shall eat their Bread with carefulness Ezek. 12.19 20. and drink their Water with astonishment c. And the Cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste Therefore thus saith the Lord God As the Vine-tree among the Trees of the Forrest which I have given to the fire for fuel so will I give the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Ezek. 15.6 7. And I will set my face against them and they shall goe out from one fire and another fire shall devour them Such ruines were to attend them that Ezekiel though the Messenger of them yet must sigh Ezek. 21.5 12. with the breaking of his loynes and with bitterness yea he must cry and howl and smite upon his thigh You may easily imagine if God were so angry with Judah for their insensibleness of his wrath when it hung in the cloud of threatnings and Types How much more will he be provoked to fury if we lay not to heart those fearfull signs and tokens of his wrath now that the cloud is dissolved into the Pestilence Sword and Fire Is 16.11 O that my bowells may sound like an Harp for England O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears Jer. 9.1.11 that I might weep day and night O that for the mountains I could take up a weeping and wailing because they are burnt up because Jerusalem is made heaps because Gods fury went out like Fire and burned that none could quench it because of the evil of their doings O ye Sons of men Jer. 21.12 Ezek. 24.2 write you the name of the day even of the same day the God of Heaven set himself against Jerusalem this same day How oft did we profane that day by gluttony exâ—essive feastings gossipings within dores by unnecessary walks and sports without dores How did we cry when will the Sabbath be gone Amos 8.5 8 9. that we may attend our callings Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein Your Sun is gone down at Noon-day God hath turned your Feasts into mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation How dare you now make mirth What Now drink Wine in Bowls The Lord take away the heart of stone and give us hearts of flesh The Lord powr out a spirit of mourning upon all the Land that we may lay to heart the wonderfull effects of Gods sore displeasure Wo to them that are at ease and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Shall not the Isles shake at the sound of thy fall Amos 6.1.6 Shall not the Princes of the Sea come down from their Thrones and lay away their Robes and put off their broidered garments and cloth themselves with trembling Ezek. 36.15 16 17 18. and sit upon the ground and be astonished at thee and take up a lamentation for thee and say how art thou destroyed thou that wast inhabited by Seafairing men the renowned City which was strong in the Soa She and her Inhabitants Now let the Isles tremble in the day of thy fall Come behold the works of the Lord Psal 46.8 what desolations he hath made in the earth Desolations by the Sword Desolations by the Pestilence and desolations by Fire Some smart that others may Fear Now all these things happen for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.11 God means not only to punish but to teach and not only the present generation but all generations to the end of the World O the much precious blood that the Sword hath devoured How many thousands hath the Pestilence swept away And now one of the most flourishing Cities of the Christian World famous for the Gospel famous for frequence of Traffick in a few days lyes buried in Ashes or Rubbish If we have any bowells of pity let us weep with them that weep let us commiserate the grievous sufferings of multitudes of Men Women and Children It is certainly now a time to weep Eccles 3.4 Jer. 7.28 and not to laugh And must our Jeremiah's complain of England This is a Nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God nor receiveth correction If some amongst us are sensible of the heat of the Fire and other plagues yet we mourn not Isa 28.21 we do not habitually mourn for those sins and provocations which have moved God to do this work this strange work upon us and against us Possibly some cry and howl for the Goods and Houses that are consumed by Fire and for their Friends whom the Sword and Pestilence have devoured But how few are mourning in secret for their contempt of Christ and his Gospel for controlling and checking the Spirit of God for their spending away so much time and strength to get a little money and neglecting to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure you have mourned for your silver shrines but not for the pride carelesness and covetousness of your hearts you fear poverty and reproach will be your portion but why do you not fear what will be the issue of the hardness of your hearts Hear ye the Word of the Lord They are not humbled unto this day Jer. 44.10 11. Jer. 23.39 40.29.17 18. neither have they feared nor walked in my Law therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will set my face against you for evil and to cut off all Judah I even I will utterly forget you and I will forsake you and the City that I gave you c. and will bring an everlasting reproach upon you c. And if you will not after all this turn unto the Lord read your doom I will make them like vile figs that cannot be eaten they are so evil c. I here publish my fears to all the World I am afraid that our view of the desolations that God hath wrought are too short and transient and that some want humanity in their being insensible of the plagues and miseries of their Brethren and more want the spirit of mourning for their own and other mens sins Nay are there none of the Race of Ammon left Ezek. 25.3 6 7. Prov. 17 5. Luk. 13 2 3 4 5. Ezek. 25.8 9. Psal 137.7 Ezek. 12.13 14. who say Aha against Gods Sanctuary when it was profaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate at least rejoyced in heart Behold God will stretch out his hand upon such a people He that is glad at calaâ—â—ities shall not be unpunished The Tower of Silo fell to lead others to repentance If any will scoff and blaspheme as the Moabites by saying the House of Judah is like unto all the Heathen who have not suffered more nor so much as they God knows how to open the side of Moab and to let in the Sword and ruine upon their strongest Cities And if the Children of Edom who were long ago for
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
to you by them though in the Name of the Lord. When your Ministers declaimed against your sins did you so mind what they delivered as to be any whit troubled Zech. 7.11 12. Did you not harden your hearts as an adamant Were you not so farr from being troubled for your sins that it was your only trouble you could not commit them without controul Were you not even troubled with admonitions and counsels commands and threatnings that crost you in your sins Can you say Acts 17.11 that you Received the Word with all readiness of mind Have not you heard heartlesly Heartlesly without a real sense of your want of the Word and without an appetite to it Had you such vehement desires after the treasure your Ministers were bringing you as covetous men have after the treasures of the Earth Could you ever with David say Psal 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times Have not you heard unbelievingly unbelievingly Not crediting your Ministers Doctrine and not applying it to but shifting it off from your selve Have not their Sermons been therefore unprofitable to your Souls Heb. 4.2 because not mix'd with Faith Can you say that you received their Word 1 Thes 2.13 as the Word of God That you applyed it to your Souls as that which concern'd you May not we say with grief of Soul as our Lord hath said already John 5.37 You have not heard his voice at any time When you heard the Word which is Gods Word did you hear God himself speaking his own Word unto your hearts Have you not been cautioned by the Lord Jesus Christ and by his Ministers with a Take heed how you hear Luke 18.18 Carpingly And yet how oft have you heard the Ministers of Christ carpingly Not with a willingness to be judged by the Word but to judge it and the Preacher for it Have not you let slip the most material passages of the Sermon and pitch'd upon the weaknesses or impertinencies of the Minister How oft have you when you could not blame the subject matter found fault with the method and the manner of delivery and over-look'd that wherein your Souls were especially concerned Have not you heard Non-obediently Non-obediently Have not you been untractable and unteachable Have you not heard proudly and not humbly With hard hearts and not with hearts of flesh ready to receive the impression of the Word and willing to be moulded and fashioned according to it When could you say to any of Gods Ministers as Cornelius to Peter We are all here present to hear all that is commanded of God When wast thou of such an yielding Spirit Acts 9.6 Job 34.32 as Saul was of Lord What wilt thou have me to do His ear and heart was open to every command So was Job's That which I see not teach thou me Have not you had your Exceptions If Ministers have enjoyn'd you to pray in your Families perhaps you heard them therein but if they enjoyned from the Lord the same Legislatour that you pray in your Closets that you examine your selves that you fill your hands with both the Tables they could not be heard one reserve at least Whereas the right hearer cries out Lord What wilt thou have me to do I will do any thing Lord actively or passively to get Hill out of my Soul now and to keep my Soul out of Hell hereafter After hearing the Embassadours of Heaven After Not examining what they have heard how faulty have you been In not examining what you have heard by the written Word The Bereans consulted with the Oracles of God brought the Doctrines they heard to the measuring Line of the Sanctuary but so have not you They say a man will tell money after his Father but you have been too careless to tell over the Doctrines you have heard How many were there to whom the reputation and worth of the Teacher was sufficient proof of his Doctrine receiving all that was stamp'd with his tongue Mat. 23.9 Jude v. 16. Have not you called such and such a Minister Your Father on Earth in the same sense in which Christ forbids it Have not you had the Persons of men in admiration and that for advantage No wonder that Errours have abounded Men that through an over-esteem of the Minister take all upon trust or through sloth will not examine Doctrines are like to be deceived May not Christ check you Not remembring it Mar. 8.18 rather than the Disciples with Why do you not remember Have not you heard the Word and instantly forgot it Hath not the Word gone in at one ear and out at another Have not you let slip the Word Jam. 1.25 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metaphorical taken from a Sieve or leaking Vessel when the liquor runs out as fast as it is put in Heb. 2.1 Have not you hereby been ever learning but not come to the knowledge of the truth Your Memories should be like the Ark wherein the Pot of Mannah was kept but alas When you heard the Word then came the wicked One Mat. 13.19 and catched away what was sowen in your hearts and was not the Word and the labours of Christs Ministers fallen so low that you were contented at least little troubled thus to be pillaged of this heavenly treasure Have not you neglected Meditation upon the Word you have heard Not meditating on it It was one special way whereby in time of the Law the clean Beasts were known from the unclean chewing the end Levit. 11.3 Luke 11.25 But how few ruminate upon what they have heard and received They do not with Mary keep the sayings and ponder them in their hearts Blessed are they that hear the Word and keep it How few retire into their Closets and reflect on the usefulness of the Word for the nourishment of their graces for the destruction of their sins How few consider whether they have met with God in the Sermon yea or no You should have gathered up the words of Christs Minister as Christ said of the fragments so as none should be lost or as the Gold-smith looks after the very dust of gold but as soon as Conscience was quieted did you ever think more of the Word How few have gone from the Church to the Closet Not praying over it there to pour out their Souls for a blessing upon what they heard From the Pulpit to the Trade is bad but from the Pulpit to the Ale-house that 's abominable but all are not clear herein O! If when your sin was discovered you had gone into your chambers and begg'd humiliation for it and victory over it and if when neglected duty was prest in publick you had retired and prayed to God to incline your hearts to keep Gods statutes would it not have been better with you than now it is Have not you
work-house That he possesseth the heart of every unregenerate man The strong man keeps the house and so all is quiet It was a sad day when the abomination of desolation should be seen standing in the holy place but what are abominable Men to abominable Devils They did but exercise their cruelties on the bodies of the Jewes but how many Devils have their walks in the hearts of natural men and women If thou art in thy bloods the Devil hath entred into thee as sure as ever he entred into the heard of Swine and so hurrieth thee into base lasts as he carried them headlong into the Sea CHAP. III. Their want of Despair in Self IF Men are sensible of their sinne and miserie Few humbled Souls Rom. 10.3 yet how many are going about to establish their own righteousness Though some are convinced of the ugliness of sin of â—he miserie by sin yet they are not fully convinced that the covenant of works requires perfect personal and corstant obedience that it admits not of repentance that it accepts not of the will for the deed Gal. 3.10 but Curseth every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them so that if there be a failer by a vain thought the conditions of that covenant are broken and nothing save fearful expectations should seize on such a Soul Few I say believe this but though they are bankrupt Children of Adam yet they hope by their pedling Wares to set up again and maintain themselves without being beholden to any other for the procuring of their salvation hence they pray who were prayerless before hear and perhaps with much diligence who were wont to play away the Sabbath and Sermon time and reform in many things and now Soul take thine ease thou hast goâ—ds laid up for many years yea for eternity thou art converted sure and so think all the Neighbour-hood O! what a change is here The man was a Drunkard not so now an Adulterer a prophane Belial but now civilized yea a devout man Serious that was flashy before and touching the righteousness which is in the Law Phil. 3.6 blameless Now he is alive indeed his Conscience is pacified which before troubled him he can hear the Word gladly which before was burthensome to him he can pray with affection and with some delight when before all the Ordinances of Heaven were tedious and intollerable burthens to him Now he thinks Sure I have life within me I am not dead He sees not all this while that he must have life from without and ability from without He doth not yet say Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me Psa 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up No no he can look up with confidence and call God Father Job 12.6 and though sometimes he provokes God yet he is secure He doth not see that he is dead i. e. damned 2 Cor. 3.5 and insufficient as of himself to think any thing as of himself but all his sufficiency is of God He thinks he is not utterly unable to make amends for his sins not quite dead for he can pray c. He sees not that it is as easie to make new Worlds as to put up one acceptable Prayer to God He sees not that he needs an Almighty power to enable him to perform his duties and infinite satisfaction to discharge him of his debts He is somewhat sensible of his danger by sin Isa 63.1 but he eyes not him that is mighty to save He looks for help within but not without He sees no absolute necessity of Christ all this while He sees not that all his righteousnesses are as filthy raggs in Gods sight Isa 64.6 and that all his duties fill up the Catalogue of his sins He sees not that there is no Salvation in any other save Jesus Christ Acts 4.12 because there is no other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved He hopes to goe to Heaven through doors of his own the door of Repentance the door of Reformation the door of good Works c. hence he takes hold of the mercy of God and the promises of pardon Isa 55.7 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 yea he will abundantly pardon Thus have I done saith this awakened person and now my Case is good O! I would not be in mine old myres for a World O! what a change is here I was a careless Wretch careless of God and my Soul careless of praying reading hearing c. not so now And now that the house Matth. 12.43 44 45. out of which the unclean Spirit is gone is swept and garnished he carrieth it high and little thinks he that seven worse Spirits are entring in This is the case of multitude of Professours whom Christ will never seek nor save Luke 19.10 for that they are not lost they are not succourless and helpless they think they may save themselves from wrath to come They see not that there is a Satisfaction to be made to Divine Justice which they cannot make wherefore their hopes are from their reformations not from Christ their peace is from their performances not from Christs blood of attonement All these have I kept from my youth up Luke 18.21 Hence he is consident not from Christs coming under the Law hence he is diligent in Prayer c. but careless of the way of Faith hence he blesseth himself in his own performances and is no way taken up with what Christ hath done and suffered for him Moses is magnifyed and Christ is slighted Duties are set up and Faith neglected Works advanced and cryed up and Faith is little heeded or look'd after How few are there who count themselves wholly destitute of every good thing that should make them acceptable unto God They lay not the weight of Salvation upon the grace of God by Jesus Christ but upon somewhat that comes from themselves they will have a Bridge of Duties that shall carry them over the Gulph of eternal miserie they hope to quench Hell Fire by their tears Alass some years agoe you might as well have drawn Water out of the Flint as tears from them but the case is altered I was blind but now I see the deserts of sin which I saw not before I see it is a fearful thing to sin against God and now I bewail my sins and am sorry at heart for them sure my condition is monded I thank God I am not as other men nor as once I was my self I hope by my tears to wash away my sins All the while Christ lieth without doors the Soul is a stranger to Faith in Christ he sees not his
Conscience as soon as the guilt of sin is removed as they hope their mourning ceaseth though the strength of sin be as greatas ever 5. Few seek comfort aright Among the multitudes professing Religion how many seek for grace in order to their comfort Joy Peace Comfort being their great end but how few seek for comfort in order to grace 6. Few mourn for unbelief How few mourn for their slightings of Christ It is more natural and so more easie to mourn for sins against the Law than those again Christ and his Gospel Therefore if there be many tears shed for neglect of Prayer for Theft Perjury c. yet how few are found mourning for undervaluing and rejecting Christ and his Tenders whose Soul cries out O! how unkind have I been to Christ O! that he should come out of his Fathers Bosome for me come under the Law yea Dye for me and yet I should keep him out of dores that the Son of God that the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express Image of his person the upholder of all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 when he had by himself purged our sins and sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high should stoop so low Rev. 3.20 as to stand at the door and knock and yet that I should not let him in break heart break into small dust be trembling all over for thy unkindnesses to so great so rich so good a Friend O wretch that I have been What! more kindness to my Dog my Cat. c If my Dog be whining at the door he hath admittance and yet thou shut out O. I abhorr my self in dust before thee I meet with few of these mourners CHAP. V. Their ignorance of Christ their serving their turns of Christ their making base capitulations with Christ 1. HOw many are ignorant of Christ Too too many Ignorant of Christ and of what use he is to perishing Souls They know no more the Gift of God than the Samaritan Woman did they know not what an excellent gift Christ is John 4.10 that he is the Fountain of living Water and therefore ask nothing of him It is one thing to hear of a Christ and another thing to know Christ How few know Christ to be their only Life If you did believe that he that hath the Son hath life 1 Jo. 5.12 and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life And that who so findeth me Christ findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord Prov. 8.35 36. But he that sinneth against me Christ wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me Christ love death Upon such a Conviction what would you not give for Life Esau will part with his Birth-right to preserve his Life The Woman will part with all her Estate to recover health and to secure her self from the grave Of all blessings we value Life mostly but few have such esteems of Christ Few can say as Paul What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 8 9. yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 the righteousness which is of God by faith I determined not to know any thing save Jesus Christ and him crucified Psal 73.25 Or with David Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Few look on Christ as the Original of their Life that they must live move and have their being in Christ and from Christ alone that they are dead without him and hence their desires are not after him If you knew that you want Christ more than Bread and Water then would you cry out Lord give me Christ None but Christ None but Christ in him is my help in him is my salvation He is the Authour of all our good affections and of all our gracious abilities but alass blind man sees him not in his usefulness Cant. 5.9 What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved He hath no form nor comeliness Isa 53.2 3. and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men Men must dye and be damned without a Christ but they know it not they know no good that Christ is and no good that Christ brings Secondly Many serve their turns of Christ How many serve their turns of Christ close with Christ for their own ends When men have served their turnes one of another away they goe so these troubles they have and ease they would have they have stayed off from Christ as long as they could they have tryed worldly Comforts they will not do they have tryed Duties they will give no rest and therefore in the terrours of their Spirits they must have Christ so much of him as may give them quiet and rest Men are weary of the bands and setters wherein they are held under the Law they would fain be delivered from Sathan that torments them and from the sins that now stare them in the face they groan under the weight of the wrath of God but not under the body of sin Sathan as a Tormentour is un-welcome but as a Tempter is still liked well enough O! I am afraid I shall to Hell O! if there be no other way to escape but through Christ O! then for a Christ then Sermons and Ministers are welcome in hopes of bringing in not so much a Christ as peace and comfort to the troubled Spirit So that men use Christ as sick men take meat not for love of it or liking to it for their Stomachs rise against it but for fear of death which makes them force themselves to eat Though many come to Christ it is by constraint not willingly not with delight not as an healthy man comes to a full table to feed with pleasure Many to avoid a greater mischief to avoid damnation to avoid eternal torments will to Christ in their sore extremities they will then make large confessions take up great resolutions against their sins pray to God and with vehemency and constancy so as they never prayed before but upon ease to the impostumed matter upon recoveries out of their troubles they become if not profane yet worldly and negligent of Christ his Person his Laws his Concernments They have of Christ what they came for They come to Christ as some come to Shops not to have all in the Shop but what they immediately want They want comfort and therefore they venture as the Leapers to the Camp of the Syrians they had no love to them they counted them
12.8 Hab. 2.1 For this I besought the Lord thrice and yet no answer O! when shall we resolve with Habbakkus to stand upon our watch and look and see what he will say to us The neglect of this hath bred so many Formalists in our Congregations After we have put our Prayers into Gods hands we never mind them more We would be angry with Beggars if they begg'd an almes and away presently as careless of answers The sincerity of thy heart would be more evidenced Not blessing God for answers if thou didst consider what returns thou hast that thou mayst bless God for them and improve them for God and in case of denials 1 Sam. 1.15 to be of a troubled Spirit as Hannah was for that her Prayer for a Child was so long denied What mournings hast thou for that thy Pride Not mourning for denials Worldliness Unbelief hardness of Heart c. are not yet pardoned and subdued Poor creature thou continuest in the road of Duty but observest not whether God hears thee or not Saul went beyond thee 1 Sam. 28.6 He observed and was troubled that God answered him not by Urim nor yet by Prophets Have not we by carelesness by returning to our vomits and mires intercepted our own Prayers Have not we torn our own Petitions Tearing their own Petitions Isa 59.1 2. and snatch'd them out of Gods hands Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear How seldome have we took Bernards advice in his gloss upon Not joyning endeavours Oremus Laboremus Jo. 8.21 Ezek. 39.23 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands that is saith he let us pray and endeavour We love to employ God to subdue our sins c. But we sit idle we hate taking pains we are not co-workers with God I may say unto you as Christ I goe away and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins The Heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they trespassed against me therefore hid I my face from them Then shall they cry unto the Lord Mic. 3.4 but he will not hear them he will even hide his face from them at that time as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings Prayer is a Key to open Heaven to Believers but it may be so managed as to open Hell to thee CHAP. XV. Their slighting the written Word of God especially in not reading and meditating on it as they ought 8ly Professours despifing Gods written Word SLighting of the written word of God is another piece of ungodliness which English Professours have been very guilty of There is not a surer sign of despising any person than the setting light by what he saith unto us for according to the honour we give unto the Speaker the words spoken will be of weight with us But alas how hath the Bible Gods written word been undervalued by us How little have we credited Gods written word Evidenced in their not crediting it And yet it is natural for us to believe whatsoever is said by one of whose truth we are confident Have not Scripture-affirmations been doubted of by us How little hath our knowledge of them been attended with building a Christian life upon them as a foundation Have we believed that Scripture commands come from God and are most just and fit for him to lay upon us Hath this belief brought forth obedience Have we believed that Scripture-threats are Gods-threats and will therefore be performed to every impenitent Sinner And hath this belief kept us from sin or promoted repentance Have Scripture promises been believed to be Gods-promises and that therefore all the absolute ones shall certainly be performed to the Elect and all the conditional ones to those that perform the conditions And hath this belief stirr'd us up and help'd us to perform the conditions God hath magnified his Word above ell his Name but so have not we Psal 138.2 Not honouring it above Gods other Names We are apt to be afraid at the appearances of the great God in his extraordinary works in the World but who trembleth at the appearances of God in the Scriptures And yet God appears more in the glory of his Majesty therein than in all his other works whether of Creation or of common Providence Mat. 5.8 God maketh more account of his written Word than of Heaven and Earth he had rather lose Heaven and Earth than one jota or tittle of his Word Accounted it a small matter to swerve from it But have not we accounted it no great matter to swerve a little from the written Word of God Yea have not we made a light matter of leaving undone what is therein required and of doing what is therein forbidden Were the Scriptures high in our esteems did we look upon Gods testimonies as wonderfull things our very Souls would be in keeping them Psal 119.129 Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my Soul keep them Have not we accounted them fools that have preferr'd the Word before whatsoever hath been near and dear unto them in this World Accounting tender Consciences more nice than wise Rev. 6.9 Have not we accounted them more nice than wise who have been slain for the Word who have lost Name Liberty Livelihood Friends Relations yea Life it self and endured all Torments and Tortures rather than they would offend the written Word of God in any one thing either by omission or commission God hath written to us the great things of his Law or word but have they not been accounted a strange thing Accounting it a strange thing Hos 8.12 a thing that we should have got little good if we had obeyed them and little hurt by disobeying them Have not we used the Word as a stranger only for our own ends to serve our own turns as we have had advantage thereby Have not we made the Word a stalking horse for our own carnal designs Making the Word a stalking-horse Have not we pretended very great Zeal for the Word when all the while we have been Zealous for self either our own opinions and perswasions or our own honour and greatness or our own livelihood Have not we like boat-men looked one way and rowed another cryed the Word of the Lord but meant the other thing Have not even Scripture Doctrines eb'd and flowed upon politick considerations How seldome have we discoursed with others Seripturally Not talking of it Deut. 6.7 The Scholar is upon every occasion discoursing of those Notions which he prizeth but hath not our speech bewrayed our low esteems of the Word Have not we been willingly and contentedly ignorant of Scripture-discoveries Willingly ignorant of it Job 21.14 So is not
attended these whereby they have sallen in that esteem which once they had above you There is no Envy in God Disliking their own enjoyments and his holy Angels they rejoyce at our advancement and at the glory of the humane Nature that it is so exalted above theirs but unhappy we that cannot see any excellency in another but we dislike our own enjoyments and are more vexed at the welfare of our Neighbours than we would be at our own calamities The Beasts do not envy one another Considerations to withdraw the heart from Envy Gal. 5.20 but Men do yea the Devils envy not one another some Professours are herein worse than Devils No wonder if there have been hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions and heresies whilst envyings have abounded amongst us You know the miserable effect of Envy in the first man that was born of a woman through Envy Cain hated Prov. 27.4 and then kill'd his Brother Abel Wrath is cruel and Anger outragious but who is able to stand before Envy This is so filthy so shameful a sin that few will own it Observe the confessions of men in Prayer and Conference and you will hardly find a Professour acknowledge Envy The malignity of this sin appears in that it strikes directly at the Providence of God who disposeth of the inequality of mens conditions according to his soveraignty and wisdome It hath a tacit accusation of God for raising up some so high and laying others so low It is deeply unsatisfied with Gods bounty to the Children of men that he gives so liberally to some whereas he is not bound to any Whilst others complain against God for making the World no better the envious man is troubled that he hath done so well for some of his Creatures Gal. 5.19 20 21. No wonder the Apostle reckoneth Envy among the gross sins of Murder Uncleanness Idolatry Witchcraft c. and concludes Heaven is no place for such They which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God This is a sin so damnable and so ugly making you so much like the Devil that it is high time you watch against it mourn for it and seek its ruine O! When shall we hear the Exhortation Let us not be desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another When shall we in honour preferr one another When shall we like Barnabas Acts 11.23 When we see the grace of God rejoyce When shall Ministers reprove the Joshuahs that are envying for their sakes in Moses words I would to God all the people of the Lord did prophesie When shall we like John the Baptist be contented to decrease so that Christ may increase and to be laid by if others more able may be substituted to do Gods work When shall we rejoyce if God useth others to convert by them more than by us and with famous Mr. Dod I would to God saith he that I were the worst Minister in England his meaning was that all should excel him in gifts and graces We pretend to evidences of our conversion from our love to the Saints but let us hear what the effects of true love are 1 Cor. 13.4 5. Love seeketh not her own love envieth not love is not puffed up As love is the fulfilling of the Law so envy is the dissolution of it O! when shall we instead of envying our Brother bless God for him If he hath more than we have more strength parts riches honours graces c. the account he must pass with God is the greater let us pity him rather than envy him Believe it God is wiser than we are and if his distributions are various we have as many talents as we can well improve Let us look to our own duty in the places wherein God hath set us and pray for them that have ten tallents more than we have that they may serve the Lord ten times more than we can O that thine eye might affect thine heart that thine eye should be evil because Gods is good CHAP. XXVIII The sins of Family-Governours Professours miscarriages in their Families As Governours Not commanding their houshold to serve God Gen. 18.19 1. HOw guilty are such of you as have families to govern of not commanding your houshold to serve God Of how few can God say as he did of Abraham by way of approbation I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him By your Authority you should command them to subject their hearts wills and consciences to the will and pleasure of Jehovah but alas how many of you have been careless in this your Children and Servants yea Wives must know your Authority upon worldly accounts you command them imperiously enough to fullfill your will and pleasure to serve you but how Gallio-like are you little caring whether they obey the Lord 2. Being Zealous against disobedience to themselves not to God How much passion have you discovered when Children and Servants yea and Wives too submit not to your will and pleasure But when do they see so much Zeal against their neglects of Gods work as they find in you when they neglect your secular commands These passions are of a scandalous nature and may make your inferiours to believe that you value more your Authority than Gods the having your own will to be obeyed than that Gods requiries should be observed 3. Not caring for the Souls of their Families How many Professing-Governours are there that shew great care for the bodies of their Families but not for their Souls Meat and drink and clothes or money to buy them they shall have but none or little instruction How little do you Chatechise your Families Not Chatechising them Heb. 6.1 Prov. 22.6 How seldome do you ask them any questions concerning the first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ If you do Chatechise your Children as you ought in obedience to those Divine commands Train up a Child in the way wherein he should go Bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephes 6.4 Yet how few of you do Chatechise the rest of your houshold your Servants and Wives Heb. 6.1 though they be but Babes in Religion Children in Understanding and this Milk is appointed for Children in Understanding as well as Age Neither doth the work of Chatechising them belong only unto Ministers to them indeed it doth belong as such as watch for their Souls but unto you Heb. 13.17 for it belongs to all that have the charge of Souls and you are charged not only with your Children's but with your Servant's and with your Wives Souls Whatever any of you may fancy there never comes a Wife a Child or Servant into any of your Families but with this warrant from the great
fainting endeavour not to restore them to set the bones again that are unhappily dislocated Ye which are Spiritual restore Gal. 6.1 c. Are ye all Carnal are none of you Spiritual If there be one here is work for him as he will answer the contrary at his peril 9. Groundless separation On how uneasie and sinful because unwarrantable accounts do many withdraw from the Communion of their Brethren What have not they read or heard Forsake not the assembling of your selves together Hebr. 10.25 as the manner of some is It was then dangerous not to seperate but it was more dangerous to seperate Not to seperate was dangerous to the outward 〈…〉 to seperate was dangerous to the inward man When ever you hear of Demas that he hath left us the next news you will hear of him is he hath embraced this present World If the Devil can like a subtle Cutter on the road draw thee off from thy company he will soon cut the throat of thy Profession It 's no wonder to hear an house is robbed that stands alone from Neighbours Two are better than one The Church of God is compared to a City the weak walls of the houses therein would never endure a blustering wind but by their Neighbour-hood and Contiguity they succour each other But when one stands divided the next news you may expect to hear of is a sall and if it be a towring-house the fall is great And yet alas upon every prejudice and discontent if one Brother falls out with another presently the whole Congregation is threatened with the loss of the prejudiced and discontented party's company and condemned for the miscarriages of one and perhaps the supposed Offendour hath not the liberty to know his Offence in order to his Repentance nor the Church regularly acquainted therewith 10. Not seperating from Persons under Censure The last great Evil among Church-Members that I shall mention is Their not withdrawing from every Brother that walks disorderly when under Censure How solemnly is this required by the Apostle Now we command you Brethren 2 Thes 3.6 in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walks disorderly Who can tell what blessed effects of Gods own Censures their eyes might have seen had not Professours been herein guilty By a general dislike the person censured might soon be convinced and humbled Undoubtedly it was your duty to have added weight unto the Discipline of Christ what you could and to discountenance those whom the Lord had discarded Instances are not wanting of such as God hath brought to repentance by the strangeness of such as were once their Fellow-members Possibly you may be condemned for such a carriage but if ever God bring such Censured persons to Repentance though it be upon their death bed though it be in a forraign Country God will not suffer them to dye quietly till they have acquitted yea justified your carriage towards them CHAP. XXXVI Their miscarriages towards Sinners 1 MAy not too much familiarity with profane wretches be justly charged upon Church-members Church-members associating with the Profane I know man is a sociable creature but that will not excuse Saints as to their carelessness of the choice of their company The very Fowls of the Air and Beasts of the Field love not Hererogeneous company Birds of a Feather flock together I have been afraid that many who would be thought eminent of an high stature in grace and godliness yet see not the vast difference there is between Nature and Regeneration Sin and Grace the Old and the New Man Whence From not believing the enmity that is in the feed of the Serpent against the feed of the Woman Psal 14.4 Prov. 28.15 Isa 51.20 Psal 22.12 Mat. 7.6 Ezek. 2.6 Prov. 4.16 seeing all company is alike unto them And is it not thus with thee Is it not all one whether thou art with a Child of God or with a Child of the Devil Are not those fit Companions for thee who slight and rebel against God every day O! How few consult and believe the Scripture's setting forth the enmity of wicked men against Gods people The Scripture tells us They eat up Gods people as bread which implyes a strange inclination in them to devour the Saints and that they take as great delight therein as an hungry man in eating and that it is natural to them to molest them The Scripture compares them for their hurtful qualities to Lyons and Bears to Foxes for subtilty to wild Bulls to greedy Swine to Scorpions to Bryars and Thornes grievous and vexing things The Scripture represents them as industrious and unwearied in their bloody Enterprizes they cannot sleep without doing mischief Herodias had rather have the blood of a Saint than half of a Kingdom Haman would pay a great Fine to the King so the scattered Jews who keep not the Kings laws may be cut off Wicked men will run the hazard of damning their own Souls rather than not fling a dagger at the Apple of Gods eye though they know what one word Aha cost yet they will break through all natural civil and moral obligations to ruine Gods people The Holy-Ghost calls them implacable men 2 Tim. 3.3 fierce and headstrong they are like the hot Oven for fury like the Sea for boundless rage yet who hath believed this Scripture Report Did we believe what Enemies all wicked men are unto all Saints Evidences thereof We should not lean to our own prudence and discretion to secure us from any danger by these men we would get an Ark to secure us from the deluge of their wrath If at any time we be cast among them and delivered we would bless God with the three Children that the hot fiery Oven did not consume us we would not wonder when we hear of any of their barbarous cruelty but rather wonder at Gods restraining them every day we would be suspicious of receiving hurt when cast among light and frothy Companions we would shun their company as we do Lyons and Scorpions we would never commit any trust or secret into their hands we would not be light hearted whilst in their Society we would not rely on their promises any more than we would on the promise of the Devil their Father we would long for Heaven to be delivered from the tents of Kedar we would not count any of the Saints secured from danger though related to any great wicked man we would not twist our selves with them by matching our selves or Children to these Sons and Daughters of Belial neither would we make choice of Devils to be our Servants How few do believe what a quarrel God hath with wicked men From not believing Gods quarrel with them Act. 2.40 And that not only with the loose but the formal and hypocritical also If we did we would tremble as much to be among them as to be in an