than our anger our commiseration more than our passion and our tears more than our stripes The injury he hath done us is not so great as that he hath done to himself and he is to be pitied the more because may be he doth not pity himself we are not only to weep with them that weep but to weep over those too that have cause to mourn for themselves and are blinded and do not for that 's the greater misery He that is sensible of his misery and weeps may yet find out a way to be freed from it but he that is not and consequently is not affected with it runs on and locks up all the Gates of Mercy and Recovery against himself whence must necessarily arise those everlasting Plagues prepared for the Divel and his Angels 5. A ready belief of all the good that is said of our neighbours Indeed this is a sign of a generous mind of a Soul enamoured with goodness and so in love with it that it would have no man bad but is desirous that all mankind should meet in this Center A sanctified Soul doth attentively listen to such Reports rejoyces at the Blessing God hath conferr'd upon it's neighbour and if the good things said of him be not true it however wishes they were so Such a man hopes that the very shadows of his neighbours Graces are substantial things and though he would not if he could help it suffer sin upon him or sooth him into counterfeit Piety yet till he hath certain knowledge to the contrary he believes he is that man he seems and is reported to be A true Christian hath a Soul greedy after Goodness and is glad of an opportunity to think well of his neighbour That which makes him loth to believe any ill of him makes him believe all that is said in his commendation for he abhors that which is evil sin is odious to him because God hates it and therefore he would have no man guilty of it and because Goodness is exceeding lovely and amiable in his eyes and God loves it therefore he would have all men love Goodness that God may love them and that draws this charitable Belief from his mind he believes what he would have to be true and so makes good that character St. Paul gives of Charity that it thinks no evil but rejoyces in the Truth 1 Cor. 13. 4 5. And this is that Exercise that is incumbent upon you Men Fathers and Brethren an Exercise of that necessity that you must declare Enmity and War against that Law of nature Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you even so do ye to them if you neglect or undervalue it Is there any of you that would not be thus dealt withal would not you have others put such charitable interpretations on your Words and Actions and will not you express the same civility to others would you have others subject to this Rule and would you except your selves would you have others live up to this Light and would you love Darkness better would you have others discharge their Duty to you and would you be excused from discharging yours to them what can be more unreasonable where is your Justice your Equity your Religion would you have others wash your errours white and would you throw Ink on theirs would you have others smooth the rough outside of your Offences and put on them the skins of Lambs and would you put the Lions skin on theirs It is ill manners as well as irreligion and do not your Hearts and Consciences smite you for it You are for Peace and Quietness but are your sinister constructions of your neighbours Actions the way to it Charitable interpretations will preserve you from a storm but where you abate nothing of the fault your passions must needs rise into a Tempest Calmness of mind is so great a Blessing that a wise man would purchase it at any price and when you may have it at so cheap a rate as the favourable interpretations of what your neighbours say or doe Will ye stand out and refuse the Treasure This Exercise will preserve you from a thousand sins and as many inconveniencies too We see how Men when once they give way to uncharitable censures how they run from one sin to another and know not where to stop this uncharitableness leads them on to envy envy to wrath wrath to backbiting backbiting to revenge revenge stops their progress in goodness and who can reckon up all the evils that flow from this polluted Spring These evils you avoid by your favourable interpretations and consequently lessen your account with God so much you strike off from the sum of your sins and consequently are more expedite in your way to Heaven What should you do but imitate your Father which is above How loath is he to believe our rebellion against him Truly they are my people saith he children that will not lye so he became their Saviour Es. 63. 8. He knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust saith the Royal Prophet Psalm 103. 14. And shouldst not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee saith the Son of God Matth. 18. 33. Shall God allow grains in offences and shall not we Shall he remember we are dust and shall we forget that our Neighbours are so and subject to mistakes and errours How can we expect God will deal favourably with us if we do not deal so with our fellow Christians What do we call our selves Christians for if we will not learn to run in this race This charitable interpretation of what we see or hear is the very character which is to distinguish us from Jews Heathens and Infidels if we want this mark how shall Christ distinguish us from the Goats Who hath made you Judges of your Neighbours Who opened a Window to you into their hearts Why do you usurp God's Authority Hath he appointed a Day to judge the World in and will you prevent that Judgment Are you ever like to love your Neighbours as you selves while you reject this Exercise And if you are resolv'd not to learn it how will ye be able to appear at the great Tribunal Have you forgot that this Charity is the root of all Virtues Have not you heard that this makes the Soul beautiful and lovely in the eyes of him that gave it Have you forgot that this is the Bond that unites the Soul to its Creator This is the Harp which cheers the heart both of God and Man This opens the Gate of Heaven This is the Gold of the Sanctuary without which we are blind naked poor and miserable This enlarges the Soul whereas suspicion and rash judgment doth contract it This is the most excellent gift and speaking in divers Languages and giving our Bodies to be burnt and the greatest Learning in the World The Eloquence of Angels the Rhetorick of the greatest Orators the greatest
to give to them that need Do I respect Gods Ministers Do I love them Do I communicate to them that teach in all Good things Do I forbear with their infirmities Do I obey them in things that tend to my Salvation Do I give them that which is due to them Am I kind as well as just to them especially to those who faithfully labour in Gods Vinyard As to the Fifth Commandment Have I acted this day as a Father as a Mother as a Master as a Mistress as a Magistrate as a Tutor as a Son as a Daughter as a Servant as a Subject as a Pupil as an old Man as a young Man as a Husband as a Wife as a Minister as a Hearer as a Maid as a Widdow as a rich Man as a poor Man ought to act and as they are commanded by the Holy Ghost to act in their several Stations Have I been thankful for Kindnesses shew'd me Have I kept my due distance to my Superiours Have I been officious to my Equals kind to my Inferiours Have I studied gravity in Words Actions Gestures and Postures and Behaviour Have not I spoke Evil of Dignities Have not I been a Respector of Persons Have not I connived at Sins in my Children or Friends which I have reprov'd in a Servant or one in a low Condition Have not I been negligent in providing for my Family Have not I spent that time in idleness which should have been spent in working in my Calling As for the Sixth Commandment Have I been just in all my Dealings this day Have I hurt no body in Word or Deed Have I moderated mine Anger Have I been easily reconciled to persons that did offend me Have not I studied Revenge Have I look'd up to Heaven when I have been reproach'd and minded the Supreme Cause that suffered this reproach to fall on me for my Sins more than the Instrument or Person that abused me Have I been willing to decede from mine own right for peace and quietness sake Have not I been Cruel Harsh Morose Ill-natur'd to Men Have not I begun a Quarrel or encouraged it when it was begun Have I been sorry and troubled for any injury that hath been offer'd to my Neighbour Have I been compassionate tender-hearted Have I discharged the Duty of a Friend to those whom I have made believe that I was their Friend Have not I pretended Friendship when I had no love for them Have not I dissembled with men flatter'd them given them fair words when in my Heart I hated or despised or undervalued them As for the Seventh Commandment Have I maintained Chastity this day Have I watched over my Thoughts Inclinations and Desires Have I abhorr'd all obscene filthy and impure Communications and Actions Have I been very moderate in my Eating Drinking Recreation Cloathing and Desires after these outward Comforts Have I dash'd all evil Concupiscence in my Soul in its Birth and when first I felt it stirring Have I been troubled when I have heard of the Adulteries Fornications and Lasciviousness of other men If I met with any immodest or undecent Sight did I turn away mine Eyes and impregnate my Mind with Arguments and Reasons against any sinful complacency As for the Eighth Commandment Have I come justly by those things I have gain'd this day Do I possess nothing that hath been got by Deceit or Oppression Have I been faithful to my Trust Have not I suffer'd my Neighbour to be wronged when I might have prevented it Have not I been guilty of Covetousness Or have not I been guilty of another Extreme which is Prodigality Have not I thought much of giving something to the Poor while I have spared no cost to adorn my Back and feed my Belly considering the Plenty God hath given me Have I been Hospitable and glad to feed some Stranger or poor House-keeper at my Table Have I not spent Money upon my Sin and Pride or Wantonness Have not I consented to another Mans Injustice If I have wronged or deceived my Neighbour am I willing and ready to make restitution As for the Ninth Commandment Have I spoke nothing but Truth to day Have I kept my word to day Have I perform'd what I promis'd either to God or Man Have not I by Equivocations Palliations of Sins and Mental Reservations sought to put a Cheat upon my Neighbour Have not I been voluntarily ignorant of such Deceptions Have not I reported things for certain which at the best have been but doubtful Have not I been peremptory in accusing my Neighbour of an Error when nothing but a conjecture or surmise rais'd the Accusation Have I been candid and open-hearted in my Dealings Have not I betray'd the Secret of my Friend Have not I been wavering in asserting the Truth Have not I been very forward to censure others Have I been silent when I have had no certain knowledge of things and have I been willing to be better inform'd by others Have I patiently heard what men could say for themselves And have not I given Judgment before I have heard the Cause As for the Tenth Commandment Have I been contented this day with that condition God hath allotted me in this World Have not I grumbled and repined that God hath not provided so well for me as he hath done for others Have not I been wishing that I were in such a rich mans Case or that I had such a Estate as my Neighbour hath or that I had such a House such Means such Accommodations as he is Master of that I had as little to do and had as plentiful a Table and as prosperous a Life as he is blessed withal Have my Desires kept within their bounds and have not I been ready to determine what State and Condition is fittest for me And have not I thought my self wiser than God in fancying I might have done better in another State of Life than that he thought fit to place me in 3. In the same manner Christ's Sermon upon the Mount may be laid before us and our Hearts called to an account by such Queries as these Have I this day exercised any Poverty of Spirit Have I entertained low and humble Conceits of my self Hath my Heart been very indifferent as to these outward Conveniences and unconcern'd whether I have much of this Worlds Goods or no Have my Sins been a grief or trouble to my Soul Have they made me take on and mourn because I have offended a tender Father a gracious God a merciful Redeemer Have I studied Meekness and Gentleness in my Answers and Actions Have I felt a mighty hunger and thirst after Righteousness in my Soul Have I had an opportunity to shew myself Merciful and have I embraced the opportunity Have I look'd to my inward man and indeavour'd to purifie my Thoughts Desires and Inclinations Hath my Heart gone along with my Prayer Have I studied sincerity in Devotion sincerity in my Dealings and sincerity in all my Speeches
them should but leave looking on never so little a time the Eggs would spoil and rot I do not warrant the truth of the Story however the Coptite Christians are so perswaded of the reality of the thing that they hang up a lighted Lamp in their Churches between two Ostrich's Eggs over against the Priest that officiates to bid him be attentive and watchful about their devotions I know not whether such an Emblem would be any great engagement to Christians in this age to watch at night to the Exercises I have mentioned but however the Subject is not so poor and barren as to be destitute of Arguments And 1. Doth this Exercise seem so grievous to you that can rise at any time in the night to get some considerable gain Would you think it troublesome to rise at midnight to get ten or twenty pounds were you sure to get every time you rise at night half a score of Broad pieces of Gold would not you make a shift to get up This shews you can do it and but that you think you may save your Souls at a cheaper rate you would certainly do much for their profit and advantage too Sure the Soul may get considerable gain by such vigilance In the dead of the night while other people sleep to get up and to converse with God is to be truly ambitious of His favour and it is his Rule I Love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me Prov. 8. 17. where God sees a holy Soul thirsting for him in the night he certainly satisfies that thirsty Soul with goodness and opens for her Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of Valleys makes her Wilderness a Pool of Water and her dry Land Springs of Water Es. 41. 18. where men prevent the dawning of the morning to meditate in in his word God hears their voice according unto his loving kindness and quickens them according to his word Psal. 119. 147. 148 149. This is the best preparation for the duties of the following day and he truly begins the day with God that at midnight rises to give thanks unto the God of his salvation 2. Behold how Highwaymen and Thieves can rise at midnight to Rob and Murder Men Behold how watchful those unhappy Creatures are to circumvent the unwary Traveller Are these wretches so watchful to loose their Souls and shall not we be as watchful to save ours Shall they think the Devils service worth their watching at night and shall not we think the service of our God worth so much Do they watch to contrive mischief and shall not we do so to contrive our felicity The silent night rouzes their Spirits into action and shall it dead ours altogether Shall not we do as much to make sure of Heaven as they do to make sure of Hell Or is the undoing of our selves a more charming act than securing our everlasting interest How many are there that can sit up drinking and dancing and revelling all night Can the Devils Votaries deny themselves for their Master and shall we do nothing for ours Is the true God the only Deity that deserves no Self-denial at our hands And must the Devil be adored with greater revereverence than He at whose presence Devils tremble Men are not weary of playing at Cards or Dice all night and cannot they watch one hour with Christ at night Can Men break their sleep to mind the works of Darkness and shall not we break ours for doing things which become the Children of Light 3. To rise thus at midnight to praise God is an act of Charity to our Neighbours for Thieves and Purloiners finding us up at a time which they pitch upon for their Robberies may be afraid of making attempts upon a Neighbours house for fear of being discover'd by us who are awake and engaged in devotion Not to mention that such Exercises of singing praises unto God may strike the Robber if he hear them into fear and trembling and oblige him to go away without his intended Prey as much as the innocent Infants smiles did the Turk that came with an intent to Murder it so that this Watching at night is to contribute in part to the publick Good and to be instrumental in our Neighbours Preservation 4. How happy will it be to be found praying and praising God should God call us away from this World at midnight Blessed is the Servant whom his Master when he comes shall find so doing Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him Ruler over all that he hath Luc. 12. 43. 44. One great reason why the Primitive Christians rose at midnight to Prayer as I said before was because they knew not but Christ might come at that time to Judgment Did they thus prepare for his coming above Sixteen hundred years ago and have not we far greater reason to watch for his coming upon whom the ends of the World are come Did they think the Day of Judgment was near at hand and shall not we fear it much more Did they think to keep their Garments white and their Lamps burning against the Bridegroom came and shall not we think so much more Were they afraid of being a sleep at midnight for fear a noise should be made Behold the Bridegroom cometh and have not we far greater reason to be afraid Did they so long ago shake of all carnal security in expectation of the coming of the Son of God and shall we lest quietly all night without thinking once what our case may be Sure there is some strength in these Arguments if the ground were but fit for them if our hearts were but prepared for them if the thorns and briars of worldly cares did not choak them and as tedious as the Exercise may seem to be certainly means might be found out to make it easie And 1. Use would make it so In the Works of S t Teresa there is mention made of one Peter de Alcantara who for forty years had slept but one hour and a half in a day and a night and that he found nothing so trouble some to him as breaking himself of his sleep which to effect he always sat when he slept Aristotle to wake himself in the night would hold a brass Ball in his hand over a Copper Bason when he composed himself to rest which Ball when he was fast a sleep would drop out of his hand into the Bason and with the noise it made awake him and give him notice that it was time to apply himself to his Studies again and his Scholar Alexander the Great would sometimes imitate him in that particular and nothing but use made it easie to them Of Mecoenas indeed we read that for three years together he slept not at all and Physitians in their observations have taken notice that some have lived without sleep nine days some ten some fifteen without any prejudice to their
any thing more needful then God's Favour any thing more necessary than the love of God any thing of greater necessity than the true way to inherit eternal life Without it we deny our being and dependance upon God and disclaim our Relation to him as his Creatures as his Servants as his Children put our selves into the number of his Enemies make our selves Objects of his Anger renounce our Allegiance to him and deprive our selves of all those Comforts which arise from a sense of his Paternal Protection and Providence and if they be the most necessary things certainly they deserve certainly they challenge our frequent discoursing of them for we therefore talk of our Worldly Affairs because we look upon them as necessary and by making this our Rule we confess the absolute necessity of speaking of things that are infinitely more necessary We can be happy without Riches happy without Honour and Applause from men happy without a Palace happy without a Vineyard happy without a full Barn but we cannot be happy without Grace without Godliness or without a sense of the Divine Goodness So then Spiritual things are most necessary more necessary than Meat and Drink and Cloathing or Provision and because more necessary than these it must unavoidably follow that it is more necessary to talk together of the things that belong to our Peace than of what we shall eat or of what we shall drink or of wherewithal we shall be cloathed and so much Christ intimates in that saying Math. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its Righteousness And as these Heavenly Objects are the most necessary things so they are matters of the greatest consequence an everlasting Estate depends upon them Where a man embraces them as his greatest Treasure an Eternity of Joy attends him where he slights or despises them an Eternity of Torments follows him at his heels and shall not things of that consequence merit our Conferences about them The man that fears his House may be on Fire talks of nothing so much as his fears and the damage he shall suffer by the Conflagration The man that hopes to inherit such an Estate or such a curious Seat is wonderfully pleased with Discourses of the Situation of the largeness fairness fruitfulness and pleasantness of the place and shall he that hath either reason to fear that his Portion shall ere long be howling and gnashing of Teeth in an eternal Prison or hath reasonable hopes that an everlasting Kingdom of Joy and Bliss and Glory shall fall to his share before a few days or years come to an end shall or can he sit still under these hopes or fears and not express his sense of it to his Neighbour when he meets him What are our Tongues given us for but for Discourses and Conferences of this Nature If the righteous man is the only wise man as Solomon assures us and prosecutes the true end of his Creation and consequently is a Pattern or Original for others to write Copies by then from the employment he puts his tongue to we may conclude what it is created for and of this employment the inspired King gives us an account Psal. 37. 30. For the mouth of the Righteous saith he speaketh Wisdom and his Tongue talks of Judgment To be able to discourse of secular Affairs and Businesses of our Callings and Professions in the World is indeed one end why that Member was added to the rest but it is one of the lower and subordinate ends The chief and principal end is this we speak of for whatever things God makes any Creature capable of the noblest Acts of that Creature are the chief end for which it was vouchsafed a Being and from hence the consequence is very easy that discoursing of Spiritual things must needs be the chief end for which our Tongues were given us for these are the noblest Acts our Tongues are capable of such discourses being the Trumpets as it were whereby we Praise and Magnify our Maker and shew forth the Glory of our great Redeemer and Proclaim his Goodness to the Children of Men We know that God made all things for his Glory indeed without it he could not have acted like himself or like an Infinite Spirit of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness and then certainly our Tongues are chiefly designed for such Conferences and he that neglects this Exercise frustrates Gods designs and Reverses as much as in him lies the very end of his Creation For ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. How can we want matter of Discourse when we hear so many Sermons when we have liberty to peruse the Holy Scriptures and Read such variety of good Books which are so many Comments upon the Bible Not a Precept in the Gospel that is given to Regulate our Thoughts or Words or Actions or Passions not a Command not a Direction left us by our Master but it 's a fit Subject for such Holy Conferences Our Experience will administer matter in these cases What experience we have had of Gods goodness What experience of the fulfilling of such a Promise What experience in Prayer What experience in Mortification What we have found in such a Duty What effect our earnest striving and wrestling with Allmighty God hath had What influence such a Fast or Abstistence hath had upon us What content we have found under such severities What Assistances of Gods Spirit we have found in our fighting against Temptations What comfort in such Afflictions What hath kept us from sinking How God hath supported us in such a Calamity and hath been our refuge and a present help in the time of Trouble when the Earth hath been moved and when the Hills have been ready to be cast into the midst of the Sea Have not we Defects and Infirmities enough to Discourse of Do we find no Remora's no Impediments that let us in our course to Heaven Do not we fall short of that Christian Perfection the Holy Ghost urges And is not the zeal and fervency for Gods glory we find in our selves very inconsiderable Are we not very apt to sink into Hypocrisy and to be backward to the greater and weightier matters of the Law Do not we embrace Excuses suggested by the Devil whereby we leave the most excellent Duties undone Do not we find Imperfections and Infirmities in our holy performances Do we find no coldness no deadness no indisposedness in Gods Service if we do how can we want matter of Discourse How many good thoughts come into our Minds when we wake first in the Morning when we lie down at Night when we are walking when we are sitting down when we light upon ill Company when we meet with good Society when we meet with Signal Providences and Deliverances when we receive unexpected Blessings from
and his Righteousness and nothing ingrosses my desires so much as to be always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I know my Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 15. Then I exercise my self unto Godliness as a Great Man or a Man of a Gentile and Noble Extract when I mind things Great and Generous and slight those Lusts which other men admire and make pleasing God the chief care of my Life while others make it their principal care and business to please and gratifie themselves When I undervalue that world others doat on and love that God with Zeal and Fervency whom others love only in Words and vain pretences When I pray with Groans which cannot be uttered while others draw nigh to God only with their lips and their Hearts are far from him and dare loose something for Christ while others follow him no farther than is consistent with their Temporal Glory when I mind that which many Kings and Prophets and Righteous Men have desired to see even the Spiritual Riches of Grace and the everlasting Mercies of David When I mind that for which Abraham forsook his own Countrey and Moses left the dazling Glories of Pharoh's Court and for which Saints and Martyrs have spilt their Blood even that everlasting Kingdom of Bliss which Sense cannot Fathom and no Eye can perceive but that of an illuminated Understanding and which the King Immortal who cannot lye hath promised to the Man that shall be faithful unto death When I am ambitious of the company of that vast multitude we read of Rev. 7. 9. which no man can number out of all Nations Kindred Tongues and People that stand before the Throne and before the Lamb with Palmes in their hands and clothed in White Raiment and cry day and night Salvation unto our God and to the Lamb for ever and ever When I can offer free-will-offerings to God and am so far from being frighted at the Gift God requires at my hands that I am ready to do more than I have an express Command for like the Pious Souls at the erecting of the Tabernacle who being bid to bring in their proportion freely offered more than their share and were so free to give that Moses was forced to put a stop to their Generosity and Liberality Exod. 36. 3 5 6. And to add no more then I exercise my self unto Godliness as a common ordinary man as a man in a lower Sphere and private station When I am just in all my dealings and in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God have my Conversation in the World When I live in a sense of God's Mercy and am ready to do good Offices to all my Neighbours When I study Truth in my Trade and Calling and as much as in me lies provide things honest in the sight of all Men. When I am not slothful in business but fervent in Spirit serving the Lord rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer c. You see Christians what it is to be universally conscientious In vain doth the Pharisee boast I thank thee O God that I am not as other Men Extortioners Unjust Adulterers nor even as this Publican As much as he valued himself up-his perfection it was nothing but Rags and menstruous Cloaths for in this Catalogue no Duties of his several Relations are mention'd and he knew not what it was to live like a Divine or like a Loyal Subject Let Alexander boast of his Conquering Persia India and other Countries and mourn that there are no more Worlds to conquer He that faithfully discharges the duties of his several Relations is a greater Man Such a Man is sensible that God will not be put off with shews and shadows nor with a righteousness that is as a Morning Cloud and as the early Dew which passeth away Such a Man receives the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child and doth not stand out for want of pains Such a Man is resolved to know God and what the exceeding greatness of his power is to them who believe O Sirs retire and think of the reasonableness of this Exercise O that we could make you see the necessity of it O that it lay in my power to perswade you to it O that I had Rhetorick enough to charm you O that I had the Tongues of Angels to catch your Inclinations by a holy guile But it is not Eloquence will do it God's Spirit must breathe upon you and O that this blessed Spirit would blow upon you and compel you to come in and make you so sensible of the love of God that you might not be able to withstand its force but become greedy and ambitious of this Imployment You would then see how much these Men are mistaken how much they are out what a wrong way they take that place all Religion in a few heartless Prayers and careless Wishes and will not be perswaded to believe that God ever commanded this faithful discharge of the Duties of their several Relations and Callings and that they may not be obliged to it are resolved to continue in that unbelief to their dying day You would be ready to call after them Awake ye that sleep and Christ shall give you light You would wonder that they take no greater care to dress up their Souls for the Marriage of the Lamb O how you would pity them bemoan them and wish for a Fountain of Tears to bewail their stubbornness O how you would be frighted to see what burthens they lay upon their backs Burthens insupportable burthens which will crush them burthens which will make them cry out one day O that there had been such a heart in me O that I had kept close to the Law and to the Testimony O that I had look'd more to my ways O that I had remembred what a charge God gave me O that I had given ease to my Soul when Christ offered to refresh me O that I had submitted to his Yoak in all things when he promised me rest for my Soul We have innumerable examples of Men who even in this life have felt the burthen of God's anger for their unfaithful discharge of these Duties How many Fathers have groan'd under a sence of neglect of their duty to their Children How many Children have smarted for the neglect of theirs to their Parents How hath God punish'd Princes how hath he visited Subjects for their carelesness of these mutual Offices How many Servants have complain'd that they have been undone because their Masters admonish'd them not How many Masters have been ruin'd because their Servants remembred not what faithfulness and what duties God required at their hands And if God's anger against these neglects be so heavy in this life what will it be in the day of Wrath and in the day of Indignation The Judgments God
sends upon Men here are but shadows of the future emblems of greater plagues in another World representations of more violent storms that are to follow and God punishes some only that the rest may take warning and those he punishes he punishes but gently to shew that if these Rods cannot melt Mens hearts and invite them to humiliation that these are but forerunners of more dreadful scourges XI Exercise To resist all sorts of Temptations an Exercise peremptorily commanded Jam. 1. 12 13. Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Ephes. 5. 15. Hebr. 12. 4. Temptations must try our courage and discover what mettle we are made of Temptations are as necessary as difficulties in getting an Estate and their greatness doth but whet our appetite to overcome them Without Temptations the way to Life would be broad and easie and were it not for these every Fool could go to Heaven They that dream of Feather-Beds in the way to Happiness know not what Temptations are and were Men but sensible what resisting of Temptations means they would not play the fool and fancy that a slovenly belief in Jesus Christ will spread open to them the Gates of Everlasting Mercy The Conquest of Temptations makes the great difference between a true Believer and a Hypocrite and there is not a surer sign that a Man is perishing than his being loath to encounter with these Enemies Most Men complain of Temptations and yet there are but few that do oppose them and the generality are so besotted as to imagine that nothing is a Temptation but what prompts them to open profaneness and some notorious impiety Temptations no doubt may come from Friends as well as from Enemies and a Father or a Mother may be a Tempter as well as our greatest Adversary Temptations may arise from our selves as well as from strangers and our own Bosoms may harbour Traytors as much as Extrinsick Objects And indeed there are no Temptations so dangerous as those that come from within and the Devil himself could do us no hurt but that our own Hearts do second his fatal Enterprise Outward Objects can only present themselves to our Minds but it 's our Minds make the first motion to Transgression He that resists his evil thoughts resists the strongest Rebels and what can all the other assaults signifie while the Mind is guarded from Invasion It is not a faint-hearted resistance that will disperse these Insects and he that is unresolved and will and will not makes the Prince of the Air believe that he hath no serious purposes Here nothing but boldness will do good and he that by weak sallies means to repulse this Flying Army of the Devil doth but make himself an object of their scorn When young Hilarion began to be troubled with unclean thoughts and did not know yet how to resist them the innocent Lad fell a beating his Breast till he made it sore and though that was not the only remedy yet it shew'd that he was in good earnest resolv'd to oppose them Of all the Temptations of the Devil there is none that he values so much as those that are levelled either against our venturing on the power of Godliness or against continuance in Seriousness 1. Such as are levell'd against our venturing on the power of Godliness The Devil is content we should play about the outsides of Religion in the Suburbs of Devotion in the Anti-chamber to true Piety as long as he can keep us from the Banqueting-House the Banner whereof is love he can bear with our little acts of Worship and dispense with our playing with Religion The inconsiderable services which proceed only from custom he doth not value much and he is content we should use a Form of Godliness being sensible that Hypocrisie will damn as soon as more open Debaucheries 2. Such as are levelled against our holding out in Seriousness or Continuance in it He knows to whom the Crown is promised even to him that 's faithful unto death and hath seen God set the Diadem of Righteousness on the heads of those that have continued with him in Temptations He knows the Scripture and is sensible that the Man that holds out to the last will certainly enjoy the delights of God's Bosom and therefore to conquer such a Man that labours hard for Salvation and to stop him in his progress he looks upon as his proudest Victory Antiquity hath expressed it by this Apologue Lucifer having sent out his Officers to fill the World with Death and Ruine they all went on their several Errands Upon their return he demands an account of their proceedings What mischief they had done What Plagues they had scattered and What Calamities they had sent among affrighted Mortals One of them more forward than the rest replied He had been a fortnight wandring about and at last had overturned some Merchants Ships at Sea insomuch that both Men and Goods were lost The Prince of Darkness enraged at his laziness in stead of a reward gave him a hundred Lashes because he had done no more hurt all that time Another Spirit stands forth and boasts That he had been for a month together contriving how to set such a City on Fire and had at last effected it and he also was severely punished for his idleness and neglect of accomplishing his design sooner At last comes forth a third that had been Fourty years absent and being ask'd How he had spent his time and how he had promoted the Interest of the black Empire answer'd These Fourty years have I been tempting such a Religious Man to Fornication and have at last prevailed and at this time he wallows securely in his sin Beelzebub immediately rises from his Throne hugs the Fiend embraces the Child of Darkness and with Rhetorick fetcht from Hell commends him before all the howling Crew as having done a greater exploit after Fourty years travel than the other by afflicting and consuming so many Men and Ships and Houses in a few days or weeks The Moral of the Fable is no other but this That if he can make a sincere Believer weary of his Heavenly-mindedness and burning Zeal to God's Glory he values that Injury more than if he tempted a thousand Reprobates to greater Impieties Alas What great Conquest is it to perswade the Proud to Covetousness or the Drunkard to Adultery The Wretch was his before and there is nothing in the Temptation to gratifie his envy and haughtiness but to stop the Man that runs well to make him end in the Flesh that hath begun in the Spirit and to make him turn Enemy that before was a Disciple This is great and answers the proud Designs of that Hellish Monarch Pyrates do not meddle with a poor and empty Fisherboat but when Ships come richly laden full of precious Wares then they bestir themselves and take pains to master it So the Devil when he sees a Soul richly laden with Fruits sees a Man hath got a vast Stock