never desire any privacy between God and thy Soul a Saint and yet find no errand to invite thee to speak with God alone Sure thou rather seekest to approve thy self to men than to God Thou mayest for a time be the worlds Saint but God will at last un-case thee and present thee before the eyes of all the world for an Hypocrite Mat. 6.5 6. The trâ—e Lover delights to visit his Friend when he may find him alone like that good man who when the set time for his closet-Prayer was come would break from any compony he was in with this handsome speech I have a Friend that stayes for me Farewell Others put off this duty by pretending they pray alwayes every hour they are darting up Ejaculations to Heaven As the pretence of every day-Sabbath saith one comes just to no Sabbath so the continual Prayâ—â— of some carnal Professours is not Praying aâ— aâ—â— Eâ—aculatory Prayer should not hinder but rather fit for solemn set Praying Fire must be kept upon the Altar continually but that must not hinder the Morning and Evening Sacrifice True Christians cannot be satisfied with a bit and away but they must â—â—ve their set meals Others look at Closet Prayer to be at the best but a Free will Offering as they term it which they may offer if they will but will not own it a duty Surely such are little sensible of their heart-plagues or else they would alone one by one make Prayers 1 Kings 8.38 39. Zech. 12.10 11. and Supplications Such either have 〈…〉 Spirit at all or else but little very little of the Spirit or else they would be Praying apart In all my observation â—â—e raines of Christians have begun in their Closeâ— neglects either by omitting the duty totally or by â—areless formal customary management of it The truth is saith a late neat Writer this is the first step towards Apostacy Back-sliders grow first out of acquaintance with God in secret then delight in this duty declineth by little and little then are they less frequent in their visits upon which followeth a casting off the duty and yet they may appear great sticklers and zealous in publick Ordinances but if they recover not what they have lost in their secret Trade they will ere long break here also No surer sign of an Hypocrite than to neglect secret Prayer it turns thee into a Nebuchadnezzar into an Heathen nay into a Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 10.21 a Beast They are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord. Thou pretendest a love to God didst thou love him thou wouldst love to be with him yea lovers covet to be alone where they may more freely impart their mutual affections perhaps in thy family Religious worship of God by Prayer is yet kept up to keep up thy credit with men that thou mayst not be thought an Atheist that thou mayst be trusted an hundred things may keep thee and hold thee to publick duties but herein is the tryal of thy uprightness what thou dost in secret for God and with him when the Masters part the two great ones God and World then is the trial of thee whose Servant thou art but oh when the Master is alone then he is mostly neglected When alone thou art fittest for this duty of calling upon God when the World is shut out then thou hast a discharge from the cumbers of the Earth an Heathen Scipio will tell the I have never better company than when I have no company for then can I freely entertain my own thoughts and converse with all the learned that have been in former ages But thou art called to greater honour to improve thy solitude Joh. 16.32 to converse with God when alone to have thy Father with thee Yea God like a modest lover communicates most of his affections to his people when they are in secret Psa 63.6 when David was in the night watches then his Soul was filled with marrow and fatness not that he wanted Gods presence in the day for seven times a day he praised God but his day-sacrifices yielded him not that marrow and sweetness as he tasted in the night when he was sequestred from all company and business O! the hidden Mannah is the sweetest Cant. Hos 2.14 The Church leaneth on the breast of Christ in the Wilderness and there he speaks to her heart Unhappy Soul innumerable are thy losses by neglecting Christs calls Come my Beloved Cant. 7.12 let us goe forth into the Fields there will I give thee my loves That God should so lovingly invite thee to take a turn or two with him every day inorder to his opening his breast to thee and yet be denied Again When alone and not with God thou art lyable to Sathans foulest Temptations to Atheism Discontent or Pride of heart When the Devil finds the house empty he will furnish you with company enough seven other worse Spirits if worse may be you shall be employed Fear a Rape at least if God be not engaged to be a little Sanctuary in thy Closet and retirements Sathan frequents the high wayes and that Robber takes men aside into a corner and then pillageth them of their treasure He thought so to have dealt with Christ and therefore takes him into a Mountain alone Mat. 4.8 When alone your dangers are greatest therefore should your cries to Heaven be most vehement How few Professours have observed the fittest time for secret Prayer Not early enough in the Closet Mark 13.33 God would have us in this sense Watch unto Prayer God would have us early to tell the world whose Servants we are and that we dare not undertake any business without first engaging God with us Mark 1.35 that we dare not enter on Sathans territories without Christ our great Champion with us This Post should be sent to Heaven in the beginning of the day for no sooner in the morning do we begin to live and stirr but we need fresh succours and Auxiliaries from Heaven True Christians count that the sweetest air they breath in which is the fruit of Prayer and all things relish well with him that 〈◊〉 through this golden Pipe of Prayer and therefore he is up early in his Closet that 〈◊〉 may receive all this way from the Lords bounty and faithfulness Therefore 〈◊〉 sooner doth he open his eyes but he opens his heart to God and before he puts onâ— ragg he must to Heaven in secret Ejaculations at least before he goes to his Closet to pour out his Soul more plentifully before God He expecteth no good day unless iâ— be begun with a good duty and therefore my voice shaleâ— thou hear in the morning Psa 5.3.119.147 in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee David prevented the dawning of the morning naâ— he prevented God i. e. his Providences and Favours which he expected he loved to have them in the Channel of Prayer But alas how do Professours shuffle
heart What good didst thou do or receive in that company wa st thou eyes to the blind feet to the lame didst thou labour to bring thy Friends nearer to Jesus Christ or hast thou more estranged and prejudiced them from and against the way of truth O my heart Didst thou take heed to thy wayes that thou didst not sin with thy tongue Didst thou keep thy mouth as with a bridle When going into the Shop or Field yet with Isaack thou art to meditate there and conferr with God and thy heart thus O my heart for whom dost thou labour for Self or for God whose Servant wilt thou be to day the Worlds or Christs O my heart How many snares are there in the World what a dirty place â—is the World and how great is thy danger if God prevent not by special grace O my Soul What need hast thou of Almighty power to keep thee that thou mayest retain thy sweetness in salt waters But alas How seldome do we reflect on our words or silence on our speaking or hearing on our behaviour abroad or at home When do we consider what our affections were most set upon in such and such a place in such an hour and what our demeanour God-ward and toward our Neighbour was We do not believe Bernard who tells us If we would examine our selves as oft as we need Bern. in Cant. we must do it alwayes And Chrysostomes paraphrase and counsel on Psalm 4. is of as little credit with us Let this account be kept every day have a little Book in thy Conscience and write therein thy daily transgressions and when thou layest thee down on thy Bed bring forth thy Book and take an account of thy sinnes 6. Crowing weary of the work before they have brought things to an issue Do not we grow weary of this work before it be brought to any considerable Issue We flagg before we come to the up-shot Still some were learning and never came to the knowledge of the truth And so some pretend at least to be alwayes trying but they hold not fast They try their hearts as some did truths till they be wholly sceptical as ignorant whether converted or no as ever They know not more this year than they did seven years since but hang betwixt Heaven and Hell in a dubious state for want of skill or pains to decide this matter We are not resolute and peremptory enough to have an account of our Souls yea such an one as that we may have boldness in the presence of Christ When David thought on God and was troubled Psa 77.3 6. he never gives over his heart till he ended this controversie He communed with his heart and made a diligent search We should commune till we know whether we be natural or spiritual and accordingly be humbled greatly or greatly rejoyce in God our Saviour But alas This Age is strangely dull and sluggish those Duties that will cost expence of spirits and call for the labour of the mind we wholly omit or do them very negligently Reader Could I but prevail with thee to set in good earnest upon Occasional Meditation and Heart-Examination and Solemn Meditation and Self-Tryal I should bless the Lord as long as I breath for this enterprise of mine The searcher of hearts knoweth that I took Pen in hand on this design to labour with thee in order to inside Duties that thou might'st not be contented with a Form of Godliness and rest in the external part of Religion that more work might be done within doors in Closets and Hearts O that you would reform Not pass on to another Chapter till you have engaged your slippery incconstant hearts to attend on this necessary Duty Take a few Considerations to impell you 1. Motives to this great duty Heathens else will rise up in judgment against us The very Heathen will rise up in judgement to condemn you if you neglect this duty A Roman Philosopher every night before he slept would examine himself thus Quod malum hodie sanesti c. What sin hast thou opposed wherein art thou bettered Cato also would daily at evening call to mind what ever he had seen read or done that day I use saith Senica every evening to plead my cause with my self when the candle is gone and all silent I review all that I have said or done in the day I hide nothing from mine own scrutiny I pass by nothing Pithagoras gave also this severe rule to his Scholars that they should no night suffer sleep to seize their senses till they had three times recalled the accidents and passages of the day what evil have I committed what good have I omitted Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees saith Christ may not I say of the Heathen how can you hope for Salvation O! how hath thine heart cheated thee with vain confidences How hast thou cryed the Temple of the Lord I have Abraham to my Father whilst moral Heathens have been better acquainted with their hearts than thou art Yea Sensitive creatures will else shame us 2. The very sensitive creatures may shame thee into the practise of this duty Go thou sluggard to all the souls of Heaven Do they not sit in the Sun and view themselves look inward to themselves turn every feather to set it at rights Do they not look over their feathers and pick out and throw away that which is bad and set others in their places when misplaced Nay 3. We shall else be self-condemned You your selves will be judges of your selves You take the glass and what is amiss in the hair in the face in the body you rectifie by it and what no observation to be made of the faces of your Souls O! take the word of God and make use of this glass which now is in thine hand doth it discover no spots no neglects no failings O! view thy self and humble thy self reflect on thy self and conserr with thy self till thou art ashamed till thou abhorrest and loathest thy self before the Lord. 4. You have a sure sign of hypocrisie on you The neglect of this duty a sign of hypocrisie whilst this duty lies neglected for all the upright have been very carefull to commune with their hearts to search their hearts to make diligent search lest any lust should be covered as Rachel covered her Idols or as Saul was hid in the stuff Nothing is more desired by a sincere Soul than to be throughly searched examine me O Lord Psa 26.2 as Artificers do whether their gold be weight or no and prove me as Artificers do their silver in the fire try my reins and my heart the most inward motions of my Soul search me more deeply and throughly than the world can do Unfound hearts have one Dalilah they have one house of Rimmon that they cannot endure to be examined and found out they are loath to search too
one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions What sighs Not mourning enough for the want of them sorrows tears c. hath the removal of your Ministers cost you Cannot you rub it out very quietly If you lose your Jewels Estates Names Friends Children c. we can read the sorrows of your hearts in your countenances you are almost angry with God when a goard is smitten O! what sinkings of heart are there among Professours what cares fears griefs not only to the sadning of their hearts but altering of their countenances when the world vanisheth And yet no aking hearts no dejected countenances for the glory 's departing for Gods shutting up house and departure I am confident it hath not broke one nights rest to many who yet will think themselves wronged if they be not placed in the highest form of Profession What time hast thou set apart to humble thy Soul for all thy abuses of the Gospel and Ministry thereof Not Fasting under this Judgment If a Child be sick time must be set apart to humble thee before God this is your duty but the other should not have been neglected Thou may'st subsist better without Children than without these Spiritual Fathers a Gospel Ministry is a greater Jewell than many Sons and Daughters Thy having sinned away the food of thy Soul should have put thee in Sackcloth and upon Fasting with mourning long ago All Israel lamented after the Ark But are not you as merry and sensual at your tables as ever Yea are not you secretly glad at the removal of your Ministers yea secretly being glad for their removal Ministers and Ministry saith Shepheard are bills of charges to a Congregation and too costly Inhabitants among them 2. Not justifying God in their removal Have you justified God in the removal of them God as a wise and provident Master gave you glorious lights to do his work by but you have plaid away your time is it any wonder that he hath put out your Tapers and Candles Have you confest the righteousness of God herein that he will not be at cost to find you Candle light to play by Hath this been thy hearts acknowledgment God gave me these lights that I might work for him by them and because I did not but wrought the works of darkness therefore he hath most justly left me in darkness and in the shadows of death 2 Thes 2.10 11 because I received not the truth in the love thereof I took it into mine head but not into mine heart God may justly send me strong delusions that I should believe a lye Vide Pareuâ—â— in Act. 5.36 It is the observation of Pareus upon many of the Jews being seduced that it was just with God that they should believe impostours because they would not give credit to Jesus Christ O! God may make short work with us in his Judiciary proceedings When God hath departed upon repulse he hath left a dismall curse behind hind him I say unto you that none of these men which were bidden shall tast of my Supper If the meat be on the table yet it is just with God that I shall never tast of it for I have controuled the Spirit again and again twenty thirty fourty years have I vexed the good Spirit of the Lord and therefore he may swear in his wrath that I shall never enter into his rest If some shall never tast that have neglected one Call woe is me who have neglected thousands Take words and say because I have not obeyed the voice of thy Servants Job 36.12 't is righteous that I perish by the Sword and dye without knowledge 3. Not blessing God for former opportunitles How little have you blest and do you bless God that once you did enjoy a Gospel Ministry and such a Gospel Ministry How seldome are such words as these Blessed be they and blessed be their Counsels and blessed be the Lord that sent them out to meet me in former dayes and for so many dayes months and years together found in your mouths It is a sign that your disesteems of the Gospel and Ministry do still abide whilst you cannot find in your hearts to thank God for enjoying so choice a blessing for so many years together 4. Not crying for their return What cries have you sent up to Heaven for the return of your Ministers Dare you thus imprecate Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I forget to pray for Zions welfare in this particular Had the Ministry of the Gospel been counted a glorious blessing you would have sent strong cryes to Heaven for the return of it Had you believed that they came to treat with your Souls about your peace with God and that God hath appointed this as the great means to bring your Souls to himself you would not have parted with your Ministers so easily being as little moved as at the withering and throwing to the dunghill of a formerly flourishing Nose gay of Flowers and you would have wrestled with the Lord for the return of these glorious Lights of Heaven How can you chuse but feat the Lord hath no more Souls to convert in that place from which the Gospel is removed Jesus Christ prayed Isa 49.8 compared with 2 Cor. 6.2 that the Gospel might be sent to the Gentiles In an acceptable time have I heard thee O! How should you have prayed for the fruit of Christs prayer Have you back'd prayer with prayer Have you doubled your Prayers for the return of your Fathers Have they not begotten you Judg. 9.17 Should they not be unto you as Fathers Will not Idolatrous Micah else condemn you 5. Not preparing for such a mercy How little do you set your selves in a posture for the return of the Gospel and the Ministers of it Until you have humbled your Souls as low as the dust for your unprofitableness pride sensuality earthliness dis-esteems and neglects of the Gospel for your abuse of the talents of Gold that you hid or wasted can you imagine that God will intrust you with more talents Alas few put themselves in a readiness few prepare to meet God as formerly they have met him in the solemn Assemblies Verily God is gone and returned unto his place Hos 5.13 till you acknowledge your offences your Gospel-sins and seek his face But if ye seek him not early how can ye hope for the bringing back the Captivity that the glory and strength will return 6 Being niggardly even now toward them How little do ye now lay out for the refreshing and feeding of your poor Ministers now that their necessities are so growing you cannot now excuse your niggardliness with this they have a competency Alas most of them and their many little ones are in great straights and exigencies and what still straightned in your bowels Is not the Proverb made good Out of sight out of
A GOSPEL-GLASSE Representing the MISCARRIAGES OF English Professors BOTH In their Personal and Relative Capacities for which God is contending with them by the Sword Plague c. and since the writing of the greatest part of the following Treatise for the Press by the dreadful Fire in London OR A CALL FROM HEAVEN To SINNERS and SAINTS By Repentance and Reformation to prepare to meet God Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Jer. 2.35 Yet thou sayest Because I am innocent surely his anger shall turn from me Behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXVII THE Authors PREFACE WHEN it is a day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness then saith the Prophet Blow ye the Trumpet in Zion Joel 2.1 2. and found an Alarum in my holy Mountain Let all the Inhabitants of the Land tremble Lam. 2.1 How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Zion with a Cloud in his anger and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the beauty of Israel and remembred not his Foot-stool in the day of his anger He hath violently taken away his Tabernacle as if it were of a Garden V. 6 he hath destroyed the Places of the Assembly The Lord hath caused the solemn Feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion and hath despised in the indignation of his anger his Priests V. 7 Yea the Lord hath cast off his Altar he hath abhorred his Sanctuary the Law is no more her Prophet also find no Vision from the Lord. O that now mine eyes could fail with tears V. 9 and my bowels were more troubled within me O that my Liver were poured upon the Earth for the destruction of the Daughter of my People V. 11 because the Children and the Sucklings swoon in the streets of the City We see not our Signes there is no more any Prophet Psal 74.9 neither is there among us any that knoweth How Long. When we 2 Sam. 6.1 2. like David were restoring the Ark of God I mean the presence of Christ in his Worship and Ordinances what Stumblings of the Oxen have we seen What miserable Disappointments have we met with And what sad breaches have there been made How hath God stopt our way and branded our Enterprises with wonderful remarks of his sore displeasure Hear therefore the word of the Lord Hos 4.1 ye Children of Israel for the Lord hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land We poor Ministers have pleaded with you till we can plead no more the Lord hath bid us stand by whilest he himself takes up the Controverste O is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Hebr. 10.31 Are you not sensible what Arrows God hath begun to shoot amongst us How many thousands Psal 58.9 Isa 5.25 and ten thousands hath he taken away as with a whirlwind by the Pestilence For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still How hath God shaken our Heavens Hag. 2.6 and our Earth the Sea as well as dry Land How doth he contend still by the Sword And how much precious blood hath the Earth and Sea drunk up For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still O! Come Psal 46.8 Behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the Earth Every Providence of God especially his more notable Acts hath a reason written upon it could mans eye read it When the Church complained that God was as a stranger in the Land Jer. 14.8 10. and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night The Lord replyes to them Thus have they loved to wander c. The Controversie began on their side they may see their Sin in the Punishment as in a Glass Do they winder I grow strange to them The estrangement began on their part Nothing appears more our instant Duty than to enter a serious scrutiny What have we done Wherein have we offended Lam. 3.40 41 44. Let us search and try our wayes saith the afflicted Church of Judah upon this very occasion of the Lords covering himself with a Cloud that their Prayers could not pass through and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens O! Hag. 1.5.7 Consider your wayes The Lord doubled it Your iniquities have seperated between you and your God Isa 59.2 and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear I find men will easily subscribe to this that Sin is the procuring cause of all misery but I find an aptness to transferr the guilt from one to another from one party to another and though people do even sell themselves to work wickedness yet so predominant is Self-love that it sees no spots in it self Ahab is not the troubler of Israel but Elijah Nay a good man Aaron excuseth himself Exod. 32.22 and layes the blame on others The Sin is theirs not mine Men have a natural desire to justifie themselves and their desire is so strong that they care not whom they bespatter or burden so they may but ease and acquit themselves And indeed Sin is such an ugly Monster that no man will own it if he can choose but had rather lay this Child of Darkness at any mans door yea at Gods than Father it himself My Design in this Enterprize is to obviate this Distemper and to bring you all of you to own your iniquity that you may say resolve upon it that you will confess your iniquity Psal 32.5 that so God may forgive the iniquity of your sin My Place and Duty as a Minister though wholly unworthy of that Relation to God and you binds me to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations Ezek. 16.2 and therefore I have descended to Particulars that if it be the will of God I might hit the humour 1 Kings 8.38 and shew to every man the plague of his own heart The Lord knoweth I take no pleasure to rake in these Dunghills I dread the ill uses that the Sons of Belial may make of this Enterprize I expect various Censures from them who should be otherwise minâ—ed but my record is on high that the great Design of this Publication is to reduce Professours to a more aweful humble serious Repentance towards God and singular Conversation before men I thank God for the freedome that a Reverend Brother hath taken with the ejected Ministers Vox clamantis in Deserto and I must profess that since the perusal of that most seasonable Piâ—ce I have had no quiet in my Conscience till I entred upon this Labour Though my bodily Distempers pleaded loud for my silence though I was
sentence of death thus to employ his Pen when he cannot his Tongue for the good of thy Soul Every particular Chapter will if God add his blessing prove a compleat Soul-saving Treatise I shall add no more to perswade thee to Come and see but this that nothing but unwillingness to see what is here to be seen and unperswadableness to make such improvement of such Sights can make thy Case desperate Be sure only Before In and After thy serious perusal of these Chapters of so much worth that thou beg earnestly of God that he would be pleased with some of his Sons Eye-salve to open thine eyes that thou mayest see and by his Spirit move so upon thy spirit that thine eye may suitably affect thine heart with what so much tends to the promoting of thine eternal welfare The Sins of Professours CHAP. I. Their regardlesseness of Souls 1. HOw Careless are we of our own Souls 1. Ignorance of their preciousness O how few do believe they are men having bodies that must dye but Souls that will never dye How few do believe that their bodies were given them to be serviceable to their Souls Their heads their hearts their eyes their ears their hands their feet c. were all to attend upon their souls and to help them to Heaven But this is not believed by many As they are ignorant of the blessed God who made them and of Jesus Christ who came to redeem them and know not whether there be an Holy-Ghost or no So they are ignorant of the preciousness of their Souls Christ hath not given them eyes to read and understand that a man is not cannot be profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul Christ's questions what will it profit a man c. What shall a man give in exchange for his Soul Matth. 16.26 Put it out of all question Alas many who carry the name of Christians deserve not the name of men When you begin to value your Souls you begin to be men Oh that men would value that which once they shall they must value The damned Spirits know now the worth of their Souls How many will not 2. Inconsiderateness How few consider the worth and preciousness of their Souls When do such thoughts as these possesse you Here in this earthly tabernacle in this house of booths dwells a thing that I never said that is worth a world though here I crawl up and down like a worm of two or three Cubits long and am in danger to be thrown into an hole every day yet I carry with me a Jewell the loss whereof the whole world cannot repair How seldome do nominal Professours consider sadly and seriously what will become of their souls when their excellency Job 4 21. which is in them shall go or journey away as Eliphaz speaks Examine your thoughts all the day long from morning to Evening and few are laid out for the Soul 3. Caring â—â—â—e for the body â—han the 〈◊〉 Are not all the thoughts and cares laid out upon the body though the body be but clay and the soul is a spirit the body must dye but the soul shall never dye How frequently do we think of our â—odies what their wants burthens necessities are but not so of our souls How much of every day is spent in providing for thy body but how little for thy souâ— The body should be but the soul's servant yet men feed the slave and starve the child The body must be fed every day clad every day yea adorned every day and â—hysick'd if distempered but the soul needs food rayment phyâ—ck continually yet lyeth unregarâ—ed is left miserable naked starved c. A servant hath two talents to keep the child and the child's cloaths will the Master thank the servant if he plead I have kept the cloaths but I have neglected the life of the child Thy body is but thy souls outward garment How often have your Ministers told you that the soul was better than the body and that your souls needed dayly care more than your bodies and yet you look after the one with the neglect of the other A day is coming when thou wilt wish thou hadst been bred in the Field among the beasts and worms for that thou regardest thy soul no more than if thou hadst but the life of a beast thou wilt wish thou hadst been made a toad a serpent a worm a dog a swine c. for then thou shouldst not have suffered to eternity as now thou wilt unless the eyes of thy understanding be opened to see consider and make provision for thy precious but perishing soul Thy body is perishing every day and thy soul is upon the borders of eternity it must live for ever and yet all thy care is for the body which likely will not live threescore years and ten but the soul is neglected that must live threescore millions of years in hell without repentance and then when that date is over thou art as far from the end of thy misery as thou wast the first day thou wast thrown among the damned 4. Strangeness towards our souls How many will not speak with their souls They are greater strangers to them than the Londoners are to their next Neighbours Didst thou ever ask thy soul such questions O my soul how is it how will it be with thee O my soul in what state art thou O my soul what will become of thee O! what will become of thee in the next world 5. Niggardlyness towards our souls At what cost were we any time for our jeoparded souls The Physitian is consulted with if there be an ache upon the body we will with the woman part with all beggar our selves to recover health of body When did you know a man starve himself if he could have bread and water what ever it cost We will be at any expence of time labour and charges to keep our bodies from starving but how are the Ordinances of God the Word and Sacraments the spiritual food of the soul neglected The flesh must be satisfied as for the soul there is little regard to its well-being 1 Pet. 2 2. We cannot endure to see a Cat a Dog a Beast want meat but how easily do many digest the want of that milk whereby they should be maintained and grow God saith one gives to these their requests he gives them quailes but sends leanness into their souls 6. How fearless are many of soul-losses Fearlessness of souls losses how common is it for people to draw back from the service of Christ O! what is the matter I shall lose my estate liberty pay such a fine c. They little consider what their souls will lose if they do not persevere if they live not up their light Professours pardon me that I miscall you though you are blind and mad and see not the worth of your souls yet know that
possible when the Storm is over So many Professours will part from all the practice of sin throw all over-board as the Marriners did Jonah though much against their wills in hopes of riding out the storm 2 Pet. 21.22 and then wish for their lusts again yea with the Dog return unto the Vomit and with the Sow to wallow in the Mirc Doubtless many like him who had a mind to his Kinsman's land and would have paid the purchase-money but liked not the terms of marrying Ruth They would have Christ buy the purchase of their duties they hope by the Stock of Prayers Tears and Obedience to purchase Christ but will not match with Christ and have the Inheritance by that way of conveyance That man liked Ruth's means but not Ruth's person and many like somewhat of Christ but not his Person not all of Christ they like Christ's pleasant Summers but not his pinching Winters love and like his Heaven but not his severe Commandements they like his Sacrifice but not his Service Many Pedling Customers Christ hath but few very few who will come roundly up to Christs offers and take all off his hands They would take off his Mercy his Peace his Righteousness but not his Spirit his Grace his Holiness c. What saith Christ If you will have my Comforts you must have Me too if my Pardons my Person too you must take Me as well as Mine you must have Me as well as my Heaven This makes many go away sorrowfull Again If you will have me saith Christ you must be at some cost at some pains and trouble to enjoy me nothing of Me or Mine is got without difficulty and industry your cold Prayers must not suffice your lazy hearings are not enough you must watch your hearts all the day long you must make a Covenant with your eyes and keep your lips as with a bridle Are ye so contented Oh! no saith the slothfull Professour I would go to Heaven on a Feather-bed I would be contented to Pray now and then Morning and Evening so I may be at my own dispose all the following hours Hearken O Daughter and consider and encline thine ear Psal 45.10 11. forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him Three All 's I expect you part with saith Christ 1. All your sinfull lusts all the wayes of the old Adam Our Fathers house Ever since Adams apostasy God and man have parted houses Ever since our Fathers house is an house of ill manners Isa 55.7 an house of sin and wickedness Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 2. All your worldly advantages By faith Moses when he was come to years Hebr. 11.24 25 26. refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward If any man come to me Luk. 14.26 and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple He that hath all these must be ready to part with all they are joyn'd not disjunctively but copulatively 3. All self self-will self-righteousness self-sufficiencies self-confidences and self-seâ—sings But Oh! how do many pretenders to Christ hate these Proposals I can tell you what many of your tearms are I will have a Christ if I may live as I list and love as I list and walk as I list I le indent with Christ to make much of him when my Conscience gnaws and troubles me so I may but dismiss him when I have sung Lullaby to Conscience CHAP. VI. Their delays to close with Christ 4ly Many delayers to believe HOw many do delay in their coming to Christ And O! what indignities are herein put upon Christ How long doth he stand at the dores of sinners ere they let him in Cant. 5.2 Hebr. 3.7 Jam. 4.14 Mark 16.16 2 Cor. 6.2 Gen. 6.3 My head saith Christ is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night Though he limit linners to a day To day if ye will hear his voice c. Though our life be even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away ready every moment to expire though we must needs perish and be damned if we believe not in him before we dye He that believeth not shall be damned though now is the accepted time though the Spirit may never invite more My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man though we are not sure of one day of grace more yet how do many hazard their eternity rather than they will be yet beholding to Christ for Life and Salvation Though they may have his Righteousness his Redemption his Spirit his Image his Heaven his Glory his Love his Honours his Inheritance by coming to him yet what trifling delays are mens hearts filled with Though they are actually condemned by the Law for their Capital Offences for high Treason against the Majesty of Heaven and pardons be offered freely by Jesus Christ unto them if they will but accept of him and them yet so is Christ fall'n in the accompt of them who yet are nominal Christians that they will hazard their Souls rather than they will yet be so much beholding to Christ This desperate enmity against Christ and his offers is the condemning sin This is the condemnation Joh. 3.19 that light is come into the world and men loved Darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil All other sins are nothing to this what when God hath limited thee to A day wilt thou darest thou carelesly mispend that one day when thou art not sure of another Believe it your trifling delays are more hideous sins do more stain your souls and provoke God than drunkenness and unnatural lusts in such as never had one of your Calls How darest thou having so many wayes transgressed against this God having provoked him to wrath by so frequent breaches of his Holy Law to add to all these iniquities thy trifling delays of coming into Christ that thou maist be pardoned How durst thou when lying under the wrath of a justly incensed God send away Christ as Faeliâ— did Paul with Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee when wretch is that convenient season Is it then when thou hast served the Devil some weeks months or years longer When thou hast spent all the flowre of thy time and strength in the service of Hell Must Then Christ have the dregs of thy time Must he
but O! how is the world mistaken in many of them Thou hast not called upon me Isa 41.21 23. O Jacob Though Jacob was a People sever'd into a Church-State with an aim at Gods praise yet Jacob pray'd not This was grievous unto God Do not many Professours clearly evidence that they are prayerless Souls by their disobedience to the Preceptive their impatience under the Providential Will of God By their distrust of the All-sufficiency and Faithfulness of God Zeph. 3.2 She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not near to her God By their entring into so many Temptations Matth. 26.41 Jer. 10.21 Watch and Pray lest you enter into Temptation By their being deceived and labouring to deceive others in the things of God The Pastours are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord. By their Back-slidings Zeph. 1.6 Considerations against this sin Psa 10.4 Joh. 21.15 and Apostasies And them that are turned back from the Lord and those that have not sought the Lord. Doth not this sin speak out high contempt of God That God is not entertained so much as in a thought He will not seek God God is not in all his thoughts That the thoughts of God are blasphemous What profit should we have if we pray unto him Yea Doth not this sin speak out the hearts denial of God What saith the Psalmist Psa 53.1 4. The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God he calls not upon God To live without Prayer is to be dead while alive for it is to live without God Jer. 10.25 The Families that know not God and that call not on his Name are the same What Will ye not do so much as Pray unto God What can you do less for God than by this homage to own him for your Maker Or less for your own Souls than to beg their lives of him whose hand of Justice is lift up against them Their Souls and theirs only shall live Psa 69.32 that seek the Lord. No Malefactours dye more unlamented than those that when cast will not beg for their lives How many also are there Restraining Prayer that have cast off Prayer How many have restrained Prayer And that both when they have thought they have prayed themselves out of affliction they have had no more to say to God Job 15.4 till under affliction again and when they have for some time prayed for deliverance to no purpose This evil is of the Lord why should I wait any longer This is worse than not to pray at all Not to pray at all notes only the neglect of duty but to cast off Prayer a distaste of duty But I shall be more particular Though Prayer be the only Key Neglecting Eâ—aculatary Prayer to unlock the Store-houses and Treasuries of all Blessings yet how little hath this Key been used I shall wave publick and private and only instance in secret Prayer and that both sudden and composed and solemn How few Professours have made conscience of Ejaculatory Prayer How seldome have we darted up our Souls to Heaven upon sudden emergent occasions in some short desires As when we are hearing Lord set home this Word upon my heart When in Prayer our hearts are melting c. Lord suffer not my heart any more to be hardened from thy fear When we are about our worldly employments Lord keep my heart with thy self c. Are not some of us wholly unacquainted with this kind of Praying Not such a Dart saith one to be found in all their Quiver They know not how in the midst of their worldly businesses and company yea in the midst of their solemn religious duties in hearing reading conferring praying c. to send their thoughts to give God a visit though a short one in a desire or two to speak at least one or two heart-words unto him Have not most Professours too much contented themselves with their solemn Visits of God but between their solemn Duties have scarce ever conversed with God What account shall we be able to give of our thoughts the first-born of our Souls from morning to evening Is not this the highest improvement of them to send them in embasies unto Heaven and by them to converse with God Do not the best of us find strangeness apt to grow between God and our Souls between our set Duties And may we not impute that strangeness to our omission of these more â—â—ansient and occasional talkings with God How many precious things in Christian conference in Sermons in our solemn joynt Prayers are lost for want of present liâ—ting up our hearts to God for his presence therein and blessing thereupon How many blessed motions or the Holy Spirit suggested to us in our particular Callings are quench'd for want of these short sallyes of our Souls to Heaven for more grace that these sparks may be kept alive yea blown into a flame Neglect of this kind of Prayer is no small provocation it grieves God there is much unkindness in it that God should be so gracious as to let his door stand wide open at all times and that he should assure us of welcome when ever we come to him and yet that we should not be so kind as to step in to visit him with a desire hour after hour and that though we may thus visit him and not neglect but rather further any business we have in hand and without being uncivil to any company in which we are He cannot but take this udkindly How few Professours have made conscience of closet-Prayer Neglecting closet Prayer Though Christ takes it for granted that his Disciples will thus pray and hath annexed a sweet promise to the due performance of this duty When thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6.6 and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Retire thy self get thee a place set thy self a time wherein thou mayest vacare Deo be at leisure to make it thy business to pray to God c. Yet how is this duty wholly omitted by some and too too seldom performed by others Satan prevails with some otherwise honest Souls to put off this duty from time to time by telling them either that they will but play the hypocrites therein or that the time is not convenient by reason either of some bodily or of some soul distempers or that this and the other worldly business must of necessity be dispatch'd at such a time c. O how little do such love the Lord that are afraid to talk too secretly or too often in secret with him But alas how many omit closet-Prayer altogether Some content themselves with praying with others either in the Church or in the Family How can such look upon themselves as Saints whatever Profession they make What a Saint and yet
to pity them Drones are to be beaten out of the Hive and starved in Winter It is the Workman that is worthy of meat in Christs account Mat. 10.10 Idleness hath brought much evil upon you and bred many in you it begets many diseases in the body but many more in the Soul Psal 91.11 it exempts a man from the protection of Angels and it exposeth to Gods wrath it brought ruine upon Sodom and the Cities round about Jude v. 7. and they are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 2. In their general callings How are we guilty of abundance of Idleness in our general callings And above all Idleness Spiritual sloth is most dangerous I find some with unwearied diligence labouring to enlarge their Possessions and to raise their Posterity they rise early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness but all is for the Body they do little or nothing for their precious Souls and for Eternity Christ and Heaven stand by and few regard them Few work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Some will not be at so much pains for their Souls as to perform the common outward Duties of Religion They will goe to the Market or to be merry with Friends many a mile but if a Lecture he but a few paces from their thresholds they count it intollerable to wet their â—â—et to expose themselves to the air Well Well God hath eased you of this labour But if men are for some easie parts of Religion yet how few are for the difficult parts thereof They cannot endure to watch their hearts to sanctifie the Lords day so strictly as not to think their own thoughts nor speak their own words nor do their own deeds How many Professours have so long given way to their lazy distempers have lain so long upon the Bed of sloth that when we press them to any painful and laborious Duties they think it excuse enough to say We have put off our Coat and loth we are to put it on We have given way to sloth so long that we hate to take pains for Christ and for Eternity Hence Self-examination Meditation Watchfulness against the first risings of sin Mortification of inward heart-sins c. these works are totally laid by and the longer we neglect them the more ado there is to perswade us to take them up We are like truant-Boyes who hate their Book after a long vacation All we have to uphold our selves with is this that the Spirit is willing when God knows the contrary We are willing to be rich and therefore take pains So we would in Spiritual things too if we were so desirous of them If we were willing to enjoy Christ in our Closets would we be even asleep there upon our knees If we were willing to know the way to Glory would we not take so much pains as to goe to the Shepheards tents and ask for the good old way O! O! It will cut you to the heart when you come to Hell-gate that you mist of Heaven for not enquiring the way thither and that you took more pains to be rich and to damn your Souls than to save them Had that time been spent in Prayer holy Conference and in Self-arraignments which was wasted in the Bed Shop Fields unnecessarily you might have had an eternal rest whereas Hell will be as intollerable to all so especially to them who have stood idle all the day long CHAP. XXIV Their Unmercifulness THE Fourth Sin of Sodom was this Professors unmercifulness Ezek. 16.49 Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy That is they were unmerciful and inhumane And are not some Professours even in England very hard-hearted and cruel I have oft thought and said That Our late Civil Wars have had too great influence upon us to make us cruel If there be among you a poor man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates Deut. 15.7 8. in thy Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor Brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need Luke 14.13 in that which he wanteth O! The poor we have alwayes with us But When we make a Feast do we call the poor Who invites the Guests that Christ hath bid for our Tables When I consider how rare Bowells of mercy and kindness are Col. 3.11 it makes me fear and I have Scripture-grounds for my fear that few are the Elect of God O hard-hearted Professours Hear ye the Word of the Lord Jam. 2.13 He shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy He shall have all judgement pure judgement without any mixtures of mercy unmixed wrath shall be his portion Christ is so resolved to punish the Unmerciful that he will over-look any sinner rather than him yea for the greater honour of the Justice of God Mat. 25.41 42 c. Mat. 9.36 The Lord seems to begin and end the great Assizes with the Arraignment and Sentencing of the Unmerciful man How few compassionate Professours are there The proper vital act of Mercy is Compassion How few resent the miseries of others as if they were their own Luke 10.33 How few set themselves to do good to those who are miserable Such what-ever they pretend are indeed unmerciful for Mercy is an active and a communicative thing How few are merciful to others Souls How few pity and set themselves to help sinning Souls but more of this under another Head How few are merciful to the Bodies of others How many are there that will not spare of their superfluities to cloth Christs naked shoulders or to fill his hungry belly Men lay out more to adorn a Cup-board or the walls of their houses than ever they gave to Jesus Christ and his Servants all their dayes Men can feed their Birds their Catts their Doggs their Swine but the Sucklings and Lambs of Jesus Christ perish for want Christ tells you what kindness you shew to his Spouse Matth. 25.40 his Friends his Children he counts as done unto himself and believe it all the scornes and neglects you have cast on either his Ambassadors or poor Saints he will remember another day Go to thy Closet and carry this with thee who so stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself Prov. 21.13 but shall not be heard If you give to whom is it Is it not only to the poor of your own party But hath not the Lord charged you to give to every man that asketh Luke 6.30 Gal. 6.10 Hath he excepted any but idlers Are not you to doe good to all though especially to the Houshold of faith And among them should not your greatest charity have been set forth on them who are become poor not by vile courses but by Gods
the world comes in But how little pleas'd with the galleries wherein the beloved may be held How are men pleased with the earth but find no more rellish in Christ and his ways than in the white of an egge What great journeys have you taken even compassed Sea and Land to gain riches and hardly can go a mile or two to meet with God How is every opportunity laid hold of to get more to the heap But do not you remain contented with the least measures of grace yea with somewhat below grace How oft have you left your meat to serve a Customer but when so to serve the Lord Jesus Christ How few design for riches as a means to carry them to a further end They should be but as the rounds of a Ladder not to stand upon but thereby to ascend higher even to glory and to the new Hierusalem But alas few desire the world in subordination to God and as a means to glorifie God but the more they love the World the less God is loved and the more their desires are carried out after riches the less after God How few pursue earthly things in obedience to Gods call How many out of a desire of filthy lucre How few seek the World with an holy indifferency How few reserve their zeal and hottest endeavours for heavenly things Is not the general cry Psa 4.6 Who will shew us any good We need no proof of this there are instances every where How for the getting of a penny Note will some debarr themselves of Ordinances Is it not a sufficient excuse with some for not attending on the Worship of God that they met with a Customer that kept them from the Ordinance Doth not the Clock strike too fast whilst thou art selling to advantage Doth not time run away too fast Dost thou not wish thou couldst with Joshuah cause the Sun to stand still on a Market-day or on a Fair-day when trading is quick But O! The Sexton is blamed for suffering the Clock to stand still on a Sabbath day and when thou art in the Worship of God O! When will the Sabbath be gone Amos 8.5 When will the Duty be over that we may fell How many Hypocritical out-cries are there against the World O! It eats up my time O! It eats up my spirits It robs me of communion with God We say it is an Enemy and yet we can bosome this Snake lodge this Enemy Col. 3.5 that God would have us to kill Mortifie Covetousness How oft hath God charged thee against Covetousness Take heed and beware of it Considerations to withdraw the heare from Covetousness Luke 12.15 Two words to the same purpose all little enough to take thee off from earthly pursuits How apparently hath God with-drawn from thee ever since thou wast taken with this Dalilah How hardly art thou pull'd out of the deep pit and miry clay to Duty much more to God And wilt thou be rich Art thou resolved to run into the bryars Then farewell to thee not only in time but to eternity Mat. 13.23 How many convictions and impressions of the blessed Spirit have your worldly cares choaked How have your inordinate desires of riches puzled your Souls and diverted them from minding and improving the counsells of God and Conscience But O! How unreasonable are earthly prosecutions in this day of Gods wrath When God is plucking up by the roots now to be seeking great things for our selves to have Baruck's sore running on us Jer. 45. ult this makes us the more inexcusable sinners This is altogether unseasonable this is no time for it this is ignoble yea base O that we were ashamed of it We say The last dayes are perillous dayes we pretend to expect the Cross and is this good preparation for the Cross of Christ to load our selves with thick clay to crack our Consciences and thereby to incurr Gods farther displeasure How unlike art thou to the primitive Converts Paul when converted Phil. 3.8 counts all things but dung in comparison of Christ And Zacheus no sooner had a work of grace begun upon him but down went the World faster than ever it went up He parts from riches with more freedome than he sought them The half of my goods I give to the poor Luke 19.8 and if I have wronged any man I will restore four-fold John the beloved Disciple affirms That there is an inconsistency between loving the Father 1 John 2.15 1 John 5.4 and the World and that Whosoever is born of God evercometh the World But alas Our hearts are as Cities without walls the World hath a thorow-fare in them and may come and goe without any Pass from Heaven How hath God put a remark of his sore displeasure upon our worldly endeavours We have to dwell in our seiled houses neglected Gods house Hag. 1.2 4 6. and said The time is not come for the building the waste places for the restoring the Worship of God for the building of the house of God and how hath God caused many of us to vomit up our sweet morsels which we rolled under our tongues O! Consider your wayes Ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eat but have not enough ye drink but ye are not silled with drink and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bagg with holes How hath this Sin deadned you to all the Worship of God How by the interposition of this dark body of the Earth hath the light of Heaven yea the light of Gods countenance been darkned and how hath thy Soul been benighted and clouded They say If a Knife be put into the Earth it will lose its edge I am sure of this experiment That Christians who were once lively and active for God yet by engaging their hearts to the World they have lost their zeal their keenness and their lustre which once they had When thou hast gained time from thy business to think of God and to discharge duty hast hot thou miss'd thine heart hast not thou left and lost it in the croud How dost thou debase thy self hereby The curse of Cham is upon thee a servant of servants thou art a slave to that which thou shouldst rule over God did not give thee a reasonable Soul that thou shouldst choose the Serpents curse to crawl and live upon the Earth O! What sordid practises have some stoop'd unto for the getting this Worlds riches Ahab to gain a few handfulls of earth dares walk to it through Naboth's bowells Judas to pocket thirty Pieces will venture to betray his Lord and the Lord of Heaven and Earth O! tremble to think what sad effects your Covetousness may have upon you before you dye Demas left Christ lost his Soul shipwrack'd his faith and all to embrace this present evil world Prov. 28.20 And if thou make hast to be rich shalt thou be innocent Whether thou place thy confidence and hope
and neglect the one thing necessary Fool that I was to set my thoughts and affections on things below none of which now give me a drop of water to cool my tongue and to neglect the things above O! If I had never heard of Christ and Glory I had been more excusable for my earthly prolings Psal 69.6 O! How have I disquieted my self in vain I have heaped up riches and know not who shall gather them Had I been as faithful to Christ as I was to Mammon O! with what joy might I have removed hence What abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome might I have had O! Labour to prevent the horrours of Death and the gnawing Worm of Conscience It is sad when the Sting of Death and the Worm Conscience Prov. 11.4 bite the man together Riches avail not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivereth from death Believe it it will cut you to the heart to think that less pains might have served for eternal Life than you have bestowed for temporal Goods This plague attends the covetous man the more he desires and heaps up the less he is desired and the less he is lamented when he dyes He is like a Swine that is good for nothing whilst he is alive not good to bear and carry as the Horse nor to draw as the Oxe nor to cloath as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cowe nor to keep the house as the Dogg but ad solam mortem nutritur fed only to the slaughter So the covetous man doth no good with his riches whilst he liveth but when he is dead his riches come to be disposed of Prov. 13.22 The riches of a sinner are laid up for the just How can you choose but tremble at Dooms-day You cannot desire the comming of Christ If the Church cries Come Lord Jesus come quickly you cannot joyn in that Prayer for that your hearts are glued to this present World You preferr Paris before Paradise It is to the Saints loss to be kept so long from Heaven but you count it not so You cannot say Thy Kingdome come What will you do in that day when all the Estate and Friends of Dives cannot relieve with a drop of cold water Riches are like bryars and thornes good to stop gaps but not to lay in our beds and set our hearts upon lest we lye down in sorrow Few remember the Devil's offer All these things will I give thee is the last temptation that old Professours are baited with Take heed therefore and beware of Covetousness CHAP. XXVII Their Envy ENVY is a Sin seldome confessed Professoss Envy James 4.5 but yet much diffused among Professours The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy And indeed Covetousness and Envy are never asunder they are sins against the same command Such as long that what is their Neighbours should be theirs envy to him that which is his and such as envy to him that which is his long to have it to be theirs How desirous are Professours to grasp all to themselves And therefore how apt are the very best to be envious at the power greatness riches if not goodness of others Doth not the experience that you have of your own hearts if you be not strangers at home testisie that this Spirit is stirring and acting in you The poor envy the rich the base the honourable as if they had the less because others have so much Some think that this was the sin that threw down the Angels from Heaven that they envied Adam's glory in that he was made after Gods image and that they relinquished their glory to divest Adam of his To be sure the Devil was restless till he had implunged Adam in the same sin and misery that he was brought into Sure maligning the prosperity of others is not from the Spirit of God He that giveth freely to all would not have us to envy those to whom he gives more freely than to our selves and he that giveth us more doth not envy us for what we have If you have not so much as others it is because you are unfit to receive not because God is unwilling to give Do not we see how this poyson diffuseth it self An early sin it was if not in the Angels as some think yet it was in Eve She envied the all-knowledge of God and must forsooth have at least an equality with God himself It was also strong in the first man that was born of a woman and we still suck it in with our Mothers milk and it seldome dyes till we dye This sinne is commonly among people of the same Profession One Mechanick envies another one Merchant another one Scholar another one Gentleman another one Commander another as Saul envied and hated David because the Women sang that Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands one Minister another as those in Paul's dayes that envied him and affected an high strain of eloquence on purpose to obscure that reputation which Paul had got among the Churches And happy had it been if this cursed sinne had dyed in that age but it hath been still working in all ages of the World Is there not a greater promptitude in us Evidenced in detracting from others worth to detract from mens worth than to credit and exalt them To write down their blots and imperfections than to set forth their due vertues and graces If we cannot reach others by imitation we will by calumniation and therefore Luther saith Envious men feed upon the dung of other men They are like flies that love to be upon sores It is admirable to see how dull sighted we are as to the vertues and graces of our Brethren but quick sighted as Eagles to discern their imperfections Mat. 7.3 The beams of Vertue are not seen i. e. not taken notice of but a mote in a Brother's eye is soon espyed Are we not more greedy to receive and spread any thing Readiness to receive and spread defamations whereby our Neighbour is infamed and obscured than we are to entertain and diffuse what tends to his praise and glory And is not this the reason hereof viz. the great desire we have to shine alone and that we would none to vye with us in glory much less to excell us therein Is there not oft-times a secret gladness in our hearts Gladness in their being brought lower when some sad Providences afflict others in their Names Goods Health and Relations that thereby they may be brought to a level with us or to an inferiority in a lower estate When you have seen some Congregation wedged in with a concourse of hearers and yours thin and naked and when some have been cryed up for their purity gravity activity and zeal and when others have greatened their parts or estates and yours rather have been impaired have ye not been ready even to burst with Envy Have you not been glad when some blot hath
neglected to talk of what you have heard Have not some Not talking of it as soon as dismiss'd from the Sermon fallen into impertinent discourses about news and trifles or into worldly business Mat. 13.7 22. and so the thornes choak'd all the convictions which they received under the Ministry They consider not that the Word they have heard hath been the savour of life or of death 2 Cor. 2.16 and that every one that goes from a Sermon goes off either with God or the Devil in his company Have not you been hearers of the Word only Not practising it Jam. 1.22 and not doers of it Have not you so deceived your own selves Your Ministers have prest you to secret Prayer and to constancy in it but have not you gone away and continued in the neglect of that wherein the power of godliness and heart-sincerity mainly consists Blessed are they that hear the Word of God Luke 11.28 and keep it i. e. that are good Practitioners that have a conscionable care to regulate heart and life according to what they hear and know They are rather blest than the Mother of Christ was for bringing him into the World Christ puts a rather upon the good Practitioner than upon the Virgin Mary But alas Let it be for a Lamentation that so many Professours have been for hearing but for doing only what they listed Amos 8.5 6 7 8 9. Saying When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the Ballances by deceit That we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the Wheat The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob Surely I will never forget any of their works Shall not the Land tremble for this c The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you Mat. 21.43 Luke 12.43 and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof But Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing When did you find the Glasses to discover and amend your Spots Have you been cast into the Form of the Doctrine which ye have received Have you obeyed from the heart the Form of Doctrine delivered to you Hath your profiting appear'd answerable to the many months and years you have sate under the Dews of Heaven What do you know more than you did before What do you believe love and hope for more than you did Have your hearts and lusts stooped more and more to this Scepter of Christ Believe it Sirs If Sin be not more odious and Christ more sweet and precious after you have been in the Shepheards Tents you have lost your hearing hours yea contracted more guilt to your Souls That you have not been chang'd from glory to glory is a great stain to the Ministry and a great ground of sadness to the poor Ministers who fear they have laboured in vain And yet have not you been such unprofitable hearers that Seekers Ranters and Quakers have took occasion to cry down the Office of the Ministry as a Cheat as an old Almanack out of date because they have seen how unsuccessful the labours of Christs Ministers have been upon your Souls If you had come down from these Mounts with your faces shining if you had received more of God upon your hearts and lives you had more credited the Ministry and put to silence these foolish men What shall I say A worse Famine is coming on Professours than what happened to Egypt and if you have laid up no store what will ye do in the years of lean Kine 7. Have not you greatly miscarried Their miscarriages as to consulting with their Ministers Mat. 16.19 as to consulting with them Though one great work of your Ministers was to deal personally with your Souls and God intrusted them with the power of binding and loosing doctrinally at least and hath promised to loose in Heaven what they loosed on Earth and to confirm the Word of his Servants Isa 44.26 and perform the Counsel of his Messengers yet how little weight have you laid upon their judgements Have not you more credited the Physicians opinion of your Bodies Laying little weight on their Judgements Not consulting with them at all and the Lawyers about your Estates than you have your Ministers concerning your Souls How seldome are Ministers consulted with about the business of the Soul and Eternity Will not they in the Acts rise up to condemn this Generation They repaired to Christs Ministers with Men and Brethren What shall we do to be saved Acts 2.37 But alas How many have sate 30 40 50. Years under a Minister and never advised with him what to do They have been no more moved Through hard Heartedness Bride than the Rocks were that Bede preached to Or else through the Pride of their hearts they have thought to heal themselves They have been so puff'd up with their own knowledge that they have not cared to hear what their Ministers could declare unto them If they be to take a Journey they will ask the Way of every one they meet but so unreasonably consident are they of their knowing the Way to Glory though there be many Wayes Prov. 14.12 that do indeed lead down to Hell yet seem the right Way to Heaven that they will not so much as ask the Way thither-ward of any Guide Prov. 26.16 The Fool is wiser in his own conceit than seven men thas can render a reason Or else they have thought as well of their Souls as some doe of their flesh Thinking the wound will heal of it self that the wound will heal of it self And hath it not so done no body knows how Can you tell how the troubles and impressions made by the Ministry in your own Souls have worn away have not Ministers sound after the House hath been swept and garnished that seven worse Spirits have entred into the Souls of many convinced and terrified Professors and their latter end was worse than their beginning Many saith famous Hooker in a stupid kind of sottish senselessness wear out the blow and so wast away to nothing as many out of sorrow have become like senseless blocks How oft hath Satan like a Cut-purse drawn thee into solitudes disswaded thee from going near thy Minister that he may rob thee of thy Convictions and the better to effect this hath he not perswaded thee to look on the Minister as proud high scorning to condescend to hear thy Soul grievances and complaints whereas he hath many and many a time with the greatest importunity beg'd this trouble of dressing thy sores If you have consulted with your Ministers Not consulting with them soon enough Acts 24.25 have not you delayed going to these Soul-Physicians When the wound was newly given and bleeding you should have
razing down our Jerusalem to the foundation thereof rejoyce God will remember them and make them desolate and lay his vengeance on Edom And if any of the bordering Philistines shall deal by revenge V. 15 16 17. and take vengeance with a despightfull heart God knows how to stretch out his hand upon them and to destroy the remnant of the Sea coast and to execute great vengeance upon them And if any of our Neighbours round about shall with Tyrus say against Jerusalem Aha she is broken Ezek. 26.2 3 4. that was the gates of the people she is turned unto us we shall be replenished now that she is laid wast God can soon stoop these Mountains by causing many Nations to come up against them as the Sea causeth his Waves to come up and scrape their dust from them and make them like the top of a Rock Amos 3.2 God cannot bear it that the Heathen should be insulting whilst he is correcting his own and therefore God hath confirmed it by an Oath that he will deal severely with such Mockers Zeph. 2.8 9 10. I have heard of the reproach of Moab c. therefore as I live saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall be as Sodom c. Zech. 1.15 And I am sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Leave we these to the Righteousness of God and let us return to our selves whilst they are insulting Isa 64.4 Numb 16. Job 31.3 may we be on humbling and repenting Work God is come down and hath done terrible things that we looked not for we have been visited but not with the common visitation of all people God hath strange punishments for the workers of iniquity And no wonder when strange Oaths have been minted of later times that our Forefathers never heard of there have been strange wayes of Epicurisme and Gluttony strange wayes of uncleanness strange unknown fashions in apparel and for Fraud cheating and Tricks of Legerde main they have fresh and new and frequent every day Hath not God then a just controversie with his people If the Lord draw out Judgements that were never heard of before and make us signs and wonders to the world and an astonishment to all Nations may we not justifie his proceedings If we exceed our Forefathers Sins what wonder is it if we feel Judgements that they were never sensible of CHAP. XXXIX What use Professours should make of this Gospel-Glass ANd now Professour to all thy former Sins Quarrel not with the Glass do not add this great abomination that having had the Glass of the Word so faithfully revealing many of thy sins to thee thou shouldst go away and strait forget what manner of man thou hast been Let not Satan tempt thee to quarrel with the enterprise for that the Glass is not broad enough to shew to thee all thy stains and deformities know here are enough presented to thy view to lay thee low enough in Hell without Repentance Perhaps also by thy corrupt reason thou canst plead for one or two particulars or bring it under debate whether they are stains or not But know to the confusion of thy face here are spots unquestionable spots discovered and such as are not the spots of Gods Children But wouldst thou improve this or any other such Glass for the good of thy Soul Let Gods Honour and thy precious Souls everlasting welfare perswade thee to receive in meekness and love the following Counsels 1. Reflect on all the particulars Improve it for promoting Consideration and Meditation that thou may'st see what are thine iniquities Do not behold only and so goe away be not contented with slight apprehensions but muse that the Fire may burn Consider how oft in the Bill of Attainder thy Conscience tells thee thou art guilty O! ponder these things in thine heart chew the Cud recoyl upon thy self Let the Lord hear one the more for thee crying out what have I done How have I provoked the Lord By meditation retain the memory of thy sins with all their aggravations as much as thou canst set past sins in present view and possess the sins of thy youth as if they were just now committed now track the abominations of your lives charge this duty upon thy own Soul as that which must be done as thou wilt answer it at thy peril before God and Angels Perhaps hitherto you have forgot your corrupt lives and hearts as you have your natural faces forthwith but let it be so no more for Christs sake Consider not only how many of these sins you have been guilty of but how frequently and for how many dayes or years thou hast lived in some of these abominations having oft been guilty of the same sin though perhaps thou knew'st it to be a sin and hast prayed and resolved against it And because the particulars may seem little sins though in a sense there is no little sin because there is no little God and sins have their accents and aggravations from the person who is affronted yet because it is with sin as it is with stones you may carry this stone and that stone without trouble with much case but when many little stones are heared together they become weighty and heavy to bear therefore I advise that by serious meditation you sum them up joyntly till your backs or rather your hearts be broken and you take up the language of the Prophet My sins are passed over my head Psal 38.4 they are become too heavy for me to bear Reflect not only on thy Pride and carelessness and other particular miscarriages but put all the Items into one main Sum that it may stoop thy heart 2. Confession Away now and present thy self before the great and holy God whom thou hast provoked by these by all these great abominations and upon thy knees give glory to him by confessing to him as many of thy sins as thou canst remember with all their aggravating circumstances Josh 7.19 It is the same advice that Joskuah gave to Aâ—chan tell God what thou hast done and what thouâ—â—ast left undone Hide it not from him Confess to God all thy low unworthy thoughts of him all thy enmity against him his Laws and People c. Go and confess what envy what malice what ranckour hath lain in thine heart against thy Neighbour Confess to the Lord how oft thou hast spoke evil of dignities of the blood-royal of the favourites of Heaven of the Sons and Daughters of the most High who were more righteous than thy self Many times thou hast brag'd with the Pharisee what sins thou hast not been guilty of now confess what thou hast been guilty of I know if thou art an Hypocrite thou art loth to bring it forth thou thinkest it will be a shame to thee But let me tell thee it is a shame
dung of hell devoured and swallowed How few see sin to be contrary to the works of God although God had no sooner perfected the goodly faâ—rick of Heaven and Earth but sin gave a shrewd shake to all it shook and dis-joynted all and had it not been for Christ the great Mediatour it had ruined the whole frame of Nature How few see sin to be contrary to the will of God God saith I will have this done I 'le not do it saith Sin I 'le have this suffered saith God I 'le not suffer it saith Sin Nay so great is the contest betwixt Sin and God that if it could it would unbee God How few take notice of its contrariety to the very nature of God God is good Sin is evil God is pure Sin is impure How few believe sin to be universally evil that there is no good in it We cannot perswade men that there is good in poverty good in disgrace good in reproaches with the tongue and persecutions unto death but easily are men perswaded there is some good in sin How few are convinced of the miserable effects and consequences of sin The wrath of God is not revealed against their unrighteousnest and ungodliness so as to make their knees to tremble The hand-writing on the wall is not observed They are still alive We cannot for our hearts perswade men to goe up to heaven to see what spoyles it made there could we herein prevail then would they inferr that there is more evil in the least sin than there is good in all the Angells of heaven for that one sin conquered them and spoyled them of all their beauty and made them of glorious creatures to become such loathsome and hideous spectacles neither can we prevail with any almost to take a journey to Paradise to see its venome there or to goe to the Garden or to Mount Calvary to see what work it did there or to goe to hell-gate to hear the doleful shrieks and cries which it hath caused there though God hath said Psal 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses though there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 though sin be the sole object of Gods hatred for God loved the whole Creation till its beauty was blasted and stained by sin though sin only seperates between God and souls Isa 59.2 though in the belly of it be found all miseries deaths and hells though it be the founder of all graves and of Tophet though it fill the conscience with terrours and hell with fire and brimstone yet few are affected with the evils of it but they drink in iniquity as water Thirdly Few sensible of being under the wrath of God John 3.28 36. Eccles 8.11 How few Professours are sensible that they are cast by an holy and righteous Law that they are condemned creatures that the wrath of God abideth on them Few have seen the black cloud full of woes brim full of wrath ready to empty it self upon their souls they take no notice that though the sentence be not executed speedily yet it is given forth and there may be but a little breath and they are gone to perish for ever How many senseless souls are there in our Parishes whose consciences were never shaken whose spirits were never wounded who never received the spirit of bondage to fear who never knew what a fearfull expectation of judgement meant who go dancing to hell in the Devils chains and yet count themselves the noble and gallant spirits and flatter themselves in their own eyes and say we shall have peace though we walk in the imaginations of our hearts Deut. 29.19 Rev. 3.16 17. These are Laodicean-like rich and full and needing nothing when God is about to spue them out of his mouth as we discharge our stomacks of some loathsome surfets Pro. 26.16 These are wiser in their own conceit then seven men that can render a reason Though one Minister at the heels of another endeavour with Scripture upon Scripture to convince them of and to prick them at the heart for their sin and danger yet they are boysterously confident and presumptuous that they shall to heaven as soon as any Precisians in the Country Never did many break one nights sleep upon the consideration of their sinfull and lost condition by nature never did they loath their ordinary food or feel the smart of broken bones as David did though they have sinned at an higher rate never did they know what a wounded spirit meant what anguish of soul was never did they feel Gods wrath or sin a burthen insupportable they were never pricked at the heart so as to cry out What shall I do to be saved What shall I do to have me sins pardoned Would you know the reason of all this security Alas they are dead in sins and trespasses A dead condition is an insensible condition death deprives of sense as well as life the dead are not frighted with the swords and pistols at their breasts the dead fear not though threatned with fire and brimstone the dead hear not though God be on Mount Ebal thundering curses upon curses the dead see not though sin be so ugly a monster and hell so frightfull a place the dead smell not though sin stinks worse than the vomit of dogs 2 Pet. 2.20 than rotten Sepulchres or than the corrupted matter of the most nasty disease it offends not the dead to have this stinking Carrion alwayes in their bosomes the dead feel not though that which is heavier than montains of lead be lying on their backs they grown not neither do they complain so much as Cain did they do not go softly in the bitterness of their souls by reason of their sins Many cannot say with Hannah that ever they were of a sorrowfull Spirit Though there be so many curses upon the heads of all natural persons though there be an entayl of wrath upon the heads of the very sins they live in though their sins are or may be circumstantiated to a greater degree than any of the Scripture-Offendors that we read of as being committed under the open Sun of the Gospel though Hell be open to receive them every moment whilst impenitent whilst hardned though the Valley of Hinnom is making room for them to entertain them with the vengeance of a justly-provoked God yet few fear few work out their salvation with weeping eyes and trembling hearts they are still alive without the Law they never walked softly with Ahab or were under Soul-trouble with Judas they fall short of the pangs and sense of Hypocrites Oh! Oh! Oh! I pitty these secure souls how short will they fall of their hopes and how farr short of Heaven Fourthly Few sensible of Sathans working in them Eph. 2.2 How few are sensible that all this while the Devil works in them as in his
many wells of Salvation have been opened unto me which have been shut unto the most of the World But to return to Plato If he thanked God for living in the dayes of Socrates we may say that greater than Socrates have been amongst us We have had those with whom we have taken sweet counsell with whom together we have gone to the house of God who have been burning as well as shining lights many examples of close-walking heavenly Christians have we enjoyed such as have had the wisdome from above and more pure learning than ever Socrates or Plato could pretend to The Society of how many heavenly grave serious active fruitfull Christians have we been blest with such as have been faithfull admonishers such as would not suffer sin to rest upon us such as have dayly told us here is the way walk herein O the helps we have had But O the cursed unthankfulness of our hearts towards God notwithstanding his bestowing upon us so many lights to guide us so many fires to warm us and so much salt to season us 1. Instead of giving God the glory of all O! Evidenced in their Sacrificing to Instruments Hab. 1.16 how have we sacrificed to our own nets and to other Instruments We have praised our selves rather than God for what we have We have not ascribed the glory to God but to Instruments like that Cardinal who writ down how much such a Prince honoured him what such a Lord did for him and what such a Pope conferr'd on him whereupon another infers This man remembred his Friends but forgot God Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands but God hath little or no share in the Triumph 2. Too much Complaining How sensible are we of our wants and straits But O how unaffected with the goodness of God towards us How full of complaints are we but empty of acknowledgements Hath not the want of some one thing robb'd us of the comfort of all our enjoyments and God of the praise that was due to his name We have been such is our wayward Nature more troubled for the want of some one thing than thankful for many mercies Like Haman one Mordecai not bowing to our desires hath made us heavy and senseless under all our honours and Gods vouchsafements Like Achab we have been more dejected for want of Naboth's Vineyard than we have bless'd God for a Kingdome 3. Being most in the Petitionary part of Prayer Are not we oftner longest and heartiest in the Petitionary part of Prayer We are still craving the supply of wants but seldome very seldome too too seldome blessing of God for what we are stored with Our Petitions are long but Praises are short To whom be praise honour and glory serves for a sufficient Doxolgy Yea how earnest how fervent how importunate are we in the Petitionary part but how dull and heartless are we in the Gratulatory part of Prayer 4. Setting up their rest in Gladness Do not we set up our rest in being glad of Mercies and Deliverances Whereas it is one thing to be glad of a Mercy or Deliverance but another thing to be thankful for it Then are they glad I but that will not serve the turn Psal 107.30 31. it is a return of an higher nature which God looks for O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness 5. Forgeting Mercies Isa 17.10 Are not we unmindful of the gracious dealings of God with us Have not we forgotten the God of our Salvations and been unmindful of the Rock of our strength He is an unthankful man saith Sekeca that denies a Benefit received so is he that dissembles it together with him that requites it not but of all the rest he is most unthankful that hath forgitten it 6. Not making Catalogues of Mercies Psal 78.5 Deut. 4.9.6.7.31.19 Have not we neglected to make Catalogues of the Mercies we have received to help our memories How can we that have not and will not submit to this Divine Ordinance look upon our selves as some of Gods Israel This God hath ordained for a Law and a Statute for Israel What was this Ordinance That they should write it what God had done for them and so provide that the Generations to come might know what God had done But alas how little care have we that whatsoever God does may be for ever to his glory Eccles 3.14 How injust are we unto our Children and the Generations to come in depriving them of a faithful Record of Gods Mercies to us in which God speaks to them as well as unto us What God spake to Jacob at Bethel he spake to Israel that lived in Hosea's time Hos 12.3 above a thousand years after it There he spoke with us How injurious to them By such a faithful Record they might read the right way in sayling Heaven-ward by our Falls they might know where lye the Rocks and Quick-sands and by our Deliverances where Out-gates are to be found Not speaking of Gods Mercies unto others Psal 66.16 7. Have not we been too silent concerning the Goodness of God towards us How seldome do we with David say Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul How unlike Saints are we Thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom Psal 145.10 11 12. Isa 63.7 and talk of thy power to make known to the sons of men thy mighty acts I will mention the loving Kindnesses of the Lord and the Praises of the Lord according to all that he hath bestowed on me c. So sings Zion 8. Not stirring up others to joyn with them in praising God Have not we neglected to call on others to joyn with us in the blessing of God When did we make a Collection of Praises from our Friends that would gladly have been in the Quire A thankful heart is fill'd with enlarged desires that others that all would joyn in the work of Praising God A gracious heart doth not think it enough to praise God alone though it would be praising God were there none in Heaven or Earth to bear it company But I shall speak more particularly Their Vnthankfulness and instance in some of those choice personal Mercies to wave national ones for which the best of us are too too unthankful How have we forgot the hole For Conversion and deep pit and miry clay out of which we were digg'd Have not we been unmindful of the blessed Jubilee when the Prisoners were let out of the Prison-house Paul remembreth many Circumstances of his Conversion the Place wherein Acts 22.6 7. in a journey nigh to Damascus the Time when about Noon the Manner how suddenly there did shine from Heaven a great Light round about me and I fell to the ground and heard a voice c. He remembred also what he was before Conversion
the Scholar of those Notions which he affects and valueth Haven ot our hearts cryed out many times unto the Bible depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of Gods wayes either as to worship or manners and that because knowledge is an obligation yea a provocation to duty and a sting in case duty be neglected What things we prize we search into Not searching the Scriptures Jo. 5.39 But how little have we searched the Scriptures as diggers in Mines do search for gold and silver in the Earth as the Word signifieth And this leads me to those two main Evidences of our slighting the written Word of God our not reading and not meditating upon it Not reading them Dent. 31.11 Matth. 12.3.5.21.16 Luk. 10.26 Deut. 17.19 as we ought which I shall a little enlarge upon How have we been guilty of not reading the Scriptures as we ought That every one ought to read them is so evident that there is no way for the Papists to keep men from believing this truth but by keeping of them from reading the Scripture No business can discharge any from this duty and yet how is this evident duty neglected Some have not been so farr wrought upon as from sense of their own ignorance and blindness in the things that concern their Everlasting welfare and from conviction that they can know such things only by the help of the written Word of God to take up firm resolutions to undertake the study of the Scripture Others notwithstanding their resolutions never set upon the reading of the Bible over At all They have seen no excellency in this book they have seen more in a piece of Philosophy in a rational discourse of Divinity in an ingenious History in a politick discourse yea in a Romance or in a Play Polititian-like who preferr'd an Ode in Pindar before all Davids Psalms How many read the Bible too seldome Oft enough thinking it too much to read it dayly to spend one hour therein every day Have not some spent several hours in a day in reading some good books of mens inditing but not a quarter of an hour in reading Gods-book I even hate mine own works said Luther and oft times wish they were burnt because I fear lest they should withdraw men from reading the Scriptures How much greater is the Number of those Aright not reverently 2 Sam. 7.18 that have not read the Bible aright Are not all of us in this number When have we prepared for the reading of the Scriptures as becomes those that are going in unto God so going into the Sanctuary where the Word of God was kept is tearmed Have not we read fearlesly Tremblingly When we were going to take the Bible into our hands have we trembled at the Word Isa 66.2 lest we should not sanctifie the Name of God yea lest we should take the Name of God in vain in our reading Have not we read heedlesly Attentively Not diligently marking the Duties commanded the Sins forbidden the Rewards promised and the Punishments threatned therein Have not our thoughts been wandering and gadding and not fixed upon what we read When did we attend to Scripture words as heedfully 1 Kings 20.33 as Benhadad's Messengers did to the words of Ahab Have not we read unbelievingly Believingly Deut. 29.9 Rom. 15.4 Josh 1.5 compar'd with Hebr. 13.5 Conscieneiously For right Ends Not believing that the Scripture is the Word of God that whatever we read therein is true and good that the Spirit of God the Inditer of every word in this Book did particularly intend our good in every Verse that in the Scripture Life and Death is set before us yea that Scripture words are our Life Have not we read out of custome and not conscienciously in obedience to the command of God Have not we read for wrong ends Either to satisfie our curiosity and not to regulate our hearts and lives or to have matter of discourse but not matter of practise to have Scripture at our tongues end not at our hearts or only to know being ashamed to be ignorant of those things which all Christians know and to be able to say nothing of such matters which we cannot but have occasion divers times in company to talk of but not to do When did we read the Scriptures with this particular intention that they might be a Lamp unto our feet Psa 119.105 and a Light unto our paths That we might thereby be help'd to order our conversation aright When did we read the Bible with the same attention reverence Quid est Scriptura Sacra nisi quaedam Epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad Creaturam suam Greg. Hos 8.12 and resolution to follow every rule therein as we think we would if we had lived when Christ was upon Earth received a Letter from him directing us what to believe and do that we might be saved Or as we think we should a Book writ immediately by the singer of God as he wrote the Ten Commandements in two Tables Why the Bible is Gods Letter to every one of us in particular written by himself though mediately I have written to him the great things of my Law To him it is in the singular number because to every man and woman particularly When did we read the Bible as Children read the last Will and Testament of their deceased Parent Have not we read the Scripture With Prayer without begging of God his Spirit to help us to understand what we read and to practise what we understand at least not so importunately as we would if we had been begging for our Lives at the Barr of a Judge Have not we sown this seed among thornes in unplowed hearts Jer. 4.3 and have not so much as prayed to God to take away the heart of stone and to give an heart of flesh a teachable plyable tractable spirit ready to receive every Divine impression O! when shall we make conscience of reading the Scriptures daily as we ought The Emperour of Heaven saith Gregory the great the Lord of Angels and Men hath sent to you that which concerns your life and will you still neglect to read it with a fervent and zealous Spirit How guilty have we been in not meditating in the Word of God as we ought How little Not meditating if at all have we dwelt in our serious thoughts upon the matters contained in the written Word of God to the end we might understand how much they do concern us and that our hearts may thereby be raised to some holy affections and resolutions Though meditation be commanded as a chief means sanctified by God for the keeping of his Word Josh 1.8 Psa 1.2 though we cannot be holy and happy without it altogether though it be one of the Profitablest duties of a Christian the Reader and Studier of Scripture may see the beauty and smell the sweetness of the flowres that grow
in this Divine Garden but it is the Meditater the Christian-Bee that gathers the honey out of them though it be the duty by which the Soul digesteth truths and draweth forth their strength for its nourishment and refreshment yea the duty by which all other duties are improved yet how much is this duty neglected by all sorts of Professours because though it be the delightfullest task to the Spirit yet it is the most tedious to the Flesh that ever men on earth were imployed in Have not many been long Professours At all and yet if they would tell all the truth they will confess they never spent one hour together in mediating on the most weighty Scripture-truths on God on Mans Estate by Creation Degeneration Regeneration Glorification on Christ on the Vanity of the Creature on the Beauty of Holiness on Death on Judgement on Heaven and Hell Meditation saith Mr. Baxter in his Saints rest is confest to be a duty by all but by constant neglect denyed by most and I know not by what fatal customary security it comes to pass that men that are very tender Conscienced toward most other duties yet do as easily overslip this as if they knew it not to be a duty at all they that are presently troubled in mind if they omit a Sermon a Fast a Prayer in publick or private yet were never troubled that they have omitted Meditation perhaps all their life time unto this very day How few have mannaged this duty aright Aright Hath not that which we call Meditation been Study only Hath not some controversial point or some nice speculation been the matter of our Meditation Hereby we evidence that we have not so great spiritual hunger after Righteousness as we should Hungry men saith one do not use to stand and pick bones when they have meat enough to eat Hath not our end in meditating been only the increasing of our knowledge and not the improving of our knowledge Have not we begun this work without God When we were going about to Meditate have not we neglected Prayer for help from Heaven to go through with the work though without God we can neither know resolve upon nor perform what is good for from him yea from his own good pleasure comes both the will and the deed Have not we idled away our meditating seasons If we have sequestred our selves from worldly businesses and company for meditation at any time have not we idled away that time by suffering our thoughts to gad and wander up and down to no purpose to be sure not to fetch in considerations for the stamping holy impressions upon our hearts and lives Have not we in meditating been without a due sense of Gods presence May not we cry out Gen. 28.16 surely the Lord was in such and such a place where I have been meditating and I knew it not i. e. I considered it not Hath not the work of our understandings in this business been to retain and not to convey truth into the heart Have our understandings represented what should work holy affections and resolutions aright Have they presented things good of a Divine and Heavenly nature as God Christ Heaven c. in their prime and beauty Have they presented things in their nature simply evil as Sin Gods wrath Hell at their worst Have not we left off meditating before we attained the end of Meditation before holy affections and resolutions are wrought Have not we rush'd out of this duty as well as rush'd into it Have not we gone from this work as a bird out of the snare with joy and speed Have not we ended as well as begun this work without God not praying to God for strength to perform what we have been inabled by grace to resolve upon for God and for pardon of what hath been amiss in the duty O! when will English Professours be prevailed with to make conscience of this duty of duties I once more intreat thee to use Mr. Baxters words as thou art a man that maketh conscience of a revealed duty and that darest not wilfully resist the Spirit as thou valuest the high delights of a Saint and the Soul-ravishing exercise of Heavenly Contemplation and as thou art faithfull to the peace and prosperity of thine own Soul that thou speedily and diligently set upon this great duty O! Considerations against flighting Gods written Word what a mighty blessing is it to have such a book wherein are written by God himself the great counsels of his will concerning mans Eternal Salvation What a sin is it then to have low mean yea vile and base thoughts of it Is not our slighting of the Word of the Lord the cause of all the wickedness in our hearts and lives Whence are all our omissions and commissions but because we make a light matter of sinning against the Scriptures Certainly this great provocation hath a great hand in our miseries and threatneth utter ruine to us Prov. 13.13 Isa 5.24 Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so their root shall be rottenness and their blosome shall go up as dust because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the Word of the Holy one of Israel CHAP. XVI Their miscarriages about the Promises 9ly Professors miscarriages about the Promises MUch Ungodliness is also evidenced in Professors miscarriages about the Promises of the Ward the promises being the great promoters of godliness in the world not only as arguments to induce it by shewing how God will reward it but likewise as principles of godliness or the chief instrument whereby God makes Souls partakers of the Divine nature 1. Not believing their truth How little do we believe the truth of the Promises How little do we believe that the Spirit of God and glory rests on them that suffer for Christ and his Gospel and that as tribulations do abound for Christ so shall consolations by him or that we shall have an hundred fold advantage by any loss we sustain for Christ and his concernments All that fear of man all that cowardise all those tremblings of heart that are upon Professors this day all that enmity against the Cross of Christ which appears on the faces and hearts of men are clear demonstrations how little the promises for the bearing up under suffering for the deliverance out of suffering or rewarding of suffering for Christ are believed We cannot set the Promises against all Crosses 2. Not prizing them enough How low are our esteems of the Promises of God of the great and faithful God in comparison of what they are concerning the Promises of honest and sufficient men I appeal to thee if a King should promise thee a thousand pound per annum whether it would not more rejoyce thine heart than the Promises of eternal Life which God hath made unto thee do With how
he had fourteen thousand before he had three thousand Camels afterwards six thousand before five hundred Asses then one thousand yet how little can we trust Providence in such cases How hardly were the Disciples perswaded that the absence of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ should be supplyed in the Spirit And yet saith Christ Nevertheless I tell you the truth â—fo 16.7 it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him to you Christ in his Spirit dwelling in our hearts is better than Christ in Flesh dwelling in our houses When the unclean Spirit departs from a man Mat. 12.43 and returns again he brings seven Spirits worse than himself and the latter end of that man is worse than his beginning but when Christ withdrew from Earth to Heaven he brings seven consolations better than at first in the powring forth of the Comforter and the end of such in whom the Spirit supplies the want of Christs bodily presence is better than the beginning Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity Jer. 30.15 16 17. c. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured c. for I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thee of thy wounds saith the Lord because they called thee an outcast c. Nothing more usual with God than to make the loss of one comfort the means of enjoying another with advantage yea with the advantage of the hundred fold But alas most fear they shall be losers by Christ and for Christ God doth as Marriners row one way and look another he brings most of his great ends about by looking quite aside from what he hath a special intent to bring to pass the Lord seldome proceeds in a direct way to his ends i. e. in a right way to our apprehensions in such a way as we would have him go in but he leads us about Psa 107.7 as he did Israel and yet that was the right way indeed though the means seem to oppose the end yet he works to the praise of his Name he can write right by a crooked pen and bring honey out of the Carkas of the Lion make use of strange instruments break down Jerichos walls by the sounds of Ramshorns But O! how little do we trust Providence when the means are not probable to effect our expected end Zech. 14.7 Hebr. 11.12 Who believes there shall be light in the Evening And that Sarah shall have a posterity as the Stars in the Firmament for multitude and as the sand on the Sea shore which is innumerable when she was old had been barren so long and her Lord old also Who will think that the Sun and the Stars shall bow to Joseph when he lies in the Pit or is in the Dungeon of the Heathen King How slow to believe were the Disciples when Christ is dead and buried Luk. 24.21 25. and lies three dayes in the Grave We thought this should have been he that should have delivered Israel How little doth the Worm Jacob Jacob when reduced as low as the earth when creeping into holes for security when as contemptible as a worm that no man scruples to tread upon when so easily to be destroyed as a worm believe Isa 41.15 16.17 that yet the Worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains and fan them and the wind shall carry them away Alas how unseemly is the behaviour of many if Providence thwarts them in taking away a Child an Husband an Estate how discouraged and cast down are we as if God in his Providence had pulled down that which he could never build again or rooted up that which he could never plant again O! how few believe that if God pull down their brick-houses that he will build them again of hewn-stones and that if he consume their Fir-trees he will build again with Cedars Do not many afflicted Christians think it impossible for their sorrow to be turned into joy Whence is all our dejectedness under Cross-Providences Hence dejectedness under Cross-Providences but from our not believing that all things are disposed by the wife and gracious Providence of God We believe not enough that the Eyes of our loving Father run to and fro throughout the Earth to shew himself Marvellous for our help in a time of need and danger David was thus overtaken till he school'd himself into a better frame with Why art thou cast down O my Soul Psa 42.5 and why art thou disquieted in me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Few can say God is our refuge and strength Psa 46.1 2. a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea Few believe that if the Lord be pleased to lay a great burden upon their shoulders he will give great strength to bear it and if he gives but little strength he will surely proportion the burden to it Whence are all our uproars of Spirit and disquietness of heart but from our not trusting upon Providence When God is working desolation did we see it his work we would be still David was so when strangely provoked by Shimei's insolency and railings God hath bid Shimei curse Abisha was not so much concerned in the affront as David but he sees not God in the lips of Shimei and therefore his Spirit is inflamed All the boylings of Revenge that are in the hearts of men one ' gainst another may be Boyling of revenge attributed to mans blindness and injudicious view of things they see not the wicked to be Gods Sword to let out their corruption they do not believe that God intends to pursue gracious designs by such instruments Joseph was easily conquered and perswaded to forgive the unkindness yea the cruelty of his Brethren in making Merchandize of him to the Ishmalites he could say Gen. 45.8.50.20 It was not you that sent me hither but God c. As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive He insinuates to them that they had no cause to fear his revenging himself on them for that he could easily pardon that offence of theirs out of which God hath drawn so much good to his people and so much glory to his own Name How silent would we be yea how full of praises if by an eye of faith we did see the end of God in all his Providences that they lead to holyness Before I was afflicted I went astray Psa 119.67 75. Hebr. 12.10 but now I keep thy Word I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me in faithfulness He for
Psa 4.4 1 Cor. 11.28 Lam. 3.40 Their omitting the Duty altogether hold intelligence with it Let a man examine himself Let us search and try our wayes But yet notwithstanding these Injunctions 1. How many are there that never set about this Duty They will Pray c. but will not be perswaded to look inward They are as great strangers to their own as to others hearts They are at no pains to try in what state they are They will not try Nor examining their Estates whether they are new-born or not whether sanctified or not whether a saving change hath past upon them or not They will not compare themselves with the Characters which are given by Ministers and Books to see whether they be in the gall of bitterness or not in the bond of iniquity or not They never examine what Justification and justifying and saving Faith be and whether they are justified and shall be saved like Gallio Little caring for these things They examine which way they may be greater in the World how to add to the heap how to load themselves with thick clay how to escape the wrath of man how to prolong their dayes but not how to prepare for Eternity and how to make sure of Heaven You ask one another what news from Navies from Armies from Court from Country but when did you spend one hour to ask your hearts this serious question O my Soul what will become of thee when thou leavest this earthly Tabernacle We travel any where but where we should We are better read in any Book than in the sealed Book of our own hearts We are not at all for a personal treaty with our own Consciences We are too much prying into other mens hearts but our eyes turn not inward We know not how it is with our Souls and what will become of them and we have no mind to know such matters As we commune not with our hearts about our States Nor Actions so we do not commune with them about our Actions neither before nor after the doing of them Before we act we do not advise with our Consciences whether what we be about to do be lawful or unlawful and if lawful whether expedient or inexpedient After we have acted whether our actions be good or evil How many are contented so the matter be good but examine not themselves about the manner principles ends and motives Though the Children of Israel knew by the Word of the Lord and from Abraham their Father that Canaan was a Land flowing with milk and honey yet they sent Spies and searched it and thereby were confirmed If men had never so much confidence of the goodness of their Prayers c. yet for Confirmation-sake they should send down Spies into their hearts to see the Clusters of their Zeal and Affections the utmost of the goodness of them But alas how many wholly neglect this necessary and possible Duty If all were like these God might take up his old complaint No man cryed out Jerem. 8.6 What have I done Or O my heart What hath God done for thee 2. The backwardness of the best hereunto How backward are a more refined sort of Professours to a compliance with this Duty How oft have your Ministers invited you beseeched you to hold intelligence with your own hearts and yet cannot prevail How backward are the best to keep a strict eye upon their little house within to see what is done within those doors We are apter to study others lives yea hearts than our own If the best knew how much work lies within doors they would not be so much abroad as they are 3. If we do examine our hearts Not making use of the Word as the Rule yet not by the Word of the Lord. God would have us to try and prove our selves then there must be some measuring Line some Standard some Rule to try our selves by but herein we are hugely defective We try our selves by some sudden pangs or by the good opinion of others concerning us or by the lives of others we being in an Hospital where every one almost is lame and defective or by some other easie Rule that we our selves frame unto our selves and so miserably cheat our selves O! how loth are we that the light of Gods Word should be let down into the dark Cells of our hearts for want whereof there is much dust unobserved and not swept away How loth to try states or actions by the Scripture though thereby they must be tryed at the last day He is a good Text-man that compares Scripture with Scripture and he is a good Christian that compares the Scripture and his own heart together that credits his own heart only when it hath the consent of the Prophets and Apostles making them Umpires in the decision of all his Soul-controversies Have recourse to the Light that shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 But alas Who obeys this form of wholesome words 4. Being superficial therein How overly and superficial are many in the examining themselves by the Word How few do examine their State or their Actions fully Though our hearts be very great Impostours Jer. 17.9 deceitful above all things great Supplanters full of guile though there be thousands and thousands of Lusts that lye hid in our hearts and Deceits like the Sands on the Sea-shore yet how carelesly do we set upon this work We take no pains in it 5. Being too seldome in it How seldome are we in this work Some deferr it till a Sacrament and then perhaps the house is searched for the leaven whereas we should keep a petty Sessions in our hearts every day and do what we can to know the bottom of the projects devices workings of our heats When going to Prayer we should examine our selves whether we have clean hands and pure hearts whether we are double-minded James 4.8 if so there is no drawing nigh to God And when we come off from the Duty we should conferr with our hearts what enlargements quicknings meltings humblings we had in the Duty what promises what threats were applyed by the Spirit whether we saw the face of our Beloved or not When going to a Sermon we should examine in what posture we are to meet with God what Oyl we want that we may be supplyed When going to our Beds we should examine our hearts how the day hath been spent what sins were committed what Duties and how discharged what temptations were resisted what mercies received and what growth and increase of grace we have obtained When going to Visit this Duty should be taken up before and after Before thus Wherein may I honour the Lord my God in such company what are their wants that I may endeavour to supply them what are their temptations and discouragements that I may labour to support them what are their graces and best attainments that I may profit by them After thus O my
farr lest they should see what they are unwilling to see and so be put upon judgeing and condemning themselves for that which they love beyond an Eye or an Hand 5. The sad consequences of the neglect of this duty O the sad consequences of the neglect of this duty By this neglect your hearts will become careless for that they are not call'd to an account as Servants and Factors are wont when their Masters neglect to examine them Hereby Sins will grow bolder with you and the more easily beset you for that you examine not wherein their strength lies and which way they oftnest prevail over you Hereby the work of Repentance will be obstructed for that innumerable Sins which you are daily guilty of will pass away unobserved with those circumstances attending them which make them of the greater magnitude Hereby your uncertainties about your spiritual estate will remain it may be converted it may be not it may be a Son of God it may be not but a Child of Hell it may be a Believer it may be an Enemy to God and â—â—e of Gods curse Hence will follow great dejectedness under every Providence of God no condition will please you whilst doubting and staggering you will be apt to fear whether your food be in mercy your dayes in mercy your liberty yea the Gospel in mercy to you you will sink under adversity for you cannot say the Lord is my portion you know not whether God will be your strong Tower Fortress c. you cannot manage any duty well whilst this lies neglected Mica 6.8 How can you walk before God with an humble heart when you know not what your hearts are How can you serve him with an upright heart whilst a stranger to this duty The very Heathens knew how necessary this was to all their duties and therefore discreetly caused to be writ over the Temple at Delphos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy self Miserable are the disappointments that will attend English Professours unless they fall into a compliance with this duty you will dye deluded like the foolish Virgins you will not know your undone condition till it be too late you lie deceived in matters of the greatest and highest concernment you are cheated hitherto in things of eternity you are vexed when deceived by a Friend when supplanted by a Neighbour O! how will it pierce your Souls to be cheated by your selves When we would exclaim against a Knave we say he will cozen his Father the nearer the Relation the more sordid the Cheat O! but here is one that lies in thy bosome and thou and it go to cheat each other continually Let no man deceive himself 1 Cor. 3.18 it seems we are apt to do so But O! how great will your confusion be when this deceit shall be manifested when you shall see your selves frustrated of all your hopes and the glory your hearts promised you How will you be confounded when you shall say we looked for Heaven but behold Hell we looked for Salvation but behold Destruction we looked to be made perfectly Happy but O how our hearts have cheated us we must be damned we thought we had as good hearts as any as true Faith as sound Repentance as cordial love to God as any of our Neighbours as any Precisians of the Countrey we fools counted their life madness c. O! what daggers and swords will these frustrations be to you 6. We and our hearts shall not alwayes be strangers If you be loth to see how it is with you now how will you be able to behold what shall be seen at the day of Judgement Though you now will not know your hearts though you are so stately as not to speak with them or loth to examine the dirty Corners yet God is coming with his Fan the books must be opened and every page of thy heart will be unfolded for God will bring to light every hidden work of dishonesty God will pluck off the rough garment which thou wearest to deceive thy inward parts which are very wickedness shall be made manifest and then thou shalt be speech-less as if thou hadst a muzle put upon thy mouth as the word signifieth Well seeing murder will out as we say the secrets of the Soul must be brought forth is it not better by judging our selves by a severe tryall and sentence on our selves to prevent the wofullness of the last day Judged we must and shall be is it not then thy wisdome to judge thy self here in thy Closet that thou mayst be judged by God with a judgement of Absolution and not of Condemnation Is it nothing to have all thy unrepented and unforgiven sins published on the house-top made known to all the World Ezek. 22.14 at the great day How will thine heart endure then when the Lord shall come to deal with thee You will not see but you shall see Isa 26.11 You will not retire the World lyes in your hearts Business comes in and takes up all your time and spirits God is about to strip you to ease you of your Callings you shall come naked to the Barr of God you shall have no Family business to distract you a fair tryal there shall be but a sad one for thee Your sins shall find you out Numb 32.23 You have had many Calls once more I call upon you in the Name of Christ to examine your hearts by the words of this Book which you have or shall read And be sure of it If you will not nor try your selves by the Word God will try you by his Works Thus saith the Lord Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them But how will God melt them and try them Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord v. 9. Shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing v. 10. and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation because they are burnt up so that none can pass through them neither can men hear the voice of the Cattel both the Fowl of the Heavens and the Beasts are fled they are gone And I will make Jerusalem heaps v. 11. and a Den of Dragons and I will make the Cities of Judah desolate without an Inhabitant CHAP. XXI Their Pride BEhold Professors Pride Ezek. 16.49 Evidenced in Irreverence in addresses to God Gen. 18.27 This was the iniquity of thy Sister Sodom Pride c. And is not this Devillish Sin become our National Sin 1. With what a bold and impudent face have we come and appeared before God Who hath sensibly exprest himself in Abraham's words Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Instead of a reverential fear of God our behaviour hath been stout against God and we have not trembled in his presence no not whilst we have been terribly
in thy gold or in a golden calf thou art guilty of Idolatry Col. 3.5 of having other Gods besides the true God and so dost as highly offend the true God and God usually gives up such men unto spiritual judgements Rom. 1.21.24 It makes me fear you have not tasted of the upper springs because the puddle of the World is still sweet to your taste Luke 5.39 No man saith Christ having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better If you had tasted of the joy peace mercy and comforts of Christ your earthly comforts would be disrelished Gal. 6.14 If you did glory in the Cross of Christ the World would be crucified to you and you unto the World The sweetness of Christ would drown all Creature-sweetness But alass Psa 84.10 To which of us is one day in Gods Courts better than a thousand else-where Austin said If one drop of the joyes of Heaven might fall into Hell it would drown all the bitterness of Hell So would it drown all bitterness in the Soul and all the sweetness in the World Worldly comforts would be too course too slat too low to recreate your hearts Did ye but know the honey and milk of Canaan ye would not so much mind the Onyons of Egypt Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will cleave to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon O! What a surpassing indignity is this to Christ Si terram amas terraâ—es Aug. to set him below the foot-stool to value thirty Pieces of Silver before him to preferr Earth before Heaven present things before future that the love of God the recompence of reward shall not lye nearer the heart than the treasures of Egypt O! What a miserable life dost thou live This Sin brings an Hell with it thou art the Devil's Martyr 1 Tim. â— 9 They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and burtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Thou enjoyest neither God nor the World Thy only happiness is a fancy And this is thy great misery that thou still desirest that which will never satisfie thy desires The more thou hast of the World the more thou wantest the more thou drinkest the more thou thirstest a Dropser is upon thee Semper avarus eget Hor. Hebr. 13.5 Prov. 23 5. ch 8.21 Eccles 5.1 and thou knowest it not Discontent is alwayes the Companion of Covetousness Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have Why wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Grace and Godliness is substance Why with Esop's Dogg wilt thou let goe the substance for a shadow The things of the World are fancies the things of God realities What good is there to the Owners of riches saving the beholding them with their eyes Do not you all this while bear false witness against God Do not you proclaim to the World that God is not enough to answer to fill your desires and that therefore you goe out after the Creature Is it nothing to you to call God who is all-sufficient who is a fountain of living Water a barren Wilderness Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid Jer. 2.12 13 31. be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evills's they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisternes broken cisternes that can hold no water O Generation see ye the Word of the Lord Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel a Land of Darkness Wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Hereby you break the conjugal Relation God looks on you as Adulterers and Adulteresses James 4.4 Prov. 5.19 and will judge you accordingly God expects that his breasts should satisfie you and that you be alwayes ravished with his love and dare you tell the World that your God hath deceived you and that you were mistaken in your choice of God and therefore after other Lovers you will goe No wonder that for the iniquity of our covetousness Isa 57.17 God be wroth and smite us We are greedy of more but what have we done with our former talents Account we must for one Mat. 25.5 for two for ten talents the more we have the greater still will be our account There is a reckoning day at hand O that our moderation were known to all men Phil. 4.5 because the Lord is at hand If thou art not sincere I am as sure as this Book is in thy hand thou wilt curse the time that ever thou hadst an Estate and wilt wish thou hadst been a Beggar for then thou hadst not so much to answer for before God It is certain though some doubt it that thou shalt carry none of thy estate away with thee 1 Tim. 6.7 nothing is to be carried away save guilt to Hell in case of mis-improvement of an Estate yea if you have not rendred unto God according to what you have received 2 Chron. 32.25 the heaping up of wealth is but the charging of thy account thou must account how thou hast disbursed to a farthing I will suppose thou hast by neglects of thy general Calling and by rising up early and sitting up late gained an Estate thou mayest put all thy gain in thine eyes and never see the worse What will thy Estate advantage thee when the Arrows of the Lord enter into thy Soul What will the World advantage thee when the Gout Feaver burning Pestilence c. are upon thee What hast thou got only that which may stand with Gods eternal hatred Never count thy gains till thou hast got that which is inconsistent with Gods wrath What hast thou got above that which God throweth unto the Doggs Shew me Childrens bread or never boast of thy gains Did you ever find any Child of God worse for afflictions but have you not found many worse for their thrivings in the World Jeshurun waxed fat Deut. 32.15 and kicked Whilst you have Bonds and Bills upon others do not you run into arrears unto God And how will you discharge those Suits which God will commence against you When you lye a dying will ye not wish that your time your strength your spirits had been powred forth upon better things than those of this life That you had traded for Grace and Glory rather than for the Gold of Ophir for a little gilt Clay O ye great Projectours for the World I do even fore-see the troubles and horrours the doubts and fears the anguish and amazements of your Souls which your unâ—â—â—â—â—â—ties as to your future estate will put 〈…〉 into in your dying Rooms How 〈…〉 take up such language as this Fool that I was to cumber my self about many things
Lord of Heaven and Earth keep the Soul of this Wife this Child this Servant for if it be missing amongst the number of my sheep at the great day through thy neglect in instructing c. thy Soul shall go for it Hence not only should your Children be taught by you but your Wives and Servants The Wife is commanded to learn of her Husband at home and the Husband to walk with her as a man of knowledge and your Servants should be trained by you in Religion Gen. 14.14 as Abrahams Servants were by Abraham thus some of the Hebrew Rabbins think that Abraham's trained Servants are therefore so called Not conversing personally with them abâ—ut their Souls How seldome do you converse personally with every one in your Families concerning the practical part of Religion How seldome do you ask them any questions how it is with their Souls and what they think will become of them to all Eternity Are you not as great strangers to the inwards of their Souls as you are to the Souls of the Indians If their bodies be in danger meat physick attendance are procured but their Souls may perish in formality and carelessness for any help you will afford them Some Professing-Governours never treat with their housholds about their Spiritual Estate from one year to another Hence comes the great Apostasy of our times The Lord humble us and deliver us from bloud-guiltiness Many an Husband may cry out O my Wife's Soul is like to perish through my default many a Parent may shriek O! I am verily guilty of the bloud of my Child and many a Master may impute to his own account all the disorders of his Servants for that they have no personal conference with them about Original Corruption Regeneration Justification Sanctification Glorification c. Perhaps thou prayest in thy Family every day but not knowing the inward lusts and workings of their hearts towards God or Sin thou knowst not how to pray as thou oughtest thou knowst not what to confess and what to pray for nor what to bless God for 4. Not walking with gravity Have you walk'd with that gravity before your Wives Children and Servants as ye ought Have you not made your selves vile by lightness frothiness and unseemly carriages Governours of Families are the Viceroy's of God they are in the place of God and therefore should keep up their Authority and not sinfully run into such vanity and familiarity with their inferiours as to breed in them contempt of the Ordinance of God 5. Not giving them time to serve God in You have given your Children and Servants time to work for your selves but have you afforded them time to serve their God in Too too many use their Inferiours just as they use their Beasts they work and feed their Beasts but never instruct no more do they instruct their Inferiours When do you call your Wives Children Servants into your Closet and not only press them to look after their Souls and in order thereunto to spend some time in Prayer Reading Meditation c. but tell them how God wrought on you how he awakened you what corruptions prevail'd with you and how God help'd you to crucisie them How do you know but the same motives might melt reduce and turn their hearts too 6. Have not you miscarried as to the time Taking undue time for Family-Duties In the Morning too early for the management of your religious work in your houses Some Governours Pray in the Morning too early so early with a small part of their Family whilst others are in Bed or in the service of the World so that they worship not God together as they ought and this is past over with silence but if they miss of their Servant in the Shop or Field O! how doth the fire of Hell break forth at their lips How angry is the Governour he cries out O! I shall be undone by the unfaithfullness of my Wife Children Servants but sees not a greater danger a more probable ruine falling on him for not having his Family to worship God with him Others deferr Morning Prayer till it be almost Noon Too late They will adventure into all worldly imployments as we say without fear or wit they see no need of God to protect them from outward or inward dangers no need of Gods blessing till they are ready to fill their panch and then some Collects must be said some short Prayers it is the Custome of their fore Fathers it is the Religion of their Ancestours or Conscience will trouble at the total neglect of the Morning Sacrifice and therefore the Prayer shall be run over with more hast than the boy that saith his lesson that they may rise up to eat drink and play And as some are unseasonable in their duties in the Morning At Evening too late so at Evening Whilst their strength lasts to serve the world they attend it some 'till even midnight and then come let us go to Prayer when the poor Wife Children and Servants had rather be in bed than on their knees The Governour Prays dully enough 1 Sam. 2.17 Putting off family Prayer with a long grace and that while the poor family sleep or nauseate the duty and so like Elies Sons these Sons of Belial cause their people to abhorre the offering of the Lord. Are there not also some Professing-Governours unworthy of the name of Christian who think to please God and the family with a long grace before meat which shall be in lieu of all the service of the day 7. Not reading Scripture and good books How few are there that read the Scriptures and good books in their houses O! this will take up too much time as if God had given men all their time to neglect him in and to indulge to the services of the Flesh World and Devils CHAP. XXIX The sins of Husbands and Wives HUsband 's and Wives are call'd to reflexion on their miscarriages joyntly Husbands and Wives sins severally Joyntly for their not being so carefull of their choice as they should have been not seeking God enough in a matter of so great consequence which was for tearm of life and wherein the Souls of each other were so highly concerned 1 Cor. 7.39 The Wife is bound by the Law as long as her Husband liveth but if her Husband he dead she is at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord. 2 Cor. 6.14 Be ye not unequally yoaked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness That they came together upon low earthly and lustfull motives for profit pleasure beauty rather than to further the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ The Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men that they were fair Gen. 6.2 and they took them Wives of all which they chose That they did not by Prayer and Fasting
Church doth commend Christ but seldome are Wives careful herein to imitate the Church of God How many do blazon their infirmities more frequently than commend their graces The Church is careful to please Christ in all things 1 Cor. 7.34 The married Woman should care study to please her Husband by her attire behaviour words She should goe speak and do so Eph. 5.24 as may render her most acceptable in his sight in every thing How many cross Wives are there that love to vex rather than to delight their Husbands They will cloath and adorn their bodies to make them lovely to strangers rather than to their own Husbands The Church bears patiently rebukes and blows from Christ so should Wives as Sarah was commended for her meekness 1 Pet. 3.4 5 6. The ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit is in the sight of God of great price for after this manner in the old time the holy Women adorned themselves being in subjection to their own Husbands even as Sara c. The Church gives Christ reverend Titles of honour and esteem but alas Wives are so proud so self-conceited of their own worth and merit that they cannot but disrespect all others even their own Husbands Hereby they shew not themselves to be the Daughters of Sarah Gen. 18.12 1 Pet. 3.6 She having occasion to think of her Husband presently this title Lord came out of her heart into her mouth and the Holy Ghost takes notice of it yea a second time sure it was for some high end and proves that she obeyed Abraham because She called him Lord. Perhaps the Wife will tell me these are but trifles that I cross my Husband in I must tell thee to break the order of God for toyes and trifles will greaten thy sin at the day of accounts What wilt thou darest thou for so slender a matter tread down the Law of thy God and hazard the ruine of thy Soul O! consider this and turn not your duties to your Husbands into matter of talk and pastime as the manner of most Women is CHAP. XXX The miscarriages of Professing-Parents and Children PArents As Parents O! how little do you plot for the good of future generations how little do you care whether God hath a Name when you be dead and gone that Christ survive and holiness flourish when you shall be rotten in your graves O! 't is through your default that the name of Christ is not had in everlasting remembrance if you were faithfull how would the generations to come bless the Lord in your behalf If you were active and diligent you might convey holiness down to your posterity as you have been unhappy instruments to convey down a stock of sinne you have been instruments to convey down the curse but are not you careless to convey down grace The World would soon meâ—â— the Church of Christ would soon regain its antient lustre and beauty if ye did but faithfully discharge your duties to your Children you might suffer little Children to come to Christ yea you might fill the Kingdom of Heaven but do not you rather fill the Kingdom of Hell And as Jereboam made Israel to sin do not you instead of leading them the way to Heaven lead them the way to Hell O! consider seriously and sadly how farr you are guilty with respect to the Souls of your Children 1. By giving them bad examples Giving their Children bad examples Chams not covering his Fathers nakedness was a sin conveyed down to all his race and therefore God chargeth the Church of the Jews against that sin under the expressions of walking in the manners of the Nations Levit. 20.11 23. compar Ye shall not walk in the manners of the Nations which I cast out before you for they committed all these things Your pride sensuality carelesness in the worship of God your passions towards your Wives and Wives towards their Husbands your frowardness toward servants c. teach your Children so to carry themselves towards others One check't his Son and said never Parent had so wicked a Child yes said the Son My Grandfather had 2. Cockering them in sin By humouring and cockering your Children in their Sins Teaching them early to be proud of their fine clothes and to revenge Come give me a blow saith the Mother to the Child whilst it sits on her lap By indulging to his voluptuous course of life it is thought Isaack smarted in his Son 's future disobedience even by suffering him to sport and hunt away too much of precious time Many like Apes kill their Children with culling them Austin tells a sad Story of one Cyrillus who loved an only Son immoderately and let him do without correction what he would afterwards this cockered Son in a fit of drunkenness offers violence to his Mother killed his Father wounded mortally two of his Sisters and would have ravished another Through foolish pity Parents especially Mothers give the reines unto their Children when they are young and thereby they grow head-strong Prov. 29.15 and are a shame to the Mother that bore them The sparing of the Rod is the ruine of the Child Do not you reprove your Children as old fond Eli did Thereby he brought a plague upon himself and upon his posterity What saith one never cease convincing or correcting till thou hast subdued the spirit of thy Child if he contends with thee You pretend such harshness is inconsistent with love but I say from the Lord such fondness and indulgence is consistant with hatred and I am sure the Lord is on my side in this Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his rod hateth his Son he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Is it love to suffer a wound in thy Child to fester and thereby to destroy him rather than to apply a painful corrosive for the expediting the cure But what saith the fond Mother O! If the Child should be the worse for my correction it would be a trouble to me whilst I live O that such a doting Mother would hear the Lord himself Correct thy Son Prov. 29.17 Prov. 23.13 and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy Soul With hold not correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not dye Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child Prov. 22.15 but the rod of correction shall drive it farr from him 3. By not acquainting them with the Lord Not instructing them and his wayes and that betimes Hath not God commanded that his Laws should be whetted by you upon your Children Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt teach them diligently Hebr. whet or sharpen unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Some conceive that Catethiling of Children is not obscurely hinted in this ancient Precept And is
to each other Do not you suffer Sin to rest upon each other Are not you guilty of not easing and relieving them when they are overcharged with businesses Do not you carry your selves proudly and magisterially towards Apprentices Do not you joyn in a confederacy to tell tales against your Governours And do not you charge your fellow-Servants with secresy therein whereby the Name and Authority of the Master is lost and all hopes of edifying are taken away CHAP. XXXII Their miscarriages with reference to the Ministers of Christ whilst they were resident with them 1. Professors miscarriages towards Ministers before their removal Not esteeming but slighting them 1 Thes 5.13 HOW little have you esteemed them and how much have you slighted them Though they were the Embassadours of the Lord of Heaven and should have had respect according to the rank of their Master that sent them yet how little did you honour them in your hearts Did you know them and esteem them highly for their Works sake Have you not very much slighted both their Persons and Message How many have thought they knew as much as their Ministers and therefore under-valued them How many Ministers have been slighted for their mean Parts As if the efficacy of the Ordinance depended on the Rhetorick of the Preacher as if no dainties could be brought them in a homely dish no treasure in an earthen vessel as if God could not speak out of the mouths of Babes as if the using Jordan were too contemptible a means I have feared the unsoundness of many hearts from the itching of their ears Paul was careful to preach not with enticing words 1 Cor. 14.18 with the wisdom of words Though he could speak with tongues more than all yet he desired to speak rather to edification It is likely your Ministers could have been Seraphical and in the clouds but they stooped and descended to your capacities and denied themselves that they might gain you more desiring that you should be brought in love with the naked truth of the Gospel than with the dress it comes in But nothing hath pleased your squeamish stomachs but meat so sawced you have loved the meat for the sawce when there was no sawce you cared not for the Sermon and when the sawce was gone you were weary of the Sermon you would have no more of the meat A Sermon full of plain naked Scriptures would not down in our last times We were Christ-glutted Gospel-glutted It 's observed by an Historian that before the great Massacre in France the Protestants were for a luscious wanton kind of Preaching Truly saith one of our own about 18 years since We cannot absolutely determine what will become of us only we have cause to fear that consciencious Sermons as much despised as they are may be a commodity dear enough in England ere long 1 Sam. 3.4 and visions may be less open that they may be more precious How unworthily have the Ministers of Christ been slighted by even such Professors who a little before pretended at least to have had their life growth from them and that they were the Seats â—â—â—â—etr â—â—â—istry that they were begotten and bred up under their shadow and yet in process of time have had low mean base and unworthy thoughts of them debased them as brats of Antichrist as limbs of Babilon Have not many eminent Professors been ready to entertain reports against their Ministers and have they not lost their esteems of them for one real or supposed weakness of theirs though you have been under so many engagements to them for your spiritual life c. yet if you have seen a little failing or miscarriage in them have not you forgot all their worth and all their many years labours and cares for your eternal welfare Have not you been so far from esteeming the Messenger for the Message that you have slighted the Message for the Messenger Hath not this been the language of your hearts if not of your months What nothing but this preaching Have not those that at first admired afterwards made nothing of this Heavenly Manna because of the commonness thereof When pearls were common among the Romans they wore them upon their Shooes Uniones emergere e luto cupiunt Tert. Hath not even the pearl of the Gospel been trodden under foot by you Have not you considered only the matter and not the stamp of the Coin Have not your Ministers though they have not kicked the dust of their feet against you yet oft complained to God of the contempt you have put upon them and how much their Embassy hath been undervalued by you It may be you have thought it was no great matter to slight them and their counsels but know for your trembling and amazement of Spirit therein you have slighted Christ himself He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 Mat. 10.15 Prejudiced against them May you not fear it will be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement than for you 2. How full of undue prejudices have your hearts been against your Ministers and you have not had the honesty to examine the grounds When they have delivered truths of a sublimer Nature than ordinary or have delivered any thing more obscurely than at other times how rarely have you confer'd with them thereabout Have not you gone among your Companions and fill'd your own and their hearts with prejudices against them When they have insisted long upon one subject have not you been offended But when did you ever cry out of others for being too long telling Money to you for spending too many hours therein Hereby you have done the Devil as great a piece of service as any you could have done him in your life time Let me publish that to thine eye which was once whispered in the ear Take heed what thou dost this man is a Roman Should not you much more have taken heed of filling your own and others hearts with prejudice against your Ministers seeing they were the Prophets of the most high these men were men of God they were the special Ambassadours of Heaven I think he said well that Prejudice against the Preacher is the great prejudice to the hearers This Feaver of prejudice hath made many like the full stomach to loath the honey-comb Hath not God met with repulses whilst your Ministers have been entertained with prejudice So long as you have been prejudiced though you were convinced of many duties yet you have not been perswaded to obey the truth This hindred the Jewes from closing with Christ and made their house desolate over-turned their Temple so that a stone was not left joyned to a stone it brought a kind of Dooms-day on them 3. Not blessing God for them How little have you blessed God for the Gospel-Ministry which you have enjoyed and yet hath it not been the best under the Cope of Heaven This distinguishing Mercy did not
affect your hearts as it ought Some there were but very few would say Brown Bread and the Gospel is a Feast Few like the Christians at Constantinople cryed out Better the Sun not shine than Chrysostome be silenced You could bless God for Health Estate c. but not for these great Luminaries of Glory who were appointed to conduct and guide you unto the Heavenly Jerusalem 4. Not praying for 〈◊〉 How little did you Pray for them How little have you prayed for gifts and abilities to goe through their whole work for preservation for them and for a sanctified use of all Gods dispensations toward them How little did you deprecate the stopping of their mouths and supplicate that their mouths might be kept open Eph. 6.19 and that utterance might be given unto them that they might open their mouths boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel Have not they oft begg'd your Prayers in the words of Paul I beseech you Rom. 15.30 31. Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your Prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea in England and yet have not you neglected to call upon God for their deliverance How can you tell but their mouths had still been opened had not you neglected Prayer Mat. 7.7 8. Hath not Christ promised Knock and it shall be opened unto you To him that knocketh it shall be opened 5. Making Excuses for not hearing them Have not you made sorry Excuses for not hearing them How little have you believed that Word He that heareth you heareth me And by consequence that not-hearing of them was not-hearing of Christ himself What slight excuses have been deemed sufficient to keep you from the Shepheards Tents The Apostle would have us Swift to hear James 1.19 Swiftness notes diligence in taking the first occasion but how have you to complement with a Friend to indulge to the flesh for fear of a little rain for fear of wetting your feet for fear of losing a six-penny yea a penny-Customer declined several opportunities of attending the Embassadours God sent you For these things the wrath of God is breaking out upon you the day is come or coming Amos 8.12 Cant. 5.3 6. Their miscarriages before in and after hearing Before Hearing without antecedent meditation when ye shall wander from Mountain to Hill from Sea to Sea and seâ—k bread and find none This very excuse the fear of defiling her feet would not serve the Spouse 6. How did you miscarry both before and in and after hearing How slender was your preparation to attend upon these Deputies of Christ How little did you meditate on the Word you were to receive at their lips Did you thus consider The Gospel that I am about to hear wil be the savour of life unto life or of death unto death I shall be nearer Heaven or Hell by this Sermon I am going to If the Gospel be alwayes hid I am a lost Soul and shall perish is my Soul hungry This is the bread of Heaven Is my Soul thirsty this is the water of life this is the milk whereby I must grow up unto eternal life this messenger of Heaven will be for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel If he be not instrumental for my Salvation he will be for my Damnation Isa 55.10 11. As the rain cometh and watereth the Earth and returneth not thither c. So shall Gods Word that goeth forth out of this Ministers mouth not return unto him voyd How little did you consider the excellency and necessity of the Word that you were to partake of What â—reasure was afforded you in an earthen vessel That the Truths and Doctrines that your Ministers taught you were of as much worth as your Souls as Heaven as Salvation How little did you pour out your Souls in Prayer unto God before you went to hear your Prayer Ministersâ— Eâ—â—her 〈◊〉 your Ministers that God would open their mouths to speak the word truly sincerely powerfully and seasonably and suitabty to your condition or for your own Souls that God would open your hearts to enteâ—tain the word so as to profit by it that you might not have open ears and shut hearts that you might not have ears Prov. 20.12 and yet hear not as knowing that the hearing ear and seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them How careless were you to purge your Souls before you came to hear the word Putting off the shooe Moses before he was to hear God speaking put off his shooe to intimate that you should put off your carnal and earthly affections before you come to hear Gods word But have not you rush'd out of your worldly employments to many a Sermon How careless were you to lay apart all filthiness Jam. 1.21 and superfluity of naughtiness that you might receive with neekness the engrafted word Eccles 5.1 which is able to save your Souls If you have not come without habitual have you not neglected actual preparation When you have been actually under the Ministry Have not you heard irreverently In hearing irreverently without awfull apprehensions of Gods Majesty and presence Have you said of the place where any Minister of Christ hath preached unto you as Jacob of Bethel how dreadfull is this place Have you in your hearing Sermons set your selves in the presence of God Acts 10.33 as Cornelius did when Peter was preaching unto him The King of Moab will rise up in judgement to condemn the irreverence of many of our Professours when Ehud told him Judg. 3.20 I have a message to the from God the King arose from his Throne and bowed himself Have not you evidenced your irreverence in hearing carelesly Carlesly dully drowsily sleepily c. Have not you lent a more attentive ear to a Tale to a Fable to a Romance to a Ballad to a Stage-Play of several hours length than to a Sermon of an kour Have not you come to Church as to an Apothecaries Shop for a recipe to sleep Hath not the Gospel come unto you in word only and not in power When the Minister threatened you from the Lord could you say My slesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy righteous judgements How many months and years did Gods Servants threaten you with a Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord but did this Judgement fright you and humble you whilst it lay in the cloud of the threaâ—ning as the least appearances of an outward Famine have awakened you When your Ministers came with the tydings of Peace to you were their feet beautiful May not your Ministers complain of you as Christ of the Jewes John 8. â—â— My Word takes no place in you So careless have you been of any thing that hath been spoken
Physician is sent for both Lawyers and Physicians houses and rooms are full of Clyents and Attendants but men are contented to clear up their own titles to Heaven and glory and to heal themselves of their sin sicknesses a plain argument that they thought the Ministry but useless and that they could make a shift to live without Ministers Thou hast had Prescriptions for thy Souls recovery and health for these many years and yet perhaps hast not given one farthing to thy Soul-Physicians If a Physician write a few lines purses are opened if a Lawyer plead a quarter of an hour yea if he plead not at all but only give his advise you think he deserves a fee but the Ministers work is so low in thy esteems that he might have starved if all were as niggardly as thou hast been Let this be considered and lamented Your Ministers have been under a temptation to withhold the pressing of this duty upon you for that many lay in wait to discredit them as if they preached for nire and sought yours rather than you but let me be your Remembrancer this day We cannot say of you as Paul of the Galathians that you received us as Angels of God yea as Jesus Christ and that you would have pluckt out your eyes for us Alas what did you for us more than the constraints o◠the Law compell'd you to And how many wishes had you that all the Laws for Tithes had been abrogated upon pretence that Ministers should have had a better maintenance by a voluntary contribution But do not we know that the great sticklers for this have been most close-fisted to the Ministers Giving nothing to them for their maintenance Have not some of them refused to give one penny to the Ministers whom they waited on for years together I wonder how you could in your reading the Scriptures if you have indeed read them so long overlook 1 Cor. 9.7 who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Say I these things as a man v. 8. or saith not the Law the same also v. 9. For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn. Doth God take eare for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt v. 10. this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope v. 11. If we have sowen unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things v. 12. If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ v. 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple And they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar v. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel That you may be the better convinced of the neglect of your duty see the Apostle claimes it as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Power his Right and lawful Authority to receive maintenance from the Corinthians And indeed Christ hath impowered his Ministers and they may demand it without any just imputation of covetousness and self-seeking as the Labourer may his hire The Apostle had power to forbear working i. e. at his Trade He implyes that the Ministry would be the saddest employment because of the laboriousness of it if Ministers should not live of their Ministry Be sides Ministers give people gold for brass Again They who ministred about the holy things lived of the things of the Temple yea and plentifully too for they had the Tenth and yet were scarce the Sixtieth part of the People for the number of the People without the Levites amounted to a thousand thousands and three hundred thousands and the Levites numbred from the Infant to the old man were found but two and tweenty thousands But alas Though the Apostle be so peremptory here and else-where Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things And the Wise-man Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first-fruits of all thy increase Yet I may renew an old complaint Many have dealt by their Ministers as Carriers do by their Horses they lay heavy burdens upon them and then hang Bells about their necks hard work and good words they shall have but easie commons and slight wages as if they were of the Camelion-kind and could live by the air But if you have parted with any thing to the Minister hath it not been as Almes Or else giving only in charity not in justice as an almes not as due not as Dues not as Right Have not you excused your selves from giving what was due from you with The Minister needs it not He hath a fair Estate or at least a competency Yea but what saith the Apostle Have ye not reaped our spiritual things and should not we your carnals Have ye not been instructed Why then did ye not communicate to your Ministers in all good things Hath not the Lord expresly alienated a proportion of Goods for the Ministers labour How dare you live in the Sin of Sacrilege Is it not Sacrilege for you to detain from God what is due to him You are in the snare Prov. 20.25 for you have devoured that which is holy Suppose a man should work for thee all the day long would it be an excuse for thy detaining his dues from him to say The man hath a competency yea he is rich he is richer than I am my Children want it more than he doth he hath little or no charge O! saith the Lord The Labourer is worthy of his hire Wouldst thou not say so in that mans case O! Live up to the Light of Nature or throw up thy Profession It is no less than a wonder to see how little honesty there is among men yea among Professours To defraud a Minister is hardly counted a sin The rise of this is the great contempt of the Ministry A Sin that God is now reckoning with you for The Lord God of your Fathers sent to you by his Messengers 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but you mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets May it not be added Untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy For this Sin God brought upon the Israelites the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the
sword in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand Have not you cause to fear lest you shall also be so given into the hands of worse Babylonians You can judge what is a Ministers competency but when have ye a competency You can add field to field house to house hundreds to hundreds and yet the Horse-leach cries Give Give Yet do not you judge a small stipend that will hardly keep body and soul together a competency for a Minister What is that great service you do for God above the Minister that you should think it reasonable to leave hundreds yea thousands to your Children and that the Minister should be kept so short that he cannot leave them a groat What shall I say to you Let me borrow the words of God by the Prophet Will a man rob God Mal. 3.8 9 10. Yet ye have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Bring ye all the Tythes into the Store-house that there may be meet in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it O! Restitution to be made by such as have not given what was due from them to their Ministers Do not any longer detain what is due to your former Ministers make restitution of unjust gain as ever you hope to be saved It is not enough to say Lord forgive me I thought it not my duty but thou must reckon how many years thou hast reaped Spirituals and pay what thou owest or Judas will condemn thee for he thought it unsafe to keep what was unjustly got Remember Zacheus he thought it not enough to give over his oppression but when converted he made conscience of making restitution Let the Elders that rule well 1 Tim. 5.17 18. be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine For the Scripture saith thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his reward Here you see double honour honour of reverence and honour of maintenance was due unto your Ministers Here is an allusion to the right of the first-born who were to have a double portion Their maintenace was due from you neither should their maintenance have been ordinary mercenary wages but such as is given by way of honour as well as by way of reward Have not you lived in the contempt of an Ordinance of God 1 Cor. 9.14 The Lord hath ordained c. as before Do not any longer delude your Consciences by crying against Tythes as Antichristian as Jewish Did not Abraham before the Jewish Laws pay Tythes to Melchisedech And are there not from thence arguments drawn that you cannot answer Why do ye not fear lest through the prevalency of Self you should be too base covetous and partial in your own matters O! Give to God what is Gods Deny not your Ministers their dues You owe vaste summs to them which if you detain in this day of their wants God will call you to a speedy account for the grinding of the faces of these poor yea he will make you vomit up such sweet morsels with all the rest of your substance Jam. 5.4 if not with your blood Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by fraud crreth and the cryes of them which have reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath Lydia even enforced the Apostles to accept of her gift The Macedonians beseech'd Paul with much entreaty to accept of their bounty If thou wert converted by one of them thou didst owe to him no less than thy self What thou art and hast should not have been counted too dear for him who was Gods Instrument to pull thee as a brand out of the fire even when thou wast half burnt Say at length with David I will not serve my God with that which cost me nothing I shall conclude this head with the saying of a Reverend man It is a plain argument of a base esteem of God of Grace of the Kingdome of Heaven that a Servant a Factour should have twenty times the alloance of Heavens Factour for your Souls You are not come up to the honesty of the Pharisee Mat. 23.23 He gave Tythes of all that he possessed even of the smallest things of Mint and Annis and Cummin Luke 11.42 And doth not Christ say These things ye ought to have done What were your Ministers more unworthy than the Priests of that Age Their regardlessness of the Widdons and Children of their dead Ministers 13. If you have not been niggardly toward your Ministers whilst alive with you have not you been niggardly towards their Wives and Children after their deaths Verily not minding the Widows and Children of deceased Ministers is a sin that God will remember in the day of accounts David enquired after the seed of Jonathan he evidenced his true love to the Father in remembring the posterity O! when shall love be without dissimulation 14. Their grieving their Ministers Have not you been a very great trouble to their Souls Your Ministers were so affectionately desirous of you that they were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel only but also their own Souls because ye were dear unto them And is this your kindness to your Friends to break even their hearts who were glad to spend and be spent for you How proudly have you carried it toward them God threatned the Israelites that the Cananites should be pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides Surely it better became Cananites to be thorns to the Israelites than for you to be thorns to your Ministers How oft have you grieved them to see your stoutness and rebellion against all their Counsels May not your Ministers say as David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy Word May they not say We have seen your lukewarmness your sloth your earthliness c. and our Souls were troubled You should have been like the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.19 the crown of our rejoycing but you have been crowns of thorns which have pierced not our heads but hearts You should have refreshed our Bowels been as Cordials and sweet refrectives after all our wearisome labours but have not you dealt unkindly with us and the more we have loved you have not we had the less love from you Have not you beâ—â— more merciful to your Horses and Dogs than to your Ministers You have baited and been kind to those creatures but God knows how after all our toyle
mind If all were as unmercifull as some of you they and their Children would swoon away in desolate Wildernesses Remember Hagar and the Child Did God pity that Egyptian and have you no pity on your poor Ministers Are not you so far from the Macedonian bounty 2 Cor. 8.3 of giving above your power that you will not afford them your superfluities Who is there that redeems from his table from his belly from his cloaths to cover these naked shoulders and to fill these empty bellies Doth not Baruck's sore run upon you you trade for your selves seek great things for your selves and send away your spiritual Fathers with I pray God bless you c. be ye cloathed c. but do not give according to their necessities and your abilities O! Jam. 2.15 16 17. How dwelleth the love of God in you Boast what you will of your Profession and Faith your Faith without Works is but dead CHAP. XXXIV Want of Love among Professours AS touching brotherly love saith the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians you need not that I write unto you A complaint of the want of love among Christians 1 Thes 4.10 for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed you do it But may not I say to English Professours As touching brotherly love you need that I write unto you for you are not taught of God The fire of brotherly love saith one is almost ready to goe out scarce any spark of it yet remaining among us but instead of the fire of love the wild-fire of passion rageth vehemently and is predominant Many live as if they had been born on the Mountains of Bether the Mountains of Division and as if they had been baptized in the Waters of Meribah the Waters of Strife Oh! that my head were waters and mine eyes fountains of tears 〈◊〉 weep day and night for the want of love in the Christians of this generation towards one another How common hath it been to confine our love to our own party We have not loved all the Saints Col. 1.14 How few Bucers are there How few love all in quibus aliquid Christi vident in whom they see any thing of Christ Many even hate those that differ from them though but in Circumstantialls Others though they are ashamed to profess their hatred upon such an account Prov. 26.26 yet cover their hatred by deceit till their wickedness can be hid no longer but shew'd before the whole Congregation The Devil began his Legerdemain this way by covering his Enmity with pretence of Friendship What saith the Apostle Let love be without dissimâ—lation Rom. 12.9 Psal 12.2 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 3.18 But alas With a double heart how do Professours speak How few have turified their Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren Most love in word and in tougue only but not in deed and in truth Many like your Feather caps humble Servant pretend love but it never appears above-board it is Dear Friend Good Soul but their hearts are not with you Evidenced in calling for Fire from Heaven against those of different perswasions In order to the convincing of us of our guiltiness herein O that our Consciences may be suffered to give in full answers to the following Queries 1. How have we call'd for Fire from Heaven like the two Disciples when we have thought our selves dishonoured in that others have not given such a reception to our wayes and practises in Religion as we expected Have not Magistrates been instigated against godly persons if of a different perswasion from our selves Have not we wished others that divided from us in some Circumstances of Worship even banished Have we not cryed out the Land is not able to bear them Have not we been glad when such were put out of all Offices and Places of Profit And have not some thought it good service to God if they had been kill'd Whilst some under colour of mercy and tenderness oryed for a general Toleration even of blasphemy Others ran into the other extream and would endure nothing that they deemed an Errour Even to this day if men scruple at the lawfulness of some Ceremonies and Gestures in the Service of God they are thought worthy not only to be cast out of the Church but to be delivered over to the Secular Magistrate for Imprisonment and Confiscation of Goods at least So much is Pauls meekness forgotten and un-imitated who though zealous against the Faith-destroying Errours of Hymeneus and Philetus yet would have much forbearance for others when doubting of the use of Meats and the Jewish Ceremonies Baxters Saints Rest Edit 8. part 1. chap. 7. p. 111. I read indeed in Pagan Writers saith one that Christians were as cruel as Bears and Tygers against one another c. But I had hoped that this accusation had come from the malice of Pagan Writers Little did I think to have seen it so farr verified c. Lord What Devils are we Unsanctified when there is yet such a Nature remaining in the Sanctified Such a Nature hath God in these dayes suffered to discover it self even in the Godly that if he did not graciously and powerfully restrain they would shed the blood of one another and no thanks to us that it is not done 2. un-Sainting of them upon that account Hildersham on Psa 51. P. 691. To facilitate the destroying of such without remorse Have not we blotted out the reputation of their holiness and represented Saints even as Devils It is utterly a fault mong you said one of our English Worthies formerly that the difference in judgement and practice about the Ceremonies of our Church hath caused such strangeness and alienation of mind and affection between such as do truly fear God both Ministers and People We are so farr from receiving esteeming loving and maintaining society one with another notwithstanding this difference of judgement about these things that we are apt to despise and judge one another for it and doubt whether there be any truth of grace in them that differ from us in these things Surely saith the one side the indifferency and lawfulness of these things is now so clearly manifested as these men must needs be willfully blind that do not see it Nay certainly they cannot chuse but see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect to their credit with the people among whom they have gotten a great Name and Applause by standing out so long they would doubtless conform themselves And surely saith the other side the utter unlawfulness of these Ceremonies is now so clearly revealed that these men must needs be wilfully blind that see it not Nay they do see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect they have unto their worldly peace and estate they would never use them certainly they sin against their Conscience in observing of them And
account He that seeth his Brothers face fowl and tells him not of it hath a mind that others should see his spots as well as himself And is this love to thy Friends O! How have we uncovered that which ingenuous Humanity should have concealed Can you talk so of your Friends that are most dear to you 12. Restraining Prayer for them Have not we restrained Prayer for such Christians as have differed from us Whom we love we pray for But have not our differences been so great that we have excluded one another out of our Prayers unless to reproach each other before the Lord If any man see his Brother sin a Sin 1 John 5.16 which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death How seldome are we very serious and earnest in wrestling with God for others if in some things divided from us Mat. 5.44 If we had counted them Enemies we should have so loved them as to have prayed for them O that Abraham should pray so vehemently for the Sodomites and not we for Saints That Samuel should pray for Saul and not we for the Lords anointed ones Have not our differences interrupted not only civil but all religious communion Yea have not we neglected to pray not only for dissenting Brethren but for the reconciling of them How few are there that pray heartily feelingly believingly for the Peace of Hierusalem though there are many Promises to encourage us therein Zech. 14.19 that his Name shall be one and they shall worship with one shoulder and Judah shall not envy Manasseh Jer. 32.39 nor Manassâ—h vex Ephraim And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them should we not also have been encouraged to pray for that which Christ so affectionately desires Will not Petitions be welcome to Heaven for that which would be the joy of all the Heavenly Host to see effecten Peace on earth among the Saints would be the joy of God who is the God of Peace of Christ who is the Prince of Peace May we not confidently pray for what Christ sweat and bleed 13. Not priling their gifts not blessing God for them How unready have we been to respect and value the gifts and enoblements of such Christians We have neither heartily prayed to God that they might be useful with all their Talents for the good of many nor blest the Father of Lights for communicating so much to them 14. Envying them Hath not the Spirit in us lusted to Envy Whom we love we rejoyce at their gifts and enjoyments but hath not a Spirit of Cain prevailed among us Have not we envied if others had greater acceptance with God than our selves Have we rejoyced at the gifts and graces of differently-perswaded Brethren as if they were our own or have not we secretly at least repined at others praises Have not we been afraid that we and our party have been obscured thereby Hath not this been evident in our being more backward to speak of their graces than of their imperfections Doe not we gaze only on the Sun and call in others to be spectators of it when ecclipsed Do not we like Kites pass over the sound sheep and pitch on the weak and dead Carion or like the Butchers Dog not touch the sound flesh but the offals and putrified pieces or like Swine pass over the flowers and wallow in the Mire If we know one of a differing Congregation from ours that hath a blemish our mouths are full of him but others graces and heavenly walks we can pass over in silence 15. Not helping them Have not we refused to help such Christians We help what we can those whom we really love But are not we like Spectators in a Tragedy Austin complains of such in his time who mourn much to see a sad story acted but let the Play goe on True pitifull love would express it self by the hand Heb. 6.10 1 Cor. 13.4 as well as tongue We read of the labour of love love is bountifull We pretend to love all Saints but what do we for those that are of different perswasions from ours If such an one be in Prison do we visit him If Naked do we cloath him If hungry do we feed him If we remember all the Lords people that are in bonds as if we were bound with them then doe we really love them We love our selves and we are liberal to our selves we can bestow time care estate good things upon our selves but not so on divided Brethren We have words at will Oyle and butter in our mouths to supply them Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but we give not those things that are needfull Love will suffer any pains for the sake of the Beloved So Paul loved all the Saints that he was willing to spend and to be spent like a Candle to wast himself for their good Which of us hath so spent himself Love will counsel the Beloved especially if in any straight But God knows how little others have been beholding to us even this way possibly we have afterwards insultingly told them this you should have done and herein you failed but as we found them in a Ditch so we left them and directed them not to a way of deliverance The best counsel we can give is for the Soul but let the divided parties yea and others consider seriously and sadly how backward they have been and are to this day to advise to the best way for peace holiness and glory If we believe such an undertaking will impair our Neighbours Name estate ro Soul yet how slow are we to interpose for the disswading of him from so unhappy an enterprize I should hardly think that Parent loves his Child well that sees him run over a cliff and with-holds him not what he can 16. Not sympathizing with them Have not we been so far from helping them that we have not sympathized with them Love is pittifull When they have been sick when did we get over our thresholds to enquire how it fared with them How seldome have we felt their pains If they be in an errour in a dangerous one the more we should compassionate them considering our selves also who have the seeds of the same errours within us considering the blindness of our own minds how we also differ from others in some matters how it is the Spirit that leads into truth c. But have not some rejoyced when any of a different perswasion have fall'n into the Bogs of Familisme Ranterisme Quakerisme c. that they may thence draw their absurd inferences against the whole body whereto such an one was related Yea how little have we laid to heart the afflictions of any of Gods people Have not we been as unconcerned in their sufferings in Germany France Holland Piedmont Ireland
make more haste to cure a man that is taken with a swooning fit than one that hath a little swelling in his singer I wonder you are no more affected with the miseries that attend your Unregenerate Friends and Acquaintance who must suddenly be Converted or Damned Me-thinks you should pitty them the more because they pitty not themselves Me-thinks the value that Christ hath put upon Souls by bleeding for them the ransome that he hath given for miserable man and the unwearied pains he takes for the reducement of fall'n man should teach us to open our lips to give some directions and counsels to them who are within a stride of Hell but a breath between them and eternal ruine And yet how are Gods people straitned towards these forlorn and miserable undone condemned Creatures Though they are under the curse of the Law though the sentence of death be past against them and is ready to be executed every moment yet you exhort them not to flye from wrath to come If they will perish they may perish for any spiritual contribution that you will afford them It grieves me sometimes to see how Gods people eat up their own and others time with vain frothy and unsavory words When they should be speaking some rouzing startling words of Hell and Damnation of the necessity of Regeneration of Eternity of the foolish choice men make in preferring the pleasures of sin which are but for a season before eternal joyes of the deceits of the heart of the cheats of the Devil of the malignity of sin of the curse of the Law c. they are talking of this fashion or of that they are perhaps censuring one another but endeavouring nothing for the undeceiving their deluded Companions You cannot but know what advantages you have by your intimacies with them to deliver that to them which they will receive from you when Satan perhaps hath imbittered them against their Ministers so that all Pulpit-counsels and reproofs are lost upon them Besides You are in private with them and you know by your selves how loth how backward you were to apply the truths of God to your own Souls but you as Nathan to David may goe and say Thou art the Man thou the Woman You may hear their pleas for themselves and so have an opportunity to confute them whereas they are reserved to their Ministers though they have been friendly earnestly and frequently invited to a Christian conference And yet how do you neglect all these Opportunities of serving the Necessities of your Friends You pretend love unto them but how can ye see the blind before your eyes tumbling into the Lake of Hell and yet not call on them to return and live It is admirable that you should think you have the Divine Nature within you and yet be void of compassions to these miserable Objects who lye wounded before you where-ever you goe or come O! Me-thinks when you enter the house of an Unregenerate you should thus meditate Now have I an opportunity to save a Soul from Hell to have a greater conquest than Caesar or Alexander could boast of Now may I shew my self a Friend of God by pleading his right to the Creature Now may I have an occasion to make all the Angels of Heaven laugh and sing and all the cursed Devils to roar by saving a lost Son And will you see these wounded in your way and pass them by with an unmerciful Spirit If you see your Brother have need of outward things much more if needing Grace the Image of and Peace with God and you shut up your bowells of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in you You have some pitty left when you see a man fall'n under his horse or strugling for life upon the waters or in an house fired your bowells are turned within you But alas here are they that are dropping into the Lake of Fire every moment that are dragged up and down from one Lust to another by the Devil a sorer bondage by farr and yet you do not pitty them O! Pitty them pitty them Goe over to Macedonia and help them It is a grief to my Soul to consider how dull how useless Christians are in the Towns and Villages where Providence hath cast them If they meet with a man they will not so much as ask whether he be bound for Heaven or Hell whether he knows the necessity of the new Birth yea or no whether he hath left Sin as his greatest burden whether he be willing of Christ and Salvation by him upon his own terms Nay Professours will not so much as counsel them to read a good Book or lend them one if they are poor and unable to buy they will be at no cost to save a Soul that is really of more worth than a World How is it that you account your selves Christians whilst you have no higher esteems of Souls Or how can you have any assurance that you hate Sin whilst you labour not the removal of it in whomsoever you find it If you see men trifling away their time why do you not put them upon redeeming their time If you find them lovers of pleasures why do you not invite them and press them to look after cordial joy and mirth and the true pleasures that are at Gods right hand If you are the Subjects of Christ how can you endure Treason against him and not suppress it I 'le never believe that man ever mourned for sins of his own that doth not for sins of others or that he ever hated sin in himself that doth not endeavour to ruine it in others Souls as well as in his own Be ashamed at your pretensions as if you had hearts of flesh when you have hearts of stones the hearts of Tygers the hearts of Infidels or else you would pitty the miserable unconverted Souls And what if they desire not your help the more need you have to pitty them the less awakened they are out of their cursed security the more miserable and dangerous is their state O! Put on the bowells of Jesus Christ carry not your selves in an high proud way in a lofty magisterial way towards these poor Souls Do not think thou hast discharged duty towards them by running into a corner and backbiting them for blindness hardness contempt of Christ c. but rather help them to some of your eye-salve that they may see Consider you have Tallents and account you must for them and be-think your selves whether you may not give a better account by endeavouring to reduce these poor Souls that are straying to Hell than by letting them alone to damn themselves Consider sadly what answer you will make when Christ shall arise and plead with you when Christ shall say Where is thy Brother Will Cain's answer serve Am I my Brothers keeper Will not Christ reply on you Did not I come from Heaven on purpose to redeem these perish Souls Did not I charge you to
exhort one another daily to do good to all Did not I furnish you with wisdome and experience that you might be able and ready to help others Did not I by wonders of Providence prolong your dayes that you might be useful Did not I give you an interest in the affections of your Neighbours that you might be as the Dew and as the Rivers of Waters to the parched ground that you might be the Light and Salt of the Earth Nay did not I remove the Ministry among other weighty grounds to try your affections to perishing Souls And is this your answering all my designs and expectations to rail at them as the ungodly party and not to endeavour to make them better O! Consider how sad your case will be if the blood of thousands of Souls shall be lain at your doors for your neglects for your carelessness for your being worse than Balaams Ass for he once reproved perhaps you have never How do you know but a few words of yours might be as forcible as Jonah's to Nineveh as the Samaritan woman's was to the City Is this to love thy Neighbour as thy self Do'st love thy self and not regard thy Soul And canst thou love thy Neighbour and not endeavour to save him from perishing to pull the brand out of the fire Have you so learned Christ When our Lord dwelt in flesh among us was he dumb before sinners as you are when he saw the multitude wanting bread did not he deal forth the bread of life to them did not he prefer this work before his meat and drink had not he compassion for the ignorant did not he enlighten poor ignorant Souls and reprove the Hypocrisie of others When he went into the Publicans houses did not he preach of the Kingdome of God unto them And hath not he given you an enample that you should do as he hath done Should not you make it a matter of Conscience to write after so great so safe so glorious a Copy to follow so worthy a Leader and Pattern Add withall what stumbling blocks you have laid in the wayes of sinners how many have been offended by your conversation And will you send so many hundreds to Hell and not endeavour the conversion of some You pretend the want of parts But alas you want bowels you want affections you have not a real sight and deep sense of eternal matters If you had you would with tears in your eyes beseech your Neighbours to mind their perishing Souls Have not you so many parts as to say to your Neighbours Repent and Pray if perhaps your sins may be forgiven Go into thy Closet Professour and there mourn over thy hard heartedness and unmercifulness to the Souls of thousands of whom thou might'st have been an instrument of Conversion if thou hadst but attempted it Or could you not have gone and beseeched your Ministers to lay to heart the perishing estate of such a man or woman Or might you not have entreated those Souls to consult some Minister about their Everlasting State You have not done what you could you pretend you cannot convert them but you will not you will not try whether you can work them over from sin to God You say they are dead in sins and trespasses they have hearts of stone as insensible as stones as stupid as blockish as impenetrable as stones And wast not thou so some years ago Hast thou forgot the rock out of which thou wast hewn Nay is there not too much stone in thy heart that thou canst see thy God so dishonoured Christ so reproached by those who are baptized in his Name and wear his Livery and yet not endeavour to pull them out of the fire Thou relievest thy self with the mercy thou shewest to the bodies of the poor that beg at thy door when thou seest their soars their lean cheeks and naked shoulders thou succourest them there things thou oughtest to do but not to lay aside the Spiritual Almes that were due unto them thou shouldst have counselled them admonished them enlightned them and now if they perish in their ignorance will not their blood be required at thy hands O! tremble at your blood-guiltiness The Lord of Heaven and Earth who layes his claim to Souls All Souls are mine hath charged thee not to hate thy Brother in thine heart not to suffer sin to rest upon him but to reprove him And yet thou lettest him alone to perish in his iniquity You are so taken up with your own temporal or eternal good that you little regard what becomes of others to all eternity How do some hope to slink to Heaven alone Perhaps they seek their own profit 1 Cor. 10.33 but not the profit of many that they may be saved O that men would cast their eyes abroad saith one the very dumb inanimate Creatures would teach them better every Creature assimulates Fire turns what is near it into Fire Earth converts into Earth Flowers will be scattering of their seed and scent How canst thou hope the blessing of the new Creation rests upon thee when thou dost not increase and multiply O that you would be prevailed with to help counsel and direct others to Heaven If you have found the way thither be pleased to shew others the way to life the way to glory O! Pitty them as Christ pittied you Christ hath led you out of the wilderness of sin and trouble Be you eyes to the blind direct them the right way to the Land of Promise tell them what course you took declare unto them what God hath done for your Souls Do not you see how industrious Christs enemies are to diffuse their poyson Do not Turks and Papists endeavour to proselyte Will they not compass Sea and Land to spread and diffuse their Leaven Do not all people besides you labour to win to their Gods Do not unclean persons and drunkards entice others to the same wickedness shall Satans Vassals be filling Hell and will you not labour to fill Heaven Is it not your Honour to bring many Sons and Daughters unto God What will become of the next Generation How few Servants if any will Christ have if others take no more pains than you do to convince to allure to convert I fear Christ will take up the old complaint Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds have Nests but the Son of Man will not have where to lay his head Consider how oft your poor Ministers have beseeched you to enter on this work lest other-mens-sins prove your damnation and yet how hath a dumb Devil possessed you O that yet you would commune with your own hearts whether you are willing that thousands should perish and go to Hell and if they answer No Ask them a second question why do not you use the means to prevent it Namely Exhortation Reproof and Counsell You have covered over your want of Zeal and tenderness with a pretence that you have not the gifts of Ministers
you cannot so exhort as Ministers c. But have you not been told that God can work by small means as well as by great and that by things that are not God can confound the wisdome of the flesh and bring to naught the things that are Is not this like the pretence of not being eloquent Do you not know have you not heard that the issue and event depends on the blessng of the Lord rather than on the work it self Is it not all one to the Lord to wound by a short as by a long sword Cannot God bless a few words in thy mouth as he did in Christs and the Apostles Can'st not thou say follow Christ and may not presently a Matthew a Publican leave his sinfull courses and embrace the Christian faith Can'st thou not say Repent and Believe that your sins may be blotted out and may not God concur with thee as he did of old times Is the Lords hand shortned that it cannot help If Israel be not gathered yet thy reward is with the Lord if thine heart were upright and could testifie that night and day thou hast not ceased to warn to rebuke and counsel Certainly your memories are not so bad but you must remember the weight of sin and of the wrath of God you have seen the wonders of the Lord in the deeps you that have escaped to shoar can tell of the Rocks and Shelves and Storms which you have been delivered from and will you set other Shipwrack their Souls rather than hold out your light unto them 〈…〉 may avoyd their ruines What shall I say to humble you There is more 〈◊〉 in Hell than you can afford Blush blush and be ashamed to have less zeal love and pitty to perishing Souls than Dives in Hell had he would have his Brethren saved from the Valley of Hinnom Your silence will make others think that Hell is a tollerable place that sin is not so evil and bitter a thing that to lye under Gods wrath is not so great a misery whilst you are so slow and backward to warn your Friends and Acquaintance that they slee from these and take Sanctuary in the true City of Refuge the Lord Jesus Christ O! If you know the worth of a Soul pitty the multitude with whom the day is not broke whose forlorn Souls are under a continual Massacre from the bloudy Butcher of Hell Besmear your Souls no longer with the guilt of their bloud Let them not starve for want of bread whilst you have to give them I shall bless God for ever and ever if this your negligence of the Souls of those whom you may account without may be cordially bewailed and you for the future double your diligence for their conversion Ministers cannot convert without the Concourse of Omnipotency neither can you Though Satan and thy own lazy heart hath told thee thou art unfit to set upon this work yet better do it meanly than wholy omit it God like Parents on earth loves to see his Children lift at those duties which are too hard for them and then he steps in and is a Co-worker with them What God did by illiterate Fishermen by Priscilla he can do by thee The Lord pardon thy former unmercifulness to the Souls of men But if thou continue careless and cruel if thou wilt not by Prayers for them and counsels to them seek their reducement as sure as thou art reading the voyce of thy Brothers blood is crying against thee from the earth By your example before if not since Profession you have been the cause of the destruction of Souls of how many who can tell And as Jeroboam made Israel to sin many years after he was rotten in his grave so your sin your wicked examples may propagate the trade of sin from generation to generation until Christ shall come to Judgement Tremble tremble at the thoughts of it if thou hast not the heart of a Beast in thee O! how many Souls are crying in Hell against thee cursing the day they knew thee or their Ancestours knew thee for that by thee they learned to sin the more and were strengthned in their wickedness by thy tongue and by thy life And now are not you bound to do your utmost to make restitution to labour to save them that be alive Is it not reasonable that you should labour to win Souls to Gods as you have to the Devils service and to have many blessing God in the Heavens for you that ever they were in the company of such an active zealous Christian who by word and life was instrumental to bring them to the knowledge of themselves and of their God And is it not a glorious work to hold forth such Light to the World that they seeing your good works may glorifie God and you may be Propagators of Zeal and Holiness from Generation to Generation till Christ shall appear to judge the World and to reward you for all the services you have done to his Name O! how welcome shall that man be to Heaven and Christ who hath fed the Souls and clothed the Souls and visited the Souls which he hath purchased with his own precious blood Christ will own thee for his Benefactour CHAP. XXXVII The Dis-ingenuity and Scandalousness of their Miscarriages WHen God had given the Prophet Ezekiel a large Catalogue of Judah's Abominations The wickedness of the former miscarriages Ezek. 8.9 V. 6 13 15. he then shew'd him the Wickedness of their Abominations He said unto me Goe in and Behold the wicked Abominations they do here He commanded him once and again and again to turn him yet again and he should see greater Abominations I cannot indeed promise thee that thou shalt now see greater Abominations than those already mentioned All that I shall now do shall be to represent the former Miscarriages in their crimson dye and scarlet colour And The First Thing I shall mention Commitred against so good and kind a God Eph. 4.30 as making your Sins Professours out of measure sinful is your Dis-ingenuity in so sinning against God O! You have sinned against a gracious God You have grieved the good Spirit of God whereby some amongst you have been sealed to the day of Redemption I am bold to say that one godly man's sinning against light and mercy doth more break the heart of God than the bruitish Sins of a Pagan Kingdom Ezek. 6.9 I am broken saith God with your whorish heart which hath departed from me c. And ye shall loath your selves for your evils which ye have committed in your abominations Amos 2.13 God hath been press'd down with your sins as the Cart with sheaves till he hath even Creak'd under the weight God expected more from the Treet planted in Zion than from the wild ones in the Wilderness Luke 13.9 Grief and Burthen springs much from unexpected Unkindnesses I looked for Fruit and there was none How were David's and Saul's Sins aggravated from
who have lost your Virgin affections to Christ who have gone a whoring from your God who are covetous to a wonder and over run with carking cares and sinful despondencies who break out daily into scandalous passions who by divisions envies animosities over-reachings perjuries and hypocrisie have made Religion vile Know from Christ's mouth Mat. 18.6 it had been better for you that a Milstone had been hang'd about your necks and that you had been drowned long agoe in the depth of the Sea than to live so offensively towards men as you have done Jer. 34.16 because hereby the Name of God is polluted It had been better you had never known the wayes of God 1 Pet. 2.20 21. than after Profession and Knowledge to depart and to be as Doggs and Swine If you had never profess'd Gods Name you had never polluted it but God will reckon with you about it I am bold to say that a Drunkard Adulterer Robber c. doth not so provoke the Lord to wrath as a Professour may even by an impatient discontented word and for this compare two Scriptures In the former there is unbelief and quarrelling with God face to face as it were and yet God pass'd that by Numb 11.21 22. with Numb 20.10 and Deut. 32.51 it being in secret with a short check Is the Lords hand waxed short But in the other place Because ye believed not c. to sanctifie me in the eyes of the Children of Israel c. therefore ye shall dye in the Wilderness and never set foot on the Land of Promise One scandalous Professour doth more hurt and more stain Religion than hundreds of Drunkards and therefore their Hell shall be the standard to that of all other sinners Atrocius sub nominis Christi Professione peccat Salvian Mat. 24.51 Appoint him his portion with Hypocrites Thousands in Hell will curse the day wherein they saw your looseness on Earth for thereby they have blasphemed Christ as a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and as if he countenanced you secretly in your Lusts though for state and form he hath spoken great things against such courses in his Word O! how frequently have you made boasts of God Rom. 2.23 24. and the Law but by breaking of it ye have caused his Name to be evil spoken of When you should have been leading others to Heaven you have by your example lead them to Hell How deep shall their Hell be who are plunged thither with their own and other-mens sins also Though God should give you repentance and pardons yet how oft will your Souls bleed to consider how many you have compell'd by your example to sin and blaspheme who are actually in the chains of darkness Gal. 2.14 or hastning thither in a full career O that you would no longer be like the body of Amasa to cause others to stand still or go back from the wayes of Holyness O thou scandalous Professour What account must thou pass with God shortly before perhaps thou hast turned thine eye to the next page Will not the blood of multitudes who perish by thy means be required at thy hands One sin may become many millions of offences as the Numbers may be that shall hear of it No wonder that men are emboldned to sin that the Adulterer cares not for the Curtains of the Night nor the Drunkard for the shadows of the Evening no wonder that the Swearer can spit the Name of God so impudently out of his mouth these have been incouraged by thy revolts backslidings careless and seldome duties and violent earthly seekings O! if you would consider you bore the Ark of the Lord you were entrusted with his honour but you have let it fall yea cast it in the dirt O! tremble at what the God of Heaven hath made a standing decree upon this occasion 1 Sam. 2.30 them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And though it somewhat comforts me that God will wipe off whatsoever can be cast on him yet know to your sorrow you shall not so easily discharge your selves of the Plagues that are ready to be powred out upon you God expected that you should have been Kings and Priests to him Rev. 1.6 Jo. 3.35 you should have been burning and shining lights you should have been like Innes which have their Signes on both sides you were of the King guard you should have had the Arms of the Crown on your Breasts and on your Backs so that if any had viewed you had met you or had followed you they might have known you for Gods Servants by the stamp and cognisance of Heaven upon you But you have rather been like those Pictures that if you look on one side you may see an Angels face but on the other the Devils O my Soul how canst thou write of these speak or think on them without weeping O Reader retreat retreat quickly to thy Chamber and spend some considerable time to reflect on thy scandalous Words and Actions and how much the Name of God hath thereby been blasphemed and thousands endangered to stumble and fall through thy occasion How many that should have â—een as Shields to ward off those blows of reproach that would fall on God and Religion have proved Swords in the hands of the wicked wherewith the Name of God is wounded and whereby multitudes are in danger of perishing yea and the poor reall Christians are even ashamed to look up and to shew their faces and profession to the world because there have been such Spots in their communion Jude v. 12. such unclean scabbed and unsavoury Sheep that have walked among them CHAP. XXXVIII Their sinning against Knowledge and impenitently notwithstanding all means to bring them to Repentance for their Sins 3ly Against much light YOur Sins are yet further accented by being committed not only against such means of Knowledge but against much Knowledge got thereby You have had the most powerfull Ministry under the whole Heavens And believe it sirs if you had not heard him that spake from Heaven to you If Christ had not come Joh. 15.22 you had had no sin comparatively But now you have no Cloak for your sin You have sinned against more light than the rest of the World You know that covetousness is a sin Isa 57.17 Isa 45.5 Tit. 3.2 and that for the iniquity thereof God hath been wrath and yet you seek great things for your selves still you know that you are to speak evil of no man and yet you bespatter every man almost to set off your selves by staining and blotting of others reputations Isa 58.5 Luk. 12.47 Ezek. 21.10 you know God abhors them that for a day only hang down their heads like bull-rushes and yet this hath been your manner from the beginning of your Profession you know your Masters will you know you should not make mirth when the Lord is angry
institutions though all the sins for which God cast out the Heathen and cast off his Israel oe found amongst us and these highly aggravated and innumerable circumstances yet how little are we concerned therein How seldom do we express our inward sorrows by Tears and Fasts David beheld the Transgressours aâ—â— was grieved because they kept not Gods word Horrour seized on him because they made void Gods Law Yea Rivers of water ran down his eyes because men kept not Gods Law Psal 119.158 v. 53 136. 1 Pet. 2.7 But where is the sorrowing after a Godly sort Where are the weeping Jeremiah's Naltons Midhopes or whose Soul like Lots is vexed pierced with the unclean conversation of the wicked If ever God did call us to weeping and to mourning this is the day but behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And it was revealed in mine ears saith the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die Isa 22.12 13 14. saith the Lord God of Hosts When Elijah saw how iniquity abounded how the worship of God was crushed how things went among the great ones of those wicked times how Idolaters were countenanced the faithfull prophets durst not shew their faces he is so burthened at what became of this that he knows not how to live 1 Kings 19.4 It is enough take away my life He is weary of the world weary of his own Land though the best under the cope of Heaven yea he thinks it a good time to remove that his eyes may see no more of these detestable things and that his Soul may be no longer prick'd with these scratching Briars But the searcher of Hearts knows how little we have been affected with all the shipwrackt faith and conscience that our eyes have seen how seldome our heads have been fountains of teart how seldome we have made our houses Bochims how insensible we have been of all the ungodliness and unrighteousness which we and our people are guilty of Wo is us we have not been wounded through Gods sides we have not sympathised with a Christ Crucified every day But like Gallio we have not laid these things to heart And yet we have still impudently enough laid claim to Christ and the priviledges of the New Testament purchased by his bloud Though we never followed Christ to the Cross weeping though we have hardly shed one tear for all the contempt and abuse of him which is Epidemical which abounds from Dan to Beersheba from one part of the Nation to another We pretend we have great sorrows though they are not expressed by tears in a sensitive manner we think to relieve our selves with the dryness of our constitution and yet we have tears more than a good many to express our sorrows by if a Relation drops into the Earth we can follow the Herse wringing our hands and beating our breasts if an Estate which we have got by carking cares by neglect of duties heart-duties and family-duties be in one day consumed and dissolved by a flame into ashes we then can express our sorrows by weeping and lamentation witness some of your howlings your cries at the late Desolation by Fire But commune with your own hearts whether you were ever made so sensible ever so affecâ—â—â—and â—unk with the consideration of the honour that God hath lost by you and by thousands like your selves Was God ever more affronted by a professing people than by us Was ever Christ so set at naught as of late times Was he ever more despised in his Person Offices and Institutions by the Rhabsheka's of the Earth than he hath been lately by them who have had a form of godliness Zech. 7.12 and yet our hearts are bard as an Adamant O! what grounds have you to question all your mourning for your own sins whilst you mourn not for the sins of others Did you mourn for sin as it is against God You would mourn for other mens sins for they are against the Lord also Ezra 9.3 You would be like Ezra he rent his garments pull'd off the hair of his beard sate down astonished for the sinfull marriages of the people But we are insensible though God be much more dishonoured by the Adulterers and Adulteresses by the Blasphemers and Atheists by the Worldlings and Apostates who swarm in the midst of us How can we perswade our selves that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts whilst he is so much reflected on and yet we no way suitably affected therewith If a Child if a Father if an Husband if a Friend be injured thou art much affected with the injury but not so with all the affronts that the Sons of Belial put upon the blessed God every day How can we imagine in the least that we have any true love to the Souls of our Neighbours whâ—â—â—â— we behold them lifting up the heel against their Maker wounding and destroying their Souls by their sins and yet we not sign if not weep in secret for the desperate nazards they are running Nay how can you imagine you love your selves your estates liberties lives c. whilst God is provoked to ruine you and them for their great provocations Josh 7. You know one Achan brought a Plague upon the whole body of Israel and yet his sin was secret But we have Street-Drunkards Street-Swearers Street-Adulterers and Adulteresses Street-Scoffers at Piety and the Worship of God And are ye not in danger to partake of the Plagues that these sins are crying for And what yet are your hearts as insensible as Rocks The Lord be mercifull to you and take out the heart of stone How can you be free from being guilty of all the known sins of the land whilst you do not mourn for them before the Lord Nay yea of the â—okens of Gâ—ds dispâ—â—asure against Sin Isa 22.45 Joel 2.2 to shew yet the greatness of your stubbornness you are insensible not only of your own and other mens sins but of the tokens of Gods displeasure against those sinnes God hath emptied us from Vessel to Vessel followed us with the Sword and Pestilence and wonderfully so lately by dreadfull flames God hath spoyled us of our glory and humbled us as low as dust and ashes it is a time of treading down and therefore we should weep bitterly it is a day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness We have had such a Plague as never the like such a Fire hath been kindled as never the like amongst us the Protestant Nations are very low and the Antichristian very bold and consident yet we can hardly hang out harps upon the Willows Eph. 4.19 but as if our hearts were past feeling we are insensible both of sin and wrath O! I hear some cry out of hard times but there is much more reason to cry out
from Genesis to the Revelation and what ever filthiness waâ— found in Men or Kingdoms may be founâ— upon our skirts and shall not we hang up our harps refuse to be comforted shall not we lye down prostrate before God and pour out water before the Lord and weep till we can weep no more Tremble O my heart under all these provocations And let your hearts be as the leaves of a treee that is shaken by the Whirlwind What so many hellish lusts to swarm in thy heart What guilty of so many millions of iniquities against the God of Heaven and yet thou secure light vain and frothy I profess if I did not know what a stone I have within I should wonder all the day long how it is possible we can stand under so much guilt without shreiks cryes and lamentations I should wonder how you eat and drink and sleep how you can laugh or sing whilst God is so provoked Can I think that man lives who is not moved by the weight of a mountain on his back Professour thou hast that which is heavier than Mountains of lead upon thy Soul and yet thou hardly feelest it Thou dost not groan under that which drew not only tears of water but of blood yea clots of blood from the eyes and veins of Jesus Christ I wonder how you continue your claims to Christ how you can call God Father Christ Redeemer whilst you have so little love to him and whilst you were never pricked at the heart for all the injuries that you and others have done him Whom you love you are troubled for if he be injured by your selves or others But where is your Soul-trouble for your own and other mens sins Are not many as sensual as ever as great servants to the flesh as ever Have you not your Feasts and Entertainments as formerly Though it be a day Isa 22.12 13 14. wherein the Lord calls to weeping and mourning to baldness and girding with sackcloth yet behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine And hath not the Lord sent you a word that may make your knees to tremble Is not the hand-writing plain It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts O! Fall down amazed fill thy Spirit with horrour away into thy Closet though thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity yet pray to the Lord if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart and the wickedness and prophaness of thy life and particularly thy unseasonable mirth and fleshly indulgencies may be forgiven How can you trade with so much guilt upon you You have had your pleas for your covetousness and inordinate affections to the World that God bids you provide for your own But what think'st thou of thy Soul Is that no part of thine own Is that no piece of thy charge O! Provide for thy Soul Thy Soul cannot be safe whilst stained with so many thousand impurities which were never mourned over to this day O! Let sorrow enter into the very inwards of thy heart and let the insupportable pressures of sin sink thy very Soul Zech. 12.10 Mourn as the tender Mother for her only Son be in bitterness so as thou canst not relish those things which thou hast hitherto followed with so much eagerness Let the loathsomeness of thy sins be continually before thine eyes as thy standing dish So it was with Repenting David Psa 51.3 Lam. 5.16 Lam. 1.1 2 3 4 9 13 21. My sin is ever before me So it was with the Church Woe to us we have sinned It is true they were under fearful Plagues How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people How is she become a Widow She that was great among the Nations and Princess among the Provinces how is she become tributary Among all her Lovers she hath none to comfort her all her Friends have dealt treacherously with her c. She dwelleth among the Heathen she findeth no rest all her Persecutours overtook her between the straits The wayes to Zion mourn c. She came down wonderfully and she had no Comforter c. The Enemy hath magnified himself c. From above hath he sent fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them c. All mine Enemies have heard of my trouble they are glad that thou hast done it Lam. 2.3 15 16. The Lord hath burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about c. All they that pass by clap their hands at thee they hiss and wagg the head at the Daughter of Jerusalem saying Is this the City that men call the Perfection of Beauty Lam. 4.6 11 16. the Joy of the whole Earth All thine Enemies have opened their mouth against thee they hiss and gnash the teeth and say We have swallowed her up Certainly this is the day we looked for We have found We have seen it The punishment of the iniquity of the Daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment and no hand stayed on her The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath powred out his fierce anger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured the foundations thereof The anger of the Lord hath divided them c. Lam. 5.2 8 10 11. Our Inheritance is turned to Strangers our Houses to Aliens Our Necks are under Persecution We labour and have no rest Servants have ruled over us there is none to deliver us out of their hand Our skin was black like an Oven because of the terrible Famine They ravished the Women in Zion and the Maids in the Cities of Judah But yet they mind not their misery so much as their sin Woe unto us for we have sinned In order to the promoting of this godly sorrow I do importune thee with the highest fervency I can that thou seperate some extraordinary time to humble thy self by Fasting and Prayer that God would give thee Repentance for thine own and thine other mens sins Perhaps to this day thou hast never observed one in order to the getting of a broken heart O that I could now prevail with thee for this is the means that God hath blest again and again On such dayes God hath softned many an heart and cast out the Devil of security and hardness which could not be cast out in ordinary times of waiting upon God Let thy main request on that day be for a deep consideration of all thy sins with all their several aggravations and a deep humiliation for them O! I beseech you if you have any love to Christ to the credit of Religion to your perishing Souls break through all businesses and impediments and retire your selves and fall down at the footstool of God more solemnly than ever you did If you are by the consideration
his beloved Flock he hath nourished you up and he is willing to lay you in his bosome View your great Surety this day He came under an Arrest for you he hath discharged the debt of all that come by faith to him Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification He is willing the incestuous when penitent should not have his wounds lye undressed lest Satan take any advantage thereby Act. 20.21 Iâ— there â—e Repentance towards God let there be Faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ If he hath given you the fore-runner you have his pledge his pawn that he will forgive you Do not say God heareth not sinners whilst there is a Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness All thy sins cannot shut it because it is opened to wash away sin 6. Add to Supplication Resolution Resolution How can you pardon your very Child that will not promise to do so no more Let it be in the purpose of your hearts to neglect meditation no more to keep up bitterness among Christians no more c. Enter into an holy Vow against your sins Be a through Protestant protest against the World the Flesh and the Devil It will be thus if your hearts be throughly humbled for your sins and truly inflamed against them O say what have I to do with Idols any more O that you were very resolute come Life come Death come Heaven come Hell yet I will change my course I will not through Gods grace helping me do as I have done omit as I have omitted If you are not very peremptory to resist Satan and Sin not to yeild unto Temptation you encourage the Enemy to tempt you whilst you are not resolved to deny his 〈◊〉 citations That woman is in danger of new sollicitations to uncleanness who doth not resolutely bid defiance to the first Temptation of the Ruffian Perhaps you wonder that after many prayers c. your sin still prevails But know saith one sin will be your Conquerour if you be not resolved to be its enemy Till resolution against all sin be wrought in you God will hate all your prayers for the pardon of your sins He hath an impudent forehead a forehead of Brass that dares go in before God and say O Lord I beseech thee to pardon my worldliness and earthly-mindedness for I am not yet resolved to be Heavenly minded O Lord pardon my envy and I trust thou wilt do it for yet I am unresolved to part from it Pardon my Rebellions for I am not yet resolved whether I shall cease to be a Rebel Believe it whilst you do not resolve to hate sin it is a clear sign you have nor a spiritual knowledge of its evil Did you in the light of the Spirit see sin in its nature and in its bitter effects did you see it as utterly inconsistent with all real happiness and as the infallible and unavoidable precipice of your intollerable and eternal damnation this would make you hate sin and to be irreconcilable to it But here I must give you this caution In the strength of Christ that you raise not your resolutions on your own strength for then you will soon quit them by reason of your own weakness When you bind your self by a Vow against such a sin take Christ into the Bond to be sureâ—y for you to give you help and strength to perform in the hour of temptation Augustine professed that though the thoughts of leaving his sins were once a great burthen to him yet at length being peremptorily Resolved he found it a most easie and delightfull thing to live without them Friends your sufferings may be nearer than you are aware of Your sands I am sure run fast and no stop is put to them you may not expect that the shadow will go backward ten degrees it may rather go forward you may hardly have one hours warning before you must remove hence how suddenly hath God cut down the Cedars and the thistles amongst us O! in that day it will be as scalding lead to thee that death and judgement surprized thee when thou hadst not so much as resolved to leave thy cursed Rebellions against thy God 7. See what becomes of your Resolutions Reformation Psal 119.106 how they are made good thou hast purposed not to offend yea covenanted with thy God for better obedience yea thou hast sworn to keep his righteous Judgements But hast thou dealt uprightly with thy God O! be not satisfied with purposes and resolutions but look to the performances of them Blessed are ye of God if all the sinnes you have been convinced of and have engaged against be now put away if there be no more pride covetousness contention self-seeking c. returning with seven worse Devils upon you I pray God we may see more than Resolution some real and permanent effect of all your Confessions Sorrows and Resolves O! O! O! how would it rejoyce my Soul to see an effectual alteration in the Faces and Lives and Conversations of Professours How shall I bless God for ever if by seeing your Faces in this imperfect Glass you be transformed and your hearts and Eves be put into a new frame of obedience Among all the sigâ—ts in the World none sadder than to see multitudes that had their Faces Zion-wards now facing about to the vanities of the Gentiles O! how glorious how desirable a sight will it be to see these returning with weeping and supplication Here remember your Reformation must be general and special General O! Labour to do as much for God and Grace as you have done for the World and Self As ye have yeelded your members servants to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 So now yeeld you members Servants of Righteousness unto Holiness Redeem all former omissions by a double diligence you having idled away much of your time had need spur up your selves See that you walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the time But it is not only a general Reformation that I advise you to Special Watch also and pray against those sins by which you have most dishonoured God If thou aâ—â— recovered of a dangerous disease thou wilt generalâ—y me a good diet but especially get Antidotes and Preservatives against that diseaâ—e thou wast so lately cured of O where the enemy hath made the greatest breaches there let there be double guards and double â—oâ—â—â—cations Be Tertullians true penitents Nonvult iterum Divinae misericordiae oneri c. Tert. He would not burthen the Spirit of God again to deliver him from that sin Follow a worthy Pattern When David had shed blood and had prevailed with God to pardon that sin afterwards though he longed for the waters of Bethlehem yet he abstains and checks himself because it did but hazard the blood of his Captains CHAP. XL. Motives to make sueh use thereof ANd now to hasten to a conclusion O