things that are wanting even so the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the Earth for this Cause leaves us a little longer here on the Earth that we should set in Order the things that are wanting Consider then throughly and bethink your selves well what things are now wanting to your Salvation there be sure to supply and fill them up before you die and what things are left undone there be sure to do and perform the same And still if ye can apprehend any thing more there also go and do likewise I am greatly afraid that Mene Tekel is not the Writing which was against Belshazzar of old time but also it lies against every one of us at this day I am sure and sensible that it lies against my self and so it will appear that it lies against all the Sons and Daughters of Men When God shall enter into Judgment with them for in his sight shall no Man living be justified This is the Interpretation of these two words Mene Tekel See Dan. 5. 26. 27 when it is applicable to common Persons Mene God haâ—h numbered the days of thy life and finished them This is certainly true and will be found true Tekel Thou art weighed in the Ballance and art found wanting This last comes directly to our Subject matter and will be found true also when the Actions of the best Saints and Servants that were ever on this Earth I will not except the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles who yet are all in the Kingdom of God but only excepted Jesus Christ the Righteous are weighed in the Ballance of his strict and just Judgments Their Actions are not so good as they might have been For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3. 23. For the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him Actions are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. And so he knows where and in what point such and such Actions are wanting Though we his Ministers and Creatures by reason of our half imperfect and outward Knowledge cannot presently assign it The Actions of all the Children of Men will be found wanting in the Knowledge Sight and Judgment of the Lord yet they should not be found wanting in our own Knowledge Sight and Endeavour But we should still press and labour to come up to that State whereof Paul speaketh as to himself I know nothing by my self yet I am not hereby justified That is he knew no sin or fault which he allowed himself in and no Duty which he left undone And such a State may any Christian now-a days by that common Grace which God usually gives arrive unto if he will Though Paul was thus Innocent Upright and Obedient yet he going on to add that hereby he was not justified that is before God This confirms the truth of what was aforesaid that though we do to the very best that ever we can endeavouring and labouring to the very utmost that our Actions be not found wanting until they seem to us as if they were not wanting yet still in the future Judgment of God they will be found wanting The reason whereof is For the Lord seeth not as Man seeth for Man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart So the Lord knoweth not as Man knoweth for Man knoweth the outward appearance only by halves and imperfectly But the Lord knoweth the inside and throughout even all that is to be known in any thing For the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him Actions are weighed Nevertheless the Lord doth require of and command us to do our very best though when we have done all that is commanded us we are but unprofitable Servants and we are to use our utmost and continued diligence that we be not found wanting though after all and at the last we shall be found wanting This seems to be the turning and deciding point why some will be saved and others will be condemned at the last day The Souls of those that shall be saved did whilst they were here in the Body and in the days of the Flesh labour and endeavour with all their strength and with all their might as Jacob served Laban with all his might that they should not be found wanting That nothing should be wanting in them towards obtaining their own Salvation They did run strive and fight as the Scripture Phrases are in doing whatever they could if by any means they might obtain unto the Resurrection of the dead And so God who doth not lay upon Man more than is right doth accept of this their good mind and good will towards him He will not expect from a Creature more than he is able so such are received by him they are admitted and do enter into their Master's Joy But contrariwise the Souls of them that shall be condemned possibly they might seek to enter in at the strait Gate that is use a little careless idle and customary endeavour but they did not strive Luke 13. 24. for then they would have entred in Neither did they use their continued labour and utmost diligence that they should not be found wanting It was a thing which they did a little but not much mind for now it is evidently seen and known in the World that though all do pretend to serve God and they say that they hope to go to Heaven yet some do more towards it than others Whereas the Kingdom of Heaven will never be obtained by a parcel of lazy and outward customary Worshippers For from the days of John until this time the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Heaven and Immortality are for those who strive who are stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord the labour of such is not vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. who seek diligently Heb. 11. 6. who make it their constant business throughout their life As in Acts 28. 24. Some believed the things that were spoken and some believed not Some obey the Word and some do not So it is here some will use their utmost diligence and labour that they be not found wanting and these will be accepted by God and saved Others again will not use their utmost diligence and labour that they be not found wanting and these will not be accepted by God for they will be Condemned by him and perish They are weighed in the Ballance and are found wanâ—ing And that Lott and Portion they might have had in the Heavenly Inheritance is divided and given unto others SERMON III. Isaiah 38. 1. Set thine House in Order for thou shalt die and not live IT hath been already said That to set our Souls in Order before we die or before our Souls go out of our Bodies is to take care and provide that nothing be wanting in them But I find and gather from out of the Scriptures of Truth That another main Principal and Essential thing wanting in the Souls of Men
Being as the Logicians and Metaphysicians say But only a Dissolution of a Thing and a Privation of a Being And that is only as to the Body which is as the breaking of a Shell towards the hatching or bringing forth of a Chicking or as a Woman when she is in Travel hath Pain and Anguish till the bringing forth of her Child But after that is born she remembers no more the Pain or Anguish for joy that a Child is born into the World Even so through the Pain and Languishing of Death the Soul is born and comes forth into the invisible World and she remembers no more the Pangs and Throws and Anguish she felt by the Body dropping from her as she came through the Gate of Death and now she is in an Happy and Blessed State But this is only the favour God bears unto his own People and the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord No Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper Isa 54. 17. For though the Devil thought to make an end of them and destroy them utterly by Sin and Death yet they are escaped whole and safe through them both It is only to such who have this Blessing and Mark of Favour from God as to see the Lord's Christ before they see Death It is these that dâ—part in Peace The People of that Generation did see Christ in the days of his Flesh We of this present Generation may see Christ in his Grace and Revelation which is full of Mercy Goodness and Truth Simeon took up the Child Jesus in his Arms and Blessed God Even so we may go yet nearer and farther and take up Christ and receive him into our Hearts This is seeing the Lord 's Christ in our days when we see him within us with the Eyes of Faith or with the Eyes of our Understanding being enlightened When what we have heard we have seen with our eyes we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life for the Life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew uâ—to you Eternal Life which was manifest unto us or rather within us And so Paul saith by the Spirit unto those to whom he writes Little Children of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in ye The same is the end of all our Preaching to beget Christ formed in you which is a work of time and by degrees And if this be done ye will never see Death Eternal Though ye will for all see the first Death for Moses is dead and the Prophets are dead yet ye will never be hurt by the second Death SERMON V Isaiah 38. 1. Set thine House in Order for thoâ— shalt Die and not live TO see the Lord 's Christ before we see Death is to be a Partaker of the Divine Nature to have the Christian or Christ-like Nature formed and fashioned within us And that not in part or in some things only bâ—â— in the whole and throughout And the very God 〈◊〉 Peace Sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lorâ— Jesus Christ This word wholly and whole being repeated twice here in the same verse doth shew that thâ— Holy Ghost doâ—h lay exceeding much stress and necessitâ— thereon As the Soul doth actâ—ate the whole Body eveâ— so Christ should actuate the Soul throughout and wholly But here is the fault and failure of the generalitâ— of People of those who call themselves Christian whether they be of the straiter Sect of the Christiaâ— Religion whatever it be or whatever they are called for they would pretend unto others and seem to themselves to be more Holy Real and Sincere in their Christian Profession and the Service of God than others I profess truly I do not love to name the distinguishing Names for I would that the time were once come as it is drawing on in these latter days When the Lord shall be one and his Name one and then all those Nick-names of the several Sorts and Sects of Christianity will be laid aside and be used no more in our Tongue But it hath been my Observation a long time and I seldom knew it fail that when I have came near and beheld the Lives and Manner of Conversation of the Dissenters who seem to be more Religious than ordinary who talk so much of Christ I find that they are for taking up Christ in some yea perhaps in most but not in all things And whereas he that keeps Christ's Sayings shall never see Death John 8. 51. Yet they do not keep and obey that last Commandment which Christ Jesus is Recorded to have given as consequently comprehensive and of greatest concernment of all the rest Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded us Matth. 28. 20. But contrariwise several of them do break some or more of these least Commandments and teach Men so Matth. 5. 19. Do not some break or rather neglect those his lesser Commandments concerning Baptism and the Lord's Supper which he commanded to do in Remembrance of him These are lesser Commandments which are only the possitive outward Duties or Ordinances of Religion in comparison to the greater things of the Law which concern intrinsick Good or Evil Right or Wrong Again doth another sort observe strictly the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Justice and Mercy For it hath been observed of those who are called Rigid Strict Presbyterians â—hat they have been given unto Oppression Injurious Dealing all for their own ends an Heart they have exercised with covetous practices cursed Children 2. Pet. 2. 14. And they have been noted to be Stubborn Perverse Blood-thirsty and Cruel Which is as contrary to Mercy one of the weightier matters of the Law as Darkness is to Light And so that together with their Pervereness is as diametrically opposite to Long-Suffering the Gentleness and Mâ—ekness of Christ as any thing in the World can be Now if you charge any of them closely and talk with them of these things they have a parcel of Sayings and Excuses as indeed all Sin and Transgression hath its excuse There being nothing so bad in the World but somewhat may be said for it Distinctions and Traditions of their own whereby they would make the Commandments of God of none effect So it is evident they break one of his least Commandments and teach Men so Which Disobedience and Prevarication of theirs shews that Christ the Wisdom of the Father who knew was in Man had not supposed against a vain and unlikely thing such as would never happen for these do contrary and different unto it every day But what is the consequence or harm of breaking of one of the least of those his Commandments and teaching Men so He shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven which there signifies the Ministration or Profession of the Gospel This Gospel being to prepare us for and get us
admission into Heaven And by what follows in the next verse Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Rightâ—ousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven From hence there is real grounds of fear for it may be truly understood and gathered that such who break one of the least Commaâ—dments of Christ and teach Men so shall not only be called lâ—ast in the Kingdom of Heaven but they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because that the Righteousness of this kind of People doth not exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees inasmuch as these also do exactly the very same as the Scribes and Pharisees did viz. break some of the Commandments of God and teach Men so Only with this somewhat better diversity for the Pharisees did Tythe Anise Mint and Cummin but neglected the weighter matters of the Law Mercy Judgment Faith and the Love of God these ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone But several of the better sort of those called Christians may perhaps observe the weightier matters of the Law and neglect some of the lesser Commandments whereas indeed and in truth from the like Reasoning of Christ it may be understood that these ought to be done and observed also as weâ—â— as the others I take God to Record this day who is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things that all along throughout my Preaching and Writing in all my Books and Sermons as himself will witness herein for me at the last day of Judgment I have taught and affirmed constantly and so I do again repeat and confirm it this day That all the Commandments of God and of Christ ought to obeyed and observed and not one â—ay not the least of them ought in any wise to be broken Far be it from me to teach Men so nor yet to intimate or allow or give the least way unto it See Mark 7. 9 10 11 12 13. Though for this very things sake because I have declared and testified the Will and Commandment of God to be on that wise as he saith by his Prophâ—t I will be a swift Witness against false Swearers and against them that turn aside the Stranger from his Right Mal. 3. 8. For this cause my Books and Ministry hath been rejected by the Corrupt and Igâ—orant Multitude of this World As it is written He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 22. 11. So if they go on still in their refusal to hear or receive that part of God's Word which is committed to my Ministration and in their other Stubbornness and Reproaches for their Lips have spoken lies their Tongue hath muttered Perversness Isa 59. 13. I shall sooner convince them out of the Law take it in the whole together and not by piece-meal only to be Sinners and Transgressors herein then they can convince me of having dealt falfly in God's Covenant neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant neither have our steps declined from thy way Psal 44. 17. The very nature of a Covenant stands on this wise to observe all the several sorts thereof Suppose we enter into a Bond to perform Covenants and there are for instance six Covenants mentioned in an Indenture If one of them is broken and not performed and the Bond is put in suit thereupon it will be in no wise a good Plâ—a in Law for the Covenanter to say and alledge that â—e hath observed the oâ—her five And so when God comes to enter into Judgment and to call People to an Account when he shall call to the Heavens above and to the Earth that he may judge his People Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Psal 5. 6. How they have kept his Ten Commandments from their Youth up or all the days and years they were on this Eâ—rth for so far his Judgment will examine and reach back as his â—oregoing Statutes Laws and Judgments did enjoyn Deut. 12. 1. Luke 1. 74 75. Then God will not accept of it as sufficient if some should say Lord I have kept nine of them others eight others six others perhaps obeyed none at all from the Heart And so it is of all the other Commandments of God which are written any where else in the Bible whether of the Old oâ— New Testament they ought to be observed all one iâ— being God's Sâ—atute Book whereby he governs over the Nations of the Earth all one as the Acts of Parliament of this Nation are kept and done accordingly Now as when one is Arraign'd for Murder Felony or any other Capital Crime it will not avail and save him if he should plead and say for himself that he had obeyed and kept all the Laws of England besides The same holds true as to the present Account and future Judgment of God For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all For he that said do not not commit Aduâ—tery said also do not Kill now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou Kill thou art become a Transgressor against the Law So he that sâ—id do not worship Idols nor graven Images said also do not swear vainly or falsly He said also do not Covet and do no Wrong So that if a Man swears vainly or falsly or if he Covets and doth Wrong although he doth not worship Idols nor graven Images he is become a Transgressor of the Law So it may be reasoned concerning the keeping of some and neglecting or transgressing of others run them changeably throughout all the Ten Commandments The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews especially in the eight and ninth Chapters Reasons very much from the nature of Covenants and Testaments Which as himself Pâ—raseth it serveth â—nto the example and shadow of Heavenly things and it is else where expresly said as pertaining to this That though it be another Man's Covenant yet no Man addeth nor diminisheth from it Even so it is as to God's Covenant unto Man If we would indeed have the Benefit and precious Promises belonging to the Covenant we must not in the performing and fulfilling the same on our parts we are to add nothing to it nor yet should we diminish or take any thing from it The Covenant of God is the Word and Law of God for so it is called in sundry places of Scripture and the Word and Law of God is God himself and Christ himself â—o that herein the saying is true Take all or take none Is Christ divided 1 Cor. 3 13. Or can God be divided It is impossible as to both Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Although many foolish deceived People and outward Worshippers who serve divers Lusts and Pleasures would vainly imagine and think to divide their service one half for God and another half for the World or
what is so earnestly followed after here So that it is evident where they are believed and received they must perswade Men for the very same Considerations do actually perswade and also prevail with Men as to all other things In a Word the practice of universal Religion which is the fear of God and keeping his Commandments or rather the confirming of all the Words of his Law and Gospel by our doing of them comes and stands enforced with such uncontroulable Arguments that where they are received into the Mind and pondered in the Heart they must of Necessity weigh down incline and sway the Mind towards God and the good things pertaining to his Kingdom And after all were there not a Devil and Satan the unseen Enemy of Mankind who yet for all deceiveth the Nations and deceiveth the whole World It would be if not morally impossible yet highly improbable that not so much as one of the Sons or Daughters of Men should perish Whereas now by the manifold kind of Imaginations and Excuses which that invisible Tempter whispers and suggests to the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience to despise God that formed them in their despising the Ministration of his Word and some way or other to turn aside from or deceive in that Religion which is to the saving of the Soul that after all the Preaching and Hearing which hath been in the World the greater part of both Preachers and People will be cast-a-ways and perish for ever Things have been and are so transacted all along that those few Preachers which shall be saved as also those few Hearers that shall be saved for there is only but a fourth Part of the Hearers of the Word Matth. 13. and Mark 4. that will be saved by it And then what will become of the Multitude of Non-Hearers They shall certainly perish and be destroyed without Remedy But the Hearers that shall be saved will stand by and assent that it was so when the Preachers that shall be saved shall make this or the like return at the last great Day of Judgment I have spread out my hands all the day unto a Râ—bellious People Isa 65. 2. or as the Words are a little varied in the Gospel but to the same purpoâ—â— and signification All day long have I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying People Rom. 10. 21. which will be found true not as to Israel only but to the whole of Mankind of the several Generations and Countreys To use the same Hezekiah's Phrase who gave occasion to the Words of our Text on which so many things have been Discoursed What shall I say after all by way of Practical Use Inference and Application to the whole Several do object and needlesly find fault that I do not digest and compose my Sermons as other Preachers do by way of Doctrine Use and Application Whereas my manner of Preaching to those that understand me throughly is Doctrine Use and Application all along by making known plain Propositions and Sentences of Truth and that not so much Speculative Notional Truth but Practical Soul saâ—ing Truth And in the several Sentences of this there is Doctrine Use and Application For it teaches and instructs and Edifies and it is the Hearers business to apply it to their Heart and Conscience Use and Application is altogether as proper in the beginning of a Sermon as towards the end thereof When many things have been said upon one particular subject it is hard to add much more and not say over again what hath been already said However let us endeavour to raise a Practical Use or Inference or two from the whole Is it so then that we must Dye and not Live This may teach us in the first Place to be in good earnest in Matters of Religion or upon the Evening and making up our accounts with God with whom we have to do and to whom we must give them up One saith well We should not alâ—ogether live in Jest for we shall certainly dye in Earnest And there is another common Proverbial Speech That if ever People will be serious they will be serious upon their Death-Bed For then the Ruffling Royster Jolly Person and most merry Man of the World can no longer laugh when Death doth once begin to fix and set his Countenance and the Pangs thereof which are real and sensible have once bâ—gan to strike him But now as it is written surely every Man walketh in a vain shew in the Margent there it is an Image surely they are disquieted in vain â—salm 39. 6. So all our Life here whether it meet with good and pleasant things it is all but a vain shew laughter and People make a Jest and Light of it or if it be trouble and disquietude they are also vain So that we are only carried from one vain extream to another But when we shall die and not live or rather enter into that State wherein we shall Live and Die no more then we shall meet with 〈…〉 and Realities Saith Wisdom All that love me shall inherit Substance Which being spoken in the Future Tense hath reference to the Future State of Things And accoâ—dingly we may observe that as Man is endued with Wisdom or not so he shews himself accordingly affectâ—d with present things or seeks afâ—er the things to come A little thing puffs up a Bubble and Man being but a Bubble therefore it is that he is soon lifted up and transported But whoso is endued with real Wisdom He cannot take Pleasure in Fools Mirth or in an Idle Jest Who are passed over the Festivities of Childhood and Youth they cannot still shew themselves transported with Vanities All the Jesting and Merriment in the World can never make up the true Happiness because it is not satisfactory nor yet enduring And so all Jesting and Merriment is like the crackling of Thornâ— under a Pot which make a sudden Blaze and Noise but give no solid heat In the midst of Laughter the Heart is sorrowful But if it is not so yet all Worldly and sensible delights are but as one single mouthful of Meat to an hungry Man which rather excites the Appetite further and after more than satisfies iâ— So worldly and sensible Delights raise Anguish how insufficient and short these things are of a true and inward satisfaction O ye Sons of Men how long will ye love Vanity and seek after Leasing Psalm 4. 3. But it would not be altogether so bâ—d if all their Jesting and Vanity was confined to those things only For it is also crept into things pertaining to God and to Religion For besides that there is a more gross sort of the Spirit of prophaneness mocking and drollery at the Things pertaining to God which is the Abomination of Iniquity and most provoking in his sight there is also a lesser kind of lesting or rather lightness therein which is also offensive and displeasing to the God with whom we have to