questioning the truth of his being and of his Word denying his Providence Power or some other of his Divine Attributes Have I not been ignorant of God and of his will and erroneous and mis-beleeving if not hereticall in my conceits concerning God the Father Sonne or holy Ghost Have I not beene over-curious in prying into the nature and secret counsels of God beyond the rule of the revealed wil of God Have I not set up false Deities or put my selfe or any other creature in the place of God through pride preferring and resting upon mine owne way and will before Gods or by making my selfe mine utmost end professing God and his Religion onely to serve mine owne ends or by seeking to the creature as to Angell Saint Devill or Witch instead of the Creator Have I not beene forgetfull of God and of his will Is not my Conscience impure blinde deluded or seared and my will perverse obstinate impatient and murmuring against God and ful of dissimulation Have I not set mine affections upon the World rather than upon God loving that which is evill hating that which is good yea God himselfe if not directly yet in his Holines shining in his Ordinances and in his children or as hee is a severe inflicter of punishment Fearing man more than God trusting in the Creature making something besides God my chiefe joy Have I not presumed when I had cause to despaire and despaired after that I had cause to hope Have I not â—empted God many wayes And have I not in the matters of God beene either cold lukewarme or blindely or preposterously zealous Hath there not beene a pronenesse in my whole outward man to rebell against God The second Commandement concerneth all such lawfull worships of God which he onely hath appointed whereby he communicateth himselfe to man and man againe maketh profession of him forbidding under one kinde all such as are not by him ordained Thinke thus Have I worshipped God in spirit and truth in all the kindes and parts of his Worship publike or private ordinary or extraordinary as by hearing reading and meditating of his Word by praying praising and giving thankes to him by a right use of his Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and by Religious Fasting Religious Feasting and making of vowes according as I have had speciall occasion And have I done what did belong to me for the setting forth and maintaining of Gods true Worship and have I according to my place executed aright or submitted unto the government and discipline of the Church Or besides the omission of the former duties Am I not guilty some way or other of Idoll-worship conceiving of GOD in my mind or representing him to my sense in the likenes of any creture Have I not added to or detracted from any part of Gods Worship Have I not run into the appearances and occasions of Idolatry as by presence at Idoll-service by marriage and needlesse â—amiliarity with Idolatrous persons by reserving undefaced monuments of Idolatry At least is â—ot my heart guilty of not hating but rather lingering after Idolatrous worship Have I not been guilty of superstition or Will-worship c. The third Commandement concerneth the glory of Gods holy Name shining forth in his Titles Attributes Religion Word Ordinances People or any thing that hath in it any print of his holinesse or excellency forbidding the taking of it in vaine and that in all actions religious or common Have I glorified God by answering my holy profession with an holy and unblameable conversation by performing all holy duties with due preparation knowledge and devotion also by thinking and speaking of the Names and holy things of God with holy reverence and in particular by fearing an Oath Or have I not caused the Name Religion and People of God to be ill thought of and dishonoured by my evill course of living or at least by committing some grosse sinâ— Am I not guilty of rash unprepared heedlesse forgetfull and fruitlesse reading hearing receiving the Sacraments or performance of any other the worships of God Have I not thought or spoken blasphemously or contempiuously of God or of any the things of God Have I not used the Name of God needlesly rashly wickedly or falsly in swearing or lightly in my Salutations Admirations or otherwise in my ordinary communication Have I not abused the Name of God his Scriptures his Ordinances and Creatures using them for other purposes then hee alloweth as for sports spels charms or any sorcery luxury or the like Have I not passed by the great workes of Gods power mercy and judgements without due observation and acknowledgement of God therein The fourth Commandement concerneth the ordinary solemne time of the service and worship of God requiring that the seventh day now our Lords day be kept with an holy rest Have I upon the six dayes Remembred the Lords day that I might dispatch all my worldly businesse and prepare my heart that when it came I might keep an holy Sabbath to the Lord according to the Commandement Did I according as my health would permit rise early on that day Have I performed my daily both morning and evening exercises of Religion alone and with my family that day in private Have I caused all under my authority according to my power to rest from all manner of workes and worldly sports also my selfe not onely from the labour of my body but of my mind in all worldly businesse except about the things that concerne common honestie and comelinesse workes of mercy and such workes of necessitie as could not be done before or stay to be done afterwards Have I alwayes prepared my heart before I went into the house and presence of God by meditation of Gods Word and Workes and in particular by examination and reformation of my wayes also by prayer thankesgiving and holy resolution to carry my selfe as in Gods presence and to heare and obey whatsoever I should bee taught out of the Word of God Have I caused my family to goe with me to the Church And did I with them come in due time and being there did stay the whole time of prayer reading and preaching of the Word singing of Psalmes receiving and administring the Sacraments even that of Baptisme when others are Baptised and did attend diligently and joyne with the Minister and the rest of the Congregation in all those holy exercises Did I spend the day after the Morning and Evening Prayers Sermons or Catechisings in meditation and as I had opportunitie in conference and repetition of what I had heard also in visiting the sicke and other workes of mercy and so from the beginning to the end of the day have beene imployed in holy thoughts words and deeds and all this with spirituall delight Or Am I not guiltie of forgetting it before it came and of neglecting and prophaning it when it came as by meere idlenesse or by taking opportunity of leisure from busines of my calling to be
but chiefly considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you and withall seeing God and Christ himself by the hand of his Minister truely giving Christs â—…ery body and bloud sacramentally to signifie and seale it unto you it should raise your heart â—o an holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ and it â—hould stirre you up in the very â—ct of taking the bread and wine 〈…〉 a reverend and thankefull reâ—â—iving of this his body and bloud 〈…〉 faith discerning the Lords boâ—…e gathering assurance hereby â—…at now all enmitie betweene â—…od and you is done away and â—…at you by this as by spirituall â—…od and life shall grow up in â—…m with the rest of his mystiâ—…ll body unto everlasting life After that you have received untill you bee to joyue in pubâ—…ke prayse and prayers affect â—…ur heart with ioy and thankefulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sinnes and of salvation by Christ yea more than if you being a bankrupt should receive an acquittance sealed of the Release of all your debts and with it a Wil and Testament wherein you should have a Legacie of no lâ—sse than a Kingdome sâ—aled with such a seale as doth give cleare proofe of the fidelitie ability and death of the Testator or then it having been a traitour you should receive a free and sulâ— pardon from the King seaâ—ed with his own seale together with an Assurance that â—â—â—aâ—h adopted you to bee his câ—ild to be married to his sonne the hâ—ire of the Crowne This is your case when by faith you receive the bread wine the body and bloud of the Lord. Thinkâ— thus therefore with joy and rejoycing in God oh how happiâ—… am I in Christ my Saviour Gâ—… who hath given him to death foâ—… me and also given him to me how shal he not with him give me all things also even whatsoever may pertaine to life godlinesse and glory Who shall lay any thing to my charge c Who or what can separate me from the love of CHRIST c Resolve withall upon a constant and an unfained endevour to performe all duties becomming one thus acquitted thus redeemed pardoned and advanced and this in token of thankfulnesse even to keepe covenants required to be performed on your part undoubtedly expecting whatsoever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part Ioyne in publike prayse and prayer heartily and in a liberall contribution to the poore if there be a Collection After the Sacrament If you feele your faith strengthned and your soule comforted nourish it with all thankfulnesse If not yet if your Conscience can witnesse that you endevoâ—ed to prepare as you ought and to receive as you ought be not discouraged but wait for strength and comfort in due time Wee doe not alwaies feele the benefit of bodily food presently but stirring of humors and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned yet in the end being well digested it strengthnetâ—â— so â—â— is oft with spirituaâ—l food corruption may stirre and temptations may arise more upon the receiving then before especially sith Satan if it be but to vexe a tender-hearted Christian will â—ereupon take occasioÌ„ to tempt with more violence But if you resist these and stand resolved to obey and to rely upon Gods mercy in Christ this is rather a signe of receiving worthily so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthned and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your Watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spirituall food by further meditation improving that strength you have praying for more strength remembring the Commandement which biddeth you to be strong and you shall be strengthned Lastly If you finde your selfe worse indeed or doe feele Gods heavy hand in speciall sort upon you following upon your receiving and your Conscience can witnesse truly that you came not prepared or that you did wittingly and carelesly faile in such or such a particular in receiving it is evident you did receive unworthily In which case you must heartily bewaile your sin confesse it to God aske and beleeve that he will pardon it and take heed that you offend not in that kinde another time Vpon the Lords day you must likewise bee readie to visit and relieve the distressed Take some time also this day to looke into your by past life and chiefly to your walking with God the last weeke asbeing in freshest memory and bee sure to set all straight betweene God and you Last of all on every opportunitie take good time to consider Gods workes what they are in themselves what they are against the wicked what they are to the Church and to your selfe and to yours And in parricular take occasion from the Day it selfe to thinke fruitfully of the Creation of your Redemption Sanctification and of your eternall Rest and glory to come For God in his holy wisedome hath sâ—t such a divine print upon this our Lords day that at once it doth minde us of the greatest workes of God which either make for his glory or his Churches good As of the Creation of the World in six dayes hee resting the seventh which specially isattributed to the Father And of mans redemption by Christ of whose resurrection this Day is a remembrance which is specially attributed to the Sonne Also of our sanctification by the Spirit for that the observation of the Sabbath is a signe and meanes of holinesse which worke is specially attributed to the holy Ghost Lastly of your and the Churches glorification which shall be the joynt work of the blessed Trinity when we shal ceasefrom al our works and shall rest and bee glorious with the same glory which our Head Christ hath with the Father to whom be glorie for ever and ever Amen Doe all these with delight raising up your selfe hereby to a greater measure of holinesse and heavenly mâ—naeâ—nesse Doe all this the rather because there is not a clearer signe to distinguish you from one that is prophane than this of conscionable keeping holy the Lords Day Neither is there any ordinarie means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this of due observing the Sabbath For this is Gods great Mart or Faire day for the soule on which you may buy of Christ wine milke bread marrow and fatnesse gold white raiment eye-soelve even all things which are necessary and which will satisfie and cause the soule to live It is the speciall day of Gods hearing of suites and receiving petitions It is his speciall day of proclaiming and sealing of Pardons to penitent sinners It is Gods speciall day of publishing and sealing your Patent of eternall life It is a blessed day sanctified for all these blessed purposes Now lest this urging of the moralitie of the Sabbath and so strict an observation of the Lords day in spending the whole day in holy meditation holy exercises and workes of mercie excepting
from the marriage-bed and the like Thirdly Abstaine from all worldly labour as upon a Sabbath day for worldly busines the cares thereof doe as well as worldly delights distract the thoughts and hinder humble devotion and a ceasing there-from giveth a full opportunitie to holy imployments the whole day Therfore the Iewes were commanded to sanctifie a fast And that yearely Fast called the day of Atonement was upon perill of their lives to be kept by a forbearance of all manner of worke Now albeit the Ceremonials of that day are abolished in Christ yet forbearing worke as well as meate and drinke being of the substance of a Fast doth remaine to bee observed in all such as may properly be called Religious Fasts Thus much for the outward fast you must be as strict in observing the inward Begin the day with prayer according as I directed you to doe every day but with more than ordinary preparation with fervency and faith praying for Gods special grace to enable you to sanctifie a fast that day according to the Commandement Then apply your selfe to the maine worke of the day which hath these parts 1 unfained Humiliation 2 Reformation together with Reconciliation and 3 earnest Invocation The soule is then humbled the heart rent and truly afflicted when a man is become vile in his owne eyes through conscience of his owne unworthinesse and when his heart is full of compunction and anguish through feare of Gods displeasure with godly sorrow and holy shame in himselfe and anger against himselfe for sinne These affections stirred doe much afflict the heart To attaine this deepe humiliation know that it is to be wrought partly by awakening your Conscience through a sight of the Law and apprehension of Gods just judgements due to you for the breach of it which wil break your heart and partly by the Gospell raising up your heart to an apprehension and admiration of the love of God to you in Christ which will melt your heart and cause you the more kindely to grieve and to loath your selfe for sin and withall to conceive hope of mercy whence wil follow reconciliation reformation and holy calling upon God by prayer To worke this Humiliation there must be First Examination to find out your sinne Secondly a Accusation of your selfe with due aggravation of your sinne Thirdly Iudging and passing sentence against your selfe for sinne Sinne is the transgression of the Law and revealed will of God Wherefore for the better search and finding out of your sinne you must set before youthe glasse of the Law for your Light and Rule And if you have not learned or cannot beare in minde the heads of the manifold duties commanded or vices forbidden then get some Catalogue or Table wherein the same are set downe to your hand which you may reade with pausing and due consideration staying your thoughts most upon those particular sinnes whereof you finde your selfe most guiltie If of those many that are you doe not meete with one more fit for this purpose or which you shall like better then use this Examinatorie Table in manner as Followeth But expect not herein an enumeration of all particular sinnes which is beyond my skill nor yet of all the heads of duties or kindes of sinnes which would require a volumne but of those which are principall and most common yet hereby if your Conscience be awake it will be occasioned to bring to your thoughts those other not mentioned in the Table if you bee thereof guiltie The first Table of the Law concerneth duties of love and pietie to God the performance whereof tendeth immediately to the glory of God and mediately to the salvation and good of man The first Commandement concerneth the setting up of the onely true God to your selfe to bee your God Examining your selfe by this and so in the other Commandements thinke thus with your selfe Doe I know and acknowledge the onely true GOD to be such a one as hee hath revealed himselfe in his Word works namely One onely Infinite Immateriall Immutable Incomprehensible Spirit and Everlasting Lord God having beeing and All-sufficiencie in and from himselfe One who is simply full of all perfections and uncapable of the least defect being Wisedome Goodnesse Omnipotencie Love Truth Mercy Iustice Holinesse and whatsoever is originally and of it selfe Excellent The only Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords of whom through whom and to whom are all things The Father Sonne and holy Ghost God blessed for ever Amen Doe I Beleeve his Word in all things related commanded promised and threatned therein and that his holy and wise Providence is in all things Have I Him and his Word in continuall remembrance Doe I esteeme and exalt God in my heart above all so that it doth humbly adore him at the very mention and thought of him making my selfe to be nothing in mine owne eyes yea esteeming all creatures to bee nothing in comparison of him Have I given religious worship to him onely Have I beleeved in him and in him onely Have I sworne by him as there hath beene cause and by him alone Have I prayed onely unto him and have I sought to him and to obtaine helpe of him only by such meanes as he hath appointed giving the glory and thanks of my being and well-being and of al other things which are good unto him Is my Conscience so convinced of the truth Authority of God that it holdeth it selfe absolutely bound to obey him in all things that it doth incite to that which is good restrain from that which is evill encourage me in well-doing and check me when I doe ill Is my will resolved upon absolute and unfained obedience to doe whatsoever God commandeth to forbeare whatsoeuer hee forbiddeth to subscribe to whatsoever he doth as well done and have I borne patiently all which either by himselfe or by any of his creatures hee hath inflicted upon me Have mine affections beene so for God that I have loved him with al my heart loving nothing more than him nothing equally to him Doe I hate every thing that is contrary to him Hath my Confidence beene onely in him and my expectation of good from him Have my desires beene to him and for him longing above all things to have communion with him Hath it beene my greatest feare to offend him or to be severed from him Hath it beene my greatest griefe and shame that I have sinned against him Have I reioyced in God as in my chiefe Good Hath mine anger risen against whatsoever I saw crosse to his glory Have I beene zealous for God And have I made him the utmost end of all mine actions Hath my whole outward man as tongue senses and all other active powers of my body been readie to professe the true God and to yeeld obedience to his will Or contrariwise Am I not guilty of denying of God in word in workes or at least in heart
going to bed at nighâ— my meaning is not to urge thâ—… as necessary as if it were sinneâ— omit any of these particulars bâ—… except better come in place 〈…〉 most coÌ„venient Wherfore taâ—… these Cautions First as I said if other pertiâ—ent more profitable thoughts â—ffer not themselves or if you be â—…rren of other holy meditatiâ—ns use these Secondly the bare similitudes â—nd allusions with all such reâ—emblances which are free not â—ommanded by God but in our â—…oyce to take up from things â—atural artificiall to put vs in â—…ind of spirituall things and to â—…eare our judgements therein â—ust beused with puttinga wide â—ifference betweene them and â—hofe which are Sacramentall â—or the SacrameÌ„ts besides their â—aturall aptnesse to signifie what â—hey doe represent they have diâ—ine institution from GOD whereby to the beleever they â—re through Gods Spirit effectuâ—ll not onely outwardly to signiâ—ie exhibit seale but inwardâ—y to apply and confer the thing signified these not so yet as â—elps to your memory and understanding these are of singular use For our Saviour in his speeches while hee lived upon the earth and in his writings in the holy Scripture is frequent in the use of them as you may observe in the manifold parables and similitudes in the Gospell CHAP. III. Of beginning the day well walking with God SECTION I. VVHen you are thus awake and are risen out of your bed that you may walke with GOD the remainder of the day It will be needfull that you first renew your peace with God and then keepe it by doing those workes of pietie equitie mercy and sobrietie which any way may concerne you that day For how can two walke together safeâ—y especially a weake one with him that is strong except they be agreed And how can any walke with God if hee be not holy in â—ll his conversation You have as much cause to beware of him and to obey his voice and not provoke him who goeth before you in the wildernesse of this world to guide and bring you to his heavenly kingdome as the Israelites had to beware of him who went before them to keepe them in the way and to conduct them unto the earthly Canaan the place which he had promised and prepared for them It was for this that Iosuah told the people that except they would feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and put away their strange gods they could net serve God they could not walke with him For he is saith he a holy God he is a iealous God hee will not forgive your transgressions nor your sinnes For this cause if unavoydable necessity hinder not Begin the day with solemne prayer and thanksgiving Before which that these duties may bee the better performed it wil be convenient if you have time that you prepare your selfe by meditation the matter whereof should be an enquiry into your present estate how all things stand betweene God and you How you have carried your selfe since you last prayed and renewed your peace with God what sinnes you have committed what graces benefits you want what fresh favours God hath bestowed on you since last you gave him his Tribute of thankes and how much prayse and thanks you doe owe to him also for continuance of the old Thinke also what imployments you shall have that day Consider likewise what ground and warrant you have to approach to the Throne of Grace to aske â—ardon and to aske and expect â—avour and helpe of God Vpon â—hese considerations rightly proâ—ecuted you must worke your â—eart to a resolution through Gods grace to reforme whatsoever you find to be amisse And that you will flie unto and only relie upon Gods mercy in Christ that you will acknowledge him in all things and that you will now seeke grace and helpe of him whereby you may walke as in his sight in all well-pleasing all that day To further you herein doe thus First lay a peremptory charge upon your conscience to deale unpartially plainely and fully in this examination and judging of your selfe Secondly you should be so well acquainted with the summe and meaning of the Law that you may bee able to carry in your head a Catalogue or Table of the principal duties and vices required and forbidden in each Commandement whereby you may try your obedience past and may set before you a rule of your life for time to come Thirdly lest the calling to minde the multitude and greatnesse of your sinnes by the Law should make you despaire of Gods favour you should be so well exercised in the Articles of the Christian faith and in the principall promises and precepts of the Gospell that you may be able also quickly to cal them to mind for the strengthening of your faith and hope in God The patterne of wholesome words should be familiar unto you for these purposes All this need not take up much time you will finde it to bee time well redeemed For first by such preparation you shall keepe your selfe from that rude and rash thrusting yourselfe into Gods holy presence whereof â—ou are warned in the Scripâ—ures Eccles 5. 1 2. Secondly when by this meanes â—ou have well humbled softeâ—ed seasoned and set streight your heart to God-ward so that you can say you regard no iniquity in your heart and when hereby you have called your thoughts in from stragling and have gotten composednesse of minde and inward strength of soule without which the arrow of prayer can never flye home to the marke then you may approach unto Gods speciall presence with more faith and boldnesse you shall be more able to utter before him apt confessions lawfull requests and due thankesgivings more understandingly more distinctly more humbly more devoutly more feelingly more fervently and with more assurance of a gracious hearing all which are requisite in prayer then possibly you could ever be able to doe without such preparation Thirdly this due preparation to prayer doth not only fit you to pray but is an excellent furtherer of a godly life For it maketh the conscience tender and watchfull over you by the daily exercise of the knowledge of the precepts and threats of the Law and of the precepts and promises of the Gospell And it being enforced to examine accuse judge and passe sentence yea to doe a kind of execution upon you for your sinne smiting your heart and wounding it selfe with godly feare griefe and shame a worke to which the coÌ„science is loth to come till it must needs wherefore to prevent all this trouble vexation and smart it will rather give all diligence in other acts which are more pleasing namely it will direct you in the wayes of God check and warne â—ou before-hand lest you should sinne to the end that when you come to examine your selfe againe it might finde matter not of grieving and tormenting but of reioycing comforting your heart
more thorow humiliation but in private Children and Ideots are to be exempted Secondly Novices and unexperienced Christians are not to fast in private such were Christs Disciples then when exception was taken at our Saviour because they fasted not whom he excuseth not onely for that it was unseasonable to fast in a time of joy while he the Bridegroom was with thē but because they were not able to beare so strong an exercise they being like old vessels and old garments which would be made worse rather than better by the new wine or new cloath of fasting Strong physick is good but not for babes There is not the same reason why they may fast in private as in publike because the Minister by teaching them by praying with them and for them taketh from them the greatest part of the burden of the fast in publike Thirdly all such as are not in their owne power are not to keepe a private fast when those under whose power they are shall expresly contradict it For the husband might disallow the vow of his wife even that wherewith she had bound her selfe to afflict her soule by fasting Wherefore none may fast against the will of those which have full power to command their service and attendance Publike Fasts are to be kept as oft as Authoritie shall see cause Private as oft as a man shall have more then ordinary cause of seeking unto God either for others or himself for removing or preventing imminent judgements from the Church and Common-weale or for the procuring their necessary good for subduing some head-strong lust for obtaining some necessary grace or speciall blessing for preparing himselfe for some speciall service of God or the like Though I cannot but justly complain of Christians seldome fasting yet I dare not allow you to make this extraordinary exercise of Religion to be ordinary and common for then it will soone degenerate into meere Forme or Superstition but wish you to observe it as you shall have speciall occasion and when ordinary seeking of God is not likely to prevaile It is indifferent which of the six daies you set apart for fasting according as shall best sute with your occasions As for the Lords day though it cannot be denyed but that if the present necessitie require you may fast upon that day neither can I utterly denie servants and such as are under the power of others if they can have no other time sometimes to make choyce of that day yet because the Sabbath is a day of Christian Chearefulnesse And for that Heretikes have heretofore made the Sabbath their Fasting day and so it may be a scandall to Religion and because Fasting is somewhat of the nature of a free-will-offering I thinke you shall doe best to set such a day apart to your selfe for Fasting which is more your owne and not the Lords day The Scripture hath not determined how long a continued fast should be kept We have examples that some have fasted a longer time as Three dayes some a shorter but none lesse than one day In hotter Countryes they could without impeachment of health abstain from food longer then wee can who live in a colder but the body cannot be sufficiently afflicted through want of food in lesse time than one day Thus I have proved Religious Fasting to bee a Christian dutie And have shewed what it is also the parts and kindes of it Who should and may fast when and how long It remaineth that I shew you how you may keepe a Fast acceptably to God and profitably for your selfe which is the principall thing to be regarded in a fast And this I doe the rather because many wel-affected Christians have importuned mee thereunto who have professed that they would gladly set about the dutie but ingeniously confessed that they knew not how to doe it and in particular how to bee intentive and spiritually imployed for want of matter for a whole day together But of this in the next Section SECTION 2. BY way of preparation to a religious Fast doe thus Take but a moderate supper the night before for if a man glut himselfe over night hee will be more unfit for the duty of humiliation the next day and it differeth in effect little from breaking of fast next morning When you commend your selfe to God alone by praier that night as every good Christian usually doth then set the time alloted apart for that holy work setting your selfe in a special sort to seek the Lord as the Saints of God in the beginning of their fasts have done propounding to your selfe the end of your intended Fast Remembring this that if the chiefe occasion and end be your owne private good that you forget not others nor the publike or if it be the publike yet minde also your owne private For untill you have made your owne peace with GOD your fasting and praying will prevaile little for the publike And God having joyned the publike with our private good in prayer we must not disjoyne them in our fasting Resolve with your selfe to the utmost of your power to keepe a religious fast unto God according to his will For this cause in those your prayers adde serious petitions to God in that behalfe When you awake that night let not your thoughts bee upon worldly businesse much lesse upon any wicked thing but let them be holy such as may tend to the furtherance of the holy actions to be done the next day Fourthly if necessitie hinder not Arise early the day of your fast It agreeth wel with a fasting day whereon your flesh is to be tamed that you give not your selfe to so much sleep as at other times It is probable that for this cause some lay on the ground others in sackcloth in the nights of their fasts not onely to expresse but to further their humiliation by keeping them from sleeping over-much or oversweetly Your body being emptie if withal your soule continue earnestly bent upon afflicting it selfe these will keepe you from drowsinesse that day When the day is come Be you strict in observing the outward Fast To this end First forbeare all meat and drinke untill the set time of the Fast be ended which usually is about Supper time A generall Councell in the Primitive Church decreed that totall abstinence should be observed untill Evening prayer was ended In case of necessitie that is when totall abstinence shall indeed disable you from doing the maine duties of that day you may eat or drinke for in such cases GOD will have mercy rather than sacrifice but then it must bee a small refection onely such and so much as may remove the impediment to the spirituall performance of the duties of that day Secondly Abstaine from all other worldly delights as so farre as will stand with comelinesse from fine and best apparell also from all sports and pleasant musicke
their Covenant with God Now unlesse wee doe joyne the inward with the outward we may fast but the Lord seeth it not wee may afflict our selves but hee taketh no notice wee may cry and boule but cannot make our voyce be heard on high But when God seeth the workes of them that fast that they turne from their evill way yea that they strive to turn and seek him with all their heart then hee will turne to them his bowels of compassion doth yerne towards them and I will have mercy on them saith the Lord. After the time of the Fast is ended eat and drinke but moderately For if you then shall glut your selfe it will put your body and soule much out of order Secondly your Fast being ended hold the strength which you not that day as much as you can keepe your interest and holy acquaintance which you have gotten with God and with the holy exercises of Religion Though you have giveÌ„ over the exercises â—â— the day yet unloose not the â—ent of your care and affections against sinne and for God It is a corruption of our nature and it â—â— a policie of Satan to helpe it forward that like some unwise â—arriours when they have got the day of their enemies wee â—ow full of presumption and severity by which the enemy taketh advantage to recollect his forces and comming upon us â—â— looked for giveth us the fosse not the overthrow we are too apt after a day of humiliation to fall into a kinde of remissenesse as if then we had gotten the mastry whereas if Satan fly from us if sinne be weakned in us it is but for a season and but in part and especially if we stand not upon our watch Satan will take occasion to returne and sin will revive in us I 〈…〉 few Cautions â—ouâ—… excellent but neglected duty â—â— Fasting 〈…〉 body although it must be 〈…〉 downe yet it must not buâ— destroyed with Fasting It musâ— not be so weakened as to be disabled to performe the workes 〈…〉 your ordinary Calling In private Fasts you must 〈…〉 be open but as private as conveniently you may â—ever not the inward from 〈…〉 outward Thinke not to merit by yoâ—… Fasting aâ— Papists doe Presume not that presently up on the worke done God must grant your asking as Hypocrites doe that say to him we have fasted and thou dost not regard it You may and must expect a gracious hearing upon your unfained humiliation but as for when and how you must wait patiently faith secureth you of good successe but neither prescribeth unto God how nor yet doth it make hast but waiteth his leisure when in his wisedome hee shall judge it most seasonable CHAP. VI. Of the Sabbath IF it bee the Sabbath or Lords day you must remember to keep it holy according to the Commandement For this cause First put a difference betweene this and the other six dayes even as you put difference betweene the bread and wine in the Sacrament and that which is for common use And that because it is set apart for holy use by divine institution For as the Seventh day from the beginning of the Creation untill the day of Christs blessed Resurrection so our Lords Day which is the day of the Resurrection iâ— morall and by divine institution The Commandement to keepe an holy rest upon the Seventh day after six worke dayes which is the â—…stance of the fourth Commandement remâ—â—neth the same And Adam â—o doubt by the instinct of incorrupted nature which yeeldethâ— time for Gods honour and â—o lemne worship he knowing thaâ— God finished the Creation in six daâ—es and rested on the seventh might by discourse of his reason have judged one day in seven the fittest time to bee dedicated to his service But certaine hee could not bee either that God would have one day in Seven or which of those dayes he would have set apart for rest and for holy use Wherefore it pleased the Lord of the Sabbath by a positive institution to determine that the Sabbath should bee one day in Seven and that from the beginning of the world unto the Resurrection of Christ it should be the Seventh from the Creation but as it shall appeare by the change of the day under the Gospell after the Resurrection hee appointed it to be kept the Seventh from thence by vertue whereof wee now keepe the Lords day a holy Sabbath to the Lord So that to keepe a day holy to the Lord and to keepe that day which the Lord should appoint is absolutely morall as all the other Commandements are according to the light and Law of nature And in particular the keeping the Seventh from the Creation till the Resurrection and the Seventh from the Resurrection ever since to the end of the world was to them and is to us a morall duty immediately binding the conscience and is no way alterable by man because it is set apart by Diuine institution That there was such an Institution I shall evidently prove For the Sabbath was sanctified by God and was to be observed by his people from the beginning of the world when there was no distinction of Iew and Gentile untill the writing of the morall Law I know some deny this but without good ground For wee haue reason to thinke that ever since the Creation Time hath beene divided by weeks whereof the seventh day is the boundary as well as by Moneths and Yeares And this reason of the Commandement He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it importing the prime institution did concerne Adam and all before the Law as well as since This was a received opinion amongst the ancient Iewes that this Feast did belong to all Nations from the beginning of the world And the Fathers observed it before Moses And though there be no mention of the Saints observing of it before Israels going out of Aegypt yet where there is an Institution there it must in charitie be presupposed that it was observed of the godly except the Scripture deny it which it doth not but doth imply the contrary For the Sabbath day is spoken of before the re-delivering of it in the Mount as of a solemne day ordained before and wel known to the Iewes Tomorrow saith Moses is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. And againe he saith The seventh day which is the Sabbath Moreover the Apostle doth intimate that the rest of the Sabbath was kept from the beginning of the world This be said of the Sabbath before the pronouncing and writing of the Law And when it was written God wrote and placed it in the heart of the ten Commandements as that which by the holy exercise thereof and keeping it holy should give life to the keeping of all the rest The reasons of the fourth Commandement doe as well urge the observing of it to all men at
all times as to the Iewes It was also reserved in the Arke with the other ten and is one of the Commandements mentioned in the new Testament as parcell of the Royall Law of which S. Iames saith Whosoever shall offend in one point hee is guiltie of all he meanes the ten Commandements hee understands the fourth Commandement for one else he would not say all Wherefore albeit there are some things that have particular reference to the Iewes in the written Law as the reason taken from bringing them out of the Land of Aegypt which concerneth us onely by Analogie and albeit the circumstance of time in respect of which day of the Seven was alterable but by the Lord of the Sabbath removing it from the seventh of the Creation to the day of Christs Resurrection yet there is not any of those tenne Commandements which is not morall and of morall equitie But some object The observing of the weekly Sabbath was a signe betweene God and the Iewes that they might know that the LORD did sanctifie them therfore was abrogated by Christ with other Ceremonies Answ I â—â—â—gh every Ceremony determinable in Christ was a signe yet every signe was not a ceremony to end at Christs death All signes and types of justification by Christ to come were nailed on the Crosse with him but signes of the worlds preservation also declarative and probative signes and arguments of sanctification together with the type of rest and glorie did not end at Christs death there being as much use of them to us now as was to any other before Obiect They object farther All Sabbath daies are abrogated by expresse termes Col. 2. 16. Answ Hee speaketh there of none but Leviticall Sabbaths for marke it he saith they were shadows of such things to come whereof Christ was the body verse 17. But the weekely Sabbath had no more shadow or reference to Christ than any other of the ten Commandements Obiect They yet object No man must esteeme one day above another for conscience sake Rom. 14. 5. Answ No such thing can be concluded thence For the Apostle warning both strong and weake Christians not to offend nor bee offended one with another would have each doe as they should be fully perswaded in their owne minde and not judge or despise each other but in what things in every thing no but onely in things in their owne nature indifferent or for the time tolerable be instancing in meaâ—s and dayes But I deny the fourth Commandement ever to have beene of the number of indifferent things If yet they say If the fourth Commandement be moral why doe you not keep the day which the Iewes did I answer Keeping holy a Sabbath or the Sabbath is absolutely morall and the principall intention of the fourth Commandement but the keeping it upon that day which is intimated in the Commandement or the keeping of this day practised now by us became a morall duty that to them this to us because by a Divine positive institution God had appointed that day to bee observed by them and since that he hath appointed this to bee observed by us Now sith that the Lord of the Sabbath hath ordained another day in so doing he hath caused though not an abolishing yet some change of the Law which hath caused the former to cease and bindeth us in conscience to observe this That it was the will of our Lord and Saviour Christ that we should since his Resurrection keepe for our Sabbath that first day of the weeke on which he arose it may easily appeare to any whose judgements are not corrupted with prophanenesse of heart or are not clouded with selfe-conceit and prejudice For in that he arose on that day and appeared divers times on this our Lords day to his Disciples before his Ascension and did on this day being the day of Pentecost fill his Disciples with the gifts of the holy Ghost they being assembled together this giveth a preeminence to this day and a probabilitie to the point The Apostles who followed Christ and delivered nothing but what they received from Christ and whose determinations were infallible did observe this Day as a Sabbath The Apostle Paul staying seven daies at Troas might haue chosen any of the other dayes for the people to assemble to heare the Word and receive the Sacrament but they assembled to receive the Sacrament and to heare the Word upon the first day of the weeke which is our Lords day Moreover the keeping holy of the Lords day hath constantly and universally from the Apostles downeward to vs beene observed amongst Christians in all places and in all ages Now the approved practice of the Apostles and of the Church with them recorded in Scripture carrieth with it the force of a precept and argueth divine institution Moreover the Spirit of GOD honoureth this day with the Title of Lords Day as he doth the Communion with the Title of the Supper of the Lord What doth this argue but as they both have reference to Christ so they are both appointed by Christ The Spirit of Christ knew the minde of Christ who thus named this day Secondly being coÌ„vinced of the holines of this day the better to keepe it holy when it commeth you must on the weeke dayes before the Sabbath or Lords 〈…〉 remember it to the end that none of your worldly businesse be left undone or put off till then especially upon Saturday you must prepare for it Then you must put an end to the workes of your Calling doe whatsoever may be wel done before-hand to prevent bodily labour even in your necessary actions that when the day coÌ„meth you may have lesse occasion of worldly thoughts lesse incumbrance and distractions and may be more free both in body and minde for spirituall exercises Thirdly you your selfe and as much as in you lyeth all under your authority must rest upon this day even in earing time and in haruest the space of the whole day of foure twenty houres from all manner of workes except those which have true reference to the present dayes works of pietie mercy and true â—…ssity not doing your owne waies not â—â—nding your owne pleasures nor speaking your owne words Obiect If you obiect that some understand this place of the day of Atonement and yeerely fast spoken of in the beginning of the Chapter Answ Many Interpreters understaÌ„d it of the weekly Sabbath yet suppose it should be understood of the Sabbath of Atonement I urging it onely to prove the externall rest it serveth for my purpose for these two differed not in their externall rest except that in the day of Atonement they abstained from meat and drinke untill even Vpon all other Gods Sabbaths and holy feasts the children of Israel were forbidden not all worke but onely servile worke But neither on the weekly Sabbath nor on the day of Atonement might any manner
brotherly 1 When you love them out of a pure heart fervently which â—s when you love them because they are brethren partakers of the same Faith and Spirit of Adoption having the same Father and being of the same houshold of faith with you 2 When you love them not onely with a love of humanity as they are men for so you love all men even your enemies nor yet onely with a common love of Christianity wherewith you love all professing true Religion though actually they shew little fruit and power thereof but with a specialty of love for kinde spirituall and for degree more abundant Therefore it is called brotherly kindnesse and a servent love distinct from charitie or a common love 2 Pet. 1. 7. Where this love is it will knit hearts together like â—onathans and Davids making you to be of one heart and soule It will make you enjoy each others societie with spirituall delight It will make you to beare one with another and to beare each others burthens It will make you to communicate in all things communicable with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart as you are able and that by a specialtie beyond that which you shew to them which are not alike excellent Yea it is so entire and so ardent that you will not hold your life to be too deare to lay downe for the common good of the brethren When therefore you meete with those that feare God make improvement of the Communion of Saints not onely by communicating in naturall and temporall good things as you are able and as there is neede but especially in the communion of things spirituall edifying your selves in your most holy faith by holy speech and conference and in due time and place in reading the holy Scriptures good Bookes and by prayer and singing of Psalms together That your singing may please God and edifie your selfe and others observe these Sing as in Gods sight and in matter of prayer praise speake â—o God in singing The matter of your Song must be spiritual either indited by the Spirit or composed of matter agreeing thereunto You must sing with understanding You must sing with judgement being able in private to make choise of Psalmes befitting the present times and occasions And both in private and publike to apply the Psalme sung to your owne particular â—s when how â—o pray and praise in the words of the Psalme taking heede that you do not apply the imprecations made against the enemies of Christ and his Church in generall to your enemies in partilar also know how to confirme your faith and incline your will and affections when you sing the prophesies of Christ promises threats commands mercies judgements c. You must make melody to the Lord in your heart which is done 1 by preparing and setting the heart in tune it must be an honest heart 2 the heart must be lift up 2 the minde intentive 4 the affections fresh and new the heart beleeving and in matter of prayse and thanks joyous Lastly the voyce must be distinct and tuneable Lose not your short and precious time with idle complemeÌ„ts worldly discourses or talke of other mens matters and faults nor yet Athenian-like in a barren and fruitlesse hearing and telling of newes out of affectation of strangenesse and novelty But â—et the matter of your talke be â—ither of God or of his Word and â—ayes wherein you should walk â—r of his works of Creation Preservation Redemption Sanctificaâ—ion and Salvation of his Iudgements which he executeth in the world and of his mercies shewed towards his people or matter of Christian advice either of the things of this life or of that which is to come Impart also each to other the experiments and proofes you have had of Gods grace and power in this your Christian warfare And as there shall be cause Exhort admonish and comfort one another To doe all these well it will require a specialty of godly wisdome humility and love If these three be in you and abound your societie will bee profitable The strong will not despise the weak neither will the weake iudge the strong You will be farre from putting a stumbling-blocke or an occasion to fall in your brothers way but you will follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith you may edifie one another You will then beare with each others infirmities and not seeke to please your selfe but your neighbour for his good to edification You must first be wise to make choise not onely of such matter of speech as is good and lawfull but such as is fit considering the condition and neede of those before whom you speake In propounding questions you must not onely take heed that they be not vaine â—colish and needlesse such as ingender strife and doe minister and multiply questions rather than godly edifying but you must be carefull that they be apt and pertinent both in respect of the person to whom they are propounded in respect of the person or persons before whom they must bee answered Some men have speciall gifts for one purpose some for another Some for interpreting Scripture some for deciding of controversies some for discovering Satans methods and enterprises some are excellent for comforting and curing afflicted and wounded consciences some are better skilled more exercised in one thing than in another And some also of Gods deare children as they are not able to â—eare all exercises of Religion so neither are they capable of hearing and profiting by all kinde of discourses of Religion If this were wisely observed Christian conâ—rence would bee much more â—uitfull than usually it is Secondly you must be lowlyâ—â—ded and of an humble spirit or presuming above your gifts â—nd calling When you speake â—f the things of God be reveâ—end serious and sober keeping your selfe within your sine both of your calling and the measure of the knowledge and grace which God hath given you speaking positively and confidently only of those things which you clearly understand and whereof you have experience or sure proofe Thinke not your selfe too good to learne of any neither harden your necke against the admonitions and reproofes of any If you have an humble heart you will doe as David did when he was admonished and advised by a woman He saw God in it and blessed him for it he received the good counsell and blessed it he tooke it well at Abigails hands and blessed her Now blessed bee God which hath sent thee to meet me this day saith he and blessed be thy advice and blessed bee thou which hast kept mee this day from comming to shed bloud c. Thirdly there will be need of the exercise of much servent love and charitie even amongst the best For sith that Satan doth
leave his Children as in another case he left Hezekiah to try them and to know what is in their hearts Fourthly God withdraweth himselfe for a time that they may learne to esteeme more highly of his favor and to desire it more when by the want of it they find by experience what an Hell it is to be without it And that they may bee more thankefull for it and be more carefull by studying to please God for to keepe it when they have it This holy use David and the Church made of Gods forsaking them as they thought for a time It made them seeke more diligently after God promising that if hee would turne to them they would not goe backe from him resolving by his grace to sticke more close unto him But know this to your comfort when God doth most withdraw himselfe and forsake you it is but in part and in seeming and but for a time He may for the causes before rendred turne away his face and forbeare to shew his loving countenance but he will not take his loving kindnesse utterly from you nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile What God said to his afflicted Church that hee saith to every afflicted member thereof For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the LORD thy Redeemer Hence it is that in your greatest extremities your faith and hope shall secretly though you feele not their working preserve you from utter despaire As it was with David and with our Blessed Saviour who albeit these words of theirs to God Why hast thou forsaken mee argued feare and want of sense of Gods love yet these words My God my God doe argue a secret affiance and hope And whereas you say that no mans griefe or troubles are like yours partly by reason of outward afflictions and partly by inward temptations and distresses give mee leave to deale plainely with you It is a foolish and a most false speech Talke with a thousand thus troubled they will all say thus No mans case was ever as mine is Nor so bad will any that have but common sense thinke this to be true Most of these must needs be deceived You feele your owne distresse but you cannot fully know what another feeleth If you would rightly looke into the distresses of others who were better than your selves according as they are recorded in the Scripture you would not thus thinke As for outward afflictions upon whom did God ever lay his hand more heavie then on his servant Iob Had not S Paul also his trouble without of all sorts and terrours within c. And if you consider sorrowes feares and distresses of all sorts were yours such as Davids were or more than his I pray what meane these and many moe the like speeches My bones are vexed my soule is vexed but thou O Lord how long I am weary with my groaning mine eye is consumed with griefe it waxeth old Why standest thou a farre off Why hidest thou thy selfe in time of trouble How long wilt thou forget mee Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of ioynt My heart is like waxe it is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dryed up like a potsheard my tongue cleaveth to my iawes and thou hast brought me to the dust of death My bones waxe old through roaring all the day For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is their any rest in my bones because of my sinne Mine iniquities that is the punishment of mine iniquities are gone over my head they are too heavie for me Thus and much more doth he complaine I am weary of my crying my throat is dry Mine eyes faile while I wait for my God So Asaph My sore ran and ceased not my soule refused to be comforted What thinke you now Were not Iob Paul and David in Gods love and favour notwithstanding all this It may be you will reply howsoever the matter of their trouble might be greater than yours yet they could remember God they could pray to him they had faith and confidence in God in their distresses al which you want therefore herein your case is worse than theirs Consider your selves well I speake onely to you that are wounded at the very heart for sinne and it is to be hoped that in some measure you shall find the like grace faith and confidence in you which was in thē If you see it not bee grieved for the want thereof Indevour to doe as you say they did in their distresses onely be not discouraged and all shall bee well But take notice I pray you that sometimes David neither did nor could pray as he conceived of his owne prayer any otherwise than in roaring and complaining at which time he saith hee kept silence But when hee could confesse his sins and pray then hee had some apprehension that God had forgiven him his sinne And for all Asaphs remembring of God yet even then he was troubled and his spirit was over-whelmed and hee saith his soule refused comfort and David saith unto God when wilt thou comfort mee I grant it was his fault yet it was such a fault as was incident to one beloved of God Moreover I deny not but that Iob and David had faith and hope in God but these graces in them were of times over-clouded with unbelife and distrust as doth appeare in their many passionate distempers at which times yet their faith appeared to others in their good speeches and actions intermingled rather then to themselves And the Prophet confesseth that those his faithlesse complaints were in his haste and from his infirmities How say you now Is it not thus with you Are you not like others of Gods children Off and on up and downe you would pray and cannot you would beleeve but as you thinke cannot you would have comfort but cannot feele it Onely you feele a secret support now and then and now and then you doe see and feele a glimpse of GODS light and comfort for which you must be thankefull which you must cherish by all meanes with which you must rest contented waiting untill God give you more You should know and consider that this is an old cunning device of Satan to make you beleeve that your case is worse or at least much different from the case of any others because hee knoweth that while he holdeth you thus conceited no common remedy which did cure and comfort others can cure and comfort you For you will still aske Was ever any as I am And if Gods
unconceivable so the time of it is indeterminable it is everlasting and hath no end Consider this with the former and it cannot be denyed but that the peace of God doth every way passe understanding CHAP. XV. Touching the removing of presumption an impediment to Peace IF you would enjoy this happy Peace you must first remove and avoyd the impediments Secondly you must use all helps and furtherances which serve to procure and keepe it I reduce the impediments unto two heads First A false opinion and hope that all is well with a man and that all shall be well with him in point of his Salvation when yet indeed God is not reconciled to him Hence will follow a quietnesse of heart somewhat like to peace of Conscience which yet is but a false peace Secondly Causelesse doubting and false feare that a mans estate touching his salvation is not good albeit God be indeed at peace with him Hence followeth trouble and anguish of heart some-what like unto that of Hellish despaire disturbing his true peace Either of these doe hinder peace The first hindereth the having The second hindereth the feeling and comfortable enioying of peace It hath beene an old device of Satan when he would keepe any man from that which is true to obtrude upon him that which shall seeme to be true but is false Thus he did in the first calling of the Iewes and to mee is more than probable will doe at their second calling When hee saw they had an expectation of the true Christ he to divert and seduce them from the true Christ setteth up false Christs Even so in the matter of peace If he can so delude men that they shall content themselves with a false Peace hee knoweth that they will never seeke for that which is true It is a common practice with the Devill to endevour to make all that are not in state of grace to presume that they are Also such is his cunning and malice that when any man is in the state of grace he will cast all the doubts and perils hee can to make that estate doubtfull and discomfortable to vexe and to wearie him if hee cannot drive him to despaire knowing that if he could drive him into hold him in utter despaire he were as certainly in his power as if hee did presume Now the Heart of man so farre as it is Vnsanctified being deceitfull above all things is most apt to yeeld to Satan in both these cases Whence it is that there are very many which bragge of much peace and yet have least of it And many feare they have no peace who yet have much of it Wherfore the Rule is Beleeve not either your deceitfull heart or the Devill when they tel you either that you are in state of salvation or in state of damnation But beleeve the Scripture what it saith in either You may know when these perswasions come from your deceitfull heart or from the Devil thus First If the meanes to perswade you to either be from false grounds or from misapplication of true grounds Secondly If the conclusions inferred from either perswasion be to keep you in a sinful course and to keep you or to drive you from God as to make you think that you need not be so strict in godlinesse or that now it is in vaine or to late too turne seek unto GOD then it is from Satan and from a deceived heart and you must not beleeve them But if these perswasions be from a right applicatioÌ„ of true grounds and doe produce these good effects to drive you to God in prayse or prayer and unto a care to please God they are from his gracious Spirit The false Peace and evill quiet Conscience doth arise from these three causes First from Grosse ignorance of the danger wherein a man lyeth because of sinne whence followeth a blind Conscience Secondly from Groundlesse security and presumption that all shall be well with him not withstanding that hee knoweth hee hath sinned and knoweth that sinne is damnable whence hee hath a deluded Conscience Thirdly from Obstinacy through delight and custome in sin whence commeth senslesnesse of Conscience which is a seared Conscience Wheresoever any of these evils raigne albeit God hath said there is no peace to the wicked that is no true peace yet such feare no evill but promise to themselves peace and safetie like those of whom the Prophet spake who had made a covenant with death and with Hell were at an agreement Yea though they heare all the Curses against Sinners which are in Gods booke denounced against them yet will blesse themselves in their owne heart and say they shall have peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their hearts But whosoever is thus quiet in himselfe through a false peace it is a signe that the strong man keepeth the house and that he continuing in this fooles Paradise is not farre from sodaine and fearefull destruction from the Almighty Whosoever therefore would have true peace of GOD must beware of these three impediments First Hee must know and be throughly convinced that by nature by reason of Adams first transgression which is justly imputed to him and because of his owne inherent wickednesse of concupiscence and of actuall sinnes of omission and commission both inthought word and deed he is in state of sinne and condemnation having God for his enemie yea is an heire of wrath and of eternall vengeance of Hâ—lâ— fire According to that of the Apostle All have sinned and are become guiltie before GOD and have come short of the glorie of God Ignorance of danger may give quiet to the mind for a time but it can give no safetie Is not he foolishly secure that maketh himselfe merry in a ruinous house not knowing his danger untill it fall upon him Whereas if he had known it he should have had more feare and disquiet but should haue beene in lesse perill Secondly let no man presume upon weake and false grounds that he shal escape the vengeance of hell or attaine to the joyes of heaven Now how weakely and vainely many doe ground their hopes and from thence their peace shall appeare by that which followeth 1. Some thinke that because God made them surely hee will not damne them True if they should have continued good as hee made them God made the Devil good yea an excellent creature yet who knoweth not that he shall be damned If God spared not his holy Angels after that they became sinfull shall man thinke that hee will spare him A sinfull man shall be judged at the last day not according to what he was by Gods first making but as hee shall bee found marred and made naught by the Devill and by his owne lusts When Iudah became a people of no understanding it is said He that made them will shew
them no mercie and he that formed them will shew them no favour Thus it is spoken to every sinner remaining in his sin notwithstanding that GOD made him 2. Some say their afflictions have beene so many so great and so long-lasting that they hope they have had their Hell in this life whence it is that their hearts are quiet in respect of any feare of wrath and judgement at the last day I would aske such Whether they being thus afflicted have returned to God that smote them whether their afflictions have made them better or whether like Salomons foole brayed in a morter their sinne and folly is not departed from them if so they must know the more they have beene and now are afflicted if they be not reformed by it this doth presage that there is the more worse behinde as it was in the case of Iudah Many have beene oft and extreamely whipt by their Parents and at the house of Correction yet they remaining incorrigible were at last executed on the Gallowes 3. Some though their wayes be never so grievous yet because to them Gods Iudgements are farre above out of their sight and because they have no changes God forbearing to execute his judgements upon them speedily they perswade themselves that God seeth not or that hee is not angry with them or that hee regardeth not and that hee will neither doe good nor bad thinking that God hath forgotten or that hee is like them well enough pleased with them Hereby they lay their Consciences asleepe promising unto themselves immunity from punishment and that they shall never be mooved Know yee that Gods for bearance of his wrath is not because he seeth not or because hee hath forgotten or regardeth not your wickednesse but because hee would give you time and means of repentance it is because hee would not have you perish but come to repentance that you may be saved Which if you doe not this his bounty and long-suffering maketh way for his justice and serveth to leave you without excuse and to heape up wrath for you against the day of Iudgement the day of the revelation of the iust iudgement of God who shall render to every man according to his workes For God knoweth how to reserue the wicked to the day of Iudgement to be punished He will take his time to heare and afflict you When hee shall set all the sins of you that forget him in order before you then if your speedy repentance doe not now prevent it he will teare you in peeces when there shall be none to deliver The longer he was in fetching his blow the more deadly will his stroke be when it commeth Many malefactors are not so much as called at a quarter Sessions when lesse offenders are both called and punished yet have they no cause to promise safety to themselves for they are reserved for a more solemne try all and execution at the grand Assises So wicked men that are not afflicted here are reserved for the last Iudgement at the great and terrible day of the Lord. 4. There are some which hope that God doth love them and that hee doth intend to save them for they prosper in every thing and are not in trouble and distresse as other men hereupon their Consciences are quiet and without feare Let mee tell you who thus thinke that alas this is a poore foundation to build your hope upon What are you the better for your prosperitie are you more thankefull and more obedient Doe you the more good by as much as you doe prosper more If so well if not know Salomon by the Spirit of truth telleth you that â—o man can know Gods love or haâ—red by all that is before him be it prosperity or adversity In these things there may be one and the same event to the righteous and â—o the wicked Know moreover that the wicked for the most â—art thrive most in this world God giving them their portion in this life wherewith they fat theÌ„selves against the day of slaughâ—er making their owne table their snare and their prosperitie their ruine 5. There are many who comparing themselves with themselves passing by their own many sins looking onely upon their owne Hypocriticall and civill good purposes and deeds comparing also their sinnes with the notorious sinnes of Gods people committed before their Conversion and with the grosse sinnes of Noah Abraham Lot Peter and other godly men after Conversion hence conclude that sith such are saved they conceive a good opinion of themselves and hope they shall be saved they thinke that all is well with them being such of whom our Saviour speaketh that need no repentance I would have these to know that they that compare themselves with themselves are not wise and they that thinke well of themselves and commend themselves are not approved but those onely whom the LORD commendeth Moreover the slips and fals of the Elect both before and after Conversion did serve for their owne humbling and for a warning to all that should heare thereof God knoweth how to reproove and chasten his owne that offend giving them repentance to life and Salvation and yet justly will condemn all those that shall wittingly stumble at their fals and wilfully lye in their sinnes being fallen It is not safe following the best men in all their actions for in many things they sinne all not onely before but after conversion And as the cloud that guided the Israelites had two sides the one bright and shining the other blacke and darke such is the cloud of Examples of godly men Those which will be directed by the light side thereof shall with the children of Israel passe safely towards the heavenly Canaan but those that will follow the dark side of it shal all perish with the Egyptians in the Red sea of destructioÌ„ Whatsoever any were before coÌ„version or whatsoever grosse sinne they fall into after conversion if they be humble and truely penitent none of them are laid to their charge because they are done away by Christ Iesus These are in better state than those who for matter never committed so great sins if Pharisie-like they repent not of their lesser sinnes as they esteeme them and are proud of their supposed goodnesse and wel-doing For God in justifying the humble Publican rather than the proud Pharisie sheweth that proud innocencie is alwayes worse than humble guiltinesse 6. There are likewise some others who are guilty to themselves of damnable sins yet hope to be saved by the goodnesse of other men by pardons from the Pope by absolutions of Priests and by certaine satisfactory penitentiall externall acts of their owne and by good workes such as almes c. These are Papists who if they may have hope of the Popes Indulgences if they can get his pardon and a Priests absolution if they