Wayes of God who raise up Donatism and Pelagianism from the Death I know some make this Love of God in the Text to be meant not of Gods Love to us at all but of our Love to God only Contrary I judge it spoken principally of Gods Love to us not excluding our Love to God but comprehending it as a great sign that God loves us when we truly love God According to this sence I shall proceed to speak to the present Case which is a practical Question How Christians shall do to keep themselves in the Love of God Quest 1. In General One whom God loves and favours Answ must do as the Favourite of a Prince useth to do to keep himself in his Princes Love and Favour He will study what the will of his Prince is and will do all that he can to please him He will set himself wholly to promote his Princes Interest and Honour and to gratifie his Desires yea he will be infinitely shy of displeasing him So will a Child of God carry himself towards God to keep himself in the Favour and Love of God This is a great Art to study Ephes 5.17 to know what is the will and Pleasure of God and to conform to it The Reason whereof is this Because 1. The Will of God is a Sovereign Will to all the World therefore to thine and mine there is no controuling of it Who can say unto God What dost thou When any mans will comes in competition with Gods Will thou knowest what thou hast to answer Dan. 3.16 17. and what thou hast to do Act. 4.19 But if mans commanding Will be agreeable to Gods revealed Will which is the Standard then we please and not displease God in submitting to man because subordinate things do not clash 2. Because the Will of God is a holy Will and we can never keep our selves in the Love of God 1 Pet. 1.15.16 but by what is agreeable to his Holiness and that is when we our selves are Holy because this is not only the Will of God but the Image of God Eph. 4.24 created after God Now God loves Children that are most like him for Likeness is the Cause of Love Thus much in General
and perfect Love because our Souls find rest in God only St. Bernard makes four degrees of our Love to God 1. When a man loves Himself for himself but herein he can have no rest nor content for it is not to be found in him 2. When he loves God for himself and not for God when he would have God make him happy 3. When he loves God for God himself as judging him most worthy of all love 4. When he loves himself and all things else for God only and is therein satisfied desiring nothing more This is indeed to love God when we love him for himself and our selves and all other things subordinately unto God in him and for him only Our Soul as Noahs Dove hath no rest till it return to this Ark. This Injoyment satisfies Psal 17. ult ye shall be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 9. because it is the water of life which being once drunk of quencheth thirst for ever I conclude all with this that considering the Circumstances into which we are cast it is our Duty Wisdom and Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God from the transcendent Advantages we have by it above the love and favour of men which is hard to get and yet not worth the pains when gotten yea when gotten it is as hard to keep and yet not worth the keeping yea it is easily lost and better lost than kept Therefore never labour to keep thy self in the Love of Men by which thou mayst lose the love of God but keep your selves in the Love of God and that will keep you safe here and for ever The Lord gives it as a Reason why he would not cast off his People though he threatned them as if he would do it Hos 11.8 9. Because saith he I am God and not Man It is not after the manner of men to be constant in their Love but is like Himself and never breaks off or keeps in his Love Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. The Lord will be called Husband of his People and is he not the best and dearest in the World Doth he take any People or Soul to Wife for rare Beauty or rich Dowry Alas there is none Did he not find us in our gore-blood and yet loved us when such vers 8. Now whom he loves he cleaves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.24 Ephes 5.31 Thus he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.16 The word is glued to shew the close Union of divine Love Pray then to God for the Holy Ghost which he hath promised to give to them that ask that he may shed abroad the love of God in your hearts 2 Thess 3.5 Rom. 5.5 for hereby you will keep your selves in the love of God Quest What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful Severity or Indulgence SERMON VII MAL. IV. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers THis intricate Text propos'd to me on which I preacht speaking but indirectly and by consequence only as I then said to the Question propos'd upon mature deliberation I have thought good to adjoin Another which I conceive looks with a more direct aspect on both the parts of our Bipartite Question Viz. EPH. VI. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. AS Malapertness frowardness sauciness self-will stubbornness sullenness disobedience yea contempt and scorning of Parents specially the more indulgent and weak are Vices too common with Children and Youth So on the other side Parents unless modell'd and confirm'd by the Word and Spirit of God are very prone to fall into one of these two extreams either immoderate severity and rigid abuse of the Parental Authority or fond indulgence and sinful neglect of just and discreet discipline Against Both these extreams our Apostle doth here Arm and fortifie gracious Parents by instructing them how equally to hold the Ballance and Discreetly to manage the reins and rudder of their Parental Power and Discipline so as they may not provoke their Children to a just disgust and wrath on the one side nor expose themselves to a base contempt and scorn on the other And this he doth 1. By forbidding a Vice Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad iram ad irae exuberantiam ne provocate ne irritate q. d. Fathers I know your Children are apt to be Vain rash foolish disobedient stubborn able to roil the most sedate Spirit to try the patience of a Job and 't is fit yea necessary that you admonish reprove rebuke chastize them but yet take heed that while though they provoke you to a just displeasure you by an unjust abuse of your just authority in a too strict rigid immoderate severity against them give your offending Children any just occasion of or urgent temptation to any sinful anger or inveterate wrath against you whilst you are correcting for one sin do not provoke them to commit another Whilst you are plucking them out of a gulph do not dash them against a Rock Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But Observe we here the Apostles prudence Having vers 1 2 3. allotted to Children their share viz. Obedience Children obey your Parents in the Lord and backt it both with divine Precept and Promise the just consequence seems to require that he should have invested the Parents with Command and Government for their Portion but he fairly waves that and as supposing he had sufficiently fixt the Parents Authority by putting their Children under the yoke of Obedience he now consults the childs interest or rather the mutual comfort both of Parent and Child by advising Parents to use the Power that God had given them moderately and tenderly on the one hand he sweetens the Obedience of the Child on the other tempers the Authority of the Parent That the precept of Obedience may not fright the Child nor the Prerogative of Power swell the Parent let them both know The child that he is in subjection and must obey but then 't is his Father who either doth or should love him and the Father that he hath Authority and may command but whom 'T is his Child whom he must govern with that tenderness as not in the least to provoke Thus by forbidding a Vice 2. By enjoining them the contrary Grace or duty But bring them up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children as they must not be provoked to wrath so they must not be indulged in folly As they must not be discouraged so they may not be cocker'd Our Children naturally are too too like the wild Horse or Asses colt who if they once begin to know their strength and get the bit between their Teeth will first cast their Rider and then run in a full
not have been prevented and for these to be so far exasperated as to begin to hate or more remisly to love them is for a Father to fire the Beacon of his Soul for the Landing of a Cock-boat 'T is that that exposes the Father to his Childs contempt and Gods judgement Mat. 5.22 2. When a Parents anger is too frequent too hot or too long Anger must be us'd as a Medicine only now and then and that only on a just occasion otherwise it loseth its Efficacy or hurts the Patient Again Anger when too hot vehement excessive provokes 'T is True It must be serious there must be some Life and warmth in it the Potion must be warm'd Ira sic dicta quasi hominem faciat ex se ire non esse apud se that it may operate the more vigorously towards the Reformation of offending Children but then when it swells into an excess and transport of passion it provokes Such an excess of Anger like a Ball of Wild-fire is very apt to inflame the Childs breast and to provoke him into a sinful return of wrath and strife Prov. 15.18 Lastly Anger when too long when it lies soaking in the breast is apt to putrifie If the Sun arises and sets on a man in his wrath the Text tells us who is like to be his Bedfellow Eph. 4.26 27. Anger rests in the Bosom of a fool Eccl. 7.9 And well may it provoke a Child thô criminal to see his Fathers Bosom where once he lay to be now become Anger 's Couch and Satans Pillow Thus you see that Irregular Passions in severe Parents are no little Provocations and spurs to Sin and wrath in their disobedient Children They are like those smart Cantharides or Spanish-flies the most speedy and effectual means to raise blisters 2. By an austere look grim sour louring frowning countenance when a man seems to carry revenge daggers death in his Face when a man usually looks on his Child Gen. 4.5 6. as Cain did on his Brother as one highly displeas'd that bears Ill-will and ones him a grudge and will be sure to pay it in due time When the Child observes his Ancestors Crest pourtray'd on his Fathers forehead and instead of smiles can see nothing there but cruel Lions Bears Tigers This must needs highly provoke and 't is not to be wondred at if the Child in a fright and dreadful indignation cries out roaring I do well to be angry even to the Death Better to be kill'd outright than buried alive No grave so dark so dismal as those deep furrows in my frowning constantly frowning Fathers forehead 3. By bitter hasty biting testy disdainful reproachful railing taunting menacing threatning words Words steep'd in the Venom of Asps Oh these pierce deep like the Tails of Scorpions and do highly provoke More particularly 1. Hard Words Soft Words and hard Arguments work powerfully A soft Tongue breaks the bones Prov. 25.15 or one that is stiff and hard Abigail found it true in her address to David when he was in his rough 1 Sam. 25.4 But an hard Tongue hardens the Heart A soft Answer puts away wrath but grievous words stir up anger Prov. 15.1 Ob. But what do you speak of Words which are but Wind Jam. 3.5 Sol. True but this Wind many times kindles a dreadful fire and encreases it when once kindled As Coles to burning Coles and Wood to Fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife 2. Contumacious reproachful disgraceful words These are far remote from fatherly Love and respect Aristotle in his Rhet. tells us that the grand scope drift design of contumely is that a man may rejoyce and triumph in the disgrace of Him whom he reproacheth How barbarous is it then to rejoyce in the disgrace and infamy of a Child of a mans own Bowels This cannot but provoke That 's a thunder-clap in the ears of Testy reproachful Parents Whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell fire Mat. 5.22 Reproachful words are no less than sharp darts and keen Swords nay they carry with them no less than stings and poison so that even the wisest and best of men can hardly bear the dine of them Thus Saul to the heighth provokes his Son when he foams at the Mouth and breaks out into that nasty drivel 1 Sam. 20.30 Thou Son of the perverse rebellious Woman and why not in our English dialect Thou Son of a Whore and so lasheth his Son on his Wives back what could have been spoken more sharply to provoke 3. Menacing threatning Words and that it may be for little tripps or slips of youth nay thô there be no resolution to execute what they threaten Suppose it only Brutum Fulmen A Flash without a bolt or Bullet The very Wind and noise is enough to sink the trembling Child into a Swoon If Masters must not threaten Servants much less may Parents threaten Children Eph. 6.9 4. By rigid Actions When Parents utterly unmindful of their parental Relation bowels duty prove tyrants and use or rather abuse their Children as Servants or indeed as Slaves and vassals These should know that the great God never commission'd them to be more than tender Governours not domineering Tyrants or Egyptian Task-masters This Tyranny is exercis'd divers wayes 1. When Parents either deny to or take from their Children those things which either belong to their necessities or their just comforts in that rank and Relation in which their heavenly Father by birth hath plac'd them When they deny them that Education that Provision that Encouragement which is Just and Equal that Food Raiment Portion that becomes the Children of such a Father This is to act beneath an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 Nay more even beneath the Bruit beasts who by a natural instinct diligently nourish and cherish their young ones and cannot but provoke Even an Horse when too strait rein'd Favours unequally distributed highly provoke will rise up and fling When the cocker'd Idol thô a younger Brother or Sister and it may be less deserving shall be call'd to the Table Closet bosom and there treated at the heighth of Sweetness whenas the poor neglected discountenanced despised Elder must stand without and either blow his fingers or †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 employ his Hands in some base sordid servile commanded drudgery which would better become a Slave than a Son This this goes near the Heart of an ingenious and observant Child * Even a worm thus trod on would turn again This must needs create in him an enraged jealousie and envy against his Equals or Inferiours and without a vast stock of Love Humility Patience a boiling rancorous disdain and wrath against his Superiours 2. When Parents load their Children with unjust Commands This is to Ape that wretched Saul who commanded Jonathan to surprize his Innocent dearest Friend and Brother David the upright valiant David that had so well deserv'd of the whole Kingdom one
design'd by God himself to succeed in the Throne of Israel yea and against his solemn Oath sworn unto him to bring him to him that he might be murthered 1 Sam. 20.31 This both griev'd and provok'd Jonathan ver 34. Or with that incestuous bloody Creature Herodias who commands Her Dancing Daughter to ask of Herod more than half His Kingdom viz. John Baptists head Mat. 14.8 3. When Parents meerly to gratifie their Humour Self-will Lusts Passions Fury chastise beat and almost kill their Children with unjust and immoderate lashes stripes punishments 1. Vnjust when the Parent hath no lawful cause or reason so to do What just Plea could that unnatural Saul make for casting his Javelin to smite his Innocent Son Jonathan 1 Sam. 20.33 After he had spit out the Poison of his Heart in his words he fills up the measure of his wickedness in this bloody deed suitable to his murtherous Heart 2. Immoderate when the sharpness of the punishment exceeds the greatness of the Crime Here the Lord the Righteous-Judge takes care by his Supream Authority that those that have authority over others should not according to their own Lusts Will and Pleasure rage and vent their fury and passion on criminals Deut. 25.2 3. Now if Justice oblige us to keep our mind free and compos'd in punishing the greatest Strangers and most hainous Malefactors that we may exactly proportion the penalty to their fault how much more should a Father whose Name breathes nothing but benignity and sweetness observe the same moderation when his business is to chastize the Child of his own Bowels And if not instead of reforming he doth but provoke his Child Thus much concerning Sinful Severity what it is and how far provoking in all which I neither have nor could bring one instance either Father or Mother in the whole Scripture that had the Character of a Godly Person that is charged with the crimson-guilt of a Sinfully severe Parent 3. What may godly Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful Severity To this I answer 1. More generally Physician heal thy self To cleanse the polluted stream let 's begin at the puddl'd fountain 1. As much as may be cease your complaints to men of finding so much cause of grief and sorrow in your untoward Children instead of Joy and Comfort That they are pungent thorns instead of refreshing roses stabs instead of staffs Exclaim no more at least not morosely or in passion against thâ— pride Levity vanity frowardness obstinacy debauchery incorrigibleness of your wretched Children especially in the hearing of those Children 'T is too probable they will be apt to lay their own Bastards at their Fathers door and impute all their gross miscarriages to their rigid Fathers harshness contempt and want of Love Had not I been unhappy in so stiff a Father he might have been happy in a more complaisant Son Had my Father treated me with more Bowels 't is possible I should have readily answer'd his tenderness with a melting heart bended knee and sincere obedience 2. Instead of opening your mouths to men go immediately and in sincerity unbosom your whole Souls to God Cast your selves at his foot humbly acknowledge your great defects and failings in the management of that Authority that God the supream Father hath stampt upon you Humble your self deeply before the Lord for all your former Irregular and exorbitant Passions stabbing looks hard speeches morose behaviour partial demeanour dreadful Omens and forejudgeings of the sad fate of your at present disobedient Child Weep I say not not so much but not only for your Child but for your self Had the root been sound as it ought the branch had not been so rotten as it is Had the Father been more a Fig-tree the Son had not been so much a Thistle If the Vine hath the least taint of Sodom no wonder if the Wine hath an ugly tang of Gomorrha Weep I say and pray pray and weep and instead of a Bead drop a Tear at the close of every Petition for the full and free pardon of these thy Relational Sins in and through the Blood of that Son that never offended his and thy Father Begg and Begg earnestly for Grace Strength Wisdom which is first pure then peaceable that thou mayst be kept from the like misdemeanour for the future 3. Act towards your Children in all things as a Father Keep your Relation in your Eye 1. Love your Children as a Father A Man would think this advice were * 1 Thes 4.9 As touching Love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to Love Isa 49.15 needless It seems all one as if I should perswade the Sun to shine the Fire to burn nay a man to be a man This Law of Love to Children is written by the Finger drawn by the Pencil stampt and ingraven by the deepest impress of Nature on the Hearts and bowels of all Parents Indeed I have spent more than a few minutes in searching the Scriptures on this account and thô I find many express Texts that oblige us to Love God Christ our Neighbour the Brother-hood our Wives yea our Enemies yet I can light but on one that doth in express Terms command Parents to Love their Children viz. Tit. 2.4 where we find the young Women are to be taught to Love their Children For which the Best reason that I can give for the present is the same that he gave why the Romans among all their Laws had enacted none against the horrid Sin of Parricide viz. Because the Romans either could or would not suppose men to be such Monsters as to be guilty of so black a Crime The Scripture supposes that while we retain the Nature of men or own the Name of Fathers we cannot but love our Children Well then Love your Children but Love them as Fathers Fathers This very single Word contains an Iliad of Arguments Were I at leisure 't were easie to draw out all the Rhetoricans Topicks of Perswasion out of its Bowels Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Name is as an ointment poured forth it sends forth nothing but the perfume of Lâ—ve meekness tenderness Do but sincerely Love your Children as Fathers and then be sinfully severe if you can Love your Children not so much for their lovely countenance their pleasing Grace and sweetness which how charming soever is but a fading flower a skin-deep vanity but principally as those that are bone of your bone flesh of your flesh to whom you have communicated your blood and very nature And let not this Love be like a dead picture or Idol in your breast without Life or Action but a living active principle a spring that may vigorously and effectually influence all the powers of your Soul for the procuring of all that which is truly good to your poor Children Obj. But how can I possibly love such naughty
such provoking Children 1. Doth your Duty of loving your Children admit of that exception Love them i. e. If they are or while they are free from all fault did not the Lord that enjoyns this Duty know full well that no mortal man is without his Spots Imperfections Failings In vain is that Precept that is limited to a Condition which is impossible to fulfil Jam. 3.2 Tangat memoriam communis fragilitas 2. Look inward and then look upward Are not you naught have not you often and do not you daily hourly provoke your Heavenly Father and yet would you not desire that he should Love you Let your own Prayers and Tears be Witnesses in the Case Had a man laid his ear close to your Closet might he not have heard you Ephraim-like bemoaning your self thus Heavenly Father I am vile I have done Iniquity I have not only toucht upon the verge of Vice but entred the Circle nay my sins are aggravated by Perverseness in ill-doing and by resisting counsel I cannot dare not clear my self by a just defence nor being rightly depriv'd of thy love and favour seek for any other Mediators but thy Christ and free Grace for my relief And therefore give me leave to hope that a Fathers Bowels are as Potent Orators as a Sons Misery and that while my Transgressions Damm up the way to favour fatherly Compassion will not forget to be merciful he that bears the name of a Father cannot forget the tears of a Child Tell me severe Parents is not this a true Echo of some of your most pathetick Prayers But what answer have you expected and your Heavenly Father return'd 3. Possibly while you have been speaking God hath answer'd as he did Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child No no he is naught he is a Prodigal True but yet he is a repenting a returning Prodigal though not a pleasant Son yet a Son a Child and therefore since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Read consider and often Pray over those pertinent Texts Deut. 32.36 Isa 63.15 16. Hos 11.7 8 9. Luk. 15.19 20. All this is true to a repenting Ephraim but my Child lies stinking in his filth 4. But I pray In what case and posture did your Heavenly Father find you when he first manifested his Love unto you Ezek. 16.6 8. I saw thee polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live ver 8. Behold this time was the time of thy Gods Love God the Father commended his Love towards you in that while you were yet Sinners Christ died for you Rom. 5.8 2. Govern your Children as a Father and so remember 1. That your Parental power is not absolute or despotical but regulated and circumscrib'd within due bounds and limits Parents may not think they may do what they list according to their own Will and Pleasure with their Children Stat pro ratione voluntas is the language of a Tyrant not of a Father And here 1. Beware of secret Pride of inordinate self-exalting of magnifying your Office and overvaluing your selves and of esteeming your selves to be greater than indeed you are and an Eager desire that your Children should so think of you and so treat you 2. Beware of thinking more of the dignity of your place than of your duty you owe to God and your Children in that Station wherein God hath fixt you 3. Beware of being excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and of being too rigid an Exactor of observance and respect from your Child and of slighting undervaluing vilifying of him when he hath done his utmost of discontent and murmuring if you have not all you desire in your Child 4. Beware that you respect not your Child more for the seeming regard he shews to you than for any real worth that is in him All these are dangerous Rocks to which your secret Pride exposes you enough to destroy Pilot and Vessel 3. Be Angry with your Child but be Angry and sin not Eph. 5.26 Be angry but then let it be the Anger of a displeased Father against an offending Child not the Anger of a Bloody enemy against an Irreconcilable Foe be angry as your Heavenly Father is said to be Angry Of this before 4. Exhort admonish reprove rebuke chastize offending Children but then still Remember whose deputy you are whom you represent even your heavenly Father Fury is not in him Judgment is his strange work But he delights in mercy When he is as it were forced to put forth his Anger he then makes use of a Fathers rod not an Executioners Ax Psal 89. from 30. to 35. 2 Sam. 7.14 He will neither break his Childrens bones nor his own Covenant He lashes in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 in measure in pity and compassion In all their Affliction he is afflicted Every stroke on his Childs back recoils on his own Bowels and if the member be gangren'd and there is an absolute necessity to cut it off to save the Life the Soul of his Child then like a Chyrurgeon who is the Father of the Patient He makes use of the Saw not forgetting that he is now cutting off his own flesh and would never do it but for the Child 's good Rom. 8.28 Go you and do likewise 5. In all you do take heed you do not provoke them on the one hand nor discourage them on the other 1. Not provoke them Of this somewhat before Let me adde when Children find themselves contrary to their hopes and it may be their deserts to be hardly and sharply dealt withall and that nothing which they attempt or perform finds acceptance with their morose and rigid Parents specially if of fiercer Spirits in the heat and bitterness of their inraged Souls they are apt to throw off all Reverence to break their bands asunder and to cast away their cords from them Like wild and untamed Colts to kick and winch and harden their necks foreheads hearts against all admonitions and threatnings against all words and blows Their Father hates them say they sink they must and sink they will but not alone if possible they 'l draw their cruel Fathers Heart and Peace into the same gulf with them Oh dreadful Take heed therefore do not provoke Nè animam despondeant 2. Not to discourage dishearten dispirit them Col. 3.21 Fathers provoke not your Children least they be discouraged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing that doth more deject and sink the heart of a poor Child specially if ingenious and of a softer and more meek temper than the severe rigour and roughness of a Father It quite unsouls the poor Child when in the countenance and deportment of his Father to whom of all men in the World he should in reason be dearest he sees nothing but anger and
aversation It intimidates the Child destroyes his mettle and courage for any honest or honourable undertaking smothers yea extinguishes all his fire and vivacity transforms him into a meer sot mope dullard block utterly unfit for use and service nay more it often throws him into the deepest gulph of grief and melancholy sickness death and then it may be when too late the unhappy Parent will see cause to relent and abhorr himself for his unjust severity 6. Parents remember they are Children and but Children Their age may be some Apology for them Their Heads are green yours are grey More years may teach them better manners They are your Children your own Flesh Blood Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle your Children If the stream be corrupt it derives it from your selves the Fountain Psal 51.5 The young Serpent came from the old Cockatrice 7. Since Severity will not do the feat see what sweetness mildness gentleness holy tenderness and indulgence will do Peragit tranquilla potestas quod violenta nequit The pillow may help to break the flint which the Hammer and Anvil cannot It prevail'd with flinty Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 The cordial may prevail where the corrosive cannot The sight of the pardon more commands the heart of the desperate Traytor than that of the Ax or Gibbet 8. To All these adde Scriptural admonition fervent Supplication Patient waiting on and humble Submission to the Will of God Mic. 7.7 8 9. Thus much concerning Sinful Severity we proceed to the Second and that is Sinful Indulgence Our Apostle knowing right well how apt Parents are to swerve from the golden mean of Parental discipline and whilst they Labour to avoid the Rock of Sinful Severity how prone they are to plunge themselves into the gulph of Sinful Indulgence doth in the same Text prescribe a Soveraign Antidote against that fatal pleurisie of fond Affection in these words but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Whilest the severe Parent is breathing a vein in his distemper'd Child he cautions him to take care he doth not pierce an Artery Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But on the other Hand if the Child labours under an imposthume and needs the Lâ—ncet our Apostle doth here command the discreet use of it and â—â—ll by no means permit that the sinking Child should be sooth'd or stroakt and demulc'd into certain ruine Children must be nurtur'd thô they may not be provok'd Parents must not be cruel Ostrichès and leave and expose their young ones to harm and danger nor yet must they be such fond Apes who are said to hug their Cubs so closely as that they kill them with their embraces And that on this Account because 2. The wickedness of unconverted Children is too too often occasion'd yea and advanced by the sinful Indulgence of their godly Parents Sinful Severity with Saul hath slain it's thousands sinful Indulgence with David it 's ten thousands Poor cocker'd Children when 't is too late find the little Finger of a fond Mother to weigh far heavier and to sink the Soul far deeper than the weighty Loins of a severe Father and at a long run will find more of Sting in a Rod of Roses than in a scourge of Scorpions In the Stating of this case I shall proceed as before and shew you 1. What Sinful Indulgence is not And so 1. Natural ordinate moderate parental Love and such as is mixt with the most yerning bowels most deep and tender compassions is not sinful Indulgence Nay to be without these Natural Affections Rom. 1.31 is not only wretched Stoicisme but sinful cursed and more than brutish astorgy Even the Storks and Sea-monsters will teach us to love our Off-spring Love my Children I may and must 1. With all the sorts and kinds of Love of desire of Union and Communion with them of the sweet enjoyment of them of benevolence and good will willing ready and prepared to desire and wish them all good of beneficence and bounty Tit. 2.4 Gen. 21.19 1 King 3.25.26 1.7 10 18 19. 1 Tim. 5.8 actually endeavouring to do them all good possible both as to their Souls and Bodies All our Spiritual gifts must be for the profit of their Souls for their Direction Consolation Salvation and as for their Bodies their Backs must be our Wardrobes their Bellies our Barns and their Hands our Treasuries And with a Love of Complacency and delight Our Children may and ought to be the joy and rejoycing of our Hearts no greater joy than to see our Children like Olive-plants round about our Table specially if we see and find them walking in the Truth John 2. Ep. 4. John 3. Ep. 4. 2. With all the properties of parental Love viz. Sincere and unfained a Love not in word and tongue only but from the Heart in Deed and in Truth A forward chearful Love not drawn or driven but flowing as from a Fountain An expensive open-handed as well as open-hearted Love A fruitful Love producing not only fair Leaves Buds and blossoms of pleasing smiles and large promises but the mature fruits of beneficial performances An holy just fervent constant Love a most gentle dear tender compassionate Love whereby we are ready to Sympathize with them and forward to succour them in their misery to regard them when they neither regard us nor themselves To take in good part the desires of their Souls when they find not to perform To accept of a sigh in regard of a service a mite instead of a Talent a groan instead of a duty the very stammering of my Child above the eloquence of a Beggar Mal. 3.17 Looking on a returning Prodigal as a Son and pitying as a Father not punishing as a Judge Psal 103.13 14. Remembring their frame and knowing that both they and we are poor dust All this and much more is not sinful Indulgence To carry them in our Bosoms as Moses did the Israelites Num. 11.12 or so in our Hearts as to be willing to impart our very Souls unto them in and for God because they are dear unto us as Paul 1 Thes 2.7 8 11. To Bless them in Gods Name Faith Fear as Jacob did Gen. 49.28 To countenance and encourage them in and reward them for well doing 1 Pet. 2.14 Est 6.3 To Love those most that Love God most to give such Benjamins five messes a double treble Portion an Isaak's Inheritance this is not sinful Indulgence 2. What sinful Indulgence is It stands in the Excess and exuberancy of our Love and affections and in too much slacking and remitting the reins of Government When we do as it were abandon and give up our minds and studies to coax and please and gratifie the humours yea satisfie the Lusts of our foolish Children when we make their Wills our Laws our Rules when the doting Parent is led by the Heart shall I say or Nose by his audacious Child and must be at his
thee and give in this as their Just and unanimous Verdict that thou art guilty of the death of Father and Children of Priests and People of the captivity of the Ark at least if not the destruction of Religion By this time I suppose your Ears and Hearts may be full if not loaden If not take the third and last and that who is but 3. DAVID who was no less unhappy in than indulgent to three of his Children Adonijah Amnon Absalom 1. Adonijah is much made of greatly Cocker'd his Fathers darling and delight from his Infancy his Father David had not displeas'd him at any time do he what he would no not in so much as saying Why hast thou done so 1 King 1.6 And well might the cocker'd youngster think since he had got the Throne of his Fathers Heart 't would not be so high a leap to usurp the Throne of his Fathers Kingdom ver 5.25 and that whilst his Father was yet living specially since his elder Brother Absalom was now dead but yet he might have remembred how that Phaeton fell nay more thô he knew that his Father according to Gods special Appointment had declared Solomon to be the Heir apparent of his Crown and Kingdom For all this David did or durst not reprove him No. His Treason is no such great matter but a light thing and to be lookt upon only as the brisk effort of a vain if not a gallant Spirit For all this yet not such a word from David as Why hast thou done so Adonijah Well if the fond Father will not the Wise Son shall and will make this vain fondling know himself especially when his subtil ambition so far discover'd it self in asking Abishag the Shunamite Davids Concubine by creeping into his Fathers Bed to make his way to his Brothers Throne This Solomon was well aware of and commands him to be put to death as a Just reward of his old practis'd and new intended Treason 1 Kin. 2.25 There 's Adonijahs exit 2. The next is Amnon guilty of Incest with his own Sister yea and this incest committed with rape 2 Sam. 13.14 Amnon a person to be anathematiz'd by the whole Congregation Deut. 27.22 and to be punisht with Death Lev. 20.17 But what doth David do in the Case The Text saith When King David heard of all these things he was very wroth ver 21. 1. But was that all Alas what was that but a great flash and noise without a Bullet and this Absalom that ravisht Virgins own Brother deeply resents and is resolv'd upon a Just revenge ver 22. Certainly the incestuous Son might justly have expected more than a suddain Aguish fit of hot displeasure of a Father viz. The danger of the Law the indignation of a Brother the shame and out-cry of the World 2. What a stab in the Heart a Sword in the Bowels must this needs be to Tamars Father David whose command out of Love to Amnon had cast his dearest Daughter into the Den and jaws of this Lyon ver 7. What an insolent affront must he needs construe this to be offer'd by a Son to a Father that the Father shall be made as it were a pandar of his own Daughter to his own Son 3. David that tender Father that lay upon the ground and would eat no bread for the sickness of a Child which yet was but the spawn of an Adulterous bed How vexed enraged inflamed must he needs be with the villany of His Son with the Ravishment of his Daughter both of them more deeply wounding than many deaths What revenge can he think of for so hainous a crime less than death and that in its most bloody dress 4. And yet what less than death is it to this indulgent Father to think of a due revenge Rape was by the Law of God capital Deut. 22.35 How much more when seconded with Incest Anger thô never so hot and eager is not punishment enough for so high so complicated an offence Such mild injustice is no less provoking to Heaven and perilous to a Common-wealth than the fiercest cruelty For ought I know the blood of Souls murther'd by foolish Pity cries as loud in the ears of divine Justice as the Blood of Bodies slain by cruel Severity And yet this is all we hear of from so indulgent a Father unless perhaps he makes up the rest with Sorrow and so punishes his Sons miscarriage on himself v. 37. But 5. If David perhaps out of the Consciousness to himself of his late Adultery and Murther will not punish this horrid fact his Son Absalom shall And that not so much out of any Zeal or of Justice as desire of Revenge 2 Sam. 13.28 29. See Amnon there weltring in his blood murther'd by Absaloms command when he was drunk and so for ought we Know Soul and Body sunk at once and that eternally One Act of Injustice draws on Another The injustice of indulgent David in not punishing the Rape of Tamar procures the injustice of Absalom in punishing Amnon with Murther That which the Father should have justly reveng'd and did not the Son revengeth unjustly However in all this the Lord the Supreme Judge is Righteous To reckon for those Sins which humane Partiality or Negligence had omitted and whilst he punisheth Sin with sin to punish sin with death Had David called Amnon to a severe Account for this unpardonable Villany the Revenge had not been so desperate Thus to Davids Horror fell Amnon The third and last that brings up the Rear of those Serpents that lay so warm in Davids Bosom was that great Gallant the glistring Minion of the Court 3. Absalom Absalom the Murtherer Absalom the Rebel and yet for All that Absalom the Beloved 1. Absalom the Murtherer and that of his own Brother Amnon as we have heard that for two full years had sat close brooding the deepest Revenge Having dispatcht his Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away he flies to Geshur and for three years hides and shelters himself in his Grandfathers Court 2 Sam. 13.34 37. 3.3 But doth not David post his Embassadors after and demand him thence to be returned and delivered up as a Sacrifice to stop the cry of his Brothers Blood that roar'd for Vengeance At least in three years time No not a Word of that But see and be amazed at the quite contrary workings of his distemper'd Heart v. 39. The soul of King David longed or was even consumed to go forth for he was comforted concerning Amnon The three years absence seemed not so much a Banishment to the Son as a Punishment to the Father 'T is true David out of his Wisdom so inclines to favour as that he conceals it and yet so conceals it as that Joab who could see Light through the smallest chink by his piercing Eye could clearly discover it Joab reads Davids Heart in his Countenance and knows how to humour and serve him in that which he would and yet seem'd he
all that rise against thee to do thee hurt be as that young man is 5. And what sayes King David to this Methinks I hear him say Psal 81.1 c. Come my dear People Come and let us sing aloud unto God our strength and make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery 3. Blow up the Trumpet as in the new Moon as on a solemn feast day 4. Let this be a Statute for Israel for this is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoice and triumph in it The King shall joy in thy strength and greatly rejoice in thy Salvation The Lord is known by the judgment that he hath executed the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion-Selah Is this the Io Triumphe wherewith he makes the Earth to ring again No but on the contrary the poor Father being as it were Thunder-struck with the words of his Blackmore forgets that he was a King and Father of his Countrey looks like Jephthah when he met his devoted Daughter and as if bereav'd of all Comfort breaks out into a flood of tears and into such an indecent Lamentation as no Records either Sacred or Humane can parallel The King was much moved and wept v. 33. and as he went he said O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my Son my Son My just Indignation at this more than Womanish Transport forbids me to descant on it I shall barely lay before you Joab's smart Repartee whereby he endeavour'd to stop this Deluge 2 Sam. 29.5 6. Joab said to the King Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy Servants which this day have saved thy Life and the Lives of thy Sons and of thy Daughters and the Lives of thy Wives 6. In that thou lovest thine Enemies and hatest thy Friends For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither Princes nor Servants For this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day then it had pleased thee well And thus we have seen the Malady Turn we now to the Remedy The Plague-sore has been open'd now for the Bunch of Figgs II. What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those their Children whose Wickedness have been occasion'd by their own sinful Indulgence 1. Reflect seriously on your heart and wayes Begg and begg sincerely earnestly believingly constantly of the Lord effectually to convince you of the great sinfulness and mischief of your Indulgence and to humble you deeply for it O cast your selves at the foot of God lament it weep over it mourn as Doves before the Lord when you see if indeed you can see and fondness hath not quite put out your eyes Pride Stubborness Profaneness Averseness from God all sorts and degrees of sins and corruptions break forth in your Childrens Lives And that 1. With respect to your Children And this 1. Not only as the natural roots from whom all this their Lewdness springs They drew it from the Womb and breast They were poyson'd in the very Spring Psa 51.5 Job 14.1 15.14 25.4 This consideration only if no more to see your Children rotting sinking dying with a loathsome Disease which they drew from your Loins were enough to rend your hearts and Caul But 2. By your wretched Indulgence you have added much fuel to this flame you have heated your Furnace seven times hotter Your Indulgence hath fomented yea inflam'd their Wickedness You have heightned their feavour into a Plague and that worse a thousand times than that of the Body which ends in a temporal Death but this is of their Souls and is like to sink them for ever into a gulph of fire and brimstone 2. With respect to God The Lord was wroth with the Serpent and curs'd him for ever because but an instrument us'd by Satan for corrupting our first Parents though no cause at all of it Gen. 3.14 May not the Lord be much more angry with us and cause his Wrath to smoak against us that have not only been instruments really to convey this Poyson and corruption of nature into our Childrens bosoms but the principal occasions of of their superadded Wickedness You see on both these accounts matter of deep Humiliation 2. Love your Children hearken indulgent Parents I say it again Love your Children Yea Love them I say not more but better than ever yet you Lov'd them you can never Love them too well You may and have Lov'd them too much One saith well None is to be Lov'd much but He only whom we can never Love too much Love them with all the kinds degrees properties of Love before mention'd 1. Love them so as to be tender of their Bodies their outward man let that want nothing that is necessary convenient comfortable suitable to their age or quality but above all Love their Souls their inward man The Cabinet must not be neglected but the Jewel is to be most regarded The Ring is to be only esteemed but the Diamond in it most highly to be prized The Love of our Childrens Souls is the very Soul and Spirit and Elixir of True parental Love If we truely Love their Souls we shall unfeignedly desire and vigorously endeavour their Spiritual and Eternal Salvation If you Love their Souls indeed your Hearts desire and prayer to God for them will be that they may be saved Rom. 10.1 You will put forth your utmost affections and strength to lift them up out of that pit of Sin and Misery in which they lye and to raise them into and fix them in a state of Grace If we do not really grieve to see our Children lye weltring in their Sins of Ignorance unbelief folly profaneness and so under the power and paw of Satan If we do not faithfully labour to preserve them from perishing but suffer sin upon them pretend what we will let us shew never so much Love with our mouth God sayes we really hate them in our Hearts Lev. 19.17 See how Solomons Parents exprest their Love to Him Prov. 4.3 4. I was my Fathers Son tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother 4. He taught me also and said unto me Let thy heart retain my Words keep my Commandments and Live If you Love them indeed and in truth you will you can have no greater joy than to see your Children walking in the Truth Joh. 3. Ep. 4. That foolish Son who is now an heaviness to his Mother being made Truely wise will make a glad Fatther Prov. 10.1 Oh what a lovely sight what a Soul-ravshing object in a godly Parents eye is an hopeful Timothy an obedient godly Joseph Prov. 23.24 25. Well then Love your Children and in the first place their precious Souls If you find your Love and care goes out more for their Bodies than Souls so far mistrust your
Love 'T is Carnal 2. Love your Children truly tenderly but yet take heed that you do not over-love them But when is that Certainly when you Love them more than you Love God and Christ you over-love them But who does so I shall not charge you but give me leave to ask you a question or two Tell me when your Gods Glory and your Child 's good are neerly concern'd for which doth your zeal most hotly glow Are not your Affections most fiery where they should be most cool and where they should burn there they freeze Doth not your Heart make you believe it Loves God and gives him Pledges of your affection while it secretly doats chiefly on the dandled Child Like some false Strumpet that entertains her Husband with her Eyes and on the mean time treads on the Toe of her Paramour Do you not often think you love God enough and when your Child most yet but enough nay never enough your head heart hand purse mandrakes five messes breasts bowels All but little enough too little for your Child your Idol is it so as to your God So to Love our Child as thereby to lesson our Love to God yea or to equalize it with our Love to God is not only indulgence but idolatry And an Idol of Flesh and Blood is to be abhorr'd as well as that of Wood or Sone Assuredly the best way to quench this exorbitant Love to Children on Earth is to set your Hearts and Affections more on your Father in Heaven on God his Christ Spirit Word wayes rewards Luk. 10.32 Isa 33.6 1 Pet. 1.24 25. Look but directly on that Sun and thine eyes will quickly be dazl'd to these glittering glow-worms here below Make that invaluable Pearl but thy Treasure and thou wilt lightly esteem these Bristol-Stones Take but Christ fully and wholly into thy heart and bosom and thou wilt quickly yield thy Child 's proper place is but thy Foot or Knee In a word If God in Christ be thy God indeed thou wilt abhorr the thought and practice of making thy Child his Corrival 3. Love your Children but Love them wisely give e'm your Hearts into their Bosoms but not the reins on their necks When you do so at the same time mount them on your fiercest Beast furnish them with Switch and Spur but without bit or bridle and then do but pause and think soberly of the period of their full carier Love 'em I say but still be careful to maintain that just authority and preeminence that God hath given you over them A Parent that hath lost his Authority is as salt that hath lost its savour Like the Logg sent from Jupiter every frog in the Family apt to leap upon him And remember it fond Parents there is nothing in the world that renders you more vile cheap contemptible in the eyes even of your Children themselves when they begin to put forth the first buds of Reason nothing that layes your authority more in the dust and exposes you to the foot and spurn of your Child than sinful Indulgence A foolish man dispiseth his Mother Prov. 15.20 His Mothers folly made him a Fool of a foolish Child he at length grows up into a man but a foolish man and this foolish man despises his Mother If you are Fathers then take care of your Honour if Mothers be sure to carry it so as to preserve in your Children that awful respect and reverence which they owe you Mal. 1.6 Heb. 12.9 4. Love your Children but love them in God and for God Love his image in them more than your own In a word Let Gods Spirit be the Principle Gods Word the Rule Gods Example the Pattern and his Glory the end of your dearest Love to your dearest Children Love them as God Loves his Children But How 1. God so loves his Childrens persons as that he infinitely hates their sins Nay because he loves their persons for that very reason he hates their sins Bacause I love my Child therefore I hate the Toad that I see crawling on his bosom God doth infinitely love his People and yet in this Life he shews more hatred against the Sins of his own People than he doth against the Sins of any other men in the World 1. Here He afflicts all his own people for sin one way or other Every Mothers Son of them Heb. 12.6 8. Job 10.14 Isa 31.9 48.10 but is patient towards the wicked le ts them run riot without controll Psal 50.21 13.5 2 Pet. 2.9 2. When he intends to bring a general judgment on a Nation he uses to begin with his own people Isa 28.18 1 Pet. 4.17 Jer. 25.17 18. Luk. 21.10 11. 3. When he makes any an Example unto others of his Hatred against sin makes choice of his own people before wicked men Isa 8.18 1 Cor. 4.9 1 King 13.24 33. 4. Judgments more sharp on his own people than others Psal 89.7 Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 2. All this he doth out of the purest eternal and unchangeable Love that he bears his Children God chastens and corrects his Children that he may keep them from sinning as others do and as themselves have done and from perishing for ever in their sins as others shall He meddles not with thorns and briars but prunes his Vines that they may no more yield such sour Grapes He casts his Children as Gold into a Furnace here to refine and purifie them that he may not be forced to cast them as stubble into an Eternal flaming Oven hereafter And this in Love Exo. 4.24 Job 7.17 18 19. Psal 119.71 75. 89.30 to 38. Jer. 59.7 Lam. 3.33 Hos 4.14 Am. 3.2 Heb. 12.6 7. Rev. 3.19 1 Cor. 11.30 32. And now Parents as you have seen your Heavenly Father do do you In his strength follow his Example 1. Love your Childrens persons and because you love them hate their sins The sins of those most whom you Love most You see your God doth so Be not so blinded as that you can see no fault in them nor so madly doting as to delight in their Blemishes to kiss their Plague-sores Nor so Indulgent as to be loth to grieve or displease them when grossely Criminal Especially 2. Let your holy strictness shew it self against those whom you most affect TELL them Child I Love you and therefore I cannot will not behold the least iniquity in you Hab. 1.13 So Christ acted towards his beloved Disciples Mat 15.16 17. 17.17 Tell 'em you cannot will not pardon them Exo. 23.21 Let them know that you can be Angry and if words will not do the Rod shall and that you can make that Rod smart Exo. 4.24 Tell them though they may presume to provoke you to bewail them you will not suffer them to provoke God to Hate them Isa 63.10 Psal 78.58 59. and that you had rather hear them cry and see them bleed yea and dye here than hear them howl and see them burn'd and damn'd hereafter
Wounds ver 4. And thô this place speak of the Flattery of a strange woman whose flattery in some cases may be more dangerous and deadly yet the Flatteries of others strange Sons is dangerous and destructive also Psal 55.21 The words of such are smoother than Butter Perniciem aliis ac postremò sibi inveniunt Tacit annal l. 1. but war is in their Heart softer than Oyl yet drawn Swords Wherewith others are first slain and which doth first or last enter their own bowels God doth in his own season send forth commission'd Officers to destroy an hypocritical Nation as Isa 10. ver 6. In a word wheresoever you find Flattery predominant and culminating it presages an approaching ruine whether in Kingdoms and States or in Church in Families or particular Persons Flattering and Fawning Counsellors ruine Princes and Principalities Flattering Clergy ruine the Church Flattering Captains their General Lawyers their Clients Physicians their Patients and flattering Companions destroy those that keep them Company For fuller declaration of this Affection to undue praise destroys I will tell what is ruin'd by that flattery which becomes predominant by our love to it under the Notion of Praise and friendship due to our vertues Uncured Love of such praise and smoothing us is pernicious 1. To Good moral Principles and vertuous Habits 1. Vertuous principles implanted by the care and wisdom of such as had the Educating of us so we may observe Men and Women too often degenerate and wear out the Impressions of vertuous Habits and imbibe the quite contrary Vices Of Modest become Impudent of Chaste become Unclean Adulterers and Adulteresses c. How many in our Age have by the help of Flatterers conquer'd their vertuous Education and triumph'd over it in a debauched Bravery which is to glory in their shame 2. To All the remainders of any tolerable innate 2. Natural Inclinations to Good and congenite capacity of receiving Good advice Examples and helps for their recovery The very Stock is corrupted that no Graffe of Vertue can be planted on them They become reprobate to every good work There is in many from the Birth a promising Receptivity we look on them as more susceptible of Vertue than others Now love to vitious Flatterers and hearkening to them very frequently overthrows these very foundations on which we might build that the person remains for ever a Cage of unclean Birds and leaves such hopeless 3. To their Wealth and Estates 3. Estates So many an imprudent and unexperienced Heir is gull'd out of his Estate and Inheritance The Flatterer by his wiles derives the Substance and Labours of the deceas'd Father from the Children to himself and his Solomon notes this Prov. 5.10 as the consequencé of love to be flatter'd Strangers are filled with the wealth of such 4. Reputation 4. To their Honour and Reputation A vitious Seducer hearkned to and his Flatteries yielded to will blast all the Credit of those that are seduced how great soever their Reputation might have been before their turning aside Solomon proposeth this as argument to disswade us from hearkning to Flatteries Prov. 5. vers 9. 5. Safety and Life 5. To the Safety Peace and Life of the imprudent lover of Flattery When nothing else remains nor surviveth the wasting and consumptive mouth of a Flatterer but the disgraced impoverisht and miserable Life of the deceived this is made a prey too and the unthankfull unsatiate and unmerciful Seducer hunts for the precious Life also 6. Soul and its Happiness 6. To the Soul and its happiness The Flatterer is too powerfull and too successeful an Instrument in promoting sin and ruining of Souls he drawes into Sin into remisness and neglect of Good Such seduced ones call evil Good and then do it think great evil little and repent not of it are perswaded their Good is great enough already and are surpriz'd in a sinful and Impenitent state Thus pernicious is Flattery loved A dangerous disease you see yet curable if proper means be apply'd And what those means are which may best effect this Cure 4th General is the last but chiefest of our Enquiry these in the Fourth place we must speak of And here I propose that 1. Ill name of Flattery 1. You would impartially consider the bad name that Flattery hath ever had and still hath and ever will have among all sorts of men How all condemn it as unworthy of the least degree of their love as worthy of their utmost hatred and abhorrence * Mellitum venenum Circes pocula It is sugred Poyson a bewitching Cup the greatest Plague in Societies and the most barbarous Torturers †Nulla in amicitiis pestis est major quam assentatio c. for they pick out the Eyes and flay off the flesh of the Living worse than hungry Crows as Antisthenes observed Like corroding Worms which eat out the substance verdure and life of the root they were bred in That very man who too soon was perverted by Flattery to think himself greater than to be Philip's Son Dignior eras qui eodem pracipitareris yet in soberer temper judged a Flatterer worthy to be thrown into that River in which his flattering History was cast and drowned Thô Aeneas Sylvius de dict Sigism as Sigismund the Emperour observed we affect pleasant flattering Companions yet he professed he hated them like as he hated the Plague Would you look on the Flatterer as Condemned and most worthy to be cut off from humane Society you would neither over-love him or his Flatteries It is but rarely that a foolish Virgin falls in Love begs the Life and chooseth the most intimate converse of a Condemned Felon Let us look on this condemned Vice as most do on the handsomest condemned Felon and Murtherer A fair and goodly outside but not worthy to live 2. Look how ill an uncured love of Praise becomes another 2. Ill becomes other men see how great a blemish and stain it is to them how it lessens all other commendable Qualities It is to dote on our own Shadow and perish in the Love of it as the Mythologists report of Narcissus Such one is the most unfit of all men for humane Society whether in a Converse of Friendship Service or Command A most untractable and useless piece not fit to rule others who wants a Prudence to rule himself nor fit to receive Commands while he admires himself and dotes on his own contrivance not fit to be a Friend since all his Love runs waste on himself The Emblem of such Persons is ingeniously drawn from the Ape the ugliest as the Lord Bacon observes of Creatures the most mischievous in his Pranks useless and saucy And are such worthy to be loved How comely a sight do you think an ill shap't Ape grinning on his own Features in a flattering Glass would be Such is the man that loves to see himself
be condemned Tit. 2.8 Deep and weighty Impressions of the things of God upon a mans own Heart would greatly advance this A Ministers Spirit is known in the gravity or lightness of his Doctrine But now we come to the second thing proposed to give some Answer to this Question from other things in the Word And I shall 1. Shew some things that must be laid to heart about the End the saving of Souls 2. And then shall give some advice about the Means 1. About the End the winning of Souls This is to bring them to God it is not to win them to us or to engage them into a Party or to the espousal of some Opinions and Practices supposing them to be never so right and consonant to the Word of God But the winning of them is to bring them out of Nature into a state of Grace that they may be fitted for and in due time admitted into everlasting Glory Concerning which great End these few things should be laid deeply to heart by all that would serve the Lord in being instrumental in reaching it 1. The exceeding height and excellency of this End is to be laid to heart It is a wonder of condescendence that the Lord will make use of men in promoting it To be workers together with God in so great a business is no small honour The great value of mens Souls the greatness of the misery they are delivered from and of the Happiness they are advanced to with the manifold Glory of God shining in all makes the work of saving men great and excellent Preaching the Gospel and suffering for it are Services that Angels are not employed in Mean and low thoughts of the great End of the Ministry as they are dissonant from Truth are also great hinderances of due endeavours after the attaining the End 2. The great difficulty of saving Souls must be laid to heart The difficulty is undoubted To attempt it is to offer violence to mens corrupt Natures and a storming of Hell it self whose Captives all sinners are Unless this difficulty be laid to heart Ministers will be confident of their own strength and so miscarry and be unfruitfull Whoever prospers in winning Souls is first convinc'd that it is the Arm of Jehovah only can do the work 3. The duty of winning Souls must be laid to heart by Ministers That it is their principal work and they are under many Commands to endeavour it It 's a fault to look on Fruit only as a reward of endeavours so it is indeed and a gracious one but it should be so minded as the End we would strive for Col. 1.28 29. which when attained is still to His Praise yet most commonly when it is missing it is to our reproach and danger when it is as alas it's often through our default 4. The great advantage there is to the Labourer by his success is to be pondered Great is the gain by one Soul he that winneth Souls is happy as well as wise Prov. 11.30 Dan. 12.3 Won Souls are a Ministers Crown and Glory and Joy Phil. 4.1 1 Thess 2. last How far is this account above all others that a man can give of his Ministry These things fix'd upon the Heart would enliven us in all endeavours to attain this excellent End 2. For advice about the Means I shall adde these few besides what hath been said 1. Let Ministers if they would win Souls procure and retain amongst the People a perswasion of their being sent of God that they are Christs Ministers 1 Cor. 4.1 It is not confident asserting of it nor justifying the lawfulness of our Ecclesiastical Calling though there be some use of these things at some times But it is ability painfulness faithfulness humility and self-denyal and in a word conformity to our Lord Jesus in his Ministry that will constrain People to say and think that we are sent of God Nicodemus comes with this Impression of Christ Joh. 3.2 A teacher come from God It is certain that these thoughts in people further the reception of the Gospel Gal. 4.14 Ye received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus 2. Let Ministers if they would win Souls purchase and maintain the Peoples Love to their Persons And this is best done by loving of them and dealing lovingly and patiently with them There should be no striving with them especially about worldly things yea meekness to them that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. It is of great advantage to have their Love how carefully doth Paul sue for it in several Epistles and condescend to entreat and make Apologies when indeed he had not wrong'd them but they only did imagine he had wrong'd them 2 Cor. 11. 3. It would further the winning of Souls to deal particularly and personally with them Not alwayes nor altogether in publick Col. 1.28 Acts 20.20 21. Great fruit hath constantly followed the conscientious discharge of this duty The setting of it up in Geneva did produce incredible Fruits of Piety as Calvin reports when the Ministers and some of the Elders went from House to House and dealt particularly with the Peoples Consciences And we are not without many Instances of the Fruit of this mean in our own time and in these Nations Blessed be the Lord for the Labourers and their success 4. Ministers must Pray much if they would be successeful The Apostles spent their time this way Acts 6.3 Yea our Lord Jesus preached all day and continued all night alone in Prayer to God Ministers should be much in Prayer They use to reckon how many hours they spend in Reading and Study it were far better both with our selves and the Church of God if more time were spent in Prayer Luthers spending three hours daily in secret Prayer Bradfords studying on his knees and other instances of men in our time are talk'd of rather than imitated Ministers should pray much for themselves for they have Corruptions like other men and have Temptations that none but Ministers are assaulted with They should pray for their Message How sweet and easie is it for a Minister and likely it is to be the more profitable to the People to bring forth that Scripture as Food to the Souls of his People that he hath got opened to his own Heart by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the exercise of Faith and Love in Prayer A Minister should pray for the Blessing on the Word and he should be much in seeking God particularly for the People It may be this may be the reason why some Ministers of meaner Gifts and Parts are more successeful than some that are far above them in abilities not because they preach better so much as because they pray more Many good Sermons are lost for lack of much Prayer in Study But because the Ministry of the Word is the main instrument for winning Souls I shall therefore adde somewhat more particularly concerning this and that both as to the matter
Spiritual Light and Experience men of superstitious minds found themselves intangled They knew it necessary that there should be such a Representation made of Christ as might render him a present Object of Faith and love wherewith they might be immediately affected How this was done in the Gospel they could not understand nor obtain any experience of the power and efficacy of it unto this end Yet the Principle it self must be retained as that without which there could be no Religion wherefore to explicate themselves out of this difficulty they break through all Gods Commands to the contrary and betook themselves to the making Images of Christ and their adoration And from small beginnings according as Darkness and Superstition increased in the minds of men there was a progress in this practise until these Images took the whole work of representing Christ and his Glory out of the hands as it were of the Gospel and appropriated it unto themselves For I do not speak of them now so much as they are Images of Christ or Objects of Adoration as of their being dead Images of the Gospel that is somewhat set up in the room of the Gospel and for the ends of it as means of teaching and instruction They shall do the work which the Gospel was designed of God to do For as unto this end of the representation of Christ as the present object of the Faith and Love of man with an efficacy to work upon their affections there is in the Church of Rome a thousand times more ascribed unto them than unto the Gospel it self The whole matter is stated by the Apostle Rom. 10.6 7 8. The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend unto heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up again from the dead but what saith it The word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach The Enquiry is how we may be made partakers of Christ and righteousness by him or how we may have an interest in him or have him present with us This saith the Apostle is done by the word of the Gospel which is preached which is nigh unto us in our mouths and in our hearts No say these men we cannot understand how it should be so we do not find that it is so that Christ is made nigh unto us present with us by this word Wherefore we will ascend into Heaven to bring down Christ from above for we will make Images of him in his glorious state in Heaven and thereby he will be present with us or nigh unto us And we will descend into the deep to bring up Christ again from the dead and we will do it by making first Crucifixes and then Images of his glorious Resurrection bringing him again unto us from the dead This shall be in the place and room of that word of the Gospel which you pretend to be alone useful and effectual unto these ends This therefore is evident that the Introduction of this Abomination in principle and practise destructive unto the Souls of men took its Rise from the loss of an Experience of the Representation of Christ in the Gospel and the transforming power in the minds of men which it is accompanied with in them that believe Make us Gods say the Israelites to go before us for as for this man Moses who represented God unto us we know not what is become of him What would you have men do would you have them live without all Sense of the presence of Christ with them or being nigh unto them Shall they have no Representation of him no no make us Gods that may go before us let us have Images unto this end for how else it may be done we cannot understand And this is the Reason of their obstinacy in this practise against all means of conviction yea they live hereon in a perpetual contradiction unto themselves Their Temples are full of Graven Images like the house of Micah houses of God and yet in them are the Scriptures though in a Tongue unknown to the people wherein that practise is utterly condemned that a man would think them distracted to hear what their Book says and to see what they do in the same place But nothing will reach unto their conviction until the vail of Blindness and Ignorance be taken from their minds until they have a Spiritual Light enabling them to discern the Glory of Christ as represented in the Gospel and to let in an Experience of the transforming power and efficacy of that Revelation in their own Souls they will never part with that means for the same end which they are sensible of to be useful unto it and which is suited unto their inclination Whatever be the issue though it cost them their Souls they will not part with what they find as they suppose so useful unto their great end of making Christ nigh unto them for that wherein they can see nothing of it and of whose power they can have no experience But the principal Design of this Discourse is to warn others of these Abominations and to direct unto their avoidance for if they should be outwardly pressed unto the practice of this Idolatry whatever is of carnal Affection of blind Devotion or Superstition in them will quickly be won over unto a Conspiracy against their Convictions Nothing will then secure them but an experience of the efficacy of that Representation which is made of Christ in the Gospel It is therefore the Wisdom and Duty of all those who desire a stability in the profession of the Truth continually to endeavour after this Experience and an increase in it He who lives in the exercise of Faith and Love in the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospel as evidently crucified and evidently exalted therein and finds the fruit of his so doing in his own Soul will be preserved in the time of Trial. Without this men will at last begin to think that it is better to have a false Christ than none at all they will suppose that something is to be found in an Image when they can find nothing in the Gospel SECT II. II. It is a prevalent Notion of Truth That the Worship of God ought to be beautiful and glorious The very Light of Nature seems to direct unto Conceptions hereof What is not so may be justly rejected as unbecoming the Divine Majesty And therefore the more holy and heavenly any Religion pretends to be the more glorious is the Worship prescribed in it or ought so to be Yea the true Worship of God is the height and excellency of all Glory in this world it is inferiour unto nothing but that which is in Heaven which it is the beginning of the way unto and the best preparation for Accordingly even that Worship is declared to be
And when his Operations are such as we call a Possession yet he may work by means and bodily dispositions and sometimes he worketh quite above the power of the Disease it self as when the unlearned speak in strange Languages and when bewitched Persons vomit Iron Glass c And sometime he doth only work by the Disease it self as in Epilepsies Madness c. From all this it is easie to gather 1. That for Satan to possess the Body is no certain Sâ—gn of a graceless state nor will this condemn the Soul any if the Soul it self be not possessed Nay there are few of Gods Children but its like are sometime afflâ—cted by Satan as the Executioner of Gods correcting them and sometime of Gods Trials as in the Case of Job whatever some say to the contrary it is likely that the â—rick in the Flesh which was Satans Messenger to bâ—sset Paul was some such Pain as the Stone which yet was not removed that we find after thrice praying but only he had a promise of sufficient Grace 2. Satans Possession of an ungodly Saul is the miserable Case which is a thousand times worse than his possessing of the Body but every Corruption or Sin is not such a possession for no man is perfect without Sin 3. No Sin proveth Satans damnable possession of a man but that which he loveth more than he hateth it and which he had rather keep than leave and wilfully keepeth 4. And this is matter of great comfort to such Melancholy honest Souls if they have but understanding to receive it that of all men none love their Sin which they groan under so little as they yea it is the heavy Burden of their Souls Do you love your Unbelief your Fears your distracted Thoughts your Temptations to Blasphemy Had you rather keep them than be delivered from them The proud man the ambitious the Fornicator the Drunkard the Gamester the Time-wasting Gallants that sit out hours at Cards and Plays and idle Chats the gluttonous pleasers of the Appetite all these love their Sins and would not leave them as Esau sold his Birthright for one Morsel they will venture the loss of God of Christ and Soul and Heaven rather than leave a swinish Sin But is this your Case Do you so love your sad condition You are weary of it and heavy laden and therefore are called to come to Christ for ease Mat. 11.28 29. 5. And it is the Devils way if he can to haunt those with troubling Temptations whom he cannot overcome with alluring and damning Temptations As he raiseth storms of Persecution against them without as soon as they are escaping from his Deceits so doth he trouble them within as far as God permitteth him We deny not but Satan hath a great hand in the Case of such Melancholy persons for 1. His Temptations caused the Sin which God corrects them for 2. His Execution usually is a Cause of the Distemper of the Body 3. And as a Tempter he is the Cause of the sinful and â—â—â—ublesom Thoughts and Doubts and Fears and Passions which the 〈◊〉 holy causeth The Devil cannot do what he will with us but whâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ive him advantage to do He cannot break open our doors but 〈◊〉 enter if we leave them open He can easily tempt a heavy flegmatick Body to sloath a weak and cholerick person to anger a strong and sanguine man to Lust and one of a strong Appetite to Gluttony or to Drunkenness and vain sportful Youth to idle Plays and gaming and Voluptuousness when to others such Temptations would have small strength And so if he can cast you into Melancholy he can easily tempt you to overmuch Sorrow and Fear and to distracting Doubts and Thoughts and to murmure against God and to despair and still think that you are undone undone and even to blasphemous thoughts of God or if it take not this way than to Fanatick Conceits of Revelation and a prophecying Spirit 6. But I add that God will not impute his meer Temptations to you but to himself be they never so bad as long as you receive them not by the will but hate them nor will he condemn you for those ill effects which are unavoiâ—â—ble from the power of a bodily Disease any more than he will condemn a man for raving thoughts or words in a Feaver Phrensie or utter Madness But so far as Reason yet hath power and the Will can govern Passions it is your fault if yâ—â—â—â—se not the power though the difficulty make the Fault the less II. But usually other Causes go before this Disease of Melancholy except in some Bodies naturally prone to it and therefore before I speak of the Cure of it I will briefly touch them And one of the most common Causes is Sinful Impatience Discontents and Cares proceeding from a sinful love of some bodily interest and from a want of sufficient submission to the will of God and Trust in him â—â—d tâ—king Heaven for a satisfying Portion I must necessarily use all these words to shew the true Nature of this complicate Disease of Souls The Names tell you that it is a Conjunction of many Sins which in themselves are of no small malignity and were they the predominant beâ—â—â—â—d habit of Heart and Life they would be the Signs o◠〈…〉 â—hilâ— they are hated and overcome not Grace but â—â—r heavâ—nly 〈…〉 â—â—re esteemed and câ—â—sen and sought than earthly prosperiâ—y â—he Mâ—â—cy of Goâ—â—hrough Christ doâ—â— pardoâ— it and will at last deliver us from all But yet it beseeâ—â—â—â—h â—ven a â—â—â—doned Sinner to know the greatness of his Sin that 〈◊〉 may not favour it nor be unthankful â—â—r forgiveness I wiâ—â—â—herefore distinctly open the parts of this Sin which bringeth many 〈◊〉 â—â—smal Melancholy It iâ— prâ—supposed 〈◊〉 God trieth his Servants in â—his Life with manifold Afflictions and Christ will have us bâ—ar the Cross and follow him in submissive Patience Some are tried with painful Dâ—seases and some with 〈◊〉 ougâ—â— Enemies and soâ—e with the unkindness of Friends and 〈…〉 â—â—oâ—ard provoking Relatives and Company and some 〈…〉 â—â—d some with Perâ—eâ—â—tion and many with Losses Disapp◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 here Impatieâ—â—◠〈…〉 beginning of the working of the sinful Mâ—â—â—â—â— Our Natures are all too regardful of the Interest of the flesh â—nd 〈◊〉 â—eak in bearing â—eaâ—y burdens and Poverty hath those Trials 〈…〉 â—â—ll and wealthy Persons that feel them not too little pity especially iâ—â—wo Cases 1. When men have not themselves only but Wives and Children in want to quiet 2. And when they ar◠〈◊〉 debt to others which is a heavy Burden to an ingenuous mind though thievish Borrowers make too light of it In theâ—e Straights and Trials men are apt to be too sensible and impatient whâ—â— they and their Families want Food and Rayment and Fire and other Necessâ—ries to the Body and know not which way to get supply when Landlords and Butchers and Bakers and other Creditors are calling for their Debts
because he cannot be at once in all parts of his Dominions but God is omnipresent filling Heaven and Earth If thou goest up to Heaven he is there if thou make thy Bed in Hell behold he is there if thou dwellest in the uttermost parts of the Sea there shall his Hand lead thee and his right Hand shall guide thee All things are within his reach wheresoever any thing is doing or to be done there God is who is present in every place and with every person He stands at our right hands and so may well guide them so to do will cost him no travel nor trouble In him we live and move and have our being not at a distance from him not out of him but in him 2. God can easily Govern the world because of his almighty Power he is stronger than all his Word is enough to accomplish all his will The wisest of men are foolish creatures and the strongest are weak Kingdoms and Nations have frequently proved ungovernable to potent Princes Such breaches have been made as they could not heale and such tempests have risen as they could not lay Nay that man is not found in the world who hath Power sufficient to Govern himself How often doth his will rebel against his reason Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor His judgement sees and votes for that which is good but his will chooseth what is worse his sensual appetite longs for it and that must be gratified whatever the cost be We sometimes see that wise men gracious and holy men cannot curb their own passions but they take heâ—d and hurry them into great and uncomely extravagancies But now God is of infinite Power as he hath an arm long enough to reach so strong enough to rule all things He binds the Sea with a girdle and stayes its proud waves saying hither shall ye go and no further He makes the wrath of man to praise him though it be more boisterous than the Sea and the remainder thereof he shall restrain Job hath sundry passages to this purpose worthy of our remark Job 26. take some of them thus He hangeth the world upon nothing He hath compassed the waters with bounds He divideth the Sea with his Power the Pillars of Heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof And then he closeth thus in verse 14. Lo these are part of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him and the Thunder of his Power who can understand The Power of his Thunder is great which discovered the forrest and makes the hinds to calve what then is the Thunder of his Power when God doth but whisper a rebuke into the eare of a man that maketh his beauty to consume like a moth what then can he do nay what can he nor do when he thunders from Heaven In short his Power is irresistible and his will in all things efficacious He can master all difficulties and conquer all enemies and overcome all opposition when he hath a mind to work who shall let him he askes no leave he needs no help he knows no impediment Mountains in his way become plaines his counsel shall stand and the thoughts of his heart to all generations 3. Thirdly God is fit to Govern the world upon the account of his wisdom and knowledg His eyes run too and fro through the Earth He observes all the motions and wayes of men He understands what hath been is and shall be Hell is naked before him how much more Earth His eye is upon the conclave of Rome the Cabals of Princes and the closets of particular Persons Excellently doth David set forth the divine Omniscience Psal 139. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising and understandest my thoughts afar off Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my tongue but O Lord thou knowest it altogether thou hast beset me behind and before He knows not only what is done by man but also what is in man all his goodness and all his wickedness all his contrivances purposes and designs The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it do you ask who the answer is ready Jehovah He searcheth the heart he tryeth and possessâ—th the reins Those are dark places far removed from the eyes of all the world but Gods eyes are like a flame of fire they carry their own light with them and discover those recesses run thorow all the Labyrinths of the heart they looke into each nooke and corner of it and see what lurks there what is doing there O! what manner of Persons should we be with what diligence should we keep our hearts since God observes them with so much exactness Men may take a view of the practices of others but God sees their principles and to what they do incline them Yea He knows how to order and command the heart not only how to affright it with terrours and to allure it with kindnesses and perswade it with arguments but likewise how to change and alter and mend it by his Power He cannot only debilitate and enfeeble it when set upon evil but also how confirm and fix and fortifie it when carried out to that which is good The hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord and he turned them as the Rivers of Water 4. Fourthly God is fit to Govern the world upon the score of his long-suffering and forbearance Those that have the reins of Government put into their hands had need be Persons of excellent and cool Spirits for if they have a great deal of Power and but a small stock of patience they will soon put all into a flame That man who hath but a little Family to mannage will in that meet with trials and exercises enough How much more he that is set over a Kingdom and unspeakably more yet he that is to Govern the world especially considering the present State of the degenerate world and how things have been ever since Sin made an entry into it The whole world now lyeth in wickedness there is not a man in it but doth every day offer a thousand affronts to God and provokes him to his face Angelical patience would soon tire and be spent and turn into such fury as would quickly reduce all into a Chaos There is not an Angel in Heaven but if there were a commission given him he would do immediate execution and sheath the Sword of vengeance in the bowels of malefactors But now to his glory be it spoken God is infinite in patience slow to anger and of great kindness Though he be disobeyed abused grieved vexed pressed with the sins of men even as a cart is pressed that is laden with sheaves yet he spares and bears and waites How loath is he to stir up all his wrath and to pour out the Vials thereof He counts that his strange work when he goeth about it his bowels do
in his Spirit upon the consideration of Gods work both for their number and for their wisdom Psal 104 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all They are very many yet all very good notwithstanding their multitude and variety God miscarried in none there is an impress of wisdom upon them all 3. God governs all things powerfully where the word of a King is Solomon tells us there is power what power then doth the Word of God carry along with it He orders and rules turns and overturns things as he thinks good That is a notable and very comfortable place which we have Isa 33 11. The Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations The counsel of the Lord doth so stand as that all things shall certainly fall before it that rise up in opposition to it The counsel of the Heathen when contrary thereunto is brought to nought and the devices of the people are made of no effect As the rod of Moses prevailed against the rods of the Magicians so do the thoughts and counsels of God against all other thoughts and counsels that run counter and bid defiance to them Psal 135 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased that he did in the Heaven and in the Earth and in the Seas and in all dâ—ep places Gods will obtains and hath the upperhand every where Down Man down Pope down Devil you must yield things shall not be as you will but as God will We may well say who hath resisted his will many indeed disobey and sin against the will of his precept but none ever did none ever shall frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose for he will do all his pleasure and in his way Mountains shall become a plain Many men think and some say they will do what they will especially great men who are advanced in place and armed with power they love to be arbitrary stat pro ratione voluntas their will is their own reason and shall be other mens Law but to say I will have my will is a Speech too lofty for a Creature When they exalt their wills God can bind their hands and break their necks How resolved was Pharaoh he would do this and that I that he would Exod. 15 9. The enemy said I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoile my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my Sword mine hand shall destroy them But God was full out as much resolved that as high and great and proud as Pharaoh was yet he should not have his will and God was too hard for him verse 10. Thou didst blow with the wind the Sea covered them they sunk down as lead in the mighty waters by the blast of God they perished and by the breath of his Nostrils they were consumed God did â—asily scatter and consume them as if they had been but dust or chaff the breath of Gods nostrils stopt the breath of their nostrils Nay God need not send forth a blast when he did but give a look the Host of the Egyptians was troubled When God hides his face from his people he troubles them and when he looks upon his enemies he can trouble them Nay more God cannot only bind the hands of men but he likewise can bind their wills yea and turn their hearts too as the Rivers of water He can make enemies to be at peace and Lyons to lye down with Lambs and Leopards with Kiddes and Egyptians to lend their Jewels unto Israelites yea he cannot only pacify them but reconcile them turning their enmity into friendship and their hatred into love Esau resolved to kill his Brother Jacob but he embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him Observe that passage which plainly speaks Gods power over the Spirits and wills of men Exod. 34 23 24. Gods command there was this thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God of Israel And his promise was this no man shall desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year The Jews were invironed with enemies and those enemies might very well desire their Land because it was a good and pleasant Land flowing with milk and hony and when all the males were gone up to Jerusalem and so the borders of the Country were left naked that was a fit opportunity for an invasion But saith God trouble not your selves do your duty go up when I bid you and I will take care and overrule in the case look you to your duty and I will look to your borders I will so order the Spirits of your enemies that not a man among them shall have any mind to give you a disturbance or to make an inroad into your Country And this may afford strong consolation to us in the very worst of times and when things are darkest that God whom we own and serve hath such a mighty and effectual influence upon the hearts and wills of men even of those that are his peoples most desperate and inraged enemies 4. God doth govern the world most righteously So the Text tells us Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne It is true many times affairs are so mannaged and things at such a pass good men deprest so low and wicked men advanced so high vice encouraged and vertue frowned upon godliness trampled under foot and prophaneness rampant and triumphing that thereby some have been induc'd to question and deny a Providence and even good men have been stumbled as we may see in several precious and eminent Saints Joh Jeremy Habakkuk Asaph whose names stand upon record in the Sacred Scripture But it doth not become any of us to call the great and glorious God down to the bar of our reason nor to measure his dealings with our line It is not for us to be his Counsellors nor his Judges Rather where we cannot comprehend him let us adore him and give him the justification of faith still resolving with Jeremy to hold fast this conclusion Righteous art thou O Lord. And this is certain whatsoever advantages some wicked men may have as to temporal outward enjoyments yet even here good men have the better of them their lines are cast in more pleasant places so that they have no cause of envy nor complaint Have wicked men at any time the smiles of the world the favour of great ones waters of a cup full wrung out to them do they ruffle in Silks and glister with Jewels and abound with sensitive comforts The Saints though they be poor and afflicted and despised and counted the off-scouring of the world have the love of Gods heart which is most cordial better than wine and the graces of his Spirit which do outworth the gold of Ophyr and oftentimes the light of his countenance and beams of his favour which makes the most lightsome
Mat. 12.35 The good man out of the good Treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things And you may commonly know what treasure is within by what is brought out As if you go among vain or wordly men their foolish carnal and worldly discourse plainly shews what Treasure they have within So the wise religious and godly communication that good men entertain you with doth evidence what is laid up in their memories as he that hath nothing but farthings in his Pocket can produce nothing from them but Brass but he that hath all Guineys there brings forth Gold 5. By fitting things laid up in memory for use and practice which is plainly the work of God by his Grace For a notional memory is of little use without a practical As Treasure in a Chest is no way so useful though there be much of it as a penny in the Purse when there is occasion for it The Fringes that were appointed to the Children of Israel Numb 15.39 40. Were to this end that ye may look upon it and remember all the Commandments of the Lord and do them And that everlasting Mercy of God is promised Psal 103.18 To those that remember his Commandments to do them And certainly they why commit things to their memories on this design to practice them shall be able to remember them when they have need of them in the course of their practice And thus the Memory is by sanctifying grace restored which is the fourth Point V. I come in the fifth placâ— â—o shew the Ordinary Impediments of a good memory or the Causes of a bad one which as ever you desire better memories you must beware and seriously strive against And they are these 1. A weak or dark Vnderstanding Such indeed may have a great sensitive memory as we see in Children yea in some brute Creatures but a sound rational memory they cannot have for except a thing be clearly known it can never be clearly remembred If reason be weak and the mind be poor what can the memory be stored with but from the senses And you shall observe that your ignorant people commonly have the worst memories especially of spiritual matters Mat. 13 19. When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowr in his heart Words will be remembred to little purpose when things are not understood And therefore labour for more knowledg and a clearer understanding Beg it of God and according to your capacities use all means to increase it 2. A Carnal careless Heart that is mindless of good things for those things which we little heed we never remember Vt impressio fortior ita memoria tenacior Holdsw Lect. p. 231. According to the impression on the heart is the Retention in the memory Such an heart as this can retain abundance of a Play or a Song but of a Chapter or Sermon next to nothing for every thing keeps what is connatural to its self Nay a good mans memory in a remiss negligent frame quite differs from what it was in a religious frame and some Scriptures which were utterly insignificant to him at one time read and heard and forgotten have bin quite new to him at another when his heart hath bin rightly disposed As you know wax when it is hard receives no impression while it is so but soften the same wax and then it receives it and nothing can be retain'd in the memory if it be not first reâ—eived by the memory And therefore many of you that complain of your bad memories have more reason to lament your old dead and hard hearts and to be restless till they be renewed 3. A Darling Sin Any bosom Sin as it fills and imploys every faculty so it debauches monopolizes and disorders them all Grace though it rule every Family yet ruffles none it composes the mind and imploys the memory in a rational manner It rules like a just King orderly but the serving of any lust breeds a civil war between one faculty and another and that distracts the whole Soul whereby every power thereof is weakned And particularly the memory being prest to serve the stronger side is so stuffed with the concerns of that tyrant lust that it cannot intend any spiritual matter And therefore whatever right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Mat. 5 29. or else thy memory will never be â—ured A Table-book that is written and blotted all over must be wip'd before you can write any new matter upon it and so must the lines of thy darling Sin be effaced by real mortification before any good things will abide legible in thy memory 4. Excess of â—oâ—ldly cares is destructâ—â—â— to the memory Our Saviour hath plainly told us that no man can serve God and Mammon The memory is but finite though capacious and a superabundance of wordly thoughts within must needs shoulder out better things that should be thâ—re Especially these thoughts being more natural to our depraved hearts and arising from sensible things will so stuff the memory that there is no room for spiritual matters Hereupon we find that young persons that have few wordly cares have better memories than others Qui magis reminiscirentur quam pueruli ut recentiores animae ut nondum immersae domesticis publicis curis Tertull. de Anima cap. 24. as some of the Ancients observe More especially when such cares and thoughts crowd in just after we have been Reading or Hearing Gods Word Mat. 13 22. He also that received seed among thorns is hâ— that heareth the Word and the care of this world and the â—eceitfulness of riches choke the Word and he becometh unfruitful And therefore if you would heal your memories moderate your eares considering that immoderate care or labour is justly blessed or cursed of God so that it doth no man any real good you would not overload a Beast why will you overload your own Spirits particularly be sure that if possibly you can you settle and digest your spiritual matters in your mind after Reading and Hearing before they be disordered and confounded with worldly cares 5. Surfeiting and Drunkenness are great enemies to the Memory These do each of them infallibly disorder the brain and disable it from its functions Excess of meat doth this more insensibly but yet really a full belly seldom hath a clear head but that of drink is most evident Prov. 31 4 5. It is not for Kings ô Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink Wine nor for Princes strong drink that is in excess lest they drink and forget the Law It s plain that a drunken man forgets what he said and did and too many sad instances are apparent of many that have drunk away not only their Estates their Health their Credit but their very Souls and bâ—â—ins and all and are grown very sotts for Hos 4 11. Whoredom and Wine and
new Wine take away the heart And therefore keep a strict watch over your selves and if you loath those Christian Rules to which you are sworn yet do not abhor morality do not renounce humanity 6. Violent passions spoil the Memory such as of Anger Grief Love Fear Passions we must have but Constitution and Education allay them in some Reason moderates them in others and Grace regulates them in the Godly Where these briddles are wanting they shake all the faculties as an Earth-quake doth a Country For example Anger when it rages manifestly alters and inflames the blood and consequently the Spirits and melts off the impressions in the brain just as the fire melts the wax and the impressions that by the Seal were fixt upon it So excessive Grief Fear and Love you cannot but perceive in your selves and others how your poor memories have suffered by some or all of them And therefore labour to mortify your passions and to that end endeavour for strength of grace strong passions had need of strong grace as you know a heady Horse had need of a strong bridle for you will find that as there is much guilt in them so much harms comes by them Where by the way you may see the excellency of our blessed Religion which tends to the health and quieting as well as to the saving of the Soul 7. A multitude of indigested Notions If a man have a stock of methodical and digested knowledg it is admirable how much the Memory will contain as you know how many images may be discern'd at once in a glass but when these Notions are heaped incoherently in the Memory without order or dependance they confound and overthrow the Memory As a Schollar that has read abundance but digested nothing he knows not where to find any thing it breaks his Memory As excess of meat cloys the stomack so an unreasonable an unmeasurable heaping of things in the memory confound it Thus many read or hear much very much too much perhaps for their capacities they have not stowage for it and so they are ever learning and never come to the knowledg of truth Omnis festinatiâ— caca Senec. like them 2 Tim. 3 7. Therefore look that ye understand and digest things by meditation run not on too fast he that rides post can never draw maps of the Country When one is impatient to stay on things Rectiùs illi quâ— multus non multa legenda censent si memoriae consulendum Magir. they leave but a shallow impression as grediness of the appetite hinders digestion When a thing is well studied and clearly apprehended it will be much better remembred And thus I have shewed the hindrances of the memory or what be the common causes of a bad memory which is the fifth Point VI. The sixth thing to be handled is the proper Helps to it And they may be rank'd under three Heads 1. Natural Helps 2. Artificial 3. Spiritual Of these in order 1. As to natural helps as I must not invade the Province of the learned Physitian so I would omit nothing that is in general necessary for this purpose And so it is observed that as too much coldness and moistness of the brain is a great cause of Forgetfulness so on the other side a convenient heat and dryness of it is a great help to the memory For the heat thereof disposeth it sooner to receive and the dryness of it to retain the impression As the wax you know being warmed receives and then being dry preserves the prints of the wax Hence some think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Remember signifies the male-kind which hath more heat in its constitution and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used for the Female which implyes forgetfulness that sex being colder another reason being also given of that Etymology to wit because the remembrance of the former induces whereas the Woman being incorporated into another Family is sooner forgotten Two things I would here recommend 1. A sober Diet. For if excesses in meat and drink do disturb the brain and consequently weaken the memory then certainly a sparing and temperate diet do preserve the Blood and Spirits in order and so by consequence a Plato in Timao together with a good air where it may be had are a certain though not so sensible help to the memory And therefore take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with fâ—rfeiting and â—â—â—kenness and cares of this life and so you quite forget that day that 〈◊〉 on men unawares Luk. 21 34. The Heathens went far in this moderation how far then should Christians go before them and what a base thing it is to destroy our Reason by gratifying our Appetite 2. A Quiet Mind For if all Passions that are violent weaken then a sedate and quiet mind greatly strengthens the Memory It s true Man is born unto trouble as the Spark do fly upward Job 5 7. And if we subject our minds unto them our Souls will be like the raging Sea in perpetual agitation and then the memory shattered As in a pool of water when it is clear you may see the Fishes and every thing easily in it but when it is troubled every thing disappears So is it with our Reason and Memory as long as the mind is quiet we may tell where to find any thing in the memory but when it is distracted every thing is hid from us Let Faith therefore ply its business upon Almighty God and his Promises and then Isa 26 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee Saepe recordari medâ—câ—mine fortius omni 2. Artificial or outward helps are 1. The Repettiion of those things which we would remember Revolving them in the mind that makes the impression deeper and then the audible repeating of them greatly fixes them there Deut. 11 18 19. Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your Soul and shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Upon this account some great Orators have used to pronounce their harangues in their studies to fix them the better on their memories And it is recorded of Pythagoras that he appointed his Schollars to recollect every night before they went to bed what they had heard or done all that day How much more should you on the Lords-day at night revive what you have heard confer of it with others repeat it to your Family by all which you will relieve the weakness of this Faculty 2. Writing what we would remember is a merciful help to the memory a Ephaenicia Mare literas memoriae adversuâ— oblivionem remedium accivit Plutarch Socrates indeed held that Letters proved the ruin of the memory because before the invention of Letters people committed worthy matters to memory
experience Many have come by the help of God to remember more and better than they did before and why should not you increase the number of such proficients It is not fit for a Christian to despond in any such case but to be up and doing When a Ship leaks it is not presently cast away for says the Master this Vessel may yet do me Service you have leaking Memories I but being careen'd they may be much more serviceable than ever they were Obj. O but I shall never attain any Memory Ans I tell you despondency spoils all Indeavours neither do you sit thus down in other cases If your Body or Brain be weak you will try experiments you 'l go to one Physitian after another as long as you have a penny left be not then more careless of your noblest parts The cure is possible at least in some good measure 2. It is Reasonable that your Memories which have bin sinks of Sin should become Helps to Heaven All our faculties are given us for this end and is it not highly reasonable that they should be so applyed It is apparent that our Memories have bin grievously perverted and therefore as we have yielded our members Servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so we should yield our members Servants to righteousness unto holiness Rom. 6 19. Seeing God hath given us a noble faculty should we neglect or abuse it can others remember the world and their lusts and shall not we remember the holy things that refer to a better world nay can we remember a thousand unprofitable hurtful and sinful matters and not those things that do most nearly and highly concern us It is intolerable 3. This is Necessary It is an unquestionable Duty That fundamental Law propounded in the Old Testament Deut. 6 5. and confirmed in the New Matt. 22 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy mind doth oblige us to strain every faculty to the utmost in Gods behalf One end also of Christs coming into the world was to repair our depraved faculties and shall we suffer him to dye in vain The Text I am upon shews how necessary it is as a means of Faith and Salvation We find by experience that this faculty is miserably corrupted and therefore it is undoubtedly necessary that it be renewed Obj. We can do but what we can let it be never so necessary Ans And I pray how far have your indeavours travelled in this business have you carefully used the fore-mention'd means and continued in the use of them no no your impotency is wilful you cannot because ye mind it not or else certainly if inherent grace were weak assistent grace would be ready at your service 4. A good Memory is very helpful and useful It is not a vain thing that is thus prest upon you For 1. It is a great means of Knowledg For what signifies your Reading or Hearing if you remember nothing It is not eating or drinking but digesting your food that keeps you alive and so it is in this case Prov. 4 20 21. My son not only attend unto my words incline thine ear unto my sayings but keep them in the midst of thy heart Then are they life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh 2. It is a means of Faith as is plain in my Text unless ye have believed in vain For though Faith doth rest purely on the Word of God yet when the Word and works of God are forgotten Faith will stagger Hence our Saviour saith Matt. 16 9. O ye of little Faith do not ye understand neither Remember the five Loaves of the five thousand c. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit whereby Satan is foiled but if this Sword be out of the way by reason of Forgetfulness how shall we conflict with this Enemy 3. It is a means of Comfort If a poor Christian in distress could remember Gods promises they would inspire him with new life but when they are forgotten his Spirits sink Our way to Heaven lyes over Hills and Vales when we are on the Hill we think we shall never be in our dumps again and so when we are in the Valley we fear we shall never have comfort again But now a faithful Memory is a great help Psal 77 10 11. But I said This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right Hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old So also Psal 119 52. I remembred thy Judgments of old O Lord and have comforted my self 4. It is a means of Thankfulness We are all wanting in this Duty of Thankfulness and one cause thereof is forgetfulness of the mercies of God Hence ungrateful men are said to have bad memories What abundant matter of thanksgiving would a sanctified Memory suggest to every Christian Hence holy David calls upon himself Psal 103 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits By which forgetfulness and such other means it comes to pass that Praise and Thanksgiving hath so little which should have so much room in our daily devotions 5. It is a means of Hope For experience works Hope and the Memory is the Storehouse of experience therein we lay up all the instances of Gods goodness to us heretofore Lament 3 21. This I recal to mind therefore have I hope Hence they who do not trust in God are said in Scripture phrase to forget him And one reason of mens impatience and dejectedness in trouble is assign'd by the Apostle Heb. 12 5. And ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him 6. It is a means of Repentance For how can we repent or mourn for what we have quite forgotten As therefore there is a culpable remembrance of Sin when we remember it in kindness so there is a laudable remembrance of Sin when we remember it with displeasure Ezek. 16 63. That thou mayst remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth more But alas we write our Sins in the Sand and foolishly imagine that the eternal God forgets them just as soon as we though in such cases he hath said and sworn Amos 8 7. Surely I will never forget any of their works 7. It is a means of Vsefulness No man should nor indeed can be singly religious when one spark of grace is truly kindled in the heart it will quickly indeavour to heat others also so for counsel we are born we are new born to be helpful unto others Herein a good Memory is exceeding useful out of which as out of a Storehouse a wise Christian may bring forth matters both new and old Such may say Psal 44.1 Psal 48.8 We have heard with our Ears and
inclination can never be directed and the desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite beauty of God's Holiness so the love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love 1 John 4.7 St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a divine purity 2. The Qualifications of this Love are as follows First It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Lâ—â—â— of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal affection set off with artificial colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judge of hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him Secondly 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous man as a righteous man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in knowledge and zeal and love in active Graces others in humility meekness and patience that sustain and adorn them in sufferings some are in a higher rank others are in humble circumstances as in the visible world things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the brightness and power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more reasons that make a person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion but a dear affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance Fourthly It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joyns the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of fire to direct and inflame us Joh. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble though our highest expressions of love and compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect imitation of his divine Perfection I shall add farther this Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The love of Esteem correspondent to the real worth and special goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his eyes a vile person is contemned Psal 15. however set off by the Glory of the world and the ornaments of the present state that as a false Mask conceal their foul deformity to carnal persons but he honours them that fear the Lord though disfigured by calumnies though obscur'd and depress'd by afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comliness in the judgment of Fools In our valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the Natural or Acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence humane Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the world are but Dregs a corrupt Mass They are stiled his Sons being partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and Pattern and what are all the Titles on Earth compared with so Divine a Dignity 2. The Love of Desire of their present and future Happiness The Perfection of Love consists more in the Desire than in the Effects and the continued fervent Prayers that the Saints present to God for one another are the expressions of their Love 3. The Love of Delight in spiritual Communion with them All the Attractives of humane Conversation Wit Mirth Sweetness of Behaviour and wise Discourse cannot make any Society so dear and pleasant to one that is a lover of Holiness as the Communion of Saints David whose Breast was very sensible of the tender Affections of Love and Joy tells us That the Saints in the Earth the Excellent Psaâ— 16. â— were the chief Object of his Delight And â—â—equent to this there is a cordial Sympathy with them in their Joys and Sorrows being Members of the same Body and having an interest in all their good or evil 'T is observable when the Holy Spirit describes the sweetest humane Comforts that are the present reward of the godly man the enjoyment of his Estate in the dear Society of his Wife and Children there is a Promise annext Psal 128. that sweetens all the rest That he shall see the good of Jerusalem and peace upon Israel Without this all temporal Comforts are mixt with bitter displeasure to him There is an eminent Instance of this in Nehemiah Nehem. 2. whom all the Pleasures of the Persian Court could not satisfie whilst Jerusalem was desolately miserable 4. The Love of Service and Beneficence that declares it self in all outward Offices and Acts for the good of the Saints And these are various some are of a sublimer nature and concern their Souls as spiritual Counsel and Instruction compassionate Admonition and Consolation the confirming them in good and the fortifying them against evil the doing whatever may preserve and advance the life and vigour of the inward man others respect their Bodies and temporal Condition directing them in their Affairs protecting them from Injuries supplying their wants and universally assisting them for their tolerable passage through the world And all these Acts are to be chearfully performed there is more joy in conferring than receiving a Benefit because Love is more exercised in the one than the other In short the highest effect of Love that
degree you will let it alone and little trouble your selves about it This therefore is a Second thing that you must be convinced of and one would think there needed not much ado to bring you to this Conviction Pride indeed is such a hateful thing that few will own it the proudest persons would be accounted humble But if you look into your selves you will easily discover the manifest Symptoms and Indications of this evil disease run over the foregoing effects of Pride and then consider how many of them are found in your selves Effects do always imply and suppose their proper Causes Some bless themselves and say they thank God they are not proud because they do not follow Fashions and go brave in their Attire because they do not affect great Titles and high Places but would rather move in a lower sphere but let such know this Plague may be in their hearts though they have no such tokens of it in their faces Little do men think what a humble outside what contempt of honourable Places and Titles what meanness and plainness of Apparel in themselves what exclaiming and crying out against Pride in others yea what confessing and bemoaning of this sin to God will consist with the prevalency and predominancy of it in their own hearts You remember I distinguish'd in the beginning betwen fleshly and spiritual Pride and the latter is much the worser sort and more hateful to God he is a Spirit and as he likes best of spiritual worship so he hath the greatest dislike of spiritual Pride What matters it then that thou art not lifted up with aiery Titles with gay Apparel and the like so long as thou art puft up with things of a more spiritual Nature as with thy Gifts and Knowledge thy Priviledges and Enjoyments thy Graces and Duties Pride is a Worm that will breed in any of these The Apostle Paul was like to have been catch'd in this Snare by means of his being caught up into the third Heaven A Christian if he hath not a care may be proud of his very Humility it is hard starving this sin when as there is nothing almost but it can live upon But I remember I was too long in the first Direction therefore I must be the shorter in this and those that follow 3. Be much in the Meditation of Death and Judgment The serious Direct 3 and frequent meditation of Death will be a means to kill Pride Some to mortifie the Pride of their hearts have kept a Death's-Head or a dead mans skull always in their Chambers it is of more use to have the thoughts of Death always in their Minds What is man but a little living Clay and what is his Life but a Vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away Augustine doubted whether to call it mortalis vita vel vitalis mors a dying life or a living death One says of mans Life that it is a little warm Breath turn'd in and out at the Nostrils The Prophet Isaiah tells us that mans Breath is in his Nostrils and therefore in nothing is he to be accounted of And as for this reason man is not to be accounted of by others so neither by himself 't is but a little a very little while more and you must be gone hence and be seen no more your Breath goeth out and all your thoughts perish and you your selves will rot and perish and shall rotting and perishing things be proud things Shall man be lifted up with what he hath who shortly himself must not be I mean in this world Now you differ it may be from other men and are above them in riches and greatness in parts and priviledges but two Questions may clip your wings and keep you from soaring too high in your own conceits 1. Who made you to differ I suppose none of you will say as one once did that you made your selves to differ you 'll confess I hope that you have nothing but what you have received and so there is no room for pride or glorying therein If you excel in any gift or grace you must say of it as he of his Hatchet alas it is but borrowed 1. How long will there be this difference Death is at hand it stands at the door and that will level you with those that are lowest In the grave whither we are all hastning there is no differece of skulls there the rich and the poor the learned and the unlearned do all meet together the dead bones of men are not distinguish'd by the ornaments or abasures of this temporal Life As the meditation of Death will be a means to mortifie Pride so will also the meditation of Judgment The time will come when you must be accountable unto God for all you have and do enjoy all your mercies and enjoyments are but as so many Talents with which you are intrusted and for which you must give an account You are not owners but stewards of them and the time will come when you must give an account of your Stewardship So the Apostle Paul concludes Rom. 14.12 Every man must give an account of himself to God He must give an account of himself in his natural capacity as a man in his civil capacity as a great or rich man and in his spiritual capacity as a good or religious man he must give an account of all his Receipts of all his Expences what he hath received of God and how he hath laid it out for God A serious Reflection upon this one thing will have a double Effect 1. It will make you careful 2. It will keep you humble you will not easily over-reckon your selves for any thing when you consider the reckoning that you must make for all things Especially if this be added that the more you do receive the greater will be your Reckoning that is a sure word of our Saviours Luke 12.48 To whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required When God sows much he expects to reap much he requires not only an improvement of our Talents but a sutable and proportionable improvement of them that they should be doubled that two Talents should be be made four and five Talents ten 4. Consider the many and great imperfections of your Graces and Direct 4 Duties 1. Consider the imperfections of your Graces How much water is mingled with your wine and dross with your silver and honey-comb with your honey how much greater your ignorance is than your knowledge your unbelief than your faith how the love of the world is as much if not more than your love of God if you were perfect in Grace and Holiness then you would have no Pride at all how is it then that you are so proud and conceited when Grace is so imperfect when you are so short of what is attainable and of what others have attained should that man be proud who hath so little love to God and delight in him as thou hast
this a middle state doth Beloved Conversion and Regeneration is a mighty work whatever the world think of it The Mind must be enlightned the Conscience must be awakened the Will must be inclined the Affections must be spiritualized and the Grace by which all these Operations must be effected as it comes from God so is it ordinarily conveyed to us through those outward Means which he hath instituted for that end on which God requires our constant and conscientious Attendance such as Prayer Reading and Hearing the Word read and preached These are the Posts of Wisdoms Gates where we are bound to wait Prov. 8.34 These are the healing Waters at which we must lie if ever we expect the Cure of our Soul-maladies In a word these are the ordinary Means by which God conveys his Spirit that unites the Soul to Christ Gal. 3.3 and thence communicateth the first formations of Spiritual Life Now a middle worldly Estate is the most subservient considering our corrupt state both as to our attendance upon and diligent improvement of these external Helps in order to Gods conveying his Grace to us 1. Take a man under that Extream of Poverty one that is forced either to beg or earn his daily Bread before he eateth it and withal consider him as in his natural state dead in sins and trespasses and without any serious sense of the inestimable worth of his Soul or weight of Eternity Alas how easily are such from the sense of their poverty drawn either to a total neglect of the â—eans of Grace or to a careless superficial attendance upon it Does not experience tell us that the pinching necessities of the Body easily induce them to conclude that they must have Bread for themselves and Families What say they we must live we must not starve but consider not in the mean time that there is a far greater Must for their Souls that they must have their sins pardoned that God must be reconciled that they must have Christ and his Grace and that their Natures must be changed and their sins subdued or else verily they must to Hell where they will not be allowed so much as a drop of water to cool their Tongues Luke 16.24 and in order to this that they must find time to pray read and hear Gods Word and they must meditate and take pains to acquaint themselves with the matters of their Souls But alas the feeling of their bodily wants have got a prepossession and stand as a strong guard to keep out every such serious thought from entring into their minds and if at any time they thrust in upon them how quickly are they ejected and the poor man is apt to think if he doth not speak it out that whatever may be the duty of his Betters as he calls them yet he presumes he may be excused and that he hath a sufficient Apology to live without minding suâ—h matters having so many worldly Cares and Concerns upon him These and such like are too frequently the prevailing Suggestions of those who are under that Extream of Poverty Well but then 2. Let us consider the other Extream and look to the Rich and here let me use the words of the Prophet Jer. 5.4 5. Therefore I said surely these are poor they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God I will get me unto the great men and will speak unto them for they have known the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God But alas see what Return is made upon this Inquest Why he tells you These have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bond Poverty hath many hinderances but Riches through the horrible sensuality of mans Heart hath more as our Saviour intimates Verily I say unto you Mat. 19.23 24. that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven And again I say unto you it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not that Riches in themselves are any impediment to true and serious Godliness but only by reason of the depravity of our Natures that cleave so fast and are so closely wedded to and lifted up with things here below Vermis divitiarum est Superbia Aug. Pride being the Worm that naturally breedeth in Riches 'T is a hard matter to be high and humble Great and rich men are easily drawn to a neglect and contempt of the Means of Grace and to imagine that it is beneath their grandeur to have the worship of God in their Families or at best Difficile est ut praesentibus bonis quis fruatur futuris ut de Jdeliciis ad delicias transeat Hier. that it is more proper for their Chaplains to manage than themselves these are too great to be dealt plainly with about the Concerns of their Souls and are apt to think Nathan was a little too bold when he said to King David Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12.7 I must profess when my thoughts have been taken up with such Objects they have been so far from being envied by me that of all conditions of men in the world I have looked upon them as the Objects of the greatest pity I mean such great and rich ones whose wealth and honour is imployed as a shield to defend them against the faithful monitions of such as are lovers of and well wishers to immortal Souls Hereby their lusts are secured and their Souls exposed to eminent danger Besides how open do they lie to such Soul-destroying Opinions viz. that there neither is nor need any other than an external baptismal Regeneration and that we are all Christians good enough by our natural and no necessity of any new Birth and that a little outward Reformation will secure us though we never mind heart-renovation and if men will not preach and prophesie such smooth things they shall not by their consent prophesie at all like those of old who say to the Seers see not Isa 30.10 and to the Prophets prophesie not speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits In a word when a sinner is converted and brought home to God the Heart must be search'd and ransack'd his false hopes and sandy foundations upon which they are built must be batter'd down Pride and Self-confidence must be brought low and a man must become as a little Child Now though our hearts are all of us opposite to this work Mat. 18.3 and nothing short of omnipotent Grace can thus bring the heart to stoop that it may enter in at this strait Gate that leads to life yet Greatness and Riches in the world through the corruption of mans Nature does much magnifie the opposition that is made against God on this account but now a middle state in the world is exempted from these additional hinderances Neither hath the Flesh nor the Devil that advantage to
as well as those that are real if they be so apprehended There is no observing man but may see what mischief hath come heretofore and doth come every day by such There always have been and still are some who beings weak or malicious do go about telling stories of this and that Man or Party and by leaving out or putting into their tale some circumstances or by setting an Emphasis upon a word innocently spoken do raise in others the highest Passions which hurry them away to speak and do things very sinful and unjust 1 Sam. 22. If Doeg had fairly represented the matter of Abimelech to Saul there would have been found such Circumstances in the Cafe as might probably have excused him in Saul's own judgment and have kept him from that barbarous Act of slaying so many innocent souls If David upon hearing what Ziba had told him of Mephibosheth had staid a while and heard what he could have said for himself he would not so soon have forgot the passing love of Jonathan his Father nor the Oath he made to him 2 Sâ—m 1.26 1 Sam. 20.15 not to cut off kindness from his house for ever But being then in such Circumstances as made him credulous upon a feigned story without more ado he presently gave away all that belonged to poor Mephibosheth to that false Man And how many that are or would easily be made very good Friends are separated or kept at a distance at this day by such means as these he is a stranger to the World that doth not see 2. If the evil be real yet be not overcome by it It may be it is not so great as it is apprehended But if it be it may be the Author of it did not think it would prove so offensive and hard to be born as you find it to be and then it would be a greater evil in you to return that to another which you find so hard to be born your self Christians should be more ready to receive one injury after another than to return one for another This I take to be the meaning of Christ When he says Mat. 5.39 Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also Julian the Apostate did blasphemously object against Christ that he did not observe his own Laws because when he was smitten by one of the Offenders with the palm of his hand he did not turn the other cheek but did expostulate with him that did it in these words If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me John 18.23 But Christ is the best Interpreter of his own Laws and by his practise hath told us what his meaning was in this He was so far from avenging himself by word or deed that he was ready and prepared to suffer farther at their hands so as not only to be smitten again but to be crucified And in this he is proposed to us as an Example 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Object Will not such as are injurious grow more insolent and go from bad to worse if they be not dealt withal in their own kind Ans 1. If any have humanity or ingenuity in them they will be ashamed by your forbearing of them if they be void of these they will be more irritated and provoked by rendring evil for their evil and consequently you are like to endure more from them 2. If they should go from bad to worse yet you may not avenge your selves This were to take upon you to be Judges in your own Case God hath set up the Ordinance of Magistracy for this purpose Rom. 13.4 He is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Therefore in greater injuries you are to make application to him for a Compensation as Paul appealed to Caesar Acts 25.11 3. Altho a private person may not avenge himself yet in case he be assaulted by another that would take away his life if no Magistrate be at hand he may stand upon his own defence by the Law of Nature which Christ came not to destroy Provided 2 Sam. 3.33 34. that he endeavour to avoid his Adversary by flying if he may But if he press so hard upon him that he cannot he may defend himself wherein he should be as willing to save the others life as to preserve his own 4. God himself when other means sail doth often appear to vindicate the wrongs of such as suffer with meekness and patience He will not stand by as one unconcerned especially if his Name be interested in the matter When Rabshakeh came against Jerusalem he made a railing Oration to the People threatning what be would do but they answer him not a word for the King had said Answer him not Isa 36.21 A while after Hezekiah himself receives a Letter stuft with the like railing matter he reads it but turns from the Messenger and goes to the House of God and spreading the Letter before the Lord leaves the matter with him Isa 37.14 Then the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians One hundred and fourscore and five thousand ver 36. God commanded Jeremiah to put a Yoke upon his neck as a sign That the Jews should be brought under the Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 27.2 12. Hananiah a false Prophet comes and takes the Yoke off his neck Jer. 28.10 and breaks it before his face What doth the good Prophet do the while Doth he strive with him about the Yoke that he might not break it Or doth he use any undecent words when be had done it No 't is said ver 11. Jeremiah went his way but God sent him to Haraniah with this Message That for his Rebellion he should die that Year which accordingly came to pass in the seventh Month ver 17. Christians that would keep a due Decorum in their words and actions when they are injured should look well to their hearts and keep them with diligence for all sinful Miscarriages begin there When the heart is disordered by corrupt Affections the tongue and other Members will hardly be kept many good order Corfelle livoris amarum per linguae instrumentum spargere nisi amara non potest Bernardus Therefore the Apostle willing the Colossians to put off the evil of the tongue Blasphemy which is evil-speaking bids them first put off the evils of the heart anger and malice chap. 3.8 Whether the heart be inditing a good or a bad matter the tongue will be as the pen of a ready-writer If Choler be suffered to boil to a height in the heart the scum will be like to run over at the mouth If the heart be
ends and Natures occasions may be secured and answered to the full without these additionals Ornaments then are rather matter of indulgence than precept of permission than injunction 2. That plain simple Apparel as it is a real so 't is a sufficient Ornament to the body For if Nakedness be our shame Apparel that hides it is so far its beautifying and adorning When therefore we say God gave cloaths for an Ornament we do not say that he gave ornaments distinct from cloathing 3. That Ornaments are either Natural or Artificial Natural such as Nature has provided as the hair given by God and Nature to the woman 1 Cor. 11 1â— to be her glory and for her covering Artificial such as are the product of ingenuity and witty invention In which as God has been not illiberal so Man has been very prodigal Eccles 7.29 and not content with primitive simplicity has found out many inventions 4. It is evident that God allowed the Jews the use of Artificial Ornaments as distinct from necessary Apparel Exodus 32.2 Aaron said to the people Bring us of the golden ear-rings that are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters Ver. 25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame amongst their enemies That Moses stood c. It seems then that to be stript of their ear-rings was in some sense to be made naked to be exposed to shame in the sight of their enemies 5. That yet there was some difference between the Indulgence granted to the male Pisgah sight and that to the female sex And this Dr. Fuller observes from the order and placing of the words Wives Sons Daughters intimating that those Sons were in their minority under Covert-parent as he explains it and so much seems to be implyed Isa 61.10 where we find indeed the Bridegrooms Ornaments but onely the Brides Jewels as if the Masculine Sex was restrained to a more Manly and grave sort of Ornaments when as the Female was allowed a greater degree of finery and gallantry And when God permitted the Jewish Women to borrow of their Neighbours and Inmates Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold the use was limited to their Sons and Daughters Exod. 3.22 and grown men not considered which is also evideâ—â—ly inferr'd from Judg. 8.24 where the Army Conquered by Gideon are said to have worn golden ear-rings for they were Ishmaelites clearly implying That their Golden Ear-rings were an Ornament peculiar to the Ishmaelites and not common to the Israelites 6 That tho there might be something Typical or Symbolical in the Jewels wore by the Jewish Women as I conceive there was that yet the use of them was of common right to the Females of other Nations as indeed they were of ordinary use long before the Jewish Polity was setled Gen. 24.23 The man took an ear-ring of gold of half a shekel a quarter of an ounce and two bracelets for her hands Rebecca's of ten shekels five ounces 2 These things premised I lay down these Conclusions Conclusion 1. Whatever pretends to ornament which is inconsistent with Modesty Gravity and Sobriety and whatever is according to godliness is no Ornament but a Defilement Modesty teaches us not to expose those parts to view which no necessity no good end or use will justifie Humility teaches us to avoid curiosity in-decking a vile Body which ere long must be a feast for Worms Good husbandry will teach us not to lay out on the Back what should feed the Bellies of a poor Family And Holiness will teach us not to keep such a stir about the Outward when the Inward Man is Naked Charity will teach us not to expend superfluously on thy own Carkase when so many of thy Fathers Children want necessary Food and Raiment And Godly wisdom will teach us not to trifle out those precious Minutes between the Comb and the Glass Tertul. inter pectinum speculum between Curling and Painting which should be laid out on and for Eternity Let me recommend one place from the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.2 3 4. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or putting on of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Whence these things offer themselves to your observation 1. That plaiting the hair wearing of gold or golden Ornaments are not simply and in themselves condemned but onely so far as they are either our Chiefest Ornament or as we are too Curious too Costly Excessive or Expensive in them for otherwise the putting on of Apparel which is joyn'd in the same thred and texture of the Discourse and Sentence would be condemned also 2. That the rule for Regulating these Ornamentals is That they be visibly consistent with a chaste conversation I say visibly consistent It must be such a chaste Conversation as may be beheld whilst they behold your chaste conversation That pure vestal fire of Chastity that burns upon the Altar of a Holy Heart must flame out and shine in chastity of words actions cloathing adorning for whenever God commands chastity he commands whatever may feed and nourish it manifest and declare it and forbids whatever may endanger it wound or weaken blemish or impair it 3. That Godly fear must be placed as a severe Sentinel to keep strict guard over the Heart that nothing be admitted that may defile our own hearts nothing steal out that may polute anothers we must keep watch over our own Hearts and other mens Eyes Neither lay a snare for the Chastity of another nor a bait for our own This chaste Conversation must be coupled with fear 4. Which Holy Fear and Godly Jealousie will have work enough abour the matter of Ornament that we neither mistake in our Judgment as if these outward Adornings with Gold with Plaited Hair were of such grand concernment nor were in our practise in an immoderate care and superfluous cost about them 5. To render that Rule which he hath laid down Practicable he gives us a pattern ver 5. After this manner in the old time the holy women that trusted in God adorn'd themselves Where note 1. That they must be holy women that are the standard of our Imitation not Painting Jezabel nor Dancing Dinah nor Flaunting Bernice but Holy Sarah Godly Rebecca Prudent Abigail 2. They must be such as were in the old time when Pride was pin-feathered not such as now since Lust grew fledg'd and high-flown such Examples as the old time afforded when plain cleanliness was accounted abundant Elegancy such as the Worlds Infancy produced not such as an old decrepit Age grown twice a Child recommends to us 3. They must be such as could trust in
if they are brought into the honourable state of marriage and in due time God do bless them with blooming hopes of the Fruits of their bodies and the unknown pains of a woman in travail come upon them a Gen. 38.27 Psal 48.6 1 Sam. 4.19 Micah 4.10 they may live by saith upon Gods power and promise and expect salvation in an happy separation 'twixt them and the Babes God hath enabled them to conceive in the appointed season Yea and then tho their pains should come as sharply upon any of them as they did upon Rachel and Phineas his Wife causing a separation betwixt their own souls and bodies their souls may go in a very sure way out of a great cross here to receive a Crown of Glory hereafter Believe it Virgins These Graces are the necessary qualifications to fortifie your tremulous souls apt to be full of fear * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Medea against all Occurrences if you have the real Ornaments of Christ's Spouse you need not torment your selves with carking thoughts your mystical Husband will take care of you to make what you greatly fear the matter of your joy 2. If you are already married and that in the Lord who hath opened your Wombs and given you power to conceive it behoves you as righteous Hand-maids of the Lord 1. To continue in the constant exercise of these Graces Certainly you who are blessed in being instruments for the propagation of Mankind when you find you have conceiv'd and grow pregnant are highly concern'd to put on and use these Ornaments A great work you are usually busie about in preparing your child-bed-linnen And I shall not discourage but rather encourage you to make necessary provision for your tender selves and babes I easily yeild according to the instinct of Nature as other Females and with the help of their Mates you ought to be somewhat indulg'd to make ready and feather your Nests wherein to lay your selves and your young b Luke 9.58 But the Modesty and Moderation you have heard of will not allow you above your rank to be costly in superfluous fine Feathers when Christs poor Ministers and Members up and down do expect your Charity Oh! I beseech you good Christian women let your chief care be lest you should die in your sorrows to be array'd in that truly spiritual fine linnen clean and white which is the righteousness of the Saints wherewith the Lamb's wife maketh her self ready c Rev. 19.8 This this is the principal thing the Grace of Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety speak true Christian prudence And if you therefore take care to put on these you will be the most surely guided in a subordinate care about other circumstances And if God hath given any of you real proof already of performing his promise in my Text by vouchsafing temporal salvation to you it behoves you to take care 2. To record the Experiments he hath given you of making good his word to you in particular Hath God vanquish'd your fears wip'd away your tears and heard your prayers Engrave the Memorials of his goodness and faithfulness upon the tables of your hearts You have the great Example of our dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ who when he had been greatly troubled for Lazarus whom he loved groaned in spirit and wept making his requests known to his Father on his behalf which was graciously answered he with great devotion of heart lift up his eyes and said d John 11.41 with ver 3 35 38. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me Let every ingenuous and grateful Mother whom God hath safely delivered from her child-bearing pains and peril imprint a grateful remembrance of so signal a mercy with indeleble characters in her mind Lord thou hast regarded the low estate of thine maiden when I was in an agony and well-nigh spent with repeated pains thou didst stand by me and my babe yea thou didst admirably help us making way for it to pass the bars into this world safely keeping us both alive yea and it may be when our friends verily thought with sadness that my child could not have seen the light and I should shortly have shut mine eyes upon it being ready to despair of bringing it forth then didst thou find a way for us both to escape e 1 Cor. 10.13 When the above-noted Gentlewoman * Mrs. Joceline Oct. 12. 1622. was made a Mother of a Daughter whom shortly after being baptiz'd and brought to her she blessed and then gave God thanks that her self had lived to see it a Chrsstian Having dedicated it to the Lord in his Ordinance she accounted it an additional mercy to her bringing her forth and so would have it communicated to others support As Paul when he was made sensible of great mercy in his deliverance by superadded Favours he thank'd God and took courage f Acts 28.15 so should every joyful Mother thank God and be of good courage for the time to come and good because by how much the more common the better it is She should communicate her rare Experiment to encourage others who are apt to look upon themselves as a most miserable Off-spring * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Med. when their pangs come upon them that they may be helped For well said the Greek Tragaedian ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Il. in Helen It becomes one woman to be at hand to help another in her labour Thus we briefly see this Doctrine teacheth care to men and women both in a single and a married-state It doth also 2. Administer comfort as to the good Wives themselves so likewise to the Husbands of such good Wives 1. To good Wives themselves who are qualified as you have heard but yet in an hour of temptation are apt to walk very heavily from pre-apprehensions of grievous pains yea and it may be from great fear of Death in their appointed sorrows that are coming upon them grown weary with their heavy burthens Whereas a constant abiding in the fore-mentioned Graces and Duties is a sure ground of good hope that you shall pass well through your child-bed sorrows which be sure shall be no obstacle at all to your eternal welfare And if you be eternally sav'd 't will be better for you than to be only temporally deliver'd Yes But you 'l say You shall have a rough passage And if as Sabina a Christian Martyr when she travail'd being in Prison you shall cry out as she was heard to do in her child-bearing throws whereupon some asked her how she would endure the torments her persecutors had prepared for her if she shrunk at those To whom she said I now bear the punishment of my sin but then I shall suffer for my Saviour It may be answered Notwithstanding be of good chear The Apostle certainly brings in my Text as an Antidote against discouragement and to chear up suspicious and fearful
make for the Soul whilst it may be the Body hath only a dish of Herbs 2. Reprehension I may then in the next place blame and bewail the folly and madness of most men who live as if they had no Souls or as if their Souls were fit only to be placed with the Dogs of the fold Like a woman I have heard of who when her house was on fire was very busie in saving of her stuff carrying out with all her might as much as she could at last she bethought her self of her Child which was left in a Cradle but when she returned to look after that she found that the fire had destroyed it and there she was first aware of her praeposterous care for her Goods before her Child running up and down as one distracted crying my Child my Child as David for his son Absalom So â—las when 't is too late all that neglect their Souls in this life will how I out in the midst of their scorching flames 2 Sam. 18.33 Oh my Soul my Soul I would I had dyed for thee my dear and pretious Soul We would have nothing bad by our good Will we would not have bad Relatives Children or other no not so much as a bad piece of Coin and how comes it to pass that men can be so content with bad Souls Thy Soul is thy self and if thy Soul be bad thou art bad thy self and how hast thou deserved so ill of thy self that thou shouldest neglect thy self and care not what become of thy Soul which is thy self Xerxes when he beheld his numerous Army wept Oh sayd he what a many here are that in a very short space must yield to Death and be devoured by VVorms It is a far sadder consideration that such multitudes of mens Souls are lost and perish Eternally and let the abounding of sin speak whether this be a causeless fear When the Apostles heard that one of them though but one was the Son of Perdition and should lose his Soul Every one of them was jealous over his Condition and cryed out Is it I Is it I Matth. 26.22 I cannot tell who particularly it is yet I cannot but know there are many sins that speak men ripe for judgment and many other sins which though they be not so notorious and visible are yet certainly as truly destructive and damnable A leak in any part of the Ship may sink it And now oh that my words might reach your hearts I speak in the behalf of your pretious Souls These words are not about trifles which you may consider or neglect as you please but as Moses said in the like case These words are your Life and no less than Life or Death Eternal depends upon your receiving of them When your Bodies are distemper'd what sending is there for a Physitian How are the symptoms of the Disease considered Or if an Estate be doubtful what counsel do we not take What cost and charge are we not at to ensure it Yet we let our Souls run all imaginable yea and unimaginable hazards without the least care to be sure without suitable care to their worth or danger and how can we any longer go for Christians or the Disciples of him who taught us here the pretiousness of our Souls and himself valued them accordingly Whatsoever we may flatter our selves with only such as are of the same mind with him shall have Salvation by him It is high time then to be Exhorted 3. Exhortation and prevailed with to suitable affections and dispositions shall I say or rather to suitable Lives and Conversations unto what ye have heard The truths that have been spoken unto are not so much speculative as practical they meet with little or no controversie in the Theory but in the practice of them The Devil knows that let men believe what they will concerning their Souls he is sure enough to obtain them and that with great advantage to a more sore condemnation if they do not practice according to what they are convinc'd of Shew then that thou doest value and esteem thy Soul according to the worth and dignity Children or Fools or Barbarous Africans preferr Beads and Toyes before Gold and real Pearls but it were folly and madness if we should do so and yet I am afraid we do worse every day Whatsoever is the price the tempter offers or perswades to sin with remember that it is for thy Soul if thou consentest and yieldest the bargain is struck thou doest what in thee lies to give thy Soul for the pleasure or advantage of the sin Judas had an ill bargain that lost his Soul and his Saviour for thirty pence though many sell their Saviour and their Souls too cheaper every day a goodly price be it what it will God gave his Son for thy Soul and entrusted thee with it and thou ungrateful and vile wretch doest barter it away for trifles You know Nathan 's Parable of the Ew-Lamb 2 Sam. 12. so tenderly beloved by the right owner of it and yet it was slain to entertain a stranger That Parable respects more than David Thou art the Man Thy Soul is the beloved Lamb and the Devil is the Stranger whom to be sure thou art no way concern'd to entertain when thou sinnest thou slayest this Ewe-Lamb to entertain and gratifie this stranger Oh that the Parallel might be carryed a little further and that some or other upon the reading of this would cry out with David I have sinned And if thou wouldest indeed value thy Soul be perswaded from what thou hast heard that all those things which concern thy Soul are far more excellent than those which concern thy Body as for instance That 1. Thy Souls riches are the best riches call'd by our Saviour true riches Considerations to facilitate this duty Luk. 16.11 Ah that any should be contentedly without them 2. The Souls pleasures are the choicest pleasures True Joy is not a superficial thing that affects the countenance and produces smiles or laughter many poor wretches in Bedlam are thus merrily mad but res severa est verum gaudium The Heart is the seat of all our Affections and so of our Joy and nothing can rejoyce that but the favour of God to the Soul 3. The Souls honour is the truest honour if honour be in honorante what honour is it to have the applause or homage of sorry sinful men But it is God that delights to honour the Soul and will put off his own glory upon it I shall say nothing to vilifie the Body which is the other part we consist of and we overprize and value it is enough to say with Bernard quantumcunque excolatur caro est Trim thy Body pamper it bestow all thy care and pains upon it 't is but flesh still t will be wormes meat and by all thy carking and caring for it thou art but preparing to feast those contemptible Creatures more delicately or if that will
God does as it were take weak Christians by the hand and communicate his strength to them by which they are enabled to do what is required of them As it follows in this Chapter with respect to Prayer likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lifts with us and against us at the other end of the Burden And so it is in all the Duties of Holiness the Spirit lifts with helps the infirmities of Believers and strengthens them thereunto I can do all things through Christ strengthning of me Philip. 4.13 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 I may allude to that of Elisha 2 Kings 13.16 He said to the King of Israel put thine hand upon the bow and he put his hand upon it and Elisha put his hands upon the Kings hands So we put our hands upon the bow attempt to believe pray mortifie sin and the like and then the Holy Spirit puts His hand upon Ours to confirm and strengthen us in all these Was it not for this we could do nothing Joh. 15.5 was it not for this Leading we could not move one step in the path of Holiness IV. A Fourth thing included in this Leading of the Spirit is his Regency and Gubernation Where he Governs there he Leads So vice versa and his Leading is ever attended with Rule and Authority 'T is like a Generals Leading an Army who Authoritatively disposes and orders all its motions like Moses his leading the People of Israel who had the Rule and Government over them As to Christ they are put together Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People Isa 55.4 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit in Gracious Souls He has the Regiment of them He Commands and Orders them in their Course as he pleases they are subject to his Will steer'd by him in their Motions as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl Ship is by the Pilot or the Chariot by him that drives it These are the Things on the Spirits part which do constitute his leading 2. To fill this up there is something on the Creatures part And that is their yielding up of themselves to the Guidance and Conduct of the Spirit Their free willing Bishop Halls Remains p. 147. Hollingsworth of the Spirit p. 65. spontaneous following of him in what he moves and dictates to them Without this 't is not Leading for that imports Motion after something that goes before And that Motion too must be Voluntary or else 't is being Hal'd and Dragg'd not Led This is the Disposition and Carriage of the Sons of God towards the Spirit He excites them to be Holy Heavenly-minded to resist and mortifie Corruption to Pray Hear Gods word perform other Religious Duties yea to take up their Cross in all they readily comply with him As David in that particular Case VVhen thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 He will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths Isa 2.3 Draw me we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 Here 's the Spirits Leading and the Believers following of him It 's set forth v. 1. by walking after the Spirit it supposes a Principle of Life dead things may be drawn but they cannot properly be said to be led where the Spiritual Life is such do willingly conform to what the Spirit directs them unto But this I shall say no more of in this Explanatory part it being a thing that requires our Practice rather than any large Explication of it Thus I have opened the Nature of the Spirits Leading But it being a point of great Importance and the due stating of it being highly Necessary upon sundry Accounts I will further speak to these Four things about it Four things opened about the Spirits Leading 1. The Matter or Terminus what the Spirit leads unto 2. The Rule by which he leads 3. The Way and Manner wherein he leads 4. The Extent and Measure of it The matter of it 1. The Matter what the Spirit leads unto This is of great Extent but all may be reduc'd to these two things Truth and Holiness Truth is seated in the Vnderstanding and speaks the Spirits Leading of that Faculty Holiness reaches to the Heart within and Conversation without and speaks the Spirits Leading of Both in their utmost Comprehensiveness These he leads and guides unto but not in the least to their Opposites Error and Sin Every Agent is for that which comports and suits with his own Nature and against that which is contrary thereunto Therefore the Spirit being a Spirit of Truth and of Holiness this determines him to lead to these and to these only So his Conduct is stated in Holy Writ John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth Eph. 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth Psal 23.3 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Names sake This Holiness includes in it Holy Affections the Exercise of the several Graces and these the Spirit guides unto 2 Thes 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ The avoiding and mortifying of sin and this the Spirit guides unto If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live immediately it follows As many as are led by the Spirit shewing that the Mortification of sin is one special thing which the Spirit leads to Gal. 5.16 walk in the Spirit after his Guidance and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the flesh why because he always makes this the matter of his Guidance to keep men off from the Lust of the Flesh from all sinful ways and Courses He 's a Good and Holy Spirit in himself and therefore all his Motions tend to what is Good and Holy As Satan he being the Evil Spirit suitably to his Nature does excite and urge to what is Evil Acts 5.3 John 13.2 So e contra the Spirit of God He being the Good Spirit does excite and urge to what is Good and to nothing else How do they blaspheme this Holy Spirit who do wicked things and yet presume to say the Spirit leads them thereunto This must be laid down as a Principle of undoubted verity that the sole and whole tendency of the Spirits Leading is to Purity Obedience Universal Holiness and in no case to sin and wickedness II. The Rule by which he leads The Rule of it And that in short is the Written VVord God guides by the Spirit the Spirit guides by the VVord He is our Guide and the Word is our Rule The Spirit himself as to his own Actings has no External
Rule to act by His Internal Holiness and Perfection being his sole Rule But as to Vs in our Actings we have an External Rule by which all that we do is to be squared and therefore by and according to this Rule the Spirit guides us And our Conformity thereunto is both the Measure and also the Design and End of the Spirit in his Guidance of us The Word it self carries in it a leading and directive Property Prov. 6.22 23. VVhen thou goest it shall lead thee For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 133. Order my steps in thy VVord Mic. 6.8 He hath shewn thee O man what is good The written Revelation of God's Will is the Christians great Rule the Compass by which in all things he must steer his Course the Star that must direct him in all his Motions 'T is to the Law Isa 8.20 and to the Testimonys that we must have our continual Recourse for the regulating of us in all matters of Faith and Practice Now this Leading of the word and that of the Spirit are never to be sever'd As that is in subordination to This so This is ever in Conjunction with That This Word we must in all things keep close unto or else we run our selves upon most dangerous Rocks The Enthusiast is for a Light within for immediate Revelations Inspirations Impulses from the Spirit and I know not what But are these Praeter-Scriptural much more are they Anti-Scriptural Oh then they are nothing but mens own Fancies and Delusions and not at all the leadings of the Spirit of God When any upon the pretence of these go off from the written Word what wild Opinions and Practices do they run themselves upon Of which we have had too many instances both at Home and Abroad The Spirit and the VVord are our full and compleat guide The Spirit gives Light and Life to the Word and the VVord gives Evidence that the Guidance is from the Spirit But it may be ask'd Does the Spirit guide only in this mediate way Quest Is there not an immediate Leading by him at least pro hic nunc No unless you state it thus That although he may not always Answ in an Express and in an Explicit manner guide by the VVord yet his Guiding always is according to the VVord and Consentaneous to it The Word evermore is in the matter though sometimes it may not be in the manner of the Spirits Guidance He may without making use of the Word by an immediate Divine Light and Excitation lead me to this or that duty but he never leads me to any thing but what the Word first makes to be Duty Take it in that other Act of the Spirit which follows here v. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God This witnessing of Adoption is usually Mediate and by the Word yet 't is not always so sometimes 't is Immediate and without the VVord That is the Spirit assures of this not only in a syllogistical way by such and such Scripture-signs Marks Qualifications Dispositions which evidence Sonship to God as He that is led by the Spirit is the Son of God Thou art one who art led by the Spirit therefore thou art the Son of God But he sometimes may and does directly and immediately say to a person Thou art a Child of God But now though here he thus witnesses Abstractly and praecisively without making use of the marks and signs of the Word concerning this Relation yet he never so witnesses but according to the Word i. e. where those marks and signs are In like manner 't is as to his leading this is not always managed by an express Revival upon the Heart of this or that passage in the Word yet for the matter of it 't is ever done in a way consonant and agreeable to the Word And so long as we keep to this I think there will be no great danger of Enthusiasm or Fanaticisme rightly so called The manner of it III. The manner of the Spirits Leading Concerning which not to run out into all the various Explications that occur about it I 'le confine my self to these two things The Spirit leads 1. With Power and Efficacy 2. With Sweetness and Gentleness Fortiter Suaviter 1. With Power and Efficacy The Spirit leads so as that the Person led shall certainly follow him For in this Act he does not only illuminate the Vnderstanding or barely dictate to the Mind and Conscience what way is to be taken but he does also Inwardly by a Secret Power upon the Heart incline and bend the Will to close with what he directs unto He leads with a strong Hand so as that the Soul shall not be able to resist him I mean ad Victoriam I speak not of his Guidance which is common and general but of that which is peculiar and saving of that which is put forth either in those that are regenerate already or in those whom God designs to make such This leading of the Spirit in such Persons is ever carryed on with Power and Efficacy I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 here 's not only an Informing Light but an Overpowering Influence I 'le cause you to walk in my Statutes Turn thou me and I shall be turned 'T is leading in the Text to shew the Mildness of the Spirits Operation elsewhere 't is Drawing to shew the Power of the Spirits Operation 'tis Drawing as to the depraved Will 't is Leading as to the Sanctified Will The Evil Spirit leads to sin How Why he moves perswades solicites to sin and further than that he cannot go But the Holy Spirit in his leading to Grace and Holiness pursues this with a Determining and Overcoming Power so as that the Effect which he aims at shall certainly be produced This we must grant or else we must hold a parity of Operation betwixt the two Spirits that the Holy Spirit has but the same causal Influx upon what is good which the wicked Spirit has upon what is evil then which nothing can be more absurd 2. Yet 't is Power acted and exerted with all sweetness mildness and gentleness Here 's leading but no Force Conduct but no Compulsion no Coaction vehemens Inclinatio non Coactio Ghorran The Will is determin'd but so as that not the least violence is done to it to the infringing of its Liberty Ne arbitreris istam asperam molestamque violentiam dulcis est suavis est ipsa suavitas te trahit Aug. How spontaneously does the Person led follow him that leads him so 't is here This and all the other workings of the Spirit are admirably suited to the Nature of Reasonable and Free Agents Efficacious Grace does not at all
then leave as some Guids do with poor Travellers deserting them in the midst of their Dangers no but he holds on repeats and lengthens out this Act to the very last True this depends upon Conditions on our part as ye have heard but yet these do not make the thing Vncertain and lyable to Intercision because 't is part of the Spirits Leading to direct encline and overpower to the performance of those Conditions So 't is secur'd as to the Continuance of it to all the Elect of God Every upright Christian may triumphantly say with David This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guid even unto death Psal 48.14 The Cloud never left Israel till it brought them to the land of Promise so t is here 2. That it is managed and carryed on all along with Mixtures of all other Grace i. e. with the bestowing of inward Peace and Comfort and of all supplys necessary to the believing Soul 'T is not a bare naked Leading but such as is attended with the Conveyance of all Other Mercies According to that encouraging Text Isai 49.10 He that hath Mercy on them shall lead them even by the Springs of water shall he guid them Is not here Heb. 6.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong Consolation for all who are led by Gods Spirit In the Sixth and last place it might be enquir'd 6. Enquiry Since this Leading of the Holy Spirit is a Special and Discriminating Act what Inferences may be drawn from it as being such I might instance in several if I had not already exceeded the Bounds of a Sermon Therefore take but this One That 't is not a thing much to be wonder'd at that Saints and Sinners do so much differ and that Saints and Saints do so little differ The Difference 'twixt the two Former is great Light and Darkness Heaven and Hell do not more differ than they That which the One Loves the Other hates in their visible Practices there 's little but Sin in the â—â—e there 's Holiness though imperfect in the other The One Curses Swears takes Gods Name in Vain lives a brutish Life minds not God the Other fears God avoids Evil desires to order Words Thoughts Actions by the Rule of the Word Prays Sanctifies the Sabbath does Good is not here a vast Difference There is indeed but can it be expected it should be otherwise they being led by Different and Contrary Spirits Oh upon this no wonder that their Actings and Courses are so different Men will and must Be and Do according to the Spirit which Guides and Governs them Therefore the Unregenerate and Wicked being under the Guidance and Power of the Evil Spirit they will do what suits with that Spirit e contra the Renew'd and Sanctifyed being under the Guidance and Power of the Holy Spirit they will do what suits with that Spirit And upon this Foundation there must be an Everlasting Difference and Contrariety betwixt them But then for Saints and Saints they do not thus differ As to lesser Matters there may be too much of Differences even amongst Them but as to the Fundamentals of Faith and Practice so there is an admirable Harmony Vnity and Consent amongst them Some live in one Age some in another some in one Place some in another yet there is a blessed Oneness and Agreement amongst them all They believe the same Truths performe the same Duties attend upon the same Worship walk in the same path of Holiness have and act the same Graces groan under the same burdens drive on the same Designs as Face answers to Face so do they to one another And whence is this why from this they are all led by one and the same Spirit Hence it is that they do so concurr in all the Necessary and Vital parts of Religion We having the same Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 There is one Body and one Spirit which actuates and animates all that Body Eph. 4.4 'T is One and the self same Spirit which worketh in all as the Apostle speaks in reference to Gifts 1 Cor. 12.11 As many as are led by the Spirit of God here are Many that are led but 't is but One Spirit that leads them all This is that which causes such an Vnanimity and Harmony in Gods people both in Matters of Faith and Practice Oh that the World might see more of the Thing and then the Reason thereof would be obvious SERMON XXVII Quest What advantage may we expect from CHRISTS PRAYER for Union with HIMSELF and the Blessings relating to it JOHN 17.20 21. Neither Pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word V. 21. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me IN this Chapter we have the admirable Prayer of Christ offered up to the Father a little before his last and greatest Sufferings In this Prayer we may observe the design and the contents of it The design of it is to encourage his Disciples ver 1. These words spake Jesus c. He had spoke much in the former Chapters for their comfort and encouragement and in pursuit of the same design he lifts up his eyes to Heaven and pours forth this Heavenly Prayer in their hearing The contents that which he prays for is Union with him and the Father and the blessings relating thereto of which more particularly afterwards The words considered joyntly with the design and contents of the Prayer offer us this Observation Observ The People of Christ have great encouragement from his Prayer in reference to Vnion with God and the Blessings relating to it In the prosecution hereof 1. I shall give some account of the severals he prayed for And 2. Shew what encouragement we have to expect what he prays for For the first he prays for Vnion with Himself and the Father for Faith the bond of this Union for Holiness the effect of it for Perseverance that it may continue and not be dissolved and interrupted lastly for Glory the Consummation of this Union 1. For Faith that those may have Faith who did not or do not yet believe ver 22. That the World may believe that thou hast sent me He prays that those who were chosen to Glory as the end and so to Faith as the means may be brought to believe on Christ as sent of the Father to be the Mediator and so accept of him as their Prophet Priest and King 2. He prays for Holiness the growth and increase of it ver 17. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth The word of Truth through the Spirit working with it and making impressions by it on the Heart is the instrument and mean both to begin Holiness in regeneration 1 Pet. 1.23 James 1.18 and to promote it where it is begun 1 Pet. 2.2
whom Christ prayed shall obtain all the rich and glorious things which he desired Finally Here is the greatest encouragement for our Prayers that can be desired for hereby it is manifest that whatever we can beg of God which is needful for our Happiness here or hereafter it hath been already prayed for on our behalf by Christ Himself who was not who could not be denyed When we pray for our Relatives or others who are given to Christ but do not yet believe that they may have Faith When we pray for Union with the Father and the Son for the comfort improvement and continuance of this Union When we pray for pardon of sin and the purging of guilt by the grand Sacrifice of Expiation when we pray for Holiness the increase and exercise of it when we pray to be kept from the evil of the World which is all in the World we need to fear from the evil of Suffering or whatever may be destructive to our Souls in a word when we pray for Eternal Glory it is evident by the premisses that all these and what else is necessary for these purposes were on the behalf of those that do or shall believe the requests of the great Mediator who was God and Man in one Person and could no more be repulsed than God can deny Himself in a Prayer that was not lyable to the least exception from Justice or Holiness it self that was in all points exactly agreeable unto the Will of God and infinitely acceptable to the Divine Majesty therefore praying for any or all these things expressed or included in this Divine Prayer as we are required we may be as fully perswaded that they will not be denyed us as we may be confident that the requests of our great Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous will be granted SERMON XXVIII Quest How we should Eye ETERNITY that it may have its due Influence upon us in all we do 2 COR. 4.18 While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal ETernal What a sound doth this word Eternal make in my Ears What workings doth it cause within my Heart What casting about of Thoughts what word is next to be added to it Is it Eternal World Where For this is Temporal Oh! that Eternal World is now by us unseen and as to us is yet to come But yet my trembling Heart is still solicitous to what other word this word Eternal might be prefixed as to my self or those that hear me this day when they and I who through the long sufferance of God are yet in this present and temporal shall be in that Eternal World Shall it be Eternal damnation in that Eternal World How after so many knocking 's of Christ Strivings of the Spirit Tenders of Mercy Wooings of Grace Calls of Ministers Warnings of Conscience Admonitions of Friends Waitings of Patience All which put us into a fair probability of escaping Eternal damnation O dreadful words can more terror be contained can more misery be comprehended in any two words than in Eternal damnation But we in time are Praying Hearing Repenting Believing Conflicting with Devils Mortifying Sin Weaning our Hearts from this World that when we shall go out of time we might find Life or Salvation added to Eternal Eternal Salvation these be words as comfortable as the other were terrible as sweet as they were bitter What then This word Eternal is the horror of Devils the amazement of damned Souls which causeth desperation in all that Hellish Crew for it woundeth like a Dart continually sticking in them that they most certainly know that they are damned to all Eternity Eternal it is the Joy of Angels the Delight of Saints that while they are made happy in the beatifical Vision are filled with perfect Love and Joy they sit and sing all this will be Eternal Eternal this word it is a loud alarm to all that be in time a serious caution to make this our grand concern that when we must go out of time our Eternal Souls might not be doomed down to Eternal Damnation but might obtain Salvation that shall be Eternal of which we have hope and expectation while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal The Consideration of these words may be twofold 1. Relative As they are a reason of stedfastness in shaking troubles as a Cordial against fainting under the Cross ver 16. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day v. 17. for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 18. While we look c. Not only the experience of present spiritual good in the inward by the pressing afflictions on the outward man in weakning of sin in purging away our dross in weaning us from the World in humbling us for our miscarriages in reducing us from wandring in emptying us of self-conceit in trying our Faith in exercising our Patiance in confirming our Hope in awakening of Conscience in bringing us to examine our Ways in renewing our Repentance in proving our Love in quickning us to Prayer but also the clear and certain prospect of Glory after Affliction of a Weight of Glory after light Affliction of Eternal Glory after short Affliction of a Weight of Glory far more exceeding all our present Sorrows Burdens Calamities than Tongue can express or Pen describe or the Mind of Man conceive being more than Eye hath seen or Ear hath heard or have entred into the Heart of Man must needs be an alleviation of our Sorrows a lightning of our Burdens comfort in our Grief joy in our Groans strength in our Weakness though we are troubled on every side yet not distressed though perplexed yet not in despair though under Afflictions both felt and seen yet we faint not while we keep our Eye fixed upon the Glorious things in the other World that are unseen and Eternal too 2. Absolute As they set before us the mark and scope we should have in our Eye all the while we are in time viz. unseen Eternal things you stand in time but you should look into Eternity you stand tottering upon the very brink of time and when by Death thrust out of time you must into Eternity and if in any case the old Proverb should prevail it should not fail in this to look before you leap The Analysis of the Text breaks it into these parts 1. The Objects that are before us 1. Things seen 2. Things not seen 2. The Act exerted on these Objects Looking expressed 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively Not at things which are seen The Men of the World stand gazing at these till their
cured Would you take Pleasure in his witty sayings and be jested into your Grave Or if you go unto a Lawyer about your whole Estate though it were in Leases that will expire would you choose one that you think did not care whether you win or lose your cause Would you be pleased with some witty sayings impertinent to the pleading of your cause Would you not say Sir I am in danger of losing all I am worth my Estate lyes at stake deal plainly with me and be serious in your undertaking for me and tell me in words that I can understand the plain Law by which my case must be tryed And will you be more careful about the Temporal Life of a Body that must dy and about a Temporal Estate which you must leave when you dy and not about your Soul that must ever live and never dye No! not so much as to set your selves under faithful Preachers that shall in words that you can understand plainly tell you the Laws of Christ by which you must be tryed for your Life and according to them be Eternally damned or saved 11. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would make you serious and lively in all your spiritual duties in all your approaches unto God If you have no Grace the serious thoughts of the unseen Eternal World would stir you up to beg and cry and call for it if you have to desire more and to exercise what you have to confess your sins with such contrite broken penitent hearts as though you saw the fire burning which by your sins you have deserved to be cast into To beg for Christ and Sanctifying Grace and pardoning Mercy with that lively Importunity as if you saw the Lake of boiling Brimstone into which you must be cast if you be not sanctifyed and pardoned to hear the Word of God that sets this Eternal World before you with that diligent attention as Men hearkning for their Lives to commemorate the Death of Christ with such life while you are at the Lords Supper while you do as it were see the Torments you are delivered from and the Eternal Happiness by Faith in a crucifyed Christ you have a Title to it will cause a fire and flame of Love in your Hearts to that Lord that dyed for you ardent desires after him complacential delight in him thankfulness hope of Heaven hatred to sin resolution to live to or dye for him that dyed for you If your Hearts are dead and dull and out of frame go and look into the unseen Eternal World take a believing view of Everlasting Joyes and Torments on the other side of time and you shall feel warmth and heat and lively actings to be produced in you Particularly this Eyeing of Eternity would make Ministers sensible of the weightiness of their work that it calls for all possible diligence and care our utmost serious study and endeavours our fervent Cryes and Prayers to God for ability for the better management of our work and for success therein for as much as our imployment is more Immediately about Eternal matters to save under Christ Eternal Souls from Eternal Torments and to bring them to Eternal Joyes When we are to Preach to people that must live for ever in Heaven or Hell with God or Devils and our very Preaching is the means appointed by God to fit men for an Everlasting state when we stand and view some Hundreds of Persons before us and think all these are going to Eternity now we see them and they see us but after a little while they shall see us no more in our Pulpits nor we them in their Pews nor in any other place in this World but we and they must go down unto the Grave and into an Everlasting World when we think it may be some of these are hearing their last Sermon making their last publique Prayers keeping their last Sabbath and before we come to Preach again might be gone into another World if we had but a firm belief of Eternity our selves and a real lively sense of the mortality of their Bodies and our own and the Immortality of the Souls of both of the Eternity of the Joy or Torment we must all be quickly in how pathetically should we plead with them plentifully weep over them fervently pray for them that our words or rather the word of the Eternal God might have Effectual Operation on their Hearts This Eyeing of Eternity should 1. Influence us to be painful and diligent in our studies to prepare a message of such weight as we come about when we are to Preach to men about Everlasting matters to set before them the Eternal Torments of Hell and the Eternal Joyes of Heaven Especially when we consider how hard a thing it is to perswade Men to leave their sins which do endanger their Immortal Souls when if we do not prevail with them to hearken to our message and obey it speedily and sincerely they are lost Eternally when it is so hard to prevail with men to accept of Christ the only and Eternal Saviour on the conditions of the Gospel You might easily see that Idleness either in young Students that are designed for this work or in Ministers actually engaged in it is an intolerable sin and worse in them than in any men under Heaven Idleness in a Shop-keeper is a sin but much more in a Minister in a Trader much more in a Preacher bear with me if I tell you an Idle Cobler that is to mend mens Shooes is not to be approved but an Idle Preacher that is to mend mens Hearts and save their Souls shall be condemned by God and Men for he lives in dayly disobedience of that charge of God 1 Tim. 4.13 Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine 15. Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them 16 continue in them 2. It would provoke us to be faithful in delivering the whole counsel of God and not to daub with untempered mortar not to flatter them in their sin or to be afraid to tell them of their evils least we should displease them or offend them Is it time to sooth men up in their Ignorance in their neglect of duty when we see them at the very door of Eternity on the very borders of an Everlasting World and this the fruit that they shall dye in their sins and their Blood be required at our hands Ezek. 33.1 to 10. but so to Preach and discharge the Ministerial Function that when dying might be able to say as Act. 20.25 And now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more 26. Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men 27. For I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God 3. To be plain in our speech that every capacity of the weakest in the Congregation that hath an Eternal Soul that
When proud unbroken impatient Souls Suffer and Die in Dread and Horrour the resigned Christian shall Expire in Peace and Confidence Quest How may a Gracious Person from whom God hides his Face trust in the Lord as his God SERMON XXIX The Text is Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God 1. UPon the Proposal of this Case to me I rather chose this Text than that in Isa 50.10 because I thought God and our selves were both to be considered in the just resolution of the Case before us for we must as well look within as above our selves and accordingly here we see that David's first look was into himself and then his next look was towards his God So that I thought this Text most suited to the Case 2. When and upon what occasion this Psalm was Penned I will not now enquire into but when ever it was David was then under black dispensations of Divine Providence and under dreadful Consternations of Spirit and put very severely to it how to Encourage and Support himself 3. The Text may be considered 1. As an History of 1. Davids troubles and afflictions 2. Davids Sence and temper of Spirit under them and concerning them 3. Of the Course he took to help himself 2. As a Doctrine to teach Gods Saints and Servants 1. To what they are liable 2. And by what and how they are to be relieved and supported 3. As a Directory 4. In the Text then we have observable 1. Davids self Arraignment for immoderate despondencies and dejections under the present hand of God upon him Why cast down And why disquieted within me 2. His self Encouragement and Instruction Hope thou in God 5. So that you see David 1. Cites himself to his own Court to account for his own disquietments and dejection and here his scrutiny is severe and close 2. He offers somethings to himself as a fit Course and expedient for self redress Hope thou in God and 3. The remedying Proposal is closely argued and urged For I shall yet Praise him c. I shall have Cause an Heart and an Opportunity to Praise God Times and things will be better with me than now they are I shall have cause to Praise God for he is the health of my Countenance I shall have an Heart to do it for He is my God and I accordingly now avouch him to be such I value him and confide in him as such And I do hence infer that I shall have Opportunity and a Call for to Praise acknowledge and adore him in the Solemnities of his own House First Let me then consider these words as they relate unto David and give us the History of Davids Excercise and Self-Relief And here 1. The Patient or Afflicted Person was Holy David A Man after Gods own Heart Enamoured on God devoted to him delighted in him constant and chearful in his attendencies on God exceeding sensible and observant of all Divine approaches to him and Withdrawments and Retreats from him Thirsting and Panting greatly after the Solaces and Entertainments of Gods House and Altars and bitterly lamenting the loss and absence of those Solemnities wherein he formerly had so copiously and frequently pleased himself afflicted mightily with those derisions and reproaches which reflected so severely upon God through him though nothing could sour or abate his adoring and delightful thoughts of God yet it struck him to the heart to hear Men always saying where is thy God Add hereunto that David was a King a Prophet a type of Christ a Man of vast experiences and improvements and such a peculiar Favourite to God as that he was encouraged to more than ordinary expectations from him of which he had great Seals and Earnests and yet we see he could not be excused from great Storms and Agonies and Anxieties of Spirit 2. That which this good Man underwent was a great dejection and disquietment in his own Spirit by reason of some great afflictions that befel him Gods Providence toucht him in his dearest and most valuable Mercies for he was an exile from Gods Altars Gods great Enemies toucht him in that which lay nearest to his Heart for they Reproacht him with his God and consequently with and for all his religious Hopes and Duties thus striking at his God through him All this afflicted him the more in that hereby great jealousies and suspicions were arising of Gods deserting him and dismal fears and thoughts of Gods having hid his face from him And he saw no likelihood in the posture and presages of second Causes that ever it would be better with him And hence his Spirit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vet edit consternêtis chad par conturbaris Syr. coâ—â—ristas me Arab. deijcis te v. 6. bowed down and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b that is disquieted within me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. tumultueris adversum me Targ. conturbas me v. 6. Syr. Ar. stupidus es personas in me ut aliâ— disquieted within him he was as stripe of all Composures Strength and Comforts His Passions they were apt to mutiny his confidences to decay and wither and the serenity of his Spirit to decline Sorrows encompast him like a Cloud prest him down like a great Burthen bound him down like a Chain came in upon him like a Flood and rusht in on him like a dissolute and surprising Host And very difficult he found it to keep up his Religion in its just Reputation with himself whilst thus afflicted in it and upbraided with it 3. The Course he takes to help himself is this 1. He surveys his troubles and takes the exact demensions of them observing what impressions and effects they had upon his own Spirit and 2. He takes his Soul to task about them as being 1. Fittest to resolve the Case 2. Every way responsible and accountable for his resentments and deportment and for the impressions and effects of troubles 3. Most capable of self correction instruction and encouragement and consequently of self redress and most concerned therein And 4. As that which must be active too David was confident of help from God and this his confidence is quickned and kept up by Arguments and Pleas He knew no help could be expected any where but in and from God And he concludes and argues that God could work and give it because he was the God and that he would consider him in mercy because he was his God And these things must be remembred argued and revived upon his own Soul and were so 4. And with his own considerate and religious Soul this matter is debated here What! Davids Soul my Soul A Soul and therefore great in its Original Capacity and End A Gracious Soul and therefore near and dear to God encouraged by his promises and providence to
with our hands to God in the Heavens When the heart is intensly elevated to God it carries the Hands and the Voice along with it it Acts all the Body from the Center as Tertullian Phraseth it bona conscientia eructat ad superficiem he lifts up his Soul Psal 143.8 and Body too to God as they lifted up the Mincah or Heav-Offering and waved it before the Lord the Soul will work the body into Simpathy when it is earnest indeed that which made the Veins of the Body to open their Mouths in drops of Blood as Christ his Prayer in his Agony did Luke 22.44 will certainly make us open our Lips Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks Luke 6.46 4. This Vocal Amen is as it were the Epitome and summ of all our Petitions and Praises to God 't is the Center which all those Lines are drawn towards It is all the Duty vertually reduced to one word and point Yea it is the repeating and ecchoing or redoubling of all over again As the Mercury behind the Glass it reverterates the lively Image of all preceding Devotion It is a drawing the Arrow to the Pile by a strong ejaculation qua toto corde deum petimus in Bellarmines Phrase whereby the whole heart is darted up to God It is a stirring up our selves to take hold of God Isa 64.7 It is taking aim and directing our Prayer to him and looking up Psal 5.3 as if they would hand up Gods Praises to him and stand ready to receive his Mercies with open Hands and Mouths It winds up all together in one bundle many are willing to have God forgive their trespasses but cannot so readily forgive others we may be free for God to give us daily Bounty and Bread but cannot make it as Meat and Drink to do his Will Men will easily accept of Gods kindness not so roundly pay their tribute of Praises Such cannot roundly Pray nor say Amen Ah Lord and Amen are two long Prayers in few words managed by the whole Soul and thus it is an Amen with an Hallelujah when we seek God with all our hearts then we find him Jer. 29.13 5. Amen rightly pronounced is an intense Act of Faith or it involves a strong Faith The Hebrew Verb in Niphat signifies to be firm stable and strong and in Hiphil it signifies to beleive and trust and indeed we cannot beleive or trust to any thing but that which is stable invariable and immutable So that there are two Declarations made by this Amen 1. That God is firm and immutably true in himself and his word 2. That we will not only beleive his Truth but trust to his veracity and build upon it as the Prophet doth both Jer. 11.5 this is a laying hold on Gods Strength Isa 27.5 as we see Abraham Gen. 15.6 he beleived God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehermen Gods Truth is beleived his veracity trusted to Israel twisted about both these as Abraham did he wrestled with God and prevailed The Jews say Amen habet tres nucleos hath Three Kernels the one is of an Oath the Second of Faith the Third of Confidence as Bunto says on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When we have confessed our Sins we do by our Amen say all is true and we have deserved Gods displeasure we beg pardon of them and so beleive God hath promised Pardon to the Penitent we trust our selves with God in Christ and beleive that he will Pardon our Sins as all others that cast themselves upon his promised Grace 6. The unanimous pronunciation of Amen is an assurance that God will accept our Praises and answer our Prayers So as the Soul comes off with Luther's Vicimus we have prevailed Mark 11.24 what things soever ye desire when you Pray beleive that ye receive them and ye shall have them nay 1 John 5.15 If we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions we desired of him We ought to beleive we shall have them either in kind or value and infinite Wisdom and Goodness must be Judge in that Case alone Matth. 18.19 if two of you agree on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven If any single Soul Pray in Faith it shall be heard much more if two have a Symphony as the word imports they shall be answered how much more when the whole Congregation is in Harmony and unanimously cries Amen when the whole Congregation meets as one Man Ezra 3.1 and the multitude of Beleivers are of one Heart and Soul Acts 4.32 God will say Amen to such Amens They are as it were a bath col the Eccho and Voice of God from the Mercy-Seat Sanctorum vota sunt oracula Gods Spirit stirs up such Prayers and they shall not be denied The Soul like Luther says fiat voluntas mea as Men make their Wills in the Name of God Amen it shall be thus for once let my Will Oh Lord be done Heavens Gate is open to this united Knock. 7. And lastly This unanimous Amen of Faith strikes terror on the Enemies of the Church whether Devils or Men. When the Romans had Conquered Philip and the Grecians and Flaminius caused Peace to be proclaimed to the Grecians there was such a Shout says Plutarch that the very Crows and other Birds fell down to the ground the Air was so rent and shaken And when the Church of God Terrible as an Army with Banners gives her unanimous Voices of Amens not only Satan falls like lightning from Heaven Luke 10.18 but Simon Magus by Peters Prayer is fetch'd down when he attempted to flie in the Air as if he had been the Holy Dove and Power of God as Ecclesiastical Story relates And Socrates tells us that upon Theodosius his Prayers and his Armies the Barbarians Captain was smitten with a Thunderbolt and his Soldiers by Fire As the Turks Mined the Eastern Empire of the Romans by Fire Smoke and Brimston i e. by Guns and Gun-powder Rev. 9.17 when the Church is united in hearty Amens it is like the Shout that the Israelites gave when God and his Ark came into the Camp which was such a great sound that the Earth rang 1 Sam. 4.5 for then God is gone up with a Shout Psal 47.5 to answer the Prayers made for the Salvation of his People This makes the hearts of their Enemies to melt and tremble as the Philistins did As Hierom expresseth it the hollow Idols and their Temples that were empty did Eccho and Rebound the Churches Amens so as their Fabricks shaked Thus when the Shophar lovely Trumpet sounded the Seventh time upon the Seventh day Josh 6.20 the Walls of Jerico fell and so shall the Gates and Walls of Babylon by the Preaching of the Gospel on the Lords Days and the Prayers of the Saints The united Breath of Gods People sends a blast upon their Enemies the Trumpet blew and the