the goodness and rectitude of them will appear to our comfort so that wee shall not need to regard the censures of men and their dissonancie from it will shew the pravitie and crokedness of them and so wee shall bee stirred up and excited to humble our selvs before God for them and to depart from them As then yee love your selvs and would bee set right in the judgment of your waies bee persuaded not to make your selvs nor other men your judges but bring your selvs Rom. 3.20 and your conversation to the trial of God's Word by which come's the knowledg of sin 2. Do nothing rashly speak nothing rashly think nothing rashly but upon mature consideration going before This is a branch of that watchfulness which the Scripture every where enjoine's The Porters at great mens gates suffer not every one to enter that would but they first examine them What are you Whence are you Whether tend you otherwise they may bee in danger to entertein theeves and robbers in stead of friends So let us bee circumspect over our whole conversation give not entertainment to every thought that would enter and lodg within us give not waie to every word to every action unspeakable danger may and cannot but issue upon it but examine them first what are you good or evil whence are you from God or from Satan and corruption whether tend you to heaven or to hell to God's honor and my own comfort or to the dishonor of God and my own horror by this means yee shall prevent a world of mischief Oh therefore let this bee the care of us all And to guide us in this examination let us not stand upon humane judgment our own or of others but bring all to the triall of God's Word weigh all in this ballance trie all by this touch-stone and if they agree with it wee may bee bold and confident to speak such words to do such actions to entertein such thoughts whatsoever wee may suffer for it in the world at the hands of men they are good they are from God they tend to Heaven to God's honor and our own Salvation but if they bee contrarie to the Word of God they are wicked they are from the divel and corruption they tend to hell to God's dishonor and your own present discomfort and your everlasting perdition venture not upon them though yee might thereby gain ten thousand worlds And thus taking heed to your conversation according to God's Word yee shall cleans or redress your waies 3. That wee may thus reap the benefit of God's Word for the cleansing of our waie let us exercise our selvs constantly in it hear it read and preached publickly read it privately how els shall yee bee able to make use of it for search of your by-past courses for the trial of words actions and thoughts for the future Hearken wee therefore to our Saviour Joh. 5.39 Col. 3 16. Search the Scriptures and to St Paul Let the Word of Christ dwell plentifully in you This concern's not us onely that are in the Ministerie but also all ordinarie Christians nor concern's it onely old men that are readie to depart out of the world but it belong's also to you that are young men for even to you also belong's the care to cleans your waie to which this Word of God is subservient Timothie from a childe knew the scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 Put not off this studie then either to other men or to another time but set your selvs to it and even now Consider the opportunities that yee have the Word of God is written yea it 's printed so that yee may compass it at an easie rate and it 's translated into your mother-tongue that so yee may know what yee read nor is there danger in reading it as somtimes it was to our Predecessors in this land and is stil in those Countries that lie under the Romane yoke Nor are yee told that it 's unlawfull for you to do it nay yee are frequently taught that it is a necessarie dutie and frequently excited to it oh if after all this yee shall neglect this dutie how shall yee answer it to God how can it bee but that yee should finde that to bee true Job 3.19 which our Saviour said This is condemnation that light is com into the world and men love darkness rather then light oh therefore bee yee persuaded both young and old to lay hold upon the gracious opportunities which God put 's into your hands what a sad business will it bee if by your neglect of this grace of God yee shal move God in displeasure to bring such times upon you as in which yee would bee glad to read the Scriptures and may not do it therefore while yee may let no daie pass over your head without reading som part of it this will bee a comfortable evidence to you that yee are in the number of them that shall bee blessed for so saie's the Psalmist Psal 1.1.2 Blessed is hee that delight 's in the law of the Lord and exerciseth himself therein daie and night yea thus shall yee bee enabled to the cleansing of your waie which yee have heard to bee a dutie that so mainly concern's you Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS
Lord and Master Matth. 25. v. 21 23. v. 28 30. Remember that Parable of the Talents see what reward God promises and assigne's to the faithful dispensers and the dreadful sentence against the unfaithful servant Hear what the Apostle saie's The manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 wee shall not have the less by imparting to others yea wee shall have the more It 's a true saying Docendo disces by teaching thou shalt learn The talent taken from the unfaithful servant is given to him that had ten talents for Matth. 25.28 ver 29. to every one that hath shall bee given In all respects then bee persuaded to impart to others for their benefit the knowledg which in this or any kinde God hath bestowed upon you But though it bee true that of our selvs wee know not how to go about the cleansing of our waie yet Propos 8. God is readie to teach us if wee have recours to him for advice This is also plain in the Text Yea see how readily hee offer 's himself in this kinde by the Psalmist Com my children hearken to mee Psal 34.11 and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And this wee may argue as our Saviour argue's the like What man is there of you Matth. 7.9 whom if his son ask's bread will hee give him a stone or if hee ask's a fish will hee give him a serpent If then yee beeing evil 10.11 know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenlie Father give good things to them that ask him So may the point in hand bee argued what man is there who shall give som business in Charge to bee don by his childe or servant but hee will also bee readie to direct him how to do it if his childe or servant shall crave his direction If an earthlie father will bee so readie to direct his childe or servant how much more shall God bee readie to teach us if wee seek to him for advice Vse 1. See and admire the goodness and infinite mercie of God as if a father having once set up his childe in the world and put a stock into his hand and the son having by il husbandrie embezled it hee shall again set him up and give him a new stock with which to trade who will not admire the love of such a father This is the case here God in Creätion gave us a stock consisting in part of the knowledg of his will but wee by our fall in Adam have forfeited this knowledg and brought ignorance and blindness upon our selvs yet hee is readie to give us direction how to amend our lives and cleans our waie wee seeking to him for it how great then is his mercie Let us not fail to give him the glorie due to his Name for such mercie 2. Let us imitate our heavenlie Father beeing readie to teach others and to give them advice especially if they beeing ignorant shall desire our help But of this before 3. Let this encourage us to seek to God for advice in this business of so great importance as is the cleansing of our waie But of this also before Yea God give 's his answer and resolution in this text and set's down the means which if yee will conscionably use yee shall finde this great work effected For so it follow 's Propos 9. The waie whereby a young man any young man all young men may cleans their waie is to take heed thereto according to God's Word to frame our life and conversation according to the Law of God and just as Hee hath commanded It 's plain in the text as the answer to the fore-going question And it further appear's Psal 119.105 1. The Word of God is a light unto our feet and a lamp to our paths so that it serv's if wee take heed thereto to shew us our waie and to keep us from stumbling as a Lanthorn or torch in a dark night 2. Whereas the begining of the cleansing of our waie the amendment of our lives is the sight of our sins this Word of God is a Glass wherein wee may see what is amiss in the cours of our life that so wee may amend it as a Looking-glass discover's to us any spot in our faces that wee may wash it away So St James resemble's it while hee saie's Jam. 1.24 If any bee an hearer of the Word and not a doer hee is like a man looking his face in a glass c. Rom. 3.20 and so St Paul tell 's us plainly that by the law is the knowledg of sin 3. The Word of God is a Rule or Square whereby wee may level or streighten our waies 4. And whereas our passage in this world is over hils and dales God's Word is like a beacon standing on an high hill to give us direction in our journey or if on the sea of this world this law is our load-star yea our Card or Compass to guide us in our Navigation 5. Nay if wee bee blinde and consequently subject to go astraie to stumble and fall this Word of God is not onely a Staff by the help of which to feel out the waie but also Eie-salve to cure our blindeness and recover our sight So saie's David The Commandement of the Lord is pure enlightening the eies Psal 19.8 6. In a word this Word of God is a perfect word every waie useful as the Apostle saie's excellently The whole Scripture is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 1. Would'st thou know the will of God and his truth This Word will bee able to teach thee what thou should'st do and believ 2. Would'st thou redargue error this Word of God wil perform it to thy hand Verum est index sui obliqui Truth shewe's it self and it 's contrarie That is true which is consonant to the Word therefore that which is dissonant is error and falshood 3. Is any thing amiss in thy life God's Word will correct it by acquainting thee with the divine prohibition by which it 's forbidden and the judgments of God threatned against and executed upon men for doing such things 4. Would'st thou do righteousness God's Word instruct's thee 5. Yea in this waie of reforming thy life doest thou meet with discouragements God's Word will comfort thee so saie's the Apostle through the comforts of the Scripture Rom. 15.4 Isai 66.11 these are the brests of consolation There is not any thing by which thou maiest bee discouraged in this business of the Reformation of thy waie mocks slanders frowns or threatnings of great men loss of goods by confiscation imprisonment banishment torments or death but from this Word yee may gather grounds of comfort against the same as the childe by sucking draw's milk from his mothers brests as by enquirie yee may see in all
the particulars against persecution and slanders hear our Saviour comforting us Matth. 5.10 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven ver 11. Blessed are yee when men shall revile and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsly for my Names sake ver 12. Rejoice and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the Prophets which were before you Against the loss of all for the testimonie of a good Conscience Matth. 19.29 hear what hee saie's by waie of comfort Every one that shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receiv an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Against imprisonment hear that Rev. 2.10 Fear none of the things which yee shall suffer for the divel shall cast som of you into prison that yee may bee tried and yee shall have tribulation ten daies Bee thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crown of life Against the frowns and threatnings of men hear that comfort Matth. 10.28 Fear not them that kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soul are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ver 29. and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your father ver 30. But the very hairs of your head are numbered ver 31. fear not therefore yee are of more value then many sparrows Against the thanklesness of the world for the service which yee do 1 Cor. 15.58 hear the Apostle Knowing that your labor shall not bee in vain in the Lord. In a word against all afflictions to the suffering of which ye may bee exposed hear that ground of comfort 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment Rom. 8.17 shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glorie ver 18. and that If so bee that wee suffer with him that is with Christ wee shall bee also glorified together for I reckon that all the afflictions of this present life are not worthie to bee compared with the glories that shall bee revealed in us Thus is the Word of God able to animate us against all those things that may dishearten us from the cleansing of our waie yea thus is it every waie usefull to help us in this business Vse 1. Let us bee thankful to God for that hee hath given us his Word so singularly useful in all kinds for the dispatch of so great a business and so necessarie as is the reforming of our waies A jewel it is of special price David in respect of that part of it which was then written which was the Pentateuch the five books of Moses could yet rais up himself and others to the praising of God Hee hath saie's hee shewed his Word unto Jacob Psal 147.19.20 his statutes and his judgments unto Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not known them and thence hee infer's Hallelu-jah Praise yee the Lord how much more have wee caus to bless the Name of our God who hath given us the sacred Canon perfect not onely the books of Moses as the Text but the writings of the Prophets as a Comment thereon nor onely the books of the Old Testament which were the New Testament veiled but also the books of the New Testament which are the Old Testament reveiled wee may much more saie Non taliter fecit Deus omni populo God hath not dealt so with other people how many great nations are there in the world to whom the Word of God hath not com they for want of it sit in darkness and in the region of the shadow of death but the light hath shined on us they are as Egypt under that plague of darkness Exod. 10.22.23 that might bee felt wee as the Israëlites in Goshen having light in their dwellings St Paul moving the question Rom. 3.1 What is the preferment of the Jews what is the benefit of circumcision presently return's answer Verily great every waie specially becaus the Oracles of God were committed unto them v. 2. how great then is our preferment What caus have wee then to bee thankful unto God 2. Let us all and do yee young men make use of the Word of God for this blessed purpose for the cleansing of your waies To this purpose wee see it 's profitable and for this end God hath afforded it to us to this purpose then let us make use of it that wee frustrate not God's exspectation and therefore 1. That wee may see what hath been amiss in our lives let us frequently compare our selvs with the Word of God and look our selvs in this Glass bring wee our words actions and thoughts to a privie search hereby It 's the counsel of the Prophet Lam. 3.40 Let us search and trie our waies and turn again to the Lord Repentance is necessarie as that without which it's impossible to bee saved Luke 13.3 for so our Saviour saie's Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish would yee not perish repent but the searching of our waies is enjoined as subservient to the turning to the Lord implying that as Salvation is not atteinable without repentance so repentance is impossible without search of our waies Psal 119.59 and the same is implied in that speech of the Psalmist I considered my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Oh then neglect not this business of the search of your waies Call to minde the thoughts of your heart the words of your mouth the works of your hands consider them whether they bee good or bad and to this end trie them by the touch-stone of the Word weigh them in this ballance of the Sanctuarie if yee finde them agreeable with this Word or not contrarie to it yee may conclude them to bee lawful and good but if they bee contrarie to it they are sinful and damnable this Word of God is a true and sure Glass that will represent things to us as indeed they are and will not deceiv us If wee stand to the verdict of our own imagination wee may bee deceived There is a waie saie's Solomon that is right in a man's eies Prov. 14.12 but the end thereof are the waies of death If wee stand to the verdict of men wee may bee deceived there are in the world flattering sycophants that for a meals meat having mens persons in admiration will call evil good darkness light bitter sweet praising those things which will prove bitter in the end and there are rigid censurers who will call good evil and light darkness and sweet bitter But if wee stand to the judgment of the Word of God wee cannot bee deceived by the consonancie of our words thoughts and actions with this Word