to be named He was despised in his common converse with men Luk. 8.20 The Foxes had their holes and the Birds of the Air their nests but Jesus had not where to lay his head He was reviled as one that had a Devil Joh. 10.20 Mark 2.16 Luk. 22.44 and was made as a Friend of Publicans and Sinners In his Agonies in the Garden He sweat drops of Blood though it were such a cold season that one might think would have struck the Blood inward It was a cold time for Peter stood to warm himself Our Sin was the heavy burthen that lay upon him When and after he was Betrayed Betrayed he was by a Friend a Bosome-friend to be Betrayed and that in point of Life and all by an intimate acquaintance goes near the Heart What David said to him that betrayed might Christ say to Judas Had it been an Enemy Psal 11.13 14. I could have born it but it was thou my Companion we took sweet Counsel together and walked together as Friends He was severely handled by Souldiers who batter'd his Ears with Blasphemy as well as tormented his Body when he was on the Cross Mat. 27. v. 39 40. they waged their Heads tell him of what he was accused vers 41 42 43. The great men revile him when usually men that scarce pray all the year long for themselves if they see any infamous Criminal executed they never tell him in a way of scoffing of his Fault or Crime but say God be merciful to his Soul At last Christ cryes out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must warily understand this not as if God had forsaken Christ in respect of Strength for an Angel was sent to strengthen him Luk. 22.33 nor in respect of Essence nor of Complacency but God forsook him as to present comfort in a great measure Imagine you stood as the Devout Women at the Cross and saw this I now come to lay down a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Look on and wonder Are these things so 2 Tim. 3.1 Then great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh If it be a Mystery it cannot be fathomed Wonder at what Christ is and at what he doth What he is Prov. 30.4 It was the wise mans Probleme or hard Question What is his name or his Sons name if thou canst tell His Name is called Wonderful Isa 9.6 Wonder that the Divinity did not swallow up the Humanity that the fire and the bush can so well agree together All the Attributes of God are given to Christ all the Works of God spoken of him as of Creation Sanctification Glorification Therefore Christ is God not only by name or secundum divi but God by Nature He was God that he might satisfie he was Man that he might suffer Wonder at what he doth Patereulus says that when the Lacedemonians opposed Attica the Pythian God told them that that Army whose General was taken should conquer Codrus deposita veste regia c. Codrus laying aside his Princely Robes went among his enemies and was slain by them Our King on Maunday Thursday so call'd as some say because of the Command of Love Christ gave his Disciples before his Passion Mandatum novum do vobis I say our King useth to wash the feet of as many poor People as he hath lived years and yet not the less a King for this humble act Our Lord Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords dyed that we might live abased himself that he might exalt us Psalm 126.1 2. When God delivered the Church out of Babylon by Cyrus they were like men that dreamed How much more should we be Astonished at our deliverance from Sin and Satan by Jesus Christ 2. Let Love be attactive of Love Let the Love of Jesus to us make us to Love him I have read of Agilmond King of the Lombards that one day he went a fishing and saw a Babe sprawling in the Water perhaps a base child he took it up and made it his adopted Son and called him Lama and left him his Crown and Kingdom You may easily imagine what delight this Lama took in seeing of King Algilmond whilst he lived and in thinking and speaking of this King after he was dead How excellently doth God express his love to the poor Jews of old Ezek. 16.4 5 6. As for thy Nativity in the day thou wast born thy Navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water None eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live And lest this should be soon passed over the Holy Ghost bids them as it were stand and hear it the second time Yoa I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live When Tiberius was in a Village named Spelunca Stones fell from the house where he was Sejanus genu vultu manibusque super Caesarem suspensis opposuit sese satis incidentibus saith Tacitus Sejanus covered the Emperour that if the Stones fell where they were Sejanus might die and not the Emperour which as the Historian observes made the Emperour ever after to love Sejanus though he loved him not before The wrath of God fell from Heaven because of mans sin Christ hath embraced the Sinner and that wrath hath fallen on him that else had crushed us O let us love him let us not be satisfied till we find our hearts burning in love 3. Crucifie Sin that crucified Christ Be the death of those Sins that were the death of Jesus Pride Wrath Covetousness and every abominable thing which the Soul of God hates Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Sin is onely destroyed by his death had not Christ dyed for us we could no more have killed our Corruptions or been made Saints than the Devils can cease to be Devils and become Angels 4. Come to God as those that expect to be justified no other way but by Christ and his Righteousness In him is God well pleased with Believers The Names given to Christ are in Scripture given to a Christian as Son of God an Heir King yea the name Christ The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.12 As many Members make one Body even so is Christ Where it is understood not of Christ personally but mystically for Christians or the Church of Christ Now as Adams sins is imputed to us though he and not we disobeyed so Christs Righteousness is imputed to us though he not we obeyed 2 Cor. 5. last verse Though Adams Sin be imputed to us yet we were not the first sinners nor the involvers of all Mankind
Here all met that some would part Here was Scripture for he read some of Isaiah his Prophesie Here was the Spirit that bad Philip go to him Here was the Preacher for Philip expounds all to him Who throws away a letter of great concern because he cannot read all nor understand all he reads it the oftner takes the more pains calls for help and glad to understand most of it when he cannot understand all If any plead We cannot read A good Woman in Queen Maries time that could not read got a new Testament went from house to house and desired others to read to her and soon got much knowledge Knowledge doth not get into the Soul by the Eye onely but by the Ear. Many understand the mysteries of their Trades that never read Books about them Many can tell what news is going that never look into Gazets or News-letters by hearing and considering I have saith God Hos 8.12 written to them the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing If any say I want time Can you find time to eat to sleep and not to look into the Word of God Some can find time to read vain books that can find none to read Scripture Tho' such are as Politianus that left reading the Scripture Morney de ver Rel. Christ and studied and disputed about such questions as these whether we should write Carthaginenses or Carthaginienses c. As insignificant are all other Studies when men contemn the Word of God 4. If you find Convictions from Gods Word lose them not as you have too often done Cain when terrified in his mind built Cities Saul called for Musick so some run to their profits and pleasures If a man had great Treasure about him and came by a dangerous way where many were robbed and he himself had some time been robbed how would he fear As the Lord liveth thou art the man Thou hast been many times richly laden with good convictions affections and purposes gotten from the Word of God the Cares and Temptations of the world have robbed thee and feek to do it again 5. Remember You that are Believers what Encouragement they had in Scripture you have and by them Josh 1.5 Heb. 13.5 God directeth and comforteth you Hos 12.4 5 6. where he speaks of Jacob Yea he had Power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us Therefore turn thou to thy God Keep mercy and Judgment wait on thy God continually God by giving Jacob the blessing speaks to us to wait on God But to the Scripture we must add Prayer But of that in the next Chapter CHAP. VI. Of Prayer MEDITATIONS THE great Benefit and Comfort of Prayer we read of often in Scripture and the People of God find often by experience Family Prayer Psal 13.2 and Secret Prayer Acts 10.2 have been minded by the Saints of Old In Secret Prayer it is good to stop sometimes after some Confessions Petitions and Praises that the heart may be more deeply affected with them Never did any Believer pray in vain though sometimes it may seem long before God answer When Corn is sowen Rain comes Snow comes Prost comes and all seems to be lost but stay till the time of Harvest and there is a good Crop so after Prayer Temptations come sad Providences come and yet at last all is well When a Child of God is in Prayer he is not weary of God nor of the duty but weary of himself and the corruption of his nature of Satan and his Temptations but still may say How good is it to draw nigh to God! In Secret Prayer if unsuitable thoughts come of men or business pray about those things as occasion may be so will ye catch the Devil in his own craft He is not so wise but he may be outwitted He hath helped me by his Temptations to matter of Prayer thousands of times against his Will Directions in answer to a Question Q. But what if I have no heart to the work 1. Pray obedientially when you cannot pray comfortably God calls for Prayer wait on him in the face of all discouragements Obedience will make an unpleasant work pleasant 2. Remember that discomposure may quickly end in enlargement Abraham found his Ram on the Mount Gen. 22.13 and that in the Thickets So many find their hearts in Prayer not before and that in the midst of violent Temptations 3. Remember that many Prayers we reckon some of the worst God accounts as some of our best Prayers Great are the rewards for what some think to be dead Prayers We reckon the goodness of Prayer by composure of thoughts by affections but God by self-loathing and seeing nothing in our selves and duties but all in Christ Let us cry earnestly to our God Pagans have cryed aloud to their Gods 1 Kings 18.26 They cut themselves and leapt upon the Altars which they made If any say I know not how to pray in Secret I never yet did it I know not what to say Go to God and say so It is a good Confession Lord here I am come I would pray but know not what to say It may be given you in that hour what to confess and pray for and that with great melting of heart Ask the Experience of the people of God Love them but of that in the following Chapter CHAP. VII Of Love to Mankind MEDITATIONS LEt Brotherly Love continue Heb. 13.1 is in many mens mouths but in few mens hearts If we enquire who is our Brother Not the man nearly related or the man of the same perswasion or opinion onely but chiefly all of the Houshold of Faith How many men of several Parties are as Jews and Samaritans that have no dealing one with another We must love the Saints as rich so poor ones ignorant as well as learned the weak as well as the strong We must love the ungodly yea our Enemies Love is to be shewn in forgiving injuries in supplying necessities If any hate us we must love them if they deferve bad of us they and we also deferve worse of God yet God feedeth them cloatheth them Mat. 5.45 and shews them mercy If God will use them as his Rod to chastise us we must be content Who knows what wrath will do or where it will end It is storied of Pope Stephen that he so hated Pope Formosus that he caused his Body to be taken out of the Grave and cut off those Fingers that had blessed the Clergy and so made void all his Canons and Ordinances And he that came after him took measures somewhat like so that at last saith Platina Nihil enim aliud hi Pontifices cogitabant quam nomen dignitatem Majorum suorum extinguere and yet all these men were Infallible all the while Let Husbands and Wives resolve that their contentions shall not
if you reprove not you are the cause of their damnation I have read in the dreadful Tragedy of the destruction of the English by the Dutch at Amboyna that one Dunchin who had falsely accused them one day passing by the Pit where sixteen of them were cast in that he fell on it raging and was distracted considering there lay so many men he had ruined How many go into Eternity whose Souls you have betrayed into the Infernal Pit by your sinful discourse or by your sinful silence Stop the mouth of the Swearer and Blasphemer as much as you can James 3.4 5 6. Behold also the Ships which though they be so great and are driven with fierce winds yet are they turned about with a very small Helm whithersoever the Governour listeth Even so the Tongue is a little member and boasteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity And it is set on fire of Hell I wish you Moses's Blessing Deut. 33.18 19. Rejoice Zebulon in thy going out Suck of the abundance of the Seas and hid treasures in the Sands Have you been as those Mariners Jon. 1.15.16 When Seas have raged and ceased made Vows to the Lord Keep your Vows Instruct poor Pagans in the way to God Consider the worth of your Souls and theirs The better your Cargo is the more you fear Ship-wrack O man thou art richly laden that Vessel thy Body carryes a Soul of greater value than all the Treasures upon earth Let it never be said of it what was said of that Ship and men in it Acts 27.20 That all hope of being saved was taken away S. Y. THE PREFACE ALcinous the Platonist tells us That Plato thought that the work of a Philosopher consisted in three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which I think taking the liberty the Poet speaks of Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus Interpres Herat. de Art Poet. I may tâ—uâ— English In thinking well in doing well and in speaking well What their Philosophy which was much of their Natural Religion taught them doth Christianity which is our supernatural Religion teach us but in a different way and in a fuller manner The design of the following discourse is to help in this work There are many things for Meditation of God his Word c. many practical Directions for a holy useful life several helps to speak to God and for God I know dangerous it is for a man in my circumstances to be a Writer But I care not if my counsel be accepted what becomes of my person I am perswading the World to play the Christian to play the Man As Solomon brings in Wisdom speaking so do I Unto you O men do I call and my voice is unto the Sons of men Are you men learn to act according to the excellency and dignity of your natures Let me beseech those into whose hands this Book may come if they have given up themselves to the Immoralities of the Age Drunkenness Adultery Swearing Oppression c. that have all vices that may make their lives a full Systeme of wickedness Vices the nanning of which may seem to corrupt the Air we breathe in Vices that need little more to their confutation than to be thought on I say let me perswade you to consider Is Sin an evil thing Grace a desirable thing Is God and your Souls to be minded above all things or not If not why do you say they are If they are why do you not live as those that thus believe I do not despair but that some who are guilty of the unpresidented Sins of the times Sins of the first Edition if they would consider they may yet learn to walk soberly righteously and godly in this present World I know such are ready to say Object Religion is abused to very bad purposes by some Answ I Answer And used to very good purposes by others Is Rhetorick to be despised because by it some bad men learn to colour a bad cause as well as some good men to flourish a good cause Is Logick to be despised because some learn to dispute Sophistically as well as others Topically Is the light of the Sun to be despised because one steals by it as another works in his Calling How many men had lived as Incarnate Devils that now live as Terrestrial Angels had not Religion healed their Natures and regulated their Lives Remember Sin is a great part of the misery and punishment of these men They are out God his Grace and Love and content to be so they serve the Devil and Sin and are glad of the work The Lord bring in such as their Elder Brother in the Gospel that was healed of his distraction and was placed in his right mind at the Feet of Jesus SOME Prison Meditations AND DIRECTIONS ON Several Subjects CHAP. I. Of the Fall of Man MEDITATIONS THat the finding out of our Disease is necessary in order to a Cure is not more true of the Natural Distempers of our Bodies than of the Spiritual Distempers of our Souls The Apostle mentions the Fall of man at large to the Romans to make way for the discovery of the Necessary and Excellency of a Saviour Ron 5. In the Fall of man I shall consider that we all were in the First Man as in Heb. 7.9.10 Levi is said to pay Tithes to Melchisedeck as he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham So we may be said to eat Forbidden Fruit as we were in the loyns of our Father Adam We were in him as a Nation in their King Adam was our Repreâ—â—eâ—â—ative If he had stood we had had the benesit of his obedience though he not we obeyed So he disobeying we are brought under the Curse though he and not we offended It is in vain in war if Subjects be taken to say our King proclaimed and made the War not we we never consented to it If the Posterity of a Traitor be disinherited it is in vain for them to plead Our Father not we conspired the death of the Prince we were not then born Besides the nature of man by the Fall was corrupt and a clean thing cannot come out of an unclean Job 14.4 It is true indeed what God said by Ezekiel The Children shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 19.20 If the Father sin alone it is so but this is not our Case for we find our Principles and so Practices corrupted Adam was but one man personally but he was all men potentially and originally I shall in order consider 1. What we were before the Fall 2. What Sin we were guilty of in the Fall 3. What misery we brought on our selves after the Fall I may sometimes name Adam onely but it must be thus understood that we all were He. 1. What Adam was before he fell Adam and Eve Gen. 5.2 are both called Adam Male and Female created he
easily take Air or be seen by them in the Family They are one Body and contentions between them are as if there should be a fight between the Members of the Body As if the mouth should bite the hand and the hand strike the mouth A wrathful temper is commonly gotten by conversing with angry men and therefore saith the Wise man Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his wayes and get a snare to thy Soul Prov. 22.24 25. Beware of men of keen Spirits That man will never live comfortably that hath not learned to slight what others think and say of him that liveth not in the frequent consideration of other mens vertues and his own defects Epictetus in the 48 Chap. of his Morals saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man tell you that such a man spoke against you do not so much stand in vindication of your self as ingenuously to confess that if that man had known the whole course of your life he had charged you with more faults Few men are so humble as to say The fault was mine though they certainly know it is so Kindness and Love is shewn as in forgiving injuries so in supplying necessities Here we may bewail the disparity that is between many poor mens pains and their wages Though common wages be paid yet the pay is according to custome more than desert Etiamsi stipendia usitata praestentur saith Ames de Consci consuetudini magis quam sufficientiae satisfaciunt Then for Charity to the poor No man that hath loved the world better than his duty or Christ in his Members Mat. 25.35 shall be found at the right hand of Jesus in the great day The saying of Salvian ad Ecclesiam Catholicam hath been of great use to me times without number Opes quas habes in hoc mundo temporarias bene utendo facies sempiternas Charity makes Temporal Riches to be Eternal We have the benefit of them for ever DIRECTIONS 1. Remember what God Commands you to give to the poor that you have no right to and it is theft to detain it as may be made clear by this plain comparison One man by a Carrier sends so much money or goods to another if that Carrier keep all because all came to his hands he is a Thief and is dealt with as such God hath sent so much to the distressed by you if you give not you wrong them Obj. God hath sent so much some may say How much Answ Ask God by Prayer Scripture by reading Conscience by Consideration Prov. 3.97 With-hold not good from him to whom it is due Luke 16.12 If ye have been unfaithful in that which is another mans 2. Conclude on it if the poor die for want of what we are bound to give them we are Manslayers and Murtherers before God He that sees a man in the water and will not help him out when he can with ease he is as really guilty of his death as if he had thrown him in How many poor men good men have perished for want of their right If God should say to some great men rich men as he did to Cain Where is Abel thy Brother So where is the poor man thy Brother It may be he would answer as he Am I my Brothers Keeper But the same reply shall be made by the Lord What hast thou done The Voice of thy Brothers Blood cryeth unto me from the ground and now thou art Cursed Gen. 4.9 10 11. 3. Remember what an honour it is to be Gods Almoner What if God in Scripture had named you as Josiah by name and call'd on you to the work would you not chearfully have set about the work How did Job rejoyce in the performance of this duty Job 29.13 14 15 16. He caused the Widows heart to sing That his Judgment was a Robe and a Diade That he was eyes to the Blind and feet to the lame and a Father to the Poor Some object Times are hard I answer Mens Hearts are so Obj. Money is scarce Answ How is it then you have so much to lay out in unnecessary Attire Dishes at your Tables in Pleasures How comes so much to be spent in Alehouses and Taverns This O vain man is but a Fig-leaf to cover thy nakedness Obj. Others do plead Few of the great Professors of Religion do mind this work Answ I answer But from the Beginning it was not so The Jews under the Old Testament did much Christians in Pauls time did much Do not what most Professors do but what the best do Many in our time have acted worthily The famous Mr. Gouge now in Glory he set up an Hundred and fifty Schools in Wales and went at least once a year to visit them gave away many Bibles and Catechisms and took great pains in instructing Children in the Principles of Religion and would often say That he had two Livings the one in Wales the other in Christ-Church Hospital in London where he had done much good that he would not part with for a world My never to be forgotten Friend the Reverend Mr. Fairclougb of Bristol his Purse was alwayes open for pious uses especially for educating young men in order to the Ministry I might say much of Mr. Henry Stubbes my Father-in-Law were it not that it seems better to become another mans Pen than mine There are yet alive many men that are forward for works of Charity Obj. Some say What shall I do for hereafter Answ If thou hadst Faith as a grain of Mustard-Seed thou wouldst say to this Mountain of Distrust be thou removed and cast into the Sea and it would be done Can you trust God for things eternal and not for things momentary Luk. 16.9 Make you friends with the Mammon of Vnrighteousness Riches are unrighteously gotten by some unrighteously spent by others but unrighteously kept by many more Many get that honestly which they do not honestly keep It is by Gods Law another mans right I say to the Covetous as Christ to that man Stretch forth thy withered hand We read of them Amos 6.4 5 6. That invent instruments of Musick drink wine in Boles and are not grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph Let such yet say as David when the Lord gave him rest 2 Sam. 7.1 2. When he sat in his house he said to Nathan the Propet I dwell in a house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains So I am at ease but many Saints in trouble Love to the Ungodly is also evidenced in mourning for their Sins 2 Pet. 2.8 would there were more Lots whose Righteous Souls in hearing and seeing are vexed from day to day for the Sins of the Wicked It is not how many tears there are in the eyes but how much sorrow there is in the heart Let your heart bleed because of them who are going merrily to the place of Lamentation Misery and Wo
and Salvation A filial Fear of God when we fear his displeasure as well as his Judgments a sorrow for Sin according to God when we hate Sin so as to fly from it to God a Hungring and Thirsting after Righteousness a desire of Grace more than any thing on earth DIRECTIONS 1. Conclude on the absolute necessity of Sincerity and beg the Prayers of Gods Sincere ones Say then to your Souls we must be upright If it were proclaimed from Heaven that but one man in a Town or City should be saved every man had reason to give all diligence that he might be the man knowing he cannot dwell with Eternal Burnings Are your doubts many beg the Prayers of the Faithful do as God commanded Jobs Friends Go to my Servant Job and he shall pray for you and him will I accept Job 42.8 Go to such a Minister such a Christian be not ashamed to go to them to knock at their doors to speak with them and enquire Acts 16 30. What must I do to be saved Cry as they in the Vision to Paul Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us If a man be distempered or wounded in his body away he goes to the Physician or Chirurgeon Be as careful of your Souls as you are of your Bodies If there be any good desires cherish them Cant. 2.3 The Fig-tree putteth forth her Green Figs and the Vines with the tender Grapes give a good Smell Arise my Love my Fair One and come away Thy sincere though weak desires and breathings of Soul are pleasant to God and promise well Can any Babes in Christ say as the poor Indian when first awakened being asked what Sin was Oh said he it is the continual Sickness of my Heart It argues they are alive to God 2. Do not too soon shake off all fears and doubts Some come and tell Ministers how they cannot sleep some nights being terrified about Sin and wrath I am ready to tell them where they awake one night I would they did many They that have been so before them have no reason to wish they had slept the mean while Wounds must smart much before they can be cured Many break their sleep by night about loss of Children of Goods c. and make no great matter of it You may in a little time say of your hearts as Jacob of that place Gen 28.16 The Lord was here and I knew it not The first cry of the New Creature pleaseth God tormenteth the Devil If you are full of fears now the comforts of God will be sweeter to you when they come If you on a Journey were benighted on a Down darkness comes Rain pours down one Clap of Thunder and Flash of Lightning followed another and you were wet to the skin affrighted and every hour seems as long as ten and in the morning when light appeared and the Sun began to shine and you were brought into your Inne and had the comfort of a good Fire warm cloaths good provision and a good bed would you not be the more sensible of the sweetness of these things because of your nights misery O Christian Sorrow may continue for a night Psal 30. Isa 50.10 but joy cometh in the morning Are you in darkness and so see no light Hear you the Thundrings of the Law See you the Flashes of Gods Judgment Do the Terrours of God fall upon your Soul When God shines upon you then his Promises and Comforts will be sweet to your Souls 3. Never stick at any attainments but be alwayes going on Are you weak The strongest in Christ were once so One hath a good meditation upon this The greatest Giant was once a Babe in the Cradle The greatest Oak was once a Twig And the greatest Scholar was once in his Horn-book learning letters So saith he the greatest Christian was once a Babe in Christ and weak in grace All must grow sad it is for any to say if I have so much Grace as will bring me to Heaven I am content But who is content with just so much meat as will kill hunger and save life Or with just so much money as will keep him from debts and so from Goal Strive more and more against Sin Get greater power over Constitution Sins Company Sins and the Sins of your Callings If any should say our hearts are still bad after praying watching and striving remember still to go on If a man went to cut down an Oak the first blow with the Ax tends to the fall of the tree as well as the last if one should see one blow given and another and an hundred and the Oak seems as firm as ever and should say it is but in vain to strike any more what weakness were he guilty of At last down falls the Tree So the first acts of Repentance Faith Obedience tend to the pulling down of Sin as really as the last How many are prone to Pride Covetousness unchast desires revenge have found this to be true they have prayed many years and Fasted and striven against Sin and yet found as they thought but a little change and at last down hath fallen the Sin And God hath made them very humble very mortifyed very chast very patient Then take up the Ax strike strike and spare not Sin Sin shall be destroyed 4. If you find you are Sincere give God the glory through Jesus Christ When King Solomon was Crowned what rejoycing was there 1 Kings 1.40 They piped wâ—â—h Pipes and rejoyeed with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them Cant. 3.11 Go forth ye Daughters of Zion and see King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him in the day of his Espousaels and in the day of the gladness of his heart God that hath sanctifyed you hath Crowned you with a better Crown of Grace and will with a Crown of Glory The Angels rejoyced at your Conversion and therefore you should rejoyce God in heaven and those your friends there are glad for you Luke 15.32 and you should be glad for your selves You once were under the same Condemnation with the wicked God sometimes pardons Sinners of the greatest sort and pardons â—ot some of the lesser sort As if a King seeing two men whom the Law had Condemned the one for Murthering his Child and contriving to Murther him another onely for stealing of a few Cattel or a summ of Money he pardons the Traytor and lets the Thief go to Execution Even so Father Mat. 11 26 for so it seems good in thy Sight Paul runs up all to the Will of God Rom. 9.23 Yet says Calvin Neque tamen ingerinâ—us commentum absolutae potentiae He is not pleased with saying onely That God is a Law to himself It is Gods Will saith he that is true but why God wills is not for us to know why he would wrap up so many men in Adam and they all fell by his Sin Why
Christ will condemn the Wicked in the great day there is not the least Promise of Pity after thousands of Years or Ages Aegyptian Bondage though long yet ended so did the Babylonish Captivity but there will be no end of this misery God is not a man that he should repent 1 Sam. 15.29 there will be no change of his mind If God changeth Al. in Philos Platon saith a Platonist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he must be changed of himself or some other if of another he must be greater than God or wiser which none can be if of himself he must change either for the better or the worse both which would argue imperfection in God and therefore he shall be known for ever to be a God that changeth not God is now preparing his Instruments of Death though vain men consider it not but are as Sheep or Oxen or other Beasts of the field that are grazing or sporting when one stands by whetting his Instruments to slay them DIRECTIONS Prepare for the day of Judgment and when prepared pray for it The compleating of the happiness of the Saints as to their body will be in that day What think you of the particular Judgment in the time of Death When Saul was told he should dye for that is the meaning of the word be with me that is in the number of the dead for Jonathan was a good man 1 Sam. 28.19 20. Then Saul fell strait way all along on the earth and there was no strength in him In the sixth verse we find In the day of his trouble God answered him not neither by Dreams nor by Vrim nor by Prophets Neither will God speak comfortably to ungodly men when they die by Ministers nor Scripture nor Conscience If you ask what that Vrim was we read not of it as a thing made by Moses or the People some think it was a precious stone in the breast of the High-Priest that by the change of its colour shewed what success the People should have in War as by Thummim what Offerings were accepted I know Mr. Weems throws in one rub against this Because saith he when the Priest put on Vrim and Thummim he asked Counsel at the mouth of the Lord He pleads if there were such a wonderful miraculous change of the colour of Vrim there was no need of asking of God his Opinion therefore was when the Priest had it on he was inspired to answer to the question I will not gainsay the Opinion only I conceive the objection is of no force for that change of the colour might be made by or in Prayer and calling upon God Saul had no answer the Ungodly shall cry in a time of Death and not be heard and when the day of judgment cometh that great day the Consciences of the despisers of Christ may say to them what once Zebul said to Gaal Judg. 9.38 Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidst Who is Abimelech that we should serve him Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidst Who is Christ that I should serve him Then will he say to such Exod. 6.1 what once God said to Moses of Pharaoh Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh Now shall Angels and Saints see what God will do to the ungodly but such as are prepared for that day may Pray for it Aug. Medit Aspice Domine Jesu cries Angustine viduitatis orbitatis meaelacrymas quas tibi offero donec redeas Behold Lord Jesus the tears of my Widdowhood or fatherless condition which I pour out 'till thou returnest Pray for the Judgment day that sin may be no more that all the faithful may be gathered in Pray for the eternal Kingdom Mat. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force You see how poor hungry Beggars cry at your doors for an alms if you do not presently answer them if you frown on them they will not be gone Let us all smite our breasts Blessed God what an infinite disproportion is there between my desires and their objects how coldly do I Pray for a Heaven 2. Get a Settlement in your Hearts of the truth and certainty of all these things It is reasonable to believe that verily there is a Reward for the Righteous Psal 58.11 verily there is a God that judgeth the earth God rewardeth not his People now God punisheth not his Enemies now and therefore will do it hereafter The worst of Men have many times the best of the World and the best of men the worst God hath put breathings and longings of Soul in his own after the full enjoyment of himself in Glory and he puts not those desires there to torment them but to satisfie these desires Men venture much at Sea in hopes of great gain Let hopes even weak hopes in many put them on diligence in God's Service Wherefore 1 Cor. 15.58 my Brethren be constant unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your labour shall not be in vain 3. Let all the Saints admire and adore our Lord Jesus that saveth them from Hell and brings them to Heaven Mr. Ambrose in his Looking unto Jesus saith thus Suppose for an Offence thou wert to be rack'd leisurably that thy Bones and Sinews might be pained thirty or forty years that so much Flesh should be cut off-one day such a Bone broken another and by Art the Flesh should be restored and the Skin cured again and all thâ—se years thou be dying and never dead and all this while thou shouldest have no Cloaths Fâ—od or Sleep convenient for thee and when thou thought'st there was no hope a great Prince should come and deliver thee from all this misery and not only so but give thee great Treasures and one of the most pleasant Habitations in his Kingdom how would'st thou love that Prince Our Sin had condemned us to far greater Misery and our Lord Jesus hath procured for us far greater Mercy It is well God hath prepared an Eternity to admire this Love in 4. Do God that Service here on Earth that you can never do him in Heaven I will name a few Particulars and leave the Amplification to your Meditation 1. Take thy fill of spiritual Mourning for shine own and other mens Sins now Thou canst not do this when thou comest to Heaven for there is no Sin there 2. Bear up patiently under all thy Trials now thou canst not do this in Heaven for there is no trouble there 3. Deal liberally with distressed Christians now thou canst not do this in Heaven for there is no distressed Christians there 4. Delight in Scripture and Ordinances for the healing of thy Soul now thou canst not do this in Heaven for there is no unhealed Soul there A Word to the Vnconverted Are these things so Then may I say to you what the Prophet said of Moab and Kirharesh Isa 16.11 Wherefore my Bowels shall sound as