consider the evil of thy courses the beauty of Gods ways and the sad consequences of sensuality thou deniest thy own Being deniest Gods Favour to thy Soul deniest the Glory of thy Creation deniest the most visible and the most apparent thing in the world if thou deniest thy ability in this point and if thou art able to consider so much what injustice can it be in God to demand an account of this consideration wherein doth he do thee an injury if he doth ask what thou hast done with this power wert thou in Gods stead wouldst not thou require the same account of thy servant on whom thou hadst bestow'd such a Talent if thou art able and wilt not take thy faithfulness into serious consideration can there be any thing more just in the world than thy damnation how easy were it for thee to lay home the danger thou art in and seeing it is so easy how just is it with God to let thee perish in that danger thou art resolv'd in despight of all Gods endeavours to the contrary to fall and sink into O Christian how dreadful will it be for thee when Christ shall depart from thee with this doleful exclamation How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings and thou wouldst not wouldst not This is it that makes thy everlasting torments just O Sinner that God should invite thee to Heaven and thou put him off with this answer I will not that God should carress thee to become his Darling and thou voluntarily and freely list thy self in the Catalogue of the Devils favourites and votaries that God should leave no means untried to melt thy stuborn heart and thou desperately fight against his Heaven and when he would thrust thee into it violently to break loose from him and lay force upon damnation How inexcusable will this make thee What Man what Angel can or dares plead for thee after such horrid wilfulness by it thou shutst up all mens compassion against thee were thy error an infirmity or had invincible ignorance caused thy folly some or other possibly might be moved to speak in favour of thy concerns but that thou knowing the will of God and having power to think what the end of thy courses will be and power to avoid the danger and power to pray for help a gracious God to encourage thee a glorious reward to entice thee Eternity to fright thee the everlasting gulph to startle thee shouldst in despight of all these motives wilfully and maliciously shun thine own cure this is a malady which no creature can justly shed a Tear or frame an apology for Be astonish'd O ye Heavens and tremble O thou Earth ye Angels that rejoyce at a sinners conversion here on Earth O all ye that pass by behold and see whether there be a sorrow as such a sinners sorrow is We have read of men that have eaten their enemies of Monsters that have devour'd their own Children but here is one devours himself inhumane to a prodigy one that contrives how to shut himself out of Heaven plots how to undermine his everlasting Salvation and studies how to sink into the dungeon of desperation Sirs what is it that we are exhorting you unto is it to dig down Mountains is it to exhaust the Sea is it to pull down the Sun from his Orb is it to reverse the course of Nature is it to work miracles is it to unhinge the Earth or to stop the flux and reflux of the Ocean one would think by the earnestness and vehemency of expressions we are forced to use that it must be something beyond the power of man but no all that we keep this stir for is only that you would consent to be happy contrive how to inherit an incorruptible Crown and think seriously how to escape your own torment and needs there any intreaty for this one would think you should run to us break down the doors of our Habitations pull us out of our studies interrupt us though we were never so busy and importune us as that Widdow did the Judge and follow us day and night to be satisfied the thing is of that importance And O did you but believe an Eternity you would do so Believe why what should hinder you from believing it what arguments can you desire that you have not can there be any thing surer than the word of God can there be a greater witness than the Son of God God cannot deceive you he cannot impose upon you he cannot delude you dare to believe him though you have not look'd into Hell yet certainly there 's one though you have not seen the joys above yet such joys there are and to consider to study to ponder how to arrive to them is the great thing we press upon you as being sensible of your danger sensible that death will arrest you before you are aware of it sensible that many thousands are for ever miserable for neglecting such exhortations O Sirs we do not envy your worldly happiness we dare assure you that it is not any grugde we have against your prosperity that makes us put you in mind of these unwelcome Lessons we have a God calling upon us to stop you in your earnestness for the world woe to us if we give you no warning woe to you if you take no warning If making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof would make you happy if rioting and drunkenness chambering and wantonness and rouling in all the pleasures that your flesh does promise and your fancy pay could contribute any thing to your felicity if solacing your selves in the wanton streams of sensual delights would lead you into Paradise we promise you we would not molest or disturb you in your ways nay if you had not Souls to be saved did your Spirits dye with your Bodies we would not stint you in your jollities But oh can we read how the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men and see you fall a prey to that indignation Can we read how tribulation and anguish shall certainly fall upon every Soul that doth evil and not speak to you to prevent it Can we read how the Lord Jesus will e'r long come from Heaven in flames of Fire to take vengeance of those who have continued to disobey his Gospel and to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power and not call to you Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Can we read how the unprofitable Servant that made no use of his Talent but buried it under ground and would not watch or make himself ready to meet his Master shall be thrown into outward darkness where there is howling and gnashing of Teeth and not beg of you to trim your Lamps and arise from the dead that Christ may give you Light Can we remember how many
Body A Soul that can build it's Nest among the Stars of Heaven walk through yonder Mansions and taste of the Rivers which make glad the City of God A Soul which can wing it self into the Clouds and survey the Crowns and Scepters laid up for those that dare despise the World and have their Conversation in Heaven A Soul which can enjoy a Paradise while the Body is in trouble and rejoice in him who is All in All while the fierce Winds are whistling about her ears The vast reach of these Souls we have their fitness to receive Divine illumination their strong desires after Immortality their secret actings without the help of a Body their hopes of Heaven their fears of Hell all proclaim the certainty of an eternal state or condition they are intended for This eternal state imprinted on our Natures discover'd to the Gentiles proclaim'd by the Son of God preach'd by Angels confirm'd by Apostles reveal'd to Christians believ'd in the World as it relates either to Bliss or Misery to Joy or Torment to Honor or Dishonor so how to enjoy the one and avoid the other must in all probability be the great object which God design'd Mens Souls should be chiefly employ'd about For as there cannot be a thing of greater moment than Eternity so he must be a Sot a Beast that can imagine that God who ever intends the noblest Creatures for the noblest Ends will give Men leave to busie themselves altogether about picking of straws and pleasing a few sensual Lufts when he hath given them Souls capable not only of labouring and seeking after but obtaining a Kingdom which fades not away And when we sweat and toyle and labour to make provision for twenty thirty forty years what do we do but proclaim our obligation to be infinitely more concern'd how to provide for that state which must never have an end And as it was the goodness and wisdom of God to make us capable of an everlasting duration so we should be injurious to both if we did not suppose that God hath order'd and appointed means whereby it 's possible to save our selves from the wrath to come He that takes a view of Gods proceedings and dealings with Men ever since the Creation of the World cannot but stand amaz'd at the cost and labour and pains and means and motives and arguments God hath us'd to make Men sensible of their everlasting interest and to engage them to a serious preparation for that World they must live for ever in This serious preparation must necessarily be a holy blameless spotless life for the means must ever be sutable and agreeable to the nature of the end And Heaven being a holy place perlect holiness reigning there it 's not to be imagin'd how perfection of holiness can be enter'd upon without a considerable progress in holiness here no man reaching the highest step of a Ladder without the lowermost and one might as well flatter himself that his Trade by such a time will bring him in Ten thousand pounds when he is so far from minding his Trade that he contrives only how to run with others into excess of Riot And indeed to plant this holiness in Men the means have been so various so numerous so potent before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel that one may justly admire the whole World doth not stand candidate for Heaven and all the Inhabitants of the Earth do not take the Kingdom of God by violence Before the Law the continual pleadings of the long-liv'd Patriarchs with sinful Men to improve the light of Nature that Primar of Divinity the many Visions Revelations Dreams Signs Wonders Voices from Heaven the Ministry of Angels Gods Patience Forbearance Long-suffering and sometimes Exemplary Justice the Examples of holy Men Gods love to those that honour'd him the signal blessings he bestow'd on those that made him their highest and chiefest good what were all these but so many calls and entreaties that Men would by holiness prepare for a future happiness Under the Law God was so far from being weary of using means and taking pains with Men in order to this end that he seem'd to have reserv'd those Ages for larger and fuller Demonstrations of his Power and Munificence and if the people of Lystra had any ground for their exclamation the Jews had far greater reason to cry out That God was come down to them in the likeness of men For while other Countries were left in darkness and like Moles suffer'd to wander in the shadow and vally of death they as if they had been made of purer Clay seem'd to be the Darlings of Providence and the Favourites of Heaven Heaven bow'd to them and under its protection they went as under a Canopy of State and might with greater reason than the Sultan have challeng'd that lofty Title The shadow of God And with that Persian Emperor stiled themselves Kinsmen of the Stars Their eyes saw Miracles almost every day and with their daily Bread they receiv'd daily Prodigies and in the midst of their Rebellion God like the Sun when smiling through a Cloud shew'd them a merciful Face not that he approv'd of their Impiety but because by these Beams he would warm their hearts into obedience Their Blessings came down upon them not in drops but in showers and their Prosperity like the Cinnamon Tree was so fragrant that strangers might smell it a great way off before they saw it The Waters of Life were continually flowing into their Bosomes and though God now and then frown'd upon them what Father would not sometimes chide his Son yet his Indignation which like Flints sent out Fire upon their penitential Tears strait way return'd to its former coldness The Rocks poured them out Rivers of Oyl they wash'd their Feet in Butter and one might say of their Land as he of the Isle of Rhodes They were bless'd with a continual Sunshine Their Prophets what mighty what powerful Men were they Men that like Lamps consum'd their own Oyl to light their Auditors to Heaven or like Silkworms spun out their own Bowels to deck their Hearers with Garments of Righteousness Where words could not prevail Tears were the means to supple and affect them and it seems there is not stronger Rhetorick in the World than these Here one Prophet spoke like an Orator there another like a Logician Here one endeavour'd by Eloquence to charm them there another by clear Reason to convince them Here one threatned there another promis'd Here one wooed there another thundred Here one came with a Scepter of Love there another with a Trumpet of War Here one offer'd his hand to save them there another made bare his arm of revenge Here one offer'd an Ark to those that desired mercy there another rain'd down floods of Curses to drown the obstinate Here one represented God with his Sword drawn a smoke going up out of his nostrils and devouring fire out of
derived from Heaven too else it would follow that God had been very unwise in his choice and had exerted his omnipotent power to little or no purpose only to make a shew in the World or to increase the Kingdom of darkness than which there can nothing be imagin'd more absurd or incongruous If I consider the progress of this Gospel I find it 's altogether miraculous not only because the Apostles who propagated this Doctrine had the power of Miracles confer'd on them by this Jesus which proves him to have been in the form of God but because in less than 200 years without force or arms in despite of Sword and Fire and the direst Torments it spread over all the known world That the Mahometan Religion made a stupendous progress after its first rise is not denied but he that shall reflect on the means whereby it enlarged its power viz. by Sword and Violence by depopulating Countries by killing and murthering all that resisted will judge it rose from Hell rather than came down from Heaven But I find the Gospel spread to a Miracle only by innocence and patience by doing good and suffering evil the proper Arms of Heaven I see how in despite of all the Arts and Stratagems the Devil could invent to stop its progress in despite of all the endeavours of Nero Domitian Trajan Decius Dioclesian to root it out it mock'd their rage and fury I find how the blood of Martyrs that was spilt this day brought forth a greater number of Confessors the next and multitudes of Christians that were sacrificed this week were seconded by a greater Army in a few dayes after and men seem'd to glory in being designed for death and serving as Apprentices of Martyrdom and though here and there a Mahometan may die for his Religion yet such a number of Martyrs no Religion can shew and what can I think of so many Myriads of men that being offered Ease Plenty Riches Honours Preferments despised them all and would suffer the most exquisite Tortures Tortures which the Executioners themselves trembled at and which made the very Heathen blush to see such inhumanity rather than deny that Doctrine which they had upon indubitable Testimonies receiv'd as Divine what can I think I say of these men but that they had sufficiently search'd into the truth of this Gospel and were most certainly assured that it was the Word and Will of God and that this Jesus would most certainly fulfill his promises to them and give them eternal life if they could be content to lose their lives on earth for his sake That so many Hundred thousand men many of them learned and wise and of noble blood and ingenious education should throw away their lives in a humor without very good ground that what they believed was really Divine and could not but be so is a thing altogether unaccountable to a rational man I read how in and about Christ's time either just before his coming or shortly after his departing out of this world by confession of the Heathen themselves the Heathen Oracles and the Voices of Devils ceas'd And can I think the Devil would have left deluding the world by his ambiguous Oracles gone off of the Stage voluntarily and quietly except he had been forced and compelled to it by this prodigious person whom God sent into the world to reveal his glory Certainly it could not be one that was meer man whom these evil Spirits would have vailed and bowed to without he had been more than man they would have disputed their power and maintained their possession and defended their universal Empire and made men know that the arm of flesh was a very inconsiderable weapon to controll or dethrone the Rulers of the darkness of this world I find wherever this Gospel came the Devil fled away this destroyed his Service Priests and Altars the gates of Hell could not withstand it nor can I see which way the Gospel could have effected all this without its power and efficacy had been Divine I read what strange alterations it made upon all Peoples tempers dispositions and affections who embrac'd it what should make so many great men so many subtle Philosophers so many learned Men so many Sages men of the greatest wit and judgment and apprehension both in the Eastern and Western Empire yield and submit to it and throw away their vain Philosophical Learning and humble themselves to the Cross of Christ except they had seen the stamp of God upon it I find that the greatest Orators and Logicians and the ablest Disputants that came with an intent to deride it were captivated and conquer'd by it and submitted to its Lawes and Doctrines The change it wrought upon Peoples spirits was wondrous strange the Cholerick the Envious the Drunkard the Fornicator the Adulterer the Worldling the Oppressor the Timorous the Pusillanimous were on a sudden transform'd into Love Meekness Sobriety Chastity Temperance Charity Liberality Fortitude and Magnanimity and they that before trembled at the thoughts of Fire and wild Beasts offered themselves to flames and took it ill if they were put by and deprived of the Honour of riding in such fiery Chariots to Heaven Nay I see at this day how wonderfully it works on the Souls of men makes them act against their natural inclinations without any prospect of temporal interest go against the bias of their corruptions and stop in their career to Hell which they were running to with most eager appetite I see how it makes them hate that evil company they formerly delighted in and how insipid it renders all the jests of their old Associates how it makes them love their Enemies do good to them that hate them pray for them that persecute them and despitefully use them how it makes them live above sense and seek their greatest satisfaction in the wayes and ordinances of God In a word how from Beasts it changes them into men and from men into more than men And what can I ascribe all this to but to a Divine Spirit that by this Gospel subdues the hearts and brings the lusts and affections of men into obedience to Christ Jesus He that shall take such Arguments as these into serious Consideration may easily satisfie himself that in these Volumes is contain'd the true Will of God at least that this of all things extant is most likely to be the Will of God nothing in nature having those circumstances and characters and testimonies of a Divine Original as the Rules contain'd in these Books we call the Bible have whatever seeming Contradictions and Tautologies may be found there to a Considerate man it would appear that as long as the main thing the true way to happiness is secured such accidental things as frequency of the same expressions and Chronological mistakes committed by the various Transcribers may be pass'd by without offence That many things which have seem'd Contradictions upon examination of the Customs and Circumstances of the
thou delightst in a curious Picture why not in him that 's altogether lovely Thou delightest in a delicate shape why not in him that 's fairer than the Children of Men Thou delightest in a pleasant Garden in well-ordered Walks in flowry Meadows why not in him whose Gracious Presence can make a Dungeon a Paradise Hoise up thy Sails O my Soul let thy desires crave all that 's rich good and magnificent why in God thou hast it all in a most eminent manner while others delight in their plenty thou canst delight in him who is plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him while others delight in knowledge thou canst delight in him in whom are all the treasures of wisdom while others delight in the protection of their friends thou canst delight in him who is a present help in the time of trouble while others delight in a stately Seat thou canst delight in the Secret place and in the shadow of the Almighty O my God thou satisfiest the hungry Soul and fillest the thirsty Soul with goodness They that cannot delight in thee have strange brutish Souls they see not how thou goest how thou my God goest in the Sanctuary they never felt thy Holy influences they know not what peace thou speakest unto thy People they are not sensible how thou dost encourage those that serve thee they are not sensible how great the rewards are thou hast laid up for Men that forget what is behind them and seek first thy Kingdom and its righteousness O my God I see how all the pleasant things of the World perish but thou art the same and thy years doe not fail and thou endurest from one generation to another here therefore I 'll fix my delight on this Rock I 'll build my joy while others delight in numbring their bags I 'll delight in numbring the loving kindnesses of my God while others delight in their preferment I 'll delight in being adopted into the glorious liberty of Gods Children while others delight in the greatness of their Relations I 'll delight in having the great Saviour of the World for my Elder Brother while others delight in their Farms and Oxen I 'll delight in my Title to the Tree of Life while others delight in Kingdoms and Principalities I 'll delight in him who hath made me a King and Priest unto God and to his Father I will delight my self in the Lord and he shall give me the desires of my heart Psal. 37.4 Did the man who is almost perswaded into Charity but seriously consider what a stress the Gospel lays upon this Pious liberality how Christ in the last day is resolv'd to insist more upon this Duty than upon any other how he is but a Steward of those blessings he enjoyes and how God gave him that Estate he hath with this very intent that he should be beneficial to those whom providence hath made objects of his Bounty how great an impediment his extream fondness of this worlds Goods is to his future happiness how it darkens his Graces clouds his Comforts hardens his Heart fears his Conscience enslaves him to the Devil how difficult nay how impossible it is for a man that dotes on these outward Comforts to become a true Disciple of Christ with what earnestness all the Prophets and Apostles of old have recommended this honouring of God with our Substance and with the First Fruits of our Increase how kindly God hath declared himself to this Duty how great Gods condescension is in being willing to accept of that as done to himself which is done to his servants or Christs distressed Members how signally he blesses this Virtue how all Faith is dead without it how vainly that man hopes for Heaven that hath no bowels of compassion I say would the man that is unresolv'd whither he shall deny himself and give away considerably to Pious uses but ponder all these arguments by the assistance of God it would make him resolve to lay by such a portion of all his gain and in-comes for Gods service and keep to it and stop his ears against all the suggestions of the Devil to the contrary and resign himself entirely to God's Providence and leave it to God how and when and where to make him amends for it and believe that it will most certainly be recompenc'd to him in the resurrection of the just Meekness in so great a Duty of the Gospel that Christ makes it the distinguishing character of his Disciples and indeed none is more likely to arrive to it than he that makes it his business to consider how famous some of the Heathens were for this Virtue how unworthy of a Christian it is to do less with all the helps of Grace than the other by the assistance of Nature only how this is to have the same mind which was also in Christ Jesus what mischiefs sudden anger hurries men into how severely the Great Redeemer of the World checks his Disciples that call for fire from Heaven to consume the Men who had denied their Master Lodging how great the conquest is to subdue those passions which would engage us to wrath and fury how discreetly that man can act that curbs those unruly affections how this excellent quality adorns the Gospel of our Saviour how it disposes Men for a satisfactory discharge of their Duty towards God how great evils and inconveniences it prevents how many times it melts the offender if there be any ingenuity in him and wins more upon him than all the fierce proceedings we call use how great a preparative it is for a good name and how Men who understand what self-conquest means cannot but commend and celebrate it how Heaven cannot but applaud it to see men strive to be perfect as their Father in Heaven is perfect how great wisdom it argues to be zealous in Gods cause when his Glory is affronted and meek in our own concerns and injuries what peace what satisfaction it causes in the Soul what blessings are entail'd upon it how comfortably those who have endeavour'd to be masters of this temper may leave this World and dye as the Jews say of Moses the meekest of men at the kiss of God into Eternal Glory Sanctification of the Lords day or which is all one consecrating that day to Gods service or spending it in publick and private Religious exercises in meditating hearing the Word praising of God good Works and Spiritual Conferences is a thing which devout Christians have in all ages thought themselves obliged to observe and certainly he will find great reason to follow them that shall engage his Soul seriously to consider some such circumstances as these How Holy is this day How should my Soul rejoyce at the dawning of it this is the day which the Lord hath made and which is to put me in mind of the greatest mercy that was ever vouchsafed to Mankind Can there be any thing more costly than the redemption of
Earth they enjoy a perpetual Sun-shine we are allow'd no more but Moon-light we see as it were through a Glass darkly they face to face their light like that of the Sun never lessens ours like that of the Moon is sometimes greater sometimes less and sometimes we have none at all How often doth the afflicted Beleever walk in darkness God hides the Light of his countenance from him and he is troubled sometime he is all joy by and by all darkness again sometimes he is like St. Paul wrapt up into the third Heaven sometimes like Men that see God's wonders in the deep he goes down again to the depths and his Soul melts because of trouble how cleer are the apprehensions sometimes he hath of the love and mercy of God! and he seems to be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the depth and breadth of the love of God how often on the other side is a vail drawn over all these bright Conceptions and he groveling in the dust What flouds of Consolation doth God sometimes pour out upon his Soul whereas at other times those comforts come down in drops which use to come in showers how great sometimes is his strength against temptations how weak his courage at another how chearfully sometime can he cry out I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me how mournfully is he forced to express himself at another I see a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin Behold O my Soul the vast number of the Stars and Lamps of Heaven how wise how powerful is that God that made them who can look upon those curious Lights without admiring their Creator Behold they rise and goe down at his command and do not fail one minute of their appointed time how should this teach thee obedience how chearfully shouldst thou run at the command of thy God these glorious Stars though their number be vastly great yet they never clash or disagree one with another how should this engage thee to unfeigned charity and peaceableness how should this put thee upon promoting peace and concord and agreement among thy neighbors and doe not these Stars put thee in mind how e're long thou shalt shine as the Stars in the firmament for ever Happy hour Blessed day when thou shalt be cloathed with splendor and immortatity when thou shalt see night no more and shalt need no candle neither light of the Sun but the Lord shall give thee light and thou shalt reign with him for ever Come down lower O my Soul I have not done yet with Gods wonderful Works reflect upon the Air in which all sensitive Creatures breathe without this Air the whole Creation would dye it 's this that keeps Men and Beasts and all Plants and Herbs alive and is not the Holy Spirit of God O my Soul the very same to thee that the Air is to all creatures without this spirit of God to enlighten to move and to direct thee thou hast the name that thou livest but thou art dead it 's this spirit must give thee life it 's he that must warm thee into a practical Love to God it 's he must teach thee how to pray it 's he must help thy infirmities and bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a Child of God beg this rich gift at the hands of God and thou shalt have it seek it and thou shalt find it knock at Heaven Gate for it and God will open and grant thee thy hearts desire Behold O my Soul how vain and foolish these men are that will not believe the Being of Angels or of Spirits because they never saw any can they see the Air and why do not they question whether there be such a thing as Air or no this Air supports all Creatures so doth thy God much more The Eyes of all do wait upon him and he gives them their meat in due season he opens his hand and fills the desire of every living thing Psal. 145.15 16. When this Air yields to all gross Bodies and lets them pass without opposition how doth it read to thee Lectures of Patience and Humility in that flexibility thou mayst see the sinfulness of thy inexorable temper the odiousness of thy revengeful desires and reviling again when thou art reviled and giving the offender as good as he brings the Air reproves thee when thou art deaf to all entreaties to be reconciled to him that hath injured thee when thou wilt not yield to the humble supplication of distressed creatures and when thou opposest thy own humour to all the rational perswasions of wiser men than thy self Look upon the Fire 0 my Soul and behold how differently it acts upon Bodies it meets withal how it consumes the Hay and Stubble and cleanseth and purifies Gold and Silver doest thou not see here as in a Glass how thy God destroys the workers of iniquity and advances and encreases and purifies the desires and affections of a devout and religious Soul thou seest how hard and black Iron is when it is not near the Fire and how bright and tractable it becomes in the fire and is not this the true picture of a sinner while he is a stranger to the Law of God he hardens his heart as Flint and Adamant no threatenings pierce him no promises prevail with him no judgements fright him no providences move him no mercies melt him he feeds upon Gods Blessings as Swine do upon Acorns without minding the hand that throws them down he hears Sermons but they awake him not he is intreated and he slights the invitation he is reproved and laughs at the reprehension but when that Holy Fire the love of God enters into his heart how flexible how tractable doth he grow how doth the love of God constrain him to avoid sin and to bid defiance to all the works of Darkness he that before scorn'd to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel how doth he now submit to Christs easy yoak he that before thought such a duty unfit and improper for a person of his quality how cheerfully doth he now bow and yield to it he that before had a thousand excuses why he could not do what Christ enjoyns him how doth he now lay all those idle apologies by he that before was churlish becomes now affable and courteous he that before was apt to be very angry at the least affront now bears it more quietly he that before put off the Eternal God with the meanest of his endeavours now is willing to give him the fat and strength of his affections he that before could hear Ministers call to him and call again without effect now cries out Sirs what must I do to be saved he that before could not be perswaded to walk in the strait way now runs in the way of God's Commandments Blessed Fire which consumes not but illuminates never suffers the heart to be harden'd
displeasure thou art in pain but what is this to Hell-fire thou art in torments but what is this to the Agonies the unhappy Spirits in the burning Lake endure how great a mercy is it that it is not worse with thee The Waters of Marah which are but to the Ancles now how soon might God increase them to the Knees and make them a River that could not be pass'd over and he that doth but frown now how easily might he thunder Consider O my Soul thou art not call'd to Persecution to Gibbets to Fire to the Sword to Grid-irons to wild Beasts as the Martyrs of old were if thou complainest now what wouldst thou do if thou wert call'd to Martyrdom Look upon Jesus the Author and Captain of thy Salvation who was made perfect through sufferings art thou better than the Son of God look upon the Apostles look upon the Primitive Saints that were torn assunder stoned slain with the Sword wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins were destitute tormented afflicted and art thou a greater Saint than they why shouldst thou expect better dealing at Gods hands than they thou art not alone in misery thou hast whole Armies of Holy Men to bear thee company canst thou look upon yonder Heaven and repine canst thou behold that Glory which God hath prepared for thee and think much of these fiery Trials the hopes of a Kingdom makes a Captive Prince merry though he is in prison and shall not the hopes of yonder joys keep thy heart from sinking when a Socrates can chearfully submit to the unjust Sentence of the Athenians upon no other account but this because it was God's will shalt thou who art a Christian lye fretting at thy trouble as if thou meanst to resist and controul God's will wilt not thou give God leave to use that priviledge in his great House the World which every Peasant uses in his Cottage and lay what burthens he pleases on his Servants Shall he say Suffer thou this affliction and wilt thou answer with that ill-natur'd Son in the Gospel I will not Look O my Soul look upon the benefit thou wilt receive by this providence thou wast proud before stay awhile and this calamity makes thee humble thou didst despise thy God before have a little patience and this trouble will drive thee hence to thy Fathers house thou didst play with the bread thy Father gave thee this cross will teach thee how to prize it thou didst trust too much to thine own strength this calamity will make thee relye altogether upon him who hath promis'd not to leave us nor forsake us God knows what thou wantest and how thy wants must be supplyed He prosperity would undo thee he therefore takes it away and like a tender Father cries Do thy self no harm He sees such a blessing would make thee surfeit he therefore wisely prevents thy disease by depriving thee of that mercy He sees such a comfort would be but a Knife or Sword in thy hand and kill thee he therefore snatches it away because he would preserve thee from Eternal ruine he sees thou art too much in love with this world he therefore embitters thy sweet morsels to make thee weary of this barren wilderness and in love with that Kingdom which fades not away Dost thou blame a Physitian because he gives his Patient a bitter potion and wilt thou blame thy God for not pleasuring thy pallate with dainties which would encrease thy distemper wouldst thou followthy Saviour in Sun-shine only and not go with him into the Garden of Gethsemane wouldst thou inherit his Crown of Glory without wearing his Crown of Thorns here wouldst thou be with him on Mount Tabor only and not accompany him to Golgotha wouldst thou be about him only when he rides in triumph into Jerusalem and forsake him in the Desart wouldst thou follow him only while the loaves doe last and abandon him when he wants bread for the multitude wouldst thou own him only when men cry Hosanna and run away from him when they cry out Crucify him wilt thou eat of the same Bread he doth and not drink of his Cup too God would save thee by that burthen which lies upon thee and dost thou prefer a little froth before an Eternal weight of blessedness hadst thou rather enjoy thy good things here than lye with Lazarus in Abrahams bosom God sees thou canst not be happy without this affliction and wilt thou prefer living deliciously for a few days before the rich Banquet God hath prepar'd for his favourites in Paradise O my Soul it s but a little while yet and thy Prison will be changed into a Palace thy Poverty into Eternal Riches thy Bondage into perfect Liberty thy Persecution into endless Joys thy mourning Songs into Halelujahs thy Sorrow into Rivers of Delight Alas what is a Prison God's Presence can make it a Heaven Walls cannot keep out the Smiles and Glory of the Highest What is poverty it may consist with being a Favourite of God and he that hath nothing in this world to boast of may have an incorruptible Crown to lay hold of and be really richer than the weakliest of Mankind What are slanders and reproaches they cannot hurt the Soul whatever injury they only do the Body they come sometimes from Men whose tongue is no slander and this may consist with honour from God and reputation in the Court of the Almighty What is persecution a Cloud which soon passes away and he that chearfully endures it great is his reward in Heaven Despair not O my Soul thou hast to deal with a God who will lay no more upon thee than thou art able to bear but with the temptation will make a way to escape that thou mayst be able to bear it one that doth not afflict the children of men willingly one that will certainly if thou obstruct not his operation by thy unbelief cause all these troubles to work together for thy Eternal good May be thy troubles are altogether Spiritual and thou dost not complain so much because thou art destitute of outward conveniences as because thy God is departed from thee a deep sense of thy sins afflicts thee thou seest the wrath of God hovering over thee and God hides his face from thee thou art afraid thou dost not belong to him thou seest not thy former tokens nor feel'st those Gracious influences which formerly water'd and enriched all thy faculties but hast thou such low conceits of the everlasting kindness of thy God O my Soul why shouldst thou believe he hath forsaken thee when he doth give thee daily testimonies of his Love what greater assurance canst thou have of Gods love to thee and of Christs kind thoughts towards thee than thy weariness of sin Hast not thou heard thy Saviour call Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy loaden and I will give ye rest Art not thou weary of iniquity hadst not thou rather be rid of that burthen than keep
thou putst upon thine own Soul and is thy Soul so inconsiderable a thing that thou makest nothing of deluding and circumventing it What thinkest thou Sinner suppose thou didst see a Senate or Parliament made up of very grave wise sober judicious men who should unanimously give their verdict in a Cause and determine it and while these men after serious deliberation give their judgement in the case propos'd to them in comes the malefactor against whom they have given sentence accuses the Decree of the Senate of injustice charges their Vote with a lye and takes a great deal of pains to make the world believe a tale of his own making whom wouldst thou believe that grave wise judicious Senate or the Malefactor the Senate sure and then when God Angels and Men the wisest the gravest the learnedst of them do all unanimously determine that without a serious consideration of thy Spiritual concerns thou canst not arrive to any sincere reformation of life canst never know the danger thou art in or what thou must do to escape unquenchable fire and that without it thou art a truly miserable man and dost take the way that leads to destruction hast thou the impudence to oppose thy sickly opinion which arises from a distemper'd ed head and a more distemper'd conscience to the grave sound and orthodox judgement of Men infinitely wiser than thy self when all with one consent affirm that thou art sick to death and nothing but consideration can recover thee wilt thou cancel their verdict by prescribing to thy self medicines of thine own making all cry out against thy inconsiderate course of life God doth not justify it Angels do condemn it the Preachers of the Gospel confute it Philosophers arreign it thy Reason hath arguments against it thy Conscience chides thee for it thy sober neighbors reprove it and wilt not thou subscribe to their sentence what insolence is it to think thy self more knowing than he that knows all things Behold sinner here lies the way to Heaven God is intreating thee to walk in it the Devil is busy to discourage thee from it God saith Here I will be found the Devil suggests that the Sons of Anack dwell there God wishes thou wouldst yield and live the Devil that thou wouldst stand out and dye God seeks to crown thee the Devil to rob thee of thy Diadem God assures thee that this is the Garden where thy Graces must grow the Devil argues that nothing but Weeds and Thistles grow there All the dispute is who shall have thy Soul God or the Devil think sinner for God's sake think who is the Rewarder and who is the Tormenter who is the King that can save thee and who is the Executioner that studies only to ruine thee shall not God prevail wilt not thou give him thy heart and shall Satan goe away with thy Soul shall he possess that Treasure which Angels are ambitious of for shame let not God goe away empty think what a condescension it is in God to be willing to accept of so inconsiderable a Present as thy Heart what is thy Soul to him what benefit doth he receive by offering thee his bosom if thou hast such a mind to be the Devils slave what need God take pains to rescue thee from that bondage dost thou think he cannot live without thee dost thou think thy being in his Heaven doth add any thing to his felicity cannot he as well be glorified in thy Torments as he can in thy Salvation cannot he make his Justice triumph over such a stubborn wretch as thou art wherein doth his advantage lye may not he be God and Great and Glorious and admired by Angels while thou friest in Hell thou hast very highly obliged him indeed that he need be at all this trouble to make thee in love with his ways shouldst not thou stand amazed at his Favour shouldst not thou wonder that this immense and infinite Majesty will vouchsafe a gracious look to so vile a worm as thou art and canst thou see a God court thee and grow coy doth God offer to kiss thee with the kisses of his Lips and dost thou scorn his embraces canst thou see him carress thee and turn away thy face wilt thou prefer the motions of a lying Devil before the Oracles of the Great God of Heaven hadst thou rather goe along with him that will murther thee than accompany him that will encircle thy Head with a Crown of Glory shall God magnify his Mercy upon thee and wilt thou fall in love with his enemy doth God intend by making love to thy Soul to give a character to the world of his infinite goodness and compassion and darest thou be so bold as to lessen that character by thy contempt and ingratitude Behold sinner God is willing to lay aside his Flaming Sword thou shalt hear of him no more in the Earthquake or in the Storm or in the mighty Wind that breaks the Rocks in pieces but in the still small voice the voice of Boanerges shall sound no more in thy ears he 'll blow his Trumpet of War no more all his frowns shall be done away he 'll fright thee no more with Hell-fire if his Grace his Mercy his Compassion can but allure thee to bethink thy self and close with him and so to consider the concerns of thy Soul as to resign thy self altogether to his guidance and direction his Aspect shall be kind his Countenance shall be nothing but smiles his Face shall be a perpetual Sunshine if by consideration of thy ways thou wilt become sensible of thy former folly and throw it away and take up with him alone if his kindly Beams can thaw thy frozen Heart if his calm can win thee and make thee prostrate thy self before the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Heaven and Earth shall be no longer in conspiration against thee and thou shalt not need to look any more for Thunders and Lightnings from that Heaven stand still sinner and see the Salvation of God behold Grace and Mercy lies weeping at thy Feet the free the soveraign the extensive the attractive Grace of God comes wooing to thy Soul and doth bespeak thee in this manner Hold Hold thou poor besotted creature whither dost thou run Hear hear I bring thee the joyfullest tidings that ever were brought to the ears of Men God will be thy Father the Lord Jesus thy Saviour the Holy Ghost thy Comforter the Angels thy Companions thy Life shall be a perpetual Holyday thou shalt be a friend of God an Heir of Heaven and Coheir with Christ thy sins shall all be done away thy iniquities shall be remembred no more all the promises of the Gospel shall be thine God will vouchsafe to live with thee the Holy Ghost will make thy Soul his Temple thou shalt have strength to overcome Hell and Devils Flames and Swords and be more than a Conqueror through him that loved thee the Lord Jesus Christ ask a Heaven and
the bows and cringes whereby both great and small insinuate into her favour On her Head Draw a Tree whose Fruit is Gold and the Dew whereof hardens into Pearls let her right hand grasp a Crown and her left drop gifts on her Clients and Votaries But then when this proud Peacock is drawn thus in all her dazling circles forget not to Draw her ugly feet I mean an unquiet roaring disturb'd distracted trembling Conscience for into this dismal shape doth that lovely Mermaid end On the other side I 'll paint a Wilderness a Grove which wise Nature made and in it I 'll represent a devout Soul kneeling and with the Publican smiting upon her Breast then will I draw Heaven and out of that Heaven Grace and Mercy in the shape of an Angel flying down with this message Fear not I have redeemed thee thou art mine and holding a bottle under to catch her Tears immediately upon this the Holy Ghost shall be seen descending spreading his beams and warming that Soul and invigorating it to resist the World the Flesh and the Devil by and by the Glory of God shall appear and crown all with Peace and Joy and infinite content and Eternal Hallelujahs And now Sinner which of these Pictures wouldst thou chuse do not the homely feet of the former fright thee can all the Beauty thou seest in that painted Harlot countervail the misery it dies into is an ever-gnawing Conscience matter of sport and laughter when all these painted Gaudes must break into a dismal Dungeon wilt thou laugh awhile that thou mayst mourn and lament for ever But if thou art so fond of this dangerous Garden that nothing can reclaim thee from being delighted with it take thy choice give me the other Landskip I know this world Men are so fond of e're long will have an end and their pleasures will have an end and their sins will have an end and their glory will have an end but where these end Gods Justice and Indignation begins Blessed is the man that hath then the God of Jacob for his refuge the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble what if I enjoy none of the worlds want on solaces I know where better and stronger Consolations are to be had what if Thorns and Bryars surround my Lillies and Roses I know they are but to preserve them and to hinder the Devil from tearing them to pieces these Thorns are my safeguard which will e're long be done away and when I am out of the reach of all enemies my Lillies will continue fresh and flourishing for ever what need I covet the world when I am made to live above the world what should I love this Earth for when I have a God to love why should I dote on Nature when I am in the state of Grace God hath made me many glorious promises how can I forbear rejoycing under the thoughts of them By Grace I am made partaker of the Divine Nature wonderful Dignity Being advanc'd so high why should I be enamour'd with a little Dust when God hath made me a King why should I debase my self or stoop to the mean employment of a Peasant I know God doth not see as man doth see a Soul that loves him above all is more esteemed in his sight than the proudest Monarch nor do rags fright him from fixing his habitation there where he meets with an humble broken heart let others glory in their great Titles in this I 'll glory that I am a Child of God Who can express the Honour God bestows on those that give their hearts to him To be a Child of God is infinitely greater Honor than to be of Kin to Princes or to have the Bloud of Nobles running in my veins A Father expresses greater endearments to him that participates of his nature and draws his substance from him than to him that 's only like him in the face how far greater love then may I conceive in God to a Child which by grace is a partaker of the Divine Nature than to the blessed Angels themselves The whole Creation in a manner participates of the Divine Nature but all other Creatures are but Pictures painted Images of that Glorious Nature he that is a Child of God is a lively Image of his Father which is in Heaven and he hath Fellowship and communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. What mysteries are these things to a poor Worldling but Oh how comfortable to him that feels the good Spirit bearing witness with his Spirit that he is a Child of God! If God be my Father then all the Riches he hath are mine if he be my Father he cannot but take special care of me for Can a Mother forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Fruit of her womb yea she may forget yet will I not forget thee behold I have engraven thee on the palms of my hand Esay 49.15 16. Fathers sometimes expose their own lives to save their Sons God hath done infinitely more for me for he assumed humane Nature and exposed his life for me who was his Enemy and a Traitor to him that I might become his Son By Grace I am the friend of God if God had not taken me for his Child yet how excellent how incomprehensible would the favour be that he vouchsafes to take me into the number of his friends what a stir do men keep to purchase the friendship of Great Men how little do they esteem the friendship of the Almighty they have not Souls clear enough to admire the Mercy their understandings are too earthy to adore so great a bounty it requires too much Spirit and Mind to be ravished with such compassion A Friend is often loved better than neer Relations What may not I promise my self from this Love and Friendship of God What calamity or misery is there in which this love cannot hold my Head and keep it from aking To be loved of God is to be fed with the richest stream and to live upon Milk and Honey If God laid down his life for his enemies what will not he do for his friends when I was his enemy God seemed to love me more than he did himself and now that I am his friend shall I think he will love me less than an enemy How should I rejoyce to have such a friend as Jonathan was but alas what is this friendship to Gods love All humane friendship is perfect perfidiousness in comparison of Gods friendship God so loves his friends that he knows not how to be separated from them if God had no other place to move in but Heaven he would leave that Heaven and come down and joyn himself to those whom by his Spirit he hath adopted into the number of his friends so great so immense is his love to them He that is a friend of God becomes Gods individual companion What a favour would it have been counted if the
marvel if they fright men away from our Assemblies and bring darkness upon all the Land of Goshen The just indignation I have taken at the injuries our Church suffers from these scandalous men hath been partly the occasion of this Treatise For I see mens Cures lie within their own breasts and that so many are sick unto death and ready to perish the reason is because they will not reflect what unreasonable men they are nor represent to themselves the wrong they do to their own Souls by a lively Consideration as will evidently appear in the ensuing Discourse I confess divers accomplishments which render a Book acceptable to curious Palates such as are Rhetorick Elegancy of Stile Fancy Wit and quotations of Authors c. will be found wanting here but as I profess no skill that way so my design was not so much to fill mens heads with Notions as their hearts with Fire It was to engage the ignorant and careless to a substantial improvement of their reason and if what I have said can prevail with those that have lived like Beasts to recover themselves into men again I both undervalue the little Censures of supercilious men and content my self with that success We cannot all shine as stars of the first magnitude in the wide Firmament of the Church those that cannot must give such light as they are able to dispense I envy not our Eagles in Divinity that they see far more than I but thank God I see so much and while the greater Sages offer Gold and Myrrhe and Frankincense I am happy enough if I may be allow'd to bring Goats hair and Badgers skins towards the accomplishment of the Tabernacle A critical eye may spy faults in this Free-will offering and I do not wonder at it for my duller sight now I have done discovers more than I wish there were in 't But my discourse is fitted to my end Doing good is my intent if I succeed not it 's no more but what greater men have failed of Farewell The Contents of the Chapters contained in this Treatise CHAP. I. THE Nature of our Souls The Eternal State they are design'd for The Means God hath made use of to fit Men for Everlasting Bliss All these Means ineffectual without Consideration CHAP. II. Consideration no transitory view of spiritual things imports laying the Heart and Mind close unto spiritual Concerns resembles magnifying Glasses which discover things imperceptible by the naked eye The great Ingredients of it Self-Examinatian Expostulation and strong Resolution CHAP. III. The absolute necessity of Consideration in order to a serious life Gods frequent commands to that purpose Our Reason and the power of Consideration we are furnish'd or endu'd with prov'd to be given us for this end Without it Men have cause to suspect that their Reformation is counterfeit CHAP. IV. Of the various impediments and remora's of Consideration Men fancy greater difficulty in 't than there is indeed Are continually employ'd about sensual objects Loth to part with their sins Ignorant of the pleasure of Consideration Reflect upon the danger of lasing their unlawful gain Fear they shall fall into melancholy or go distracted with so much seriousness Are of opinion that Conversion in that sense the Scripture speaks of it is needless Mistake the nature of Consideration Are discouraged by evil company Neglect consulting with Ministers about this necessary work Delude themselves with the Notion of Christ's dying for the sins of the world CHAP. V. Of the various Mischiefs arising from Neglect of Consideration The want of it prov'd to be the Cause of most Sins Some Instances are given in Atheism Vnbelief Swearing Pride Carelesness in Gods-Service Lukewarmness Covetousness c. CHAP. VI. Of the various advantages of serious Consideation it 's that which makes a man master of all Christian Duties it helps a man to improve Sublunary Objects into Heavenly Contemplations It 's the greatest support under afflictions disposes a man to be a worthy Receiver of the Lords Supper Prepares him for an Angelical Life on Earth makes him prudent and discreet in Secular Affairs and Businesses CHAP. VII A pathetical Exhortation to men Who are yet strangers to a serious religious Life to consider their wayes the wilfulness of their neglect how dangerous it is how inexcusable they are how inhumane to God and their own Souls how reasonablel God's requests are and how justly God may turn that power of Consideration he hath given them into blindness and hardness of heart since they make so ill a use of it c. CHAP. VIII Of Retirement and Prayer the two great helps to Consideration Retirement proved to be necessary to make Consideration of our spiritual state more quick and lively Prayer call in the assistance of Gods Spirit and renders the work effectual A Form of Prayer to be used upon this occasion ERRATA PAge 39 l. 6. for harden r. charm p. 59. unseasonableness r. unreasonableness p. 108. l. 28. not r. no. p. 117. l. 15. immediately r. mediately p. 118. l. 14. tears r. teazes p. 127. l. 26. prepares r. prepare p. 148. l. 16. sleeping r. pleasing p. 195. l. 26. blown-balls r. blow-balls p. 198. l. 16. pass r. compass p. 200. l. 8. nearer r. meaner p. 207. l. 3. Love God r. How God p. 219. l 24. wherein r. who is p. 238. have perswaded r. have as well perswaded p. 293. l. 26. in r. is p. 310. l. 10. when r. where ibid. then r. there p. 337. l. r. saciety r. society p. 340. l. 26 Friends r. Fiends p. 372. l. 4. reasons r. reason p. 385. l. 25. Zachans r. Zachaeus p. 400. l. 12. delivered r. deliveredst Other literal faults and mlstoppings the Reader is desired to Correct as he reads CONSIDERATION THE Nature Usefulness and Necessity of it in order to a Serious Life CHAP. I. The Nature of our Souls The Eternal State they are design'd for The Means God hath made use of to fit Men for Everlasting Bliss All these Means ineffectual without Consideration THat we are design'd for Nobler Employments than Eating and Drinking and Sleeping and Playing and following our Trades and Businesses in this World a happiness which Beasts arrive to as well as we the great Souls which we carry in our Breasts do evidently demonstrate These being capable of knowing God of delighting in him and conversing with him for ever we may rationally suppose That those who suffer the Profits and Pleasures of this present World to engross their Affections go astray and Err from the great End of their Creation While the Atheist laughs at the immortality of his Soul and the Prophane selis his better part to the Devil the Religious who will prove the onely wise Man in the end and who hath none of those clouds and mists the other are troubled with before his eyes sees clearly what a Treasure the bountiful hand of Heaven hath bestow'd on him in shedding so excellent so angelical a Being into his
his mouth there another follow'd sinners to the very gates of Hell with offers of mercy in his hand and while Vengeance was knocking at the door and the Sword was at their heatts call'd to them Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye And what was all this but to lay invincible obligations on Men to Reform and by Reformation of their Lives to arrive at last to that Harbor of Bliss and Immortality which the great preserver of Men hath prepar'd for those that fear him Under the Gospel as if beyond this there were no other remedy to engage Men to holiness the Son of God himself comes down from Heaven and turns Preacher He that commands all the powers of Light and Darkness appears in a Pulpit He by whom the Worlds were made leaves the brightness of his Fathers glory to tell Men what a Monster Sin is how odious how loathsom in the eyes of God how lovely how amiable how beautiful the wayes of God are confirms the sayings of all the Prophets of old assures Men and certainly he could not tell a lye that all those Messengers of old were in the right when they profess'd That Iniquity would be Mens ruine and that at yonder gate no unclean thing should enter and that God must be prefer'd before all the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World a favour for which we want expression and which we must draw a vail over as Timantes the Painter did over the face of Iphigenia's Father because we cannot reach it with our colours If a King should send a Messenger with a Pardon to a Malefactor that 's ready to be turn'd off of the Ladder there is no Man but a stranger to pity and compassion but would speak in commendation of the Royal mercy but should the King himself approach the place of Execution and absolve him it 's like the unexpected bounty would cast the Malefactor into a Swoon And then when the great God of Heaven and Earth made his favor exstatical went out of the common road of mercy stept beyond all precedents and examples encreas'd his kindness into perfect miracles miracles which the Ages before cannot parallel and the Son of God made his way through all the Clouds of Heaven to tell Men how God long'd for their society and happiness we cannot suppose a possibility of greater condescention And that which still encreases the Wonder this Son of God entreats wooes and beseeches Men to bethink themselves and dress up their Souls for the next Worlds glory He that might have come as one day most certainly he will with flames of fire and taken vengeance on the obstinate and terrified and startled them into seriousness and might without a Metaphor as it is Psal. 45.3 girded his Sword upon his Thigh and look'd stern on the Rebels that would not have him reign over them and frown'd them into Hell That this Son of God this Sovereign Prince whom all the Elements serve at whose command the Waters drown and the Fire burns and the Earth swallows up that he should come and draw near the City and instead of consuming weep over it as if he meant to quench the fire of Gods indignation against it and instead of dooming it outright to eternal vengeance wish O that thou hadst known in this thy day what belongs unto thy peace Call like a tender compassionate Father How often would I have gather'd you as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings and ye would not That he should bear affronts and in the midst of those injuries entreat Men to be reconcil'd to him and seek for a Pardon That he should conjure Mankind by Tears and Wounds and his own Blood by those very Torments and Agonies he endured for them to have mercy on themselves to take a view of the burning Lake beneath and run away to look upon the joyes above and be ravish'd with the sight That he should court them by the sweetest invitations and the kindest calls by the greatest offers and the softest promises promises of assistance and of his holy Spirit of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and seal his strong desires and longings after their holiness with his own death and after his death being risen again sends Apostles and whole Armies of Confessors and Martyrs to establish those desires ordain a Function of Men that might preach those Desires in Mens ears to the Worlds end this indeed is a condescention which the great ministring Spirits in Heaven stand amaz'd at and may justly be look'd upon to be one of those things the Angels desire to pry into By such astonishing means hath the great immortal God endeavour'd to effect that holiness in Men that Seriousness that Piety that Heavenly-mindedness which he hath appointed to be the only way to endless bliss Glorious means indeed But then they are no more but Pearls thrown before Swine where Men consider not how far they are concern'd in the heavenly Call And what can be the meaning of all these arts and stratagems of Divine compassion and what should make God thus sollicitous and careful to procure mans happiness and how dreadful it must be to neglect so great a salvation To lay all this labour and industry and indefatigable pains of God before their eyes where they will not fix their contemplations on the Remedies intended for their recovery what is it but to make a learned Oration to a flock of sheep to talk to a blind Man of Colours to discourse Mathematicks to one in a Fever and to prepare Elixirs and Cordials for Men depriv'd of life and sense Without Consideration we have little but shape and speech left us to distinguish us from Beasts and God clearly loses the virtue of his exhortations and entreaties except Consideration sets them home digests and applies them to the Soul and the inward thoughts like Sun-beams in a burning Glass unite and continue so long upon these spiritual objects till they set the heart on fire CHAP. II. Consideration no transitory view of spiritual things imports laying the heart and mind close unto spiritual Concerns resembles magnifying Glasses which discover things imperceptible by the naked eye The great Ingredients of it Self-Examination Expostulation and strong Resolution HOW Consideration Thinking Pondering Meditation Contemplation do differ is not material to enquire Consideration includes all these and is nothing but exercising and improving that rational Faculty the great Architect hath bestowed on us to the glory of God and the felicity of our immortal Souls The character St. Bernard gives of it may help to illustrate this Description It distinguishes saith he things confus'd collecteth such as lie dispers'd searches and dives into such as are conceal'd and hid examines probabilities reflects upon what is done resolves what to do and presses towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The Schoolmen are in the right when they call it employing the whole understanding about a thing
apparently dangerous Thus it is with me why should I deny it Why should I call light darkness and darkness light put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Whom do I cheat all this while is it not my own Soul And what shall I gain by it in the end Shall I think my self sufficiently holy when I am so little acquainted with the first rudiments of Holiness Shall I think my self a Child of God when that which I do is fitter for a Child of the Devil than for a Favourite of Heaven Conversion or turning to God which the Holy Ghost doth so often and with that vehemence and earnestness inculcate implies an universal change of my disposition and inclinations And where is that alteration that renovation of the Mind Will and Affections My Affections are carried out after Froth and smoke as much as ever My Love is set on Trifles and is regardless of the highest and chiefest good as much as ever I hate Seriousness and delight in childish impertinent Gayeties as much as ever The promises of the Gospel are as inconsiderable in my eyes and the riches of this World as glorious and ravishing as ever and I can dispense with the want of spiritual consolations while I have but my share in these outward comforts My feet run in the wayes of destruction and my eyes are dazled with external pomp and grandeur as much as ever An amorous Song is more pleasing to me than the most harmonious Psalm The Word of God is but a dead Letter to me while a Romance or a Book that Treats of Folly and Vanity Transports me into more than ordinary content and satisfaction And what I must eat And what I must drink And wherewithall I shall be cloathed Are questions I have a far greater desire to be resolved in than to know what I must do to please God and to be happy for ever If I have made light of the Thunders and Threatnings of Scripture I do so still If I have prefer'd my secular Interest before Gods Honour and Glory I do so still If I have feared Men more than God I do so still If I have been loth to do good with the Temporal blessings God hath confer'd upon me I am so still And what Sins I leave it 's more because I have no inclination to them or because I am afraid they 'll spoil and blemish my Reputation in the World than because I love that God who made me and hath obliged me by a thousand Favours to esteem and prize him above all And is this the Coat of the Sons of God Is this the Livery of a Christian indeed Is this done like a Man that lives upon Gods Bounty is fed by his Charity supported by his Alms and maintain'd from his Store-house and cannot subsist one moment without his Concourse and hath not a better Friend in all the World than him who is the Fountain of living Waters Consideration one great design of it being to know how the case stands between God and our own Souls such a Self-examination must of necessity be the Corner stone of this spiritual Building and comparing our Lives with the Rules of the Gospel and the proper characters of such as are in a likely way to enjoy God for ever may justly challenge the first Seat in this intellectual Paradise But then as building of a stately Gate without a House answerable to it doth but expose the Builder to derision and contempt so Self-Examination without a serious Expostulation with our own hearts is but to make the Accuser of our Brethren laugh at our vain attempts and God scorn the endeavour that could be crusht in the Bud and tired before half its Race is run II. Expostulation rouzes the Soul from her Slumber and drives it away from the soft Doune it would have rested and repos'd it self upon and gives the first blow for Self-Examination only threatens it to that Tree of Death I mean to the reigning power of Sin and I see not how Sin can shelter it self any longer or what excuses it can make for its stay and continuance where the Soul doth summon it to appear before the Bar of Conscience and enters into such reasonings and interrogations as these Are these things so and do I stand trifling with my salvation Do I run the hazard of everlasting flames and do I lie playing in the Suburbs of destruction Either I believe an eternity of Torments that shall attend a careless sinful life or I do not If not why dare not I profess my denial Why do I play the Hypocrite and make the World think I do believe it What 's the reason that I cannot shake off the fears of it if I would never so fain Why does something within me check me when I would be so profane as to deny it Can I ever be serious and not believe it But then if I believe it what a mad Man am I to loyter when the Candle I am allow'd to work by is almost burnt out and I know not how soon it may please my great Master to extinguish it Do I lead a life which is the readiest way to eternal Vengeance and shall I not step back and prevent it Can I imagine God will blow out that everlasting Fire to gratifie my vicious temper or destroy that Tophet out of tenderness to my Lusts and Corruptions Can I conceive it possible that God will go from his Word to please a stubborn Sinner or prove a Lyar that I may go with greater ease to Heaven Do I know that I shall be miserable if I continue in that course I have held on in hitherto and am I in love with eternal ruine Am I certain that Iniquity will be my confusion and am I resolv'd to dye I have all the reason in the World to believe that it was the Son of God that was the Author of those Threatnings and Comminations I find in the Gospel Do I believe him to be the Son of God and can I imagine that the least tittle of his words will perish I have run up and down in the World these many years and hunted-after those Vanities which sensual Men do dote upon But will these save me when I dye Will not the remembrance of my eager pursuit after these Butterflies and Gaudes fill me with anguish and sorrow Have I liv'd in the World all this while and am not I nearer Heaven than I was some years ago Must my body engross all my endeavours and must my Soul be starved I have a Soul that cannot dye and must not dye and must shortly appear before Gods Tribunal and shall not I study its safety and happiness as much as I am able Lord God! should Death arrest me before I have made my Calling and Election sure how fearful how wretched would my condition be should it fall to my share to howle in outward Darkness how should I curse the day that ever I was born should those Tortures the
man tell me here that this is to make man independent from God and to assert that men may convert themselves and change their own hearts and give themselves that repentance and faith which the Scripture everywhere asserts to be the gift of God For Gods power and glory is so far from receiving any prejudice by this Doctrine that I know nothing can advance and promote it more than this way It 's confess'd that Conversion is the work of God but then he expects I should do my part and work according to the power he hath given me and improve the Talents he hath already bestow'd upon me and trade with them and make use of the faculties I have and exercise them as much as I can in order to a serious change of life and in the use of such means God will be found as we see in Cornelius Acts 10.4 And his holy Spirit shall come down and make the work effectual and bless those honest endeavors with grace and mercy and make the wheels go merrily which went but heavy before and turn that piety which proceeded from fear of Hell before into a sincere love to God and to the beauty of holiness and make that obedience universal which was but partial and by halves before and that 's a kindly Conversion To indulge our selves in laziness and idleness and weariness of Gods service upon pretence that we must wait Gods time and stay till God is pleased to work upon our hearts is no better than mocking of God For God who hath protested that he 'll cast out none that will but come to him and never left himself without witness and is engag'd by promise to be a rewarder to them that diligently seek him hath no where in his Word promis'd to work upon our hearts except we will use such means as he hath given us power to make use of in order to Conversion and he that lets the power God hath given him for this use lie dead doth but imbezle the gift of God and with that unprofitable servant layes up his pound in a Napkin and consequently can expect no other answer than was return'd to him Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant thou knewest that I was an austere man taking up that I laid not down and reaping that I did not sowe Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury Therefore take from him the pound and give it to him that hath ten pounds And as for those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them and it seems such are all those that will not improve those powers God hath given them especially this of Consideration in order to be reclaim'd from the errors of their wayes bring them hither and slay them before me Luke 19.22 28. And indeed he that can sit down and consider what losses may befall him what mischief may happen to him if he keeps company with a turbulent quarrelsome man and thereupon shuns his society will find in the last day that he might as well have sate down and consider'd what evil a sinful life would bring upon him His reason to be sure is capable of taking the one into Consideration as well as the other and he that believes he hath a Soul must be supposed able to think of dangers that may befall his Soul and since Consideration is that which represents all dangers in very lively colours and by that means affects and makes impressions upon the whole man there is no person but may safely expect Gods blessing upon such Considerations not upon the account of merit but because God hath most freely and most graciously promis'd his assistance where men shew their willingness to work in his Vineyard And that 's the reason why Conversion in Scripture is sometimes attributed to man and sometimes to the Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift descends and why we read in the same Prophet Make your selves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18.31 And I the Lord will give you a new heart and a new spirit will I put within you Ezek. 36.26 Because God expects the sinner should take his ways and preposterous actions and the danger which hangs over his head into serious Consideration represent the odiousness and disingenuity and unseasonableness of his sin to his mind and muse upon that endless happiness he may arrive to weigh the comforts and consolations he may enjoy on this side Heaven and God will encourage him gather the Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosome i. e. prosper those sincere endeavors and water them with the dew of his benediction till the byas of the Soul is chang'd and turned towards Heaven Consideration is the Bed where the incorruptible Seed is sown and on the ground thus prepared the Sun of Righteousness doth shine and by his warmth produces in the Soul all manner of pleasant fruits Cant. 7.13 Consideration like the Pool of Bethesda draws the great Angel of the Covenant down who stirs the Pool and gives it a healing virtue and immediately the blind receive their sight and the lame walk and the Lepers are cleansed and the dead are rais'd up Matth. 11.5 That God hath sometimes by miraculous means converted and turn'd men from their irreligiousness and contempt of holiness we do not deny but though these miracles might be the occasion of their Reformation it was still Consideration that digested these miraculous Providences and engaged these men to enquire what they meant and for what end they were sent and how they should escape if they neglected so great a salvation It was this made them argue that as these Calls were great and full of wonder so they challeng'd entertainment and submission answerable to so great a mercy It was this made them see the love of God and wonder whence it should be that God should overlook so many thousands and knock at their gates pass by Palaces and be content to take up his rest in their poor habitations It was this made them ponder that after such Admonitions and Exhortations from Heaven there was no standing still and that contempt of such extraordinary Providences must needs fall very heavy on the Soul one day and sink it into the nethermost Hell upon which Considerations and Expostulations they resolv'd to close with Christ and with the terms of the Gospel But all this will more fully appear if we can prove That without Consideration Conversion or Reformation of life cannot but be counterfeit Conversion being a change of the whole man and loving God better than the world or minding Heaven more than earth an immortal Soul more than a frail dying body there can nothing be imagin'd under God more likely to prevent our being deceiv'd with a form of godliness than Consideration That the Devil very ordinarily transforms himself into an Angel of light and imposes
upon our minds by shadows of virtues as it is his interest so it is a thing as common as our yielding to temptations of that nature Daily experience is a sufficient witness how men deceive themselves with a varnish and paint of Piety and flatter themselves that they are ordain'd to eternal life and in a way to those Regions of bliss when they are not Because they acknowledge and profess that God is infinite perfect glorious and the Supreme Governor of the world and that in him we live and breathe and have our Being and that it 's he that rules the great wheel of Providence they conclude they love him better than their riches or pleasures here when they do nothing less indeed no more but what Parrots may do which being taught can repeat the same words and be never the nearer that wisdom which makes men wise unto salvation We see how men because they have no inclination to some gross notorious sins that other men are guilty of are apt to conclude that they mortifie their lusts and put off the works of darkness walking soberly as in the day-time and because they frequent the Temple of the Lord they are presently true hearers of the Word Because such a man is not drunk every day but is sober now and then he believes himself to be a very temperate man Another because he doth not cheat so notoriously as his Neighbors concludes he is just honest upright and fair in his dealings Another because he works hard in his Calling and doth no body wrong fancies he doth all that 's fit for a Christian to do Another because he hath sometimes a good thought of God and can send up a short ejaculation to Heaven is very confident he meditates and contemplates the Almighty Another because he hath some faint breathings after him knows nothing to the contrary but he is as zealous for Gods glory as any of his acquaintance can be Another because he hath now and then a melancholy thought of his sins and confesses them to Almighty God concludes he doth repent as well as the best and because he often wishes for salvation and hath a good opinion of holiness and goodness he doubts not but he is made partaker of the Divine Nature That these are Cheats and Delusions is evident to any rational man The Gospel doth not offer Heaven on these terms and it is not partial but universal obedience that Christ requires of his followers He is resolved Heaven shall cost them more than these little services come to and they shall not impose upon God however they may deceive themselves But then how shall these or any other Cheats be discover'd and avoided but by Consideration True Conversion consists in resisting and conquering such Delusions but how shall they be resisted if they be not known how shall they be known if men consider not whether the course they take be either agreeable to the way God hath prescrib'd or like to bring them to that happiness they aim at It 's Consideration must manifest which is God and which is the Cloud which is Gold and which is but Guilt which are the waters of Jordan and which are the rivers of Damascus which is Corn and which are Tares which are the fiery tongues and which is the Glow-worm light which are Jacob's hands and which are the hands of Esau. There are not a few sins which look very much like virtues complying with mens impieties looks so like Humility Flattery so like that Charity which bears all things and hopes all things and believes all things and endures all things reviling again when we are revil'd so like doing justice worldly mindedness so like providing for our Families lying for profits sake so like a work of necessity and self-preservation and bearing a grudge to him that hath offended us without discovering it in our actions so like curbing our passions that few men will think themselves concern'd to part with them except they consider which is the pure and which the sophisticate mettle How like saving knowledge doth that knowledge of God look which puffs up the Soul and tempts men to despise others that are not arriv'd to the same measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. There is no distinguishing of them but by the effects and how shall the effects be discriminated but by Consideration I cannot avoid being deceiv'd if I do not sit down and reflect Lord I pretend to knowledge of the Cross of Christ but doth this knowledge make me humble and vile in mine own eyes Doth it discover to me my spiritual poverty and make me prefer others before my self Doth it make me prize Christ above all And doth it engage me to count all things Dross and Dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Doth it make me stand under the Cross of Christ and breathe and pant after his precious blood like a man truly sensible both of the worth and want of it Doth it produce that mind in me which was in Christ Jesus Dost thou feel this O my Soul How happy art thou if thou art sensible of these operations Do not deceive thy self doth not this knowledge thou pretendest to make thee secure and careless Doth it not make thee sit down contented without the life of Religion Doth it not persuade thee to believe that thou art a Christian though thou dost not imitate Christ in his holy life and conversation Does it not make thee proud and self-conceited and think more highly of thy self than thou oughtest to think and like the Pharisees look between anger and scorn on those that know not the Law if so how is the knowledge of Christ Jesus in thee The same may be said of Faith it 's Consideration must separate it from presumption and satisfie me whether it be of the true Eagle-kind or no it 's impossible to know whether my faith be of the right stamp or no without I make such inquisition as this Faith is a gift or fruit of the Spirit which I am apt to believe God hath blessed and enrich'd my Soul withall and I thank him that I am not born an Heathen or Infidel But what power hath my Faith upon my Affections Doth it purifie my heart and drive away those lusts that have taken up their residence there Doth it make me cut off my right hand pull out my right eye when they do offend me Doth it make me live like a person that believes the Omnipresence and Omniscience of God Doth it make me cautious and afraid of offending that God whom I believe of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Doth it make me embrace Christ both as my Redeemer and Governor both as my Saviour and my King Doth it engage me to resign my will to his Will and to receive the Kingdom of God as a little child without disputing his commands or contradicting his injunctions Doth it work by love And doth it drive me to give God my
world takes up their hearts and engrosses their affections when we see how all their Plots Designs Contrivances Desires are for the world and when they mind onely fleshly things as the Apostles phrase is Phil. 3.19 What I mean by the world none can be ignorant of that hath either read what wise men have written concerning it or hath heard the Word of the Gospel sounding in his ears For indeed it 's not the least part of our Commission to dehort and dissuade men from fixing their Affections on these sublunary objects and but that continual inculcating of the same thing would make our Auditors nauseate the most wholsom Lessons we could not do them greater service than by making such Dehortations the perpetual Subject of our Sermons All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life saith the great Divine 1 Joh. 2.16 Whatever outward object serves to gratifie sense whatever here below is most commonly desired and lusted after whatever makes for satisfaction of the flesh or of our sensual appetite all is comprehended under this name And indeed it is with these worldly comforts as it was with the garden of Eden some are for food some for tryal some to keep our bodies serviceable to our souls some to prove our souls whether they 'll rest on these broken Reeds or seek their rest and acquiescence in him that is the Creator of all And accordingly the Almighty thought fit to limit the use of these terrestrial felicities and to signifie in his Word that his intent in giving them was that they should be our servants not our masters that he design'd them as advantages to us not hinderances in admiring and adoring the immense goodness and bounty of God and that he appointed them for our use no farther than they would serve to promote his glory and the eternal felicity of our immortal souls But here we find men generally live the reverse of Gods designs and intentions and instead of using these visible comforts in order to a greater end make that their home which was intended only for their Inn and are for erecting Tabernacles to dwell there which God design'd only as a thorow-fare And to this unhappiness preposterous education which most men are subject to doth very much contribute For whereas we should be educated into Reason and a right apprehension of things we are usually educated into sense and deceptions and those that have the care of us and should teach us self-denial in these outward things and by that means engage our souls to fix on nobler objects do commonly present us with nothing but sensual satisfactions All their Discourses to us are of the World and of the magnificence greatness splendor and ravishing aspects of these outward gayeties and the first principles they teach us are how to please sense and to pamper our appetite and though now and then they teach us some little Notions of Divinity yet it is in such a sensual way that it amounts to no more than a formality and divertisement and being a thing that 's taught by the by it makes little or no impression upon our affections But whatever disadvantages men lie under upon the account of their sensual education one would think when they come to the full use of their reason and are capable of understanding the vanity emptiness unconstancy of these lower objects and of apprehending that they were only intended as Ladders to raise us into contemplations of our great Benefactor in heaven when they arrive to this ripeness of understanding come out of their apprenticeship set up for themselves become as it were their own masters and enter upon the possession of that estate which before was managed by others one would think I say they should then begin as there is commonly an alteration of our temper upon the alteration of our fortunes to rectifie those sensual principles which their Nurses and Tutors have shed into them and wash away the stains those fond Masters as indeed men may be kill'd by kindnesses and like that Olympian Victor be stifled with Posies have unluckily imprinted on their souls But alas there are so very few that having gone thus far stop and attempt to captivate their appetites to the obedience of Reason and Religion or seek to elevate their souls above the dung and trouble of the World according to the intent of their Maker that most men sink deeper and deeper into the gulf of sensual desires open the gates wider make the door larger for sensual satisfaction to enter in nay if it be modest and loth to enter compel it to come in and to give their spirits an infusion of carnality to water and keep warm the seed of worldly inclinations and find out wayes to encrease their Thirst to add heat to their Fever to provoke their sensual appetite to enlarge it self as Hell and fearing they have not been sufficiently or faithfully enough instructed in the enjoyment of these worldly felicities they try experiments and conclusions to find out new satisfactions and thus plunge themselves into the main Sea being charmed by the Sunbeams playing and glittering upon the water and the curling of the waves And the impressions which were made on the wax when soft and tractable remain when it 's grown harder by a continual hurry of worldly cares and businesses which they are content to admit of they make their souls the least object of their solicitude and were they ask'd as that profane Duke What they think of Heaven it's like they would answer in his language or think so or at least act as if they thought so That they have so much business on earth that they cannot think of Heaven Thus their very spirits become flesh and their souls turn to earth as well as their bodies Whence it comes to pass that their minds being altogether sensual impregnated with worldly cares and satisfactions and all their faculties employ'd in contriving how to get a greater share of earth than they have already or at least to keep and preserve what they have there is no room for this Consideration of their spiritual estate or condition They hearken to nothing with any zeal or attention or life that doth not carry either some worldly profit or pleasure with it and that which charms or wins them must be the musick of temporal interest Consideration how they shall be saved hereafter there is no Lands to be bought with it no Mannors to be purchas'd no Houses to be built no Countries to be conquer'd no Honours to be got by it It brings in no Riches it fills not their Coffers with gold and silver it doth not give them respect and credit with Princes and Men of Quality it doth not cover their Tables with dainties and delicacies it doth not furnish them with portions for their children It doth not feed their bellies nor put them into a condition to lie on beds of
ivory or to be clad like Dives with silk and purple It doth not maintain their great Retinue nor present them with soft Airs It doth not provide for their Families nor keep up their pomp and grandeur were it such a powerful thing as the Philosophers Stone is fabled to be and did it enable them to turn their Iron into Gold and did it make their Trade to flourish and did it make their garners full affording all manner of store and cause such fruitfulness among their flocks that their sheep might bring forth thousands and ten thousands in their streets Did it raise them to the power of Senacherib to the magnificence of Nebuchadnezar to the pleasures of Solomon Did it promise a Kingdom and whisper in their ears that they should enjoy ease and plenty without all peradventure nothing should have so much of their care or hearts as Consideration of their wayes But having none of these baits and their hearts being fix'd on the world they can find no time for this exercise Cannot did I say They will not allow themselves time to retire and consider that they have such things as souls or that these souls are capable of punishment and glory when they shake hands with their old companions their bodies They think that time mispent that is bestow'd upon Consideration of another world and what minutes or hours are taken from their fleshly satisfactions or from prosecuting their worldly concerns they look upon as flung away By worldly concerns I do not only mean businesses which an Estate or Trade or Family or office or sensual pleasures cause but business of study and learning too and one may be as much taken up with his study as another is with his Trade and consequently be very loth to allow any time for this Consideration we speak of To be studious and yet inconsiderate implies no contradiction and a man may contemplate God and Heaven and the whole Creation and yet not contemplate them in order to a holy preparation for another life or with an intent to mortifie his sins and corruptions and to imitate God in holiness without which it cannot be Consideration and the best name we can give it is an empty Speculation so that a spiritual Meditation may be but a worldly business if that which puts me upon it be my profession whereby I get a livelihood if that which makes me study and meditate be temporal profit or honour or applause if it be not undertaken with an intent to edifie my own soul as well as the souls of others if it be done either to please the fancy or to please the gentle Reader by publishing it to the world And indeed where worldly concerns fill all the channels of the soul there can be but very little employment for serious Consideration A continunl hurry of business sheds darkness upon the soul thrusts out that eye whereby it should reflect upon it self and makes it intent only on things which tickle and please the flesh and like Felix when any motions to serious Consideration arise replies Go thy way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee Acts 24.25 It fares much with Consideration as with that Princes invitation Luc. 14.16 worldly cares and businesses like those guests when the soul feels any suggestions or invitations to Consideration are presently ready with excuses and a thousand things are pretended why they cannot come or stoop to the gracious message or vocation and these bryars and thorns choak the good seed that 's thrown among them Thus earth keeps out Heaven and the world like shutters of a window excludes the light that would irradiate the room not but that the business of our worldly callings may lawfully be performed and follow'd and men ought to work with labour and travel night and day rather than be chargeable to others 2 Thess. 3.8 But where the World is made God and fills mens minds as well as their hands and all the time that can be got is spent in embracing and grasping of it it 's impossible Consideration should find entertainment there it 's like a heartless prayer may for that can be hudled up and requires not much time and leaves them as worldly as it finds them and doth not hinder or cross them in their fondness to the world which they are afraid Consideration will do And indeed they guess aright for Consideration would shake their love make them unquiet in their amours and unsettle their affections pull down that high esteem they have of the world and make them see that there is not that beauty that glory or that happiness in things below which their sickly fancy dream'd of before it would shew them that all these Gaudes are but a Pit cover'd with curious flowers where people may irrecoverably perish if taken with the treacherous flowers they smell on them and admire their odour and fragrancy It would shew them the vanity of heaping up riches when they know not who shall inherit them and represent unto them â—he folly of flattering their souls with an Ede Bibe Lude Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry thou hast much goods laid up for many years It would shew them how false how perishable all these outward comforts are and that they have something more than this deceitful world to look after Consideration like a faithful Counsellor would undeceive them in their fond opinions of this treacherous friend discover to them his base designs the mischiefs he drives at under all his smiles the Serpent that lies under those green herbs and bid them beware of him But such is the love they bear to the world that they are jealous of all things that would subvert their love and hate Consideration as an enemy because they are afraid it will discompose those embraces and break the league between them and these earthly satisfactions and put their hearts that lie close to the world out of their place dispossess them of their earthly mindedness and prompt them to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come and lay hold on eternal life A strange fondness this which doth not only marry the heart unto the world and makes them two one flesh but sends out Spies to watch against all the endeavors of this faithful Monitor viz. Consideration that it may not break the match or dissolve the bond or make the heart sensible of its adulteries O God! How is thy similitude in Man defaced How is that glorious Image thou didst once shed into his breast blotted and defiled Is this the Man that receiv'd a Soul to mind Heaven most Is this the Man over whom thou didst spread thy skirts whose nakedness thou didst cover and with whom thou didst enter into an everlasting Covenant whom thou dost draw by cords of love whose soul thou didst betroth unto thee for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in
I believe it for when in their riper years they reflect what time they have lost and how they have spent that age which was fittest for pleasure in retired devotion they cannot but turn profane out of despight and strive to redeem the time they have mispent in following the advice of melancholy Scholars Religion is a thing fit only for those who are either discontented or grown weary of the World for men who can sin no more and whom age hath mortified into forsaking of their Vices shall I forbear my mirth and amorous Songs and witty Talk my Railleries and modish Accomplishments for I know not what The men in black speak for their own interest and God sure is kinder to men than to give them an appetite to sensual satisfactions and then forbid them to use it what needs this haste and why should I apply my self to a religious life so early when I have some forty fifty threescore years before me and can shake off my follies any time hereafter Thus the weak Youngster pleads and embraces these motions as Cordials for his sickly passions as Elixirs for his heated blood Consideration would let him see that these Temptations are Messengers of the Devil Threads to lead him into darkness into captivity into perfect slavery and none but a mad man could forbear rejoycing at so happy a discovery When the gray and hoary head from his great age infers the greatness of his graces and from the multitude of his years concludes the multitude of his virtues flatters himself that God loves him because he hath had little or no affliction in the world and from his impunity here draws an argument to prove his impunity hereafter and sooths himself with Gods favour upon this account chiefly because he never discover'd his anger in signal judgments and bids his Soul trust to it that he stands fair in the good opinion and esteem of God because his labours in the world have been crown'd with success and because he hath a Garden of Eden here securely promises himself a Paradise hereafter and will not be persuaded to the contrary but that his plenty here is but an earnest of a fuller Vintage and richer Granary intended for him in the Land of Canaan and that his long life on earth is a pledge of his eternal Life in Heaven What are these but Temptations which Consideration would discover to be Impostures and consequently shed both light and joy into the Soul When the poor from their outward conclude their spiritual poverty and will needs think that they are in a state of grace because they are in a state of want and fancy they may securely pilfer because God hath made no other provision for them and that they shall receive their good things in the next world because they received their evil things in this that they shall be rich in Heaven because they were destitute of conveniences here on earth that they must necessarily be Lords hereafter because they were Beggars here and shall certainly rejoyce in the nex life because they mourn'd in this valley of Tears and cannot but be blessed for ever because they had a very large measure of misery here When the rich from their prerogative on earth conclude their prerogative in Heaven and because they are advanc'd above other men think they may use greater liberty in offending God than others and because they have greater estates than the meaner sort may therefore sin more boldly and more considently than they When from their power they infer the lawfulness of their extravigances and because they can stand it out and brave the World fancy they may oppress the poorer sort and may swear and curse more boldly than their Tenants and resent and affront and revenge injuries with greater justice than Clowns and Peasants when from the custom of the age they infer their priviledge of being more sensual than other men and because persons of the same quality are not argue that they need not be so cautious and circumspect in their words and ways as other men When the gentiler sort of people feel inclinations in themselves to be ashamed of the Gospel and to forbear professing any zeal or fervency for Religion in company where Christs blood and wounds are abus'd where God and Heaven are rallied where the precepts of the Almighty are laught at and the Gospel turn'd into ridicule when they find an unwillingness seize upon their spirits to reprove either their equals or inferiors for some notorious impiety they commit When they think it is below them to pray with their Families to exhort their Servants to seriousness and to shew a good example to those that are under their charge when they find a disposition to comply with lewd society to laugh and smile and consent to their frothy speeches and abusive reflections and to conceal the truth where it ought to be professed and spoken When the Tradesman thinks of putting off his naughty Commodities to the ignorant Chapman and of circumventing and deceiving his Neighbor where his Neighbor understands not what he buys when he is willing to put off his devotion upon every trivial worldly business that comes in his way and to create business rather than obey the checks of his Conscience that chides him for not minding his spiritual Concerns more When he is loth to do acts of Charity because he hath a Wife and Family to maintain and is afraid he may want himself When he thinks that Piety may procure Poverty and strictness of life may lose him his Customers and following the ways of God may make his acquaintance leave him and that to be idle in his shop is better than reading or meditating or employing his mind in contemplations of Gods goodness and mercy and the various blessings he hath bestow'd upon him When Parents are unwilling to correct and admonish their Children are persuaded to let them take their course abuse others despise those they have a grudge against When they are loth to instruct them in the fear of God loth to initiate them in the love of their faithful Creator are apt to be more angry with their Children and Servants for neglecting their commands than the service of God and apt to be delighted more with their industry and pains in Temporal concerns than with their attempts in the affairs of their everlasting salvation apter to teach them how to maintain the punctilio's of their honour than assert the glory of God and apter to encourage them in vindicating their credit and reputation than in securing their everlasting Treasures or making their Calling and Election sure When Children provided they are able are loth to relieve their Parents loth to administer unto them necessaries if in want unwilling to obey those wholsome counsels which their Parents guided and encourag'd by the Word of God impart to them unwilling to imitate them in their seriousness and heavenly-mindedness are apt to obey their Parents more than God and
errors of their wayes The truth is some are so civil as to send for us when the breath is going out of their body and give us leave to come and teach them what they must do to be sav'd when the Physitian gives them over and they ready to be summon'd to appear before the great Tribunal they are contented we should give them an Epitome of their Duties when they are past working in Gods Vineyard and furnish their minds with thoughts of Heaven and Eternity when their understandings are as weak as their bodies and their inward man as languid and feeble as their outward But there needs no great store of Arguments to convince any rational man That this is meer mocking of God and his Messengers It 's a sign they have a pitiful low esteem of another world who think Heaven worth no more than a feeble thought when they can serve the Devil and sin no longer It 's a sign they look upon eternal glory as some poor beggarly happiness who cannot vouchsafe it a serious look till their eyes grow dim and the Sun and the Moon and the Light and the Stars are darkned Eccl. 12.2 Would they but send for us or come to us while marrow is in their bones and blood brisk and lively in their veins their reason strong and their understanding in its full vigor and glory and advise with us about these everlasting things we would then tell them what eternal life means and how no man can be a man or be said to act with common prudence that doth not with all diligence make his Calling and Election sure we would then let them see how many thousands perish for want of thinking of Eternity We would let them see how miserable those mens condition must needs be who have their portion in this life who after this life must look for nothing else but everlasting chains of darkness We would prove to them that these are not things to be laught at but deserve their most serious contemplations and that the saving of a Soul is not so light a thing as they may imagine We would let them see that the pious Kings and Princes and Philosophers Confessors and Saints and Martyrs of old whose memories we adore were no Fools when they kept under their Bodies and brought them into subjection lest they should become Castawayes when they look'd upon all the losses and troubles and miseries that could befall them for Righteousness sake as things not worthy to be compared with the glory which ere long should be revealed in them when they did not count their own Lives dear for the Gospel of Christ and were ready to pass through the most daring flames to Heaven We would let them see that those men had brains and were men of wisdom and discretion as well as they and living so near the time of Christ and his Apostles could not possibly be ignorant of what was to be done in order to everlasting happiness and if they had not been very confident of the truth of Christs promises and known for certain that without strictness and contempt of the World and watching against Temptations there was no entring into their Masters joy they would never have striven so much to enter in at the strait gate as they did We would let them see how different mens thoughts are when they come to dye from those which they have while they enjoy strength and health and liberty and that a melancholy thought now and then concerning their sinful life is not repentance nor leaving such sins which would blemish their credit and reputation in the World doing whatsoever Christ commands them nor talking now and then of the vanity of the World using the World as if they used it not We would let them see what the Scripture means by working out their salvation with fear and with trembling and how dreadful that saying is If the righteous be scarcely saved where will the wicked and sinner appear We would let them see That the expressions the Holy Ghost uses concerning our Travelling to the Land of Promise imply very great care and industry and do plainly intimate that God will not part with his Heaven to men that do not think it worth seeking or being at any trouble about it We would let them see that if any thing in the World deserves their pains and care Heaven deserves it infinitely more as it is of infinitely greater consequence than the most boundless Empires or Principalities We would let them see that God is no respecter of persons and that as he hath fitted Religion for all mens capacities insomuch that though all cannot be wise or learned or great or rich yet all may obey him and keep themselves unspotted from the World so he will one day summon every man to give an account of his stewardship and bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil We would let them see that what satisfies men now will not give them any great content or satisfaction then and though now some sprinklings of Piety may lull them into good conceits of themselves and of their worth yet these like blown Balls will then be all upon the least touch shatter'd into Atoms By such discourses as these we might by degrees engage them to a serious Consideration of their spiritual Concerns and warm them into resolutions to lay by for some time their Farms and Oxen and ruminate on things which carry so much Terror and Majesty with them And indeed such things were they heard without prejudice they would in some measure confound and startle men in their courses and if they are not given over to a hard heart or to a reprobate mind rouze their spirits into nobler thoughts and contemplations But alas they shun our company except it be to talk of worldly affairs or to ask us about some nice Points of Divinity and are ashamed to make their condition known and to own themselves ignorant of the path that leads to glory They either excuse themselves with this that their Neighbors and their Friends will laugh at them for making Ministers their Oracles or plead that they know as much as the Man of God can teach them would God they did and that all the Lords People were Prophets But if they did is there not some difference between knowing these sacred Truths and having them set home upon the Conscience That shall stick in a familiar discourse which in reading we take no notice of and a word in private conference may drop from a holy man and may be spoke with that zeal and honesty as shall strike the Soul into a change or renovation of mind which perhaps many years study or a large stock of knowledge would not have effected so that if the question be ask'd Is there no balm in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recover'd We may truly say
and be healed But what is worse than all this the death of the Son of God which thus instead of mortifying makes sin reign in your mortal bodies will be the greatest witness against you in the last day The stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer against the oppressor saith the Prophet Hab. 2.11 And then sure blood hath a louder voice the blood of a crucified Saviour Hebr. 12.24 will be one day the greatest evidence against you This like oyl will increase your flames and prove the brimstone that shall make the fire blaze the more That Jesus whose Cross thou despisest now will be thy Accuser then and woe to that man that hath the Judge himself for his enemy That dreadful spectacle the Crucifixion of the Lord of Life which cannot engage thy Soul to consider and look upon him whom thou hast pierc'd will be the great Argument then that shall cover thy face with everlasting confusion When thou shalt see in that day the spirits of men made perfect the men in white who have wash'd their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb when thou shalt reflect on their happiness a happiness which thou mightst have had as well as they if that blood could have persuaded thee to cleanse thy self from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit how will thine eyes flow with tears to think what strong delusions thou hast lay'n under in thinking that this blood was only spilt that thou mightest wallow more freely in the mire The Lamb which was slain from the foundation of the world and came to take away thy sins as well as thy Neighbors only thou wouldst not be clean That Lamb I say as harmless as its looks are now will then change his aspect and thou that now thinkst a Lamb can be nothing but kind wilt then find by woful experience that there is such a thing as the indignation and wrath of the Lamb. CHAP. V Of the various Mischief's arising from Neglect of Consideration The want of it prov'd to be the Cause of most Sins Some Instances are giuen in Atheism Vnbelief Swearing Pride Carelesness in Gods Service Lukewarmness Couetousness c. FRom what hath been said we may safely draw this Conclusion That want of Consideration is the unhappy spring from which most of the miseries and calamities of Mankind flow Indeed God Isa. 5.12 13. makes this the great reason Why his people were gone into Captiuity why their honourable men were famish'd and their multitude dryed up with thirst why Hell had enlarged herself and open'd her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp descended into it It 's the want of it which in all Ages hath procur'd Gods judgments which by Consideration might have been stopt and prevented Had Adam improv'd his solitariness in the Garden of Eden into serious Consideration of the Nature of the Precept his Master gave him and reflected on the wisdom of the Supreme Law-giver that made it on the immense bounty his great Benefactor had crown'd him withall on the abominable ingratitude he would make himself guilty of by breaking so reasonable an Injunction Had he but recollected himself when tempted to eat of the dangerous fruit under a pretence that it would open his eyes and make him wise as God and thought that the Creator of Heaven and Earth knew best what degree of wisdom and knowledge became a creature of his quality and condition and that he that was all love and beauty and kindness would not have interdicted him that fruit if the food might have any way advanc'd his happiness and that therefore there must be some cheat in the Temptation That the Angels which were lately thrown down from their glory could not but envy the felicity he enjoyed and for that reason would appear in all manner of shapes and try a thousand wayes to weaken the favor of God towards him and that it was without all peradventure the safest way to prefer an express command before an uncertain suggestion Had his mind taken a view of such Arguments as these of the uninterrupted prosperity and immortality he was promis'd upon his obedience it 's not the Charms or Rhetorick or soft language of a Wife nor the subtilty of a Serpent nor the pretended Omniscience the Devil flatter'd him withall would have made him leave that happy state which the infinite goodness of Heaven had plac'd him in But while he suffers the pleasure of a Garden to transport his Soul and to blind it fears no ill no mischief no danger among the Roses and Flowers of Paradice embraces the deceitful suggestion without examining the cause the manner or the end of it swallows the fatal bait without chewing believes a Wife and a Beast without considering the consequence of the fact and inquires not how God may resent his curiosity he falls into death and misery and drags all his Posterity after him Had the Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah reflected like rational Men on the Reproofs and Admonitions of righteous Lot consider'd the kindness of the Almighty in sending them such a Preacher and thought with themselves That sure it could not be the Preachers interest to set himself against their Vices That except Conscience and a Divine Commission had prompted him to attempt their Reformation it was not probable he would enrage a debauched City against himself and make himself obnoxious to the fury of the People That the righteous Man spake nothing but reason and sought nothing but their good That Gods patience would certainly be tired ere long and his long-suffering turn into vengeance That the fire of their Lust would shortly pull down other fire and the heat of their unclean desires break into more consuming flames That God would not alwayes put up affronts nor suffer his methods to reclaim them to be baffled everlastingly That they could not hope to escape Gods indignation no more than the men of the first world and when their sins were equal Gods judgments would overtake them as well as they did their Brethren That God could intend them no harm by calling them to Repentance and being the great Preserver of Men could not but design their interest and happiness Had they suffered their thoughts to dwell on such truths as these made such Considerations familiar to their Souls they would have melted and humbled themselves and kept back that fire and brimstone which afterwards consumed them Want of Consideration made them secure in sin and that security prepared for their devastation Indeed there is no sin almost but is committed for want of Consideration Men consider not what sin is nor how loathsom it is to that God who carries them on his wings as the Eagle doth her young nor what injury they do to their own Souls nor what the dreadful effects and consequences of it are and that makes them supine and negligent of their duty To
Man or can I spend too much time in commemorating so glorious a Favour when God allows me six dayes in the week to follow the business of my lawful Calling cannot I allow one day entire for his service Are the concerns of my Soul so trivial that they do not deserve one day in the week or is Salvation so easy a thing that to spend much time in the contrivance of it is altogether needless I can allow a whole day sometimes two or three for the recreation of my Body and must my Soul have none to feast it self upon God and endless Glory Alas how little do those flashes of contemplating God in the week days which are so often interrupted by worldly businesses warm the Soul how little are mens affections wrought upon by those sits of Devotion except they take a whole day to warm their Souls at the beams of the Sun of Righteousness Alas How little seriousness doe I see in those Families where this day is not Religiously spent where every person is permitted to use their liberty and where the publick Exercises in the Church are not seconded by private Discourses and Prayers and Celebrations of the goodness of God where is my self-denial if I cannot deny my self in my worldly discourses or thoughts one day how can I hope my Spiritual wants and necessities should ever be discover'd to me except I do in my closet apply what I have heard in the House of God and water the incorruptible Seed that is sown in my Heart by self-examination that it may grow and sprout and bear Fruit O the joy the comfort the satisfaction I might reap from the sincere sanctification of this day how quietly might I lye down at night after so sweet a converse with God all day how soft would my rest be having worked in God's Vineyard so many hours how joyfully might I rise next morning and comfort my self with the happy remembrance of the blessings my Soul hath receiv'd the day before Thus to observe and to improve this day would be a Prologue to my everlasting rest a Preface to my Eternal repose in Abraham's bosom a Presage that I should e'r long rest from all Tears and sorrow and pain and anguish and from all the temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and be admitted into the Quire of Angels to praise him day and night who lives for ever and ever In this manner all other Duties may be compass'd the Beauty Glory usefulness of them thus spread before the Understanding Will and Affections are apt to work upon these Faculties and they being prevail'd upon the Eyes the Ears the Hands the Feet will quickly do their part and shew their readiness to obey the commands of their superior Officers II. It helps men to improve external objects into very comfortable contemplations When I take a view of the Sun and Moon and Stars or reflect on the Air Fire Earth and Water Consideration may furnish me with very excellent Truths and the noblest Lessons of Religion Consideration can metamorphose objects and spiritualize them and find out the secret designs of the Almighty in those Creatures which the sensual man looks upon and like a Beast passes by without any admiration for after this manner it may argue Take wings O my Soul fly up to yonder Heaven where the Almighty hath set a Tabernacle for the Sun which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber and rejoyces as a Giant to run his race Behold how this glorious Planet when he rises revives every living thing with his kindly beams and will not the increated Sun from whom this bright star borrows his shining rays when he shall rise unto the Spirits of Men made perfect in the last day fill them all with unspeakable joy and gladness and as a dismal uncomfortable darkness succeds when this created Sun doth leave our Hemisphere so think how dreadful how full of horror and disconsolateness that darkness must be which must unavoidably fall on wretched impenitent sinners that would take no warning when the increated Sun shall withdraw from them his beatifical Presence for ever behold this created Sun how many thousand kindnesses it bestowes upon Mankind and doth not this put thee in mind of the Father of Lights from whom every good and perfect Gift descends how much bigger is this shining Body than the whole Earrh and dost not thou remember how before thy God all Mankind are as Grashoppers or rather as the dust of the Ballance nay lighter than nothing and vanity The Sun that he may enlighten the whole World is forced to go from one place to another but thy God at one and the same time without moving his station can fill Heaven and Earth with his Glory Behold O my Soul the next great Light the Moon which the nearer it approaches the Sun the brighter it grows in that part which looks toward Heaven though it becomes darker in that part which looks towards the Earth and when it is opposite to the Sun looses all that brightness it had in its conjunction with the Sun and is only clouded in that part which respects this lower World and dost not thou see a very lively emblem of a converted and an unconverted sinner in this luminary Behold the nearer thou approachest the Sun of Righteousness in purity and holiness the greater luster and the greater happiness thou receivest the Inhabitants of Heaven behold thy brightness and Innocence and applaud it though sensual Men may be think thee all darkness all obscurity because thou dost not wallow in Works of darkness with them they may be look upon thee as mad and distracted because thou art so busy so earnest so zealous to please thy God and spendest so much time in praising and magnifying and glorifying of him but those that dwell in yonder Region of Light and Bliss know that then and not till then thou art master of thy Reason and dost act like a person that 's capable of being made partaker of the Divine Nature On the other side when thou turnest thy back upon God walk'st opposite and contrary to him whatever respect and credit thou may'st have from the World God and his Holy Angels look upon thee as darkness thy understanding which is that part which properly looks towards Heaven looses all its brightness and no marvel for God alone can satisfy it and he being gone that part must needs be perfect night and no marvel if upon this darkness thy love runs altogether for the world and thy affections are altogether carried out after the dross and Dung of this transitory Earth if thy thoughts are all engaged about the World all thy Speeches employ'd about the World and thou becom'st Wise for the World and loosest all thy wisdom for God and for Salvation O my Soul canst thou look upon the Sun and Moon and not remember how differently God deals with Triumphing Saints in Heaven and his militant Church here on
it if thou art not heartily resolv'd to part with it why dost thou complain what makes thee cry out O wretched creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death what makes thee wish that what thou hast done against God were undone what makes thee afraid of offending God why dost thou weep why dost thou watch against thy corruptions what makes thee angry with thy self for displeasing God what makes thee breathe and pant after Christ as the wounded Hart pants after the Water-brooks what makes Christ so sweet and sin so bitter to thee what makes thee asham'd of looking up to Heaven whence is it that all the preferment and riches of this World cannot tempt thee to sin wilfully whence is it that thou delightest not in the company of sinners but thy delight is chiefly in them that fear the Lord If these be not signes of Grace what character of mercy wouldst thou have hath not thy God said that he 'l love those that do love him if thou lov'st him not why art thou restless till thou enjoyest him if thou lovest him not why dost thou desire him why art thou willing to follow him through misery and the greatest troubles to be forever with him thou hast infirmities to wrestle withal but hath not thy God promis'd thee that he 'll bruise Satan under thy feet shortly thou canst not totally master such a corruption but dost not thou fight against it thou meetest with temptations but dost not thou grapple with them Satan follows thee but dost not thou resist him thy Conscience terrifies thee but hast not thou the Cross of Christ to fly to if God had a mind to kill thee would he have shewn thee all these things if God were gone from thee would not his Spirit be gone too if thou hast not the Spirit of God what mean thy longings after God what means thy love to a Spiritual life why dost thou pray so earnestly for the fruit of the Spirit why art thou altogether for a clean Heart and for renewing of a right Spirit within thee are not these signs that Gods Spirit warms thy affections and makes intercession for thee with groanings which cannot be uttered God seems to go away that thou mayst cry more earnestly after him and clouds his comforts that thou mayst sue for them with greater importunity he lets thee sink a little that thou mayst cry with a louder voice Lord save me or else I perish and falls asleep in the Ship that thou mayst take the greater pains to wake him He sees thou grow'st weary of his favour he therefore darkens it that thou mayst be at some trouble to recover it and having recover'd it set a greater price upon 't he withdraws himself for awhile that at his return thy joy may be fuller and bids his gracious influences stop awhile that when they flow in upon thee again they may fill all thy faculties with greater gladness thou canst not perform thy Duties with that alacrity and chearfulness thou desir'st but hast not thou reason to bless God that thou dost in good earnest desire to doe better was Heaven purchas'd in a moment or Sin conquer'd in an hour is not the way to life a race where men must run on till they reach the mark Go on O my Soul go on the farther thou proceedest in Gods ways the sweeter thou wilt find them the more thou strivest the more thou'lt conquer and the oftner thou dost address thy self to God the more thy dullness and weariness will vanish and the more thou lookest upon the everlasting recompence the greater mind thou wilt have to go on from strength to strength O my Soul hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God IV. It disposes a man to be a worthy receiver of the Lords Supper Indeed I doe not see how without it a man can receive any benefit by that blessed Sacrament for it being an Ordinance designed chiefly to impregnate the Soul with very strong longings and breathings after a crucified Saviour with a deep sense of the incomprehensible 1ove of God in Christ Jesus and with earnest resolutions to love and to obey him before all the dictates of Flesh and Bloud and of our carnal Interest it is not to be conceiv'd which way the Soul should arrive to all this without considering the end nature and advantages of this Sacrament and its probable a man may then be affected with this sublime mystery when he rowzes his Soul some such way as this Dost thou rightly understand O my Soul what this great and tremendous Ordinance means Behold thou art going to feast with that God who stretches out the Heavens like a Curtain and layes the beams of this chambers in the waters and makes the clouds his chariot and rideth upon the wings of the wind What Feast with so Glorious a God and come without a Wedding-Garment What Sup with him who dwelleth in the Heavens and not purify thy self even as he is pure Can two walk together except they be agreed what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness What concord hath Christ with Belial What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the great Ordinance O my Soul which must either promote thy everlasting happiness or aggravate thy everlasting condemnation how happy mayst thou be if this Sacrament charms thee into a fervent love to thy dear Redeemer but how wilt thou escape if thou neglect so great a Salvation Here are the greatest engagements the greatest motives to a life as becomes the Gospel of Christ here God adjures thee to use the words of the Church By Christs agony and bloody sweat by his cross and passion by his death and burial to bury thy unclean desires and inordinate affections and to dedicate thy self and all thou hast to his service Here is represented the greatest love that ever was vouchsafed to men here the Son of God appears all bloudy to fright thee from thy sins here Christ is as it were crucified before thine eyes that looking upon him whom thou hast pierc'd Thou mayest mourn as one that mourns for his onely Son Here Christ appears laden with all the blessings of Heaven here the ever-blessed Trinity seems to use its utmost endeavours to perswade thee into a Heavenly conversation here the desert of sin is discover'd in the wounds and torments of an infinite God and hither thou comest O my Soul to renew thy Baptismal vow hither thou comest to enter into a solemn Covenant with God and faithfully to promise him to resign thy self entirely to him to fall out with him no more to defile thy Garments no more to dishonour to betray him no more to be faithful to him to vindicate his Glory to esteem his friends as thy friends and his enemies as thy enemies and to live up to those laws which he hath sealed with his
Love and consequently of being too Religious art thou afraid of being too much enamoured with this Jesus art thou afraid that the sight of his broken Body will break thy Heart too much art thou afraid that the sight of his effused Bloud will make thee pour out too many Tears and Prayers and Praises of his Love considering how dull how dead thou art thou hadst need come frequently to the Cross to have thy Affections suppled and softned with this precious Bloud how frail is thy memory and hadst not thou need of refreshing it often with the sight of Christs incomprehensible love art thou afraid of renewing thy Repentance thy Faith thy Hope thy Charity too often The oftner thou dost resort to this blessed communion the greater will be thy acquaintance with thy best of friends the greater sense thou wilt get of the need and want of him the greater encouragement thou wilt find to imitate him in his Holiness Meekness Patience and Humility and the greater assurance thou wilt get of his Love and Favour and Pardon and everlasting Mercy and are these Blessings to be scorn'd and undervalu'd thou pretendest want of preparation but whose fault is it that thou art not prepar'd what can hinder thee from preparation but love to sin and shall love to a sensual careless life hinder thee from laying hold of the greatest Treasure will this Plea hold when thou shalt appear before the great Tribunal O my Soul this is to excuse sin by sin and to despise God's Ordinance because thou despisest his commands and how will this aggravate thy folly one day and fill thee with shame and horror O play not with everlasting mercy let not business hinder thee from advancing thy Spiritual and Eternal interest Remember what became of the men that pretended they had Farms to see and Oxen to try and Wives to marry when they were invited to the Supper of the Lamb canst thou think of the protestation of the Master of the Feast against these stubborn wretches and not conclude thy fate by their being excluded from Gods Favour forever if it be a sense of thy own vileness and unworthiness that keeps thee away thou mistakest and misrepresentest the goodness of thy Lord and Master No persons more welcome at this Table than the humble and broken-hearted none meet with a more favourable reception than the poor in Spirit these the Crucified Jesus prays for on his Cross Father forgive them and the everlasting Father hears and saith to them Be of good chear your sins are forgiven you V. It prepares a man for an Angelical life here on Earth for he that frequently considers and contemplates the Joyes the Triumphs the Scepters the Crowns the Diadems of yonder Kingdom the everlasting Love and Peace and Satisfaction which Angels and glorified Saints enjoy cannot but think himself during that consideration in Heaven and participating of that content and happiness which is possessed by the general Assembly of the First-born which are written in Heaven Indeed this is to make Earth a Heaven and to change this Wilderness into a Paradise a Closet into the Seat of Glory and a Desart into those Regions of Bliss and Happiness How like an Angel may that Man live that is often engaged in such considerations as these Heaven what do I hear Heaven the harbor of all laden and wearied Souls Heaven the end of all my sorrow and miseries Heaven the Port I have been sailing to these many years Heaven the inheritance of those that keep themselves uspotted from the World Heaven the rest of Gods Servants and the habitation of the Mourners in Sion Heaven the great mark of my Desires the anchor of my Hope the foundation of my Confidence Heaven the University where we shall know even as we are known how undisturb'd how quiet do all the Inhabitants of those blessed Mansions live there rest those Saints who were made as the filth of the World and as the off-scouring of all things how different are the thoughts of God from those of the World these men the world regarded not behold God remembers them and when he makes up his Jewels spares them as a man would spare his own Son that serves him There rests that Mary Magdalen that stood behind Christ at his feet weeping and washed his Feet with her Tears and did wipe them with the hair of her Head and kiss'd them and anointed his Head with ointment There rests that Lazarus who desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table There rest that David that made his Bed to swim and water'd his Couch with his Tears There rests all the Prophets of old who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtain'd Promises stopp'd the mouths of Lions quench'd the violence of the Fire escap'd the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong wax'd valiant in fight turn'd to slight the Arms of the Aliens There rest all those Souls that look'd for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of their Saviour Jesus Christ. There rests all those Martyrs and Confessors that were ready not only to suffer but to dye also for the name of the Lord Jesus There they rest encircled with an Eternal calm There they rest incompass'd with an innumerable company of Angels There they rest surrounded with the Gracious Presence of a merciful God There they rest from all the calumnies and slanders of this poor envious world There they rest from all Darkness in Eternal Light and in the beams of the Sun of Righteousness forever Awake O my Soul awake advance into yonder regions of Glory retire into yonder Paradise leave this world and goe higher let thy thoughts transcend the Sun and Moon and Stars get before the Throne of God take a view of the still waters whereof the vast Armies of Glorified Spirits drink where they are there are no Wolves no Tygers no Bears no Lions as in this barren wilderness in those happy shades is no noise but that of Halelujahs no discontent no War no dissentions inhabit there there all agree there Ephraim is no more against Manasse nor Manasse against Ephraim nor they both against Juda but all are delighted with the everlasting Glory and Love of God there they hunger and thirst no more Wonderful change Here O my Saul thou art ever thirsting after God as the dry Land thirsteth after water there thou shalt be satisfied with him to all Eternity here thou longest after the hidden Manna there it will never be taken from thee here like Solomons Bride by night on thy Bed thou seekest him who is altogether lovely there his Beauty and Presence will ravish thee for ever Here though thy desires after the Blessings of Gods left hand be subordinate to thy desires after spiritual Mercies and thy esteem of God preponderates and is higher than thy esteem of any outward felicities yet while so nearly allied to Sense thou canst not so abandon Nature as to
have no longings at all after external comforts and conveniencies but in Heaven all perishing sublunary objects are forgotten there those Friends and Relations those Children those Honours those Riches which too often made too great an encroachment on thy Love will be no attractives there thou wilt be contented without Bread satisfied without Drink the want of Cloaths will not trouble thee thou wilt have nobler friends than Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters to converse withal nobler Food than the Delicacies of this world nobler attire than Silk or the softest Down can make there will be no need of contriving how to get a livelyhood Palaces will not tempt thee Gardens will not entice thee Gold will not dazle thee the greatness of the world will affect thee no more than Pebles the glittering Diamond will make no impressions on thee and all thy wants and necessities will be fully supplyed by an immortality of Joy and Glory Here the warm Sun of Prosperity makes thee sometimes forget and neglect the great work of thy Salvation makes thee apt to grow weary of Fasting and Prayer and mortification and self-denial and apt to yield unto Satans temptations but there the tempter must tempt thee no more he dares not fully those Christalline Walks with his steps he dares not come near that Holy place it 's past his skill how to incommode or molest a glorified Spirit Here often like Jonas thou fittest rejoycing under the Gourd or Vine and while thou art solacing thy self the Gourd withers and the Sun scorches thy Body and thou growest faint there this annoyance will have an end there thou wilt live above the Sun and that which is now thy Ceiling shall be then thy Footstool On Earth when Christ is pleased to communicate himself unto thee it s here a little and there a little and he gives thee but sprinklings of his Grace for while thou art in this Tabernacle of Flesh thou art not capacious enough to receive or entertain that stupendious Light in its full vertue and Power and Majesty but when thy Vessel of Clay thy Body shall be shatter'd into Dust and Atomes and thou shalt be freed from thy Prison and live like thy self all Understanding all Intellect all Spirits the Sun that shines in the highest Heavens and irradiates the Throne of God even the Lord Jesus Christ will then reveal himself to thee in his full splendor and Glory thine Eyes will then be strong enough to look upon that glorious and immense Globe of Light and thou shalt be like unto the Angels of God thy extravagant passions will then cease forever thy grief thy sorrows will have no admittance into those Seats of Bliss thou 'lt be refined then from all those turbulent motions which do now so often discompose thy rest Here the death of a near Relation troubles thee there thou wilt be above all trouble and vexation here thine anger like that of Moses doth often wax hot because thou seest thy God dishonoured and his Commands trampled upon there thou wilt see no such dismal sights here a sin thou fallst into against thy will makes thee wish for rivers of Tears there thy grief will be buried in eternal exultations there thy passions will all be calm'd and like water after a storm look smooth and quiet there will be no disorder in thy affections but like a Quire of tuneable Voices they 'l meet in everlasting harmony there no affliction must come after thee Here with Moses thy Body may be thrown into the Water with Joseph cast into prison with Shadrach Meschek and Abednego flung into a fiery Furnace with Daniel hurried into a Lions Den stoned with the Prophets crucified with St. Peter thrown down from a Precipice with St. James cast into a Kettle of boyling Oil with St. John thrust through with a Lance as St. Thomas bound to a tree with St. Andrew flead with S. Bartholomew burnt with Polycarp torn by wild Beasts with Ignatius in all which afflictions thou canst not but sympathize with thy individual companion for it 's by thee that thy Body feels the torments it endures but in that Heaven that glorious Heaven no Enemy can reach thee no Devil fright thee no storm surprize thee no Monarch frown on thee no sickness break thee no distemper crush thee no age waste thee no danger shake thee no Tyrant threaten thee no Lions meet thee no Tyger tear thee no Sword pierce thee no publick commotions startle thee the Sun shall not light on thee nor any heat for thou art secure under the shadow of the Almighties wings for ever The Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed thee by his everlasting saciety here it is A little while and you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me but there with open face and without a glass thou wilt look upon his Majesty for ever here Christ comes and departs there he will never remove out of thy sight there his everlasting love will support thee there his kindness will be subject to Clouds and Eclipses no more there thou wilt not be able to turn thy Eyes away from him This is that Lamb that will give thee to drink of his everlasting Springs Springs which can never be drawn dry Springs which can no more decay than the Son of God decays he is the everlasting Fountain of Delight and in this Fountain thou shalt bathe and recreate thy self forever his Attributes his Kingdom his Beauty shall charm and ravish thee for ever there thou shalt be in an everlasting extasie of joy there thou wilt not need to cry out with St. Bernard Hold Lord for my heart is not able to contain those joys which thou dost so liberally pour out upon me that everlasting Fountain of joy and content and satisfaction shall both fill and enable thee to bear that fulness of joy and light which shall then appear unto thee the remembrance of Christs merits and benefits and what Christ hath done for thee will then transport thee into everlasting Praises and Celebrations of his Goodness Songs as endless as thy duration will be The Rivers that water that Garden of God shall be a perpetuum mobile running and flowing to all Eternity In this Paradise are living no standing waters when millions of ages are past thy Glory shall be still green and lively and after many thousands of years thy happiness like Aaron's Rod shall bud and blossom and bear Fruit. O my Soul when that inexhaustible Fountain fades then and not till then need'st thou be afraid that thy delights will fade there God will put an end to all thy Tears what Rhetorick can reach the favour the Tears thou didst shed for sin the Tears which a deep sense of thy Spiritual poverty did force from thee the Tears which Tribulation and Anguish did command from thine Eyes these will all then be wash'd away How amiable are thy Tabernacles Lord God of
Hosts my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God when shall I come to appear before thee when shall I shake off this clogg of the flesh and praise thee day and night in thy Temple when shall I be freed from this Earth and Dross and do thy Will O my God without Lett or Interruption O my Soul dost thou believe such a Heaven where no good shall be absent and canst thou be hunting after the husks and empty shells of sensual pleasure how little do the Inhabitants of that New Jerusalem mind the pomp and grandeur of this world they have nobler objects to mind and more delightful employments to take up their minds and thoughts didst thou live more in this Heaven O my Soul how wouldst thou look down upon this Earth as an inconsiderable trifle how little wouldst thou regard what man can do unto thee how contentedly mightst thou part with all that the world counts dear and precious for Christ his sake as knowing that there is laid up for thee the Crown of Righteousness which the Righteous Judge will give to thee one day and not only to thee but to all those that love his appearance Look upon the Primitive Martyrs O my Soul they broyled in Flames but loo'kd upon that Heaven and smiled St. Stephen hath a thousand Stones flying about his Ears but looks upon that Heaven and the Glory of God appears upon his face Abraham sojourns in the Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob but looks for a City which hath foundation and goes on triumphing Moses suffers affiiction with the people of God but hath respect unto the recompence of reward and esteems the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the Treasures of Egypt The Apostles are scourged and beaten for the testimony of Jesus but look upon this Heaven and depart from the Council rejoycing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus St. Paul five times of the Jews receives forty stripes save one thrice is he beaten with rods once he is stoned thrice he suffers shipwrack a night and a day he is in the deep in journeyings often in cold and nakedness but what ails the Man he sings his heart dances for joy under all these troubles O my Soul he saw he saw that his light affliction which was but for a moment would work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory O my God give me but my portion in this Heaven and I desire no more Come what will come Sword Fire Imprisonment Hunger Thirst Nakedness Disgrace Reproach Perils by Sea and Perils by Land Enemies Devils Friends Poverty Sickness Exile c. Here is a Jewel will counterballance all O give me but a room in that great House made without hands Eternal in the Heavens and then cut burn torture and afflict let storms and tempests come I 'll fight against them with my Title to that Inheritance which fades not away this shall quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil this shall bear up my Head above water this shall hush all my discontented thoughts this shall be my refuge in a storm my hiding place in flames my portion in poverty my pillow in great anguish my liberty in prison my cordial in temptations my Elixir in a swound my prop when I stumble my Laurel when it thunders my Rock in persecution my Safeguard in destruction my Light in the midst of darkness my Goshen in this Egypt my Ship under the fiercest Billows my Shield when I am assaulted my Helmet when I am in danger my encouragement when I do resist my Crown when I conquer my Manna in the Wilderness my Food in the Desart my Rose to smell to in a Dungeon my Guide in my journey my Pole-Star in my voyage my Staff in my Pilgrimage my Song in my misery my All when Death and Hell conspire unto my ruine VI. It makes a man prudent and discreet in secular affairs and businesses Consideration as it is a very great improvement of Mans Reason so it cannot but be very useful to him in governing his secular affairs with discretion Consideration makes a man master of his Reason and that man must needs act more wisely that hath his reason at command than he that makes it a slave to every flattering passion and since it is confessed that the fear of God hath that influence upon all humane affairs that it disposes a man to a wise and prudential management of them Consideration must of necessity be of the same Virtue and Efficacy for this fear of God is the immediate product of Consideration I deny not but men wise in Spiritual are not always so in Temporal concerns for either their scrupulous Consciences or fear of having their hearts carried out too much after the world or their giving themselves wholly to Heavenly employments may make them careless and unmindful of things belonging to this world but still in its nature and tendency this circumspection in things which concern a Christians Soul is able to shed wisdom and discretion into his carriage and behaviour to things which appertain to this present life hence from a man who seriously considers he hath a Soul to be saved you may expect great order in his Family a prudent foresight of dangers and a moderate care to shun them great temper in discourse and exact justice in his dealings and rendring to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honor to whom Honor as the Apostle's phrase is Rom. 13. 7. In all probability it was the attentive consideration of his Spiritual concerns that made David both valiant and prudent in matters as he is call'd 1 Sam. 16. 18. and to what can we ascribe Joseph's and Daniel's discreet Government of themselves and their secular affairs but to that Piety and Goodness which by long and serious consideration they had setled in their Breasts When 〈◊〉 mans wayes please the Lord he makes even his very enemies to be at peace with him i. e. He doth not only by an extraordinary providence turn their hearts towards him but infuses wisdom and discretion into his Soul so to behave himself towards his enemies that they cannot but bury their hatred and return to their former friendship and civility Prov. 16. 7. He that considers his ways with reference to his Eternal state and condition his ways cannot but please the Lord and such wisdom if he stand not in his own light will surely fall to his share and hereof we need no other proof but common experience The man who truly minds his everlasting interest and so considers the account he must give to God when this life is ended as to provide for that great and dreadful Audit thinks himself obliged to use what cautiousness he can that he may not wrong
his God his Soul and his Neighbor and this cautiousness cannot but make him prudent in his Secular Vocation hence such a man hath commonly his Wife Children and Servants in better order than other men and mingles that sweetness and kindness with his gravity or severity that they may have encouragement to love him and dread offending a far greater Master in Heaven there is not that discontent that emulation that ill language that backbiting that luxury that extravagance that tumult in such a mans Family as is to be observed in Houses where little of God and Eternity is regarded Such a person spends in his house no more but what is decent and convenient and so provides for those of his own Houshold as not to forget doing good to the Levite and to the Widow and to the Fatherless his Speech is commonly with Grace seasoned with Salt full of meekness and gravity and therefore less offensive and he takes heed that it may not be laid to his charge that he hath bestow'd more to feed his pride and luxury than Christs distressed members and in publick affairs or places of great Trust such a man as minds first Heaven and then Earth usually discovers far greater wisdom in management of State affairs than those who first mind Earth and Heaven when they have nothing else to do for his Principles lead him so to carry himself to man as not to affront his God and to advise his King to nothing but what is truly great and glorious and beneficial for the Realm he governs and as a Prince may confide in such a person more than in a sensual Man so he hath reason to believe that all things will prosper better in his hand than in the others because he first seeks the Honour of God and then the happiness of his King and the Honour of that Nation he is a member of which is a thing so pleasing to God that there is nothing more frequent with him than to bless such honest endeavours and to crown them with success and prosperity And certainly he that can consider how to keep himself from the everlasting evil may with greater ease prevent temporal mischief and danger which depend upon the imprudence of his actions he that can row against the Stream may with greater facility row with it he that can chearfully goe up the Hill will find no great difficulty in going down he that can do that which his Nature hath more than ordinary aversion from may more easily doe that which his nature hath a strong byass and inclination to and he whose mind will serve him to turn away the ever-burning wrath of Almighty God cannot want judgement and prudence to prevent the wrath and anger of those men he converses withal and he that can by serious consideration make sure of a Seat in Heaven cannot want power to consider how to manage the Estate God hath given him in this world to Gods Glory and his neighbors good and though men that are very considerate in their Soul concerns doe not always use that prudence we have mention'd in the concerns of this present world yet it is sufficient that if they will make use of that light and those arguments which their reason thus improved by consideration doth furnish them withal they may most certainly arrive to this wisdom and discretion in secular concerns and businesses which we have been speaking of Indeed it 's very rational that he that exercises his reason much and examines the nature ends causes circumstances and consequences of things as he must do that seriously considers the things that belong unto his everlasting peace should arrive to more than ordinary wisdom in other things and that he that 's prudent in the greater should be able to proceed prudentially in lesser matters that he who is faithful in much should be faithful in a little also and that he who is just in the true Riches should be very just in the Mammon of unrighteousness too as we read Luk. 16. 10 11. CHAP. VII A pathetical Exhortation to men who are yet strangers to a serious religious life to consider their ways wilfulness of their neglect how dangerous it is How inexcusable they are how inhumane to God and their own Souls How reasonable God's requests are and how justly God may turn that power of consideration he hath given them into blindness and hardness of heart since they make so ill a use of it c. ANd now Reader whoever thou art that doest yet wallow or allow thy self in any known sin and art not sincerely resolved to close with the terms of Christs Eternal Gospel let me adjure thee by the mercies of God not to reject or superciliously to despise what here we have propos'd As thou art a man and owest civility to all creatures that have the signature of man upon them be but so kind and civil to this Discourse as to allow it some serious thoughts Either thou hast a rational Soul or thou hast not if thou hast let me entreat thee by the Bowels of Jesus to consider whether this present world be all the Sphere that God intended it should move in If it be not and if how to secure the happiness of the world to come be the chief thing this thy Soul is designed for why wilt thou frustrate God in his expectation why wilt thou goe contrary to all creatures and not prosecute the end for which thy Soul was made and shed into thy Body That there is such a thing as a life to come and an Eternity of joy and torment the one promised to a strict and Heavenly conversation the other threaten'd to a loose and careless or sensual life cannot be call'd into question by him that shall impartially reflect upon the premisses it 's certain the things which concern that other life are not discover'd by our sences and therefore thou canst not hope to be affected with them that way It 's thy reason only that can and must apprehend that future state and so apprehend it as to work upon thy affections But which way is it possible thy reason should so apprehend it as to fright thee from thy evil courses except it be improv'd by consideration Sinner I do here in the presence of God conjure thee by all that 's Good and Holy by the interest and welfare of thine own Soul by all the Laws of self-interest by the Revelations of the Son of God by all that God ever did for Mankind by that love which transcends the understandings of Men and Angels by the groans of those miserable Souls which are now in Hell by all the joys of Paradice by the testimony of thine own conscience by all the motions of God's Spirit in thy Heart by all the mercies thou dost receive from Heaven by that allegiance thou owest to God by that Faithfulness thou owest to thine own Soul I do most seriously conjure thee to tell me whether thou art not able to
your Entreaties if your Intercessions can prevail with God O help help for I perish in this gulph Plead with your God sollicite for me at the Throne of Grace double treble your cryes and supplications try whether God will have mercy on me who have had no mercy on my self I am frighted I am troubled on every side I would stab my self and cannot dye and must not escape and dare not pity pity a poor miserable worm will none relieve me doe all forsake me doe Men and Angels leave me is there no body to speak comfort to me is there no door for Consolation open are all the avenues to mercy shut Hear hear ye Inhabitants of Heaven are you deaf to my groans are you grown strangers to compassion where is your wonted clemency will no repentance touch the Heart of God will no sorrow move him will no anguish melt him where is that Joshua that prayed for the Suns standing still and it stood still in the midst of Heaven hath he no Prayer left to stop my calamity and to give a truce to my torments where is that Elijah that pray'd that there might be no rain and there came no rain for three years and six months and cannot he pray that this fire may goe out A thousand such cries will then be in vain Consideration now would most certainly prevent those cryes this would represent the groans of those wretches in that dismal prison in such lively characters to thy mind that thou wouldst be restless till thou didst get into the strait-way that leads to life and art not thou ready to embrace it what Fiend what Enemy what Devil what Charm quenches the fire of thy resolutions Dost thou own God for thy Creator and Governor one that hath greater reason to command thee than thy Prince or Master or Parents and dost thou refuse to obey him Dost thou believe that what ever is in man and can challenge obedience is more eminently in God and dost thou scruple to comply with his Will wilt thou prove a Rebel to thy Prince a prodigal Son to thy Father an unfaithful Servant to the best of Masters why shouldst not thou trust God with thy Soul why shouldst not thou run at his call what is it sinner that would make thee take thy ways into serious consideration would a miracle do it why thou hast as great reason to believe that those miracles which are recorded in the Gospel to have been wrought for confirmation of Christs sayings were really wrought and perform'd as thou hast to believe the reality of a miracle if thou shouldst see one wrought before thine eyes either thou believest that those miracles were wrought by Christ and his Apostles or thou dost not if thou dost not why dost not thou examine the circumstances to be satisfied if thou dost what need there any more miracles if those miracles will not perswade thee how should a new miracle do it nay how shall we be sure that the sight of a new miracle would work upon thee how soon would time wear out the memory of it and leave thee as careless as it found thee thou feest miraculous providences every day and yet they move thee not that God spares such a rebellious sinful wretch as thou art so long and after so many thousand provocations is a miracle thou seest Water turn'd into Wine every year for the insipid Liquor of the Vine is changed into a different taste thou feest how from a dry Acorn a mighty Tree doth grow which gives protection to Men and Beasts and to the Fowls of the air thou knowest how from that liquid Principle Job doth speak of A man clothed with skin flesh and fenced with bones and sinews rises what mighty miracles would these be if they were not common and yet none of all these stir thy Soul to reflect seriously what thou must doe to be saved Would an audible voice from Heaven doe it why how couldst thou be sure it came from Heaven and should a voice come to thee from the regions of bliss should God vouchsafe thee such a message immediately from the Clouds as this Wash ye make you clean put the evil of your doings from before mine eyes why it would be no more but what God hath said already it might for the present surprize and startle thee a little but if that Precept written cannot work upon thy Soul it 's to be fear'd the Precept spoke from Heaven would make no very lasting impression upon thee Thou art sufficiently assured so assured that a man of reason cannot justly desire better grounds that God hath spoke those words to thee already and if Gods repeating this Duty so often in his Word can do no good what hopes is there that repeated again it would draw thy heart away from sin and from the world would a mans rising from the dead do it Why Christ is risen from the dead and is become the First-fruits of them that slept and he doth with all the protestations that are fit for a God to make assure thee that he that believes not that is shews his Faith by his Works shall be damn'd and would engage thy mind to ruminate upon that threatning and to think which way thou mayst flee and be freed from that destruction he speaks of and why wilt not thou give credit to what he saith nay if thou shouldst see a Spirit the Ghost of one that hath been thy acquaintance formerly a Ghost that should by woeful experience inform thee that those things the Scripture speaks of are undoubtedly true and that God will proceed exactly according to what he hath promis'd and threatned there it would more satisfy thy curiosity than advance thy Piety and the question still may be whether it would satisfy thy curiosity for it s possible thou mayst imagine that it might be a deception of sight and so forget it and slight it and make little of that motive Thou confessest Christs resurrection and why he should not be believed before a Spirit especially when a Spirit could say no more than he hath said I cannot well conceive Sinner who seeth not that all these pretences are like the wishes of sickly men that wish for this or that Fruit for this or that Dish and when it is brought it is so far from curing them that often it makes them worse and increases their distemper who sees not that these are but inventions to give some colour of reason to thy unwillingness to shake off the sins which do so easily beset thee who sees not that these are only arguments suggested by the Devil to keep thy Soul from her true food and nourishment and who is the looser all this while thou wouldst fain impose upon God and make him believe that it is not want of Will but want of Assurance that this serious consideration of thy wayes is necessary that makes thee stand out against it And alas the cheat thou seek'st to put upon God
thou shalt have it a Crown and it shall be thrown into thy bosom a Kingdom and it shall be thine ask all the Treasures of Glory and they shall not be denied thee from this time forward thy name shall be inrolled among the Favourites of Heaven and in thy Soul as in Jacob's Ladder the Angels shall be continually ascending and descending and thy Head like Gideon's Fleece shall be water'd with the dew of Heaven while the unbelieving World shall be dry and all this shall be thine if my Love my Mercy my Kindness can prevail with thee and engage thee to think seriously what thou must do to please God and to be happy for ever O sinner had those who now lye sweltring under the burning wrath of Almighty God such an offer as this how would they leap and triumph and agree to so reasonable a condition and thank God upon their bended knees day and night and praise him without intermission that he will vouchsafe to receive them on no harder terms than these O sinner is thy heart of stone that it doth not dissolve at this Gracious Message Can the Rock hold out against these bowels of compassion poor stubborn wretch were not thy Heart all steel were not thy Conscience seared how couldst thou forbear being prick'd at the heart hadst thou but the least spark of good nature left in thee what might not these Golden Chains these Silken strings these Cords of Love doe with thy immortal Soul The only reasons that the Servants of Benhadad had to humble themselves to the King of Israel was this We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings Sinner hast not thou both heard and seen and seest it to this day that the true King of Israel is a merciful King and will not this prevail with thee to throw thy self down at his feet and kiss his Scepter and consider thy imprudence in deviating so long from the end of thy Creation and Redemption and make thee contented to part with all the strong holds of iniquity within thee and with all imaginations that exalt themselves against the obedience of Christ Jesus O doe not tell me that thou wilt most certainly bethink thy self sometime hereafter when sickness and approaching death shall take thee off from thy worldly businesses Vain foolish man How dost thou know thou shalt live till tomorrow for What is thy life even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away How many thousands are cut off as they are going up the hill in the noon of their days before half their race be run and what Patent hast thou from Heaven that it shall not be thus with thee God laughs at that repentance which men begin when they can keep sin and the world no longer he sees it is forc'd and squeez'd and weak and feeble and will God accept of thy Devotion when thou hast exhausted the cream and marrow of thy Bones in the Devils service How sinner consider thy ways upon thy death-bed Mad man dost thou know what Consideration means the Soul must be in its full strength that considers the sinfulness and sad consequences of her life Doest not thou see how in sickness the Soul sympathizes with the Body how the Mind languishes with the Flesh how weak how feeble the thoughts are upon a Death-bed how the mind is employed with thinking of the pain and anguish and uneasiness of the Body how Mens weakness scarce gives them leave to repeat the Lords Prayer intire without interruption how setling their Estates and disposing of their worldly affairs and sorrow and vexation that they have not managed their secular concerns with greater prudence takes up their cogitations and how transitory and superficial mens thoughts of sin and of another world are except they have gotten a habit of Heavenly-mindedness by a long and constant practice of Holiness in the time of their health and liberty before And doth Salvation deserve no more but a few slight and skin deep reflexions when thou liest a dying Canst thou have such low thoughts of everlasting Glory as to let Consideration of it come behind all the satisfactions of thy flesh Canst thou entertain such pittiful sneaking conceits concerning that mighty Heaven God out of his singular and unparallell'd mercy hath condescended to promise to his Saints as to delay thy contemplations and thy taking a view of it till thy Heart-strings break and thy throat begins to rattle and the House is falling Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Alas when men are a dying the time of working is past that 's the night wherein no man can work that 's the time indeed to reap comfort of our former conscientious practises but not the time to work out our Salvation in that 's the time of rejoycing because our redemption draws nigh not the time of setting out from the Gates of Hell that 's the time to finish our course with joy not the time to begin a Holy life Alas the strength and vigor which must be used in a Heavenly conversation is then gone and men are just upon the point of reckoning with God their accounts must then be ready not to make up so that if thou art not ready now to take thy Spiritual concerns into serious consideration thy heart will be hardened every day more and more and the longer thou livest the less mind thou wilt have to set about it and if thou dost not think it worth thy trouble to spare now and then an hour from thy worldly businesses to mind this one thing necessary thou doest as good as tell God that thou wilt have none of his Heaven and judgest thy self unworthy of Eternal life O Sinner the present time is the day of Salvation this is the acceptable time now strike and thy sins will fall now strive and the Crown will be thine now fall to work and promise thy self Eternal Rest thou canst call no time thine own but the present time that 's only in thine hands make use of that and save thy self from this untoward Generation Extricate thy self from the delusions of the flesh take courage and be gone stay not in Sodom now accept of Mercy now lay up thy Treasure and secure thy right to the Tree of Life now remember thy Creator and God will remember thee when he makes up his Jewels and spare thee as a man would spare his own Son that serves him Hear then this Men Fathers and Brethren the God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent us to you to tell you that his Supper is ready and the doors are open and the Guests are come and yet there is room and that you may fill the room which is left is the message we come to acquaint you withal from him who delights not in the death of a sinner but would have him turn and live Hear this ye
and send his Spirit so to move upon her affections so to actuate her endeavours so to encourage her with promises that it may not lye in the power of the Devil nor in the power of her Lusts to gain-say or contradict or dash the resolutions she hath taken where the Soul doth with strong desires pour out these her requests before God the good Father opens the Gates of Heaven le ts in the Messenger makes him welcome smiles upon him and sends him back laden with Mercy and puts words into his mouth and bids him tell the Soul boldly from that God who heareth Prayer I have heard thee in an acceptable time in the day of Salvation have I succour'd thee I 'll pour out my Spirit upon thee I will open a river in high places and fountains in the midst of valleys I will make thy wilderness a pool of water and thy dry land springs of water I will plant in the wilderness the Cedar and the Myrtle and the Oil-tree I will set in the Desart that thou mayst see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy one of Israel hath created it 2 Cor. 6.2 Es. 41.18 19 20. Up then Christian who art resolved not to let the concerns of thy Soul lye at six and sevens who art afraid to hazard Eternity with the careless besotted world like another Lazarus beg Alms of the King of Heaven Cry aloud and spare not shew him thy wounds thy ulcers thy poverty thy want thy necessity let a greater fervency attend thy Prayer for Spiritual blessings than others use in begging for Temporal Mercies Prayer is the way to be enrich'd with all the Treasures of Heaven seek Gods assistance with tears in thine eyes remember thy Soul is infinitely more precious than thy Body and if a Beggar in the street is so earnest with those that pass by to give him something for the relief of his corporal wants oughtst not thou to be all fire to procure those blessings which will enrich thy Soul for ever Josephs Brethren were pinch'd with Famine because they knew not that their Brother reign'd in Aegypt why shouldst thou starve Christian when thy elder Brother reigns in Heaven who knows what thou wantest and is a faithful High Priest and is touch'd with the feeling of thy infirmities and was in all points tempted even as thou art Come boldly to the throne of Grace that thou mayst obtain mercy and find help in the time of need If God hath done good to others for his servants sake who have pleased him what will not God do for thee for his Sons sake in whom alone he is well pleased if God doth so highly esteem the Piety of Men that he professes for my servant Jacob's sake for my servant David's sake I will be kind to such a one will he derogate dost thou think from the merits and love of his own Son will he harden his heart or stop his ears or turn away his eyes when thou callest upon him for Christs sake to send down upon thee the day-spring from on high Christ is the very object of Gods delight nothing is sweet nothing is pleasing to him but through and in Christ what ever is amiable and acceptable in us it is for Christ his sake that God doth think it so Without light all colours are invisible there is no beauty in them the light shining upon them makes them look lovely and amiable without Christ nothing would appear pure or lovely or great or delightful He that looks on a green Glass fancies all things he looks upon to be green God looking upon our Holy endeavours in Christ Jesus they all appear to him lovely and good because all that Christ did was good and infinitely pleasing to him The world had perish'd ten thousand times if God had not look'd upon it through his Son and so supported it he that looks through a Glass upon a stinking carcass afar off doth not smell the ill scent of it so God through Christ looks upon our imperfections and he smells not the ill savour of our performances Take courage then and lay hold on the horns of this Altar and if thou knowest not what to say when thou hast taken a serious view of thy ways make use of this or some other Form Oh thou who art the Father of the Spirits of all flesh the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning here lies a poor miserable sinful wretch before thee not worthy to lift up his eyes and hands to Heaven I know not where to look for shame and confusion of face so long have I gone astray from thee so often have I provoked thee so often have I slighted thee so often have I turned thy grace into wantonness so long have I hunted after broken Cisterns which can hold no water forsaking the Fountain of living water that thou mayst justly absent thy self from me for ever so disingenuously have I dealt with thee so often have I endeavoured to blind thy all-seeing Eye and to cheat my self that thou mightst justly cause me to fall a prey to Satan look stern upon me and charge me never any more to see thy face O wretched creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Oh my Lord how often hast thou darted Rays of Light into my Soul and the impure fire of my Lusts hath prevailed against them how often hast thou suggested to my Soul the danger it hath been in and yet I have not trembled how often hast thou stung my heart prick'd it and goaded it into serious reflexions and how soon hath this vain world taken me off again and dull'd and dash'd those considerations how often hast thou sent sparks of Grace into my Soul while I have done what I could to smother that Holy fire how justly mightst thou say My Spirit shall no longer strive with thee O my God there is no plague no punishment that 's threatned in thy Law but I have deserved it I only stand amazed at thy patience that I have escaped so long without being consumed and ruined Wilt thou receive such a Prodigal into thy favour wilt thou be reconcil'd to so great a rebel wilt thou pass by unkindesses of so deep a Dye are the gates of Mercy open yet for so vile a wretch Doe not I come too late O my Lord to the throne of Grace will God be yet intreated for such a poor forlorn creature Is there yet compassion left for such a poor sinner O my God I question not thy Power but thy Will to pity such a Traitor as I have been I know thy Mercy is infinite it would be a disparagement to thy Glory and Perfection to deny the exceeding riches of thy Grace thou couldst not be God if my sins exceeded thy power to forgive but when I reflect on thy threatenings how justly thou denouncest wrath
and indignation against all those that obstinately prefer their foolish desires before all the Dictates and Oracles of thy Holy Spirit O have not I reason to fear that thou wilt say of me Cut down this barren Tree why doth it cumber the ground and yet how free how full are thy promises to the truly penitent how full of Sweetness and Love are all thy Gracious Engagements to those that will have no more to doe with Idols that will cleave to thee alone that will renounce themselves and follow thee O my Lord these thy promises are my refuge were it not for these desperation would be my portion I doe in some measure see my folly I see what a gracious tender patient long suffering God I have offended I see how my Soul hath leaned on broken reeds what a sandy foundation I have trusted to how the world hath beguiled me how I have shunn'd thy company been glad when God hath been farthest from my thoughts rejoyced when I have been least of all reflecting on thy goodness I have nothing to plead for my self I have no apology to make the greatest charity cannot excuse my misdemeanors I have had light and darkened it convictions and smother'd them knowledge and abused it reason and perverted it heard thy word and scorn'd it enjoy'd the means of Grace and continu'd blind and hard under them Thy Mercy is my Sanctuary I am weary of my burthen I loath my transgressions I am willing to be rid of them I desire to abhor them but though I am thus willing my flesh is weak my understanding dark my will dull my affections to goodness faint my resolutions in constant Come O my Lord come down into my Soul come quickly O thou great preserver of Men teach me to answer all the reasons of Flesh and Bloud against a serious conversion arm me with arguments to beat down my carnal interest furnish me with motives to a truly Heavenly life motives which may break through all the devils suggestions motives which may invalidate and weaken the prophane motions of my Lusts. Come down thou Sun of Righteousness thou mighty Star of Jacob dispel the Clouds and Mists which are upon my Reason cleer the eyes of my understanding and enable me to see the arts of Sin the wiles of the Devil the snares of the World the stratagems of the Flesh and all the mischief that 's plotted against my Soul by my Spiritual enemies Convince me throughly that to follow thee is my greatest interest that to resist these enemies is my greatest safety that to watch against their charms is my greatest felicity O let me apprehend sin as it is the greatest evil let it appear very terrible to my mind represent unto me Heaven and thy Love and all that thou hast done for me in such lively colours that neither death nor life neither good report nor evil report may separate me from thy love O let thy kindness and the benefits of thy Sons death and passion and resurrection appear to me in such characters that I may long to be fill'd with all the fulness of God Thy Spirit is perfect Light and there is no darkness with him O let that glorious Light dissipate that gloominess those foggs that confusedness that is in my intellectual part make me conceive clearly and distinctly what I must do to inherit Eternal life and how I must carry myself to God and Man Give me such a sight of thy Glory as may lift me up above the world and engage me to have my Conversation in Heaven Bow my Will to conform entirely to thy Will I would not be mine so much as thine Come Lord and take the government of my Soul into thy hand I have too long suffer'd my self to be guided by merciless Tyrants art thou not my Master my Prince my Father thou hast the greatest right to rule me Incline my Will unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness when my Will would wander from thy Precepts cross it and put a stop to it that it may not goe beyond the limits of thy Law O heal my affections they hanker too much after this Earth O make them in love with Heaven chide them for deserting their highest and their chiefest good let my hatred pitch upon no other object but sin let my Love be carried out after nothing so much as thee and if I love any thing besides let me love it only for thy sake let my hopes be fixed upon immortality engrosse thou my desires let me fear none but thee let my chief delight be in thy ways and ordinances strengthen my resolutions O deliver me from that fickleness I have so long been guilty of make my purposes firm let them be as the Mountains of God which can never be moved let nothing be able to weaken my good intentions give me courage to fight the good fight O Lord in thy strength I 'll resist by thy Power I will conquer my heart hath lock'd the out O knock again and if it will not yield break open the door and let all my corruptions vanish at thy Presence O Lord I beg no Riches no Honours no Preferments if I have but Food and Raiment I will learn therewith to be contented it s thy Grace I want establish me with thy free Spirit give me spiritual Wisdom even that wisdom which makes me wise unto Salvation thou art nigh unto them that call upon thee yea unto all such as call upon thee faithfully O cast me not away from thy Presence I am thine O save me order my steps according to thy word when I read it let me read it with that attention as to observe and take notice of what thou dost command when I hear it let me hear it as if it were the last time that ever I should hear it let thy Oracles make deeper impressions on me than ever dash all those evasions and excuses I used to alleage when I have had no mind to obey thee let the good motions of thy Spirit prevail O that there should be such difficulty in conquering a poor sinner O that God should be forced to carress me to my happiness O that Heaven should attract me no more O that God should need to send out messengers to entreat me to come to the Supper of the Lamb Lord take away this dulness make me mount up with wings as Eagles Let me not be able to goe out of thy Presence till I have fully and unfeignedly resolved to give my self up to thy service O Jesu the light of the world who enlightenst every man that comes into the world where thou dwellest there Mercy dwells O dwell in my Soul and Mercy and Truth will kiss each other there teach me to hate my self not only for the hurt I have done to my self but for the injuries and indignities I have offer'd thee I was a horrid monster thou by thy death madest me a pleasing spectacle in the sight of Heaven I lay
in the mire and pit thou didst advance me into thy Fathers bosom I lay trembling under the jaws of the hellish Dragon thou gavest me a place in the heart of God I was unworthy of thy gracious Aspect and thou hast made me capable of being embraced by the Great and Terrible God I lay in a Dungeon thou didst promote me to a Throne thou hast done that for me which I durst not have hoped or wish'd for it had been enough to have deliver'd me from Hell but that would not content thee except I were raised above the Heavens and above Angels too it had been favour enough when my condition was so desperate if thou hadst parchas'd for me a suspension or forbearance of thy Fathers Anger but thou didst go further and didst purchase me a Pardon too and not satisfied with that thou didst incline thy Fathers love to me and as if that had not been enough thou didst procure me Gifts and Blessings too and not only Blessings in general but the greatest Blessing imaginable even thine own Kingdom and thine own Heritage How unworthy have I lived of this incomprehensible Love O that I might not be able to reflect upon my life without indignation Thou art the way the truth and the life direct me and I 'll strive to enter in at the strait Gate purify my Spirit wash my Soul with thy Bloud that 's the Eye-salve which will make me see that 's the Medicine which will cure my blindness O cleanse me and I shall be whiter than Snow O thou inexhausted Fountain of Goodness let me not goe away dry from thee let the light of thy countenance always shine about me and by that light let me discover not only my grosser sins but my more secret corruptions Draw me after thee and I shall run hide me in thy wounds be my Advocate and plead my Cause thou spreadest open thy Arms to all that desire Rest behold I come receive me Graciously love me Freely teach me to relye on thee My Joy my Treasure my Sovereign Comfort cause all the fruits of the Spirit to grow in my Soul O help me or else I perish O assist me or else I faint my Conscience terrifies me O do thou speak peace unto it the roaring Lion threatens to devour me O shew thy gliterring Sword and drive him away Gods anger burns against me O throw some drops of thy Bloud into that fire and it will goe out Let me be content to sell all for thee let me not scruple to part even with the best things I have for thy service set me as a seal upon thy Heart stream down the waters of Life upon me I 'll open my mouth wide O do thou fill it I will live to my self no more possess all my faculties and unite them to thee make me truly acquainted with my self let those joys thou hast promised to thy Saints support me in all my tribulations Come Lord Jesus come quickly O Thou Blessed and Eternal Spirit vouchsafe to breath upon me blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow move powerfully upon my Soul that it may bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Let me be truly afraid to resist thy suggestions Sanctify and give success to all my attempts to make my Calling and Election sure when my stubborn heart would baffile thy designs to save me let thy Grace overcome and conquer me represent the love of God to me in that Glory that I may instantly throw down all I have at the feet of Christ O let my Soul be so dazled with its beams that I may desire and breathe after nothing so much as after a Glorious enjoyment of God Break the chains of my sins command the Fetters I have been bound in to fly asunder whatever good thoughts I have of God increase them enlarge my Soul that I may truly delight in thinking of thee let me feel the sweetness of Holiness let me taste those joys which thou dost vouchsafe to those that improve thy motions tempt me by a foretaste of Heavens Glory to lay force upon it Give me a glimpse of yonder Paradise that I may not faint in my journey give me arguments against my self that I may be deliver'd from my self Fill all the channels of my Soul with thy gifts while I sojourn here on Earth let my heart be in Heaven let not self-love in me hinder me from loving thee Take my heart away and give me thy self be thou my heart and all my delight wherever I am be thou my Director let thy word be my rule and enable me to live according to that rule O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity one God thou immense Sea of happiness make me to know what it is to be one with thee O thou everlasting Goodness O thou everlasting Wisdom O thou everlasting Sweetness grant I may see thee seeing may love thee loving may admire thee admiring may imitate thee and imitating thee may enjoy thee enjoying thee may never be separated from thee but live in thy Light and Love and Glory to all Eternity FINIS Acts 14.11 * Aen. Sylvius Psal. 18.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hagg. 1.5 7. 1 Sam. 15.14 * Tertullian Apolog. c. 50. * Id. Ibid. * Tertull. lib de patientia c. 14. Erumpentes bestiolas in eosdem specus pastus foraminosae carnis ludendo revocibat 1 Pet. 5.8 Matth. 4.3 Eph. 6 12. Sucton in Calig vid. Euseb. Nierem de ador lib. 1. c. 〈◊〉 seq
give a few instances Did the Atheist but look up to Heaven Did his swinish and brutish appetite but give him leave to contemplate that glorious Fabrick the orderly Position of the Stars the regular Motion of those Celestial Lamps and the Mathematical contrivance of that curious Globe how is it possible but he must spy a most wise most perfect and most powerful Architect even that God who commanded them into being and still preserves them from decay and ruine Would he but consider how things that have a beginning could not make themselves unless they were before they were which implies a contradiction and therefore must certainly be made and produced at first by some supreme cause that is eternal and omnipotent Would he but reflect on the universal consent of Mankind how not only the civiliz'd but the most barbarous Nations in all Ages have had a sense of a Deity and how improbable it is that all Mankind should conspire into such a Cheat if there were no Supreme power how rational it is that when Men of different Constitutions Complexions Principles Desires Interests Opinions do all or most of them agree in one thing there must necessarily be something more than ordinary in 't and the Notion must be supposed either imprinted by God on the hearts of all men or carefully deliver'd to Posterity by the first Planters of the world which in all probability they would not have done except they had had very good ground and reason for it Would the Fool I say but think seriously on these familiar Arguments how could he say in his heart There is no God How could the wretch deny a Providence if he did but take notice how all things are preserved in those stations spheres and tendencies they were at first created in How things contrary to one another are kept from destroying one another How every thing prosecutes the end for which it was produced How the Sea that 's higher than the Earth is yet kept from over-running and drowning it How Kingdoms Empires and Commonwealths are continued and conserved in the world How one Countrey is made a scourge to the other for their sin and how the soberer Nation many times conquers the more debauched and vicious till the formers Sobriety dying proves a presage of the funeral of their happiness How men are suffered to tyrannize and to rage that their fall afterward may be more grievous and terrible How sin is punished with sin and with what measure we mete with the same other men mete to us again How strangely Murther is found out and secret Villanies discovered arraigned and condemned How Caligula that bids defiance to Heaven and threatens Jupiter to chastise him if he sent rain that day his Players were to Act how the poor miserable creature hides his head in a Feather-bed when it thunders and how the stoutest sinners tremble even then when no man pursues them How light is frequently produced out of darkness the greatest felicity from the greatest misery and even sin itself so ordered that it proves an occasion of the greatest good How miraculously men are preserved and how prodigiously rescued from dangers that hang over their heads and threaten their destruction How one man is punished by prosperity another favored by wanting of it How one mans blessings are turn'd into curses and another mans curses into blessings How men perish that they may not perish and are suffer'd to grow poor that they may be rich and are deprived of all that they may arrive to far greater plenty How strangely many times men are preserved from sin and something comes in and crosses their sinful attempts and intentions that they are not able to put their purposes in execution How men are fitted for several employments and no office or business so mean and fordid but some men have a genius or inclination to it How beasts which are stronger than men are yet kept from hurting men and men themselves that intend mischief to their Neighbors are prevented in their designs and in the Net they spread for others their foot is taken How by very inconsiderable means very great things are effected and sometimes without means very signal changes and alterations are produced How the greatest Enemy sometimes becomes the greatest Friend and he that hated another unto death is on a sudden convinc'd of his folly and loves him as his own Soul How kindly the Heavens dispense their former and latter rain and how upon solemn Prayers and Supplications some great Judgment is averted and men restored to their former peace and tranquility How even in things fortuitous Justice is executed and the Arrow which such a man shot at random is yet so guided as to hit the person guilty of some heinous Crime How such a mans ruine proves anothers instruction and he whom Education could not engage to Prudence learns to be wise by anothers fall How men ignorantly contrive their Neighbors good and while they least intend the happiness of others take the readiest course to make their labours successful and prosperous How a word that drops sometimes from the Preachers mouth in a Sermon shall make that impression on the Hearers heart as to change it and work him into another man He that would take such passages as these into serious Consideration how were it possible for him to question a Providence that orders and rules and governs all and extends its care even to the least most minute and most abject and contemptible creature How could he forbear to admire God as the most wise most knowing most lovely most perfect most holy and most beautiful Being whose eyes run to and fro to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is upright towards him The Unbeliever that doth not believe the Scripture to be the Word of God and fancies there is no other World no Judgment after Death and thinks it irrational That temporal sin should be punish'd with an eternity of torments it 's want of Consideration makes him continue Infidel For I. As for the Scripture which contains the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion would he but take a walk in the Field or in his Garden or in his Chamber and weigh the Arguments which make for the Divinity of this Book and consider what he can object against it and whether his objections be equal in strength and weight with the reasons that fetch its pedigree from Heaven he would soon be of another mind and pity the weakness and sauciness of those Youngsters that play upon the Oracles of God in Ale-houses or Taverns or Theatres He need only dispute with himself in this manner I see the whole Christian world for so many Centuries together hath embraced these sacred Volumes as a Treasure of Gods Will and Ordinances as a Directory dropt down from Heaven to teach them how God will be worship'd what Notions they are to entertain of God and what they are to do to save
their Souls for ever It 's very probable that God wherein all goodness all mercy and of infinite pity and hath made this world to serve man and endow'd him with a capacity of knowing and adoring God would not leave him destitute of such helps and means as might best promote his knowledge of him but find out a way to manifest himself to him especially when it 's evident that without some better directions than Nature gives men are so very apt to fall into errors and misapprehensions of his glory and majesty Whether this Book contain therefore the true Revelations which God hath been pleas'd to make to mankind is the question Upon examination I find That there is nothing in this Book either promised or threatned or commanded but what is Deo dignum fit for a God to promise and threaten and command Whatever is deliver'd here seems to be very agreeable to his Majesty and Sovereignty and Divine Nature The rewards as well as punishments are Godlike and the Duties pressed here are but the necessary consequents of his Goodness and Justice and Government and Supremacy which consequences because man by reason of his corruption was not able to deduce from the Notion of a God God thought fit to reveal and manifest to him by various Passages Histories Prophecies Parables Precepts and Conclusions Upon inquiry I perceive that the designs of this Book are at least very harmless its great aime being to make men good and just and honest and live like men of reason Whatever verity or truth the light of Nature or Reason dictates is here to be found and this Book is so far from contradicting or abolishing any thing of that nature that it improves and refines it If I search all the Volumes of the ancient Heathen Philosophers men who ransackt Nature and tryed what Nature would discover of God and anatomized the Law written upon mens hearts If I peruse all the Lessons and Rules of Morality they gave and prescribed to Mankind I find them all deliver'd in this Book much purer and much clearer than those Philosophers were able to propose them The Sacred Writers whoever they were for ought I see were men of very noble and generous spirits for their great endeavor is to instruct and edifie mankind and to teach them such delights as are fit for a rational Soul to embrace I see they exhort men to live like themselves like persons capable of conversing with God I see they are all for preservation of humane Societies and to this end they speak against all that 's evil and encourage Justice and Peace and Unity and Charity and Obedience to Governors and all that 's good and holy and condemn al Hypocrisie commend upright dealing and sincerity of heart and proscribe even those sins which the world can take no notice of sins of thoughts sins of the heart and sins of secresie and urge a hearty unfeigned love to our Neighbor Their great care and sollicitude is that men may not be kept unacquainted with themselves and though they liv'd in different Ages at different Times and were of different Educations yet they all agree in their great endeavor and design to purifie mens hearts and to keep their Consciences void of offence towards God and towards men They would have God worship'd and honour'd like a God in Spirit and in Truth and require the cream and marrow of our endeavours our dearest and tenderest love to be given to him which indeed is a worship fit for him that is our Supreme Ruler and Governor in whom we live and have our Being They condemn all Sensuality which makes men live like Beasts and all impatience and discontent which makes their Lives miserable and all Pride and Haughtiness which makes their near Neighbors hate and despise them and all base Selfishness which makes them uncompassionate They prescribe the greatest Cordials against Crosses and Afflictions for they promise a better life after this a life of everlasting joy and bliss and suppose there were no such life yet would the fancy of it be mighty pleasing in distress and calamities and serve to bear us up under the greatest burthens and should we find nothing of that nature when we come to dye to be sure there would be no body to laugh at us They represent God as infinitely merciful to wretched men and willing to accept of those that repent and turn and sincerely fear him and to make them everlastingly happy and yet that men may not presume and turn the grace of God into wantonness they represent him just withall that will take vengeance on those who provoke his patience and mock his compassion and abuse his mercy into contempt of his Laws They represent him as a very reasonable Master that layes upon his servants no more than they are able to bear and expects returns answerable to the favors he bestows on them and such services as are in some measure proportionable to the means he hath afforded them which is no more but what we expect from our servants All which is highly rational and I must needs imagine since no men that ever liv'd in the world could give the world such exact Rules for the improvement and advancement of a rational Soul as these Writers do that they must have had some Divine Spirit to guide them To exalt the Soul and to elevate it above Sense and Earth and Dross and Dung and to make it fit to be admitted to familiarity with its Maker seems to be the very drift and design of this Book and if it were not Divine or Inspired it might however deserve the reputation of maintaining the greatest and most generous designs that ever were carried on by mankind But sure its original is more than humane and the persons who deliver these things had certainly a Divine Commission When I look either upon Moses and the Prophets in the Old or upon Jesus and his Apostles in the New Testament Men who were the chief Promulgers of the Truths deliver'd in these Books methinks there appears something extraordinary in them and I cannot but see the Finger of God that did direct and help them If I believe any thing that I never heard or saw my self I have the greatest reason in the world to believe that that Moses whom both Jews and Heathen call the great Leader and Captain General of the Jews was inspired from above when he gave his Law to the whole Nation of the Jews That he wrought those stupendious miracles which are recorded in Scripture the Jewish Nation hath firmly and constantly believed ever since they were wrought and how 600 000 men before whom they were wrought and who did feed upon many of those Wonders and who have delivered the real performance of those Miracles down to their Posterity and so imprinted it on the hearts of their Progeny that neither Sword nor Fire could ever make them deny it How I say this vast multitude of men could be