the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as the most fine gold his locks are bushy black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set his cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lipps like Lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe his hands are like gold Rings set with the Berill his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his legs are as Pillars of Marble set upon sockets of sine gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my Beloved c. I 'le praise thee with uprightness Psal 119.7 164. Septies i. e. Saepissime Psal 148. I 'le praise thee seven times a day Yea David thought seven times a day too little and therefore he call'd in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth Air and Sea to praise God the Dragons in the deep must not be silent True Lovers praise God as much as they can they exalt God to the utmost of their power and then from a sense that God is above all their praise they would have every thing that hath breath to praise the Lord yea and inanimates too for to joyn in the Quire Doth Praise wait for God 11. Did you love God Not loving all of God and Christ Jo. 13.34 35. 1 Jo. 4.19 you would love every thing of God Do you love his Omnipresence his Justice his Holiness True love to Christ sticks not barely in the Person of Christ but reacheth to all that have an Union with him Do we love Christ mystical as well as personal Are we of Catholick Spirits The Apostle is peremptory and brandeth them all as Liars that pretend to love God and Christ and do not love Saints 12. Not thirsting after nearer Communion True Lovers of God thirst after nearer Commuion with God My Soul followeth hard after thee The Soul still encroacheth upon God Let me see thy Glory saith Moses though he saw more than Mortals were commonly permitted to behold yet Semper avarus eget Much would have more Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God my Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God A true Lover of God is under an holy impatience till he ceaseth to see darkly in a glass He would fain see with open face O! saith such a Soul the distance between Christ and me is too great O! I cannot but groan earnestly when I consider I am absent from the Lord whilst present in the body Lord saith Austin I will dye that I may enjoy thee I will not live but I will dye I desire to dye that I may see Christ and refuse to live that I may live with Christ The broken Rings Contracts and Espousals content not the true Lover but he longs for the Marriage day Here are Clouds that oft pass 'twixt God and my Soul O that I were above them Here if I see and enjoy the fear of losing so sweet a sight abates the comfort of fruition but then welcome an eternal day that shall never have a night 13. Being weary of his Commands If you loved God his Commandements would not be grievous to you Love cannot be easily poised Love hath a kind of Almightiness in it so that heavy burdens are made light 1 Jo. 5.3 and almost impossible things become feasible But of how many things do we say Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it How are you haled by Governours by Conscience and by the terrours of the Law unto Duties How like Slaves chain'd to Gallies you must work though sore against your wills Did you love God you would count nothing tedious Hebr. 12.1 save dulness in his service Sin would only be the Weight O the burden of Formality Pride c But O the pleasures of the wayes of God! His yoak is easie his burden light 14. Did you love God Not fearing how it goes with Gods affairs 1 Sam. 4.13 you would be jealous lest it should goe ill with Gods affairs The loving Mother trembleth lest the Child should suffer when she is off from it But alas how few Elies are there whose hearts tremble beause of the Ark Do you really fear lest Formality should eat out the Power of Godliness lest Traditions should make void the Commandements of God lest your Trades should spoyl your Communion with God You may easily imagine Considerations tending to humble us for want of Love to God the want of Love to God must needs be a great Provocation O to pretend love and yet Judas-like betray Christ with a kisse to say Hail Master and yet preferr a base Lust before him What an indignity is it to the Husband that the Wife loves the Slave before him The World should be your Slave but it hath got the heart the bosome and Christ must stand without doors till his locks are wet Cant. 5. O that God should stoop so low as to love you as to make you the birth of his everlasting counsels of love that he should carry you long in the womb of his eternal purpose This goodly Fabrick of Heaven and Earth had not been erected but as a Stage whereon he would shew his love to you And did he not in the fulness of time purchase you by the blood of his First-born yea of his only begotten Son and for this very end that he might gain your love as well as reveal his own love And yet that your love should not be like an Eccho which returneth what it receiveth Sure you should cast back Gods beams of love upon himself This is all he expects My Son give me thine heart All the command he layes upon you Mat. 22 36 37. is in one word To Love him God might have commanded our Children to be sacrificed to pass through the Fire O! what a favour is it to love the Lord That God will honour us so farr as to suffer us to love him And yet we love any thing any sordid base Lust rather than God We would count it a favour if a Prince would give us a privy Key to come to him when we please Here is more honour we may have recourse to the bosom of God when we will God would have us to love him with all the heart with all the soul The Lord would not lose one grain of our love O that we should deny him that which he with reverence be it spoken and thought on is so fond of Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord require of thee but to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul God requires not now Cattle upon a thousand Hills or Rivers of Oyle Only Love me Love me Love me heartily constantly chiefly and yet we deny him our
and victory Have we made conscience to meditate upon our Wants what Graces we mostly need of their Wants what we are most defective in From this neglect we pray as if we did not pray without zeal earnestness and importunity Whereas had we viewed our Wants of God of his Grace Spirit Protection Mercy and Presence we should pray as for Life and those stragling vain thoughts would hereby have been suppressed When the Malefactour is begging his Life at the Barr his Soul is not running adrift after every Feather but he minds his business 't is Life and his Life that is endangered and therefore he gathers up all possible arguments that may induce the Judge to abate of the rigour of Justice towards him But how oft have we been on our knees and have been ignorant of what ailes us so that we might truly say we knew not what to ask When you goe to your Markets you consider what you and yours want but do we so when we goe to our Spiritual Markets Have not we neglected to meditate of the Mercies of God of Mercies received which we have received Hence we come either customarily before God or not with that holy boldness as we should One Mercy opens a door to another The Valley of Achor was given as a door of hope to Israel Hos 2. Forgetting the returns of Prayer makes our hearts ake and knees faint We should book the passages of Gods grace how he remembred us in our low condition how he hath visited us day by day when we have come in as the parched ground we have found God a dew to us and springs of water have appeared in the wilderness When we have come in before God with our Shackles on our Feet with Irons that have entred our Souls God hath made it a Jubilee he hath proclaimed the acceptable year he hath let us out of the Prison-house and hath set our feet in a large place When we have come in before God with guilt on our Souls and with fearful expectations how hath God given us the white stone and sent us away with his blessing and with gladness of heart The neglect of our Diaries of the Providences and Mercies of God the want of reflecting on all the Rings that God hath sent us makes us more like Slaves than Children Do we with David cry out Psa 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Have not we neglected to meditate on the great and wonderful things of the prevalency of Prayer that have been done upon the Prayers of Gods People We should have in everlasting remembrance what a powerful Engine Prayer is Gen. 32.28 Exod. 32.32 Jam. 5.17 18. It hath held the hands of the Almighty Jacob and Moses prevailed over God It hath been a Key to open and shut the Heavens Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months And he prayed again and the Heaven gave rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit And O what wonderful things hath God promised to a Praying People Jer. 33.3 Mat. 21.22 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Whatsoever ye ask in my Name c. Here is more than Herod offered that was but half the Kingdome here is a Whatsoever Did we appear before God with these instances of grace and promises fresh in our thoughts we should not say What a weariness is it Or that there is no profit in serving God and gallop through our duties as we are wont 2. Not stirring up Grace received Another neglect before Prayer is The not stirring up our Graces before we set upon the Duty We too much rest on habitual preparation whereas actual is necessary He that leaps immediately from the Shop to the Throne of Grace and labours not to quicken his dull Soul and to leave worldly businesses behind him as Abraham his Servants when he goeth to sacrifice no wonder if he lose the Duty and provoke the Lord rather than be accepted with him The Well is seldome so full but that you may nay you must throw in a little to fetch up the more It is thought by the redoubling of David's charge that he found not his heart in a good frame for the exalting of God and therefore cries out so vehemently Psa 103.1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 2ly When Praying How have we failed when we have entred upon the Duty And that in Invocation in Confession in Petition and in Thanksgiving 1. In our Invocations In Invocation We call God Father and yet how unlike are we unto him we resemble not him we call Father we reverence not him we call Father we trust not to him with that confidence we would to receive of our Fathers of the Flesh we fear when we ask Bread he will give us a Stone we have lower thoughts of Gods bowels than of our own we think our selves more pitiful better natur'd than God himself If I were a Mother and my Child in distress I should deny him nothing 2. In our Confession of Sin Confession Psa 119 26. We are not full and free and ingenious we sit with Rachel upon some Idols we do not declare our wayes unto him but rather cover our transgressions as Adam Few can clear themselves as Job did You will perhaps confess Job 31. We have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep We have left undone c. Dolus in generalibus Psa 32.3 but still in generals David was in this gravelled When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long But you descend not to particulars or if to particulars yet the Benjamin is reserved loth to let Benjamin goe loth to confess envy pride breach of vowes want of love to Saints loving the rich only neglecting the poor You will confess what every man knows you are guilty of or what every man is addicted to but you shame not your selves by instancing in the particular neglects and commissions by which you chiefly provoke the Lord the Agags are not brought to execution the best of the Cattel are kept back one Wedge is hid in the Tent. Or if you confess most particularly yet it is without hatred of the sins confess'd You confess sin yet hugg it bosome it plead for it within one quarter of an hour You confess sin but without self-abhorrence 1 Kings 8.38 Job 42.6 you loath it not as the Plague
account He that seeth his Brothers face fowl and tells him not of it hath a mind that others should see his spots as well as himself And is this love to thy Friends O! How have we uncovered that which ingenuous Humanity should have concealed Can you talk so of your Friends that are most dear to you 12. Restraining Prayer for them Have not we restrained Prayer for such Christians as have differed from us Whom we love we pray for But have not our differences been so great that we have excluded one another out of our Prayers unless to reproach each other before the Lord If any man see his Brother sin a Sin 1 John 5.16 which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death How seldome are we very serious and earnest in wrestling with God for others if in some things divided from us Mat. 5.44 If we had counted them Enemies we should have so loved them as to have prayed for them O that Abraham should pray so vehemently for the Sodomites and not we for Saints That Samuel should pray for Saul and not we for the Lords anointed ones Have not our differences interrupted not only civil but all religious communion Yea have not we neglected to pray not only for dissenting Brethren but for the reconciling of them How few are there that pray heartily feelingly believingly for the Peace of Hierusalem though there are many Promises to encourage us therein Zech. 14.19 that his Name shall be one and they shall worship with one shoulder and Judah shall not envy Manasseh Jer. 32.39 nor Manassâ—h vex Ephraim And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them should we not also have been encouraged to pray for that which Christ so affectionately desires Will not Petitions be welcome to Heaven for that which would be the joy of all the Heavenly Host to see effecten Peace on earth among the Saints would be the joy of God who is the God of Peace of Christ who is the Prince of Peace May we not confidently pray for what Christ sweat and bleed 13. Not priling their gifts not blessing God for them How unready have we been to respect and value the gifts and enoblements of such Christians We have neither heartily prayed to God that they might be useful with all their Talents for the good of many nor blest the Father of Lights for communicating so much to them 14. Envying them Hath not the Spirit in us lusted to Envy Whom we love we rejoyce at their gifts and enjoyments but hath not a Spirit of Cain prevailed among us Have not we envied if others had greater acceptance with God than our selves Have we rejoyced at the gifts and graces of differently-perswaded Brethren as if they were our own or have not we secretly at least repined at others praises Have not we been afraid that we and our party have been obscured thereby Hath not this been evident in our being more backward to speak of their graces than of their imperfections Doe not we gaze only on the Sun and call in others to be spectators of it when ecclipsed Do not we like Kites pass over the sound sheep and pitch on the weak and dead Carion or like the Butchers Dog not touch the sound flesh but the offals and putrified pieces or like Swine pass over the flowers and wallow in the Mire If we know one of a differing Congregation from ours that hath a blemish our mouths are full of him but others graces and heavenly walks we can pass over in silence 15. Not helping them Have not we refused to help such Christians We help what we can those whom we really love But are not we like Spectators in a Tragedy Austin complains of such in his time who mourn much to see a sad story acted but let the Play goe on True pitifull love would express it self by the hand Heb. 6.10 1 Cor. 13.4 as well as tongue We read of the labour of love love is bountifull We pretend to love all Saints but what do we for those that are of different perswasions from ours If such an one be in Prison do we visit him If Naked do we cloath him If hungry do we feed him If we remember all the Lords people that are in bonds as if we were bound with them then doe we really love them We love our selves and we are liberal to our selves we can bestow time care estate good things upon our selves but not so on divided Brethren We have words at will Oyle and butter in our mouths to supply them Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but we give not those things that are needfull Love will suffer any pains for the sake of the Beloved So Paul loved all the Saints that he was willing to spend and to be spent like a Candle to wast himself for their good Which of us hath so spent himself Love will counsel the Beloved especially if in any straight But God knows how little others have been beholding to us even this way possibly we have afterwards insultingly told them this you should have done and herein you failed but as we found them in a Ditch so we left them and directed them not to a way of deliverance The best counsel we can give is for the Soul but let the divided parties yea and others consider seriously and sadly how backward they have been and are to this day to advise to the best way for peace holiness and glory If we believe such an undertaking will impair our Neighbours Name estate ro Soul yet how slow are we to interpose for the disswading of him from so unhappy an enterprize I should hardly think that Parent loves his Child well that sees him run over a cliff and with-holds him not what he can 16. Not sympathizing with them Have not we been so far from helping them that we have not sympathized with them Love is pittifull When they have been sick when did we get over our thresholds to enquire how it fared with them How seldome have we felt their pains If they be in an errour in a dangerous one the more we should compassionate them considering our selves also who have the seeds of the same errours within us considering the blindness of our own minds how we also differ from others in some matters how it is the Spirit that leads into truth c. But have not some rejoyced when any of a different perswasion have fall'n into the Bogs of Familisme Ranterisme Quakerisme c. that they may thence draw their absurd inferences against the whole body whereto such an one was related Yea how little have we laid to heart the afflictions of any of Gods people Have not we been as unconcerned in their sufferings in Germany France Holland Piedmont Ireland
and Atheisme grows exceedingly O that mine head were as waters c. CHAP. X. Their want of Love to God 3ly WAnt of Love to God is another great branch of ungodliness abounding amongst Professours Professors want of Love to God in Christ This is â—o great a branch of ungodliness that Jesus Christ hath reduced all the Commandements of the first Table concerning the Worship of God to this great one Matth. 23.36 thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and all thy Soul and all thy Might Indeed every one pretends to love God I hardly ever met with a person but said he loved God He that hateth dissembleth with his lips Prov. 26 God may say truly How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me God is loved but not for himself but for what he brings God is used and the World is embraced If God comes empty handed or with his hands full of trouble misery c. Farewell God is loved 2 Tim. 3.4 Job 21. but with a secondary love Professours are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God God must stand by and give place to sensuality therefore they say unto God depart c. They like God whilst they may enjoy their pleasures too whilst they may not be infringed Let but a few things be considered and we will see how much want there is of love to God in Christ 1. Whom we love we are not ashamed of Evidenced in being ashamed of a Relation to him The Mothers is such to her Child and Gods to us he is not ashamed to be called our God But do not we conceal our Title to God in some Companies that hate him How do we throw off our Livery Mar. 8.38 and dare not to be known to have walked with God Remember he that is ashamed of me c. 2. Not troubled for his dishonour 2 Pet. 2.8 Psa 119 53. 158. Not hating Gods Enemies Psal 139.21 Not hating self for not loving God Parents are troubled when their Children are dishonoured and so Children when their Fathers but are our Souls vexed racked with the filthy couversations of Sodomites Where are the Rivers of waters Where is thy horrour because men keep not Gods Commandements 3. Those we love their Enemies are ours Parents Enemies are the Childrens Enemies But do we hate them that hate God yea with a perfect hatred 4. True lovers of God hate themselves for not loving God enough How oft do they thus sigh Wretch that I am to grieve God to estrange my self from God so seldome to be with God to stay with him no longer How can I content my self with these transient glances with these sudden casts of mine eye and to be instantly wheel'd off from my God again O this fleeting mind of mine when will it fix on God and abide with him O this gadding heart of mine when will it center in its true and perfect happiness When I turn mine eye from earthly objects either I am displeased with them or there is some better thing that draws off my mind and heart But dare I say so of God that be is unlovely and yet I have been weary of him 5. Not trusting him Did we love God we would trust him we dare trust our very lives in a Friends hands But we dare not so trust God What would a carnal man give that he had but his life and health in his own dispose When he is poor he had rather it were in his own hands to supply his wants than in Gods for he thinks it would go better with him We trust God for little We think our selves quite undone when we have nothing save a God and a Promise to trust to 6. Not joying nor grieving as they ought How little do we joy in the presence of God and Christ and grieve for their absence Is God all in the want of all and is God the All in the enjoyment of all Can we say shew us the Father and it sufficeth us When we have no Fig-tree left can we rejoyce in the God of our Salvation Can we say Take all Ziba now that my Lord is come now that the Lord stoops to dwell in houses of clay O worldlings take your riches and make the best of them I envy you not I have enough in God Do we so grieve for the absence of God and Christ that nothing but God and Christ can make amends O that our happiness life comforts were folded up in God and Christ Can we live no more without God and Christ than a Beam without the Sun 7 Not thoughtful to please him Rom. 12.2 Ephes 5.10 True Lovers are thoughtfull to please the Beloved But is there any thing that we think less of than pleasing of God A true lover of God is alwayes proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. He is still searching that he may know more wherein he may please God as willing always to be more useful for God What have I to do more but how seldom do we ask our hearts what way may we walk in all well pleasing How seldom do we design for the glory of God 8. True Lovers are open handed and bountiful to God they bestow readily and freely any thing they have on him they will part with their Isaaks their dearest things with Limbs c. Rutherford that man of God wish'd every limb a man every bone a man yea every hair a man to set forth the praises of God When God calls for limbs can we say Farewell to them Are there not some things so dear to us that we cannot spare them to Christ Are we so taken with Christ that our hearts are dis-ingaged from the love of other things is every thing vile but Christ Is all you part from instantly supplyed in the loves and smiles of Christ 9. True Lovers of God are contented with nothing by way of return from God save only love from him returns of love they must have They do not pray save for love they go not in before God for Corn Wine Oyle c. but for love for God to open his heart to take off his mask from his lovely face and shew them the light of his countenance They are not like the Raven that came to Noah more for necessity Isa 26.8 9. than delight Yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our Soul is to thy Name and to the Remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early 10. Not praising him True Lovers are wont to praise each other But how seldom do we set forth the praises of Christ Love is witty full of eloquence Cant. 5.10 11 12 13 14 15 16. witness the Spouse My Beloved is white and ruddy
loves O! I hate my self whilst writing this that I love the Lord so little so seldom It was he that made me and not I my self He hath wonderfully formed me and wonderfully preserved me and shewed many wonders in the deeps to me O! what shall I do to love the Lord with a superlative love O I am ready to say Let me love nothing if I love not thee nay love nothing till I love thee O that you would grieve abundantly for want of Love to God! You have past as through the Red Sea you have been as the flaming Bush God hath looked after you as if he minded none but you you have been as the Signet on his right hand nay more you have been engraven on his Palmes and what not love the Lord Shame upon you that you can dote upon the dark filthy dirty World and neglect the Lord of Glory All the Affections you have God gave them when he gave thee a reasonable Soul but for this end that you should place them on himself and not on his Enemy Is it not hard measure that God should be denied Love when he gave you power to love If a Friend sends you Bottels of Wine it is hard that when he comes to you you should deny him a taste of his bounty Believe it Sirs whatever you do for the Lord unless you Love him yea unless you Love him more than any thing else it is not accepted 1 Cor. 13.3 Though you give your Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth you nothing Though you bring forth Fruit yet you are empty Vines Hos 10.1 because you eye Self not God Your most exquisite Services are but pieces of dead Carrion unless they be seasoned with the Salt of Love This People draw nigh with their lips but I abhorr them and their Duties because the silly Dove is without an heart Whatever a man gives me if his heart be not in it I slight it God much more What shall I say The Holy Apostle counts him worthy of a Curse that loves not Jesus Christ If any man love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 let him be Auathema Maranatha And is it not sad to be cursed to the coming of Christ He deserves it that loves not Christ and he must and shall be forced to own the Righteousness of God in sentencing him to Eternal flames who might have been secured against them had he but loved Christ more than a base dunghill Lust CHAP. XI Their evil surmises of God 4ly Their evil surmises of God EVil surmises of God is another piece of ungodliness found too frequently among some of the more raised Professours even such as have the root of the matter in them I shall the rather insist on this sin because right thoughts of God are the fuell which maintains the fire of Religion without which it soon decayeth and is extinguished 1. Miscalling his love-to-kens Do not we miscall Gods love-tokens Hath not God sent thee many love-tokens by his Spirit to assure thee that he owns thee and delights in thee as his Spouse For thee to question thy relation to him upon every turn must needs be grievous to him how grievous then is it for thee to deny all his tokens of grace and love to thy Soul and to count them but delusions but the works of the Infernal Spirit transforming himself into an Angel of Light To call light darkness good evil sweet bitter the work of Christ the Devils work is ill resented by the Lord it goeth unto his heart You that are Husbands Wives Parents Children cannot endure to have your love and fidelity suspected upon every base suggestion and whisper Believe it God takes notice and laies to heart all your jealousies of him all your base unworthy censures of him 2. How ill are Gods Providences resented III resenting Gods Providences 1 Cor. 3.22 Rom. 8.28 Although God hath told you there is a beauty in their contexture that things present and things to come are yours that all shall work together for good that your Providential losses as well as your Providential enjoyments that your changes as well as your setlings your wants as well as your abundance shall all be Sanctified to you yet how few with that blessed man bless the Lord Job 1.21 Rom. 5.2 3. when taking away And with Paul rejoyce yea glory in tribulations God assures you that your sicknesses reproaches wants shall do you good yea death shall do you good all shall be good or do you good all shall be food or physick out of the eater shall come forth sweetness even from Gods desertions you shall have advantages your very thorns shall drop honey shall bear grapes yet notwithstanding what hard thoughts have you of God under such dispensations Didst thou onely accuse thy self judge thy self abhorre thy self it were well but in speaking against thy self thou fallest foul upon God himself by questioning his love from these providences Deny thy self what thou wilt but beware of a denial of Gods love and of the Spirit of grace that hath taken up his lodgings within thee O that all melancholly doubting Christians would consider of this too seldome suspected provocation and unkindness of theirs towards God! O! take up and keep up better thoughts of God what ever his carriage be towards you Though he slay you yet trust in him When will you be as David who though beleaguered with Enemies yet kept up good thoughts of God he doubted not of Gods pitty of Gods favour and protection and therefore I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Psa 3.6 Psa 27.3 v. 1. that have set themselves against me round about Though an host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear c. in this will I be confident In what Why that the Lord is my Light and my Salvation and the strength of my life God hath not spent all his stores he hath enough for me he will not suffer me to be tempted above what I shall be able to bear but will with the temptation make way for my escape And hath not God told thee that the mountains shall depart Isa 54.10 and the hills be removed yet his loving kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of his peace be removed But alas Thou canst entertain good thoughts of God in fair weather Mar. 4.38 but let them fall in a storm then it is Master carest thou not that we perish Thou canst trust in God when he carrieth himself as a Friend and answereth all thy requests and granteth all thy desires but not so when he seemeth an Enemy Canst thou with Paul say I am perswaded that neither Death Rom. 8.38 39. nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
mind If all were as unmercifull as some of you they and their Children would swoon away in desolate Wildernesses Remember Hagar and the Child Did God pity that Egyptian and have you no pity on your poor Ministers Are not you so far from the Macedonian bounty 2 Cor. 8.3 of giving above your power that you will not afford them your superfluities Who is there that redeems from his table from his belly from his cloaths to cover these naked shoulders and to fill these empty bellies Doth not Baruck's sore run upon you you trade for your selves seek great things for your selves and send away your spiritual Fathers with I pray God bless you c. be ye cloathed c. but do not give according to their necessities and your abilities O! Jam. 2.15 16 17. How dwelleth the love of God in you Boast what you will of your Profession and Faith your Faith without Works is but dead CHAP. XXXIV Want of Love among Professours AS touching brotherly love saith the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians you need not that I write unto you A complaint of the want of love among Christians 1 Thes 4.10 for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed you do it But may not I say to English Professours As touching brotherly love you need that I write unto you for you are not taught of God The fire of brotherly love saith one is almost ready to goe out scarce any spark of it yet remaining among us but instead of the fire of love the wild-fire of passion rageth vehemently and is predominant Many live as if they had been born on the Mountains of Bether the Mountains of Division and as if they had been baptized in the Waters of Meribah the Waters of Strife Oh! that my head were waters and mine eyes fountains of tears 〈◊〉 weep day and night for the want of love in the Christians of this generation towards one another How common hath it been to confine our love to our own party We have not loved all the Saints Col. 1.14 How few Bucers are there How few love all in quibus aliquid Christi vident in whom they see any thing of Christ Many even hate those that differ from them though but in Circumstantialls Others though they are ashamed to profess their hatred upon such an account Prov. 26.26 yet cover their hatred by deceit till their wickedness can be hid no longer but shew'd before the whole Congregation The Devil began his Legerdemain this way by covering his Enmity with pretence of Friendship What saith the Apostle Let love be without dissimâ—lation Rom. 12.9 Psal 12.2 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 3.18 But alas With a double heart how do Professours speak How few have turified their Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren Most love in word and in tougue only but not in deed and in truth Many like your Feather caps humble Servant pretend love but it never appears above-board it is Dear Friend Good Soul but their hearts are not with you Evidenced in calling for Fire from Heaven against those of different perswasions In order to the convincing of us of our guiltiness herein O that our Consciences may be suffered to give in full answers to the following Queries 1. How have we call'd for Fire from Heaven like the two Disciples when we have thought our selves dishonoured in that others have not given such a reception to our wayes and practises in Religion as we expected Have not Magistrates been instigated against godly persons if of a different perswasion from our selves Have not we wished others that divided from us in some Circumstances of Worship even banished Have we not cryed out the Land is not able to bear them Have not we been glad when such were put out of all Offices and Places of Profit And have not some thought it good service to God if they had been kill'd Whilst some under colour of mercy and tenderness oryed for a general Toleration even of blasphemy Others ran into the other extream and would endure nothing that they deemed an Errour Even to this day if men scruple at the lawfulness of some Ceremonies and Gestures in the Service of God they are thought worthy not only to be cast out of the Church but to be delivered over to the Secular Magistrate for Imprisonment and Confiscation of Goods at least So much is Pauls meekness forgotten and un-imitated who though zealous against the Faith-destroying Errours of Hymeneus and Philetus yet would have much forbearance for others when doubting of the use of Meats and the Jewish Ceremonies Baxters Saints Rest Edit 8. part 1. chap. 7. p. 111. I read indeed in Pagan Writers saith one that Christians were as cruel as Bears and Tygers against one another c. But I had hoped that this accusation had come from the malice of Pagan Writers Little did I think to have seen it so farr verified c. Lord What Devils are we Unsanctified when there is yet such a Nature remaining in the Sanctified Such a Nature hath God in these dayes suffered to discover it self even in the Godly that if he did not graciously and powerfully restrain they would shed the blood of one another and no thanks to us that it is not done 2. un-Sainting of them upon that account Hildersham on Psa 51. P. 691. To facilitate the destroying of such without remorse Have not we blotted out the reputation of their holiness and represented Saints even as Devils It is utterly a fault mong you said one of our English Worthies formerly that the difference in judgement and practice about the Ceremonies of our Church hath caused such strangeness and alienation of mind and affection between such as do truly fear God both Ministers and People We are so farr from receiving esteeming loving and maintaining society one with another notwithstanding this difference of judgement about these things that we are apt to despise and judge one another for it and doubt whether there be any truth of grace in them that differ from us in these things Surely saith the one side the indifferency and lawfulness of these things is now so clearly manifested as these men must needs be willfully blind that do not see it Nay certainly they cannot chuse but see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect to their credit with the people among whom they have gotten a great Name and Applause by standing out so long they would doubtless conform themselves And surely saith the other side the utter unlawfulness of these Ceremonies is now so clearly revealed that these men must needs be wilfully blind that see it not Nay they do see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect they have unto their worldly peace and estate they would never use them certainly they sin against their Conscience in observing of them And
if this one thing were all things and disobedience to this Commandement were disobedience to all Is it nothing to us that hereby Crossing Christs Prayer as much as in us lies we make the Prayer of Christ of none effect Christ knew the evil of heart-burnings and divisions of wrath and bitterness against one another though we do not and therefore having preached up love among his Disciples on earth he sets upon praying down Union from his Father in Heaven and what he insisted most upon in his Sermon that he enlargeth most upon in his Prayer John 17.11 21 22 23. And now I am no more in the World but these are in the World and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us That the World may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me Throwing off Christs Livery John 13.35 that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Is it nothing to us that hereby we throw off Christs distinguishing Livery By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one to another He doth not say Hereby you shall be my Disciples but hereby it shall be known Nor doth he say Hereby I shall know nor hereby you shall know but hereby shall others know Nor doth he say Hereby they shall ghès and conjecture but hereby they shall know as by a sure and infallible sign Nor doth he say Hereby some a very few shall know this great secret but hereby all men shall know Nor doth he say Hereby all men shall know that you seem to be my Disciples but that you are so indeed Is it nothing to us Representing Christ as an Imposture that hereby we make the Jewes and Heathens look on Christ as an Impostour How can they look upon him otherwise whilst they see his Coat so full of seams yea his Body so full of rents Hereby we hinder the World from being convinced that Christ is sent of God Christ therefore prayed John 17.21 23. Making Christs doath of none effect that His might be one that the World may know that God sent him Is it nothing to us that hereby we make as much as in us lyes the Cross of Christ of none effect and his blood to be shed in vain Christ not only preach'd up Love and prayed for it but also paid for it As he went from preaching up Love on Earth by his Sermon to pulling it down from Heaven by Prayer So he went from praying to paying for it and the Price which he laid down for it Ephes 2.14 15 16. was his Blood saith a late ingenuous Writer For he is our Peace who hath made both one c. having abolished in his flesh the enmity c. for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross Shall Christ dye to break down partition walls and will we dare to keep them up Shall he shed his blood for peace and shall we imploy our wit and interest to blow the trumpet to War Is it nothing to us Calling in question Gods Promises Isa 65.25.11.6 that hereby we make Jews and Pagans call in question the truth of Gods promises What can they think of those promises that the Wolf and the Lamb shall feed together they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord. That the Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lyon and the failing together and a little Child shall lead them When the Lambs cannot fold together without pushing at one another Is it nothing to us Grieving Christ and the Spirit that hereby we grieve our dear Lord Jesus and the ever blessed Spirit May we not easily imagine what a grief it is to the head to see the members of his body renting and tearing each other to see heirs of the same hope those that lye together in the same bosom of Election and whose Names are on his Breast and whom he presents before his Father together in Heaven to be thus broken asunder on earth O! me thinks if we had any love to Jesus Christ we should study to be of one affection What Luther said once to the Ministers of Norimberg is very considerable Suppose said he you saw Jesus Christ standing bodily in the midst of you and thus bespeaking you What do you O my dear Children whom I have Redeemed by my blood that you might mutually love one another There is no danger in your difference but there is much in your dissention Do not thus sadden my Spirit do not thus spoil the holy Angels of their joy in heaven Am not I more to you than all your matters of difference How can we expect the company of the Spirit of grace and peace whilst such fiery contentions are amongst us Were the Disciples quarrelling and contending when the Holy Ghost fell on them No They were all with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 Psal 133.10 Where men dwell together in Unity there the Lord commands the blessing for ever God will not saith a learned man sow the precious seed of his grace and love among bryars and thornes the enemies of peace Is it nothing to us Rasing Sion that hereby we do what in utlyes to rase Sion even to the foundation thereof The stones support the building by being coupled together Mat. 12.25 Making real Saints weaty to support the World any longer How can the house stand when the stones are severed when not a stone is left joyned to a stone Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand Is it nothing to us that hereby we make reall Saints the pillars of the World weary of staying in the World to support it any longer It was the sight of the divisions among Christianss that made Grynaeus Melancthon Strigclius those pious and precious Souls weary of earth Psa 55.6 and to wish and desire the wings of a Dove that they might sly away and be at rest in that place where there is a rest remaining for the people of God Hebr. 4.9 as from all other evils so from this of divisions and dissentions among Brethren It was â—â—e conjecture of one that as Go is first Judgement against the old World was by Water against the heat of Lust so his last Judgement upon the World
that now is will be by Fire against the coldness of Love If this be true how do we hasten the great and terrible day by our coldness in Love one towards another Is it nothing to us Gratifying the Devil rejoycing the wicked and Justifying their reproaches of Saints that hereby we gratifie the Devil rejoyce the hearts of the wicked and justifie their reproaches of Saints The great stratagem of Hell is to promote our differences and to keep us from Union all the bones they throw among us are to set us by the ears the Devil knows that Societies of Christians are immortal if they do not kill themselves by Division Divide impera Divide them and rule them is a maxime in Hell and among the Antichristian party Gal. 5.15 If ye bite and devour one another a Consumption will be the consequent Why should we be imployed in the Devils work Hath he not instruments and tongues enough of his own O! how doth Antichrist yet ground by the Animosities and Divisions among Christians Certainly what Tacitus saith of some in his time we may of the Papists and all our Forraign Enemies Nihil spei nisi per discordiase habent All their hopes of ruining us arisâ— from our homebred discords and divisions Were all the Arrows in one bundle they would by tryal and experience find it next to an impossibility to break them Methinks the proud boasts of the Man of Sin should make us bury all our discords were we but of one heart before God and uniting our Prayers the Mountains would become Plains yea the seven Hills among the rest Sure we do not consider where and among whom we are Are we not in the world where Satan rules Shall the Children quarrel in their Enemies quarters Gen. 13.7 Abraham sues for peace upon this as a taking consideration that we are Brethren and the Perrizzite dwelt in the land Wicked men are Spectators of our fewds and discords The very Heathen have calmed the mutinies of their Souldiers by saying your Enemies yonder behold your mutinous behaviour What one said prophetically some years ago Europae Speculum p. 173. I cannot but recall that unless God did stir up some in the Protestant Churches and cloth them with a mighty Spirit to accommodate our differences the end of them may be that our Enemies will laugh when we shall weep Have we not Enemies enough but must we be dogged and cruel to one another We say the Fire burns the hotter for the cold weather Would to God the Antiperistasis were blessed that the cold abroad the oppositions against us may intend our affections the more to God to his wayes to his people And are not the wicked justisied in their reproaches of the Saints whilst they do but write after our Copy Is it nothing to us Perjury that hereby we are perjured yea often perjured as oft we have received the Communion Christians saith our great Usher should remember that as oft as they come to the Lords table so oft do they enter into new bonds of peace and tye themselves with firmer knots of love together this blessed Communion being a Sacred Sealâ— not only of the Union which we have with our head by faith but also of our conjunction with the other members of the body by love Lastly Is it nothing to us Hindring pardon that hereby we hinder the forgiveness of our own iniquities How can we hope we shall be forgiven if we forgive not one another How can we look that Scripture in the face Mat. 6.14 15. if ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Or that with what measure you mete Mat. 7.2 it shall be measured to you again Would we have God deal with us as we deal with our Brethren These and such like considerations have made some even of the Episcopal perswasion to complain for want of love Bishop Reyn of the peace of the Church p. 16.17 and to sigh for more Charity towards Christians though of different perswasions That in the case of unavoidable differences among good men saith one there should be no more mutual charity meekness moderation tolerance and â—â—manity expressed c. this is a lamentation and will be for a lamentation Between the Episcopal Presbyteriaâ— and ladependent parties saith a second much of the acidness and sharpness of the humour would be alayed Bishop Gaudens Serm. Printed 1660. if this policy of charitable censure and interpretation were applyed on all sides c. I should be glad to see the beams of this candour this kindness this charity shine in all saces from all sides that the Shiboleths of different dialects and designs c. might be laid aside by being all for Christ Bishop Hall's Serm. before his Majesty 1641â— c. A third presseth to a charitable construction of each others acts and intentions because there is nothing in the world which may not be taken with either hand whether the right hand of favour or the left of malice We see the Son of God himself in whom the Prince of this World could find nothing yet was exposed to mis-construction Matth. 11.19 Behold a Glutton c. Good Lord what uncharitable censures are men apt to pass upon each other Let a man be strict and austere in moral and divine duties though never so puaceable he is a Puritan and every Puâ—itan is an Hypocrite Let him be more free and give more scope to his concersation though never so conscionable he is a Libertin Let him make scruple of any innovated form he is a Schismatick Let him â—â—and for the anciently received Rites and Government he is a time-serving Formalist Let me tell you he is right that hath a right heart to his God what forms soever he is for The Kingdome of God doth not stand in â—â—eats and drinks in stuffs or colours or Fashions in Noyses or Gestures it stands in Holiness and Righteousness c. Let us study now not to widen or gall or ranckle but how to salve and heal c. I shall conclude this Chapter with beseeching yea conjuring you in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Phil. 2.1 2. O quam sacro fascino usus est Ipsa suada credo si loqui posset not potuisset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi quot verba tot tela quae nimium animos nostros percellant c. Mortoni sent de pace procuranda inter Eâ—â—â—â—gel p. 25. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowells and mercies Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind CHAP. XXXV The faults of Church-Members towards those of their particular Congregations Church-Members miscarriages 1. uselessness and
in Christ Jesus our Lord Whilst the Candle of the Lord shines on thy Tabernacle whilst thy bones are full of marrow whilst thou washest thy feet in butter whilst every Mordechai boweth in the gates whilst thou hast dews on thy heart meltings and enlargements in Ordinances so long thou canst keep up good thoughts of God and his love but let the Scene be altered let the Sun wrap up it self in a Cloud of darkness let the rod lie on the back and the Arrows of the Almighty pierce the heart and then not only grace within is questioned but the love of God without I am cast out from before thine eyes his mercy is clean gone Then all men are lyars even Samuel himself But alas how ignorant art thou of the methods of God Heb. 12.6 7 8. Doth not he chasten every son that he receiveth Should not he have liberty to use what rod he pleaseth whilst all are for thy Profit that thou mayst partake of his Holinesse Rom. 8.29 Phil. 3.20 Matth. 20.23 Col. 1.24 Might not Christ have had ill surmises of his Father upon higher grounds than any thou canst name Who art thou to hope for milder usage from God than he shew'd to his own Natural Son If thou art predestinated to be conformable to Christ to be partaker of his sufferings to drink of his cup wilt thou doubt thy filiation from thy filling up the sufferings of Christ 3. Concluding thence sadly of Gods intentions How do some draw sad conclusions from Gods Providentiall dispensations concerning his intentions for the future When they lose dear Relations an Husband or the Wife of the bosome gone a sweet Child snatcht away and perhaps by inadvertency O then no sooner can we enter into the house of mourning but we hear cries from you O my hypocrisie O my formality O this is one of Gods Arrows of Vengeance O! God is beginning his Controversie which will never end till it laies me as low as Hell Whereas you should entertain other thoughts of God viz. That now he is removing the Idols of jealousie now he is weaning your hearts from Creatures that he may have all your love he knew how much Spiritual Communion you have lost by the company of your Relations and now he himself would have more of your company now he would have you to delight your selves more in himself now he hath but dryed the stream a weak unsatisfying stream that you may drink and drink abundantly of the purest Chrystal waters that drop from the blessed Fountain immediately now God hath a blessed design of grace to prepare you for glory he is now making the earth an howling Wilderness that you may long for Canaan he is now leaving you to naked walls that he himself may fill them he is now turning all out of doors that you may have the more liberty to treat with his Majesty with the less disturbance without interruption Alas you know not how unkind and burdensome yea treacherous your Friend your Relation might have been if continued longer to you you know not what a dishonour to God and to your selves he might have been if longer continued in the land of the living and therefore to preserve him from scandal and your selves from heart-breakings thereby God hath in mercy pity and faithfulness removed him taking him away it may be from the evil to come Few put these Comments upon Gods Providences towards them but commonly take all in the worst sense they can 4. Calling Gods love in question for want of Evidences How do some instantly call in question Gods love if Evidences be not seen if they be not fairly writ so as the Soul can read them But may not the money be in the Saeks mouth though the Brethren see it not for a while Yea though the Soul hath had a welcome from God yea many a welcome yet how soon is the Soul so crest-fall'n that it is afraid to go into Gods presence and through the power of Satan and Melancholy duty yea many duties have hereby been intermitted This provokes God exceedingly What When you have had his Stâ—ffe and his Bracelets when you have had such admirable proofs of his Love in sending his Son and Holy Spirit after you to work so great and glorious a change in you coming in the still voice and whispering Love unto you dandling you as on the knee welcoming you again and again to the Throne of Grace oft filling your empty Bottles answering your thousand Doubts sealing the Covenant of Grace and granting and confirming to you all the Patents of Love And yet at every turn have you doubted whether God loves you or no God chides Zion for this Isai 49.14 Let not Zion say the Lord hath forsaken c. 5. Concluding God no Friend because Satan is an Enemy and doth tempt them Are there not some good Souls though their goodness lies not in this that are apt to question the Love of God to them from the blasphemous thoughts and injections that they are harrazed with But what because Satan is your Adversary must God therefore not be your Friend Because Satan doth tempt you will it therefore follow that God doth not love you Were we not wonderfully prone to evil surmises and distrusts of God we would not make Satans Malice a ground sufficient to doubt of the Love of God Doth the Husband love his Wife the less for that she is tempted whilst she defies the Tempter and is burthened with his foul and daring sollicitations O how is Satan gratified hereby Considerations against evil surmises of God He is the great Accuser the great Tale-bearer that seperateth choice Friends He goeth betwixt God and Saints as a Mediatour of Differences to accuse Saints to God and God to Saints and will you any longer be Tale-hearers against God Believe it the false witness which he brings is against him who hath given you wonderful proofs of his everlasting Love towards you When O! when will you complain of Satan in the words of the Psalmist The Enemy hath persecuted my Soul Psal 143.3 he hath made me to dwell in darkness like those that have been long dead It is the Enemy that vails and obscures the work of the Spirit what he can that you shall see it no more than a dead man can behold any company that is in the Room Vault or Grave with him When Satan tells you your Graces are counterfeit your Faith but that which a temporary may have your Graces but moral Vertues O! how soon is your Enemy credited how much more believed than God his Ministers and all the testimonies of Gods Love that are brought you Hence you are one day jealous of the Kindness of Christ another day of the Fulness of Christ then of the Intentions of Christ he means no good to me Hence also you doubt of the acceptance of your Persons and Duties There is a Cloud hangs over my Prayers
never desire any privacy between God and thy Soul a Saint and yet find no errand to invite thee to speak with God alone Sure thou rather seekest to approve thy self to men than to God Thou mayest for a time be the worlds Saint but God will at last un-case thee and present thee before the eyes of all the world for an Hypocrite Mat. 6.5 6. The trâ—e Lover delights to visit his Friend when he may find him alone like that good man who when the set time for his closet-Prayer was come would break from any compony he was in with this handsome speech I have a Friend that stayes for me Farewell Others put off this duty by pretending they pray alwayes every hour they are darting up Ejaculations to Heaven As the pretence of every day-Sabbath saith one comes just to no Sabbath so the continual Prayâ—â— of some carnal Professours is not Praying aâ— aâ—â— Eâ—aculatory Prayer should not hinder but rather fit for solemn set Praying Fire must be kept upon the Altar continually but that must not hinder the Morning and Evening Sacrifice True Christians cannot be satisfied with a bit and away but they must â—â—ve their set meals Others look at Closet Prayer to be at the best but a Free will Offering as they term it which they may offer if they will but will not own it a duty Surely such are little sensible of their heart-plagues or else they would alone one by one make Prayers 1 Kings 8.38 39. Zech. 12.10 11. and Supplications Such either have 〈…〉 Spirit at all or else but little very little of the Spirit or else they would be Praying apart In all my observation â—â—e raines of Christians have begun in their Closeâ— neglects either by omitting the duty totally or by â—areless formal customary management of it The truth is saith a late neat Writer this is the first step towards Apostacy Back-sliders grow first out of acquaintance with God in secret then delight in this duty declineth by little and little then are they less frequent in their visits upon which followeth a casting off the duty and yet they may appear great sticklers and zealous in publick Ordinances but if they recover not what they have lost in their secret Trade they will ere long break here also No surer sign of an Hypocrite than to neglect secret Prayer it turns thee into a Nebuchadnezzar into an Heathen nay into a Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 10.21 a Beast They are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord. Thou pretendest a love to God didst thou love him thou wouldst love to be with him yea lovers covet to be alone where they may more freely impart their mutual affections perhaps in thy family Religious worship of God by Prayer is yet kept up to keep up thy credit with men that thou mayst not be thought an Atheist that thou mayst be trusted an hundred things may keep thee and hold thee to publick duties but herein is the tryal of thy uprightness what thou dost in secret for God and with him when the Masters part the two great ones God and World then is the trial of thee whose Servant thou art but oh when the Master is alone then he is mostly neglected When alone thou art fittest for this duty of calling upon God when the World is shut out then thou hast a discharge from the cumbers of the Earth an Heathen Scipio will tell the I have never better company than when I have no company for then can I freely entertain my own thoughts and converse with all the learned that have been in former ages But thou art called to greater honour to improve thy solitude Joh. 16.32 to converse with God when alone to have thy Father with thee Yea God like a modest lover communicates most of his affections to his people when they are in secret Psa 63.6 when David was in the night watches then his Soul was filled with marrow and fatness not that he wanted Gods presence in the day for seven times a day he praised God but his day-sacrifices yielded him not that marrow and sweetness as he tasted in the night when he was sequestred from all company and business O! the hidden Mannah is the sweetest Cant. Hos 2.14 The Church leaneth on the breast of Christ in the Wilderness and there he speaks to her heart Unhappy Soul innumerable are thy losses by neglecting Christs calls Come my Beloved Cant. 7.12 let us goe forth into the Fields there will I give thee my loves That God should so lovingly invite thee to take a turn or two with him every day inorder to his opening his breast to thee and yet be denied Again When alone and not with God thou art lyable to Sathans foulest Temptations to Atheism Discontent or Pride of heart When the Devil finds the house empty he will furnish you with company enough seven other worse Spirits if worse may be you shall be employed Fear a Rape at least if God be not engaged to be a little Sanctuary in thy Closet and retirements Sathan frequents the high wayes and that Robber takes men aside into a corner and then pillageth them of their treasure He thought so to have dealt with Christ and therefore takes him into a Mountain alone Mat. 4.8 When alone your dangers are greatest therefore should your cries to Heaven be most vehement How few Professours have observed the fittest time for secret Prayer Not early enough in the Closet Mark 13.33 God would have us in this sense Watch unto Prayer God would have us early to tell the world whose Servants we are and that we dare not undertake any business without first engaging God with us Mark 1.35 that we dare not enter on Sathans territories without Christ our great Champion with us This Post should be sent to Heaven in the beginning of the day for no sooner in the morning do we begin to live and stirr but we need fresh succours and Auxiliaries from Heaven True Christians count that the sweetest air they breath in which is the fruit of Prayer and all things relish well with him that 〈◊〉 through this golden Pipe of Prayer and therefore he is up early in his Closet that 〈◊〉 may receive all this way from the Lords bounty and faithfulness Therefore 〈◊〉 sooner doth he open his eyes but he opens his heart to God and before he puts onâ— ragg he must to Heaven in secret Ejaculations at least before he goes to his Closet to pour out his Soul more plentifully before God He expecteth no good day unless iâ— be begun with a good duty and therefore my voice shaleâ— thou hear in the morning Psa 5.3.119.147 in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee David prevented the dawning of the morning naâ— he prevented God i. e. his Providences and Favours which he expected he loved to have them in the Channel of Prayer But alas how do Professours shuffle
Abscondit quod est quod non est mentitur Bern. but are another thing they appear to be the greatest Worshippers of God but are the greatest dishonourers of God They profess that they know worship God but in works they deny him being abominable and dis-obedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 The Hypocrites piety is not piety his religion is not religion but doubled and trebled iniquity Quis non itascatur videns homines ore Deum confitentes negantes moribus Seculum verbis et non factis renunciantes Aug. Evidenced in their Professing Should not this make us to tremble at the greatness of the hypocrisie of this age O! How many Apothecaries-boxes are there that have golden titles and nothing in them How many curious pictures drawn to life but look behind them and there is nothing but dust and cobweb How many have glorious signs but within ill customs an Angel for a sign a Lamb for a sign but within are Devils and Cheats How many have taken up Religion under pretence of its being an help to Heaven when they have made it a means to get earth to get custom credit c. Hence when they cannot compass but rather obstruct their worldly designs Farewell to Religion if it contribute not to their private ends they give it up again O! How few have embraced Christ and Truth for Christ's sake for Truth 's sake Have not most embraced Christ and his Gospel as they have Servants for what they can do for them and adhered to Profession as the Ivy to the Tree not because it loves it but sucks from it and is succoured by it Have they not alwayes worshipped the rising and not the declining Sun How few own the declining sinking cause of Christ How hard is it to perswade men to stand for truths that stand not with their advancements and accommodations Hence many now stand idle as the people in the Market place who would not go into the Viâ—â—yâ—â—d 〈◊〉 they were hired How few will own any way 〈◊〉 be Christs till they see how it stands with their secular advantages How many Newters now who once were forward Professours If we entertain him saith they the Romans will come and take away our place and Nation We find the truth of a learned mans Assertion He that will serve God for the world will serve the Devil for the world He that serves God for a little will serve the Devil for more where he can mend his wages he will give his service How many Professours have with Absolon gone to Hebron to worship but all the while have promoted their own ambitious designs raising even sedition in order to their earthly advantages In how many hath the tongue prayed Speaking to God when not the heart These have been much in fasting and prayer and have thought themselves much wronged that they were not heard Isa 58.4 but God gives them a reason Ye shall not fast as ye do to make your voice to be heard on high The Hypocrite may lift up his voice strongly and yet never be heard his voice for want of the heart therein may never come up to Gods dwelling place his Prayers many times fall back upon his own face like spittle against the wind How many have used Prayer as an hook to draw in outwards from God and Man but not as a sword to destroy their lusts How many have cryed vehemently unto God for assistances in their duties chiefly if not solely to get themselves a Name in the Earth How many tell God with a brazen face that they love him yea that they love him with all their hearts whereas they love not God but God's somewhat of God they flatter God with their lips they delight not in his presence yea all the while they are serving their turn on God Fain they would partake of Gods bounty of Gods protection and Gods pardons but they love neither God nor his Image when God puts them to express their love by self-denyal then you shall see the graves to be full of rottenness they hate to spend and to be spent for God How many tell God that they are troubled for offending him when they are only troubled that he is displeasing them and about to correct them for their abuses of him They will cry out in Prayer O my carelesseness c. But alas It is not Sin but the Judgements of God and the consequents of Sin that disturb them How many will tell God twenty times over they are ashamed of their Sins and within one hour after they are not ashamed to commit them again no more ashamed are they than the Sow is to lye tumbling in the Mire How will many tell God they fear him and his Judgements when indeed and intruth they fear neither witness their frothy loose spirits and conversations How will they tell God that all the world is but as a drop of a bucket in comparison of his Majesty and that all flesh is contemptible when weighed with him and yet they fear the wrath of Man more than the wrath of the Almighty God How many will tell God that they are contented with all his will and yet their hearts are full of inward risings against the Providence of God How many tell God they believe in him trust to his Mercy depend on Christ and O! forsooth all their cares are cast on Christ when God knows their care and work like Bees is to get honey to their hives They mind earthly things and are scraping the dust of the Valleys to themselves as if they thought it their wisdome rather to lean to their own providing than to be beholding to the Lord and dye beggars How earnest are some in their cries to God for victory over Sin but secretly hate it not And doth it not appear in this for that having directed their Prayers to the Lord they do not look up to see whether the corruption be more mortified and their love to it abated yea or no How have the speeches of many in their converse one with another bewrayed their hypocrisie To men concerning things How do many covet mightily to insist on the refinements of hypocrites and thereby they escape as they hope at least from being judged such themselves How have some studied to disgrace Sin to the utmost and yet secretly cherished that which they laboured to make odious to others In company they cry down self-love hypocrisie formality earthlyness and pride but privately they keep up these and make them their companions How Zealous have some been in discourse for the Protestant Faith How have they cryed out against errours and for a reformation but can tell no more of a work of God upon the heart than an Heathen How have some contended for opinions and have put a jus divinum upon such and such a way and counted others as little better than Pagans that would not submit to their way and yet by
ends and how lumpish and heavy are our hearts in the beginning of a Sabbath much more than upon any other day Doth not this prove the day to be no way pleasing to us And how chearfull are some of us when the Sabbath is ended The heart is not so well pleased all the day as then yea do not some cheat and delude themselves hereby as if they had joy in the Lord and had received comfort from the Word and other Ordinances whereas they are glad that the yoak of Ordinances the burden of the Word of the Lord and the burden of the day of the Lord is taking off their Shoulders Being hindred from profaning it only by external motives How many are there who would profane Gods Sabbaths and wholy neglect the Ordinances of them were it not for the Laws of men and the eyes of their Relations How quieted are some when they have attended the publick service Satisfied with worshipping God publickly and do they betwixt and after those solemn duties refrain their lips from worldly talk from impertinencies from such discourse as bears no proportion with the holiness of the day When works of Necessity and Charity happen out beyond our expectation or forecast Glad to be hindred from works of piety are we at all troubled at them Do not we rather rejoyce because we have thereby a dispensation to withdraw from the immediate worship of God And how many neglect to do all their works on the six dayes Exod. 20.9 though the Lord so expresly chargeth them so to do that they may have a pretence of necessity to do much servile work on the Sabbath How common is it to dress meat on the Sabbath more than on any other day when there is not the least pretence of weakness c. Hereby not only Servants but the whole house are too much in labour and destraction and hindred if not from the solemn Assemblies yet from Family and Closet worship How do many gossip complement Eating too much on the Sabbath and feast away abroad the day of the Lord or else eat to an excess at home and thereby make themselves fitter for a bed than to wait on the Sanctuary to hear Christs voice to meditate on his love and to feed in his pleasant pastures How carefull are we to keep our selves Stealing Gods time and ours from pilfering from our Neighbour but not from stealing from God his time yea are not some Governours so ungodly unmercifull that they will allow their people no time but the Sabbath to recreate themselves from their labours If they need recreation you have more time than God hath reserved sure you should not steal from God to pleasure them In the discharge of the works of mercy to Man and Beast Not performing duties of mercy aright Do not we respect more our own commodity than the will of God than the dispensation of God and the creatures necessities Are these works of mercy attended with such spiritual meditations as they do afford us if our hearts were holy How few bless God for giving them one day Not blessing of God for the Sabbath wherein they may lighten their hearts of all worldly cares and throw off all griefs and secular cumbers and may seek for relief and comfort in their God Perhaps the Master observes a day unto the Lord Careless whether those under them observe the Sabbath but how careless is he that his Sons and Daughters and all within his gate honour the day of the Lord Do not many Professing Governours of Families let them sleep away the Sabbath that they may be the fitter for their drudgeries the following week O! when will Governours be as diligent that their Servants and Houshold serve the Lord as that they serve themselves You have been carefull that your work were done on the week but careless whether Gods work were done by them on the Sabbath careless whether your Servants profited by the Sabbath yea or no When will Gods glory and the good of your peoples Souls be nearer to you than your worldly advantages You ask your Servants what work they have done for you every day and call them to frequent accounts for your gains-sake and what never reckon with them about their Spiritual Soul-work O! how little is the love of God shed abroad in your hearts How justly may God be angry with us till he hath consumed us for our desiling the day of the Lord It was Gods express Law Exod. 31.14 that every one that desileth it should surely be put to death When the people were weary of the Sabbath when they said Amos 8.5 v. 7. When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat c. v. 7. The Lord swore by the excellency of Jacob Surely I will never forget any of their works v. 8. Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a floud and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the floud of Egypt v. 9. And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord God that I will cause the Sun to go down at Noon and I will darken the Earth in the clear day v. 10 And I will turn your Feasts into mourning and all your Songs into lamentation c. v. 11. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord God that I will send a Famine in the land not a Famine of Bread nor a thirst for Water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. v. 12. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it CHAP. XX. Their miscarriages about Heart-examination THe more that the Lord of Heaven chargeth us with a Duty Professors miscarriages about Self-examination the more inexcusable are our neglects of it There are few things more commanded us than to try and examine our hearts and lives 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves c. Prove your selves c. We are apt to be strangers to our selves to cheat our selves with vain presumptuous hopes to rest in notions therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examine your selves take an experimental knowledge of your selves We are apt to prove others and censure them therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prove your own selves begin at home try your state try your actions bring the mettal to the touchstone see whether it be sound or counterfeit try your Faith whether it be temporary or saving prove your Repentance whether it be through or superficial examine your Love whether it be sincere or hypocritical and your Obedience whether it be universal or partial Deut. 4.39 Know therefore and consider it in thine heart make a return or answer to thine heart Commune with thine own heart
drunkenness Luke 21.14 How have we forgot Christ's charge against this sin even to his own Disciples Have we not hereby been disabled to perform the service which we owe to God As some have been strong to drink so others to eat Both have been unfitted to wait upon God thereby The end of our eating should have been to fit us not to indispose us for the service of God We should measure our Chear by that which Nature requireth and not by that which a greedy Appetite desireth We divest our selves of Man of Reason that should guide us when we are led by a sensual Appetite And yet alas When we have eaten enough and perhaps more than enough a new Dish at the second course makes us fall on without fear or wit and we put not a knife to our throat Prov. 23.2 Serving divers lusts and pleasures is the high way to damnation This way sin entred into the World and in this way O! how many are posting to Hell If you would adopt your selves Children of wrath Eph. 2.3 then fullfill the desires of the flesh O that we should be so senseless so bruitish as to venture the eternal ruine of our Souls to gratifie our appetites for a quarter of an hour She that fared deliciously Rev. 18.7 hath torment and sorrow given her If that you will choose to be beasts here and to eat as beasts as much as you can Know that Heaven will not as Noahs Ark did admit of any Beasts within it When Tertullian gives an account of the Christians Feasts In our feeding saith he we remember that we are to pray at night Prayer is the first and last dish of the feast and when we depart our behaviour is so religious and modest that one would have thought we had rather been at a Sermon than at a Supper Blush O Reader to consider how far short we fall of these Christians in our banqueting hours Believe it Intemperance and Luxury are National sinnes the sins of England It was spoken unless I am mis-informed of our Nation That we build as if we should live for ever and eat as if we should die presently O! when shall we imitate that great Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 All things saith he are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any It is a base thing for a man to be under the power of Drinks Apparel Recreations and so of Flesh of Meats to be a Vassal to those things over which the Lord hath given him dominion He that loveth any thing too much Qui nimis rem aliquam amat quodam modo servus istius efficitur Rom. 6.16 Mat. 24.38 saith Aquinas is in a sense Servant thereunto And what saith the Apostle Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin c. How many serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies How many are like the men of the old World Given to eating so the word in the Original properly signifieth 2. The costliness of their Diet How have our meats born no proportion to our gains and incomes The rich man that fared deliciously had some pretence for it for he had riches to countervail the expences of his Table Above their Estates But doth not the lowness of our Estates require a meaner Table God knows we have been worse than Infidels on this account in that we have been so farr from providing for our own that to pamper the flesh with costly diet we have suddenly impoverished our selves and brought our Children to live upon others trenchers whereas we should have abated of our superfluities for their sakes if not for our own Goe voluptuous wretch unto the Ant and to the Bee they provide for Winter but thou hast had no forecast and so Poverty comes in on thee and thine as an armed man irresistably 3. unsuitable to the Times How have our Tables been unsuitable to the Times we live in Whether Zion wear the garments of joy or of heaviness all 's one the belly must be served our dishes must not abate Thou farest deliciously every day All times are alike to thee This is a great sin and I cannot but charge many Professours with it Respect is not had to the tokens of Gods wrath Jude v. 12. We eat without fear Without fear of the wrath of God that is ready to break forth upon us In this day doth the Lord of Hosts call to weeping Isa 22.12 13 14. and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep actions lawfull enough at another time eating flesh and drinking wine c. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of Hosts We have made little or no distinction of times Perhaps a Fast every month is carelesly kept but every day should be a day of abstinence every day we should abate of what we might enjoy if the judgements of God were not amongst us and others impending over us God hath a controversie with us for feasting when Joseph is in the pit Amos 4.6 and for our eating the Lambs of the Flocks for that we are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph 4. Not respecting the Saints necessities How little respect have we had to the necesities of the Saints O! if there were any true love to God to Religion to the Church of God and to the Saints of the most high we would abate of our worldly comforts in this day Membra putida mortua quae sensum non habent tales sunt Christiani qui de alienis affectionibus non dolent Aug. in Psal 130. we would cut our selves short of what we were wont to lay out not only in fine clothes but in house-keeping in expensive meats and drinks we would not give such liberty to the satisfying of the flesh we would be more sparing in our diet that we might be in the greater capacity to promote pious and charitable designs But alas iniquity abound and the love of many save to their guts waxeth cold 5. Eating without fear of God Doe not we eat without an holy fear of God The Elders of Israel did eat their bread before the Lord. Exod. 18.12 But so have not we so do not we eat as in the presence of God Have not some been so eager upon the pleasing of the flesh and gratifying of their sensual appetites as that they have secretly at least been troubled at a long grace as it is called before meat Have not some fall'n to their meat without invocating God to be with them How unlike are such unto Christ whose usual practise it was to lift up his eyes to Heaven and crave a blessing upon the creatures before he did partake of them
Providence and for Conscience sake But alas how few can appeal to the heart-searching God concerning their mercifulness How few if destruction from God be any terrour to them dare imprecate upon themselves what Job did in case of unmercifulness How few dare say to God If I have withheld the poor from their desire Job 31.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. or have caused the eyes of the Widow to fail or have eaten my morsel my self alone and the Fatherless hath not eaten thereof c. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering c. then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade and mine arm be broken from the bone CHAP. XXV Their unrighteousness or unfaithfulness in Trading ALas Professors miscarriages in Trading with reference to Buyers and Sellers Alas Instead of Mercifulness Behold Oppression Violence Deceit Fraud c. This is a Lamentation and should be for a Lamentation Instead of giving to others that which is our own we deny them that which is their own Instead of letting goe our own right and those dues which in Justice others are bound to pay unto us yea instead of giving more of our own to help them in their necessities which Mercy calls for even not only not to require what others owe us when Providence hath dis-enabled them to pay us but also to give them more to support their feeble state withall behold Injustice in propriety of speech What defraudings is there one of another How do men not only take all advantages of their Brethren to get what is due to them as to seize on a Mortgage when the Mortgage-money cannot be paid or to sue a bond or turn a man out of his lease when the day of payment is mist c. but also take advantage from the necessities of the poor to over reach them to get from them either their houses or goods to be sure what is not their own Have not we grinded the faces of the poor God will reckon for this speedily Look over the Prophets and see whether unmercifullness and unrighteousness ever went unpunished How few are there who mete to others as they would have them to measure to themselves The rule of Christ whereby peace among men would be preserved and much scandal prevented is not heeded by us We do not deal with others as we would be dealt with though Christ sayes unto us Mat. 7.12 Phil. 4.8 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets and though we are also exhorted by the Apostle to follow what ever things are true and honest and just and pure and lovely We are apt to follow a multitude to do evil what the greater part of the world are wont to do is the rule whereby we steer hence we vary from that rule of righteousness which the Lord hath prescribed through the prevalency of self-self-love through a covetous humour As to Sellers selling for as much as can be got we are loth to heed what may any whit thwart a worldly interest How common but cursed a principle is it that every man may get for his wares as much as he can Hence men take advantage of others necessities or of their want of skill Hence bad wares are put into mens hands for good wares or else unreasonable demands are made to the prejudice of the buyer would we be so dealt with When men depend upon our honesty and ingenuity to sell them a good pennyworth Over-reaching those that trust how common is it with a glavering tongue and seeming affection to our Neighbours good to over-reach him and cheat him though he reposeth confidence in us How commonly do men demand a farr greater sum for their wares Asking more than they will accept than they will accept Hereby they shew an oppressing mind if their Customers would but comply with them The Quakers will rise up in Judgement to condemn this generation Is it not a foul shame that they by their light within which at best is but the light of a natural Conscience should exceed others who pretend to an higher principle even the light of Grace But O! how do men mind profit more than their own honour and reputation yea which is more inexcusable than the reputation of Christ and his Gospel The name of God suffers not so much when thou art rotten hearted in thy Closet as it doth when thou art a Cheater in thy Shop But wo and alas Men are so set upon gain that they can be contented to be voiced for Cheats and Couseâ—ers so they may but greaten their Estates This is a salve for their soar they cannot be ignorant how the Gospel suffers and how many prejudices are strengthned in the hearts of wicked men against Religion by observing Professours unseasonable demands for their Wares and yet they continue grievous exacters Is it not matter of lamentation that some profess they had rather deal with a Turk or with a Jew than with such and such a Christian And that they meet with fairer Quarter from Drunkards c. in their Trades than from Precisians Rom. 2.24 By reason of you the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles Wherein doth your Light shine before men They cannot dive into your hearts they can only discern your actions They know not what your Love to God is though you pretend much to knowledge yet knowledge void of charity and honesty is to them an abomination How few trade in fear Not fearing Soul-losses even in their gains lest by getting an Estate they lose God and a good Conscience When one told Latimer That he was consened in paying for a Knife double to what it was worth No said he He hath not cousened me but his own Conscience No wonder that Tradesmen complain of deadness in their Familsies and Closets and impute it to their Callings and thereby charge God implicitly Alas it is not their Calling hath straitned and deadned their hearts towards God but their oppression and deceit in their businesses hath provoked God to leave them and then they are in the business of God like a silly Dove without an heart Hath not God expresly charged you Let no man goe beyond 1 Thes 4.6 or over-reach another in any matter because that the Lord is the Avenger of all such The vengeance of God is upon thee in the straitness of thy Spirit in Duties and without Repentance it will follow thee till it hath laid thee in the Pit of Hell How do men labour to ingross all Trade to themselves Ingrossing all Trade by exclaiming against their Neighbours and by under-selling them at one time that they may engage the Buyer to become their Customer of whom they will surely fetch out their penny-worths in the next bargain that is driven How do men boast of their selling their Commodities at
in thy gold or in a golden calf thou art guilty of Idolatry Col. 3.5 of having other Gods besides the true God and so dost as highly offend the true God and God usually gives up such men unto spiritual judgements Rom. 1.21.24 It makes me fear you have not tasted of the upper springs because the puddle of the World is still sweet to your taste Luke 5.39 No man saith Christ having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better If you had tasted of the joy peace mercy and comforts of Christ your earthly comforts would be disrelished Gal. 6.14 If you did glory in the Cross of Christ the World would be crucified to you and you unto the World The sweetness of Christ would drown all Creature-sweetness But alass Psa 84.10 To which of us is one day in Gods Courts better than a thousand else-where Austin said If one drop of the joyes of Heaven might fall into Hell it would drown all the bitterness of Hell So would it drown all bitterness in the Soul and all the sweetness in the World Worldly comforts would be too course too slat too low to recreate your hearts Did ye but know the honey and milk of Canaan ye would not so much mind the Onyons of Egypt Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will cleave to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon O! What a surpassing indignity is this to Christ Si terram amas terraâ—es Aug. to set him below the foot-stool to value thirty Pieces of Silver before him to preferr Earth before Heaven present things before future that the love of God the recompence of reward shall not lye nearer the heart than the treasures of Egypt O! What a miserable life dost thou live This Sin brings an Hell with it thou art the Devil's Martyr 1 Tim. â— 9 They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and burtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Thou enjoyest neither God nor the World Thy only happiness is a fancy And this is thy great misery that thou still desirest that which will never satisfie thy desires The more thou hast of the World the more thou wantest the more thou drinkest the more thou thirstest a Dropser is upon thee Semper avarus eget Hor. Hebr. 13.5 Prov. 23 5. ch 8.21 Eccles 5.1 and thou knowest it not Discontent is alwayes the Companion of Covetousness Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have Why wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Grace and Godliness is substance Why with Esop's Dogg wilt thou let goe the substance for a shadow The things of the World are fancies the things of God realities What good is there to the Owners of riches saving the beholding them with their eyes Do not you all this while bear false witness against God Do not you proclaim to the World that God is not enough to answer to fill your desires and that therefore you goe out after the Creature Is it nothing to you to call God who is all-sufficient who is a fountain of living Water a barren Wilderness Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid Jer. 2.12 13 31. be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evills's they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisternes broken cisternes that can hold no water O Generation see ye the Word of the Lord Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel a Land of Darkness Wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Hereby you break the conjugal Relation God looks on you as Adulterers and Adulteresses James 4.4 Prov. 5.19 and will judge you accordingly God expects that his breasts should satisfie you and that you be alwayes ravished with his love and dare you tell the World that your God hath deceived you and that you were mistaken in your choice of God and therefore after other Lovers you will goe No wonder that for the iniquity of our covetousness Isa 57.17 God be wroth and smite us We are greedy of more but what have we done with our former talents Account we must for one Mat. 25.5 for two for ten talents the more we have the greater still will be our account There is a reckoning day at hand O that our moderation were known to all men Phil. 4.5 because the Lord is at hand If thou art not sincere I am as sure as this Book is in thy hand thou wilt curse the time that ever thou hadst an Estate and wilt wish thou hadst been a Beggar for then thou hadst not so much to answer for before God It is certain though some doubt it that thou shalt carry none of thy estate away with thee 1 Tim. 6.7 nothing is to be carried away save guilt to Hell in case of mis-improvement of an Estate yea if you have not rendred unto God according to what you have received 2 Chron. 32.25 the heaping up of wealth is but the charging of thy account thou must account how thou hast disbursed to a farthing I will suppose thou hast by neglects of thy general Calling and by rising up early and sitting up late gained an Estate thou mayest put all thy gain in thine eyes and never see the worse What will thy Estate advantage thee when the Arrows of the Lord enter into thy Soul What will the World advantage thee when the Gout Feaver burning Pestilence c. are upon thee What hast thou got only that which may stand with Gods eternal hatred Never count thy gains till thou hast got that which is inconsistent with Gods wrath What hast thou got above that which God throweth unto the Doggs Shew me Childrens bread or never boast of thy gains Did you ever find any Child of God worse for afflictions but have you not found many worse for their thrivings in the World Jeshurun waxed fat Deut. 32.15 and kicked Whilst you have Bonds and Bills upon others do not you run into arrears unto God And how will you discharge those Suits which God will commence against you When you lye a dying will ye not wish that your time your strength your spirits had been powred forth upon better things than those of this life That you had traded for Grace and Glory rather than for the Gold of Ophir for a little gilt Clay O ye great Projectours for the World I do even fore-see the troubles and horrours the doubts and fears the anguish and amazements of your Souls which your unâ—â—â—â—â—â—ties as to your future estate will put 〈…〉 into in your dying Rooms How 〈…〉 take up such language as this Fool that I was to cumber my self about many things
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
try to live unmarried though the Apostle told them of the advantages of serving Christ thereby 1 Cor. 7.32 He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord. Severally The Husbands sins in not loving as Christ Husbands ye have not loved your Wives as Christ the Church though the command be express Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church Christ is faithful to his Spouse I will abide for thee Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the Harlot Eph. 5.25 Hos 3.3 and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee But though you have not been Adulterers in any gross act yet how oft have you wish'd the bond of marriage were broken and have not you had eyes full of Adultery hath not your love to others degenerated into secret lust Christ is patient to his Church but hath your love suffered all things upon light matters what frowns I will not say what blows Hath not family-prayer been neglected through your wrath Christ gives no occasion of jealousie but have not some of you The Lord searcheth hearts Christs love is bountifull how short have you kept your Wives contrary to your engagements to endow them with all your worldly goods Christ keeps company with the 〈◊〉 of his bosome but have not some of you been more abroad than at home Christ edifieth his Church Do ye dwell with your Wives as men of knowledge Christ doth communicate secrets to his Spouse Are not ye strangers to the hearts though perhaps not to the bosomes of your nearest Relations Christ doth confer often with his Church about the mysteries of God I wish you did so I fear some of you are silver tongued abroad to get you a name forward to speak of Christ but dumâ— at home even to your Wives as well as Children The Woman learns not 2 Cor. 14.25 though she ask her Husband at home Christ gives the sâ—â—â—pest rebubes to his offending Spouse privâ—â—ely and when he gets her alone But do not you râ—broâ—e before Servants and Children Hereby they learn frowardnesse when brought into this relation and at present slight the Wives of your bosomes Christ doth not blaze his Wifes infirmities but so have ye Christ puts the best construction on what his Spouse doth The spirit is willing though the flesh be weak But do not you put the worst When your lusts are quenched your love is gone Christ doth pitty his Church as the weaker vessel if ye did so the family would be the better governed Christ doth sympathize with his Church In all her afflictions he is afflicted but how fretfull churlish and Nabal-like are you when the hand of God is heavy on your nearest Relations Christ doth vindicate his Spouse and is greatly displeased when she suffers from the world but cannot some of you help to deride your Wives 〈◊〉 and not frown when they are wronged and abused Christ doth not upbraid his Spouse with her low condition before he he put honour on her but alas How oft have ye cast into the dish what the condition of your Wives was before you cast your eyes upon them Christ gave his life for his Church what hast thou done and suffered to save the Soul of thy Wife Christ rules his Church not with a rod of Iron but with a Scepter of Love Is your dominion exercised with discretion and love Are all things done in Charity Is she to thee 〈◊〉 a loving Hind or Roe Prov. 5.19 Christ doth not count his Spouse as a Servant but a Friend he doth not domineer over his Church but hath high thoughts of her but how many husbands use their Wives hardly better than Servants Christ notwithstanding keeps up his authority over his Church but do not many Husbands loose it through too much uxoriousness and make themselves contemptible by yeilding to their Wives as Adam to his whence came at first all sin disorder and misery into the world How did Solomon fall Christ yeilds to many of his Wives petitions and suits to him but many are worse than the Heathen was to his Wife He said unto her What wilt thou Queen Esther Esth 5.3 and what is thy request it shall be even given thee to the half of the Kingdom The poor Wife must use the mediation of others to have her desires accomplished When Christ doth command his Wife his Church he doth it mildly We pray you in Christs stead But many Husbands imperiously enough too much God knoweth Philem. v. 9. when for loves sake they should rather intreat Christ doth love his Spouse though he gains nothing by her but alas How many are severe enough to their Wives when they fail of that Estate c. that they expected from them As Husbands fail so do Wives Wives miscarriages in not loving their Husbands as the Church Christ Eph. 5.24 Psal 73.25 even as the Church is subject unto Christ so should ye have been to your own Husbands in every thing But how have ye affronted your Light The true Church of Christ loves him inwardly as well as outwardly so should ye have loved your Husbands but alas How little have ye shewed the union betwixt the Church and Christ by your affections The Church loves Christ more than Angels Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee But how many Wives are commending others Husbands more than their own If my Husband were thus and thus c. Thy Husband should be to thee the most precious of all persons the most lovely in thine eyes Not parts and gifts but the good pleasure of God should be the ground of this special love The Church honours Christ above all other persons in the world but have not some of you mean low and base thoughts of your Husbands The Church is subject to Christ in all things but will not some of you wear what you please goe where you please eat what you please and employ your selves in what you please Yea though contrary to your Husbands just commands and meek entreaties The Church fears Christ so should Wives I say not either should with a slavish but both should with a reverential fear Remember Michal 1 Chron. 15. ult She despised her Husband in her heart She did not exprefs her slighting of him as many do in words and she had no Child unto the day of her death God took the Husband's part and put a remark of displeasure upon that her saâ—ciness For slighting the Ordinance of God her Head though but in her heart God plagued her in her Womb with barrenness The Church loves Christ more and more but O the decayes of Womens affections to their Husbands Partly through levity and partly through age and partly through cross Providences Prov. 2.17 Whereas thou shouldst have kept the Covenant of thy God The
affect your hearts as it ought Some there were but very few would say Brown Bread and the Gospel is a Feast Few like the Christians at Constantinople cryed out Better the Sun not shine than Chrysostome be silenced You could bless God for Health Estate c. but not for these great Luminaries of Glory who were appointed to conduct and guide you unto the Heavenly Jerusalem 4. Not praying for 〈◊〉 How little did you Pray for them How little have you prayed for gifts and abilities to goe through their whole work for preservation for them and for a sanctified use of all Gods dispensations toward them How little did you deprecate the stopping of their mouths and supplicate that their mouths might be kept open Eph. 6.19 and that utterance might be given unto them that they might open their mouths boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel Have not they oft begg'd your Prayers in the words of Paul I beseech you Rom. 15.30 31. Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your Prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea in England and yet have not you neglected to call upon God for their deliverance How can you tell but their mouths had still been opened had not you neglected Prayer Mat. 7.7 8. Hath not Christ promised Knock and it shall be opened unto you To him that knocketh it shall be opened 5. Making Excuses for not hearing them Have not you made sorry Excuses for not hearing them How little have you believed that Word He that heareth you heareth me And by consequence that not-hearing of them was not-hearing of Christ himself What slight excuses have been deemed sufficient to keep you from the Shepheards Tents The Apostle would have us Swift to hear James 1.19 Swiftness notes diligence in taking the first occasion but how have you to complement with a Friend to indulge to the flesh for fear of a little rain for fear of wetting your feet for fear of losing a six-penny yea a penny-Customer declined several opportunities of attending the Embassadours God sent you For these things the wrath of God is breaking out upon you the day is come or coming Amos 8.12 Cant. 5.3 6. Their miscarriages before in and after hearing Before Hearing without antecedent meditation when ye shall wander from Mountain to Hill from Sea to Sea and seâ—k bread and find none This very excuse the fear of defiling her feet would not serve the Spouse 6. How did you miscarry both before and in and after hearing How slender was your preparation to attend upon these Deputies of Christ How little did you meditate on the Word you were to receive at their lips Did you thus consider The Gospel that I am about to hear wil be the savour of life unto life or of death unto death I shall be nearer Heaven or Hell by this Sermon I am going to If the Gospel be alwayes hid I am a lost Soul and shall perish is my Soul hungry This is the bread of Heaven Is my Soul thirsty this is the water of life this is the milk whereby I must grow up unto eternal life this messenger of Heaven will be for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel If he be not instrumental for my Salvation he will be for my Damnation Isa 55.10 11. As the rain cometh and watereth the Earth and returneth not thither c. So shall Gods Word that goeth forth out of this Ministers mouth not return unto him voyd How little did you consider the excellency and necessity of the Word that you were to partake of What â—reasure was afforded you in an earthen vessel That the Truths and Doctrines that your Ministers taught you were of as much worth as your Souls as Heaven as Salvation How little did you pour out your Souls in Prayer unto God before you went to hear your Prayer Ministersâ— Eâ—â—her 〈◊〉 your Ministers that God would open their mouths to speak the word truly sincerely powerfully and seasonably and suitabty to your condition or for your own Souls that God would open your hearts to enteâ—tain the word so as to profit by it that you might not have open ears and shut hearts that you might not have ears Prov. 20.12 and yet hear not as knowing that the hearing ear and seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them How careless were you to purge your Souls before you came to hear the word Putting off the shooe Moses before he was to hear God speaking put off his shooe to intimate that you should put off your carnal and earthly affections before you come to hear Gods word But have not you rush'd out of your worldly employments to many a Sermon How careless were you to lay apart all filthiness Jam. 1.21 and superfluity of naughtiness that you might receive with neekness the engrafted word Eccles 5.1 which is able to save your Souls If you have not come without habitual have you not neglected actual preparation When you have been actually under the Ministry Have not you heard irreverently In hearing irreverently without awfull apprehensions of Gods Majesty and presence Have you said of the place where any Minister of Christ hath preached unto you as Jacob of Bethel how dreadfull is this place Have you in your hearing Sermons set your selves in the presence of God Acts 10.33 as Cornelius did when Peter was preaching unto him The King of Moab will rise up in judgement to condemn the irreverence of many of our Professours when Ehud told him Judg. 3.20 I have a message to the from God the King arose from his Throne and bowed himself Have not you evidenced your irreverence in hearing carelesly Carlesly dully drowsily sleepily c. Have not you lent a more attentive ear to a Tale to a Fable to a Romance to a Ballad to a Stage-Play of several hours length than to a Sermon of an kour Have not you come to Church as to an Apothecaries Shop for a recipe to sleep Hath not the Gospel come unto you in word only and not in power When the Minister threatened you from the Lord could you say My slesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy righteous judgements How many months and years did Gods Servants threaten you with a Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord but did this Judgement fright you and humble you whilst it lay in the cloud of the threaâ—ning as the least appearances of an outward Famine have awakened you When your Ministers came with the tydings of Peace to you were their feet beautiful May not your Ministers complain of you as Christ of the Jewes John 8. â—â— My Word takes no place in you So careless have you been of any thing that hath been spoken
c. How seldome have we had any great conflict for those whose faces in the flesh we never saw Have not we been like Jacobs Children unmercifull enough sate down to eat and drink and forgot Joseph in the Pit Have not we had a late instance of this our hard-heartedness when the Plague so forraged in London and the parts adjacent How little did we mourn with them that mourned Perhaps fear lest the Flying Role might visit us caused us a little to put finger into the eye I must tell you I wish I could weeping that iniquity abounds and the love of many waxeth cold 17. Insulting over them 1 Cor. 13.4 Have not we been so far from sympathizing with them that we have insulted over them Reall love vaunteth not it self is not puffed up But how have we vaunted over fall'n Brethren fall'n into misery that is bad but fall'n into sin that is abominable How oft have I known some high Professours making it an entertainment a banquet for their Friends to speak of the Spots Vanities Gestures c. of others different in some Opinions or Practices from them when their laughture hath given evident proof what contentment they took in the infirmities of their Brethren Ye are puffed up 1 Cor. 5.2 and have not rather mourned c. said Paul to the Corinthians and may not I say so to English-Professours Have not we been worse than Dives's dogs seeing they licked the soars of Lazarus whilst we have rub'd and fretted them and insulted over his miseries 18. Publishing their secrets Have not we very unfaithfully published their secrets We are wont to keep the secrets of those we dearly love especially when they charge us and we promise so to do But how many of us are swift to hear but not slow to speak of what we hear even under the rose Few faithfull Spirits Prov. 11.13 that conceal the matter How many are there that creep into houses yea farther into bosomes to know secrets that they may inslave them to their wills for fear of their publications or else when they have got what they can of them most wretchedly betray the trust reposed in them This makes me even to cry out trust not in a Brother 19. Selfishness 1 Cor. 13.5 Have not we been selfish in our love Charity seeketh not her own Observe it the most love that is going is Publican-love we are careless of their company or to have any intimacy with them from whom nothing is likely to be returned if a Professour be rich he hath many Friends such as they be but the poor is despised of his Neighbour O! how base and mercenary is our love Even your Ministers to whom you have pretended dear and high affections yet if they be laid by or removed at a distance from you that you cannot have them as a pleasant song to you how strange are you instantly to them How soon do you forget them Judas may kiss you but he hath a design upon you Joab may salute but he is working nothing but his own base design 20. Inconstancy Hath not our love been inconstant Real love is abiding but do not we quickly exchange Friends Do we keep them as long as an Almanack to the end of the year Do not new pickt flowers tempt us to throw by the old 1 Cor. 13.4 Charity suffereth long But how soon is our love quenched It makes a blaze but soon is out soon kindled soon quench'd like Children won with an Apple lost with a Nut How have we been at swords point for every trifle Those seven ones one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all should have been as so many quoines to lock together all parts of the building into one But alas every extravigant or extrinsecal opinion hath broken us and our hearts to pieces Have not we been humourish peevisn lovers Our love is dearly bought and more hardly kept Humour is like tinder as soon on fire as touched no love without conformity in every thing we could hardly bed board or house together unless we all said the same thing we loved only whilst pleased and our humours were not crost but the least unkindness the least difference though our agreemenss were more by hundreds than our differences would quench or at least abate our love Charity is not easily provoked 1 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.1 And to fullfil the law of love its requisite in the Apostles Judgement that we bear one anothers burthens But O! ever since I can remember what a rigid imperious and tyrannical commanding of an Uniformity in every punctilio hath there been Though the pretence be love to Christs Church yet if men would consult their own hearts 't is love of their own power and rule and Lordship over their Brethren and therefore the same party of men when in the Saddle when uppermost have cryed for this rigid Conformity away with cursed tolleration c. and when reduced and brought lower have as much commended Charity Love Forbearance in matters less momentous Now when these things are thus amongst us The greatness of this evil shall we sit still in silence and stupidity and suffer the sweet and soft fire of love quite to expire and the wild-fire of passion and contention to spread and prevail without moving a tongue or hand towards the repressing of the one and reviving of the other This were enough to make the dumb to speak and therefore may justifie my writing when I may not speak yea my expatiating a little in venting my thoughts about this great evil and the desires of my heart to redress it Is it nothing to us In its disobedience See Williams transcendency of Christs love Chap. 9. Sect. 3 4 5. John 13.33 34 35.14.12.15.12 17 that hereby we are in a special manner guilty of disobedience to Jesus Christ That all Christians would love one another was our Lord Jesus his dying charge which he frequently inculcated sweetly insinuated and powerfully enforced it as a Commandement not a bare advice and counsel It is a Commandement of Christs own prescribing A Commandement I give unto you It is a Commandement given as a special Love-token in his last Will and Testament It is a new Commandement A new Commandement I give unto you It is a most excellent Commandement in a new Edition corrected and amended from the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees and enlarged from his own example Before it was only Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self now it is Love one another as I have loved you This new Commandement is not once only given but given again and again and again by our dying Lord to intimate that as he had one Disciple who went by the name of the Disciple whom Jesus loved So he would have a darling Commandement and that this should be it Love one another Yea he calls it These things as
to scatter and disperse those fogs and mists which over-cloud their Souls you should be eyes to the blind but you are not you should be of a merciful Spirit to all Souls more especially to the Souls of all Saints most especially to the Souls of those Saints to whom you are peculiarly related but you are not Exod. 23.5 1 Thes 5.14 1 Cor. 12.7 Mal. 3.16 In the old Law God took care of Asses if they lay under a burthen Israel was to help them Doth God take care for beasts and will not ye for men for Saints for the redeemed of the Lord God requires of you that you comfort the feeble minded The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Christ expects his own with increase They that feared the Lord spake often one to another to comfort one another with the promises of God made to his people against the flourishing of the wicked and overflowing of ungodliness and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of Remembrance was written before him c. the Lord book't that good service Nihil de Scripturis nihil de salute Animarum agitur sed nugae risus verba proferuntur inventum he pur it upon record But though the Lord hearknetâ— and hears yet he seldom finds us so employed our neglects are sealed up in his bag I pray God we may lay it to heart repent and reform Bernards complaint may justly be revived Not a word of the Scriptures nothing of the Salvation of the Soul but trisles and to yes laughter and words as light as the wind eat up the time I know there have been too many Uzza's amongst us who have had an itching desire to be fingring of the Ark thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to think and like the ambitious Sons of Levi taking too much upon them whereby the Ministry hath suffered much contempt The Lord forgive these daring Phaetons who have set the world in a slame hereby But let not us run from one extreme into another Let us give to the Ministry their due Jude v. 20. and yet not neglect to build up our selves in our most holy faith Mutual duties should be exercised between Christian and Christian The Apostle is express for it in the places already quoted I shall adde one more Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another O! if God would be with me so far as to make me an instrument to prevail with you to go and visit one another and stir up one another that knowing the terours of the Lord you may perswade men O! bewail thy unserviceableness thy private spiritedness thy want of love and bowels to others especially now when the Ministerial help fails to such a degree and when there is so great an Apostasie Sure then is no time wherein Christian-fellowship is more called for and wherein it may be more profitable than at this time But alas How are the wise as well as the foolish Virgins asleep generally secure without action no way usefull to each other no more than they are who are fast asleep in their beds of rest O! how few are there like Jonathan and David how few enter into a brotherly promise to exhort one another to call one another to account to tell one another their fears to know of one another their growth in Religion We are proud and loath to have our nakedness appear yea some of us have few stories to tell of Gods goodness and bounty to our Souls and we hate a discovery how low earthly vain backsliding we are Hence reserved to each other But God will bring forth the hidden works of dishonesty 3. Not admonishing or not aright How is Fraternal correption neglected or spoyl'd in the managing Some totally neglect reproving their Brethren Gallio-like they little care for these things they are little concern'd whether God be honoured or dishonoured Others delay admonition Either neglecting it altogether or delaying it The Flesh is backward to this self-denying work and so the many weighty circumstances which should bring the Offendor to Repentance are forgot The Offendor is also hardned in his Sin He thinks by thy silence thou art altogether like unto him so he judgeth of Gods silence these things hast thou done and I kept silence Psa 50.21 thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self so he judgeth of thy silence It 's much easier to fetch out a spot of inck from a cloth the day it is stained than afterwards Sin like a Mole will quickly bury it self and the longer let alone the harder it is to dig it up The longer a disease is let alone the harder cured Cronical diseases are seldome a credit to the Physitian Besides if you neglect the Reproof this day or hour perhaps by the next he will commit the same Sin again for either he knows it not to be a sin or in case he knows it yet every new act doth strengthen the habit of sin It is the nature of sin to blind the Mind to stupifie the Conscience and to harden the heart Exhort therefore one another dayly Heb. 3.13 while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin If the finner add sin to sin put that to your account for neglecting the Ordinance of God for his reducement If he loseth the favour of God and neglects hereupon all private communion with the Lord put that to thy account If at length he becomes impudent in sin so that like a Bedlam he feels not the pricks of sharp admonition put all this to your account because you have delayed to cure to heal to save the Soul of your Brother A timely reproof might have saved a Soul and covered a multitude of sins Besides have you time at your command that you with Faelix will do your duty at a more convenient season May'st not thou dye or the Offendor dye and both in sin thou in the sin of Omission and he in the sin of Commission unrepented of before the day comes wherein thou art resolved to tell him roundly of his fault Why art not thou trembling with fear of blood-guiltiness Is Soul-murther no sin with thee Or have you the Holy-Ghost at command Without the Holy Spirits a sistances and concourse your labour will be in vain you will get a blot by reproving the delinquent will flye in your face hate you for telling the truth he will add sin unto sin and perhaps put you into a flame too and must the Holy-Ghost dance attendance on you If you observe his hour you must go presently whilst the wound is fresh and bleeding but if you neglect his call it is a question whether your hour will be Gods Others miscarry in reproving Some reprove Or miscarrying in it not reproving privately Matth. 18.15 Prov. 10.12 Si solus nosti
Assembly a man with a gold ring and there cometh also a poor man in vile rayment and you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing c. are not you partial in your selves Have not you made a difference a groundless difference a difference grounded on carnal respects and not upon solid reason Are not ye become judges of evil thoughts Have not you made your judgement of such persons according to the dictate of your own evil thoughts and not according to the rule of the Word O! how seldome do Professours value and respect as God doth Let rich Professours be sick or under any other stroke of Gods hand what a doe is there what running to him what sending after him what endeavours to comfort him But O! how are the poor of the Church despised Little sending to them though they want necessaries for their Bodies in the time of their Visitation and their Souls are ready to sink for want of a word in season Your frequent visiting of some when under Gods hand and seldome resorting to others when in the same extremity Jam. 2.6 Hebr. 2.11 John 20.17 evidenceth that you despise the poor Yea are not you ashamed to be in the company of a mean Christian or to call a poor Christian Brother to own any such near relation to him And yet the Lord is not ashamed to call such Brethren Goe to my Brethren c. But woe and alas the same mind is not in us which was in Christ Jesus Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am lowly But we are proud and haughty and we learn of the high and mighty of the Earth to despise others of a lower condition than our selves The proud rich man can be content to claim kindred of Abraham he calls him Luk. 16. Father Abraham but you read not that ever he said Brother Lazarus It will not serve us nor save us saith a late Bishop of England to be able to say Abraham is our Father except we will charitably acknowledge the poorest Christian even Lazarus for our Brother Besides how soon is a rich Formalist admitted to Fellowship How hardly the Godly if poor 7. Slighting weak as well as poor Christians How do they who count themselves Christians of the highest form who have had great acquaintance with Christ and his wayes who have had a long experience of Christs sweetness and Satans deceits keep by themselves with the neglect of the lambs of them who are but of yesterday and know little of the mind of God How do we slight them Christ did not so who have but a mite or two for to cast into the treasury I mean who can contribute but little to their gifts or graces They that are poor in spirit as well as poor in the world have but very little respect now adayes whereas we should treasure and respect the smallest dust of Gold and Pearl we should resemble the Lord Jesus Christ his greatest care seems to be of the Lambs Feed my Lambs The Children in the Cradle and when they begin to take then feet should then be most dandled should then mostly be help up they then should be never out of hand If ye are Fathers ye are unnatural ones if you throw off the care of all the Children that need your care and take care of them who need it not As grace so growth in grace is given to edesie the body of Christ the eye is not for its self but for the blind members to lead them in paths of Righteousness Your care should be like Gods his care is for the least sly as well as for the greatest of the creatures Christ did not will the Salvation of one believer more than another he dyed equally for all all believers stand alike justified through the blood of Christ Christ knocks at the poor mans door as well as the rich if Christ makes any difference it is in this the poor weak Christian hath more expressions of his love and affection than the strong have he shews most pitty to the greatest objects of pitty to those that are in greatest want yea the young Saint at his first Conversion when he lately dropt from the Womb of the Gospel when he is but a Babe in Christ a sucking-Infant he hath more kisses and embraces more joy and comfort than perhaps he meets with till he be a grown man and old man in Christ till he be not only a gracious but a glorified Saint The very Philosopher observes that by Nature Parents are still carried with their greatest affections to the Child that is youngest because that is commonly most indigent that is most hug'd in the bosome dandled on the knee kiss'd and smiled upon I wish there were more of this Nature even among supra-natural Christians It is lamentable to see how little honour is bestowed upon the weaker Vessels and how few there are to be found that carry the lambs in their bosomes next their hearts and gently lead those that are with young 8. Not compassionating fall'n Brethren How little compassion is shew'd to fall'n Brethren to such as are overtaken with a fault yea with many When their hearts like the sluggards fields are overgrown with weeds we do not lend them our Spade and Mattock and Knife we do not labour to pull the brands that are half burnt out of the fire to save our selves this labour we deem them Caâ—â—-awayes as if there were no hope of their Restitution and Salvation we never more look after them to be sure we do not as the blessed Apostle John did who as Eusebius relates in his Ecclesiastical History ran after the back-slidden Professour who was turned an High way-man to take him by holy guile and to recover him out of the snares of Hell We carry it as if we held that sins committed after Conversion were unpardonable Art thou a stranger to thy own heart If not thou knowest God pittyeth thee though thou fallest seven times a day and it ill becomes thee who hast been so oft holpen out of the deep ditch to deny help to thy Brother that lyes there and perhaps will perish if none be more merciful than thy self Are there no solemn engagements upon thy Soul towards thy Neighbour Will not God take thee by the throat for thy unmercifulness Mat. 18.32 33 34. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all thy debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not thou have had compassion upon thy fellow-Servant even as I had pitty on thee Verily the Lord is wroth with you and if this be not amended he will deliver you to the Tormentours till you shall pay all that is due unto him O! Repent of your defectiveness in this thing Multitudes are hastening to the Valley of Decision multitudes are departed from their former Profession some of them are become scandalous their sins will lye at your doors and their blood too if you through unfaithfulness or through negligence or through
and yet you dare even then be vain and frothy you know the Lord is much grieved at the backslidings of his people and yet you have lost you antient faith love tenderness zeal publick-spiritedness and communion with God yea you have not only known these to be sins but you have spoken against them as evils you have told men how hainous a thing it is to sin against the Lord and yet you your selves have added iniquity unto iniquity What cloak have you for your sins And very impenitently Fourthly You have sinned impenitently notwithstanding all means for your repentance and reducement which God hath most wonderfully vouchsafed you The Lord hath for many years striven with you to put a stop to your sins and to reclaim you from your miscarriages Sometimes God hath gone up to Mount Ebal and threatned you with Sword Famine Fire and Pestilence and yet you have refused to hear from thence he hath leapt up to Mount Gerazim and allured you by all kind of blessings and yet you have carried your selves stoutly and impudently towards all the offers and tenders of grace for your recovery Jer. 3.4 7. God would have healed you he hath said wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth turn thou unto me yet you returned not You have had many of the Lords faithful Ambassadours who have laid siege at you hearts to engage them to the Lord and to take you off from your sinfull wayes but alas all the glad tidings of mercy have not affected you have not won you all the Ordinances of Jehovah have found little place in you have left no impre â—ion upon your Souls Ezek. 16.51 Hos 4.17 You have justified Judah and Samaria in all their stubborness and rebellion against the Lord. How righteous is it with the Lord to call upon the Ministers Let them alone threaten them no moâ—e promise them no more Rev. 22.11 Let him that is filthy he filthy still you have broken through Armies of Ordinances to commit sin therefore Gospel and Gospel-Ministers let them alone judgements overtake them my plagues my curses seize upon them Let them suddenly be destroyed Prov. 29.1 and that without remedy because they have hardned their necks though often reproved God hath waited more than three and three years on you expecting fruit but he sees little save the Clusters of Sodom upon you he hath born with you so long he hath held his tongue and said nothing so long that you have wickedly thought God to be such an one as you Psal 50.21 So that God must needs be a swift witness against you for the vindicating of his great and glorious Name unless you speedily repent and seek the Lord Zeph. 2.3 if perhaps he may be found O! how long hath God commanded you every where to repent not only by his threats but by his judgements which have begun at the House of God What lowd calls have we had Joel 2.11 1 Pet. 5.6 Turn to the Lord with weeping Let your laughter be turned into weeping Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and yet how stupid how insensible how impenitent have you remained to this very day though you have felt the Arrows of the Lord stying amongst you yea though you have been told Jer. 18.8 If you repent it shall repent the Lord of the evil he had thought either to continue upon you or to bring down on you yet alas where are the stirrings of your affections the soundings of your bowell the meltings and relentings of your repenting hearts O what marble breasts and hearts of Adamant have you How few are there mourning for all the wrongs they have done to the Majesty of God Evidenced in their being infensible of their own sins for all the abuses offered to the grace of God Perhaps the fear of Hell and so indeed self-love hath humbled some Ahabs and made them crouch because they would not be miserable But how few are humbled for their abuse of the love and grace of God by their great offences Whaâ— the Lord complains of by the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3.8 of the house of Israel that they would not hearken to the Messengers be sent them but were impudent and hard hearted may be again renewed against England and all its dominions the heart of stone is not yet taken away where is the man almost that can say God hath made mâ— heart soft Job 2â— 16 Though you have born arms against God though you have sinned against the Lord with an high hand though upon self-tryal you may sind those very sins amâ—ngst you which brought Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah Psal 42.3 and desolation on Israel yet alas when were tears thy drink When didst thou make thy Bed to swim Is thy beauty gone away for trouble Dost thou abhor thy self in dust and ashes before the Lord Know Reader that the Authors Pen had proceeded thus far before he heard of the late dreadful Burning of London the following lines shew thee what impressions it made on his thoughts and should on thy Soul Perhaps in Rama there is a voice heard Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children that dye by the Sword or Pestilence or are burnt in their beds Perhaps in London and throughout the Land there are some tears shed for the Coals of fire that God hath scattered the last week over that famous and antient City But how few are mourning for their pride worldliness contempt of the Ministers and Apostasies for which God seems to be contending not only by the Sword and the Pestilence but by Fire with us where are the Dovâ—s of the Valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity A â—haraoh may so far repent as to say Take away the Plague but few cry out Take away iniquity Few detest their sins few loath them few are so burthened with them as that they desire heartily to have them taken away Possibly Sin in its effects in its sad consequences as it consines men to the Pest-house as it endangereth health and life as it is the founder of graves and hells as it burns up your houses and goods is someway burthensom but few are troubled with it Ezek. 10.2.7.16 Hos 14.2 as it grieves resisteth and quencheth the Spirit of God as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude and as it kicks against the breasts of mercy And therefore no wonder if Few are to be found mourning for other mens sinnes Though Jesus Christ be crucified afresh Of other mens sins and put to open shame though the blessed Spirit of our God be always vexed and resisted though there be so much Atheism Epicurism contempt of God and his Ambassadours and Gospel Blasphemy Violence Falshood Pride Adultery Sodomy though there be setting up the posts of men with an apparent contempt of Gods holy
unfaithfullness YOu have Professed in your Creed to believe the Communion of Saints You have been admitted to the Priviledges of this Communion you thought it not safe or good for man to be alone to live retired from the Society of Saints you have been inrolled among the Saints in Jerusalem which came down from above you have with some Solemnity engaged your selves to be faithfull to the Souls of your Brethren and yet what an unprofitable Hermit hast thou been in Zion Like a wild-beast thou comest out of thy Den for thy prey to feed upon the Mountains of Spices to enjoy the provisions of Gods house but immediately thou retirest and art no way serviceable to the Body It is a wonder to me how Christians can content themselves with the Priviledges of Gods house and neglect the mutual duties that are incumbent on them A learned man complains of many Ministers that they are but Traditional-Preachers and I fear there are too many Traditional-Christians who are very zealous for the practising of some Duties which they have received from their Fore-fathers whilst they can over-look many express Commandements obliging them to take care as Members of the Natural Body do each for other The Apostle tells us that the meanest Members in the Church yet are necessary But alas How many are there who shut up their Light in dark-lanthornes who immure themselves within their own walls who are so involved in worldly businesses and have so little care and zeal for the house of God that they no way profit no way edifie their Brethren How can such over-look those plain express requiries of Christ by his Apostle Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace Rom. 14.19 1 Thes 5.11 and things wherewith one may edifie another Wherefore comfort or exhort your selves together and edifie one another I wish I could add as the Apostle doth even as also ye do 1 Cor. 14.12 26. Ephes 4.16 For as much as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church Let all things be done to edifying From whom i. e. Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love v. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Rom. 15.2 3. Let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to edification For even Christ pleased not himself c. But exhort one another daily Hebr. 3.13 while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin And let us consider one another to provoke unto love 10.24 25. and unto good works Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of same is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Look not every man on his own things Phil. 2.4 5. 〈…〉 man also on the things of others 〈…〉 excluded it is every mans work 〈…〉 mind be in you which was also in Christ â—esus Hebr. 12.15 Look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and thereby many be defileâ— If they do not over-look how dare they â—â—ntemn all these Commandements of our 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ How can they look upon themselves as no way concerned in these duties 〈…〉 a Lamentation and should be for a Laâ—◠〈…〉 on that so many Church-Members like 〈…〉 of prey slye alwayes alone and through 〈…〉 ritual sloth through a lothness to displeaâ—â— through want of charity and pitty to the 〈◊〉 of their Brethren suffer them to perish in carelessness sensuality formality c. rather than they will labour to quicken restore and save them An Ingrosser is hateful to men But of how much sorer punishment shall ye be thought worthy who ingross your graces your gifts your experiences wherewith a Church of Christ might be edified 〈◊〉 Every man is a Steward Give an account of 〈…〉 But you are Stewards in an 〈◊〉 meaner You are Stewards of the 〈◊〉 the spirit which are given to profit 〈◊〉 How dare ye hide your Talents in a 〈◊〉 You have a greater trust committed 〈…〉 others have You have Souls 〈…〉 to your care for Church-Member are to care even naturally one for anoâ—â— If God hath two Servants and he inâ—â— one with his Lumber the other with 〈◊〉 children and if both be negligent sure 〈◊〉 all suffer the highest indignation from the Lord who neglects the Children What are you afraid you shall have the less light the less grace the less comfort from Christ for that others share with you And therefore will ye turn Ingrossers and Monopolists O! Know the more useful you are to invite the Children to their Father the more you your selves will be inriched and supplyed and whilst you are dividing your loaves God will act at a wonderful rate for you the bread will multiply you shall receive whilst you are disbursing your light and heat will increase by your holy dispersing it 2. Neglecting godly Conference How is godly conference neglected even among Church members What! are you ashamed of your God is the speaking of grace and glory some kind of disparagement to your tongues When Saints come together 〈…〉 precious time is devoured in back 〈…〉 undue unseasonable censuring of 〈…〉 who are not capable of making 〈…〉 esence or else in foolish impertinent discourses of worldly matters Few like the Disciples in their journey to Emaus discourse of such matters as Christ himself joyns with them in and causeth their hearts to burn When do you warm one anothers hearts and sit each other to enter into Communion with God in secret How do many complain of you that their hearts are estranged from God by converses and intimacies with you and that they loose their affections by keeping up correspencies with you and therefore count it their wisdom to retire into their closets rather than mispend precious hours in foolish communications with such barren frothy empty Professors How many weak Christians are there who are not acquainted with the wiles of Satan and they sit down pensive and dejected thinking no condition like theirs and conclude hereupon that they are none of Gods Children whom if you were spiritual pitiful active and free to acquaint them with your own experiences that you have been tempted as they you might succour under their temptations and comfort with the comforts wherewith you have been comforted and ease them by hearkning to their doubts and complaints and shewing them a way how to deliver their Souls Were you of a Christ-like Spirit you would not break these bruised reeds nor quench these smoaking flaxes but rather blow up their graces and labour
who have lost your Virgin affections to Christ who have gone a whoring from your God who are covetous to a wonder and over run with carking cares and sinful despondencies who break out daily into scandalous passions who by divisions envies animosities over-reachings perjuries and hypocrisie have made Religion vile Know from Christ's mouth Mat. 18.6 it had been better for you that a Milstone had been hang'd about your necks and that you had been drowned long agoe in the depth of the Sea than to live so offensively towards men as you have done Jer. 34.16 because hereby the Name of God is polluted It had been better you had never known the wayes of God 1 Pet. 2.20 21. than after Profession and Knowledge to depart and to be as Doggs and Swine If you had never profess'd Gods Name you had never polluted it but God will reckon with you about it I am bold to say that a Drunkard Adulterer Robber c. doth not so provoke the Lord to wrath as a Professour may even by an impatient discontented word and for this compare two Scriptures In the former there is unbelief and quarrelling with God face to face as it were and yet God pass'd that by Numb 11.21 22. with Numb 20.10 and Deut. 32.51 it being in secret with a short check Is the Lords hand waxed short But in the other place Because ye believed not c. to sanctifie me in the eyes of the Children of Israel c. therefore ye shall dye in the Wilderness and never set foot on the Land of Promise One scandalous Professour doth more hurt and more stain Religion than hundreds of Drunkards and therefore their Hell shall be the standard to that of all other sinners Atrocius sub nominis Christi Professione peccat Salvian Mat. 24.51 Appoint him his portion with Hypocrites Thousands in Hell will curse the day wherein they saw your looseness on Earth for thereby they have blasphemed Christ as a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and as if he countenanced you secretly in your Lusts though for state and form he hath spoken great things against such courses in his Word O! how frequently have you made boasts of God Rom. 2.23 24. and the Law but by breaking of it ye have caused his Name to be evil spoken of When you should have been leading others to Heaven you have by your example lead them to Hell How deep shall their Hell be who are plunged thither with their own and other-mens sins also Though God should give you repentance and pardons yet how oft will your Souls bleed to consider how many you have compell'd by your example to sin and blaspheme who are actually in the chains of darkness Gal. 2.14 or hastning thither in a full career O that you would no longer be like the body of Amasa to cause others to stand still or go back from the wayes of Holyness O thou scandalous Professour What account must thou pass with God shortly before perhaps thou hast turned thine eye to the next page Will not the blood of multitudes who perish by thy means be required at thy hands One sin may become many millions of offences as the Numbers may be that shall hear of it No wonder that men are emboldned to sin that the Adulterer cares not for the Curtains of the Night nor the Drunkard for the shadows of the Evening no wonder that the Swearer can spit the Name of God so impudently out of his mouth these have been incouraged by thy revolts backslidings careless and seldome duties and violent earthly seekings O! if you would consider you bore the Ark of the Lord you were entrusted with his honour but you have let it fall yea cast it in the dirt O! tremble at what the God of Heaven hath made a standing decree upon this occasion 1 Sam. 2.30 them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And though it somewhat comforts me that God will wipe off whatsoever can be cast on him yet know to your sorrow you shall not so easily discharge your selves of the Plagues that are ready to be powred out upon you God expected that you should have been Kings and Priests to him Rev. 1.6 Jo. 3.35 you should have been burning and shining lights you should have been like Innes which have their Signes on both sides you were of the King guard you should have had the Arms of the Crown on your Breasts and on your Backs so that if any had viewed you had met you or had followed you they might have known you for Gods Servants by the stamp and cognisance of Heaven upon you But you have rather been like those Pictures that if you look on one side you may see an Angels face but on the other the Devils O my Soul how canst thou write of these speak or think on them without weeping O Reader retreat retreat quickly to thy Chamber and spend some considerable time to reflect on thy scandalous Words and Actions and how much the Name of God hath thereby been blasphemed and thousands endangered to stumble and fall through thy occasion How many that should have â—een as Shields to ward off those blows of reproach that would fall on God and Religion have proved Swords in the hands of the wicked wherewith the Name of God is wounded and whereby multitudes are in danger of perishing yea and the poor reall Christians are even ashamed to look up and to shew their faces and profession to the world because there have been such Spots in their communion Jude v. 12. such unclean scabbed and unsavoury Sheep that have walked among them CHAP. XXXVIII Their sinning against Knowledge and impenitently notwithstanding all means to bring them to Repentance for their Sins 3ly Against much light YOur Sins are yet further accented by being committed not only against such means of Knowledge but against much Knowledge got thereby You have had the most powerfull Ministry under the whole Heavens And believe it sirs if you had not heard him that spake from Heaven to you If Christ had not come Joh. 15.22 you had had no sin comparatively But now you have no Cloak for your sin You have sinned against more light than the rest of the World You know that covetousness is a sin Isa 57.17 Isa 45.5 Tit. 3.2 and that for the iniquity thereof God hath been wrath and yet you seek great things for your selves still you know that you are to speak evil of no man and yet you bespatter every man almost to set off your selves by staining and blotting of others reputations Isa 58.5 Luk. 12.47 Ezek. 21.10 you know God abhors them that for a day only hang down their heads like bull-rushes and yet this hath been your manner from the beginning of your Profession you know your Masters will you know you should not make mirth when the Lord is angry